Mindful Momma

g2g Green

If you are a teenager (or still have an ounce of techno hipness in your brain), you know what g2g means.  I had to look it up.  Got to go...

But it makes sense that Jenn Savedge's latest book The Green Teen uses texting jargon as a way to speak green to an age group that doesn't exactly want to be preached at.  Jenn's book is written with just the right touch to get teens interested and on board to help save the planet.

The book covers topics that teens care about - like shopping, eating and getting around and expertly weaves in information about things like recycling, energy consumption and greening your school.  Each chapter asks (and answers) one of the most common questions for teens - Why Bother? as well as dishing out a bunch of g2g Green tips, Top 5 lists and plenty of cool Sites to Surf.

Got a graduation party to go to?  Instead of the usual gift card or cash, give a gift that will help that grad make a difference in the world - their very own copy of The Green Teen!!  

Mindful Momma Giveaway: LunchBots Stainless Steel Lunch Container

In the world of reusable lunch containers, I'd say at least 90% of them are plastic.  That's just a random guess on my part, but you get the gist.  If you are the type who prefers to keep plastic at a minimum in your life, then you may be wondering if a good plastic-free lunch container even exists because it sure is hard to find!  

I'm happy to tell you that it does exist - and I want to introduce you to a relatively new company that makes excellent, reusable lunch containers without a trace of that petroleum-based material we call plastic.  LunchBots are reusable containers made from 100% stainless steel.  They are durable, lightweight, top-rack dishwasher safe and do not leach chemicals like plastic might.  The tight-fitting lid is powder coated with a brightly colored, non-VOC finish.

There are 2 versions of the product:  The LunchBots Uno, which is just the right size for a sandwich and the LunchBots Duo which is divided into two compartments and is just the ticket for packing snacks and other small items.  The company sent me a LunchBots Duo to try out at home and I've found that it's perfect for my older son's lunches because he likes to bring more than one thing to eat, instead of one big sandwich.  It is also easy for him to open, unlike some plastic containers.

Would you like to try a LunchBots container for yourself?  I've got a LunchBots Uno to give away to one Mindful Momma reader!  For a chance to win, just leave a comment on this post telling me what you like about LunchBots.  The contest will run through midnight, central time on Friday, May 29th (only one entry per person please and you must have a U.S. shipping address.) 

The LunchBots company is just getting started, so unless you live in California, you probably won't find them at a store near you.  But you can help spread the word by letting your favorite, local retailer know about LunchBots.  Meanwhile, if you can't wait to give LunchBots a try, use the code FREESHIP09 to get free shipping on your order!

And the winner is....Stephanie V who was interested because "LunchBots are top rack dishwasher safe" and "they pamper our mother earth."

Whooopsy!  I accidentally closed this giveaway one day early....but I had already picked and notified the winner.  Sorry to anyone who tried to enter on the last day.  :(

Morel Magic

It's not very often that someone gives you a bag of morels completely out of the blue.  It happened to me a couple days ago.  They were hiding out amidst a box of fresh produce from my brother-in-law and his wife.  Not just a couple, but a WHOLE BAG of the prized, wild mushrooms was tucked in between the spinach, radishes, watercress and farm fresh eggs in our box. 

It doesn't seem quite fair to enjoy morels without the hunt...but I wasn't about to give them back!  My biggest concern was how to use them up during a busy week when we were eating dinner on the run every night.  My solution?  Scrambled eggs with morels, shallots and asparagus.  A perfect easy, spring meal!  If I had the luxury of a bit more time, I would have made Asparagus and Morel Bread Pudding from Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

I've never officially been morel hunting but we had a couple pop up in our very own backyard in the city once or twice!  I think a true morel hunting adventure has got to be in my future!  Anyone else have a good morel hunting story?  How about some good recipes?

Got (Disney) Eggs?

Just when you think life is getting a little boring....something comes along to stir up a little excitement.  I'm talking about Disney eggs. 

Yes, it's true, these eggs are stamped with licensed Disney characters on them!!  They have been spotted in Florida and New York and just might make it to a store near you if you are lucky.  Or not. 

We discussed Disney branded fruits & vegetables on this blog once before and the conversation got mighty interesting (and a little bit heated.)   I personally hate to bring more licensed character products into my home (I've already got Pokemon coming out of my ears!) but at the same time, I believe an argument can be made that this type of branding just might get children a little bit more interested in healthy foods.  I seriously wish it wasn't necessary to employ crazy marketing tactics like this to get people to pick up a healthy snack, but one look at the obesity rates in this country and you know that a lot of people out there need to make healthier choices.  

I can speak for my own kids (who love healthy foods) and for the choices that I make in my own home, but I can't pretend to understand what it is like for other parents.  I'm torn on this one.  How about you? 

May Day Magic

We have a fabulous May Day parade here in Minneapolis.  It is put on by a puppet theater called Heart of the Beast and all of the puppets are hand made from recycled stuff!!  Staff artists help direct and inspire, but the majority of the pieces are made by individual participants at free, public workshops held in the month or so before the parade. 

We attend the parade every year, but we have yet to actually be in it.  It's a pretty big commitment to attend all the workshops, but I'm thinking next year will be our year.  What an incredible feeling it must be to make your own beautiful puppet or costume or decorated vehicle and then show it off to the world by parading down the street!

Here's a little taste of the fun!

