Mom Goes Green

(This giveaway is now closed for entries. See “comments” for winner announcement!)

A healthy mantra to carry through life is “don’t sweat the small stuff!” While I DO attempt to do this in my everyday life, I often fail on a daily basis, in epic ways … I seem to sweat everything! (And anyone who truly knows me would probably agree!)

Well, it just so happens there IS a time when sweating the small stuff might actually do a world of good. I will begin this explanation by first saying that I’ve always felt that going green isn’t just about installing solar panels on your rooftop or buying a hybrid car… it’s about doing all the little things in our daily life that can make a great impact.

Want to know one of my sources for all of these little “daily life tidbits”?… well, it’s a fantastic little book called “The Green Book”.  It has shown me countless and simple ways to put conservation to work.  It includes tips for everything from home, to work, to school, to shopping, to travel…. all organized in a tidy, easy-to-grasp package.

And if you think the “little things” can’t possibly amount to much, read this excerpt from the book:

“You create 4.5 pounds of trash every day.  Over the course of your life, that will total six hundred times your average adult weight… in garbage.  Broken down, your torso would be paper.  One leg would be yard trimmings, the other food scraps.  One arm would be plastic with a rubber hand.  The other would be metal with a wood hand.  Your head would be glass, and your neck would be all the other stuff.  In the end, we will each leave a ninety-thousand-pound legacy of trash for our grandchildren.”

In usual Mom Goes Green fashion, I have a copy I’d like to share with a reader… interested?  Well, just leave a comment here saying you’d like to win, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog.  Facebook friends can also leave a comment to be entered. The winner will be randomly selected on June 4! (U.S. entries only… sorry!)

So join me in changing “the small stuff”… and I promise, you won’t even have to break a sweat!

Wouldn’t that be nice… purchase ONE gift and you’re done for the whole year??? Well, that’s not exactly what I meant but we can all dream, can’t we?!?!

Sincerely, I feel like I’m constantly purchasing gifts for some sort of occasion.  The problem is that we often feel pressured to fulfill someone’s wish list, but there is nothing wrong with fulfilling some of our own wishes too, so how about using gift-giving occasions as an opportunity for spreading a little green cheer.

Here’s is what I have in mind… right now, choose one green, environmental and/or eco-friendly item… and choose to buy it EVERY time you have a gift giving occasion. Sound impossible? Well, it’s really not. I’ll give you a couple of ideas to get you started:

• Reusable water bottles – it’s impossible to shop and NOT run into reusable water bottles, in every color and style possible, for everyone, of every age.
• Reusable bags/ totes – anything from shopping bags to fabric totes,  to sport packs and kids’ carry-alls (extra points for organic cottons, upcycled and reclaimed fabrics!).
• Books – every bookstore has a diverse supply of eco-themed books, regardless of interest or age.
• Movies – a quick search will turn up everything from Wall-e, to Planet Earth, to An Inconvenient Truth… there is something for everyone.
• Clothing – who doesn’t love a comfy tee?  Buy organic cotton with an earth-friendly message and the message will be spread even further than the recipient!

If your recipient has the technology to accommodate, you can also go another step greener and buy e-books or iTune gifts!

So, do you think you could do it? I bet’cha you could. Will I? You bet’cha, I will!

(This giveaway is closed for entries.  See “comments” for winner announcement.)

As if I haven’t mentioned it at least a dozen times, I love reading with my kids.  During Earth Hour we read books by flashlight(!) and, with Earth Day just around the corner, there is a lot of eco-reading happening at Mom Goes Green’s house!

One of our new favorites is The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge… the newest installment in the series.  My daughter was thrilled to help me review this book because ever since she picked up her first Magic School Bus book, she’s been hooked… and so have I!  This time the adventure takes us from the Arctic to the equator to see all of the causes and effects of global warming… and give kids ways to make a difference, in terms that they’ll understand.  And, as always, Ms. Frizzle and her class does it in their usual fun and humorous way that makes “eco-friendly science” extraordinarily kid-friendly too!

Our daughter loves the book and it’s clear that she’s learned a lot because she loves spouting off little facts every so often.  Clearly, The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge made an impact on her and thanks to Scholastic a few Mom Goes Green readers can share the adventure too!

These fantastic prizes are up for grabs:

• One Grand Prize winner will receive a copy of The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge, plus a set of organic, reusable sandwich and snack bags
• Two additional readers will receive a copy of The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

How do you enter?…. well, just leave a comment saying you’d like to win and tell me about the “little adventurer” you’d like to share these prizes with, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. The winners will be randomly selected on April 26! (US entries only… sorry!).

If you’d like to take on an additional adventure join in the live webcast with author Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan on Tuesday, April 20th (1 pm ET/10 am PT) as they join Ms. Frizzle to celebrate Earth Day and their new book at the Liberty Science Center.

In the meanwhile, climb aboard… and join Mom Goes Green on The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge!

(This giveaway is now closed for entries.  See “comments” for the winner! And thanks to all who entered!)

One of my favorite family traditions is snuggling up to read books with my kids. They love a great story and there is no better way to give a “little green lesson” than to wrap it into a fabulous story that kids can embrace.

I especially love when a book ‘practices what it preaches’ and that’s why I love Simon & Schuster’s new series of “Little Green Books”! With Earth Day right around the corner (April 22nd, so mark your calendars!) there is no better way to start the conversation about our fabulous planet Earth!  And this series of books is as green as the tales they tell… they are made from 100% recycled paper, printed with vegetable based inks and 100% recyclable too (not that you would ever want to part with them unless you were passing them along, but “just so ya’ know!”).

