Spring Cleaning
Spring is in the air, and with Spring comes Spring Cleaning for many of us. But in the rush to clean, you may inadvertently be doing more bad than good.
Most of the cleaning products we grew up with are full of trace amounts of chemicals that have been linked to health problems ranging from asthma to cancer, according to environmental watchdog groups like the Environmental Working Group.
So what can you do?
Here are three tips:
1. Go natural. Look for “green” cleaners, but be sure to read the labels. Unfortunately the terms “green,” “eco” and “eco-friendly” are unregulated and can mean anything from truly natural with no synthetic ingredients, to a mish-mash of chemicals with some natural essences thrown in for good measure. If you’re not sure what an ingredient means, go to the EWG’s Chemical Index here.
2. Avoid anti-bacterial products. These products are linked by health officials to the rise in microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics. This is not new news. Read this Center for Disease Control alert from 2001. It says in part that antibacterial ingredients “are now being added to products used in healthy households, even though an added health benefit has not been demonstrated. Scientists are concerned that the antibacterial agents will select bacteria resistant to them and cross-resistant to antibiotics. Moreover, if they alter a person’s microflora, they may negatively affect the normal maturation of the T helper cell response of the immune system to commensal flora antigens; this change could lead to a greater chance of allergies in children. As with antibiotics, prudent use of these products is urged. Their designated purpose is to protect vulnerable patients.”
3. Consider going “back to the future.” Simple basics like baking soda, castile soap, vinegar, and lemon can do the bulk of the cleaning in your home. “Recipes” for these conoctions are available here.
And be sure to check out the other suggestions from The Green Moms Carnival, which will appear at Tiny Choices on Tuesday.
How do you clean? Leave a comment and share!
— Lynn
Copyright OrganicMania 2009
Filed under Uncategorized | Wordpress Comments (13) |I Believe
For this month’s Green Moms Carnival, Jennifer Taggert of The Smart Mama asked us to blog on the topic: “I Believe.”
I believe that small steps make a difference.
I believe in God, and I believe that God wants us to take care of the Earth.
I believe in the power of the Green Moms Carnival. I believe that raising our voices together makes a difference, whether we are blogging about global warming, or urging the Obama Administration to adopt a prevention agenda, or any of the other upcoming topics, like plastics.
I believe that sometimes you need to step away from the blogging and writing and spend more time just being and doing. That’s one reason I’m not quite as active in the blogosphere as I was this time last year. I’m spending more time building my client base of green and wanna-be-more green companies, helping them to take small steps that cumulatively will make a big difference to us and our children. As business has taken off (good!), my time for blogging and visiting my favorite blogs has decreased (bad!)
I believe that it’s never too late to make a difference.
And I believe that for some reason, this was one of the hardest Carnival topics to tackle! What do you think?
Be sure to check out Jennifer’s site on Monday to see the other Green Moms Carnival posts!
— Lynn
Copyright OrganicMania 2009
Filed under Uncategorized | Wordpress Comments (9) |Nothing to do Tomorrow? It’s IICFBD!
That’s International Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, held the first Saturday in February. What began as a small gathering in upstate New York is now a worldwide event, but still very much under-the-radar!
So call some friends, and make tomorrow morning an Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! A sure cure for the winter doldrums, it’s pretty hard to be dreary when you’re eating ice cream for breakfast along with your pals!
Here’s more on the story from the “official” Ice Cream for Breakfast Day website.
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Ruth and a little boy named Joe. Ruth and Joe grew up in the
back of beyond in New York state where it was very very cold. Every winter between New Year’s Eve and
Passover, life in up-state New York got extremely boring, so their parents invented a holiday to brighten
up the dreary days of winter. It was called Ice Cream For Breakfast Day. This was a wonderful holiday for
children and parents alike because to celebrate you had to eat ice cream for breakfast on the first Saturday in
February.
