Mindful Momma

Make It Green: Chocolate Facial Mask

2009-11-05T12:12:15-08:00

How about a little something sweet for the weekend? Here's a recipe straight from my book, for a chocolate facial mask made with ingredients you probably already have in your house. And it's probably a lot healthier for you than a facial mask made with who-knows-what kind of chemicals.

Whip up a batch, kick back with a book and enjoy!

Think Baby - For Babies And Beyond (P.S. It's a Giveaway!!)

2009-11-03T08:28:33-08:00

When I was offered to review a feeding set from Think Baby I almost passed because, well, I don't have a baby anymore. Thing is though, this product is not just for babies. It is an extremely useful set that can be used for kids of any age and is just as useful for food storage as it is for feeding, extending it's life far beyond babyhood. I'm a big fan of products with multiple uses so I decided to accept a sample.

What do you get when you buy a Think Baby feeding set? You get 2 bowls with lids, a bento box, a drinking cup and a fork and spoon. But you really get much more than that. The lidded bowls are great for storing food - and not just baby food. I've got homemade almond butter in one of mine right now. The bento box was the perfect size for a sandwich in my son's lunch box (until he lost it at camp - so sad.) The cup is one of my 5 year old's favorites. The only thing we aren't still using are the utensils. How could it be improved? A sippy cup lid for the cup would mean the cup could be used on-the-go as well as at the table.

The other thing you get when you use Think Baby is peace of mind. All of the products are free of yucky chems that you just don't want mingling with your child's food: BPA, PVC, lead, phthalates and nitrosamines. The products are also made without melamine, a material commonly used in children's feeding sets but that has been out of favor lately. Instead the pieces are made with durable polypropylene (one of the safer plastics) and lined with food grade stainless steel.

How would you like to try one out for yourself? Think Baby is giving away a feeding set to one Mindful Momma reader. Just leave a comment on this post with the reason why you would like to try Think Baby. The contest will run through midnight, central time on Tuesday, November 10th (only one entry per person and you must have a US shipping address.)

{Full Disclosure: I received a feeding set from Think Baby at no cost. This review is based on my own personal opinion of the product.}

Let the Fun Begin!

2009-11-02T08:48:32-08:00

This is a big week for me. It's the week that my book was originally scheduled to be released (it ended up arriving early!) and the week that my local, promotional events are kicking into gear. So if you are planning to be in the Twin Cities area or in Madison, WI in the next few weeks, take a peek at my list of events below. I sure would love to see you!

And if you can't make any of those, come pay me a virtual visit during my Facebook party on November 12th (I'll write more about that soon...)

Upcoming Events for Practically Green:

Friday, November 6th, 7:30 pm - Book signing at Magers & Quinn (3038 Hennepin Avenue, Uptown, Minneapolis)

Saturday, November 7th, 12:30 pm - Interview on Everything Green Radio, AM 950 (Twin Cities area)

Sunday, November 8th, 1-3 pm - Book signing at the Go Green Expo (Minneapolis Convention Center)

Thursday, November 12th - Practically Green Facebook Party. Come and chat with me about the book and have a chance to win fabulous eco-friendly prizes!! Anyone who becomes of fan of the Practically Green page has a chance to win!! Join at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Practically-Green-Your-Guide-to-Ecofriendly-Decision-Making/142059115378

Monday, November 16th, 10-11 am - Interview on Showcase Minnesota, Kare TV (Channel 11, Twin Cities) View online after the fact at: http://www.showcaseminnesota.com/show/date_list.aspx?storydate=11/02/2009

Saturday, November 21st, 12-2 pm - Book signing at Orange Tree Imports in Madison, WI (1721 Monroe Street)

Mindful Momma Giveaway: Organic Cotton Fabric from Baby Bird Design

2009-10-29T09:28:35-07:00

If I were doing a room for a new baby I would want to decorate in a way that was cute but still sophisticated. I'm not an over-the-top cute kind of person - my tastes run clean and modern - but for a baby it has to be a little bit cute, don't you think? That must be why I like the organic fabric designs from Baby Bird Design so much. It's just the right blend of sweet, modern...and sustainable!

That's another reason why I'm digging Baby Bird Design - the fabric is printed on 100% organic cotton. Plus it has been certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), a well-respected standard with strict requirements for an environmental and socially responsible manufacturing processes. Better for baby and for the planet!

Emily from Baby Bird Design is super passionate about designing fabric. She is a self-taught artist, which I think is so cool. She decided to create organic fabric designs for kids because there wasn't much out there to choose from and she knew there would be interest.

