I received an email about halfway through the day yesterday from my mom asking me to give her a call at work. Of course I picked up the phone and called to see what was up. She was super excited and all bubbly about another email she sent me (which I didn't see yet). I quickly opened my email to find this link: Congratulations to Triangle Elementary School, the National Winner (in the TerraCycle Drink Pouch Derby)! My mom is the cafeteria manager at Triangle Elementary School and a few years back implemented a recycling/upcycling program for drink pouches. Part of their school nutrition program is a free breakfast program for their students which includes a drink pouch with every breakfast. With over 500 students in the school you can imagine the kind of waste this creates. Instead of trashing the pouches, she decided to start a TerraCycle collection program and earn points (to redeem for cash) for the cafeteria. It's not a small undertaking cleaning out several hundred ... [ Read More ]
If the Lorax speaks for the trees, what do you speak for? (giveaway)
We are a family of Seuss-a-holics and as an eco-mama how could I not write about The Lorax? When I first read The Lorax I knew that I had to share it with my kids. I can remember the last time that I read it to my son a few years ago on Earth Day (we borrowed it from the library back then). I'm not sure who the story touched more - me or my son. You can only imagine my excitement when I heard they were making The Lorax into a movie! I have a date with my kids later this week to watch it on the big screen and I'm going to spend the rest of the week making Lorax inspired crafts and recipes with them. If you aren't familiar with the story it's about the Once-ler who finds these amazing truffula trees and decides to chop them down to make Thneeds. By the end of the story there are no more truffula trees left and all of the animals in town have had to leave to find food, clean air, and fresh water. It's a very sad story about consumerism and how we constantly abuse our natural ... [ Read More ]
Do you believe your efforts make a difference in the world?
When I first thought about my Pledge to Go Green in 2012 I couldn't help but wonder, how many people feel hopeless in the world - like their efforts don't really make a big difference. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever asked yourself a question similar to these: Will using these fabric grocery bags at the store really make an impact? Will using cloth diapers really save us money? Will switching to CFL bulbs really save electricity? Does it really matter if I turn off the lights when I leave a room? If I stop using paper towels will it really save trees? I know my husband, my family, and my friends ask me questions like this all the time. Of course there are lots of studies that are done but often times it takes years before we really understand the impact our small changes have on society and the planet. How do you decide which efforts are most important? Which areas of your life you should change first? You can't possibly change all of your habits and ... [ Read More ]
Moon Set
I've watched many sunrises and sunsets but I can honestly say that I experienced my first 'moon set' while on vacation. Shortly after takeoff I looked out the plane window and noticed the most beautiful full moon over the water. The reflexion was a pale red on the water and the sky was dark. Noting else was visible. To my right side I could see the sun rising through the clouds. The colors were pale orange, pink, purple, and blue. I shifted my eyes back to the moon which looked bigger and brighter than it had before. As time passed the sky shifted from black to navy as the moon slowly lowered in the sky. A few moments later the moon changed colors from bright white to an intense ball of fire. The intensity grew stronger as the sun rose on the other side of the plane. Then slowly and softly the moon sunk lower and lower in the sky until it was barely visible in the dawn sky. ...and then the sun rose and the moon set. I love watching the world from the plane ... [ Read More ]
Change 3 Things (C3T)
A week ago I joined a Revolution - A Cloth Diaper Revolution! Have you joined yet? I know that not all of my readers use cloth diapers. Many of you visit here because you are researching cloth diapers. Some of you just delete my cloth diaper posts and read some of my other natural parenting posts. Some of you may be friends or family who think my cloth diaper obsession is a little crazy. I know that not everyone I come in contact with will decide to use cloth diapers and I accept that. I try not to force my obsession on others but I will continue to try to show you how easy it can be. Example - this weekend we headed back to the Little League field for opening day. One of my friends from the park has a one year old and I had introduced her to cloth diapers when she was born. Like most new parents I talk to about cloth diapers with she politely explained that she didn't think cloth was for her. One year later (this past weekend) when she went to change her babies disposable ... [ Read More ]
