Hi there! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. We’ve had nasty colds floating around our house, but thankfully everyone is (almost) back to normal. I thought I’d theme this weekend’s reading selections around the beginning of Lent. This was inspired by my good friend Katherine, who unfortunately can’t read this because she gave up the internet for Lent. I used to think Lent was about giving up cookies or other vices (at least, that’s what my friends made it seem to me), but in this day and age, I can definitely think of more global ways to “give up to gain” aspects of our day. Here’s a selection of inspiring articles to help your Lent be more fruitful.
The Daily Green gives us nine eco-based ways to make Lent more meaningful while helping the planet at the same time. Some of the suggestions, such as giving up bottled water (by using tap/filtered water with reusable bottles) or bringing resuable bags to the supermarket, are definitely doable any time of year. Being conscious about it for Easter season is a great starting point for the rest of the year!
Bishops in London have urged Brits to go on a “carbon fast” this Lent season. By removing one light bulb or turning your computer off every night (instead of leaving it on standby), you can be more aware of your energy efficiency and the impact it can have overall.
Have you read about the “eco-nuns” of New York City? The nuns of St. Hilda’s House are preparing their new eco-convent in West Harlem. Rooftop gardens, an abundance of skylights and recycled materials for the buildings are all a part of this wonderfully sustainable church and convent that will make a great impact on their community as well.
For more suggestions about how to go green for Lent, check out Green Lent!
What will you be giving up for Lent?
Welcome to the next installment of Mommy Go Green Blog Tours! Since I’m always packing lunches and lugging around snacks, I was more than excited to try out these awesome stainless steel containers from LunchBots! LunchBots are made entirely out of the highest quality 18/8 stainless steel. Studies have shown that stainless steel is safer to use for storing food than plastic. Stainless steel doesn’t leach harmful chemicals, is washable and resuable. This means less plastic baggies in the trash and no worries about what else your kids might be consuming with their food!
LunchBots comes in two variations. The LunchBots Uno is large enough for a sandwich, pasta or any main dish. The LunchBots Duo has a divider in the middle, for snacks or picky kids who like to have a variety of foods in their lunch. I use at least one of the LunchBots every day. My younger daughter isn’t much of a sandwich eater, so I often pack grapes or sliced fruit in the Uno for my older daughter’s school snack. We’ve also brought LunchBots to soccer, playdates or just for a car trip. One of my favorite parts is the tight-fitting lid, which has never opened or caused spills for any of us.
LunchBots have been independently tested at a lab in California to certify that they are made from the highest quality stainless steel and are completely lead-free. Of course, my kindergartner thinks they look cool, so it gets bonus points with her!
Use the code FREESHIP09 for free shipping (US only, please)! These are a great addition to your traveling kitchen, and I would highly recommend LunchBots for families with kids of any age, or even adults who love to bring food hiking, the beach or the car!
It’s happened. After hearing, seeing and reading about the flu and all sorts of awful illnesses going through homes this winter, my kids have come down with colds and ear infections. We’ve been stressing washing hands, not sharing cups and have been keeping the kids outside as much as possible (which we’re very lucky for in Florida!). Of course, this doesn’t mean any child is completely immune from germs. I’ve been trying to supplement my kids with extra vitamins, both through food and vitamins, to help get through this season.
There are many vitamin and supplement choices for kids, and I don’t like to recommend one over another. It’s tough to find a good vitamin for your kids. Many docs don’t even recommend vitamins, because food should be the primary source of nutrition, of course. This winter, we’ve been all about oranges in the morning, bananas in the afternoon and apples at night. I polled my Twitter friends, since many people I follow are both “greenies” and parents. Here’s a mix of what I’ve given my kids recently, and what people have told me they use via Twitter…
Emergen-C - I drink a packet of Emergen-C every morning, and I was happy to test out their new Kids Multi-Vitamin formula. Emergen-C Kids provides 500mg of Vitamin C, as well as vitamins A, B’s, D, E & K. I like how it mixes with water, so your kids get a glass of water in with the added vitamins. Emergen-C is recommended for kids 8-14. It has 7 grams of sugar (not so great, but WAY better than juice), and the sugar is pure crystalline fructose, which is a better source than white sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Coloring is from natural sources, such as beet juice. Here’s the FAQ page for the most information.
I’ve also tried products from Nutrition Now Children’s Rhino line of vitamins, minerals and calcium supplements from time to time. I’m not crazy about the candy-like look to the gummies, but that’s an unfortunate trick of the trade. Rhino has choices such as Chewable Gummies and Jellybeans, Veggie-Fruit Bears (a good supplement if your kids are going through a picky phase), Ester-C Vitamin C, and Calcium Chews.
