Environmental Mama

Electronic Invitations?

This particular topic does not specifically relate only to those individuals with children.  Although, I have to say, it seems like I field many more invitations as a parent than before children (most are birthday party invitations for one or more of my kids). 

In this great age of digital everything, a new type of invitation has emerged.  The electronic invitation, such as an e-card or "evite."  An electronic invitation is, of course, much more ecologically friendly than a paper invitation.  However, does it introduce new etiquette?  Follow traditional etiquette?  I often wonder how others feel.

From an environmental perspective, digital invitations can't be beat.  They do not waste valuable paper resources, eliminate delivery (and transportation costs/resource use), and are much less expensive.  No hunting down snail mail addresses or buying stamps.  A moment is all it takes to invite numerous people to an event.  Often, it is an exceptionally eco-friendly and inexpensive method of sending out invitations to an event.  The question, is....is there a line between resourceful and tacky?

Does old etiquette apply to the new digital invites?  Are some events off-limits for an evite?  I think there are clear-cut issues (a wedding invitation--definitely not; the bonfire at your house on Friday night--send an evite!), but there are "fuzzy ones."  A child's birthday party?  A wedding or baby shower?  Hmmm....

What about the handling of the invite?  With a paper invitation, I would propose you are obligated to send a gift if you are unable to attend.  I always do.  However, an evite.....I must admit, I do not.  It often depends on the situation.  If I receive an evite for a close friend's baby shower, I'll certainly send a gift if I can't make the event.  Yet, the co-worker I barely know who sent the invites to the entire office.....probably not.  It seems like evites are more widespread than a hand invitation.  Having to write out an invitation and pay for the cost makes the sender more conscious of whom they include on the guest list.  Tapping a few keys makes it extremely easy to invite 50 acquaintances to the birthday party.  Am I being terribly rude by not always sending a gift in my stead?  Anyone want to weigh in? 

From an Earth Mama perspective, evites are a fabulous invention.  I would admit, however, they have limitations that you should acknowledge and observe.  If you think I am living in the twentieth century, instead of the twenty-first, speak up.  Otherwise, I say.....use your evites for Mama Earth!  But, skip them for the big events.  

--EM

New Year's Resolution (sort of)

Well, I am not one for New Year's resolutions because they seem silly and I like to decide to do things on random days, rather than on Jan. 1.  BUT, considering my pathetic blogging history (read: non-existant) over October, November and December, I am going to make a (sort of) resolution.  That being, that I will blog more often, aiming for at least twice a week.  Maybe Tuesday and Thursday?  No promises on that, though.  So, anyone else have any environmentally friendly New Year's Resolutions--real or sort-of ones? 

--Here's to a whole new year!

EM

D's Third Birthday

Happy Birthday D!!  Okay, so this really has nothing to do with the environment other than I am proud of my cake!  I decided a few years ago that it was expensive to buy birthday cakes every year for my kiddos, so I have since taught myself how to make birthday cakes.  Each time I ask them what they would like and then figure out how to do one.  So far, I have managed a pirate girl cake, bunny cake, baby shower cake, race car cake, a hannah montana guitar cake (that one was a doozy) and now.....a chick hicks cake (from Disney's Cars)!

 

Of course, since the entire cake is homemade, as is the icing, it has no preservatives (I suppose other than the food coloring) and tastes great!  Since C now has to be gluten free, it's gluten free as well.  Yay, Environmental Mama! 

Okay, a relevant post soon...

--EM

Breastfeeding

I have once again gotten comments about how I am "STILL breastfeeding my baby"?!?!  STILL??  Of course, he is seven years old and in elementary school......oh, no--wait!  He's FIVE MONTHS OLD.  Perhaps I am one of the only mothers on the planet that hasn't figured out how to feed steak and mashed potatoes (well, tofu and veggies) to a toothless five month old.  Someone will have to help me out here and explain how they have their infants off formula or breastmilk.  I suppose I shouldn't tell people that I nursed my last baby past 18 month.  Yep, that's right.  He had a full mouth of teeth, was walking and talking (sort of), and we were both completely happy. 

Ok, seriously.  It floors me that people seem to think you are supposed to nurse your baby for three months or less and then pat yourself on the back for doing your job.  I understand that is doesn't work out for some women or that some women decide not to do it at all.  I agree that something is better than nothing.  I do not understand those women that nurse their baby 6 or 8 weeks or three months and decide they have done their job and quit.  Why?  The beginning is the rough part.  Your milk supply is all over the place, you leak, the kid is goofy and it takes forever to feed that newborn.  Every two hours or so you are sitting down to feed a baby for 20+ minutes.  Oh, yeah and it hurts.  I get it. 

