A few days ago I challenged you to make a Pledge to Go Green in 2012.  My first challenge was to set a goal for yourself and to write it down.  I promised that I would come back and share my own goal with you, so here it goes…

My Green Pledge for January:  To share more eco-tips with each of you on a regular basis.  Don’t I already do this?  My blogging habits have not been the healthiest and I often feel like my blog is messy and unorganized.  Probably because that is my style and who I am.  But I’m setting my own goal for January to become a more organized blogger and that begins with creating an editorial calendar!  I have thought about this for over a year and I’m finally implementing it.  Guess what?  It doesn’t stop with writing it down either.  I researched editorial calendars and I’ve printed one off – it’s sitting right in front of me!  I even have January filled in with ideas and plans.  I have so many ideas and plans that February is almost full too.

I found a great article by Angela England about How to Use Editorial Calendars Effectively in Blogging.  It was complete with links to a downloadable Editorial Calendar for 2012 (by Blog Energizer).

Now to find the time to actually write everything I have on my calendar.

Did you make the Pledge to Go Green yet?  Did you finish step 1?  What is your goal and what are your plans to achieve your goal?

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What do you think?  Can you make one teenie tiny little change each month to be more green?  I’m sure with a little help and encouragement you can think of 12 things you can do to be more green.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me what they are.  You don’t even have to know all 12 changes you plan to make right now.  All you have to do is make a commitment to go green.  

To begin your pledge simply complete this simple pledge form:  Pledge to Go Green in 2012.  Once you make your pledge you’ll be subscribed to receive my monthly newsletter with more easy tips for going green.  

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Thanks to my friend Jenny at Conscientious Confusion I have decided to take the “No Poo” pledge for 2012!  My hair is actually quite healthy and I’m not overly dependent on hair care products.  I hate mousse, gels, and other products that promise to make your hair bouncy or full or sleek.  I embraced the fact that my hair will always be straight and will never hold a curl or bounce for more than 5 minutes.  When I add all of those other products to my hair it just weighs it down and makes it look frumpy and dirty.  I’ve never paid much attention to my shampoo and conditioners either.  For the past year I have been using TRESemme Naturals and I’ve never even researched the ingredients to find out just how ‘natural’ they really are.  The worst thing that I do to my hair is color it 3-4 times a year.  I’m a highlight and color junkie and I love to cover up the grey (shhh…you’d never know by looking at me how old I am so I won’t let my hair give it away).  Regardless of my current hair care routine I’ve always been intrigued by “No Poo.”

What is “No Poo”?  It’s a method of giving up traditional shampoos and using natural products such as baking soda and apple cider vinegar to regulate the chemistry of your hair without harsh chemicals.  Those who go “No Poo” swear by how healthy their hair is after a few short weeks.  I’ve only just began researching all of the different ‘recipes’ but the basic concept is:

Baking Soda = Shampo

Apple Cider Vinegar = Conditioner

The trick is finding the right combination of the two that will work for your hair style and type.  I’ve tried this for 3 days and I’m at a loss.  I guess I’m actually going to have to research all the different recipes and combinations because I can’t figure this one out on my own.

Day 1:  I dissolved a tablespoon of baking soda in about 1 cup of warm water (in a peri bottle I had left unopened from childbirth).  When I was showering I squeezed the solution onto my hair trying to pay attention to the roots.  Rinse.  My hair was actually quite dirty the first day I tried this so I was really nervous that I wouldn’t get it clean.  I followed this with a solution of 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in about 1 cup of warm water (in an old shampoo bottle) and squeezed that out over my “no poo’d” hair.  Rinse.  Dry and Style.  Results:  Ugh, my hair feels dingy and dirty.  It was actually quite soft at the ends but the roots felt dirty.  Maybe I used too much vinegar.

Day 2:  After day 1 I really felt defeated already (even though people told me to be patient) and washed with regular shampoo and conditioner to get it back to normal.

Day 3-4:  I got lazy and kept up this same routine with regular shampoo and conditioner.

