Mindful Momma

On Being Mindful.....2010

My mantra with this blog has always been about being mindful of my green and healthy choices but not stressed out about them.  That said, it doesn't hurt to have some goals and resolutions for the year.  Something to push you to go a little farther then you might otherwise go.  Know what I mean?

For me, this past year was definitely the year of THE BOOK.  Writing and promoting Practically Green was front and center all year long (just ask my very patient and supportive family!)  Thing is, I was so busy writing about green, that I had very little time for 'doing' green.  This next year, I'm hoping to get in a little more green action....in my own home, in my community, perhaps even as a career.  My youngest will be heading to full day kindergarten in the fall and I've been itching to get back into the workplace and out of the house.  I'm dying to know what this will be the year of....

Meanwhile, I'll be plugging along at my Green & Healthy Resolutions for 2010:

• Sign Up for a Home Energy Audit - We had one many years ago (it wasn't pretty) and we've made many improvements since then.  My husband thinks it's time for another one.  I have to admit that a part of me doesn't want to do it because inevitably it means more work for us and some upfront money out of our pockets.  I can see some future blog posts coming out of this...
• Pony Up for Some Green Home Improvements - We are in dire need of a new roof on our house and we are contemplating doing some pretty major remodeling while we are at it....like a second bathroom and a closet (for me - mine is currently in Liam's bedroom!) on our third floor.  And then there's new insulation, siding, a new front porch....our dream list goes on and on.  We've been hesitant to take out a big old loan since we are close to paying off our house but frankly we're in a situation where we either need to bite the bullet and do the remodeling or move to a different house.  Any advice???
• Buy a Better Car- Our 1999 Honda Minivan is getting a little tired.  It's time to upgrade to something new for us (but most likely used).  Definitely looking for higher gas mileage.  Any recommendations for an energy-efficient family car with plenty of cargo room?  We are a one-car family so it needs to be a good one!
• Reduce Unnecessary Mail- Here's a confession - I love me a good catalog!!  Oogeling over expensive fashions at Garnet Hill, lusting after whimsical clothes from Boden or dreaming of a stylish kitchen from Crate & Barrel is a past-time I hate to admit but don't want to give up.  So I'm not about to go and cancel all of my catalogs.  But there are plenty of catalogs that go immediately in the recycling bin and those, I need to CANCEL!!  I also need to stop getting copies of bills in the mail that are on auto-pay....that is just ridiculous. 
• Make More Eco-Crafts!! - One of the highlights of writing my book was all the eco-friendly crafts that I made...like felted wool coasters and mittens, refashioned clothing, homemade lip balm, fizzy bath ballsand more!  Nothing is more fun than creating something brand new out of re-purposed materials or making a healthier (and less expensive) version of something you could buy at the store!  My goal for this year is to create new stuff with what I already have (and believe me, I have quite the stash to work with!)
• Bake More Bread! - My husband just bought me a copy of the book Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. It's the no-knead method that everyone's been raving about...and I can't wait to try it.  I've literally been dreaming of all the yummy, healthy bread I am going to make!
• Experiment with Raw Food - After reviewing the book Fresh: The Ultimate Live-Food Cookbook, I am ready to dive in for more.  I'm thinking about taking a class from Susan Powers of Rawmazing.  Does anyone have a recommendation for another good raw food cookbook? 
• Practice Natural/Alternative Medicine- Every day I become more and more convinced that alternative medicine will keep us healthier for longer.  I've been dabbling in it for awhile now but I'd like to know a lot more.  I've got an appointment next week with a chiropractor who also does total wellness including homeopathy and nutritional counseling.  I'll keep you posted on what I learn.   
• Go to Yoga - My yoga practice completely dropped off the map while I was writing my book which is too bad because I really could have used its stress reducing benefits.  Silly that I should have to be reminded that good health leads to getting more done and not vice versa.  

Do you have a laundry list of New Year's resolutions too? It all looks so easy at the beginning of the new year doesn't it?   Just remember to be mindful (aware, present, non-judgmental) and don't beat yourself up if you don't accomplish them all.   

The Green Moms are writing about Green Resolutions this month over at Non-Toxic Kids.  Check out the round-up of posts on January 1st, 2010. 

