Mindful Momma

Treat Yourself to Something Green for Mother's Day!

As I've been oogling over some of the Mother's Day gift guides that have come my way, I've been wondering whether or not very many men actually end up seeing them. After all, many of theses guides are found on Mom-focused blogs and websites - places my husband certainly doesn't go for gift ideas.

Not that I'm complaining. My husband is actually really awesome about making Mother's Day special! But I got to thinking that maybe Mother's Day could be a day to justify buying or doing something special for yourself....as in scheduling a massage, treating yourself to a lunch out at your favorite cafe or even buying something you are coveting from one of those gift guides!

When I treat myself, it's usually with pampering body care products, fun shoes or pretty jewelry. Want to see what I'm dreaming of this Mother's Day?

Jewelry from the Andean Collection - made with tagua nuts, acai seeds and other eco-friendly materials:

Organic Skincare from Medicine Mama's Apothecary - Hand-crafted skin creams made with soothing honey, purifying propolis and moisturizing organic oils (get 10% off your order with code MothersDay):

A pair of sporty new shoes from Kigo - Minimalist style shoes made with recycled CYCLEPET fabric and PLUSfoam outsoles. Use discount code FORMOM for a 20% discount through 5/16/12:

 

Earrings from Etsy seller Kelly Johnston - made from vintage Lucite, crystal, metal and wood beads:

A sweet pair of summer sandals from Jambu - made with partially recycled outsoles and packaged in an awesome reusable box (perfect for Legos!):

A really nice facial soap from True Body - made with shea butter, Maurita Flexuosa fruit oil and other natural, sustainably derived oils:

Do you ever treat yourself for Mother's Day? What is your favorite gift to give yourself?

 

 

(Disclosure: I received free samples from Medicine Mama, Kigo, Jambu and True Body in exchange for my honest opinion.)

DIY Necktie Bag Tutorial

 

Do you know anyone who still wears neckties other than your grandpa? I happen to love neckties (so many cool fabrics!), but sadly, they seem like a dying fashion trend. Here's a fun craft project to make with those long-forgotten neckties you still have lying around the house or the cool, vintage one you found at the thrift store. Just follow these simple steps to turn a necktie into a cute little bag for your cell phone, iPod or mad-money! (sewing machine not required)

Here's what you need:

Necktie

Coordinating thread

Velcro closure

Decorative cord for strap

Here's how to make it:

Step 1: Cut necktie at 13 inches from the wide end of the tie.

 

Step 2: Fold cut edge under 1/4" and then another 3/4".  Press and pin to secure. Hand-sew the bottom edge closed. This will create the channel for the strap.

 

Step 3: Open up a few inches of the center seam of the tie. This will make it easier to fit things inside the case. (You'll know what I mean when you look at the tie.)

Step 4: Fold the tie in half (wrong sides together) so the bottom edge reaches just below where the tie becomes a triangle. Using a slipstitch, hand sew the side seams through the top layers of fabric. Do not sew the front and back of the case together, or you will not be able to put anything inside!

 

 

Step 5: Add a Velcro closure (follow manufacturer's instructions).

 

 

Step 6: Thread cord through channel. Cut to desired length and sew together or secure with a knot. Hand sew the cord in place.

 

 

Have you ever made any crafts with old neckties?

(Note: This project was first published in my book, Practically Green: Your Guide to EcoFriendly Decision-Making. Check it out for even more green DIY ideas!)

Free Your Sole with Nada Shoes

 

Have you ever run barefoot? By now you've probably at least heard of the barefoot running trend. It's not for everyone but some people swear it's better and easier on your body to run without the weight and barrier of shoes on your feet. Since most people don't really want to run barefoot in the streets or on rough terrain, companies have created shoes using minimal materials that simulate the barefoot experience while providing some protection for your tender little tootsies.

Nada shoes were designed for exactly this purpose. Nada shoes have an ultra-thin 6mm midsole and they weigh only 3.5 oz. The minimalist design claims to naturally strengthen your feet, improve posture and alignment and reduce the likelihood of injury in the long run.

