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!

– xoxo, Mom Goes Green —

Obviously recycling has been heavy on my mind since learning of my city’s proposal to eliminate our curbside recycling service as a cost-cutting measure. (Yes, my blood is still boiling!)

This is just a reminder about one simple fact:  the average household output of trash actually increases by 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.  There are a lot of opportunities to misstep this time of year…

Make sure to make wise choices as you go about preparing for the holidays:

1. Think about the gifts you’re purchasing and what will happen to all of the packaging.  Some things can actually be UN-packaged so YOU can do the recycling of boxes and materials.
2. Reuse all of the wrapping materials you already have before you buy something new… take inventory! We often already have plenty if we made smart choices last year!
3. Even when you purchase food for all of your holiday events, think about how they’re packaged. Choose recyclable materials and, well… recycle them!
4. When you mail a gift, newspaper is a great cushioning material over bubble wrap and packing peanuts. Hopefully your recipient will toss the newspaper in the recycling bin after the box is opened.

Truly, this list could go on and on but, if you’re “here”, I think you already “know”… just don’t forget!  Try to make “your 25%” a whole lot less. 

First of all, I haven’t given up the mission… contrary to how it seems, I am not buried underneath an unforgiving pile of recycleables, I didn’t trip on a barrel of distilled white vinegar and inflict an ongoing bout of amnesia on myself, nor have I decided to give up my title of Mom Goes Green.  I did, however, decide that I needed just a bit more of a break.

Maybe it was my spring trip to the ER that made me decide I needed to take some more “me time”. Perhaps it was also a tad of sadness before sending my kids back to school and wanting to make the most of our last weeks of summer.  Or maybe (quite possibly) it was because I have never taken a break over the three+ years of writing this blog… all of that made me say to myself: “Self, you NEED to take a real break!”

So, I did.  I will now (and I do mean it this time!) be back to my regular posting. I’m sure each of you can relate to the need for giving yourself some simple time… thank you for sticking around for my return!

xoxo, Mom Goes Green

The summer is dwindling… it’s the countdown to the “end”… sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?  But this is truly my least favorite time of year.  Sure the weather is wonderful and there is still so much fun to be had, but I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach when I have to send my kids back to school.  I actually happen to be a mom who loooves to have my kids at home!

But school time is looming and it’s time to prepare. So, while you’re prepping your list (the long list!) of everything they need, keep these tidbits in mind to help keep it on the green side:

• Check your “stock” – you may already have supplies at home; some may even be leftover from last year, so check carefully before you buy.
• Look for recycled content – notebooks, pens, pencils, folders, binders and even backpacks… there are lots of options out there made from recycled content, so be wise when you choose. Also, choose paper, paperboard or canvas over plastics.
• Waste-free lunches – plan to pack your kids’ lunches with reusable lunch kits like those from Kids Konserve or Citizen Pip.  Also, opt for reusable containers, bottles, real silverware and cloth napkins over anything single-use or disposable, and make sure everything is BPA-free.
• Backpacks and totes – as exciting as it seems to purchase new every year, convince your kids that if it’s still functional, it’s still usable.  If you can, also steer them away from something “character” based, so when they outgrow the character you don’t feel forced into a replacement. And when you do need to replace one, consider donating the outgrown version and make sure the new one is PVC-free.
• Clothes – we all know how quickly kids grow, but the bigger they get the slower they grow.  Take a little time for a “try-on” session.  If it’s not outgrown, no need to replace it just yet.  When it no longer fits, be sure to donate everything to organizations that provide clothing to those in need.  Even consignment shops and sales or swaps are great resources for giving or getting items that still have usefulness.

Whether you get teary-eyed at the idea of sending your kids back to school, or the first day couldn’t come soon enough (I’ll be a teary-eyed one!) be sure to earn a “green star” for your efforts before they go!

Yes… it’s over.  I had my summer vacation, my hiatus, my chance to rejuvenate… ahhh… it was lovely… and brief… and now… OVER!

I’m coming back!  (And I’m happy I was missed…)

Mom Goes Green will now be back to her regularly scheduled program… let’s get green!

… Mom Goes Green is going to be absent for a little while longer…

I’m on summer vacation, summer break, summer holiday, summer hiatus… call it what you will… but I’M ON IT!