Would you like a chance to create something beautiful with this lovely fabric? Visit Baby Bird Design on Etsy and let me know your favorite fabric design. One lucky reader will win a yard of organic cotton fabric of their choice!! The contest will run through midnight, central time on Thursday, November 5th (only one entry per person and you must have a U.S. shipping address.) Good luck!

Congrats to Ali who said "I love how retro the look of the fabric is. I do think the red birds is my favorite. What a great find on Etsy!" She is the winner of the random drawing for a yard of fabric from Baby Bird Design!

Green Discoveries....for Kids

2009-10-28T15:49:38-07:00

Sock Bats - It's not too late for you to make these spooky sock bats for Halloween. And who doesn't have a few leftover black socks laying around, just waiting to be re-purposed? (discovered via Ohdeehoh)

Upcycled Sweater Skirt - Julie from Crafting a Green World posted this tutorial for making a child's skirt out of a recycled, adult-sized sweater. Grab an old sweater straight from the thrift box (no need to felt it) and whip up a simple, elastic-waisted skirt quicker than it takes to go buy one at the store.

Eco-friendly Art Supplies - Clemantine Art not only makes non-toxic art supplies with a smaller environmental footprint than conventional art supplies, they make them in a beautiful way. The packaging alone is enough to make me want to buy them. Now I haven't actually had the opportunity to try these products yet, but I'm thinking the natural soy crayons, modeling dough, paint, markers and glue all look like good stocking stuffers to me! (discovered via Crafting a Green World)

Facebooking and Twittering

2009-10-26T13:09:44-07:00

Do you Facebook? It seems like more and more people do these days. And for others it's like a badge of honor to say they don't. Same with Twitter. Either you're a Twitter person or you're adamantly against it.

I have to admit I was wary about getting hooked into something that meant MORE time on the computer. My family is my #1 priority and I refuse to have a keyboard connected to my fingers 24/7. But I finally started a personal Facebook page and while I don't update it much, I really do enjoy keeping up with friends and family in a way that you just don't get on email.

When I re-designed my blog this summer, I decided to start a Mindful Momma fan page on Facebook because, well, it just seemed like the thing to do. Much to my surprise, I'm really enjoying it!! What I love about Facebook is that I can do fun little updates about things that I wouldn't ordinarily write a whole post about. In fact, I've been updating almost daily!! I love that it's so interactive too. So if you like the Mindful Momma blog, then join me on Facebook for more mindful, green & healthy fun!!

While I was at it, I started a fan page for my book too. I'm using it for updates about book events and fun little book-related tidbits. Just to get things rolling, I'm having a little giveaway...become a fan of Practically Green on Facebook for a chance to win a signed copy of the book!! At the end of November I will randomly choose a winner from all of the fans. That's not the only chance for prizes though...on Thursday, November 12th I will be hosting a virtual book release party for Practically Green on the fan page. Stay tuned for more details....

As for Twitter....I can see why some people diss Twitter because if all you are tweeting about is what you had for lunch then I can think of better things to do. What I like about Twitter is that it's a great way to share information. There's a wealth of good stuff to be discovered by following green & healthy types on Twitter. Follow me if you so desire @MindfulMomma.

Links to Make You Think....About Plastic

2009-10-23T13:53:01-07:00

Someone asked me recently what the most difficult green change was for me to make. I told her it was using less plastic. I'm hyper-aware of all the plastic I buy even when I try not to. Today's trip to the grocery included a big plastic tub of yogurt, a chunk of watermelon wrapped in plastic, cheese wrapped in plastic, a whole chicken wrapped in plastic...it goes on and on.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time beating myself up about it (I did bring my own shopping and produce bags!) but while I'm on the topic of plastic, here are some more ideas to ponder...

Plastic-Free Farmer's Markets? Beth from Fake Plastic Fish wrote an article for BlogHer about the prevalence of plastic at farmer's markets. She talks about how ironic it is to go to a market to get fresh, local food and then to come home with so much plastic packaging. Fortunately for Beth, a number of farmer's markets near her (California, Bay Area) are going plastic-free. But what about the rest of us? Is your local farmer's market plastic-free? If not, do you bring your own bags?

The case of the disappearing plastic bag. Have you ever had mail arrive at your house wrapped in a plastic bag? It's annoying enough to get junk mail but even worse when there is wasteful packaging involved. A solution to this problem may lie with a new 'plastic' material that dissolves completely in water! Apparently it's non-toxic and will also readily biodegrade in your compost pile if you choose not to melt it in the sink. (I know what my kids would choose to do!) Read more about it on Treehugger.

