Mother Nature?

I don't know if it's a result of living in a very progressive town filled with a lot of free spirits and hippies, or if it's a wisdom that comes with age--but I'm starting to become much more attuned to our environment and sustaining this wonderful place in which we live. I have to think beyond my generation, and consider what life will be like for my children, and their children, and so on. Two recent examples of small steps we are taking--Number one--we are going to be joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Basically, we pay to buy a share of a local farm and we are then able to take advantage of their organically grown produce. Some items, like tomatoes and kale, are "pick your own" and you are free to take unlimited amounts. Others, like watermelon and berries, are limited in quantity because they don't harvest as many crops. We can pick-up our produce either Tuesday or Friday evenings, and can "pick our own" unlimited crops whenever we want during daylight hours. By joining a CSA, we are eating healthier and fresher produce while supporting our local farmers at the same time. A win-win situation. The timing would be especially beneficial since Owen is now eating up a storm and is experimenting with all kinds of new foods. We visited the farm this weekend and spent a good deal of time chatting with the woman who runs the farm. Isabella is really excited, and it will be great to involve her in the process. Another benefit is unlimited fresh flowers, which Isabella loves to pick! Her usual choices involve dandelions and other weeds, so just think of the opportunities with plentiful sunflowers and lilies! Number two--we are looking into switching from disposable to cloth diapers. We have a fabulous local store that offers a 21 day trial of cloth diapers for $10, so I stopped by last week and picked up my samples. So far, we have had a mixed experience and we haven't decided for sure. If we do switch, it would be to Bum Genius's all-in-one one-size cloth diapers. They are adjustable and will fit your baby until he/she is potty trained, so we'd never need to purchase new diapers. They are a bit pricy, but switching to cloth diapers would really save us mucho dinero in the long run. We aren't 100 percent sold yet, because they seem to be a bit leaky. I've talked to several other people who use cloth diapers, and I haven't really heard any complaints. So we are going to continue on with our trial period and make a decision at the end. I'd really love to make the permanent switch, for environmental and cost saving reasons. Plus they are just so darn cute! Stay tuned. So while you won't see me burning any bras or wearing patchouli oil, a part of me feels like I'm releasing a little of my inner hippie!!