I have been saving corks for many years thinking I would someday make cork boards for people....and well, I havent so I wanted to find someplace that would use them for something other than landfill.

I found Recork America.....

We are partners in recycling. ReCORK by Amorim (previously ReCORK America) is a natural wine cork recycling program. The ReCORK program is sponsored by Amorim of Portugal, the world's largest producer of natural cork wine closures, SOLE, a leading manufacturer of footwear products, and Amorim’s U.S. sales affiliates – Amorim Cork America and Portocork America. The goal is to recycle corks and to educate and inform our audiences about
 the crucial role cork forests play in curbing climate change....... recycled cork can become flooring tiles, building insulation, automotive gaskets, craft materials, soil conditioner and sports equipment

To locate a drop off location for your corks, visit the Recork America website .

Like most children, Halloween is one of my kids' favorite things about the month of October. However, it is a holiday that's celebration can have a real negative impact on the environment. From the disposable costumes and plastic candy wrappers that are littered throughout the neighborhoods, to the electrically lit pumpkins and blow up lawn decorations that are kept inflated night after night, Halloween can have a SCARY effect on our planet. Luckily there are many simple steps we can take as parents to make Halloween an eco- friendly holiday.

Costumes - I know this is a difficult one with all the commercialism and cartoon bombardment our kids get at every turn, but avoiding brand new store bought costumes each year can significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Costume ideas that are more eco friendly include renting a costume, passing on your older costumes to someone else’s kids or have someone else’s kids pass down their costumes to your kids. You can also make cute and simple costumes out of old sheets and clothing. September and October are also times of the year when thrift stores carry many costumes. These eco-friendly costume ideas not only promote recycling but will also save you a lot of money.

Treat bags - Instead of buying a new plastic bucket every year for your kids to collect their treats in, try using a cloth bag, a bucket from home, a pillowcase or a basket which you can decorate to match your kid’s costume. In September and October, you will likely find recycled Halloween buckets/baskets for sale at your local thrift store as well.

Treats - Try to buy treats that use as little packaging as possible or treats that use eco-friendly packaging. We as parents can also remind our kids and neighborhood trick-or-treaters to keep plastic wrappers and all other garbage off the ground and in the garbage. Some chidlren may even feel inspired to pick up wrappers found on their trick or treating route.

Pumpkins - If you are able to purchase your pumpkin from a local farmer instead of a large supermarket, your local farmer will receive a larger portion of the food dollar supporting endangered family farms and ensuring that healthy, flavorful, nourishing and abundant food will be available for future generations. Buying local keeps your dollars circulating in your community and builds a stronger regional economy. When your pumpkin has lost its Halloween flair, you can compost it in your yard waste bin and save precious space in our landfill.

As I was looking for eco-friendly ideas for birthday party games and favors, I found this great blog post on the website ecochildsplay.com.

I love this mom's ideas on low impact birthday parties and thought I would share here :

In our family, summer time is a full of birthday party celebrations. If your experiences are like mine, your children have attended some extravagant birthday parties that leave a heavy footprint on the Earth. Large blowup, bouncing jump rooms, corporate character disposable dinnerware, paper hats that don’t even last until the end of the party, dollar store junk for party favors, balloons and excessive decorations, etc. seem to be the norm in children’s birthday parties. For my children’s birthdays, I am always looking for ways to lighten our impact during these grand occasions, while giving them the special celebration they desire. Below are a few suggestions for lightening the impact of your child’s birthday celebration.

1. Use digital invites: By creating your own digital invitations, you can email them to your friends and family and reduce the amount of paper involved in the celebration. You may need to print a few invitations to mail for those families not connected to the web, but this will still lighten the impact. A homemade invite also becomes a keepsake to document the day, and you won’t be supporting the corporate characters targeted at children. You will also save time and money by creating your own digital birthday invitations.

