Eco 'Burban

Moving on...

2009-01-23T10:02:00.003-05:00

I've been absent from this blog for quite some time, and I'm sorry. I should have been more responsible, I should have explained my absence and been here more often. However, the economy and my life with four kids and a career got in the way.

That said, I'm not disappearing completely. I might be back here from time to time, but you can now find me weekly blogging with a bunch of great green superheros at the Green Phone Booth. The EcoBurban Mom has become The EcoWonder. A different kind of green superhero...

One that secretly has yogurt tubes in her refrigerator, but still finds time to organize a recycling program for the Little League. A superhero that can't quite afford to build fancy raised garden beds to grow her own food, but she makes a special trip to the Farmer's Markets on her lunch hour.

So, join me and the other green superheroes at The Green Phone Booth where you will find inspirational and sometimes hilarious stories, ways to get involved, neat tricks and tips and most of all? A community of women that support each other - no matter what shade of green you may be!

3 months, 21 days and counting...

2008-12-08T19:40:00.005-05:00

At the beginning of snow season four boys = 8 boots, 4 hats, 8 mittens or gloves, 4 pairs of snow pants - all neat and new and clean. The first snowfall changes a bleak, muddy backyard into a endless field of snowy white goodness. The excitement builds. Sleds are hauled down from the garage rafters. Ice hockey skates are readied. Plans are made with all the neighborhood buddies to snowboard, sled, skate and snowball fight. And then, they're out the door.

One month into snow season I give one boy my own pair of snowpants, he managed to blow the knee out of his own sledding down a hill into a rock.

One boy has one glove and one mitten in two different colors rescued from the miscellaneous winter item bin I've been collecting for 13 years.

Hats are seemingly either too small or much too large, from what I guess is the pushing, pulling and grabbing of some sort of snow tackle football.

The rug by my front door is a slushy, muddy mess.

My backyard is no longer a beautiful, pristine expanse of snowy white snow. It's covered with boot tracks, sled tracks, dog tracks, a wayward sled and piles of ice-balls.

And all this in the first solid month of winter. I have 3 months and 21 days until the first chance of spring thaw. However...

It's 7:50 p.m. My boys are exhausted, one is already asleep and the others are actually quietly watching a movie and getting along with each other. Even the dogs are too tired to beg for treats. I guess I'll make it through another winter, even if I have to buy another pair of snowpants.

My Magic Numbers

2008-12-07T17:02:00.003-05:00

I always have "magic" numbers rolling around in my brain... A 5 minute shower, the 17 minutes it takes to drive to the office, 65 Christmas cards to send out, 12 treats for my preschooler "star of the week", 2.5 pounds of meatloaf to prepare, 4 parent teacher conferences to attend, 1 clarinet recital and so on.

These magic numbers aren't always met. I'm often late to work, I stand in the shower too long on cold winter mornings, I still haven't sent out my Christmas cards and as for the upcoming parent teacher conferences? Let's just say I have a sticky note on the steering wheel of my van so I don't forget...

However there are a few magic numbers that I don't even think about anymore. I used to count how many paper towels I used in a day, trying to shrink my usage. Today I realized I bought a six pack of paper towels back in the hot and humid summer months and haven't bought a new package since.

I used to count juice boxes, bottled juices and cans, making sure I had enough for all my boys. Today, as long as I see each boy's SIGG, easily identifiable by the unique designs they each chose, sitting in the fridge, there is no need to count. I can make more tea, more lemonade or just fill them with tap water.

Each trip to the store used to make me count plastic bags I took because I forgot a tote bag in the van or just plain forgot to tell the clerk to use my own bag. I got into the routine, carrying bags in every store, even the mall, and haven't taken a plastic bag in so long... well, I just can't count how long.

The moral of story? I might not hit all my magic numbers that I intend to when I start out my day, but taking some time to stop and count the ones I have hit time and time again is rewarding. And, it will make me feel a little better about something I'm sure to forget tomorrow. Now, how many treats do I need for the preschool this week? Lemme count...

croque monsieur si vou plait

2008-12-03T17:00:00.005-05:00

That, and a few other phrases, were picked up pretty quickly by my youngest son. Bonjour, merci, si vou plait, croque Monsieur sandwiches, crepes with nutella, the Eiffel Tower, the metro, the Seine and the road where all the cars go round and round are memories that will last a lifetime, even for a four year old.

So, does this mean carbon footprint be damned? Oh, pardon madame, it does not. Yes, we flew to Paris and I know, I know that's a lot of fossil fuel. However, after six days in Paris, do you want to know how many times we road in a car? One taxi, only one - for under 10 minutes as we were caught in the pouring rain. On arrival we road the RER B train straight from Charles de Gaulle into Paris where we caught a series of Metro lines direct to our hotel. From there we traversed the entire city by metro, by foot and even by Batobus on the river Seine. This is a four year-old boy's dream. Buses, trains, planes and boats... Who knew public transportation could be so fun?!?

We taught our son about leisurely lunches in cafes, the treasures of the Louvre, how the Eiffel Tower was constructed and even how good a hot crepe wrapped in wax paper tastes on a cold, wet and windy afternoon standing in front of Notre Dame.

Will I continue to trade a little carbon footprint damage on an airplane for the chance to teach my children that it's really a small world - and not because Disney tells us so? You bet. Will I schelp my luggage, stroller, a stuffed dalmatian, a backpack and a briefcase up and down countless escalators, staircases and one or two really smelly elevators in the Metro because public transportation is part of the experience and is good for the environment? Right again. That's something else I can teach my children while we're abroad, because I can't do it in Detroit.
Teaching my children how to be gracious in French, how to respect another culture and keep some of our green practices in check is all about balance. There's got to be a little give and take in this world and I'm happy to be able to do some of both. Merci!

Open for Business!

2008-11-22T13:38:00.002-05:00

We opened one jar of bread and butter pickles today. Almost ate the entire jar. Crispy, tangy and crunchy, just the way we like 'em. I haven't made pickles before in my entire life and even though I'm giving myself a pat on the back... Dang! I can make some great pickles!

Needless to say, I'm guessing the floodgates have opened and we will be munching and crunching our way through our basement shelves now!!

Do you live in a toxic wasteland?

2008-11-21T10:42:00.002-05:00

This is new to me, I apologize to those that know about this, but simply enter your address and zip code and this service will alert you to any chemical spills or toxic dumping activity within 1/3 mile radius of your home.

With my older boys off and biking around the neighborhood and a lake right in our backyard, this is always a concern for me. Between swimming in the lake and rolling around in the park playing football, my boys are certainly germ and toxin carriers! Check it out here: GreenScreener

Gotta Be Greenwashing...

2008-11-20T08:50:00.004-05:00

Sitting around the table yesterday at my meetings in NYC I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Something that distracted me.

All day meetings like this always include lunch brought in from a deli or restaurant, coffee cups, bottled water, sodas and so on. And, I hate to tell you how many of these major corporations don't even recycle their own bottles, glass and cans. Many of these are also trying to sell you their green messages and products, which unnerves me to no end. However, that's not what I am there for, so I might casually ask over lunch were I can recycle my glass bottle or where their paper recycling center is, hoping that my concern for the environment might rub off. Even a little.

Yesterday, while concentrating on the presentation at hand, I notice the woman sitting next to me has this bottle in her hand.

What? 100% recyclable? That isn't new! ALL water bottles are recyclable. Eco shape? Smaller label? Less plastic? Whatever. Ooooh, it's FLEXIBLE! That's it, I am *so* sold! Gimme that bottle! As I'm sure all water companies must have heard by now that 60 million empty water bottles are thrown away (read: not recycled) every freakin' day in the US. And, to make matters worse one single person uses 166 disposable plastic water bottles each year.

Is this greenwashing? I certainly felt like it was yesterday as I watched every single meeting attendee throw their water bottles, soda cans, cardboard deli trays and napkins straight into the trash can. I think it's better than nothing, but barely so. Is it deceptive to try to make the consumer feel good about buying this plastic bottle over the other plastic bottle? Isn't any plastic bottle in the landfill a bad plastic bottle? If you don't recycle it, how is this bottle that much better than any other?

Ahhh, if it smells like greenwashing, then I'm pretty sure each sip tastes like greenwashing. Or, BPAs, whatever comes first.

Green Mom on the Road

2008-11-19T05:45:00.001-05:00

Last night I...

Packed my bag with an empty thermos (for my airport Starbucks), threw in a container of roasted nuts, a couple of fruit leathers, my trusty iPod, a book I've been meaning to read and my Clean Well hand sanitizer. The working mom is back on the road. My day today goes like this:

Up at 3:30 a.m.

In mini-van by 4:15 a.m.

At airport by 5:00 a.m.

Take off 6:15 a.m.

NYC by 8:30 a.m.

Meetings until 3:30 p.m.

Back to LaGuardia at 4:30 p.m.

Take off at 5:45 p.m.

Home at 8:45 p.m.

Tomorrow? I'm making peach pie. With ice cream. I deserve it. And, so does my husband who was at home, watching over four boys. Or, maybe my boys deserve the pie for putting up with my husband. OK, pie all around. Yum.

So, What Now?

2008-11-18T05:07:00.000-05:00

I don't know what to eat. Or if I should eat. I mean, I worked all summer slaving to put up food for the winter, but now... Should I eat it? It's funny, really. There's a light blanket of snow on the ground. It's 27 degrees right now and even colder with the wind chill. Still... Is it time?

I haven't made a pie with all the peaches that almost brought me to tears, there were so many.

Not a single muffin has been made with the tens of pounds of blueberries picked by hand by my boys.

Carrots are frozen, waiting for soup and stew.

Pickles have been canned in their tangy bread and butter brine, but they sit on a shelf in my basement gathering dust.

Row after row of crushed tomatoes are soldiered together on the shelf below, waiting to weather the lasagna brigade sure to come.

Save for a few cupfuls of corn tossed into the soup I made on Sunday and the single can of blueberry cherry sauce I cracked open to serve with crepes during a brunch I was hosting, I haven't touched a thing.

What is wrong with me? Am I hoarding food? Squirreling it away like the furry critters still racing around my backyard furiously trying to hide just one more nut?

I think it's knowing all of that hard work, the precious hours, the late nights and the memory of the farmer's markets will be gone in an instant. I like looking at the rows of shiny jars, the perfectly stacked freezer storage bags labeled so neatly in my deep freezer and the funny root cellar contraption I cobbled together in my garage holding my boxed apples, potatoes and onions. I feel well stocked, ready and prepared.

So, what now? Is it time? When do we eat?

The Celebrity Chef

2008-11-16T19:14:00.003-05:00

Budgetary constraints mean we are eating in more. A lot more. Like never eat out unless we are traveling, have a gift card or there just isn't any way carry out will do in a pinch. However, that doesn't mean we're eating lower quality food because, I hate to say it, I'm sort of a food snob.

That doesn't mean I only eat lobster and truffles with a side of caviar or anything. Actually, I prefer hearty, home cooked comfort foods over fancy dining any day. Beside, my boys would totally freak out and threaten to strike if fish eggs were on the menu... For that matter, me too.

What I mean is that I prefer my local raw organic cheese, which isn't cheap. I love my fair trade, freshly roasted organic coffee from my food club, but it's certainly more expensive than Folgers. I can't live with the mental anguish that comes with buying meats from factory farms. So, by cutting out the eating out we can still afford these little necessities / luxuries.

Still, I'm back to a full time working mom status and that means that I don't have as much time to prepare all these home cooked, comfort food meals. That said, I've started a new tradition in the Eco Burban household... Sunday cram-session cooking. Cram in as many meals (using similar ingredients) and prep them, or fully cook them so they can be quickly reheated and do it all in one afternoon. This way I can stretch my food dollar and my precious time with my kids.

Today I whipped around my kitchen like one of those crabby celebrity chefs, muttered swear words and all, and managed to bang out the following meals in under three hours:

One humanely and locally raised chicken in the slow cooker gave me:

1 cheesy chicken noodle casserole
1 extra large pot adobo chile, chicken, bean & corn tortilla soup
7 cups of chicken stock reserved in the freezer for another meal

I also prepped a 2.5 lb. tangy BBQ turkey meatloaf and cream cheese smashed potatoes

18 freshly baked chocolate cupcakes perfect for hungry boy's lunchboxes (organic and local mix courtesy of our local mill)

These three meals will provide not only meals possibly not one, but two nights these week. They will also provide leftover lunches for me to take to the office all week.

That is, of course. depending on hungry boys... Last week in a single sitting we put down 2.5 pounds of chicken, 2 pounds of potatoes and 12 bread sticks.

In. One. Meal. Scary, ain't it? Now you know why I have to stretch my food dollar!

Is the Mall Dead?

2008-11-13T12:34:00.003-05:00

There is an interesting article from Newsweek that would suggest that it is. The mall I worked at as a high school student (yes, I thought I was soooo cool!) is now 85% shuttered and slated for demolition to make way for a baseball park. A mere 15 years ago you couldn't get a parking spot and you might wait in line for a Cinnabon for 15 minutes. Today, the store I worked at is long closed, the restaurants are gone and a lone Kohls holds up one of the mall while a tired, old Macy's the other. Is this the end of the mall, or the end of consumerism, or just a by-product of a bad economy? Or, are the consumers hell-bent on the idea of buying "stuff" just looking to new venues to fill the void?

I am a big fan of Craigslist, the thrift stores and Freecycle and according to the article, the numbers are growing:

The Salvation Army has seen sales jump 15 percent at some locations, while The Freecycle Network, a clearing house for second-hand goods has grown from 40 people to around 6 million since its founding in 2003. Each day, the group says, it keeps 500 tons of stuff out of landfills and in use. Another second-hand movement, known as The Compact, where members commit to buying nothing new for an entire year (underwear excluded), has grown from 10 friends to 10,000 members since 2004. Even those who are still buying new are viewing shopping through a changed lens: almost 40 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 30 prefer to use brands that are "socially conscious"—environmentally safe and produced through fair labor.

I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want a lot of "consumers" driving up the prices at thrift stores or on Craigslist, only to throw away what they don't want or didn't need. I have looked to these places for years to find great reusable goods for Halloween costumes, back to school or holiday decorating. It's been great for the planet and good for the budget. It's a sustainable way of life, so "consumers" please think twice before you shop. Consider the planet, consider your budget and consider what you truly need. If you don't need it, don't buy it. Thank you.

A CraigsList Christmas

2008-11-11T17:56:00.003-05:00

Money is tight, the Detroit economy is looking pretty grim and the family budget is downright squeaky. However, I just don't skimp on Christmas. We don't buy our children frivolous items all year long, they get what they need and as for what they want? Well, our oldest boys babysit. That's right, I raised darn good boy babysitters and they get plenty of work. And, the pay is so good from time to time I ponder the idea of dusting off my old babysitting certificate. Add that to their b-day cash from grandparents and family and that leaves them lots of green to burn on video games, ice cream treats and DVDs. We feel like they work hard to earn what they want all year long and come Christmas time, it's our turn to splurge.

So, how am I going to manage a nice Christmas without breaking the bank AND staying green? Craigslist, plain and simple. Last weekend we bought our 4-year old a new loft bed, as his toddler bed was much, much too small. We saved $1200 by buying a year old set, exactly the same as still sold at the furniture store today. This same mathematical equation can easily be applied to Christmas shopping. For example:

My boys own sports gear (expeeeensive sports gear) for all the sports they play competitively. Baseball, indoor baseball, track, cross country, basketball and so on. However, other sports they just dabble in (hockey, soccer & football) we just peruse Craigslist.

This winter they all want hockey skates to kick around in on our lake after the deep freeze that's rapidly approaching. Detroit really is "Hockey-town" with many young boys playing on hockey leagues wearing ridiculously expensive skates. Where do they off load these skates after a couple of months? Craigslist.

A pair of top quality, barely worn skates that retail for $160 can be easily found for only $30. I'm no math whiz, but that ratio certainly makes sense to me!

Now that I have the skates, I'm getting busy looking for used video games. Anyone have a couple of used Madden 09 video games they want to part with???

An Obama funny with a great message

2008-10-29T21:21:00.004-04:00

Make the time to make history, grab a friend (or two) and go out and vote on Nov. 4th! I don't know about you, but I always take my boys along with me when I vote. It's a great time to explain the process, explain your views and remind them how lucky we are to live in such a great country. I know I want my sons invested in the idea of our right to vote and their future ability to make a difference in our world. Besides? There's just nothing cuter than a gaggle of little boys (OK, so now some are big boys) proudly wearing "I Voted!" stickers!

Halloween UNedibles!

2008-10-28T13:50:00.006-04:00

And here after I said my plate was too full to blog... However, this is too important not to pass along and yes, it true, you can confirm it on Snopes here.

As if we didn't already know the food system in our country was broken and it was a bad, bad, bad idea to eat food coming from China, here's a warning about Halloween chocolates that may contain melamine. The warning comes from Canada regarding Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins sold in Costco stores. Please read the article and make sure to check your children's Halloween baskets for these candies and warn them against eating anything before the arrive home.

From Snopes:

"On October 8, 2008, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a consumer advisory warning the public not eat, distribute or sell Sherwood brand Pirate's Gold milk chocolate imported from China. The candy is being recalled for testing positive for the industrial chemical melamine, a substance at the center of the tainted milk controversy in China. The coins were being sold across Canada by Costco and may have also been vended in bulk packaged or as individual pieces at dollar and bulk stores."

Beaten by the Economy

2008-10-27T20:02:00.003-04:00

I am tired, I am frustrated and most of all I am sad. I have been beaten by the economy. No time to post here on the blog regularly, barely ten minutes for my kids these days, not to mention my husband.

The forecast is pretty bleak here in Michigan. Chrysler plans to cut one out of every four jobs by the end of the year, Ford and GM are pretty much in the same boat. Plants are closing, local businesses are shuttered, people are moving and prospects are pretty grim.

To make up for our decrease in income, I have been back to working full time, including travel, stress and 50-60 hour weeks. My husband is working pretty much all hours of the waking day and we are trying not to become one of the statistics. We keep telling ourselves that we're just thankful to be employed, we're thankful to have our home and we're most thankful for our healthy children.

Our neighborhood, once easily recognized as "the" place to live by simply mentioning a zip code is now a wasteland of dreams. Many homes have been foreclosed upon and auctioned, some just up and abandoned. One of those was looted and used by teenagers as a party place, so today I look from my kitchen window upon a boarded up home complete with sagging siding and waist-high weeds. This certainly can't be where I live, this is not where I want to be today.

I've tried to find the good, fighting to stay green around the edges as the green in our wallet dwindled. We've volunteered our time instead of donating our money, we helped neighbors in their time of crisis, we've looked for the silver lining.

It just wasn't there.

If you would, please excuse the lack of posts. Pardon the partisan political statements. I apologize for the lack of fun and humor. I've just lost my ability to find my way at the moment. The way back to the way it was before. Before my friends were losing their jobs left and right. Before foreclosure was so common my kids now know about their friends losing their homes. Before banks got a bailout while parents work 50 hour weeks just to save their homes and dreams.

I'll be dropping in and out here, when I can, and reading your blogs for a pick-me-up. Goodness knows, I certainly will need them! See you soon,

~ Eco 'burban mom

Green Mom on the road...

2008-10-23T17:24:00.005-04:00

I've been gone for four days. Traveling for work, attending some trade markets and in general miserably sleeping in hotel rooms, eating chain restaurant food with co-workers and missing my children and husband. However, this isn't a misery, gripe and cry blog. It's a green blog. So, here's how I try, really try, to make business travel a little greener.

1. Carry a Sigg, Kleen Kanteen or other reusable water bottle as well as morning coffee mug. Remember - please don't attempt to carry a Sigg full of water or tea through security. They really don't look to happy when you want to dump water into one of the gray bins. Bonus? While in meetings your co-workers will sneak curious glances at your dented, birdie and flower printed Sigg and wonder... "What in the heck do you think she's got in there??"

2. Why walk when you can ride? I'm from Detroit and we lack any reliable source of public transportation of any kind, so when in Rome.... At trade shows, large cities or markets I ride the shuttle buses, opt for ride share taxis or vans to and from the airports, I take the train or subways. Occasionally, I have a co-worker or two who thinks this is a hassle, but for the most part they are game and I save the company some cash which they love.

