Suddenly Single: Those Darn Business Trips!
I was raised by a single mother, so I know full well what a tough job it is to raise kids on your own. And I’m reminded of that every time my DH goes away on a business trip.
This last separation – dragging on for 10 nights – was especially tough. With each separation, I try to learn a new tip, time saving strategy, or coping mechanism to help me manage our household and the demands of two young boys until he returns and is able to help once again.
I’m thinking about sharing some of my tips, and at the same time, reaching out for advice from other parents who have found themselves in the same situation.
In the meantime, I’m breathing a deep sigh of relief!
Got any tips? Please share!
Lynn
Filed under Parenting | Wordpress Comments (3) |To Be an Advocate for Your Child
What parent hasn’t heard these words? “Be an advocate for your child.” But what does it really mean?
When my 6-year-old started first grade, I kept hearing those words over and over again from parents with children in the public school system.
“Be an advocate for your child.”
And I wondered…what did people really mean when they said that?
Now I know. And I’m here to tell you, this is what it means:
– Talk to your child about his day at school.
– Visit the classroom.
– Ask questions.
– Follow-up.
– If something doesn’t seem quite right to you, talk to the teacher. Talk to other parents. Talk to the principal. Talk to the PTA. Explore the formal complaint process in your school district.
– Follow your gut.
– Use technology to your advantage: ask questions on listservs. Email your questions to other parents. Do research on-line.
By rights, I should have been blogging about gardening again, and sending my post off to my friend Sommer for this month’s Green Moms Carnival. But instead, I was learning what it meant to be an advocate for my child.
What’s been your experience with advocating for your child? Leave a comment and share!
More later –
Lynn
Copyright 2009 OrganicMania
Filed under Green moms, Parenting, Uncategorized | Wordpress Comments (8) |Nielsen’s Power Mom 50 & Me
Twitter was buzzing on Friday about a new BrandWeek article on the power of “Digital Moms.” Another Nielsen Online study was out, and I was thinking that I really needed to read it for the benefit of my clients… Imagine my surprise when just a few hours later I received an email from my green mom friend @mcmilker with subject line: You Power Mom – You!!
I laughed.
Of course, I was thrilled too, to be named to this list of influential bloggers. What a great Mother’s Day gift!
But Power and Moms? Those two words are rarely used together. The Moms I know all feel just the opposite – powerless. Powerless over the craziness that comes with raising kids. The unpredictability of a good night’s sleep, the near-certainty that if you purchase non-refundable tickets to anything, your child will fall ill…the sudden realization that once you have kids, you really can’t control anything anymore.
But the fact is, Corporate America knows the power of moms’ collective purchasing power. Nearly $2 trillion a year is spent by Moms, who control 85% of household spending, according to the Marketing to Moms Coalition.
And where did I fit into all this? If anything, I’ve slowed my spending since leaving corporate America behind to start my consulting practice. But I spend a lot of time – on Twitter, through the Green Moms Carnival, during interviews, and here on OrganicMania and other blogs- advising women on which green and organic products are worth purchasing.
OrganicMania was included in Nielsen Online’s Power Mom 50 “mamaste” category of “mom bloggers who stretch beyond their spheres to explore going green, travel and spirituality,” along with fellow Green Mom carnival member Sommer Poquette of Green and Clean Mom and several other bloggers I’ll have to get to know: Traveling Mamas, Mormon Mommy Wars, Travel Savvy Mom, More than Words, Mom of Faith, and Happy, Healthy Hip.
I’m thrilled to be a “Power Mom.” Thanks to all who have supported me on this blogging journey, especially my sisters-in-arms at The Green Moms Carnival and @GreenMoms. Check out Nielsen’s Power Mom 50 report here.
Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!
Lynn
Copyright 2009 OrganicMania
Filed under Blog, Consulting Business, Green moms, Parenting | Wordpress Comments (7) |5 Tips for Observing Earth Hour with Kids: Get More than an Earth Minute!
Last year, my grand plans for Earth Hour were derailed by the reality of life with little kids: as I blogged here, I ended up with an “Earth Minute.”
This year, I’m determined to learn from the past and enjoy a less rushed and stressed experience. Here are five tips that I’m hoping will make for a more enjoyable family experience. Let me know what you think. How’d your Earth Hour go last year? And what are you planning tonight? (Yes, it’s tonight!)
