EasyEcoLiving

Mothering.Community

2009-07-10T15:42:00.007-04:00

Back in February I took my newly pregnant self to a nearby bookstore to browse the parenting and baby magazines to see if anything looked interesting. I picked up a few for a trip that Patrick and I were taking to Doylestown, PA for Vanlentine's Day weekend. I realized I literally hit the motherload when I bought Mothering Magazine.

I don't know how many of you have heard of Mothering but if you haven't, you really should try to get your hands on a copy and check it out. I find it can be difficult to locate in stores. After I read that first issue I tried to find subsequent issues and only had luck in one bookstore. I now have a subscription so I don't have to worry about searching it out every other month.

Mothering is geared toward women who like the natural approach to pregnancy, birth and parenting but it's an amazing resource for any parent, grandparent or caregiver. They cover topics such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping, autism and more and they feature excellent products and recipes. When I read other more mainstream parenting magazines I feel bombarded by advertisements. Even the articles are, themselves, advertisements. For instance, that same weekend I picked up an issue of Pregnancy Magazine. It featured Days of Our Lives and The Biggest Loser star Alison Sweeney. I love Days of Our Lives and I'm pregnant so I was psyched to have that issue. Much to my dismay, the entire article about Alison's baby shower was a written advertisement for the products she received at said shower. Not to mention that every other page has an ad for formula or bottles or disposable diapers. I mean hey, I know people use that stuff but at least represent the breast feeding, cloth diapering moms too!

So back to Mothering...not only do they have a wonderful magazine that I highly recommend you get a subscription to but even better is their website, mothering.com (and no, I don't get anything for recommending them. They have no idea I'm writing this). The site is packed with info and resources. My favorite addiction is the forums, adoringly referred to as the mothering.community. I love to read other moms' questions and answers because most of them are things I've wondered about myself. I've already founds lots of good info I'm applying to this pregnancy and I'm looking forward to finding answers to parenting questions when little Julian gets here and as he grows up.

In an effort to be even greener than they already are, Mothering Magazine offers online subscriptions at a discounted rate. I chose the paper route (and I do feel guilty about it) so that my husband will also read the magazine. He's more apt to read it if he sees it lying around the house. He's a fan, too!

Wasteful Packaging

2009-07-06T13:30:00.003-04:00

I found this on Treehugger today and just had to repost for my readers. Click on the link below and then through the pictures to see just a few of the many ways we waste materials with packaging. The prunes really get me because I've heard lots of people say, "Oh they're so great and so fresh!" COME ON!

Packaging Design at its Worst

A Visit With a "Wildman" and a Quick "Tip"

2009-07-01T19:41:00.004-04:00

Patrick and I spent an interesting evening at one of our local libraries meeting and getting to know "Wildman" Steve Brill. The Wildman doesn't shop for his food. Nor does he grow it in his garden. He forages for his food. Read all about it at Patrick's blog, The Hawk Owl's Nest.

As for my quick "tip". Next time you purchase cotton swabs, commonly and universally referred to as q-tips (whether or not they really are Q-Tip brand), look for ones with a cardboard tube instead of a plastic tube. Mine are plastic but I will be switching to cardboard as soon as I run out of the everlasting plastic ones. Cardboard is better because it will break down whereas the plastic will not.

And there you have my green "tip" on tips.

Let's Talk Birth

2009-06-29T16:19:00.004-04:00

For anyone out there who is pregnant or knows someone who is pregnant or is just curious to learn about anything birth related, you MUST take a look at this new website created by my friend, Heather.

Heather is an awesome woman and mom to her adorable eleven-month-old son, Carter. She is a wealth of information and is willing to share it with the world. Talkbirth.com is a new site but check back often because Heather will be adding more and more articles and info as time goes on.

Take advantage of Heather's wisdom and read her first two articles about active birth and doulas.

Enjoy!

Smartipants Diapers

2009-06-26T17:08:00.007-04:00

I always get excited like a kid on Christmas morning when a package arrives at my door. I am very excited today to receive three new SmartiPants diapers.