I’ve always encouraged reading stories to children as a way to help plant the seed of awareness for protecting our environment and endangered species, and teaching kids that they can ‘take charge’ by recycling and conserving our resources… and my kids and I give this series a big green thumbs up!

I’m excited to tell you that Simon & Schuster is also offering a terrific “book bundle” from their series of Little Green Books for a Mom Goes Green reader!  Books include:

• I Can Save the Earth!
• I Can Save the Ocean!
• The Polar Bears’ Home
• Trees for the Okapis
• SpongeBob to the Rescue

All you have to do is leave a comment saying you’d like to win and tell me about the “little green kid” you’d like to share these books with, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. The winner will be selected on April 7, so they’ll arrive in time for Earth Day! (US entries only… sorry!)

In the meanwhile, consider sharing some “little green books” to create some “big green ideas!”

Imagine life with no electricity, no cars or public transportation, no “new” products, no plastic, no computer, no elevators, no TV, no cosmetics, no take-out or processed foods, no coffee (what?!?!)  Think about taking those things away for just one day… now imagine you’ve just given them up for an ENTIRE YEAR!!! (I think I just stopped breathing!)

Well, that is exactly the experiment that was undertaken by the Beavan family in New York City… for one… whole… year! And this wild, yet amazingly environmental, journey was all documented in the film “No Impact Man”.

The dad was actually the initiator of this “whacko” idea, as his wife calls it.  He dragged them, nearly kicking and screaming, to join him in his quest. His wife was admittedly a “TV addicted, high fructose corn syrup & caffeine lover” and had her fair share of concerns (wouldn’t we all!?).

I really don’t think there is a possibility that my family and I could even begin to scratch the surface of what they were able to accomplish, but I am so excited to see the movie because I know it will give me amazing ideas of how to give up some things I had never considered before.  Colin Beaven even gives his top 10 eco-lifestyle changes on his blog… smart stuff!

If you’re in NYC or LA, the movie premieres today, with other openings soon to follow. But if you prefer to read about their experience, there is also a book, No Impact Man.

While they discovered that this project was undoubtedly environmental, they also rediscovered “life”… and each other.  Isn’t that an experiment we could all benefit from?!

Mom Goes Green is always sharing ways to try to improve the things around you… your family’s daily life, your home, your community, our planet.  But what about you?  What’s a stressed-out and tired Green Mom to do?

Well, let me tell you!  Here are three simple ways (with relatively earth-friendly twists) to naturally rejuvenate and leave the stress behind (even if only for a night!):

• Go ahead and splurge – take a bath and add some natural and organic bath salts.  Studies show that the salts increase prolactin levels by up to a third and help in relaxation!
• Grab a cup of hot organic coffee or tea – it can actually trigger psychological warmth and pleasant feelings, even after only holding it for 10 seconds!  For a natural antidepressant, add a nice spice… cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, you choose.
• Turn off the TV and read – stimulating your mind actually creates happiness.  To be eco-friendly, borrow books from the library or a friend, make your purchase at a used book store or, for the avid reader, buy a Kindle.

There you have it… simple steps… and what it takes for a stressed Green Mom to shake off the blues!

… a big CONGRATS to “Marie”!  You just won a copy of The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales! I hope you enjoy this wonderful collection of earth stories from different cultures around the world!  You and your kids will have an amazing adventure as you  ‘trave’l through storytime!  ENJOY! … and thanks (to everyone) for entering to win!

Check back soon for more Mom Goes Green giveaways!

(NOTE:  This giveaway is now closed for entries.)

Since the day our kids were born we’ve always read to them, even before they were old enough to hold a book (sometimes I read “Parents” magazine aloud while I nursed them!) and as a result, nightly stories have become a regular part of our lives.

Now we’ve progressed to where our daughter is able to read to us (and boy, is that amazing… and sometimes alarming when our kids’ show switches off, the “On Demand” screen is promoting “grown-up shows” and our daughter screams “Mom!  What’s ‘Sex & The City’?”… oh yikes!).

Despite a new reader in our house, we still snuggle up and read to them and as they grow and become more aware of what the stories actually mean, I’ve really tried to buy books with a message.  One outstanding publisher I recently discovered is Barefoot Books – their vision is to “celebrate the world’s diversity, encourage children’s independent spirits and build enthusiasm for reading, creativity and discovery!”… just what we’re looking for!

The latest, greatest selection to hit our bookshelf is The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales.  It’s a compilation of some of the sweetest earth stories from different cultures around the world and how they live in harmony with nature.  They even include kid-friendly eco-tips and activities following each story.

Any day is a great day for fantastic stories like these, but in celebration of our upcoming Earth Day I have a copy I would love to give away to a reader! Just leave a comment and let me know if you have a favorite Barefoot Book; but if you’re a newbie, that’s okay too… let me help you get started!  You can also send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog or write about this giveaway and link back. It’s a perfect book for your kids or a gift for the little eco-minded one in your life! (My kids really LOVE it!) The winner will be randomly selected one week from today’s post (and again, US entries only, please… sorry!).

In addition, the fine folks at Barefoot Books are offering a 10% discount now until April 30, 2009.  Just use code: SCETALES at checkout.  Plus, for every Earth Tales book you purchase, Eco-Libris will plant a tree in your honor in celebration of Earth Day.

So kick off your shoes, enter to win, buy a copy and take a Barefoot walk through Earth Tales!