1. Stick to Your Routines
Clearly, whoever dreamed up Earth Hour did not have little munchkins to put to bed. 8:30 p.m. is simply too late for most kids. If your tykes hit the hay well before 8:30, DON’T, repeat DON’T try to do something special. Odds are, you’ll regret it…
2. Pick a Substitute Time that Works for You
This year, we’re going to have our Earth Hour during dinner (candlelight dining with my three boys should be fun!). If that doesn’t seem to go well, I may try for a few minutes after dinner. But bedtime – it’s still 8 p.m., Earth Hour or not!
3. Use this as a Teachable Moment
My first grader’s school observed Earth Hour on Friday. When I asked him why they did it, he said, “To help the Earth and stuff.” Yet when I tried to make a correlation between Earth Hour and turning off the lights in his room before he rushes off for school, he didn’t quite seem to get it. That’s another reason to do Earth Hour at the dinner hour – it will give us time and context for a discussion about why we are observing Earth Hour.
4. Give Yourself a Break
If despite all your plans, things still go awry, give yourself a break. When I look back at this photo of my little Boo Bear a year ago, I can’t believe how small he was and how much I tried to accomplish despite that. So many of us parents – especially the Moms – are guilty of this. We simply try to do too much.
5. Celebrate with Your Significant Other
Another benefit to Tips #1 and #2 is that if you stick to your kids’ bedtime routine, odds are you’ll have some energy to celebrate the darkness of Earth Hour with your significant other and perhaps a bottle of sustainable wine, organic beer, and fair trade chocolate.
Sounds a lot better than last year! I can’t wait…
Tell me about your Earth Hour! Leave a comment and share!
Lynn
Copyright 2009 OrganicMania
Filed under Easy Green Weekend Projects, global warming, Green Ideas & Stuff, Green moms, Holidays, Parenting, Tips | Wordpress Comments (4) |10 Tips for Avoiding Recalled Toys
Do you see what’s on that paper lying next to those cute toy trains? A recall notice for those very same trains.
Those My Little Train Toy Classics were so darn cute that I picked one up to admire it. And it was cheap too – less than $2.
But those cheap toys always give me pause. So many of them have been linked to recalls and lead paint. So I decided against purchasing one, even though I’m not prepared to spend loads of money on an all natural, organic alternative.
As I was leaving the store, I noticed a recall notice on the bulletin board near the exit. I picked up the recall notice and ran back to see if these were the same trains. After taking them all down from the display, I brought them over to the customer service desk, showed them the recall notice, and explained that they were selling recalled toys. I expected an apology, or at least an expression of concern from the store personnel…but their response didn’t satisfy me. My immediate reaction was to send out this irate Tweet to my Twitter network.
The next day I called the store manager, and asked him if he was aware of what had happened with the recalled toys the evening prior. He wasn’t. No one had yet bothered to tell him that they had recalled toys on their shelves. He assured me that there was no way I could have purchased a recalled item, because the item would not ring up at the register. He also told me that it was likely that just a lot of the item that was recalled, and that the items on the store shelf were probably fine. Well, no. I checked the Consumer Product Safety Commission website and in fact, all of these toy trains have been recalled due to a choking hazard.
It’s tempting to buy cheap toys – but it’s not worth the risk. They’re often full of toxins (just ask my friend with a toy testing gun, The Smart Mama). And even if they’re safe, they usually don’t last very long before they break.
Few of us can afford to buy all natural, organic toys all the time. So what can you do? Here are ten tips:
1. Before you buy anything, go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and check the recall list. The notice on the toy trains came out the very day I saw them on the store shelf! (And five more alerts have come out since that one was issued!)
2. Shop consignment stores. You won’t believe the number of high quality wooden toys you can find, some still new and in the original packaging. In the DC area, I like to shop at The Purple Goose and Wiggle Room.
3. Ask your friends for their cast-offs. I have one dear friend in Florida who mails her son’s hand-me-down clothes to us. There’s no reason you can’t get cast-off toys too. (I’d like to get in line for cast-offs from the son of natural toy expert MC Milker of Not Quite Crunchy Parent!)
4. Check yard sales, especially in what my mother used to call “the high rent district.” That’s where you may find gently used, natural and organic toys.
5. Zwaggle is a great source for parents to swap gently used toys.
6. Freecycle is full of environmentally conscious people who love to recycle. These are the same people who are likely to have purchased high quality toys. Post a query requesting your child’s dream toy. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get it for free!
7. Look for discount coupons on line. Simply google the name of the toy and “coupon,” and see what turns up. And here’s an easier way you can save some money on high quality, natural toys. To save 10% off your first order at Natural Pod, just use coupon code GCM08.
But these are only temporary steps. The only way we will keep junk toys out of the store aisles is by exerting pressure on government to strengthen the regulations governing toy safety and inspections. Here’s what you can do:
8. Call or write your Congressional delegation and tell them that you want more resources devoted to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the agency tasked with ensuring the safety of our children’s toys.
