10 Things Any Family Can Do To Live Greener, Even Yours

Let me start by saying that there many families that live a totally organic, eco-friendly lifestyle. Unfortunately, mine is not one of them. "Simple Living" just does not fit our buys, hectic lifestyle. Convenience and time saving are critical. However, there are simple things any family, and I mean any family can do to live a greener, more earth-friendly lifestyle. Believe me if my family can do little things to help the environment, yours can too.

Here are some tips, you and your family can do with little to no extra effort:

1. Buy Organic Foods. Many grocery stores are providing organic options, especially when it comes to dairy, produce, and meat.
2. Recycle and Reuse. Recycle bottles, plastics, cardboard and paper. Reuse items whenever possible, like using grocery bags for trash.
3. Receive and Pay Bills Online. Just think of all those paper inserts in those bill envelopes. Save paper checks for those that receive electronic checks or debits. Make sure to recycle the paper for those that you did get in the mail.
4. Use Organic Cleaning Supplies . Protect your family from harsh chemicals while protecting the water supply.
5. Use Towels/Rags. Instead of paper towels, use towels and rags for cleaning up messes. This was very hard for us but we are working on it.
6. Get a Water Filter. Although they are coming out with more eco-friendly water bottles, it's still best to use a reusable cup and fill it directly from the tap.
7. Use Organic or Chemical Free Personal Care Items. Not only are they better for the environment, they are safer for your family.
8. Turn Off the Lights and Unplug Unused Electronics. You'd be surprised how much you can save by turning off unused lights and unplugging items/turning off electronic items when not in use like DVD players or PC or printers, or cellphone chargers.
9. Turn Off the Water While Brushing Your Teeth. Think of how much water goes down the drain while you brush your teeth for two minutes and you don't need it.
10. File Your Taxes Online. This is late for this year but think about it for your 2011 taxes. With all the forms and schedules involved in do your taxes these days (mine would have been 24 pages), filing online is seriously saving some trees, especially if everyone is doing.

Will any of these changes the world overnight? Okay, probably not. However, if each person does their part no matter how small it can have a large impact. By doing these small, easy things you are making the world a little greener and your family a little healthier.

Baby OHM - First PVC-Free “Yoga-inspired” Baby Changing Mat

ZoLi™ has a great line of safe, non-toxic baby products from teethers to a changing pad made of the same materials as a yoga mat. One of their most popular new products is the Baby OHM. a unique changing pad. The mini yoga mat for your baby, Baby OHM is 100 percent biodegradable, completely non-toxic, and free of the PVC, latex and chloride often found in other changing pads and adult yoga mats. Baby Ohm features organic cotton edging and is available in both pink and blue and sells for just $20.00.

This convenient, easy to use changing pad conventiently rolls up to fit in your diaper bag. It also is extremely easy to clean. It just wipes off even after the messiest diaper changes. The mat's soft, compact material is cushiony to baby even on hard surfaces.

ZoLi™ also offers a teether, a formula/snack dispenser, and baby bottles. All their products are free of BPA, PVC, phthalate, latex, and chloride, and are completely non-toxic, dishwasher safe, and 100 percent recyclable. In addition, ZoLi packaging is also completely recyclable, made of post consumer waste and printed with soy-based inks. They also have great baby gift sets starting under $50.00.

About ZoLi, Inc.
ZoLi provides a line of baby products that offers safe and eco-friendly solutions for today’s parents who want to solve real-world needs. Its entire suite of products – from baby bottles to changing mats to snack dispensers – delivers both style and functionality that is healthy for children and the environment. Founded in 2008, ZoLi is based in Burlingame, Calif. For more information or to purchase products online go to http://www.zo-li.com/.