You Are What You Eat
This post is going to be hard for me to write because it's one area in my life where I'm still learning - eating green. What does it mean to eat GREEN? Does it mean eating locally? Does it mean to eat organic? Does it mean that I have to be a vegetarian? Do I have to shop at a natural food store? Do I have to eat raw food? Do I have to eat only fresh food? Eating green is actually all of those things - and you may incorporate some or all of the aspects of eating green - I don't believe that there is a right or wrong way to eat green. My history- I come from a family who likes food, a lot! I can remember many family reunions with everyone huddled in the kitchen cooking for hours, making more food then we could eat in a week. My fraternal grandmother was a tiny frail lady who knew how to cook - she didn't have a choice with 5 hungry kids and a husband. My favorite family memories as a child involve turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, gravy, gravy, and ... [ Read More ]
Guest Post – The Other Side Series
GUEST POST: Please welcome my BFF Mama M as she presents "The Other Side.' She promised me that she would send me more posts and if you like her introduction let her know that you'd like to hear more. The Other Side - Part One (Introduction) Hello! I'm really excited to have this opportunity that The Eco Chicis giving me to guest post on her blog. I love reading her blogs and posts on Facebook. She often gives me a new way to think about the way I do things; how I live my life and what I can do better. Just a few quick things: 1. For disclosure purposes, I am The Eco Chic's BFF. Most of the time, we agree on things but there are issues that we could not be further apart on. She promised not to edit. We'll see if she publishes some of my thoughts about her passions. 2. I'm not a blogger or a writer. I have a secret blog for venting and it's full of typos and run-on sentences. I will try to use proper grammar and actual sentences when I guest post. 3. These are ... [ Read More ]
GreenSewn – Sustainable Silk Scarfs
COUPON: Save 10% with my affiliate code GREEN-1848 when you shop at GreenSewn. Do you love fashion? Do you love scarves? Do you wonder how to green your wardrobe? It seems like the fashion industry in America becomes more disposable each year. I try to stay on top of the trends but as a mom of two I tend to stick with a few basic pieces and lots of accessories. It's easier for me to update an outfit with modern accessories than it is to purchase new clothes. I'm also a big fan of sharing - or should I say acquiring new items from my best friend. Since I have a flexible job that allows me to work at home my wardrobe has shrunk and I don't actually shop for clothes more than a few times a year. My friend on the other hand knows the ladies at Dillard's by name (or at least that's what her husband thinks)! When she cleans her closet she knows who to pass them along to - sometimes I think I should just pay her to shop for me! Anyways - the point of my story is that fashion ... [ Read More ]
Martha Stewart Blogger’s Night Out – BlogHer10
As the summer starts winding down and school starting back tomorrow I'm still coming down off of my BlogHer10 high. I realized I never got past my first impressions of my arrival day and there is so much more to share with you. During our shared cab ride to the Hilton @DebMomof3 and I learned that we were both going to the Martha Stewart Blogger's Night Out later that first evening (Thur). We had made plans to share a cab ride over to the event since it was several blocks away from the hotel. After arriving back at the hotel from lunch - I visited the registration desk at BlogHer and was on a mission to meet up with one of my new Twitter friendshttp://twitter.com/royaldixie <AKA Maggie or Dexter's Super Savvy Mommy>. Maggie and I 'met' on Twitter through my EcoStoreUSA partership <more on that in an upcoming post>. Maggie and I did finally meet up and chatted for a while before we decided to head off to the Martha party. Once we stepped outside to catch a taxi ... [ Read More ]
Marcal Small Steps Review & Giveaway
Giveaway alert! One lucky reader will win a sample pack of products from Marcal Small Steps for making small changes to green your life. Giveaway closed - ECO-ngratulations Stephanie R. When companies send me products to review I don't always write them up immediately - I've had my Marcal Starter Kit (disclosure) since April and I'm finally inspired to tell you how I feel about their product. It's usually better if I hold off and really review the products because I can give you a full and honest description of the products. The only thing remaining from our starter kit is a partial pack of napkins. We don't use disposable napkins often - we either use reusable cloth napkins or paper towels. We normally shop at Publix grocery store and buy their own line of green recycled paper products - the only place locally that sells Marcal is SweetBay and we don't (normally) shop there. On occasion we will buy our paper products at Wal-Mart or Target but I've never seen Marcal there ... [ Read More ]