Everyday living with Cloth Diapers

It's been a while since I've had a chance to get on and blog. My little family traveled back East for Christmas and with the holiday's time just got away from me. We got to introduce our little miracle to Aunt Lia and the rest of the family, it was a great trip however since we've been back we've all been sick. Those darn airplane germs!!! We are finally all on the road to recovery and I decided I needed to get back into the habit of posting blogs.

My daughter is now 5 months old, which I still CANNOT believe. It has gone by so fast, I have enjoyed every moment. Everyday is something new, she is just getting so big and my life is finally complete.

I was thinking back to when I was expecting and all the advice (wanted and unwanted) I would get from fellow mothers, other pregnant women, or just random strangers who for all I know have no children. One of the things I heard a thousand times was "how HARD cloth diapers were going to be." I still remember mentioning cloth diapers to the nurse at the hospital the day my daughter was born, and she said "Well good luck, it's going to be way too much work." I just smiled and nodded, that was my response to most of the "unwelcome" advice I would receive about everything from breastfeeding to the sleepless nights.

I knew even before I was pregnant that we would use cloth diapers, I was NEVER worried that it would be too much work. And guess what, I was RIGHT! It's been so easy. Seeing that these are the ONLY diapers my daughter has worn since the minute we got home from the hospital we took them on our week long vacation. Yes, that's right! We took cloth diapers on an airplane and used them for a whole week away from home. Crazy I know!

I wanted to do a quick calculation to see how many diapers we've used on our daughter since she's been born, the number is astounding. Roughly 1,200!!!! I can't even imagine having thrown away 1,200 diapers. Instead I have an endless supply that just go into the washer, then the dryer, I fold them and they're ready to use again. I never have to run to the store to pick up a new pack of diapers because we ran out, or because she grew out of the size we had. I love knowing that these same diapers I am using on my daughter right now will also be used on all of my future children.

I find with most things regarding having and raising a child the advice you get is typically filled with horror stories. I remember how people told me I'd never sleep again once I had a child, I'd never get to do the things that I've always enjoyed doing, how it would change my life. And you know what, it has, it has changed my life, but for the BETTER. I am the person I have always wanted to be, from the moment I gave birth to my daughter, I became empowered.

If you are interested in learning more about cloth diapers visit Nurtured Family.

Mama Needs A New Scent...Organic Perfume

My husband bought me perfume on our honeymoon ten years ago. If you know me well, you've heard the story behind where he fell in love with the scent in the first place. Initial reasons aside, I fell in love with the perfume. Never thought about changing.

Then I had babies.

What does perfume and babies have in common? Well, if you breastfeed and wear perfume, you run the risk of confusing your baby's milkie radar. Babies know your mommy's scent the moment they are born. And your milk has an aroma all it. Wearing perfume can get in the way of the breastfeeding relationship getting off to a good start.

Plus, some perfumes are toxic. Since your skin absorbs anything you put on it, the toxins will make their way to your breastmilk. Even change the flavor or smell of it. Babies don't get too excited about anyone messing with their milkies.

However, if you are at the tail end of your breastfeeding relationships, love to 'stink nice' as my children say, or are going out for a special evening and want to wear a nice sent - it always feel nice to play adult for a couple hours here and there, isn't it? - are there healthier green options?

Of course ;)

That's why I'm so excited about searching for a new sent. I'm making my wish list!

• Red Flower Roll-On Champa Organic Perfume
  "A pure flower and herb distillation. Apply over wrists, neck and pulse points. Created to offer a subtle gesture of the self and to touch the essence of the individual. Stainless steel roller ball applicator for smooth, sensual delivery. Box is 80% recycled paper produced and printed at 100% wind-powered plant in USA.
  
  
• Amka Eau de Toilette by Jo Wood Organics
  "Using the finest grade organic and natural oils extracted from organically grown ingredients, Amka Eau de Toilette has been officially certified organic by ECOCERT."
  
