Happy Body, Happy Earth, Happy Birthday: How to Throw an Eco-Friendly and Healthy Birthday Party for Your Little Boy or Girl!

This post comes to me from the lovely Melissa of Blog Content Guild. She heard my kiddo's birthday was coming up this month and wanted to share with me some tips on earth-friendly kid's birthday parties. Thanks, Melissa!

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There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing our sweet boy or girl blow out the candle(s) at their birthday parties. But with all the cellophane, birthday cake, and Styrofoam it seems impossible to make our children’s special day fantastic, earth-friendly, and healthy all at the same time! 

Here are some helpful tips for making your toddler’s day natural, healthy, and happy (without spending a fortune!):

* Send email invitations: There are tons of websites out there (Evite and Punchbowl to name a few) that can help you craft beautiful email invitations at the click of a mouse. This option for invitations is not only fast and easy, it minimizes paper waste, too!

* Minimize paper plates: While we’re not exactly ready to eliminate all of the paper out of our lives, we can minimize our amount of waste by using our plates, rather than buying (and throwing away) paper plates. If you must use paper plates for fear of porcelain plate breakage and injuries, just make sure to recycle and/or buy recycled products.

* Make your food at home: Limit your utensil and packaging waste by making your snacks at home! This may seem like a difficult feat, but if you pick easy recipes, it can be a cinch. Try making healthy snacks for parents to chomp on, like a delicious fruit salad with coconut shavings. You can also put out some cold cuts, whole grain crackers, and some cheese (because, really, what’s a party without cheese?). For the kiddos, make a homemade cake. Homemade cakes are healthier and less expensive, too!

* Do it yourself: Pick a theme, and then do it yourself! You’d be shocked at all of the beautiful party ideas online, executed with homemade decorations. Ask your little boy or girl what kind of party they would like, then go from there. If you aren’t so hot with the arts and crafts, you can always buy Super Mario Brothers-themed party supplies (or whatever your son/daughter is into) and then recycle the cardboard cutouts and decorations.

It’s not impossible to have an eco-friendly, healthy birthday party for your little one. Just follow these tips and you can know you’re doing something great for yourself, your environment, and your child.

More Crunchy(ish) News from Ford

Ford has a new contest going on. The program challenges Facebook users to ‘take charge’ and submit ways they minimize their impact on the environment. Users will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite submissions and give the top winners an experience similar to the one I had at the Ford Green Driving event in January. Trust me. It's awesome.

Winners will be chosen from four categories and be invited to Dearborn – along with a guest – to tour Ford’s operations, drive a car on the test track, and chat with vehicle engineers. 

How do you participate? Visit the ‘Take Charge’ tab on the Ford Electric Vehicles Facebook Page and submit their best ideas. You can learn more at http://www.fordevtakecharge.com/.

Easy Green Guides!

As I have pointed out many, many times I love things that make my life easier. And often this trying to be green/natural/organic thing makes my life more complicated. (Not all the time mind you, but sometimes.) To truly appease the eco-gods you've got to be on top of your game and constantly checking the news for the latest on corporate environmental policies, product regulations and social responsibility. The other day I told friends how we don't buy Juicy Juice because of the whole Nestle Boycott thing (while I don't full-out boycott I try not to support them whenever I can) and I'm pretty sure my friends thought I was a total crazy person. Ugh. Half the time I think I'm too crunchy and the other half I think I'm not crunchy enough. Thankfully, I recently found two online resources that make environmentally-friendly decision-making a whole lot easier.

National Geographic magazine has launched a new online Green Guide. The program is designed to provide people with quick, easy ways to reduce their environmental impact. The site features green news and tips on how to reduce emissions, conserve water and save power.

Two of the biggest features on the site are the Green Buying Guide and the Great Energy Challenge. The Buying Guide provides information on how to make your home purchases, including appliances, as environmentally friendly as possible. The Great Energy Challenge includes environmental news, quizzes and lifestyle challenges meant to raise awareness of our current energy situation. Participants can keep track of the energy they use in day-to-day life and the impact of what they waste.

I also LOVE my subscription to The Daily Green. It's the consumer's guide to the green revolution. It's filled with product suggestions, recipes and advice. They also do green-centric feature pieces on current issues. For example, this week the site had an article on organic, free-trade chocolate. Did you know Africa's Ivory Coast is the largest importer of cocoa in the world? I'd heard of conflict diamonds, but never conflict chocolate! The Daily Green helps you navigate through the world of eco-friendly and socially responsible products with tips straight to your inbox.

How Green Are You?

I was doing a little crunchy blog surfing today during my morning off and I came across April's very cute Green Mission Mama blog. Posted on her site was this quiz to determine your "green" standing. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a 4 out of 10 or "fairly green" rating.

