GreenMoms’ Blogs

Vodka: The New (Tastier) Vinegar?

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:45:18 -0800

I’m not sure which I’m more excited about: the really cool organic U.S.-made vodka in the striking, modern, reusable-as-a-vase bottle or the crazy “eco”-uses we have for that vodka (besides drinking it of course. I’ve long been a fan of its, uhm, MEDICINAL purposes, but now I have other reasons to stay stocked up. Yeah, that’s it, medicine & cleaning). We’ve all been inundated with the virtues of vinegar as a staple for green living. But you gotta admit, unless you’re clever with the essential oil add-ins, it’s kind of stinky. Now we have an alternative (albeit a more expensive alternative) – VODKA!

TheDailyGreen put out a summary list of a variety of weird uses for vodka. But first, a little bit about a terrific gift we received at our household not too long ago (can you say HOLIDAY SHOPPING IDEA?)…

SQUARE ONE ORGANIC VODKA
www.squareonevodka.com/
According to the website, Square One is “the world’s first certified organic rye vodka."… handcrafted from 100%-certified organically grown rye.” And if that isn’t enough, the distillers use wind generated power, chlorine-free shipper cartons, soy-based inks and bottle labels made from bamboo, sugar cane pulp and cotton! Once done with the delicious contents, they offer the following ideas for the bottle besides just recycling it:

Want a cool idea that is eco-friendly? Soak your used Square One bottle in hot water (about 120 degrees) for 10 minutes, then peel the labels off and discard. You now have a great bottle to use as a vase, a water bottle, a candle-holder or for infusing your own vodkas or nectars for your next cocktail party!

Check them out – they include recipes and much more info about their commitment to an eco-friendly product and process. (No I have no affiliation with them – but would it be so bad if they sent me a thank you bottle?)

“THE VODKA POISON IVY CURE…AND 9 OTHER WEIRD USES FOR VODKA” – TheDailyGreen.com

You should go read the full article (besides, TheDailyGreen has a lot of interesting info and a great email-Newsletter). But if you’re crazy-busy like most people I know, here at least is the list they explore. It just tickles me the uses they came up with… (click HERE to read the full article)

Poison Ivy Remedy - pour immediately over contact point
(Seriously, how many of us go hiking with a flask of vodka?)

Freshen Laundry – spritz on clothes to keep them fresh

Shine Chrome, Glass and Porcelain

Preserve Flowers – add a few drops of vodka & sugar into the water

Insect Repellent – spray on yourself or on the bugs

Soothe Jellyfish Stings – ditto the poison ivy comments

Shiny Hair – add a shot to a 12-oz bottle of shampoo
(hmmm, I think my showers just got a lot more interesting)

Clean Away Mold – great on cleaning caulking

Soothing Tincture – add lavender and rub into aches and pains

Okay, so maybe you should buy the cheap stuff for these household Vodka recipes – even non-organic vodka is better than using the harsh chemical alternatives out there. But do try the Square One for your next cocktail party.

Have other unusual uses for Vodka? Do share in our Discussion Forum.

-- Janice

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Ditch Wrapping Paper: Make Your Own Gift Bags

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 12:19:52 -0800

The holidays are almost here and whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else, many people give gifts. Why wrap those gifts in wasteful wrapping paper when you could wrap it in a beautiful hand-sewn fabric gift bag that can be used over and over for years to come? You still have lots of time to make some! The idea behind the gift bag is that after you give someone a gift wrapped in a cloth bag, that person will use it again to wrap a gift for someone else or maybe they will even give it back to you someday….with a gift inside of course.

Every year our local GreenMoms group on the California coast in Half Moon Bay makes fabric gift bags. We do it to reduce the waste created by wrapping paper – and share a little social time with each other. We also take the opportunity to share organic, vegetarian finger food ideas – we sample them on the spot of course! The bags turn out beautiful and in a variety of colors and sizes. We use fabric, ribbon, and thread that people donate from Freecycle or from moms that have no use for their fabric. You would be surprised how much some fancy ribbon can dress up almost any type of fabric!

