I know some of you may not receive the Santa Rosa mothers group newsletter so I just wanted to pass a long this information about The Living Room's Gift and Clothing drive going on during the month of November.

The Living Room is a wonderful local agency that supports women and children in homeless situations. If you are able to donate gift items (for women or children), clothing or food items (particularly those listed below) or if you can donate some of your time at the organization during the week of Dec 14 while they are setting up for the holidays and making it a really special time for their participants, anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or the Living Room coordinator Caroline Banuelos at 321-0976 or cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Thank you very much in advance if you can help in any way. - Emily Vincent


Here (below) is a copy of an article written in this months newsletter with more detailed info.....

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

The Living Room Clothing and Gift Drive

By Mary Hortin & Emily Vincent – Community Service Coordinators

 For the last several years, the Santa Rosa Mothers’ Club has collected donations for The Living Room’s Holiday Store. We are proud to be continuing this tradition again this year. The Living Room is very concerned about receiving enough items this year.

 The Living Room is a daytime, drop-in center providing safe haven for women and their children who are homeless in Santa Rosa. Throughout the year, women who utilize The Living Room earn “points” which they use at the “store” to purchase donated goods for themselves and their children for the holidays.They serve people from 0-80 years old.

Don’t be intimidated by this long list, whatever you can do to help is greatly appreciated.

Please only NEW, unused items.

For their Christmas store and Santa’s visit: new children’s toys (no plush toys please) and adult gifts.

 High need items are:

• Pajamas (two piece sets sizes 4-14)
• Blanket sleepers (toddler sizes)
• Slippers for mothers and children (all sizes)
• Pocket calendars
• New underwear (kids to adult, especially ladies’ sizes 8 and up)
• Diapers (especially sizes 5 and 6)
• Sanitary pads and tampons
• Anything for cold and rainy weather (especially socks, gloves, scarves, hats, blankets, coats, sleeping bags and umbrellas)
• Stocking stuffer items
• Gift cards for teenagers (movies and clothes)
• Handheld games
• Arts and craft supplies
• Cosmetic bags
• Large shampoos
• Hair accessories (brushes, combs, clips, scrunchies)

The Living Room feeds 60-80 people two meals a day.

They frequently run out of items like :

• oatmeal packets,
• packets of hot chocolate,
• tea (especially herbal)
• dry cereal.

 Items need to be turned in to The Living Room by December 10 becasue the store and dinner party are the next week.

The Living Room is seeking volunteers for the week of December 14^th.Even a small amount of your time would be greatly appreciated. 

Duties would range from

• setting up the store for the women and children,
• assisting them in selecting items  
• wrapping gifts

If you are interested in helping please contact Caroline Banuelos at 321-0976 or cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Drop off sites all through November / Deadline Dec 9th:

 The Living Room

636 Cherry St

Santa Rosa 95404

cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Monday through Friday OPEN 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

       or) Emily Vincent

579-3566 or emilyvincent@hotmail.com

(I can pick up your items if you are unable to deliver to one of the drop off sites)

Mary Hortin

570-1621 or morthort@sonic.net

Baby Stroller Drive

During October, drop off a new or used stroller that's in good operating condition to a Community First Credit Union branch. CFCU will deliver each stroller (along with $20 for each) to The Living Room, a local agency that provides help to at-risk women and their children.

LOCATIONS in Santa Rosa:

Central Santa Rosa
501 College Ave.
(northeast corner of Mendocino & College avenues - just south of the JC)
9a to 5:30p, Monday-Friday; 9a to 1p, Saturday


West Santa Rosa 70A Stony Point Rd.
(just south of Finley Aquatic Center)
9a to 5:30p, Monday-Friday

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.

Weekend Along the Farm Trails sponsored by Sonoma County Farm Trails
Over 40 Farms Open the Barn Doors
2009, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sonoma County, CA –

On Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, dozens of local farmers and artisan producers throughout Sonoma County from Healdsburg to Petaluma will open their doors to tell the behind-the-scenes story of local food during Weekend Along the Farm Trails sponsored by Sonoma County Farm Trails.

