Mom Goes Green

(This post is now closed for entries.  See “Comments” for the winner.)

Usually the mere mention of “fallen leaves” makes me groan and roll my eyes, because it means I’ll have a rake in my hands for hours on end cleaning up my yard.  This time I was grinning from ear to ear, because the leaves arrived neatly packaged in a box… and there was absolutely no raking involved!

Enter: Leafware! The coolest use (ever!) for fallen leaves… think plates and bowls, all courtesy of Mother Nature.  They have created this fabulous line of tableware that is made entirely of naturally shed leaves.  They are collected, pressure-washed, scrubbed, sun dried, compressed and then sterilized to create this unique, eco-friendly and 100% biodegradable and compostable dinnerware.

Imagine being able to actually use disposable tableware without guilt!  Use them for hot or cold foods, in the microwave, the oven, the refrigerator, the freezer (or take them on a picnic!)… and when you’re finished, they degrade in 60 days in the composter.  The bigger bonus is that they are really beautiful so they can be used for any event, from casual to even your fancy-schmanciest occasion! They are that fantastic!

The fine folks at Leafware want to give a Mom Goes Green reader the chance to give them a try.  They are offering:

• (12) 9″ Square Plates
  
• (12) 8.6″ Round Plates
  
• (12) 7″ Hexagon Snack Plates and
  
• (12) 7″ Bowls

I know you want them(!) so leave a comment saying you’d like to win and tell me how you’d like to use them, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. This giveaway has an approximate $50 value(!) and the winner will be selected one week from today’s post. (US entries only… sorry!)

Leafware is definitely doing something great here… now if I could just convince them to make a “pick-up” of all of my backyard leaves next Fall, I would be beaming!

(This giveaway is now closed for entries.  See winner in comments.)

Huh?  Sounds crazy, but it’s true… one Skoy cloth can take the place of 15 rolls of paper towels! These powerful little cloths have so many amazing qualities; I think I’m in love!

We all know we use far too many paper towels. Wipe down this, clean up that!  Even if you use a recycled brand, it can get a little excessive (and expensive) and they get thrown away after only one use.  Sponges are another household supply that is essentially useless.  Everyone knows that, after even a short period of time, they get disgusting and flat-out “schtanky” (yes, that IS a word… when the stink goes BEYOND stinky!) And that smell just let’s you know that bacteria is growing in abundance!

So let me give you lowdown on Skoy Cloths (if you haven’t already heard of them!).  These fabulous little cloths are 100% biodegradable because they are made from a natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp.  They are chlorine-free, use water-based colors and dry quickly so they don’t breed bacteria and they can be used again and again and again.  They’re essentially packageless because they come bound only by biodegradable raffia.  (And they’re super cute too!)

When you need to give them a little refresher, just pop them in your dishwasher or microwave them while they’re wet for a minute or two.  And when you feel like they’ve reached the end of their life, they can be composted (they break down completely in five weeks!) or disposed of.  That’s a LOT more environmental than 15 rolls of paper towels, wouldn’t you say?

Do you want to give them a try? Well, here’s your chance, because the fine folks at Skoy have a four-pack they’re willing to share… leave a comment here saying you’d like to win and tell me how you want to use your Skoy cloths, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. The winner will be selected one week from today’s post. (US entries only… sorry!)

Good luck! (…and by the way… you can tell me if you prefer the Skoy or the 60 rolls of paper towels, but if you think we’d actually send you 60 rolls of paper towels instead, you’ve lost your marbles! Come on! Give Skoy a chance!)

Well, NOW I’ve done it! I made a change that made my husband call a foul!

I switched our cushy Cottonelle Ultra toilet paper to an eco-friendly recycled brand and he is not happy.  So much that it prompted him to blog about it and tell the world that he’s putting his foot down for the first time!

I think in the back of my brain I thought I could make the switcheroo and he might not notice, but in reality, I knew this might be his limit.  And alas, it is.

