Published on July 24th, 2008
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I love a clean house. There, I’ve said it. I like walking into my house, breathing in deeply and smelling the pure fresh smell of Amonia nothing. Seriously, there is no odor whatsoever. My windows are practically invisible and, because I’m cheap environmentally aware there is no cleanser involved.
Ya’ huh! It’s totally not a typo. I just found out the most amazing thing, microfiber. You can get microfiber rags at auto supply stores in really dull shades of grey, red or beige. Microfiber is already adored by green moms who use cloth diapers. You can also pick them up at specialty Grocery stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joes for a little more cash but it much more appealing colors. Jeff thinks everyone should tuck a towel in their pocket (rumor has it that Jeff wears cargo pants).
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Published on July 24th, 2008
Many of our readers come to our website looking for ways to start their families down the green path to eco-friendliness. Help is on the way for these families in a complete guide for families. Eco-Friendly Families, written by Helen Coronato, is designed to “guide your family to greener living with activities that will engage and inspire…from toddlers to teens.” This new guide will be released on August 5, 2008.
Eco-Friendly Families is filled with many simple tips, such as watering your houseplants with rainwater and hosting a neighborhood toy swap, as well as explains the bigger issues and how our actions affect them. By targeting families, this guide helps families raise the next generation with green values. Saving the planet is a family affair! Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 23rd, 2008
This week there’s been more news about various chemicals in products we all use everyday with our families. Of course, a thrust of this blog is how to limit this exposure as much as possible. But it is moving target, one with daily discoveries and an ever changing landscape of news and new research.
Over at Non-Toxic Kids I posted about Triclosan, a chemical in all those antibacterial products you see everywhere, ranging from toothpaste, to soap, keyboards, cosmetics, bedding, you name it. The Environmental Working Group just released an extensive report about Triclosan, and it the many health and environmental problems associated with it.
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Published on July 18th, 2008
Yes, that is a Women’s Lib patch (I’m sure both Glorias are kvelling). No, you cannot have it, I’m quite certain that the Smithsonian will offer me a gazillion dollars for it some day (it’s my fantasy, leave it alone…). Yes, those were my overalls, and then they were my cut off shorts, as I grew my mother sewed part of an old skirt bottom onto it and a few months later a second was added. She is awesome. Eco-couture should be renamed “Jessica’s Mom’s Idea in 1974″ stat.
For the record I am not advocating dressing your child like it’s 1974 again. I would, however, take your kids to the fabric store and see if there are any patches that catch their eye. With back to school shopping just around the corner maybe a few well placed patches could get them more excited about using last year’s backpack?
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Published on July 16th, 2008
I was happy to hear about the launch of a new magazine for mamas who care about the environment and healthful living, called Mindful Mama Magazine.
The magazine, which will be available through health care practitioners, at bookstores, boutiques and natural food stores in July, will actively promote (according to a recent press release):
o Simplicity
o Products that are non-toxic to mom and baby
o Products and services produced using sustainable practices
o Companies that make efforts to green their workspace
o Companies that actively work to reduce their carbon footprint
o Companies that donate a portion of profits to a good cause
o Mother-owned businesses or parent-friendly workplaces
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Published on July 14th, 2008
If you are of my generation, you remember Schoolhouse Rock’s Saturday morning cartoons. To this day, I only know what a conjunction is from “Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?”, and I clearly remember how a bill becomes a law by that little rolled up bill sitting on the congressional steps. “The Energy Blues” is 30 years old this year, and we are still singing these blues: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 8th, 2008
Can kids really take action on the environment? Can they influence their parents to reduce carbon emissions? Apparently so, says Cool the Earth, a new climate-change enrichment program, launched by a mom in Kentfield, California. The program has already saved more than 8 million pounds of carbon from going into the atmosphere and has influenced 6,000 households to take 10,000 positive actions to reduce carbon emissions. With additional funding in place and a web-based delivery system available this summer, this program—currently running in 25 Northern California schools–expects to expand to 100 schools in the fall (from Texas to New York) and is positioned to become a national model for positive environmental change. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 4th, 2008
The advances in cloth diapering over the last few years, not only in availability of handy diaper services, but also the quality and simple use of the diapers themselves, have converted many a disposable diaper user to “greener” ways. But while many cloth diaper enthusiasts and flushable diaper users have strong opinions about which cloth diapers work the best, I’ve yet to see commentary on reusable swim diapers.
If you’re already a cloth diaper user, than the concept of using a resuable swim diaper is probably not a far stretch. But if you use disposables or ’sposies, then you might be glad to know that reusable swim diapers are a fantastic budget conscious choice, particularly since disposable swim diapers are super expensive.
Truth be told, disposable swim diapers are more for easing our minds and less about containing bodily fluids and bowel movements. Basically, they just don’t contain all the chemicals that regular disposables do, therefore keeping them trim and less saggy when they hit water. But, they certainly don’t hold urine well. And, while they might hold a bowel movement for a good five minutes, you do not want your kid swimming around with a swim diaper full of poop.
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Published on July 2nd, 2008
More than four million acres of American farmland have already been dedicated to organic farming, helping our health and our future. That’s four million acres farmed without the use of toxic pesticides or other toxic chemicals; four million acres nurtured with both ancient and modern techniques that are in balance with nature, helping to reduce the production of greenhouse gasses and reduce the threat of global warming.
Growing our foods organically has proven to be one of the hottest, fastest-growing movements of the twenty-first century. When Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990, there were fewer than one million acres of organic farmland. In just twelve years, by 2002, that figure had doubled. Then the pace of progress picked up. Within just three more years, the amount of organic farmland doubled again. In 2005, we saw, for the first time, certified organic farmland in all fifty states. There has been exceptional progress, but we need to do more.
If organic cropland continues to double—and it can!—we can expect to see a revitalization and renewal of our streams and our soil as we build a smart, sustainable future. I can remember drinking stream water in our national parks when I was a child. I can remember catching and eating fish from our local streams. Today, all of the streams surveyed by the U.S. Geological Survey and more than 90 percent of fish tested in farming regions are polluted with pesticides.
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Published on July 2nd, 2008
A few weeks ago I posted over at Non-Toxic Kids about the new Kid-Safe Chemical Act. This promising legislation would update a 30 year old law that has allowed thousands of chemicals to be used in countless everyday products from baby lotions, shampoos, cosmetics and toothpastes with no research or testing of their safety.
The Environmental Working Group listed these important provisions for the bill, all aimed at making products safer for our kids.
The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act:
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I love a clean house. There, I’ve said it. I like walking into my house, breathing in deeply and smelling the pure fresh smell of Amonia nothing. Seriously, there is no odor whatsoever. My windows are practically invisible and, because I’m cheap environmentally aware there is no cleanser involved.