Smartipants is currently having a sale. You can get a girl, boy, neutral or white 3-pack of one-size diapers with inserts for $36.95. I got the boy pack (as pictured) but if I had realized I could get the neautral pack I would have. They're more versatile if in case we have a 2nd child someday and it's a girl or if I want to pass them on to someone else who happens to have a girl.

I wish I could write an official review but that won't happen until after our Baby Jules is here. Until then, if you're looking for a good deal on cloth diapers, Smartipants is worth checking out.

Cloth Diapering Blog

2009-06-24T15:24:00.003-04:00

I have a killer headache but I haven't blogged in a couple days and just want to get something out there. So because cloth diapering is green, here is a link to a great blog for all you moms of kids in diapers or anyone looking to learn more about cloth diapers. It's www.clothdiaperblog.com. Thanks to Danielle at New Mommy Rant for linking to it on her blog. That's where I first found it.

If You Care - Environment Friendly Products

2009-06-22T11:56:00.003-04:00

If you use coffee filters or cupcake liners, take a look at the If You Care line of products. Their paper products are 100% ubleached. Why is unbleached paper better? Because the bleaching process of our many, many paper products is a highly toxic business. The paper mills that bleach these products emit toxic chemicals such as dioxins, lead and mercury (just to name a few). Once in the air, these toxic chemicals don't go away. They get dispersed all over the place.

Not only are these chemicals released into the air during the bleaching process, they are also retained in the products themselves. In the case of coffee filters and cupcake liners that means those chemicals are in direct contact with things we put into our body.

An argument I hear all the time is that these toxic chemicals are found in trace amounts. Think about it. Trace amounts in our coffee, our cupcakes, the paper we write on, the diapers we put on our babies, the maxi pads and tampons we use, the toilet paper on our tushies, the paper towels and napkins used to wipe our faces, the paper plates holding the food we are about to eat. You add all that up and it isn't just trace amounts anymore.

We are bombarded with toxic chemicals in our modern society. Why not do what we can to eliminate a few here and there whenever possible?

Bill Recycles!

2009-06-19T16:51:00.006-04:00

I cannot believe I almost forgot to blog about one of my favorite shows, True Blood, and the fact that the lead character, Bill Compton, recycles! Yes, ladies, he's hot AND he recycles.

Here's Bill teaching a new housemate the rules of recycling. I guess he should care since he'll be roaming the earth until the end of time.

Fire Retardant-Free Baby Clothes

2009-06-19T15:57:00.005-04:00

Many things in our homes contain flame retardants. Unless you've sought out specific drapes, furniture, electronics, mattresses and bedding, these things most likely contain fire retardants. Meant to keep us safe in the event of a fire, these chemicals have been linked to cancer and other illnesses. Like most chemicals, they don't just go away after a period of time. They continue to off-gas for years, sitting in our lungs and getting into our bloodstreams.

One article I found states that, "The International Association of Firefighters supports bans on these chemicals because firefighters have been shown to be at much higher risk of cancer, heart, lung and other debilitating diseases caused by the dangerous gases created when fire retardants burn. If you are in your home when a fire starts, you are exposed to them too." Click here for full article.

The history of flame retardants has not been a healthy one. You can read the Wikipedia entry for flame retardants to see for yourself.

Children's clothing is another big market for flame retardants. Feeding on our desire to protect our children, manufaturers pile on the chemicals that will supposedly keep our little ones from burning but could, in the long run, cause health problems. The way I look at it is yes, it's important to protect our families from fire but we can take other precautions to acheive that (smoke detectors, a fire exit plan, knowledge of stop, drop and roll, etc.). In the meantime, exposing a child to chemical fire retardants, in my opinion, poses a greater risk.

Carter's to the rescue! Carter's does not use flame retardants in their clothing. You can find the following question and answer on the Carter's website:

Are your pajamas treated to prevent flammability?Our polyester sleepwear is naturally flame resistant and does not require the addition of any fire retardant in order to meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s requirements. Our 100% cotton sleepwear is not treated with a flame retardant either, but is tight fitting. The Consumer Product Safety Commission does not require tight fitting sleepwear to be flame resistant.