Before Cleaning Up After Baby, Re-Think "Clean"

by Alexandra Zissu
Blogs for The Daily Green and Ask and Organic Mom

What cleaning products do you use for your home and laundry? When I do find time or am faced with the necessity to clean, I’m almost scared to, because of all the toxic chemicals that are known as common household cleaning products. I don’t know what’s worse for my baby -- a dirty house or a so-called clean one. But with a baby comes lots of spit-up, poop, and urine. What can I use & do to have a clean enough home that is also safe for baby? Thanks again for sharing!

You’re right to question common cleaning products. The number one thing anyone can do to reduce indoor air pollution is to replace every conventional cleaner under the kitchen sink and in the laundry room with greener, non-toxic versions. It’s a move I encourage everyone I know to do as there’s a true, clear, and obvious easy fix -- just buy any of the many good, trustworthy green brands on the market like Seventh Generation or Ecover. Or, if you have the time, it’s easy (and inexpensive) to make your own.

The reason to leave the common cleaners behind is that the corporations who make them aren’t required to list their ingredients. Apparently these are considered trade secrets, and therefore none of the public’s business. But many of the chemicals used in the products most of us buy (from laundry detergents to oven cleaners to furniture polish to stain removers) haven’t been sufficiently regulated and can be hazardous to your health, not to mention children’s health. Chlorine, for example, is a known carcinogen. Some products have warning labels but a study by the New York City Poison Control Center found that 85% of these labels are inadequate.

While it sounds like you’ve already considered what is in these cleaners, have you thought about what you mean by "dirty?" What are you really trying to clean? Spit up and poop, especially in the early days before starting solids, is just breast milk (or formula). It’s really not very dirty at all. Neither is urine.

Bleach Isn't Best
Somehow cleaning product advertising and commercials have gotten under our collective skin and we (as a culture) feel that spraying bleach on high chairs, baby toys, and even inside fridge produce bins is a good, "clean" thing. Au contraire! These things really aren’t dirty enough to warrant this kind of indiscriminate bad chemical use. Think about the hygiene hypothesis theory -- that the lack of early childhood exposure to dirt and infectious agents increases susceptibility to allergic diseases.

It’s really helped me to rethink what "needs" to be clean in my house. I don’t want to clean so much that Aili will be susceptible to disease! I haven’t used anything harsh in years. Our cleaning is very basic. If you’re still not convinced you’re cleaning up or killing off whatever dirt/germs you feel like are lurking about, think about how most scientists and doctors say that soap and warm water are better than soaps or gels that contain antibacterials for hand washing. I think this applies to homes, too. You don’t need the added ammonia, chlorine bleach or what have you. Soap, water, and elbow grease are more than enough.

Alternatives (Like Going Shoeless) Work
Another thing you might want to start doing to reduce household dirt when you’re concerned about a crawling baby, or even a kid who spends a lot of time down close to the floor, is removing your shoes before coming into your home. I live in New York City and the idea of letting my baby ooch around on urban street residue really turned me off. So we made a spot in our entryway for shoes and I never thought about it again. We actually started doing this way before I got pregnant and have been pleasantly surprised with our guests when we ask them to take their shoes off. At first people were reluctant but I have found that more and more of my friends are doing this in their own homes these days, so much so that we almost never have to ask anymore.

If you feel like you have the time to make your own products, test combinations of the following things until you find what works for you: borax, vegetable based liquid soap, water, club soda, white vinegar, baking soda and lemon. For cleaning glass (or baby urine), mix equal parts white vinegar and water. For gritty jobs (like the tub), make a paste of baking soda and liquid soap, and for everything else (including wood floors), liquid soap and water will do the job nicely. If this sort of mixology interests you, check out more concoctions on the website run by Home Safe Home author Debra Lynn Dadd -- http://www.dld123.com/, or on http://www.betterbasics.com/, which is home to Annie Berthold Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living.

Happy cleaning.

Here are some additional helpful articles from The Daily Green:

• 30 Days of Green Deals: Coupons, Discounts and More
• 30 Days to a Greener Diet
• The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic
• Go Green: 5 Easy First Steps You Can Do Today
• What Do Recycling Symbols on Plastics Mean?

