Food Snobbery on a Budget...

this post also appears at "Cooking Green with Lia Jean"

Hi, my name is Lia Jean Green bean-eating-machine Mack, and I'm a food snob.

I blame my parents for having us live in Italy for three years while I was growing up. Every Friday morning, the town we lived in held an open air market - mercato - where you could purchase anything and everything fresh.

Fresh fish from the sea, fresh artichokes picked that morning, homemade pastas that took two seconds to cook...and eat ;) Oh, and let's not forget the cheese wagon. Every Wednesday at the same exact time, a man pulling a cart of cheese wheeled down our street singing, "formaggio... mozzarelli... provelone..."

Now that's a real cheese wagon :)

So I got mega used to eating whole fresh foods...and fell in LOVE! There is no beating the taste of a ripe red tomato mixed with fresh basil, straight from the garden. I think that's why everything tastes so much better in Italy. Everything is fresh and local. So what if I couldn't drink the water or that the heat and electricity went off daily at 3pm because someone had to go home for siesta. I was in food heaven!!!

And then we moved back to the States - God love America - where there is a grocery store open daily on almost every corner. Only thing, most of the food available here comes in a box. Or a plastic bag. Or worse! And it's not fresh. It's not even local!

Oh, the horror!!!

Well, fast forward to 2010. I'm married to super conservation man and together we are raising two amazing little greenies. I've been a stay at home mom for six years and have not one thing in my life to complain about. Nothing, that is, except my food budget. It's tight. Living on one income in a very expensive part of the country and being able to buy good whole food that is fresh, organic, and local is difficult to say the least. But it's doable. And for a while there I was doing pretty good.

For the last two years, however, I've been feeling the pinch. Food prices continue to rise, utilities are still going up, and summer is coming, which can only mean one more thing will be getting more expensive. Gas. Just in time for everyone to want to get out and have fun after being frozen all winter. So nice of them...

Yet, I still want to be able to feed my family well, but wanting to buy and eat only organic, local, fresh foods can be quite costly. I know of one local mom who spent over 15K last year in food alone because they ONLY eat local, organic, fresh meats, cheeses, fruit, vegs, ect.... That's a lot of money.

Of course I could easily manage to buy all sorts of shit food (pardon my language) with my food budget. I could feed my family from the box and dollar menu and have money left over! But I'm a food snob, remember? I cannot eat that stuff. Ingredients I can't pronounce? Food that doesn't even look or taste anything like food? Packaged, frozen, processed, freeze dried disgustingness???

Oh no. Not me, baby. Not after eating REAL food. It's just not possible.

Plus, I don't want my kids eating shit - crap - either. We are what we eat. When we eat crap, we feel like crap and therefore act like crap. And I'm not interested in taking care of kids who act up all the time and get sick all the time because they are being fed crappy food.


So, having very little wiggle room in the budget, but wanting only the best (what mom doesn't?), I've learned how to get most everything we need (aka: I want) on the budget we have. It's fun being a food snob. You just have to find a way to do it when you don't have endless amounts of the green stuff lying around. Below are some of the things I do to get what I want, thus enabling me to eat really yummy good for me food all the time

I don't do all my shopping in one place.
Some things at my main grocery store are too expensive, yet elsewhere they aren't. Took me a while to scout out all the good deals, but now I know that by going to three separate stores on a rotation, I can come home with a lot more of what I want for less $.

I garden.
I grow tomatoes and herbs and carrots and potatoes and all sorts of yumminess :) By doing so, I control what goes in and on my food. The kids have their own garden plots too, and we spend a good deal of time with our beloved Mother Earth to keep it going. After the cost of seeds, what we reap is free. FREE! Best price ever :)

I go to Farmer's Markets.
And stock up. What I find for good deals, I buy bunches of and freeze what we're not eating that week. Frozen blueberries, frozen green beans, frozen anything. Tastes great when picked and stored at peek season. Nothing better than pulling out veggies in the dead of winter that you bought fresh and know where they came from. Tastes great.

I buy in bulk.
When I can, I save up and buy staples in bulk. Flour, sugar, pasta, rice... This year I'm buying 1/4th of a bison and a neighbor of ours who likes to hunt is getting us a deer. Who knows how long this supply of meat will last, especially since we only eat meat two to three times a week. (Meat is pricey) This, of course, will happen after I find an inexpensive deep freezer on Craigslist (anyone have one they don't want?)

I do without.
Yes, you heard it. We don't buy pop (soda). The kids drink juice once a day and that's it. Instead we drink water, H2O, aqua fresca...you get the picture. Same thing with junk food. Since we don't eat it, we don't buy it, thus we save big bucks. And if it's not on sale and it's not in the budget, oh well. Better luck next time, right?

I stretch it.
I can make five meals out of one chicken. And that doesn't include the amount of chicken stock I make and use from the bones. So I might spend a little more buying an organic chicken - or A LOT more buying an organic local chicken - but I'll make that dollar stretch as much as possible. With a little ingenuity, you can think of ways to make anything stretch more than one meal.

