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

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!   

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 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

21 Ways to be “Green”: Making choices that help Mother Earth

1.  Use compact fluorescent bulbs instead of traditional bulbs.  CF bulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.  You may not think that is much, but multiply the energy savings by every light in your house and then by every house in the world…..

2.  Use cloth napkins instead of disposable napkins/paper towels.  Using disposable napkins and paper towels wastes precious resources to manufacture and adds senseless waste to our landfills.  Invest in some cloth napkins and kitchen towels and use them instead.  Both the environment and your wallet will thank you.

3.  Recycle as much as possible.  Why not?  Conserving materials allows us to maximize our landfill space (which is a finite resource). 

4.  Reuse even more than you recycle.  Even better than recycling an item is reusing it.  Objects purchased at secondhand stores, inherited from friends or reused within your own home is the best way to be environmentally friendly. 

5.  Use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers.  It takes 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees to manufacture diapers for US babies alone.  Not to mention the array of chemicals that will sit against your precious baby’s skin.  Do your little tyke and the Earth a favor by cloth diapering.

6.  Breastfeed.  Not only is breast best for your baby, you reduce resource use and packaging materials by choosing to breastfeed.  Not to mention as a friend’s husband once said, “Why on Earth would you pay money for something when your body makes a superior version for free?”

7.  Reduce or eliminate unnecessary driving.  Utilize public transportation and carpools.  If you live in an area where it is an option, walk or ride your bike. 

8.  Do not water your lawn.  There isn’t a need.  I assure you I have never wasted such a precious resource as clean drinking water on my lawn and it is just as green as my watering-obsessed neighbors.

9.  Reduce water usage in general.  Only run full loads of laundry (or set cycle on “small”) and dishes.  Do not run the water while brushing your teeth or doing dishes.  We are too accustomed to taking clean water for granted. 

10.  Use Energy Efficient appliances and equipment.  If replacing televisions, appliances or other major energy uses, buy energy star.  Again, your wallet and Mother Earth will be grateful.

11.  Inspect your windows and doors for heat/cooling loss.  Why waste money and energy?  Make sure windows are closed and door seal tightly when closed.  Also ensure door and windows are shut when the air or heat are on.  Better yet, on moderate days, open those windows and door and turn the central air/heat off.

12.  Buy organic and whole foods.  They are hands-down better for the environment and your body.  It is worth the investment in the long run.

13.  Support local farmer’s markets.  You end up with fresher, more wholesome food at a lower cost and without all the transportation waste and packaging.  It’s win-win all around.

14.  Plant a tree/don’t cut one down.  Trees are one of the Earth’s greatest assets.  They naturally filter the air and protect the environment by providing habitats for animals and preventing soil erosion.  Keep the established trees in your yard and plant another while you are at it!

15.  Become a minimalist.  We truly do not need all the material things we are used to.  Use less.

16.  Enjoy nature.  Supporting national parks and wildlife goes a long way for resource conservation.  Plus, appreciating nature lends itself to being more aware of our green choices.

17.  Turn out lights and electronic equipment when not in use.  You aren’t using them….so turn them off!!  Why pay to waste energy?

18.  Use “natural energy.” (burn a few calories, too)  Choose options that require you to use your body as energy.  Push mowers, bicycles, rowboats, etc. are greener options that will leave you a healthier and fitter person as well.

19.  Buy biodegradable soaps, shampoos and detergents.  Phosphates in our soaps and detergents are causing a major problem in our lakes and rivers.  Clean drinking water is valuable, so protect it!  Biodegradable laundry and dish detergents as well as soaps and shampoos are more widely available than ever before.  Use them. 

20.  Eat less meat.  More than half of the water used in the United States today goes to animal agriculture.  Raising animals for food requires massive amounts of food and raw materials.  Farmed animals consume 70 percent of the corn, wheat, and other grains that we grow, and one-third of all the raw materials and fossil fuels used in the U.S. go to raising animals for food. Even if you are not willing to become a strict vegetarian, eating a few meatless meals a week will benefit your health and help the Earth. 

21.  Teach your children to respect the environment.  Ultimately, our time on Earth will end.  Teaching your children healthy, green ways of living ensures that future generations will care about protecting Mother Nature for thousands of years to come.

My 5 year Cloth Diapering Journey

So, it occurred to me that I have been doing quite a few posts about how NOT green I am, which is at odds with my claim of being environmentally friendly.  I think that is because I feel I have mastered some areas and like to focus on the ones I haven't.  BUT it would be nice to let my readers know that I am, indeed, earth friendly most of the time :)

I think my whole trip down the environmental lane started with cloth diapers.  It all happened by accident....

One dark and stormy day....I wandered down a lane.....just kidding.

