Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Organic Eating on a Budget


It’s the best thing for your family, but eating organically can be very expensive.  If you are like many moms these days you can’t afford to buy EVERYTHING organic and you have to be careful with your grocery spending.  

Rule # 1 to Organic Eating on a Budget: 

The easiest way to shop on a budget is to buy the “dirtiest” foods organic and the others only when organics are on sale.

Rule # 2 Organic Eating on a Budget:

Another general rule is to buy produce and meat organic before you worry about processed foods or dairy.  Ideally our family attempts to eat as cleanly as possible and therefore we avoid as many processed foods as possible. Certain produce with extremely thick skins or that are often peeled or skinned are less likely to have absorbed pesticides (ex. Avocados) and therefore you don’t have to worry as much about purchasing organic.  

Rule # 3 Organic Eating on a Budget

Always buy these items organic:

Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Strawberries
Nectarines
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes

These foods tend to be the most pesticide laden and, therefore, the worst for your family and the environment.

Rule # 4 Organic Eating on a Budget

Buy organic meats whenever possible. Purchasing organic meat ensures that your food was not fed hormones or other chemicals and that your eating an animal which was treated ethically and killed humanely.  As with produce, buying organic supports local farms and allows you to know exactly what you are eating.

Rule # 5 Organic Eating on a Budget

Shop at the farmer’s market whenever possible.  The prices will be cheaper, you will be able to meet the farmers in person and you will be eating the freshest, in-season produce.  The farmer’s market will be your best friend if you are buying organic on a dime!  Check it out!

What is important to remember is that if you are unable to buy everything organic just buying whatever you can whenever you can is certainly better than nothing.  You are doing the best thing for your family and for the environment by doing the best that you can to buy organic as much as possible and you should be proud of your efforts. 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Making Your Own Baby Food


There are lots of advantages to making your own baby food.  




It is more cost effective, fresher, healthier, cuts down on waste and you can be sure what your children are eating.  It is also extremely simple!

Many seem to think that making your own baby food is difficult or can only be done with expensive equipment.  Not so!  You don’t need a fancy baby food blender with its own special containers. A good old fashioned blender will work just as well.  You can freeze the food in ice trays or small reusable containers. 

Here is a quick step by step overview on how to make your own baby food.

1)  Cook the vegetables, fruit, meat or other food.  You can buy fresh produce or frozen vegetables and fruits will work just as well.  Cook them thoroughly and completely.  Some foods you may wish to cook even longer so that they are soft and easy to blend. - Organic is always best!

2)  Throw them in the blender!  Many foods will need liquid added.  You can use breast milk, formula or water.

3)  Blend

4)  You can store the food in ice cube trays or small containers depending on your child’s appetite and age.

5)  The food can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator depending on the size of the batches and what you have made.  Food safety is very important so be sure to take appropriate precautions.

6)  Thaw and serve your delicious, healthy, inexpensive baby food!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

9 Simple Ways to Cut Down on Your Family's Waste

Do you ever feel like your family waste's too much! 


I know we do; we aren't perfect, but the truth is no one is. The goal for our family is to instill values in our children that will become a habit and overtime waste will diminish as we follow these 9 simple ways to cut down on waste.

Recycle

This is pretty self-explanatory.  Recycle whenever possible.  It takes little to no work on your part and can make a big difference for the environment.

Shop at thrift stores, garage sales and consignment shops

Buy used things. Instead of buying new, you should check out what you can find used.  It is amazing the great things you can find.  

Hold garage sales

Instead of throwing personal and household belongings out, you can hold an annual or bi-annual garage sale to get rid of old clothes, appliances, toys and more.

Donate unwanted items

If a garage sale is not your thing or there are unsold items, why not donate them? Goodwill has a very convenient drop off program or you can schedule a pickup.  Salvation Army and Goodwill both offer this service. Just call and set up a time.

Use reusable diapers

Diapers, wipes and other baby products cost a lot of money and produce a ton of waste.  Using cloth diapers will cut down on your family’s waste and save you money.

Use scrap paper

Use the backs of envelopes, old bills or other old papers.  Let your kids color on them or use them for grocery lists, notes and more.

Paperless billing

When possible sign up for paperless billing.  Your power, cable, water or other bills can be sent via e-mail.  You will eliminate the waste of the bill itself and the envelope.

E-mail

Instead of writing letters, sending cards or using conventional “snail mail” for correspondence try and use e-mail as much as possible.  You can send great e-cards, pay bills online and much more.  The best part is that you will save money while saving the earth.

Do laundry one day per week

Save on water by having a laundry day so that you can combine loads and optimize how much water is used.  This will lower your water bill.  Do the same with the dishwasher.  Try to have it totally full before you run it and wash large items by hand.

How many of these simple waste reduction tips do you already do? 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Why Choose Bamboo Baby Clothing?