9. Write to your state and local representatives too. States like Washington and Oregon are ahead of federal law it comes to protecting our kids from unsafe toys.
10. Align yourself with organizations that are lobbying the government on behalf of children’s issues. Groups such as Momsrising lobby for passage of laws that help protect kids not only from recalled toys, but from toys containing unsafe levels of chemical toxins.
How are you going to handle toy shopping this holiday season? Leave a comment and share!
— Lynn
Copyright OrganicMania 2008
Filed under Eco-friendly toys, Green moms, Holidays, Marketing, Parenting, Product Recommendations, Tips | Wordpress Comments (10) |BlogHERs, Green Moms, and Film
People who know me “in the real world” know I’m not shy. You can still tell that I was the girl voted “most talkative” in my high school class! Yet when it comes to the blogosphere, I haven’t always been my normal gregarious self. I’ve been ribbed about not having a picture up on Twitter, and for trying to pass myself off as Catherine Zeta Jones here on OrganicMania.
There’s something special about connecting with other like-minded souls though the power of our words. When I read blogs, I think about the blogger’s sentiments. I don’t look at someone who may or may not share my race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or age.
Yet as I prepared for BlogHER DC and my first face-to-face meeting with some of my Green Mom’s Carnival friends, I reverted to the old stereotype that I poked fun of in this post, BlogHERs Worrying About What to Wear. Of course, I had more to worry about than just meeting a bunch of cybersisters for the first time – I was also self-conscious about appearing on camera for noted documentary film maker Min Sook Lee’s upcoming film.
I couldn’t avoid the camera this time. This was something different – something worth doing. Min Sook is trying to raise awareness of the toxic products marketed to the most innocent among us – our babies.
She first spoke to Sommer Poquette aka Green & Clean Mom about her film project, and Sommer suggested that Min fly to DC’s BlogHER conference to meet several of the other “Green Moms Carnival” Moms. Although we email each other on a near-daily basis, it was the first time we had all met each other – Jenn Savedge of The Green Parent, Jennifer Taggert, aka SmartMama, Diane MacEachern of Big Green Purse fame, Jess, formerly of SurelyYouNest and late of Green Phone Booth, and Sommer.
So I put aside my fears and put on my lead-free lipstick and marched out to the conference. We enjoyed BlogHER and met up for dinner afterwards, joined by C. Levine of FoodieTots.
It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in my journey as a mother. These women are so bright, and so committed to making a difference and to empowering other women to make the right decisions for the health of their children.
And as I looked around the BlogHER conference room at all the women I didn’t know, I smiled at a few of the BlogHERs. As I looked at their faces, I wondered about what was going on inside their heads. What words of wisdom would pour out of their blogs the next day as they reflected on BlogHER?
In some sense, I wish I hadn’t been so preoccupied with Min and the cameras – I missed much of the conference as Min filmed The Smart Mama testing Big Boy’s toys for lead. (Be sure to read Jess’s great post about what turned up in the lead testing). But next year, there will be another BlogHER. The opportunity to be a part of Min’s film and to connect with these very special “Green Moms” was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Just one more example of how blogging truly has changed my life.
— Lynn
Copyright 2008 OrganicMania
Filed under Green moms, Parenting | Wordpress Comments (10) |Holiday Mania Approaches: Take Control
Outside it may be Indian Summer, but step foot into your local stores and you may think we’re just days away from Halloween or even Christmas.
But the fact is, the holidays are not here yet. They’re actually a long way off. This means that you have time to give some thought to how YOU want to spend the holidays. What type of traditions would you like to establish in your family?
Every year we hear people complaining about the commercialization of the holidays. So many of us wish there was something we could do to turn the clock back to the simpler days of years past. There is something you can do – as a parent, you’re in control of what traditions are introduced to your family. It’s never too late to start anew.
Take Halloween. What used to be a simple holiday dedicated to trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples has morphed into a commercial extravaganza featuring everything from outdoor electric light displays to “gift bags” at Halloween parties. Have kids changed so much in a generation that candy is no longer a big enough treat at Halloween?
No, it’s not the kids that have changed. It’s the marketing messages that have changed. What was once a simple holiday aimed at children has now become yet another holiday extravaganza full of sophisticated marketing messages urging adults to buy, buy, buy more cheap and tacky stuff that somehow promises to make our holidays all the happier. But the truth is, the only things this junk will do is pollute our earth and empty our pocketbooks.