I met a friend who invited me to a playgroup.  I was new at the mommy thing, with C being only four months old.  This is the age where playgroups are not for the kids at all (seriously--at four months they lay there), but for us moms who have finally emerged from the newborn stage and need an adult conversation once a week.  So, to make a long story short, the entire playgroup cloth diapered their babies.  It was interesting and I was due for a new hobby.  We did it all--swapped 'em, tested 'em, discussed the pros and cons of different types and covers.  You name it, we did it.  We even set up a scientific experiment on which types of material (cotton, hemp, bamboo, microfiber) held more liquid at a particular size.  Looking back, it is amazing how much time and energy we put into perfecting the art of cloth diapering.  I'm pretty sure I didn't save any money at all in my quest to cloth diaper C's little tush-ie (thank goodness I went on to have two more children--that is the only way my cd diapers were beneficial for our bank account).

Over time, I have gone into and out of clothing.  At first, it was a mission....no disposable diaper was going to touch MY baby's butt.  Then D arrived (with colic) and C was a nightmare in her 2's.  I had this all or nothing mentality....so since I couldn't keep up with the cloth diapers (heck, I couldn't keep up with anything in those days) I switched to disposables.  Then back and back again.  D finally settled out of his screaming around 7 mos and I was able to go back to strictly cloth.  On to baby #3, A, where I think I have finally found my peace.  I have decided that it doesn't have to be one or the other.  Every cloth diaper used saves a disposable diaper from the landfill (and pennies) and I refuse to feel guilty when I choose convenience over cloth.  So, A is in cloth most of the time, except for when we travel or if I'm having a really bad day and am behind on laundry.  Thankfully, he is a cooperative, happy baby and it is pretty easy to keep up.  I'm found my rhythm and it is in the middle ground.  

The clothing continues at my house.  I'm sure I will have more later on the subject...such as the wipes debate (I have a minimal poop touching rule).  Any readers with thoughts or comments?  Do you just plain think I'm nuts?  Have a great night!

--EM (I think I am finding I am rather verbose)

11 Things I Do to be Green

1.  Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. 

2.  Use cloth diapers instead of disposables. (Yes, I do a lot of laundry)

3.  Refuse to put chemicals or fertilizers on my lawn.  (Not sure how my neighbors feel about this one :)

4.  Am a vegetarian.

5.  Try to use hand-me-downs with the minis (saves money too).  

6.  Consolidate trips to town and not go every day.

7.  Turn out lights if I'm not in the room.

8.  Use refillable containers instead of plastic water bottles.

9.  Always switch out traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

10.  Wash my lots-of-laundry in cold water (except the diapers) to save energy.

11.  Bring my own reusable cloth bags when I go shopping.  (Actually, this is one I am working on.  I tend to forget about 50% of the time)

Any questions/comments?

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I cover the 11 Things I Don't do to be Green....

Good Night for now.  --EM

Fixing it Yourself

The journey of learning truly never ends.  I once foolishly thought that after I left school I would be done learning.  Little did I know the fun had just begun (hello?  being a parent?).  It turns out that I am a HUGE fan of self-help books.  I periodically get on these little kicks and suddenly own multiple informative books on my latest topic.  (What I should do is get these books from the library, but that's a weakness of mine...)  So, what does that have to do with "fixing it yourself"? 

We as a society love our disposable things.  Don't get me wrong:  I love them too.  They are simple, quick and effortless (plus, they require much less cleaning and I hate to clean!).  Unfortunately, not only are disposable things expensive but they are bad for Mama Earth.  Single use items clutter our household trash and landfills rapidly and get people used to a "throw it away" mentality.  Sometimes I think we get so used to throwing things away we quickly forget that things can be repaired.  Or, at least, I do.  My grandmother would quickly sew a seam or button back on clothes, whereas I generally think.....well, it cost 3.99 at Target.....the kids have worn it ragged.....they are about to outgrow it anyway....why bother?  So, I have been making an effort to fix what I have rather than buying something new.  It is also  helpful in the economy of today to be more frugal--and let me tell you, frugality does not come easily to me (more on that one later).  So, why all this information? 

My current kick has been do it yourself home improvement.  In the past week, rather than paying someone to do it, I have learned how to rewire new lighting fixtures to update my early 1990's kitchen (with the help of a girlfriend and my pops), repair a broken toilet seat that was scratching the kid's tushies, and install a shelf that needed wall mounting screws into my laundry room.  This may not seem like a tall order for someone who is handy, but I am not.  I am proud of my latest "fix it myself" attitude.  Especially with B off in a far away land, I am regularly learning how to do new things and hopefully saving more stuff and throwing less away.  It wouldn't hurt if I saved my pocketbook a few bills as well.  Oh, and I recently learned how to jar my own jam and jelly from the fruit that the mini's and I picked.  Oh, so yummy!

So, anyone have anything to add?  A new skill they have taught themselves recently?  One that benefits our big green planet?  Perhaps if I keep at it, one of these days I will qualify as "handy" myself!

Think green!