What: Climate Counts web site

Features: Keep tabs on your favorite companies and their efforts to address climate change with Climate Counts, a web site that scores their impact on the environment. Check the scorecard for a ranking of a company’s grade and the ways they’re reducing their carbon footprint (Kraft Foods, for example, is up 19 points from last year and is listed as ‘Striding’ toward their environmental goals. Sara Lee, on the other hand, is ‘Stuck’, meaning they have yet to take meaningful action on climate change)

Green Factor: The goal is clear (and green): to encourage awareness among consumers, and, in turn, within the companies themselves

Bonus: The site is full of information. Sign up for their newsletter, watch videos, contact companies directly, download a helpful iPhone app and more!

Find It Here: Climate Counts

You probably don’t think much about your old t-shirts once they’ve outlived their usefulness as, well, shirts. I know mine generally go to charity and if they’re not even fit for that, I’ve thrown them away. I know. *shameface* But I was recently introduced to to this awesome resource at Hide Your Arms where they have compiled a frillion different ways you can re-fashion and recycle old t-shirts. Seriously, you can make rugs, quilts, tote bags, pet clothes, yoga pants, cloth diapers, wrist warmers, halter tops, toddler dresses and SO MUCH MORE. I challenge you to NOT find something cool to do with your old tees. Now go…get busy. Gift-giving season is right around the corner.

Find it Here: Hide Your Arms

It’s that time of year again…the most wonderful time of the year, if your kids are heading back to the classroom. This fall marks the first year that both of my children are in school full-time, and I’m trying to make a conscious effort to make it a great green year. Here are some ways that we can all keep the earth in mind as we get our kids settled in to school again and throughout the year.

Use the goods you’ve already got – Take stock of what you’ve got at home and can use again (such as clothing, shoes, knapsacks and school supplies) before you buy everything new.

Reusable lunch containers – Instead of sending sandwiches and snacks in plastic baggies, I picked up a couple of sandwich containers, a compact water bottle and several small reusable containers to pack my kids’ lunches with. I’m not only curbing my household waste output this way, I’m saving money by not having to constantly buy plastic baggies. Read the rest of this entry »

Minimal Mercury Marinated Tuna by Small Footprint Family — Like tuna but hate those pesky high mercury levels? Dawn highlights some sources for tuna with much lower levels of mercury and as a bonus, shares a recipe.

Will Your Kid Be Carrying a Pesticide (Triclosan) in His School Supplies? by The Smart Mama — Jennifer illuminates an issue that has been chapping my proverbial butt for a while now… Microban is in/on lunch boxes as well as a ton of other school-related items and it’s not good stuff.

Color My Driveway: Cornstarch Sidewalk Paint by Pink and Green Mama — This homemade sidewalk paint, made with ingredients you can probably already find in your own kitchen, is so cool that I wish I’d thought of it first.

Do I Make You Uncomfortable? by Heather’s Homemaking — Do you ever wonder if your commitment to the environment makes your less-green friends uncomfortable?

How to Clean a Toilet by Oooh Baby Green Living and Parenting — J. Claire teaches you how to clean your toilet the green way.

Cleaning Out Plato’s Reusable Closet with a Stylish Texas Teen by Greenopolis — Consignment stores can help fatten up a teen’s wardrobe at a fraction of mall prices. And? It’s much greener than buying new.

On Our Blog:  Back to School at the Thrift Store

I’m not really an outdoorsy type. I mean, I love being outside, but by that I mean reclining on a chaise lounge under a patch of shade with a sweating Corona and a good book. And maybe a cheeseburger. So yeah, I’m not what you would call an outdoor enthusiast. Even so, I think the concept behind Sierra Club Trails is a very cool one. It’s a unique and interactive site; a wiki that’s not only a catalog of trails, but a source of information for several other activities, as well. Users can create profiles and connect with others, post pictures and chat on forums. And they can update trail posts with the latest happenings – the weather in the area or the trails’ condition, for example. So if I ever went for a hike (hey, it could happen…) on a trail that had been closed, I could go home, log on to Sierra Club Trails and update that trail’s status, for other hikers to see.

You don’t have to be at one with nature to enjoy Sierra Club Trails. The gallery is definitely worth a browse; some stunning photographs have been added already. There are also tips and advice for beginner hikers, and a blog, too. Think of it as social networking for hikers and outdoorsy types!

Find It Here: Sierra Club Trails

We have many cloth diapering enthusiasts amongst our readers so we thought it would be helpful to have you all chime in on this reader question:

Hi, I’m new to cloth diapering and have no idea where to start or what would be best.  I was wondering if anyone could advise me on a good cloth diaper for an older child (almost 4) who doesn’t stay dry at night. He weighs around 37 lbs and is about 35 inches tall and wears a 6 in regular diapers, if that helps.

Thank you from a devoted reader!
Caroline

Sometimes the ugliest* fruit is the sweetest. Sometimes the simplest preparation of meals are the most delicious.

Like roasting, for example… It is the easiest, simplest, quickest (and quite tasty) way to prepare vegetables. The method can be used on almost anything and it’s pretty much the same:

• Cut up veggie into equal sizes.
• Drizzle on oil and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle on grey salt or sea salt.
• Lay it flat on a cookie sheet so they are not crowded.
• Roast at 375F for 10 - 30 minutes until done, usually until they begin to brown.

Variations have to do with what vegetable, oil, and temperature.