If you’re looking for some tips and tricks on how to fight consumerism this holiday season, check out these resources:
– Center for A New American Dream, which has loads of resources about fighting excess commercialism;
– GreenHalloween.org, which has tips on going green at school and at home;
and be sure to visit the Green Moms Carnival on Monday over at Green Bean Dreams. My sisters in arms will be posting about ways you can help retake the holiday spirit by fighting holiday commercialism.
How will you plan to celebrate Halloween this year? Leave a comment and share!
Lynn
Copyright 2008 OrganicMania
Filed under Cheap Plastic Crap, Green moms, Holidays, Parenting, Savings Tips | Wordpress Comments (10) |An Oldie But A Goody: Healthy, Organic & On The Road at Crunchy Domestic Goddess!
Crunchy Domestic Goddess is one of the blogosphere’s original “Green Moms.” Our goddess Amy was green before anyone called it green! So it’s a special thrill to have one of OrganicMania’s favorite posts, “Healthy, Organic & On The Road” featured over at Crunchy Domestic Goddess. Check it out!
Amy’s been blogging since ’04, is a contributing editor at BlogHer and API Speaks, a reviewer at Green Mom Finds, a contributor to 5 Minutes for Going Green and she’s the “Eco Diva” at Blissfully Domestic. She is one of the most outspoken and well informed voices in the Green Mom blogosphere on issues including natural living, extended breastfeeding, and natural birth.
This week, Crunchy Domestic Goddess is featuring some of her favorite posts from other Green voices around the blogosphere. So go take a peek – it’s a great way to catch some of the best green posts around.
Thanks, Amy, for all you do, and have a great vacay!
— Lynn
Filed under Blog, Green Ideas & Stuff, Green moms, Parenting | Wordpress Comments (2) |Green Biz: Do the Simple Things
We all know businesses are trying to go green. Some are even going to incredible lengths to run “green promotions” that are really not authentic representations of their businesses. This type of self-promoting “eco-PR” will likely only get them nailed in the blogosphere as “green washers.” It’s a shame, really, when the right green path can consist of very simple steps, even for the smallest local businesses.
It came to me on my morning walk. As I passed by the local church’s summer camp, I noticed that the kids were drinking water from styrofoam cups.
How many kids across the US are drinking from styrofoam rather than recyclable or biodegradable cups? Wouldn’t it be great if local businesses could step up and donate eco-friendly cups to the camps? The kids would learn a valuable lesson about environmental stewardship, and the businesses would get a three-fer: helping the local community, building goodwill, and taking a simple step to help the environment.
No one needs crazy “green campaigns” that consume more resources than they save. If you’re a small business owner, take a walk, clear your head, and look around your community. You’ll probably come up with your own great green ideas.
And if you’re a parent dropping your kid at camp, tell me – is your camp a bit “greener” this year? Or are things the same as they’ve always been?
— Lynn
Copyright 2008 OrganicMania
Filed under Green Ideas & Stuff, Parenting | Wordpress Comments (3) |Just a Glass
Wednesdays are one of my favorite days in the blogosphere because of a great carnival over at RocksInMyDryer. Each week, hundreds of Moms share tips about what “works for me.” The tips can be everything from the organic and green living tips yours truly contributes to just about anything having to do with parenting. Today, for example, the tips include “limiting TV,” “toy storage,” “toddler bathtime and pedicure in one,” “chore system,” and “managing a sick family” – along with more than 200 other suggestions!
There’s a simple issue that really bugs a lot of Moms, and it’s something that’s always puzzled me. The whole cup / sippy cup thing. Why do we think kids need sippy cups? Who among us grew up with sippy cups? And does anyone really think it’s cool to watch a kid chew on plastic? It doesn’t matter if its BPA-free or #5 or whatever the “acceptable” plastic alternative is these days.
It’s still plastic.
Your little darling’s teeth are gnawing on this plastic.
How can that possibly be healthy? It doesn’t matter what the plastic’s number is or if it’s made of recycled corn! It’s still plastic, and if you look closely, you’ll no doubt see tiny teeth marks all over the spout.
What to use instead? Well, your glass model above, aka Boo, is holding a small juice glass, courtesy of Crate and Barrel. He’s proud to hold it, and he’s been perfectly capable of doing so since he was about a year-old. His older brother started at an even younger age.
When glass seems to be a bad bet, I sometimes whip out something akin to Dixie cups. Simple paper cups. Remember them?
So next time you’re stressing out about whether or not your plastic sippies are “safe,” give it a rest. Try a regular glass or even a paper cup.
— Lynn
Copyright OrganicMania 2008
Filed under Green Ideas & Stuff, Parenting | Wordpress Comment (1) |
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