Green and Crunchy.....

Grace- 1 month old Bum Genius

                                                             
 How do I feel about the Green and Crunchy movement? I feel pretty good to be apart of it!
When I found out I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with emotion.  The last thing on my mind was what kind of diapers/wipes I would be using, if I would be breastfeeding or formula feeding, or many other things.  After awhile, I started to talk to friends who were moms.  My one friend was really into cloth diapering.  Her daughter is 3 months older than Grace and she introduced me to Bum Genius diapers.  She showed me them and I was sold.  She did tell me it would be pricey up front but would totally pay off in the long run.  So I decided I would be doing cloth diapers.  My husband and I bought a few at a time and even got some from my friends as a shower gift.  I was so excited to use them but had to wait for the first month to be over because they were so HUGE on Grace's tiny body.  I have branched out and tried some other brands other than Bum Genius- Eco Bunz, Fuzzibunz, Kawaii, Sunbaby, and some other brandas I cannot remember off the top of my head.

Some people believe breastfeeding is a part of the Green and Crunchy movement. When I first told people I was pregnant, they told me to sign up on all the formula companies websites to get coupons and free samples.  I went on and dished out my name, address, email, and created passwords.  This was before I made one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life- to breastfeed Grace.  I knew it was the best thing for her and I was determined to make it work! I took a breastfeeding class towards the end of my pregnancy and was so excited to breastfeed Grace.  The instructor of my class was the head of the Breastfeeding Resource Center (www.breastfeedingresourcecenter.org).  She spoke of lactation consults and support groups for breastfeeding moms.  Needless to say, I started going to the weekly meetings when Grace was around 10 days old and I still go to the meetings.  It is my home away from home.
We are big on recycling at home as well.  I can't wait to teach Grace all about that when she gets older.  I also try to use the reusable shopping bags when I can (or remember to put them back in the car).  Next year we are going to put some raised beds in the backyard and grow some veggies!

I am very happy with my Crunchy decisions.  I have told many. many moms about cloth diapers and how much we love them! Some have decided to go that route and I hope they are as happy as I am with that decision!