Catching Up on Christmastime

I hope you had yourselves a Merry Christmas! We sure did. And somehow, I made it through the other side of Christmas without completely crashing. Oh, I got sick all right, and I got the first really gross cough I have had in years, but Santa came, my son loves his new toys, my husband and I actually have had time to spend together, and we had a lovely time with our family.

A blurry, but cute picture of Gabriel in his new Ikea chair (and wow, he loves it).
Thanks MomMom & Grandad!

So what now? Back to life. But it's starting to feel like a different life is unfolding for me lately. I think it has to do with the budding belly I have (and I might have been eating jolly the past weeks, but that bump is mostly baby, I promise).

Things just seem different to me. My purpose, I guess. I feel much more connected with being a mother than ever before. I feel like I CAN manage things. And it isn't that I didn't feel that way before-- I just think that somehow getting all our Christmas shopping done, stripping our cloth diapers of ammonia, cleaning, baking cookies, working, and being Mommy all at once made me feel good about myself. I mean, wow, I got a lot done in December.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Except blogging. Errr... sorry about that.

To follow, though, I want to say that I am feeling much more at peace with our decision to prepare for a natural birth. My husband bought me two books for Christmas (ones I wanted), which most natural birth Moms know (Birthing From Within and Hypnobirthing). They are excellent reads thus far, and they even came with a very sincere note from my husband that he is totally engaged in our preparation and pursuit of a natural birth. It was really touching to read his sincere commitment to something I want so badly. It made me realize this is something WE want, and I know that is going to be important.

Almost 19 Weeks along with our Gumdrop (#2)
Our "big" ultrasound is January 4th!

I guess where I am going with this is that pursuing a natural birth needing to be a team effort is much like the effort to go green. It has to be a team thing. You can't do it alone, and it's not always easy to make the choices you do. As this year closes, I realize we have so much more to do to be a greener household, but I feel exhilarated about making further changes (maybe taking on composting next Summer?!) rather than daunted because this is something we do as a family. And maybe that is what this Christmas has taught me. Making the journey of life as a family is a true gift.

I am lucky to have a beautiful, blossoming family.

(Review and Giveaway of The Best Homemade Baby Food On The Planet & a Review of Rockin Green Funk Rock coming later this week! Don't miss it!!)

Our Quest for a Natural Birth with Baby #2

So we're out of the first trimester (Whew!), and I am finally starting to feel human again-- as in, food is not repulsive, I can cook and change diapers without gagging, and I do not fall asleep sitting up on our futon watching Gossip Girl (Yes, I watch Gossip Girl. It is my one guilty pleasure).

And now it's starting to really hit me-- we're actually having another baby. And let's focus on the verb there. HAVING. As in, there will be labor.

I had preterm labor with Gabriel, and I contracted for seven weeks before I was induced with our first little nugget. My husband and I had signed up for breathing and relaxation classes that were scheduled for while I was on bedrest. As in, we never went to them. And in all the fear of "I'm not ready to be a Mom of a preemie," etc., our plans for an epidural-free birth went out of the window.

And now I'm not scared. Of preterm labor anyway. If it comes again, I am not going to let it intimidate me from having the birth I want. And I will say that Gabriel's birth was beautiful-- I was very clear that I would only go with induction if I had extremely good odds of it working well (I was dilated to 3 cm before any pitocin, and Gabe was very low-- I had very good numbers in the "this will work well" column), and things took off once my water was broken. I had a vaginal birth, which was the most important thing to me in the world, and I am so glad for that.

What was awful? The epidural. I was stuck more than five times. Whatever the resident did to me made me feel like a metal straw was being stuck into my vertebrae over and over again. The head anesthesiologist of the hospital then came to patching things up, and things went uphill from there... but the mere thought of an epidural sends crampy aches through my lower spine. I just can't even imagine thinking about epidurals while in labor. I just want to labor.

Is that reason I want a natural birth? No. I want to experience natural birth because I feel strongly that I want to experience the full-natured embodiment of child birth. I want to birth a baby without drugs going into his or her little body. I want to be able to walk right away without nurses hovering at my sides. I want a lot of things.

And so now, we're figuring out how to do this. We have decided, and to some natural birth mothers this may seem odd, to remain in the care of our OB team. I really have enjoyed working with these doctors, and they are in full support of letting us go natural. They have agreed to allow us a low intervention experience at the hospital without the constant monitors and IVs (so long as there is no emergency). And I do think this practice roots for vaginal birth. And they did a few things that made me happy while in labor with Gabriel-- one of them being a massage of oil for my perineum while I pushed rather than an episiotomy.