New Chapter Organics EveryKid multivitamin powder pouches are a dietary supplement made from a whole-food complex of vitamins and organic ingredients. It has a super sweet taste, but thankfully made with no refined sugars (only 3g of sugar per serving, made from cane juice). EveryKid is gluten free, vegetarian, with no artificial colors or preservatives (it does contain fermented soy). Recommended for children four and up. Flavors include Goodness Grape, Awesome Apple and Brilliant Berries. This is my younger daughter’s favorite, which surprises me because she’s not into sweet tasting foods. And they come in individual packets, which isn’t so eco-friendly, but since it’s a crystalline powder, I can’t think of any other way to package it safely.
I’d like to hear from you! Do you give your kids vitamins or stick with food alone? If so, what kind?
It’s a great time to be a mom, isn’t it? Whether you’re a blogger, blog reader, entrepreneur, or any other mom-centric name you call yourself, the opportunity to think, explore, create and grow as a woman and mom is monumental. That’s why I’ve been so into following StartupNation’s 2009 Leading Moms in Business competition! The first annual competition will rank the top 200 mom-run businesses across America as determined by popular vote.
I’m making a personal plea for everyone to vote for a wonderful website that I write for - Working Mom Lifeline. WML is a (fairly) brand-spanking new destination for working moms (ok, all moms, we don’t single anyone out here), who are balancing everything and then some. It is your daily destination for “sharing, reading, posting, venting, learning and, perhaps most importantly, laughing”. Founders Allison Nazarian and Debbe Taylor, both incredibly hard working moms themselves, created WML to provide a community where you can connect and find something to laugh about even in your moment of greatest stress, disgust or overwhelm. This is the place that makes you feel stronger, more connected and happier than you did before you came.
Working Mom Lifeline also has a wealth of “Geniuses,” moms and writers who want to share their insights into food, fitness, finances, sex, the workplace, and much more. I’m so thrilled to be a part of this start-up’s journey as their Green Genius, continuing my quest for being green, but with a working mom twist. Keep checking back - I may even get a bit risque soon!
So. StartupNation’s 2009 Leading Moms in Business competition is open from now until March 31st. You can vote for as many companies as you’d like, once a day, every day. Search around and I’m sure you’ll find your favorite green goods, services and mom-owned faces. And check out Working Mom Lifeline, join us, and be sure to add WML to your voting list! Thanks so much in advance!
This week, Salma Hayek made headlines during a trip she recently took to Sierra Leone. While there, she breastfed a malnourished infant whose mother can not breastfeed. Many women in Sierra Leone are both malnourished in addition to being prevented by husbands to breastfeed. They are forced to stop their milk production after only a few months because “it is not acceptable to have sexual relations with breast feeding women”. Sierra Leone has the highest infant mortality rate in the world, in part to malnutrition.
Children are having children in the US, but in Africa they start even earlier. Many “women” get married and have babies at thirteen years old. When I circulated the video to friends, one friend expressed to me, “I wish I could donate my freezer to Africa”. I was not fortunate to have the over-lactation issue, but I do know many women who freeze breast milk for later use. My sister actually donated her breastmilk to a local organization, but I know many mother’s milk goes to waste.
It didn’t take me long to find The International Breast Milk Project. IBMP has been providing breast milk to babies in Africa and US since 2006. To date, they’ve donated almost half a million ounces of breast milk to Africa and sick babies in the US.
The process is not complicated if you wish to donate breast milk. When you contact IBMP, they come to you for a bloodtest, to determine you are drug and disease-free. Donating women then receive any equipment necessary, including a hospital-grade breast pump and storage bags. The breast milk is then packed up in a provided cooler with gel packs, and sent to IBMP via FedEx. IBMP distributes about 25% of donated breast milk to Africa. The rest goes to critically ill babies in the US through Prolacta, who processes the milk for hospitals. This webpage gives you a good starting point for information.
You can also donate money, of course, follow them on Twitter, join their Facebook group, or volunteer. Let’s help to ensure all babies get the nutition they need in face of adversity!
It’s almost the big V-Day! We’re not big on presents and flowers, but cards are a different story. Now that my girls are older and can sit doing a longer craft, we got a little messier and more productive! Here’s how we made our Valentine’s Day cards this year -
*Paint a heavier stock paper with tempera paint. My older daughter made an intricate pattern of hearts, and my little one just smeared colors everywhere. Either way, they get cut up into cool cards. Make sure the paper is completely covered. Let dry overnight.
*Measure your envelope, and cut the paper into cards - either like a postcard with two sides, or a fold-over card (we did the folded card, for maximum decorating).
* Color, write, sticker, or decorate however you like!
I used envelopes from an awesome shop on Etsy called nowvember. She uses recycled band flyers from her neighborhood to make these totally original “rockvelopes” (see above photo). My kids loved picking out which envelope to use for which card. And since they don’t come with adhesive, they used even more stickers to make sure the cards arrive in one piece!
And if you’re still making cards, or need inspiration, here are more homemade ideas from around the web:
*Readymade Magazine’s Lunch-Hour Love Letters lets you justify a raid of your office supply closet! Make Valentine notes with index cards, paper clips, printer paper, rubber stamps, and more.
