Mindful Momma

How to Choose an Indoor Compost Bucket

It was time. The trusty, green, plastic compost bucket that lived under my sink for many years had to go. For months, I dealt with the cracked top rim but when the handle snapped off completely (showering my legs with compost - thankfully outside!), I knew that its days were numbered. Even though my plastic bucket held up for many years, I wasn't so sure I wanted another one of the same model. So I took to the internet to do some research on what type of compost container to buy:

Factors to Consider

Assuming that you have a place to compost food scraps outside, you will need some type of container to store them temporarily in the house. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Will the container be kept under the sink or on the counter? If it's sitting out on the counter you will probably want something that looks nice. If not, butt ugly might be just fine.
• What material is the container made of? Popular choices are stainless steel, plastic and ceramic.
• How much does the container hold? If you create a lot of food scraps, you will want to lean towards something larger. If not, a smaller size will suit you just fine. Most containers hold between 1 gallon and 2.5 gallons.
• What type of filter does it use? Most compost buckets use a charcoal filter but the key question is - are they readily available? If not, you might want to consider a different model.

Secret Scents: What is Hiding in Your Scented Products?

Artificial Fragrances Contain Allergens

You've been buying them forever - the lotion, the deodorant, your favorite shampoo. These products may be serving a purpose in your life but they've got a secret that you might not be happy about. Most conventional personal care, cleaning and perfume products contain artificial fragrance. You may have even seen the word "fragrance" on the label of a product you have at home. What you probably don't know is that fragrances can be made up of over 100 different "top secret" chemicals. And many of these chemicals trigger allergic reactions as well as other harmful effects in sensitive people.

Practically Green on Kindle for iPad

Maybe I've been living under a rock but I only recently discovered that you can read Kindle books on an iPad. Exciting news for someone who has an iPad but no Kindle! Turns out there's an app for that - It's called Kindle for iPad and you can get it for free through Amazon.

Guess what the first book I downloaded was? My own book Practically Green: Your Guide to EcoFriendly Decision-Making of course! It was fun to see it on the big screen for the first time! 

If you are interested in getting a copy for your Kindle or iPad, it's just a couple of clicks away! Here's a peek at what's inside the book (read more about it here):

• Copy & Clip guides that simplify shopping
• At-a-glance charts and lists that break down complicated information in an easy-to-understand manner.
• 30+ easy, earth-friendly DIY projects and ideas
• Healthy recipes for things like sustainable snacks and greener lunches
• Essential information to help you make smart, greener choices for your family

I'd be so honored if you picked up a copy!

Reformulated Tide and Other Changemaker Stories

Lori's Tide Petition Brings Change

Last February my friend Lori who blogs at Groovy Green Livin started a petition asking Proctor & Gamble, the makers of Tide to remove the cancer-causing chemical 1,4-dioxane from its laundry detergents. The petition went viral and garnered almost 80,000 signatures. Less than a year later, Proctor & Gamble has agreed to reformulate Tide products to reduce levels of 1,4 dioxane to below 25 parts per million!

This is such an excellent example of how a regular person can be a changemaker by simply reaching out and sharing an idea with their community. It can be as easy as starting a petition or organizing a group in your neighborhood. It can be as simple as educating your friends through Facebook and Twitter. It can be as big or as small as you want it to be.

New Healthy Meals eBooks to Try

 

eBook Bundle of the Week

Want to cook healthy, real meals for your family but need a little direction and inspiration to help you get those meals on the table? Help is on the way! This week's Bundle of the Week is all about Easy Meals with titles like Feast in 15 by Tiffany King and Crock On! by Stacy Myers. Each Bundle of the Week includes 5 eBooks all on a related topic for only $7.40. An incredible deal and a little extra help in the kitchen can go a long way!

Do You Want to Be a Changemaker?

As many of my loyal blog readers know, I've been championing safer chemical laws for awhile now. Last spring I had the opportunity to go to Washington, DC and be part of a Stroller Brigade to support the Safe Chemicals Act. I even got to go to the Senate office building and meet with both of my Senators! It was such a thrilling feeling to be part of a big rally on Capitol Hill pushing for much needed change in our chemical laws!

If you had asked me when I was a younger if I thought I was the activist type, I would have said no way. Sure, I had participated in a few marches for causes I believed it but I still didn't consider myself a true activist. What I didn't realize is that you don't need to live and breathe a cause to be an activist. We can all be changemakers in many small ways.

