DC Metro Moms

Going and Keeping Green

Last month I made a little pledge with myself and thousands of readers to make serious efforts toward making my family and our home more eco-conscious and "green".  I'm happy to report that we (I) have made some great strides in the emerald direction but, dudes (!)  this is NOT easy.

I joined a CSA.  We are signed up to get vegetables through the end of the year from a great local farm.  I have made extensive use of the lettuce, asparagus, arugula, potatoes, carrots, chives and strawberries so far.  I got two neighbors to join as well and we have taught each other new ways to eat the fresh delectables and we carpool to get the farm (woo hoo, saved gasoline!). 

SV Moms Group celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day

Image by Barbara.Doduk via Flickr

Inspired by our Los Angeles Moms Blog writer, Elizabeth Peterson from Traded My BMW for a Minivan, we at SV Moms Group are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Collectively, we CAN make a difference. We DO make a difference every day. Today, we are sharing insights into new initiatives, advances and ideas for how to make our earth a better place. Read what the SV Moms Group bloggers are doing, thinking, sharing and feeling today for Earth Day.

• Elizabeth Peterson from Traded My BMW for a Minivan is keeping herself open to new ideas today, when Earth Day is 40
• SV Moms Group contributors discuss National Geographic's Green Guide Families for our Earth Day book club
• Kimberly from Tippy Toes and Tantrums shares ideas for how to green up your kid's lunch
• Shannon from ecochick has tons and tons of green shopping ideas for Earth Day
• Stacy from DC Metro Moms Blog engages in confessions of a counterfeit recycler
• April from It's All About Balance recommends starting with one thing that is easy for your family
• Melanie from tales from the crib is going green
• Laura from L.A. Story shares Earth Day celebrations in Los Angeles
• Justice Fergie from Mamalaw admits it's not that easy being green
• Jennifer from Connect with your Teens through Pop Culture and Technology wants you to share Earth Day with your teens
• Sue from Motherhood and Me extended an Earth Day invitation to her mom's group and has all kinds of activities planned for the kiddos
• Jessica from A Parent in Silver Spring has an article in the Washington Post today about free activities for families to celebrate Earth Day week in Washington DC
• Jenny K. from jen0r dot com was alarmed when reading about Garbage Patches in the oceans
• Elizabeth A from a moon, worn as if it had been a shell shares a corner view for Earth Day
• Steph from Problem Solvin Mom asks if you know where your food comes from
• Bonggamom from Finding Bonggamom is greening her lifestyle
• Caryn from Rockin' Mama suggests simple changes: namely, recycling, being mindful of plastics, conserving energy, and opting for safe-er cosmetics
• Robin from The Not-Ever-Still Life posts in honor of Earth Day
• Kristen from Rage Against the Minivan has a public service announcement
• Kristren from Mama Manifesto thinks that every day is Earth Day
• Gina von Esmarch from Bowl Licker celebrates Earth Day with en vougue produce and Earth Day hullabaloo
• Amy M from Teach Mama sneaks in some learning for Earth Day
• Amy Turn Sharp from doobleh-vay shares ideas for raising eco consciousness in your family
• Garima from It's a Start looks to Wikipedia for the answers
• Nancy Loo says goodbye to hairspray for Earth Day
• Alma from Marketing Mommy from determines that Earth Day is getting greener every year

Happy Earth Day to all!

Confessions of a Counterfeit Recycler

On this Earth Day I am vowing to make some changes in the way my family lives to keep the earth and our home cleaner and healthier for our children.  I am not really a counterfeit recycler ... in fact, I take full advantage of our county's weekly recyclables pick-up.  However, I can do better and I can do more. 

Sometimes I throw my aluminum cans into the regular trash can.  I don't always do full loads of laundry.  I use paper towels and extra soft toilet paper and bleach!  ...and Drano!  And, disposable diapers, but I refuse to apologize for those. I am a mom of a toddler and a newborn and I totally get the time crunch and necessity of convenience.  I feel hindered by the expense of many eco-conscious products but as I learned in the documentary, Food, Inc., a lot of industry-production is subsidized making unhealthy choices cheaper than healthy ones.  What?

Dumb Mom's Guide to Celebrating the Earth

...with Kids. Because everything you do with kids requires more time, more forethought, and way more hand sanitizer.

