If You See Something, SEE something.

How many times have you seen something that drove you crazy, but you just kept your mouth shut?  The other day I saw someone throw a napkin out of their car window and when I pulled up beside them to berate them I just made brief eye-contact and drove away.  I guess my concern does not out-weigh my paranoia that the car will be full of ruffians that will follow me home, or whip out a gun.  And even at places where I am sure no one will beat me or shoot me, like my favorite restaurant, I don't have the guts to go up to the manager and ask him or her if they have considered doing away with their plastic utensils or cups.  I don't want to be the preachy, nagging mom.  But it's about time we found a way to communicate our concerns or educate people in a good way.  I don't want to be that person that never gets invited to a party because I will be picking thru the trash and telling people they didn't put their toothpicks in the "woods only" bin.

I'm thinking about all this right now, because it turns out that this town I am visiting DOES have a recycling program.  And they've had one for years!  The problem is, not everybody knows about it.  And the bigger problem is, you have to bring it in yourself.  This is of little issue to my sister-in-law, who lives in Montana and has to drive even their regular trash in.  But to people on vacation, I'm sure this seems like the hassle of all hassles.  Because not only do you have to drive it somewhere, but you have to separate it as well.  But what am I going to do, walk around town reminding people that after they sleep in, take a swim in the lake and enjoy a leisurely stroll down the beach they should go back to their vacation cottages and spend some quality time separating their #1 from their #2 plastics, loading it into their cars and driving it into town?

I saw this woman in the "Today" show that started a movement by putting post-it notes on public bathroom mirrors that said things like, "You are beautiful!"  And while the story made me want to gag, I also recognize that it was brilliant, because it became infectious, and people started posting positive affirmations everywhere.  It is beautiful because it is subtle and anonymous, but pervasive, and exactly the kind of thing the green movement needs.  I realize that anyone who reads this blog is probably just as passionate about the environment as I am and I need to find a way to reach the people who are apathetic about recycling, pollution or conservation, but I am at a loss...

are post-it notes terrible for the environment?


totally depressing environmental fact:

On a pristine beach on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a small valley in the sand collects bottle caps and plastic wrappers, and yes, way off in the distance, a plastic tampon applicator.

Vacation Reply ON

La Mom Verte is on vacation for two weeks, to a picturesque town in Northern Michigan where the sun sets over the gentle waves of Lake Michigan, and birds soar on the breeze over vineyards and cherry trees. Where you can buy roadside produce from an unattended stand with the trust that you will leave the money in the cigar box, and ride your bike thru the center of town and never find a traffic light.  And while you are vacationing here, don't bother to separate your recyclables, because there is ABSOLUTELY NO RECYCLING PROGRAM.  I will do my best to relax, and hopefully come back home with a plan to save the world.

Eat It!

I suddenly find it so hilarious that I am doling out any parental advice when I haven’t had eight hours of sleep since January 24^th of this year.  I might look back on this blog in a few years and see all the signs of how truly sleep-deprived I am.  But for now, you will have to forgive any nonsense in these posts!

Pictured: A photo my friend Deanne sent me.  Not sure who this baby is, but she seems pretty happy!

Two weeks ago Phoebe, my husband, and I entered into the frightening world of…SOLID FOODS!  This has been perhaps the most intimidating step in our little one's life.  Most milestones a baby will reach on their own, but eating is one that you guide them thru.  The majority of books and doctors will tell you to begin solids between four and six months.  They also tell you babies will give you signs they are ready for food.  They will carefully watch you eat, reach for your food, etc.  Month four came and went and Phoebe gave no signs.  Month five had the same results.  Finally a week before her sixth-month birthday I was on the set of a commercial talking to the make-up artists about my daughter.  When I mentioned to one of them I hadn’t given her food yet, she totally flipped her lid.  Ad an aside, these women were very nice and kind to me all day, but super opinionated.   And I should mention that every other word out of their mouths was “f-in."  “Your daughter is six-months old and you haven’t given her an f-in solids?!  You better get on that.  Like, f-in right away!” Their kids were eating solids at four months.  I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.  Phoebe is almost exclusively breastfed, which makes it real easy to be lazy about her feedings.  I was used to carrying all of her food on my body!  Or at least, in my body.  So that weekend we started Phoebe on solids.  Or should I say, “We f-in started Phoebe on f-in solids!”