Of course, all of this takes time, energy, and knowledge, something that most of us are hard pressed to find. But it CAN be done if you put in the work. The biggest benefit from all of this? You won't have to compromise. I don't. Just know that there will be times when you can't get the big ticket items, but that's fine. You don't have to have exactly what you want ALL the time, do you? My goal is to have good for us food only, and don't concern myself with specifics.

Everyone can be a food snob on a budget. All you have to do is learn to go with the flow, enjoy what's in season, and make the most of what you've got.

:)

An Eco-Friendly Ant Killer...Go Ahead, Make Your Day...

So, I was thinking that since it was a bit chilly outside today that I'd do some laundry, read the kids some books, and maybe tackle my closet since, as usual, it has gotten out of hand. (It seems to be the place that everything from storage boxes to scrapbook supplies to hand-me-downs ends up.)

Little did I know that my closet had also become one of last week's cookie eating hide outs by my children. I don't regularly look under the storage boxes that have migrated to my closet so I didn't realize - until I picked one up today - that the kids had also inadvertently left behind crumbs from their secret festivities.

And where there are cookie crumbs left behind that mommy doesn't know about...there are ants.

In my closet! Gross! Yuck! Puke!

Now, before I get into the blood bath, let me say this. I'm all for ants outside. They can live free and be merry...outside. The moment anything other than my family starts living, in my house, without paying rent?! Well, it's eviction time, honey.

So what's a crazy about-to-yak green mama to do? I saw one of my all-purpose cleaner spray bottle near by, so I leapt for it and started spraying. And to my instant astonishment, the ants...stopped moving! At closer inspection, they had in fact kicked the bucket.

One spray and the ants didn't have a chance to escape. Hip hip hooray!

The stuff that I sprayed, my trusty EPIC All Purpose Cleaner, is a totally green, eco-friendly, ocean-saving product that does everything from cleaning sticky jelly finger prints off the kitchen table to freshening up the bathroom. No where on the bottle does it say that it's also the most powerful non-toxic, eco-friendly ant killer out there...But it is!

I've since used this every time I see a blasted ant in the house. They tried migrating to the kitchen, but I stopped them in their tracks. I haven't seen one since...phew! ;)

I am so amazed that this stuff works as well as it does - fast, efficient, green - I had to blog about it.

If you hate ants and need a non-toxic, eco-friendly product that works, get some! Trust me, it really works.

All Natural Nap Mats...

I'm about to open my own business - family childcare in my home :) - and am in need of 4 nap mats. I had no idea these things exsisted before. I can either use a sleeping bag, a cot (that looks Army issue if you ask me, not at all comfy), or a foam mat of some kind.

However, after searching stores and online I'm flabbergasted - as usual - that people think it's 'safe' to have children sleep on plastic! or worse, if there is a such thing... The stuff that these things are made out of...and kids are supposed to sleep and breathe on them?!

Soooo....I'm thinking I'll just make my own. But although I can sew a straight'ish line when I'm in the mood, I'm not too crafty when there is a deadline hovering close by.

Got any ideas on how to do a really easy nap mat? And what kinds of materials to use as the filler so it'll be comfortable but not toxic?! Above all, the mats need to be washable (weekly), durable, and comfy!

Any and all ideas are welcome!





Thanks!!!

Healthy Candy...Good for You Suckers & Lollipops!

You know the scenario well...

You're at the bank and the kids are being well behaved, acting as cute as ever, because they know what's coming...the bank teller, after she and mommy finish their transaction, will hand them over something as well...

A sucker!!!

The same holds true for a slew of other places: the pediatrician's office, teachers at school...even the dentist for crying out loud.

Although candy is fun and sweet (and I know most of us moms have a chocolate soft spot, so we can't blame our little ones) there are so many preservatives in candy (when does that stuff ever go bad??), high fructose corn syrup (a dangerous highly processed additive that has been linked to heart disease), and my favorite, food coloring (paint!).


When you get down to it, that sweet treat starts to look more toxic than yum.

Good thing there are sweet alternatives. Even some healthy ones!

I personally love Yummy Earth's Organic Lollipops and Vitamin C Pops and can get then at my local organic market. They come in small resealable pouches that you can easily stow away in your purse and car. On occasion I also add a single Vit C organic lollipop to my kid's lunch boxes, especially in the cold months. Any little bit helps them fight against all those germs!

Keeping a stash readily available in your purse - Vit C Pops in fall & winter, assorted organic lollies in spring & summer - makes it easy for to say, "No thank you," to well meaning bank tellers and the like without your children having a melt down.

They'll already know mommy has the good stuff in her purse.

:)

Green Gift Ideas...

