Sophia Dembling

We were recently introduced to Sophia Dembling on Facebook. Sophia is a writer on The Huffington Post, among other venues; she also blogs at Flyover America and at her own eponymous site. We asked Sophia to please take the Practically Green Quiz, and she did:

Took your quiz–it’s fun and a great idea with lots of useful information, though I ended up feeling kinda bad ’cause I’m a 1 but can’t afford to do a lot of the things that would green us up. (Replace appliances? Nope. Upgrade toilet? Nope. Faucets? Nope. Windows? Nope…)

She gave us lots of helpful suggestions, and we’re working on them as we speak. Sophia pointed out that it’s difficult to be environmentally friendly when you live in Dallas, Texas:

We do have some recycling. But we also have pollution. We live in our cars. I have a supermarket within walking distance, but the sidewalks aren’t decent. It wouldn’t take much for a car to hit a pedestrian.

For mass transit, we have light rail, but it’s really geared to the commuters. I can take it into town, but then I’m stuck if I want to go someplace that’s not walking distance.

Busses run regularly at rush hour but not in the middle of the day. It’s not like New York where you can get where ever you want, whenever you want.

Light rail has been successful here beyond their wildest dreams, but it’s not adequate to give up cars.

Sophia grew up in Manhattan, and last year she and her brother had to clean out her parents’ apartment. This prompted an article about Stuff, which is a favorite subject at Practically Green: we have zillions of actions on it, from Green my take-out one night to Switch to cloth napkins for a week. Sophia has graciously allowed us to reprint an excerpt from “The Burden of Stuff” here. Enjoy.

The apartment

I am recently home from three weeks in New York City sorting through my late parents’ possessions with my brother.

Wow. I have something to say to all you parents out there: If you have a lot of stuff, as a loving gesture to your children, get rid of some, OK? My parents had a lot of cool stuff but they also had a lot of junk. A lot. See the photo? Multiply it by an eight-room apartment. Where they lived for nearly 45 years.

Books. Books. Books. My dad loved books. “Dark brown books,” my mother called them. Hundreds of them. Some might have been valuable if they had been cared for, but they spent their lives in steam heat, drying out. When I visited last year, Dad gave me a book I’d wanted to read, but when I opened it on the airplane home, it crumbled to dust in my hands.

I know that people who love books love having lots of them. “Too many books? No such thing!” I understand the wealthy feeling a full bookshelf inspires. But friends, hear me now: There is such thing as too many books. Really. They are bulky and heavy and nobody really wants most of them. No, not even libraries. Not if they’re old, brittle, out of date. Sure, I took a few of Dad’s books. Not many, though. Just a few. We threw a lot away. We’re not sure what to do with the hundreds remaining. We organized one roomful, more or less, and then grew exhausted and left the rest, and further decisions, for another day….

I am having nine cartons of stuff and several pieces of furniture shipped home and the apartment is still crammed. I barely made a dent.

Back home, my attitude towards my own stuff has changed. I’m not half the pack rat Dad was, but I still have shoes in my closet that are never worn but with sentimental value, a file drawer full of aborted creative endeavors, bric-a-brac kept for no particular reason. I brought two cartons of books to the library yesterday. I have put some clothing on e-bay. I’m just getting started.

For the full story, please click here. Follow Sophia on Twitter @sophiadembling.

Are you eyeball-deep in back-to-school stuff right now?

Welcome to our world.

Here at Practically Green headquarters, we’re working on a set of back-to-school actions that will make this transition easier and healthier: overall better and fun!

In case you haven’t had a chance to check out Practically Green yet, back-to-school is the perfect entree occasion. Would you like to Carpool to school one day a week? Green your kids’ after-school snack? Use eco-friendly school supplies?

You’ll see right away that each of these positive actions comes with info on why it’s green, and how to do it, when you Switch to a reusable lunchbox, Cover textbooks with a paper bag, or Join an eco-action team at your school. Whatever you decide to do, you can recommend your favorite products, share your stories, and rate your experience.

But that’s not all, because Practically Green is also a game.

Playing is a breeze: When you say Yes, you get points!

To get started, take the Quiz. (It’s one of those tests where you can’t possibly fail and can only benefit.) Get your score. Check off the green actions you’ve already taken, and consider new ones. Earn points. Earn more points! Move up!

If you don’t want to play, that’s fine. You can still enjoy Practically Green. Our goal is to help you take eco-friendly actions in your daily life. Big things, like making your home as energy-efficient as it can be, or creating a healthy and waste-free kitchen (We’ve got 21 ideas on how to accomplish that one, like Switching to Teflon-free cookware, Using recycled paper towels, and Upgrading to an ENERGY-Star dishwasher.)

So, whether you’re ready to investigate trying all-natural toothpaste or obsessed with insulating your roof, Practically Green can help you do it and enjoy the process!

We haven’t even had our first meeting yet (it’s Wednesday), but I’ve already figured out these parents are WAY ahead of the curve.  Led by the dynamic duo of Jamie Scarborough Green and Sun Woo Khang and formed last year, the group has managed to achieve immediate results, including:

* switching from disposable to reusable cups for parent coffees, PTO meetings, etc. One thing I loved is that they asked the whole school to donate old coffee mugs to make this happen–what a great idea!

* switching to compostable disposables for large events ranging from the school fun run to graduation

* developed good relationships and support from Angino Farm (a community farm) and Whole Foods.  The school has a garden supported by students and parent volunteers and Whole Foods helps with composting.

* shared the results of the school’s energy efficiency audit and will assumedly lobby the city for improvements

* set up a Big Tent online community which has parental advice for things like earth-friendly school supplies.  It is also linked with the Greater Boston Green Schools community to share ideas and get inspiration. My personal favorite thing on the site was this video that the kids in the school made to encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The project plan for this year includes improving the quality of school lunch, tackling pesticides, greening over 15 events, pursuing lots of kid and parent education, and potentially joining in broader events like the Waste Free Wednesdays, Green School Days, and Litter Free lunches–and oh yes, finding a HEPA vacuum to be donated to the custodians.