But what now? How are we planning to cope with the pain? Will I be able to get the room with the tub at the hospital so that I can labor while in water? What about water birth? Lamaze? Bradley? Hire a doula? Can we do any of this without spending a bagillion dollars? Is anything natural covered by insurance? What?

These questions all seem awkward, because a lot of the classes and things are meant for first time parents. And I have already been in labor and been coached and pushed. My husband and mother were amazing. My husband was such a calm, loving, and encouraging presence, and my Mom was empowering-- she always let me know that the head was coming closer or that she could see more. They helped me along so well. So I know that as my husband undertakes the role of a hands-on labor coach (I'm thinking massages and the like), he will be amazing at it. We just need the details.

So here we are... looking for the details. Any suggestions on our quest for a natural birth, including books, etc., would be great!

On the news...

So, we had a visit from CNN American Morning last week, and we were on CNN today about our eco-conscious parenting. Take a look at our family first hand (my last name is Bernard, by the way-- I didn't change my name, and I am a freelance writer so I like the correct one being out there).

Watch it here.

If you watch the clip, please know...

We said cloth diapering was EASY, Dave went on to say he loves using cloth (it's cheap and green), cloth does have less impact over disposables (hello, no landfills), AND we talked about lots of other things we do that are important, most specifically-- eating locally.

The Personality of Green

I've been wondering lately... Am I going green because I love the environment or because it's just my personality? And don't take that the wrong way, because of course I love the environment.

But then I think about the fact that generally I do not wear make up anymore. I generally don't care we have a tiny, tiny television. I generally don't buy purses or shoes or things...

And even if my family was not "going green," I think we would do some of the same things. So does a green Mom get credit for doing green things that just come naturally to her? I've been wondering...

-

For awhile cloth diapers were new to us, then they became routine, and then as I dealt with serious morning sickness from September until now, I felt the temptation to use disposables again. Because every very dirty diaper turned into a gagging session. And not your average gagging session. I'll spare you most of the details, but tonight I literally barfed while cleaning Gabe's diaper.

And that's when I decided that at that moment, nothing about my personality wanted to be green. But I did it-- because I love the earth and because I love my son.

So is it love that drives my actions? I'll shrug again because I'm just not sure. But the cloth diapers will get washed, and I'll be willing to gag yet again. Oh, and let's hope my morning sickness ends asap.

Gabriel's Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party

As of October 26th, we have a one-year-old in our home. And yesterday, we got to celebrate with family. We threw a Very Hungry Caterpillar Party, and it was really cute.




The cake was pumpkin with whipped cream icing. I covered the head (Gabe's "smash cake") with natural fruit roll-ups so we could peel them off as he destroyed it. I was dreading bright red icing being all over his everything.

I also made sugar cookies designed like the food the caterpillar ate through in the book. Hence, the sugar cookies all have holes in them! Yum.




Gabe didn't have any problems eating pumpkin cake... (it seemed like a more natural option, along side some fruit salad instead of the typical ice cream).

The Power of Hand-Me-Downs

As a kid, I sort of just rolled my eyes when my family got a a batch of hand-me-downs from family or friends. I would peer over my Mom's shoulder as she carefully removed each article of clothing from the bag spying the random wardrobe treasure and faux pas within the batch. I had no issue wearing hand-me-downs... as long as they were cool. And mostly they were.

As a Mom, my eyes grow wide when I am lucky enough to be given hand-me-downs. And luckily, Gabriel has really gotten a ton of hand-me-down clothes. I have a cousin (I guess it's relevant to mention here that I am the oldest child of my Dad, who is the oldest of his four siblings, so this age difference sort of makes sense) who is just 6 months older than Gabe, and because he is the youngest of his siblings, we have been given tons of little boy clothes. We've also gotten a bag here and there from other generous people, and it has really kept our clothes purchasing to a minimum.

Just recently, Gabe has caught up with my cousin so the hand-me-downs are trickling down less frequently. But I have discovered a whole new fun place to find hand-me-downs for the little ones---- children's consignment shops.