Making a gift bag is easy. Here are some easy step-by-step directions from the Care2 website – it’s easier to do than you might imagine: www.care2.com/greenliving/holiday-gift-bags-and-wrapping-paper.html
“Step 1: Choose the size bags you want to make and then adapt them to this pattern: For one 20″ x 10″ inch bag, cut out a piece of fabric 12″ x 42″ inches in size. Fold the fabric in half [print side in] so that doubled it is 12″ x 21″ inches in size.
Step 2: With the “inside” sides pinned together, stitch the side seams on three sides. Turn inside out. Then turn inside the raw edge on the top of the bag and hem, either by hand or with a sewing machine.
Step 3: Cut a cloth ribbon at least 12″ long. At the seam of the bag on one side or the other, about 4 or 5 inches from the bag opening, stitch the middle of the ribbon to the bag. “ [GreenMoms note: we find it easier to tuck the center point of the ribbon into one of the side seams before we stitch the seam thus eliminating this step.]
Here are some other websites with great ideas about how to make your own wrapping paper:

http://www.eartheasy.com/gift_wrapping.htm
http://www.craftandfabriclinks.com/ezgiftbags/easy_giftbag_pattern.html

Have more about making your own gift wrapping? Please share in our Discussion Forum.

-- Melinda

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Toxic Computers - Stepping in the Right Direction

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:45:51 -0700

I recently bought two new laptops. I know what you're thinking, "Come on GreenDad, if you're so environmentally sensitive why are you buying TWO toxic, soon-to-be-obsolete computers?" Glad you asked. The first was to help GreenMoms.com get going! (our previous laptop met with an untimely demise at the hands of an errant elbow and a large glass of water...oops). The second was for my work.

You may or may not know that nearly all computers made today contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC), brominated flame retardant (BFRs) chemicals, and other questionable materials. Many contain lead, arsenic and other heavy metals. Well, thanks to my GreenMom, I knew and tried to make my computer purchases as environmentally thoughtful as I could. See, some environmentally progressive companies have eliminated or are "planning" to eliminate PVC and/or BFRs from their products. They also offer recycling programs and have environmental controls on their manufacturing streams.

So what did I get? The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (www.etoxics.org) offers a report card of the major manufacturers. They rated take-back (recycling) programs, disposal chain, and toxic materials used. Since my GreenMom would be touching this computer every day and it would be blowing its dust all over my house, I chose the highest rated laptop for materials, which (at the time) was a Sony. For work, I chose an Apple. They didn't score the highest because, at the time of SVTC's research, Apple still used PVC and BFRs in their products. However, Apple has committed to completely removing all PVC, BFRs, and Arsenic in glass by the end of 2008 production. Apple's website, www.apple.com, currently has a movie about the new MacBook which has several minutes on their improvements in ecological manufacturing.

In fact, in recent months it seems many of the major brands have been touting their improvements in environmental stewardship. Even if there may be a little "greenwashing" going on, at least it's a step in the right direction.
In fact, in recent months it seems many of the major brands have been touting their improvements in environmental stewardship. Even if there may be a little "greenwashing" going on, at least it's a step in the right direction.

Have more info about computers? Please share in our Discussion Forum.

-- Mike, The GreenDad

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Organic Apple Picking Event Recap

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:03:53 -0700

There were 13 moms and at least that many kids that day at Janice’s house. We picked organic apples and made a lovely and extremely simple dessert with the group: we used a hand-cranked apple peeler to simultaneously peel, core and slice the apples. Then we added a sweetener and cinnamon to the slices – that’s it! And it was gobbled up in not time by everyone. We tried different sweeteners (organic sugar and brown rice syrup) as well as using ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to keep the apple slices from turning brown.

The kids enjoyed climbing trees, eating apples, playing on the play structure, using the peeler-cutting gadget to peel, core, and cut apples. But the all time favorite was feeding apples to the cows that live just over the fence!

Why this event is green:
It connects children and adults to the earth because they can see the apples come from trees…..not the store. It connects like-minded folks to each other socially so that the sharing of green inspiration and ideas can be exchanged. The low tech apple peeler/corer/slicer is a very simple low-tech gadget that involves the children in the physical action of creating food to eat. The apples are organic apples because for at least eight years, Janice and her husband Eric have not done anything to them but prune them. (JS note: and some water – ha!)

Have any other fun, simple outings or recipes to share? Add them to the Discussion Forum for this blog posting.

-- Melinda

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Have a Greener Halloween

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 11:13:34 -0700

A friend was telling me the other day that she can’t believe how much ‘stuff’ people in Northern California buy for Halloween. She is from a small town in Southern California and they never bought costumes or make-up. They would just make their own from old clothes and maybe put charcoal on their faces. She has a good point. Our love affair with buying things for any occasion is out of control, and likely not just in Northern California. When looking at greener solutions to your typical Halloween Holiday, consider the basics and what you really need to have fun. Is it really about the costume or the candy, or is it about having fun with friends and family? What are we buying into? Also, consider why we actually celebrate Halloween. Why do we do this every year? Is there any ancient or spiritual significance to it? Or is it just an industry made up holiday?

