Mom Goes Green

Friday is grocery store day.  As usual, I asked my husband about any requests and he called down from upstairs, “Yea.  Drano.  Bathroom sink is clogged again!”

Oooo.  Drano = chemicals.  I can’t go there again!

So, I “Googled” before the trip and found a green remedy that I wanted to give a try.   Drano wasn’t added to the list, but baking soda and white vinegar was.

That evening I gave it a go.  A half cup of baking soda went in first, followed by a cup of hot vinegar.  It turned out to be a great science experiment for the kids too!  Our son came in, holding his nose and said “eeew!  Watt dat ‘mell?!?!”  (Turns out they sound pretty cute with a clamped nose and the hot vinegar isn’t high on their list of yummy smells!)  Our daughter joined us as we poured in the vinegar.

It started bubbling and foaming and working its magic.  Our kids responded with a collective “Keeeewl!” – noses still plugged!  It was amazing… and gross.  Brown slimy gick started rising to the top of the vinegar and I started cringing at the nastiness that had built up down there, but I was glad it was apparently working.

After the vinegar drained, we did it all over again…(more “Keeeewls!”).  After that, I plunged the drain, ran some hot water, and lo and behold…clear drain!  Victory!.. and NO CHEMICALS!

Turns out this is a great practice to just regularly clean and maintain the drain, to even prevent clogs. This was also a great learning experience for me.  There are often green solutions for everyday problems and all it takes is a bit of legwork to help you find an alternative to try.

So next time your drain gets clogged, don’t Drano… just baking soda & vinegar-o!

Saturday is “America Recycles Day”… a day that ‘encourages more people to join the movement toward creating a better natural environment by recycling and buying recycled products’ and ‘promotes the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling.’

A very worthwhile cause, I’d say!

As the Recycling/Environmental Programs Chair at our daughter’s school I’m promoting this great day by encouraging the kids to submit their best recycling tips and the favorite ways their families recycle.   I’m going to compile all of their great ideas and turn it into a recycling newsletter that will be sent home to each family.  Some will even win cool prizes, like a recycled pencil bag from Terracycle! The response has been overwhelming!  It’s so exciting to see their enthusiasm.  Kids rule!

So, to get back to the basics of this day… let’s remember WHY we recycle:

• to reduce pollution
• to save energy
• to help the environment
• to save natural resources
• to keep trash out of landfills

And here are some things to think about …

1. PLASTIC– it can take 20 years for a plastic bag to biodegrade and 250 years for a plastic cup!  And if every American household recycled just one of every 10 plastic bottles, it would keep 200 million pounds of plastic out of landfills each year!
2. PAPER – it accounts for HALF of what is sent to landfills… and it’s recyclable! Plus, recycling one ton of paper would save enough energy to power an average American home for five months!
3. ALUMINUM – recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a computer for 3 hours.  Last year cans that were NOT recycled and went to landfills were valued at $600 million! (let me go get my shovel and start digging!)
4. GLASS – a bottle in a landfill would take more than 4000 years to decompose, but glass never “wears out” and can be recycled forever!

Sadly, 75% of “trash” is recyclable, but only 25% actually gets recycled.

So get recycling, increase your recycling, start someone you know recycling… just get to it!… because “America Recycles” and that’s a club all of us should want to belong to!

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.

I’ve never really been a girly-girl (in fact, in my college days, my husband referred to me as “goth lite”), but I always wear make-up, lipstick, all that “presentation jazz!”

Because I’m a daily lipstick wearer I find that, at the end of the day, I need to put something on my lips or they just feel dried out and naked.  My husband uses lip balm (am I allowed to disclose that?) and our kids are always grabbing our stuff and putting it on too!

Now that winter is around the corner (ugh!) I’ve been thinking more and more about what we put on our lips and the need to keep our mouths healthy.  Our daughter is notorious for licking her lips and they get super chapped… and this is where my concern comes in.

Too many products on the market are made of the stuff we really don’t want to ingest or have absorbed into our bodies.  I read the label on a bunch of our products – ingredients #1 thru 3: petroleum and waxes.  They don’t even protect your lips and I’ve seen research calling some ingredients potentially carcinogenic… Oh, that’s not good.

So, I found a great line of lip balm products that will accommodate our entire family – Eco Lips!  Their ingredients are organic, natural, nutrient rich, cruelty-free and even made in a solar powered plant!  They have a tinted version for me (made with natural mineral pigments), a scented version for the kids (they’re 100% edible, though not encouraged!) and a sport version (that can be waved about by Mr. Man!).  And they really work!  Plus, they donate a percent of profits to environmental initiatives.  Bravo!

It may seem really simple, but when you consider that our lips are the most absorbent part of our bodies (and all of the synthetic ingredients contained in the more common products) it’s really quite a big deal that you keep your lips protected, healthy and NON-toxic.

See, I got you thinking.  Now you, too, will reconsider what you put on your precious little pucker!

One of my greatest frustrations is when I feel like I’m fighting the green battle against people I feel a bond with.  Whether it’s family, friends or groups I associate with, it can be really difficult to be the wave maker… well, I’m about to battle… enter: waves!

Our daughter brought home a letter from school that announced a special school program focusing on proper nutrition and making healthy food choices.  Sounded like a great program to me!  They’re setting aside a day where students can sample healthy foods and snacks. Still, a big thumbs up!

Then, I got to the part that asked for parent participation.  They asked for volunteers to send in apples (okay!), granola bars (can do!) or bottled water (no!  Say it isn’t so!)

So, while we’re teaching 400 kids about eating properly, we can give them a chaser of BPA laced water and bottles that will go into the school’s trash cans and create our very own space in a landfill.  Augh, I think I’m going to scream.