 

Eco Strengths

This small company is pretty eco-progressive compared to most shoe manufacturers:

• 25% recycled rubber in the midsoles
• Recycled polyester mesh upper
• No toxic foams or adhesives used in manufacturing process
• Carrying bag made from recycled polyester
• Boxes made from 100% post consumer waste 
• Factory runs on 50% solar power

Fav Products

I am not much of a runner and I don't have a lot of interest in running barefoot, except maybe at the beach. Lucky for me, Nada makes two styles of shoes. The flagship running shoe is called the Nada but they also have a cute little ballet flat style called Zip for everyday use.

I've been wearing a pair of Zip shoes around the house. It's a perfect slipper substitute! Come warmer weather I will try wearing it on my walk over to the gym for yoga class or to the park with the kids.

Second Thoughts?

$75 to $85 a pair seems like a lot for such a minimal shoe. If I were an avid runner, I probably wouldn't hesitate but I might think twice to purchase a pair just for breezing about town.

Nada shoes are currently only available in women's styles.

Are you a barefoot runner? Have you ever tried a pair of minimalist shoes?

(Full Disclosure: I received a free pair of Nada shoes in exchange for my honest opinion.)

 

Today's Birkenstocks: Hip, Not Hippie

 

Hippie shoes. That's what I remember thinking about Birkenstocks back when I was in college. Many of my friends had them, but I was never quite on board with the style. But when Planet Shoes recently asked me to review a pair of the infamous hippie shoes, I decided to take a second look.

Eco Strengths

Birkenstocks have been around for well over 200 years and environmental sensibility has been at the core of their business.

• Sustainable materials - Footbed made from a base of renewable cork, along with jute and natural latex.
• Low waste production - Excess production materials are repurposed and recycled.
• Easily repairable - Shoes are designed to be long-lasting but many retailers will also repair.
• Recycled content packaging - Boxes are made with 90% recycled content and printed with eco-friendly inks.
• Environmentally responsible practices - recognized in Marin County, CA for conservation and sound environmental practices.

The Basel Clog

Either I've turned into a hippie or Birkenstocks have become hip! I'm loving my new pair of Basel clogs. This cute and comfy style is made with soft wool and leather on top and the traditional cork/latex footbed on the bottom. Admittedly the raised toe bar and arch support felt odd at first but I got used to it quickly and appreciate the orthopedically correct support. The longer you wear your Birkenstocks, the more they conform to your own feet.

Second Thoughts?

I look at shoes as an important investment in the health of my body. That said, I don't always have $130 to plunk down on a pair of new shoes. Many of my shoes have come from consignment shops - I've been lucky enough to find some high quality shoes at bargain prices over the years. If you are saving your pennies for a new pair of really good shoes, Birkenstocks are well worth the price.

Giveaway!

Planet Shoes is giving away a free pair of Birkenstocks to one lucky winner this week! Enter for a chance to win by midnight on Sunday, February 12th, 2012.

Have you ever owned a pair of Birkenstocks?

 

 

(Full disclosure: I was sent a free pair of Birkenstock Basel clogs in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Easy Eco-Tip: Turn Diapers into Dusters

Calling all cloth diaper users! What do you do with your prefold cloth diapers when the baby stage is over? You could pass them on to another parent of course. But if you still have some laying around in your cupboard somewhere, I suggest pulling them out and repurposing them as dusting cloths. That's what I do!

Most cloth prefolds are 100% cotton (although some are bamboo) and are super-absorbent and perfect for dusting. Other reusable dusting cloth ideas include:

• Bath towels that are too shabby for the bathroom
• Dish towels that are stained or otherwise unworthy of display in your kitchen
• Old cotton t-shirts cut up into smaller pieces (approximately 10 x 12 works well)

Instead of the ubiquitous yellow can of dusting spray, try an eco-friendly furniture polish or make your own homemade Lemon Olive Oil Furniture Polish.

Looking for more Easy Eco-Tips?

