Mental Floss for Dental Floss?

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.

Can you spare a square?

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!

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!!!

Sustainability in a Disposable World

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!

Van For Sale

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.

Staring at Change in the Mirror

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

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?

The Wonders of Summer Camp

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??

Go Team!

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...

Rethinking Summer

My kids are out of school - for a whole four days now. They are already climbing the walls looking for things to do or places to go. The changes we have been making over the last six months or so are kind of putting a cramp in their carefree summer style.

What?!? No more Gatorade? No more Chips Ahoy cookies in the individually wrapped blue pouches? Why is the air conditioning off? (I say, just ask Chile and they wander away making the coo-coo motion around their ears. They have no idea who Chile is...) Can I turn the fan on? Will you drive me to the store? Can I download more iTunes? Where's my book / PSP / Gameboy / gum / basketball / squirtgun - fill in the blank here. Yeesh, I say - When does school start?!?

Oh, I thought I was prepared for summer all right. I bought a bulk amount of organic lemonade that I mix in the glass pitcher in the fridge. Yes, boys, you have to pour that into the shiny new SIGG I bought for you. And, yes, you MUST remember to bring it home from the park. That thing cost me $18. Oh, you're hungry too. Well, then make a sandwich. No, there aren't any premade frozen PBJs in the freezer. You need to get out a knife, find the peanut butter, stir it and spread it on a pita.

Doing all of this used to feel like more effort and work for me in the beginning. Now, I have adjusted and it actually feels simpler to me. There is less to shop for, less to worry about, less to store and organize. However, this is all new for my boys now they are home for the summer. Apparently, they didn't notice the changes throughout the school year. They are middle school students after all. As long as they have lunch money and a ride, they say nothing, see nothing and hear nothing.

This is the part where I realize that the changes I choose to make, affect everyone around me. It's not a bad change, it's actually good for them, but they now are forced to adjust how they go to the park, what they carry with them, how to plan to make their lunch and so on. I tell my husband, it's a good thing. They will grow up to be men who shop at Farmer's Markets and plant tomatoes on the balcony of their first apartment. I hope. Oh, I'm sure there will be fast food and beer and *shudder* girls. But, I hope along with that, the appreciation for farmers, food and family that they wouldn't have gotten from me without going through this change together.

The first week has been a learning curve so far. I am betting though, in another week, filling up the SIGG, tucking it into the handy new bottle holder their Dad installed on each bike, and heading off to the park will just be part of the daily routine!

A Greener Baseball Game

For those who don't know, my 4 boys play baseball. Avidly. Since they were 4. The oldest two are almost 13 now, so that's hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of baseball, considering we are there about 6 days a week. When it is winter, they play in an indoor league, so I don't plan for time off when the snow flies. Now, there is talk of joining a fall league. That would mean the only months I am not driving to baseball would be July and August. Add that to cross country, track, band, intramural basketball, preschool, field trips and oh, yeah - my job - and I am driving. A LOT. That's very not green. So, what did I do?

I switched from a hulking, gas guzzling SUV to a much more fuel efficient mini-van. That was step one. Then, I stopped letting the car idle more than 20 seconds during drop offs and pick ups. After that, we started working on carpooling with kids in our local area for practices, which we do at least once or twice a week when everyone's schedules jive.

One of the biggest sacrifices was deciding that taking more than one car to the games was just not cool. See, little eco 'burban boy is still quite little (OK, he will be 4 next month, but's he's still my baby!) and he doesn't always like to stay for the whole game, so in years past we took two cars - meaning one of us could take him home early. Because, you see, the big 'eco burban boys MUST be at the fields by 5:30 for warm ups and games don't end until 8:30 or even 9:00. That's a very loooong time digging in the dirt and eating laffy taffy from the snack shack. And, don't give me any crap about the non-local, non-organic laffy taffy. Bribes are crucial, OK?

So, between the carbon emissions and price of gas, we go one car to games or bust. This also means plenty of DVDs (from the library, OK! Geez, the laffy taffy doesn't have me completely off the wagon or anything!) and treats and blankies in the van, but it's working out. Everyone's a little cranky - especially eco 'burban mom - but we are making do. Saving money and cutting our carbon footprint - one game at a time!

My Algebra Teacher Would Be Proud

I didn't know I knew how to bake. I didn't know I could make it through the day without using a single paper towel. I didn't know I could get through the week without one trip to the store. I didn't know I could start a recycling program for the Little League. I didn't know that the only mill that stone grinds flour in our entire state is 40 minutes from my house. I didn't know I would like shopping at a thrift store.

I didn't know a lot of things. I guess I didn't know that I just wasn't done learning. See, I thought I had passed the task of 'learning' down to my kids. After all, isn't it their turn to soak up the knowledge from wise and witty teachers down at the middle school? When I started on my path to greenness, I didn't stop to take in to account that I would be learning along the way. Learning about farms, filters, pesticides, chemicals, animals, vegetables and miracles. I have been reading books, writing letters, joining groups, listening to other experts and even, maybe once in awhile, teaching someone else a little about being green. I haven't done this much learning since about the 11th grade - and most of that was about boys, track meets and hair-dos.

