Over the past few weeks, I’ve been silently reading and observing the blogging (mostly “mommy blogging”) issue that’s been affectionately called “Blog-ola”. NPR jut aired an enlightening piece, highlighting how blogging for swag, and even cash, has led many bloggers down a slippery ethical path. And why not? Moms are the bigger money spenders in most households, and the influence they’ve had for products over the internet is simultaneously admirable and staggering. Unfortunately, it’s also works in reverse - why would you want to buy a product from someone who is getting paid to write nice things about it?
Blog With Integrity, a result of this ongoing debate and need for blog reform, was started this month by four amazing bloggers - Kristen Chase (Motherhood Uncensored), Liz Gumbinner (Mom-101), Julie Marsh (The Mom Slant), and Susan Getgood (Marketing Roadmaps). The basis is this (taken verbatim from Susan Getgood, who put it best): Blog With Intergity is “a tangible and collective way to express our commitment to a simple code of blogging conduct. It recognizes that there’s no single right way to blog and more than enough room in the world for different approaches”. By signing the pledge and putting a button on your blog, you’re aligning yourself with wonderful people who truly care about the content they’re putting out there.
That being said, I wanted to make clear some things about my personal blogging policies. I have never taken cash or other cash-like entities to write a positive review (or any review) about a product. If I receive a product to test out, I acknowledge it within my review. I am extremely selective about the products I do write about - if I can’t use the product personally, I ask my contact for more information about it, so as not to waste anyone’s time or money. And, if I feel that a product is too expensive, I just won’t write about it, or, I’ll put it in a more general review about lovely but expensive green items we all wish we could afford. I was under contract as a paid blogger for Brita Water’s Filter For Good campaign, and every post I wrote for them was swag-free. That contract has now expired, and I am lone teensygreen blogger once again.
I have more often than not tried to steer teensygreen into a forum for discussions about issues regarding children and eco-activism, rather than a consumer platform. I have taken some time off lately - and probably more time to come - to figure out where I’d like the focus of teensygreen to go for the future. I do have issues with many eco-products out there - generally, they are very expensive for many, if not most of my readership (including myself). The green blogosphere is also incredibly saturated, which says a lot considering when I started teensygreen two years ago, I could barely find anyone writing quality eco-articles on the web.
So. I’ll keep blogging if you keep reading (and blogging). Only this time, remind yourself - how, why, who, and what you’re writing affects. Every. Single. Post.
Hot enough for ya? Here in Florida, it’s hibernation time…we reminisce about being at the playground in the afternoon, taking long walks with our puppy, and not rushing in and out of air conditioned places because we’re afraid of melting or burning too fast. I’ve never gotten over this part of living in South Florida, and for kids with summer birthdays, it means an indoor party for sure.
Craft parties for kids are all the rage right now. Instead of paying a company to come and set everything up, hosting a craft-based birthday party is a welcome change from arcades or other loud, obnoxious venues. Art parties are fun, creative, and always get great reactions from parents and kids!
Fortunately, there are amazing resources to find ideas for birthday party crafts, for any time of year. My favorite kid’s crafty website right now is No Time for Flash Cards. Started by Allison McDonald, a former preschool teacher and now full-time mom to her two-year-old son, No Time for Flash Cards keeps kids busy and educated through thoughtful yet simple hands-on activities. The site is broken up into “Crafts,” “Book Reviews,” “Songs,” “Alphabet Activities,”and “Naptime Creations” (for older kids who don’t always get a chance to use smaller items when little ones are around).
There’s something for every kind of child here - quieter activities for more meticulous kids, and more open-ended crafts for those who like to throw around the color and stickers with reckless abandon. There are many crafts using recycled materials, which is a huge plus in my house. And, we love the book reviews - my girls often ask to go right to the library after I read Allison’s review to them!
Since the Fourth is coming up, my girls have been really into the concept of fireworks. The “Light Up the Sky” craft is a perfect way for kids to imagine their perfect fireworks display. Instead of gluing the “fireworks” onto paper, I’m going to have the girls attach them to paper towel rolls, to bring to the beach when we see them this weekend. It’s a great way to get kids into the spirit of the night!
