Eco-novice: Going Green Gradually

Tips for a Non-toxic Summer

2013-06-17T10:02:00.002-07:00

Use effective and safe sun protection.

The best sun protection is to cover up with hats and long sleeves and to seek or create shade, particularly when the sun is most intense. When you do use sunscreen, choose one that does more good than harm. Use lotions or creams that use a mineral sunscreen like zinc oxide (without controversial nanoparticles) to provide long-lasting protection against both UVA (causes skin cancer) and UVB rays (causes sunburn). Avoid retinyl palmitate/ retinol/ vitamin A (found in about one-fourth of all sunscreens), which speeds the development of skin tumors and lesions when exposed to light. Also seek "chemical-free" UPF-rated swim wear that offers UV protection due to the weave of the fabric and not as a result of the use of sunscreen chemicals on the fabric.

Repel bugs without toxins.

Of course everyone wants to avoid bug bites, particularly with nasty bugs like West Nile Virus on the rise. Unfortunately, DEET and permithrin, the two most common insecticides, have both been linked to numerous adverse health effects. But many less toxic alternatives are available. As a first line of defense, covering up is always a great idea whenever practical (and has the additional bonus of providing sun protection as well). Wear long sleeves, tuck socks into pants, and skip brightly-colored clothing and scented personal products which can attract bugs. When choosing and using insect sprays, look for safer options, such as those made with picaridin (derived from pepper), soybean oil (protects against mosquitos for up to 8 hours), and oil of lemon eucalyptus (not for children under 3).

Shop at the farmers market.

Are you trying to get your family to eat more whole foods and fewer processed ones? Have you been wanting to switch to more organic, local, and seasonal produce? This is the best time of year to start. In the summer, farmers markets are bursting with delicious and often organic fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. There is no need for packaged snacks in the summer. Just keep your kitchen counter and refrigerator stocked with no-cook minimal-prep fruits and veggies. I especially love to purchase fruits like strawberries in bulk at peak season when the prices are lowest. We gorge ourselves on the fresh ones, blend others up to make into ice pops, and freeze the rest to use in smoothies and baked goods later in the year. Click here to find a farmers market near you.

Additional Resources for Non-toxic Summer Fun

Safe Sun Tips
UV-Protective Swim Suits and Swim Shirts: Are They Safe?
Repel Bugs without Permethrin & Deet (Healthy Child Healthy World)
Getting the Most Out of Your Farmer’s Market
Is Your Garden Hose Leaching BPA, Lead, and Phthalates into Your Water?
Grill Without Frying Your Family's Health this Memorial Day (Healthy Child Healthy World)
Avoiding Toxins in Your Backyard: part 1 and part 2
Kids and Nature: resources and ideas for outdoor fun
How to Choose a Safe Kiddie Pool (Healthy Child Healthy World)

UV-Protective Swim Suits and Swim Shirts: Are They Safe?

2013-06-12T12:45:00.002-07:00

Whenever shopping for hats and other outdoor clothing products, I've always steered clear of products with a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating because I've been concerned that the UV-protection might be through the application of chemical sunscreens. Chemicals sunscreens such as oxybenzones are often endocrine disruptors and other undesirables.

This year, however, I needed to purchase a swim suit for my 4-year-old daughter. And it is difficult if not impossible to find a swim suit or swim shirt for children these days that does not advertise a UPF rating. In the past my kids have mostly worn hand-me-down swimsuits and swim shirts. I'm also willing to use second-hand swim shirts purchased at thrift stores. Although I vaguely understood that these hand-me-down and second-hand items most likely were UV-protective I didn't worry too much about it. Now, shopping for swim clothes online, I was confronted again and again with products advertising their UPF rating, so I decided to do some research into how clothing is made UV protective before making a purchase.

What Makes Fabrics UV Protective?

Surprisingly, I found very little information online about this, and none of my green blogger friends seemed to know much on the topic, but I did find a couple of useful articles by reputable sources. A New York Times article about a growing number of products promising UV protection (including laundry treatments and shampoo) states that UV-protective clothing "add protection by infusing fabric with chemicals that absorb UV rays, like titanium dioxide or Tinosorb" (source). And in an article on Whole Living Daily, Mindy Pennybacker (a well-respected and experienced environmental researcher and writer) writes the following about UPF fabrics:

Some of these (but not all) are coated or embedded with sunscreens. Some use synthetic chemicals such as benzophenone, which is classified as toxic by the Environmental Working Group. Others are “embedded” with the natural minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Not so natural, though, is the reduction of these minerals to controversial nanoparticles, which you probably really don't want floating around in your body. (source).

Pennybacker also notes that while these chemical sunscreens most likely do not rub off readily onto skin, as the fabric ages the coating could more readily wear off, releasing their chemicals into ecosystems and onto sensitive skin.

Chemical-free UPF Fabrics

Luckily, chemical treatments are not the only way to create UPF fabrics. Fabric can be UV protective simply by the nature of the weave. One brand I came across on Amazon, Sunbusters, advertised right on every product page: "chemical-free" UV protection. Given the much steeper price tag, though, I wanted to verify this claim and make sure there was no greenwashing involved. [For example, sometimes manufacturers claim flame resistant clothing has no chemical application, just because the flame retardant chemical is integrated into the fabric during the manufacturing of the fabric itself and not applied afterwards to the finished clothing product.]

I couldn't find a web page for the Sunbusters company, which was a little concerning, but I knew Sunbusters swim wear was manufactured by the Australian company Tuga. So I called a phone number for Tuga customer service and talked to a real live person who confirmed that the Sunbusters fabrics have no chemical treatment and are UPF solely based on the weave of the fabric. She also told me the Sunbusters website is being redesigned currently and the best place to purchase Sunbusters swim wear at the moment is Amazon.

Pennybacker's article also mentions Tumblegum and UV Skinz as chemical-free UV-protective swim wear options. I couldn't find anything stating this on their websites, however. I would call the company to verify before purchasing these swim wear brands to verify that the fabric has not had sunscreen chemicals applied to or embedded within it.

After doing this research on UV-protective swimwear, I decided to buy new swim suits and swim shirts for all three of my children and retire the hand-me-downs we've been using. I spent well over $100, but considering the amount I spend on a tube of natural non-toxic sunscreen, I figure I should fork over the money for well-made chemical-free swim wear. I'm also really hoping the swimwear will be durable for many years and multiple children. In addition, my kids' new Sunbusters swim suits and shirts are very cute and very comfortable. My 4-year-old now wants to wear her swim shirt and shorts around the house all the time.

Non-toxic Sunscreens

Of course, even with UPF 50 swimwear, you still need some sunscreen, especially for long outdoor adventures like the beach. Make sure your sunscreen does more good than harm by consulting a sunscreen guide, such as the annual guides published by Environmental Working Group and Safe Mama. Check out this recent interview of Safe Mama's Katherine Scoleri with Green Sisterhood to learn about why she publishes her annual sunscreen cheat sheet and how her guide differs from EWG's Sunscreen Guide.

Our family has used Badger sunscreens for a few years. I choose Badger sunscreens because

the active ingredient is a physical sunblock (zinc oxide) not a chemical sunscreen
there are no nano-sized particles
they do not contain vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), which breaks down to carcinogens in UV light
inactive ingredients are all-natural

But the particular Badger sunscreen we've used does leave a kind of white ghost-like film on your skin. I've never cared much, but apparently lots of folks do and this year Badger has come out with several new "Daily" sunscreen options that are much less pasty (easier to apply) and leave no white hue, according to Safe Mama. We'll probably give one of these new formulations a try this year. Badger sunscreens also include "Active" and "Sport" lines more geared towards water activities or heavy exercise and lots of sweating.

I'll also be purchasing another Badger sunscreen stick. I love the stick for an easy and quick application to faces. For swim lessons at an outdoor pool last year, I used Badger sunscreen sticks to quickly rub sunscreen on noses, cheeks, foreheads, and chins and never had a burnt face. Note that although parents love sprays for their easy application, sprays should be avoided because of the danger of inhalation of tiny sunscreen particles. In addition, nearly all spray sunscreens utilize chemical sunscreens (such as the endocrine disruptor oxybenzone) as their active ingredient.

For general sun safety tips, please see my post Safe Sun Tips.

For additional information on safe sunscreens, check out these earlier posts:Does Your Sunscreen Protect Against Skin Cancer?
Safe Sun Tips
Should I Use Sunscreen?
Of Sun and Sunscreen

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Your purchase via these links helps support my blog, which I very much appreciate. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Is Your Garden Hose Leaching BPA, Lead, and Phthalates into Your Water?

2013-06-03T11:29:00.002-07:00

With the weather heating up, our old seen-better-days plastic water table is getting renewed attention, particularly from my 18-month-old. I noticed several weeks ago when I would fill it up with water that I would smell this strong synthetic chemical smell coming from the table. I don't know what kind of plastic the water table is, but it has spent a lot of time in the sun, probably breaking down under the UV light, and I began to wonder if it was OK to let my kids continue to play with it.

HealthyStuff on Garden Hoses

And then I saw the latest report from HealthyStuff.org: "Hazardous Chemicals found in Gardening Water Hoses." A few highlights from the report:

Of the 21 new garden hoses purchased from major retailers like Home Depot, Walmart, and Target, two-thirds were made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). All of the PVC hoses tested for phthalates contained one or more of the phthalates which have been banned by CPSC in children’s products. Phthalates are not chemically bound to the material and can be released to the air and water.
One-third of the garden hoses tested contained high levels of one or more chemicals of concern: lead, cadmium, bromine (associated with brominated flame retardants); chlorine (indicating the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC); phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA). These chemicals have been linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and early puberty in laboratory animals, among other serious health problems.
Hazardous metals were also found in hoses: for example, organic tin stabilizers (29%); and antimony (52%).
14% of the hoses had a level of lead greater than 100 ppm (down from 50% of the 90 hoses tested in 2012). Lead was a big focus of previous reports on garden hoses, and the good news is that consumer pressure seems to have helped get some of the lead out.
Water sampled from one hose after it was left in the sun for two days contained hazardous levels of BPA and phthalates. BPA levels were 3 to 9 times higher than the safe drinking water level used by NSF and the phthalate DEHP was found at a level is 2 times higher than federal drinking water standards.

PVC, We Meet Again

Of course. The hose! We purchased a new home recently, which entails buying all kinds of fun things, including hoses. Although my husband likes to say that I research-to-death all purchases, sometimes he just takes care of business and goes out and buys something. Like hoses, for example.

I'm guessing the hoses my husband bought were vinyl. The dreaded PVC. In fact, when my husband brought home two new hoses, a little green voice flitted through the back of my mind ("what are those made of?"), but I ignored it. There have been several reports over the years about the contents of garden hoses and what they leach into the water. I now remember reminding my husband not to let the kids drink the water from the hose perhaps a summer or two ago. But it's hard to keep all these different toxic products at the forefront of my mind at all times.

At any rate, after reading HealthyStuff's report, I sprayed the water from the hose onto the grass and smelled the water as it came out. Sure enough, the water reeked of synthetic chemicals. It wasn't the old dilapidated rigid plastic water table (although I'm sure it's up to no good either). It was the stinkin' hose stinking up my water with toxic junk. The hose had been purchased several months earlier though and was now probably too old to be returned. But since I watch my 18-month-old drink the water from the water table all the time using whatever toy she can get her hands on, I decided that the backyard hose at least would have to be replaced.

My new Rubber Garden Hose.

Avoiding Toxins from Garden Hoses

Here are some general tips from HealthyStuff.org for avoiding chemicals of concern from garden hoses. These are especially important if you have an older hose and don't know what it's made of exactly.