Buy Soap without the Box

Give Sponges One Last Dirty Job

Buy Meat from the Butcher

(image credit: hannah8ball via flickr)

Punjammies: A Gift for Good

As we make our holiday shopping lists, we tend to be busy thinking happy thoughts and are not necessarily concerned about people who are not as well off as we are. Not to be a complete downer but for many people in this world, shopping is the furthest thing from their minds as they struggle just to exist. The good news is, it is possible to shop and do some good for people in need at the same time. A great example of this is Punjammies from the International Princess Project.

Punjammies pajamas are sewn by women who have escaped from a life of forced prostitution. The International Princess Project empowers these women to rebuild their lives by giving them a safe way to earn wages and to find dignity and self-worth. The photo below shows a group of women who have just completed their sewing training at one of the centers run by the International Princess Project. See how happy they look?!!

Just look at the beautiful pajamas they create! Punjammies are made using traditional Indian sari material in stunning combinations of colors and designs. I have a pair in the USHA design (far right photo) and I love them! Don't miss the matching pj tops and tanks too - made with Fair Trade, organic cotton!

Do you have a sister or a girlfriend who might like a pair of Punjammies? Get 25% off if you buy a pair on Cyber Monday (use code GIVEHOPE at checkout). And check the website and Facebook page for other deals throughout the holiday season.

(Full disclosure: I was sent a free pair of Punjammies in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Vegan Boots & Chocolate

What do boots and chocolate have in common? Not a whole heck of a lot, except when they are vegan. I'm not a vegan myself but given the chance to reduce my dependency on animal products, I'll go for it. Recently, I had the chance to check out a couple of unique, vegan products - boots made from vegan leather and a vegan chocolate making kit.

Jambu Colorado Boot

Jambu makes fun shoes. I reviewed a pair of cherry-mesh sandals last summer so I'm already a big fan of the brand! This fall they were kind enough to send me a pair of boots to review. I chose the Colorado boot, which is made from vegan leather (a synthetic, non-animal leather) with a bit of mesh in the back and outsoles made of partially recycled rubber. The pink and brown color combo is different from anything else I own - and I was trilled to discover that I had a pink and brown skirt (from the thrift store, no less) that matched them perfectly! What do you think?

They are super comfy. I wore them all day long on the J.R. Watkins tour a few weeks back. Jambu shoes and boots are available on Amazon and Zappos - plus I've seen them in a few shoe stores around town. Follow their Facebook page for news about deals and giveaways.

Navitas Naturals Chocolate Kit

Have you heard of Navitas Naturals? I hadn't until recently. They specialize in nutrient and antioxidant rich superfoods - some of which you may have heard of like acai, pomegranate and chia and many that may be brand new to you (at least they were to me) like maca, lucuma and camu. The idea is to mix various powders and seeds into your smoothies or sprinkle on top of your granola.

That's not what they sent me though. They sent me a chocolate making kit!! An Organic Superfood Chocolate Making Kit with Goldenberries to be exact. Here's what was inside: a bar of cocoa butter, a packet of cocoa powder (mixed with mesquite, lucuma and maca) and a bag of goldenberries. All certified Organic, raw and vegan.

It was the perfect project for my 11 year old son and me to make together! We mixed up the ingredients in the double boiler (they have directions for keeping it raw if you prefer) and froze the chocolate in our Mumi & Bubi baby food trays.

 

After dinner, we had a chocolate tasting. Mmmm....absolutely delicious and unlike any other chocolate I have tasted. A smoky, slightly cinnamony taste - even though it does not contain cinnamon. We chose to sweeten our chocolates with Fair Trade honey although we left a couple chocolates unsweetened for comparison. The unsweetened chocolate was surprisingly good - the flavors were so complex that we really didn't miss the sugar.

You can find Navitas Naturals products at Whole Foods and many other health food and specialty stores. Or purchase online using the coupon code navitas15 for 15% off! I'll be picking up a couple of chocolate kits for holiday gifts for sure!

Are you a vegan or are you trying to use fewer animal products? What vegan products do you buy most often?