They are a gold mine, and honestly, more for little girls than for boys, but seriously, there are just piles and piles of beautiful, gently-used, nicely-priced clothing in these places. I bought Gabriel tweed pants complete with a sweater vest and button up shirt (with a decent tag) for $18. Bought new, this outfit would have been over $40 at this store. And now Gabe has something to wear to my Grandparents' 50th Wedding Renewal for a price I can handle, and a carbon footprint that makes me smile, too.

Because that's the thing I am getting at here-- Hand-me-downs are not just good for your wallet. They are good for the earth. Instead of heading out and purchasing ((I consider every purchase I make a vote for a product)) new, you can reuse something already made. In the long run, you can think of yourself sending a message to companies that you just do not need the new stuff... and if lots and lots of people start using more hand-me-downs and consignment clothing, demand will decrease. And that's less impact on the environment.

Sounds good to me! Here's a web directory of consignment shops to get you started. Word of mouth is your best bet when finding a real gem of a store, though.

No Impact Week: Something We've Continued...

No paper towels enter our home anymore. We use resuable kitchen towels and rags always. And it's so easy to just toss the dirty ones into the washer to be cleaned with whatever load goes in next.

My husband does sometimes suggest we have some "just in case, for the microwave," but I never give in because I am scared we would use them as a crutch for anything needing to be wiped.

But it would he handy to have them for microwave use.

But we are happier to be without them!

Searching for Afforable, Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen

Gabe will turn one at the end of October, which means he will turn two next October. For kids with birthdays at the tail end of the year near the holidays, it seems like it makes sense for birthday gifts and Santa's sleigh to give gifts of the future. As in, we're thinking Santa will bring a play kitchen to Gabriel because that way he can start by opening and closing the drawers, moving food from compartment to compartment, and by the time he hits two, he will be playing kitchen with me.

So here's my problem. We want Santa to bring an eco-friendly, nontoxic, wooden kitchen that isn't insanely expensive. I mean, it's a play kitchen, not a real kitchen.

And yes, I am looking now.

Any suggestions???

No Impact Week

After watching the film No Impact Man last month, I researched into Colin Beavan and family's one-year experience in drastically lowering their impact on the environment journeying into the "deep green."

No Impact Man has expanded to an 'organization' with a blog titled The No Impact Project, and teaming up with the Sierra Club, it has created an event called No Impact Week. This "one week carbon cleanse" is mapped out for you step-by-step in an online manual complete with other resources and savvy green suggestions.

Our little family is going to do No Impact Week, along with many other people and families who have pledged to do it, starting on August 29th. I'll blog about our whole journey, but what I want to know from you is....

Who wants to do this with us? If enough people want to do this, I'll host a daily blog hop for everyone interested, and maybe we will even have a twitter party at the end of the week. I would love to make a big deal out of this, but I need to know from you all if you want to join with me.

So comment or e-mail me if you want to do this with us, and visit the No Impact Week site to sign up for your manual!

Because Green Moms Support Each Other.

Head on over to Eco Friendly and Frugal and link up your green Mommy blog. I am really looking forward to finding some new, fun reads!!

Investigating Mama Cloth.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my personal care this morning. It's not really a random thought-- I literally just started my second "real" period postpartum. I know this sort of talk can be classfied "too much information," but it is just such a relief to see my body start to regulate itself again, even if it was with a 50-day cycle. I know that irregular cycles and hormonal rollercoasters are par for the course with breastfeeding (especially when you still nurse two or more times through the night-- my husband and I are exhausted.).

I also am pretty glad I did start a period this morning because I pumped less than an ounce this morning, and I was pretty freaked out about it (as in, I think my eyeballs popped out). I thought, "Well, maybe just maybe, my period is coming," and I was right! Now I just have to pray my supply jacks back up after my cycle is over and done. (It did after my first "real" period so, hopefully all will be well.)

Anyway, I digress from where I was going. This post is not meant to be about milk, though even as my son approaches nine months (?!!) I do feel like my life and thoughts revolve solely around that lovely liquid.

This post is supposed to be about Mama Cloth.

What's "Mama Cloth?" If you use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers, you probably know that women can ditch their disposable pads for cloth. Many retailers lovingly refer to these feminine hygeine products as Mama Cloth.

And I want to make a hardcore switch.

I did get my hands on a Happy Heiny's (as in, the cloth diaper brand) pad so it was ready for me to sample when I got my period last time. And I have to say I really liked it. It was ultra soft, fashionable (there are ones much cuter than the HH pads pictured available all over the internet, including on Etsy), and absorbent. It did the job, kept me comfy, and cleaned up beautifully.