I am sure the learning isn't over, every day I read another chapter, find a new friend and discover another resource to teach me one more thing. So, what I learned today? Treading down the path to greenness isn't always about DOING something, it's actually about LEARNING something. The more you know, the easier it gets too. I am no longer afraid of local food challenges or speaking in front of the entire Little League about recycling and I am even getting comfortable with the fact that I just might not be dependent on paper towels for the rest of my life either.

I updated my To-Do List and my We've Done It List - because I deserve to scratch some things off in those two columns. I learned something, I tried something, I grew something, I read something and I gave something up - all without a fight. My Algebra teacher would be proud. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to run to the thrift store for a new container for the green bean sprout my son learned to grow in science class!

Water Redux...

Memorial Day was finally warm, sunny and almost unseasonably hot. I know, I shouldn't say that... it was 83 today, tomorrow the high will be 55, so I soaked up all the sun I could get because it might have to last me for awhile. I finally felt like it was safe to plant, so in went two new trees, four new shrubs and some Phlox little eco 'burban boy insisted were to be HIS flowers. Now, how to water them?

In our scary, dark and dreary basement (I live in an 80 year old renovated lake home, so the word DAMP is a pretty common theme down there) hums a dehumidifier that helps to take the damp out of the air and make our home rather comfy. So, rather than snake a hose to the drain and let that water go unused, we carry that heavy, sometimes sloppy, water basin up the basement stairs and use those 3 gallons to water trees, flower containers and landscaping. Of course, that doesn't water everything, but 3 gallons every day adds up over a summer - yes, our basement is that damp!

I figured I water something for about 5 months out of the year, so my water savings adds up to 450 gallons in a single summer. Not earth-shattering, but a little water goes a long way!

Cream in glass bottles = Cute!

As part of my eat local challenge one of the changes I tackled is the milk / cream / dairy consumption. When you live in a house with 4 growing boys milk is a rapidly disappearing natural resource straight from the refrigerator. And, the organic stuff is more expensive per gallon than the other natural resource that making the news headlines every day!

We have been drinking the organic version for more than 4 years, so I thought I was over the sticker shock. Until I decided to switch to glass bottles that is... So, we are taking it one dairy product at a time. The delivery service for the local foods I am using does make this switch super-easy. Along with the flour, eggs and whatnot she delivers milk in perfect glass bottles and picks up the empties that get returned to the dairy for reuse. Last week we tried the chocolate milk and of course the kids are in loooove and want to make sure we get that treat every week! This week I added the half and half for the coffee to the list and when I opened my delivery box there was this cute little glass jar of nostalgia.

My first thought when I opened the box wasn't, ooooh less plastic, this is WAY better for the environment - it was a rush of "look at the cute little glass jar, isn't it sweet"?!? I immediately took the jar into the other room to show my husband it's round, glassy cuteness. I can certainly say not a single cardboard carton or plastic bottle of half and half lugged home from the Kroger made the cuteness list - organic or otherwise! So, what is it about milk in glass bottles delivered to your doorstep or a trip to the farm that brings a rush of nostalgia or this feeling of going back to a "simpler time"? Does it evoke memories of a grandmother or childhood? Or is it just contentment and a feeling of achieving 'June Cleaver' status with a humming refrigerator full of rows of glass jars, paper wrapped butter and homemade goodies?

So, I'm shelling out the big bucks for the chocolate milk and cream in the cute glass jars. Next week probably the skim milk too. And, what am I getting in return? Healthier kids, a healthier planet and a nice healthy dose of nostalgia. I'm buying it and loving it... every last drop!

Living La Vida Local!

I am gearing up for Blue Collar Crunch's first ever challenge (one of my first wholehearted attempts at completing a challenge!) which starts tomorrow and I am really looking into not only eating organic, but locally as well. After reading Greenpa's post on hunger in the modern world, I almost felt sick to my own stomach and I realize that eating the way we had been eating is just wrong.

The last 6 months or so we have been making changes, replacing common food items with organics or those with less packaging, but that was simply dipping my toe into the kiddie pool. Not that I am throwing out any of the food in the pantry. It's there, it's going to expire at some time and it needs to be eaten and most certainly not thrown in the trash. So - I visited Local Harvest for some ideas on local food sources that I can use to replace what needs replenishing.

It's a little early for farmer's markets here in Michigan. It was a whopping 27 degrees last night with a chance of snow, so I am still going to have to rely on a conventional Trader Joe's for some organic produce, eggs and dairy. However, I found a unique company not but 20 miles from my home called La Vida Local. They source local food, coffee and beauty items from right here in our own state and will even arrange delivery right to my doorstep! I didn't even know that there was a mill 30 minutes from my house milling their own organic flours and cake mixes. It's like a whack on the forehead. All this time, buying a cake mix from Oklahoma City, when there is a better alternative right in my backyard! And, given the rotten economy in our state, I could actually support another struggling family, just like us? Well, whack me again, why don't you. I think I deserve it! But not after this month! Whatever I need will be carefully thought out, researched and purchased with Greenpa's post in mind!