Well, Ruth and Joe grew up and went away to a university. They made many friends and taught them all
about Ice Cream For Breakfast Day. After college Ruth had a roommate named Barry to whom she also told
about this tradition. Many years later, Barry met Itzah C. Kret in Washington, D.C. and converted him into an
Ice Cream For Breakfast Day observer.
Nobody has kept precise track but through word of mouth ICFBD has been celebrated in many homes, states
and countries all over the world. Some people give parties with musical instruments, others simply
celebrate with family members. There is no right or wrong so long as you follow the 3 plus 1 simple Ice
Cream for Breakfast Day Rules
(1) Eat ice cream
(2) for breakfast
(3) on the first Saturday in February
(4) spread the word
The rest is up to you!
As for me, I’m fortunate to be invited to the famous Barry’s party, where I’ll also get to see Itzah C. Kret. Check out the great site they’ve put up, take a peek at the great pix on this new Ice Cream for Breakfast Day Blog, and let me know if you spring for Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! (And yes, make it organic!)
Have fun!
— Lynn
Copyright OrganicMania 2009
Filed under Uncategorized | Wordpress Comment (0) |Off the Beaten Path: Affordable, Great Green Inaugural Events
Perhaps you’ve heard of the two “official” green inaugural events. Sure, it would be great to be invited by Al Gore to his “Green Ball: Inauguration of a New Economy.” And who wouldn’t want to hear Wyclef Jean at the Green Inaugural Ball? Sounds good, but you need to shell out $500 for a ticket.
If access and cash are in short supply, you’re not alone, but don’t despair. There are still a few special green inaugural events with space available and they’re a lot more affordable than these other two green galas.
Here’s a look at two green events on Monday the Inaugural Interfaith Bike EcoTour and MLK and the 44th Presidential Inaugural EcoTour Dinner – all sponsored by Chesapeake Bioneers, Wholeness for Humanity, and Service for Peace.
If you’re fit, grab your bike and join this tour of six houses of worship, starting at Saint Columba’s Episcopal Church at 9:30 a.m.. The tour will progress down Mass Ave and end at the Islamic Center at 2 PM. RSVP to Greg Drury – gd_wfh@earthlink.net (and tell him Lynn from OrganicMania sent you!)
Later that night, for just $85, you can enjoy healthy green cuisine, including at least one RAW dish, as well as what’s billed as “socially conscious and exciting entertainment,” and a tour of the African American Celebrations exhibit at the Smithsonian Institutions’ Anacostia Community Museum in SE DC. The event will feature The Honorable Reverend Walter Fauntroy, Washington DC’s first delegate to the US House of Representatives.
The museum is accessible from the Anacostia Metro, and GM will be providing Hydrogen Cell Vehicles to shuttle attendees to the dinner.
Learn more and register here.
Filed under Uncategorized | Wordpress Comment (1) |Global Warming: “Our Kids are Going to be So Angry with Us”
It’s been five months since I read those words from Thomas L. Friedman, and yet they’ve stayed with me. They hit my gut as a warning that each of us will be held accountable for what we did – or didn’t – do to stop the disasterous affects of climate change. It surprised me that Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer prize winner and New York Times columnist with all the resources in the world at his disposal, chose to frame the battle against climate change in the context of a generational reckoning with our kids.
Here’s an excerpt from his August 5th New York Times column:
“..my trip with Denmark’s minister of climate and energy, Connie Hedegaard, to see the effects of climate change on Greenland’s ice sheet leaves me with a very strong opinion: Our kids are going to be so angry with us one day.
We’ve charged their future on our Visa cards. We’ve added so many greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, for our generation’s growth, that our kids are likely going to spend a good part of their adulthood, maybe all of it, just dealing with the climate implications of our profligacy…”
Much has changed since those words were published five months ago. We’ve elected Barack Obama, someone whom we can count on to take action against global warming.
That’s great news, but we can’t leave it all to him.