Everyone will tell you that your baby’s first food should be rice cereal.  This just didn’t sit well with me.  I really thought her first food should be a whole food, a real food.  I have really specific views on food.  I am almost vegan ( I have my moments of dairy weakness) and I was adamant starting out Phoebe the same.  In reality this is kind of hilarious that I am such a nazi about what she eats.  Since Phoebe’s diet is my breast milk, she eats what I eat; which is 85% veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds…and 15% Nerds Rope and Swedish Fish.  (I have an insane sweet tooth. I really don’t want to advocate junk food, but have you tried Nerds Rope?  It’s the best!).  So I mortar and pestled some avocado and breast milk, broke out of all her new bowls and utensils  and put her in her high chair.  My husband turned on the "flip" and we got started.  With all of our preparation there was one vital element missing; Phoebe’s desire to open her mouth and eat.

She would have none of it!  She literally spit it all back out of her mouth.  I realized a few minutes into it that she still had her thrusting reflex (a reflex of pushing out the tongue that indicates your baby is not ready to eat).  I was right!  I wasn’t being lazy!  Phoebe had no interest in food.  Or at least no interest in avocado.  It was huge lesson.  Babies move at their own pace.  And trust your instincts.  They will give you indicators of everything they need.  The key is just to figure out what the indicators mean.  

It’s been a few weeks and Phoebe is finally starting to get into eating.  I didn’t want food to go away 100% because I wanted her to warm up to the idea.  So every morning I put her in her high chair and offer the food.  Sometimes she laps it up and sometimes she rejects it all together.  I let her call the shots because I don't want  her to develop a bad relationship to food or eating.  Now, a few weeks later, she eats twice a day and enjoys banana, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and multi-grain cereal.  Maybe it was just the avocado!

Here are some tips for green eating (and just some tips in general):

1. Of course, the most Earth-friendly foods are the ones you make yourself.  It is not nearly as time-consuming as I thought, but if you can't do this Earth's Best is organic and Gerber has an organic line of solids.  Tasty Baby and Plum Organics are also great brands
2. I heavily relied on the book “Super Foods,” by Ruth Yaron.  It is a really fantastic resource.  The cheapest place to get it is Amazon.com
3. Making the food as soupy as possible was a huge help
4. Mixing the food with breast milk or formula was imperative
5. People will give you mixed opinions about giving your baby water.  Make up your own mind, but after Phoebe started eating food we gave her a sippy cup with water that she could drink from whenever she got the urge.  Some experts will tell you the more water they drink the less they will want breast milk or formula.  My pediatrician disagrees with this and I have not experienced that problem.  Read my last blog entry for some green H2O solutions
6. If you are anti-dairy there have been a few scary reports that soy has damaging effects on babies and children.  When I consulted with my pediatrician she said that no study has been conclusive and in her opinion if soy was an issue for babies then all of Asia would be suffering the problems
7. I occasionally give Phoebe formula.  I had been giving her a soy-based one until I realized that the first ingredient on soy-based formulas is CORN SYRUP SOLIDS!  Disgusting.  My friend Kim helped me do some research and she found a brand called “Baby’s Only” that makes an organic soy formula with rice syrup in stead of corn syrup
8. Many books that teach you how to make baby food will tell you to freeze it in ice cube trays.  I would just make sure they are BPA free.  I have a few containers specially  made to freeze baby food in that I love from “Beaba”(thank you Karen!) and “Baby Cubes” that are BPA, PVC, and Phthalate free.  I dare you to pronounce that last one.
9. Look for Farmer's Market's in your area and purchase your food there.  Everyone knows that buying local is better for the environment, but you also support your local economy, meet the people growing your food, and give your kids the chance to see all of these delicious foods beautifully displayed!  www.localharvest.org can show you where to get locally grown produce in your area, and www.farmersmarket.com can give you a directory of farmer's markets near your home
10. If you can afford it, make sure your baby's fruits and vegetables are organic.  There was one sentence in "Super Baby Foods" that had a profound effect on me: "Pesticides kill living things."  I went totally organic after reading that.  If you are on a tight budget, here is a list of the "dirty dozen" foods that are best to be organic:

12 Most Contaminated Peaches Apples Sweet Bell Peppers Celery Nectarines Strawberries Cherries Pears Grapes (Imported) Spinach Lettuce Potatoes   12 Least Contaminated Onions Avocado Sweet Corn (Frozen) Pineapples Mango Asparagus Sweet Peas (Frozen) Kiwi Fruit Bananas Cabbage Broccoli Papaya happy eating!! totally depressing environmental fact: a mercer island, WA study found that the urine and saliva of children eating a variety of conventional foods from area groceries contained biological markers of organophosphates, the family of pesticides spawned by the creation of nerve gas agents in World War II. When the same children ate organic fruits, vegetables and juices, signs of pesticides were not found.

