Mom Goes Green

…so this is what the latest review is telling consumers.  My first reaction sounded something like this: “AUGGGHHHHH!!!!!”  My second reaction was: “Well, what about the rest of the story?”

In summary, this conclusion was the result of a British review of studies held over the past 50 years.  It states that organic and non-organic foods possess the same nutritional content and therefore there is no superiority in organically grow produce.

Now first of all… I would consider the inclusion of studies that are 30, 40, 50(!) years old fairly irrelevant at this point. But what bothers me more is what this study DOES NOT include.

At no point does it ever address the real reason organic foods are important.  I can honestly say that I have NEVER purchased organic foods because I had some expectation of nutritional superiority. I do not buy these foods for what they contain… I buy them for what they DO NOT contain…

What organic foods DO NOT contain are the herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals that are sprayed on the crop… chemicals that are harmful to both us and the environment.  It’s that simple.  If you have been buying organics for some other reason, then you’ve been buying them for the wrong reason.  I’m buying them to prevent my family from consuming chemicals while they are consuming the foods that have a high nutritional value, regardless of the value (especially if they are equal!).  And our children are the most vulnerable when it comes to consuming these chemicals.  What it also does not mention is that the presence of pesticides can actually block the absorption of nutrients, so then doesn’t this automatically make the amount of nutrients irrelevant if they can’t be properly absorbed?!?

In my opinion, this result is misleading and irresponsible.  It’s only half the story.

You can decide for yourself, but my opinion has not been swayed one inch.  It’s not about non-organic vs. organic, it’s about chemical vs. non-chemical.  Which one would you rather give to your child?

… “aaaaand we’re back!” (insert announcer voice here!)

Mom Goes Green and family has returned from a much needed beach vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina (and when I say much needed, I mean MUCH needed!). It was amazing, wonderful and just so incredibly great to be able to give my family 100% of my undivided attention for a change.  (Family:  can we go back now???… please!)

But it should come as no surprise that I was apprehensive about how green I could remain while away, especially after last year’s vacation in Myrtle Beach.  This time I came much more prepared.  I carted along our eco-friendly dishwashing liquid, dishwasher soap and all of our family’s select products so there was no guilt there.  We purchased all of our regular organic foods, and I even brought along our recycled content toilet paper!  And in one week’s time, we created less than one bag of trash to boot!

This year, I am happier to report that there was actually a flier in our condo rental encouraging us to recycle.  And did we recycle?  You bet we did.

Once again, I collected all of the cans, bottles, boxes and jugs and did the “crush’em jig” in our kitchen to pack them all into a garbage bag.  The boxes were flattened and made their way into our beach bag next to our towels to make the trek home for recycling.  As I write, every recyclable we collected sits in our blue can at curbside waiting for pick-up.  Am I pleased that I did it (again!)?  You bet I am.

I will say that while there were facilities to drop-off your recycling, I felt compelled to bring them home.  Why?  I’m not quite sure, but somehow it feels like it’s going to become a rite of passage for me… to bring them home and see that they are unquestionably recycled and never become trash.  Maybe it’s the satisfaction of seeing what I salvaged in our own recycling can, but whatever silly reason I may have conjured up in my head, I know that our vacation left a smaller footprint than would have been left behind otherwise.

Over the coming posts I’ll share more about the vacation and our experiences, but I just wanted to say that yes, I am back, and seeing my “little ones” footprints in the sand was the best, most invigorating thing I could have asked for right now.

… Mom Goes Green will be back in full force soon… (and thanks for the “where are you?!?!” messages… it’s great to know I was missed!)

Being “green”, “environmental”, “eco-friendly” (call it what you will) does not happen overnight.  Despite this blog, I know I still have a long way to go and plenty to learn.

One resource that I’ve found to help me along the way is too great to keep a secret:  Together Green.  This site has thought of everything, condensed into one great resource.  Whether you want to green your home, work, travel or your community, they’ve covered it.

And if you have one area that you feel most passionate about (whether it’s land, water, air, energy or wildlife), again… covered!

I’ve never felt it was about installing solar panels on your roof top – and not to say that isn’t an amazing way to green your home – but it’s about little daily actions that all add up to a great big difference.  Check them out for some great ideas.

And while I’m at it, I want to share a great resource for my fellow Ohioans! (O-H!  I-O!… you may only get that if you’re an Ohioan!) A reader asked me about an eco-friendly boutique for body products that she had heard about on the news.  While I had no idea what particular store it may have been, I was able to send her to Ec-Ohio.  This state based directory lists everything from food to pet supplies to building materials to funerals (maybe you don’t want to think about THAT just yet), but they’re a great resource as well.

If you know of a great state directory to share with readers, please comment and help spread the green!