What I also get is what most people don't:  after the first three months or so is the best!  The baby is great at latching on, and it doesn't hurt at all anymore.  Your milk supply regulates, and feeding is super quick.  My five month old can "fill up" in about 8 minutes every 3 or 4 hours.  No bottles, no mess, no work.  Once every three and half hours, I pop him on a boob, switch, and am about done.  I think it is the best and laziest thing I have ever decided to do!  Another perk is that it gets easier with each kid.  You know what you are doing and that makes it simpler and get to the "easy part" much quicker.  No, it is not always perfect and yes, it takes work.  So does being married and raising children and pretty much everything else in life.  You don't have to take it to the point that I do where the child goes from breast to table food and a sippee cup.  I'm not even a baby food fan.  It's expensive, time consuming (especially if you opt to make your own) and not all that necessary.  They didn't have food processors a hundred years ago.  Seriously.  I nurse my babies and start throwing soft, mushy table food at them around 6 or 7 months old and give them a sippee cup to play with.  By about a year, they are good at table food and the cup and I start to slowly wean.  It's simple, easy, and a whole lot cheaper.  

Here is some further information from an article titled "Why Should You Breastfeed?" by a physician:

Contrary to popular opinion, there are few reasons why an infant cannot be breast fed. Breast milk is the preferred source of nutrition for all infants through the first six months of life, and most experts recommend breastfeeding an infant for at least the first year.

Babies who are exclusively formula-fed have a higher incidence of health problems than do infants who are breastfed. Surprisingly, in the US, exclusively formula-fed infants have a 21 percent higher mortality rate.

The Department of Health and Human Services, through its Healthy People 2010 initiative, has established the following goals for breastfeeding: 75 percent of all US mothers will attempt breastfeeding beginning at birth, 50 percent will continue breastfeeding through the first six months, and 25 percent will continue breastfeeding for one year after birth.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Human milk is designed for human infants and is nutritionally superior to formulas. Through observational and clinical studies, breastfeeding has been strongly correlated with multiple health benefits for infants and mothers:

Immunologic Support and Disease Prevention

• Decreased risk of bacterial meningitis, sepsis, diarrhea, otitis media, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, asthma, Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, sudden infant death syndrome, and diabetes (Types 1 and 2)

Developmental

• Improved outcomes for premature infants

Psychological

• Analgesic or comforting effects during painful procedures

Maternal Health

• Mothers who breastfeed experience decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, reduced postpartum bleeding, and earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight

Economic

• A projected $3.5 billion reduction in annual health care costs, including reduced hospitalization costs, public supplementation programs (such as WIC), and direct patient costs

Environmental

• Reduction in disposal of cans and bottles in public landfill sites

Here are some website about breastfeeding:   

www.kellymom.com

www.llli.org

www.breastfeeding.com

So, I would ask anyone pregnant or with a baby to challenge popular opinion and nurse beyond the first three months.  (Be even crazier still and nurse your toddler!)  And for those of you with older children or no children at all, stop asking the mothers of infants if they are STILL nursing their baby.  Applaud instead. 

--EM!   

Vegetarian Lunches: 12 Easy Ideas

I've mentioned before that I am a vegetarian, which is better for the environment and my body.  I'm sure I will do a basic vegetarian post soon, but here is an informative post on eating vegetarian for Lunch.  For those of us who still want to eat meat, just reduce the quantity, lunch is an easy way to go.  Veggie lunches sometimes require some "thinking outside the box" if you are used to the traditional lunch meat sandwiches.  Here are twenty easy ways to eat a healthful, completely vegetarian (but not vegan) lunch.

1.  Baked potato....yum!  Just stab with a fork and zap for 5ish minutes.  Top with salsa or cheese or both.

2.  Leftovers from dinner, minus any meat.  Rice and veggies are a favorite lunch of mine.  There is also very little work involved since it has already been done when you prepared dinner!

3.  Soup (I like this for winter).  There are millions of veggie soups out there.  They are delicious!! Either grab and heat a can of vegetarian soup (brands like Amy's are a personal favorite) or grab a cookbook and make some soup.