Water, Water Everywhere...

Remember when I said I would keep these posts short?  Why am I such a liar?!  This one will be to the point, I promise.

My Achilles heel of conservation is water use.  I love water.  More specifically, I love long hot showers.  I think submerging yourself in water is the cheapest form of therapy around.  There is nothing better than closing the doors and standing in the middle of the rushing of warm water after a you've had a long hard day, an illness, or just been dumped.

(Pictured: Me, my Dad and Phoebe at Malibu beach)

The first week of being a mother I took an indulgent two showers a day.  It seemed to be the only time I could get any peace and quiet; to be totally alone.  Also, after 30 hours of labor and non-stop nursing it felt like liquid Vicodin.  I think there is something hereditary about my love of water.  We grew up spending all summer at the Jersey shore (No jokes, please. And yes, my bangs were gigantic).  My dad, mom, brother and I would swim from the moment we woke up until the whole beach cleared out.  When my grandfather came home from the WWII, after surviving months at a concentration camp and POW camp, the first thing he wanted to do was go swimming in the Atlantic, to heal him.  Water is truly precious to me.  I should do more to protect it!

Here is a list of small things you can do to conserve water, or learn more about its quality:
1. It's always best to use a little baby bathtub or your kitchen sink to wash the wee ones.  Filling a shallow bath will waste more water.
2. If you can't afford a gray water system for your entire house, or you live in an apartment like I do, you can create your own gray water system.  If you shower, place an empty watering can in your shower to collect excess water to water your plants or yard with.  If you bathe, you can scoop up your used water (don't be grossed out, plants like soap!  Especially if you are using plant-based shampoos and soaps.), and if you are using a baby bathtub, drain it directly into the watering can.
3. Showers always take less water than baths.
4. Turn off the water when you are shaving.
5. Do not, DO NOT water your sidewalks.  I'm sure none of you do this, but I am always completely baffled when I see this happening.
6. Don't water your yard at peak sun hours.
7. Use a water filtration system instead of bottled water.
8. You can now recycle Brita filters!  You can deposit them at participating Whole Foods http://www.brita.com/support/filter-recycling/ .  None in LA participate in the program yet, but you can send them in.  Just follow the instructions on this website: http://www.preserveproducts.com/recycling/mail.html
9. If you are worried about the quality of your drinking water you can take a closer look at your community's water at the following two websites:
epa.gov/safewater/ccr/  and  ewg.org/tap-water
10. A good dishwasher saves more water than hand-washing.
11. Make sure all of your cleaners are gentle on the environment.  The best way to protect our water is to monitor what we put into it.  Never dump any pills down the drain as they will get into the water system.

Happy Watering!!

totally depressing environmental fact:

as if the oil leak wasn't depressing enough, there is a "garbage patch" floating in the atlantic ocean twice the size of texas, primarily composed of plastics, and a "dead zone" in the gulf of mexico the size of massachusetts where no life exists, due to the run off of farm fertilizers.

Cute or Conscious?

I had the pleasure of attending two baby showers in the last two weeks. I was really excited to celebrate two more lovely little girls coming into the world. And while I had a blast at both, you know what was going thru my mind as each expectant mother unwrapped another fantastic gift? Look at all this trash we are making!!

My mom and my friend Molly threw me the nicest outdoor baby shower last December. Unfortunately, it was the first cold day of the year and we all ended up bundling under cloth napkins.  A goal of my shower, and really any event I host, is to make sure it is nearly waste-free.  We included a note on our registry to fore go the wrapping paper.  My friends really came thru, wrapping presents in things like burlap sacks or using purchased baby blankets to wrap the rest of the gifts in, or my favorite, provided by my friend Katie, was a gift wrapped in wigs she had borrowed from me and was returning.  Yes, in my world, quite often friends are returning wigs to me.

All the food was made by friends and family, so there were no huge plastic trays involved.  Our friend Kim made the most delicious vegan scones and cupcakes (Shown in the photo above.  She is an insanely good vegan baker.  Go to her website and have your mind blown, www.cestlavegan.com).  We used dishes...yes DISHES and real cups. We bought a few biodegradable, recycled plates and some silverware made of corn.  But for the most part we just took home the dishes and washed them.

In lieu of balloons or a lot of decorations, we did the old, "clothesline of baby clothes" and potted flowers that all the guests got to bring home with them.  I had a fantastic time, surrounded by whom I consider to be the coolest ladies on the face of the planet.  And went home feeling so good about my friends, my new baby, and the low-impact our shower had.  So why am I sitting around these other showers, devoting half of my brain to obsessing over the trash bags full of paper, plates and forks that will never biodegrade, and the other half of my brain jealous of how cute everything looks?!

