Mom Goes Green

Oh, Mickey should NOT be happy!

We could probably look around the home of just about any parent we know and find some things, multiple things… uum, PILES of THINGS bought to us by Disney.  Last year, net income of the Walt Disney Company was valued at $3.83 billion (yea, that’s billion with a “b”!).

However, I just learned that while they avoid all toxic chemicals in the Animal Kingdom of Disney World, they are using over 80 varieties of very toxic cleaners and only a dozen green cleaners in the rest of their facilities (including parks, hotels and restaurants).

I know the “go green” movement can be a slow process, but as pointed out by CHEJ, they’ve obviously put some serious thought into their consideration of what comes in contact with the animals, but what about those areas where our children “bathe, eat and play”?

A reply letter from Disney said that they are “in compliance”, but we know that sometimes compliance is a fairly lax guideline and that seems like a fairly weak stance.  And it’s especially bothersome when you consider how susceptible children are to these toxic chemicals… and isn’t Disney World all about kids (okay, us “big kids” too!)?

If you’ve spent some major cashola at Disney World or just on a mountain of Disney products, you can go here to ask them to change their ways and reconsider their practices.

I think we’ve all “purchased” the right to higher expectations.

Who doesn’t enjoy the spirit(s!) of Halloween? Ghosts, goblins, jack-o-lanterns, crazy costumes and of course, those wonderful treats!

I’ve always loved being a gift-giver and our kids are no different. They always love giving gifts and especially treats to their classmates at Halloween. In past years, we’ve always filled little cellophane bags with candy, pencils and other goodies. But this year, I decided that I wasn’t going that route… at least, not so much the normal route.

This year I bought our son’s preschool friends a sweet little Halloween book (because it’s a very small class and the books were a buck each from Scholastic) and we’ll top it off with some treats. My daughter insists on some treats for her friends too but, this time, I made a wiser choice than un-recyclable cellophane bags.

I found these adorable uncoated (recyclable!) paper bags that will carry the loot. They were the same price as the cellophane bags, but they don’t carry any of the guilt of plastic trash. They came from a dollar store – 25 for $1! A deal, I’d say, and available just about anywhere.

So, if you haven’t already made your loot bag purchase, give it some consideration. Or better yet, that’s what receipts are for… return them for an environmental choice.

Halloween treats go better with paper… hold the nasty cellophane trick.

Okay, this has nothing whatsoever to do with being green … and hold the cheers, because yes, it’s my birthday, but it’s one of those crappy milestones that I choose not to acknowledge in my own head!

And you want to know what I got?  An email from AARP!!! What? … What the HELL, actually!

Okay, I admit that I’m not ‘green’ from lack of years and experience, and I’m only green from a choice of environmental consciousness and healthy living, but come on!!!  AARP!?!  I still have decades of years ahead of me before I’m a candidate!  I think someone got a digit in my birth year wrong!!! I know it can start at 50, but not in THIS decade!  Sheesh!

Want to know what I got after that?  An email for an anti-aging, anti-wrinkle cream… are they serious?  Is this really happening?

Augh! Forget the green. Now, I feel blue… and especially wrinkly too.  Fabulous.

So, who hasn’t heard the green mantra:  “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle”.  Presumably, if you’re here, you know it by heart but, despite being first in line, the “reuse” often gets forgotten.

It’s no less important, but I think we all start thinking green when it comes to new products, new purchases and new actions, so that’s where we all need to be reminded about reusing what we already have and putting it to good use.

A reader recently commented about my “a-ha moment” when I replaced a few sets of blinds with new ones.  I nearly threw them in the trash before I realized… hello!  They’re aluminum… recycle them.  She reminded me that they could have been donated, but truth be told, they were broken (they couldn’t be opened and closed).  No one wants a set of broken blinds because, it goes without saying, permanently opened blinds in the bedroom and bathroom are not such a good idea, unless you enjoy visits from the local authorities.