If you know someone who has been thinking about going green however hasn't quite made it, why not help them out this holiday gift giving season. There are endless possibilities of gift ideas. How about:

* 10 reusable shopping totes and produce bags holding fresh local fare. Yummm...
* A rechargeable battery pack complete with the charger
* Reusable wine totes carrying a bottle of local organic wine or beer
* Organic fair-trade chocolate or coffee...whatever their choice of stimulant ;)
* eco-friendly clothing
* handcrafted toys made from sustainable toxin free wood.
* Got more ideas?

Or, rather than adding to the mountain of stuff that everyone already has, how about helping others less fortunate by purchasing a necessity item in the name of a family member or friend. How about donating a:

* Cooking stove to help empower displaced women
* Bicycle, a sturdy, inexpensive, nonpolluting form of transportation
* Plant 100 trees in someone's name

THOSE, in my opinion, are the best giving gifts. And, isn't giving the reason for the season? Or is it the tilt of the Earth?

Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorations

Be Evergreen with Your Decorations this Holiday Season...

* When decorating this holiday season, don't forget your winged and four legged friends outdoors! If you are blessed with trees in your yard, make cranberry and popcorn garland to wrap around them, complete with birdseed covered pine cones. The animals will love them and they will contribute to your beautiful daylight decorations, naturally.

* One could definitely argue that chopping down trees for any occasion is not exactly eco-friendly. However, when purchasing your holiday tree from a locally owned organic tree farm, you're not only helping out the local economy.

You're also keeping artificial trees out of the landfill, supporting organic farming practices (some tree growers use over 40 harmful pesticides, which you then bring into your home!), and, for every tree cut down this year, that's at least one more tree planted for next season, if not more.

* Go for all the sparkle you want this season, using LED holiday lights. Decorating your tree and home with energy-efficient LED lights will help reduce your energy bills and, since they burn cooler, they are also safer to use indoors. For outdoor lights, there are some awesome solar powered lights that you can decorate the outdoors without all the wires tracking back to the house, draining your pocket book! Plus they can go anywhere, allowing you to light up even hard to reach areas of your yard.

* When it comes time to take the tree down, before you toss it out with the trash, visit eco911.org for local recycling services and pick up dates. Most cities have recycling programs that turn used trees into mulch and other materials. Or, if you are an avid gardener, you can put your tree out back to be self mulched for garden paths. Doing this not only keeps the tree in the cycle of life, birds and other wildlife will enjoy the additional spot to hide and rest in your backyard during the upcoming winter.

Fun Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas

It's almost time to pull that wrapping all-nighter again. And of course every green mama out there will be asking herself the same question: at what expense to the planet?

Shinny metal details on even the cutest wrapping paper is toxic. From of the runoff at production to time, to Grandpa tossing it into the fire emitting toxic gasses into the air, holiday wrapping can be quite ecologically expensive.

Good news, though! There are endless eco-friendly ways to wrap your gifts this holiday season. All it ever takes is a little ingenuity and creativity.

And the best part of using alternative wrapping is that you get to use your creativity. And involve the kids. They especially love being the artists who decorate gifts.

• Wrap gifts in your child's art work. Have them finger paint and glitterfy some paper, like from those big floor art pads they have, and let them know it'll be used as gift wrapping. They'll be so proud :)
  
  
• Use part of the gift itself, like a scarf or silky, to wrap whatever else you've gotten the person.

• I love putting together my gifts to friends and co-workers in a green reusable shopping bag.

• Reuse gift bags, boxes, tissue paper, and ribbons from presents past (and save all that you can this year too!)
  
  
• Once a friend gave me a gift inside of a old wine box that she got from a local wine store for free. Often tossed out, the wooden boxes are great for decorating gifts and reusable.
  
  
• Using a yard of fabric, wrapped with a satin bow is not only special, it's also reusable!
  
  
• Wrap it in a T-shirt, scarf, basket, quilt, duffel bag, reusable shopping tote.
  
  
• Find festive wrapping paper made from recycled paper, hemp, bamboo, and other sustainable resources.
  
  
• Old maps! I saw this idea at a party recently and I fell in love with it! Maps get outdated so quickly, why not use them as wrapping? Brilliant!
  

Obviously, mamas, the possibilities are endless...!

Just think to yourself when scheming up new ideas: Is it reusable? Can it be recycled? Is it made from a sustainable eco-friendly resource, reuses post-consumer waste?

Consider these eco savvy alternatives and have a fun rockin' time coming up with your own green holiday alternatives!

:)

The Great Christmas Tree Dilemma...

Ok, so we just got a fresh tree this year. For the first 7 years we used my Grandmother's old fake tree...but it shed more than any real tree could ever and I had no idea if it was full of lead or what! So we freecycled it - still had all it's pieces and it kept the tree from going in the landfill.

For the past three years we've gotten fresh trees. The first two years from a family farm - the organic tree wasn't as nice as the non-organic, but it was organic! and local! like winning the jackpot...