Day 5:  Ok, I’ve finally decided to try “No Poo” again!  Today I decided to add slightly more baking soda to the solution and to skip the apple cider vinegar all together.  Rinse.  Dry.  Style.  My hair felt squeaky clean in the shower and was more difficult to comb than usual.  I could tell that I didn’t use conditioner (which I use 100% of the time just for the soft feel and to untangle my tresses).  I dried as normal but could see that I was going to be a hot mess!  My hair is incredibly dry and the ends are frizzy.  It feels really clean at the roots but the ends are overly dry.  I guess I did need the vinegar after all.

After a little more research tonight I’m going to wait a day or two to wash until my hair has restored some of the moisture naturally that the baking soda removed.  Then I’m going to create a paste (versus a solution) with the baking soda and only apply to the roots.  Finally I’m going to use slightly less vinegar and only apply it to the ends of my hair where they get dry the quickest.

Will you join me as I continue my experiment?  Will you share with me your tips and personal experiences?  Join the conversation in the comments section below or on Facebook.  Have you made any green resolutions for 2012?  Join me by taking the Pledge to Go Green in 2012 and pledge to make one small change each month.    

More about my hair:  I have naturally straight hair with very little body.  I typically use a hair straightener to get the style just perfect. That’s about it!

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Photos from our #HauteGreen Social during BlogHer ’11.
Link: Flickr Photo Album

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Last year I was honored to be on the BlogHer Green Team to help advice them on ways to make the conference a little bit more eco-friendly.  I hope that our efforts and our ideas are considered again this year during their planning and that maybe they implement a few new green initiatives each year.  The official BlogHer sponsors (the one’s that help keep our costs down, pay for the food we eat, pay for the speakers we listen to, and provide a lot of the swag we love) dictate a lot of the areas in which raise concern with some of the eco-minded attendees so there are limitations on how far BlogHer can change things.  Regardless of what steps BlogHer and the sponsors provide we can each do our own part to help green our own experiences in California.

1.  Carpool, take public transportation, or walk! One of the most amazing things about BlogHer is the ability to connect with other bloggers.  As it gets closer to the arrival date start tweeting with the #blogher11 tag and look for a ride to share to the hotel.  According to the Marriott website shuttle service is provided for $8/pp and taxi fare is $12/pp from SAN airport.  You could also take public transportation which I understand is quite easy in California.  Here is the link to the transit website.  http://www.sdcommute.com/

2. Reduce the Swag you take! – Even if you only gather official conference sponsor swag you will still encounter at TON of stuff you may not need.  I took home an entire suitcase full of swag along with an extra box that I mailed home.  From what I understand there were some attendees who had to ship several boxes home so I guess I didn’t do too bad.  Be mindful of what you collect.  If it’s not something that you will ever use don’t take it.  If it’s something that challenges your beliefs or is against what you believe in (maybe a sponsor you don’t support) then don’t take their swag.  You can still engage in conversation with a sponsor and connect with them if you don’t take their stuff – saying no may actually make you stand out from the crowd.

3. Use the Recycle Suite! Last year BlogHer provided a drop off room where attendees could drop off any swag they received that they later decided they didn’t want.  This room was open to other attendees who may be interested in those items.  Leftover items are then managed in a mindful way – either given back to the sponsors, donated to a local charity, or recycled.  Whatever you do, don’t throw something out if it won’t fit into your luggage on the last day.  There is someone who will appreciate what you don’t want.  Otherwise, keep it and give it as a gift to someone back home or hold a giveaway for it on your blog.

4.  Carry a refillable water bottle! It would surprise me if you didn’t end up with at least 5 water bottles from the sponsors at BlogHer so you may not need to bring your own.  Carry the bottles with you everywhere you go during the conference.  Last year they had water filling stations set up in most of the conference spaces so you could easily refill them throughout the day.

5.  Reuse and get Crafty! Are you a crafty person?  Do you like to upcycle?  Find ways to reuse some of the swag you receive when you get home and turn them into fun DIY projects and tutorials for you blog.  The sponsors will appreciate the shout out and your readers will appreciate the fun projects.  I have a box of t-shirts that I craft with making scarves and other fun projects for friends around the holidays.

6.  Bring your own Utensils! This is just as easy as bringing your own water bottle.  I have a set of RePEaT utensil sets that I like to keep in my purse.  They are small and compact and will help you reduce waste when you are only provided with disposable utensils.  The conference space itself is really good about providing regular reusable utensils but if you go off-site or eat out these will come in handy – especially while traveling.