{image from Bahman Farzad'sphotostream via Flickr}

Holiday Headache

Anyone else out there have a holiday-induced headache?  Feeling a little bit frazzled?  A little bit tired of the holidays before they have even begun? 

Anyone else have expectations that are just not realistic?  A to-do list that's way too long?  It seems that no matter how hard I try to simplify the holidays, my superwoman instinct kicks in and starts driving me a little crazy.

This is the time of year when my inner Martha starts cracking the whip.  Make cookies (and not just one kind, but 3 or 4)!  Make crafts!  Make homemade gifts!  Special desserts, a gingerbread house...the list goes on and on.

This is the time of year when I start to worry.  Did I make the right choices for the kids?  Did I give enough to the teachers?  Should I make goodies for all the neighbors?  What about the mailman?  The bus drivers?  Oh for crying out loud - the bus drivers??

This is the time of year when I feel badly about all those holiday blog posts that I never had time to write.  The green gift guide, the eco-holiday card ideas, the alternative gift-wrapping tips, the endless ideas for handmade crafts... 

This is the time of year when I realize that I just can't do it all.  Nor do I want to do it all.  Instead, I want to relax and enjoy the holidays, not stress out about them.  I realize that a couple kinds of cookies are just fine (and the gingerbread house can come from a kit).  I realize that most of the homemade gifts will just have to wait for a year when I have more time.  I realize that everyone does not need a gift.  A card and a thank-you maybe, but not a gift for the sake of a gift.  And I realize that the world will go on without a green gift guide from Mindful Momma.

From now through the end of the year I'm trying to be more mindful of my time.  I'll be doing things because I WANT to do them, not because I feel that I HAVE to do them....and trying to let go of those unrealistic holiday expectations.  (and to get rid of that headache!)

Getting People to Care About Climate Change

What's the best way to get people to give a darn about climate change?  Have them compete with their neighbors.

That's according to a small study done on ways to encourage homeowners to conserve energy.  Apparently the idea of helping the environment or being socially responsible is not enough to garner much action from homeowners, but when it comes to "keeping up with the Jones" - well that seems to light a fire under people's butts. 

David Fahrenthold's article about climate change in the Washington Post this week brought this fact to light, along with some other intriguing/depressing tidbits like the fact that "To a psychologist, climate change looks as if it was designed to be ignored"  - because its worst effects will probably happen to someone else at some other time.  It turns out that "warnings about climate change kick at emotional dead spots in all human brains - but especially in American brains."  The United Nations climate talks are going on NOW but instead of following that dialog and thinking about the long-term, most Americans are googling Tiger Woods or at the mall looking for the best deal on a high-def TV.

Knowing this, what can we do to get more people to ACT?  If pitting neighbor against neighbor is what it takes, then lets find a way to capitalize on that.  Maybe we should be hosting neighborhood competitions.  Who has the most compact fluorescent light bulbs in their home?  The best rain garden?  The least amount of trash?  Grants for homeowners who make energy efficient improvements could be a way for homeowners to earn bragging rights. "I can't believe you didn't take advantage of that super low-interest loan for new windows!!"  Looking like an idiot - maybe that'll get 'em going.

What do you think?  Do you agree with this dour outlook on personal responsibility for the environment?  What have you seen that really works as a call to action?  Has your neighborhood done anything to try to rally the cause? 

This is my post for the Green Moms Carnival on the topic of Climate Change.  Diane at Big Green Purse is hosting so be sure to visit her site next Monday, Dec. 14th to find out what other smart Moms (and mothers of the earth) are saying on this important topic.

{image:  CO2 cube in Copenhagen via visitcopenhagen.com}

Sharing

Hi!  I'm back!!  I really didn't plan to drop off the face of the blogosphere for 10 days, but apparently that's what happened.  We were in Madison, WI for an action-packed week that included a book signing at Orange Tree Imports, a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner (I was in charge of the desserts and they were delicious but not particularly green OR healthy!), plenty of exercise - running, walking the dog, throwing the football, swimming...and a couple of games of Parcheesi.  Every time I thought about writing a blog post....well, I think I just needed a break.

Thanks again for all the love and support for my book launch!  The virtual book launch party was a scream!  I'm actually kind of happy that it ended up happening on my blog instead of on Facebook - I think more people were able to participate.  All the winners have been contacted and I just sent a batch of prizes out myself today...so keep an eye on the mailbox if you won something! 