What I noticed from this amazing, intensive project plan, however, is how many initiatives still need a point person.  If your school has a green team,  I am confident that Jamie and Sunwoo’s counterparts at your school are looking for foot soldiers who are willing to tackle a projects large and small. Imagine what would happen if 10-15 parents picked just one Green Team thing to help lead for their school–whether it’s a big thorny issue like pesticide use or being an event “Waste Warrior.”  That project plan would start having “done” next to lots of items.  And fast!  I’m looking at the list and can see several actions that fit my time, skills and interests, and I’m looking forward to checking my first item off the list.

If your school doesn’t have a green team, there are lots of online resources to help get you started, on sites like Greenschools or Eco-Schools.   If you need one more reason? You can get points on Practically Green for joining your school’s green team!

This post was submitted as part of the Green Moms Carnival.

This time of the year is always overwhelming. So we here at Practically Green hope to make life a little easier by offering a round- up of all the great green back-to-school ideas we’ve been hearing, our personal picks for eco-friendly school supplies and of course, actions that will earn you points, points, points!

Pencils and Pens.

Let’s start with the small stuff. Staples’ Eco Easy brand offers some great eco-friendly mechanical pencils made from 72% recycled content. They also have pens made from 62% recycled plastic. If you’re looking for something fun, we like O’BON’s colorful fruit pencils made from 100% recycled newspaper. Papermate has cool biodegradable pens and mechanical pencils.

Binders and Folders.

Naked Binder has two-pocket folders and binders made of 100% recycled and recyclable materials and 97% post consumer waste. ReBinder sells folders made of recycled fibers and binders without toxic vinyl material. Staples’ Eco Easy brand has eco-friendly view binders. Check out these folders from Sasquatch with some earthy, interesting designs. Seventh Generation also has great suggestions for writing utensils and notebooks!

Notebooks.

How about a notebook that looks like giant falcon plumage? O’BON has a large selection of eco-friendly notebooks, like the non-toxic Sugarcane Series, which is made from sugarcane paper, soy-based inks. We also liked Ecojot’s spiral notebooks. And if you’re already at Staples, their Eco Easy brand also has recycled notebooks as well!

Paper.

If you’re looking for recycled paper, Staples Eco Easy has some great choices for filler and white printer paper. New Leaf Paper carries lined and copy paper made from post-consumer waste.

Art Supplies.

Feel like drawing? We like O’BON’s Wildlife colored pencils, made of recycled newspaper; and we can’t wait to try Prang Soybean crayons. Our all-time favorite markers are Crayola’s AP Certified Nontoxic, washable markers.

Backpacks.

How about a TerraCycle backpack made from old drink pouches and cookie wrappers! We also like Lands’ End eco-friendly backpack made from 100% recycled fabric. Grist also has great ideas for eco-friendly backpacks and bags.

P.S. Pop some all-natural hand sanitizer in the backpack, and earn 20 points!

We’re fans of the Environmental Working Group for many reasons, and they’ve compiled a handy green back-to-school shopping list. Want to go beyond your children’s back-to-school supplies? Consider joining greenschools, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to create greener and healthier learning environments through education and awareness.”  They’ll help you tackle important, basic stuff like indoor air quality, healthy food and habits, and reducing, reusing and recycling at your school.

Transportation.

Remember that you can also earn points by walking, biking or carpooling to school. All three actions help reduce emissions and are great ways to get exercise and meet new friends.  Remember to load up on the sunscreen! We have several all-natural brands for you to try.

And now, the last tip we can give you for greening your back-to-school is quite simple: Have a healthy, happy and wonderful school year!

Photo Credit: Flikr, O’BON, Crayola, ReBinder, O’BON, All Terrain, Fast Company

Today's Blog Post by: Lindsey O'Connor

Until now! Our family is undergoing a major construction project, and I’m deep into everything from LED lighting to cellulose insulation. Cell-you-WHAT?! Enter Green Building Advisor to the rescue! This is an amazing resource for homeowners and professional, and if you are considering any of these projects, it’s worth checking out.

We recently caught up with Alex Wilson, GBA’s co-creator and visionary, in the words of U.S. Green Building Council President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi:

“He was paying attention to how the built environment affects people and the planet 30 years ago, and played an instrumental role in the early development of USGBC and LEED both as a hands-on participant and as a respected journalist. When it comes to visionary, Alex is the real deal….”

Alex Wilson

We asked Alex what are the top three things you can do to make your house more energy-efficient. “I only get three?” he said. It turns out he has nine, and he’s just getting warmed up. Here are the top four suggestions for homeowners from one of the most renowned building advisors in the country. (Stay tuned for more in a future installment.)

1) Get an energy audit. Have it done by a weatherization professional. In most states there’s a state energy office that can help you with this, easy to find on the internet. In Vermont, where I live, it’s Efficiency Vermont. The professional will want to dig around a little bit to see where you might improve the envelope. Expect to spend $500 – it’s worth it. Often the local utility will subsidize this and you can hire an energy auditor for free. It’s not uncommon for a house in New England to have leaks that a cat could sneak into. Deal with those first.

2) Replace your incandescent bulbs with CFLs. This is easy to do. Start with the light bulbs that are on six to seven hours a day — in your kitchen, at your desk. You get a rapid payback. LED is a great technology but it’s early for that; it will take a while for it to be affordable.

3) Programmable thermostats are a really easy, cost-effective thing to do that will yield great returns. You get multiple set points during the day, and I recommend resetting the temperature before you got to bed and setting it again for an hour before you wake up. If the home is not going to be used during the day, you have the opportunity to program for that. And, you’ll probably have a different program for the weekend, when you’re there more. Lux Pro is a good brand; Honeywell is the best known.

4) Replace old showerheads. They can deliver 5 gallons per minute (GPM), which is hugely inefficient. You get a very rapid payback with a thirty-dollar water-efficient showerhead that delivers a maximum of 1.6 GPM. I’ve been using the Delta Faucet H20Kinetic. It’s mainly been marketed to commercial buildings – hotels, dorms where they’re looking at the bottom line — but they work great at my house.

H2oKinetic technology

For Alex’s tips on surviving hot weather, see our previous blog post on him. In addition to his Energy Solutions blog, he writes the weekly blog on BuildingGreen.com: Alex’s Cool Product of the Week, which profiles an interesting new green building product each week. He is founder of BuildingGreen, LLC and executive editor of Environmental Building News. He can be found on Twitter @atwilson, and he is the author of Your Green Home.

Can you guess what it is?  Cork!