Bamboo is the latest trend in eco-friendly furnishings, floors and other wood products as well as clothing!  You have probably seen it everywhere in recent years and if you are interested in protecting the environment then you have at least considered bamboo as an option for your wood products.  
The big question is, Why?  What is so great about bamboo?  What is all of the fuss about?  The truth is that bamboo is a fantastic alternative to not just other woods but to cotton, as well.  It has many benefits.  

Here are the Top 5 Reasons to Choose Bamboo:

  1. Bamboo is eco-friendly.  Bamboo grows quickly and releases more oxygen than other trees its size.  It is grown all over the world and only takes 7 years to mature.
  2. Bamboo is affordable. Bamboo is less expensive than many other woods.
  3. Bamboo flooring and furnishings are beautiful and offer a modern look.  
  4. Bamboo clothing is soft, attractive and ideal for warm climates.
  5. Bamboo is sturdy.  It is water resistant and harder than most other woods.
In short, choosing bamboo is an easy, economical way to help the environment. You don’t have to compromise quality, attractiveness or sturdiness in order to make an eco-friendly choice.  There’s nothing better than that!


Thursday, June 20, 2013

5 Simple Ways to Teach "The 3 R's"

The 3 R’s” are REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

If you are an environmentally conscious parent then you are sure to want your kids to know the importance of all 3.  As always, setting a great example will be most important.  Kids who see their parents making great eco-friendly choices will be more likely to make those choices themselves.  Here are 5 simple ways to teach these very important concepts:

  • Get a recycling bin at home and recycle. Involve your kids in the process and explain to them what you are doing and why. 
  • Bring your child to a recycling facility and let them see what actually goes on. You can drop off your recyclables in person just once so that the kiddos can have a real-life learning experience. 
  •  Shop garage sales, consignment and thrift shops. Show them reusing products is eco-friendly, cost effective and fun. Anyone who has ever shopped at a thrift store knows that is a ton of fun digging and finding great items for cheap!
  • Teach them about reduction by using less and only using what you need. Use the backs of old bills or letters for scratch paper, for example.
  • Reuse anything that you can from plastic bags to old fabric.  Let them see that reusing something as many times as possible saves you money and saves the Earth.

It’s not so much what you say but what you do that your kids will pick up on. The more you do things together that are environmentally conscious and the more thought they see you putting into your purchases, lifestyle and decision making the more likely they will be to follow suit.  Reading books, discussing “The 3 R’s” and watching videos are all great but only as supplements to a great role model like YOU!


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Raising an Animal Lover

Whether you are an animal activist or simply a loving pet owner, your love of animals is probably something you would like to pass on to your child.

It is of great importance to be in touch with nature and with animals. All creatures have value and purpose in our world and should be treated with respect and kindness.

 If you want to raise a child who loves animals then you should start by having a pet. If you have a dog, cat or goldfish which you treat with love and respect they will follow suit. At an appropriate age you can even get them their own pet that they can care for (or help you care for!)

Another great way to teach your child to care for animals is to volunteer together for animal charities, events or foundations. It is more important to volunteer time than money. It will help the children to see, hands on, what issues there are related to animal rights.

It will also be great quality time to bond with your little one.

Bringing your child to the zoo, the park or even the pound will give them an understanding and appreciation of many types and varieties of animal life. You can do simple things at the park like clean up litter to prevent the animals’ habitats from being armed. A far bigger commitment would be to adopt an animal from the Humane Society.

Most importantly, your child looks to you as their role model and guide. Whatever you value they will likely value too. It is not about the big things so much as the little ones.  Let your child see you care about all creatures and they will learn volumes.


Thursday, March 28, 2013

Raising a Young Environmentalist


If you are interested in taking care of the environment then it makes sense that you would want to pass on those values to your kids. However, it can be difficult for your child to grasp the importance of caring for the Earth. This is because young children are naturally self-centered. It is important for them to learn about having a greater purpose and that they can help themselves, others and future generations by being conscious of their impact on the environment.

The easiest way to help your child to see the importance of caring for the Earth is to find something that they are interested in and expound on it. If they love animals you may want to read books, watch videos and talk about how animals and their habitats can be preserved. Talking to them about endangered animals and what it means to be “extinct” may really resonate with them. If they love plant life, flowers and gardening then you may want to spend time talking about issues related to those topics.

Teaching them to be responsible about the environment can start very simply. You should recycle at home, pick up litter you see at the park and teach them about the importance of respecting animal and plant life by leaving it as it is. You can read books about how these simple actions can make change. Teach them that every little bit counts. They may not be able to save the Earth singlehandedly but if we all do our part we can make a difference.

The fact is that children will do what they see. They follow the example of their parents and other role models. You must “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk.” Do the things that you ask them to do and point out others who are doing the right thing. Parents are their children’s greatest teachers so take your job seriously. Educate! Educate! Educate!