Greening Textbooks & Kitty Litter

I took a rather big leap this morning, although it is something we have been planning to do for a while anyway. I went to the on-line Apple Store, and purchased a refurbished 32 GB iPad2 (for the same price as a new 16GB, no less). It's not technically "new", so it meets our only buying used guidelines for the year. Although, having it shipped is breaking our rules a bit.  I plan to use the box it is shipped in for moving; so at least it will be re-used. We want the tablet for our photography studio (Lola Mae Images)  when meeting prospective clients, and I also plan to use it for most of my textbooks this semester. That's right...my textbooks. I checked on Amazon, and more than half of my books are available in a digital download. That saves a lot of trees and keeps tons of chemicals from the inks out of the air and water. The other books are really questionable as to whether I'll actually need them or not. I plan to hold off until the first day of class to see if the professor is really going to require them, before purchasing used editions somewhere.

Tyler also purchased our first batch of green kitty litter yesterday, too. Feline Pine. The website claims you will use less than regular clay litter, it still clumps, has no chemicals or fragrances, and it's renewable (whatever that means). We shall see. There is also a wheat kitty litter on the market, that is supposedly flushable. I have to do more research into that one before giving it a go. Hopefully Gozer and Zuuly won't boycott the change by refusing to use their litter box!

I found a recipe for homemade shampoo using natural ingredients that I plan on trying to make this weekend. No, we are not joining the "no-poo" movement; where people only use a baking soda/water mix for washing and vinegar for conditioner. Those following it swear by it, saying their hair has never been healthier or more manageable. I'm really skeptical that would get the food particles from one of my daughter's hair. (She's known for getting more food in her hair somehow, than her mouth. Lol!) The recipe I came across uses Dr. Bonner's soap and jojoba oil, among other things- giving me that lather I am so hooked on. If it works as well as claimed, I will post the recipe.