This year we ran out of time and went to a tree lot...in the dark...bought a tree...didn't realize the tree was spray painted until a few days later when I noticed the tree trunk was green as well...

So we can't very well compost that tree in the backyard...and it was expensive...hence the debate.

The hubby says buying a fake tree makes more $$$ sense. I say buying a real tree from a family farm is good $$$ for the local family, especially if they are raising the trees in an eco-friendly manner...

What is your take? What do you do? And how do you justify it as a good GREEN choice?

I'd love to get a plant-a-tree tree that I could plant after we use it to decorate it, but we don't have any land on which to plant it. I know there are other options...but which ones are the greenest?

Aside from having no tree at all, what do you do?

...

Done with your Fuzzi Bunz? Now what to do with them???

Did you make the decision to use Fuzzi Bunz on your baby and now wonder what to do with them? I have found the perfect solution. You can donate your Fuzzi Bunz and they'll be sent to orphanages in underdeveloped countries. I cannot think of a better way to retire your Fuzzi Bunz.

Just visit Mother of Eden and it will give you all the information you need to be able to donate your Fuzzi Bunz.

Be Really Green... Have a Diaper Free Baby!

When my son was 14 months old, I started to have a hard time keeping him dry all night long. Even using cloth diapers with two inserts and a doubler, it still wasn't enough for my super soaker. And I felt so bad putting him to bed at night with such a huge poofy diaper. Plus we sleep as a family, so...

So I went to my favorite naturally-minded online community of mothers to ask around for some ideas on how to help keep all of us dry at night. I went straight to the diapering area of the forum and was about to post a question when I saw the Elimination Communication forum. I assumed it had to do with questions concerning elimination, right? So I entered and asked my q...

And the responses I got?

That must be uncomfortable for your baby to sleep in so much padding.

Why don't you just have him potty during the night instead of using diapers?

Potty? At 14 months? No diapers?

What?

I hadn't even thought to start introducing the potty to my toddler let alone have him diaperless. What were these women thinking?

So I started asking questions in this strange Elimination Communication forum...

And the information I started seeing was very intriguing. Turns out Elimination Communication - EC for short - is a method of following your baby's cues, placing them on the potty when you can see that they are about to eliminate, and thus having a diaper free baby!

Diaper free baby?

Oh, boy, I thought. I've got to try this!

And we did. I still used cloth diapers on my son but instead of waiting to change him when I could tell that he had eliminated (aka: He was wet or not so sweet smelling anymore...) I started to watch for his elimination cues.

I started to take note of what his body language looked like or what he did when he was about to eliminate. I also taught him the sign for toilet that he could use when he thought he had to use the potty. Although it wasn't fail proof - hence the reason for continuing to use cloth diapers - it turned out to be quite easy to follow his cues, place him on the potty, and subsequently still have a clean diaper on his bottom!

By the time he was 15 months we were EC'ing him during the day almost flawlessly, dropping the number of diapers he soiled during the day considerably. I also got to use the potty once during the night which helped with the super soaking!

So what started as an accidental turn in an online forum turned out to be a very educational adventure!

When my daughter was born two years later, I knew I wanted to EC her too. When she was 3 months old, I started and she loved it! I'd hold her upright on the potty, she'd pee or poo (oh, aren't those newborn poos so cute!), and her diaper was still clean to use again! By the time she was 2 years old she was a potty pro, never needing a diaper at night, never having an accident at night, and learned how to use the potty on her own.

Many EC'ers don't use diapers at all, while others use woollies and very thin diapers. Every family finds their best way to EC. I loved it because it kept my kids mostly dry since they rarely used their diapers to eliminate in, AND it cut down on my water and energy usage.

If you're interested in trying EC'ing out, go for it! There is tons of support out there. Even if you are a mom who works outside the home and have your child being cared for else where, you can EC when you're with them at home and at night. And moms who EC have reported that because of it, their children have learned to use the potty all on their own at a very early age. Besides, this whole EC thing is nothing new. For eons moms have respected their baby's cues and responded to them.

So go ahead and be really green...have a diaper free baby!

;)

"If it's Yellow, Let it Mellow...If it's Brown..."

Flush it down!

Not a hugely complicated water conservation method, right?

And when you look at the statistics - instead of flushing the toilet after each and every use (12-15 times a day), and wait for a a brown addition to flush it all down - you can reduce the number of times you refill your toilet with fresh new water to 4 or 5 times a day. And at 1.6 gallons per flush, that's a savings of 5000 gallons per year of water!

And when I saw our water bill the other day, I realized that we use on average 10,000 gallons of water a month. I don't know about you, but I think this to be an outrageous amount!

Imagine if I had to walk down to the local stream, collect that much water a month, and carry it back to my house. 10,000 gallons? Insane!