Furthermore, according to one mom on the Mothering.com Living Green forum who spoke with a Carter's rep, the company use ZERO chemicals on ANY of their clothing and products. Read the full post here.

And how about your pocketbook? Carter's clothing is more than affordable. You can find them in most stores and on sale often. If you live near a Carter's outlet you could really score some awesome deals. And yes, Carter's has an organic cotton line.

Cloth Diaper Debate

2009-06-17T10:48:00.002-04:00

Patrick and I are planning to use cloth diapers with our baby. There are many parents using cloth now so we have a lot of supportive people to turn to for help and advice. On the other hand we also get a lot of strange looks and questions. We give our spiel about the environment and sometimes we go into the health reasons but we're more careful with that because we don't want to offend anyone who is using disposables on their own child. It becomes a frustrating conversation when I start feeling like I need to defend my choice. Some people act as if what we'll be doing is the most disgusting, unsanitary thing a human could ever do. I'm not even going to get into that right now. That can be another blog post someday if I feel like addressing those ignorant views. Right now I'm fired up about another issue that inevitably arises when I discuss the environmental benefits of cloth diapers v. disposables.

"But the water you have to use to constantly wash all those diapers isn't good for the environment".

Taken by itself, without any knowledge of recycling or the state of our landfills, I suppose that statement could seem to make sense. But if you give it more than a split second's thought, how could anyone believe that? I just think it's a no brainer that to recycle anything is better than throwing it away and buying a new one. The problem is that people don't think about where their stuff comes from before they get it or where it goes when they are done with it.

So here's my response:
It takes TONS more water AND chemicals to continually produce all those disposables that never get a second life. It's like recycling anything. Should we only use paper plates and plastic eating utensils and styrofoam cups instead of reusable dishes because it would use "too much" water to run the dishwasher? Amazingly, I have heard that argument before. But better yet, it's like drinking water from plastic bottles instead of a reusable bottle, then throwing all those bottles into the garbage instead of recycling them. They sit in the landfills just like the diapers and the energy consumption to keep making those bottles is a heck of a lot more than the energy used to wash out a few Siggs that we would reuse.

So yes, using cloth diapers means doing extra laundry just like using my "real" dishes means running the dishwasher every other day but it also means saving the earth a lot of energy in the long run. If I have 20 cloth diapers they had to come from somewhere. There was energy put into making them before I bought them. Then I'll have to wash them every 2-3 days and then I'll get to reuse them. When my baby outgrows them I can save them if I plan to have a second child or I can pass them on to a friend or I can sell them. There is a huge market for used cloth diapers. If I'm really good and use all cotton or another natural fabric, they will someday break down and go back into the earth when the last baby is done with them. No sitting in landfills until the end of time. So that's it. The energy used to make 20 diapers plus the water and electricity (and all natural detergent) used to wash them every 2-3 days. Now compare that to the hundreds of disposables a baby will go through. Each of those disposable diapers is made up of paper, plastic, and that gross pulp that soaks up urine. One of these diapers is made using energy, water and chemicals for every single time a baby is changed and then where does it go when it gets thrown away? In a landfill, where it will sit FOREVER. Then you buy another case of diapers and the whole cycle starts again. One could easily surmise that we will someday be overrun by diapers and plastic water bottles (and other plastic waste) because without recycling, where are they going to go?

And the real kicker? Cloth diapering is cheaper!

Our First CSA Goodies

2009-06-12T11:20:00.003-04:00

Patrick and I are lucky enough to have a wonderful CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program very close to where we live. Our CSA is run by the students of Cook College of Rutgers University. The way it works is that we pay a flat fee for the season (June-November) to own a share of the organic farm on the Cook Campus. The students do all the work planting and harvesting crops and each week we get a bunch of goodies that were freshly picked. We save money on produce for the Summer and Fall AND it's local and organic. We know it's fresh because when we get our goodies they were harvested a few days ago, possibly just the day before.