7.  Bring a Straw! Say what?  Don’t add to the waste by using disposable straws when you can bring your own glass straw.  I have a set of straws that I received a few years ago and they fit nicely into my RePEat case.  I’m not as diligent as I would like to be with straws but it’s an easy way to reduce your personal impact.

8.  Shop your Closet! Looking for a new outfit to take to BlogHer?  Shop your closet first and find out what treasures you may already have hidden.  Remember that little black dress that you wore 3 years ago – it may still fit right?  Add some sparkly new jewelry or a new pair of flashy shoes and bring that outfit back to life.  Another option is to shop your friends closet or a thrift store.  I’ll probably be hitting up Marshall’s or TJ Max to find a few new pieces to dress up the outfits I already have.  Just remember to be yourself – but kick it up a notch!  BlogHer is a great time to experiment because if you stand out in the crowd that’s not always a bad thing.

9.  Reuse your Towels and Sheet! How often do you change your sheets at home?  How often do you grab a new towel at home?  Most of us (even those OCD types) do this about once a week unless the items are really dirty.  Since we’re all staying for 2-5 days there really isn’t a reason to change your sheets and towels every day is there?  Of course there may be a spilled drink or some other random accident that causes you to have to have them laundered but under normal conditions your sheets and towels will be fine for the duration of your stay.  If we all requested to save our sheets and towels we would collectively save the hotels thousands of gallons of water.

10.  Bringing Baby?  Bring Cloth Diapers! You can travel with cloth diapers so pack them up and bring them with you.  If I were toting my tot with me I would be packing up my flats and washing in the sink for a few days.  Otherwise look up a local cloth diapering service on the Real Diaper Association’s website and set up a short term service while you’re in town.  Just give them a call and tell them what your needs are – most services have travel packages available and will deliver right to your hotel.

What about you?  How else will you reduce your environmental impact while traveling to BlogHer ’11?  Are you a green or cloth diapering mama?  Join our conversation on Facebook – Green and Cloth Diapering Mama’s Going to BlogHer ’11 page.

Special thanks to Rockin’ Green Soap for sponsoring my trip to BlogHer ’11.  Rockin’ Green Soap is a natural laundry detergent designed especially for use with cloth diapers but can also be used on regular laundry too.  In addition to using Rockin’ Green for laundry there are hundreds of different uses for this soap.  Be sure to sign up for 52 Weeks of Clean where they share a new tip for using Rockin’ Green around your home.  For more information about Rockin’ Green visit them on theWeb, Facebook, and on Twitter.

To learn more about Mommy Doodles Design visit Melanie on the Web, Facebook, and onTwitter.

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About a year ago there was a company who was turning blogs into iPhone apps and I thought it was a pretty cool concept.  Once I started to look into it I realized that the service had suspended any new blogs because Apple had been overwhelmed with submissions.  I dismissed it as no big deal and hadn’t thought about it in a while.

Then this past month I see a few of my bloggy friends have developed apps and I got the itch again.  I hate to copy what everyone else is doing but I did – after all – I have to keep up with the Jones’ right?  So two weeks ago I sat down and started working on my app.  It really made me look at my blog and realize there is a LOT of work that I want to do around here to make it even cooler and more resourceful for you. Some days I feel like I have more ideas than I have time – I know I’m not alone on this one!

Anyways – as of today - if you have an Android power phone you can install The Eco Chic blog and open it anytime and anywhere! Funny thing, I didn’t even submit it to Google but the fine folks at appsbar did this for me!  It’s already been approved and you can install it now!  I don’t own an Android but I hear it looks nice on there – I’d love to have your feedback.

iPhone lovers like myself – don’t worry – it’s still in the approval process and should be available to us very soon! For now, we wait.

Best part?  It’s all free for you and me!

Who else has an app? My good friend Kim Rosas (the mastermind behind Dirty Diaper Laundry) has an app on both Android and Apple.  I have the Apple version and I love it – would make a great resource for anyone who wants to watch hours of cloth diapering videos or share them with friends who they are trying to convert to cloth diapers.  Both are free to install!

And of course there is also the Fluff Stash app which allows you to photograph your fluffy stash and share images with your friends.  At 0.99 cents it’s a fun addition to my cloth diapering iPhone addiction!