I picked up some Seventh Generation toilet paper, and sure, it’s definitely nowhere near as thick and soft as the popular brands, but hey… I felt like saving some trees! I recently learned that if every US household would replace just one 500-sheet roll of regular TP with one recycled roll, it would save nearly 425,000 trees annually.  Seventh Generation is made from 100% recycled paper (with a minimum of 80% post-consumer) but I guess some would argue that paper “with a previous life” should never go near these “regions”.

If you have a better recommendation, PLEASE, let me know.  I can feel like I am staying true to my green mission, and maybe my husband will go along… with no ifs, ands or “butts” about it!

We’re dog owners.  And I’m picking on the kitties… but there are definitely reasons for concern.

I have talked about proper disposal of doggie-doo so I’m not being biased.  But common kitty litter is a major source of landfill waste and it’s bad news, because it doesn’t biodegrade and pollutes groundwater.  Plus it often contains silica dust, a known carcinogen. And would you believe that, annually, two MILLION tons of used kitty litter finds its ways to landfills… to sit… and pollute for a very, very, VERY long time.

In college, I did have a kitty for a brief, fleeting moment (until we were busted by our landlord and then kitty was off to my Dad’s for new residency) but just like so many cat owners, I used a store-shelf brand of those “mined”, non-renewable, clay-based products that jam every grocery store in the country.

Sadly, these common products are a danger to the environment, our water sources, your cats and us!  I’ve researched biodegradable, non-toxic alternatives made of natural, renewable and recycled contents.  Here is a list that comes highly recommended, for the safety of everyone:

Cat Country – made from organic wheatgrass fibers
Feline Pine – made from renewable yellow pine
Good Mews – made of recycled paper fiber
Swheat Scoop – made from naturally processed wheat
World’s Best Cat Litter – made from whole kernel corn

So, although I’ve found that you can be a cat owner AND environmentally-friendly, I’m not sure I’m going to run out and buy a cat.  Our daughter would certainly love it, but while she’s squealing “hello kitty!” I’m sure our dog would say “well, hellooooo kittyyyyy!”

Okay, so don’t start rumors about MomGoesGreen.  I have an admitted addiction… but it’s an addiction to Method products!

Sincerely.  I can’t get enough of them!  I know I have talked about “the greatness that is distilled white vinegar” but some things require a little extra something-something… like my dishwasher.  Can’t exactly pour in some vinegar and call it a day!

But Method… ahhh, Method!  (I’ve talked about the love… umm, twice.  So, here’s a third!) Their “Smarty Dish” Dishwasher Detergent is amazing.  It’s earth-friendly, biodegradable, and bleach- and phosphorous-free.  It comes as a large tablet so you don’t even need to worry about pouring and measuring.  My chosen scent was Pink Grapefruit – quite nice! – and can I just say my dishes and glasses were so squeaky  clean when they came out of the dishwasher that my husband even commented!

I’ve also been loving their Lil’ Bowl Blu Toilet Cleaner, Multi-Surface & Glass Cleaners, Biodegradable Tub & Tile Wipes (especially for our 3-year old son, with HORRIBLE aim!), but I’m also continually impressed with their hand soaps.  They’ve been in our house for quite a while now (and they’re great – especially the kid-friendly foaming kind), but would you believe they actually designed the containers so you can use every last drop of the soap?!  Love it!  And they sell refill soap too… another bonus.

BUT… my current fav Method product is the oh-so-yummy Method Baby Body Lotion I bought for our kids.  I so desperately wanted to get away from their old lotions – (do you know that most of them contain mineral oil?  Putting mineral oil on your skin is like covering yourself in saran wrap! Can you imagine?!?)

Anyhow… back to my point… the Method Baby Body Lotion is made of natural, biodegradable ingredients and never contains parabens, phthalates or other nasty chemicals you wouldn’t want to slather on your kids.  I have a clear conscience when I lotion them up these days and it’s topped off with a wonderful scent – rice milk & mallow (yea.  That’s as in marshmallow!).  But I can’t guarantee you won’t want to nibble on their arm for a bit.  I know I want to… and do!

So, I’ve said it before… I’ll probably say it again, but Method is a great company, with great products, a clear environmental focus and responsibility and a fab sense of humor (wait until you start reading their packaging!).

But I won’t leave you hangin’… I know you wanna get some … everyone should be a “Method” Head!!!  It’s a great addiction.