Ahhh.... challenges, challenges

I have joined two challenges this month. One easy, one kinda hard. Green Bean is asking us all to do something really simple - read a great green book. CHECK! I just got an email notice from my local library and my copy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle has finally been returned (thanks to whomever has been reading it for the last 4 MONTHS!!) so there is challenge #1. Thanks, Grean Bean for reminding us to read something other than "Click Clack Moo" every night!

Now... challenge #2 is a little trickier. Blue Collar is asking us to consider rethinking our food choices in her Diet For Global Hunger Action. I joined up because eating healthier food, meaning real food, not processed items that really aren't meant to be that freakin' orange, blue or yellow is really just plain common sense. But, Blue Collar is taking a step further... How are our food choices causing a food crisis for other regions of the world? Can we make small steps to eat locally, choose non-processed items, eat your correct caloric intake and maybe reduce a little of the bulge around the middle while doing so? And will this reduce our impact enough to make sure there is more food for more regions of the world? I think so, but it's going to take some revisions to the grocery list and a bunch of people to jump on board with Blue Collar's challenge. I'm ready, but telling my 4 baseball playing boys that smurf-blue Gatorade really doesn't exist in nature is going to be a tough sell. However, I bought everyone a shiny new Sigg today, so maybe they will be distracted by the new toy long enough not to notice the tap water inside?

Take Back the Filter Campaign

Awhile back we switched to a Brita filter / pitcher system and non-leaching waterbottles for all 6 of us. Not only are we keeping plastic bottles out of the house and out of the waste management process, but we are using our regular old tap water right from our well. I thought I was doing a good thing for the environment and saving a little money, right? When I read this from burbanmom and then this from fakeplasticfish, I felt a little less green. Why would a company, such as Brita (now owned by Clorox) recycle their filters in Europe and ignore those of us here in the States? Shame, shame, shame on them. So, I signed the petition, thanks to burbanmom, and now plan to send back my filters to fakeplasticfish, who has had the gumption to create the Take Back the Filter Campaign to return all of these wasteful items right back to Clorox all at once. These ladies really know how to make a statement, so please sign the petition and send back your filters. It's easy and quick, I promise!

How does your garden grow?

I have always had a pretty good looking landscaping and perennial garden, but haven't taken the dive into growing actual food. Here in the 'burbs with all the bunnies, squirrels and critters that have been displaced by rapidly growing housing developments and strip malls, gardening can be a close second to warfare. Chicken wire, fencing, wire mesh and chain link - you name it, it's not keeping the furry guys out of your green beans.

So, this year as one of my challenges, I am going to attempt a few small container gardens I can keep up close and personal to my back door. I found the Sean Conway Organic veggie seeds at Target and picked up some green beans, carrots, lettuce and lavender. If I can make this work, I might spring for the tomatoes and basil too! In the next few days I plan to find some organic gardening soil and re-purpose some flower pots to become veggie pots. Pictures and more to come!

To Do List - The Plastic Bag Habit

I want to be free of the plastic bag habit. But, it's hard. It's retraining my weak, retail brain-washed self to re-think what I am doing. For so long this suburban mom has jumped in the van, drove like a mad woman to the closest Target to park, run in and grab the 2 things the kids MUST have for tomorrow's school project, baseball game, sleepover - fill in the blank here for today's crisis - needs and get home with just enough time to make dinner.


First, I need to stop the habit of needing things, but more on that later. But, as a close second I need to retrain my brain to think about the plastic bags. Oh, sure, I think about my bags for groceries when I head to Trader Joe's, I think about my Baggu totes (more on them later too!) when I head to Target. My entire plan was foiled last week when I had to make one additional stop at the sporting goods store for new track shoes and shoe laces for one of the boys.



I walked out of there with a.plastic.bag. A PLASTIC bag. I was so upset at that bag, I mean I was pouting about one plastic bag. I did reuse the bag for a kid's lunch the next week (my habitual lunchbox-forgetter got this one!) but still, I think about the one bag. So, here is a tip, Baggu Bags. I bought the 6-pack around the holidays, and kindly gave two to my sister and two to my mother (not even sure if they are using them - ahem!) and kept two for myself. Apparently two is not enough. Now - these bags aren't your fancy "I am not a plastic bag" designer glorified purses. These great little guys come with a pouch and fold up neatly into a square and really do fit in your purse. So - you will use them! When I bought mine - it was solid colors only, which was fine, the peacock blue and fuchsia are gorgeous! But, now they come in stripes. Of course, I am participating in the crazy Crunchy Chicken's "Buy Nothing Challenge" so I am making do without some new ones, but for those of you without some yummy reusable totes that are actually affordable - Baggu is for you! Seriously - six bags are a whopping $38 total. If you buy the striped ones, let me know, I would love to see what they actually look like in person!

A good first step!

Decline all those catalogs that keep arriving over and over and over AGAIN! I shop for just about everything online these days. Beats dragging 4 boys to the mall, just to find out they don't have my size or favorite color. So, why are they sending me catalogs?

Try using Catalog Choice - it took me under 10 minutes to unsubscribe from ALL of the ones I didn't want and saved countless trees, ink and gasoline in trucks to deliver them!