Join local farmers for a weekend of tours, artisan foods, hands-on activities, cooking, pick-your-own, agricultural demonstrations, music and harvest. From hay rides to cheese-making, Weekend Along the Farm Trails offers a chance to experience Sonoma County's agricultural heritage. Participants of all ages will learn how and where their food is grown, and meet the farmers and artisans who produce it.

Admission is free to most farms: all you need is transportation, a map and a sense of adventure. The gates and barns of your local farms are wide open on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the Sonoma County Farm Trails.

Free tour information and map available on www.farmtrails.org or visit Farm Trails FACEBOOK page for tales from the farms. Call Sonoma County Farm Trails for more information at (707) 837-8896.

Sonoma County Farm Trails is a non-profit organization formed in 1973 to promote buying fresh food directly from farms. Over 100 local farms and agricultural businesses comprise its membership

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.

 The Environmental Discovery Center of Sonoma County offers multi-sensory, hands-on activities for people of all ages. Rotating exhibits focus on a different aspect of the natural resources of Sonoma County.

 Center's Features

• Nature Trails
• Outdoor Amphitheater
• Storytelling Cavern
• Science Activities
• Technology Tent - interactive computer games
• Theater - Educational videos

For more information,check out their website

 I heard about this on NPR and thought I would pass it on.....

I am happy to hear that "green" is going mainstream. There are some down sides to greening mass production that's done overseas ( as you will hear when you listen to this story), but I am still happy to hear about the direction we are slowly heading in.

  Zoe&Zac, the new "green" shoe collection from Payless Shoes, hit shelves last week on Monday, April 13. The collection offers shoes featuring organic cotton canvas, hemp, linen, EVA (non-PVC) foam beds, recycled rubber and water-based glues.

The entire collection for women and girls is offered at a budget friendly price of under $30. The packaging is also eco-smart and uses 100 percent recycled shoe boxes printed with soy-based inks.

Also, for every Zoe&Zac item bought, Payless will contribute $1 to The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Campaign.

EARTH DAY ON THE GREENWAY

Celebrate  Earth Day’s 40^th birthday on the Prince Memorial Greenway with a clean up of Santa Rosa Creek.  The restored creek flowing through the heart of downtown provides a home for river otter, kingfishers, egrets, and steelhead trout as well as parks, public art, and recreation along the six mile creek trail.

Date: Saturday April 25

Time: 9:00 – noon

Location: Olive Park footbridge near the Vineyard Creek Hotel on West 3rd St.

Noah and I will be going to help out at this event. 

We hope you can join us for this great opportunity to introduce our children to the idea of  community service and environmental responsibility.

“After tens of thousands of years of children playing and working primarily outdoors, the last few generations have seen such interaction with nature vanish almost entirely. The implications -- for children's physical and mental health… -- are immense”  (Richard Louv, interviewed by David Roberts, 30 March 2006)

Yesterday we spent the day at Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen, less than a 30 minute drive from Santa Rosa. It was a beautiful park with a lot of history and easy trails for the kids to hike on. Not only did we learn a lot of neat information about Jack London, California writer and adventurer, but the beauty of the area was also incredible. 

One thing I have noticed with the kids in nature is that we almost never have behavioral problems with them. In nature, all their senses are engaged, nothing is off limits to touch, see, and smell. It is in the natural environment where kids really get to organically create and explore.

The state of California is sponsoring a Children in Nature Campaign. A few of the goals of the campaign are to:

• Encourage children to experience nature and give them the opportunity to develop a sense of wonder and joy for the natural world,
  
• Increase children’s awareness that nature is everywhere,
  
• Build children’s knowledge of the interconnectedness of natural systems,
  
• Help children develop the critical scientific and social skills necessary to address environmental issues, both locally and globally.

I am encouraged by the effort California is beginning to make by making the connection between nature and kids a priority. If you want more information on ways your family can participate in the Children in Nature Campaign, follow the link above.

If you family visits a regional or state park, I encourage you to post information on it to share your find with us. Jack London State Park was a gem of a place to find, with kid friendly trails and interesting history for any Californian.  