Pepsi Bags. I don't have a link for this one, but I'm wondering what you think of this: Apparently Pepsi has partnered with Envirosax to produce reusable bags that are made from recycled Pepsi bottles. Is this a good idea or greenwashing at its finest?

Fun things to do with plastic. EcoEtsy has some good tips for using fewer plastic bags AND links to some super-cute ornaments and hair pins made out of crocheted plastic bags!

{photo credits: Fake Plastic Fish and EcoEtsy}

Saturday is Climate Action Day!

2009-10-22T11:49:52-07:00

In case you haven't already heard....this Saturday, October 24th is an international day of climate action, when people all around the world will be gathering to increase public awareness about the need for an international climate treaty to get the world back to 350.

What the heck does the number 350 have to do with anything? 350 is the number that scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide (measured in parts per million) in our atmosphere. We are currently in the danger zone at 387 ppm, as evidenced by melting polar ice caps and increasing drought around the world. The United Nations is working on a global climate treaty (expected to be completed in Copenhagen this December) but it is not clear that the treaty will be strong enough to get us back on track. The goal of climate action day is "to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet."

Let's hope it works! Visit the 350.org site to learn lots more about the movement and participate in it yourself by finding an event in your neck of the woods. There will be over 3500 events going on in at least 160 countries around the world!! You can even create your own event if you want. Just sign up and take a group photo that depicts the number 350. A mosaic of all the photos will be projected in Times Square to show just how much climate change matters to people around the world.

(If you live in the Twin Cities area, head over to Twin Cities Green on Saturday anytime between 11 and 7 to get your picture taken in the 350 tree!! Plus, they're having a BIG SALE!! Don't miss it!)

Get Rid of the 3 Most Toxic Cleaning Products in Your Home

2009-10-15T11:52:19-07:00

I bet you've already heard the dirt on conventional cleaning products. You know that most of them are either bad for your health in some way or they wreak havoc on the environment after they go down the drain. Perhaps you like the idea of giving the cupboard under your kitchen or bathroom sink a green makeover....but you can't do it all at once. Well you could, but I wouldn't recommend it. Instead, get rid of the most toxic of the cleaning products in your home first, then slowly replace others as they run out. Here are the 3 that I recommend doing away with pronto:

Oven Cleaner - Conventional oven cleaning products contain lye, which is extremely corrosive and can burn skin on contact. I've got a self-cleaning oven so I haven't had to worry about
this myself but I've heard that Restore Grill & Oven Cleaner works well and there's always good old Bon Ami, a mineral-based scrub. Or, make your own oven scrub using baking soda. Just coat the bottom of your oven with baking soda and use a spray bottle of water to dampen it. Leave it alone for awhile (I'd leave it overnight) and come back and scrub.
Drain Cleaner - Chemical drain cleaners are probably the scariest cleaning product lurking in your home. These caustic mixtures commonly contain lye, bleach or sulfuric acid and can cause damage to skin, lungs and eyes. Instead of messing with chemicals, try an enzyme-based drain cleaner like Earth Enzymes from Earth Friendly Products or use the popular home remedy of vinegar and baking soda followed by hot water. It really works!
Toilet Bowl Cleaner - Most toilet bowl cleaners are highly acidic and can irritate lungs and burn eyes. I've used Ecover and EcoStore toilet bowl cleaners with good results. For maintenance and to treat stubborn stains, try Borax, a naturally occurring alkaline mineral that is a powerful disinfectant and deodorizer. Toss 1/2 cup in your bowl, wait a half an hour,then scrub.

Note: don't just toss these products in the trash. Bring them to your local hazardous waste disposal location because that's what they are....hazardous waste!

My First Book Event...at Room & Board!!

2009-10-14T09:04:50-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of participating in a really cool event at the Room & Board furniture store in Minneapolis. The event, called Experience Soy Style: Be in the KnOH was sponsored by Cargill, the manufacturer of a soy-based polyol called BiOH that is used in some furniture cushions which are carried by Room & Board and other furniture companies. It was an educational event with exhibits designed by students from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) that took visitors on a journey "from soybean to sofa", showing how soybeans can reduce the use of petroleum and leave a smaller environmental footprint when used in furniture cushions. This milk jug exhibit represents the plastic saved in cushions made partially with soy foam. (read more about soy-based foam in my Adventures in Eco Furniture Shopping post)

I was there to promote my new book, Practically Green. The stars aligned when I met social media wiz Leslie Carothers, one of the masterminds behind the event AND my books became available earlier than expected. Before I knew it I was on board to work the event at my all-time favorite furniture retailer Room & Board! I even got my own 'living room' space to hang out in...how cool is that??

{photographs courtesy of Room & Board}