2. Pick a natural location for the party: By hosting your party in a natural location, such as a beach or park, you will be combating nature deficit disorder and eliminating the need for jumping rooms, extravagant decorations, etc. Every year, we have our party on a neighbor’s beach. The river provides the entertainment and increases our attendance of distant friends who look forward to a day of river fun in the mountain sun! Also, if the party is located away from your home, you are less likely to go overboard with party favors, decorations, etc., as you will have to pack it in and pack it out of the location.

3. Use reusable plates, napkins, utensils, cups, etc.: I am always amazed at how much garbage is created from even a small birthday party. By using reusable plates, utensils, etc., you are lightening your party’s impact greatly, as well as teaching your children an important lesson about disposables. The clean up after the party will be greater if you use reusables; however, the benefits to the planet certainly outweigh a little of your time. If you must use disposable products, look for paper products that are made with recycled, post-consumer materials and corn plastic utensils that are compostable.

4. Provide natural, eco-friendly party favors: One of the things I dread about my daughter attending her friends’ birthday parties is dollar store, plastic junk and candy she receives as party favors. If you feel compelled to give out party favors, look for items that will not be easily tossed into the landfill and won’t break within a day. Crystals, polished rocks, geodes, etc. make wonderful party favors children’s cherish, and these natural items will contribute to children dramatic play at home. Several natural toy stores also carry party favors. These toys may be more expensive, but when placed in the larger picture of sustainability and climate change, the cost is irrelevant. Better yet, forego the party favors all together.

5. Serve a vegan, chocolate cake: Whether you make your own cake or buy one, think about the ingredients used in the cake and how you could improve this aspect of the birthday tradition. We are lucky to live near a bakery that makes the best vegan, chocolate cake filled with raspberry sauce. They will even make the cake with our own garden grown, organic raspberries. There are many great recipes available online for vegan cakes.

6. Make gifts optional: If your kids are like mine, they already have too many toys! The birthday party can be another contributor to this problem, and if you are like me and detest plastic toys, your child will inevitably receive annoying toys that you do not like. By making gifts optional, you will prevent families frohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifm feeling compelled to buy anything just to attend the party, and your child will not receive a gross amount of junk. Children already receive many gifts from their families, so eliminating a few toys from their friends will not impact the joy of their birthday. You could also request used toys and books or no gifts at all.

There are many ways you can lighten the impact of your child’s birthday, as well as teach them a valuable lesson in sustainability, conservation, etc. You can still have themed birthday parties without all of the commercial products associated with them, by asking families to wear homemade costumes, make your own decorations, etc. Keep it simple, and everyone will enjoy the celebration more, while doing a little bit to save the Earth from climate change.

In my search for ideas for eco friendly games and party favors for my son's upcoming birthday party, I found this great blog post on the website ecochildsplay.com.

I love this mom's ideas and thought I would share her great ideas on our blog.

In our family, summer time is a full of birthday party celebrations. If your experiences are like mine, your children have attended some extravagant birthday parties that leave a heavy footprint on the Earth. Large blowup, bouncing jump rooms, corporate character disposable dinnerware, paper hats that don’t even last until the end of the party, dollar store junk for party favors, balloons and excessive decorations, etc. seem to be the norm in children’s birthday parties. For my children’s birthdays, I am always looking for ways to lighten our impact during these grand occasions, while giving them the special celebration they desire. Below are a few suggestions for lightening the impact of your child’s birthday celebration.

1. Use digital invites: By creating your own digital invitations, you can email them to your friends and family and reduce the amount of paper involved in the celebration. You may need to print a few invitations to mail for those families not connected to the web, but this will still lighten the impact. A homemade invite also becomes a keepsake to document the day, and you won’t be supporting the corporate characters targeted at children. You will also save time and money by creating your own digital birthday invitations.

2. Pick a natural location for the party: By hosting your party in a natural location, such as a beach or park, you will be combating nature deficit disorder and eliminating the need for jumping rooms, extravagant decorations, etc. Every year, we have our party on a neighbor’s beach. The river provides the entertainment and increases our attendance of distant friends who look forward to a day of river fun in the mountain sun! Also, if the party is located away from your home, you are less likely to go overboard with party favors, decorations, etc., as you will have to pack it in and pack it out of the location.

