blogging. the next generation.

Blogging is far from being dead. Although I posted some time ago that it's out. With a smile :) Well it's not, it has just introduced in next generation. No more personal reflections or "dear diary" kind of blogging with irrelevant content that matters to blogger her/himself only. I've never liked this kind of blogs. Although my blog is personal I always have in mind to post information that could be useful to readers in their everyday lives. But blogging has come much further from sharing our lives and exchanging our ideas and experience. Blogging is about business communities, new journalism, social networking and interactive PR. Blogs are where new businesses arise, new ideas grow, new groups form, new thinkers develop, new events happen. Blogs connect to each other and they connect with social networks to join their powers.

Since my blog is personal and I have other things to write than about what I like and how I live, I am developing my professional blog as well. I will let you know when I publish it. Until then, follow me on Twitter for my thoughts or read me as a guest "thinker" on Infa's thinking page.

Recent eMarketer Report on Blogging

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what's wrong with what we eat

Food production as we know it today requires huge amounts of water in the whole production chain.

1 l of milk requires 1000 l of water.
1 kg of poultry requires 5000 l of water.
For 1 kg of pork 10000 l water.
For 1 kg beef 20000 l water.
For comparison, production of average car requires 150000 l water.
1 kg vegetable is loaded with 200 l water and 1kg fruit with 700 l water.



I borrowed and translated the following words from the respected Slovene ecologist Anton Komat: Global nutritional system is collapsing. ... We have to move the energy base of civilization back to the sun and reestablish the local food production with minimal costs.

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eco nappies

I decided to use washable nappies instead of disposable even before my baby was born. The decision was easy due to the following facts about disposable nappies:
- they contribute a substantial share of world's non degradable waste
- they contain chemicals (harmful of course) to make baby feel dry
- the expenses are high, in thousands of euros

So there came the harder job - choosing the nappies. The offer is varied and available online. So I had to define the criteria otherwise I would be lost in the market. I decided the following:

- I want organic cotton or bamboo nappies for better comfort and health
- nappies should be one sized so I won't have to buy new size when baby grows (one-sized nappies are better value for money as well)
- for better convenience I chose "all in one" nappies - without separate nappy cover and with attached soakers (so you don't need to put the nappy together before use)

After reviewing the offer I chose the following for testing:
- ItiitBitti All in One (they're not one-sized but I tested them anyway)
- TotsBots Easyfit
- bumGenius all in one organic cotton
- Pop-in nappy by Close parent

I decided for TotsBots which are far the best due to the features:

- best fit (baby doesn't look as the bottom is the center of his body :)) and shape, it looks as thin as disposable nappy
- best material - very soft bamboo inner material
- fast drying (soaker can be pulled out when drying).

IttiBitti are to thick and they are not one sized. bumGenius are nearly as thin as TotsBots (but not so thin since organic cotton is thicker) but the organic cotton needs too much time for drying. And they are not shaped as good as TotsBots (less trimmed I suppose). Pop-in are very thick, not shaped very well and slow drying. And the soaker material is not soft at all.

Now we enjoy with TotsBots. They are also great for mum to use, very easy to fold and fasten on playful baby. And they have very nice design. We have some white and some colored nappies so that can be washed with either white or color laundry. To be honest, if I wanted to choose even more completely organic nappies, I would buy unbleached bamboo TotsBots with separate nappy covers. But this was a kind of compromise. I tried the disposables as well (Moltex and Bambo, both eco certified). Unfortunatelly the first month my baby was to small for any cloth nappy to fit him. What bothered me the most was that enormous amount of waste. And buying them all the time. Now I use them sometimes when going out (to a doctor or somewhere where there isn't the right time and place to handle the dirty washables).

There are many online shops with washable nappies so I only refer here to those where I bought them: www.softbots.co.uk, www.babipur.co.uk and stoffwindelcompany.de. Or just google the "washable nappies" or "eco nappies" and you'll find many offers. In Slovenia, washable nappies are available in online eco shops (e.g. Ekolife), in online baby shop Soncek and by nappy vendors Racman and Storklja (both online as well).

Critics say that washable nappies contribute to higher energy and water consumption due to washing and drying. I wash them with other laundry and I bought enough nappies so I only have to wash them once or twice a week. I don't use laundry dryer. And I use soap nuts instead of any harsh washing powders. The only disadvantage I see is a little more of a "dirty job". But it's worth it.

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cosmetic updates

I found out that Akamuti's cream moisturizers and balms are just great (up to now I was only eager to use their butters). Recently I'm especially beeing amazed with Tangerine Twist Foot Smoothie although I've thought so far that Shea Cocoa Mint Foot Butter is the best foot product ever. And I am extremely enjoying their delicious Buttered Rose & Almond hand cream.

I tested wide range of Essential Care products and it's definitely my top choice for hair and body wash. I like their purity (they characterize as "purists in skincare") and the high Soil Association standard. More info will follow.

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