(Full Disclosure: I received free products from Jambu and Navitas Naturals in exchange for my honest opinion. There are a couple of affiliate links in this post.)

Easy Eco-Craft: Felted Coasters

This easy eco-craft is perfect for a child's birthday party or for a child to give as holiday gifts to friends or relatives. All you need are some felted sweaters (find directions for felting wool sweaters in this post from a few years back), some embroidery thread, a pin or two and a large sewing needle.  Then follow these simple directions:

1. Cut squares out of felted sweater material for coaster base.
2. Cut shapes out of felted material in contrasting colors. I use cookie cutters to create a cardboard template for the shapes - hearts, stars or whatever you like!
3. Have your child choose a coaster base, a decorative shape and some embroidery thread.
4. Pin the shape on the square.
5. Help them thread the needle and get them started sewing.
6. Tie the thread in a knot on the bottom when they are finished.

Voila! A pretty, easy, eco-friendly, handmade gift! My almost 7 year old son whipped up a few of these the other day in a jiffy. Frankly, I was surprised at how much he enjoyed sewing - he kept wanting to make more! I did this for an event at the boy's school as well and it was big fun!

Do you ever make eco-crafts with your kids? What's your favorite idea?

Looking for more DIY ideas? My Make It Green page lists all of my DIY crafts and recipes in one place!

(This post is linked up to Do Something Crafty Friday on The Crafty Nest and Your Green Resource at The Greenbacks Gal and a kids craft round-up on Healthy Child Healthy World)

Green Moms Go Back-to-School!

Ready or not, a new school year is about to start! Maybe you are totally prepared and ready to send your kids to school in green & healthy style, but if you are like most of us, you've still got a few things to figure out...

Whether you are looking for eco-friendly school supplies, healthy lunch ideas or tips for how to green your school, the gals from the Green Moms Carnival will steer you in the right direction, in this 4th annual installment of our popular back-to-school blog carnival!!

Greener Shopping

Back to school is synonymous with shopping and even those of us who strive to buy less almost always have to purchase a thing or two. Here's how to make those purchases greener, cleaner and healthier for everyone involved:

Tiffany at Nature Moms is full of ideas for greener back-to-school shopping from clothes to shoes to lunch gear to school supplies.

Harriet at Climate Mama gives us the scoop on Naked Binder and tells us why she admires the sustainability and educational stand the company is making.

Over at Groovy Green Livin, Lori reminds us what to look for in reusable products and shares her top 6 product picks for eco-friendly lunches.

Betsy at Eco-novice shares her favorite eco-friendly lunch gear including some rockin' waterproof, zippered bags that I purchased immediately after reading her post!

Always full of great ideas, Beth at My Plastic-free Life recommends her favorite, plastic-free lunch containers and bags. (Pssst...she's got a giveaway!)

Not to be left behind, I too have a couple eco-back-to-school-shopping posts: Discover my Top 10 Snack Bags and Sandwich Boxes and try your luck at winning one of 6 reusable lunch totes!

Lisa from Retro Housewife Goes Green lists her fav reusable lunch items - including People Towels - adorable, printed reusable towels that are perfect for a child's lunchbox!

The antibacterial trend is still alive and well and many of us will find hand sanitizers and other antibacterial products on our school supply lists. Sommer from Green & Clean Mom talks about why that's not a good thing and suggests some safer alternatives.

On a similar note, Jennifer from The Smart Mama wonders why antimicrobial Microban has taken over the school supply aisle.

Katie from Non-Toxic Kids shares her eco-friendly shopping tips including a darling, toxin-free nap mat!

Mindful Purchases

As fun as it may be to pick out a brand new lunchbox or set of fancy notebooks, a big part of being green, means BUYING LESS and being more mindful of your purchases:

Lynn from OrganicMania encourages us to follow the 5 R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle and provides some great tips for buying durable products that will last year to year.

Do we really need all this stuff? Karen at Best of Mother Earth urges us to stop and think before we run out and buy new shoes and school supplies that we might not really need.