[Visit The Daily Green and Ask and Organic Mom]

Juggling Work/Life and Having it "All" / HAPPYBABY Giveaway

by Shazi Visram: Founder and CEO, HAPPYBABY
[See below to find out how to win a HAPPYBABY prize package.]

Sometimes it seems that your life takes on a life of its own. For me, being the CEO of a rapidly growing business is demanding enough. Layer in the crazy hours, my loving relationship with my husband, and a demanding family dog and things get even more complex. Then, just over nine weeks ago I had my first human HAPPYBABY, Zane. I was finally forced to step back and make some plans on how to keep it together—and so far, so good. As a result, I am happy to share my realizations with anyone wondering just how she is going to continue to manage it all.

First off, remember this: you can still do it all, but your definition of "it all” will simply have to change. Of course you have the best intentions and the track record to show you are a dynamo at anything you do, but major life changes like starting a family should be a time of re-evaluation. The thing to do now is to stop, reassess, and ask yourself “What is most important to me? What makes me happy?” Taking time to think about your priorities will allow you to create a schedule that honors them accordingly rather than simply adding more responsibilities into the mix. For me, this exercise made me realize that I don’t need to prove to anyone how productive I can be by pushing myself to the max anymore. Instead, I want to maximize my enjoyment. As far as priorities, baby and family come first, but HAPPYBABY is no less important to me now than it has ever been. This just means that I have to cut some things out for now, like regular trips with friends, some dinners out, and certain speaking engagements that require travel—the things that consume time that I would rather spend with Zane and my husband or focusing on the business.

Secondly, focus. If you are like me and linger too long on the phone with a colleague whose company you enjoy, be more disciplined with your time and cut it short in favor of lunch another day. Learn shortcuts, get more efficient at what you do, and focus on the task at hand while you are at work so that you get more done, feel accomplished, and can leave your work at work. The same thing goes for family time. Be present—don’t be on your Blackberry when it’s time to enjoy the little miracles of life and the first smiles. Everyone will be happier as a result. The way that I do this is meditating for a few minutes every morning before work and on my walk back to my apartment. I take some deep energizing breaths and set my intentions to be present, and it really works. Try it!

Lastly, keep this saying in mind: man plans, God laughs. (That’s one of my husband’s little gems.) This life is about enjoyment, beauty, and happiness. As long as you can have a sense of humor about what you are going through and can laugh about the ups and downs, you are already truly successful, no matter how well you juggle work/life balance.

ENTER TO WIN

One Goodies for Mom lucky reader will win a  HAPPYBABY prize package containing:

• 2 free trial coupons for each product line
• 1 FAQ on Probiotics and DHA
• HAPPYBABY: The Organic Guide to Baby & Toddler's First 24 Months
• 1 Infant & Toddler Nutrition Guide, co-authored by Dr. Robert Sears
• 1 HAPPYFAMILY recipes set

To win, visit the HAPPYBABY website, and then leave us a comment telling us which HAPPYBABY product you'd most like to get for your little one to try. Deadline is Thursday, April 29, 2010 at midnight EST. Open to US residents only.

More Chances to Win

Extra entries for:

• Linking to this contest
• Subscribing to our feed, follow us on Twitter or following us with Blogger,
• Having a link or button to the Goodies for Mom site on your site
• Tweeting about this giveaway
• Follow HAPPYBABY on Twitter
• Become a FACEBOOK fan of HAPPYBABY

Just leave us a separate comment for each letting us know.

 
About HAPPYBABY

A few short years ago, HAPPYBABY was the first premium baby brand to enter the market in five small stores in New York City—at a time when there were no homestyle options for parents to feed their children. Processed foods or homemade baby food—which can be time consuming for busy families—were the only options. A lot has changed, and they are now the leading premium brand of baby and toddler meals in the U.S.—sold in over 5,000 stores with 5 different lines of optimally delicious organic foods for your growing family.

[Visit HAPPYBABY now]