So, I'm on a quest to reduce our water consumption. Although my husband takes 2 minute showers and I try to stay under 10, I'm certain we use/waste much more precious water as a family than we should. That's why we have instated the "if it's yellow let it mellow" rule to our household.

And if I could find a way to purchase this sign, I'll have it hanging up behind the toilet in no time!

Supporting Breastfeeding-Friendly Businesses...

In celebration of Breastfeeding Awareness Week and breastfeeding-friendly businesses everywhere, I met with LLL Leader Suzy Provine and asked her a few questions about her groups latest outreach program...the sticker campaign...

TGM: What is the sticker campaign?

Suzy: Have you ever been out and about with your breastfeeding baby and been offered a comfy place to sit or a glass of water? Found a place that really, truly welcomes moms and nursing babies?

Then let's thank those businesses where we have found ourselves comfortable nursing by giving them a card and free sticker with the International Breastfeeding Symbol to display in their window. Let the next nursing mother who visits their establishment know right away that she can be comfortable there with her child.

La Leche League of Northern Anne Arundel has created a friendly card that you can carry with you to give by hand or send by mail to any business you would like to THANK for helping you and your baby have a comfortable visit in their establishment.

TGM: What brought about starting this campaign?

Suzy: One of our group mothers was told she could not feed her baby in a local business that caters to children. Rather than try to change the policies of that business, we decided it would be more productive, and more positive, to recognize the good places rather than the bad.

TGM: How do others obtain stickers?

Suzy: Anyone who makes a donation to La Leche League of Northern Anne Arundel of $5 will receive a sticker and card set. Contact any of our Group Leaders for stickers.

TGM: Can anyone participate?

Suzy: Absolutely! We would love to see this sticker on business windows everywhere!

TGM: So far, where can we see these breastfeeding-friendly stickers?

Suzy: We just started. The first stickers went up at the Bruster's Ice Cream store in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

Punch Buggy Red...now Punch Baggy

As I was riding home from work a few months back on the back of our Vepsa I came to a sad realization. Growing up, my brothers, sister and I always played Punch Buggy...you know the game the first person to see a VW Bug screams at the top of their lungs "Punch Buggy _______ (and then the color of the VW)," and at the end of the drive that is how many times you get to punch (gently of course) your sibling. What a great game!

Today I realized that my kids won't be playing Punch Buggy, instead they will be playing Punch Baggy, because there are so many plastic bags littered around that they'll be easier to spot than VW Bugs. I counted on our drive home which is 13 miles and I saw 9 plastic bags. Americans use 100 BILLION

Tomorrow on your drive, no matter where you are going try it yourself. Count the number of plastic bags you see on the roadside, in the bushes, stuck in fences, they're everywhere. disposable plastic bags every year yet recycle less than 1%. Plastics which don't biodegrade.

Dog Doo...What to do With the Doo?

Summer is here!

The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and I get to enjoy my lovely backyard... However, before I sit out in the grass and laze around while the kids run around, there are a few steaming items I need to first address. If you've got a dog, you know what I'm talking about...

Dog doo. Doggy poop. Doggy doo doo. Whatever you call it, it's there, day after day (didn't I clean this up yesterday?!?!) and it'll be there tomorrow...

So, what's a green dog mama to do?
Pick up the poo in a PLASTIC bag and toss it in the trash!?!? Oh, no, people. That does NOT sound like a good-green idea. We know how long plastic will take to 'decompose' (that's if it ever will). So why hide away Nature's potential (aka: compost for the earth) in a plastic bag in a landfill? That isn't very smart. Or green.

Doggy Doo Online...
Instead, you can invest in a doggy-doo composting system:
Doggie Dooley 3000 Septic-Tank-Style Pet-Waste Disposal System "The Doggie Dooley is like a miniature septic tank for your dog's waste. Simple start-up. Just dig a hole, drop in the Doggie Dooley, add water and the Digester Powder, and your system is ready to go. System breaks down dog waste using the enzyme and bacteria action in the Waste Terminator Digester Powder. "

Doggy Doo It Yourself!
However, if you are a frugal-green mama like myself, there are ways to do-it-yourself:

"The solution, says Mike, is to compost dog waste in yard, using a old plastic garbage can

. The folks at City Farmer developed the method, which is one of the most popular tips on the cityfarmer.org web site. The technique provides 'a chance where people can have it slowly decompose in a yard and be environmentally safe."

Here's a step-by-step description:

1. Take an old garbage can and drill a dozen or so holes in the side.
   
2. Cut out the bottom (A keyhole saw works great for this.)
   
3. Dig a hole in the ground, deep enough for the garbage can.
   
4. Toss some rocks or gravel in the hole for drainage and position the garbage can so it's a little higher than the soil level.
   
5. Place the lid on top (you might want to paint it with something like Dog Waste Composter.)
   
6. When you scoop some poop, put it in the hole and sprinkle in some septic starter (available at hardware stores) and add some water.