For all you moms who love going to the movies but have a hard time finding the time or the opportunity to do so because of your children, Rohnert Park Reading Cinema presents "Crybaby Matinee"

You can bring children and  infants ( tantrums and feedings are ok : )

Every Wednesday at 1 pm . Adults pay matinee price and chidlren under 5 are free.

Heres a sample of this months movies..... 

Rohnert Park 16 - Wednesdays at 1:00pm:

• January 07The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• January 14Gran Torino
• January 21Defiance
• January 28Rachel Getting Married

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. 

Since we are opening the blog discussion to broader issues, I want to voice my opinion regarding Proposition 8. The California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in May of this year, ruling that the state Constitution's promise of equal protection affords gays and lesbians the same right to marry as heterosexual couples. The ruling overturned Proposition 22, passed by voters in 2000, which defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. By amending the Constitution, Proposition 8 would remove the basis for the court's ruling.

I had an acquaintance send me an email (who must not know me very well) a few weeks ago, asking me to vote yes on the proposition. I told her that my family was voting NO on PROP 8 because we believe in equal rights for all people. Her reply was "I agree w/equal rights for everyone, too, in fact, there are people in my own family who are gay- I just don't feel it is needs to be 'taught' as part of curriculum, esp in kindergarten." 

I was surprised by the connection she made between gay marriage and school curriculum so I looked it up on the internet. Of course there are arguments made from both sides of the Proposition on how it would or wouldn't impact school curriculum. Here is what I believe:

Kate Kendell, executive director for the national Center for Lesbian Rights, said it’s a mistake to compare Massachusetts education policy with that of California because of the different education laws and provisions for opting out offered to parents in California.

“The claim that Prop. 8 has anything to do with schools is a lie,” Kendell said. “The way children are taught today won’t change one bit.”

The California Teachers Association, state superintendent O’Connell, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the American Civil Liberties Union, and gay and civil rights groups oppose Prop. 8, saying it is misleading to inject education into the debate over gay marriage.

“Bringing in education as part of the campaign for Prop. 8 is solely designed to scare people into supporting the elimination of rights of people to marry the person they love,” Kendell said.

On Tuesday, supporters of Prop. 8 attempted through blogs and e-mails to encourage parents to keep their kids home from school to protest a decision last week by the California Teachers Association to donate $1 million to the “No on Prop. 8” campaign. But local school districts reported no significant changes in absentee rates.

The thought also crossed my mind that as someone who believes in equal rights for everyone, I want my children to be taught in school that all human beings have (or should have) equal rights when it comes to marriage, voting, job opportunities, or any other human right for that matter.  How sad to think that some people feel so threatened by that notion of human rights for everyone.

My Sister-in-law gave us 2 booster seats to use.  Well, I looked at the date the seats were made, and they have expired. One was made in 1999 and the other in 2001.  Car seats expire after 6 years.

I was searching the internet to see if there was a place in California that does that. I found 2 websites that I thought would be of interest to you.

http://www.momgogreen.com/2008/05/recycle-car-seats.html

http://www.enviromom.com/2008/05/critical-mass-f.html

They have a recycling program in Portland, Oregon. 

As for California, right now the only thing to do is either break apart the seat yourself or take them to your local CHP.  If you do throw away the car seat, make sure you cut the straps so it can't be used.  Since the ones I have don't have straps, I find it best to take it to the CHP, since they have the proper tools to cut them up. Also, if they need to, they will use them as demostrations in their car seat safety classes. 

One of the ways we can care for the earth is by eating seasonally. The more we eat in season, the less fossil fuel it takes to get our food to us. So I thought throughout the different seasons, we could share recipes with one another to help encourage us all to eat more local/seasonal.

This one is very simple but one of my favorite fall / winter foods. Not only are sweet potatoes delicious but they also have a very high nutritional value.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

serves 4-6

3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, rinsed and cut into 3/4 inch rounds

2 T olive or vegetable oil

salt and pepper

 Toss potatoes in large bowl with oil and S & P.  Place on baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place in cold over in middle rack. Turn on oven to 425 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and return potatoes to oven for an extra 15-20 minutes.Then flip slices over and cook for 18 more minutes.