*Origami is a great way to get little kid’s hands moving creatively. Origami Club, our go-to site for everything paper folding, has an entire page devoted to origami hearts and baskets for small notes or gifts. They range from easy to advanced, so younger kids can feel like they’re folding like champs! Origami Club also provides animation, for those who need extra help.
*Surprise your child with a lunch note. I usually put stickers in my daughter’s lunchbox, but these printable Lunchbox Lovenotes from Parents Magazine are too adorable. Great to use with used printer paper you may have otherwise thrown out. Because, kids don’t care what’s on the other side!
I’ll admit, I’m a (semi-reformed) product junkie. I also love to write about all the great eco-products out there. But, I think I’m more in awe of the people who are displaying their eco-passion by setting up shop! I’m always recommending one place or another for either gift giving or special products for your own family.
Nayla Natural Care was founded by mom Gwen Leron from Ottowa, Canada, after working through a well-understood eco-frustration. Instead of searching for quality organic and natural products for her family, she decided to bring them to her (and thankfully, share them with all of us). Just from speaking with Gwen, I can tell she truly cares about not only what products she sells, but that they work well with your family. In fact, she had friends and family test out potential products to sell, to make sure they’d be a hit in your home as well!
What I really love about Nayla Natural Care are the amount of eco-friendly Canadian products available that are hard to find in the US. Nayla Natural Care features amazing bath, skin care, feeding and teething items for kids of all ages, but goodies for moms-to-be as well. The brand All Things Jill features natural and handcrafted massage oil, balms and foot salts for moms; for infants, these organic sleep sacks from 3 Sprouts can be used in any season; and something I could use in my home, a kid’s toothbrush sanitizer by Green Beaver Company, to keep little mouths germ free.
This week, Nayla Natural Care is so kind to offer a $25 gift certificate good towards anything in the shop! Rules are the same: leave a comment here after visiting Nayla Natural Care and answering me this - what would you love to try from Gwen’s shop? You have until next Monday night at midnight, PST to enter. A winner will be chosen at random, and is open to US and Canadian residents only. Good luck!
Spring is on everyone’s minds, and stores are starting to show short sleeved shirts for warmer weather. This Valentine’s Day, why not get you and your kids in the spirit of the day with these not-so-traditional, organic tees. Here’s a sampling of my favorite this year!
This lovely t-shirt made it into my inbox last night (for moms!), and I fell in love. As a native New Yorker, the “I heart (symbol)” means all things NY. Plus, the shirt is organic cotton and is only $20 (for organic, how can you resist?) District Cotton has been turning out hip, modern and affordable apparel for adults, and right now they’ll sweeten your order with a free tin of chocolate covered cacao from SweetRiot with any order over $20.
Tiny Revolutionary has scored another love connection with this adorable Recycle Love tee for babies and kids. This shirt totally walks the walk. It’s made from 100% recycled, sweatshop-free cotton using water-based ink, and is sure to get a ton of wear from your little one.
One of my favorite Etsy designers is Wren Willow, and for Valentine’s Day she has a bunch of onesies and shirts for infants up to kids sized twelve. Each piece is either hand silkscreened (such as this heartbreaker tee) or painted with original designs (Mom tattoo, anyone?). Both the shirt color and water-based inks can be customized. Wren Willow’s items can take a week or so to ship, for printing and drying times, so order early!
I don’t know if kids are still asking for ponies these days, but this organic horse t-shirt/onesie from Little Lark will definitely appeal to your horse-loving daughter (see the website for pink and yellow versions). For boys, robots are always a big hit, and I love how this organic robot tee has just a hint of V-Day without overdoing it. Little Lark always uses lead-free inks as well.
Last year, I was so lucky to find Juliet Ames and The Broken Plate Pendant Company right before Valentine’s Day. I love finding funky, original and of course, repurposed stuff to make everyone’s day a little brighter - even jewelry wearing types. What I love about the Broken Plate is what is doesn’t have - straight lines and even designs. Juliet takes everything from vintage finds to modern dishware, and through a bit of smashing and soldering, gives it new life.
This past year has been great for The Broken Plate! Juliet’s work has been featured in tons of local (Baltimore area) and national press, but Rachael Ray even wore a plate pendant on a recent show! Juliet has expanded The Broken Plate to include rings, cufflinks, friendship pendants (affectionately titled “You ComPlate Me”), and new magnetic-backed brooches that are guaranteed to stay on your clothes. She’ll even deck out your bridesmaids, pay homage to your mother’s china or do other custom work to help you bring a little vintage into your jewelry collection.
This year, win something for yourself (or your significant other, BFF, mom, etc.) from The Broken Plate! Juliet handpicked this spring-themed pendant to help you ward off thoughts about winter and snow. The rules stay the same - before you leave a comment here about how lovely this pendant is, please visit The Broken Plate’s Etsy shop, and tell me about your favorite Broken Plate piece! The contest is open until next Monday, Febrary 9th at midnight, PST. The winner will be chosen at random, and is open to US residents only.