Sommer at Green & Clean Mom reminds us that we don't have to spend a fortune on back-to-school. She's got 5 budget-saving tips including shopping on e-Bay and reusing items from previous years.

Anna from Green Talk recommends shopping for school supplies in your own home before heading to the office supply store.

Better Eating

Our kids may be away from us during the day, but that doesn't mean we can't influence what they eat at school:

Deirdre from Plan It Healthier shares some healthy, lunch box ready recipes including a very intriguing Chocolate Hummus (made with garbanzo beans and cocoa!) and some mouth watering muffins: Apple Cheddar, Blueberry Cornmeal and Avocado Chocolate (yes, you read that correctly!)

This post may be a couple years old, but my tips for healthy lunchbox meals, snacks and sweets will still point you in the right direction for a delicious and nutritious school year!

Deanna at Crunchy Chicken is reminded of the gross school lunches at her kids' school and wishes that Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution staff would pay a visit...pronto!

If you want your child to eat a healthy lunch at school, get them involved in the process. That's some sage advice from Sommer at Green & Clean Mom in her post about better school lunches.

Jennifer Lee at Crunch a Color suggests using the following formula for power lunches: protein + 3 colors + healthy grains. Makes good sense to me!

Greener Schools & Eco-Activism

Want your child's school to be a greener, healthier place? You're probably going to have to roll up your sleeves and do something about it!

Sometimes it takes a food fight to get reusable lunch trays - as we see in this inspiring example from Diane at Big Green Purse.

We may be sending our kids to school with organic, eco-friendly lunches, but what about those smelly old yellow school buses, spewing toxic emissions? Deanna at Crunchy Chicken talks about what you can do to demand change.

Instead of taking the yellow school bus, how about creating a walking school bus? Here's a post I wrote last year about a walking school bus right in my neighborhood!

If you really want to jump-start back-to-school, then take your child to an environmental activism event. Harriet at Climate Mama lists the events she recommends attending, including the Tar Sands Action at the White House where she will be protesting the XL Keystone Pipeline that would carry oil from Alberta, Canada to Texas.

Abbie at Farmer's Daughter talks about the controversy over teaching climate change in schools. She's a teacher in Connecticut and she knows just how controversial it can be.

Amber at Strocel.com rates her own efforts on shopping and commuting in her green back-to-school report card. Not surprisingly, the school supplies are the toughest eco-hurdle to meet. She also rates her school on green efforts and wonders how the rest of us keep our schools green.

Homeschooling

Do you homeschool? Tiffany at Nature Moms has a checklist of activities to help you get prepared for the new school year at home!

What are your favorite green back-to-school tips? Please share!

(Image credits: lpencils from c.a. muller via flickr, lunch from elana's pantry via flickr, walking kids image from Startribune.com)

Join me for a GoodGuide Twitter Party on August 16th!

If you are a regular reader of this blog, I bet you are concerned about the environmental, health and social impacts of the products you buy. Do you agree that it can be overwhelming to try to sort out which products meet the criteria most important to you? If you haven't been using GoodGuide as a resource, I would like to introduce them to you....

GoodGuide provides science-based information and ratings on over 120,000 products in categories like personal care, household, food baby products and more. They offer this service (for free!) in a few different ways:

• Search Engine - Search product and company ratings on the GoodGuide website. You can even set your own personal filter to select the issues that matter the most to you.
• Transparency Toolbar - Bring GoodGuide ratings with you when you shop online. The toolbar shows you customized product alternatives based on your most important values.
• Mobile App - Scan products at the store and get GoodGuide ratings instantly!

Want to learn more about GoodGuide and how it can help you be a more conscious shopper? Join me and the GoodGuide team for a Twitter Party next Tuesday, August 16th. It will run for one hour starting at 6 pm PST/9 pm EST. To join just follow the #GGMoms hashtag and @GoodGuide and @MindfulMomma on Twitter. We've got prizes from Seventh Generation to give away to some lucky participants! Hope to see you there!