The EcoChic

Today marks the 578th day of breastfeeding my little tot!  Well to be clear – I’m not actually breastfeeding her today because she is at Camp Grandma/Grandma while I am flying (yes – right now) to NYC for #BlogHer10!  But – we are still breastfeeding and my pump (Thanks Hygeia) is packed securely inside my luggage.

Many of you may remember the adventures I had while traveling to Miami for a week – without a tot – and without my handy pump!  I had a mommy moment while packing then and left the pump in my closet all alone!  Enter my introduction to hand expression and jokes from my hubby and friends!

There was a question as to whether I should continue to breastfeed when I returned or let her be weened since she had been off mommy milk for a whole week.  Two hours after our reunion she kindly asked for mommy – and I couldn’t say no.

Once again – I will continue to pump while away and I’ll let her decide if it’s time to ween or not.  It seems almost fitting that she would ween this trip because she is now 19 months AND my son weened while the hubs and I were vacationing in NYC over 6 yrs ago (he was 11 months – 3 weeks – and 3 days!).  It would be kinda neat to have NYC be both of their weening times.  But only time will tell – she is quite fond of our time together.

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week I just wanted to share my (continued) story in hopes that I can encourage you or someone you know to keep it up for as long as it is beneficial for you and your child – whatever age that might be.  While the WABA has their own 10 steps for successful breastfeeding I’m going to give you my modified list!

1.  Have faith in yourself, your body, and your baby – the rest will come naturally.

2.  Trust your instincts – and don’t ALWAYS listen to the ‘professionals’ (i.e., your doctors, nurses, friends, and family).  I remember with my son a nurse ordered me to have a mammogram for a cracked nipple and instruct me to quit nursing immediately! I’m SOOOOO glad I didn’t listen to that nurse and trusted my own instincts instead!

3.  If it hurts or doesn’t feel right ask for help – a certified lactation consultant should be available at your local hospital or birthing center.  Reach out and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

4.  The first month is the hardest!  You are emotionally and physically exhausted – don’t be discouraged in the beginning.

5.  There is nothing easier to do than breastfeed your baby!  No bottles to warm up, no formula to buy, nothing to mix, and no water needed!  Oh – and you can’t leave the milk at home if you breastfeed – one less thing to tote in your diaper bag.

6.  There is nothing more nutritious than mommy milk for your baby – it’s the perfect food for every age!

7.  It’s free!  Whether you have lots of money or no money – breastmilk is always free.  Sure you have to continue to eat a healthy diet but we should all do that anyways – regardless of our financial status.

8. It’s better for the environment – nothing is artificially manufactured, packaged, or shipped to get your baby this perfect food – and there’s no waste!

9.  Yes, even daddy and caregivers can participate.  That’s my breastpumps were invented!  And don’t be scared of those either – you’ll get the hang of it.  It’s worth it!

10.  Lastly – because your baby deserves the very best!  And the breast really is the best!

How many days have you breastfeed your baby?  What problems or misconceptions are you dealing with?  Do you know where to go for help?  Let me know – I can point you in the right direction.

PS – I’m a working mom and I have to travel from time to time without my baby.  If I can make it 19 months I have faith you can make it to your own personal goal!

In less than one month I’ll be packing up my family and we’ll be headed to NYC for BlogHer 10!  I am going to be completely honest with you – I’m horribly nervous!

I’ve been blogging on The Eco Chic for almost 3 years now and I’ve never been to any type of blogging conference.  I attempted to sign up for Disney Moms last year but missed the deadline before they sold out (by minutes – seriously!).  I’ve been hesitant to enter ‘that world’ where other mom bloggers will be – judging me and my blog.  I know that sounds really insecure but what if someone criticizes me or my blog?  It’s my baby!  But – it’s also my hobby (and my passion).  I work on it every chance I get – which as a full time working mom of 2 is very little time! 

Anyways – I will hopefully leave my insecurities behind and walk into the conference with confidence in who I am!  I am really looking forward to meeting some of the awesome ladies behind my favorite blogs and tweets.  I’m looking forward to learning a few tips and tricks to help me on my blog.  I’m looking forward to networking with companies.  And I’m really excited to visit NYC with my family.