If you install any of these apps on your phone be sure to rate them for us!  We love to see the little stars next to our app to show that you really do love us!  :)

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This post is going to be hard for me to write because it’s one area in my life where I’m still learning – eating green.  What does it mean to eat GREEN?  Does it mean eating locally?  Does it mean to eat organic?  Does it mean that I have to be a vegetarian?  Do I have to shop at a natural food store?  Do I have to eat raw food?  Do I have to eat only fresh food?

Eating green is actually all of those things – and you may incorporate some or all of the aspects of eating green – I don’t believe that there is a right or wrong way to eat green. 

My history- I come from a family who likes food, a lot!  I can remember many family reunions with everyone huddled in the kitchen cooking for hours, making more food then we could eat in a week.  My fraternal grandmother was a tiny frail lady who knew how to cook – she didn’t have a choice with 5 hungry kids and a husband.  My favorite family memories as a child involve turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, gravy, gravy, and more gravy, desserts, and a few vegetables to go along with it all.  I have to say my own personal comfort food has turned into mashed potatoes and gravy. 

With that history came heart disease which has been experienced by my paternal grandfather (when I was 2), my father, and my uncles (2 of them) – all of which have had heart attacks or heart surgery.  I don’t remember my grandfather since I was only 2 when he passed away – but I’ve been lucky enough to still have these other men in my life today because of the miracles of modern medicine.  My father struggles with food daily – he’s been on a roller coaster with his weight since I was a young child – and probably will be on that roller coaster the rest of his life.  He’s achieved some wonderful accomplishments with his weight battle – including my senior year in high school when he lost 100 lbs in a year (healthy weight loss – no crash diets – he was eating well and exercising) because he wanted to live to see me get married one day.  God has blessed us with lots of extra chances, in addition to his battle with food he had a triple bypass a few years ago and just recently battled larynx cancer (he also battled cigarettes in his younger days).  My uncles stories are very similar – each battling to repair the damages that have been made on their hearts by the food they ate for 60+ years.

Me – I’m not sure how me and my brother managed this one but we are both lanky and trim.  I’ve always been underweight (please don’t hate me) but I also suffer from Graves Disease (a thyroid disease).  When I was in my early twenties I had my thyroid irradiated because that’s what my endocrinologist suggested I do to manage the disease.  Looking back I probably would have researched other therapies to help manage the disease naturally – but now I have to manage it with medication that I have to take for the rest of my life. 

I don’t share the same love of food that my father has though – while I do love food I guess I picked up some of the lessons my father learned later in his life.  The year he lost 100 lbs he was going to Weight Watchers and I really paid attention to what changes he was making.  I’ve never had a problem with portion control.  My only problem was knowing what was healthy because the only thing I ever learned in health class was what the food pyramid was – and if you are like me it was ALWAYS changing and very confusing. 

In theory I know that you should have a well balanced meal with lots of fruits and vegetables and very little fats and sweets.  I think we all learned that at some point in our lives.  But how does a well balance meal compare to eating green? 

When my son was born I did my homework and decided to make most of his baby food from scratchand I continued that tradition with my daughter.  However about the time they turn one or two something happened and they find -McDonald’s, processed food, sweets, sodas, and all of the bad things we know in our hearts that we shouldn’t be feeding our children – or ourselves!  Our lives get so busy with school and living that it’s easier to pull through the  drive-thru and bow to the golden arches!  I noticed this trend much soon with my daughter – her caregiver even brags on the days when she takes them out for a ‘treat’ – AKA Happy Meal!  My seven year old who once loved mashed avocado turns up his nose at my favorite indulgence.  My daughter squeals in excitement when daddy opens the freezer to fix a bowl of ice cream.  And I’m embarrassed to tell you how many nights a week I make mac-n-cheese. 

Fortunately my husband has started to pay more attention to his own food choices which has allowed me to rethink what we are teaching our children.  I’m very proud of my hubby who has, for the first time in our 9+ years of marriage, made an effort to eat healthy and exercise regularly.  He’s lost 20 lbs since the beginning of summer and is now back to the size he was when we first met.  Even my own clothes have started to fit a little better – with only a few small changes in our diets.