(Be back soon with more green goodies!)

xoxo – Mom Goes Green

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, this weekend is a long holiday weekend for many of us.  Why not take time for YOU (for a change!)? 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 or Nook.

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

Yes, MGG is THREE YEARS OLD! Three years. 430 posts.

I always knew I was long-winded but I never realized  that I would have sooo much to say… or at least not enough to keep me going for three years.

It might come easy for some but, for me… nope, not always!  I’m an over-thinker and oh, for pete’s sake, sometimes I really make myself a little crazy!  (In fact, I think I’m over-thinking this post RIGHT NOW!).

So… let’s see.  What has been part of the Mom Goes Green journey this year? (time to insert that dizzying dream visual here!)

In my journey as Mom Goes Green I’ve:

• Sung the praises of grandparents who unknowingly taught us to be green
• Shared the love of baking soda
• Felt heartbreak over the Gulf Oil Disaster
• Put my “green-ness” to the test
• Turned my husband into an “organics addict”
• Urged readers to avoid destructive palm oil
• Shared a fab multi-purpose cleaner recipe
• Took my green message to Suze Orman’s Money Minded Moms
• Tipped-you-off about “other” plastic bags
• Shared my updated A-Z Green Guide
• Contemplated the safety of cookware
• Discovered the amazing uses for hydrogen peroxide
• Warned about toxic mattresses and given better choices
• Been honored as the Top Eco-Friendly Mom
• Mortified everyone with the truth about chicken nuggets!
• Uncovered some interesting facts about product terms and labels
• ohhh, and the list goes on and on….

Yes… it’s my journey.  And I love it.

And I have appreciated absolutely everyone who’s taken time out of their life to read Mom Goes Green and give some consideration to all the things I’ve shared.

Thank you for joining the journey.  With love and appreciation – Mom Goes Green

No kidding.  Mom Goes Green went to the ER.

Long story short… it started with an “Ugh-oh… what is happening to my vision?… Ugh-oh… wow, now speaking is becoming an issue” kinda-thing.  (No, I wasn’t drinking too many cocktails, it was actually some crazy migraine thing that created quite a frightening set of side effects … but ANYHOW…. I need to tell my amusing part of the story!!!…)

During the “50-question-how-did-you-get-here” portion of the evening I was asked the typical questions that delve into your lifestyle: Drinking? (socially) Smoking? (not any more) Drug abuse… prescription or recreational… ?!?!  Well, you would have thought they asked me if I was willing to eat my young(!) because my response was, well, a bit over the top!

It sounded a little bit like this?:

“Drugs?  God NO! Are you kidding me?  I eat all organic food. I won’t even eat FOODS that do drugs! Disgusting.  Really.  I’m all organic, no steroids, no growth hormones and all that junk.  Do you have any idea how bad it is for you??? So drugs, for me?  Yea, no… not even in my FOOD, my man!” (His blank look was priceless.)

It’s kind of funny how my love for organics came bursting through, even in the most bizarre moment.  I guess I am, and will always be, Mom Goes Green… the funny thing is, that dialogue probably made me sounds like I WAS on drugs, didn’t it?

Oh well… I am Mom Goes Green… at home, in the market, on the go and I guess… in the ER too!

Mother’s Day is a few days away! I could give you a long list of ideas but I happen to be a mom too(!) and I’m going to go easy on myself today (yes, I’m taking some time off!).

In the past years I’ve gotten everything from a “dogtag” necklace with my children’s names and birthdates (made of silver recycled from film {from Mommy Tags}) to a stainless steel water bottle to a rain barrel!!! (Who knew a barrel could be so exciting!)  This year I’ve asked for NOTHING! I have everything I could possibly need and the thing that makes me happiest is just spending time with my kids and husband.

If you ARE still looking for ideas, I assembled a pretty decent list in my Valentine’s Day post and all are very appropriate for this holiday, so no need to reinvent the wheel.  But if you want those ideas just click here and take a gander.

For this Mother’s Day, whether you are being celebrated, celebrating your Mom or another special lady in your life, just remember to keep Mother Earth in mind too. She is quite extraordinary and she shares her gifts with us every day of the year.  Just like all other moms, she never takes a break!

And finally, I wish a very truly Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms who constantly join me on this journey… we all “work” so hard for our families and keep Mother Earth in mind all along the way too… and THAT is quite extraordinary as well!

Enjoy & I hope you feel the love…