3. Hotel living is certainly not like home, but you should act like it. Turn out the lights when you leave the room, ask the front desk not to leave a newspaper at your door (unless you read it, then in which case recycle it), reuse your towels, turn of the tap and in general, behave just as you would at home. Except for the whole "yank off the yucky comforter and throw it in the corner" thing...

4. BYOS - otherwise known as "Bring Your Own Stuff". A shampoo bar is a girl's best friend. It gets around the TSA's funny "NO LIQUIDS unless in a 3 oz. container in yet another plastic zip-top bag" rule. For a few days a shampoo bar is perfect for washing your hair, scrubbing your bod and even shaving your legs and underarms. Those little freebies at the hotel? Leave them untouched or ask the front desk to remove them so they can be used by someone who needs them.

5. Here's my biggest pitfall. Eating out. When with a large group someone usually says, let's eat at Crapplebees or Thank God It's Not Fridays! UGH. Factory farmed meats, dehydrated veggies and corn syrup laden drinks. Sometimes you just can't avoid going with the group consensus, at which time I usually ask the waiter for vegetarian options, usually getting the eyebrow raise from a co-worker as if to say, Oh, she's one of those. Yeah, well, I'm also your boss so let's keep that in mind. However, when I'm traveling solo, or with an adventurous pal, I usually ask the concierge for a local suggestion or a place specializing in fresh, organic or regional specialty foods. I have had some pretty good opportunities to dine in some great restaurants from coast to coast that might have looked questionable from the outside, but had some great food and people inside. The bellman is usually pretty happy to suggest his wife's favorite restaurant or his brother's little hole in the wall place specializing in killer tamales!

6. Guilt gifts. I hate to say it, but sometimes you just gotta cave and bring the kiddies something so they have that to look forward to when Mom comes home. And? Dad can totally snap a four-year old out of an "I miss Mommy whiiiiine" with the reminder of a special surprise sure to come. A great idea is to stock up on things AHEAD of time. I never have a spare minute while on the road and I hate to buy plastic, airport crap. The next time you are at a craft fair or art store, pick up neat (read lightweight...) coloring books, crafts, books, tattoos, pencils etc. and stash them in a back or hidden pocket of your travel case. Voila! Upon returning home choose and item or two and you have a gift you can live with purchasing and you are a four-year old's very cool Mom.

There you have it, I have tons of little tips and tricks for business travel. But, I am home and have a mountain of laundry to do and lots of little kiddies that want to see what I've brought them....

Signs of Hope - Please Help!

2008-10-18T09:21:00.005-04:00

In the wake of the hate, anger and untruths (video) that threaten to separate our nation and it's people, let's join together. I refuse to believe that my children will grow up in a world of separatists, ignorance or hate. These scenes (video) from the rallies in Pennsylvania literally brought tears to my eyes and I pray my children never see this degradation of our culture. Rather than let this break my spirit, I believe we can work together.

So, whomever your candidate, whatever your party, please spread messages of hope. Please spread messages of community. Please tell your children stories about how to work together, to bring peace to our country and to care about one another. Please spread the hope!

What if...

2008-10-15T10:39:00.002-04:00

Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?.....think about it.
Would the country's collective point of view be different?

Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to painkillers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker, and Obama couldn't read correctly from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one with a history of public display, on many occasions, of a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference. Neither is perfect but color shouldn't be a factor.

Educational Background:

Barack Obama:

Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.

Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude ("With Great Honor")

Joseph Biden:

University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.

Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain:

United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:

Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Education may not be everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world. Think about it!

The Cost of Going Green - The Dining Room

2008-10-14T19:27:00.005-04:00

My dining room:

Craigslist antique furniture find - 1910 Mission-style dining set made of quarter-sawn oak - a table, 8 chairs, 4 leaves, custom made cabinet for leaf storage, buffet and mirror for $2300.

Planet savings: Buying used helps to control use of forested trees, toxic chemicals and factory waste and trucking carbon emissions. Buying locally put my $2300 right back into the hands of a family less than 30 minutes from my home.

Wallet savings: A comparable set of the same quality new would have cost around $11,000. Of course we have a few dings and scuffs and the chair seats should be recovered. So, I really only estimate my savings to average around $6000. However, with that savings I can contribute to all four of my boy's college funds for an entire year.

Setting the table:

We've nixed paper plates, disposable utensils and paper cups.

Planet savings: It's proven that an energy star rated dishwasher only run when full saves 25% more energy than the standard dishwasher. You save even more by choosing the no-heat dry cycle. One set of good quality stoneware and utensils will last for years. (Unless you have - ahem - boys with the dropsies!) All of the paper plates, utensils and cups saved from the landfill for a family of six is potentially staggering.

Wallet savings: When we used to buy paper plates I could easily use a $10.50 package of Dixie plates from Costco every two weeks - roughly the same for paper cups. A total monthly cost of $30-40. Factor in a slight increase in dishwasher usage and I approximate a monthly savings of $25. That sounds little today, but when you add it up over a year I am saving $300. One car payment. The January gas bill. Two nights of hotel stay on vacation. That's worth it!

Green changes are great for the planet, but when you add up the savings, it really is great for your wallet.

OK, so I'm procrastinating. Again.

2008-10-12T22:05:00.003-04:00

I planned to start my series on "The Cost of Going Green" tomorrow, but I was called out of town on business. Doesn't it just suck how work keeps interfering with my life? Though, given the economy, I think I'll keep my day job. So, in lieu of a real, thoughtful and cerebral post, I leave you with these political funnies. See you tomorrow!

"Naturally the smart thing to do to solve your economic woes is to demonize the Democrats. And of course, Sarah Palin is more than happy to oblige. She's been saying that Obama hangs out with terrorists. And you know, I think the evangelical lady who's in a video getting blessed by a witch doctor, who's married to a secessionist, and can't name a newspaper -- she's right, Obama is scary." --Bill Maher
"The question she keeps asking at all of the rallies is, 'Who is Barack Obama?' You know what, genius, maybe if you'd picked up a newspaper in the last year you'd know. He's the guy who's kicking your ass." --Bill Maher
"They had the town hall format, and that meant that the candidates could wander around on stage. You know, I like John McCain, but wandering around on stage there, he looked like a retiree who can't find his Buick." --David Letterman
"Are you excited about Sarah Palin? Well, yesterday she referred to Afghanistan as our neighboring country. Apparently, she can see bin Laden's cave from her house." --David Letterman
"The legislative panel in Alaska investing Troopergate released their report that says Sarah Palin illegally abused her power as governor by firing the state police chief because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband. But they said she didn't actually break the law so she won't go to prison. Which is a pity because it would have been the first time she was ever involved in a complete sentence." --Bill Maher
Jon Stewart on whether he's taking sides in the election: "If you, out of nowhere, are going to grab a woman out of the woods and make her your vice presidential candidate, what can I do? [Sarah Palin] is like Jodie Foster in the movie 'Nell.' They just found her, and she was speaking her own special language. Have you noticed how [Palin's] rallies have begun to take on the characteristics of the last days of the Weimar Republic? In Florida, she asked 'Who is Barack Obama?' Hey, lady, we just met YOU five f**ing weeks ago."

The Cost of Going Green - Part 1

2008-10-10T20:19:00.004-04:00

I've been a little despondent lately. I mean, who hasn't? Between my regular day-to-day activities that can just plain wear me right out, now we've got to monitor CNN or NPR regularly for imminent stock market crashes or bank catastrophes. To quote a old favorite movie of mine, I've sorta been in "The pit of despair" and a little absent from the blog world.

To share a little, I'm a young mother and I've been through some pretty lean times when my kids were young and I had little money. If the rent was paid and the kids fed, it was a successful week. Though, through education and hard work I've managed to own a nice home, drive a new car, I never worry about food on the table and have even carved out a little savings, an IRA and some college fund cash for later use. Only to see my hard work, sweat and tears being pissed away each time I open a statement from our financial advisor. And, now I'M pissed. Really. I am. I have succeeded because I busted my ass. I worked hard, I put my kids first and I have given back whenever I could and now? I'm being punished for it and so is my bank account.

Friends ask why I just don't give up this "green thing" as they call it. Isn't it more expensive? Oh, all that organic food just costs so much, they say. Wouldn't eating regular food save you some money? What about all the natural beauty products? Wouldn't you just save more by getting all of that from Target? I can't imagine what you pay for handmade soap!

And then, I am just pissed again. Why doesn't anyone see it? I actually, freakin' SAVE money by being conscious of what I buy and who I buy it from. Because of that local businesses benefit from my dollar spent, which means they in turn can buy products from someone else. Hellooooo? Anyone in there? If our dollars are spent in our own community, maybe EVERYONE would benefit. Cripes.

So, rather than keep ranting and choking back curse words, I thought I would write a simple series of posts on "The Cost of Going Green". Do you want to see in my wallet? Do you want to see where my money goes? Do you want to know exactly how much I save each month by going green? Well, then, I'll tell ya. It's actually freakishly frugal.

Starting next week, look for my new series of posts, organized by room of the home, right on down to the furry, four-footed critters sleeping on my feet at this very moment. I swear, it's cheaper. I swear, it's better for the environment. I swear, it's better for the local economy. And, most of all? I swear, it's easy. And, today with all the craziness and stress, couldn't we all use a little easy?

Oh, I see you rolling your eyes out there. You don't believe me, do you? Put down the Cascadian Farms granola bar and back away from the Horizon yogurt in plastic tubes, you'll be glad you did. Your wallet will thank you. The planet might even hug you. See you on Monday!

Even a Novice Can Build Community

2008-10-05T15:29:00.003-04:00

Many bloggers write about building community. Green Bean has great tips and pointers on how to reach out to schools, townships and cities. One Element in Time has an entire series on ways you can help build your community to sustain yourself and the planet. I have always been a bit envious of their courage, their strength.

These bloggers have wonderful ideas, however I hadn't really ventured out of my own shell to try these ideas on for size until Friday night. See, I do attempt to build community, though I tend to stay in my own comfort zone. We started a recycling program for our little league which was a challenge, yet directly related to my boys, so I tackled it. I wrote our school district leaders and had a conference call with the food service department to address the reauthorization of The Child Nutrition Act that affects the school lunch program. Again, I reached out into my community, but again, it directly affected my family and their schools. I write letters to congress, address ecological issues to our Lake Association and even host the blog for our local Michigan for Obama campaign office.

Selfishly, many of these efforts are directly related to things I personally feel passionate about or want changed in our community. This Friday I broke out of my comfort zone and attended a "Power of Community" meeting planned by the brilliant woman who organizes our food club.

She brought together farmers, bee keepers, students, energy conservation specialists, teachers, bloggers and activists. The first half of the evening was a screening of the movie "The Power of Community - How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" For those who haven't seen this movie, it's an hour well spent. I'm sure your local library might have it or it cold be found online. Yes, you could watch this movie by yourself, but as the woman who sponsored our event said, "Isn't the point of community, getting together as a community to watch the movie?" I plan to review the movie in a later post, for those interested.

The second half of the evening featured introductions of all the "Community Leaders" she invited that were present in the audience followed by a meet and greet in the lobby where products and information were available. And, wouldn't you know it, she asked two bloggers in the audience to stand up - I was surprised to find out my name was being called. How could I be a community leader? I simply sit behind my desk, with the anonymously of my computer screen to protect me and I blog. I write letters. I pass along valuable information. I get frustrated, I rant, I write funnies about my kids and sometimes I just vent. I rarely think that this little contribution builds community.

As the leader of our food club pointed out, alone she wouldn't have the time to research the information I write about on the food club blog. Alone, she wouldn't be able to reach across the country, from east coast to west, gathering information about food, politics, policy and greener living. She doesn't have the time. She is busy sourcing local foods, meeting with farmers, organizing her product for the Farmer's Market and most importantly, raising her twin boys. That's her part in building community. And mine? The information I provide to her and the members of our club is my little part in building community. See? Even a novice can do it! So, each time you sit at your computer to blog and you don't think it really matters or that no one is reading. They are. You are building community with every keystroke!

All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten

2008-10-02T10:55:00.002-04:00

In other words... Lessons learned from my four-year old:

While in Trader Joe's for groceries, my youngest happily pointed out to the clerk manning the register that he found the stuffed monkey hidden in the coffee and he would like his "prize". After joyously accepting his organic lollipop the clerk asks if he would like a balloon. Oh, yes, goodie, goodie yes he would certainly like a balloon! Green, please.

The clerk reaches up and takes the entire group of green balloons and proceeds to offer one small four-year old the ENTIRE batch balloons. My son looks up at him quizzically and says, "No fwanks, I onaly need one bawoon." The clerk is surprised and looks at me as if to say, what are you kidding me? I was going to give him seven balloons and he only wants one?

I reach down, tie the single green balloon to my son's wrist and head to the parking lot. Hey, Bubba, I ask, why did you only want one balloon? His wise little face, dripping with sticky lollipop residue looks up at me and grins. "Momma, I need to leave bawoons at the store for other kids. Someone else might want a green one too!"

Yes, everything we needed to know we learned in Kindergarten. Imagine if we all only took what we needed and made sure everyone got what they needed too. Thanks for the lesson, little one, you certainly are wise!

Need a House? Here's a Nice One...

2008-10-01T13:00:00.005-04:00

I don't know about you, but my kids could really go for this air conditioned playhouse and I'm pretty sure the eco 'burban dad could throw a good party with the Budweiser on tap at the three full bars around the inground pool. Me? Well, I certainly could use 14.5 bathrooms. Shoot, I could clean one a day for two whole weeks! Oh? You said you wanted it? OK, fine. I'll let you have it...

Update: Apparently this video has mysteriously disappeared from CNN. Don't you find that just a little suspicious? I do! So, if you still want to see the video, you can still get it on YouTube!

I Have an Apple Crisis! Help!

2008-09-30T10:22:00.004-04:00

No, not APLS, but there's another topic that I have been lagging behind on. Whew, between kids, jobs and being sick I am really behind! Anyway, make sure to check out the APLS blog to find out more about our local Great Lakes APLS. I plan a quick post later today welcoming everyone back to our region for fall. And, I need some local answers for THIS:

What do I do with all these apples? See, I was hoodwinked. Tricked. Scammed. By my own sister! My mother, yes the one of peaches fame, was kind enough to bring us a couple of bushels of apples from Northern Michigan. My sister was supposed to take half for her family. Does that look like my half to you? I didn't think so. I think she took five apples out of the bag and sent the rest to me!

I will can applesauce, I will freeze apple pie fixin's but how in the heck am I going to store the rest? I don't have a root cellar, we unplugged our extra refrigerator over a year ago and I don't really want to plug it back in just for apples. Help me create a root cellar or rent me a storage space somewhere! I am drowning in apples. Thanks, sis.

Mom Down! Mom Down!

2008-09-29T08:52:00.004-04:00

I'm sick. I should have seen it coming. Two of the eco 'burban boys were hit with a nasty case of bronchitis and sinusitis last week, requiring mom to dispense medicines, get up in the middle of the night and prepare special meals for the sick ones. Guess who's got it now...??

Two boxes of tissues, countless tea bags and lots of TV watching and I'm still not feeling any better. What have I noticed about being sick? It's not green. Not even a little bit green. This morning I am still single-handedly destroying trees and forests with my tissue usage, styrofoam take-out containers litter the fridge (eco 'burban dad was in charge of feeding the restless natives...) and cardboard bagel buckets reside in my recycling bin. Ugh.

Well, you win some and you lose some. I'm off to toast my leftover bagel in the office kitchen. However, it will be spread with my own homemade jam and some local butter. I guess I'm on the mend!

Please Push the Reset Button

2008-09-24T11:54:00.004-04:00

What is wrong with the world? We have this. And this. And even rocket fuel in our water.

And, yes, this too is a crisis that could lead to the US's demise as an economic superpower, but is the only worry we have right now the death of banks that really shouldn't have been giving out these kinds of loans anyway?

What are we as a nation reading these days? News of former teen star Lindsay Lohan becoming lesbian tops news the Arctic Circle has dwindled to it's second lowest level making polar bears so desperate they resort to cannibalism.

Even political news is dominated by eye glass trends and email scandal. Doesn't anyone in government, politics or business care that our environment is in crisis too? That in 30 years it really won't make a difference what type of eyeglasses our president might wear or that former teen-queen junkies are unfit parents? Because our earth might be too hot or too unstable or too unsafe for our children to inhabit?

Big surprise, people, big surprise. Don't tell me you didn't see it coming. You didn't care. Today's news stories ranking as most popular? Nicole Kidman is crediting a waterfall she swam in with her fertility. Our possible, shudder, future Vice President likes to pose for pretty pictures, but prefers to dodge and hide when it's time to answer tough questions. Why aren't we reading about health care strategies or renewable energy plans? What about education for the poor, healthier school lunches or animal rights?

I'm screaming inside. I feel sick. Yes, I care about our financial crisis and the election too, when the candidates aren't bickering and pointing fingers anyway. But, that doesn't mean I stopped caring about the environment, education, our children, the Arctic Circle or animal rights. Will someone please press the reset button on the media? On the government? On the political parties? Thank you.

And Darkness Falls...

2008-09-23T08:17:00.002-04:00

As much as I love fall, the changing of the seasons can be a drag. Just when I'm at my tiredest (back to school time really sucks the life right out of me) the darkness of winter begins to creep in. It's so hard to jump out of bed when it's cold and dark and your brain is telling you to go back to sleep. Walking the dog in the pitch-black, chilly morning doesn't have that same invigorating feeling as it does in the bright sunshine of an early summer's day. Watching darkness fall at 8:00 in the evening when just a month ago children were playing baseball, swimming and swinging at that same time makes you long for a comfy bed and a down comforter.

So, to make a long story short. I'm tired. Really, really tired. I am drifting back into bad habits. Three cups of coffee for breakfast. Meals eaten on the run. Dinner haphazardly thrown together. Laundry piling up around every corner. Doggies staring forlornly a their leashes hoping for a walk. Yesterday, I used a paper towel. I was too tired to make my way to the linen closet for a clean dishtowel. It was my first paper towel in weeks, maybe even months.

How do I get back on track? Or am I just on a slippery slope backwards into a life of un-greenness? I managed to wake up early today to walk the puppy, thinking I was getting back in the game. Wandering through the dark streets I stepped into a pothole, wrenching my back. Figures. At least no one else was awake to hear cursing and muttering. Is it just another sign to simply stay in bed? Maybe...

Maybe...

2008-09-21T16:12:00.005-04:00

Actual proof that maybe the world is coming around. Just when I thought I was too tired, too stressed out, stretched too thin. A sunny afternoon, a circus show, kid's crafts and low and behold - recycling, water bottle refilling stations, local food and drink and an afternoon spent with a 4-year old. Maybe I won't give up the fight today.

Thrift Store or Toy Store?

2008-09-16T19:15:00.005-04:00

Last month I was busy hitting all the thrift stores around town for back to school clothes. I scored pretty big, but picked up a couple of extra items along the way. The littlest eco 'burban boy tagged along on one trip and managed to hit the toy jackpot.

From the corner of the store I hear a little boy squeal of delight. Out of the depths of a basket he pulls a large monster truck emblazoned with "Grave Digger" in neon green lettering. I gamely try to talk him out of the toy, begging him to think of all the other trucks and cars stashed in his bedroom.

No dice. He's in love with monster trucks, much to my chagrin. (Ummm, I know very little about monster trucks, but something tells me they're NOT eco-friendly?!?) I check the price tag - $2.99. A bargain really, considering it most likely cost a good $30 or more with it's flashing lights and motorized actions. Grave Digger came home with us, and now takes up the most prize parking spot in the eco 'burban boy's bedroom.

This week is "My Favorite Thing" week at his preschool. Rather than choose an expensive remote controlled car, a fancy brand-new truck or even a favorite blankie, "Grave Digger" is going to school. I smile as I pack the truck into his backpack. Who knew $2.99 for a reused toy would bring him - and me - so much joy.

Make no mistakes, the thrift store isn't just for clothing. Sometimes it's the "Favorite Toy Store" too.