Undoubtedly, any one of us could look in a cupboard and under the sink and find bottles and cans of household cleaners that contain the harshest and most toxic of chemicals.  But do we really need them?

Don’t get me wrong… I want my house clean and germ-free too, but what if the means to that end requires us to spray, scrub and wash surfaces that we touch… that our kids touch countless times every day… with harsh chemicals? Kinda sounds like we’re defeating our purpose!

Knowing the worst household offenders is the best place to start making this change.  So here is the condensed rap sheet on those “bottled criminals”:

• Bleach – can cause irritation & burns, and edema or coma if ingested
• Mold & Mildew Cleaners – contents include known carcinogens and chemicals that can cause fluid in the lungs, memory loss and shortness of breath
• Oven Cleaners – can cause irritation & burns, and effect reflexes and tissue if ingested
• Ammonia – damaging to eyes, respiratory tract and skin
• Air Fresheners – commonly contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen
• Dishwasher Detergent – contains highly concentrated/highly poisonous chlorine in a dry form
• Laundry Products – contains elements that can cause liver damage and can irritate and/or burn skin, eyes, mucous membranes and the respiratory tract
• Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo – contains a known carcinogen that damages the kidneys, liver and nervous system, plus irritants & burning contents
• Toilet Bowl Cleaners – contents can damage kidneys and the liver, irritate skin and eyes, and cause edema or coma if ingested
• Drain Cleaners – contains elements that can damage kidneys, liver & the digestive tract, and depress the nervous system

Are you scared yet?  I know I am! If you want more details and the actual chemical contents, click here, but I assure you, you won’t like what you read.  It convinced me that I really, really need to give up a bunch of these commercial cleaners!

So… what to do? I say the answer is in three little words: distilled white vinegar.  It has more uses than you can imagine — it’s safe, it’s environmental and it’s inexpensive.

We already know that it can clean a clogged drain like a champ, but did you also know it can: cut grease, brighten your laundry, remove mineral deposits and stains, clean tarnished metals, remove carpet stains, clean the floor, remove stains from clothing and (what we all want)… kill germs and sanitize!

VinegarTips.com will give you 75 ways to use and formulate vinegar for everyday cleaning and 20 tips for using vinegar with your laundry!  I’m impressed!

The only other thing that comes to mind is “do they sell vinegar in barrels” (!?!).

No, that isn’t a typo. I’m not missing an “l”, but let me explain, before you gag.

Our family took our beloved Black Lab/Australia Shepard mix dog, Bella, to a community pool for a doggie swim day. It’s the last day the pool is open and everyone is welcome to bring their dog to swim and give a donation for the right to fill the pool with canine swimmers. The proceeds go to an animal rescue - an obviously worthy cause.

When we arrived and gave our donation, we were given a “doggie bag”. I, at first, shoved it in our pool bag, but when I looked later I was really thrilled to see that it wasn’t a standard doggie poo bag. It was a DOGIPOT biodegradable poo bag! What a great option for all of the dog owners that justify their acceptance of plastic bags from retailers by saying that they use them to pick up after pets. I appreciate the thought, but those plastic bags don’t biodegrade. They sit in a landfill — filled with the poo. (Could I possibly say “poo” any more?!?!)

The funniest thing is when I checked out the DOGIPOT site they don’t really mention the biodegradable part…they don’t know what a great product they have. And although they don’t sell direct to consumers, you can buy direct from Care-A-Lot Pet Supply. They are unbelievably cheap for giving peace of mind ($6.99 for 200 bags!  That’s only three and a half cents per poo!)

So, just a side note about the outing. It seemed like it would be a fun time and it was!…however, (isn’t there always a “however”…) the bonus drama of the day was me SCREAMING at our 3-year old son to “GET OUT OF THE POOL!” because I saw him surrounded by 3 piles of immersed doggie poo. How nasty! (I promptly took both kids to the shower for a scrub down!) He later told me “Mommy… doggies are supposed to poop on the grass, not in the pool!” and rolled his eyes.

No kidding, sweetie. Biodegradable poo bags really DO work best on land.