Global Warming is Real (Wordless Wednesday)

See what it says on the boat? My friend Gudrun took this photo while visiting the New York City area recently. Pretty sure the boat washed up during Hurricane Sandy.

Need any more convincing that global warming is real?

 Following the tradition of Wordless Wednesday, the photo is doing most of the talking in this post.

The Time is NOW for Reusable Bags

 

Why Use Reusable Bags?

With 40% of annual retail sales happening between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my guess is that a similar percentage of disposable plastic bags are being let loose into our system during that time as well. That makes it a good time of year to get on my reusable bag bandwagon. If you need convincing, here are a few hard facts about plastic bags from the folks at Factory Direct Promos:

• An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed each year worldwide – this works out to over 1 million bags per minute.
• A million sea birds and 100,000 animals such as whales, dolphins, turtles and seals die from plastic bags and other waste each year.
• Americans throw away about 1 billion plastic bags a year, which is equivalent to dumping nearly 12 million barrels of oil.
• Retail businesses spend about $4 billion each year on plastic bags.
• In the United States only 8 percent of the total plastic waste generated in 2010 was recycled.
• The United Nations Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.

Maybe your city or community is ahead of the game and has already instituted a plastic bag ban or bag fees (check this interactive Plastic Bag Ban Map for ban activity in your area). Here in Minnesota plastic bags are still going strong (except for yard waste where we have to use compostable bags). 

A Few Favorite Reusable Bags

My reusable bags have been out in full swing lately for gift shopping, grocery shopping and everything in between. Here are a few in my rotation:

Baggu - These super roomy, workhorse bags (shown in photo at top of post) fold up nice and small. Buy the set of 3 which comes with a zippered pouch to store them in.

Esse - I've been praising their Carry All Tote for years but the new handy Clip It bag made from recycled bottles can be clipped to a keychain, backpack or stroller so it's with you whenever you need it.

BB Begonia - Big enough to hold 2 grocery bags but stylish enough to carry around town. Empty bag rolls up easily to fit in your purse.

What's your favorite reusable bag?

This post is part of the Give the gift of a Plastic-Free World This Holiday and Join the Plastic Bag Ban Movement! blog carnival, hosted by Factory Direct Promos. Check it out for more info about banning plastic bags.

(Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make contributes a small amount to this blog. Thank you!)

(Top photo credit: andrewarchy via flickr)

Gifts that Give from Abe's Market

 

Gifts that Give

What's better than giving a thoughtfully chosen gift to a friend or family member? Giving a gift that gives back! The awesome folks at Abe's Market asked me to curate my favorite gift ideas from their website that give back - either to the environment, to people in need or that helps the world in some way.

My favorite pick is this orange blossom scented, shea butter based Hand in Hand soap. For every bar of soap purchased, this Vermont based small business donates a bar to child in need. Be sure to jump over to the feature page on Abe's Market to see my other better gift giving suggestions. 

20% off Coupon Code!

Abe's Market has provided a special coupon code for Mindful Momma readers so that you can get 20% off your entire order! Just use the code mindfulmomma20 at checkout (good today through Friday, Dec. 7th). Plus they have Free Shipping on all orders through the end of the year. Time for some seriously good shopping!

What are your favorite ways to give back during the holiday season?

(Disclosure: Abe's Market is compensating me with a gift certificate in exchange for my honest opinion about their products. There are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make helps keep this blog in business. Thank you!)

Going Gluten-Free with Udi's

With so much buzz about going gluten free, I have been very curious to try it out for myself. No one in my family has ever been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity, but I have heard plenty of people claim to feel great when they avoid gluten completely. Still, it was never enough to convince me to try it. Until.....

Udi's 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge

While cruising the Expo Hall at BlogHer last August, I started chatting with some friendly people at the Udi's booth. They encouraged me to try their 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge just to see how I felt without gluten in my system for 2 weeks. What did I have to lose?

They explained to me that gluten is the protein found in wheat (and rye and barley as well) and it can be difficult for some people to digest. I can't say that I've ever suspected a sensitivity to gluten (my GI tract is working just fine, thank you very much!) but then again, who doesn't feel fatigue, bloating or inability to concentrate (other symptoms of gluten sensitivity) every once in awhile? Could these be related to my body's struggle to digest gluten?