Yep, that little stopper in your wine bottle is an across-the-board eco-friendly substance.  Which also means that it is prime recycling material.  But we rarely think to collect all of those wine bottle stoppers piling up in our kitchen drawers and dispose of them efficiently.  In fact, they’re pretty easy to lose track of once you pop open a bottle of your favorite organic wine or bubbly.

The useful life of cork is extended through recycling.  Almost 60% of the world’s cork is used in wine production, so that’s a lot of cork that could be diverted from a landfill and used to manufacture a range of products such as floor tiles, place mats, memo boards, coasters, shoes and bags.  Organizations dedicated to recycling natural cork, such as Cork ReHarvest and ReCORK by Amorim hope recycling will raise awareness of the usefulness of cork and help to create a greater demand for it.

Recycling also saves resources and reduces the demand placed on cork plantations.  According to Cork ReHarvest, cork forests are highly important to the planet’s ecological health because they absorb millions of tons of CO2 each year and are a vast provider of oxygen to the planet.  The cork forests of the Mediterranean Basin are among the most sustainable and environmentally harvested forests in the world.  Trees are not cut down to harvest cork, rather, the bark is stripped by hand every 9-12 years.  (Fun fact: cork oak trees can live up to 300 years!)  We can support these responsible practices by recycling and reusing cork products.

Fortunately, there are many practical uses for recycled cork.  From flooring to trendy new bags from Cork Chic, the uses for recycled cork almost seem endless.

A unique way to reuse your cork stoppers is to make your own cork board or coasters.  There are kits available on Amazon that supply you with the wooden frames, glue and instructions, and then you provide the cork from your favorite bottles of wine (or all the corks saved in a box in your pantry!)

But if you’re not the arts and crafts type (don’t worry, some of us aren’t) you can find cork drop-off locations in your area through ReCORK by Amorim or Cork ReHarvest.  These two organizations are not only focused on recycling natural cork, but educating the public on the importance of the Mediterranean cork forests for the world’s ecological balance.  Whole Foods has launched cork recycling bins in most of their locations as well.

Susan just dropped off a load of wine corks to Whole Foods and Sarah is planning to do the same.  And although I have another 6 months (not that I’m counting) until I can buy a bottle of wine, I plan on recycling the cork stoppers during my Whole Foods runs…although the homemade coasters are tempting.  So what do you think? Recycle your cork at one of the many locations, or are you an adventurous arts and crafts type?  Either way, you can earn 10 points for this action, so give it a try!

Photo Credit: Amazon.com and Flickr

Today's blog post by
Lindsey O'Connor

Five kids who are changing the world: Read about five inspiring kids who are making the world a better place. Whether it’s growing organic crops and donating them to soup kitchens, or knitting home-made hats to fight hunger, these kids make us feel better about the world we live in.

How to turn an old iPod into cash: Every time you turn around, Apple is releasing a new generation of the iPod — making them smaller, more fun colors, touch screen…. (Does anyone remember the iPod with the original scroll wheel and four individual buttons?) It’s enough to give you whiplash! This article uncovers a few ways you can get cash for even the most archaic of gadgets, so you can get rid of that iPod mini collecting dust in your desk drawer. As a bonus, you can get 10 PG points for recycling your electronics.

Can we green our Planes next? Have those monthly business trips or annual family vacations put an annoyingly significant dent in your carbon footprint? Hopefully, soon this will be less of an issue. Many airlines are testing plant-based biofuels in an effort to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Multi-Media Pick:

Farmers market frenzy: Happy national farmers market week! People everywhere are becoming more interested in farmers markets, PG is lucky enough to have one right outside of our office in Boston on Tuesdays and Fridays this summer. You can find one near you here. Get 5 points on Practically Green for buying local produce. Check out this video featuring organic farmer Rebecca Schwen, as she discusses the growing interest in farmers markets.

New and cool pick:

Photo Credit:http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/cookware-tools/product-review-skruba-vegetable-scrubbing-gloves-120867

http://www.fastcompany.com/1614917/traveling-pants-indeed-the-closet-exchange-program-thredup-adds-kids-clothes

ThredUP is a kids’ clothing swap site that lets parents exchange boxes of outgrown clothing for ones that fit, all in the convenience of your own home. Public relations and Marketing director Karen Fein opened up to PG about how the ingenious “Netflix for kids’ clothing” idea got started — and, of course, about what steps she takes to live a greener life!

How did you guys come up with this brilliant idea?

Founders James Reinhart and Oliver Lubin realized there wasn’t an efficient way to exchange clothing online. All of the outlets available to exchange clothing, such as Ebay, consignment shopping, and craigslist were just really time-consuming and inefficient. When a child outgrows one shirt, they outgrow their entire wardrobe, and if you think about putting all of that on Ebay, a parent has to list all of the items, take pictures of them, set the biddings, monitor the auctions, etc. Parents just do not have the time to do this every six months. The goal was to create an easy way for parents to exchange outgrown clothing for clothes that fit.

How did ThredUp get started, and what did people think?

The site originally started as a men’s and women’s shirt-swapping site. There were a lot of people that really loved it, but it was more of a hobby than a necessity. We realized we could use this same concept for kids to help families cut down on waste and consumption and we were shocked at the response we got! We found that because nothing like this had existed before, people were really waiting for it. People were really excited to share ThredUP with their friends and family, because it’s such an easy way to save time, money and help the environment.

Speaking of the environment, on your website you discuss teaching kids the importance of green living by creating a “thredbank”, can you explain this a little?

If you have an interest in helping your children learn about the importance of sustainable living, ThredUP can help with that. By telling your kids to set aside clothes when they outgrow them, they soon realize that these clothes can be exchanged for “new gifts,” or clothes that fit them. It reinforces the fact that you don’t always need to buy new things, you don’t always need to throw out old things, and that used clothing has value. We encourage parents to get their kids involved in the process and have them create their own “thredbank” of outgrown clothes. It can feel like Christmas morning to kids to get a box of new clothing completely for them, and they can feel proud that they took part in that exchange.

Ok, we want to ask, how green are you?

Our company is incredibly green. Personally, I take all of those simple green steps that everyone should take, like using a thermos instead of a water bottle, turning your water off when brushing your teeth, recycling always, or making sure to turn the lights out. From a clothing aspect, I take part in swap parties and shop at consignment stores. I use the options that are out there for adults right now, to promote sharing what we already have in order to cut down on waste and consumption, rather than shopping for something new and throwing clothes away. (Which I would never do.)