Since becoming more environmentally conscious, I not only keep a lookout for eco-products, but pay close attention to how people act towards the process of going green. Whether you’re changing over your home, your wardrobe, even your diet, I believe a big part of going green is not only about making habitual changes, but the initial efforts to make these changes happen. In essence, we’re making promises - to ourselves, our families, homes, etc. - to better our world. Fortunately, there’s a website to help you recognize and prioritize which changes are the perfect fit for you.
Earth Promise is an on-line community of eco-conscious people who want to make and share the steps we take towards being greener. It’s free and easy to set up a personal profile. Then comes the fun part.
Making eco-promises is easy, right? You turn out lights when you leave a room, run the dishwasher only when it’s full, etc. But what else? The Earth Promise Starter Plan is a great way to explore what promises might pertain to you. Categories include “In Your Car,” “Personal Care,” “In the Kitchen,” and more. Or, write your own promise! If you don’t see something about, say, reusing craft materials for pillow fill, or shopping only at consignment shops, go ahead and add it. You may be surprised at who else is inspired by your efforts! The best part is, you can be reminded (via email) about your promises, so you can stay on track and manage your progress. You’ll be amazed at the little ways being greener can play a bigger part of your day!
Earth Promise’s blog is also an important element of their site, so be sure to check it out! I was honored to be a part of their “Green Guide to Grown-Up Eco-Sites,” which highlights a great group of people writing, thinking and being green. I hope you’ll sign up and make Earth Promise a part of your daily eco-reading/interacting routine. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter!
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 finally here! Over a year ago, I signed up to host TreeHugger’s Carnival of the Green, and I’m thrilled to finally feature it here. For me, Carnival of the Green brings to light so many blogs I may have never found in the big sea of green writing. I hope you find some new favorite sites this week! For more information about hosting or submitting a post to Carnival of the Green, just click through the link. Last week’s Carnival was hosted by The Tao of Change, who did an amazing job highlighting all the eco-news of the week.
So without further ado (and in no particular order) are a wide variety of eco-tastic articles covering kids, cooking, products, travel, saving money, recycling, redecorating, and just re-doing for the New Year. Enjoy!
Have you made your New Year’s resolution yet? Get some great green ideas and inspiration for 2009 with this resolution round-up from Janelle at Healthy Child Healthy World’s Watch this week. Include your kids, and you’ll be sure to have a wonderfully green new year.
Speaking of kids, City Living Girl offers a wonderful way to decorate your child’s room with artist Annie Lawrason. Keeping an environmentally conscious, animal theme in mind, a portion of all Lawrason’s artwork proceeds go to charity. CLG also wants moms and any make-up wearing woman out there to “Be Gorgeous and Green” when it comes to cosmetics. Here, she reviews the all-natural mineral make-up of Bare Escentuals.
In this economy, who doesn’t need coupons to help with groceries, especially if you lean towards organic products. Kathy Hester (aka GeekyPoet) offers a comprehensive guide to finding coupons for organic food and green products.
BPA free containers are one of the most important new products on the market. If you’re a sports and outdoor enthusiast, you now have better hydration carrying options than bulky, stainless steel containers. Tiffany with Green and Natural Parenting reviews the new Intak water bottle by Thermos, one she thinks will quickly make its way into your backpack!
Keeping with the food theme, Russ at Simple Homebrew Beer wants to help you save money from store bought beer. Forget buying beer, make your own!
Many manufacturers of processed foods are touting their plastic containers as the environmentally-friendly choice because of their lighter shipping weight. But plastic and glass are not the only choices. In many cases, we can skip the packaging altogether and make our own! Here’s a very simple, easy recipe for homemade mayonnaise from Beth at Fake Plastic Fish, one woman’s successful crusade to become totally plastic-free.