Avoid hoses with a California Prop 65 warning that says “this product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive harm.” Buy hoses that are “drinking water safe” and “lead-free.” As discussed above, "drinking water safe" indicates low lead levels, but does not assure that the hose is PVC-free or free of other heavy metals or chemicals of concern (such as BPA, phthalates, and flame retardants).
Let your hose run for a few seconds before using. Water that has been sitting in the hose will have the highest levels of leached chemicals.
Store your hose in the shade. The heat from the sun can increase the leaching of chemicals from the PVC into the water. This was not possible for me, especially in the backyard, which is another reason why it was a high priority for me to replace our plastic hose.
When in doubt, don’t drink water from a hose. Unless you know for sure that the water from a hose is safe for drinking, don’t drink from it. Even low levels of lead may cause health problems, and BPA, phthalates, brominated flame retardants, and other heavy metals aren't good for you either. Don't give the water to your pets or water your garden with it either.
Avoid PVC/ vinyl. Polyurethane or natural rubber hoses are better choices. Personally, I'd opt for natural rubber if you can.

In Search of a Garden Hose My Kids Can Drink From

Finding a real rubber hose rated well by HealthyStuff.org was surprisingly easy and not terribly expensive (scroll to bottom of this page for ratings). I purchased the Craftsman Premium Heavy-duty Rubber Garden Hose (given a "Low Concern" rating with "Low" or "None" for all chemicals of concern tested). A reader pointed out that this hose actually is labeled "Not approved for drinking water." A quick search for drinking-water-safe hoses on Home Depot brought up two: one made of vinyl (after all, PVC-pipe is used for drinking water), and one that was "lead-free" and "phthalate-free," but whose materials I couldn't figure out from the label or the product website.

You can find drinking-water-safe polyurethane hoses, but note that the the Plastair Springhose Coiled Watering Hose, which is polyurethane and labeled as drinking water safe, was given a rating of "Medium Concern" by HealthyStuff and, at least on Amazon, carries a Prop 65 warning. Given the choice between a polyurethane hose that is "drinking water safe" (i.e., low lead according to CSA and/or using materials approved by FDA for food contact) and a PVC-free rubber hose tested by HealthyStuff for lead plus 6 other heavy metals, I still opt for the rubber hose (I'm hoping/ betting that it's natural rubber not synthetic rubber). You might feel more comfortable with a polyurethane hose that is "drinking water safe." Imperfect choices, to be sure. If you find a rubber hose that is labeled as drinking water safe, let me know.

As soon as we switched from the plastic hose to Craftsman Rubber Hose we immediately smelled the difference in the water. The hose smells like rubber, but the water smells like nothing. I've also tasted the water, and it doesn't taste like anything. My husband loves the soft feel of the hose. It's just a very different texture from the plastic hoses most of us are used to. It doesn't kink because it can't really crease. We have a hose reel and it works really well with it. My husband even suggested that perhaps we should replace the front yard hose as well. (What to do with the nearly new probably vinyl hoses, though. Perhaps sell on Craig's List?)

Eat Less Plastic
Avoiding Phthalates in Deodorant and Everywhere Else
Avoiding Toxins in Baby Products
Flame Retardants: Toxic, Ineffective, Everywhere

Did you drink from the hose as a kid?

Do you let your kids drink from your hose now?

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Your purchase via these links helps support my blog. Thank you for your support. Read my full disclosure policy here.

This post is part of
Works for Me Wednesday
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Green Sisterhood Link Up
Farm Blog Hop

Popsicle Weather

2013-05-31T09:56:00.001-07:00

The weather is heating up where we live and that means it's popsicle weather. I have resisted buying popsicle molds for many years because I didn't want to buy plastic ones, even if they were BPA-free. But I finally found a fabulous stainless steel one: the Freezycup™ Stainless Steel Ice Pop Molds made of high-quality food-grade stainless steel 18-8 (304). The Freezycup™ is made by Life Without Plastic, an amazing Canadian company I first read about on Beth Terry's blog My Plastic-free Life (use dropdown menu in left sidebar to switch from CAN$ to US$).

Each Freezycup™popsicle maker has 4 parts: the popsicle cup or mold, lid, silicone gasket (goes in center of lid and holds stick in place), and reusable bamboo stick. I love that the stick is reusable. We have used our sticks at least 10 times and they still look great. It can be tricky with small ones to keep track of all these parts. My children mostly eat their popsicles outside, so we have chosen a spot where they can set their sticks and lids (with gasket) when they are done. They know if these parts get lost, there will be no more popsicles, and so far that has been plenty of motivation.

Clean up is very simple. With no nooks or crannies, the cups can be quickly rinsed out (if you are in a hurry to make more popsicles as we often are) or put through the dishwasher. I usually hand wash the other parts.

Freezycups™are purchased individually and do not require a bulky storage tray (wooden holder is available separately): the cups have a flat bottom which means the popsicles can be stored anywhere in your freezer, together or separately, a great space-saving device. It has, however, been just a little tricky for me to get them into my bottom-freezer refrigerator, because my freezer is a drawer made of metal mesh (no solid surfaces to rest the FreezyCups Ice Molds on). I used an impromptu cardboard box to help keep them in place when the drawer gets pulled in and out. Life Without Plastic also sells a very good-looking wooden holder (holds 4 molds at once) and will soon be selling a stainless steel holder as well, if you want a tray.

The popsicles slide out of the Freezycup™ very easily. I just run the cup under a little water and then the popsicle can easily be pulled out. The cups (flat bottomed and able to stand on their own without any kind of stand) are also a great place to store the popsicle should you need a little break from an ice-cold mouth. And when your popsicle melts a bit while it sits in the cup, you can drink the melted juice right out of the cup before resuming your popsicle. It's also very easy to store your unfinished popsicle back in the freezer. This feature has been so handy for us because my daughter eats treats so much more slowly than her older brother. The other day we had to leave for school and my daughter was only half-way done with her popsicle. No worries! Stick it in the mold then back in the freezer and it's ready to enjoy again a little while later.

This popsicle size (100 ml or 3.5 oz.) is just about the right size for my 4yo and 6yo. Many plastic molds are just way too enormous for small children, in my opnion. Even if this size is a little large for your kiddos (my 18-month-old can finish about half of one Freezycup™popsicle), you can always stash the partially-eaten popsicle back in the mold and save it for later.

What do we put in our Freezycups™? We keep it pretty simple around here and I've heard no complaints: plain orange juice or leftover smoothies (= homemade yogurt + frozen fruit). I actually have no interest in making elaborate recipes to freeze into popsicles, but there are plenty of recipes out there should you be so inclined.

The Freezycup™($8.95 each) is a little pricey compared to other popsicle molds. That's because Life Without Plastic is a top-notch green company that cuts no corners. This is one of the few companies I feel absolutely comfortable buying Chinese-made products from because they are completely committed to sustainable and ethical business practices. Life Without Plastic sells a wide variety of high-quality plastic-free kitchen, dining, and lifestyle products. If you can't find a plastic-free alternative to your favorite cookware, dining ware or food storage product, try Life Without Plastic. They have many innovative alternatives you didn't even know existed. I absolutely love their Sanctus Mundo stainless steel cups and plates for kids (and adults) -- so well-made and worth every penny I spent on them.

Disclosure: Life Without Plastic provided me with three Freezycup™Ice Pop Molds to facilitate this review. I have no other affiliation with Life Without Plastic. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Healthy-ish Chocolate Chip Cookies

2013-05-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

I really hesitate to use the word "healthy" in conjunction with these cookies. Mostly because they have a lot of sugar. But also because I believe I have not compromised one bit on taste. I mean, if you are going to have a chocolate chip cookie for dessert, have a real cookie. One delicious cookie is so much better than two cookies that taste healthy, if you know what I mean. Perhaps these cookies would be best described as "less unhealthy chocolate chip cookies," but I thought that a very poor post title.

My kids love a little treat now and then, and to avoid having to resort to store-bought packaged treats, even if they are from Trader Joe's/ Whole Foods, I often make these homemade cookies in bulk and freeze them. One little cookie is dessert enough for my little ones.

Mrs. Field's Remix

This recipe started with the Mrs. Field's Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. But it has half the butter. I have the Mrs. Field's Cookie Book and I do that with all her recipes: just halve the butter right from the get-go. Not because I'm especially fat-conscious, but just because the cookies seem so greasy and spread out otherwise.

I've tried decreasing or replacing the sugar with an alternative and I didn't like it. You can fudge the sugar down a bit (I usually just under-fill the measuring cup a bit -- nothing precise), but not much. I once used all organic cane sugar, and added back in some molasses (for the brown sugar), but did not like the texture at all, because my C & H organic can sugar from Costco has a pretty large granule, much bigger than conventional white sugar and brown sugar. For my last batch I used the organic cane sugar for the white sugar (I don't buy bleached white sugar anymore) and conventional or organic dark brown sugar.

My other big modification is to swap out almost half of the white flour for white whole wheat flour. I actually prefer the cookies with a significant portion of whole grain flour for two reasons: 1) they freeze better (whole wheat freezes so well and defrosts fast too) and 2) they don't make me feel as ill when I binge on them. I don't know about you, but if I eat a lot of refined sugar, I often feel slightly nauseated or even downright yucky afterwards. I'm guessing the whole grains help my blood sugar not spike as badly or something.

The quality of your chocolate chips is key. Use cheap chocolate and your cookies will taste like wax. I never economize on chocolate. I've always used Ghirardeli chips, but lately I've been using the Kirkland brand semi-sweet fair trade chocolate chips from Costco with excellent results.

I have changed the temperature and cooking time with every home I've lived in. Most ovens do not have the most accurate thermostats so it always takes a little tinkering to get it right (an oven thermometer helps of course). With my current oven, I bake at 335 for 15 min, but I've also done 350 for 13 minutes, and 310 for 16 minutes. The original recipe says 300 for 18-22 min., but that never worked for me (probably related to halving the butter). I like my cookies a bit thick and slightly chewy, not all the way spread out. I believe a higher temperature will make your cookies spread out more and become more crispy.

Benefits of Homemade

By making cookies myself, I save money, reduce packaging waste, and can afford to use better ingredients (like organic flour and eggs). I also think it is nearly impossible for a store-bought cookie (particularly one meant to have an extended shelf-life) to replicate the taste of a homemade cookie. I've never had a supermarket cookie that came even close.

So here you go. My 100% delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies, made slightly less unhealthy.

Eco-novice's Healthy-ish Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla

1 to 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like 3/4 cup milk chocolate chip and 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Mix dry ingredients. Blend sugars and butter, then add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Then mix in the chips.
Place tablespoon-fulls on a greased baking sheet. With a large half-sheet baking pan I can fit 18 to 20 cookies per sheet. Bake at 335 degrees for 15 minutes until a deep golden brown. Makes 3+ dozen smaller cookies.

Try higher temp and shorter time for more spreading, lower temp and longer times for less spreading. Cookies are done when golden brown (although slightly darker than you might be used to because of the whole wheat). I always check to make sure the bottom of one cookie is a nice deep slightly crispy brown.

Eco-novice's Healthy-ish Chocolate Chip Cookies (Double Recipe)

3 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 T + 1 t vanilla

2 1/2 to 3 cups chocolate chips (I like 3/4 cup milk chocolate chip and 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Mix dry ingredients. Blend sugars and butter, then add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Then mix in the chips.
Place tablespoon-fulls on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 335 degrees for 15 minutes until a deep golden brown.

If you make a double recipe, you can bake all the cookies at once and freeze a bunch. They taste delicious warmed up in the toaster oven, or even after just resting on the counter for 5 minutes. I often eat them straight out of the freezer. You can also form the dough into balls, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then store them in an airtight bag until you want to bake them. Try baking at 300 for 20-22 min. Or leave them out on the counter for 30 min. and bake close to your normal temperature and time. I usually choose to bake in bulk and freeze cookies rather than dough. Fewer dishes and I also find that although cookies hot out of the oven are just wonderful, freezing the dough for several months or longer does seem to change the taste a bit.

