Mom Goes Green

It’s New Year’s Eve!  A brand new year to bring brand new things, but the holiday has likely overwhelmed us and we’re left with some guilt in the wake of it all…

And now I’m sitting here thinking New Year’s Resolutions.  Sure I’m feeling guilty for over-consuming at all of those holiday gatherings… and, selfishly, not for any “green” reasons… but because my pants are tight and I need to make more frequent trips to the gym!  I’m also telling myself that I need to relax more, worry less and “not sweat the small stuff”.  Of course, I want to find ways to be a better mom and wife… and organize those things that have been neglected by over-committing myself.  (And did I mention those pants?!?… augh!)

But one other less selfish thing comes to mind… volunteering.  I want to do more.  And, instead of just talking about going out and making a difference, I want to stand up and really do it!

I recently discovered Together Green, an organization that will help connect you with all sorts of conservation projects around the country.  They have a calendar of events, volunteer days and links to other volunteer sites. Plus, their Be Green Action Center will give you the most amazing ways to go green in your daily life — at home, work, and travel, and in your community.  Choose what you want to do, and they’ll give you ideas of actions to take.  A great, great resource!

I’ve also discovered great opportunities through:

• The Nature Conservancy
• The Sierra Club
• National Wildlife Federation
• Defenders of Wildlife

So many ways to get involved, so many opportunities, so much “difference” to be made!

SO, for my New Year’s Resolution, I vow to get out and “do”.  I know it will mean that I’ve taken the next step.  And it’s another great way to get my kids involved too… that lesson will last them a lifetime.  Would you consider joining me in this resolution?

(Perhaps it will even help me with that “pants” issue!)

Wow.  How does one even return after a big holiday?  (And wow!  My 100th post… how did I get here?!?)

It was undoubtedly amazing to see the wonder of Christmas morning through the eyes of our kids as they marveled at all of the goodies that Santa had packed and delivered in his sleigh… but likely quite annoying to them when I insisted that, before playtime began, they needed to collect the wrapping paper for recycling (despite my urging for alternative wrapping, it’s hard to convince a 3- and 6-year old that Santa decided to “go green” and was wrapping presents in newspaper this year!).

Maybe I should talk about how, during all of our Christmas gatherings, I tried to convince our party-goers that “real” plates and cloth napkins were “okay with me” because they don’t create excess waste, and running the dishwasher and a load of laundry was better than the alternative.  Or how, when visiting other’s homes, I tried to use real glasses and plates instead of their throw-aways!

Or maybe I should talk about how kid’s toys are so overpackaged that I am cringing at the fact that, for the first time in a long time, my garbage can is overflowing and I’m cursing all of the manufacturers for their over-abundance of unrecyclable materials… (does one PixOs package really need 17 different plastic bags?!?!).

Or perhaps I should tell you about how Mother Nature gifted us with an extraordinary day of 67 degree weather in Ohio, but I was also grumbling at her(!) because the day was spent outdoors cleaning up all of the leaves that were tucked in every corner of our yard (since an “early winter” prevented us from completing clean-up when the leaves were dry… and clean-up would have been SO much easier!)  She wrapped up the evening with such fierce winds that it bent the support pole of one of our outdoor decorative trees in HALF… could have done without THAT one, lady!

I should thank our families for recognizing that we have so much already that a ton of gifts were NOT needed… and they recognized that money is still an incredible gift when it is given with a “well, we just really wanted you to use this for something you needed, or wanted, instead of buying something you didn’t”… yes, moola is still a good gift!  And yes, an unused gift IS waste.

But I know I need to mention our most thoughtful gift… from our beloved friends, Jenn & Paul, who gifted us with a certificate from Kiva.org.  This certificate allowed us to donate our gifted money to a “working poor” recipient of our choosing.  We selected a man in Tajikistan who desperately needed money to buy seeds for farming and help support his family.  Over the holiday $1.3 million dollars were given and EVERY recipient was granted their full loan!  Once they are able to repay the loan, we are given back our donated money to grant to another needy recipient… and this wonderful cycle starts all over again!  Amazing, what a difference was made around the globe by so many people who thought far beyond traditional gift giving and decided, instead, to help those who really need it!  Thanks, Jenn & Paul!  We LOVED the gift that we were able to “re-gift”!!!