According to the www.cityfarmer.org web site, "Within 48 hours, the septic tank starter, (which is non-caustic and promotes natural bacterial growth) will have begun its work and you can add more dog doo. You can then begin to add it daily. This waste biodegrades and flows into the subsoil."

Mike adds that you should not put the composted dog waste in your garden, making sure you set up your DIY doggie-composter away from your garden.

While burying a garbage can to compost dog waste might seem like overkill if you live near the woods or close to a patch of blackberry bushes, but when you think about it, why not contain the waste in a more environmentally-friendly manner?"

Doggy...Go For A Walk!
"Don't use plastic shopping bags for your pooch's poo-poo! These bags are 100% biodegradable. Made to decompose in 40 days."

So there you have it green mamas! You'll not only remove the crap (no pun intended) from your yard, but you will also be giving back to the earth!

Have a Happy Summer!

:)

The Perfect Compaion for Cloth Diapers - The Bathroom Sprayer

I love using cloth diapers for babies. They're eco-friendly, soft, and oh so cute! However, when baby starts to eat solids, those sweet breastfed 'seedy popcorn' poos leave way for real life stinkies! (and that's sugar coating it.)

So, what do you do with solid food poo when you're using cloth diapers? Well, there are a few methods. You can do what Grandma used to do and dunk it in the toilet until everything comes off. Or a more modern way is to scrape off mister number two into the toilet and let our high-efficiency washers do the rest.

However - and I speak from experience - neither way keeps you from getting your hands in the, eh, mix... Occasionally it can be a pretty messy experience.

One way, however, that has been increasing in popularity among the cloth diaper community is to clean off the waste using a toilet sprayer - a hand held sprayer attached to your toilet much like the one in the shower, only smaller. When using a bathroom sprayer, you can easily and thoroughly remove solid waste from the diaper, leaving it practically clean. Just pop it in the washing machine on laundry day. Done!

At Bathroomsprayers.com, they have a wide variety of toilet sprayers, some that can also be used for additional family cleanliness purposes.

If you use - or are going to use - cloth diapers, this is one tool that needs to be on your must-have list. Makes cloth diapering - a pleasant experience already - even better ;)

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My "Victory" Garden...Simple Beginnings of an Urban Homestead

I've always loved the taste of fresh tomatoes tossed with fresh basil and it's always been easy to purchase a tomato plant or two, plop them into a pot, and reap the rewards of regular watering with mouth watering flavor. Yum, yum, yum!

That's about all I did during the years I worked outside of the home. After having kids, I wanted to garden earnestly so that my children would benefit from seeing and learning the love of gardening. It was something that I wanted to do so that my children's children would inherit a love, desire, and understanding of gardening and working with Mother Earth.

A few years ago, my three year old son and I started with a little patch of dirt. The following year we moved our garden plans to a more sunny local in the backyard (darn Maple tree leaves!) This year we have continued in the same area, adding another bed.

It's been three years now of gardening and I have to say that - although things grow and thrive, sometimes - I have no idea what I'm doing. I've planted in the shade and nothing grew. I planted 12 tomato plants practically right on top of eachother and they thrived. I borrowed wood pallets to make an open air composting area in my backyard and I think I'm doing it right... The kids and I have fun making and creating a garden together, and, honestly, this haphazard style of gardening has worked for us up until now.

What's different now?

Necessity has come into play. With food prices and gas prices going through the roof - again - I am fed up with having to worry if I can have fresh organic food for my family come dinner time. So, what's a green mama to do?

I'm challenging myself with the ultimate goal: to become as self-sustained as possible. I want to grow as much food for my family as possible. I want to eat fresh organic food everyday, and freeze and can what I can so that our little harvest will go the distance.

Only problem is, we own 0.17 acres that a house and a pool set upon. So that leaves me some room in the backyard, a side yard, and possibly some of the front yard. I live in Podunk East Coast with no HOA to worry about. If my neighbor can park his car on his lawn for the past 14 years, I can have a veggie farm in mine!

And that makes me so giddy and excited! I asked my darling husband if he'd mind NOT having a lawn to mow. He said he'd be all for it.

So that got me thinking...

My inspiration to start farming my little land came from the Dervas Family of Pasadena, CA. They converted their entire front, side, and backyards into a "Little Homestead in the City", complete with all the food they need for the year, a means to create an income, and their own chickens, goats, ducks, and more! This summer while in California I'm going to take a field trip to their homestead and check it out for myself...a Green Mama's destination for sure!

While I'm patiently and excitedly awaiting my trip, I will be frequenting their Freedom Gardens website, "an online social community of gardening enthusiasts who are fed up with foreign oil, frequent food miles and high food prices. Gardeners of all types of gardens are welcomed". Awesome. I'm sure they won't mind a haphazard gardener then ;)

This year I will be adding another bed to the veggie garden, but that's all. I'd love to do more and would if I had the green...(oh, will the gas prices stop rising!)... That said, I better start making a list of all the supplies and materials I'll need to save for for next year's growing season. Maybe I'll find some frugal ways over the summer to start extending my garden sooner... I do love that Craigslist!

