Happy Green Beings

Earth day has been around since 1970 but I didn’t know the rest of the story. You can find it here and while you’re there, check out ways to green your garage.

Other great places to learn more about being green.

Mom Go Green Musings of a Mom on a Quest for a Healthy Planet and Family

Women’s Voices for the Earth - loads of great resources including how to have a green cleaning party!

and the mother of them all
The We Campaign spearheaded by Al Gore and funded to the tune of $300 million!

How will you celebrate Earth Day?

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OK, so I’m not just about to talk about all the things that doctors talk about, that’s for doctors. I’m going to talk about MY version of staying healthy. Don’t be offended if I leave something out, i can be pretty forgetful.

We all know moving is important and that everyone should do about 20 min. + per day, but seriously, who actually does that? Not me, that’s for sure. If you do, congratulations! You’ve won the Healthy and Fit… Contest! Anyway, it’s getting to be summer, and for people like me, that means WAY more moving than my usual 45 min. physical education class per week. Well, I’ve come up with some ideas about moving this summer, so that I get out more than I did last summer to enjoy the good weather, while it lasts. Here they are:

1. biking to: library, park, video store… ect.

2. swimming on sunny days (maybe even having a few lifeguard supervised pool parties)

3. walking the dog more often than usual- this way, both me AND my dog get the wonderful benefits

4. push-up and sit-ups every morning- or when I fell like it

5. gardening- this will help make our landscape less dreary

6. NO CARS, unless it is necessary

7. boating- that includes canoing and kayaking. Once it’s warm enough, I’ll be out paddling the river with my dad

So, those are my 7 ideas that I can think of at this moment, but I’m sure you smart people can think of many others.

Now, I’ll talk about that wonderful thing that keeps out complicated human machine running and serves as “gas”: food. Summer may mean more getting out and moving around, but it also means BBQ and grill-outs. Personally, I think a lot about how food is good for my body and how it is good to eat it. If it has no purpose what so ever, or if it is super important. I know potato chips and a greasy hamburger with a load of corn syrup-y Ketchup isn’t exactly good for my heart, but I gotta admit, it can be a good once-in-awhile treat. Growing up in a family that’s CRAZY about healthy food may seem like it wouldn’t be much fun, but overall it is defiantly helpful. Not only does it educate you about how things can have a good/bad impact on your body, but it also teaches you to enjoy food that comes strait from our good friend Mother Earth. In my life, I’ve probably eaten more pounds of rice and kidney beans than most people, but those two foods are great staples. Add a few stir fried veggies and you have a whole meal!

It’s always nice to plop down with a sugary artificial flavored Popsicle, but wouldn’t you rather have a natural freezy than one that’s loaded with sugar? Well, here’s how you make them:

Ingredients: all natural frozen juice concentrate.

Instructions: follow the directions on the tube of juice concentrate to mix it in a jug. Poor juice into ice-cube trays, or if they are available, Popsicle trays. If you used the ice-cube trays, stick a toothpick in each square filled with juice. let the juice freeze in the freezer over night or until solid. Enjoy!

Here’s one more healthy snack before I rap it up:

Ingredients: your favorite fresh veggies, and natural ranch dressing or peanut butter.

Instructions: Cut the veggies of your choice into 3″ pieces. Put dressing or peanut butter into a small container. Dip veggies into the dressing or peanut butter. Happy eating!

I hope you have enjoyed my little post!

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[Warning to boys and those squeamish about bodily functions:  I'm about to talk about girl stuff.  You're welcome to read on, but I thought I should give fair warning]

It’s that time of the month.  That time when I DON’T travel to the store to buy tampons or pads that are bleached with dioxin containing substances, and lined with petroleum containing plastics.  Instead, I pull out my stash of flannel cloth pads and my Diva cup, a favorite tea called “My Last Nerve“, and I’m all set.

Why choose cloth pads?  I decided on cloth pads some 14 years ago, when I had just one little toddler in cloth diapers.  I read about cloth pads somewhere, I don’t remember exactly where now.  I thought it made sense if we had babies in cloth diapers, that this would be a consistent choice.  (By the way, we cloth diapered four children.  For four years, we had two in diapers at a time.  This is a story for another post.)  I wasn’t sure I would like the pads or dealing with them, but I ordered a few and got started.  My favorite pads come from Glad Rags.  In the years since I started using them, I’ve spent probably a total of $100 on reusable pads.  That’s a considerable savings over what I would have spent using disposable products.  A second benefit of this choice is how they feel.  You know when you’re feeling a little queasy, crampy, not so up to par, and your episiotomy scar is throbbing a wee bit? A little flannel pad is very comfortable and, well, comforting.  (Who invented the episiotomy, anyway?  I’d like to give him a piece of my mind. . .)