Enjoy!

How to Sell with Confidence on Craig's List

2013-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted (Almost) Everything I've Ever Bought or Sold on Craig's List and How to Buy with Confidence on Craig's List. In today's post I'm sharing some tips that I hope will give you the confidence to try selling a used item on Craig's List. I've heard people say buying and selling on Craig's List seems creepy. Maybe you heard a sketchy story on the local news involving Craig's List once. Having sold tons of items on Craig's List, I can tell you that almost everyone buying something that you would sell on Craig's List is just an ordinary person like you. Take a few precautions, and you should never find yourself in an iffy situation.

Note that Craig's List is used for other things besides buying and selling (personals, services like tutoring and child care, job postings, rental housing). This post is about selling an item in the "For Sale" section. Go to the Craig's List site page, click on your nearest metropolitan area, then click on "my account" where you will be prompted to sign in or create an account. Once signed in and on your account page, click on the "New Posting" tab at the top of the page. You can also click on the "For Sale" heading and then "Post" in the top right corner.

A few tips for selling safely and successfully on Craig's List

Deal locally with people you can meet in person, and you will avoid 99% of all scams according to Craig's List. As a general rule, you should hand over your item only when the payment is in your hand.

Always ask to be paid in cash. Put it right in your post: "CASH ONLY." I've had a few people want to pay me by check, especially for larger amounts, but I always insist on cash. I let them know where the nearest ATM is and wait for them to make a withdrawal.

Meet in a public place whenever possible, especially if you are female. If this is impractical because you are selling a heavy item of furniture, for example, consider scheduling appointments at your home only if another adult will also be present. I usually make appointments when my husband will be home too. Easier in terms of dealing with my little ones too. I do sometimes let other women whom I've spoken with on the phone (especially those purchasing baby and kid items) come to my house during the day even when my husband is gone. Just depends on your comfort level. For more tips about staying safe, check out Craig's List own page on Personal Safety.

Do not put your address in your ad. If buyers will be coming to my home, I only give out my address to folks I have spoken to on the telephone right before an appointment, to limit the number that have it. I usually include my approximate location in my listing and then tell buyers who have an appointment with me to call me when they are leaving work/ home so I can give them my exact address. You can include a map with approximate street coordinates (I use the nearest large intersection) in your listing. For large objects that will be shown at my home, I also usually put "You pick up" in the listing, and let them know if they will need a friend to help move the object.

Expect flakes and no-shows. There will be many of them. For this reason, unless I am really desperate to get rid of something, I do not rearrange my schedule to meet a buyer. If you are meeting buyers away from your home, make the meeting in conjunction with an errand you already need to make (for example, a trip to the library or grocery store) rather than make a special trip, or choose a location on the way home from picking up your child from an activity. I often ask potential buyers to call me when they are leaving.

Price to sell. Check what price other sellers are selling similar products for. I see a lot of unrealistic pricing on Craig's List. In such cases I'm guessing that people are choosing their prices in an attempt to recover their loss instead of considering what anyone is actually willing to pay. I mean, go ahead and ask for how much you want, but you might have to let your ad sit there for several weeks and lower the price multiple times to actually sell it.

Be willing to bargain. This is part of the Craig's List culture. I usually build a bit of bargaining into my price (e.g., ask for $275 when I'm hoping for $250). But if I've had tons of interest, I often tell sellers, "Nope, I'm not going to sell for less, because I'm sure I can get my asking price."

Include multiple decent-quality photos in your listing! I often don't even bother checking listings without photos, especially now that Craig's List finally has the photo preview option for looking at listings (I like the Grid View best for browsing search results). Any photo is better than no photo, but of course it's best to avoid blurry photos in poor lighting. Out of laziness, I sometimes pull a product photo off an online retailer's page, but many buyers want to see a photo of your actual item so they can see the condition it is in.

Include lots and lots of details. And please put a modicum of effort into formatting. You can usually pull many details right off an online product page (I often use Amazon). Put any information that you would find useful: dimensions, age, condition, why you are selling, what you liked about it, etc. The ideal Craig's List listing, in my humble opinion, is like a detailed product page combined with a personal review. A little advertising goes a long way on Craig's List. Of course the amount of effort you want to put into this will depend on how much your item is worth.

Include every word or phrase that a person might search for in shopping for your item in your listing. You want to make sure your listing shows up in buyers' searches. I often just include a list of words at the very end. For example, if selling a bookshelf the bottom of your listing might say "book, shelf, shelves, bookshelf, bookshelves, bookcase, storage, wood, wooden." You get the idea.

Make it easy to find other items you are selling. A buyer in the market for a high chair is also often in the market for other baby items. I tend to sell in batches, just because posting on Craig's List and fielding texts and emails does require some time, and I'd rather do that for a number of items at once. When I'm selling many items, I usually put multiple items on the same listing, as long as they all fit under the same category ("Toys + Games," for example). If you have multiple listings, make it easy for buyers to find your other listings. You can add links to your other listings at the bottom of each of your listings (a little bit time-consuming). If you are including your phone number so buyers can text you, make sure to write your phone number the same way in each post (with periods, dashes or spaces), and then state in each listing: Search for "555-555-5555" to see my other listings. If you aren't including a phone number, you can come up with a unique phrase (I might use "Betsy2013"), and then include in each post the following: Search for "Betsy2013" to find my other listings.

Consider carefully whether you want to "hold" an item for a buyer. As stated above, plan on flakes and no shows. Most sellers operate on a first come, first sell basis. Once I've made an appointment with someone who wants my next available time, I honor that and will not sandwich a person in front of him no matter how pushy the other buyer may be. But if a buyer or buyers can't meet for several days, I'll let others come see the item too, and then let the other buyers know whether I've sold the item or not.

Set up a free Google Voice account to use for texting with prospective sellers/ buyers. I have a Go Phone and I pay per text so this is a must for me (with Google Voice I can type and receive texts on my laptop). Even if you use a Smartphone, you might prefer to keep your regular phone number private by using Google Voice (you can have it forward to any number you want). You can also use email (which Craig's List anonymizes for you), but I got tired of the spam from fake buyers.

If you have a ton of things to sell and are having a garage sale, consider selling the most valuable items on Craig's List before your garage sale. You will generally fetch a higher price on Craig's List than at a garage sale.

Renew your listing every couple days. You can move your listing to the top of the search results by "renewing" (new Craig's List feature!) your post as often as every 48 hours. Reposting your exact same post as a separate listing (which some folks do to move themselves up in the search listings) is a Craig's List no-no. Friday or early Saturday morning is an especially fruitful time to "renew" because that's when many folks are looking. If your post expires (after one week), you can also repost it from your account page. To find your account page, go to the home page for your metropolitan area, and click on "my account" (top left on my homepage).

Delete your listing as soon as it is sold. This is just good Craig's List etiquette. It also means you will no longer be bothered by phone calls, emails and texts from interested buyers.

Happy Selling!

What are your best tips for selling on Craig's List?

Worth Saving for the Grandkids: Colorful Wooden Blocks by Grimms

2013-05-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

My 18-month-old building with Grimm's Color Charts Rally Building Blocks Set
(wooden cars and people not included).

In Search of Colorful Wooden Blocks (not made in China)

A few months ago my husband suggested that it would be nice to have some colorful wooden blocks in addition to our numerous unfinished natural ones. I agreed, but quickly discovered that the choices were surprisingly slim. There were quite a few inexpensive sets of small blocks that were painted colorfully, but all were made in China.

I eventually started checking websites for individual brands I like (Plan Toys, Maple Landmark, Holgate Toys, Haba) as well as natural toy stores I've purchased from in the past. And what I found was that not one offered a large colorful set of basic building blocks. I was feeling rather defeated about the whole thing, when one day our Grimms stacking rainbow caught my eye. Of course, Grimms! I went to the Grimms website and immediately found gorgeous colorful sets of blocks. A little online comparative shopping landed me on Amazon where I found a wide variety of Grimms blocks sold by The Natural Family Shop (purchases are fulfilled by Amazon).

Grimm's Set of 100 Stepped Blocks

And then I hesitated. For several months in fact. Because, as is often the case, choosing to purchase high-quality, crafted by hand, ethically and sustainably-made products can result in a bit of sticker shock. But as is also often the case with such purchases, once I forked over the dough and received my item, I was so pleased with my choice. I say with the utmost confidence that you will not find colored blocks any where more attractive than those made by Grimms. What Makes Grimms Blocks Special?

Grimms Block are:

Handmade in Germany
Made of sustainably harvested woods (including alder, lime, maple and cherry woods)
Made with non-toxic water-based stains in rich, gorgeous colors
Have no finish, varnish, lacquer or paint. Unlike paint, the color cannot chip off.
Have the texture of unfinished wood (not slippery like painted wood) which makes them easier to build with; stain rather than paint also means you can still see the beautiful grain of the wood
Inspired by the philosophy of Waldorf education
Encourage open-ended imaginative play as well as effortless, playful learning
Encourage building, creativity and a sense of design
Use the same base size (2 cm or 4 cm) making it easy to combine different sets
A colorful complement to any unfinished wood set of blocks you may already own

Stain instead of paint means you can still see the lovely grain of the wood.

Color Charts Rally Building Blocks Set

The Color Charts Rally set has 29 colored pairs of rectangles (4 cm x 8 cm x 1 cm) plus 15 square blocks of various sizes for a total of 73 blocks. We love to use this set to create buildings and towers, especially apartment buildings for our little friends (see photo at beginning of the post). These blocks also work really well in combination with a tabletop set of unfinished blocks.

The Color Charts Rally Building Blocks Set adds a splash of color to any
unfinished tabletop wood block set.

The rectangles make nice fences or roads, or line them up and knock them over like giant dominoes. Two of each color of rectangle in so many shades makes these fun for color matching. I was surprised my 5-year-old could detect the subtle differences.

I love working with the palette of colors in this set. My husband is great at getting on the floor and playing with my kids. I tend to try to get my kids engaged in an activity so I can run off and get something done. These blocks make me want to sit down and create something alongside my kids. I used to draw and paint a bit way back when. With an 18-month-old, I simply cannot sit and focus long enough to create much of anything artistic these days. I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but just arranging these blocks does fill that little artistic yen of mine a bit. In fact, when these blocks arrived I told my kids that they were mine, but that I would let them play with them too.

The Color Charts Rally Building Block Set by Grimms -- love the variety of colors!

You should know that the rectangles are made of a softer and more lightweight type of wood. My teething toddler has managed to make indentations in some of them. In addition, while stained colors don't ever chip off the way paint, with enough pressure and friction, occasionally one color might rub off on another block, and sometimes a block may arrive this way (it looks like a small mark was made with a colored pencil). I've seen this with the Holztiger animals we own as well. It just comes with the territory of the more natural finishes. I can tell you that my toddler sometimes sucks on the blocks (not recommended), and the colors don't seem to bleed at all.

Set of 100 Large Stepped Counting Blocks in Storage Tray (4x4 Size)

Grimms stepped blocks are 4 cm by 4 cm by variable height (from 1 cm to 10 cm by 1 cm increments).

These blocks are fabulous to build with, of course, but also great for encouraging mathematical thinking: comparisons, addition, multiplication, measurement, and algebraic thinking. While you could certainly deliberately use these blocks for mathematical explorations (how many ways can you make 10? how many dark green blocks equal one purple one?), I have noticed that these playing with these blocks naturally encourages you to figure out how to use different combinations of blocks to make the same height just so you can create a level surface.

How many ways can you make a tower of 10 cm?