We have been really conscious about reusing.  We have donated clothing, household appliances and goods, books, toys, furniture, everything imaginable.  About a year and a half ago, we decided to replace our family room furniture.  It was getting a little worn and we’re lucky enough we could afford to replace it.  I won’t pretend it was easy to find an organization to come and pick it up (it spent two months in our garage while my husband’s car sat outside in the dead of winter) but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Aside from the need to see that it gets reused, it’s also important to remember that it’s the spirit of giving that also matters.  There is always someone less fortunate than we are and, my heart would have broken if it landed in a trash dump… I snuggled my babies on those couches!

I just want us all to remember that this is a part of being green.  If you have something you don’t want, don’t let it find its way to the curb.  Find it a home.  Every community has organizations that want these items – national and local non-profit organizations, shelters, community service groups – so many.  They will either get the items to those in need or sometimes sell the items cheap, so the giving is doubled – someone who needs them (cheaply) gets them and the organization makes money for their cause.

There is a reason that we’ve all heard the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”  And this planet just doesn’t need any more “fill” in the landfills!

If you don’t already know of an organization in your area that needs your help a quick search is likely to turn up plenty, or here is a list of national organizations that want your help:

* Goodwill
* The Salvation Army
* Vietnam Veterans of American
* Purple Heart
* Easter Seals
* (30 Charity Ideas for your furniture) — FYI: Special Olympics picked up ours!

(If you have a charity for donated goods that is near and dear to your heart and you would like me to add a link, please let me know…I’d be happy to!)

Just like so many parents, I have kids that are constantly growing out of their clothes.  Our daughter was complaining that a few pairs of her “jammies” were getting too “squeezy”, so I went shopping for a few new sets.

At The Children’s Place I found an adorable set that I knew she would love because they’re loud and bright (just like her!) and pink!  At TCP, a lot of their sets come folded in a plastic bag-style package that hangs on a rack, but I read that they were pre-washed, pre-shrunk (all of that good stuff) so I bought them.

All was well until I opened them.  I was immediately hit with the most powerful plastic smell I had ever experienced opening one of those packages.  I didn’t know if it was the fabric dye (they said it was pre-washed, so it shouldn’t be, right?) and I started wondering if it wasn’t just the chemicals in the plastic.

I remembered how my dear friend, Kevin, told me about how he and his partner got a brand new Memory Foam mattress and, immediately after starting to sleep on it, he got sick. He said it was an all-over “un-well” feeling that gave him stomach discomfort and even hallucinations!  Believe it or not, they tossed the mattress, bought a new one and he never had the symptoms again!

Naturally, with this experience (as odd experiences often do) it got me to thinking.  What about the vapors that come from plastics and fabricated materials… is there a danger?  There are plenty of things we aren’t supposed to breath in and could this be a growing concern? It’s something I, admittedly, know nothing about.  And I couldn’t find much information about it either, aside from Kev’s experience.

So this time, I have nothing to offer, but I’m asking for your help… What do you know?  Have you had an experience?  ARE there dangers?  Do we have another concern with how seemingly safe products come packaged?… Please…share!

I washed her jammies (don’t you love that word… it just implies “relaxing” and I love that!) and the smell went away, but I can’t help but believe there was something really strange going on there…

Going green certainly ISN’T an inexpensive choice.  If I could only cultivate that money tree in my backyard, I wouldn’t have a reason to complain… however, the tree isn’t doing so well, but my pursuit of “green-ness” continues.

My friend recently asked me to explain the reasons for higher priced organics, eco-products and all of the things that dub themselves ‘green’.  I can explain some… for others, there just isn’t an excuse.

Starting  with organic foods –  Although studies find them to be a healthier choice, the government isn’t supporting that suggestion.  Traditional agriculture is subsidized by the government, but organic farming isn’t.  (How does that make sense?) … Without a doubt, we definitely need a change there.