  
• WHOLEARTH just created the first ever USDA certified organic perfume spray. All natural, it contains no synthetic ingredients or dyes and is made with organic alcohol, fragrance and water. Comes in a wonderful variety of aromas like lavender, vanilla, ginger and orange. A little out of my price range, maybe I'll ask Santa this year.
  
  
• More in my price range is Aubrey Organics Ocean Waters Eau De Parfum (Aubrey-Organics.com) Made with a minimum of 95% certified organic ingredients, their fragrances are free of synthetic aldehydes and petrochemicals and formulated for the woman with sensitive skin. How cool is that?! And they also have men's fragrances too ;)

Not having gotten a new perfume in years, I'd be happy with any of the above.

Here's to hoping my hubby sees this post!

:)

A Word About Recycling... The Courtesy Rinse

As easy as 1, 2, 3, giving your cartons and containers a quick courtesy rinse will not only keep your kitchen smelling squeaky clean, but it will also make recycling that much more pleasant.

What's a courtesy rinse, you ask?

Simple.

A quick rinse of your recyclables before adding them to the recycling bin.

I know I keep my recycling bin in the kitchen, so having it not smell like trash (where everything is tossed in and starts smelling up the place instantly...yuck!) makes for a much more pleasant kitchen environment in which to cook and eat.

Now, I know what you're thinking. If everyone was expected to rinse what they recycle - milk cartons, meat trays, apple sauce containers - no one would ever recycle! And maybe for some of the population that assumption would be correct. That's why most recycling plants are now asking you to forgo rinsing and cleaning.

But...

If you're like me and you don't want a stinky kitchen - #1 reason I try to be as trash free as possible - giving a quick courtesy rinse to anything that needs it before tossing it in the recycle bin isn't something I cry over.

It's actually something I take joy and pride in!

I know, I know...I'm a green geek...but then again, maybe you are one too!

;)

When Being Green isn't So Easy...

Have you ever felt like you were on conservationalist's overload mode? That no matter how many plastic water bottles you save from the trash, that you use all local organic food, or that you barely used the AC all this smoldering muggy summer to conserve dollars and help with pollution...that it's never enough?

What about the crude oil industry? What about people who don't have clean water to drink? What about all those schools and companies and hospitals that trash everything on a continual, day-in-day-out, basis? What about the oceans? What about the polar bears? The wolves? The forests? My kids? My kid's kids?

There is so much to do, so much to be done, I just want to...scream! Being one person against a whole world of problems can sometimes kill the very passion out of you. You start to feel as though you are drowning in the toxic waste that fills your air, water, food.

The need is so great, how on Earth can we ever do enough?

Easy...don't give up!

Even though you are just one person, you can make a difference. Just think about your kids watching you take care of Mother Earth: watching what you put into her, making sure not to add to her hurt. You're raising greenies! Little green ones that will grow up to be big powerful green movements. That is something to be proud of!

And if you have kids that go to a school or you work somewhere that doesn't recycle, why not help them implement a system so that they can? Or show them how easy it is being green by packing a lunch box using reusable containers, napkins, and water bottles.

I sometimes get so bogged down with the insurmountable task of greening my family's life and what I can't do - buy solar, get a electric car, grow all our food - that I feel like I'm not doing a good enough job. But then I go out in the real world and see that I am not alone. That my seemingly small efforts are being compounded by everyone else's greeness...

There may be a lot for us to do...but there are a lot of us...

Keep up the good fight...

"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!

The Story of Stuff...

How much stuff is too much stuff? And where does our stuff come from? Or maybe more importantly, why do we feel we need so much stuff?!

Annie Leonard - who spent 10 years tracking how our stuff is created and then disposed of - presents with clarity how stuff creates the excessive amounts of pollution and problems we now have for all people and our beloved planet.

The Story of Stuff...