But here's the thing-- I bought an overnight-sized pad to do the job during the day because the day-sized pads available look like a joke to me. It turns out I didn't need a huge amount of padding for my first period because it was so light, but if and when my period goes back to what I am used to it being, there is just no way I could use anything other than a heavy-duty option.

So that is what I have been searching for, and I have not had much luck. I have found one option-- you use an original pad, and on heavier days, you can snap in extra layers of fabric. But doesn't that just sound like it will get thick, lumpy, and possibly even visible through my pants? I am willing to make lots of sacrifices for being green, but I am not ready to let the world know exactly when I having my period via lumpy butt pants.

But I am still searching and considering, and within a month, I will be making some decisions on investing on a real stash of Mama cloth. Wish me luck, and if you have any recommendations, please let me know!

P.S. My friend Sarah did tell me about the Diva Cup, which I am also considering, but I am not sure if it's for me.

Book Notes: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

It's summertime, and for me, the heat has always inspired me to read (even when it was required for school).


This summer I've been digging into some sweet green reads. Here is my first suggestion from a line-up of good books. I am about 120 pages into this one, and it is simply beautiful.





Animal, Vegetable, Miracle takes you on Barbara Kingsolver's (as in The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, Prodigal Summer, etc.) first year journey of serious local eating. No, not just the farm down the street, but a move across the country from urban Arizona to rural Virginia and a life of eating only from farm markets and her family's true, free-range farmland. Beyond Kingsolver's lyrical writing on asparagus and morel mushrooms from a family-living perspective, the book shares fact-based information on the destructive and unhealthy modern food processes of America. It also shares lovely recipes.

If you pick up any book this summer, let it be this one. It leaves me feeling calm, inspired, and even a little hungry. I cannot wait to read the rest of her yearlong account.

Considering Green Cleaning Supplies

I was talking about green cleaning supplies today when it was mentioned that 'the earth-friendly stuff' takes extra elbow grease and "never looks clean." Well, no, they don't leave things eerily white. And yes, they do take a little extra scrubbing. They do the job, though, and I much prefer my home to smell of nothing rather than chlorajawhateverscent is in most cleaning supplies.

And my baby (and your pets!) can lick the floor (gross), and I don't wonder if his eyes will turn into two mini x spots within two seconds of doing so.


No, your kids should not guzzle down your dish soap. But when you are using eco-friendly cleaners without toxic ingredients, you don't have to panic if they lick the floor after a scrubbing. Poison control does not need to be notified if they drink a little cleanser. Sure, per the directions, see a physician and drink water. But it isn't life and death.

And eco-friendly is about the earth, but it is also about a comfy, safe, family-friendly home.

What's better than that?

My Not So Green Thumb

When my husband and I got married in May of 2008, my bouquet was simply gorgeous. I had a small bridezilla moment (f.y.i. my only bridezilla moment-- I am proud I was a flexible bride) when I was told lilacs were not available at the end of May because they bloomed early in the 2008 year. As you can see, the bouquet was gorgeous despite the lack of my favorite flower (and I know I definitely need to write a post about our wedding sooner or later.)

What was particularly special about my bouquet? It had ivy in it. My Mom was super sweet, and she rooted the ivy after the wedding, nestling it happily in a planter. My husband and I joked the ivy was our "love fern" (alla How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days). Well, the ivy lasted just over ten days. I seriously killed it despite my earnest attempts at reviving our little ailing ivy.



And I'm at it again. My parents gave me a gorgeous planter full of luscious plants and flowers for Mother's Day, and it is slowly dying. In the case of these plants, I at least am aware it is a case of over-watering-- some of the leaves turned yellow and browned after a cycle of watering every three days.

I'm also attempting to raise an organic bell pepper plant; I purchased it at our local organic farm. I sort of feel awful about losing it, as if I adopted a puppy and then had no idea how to care for it. It seems to be doing all right, but I definitely need to get reading on how to turn it into a thriving plant.























I know that in the modern world, I do not need to be a gardener or farmer, but I would sort of like to be one. It'd be nice to know that I could, you know, keep the green things I love alive.

My birthday was on June 13, and all I asked for from my husband was a set of herbs to grow and tend. We are yet to go select them because I have been reluctant to kill more plants.