 And there you have the perfect roasted sweet potato....

My kids LOVE them with ketchup but I think they are great plain.

The California Academy of Sciences is a new aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and research institute all under one LIVING roof which just opened last Saturday. I haven't been there yet but imagine that it is a wonderful place for children to explore and learn about the amazing beauty and wonder of the world and reinforce the idea of taking care of it.

Every third Wednesday of the month is free. 

My family will be going on Wednesday, October 15. Feel free to join us. 

Fast Facts

Awards

• EPA's regional 2006 Environmental Award
• North American winner of the silver Holcim Award for Sustainable Construction.

Power Savings

• The new Academy will consume 30% less energy than required by San Francisco's codes
• Sixty-thousand photovoltaic cells will provide 5% to 10% of electricity from solar energy

Water Savings

• The Living Roof will absorb nearly 3.6 million gallons of rainwater per year

 “The total message of the building is a green message. It’s about life, how we got here, the marvelous diversity of life, it’s preciousness, and the choices we face in learning how to stay.”

Pumpkin Patch and Farm Days

Sept 26 - Oct 31

Thursdays through Sundays 10 - 6:30 pm

5360 Bodega Avenue (5 miles West of Petaluma)

• -U- Pick organic pumpkins
• -Take the Sunflower Maze Challenge
• -Make your own butter
• -Hayrides
• -Feed a calf
• -Learn to milk a cow
• -Enjoy Farmstead Ice Cream

I posted about this a while ago but I wanted to remind all of you about the Weekend Along Farm Trails weekend

September 27 and 28 in Sonoma County.  

Our family and some friends have been the last 2 years and really loved it. We milked cows, pulled potatoes, climbed hay pyramids, hid in corn mazes, found pumpkins, picked apples, pet all kinds of farm animals, samples cheese and ice cream made from local dairys.......

If you make a weekend out of it, you can visit a lot of farms and your kids will love it.

Some of the activities include:

• Special farm tours
• See animals on the farm
• Visit pumpkin patches with fun activities for kids
• Learn gardening and landscaping tips
• Visit unique nurseries with a variety of plants
• Meet Sonoma County food artisans
• Taste freshly picked fruit and vegetables
• Connect with the farmer that grows your food
• Savor a restaurant meal featuring local ingredients
• Visit wineries during crush and harvest season

September 27 & 28, 2008  ~   10 a.m. – 5 p.m. , Saturday & Sunday

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!

 ********************

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.

Baby Loves Disco (BLD) is coming to Santa Rosa!  Sat, Oct 4, 2008 from 1pm to 4pm at The Last Day Saloon.

http://www.babylovesdisco.com/

The host, Jessica, is also the host of the South Bay BLD.

Please check out the website.

We use "Clean Well", promote local businesses, and have fun! 

If you and your kids haven't gone to see the movie WALL-E yet, you should. You will love it!! Oh and your kids may enjoy the cartoon too : ) Here are excepts from an NPR review I found online.

Pixar has always focused on loss, decay, and the dark side of materialism. Here that theme extends to the ruination of the planet — and Wall-E ranks among the most sublime feature-length works of animation ever made in this country.

Apparently, humans never changed course on pollution and consumerism, and sometime in the 22nd century they were forced to leave a planet they had turned into a giant garbage dump. But they left without turning off a robot they'd left behind. He's basically a trash compactor on treads — a Waste Allocation Load-Lifter: Earth Class, or WALL-E — who has, over the course of 700 years, developed a personality.

This movie highlights how many people are still focused on material gain often at the expense of the environment as well as some people's apathy about their connection to the earth as well as to others. I won't spoil it but it does have a great ending, so you won't leave feeling depressed but rather, maybe.....hopeful.