So, these small organic farms must first wait years for the land to be cleared of toxins and certified.  Then, because they are often smaller operations, the costs of turning out an organic product and getting it to market is “ex-pen-sive”!  Add to that, the intensity of compliance with the Department of Agriculture’s standards for certification… and yeah, costly!

When it comes to other green/eco-friendly products, we need to realize that it’s more expensive to assure that everyone involved in the chain uses environmental practices.  So yeah, more money.  I’ve also heard the law of supply and demand come into play…

Another acceptable reason I’ve heard is that many environmentally-conscious companies donate a portion of their profits to eco-, earth and environmental causes.  That, I can still accept.

However, the absolute MOST bothersome reason for higher eco-product prices… retailers.  They simply take a higher margin on organic, eco-friendly, green products because they can.  THAT really angers me.  They take more from consumers, because they CAN?  (Example:  Retailer sells Windex Window Cleaner for $1.99 per bottle.  Retailer sells Method Window Cleaner for $3.29 per bottle.  Yes… simply because they can! And we’ll pay!)  I say they’re taking advantage of the situation and our desire to buy ‘green’.  That is just crappy… and, to me, dishonest and greedy.  Shame on them.  They need a fierce “timeout!”

Unfortunately there is a cost to being environmentally responsible.  I’m sorry we have to bear that burden but, for now, it’s a burden I guess I need to be willing to bear…

Going green can be a long process…it certainly doesn’t happen overnight, in a week, or even a month, without massive changes and a lot of expense.

You can’t just take everything from the cupboards, cabinets and under the sink and toss them.  (Wouldn’t that be contradictory… just blobbing it all down the drain!) And sometimes it’s really difficult to leave behind those products that you’ve given your loyalty to for so long.  But don’t you just wonder… what have I pledged my allegiance to?

My dear husband (yes, he’s finally catching on… if I could just get him to turn off that perpetually running faucet!) told me about a brand new fab site he discovered called the GoodGuide.

They have researched, reviewed and rated over 61,000 (!) personal care and household chemical products for safety, health and green criteria, so they’re making it easy to find products that are right for you and good for the planet. Can you believe no one else has done this! You can “verify” manufacturer claims, “identify” the content and make a “green-ified” decision… Finally, a central resource for seeing what’s behind the label instead of trusting what the label tells us we need to know!

And they don’t just pan some products…they actually give you alternative choices. It’s really hard to explain how much great info they give you, but they even rate the companies that manufacturer the products – if their products are good, but their business practices stink, they let you know.  You really have to try it…

Isn’t it great to sometimes land on the ground floor of something new and cool.  Congratulations… you have landed!

(if you feel compelled, this is a video of the creator of GoodGuide talking about the site at TechCrunch50 earlier this month — Click here.)

This weekend I was out running an errand with my kids and I met an idiot.

I was rockin’ one of my organic cotton tees.  The shirt is green and says “My favorite color is green” with a swirly vine design around the words.  A woman walked up to me and (I suppose she was just trying to be friendly) said “…and MY favorite color is blue!”  (oh brother!)

I smiled and said “oh, no.  Actually it means ‘green’ as in ‘the environment’.”  She looked at me blankly for a few seconds and then said “Oh? OH!!!  I get it!”

Umm, no lady.  You don’t get it.

In today’s world, it shouldn’t take that long to “get it.”  I really wonder how many people are still living with their heads in the sand when it comes to recognizing the critical state of our world in terms of the earth, global warming and the well-being of our environment.

I guess it always surprises me when I get comments like this because it’s so much in the forefront of my mind, I can’t imagine how it can be so far from others’.  And then I wonder what else I could be doing…what else I SHOULD be doing.

I suppose “doing, leading and teaching” is my contribution.  I am “doing” the right things in my daily life (learning along the way, and hopefully getting better all the time!).  I am “leading” others in the right direction by helping to put practices into place (in my kids’ schools, for starters).  And I am hopefully “teaching” others through this blog.