We love to use the Stepped Blocks set on its own, or in combination with the Color Rally set, or to add color to our set of unit blocks.

Stepped 4 x 4 Grimms blocks make a colorful addition
to an unfinished unit block set.

Like other blocks, they lend themselves well to open-ended play. In our house they have most often been used for building houses, garages and skyscrapers; making words; or as play food for us or our wooden animals.

My 5-year-old building a skyscraper with the Stepped 4 x 4 Grimms blocks.

Yum yum. Stepped 4 x 4 Grimms blocks make a colorful meal.

100 large blocks means plenty of blocks to create an entire town.

I love the wooden tray which makes clean-up into a game.

My 3-year-old cleaning up.

There is also a less expensive 2 x 2 (2 cm by 2 cm) set of 100 stepped blocks, but note that the smallest sizes would be choking hazards for little ones.

Set of 5 Small Wooden Stacking & Nesting Bowls

I also have these Stacking & Nesting Bowls. Many folks are familiar with plastic stacking/ nesting cups. You can stack them inside each other or on top of each other, hide a small one underneath a bigger one. Of course Grimms bowls can also be used for these activities, but unlike plastic they are lovely to look at and pleasant to touch.

We love to use them for imaginative play as pools, feeding bowls, and potties for our little animals and people. Of course you can also use them in combination with other blocks for building.

The five bowls range in diameter from a little more than 3 cm to about 10 cm. Stacked on top of each other, they are 20 cm high. The smallest bowl does fit inside my 18-month-old's mouth, so I watch her carefully when she's playing with them. The set of 5 bowls is available in several different color choices: shades of pink, shades of blue, rainbow (largest bowl red), and natural. I wish I'd purchased these when my baby was just a few months old.

Toys for the Grandkids

In every way, Grimms blocks fit perfectly with my toy-buying philosophy: quality over quantity, natural and completely non-toxic materials, aesthetically-pleasing and open-ended, durable and appealing to all ages (including adults like me), and also created by a business I can enthusiastically support. If I had it all to do again, I would own only these types of toys.

The other day my husband, who hounds me relentlessly to donate or sell any item I haven't used in the last 4 hours, saw our Grimms blocks scattered on the ground and remarked that many of our toys are so nice that we will have to pack them up and save them for the grandkids once our kids are grown. Amen to that. But I'll probably keep at least our Grimms blocks out for me to play with in the meantime.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I purchased the Color Charts Rally Building Blocks Set and Set of 5 Small Wooden Stacking & Nesting Bowls myself. Natural Family Shop provided the Set of 100 Large Stepped Counting Blocks in Storage Tray (4x4 Size) to facilitate their review. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure policy here.

This post is part of
Works for Me Wednesday

How to Buy with Confidence on Craig's List

2013-05-17T17:56:00.004-07:00

Earlier this week I posted (Almost) Everything I've Ever Bought or Sold on Craig's List. In today's post I'm sharing some tips that I hope will give you the confidence to try buying a used item on Craig's List. I've heard people say buying on Craig's List seems creepy. Maybe you heard a sketchy story on the local news involving Craig's List once. Having purchased tons of items on Craig's List, I can tell you that almost everyone selling something that you would want to purchase on Craig's List is just an ordinary person like you. Take a few precautions, and you should never find yourself in an iffy situation.

Note that Craig's List is used for other things besides buying and selling (personals, services like tutoring and child care, job postings, rental housing). This post is about buying an item that is in the "For Sale" section. Go to the Craig's List site page, click on your nearest metropolitan area, then click on the heading "for sale" and you're ready to go.

A few tips for buying safely and successfully on Craig's List

Deal locally with people you can meet in person, and you will avoid 99% of all scams according to Craig's List. As a general rule, you should hand over the payment only when the object in play is in your sights, ready to be loaded into your car. This is not eBay.

Search for lots of different phrases. Many sellers are not very savvy about listing their item, and a lot of people post a photo with just one sentence using their Smartphone. For example, when looking for a TV stand, I searched for television stand, TV stand, entertainment center TV, and so on. You can narrow your search by choosing a specific category (drop-down menu next to search box), but some folks don't select a category and dump everything in general, or an item might straddle several categories (for example, a child's bicycle might wind up in "bicycles" or "baby and kid stuff" or "toys and games"), so sometimes it's better to do a general search. You can also set parameters for the price of the item on the search page.

Consider shopping only within a certain radius of your home. You can choose to only search specific neighborhoods within your general area on Craig's List (just as you can choose to search only within certain categories, such as "Appliances"). It can be very annoying to drive 30 minutes only to discover the item isn't really what you wanted. If I'm not sure about a purchase that will involve driving more than 15 minutes, I grill the buyer on the phone and sometimes ask for additional photos. Buyers are usually fine with this as they really don't want to waste your time or their own with an appointment that results in no sale. In general, I am pretty darn sure I want to purchase an item drive somewhere to look at it.

Bookmark or create a feed for your search pages to facilitate searches. Once you've chosen the appropriate category, search query, price range, and desired neighborhoods, consider creating a bookmark or a feed for your search. To create a bookmark, you simply bookmark the page of your search. To set up a feed: after you've done your search with all the appropriate parameters, scroll to the very very very bottom and in the bottom right hand corner you'll see "RSS" in an orange box; click on that and paste the URL into your reader. Feeds are useful when for the same item you want to use several different search queries, or have separate searches for a few neighborhoods versus the entire metropolitan area, or for different price ranges. Create a feed for each search and then group them all in a folder together in your reader if you think you'll be browsing regularly for an item or items for a while. Now that Craig's List has the very useful grid view (with large photo preview), I most often begin a search with my bookmark of the "for sale" page with my three nearest neighborhoods selected. Then I just type in search queries for whatever items I'm shopping for.

Set up a free Google Voice account to use for texting with prospective sellers. I have a Go Phone and I pay per text so this is a must for me (with Google Voice I can type texts on my laptop). Even if you use a Smartphone, you might prefer to keep your regular phone number private by using Google Voice, which will forward to any number you want. I'm also happy to use email when I'm buying (you mostly deal with spam when you are the seller), but many sellers prefer texting because they are avoiding spammers.

Ask to meet at a public location whenever feasible. If you are purchasing a difficult-to-move item (such as furniture) or the seller prefers to meet at their house, ask that the item be moved outside or to the garage if possible. If you are a woman dealing with a male seller, ask who else will be home and if you can wait until a woman is there. Or take someone with you. Or send your husband/ brother/ male friend. For more tips about staying safe, check out Craig's List own page on Personal Safety.

Bring cash. No legitimate seller wants anything else, and it's a bummer to have to drive to an ATM in order to close the deal. I do sometimes negotiate a "down payment" when I find an item I want but can't take it immediately. So for a $500 item, I might give them $100 or $200 and then pay the rest when I pick it up. If you do this, you might consider writing a note and having the seller sign it, or just send a text/ email immediately to the seller so you both have a record and there is no confusion later. This way I don't have to show up with tons of cash in case I don't actually buy the item.

If you are buying a large item, check measurements and ask the seller if he or she can help you load it in your car. Most will, but some people are unable to and you need to know whether you need to bring help with you. Some folks will even deliver for a small additional cost. Also, be sure the object will both fit in your home and the space in your car. I once sent my husband to pick up an item of furniture only for him to discover it didn't fit in our van. That was sad.

Before buying, do a little homework. How much is the item new? Some dreamers price items on Craig's List for nearly new or even more than new prices. I once purchased something on Craig's List and later realized I could have purchased it nearly as cheaply new online. I should have known the best new price and used that to bargain with the seller.

Always bargain when buying. Unless you know the item is way under-priced, in which case I would not push your luck. I often ask buyers in my emails, texts, and on the phone if they are willing to bargain or not. Some have the time and inclination to wait for their desired price or have already priced to sell (these sellers often include "price firm" in their postings), but many folks will flat out tell you they are willing to come down on the price, especially if you can pick up the item immediately. And almost every seller will give you a deal if you purchase multiple items from them.

Ask if they have anything else you might be interested in purchasing. People are often selling a bunch of items at once. If you are purchasing baby gear, clothing, toys, books, kitchen gear and so on, it's probably worth asking what else they are trying to get rid of. If you are shopping for baby gear, I'd say it is very common for people to just give you some additional items if you want them. I've done this myself. Parents are usually very eager to get rid of baby/kid gear once they have moved on to the next age-stage.

Garage sales are better for window shopping while Craig's List is better when you are looking for a specific item. You will generally pay more for stuff on Craig's List than at a garage sale.

What are your tips for buying successfully on Craig's List?

(Almost) Everything I've Ever Bought or Sold on Craig's List

2013-05-14T10:53:00.001-07:00

The other day when I mentioned that I'd recently sold something on Craig's List, a friend asked me, "How does that work? I've never used Craig's List." I was shocked. SHOCKED. This frugal soul had neither purchased nor sold a single thing on Craig's List. Just in the past month I have purchased a TV stand, infant bucket swing, and kid's bicycle, and sold 2 portable air conditioners on Craig's List.

My conversation with my friend inspired me to try to catalog all the items I've ever bought or sold on Craig's List. It's not truly possible, because it's just been too many things over too many years (dating back to my single days in Los Angeles over 15 years ago), but I did look through my emails and walk around my house to try to remember what I've bought and sold on Craig's List. Here is what I came up with.

(Almost) Everything I've Purchased on Craig's List

Pretty much every Plan City toy that we own (many purchased as part of a "lot"), including: garage, airport, gas station with car wash, mechanic, fire station, set of roads, numerous cars and other vehicles.
Plan Toys dollhouse, dolls and furniture
Numerous high-quality wooden and cardboard puzzles
IKEA Trofast toy organizer (two different ones, two different times)
Kid's bicycle
Nearly new deluxe baby swing with plug (such a find!)
Baby Bjorn (P.S. I hate the Baby Bjorn)
Moby wrap baby carrier
Ergo baby carrier (see my review here)
Double umbrella stroller
Double jogging stroller
Little Tikes plastic play structure
Little Tikes plastic picnic table
Infant bucket swing
Lakeshore two-sided art easel
Solid wood changing table and child's dresser
Dutalier reclining glider and ottoman
2 different wooden rocking chairs
High chair
Two different infant seats
Futon sofa
Oval kitchen table and chairs
Several desks and miscellaneous tables
5 different solid wood bookshelves
Two different TV stands
Portable air conditioner
Bread maker
Microwave
Lawn mower
Moving boxes

(Almost) Everything I've Sold on Craig's List

Baby swing with plug (purchased on Craig's List - baby never lasted more than 10 minutes in it)
Baby Bjorn (purchased on Craig's List)
Double umbrella stroller (purchased on Craig's List but decided I didn't like it)
Pocket sling baby carriers (never could figure these out)
Infant car seat with 2 bases
Many gifts (toys, fleece PJs) given to my children as gifts that I didn't want but couldn't return
Lots of kids toys, many purchased second-hand on Craig's List or at thrift stores
Interlocking foam floor mats
Cloth diapers
Twin size bed frame and mattress
Queen size bed frame and mattress/ box spring set
Several particle board bookshelves
Entertainment center (which we had purchased used from a friend)
Round kitchen table and 4 chairs
Dining room table and 6 chairs
Several desks and tables (most purchased on Craig's List)
Portable air conditioner (purchase on Craig's List - wasn't powerful enough for our large bedroom)
2 portable air conditioners (purchased new after used one didn't work out)
Lots and lots of teaching materials (children's books, teaching manuals, workbooks, posters, manipulatives, etc.)
Computer monitor
Crock pot and other under-used kitchen appliances and gear
Bedding
Lawn mower (purchased on Craig's List)
Numerous gifts (including wedding gifts!) that were many years old but in original boxes and never used and also didn't think I could get away with re-gifting, including: wine glasses, hand mixer, electric nonstick skillet, and drinking glasses
And last but not least, our car

As you can see, lots of baby and kid stuff, furniture, as well as miscellaneous household items like small appliances. I often sell a large batch of items on Craig's List in preparation for a move, and then donate whatever I can't sell. I almost always have a couple of items on my Craig's List Wish List, but I don't always have the inclination to check the listings or follow up on them. I often buy in spurts too.