I think it was my 1950's era house that really set me back. We don't have things like low-flow toilets, energy-efficient appliances and double-paned storm windows that would help us decrease our utility bills and our carbon footprints. Those are big steps that require a time and financial investment we haven't been prepared to make yet. We're definitely a work in progress.

You should check out the Practically Green Quiz and find out how your lifestyle measures up. It's great because after it calculates your score it gives you simple tips and suggestions on how to improve it!

Five Easy Ways To Be Crunchier

I love baby steps. And of course, seeing as how I'm crunchy(ish) and not the crunchy(est) I also like easy. These simple suggestions are good for your health, your environment and your wallet.

1) Get a Reusable Water Bottle - Love this one. Bottled water is one of the greatest marketing schemes of all time. Bottled water is unnecessary and expensive. I love this Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle. I started carrying a reusable water bottle while pregnant to help me remember to drink enough fluids. Then it came in handy after the baby was born because it's tough to stay properly hydrated while nursing. And, duh, lots of water is good for weight loss!

2) Buy Local - Going to the farmer's market on Saturday mornings in the Spring and Summer is one of my favorite traditions. Buying local not only greatly reduces the carbon footprint of the items you buy, it also supports the local economy. Somethings at the farmer's market are a good deal -- some aren't -- but I find all the fresh produce, herbs, dairy, flowers and handmade items really inspire me and set the tone for a good weekend. There's something so special about being that connected to the people who grow your food.

3) Change Light Bulbs - This is one of the greatest money-savers of all the green tips. Though they may cost a bit more up front, compact florescent light bulbs quickly pay for themselves. Not only do CF bulbs last so much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, they also use less electricity thus lowering your electric bill.  According to the Environmental Defense Fund, if every household replaced three 60-watt incandescent bulbs with energy efficient bulbs the pollution savings would be like taking 3.5 million cars off the road.

4) Use Reusable Shopping Bags - My favorite thing about reusable shopping bags is that some stores (including Target) give you a discount for using reusable bags. My favorite reusable tote (perfect for farmer's markets) are the graphic pattern reinforced bags from Simply Green Solutions. Having these also comes in handy for stores like Aldi where bags are not complementary. Plus it's nice to have a few insulated bags with you to help keep meat, dairy and frozen items cool if grocery shopping isn't your last errand of the day.

5) Limit the paper in your life -- There are so many ways to do this, but some suggestions include not getting a receipt at the bank or store unless you really need it, opting out of catalogs and pre-approved credit card applications and paying bills online. Some great resources for helping you reduce the paper waste in your life are Catalog Choice and Opt Out Pre Screen.

NAIAS and Ford Green Day Two

During the second half of my trip to Detroit I got the opportunity to learn more about Ford's overall vision for sustainability. I toured the Rouge River F-150 plant, tested out some new vehicles and heard Ford's plans to make fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles affordable and accessible for all. It was great to hear from the people in the front offices that issues like global urbanization, total life-cycle conservation, conflict minerals and corporate social responsibility both in the U.S. and abroad were at the top of their list of concerns.

NAIAS and Ford Green Day One

I’ve had a great first 24 hours in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show and Ford Green Driving Technology Event. I’ve been unexpectedly moved and impressed by many of the car companies' commitment to sustainability and fuel economy. Is it all just lip-service following a trend in green living? Who knows? But I’ve felt a sincerity from many of the company representatives (And believe me, I’m as skeptical and cynical as they come.)

On Sunday night I had dinner at the Detroit Institute of Art in the Diego Rivera Gallery. Those beautiful murals represent an unlikely partnership between American industrial businessman Henry Ford and Mexican communist artist Diego Rivera. (Take note partisan politicians – amazing things happen when opposites work together.) Also at the dinner was Edsel Ford II, great-grandson of Henry Ford. He came across as not just another PR wonk or executive spouting the company line.

Edsel Ford II speaking at the Ford Green Event Sunday

This morning I got the opportunity to attend the Ford press conference where they unveiled a new line of fuel efficient gas, hybrid and electric vehicles. I haven’t had time to study all the facts and stats behind their new lines, but Ed Begley, Jr. spoke in favor of the new Ford line, and if it’s good enough for Ed, it’s probably good enough for me.

Remember guys, I'm just sharing my impressions and experiences at this event as an average person who's trying to be greener. I'm no expert, but I'm going to share the information I learn with you.

*Fun Fact: There are two pair of recycled blue jeans in the roof lining of the new Ford Focus*

More to come!

