Mindful Momma

I'm Moving to Wordpress!

As someone who has lived in the same home for over 20 years, I can honestly say I'm a stay-put kinda gal. If the place meets my basic needs and I'm comfortable, I may do some remodeling along the way, but I'm not going anywhere! 

For quite some time now, I've been wanting to do a little remodeling on my blog - you know, spiff it up a bit - but sadly, most of the things I wanted to change or add weren't available on my blogging platform. Typepad has been my blog home for over 6 years but the problem is, they just haven't kept up with the competition. I got so tired of hearing about cool new blogging bells & whistles only to find out they don't work for Typepad. Bottom line is, I'm just not happy here anymore so it's time to move!

I feel very fortunate to have Alicia from The Soft Landing, helping me make the transition! We're busy packing up our suitcases, loading them into the U-Haul and driving across town. That's why you won't see much of me this week. If all goes well, my new site will be revealed later this week or early next week!  

I hope you'll join me over at my new Wordpress home - I can't wait to show you around!

photo credit: mrjoro via photopin cc

A Week Without Sweets and The Value of Breaking Habits

The minute my boys get home from school, they always want a "sweet snack", which usual means a couple of cookies or maybe a piece of candy if they have some from a holiday or special occasion. After dinner it's the same routine - "What's for dessert?", they ask! 

Imagine my surprise when, completely out of the blue my boys decided that they wanted to have a dessert-free week! I'm really not sure where this idea came from other than the fact that their dad and I do a yearly post-holiday detox where we give up sugar, dairy, caffeine and all that other good stuff for a few weeks. Maybe they wanted to impress us with their ability to give stuff up too! 

Why Breaking Habits is a Good Thing

Actually the concept of giving stuff up isn't foreign to them - we have technology-free weeks a few times a year as well. The biggest benefit I see of giving things up is to break habits. When you break a habit, you see that it is possible to do things differently. And you may even appreciate the new reality more than you think! When I do my annual detox, I break my habit of constantly snacking while making my kids lunches or mindlessly grabbing a handful of something every time I get the urge. When my boys don't have screens in front of their faces, they rediscover toys they forgot they had and spend more time using their wild and wonderful imaginations. When they are not eating sweets, they grab some fruit and find that they are perfectly satisfied!

I'm as guilty as the next person at being stuck on sweets. Giving up my afternoon piece of chocolate has been a sacrifice for sure, but we are all in this together! Wish us luck as we finish out our sweet-free week! 

Do you ever give things up to break a habit?

A Conversation about Parenting in a Digital World

Raise your hand if technology and "screen" time for kids is an issue at your house? Yep, that's what I thought! Technology comes at our kids in so many ways - cell phones, laptops, tablets, game consoles, television....they truly are growing up in a digital world! As a parent it can be very challenging to find the right balance between allowing technology and limiting it. 

Join me for a Twitter Party

I am working with FamZee to co-host a Twitter party on the topic of parenting in a digital world, along with my good friend Lori from Groovy Green Livin and Monique from My Digital World. FamZee has developed a phone app to help parents keep track of their family's cell phone usage and ensure safety.

This will be a great opportunity to ask those questions that run through your head like: "What age is appropriate for a smart phone?" and "When should I let my child have a Facebook account?" and "How many hours a day of digital time should I allow?"

Twitter Party Details

Topic: Parenting in a Digital World

Time: Tuesday, March 5, 2-3 pm EST (11-12 pm PST)

Panalists: Famzee @FamZee, Lori @GroovyGreenLivi, Monique @InspiredMomma and me @MindfulMomma 

Hashtag: #MobileFam

TweetGrid: Use this TweetGrid link to make it easier to follow the conversation http://ow.ly/i7lDe 

Prizes: Random participants will win the following prizes:

• Two $50 gift cards to Amazon.com
• Family prize pack of coupons and a Stonyfield water bottle (prize valued at $50),1 gift card from Barnes & Noble and 1 gift card from Amazon.com- combined value $100.00
• ALL winners get a FamZee Premium FREE for 12 months 

My two tween boys love to play games and watch videos as much as any other kid so I am looking forward to this discussion. I hope you will join me! Please RSVP to let us know you will attend!

What are your concerns and questions about parenting in a digital world?

(Disclosure: I received compensation from FamZee to co-host the Twitter party.)

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.

How to Encourage Imagination in Your Kids

There's nothing quite like the gift of imagination. Not only does it inspire us to try new things and use the right side of our brains but it gives us a happy sense of possibility. When I free my mind up and let it wander, creativity comes radiating out in a way that it doesn't when I'm feeling stressed and pressed for time.  

My two boys (ages 8 and almost 13) are very different from each other but they both have very vivid imaginations. For years one of their favorite pastimes has been playing complex imaginary games involving friends, characters in books they've read and all sorts of wild and crazy ideas. And check out this game they invented at my Mom's house using all sorts of stuff they found in her game closet - poker chips, dominoes, dice and yes, some of those classic war figures. It's a very complex game and all about strategy! It may just be make believe but I have no doubt that nurturing my kids imaginations will serve them well later in life. 

Are you looking for ways to inspire creativity and imagination in your kids? My new post over at Zenoobi.com covers 5 Ways to Encourage Your Child's Imagination. I'd love it if you would jump over and check it out!

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!

Top Green Cleaning Products

I'm not exactly a clean freak. In fact, I wouldn't be sorry to give up cleaning forever. That said, I have found that making an effort to use safe, environmentally friendly cleaning products does make the process a little easier. Gone are the harsh, toxic products that I used to use years ago and instead my home is stocked with naturally fresh smelling products that still are tough on dirt and grime.

My cupboards are full of many different brands (as well as my workhorse baking soda and vinegar), but here are a few newer products that I've been experimenting with lately:

Laundry Detergent

Whole Foods Organic Laundry Detergent - This newish line of cleaning products sold under the Green Mission™ label (pictured above) is USDA certified organic and garners the highest rating on Whole Food's Eco-Scale rating system for cleaning products. My first reaction was that the watery liquid (based on organic soap nuts) wouldn't really clean my clothes but I after putting the detergent to the test, I was pleasantly pleased with the results. $13.99 for 100 oz (100 HE or 66 standard loads).

Thumbs up: Full ingredient list on label. Scores well on the EWG Healthy Cleaning Database. Love the subtle lavender scent. The Organic Dishwasher Gel is a winner too.

Second thoughts: Despite the claims, a grease stain is tough to remove with this detergent even after pre-treating (stain remover is still my best friend in the laundry room). This thin liquid detergent is easy to overpour. I marked the lid with a sharpie pen to keep better track of the dosage.

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!