I’ve also had the pleasure of reading Dr. Greene’s newest book, Feeding Baby Green (affiliate link).  Dr. Green explains the history of the food industry quite well and how convenience foods were introduced to make our lives easier.  He gives us many examples of advertisements from the food industry that tell us these new processed, engineered foods were created to make life easier on us, to make food safer for us, and to provide us with better tasting food.  If you are pregnant or have very young children I highly recommend that you read this book and learn how to eat better now when you have the most influence over your child.  He even recommends reading this book BEFORE you get pregnant so you can make changes to your own diet so that your body is the perfect home for that growing fetus.  While the book ends with the toddler years the lessons he teaches are ageless.  I’m only half way done with the book but I’m ready to commit to my family to make the change – slowly!

But how do you make so many changes without a revolt from your family members?  My daughter is currently experiencing some pretty severe eczema (I think – we still haven’t gone to the doctor’s for it) on her inner elbows and behind her knees.  A very dry and scaly – scratchy rash of sorts.  All the indicators that it’s eczema.  No one else in my family has ever experienced eczema so I’m reading a lot about it.  Most of the articles I’ve read indicate that it’s an allergy to something – probably something that she’s eating.  Is it dairy, or wheat, or something else – we don’t know yet. 

My goals for the next few months are to take a look at where we can make better choices.  Today I decided I was going to visit the local farmers marketto purchase our produce.  My son and I headed out after church this morning to experience our first time – granted it wasn’t nearly as successful as I had hoped for.  A farmers market to me means fresh, local, and organic – this market only had 7 vendors and the produce was not even organic – and the origin was questionable.  Some items were clearly marked – Tennessee tomatoes, organic apples from Chile, and of course the Del Monte bananas.  Other items had no indication as to where they were from and when I asked about them being organic the lady clearly told me they were not.  BUT – at least I was supporting a local company instead of a large corporation that I would normally be supporting – right??  Oh yeah, and next week – we’ll be looking for a different farmer’s market!  (We did stock up on some awesome local honey though – yummy!)

The Eco Chic’s Top 5 Ways to Start Eating Green (the baby steps)

1. Ask where your food comes from.  Not all foods are available locally and they do have to ship - but how far is your food traveling before it reaches you?  As with my experience today, why would I buy an organic apple from Chile when I could go to the super market and get that same organic apple from the USA?  Don’t be afraid to ask questions – if they don’t know the answers go somewhere else.
2. Go organic!  Now for full disclosure I have a problem with this one because of cost.  Today I actually convinced my husband that I needed to spend THREE dollars more (double the price of the alternative) to get ORGANIC MILK for my kids and I.  It was very hard NOT to put it back and save the money by selecting the non-organic milk.  Where do you start with organics if you can’t afford to go ALL organics?  Review the Environmental Working Groups (EWG) Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Guide to pesticides.  They even have it in an iPhone app so you can take it with you to the store.  I’ve made it a priority to choose to find organic varieties for these twelve fruits/vegetables – and yes, sometimes I still purchase the non-organic varieties if I just can’t spend the extra money. 
3. Buy fresh whenever possible.  Avoid the canned or processed foods.  Someone once told me to shop the outside of the grocery store and skip the inner aisles – that’s where all the boxed, processed foods are located.  And one more note on FRESH – beware of the pre-packaged fruits and vegetables.  You don’t need to buy your apples already cut up and why do we need to buy our carrots processed into tiny smaller bites?  Take the extra time to show your family how easy it is (and save some money) by purchasing these items the freshest way possible.
4. If you can’t buy fresh – buy frozen insted of canned.  Canned fruits and vegetables tend to have extra ingredients (usually salt or sugar) added.  The cans also present another problem – most of them are lined with BPA. 
5. Go meatless at least once a week (or more often).  If you’ve watched Food, Inc you already know that our food industry is severely broken – if you haven’t please take the time to watch it.  But be prepared that it WILL change the way you look at food.  I can’t walk into Mc D’s without thinking about where that food comes from.  I can’t eat chicken without thinking about the hormones that have been added to make that breast so large.  I try not to send myself into a panic thinking about the consequences of my choices thus far – but prefer to let them lead the changes that I make.  Show your kids that dinner doesn’t have to include meat – and invite them to enjoy all the colors of the rainbow in fruits and vegetables. 