Here’s a worldly, thought-provoking post. Charlie Good’s lodge in the Andes is a fantastic birding destination. Charlie has written a short piece about how the indigenous Andean people around his lodge are in danger of losing their land. It’s a fascinating story of an ancient culture on the brink of dissolution. Read it on Veggie Revolution this week.
If you’ve never visited the site 10,000 Birds, now’s your chance! This month, posts are exclusively highlighting saving endangered parrots around the world. This week, Charlie Moores describes the remarkable conservation activities and organizations involved in saving a tragically endangered Caribbean parrot, the Puerto Rican Parrot, with vivid photos and amazing facts.
The Queen is going green! Naomi from Diary From England writes about Queen Elizabeth’s plans to convert her two state Bentleys to run on biofuel. Apparently, Prince Charles has already begun the trend, by converting some of his luxury vehicles to run on 100% bioethanol fuel from surplus wine.
Gas prices are down (phew!) and hybrid cars are still making a push for reducing carbon tire tracks. Jacques with The Smarter Wallet discusses the continuing trend in hybrid vehicles, and offers his ideas on why we should still think green when it comes to driving!
Meg from How to Make a Difference reminds you to shop locally and think globally! Buying goods from within your community brings support not only to your neighborhood, but affects everything from travel waste, quality of goods, keeps people employed locally and more. It pays to buy from those whom you live near.
News About Green Living brings you an assortment of eco-articles that span your home to your health. This week, they present Part II of The Eco-Friendly Home, focusing on how flooring, carpet, mattresses and furniture can help create a healthy, green sanctuary you can call home. Mind Mart also offers an article specifically discussing green flooring options. If you don’t know cork from bamboo, here’s a good place to start.
If you’ve been wondering about your green habits these days, Betsy over at Money Changes Things is not afraid to talk about the tough stuff. She discusses our trends of over-consumption, societal stupidity and her own “eco-epiphanies” that have led her to live a better quality of life. Are you getting by with less these days?
The holidays are over - how can you clean house in an eco-fashion with, well, everything left over? Mrs. Green from My Zero Waste shows you how to completely recycle your Christmas - everything from the tree to wrapping paper, gift boxes and cards. You’ll be sure to have your home cleaned out by next winter!
Continuing with the recycling/repurposing posts, Leila over at everydaytrash highlights musical recycling projects from the Clean and Humble recording studio in Brooklyn. Owner Flex Unger is hard at work deconstructing an old electric organ into a portable drum machine, a stylish amplifier and a mini organ. Who knew musical trash could be so productive?
And, speaking of the holidays, how many of your kids have had more fun with the boxes their gifts have come in, rather than the toys themselves? The Digerati Life takes a look at creative alternatives to playtime, to help kids take charge of their imaginations.
Morgan Hill Review, one man’s blog about a Southern California neighborhood, offers a thorough take on cloth versus disposable diapers. This is always a hotly debated topic, and worth taking a look at again and again. My kids are both out of diapers, but I’m always reading and hearing varied opinions about a necessity for parents.
Looking for ways to save money? Don’t forget that reducing, rather than replacing, what you use is not only economical but environmentally savvy as well. Savings Toolbox offers ways to “Reduce What You Waste To Save Some Cash,” a must read during these tough economic times!
Green Thinking Blog gets your mind turning over two topics this week. First, news that the San Francisco International Airport is planning to install new kiosks where travelers can purchase carbon offsets for their flights sets off some exciting, low-cost options for greenies. On a completely different note, the Big Belly trash receptacle is making waves with its solar powered compactor. By crushing the trash, more garbage can be collected in less bags.
Finally, Praveen from Tao of Simplicity shares exciting news about Japan Airlines. They have announced plans to test a 747 flight with one of its four engines composed of a mix of regular fuel with a non-edible biofuel. What amazing progress biofuel can make this year!
Thanks for letting me share all of these informative and inspiring posts with you! Next week’s Carnival will be hosted by SustainaBee, so don’t forget to check it out!