Thanks, Ike

2008-09-16T06:14:00.000-04:00

Thanks, Ike, for the havoc and disaster in Texas. Millions without power, hundreds of thousands unable to return home. Many dead, many more injured and dreams crushed. Homes, schools, businesses, infrastructure, parks and gardens damaged beyond repair.

Ike reached us all the way in Michigan. We got more than 8 inches of rain in 24 hours. (Following steady down pouring rain unrelated to Ike the entire day prior) Lakes and rivers reached historical heights, roads washed away, basements flooded. My 65 year old lake cottage home sprung a leak in her original foundation that held tight through many families before my own.

Warming, Ike screamed! Warning! Ice caps are melting, ocean temperatures are rising, storms are strengthening. Take heed and protect your family. Protect your planet. Protect your fragile ecosystems.

As I listen to the hum of our two dehumidifiers, one fan and one clothes dryer motor continuously in our basement I understand the power of a storm that started near the equator and reached as far north as the Canadian border. I also realize how lucky I am to be warm, safe and dry with electricity connected and water flowing.

For those of us safely out of the path of hurricanes, tidal waves, tornadoes and monsoons, it's our responsibility to protect those directly in their wake. It does take a village to raise a planet! For those able to donate to the victims of Hurricane Ike, please visit the Red Cross and give to those in need. For those unable to donate, please protect our planet. Reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink!

Just for Fun!

2008-09-15T11:46:00.002-04:00

If you didn't watch it live, it is worth a moment to watch this skit. Seriously, I was laughing so hard I spit out my drink. My dinner guests weren't as amused!

A Green Mom Goes to the Mall

2008-09-15T11:19:00.004-04:00

I haven't been to the mall in ages. I can't even remember the last time I even thought I might want to go to the mall. This weekend I had to go to the mall to pick up a few items from Pottery Barn we needed at my office for a research project. While I was there I thought I would wander around as we had the remnants of Hurricane Ike in town on Sunday and our outdoor plans were cancelled. I need to replace my very worn out four-year-old black pants and skirt before a handful of business trips I have to take in October, so I figured the timing couldn't be better.

1. Pants are ridiculously expensive! Can anyone tell me when both JCrew and Banana Republic decided they could charge $128 for a single pair of pants? Don't worry, I didn't buy pants at either store. I succumbed to the Gap for a $54 pair.

2. Did you know Pottery Barn thinks they are green? They carry aluminum water bottles that look mysteriously like a SIGG knock-off, except for the whole "made in China" part. Throw in a couple of recycled material picture frames and a box of sustainable wood colored pencils ($24 for 24 pencils!) and Voila! The store is green! Or not... When I refused the copious paper wrapping for my single plate, single napkin ring and picture frame and then broke out my reusable tote, the saleswoman looked at me like I sprouted horns.

3. No one, and I mean NO ONE, at our local mall carries reusable totes. I'm pretty sure the sales staff at Banana Republic thought I stole something.

4. Did you know 80's fashion is totally back in style? Me neither and it's a good way to keep me out of the mall for a very, very long time. Yikes, totally junior high flash back!

5. Does everyone wear pajamas to the mall? Interesting... I saw more girls wearing pajama pants then the last time I went to a slumber party. Again, total junior high flashback!

6. If you don't have a Starbucks cup in your hand, you seriously stick out like a sore thumb.

Lesson learned. Two pairs of pants and $106 later I won't be going back to the mall anytime soon. I felt like a zoo exhibit someone let out of it's cage. It's funny, once you break the mall-habit it's very hard to go back...

Take a Blog Break for Activism

2008-09-10T09:02:00.006-04:00

No, I'm not quitting the blog, but expanding my horizons. Being a Green Mom and an APLS has sparked my interest and, most importantly, made me get off my duff and volunteer.

Thanks to Green Bean's back to school post, I pitched the idea of a sustainable schoolyard to my oldest three son's middle school PTSA president and we have a meeting this Friday to explore the concept in tandem with our Science Department and Life Management classrooms.

I sent my school district leaders my post on the importance of commenting on the USDA's website to improve the future of school lunches before the reauthorization of The Child Nutrition Act in 2009 - and got great feedback. Then I took it a step further. After reading The Green Parent's back to school post I also threw out the idea of the Farm to School project to the school principal and the PTSA and again, we are meeting soon to explore the idea of allocating Michigan's $1.9 million in funding for fresh foods (currently purchased from Tennessee?!?!) to our local farmers. This program only operates in four school districts in our entire state and I would love to be the fifth.

Yesterday, while driving to Whole Foods, I passed a small strip mall with a little sign and arrow pointing to my city's 'Michigan for Obama' campaign office. I went inside and met with the Field Organizer to see how I could help. You are now looking at the official blog host and website organizer for the local campaign in my city. (If you're in Southeastern Michigan and want to come by, click the link, we'd love to have you!) I blog about upcoming events, canvassing and volunteer opportunities as well as Obama's policy and reform stances. I'm getting the word out and using a skill that can help make a change.

My own personal blog may look a little scattered for the next couple of months while all these programs get off the ground, but isn't that why we blog anyway? To make change? To inspire change? To be the change? I have been inspired by many of you bloggers out there and I hope to inspire you today. Democrat or Republican, stand up for what you believe in. Volunteer to help. Teach your children the importance of democracy in our country. Vote. Knock on doors. Put a sign in your yard. Blog. Stand up and be proud.

Mental Floss for Dental Floss?

2008-09-09T11:06:00.003-04:00

The eco 'burban dad looooves dental floss. Seriously, if he forgets to pack it on a vacation or even a weekend away, he's frantic and must have his flossy fix. Me? Eh, I can take it our leave it. Not that I don't think it's important, because it really is. However I am usually happy I've gotten 5 minutes to brush my teeth, slap on some moisturizer and run a brush through my hair before someone knocks on the door, so if I don't get time to floss, I'm not too upset.

That said, the eco 'burban dad burns through enough floss for the both of us. And, yes, I'm sure it's a bit wasteful to use so much, though when he's 87 and still has beautiful chompers instead of dentures in a glass on the nightstand next to the bed, I won't mind so much.

We're just about out of the waxy string at the eco 'burban house and we're currently using the trial size packages we get from the dentist and as I added "dental floss" to this week's shopping list, I paused. Is there a better, more environmentally friendly floss? One without plastic packaging or chemical treatments? I'm betting the minty flavor is most likely derived in a laboratory, not nature! And how does that wax get stuck to the string anyway? We've already switched to Tom's toothpaste, but does Tom make a floss too? If so, I haven't seen it...

So, anyone with a better alternative and has a moment to weigh in, please do. I need a little mental floss before I buy more dental floss.

Affluence attacks suburbia!

2008-09-07T12:20:00.000-04:00

An alien has landed! It's taking taking root across our society! I used to think I was the only one who thought living lighter was affluent. But, I see the aliens. They walk among us. There are APLS everywhere and I bet their world looks a little like mine...

photo: ****b/c**** on Flickr

My grass is brown. We don't water it or even have a sprinkler system.

My laundry hangs outside, draped willy-nilly on racks, thrown over patio furniture and hangs from umbrella frames

My children wear thrift store duds, often found with tags still attached and quite often brand name.

We host garage sales, sell and buy used items on craigslist and have been known to Freecycle.

We don't buy juice boxes, Gatorades, ice cream bars, Popsicles, cookies, waffles or pancakes.

We don't drive big, fancy cars or SUVs.

I don't have a housekeeper, landscaper or dog-walker.

I can't remember the last time I had a Starbucks, went to the mall or ordered fast food.

And the list goes on... We walk to the corner store. We turn the tap off when we brush our teeth. We pour leftover boiling canning water over the weeds in our driveway. We are an affluent family.

To many in suburbia, this is truly a strange and unusual concept. I must be an alien to consider myself affluent. Isn't going without all the conveniences and comforts available today a signal of hardship, low-income or thrift? So, in the midst of all of the suburban drones, how does one alien living lighter, when she could afford more, still define herself as affluent when others describe her lifestyle as just the opposite?

Why? I have the luxury to choose my lifestyle. It's as simple as that. I am privileged to have education, an income and career. I am blessed to have options. I am lucky to have multiple sources for food I deem healthy and nutritious to feed my family. I have electricity, running water, comfortable clothing, top-notch doctors and hospitals, an excellent school system and most of all - four healthy children. I am most certainly not going without and isn't it my responsibility to spread my affluence around?

I choose to continue to educate myself and my family. I choose to conserve the resources that we have so others may have a little more. I choose to go the extra mile to support my local farmer and buy his eggs, produce and meat so that not only I can feed my family a healthy meal, but he can feed his family a healthy meal. I choose to educate others, volunteering to share my knowledge with schools, our government and my family. I am an affluent alien walking this planet, attempting to infect the world with my thoughts on lighter living.

As an APLS who once thought she was the only affluent alien living lighter, I welcome all of the APLS to suburbia. I see more of you aliens every day. Hanging out laundry, walking to the store, buying farmer's market produce and most importantly - influencing others. Affluence is catching! It's attacking suburbia! It's not long until affluent aliens take over the planet. Welcome to earth, APLS, we're thankful you're here.

Have you been infected by the lighter living affluents? If you have, join us in the APLS bushel basket. You'll find many of your kind, and like me, you'll find some right in your own neighborhood!

This is my post submitted to the September APLS Carnival. If you want to submit your thoughts, however alien and strange they may be, to the APLS Carnival, please hurry! The mother ship departs on September 10th, so get on over to the APLS blog for more info.

Hearing Voices

2008-09-05T17:28:00.004-04:00

The email I sent to our school district regarding the USDA's reauthorization of The Child Nutrition Act reached my son's middle school principal. She took the time to respond to me and to place the email containing the link to the public comments section into the hands of those who need to comment and have the power to make changes - the District Supervisor of Food Services and the PTA president.

Please take the time to make your voice heard. Comment today and then write a letter to your principal, your PTA president, your Food Service Department. I can't stress how important food choices are to your children. Where is the one place during the day they make their own decisions? It's the school lunch room. Do I take the fruit cup or pass it by because it looks "gross". Do I eat my veggies or toss them in the trash because they are "disgusting".

Providing children with fresh and healthy food choices today will set them up for a life-long education in how to feed themselves and, to me, that's just as important as math class or a science project. If you want a copy of the letter I sent to the school district, please feel free to copy it here. The link the to the USDA's site to comment is here.

Copy of the letter from our school principal:

Dear (eco 'burban mom),

I will forward your email to our district - Supervisor of Food Services, (name) and to (the school's) head cook, (name). Our food service department has done much to address these concerns, and I am sure (the staff) would be happy to talk with you to provide the details. I will also forward your email to our PTSA president, (name). (She) is very involved and always eager to address concerns. Thanks so much. (Principal)

Yes, my voice was heard!

4 Back To School Tips for 'That Mom'

2008-09-03T12:53:00.013-04:00

Rather than wax poetic about sending my four boys back to school, (note: see mom doing a happy, happy dance!!) I thought I would share my 'oh, she's that green mom' tried and true methods for surviving the back-to-school chaos with a little sustainable style.

Tip #1 - Use those leftovers!

Never bother to sort backpacks or bookbags brought home at the end of the school year at the beginning of summer. Why? When faced with four bags stuffed with leftover school supplies almost to the point of bursting and one mom on overload from elementary school graduation planning, summer swim parties, field trips and teacher appreciation luncheons you are more likely to look at the pile and chuck it all into the trash. Really. I swear all sensibility to sort paper, tear out used notebook pages and neatly organize what you 'think' you might need for next year goes right out the window when you're on the brink of exhaustion.

Simply - this is VERY important, please pay attention - sift through the bag checking for errant food items, live animals and/or money (yes, I have found all three before!) and then place the bag into a closet or the basement hidden away until the end of summer. I guarantee you will be much calmer and more reasonable sorting through the bags with your new school supply list in your hand during the month of August when you will find many things on this years list that were only gently used last year. Besides, when faced with the cost of buying school supplies these days, that folder/pencil box/binder doesn't really look so shabby after a month or two hidden out of sight, does it? I didn't think so!

Tip #2 - Backpack wars!

What kid doesn't want a brand spanking new backpack, book bag or tote each year? They all do, but let's face it... Do they really NEED one? Before the schools shopping madness begins (seriously, do this in July) buy the very, very best backpack you can afford that is made of bullet proof, rip stop, stainless steel materials. Just kidding! However, buying the right pack for the right sized kid made of durable materials is well worth it. I highly recommend LL Bean's backpacks and can swear by their durability. I have four boys, each with their own pack, embroidered with their initials, that carry laptops, lunches and binders all at the same time that are going on their 3rd year of use. No broken zippers, no busted straps, no ripping seams. They weren't cheap, but they last and last.

And, another hint? Buying those packs in July, letting your child pick out the fabric and embroider their initials on the bag will be fun for them. Bonus for you? While in the big, nasty discount store buying school supplies your child will see the Spiderman, Barbie and/or Pokemon backpack made of cheap materials guaranteed to only last 3 months and you will calmly be able to say, "Oh, but we have your new bag all personalized and ready to go!" Sneaky, eh?

Tip #3 - Lunchtime drama!

I am a huge advocate for healthy food choices in the cafeteria and making sure my boys eat a well balanced and filling lunch. (If you haven't commented on the USDA's Child Nutrition Act, please do so today!) However, three of my four boys are middle school age and lunch is the MOST important time of day for them for two reasons. One, they like to eat. A lot. As much as possible. Two, lunchtime is social time for middle school kids and, in their very over-scheduled lives and in their highly pressured world to achieve, this is their one chance daily to meet friends, chat up the girls and start to learn about where they fit in the peer groups. So, four days a week I pack a waste-free, organic, local and healthy meal for them. One day a week we allow them to get into the lunch line, buy a pizza with their buddies, pay for their meal with real money and figure out how to navigate the dangerous waters of the middle school cafeteria.

Why is this so important to me, given I am such a locavore and health nut? In the real world we are faced with choices and obstacles and the middle school lunch room is pretty much one of the earliest places we learn to deal with peer pressure, food choices, social rules, manners - all on our own. If I keep protecting my boys behind my shield of pre-packed food, controlled choices and rigid schedule, how will they adapt in high school? Or even worse, college? It's the beginning of letting go, and as hard as it is, I watch my boys choose to recycle their plastic bottles and tell their buddies to do the same. They have learned from stomach-growlings and headaches that maybe deep fried cheese sticks and lemonade aren't quite a balanced or filling lunch. OK, so that means next time they add a banana or apple to their tray, but it's a start. They politely deal with rather crabby lunch ladies who don't always give the correct change and are short on patience. Those are skills you don't get from a textbook, teacher or a perfectly packed lunch courtesy of Mom. These are social graces, manners and confidence you can only gain by being thrust into the deep end and dog paddling like crazy.

Tip #4 - You know your own child!

Doesn't it seem like these kids 'need' a lot of stuff? That's what I thought too. Lists of requested supplies, forms, money, physicals and clothing arrive in the mail the third week of August like the barrage on Normandy. This is my eighth year of sending kids back to school. Eight long years of shopping, packing, labeling, returning, rebuying and shuttling supplies to and from school.

One thing I have learned about these 'required' lists is that not every student is the same. You know your own child after a few years of school. Does your child really need 96 #2 pencils? Not if you're my oldest son who will use a pencil right down to the metallic nub and quite honestly he likes the pencil better when it's short. I'm not sure why, but he is happy to take the younger boy's cast off, slightly used pencils. However, my second oldest will break off the erasers right off the top of brand new pencils from vigorous erasing so I know to make a pencil get right down to the nub, I better add an eraser top. That brings me to the third oldest. He loses pencils faster than the Exxon Valdez leaks oil. He is prone to forgetting to zip his pencil pouch, leaving a trail of pens and pencils from the desk to the door, or leaving them on the bus or forgetting them in the classroom. So, yes, he might need 96 #2 pencils.

My point is? Take a close look at the 'required' supply lists. Can you start by buying a pack of 12 #2 pencils? Can you check their locker or desk during curriculum night or parent teacher conferences to see what supplies they are using and what they are not? At the end of every school year each of my boys will bring home an unopened package of paper, a notebook not even used or a 6-pack of unopened glue sticks. Yes, from time to time I can reuse this item for the next year or another child, but really? Why buy it in the first place? Do you have a child that loves art projects? Better stock up on the glue sticks and colored pencils! Or is your child a perfectionist and will erase every errant pencil mark and use a fresh sheet of paper for every quiz? Well then, round up the pencil erasers and notebook paper! You know your own child, so don't feel like EVERY item on that list is a must-buy.

Oh, OK, you might find yourself as 'that Mom' (or Dad!) who bucks the system, questions authority or ignores the lists, but let's face it... If you're still one of those green Moms still reading this post???? You're already 'that Mom' anyway! Relax though, I've been 'that Mom' for 8 years and after awhile, you wear that label like a badge of honor!

This is my submission for the Green Moms Carnival being hosted by Surely You Nest. If you have a submission, hop on over to her blog for more info and send in your submission before Sept. 7th!

Yes, I can!

2008-09-02T14:01:00.005-04:00

My last post, before the haze of a holiday weekend set in, focused on the reauthorization of The Child Nutrition Act in 2009. I asked readers to comment on the USDA's public comment website to make their voices heard. We want fresh fruits and vegetables! We want increased funding! We want standards for "snack line" foods! And, then I got to thinking. I asked all of you to comment, I commented, but then I stopped there.

Today, energized by a sunny holiday weekend spent with my children, I realized I could do more. Did you comment? Do you want to take it a step further? To quote someone very politically relevant - YES, I CAN! Today I wrote a letter to every member of the school board as well as my children's school principals and some powerful PTA women that I know that can really get the job done. It was so simple and so quick. Visit your school's website, scout out the email addresses and type a quick letter. No time to write the letter? Here - take mine! Just don't tell the kids how quick and easy plagiarism can be!

Dear Members of the Board,

My name is (eco 'burban mom), a mother of four boys attending the (ABC) Consolidated Schools. I am writing you today to request your attention to an important matter:

The Child Nutrition Act - a major piece of federal legislation that helps determine school food policy and resources – will begin reauthorization in 2009. Amazingly, this act has been unchanged since the 1960's and besides being outdated, it doesn't address many issues facing students today, such as: obesity, diabetes, cholesterol levels, allergies, working parent households, religous beliefs and many other factors not present in the 1960's. In addition, the current act doesn't contain any standards for so-called "snack-line" foods such as brand name items, fast food chain selections, sodas and marketing gimmicks.

The good news is the USDA and the government are accepting the public's comments on the reauthorization of this act, but the comment period ends very soon - October 15, 2008. I understand this email is reaching you during the busiest time, right at the beginning of a new school year. However, I am only asking for a moment of your time to pass the word along to your fellow colleagues, the schools and their PTAs and the food service department.

For those who are limited on time, simply visit the website I provided below and enter your comments. The website address:

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=SubmitComment&o=09000064805f47dd

A basic set of comments are as follows (please feel free to cut and paste these comments into the comments section if you wish!):

Increase funding for school meals and provide incentives for schools to offer healthier foods.
Increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Improve nutrition standards for school meals so they align with the most recent dietary guidelines.
Establish standards for food sold in schools outside of the school meals programs such as that sold at snack bars and cafeteria a la carte lines.

Thank you kindly for your time, I wish you a wonderful 2008-09 school year! Regards,

(the eco 'burban mom)

The Future of School Lunches

2008-08-29T17:09:00.003-04:00

It time to speak up and we don't have much time, so act fast to make sure your voice is heard! The Child Nutrition Act (read about it here) – a major piece of federal legislation that helps determine school food policy and resources – will begin reauthorization in 2009.

The federal government and the USDA wants your opinion and is accepting public comments on the reauthorization of this act, but you have to comment by October 15, 2008.

So, what do we want?

We request the USDA to start to make changes by doing the following:

Increase funding for school meals and provide incentives for schools to offer healthier foods.
Increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Improve nutrition standards for school meals so they align with the most recent dietary guidelines.
Establish standards for food sold in schools outside of the school meals programs such as that sold at snack bars and cafeteria a la carte lines.