Watch it. Have the kids watch it. Pass it along to all those skeptics in your family...

www.storyofstuff.com

Be a Mad Scientist! Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Everyday Cleaning...

by guest boat-dwelling mama blogger Cindy Wallach of spinsheet.com ...and yes, Cindy actually lives on a boat...isn't that cool ;)

A friend who was born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay told me a story recently. When he was a boy 40-some years ago on Harness Creek there was so much seaweed they had to constantly pull it off of their oars as they paddled along. And there were so many crabs that he and his little friends were constantly jumping around to avoid them as they waded into the creek. The one word he used to describe the Bay back then was "alive". I can count on one hand the number of living crabs my son has seen the past 5 years (though the dead ones rack up on fingers and toes) and we live aboard full time. Talk about a wake up call.

If you've got green running through your veins, greening up your everyday life is easier than you think. So get to it.

Instead of using... Use these Eco-Friendly Alternatives

• Bleach... Borax
  
  
• Detergent & Soap... Elbow grease
  
  
• Scouring Powders... Baking soda. Or rub area with one-half lemon dipped in borax, then rinse
  
  
• General Cleaner... Baking soda and vinegar. Or lemon juice combined with borax paste
  
  
• Floor Cleaner... One cup vinegar + 2 gallons of water
  
  
• Window Cleaner... One cup vinegar + 1 qt. warm water. Rinse and squeegee
  
  
• Aluminum Cleaner... 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar + 1 qt. of hot water
  
  
• Brass Cleaner... Worcestershire sauce. Or paste made of equal amounts of salt, vinegar, and water
  
  
• Copper Cleaner... Lemon juice and water. Or paste of lemon juice, salt, and flour
  
  
• Chrome Cleaner/Polish... Apple cider vinegar to clean; baby oil to polish
  
  
• Stainless Steel Cleaner... Baking soda or mineral oil for polishing, vinegar to remove spots
  
  
• Fiberglass Stain Remover... Baking soda and salt in a wet paste
  
  
• Mildew Remover... Paste with equal amounts of lemon juice and salt, or white vinegar and salt OR diluted tea tree oil
  
  
• Drain Opener... Dissemble or use plumber’s snake. Or flush with boiling water + one-quarter cup baking soda + one-quarter cup vinegar
  
  
• Wood Polish... Olive or almond oil (interior walls only)
  
  
• Rug/Upholstery Cleaner... Dry corn starch sprinkled on; vacuum
  
  
• After Cleaning Cocktail... One part rum mixed with 2 parts fruit juice. Add ice as needed...
  
  :)
  

Nurtured Family
Your source for cloth diapers, baby slings, nursing bras and more

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.

gDiapers - Making a Difference for Your Baby and the Planet

At The Green Mamas we are always on the lookout for new, environmentally beneficial products that people can use in their everyday lives that could take the place of a similar product that harm the environment. We had a chance to chat with Michelle Schnoor, Marketing Director at gDiapers, about thier innovative, flushable diaper. Stats like 50 Million Diapers A Day and 500 Years peaked my attention.

The Green Mamas: Tell me about gDiapers

Michelle Schnoor: The product was originally invented in Australia by a mom who had two kids and thought of a solution to the drought problem in Australia, so cloth diapers weren't necessarily the best solution due to water usage. She created the flushable diaper and the name of that company is the Eenie Weenies. Kim and Jason, the co-founders of gDiapers, lived in Australia and came across the Eenie Weenies for their Children. They used them, loved them, and thought 'why don't other people have this?', because it's such an easy solution to our landfill problem.

They bought global rights and thought Portland, Oregon would be the best location to launch the company due to how aware we are up here, we're a very green metropolitan area. They moved here three years ago and we launched almost two years ago. We now have national distribution through natural retailers like Wild Oats and Whole Foods as well as in co-ops and boutiques, and our online business is very strong.

The Green Mamas: I've done a little research about your company, but it's nice to hear a more personal story.

MS: Yes. One thing that isn't on our website is that our children are on site. Kim and Jason believe a balance between work and family is very important. We have daycare on site and our first title around the office is Mom, Daddy, Momma...whatever our children call us, and our second is our work. It's nice to know that your children are with you all day...not necessarily at the desk side, but just down stairs. It's a huge thing, not only for our company, but in trend setting for other companies. We're a start-up and we can do this, but there is hope that other larger companies will follow suit. There's nothing worse than having to drop your kids off with someone while you're at work...having our kids here helps ease the stress of trying to be a full-time mom and a full-time employee. That's what gDiapers is all about...we're a cool company and a cool product.