In conclusion, I guess I should just say that it was a wonderful Christmas… because it was, and we are blessed.  We have each other and that’s all that really matters.

I truly hope your holiday was one to remember… and full of cheer, love and the real spirit of Christmas!

Mom Goes Green would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas,

Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa!

Whatever you celebrate, I simply wish for it to be wonderful

…and I wanted to share our card with all of my wonderful readers!…

If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away. — Unknown

This Christmas we want to wish you all of the things that bring you happiness.  Enjoy memories of the past, live in the moment, and have hope for the future.  May your New Year be filled with everything wonderful — health, happiness, laughter and especially love!

– Mom Goes Green —

Christmas is just about here!  The house is decorated, the tree is trimmed, the stockings are hung, and the presents are purchased… and then the final gift arrived via UPS.  Yippee!

Sounds like I should be relieved, so why am I sitting here in awe, slowly shaking my head and muttering “Where, oh where, has the common sense gone?”  I think it’s because, instead of me being the one who has gone mad, someone in the shipping department at Amazon has lost their marbles.

I was waiting on a little “Tinkerbell” paperback book for our daughter (a book that, mind you, had her burst into tears when we visited her school Book Fair {it was the only book she really wanted} and we discovered it was sold out!)  So, yes, the book was incredibly important but I was sickened with how it arrived.

This little book, costing all of $3.99, arrived in a box (including a bunch of air pillows!) that was so large it could have safely shipped at least 75 of them.  Overpackaging at its excessive worst!  WHAT was someone thinking?  I guess they weren’t… or they got confused… or they ran out of boxes and this was the only one left… (a size that could have fit a MacBook and packing materials, for pete’s sake!).

All this after our son’s book arrived the day before, BENT IN HALF, smashed next to a “Wall-e” DVD, in a box that barely FIT the DVD itself!  This does NOT make Mom Goes Green happy!  But how do we know this will happen and how do we stop it?  And how do we not feel guilty when a simple purchase breaks the fundamentals of our own “green rules”?

I don’t have a single answer for this.  It’s not easy complaining to Amazon… they make it really simple for them not to address your issues, beyond customer service.  If you know of a way to let them know, let ME know!  I just can’t imagine what guidelines they are following, but I personally think they stink… a big, fat, non-green stink!

… and I actually gave them kudos for their “Frustration Free Packaging”! Wake up, Amazon.  There is a LOT of work left to do!

This year, as Recycling & Environmental Programs Chairman at our daughter’s school, I helped the kids put together two of the most beautiful Christmas trees I think I have ever seen…

They AREN’T filled with tinsel, or a thousand lights, or shimmering bulbs or expensive decorations.  In fact, not a single thing cost a single penny.  It was decorated entirely with recycled ornaments and decorations made by the students.  And what a splendor it is!!!

These kids are amazing… for their creativity and the way they hold their heads so high at the display of their ornament, made with love… and with love for planet earth too!

There were gingerbread men made from sandpaper and scrap materials, reindeer made from burned-out light bulbs, candy canes made from plastic bottle caps and snowmen made from Styrofoam packing materials.  Handsoap containers, applesauce cups and toilet paper rolls were given new life!  And the top of the trees were adorned with a green star with a sparkling “recycle” symbol glittering in the middle!

One of my favorites was from a family that assembled an amazing garland made from accordion-folded Christmas circulars, aluminum foil beads and used straws.  Imagine the love that went into making that… and the amazing “family time” they all got to share too.

A Christmas Tree really becomes a Christmas Tree NOT when it’s decorated like a department store window display – it becomes a true Christmas tree when the spirit of “giving” turns into the spirit of “not taking” more and more from new resources – when they are decorated with the love of what a tree really represents…

Yes, ‘tis the season and the clock is tick, tick, ticking away (a week and counting…. eek!).

I recently wrote about some of my favorite ways to give, with some tangible and intangible ideas for giving the gift of green and/or helping the environment and some of its inhabitants.  Well, as I realize ideas I didn’t give or discover more great options, I can’t help but want to continue to share… especially because of that damn “ticking clock” and the stress of it all.