Let’s face it - if you could have someone come into your home, for a small (but seriously affordable) fee, jumpstarting the way you clean and green your home - would you do it? Of course you would! Reading green is one thing, but actually putting your home to the test is completely different. Thankfully, there’s someone who can help you walk the eco-walk.
This month’s “Mommy Go Green” Blog Tour presents Green Irene, who really want to be your personal green makeover consultant! For only $99, and one to two hours of your time, a local Green Irene representative will come to your home and walk you through the many ways you can save money, health and peace of mind, including
- water conservation
- energy conservation
- reducing harmful chemicals with greener cleaning products
- tax credits, rebates and incentives in your area
- indoor air quality
- overall carbon footprint.
If you’re in the market to outfit just one part of your home, Green Irene also offers specific kits that present a wonderful bottom line - a lot more cash in your pocket! Their EZ Bulb Swapout service does just that - brings in a Green Irene specialist to help replace your energy-sucking, carbon-spitting incandescent bulbs with energy efficient, long-lasting CFL bulbs in every shape and size. You might think this isn’t much of a torturous task. But, have you counted how many bulbs your home has? According to the Green Irene website, replacing ONE 75-watt incandescent bulb will save you $80 alone in New York City. Multiply that by all your bulbs, and your mouth is guaranteed to drop! CFL bulbs also release much less heat, saving you in cooling costs as well.
If you’re psyched about Green Irene coming to your home, or if you have a passion for eco-ing everything and want to spread the good green word, you too can become a Green Irene Eco-Consultant! This is a growing business with great opportunities for both consultants and clients. And in this economy, any little bit helps. Check out the FAQs for becoming an Eco-Consultant. Your community will thank you!
Last week, I had written a brief tidbit about the horrific problems handmade toy manufacturers and crafters are facing with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), set to take effect in 63 days. However, after receiving many emails and concerned questions about the situation, I wanted to expand on this issue, and especially the urgency of getting the word out.
After the “Summer of the Chinese Lead Toys 2007,” the uproar from advocacy groups and parents rightly brought attention to toy manufacturing problems and a need for strict changes. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) responded with the CPSIA, which was passed swiftly and easily.
There were grave, terrible oversights, however. There were no specifics of what or whom constitutes a toymaker. Therefore, the $4,000 per toy (!!!) testing fee required will absolutely and tragically put every cottage industry toymaker in the US, Canada and Europe out of business. Every. Single. One. Not only that, toys produced without this mandatory testing will be considered illegal, and subject to punishment. Can you imagine? Every wooden car your little boy loves, every knitted doll carried around by your daughter - even children’s handmade accessories, such as hairclips and belts - will be considered ILLEGAL. That’s like taking a large portion of the inventory offered on Etsy and throwing it away. Gone. This also trickles down to local merchants dedicated to selling handmade toys; local workers and craftsmen who put their heart into every product; even blogs dedicated to bringing you unique products you don’t have to buy at a big box monster store. These will all be obsolete.
So, here’s what you need to do, step by step:
Go to the Handmade Toy Alliance to get the full rundown of this urgent situation.
Read about their Proposal to improve the CPSIA, including exemptions for products entirely made from natural materials, or whose gross revenues are less than one million dollars per year.
Find out more ways to help, including writing your Congressperson or Senator (a handy sample letter is provided, but feel free to write your own choice words).
Send a message directly to the CSPC.
Pass this on - email to friends, family, classmate’s parents, local businesses, anyone you can think of. This is too important to ignore!
UPDATE - Shortly after I posted, The Smart Mama contacted me via Twitter (@thesmartmama) regarding misinformation about CPSIA timing and third party testing. While she does believe this legislation will involve many consequences for toymakers, she also sees some alternatives. She also breaks down the CPSIA by talking about existing inventory and new products, which fare differently under the CPSIA.