*I was invited to participate in this program by Clever Girls Collective, Inc. in partnership with Ford and Ogilvy PR. Ford Motor Company paid for my travel and accommodations at the 2-day Driving Green Technology event, I was not compensated in any other manner for my time.  My opinions posted here are my own.*

Ford Green Driving Technology Event

I am incredibly excited to announce that I will head to Detroit tomorrow to participate in the Ford World Headquarters Tour, Green Driving Technology Event and North American International Auto Show. I can not wait to get up there and learn more about how Ford is using green materials, sustainability strategies and biotechnology to make more fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles.

I am especially looking forward to representing the typical American mom. I am not a techy or a car person. I'm into green living and environmental causes, but I don't know that much about the science or technology behind them. This trip will allow me to tell Ford what real moms are looking for in green vehicles.

Here are some things I look for in a vehicle:

• Room enough to haul baby and baby stuff, but not so much room I feel like I'm driving a boat.
• Safety, safety, safety. I wanna see air bags popping out of every nook and cranny.
• Green improvements that save me money on gas and maintenance.
• Space in the front passenger seat for me and a toddler to take a nursing break while out and about. (Haha. Obviously this one is a joke. Kinda.)

I'll also have the opportunity to participate in a Q & A with some of the designers and engineers at Ford. Let me know what questions you'd like me to ask.

P.S. I'm an awful flyer. Wish me luck! (Or really wish the person in the seat next to me luck.)

*I was invited to participate in this program by Clever Girls Collective, Inc. in partnership with Ford and Ogilvy PR. Ford Motor Company paid for my travel and accommodations at the 2-day Driving Green Technology event, I was not compensated in any other manner for my time.  My opinions posted here are my own.*

Greening the Cleaning



This kid lives his life at floor level.
That means the floors should be clean, right?



As a New Year's resolution I've decided I have to take the next step in crunchy-motherhood and eliminate chemical/non-green cleaning products from my house. This decision is two-fold -- 1) My sneaky little crawling baby can open cabinets. He also chooses to learn more about things by putting them in his mouth 2) It's good to eliminate as many toxins in your life as you can. Duh. Even someone as low as me on the granola scale knows that.

This decision was not made lightly. I grew up with the old school homemaking philosophy that bleach and disinfectant were the only way to keep your house clean and your family healthy. Killing all viruses and germs that could get my baby does sound appealing since flu season is upon us. Plus, my mom used eco-unfriendly cleaning problems and I turned out OK. (The previous sentence is a joke -- the phrase "my mom did it and I'm OK" is the bane of my parenting existence.)  However, after reading this post http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/12/06/my-babies-were-healthy-without-lysol/ I've been thinking limiting kiddo's exposure to chemicals might not be a bad idea.

My biggest problem with switching cleaning products is that "green" means expensive. Spending money on fancy natural or organic brands goes against every penny-pinching, discount-loving bone in my body. Those kinds of products easily cost 25% more than their chemical-laden counterpart and they rarely go on sale. As to not go into some sort of anti-frugal state of shock I've gotten my hands on a few good green coupons. The products are still expensive, but at least I feel like I'm getting a bit of a deal.

Of course, there is always the super-thrifty, super-hippie cleaning route of DIY cleaning supplies.Soap buds, vinegar and baking soda can do just about anything. But I am not a DIY kind of girl. I do well if I DO the laundry, if I have to make my own laundry soap nothing will ever get done. Promise. I know that about myself. But, if you're into that kind of thing (and I'm reallllly not) Real Simple has a great article on natural cleaning http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/all-natural-cleaning-solutions-00000000011547/index.html.

I'm probably just going to take the lazy(ish) route of purchasing the store bought green products. If you're a lazy(ish), crunchy(ish), practical(ish) mama like me, check out this fantastic list of safer/BPA-free cleaning products and kids gear from Safe Mam http://safemama.com/cheatsheets/

Greener than Thou

I recently joined this yahoo forum that I love called Birmingham Natural Parent. It's new and we haven't done a meet-up yet, but it's really great to know that their are people with similar parenting views as myself living in adjacent zip codes.

First let me say all the women in the group seem really sweet and have been nothing but nice to me and have been super informative whenever I ask anyone for advise about cloth diapering, natural baby food, extended breastfeeding, whatever. I admire their resourcefulness and commitment to what they believe in. HOWEVER, these chicks are NO JOKE CRUNCHY. They don't own TV's or microwaves. They not only cloth diaper... They sew their own cloth diapers. They make their own kombucha. They only clean with homeade soap buds, vinegar and baking soda. If there's ever talk of reusable toilet paper I don't know if I can handle it.

But the kicker... The ultimate supergreen mama madness... They don't use plastic... PLASTIC! Everything I touch is plastic. I didn't know I wasn't suppose to use plastic. They only use glass or cast iron in the kitchen. Their kids take bento boxes to school and drink out of stainless steel thermoses. I didn't know these rules! Are there hippie meetings where everyone gets together and votes on what the new eco thing to do is? I would like to get the minutes from these meetings. Or at least the newsletter.