Here's to dreaming and planning...wish me luck! ;)

Good Mending Monday To Ya!

Good Monday morning, everyone :)

Mondays are great, aren't they? Back in the day (a little trivia here), Mondays were called "Blue Monday". Ever wonder why? Well, the soap they used to wash clothes had a bluish tint so that, when the women rinsed out the wash and then dumped their wash water into the streets, the streets turned blue!

And that's how the common phrase blue Monday was born. Pretty cool trivia, huh?

Well, nowadays we washin' women aren't tossing out our loads into the streets and our beloved eco-friendly laundry detergents aren't hued in blues...so I had an idea.

A green idea...

Instead of Mondays being blue, how about make them green! One of my favorite green ways of thinking/living is Reusing. Only trouble is, most of people don't take any time to fix things so that we can continue to use them. Instead we just toss it - so busy with work and life - even if it only just needed a tiny bit of mending (yes...I said it...mending) Our stuff would be basically brand new and last another life time if we took better continuous care of it, right?

So that's why my little green idea for the day - for Monday - is to make it "Mending" Monday. You can choose any Monday in the month that works for you. I've proclaimed the first Monday of every month as "If you have something that has a tear, hole, or needs stitching, bring it here" Day. That way my family knows that we aren't tossing anything that can be usable again with a few flicks of the wrist (and maybe a few pokes to my fingers, but it's for a good cause, right?!).

If you're not into sewing (I know, it's so old fashioned... ;) find someone who is - like a stay at home mom who just might be looking for a way to make a little extra green on the side.

It used to be this way, folks. Why not bring this type of thing back into the mix? It works, it's green, and it's basically free.

So there you have it. Here's to hoping everyone has a wonderful Mending Monday today!

Peace!

:)

Green Eco-Friendly Birthday Ideas

It's that time of year again: cake, presents, and goodie-bags...it's Birthday Party time :)

And as we all know, planning a child's birthday party can be fun and dreadful all at the same time. A party

is a wonderful way to celebrate the life of your wee little one. But with all the waste these soirees can create, it can drive a green parent nuts!

I remember one party we had for my son that ended in tears (f me, that is). Sure, some of the paper products were recycled in my clearly marked containers. However most of our reusables ended up in the trash with unwanted cake and dinner tossed in with them. I attempted to dig them out - which was absolutely gross - but I was more frazzled by the thoughtlessness of some of my guests. Hadn't I, ever so nicely, instructed everyone to reuse and recycle properly? And we won't even mention the countless gifts and wrapping and money spent and...well, the 'wasteful' list can go on and on.

Ok, so not everyone is green savvy and even the best intentions can end up in a hit-or-miss situation. So what's a green parent to do? I'd like to share with you some - dare I say - fail proof ways to through a fun-filled green birthday party!

First and foremost, I say make it a combination of a traditional and reinvented green birthday party. You can't expect everyone to jump on board and be amused by your ever-green ways. So let's compromise...or at least that is what it will look like on the surface :).

Invitations...
There are tons of cool ways to do invites that will make you smile green. You can simply bi-pass paper all together and use an online invite service or email all of your guests individually. But what about those folks not online. Or worse, those who never read and/or respond to your emails?

There are endless ways you can get creative using recycled paper. Kids love to be involved in planning and helping out with their parties. So why not collect some reusable paper from around the house and make your own invites or get crafty and make your own handmade paper, complete with wildflower seeds. Paper making is fun and you can really jazz it up and make your invites unique. Another option would be to call everyone and leave a message...maybe telling them to check their email :).

Party Decorations...
Streamers and balloons are soooo old school. Let's think with our green-caps. For my daughter's upcoming birthday party we are going to decorate some old sheets with fabric paints - think little hand and feet prints in all colors - and cut them up and use them as table cloths and napkins. We can reuse these for all birthday celebrations in the future too.

Also, you can cut long shimmery streamers from the any silky material that you have but aren't using anymore (hint, hint: slips, nighties) and use them as decorations: Just simply hang them where they will dance in the breeze. These reusable decorations are great to use in lieu of balloons. They just end up being swallowed by baby turtles. So sad. Check your local consignment shops for pre-used slips and sheets that you can transform into reusable party decorations, or I bet your local fabric store has some festive threads that you can get a yard or two of.

Presents & Gift Ideas...
Oh, the presents. I have to say that this is the part I dread the most. Not only wondering what in the world to buy for someone else's kid and them not liking it, but what will everyone else buy my kids!? Plus, how much stuff do the kids really need?

I don't know about you, but my kids have enough, and there are kids out there that don't. One green birthday gift giving option is to host a party host a party where instead of gifts for your kids, guests bring gently used or new toys to donate to a local shelter. Your child can pick which one and then help you make the delivery.