This is how the "universe" always works....When I heard this story airing on NPR yesterday, I thought, ”Of course. That’s how the universe works when you are tuned in”…. and sometimes (only sometimes) I am tuned in. The timing seemed to be "cosmic" because I had recently dusted off my old VHS tapes from childhood and selected the movie Charlotte’s Web to share with my kids. After watching it with them, I felt really touched and moved by the character of Charlotte and told my friend Jen A. about it when she was in town about a month ago. Since then I have been thinking about Charlotte a lot.

I love Charlotte because she is caring but straightforward, she is hardworking and extremely loyal to her friend Wilbur. She is also wise and a little sassy.

I have been restless with ideas lately about feeling like I am not doing meaningful work, and maybe I need to go back "to work", and do something "important" instead of staying home with my kids. I like to think about Charlotte when I think about my role as mother (particularly as stay at home mother) because since having children 4 years ago, I often have had internal struggles about whether what I am currently doing is important or has meaning. Before I had children and decided to stay at home with them, my identity was largely wrapped up in my profession as social worker and I was reminded every day of my purpose and importance in making a difference to people and in the community. As a mother, that sense of purpose and importance is much more…subtle and gradual (at least for me).

I do have so much gratitude for the opportunity to be able to stay home with my kids and I know that it is often seen as a luxury. I also, however, cannot help struggling with questions like “is this work important?” and “is this work meaningful?” and “is this my ‘calling’ right now?”. I think those questions will likely always weave in and out of my life as I make certain choices. Watching Charlotte’s Web with my kids, though, has helped me to remind myself during those questioning times that Charlotte did many magnificent things like write on her web, rally a barnyard of animals around a cause, and ultimately save a life, but what she called her life’s magnum opus (her masterpiece) was her children and that gives me comfort.

So I appreciate (as Jen A. can attest to because I think I was pretty emotional when I told her this) and have learned to remind myself of the things I learned through Charlotte’s character. That being a parent is some of the most, if not THE most important work one can do. Raising the next generation. And as a GreenMommy, I am particularly proud to be a part of a group of woman who are not only raising children, but raising future stewards of the earth by the influence we have on them now and by raising consciousness.

So if you are interested in learning a little more about the character of Charlotte or haven’t read the book or seen the movie in a while, I would encourage you to check them out. I really enjoyed this piece that aired yesterday on the character of Charlotte. And when I listened to the many different people who spoke about Charlotte, it made me feel better that I am not the only one who is brought to tears by a spider.

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 came across this quote today and really liked it. Luther Burbank as most of you Santa Rosans know came to Santa Rosa in his 20's and is famous here and around the country / world for developing more than 800 varieties of plants and flowers. Most famously among his creations are the Shasta Daisy and the Russett Burbank potato (which is the most widely cultivated potato in the U.S.) McDonald's uses the Russett Burbank potato for their french fries......that has got to be A LOT of potatoes. 

Anyway, I wanted to share this poignant quote that I found today as well as let any of you local Santa Rosans know that if you haven't been to Luther Burbank gardens in a while (or ever), its a beautiful, peaceful place to go and see beautiful gardens and learn more about Burbank who was a pretty fascinating person and true environmentalist.

 
"Every child should have mudpies, grasshoppers, waterbugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, animals to pet, hay fields, pinecones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets - and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of his education." 

- Luther Burbank

Since summer / fall seems to fill up fast, I wanted to give you an early heads up for the "Farm Trails Weekend" which this year will be the weekend of September 27-28.

We visited about 8-9 farms last year during their farm trails weekend and LOVED it. The kids dug potatoes out of the ground, milked cows, picked fruit and vegetables, saw all kinds of animals, and in general got a real flavor of the local Sonoma County farms. I would highly recommend it!!!!

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

Cameron and I took the kids camping over the weekend and I think overall it went really well. The best part about it was that there was no distractions such as the TV, radio, toys, etc. I think there were many benefits I saw taking the kids camping. We actually sat around a lot and talked (what a concept!), showed N and R how many things there are to be interested in in nature such as observing the birds and other wildlife, taking nature walks, collecting sticks for the fire, and showing them what real darkness looks and feels like. 