While I do think that I’m a great blog (to visit frequently, by the way!) I know that I don’t have all the answers.  These sites are great resources… just remember who sent you!

I recently had occasion to purchase a wedding shower gift for our neighbor’s daughter.  Many of us have been there… that occasion where we labor over 12 pages of “wishes” and try to find something that you honestly feel wasn’t a “whim wish” and an item that won’t actually find itself shoved in a corner closet after the bride realizes it wasn’t really something she needed.

While we certainly can’t control what the bride selected, we can certainly choose how to spend our money.  And as I poured over the list, one item caught my eye immediately:  Bamboo Kitchen Cart with Wine Rack.  I was thrilled to know that I could actually buy something useful, as well as something “sustainable”!

I need to remind myself that I do have choices every time I purchase a gift.  A few extra minutes with a list or some special attention and you can be pleased that the gift suits you too!  Look for the bamboo cutting board or cutlery.  Look for the organic cotton towels or sheets.  And whoever said you HAVE TO buy off the list?!  Buy something that you’ll be happy to give.  Just be sure that your gift is useful.  Remember this: An used gift amounts to house clutter that will eventually be cast off.

Other ideas to keep your gift greener:

• Consider a reusable bag instead of wrapping paper.
• Simply wrap things (like towels) in themselves.
• Scraps of fabric lying around after crafty endeavors? Wrap the gift in it!
• A bamboo kitchen towel or two would even do the trick for any gift. For bigger gifts, a table cloth will cover it!
• Use biodegradable raffia instead of ribbon or reuse ribbons you’ve salvaged.
• Use a photo or image from a card you received to make a gift tag.
• Skip the bow and use a pretty flower from your garden instead.  Even twigs, berries or pinecones make great toppers with simple brown craft paper for the wrap.

My big thing has always been that “it’s about choices”.  And even if the bride’s choices leave you rolling your eyes, your gift can keep your eyes sparkling “green”!

As if there wasn’t enough debate (and yes, confusion) about the benefit of organic vs. non-organic milk, now “natural” milk is being introduced on grocery store shelves.

I’ve never wavered in my preference for organic milk.  It is higher quality; contains more nutrients; does NOT contain high residues of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics or hormones; and it comes from cows that have an overall better quality of life and receive organic feed.

Now enter: natural milk. What this essentially means is that the milk cannot contain artificial ingredients and additives like sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives or high fructose corn syrup, but it CANNOT make any of the claims of organic milk or the absence of all the harmful residues.

The pricing for natural milk will be somewhere between organic and non-organic. And with organic milk being high priced in comparison, some shoppers may be misled into believing that they’re buying a product that is less expensive than organic but getting all the benefits of organic milk.  This simply isn’t true. The difference is simply in the processing after it comes from the cow, not in the quality of the milk itself.

There is already so much confusion about organic milk and its beneficial qualities, and now natural milk will serve only to create more confusion. But be advised that natural milk is not better than organic milk (despite how it sounds), and giving a product the term “natural” is not regulated like the use of the term “organic”.

Just like non-organic milk, natural milk is like a box of chocolates… “you never know what you’re gonna get!”

Summer is in full swing and sadly, to me, it feels like it’s half over.  I always consider summer a brief 10 week experience (now that we have kids in school), but that’s my own issue.

Anyhow, while I’ve been out and about with my family enjoying the “first half”, one thing keeps catching my eye… Styrofoam coolers.  I almost can’t believe that these things still exist.  I understand that they are a matter of convenience, but with some forethought, it’s easy to be prepared and no one should ever need a ‘single use’ cooler. It pains me to see them sitting next to garbage cans and knowing that they’ve become trash.  And I imagine that after purchasing a few Styrofoam versions, you could probably own a decent cooler of your very own.

My mom actually taught me the amazing insulating ability of newspaper.  Layers of newspaper, wrapped around whatever you need to keep cold in transit, does an incredible job of holding the cold.  This trick even works to keep items hot.  I used newspaper to keep our kids’ baby food warm when we went out to dinner, so they could have their food right along with us.  And the best part is that afterward, it can be recycled instead of thrown in the trash.

I just really want Styrofoam coolers to disappear! The problem is this… even if they disappear from store shelves, they still won’t disappear – they’ll live on in a landfill for about 500 years!

Over the past weeks, we’ve had a raccoon hid her babies in our yard, snakes take up residence in a bush outside our front door and two birds nest under a different bush.  A raccoon even stopped by in our open garage while I was quietly doing something one evening. (That event caused me to let out a “startled scream” that sent mama running!)

All this in a suburban neighborhood, close enough to urban life that we can see downtown Cleveland from our backyard.

