Greener Clean

So I went to the grocery store tonight cause I needed new scrubbies since the dishwasher isn't working. And in the scrubbie section I found Scotch-brite Greener Clean Products.

The scrubbies are made 50% from agave fibers (renewable), the sponges are biodegradable, the cloths are made from bamboo fiber (highly renewable) and the soap pads are made from recycled soda bottles. And they're roughly the same price as the 'regular' products.

So I thought I'd give them a shot. I figured they're from Scotch-brite, they have to be half decent, right? I bought the soap pads, the sponges with the scrubbie thing on the back and the regular scrubbies. I've only tried the sponges so far and I have to say, they're awesome. Probably the best scubbies/sponges I've ever used.

**EDIT**
After further use, I'm still completely in love with the scrubbie sponges, not so much with the soap pads, of course, like Brillo pads, they have sort of a limited range of what they're meant for.

Gotta get back on track.

This week, when I get paid, there will be a hard-core, fill the pantry farmer's market trip. I need to make granola bars. I have an idea for almond bars. I'm out of zippy bags. I need veggies. (All i have is mutant cucumbers from my garden.)

I might try to make some popcorn bars, also.

In other news, I made amazing Wasabi mustard this past week. I'll measure next time and post the recipe. Which brings me to the next item - Robyn is going to teach me to can, which means healthier eating (with no Onion - yay) and reusable packaging (ball jars).

This all makes for a very happy hippy. Now if only my house would clean itself.

Oil Cloth Snack Bags - Fail!

Awhile ago I saw some girl on Etsy was selling oil cloth, reusable snack bags. Now, it's not that I don't want to support another artist, it's just that I'm loathe to buy it and pay shipping if I could make my own. So, I decided that I'm going to make my own. I figured one 6" square folded in half for a snack bag, two 6" squares sewn together for a sandwich bag. Velcro closures on all of them.

So I go to Joann's for the oil cloth. I get there and they don't seem to have it. I asked the girl at the fabric table and she tells me it's hard to find and that I should try Fabric.com. I told her I was gonna try Fabrics by Allen out in the Kmart Plaza to see if they have any.

I browsed around some more and found a remnant of red checked flannel back vinyl and I'm thinking, that this could make a super cute lunchbag, and then at least the trip to Joann's isn't wasted. When I checked out, I mentioned my project to the girl up front, who proceeded to inform me that they don't make oilcloth anymore - this is completely untrue, we carry bags made of it where I work.

So then I drive out to Fabrics by Allen. They don't carry oil cloth either, but they're intrigued by my idea. I ended up buying some nylon mesh to make a bath puff, and some lightweight clear plastic that we're thinking may work for my bags. I promise them I'll let them know how my bags turn out and head off to finish my errands.

Then I come home and go online. Fabric.com does, in fact, carry oilcloth!! Yay! But, I'm not totally in love with any of the patterns, so I start Googling oil cloth. And I find out that the jury's still out on whether modern oil cloth is actually foodsafe, because it's cloth impregnated with vinyl.

So I look into traditional oil cloth, which is canvas or cotton duck, impregnated with Linseed oil. Which also may or may not be foodsafe. But you can make your own. With linseed oil from the healthfood store which is produced to by eaten as a supplement of some kind or another. Which means it's food safe. But probably a huge pain in the ass to make.

So now I don't know what I'm going to do, but I know that as much as I hate throwing them all away, I am not going to start washing zippy bags. To me, that just screams crazy person. I mean no offense to you if you wash yours, I just can't quite bring myself to do it.

What exactly is a Diva Cup?

After much consideration, I finally bought a Diva Cup, so far so good. Honestly, I love it! I bought it earlier today, and I'm already thrilled with it. I have "good" timing, having puchased it when I could immediately use it.

So, what is a Diva Cup exactly? It's a menstrual cup, a tampon replacement, an environmentally friendly feminine hygiene product, one of the best purchases I have ever made. It collects your flow rather than absorbing it (it's a silicone cup), and it's re-usable. You wash it up and keep using it. It does cost about $40, and may need to be ordered online if your local health food store doesn't carry it or can't get it.

I had Sign of the Bear, in Allentown, get me mine. Here's the thing - it's FDA approved for a year of use. In other words, $40 once a year, rather than $5-10 every month for pads and/or tampons.

If you want the details or more information, please look at the Diva Cup website, or check in with the girls at LunaPads.