I know many of you are probably saying “eeewwww” right now, so I thought I would address the yuck factor.  I’ve had plenty of people dismiss the entire concept of cloth pads by saying “I just don’t want to deal with it.”  To that I say, what do you think happens to those pads and tampons you put in the garbage?  They don’t just magically disappear.  Someone has to empty that cute little trash container in the public bathroom.  If I consider handling my own waste versus handling someone else’s, the yuck factor increases exponentially.  Additionally, many of these products end up hung up on the infamous “bar screen” at the sewage treatment plant.  If your sophomore biology teacher didn’t take you on a field trip to your municipal sewage treatment plant, you should march your little self there as soon as possible.  Check it out, see where all that stuff goes, and talk to the folks who “deal” with your garbage and everyone else’s that gets flushed down the toilet.

As an interesting little aside here, I’ve toured three sewage treatment plants in my life.  The first one was when I was a high school sophomore biology student and I toured the Milwaukee, Wisconsin plant.  That was a life-changing event for me, as I was horrified to discover that at that time, when there were big rains, not all the sewage exactly got treated before it was dumped into Lake Michigan.  I was an instant environmentalist.  Someone also asked what was the strangest thing that showed up at the bar screen.  We were told that a body had once ended up there.  It obviously wasn’t flushed, but managed to make it’s way into the sewage pipes some other way.  Perhaps this is more information that you bargained for?

Back to the cloth pads.  They come in beautiful colors that help to remind you to celebrate your womanhood.  You can make your own; a pattern can be found at http://sewgreen.blogspot.com/2007/05/cloth-pads.html, or several can be found here: http://www.fuzbaby.com/articles/makeyourown_clothmenstrualpads.htm.

Cleaning is easy.  Most of the purchase and other info sites recommend soaking.  I have done that, and even used the water to fertilize my plants, but it’s really not necessary.  If you do decide to soak, you need to change the water at least once per day.  I just wash with some BioKleen in the water.  Or if I’m out of that, just regular soap with vinegar in the rinse.  The pads actually grow softer with repeated washings.

Cloth pads make great postpartum pads as well.  You can dip your inserts into witch hazel, pop them in the freezer, and have a nice little ice pack for your tender healing bottom.

Four years ago, I discovered the newest edition to my sustainable monthly tools, the Diva Cup.   Unlike the episiotomy, The Diva Cup (or other menstrual cup) is truly a remarkable gift to women.  I found mine at Glad Rags, but we now carry them at The Red Radish.  If you purchase a brand other than the Diva Cup, make sure you get one made of medical grade silicon.  The cups come with a comprehensive set of instructions; if your instructions are missing like mine were, the company is oh, so very nice about emailing them right away.  I found the learning curve to be rather steep with the cup, but well worth the effort.

Lots of people have said to me that they are heavy bleeders and couldn’t use the cup.  It can overflow, so it’s a good plan to keep your cloth pads around and wear one just in case.  I have short, heavy periods and the cup is really amazing.  You may just have to empty it more often (every two hours, rather than four).

There is a bit of an eeewww factor with The Diva Cup as well.  Your fingers can get a bit messy, but that’s what soap and water are for.  I rinse mine after each empty, and wash it with a mild hand soap when I’m done with it.

I admit, public bathrooms are the biggest drawback of the cup.  It’s ok if you find a private one with toilet and sink all behind one locked door.  But the lineup of stalls, with the lineup of sinks is a situation I haven’t really found a solution for yet.   You can empty your cup into the toilet, but if you feel you need to rinse it out before re-inserting, you may just have to endure some stares, or get creative.  I did manage to find a tiny out of the way bathroom in the Capitol building in Washington D.C. when my daughter and I were traveling last summer.

So, why do I do all of this each month?  It is empowering to find a solution to an everyday situation that doesn’t involve constant consumption of resources.  I feel very self-sufficient, cut off from “needing” to purchase paper and plastic each month.  The production of those products poisons the earth, and my body as well.  I’m taking responsibility for my body and at least some of it’s products, and I’m accepting this inevitable part of being a woman instead of denying it.  I enjoy knowing that in this one little way I’m (kinda secretly) making a difference.

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Because people ask me all the time the following is a list of the products we use to clean our entire house, bathroom, kitchen, floors, laundry, everything….

Vinegar - white distilled
Baking Soda - plain old Arm and Hammer
Dish Soap -
Hydrogen Peroxide
Bac-Out by Bio-Kleen
Bio-Kleen laundry powder
Essential Oils (lemon, peppermint, tea tree, lavender)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Simple Green

That’s it. It should be noted that these are in order - heaviest use to lightest use. If you’re new to cleaning without all the ammonia, bleach and and heavy toxins, here are some ways to get started.

Vinegar is an incredible cleaner. We use it straight out of a spray bottle on our kitchen sinks and counter tops (Formica and stainless), toilets, tub, and bathroom and kitchen floor. We use it diluted with water for the hardwood floors, spot cleaning walls, light switches, railings, cupboard doors, and door frames. A spray of vinegar followed by a spray of hydrogen peroxide is very effective at killing bacteria (for more see this resource) and can be used to clean up after handling raw meat and eggs.

Baking Soda is also a great cleanser, slightly abrasive but not enough to scratch shiny surfaces. Everyone knows that baking soda followed by vinegar keeps drains running clear but try mixing baking soda with mild dish soap and using as a substitute for harsher products. I recently used this on my stop top with amazing results!