3. Use reusable plates, napkins, utensils, cups, etc.: I am always amazed at how much garbage is created from even a small birthday party. By using reusable plates, utensils, etc., you are lightening your party’s impact greatly, as well as teaching your children an important lesson about disposables. The clean up after the party will be greater if you use reusables; however, the benefits to the planet certainly outweigh a little of your time. If you must use disposable products, look for paper products that are made with recycled, post-consumer materials and corn plastic utensils that are compostable.

4. Provide natural, eco-friendly party favors: One of the things I dread about my daughter attending her friends’ birthday parties is dollar store, plastic junk and candy she receives as party favors. If you feel compelled to give out party favors, look for items that will not be easily tossed into the landfill and won’t break within a day. Crystals, polished rocks, geodes, etc. make wonderful party favors children’s cherish, and these natural items will contribute to children dramatic play at home. Several natural toy stores also carry party favors. These toys may be more expensive, but when placed in the larger picture of sustainability and climate change, the cost is irrelevant. Better yet, forego the party favors all together.

5. Serve a vegan, chocolate cake: Whether you make your own cake or buy one, think about the ingredients used in the cake and how you could improve this aspect of the birthday tradition. We are lucky to live near a bakery that makes the best vegan, chocolate cake filled with raspberry sauce. They will even make the cake with our own garden grown, organic raspberries. There are many great recipes available online for vegan cakes.

6. Make gifts optional: If your kids are like mine, they already have too many toys! The birthday party can be another contributor to this problem, and if you are like me and detest plastic toys, your child will inevitably receive annoying toys that you do not like. By making gifts optional, you will prevent families frohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifm feeling compelled to buy anything just to attend the party, and your child will not receive a gross amount of junk. Children already receive many gifts from their families, so eliminating a few toys from their friends will not impact the joy of their birthday. You could also request used toys and books or no gifts at all.

There are many ways you can lighten the impact of your child’s birthday, as well as teach them a valuable lesson in sustainability, conservation, etc. You can still have themed birthday parties without all of the commercial products associated with them, by asking families to wear homemade costumes, make your own decorations, etc. Keep it simple, and everyone will enjoy the celebration more, while doing a little bit to save the Earth from climate change.

 SOLAR FAIR

 Saturday June 20

11-6 pm

Finley Center, Santa Rosa

http://www.solarsonomacounty.com/

SonoMax is a free service to  help keep good materials out of the trash.

Green Classified Ads.

IF IT CAN BE REUSED, POST IT ONLINE!!!

Alice Walker Designs has put out an eco-friendly lunch tote that I think is great. It's stylish and durable and allows you to pack a lunch that will leave no waste behind. The lunch box is insulated to help keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. It includes full size cutlery (fork, knife and spoon) and a cloth reusable napkin which all attach securely to one side of the inside of the lunch tote. The tote also includes three food containers with leak proof lids sizes small, medium and large. these containers could easily hold 1-2 adult meals or 2-3 kid meals inside. A stainless steel water bottle is  provided with an insulated bottle holder and strap/ carabiner if you wanted to take it somewhere separately, for instance on a walk or hike.

 The lunch tote is lead free and vinyl free and comes with a removable shoulder strap that is great for parents who are carrying arm loads of "stuff" everywhere. It allows one to sling the lunch box strap around the shoulder or across the chest for easy carrying. 

Chic, cute, and hip all describe the look and design of this lunch tote. The tote I received has a bright green interior on one side with a zebra print on the other. The water bottle is zebra print and the cloth napkin has a bright green and white polka dot design. The outside can be monogrammed in your / your child's initials for a customized look. The outside front of the lunch tote also has a small plastic window for you to include your address or phone number in case you leave it somewhere, which if you are anything like me, happens on a regular basis : ). 