The Green Mamas: That's really nice...I think I actually heard your baby in the background.

MS: Yea, he's actually right here...we were actually in the middle of nursing.

The Green Mamas: How long have you worked there?

MS: I've been here for almost a year and a half...I came from Wild Oats. I met Jason at a green exhibit and fell in love with the company. I had a two year old at the time and knew that I wanted to use gDiapers. I started out in customer service, because that was the only opportunity at the time and now I'm doing marketing. I feel very blessed to be here. It's always great when you work for a company that you truly believe in and not very many people have that opportunity.

The Green Mamas: Can you tell me a little about the product?

MS: We have a very innovative product. Not only is gDiapers good for the environment, it's also good for babies. The reason we have a positive impact on the environment is that people can dispose of their diapers in the toilet rather than the landfill. 50 Million diapers go into the landfill every day and they will sit there for 500 years. Presently, diapers are the third largest contributor to landfills and the average child uses 5000 diapers before being toilet trained.

Even if you chose to throw away the disposable and not flush it, we don't use any oil based materials in our diapers, so it will degrade in the landfill. A positive impact for our babies is that they are not sitting in plastic all day...all disposable diapers are made out of plastic, even the leading chlorine free diapers are made of plastic. By being in gDiapers, your babies are in a breathable pant which eliminates the chance of having diaper rash and the heat that's involved in sitting in plastic.

We are also working on an adult line. I believe it is 2015 that there will be more adults in diapers than babies. So there will be a substantial market then. I don't know if you've ever had the chance to put a plastic bag over your pants and hold it really close for about three minutes. It gets really hot and gross in there...so that's kind of what our babies are sitting in when they are sitting in a disposable diaper.

Basically, gDiapers are a great option for consumers and parents who want to make a difference for their babies and the planet. We like to call ourselves the Toyota Prius of cloth disposable diapers. We're truly a hybrid system. We really hope that parents give us a try...even if they can't use gDiapers full-time, every flushable they use is one less diaper going into the landfill. We encourage parents to do what they can...if the system is too much work or whatnot, even if they can use us on a part time it's one easy way they can have a positive impact on the environment and their babies!

The system itself consists of colorful, washable gPants, there's a nylon snap in liner and the flushable. I forgot to mention that you can also compost the flushable as long as they are only urine based. We don't recommend that you compost feces.

The Green Mamas: I actually watched the videos you have on your site and thought they were really helpful. I was chatting with a woman on the TreeHugger forum who said she clogged her toilet. I think she might not have read the directions that you have to take the flushable out.

MS: Right, that's been a little tricky for us. There are directions, but we live in a very fast paced society. I honestly didn't read the directions the first time as I was a busy working mom. Then I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I have to do all this work...flush it and rinse it', but now we just do it and it's easy.

The composting component is great. It's not as much impact on your toilet, your garden greatly benefits, the nitrogen in urine is awesome for your soil, and that's what we do here at The Village. We flush the poopie ones and try and compost as many of the urine ones as we can and it's been a great system here for us. We want the flushing and the composting to be the first choice of disposal, but if you chose to throw them away it is still better for the environment.

The Green Mamas: This is really a cool product. I probably already know the best thing about working at gDiapers, but is there anything else you really like about the environment there at gDiapers?

MS: We are a very small, intimate workplace which has its pros and cons, but overall we all share similar values, especially about the environment. It's great being part of a revolutionary and innovative product. We have an opportunity of being part of this product that can change our world. That's the great thing for me, to be able to work for a company I feel passionate about. Having my two children on site is obviously the biggest part, because being a mom is my first priority and they are only little for such a short amount of time. But being able to promote such a great product...not very many people feel such passion about their job

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!