Craig's List is particularly awesome for baby gear, because so many items you don't end up using or using only for a short period. For example, I bought a very nice nearly new baby swing on Craig's List. A few months later, when I had resigned myself to the fact that my baby was never going to last more than 10 minutes in it (not nap for hours there as I had envisioned), I turned around and sold it on Craig's List for $5 less than I'd purchased it. We have also bought, tried briefly, and then resold on Craig's List a double umbrella stroller, Baby Bjorn, portable air conditioner, and lawn mower. Usually with little or no loss of money (just a little time). Buyer's remorse is a lot less painful when you purchase used. When it comes to baby gear, in particular, please don't waste your money on new.

Soon I'll post some tips for buying and selling safely and successfully on Craig's List for all you Craig's List newbies.

Related Posts

What have you bought and sold on Craig's List?

What are your tips for using Craig's List successfully?

Disclosure: This post contains a few Amazon affiliate links. Before buying new, check your local Craig's List listings! See my full disclosure policy here.

Green Changes that Save You Money

2013-05-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Soon after I decided that I wanted to live a greener healthier lifestyle, I discovered that green changes and choices come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Some green changes are really challenging and may require perseverance despite repeated failures, like trying to find a natural deodorant that works for your husband. Or a natural cleaner that conquers mold. On the other hand, some green changes are downright easy. For example, opening your windows to improve indoor air quality or turning your thermostat up one or two degrees in the summer.

Certain green choices are expensive, like buying an all-natural bed free of flame retardant chemicals. Organic and natural food products also tend to cost more than their conventional counterparts. But many green choices are inexpensive and will save you lots of money.

Click here to continue reading about money-saving green changes at The Green Sisterhood

Top Methods of Entertaining a Child on the Potty

2013-05-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

How to get your child to sit on the potty and stay on the potty long enough to relax and do her business: this is one of the central dilemmas of potty training, whatever age your child may be. I'm currently potty training my third child. Since I've done early potty training with my 2nd and 3rd children, I've had a chance to hone my skills for entertaining a wide range of ages on the potty, from 3 years all the way down to 5 months. Whatever age your child may be, here are some ideas for getting them to take a seat and make a deposit.

Potty Time Entertainment

The list below is roughly in the order I have used them with my third child, who started sitting on the potty around 5 months and is now about 18 months.

Board Books

Books are my most often used entertainment device in the potty department, regardless of age. The smallest ones love the board books of baby faces and nursery rhymes. As they get a little older, we might have to kick it up a notch to board books that are also songs. Once we hit the busy toddler age, I find the key is novelty. As soon as my 18-month-old loses interest in a book, I'm ready with another one to take its place. I recently got my 3-year-old to transition from a small potty to the toilet by giving her special books that she could look at by herself only while sitting on the toilet. Reading material is how my older children still choose (independently) to entertain themselves on the toilet, just like the adults. But sometimes, especially with my busy toddler, the board books don't cut it.

Finger Play

Rhymes with finger play such as pat-a-cake and itsy-bitsy spider were enough to keep my 6-month-old excited about sitting on the potty for many months.

Drawing

We got through one period of particularly reluctant potty use when I hit on the idea of letting my one-year-old draw with a pen. Because she regularly draws on the floor and walls, I normally do my best to keep pens out of my toddler's hands. Which made pens the perfect forbidden object to be used only in the bathroom under my supervision. I would carry her to the bathroom, let her turn on the light switch herself, take a notebook and pen out of the bathroom cupboard where I had stashed them, hand her the pen and then put her on the potty. The pen in hand was enough to overcome any resistance. Best of all, I could leave the room for short spurts while she kept herself entertained drawing in the notebook placed on top of a stool in front of her. Before the pen, we also used a magna-doodle for entertainment periodically.

Food

Yep, food. Especially right after she wakes up dry, when I know she needs to go, but she's still a little grumpy and resists me taking her to the bathroom. Sometimes a little bowl of cereal, a pita chip, or even one chocolate chip is enough to get her to stop fighting me and take a seat.

Older Siblings

With my very busy, very energetic toddler, this is currently my ace-in-the-hole. When I cannot convince her on my own to come sit on the potty, I enlist one or both of her older siblings to come to the bathroom with us. Sometimes they will sit next to her while I read them both a book, or sometimes I can get the older sibling to read her a story or do a finger play with her.

Company

Some little potty users love company. For a long time, me using the toilet while I set my little one on the potty across from me was a sure-fire way to get her to use the potty. But now Mom isn't special enough anymore and I have to enlist an older sibling or Daddy to use the toilet so that the youngest will sit on the potty and go too. My favorite is when my 3-year-old and toddler need to go #2 at the same time, and I can leave them both in there together unsupervised for a long stretch while they do their business.

Other Methods I've Used

I haven't had to resort to any of these methods with my third child, but I did find them useful with my first two.

Stickers

I don't use this one with my third, because she mostly just tries to eat stickers, particularly little ones, but stickers were a great way for me to get my 2nd child to sit on the potty long enough to go #2. I would give her a sheet of little stickers and let her put them in her special sticker notebook which we stashed in the bathroom.

Blowing Bubbles

The truth is, I don't really enjoy blowing bubbles because it's just plain messy. You end up with bubble solution all over your hands and also the floor from drips as well as popped bubbles. But my first child, who I potty trained the latest and who was my most challenging, loved bubbles. So for months I blew bubbles for long stretches to get him to sit on the potty long enough to go.

Annoying Electronic Toys

You know those annoying electronic toys that other people give your children that you hate to listen to? Use them only in the potty and they become a great source of novel entertainment. Also, it's not that tragic if they accidentally get ruined in the bathroom. I haven't relied on this method much with my third child, but a play cell phone's beeping often kept my second child happy on the potty when we she was 9-months-old, and often allowed me to do something else (like brush my teeth) as long as I stayed near her. A pretend laptop often kept my 2-year-old alone in the bathroom and seated on the potty for 30 minutes at a time.

Favorite Toy

I've never used this one much, because honestly I don't really want to encourage bringing toys into the bathroom, but if you are having trouble luring your child to the potty and she is very busy with a particular stuffed friend/ puppet/ toy animal/ doll/ toy car, consider just bringing that toy with you and maybe even having the toy use the potty first.

DVD

When it comes to potty training, I don't really consider anything to be off limits. Whatever it takes to get the job done. With my second child, there was a period of time where the only way we could convince her to sit long enough to go #2 was to let her watch a 20-minute show. This was partly the case because we were often too busy with her older brother or a new baby to sit with her long enough for her to do her business. The only trick was to set up the portable DVD player in the bathroom so as to minimize the chances that she would play with the buttons or drop it and break it.

For more tips, tricks, and tales from our potty training adventures, including the very best times to put your child on the potty, visit my Potty Training Page.

What is your best trick for getting your child to sit and stay on the potty?

New Loves Discovered on the Green Path

2013-05-03T12:30:00.001-07:00

This week, as I wrote my umpteenth post about how much I love the farmers market, I realized how many wonderful things I have discovered only because of my permanent detour onto a greener path.

Farmers Markets

For me, one of the greatest benefits of living greener has been becoming connected to my local food economy and developing a greater appreciation for where our food comes from. Since I don't really garden, the farmers market for me is the shortest path of production available. Food has such far-reaching implications for our family's health, how land is used and the health of the planet. It is also a large and recurring expense. I view changing how I buy my food as one of the most important green changes I have made. In addition to feeling great about giving my family the healthiest and tastiest produce available, I feel good about consciously choosing to support small local sustainable farming. I like handing my money straight to the farmer. I have always said that I don't like shopping, but I have discovered that what I actually don't like is shopping in conventional grocery stores and mega-stores and especially malls. Thanks to our local farmers markets, now I often go more than a month without setting foot in a regular grocery store, which means no cheapy toys or salacious magazines at my kids' eye levels, no wandering through a dozen aisles to find the one thing I actually want, no processed foods beckoning, no checkout line. Love that.

Click here to continue reading at The Green Phone Booth.

Why I No Longer Pay Much Attention to EWG's Dirty Dozen™

2013-04-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my entire family was out and about doing errands in an unfamiliar part of town when we passed a farmers market. We made a note of it and on the way home stopped there for lunch and groceries. We were so glad we did.

This market was much larger than the farmers markets closer to my home that I usually frequent. While it was tougher to keep track of my kids (I was very glad my husband was with me), there was plenty to love among the aisles and aisles of vendors. In addition to tons of beautiful produce, there was honey and freshly squeezed juices, tamales and hummus, natural meats and fresh fish, flowers and potted plants, bread and pastries. There were eggs, $6 for 30 ($2.40 a dozen, about half of what I normally pay). I bought 60. When we passed a musician playing a James Taylor-esque version of "Up on the Roof," one of my 5yo's favorite songs, my son looked at me and immediately put his hand out for a dollar to put in the hat. It was like we were meant to be there.

Most important of all, there were tomatoes. Ripe, red, and juicy. Despite the high price tag, I bought more than a pound each of tomatoes still on the vine as well as uber-sweet cherry tomatoes. My husband looked at my purchase and said, "What are you thinking? Go back and buy at least two more pounds of those cherry tomatoes." The kids and we ate almost all those cherry tomatoes walking through the stalls of the market. Our first fresh tomatoes of the season.

A few days later when The 2013 Dirty Dozen™ came out, I realized how much less attention I pay to it now than when I first started going green. I mean, I still pay attention because it's news (which is why I wrote a post about it last week). But I no longer print up the list and stick it on the fridge, or type the complete list into Excel and then print it out in a tiny font so that I can carry the list with me at all times in my wallet. I no longer agonize over whether I should substitute Clean Fifteen™ produce from distant lands for local Dirty Dozen™ produce while standing in the grocery store with a cart full of small children. And that's because I now shop for almost all my produce through my farmers market and my CSA, which allows me to purchase nearly all of our fruits and vegetables pesticide-free. And for that, I feel very lucky.

How to Shop Local, in Season, and Pesticide-free without Even Trying

As I've said before, farmers markets take all the calculation and effort out of shopping local and in season. Much of the time, they also take all the effort out of shopping pesticide- and GMO-free. Farmers markets are often the most affordable way to buy pesticide-free produce.

Not everything at farmers markets is organic. But many of the non-organic vendors don't use fertilizers and/or pesticides. Just ask! I regularly buy from many vendors who are working on organic certification (it takes many years) or small family farms that are organic in all but name but just don't want to invest the money in the certification process. If the person manning the booth is part of the family that owns the farm, or has worked on the farm for many years and is very familiar with their operation, and I am standing there with a child in each hand and a baby strapped to my chest, I am willing to take the vendor's word for it when he tells me, "We don't use pesticides."

Find your local farmers market here.

How often do you consult EWG's Dirty Dozen™ list?

EWG's 2013 Dirty Dozen List
Getting the Most Out of Your Farmer’s Market
My Love Affair with the Farmers' Market
How I Shop for Food

EWG's 2013 Dirty Dozen List

2013-04-26T09:09:00.001-07:00

The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™

Every year for the past nine years, the Environmental Working Group has published their Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ based on tests for pesticide residue conducted by the USDA and FDA. EWG specifically highlights "The Dirty Dozen™": produce likely to have a higher level of pesticide residue, which they recommend avoiding or purchasing organic. For the last couple years, EWG has expanded their Dirty Dozen™ list with a Plus category resulting in "The Dirty Dozen Plus™". The "Plus" refers to crops that do not meet traditional Dirty Dozen™ criteria but that were commonly contaminated with exceptionally toxic pesticides. Consumers should prioritize purchasing organic versions of these vegetables as well if possible. The produce with the least residue is termed "The Clean Fifteen™."