As a mother who doesn’t want to face that angry reckoning with my own kids, I’m concerned. (Of course, I’ve already had angry exchanges with them about the need to fight global warming – like this one).
I see too many parents relaxing just a bit. “Oh, the new energy bill will take are of things,” they say. “We’ll finally have an EPA with some teeth,” they remark.
We can only count on Washington for so much. At the end of the day, the fight against global warming will be waged by Mothers who choose to stuff their kids into Priuses and the like instead of Chevy Suburbans, and who tell their kids that no, they’re not going to drive them to the corner store, they’ll need to walk. It will be waged by husbands who realize that an 8,000 square foot “green” house is not really green, no matter how many fuel efficient systems are crammed into the new construction.
Many of my “Green Mom” friends are joining in to raise awareness of the need to continue the fight against climate change. Their posts will be featured at the January Green Moms Carnival over at Not Quite Crunchy Parent.
Please check the posts out, and leave your thoughts below.
God knows we don’t need angry kids, right?
— Lynn
Copyright 2009 OrganicMania
The 100 Mile Thanksgiving, Part II
Following is the continuation of Jennifer Kaplan’s post about celebrating a “100 Mile” Thanksgiving. You can read the first part here.
First, we spent Sunday morning at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market. We found all sorts of fabulous greens, yams, “Dr. Seuss” cauliflower, herbs and chicken for stock. Of course, once the kids warmed up with hot cocoa and croissants it was a terrific morning all around.
About the rest of the guests, at first I heard nothing back from my email describing the 100-mile Thanksgiving. Then a few requests to resend the email. Finally….
– My sister-in-law from Brooklyn is bringing an apple-pear chutney to replace cranberry sauce. She also asked if chocolate from Jacques Torres in Brooklyn qualified. We decided, since one cannot pass up Jacques Torres Chocolate and we’re making a similar exception for coffee, that products with raw materials that cannot be found within a 100 miles (cocoa nibs, coffee beans) can be brought if they are processed locally. So, Jacques Torres is in as is Gimme Coffee! roasted in Ithaca, NY.
– My mother-in-law from Tampa wants to bring key-limes for pie. But, she then emailed asking if I could buy Carnation condensed milk “locally”! I asked my husband to call her and explain that condensed milk was not in the spirit of the 100 mile meal, but he refused. Emails flew back and forth. Homemade condensed milk wouldn’t do the trick. Our friend Steve, who so embraced the 100 mile meal that he’s making his own potato starch, emailed an incredible Alice Waters recipe for a tangerine tart that he has made with key limes before and that does not call for condensed milk. Finally Steve wrote my husband an email to try and keep the peace:
But maybe Jennifer should consider a sort of cap and trade program. I make 1/4 cup of my own potato starch and sell your mom a credit with which your mom can buy an offset to cover 8 ounces of condensed milk. I find local flour — BINGO — and mom can buy enough offsets to fly a mail order key lime pie in from Kansas City.
Good idea…we should all be so diplomatic!
Filed under Uncategorized | Wordpress Comment (1) |The Motrin Response
Hell hath no fury like a Mommy blogger scorned. Motrin took down its ad last night – in fact, the mere act of taking down the ad took down the entire Motrin website! (Talk about a Motrin headache!)
Below is the text of an email Motrin sent to Crunchy Domestic Goddess, and many of the other bloggers who jumped on this issue.
I am the Vice President of Marketing for McNeil Consumer Healthcare. I have responsibility for the Motrin Brand, and am responding to concerns about recent advertising on our website. I am, myself, a mom of 3 daughters.
We certainly did not mean to offend moms through our advertising. Instead, we had intended to demonstrate genuine sympathy and appreciation for all that parents do for their babies. We believe deeply that moms know best and we sincerely apologize for disappointing you. Please know that we take your feedback seriously and will take swift action with regard to this ad. We are in process of removing it from our website. It will take longer, unfortunately, for it to be removed from magazine print as it is currently on newstands and in distribution.