We were in fact very close to civilization (Anadel State Park) but they didn't know that. The nice thing to see was that they didn't seem to get bored once (unlike at home where they seem to need constant entertainment). In a place where on the surface there appears to be nothing to do, there was actually so much to do and see and learn. 

My parents were not campers  (in fact I remember my dad had a T shirt that said "My idea of camping is when room service is late") but thankfully I had an aunt and uncle who were and introduced me to the world of "roughing it".  I think the earlier we introduce our kids to the beauty  and appreciation of nature, the more they will have that love for nature ":in their bones".

 With rising fuel costs and the economic troubles many are facing, camping is also a great way to have a really wonderful time with family, without spending a lot of money.

For information on local camping spots, click here. 

http://www.munchiemug.com/about_us.html

 They were at the Baby Expo in Santa Rosa today at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Downtown farmers market in Santa Rosa began last night.

FREE each Wed night 

May through August

5:30 - 8 pm along 4th street

Local farmers, vendors and activities for children.

A great venue to get local, organic produce, cheese, bread and meat. 

Yesterday and today for May standards around here (Santa Rosa) have been incredibly HOT as most of my fellow bloggers know.

What are some ways you and your kids are staying cool while keeping your "carbon foot print" light? 

We have been spending the week in Laguna Beach which is a quaint beach town with lots of high end shops, luxury cars, body augmentations of one kind or another, etc. I have long held some pretty strong biases about towns like this and the people who live there, i.e. they are shallow, only concerned with themselves and their money, etc. I know that's awful that I have thought that way but I guess that has been my stereotyping of SoCal since I have never  lived here and because I got most of my information about the people who do  live here from watching "90210" when I was in highschool.

Anyway, we took the kids to the park yesterday and I saw a playgroup of moms and kids (all looking very put together, very blonde, very thin, fancy cars parked on the street, on and on and on) and a table nearby that said "FREE SNACKS" with tons of fruit, packaged snacks, drinks, sandwiches piled high. Being my dumpster diving, free loading self, I took a few snack for me and the kids and then, looking for who to thank, said to the group "Did you put out those snacks?" The women said they did and that they come every week with the snack table and put out free snacks for people who are homeless as well as any other parents who come to the park with their kids  (They also leave a little sign on the table that says "Come Join our Group") They were super welcoming and friendly and I thought.....I am so glad I had this experience! When I looked around in fact there were several people who appeared homeless who had helped themselves. What a great way for these moms to set an example for their kids about sharing with others and treating people who are less fortunate with dignity and respect. Later as I was remembering when we first arrived at the park, I saw a man who appeared to be homeless sitting down and talking with the women and I assumed he probably just barged in to their group and was talking to them and they didn't know how to tell him to go away....however now I realized they probably welcomed him into their circle and may have even initiated their conversation.

Anyway, I bring this up for two reasons. The first being that I am so glad when I have the opportunity to be proven wrong in my biases and stereotyping of people and I am reminded of how hurtful and powerful those biases / stereotypes can be if they go unchecked so I am so grateful for that experience. The other reason I bring this up is that I think what these women do each week is so inspirational and also so easy. Buying some extra food and drinks at the store for many of us isn't a great hardship but for someone who doesnt know if they will eat from day to day, it means the difference between going to "bed" (bed being most likely outside, on the cement or grass somewhere) hungry or not. And the impact this simple act of kindness would have on our kids would be invaluable. I know that passing out snacks every week to a few people isn't going to solve the problems of homelessness. However, I think just the gesture of kindness and particularly "seeing the Other" rather than pretending they (people who are homeless) don't exist is really powerful for the giver and receiver. I also think everyone is a giver and receiver in this type of exchange....

So I feel moved to do something similar to what these women started  in our community of Santa Rosa (and neighboring communities).   Does anyone else have the same feeling and if so would you want to put our heads together to come up with a way we could reach out to our community weekly/monthly?

If you have a little one at home, or know someone who does… come to the first in a series of “Green Mommy Talks” at Kidspot!  

It will be the last Friday of every month at 10am.  The babies/young kids play while the Mom’s have a casual discussion.