Personally, in addition, I want my boys to be able to choose from fresh in-season produce, hormone and cruelty-free meats and dairy, whole grains and balanced menus. I also want the "fast foods" to disappear from the menu. My middle school aged boys can actually purchase whole pizzas brought in from an outside chain, Bosco brand cheese breadsticks (for a meal?!?!), nachos with fake "oil" cheese, canned fruits in HFCS, lemonade that contains 0% fruit juice, chicken nuggets using processed meat by-products, salad dressings that have a higher fat content than a Big Mac, gatorade and donuts. Sound appetizing? I must tell you, to a 13 year old boy with $5 in his pocket, it's pretty hard to resist.

What can you do?? Well, it's very simple. Simply log on to this site and enter your comments which will be reviewed by the USDA. Has speaking up ever been so simple?? I think not! And, if you're really pressed for time, simply highlight, copy and paste the bolded text above and place it into the comments section of the site.

Please don't delay, you only have until October 15th, 2008. Pass this along, tell your friends, post it at your school, spread the word through your PTA or neighborhood. Your children will thank you!

Don't Look a Gift Peach in the..

2008-08-27T09:22:00.002-04:00

...uhhhh, pit? I don't know. Anyway, my story goes like this:

My phone rings while I am in the airport on my way to LA. (Sorry, Arduous, I was only there for a whole 19 hours, not enough time to swing by to pick up that futon!) I look at my cell and see it's my mother.

Hi Mom.

Hey hon, I know you were bummed that you didn't get any peaches while you were up north visiting us, so guess what? I am bringing you some, I'm on my way home now! And, next weekend? I am buying a bushel to share with you and your sister! Doesn't that sound just yummy?

Oh geez, how do I tell my mother I spend my entire Saturday last weekend elbow deep in peach juice, peach pits, peach skins and peaches? And, I can't stand to look at another peach at this moment? Well, it's my mother, so if you knew her you would understand that you just don't. Like I said, you don't look a gift peach in the pit. All peaches are good peaches, yummy peaches and will be delicious this winter, regardless of the fact I will probably experience a little peach RAGE while making peach jam this weekend.

Even though I am on my way to the other side of the country, I call my husband to give him "peach storage and ripening" instructions and a warning that the mom-tornado is blowing through town. More peaches, he says? What are you going to do with them? I don't know I say, but for the love of god, don't say a WORD to my mother that I already am sick of peaches, you don't want to hurt her feelings! OK, he says gamely, I will take care of the peaches.

I arrived home last night (this morning?!?) about 2:00 a.m. to the smell of ripening peaches on my kitchen counter. And, you know what? They actually smelled delicious!

Are you Affluent?

2008-08-24T22:35:00.005-04:00

What do you think? Can you be an average, middle class working family and still be affluent? Does green living and sustainable practices increase your feelings of affluence? Have you taken the Global Rich List test yet? Where do you score?

If you want to weigh in and debate the term of Affluence and what it means to you, make sure to participate in the September APLS Carnival. You can read the specifics on the carnival, find out where to send your blog submissions and if you missed last month's carnival on Sustainability, you can read all about it over at the APLS blog.

Are you living in my local APLS area? If you are an APLS growing in the Great Lakes area (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota & Ontario, Canada) make sure to join the Great Lakes APLS group over at the APLS blog. We are planning all sorts of local fun to help APLS connect on a local level - swapping recipes using locally sourced food, sharing canning supplies, helping each other find those out of the way APLS orchards with the perfect bushel of APL-y goodness. So, don't miss a moment, join us today!

The Endless Bushel Box

2008-08-23T17:51:00.005-04:00

I was hoodwinked into buying a bushel box of peaches this morning. The big box filled with ripe, ready to eat today Red Havens with it's special price tag of only $20 was too much to resist. To make matters even worse, I had brought the wagon to the Market, so there was no excuse not to tote the entire box right on home.

The heavy box sat staring at me on the kitchen table. I took about 4 quarts of peaches right out and stashed them in the fridge for eating. When I looked back at the box, it looked like it hadn't been touched.

I started the big soup pot full of water for blanching and prepared my freezing ingredients and tools. One gallon in the freezer. Two gallons in the freezer. The box still looked rather full-ish.

I decided to make a pie to take to a neighbor's party tonight. 7 cups of peaches later, the box is still greater than half full.

Sigh. I'm getting tired of peaches.

I crank up the blanching pot again. Three gallons in the freezer and still I can't see the bottom of the box!! It's hot, I'm sweating. I've been on my feet for hours blanching, peeling, tossing, filling cookie sheets and stuffing freezer bags. I'm throwing in the towel.

I grab a leftover 1/2 peck bag from the closet and stuff it full with peaches and dash out the door headed for the neighbors house, hoping to foist some peaches on her. She's thrilled, she will make a pie for her out-of-state company! Thank god, I say, I can't look at another peach.

As I come back through the kitchen door, I see the box, still sitting on the table. 23 peaches remain. What am I going to do with MORE freakin' peaches? The water from the blanching pot is still hot, I turn the stove back on and keep on truckin' through the peaches.

Two quarts of peach sauce safely stowed in the fridge, perfect for topping pancakes.

I throw a glance back and the box, just to double check. Yep, no more peaches. I wash down the kitchen, finding peach juice on the floors, on cabinet doors and on every handle and counter top within a 5-mile radius. Finally, I'm done.

Tonight, as I serve the pie with a cold scoop of ice cream, relaxing in the company of friends, I will remember that peaches are my favorite fruit. Until next year when I find that bushel box in my kitchen again!

Can you spare a square?

2008-08-20T22:14:00.000-04:00

I've broken myself of the paper towel burden. I've turned off the A/C. I freeze my buns off in the winteer. I've even switched to rack drying my clothing. I use a shampoo bar, haven't taken a single shopping bag in an incredibly long time, I can my own jam, fruit and even pickles. My boys have accepted homemade cookies, granola and the void in the fridge where the juice boxes and gatorades used to thrive. There aren't too many changes left, but one that meets with a whole lot of resistance around here is the dreaded TP.

Toilet paper.

I've tried the Trader Joe's recycled version. It's paper thin, meaning the boys use three times as much and at double the cost it's both bad for the environment and my pocketbook.

Ditto on the Seventh Generation, but at about three times the cost of regular.

I stopped buying the Costco brand because not only is the giant, hulking stack wrapped in plastic, each and every teeny roll is also wrapped in paper. Seemed wasteful, so we are back to regular old TP - whatever is on sale, as bulk sized as possible and yes, wrapped in plastic.

And, as much as I love clean hineys on all of my boys, they seem to use an abundant amount of the stuff. I swear you put a roll on the holder, look back and it's gone. We have had plunger lessons, as the boys can actually clog the toilet with hunks of TP. One boy in particular may quite possibly find a new career direction in the field of plumbing, his skills are quite extraordinary.

How do you get the TP under control? We're certainly not giving it up. I have too many kids to be washing homemade wipes, I can't even keep up with my regular laundry. And, I prefer clean backsides, boxers with skid marks are really not my thing.

Should I give the boys a square limit? What about a different brand that might offer a thicker recycled product? Or hook their toilet seat up to the dogs invisible fence and give them a zap when they've taken too much?

Drowing in empty TP tubes....

It's Crunchtastic!

2008-08-19T21:19:00.003-04:00

And by that, I mean my laundry. There is lots to wash for a family of six and it seems vacation (especially those filled with sandy beaches, tree houses and swimming) really generate lots of extra work in the laundry room. Now that our clothes are dried outdoors on the drying rack...

It takes FOREVER.

1 rack.

8 loads of laundry.

3 days of drying time.

By the time I am caught up with the vacation laundry I am back-logged with the every day stuff. Now I have convinced my boys and the eco 'burban dad that crunchtastic, wind dried clothes are doable, I need to speed up my game.

Here in suburbia there is a strict "no clotheslines allowed" policy. So, you know I like to cheat on the compost, how can I get around the lovely HOA? Retractable line? Super-secret clothesline poles? Hang my PJs from the spines of the market umbrella?

Help a fellow laundress out here and tell me how you get it done! And quickly, the boxer shorts are piling up as we speak!!!

Home Again

2008-08-18T21:35:00.002-04:00

4 bags dirty laundry to wash and dry outdoors in the morning sun.

6 dirty SIGGS ready for the dishwasher.

1 bushel of peaches ready for canning, freezing and eating.

12 sandy water shoes needing a rinsing in leftover canning water.

2 tired dogs home from the kennel, ready for baths using new bar of all natural and local pet soap.

4 tired boys, exhausted from tree swings, tree houses, sand dune hiking, boogie board riding, kayak paddling, prank-pulling, sand castle building, late night bonfires, Michael Phelps watching, gold medal dreaming and ice cream eating.

1 mom, with time to spend with her boys, enjoying the fresh air, sail boats and sunshine? Priceless.

Happy to be home? Definitely!!

Scenes from a Vacation

2008-08-13T23:00:00.005-04:00

Six suitcases, neatly lined in a row.

Six SIGGs filled with organic lemonade for the 4 hour car ride.

One jar of organic, locally roasted and produced toffee peanut butter.

One box of HFCS-free, organic crackers.

Fresh, handpicked blueberries.

Homemade cookies.

Football, poker chips, boogie boards, sand buckets, umbrella, golf clubs, five iPods, an entire bag of library books, countless DVDs, books, one holey and yet well loved "blankie", three pillows for sleepy pre-teens and a bottle of motrin for the parents.

Two home canned jars of blueberry cherry nutmeg preserves - a gift for grandma.

Tires on mini-van inflated to proper PSI, air-filter cleaned, oil changed - all crucial for excellent gas mileage according to the eco 'burban dad.

We're outta here! Off to Grandma's summer house on Lake Michigan. Sand. Waves. A 130 bluff (scary!). Seeing the stars free of the city lights. A tree house. Bald eagles nesting in the trees. Deer. Maybe some bears. Definitely some raccoons, owls, possums hanging upside down from trees, Petosky stones, skipping rocks and chopping wood.

Vacation. See ya. And yes, the picture is real.

Sustainability in a Disposable World

2008-08-12T08:17:00.005-04:00

Living with four children in a materialistic, self-absorbed world sometimes feels as if it's the opposite of sustainable. It's disposable. Mechanical pencils, last year's worn-out baseball cleats, laptops with a three-year life expectancy, video game cartridges, DVDs, empty juice cartons, abandoned musical instruments, half-inflated soccer balls, outgrown bikes, too-small clothing, granola bar wrappers and torn lunch boxes.

What is a mother to do with all of this stuff? If you asked me a few years ago, I would have responded that I threw things out like a mad woman or bagged it all up for the Purple Heart pick up. But, then I bought more stuff. I would have also rushed out to the store the very instant I felt that I needed a new spatula, shirt, snack, dish, candle, towel or cookie that I felt I must have right there and then. It wasn't a sustainable life and it really wasn't much of a stress-free life either.

The burden of stuff kept me running. To the store. To the school. To the mall. To the warehouse club. To the sporting goods shop. I was tired.

As the awareness of our environment grew in our family, we recycled more. Then we realized we were recycling too much. Why have a bin full of empty glass iced tea bottles, plastic milk jugs and aluminum cans when you could make your own tea or lemonade and have your milk delivered to your doorstep in returnable glass bottles? And so ended my need to run to the store to buy tea the very minute we ran out. I simply opened the cabinet and made some more.

That felt good, so we thought about what else we didn't need to rush out and buy. Why not make your own cookies, waffles, pancakes and lunches? Why not mend the lunchbox, patch and re-inflate the shrunken soccer ball, donate the DVDs to the school, take the unwanted video games to a resale shop to trade for new ones, hand down the bikes to neighborhood children and scout Craigslist for new ones? And we did.

Then we got excited. What else didn't we need? Trading stuff for time was like a drug and I was hooked. Making cookies with my son was better than shopping for cookies with a crabby toddler. Showing my older boys my 'mad computer skilz' when laptops need fixing is more rewarding than dropping them off the store to be repaired. My husband teaching my sons how to use tools to fix broken household items, sports equipment and cars will provide them skills for their future and memories of time with their Dad.

Sustainability has been a journey. Sustainability at times has been a challenge. More often than not sustainability has been a compromise. With middle school aged kids sometimes you allow the iPod, but shop for clothing from the thrift shop, buy used video games and find hockey skates on Craigslist. And that's the key.

My sons are learning how to live sustainably in a disposable world. They think twice before tossing away a mechanical pencil that can simply be refilled with lead. They appreciate a better quality used hockey skate from Craigslist over a poor quality new hockey skate from a discount store - for the same price. They consume less, yet expect more. That doesn't mean they don't want a new iPod, I'm sure they do and a whole lot more. They have just learned to value what they have, buy only what they truly desire and make a smaller impact on the planet.

Living sustainably is for me, a learning curve and sometimes a challenge. For my sons, it will be a way of life and their benchmark for normal. Knowing that I have passed this practical sense of living on to my children to in turn pass it on to future generations means sustainability is achievable. One small step at a time.

Note: This is my post for the August APLS Carnival, if you want to submit your post on sustainability, you don't have much time! Post by Aug. 12th and email your post to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com. Or, if you simply would like to be added to the bushel basket and prepare a post for next month's carnival, that's OK too. Hop on over to the APLS blog and hang around awhile!

All this for under $50

2008-08-10T21:39:00.004-04:00

What $18.50 buys you at the local Farmer's Market:

And, there is someone out there that knows I have been waiting to try out this recipe using the cauliflower and a little birdie told me what to make with those lovely white peaches! I can't wait, it sounds like a great meal to me!

What $31.25 will buy you at the local thrift store right across the street from the Market:

Again, all brand names, some new with tags and all in excellent condition. Polo, Gymboree, Old Navy, Nike and Gap, just to name a few. Nine shirts, three pairs of pants and one happy mom!

Now, why would you shop anywhere else?

Lightning Strikes Twice - One Local Summer Week 10

2008-08-08T21:19:00.000-04:00

So, lightning does strike twice or even three times. Oh, heck, lighting has struck here in the eco 'burban household countless times this summer. What am I talking about? The infamous yogurt pancakes of course!

I used to think I needed to make my children meals full of fancy vegetable concoctions, perfectly cooked proteins and sides of starches to qualify as a "dinner". I put myself through the wringer looking for recipes, ingredients and ideas that would be creative and also tasty to my kids and husband.

No one wanted to eat the stuff, I had to beg them to finish or at least try the new thing and by the end of the meal I was exhausted and disappointed and still had a sinkful of dishes to tackle. So, now once a week we have "Pancake Night" which is a huge hit with all of the boys, the dad and even the mom. Depending on what fruits we find seasonally at the Farmer's Market, the toppings may change and I have even canned my blueberry sauce and peaches to make sure Pancake Night can live on through the winter time and it can still be full of local ingredients.

My week 10 One Local Summer meal is a repeat of yogurt pancakes (or Pancrack depending on who you ask) topped with peaches, blueberries and maple syrup with a side of organic, ethically farmed bacon. Now, if that's not a balanced meal right there, I don't know what is! Please, try not to lick the computer screen! I know my kids sure licked their plates!!

Local Ingredients:

Flour

Yogurt

Eggs
Butter

Peaches

Blueberries (hand picked by my boys!)

Maple syrup

Bacon

Non-Local Ingredients:

Sugar

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

Sea Salt

What Sustains You?

2008-08-07T19:58:00.006-04:00

There is a lot of hub-bub around the blog-o-sphere these days. Green moms are taking action tackling major global warming and green issues, uniting for a common cause to rescue our planet, protect our children and sustain our environment. APLS all over the country are gearing up to discuss how living affluently and sustainably can go hand in hand to create a greener community. Bloggers are writing congress, growing their own, signing petitions, buying nothing, organizing campaigns, eating locally and raising awareness all over the world. But, at what cost?

With all this marching, blogging, meeting-up, organizing, canning, taking back filters and general super-hero-ness, what is sustaining you? Have you been too busy to get a good night's sleep? What about taking the time to eat an entire meal, from start to finish without answering the phone, cutting someone else's food or rushing out the door for a commitment? Are you feeling over-extended, tired, cranky, headachey or burnt out? Or maybe all of them at once?

Yeah, me too. So, what sustains you? Sometimes we are so busy sustaining our world, sustaining our children or our household we forget we need a little support to sustain ourselves. For me, that's where all of you come in. At the end of the night, I switch on my computer to find bloggers who lend a sympathetic ear, offer advice, recipes and thoughtful comments that sustain me.

And then, that's where the APLS come in. Yes, there is an upcoming APLS carnival post about living sustainably, but this isn't my submission, that will come later. The APLS blog is a place to find someone to lean on, someone to offer a helping hand or someone to sustain you when you need it most. Jump on in to the bushel basket to connect with other APLS, find your regional group to talk to local APLS (If you're a Great Lakes APLS, join me here) and chances are you will find another APLS who will be someone you can count on, someone to guide you or someone to help you along your journey. There is strength in numbers and when we support each other, we sustain ourselves.

Uh-Oh... You're in Trouble!

2008-08-06T00:04:00.002-04:00

You betcha', it happens. My perfect little green-cherubs, the eco 'burban boys, mess up. Oh, wait... we're talking about my boys here, sorry 'bout that! Wrong house, the cherubs live next door. Anywho, my boys, you know the ones - loud, stinky and somewhat embarrassing from time to time - make 'bad choices' on occasion. This time the offender is one of the ones in the middle and he messed it up pretty good this time.

We're pretty interesting parents, we aren't yellers, threateners or spankers and we don't always parent by the rule book. We are more apt to giggle at someones offenses in private and watch them squirm for a few days before we let them know we are on to their game. Yes, this means we are a little deceptive, but I have to tell you it's a lot more fun than yelling, screaming and pitching a big 'ol fit. And, the bonus is that they never reeeeally know if they've gotten away with anything or not, which once your kids hit middle school you gotta keep them thinking you are still way smarter than they think.

Which leads me to greener punishments. Funny concept, I know, but hear me out. Many people talk about reading the 'Last Child in the Woods' or how their children don't get enough fresh air or exercise. For the most part my boys are very, very active but about this time every summer "Sedentary-Disease" starts to settle in. August is a tough month. Tired of all their summer friends, swimming in the lake is passe, the park is 'stoopid' and all the cool kids are on vacation. Sitting on the sofa, air conditioning blasting, TV on in one year, iPod in the other, they sit and grow roots.

Well, then, just wait until you need a punishment, my friend, a good green momma can fix you right up. The soon-to-be-a-middle-schooler decided he would dip his toe into the big pool of 'Let's see if I can trick mom and dad' and let me tell - you he can't swim. So, rather than take away the coveted Nintendo, hand out a grouding or stash the iPod on top of the fridge the eco 'burban dad and I conspired. Can we find a healthier punishment that a) teaches him a lesson while getting him off his butt and b) benefits the eco 'burban parents?

The eco 'burban offender's punishment? Rather than being grounded, staying in the house while the rest get exercise and fresh air, he gets to spend 30 minutes in the morning and 3o minutes in the evening walking Tahoe 'the spotted wonder' for a grand 7 days. It's hot outside, and humid, and lonely when you can't take a brother along or stop at your friend's house or dash to the corner store for a treat or listen to your iPod while you walk. It also gives him a lot of time to think, get some exercise and gets him out of the house. The dog gets double the exercise he would get in day, so he is happy and tired - which mean momma is happy. We all win. And, my boys still think I'm on to their games. Ssssh, don't tell them my tricks!

Got a minute? I know you do....

2008-08-04T20:59:00.009-04:00

Update: See the comments section for a very relevant point from Arduous that while those living outside of California can't actually vote on this piece of legislature in November we can sign the pledge now to raise awareness. So, even if you don't live in the great state of California (hey, I live in Michigan!) please sign your name and pass it on. There is strength in numbers!

Seriously, that's all it will take to sign a pledge from the Humane Society to help pass a proposal in California to stop the factory farming of animals. It's called Proposition 2 and the measure will have a direct impact on 20 million of California's farm animals -- and is expected to lead to a sea change in how farm animals are treated across the nation. And I know there are many west coast girls out there planning blogger meet-ups, processing prickly pears and working on green task forces, so sign it already, all the best things seem to start on the west coast and creep toward the rest of us! You've got the time while you're waiting for your polenta to cool off. So come on already, what are you waiting for?