Any suggestions on plant care? My father-in-law told me I need to be especially careful of how wet the dirt feels before watering them, but other than that I have no idea where I am going with this. I have a pretty singing voice; maybe I should sing to them... (Gabe has quickly gotten tired of my Twinkle Twinkle Little Star routine-- he now prefers Daddy putting him to bed. I found out his Dad sings him Ben Folds "Narcolepsy" as a lullaby. Well, I guess we know which parent is cooler now, don't we?).

Things that Go Stink.

This is a quick post to let you all know about stink issues.

1. We are currently trying to identify and correct a slight diaper stink issue. It seems that after Gabe pees in his microfiber pocket diapers, the inserts are stuh-hinking, not horribly, but enough that sometimes I have to do a vinegar rinse to rid the smell from the diapers. We used Rockin Green Classic Rock the first two months of diapering, but then switched to Country Save when we ran out in an attempt to be even more economical. We had no smell issues while using Rockin Green. What I am trying to figure out is if the issue is not enough Country Save, too much Country Save, Country Save itself, or something else entirely. We are probably just going to order some more Rockin Green (maybe in a scent this time, wee!) to correct the issue.

2. Per my post on hair mats for oil, I was planning on donating my hair for hair booms. Well, I received my address from Matter of Trust earlier this month, just to receive another e-mail almost one day later to let me know that address was no longer valid because the warehouse was full. I feel silly, but I just don't want to get my hair cut and have the hair sitting around my house waiting to get shipped away. I also am reading in some places that the hair booms are not being used at all, but Matter of Trust ensures the public on its PR page that this hair will be used for booms at some point in the clean up for this spill or a future spill. I am frustrated, and I still need a hair cut.

In the meantime, you can watch this ironically and sadly funny video of a sardonic sketch on the oil spill:

Got A Lot of Eating To Do

My Mom is borrowing my camera so my post on 'my not so green thumb' is now postponed until I can snap a shot of my ailing plants. So what am I doing instead as my little one takes an actual nap in his crib? Reading about his food.

I decided I wanted to do homemade babyfood while I was pregnant, and I remembered the other day I had cut out a list from a magazine (most likely American Baby, Parents, or Parenting) inspired by Dr. Greene's suggestion to introduce a taste from all 21 plant families before age one. I just refreshed myself on food for baby with the list and reading this great article from Dr. Greene on homemade babyfood.

In any case, I was sitting here looking at this list thinking, boy, we've got a lot of eating to do (yes, please hum that to "Got a Lot of Livin' To Do" from Bye Bye, Birdie -- sidenote: when my sister was in high school, she was the cutest 'Kim McAfee' there ever was.)

So this list suggests G eat something from the following groups (I'm listing what Gabe has tried underneath the groups in italics. Foods yet to try are plain. Foods I really want G to try before age one are in color.) I went here for further reference. I still am sort of confused on family names and things so this list is not comprehensive of all the tastes Gabe will try.

Mushrooms - yet to try
Portobello mushrooms

Bromeliads - yet to try
Pineapples

Woody Trees - check!
-Bananas

Cruciferous Vegetables - yet to try
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mustard
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Collards
Turnips

Myrtles - yet to try
Guava
Cloves

Umbrellifers - check!
-Carrots
Celery
Dill
Parsley
Fennel
Parsnip

Health Plants - check!
-Blueberries
-Cranberries

Legumes - check!
-Peas
-Green Beans
-Chick Peas
-Soy beans
-Lentils

Gourds - check!
-Zucchini
-Pumpkin
-Butternut Squash
-Summer Squash
-Acorn Squash
-Watermelon
-Cucumber
-Cantaloupe
-Honeydew

Composites - yet to try
Escarole
Lettuce
Artichokes

Sesames - yet to try
-Sesame Seeds (hmm... maybe some sesame seasoning?)

Lilies - yet to try
-Asparagus

Rosy plants - check!
-Apples
-Apricots
-Peaches
-Pears
-Plums
-Cherries
-Strawberries (age one)
-Raspberries (age one)
-Blackberries (age one)

Grapes - yet to try
-Grapes

Citrus Plants (age one) - yet to try
-Orange
-Grapefruit

Nightshades - yet to try
-White Potatoes (I made a potato puree that turned out HORRIBLY. Take two coming soon.)
-Eggplants
-Peppers
-Tomatoes

Laurels check!
-Avocado

Amaranths - yet to try
-Spinach
-Swiss Chard
-Quinoa (I really want to make G a quinoa cereal sometime soon.)