Joaquin and I went to the performance part of this great traveling educational program called Common Vision. I'm very inspired by the work of this volunteer group. I would highly recommend viewing their calendar and participating someday with your kids if you have the chance. It is fun, green, participatory and educational! Great drumming and dance too! View the video on the website for an overview of the program.

I give a green-thumbs-up to this program! 

While browsing today on Esty I came across this site.  We have talked recently about giving green gifts and to me this is a great example.  I've been trying to stay away from things Made in China, well this is made by a sweet little girl with Autism.  I hope you'll take a moment to check out her site.   

Santa Rosa's 114th Annual  Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival

Saturday , May 17th

Parade Steps off at 10 AM in Downtown Santa Rosa
Festival runs 11 AM to 4 PM in Downtown Santa Rosa

I was excited when I learned that the theme of this year’s event will be “Go Green & X-Treme” which will showcase activities that take life to the edge as we focus on reducing our carbon footprint.

Some of the days activities will include:

Iron Chef competition adding a new twist – X-Treme n Green Iron Chef competition – in which the participants will  be judged on their ability to cook green and extreme; 

Green Zone where you will be able to learn about how each person can make a difference and help to sustain our planet.

 Good for Santa Rosa!! It's definitely a step in the right direction.

National Public Radio recently did a story on the effects that toys have had on children's imaginations and self regulation / control over the last 50 years. I have included a few excerpts from the story that really caught my attention. Not only is it important information for parents but I think it also gives more credence to the idea that many times less is more.

Howard Chudacoff, a cultural historian at Brown University..... recently published history of child's play argues that for most of human history what children did when they played was roam in packs large or small, more or less unsupervised, and engage in freewheeling imaginative play. They were pirates and princesses, aristocrats and action heroes. Basically, says Chudacoff, they spent most of their time doing what looked like nothing much at all.........."They improvised their own play; they regulated their play; they made up their own rules."

But during the second half of the 20th century, Chudacoff argues, play changed radically. Instead of spending their time in autonomous shifting make-believe, children were supplied with ever more specific toys for play and predetermined scripts. Essentially, instead of playing pirate with a tree branch they played Star Wars with a toy light saber. Chudacoff calls this the commercialization and co-optation of child's play — a trend which begins to shrink the size of children's imaginative space.

 A growing number of psychologists believe that these changes in what children do has also changed kids' cognitive and emotional development. It turns out that all that time spent playing make-believe actually helped children develop a critical cognitive skill called executive function. Executive function has a number of different elements, but a central one is the ability to self-regulate. Kids with good self-regulation are able to control their emotions and behavior, resist impulses, and exert self-control and discipline.

I remember most of my childhood was spent outdoors unsupervised with all the neighborhood children running around, playing games, making up rules and imaginary worlds. It is hard for me to imagine my children doing that now with all the safety issues that exist (or maybe we just think they exist???) 

On Chudacoff's point about giving children less toys and allowing more imagination, I totally agree and I like the environmental benefits of that too. I think we have all had the experience of buying our children new toys (doll, tractor,....whatever) only to have them play with it for 5 minutes and then put it down so they can use the cardboard box it came in for the next hour for imaginative play......(or some scenario like that.) I think this is one way our kids are telling us that we are drowning them in "stuff".

What do you think about this study?

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).

I found this site. Thought it was neat. 

http://www.baby-planet.com/Default.aspx

An email that came to me from the Organic Consumers Action group  featured a study that showed that children who ate conventional (non-organic) food were  found to have varying levels of pesticides in their bodies.

A new peer-reviewed study found levels of nerve-gas like pesticides in the bodies of children who eat conventional foods. Researchers found that if a child switched to an organic diet, the pesticide disappeared from the child's urine within 36 hours. Organophosphates were designed during WWII specifically to kill humans and later evolved into commonly used pesticides for food crops. The study has not yet linked the pesticide levels to specific foods, but other studies have shown peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, strawberries and cherries are among those that most frequently have detectable levels of pesticides. 

Although I don't buy organic everything 100% of the time, this study is a good reminder to do it as often as we can afford to.