I know many of us have read Omnivore's Dilemma which pretty much makes you swear off factory farmed anything, including corn, but for the most part the major grocery store chains, big discounters and warehouse clubs apparently didn't read this one and are still buying meat from farms that have downer cows, animal abuse and horrific living conditions. If you have more than a minute take another moment to sign the pledge to Open the Cage Door to end the battery cage living conditions of poultry. Better yet, take the Humane Society's challenge to make more humane food choices for the entire month of October.

So, thanks for taking a minute to read, now please take a minute to go sign. Get involved, it's only a mouse click away! I was serious when I said good things start on the west coast, if this bill passes in California it will set the standard for other states to follow and end the needless suffering of animals. Get on over there and sign already! What are you still doing here?

eco 'burban sister

2008-08-03T20:20:00.005-04:00

Today, I was the eco 'burban sister. My favorite moniker is the eco 'burban mom, as that is what defines my life the closest, but on certain days I am the eco 'burban friend, the eco 'burban business professional or even the 'eco burban daughter, boss, wife, customer and probably my kids favorite, the eco 'burban nag. ;o)

There are many different parts of my life that are green, though some greener than others. I am very comfortable being green at home, around my kids and husband. I am a little less vocal about being green at the office. When with friends or a girls night out I tend to be even quieter. Sometimes, even around my extended family, my greenness is almost at a church-whisper to keep the tree-hugger teasing to a minimum. Though, today, I let my eco-geek-ness sneak out of hiding.

Today was my sister's last day at home, she is moving to Chicago to begin her first year of teaching high school. Her going away gift (along with a room full of living room furniture straight from my basement!) included a jar of blueberry sauce made from berries my family hand picked at a local U-Pick, a jar of homemade raspberry jam for toast on mornings too busy for a real breakfast, a bar of lavender soap handmade right here in her own state and two Baggu reusable tote bags. These gifts were personal thoughts, part of my life today and part of a sustainable life I hope she will choose to lead on her own.

She promised to use the totes, loved the soap and was excited to be taking homemade jam and blueberry sauce to her new home. It was a small gift, but a personal one and each small step I take to share my lifestyle makes me a little more comfortable to take a larger step the next time.

Feed Yourself - One Local Summer

2008-08-02T09:07:00.009-04:00

Last week I completely blanked and forgot to write my One Local Summer post. While I feel bad about that, many of our meals still contained many local ingredients and I'm sure a few made the 100% cut. Why did I forget? I think I was tired. Maybe it was the vacation, the birthday party, the blueberry picking or the oppressive heat. Or it could have been the kids coming and going, my job, the eco 'burban dad's increasing unstable company, the bills, the cleaning or the laundry.

No, that's not it. Then, what could it be? I trace back through my days and wonder where things take a turn for the tiredness. Of course I don't get enough sleep, I go to bed way too late and wake before dawn to get to my office by 6:30 or 7:00 so I can bolt by 3:00 or so to get home to meet the bus or have some time with my kids before the day is over. However, that's nothing new, I have been on that time schedule for a good decade now. When I look back and my day I start to think about my meals.

Breakfast was more than likely a granola bar and coffee at my desk. While not terrible for me, its most likely not enough energy to get me through my morning. Lunch is usually something leftover reheated from dinner the night before. Though, healthy and nutritious white bean chicken chili is reheated, it doesn't quite look very appetizing when I return to my desk after a 45 minute emergency conference call. Chances are I eat a few more bites and move on. That brings us to the what we call the "witching hours" here at the eco 'burban abode.

Those are the hours between 3:30 (when the bus arrives and I hit the front door) and 6:00. Those two and a half hours mean homework, dog walking, lunch packing for the next day, meal preparing, permission slip signing, check writing, laundry, mail, bills, and then running out to pick up a straggler who had to stay after school for cross country, track, band, basketball or a lesson. In the summer I get to cut out lunch packing and homework, but I factor in countless friends running in and out, cranky kids from too much sun and not enough rest and an eco 'burban dad working late. This means that my lack of lunch is really putting a hurting on my ability to remain calm, multi-task and just plain think straight. Chances are I eat a slice of cheese while packing sandwiches and hope it will get me through until dinner.

Which brings me to my One Local Summer meal. I have long known the health benefits of eating a good, balanced breakfast, after all, isn't that what mother always said? It's also what I tell my children while I force them to sit down, eat a healthy and balanced breakfast and make sure their lunch is hearty and fulfilling. Why wouldn't I do the same when I feed myself? Sometimes I spend so much energy and time fulfilling the needs of others, I find myself skimping on taking the time to truly meet the basic need of feeding myself.

Recently our food club got their local, organic steel cut oats back in stock and I bought a two-pound bulk bag for a whopping $3.60. The drawback? A 40-minute prep time. Sigh. I don't have an extra 4 minutes in the morning, let alone 40. Those oats have been in my pantry for a month now and I hadn't touched them. Late Thursday night, a very tired eco 'burban mom got the bright idea to make a triple batch of oats and tuck them into the fridge in a resealable container. Friday morning I woke to ready-to-eat oats from which I scooped a serving, smothered it with my homemade blueberry sauce and a dash of maple syrup. A minute and thirty-seconds in the microwave and I had a pretty healthy, filling and balanced meal.

Of course I paired it with my ever-present cup of locally roasted, fair trade coffee with cream from the dairy. It's not morning without it. And, does it matter that I stood in the kitchen with one eye on the clock and the other on my bowl? A little bit, but it's a start. Besides, I learned my lesson. Eating the oatmeal so quickly meant getting just one little kernel inhaled into the windpipe which left me clearing my throat all morning - right through a meeting with one of our biggest clients. A little embarrassment goes a long way. Maybe Monday I will take an extra 5 minutes and sit down at the table and breathe slowly while eating...

One Chicken - Many Meals

2008-07-31T19:12:00.004-04:00

Let me just start out by saying my family isn't vegetarian. I know a lot of you out there are, but living in a house with 5 men means big meals, big servings and lots of protein. And, I know, I know you can get lots of protein from eggs, beans, legumes and a variety of other foods, but my picky eaters think lentils were sent here from outer space.

We don't eat meat every meal or even every day. We eat a lot of pancakes for dinner, pasta, omelets and sandwiches. We love cereal, oatmeal, salads and could pretty much make a meal out of plain 'ol potatoes. Once in awhile we eat meat. Not regular, out of the Costco cold case meat, but locally raised, ethically farmed and pastured organic meat. And, not to worry, with the prices they charge - and rightly so - that pretty much guarantees our meat consumption stays in check.

So, as part of my challenge to practice discretionary eating, I took on the all-mighty chicken. When I got home from work I chopped a few fresh onions, grabbed a handful of herbs from my porch and some random carrot tops, greens and veggie scraps and threw it all into my stock pot with a whole chicken and some water.

A couple of hours later I have enough chicken to make two chicken and noodle casseroles - one to eat this weekend, one to freeze for a busy workday. I also ended up with 13 cups of homemade stock to use for at least two more big batches of soup. Not bad for one little chicken (OK, so that organic bird was HUGE) and a couple hours of time. One chicken can feed my family for many meals and, around here, that's a big compliment!

The future of America's favorite pasttime

2008-07-29T11:14:00.012-04:00

Update: Many thanks to Lynn at Organic Mania for organizing the Green Moms Carnival where this post on global warming will be featured with all the other great green moms doing their part each and every day to make our world a better place. Thanks Lynn! You can read her awesome carnival post and find more great posts on global warming by clicking on our carnival button: Middle school aged boys won't sit still for long, unless something grabs their attention - and FAST. If it's not riveting, you will find them dividing their attention between the TV, their iPods, playing PSP or surfing the internet, sometimes all at the same time. So, I wondered how it would go when my Dad sat my three oldest boys down to watch Inconvenient Truth.

No action scenes, no swearing, no car crashing, no wicked-cool sound tracks or celebrity icons they would easily recognize. So, when they sat still, I was surprised. They knew who Al Gore was, they even "sorta remembered" when he was almost president. They were saddened by the plight of the polar bears and surprised by the peaks and valleys of the temperatures over history. They were amazed at how large the ice caps look on a map and how huge the chunks of ice are that are dropping into the sea at an alarming rate. But that's not what stuck with them.

A couple of months after the movie, what they most remember is the interactive graphic showing what will happen to our coastline as the ice caps melt. They debate on how Major League Baseball will restructure all of the teams on the coasts. Red Sox, Padres, Giants, Mets, Yankees, Nationals, Angels, Athletics, Devil Rays, Dodgers and maybe even the Braves would all be affected as the water level rises. WHEW - our Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs would be safe. But, that's still a lot of teams that would need to be moved all because of one thing.

Global warming. My boys don't think in terms of Almanacs and temperatures. They don't rationalize pollution from factories they don't work at or carbon emissions from cars they aren't yet allowed to drive. They think about global warming as it would affect them today. Players they idolize, rivalries they enjoy, the home team they love and other teams they proudly wore on their back during the last 8 seasons of Little League play.

Many people tell me they don't want to discuss the gloom and doom of global warming, war, poverty, hunger or economy with their kids. I don't want to scare them, they say, they have enough to worry about already. That's funny, I think, my kids aren't scared. Why, I wonder?

I believe it's because we DO discuss it, we talk about how we live on this planet, how everthing is interconnected, how we are taking the small steps to protect our planet and what will happen if we don't. We then talk about how the world will change as the temperature rises and the ice falls. No more baseball as we see it played today and what that will mean to my boys as they raise their sons and daughters to love the game that means childhood to them. Global warming is a tricky topic, especially for kids, but take time to talk to them about it. They do understand and they can relate - even if it's only about baseball.

How many uses can you find for canning water?

2008-07-28T19:57:00.003-04:00

I finally ventured into canning, but am only dipping my toe in the water with basic water bath canning. Freezing and drying are right up there on my list, so when you add it all up I am storing a lot of food, but wasting a lot of water. While canning some blueberry sauce I was trying to think of all the ways I have been using the remaining water bath, blanching and sterilizing water.

1. Let pot cool on porch, water flower pots and container garden

2. Pour while still boiling-hot on spaces between the sidewalk pavers and driveway to kill weeds - Note to self, wear shoes next time - OUCH

3. Let cool for 5-10 minutes add a little soap and use it to kill stinky smell on Crocs and flip flops of sweaty boys. Also, note - make sure boys aren't wearing them at the time! ;o)

4. Let cool and use with soap to mop floors where stinky Crocs and flip flops hang out by the door
And then I realized... That's only four uses! There has got to be a ton more I am missing out on here. Anyone have any bright ideas?

A Fish Called Mystery

2008-07-27T11:15:00.003-04:00

This is not about mystery meat found in my boy's cafeteria or weird, mystery-content breaded fish sticks. This is actually a story about a fish lucky enough to be named Mystery.

I feel pretty bad for your average goldfish. What other species of animal can be bought for 29-cents at any local petstore or mega-chain and then humiliated in ping pong ball tosses, gutter races and fraternity eating contests? If a dog was getting this treatment, you would find the ASPCA on the doorstop and even if it was a cat, horse or rabbit you might find the offender featured on Animal Cops on the Animal Planet channel.

That's just not so for the unlucky goldfish. At a beach party over the weekend, the day started as a fun event for little kids. Cookie walks, scavenger hunts, swimming, swinging and sliding. And then I saw it. A guy lifts a giant, clear bag out of a cooler, the plastic glinting in the sun full of wiggling goldfish. Oh, no, here comes the ridiculous humiliation of gold fish in a gutter race. Sheesh.

For the most part, I try not to freak out about the small things. I allow my kids the pizza and lemonade once a week for school lunch, the occasional treat from the corner store and candy at the baseball games. However, animal cruelty in any form - that's just not happening, even to a goldfish.

Is this how our species learned to tolerate feedlot farms of cows 100 to a pen standing in their own manure? Or to accept eggs from chickens confined to a pen so small they can't turn around? Was it because we lost touch with the basic concept of respect for another living thing? No, the goldfish won't play fetch or chase a fuzzy toy mouse, but does it deserve to be thrown into icy cold hose water and shoved down a little gutter for our amusement? I look around and no one seems surprised or bothered in the slightest - parent or child - and this upsets me. Someone hands my son a plastic cup with a fish floating listlessly in sediment orange-tinted hose water and tells him "Go Race!"

All of four years old my son looks up at my face. Mom, what is his name? I don't know, I tell him. What do you think it is? His little voice says quietly, his name is a mystery because I don't know where he came from. I say, I don't think he should race, do you? Fish aren't meant for racing, you see, they are little and fragile so let's keep him safe and warm him up, OK? The fish stayed at our table, refreshed with room temperature bottled water and the boy had much more fun watching his new friend than playing any game.

Mystery, the fish, now resides in a castle in a comfortable bowl filled with clean water on our kitchen table. If taking care of a fish for awhile teaches my son to respect all living things, no matter how small, it will be well worth the effort. Mystery, my friend, you sure did get lucky to find us!

Cheating on Compost

2008-07-24T14:39:00.005-04:00

Our township code enforcement is vigilant in monitoring our properties for errant sheds, out buildings, code violations and permit requirements. From time to time, you will find a red sticker shellacked on whatever you might be working on building, tearing out or installing telling you to cease and visit the township to submit plans, bring something up to code or remove the offending item.

I know this, because we have been offenders on more than one occasion. What were the offenses? A flag pole. Seriously, the township thought it was worth it to drive all the way to our house for a flag pole, which we were actually well within our rights to have, which we still have today. Then, a trailer parked in out driveway for a few days. After that our neighbor got cited for leaving his trash and recycling out two days before trash day. Never mind the fact that he was leaving on vacation and wanted to make sure the trash was hauled away so we all wouldn't be subjected to a stinking, bug infested, raccoon trap. I guess leaving the blue bin by the street is worse.

So, I have been hesitant to build a compost heap, bin or pile, fearing the wrath of the black township code enforcement car that roves our neighborhood on a weekly basis covering my bin with a big, red sticker. Wouldn't you? To cheat the system I came up with a marginally better way to deal with garden scraps at the very least.

Our township collects yard waste in brown paper bags from early April through November. Tree trimmings, grass, limbs, weeds, shrub clippings and that sort of thing. Today, I keep a brown paper sack right outside the front porch, tucked behind shrubbery - as not to offend the neighbors, you see. After a trip to the farmer's market or during meal prep I make a pile of unusable carrot tops, onion tops, stems, seeds, peels and trimmings. I simply carry the pile to the sack, dump it in and fold it over. Once or twice a week I set out the brown sack by the curb to be composted in the township compost and they're none the wiser, it looks like yard waste to me and to them! Of course, I am not getting the benefit of the end result of the lovely composted soil, that right belongs to the township. However, I feel somewhat better that the easily composted produce waste isn't tossed into the trash.

It's a little like cheating, but it's getting the job done. In a round-about sort of way. Besides, I sort of like tricking the township into taking my kitchen scraps!

No worries, be happy

2008-07-23T20:24:00.005-04:00

When we decided to take a vacation, I thought it was the perfect time to leave the computer behind and completely disconnect. Eek?!? No laptop? No internet access? I can handle it! I also decided to take a mental break from "green".

No, I didn't act like a pig a leave every light in the hotel on and smother myself in Cheez Whiz! Come on, don't you know me by now? I thought it would be wise to take a break from freaking out if there wasn't a recycling bin nearby and keeping myself from panicking reading the restaurant menus chock full of CAFO meats. Some times all the agonizing and debating and worry about foods, landfills, energy and global warming can hang a little heavy over my head and those of my boys. Vacations, by definition, are a way to recharge your batteries, spend time with the ones you love and take a break from your worries.

Yes, we turned off the tap when brushing our teeth, reused our towels, turned off the lights, kept the same sheets for the entire stay, drank out of reusable bottles whenever possible and walked to dinner and the driving range. We even brought home a few magazines and papers for the recycling bin, but for the most part I had to let go. While it was hard, I relaxed and enjoyed watching my boys spend the entire day outdoors playing golf, tennis, basketball and swimming. They hiked trails and admired the forest view from our balcony and the night sky with stars so bright without a backdrop of city lights.

That is an important part of being green in my eyes. Teaching your children to appreciate the great outdoors, the sunshine, the rain, the forest and all the bugs and critters hanging out in there. This way, when we are home and they ask why we turn the heat down, why the air conditioning is off, why we don't eat fast food or fruit roll ups I can ask them to remember our trip. Don't they want to enjoy these things for years to come? Will they one day want to take their boys to the woods, the golf course, the hiking trails? Take care of mother nature, be kind to our planet and it will be there for you when you when it's your turn to teach your children how to hit a golf ball, dive from a diving board or perfect a lay-up on the basketball court. I took a brief intermission from the worry, and I was happy. Tomorrow is another day!

It's a Hole in One!

2008-07-21T00:24:00.001-04:00

Vacation time! It's becoming a summer tradition, our golf mini-vacation up north. Actually, I must confess, golf is the one remaining sport in which I can soundly beat my boys on a regular basis. Oh, but wait! Before you think I am a mean, competitive mom, read on. ( And for those of you wondering, no, I am not the kind of mom that always let her kids win at Candyland. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose - 'dems the breaks boys, learn to live with it!)

If you are the mother boys you see yourself changing throughout the years. You start out as a real hero, pitching the baseballs, teaching free-throw shots, kicking soccer balls and playing goalie in the hockey nets. Then they get bigger and want to play against you. Sometimes they win, sometimes you win. The comes the day when they are bigger, faster and stronger and all you can do is keep score and cheer from the sidelines.

And, this is where golf comes in. See, you need a little finesse, patience and focus - not typically skills of young pre-teen boys. I always liked golf for the calm, quiet chance to be outdoors, play a leisurely game and maybe snag a cold drink from the drink cart as it rolls by. The older my boys got, I realized it would be a sport we could all play together well into old age. So, regardless of how busy we are, every now and then we play golf. And, I beat them. For a moment, it's like when they were little, amazed I could cut with scissors, drive a car, make play-doh animals and read the really, really big words. For just a second they see me as someone they aspire to become - or at least someone they want to beat. Secretly, I love it. It reminds me that before kids and husbands and careers, I was an athlete.

As part of this green journey, I think it's important to remember who we are, who we were before that and what made us happy and unique. While golf, with it's grass, chemicals and excessive watering, may not be the greenest choice for a vacation, it gets us together as a family and enjoying the outdoors. Is it perfect? No. But is it good enough? I suppose. We didn't travel by plane, we didn't even drive terribly far. We are supporting a local family and business and spending quality time together doing something we all enjoy. Don't worry, we brought along our SIGGs, our organic cookies and pretzels. No matter how far we get from home, we always seem to take a little along with us.

So, while you read this, I am golfing. Probably sweating, I have a cold drink in the cup holder of my golf cart and my kids are trying to figure out how their mother, now lighter and smaller than they are, can whack the heck out of a golf ball on a course played by professionals. Hole in one!

Check in for Chile

2008-07-20T00:48:00.000-04:00

I am actually on vacation, but who could forget that crabby pepper, she's a stickler for following through on the challenges! Good thing, too. Keeps me from slacking!

Air conditioning - two days worth. Darn. And I was doing so well too, but we had that oppressive humidity and I just can't take that. We're doing well only running it in the late afternoons through bedtime when we switch to fans.

Line drying - I made it through camp laundry and rack drying lots of towels, shorts etc. Then I moved into bedding territory. Some complained about the clothes, through no one noticed the bedding. Interesting. Maybe they are too tired to care at bedtime? Everyone except for the dog, that is, he loved his clean towels in his crate. The crunch makes them even better for chewing! :o)

So, there you have it! I hope for next week to be better, the weather is supposed to break and I will have loads and loads of vacation laundry to rack dry!

One Local Summer - Week #7

2008-07-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

Again, I am taking the easy way out this week. I truly love simple meals, they make me feel good, my family loves to eat them and it takes little time for me to prepare them. Talk about a win-win situation! This week I made a homemade pasta sauce from farmer's market tomatoes, onions and garlic. I added a little of my own container herbs - all sauted in some olive oil. That was just the topping for the real star of the show - potato gnocchi - made by hand from a local source. All of which I topped with shredded Edam cheese. Delicious! (And yes, that's a LOT of cheese, I know. I love cheese!)

