Nov
1
November 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Donna Chapin
Meet Donna Chapin, a stay-at-home mom and Mom Ambassador from Berea, KY who loves to spend time cultivating “old-fashioned” skills (like butter- and quilt-making!), building her website, and attending her church. She and her husband, David, are parents to eight-month-old Genevieve.
On the ways her family lives earth-friendly:
We eat organic as much as we can, turn off the lights, and use reusable bags, napkins, feminine products, and diapers. We also recycle, try to avoid buying plastic, and cook from scratch to avoid excess packaging. We also live by the old motto, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
On the ways her family stays active and healthy:
We do try to eat naturally and organically. In addition to cooking from scratch, we make our own baby food and try to avoid certain food additives. When we want to be active, we like to walk or hike. The baby gets carried in a sling, so that’s like lifting weights, right? When Genevieve allows me time, I like to do yoga.
On the ways she encourages others to be green:
Each month on my website, I feature different tips for green living. One month I discussed how to reuse things most people would throw away, like mesh onion bags and citrus peels. I also always encourage people to eat organically, and show them how that’s possible on a budget.
Oct
1
October 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Megan Wojtyla
Meet Megan Wojtyla, founder of Litter Free Lunch, which seeks to educate children and families about the environment and to encourage them to think about ways they can reduce waste in all areas of their lives. Living in Naperville, IL, Megan and her husband are parents to Ethan (12), Trevor (10), Dylan (8), and Claire (4).
On the ways her family lives earth-friendly:
Often, it’s the simple things that can have the biggest impact. When possible, we ride our bikes for trips around town, and to and from school and activities. We enjoy locally-grown fruits and vegetables as well as some we even grow ourselves. I’m proud of my kids, all of who have adopted my attitude towards reducing waste by thinking twice about needs and wants and utilizing what we have to it’s full potential (we reuse over and over—from hand-me-down clothes, to sports equipment to carting home neighbors’ curbside discards!). My family enjoys the outdoors, and it is our job as parents to teach kids to care for it.
Additionally, I created Litter Free Lunch along with another mom when we couldn’t the right reusable cloth napkins for our families’ lunch packs. We made our own cloth napkins and thought other eco-friendly families would like a way to reduce their lunchtime waste as well. By offering eco-friendly components of a litter free lunch like cloth napkins, reusable sandwich and snack bags, stainless steel containers, stainless steel water bottles and reusable lunch packs, we can help families reduce, reuse and recycle.
On the ways her family stays active and healthy:
My family is extremely active every day! With four busy kids plus a business, I get my mental and physical break early in the morning before anyone is up (4:30 A.M.!). I love to run/walk and play with my kids. My boys are busy with football, baseball, lacrosse and soccer, and if we aren’t playing sports, we are canoeing, kayaking, or fishing. My husband is a fan of reptiles, so he’s always taking the kids on adventures to explore and watch wildlife.
We’re also fortunate to have a farm where we grow tomatoes, sweet corn and other fruits and vegetables. The kids have fun working with the crops, and they’ve learned how rewarding (and labor-intensive!) it is to plant, nourish, harvest and enjoy homegrown produce. Yearly highlights for our family include blueberry picking in summer and apple picking in the fall. We love everything fresh, but are sure to pick enough to put up for winter enjoyment as well (like freezing blueberries and sweet corn, making applesauce, and canning tomato juice).
On the ways she encourages others to be green:
I encourage everyone to make small changes in their daily lives. By changing just a few things you do every day—like switching from disposable plastic bottles to reusable stainless steel, buying locally-grown produce, take a five-minute shower, or walking instead of driving—you can make a big impact!
Sep
1
September 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Shannon Wendt
Meet Shannon Wendt, a stay-at-home mom and homeschooler from Coopersville, MI. She and her husband, Zach, are parents to Trinity Rose (6), Isabelle (3 1/2), Veronica (2), and Gabriel (1). She’s also an avid crafter and sells bracelets on her Etsy shop, organicmamas.etsy.com.
On the ways her family lives earth-friendly:
I like the saying, “Go green, not for Mother Earth, but for Father God.” Our family feels very strongly that we have been incredibly blessed by our Creator and that it’s up to us to take care of the things we’ve been given. We love being outdoors and that lends itself nicely to developing a love and sense of responsibility for caring for our world.
I like supporting local farms and businesses, and I love supporting other WAH (work at home) Moms by purchasing things from them as much as possible. I tried for several years and have failed miserably at gardening, so we joined an organic CSA this year. What’s it called when you’re the opposite of vegetarian? Well, that’s my dear husband and oldest daughter. So all these wonderful new veggies have been quite an adventure! We’ve learned that cheese makes all veggies taste better.