There were so many interesting and creative 'Practically Green' tips from the party - I want to share a few of them with you.  This is the season for sharing, right?

• In our neighborhood, we have created an e-mail list of moms and a wikispaces page so that we can pass along clothing. This has saved us all a ton of money on kids clothes, coats and costumes. (Eliza @ Urban Homesteader)
• For my kids I have: Turned onesies into T-shirts - Pulled elastic out of pants to make the waist larger and turn into capri's (for my daughter, not my son!) - Covered flowers on my daughter's old shirts with abstract squares (scraps of fabric sewn on) for my son. (Andrea @ Bringing Basics Back)
• I haven't bought a disposable coffee filter - ever and I'm a serious coffee drinker. When I was given a larger automatic coffee maker I bought a reusable gold coffee filter for it. The coffee grounds are composted or sprinkled in my potted plants or directly in my garden. (Lisa @ Condo Blues)
• I have a "birthday party box" of re-usable plates, cups, and utensilsthat I bring out for each kid's birthday. It all goes into a rubbermaid container so it's easy to clean and store away for the next birthday that rolls around. (jj24)
• One of our latest green stints was the birthday party we threw for my 8 yr-old daughter. We hired a naturalist to take us (kids and parents too!) on a tour of wild edibles and medicinal plants in a local park. It was very educational and entertaining. We gave out clay pots and organic mint plants, among other eco-friendly items as favors (no plastic trinkets or baggies).(Laureen)
• My favorite green cleaning tip is to mix baking soda and castile soap in an old squirt bottle(like catsup), and then squirt that under the toilet rim. After 5 minutes, follow with squirts of white vinegar - it makes the remaining baking soda fizz and remove grime. Then flush. (Jennifer @ The Smart Mama)
• Like pretty much everyone else, I use a lot of vinegar and baking soda. But most of all? I just under-clean. A little dirt is good for the soul. (The Raven)
• I use baking soda for my kids' shampoo lately and made a huge effort to use less sunscreen this summer and use coconut oil instead when I could. (Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship)
• I make homemade chicken soup in large batches, freeze them in reusable containers, and take those to work instead of using individual containers of soup. (Melissa)
• My husband started spooning out his yogurt from a large (2 lb) container each morning into a smaller reusable container to bring to work. (Shanna @ Devarim)
• Eucalyptus works great if you have animals to keep fleas and ticks off. (Amalia)
• I'm a big fan of opening windows (when it's not allergy season for us) to air out rooms and the house, periodically. (Pop and Ice)

{image from meg l's photostream via flickr}

Practically Green Book Launch Party Day #3: Healthy Earth, Healthy Family

So many people I've met say that having children was the catalyst for their desire to live a greener and healthier life.  That's certainly true in my case, and is the very reason why I started this blog and wrote my book!

When your primary focus is on nurturing and protecting your little one, it can come as a bit of a jolt to learn that a lot of products designed specifically for babies can be harmful to their health.  Things like soaps, lotions and even baby bottles can contain chemicals that are linked with some pretty scary health problems.  And to make matters worse, a child's body doesn't detoxify as readily as an adults so the same chemicals can have a stronger impact. 

Many of the same ingredients that can cause human harm, wreak havoc on the environment after they swirl down the drain or end up in a landfill somewhere.  I find that protecting the earth goes hand in hand with protecting my children because I want to make sure the planet is a better place for my kids to live.  That's why I strive to buy safe, natural products for my family...or to make my own.

Practically Green has a whole chapter on Natural Body Care, not only to help you cull through the slew of information out there on toxic chemicals but also to point you in the right direction for purchasing safer products and show you how to make your own, homemade body care products (like the Chocolate Facial Mask I just posted about the other day!) 

Here's another sneak peek from the book.  Homemade, reusable baby wipes:

And now for the giveaways....

Earth Mama Angel Baby had donated a $25 e-gift certificate to one of today's readers.  In case you didn't know, all EMAB body care products are rated 'zero' on the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database, making them completely safe to use on your baby.  My personal favorite is the Angel Baby Lotion- it smells like a dreamsicle!