I highly recommend this product for adults use in taking their lunch to work,  and kids to use for school lunches. It's purpose and design are appropriate for use by all ages and it's style and function make it a great buy for oneself or as a nice gift idea for a child or friend/family member. 

This eco-tote makes packing lunch and caring for the Earth fun! 

For more information on the Eco-Tote, please visit their website on the link above. 

I thought about posting a "Buy Nothing Day" post on Black Friday, which some people do in protest of our culture's consumerism which is symbolized in the biggest shopping day of the year (the day after Thanksgiving). But than I thought twice about it because I know these are very tough financial times for many people and maybe Black Friday  deals offer some people the only chance to afford Christmas gifts  this year.

 However, when I heard about the Walmart stampede and security guard's death on Long Island last Friday I was so saddened. Tens of people must have walked over this person without looking back to have something like this happen. Is a good deal really worth a life? Is our culture's pull toward consumerism so strong that we would trample a fellow human being to get a great deal on a TV, or a Barbie?

Starting our nations holiday season with a death like this should be a national embarrassment and  gives me even more reason to celebrate "Buy Nothing Day" every Friday after Thanksgiving.

Due to the economic down turn this year as well as just wanting to focus on family and friends and not gifts this year, our extended family has decided to fore go all gift giving this year. What used to be hours of opening gifts until near boredom and wasting reams of wrapping paper, we will spend this Christmas decorating cookies and filling out cards about what we are most thankful for and then read each others aloud. This was the perfect year to begin this (what I hope to be) tradition with the economy being so bad, it hasn't been hard to convince anyone to eliminate gift giving this year. And I think after the enjoyment and stress free Christmas we have this year with the focus being not on gifts but on one another, no one will want to go back to the "traditional" Christmas. 

The primary purpose of a Buy Nothing Day (in addition to having a terrific neighborly time out in the street) is to see what we can do as activists to urge and provide people with a period of respite, a pause for reflection from the incessant rigors of the consumption economy, which is the main thing that dominates the media and perhaps a few too many of our daily life choices and aspirations.

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!

With the holiday season fast approaching, your mailbox is likely to get stuffed with catalogs from companies you have never heard of before let alone the usual suspects, most of which you will likely not open or not be interested in. 

If you are interested in reducing the amount  of paper wasted by way of catalogs mailed to your home, here's a website I found that will help you  do that.

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.

***********************************************

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.

Sarah H. informed some of us GreenMommies that  this year's Coastal Clean Up day is September 20, 2008.

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind. Last year, 378,000 volunteers from 76 countries and 45 states cleared six million pounds of trash from oceans and waterways and recorded every piece of trash collected.

I think she and her family are going to participate and hopefully other GreenMommies may be interested as well. If so you can sign up here and a local coordinator will contact you. 

 Thanks Sarah H. for bringing that to our attention.

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

Stumbled upon this information..my plan is to put plants in the rooms I don't have one yet.

Though chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide are anathema to human health, plants can thrive on them, while also removing them from the air. Plants that top the clean-air list include peace lily, bamboo palm, English ivy, mums, and gerbera daisies, all of which are both easy to find and easy to care for, so even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still have a green home or office.

I enrolled at the JC to take a Wedding Cake class. Saturday was my 1st class. The teacher explained that the Culinary Center only uses Fresh, Local, Organic food.  In order to make our Wedding Cake next Saturday, we had to come up with a design were we couldn't use food coloring or fake extracts. We could use fresh flowers if we wanted too.

Well, I really wanted to use Jelly Beans, but I couldn't.  As of right now, my cake will be totally white.  I really want it to have a touch of color.  So, I was doing some research on organic food color.  Much to my surprise!  You can make color from other natural foods.

Here's some links:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/homemade-natural-easter-egg-dyes.html

http://www.treehuggingfamily.com/homemade-organic-paint-soap-for-kids/

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa020298a.htm

 And Vanilla extract

http://www.chow.com/stories/10956

 So, now I'm off to go figure out how to color a sample of the organic frosting I was given.