Political Observations of Boys

2008-07-18T18:59:00.006-04:00

It's funny, sometimes when you are very, very quiet your kids just forget you're there. That's when you hear the funniest (and sometimes juiciest) things. Today, while driving in my loaner mini-van I overheard my boys having a conversation of which I can only imagine will be exactly how they will sound as old men, sitting on their patio.

Why is the price of gas so high? Look it's $4.29 right over there.

I dunno, I think it's cause of President Bush. Haven't you noticed that gas has gotten higher since he was president?

Yeah, it's cause he owns oil, you know, in Texas on his ranch. He's getting rich right now.

He LOVES oil. Like, tons. That's why we are in that war. And all those guys died. Hey, what woulda happened if Bush died?

Stupid, he would get to pick a vice president to take over.

No, you're stupid. How could he pick a new president if he was DEAD? He already picked one before he was president. That guy would take over. Who is the vice president anyway?

See, I told you that you were stupid. The vice president is Dick Cheney, you know that guy who shot the other guy in the head.

How could he be so dumb to shoot another guy? Seriously. He musta shot him with like a bb gun or something. Otherwise he would SO be in trouble.

No, it was a real gun and the guy he shot bled and everything. He was in the hospital for pretty much years.

Do you think maybe gas will get cheaper once we get Obama or McCain for president? Which one is which anyway?

Duh, they totally look different. How can you not tell? Obama is Hawaiian. McCain is the really old dude.

Well, gas better go down. When we start to drive it's totally going to suck. How are we going to afford gas?

Hey, Mom! What do you think Hillary is doing right now?

I enjoy these conversations, I listen, but I try not to participate. Sometimes you learn so much more by being quiet. What I find most fascinating is they really are absorbing the world around them. Just when I think they're not paying attention... They are actually listening.

There's your inside glimpse of the next generation of environment-changing political activists, dude. They're like, wicked cool.

Van For Sale

2008-07-17T22:56:00.005-04:00

When I decided to drive a mini-van instead of the prerequisite suburban SUV, I thought I was making a smart, fuel efficient change for the environment. Oh, I get better gas mileage all right, but for the last year I have been fighting with the van at the service department.

The "Big Three" here in Detroit have been struggling lately, posting stocks at record lows, lagging sales and plant closings. Now I know why. My van, brand new 14 months ago, has been back to the dealership three times for a major transmission problem - all in less than 11,000 miles. The first visit, only a month after purchase, the transmission was completely rebuilt. The second, changing out some modules and parts. This week, the third visit came up with a diagnosis of a completely new transmission that must be installed ASAP.

Luckily, this is at no cost to me, except for the aggravation, countless trips back and forth from the dealership swapping out car seats, back packs and toys. So, wait, I take that back. It cost me a LOT. But, what cost do auto repairs have on the environment? Where is my old transmission going to go? Scrap yard, landfill, recycling center? I'd like to know and I plan to ask.

We all assume the major impact automobiles have on the environment is carbon emission and fossil fuel consumption. What about parts, oil, motors, grease, axles, rims, tires, windshields, fluids, anti-freeze, plastics and electronics? When I bought my van, all I really saw was the gas mileage, seating for my entire family and some pretty groovy DVD screens. What about all the other "stuff". Where did it come from, are the materials recycled or brand spankin' new? What about at the end of the van's life, does the company have a take-back or recycling program?

I have another year left with this van - we lease here in the Motor City - it's incredibly cheap and helps to keep new cars on the road, so they say. So, next year I plan to ask a few more questions other than gas mileage and DVD players. Maybe I will buy instead of lease. Maybe - close your eyes eco 'burban dad - I might buy a Honda.

Never say never

2008-07-16T21:11:00.005-04:00

I was always vehement. I will NEVER can, I just can't. It's too much work, it's too hot and I just don't have any patience for it. Well, as you've noticed - I am getting a little geeked about all the changes happening these days.

On my search for a dehydrator, I found myself in an Ace Hardware store (thanks, Chile!) wandering up and down aisles loaded with canners, blanchers, food savers and food processors. Happily not a single cotton candy maker in sight. They happened to be sold out of dehydrators, but offered to have one sent from their warehouse to their store, free of charge. Yippee, I will be the proud owner of a dehydrator late next week. Problem solved!

However, while perusing the aisles I saw a canner and stacks of jars and accessories. I looked at the canner, "not for glass top stoves" it says. See, it wasn't meant to be, I think. I pass it again and think, that pot really isn't much larger than my largest soup pot, which is suitable for my stove. Nah, I didn't want to can anyway. Well, look at that, those cute little jars all packaged and ready to go would be just great for jam. Uh-uh, I don't even have anything to can. Oh, but I did see buckets of the cutest cucumbers at the Farmer's Market and it is just right across the street from where I am now. And, I have always wanted to learn to make jam.

So, never say never. Here is the first look at my first experience with canning. Eight 16 oz. jars of bread and butter pickles. Every single can sealed. Though, I missed the pinging, darn it. I was vacuuming and by the time I was done, every single jar was sealed. Rats. For some reason, that would have really made my day. So, what's next on my list? Jam, of course. Maybe some peach halves. Oh, yes and some homemade pasta sauce. And more pickles, I still have enough cukes for at least 6 more jars. Can you believe it? I am a canner. Sheesh, don't tell my mother, she'll just say, "I told you so."

Staring at Change in the Mirror

2008-07-16T00:15:00.000-04:00

I step into my shower, kicking aside rubber snakes, monster trucks, various boats and a plastic shark. I share my bathroom with boys, the youngest of which still loves baths with lots of toys. It's early, my day starts before the sun peeks through the clouds and I am tired.

As I look around I don't notice the tile and grout that no longer gleams bright white. Oh, it's clean alright, but just not bright white anymore. A long time ago I gave up the harsh cleansers that stripped the grout and tile of the well water stains and marks. The new, plant based cleansers get things squeaky clean, without choking my lungs and stinging my eyes while I clean. The trade off? Grout that tells the tale of living lakeside with well water. Funny thing is that a year ago I would be grouchy and annoyed thinking through my shower how I needed more of the chemicals from Target that would get rid of the grunge and give my shower the bright white seal of approval.

Today? I don't see it. I know my shower is clean and that's good enough for me. My mother may not agree and offer to clean my shower the next time she drops by, but she will abandon that idea after searching underneath sinks and in closets for certain brand name cleansers that don't reside there any longer. I'm sure there is a natural concoction that could cure this ill, maybe lemon or baking soda, but if it's clean?!?! I made my peace with the shower.

Now, my shower is peaceful and I contemplate writing this post. And, I am also excited to try something new. A shampoo bar that might just be good enough to get me to ditch plastic bottled Aveda shampoo. There? That's the second thing I notice this morning. I am excited about change! A year ago? Afraid, dreading the day when the last paper towel ran out or the last bottled tea was gone from the fridge, I was afraid of change.

I have made so many changes in my daily routine, the unknown has become exciting and sometimes challenging. Trying new foods, meeting new people and finding new alternatives I never considered before are an ever growing part of each day. Some changes have been challenging and akin to breaking bad habits. Others have been surprisingly easy, almost offering me freedom from a life tethered to retail stores and my minivan.

What challenges or changes were the easiest for you to make? What were the hardest? Do you even recognize a change when you see it in the foggy early morning mirror anymore? Change comes in many forms. A lavender and geranium shampoo bar. A reusable nylon shopping tote. Milk in glass bottles. Six refillable SIGGs lined up on a kitchen counter. They no longer look like change to me, they just look like my life.

Confessions of a Suburban Mom

2008-07-14T22:37:00.006-04:00

We're getting ready for a double birthday party this weekend followed by a well deserved vacation. Planning a party for two boys is a green challenge in itself, but add to that leaving the very next morning for a 4 day trip and you have insanity. So, I must confess. It ain't as green as it could, or should be.

I passed on the juice boxes, soda and gatorades for the party, my homemade lemonade will be a stand in replacement. Beer? Well that comes in glass and that will just have to do. The eco 'burban dad just won't have a party without the beer. And, another confession? Mom will happily make lemonade and vodka spritzers for the girls. I have a lot of kids, come to my party and you will gladly accept alcohol within 15 minutes of walking through the door. The serveware? Paper cups, paper plates. Not as bad as plastic, but I just can't allow mobs of middle school aged kids to run around with my good glasses. You'll see why in a moment.

The food? Pretty simple but not local. Organic hot dogs, buns and condiments. Not so organic grated cheese. Sorry, my kids and their friends love cheese and grating $10 wedges of organic cheese would set me back about $40 and it totally would not be appreciated. Most of it will end up on the patio, only to be snuffled up by the dogs. So, the big bag of grated from Costco will happily take it's place. Organic corn chips, natural cheese straws (a birthday MUST from one of the boys), organic popcorn with my local butter and a big, fat cake from Costco round out the menu.

Hey - I know, I know. Where have my standards gone? When you need to feed middle school boys and all their friends, check back with me please. They will eat cake, have cake fights, make disgusting colors out of mixed icing that will be squished under their fingernails and possibly out of their noses. I am SO not making homemade and organic for that bunch.

The entertainment? We live on a lake, so all parties here require a bathing suit and towel. In years past we have - everyone GASP - rented a bounce house of sorts. This year, we are passing on indulgences. The eco 'burban dad has gotten creative and rescued a giant roll of visquene from a job site which will become the world's longest slip and slide down our gi-normous hill - dumping kids right into the lake. Add a little dish soap and a sprinkler and it will be crazy middle school boy fun for free. (OK, so anyone want to argue my choice on PAPER cups here?? Didn't think so.)

OK, OK, water WASTE I know. I have made my peace with it, again, it's a small price to pay to keep middle school boys occupied, out of my house and hopefully will keep them from throwing mud, rocks, jumping off docks, chasing boaters and all sorts of shenanigans. How do I know they will do this? Let's just say it's happened before. More than once. I have pictures to prove it.

So, why the confessional? Well, I like to be honest and while a lot of what I do might be green, some stuff just isn't. I appreciated Arduous's post on her trip to Vegas, because she freely admitted that it wasn't perfect, but memories were made, fun was had and she doesn't regret a moment. Being green is great. Being sustainable is super. Being frugal is fantastic, but where is it going to get me if I am missing out on great fun and great memories with my kids? So, I am hoping for a little of the same with our party and our vacation and I'm not sweating the small stuff. That is, unless it rains. Then what will I do?

In Search of Food Preservation

2008-07-14T00:15:00.000-04:00

For all my whining about the lack of fresh produce and local food, I am paying the price now. It's not sprinkling beans, tomatoes and potatoes, we've got a right good downpour going on right now. Which leads me to yet another dilemma - how to preserve and store all of this food. I have been freezing as much as I can, but like Heather, my little chest freezer is filling up quickly.

I decided, based on a comment from Green Bean during my berry crisis, to scout out a dehydrator. I looked high and I looked low. I visited three different thrift stores in my local area, no dice. I responded to two ads on Craigslist - neither of which had the courtesy to either reply back or just take the dumb ad down off the site. I was reading Causabon's Book and Sharon had a great review of dehydrators, just my luck! She had a great recommendation for a solar one which isn't quite in my time or money budget at the moment. And, I really liked her idea of an Excaliber, but again, not in my price range.
Then I decided to cave and visit a big box retailer - Target. I needed to pick up an prescription, so I thought if I can find a decent one in my price range, I image it will be worth it's weight in gold. Imagining all of the delicious dried fruits and veggies I would make and preserve with my new purchase, I set out for Target with high hopes.

Those hopes were dashed, rather quickly I must say. Up and down the aisles I went looking for the display of food preservation items. I saw them online, so they must be here I think to myself. I pass a cotton candy maker. I pass a sno cone machine. I pass a crepe maker. I pass an egg and toaster oven?!?!? Not sure what that was. Sandwich squisher, smoothie maker, bread maker. What in the hell is going on here? I just want a dehydrator and don't tell me that if you have room on the shelves for a freakin' cotton candy maker, there isn't room for food preservation items.

Not a single dehydrator in the store. Not a single canner. I did find a Food Saver, which would be great if I had space left in my freezer. And, of course, if it wasn't $100. So, we ended up eating ALL of the strawberries with the exception of a couple squished, moldy ones. Which wasn't all bad, we had strawberry shakes, pancakes and heaps of fresh cut ones for breakfast.

Now that strawberry season has passed - for the second time - I don't have an immediate, pressing need for a dehydrator. I am still on the hunt for a good, cheap one before cherry season unless I can find a neighbor as nice as Green Bean and I can borrow one. That is, if my neighbor might actually have purchased one instead of a sno cone machine.

Which makes me wonder... What will our country do if we are faced with a true food crisis? Will families all over town be breaking out the cotton candy maker to feed their families or opening bags of dried cherries and popping open jars of beans? Or will they be consulting Chile to find out where the closest food bank or soup kitchen might be? It worries me, really, where our priorities about food are in this country - sno cones or dehydrated strawberries anyone?

Chile's series of posts on hunger not only made me reflect on how lucky I am to be able to choose healthy and nutritious foods on a regular basis for my family, but also how that all could change with simple crisis or stock market crash. Am I prepared? Not well enough I'm afraid. Now, who wants to lend me their dehydrator?

Checking in for Chile and tales from a laundry room

2008-07-13T12:22:00.003-04:00

It's check in day for Chile's Challenge already, it really doesn't seem like a week has gone by already, does it? And, here I am at the end of another week with mixed results to report.

Air conditioning use? Only 1 day for a few hours to take the humidity out of the house, you just can't breathe when it's 88 degrees and humid. The lower part of the entire state of Michigan feels a lot like we went to bed one night and woke up in the Everglades. Humid, rainy and weeds growing everywhere. I consider this week a success on this front, having a dehumidifier running constantly makes a big difference, but it can only do so much!

Rack drying my laundry? 65/35. And, here I am again, whining about the humidity! I had so much camp laundry to get caught up on, that my rack couldn't keep up and the rain and humidity kept me from drying outside. But, here's how I got crafty.

It's just about breaking another habit and routine. I realized (duh!) I can throw a few things into the dryer and NOT turn it on while it waits for the next load. So, I sorted through the laundry, chose the really heavy items that take forever to dry and hung them on a rack. Then I tossed the socks, boxers, light t-shirts etc. into the dryer, cracked the door a bit, to keep it from getting all yucky in there and patiently waited for the next load. I repeated this process a second and third time and then started the dryer which only needed to run for about 40 minutes. Imagine only 40 minutes to dry three loads worth? I had six loads, so I ran the dryer twice so I ended up with 80 minutes of drying time for 6 loads. In the old days? That would have been 240 minutes. I still figure I am coming out ahead - hence the 65/35.

My boys all have clean socks and underwear today (which they desperately needed!) and I have a couple of racks of towels, heavy clothing and rags that are now drying outdoors in the breezy sunshine that managed to creep its way into the weather forecast today.

Now, I am going outdoors to enjoy some 82 degree, humidity-free sunshine! See ya!

One Local Summer - Week #6

2008-07-11T15:03:00.006-04:00

It's been pretty darn hot outside, but I figure if Heather can make soup every week in the Texas heat, well then, what am I complaining about in Michigan for heaven's sake? I picked a cooler day since I am not running the air for Chile's Challenge and didn't want all that heat trapped inside. My only mistake was actually making Chili. The spices (I like it hot) made me feel a little toasty, but boy was it tasty!

Without further ado, here is my white bean chicken chili with yellow summer squash and smoked Gouda. If you notice, I forgot - again - to take a picture of our actual meal, so you are getting a shot of the remainder of the pot that I froze in containers for a later date. Perfect lunch sized portions to take to the office!

Chicken - Crestwick Farms
Stock - Homemade
Squash, onion, garlic - Farmer's Market
White Navy Beans - Hampshire Farms
Gouda - Grassfields Organics
Flour - Westwind Mill
Cream - Calder's Dairy
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Chile Powder - Not Local

The Wonders of Summer Camp

2008-07-10T21:52:00.003-04:00

The oldest three eco 'burban boys spent the week at a camp not far from here. Swimming, pedal boat racing, mini-golfing, baseball playing and canteen dancing until the wee hours. Sounds like fun, right? For them, anyway. Now, I am left with one giant black contractor-sized garbage bag of yep - you guessed it - LAUNDRY. Smelly, dirty, covered in popsicle, syrup and chocolate - shirts, shorts, socks and rather rancid undy-grundies and a few pretty putrid bathing suits. My oldest boys are middle school aged, stinky and dirty, dirty boys. That bag of laundry? Very much, ummmm, ORGANIC!! :o)So, what's a green eco 'burban mom to do? Dump the whole thing out, sort by color, wash it all on cold and hang it out on a laundry rack, that's what. As part of Chile's challenge, I have pledged to start to end my dryer dependence. I've been washing in cold, using eco-friendly detergents for years, but I have been dipping my toe in the water with the rack drying. A few bathroom rugs here, car mats there, boat towels draped over the back of patio furniture over here. Tomorrow? Oh, we're going cold turkey sista! Nothing but the best rack dried, crunchy and wind cured shorts, t-shirts and undies for my boys. We'll see what they have to say... If they even notice!

Oh, and if you're wondering what I did with that big, black plastic bag? The eco 'burban dad grabbed that one up, saying - Hey! I can use this in the garage!

Doncha' just love it when everyone is on board with being green??

Simple Shopping by the Numbers

2008-07-10T00:54:00.000-04:00

What $19.50 buys you at the local Wednesday Farmer's Market:
Green beans, tomatoes, shell peas, carrots, green onions, red and yellow potatoes - all picked fresh! Now, will someone please tell me what to do with all those carrot tops?!?

What $17.00 buys you at the local thrift store located across the street from the market:

8 items, 3 brand new with tags, almost all brand name. What a great way to get in a little early back to school shopping without driving anywhere.

Total shopping cost? $36.50 Crazy, isn't it?? The same shopping trip for the same items at a major retail venue? Probably more than $150 - if you catch some sales. Even if you aren't shopping this way to be green for the environment, how could you argue with saving this much green in your wallet?

2008-07-09T06:00:00.001-04:00

Strawberry season is over here in the lower parts of Michigan. Not so for the northern regions where my parents spend most of their summer on Lake Michigan. They are typically about 10 degrees colder and breezier due to lake winds and wacky weather.

If you recall, I managed to deal with 12 quarts of strawberries picked by my boys a couple weeks back, we ate the remainders from my freezing marathon and then thought our strawberry days were over. Not so, my boys, not so. My father just brought us about 4 quarts of the reddest, freshest, just-picked-today berries I think I have ever seen.

Sure, we have eaten strawberry sundaes, shortcake, shakes, syrup, whole, cut and preserved, but we are gearing up to do it all again. While everyone else here is long past enjoying fresh berries, or dining on Chilean substitutes, we are once again elbow deep in red berry goodness. We know that in a few months, the taste of fresh berries will be long gone from our palettes and we will wish for the day the U-pick opens or Grandpa rolls up with a carton of berries, picked just that morning and loving carted from 4 hours north. You must appreciate the fresh, organic and local produce when it's in season, no matter how long it lasts. The season seems so short during the cold, dark days of December!

Drool on, my fellow bloggers. I still have berries, berries and more berries. Alas, I still don't know how to make quick berry, quack berry jam, but I will muster through. Somehow. Strawberry shakes it is then, delicious strawberry shakes all around!

An Apple A Day

2008-07-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

My husband and I were grocery shopping together over the weekend which is an odd sight. With so many boys and so many commitments, I usually handle food, clothing and supply purchases for the household while he is in charge of other chores. He needed to make a stop at a store near the Trader Joes, so to combine trips and save gas we jumped in the minivan together with the littlest eco'burban boy.

While I had my back turned in the cheese section my husband was perusing the apples and produce. He mentioned he wanted apples. I matter-of-factly said that apples weren't in season, but the early ones would be in here in Michigan in a month or so. He smiles and gamely holds up a bag of apples and says, "These look good". When we talked later he said I physically cringed while looking at the apples. "But, they're from Santiago, Chile! And not even organic, they are dirty, dirty apples! How about a different kind of produce?"

