Mindful Momma

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!

Cookbook Review & Giveaway: Sweet & Easy Vegan

I've been a fan of Robin Asbell's recipes for many years. Her Whole Grains Cookbook is filled with unique and delicious recipes using all sorts of healthy grains. She is probably best known for her vegan and vegetarian cookbooks Big Vegan and New Vegetarian. 

So when Robin approached me about participating in her virtual potluck to promote latest cookbook Sweet & Easy Vegan, I happily agreed! Sweet & Easy Vegan is all about decadent dairy free desserts made with whole grains and natural sweeteners. I do not follow a vegan diet but show me a healthy dessert and I'm all over it! As I paged through the book I found so many recipes I want to make. Like the Pumpkin Date Bread Pudding. Or the Pear and Maple Upside Down Cake. Not to mention all the gooey cupcakes and mouthwatering pies and tarts! Bring it on!!

How To Bring Green & Healthy Values Back-to-School

 

(image by Henrik Nordstrom)

My boys hopped on the yellow school bus this morning, ready for a new year with new teachers, new classes and new friends. They carried bags of school supplies with them (can you believe how long those lists are?) and a healthy lunch packed in a reusable lunch bag. Have your kids gone back to school yet or are you still enjoying those last precious days of summer?

Of course this means it's time for the annual Green Moms back-to-school blog carnival! This is our 5th year in a row of curating posts from around the blogosphere about how to do the whole back-to-school thing the green, clean & healthy way! Big shout out to Lynn of Organic Mania and 4GreenPs who started this group many years ago!

Read on for tips, tricks and deep thoughts about everything from healthy treats to greener school gear to cleaner air:

An Interview with My Friend Plastic-Free Beth

This may sound weird but my friend Beth comes with me whenever I go shopping, whether it's at the grocery, or Target or wherever I happen to be. She's not with me physically, but in my mind. You see Beth lives her life devoted to using as little plastic as possible. She is the founder of the blog My Plastic-free Life and author of the new book Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too. Whenever I am faced with a shopping dilemma like whether or not to buy the cookies in the big plastic clamshell I ask myself - WWBD - What Would Beth Do? - and the right answer comes to me.

I've known Beth for quite a few years now and roomed with her at the annual BlogHer conference. I've seen her in action. She's the real deal. When offered something plastic - even if it is really cool SWAG - she does not take it. She brings her reusable stainless steel wine glass to parties just in case they don't have glass. She carries a glass straw, reusable utensils and even her own takeout containers with her everywhere.

Happy, Healthy Summer Eating

 

This is the time of year when eating is like an orgy every day. The number of fresh, fabulous tasting fruits and vegetables is at its peak. Our CSA box is brimming with locally grown organic veggies each week. The farmer's markets are a treasure trove of home-grown goodies like heirloom tomatoes, multi-colored carrots and of course sweet corn!

Cookbook Review - Dinner: A Love Story

The minute I started reading Jenny Rosenstrach's new cookbook Dinner: A Love Story, I was hooked. Not that this was surprising as I was already a devoted fan of her blog of the same name. But the book ties her story together in a way that the blog can't quite pull off. You get the whole family dinner perspective - from upbringing to early marriage to having babies (and dinner is never the same after that as we all know!) and learning to accept that customizing dinner for picky kids doesn't mean giving in.

Jenny's humorous and endearing commentary about the joys and pains of feeding the family makes me feel like I'm not so crazy after all for wanting to serve a sit-down family dinner every night. She's a busy mom just like the rest of us and she helps us see that it is possible to make good, real food work for the whole family. Just watch this video and you'll know what I mean:

Inspired Healthy Dinner: Pizza Puffys

Looking for ideas for an inspired healthy dinner tonight? Here's one that's in frequent rotation at our house. Pizza Puffys are a cross between a German pancake, an omelet and a pizza. They are simple to make, very filling and best of all, customizable!

Start with a simple batter made with flour, egg and milk. Put it in the oven and watch it puff up dramatically. Then, top it with whatever ingredients you have on hand. We love the Mexican version (beans, corn, salsa, avocado), which is perfect for a meatless meal. Just add a green salad and you're good to go! I wish I had a better photo to share, but you'll have to trust me, Pizza Puffys are fun to make and even better to eat!

Here's the recipe, straight from my book, Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision Making. Use organic and sustainably produced ingredients whenever possible.

What's your favorite healthy, inspired dinner?

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!)