I truly wondered “what gives!” until my husband pointed out that we have the most natural place in the neighborhood… no chemicals, no fertilizers or pesticides, no unfriendly environments… and I think he’s right.

When my neighbor saw the snakes, she suggested we pay for an exterminator or snake wrangler to get them out of here.  (Seriously?  I should pay someone to evict these poor little harmless creatures?!  But she is the same person {although she is a nice lady} that chopped down all of her backyard trees last year.) Then there is the other neighbor (also a “tree chopper“) that called out his OWN tree service to look at removing a tree in OUR yard because he didn’t like the leaves it was dropping in his driveway!  He offered to pay half, which we politely declined.

Maybe animals really do have a sense of “someplace safe”… yea, MomGoesGreen’s yard, of course!  And our kids are loving the animal park in their own yard (but yes, I do understand the dangers of raccoons, so they have been educated on safety.)

If you believe in karma, I think you’ll agree that my husband is right.  There IS a natural attraction because we do let off all whole lot of “good nature karma!”

Every time I visit the grocery store or the local farmer’s market to pick-up some fabulously fresh organic produce, there are little environmentally un-friendly “by-products” that come home with my fruits and veggies… those flimsy plastic bags we’re often forced to use for our produce purchases.

I’ve tried to reuse them, but they’re cheap and end up tearing. I also hesitate because it’s too difficult to get them clean enough to feel safe to reuse them.  So, while I’m buying healthy foods for my family, I’m left with a handful of plastic bags that wind up in the trash.

Enter:  EarthSAKS!  I recently talked about their compact reusable bag that our daughter confiscated, but now I’ve discovered their produce bags too, and what a relief they are!  They’re made of sturdy, see-through, washable mesh with a simple drawstring closure at the top and they even store in an included canvas pouch for toting them back to the store, to use again and again.

I’ve also picked up a few little mesh laundry bags (typically for your delicates… so why not some delicate produce, right?) when I’ve found them on sale, and if you’re feeling really crafty: a rectangle of mesh fabric, some stitches and string, and voila… reusable produce bag!

Whatever you choose, join me in making sure your produce makes its way to your home without bringing unwanted (plastic) guests!

Even the greatest of moms have to occasionally rely on a drive-thru or carry-out to fill the dinner menu! While the nutritional content of the food already has us feeling guilty, a green mom often cringes at the waste and excess that accompanies the food.

Who hasn’t received an order that crushes all of our environmental rules?!

Here are a few simple ways to put at least some of the guilt at bay:

• First, park the car! Truly… idling creates more emissions than actually driving your car! And contrary to belief, stopping and restarting your car does not burn more fuel.
• Skip the plastic utensils and napkins. If your order is going home with you, tell them you don’t need these items (that may only get thrown away).
• Take only what you need/want. Avoid that 16-year old’s full grip on 12 packets of ketchup! Tell them exactly what and how many of the condiments you need instead of accepting those you don’t.
• Say no to beverage holders. If you can manage it, use your car’s cup holders for beverages instead of taking a holder… but if you do take it, recycle it!
• Use your own cup. If your order will include coffee, hand over your travel mug and ask them to use it.
• Take your own bag in with you. Forgo that enormous, rustley, non-recyclable plastic bag that holds your carry-out order and tell them you’ll put your order in your own bag instead.

While these ideas might help satisfy your green side, I can’t guarantee that you won’t feel slow, sluggish or that overall sense of “ick” after your order gets consumed!

Much to the occasional dismay of our kids, I am a mom who refuses to buy clothing that is a walking billboard for TV and movie characters.  Call me a downer, but if my kids are going to carry a message, I don’t want them to be a free advertisement (that I paid for!).

They do however have some clothing that carries a message that I’m proud to have them sport.  My daughter has a tee that says “Love Trees, Please” and another shouting “Go Green!”  We are quite a pair when I’m donning my own “Go Green” tee.

Now I’ve discovered a great little clothing company and our son is getting in on the action.  From Tiny Revolutionary, his tee proclaims “I’ll Change the World Someday!” (and I have no doubt that he will!)

Tiny Revolutionary is a great place for “little one’s” tees, when you want them to carry a message that has meaning.  Whether it’s changing the world, recycling, driving a hybrid, or sharing some love, Tiny Revolutionary has it covered!  They’re made of organic cotton, recycled polyester & rayon (mined from the cell walls of plants!) and non-toxic, water-based dyes; plus a portion of the proceeds from sales go to some fabulously worthwhile charities.  Not only do these adorable tees feel good, they also make YOU feel good!

For a generous 20% discount, enter coupon code:  GREENMOM (with the exception of their “Giving Tees”) or check out their facebook page for all kinds of coupons and contests.

The next time your tiny revolutionary wants to sport a princess or a superhero, consider letting them shout a message that will change the world instead!