Here's what we got this week:

Scallions
Kale
A huge variety of salad greens
Radishes
Lemon Balm
Sage
Pea Shoots and Flowers

This week's allottment is considered to be light because it's the first of the season and we had a lot of cold and rainy weather but we are pretty pleased. I would have spent more money on all that stuff if I had gotten it from a grocery store. We're really looking forward to tomatoes, squash and peppers so we can start jarring. It's going to be a fun summer!

Waterproofing Our Bed on a Budget

2009-06-08T17:52:00.003-04:00

Is it possible to waterproof a king size bed on a budget? Sure we could get a polyester cover with a plastic backing and call it a day but that would go against everything we stand for. We want something natural and safe for us, our baby and the earth. A wool mattress pad would be ideal but oh the prices! Naturepedic makes a nice, chemical free cover but they don't make one in king. Come on!! I've even looked into getting a wool blanket to put under a cotton cover but I'm not having luck finding a blanket made of 100% wool. I just started researching, though, so maybe I'll find one eventually.

A few months ago we bought a new bed and upgraded from queen to king because we figured we'd need the extra room with my growing belly and then when the baby comes. We went to the trouble of finding the healthiest mattress we could afford and decided on a Simmons Natural Care by Danny Seo. We figured this mattress will (hopefully) last us a good long time so we'd better do it right. Now we want to waterproof it for when the baby comes and possibly (probably) wets the bed.

So my search continues. If you have any ideas for waterproofing without using chemical laden materials and without breaking the bank, please do share.

The Hidden Cost of Pregnancy

2009-06-06T16:22:00.002-04:00

It isn't the wardrobe or the prenatal vitamins. It isn't the birthing classes or the books. I always knew I'd read every book I could get my hands on as soon as I became pregnant. Nope. It isn't the antacids or the cocoa butter for my belly. So what IS the hidden cost of pregnancy?

The TOILET PAPER!

I go through a roll of toilet paper each and every day. I pee more than you could ever imagine (or would want to). I kid you not when I say that sometimes I go to the bathroom and walk away only to turn around and go again. I have to cut off all liquids by 9:30 each night or I'll never get to sleep. By the way, I still wake up for about five bathroom trips throughout the night.

Thank goodness for Marcal. Made of recycled material, Marcal toilet paper is soft and inexpensive. Having a low impact on the environment, it doesn't make me feel too bad to use an entire roll each day.

Okay. Time to go again.

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T11:32:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Day to all! I hope the weather is beautiful for you wherever you are but that you enjoy the day even if it isn't.

Don't forget there are eco options for all your picnic needs. Try using reusable dishes for your social gatherings. When that isn't practical, Marcal makes paper products out of recycled materials. Whenever possible, use foil instead of plastic wrap because you can recycle the foil. Reynold's now has foil made of recycled materials. Compost any veggie scraps you may have after making those salads and kabobs.

Whatever your plans, enjoy the company of family and friends!

A Visit to the Farmers' Market

2009-05-24T22:50:00.003-04:00

Patrick and I made our first trip to the local farmers' market this year. The one we visit is held at the site where we got married, Rutgers Gardens. We hadn't been there since our wedding day eight months ago so it was nice to be back.

It's important to us to buy food from the farmers' market because the food is about as fresh as it can get, it's all grown locally and most of it is organic. Plus we're supporting local business and that is always a good thing.

What we scored:
Radishes
Asparagus
Strawberries
Oyster Mushrooms
Shitaki Mushrooms
Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Baby B's Name

2009-05-21T18:33:00.003-04:00

We've decided to name Baby B:

Julian Patrick Belardo

Baby Registry Dilemma

2009-05-21T18:15:00.004-04:00

Why is it that the common stores that we are forced to register at don't carry more eco-friendly options? Case in point Babies R Us. Patrick and I will be using cloth diapers on Baby B. It's a no brainer for us but apparently Babies R Us isn't on the up and up with our wishes. Sure, they sell prefolds, the old-fashioned kind my mom used on me, but there are so many great choices out there now. We want to use pocket diapers, specifically Bum Genius One-Size diapers.