And, here's the rub. My husband is trying to eat healthier, get back on his diet and lose some of the weight that has crept back on. So, who am I to deny him the apples? He really does eat a lot of apples and they are a much better choice than organic potato chips, homemade cookies or local beer. If apples are in the fridge, he will happily munch down two or three throughout the day when he's hungry and that replaces the handfuls of chips or other foods that might not be the best choice.

The moral of the story? I bought the apples. Is an apple from Chile the best choice? No. Is it a better choice than junk food? Yes. Will I spend this fall loading up on the best types of local, organic apples that will keep well through the winter? You betcha! If he hadn't been with me at at the store that day, I wouldn't have bought the apples. Would that have caused him to eat more organic blue corn chips? Maybe. Will I still run out of apples by July? Probably.

So, from time to time a bag of apples from Chile might not be so bad after all? Are the limitations on food and the changes that I have made over the last year a little too stringent? I don't know the answer here or the correct balance between healthy food choices and responsible food choices. I know I am personally willing to forgo the apples until August and eat strawberries today and cherries tomorrow. Though neither of which are as quick to grab and easy to eat as an apple. These might not be the most responsible of food choices for my husband, when an apple might be a smarter direction.

I always say shopping with my husband (or kids!) causes my cart to fill up faster, costs me more money and I end up buying things I hadn't planned. Maybe I should do it more often?

Scenes from a 6-mile Bike Ride

2008-07-06T22:04:00.003-04:00

The eco 'burban dad suggested a bike ride on Sunday morning. A bike ride to procure breakfast, a good 3 miles away. For any of you who have lots of children (particularly boys!) you will understand how much HARDER it was to ride to breakfast than it was to ride home from breakfast. Boys do anything better once food is in their stomachs!

We looked like parents of gangster-ducks. There was daddy pulling a trailer hauling the 4 year old. Following daddy was mom bouncing along on a bike (with a rather uncomfortable seat!) that hasn't been ridden in at least 7 years. Following that were three middle school age boys with fierce helmets in shiny chrome, wicked black and oh-so-cool gray that were designed for the skate park and snow board slopes because "they're cool like that". They don't wear regular "dorky" bike helmets you see. Which also means the littlest eco 'burban boy in the trailer? Yes, he was sporting a skater helmet in shiny red with a skull sticker, just to be like the big boys. Their bikes (with trick "pegs" of course) are beat up, muddy and well worn. We are not your average suburban family out for a Sunday ride to experience nature, the fresh air and open trails. We are a family of rough and tumble boys, wearing last year's faded baseball jerseys and camouflage shorts out to ride for breakfast!

We found a rails to trails project in our area that has turned an out-dated railroad into a trail system that connects a watershed and a river throughout our lake system. It's a great 6 mile trail, but we have to navigate a lot of subdivisions, traffic lights and busy roads just to get to the trail head - at least a mile and a half. When we do reach the trail head, the riding is easy, shady and peaceful. I hang back, happy to let the boys pass me and ride ahead, stopping at each trail marker so we all can catch up. There are gorgeous blue heron along the way, signs for deer crossing and water habitat scenic areas with benches and informational signs. The trail runs for 6 miles, but since we traveled a good distance just to reach the trail, we stop at the first town along the route to eat breakfast. Then we turned back, heading for home, proud our first family bike outing was a 6-mile trek - no car necessary.

Tonight, as I write this, my arms and backside are aching and sore. I am sure it will only be worse in the morning. But, as I go to sleep tonight I will hear sounds from a 6-mile ride we took as a family to eat a Sunday breakfast.

"Mom! That was a HUGE pothole! Did ya see it? I jumped it!"

"Dad is faster than you mom, his legs are bigger!" (Ummm, that's OK by me!)

"It fees so much better when we are in the shade."

"That hill we coasted down is going to really suck when we have to ride back up on the way home!"

"I like this trail, mom, it's so much better than the road! There's cool stuff out here!"

"What can we order for breakfast? I could eat like eggs and pancakes and bacon and some strawberries and maybe milk. Yeah, I'm thirsty too."

"Are we going to do this again sometime?"

"Hey, Mom? I didn't know you could ride a bike?!?!"

Check in for Chile

2008-07-06T05:57:00.001-04:00

Drumroll, please! It's time to check in for Chile's peak oil addiction challenge.

I am happy to report ZERO air conditioning usage for the week. I must confess, the weather was mild for a few days, so it was easy to bring down the temperatures in the house with some open windows in the evening and closed windows and blinds during the daytime. This weekend got a little sunny and warm, but we solved that by being out on the lake. A little tree swinging over the 75 degree water cools boys right off!

I am also equally giddy to report outdoor drying of a couple of loads of laundry. Even without a drying rack (mine seems to have gone missing... I am betting a few boys borrowed it for some kind of fort or project) I was able to use some patio furniture to dry the doggie bed cover (it met with a little pee-pee accident as the result of ridiculous fireworks. I used some chairs and the boat tube to dry all the boating towels.

Next week I am challenging myself to locate the drying rack and to line dry all the bath towels, sheets and kitchen towels. Baby steps, baby steps people. I am a slow moving suburbanite. Thanks Chile, I appreciate the challenge!

The Unexpected Local Meal

2008-07-05T17:31:00.005-04:00

I sat down to think about our dinner tonight and to check ingredients off my list to ensure they were local. Then, I realized something. We had an unexpected all local lunch today and I didn't even plan it. We were in a hurry, I grabbed ingredients from the fridge to quickly throw together something that would make everyone happy and it was gone in a flash.

Eating local has become so commonplace and easy, it's now just a part of the routine. Our dinner tonight is going to be a bit more fancy and quite exotic, but I am a little more proud of our lunch. We ate it already of course, so the meal is gone and I can't photograph it. In place of our lunch photo, I am posting a picture of what remains of the Farmer's Market potatoes which will be part of our meal tonight.
Our lunch today - Potato, egg and green onion bake topped with Gouda cheese with a side of cinnamon chip french toast with maple syrup and butter.

Potatoes - Farmer's Market
Green Onion - Farmer's Market
Butter - Calders Dairy
Eggs - East River Organics
Raw Gouda - Grassfields Organics

Cinnamon Chip Bread - Great Harvest Bread (at Farmer's Market)
Eggs - East River Organics
Cream - Calder's Dairy
Butter - Calder's Dairy
Maple Syrup - Currey Farms

p.s. - Have you noticed we eat a lot of breakfast foods? So have I...

Having a Fabulous 4th!

2008-07-04T08:48:00.004-04:00

Today is the 4th of July, everyone is still sleeping and the house is quiet. It's a holiday and, for once, I am amazingly calm. I haven't been running around buying all sorts of extravagent treats, red, white and blue cupcakes, packages of hot dogs, cans of soda or paper decorations. I am not stressed over schedules, parties, games and special menus. Shhh... it's a secret, but even I slept in today!

Why? Well, I'm relaxed. We are having a lighter celebration today. I found a lovely "red, white & blue" bread from our local bakery. The red is cherries, the blue is blueberries and the white is the bread. That will make a lovely french toast or snack. We have a freezer well stocked with hot dogs, bacon, steak and hamburger - all local and organic - for grilling whenever we choose. I have eight homemade popsicles all ready to be popped from their molds at a moments notice. Yesterday, I made cookies and enjoyed it because it was really the only chore I had to do. I have potatoes and veggies galore from the Farmer's Market for salads and crunchy snacks. The lemonade is ready, the SIGGs are full, the sun is shining.

What am I waiting for? Today there are no rules. No set time for eating, no set time for relaxing, no schedule, no rigid menu or recipes to fuss over, no watch-glancing. There will be book reading, boat riding and all-around fun without worry. So, get out there, have a happy fourth of July, relax in the sun and recharge your batteries! We all need to do more of that and today's the day!

See you in a day or two with my One Local Summer meal and scenes from 4th of July with 4 boys! Happy 4th everyone!

Expansion of the Farmer's Market

2008-07-03T03:28:00.000-04:00

Lately I have noticed a change in the small Farmer's Market I visit on Wednesdays. It's growing. Is this due to the demand for locally grown and produced goods? Or is there another, more pressing reason for this change?

More and more Michiganians are looking for work. State officials with the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives noted that our unemployment rate jumped to 8.5 percent in May, hitting its highest monthly mark since October 1992. It's also the highest in the entire nation. The state's overall civilian labor force - those working or looking for jobs - included more than 5 million people last month and that number is expected to grow. The Big Three (commonly how we refer to the three automakers in Detroit) are closing plants, posting record lay offs and offering buy-outs and early retirement packages. There are a lot of us out of work and not a lot of jobs to be found. While the rest of the country is just beginning to feel the pinch of a recession, our state has been crippled for months.

Does this mean out of work former automotive executives might decided to have a lemonade stand at the Farmer's Market? Maybe. Today, for the first time there was a husband and wife team making and selling fresh lemonade and limeade at the market. I love fresh squeezed limeade, so I wandered over. I ended up buying three glasses (Two of the eco 'burban boys were tagging along) at $3 a piece. At first, I balked. Three dollars?? Doesn't that seem like a lot? But, what was wrong with my logic? A mere six months ago, before becoming a lighter consumer, I would have happily plunked down $4.29 for a Starbucks Mocha made by a crabby 17-year old "barrista". I am going to hedge a bet that the barrista wasn't worried about making her mortgage payment either.

$9 later, we were walking back to the van with three icy-cold lemon and limeades made with pure cane syrup and by a real person we chatted with for several minutes. Doesn't that taste good? My kids raved and slurped.

Since last year, when our market was mostly farmers, bakers and nursery folks, we have seen the addition of a horseradish guy, tortilla chip woman, herbal tea lady, bees wax cosmetic person and jam ladies. Today, the newest addition was the lemonade couple. Of course, I don't ask why they are there, but as you wander the market you see it. For every $5 that changes hands you hear, "Thank you. Thank you so much, I appreciate your business." You see all the vendors watching, hoping and waiting for a record day at the market.

Are these people former GM executives? Factory line workers from Ford? Office assistants from Chrysler? Maybe, maybe not. They would never tell and you would never ask. We have a sense of pride here in Detroit, always keeping a stiff upper lip through riots, gas crisis, corrupt mayors and economic free fall. We do what we can to survive, pay our mortgages and put shoes on our kids.

So, who am I not to buy that $3 lemonade from someone who appreciates my business, chats with my boys and thanks us kindly? Of course I am buying, and, as our money changes hands I say, "Thank you, this looks delicious. I hope to see you next week!" We take care of our own here in Detroit, one lemonade at a time.

A pretty face just in time for the 4th of July

2008-07-02T06:12:00.000-04:00

I changed my facial care routine awhile back, because the idea of the chemicals and plastics that were in my traditional facial care products were pretty much creeping me out. Add to that, the plastic bottles and wrappers they came in and they were pretty much an eco-sin. Though, a good green girl scout that I am, I waited until I squeezed every last drop out of my old products. Waste not, want not!

I was a little nervous about switching. I really didn't want to go to work looking like an adolescent eco 'burban mom. So, I crossed my fingers and held my breath. And?? So far, so good? Maybe even better!

At night I wash with an all natural Earth Mama Goat Milk soap I get from my favorite local soap maker that is wrapped in recycled corrugate - no plastic whatsoever. Then, I apply a nice pomegranate night cream that I got from Burt's Bees in a glass jar. In the mornings I wash with the same soap and use the same cream, but in the day time version - also in a glass jar. I did buy a blemish stick from Burt's Bees in a little glass vial, but haven't really needed to use it yet. From time to time, at that time of the month and even more so in the sweaty summer months, I feel like a 14 year old again. So, I figured I would buy it as cheap $8 insurance.

Overall? I am fairly happy. No crazy break outs or dry, scaly patches. Frankly, though, I have some funky looking pores on my nose that just don't look squeaky clean, so I might invest in the Burt's Bees toner to help that little problem. I have drastically reduced my plastic consumption, all the while switching to natural alternatives for a nice chemical free face. And the cost? Significantly less than my other brand name routine. I know buying all of these products may not seem technically greener, I am sure I could make my own soap and use vinegar as a toner or something, but if this keeps my skin looking nice and clean and is better for the environment, I am rolling with it.

Next on my list? Toothpaste. Any ideas? Wait - any ideas that I can actually get my kids to use too? Wacky bubbling baking soda is NOT going to fly with them!!

Greenfluencer? Or Just Green?

2008-07-01T04:36:00.000-04:00

Last week Arduous wrote a post about the idea that certain sustainable people can be called "Greenfluencers" based on research done by Porter Novelli. I agree with Arduous, the concept makes sense, though the name is a little dorky. Especially since I don't like to be labeled.

So, I read the article and it got me to thinking. Do I consider myself a "Greenfluencer"? What I have done that would categorize me under this label? Do I think I am educated, intelligent, family-oriented, practical and a voter? Yes, but I think I would be all of these things even if I wasn't "green". I was all of those things before making this change to a lighter, greener lifestyle. Maybe those are the qualities that lead me to choose this lifestyle? Hmmmm, which was first? Chicken or egg?

Do I consider myself stylish, a trendsetter, adventurous? Um, sure. Though not everyone might agree. I write letters, I volunteer and dabble in a little community activism. So, I guess I can check those boxes too.

But, have I influenced anyone? OK, other than my children, they don't count yet. I know I influence them, they don't really have a choice! :o)

Here are two things I think I have done as a "Greenfluencer":

1. Little League Recycling Program - I influenced, sometimes forcefully, the league to recycle. I gathered up some volunteers, got some free recycling carts from the waste company and collected some trash. By the end of the season, the carts were full and the "trash lady" jokes sort of subsided. Did some of that carry over into the personal lives and habits of the 250 families in the league? Let's say yes!

2. I write some posts for our local food buying club blog reviewing products, recommending new ones, writing local food recipes and that sort of thing. Based on my recommendation the owner decided to carry some new soaps which helped a local business get more business. I guess that's "Greenfluencing."

What have you done to consider yourself a "Greenfluencer"? Or, do you think it's just a load of bunk?

Do you run a food buying club? Start programs to provide girls in Africa products they need to make sure they can go to school? Host a green book club? Jam sessions? I would love to hear what everyone else does, I think I have a lot to learn about "Greenfluencing"!

Green Guys

2008-06-30T02:19:00.001-04:00

My oldest son called me from his babysitting job on Friday night. Not because he was having trouble putting the two little ones to bed or having difficulty wrangling them into brushing their teeth. He can handle all that just fine.

He called me because he couldn't figure out what to do with the pizza box that was delivered to the front door holding their dinner. He couldn't find a recycling bin. Anywhere. He looked high and low and called me in confusion. What do I do with it? Where should I put it? Can I just leave it on the counter? I'm not throwing it in the trash. Do you want to come over and get it and put it in our bin? (He was babysitting for our next door neighbors)I explained to him that not every family recycles and you might just need to leave it on the counter for the parents to decide where to put it. He was surprised to find out that a concept as simple as recycling isn't embraced by everyone. This is the first of many learning curves I am sure he will encounter as he goes out to babysit, date or hang out with friends. Not everyone recycles. Not everyone avoids high fructose corn syrup like the plague. Not everyone believes in global warming. Not everyone thinks you should support your local farmer buying funny looking meat, cheese and bread in label-less packages.

My son left that pizza box on the counter. He held firm to his beliefs that you don't throw cardboard in the trash and he just wasn't doing it. I hope that this is the first of many steps he takes to create his own "green guy" stance. I am sure he heard my voice rambling in the back of his brain about landfills, decomposition, global warming and garbage. I hope my voice isn't someday replaced by girlfriends, buddies and peers that tell him, "Dude, like, just throw it in the trash, who cares, we're in a hurry". I hope my son is the one who tells them, "Dude, you can't just throw that in the trash! That will be there for like 700 years, what were you thinking?"

One Local Summer - I'm a CopyCat!

2008-06-28T14:44:00.004-04:00

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? If so, then Green Bean and Melinda from Elements in Time are both very flattered as I totally swiped their One Local Summer meal. Though, I added the local cinnamon mocha coffee to my breakfast. I just can't make it through a morning without coffee! And, I doubled the batch. Ya'll know I have many mouths to feed. Here's what cooking for a crew looks like:

My meal this week - Yogurt pancakes with fresh strawberries, butter and maple syrup and fair trade cinnamon mocha coffee.

Flour - Westwind Mill

Eggs - East River Organics

Butter - Calders Dairy
Yogurt - Calders Dairy

Milk - Calders Dairy

Strawberries - from a local Upick, courtesy of my boys!

Maple Syrup - Currey Farms

Coffee - Higher Grounds

Chocolate Milk - Calders Dairy

Cream - Calders Dairy
Cinnamon - Probably NOT local, but spices are excluded, right?!?

Thanks Green Bean and Melinda, this was a super recipe!

Don't Label Me

2008-06-27T06:18:00.000-04:00

I am an 80's child. Born to a generation known to worship the polo horse, the guess triangle, the jordache jean, designer loafers, the Rolex watch and the Gucci handbag. Funny thing was, even in the 80's I just never "got" labels. I always envisioned myself as a Molly Ringwald type, who made their own fashion rules. Except no where near as perky and cute. Oh, yeah, without the boyfriend with the Porsche too...

In college, this theme continued. I fell in love with the grunge look. Flannels, tights, Doc Marten boots, long hair and REM on the radio. Whatever your style, anything goes. Wash your hair? Maybe, maybe not. It didn't matter. Even as an adult there are no sparkly DKNY t-shirts in my closet, no gym wear with words written across my backside and my idea of fashion is something that suits my frame and my personal style, regardless of which store it came from. I don't really want you to know.

My home looks nothing like the Pottery Barn catalog pages I find in my neighbors kitchens and living rooms. My kids decorate their rooms with their collections and finds. My favorite chair? One rescued from the trash heap and restored by a friend as a gift for my first home. My dining room table? Dented, dinged and 100 years old, straight from the pages of Craigslist, but it was my style and I loved it at first sight.

Then, I had kids. I always refused the Spiderman, Spongebob, Pokemon, YuGiOh t-shirts, bedding and coats. Why? Because these were fun for a week, then they would just want something else. I always told my boys, you're not a walking advertisement. Besides, I always secretly thought they looked much cleaner and neater in a striped t-shirt and jeans. And, you never have to worry, when you have boys - any t-shirt goes with any pair of jeans. There never was any whining for a Pokemon t-shirt lurking in the depths of the dryer that they neeeeeded to wear today.

Don't get me wrong. I have a couple of fashionistas in the bunch now. Scruffy, curly hair that must be worn - just so. Jeans with just the right amount of holes. Last year's baseball jersey or warm up hoodie with their last name emblazoned on their backs. That's OK with me though, they are finding their own style. They have picked up some of my habits. Don't wear what everyone else is wearing. Go with what makes you comfortable. Even the 4 year old. His hair looks like the mid-length curly, perfectly scruffy hair of his 12 year old brother, he doesn't want me cut it and he's proud. And I love him for that.

Tonight I opened my refrigerator to grab some milk for a post-baseball thirsty boy and as I peered inside I realized something I never really took notice of before. My refrigerator is label-free. Milk in clear glass bottles. Butter in plain white tubs. Eggs in simple brown cartons marked with my own last name. Jam in canning jars. Vegetables without packaging or bags. Meat without marketing, labels or coupons. Inside my pantry plain paper bags hold my flour, beans and popcorn. My peanut butter has a handwritten label reminding me that Katie, the person who makes it, got a special order of organic nuts, just for our food club.

So, the little girl who grew up disliking embroidered polo horses, triangles on the butt of her jeans and sparkly DKNY labels across the chest of her t-shirts grew up to appreciate local food, handmade goods and all label-free. She grew up to appreciate the friendly hand of the baker, the farmer and the artist. She grew up to raise children who are individuals instead of following the masses. She grew up to appreciate her own uniqueness and idiosyncrasies. Or, maybe that's who she was all along and just didn't know it?

Baseball Update... AGAIN

2008-06-26T17:58:00.004-04:00

Still playing...

Principles, morals and commitments to green living growing weary... feeling faint... need food.. need water...