Use the The Dirty Dozen™ to Prioritize Purchases

This guide is not intended to scare you into not buying fruits and vegetables. Any produce is better than no produce. And conventional fruit and vegetables are certainly better than processed or packaged foods. Instead, this information is intended to help families who cannot afford to purchase all organic produce limit their exposure to pesticides, especially harmful to developing fetuses and young children. You can use the guide to substitute produce from The Clean Fifteen™ for The Dirty Dozen Plus™ (for example, I might decide our family will eat more kiwi and fewer apples), or use the guide to help you decide which produce you will buy organic and which you will buy conventional (for example, I might buy organic strawberries and conventional onions). When I first started going green, I found that selectively purchasing organic produce helped a lot with the sticker shock of switching to greener foods.

The 2013 Dirty Dozen Plus™ (starting with the worst/ dirtiest)

apples - the dirtiest of the Dirty Dozen™
strawberries
grapes
celery
peaches
spinach
sweet bell peppers
imported nectarines
cucumbers
potatoes
cherry tomatoes
hot peppers

PLUS: Kale/ Collard Greens
PLUS: Summer squash (zucchini, yellow crookneck squash)

The Clean Fifteen™ (starting with the best/ cleanest)

sweet corn - the cleanest of the Clean Fifteen™
onions
pineapples
avocados
cabbage
sweet peas frozen
papayas
mangoes
asparagus
eggplant
kiwi
grapefruit
cantaloupe
sweet potatoes
mushrooms

Note that the Dirty Dozen™ are all produce with thin edible skins, whereas the Clean Fifteen™ tend to be fruits and vegetables with thick skins you don't eat (pineapples, avocado, onions, melons). If you are avoiding GMO foods, EWG also recommends purchasing only organically-grown sweet corn (small fraction GMO), zucchini (small fraction GMO), and Hawaiian papaya (almost all GMO). In the US, GMO foods do not have to be labeled, but most produce (with the aforementioned exceptions) is not.

Other Helpful Tips

Eat fruits and vegetables! Any fruit, even fruit with pesticides, is better than no fruit. Remember that eating fruits and vegetables is much better than eating processed and packaged foods.
Think twice about buying conventional baby food. EWG reports that "results remained troubling for some baby foods purchased in American stores in 2011." For example, green beans tested positive for especially toxic organophosphates and perhaps even more troubling, pear samples tested positive for 11 pesticides including a probably carcinogen not registered for use on pears. To save money on baby food, consider making your own with organic ingredients.
Learn how to minimize exposure to toxins on any budget. Check out EWG's useful guide Good Food on a Tight Budget, which describes 100 nutrient-rich foods at a good price, with the fewest pesticides, contaminants and artificial ingredients.

Further reading from Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™
Executive Summary
The Full List
Methodology and Highlights
Frequently Asked Questions, such as

Agribusiness claims pesticide residues are safe. Are they right?
What if I wash and peel my fruits and vegetables?

10 Green Gifts for Mom

2013-04-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wondering what to get mom this year?

Handmade

In my opinion, the most meaningful gift for mom has always been the gift you make yourself. All I really want for mother's day is a homemade card by my children. If you have a gift-able skill (drawing, writing, sewing, knitting, carpentry, ceramics, photography, cooking, gardening, etc.), consider making mom a gift this year. If you can't make something handmade, consider buying a unique handmade gift in your community or through an online marketplace like Etsy (check out this jewelry from the EcoEtsy team).

Experience

What do you buy for the mom who doesn't want any more stuff? A great gift for someone in the decluttering stage of life is an experience: a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant; membership to an art museum, tickets to the movies or a special cultural or sporting event. Even better would be an experience you could share together with your mom.

Special Breakfast

At my house, we love celebrating holidays with a special breakfast. Kick-off an all-day celebration of mom with a delicious homemade breakfast or brunch. Try whole grain pancakes with strawberries and whip cream, french toast with real maple syrup, eggs and bacon, or the always impressive German pancakes.

Photo Gifts

One thing grandmothers never seem to tire of is photos. My mom loves the digital photo frame with photo slideshow we gave her one year. The photos can be continually updated. You can also get photo slideshow key chains. Another gift might just be your pledge to stay on top of posting photos of the grandkids in online photo albums or on a blog for grannie to enjoy year-round.

Cookbooks

For the mother who enjoys or wants to enjoy being in the kitchen, a new cookbook can be the perfect gift. I personally love cookbooks that facilitate eating seasonally as well as baking cookbooks that allow me to make delicious, healthy baked goods for my family.

Kitchen Gear

This is another idea for the chef-at-heart mom. I almost always have some item of bakeware or cookware or a kitchen gadget or two on my wish list. Since I spend a good portion of every day working in the kitchen, great kitchen gear can markedly improve my quality of life. High-quality durable kitchen gear is sometimes very pricey, offering you an opportunity to give to mom that fun and useful splurge she might never buy for herself. Maybe it's also time to help mom say goodbye to that 20-year-old Teflon pan.

Organic Flowers and Chocolates

If you want to go the traditional route, make it eco-friendlier by seeking out organic, fair trade, and local flowers and chocolate if possible. There are many types of organic chocolate available now. One that compares very favorably with my favorite regular brands of chocolate is Theo Chocolate. I especially like the Dark Chocolate with Orange variety. There are now many online options for organic flower delivery services, or, better yet, find an organic flower vendor near you: find one through Local Harvest.

Plant

Even better than flowers, in my opinion, is a plant. Does your mom have a green thumb and love splashes of colors? Or need a plant that is difficult to kill? Show your thoughtfulness by visiting a nursery and picking out a plant just right for your mom's needs.

Reusables

Gently leading folks from single-use disposable products to classy and money-saving reusables is a great way to encourage greener living. Just make sure you give something the recipient would appreciate! For some moms this might mean very practical items such as rechargeable batteries. For others, lovely embroidered cloth napkins (perhaps discovered at your favorite thrift store) or food bags made of fun fabrics might be appropriate. Remember to wrap your gift in reusable gift wrap!

Green Electronics

Gadgets aren't just for guys. This year my siblings and I are pitching in to buy my mom a new digital camera for an upcoming European adventure (her previous camera is a 10-year-old castoff from me!). We used Consumer Reports ratings to find a not-too-tiny highly rated camera that also happens to meet the EU's new electronic certifications (WEEE). I was so pleased to see Consumer Reports include green certifications on their Specs pages! Other green electronics certifications include EPEAT, RoHS, and Energy Star. Additional resources for finding green electronics include Story of Electronics - Greener Products for Your Home and the EPA's Green Electronics Page. If replacing an outdated or broken gadget, offer to recycle your mom's old gadget for her.

OK, Green Moms, what would you like for Mother's Day? Do tell!

More Ideas!

Eco-novice's Green Gift Guide
It’s Not Too Late for Intangible Gifts!
Green Gifts for Adults: Reusables
My Favorite Cookbooks
10 Favorite Kitchen Tools (Gift Ideas for Mom)
Plastic-Free Cookware and Bakeware
Reusable Food Bags - Variety Is Best

Disclosure: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog. Read my full disclosure policy here.

This post is part of
Your Green Resource

Green Sisterhood Link Up

4 Ways to Create Bacterial Super Bugs

2013-04-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

There have been several stories involving antibiotics and antibiotic resistance lately.

A Battle Over Antibiotics In Organic Apple And Pear Farming

This story was news to me. Like many consumers of organic produce, I wasn't aware that antibiotics were ever allowed in organic agriculture. As Urvashi Rangan, the director of consumer safety and sustainability at Consumer Reports put it, "This isn't what consumers expect out of organics" (source). Exactly! I have been looking askance at my apples for weeks. Happily, the National Organics Standards Board has rejected a petition to extend the exemption that allowed the use of antibiotics on organic produce. However, I wonder just how much antibiotic I have ingested over these past few years eating organic apples and pears. (Note that not all organic apples and pears are treated: the article reports that up to 16 percent of all apple acreage and up to 40 percent of all pear acreage get sprayed with antibiotics each year.)

How To Track And Attack A Superbug

In March I heard this NPR interview discussing a press conference by Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in which he announced the need to "sound an alarm" on the advance of CRE, a highly drug-resistant bacteria. I learned in this interview that the antibiotics prescribed to treat many patients with superbugs have not been used for decades. That's because the antibiotics have such undesirable side effects as kidney failure. Facing death from an infection caused by a superbacteria, however, the patients are left with no other choice but to take a drug that may cause them serious harm.

Sparse crop of new antibiotics confronts 'nightmare bacteria'

And just today I read this story about a report that found that surprisingly few new antibiotics are being developed for the treatment of infections caused by an especially nasty class of superbugs, such as CRE.

I always pay special attention when antibiotics are in the news, because I once had a drug-resistant bacteria. Needless to say, it was not a pleasant experience, and definitely one I will never forget. Antibiotics are one of the great accomplishments of Western medicine, and it is a tragedy that we are squandering this precious resource through our own misuse. Here are some ways that humans are contributing to the creation of bacterial superbugs that cannot be treated with regular antibiotics.

4 Ways to Create Bacterial Super Bugs

1. Practice hyper-cleanliness.

In our quest for hyper-cleanliness, antibacterials are added to all kinds of personal products and cleaning products where they are completely unnecessary. Hot water and soap has been shown to be just as effective in killing germs as antibacterial soaps, for example. Select carefully and use very judiciously any product labeled as a disinfectant or an antibacterial.

During the NPR interview listed above, one listener emailed in: Does the use of antibacterial soap increase the likelihood that my body won't respond properly to standard antibiotics? Guest Carl Zimmer, a science writer and blogger, responded:

Well, by doing anything that exposes bacteria, even good bacteria, to antibiotics, you're creating the opportunity for the evolution of resistance. Any genes that provide resistance are going to become more common, and mutations to those genes are going to be favored by natural selection. And the real tricky thing about bacteria is that once they've got these highly evolved resistance genes to different drugs, they trade them. They swap them around. And actually you'll have some bacteria like the bacteria we're talking about today, which have accumulated lots and lots of genes for lots of different antibiotics.

2. Use consumer products containing antibacterial pesticides.

Perhaps you have noticed the proliferation of school supplies and other products (such as crib mattresses and even underwear) containing antimicrobials or antibacterials such as Microban. What exactly is Microban? The Smart Mama explains in her post "Back to School with Microban":

Microban is a broad range of antimicrobial technologies that are designed to protect products from microbes. Microban technologies do not protect the user of the product from disease causing microorganisms (if Microban International was making such claims, it would be subject to certain regulatory requirements and would have to have proof to support the claims).

Imagine my annoyance when I discovered that the extra-fat pencils my son uses in his Kindergarten class contained Microban. Really? Do we really need to sanitize a pencil? And in what universe would this help at all with the spread of germs among 5-year-olds? I also recently ordered some Timberland sandals for my 1.5 year old. When they arrived, they sported a Microban tag. I sent them back. I kind of understand wanting to avoid odor-causing bacteria in a teenager's shoes, but in a 1-year-olds? I plan to call Timberland and ask about this gratuitous use of antimicrobials in their products, because I expect more environmental responsibility from an outdoors company. Remember, any unnecessary use of antibiotics gives bacteria the opportunity to mutate and adapt. I refuse to purchase any consumer product labeled as antimicrobial or antibacterial.