 

  

{photo credit: mathman72 via flickr}

 

 

{photo credit:  egusto via flickr}

Awaiting Asparagus

Growing asparagus is a lesson in patience.  My husband scored some plants from a friend and planted a patch in our backyard in the fall of 2007, I think.  We're still waiting to eat our first spear.

With most vegetables, planting and harvesting are only a couple of months apart.  I'm big on instant gratification so that kind of timing works well for me.  But asparagus is oh so different.  You plant and then you wait. and wait. and wait.

It appears there are different school of thought on when to begin raiding your garden of those tender, juicy stalks.  In the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver says to wait 2 full summers before cutting, in order to let the plant bulk up.  That's what we had heard on the streets as well, so when our asparagus spears started shooting out of the ground this spring, we sat on our hands to stop ourselves from cutting.

But being the impatient person that I am, I did a Google search (I'm a firm believer that you can always find the answer you want to hear by doing a Google search.) and came up with a report that says that the 2 year rule is bogus.  Instead, some believe that harvesting the year after planting will increase bud production and lead to greater yields in the future.

So I got my hubby's permission :) to clip a few of those little buggers and steam them up for dinner tonight.  I'll add a little butter and a squirt of lemon juice and we will be awaiting asparagus no more!

Happy Mother's Day!

I'll be heading out to a lovely Mother's Day celebration soon, so I don't have time to write a post but I did want to take the time to say Happy Mother's Day to you!

 

{photo credit:  Jade Huynh via Flickr}

Living Green Expo 2009

I headed off to the annual Living Green Expo last weekend with a less than enthusiastic attitude.  It wasn't just the fact that I was a bit preoccupied with other things in my life, but also because I have been to so many of these expos, they were beginning to seem a bit dull.

So I decided to mix things up a bit by spending more time chatting with vendors and visiting some booths that I never would have bothered looking at before.  I ended up having a blast!  Here are some of the highlights of my day:

Most interesting green concept:  Geothermal Heating.  I had never really bothered to look into geothermal heating because it didn't seem like a realistic option for your average home-owner.  But apparently the residential market for these systems is growing by leaps and bounds!  Yes, it's a pretty big investment and you have to have a pretty big yard to handle the installation, but it will save you a lot on monthly heating costs and WOW - what a good thing for the environment.  There's lots more to learn online. 

Biggest surprise:  The number of alternative vehicles. There was a huge tent devoted to alternative vehicles plus lots more cool stuff outside.  Some of those electric cars are so dang cute!  And Aveda founder Horst Rechelbacher's electric Tesla Roadster was there for everyone to drool over.

If money were no object:  Toyota Highlander Hybrid.  We're actually in the market for a new car this year.  We only have one car and it needs to have plenty of people and cargo space.  I was lusting after this one...until I found out they go for $35 to $40K.  And on top of that, we almost always buy used and there's not much of a used market for these things yet.

Fav purchases:

  Snack Taxi and Simply Neutral.  

• A Snack Taxi is a handmade reusable bag for snacks or sandwiches.  The outside is 100% cotton and comes in lots of fun fabric designs.  The bags are lined with a waterproof material that is free of heavy metals (including lead), phthalates, PBBs, and PBDEs.  
• Simply Neutral is a MN based cleaning product company that makes non-toxic cleaning products that you can order either premixed or waterless (you add the water yourself) to save on shipping costs.  Who in their right mind would want to pay to ship water?  I'll be writing more about this fab company soon! 

Biggest stretch:  Tupperware.  Ok, I can see how buying reusable containers could be a good thing for the earth, but when I asked if they had anything that wasn't plastic, the sales rep looked at me like I was an alien.

 

Most fun for kids:  The Giant Earth Balloon!!  I was kid-free at the expo this time but my kids and I had the pleasure of entering the earth balloon at an event last year.  What a blast!  And a great learning opportunity.  Earth balloon events can be arranged for both festivals and schools.

A good green goal:  Socially responsible investing.  This is something I would like to do (or have my husband do...ha!)  I picked up a brochure from a local company that does socially responsible investing but here's a link to a non-profit website that offers information and a directory of socially responsible services around the country.

Whew!  As always, I'm amazed at how much more there is to learn about living green!

The Gift of Life

I haven't written a blog post for almost two weeks.  Haven't been tweeting or facebooking either.  The reason is that my sweet brother-in-law Patrick passed away from cancer.  It's been a rough few months for everyone in our family as we watched our beloved brother, uncle and friend slip away from us. 

At first I wasn't planning to post about it because it felt a bit too personal, but I decided to share how this extremely painful experience has impacted my outlook on life.  You see, I have this renewed sense that life is such an amazing gift.  A gift that we don't appreciate nearly as much as we could.  I want to do everything in my power to maximize this gift - by living as healthfully as I can - both in body and spirit.  I want to pass on this understanding to my children so they too can get the most out of their gift of life.

Cancer is a scary thing.  It seems so unpredictable and random.  But I don't want to live my life scared that someone in my family will get cancer.  Instead I want to play a part, no matter how big or small, in helping others to make changes in their lives that will help them to get the most out of their gift of life and that might even decrease their chances of getting cancer.  That's why I will continue to share what I learn through this blog.  I am so very thankful for all of the resources I have to learn about healthy living and it makes me feel good to share it with you! 

I made a donation today in honor of Patrick to the Environmental Working Group.  They do great work to keep dangerous chemicals (including many carcinogens) out of our air, food and water.  If you feel inspired to make a donation you can do so here.   Thank you!

{photo credit:  madolina via flickr}