Bum Genius has made cloth diapering almost as easy as disposable diapering. With their one-size diapers we can start off with a bunch of them and never have to buy another diaper because they fit babies from 7-35 pounds. Does Babies R Us sell them? Nope. So we've registered at Amazon.com because you can find just about anything on Amazon.com. Hopefully people will be as willing to shop Amazon.com as they are Babies R Us. There are many books and other goodies that we've been able to add to our Amazon.com registry that BRU doesn't have.

So to all mainstream stores - start stocking more eco options. Organic cotton clothing and BPA sippy cups aren't enough for a true green mama.

Could I Be Charged With Murder For Not Vaccinating My Child?

2009-05-19T19:25:00.003-04:00

A recent episode of Law & Order SVU took on the great vaccine debate but, in my opinion, not in a very fair way. In this episode, a young child dies of Measles when she is exposed to the disease by a boy on a public playground. The girl who died was too young to receive the vaccine and the one who infected her was well past the recommended age to receive the MMR vaccine. The angry mother of the dead girl decided she wanted to press charges against the mom who didn't vaccinate her son.

While there are reasons to receive vaccines, there are strong arguments against them as well.

In the end, the non-vaccinating mom is found innocent but not after being made to feel like a monster and being accused of putting all children at risk. So who is at fault? Is anyone really at fault? I never get a Flu shot because the couple of years that I did it made me very sick. I'd rather risk getting the Flu naturally than give it to myself along with all the fillers in the vaccine. People are dying of Swine Flu. If a Swine Flu vaccine is out next year and I don't get it but I do get the Swine Flu and I pass it on to someone who happens to die, does that mean I killed them? I don't yet know what I plan to do about vaccinating our baby but I do know that I will, at the very least, delay them. So if our little boy gets the Measles and plays with the neighbor's child before he shows any symptoms and that child dies, am I a murderer? A MURDERER? I can see how people would be angry. That is a natural reaction but intellectually, how can anyone call a mother who makes an informed decision to delay or deny vaccines a murderer? These vaccines, themselves, come with risks INCLUDING death.

In my opinion, the government is stepping into our lives way too much. There are preschools who refuse enrollment to children who don't have the Chicken Pox vaccine or a current Flu shot. Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe new diseases like the Swine Flu are hitting us hard because we're making ourselves vulnerable to them with all the crap we put into our bodies? This is how superbugs come about.

What do you think?

I Still Rub Plants On My Face

2009-05-13T13:40:00.008-04:00

It's been over a year since I blogged about rubbing plants on my face. That amazing Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Cream by Origins is some pretty awesome stuff. It keeps my skin hydrated without feeling oily. It's the first cream I've used consistently for so long without wanting to try anything else.

You can purchase this and many other natural products by Dr. Weil and Origins at any Origins counter or online. And don't let the price tag fool you. That little jar lasted me over a year. I just started my 2nd jar today. To have a natural product, free of the chemicals found in most standard face creams, that works and lasts so long is worth it in my book.

I should also mention that Origins is on a mission to save the earth. They promote the use of reusable bags and recyclable packaging and they often organize fundraisers such as planting a tree when certain purchases are made. Origins is good all around so check them out and give their products a try.

My Snoogle is My New BFF!

2009-05-11T16:48:00.003-04:00

My amazingly wonderful husband, Patrick, got me a Snoogle for Mother's Day. For those of you who don't know, a Snoogle is a tube shaped body pillow with curved ends.

After about halfway through pregnancy, a woman should not sleep on her back. The weight of the uterus can put stress on a major vein that pumps blood to the heart and therefore not allow enough blood to the baby. To sleep comfortably on my side all night I had pillows all around me. I had two under my head and one on each side so that if I rolled from one side to the other I'd have a pillow to hug. I also had another pillow under my knee for support. With the Snoogle, I don't need ANY pillows. The top curves under my neck and head and the bottom curves up between my knees. And if I roll to the other side I don't have to turn the Snoogle because it's long enough that it curves around to the front of my body for me to snuggle up to. I sleep like a baby now.

