Tag Archives: eco-friendly

Driving Ms. Chevy Volt

  By Amy | November 21, 2011 - 10:46 pm | ,
Comments Off

chevy volt charging

We had the opportunity to drive around a Chevy Volt for about a week.  I can’t hide it.  I love that car.  I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun driving or riding in a car.

In a nutshell, I basically want to tell you that:

a) the Chevy Volt is a smart, energy efficient, electric car.
b) the Chevy Volt is extremely environmentally friendly
c) if you have any kind of regular, lengthy commute – highly consider checking out a Chevy Volt.

I put together this fancy-schmancy slideshow of my time with Ms. Volt (that’s what I named her). Check it out and then afterward, check out the quick video I made showcasing some of her features.

So, since you’ve looked through the photos and watched the video I made (right?), you can see how slick the Chevy Volt is, inside and out. Appearance-wise, well, she’s definitely got that going for her.

Just about 230-240 miles is a pretty good guesstimate of the amount of miles we put on the vehicle over eight days. The car was delivered to us with a full tank of gas and we never had to fill up while we had it. Each night, we charged the Volt overnight in our garage, so it had a full charge the next day. We just used the standard power cord at 120 volts to charge it. You can also charge it at 240 volts (for a shorter charging period).

In my family, we average a good 230 miles per week, so for us, the Chevy Volt makes complete sense. For the amount we travel in and around the Chicagoland area, including the occasional trips further out of town or out of state, this car would ultimately save us money. It’s not a cheap car by any means, however, I believe that when you purchase a Chevy Volt, you immediately receive a $7,500 tax credit. That brings the cost of the car down to around $31,000. I did not sit down and calculate how much the cost in electricity would be to charge the car on a nightly basis. Yeah, it’s a huge chunk of change but I still believe it’s absolutely worth the purchase price and the commitment to helping the environment.

In my video, I said that it’s like a “new way of driving”. What I mean by that is, the information you get from the car’s computer is so detailed, you have no choice but to start thinking about the way you drive and how efficiently you use energy. We really liked the way the information about our driving habits was broken down for us.

Such a smart car. She’s also definitely got that going for her.

Ok, I’ll admit it. I secretly wanted to stop at a gas station and use their bathroom while I had the car. I even sort of hoped that the drive-thru baristas at my favorite coffee joint would lean out the window a bit and ask me all about her. Ah, maybe next time. I did have the opportunity to chat with a whole bunch of people about the car and just how fantastic I think it is…and now…you.

Treat yourself to a test drive in a Chevy Volt. It’s good to have an idea of how advanced the technology in cars has become.

BABYBJORN Comfort Carrier

  By Amy | January 7, 2011 - 2:07 pm | , , ,
1 Comment

BABYBJORN Comfort Carrier

I had the chance to try out the brand new BABYBJORN Comfort Carrier late 2010.  What’s cool about this new style of carrier is that it’s meant to be used with older babies.  The carrier was designed with an ergonomic waist belt, which allows you to continue wearing your baby until approximately age two or about 31 pounds.  The waist belt helps distribute the baby’s weight to take pressure off of your back.  Your baby can face inward or outward, just like with other carriers.  The Comfort Carrier is part of BABYBJORN’s organic line, so it’s gentle for the baby, you and the environment.

The new Comfort Carrier is really a sleek and very well manufactured.  Without a doubt one of my favorite carriers from the BABYBJORN line.

Pipila Portable UV Pacifier Sterilizer

  By Amy | May 20, 2010 - 12:26 am | , , , , , , , ,
2 Comments

NO WAY was I EVER going to be a mom who had a kid that used a pacifier.  Nope.  My first didn’t use one, so why would any babies thereafter?

Well…I stand corrected.

My second baby is a pacifier baby.  Those “paci’s” help her stay calm.  Here we are, 10 + months later and not a whole heck of a lot has changed in the fussy department.

Initially, I scoffed at the idea of pacifier sanitizers or sterilizers.  If the binky falls on the floor, whatever, just wipe it off on my sleeve and stick it back into her mouth.  Well, the older she gets, the more she drops it.  The more she drops it, the more I think about the nasty stuff it comes into contact with.

So, as I gather all of my travel necessities, I think about those pacifiers and how I am going to make sure they are sanitary enough to put into my precious baby’s mouth.  She’ll drop them on the floor of the airport, airplane, on the bus from the airport to the resort, and so on.  I’m not too keen on the idea of rinsing off her pacifiers with the tap water in the hotel and I don’t really want to have to find a place to boil my bottled drinking water.

We heard about Pipila from our PR buddies for DesignRoom Group and Little Honey.  Right away, I’m thinking, “Ok.  This thing has to come with us on our vacations.”  If it does what they say it’s supposed to do, kill up to 99.9% of germs residing on the pacifier, then I can’t complain.

I don’t have an “official” way to test the results from the 6 minute sterilization process, but I have to believe that this portable UV pacifier sterilizer works.  Pipila retails just under US $30 and for the money and peace of mind you get, I can tell you it’s worth it.  It’s quiet, quick and convenient.  I’m throwing mine into the diaper bag and it’s going to travel thousands of miles with us and I imagine it’s going to get quite a bit of use.  I can even use it to sterilize the bottle nipples.  I love a product that can serve a multipurpose.

Pipila is easy enough to find throughout the US.  Designroom Group sells them for $29 (they also have a lot of other fun things to browse through).

You’ll hear more about Pipila in a “travel” conversation I recently had with the owner of Little Honey.  Will soon post for your listening pleasure.