4.  Ravioli.  Ravioli stuffed with cheese or veggies are really good for lunch.  Add some marinara sauce.

5.  Veggie and Hummus sandwiches, pitas, wraps, etc. 

6.  Wholesome muffins are an interesting change of pace.  Add some fresh fruit and yogurt.

7.  Gotta have it:  A salad.  A handful of nuts, seeds, or beans on top will keep you less hungry later.

8.  PB & J, of course.  Another idea is to make a silken tofu pb spread.  Simply process in food processor equal parts natural peanut butter, silken tofu and a tablespoon of honey.  Spread and enjoy!

9.  Try a variety of nut butters instead of just peanut butter.  Almond butter, cashew butter....the list goes on and on.

10.  Pasta salad with incorporated veggies makes a different main dish for lunch.

11.  Bean dip with pita chips and carrots to dip.

12.  Breakfast!  Pancakes, cereal, scrambled eggs.  All yummy for lunch!

There are plenty more options for a veggie lunch.  I encourage you to broaden your horizons and eat a vegetarian lunch today.  Until next time...

--EM

Sustainability

Hello for today.  I have recently run across a very cool website about "people-powered sustainability."  Actually, my sister, H, sent me the link and I am digging the site.  Thanks, H!  It covers a variety of different avenues to encourage sustainability.

What is sustainability?  Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia defines that sustainability, in the most general sense, is the "capacity to endure."  I think that is an excellent explanation.  Ecologically, the word refers to how biological systems remain diverse and productive in the long term.  In regards to humans, it is the long-term maintenance of well-being and health.  This personal health depends directly on our environment and a responsible use of natural resources.  The difficult part of sustainability is that it always refers to the long term.  We, as humans and particularly Americans, do not excel at the long term.  We prefer instant gratification and short term results.   Nevertheless, it is very important to consider how today's actions will affect tomorrow.

Here are some excellent ways for you to ensure the Earth's sustainability:

1.  Patronize the local farmer's market.  Support the responsible small farmer who is more passionate about his crops and animals than out to make the big bucks.

2.  Try to utilize biodegradable soaps and detergents.  Phosphate run offs in our fresh water streams and lakes is a large problem for the fish and aquatic life.  There are some excellent alternatives to harmful traditional soaps and detergents (and are becoming more accessible at stores such as Target and Walmart).  Companies such as Seventh Generation, Dr. Bonner's and even Palmolive make phosphate free, biodegradable soaps and detergents.

3.  Plant some greenery.  Whether you plant a tree, a small herb garden, or a whole vegetable garden (I'm working on this), plants are essential to the Earth's biosphere.  It is a simple way to make a difference.

4.  Be conscious of the resources you utilize.  Try to use a little less.  We all tend to be wasteful of water and electricity.  Bathe your kids together or use rainwater on your lawn.  Turn the unwatched TV off.  Weatherize your house.  The nice trade-off here is a lower cost for you wallet.

5.  Raise your children to respect the environment.  Simple things you teach them will carry on.  Have you ever noticed how you tend to buy the things your mother bought?  Used her brands?  It will be the same with your children.  Install positive, sustainable practices now.

There are a multitude of things I could list here and probably will expand in the future, but for now, these 5 are a simple way to start.  Oh, and check out that website:

http://www.sustainlane.com/

--EM

Canning with Children

So, yesterday I was promoting how fabulous it is to can your own produce, so I thought I would cover how to do that while watching your little ones.  Canning is not hard, but it is very time oriented.  The jars have to be processed for specific amounts of time and it's all hot.  You don't want kids around the hot boiling water and cooling jars (unless they are old enough to help).  The easier thing to do is to break the canning process into two stages.  This also applies if you don't have kids and are short on time and don't have several hours at once to devote to canning. 

Stage 1:  Wash, peel, pit and chop the fruit (if necessary).  Berries are the lucky ones here because they don't need to be pitted.  Store in tupperware in fridge.  If you are doing several batches, (I did a double batch of peaches and it took me about an hour to chop all those peaches) it may take a while.  Break time.

Stage 2:  (within a day or two of stage 2)  Prepare jam or whatever and can.  Process according to recipe. 

This will cut the canning into two separate time blocks, which make it easier.  Then I take advantage of naps and bedtime.  I start the cooking of the jam before naptime, then put kiddos down and have naptime to fill and process jars (more time intensive).  Then I don' have kids wandering in to see what I am doing while I'm through hot stuff around the kitchen.

This also works well if you are coming home from work and are too tired for a several hour process.  Chop and peel the first night.  Go relax.  Cook and process the second night.  Relax again.  

More to come..