Full disclosure:  This week’s shopping trip included some produce from a farmer’s market, some organic produce, some non-organic fresh produce, some frozen produce, some meats, organic milk, and yes – even some junk food.  On the list of items I will try to limit in the future: Lucky Charms, candy bars, and ice cream.  The Eco Chic and my family are not perfect and we are just beginning our journey to become more green in our food choices.  I’m trying to get my husband to understand that being healthy is not always the same as eating greener.  I received a copy of Dr. Greene’s book to review free of charge in hopes that I would pass along my personal thoughts to you.

If you made it this far without leaving I want to thank you for beginning this journey with me.  Please share with me your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to food.  What changes have you made that were easy and which one’s are you struggling with?  I hope to continue to share our story with you in the coming months.  Maybe I’ll even find a real farmer’s market next week.     

Photo credits: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1304490

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In a little over a month it will be one of my favorite days of the year – Halloween!  I’ve always enjoyed dressing up and trick-or-treating when I was little.  I remember being so sad when I was in first and second grade because I couldn’t go trick-or-treating – in first grade I had pneumonia and was actually in the hospital.  Then in second grade I was sick again but luckily was not hospitalized that year.  I was the oldest child and my brother was so cute and sweet that he would trick-or-treat for the both of us – being sure he would tell everyone that his big sister was sick at home. 

When we were a little older we spent most of our Halloween nights with our good family friends and used his HUGE neighborhood to stock up on candy for the year!  I remember one of the last years we all went out I even dressed like Madonna (circa 1980′s) – which wasn’t too far away from my normal clothes but it gave me an excuse to cake on the make-up. 

Now as a parent we have our own traditions.  For the last several years our best friends (Mama M’s family – along with a few others) all join us in our neighborhood (the most kid friendly) for some dinner and trick-or-treating.  I usually end up making chilli and some kind of vegan dish for Mama M – and mac-n-cheese for the kids.  We’re very predictable!  Our neighborhood isn’t all that big but it’s perfect size for the wee ones – who aren’t so wee these days.  And depending on what day Halloween falls on – we’re normally watching college or pro football as well.  It’s one of my favorite times of the year and I can’t believe it’s almost here again.  I guess it’s time to pull out my tutu from last year and decide what I’m going to be this year.  Except I think I’m going to pass on the purple hair dye this year! 

For a few years now I’ve seen information about GreenHalloween.org - a non-profit organization trying to create a healthier and more eco-friendly Halloween experience.  We already live a pretty green lifestyle but there is a lot of room for improvement.  We still allow our children to purchase their own costumes if they want – and we still purchase traditional Halloween candy.  Aside from that our Halloween is fairly eco-friendly.  We don’t go over board on decorations and we do reuse those each year if possible.  So where else can you actually green your Halloween?  Remember it’s not just about being eco-friendly - a Green Halloween is one that is good for people (healthy), good for the planet, and good for the community (giving back). 

An easy place to start greening your Halloween is by organizing or participating in National Costume Swap Day – October 9th.  The costume your child wore last year was probably worn for less than one full day – even if you add it to a dress up box.  Our local library collects costumes year round so that they can provide Halloween costumes to families in need.  This would be a great project for a church group, a class or school, boy scout or girl scout troops, or a playgroup.  It’s easy to organize a swap of any size – Green Halloween & KIWI Magazine have some tips to help you out.   

Here are some more simple changes you can make this year – start small and incorporate a few new ideas each year. 

1.  Choose a healthier treat to hand out.  Don’t worry about the kids rejecting your treat – most parents these days don’t allow their kids to eat a bunch of sweets and will probably appreciate the healthier options.  What are some small healthy treats?  Organic juice boxes, organic candies (such as Surf Sweets), fruit pouches (like Mashups), organic or fair-trade chocolates, fruit leather, raisins, or honey sticks.  We don’t have a ton of kids in our neighborhood so it wouldn’t be hard to pick a low cost, healthy treat this year that the kids would actually enjoy. 

2.  Choose a non-food treat to hand out.  Just be sure to be careful in what you select - while the kids may enjoy those cheap plastic toys, they can be loaded with toxins and end up in the trash the next day.  Some better choices include pencils, eco-friendly play dough, activity books, soy or beeswax crayons, etc – the possibilities are endless.  