• You can roast at a higher heat, 425F, for less time. I usually choose that method.
• You can toss in olive, coconut , walnut, macadamia nut, or sunflower oils. Don’t use corn or soybean oil or another GMO oil.
• The big secret is not to overcrowd the pan, otherwise they will steam instead of roast.
• Choice of vegetable or mix of vegetables is the biggest change.

Roasting enriches the flavor and deepens the color. It offers variety into our weekly menu and can be done for any seasonal vegetable. It is quick and easy, nutritious and delicious, and comprises of 3 ingredients and some heat.

Read the rest of this entry »

I love to travel and explore with my family. At the same time I dread it—being out of my comfort zone, being away from my kitchen where I prepare meals that nourish our bodies with good food and our souls with tradition, and stepping into the unknown of chemicals and cleaners used at the place where we will rest our heads.

Since we’ve stopped using chemicals and have been eating real food, we notice it, even the kids do. Walking into a shoe or toy store makes our eyes water with all the off-gassing. It’s amazing what we can subject our bodies to, lack of nutrition, bombarding it with chemicals and disease, and our lovely bodies continue to function. Our family, thankfully, is more in tune so we can make better decisions knowing what’s good and not.

We realize this and are more accepting of the outside world when we travel but there is one thing we cannot tolerate. And you shouldn’t either. When you think about it, it’s an amazing invention that never existed and now has become a necessary element in making a house a home.

Sprays, plug-ins, plug-ins that self-spray, odor neutralizers, air sanitizers, and aromatherapy candles in just the right scent are all there, something for everyone. Air fresheners seem to work to help erase the smells in the room and clean the air, but actually they work on us. The chemicals coat our nasal passages with a film that deadens the nerve endings. They mask the problem and fool us into thinking the room is fresh, the smell we have learned to think of as clean.

Read the rest of this entry »

After all the trick-or-treating is done this year and Halloween is over, you just might have an uncarved pumpkin or two hanging around the house. And what’s the greenest thing to do with an uncarved pumpkin after it’s done gracing your porch? Well, eat it of course!

With that in that in mind, we scoured around for some of the tastiest looking pumpkin recipes on the web. Please enjoy these links to a few of the best we found!

• Pumpkin Oatmeal from the Green Halloween Blog
• Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Apple Butter, and Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles        from the Fat Free Vegan
• Pumpkin Granola Bars from Mothering.com
• Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie from National Geographic Little Kids (craft)

Oh, and don’t forget to toast the seeds!

Happy Halloween from the moms of Green Mom Finds!

[photo via Jiffy Cat]

If you’ve got lots of broken crayons lying around the house, don’t throw them out — it’s easy AND fun to make new color crayons out of all those old broken pieces!

You’ll Need:

• old color crayons
• muffin pan
• muffin pan liners.

Get Started:

1- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2- Peel paper off crayons.
3- Cut crayons into small pieces.
4- Divide by color.
5- Put liners in muffin pan. If you don’t want to use liners, use a non-stick oil.
6- Fill your muffin pan with whatever colors you wish.
7 - Bake for 10-15 minutes at 250 degrees.
8 -Remove from oven and let cool 30-60 minutes. They will be hot!
9- After they are cool, remove paper liner.

Go crazy! You can create all kinds of color combos like rainbow, camo, two-toned, patriotic, Halloween or even Christmas colors. Use a regular sized pan, mini muffins, shaped muffin tins — the possibilities are endless!

While it would probably be much better to use a more eco-friendly type of color crayon, lets face it — a lot of households still have Crayola crayons and reusing them is a great way to give them new life!

Reprinted with Permission From: The Eco Chic Family Blog

Got a great green tip you’d like to share? Share your tips on our tips discussion thread over at the Green Mom Community Network!

[Image credit: knitting school dropout]

It turns out that all those fireworks I’ve set off over the years haven’t been so good for the environment. For one thing, the chemicals burned off in the process of igniting the fireworks are hazardous. Plus, fireworks are not recyclable. But what 4th of July holiday is the same without them? Here are a few tips we’ve gathered from around the web to help green your holiday:

1. Cut down on the number of fireworks set off in your community by gathering neighbors and friends to watch fireworks together.
2. Clean up fireworks promptly so ash and chemicals don’t blow through the air overnight.
3. Contact your city’s hazardous waste facility to see if they have any special requirements for disposal.
4. Skip the fireworks altogether and get the kids some ribbon streamers instead!

Tipped off by EnviroHumanImpact and Inhabitat

May you have a safe and happy 4th of July!

[Image courtesy of Grundlepuck]

If you have kids, I’m betting you’re already painfully aware of the challenges of throwing a party that’s fun, as well as green, healthy and socially responsible. It’s a pretty tall order and frankly, I feel like I’ve hit a home run if I can meet just one of those last three. I know I’m not alone because I’ve heard plenty of parents lament over feeling pressured to top the previous year’s party with something bigger and better; with the latest character themes and lots of cool stuff in the goody bags (which, let’s face it, usually ends up being a lot of cheap crap from China). My own kid party dilemma is coming up again soon and, as per usual, I’m grappling with ways to throw a green, non-commercial, crap-free party that is still a lot of fun so when I read this article on KIWI magazine’s web site with ideas for kid’s parties that are eco-friendly, healthy or socially responsible, I was pretty stoked. It’s got a long list of ideas for party themes and games that have absolutely nothing to do with arcades featuring rodent mascots, fast-food places, expensive bouncy things or build-your-own overpriced stuffed animal places and everything to do with having genuine fun while doing good.

Find it Here: KIWI Online

[Image from Webweaver]