--EM

Canning Jam

I am so excited about canning my peaches from the farmer's market.  (I am also going to have to give some to my neighbor because we switch and swap homemade jams and jellies all the time).  I have to admit, I am a novice in the home canning department.  I have only tackled boiling water canning and only acidic fruits.  I am hoping to tackle homemade spaghetti sauce and salsa (maybe even barbecue sauce) soon.  It is a recently acquired hobby since B left this last time. 

I highly recommend the Ball Blue Book of Preserving.  It is full of tips and recipes.  I also really like seeing things in person, so if you can find someone in your neighborhood that cans, maybe watch one time (my aforementioned neighbor taught me).  There is also a wealth of resources on the web.  Canning is a great way to preserve farmer's market food at the height of the season.  It is also the best from a frugal standpoint because it is free storage.  Any shelf holds properly canned food.  Freezer space costs money to maintain and quickly runs out.  I start stashing cans everywhere:  it's great!  Environmentally, the more you can use locally grown produce year round, the less we are all paying for shipping produce grown thousands of miles away in a warmer climate.   

More to come on this subject, perhaps I will do an easy "How to Can," with my tips, if anyone is interested.  I suppose the general take away from today's blog is that it is more environmentally friendly to preserve in season produce than to buy (expensive) out of season produce at the grocery store. 

Tackle a new hobby!  Learn to preserve food!

Signing off for now,

EM

Farmer's Market

Sorry to have been MIA for a while now.  Life in general has been kicking my tail.  We've been dealing with flooding rain, pinworms, pink eye, thrush and a newly diagnosed food intolerance for C.  But, here I am again and am on to one of my favorite topics:  the Farmer's Market.

Although we live in a small town, we are fortunate enough to have a farmer's market.  I love the farmer's market!  It is environmentally responsible and frugal...and FUN!  This time I picked up some baby potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and beans.  Oh, and I bought a HUGE basket of fresh organic peaches.  That sucker was HEAVY!  I am going to can it and make peach jam and peach butter......so excited!  I also came home with natural soap, a cloth baked potato bag and a "jug jacket" for nursing.  Okay, so I already had a different nursing cover-up (not to mention a plain old blanket works too), but I hated the stupid thing because it was like a hairdresser's cape.  And baby hated it too because he felt trapped (so I think).  This one was lightweight, and had wire in the neck to hold it slightly away from baby and was covered in really cute little cowboys.  I normally just don't cover up, which is fine with me.  I am super duper pro-breastfeeding and feel you shouldn't have to hide away to feed your baby, but let's face it....sometimes you don't feel comfortable plopping baby on in front of certain company.  To be honest, I usually feel like my "audience" is more uncomfortable than I am (this is baby no.3, and baby no.2 was 18 mos and still nursing so my threshold is way high).  Oh, and A currently likes to check out his surroundings while eating, which means he stops and looks around which leaves me a little too exposed.  Cute, cute find. 

Okay, so I digress.  The point is, I like to spend money at the farmer's market.  I think it is the best place to spend your money (and get the most in return) and the most friendly for Mama Earth.  Here are some reasons why:    

1.  Supports small local farms and hand-made crafts

2.  Fresher produce, picked when ripe

3.  Encourages "in-season" eating

4.  Saves money in your wallet by putting you in direct contact with farmers, cutting out the "middleman"

5.  Reduces travel expenses and waste (ex: less gas utilized to get fresh produce from farm to front door)

6.  Healthier for your body than processed foods

7.  Shared sense of community

8.  You can also bargain for your goods (Note here:  I usually don't, because all is almost always cheaper than the grocery store--but I do when buying in bulk.  Farmers are usually glad to round to even dollars, even if its in your favor)

9.  Less chemicals/pesticides used by farmers who care

10.  Kids usually leave with treats for them, making them cooperative.  This time C and D scored lifesavers and little American flags for each of them (which they are "saving for when B comes home"--ha!)

Oh, I love the farmer's market.  Find your closest one and check it out!  A hint to you:  go early!

-Environmental Mama

Frugality is Environmentally Responsible

Today's economy is rough.  Being more frugal is popular at the moment, as people are struggling to make ends meet.  Regardless of whether or not it is currently popular, every day frugality is better for the environment.  Buying unnecessary items or wasting resources creates more waste for our landfills and pollutes our environment.  Choose something that you can be more conservative with--such as gas for your car or setting the air condition a little warmer than normal.  What ever you choose, you will benefit your monthly budget as well as the Earth.  So a shorter post for today, but pick one thing to tackle and go for it!

--EM