Oasis at baseball fields sells bottled gatorade, scary meat & by-product hot dogs, corn syrup laden treats and lots of plasticy things.. I see myself walking toward the bright, waving ball caps heedlessly throwing quarters and dollar bills on the counter. I need food... I need water...

And then, my husband rattles the cooler with homemade ice blocks keeping pitas stuffed with local, organic peanut butter and SIGGs full of organic lemonade icy cold. I wake up from my dream. Everything will be OK. If they would just LOSE already!

Go Team! Sorta...

Pick Your Own

2008-06-26T05:46:00.000-04:00

Scenes from a local U-Pick strawberry farm with 4 boys...

Man, white strawberries are sour.

Dude, white strawberries are really hard.

Sick, the really dark reddy brown ones are rotten.

Stop, I think that strawberry hit my EYE.

Wait, if you throw another one I will catch it with my mouth.

Boys! Is anyone picking strawberries? Let me tell ya, come December, strawberry sundaes will be for PICKERS, not LOAFERS!

Smack! Dude, QUIT throwing strawberries. Seriously!

I don't whike strawberries.... (whiny voice)

Ugh, I feel sick, I ate like about like 50 strawberries like already.

How many strawberries do you have? I have more. I have lots more. See? I'm BEATING you.

Hey, watch. I can throw a curve ball with this one.

Stop it, you hit me again! Jerk! Moooom, he got strawberry guts on my shirt!

Boys! If you don't stop throwing strawberries you are going to sit in the VAN! No wait, YOU are going to pick another 4 quarts of strawberries while I SIT IN THE VAN! .

Holy Crap! Look at that bug. Sick. I think it's dead. Mom, do you want me to pick this strawberry with the dead bug on it?

Mom? Hey! Mom? Can we make strawberry sundaes tonight? Can you make us strawberry sauce for pancakes tomorrow? What else can we make with strawberries? Oh, yeah! I want some of the yogurt with strawberries like a parfait. And, can you put some in the Popsicle molds? That would be good too. I'm hungry. What's for dinner?

Best line of the whole day: Wow, that strawberry tasted like NATURE.

Our haul? 12 quarts of strawberries - yes, the picture is the real deal. Side splitting humor? Endless. Boys will be boys.

It's time to make the cookies

2008-06-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

We were out of cookies. Again. Having boys home all summer means empty cupboards, cookie jars and refrigerator shelves. The eco 'burban dad even remarked tonight that it's a little bit like the army around here. Tonight at dinner, I filled plates and glasses and within minutes it was all gone, like our dining room was the mess hall at boot camp. And they were asking for more. Only, that was all that I had prepared. And we were out of cookies. So, I made cookies. Again.

In the old days, I wouldn't have fretted about being out of cookies. I would just buy more cookies. Or, dig into the pantry for yet another box of cookies trucked in from Arizona or New Jersey. Today, I make the cookies. I am making so many freakin' cookies these days I feel like a Keebler Elf. Some days, I resent those cookies. Why make cookies when you are so busy? Because now, I can't even bring myself to buy cookies. I don't walk down the cookie aisle, I don't want to buy cookies. I can't buy cookies. I think about all the bad, bad things in cookies. I see all the bad, bad packaging wrapped around the cookies. And how I would be a bad, bad mom for buying the evil cookies. Or, so I think.

In that lies the problem. Sometimes I am too tired to make the cookies, but I make them anyway. Sometimes I am too busy to make the cookies, to stressed to make the cookies, too over extended to make the cookies. But I do it anyway.

I am sure you can imagine - cookies are a metaphor for so many other things in this greener lifestyle. Searching out local food, going out of the way to shop at farmer's markets, looking for products that use less packaging, visiting thrift store after thrift store to find something you need or taking the initiative to write letters, make phone calls or whip up some cookies. Sometimes it's harder, sometimes the search is longer, sometimes the process more complicated, but in the end, we all do it anyway. Why? Because lying in bed at night rethinking the day, I have no second thoughts about local, organic healthy cookies. No guilt for taking the easy way out. No remorse for how I treated our planet.

So, eat the sugar cookies boys. They were made with love, a pinch of stress, a touch of tiredness and a lot of consideration. I will make more tomorrow.

Doing my part... Locally

2008-06-23T21:15:00.006-04:00

My husband passed me an article from our small community newspaper last week. First, I should mention he really isn't a reader, so it must have been an excellent article to warrant a reading, circling and passing on. The article described a pilot recycling program called Blue Skies implemented by Allied Waste.

This program - limited to 53 homes in our township - provided each homeowner with a 95-gallon wheeled cart for recyclables. Here's the kicker... This program accepted ALL plastics, even #3 through #7. My god, it does exist! A recycling program like this in our area is like spotting Big Foot! Of course, this was only a pilot program, running for 90 days to measure the materials collected and the consumer's response. However, the response was overwhelming. Here are the facts, by the numbers:

Allied Waste posted a 179% increase in total pounds of recyclables collected - diverting 16,190 pounds of recycling from the landfill. Amazing, considering only 53 homes participated! But, all good things must come to an end. The pilot program ended and, despite the enthusiastic response from the consumer and the satisfaction of Allied Waste, we are waiting on bids, approvals, financials and legal mumbo-jumbo from the township. And, this doesn't even mean that it will actually get approved.

Normally, I would have read the article and thought, what a great program, how sad we can't have it. However, lately every where I turn, I find inspiring political and community activism. Crunchy got me to write to congress about the Farm Bill. And then, after that, she got me to write congress again about drilling for off shore oil. Green Bean works on her city's green task force and is planning a green social movement. I signed the Take Back the Filter petition and wrote 4 letters to Clorox for Fake Plastic Fish and I have a paper envelope (no plastic for Beth!) holding used Brita filters to send her way.

After reading the article in my local paper, I decided it was time for a little activism of my own. Rather than sit idly by waiting for someone else to start a letter writing campaign or petition, I started one of my own. Every single member of the township board, every trustee and all members of the Environmental Department received a letter from yours truly today, requesting the implementation of this recycling program.

I also offered my services to speak at the township and to work as a liaison with the waste company. Earlier this year, I started a similar program for our Little League. Though, on a much, much smaller scale. 15 carts with die cut lids at a baseball park can't compare to 200,000 recycling carts delivered to each and every doorstep. But, I am the Trash Lady, and I can so make this happen. Local activism, I am doing my part for my community!

Update: I have received one response so far, not a committment to the program, but an acknowledgment none the less: "Hello , I appreciate your very thoughtful letter. I, too, am looking forward to full scale implementation of a significantly expanded recycling initiative. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm".

Pardon the dust...

2008-06-23T09:42:00.002-04:00

...I wanted to change the header of my blog to include a picture of our lake at sunset. And then I screwed everything up. Now I have to figure out how to undo what I did. So, please excuse the blog construction dust today!

One Local Birthday

2008-06-22T19:49:00.002-04:00

It was a little hectic around here this weekend, so I just don't have the pictures to prove my all local mac n cheese. It was made for the littlest eco 'burban boy's birthday. He was soooo hungry that when it came time to eat, we just gave him his plate and let him go at it!

The mac 'n cheese was made like this:

Vita Spelt Organic Elbow Noodles - Okemos, MI
Butter - Calder's Dairy - Lincoln Park, MI
Flour - Westwind Milling - Linden, MI
Milk - Calder's Dairy - Lincoln Park, MI
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese - Clinton Township, MI
Cheddar, Monterrey Jack - Warren, MI
Gouda - Grassfields Organics, Coopersville, MI

The eco 'burban dad enjoyed a side dish of local organic asparagus steamed with Calder's butter and some sea salt and cracked black pepper. Shocking, I know, but I just don't like asparagus. More for him, right?

Green Cooler Chic

2008-06-21T15:16:00.004-04:00

Those of you who read regularly know I spend a lot of time hanging out at baseball fields, in the dirt, chaos and heat. This requires lots of cold, cold reusable water bottles. How do I keep them all cold you ask? We tried the re-freezable ice blocks, but alas they melt quickly and the just don't keep things icy-cold. Any boy coming straight out of the catcher's gear in 92 degree heat will tell you, that's just not cold enough, mom.

We loathe buying bags of ice in plastic and even that melts rather quickly, so we came up with what we think in a great idea. Take empty plastic containers - our local butter comes in the perfect, round size - and fill with water the night before. By morning, they are solid cubes of ice which I load into the cooler of drinks. Even today, after7 hours outdoors, there were still disks of ice remaining.

We take the leftover ice disks, toss them into the gardens to melt and trickle water the plants. We take the melted ice water and dump it into the flower pots. Trust me, this water is GREYWATER after dirty boys have had their hands in and out of the cooler all day. And, it means that a tired mom can squeak by without watering parts of the garden today!

So, if you have all sorts of weird plastic containers you can't bear to throw away, but are upset at yourself for buying, don't beat yourself up, they have a second use. And, if you have very thirsty boys, you will never be without a cold drink again!

Baseball Update

2008-06-20T16:09:00.006-04:00

All teams still winning. No end in sight. Baseball Saturday, June 21st from 8:45 am until 3:15 pm.

~ Estimated reusable water bottles filled = 12

~ Local pita / local organic almond butter sandwiches = 6

~ Local organic pretzels = 1 bag

~ Visits to the Snack Shack for non-local, non-organic, non-healthy treats = At least 3

~ June 21st? Also littlest eco 'burban boy's 4th birthday = celebration following games

~ Tired, dirty and exhausted = 1 Mom

Earning 3 giant, sparkly plastic Championship Trophies = Priceless

GO TEAM!

Tag, I'm It...

2008-06-19T19:34:00.000-04:00

Just so you all know, I stunk at games of tag as a kid. I would get tired and lie down in a grassy field and pick clover and stuff. But, Joyce managed to find me hiding out in the deep weeds reading a book, so now I'm IT!

1. What were you doing 10 years ago... Well, I was a newly single mother of an almost 3 year old. I had bought my first house - on my own - and was struggling with balancing work, child raising and doing it all by myself. There wasn't a whole lot of money or time, but somehow we made it work and I look back on those days with much fondness!

2. Five things on my To-Do List today... Work, baseball game, wash baseball uniforms, finalize birthday arrangement for the littlest eco 'burban boy who turns 4 this Saturday and walk the dog. Chances are, the dog's not getting his walk...

3. Snacks I enjoy... Snickers ice cream bars from the corner store during walks with the kids and dogs. Carmel corn mixed with cheese corn from Garrett's in Chicago. Texas sheet cake made by my mother. I've tried to duplicate it, but it just isn't the same.

4. Places I've lived... Amboy, IL - small, rural farm town where I lived until age 16. Clarkston, MI - through high school. Dekalb, IL - for college. Clarkston, MI - again - moved back to be closer to my parents. Once you have some kids, being close to your parent's ain't all that bad! Now, West Bloomfield, MI - Happily remarried for 6 years, with 4 kids (all boys), 2 dogs and a cat.

5. Five things I would do if I was a billionaire - a) pay off mortgages and any debt b) arrange retirement, college and trust funds c) invest in the family business d) Take some time out to spend an entire summer traveling abroad with the kids e) Take care of my sisters, parents and in-laws so not a single one of them needs to worry about retirement or debt

And, there you have it! Now, I am going back to reading my book and picking clover... Thanks Joyce, this was fun.

Drilling for oil is the new TV Show?

2008-06-18T21:01:00.003-04:00

Did anyone see this or hear about it? Tonight, while aimlessly driving down the road to yet another baseball game AND practice - both on the same night, and across town from each other - I heard a commercial for this TV show - Black Gold. OK, so I was using my fair share of the bubbling crude to get me from point A to point B, but I was still surprised that this is a real, honest to goodness show. A TV show that glamorizes the "tough guy life" of drilling for oil?!?!? With a tag line of "2 miles deep or 6 feet under!" BLECH! Here is what the producer has to say:

"Drilling for oil … is fascinating and dangerous at the same time," truTV executive vice president Marc Juris says. "When we looked at the characters, the stakes and how relevant this world is, in terms of the role oil plays in our lives, it hit on a lot of emotional targets."

He doesn't believe hostility to high oil prices will transfer to the roughnecks and drillers. "They represent what this country is all about," he says. Black Gold "is about American oil, not about being dependent on foreign oil."

Am I wrong to be a little outraged? All of the money, time and resources devoted to making a TV show about the one thing we really need to be cutting back on makes me a little ill. Where are the thrilling and dangerous shows about suburban moms struggling to go green? How about a series devoted to drama and suspense of what is happening at the local recycling centers? Shoot, I know people who don't even know how to use the free bin the township hands out to be used for recyclables, an episode about the little blue bin could be riveting for them!

Or, maybe I am just tired and a little grouchy? After all day packing drinks in reusable water bottles, washing out returnable glass milk containers and running my errands using my canvas tote bags the last thing I want to do tonight is watch a show about freakin' oil - American or otherwise!

Go Team!

2008-06-18T06:40:00.001-04:00

It's official. We're still playing baseball.

Like pretty much all the other mothers, we have seen the end of the school year along with it's field trips, class parties and graduations. School related sports, band and special talent shows are long gone. But, the mothers of our Little League just can't get into summer relaxation mode just yet. Why? Apparently because my kids are good at baseball. It's playoff time and my darn kids keep winning! If you keep winning, you keep playing. Until you lose. Twice. Want to know a secret? As much as I love winning. As much as I love my kids. As much as I love watching them. I am ready to lose.

I am tired. Making batch after batch after batch of organic lemonade in glass pitchers, only to pour the entire pitcher into open and thirsty reusable bottles on the counter gets old, quickly. Last year it was just a matter of grabbing plastic bottles out of the fridge and throwing them into bags. Now, when I am making all of the drinks I realize how much they actually DRINK! They don't just need one bottle for a game in this heat, they need two. Don't forget the bottle I need to pack for the youngest, the dad and myself. That's 9 bottles a game or practice, per night, six days a week.

Then of course, there is the business of dinner before we can leave for the game, which has to be made after I get home from work. Let's just say the all-local pancakes I made and then froze one weekend when I had some extra time, have been qualifying as dinner. Does that count?

We only take one car to the games these days, cutting down on both carbon emissions and fuel consumption. That means the youngest has to stay for the entire game. An added green feature to this, is that we are saving tremendous amounts of water at bath time. He just doesn't take one. I am actually not even sure what day he took his last bath. And, that's pretty yucky considering at baseball games he is petting random dogs, digging holes in the dirt with other random kids and eats candy handed out by other random mothers.

And, we're not done yet! After all this is said and done, there is the business of washing the uniforms that smell. Really bad. I have to tell you, the socks can smell so badly, I am tempted to make the wearers ride on top of the van on the way home from games. I have been resisting the temptations to use warm water or bleach or traditional laundry soap. It's the end of the season, the uniforms are looking pretty dingy. I can't exactly remember if they looked this way last year too, when I was still spraying, pretreating and bleaching? Did that do any good, or really is one uniform worn 3-5 times a week to play in the dirt and eat ice cream and pizza in, just going to be dingy no matter what?

So, while being green is good, sometimes it's really tiring. We have another couple of weeks to go before the championship game and I hope I can hold out. If so, by my estimates, we will have saved over 220 plastic bottles from the recycling bin, washed 35 loads of uniforms in the cold cycle with natural detergents and saved 320 miles of driving by taking one car. Now, I need a break. Being green is hard. Now, I just need to find a green way to clean my van...

Is anything "Real Simple"?

2008-06-17T06:00:00.004-04:00

By that, I mean the magazine. I subscribe, as part of a fundraiser for the middle school. As a rule, I avoid all fundraisers for unnecessary items (wrapping paper, candy, popcorn etc.) but I do like to read so I usually sign up for two magazines during that event. Real Simple was one choice and Frommer's Budget Travel as my second. Now, finding ways to green your child's school fundraiser is a WHOLE different post. The paper, the plastic, the unnecessary junk! I will tackle this issue at the beginning of next school year, I need the summer off.

So, I finally got around to reading the June issue of Real Simple. Not that I usually find much to be very simple about the magazine. Most of the solutions require buying lots of "stuff", the clothing is outrageously priced and the meals a little complicated and surely not very local. So, why do I read it? There can be helpful hints, some recipes I might tackle, but mostly because I really do desire the zen of a well organized life. However, I am rethinking my magazine selections for next year. Budget Travel will stay, thank you very much. Real Simple... might just have to go.

This month's letter from the editor? The excitement over getting a dumpster for the editor to clean her garage and basement in a "scorched-earth" plan. Yep. Throwing whatever she could from her kitchen remodel, along with junk from the garage and basement, right into the dumpster. Not a single mention of Craigslist, Freecycle or a garage sale either. And her exact word to describe the feeling? "Thrilling." There was one short remark about trying to recycle what they could from the kitchen, but if you need a dumpster to clean a garage and basement... That doesn't seem very simple to me. Besides, I had always had this picture in my mind of the editors at Real Simple having a pretty darn organized and well kept basement with all the product freebies I am sure they receive and all.... Maybe the magazine could be renamed "Taking the Easy Way Out"?

Have I just outgrown the magazine? Isn't living lighter supposed to be Real Simple? Or, maybe appreciating the chaos, simplicity and zen of my own life is better than the magazine? Either way, I could use some suggestions for the new school year's fundraiser. Real Simple has become Real Recycled!

Dos and Don'ts of Recycling?

2008-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

We are a family of six. All my kids are boys. Boys eat A LOT. Boys drink A LOT. So, we used to have A LOT of trash. Now, we are down to about 1 bag a week and our recycling is looking pretty sparse as well. With milk bottles going back to the dairy, bulk buying and eliminating all of our bottled tea, water and kids drinks our neighbors probably think we are on vacation or maybe starving our kids... What happened to our trash?

And, then there' s the issue of paper. For the longest time we put all of our junk mail in the recycling bin. You know, the oil change specials from the dealership where we bought the van, teeth cleaning reminders from the dentist, special offers from the local banks, stores and charities. Didn't think too much of it, we shred all of the important stuff so we thought we were fine.

Then a few weeks ago our local eleven o'clock news ran one of their "special segments" in which a news anchor ran around town grabbing stuff out of recycling bins to see just how much information he could get with a quick stop and grab. Identity theft, bank accounts, pant size, brand of milk?? Great, this news anchor (who probably got this crap assignment because he or she is the newbie or is on some kind of probationary period) now has scared the 10 or 12 people who actually recycle into rethinking putting anything into the blue bin and putting it by the street.

So, now my husband is paranoid. He doesn't want anything to go into the bin that even has our name on it. (I still sneak some stuff in between a pizza box or magazine or two - just in case any thieves are reading, woo whoo, our bin is ripe for the stealin'!) He would prefer to either a) shred it all - but then where to we store it all until township recycling day that only happens twice a year? b) put anything with our name on it into the trash - because opening gooey bags is yuckier and harder for thieves I guess? or c) when we have a fire in our fire pit (summer) or fireplace (winter) use these items for starter - cause we all know burning stuff is so eco-cool!

What is the correct rule of thumb for the recycling bin? We finally slimmed down our waste can, I certainly don't want to fatten it up again with useless trash!

One Local Summer - Week 2

2008-06-14T16:12:00.007-04:00

I thought this week was going to be a total bust... We were without power for half the week, thanks to some wicked storms. I had a business trip to Chicago - during that power outage - and add to that my kids home from school for their first week of summer break. Meh... who had time to cook or even think about shopping?!? Not I! So, today after baseball games and errands to run, I finally had a moment to think about creating a completely local meal. Most of our day to day ingredients are local - peanut butter, eggs, milk and so on. However, really thinking about each and every ingredient can be challenging!

So, I present to you, after getting really hungry looking at the Green Bean's local graduation platter of sandwiches.... drumroll... Egg salad sandwich on pita with a local brewery beer. Hey, don't knock the beer folks! It's local, less than 30 miles from here and I have 4 boys and it's their playoff season in baseball - some things just go without saying!

My ingredients:

Eggs - East River Organic, Snover, MI

Mustard - Cherry Republic Cherry Mustard, Traverse City, MI

Relish - McClure's Pickles, Royal Oak, MI

Salt - Sea Salt - ???

Lettuce - Local farmer's market, Walled Lake, MI

Pita - Steve's Backroom, Harper Woods, MI

Pilsner - Atwater Brewery, Detroit, MI