So, I know a lot of us would prefer to give “something”, but if you give something, there are a lot of great ways to give a gift that doesn’t impact the planet like traditional giving… so, give these some thought:

• Give a live plant.  Who doesn’t love a beautiful plant to liven & brighten their home while consuming some CO2 and giving some oxygen!
• Give an organic fruit basket. (Be sure to refer to my do and do not buy organics list!)
• Give a framed work of art… not from a famous artist… one created by your kids… or YOU, for that matter.  It would mean more than a Picasso to most recipients!
• Give your best homemade “goodie” and share the recipe! Or simply share the recipes of some of your favorite dishes.
• Give a “helping” certificate. Whether it’s for running errands, babysitting, cooking a dinner on request or even setting-up a “non-recycler” with all of the tools to start recycling, it will be appreciated!
• Give CFLs or recycled batteries & a charger. They’re energy saving and keep nasty trash from landfills.  Plus, it’s like handing over $$ because they will save, save, save!
• Give a handmade gift… like a candleholder made from a glass jar or a pen holder from a can.    Get creative, use recycled materials and remnants… you’re creative, so CREATE!
• Give something that can be used. If the recipient won’t use it, it’s waste.  Sounds harsh, but    it’s true.

Still not finding something that feels like “the one”?  Well, there are still lots more ways to “give back” and give the gift of green.  Please consider:

• Change the Present – you can contribute and honor someone by helping to restore a fragile ecosystem in Kenya, purchase carbon offsets, plant trees, preserve wildlands, adopt wildlife or any one of about 1600 causes of your choice!

And if you feel you need to give a more traditional gift, at least check out:

• Treehugger Holiday Gift Guide – for over 100 green gift ideas, from gadgets to fashions to toys
• MSN Green – everything under the sun, including a terrific list of 25 great green gifts under $25

Is your head spinning?  Well, just grab that “to do” gift list and look no further for answers… I hope I’ve given you everything you need to cross off the entire list.

(frame image from:  www.kidsartframes.com )

Last month I posted about the nasty “dirty dozen” – the 12 produce items that are most likely to hang onto pesticides after harvest.  (yea. ewww… dirty produce with chemicals.)  Those are the ones you WANT to buy organic.

Well, I had some readers ask me about the other side of the story. Are there items that we DON’T need to buy organic?  Well, you bet there are!  For some produce there isn’t an advantage to using pesticides because the bugs and critters don’t like them or tough outer skins make them too much of a challenge.  Even when not organically grown, they consistently test negative for pesticides, year after year.

So, with the holidays around the corner, maybe you’ll be entertaining, taking a potluck dish somewhere or you’re just keeping an eye on your grocery store budget (aren’t we all!).  So let me not deprive you of some more great info and give you the low-down on the ones that To Buy or Not To Buy Organics dubs its “clean fifteen” (the “DON’T” bother buying these organics list):

-    Asparagus         -    Mango
-    Avocados          -    Onions
-    Bananas            -    Papaya
-    Blueberries         -    Pineapple
-    Broccoli             -    Shelling peas
-    Cabbage            -    Sweet corn
-    Garlic                -    Watermelon
-    Kiwi

Next time you’re at the grocery store (and many of us will be, since we don’t have access to locally grown produce this time of year!) put your cart in high gear and drive right out of the organics section for this produce…

And feel grateful for the “picky”, “lazy” bugs that just have no interest in bugging some of our favorite produce.

Okay… so it doesn’t quite flow as smoooothly as the original song lyrics, but I happen to love when unrecyclable materials get turned into usable products (don’t you?!?) … and Terracycle is at it once again, just in time for chestnuts.

They’re turning unrecyclable wax cardboard waste (from produce boxes) into fire starter logs for a great eco-alternative to typical starter logs (that are often filled with chemical binders and fuels!).  The cardboard is shredded, heated and compressed into shape and voila… starter log!  No unwanted (despised) chemicals added!  Just 100% wax cardboard waste.  They burn clean and easy, and most importantly, they keep tons and tons of waste out of landfills.  Find them at Target, strike a match and grab the egg nog!

And what fireplace would be complete without “stockings hung by the chimney with care”?  Well, Terracycle is even making recycled stockings and tree skirts from drink pouches!  Those crazy Terracyclers!… they keep coming up with more and more cool stuff.  They’re really cute and perfect for brightening up your holiday décor the green way!  Find them exclusively online at Home Depot.  The stockings might even make a great gift for the drink pouch junkie in your life!