3.  Make your own costume or buy from a thrift store.  Kids costumes don’t really change much each year.  Being in Florida we have another challenge – October is typically still very warm out.  For the last few years the kids are stripping off the accessories from their costumes before we get to the end of the first road.  Keep the costumes simple and try to use what you already have.  For instance – my daughter loves to play dress up and has a few Cutie PaTutu’s – her red and black tutu can easily be used as a ladybug costume!  Use one of daddy’s dress shirts and the frame from some old glasses to make your child a scientist (lab coat).  Have fun with it – and try not to let commercialism take over your Halloween.

4.  Reverse trick-or-treat!  Your kids can be little advocates for your neighborhood – whether you support fair-trade chocolates or want to encourage your neighbors to recycle – pick a little treat and attach a message to it.  Take your treats with you and hand them out as you trick-or-treat this year.  They will probably bring a smile to a few faces in return.  This is a good project for a youth group or church group to participate in too.

5.  Don’t forget the reusable bags.  Those reusable shopping bags from the grocery store would make great trick-or-treat bags.  If they can hold all your groceries they will be strong enough to carry your child’s loot! 

Want to learn more tips on greening your Halloween?  Join Eco Chic Parties, EcoMom®, and Green Halloween for a #GreenHalloween Twitter Party.
For more information on how to participate and on the great door prizes visit Eco Chic Parties. 

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COUPON: Save 10% with my affiliate code GREEN-1848 when you shop at GreenSewn.

Do you love fashion?  Do you love scarves?  Do you wonder how to green your wardrobe?  It seems like the fashion industry in America becomes more disposable each year.  I try to stay on top of the trends but as a mom of two I tend to stick with a few basic pieces and lots of accessories.  It’s easier for me to update an outfit with modern accessories than it is to purchase new clothes.  I’m also a big fan of sharing – or should I say acquiring new items from my best friend.  Since I have a flexible job that allows me to work at home my wardrobe has shrunk and I don’t actually shop for clothes more than a few times a year.  My friend on the other hand knows the ladies at Dillard’s by name (or at least that’s what her husband thinks)!  When she cleans her closet she knows who to pass them along to – sometimes I think I should just pay her to shop for me! 

Anyways – the point of my story is that fashion all around the globe is disposable – not just here in America.  We need to be responsible in our purchases and in our disposal methods.  I had never given any thought to other cultures and their impact on the fashion industry and the environment.  In India for instance women typically wear silk saris - about 15 feet of silk fabric that they wrap around them.  

There is a company in Florida, GreenSewn, who decided to use some of the retired silk sari fabric and upcycle them into beautiful silk scarves – and no two scarves will ever be the same.  I was sent a turquoise multi scarf to review and I fell in love with it the second I opened the package.  I love silk fabrics and I’ve worn scarves on and off for years.  The turquoise colors are so vivid and work perfectly with my fashion basics (jeans and a black top) to create a fresh look.

Turquoise Multi

For every purchase made at GreenSewn a donation of 10 trees will be made to Trees for the Future - a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable forestry and education around the world.  

Five more ways you can green your wardrobe:

1.  Reuse - shop at consignment and thrift stores for your clothing.     

2.  Donate or Share – there are many people who either admire your clothing choices or are really in need of clothing.  Find an organization in your area that will supply your old business wardrobe to homeless or battered women who are trying to get back on their feet.  

3.  Upcycle - If you are really creative you can upcycle used clothing into fashionable and modern pieces like those seen at New Dress A Dayblog.  I’ve upcycled our t-shirts into fashionable baby clothes and scarves for myself.

4.  Sustainable fabrics – this one is a little harder but look for items that are made from organic or natural fibers.  It’s becoming easier every day to find these alternatives showing up in the major fashion lines.

5.  Go naked!  Ok so that one was a joke but we can really simplify our wardrobes quite a bit.  Do we really need to have 20 pairs of jeans or shoes in our closet?  Or do we just want them?  Simplify your wardrobe and stick with the basics that won’t go out of style next season.  I can’t tell you how many years I’ve worn the same ‘Little Black Dress’ to a party with fresh accessories. 

What steps have you taken to green your wardrobe? 