I've also got a copy of The Mom's Guide to Growing Your Family Green by Terra Wellington to give away.  I reviewed this book awhile back and it's a keeper! Lots of helpful information specifically geared toward growing families.

For a chance to win, please share a practically green tip that answers the question - What have you done to grow your family green? The giveaway will run today only, through midnight central time on Wednesday, November 18th.  (only one entry per person and you must have a US shipping address.) 

Good luck!

Christy is the lucky winner of the $25 e-certificate to Earth Mama Angel Baby and Katie won the book!!   

Facebooking and Twittering

Do you Facebook?  It seems like more and more people do these days.  And for others it's like a badge of honor to say they don't.  Same with Twitter.  Either you're a Twitter person or you're adamantly against it.

I have to admit I was wary about getting hooked into something that meant MORE time on the computer.  My family is my #1 priority and I refuse to have a keyboard connected to my fingers 24/7.  But I finally started a personal Facebook page and while I don't update it much, I really do enjoy keeping up with friends and family in a way that you just don't get on email.

When I re-designed my blog this summer, I decided to start a Mindful Momma fan page on Facebook because, well, it just seemed like the thing to do.  Much to my surprise, I'm really enjoying it!!  What I love about Facebook is that I can do fun little updates about things that I wouldn't ordinarily write a whole post about. In fact, I've been updating almost daily!!  I love that it's so interactive too.  So if you like the Mindful Momma blog, then join me on Facebook for more mindful, green & healthy fun!!

While I was at it, I started a fan page for my book too.  I'm using it for updates about book events and fun little book-related tidbits.   Just to get things rolling, I'm having a little giveaway...become a fan of Practically Green on Facebook for a chance to win a signed copy of the book!!  At the end of November I will randomly choose a winner from all of the fans.  That's not the only chance for prizes though...on Thursday, November 12th I will be hosting a virtual book release party for Practically Green on the fan page.  Stay tuned for more details....

As for Twitter....I can see why some people diss Twitter because if all you are tweeting about is what you had for lunch then I can think of better things to do.  What I like about Twitter is that it's a great way to share information.  There's a wealth of good stuff to be discovered by following green & healthy types on Twitter.  Follow me if you so desire @MindfulMomma. 

Conserving Resources with the Green Moms

When I proposed the topic of conserving resources for this month's carnival, I knew it was pretty broad and somewhat tricky to define.  The term conservation originally referred to the management of natural resources and the preservation of wilderness areas but many now see it as an ethic of resource use that includes materials and energy conservation.  One thing I knew for sure was that the gals of the Green Moms Carnival would know how to slice and dice this meaty topic and turn it into something we could all learn from!

As I read through the posts they fell into two natural buckets:  1.)  Conserving energy and our natural resources and 2.)  Conserving materials through what we choose to buy.

Conserving Energy and Natural Resources

Alline from Ecovillage Musings shares the realities of what it's like to live completely off the grid.  Come take a virtual tour of Dancing Rabbit ecovillage and learn some great tips on how to conserve - even if you don't have your own wind turbine!

Linda from Citizen Green writes about the benefits of using the power of the sun to dry your clothes.  Her post includes lots of great tips for how to be a successful "hanger outer" including how to position things on the line for best results.  And if you must use the dryer, she's got some good ideas for how to conserve energy there too.

Katie from Kitchen Stewardship challenges us to make a conscious effort to conserve energy while cooking and baking and shares her top 10 tips for how to make it happen. 

Diane from Big Green Purse reminds us that our country's wilderness areas are critical to preserve.  These untouched, open spaces not only provide habitat for endangered species but also give us a place to escape our crazy, busy lives.  Diane shows how we can use our feet, our voice and our purse to help protect the wilderness!

La Mama Naturale from Recycle Your Day discusses the meaning of conservation and the little things that each and every one of us can do to conserve our natural resources.

Jenn from Puddle Jumping takes us back to the colonial days to remind us what conserving resources used to entail and then brings us back to the present to discuss what Congress is doing on the energy front and the personal steps she has taken to combat global warming. 

When I think about conserving resources I typically think about tangible things like specific ways to save energy or using less of some certain product.  Karen from Best of Mother Earth looked at it differently.  In her carnival post she talks about the importance of conserving her OWN energy in order to be more efficient and balanced in her life.  It's smart thinking and something we can all learn from! 