So often I feel like this is a dilemma we are faced with when trying to be good to lady earth:  Should it be cute, or conscious?  I could wrap this gift in the most adorable paper with baby bunnies on it, surround it in a beautiful bow with matching baby bunnies, and place the entire thing in a gift bag with baby bunnies on it, gently cushioned by mounds of tissue paper...covered in baby bunnies.  Or I could stick it on the gift table and cover it with my sweater.

The theme of this blog has always been compromise.  So here are some ideas to make your parties adorably green!

GIFT WRAP
Always save and re-use gift bags and tissue paper.  Wrapping baby gifts in baby blankets turned out to be adorable and you can do it with towels, scarves, etc.  I make a homemade reusable wrapping paper out of fabric.  Basically, it's just fabric wrapping paper with ribbons attached.  Use it forever!  Try a reusable shopping bag or left over wall-paper, magazines, newspapers, maps etc.  I had a friend once wrap a gift in old headshots.  There are "wrap bags" you can use over and over (www.reuseit.com). You can purchase biodegradable seed paper at www.realgoods.com.  Your paper will make flowers bloom!

In some cities you can recycle your gift wrap, but the tape must be removed as it is petroleum-based, and basically terrible for the environment.

DISHES
I'm just going to say it.  Let's do some dishes people.  Really, let's get zen about it.  Use it as a time to meditate and reflect on how great the party was.  Or think of it as a way to burn off the calories that you ate.  But if you can't be convinced to get dish-pan hands, here are some great disposable products:
Nature Friendly, Solo, Eco Products, Preserve and EATware all make plates, cups and silverware that are either biodegradable, recycled, compostable, or made of sugar.

NAPKINS
I'm going to say it again.  Let's do some wash people.  Cover the tables in REAL tablecloths, and use cloth napkins.  This is where I think cute meets conscious head-on.  Nothing is lovelier than real tablecloths and napkins.  But if you don't want to take the time to get the chocolate out of your great-aunt's lace tablecloth, here are some options:
Seventh Generation, Marcel, and CVS Earth Essentials have either unbleached or recycled disposable paper napkins.

If you can really only manage to do the bare minimum, try this:
Recycle all those plastic cups and plates you are using.
Make sure left-overs go home with people or are put in the fridge so they don't spoil.
Put your used wrapping paper out with the recycling.
And please, please, please, just say no to balloons and those vinyl tablecloths.  There is really no redeeming green quality to them.

And let's not forget the power of a great wig...

totally depressing environmental fact:
Plastic cutlery is non-biodegradable, can leach toxic chemicals, and is ubiquitous all over the world. Worldcentric.org estimates 40 billion plastic utensils are used every year in just the United States. The vast majority of these are thrown out after just one use.

Diaper Updates and More Great Links!

I had to fill you all in on the great cloth diaper strides we have made as of late! The big change is that Phoebe no longer wants her diaper changed every two seconds when she is in cloth. I don't know if she has just gotten used to it, or is a little bit older, but there is no difference right now in the number of changes I make with cloth and disposable diapers.

(Pictured: Phoebe in her Bumkins All-in-One diaper)

I thought the Snappi was great? I was crazy! I got some Bumkins diaper covers and they are BLOWING MY MIND! You just put the cloth into the cover and attach it like a regular paper diaper. Easiest thing ever. Reuse them until they get messy, then wash them with the diapers. I ordered some additional Bumkins that are coming today (there is a great package on sale at drugstore.com), but my friend Jenna uses "Thirsties" and loves them as well.

I also ordered "wet bag." This is to use in place of plastic bags. It is a leak-proof cloth bag to put all your dirties in, then just toss it in the wash.

I have been using the gDiaper cloth inserts. They are great because the don't have to be folded and are as soft as...well...a baby's bottom. I would like them to be a little more absorbent, but according to a review I read, after six washes they plump up and start doing much better.

The result is in the past twelve days we have only used TWO disposable diapers!! Once when I ran out of clean cloth, and once at a baby shower when I was desperate. And do you know what it costs me to use cloth diapers per week (after the initial purchase of the diapers)? $2.25. That is compared to the $23.00 I was spending per week on Seventh Generation or Earth's Best. By the way, Earth's Best never got back to me with the questions I asked them about their diapers and wipes.

Speaking of wipes, you can buy reusable cloth ones on amazon.com.