I fear that I will be so busy trying to balance the conference and the family – but it’s part of our vacation and I will make it all work out!  I can’t wait to see what all the excitement is about – parties, swag, networking, networking, networking!  I think I’m a little overwhelmed!

In the coming weeks my blog I will be sharing some exciting things with you – including some awesome giveaways and contests for my non-BlogHer attending readers!  I have a few wonderful sponsors who are helping pay some of my expenses.  I’ll be announcing those very soon! 

I’ve also been working with the BlogHer Green Team to help the conference organizers ensure that the event is an environmentally responsible event.  If you’ve been following BlogHer in previous years there have been lots of controversy over sponsors, recycling (or lack of), and swag overload.  I feel like my time on the Green Team has been more educational to me – and I honestly feel that our voices are being heard.  I will be sharing some of those efforts with you soon as well. 

What about you?  Are you going to BlogHer 10?  Have you ever been to a blogging conference?  What tips can you share with me?  Now – off to find eco-friendly (and inexpensive) business cards!

After you read today’s post I REALLY want to hear your stories – leave your comments below so we can all laugh along together!

For my day job I frequently have to travel around the country and I tend to spend A LOT of time in airports on those days.  Yesterday was no different – I left my house at 5:30 AM and didn’t get home until almost 10:30 PM.  With my little ones I hate to stay overnight if I don’t have to.  As I’m sure you can all relate most people I encounter have never seen a MODERN cloth diaper and have the old fashioned pre-folds and pins in their heads when I mention them.  Unless I’m around someone who has a baby or is pregnant I really try NOT to reveal that side of me too much because I know (that while I know it seems like we ALL talk about cloth diapers) the majority of Americans don’t really like to talk about DIAPERS!  We are rare folks who actually enjoy talking about fluff, inserts, fabrics, styles, washing, traveling, and sorting our diapers.  Most people prefer to use them and toss them and NOT talk about them - after all who really wants to talk about disposable diapers anyways?

Back to my story – yesterday I actually entered into the cloth diaper conversation with 2 people at work (who don’t have babies – both have older kids) and one person on an airplane.  The man on the plane and I struck up a conversation about what we do for work which lead to lots of talk about the environment.  That naturally lead to me revealing my secret identity – The Eco Chic.  It’s actually quite amusing to begin a conversation about being a mommy blogger – never mind a cloth diapering, natural parenting mommy blogger – especially with a young (and quite nice looking) man on an airplane.  Funny story though – he and his wife are trying to conceive and may be pregnant right now at this very moment!  We talked all about cloth diapering, blogging, Twitter, BPA, phthalates, Food Inc, organics, EWG, and SOOO much more.  Seems he’s from California and he’s actually already heard about many of the natural parenting topics that I write about ALL THE TIME!  Anyways – as a (hopefully) soon to be daddy – now he knows all about cloth diapers and has a new place to visit (ok – his wife does) on the Internet to find answers.   

Last week I spoke about cloth diapers with a few other people I work with – one of which has a sister who is expecting twins (who is NOW completely excited about learning more!).  A few weeks ago I spent several hours with a friend from church (who is expecting #3) going over ALL the fluffy details about how to pick the right cloth diaper for her family. 

It seems that everywhere I go now I find myself talking FLUFF – and people are listening!

Of course my friends whom I love ohhhhh so dearly (my BFFs in real life) no longer have babies so they think I’m a little wacky!  Last Thursday night we spent several hours laughing at all my fluffy talk, the names of cloth diapering blogs (for some reason the title The Cloth Diaper Whisperer seemed quite amusing to them), the mommy blog drama that exists, which cloth diapering brands/companies I like and don’t like, the drama that exists in the cloth diapering world between the brands (oh I wish I knew all the stories), breastfeeding (extended bfing to them is odd), Twitter parties, and blogging conferences - I’m sure you can all relate!  Then it dawned on me last night after reading a few tweets from some friends – WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WHEN Lil’ B is POTTY TRAINED and WEENED?  What am I going to talk about then?  She’s our last baby so there won’t be another addition to our family.  I guess I will always be an expert on what I know NOW – but things will continue to change and new brands and products will be revealed.  Only time will tell.