Now that you’ve told us some of your preferred green actions, we’re always curious to know what your least favorite green action taken you’ve taken is, or something you’re working on?

I haven’t quite made the transition to washing my clothes in cold water.

What more do you want to know about being green?

I think that for most people the main reasons they don’t take certain green steps is because they’re not necessarily convenient. It’s always good to learn about ways to go green that are not only incredibly easy, but can also save time and money. If you have those extra benefits, why not take the green option, and why not cut down on waste?

We couldn’t agree more! One last question, is there any way that you track the things you do everyday to be eco-friendly?

Not me personally, but ThredUP is about to start tracking how much waste we are saving in terms of kid’s clothing. We’re making an assumption that for every box of kid’s clothes, half of that box would normally have been thrown out and ended up in a landfill. 20 billion pounds of clothing and textiles end up in U.S. landfills every year, and every 3-6 months kids outgrow their clothing, making it a large part of that statistic.

Get PG “stuff” points for using ThredUP! Get five points for getting used clothing with this action, and get another five points for giving away/selling used clothing with this action.

You can find out more information and start swapping on ThredUP here.
Follow ThredUP on Twitter @ thredUP_Kids .

Trash-Free for an Entire Year: Could you live trash-free? We at PG are always trying to find ways to make less trash, and this couple is definitely a prime example. A couple in Oregon found that not only was it possible to live almost trash free for a year, it was “easy.”

Playground Safety Hazard: Please use caution when taking your children to the park for some summer fun. From the 1970s until 2003, some wooden playground equipment was pressure-treated with a substance that (shockingly) contained arsenic.

How Green are Your Favorite Brands: You might want to think before shimmying into a new pair of jeans. A new rating system has been developed for some 100 well-known apparel and footwear brands. Just as appliances have Energy Star ratings, the “Eco Index” will eventually tell consumers the environmental impact of their purchases. The Index hopes to encourage brands to be thoughtful of the environment when designing apparel, and it gives brands that strive to be eco-friendly the credit they deserve.

Multi-Media Pick:

The Environmental Impact of a Pair of 501s: View the life cycle of one of America’s most popular brands of denim. You may be as shocked as we were to find out that to make a single pair of 501s, 3,480.5 liters of water are used. This is the equivalent to running the garden hose for 106 minutes!

New and Cool Pick:

Energy Saving Night-Light: Skip the plug-in night-light to keep those monsters away for the kids and get them a cool, solar powered Sun or Moon Jar! The jar works by being placed in direct sunlight during the day (on a windowsill for example), and automatically illuminates in the dark.

Summer Fun at Shelburne Farms in Vermont

With hot weather in mind, Practically Green served a dozen no-cook recipes and, due to an in-pouring of additional and excellent tasty culinary ideas from all of you, we’ll run a sequel soon.

My favorite takeaway: buy fresh ripe fruits and veggies, wash and chop them when you get home, put them in the fridge, and presto! Your fridge is an inviting treasure chest, and not a stale, forbidding cavern. A-ha!

A couple of weeks ago, Slate’s intrepid Green Lantern reporter Nina Shen Rastogi asked the question,

“what’s the best way to keep a fully stocked, varied fridge and pantry without creating lots of unnecessary waste?”

The answers are in. We’ve gathered highlights, ranging from obvious to uncommon — and all of them practical, green & appetizing, we hope. Bon appétit!

Plan ahead.

My husband and I plan out all of our meals for the week in advance, then we go to the grocer and buy only what we need for that list. We do a smaller shop mid week to top up on fruit, milk, etc but we find we waste very little.

Roasting chicken? Use the whole bird.

My brother claims I get more out of a chicken than anyone he’s seen, so here’s what I/we do: First, roasted with herbs, garlic and olive oil for dinner. That night, carve it all the way – put the “good” chicken in the fridge; pour the juices from the roasting pan in a gallon freezer bag, along with the bones, and freeze. Use the fridge chicken over the next few days for chicken dinner, sandwiches, tacos, chicken salad (w/ tarragon–mmm..), omelettes, etc….

or… Chicken Quesadillas with Avocado Cucumber Salsa. Thanks to the New York Times for this recipe.

Draw pictures of your groceries on a fridge whiteboard.

I also tend to get carried away at the farmers market. Then everything gets put away in the fridge and two weeks later I excavate dessicated garlic scapes (or something) from the back of the crisper drawer. My husband also forgets that I got berries for his cereal and they just sit there. To avoid all this, I have a small magnetic whiteboard on the fridge. I keep a list of the fresh produce on it – sometimes I draw pictures (strawberries are easy, broccoli is hard). It keeps things top-of-mind, so I can think of good uses.

The classic by M.F.K. Fisher

Read MFK Fisher’s book How to Cook a Wolf. While slightly out of date, it shows just how much you can get out of food and avoid waste.

Note on How to Cook a Wolf: a Bible on food appreciation, written by the legendary gastronome Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, and published in 1942 (at the height of World War 2 food rations), this book deserves its own post. Sample memorable line: “Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg, until it is broken.”

Visit PracticallyGreen.com to learn new ways to eat fresh and local, compost happily, and green your kitchen this summer!

We’ve had a red, white, blue, and green holiday here, drawing the window shades (it’s a heat wave), using our new Skoy cloths, hanging laundry out to dry, and composting every last carrot shaving. I even detoxed my sponge in the microwave for the first time ever (high for 60 seconds).

On the whole, my delightful (and eco-obsessed) husband and I are in agreement on such household matters, but I am learning that there are certain actions that will never take seed in him.

For example, every time I go into our bedroom I see that the shades have been opened, even at noon in a heat wave. Who can blame him? He wants to see the view. I say nothing, simply close the shade again.

For another thing, he rinses every dinner dish so completely that there’s absolutely no need to then place it into the dishwasher. You can put his dishes right back in the cabinet. I have explained to him that his obsessive rinsing is not only unnecessary, it’s wasteful (of water, of the energy to heat the water, of washing the same dish twice, of his time), and he nods, and he keeps doing it his way.