I truly appreciate your comments, your “kudos”, your “thank yous” and your time to share this journey with me.  It’s been three months now and I believe it’s been well spent!

Let’s all keep fighting the good fight!  Green is a beautiful color but it’s an even more beautiful CAUSE!

If you knew my father-in-law you might think this is a comment he is making about my mother-in-law, but alas, it is not! (And after 49 years, I suppose he doesn’t mind the hot air all that much!)

But I’m having the strangest little obsession with public restrooms and the unimaginable amount of paper towel waste that gets generated in a single day.  Don’t get me wrong…I’m not lying awake at night thinking about it, but for the longest time I’ve felt that while I’m recycling my tiny cream cheese box, all around the country there are public restrooms that essentially “allow” people to use four feet of paper to dry their hands.

One of the greatest things I’ve seen recently is an EXTREMELY high powered hand dryer that dries your hands in about 7-10 seconds flat…poof, you’re done… then it shuts off immediately. (Warning: they also nearly blow the flesh off of your hands and it almost shot our son across the room, but they’re great!) Problem is, you don’t see them often and far too many public restrooms haven’t even moved away from paper towels.

The thing I struggle with is the germ-factor.  When you walk away with damp hands, it’s a place for even minimal germs to hang around.  Paper towels help you dry better, right?  Plus, that door handle-factor…even our kids will occasionally yell out, “I got it, Mommy!” and use the paper towel to pull the door open.  Then I prop my foot by the door and they run back to throw it in the trash.

When I was thinking about alternatives, I discovered that in many Asian countries, you aren’t provided either choice.  You carry a small towel or handkerchief for hand drying!  I think that’s pretty cool, but how neurotic would I look doing THAT around here?

Given the choice, I wish more public restrooms would use hand dryers.  They are the far better choice for the environment…just a lot of hot air!  And despite the energy usage, that doesn’t compare to the extreme paper waste of dispensers.

On second thought, the back of my kids’ shirts will do…never mind.

H2O…a requirement for healthy little bodies. Our kids love water, but it can be dull, dull, dull.

When our daughter was about a year and a half old, my husband and I started talking about what a goldmine it would be to package water in a really cool box (like juice boxes) because I truly believe the package is a HUGE part of the appeal.  We even named it “Aqua Box”, but never developed the idea.

Bad move. There are some great products out there now and I missed my boat! There goes my mansion!

Now, as our daughter gets older and has more occasions to be away from us, (although she is a big water drinker) we worry that she’ll get sucked into the vortex of “Juice Box World!”  She’s bound to be surrounded by tons of over-sugared, artificial temptations that will be offered to her.  Good lord, I’m making it sound like a 6th grader is going to corner her on the playground and offer to sell her a juice box!!!

But, honestly, I found a really cool solution for water (that went quite a few steps further) and I had to share.  It’s called bot.  Simple as that…bot.  It’s a vitamin fortified water, made without artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors or preservatives, with 75% less sugar and calories than 100% fruit juice!  It comes in four flavors – grape, orange, berry & lemon – and tastes great to boot.

Top that off with a recyclable bottle made from recycled materials, and a company that donates 1% of their annual revenues to environmental causes, and it’s a green mom’s dream.

The bottles’ characters are way cute, too, and each has a little personality that our kids love.  Now they don’t feel left out when their friends are rockin’ their juice boxes, because they have something cool of their own.

Honestly, it’s great to send to school, on playdates, to sporting events, on the road — and it’s even yummy enough for mom and dad (although our kids won’t let us get near theirs with a 10-foot pole!)

So, if H2O is an H2-NO(!) in your fam, give it a try! It’s like the Cristal of kiddie water and they might just like it!

(*Does the “Betty Botta”-thing make you think I’ve lost my marbles? It’s actually a tongue twister I remembered from being a little kid.  Don’t believe me?  Then check here!