So what about you?  Do you talk fluff all the time?  Who is the strangest person you’ve talked fluff with?  Tell me your funny stories – I want to know!  What about your real life friends (and family) – do they enjoy your fluffy addictions?  Or do they (lovingly) laugh at with you? 

Sunrise from South Beach

The Eco Chic has been absent for a few days.  We packed up the family and headed off to Chattanooga, TN for a wedding.  Once again I kept the cloth diapers at home and packed up those nasty sposies.  I really have to find a system that works for traveling.  My main problem is that we rarely stay with friends and family, instead we frequent hotels.  Location is not the only restriction for using cloth, I’m not going to take time out of our already busy schedule to go find a place to wash our cloth.  I might actually invest in some g-diapers just for traveling.  (In case you are new to cloth, g-diapers are hybrid diapers.  They have a flushable insert inside the reusable cover.)

Big B missed two days of school and I missed two days of cool Back To School giveaways!  Later tonight I will be posting another Waste-Free Lunch giveaway! 

Lil’ B is eating like a little pig.  At almost 8 months she is eating almost everything I try to give her.  I can’t recall the last time she turned her nose up to food.  I’m still making the majority of her food from fresh fruits and veggies.  Tonight she had mango-sweet potatoes….yummy!  Big B actually tried a bite and like it too.

Have you ever considered the environmental impact of weddings?  There is so much waste!  The reception was littered with disposable forks, napkins, and cups that were used for less than five minutes…and like most people I made more than one trip through the bar and appetizer lines.  We got married in Vegas so we didn’t have a traditional wedding or reception. 

OK, that’s the random thoughts going on in my mind right now!

Well our journey to cloth diapering has been a little more challenging than I expected.  First they were too large on Little B (we’re using Bum Genius 3.0), then when she was big enough she got a horrible rash from them, and now we are back at it again.  I know there are different brands but we have an investment in the BGs so we’re sticking with them.  So what are we doing now?

For the past 2 weeks we’ve been flip flopping back and forth.  Our new Nappy Cream is working wonderfully, Little B hasn’t had a rash since we started using it over a month ago.  Since we aren’t suppose to use creams with BGs we are using flushable liners between her and the diaper.  This process is working well and keeping the cream off the diapers. 

Washing hasn’t been too bad.  We have about 20 diapers so we’re washing every 3-4 days.  I’m a little discouraged (environmentally speaking) that the directions tell you to wash them twice each time…but they are coming clean.  I feel like I’m using a lot of water but I know that I’m saving more in other areas (oil, paper, trees, etc). 

We are still using disposable though.  She has HORRIBLE blowout poo’s about once a day and they are usually around the same time.  With that being said it’s easy to predict when they are coming and we put her back in disposables.  At her age (3 1/2 months) and on a diet of only breast milk her poo is still incredibly runny and difficult to clean up. 

I’m also hesitant to put her in the BGs when we are out and about.  I don’t know how people deal with that.  I personally don’t want to be carrying around those dirty diapers in my diaper bag all day.  I can’t begin to imagine how they do it when they travel!  We are going out of town in a few weeks and she will be in disposable while we are gone.  There is no way I’m going to pack 20 dirty diapers in my luggage.  We aren’t going to be anyplace where we have access to laundry services either so there is no way to clean them while we are gone. 

I know this sounds like a negative post but it’s not.  I honest like the BGs.  But as I suspected from the beginning it’s much easier to stick with them when we are at home.  It’s super easy.  Both the hubby and the babysitter are on board too which helps. 

I’m sure I’ll have more updates as we travel on this journey to become free from disposable diapers.  Keep reading!