If you’re on Twitter, you can see what’s being discussed about the CPSIA by searching for and using the hashtag #cpsia
I subscribe to A LOT of email newsletters, blog and website feeds, updates or anything to keep me up to date about being a green mom. The problem is, I don’t get to read many of them, and I end up either deleting them or playing bad games of catch up with my emails! One site that I click through to every day is Ideal Bite. Like the name implies, a small “bite” of news is all I need for ideas and valuable information about being eco-friendly and hip all at the same time (it’s really possible, really!)
I’m loving their just launched Mama Bite, a daily dose of Ideal Bite for moms and moms-to-be (and dads for some of them, but the name pretty much sums it up. Each weekday, Ideal Bite brings thorough yet quick to consume facts and products relating to being a good green parent). Today’s Mama Bite features the email of the day, but you can always dip into the archives for the complete Mama Bite library. Mama Bite features IB’s signature subtle snarkiness, ability to “rate” the bite for feedback, the “Personally Speaking” column from an Ideal Bite writer who’s in the know about the topic, and a great set of links to further highlight the subject. They’ve already covered cloth diapers, farmer’s markets, eco soaps for babies and non-threatening, organic cookies. This is a well-organized and awesome place to come for research, without having to bookmark a billion websites!
Oh, and it’s free! How could I have forgotten to mention that before?
If you’re reading this and you’re a parent, chances are you’re no stranger to food allergies in kids. They may not be your own kids, but I think parents these days have to be super-sensitive to all children with food allergies. We start out every new playdate with the usual questions - Where should we play? Is your child afraid of dogs or cats? Are they allergic to anything? I’ve seen EpiPen demonstrations, received numerous lists of what foods are included in tree nut allergies, and have lobbied for peanut-free schools. This startling report from the CDC that 1 in 26 kids have a food allergy (up from 1 in 29 kids in 1997) confirms what we’ve been seeing - that food allergies are on the rise, and there’s not much we can do about it - except by protecting our kids now by giving them healthy and safe food choices.
This Thanksgiving (and all year, of course) there are plenty of choices for preparing an allergen-free, often completely organic meal. It’s amazing what can be found in supermarkets! This year, be thankful for healthy families, and these wonderful companies who help keep Thanksgiving enjoyable for everyone -
If you’re not used to dealing with food allergies in kids, it can be tough to completely understand how to go about creating a safe yet enjoyable menu. If you’re cooking for kids with allergies, it’s worth checking out informational websites to make sure you’re covered. Eating With Food Allergies breaks down the “Top 8″ food allergens (dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, treenuts, fish and shellfish), where they may be hiding and how to avoid them. Their comprehensive Thanksgiving section features a ton of recipes for a complete allergen-free Thanksgiving meal! The site Kids With Food Allergies is a nationwide non-profit organization that also offers support and many recipes as well. Aside from many articles about food and food allergies, their Buyer’s Guide can help you identify products offering safety for kids (and peace of mind for parents!)
I wrote about Local Harvest last year, and thankfully they’re still around to provide all the information you need to find local, organic products for the holidays and beyond.
In the “I can’t decide what kind of pie the guests may like, so I’ll buy them all” department, Wholly Wholesome Baked Goods contain nothing artificial, irradiated, bleached or synthetic in any of their pies, cakes, cookies or pie crusts. While many of their products contain wheat and/or soy, most are eggless. They also have a dairy-free pumpkin pie as well as spelt and whole wheat pie crusts.
Browsing the on-line store of the Gluten-Free Creations Bakery is less dangerous than if you actually order. Their Holidays and Special Occasions page is a Thanksgiving dream, from the homemade pecan pie at your Thanksgiving table to the gingerbread donuts with your coffee the next morning. Each product is wheat and gluten-free (they are a GFCO certified bakery), and there are a few that are dairy-free as well. Double check by clicking on each product for a list of ingredients.
Finally, for something completely different, Apartment Therapy the kitchn went on a brief “anti-pie” dessert campaign. While I think kids won’t like most of the recipes, I may have to try this Spiced Apple Cider Sorbet (without the alcohol, duh). Don’t forget to browse the site though - they just had the “Best Pie Bake-Off” contest!