:)

Organic Gardening 101: All The Basics to Help You Get Started

From composting to beneficials to conserving natural resources, organic gardening goes beyond bypassing synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. It encompasses a wide range of methods and techniques that work harmoniously within the natural cycles of our Earth.

Yet, with all the tilling, digging, planting, and watering, to a new comer, gardening organically can seem somewhat of a daunting task. Armed with a handful of gardening basics tossed in with a few beneficial local resources, creating your very own backyard harvest is easier than you may think. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to reaping the benefits of having your very own organic garden. Besides, the best part of gardening organically is that you “control exactly what goes in the ground, what goes on the plants and what vegetables [you] get out of it,” says Suzy Provine.

From the Ground Up
And it all starts with compost. All of those curbed bags of grass clippings, raked leaves, and thrown out kitchen scraps is what gardeners refer to as “black gold” – the most basic and essential component to every organic garden. Rather than bagged in plastic and added to the landfill, this wonderful mixture, tossed into a compost bin and briefly attended to ensuring the right amount of air, moisture, and heat, turns into the very thing your garden needs to grow and thrive. Where conventional gardeners would add synthetic fertilizers to boost their soil, the organic matter in compost delivers a slow time-release of nutrients to your plants to help sustain your garden.

There’s a Method to Happiness :)
Planning your garden, figuring out what to grow and where, is another essential aspect of gardening and one your gardening adventure cannot begin without. When planning your garden, find a spot in your yard that gets at least six hours of full sun during the day. No amount of beautiful compost, watering, or love and attention can replace the need for good ol’sunshine.

What to Plant?
Most beginner gardeners want to know what to plant. And the answer is easy: list all the veggies and fruits that your family eats on a regular basis, making sure that your choices will grow in our climate zone. This will not only ensure that the plants survive and thrive, but your family too will attend to the garden and enjoy the harvest.

Diggin In
Gardening is not only an act of growing your gown food and herbs, it’s also great exercise, a chance to get up close and personal with Mother Earth, a calm and relaxing respite from busy lives. And if you have the time and energy to devote to it, fabulous. Time to get dirty!

Water, Water, Water
Your plants will need regular watering and, during our hotter months of July and August, even the most frequent waterings from the hose sometimes isn’t enough to keep your garden from thirst. Rain barrels will help you conveniently collect and conserve water from your roof and transport airborne and deposited nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to your garden plants. Made from recycled food barrels, these kits include netting to prevent mosquitoes and a valve for easy watering.

What’s more, when you connect this water to your drip irrigation system, you’ll not only be conserving water and reusing it in your garden, you’ll also reduce your water bills. Quickly installed, drip irrigation will get water to the roots of your plants, making it environmentally efficient with no water loss to wind and evaporation.

Kids + Dirt = Fun!
With mom and dad having so much fun in the garden, the kiddos are sure to want to get in on the action. And why not? Children will get to learn a great deal about the decomposition process while turning the compost pile, the life cycle while watching seeds grow into plants, how nature works keeping an eye on the bees while they pollinate. And what kid doesn’t love to dig around in the dirt and find earth worms, busily wiggling their way through the garden. Children easily see that the garden is alive and needs food, water, and tender loving care just as they do.

“The boys love digging,” says Suzy, mother of four dirt lovers. “They are really good at loosening up the soil and mixing in the compost. They also like planting seeds, though some of the tiniest seeds are really tough for them too handle and we end up with very dense patches of things like lettuce and carrots.”

Coupled with the love for getting dirty and being outdoors, getting your children involved is simple. Depending on your child’s age, temperament, and abilities, you’ll be able to see where you can enjoy their help and when it’ll be a good time for a distraction. By setting aside a space of their own, let the kids create a fun children’s garden, where they can grow their own giant sunflowers, easy-to-plant veggies, a bean teepee, and snow peas to snack on.