Now (since I am the Recycling/Environmental Programs Chair)  I get to contact all those in charge and ask “why” and “what can we do?”  I hate these confrontations, but I have to do it.  I’m expecting that “convenience” is the reason, so I will probably have to be content with the idea of pushing for a special bottle receptacle.  Sadly, we don’t have a plastics recycling program in the school.  It’s something I’m working for, but we aren’t there yet.  (You wouldn’t believe what it takes to get something so simple in place).

So, as I sit here, I’m preparing my approach to people that are trying to teach the right nutritional choices, but using bad environmental choices.  I have no idea how this is going to end up, but I don’t like where it’s starting!

I can see it now… Wednesday recycling pick-up is going to be crazy at my house after I lug 400 plastic bottles home and they later come flying out of my recycling can… and my neighbor’s…and the neighbor’s next to them….

Undoubtedly, my readers have heard me talk about my beloved husband, Jim.  Mostly with stories about violating my “green laws”, his inability to remember that PAPER is actually recyclable, continuously running water or his dislike that some of our green products don’t smell clean… however, today I want to say “thank you”…

He just returned from an out-of-town business trip.  The kids always get little gifts (because hey, if Daddy’s away, Daddy must “pay”, in their minds!)  But this time, I got a great, little, unexpected gift too.

He handed me a copy of a USA Today and said “I brought this for you.”  Oh honey, you shouldn’t have!  But it was actually quite a gift.  He said that the guy sitting next to him on the plane must have thought he was crazy, because a conversation with the flight attendant went something like this:

Flight attendant: “Sir, can I take that newspaper for you?”
Husband:  “Are you going to recycle it?”
Flight attendant:  “No sir, I’m sorry.  We don’t do that.”
Husband:  “Well then I’ll keep it.”

YAAA!  I love, love, love that he thought of that.  He brought it home and it’s now in our recycling can.  They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but I say:  “A husband that understands me is MY best friend!”

Thank you, honey!  I loved the newspaper.

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…

So, who hasn’t heard about BPA in plastic bottles?  I think everyone has because it’s mentioned in the news constantly… and rightfully (frightfully) so.

It’s no surprise that my family drinks a lot of water (because I mention that constantly too) and the more that comes to light about BPA the more bothersome that becomes.

In a nutshell, BPA is Bisphenol A - an industrial chemical used in bottle manufacturing. It mimics the female hormone estrogen (all guys are scared now) and causes all sorts of health problems.  As much as I hate animal testing (they previously only tested on mice) they are now being tested on monkeys (since they are physiologically so close to humans) and some nasty stuff is being discovered (including behavioral problems, brain development issues, cancers and a whole slew of other debated conditions).

Does this scare anyone else?  Sure scares me.

Now the National Toxicology Program (the NTP - a division of the National Institutes of Health) issued an alarm giving it a designation of “some concern” (equivalent to ‘3’ on a scale of ‘5’).  As if I wasn’t alarmed enough.  I could give you a whole list of scary, ugly stuff about BPA, but let me just say it’s bad, bad, bad.

Last Mother’s Day my favorite gift (besides crazy amounts of hugs, kisses and love) was a Sigg bottle.  It’s a shocking thing when your water actually TASTES like water, instead of plastic.  But Siggs are expensive and unaffordable for some.

I’ve discovered an alternative bottle that is just as good, but affordable.  They’re from CynerGreen.  They’re BPA free, eco-friendly and the kid’s version already comes with the drink spout you need.  They even have a sippy cup.  Right up a green mom’s alley! And they start at just $7 a bottle. We have one and we love it!

I’m just so frustrated that the FDA doesn’t regulate this chemical, even though the CDC estimates that 92.6% of Americans, age 6 and above, have measurable BPA in their bodies.  The bottom line is there is just too much third party research that tells us all this stuff is bad news.

So I’m not waiting to find out… gather your plastic bottles, chuck them in the recycling bin, buy a few stainless steel or aluminum bottles and don’t look back…

So, you may remember my frustration with “My neighbor – the tree hater!”  (She chopped down a dozen healthy, beautiful trees in her backyard!) Well, this weekend the saga continued.

I was snuggled up with our daughter (who had planted herself in the middle of our bed) in the early morning, enjoying “snooze-land”,  and my eyes nearly popped out of my head at the sound of blaring chainsaws.

I could not believe my ears.  First of all, it was way too early for chainsaws.  Secondly, I thought “how could she find more trees to kill…they’re all GONE!”

Lo and behold, it was my OTHER neighbor, on the other side!  Has everyone in my neighborhood lost their marbles?  They were taking down two trees and I truly can’t imagine why, except that they were squarely in the middle of a section of yard…and they probably had a selfish reason I don’t want to know about.

Our kids were mortified.  At first they wanted to go over there themselves and tell them to stop, “because cutting down trees is mean to the earth.”  When I told them they absolutely weren’t going over there, they demanded that I go!  When I tried to explain that it’s their yard and I can’t tell them what to do, they actually seemed disappointed in me!  As bothersome as that was, it actually made me proud of them for being so passionate.

If nothing else, it gave us the opportunity to discuss how important trees are – for providing oxygen and shade, improving air quality, conserving water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife (as both food and habitat) and so much more.

This additional ‘loss of nature’ has me wanting to plant trees!  Better yet, for our next gift-giving occasion, let’s all give someone a tree.  Seriously.  The National Arbor Day Foundation has made it very simple.  It’s their “Give-A-Tree” project and it helps to replant our national forests for a very small donation.  They even give you a nice little card, that explains the project, to give to the recipient.

Oh no.  I just realized I need to buy 14 of them…