1.  Scare ‘em.  Scare ‘em early and scare ‘em good.  Many of us grew up with a bit of a blatant disregard for the Earth and its resources.  We didn’t recycle in my hometown and Aqua Net was used daily despite the fact that some one once said it was blowing a hole the size of Montana in the ozone layer.  We were way more laissez faire with the Earth’s goodies than we shoulda been and learning not to be anymore is sorta tough.  So, to prevent my kids from growing up with a careless attitude towards conservation, preservation, waste and the like, I tell them regularly that this fragile planet we live on is on a death march to destruction.  I’ve convinced them that if they don’t put their craft projects from school empty juice boxes in the recycle bin they will be responsible for blowing this place sky high.  And, I play on their love for wildlife, too.  They are WAY less likely to litter if they think a whole stream full of salmon or gonna perish because of it.  Fear works people, almost as well as bribery!

2.  First hand experiences.  Kids learn best when they can see the tangible effects of their actions.  Oftentimes telling your son that he is gonna crack his head on the space heater if he doesn’t stop jumping off a the couch doesn’t stop his behavior, but actually cracking his head on the thing will slow him down, at least temporarily.  Same goes for learning about the need to care for our Earth.  We have been talking a bit about pollution and clean water (inspired by some show on TV about drinking water in Africa not being up to par).  They were confused because they pee in the lake all the time and no one ever gets sick or dies because of it.  They don’t really appreciate the hi-tech mechanisms working behind the scenes to make the lake water safe for us to drink.  But, I take them to Wal-Mart from time to time and let them walk down the fish aisle just to give them a glimpse at the ugly, faulty water filtration system (combined with carelessness, poor overall hygiene, unsafe handling practices, and a questionable gene pool) can produce.  Somehow they get the picture when they see the multitude of “swimming upside down fish”.

National Geographic's Green Guide for Families: A SV Moms Group Book Club

Earth Day IS every day, especially when you have a family - as families, our impact can be felt more, we tend to consumer more, and there is the very real fact that we are raising the next generation that will have to live in this world. The practical questions: What kind of diapers to use? What kind of products to clean and feed your kids and home? How can your family can "Go Green" together? Join us today as we discuss the book National Geographic Green Guide Families by Catherine Zandonella. 

Special thanks to Nancy Friedman from New York City Moms Blog, who sourced this book club for us!

• Michele from ReadOutLoud thinks every day should be Earth Day
• Bonggamom from Finding Bonggamom is greening her family's lifestyle
• Cristie from The Traveling Circus says it's not easy being green
• Leticia from Tech Savvy Mama lists ways to be more green with your technology this year
• Sophia Leto from Moody Mommy thinks about how to live a healthy life
• Julie from Just Precious's visits to the farmer's market helps her children to make healthy green choices
• April from It's All About Balance is eating green and healthy
• Maxine from The french Mommy born in California is raising an enviro-radical...or just little Margo
• Linsey from Me Too You has a green birthday party coming right up
  
• Caitlin from A Hen and Two (Now Three) Chicks is loving this reference guide
• Eunice from Random Walk Down Mommy Street has ants that go marching one-by-one
• Kristie from Real Mommy Reviews is taking an active role in being kind to our earth
• Lisa H. from Hannemaniacs wishes it was easier being green
• Paige from Canning with Kids likes "green on a shoestring" tips
• Stacy from Laptop Television Mom was reminded that being green is more than common sense
• Stacy from Fabulous Miss S. watched Food, Inc. and read this book all in the same weekend, so is feeling like living a bit healthier
• Roxane from Rox and Roll refuses to leave her kids with an Earth dirtier than the ones her parents left her
• Heidi from Coast to Coast Mom thinks about her grandmothers and shades of green
• Nicole from Not Just a Working Mom is going on a greener vacation
  

Silicon Valley Moms Blog is hosting the book club discussion this month. Please go here to leave a comment below to join in the discussion.

Author Catherine Zandonella also answered a couple of questions for SV Moms Group bloggers. If you have a question, please leave it in the comments below. 

Question: It’s easy to recycle (or even forgo) the plastic bags from the market.  How do you handle the endless sandwich, snack, veggie and bread bags?  Can these be recycled even if used and peppered with crumbs or peanut butter?  (I’ve already reduced the plastic bag use by choosing reusable containers for earth911.com or www.plasticbagrecycling.org. (California state law requires that stores collect plastic carryout bags for lunches, but we still use too many baggies.)