Conserving Materials

"So, what's the best way to conserve resources? Stop buying and stop using stuff."  That's what Deanna from Crunchy Chicken has to say. She admits that it's not very sexy but using less of everything goes a lot farther than replacing one thing for another.  P.S.  Be sure to read the comments on Crunchy's post - her readers have a lot to say on this topic.

Beth of Fake Plastic Fish fame steps beyond her usual realm of all things plastic and takes a hard look at conserving resources in the rest of her life.  She talks about avoiding food waste, taking care of her own waist and more...

Michelle aka Green Bean from The Green Phone Booth had a dilemma.  She couldn't think what to write on the topic of conserving resources.  So she took a break to stir her homemade pasta sauce and take a peek at her garden.  As she reflected on her day filled with cooking, gardening, carpooling and reusing, she realized that her life is resource FULL!!

McMilker from The Not Quite Crunchy Parent is sick of all the unhealthy, individually packaged snacks handed out at kids sporting events.  She's got plenty of ideas for how to improve on the nutrition front but she's looking for help getting past the waste issue.  Let her know how you handle the soccer snack dilemma! 

Anna from Green Talk has had it up to here with school supply lists!!  She shares tips for extending the life of supplies you already have and gives recommendations for how schools can reduce paper waste throughout the year.

School lunch reform is what's on the mind of Lynn from OrganicMania.  Not just improving the food but reducing the waste generated by the school lunch system.  She talks about her own experience with school waste at her son's school and also gives us the scoop on meeting Chef Ann Cooper - "The Renegade Lunch Lady"!! 

A change in a recycling program in Portland caused Heather from EnviroMom to rethink her purchases of products that come in those crinkly plastic bags, like cereal, tortilla chips and pasta.  Since these bags can no longer be recycled in her area, she suggests some earth-friendly alternatives.

Lisa from Condo Blues realizes that there are many shades of green and she doesn't claim to be the greenest gal on the planet.  But she does share some kick-butt tips for reducing household trash.  Read 'em and see what you can do to conserve in your own home!

Here's another challenge from Kitchen Stewardship:  use less aluminum foil by thinking twice before you pull it out of the drawer and using it more than once when you do.

When I read the post from Lisa at Retro Housewife Goes Green I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her creative illustration of just what's wrong with our consumer culture.  See for yourself...

Finally, here's my post about how I try to turn off my "I want" button by following the Less is More shopping mantra. 

What does conservation mean to you and how do you conserve resources in your own life?  Please share - we all have more to learn!! 

(Looking ahead....the next Green Moms Carnival (for October) is on Green Standards and will be hosted by Mary from In Women We Trust.  You may submit posts to greenmomscarnival@gmail.com )

Will Return to Regularly Scheduled Programming...as Soon as School Starts!

A roadtrip, a tick bite (Lyme Disease for son #1), two colds for two boys and no childcare means very little free time for Mom these last couple weeks before school starts. 

Ideas for posts are rolling around in my head like loose marbles, sometimes even keeping me up at night.  Haven't had the time to act on much but here are a few things I've been thinking about...

Making cole slaw.  I've got at least 5 heads of cabbage in my refrigerator and I'm terrified that I will be getting more in my Youth Farm CSA bag tomorrow.  Must make cole slaw!!  Anyone have a good recipe?

Making yogurt.  This is something I've been wanting to do for ages and my local paper had a write up on it today.  If you've made yogurt before, do you have any tips?  My Mom had an electric yogurt maker when we were kids.  I've heard you don't really need the electric part (some say you can put the yogurt on top of your fridge to keep warm while it sets) but I would love to get my hands on some of those heavy duty glass cups!

Sewing.  I'm dying to come up with a tutorial for a thrifted shirt pocket business card holder like the one I made for BlogHer.  I've also got a copy of Betz White's new book Sewing Green sitting on my desk waiting patiently to be properly addressed.  (By the way, lucky Betz was the winner of my Graze Organic snack and lunch bag giveaway - the random number generator told me so!)

Looking forward to September.....

Sharing my SWAG

Can you stand another post about BlogHer?  Just one more and then I'll stop, promise.  How 'bout if it involves a giveaway?  I'm sharing some of the stuff I picked up at BlogHer - so listen up and you just might win!

