Sustainable Living

We put up a clothes line this summer at our new house, and I just had to take a photo of it. How nostalgic as well as environmentally sound is a clothes line!? I love seeing the kids’ clothes lined up together, reminding me of how quickly they grow. And hanging the laundry not only gives me satisfaction because I am reducing electricity use, it also gives me a little space in the day for a peaceful (yet practical!) meditative activity.

Our modern culture has bought into an idea that everything needs to be sterilized with antibacterial soap or bleach, both of which cause harm to our health. Yet the sun is the original disinfectant and brightening agent, and it is free and easily accessible. Hang out dish cloths that have started to smell, hang cloth diapers that have staining, and hang clothes that you don’t want to shrink in the dryer. And best of all, the old saying is true that sheets which have been hanging on the line smell divine when you lay down to sleep at night.

If buying our neighbour’s organic eggs can help instill in our children an understanding of health, community, and respect for the environment, then we say – let’s get cracking!

We chose a corner of our yard to start a compost pile for our compostable diapers. This will be a separate compost pile from the one we use for the kitchen scraps compost that gets added to the garden. Humanure takes longer to compost to ensure safety from pathogens.

We loved using cloth diapers for our son throughout his infancy, and after a bit of minor mending with the sewing machine, the same diapers are keeping our five month old daughter dry. But in the interests of helping her (and us!) sleep better through the night, a compostable diaper works well to help her feel dry and sleep longer.