Disclosure:  I received a GreenSewn scarf for review and the opinions in this post are my own.

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It’s that time of year again – children across America are going back to school!  While many of us make the extra effort to ensure our children are healthy and living a green life at home; what are our schools doing?  Check out Eco Chic Parties and the #HealthyBack2School Twitter Party on 8/26/10 to learn more tips about going back to school with EcoMom.com and Dr. Alan Greene.   

Here are some areas where you can make a difference:

School supplies:
If you’ve looked at a school supply list lately they are littered with unhealthy and sometimes toxic requests.  The standard school supply list includes crayons, scissors, glue, paper, folders, binders, notebooks, paper, paper towels, hand sanitizers, cleaning wipes, and other items that are less than green.  Don’t feel like you have to be tied down to those lists – talk with your students teacher about the alternatives and be responsible with what you send in with your child. 

Here is my son’s school supply list for second grade:
Glue Sticks
Crayons
Scissors
24 pencils
2pks eraser caps
Markers
School box
2 boxes of tissues
1 roll paper towels
1 bottle of hand sanitizer
1 contianer of cleaning wipes
Notebooks, folders, copy paper, post it notes
1 box gallon sized zipper bags

Responsible alternatives and options:
Crayons – 1) Send in used crayons, we have a TON why not reuse them until they can’t be used again.  2) If you are buying new look for soy crayons which are healthier for your child and the environment.
Pencils – 1) We get pencils in all our birthday goodie bags during the year.  We found all 24 without having to buy anything new.  2) If you are buying new look for recycled or forest friendly manufacturers.
Tissues – 1) Buy recycled content. 2) If your teacher is really progressive suggest reusable ‘hankies’ and volunteer to wash them each week.
Paper Towels – 1) Buy recycled content.  2) Again, if you have a progressive teacher suggest reusable towels and volunteer to wash them.
Hand sanitizers/Cleaning wipes - Avoid products with Triclosan which are in popular antibacterial sanitizers.  WHY?  Triclosan is actually a pesticide and studies show that we should use them with caution.  Green and Clean Mom wrote a good article on some of the other options.
All paper products – Buy recycled content whenever possible. 
Gallon sized zipper bags – I’m at a loss on this one because I don’t know what they use them for – but I’m going to ask tomorrow.

A warning about PVC products: 
What is PVC?  Polyvinyl chloride – one of the many toxic plastics we should limit our children’s exposure to.  A tip for determining if a plastic contains PVC – look at the bottom for the recycling triangle.  If it has a number 3 inside the triangle there is a good chance that it is made from PVC and should be avoided.  Did you know that PVC is commonly found in lunchboxes, backpacks, rain gear, 3 ring binders, some kids shoes, and art smocks?  Want to find our more about PVC and how to choose products that are PVC-free?  Visit Healthy Child, Healthy World and the Center for Health, Environment & Justice for a downloadable guide to PVC.

School lunches:
It’s estimated that the average school age child generates 67 pounds of garbage each year from school lunch alone!  Help reduce this number by packing their lunch in reusable containers and lunch boxes.  Check out the Green My Lunchbox Campaign for a list of companies who sell products to help reduce your child’s waste.  Don’t forget the reusable bottles too.  And if your child really prefers the juice pouch try to implement a TerraCycle Brigade to upcycle the pouches.  TerraCycle even has a Brigade for Lunchables this year too. 

Other areas of concern:
Indoor air quality at the school.
Playground equipment and maintenance.
Pest control.
Cleaning supplies used in the school.
Art materials.
Outdoor air quality – implement no-idling policies for buses and parents.  

It’s no wonder that some parents choose to homeschool their kids!  While all this information may look quite daunting you have to be an advocate for you child.  One excellent way to make a difference is to volunteer with your schools PTA/PTO and/or Green Committee.  I approached the PTA last year about some eco-ideas and was appointed to head up the new green committee.  This year I’ve been promoted to Vice President of the PTA and I’m learning that we really can make a difference.  It may take a while to implement the changes but with enough parental involvement and a cooperative administration YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!   No one else is going to be the voice of your child – you have to speak up and let your concerns be heard. 

What steps have you taken to green your child’s school?  Have you had any success you would like to share?  Leave us a comment below.

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