Food fights

Kiddo is almost a year now and I never thought I would say this, but I kind of long for the days when he was 100% mama fed. I've felt like a dairy cow these past 11 months (especially when hooked up to the pump -- there is no more humiliating device in all the world) so I REALLY never thought I would say that.  Nursing is hard, but figuring out how to add solid food -- the right food, healthy food -- is full of its own challenges.

Part of what is so hard about this solid food transition is that there are no steadfast rules to follow. The first 6 to 12 months of baby feeding are pretty idiot proof -- just nurse all the time. Numerous studies show that the healthiest thing for mama and baby is to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of the child's life, then continue to age 2 or until either mother or child do not wish to continue (check out http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html for information on the importance of breastfeeding.) Done. No problem. But at 6 months, when you start adding "real" food in to the rotation things aren't so cut and dry. 

First off, we're really lucky. My son is a great eater. He'll eat vegetables, fruit, meat, cereal, bread, yogurt, anything. I honestly can't think of one type of food he's ever refused (just like his mom). But I have no clue how "crunchy" I should be when it comes to his diet.

I know I can't afford to get everything organic. We tend to follow the rule of the organic "dirty dozen". It's a list of the foods you absolutely must buy organic -- find it here http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214. And once he starts on whole milk (he'll either do goat or cow, I haven't decided yet) we'll definitely do that organic. But beyond that I don't know... Meat? Eggs? Cheese? I know I should get these things organic -- and cage-free, grass-fed, locally-sourced... you get the idea... But damn. It's expensive. If it comes down to organic eggs or our gas bill -- I gotta go gas bill.

Once you decide WHAT to feed your baby you have to decide HOW you're going to feed it to him. A lot of natural parenting advocates go the way of baby-led weaning (BLW). Parents who practice BLW give their 6 months+ babies the food that they eat. Literally. Having steak, potatoes and green beans? So is Junior. The thought behind it is that when a baby is ready to eat table food they will swallow. Until then, they will just gnaw at and play with the food. I know people who swear by BLW and think it's awesome. I'm too much of a paranoid freak and didn't do it.

Not doing BLW means we gave kiddo baby food. If we were truly good hippie parents we would only give him HOMEADE baby food. Yeah, not so much. That's why I'm crunchy(ish). We make a lot of his food. We've made our own brown rice cereal, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, banana, avocado, apple, plums and pears. And if I can do it, any one can do it. It's not hard, just time consuming. And there's only so much time. So we've also given him the stuff from the jar. And I just have to be OK with that.

One of the challenges of feeding a breastfed baby is that you're always fighting to make sure they get enough iron. Since natural parenting mamas don't give their babies iron-fortified formula or pablum and the iron surpluses that babies are born with start to dwindle around the 6 month mark, it's extremely important breastfed babies eat a balanced diet full of iron-rich foods. That means plenty of green veggies and meat for my guy. He has no problem with that, but I know people whose little ones are very picky eaters so they struggle with anemia and have to take supplements. The supplements can be constipating, and no one wants that :-(

Yet another way I fall short of hippie perfection is that I give my baby Gerber products. Oh the humanity! The social irresponsibility! For anyone who doesn't know, Gerber is owned by Nestle and there is a pretty big boycott going on against Nestle because of their unethical baby formula marketing strategies in third world countries. To learn more about the boycott go to http://www.breastfeeding.com/advocacy/advocacy_boycott.html. I do think what the company did was awful, but my kiddo love those little puffed rice things, and I can find them in my neighborhood supermarket.

But the ultimate, super-duper big issue that makes feeding kiddo challenging is that both of his parents are... shall we say... not petite... and I really don't want him to have weight issues. I know that the eating habits of the parents are the number one indicator as to whether or not a child will have healthy eating habits. The rule of thumb is that by one year-old kids can pretty much eat anything (unless food allergies run in the family). That means no more one meal for baby and one meal for mama and daddy. We can all eat the same stuff. And that scares the crap out of me. Sure, we like fruits and vegetables and whole grains at our house. We cook most of our meals at home and the majority are made from scratch... But there are french fries in my freezer... And cookies in my pantry... As picky and anal-retentive as I am about what kiddo eats -- I'm not at all like that about what we eat. And that's bad. I know it.

What's a mama to do? There are so many hurdles in the dietary road of a child. It's a big responsibility to have to teach someone how to take care of themselves and fuel their body for the rest of their lives. All I know is when my little guy has cake for the first time on his first birthday next month it'll be organic(ish).