Another idea is to think local and register your child at a local toy store. And I don't mean the big-box corporate toy stores. Ask around, take a drive. We have such a store here on the east coast where I live that is filled with special gifts and good quality games and toys you won't find at the big plastic toy stores.

You can even ask guests to get your child a book in lieu of a card and write a personal note in the book. What child doesn't love books?! Also, you can send your guests home with a book in their goodie-bag. Everyone brings gently used books that they are done with for a new one. A book-swap party!

Another great idea is to ask for 'experience gifts' where someone can get your child a ticket to a show, a pass to a near by aquarium or museum. A camping trip anyone? These experiences will last a lifetime and won't break, aren't toxic, make a disaster of the house, are more fun and can involve other members of the family too. Everyone wins :)

My favorite way to deffer gifts is to, instead of gifts, ask guests to bring their kids favorite dish for everyone to share. Not only do you get a great variety of foods, this also cuts down on your own party costs. Which brings us to the best part of the party, IMO.

The Food...Yum!
Asking guests to bring food is great. If you are going to do it all yourself (for those supermoms and superdads out there) make all-vegetarian foods whose table scraps can be readily composted. Visit the farmer's market the week of for some fresh local produce.

If you do fire up the grill to satisfy the meat-eaters, buy local. Introduce your guests to some of the unknown local possibilities like local farmers and ranches. Not everyone knows about CSA's and local places where they can get free-range meats and fresh organic veggies.

Dishes, forks, napkins and whatnot...
I like to use cloth whenever I can. Why cut down a tree to wipe my hands one time and toss it out? It's insane. Here you can use your reusable birthday bash table cloths and napkins. The washing machine does all the work. It's no big deal, looks great, and feels great too. You'll save money and the trees :)

As for dishes and utensils, if you are partying at home, use your own dishes. There are also some great reusable dish sets out there. If you are out and about at your local park for your birthday bash, there are some great compostable alternatives. Potato forks, corn spoons, PCW paper products. Check online or at your local green grocery store for some colorful options.

Goodie-Bags and Games...
Last but not least, the goodie-bags. Those little bags you give your guests on the way out the door, filled with tiny junky plastic toys that are not only a chocking hazard, but are cheap, break, and probably have toxic lead paint! Not to mention the candy. Kids + candy?!...honestly, people. But you can't not have goodie-bags. The kids love to have something to go home with. They're kids, right? ;) So let's think outside the bag, shall we.

Kids love crafts. So why not have them make something that they in turn take home, and in a bag that they decorate themselves! Or, better yet, you and your child can decorate some brown reusable paper bags before the party that you can use in lue of a plastic one. For my son's last birthday party, we made some bags and the kids used them to bring home their handmade bird feeders: Send the kids off to find a pine cone, add peanut butter, sprinkle bird seed, and presto! Another year I made super-hero capes out of consignment found slips, complete with each child's first initial sewn on the back. They were a hit! (That's me with my daughter at my son's "Super Hero Training Camp" birthday last fall...like my power arm bans! Yeah, baby ;)

Other ideas could include: treasure hunts, have them make tie dye t-shirts, set up a paint-a-picture station, show them how to make homemade play dough, or they can plant a flower in a pot to take home. The options are endless. Get on your green creative caps!

As always, with a little imagination and ingenuity, the green possibilities are endless. I hope you enjoy your next birthday party 'green' style. I'm off to get mine underway. Wish me luck!

:)

Baby Blankets...knitting is back in and very GREEN

Seeing that I'm due with my baby at the end of August I knew I wanted to make my baby a very special blanket hand knitted by ME! I have many talented people on both my side of the family and my husbands side and I know that I will be receiving many more handmade masterpieces, but there is just something about hand making something for your own child.

I have made two blankets, the first one (picture on right) I started making during my first pregnancy last year. When I found out about my miscarriage I put the blanket in the closet as it was too painful to constantly be reminded that I wasn't going to be bringing my first baby home in October. After I became pregnant again I pulled the blanket out and decided I needed to finish it. I couldn't just keep going and pretend that the blanket hadn't already been started. I needed to have a marker as to where the blanket was made for our first baby and where I continued it to give to our first born. I ensured that there would be a place on the blanket my husband and I (and our baby) would know that this was made with love for our first. Still to this day when I pick up this blanket I have tears come to my eyes knowing that my first baby will never be wrapped in this blanket, yet at the same time I am filled with joy and love knowing that the baby I am pregnant with now will be cuddled in it.

The second blanket (which I just finished today, pictured on the left) I wanted to make so that I could tell my baby this was made especially for you. Since we are not finding out the gender of the baby until delivery I had to make it gender neutral. I must say I am so unbelievably PROUD of my work on this blanket, I want to show it to anyone and everyone!

Now I cannot wait until I have this baby and are able to wrap him/her in the blanket!