Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Baby steps

I want to be more environmentally-conscious. In fact, my kids actively encourage me to do so, which I appreciate! I remember to bring my reusable bags into the grocery store a higher percentage of the time than I used to remember. Baby steps, right?

The next step? Cloth napkins. Ann gave me the brilliant idea of buying a bunch of bandanas for $1 each. They come in such cute prints these days! So I picked up 12 at Walmart today. I let the kids each choose two, and I chose the remaining eight (all matching.) I love the adorable owl print!


Assuming we like using cloth napkins, I think it would be nice to make some eventually, with thicker fabric. But for now, these will do just fine. They were inexpensive; they're cute (well, some are gaudy, I admit!), and I didn't have to sew the hems myself!

I like when baby steps are so easy to take! Maybe some day I'll eliminate paper towels in my house too!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I love this idea. I hadn't thought about bandanas for napkins.

Call Me Cate said...

Also a big fan of this idea. Yay, Ann!

It's amazing how many environmentally-friendly choices we make in our home but then there are simple ones (like this) that we haven't made. Yet. I think it's time to make a few more of these choices.

~Abbey~ said...

i have to admit. I have been a cloth napkin user for YEARS. and i am just so surprised at how many people still use paper napkins! I think we have this mentality that cloth napkins were for the elite or fancy dinners only. Cloth paper towels are on my TO DO list. i want to make them; they are not cheap to purchase. OH! and check Pier 1 for sales on cloth napkins at end of seasons. I have bought most of mine there for about $1 and they of course are much thicker than the bandana! Happy washing!

Heidi said...

I love the bandanas and will have to do that! We've been using cloth napkins for about a month and they've been very well received. I also bought cheap washcloths at Wal-Mart and have been using those to cut back on paper towels when washing windows, wiping counters, etc.

We still use a lot of paper towels, but we're cutting back. For me my motivation isn't enviornmental---it's about frugality. I have come to discover that many things that are good for the budget are also good for the enviornment.

I have basically stopped using all cleaners except for vinegar and baking soda. MUCH cheaper and less chemicals are a great combination :)

Keitha said...

Cute idea. I always remember the reusable bags for the grocery store but I have not made the switch to cloth napkins.

Christine Darling said...

I'm totally into cloth napkins. We use them for most meals around here.

The last time I had a cold, I used handkerchiefs instead of tissues. They are so much easier on the nose than even the best tissue- though there is a bit of a gross factor.

Bags at the grocery. I have tons of great bags. I never ever ever remember to take them in with me. Never. Ever. Ugg.

Marissa said...

I have been using cloth napkins for 3 or 4 years now and we have also foregone the paper towels. It is not bad. After a while you don't even miss them and your kids get used to grabbing a rag to wipe up a mess and then throwing it in the wash.
I've heard that some people use special napkin rings one for each person in the family and if their napkin is not very dirty they use it again the next day, just leave it in their personal napkin ring.

I am leaving a link to when I wrote about fabric gift bags and such...
http://marissa-norhymeorreason.blogspot.com/2011/11/cloth-gift-bags.html

also homemade snack bags for snacks, picnics, etc...
http://marissa-norhymeorreason.blogspot.com/2011/12/teacher-gifts.html