Feel free to write to me with any questions or thoughts so we can get all moms and dads on board with the cloth. According to my gDiapers packaging 500 million diapers a day are put into landfills. That's you depressing environmental fact!

Here are some more great links provided by friends and readers:


http://yourgreenhelper.blogspot.com/
http://greenmountaindiapers.com/
http://skindeep.com/
www.bargainbabe.com/2010/02/24/kid-and-baby-consignment-sales-directory

Hand-Me-Down to the Paradise City

When you have a baby, time is at a premium. So why am I wasting so much time coming up with ridiculous titles for my blog posts? I spent about twenty minutes brainstorming terrible ideas like, "Hand-Me-Downs Across America," and "Don't Hand Me Down...Bruce!" and of course, the gem I went with. It is very unlike me to make a GNR reference. If I keep up these terrible titles I may be able to land a job at the New York Post. Burn, New York Post!! I digress...let's get down to business.

(Pictured: Phoebe in her hand-me-down bathing suit and sunglasses)

Like any good Art School Alum, I love to shop at thrift stores. But I remember a few years ago seeing a rack of baby clothes at a Goodwill and thinking, "I would never buy my baby used clothes." I don't know what it was that turned me off so much. Maybe it was the fact that strangers have worn them, or that they were not crisp and clean and new. Maybe I felt like it would make my baby seem "poor." But after just six months of raising Phoebe my thinking is completely different. When you are having a baby, especially a first baby, and especially a girl, people love to give you clothes. I am just as guilty! I will pass by all of the truly needed items on someone's baby registry to grab a pair of newborn jeans or baby Chuck Taylors. Phoebe has a wardrobe that would put Carrie Bradshaw to shame. And while I love it, it is a full-time job keeping up with it. I want to make sure everything gets on her at some point. But even with my diligence she has outfits that she has worn a total of ONE time. When people say, "They grow up so fast!" they mean, "Literally, they grow up...really fast. Like one day she fits in a onesie and the next day she doesn't." So I'm over it! And while some of my favorite outfits have been the deliciously adorable ones that friend's and family have given us from Janie and Jack and Gap Kids, I am totally okay putting her in my cousin's sons pants or my neighbor's kids jumper. And yes, even the occasional $.99 t-shirt from Salvation Army. Because aren't thrift store clothes just hand-me-downs from strangers?

Here are some great bonuses to consider with hand-me-downs, craiglist and garage sale purchases, second-hand and consignment shops:

Lack of packaging
Package accounts for something like 30% of all waste. (I'll get the real facts on that). So when by using used clothes or hand-me-downs you eliminate the production waste, the gas it takes to get to get the clothes to the store, all the packaging that surrounds it when it gets to the retailer and the additional packaging (tissue paper, box, tags) to get it to your home.

Production
If we've learned anything Kathy Lee Gifford it's that most clothes come with a human price tag. There is a great new campaign called "Free to Work" that will tell you what companies are not using forced child labor in their manufacturing. www.free2work.org. Get ready to be depressed about all the products you use that are NOT listed on their website. When you get used clothes, even if they were produced under poor conditions, you are not making them re-produce even more clothing.

Taxes
Most Goodwill stores, Salvation Army stores, and other thrifts stores where the proceeds go to a charity or not-for-profit are tax free, and you can write off your purchases as donations! Take that, IRS!

Tips
Always wash baby clothes thoroughly.
Wash any toys or furniture items with appropriate warm soapy, water.
ALWAYS check to see if items have been recalled. You can go to www.cpsc.gov, the Consumer Product Safety Commission or even do a general google search.
When buying something off craigslist or at a garage sale, ask if the household has had any pets in case you are allergy sensitive or are wary of fleas.

My whole adult life I have asked myself the question, "Am I a conservationist, or am I just cheap?" Truth is, I am both. Luckily they can go hand-in-hand. So by doing this I reduce packaging, manufacturing, trash, and child labor, and in the meantime if I happen to save myself 80% on Phoebe's clothes, her crib, and her stroller, then I get to save the money for more important things like pre-school, college, and cloth diapers. That's right! I did it! I managed to take an article about hand-me-downs and drop in some more cloth diaper propaganda!! My pro-cloth-diaper agenda will be the "Where's Waldo?" of my blog.

REMEMBER, RECYCLING IS MORE THAN JUST BREAKING DOWN AN PRODUCT AT THE END OF IT'S LIFE, IT IS GETTING AS MUCH LIFE OUT OF A PRODUCT AS YOU CAN.

totally depressing environmental fact:
banning child labor and educating all children would raise the world's total income by 22%, or $4.3 trillion dollars over 20 years.
-International Labor Organizaion