I think I need an assistant writer over here since I can’t manage to stay home for long this summer!  LOL!  I know my last post said we were headed someplace out of the States but nobody guessed where.  We just got our passports and decided we’d hop on a plane and go someplace we’ve never gone.  We decided upon Amsterdam, Netherlands (Holland). 

While we were only there for a day (yes, just one day!!) we had plenty of time to take in the city.  What a fantastic city.  On the green side of things I have to say we were both impressed by the public transportation and the bikes.  Not only do they have buses; they also have a tram and train system running all through the town.  The most amazing thing to see were all the people riding bikes.  You literally had to watch out for the bike riders before you stepped off the curb.  Here is a cute picture that showed just how many bikes there are in this city; and this picture is only part of the lot.

Other green things we noted about the city…

At the hotel you had to put your room key in a slot to make the light switches work.  So everytime you left the room the lights automatically went off. 

Everyone drove small compact cars; if they drove at all.  You just don’t see big SUVs around town.

When we took off from the airport my hubby saw something off the coast he’d never seen in person.  Wind Mills!  There was a field of about 60 wind turbines in the water off the coast.  It was really pretty from the plane and reassuring that they are actually getting used. 

I think we could really learn a lot from other countries and their way of lives.  Stay tuned for big news tomorrow. 

It appears the EcoChic has packed up once again and ran away.  June has been filled with back to back business trips and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write anything fun.  This week is no different except I’ve actually been home for almost a week.  But in true EcoChic fashion; that is about to change today.  We’re packing up and heading out of town for the 4th of July.  I promise to tell you all about it when we get back…but not until then.  Anyone curious about where I’m going?  Check back next week and find out.

I made it safe and sound to my destination and I didn’t have nearly as much waste as normal today.  I did use my water bottle (refillable) all day.  Note to you travelers: don’t fill it until you get past security since you can’t take liquids through.  I filled it at the nearest water fountain which was tricky when only a trickle of water came out of the spout.  Maybe next time I will fill it at a restaurant instead.  The only waste I had was from the wrapper of my taco’s that I had for lunch.  I even borrowed a book from the library instead of buying one at the airport. 

Today’s book is “The World Without Us” by Alan Weisman.  I’m only about 50 pages into the book but I want to read more.  It’s exactly what the title suggests; what would the world be like without us.  The writer is very vivid and his use of imagery is wonderful.  He has an extensive Bibliography section and a web site so I imagine I will be doing some homework when I’m done.  The only warning is that the book is pretty depressing and at the same time beautiful.  I will follow up with my review as I get deeper into the book but right now I’m intrigued with the chapter on NYC.  I didn’t realize how much of the ecosystem was changed to build the city. 

Alright, I’m off to find some dinner.  Stay green!

Today is my day to talk about global warming.  Do you believe global warming exists?  Or do you think it’s just a myth a normal pattern in the planets history?  What do you think President Bush thinks about Global Warming?  There was an interesting video I saw on Yahoo today that answers that very question.  I had a friend of mine say something very similar as President Bush about the oil refineries in the U.S.  I had never really thought about it from his perspective.  The way my friend asked the questions was this; “Did you know that China and others have oil refineries very close off the coast of the United States?  Wouldn’t you rather have the U.S. manage the oil refineries with our environmental regulations instead of letting China do it without any regulations?  And if we had our own oil refineries we could reduce the cost of gasoline.”  Like I said, I had never considered that side of things.  I still think there are other alternatives that need to be investigated and persued; but I have to agree with having more control over our resources too. 

On another blog today, I read about the 20 places that would most be impacted and threatened by global warming.  I’m actually planning a family vacation right now to some place exotic.  Some of these places have been made famous by Survivor (Cook Islands and Palau, Micronesia).  Some I have actually dreamt about visiting (Galapagos Islands) since I started studying Darwin years ago.  Surprisingly some of the locations I have already visited (NYC, New Orleans, and Virgin Islands).  What cities or locations would you like to visit from the list and why? 

Whether or not you believe global warming is real I think it would be a loss to our planet to loose such wonderful places.  What would life be like without Japan, NYC, and London?  I personally don’t want to find out.