Answer: Many types of plastic bags can be recycled. These include newspaper bags, produce bags, bread bags, and "zip lock" bags (remove zipper first) can be recycled. You can find locations that will accept plastic bags at recycling, but you'll have to check with the retailer to see if they also accept other types of bags.) www.plasticbagrecycling.org site has a list of the types of plastic bags and plastic wrappers that can be recycled. In addition to the plastic bags listed above, you can also recycle plastic dry cleaning bags and plastic wrap on furniture and other purchased goods such as paper towels, napkins, and diapers. See the web site for a full list.

Plastics that CANNOT be recycled, according to www.plasticbagrecycling.org, are:

• food or cling wrap
• prepackaged food bags including frozen food bags (e.g., prewashed salad bags)
• film that has been painted or has excessive glue
• other bags or films
• bio-based or compostable plastic bags

Make sure all bags are clean and dry before you recycle them!

Question: Our family swing set sits atop a blanket of recycled tire rubber.  Until reading the Green Guide, we thought it was the best choice (environmentally & economically).  Should we immediately swap out the rubber mulch for a natural wood product?  If so, how should we dispose it?  Can the rubber mulch be placed in the recycling container?

Answer: Tire disposal is regulated on a state by state basis, and you will have to contact your state's department of environmental protection or waste management board to find out what to do with the rubber mulch. In California, you might start with CalRecycle: www.calrecycle.ca.gov.

Past SV Moms Group Book Clubs have included:

• Top 100 Finger Foods and Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel
• The Possibility of Everything by Hope Edelman
• The Mominatrix's Guide to Sex by Kristen Chase
• Coco Chanel & Igr Stravinsky by Chris Greenhalgh
• See Mom Run by Beth Feldman
• Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind by Phillip Done
• This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Topper
• Do One Nice Thing by Debbie Tenzer
• Birth Day by Mark Sloan, M.D.
• What Happened to the Girl I Married? by Michael Miller
• Testimony by Anita Shreve
  
• Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
  
• Much to Your Chagrin by Suzanne Guilette
  
• It Started with Pop-Tarts by Lori Hanson
  
• Who By Fire by Diana Spechler
• The White Trash Moms Handbook by Michelle Lamar
• Writing Motherhood by Lisa Garrigues
• The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert W. Sears
• The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross

Click here to read all about the SV Moms Group Book Club.

I can see clearly now the snow has gone, but now I'm kind of a weirdo

 The snow has almost melted and the roads have been clear for more than a week. Kids are back in school and one would think all would be right with the world. "The 11 Days of Captivity" as I have come to call it took a toll on everyone.  The joke wasn't missed that the only day the kids went to school prior to The Big Snow was Groundhog Day, and the 10 days following just seemed like a really bad Bill Murray movie. Same snow, different day.  Earlier today I was talking with our neighbor and something occurred to me, our reality has shifted to include things that earlier we may have eschewed but now embrace as routine, if not totally normal.

1. Inviting your neighbor over to do their laundry since you have a generator and they don't.

2. Wearing flip flops when it is 45 degrees because you consider anything above 19 degrees a "heat wave." This goes along with letting your kids wear shorts to school because you've lost touch with reality and they are going to be successful pushing the envelope, so they do.

3. Writing a "Thank you" note to your children's school because you now fully understand and appreciate why it is your children go to a school and are not home-schooled by you.

And let me break for a moment to say when my son's 4th grade teacher emailed homework for us to print, I went to download the PDF's and wondered, "Why are they studying 5 pages about hormones?"  Homophones. It was HOMOPHONES.

The Life Cycle of a Blizzard

I don't know when I have ever been so excited for trash day.

It all started over a week ago - Friday the 18th, to be exact. I started hearing rumblings in the morning about a snowstorm. Now, as a DC resident, I tend to ignore these rumblings, because they are usually false. We hear a lot of hype about incoming snowstorms, about "four to six inches" and "potential school closings," and usually end up with a dusting, at best. I can't remember the last time (before last week), that we had an actual snowstorm here.

Well, this time, it was for real. We got a lot of snow. And here's a rough timeline of how I felt about the snow.

Daytime before the snowfall started: Wow, is it really going to happen this time? If so, is our kitchen stocked? We have milk (I think), we have bread, we have trash bags and toilet paper... are we going to be ok? I eat dinner at my mom's house that night and grab a pound of butter on the way out, just in case we decided to do some baking. We don't go to the store, which ends up being a mistake because we did run out of milk and, it turned out, we were very low on eggs. (Our efforts would probably have been in vain, though, as my friends posted many pictures on Facebook of empty shelves at Giant as people made pre-storm runs for the exact same things I would have been shopping for.)