We also get fresh, raw milk from a local farm. Not only am I green, but I’m frugal! I’ve learned that even though raw milk is more expensive than conventional store-bought milk, it saves me money in the end because I can use it to make yogurt, mozzarella, butter, ice cream, coffee cream, cream cheese, and more!
Another way I’m green is by cooking most things from scratch. I started doing it to be frugal, but I began to realize how much healthier it is! Not to mention, it cuts down on packaging and waste. My new favorite book is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (Jeff Hertzberg, Thomas Dunne Books: 2007) because sometimes, five minutes is all I can spare! But it’s great to have fresh bread almost everyday!
On the ways her family stays active and healthy:
We are truly blessed (in my humble opinion) to be living in the most beautiful part of the country. Here in west Michigan, we have a plethora of outdoor choices. My kids and our golden retriever, Rocco, love the water—so we love to find a quiet beach or creek (or mud puddle!) in which to splash around. We also love to go to the state and county parks and wander in the woods. We live in a nice small town, so walking to the library, the park, the ice cream shop, or the bakery are on our list of favorite things to do, too.
On the ways she encourages others to be green:
I’m the type of person who when finding something I love, I have to share it with everyone! I’m passionate about so many things, and love to be able to talk with other moms to share with them some of the things I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way!). I love to talk about health, especially as it relates to natural childbirth, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. I had a rough first pregnancy, and after learning a few things, I’ve made some changes. I’ve felt great all the way through my other pregnancies, and breastfeeding seems to be a lot easier, too.
One of the other ways I get to share my passion is through my Nursing Bracelets. They seem to be a huge help to lots of new (and not so new) moms, by taking one more thing off your mind. Not to mention it eliminates the need for the paper nursing log, saving trees!
Also, I’m part of a local online community of Natural Mamas who all share ways to “go green without going broke.” We’re transitioning from an online forum to real Moms Meet Meetings!
Aug
1
August 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Phnewfula
Meet Phnewfula, a mom and freelance consulter from Atlanta, GA who owns shopturtlepie.com, an eco-friendly baby store. She and her partner, Nana (Papi), are parents to 13-month-old Agya.
On the ways her family lives earth-friendly:
We love to go to the farmers markets and buy local. We use as many biodegradable products as we can, diapers, trash bags, disposable cutlery, etc. We clean green, we recycle, and we are very energy- and water- conscious! Taking showers together saves lots of water! I also try to repurpose everything I can so less ends up in a landfill.
On how her family stays active and healthy:
Chasing after a 13 month old keeps me pretty active! My son doesn’t have an off button so if I want aerobics I take down the baby gates and follow him from room to room, upstairs, downstairs, under, and over every thing he can find. Papi actually has a strict workout routine. Agya and I watch and bring him water. I do make sure Agya and I walk as many places as we can. I only put him in his stroller if we’ll be out for an extended period of time.
On how she encourages others to be green:
I just keep bothering them until they give in 
Jul
1
July 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Sarah Royse
Meet Sarah Royse, a stay-at-home mom from Worthington, OH. She and her husband, Josiah, are parents to Griffith, age 2 1/2.
On the ways her family lives earth-friendly:
We consider ourselves to be relatively green but we are always looking for new ways to make our lives even greener. Currently, we walk or bike to local stores, parks, and libraries instead of driving. We try to recycle or reuse items as much as possible.Our community has a wonderful curbside recycling program, so we are able to recycle everything from glass to plastic on a weekly basis. We have replaced all of the light bulbs in our home with compact fluorescent bulbs, which was very easy and a great investment.
After Griffin was born, I started noticing product labels even more and found that many of the household cleaning products I was using were full of nasty chemicals. After doing some research I learned that there were many environmentally-friendly cleaning products available. At first it was hard to find some of the products in our stores, but now they are easy to find at most stores in the area. Not only are they better for the environment, they are safer for my family and pets.
On how her family stays active and healthy:
In addition to trying to raise Griffin in a green household, we love to spend time outside as a family. Columbus has fantastic bike paths, so we take long bike rides on weekends, with Griffin in tow in the bike trailer. We also try to visit a local park on a daily basis. This year Griffin has been a huge help in our small garden. He loves to water the plants/veggies and helps us pull weeds. He can’t wait for the tomatoes to turn red so he can put them in his basket!
How she encourages others to be green:
I encourage people to check out Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in their communities. It’s a great way to support local farmers and get lots of fresh produce at the same time. It is so fun to see what arrives in our cooler each week and it ensures that we are getting a variety of nutrients in our diets. Also, I encourage families to start checking product labels more closely and replace chemical-laden household cleaners with environmentally-friendly cleaners. Not only do they work as well as traditional cleaners, they are affordable, smell better, and are safer for everyone, including Mother Earth.
Jun
1
June 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Steve Gardberg
Say hello to our first ever Dad of the Month, Steve Gardberg. He and his wife, Amy, are parents to Jonah, 3 1/2, and Leah, 1. The family lives in Morristown, NJ.