But sincerely, what better way to continue your pursuit of “going green” than having Santa place your loot under a tree or in a stocking that is essentially helping to make sure his happy home stays nice and frozen?… just make sure that fire log is out before his arrival!… ouch!  No “roasted Santa”, please!

My least favorite part of the holidays has to be the stress over what to “give”.  I am hard pressed to know anyone who really NEEDS anything.  We’re all pretty fortunate and for that, I am definitely not complaining.

Are you having gift-giving dilemmas too?  (I think the sound of a huge “yes” was probably deafening!) Well, here are a few miscellaneous items that I have given kudos recently, including:

• The “Starter Kit for Change” – packed full of great green goodies for yourself, the earth-lover in your life or to help a newbie get started (and they’re havin’ a holiday sale!)
• Cynergreen Bottles – fab, affordable bottles to keep the BPA away from loved ones
• Movies:  Wall-e (for kids), An Inconvenient Truth (for adults) and Planet Earth (for the whole family)
• Memberships – to environmental organizations, zoos, botanical gardens, etc…
• Any kind of reusable bag

But I also firmly believe that the recipients of gifts don’t always need a tangible gift.  I would much rather know that my gift was a gift of “doing good” for the earth and environment.  Do you know someone like this?  If so, this list may be for you, for them, for our planet!

Also consider THESE amazing gifts:

• Adopt an Acre of Rainforest and other of earth’s wonders – for preservation and restoration of some of the world’s most amazing places
• Adopt an Endangered Species – to protect endangered animals and their habitats
• Rescue the Reef – for preserving an undeniably crucial part of our world’s oceans
• Plant a Billion Trees Campaign – for protecting and preserving Earth’s largest and most endangered tropical forests in Brazil
• Give-a-Tree – plants a tree in one of America’s National Forests in honor of a recipient

(If you have a similar cause that is near and dear to your heart, let me know… I’ll add it to the list.)

So this year, consider forgoing that purchase of a socket set (he has six already) or that body & bath set (she has six already) or that sausage sampler basket (the whole family hates sausage).  Instead, give the gift of “green”, “environment”, “eco-“, “earth”, “nature”… call it what you will… just consider it…

Our planet needs gifts more than we do.

I love holiday parties. Okay, I love parties for any occasion, but ’tis the season for holiday parties, so we’ll stick with that as my excuse for loving parties.

The unfortunate part is that parties are often an occasion for over-abundance and waste.  (Also an occasion for over-indulgence, but that’s another topic completely!)  But it shouldn’t be an occasion that makes you feel guilty or stressed out for fear that a great celebration has to be completely eco-unfriendly.

There ARE some simple ways to “green” your holiday party:

• Try evites or create your own electronic invitations instead of mailing the paper store-bought version.  Sure, you might have a few guests who aren’t email users, but where you can minimize… minimize!  For guests, requiring mailed invitations consider using last year’s holiday cards and turn the front of the card into a postcard.  Too cute!
• Decorate using live plants and maybe even give them to guests at the end of the night.  Toss pine cones or evergreen clippings from your yard (or your neighbors!) into a bunch of beautiful bowls or vases you already own.
• Turn off an excess of lights.  Blaze up the soy candles. It creates great ambiance.
• Turn down the thermostat. Bodies = heat!
• Consider buying biodegradable and/or compostable tableware.  Eco Products offers a variety of tableware made from corn, sugarcane and paper.  Or check out Verterra for tableware with some real character – made of leaves!  (Crazy, huh?… but very beautiful!) If you’re a Captain Moneybags, rent real tableware and utensils… not in my budget, but maybe someday!
• Hit a dollar store for linens.  I bought four cloth napkins for a buck!  Skip the poinsettia print.  Pick flat colors so they can be used for many other occasions.
• Set up a receptacle for recycling. Clearly mark it and ask everyone to jump on board.
• Set up a numbering system where only “every fourth guest” who uses the bathroom flushes.  Haahaa!  Obviously, this one is just a joke!  I’m not that crazy!

Sincerely, just do the best you can.  It’s a time to celebrate being with the people you care about and if you’re doing the best you can do, you’re doing great!  Every little thing matters.

And really… stop considering that numbering system… it was a joke… a JOKE!