Loosestrifes - yet to try
Pomegranate (Maybe G will get some Pom. juice at age one. I don't understand how he could eat this otherwise, as yummy as I find the seeds in my champagne.)

True Grasses - check!
-Barley
-Oats
-Brown Rice

Bindweeds - check!
-Sweet Potatoes

Where do these go?
Mint
Mangoes

Um, we are 9/21. We've got a lot of eating to do! Gabriel is eight months today, and we started solids just over two months ago so 9/21 is not too bad of a showing for that schedule. And with Gabe's reflux, I've been reluctant to introduce him to foods which are reportedly gas-inducing or harder to digest like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc. But that little tummy matures every day, and this little man is getting ready for a real smorgasbord of food!

Green Guilt: Refocusing Eco Efforts

As much as I am constantly trying to improve our family life to be healthier and greener, I have news for you: I'm not nearly perfect.

In fact, sometimes, I am careless, forgetful, and ignorant when it comes to being eco-friendly. Most of the time, I take my mistakes in stride and challenge myself to double my efforts.

But every once in awhile, I get a case of the green guilt, and I feel really icky and awful inside.

Some recent green pitfalls?

1. Bags. I have a serious forgetful problem when it comes to remembering our reusable bags to the grocery store. We seriously need to start bringing our bags. There is no more room for forgetting.

2. Coffee. Last week being my birthday weekend, I bought myself an iced coffee at Wawa. That coffee is not local, organic, fair trade, or remotely healthy. There's no reason why I can't buy some organic, fair trade coffee and brew it here to chill in our fridge for iced coffee fun. I worked in a cafe for a little while in college... it's really not hard to make your own iced coffee. And during the summer, my husband and I could drink iced coffee, decaf or caf, all day long.

So, am I alone or do you sometimes get a case of green guilt? Where do you make green mistakes? Where are you trying to focus your greening?

I am writing this post not as a lament, but as a way of refocusing our energy into some things we have not been doing. We do do lots of great things, from cloth diapering to boycotting the consumption of sold pre-packaged water (more on this later), but there is always something else to do. There's always a new green challenge ahead. This summer, I'm going to refocus with bags and coffee.

Shenandoah Go Green.

In this day and age, it only makes sense that a National Park's lodge function in an eco-friendly way. For the Big Meadows Lodge in Shenandoah, green efforts are par for the course when it comes to hotel happenings.

A. The housekeeper only will replace your sheets if you place a specific card on your bed asking for it. Otherwise, he or she makes your bed nice and neat, but you reuse and reduce wash loads. This makes TOTAL sense. Who changes their sheets everyday anyway?


B. The housekeeper only replaces your towels if you place them in a pile on the floor of your bathroom. If you hang your towels after use, you give the message you will reuse them. Other than the need for a washcloth or two, it was no prob for us to skip the new towels.





C. Recycle by collecting paper, plastic, and glass items in this handy dandy little hamper. Sweet!










D. In the shower, a dispenser reduces on hotel shampoo, conditioner, and soap waste. It's just not neccessary to have the little trinkets to bring home, and this way, the housekeeper can stock up your room's soaps and let them be.

Fun in the Sun

Actually, fun in the sun isn't the easiest thing for a child's skin.

With the ever-looming information on climate change and the lifelong effects of sunburn in a Mommy's mind, it can be hard figuring out just what to use to keep your child safe from sunrays.



Luckily, the Environmental Working Group has compiled a list of recommended sunscreens that are not only baby and kid-friendly, but also eco-friendly. And we all know that combo makes me happy. The secret to effective, green 'screen? Ingredients like zinc or titanium.



Top choices on the EWG list?

Badger Sunscreen for Face and Body, SPF 30, Unscented.

California Baby Sunblock Stick, No Fragrance, SPF 30+.

I am yet to try these products so I cannot speak to their effectiveness just yet.
As always, consult your doctor when choosing sunscreen for your baby, especially if your bundle is under six months of age.



Other important considerations when it comes to le bebe et la sole?

(Please excuse my French.)



Hats are your friend. My little man is a fair-skinned, copper-headed hair babe, and I know my genes are not burn-friendly. I can only imagine the repercussions of leaving his head exposed outdoors.