In ancient times, Celtic Halloween was called Samhain. It was a day where the veil between the physical and spirit world was the thinnest thus making it easier for people to be visited and guided by the spirits of their departed loved ones. If we think about how Halloween originated, it gives us a whole different view of it. It is a day where people give respect and appreciation to their beloved dead. The Day of the Dead in the Mexican culture is similar. It seems like the original Halloween was actually meant to be more of a sentimental, sobering holiday, rather than a holiday hyped up for marketing Halloween paraphernalia.

Here are some ideas below to green your Halloween. Keep in mind the basic green principals: Reduce the amount of stuff you use, re-use what you can, recycle what you have, and then buy new ‘greener’ things if you find it necessary. Have fun, and while you are at it, send some love and gratitude to your departed loved ones who will be close by you on Halloween.

COSTUMES
Get vintage Halloween costumes from vintage stores, re-use old costumes, rent costumes, get costumes off Freecycle.com, or make your own from old clothes or fabric scraps. Keep kids away from cheap PVC costumes and masks. A fun project for kids is to make or decorate their own Halloween bag. (re-use an old bag)
Eco-Halloween bags: www.thegreenparent.com/2008/06/05/feeling-spooky
Eco-Halloween costumes: www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/biter_boo
Eco-Halloween products: www.playstoretoys.com
(One mom recommended getting safe make-up from this store early. There are no Halloween products listed on-line, but you can call the store or visit it in Palo Alto, CA)

HEALTHY FOOD & TREATS
Concerned about candy from trick or treating? Opt-out of trick-or-treating and have an eco-Halloween party and make your own healthier snacks.
healthy Halloween party snack ideas:
parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tcelebrations/0,,421c,00.html
Or try these simple treats:
nuts, crackers, energy bars, fruit leathers, raisins, and dried fruits

ECO-FRIENDLY CANDY
Plan ahead and order some online or check out your local Whole Foods, New Leaf, or Natural Food stores for fair trade and organic treats.
Organic and fair trade Halloween candy:
www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/safe-halloween-candy-44072808?click=main_sr
greener goodies: www.ewg.org/node/15785
chocolate treats: store.gxonlinestore.org/trickortreatcandy.html
(order ahead of time)

Have more Green Halloween ideas? Share them in our Discussion Forum.

-- Melinda

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Movie Recap: Garbage. The Revolution Starts at Home!

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 13:04:31 -0700

During our GreenMoms movie night, we started out with a costume swap, then we had a vegetarian potluck and watched this movie called Garbage...about garbage. Click here to see pictures from the event.

The movie enlightened me: having been a green mom for several years, I already knew about many of the topics, but the interviews and the details that were given explaining how we are polluting our air, water, and bodies were fascinating and alarming! After seeing this movie I vowed to make more changes to reduce my own family’s pollution.

I was astonished by how most of our waterways are unhealthy and have been degraded by roadway run-off (oil and smog dust from automobiles) and raw sewage overflow.

I was baffled about how it is actually legal to put a coal mine near a school. I was very saddened that most of the children suffered daily from headaches due to coal dust inhalation. They also had to endure regular ground tremors from mountain top blasting.
I was angered by how the coal companies are blasting off mountaintops in the West Virginia Appalachians for coal. It was troubling how they are completely disrespecting a man who refuses to give up his land near the mines. The part that gets me about this blasting of mountains is there is no regard for birds, deer, or any eco-systems of creatures living there. I am sure they all get killed in the blasting. No words can describe this insensitive, harmful, cruel, completely destructive blasting by coal corporations. How is this legal?

The other part of the movie that surprised me was how dead bodies are decomposing more slowly. One theory is that our bodies are collecting so many chemicals and preservatives from our worldwide pollution, that we are actually embalming ourselves alive! Unbelievable!