Dish Soap There are lots of choices here. We like Dishmate but have also used Mrs. Meyers, Ecover and Seventh Generation. You’ll find these products to be a little less bubbly but just as effective on grease as the more widely used versions.

Hydrogen Peroxide was a big surprise to me as a cleaner. I grew up thinking it was only for scrapes and cuts. Turns out it’s a mild bleaching agent - cleans clothes and kills bacteria. Yep, you can toss a 1/2 a cup or so in for whiter whites and you can spray your cutting boards for easy raw meat/egg clean-up. You can also spray your fresh veggies and give your dish rags a soak. Just make sure to keep it in the brown bottle or a similarly dark container - exposure to light causes Hydrogen Peroxide to decompose faster.

Bio-Kleen Products - We started using Bac-Out when we started washing cloth diapers at home. What is it? It’s an enzyme producing culture that can take care just about any spill, stain or odor caused by an organic source (as opposed to synthetic source). Dirty diapers - no problem. Red wine spilled on the white carpet - no problem. Cat peed on the guest bed - no problem. Mold in the shower - no problem. Really. The stuff is incredible.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO) and Essential Oils We use EVOO mostly to cook but mixed with a little lemon essential oil, it makes a fine furniture polish - one that our six year old can make by herself and we don’t worry about the 1 year old getting into it.

A few drops of eucalyptus oil mixed with vinegar in the fabric softener section of our washing machine keeps our towels and cloth napkins mildew free (even when they sit wet for a few days before we get to washing).

So there you have it, you can clean your house, do your laundry and polish your furniture - all with just a few non-toxic products. Got questions? Leave a comment and I’ll address it in another post. Or if you have your own favorite cleaners let us know.

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Could it be that time is one of the largest contributors to global warming? No, the batteries for my watch aren’t that big a factor. Even if it does not charge up with sunlight. I’m talking about the scheduling problem. When we say yes to everything, time becomes the main reason we all want to drive our own cars. We need to get from point A to point B quickly, and without consideration of who else may be heading in the same direction, because their calendar exists within a completely different agenda. My kid needs to have every opportunity, so I’ll plan for him to be involved in every activity possible. We book them for lessons, practices, and groups. Is it logistically possible? Hmm, if the piano lesson can be changed to a little earlier, I can still get child B to their practice at school Z. We seek the best possible competitive activities, and we don’t mind if it is across town, or even across the state. Did we have fewer children than our parents so that we could be sure to accommodate their every potential, or was it because of the population explosion? I can’t remember which came first, can you? Then, I idle my time away in my mobile shelter, waiting to make the return trip or to transport child A to the next appointed session.

Would it be possible to have children become happy, fully developed human beings if they had fewer interests to choose from? Or would that amount to a failure of parental responsibility? My mom was the eldest of 13, so she didn’t have very far to go. There was a baby on her hip from the time of her first memory. Gardens of beans to pick bugs off of, wood to gather for the morning breakfast bisquits, and a long walk to school. Fun was a hoop and a stick or a doll that was in the stocking a few winters before. Our Dad spent all of his time at the skating rink during the winters in Green Bay. Said that he never felt his feet for weeks at a time. There was basketball and baseball to play the rest of the year. How is it that they could be happy growing up with so few options? When I was a kid, I remember riding my bicycle to swim lessons, tennis lessons, and even art lessons. If it would have required a car ride from a parent to get there, it probably wouldn’t be an option. Baseball was the exception. We walked across the street for that activity, but rode in cars to the more distant diamonds when I was older. Cube that and you have an idea of what my kids have to choose from. But they are still bored.

So if we rode our bikes to stuff instead of driving, could we get there in time? Check out http://www.carfree.com/to see the ideas around going carless. My bike commute requires an early rise from bed, and over one hour to complete the journey if I don’t get a flat. Got to be there, so I have to allow an extra half hour before the first class.  Twenty minutes by car or an hour and fifteen minutes by bike is the choice. That time difference is a much greater factor than the feeling of riding on a cold day. Much more of a consideration than the choice of which bike to ride. Check out http://www.bicyclinglife.com/PracticalCycling/commuteguide.htm to learn about riding a bike to work, or http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/commute/index.htm and http://commutebybike.com/2008/04/04/insanely-long-bike-commute/ to learn even more. I have the return trip to consider. Sure, getting up is simple even if daylight savings time has sprung forward. But the true battle is with the expected taxi service post school day. When I look at my version of the American lifestyle, I have to point at the agenda as a major portion of my carbon footprint. At least as big as my less frequent choice to purchase, purchase, purchase. Because it is all of the extra trips I make to give our kids their opportunities that ties me to my car. But if that car became unavailable, would my kids lives be that much worse? I think we may find out pretty soon if the price of gas keeps rising.

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This blog is an excellent source of information on food and politics. The posts are long but the information is timely and often provides individuals with specific ways to get involved. (Plus the banner is beautiful!)

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