Sleeves do not always equal sweat. Actually, sleeves on a shirt can keep heat off of your child's skin. And what better blocks the sunburn than an actual clothing barrier? Obviously, your little ones won't be sporting turtlenecks in 90 degree weather, but consider light layers when possible.



Be shady. Take some time for shade-friendly activities under the trees like blowing bubbles, reading a book, playing charades, or dancing. If you are using a baby pool for a child under two, try to place it in a shady spot of your yard.




P.S. Gabe is now obsessed with grass.

I'm making a hair appointment.

It's pretty much summertime, right? And seeing as I haven't had a trip to a salon since early in my second trimester, and my almost-seventh-month-old baby has taken to literally pulling my hair out (it's no fault of his really-- my long locks are everywhere even in a ponytail at this point), it's time. For new hair.

I'd love to say that the above is the actual impetus for making this hair appointment, but it's not. I'm going to make a hair appointment for an entirely different reason:

The BP Oil Disaster.

At this point, most people know about the devastating amount of oil spewing into the ocean toward the coast of the southeastern United States, and most people are aware of how terribly long the clean-up process will be. It's hard for any authority or specialist to truly assess the damage or quantity of materials needed to rectify or protect the coast right now because the oil "spill" is still going. You can watch it live here.

What does my hair cut have to do with the oil spill?
You can use hair to help contain and collect oil! I never knew this until one of my sisters mentioned it to me, and wow, how cool it was to discover just how this process happens. And I have to say, when disaster strikes, you can sometimes feel so small. Doing something little like donating some or a lot of hair to help can be quite empowering. (That feeling of empowerment is a big part of why I donated milk for Haiti, too.) With summer hair cuts on the horizon, I think this would be a great way to do good as a family, too-- a totally teachable green effort moment for kids and parents alike.

Matters of Trust

I went the old-fashioned way and googled "oil spill hair," and my search results brought me to Matters of Trust, an organization dedicated to reallocating unneeded resources from businesses, individuals, etc., for creative reuse. Matters of Trust runs a specific program dedicated to collecting human and animal hair to create hair mats and booms to collect oil. Oil spills are not a new problem, and statistics show that millions of gallons of oil spill ever year-- in other words, donating my hair to help collect oil is something I could have already been doing, and it is something I can continue to do in the future.

Here is a Matters of Trust video illustrating how the hair gathers oil...

Amazing, right? It makes sense-- our hair is heavily able to carry oil; we shampoo our hair for this very reason. So why not send off that shampooed, oil-ready hair to help out right now? You can help protect wildlife, rectify a disaster, assist the fragile Louisiana economy, etc. etc.

Here are the directions on how to collect your hair for Matters of Trust:

1. You have to register with Matters of Trust and mark that you are interested in participating in their hair mats for oil program. Do this here.

2. Matters of Trust will e-mail you information on the process and the address to ship your hair. Follow your e-mailed directions! (I am currently waiting on mine.)

3. Collect your hair.

- Line the box with a plastic garbage bag so hair (and fur, fleece, feathers) can't slip out

- Ideally, donate shampooed hair, but it doesn't have to be. Just don't include filthy hair / fur that has stuff stuck to it.

- Any length is fine. (I think I might snip a tiny piece of my baby's hair just so I can tell him later he sent his hair to the oil spill. I think that would be cool.)

- Every type of hair is fine (straight, curly, all colors, dyed, permed, straightened...) but only HEAD hair, please! Yes, dread locks are okay to send - although we find they have fungus inside when cut open - so please separate in their own bag and mark "DREADS". They are handled separately. :)

- Sweep in all clippings, JUST HAIR, but please NO OTHER GARBAGE (gum, metal clips, paper cups, wrappers...)

- Remember volunteers (sometimes young students) have to stuff this hair into booms and don't want to feel garbage or anything sharp

- Tie the top of the bag and tape the box shut

- We also accept washed, used (even with runs) nylon stocking donations in a separate bag, please.

- We also accept fur and other "natural fibers" waste wool, alpaca fleece, horse hair, feathers... again, please, no other garbage or contaminants in with the hair/fur/ fleece fibers... (a handful total per bag of hay and seeds are ok, but no garbage and, of course, absolutely no poo!) Thanks!

- Mark the boxes DEBRIS FREE HAIR (FUR, FLEECE, FEATHERS) and / or NYLONS

- Mail boxes in to the address(es) we provide you by email AFTER you sign up (free and fast).

And that's all, folks! As always, I'll keep you posted on the process.