After the movie, we discussed the part about how people create exponential amounts of waste during the holidays or at parties. We talked about ways to reduce our own party waste. Many suggestions echoed those on our GreenMometer page. One of the moms suggested washing and re-using disposables. Another suggested just using their own dinnerware for parties at home. For gifts, we talked about requesting people to bring specific homemade or eco-friendly gifts or no gifts at all. We agreed it is hard to do this for kids’ parties, especially when they are expecting lots of gifts for the holidays or birthdays. We discussed ways of minimizing this problem like asking guests to bring a gift that would be specific to an activity that would be happening at the party. For example, have the guests bring a plant to plant in the birthday kid’s friendship garden. Other suggestions were to request guests bring homemade gifts (provide them with a list of suggestions), have guests bring homemade photo books of themselves, or bring a gently used book for a book exchange instead of a gift.

Suggestions for gift-wrap included wrapping them in things around the house that are re-usable (newspaper, brown bags, or cloth bags). Everyone was reminded of the annual holiday gift bag making party, and they were excited to do that again this year. People commented that their friends and relatives really liked the fabric bags.

Have more ideas? Share them in our Discussion Forum.

-- Melinda

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Recap: Grains, House Tour, Halloween

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:34:43 -0700

Grain Potluck
GreenMoms Coastside had a vegetarian grain potluck: we each brought a dish using a non-traditional grain. The grains we used were bulgur, millet, couscous, red quinoa, white quinoa, amaranth, and muesli which is packed full of different grains (rye, wheat, oats, barley, and triticale). Some of these have been around since ancient, from many different countries and cultures. The dishes we made were just fantastic - GreenMoms can cook! Some of the dishes were: muesli chocolate chip cookies, amaranth with sweet peas and feta, millet was used as a starch to top with and African vegetable peanut stew (can’t remember the name!), wheat bulgur with Swiss chard, barley salad with peppers and onions, and more! Check out the photos.

What is “green” about eating different grains at meals?
Some moms answered:
1. A variety of grains reduces demand on the whole-wheat monoculture.
2. It supports plant diversity which in turn supports eco- and biodiversity.
3. Supporting diverse organic plant culture also supports organic vegetarianism which can be more green in comparison to conventional vegetarianism and the mainstream meat industry.

What are other reasons to cook with non-traditional grains?
1. It helps add different nutrients to our diet. Different grains contain a variety of nutrients, especially if they are less processed.
2. It reduces dependency on wheat which may help minimize risk for gluten intolerance.
3. It adds more variety to meals.

Virtual House Tour
Amy discussed how she has greened her life including taking baby steps so she’s not overwhelmed, and that she has found this group very inspirational since she first joined in 2005 - she feels supported rather than guilted by GreenMom members [GreenMoms editor’s note: Hurray! This is one of our main goals – support, not criticism!]. Some of her steps:

• Using eco-friendly stain removers, laundry detergent & dish soap.
• Remembering to bring her own bag when shopping.
• Re-uses & recycles things more intentionally, especially in the kitchen.
• Most recently she bought shares of local grass fed beef from GreenMom Doniga, a cattle rancher here on the coast. The share is so large that she has been able to share it with several mom friends.

Halloween Ideas
Questions that came up:
• How to do green trick-or-treat with 200 plus kids coming to your door?
• How can you been green and healthy at the same time with your kids?
• Sometimes it comes down to if you want healthier or greener. It is hard to do both with non-candy treats. It is also hard to justify the higher price for healthier and greener items. However, don’t forget to consider the hidden costs to the planet when buying non-organic treats or toys from China.

Non-Treat ideas:
Smencils (pencils made from recycled paper)
www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?itemId=16749&gclid=CMXo7-2-8ZUCFRIcawodqEsueQ
2. Wicki’s (sticks of wax for play)
www.kidboxes.com/html/33/wikki-stixprimary-colors.html
3. Toothbrushes
4. Halloween coloring page with crayon
5. Small toys or stickers

Healthy Ideas:
• The Switch Witch: Pretend there is a witch coming to take the Halloween candy to replace it with a toy of choice. Or, just explain to your child that the candy will be traded for a toy of choice.
• Make a Halloween Party the focus of the holiday instead of the candy and go Trick or Treating just a little after the party.
• Non-chocolate Treats: fruit leathers or twists, nuts, raisins, crackers, energy bars

Costumes:
• Find on Freecycle.com or Craigslist.com
• Swap with friends,
• Re-use old stuff,
• Make your own (can be simple - an Elmo hoodie towel over a red shirt and red sweat pants makes a great Elmo costume!)

Have more ideas? Share your suggestions in our Discussion Forum.
Or submit your grain recipe to GreenMoms for posting on the site!

-- Melinda

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