SWAG (Stuff We All Get - for the less acronym savvy people in the group) was all the rage at BlogHer'09....tweets about which parties and hotel suites had the best swag dominated the Twittersphere, elevator conversations revolved around who was giving away what, breakout sessions were skipped to go stand in line for free goodies and swag-mania brought out some pretty bad behavior in some people.

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with swag.  Who doesn't like free stuff?  Especially people who make little or no income doing what they love (i.e. blogging.)  I was happy to get some stuff but I was surprised and more than a bit dismayed at the level of emphasis that swag had at this conference.   In my opinion, it sort of undermined the importance of a conference like BlogHer.  Most BlogHer attendees I met were intelligent, savvy, creative, amazing women!  We were there to meet other bloggers, learn some helpful blogging tips and be inspired to keep up our craft.  Not just to get stuff.

The most annoying type of swag was the kind intended to get you to buy more...like the children's book that you can only read if you buy a special electronic device or the Build-a-Bear without any clothes.  There was also plenty of plastic crap and unhealthy snacks to contend with.  I passed on as much as I could..but I did end up with some stuff that I wish I hadn't...like a leopard patterned, Ann Taylor memory stick packaged in a big plastic box.

The swag that I appreciated was generally small and very practical - like coupons for Stonyfield Oikos Yogurt, Method cleaning products and Snikiddy snacks, small eco-friendly body care products and t-shirts that I will actually wear.  These things were mainly distributed by bloggers who were sponsored by companies to attend the conference, rather than by sponsors who paid to be in the large Expo hall.  One other thing I liked, although it was rather large to pack, was an eco-friendly back pack (made from recycled bottles) from Lands End.  Which leads me to my giveaway....

One lucky Mindful Momma reader will win....a $10 Lands End gift certificate, coupons for free Oikos greek yogurt and Starbucks ice cream, a bar of EcoStore vanilla soap and a Softlips PUREorganic lip balm!   Just leave a comment on this post with your opinion about SWAG in general.  I'll randomly pick a winner at the end of the day on Wednesday, August 12th.  (one comment per person and you must have a U.S. shipping address)

I'm hoping that product manufacturers and corporate sponsors will listen to the feedback swirling around the blogosphere about too much stuff and that next year at BlogHer the swag-mania will have died down a bit.  Let's get the focus back on blogging where it belongs.  And the winner is...Amy from Gift of Green!  I've been reading her blog forever so it was fun to see her win!

Green Baby Steps at BlogHer '09

Some of my favorite green bloggers were on the green team for BlogHer this year in an attempt to 'green up' the conference a bit.  BlogHer is a mighty big conference (over 1400 attendees I believe) and I can't imagine how hard it must be to organize the thing, much less worry about the environmental impact.  Kudos to BlogHer management for listening to the green team and putting some smart green initiatives in place this year!

Still, many of us thought there was room for improvement, primarily on the part of the sponsors.  It was hard not to be dismayed by the huge amount of waste generated by the endless stream of sponsor-provided drinks, snacks and SWAG at the conference.  Clearly sponsors make the world go round (couldn't have the conference w/out 'em!) but perhaps there's a way to do it with less waste.  Clearly bloggers love free stuff (hey - I'm right there with you!) but perhaps we should be more mindful about what we take and what we refuse.

Here are a few examples:

Pepsi (BlogHer's primary sponsor) did NOT bring bottled water BUT they still gave away A TON of other drinks in plastic bottles.

All participants were provided with a BPA-free water bottle BUT most people used plastic cups at the water stations.

The conference brochure was available digitally BUT there was still a heck of a lot of paper trading hands.

The conference swag bag was made from recycled materials BUT there was a plastic Mrs. Potato head inside (which admittedly I took home to my 4 year old and I truly wish I hadn't.)

There was a place to donate and swap SWAG BUT the swag-mania still left many conference-goers with a bad taste in their mouth.

A part of me says Hey - who are you to try to change the world?  This is BlogHer, not GreenHer.  Yet there's still this desire to educate and influence, even if it's just one baby step at a time.  What do you think?  Should we expect a mainstream conference to really go green?  What other baby steps could be taken to make a conference like this more sustainable?