-Kathy
Kathy Widmer
VP of Marketing – Pain, Pediatrics, GI, Specialty
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
In DC or San Francisco? Check out GreenFest, Fun for the Whole Family!
Today was a day when being a Mom interfered with being a Green Mom, and unfortunately I missed the GreenFest remarks of fellow Green Mom Jenn Savedge, author of The Green Parent.
But when I finally arrived at GreenFest, DH and two munchkins in tow, I had so much fun that we shut the place down. Literally. We were the last attendees to leave the show floor- an hour after closing time!
The first thing you’ll notice about GreenFest is the food. There are so many free snack samples, your head will spin. It was fun to try the new products being launched. (Amy’s Organics new gummy bunnies were a big hit with the kids!)
And as far as kids go, this show has them covered. There is an amazing Kids Zone complete with a mobile rainforest, courtesy of Discovery Creek, DC’s outdoor kids museum. They’ve got games for the kids and free Organic Valley milk samples right there too! And yes, there are plenty of vendors with “green toys.” Big Boy found something he calls “Green Pokemon” and was over the moon. (More on that in a future post!)
I enjoyed learning about new eco-friendly businesses and charities, and bumping into many of my Twitter buddies, Green Mom Blogging friends, and business colleagues.
And after hanging out with the kids and the Green Moms proved too much for DH? Why, he simply sampled the beverages at the Organic Beer and Wine pavilion!
If you’re in DC, head on over to the Convention Center tomorrow. And if you’re in San Francisco, you’re in luck because the festival hits your city next week.
There’s so much more I could say – I’ve got a lot of fodder for future posts. Or check out my tweets from the show at http://twitter.com/organicmania.
Have fun!
Lynn
Copyright 2008 OrganicMania
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Filed under Uncategorized | Wordpress Comments (2) |Green Ladies: Send this to your Valentine (Hint, Hint)
If you’re lucky enough to have a Valentine who may be hunting for a special something for you, you just may want to send this post along as a hint.
Completely green, organic, and with proceeds benefiting the wonderful green charity The Nature Conservancy, these organic flowers, e-cards, and gift memberships are the perfect gift for a green woman.
Be sure to click on this link for details on how to order and to benefit the Nature Conservancy!
— Lynn
Filed under Eco-friendly gifts, Green Charities, Holidays, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day | Wordpress Comment (0) |The Day After Super Tuesday: Need a Good Cuppa Joe?
I was planning to post more today about green and organic alternatives for Valentine’s Day, but like many of you, I suspect, I can’t stop thinking about last night’s thrilling election returns. I don’t want to turn this into a political blog, so commenting seems off-topic. But what do we politically aware, green and organic Dems, Republicans and Independents all have in common? We’re probably all tired from staying up late last night waiting for the returns!
Now here’s where the dividing line may occur. Some of you may have sworn off coffee for health reasons. But I’ve seen just as much science showing that coffee in moderate amounts can be good for you. Since espresso has less caffeine than coffee (and I think it’s more delicious), I drink café lattes in the morning to get me going, especially on a day like today. After getting to bed at midnight, today was a three latte morning.
And if you’re looking for a good cuppa java to help you make it through the day, I’d like to introduce you to Café Altura. I love this stuff! It is biodynamic, organic, and fair trade. What’s more, as you can see from the photo, they deliver! So convenient and so delicious! And at under $11 per pound (including shipping), it’s a great buy, too! (Lest you wonder, I have no affiliation with Altura other than the fact that I drink their coffee, which my darling husband buys! In other words, this post is not a paid post or advertisement! In fact, to-date, OrganicMania has not accepted any advertising).
By the way, MamaBird at Surely You Nest had a great post about Fair Trade recently…great explanations…check it out.
— Lynn
Filed under Biodynamic food, Food, Organic Prices, Product Recommendations, Uncategorized, Where to Buy Organics | Wordpress Comment (1) |
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