3. Purchase conventional meat and animal products.

I've read different estimates, but usually the figure is around 70% to 80% of all antibiotics in the U.S. are used on livestock. 30 million pounds of antibiotics are given to livestock annually. Antibiotics are used to prevent animal illness (conventional feedlot practices involve unnatural diets and conditions which promote illness) and just plain old fatten up those animals more quickly. According to a report published by the FDA's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, "store-bought meat tested in 2011 contained antibiotic-resistant bacteria in 81 percent of raw ground turkey, 69 percent of raw pork chops, 55 percent of raw ground beef and 39 percent of raw chicken parts" (source). I once asked a doctor relative (who is often skeptical of my green concerns) what he thought of the use of antibiotics on livestock. He immediately replied, "completely and totally irresponsible." This misuse of antibiotics is one of the top reasons I do my best to avoid and never purchase conventional meat and dairy. Read more about superbugs in supermarket meat in EWG's Meat Eater's Guide: "Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets" as well as "Tips to Help you Avoid Superbugs in Meat."

4. Ask your doctor for antibiotics for you or your child.

If you need antibiotics, your doctor will prescribe them. Even if your doctor suggests antibiotic use, ask if you can wait a few days to see if the problem resolves on its own, or consider getting a second opinion. For example, my doctor wanted to prescribe antibiotics for my child's ear infection. After consulting with a relative who is an ER pediatrician (and aware of the latest research on ear infections and antibiotics), I decided against it, at least for several more days. I did discuss that decision with my doctor, who did not oppose it. Neither my 2nd or 3rd child has ever taken antibiotics despite several ear infections (about 80 percent of all ear infections clear up on their own). I treat ear infections with pain killers, observe, and consult with my doctor. The AAP recently issued new guidelines for the treatment of ear infections. One change is that observation without antibiotics is given as an option for children over 6 months of age. I push back hard when any doctor suggests antibiotic use for me or my children. It's not that I don't believe in them, it's that I want them to work when they are really needed.

I have no doubt that we will one day reach the "post-antibiotic" world that so many public health experts are warning about. I just hope we can delay it long enough to come up with alternate means of dealing with bacterial infections before we get there.

Related Posts
I Survived a Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infection
Green Cleaning Series

Non-toxic Antibacterial Soap

What are you doing to prevent the overuse and misuse of antibiotics?

This post is part of
Your Green Resource

Green Sisterhood Link Up

Simple Inexpensive Ways to Go Green (Happy Earth Day!)

2013-04-22T08:16:00.001-07:00

Perhaps the best way to begin (or get back on) a green path is with an easy step. Sometimes you just need an easy win to get some momentum going. Here are some simple cheap ways to go green this Earth Day.

Easy Steps for Earth Day

Drink water.
Go outside.
Wear clothes more than once before washing (more ways to reduce laundry).
Open a window instead of using air freshener (more natural alternatives to synthetic air fresheners).
Cancel junk mail.
Shop at a farmers market.
Clean surfaces with straight or diluted vinegar (more ideas for green cleaners).
Use cloth napkins (more ideas for reusable products).
Use one less beauty product.
Use snug fitting rather than flame retardant PJs for your kids (other easy ways to keep toxins out of your home).

Check out these additional easy green tips from The Green Sisterhood.

Share your favorite easy green step in the comments!

How to Clean the Potty

2013-04-15T15:04:00.003-07:00

How do I clean my child's potty? Mostly, I don't.

Recently a friend sent me this email:

Hey, I've been interested in your early potty training adventures, so I ordered [my 7-month-old] a potty chair. Today I put her on it for the first time. She sat there happily, although her feet don't touch the ground so she's a bit unstable. The next time I put her on there, she peed! She did it again about an hour later! I was amazed. We shall see where this leads...

Hooray for immediate success! That's the way we like it. I'll be interested to see where it leads too. Remember that the goal is not to get the baby to pee every time in the potty, just to do her business some of the time somewhere besides the diaper.

Later my friend emailed me:

Oh yeah, how do you usually clean it [the potty] ? I'm not really looking forward to that part of the process...

So now I'll tell you how I clean the potty, for you first-time parents who've never potty trained anybody. Before reading any further, you should know that, as a general rule, I like to keep cleaning standards nice and low.

How I Clean the Potty

I dump out pee in the toilet, and never even rinse it because I'm lazy like that. I think my husband rinses it out with water in the bathtub afterwards usually.
Sometimes if I've got my hands full and am running out the door, I don't even dump the pee! It just sits there until the next time she uses the potty. However, I do really try to dump the pee before the next time she uses the potty (even if it's only seconds before) because then it's easier for me to tell if she actually peed.
For poop, I dump the poop out in the toilet and then rinse the potty in the bathtub. If some of the poop sticks on the bottom or sides, I let it soak in the tub until the next time she needs to go, then dump out the water (in the tub if it's not too bad, in the toilet if it's pretty poopy) and put her right on the potty. Although it's not that fun to clean a pasty poop off the potty, it is more fun than wiping it off your child's bottom, in my opinion.
I used to always dry off the potty with a cloth wipe if it was a little damp before sitting her on it, now I don't bother.
Once every week or two, we clean the potty more thoroughly with vinegar or some other non-toxic cleaner.

And that's it!

By the way, my friend is using the Baby Bjorn potty chair for her 7-month-old. The perfectly sized little potty has been discontinued for reasons that cannot be fathomed (What's up with that, Baby Bjorn???). The Baby Bjorn potty chair or smart potty (or maybe IKEA's potty) are probably your next best options, and preferable to using a potty seat on the toilet.

For more tips, tricks, and tales from early potty training, visit my Early Potty Training page.

How do you clean your child's potty?
What type of potty chair are you using?

Disclosure: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Introducing The Green Sisterhood

2013-04-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

Those of you who scrutinize the sidebars of my blog layout (i.e., my parents) may have noticed a certain new blog button currently in my left sidebar that reads "Green Sisterhood ~ Network Member."

Or perhaps you've clicked on one of those thumbnails under the title "Related Posts from the Green Sisterhood" at the end of each of my blog posts.

What is the Green Sisterhood?

The Green Sisterhood is an online community of passionate bloggers whose mission is to share their knowledge about sustainable and conscious living with others. Our group of 20+ bloggers includes authors, speakers, and social media experts who have been featured on radio, television, and in print. Among our ranks are cloth diapering moms, expert gardeners, plastic-free gurus, upcycling divas, green building consultants, vegans and vegetarians.

While we represent a variety of stages in life, areas of expertise, and shades of green, we share a common purpose:

To make safe, healthy and sustainable living easier.
To help you be selective in choosing products that will keep your family healthy.
To work together to be positive and support each other to make a global impact.

Brand Green, Make Green

In addition to offering the opportunity for green bloggers to learn from and support one another, the Green Sisterhood also provides a sort of match-making service to green blogs and green companies. I personally don't want to spend my time vetting every company that emails me about advertising on my blog. But I do want to support green businesses and inform my readers about greener products and services that are available to them.

Enter the Green Sisterhood. Green bloggers are given the opportunity to partner with trusted green businesses who are committed to caring for the planet. Green businesses are able to reach a combined readership with pageviews in the millions. By combining our blogging superpowers, and by partnering with and promoting like-minded companies, the Green Sisterhood aims to create meaningful change in the marketplace and beyond.

Be a Part of the Green Sisterhood Community

We want you to be a part of the Green Sisterhood Community! We hope you'll turn to us for reliable information and useful tips. Bring us your questions and concerns. Share with us your successes and failures. Here is where you'll find us:

Green Sisterhood Blog: Read posts written by the bloggers of The Green Sisterhood. Share your questions, concerns, and experiences in the comments. Sign up for free email updates so you don't miss any posts or special events. Link up your own eco-friendly tips and tutorials to the Weekend Reading Link Up each Thursday.
Facebook and Google+ Jump in the discussions.
Twitter: Follow @greensisterhood and join in our twitter parties.
Pinterest: Follow and post to our many boards about green living. These boards are open to all who are interested in contributing. If you are interesting in pinning to the boards, just leave your Pinterest username in a comment below and we'll add you.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Eco-novice Interviewed on the Green Divas Radio Show

2013-04-08T07:06:00.003-07:00

Last Thursday I was interviewed by Green Divas Megan McWilliams and Mizar Turdiu on the Green Divas Radio Show. The green divas radio show is a weekly, one-hour internet-based radio broadcast that offers listeners information about green and sustainable living in an accessible, low-guilt, often humorous way.

During my segment, we covered topics such as:

Whether or not I am still an "eco-novice".
How I got started on my green journey.
Cloth diapers: do I wash them myself and do I use one of those plastic covers that looks like a shower cap? Plus other fun facts about my and the Green Divas' experiences with cloth diapers.
Easy green steps for parents, like using straight or diluted vinegar to clean any surface.
The burden of green knowledge and how the Omnivore's Dilemma changed our lives.
Plus: a cool tip for making bar soap more kid-friendly.

My segment starts around minute 40. Listen to the entire show to hear about local communities creating their own currency to support the local economy (and kick things up a notch from bartering), encouraging car companies to get greener, and where your Earl Gray (and other) teas come from. Find a detailed summary of the radio show on the Green Divas blog.

This was a fun experience for me - chatting with long-time greenies in real time with our real voices - since most of my interactions with other greenish types are virtual. I hope you enjoy listening.

Green Divas Radio Show 4.4.13 - Are you an Eco Novice?

If you love podcasts, consider subscribing to The Green Divas hip and informative radio show.

When Shopping for Food, What Matters Most to You?

2013-04-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Between California's recently defeated Proposition 37, which would have required the labeling of GMO foods, and the recent so-called Monsanto Protection Act (protecting biotech companies from future litigation if it turns out that GMO seeds are dangerous), GMOs and how to avoid them have been all over the news and blogosphere during the past six months.

Which has made me realize, GMOs have never been a top issue for me.

Sure, I avoid them. I switched to organic canola oil (which I use in large quantities for bread and most high-temp cooking) when I read that almost all conventional canola oil is GMO. I know that almost all corn is GMO, so I do try to buy most things with corn as a main ingredient organic (organic products cannot contain GMOs). I would never eat a genetically engineered animal on purpose.

Of course I supported California's Proposition 37 and labeling GMOs. I would like to be the one to determine whether scientific innovations in agricultural with very short track records and questionable research are relevant to my food purchases or not.

And, yes, I think GMOs are a bad idea. Or at the very least, an idea that doesn't have enough rigorous science behind it to merit their widespread and ever-growing creation and application.

But I've never participated in a GMO-free month or scrutinized blog posts with lists of items that might or do contain GMOs. I've never gone through my pantry to identify and toss any item that might have GMOs. Honestly, I'm not sure exactly why, but it just doesn't push my buttons the way other food issues do. I often buy conventional chips as long as the ingredient list is short (potatoes, oil, salt), knowing full well that the vegetable oil might be GMO. I guess I think I'm better off putting my money and energy into finding healthy alternatives to the chips, like a new homemade snack.

All this GMO business has made me think about what ARE my food priorities. What matters most to me when I shop for food? Where do I draw the line and when am I willing to compromise?

Continue reading at The Green Phone Booth

Photo credit: NatalieMaynor

Everything Eco-novice Knows About Early Potty Training

2013-03-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

{Find a continually updated version of this post here.}

Early potty training isn't about never putting a diaper on your newborn. It isn't about getting your 9-month-old to pee every single time in a potty. It's about sometimes giving your baby an opportunity to do her business somewhere besides her diaper. Early potty training is as simple as taking off your baby's diaper and plopping her on the potty.

I first delved into early potty training (a.k.a. elimination communication) when attempting to potty train my first child around the age of 2 1/2. I found it maddening that he would sit for 30 minutes on the potty, put his underpants back on and immediately poop in them. How could that be normal? Out of frustration, and just for the heck of it, I decided to put my second child (then 8 months old) on the toilet and see what happened. She pooped, and I was hooked.