This is so cool to know. Another step in making my business "green"! 

Upcycling is the use of waste materials to provide useful products. Ideally, it is a reinvestment in the environment and embodiment of the notion that while using resources one is also contributing to them and their value. This is antithesis of the consume and waste concept in society.

This is the definition I found for "upcycling" in Wikipedia. I saw a featured artist on the Etsy.com site who creates all of her products she sells by upcycling from waste materials. 

Are there creative or practical things you do with disposable materials to upcycle? It doesnt have to be as fancy or artistic as this woman's work but I thought it would be interesting to hear what everyone's ideas were.....I know Jennifer K. has used toilet paper cardboard rolls as napkin holders. What are some other things anyone has done?????

I came across this book Gorgeously Green today while meandering around the web. You can browse through the book by clicking here.

Here is what one book reviewer  wrote about the book......

Simply put, Gorgeously Green is fabulously fun. The book and the accompanying website are packed full of fun and valuable information that prove that the saying is true, it really IS easy being green. I can honestly say I don't think there's a better reference for fulfilling SSF's mantra "look fabulous, live well, do good". In the forward, Julia Roberts calls the book a "bible of hope and help (not to menteion a good cleansing mask andn source for eco-cashmere). Author Sophie Uliano makes making greener personal lifestyle choices fun and accessible to everyone. She makes it irresistable.

Uliano hits all of the big lifestyle categories too: apparel, food, beauty, gardening, travel, weddings, etc. And yoga poses! Yes, sprinkled throughout the book are yoga poses and other activities to invigorate the mind, the body, and the soul. Best of all, her motto, "one change makes a difference", confirms that you don't have to be perfect...one small step here and there can add to a big difference over time, especially if a lot of us make the same small steps. The way she presents her ideas and solutions is what really sets this book apart...its fun, its positive, its interactive, its educational, and I have to admit - its completely girly. But that's OK! Her concept of becoming a 'green goddess' is exactly what the green movement needs. As I said before, she makes going green irresistible. The fact that she provides a definition and discussion of 'gorgeousness' says it all.

On the website you can find some videos as well. After watching them you sense her passion, commitment, and excitement in every page of the book. Don't miss GGTV on the website, and the 'Girls Club' must be a lot of fun too. Probably most important though, is that she takes providing background information and resources on key issues very seriously, toxins in cosmetics for example. I don't think I've come a cross a better treatment of the subject or a better collection of green options to address the issues. There are literally easy to understand definitions and website links everywhere.

Instead of buying yet another new toy, consider the possibilities already around your house.  I am not the most crafty person, but I’ve been finding some good ideas at www.thriftyfun.com.  A simple thing I’ve done is to put a bag next to our recycling, and garbage.  Now before I throw something away, I consider if it would make good art project material.  This is helping to keep some things out of the landfill, is helping my boys to be more creative, and is keeping us from buying more toys (and all the packaging, and environmental impact that comes from making and shipping them).

As promised, here is a Top 10 list of actions you take as a first step in reducing your contribution to global warming.  They come from Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. 

1. Change your light bulbs

2. Drive your car differently – or drive a different car altogether

3. Be more efficient with your homes heating and cooling

4. Tame the refrigerator monster

5. Be more efficient with you hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher

6. Green plants with less water,  plant more trees to provide shade

7. Buy Green Energy, and invest in green energy stocks

8. Go organic

9. Buy recycled

10. Be a minimalist

If this list makes you want to learn more, go to www.earthday.net.

Here's the first in my weekly series of green ideas (I might do a few extra to catch up in the next week)... 

It’s a new year!  It’s a great time to think about what type of green changes you would like to make in 2008.  There are plenty of lists of the “Top 10 Green Changes” you can make, all you need to do is do a Google search to find one.   Soon I’ll submit one I think is good.  But for now, just take a deep breath, and ask yourself, what kind of changes would you like to see your family make this year, that will benefit the earth?