Which brings me to my point: There will be times when your loved ones do not do what you want them to do, no matter what. They may have their reasons (e.g., the view; or maybe he’s solving the world’s problems while he’s rinsing those dishes) — or they may not. Regardless, it’s important to know where you draw the line. I do not wish to be a bossy nag, of course!! And probably you don’t either. But still.

Last week I caught up with our thoughtful friend Lisa Thomson, who writes the marvelous daily blog Mom’s Green Shopping List. Among other things, we talked about this very subject: where to draw the line with one’s spouse. Here’s Lisa’s story, which is about drawing the line and a whole lot more:

What I want to tell people is, you don’t have to change everything overnight. You can do it slowly, one thing at a time. My husband and I have a paper towel war. He wants paper towels. I stopped buying them. I wouldn’t get them. I said: Go buy them yourself! He hates going to the store. So for six or eight months we’ve been without paper towels. I have a basket of rags in the kitchen, another basket at the top of the basement stairs going down to the laundry. It’s fine, he’s used to it. So, I tried to get him to stop using Kleenex to blow his nose, but he won’t do that. Not happening. I stopped bugging him on that.

It took me eight years to get pregnant. Finally I got pregnant — and right away my husband was diagnosed with chronic leukemia. He was given five years to live. Our family doctor recommended a book called Foods That Fight Cancer. This book was amazing to me. I realized for the first time that foods affect your body: whatever you put in your body affects you. I completely changed how I eat, how I cook. Specifically, we eat a lot of blueberries. We use lots of spices – turmeric, cumin, ginger. We eat greens, broccoli, cauliflower. We avoid processed food and sugars. Sugars feed cancer.

I read labels on everything. I can spend a lot of doing this in a store – I get asked three times if I need help but No, I’m just reading the labels.  I like to read books, too. Right now I’m reading Building Green, Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, 101 Ways You Can Help Save the Planet Before You’re 12! (It’s very good.) Global Warming for Dummies, Ecological Gardening.

My daughter Lydia, aged four, is so aware that if I leave a light on for an extra minute, she’s on me. We were walking the other day — Lydia, our dog Brutus, and me. She said, look, Mom, there’s a blue butterfly on Brutus’s nose! I said, Oh, I wonder where that came from. She replied, It flew down from Saturn because Saturn had to cut down all their trees to make toilet paper. She has the biggest imagination.

Lydia and a caterpillar

Visit Lisa’s website MomsShoppingList.com, visit her Facebook page, and follow her on Twitter @MomsGreenList.

In a BBQ frenzy? Dive into Self magazine’s special burger section for mouthwatering recipes from beans, turkey, and spices. How about Rosemary-Sage Burgers With Apple Slaw and Chive “Mayo” or Portobello-Black Bean Burgers With Corn Salsa? YUM! http://www.self.com/about/burgers

Annie Leonard at a shoot for her new movie

Got sunburn? Stay indoors and watch The Story of Stuff, Gasland, Food, Inc. and get ready for Annie Leonard’s new movie, The Story of Cosmetics, releasing at the end of the month.

Kids bouncing off the walls? Plan a trip to your local library! Massachusetts libraries have a “Go Green at Your Library” summer reading program, featuring a special program for teens: tnk grEn (Think Green) .

Going on a trip? Ask if your hotel offers eco-friendly amenities, such as opting out of daily housekeeping service – for a $5/day credit! Read about two Phoenix hotels who’ve jumped aboard the burgeoning movement of green travel hosts.

Annika and Kerry

Beach reading: Eco-awesome designers Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager run London’s Junky Stylish fashion label. They make wedding dresses from men’s white button-downs and set up an O.R. in NYC last week to transform unwanted maternity wear, tuxes, kimonos, and pinstripes into high-fashion garb. Isn’t it somehow patriotic to remember our British cousins on Independence Day?  In the July 5 New Yorker magazine. Or pick up the book, Junky Styling: Wardrobe Surgery.

What to do?

At Practically Green we’re about solutions—green actions that people can take easily, on their own budget and schedule, to make their lives greener and more healthy. Simple tasks, like switching to all-natural toothpaste or rinsing a Zip-loc bag. More complicated tasks, like getting an energy audit or upgrading windows.

It seems there’s not much I can do, personally, to plug that horrific oil spill, or to persuade the Senate to outlaw incandescent lightbulbs (or to regulate the AC in the frigid Post Offices of this country, grrr), but at least I can buy local and organic whenever possible, and I can open the window at home instead of automatically turning on the AC. Sigh.

Last night I had a dream that the CEO of BP called a press conference and announced a change. For once he looked strong and heroic, full of conviction:

“We’re doing everything we can to plug the spill. And we’ve had an epiphany. Today, we’re changing our company. From this day forward, BP is all about renewables and green power: wind, solar, geothermal, algae, LED, smart-grid, recycling, repurposing, and all of the brilliant solutions that deserve big funding and unprecedented muscle NOW. We’re taking measurable steps to dial down our traditional business. We vow to push our brethren oil companies to do the same, starting today. Exxon Mobil and Shell have already come on board. And we won’t rest until the world is free of dependence on fossil fuels and a new green economy has been established, globally.”

As I said, this was a dream.

Later today, I saw a powerful little piece of relevant persuasion that I don’t want you to miss. It’s by Umbra Fisk, the acerbic, stylish wit who writes Grist’s advice column. Please read the excerpt below. For Umbra’s full Q & A, please visit Grist.

And for hundreds (yes, hundreds; I know, because I’m editing them) of things you can do to be more eco-aware in your life, for your health and your family’s well-being, please visit us at www.PracticallyGreen.com. Answer a few easy questions and you’ll be on your way to a custom to-do list of positive actions you can take.

Umbra Fisk of Grist

Ask Umbra on Turning Oil-Spill Depression into Transformation

A lot of us are feeling depressed and disheartened by what is happening right now in the Gulf. It is terrible beyond words. It’s so bad I don’t even like using the word beyond anymore.

Being overwhelmed by a big crisis may cause us to think that our personal actions are meaningless. But this is where we’re wrong…. The “little things” we all do are not futile. In fact, little things add up fast. Especially if you do them, and then talk to your friends and family so that  they start doing them too. That’s the magic of the multiplier effect…. Step it up a notch. Be infectious! Here’s how:

Talk to all of your friends, family, co-workers, Facebook pals, Twitter followers, that weird lady on the bus, etc. about consumption, not only of fossil fuels, but of what we eat, buy, turn on, wear, use, or throw out. Get them to ask themselves: “Is this thing I’m consuming necessary?”