On his experience as a dad, and how it differs from the experience of a mom:
• My wife, Amy, and I both work, so childcare is a major part of our lives. I let my wife take the lead with childcare-related decisions because she initiates and her undergrad degree was in education (pre-K through 3rd grade).
• Amy breastfed; though she pumped and I fed them a bit, she clearly developed a bond with both kids that I can’t begin to grasp.
• Most dads don’t seem to do as many of the kid duties that I do frequently, like drop off at daycare, baths, and diapers. It seems like the expectation from our parents’ generation is that men don’t or shouldn’t do much, so it really blew my mom away to watch me do so much during her recent visit from Scottsdale.
On how he and his family live a healthy, planet-friendly lifestyle:
• We stopped buying/using bottled water, instead using reusable bottles that are plastic or aluminum (except for situations when we might easily lose them.) We also bought a water filter that attaches to the kitchen faucet to fill up those bottles.
• We buy a very minimal amount packaged foods/drinks especially those with corn syrup. We make the kids’ lunches and most snacks for preschool and daycare, and say no to soda.
• We play and exercise outside as much as possible, including walks in town instead of taking our car. Upon from Chicago to NJ, we purposely chose to live in Morristown, a highly walk-able city/town, so we could do more without having to use a car.
• My wife, Amy, does 99% of the cooking and uses very little in the way of prepared ingredients, packaged items. We also shop at the local farmers market all summer, usually walking from home. Read more
May
1
May 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Tangee Stevens
Say hello to Tangee Stevens, mom of five-year-old Abigail and wife of Daniel. In addition to being a yoga/Pilates instructor and wellness educator, Tangee runs a Moms Meet group in Warsaw, Indiana that’s over one hundred members strong. Some of Tangee’s favorite green ideas are the simple ones that have been passed on to become part of the body of conventional green wisdom.
Tangee’s Green Tips:
Waste not, want not. Always look for an alternate use for things before throwing them away. Close your eyes and get creative—can it be repaired, repurposed, or used by someone else? The possibilities are endless! My husband even made a man’s wallet out of duct tape. Why purchase new when you can create something that’s beautiful and handmade? Let’s teach our children to be resourceful instead of wasteful.
Keep it local. Try to buy goods that are shipped 100 miles or fewer from your home area. It helps our local communities and businesses and protects our environment from excessive transportation costs. This goes for more than just food; instead of buying new or even used clothing, furniture, or toys try swapping or joining a local chapter of Freecycle.org. Remember the old saying “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!”
Harvest your own. Try out your local Master Gardener Program, which is run in many towns or states with the help of a local college. Here in Indiana, our program is run by Purdue University. It’s inexpensive, and is a great opportunity to learn about all aspects of gardening. Since the Master Gardener Program’s motto is “to help others grow,” most groups also volunteer hours to their communities. It is a way to pass on to others the benefits of growing and harvesting your own food as well as a great way to teach children to love and care for the environment. Read more
Apr
1
April 2009
Filed Under Mom of the Month | Leave a Comment
Suba Ram
Meet Suba Ram, mom to Anoosh, 5 months, and Deekshana, 6 years. This busy mom of two runs Moms Meet groups in Las Vegas Nevada, and has many green tips to share with our readers, including one from her grandmother.
Suba’s Green Tips:
1. There are many ways to reuse the newspaper and magazines before recycling:
a. Colorful magazine or newspaper (with kids’ news or fun facts) can be the cover for the kids’ favorite books.
b. My daughter glued a cut out from the back-to-school Home Office Depot (it had a picture of a big box of crayons) on to a shoe box, in which she stores her pencils, erasers, scissors, glue, etc – her Homework Kit!
c. Another cut and paste project covered a tin of infant formula – where she keeps all of her hair accessories.
d. For arts & crafts, we use newspaper instead of specialty paper for Origami.
2. Instead of pouring used cooking oil or fat inside the sink, we collect it in a separate container and throw it in a trash – avoiding a clog in the pipe which carries water to reclamation unit.
3. Instead of using treadmill, get together with friends and take a stroll in the neighborhood. You’ll save energy and get fresh air as a bonus.
4. I spend a lot of time washing baby clothes. Often times, I don’t want to run the dryer for such a small load – so I put the clothes on a hanger and hang from the shower rod in the bathroom.
And finally, a tip from my grandmother who says that baby tend to urinate upon waking, so, as soon as they wake up – remove the diaper and hold them over the bathroom sink (I heard that babies urine is pure!). They’ll do their business and we can reduce a couple of diaper changes. My grandmother also said that in the “olden days” they potty trained babies as early as 6-months-old – although I haven’t tried that myself!
Warmly,
Suba Read more