This page includes every post I have written about early potty training, including:

tips and tricks for successful early potty training
the benefits of early potty training
specific instructions for early potty training at different ages and stages
the history of potty training
why you should ignore all guidelines for "potty readiness"
my experiences potty training my second child from the age of 8 months
my experiences potty training my third child from the age of 4 months

So if you are interested in learning more about early potty training, read on!

Early Potty Training 101

A Brief History of Potty Training
In addition to outlining a brief (and enlightening) history of potty training, this post discusses why you should ignore the AAP guidelines for potty readiness, which are based upon myths and theories that have been proven false in published medical studies.

10 Benefits of Early Potty Training
This post describes various medical benefits for early potty training, as well as Eco-novice's own view on the greatest benefits of early potty training.

How to Potty Train a Baby
This post introduces three basic stages of early potty training.

Tips and Tricks for Successful Early Potty Training

When to Put Your Child on the Potty

These are times during the day when it is either especially easy to put your baby on the potty or when he is especially likely to use the potty, or both!

I Love Board Books of Baby Faces

Entertainment is an important part of success with early potty training. These board books have served me well during potty training.

Favorite Potty Training Stuff

Favorite and least favorite potties and potty seats, training pants, books and DVDs about potty training and prizes.

Early Potty Training: Dress for Success

What clothing your put on your baby influences how often you are willing to plop her on the pot!

How to Clean the Potty

Cleaning pasty poop off the potty is a lot more fun than cleaning it off your child's bottom.

Early Potty Training My Third Child

My current adventure in early potty training.

Early Potty Training My Second Child

My first adventure in early potty training. Read a tale of early potty training from start to finish!

My 9-Month-Old is Potty Trained!!! (9 months)
Potty Training Reflections or The Thrill of Success & The Agony of Defeat (1 year)
Preschooler Potty Training Finale (Plus Top Ten Benefits of Early Potty Training) (13 months)
Thoughts on Diapering and Pottying During Travel (16 months)
Potty Update (18 months)
Early Potty Training Reprise (2.5 years)

Potty Training My First Child When He Was a Preschooler

This experience provided the motivation for trying early potty training with my second child.

My 9-Month-Old is Potty Trained!!! (2 years, 10 months)
Potty Training Reflections or The Thrill of Success & The Agony of Defeat (3 years)
Preschooler Potty Training Finale (Plus Top Ten Benefits of Early Potty Training) (3 years, 2 months)

I will be publishing a constantly updated version of this post on my early potty training page. Or click on the picture in my left sidebar which links to my early potty training page.

Note to helpful readers: I'm thinking of publishing 4 or 5 of these topic pages. If you find this one useful, please let me know. If you have a suggested topic for another topic page, please share in the comments. Thank you.

This post is part of

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Works for Me Wednesday

How to Make Letting Go of Clutter a Little Easier

2013-03-20T17:24:00.001-07:00

Naming your clutter can be the first step on the road to freedom.

I finally checked out The Happiness Project from the library. I know everyone else has already read it and discussed it in all three of your book groups, but it takes me a while to get around to reading the bestsellers. At any rate, I enjoyed the chapter that addresses clutter. While working to reduce the stuff in her house, author Gretchen Rubin identified types of clutter she and others have trouble getting rid of. Several categories I immediately identified with.

Types of Clutter

Bargain clutter: things that you bought because they were on sale
Freebie clutter: things you have because you were able to get them for free
Nostalgic clutter: momentos from the past
Aspirational clutter: things that you own and aspire to use someday
Buyer’s remorse clutter: things that you bought which you later realized you didn’t need or want, but you hang onto it rather than admit that you wasted your money on a bad purchase.
Conservation clutter: things that are theoretically useful but currently useless to you

I have moved enough times that I am pretty good about passing up bargain clutter and freebie clutter. I know now that owning these items really does have a substantial cost in terms of just dealing with it being in your life. As my Grannie used to say, "A thing of beauty is a job forever." On a related note, I now often take photos of momentos rather than save the actual item. Moving helped with that too. For one thing, when you move a bunch of times, breakable things break.

I used to have a serious problem in the aspirational clutter category, particularly with books. It took me years to admit I was never going to read on my own some Latin texts I had picked up at a used book store in my college town just before graduating. I often used to buy used books that I wanted to want to read because they were important books, but never actually wanted to read at any particular moment. My mom once told me that she thought owning a book was the next best thing to reading it. I used to think that too. Until I moved 4 times in 4 years.

My number one reason still for keeping things is that I actually do not enjoy shopping much, so I keep things just in case I might need to use them someday to save myself from having to purchase the item (maybe) at a future date. I think this is a type of conservation clutter. But I have determined that if someday I will miss one of the 100 items I think I might want someday, it's worth it to get rid of the 100 items and rebuy/ borrow/ find at a thrift shop that one item someday down the line.

Green guilt can result in buyer's remorse clutter. It's not just the money wasted that haunts you, it's the energy and resources wasted in the creation of the product, maybe the plastic created that will live on forever in the environment. And, in fact, for many items of value that are difficult to dump in the Goodwill bin, it has been helpful for me to find a home for them, through friends, Craig's List or Freecycle. It's easier to let go when you know the item has found not just might find a useful home.

I am lucky to have many folks in my life that are happy to help me de-clutter. My sister is always ready to watch me try on clothes and tell me which I should never wear in public again. My husband hates clutter and has been an excellent influence on me. He is particularly ruthless when it's time to pack and move. He often helps me get rid of things by saying, "When was the last time you used that? Someone else could be using that." Also, "I'm not moving that again."

Why bother getting rid of clutter? Especially if you have the space to store it?

That clutter could be useful to someone else! And then that person might not have to buy something new, resulting in less production of new products and less consumption.
Dealing with your clutter will make you realize how much stuff you have.It seriously dampens the desire to accumulate. I speak from experience.
Clutter uses up mental and sometimes physical energy, especially if you have to keep moving it to clean or to find what you need.
You will have to deal with that clutter eventually when you move. And if you die before you move, your poor descendants will have to deal with it.

I do think that finding a name for particularly intractable clutter can be a useful first step in letting it go.

What kind of clutter do you have trouble avoiding and getting rid of?

Related Posts:

If you struggle with paper clutter, consider checking out my series Goodbye, Junk Mail.

Photo credit: puuikibeach

Disclosure: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog. Read my full disclosure policy here.

This post is part of
Your Green Resource

Green Sisterhood Link Up

Celebrate a Special Day with a Special Breakfast

2013-03-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

I love breakfast, so for special occasions like holidays or birthdays or even just the arrival of the weekend, I love to celebrate with a special breakfast.

We regularly have whole grain pancakes, French toast, German pancakes, or scrambled eggs, for breakfast. If you are used to eating cold cereal with milk for breakfast, any hot homemade deliciousness could be a special breakfast. Around here, I need to kick it up a notch to make breakfast special.

For this most recent Christmas Day and New Year's Day we enjoyed our usual scrambled eggs, with toasted french bread, orange juice, with local bacon (cook the bacon first and then cook the scrambled eggs in the same pan in the bacon fat - yum!) and cinnamon rolls. See the photo above. When you have a breakfast like that, you can skip lunch!

For Easter Sunday in a few weeks, we may do a repeat of this highly popular menu, but I'm actually leaning towards our decadent whole grain pancake breakfast (whole grain pancakes topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit) because strawberries are back at the farmers market. They aren't as amazingly sweet and delicious as summertime strawberries and they are pretty expensive at this time of year, but boy are we excited to be eating strawberries again at my house.

Maybe we'll have a special breakfast on the Vernal Equinox as well. I love an excuse for a special breakfast.

Do you make special breakfasts to celebrate special days?
What is your favorite dish for Easter brunch?

This post is part of the Green Mom's Carnival about greening your Easter. Check out Big Green Purse on Monday, March 18 for more great ideas.

The Power of the Purse

2013-03-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in the library with my son, looking at books about Cesar Chavez. I flipped one open and read about how they used to spray toxic pesticides on the fields while the workers were in the fields. I closed the book and slid it back onto the shelf. As I often do, I decided to shield my son who is in Kindergarten from this particular detail for a few more years. Reading about Cesar Chavez reminded me of a time several eons ago when I sat in front of a class of 32 fourth graders in downtown Los Angeles discussing the grape boycott as part of our California history lesson. "You see," I told them, "when you buy something, it's like you are voting for it. You aren't just buying a product. You are supporting the companies who make the product. And if you don't agree with what they are doing, then you shouldn't give them your money." I told them what a powerful message ordinary people were able to send these companies simply by choosing to not buy something.

This is the power of the purse. And while public policy and government action must play a major role in order to address many of the most dire problems our planet and its inhabitants face, it is also true that individual choices, including our own personal consumption choices, are often the fastest way we can impact our own health as well as send messages to the marketplace. Businesses tend to notice when they stop selling products and stop making money.

The U.S. – China Greener Consumption Forum

The U.S. and China are the world's two "consumer super powers." And on March 22, 2013 at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., women leaders from both countries will gather for The U.S. – China Greener Consumption Forum to meet and address the environmental challenges their countries face due to consumption. The Forum will convene leading consumer advocates, green entrepreneurs, scientists and public policy specialists to explore ways to marshal the "power of the purse" to protect the planet.

As quality of life and income improve in China and other parts of the world, escalating consumer demand is leading to an unprecedented acceleration in the consumption of natural resources, energy, and water. This pattern of consumption worsens already existing problems like pollution, climate change, toxins in the environment, and waste. When we reduce our consumption as well as shift our spending to greener products and services, we're sending a powerful message to manufacturers worldwide that, if they want to continue to get our business, their products must meet our greener, cleaner expectations.

Buying less and using less is always the most fundamental aspect of green consumption. At the Forum, speakers will highlight examples of the "sharing economy" as well as initiatives in China and the U.S. (like "meatless Monday" and ENERGY STAR) that have been very successful in reducing consumption. In addition, the forum focuses on women because of the disproportionate influence women have on consumer purchases. If women in both countries can be mobilized to use their power as consumers and as entrepreneurs, significant progress can be made in reducing our global carbon footprint while creating a greener, cleaner world. Like American women, Chinese women are also concerned about the environmental impact of our decisions. In China, national and local women's federations are a particularly powerful force for social change and community engagement. Many women's groups have been on the forefront of encouraging their cities and towns to reduce their carbon footprint. The Forum will provide ideas and tools they can apply to consumer campaigns, as well.

Forum speakers will be addressing such topics as

Why our spending habits have so much power to make a difference
Obstacles that prevent people from shifting their spending to greener products and services
Strategies to reduce consumption, such as campaigns to reduce plastic use and to improve energy efficiency

Speakers include Lisa P. Jackson, the recently retired Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (luncheon keynote address); Huan Gao, the mayor of Yichun, China; Xiang Guo, the General Director of the Chinese Women Activity Center; Peter Banwell, Director of Product Marketing for Energy Star; Elizabeth O'Connell, Campaigns Director for Green America; the founders of Au Naturale organic cosmetics and Skincando body care products; and Cheryl Newman, VP and Deputy Chief of Mission for Honest Tea.

Due to the popularity of The U.S. – China Greener Consumption Forum, registration is now closed. However, you can participate in the conference virtually by following the Forum's own social media outlets as well as those of Green Sisterhood, which is a media partner for the Forum. You can:

Sign up for Forum email updates.
Follow updates on the Forum's Facebook page as well as the Green Sisterhood Facebook page to receive updates before, during, and after the conference.
Follow the Twitter conversation at hashtag #uschinagreenforum and hashtag #GSGF13 (which the Green Sisterhood will be using for tweets about the Forum).

Spread the word: click here to tweet about the forum.

What steps have you taken to become a more conscious consumer?