If the answer is no, here are 11 simple steps they can all take. These actions don’t cost much, if anything, and they may make you and your circle happier and healthier while you’re helping the planet. Of course, there’s always more we can do. But the list is a good conversation piece and starting point. Pass it along. May it reach everyone, even the people who eat Styrofoam.

(There’s a lot more information online.)

Easy things anyone can do to fight oil spill anger/apathy (in random order):

1) Take one less airline flight per year

2) Keep your car tires properly inflated, engine tuned and take 100 excess lbs. out of your car

3) Leave your car at home one day a week (use mass transit, bike, or innovative ride-sharing programs like Weeels)

4) Carpool two days a week or telecommute one day a week

5) Go meatless on Monday’s and switch from red meat to poultry two days a week

6) Support your local Farmer’s Market or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

7) Use recycled paper products (office paper, toilet paper, paper towels)

Reduce the number of catalogues you receive by more than half

9) Turn off unused lights, use the hibernate mode on your computer, unplug things when you’re not using them

10) Wash your clothes in cold water 75 percent of the time and hang clothes out to dry in summer

11) Share more — including this list, and talk to people in your life — at work, weddings, in elevators or better yet on the stairs — about other simple ideas to add to the list.

How did you start your green journey? Were you raised to be eco-conscious?

I have always been into making things from waste materials. Growing up, nothing in my house was thrown away, cereal packets, tin cans, plastic bags… it was all kept for me to make my creations from! Then, when I was at university I wrote my dissertation on recycling in design and decided to make some products made from waste materials. This is when I first started to make lighting from wasted plastic drinks bottles. It’s something that is thrown away so much here in the UK and I’m sure in other countries too (only 5.5% of plastic bottles are recycled in the UK). So I wanted to make something beautiful from them.

How do you incorporate other green habits into your lifestyle?

I do the general things a lot of people do nowadays. I reuse/recycle my own rubbish. I am a bit of a hoarder so anything I think I can use again gets kept and put to one side. I use public transport or walk everywhere. I have been able to drive for years but haven’t justified the need for a car. I am lucky that the city I live in has a good public transport system…For my lamps, I collect the bottles from local cafes and households. Of course as word has spread amongst friends and family about my design projects I have many volunteers collecting their bottles and donating them to me.

How does she do it? The plastic bottles are cleaned and sandblasted, then cut and formed into beautiful shapes. For the Cola lamp (shown in the top picture), each strip of plastic is then attached to a recycled card base and secured using its own bottle top.

Itching to get your own handmade Sarah Turner lamp? Her lamps aren’t sold in the US yet, but they are available to purchase online at http://www.sarahturner.co.uk/. For international sales inquiries just email sales@sarahturner.co.uk.

The 2nd item we are going gaga over is this paper shredder turned coffee table we found on Design*Sponge. Pigeontail Design is behind this sleek and clever table rightfully called the Papervore.

Do you love these designs? Do you own a piece of sustainable furniture that you want others to know about? Share with us!

Photo Credit: http://www.sarahturner.co.uk/news.html http://www.sarahturner.co.uk/bluebell1.html http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/06/thanks-for-shredding-my-paper-coffee-table.html

Recycled Paper Hearts Cards

Creating, playing, and exploring are essential components to my parenting philosophy. I am trying to raise my two daughters with hearts full of art. As we create and craft in our home art studio I try to think about the impact the art supplies we are using will have on the planet and my children’s’ bodies. I was a printmaker and (oil) painter in college and was exposed to some nasty chemicals. When I was a graduate art student I was breastfeeding my infant daughter and did not want to expose my body or hers to toxic substances; I made sure that all of my artwork was created using non-toxic art materials. It presented me with a challenge to find new ways to create, but in doing so I also achieved results and a level of work that was very satisfying.

What can you do as a parent who wants to create with your children but who wants to avoid dangerous and toxic art materials? Start with known brands that are green. Ask yourself if you could make your own or recycle and repurpose something for your project.

• In our home studio we use rags instead of paper towels (just as we do in our house)
• We use homemade play dough made with 1 cup of flour, ½ cup salt, 1 packet of powdered Kool-Aid (there is probably a greener alternative!) 1 cup of hot water, 3 tablespoons of oil. It smells great and my kids love it.
• Natural Wool is lovely to use in craft projects and for “felting” yourself with warm water and mild soap.
• Stockmar makes beeswax crayon blocks that are as lovely to hold and color with as they are to smell!
• Soy-based Crayon Rocks are another favorite of ours.
• Strathmore has a new line of artist papers made with 100% wind power
• Several kinds of watercolor paper, drawing paper, and sketch paper are now made with hemp.
• Artemis makes colored pencils with plant extracts for their pigments.
• Green Earth Office Supply makes pencils from recycled denim jeans and post-consumer paper.
• Acquerello Watercolor Paper is chlorine-free (as well as acid-free)
• We use Eco-Fi Felt for our felt projects, it is made from recycled post consumer plastic bottles.
• Eco Finger paints from Ecoartworks.com are great for little artists or you can look on the Internet for recipes to make your own homemade finger paint.
• Whenever my kids bring home foam craft stickers on a project from school or a friend’s birthday party, we recycle the foam stickers by turning them into stamps! I just stick them to scrap pieces of cardboard cut up from old cereal boxes, and then paint with washable paint or ink.
• White Elmer’s School Glue is another favorite in our house. It is pretty safe and approved by the public schools. Our local public school system is not allowed to use toxic art materials in their classrooms.
• Recycled paper – your child’s drawings  and doodles will look just as nice on the back of a piece of paper saved from the recycling pile as it would on a blank sheet of paper. Teaching your children to work this way sets a lifelong habit to reduce-reuse-recycle, and that’s the name of the game.
• The recycling bin is a treasure chest of its own: Milk cartons, toilet paper tubes, bottle caps, plastic lids, egg cartons, tissue paper, gift wrap, aluminum foil, old sweaters and worn out clothing.

Sock bunny

• Mother Nature. A quick walk in your own backyard will reveal a bounty of natural and non-toxic art and craft materials: leaves, flowers, pine cones, acorns, sticks and fallen branches, sand, seashells, bird feathers, insect wings, etc.