Bug Off!
Oh, there is one final lesson in organic gardening. The bugs: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Oh, yes, there are good bugs. Called beneficials, these bugs - like Lady Bugs, the Praying Mantis, and Bees - help your garden stay healthy and strong, naturally, organically. With jobs ranging from pollination to feasting on those pesky bad bugs that would otherwise eat your crop, beneficials help you keep your gardens free and clear of problems without the use of harmful pesticides.

Ask an Expert!
A great online resource to know about is the Home & Garden Information Center that will answer all your pest and plant problems and questions. Call their hotline, Monday-Friday, 8am -1pm, at 1-800-342-2507, or go to their website at www.hgic.umd.edu. From online, you can send a question, including an uploaded photo of an insect in questioning.

Keep it Simple, Keep it Fun
If this is your first time gardening, remember: a healthy, well tended to garden will provide you with a better bounty than a large stressful, ignored one. All gardening skills are acquired through trial and error, so keep note of what works, what didn’t, and always try again next Spring!

Moreover, when gardening organically, focus more on what you can do rather than trying to do it all perfectly.

It’s your garden.

Have fun with it and enjoy!


as seen in Nesting Magazine by Lia Mack

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!

:)

Go "Green"...or...Go Home

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about going "green." Is that it's all or nothing. You may be interested in going green but can't afford to trade in your SUV for a Hybrid, or you would really like to buy organic food but either your store has a bad selection or it too is cost prohibitive. I think this all or nothing mentality has made people hesitate to make any changes in their lifestyle. But it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Actually if you start out thinking it has to be all or nothing you're setting yourself up for failure. It's impossible to change all aspects of your life at the same time.

Our mantra is “Make small changes, don't try to do everything at once. Small changes multiplied over time by many people makes a big difference.” When you decide to change something in your life to be “green” it is more likely to stick if you make it a habit. Take using reusable shopping bags, just because you buy them doesn't mean you will use them, it has to become a habit to remember to bring the bags with you. Whether you leave the bags in your car so they are always readily available or you put the bags next to your grocery store list, whatever your routine may be just add the bags.

Making small changes to your daily life can make a difference, trade out your cleaning products to use more environmentally friendly products, change your light bulbs out for CFL’s, buy organic food, if not organic think local. Next time you’re at the grocery store and pick up an apple look to see if it says where that apple came from, Chile, Peru, Fiji, or was it grown in the U.S.A.? Stop to think how many miles that apple had to travel to be in your local grocery store, these are thoughts that can make a difference. It will surprise you how this will become part of your shopping experience, and may change what you buy.

Even the smallest of changes to your lifestyle can make a difference. Don't think that just because you can't change your entire lifestyle that you shouldn't attempt to change the things you can.

Beat the Heat! Be Green & Save Money this Summer...

If you have an energy star rated air conditioner and solar panels (aka: free electricity) than this post is probably not for you...But for the rest of us who are limping along with old worn out AC's and not enough in our budgets to upgrade (and go solar), we'd like to find other greener options to help us beat the heat...and save a little green at the same time :)

Just a few weeks ago, we had a stretch of days that were in the 90's. Thankfully it didn't get as humid as it usually does here when it gets hot (most days it's 90*F/90% humidity...gross...) but still, it was nice and hot! And usually we turn on the AC when it gets that hot. But I wanted to try a different way of keeping the house cooler without raising our energy costs. Besides, it always seems that the moment we turn on the AC, the outdoors seems so...HOT...causing us to not want to venture outdoors for the fear that we might burn up and expire!

So I decided to turn back the clock and try out the old fashioned methods of dealing with rising temps. In addition to turning on the ceiling fans, I opened the windows.

Breathe In, Breathe Out...
First thing in the morning the air outside was nice and chilly. By utilizing low energy using window fans (not to be confused with window-shakers) I set them to intake so that they would pull the cool air from the outdoors into the house. We have about four, so I spread them around the house, creating a chilly spread of fresh air.

A little after lunchtime, I noticed that the air outside the house was starting to feel just like the air inside. So, with a quick flip of the switch, I set the window fans to exhaust, pulling the air inside the house out. This worked out great, keeping the house well below 75 all day long.

