What is everyone planting this year? And how?

We are going to try zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, and lettuce. We are doing it all in pots on the patio.

You?

They’ve developed a washing machine that only needs 23 milliliters (a cup) of water per load—about 2 percent of the usual dose.

 Xeros

If you are looking for a free stocking stuffer that supports green lifestyle, I have coupons for Farm Fresh to You that offers $10 off your first home delivery of organic produce. I can send you some if you like and you can use them as you wish...in stockings, attached to gifts, in green gift baskets, whatever...

 I have tons of these, so I can send as many as you think you will use.

Just email me with your address and how many you would like at: fondushka@yahoo.com

Happy Holidays!

CAn you imagine?? Could it get ANY better?!

 http://www.thewhofarm.org/

From Ode magazine....probably my favorite mag at the time. Check it out if you are unfamiliar. I thought this article would be of interest to you all. Talk about, uhm...obsessed?!? But in a good way! But...don't expect to find this type of 'toilet' at this greenmommy's house!

Rebekah and Stephen Hren took a 75-year-old house and turned it into a model zero-carbon home. Here’s how.

I will be bellydancing at this event, and do volunteer work with Mother's support network. Should be a great event, and if greenmommy wants a table there, please contact the organization!

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Save the Date!
Mothers' Support Network board members are gearing up for our annual fund-raising event. This year, it will be "Tread Lightly: A Fall Family Resource Fair." This family friendly resource fair is for sharing information regarding the health of both family and Mother Earth. It will be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Carmichael Park. If your interested in helping to shape this event, or want to be sure to save a spot for your family-friendly business, please contact Mya at mya@motherssupportnetwork.org.

Green Drinks International

Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.

We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just say, "are you green?" and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there.It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organizing network.

These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It's a force for the good and we'd like to help it spread to other cities. Contact your local node to get the latest info about coming along.

You can also email edwin [at] greendrinks [dot] org if you want some tips on how to set up Green Drinks in your City.

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I noticed that there is one in Sonoma and Sac has one too. I thought it might be of interest to some, as well as a potential place to market and promote Greenmommy.org

It doesn't look like there is one in Santa Rosa organized yet.

So, in the past month I have talked with TJ's as well as our local Parks and Rec regarding recycling issues. At TJ's store, I started a discussion regarding their sample cups (which are often plastic and thrown away immediately). Each store is operated independently in many ways, so this local Sac store was willing to look into other more sustainable options for sampling, and in the meantime they told me they would take my suggestion and put a bucket there to encourage people to put their plastic sample cups in, so that they can be recycled with their weekly recyclables.I was very happy to hear this! Now, I will address the other store.

 Also, I was thrilled when Joaquin and I hit our neighborhood park today and saw them finishing the recycling center that they put right by the play structure! My talks with park and rec turned to action! They have a nice sheltered center with a garbage can in it and a bottles/cans can in it as well.  I'm so happy to see it there, and that they cared enough to follow through.

Point being....this was easy. I asked,discussed a bit, and it happened. Took a few emails and a call. I want to encourage you all to take it a step further next time you think of something that could improve. Thanks Emily for being my inspiration after reading what you facilitated at your local Y. 

I came across this through a mothers group and I wanted to share. We all have different expectations and goals around celebrations in our families, and I know I personally struggle with materialism and celebrations and how to best balance those. I found PROJECT BIRTHDAY that is a non-profit that does bday parties for homeless kiddos in shelters. Great idea, and they have various ways to help out. 

I feel a movement coming on...I was inspired by this, and wanted to share.

ROSA LOVES

I liked this response on a Treehugger post, regarding big buy-outs of smaller eco companies. It can be frustrating when a good company like burts bees gets bought out by clorox, but the final comment makes alot of sense. What do you guys think of the big buy-outs?

What's wrong with "selling out", this is what happens in business. The big companies get bigger until they can no longer sustain yearly profits. Consumers get sick of it and start buying from the small guys, the small guy becomes bigger, more profitable and the cycle continues. I am just glad this time that the businesses that are currently "fashionable" are trying to be eco friendly. Let’s not out green each other here people. You can complain about big business while drinking your morning coffee out of a Styrofoam cup. At the end of the day, cow flatulence is going to lend a bigger contribution to green house gas emission then our tanned hyde leather shoes and coffee. Does that mean we boycott Ben and Jerry's for all the darn ice-cream? No, let’s encourage eco conscience behavior from all business big and small.

I found these natural bug repellent wrist bands made with essential oils that are non-toxic, affordable, and recyclable. The company encourages recycling them, and for ever 5 you send them back, you get a free gift. Regardless, they look like a great alternative to anything with chemicals (i.e. DEET). I hope to be able to pick a couple up for camping this weekend and give them a try! There are also kid versions.

BUG BAM

Hey mamas...I'm proposing a little challenge, a nudge, a step...to choose ONE thing to buy local from now on. Could be one fruit, one veggie, one piece of clothing, a bar of soap, dairy, meat, herbs, yogurt, flowers, etc....

Just ONE item that you would normally buy anyhow, but just switching to buying it local. Don't take on whole categories of things, just one thing for starters. Or, one additional thing for those of you who are buying local frequently.

This is your challenge, should you choose to accept it. :)

I haven't completely decided what my one item will be-although I am leaning towards homemade soap- but I hope everyone will post their choices and sources on the blog!

This CROW clothing company is an inspiration. They are eco-all the way around- and offer a sliding scale pricing for their clothing line. It reminds me of the business model that One World Everybody Eats uses. It is so great that companies are beginning to have such a positive and inspirational business model. Definitely something to support!

I enjoyed this article alot...here is an excerpt:

For us to wait for legislation or technology to solve the problem of how we're living our lives suggests we're not really serious about changing--something our politicians cannot fail to notice. They will not move until we do. Indeed, to look to leaders and experts, to laws and money and grand schemes, to save us from our predicament represents precisely the sort of thinking--passive, delegated, dependent for solutions on specialists--that helped get us into this mess in the first place. It's hard to believe that the same sort of thinking could now get us out of it.