Final thought: whenever you are looking at traditional art materials for your children you should look for an AP or CP seal and avoid products with warning labels. Also ask yourself (as you would with food), “Is this something my grandmother would recognize?” Happy (safe) Crafting!

Seashell mobile

MaryLea Harris is an artist and blogger. She was an Elementary Art Teacher in the public school system for 5 years before staying home with her two daughters. She married her college sweetheart, a builder and LEED Accredited Professional. As a family they recycle, Freecycle, grow organic veggies with rain barrel water, and compost. Her kids consider their worms in the kitchen vermicomposter to be part of the household pet menagerie.

Favorite Green Action Taken: Switching to cloth napkins and installing tubular skylights with my husband in our kitchen and upstairs hallway ceilings – the natural light is fantastic.

Least Favorite Green Action Taken: Line drying laundry – the towels can be a bit crunchy but I tell myself I’m “exfoliating.” [Over-priced spa treatment for free!]

Still Working On: Giving up all non-toxic art materials and products and figuring out a “green” litter box solution for our two aging indoor cats.

MaryLea Harris and her family

Find MaryLea here: http://www.pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com

http://www.pinkandgreenmama.etsy.com

Best Green Cleaners and Paper Products: ConsumerReports.org gives shoppers some great advice on whether or not it is worth it to buy to green versions of products like shower cleaner and dishwasher detergent. Very useful for Spring cleaning!

16 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds: Next time you brew a cup o’ joe, think twice about throwing out those old grounds–you could compost them or exfoliate your skin with them!

Chlorine Alternatives for Healthy and Energy Efficient Pools: Some people have chemical sensitivities to chlorine treatments in pools, so here are a few healthy, green options to clean the pool without the harsh smell, itchy skin, and discolored bathing suits…

Multimedia Link:
Jamie Oliver at TED Talk: We always loved Jamie and his Food Revolution, but after watching this video, we love him even more!

New and Cool Pick:
Reusables for Men: Still don’t know what to get dad next weekend after reading about F. Rock Carryalls for men? The guys from ReusableBags.com have put together a list of their favorite Father’s Day gift ideas. The winner? ACME Workhorse bags, which is a great alternative to plastic shopping bags. They come in a little pouch too, so Dad won’t have to be worried about people thinking he is sporting a murse (man purse!).

Photo Credit: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-bags-workhorse-style-1500-p-1.html

Introducing, F. Rock Carryalls for men by our favorite new sustainable designer, Nicolé Keane.

F. Rock is a Boston-based brand that designs mens’ accessories, more specifically, mens’ bags. And we don’t mean man-purses (murses?), we mean carryalls–something your hubby, dad, or married brother could carry, put their things in and not be ashamed. It all started with the designer, Nicolé Keane. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her in person (by the way, I thought I was standing in front of Audrey Hepburn!) and got to hear about F. Rock’s journey.

Nicolé originally began designing women’s handbags, but after designing with menswear fabric for a few of the bags, she found she fell in love with the concept of sustainable carryalls for men–so she made the switch. What makes these bags sustainable? Nicolé was very passionate in this area…

First, I define the “sustainability” aspect of my brand not just in terms of materials, but as a 360 degree concept that dovetails product AND production. You can’t consider one without the other. The bags fabrics are either re-claimed or recycled factory scrap fabrics (that which hits the floor while stitching or vintage suiting). The leathers are either scrap from production (think booting, dress shoes or utility belts), remnant (inconsistent weights, color or thickness) or rejects from factory production. Much of the leather I use was made for top brands in the bag business or motorcycle world. My lining is all remnant from a top upholstery company that I buy from a family owned company in Boston. My padding is recycled blanket material. All of the hardware is either purchased in New England from New England companies or made right in Rhode Island. All of the bags are made right here in Massachusetts. I work directly with a small team of stitchers who almost all have family history in the skilled craftsmanship of apparel and leather goods.

Wow. I had no idea such a stylish bag could be so green. But it got better: 2% from each purchase goes directly to eco and arts programs for urban youth. It is bag bliss! Nicolé was proud to say, “The goal from square one was to create a user-friendly, high-end/low-impact carryall that would look conventional in its quality, but have an amazing story behind it.” But I wondered if her bags would be a good match for a dad like mine, a guy who likes quality, good value, AND style…

The F. Rock man appreciates value and a product that is as useful as it is attractive. He’ll hang on to his favorite jeans or cords long after they’ve frayed because nothing else he’s seen comes close. He’ll spend a lot on a pair of shoes because he falls in love with the look and craftsmanship and will re-sole them for years to come.

Yup, that’s my dad all right. How green is Nicolé, though? Well, she puts me to shame, honestly. She grew up in a household in which everything was homemade (including a no-sugar rule!) and because of her eco-minded and natural upbringing it is second-nature to buy organic and locally-grown produce, make her own cleaning products and follow the weekday vegetarian eating regime. A few years ago she threw out the conventional stuff and has been cleaning her house with low-impact vinegar, lemon, water and baking soda ever since! Her beauty routine is all organic or homemade as well because she decided that if she didn’t know what an ingredient was or did, she wouldn’t use it. (I think this is a great rule)! She now swears by mixing olive oil, a douse of honey, and a teaspoon of organic wheat flour to create a daily face wash or body wash…she’s my idol!

So what will I be saving up for to get my dad in the near future? This 15″ Franklin model, perfect to put work papers in or protect a laptop. The bags can be purchased at bonobos.com (F. Rock will have a rolling 6 week offering of limited edition bags), FRockbags.com, bgreenlifestyle.com, capemac.com (where there will also soon be F. Rock iPad covers) and soon through shoebuy.com and greenandmore.com.

Do you like F. Rock as much as I do?! Tell me what other gift ideas you are toying with to get for the dads in your life this Father’s Day, I need some ideas for my stepdad, too…

Because kids are picky?

Because it costs less?

Because the food distributors have a stranglehold on the kitchen buyers?

Because the parents couldn’t care less what their kids eat?

Hold it right there. This is arguably the most conscientious generation of parents in history. And that’s why, along with the enormous muscle of leaders like Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver, they’re beginning to have an influence on school food.

Lunch is one thing, though; snacks are another. They’re usually served by…. other parents. Today’s guest blogger explains how to take back the snack. Even a pre-schooler can do it.