Up, Up, and Away!
On the more hotter days, when the indoor temp was raising above 78, 79, 80...I tried something that my grandmother always used when I was a kid. We have a fan that helps cool off our attic, but our attic is closed off to the rest of the house unless we open the trap door in the ceiling. So there is a ton of hot air trapped down in the house that would otherwise escape up through the attic and out the fan if it were open.

To my 5 year old's delight, mommy opened the attic door, which is nicely situated in the middle of the upstairs hallway...and I kept it open, just about a foot'ish, all day and night, allowing that air to get sucked up and out of the house. (Thankfully he's still short and can't jump to get the ladder down yet! ;)

Create a Cross Breeze...
To create a huge cross breeze effect from this, I opened the front door and left it open to the screen door, allowing the cool air from the front door to get sucked up to the attic opening. I'm not good with all the engineering details of all of this, but it did work! Just use a little inginuity and creativity to find what works in your house.

Get Outside :)
Honestly, if you start using this method now you'll find that you stay more comfortable letting the airflow do the work longer and than rushing to turn on the AC. The body acclimates to this method (the Amish say within 3 weeks you won't even notice it anymore) therefore you can keep the AC off longer, saving money.

I know I found myself spending more time outdoors - which is really good for all of us (most Americans spend 90% of their days indoors!). There wasn't that huge shocking factor between the temps outside and inside, so it was just as easy to be inside as it was to be out. We all know it's easier to stay indoors all day if it's 65 and chilly, the AC chugging along... Who would want to go outside in the 90 degree heat then?! And the kids didn't complain a bit. They'd rather be outdoors too ;)

Do What You Can Do...
I know - with the way summers are here where I live on the east coast - there will be days that are way to humid and hot that we will cave in and use the AC. But knowing that I can use this method more than using the AC this year, I can't wait to see just how much money we will save.

Interestingly enough (as explained in minuet mind numbing detail by my HVAC expert hubby) using the ceiling fans, window fans, and attic fan all together, all day long, will costs less over the course of the summer than if we were to use the air conditioner all day and all night. That really makes me want to try this method as many days as I can throughout the summer. We need to save money anyway we can, and this is one of those things that we can rather easily.

Above all, living green is about doing what you can do whenever you can. Don't get yourself down about not being able to do it all...especially if you're just starting out on this green venture. We all grew up with quite a few non-green conveniences, so sometimes it can take a stretch to think about what we can do differently to be more green, and to keep implementing those ideas rather than falling back on the not so eco-friendly ways...

So focus on the little green steps that you make everyday and get excited about the compounding effect it'll have on the way you live!

This is one of my an experiments anyway...
I'll let you know how well it works out! ;)

Eco-Friendly Green Birthday Ideas... Send Out the Invites!

Having a party?

Then it's time to send out the invitations! But with the cost of stamps rising all the time (they just rose the price again!) and well, paper...some of it's recycled and if you're lucky you'll find a set of invites or blank notes that were made from recycled paper...but the time it takes to buy and send the invites, well, most of us would rather just not and say we did...

Then again, there are some really cute options out there, right? But, most of the stuff in the stores is made from unsustainable paper sources, most of which is printed and shipped in from China...and when you think about the cost of trees, production, fuel, unfair trade practices...those are really expensive invites!

But you have to get the word out that there is a party, right? Thankfully, there are tons of cool ways to do invites that will make you smile green :)

Go Paperless :)
You can easily bypass paper all together by using an online invite service or email all of your guests with a creative mass emailing effort. Whenever I am hosting a shindig, I like to use evite.com. They have new features now, too! You can ask guests to bring certain items, calculate how much local organic wine you need verses how many recyclable juice boxes because evite.com allows people to reply with how many adults and children are coming. It's really nice for people like me that hate keeping track of every little thing...it does most of the work itself...and it's free!

But what about those folks not online. Or worse, those who never read and/or respond to your emails?