I highly recommend the Snoogle to all pregnant women but also to EVERY human being. And to keep it green you can get one with an organic cotton cover!

Oh my gosh! I just saw that they make one for toddlers! How adorable!

Happy Mother's Day to All!

2009-05-10T09:47:00.006-04:00

It's a Boy!!!

2009-05-05T07:53:00.002-04:00

Patrick and I found out last night that we are having a BOY! Baby Boy B will be born in mid to late September. We are VERY excited, to say the least.

"A Baby Story" Gets On My Nerves

2009-04-30T13:19:00.004-04:00

So many women love to watch the TLC program, A Baby Story. The program chronicles a mom-to-be during pregnancy and labor then for a follow-up at home. It's sweet and usually makes me cry but it also makes me angry.

I should say it isn't TLC's fault or the producers of A Baby Story. I just wish they'd show more completely natural birth stories. It's always the same thing....the mom goes into labor with a natural birth plan then something inevitably happens that makes the doctors say she "needs" to have her water broken or she "needs" to have an epidural or she "needs" an "emergency" c-section. It ticks me off because rarely, if ever, do these moms really need ANY intervention. Oh and how about the fact that all these moms labor the entire time lying on their backs in a small, uncomfortable hospital bed!?!? Who the heck ever decided that this is the best way for a woman to have a baby?

Once in a blue moon they'll feature a water birth but the ones I've seen still aren't 100% natural. They either have epidurals and/or spend most of the time lying in a bed until they jump into a tub at the last minute.

My disclaimer - Every woman has the right to choose her own birth plan and I do not judge women for their choices. I do judge, however, the medical establishment's insistance on unnecessary interventions on a mother's natural birth plan. And I do wish that more women would stand up for their rights and fight those doctors. Doctors are not gods and we have the power to make a change.

PS - I'm watching an episode right now and this poor woman who wants to deliver naturally was just told that since she's short she may have a hard time and will probably need a c-section!!! What the HECK!?!?!?!?!

This Pregnancy is Going to Rot My Teeth

2009-04-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

According to doctors and other supposed pregnancy experts my morning sickness should be gone. But, alas, it isn't. I still can't cook most food and I definitely can't do the dishes. The sight and smell of most food just turns my stomach and when it comes to eating, unless it's bread or potato based foods, I have to force myself to get anything down. I'm five months pregnant so I'm convinced I'm just going to have to deal with this until Baby B comes.

Brushing my teeth has been especially difficult. It makes me gag, which makes me barf. Sorry to be blunt but believe me, it's better to read about it than to experience it firsthand. So what is a mommy to be to do? Well, it's going to sound gross but I only brush my teeth once a day now. Only in the morning. I do this because if I throw up in the morning it's on an empty stomach and I'd rather dry heave than puke up my dinner and whatever else I ate in the evening. So if I have cavities and gum disease come September, I can blame my kid.

To make this post a green post, I'll tell you what toothpaste I use when I do brush my teeth. Tom's of Maine Whole Care Gel with all natural ingredients. All natural ingredients means it's safe for me and for the earth and Tom's never tests on animals, which is a good thing.

I'm Still Here

2009-04-13T09:41:00.002-04:00

I'm still here. I just haven't written in over a month because SO much has been going on. I won't go into too much detail today but here's a run down of some current events in my life:

- Morning sickness is not fun.
- I was sick (not morning sickness related) for the first 3 1/2 months of my pregnancy.
- Even the song, "Dancing Queen" can make a pregnant woman cry.
- Patrick and I decided to have a home water birth.
- There is a lot of support out there for having a home birth.
- There is a lot of opposition out there for having a home birth.
- We've been living in a hotel for almost a month!
- I resigned from my teaching job.
- We bought some cloth diapers.
- I felt the baby move!!!!

And on another note, Patrick and I have been watching the Duke Farms Eagle Cam. An adult male and adult female have been nesting. We've seen them go from three eggs to three eaglets. Check it out to see the mama and papa feed the babies. It's amazing!