“I cook a lot, and my kids are good healthy eaters, but as they go out into the world they’re exposed to more and more processed stuff,” Eileen Glanton Loftus explains. “The other day my seven-year-old played soccer for an hour, and afterwards there was a snack, of course: Doritos — at 9:30 in the morning! The Doritos come in these huge packs of twenty bags! I started thinking: it’s junk food, it’s using lots of plastic, it’s countless trips from the factory to the store, the whole thing. I’m not anti-junk food, but I think there can be fresh options too. This story about Nora was just a small moment in our lives, but I realized it was important.”

Thanks @Jason Gulledge for the banana image.

Taking Back the Snack

We suburban parents are quick to embrace the rituals of modern parenthood. We do yoga with our infants, we buy strollers fit to handle any terrain, and as soon as our kids are old enough, we sign them up for sports. We buy tiny cleats, perhaps a lawn chair for watching games from the sidelines. And we sign up to be “snack mom.”

If you don’t have small children, you may be surprised by how frequently they eat. This is not actually a problem – most pediatricians and nutritionists advocate three modest  meals and two small snacks. It’s the quality that makes my head spin. At preschool and sports practice, kids routinely down potato chips, doughnuts and cookies, usually with a chaser of juice.

Do not, for a moment, think I’m a total purist. I ingested plenty of Pringles and Pepsi as a kid, and I truly believe that my parents’ willingness to supply a reasonable amount of junk food is the reason I don’t wildly crave it now.

But I think we parents can aim a lot higher. Why not try an orange after soccer practice, or grapes instead of Goldfish if you must provide a “snack that begins with a G.” Kids will complain for a while, but I think it’s never to early to introduce Michael Pollan’s maxim: “If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you are not hungry.”

The last day my 4-year-old daughter was responsible for her class snack, I asked her what she wanted to bring. She thought for a minute, then said, “How about bananas?” We hit two different stores, looking for the perfect state of ripeness, and she proudly took them to school to share with her classmates. Not every child ate one … but most did.

Two mothers stopped me in the hall that day to thank me. I was proud to tell them that it wasn’t my idea at all. It was a surprisingly radical move by my little daughter.

Eileen and her children

If you’re ready to take back the snack, or if you already have, please go to Practically Green and tick off actions such as

Buy organic or all natural chips for this week’s groceries (5 points)

or

Replace soda with fizzy all natural juices or sodas regularly (10 points!)

We discovered Eileen’s delightful post on Eat With Me, a food blog founded by another Practically Green guest blogger, Matt Gregory. Eileen is a former reporter for the Associated Press and has written Good Housekeeping and Forbes among other publications. A mother of three young children, she is on a constant quest to feed her family delicious, healthy food that is not shaped like a nugget. She lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia. This blog was originally posted at http://www.eatwithme.com/2010/06/03/take-back-the-snack/

Milk from Grass-fed Cows Is Better for Your Heart: A report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that there are higher levels of unsaturated fats (which are good for your heart) in the milk from pasture-grazing dairy cows than in the milk from grain-fed cows. Wow, more humane for the cows and the people!

12 Healthy BBQ Tips: The Daily Green helps kick-off summer BBQ-ing season with in-depth and relevant tips on how to cook healthier and happier on the grill. We can’t wait for our next cookout!

5 Toxins Found in Most Facial Moisturizers: Before you buy a new face cream, it might be worth it to read the ingredients label. Remember, your skin is your largest organ–treat it well!

Multimedia Link:
Tips from Toxic America: This week, CNN aired a series featuring Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who reported on the many different ways toxins are being exposed to Americans. Here are some great tips from the show that can help you reduce the amount of toxins in your home.

New and Cool Pick:
Envirocycle’s New Mini Composter: We just found Envirocycle’s newly designed compact composter and wish it was on our porches! Perfect for urban composting, this cute composter holds 17 gallons and costs a little less than the bigger alternatives.

Practically Green offers several relatively painless suggestions for saving your water – no-brainer stuff like turning it off when you don’t really need it on, or installing low-flow showerheads (which honestly don’t feel any different from the ones that use two or three times as many gallons of water per minute).

Our friend Ashley Adams English discovered her appreciation for H2o last winter when her power went out for five days, and along with it her potable water. This prompted her to write a lively tutorial on water conservation, preservation, and stewardship. For instance, here’s a water-saving tip we hadn’t thought of: “Consider taking a foot bath or having a mug of herbal tea for evening relaxation instead of taking a shower.” We liked the whole post so much, we’ll recycle part of it here.

Ashley Adams English

“I like to think that my relationship with water has been a pretty conscientious one ever since I became an adult. I’m mindful of running the dishwasher only when full, try my best to take quick showers, and water my garden judiciously. The relationship took a serious turn this past December, however. Following the first heavy snow, on December 19th, that dumped 17″ in one day, we lost power. As the forecast had only been for anywhere between 3-10″, we were left completely unprepared for the five days without electricity that would ensue.

“I live a mile down a dirt road, tucked into a forested cove that abuts a large parcel of undeveloped land. Rurally-situated folks like myself aren’t usually first on the list to have their power restored, as the general assumption, I suppose, is that we have the supplies, robust constitution, and wood stoves necessary to make do until power can be restored. While that is true (at least, it is in our home), what I hadn’t really considered, living remotely for the first time, was that without power, we wouldn’t have water. We have a well, and the well needs electricity to pump water up from the ground and into the house. And so it was that I came to learn the art of melting and gently warming snow. I used the melted snow to wash dishes, for bathing, and to provide my animals with water. The water’s scarcity augmented its importance. It is a resource that we absolutely cannot live without and one which we so often overlook. When you turn on the tap and no water comes out, everything changes.”

Read more on Ashley’s blog, “Small Measure” — and on DesignSpongeonline.com, where you’ll see her recommendations for “Acid Test,” a stunning film produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council; and Annie Leonard’s “The Story of Bottled Water.” Ashley also suggests two books to help you plant a drought-tolerant garden: Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, by Toby Hemenway: “for the gardener who wants to work with Mother Nature instead of against her” (Amazon); and Landscaping With Fruit: Strawberry ground covers, blueberry hedges, grape arbors, and 39 other luscious fruits to make your yard an edible paradise, by Lee Reich.