Send a Green Message
There are tons of cute card shops online that specialize in recycled paper invites, some of which have awesome green messages on them! What better way to set the mood for your green party than having it loud and clear on the invite that this will be one of those parties: a fun filled, trash free, Mother Earth lovin' bash!

Create Your Own
I know my kids love being involved in planning and helping out with their parties. So why not collect some paper from around the house and make your own invites out of handmade recycled paper. Paper making is fun and you can really jazz it up and make your invites unique.

As for the Internetless crowd...this is when the artsy-crafty of you will shine :)

Reuse & Recycle!
Recently, I found a pile of old unsent birth announcements that I had in a box (from ordering twice as many as I needed for baby #2...oh, the woes of a mommy brain...) So, for my daughter's upcoming party, instead of tossing/recycling those beautiful baby pics of hers, I'm going to reuse them and hand write the party details on the back...I just hope the old timers look on the back and see that it's a birthday party and not think that I just had another baby!

Another option would be to call everyone and talk to them directly (wow, what an idea!) or leave a message...maybe even use this idea to tell them to check their email for the invite...ha ha ;)

Honestly, there are endless options and ideas out there. You just have to use your creativity using materials you have around the house and online. You never know, you could come up with the next best invention and make a WAHM business out of it...wouldn't that be awesome!

Got an Idea?
If you have a great idea and can't wait another second to share it, feel free to leave it in the comments, along with a link to your blog OR maybe even your eco-friendly shop online that sells such wonderful things.

Have a nice day and stay tuned for more eco-friendly green birthday party ideas :)

Peace :)
Green Mama Lia

Green is as Green Does... All About Green Mama Lia :)

Ok, so I get a chance to introduce myself now ;)

I'm Green Mama Lia, born and raised all over this great big green-n-blue Mother Earth (military brat here!) and one of my major life's missions is to live as green as green can be! Or - in other words - as green as I am able to each day in any way I can...

I'm a mama of two growing greenies: a garden master, Mother Earth worshiping little boy; and a veggie vacuum, organic fashionista little girl. They are the love of my life and the very reasons I can't do anything ungreen: whatever I put into their little bodies better be good for them and the earth they live on!

A little about my own adventure into this green lifestyle..I'll try to make this as short as possible :)

When I was in college, I had an interesting journey with endometriosis which coincidentally does very well in a body that is stressed out by both mental and environmental toxins. While doing research for an article in the university's newspaper on my lovely 'female problem' I discovered that endometriosis can be caused by dioxins. What are dioxins, you ask? The short answer is they are practically everywhere, but mostly in bleached products, as dioxins are the by product of chlorine. A very toxic pollutant indeed, especially in the body. This discovery started me on the green journey that I continue even today, encouraging me to switch to a free from toxins lifestyle, eating a whole lot healthier, and never stopping from asking the serious questions: is this good for me? for the planet? And if not, what are the alternatives out there? Is there a greener option?

And, the short answer to those questions is, YES! :) Thankfully there are old and new green alternatives everywhere.

Which leads to how I became a Green Mama :)

I used to paint murals (still do, but with the economy n'all...yeah, you know) and I used whatever materials they had at the store. That is until I found that I was 2 months pregnant with baby #2...yikes! and I had just faux painted a huge room with possibly the most toxic crap that was ever created by man. About to hang up the paint brush for good, my dear brother Wayne of LiveGreen, a green lifestyle consulting company, informed me that there were much safer and green paint options...Duh, Lia!...So I made the switch to green paints...phew!

It's all about the little green steps, baby ;)

So that's me, in a fuzzy green nutshell: I am a true toxin-a-phobe, mama to two greenies, married to conservation man-of-the-year and, although we don't have enough green to do everything perfectly eco-friendly from the start, we attempt to use green methods and materials in our everyday lives, any way we can.

It's all about being creative with your green ways!

And that's why I wanted to do this blog. There are so many different ways to go green...and what better time to start your green adventure than when your a mom or mom-to-be :)

Hope you enjoy our blog!

:)

(btw, my son took that pic of me...isn't he such a great photographer! :)