GroBaby All Natural Baby Wipes

  By Amy | January 30, 2010 - 9:17 am | , ,
3 Comments

I have had the opportunity to try out a new product from The Natural Baby Company; GroBaby All Natural Baby Wipes and I happen to really like them.

I have used a handful of different brands of baby wipes over the past four years, so this comparison is quite easy.  These wipes are very soft, with almost a satin-like feel to them.  In my opinion, they have the perfect amount of moisture to clean baby’s bottom.   I really feel like I’m “cleaning” her bottom.  I guess that’s hard to describe but I just feel like she’s truly clean after I wipe her.  Because of the softness and the solution on the wipes, I don’t feel like these wipes are irritating her skin.  I suppose you’ll just have to use them yourself to see what I mean.  :)

According to the description on The Natural Baby Company website, these wipes are made from Ingeo™ Fibers (a man-made fiber derived from 100% natural renewable resources).  The reason these wipes are appealing to me is because I used all of the popular brand baby products with my first child and I promised myself that this time around, I would try to do better for the baby and for the environment.  This is a step in the right direction.

GroBaby wipes are available online ($5.99 for a pack of 80 wipes) and at select retailers (hopefully there is a Whole Foods near you).

For more information on GroBaby products, check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Huggies Pure & Natural Diapers

  By Amy | June 11, 2009 - 9:07 pm | , ,
2 Comments

img_8378

I was sent a pack of Huggies’ new line of diapers called “pure & natural” to try out on the new sprout.  Well, I couldn’t just let the pack sit there without taking one of these newborn-size diapers out to get a first-hand look and feel of it.  The hubs and I have been tossing back and forth this itty bitty diaper for a couple of weeks now.  We’re still sort of in disbelief that we’re going to have another baby small enough to actually use it.

It’s.  So.  Tiny.

Not only is it super small (because it’s the newborn size), it’s very, very soft.  One of the softest disposable diapers I have ever felt.  I can’t imagine it will be anything other than comfy on our new baby girl.

Now, I have to admit, we are leaning the cloth diapering way this time around for many reasons but I will say, I was interested enough in this new line by Huggies that I have no problem at all giving them a try.

If you still have little ones in diapers, up to a size 5, here are some official stats about Huggies pure & natural for you to consider.  These diapers:

  • are hypoallergenic
  • are fragrance free
  • have organic cotton included in their breathable outer cover
  • have a liner that includes natural Aloe & Vitamin E and materials from renewable sources
  • outer packaging is sourced from 20 percent post-consumer recycled materials

It’s safe to say that Huggies is thinking about the environment with this new line.  They have to.  That’s the way the world is going.  It only makes sense.

Huggies pure & natural diapers are available at major retailers now.  They are brand new on the market as of this past April, 2009.  I imagine I will pick up a few more packs of these diapers along the way because I’m sure it never hurts to have some disposables around even if we end up exclusively cloth diapering.

If you’re interested in trying them out yourself, you can go to www.HuggiesPureandNatural.com and request free samples.

One more thing to make you aware of, Huggies has a new “rewards” program in place.  It’s called “Enjoy the Ride Rewards.  You can get points numerous different ways.  Just stop by the website and check out the details.

Natural Mat – Organic mattresses and bedding

  By Amy | May 14, 2009 - 8:22 am |
1 Comment

As we make the final preparations to bring our new baby into the world and into our home, we are making our list of must-haves.  Where is the baby going to sleep?  That is one of the top questions on our list.  Maybe the more important question is, what is the baby going to sleep on?

Now, since this is our second child in four years, we have *most* of our list checked off.  This includes a crib mattress.  However, if this baby was our first child and knowing what we know now about the benefits of organic materials, we would highly consider purchasing an organic mattress and bedding.  In fact, we just purchased our own organic bed and it’s been quite lovely so far.

coco_mat

London-based company, The Natural Mat Company is one that you can feel confident turning to when making the decision on a mattress and bedding to purchase for your new little sprout (or even the older sprout).  Pictured above is the Coco Mat (filling), which we received a sample of.  We are able to look at and feel the Organic Coir center of the mattress and the Lambswool, which is wrapped around the coir (anti-dust mite).  Then, there is the pure cotton mattress cover.  The cover has a naturally soft feel and I imagine if I were laying on this mattress, I would be in heaven.

This particular crib mattress runs in the mid $300′s, depending on where you choose to purchase it.  It, along with many of the other Natural Mat mattresses can be found at select retail locations around the US and at online retailers.

You can also shop at Goore’s online store and enter code psnm to receive a 10% discount on any Natural Mat order.

If you’re not in the market for a new crib mattress, like us, at least be sure to check out Natural Mat’s bedding.  I will most likely purchase their mattress protector and sheet set for our current mattress.  Do yourself a favor and if you live near one of the retail locations, stop by and feel the mattresses for yourself.  There is an obvious difference.

Nature’s Source

  By Amy | April 8, 2009 - 7:53 pm | ,
1 Comment

I have been introduced to Nature’s Source cleaning products and now I can’t imagine that I’ll go back to using anything else.

natures_source

My family and I have been leaning toward a more natural way of life and the easiest thing for us to do is start little by little.  Even before seriously thinking about living a more eco-friendly lifestyle, I had a tendency to seek out the less invasive cleaning products.  I mean, seriously, have you breathed some of that toxic junk in?  Not good.

SC Johnson has released this line of more natural, more eco-friendly cleaning products at a reasonable price point.  Currently, the Nature’s Source cleaning products available on store shelves are a natural glass and surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner.  Yep, that’s about all I need.

The Nature’s Source website is quite user-friendly and information about the cleaning products ingredients is readily available.  There are tips and tricks, projects and a sense of community.  You can join others who are on the journey to a more environmentally friendly way of living.