Eco Friendly Gifts for Mother’s Day

Recently my husband and I watched “The Notebook” (he owed me for watching various zombie movies and it passed our criteria: it was available on iTunes). At one point the main character (played by Ryan Gosling – yes, there were ulterior motives for picking this film. Mama likes! Mama likes a lot…) leaves a hand picked bouquet of flowers on the pillow for his love to see when she wakes up. At this point, C turned to me and said, “That’s a nice idea except I could never do that because you don’t get to sleep in.”

Menfolk: let’s let that sink in a moment, shall we? Sleeping in. Flowers. Believe it or not, you actually CAN make that happen!! It’s not just for movies!! It can, in fact, be something you make happen this very Mother’s Day if you choose to. On behalf of all moms out there, let me implore you: choose to!!

However, should that fall through, here are some other gift ideas for you, to show appreciation for the mother of your children. You know, that lady who never gets to sleep in? Continue reading →

How to Have an Eco Friendly Garden

I’ve mentioned how bad I am with house plants (“black thumb” doesn’t even begin to describe it). But last year I decided to take the killing spree even further and planted a garden outside. Not a ton of stuff. A few herbs. A cucumber plant. A strawberry bush that quickly became the center of a war between my husband and the raccoons. I had, as you may imagine, mixed results. But more important than the mutant-sized cucumber that no one would eat was the fun we had as a family watching the plants grow (or not) and the instant connection it created to nature.

Want to keep your garden “green” this year? Here are a few tips for an eco-friendly garden. Continue reading →

Fun Earth Day Activities

I woke up feeling a little more rested, energetic and focused today (amazing what a good night sleep and some peanut butter frozen yogurt can do to your mood). And although we’ve talked about things to give up for Earth Day I also wanted to give you some ways to actually celebrate and enjoy it, too. (Are you there, Fun? It’s me, Amanda…) Continue reading →

Earth Day Ideas: 5 Things to Give Up

With a baby on the way, a four year-old with yet another ear infection and a full-time job, I’m too exhausted to start anything new for Earth Day. Oh, and did I mention my husband is remodeling the kitchen? Just the cabinets, but still. And you know I would never ask you to do something I myself don’t have the energy for. So in the name of saving energy (our own counts too!) let’s just agree to STOP five things to honor Earth Day instead. Easy right? Well, easier. Continue reading →

Eco Friendly Easter Ideas

Any holiday where you end up with colorful baskets full of chocolate and sugar is my kind of holiday. I’ve noticed a lot of plastic incorporating itself into Easter lately (bad plastic, no!) in the form of basket filler, eggs and decorations. It got me wondering how to have a “greener” Easter without putting a damper on the fun. Here are some eco friendly Easter ideas Continue reading →

Interview: Tracey from Don’t Mess With Momma

When I attended the BlogHer conference last year, I met up with Tracey from Don’t Mess With Momma and instantly connected. As a self-described, “soggy granola mom” Tracey isn’t afraid to take things out of the trash (on the sly) at her office or children’s school to place them in the recycling bin where they belong. Her blog covers everything from parenting and family travel to food and eco-friendly products. Continue reading →

What’s In Season: Spring Recipes

This is the first year that I’ve really started to understand and appreciate what it means to eat seasonally. I made sure to get my fill of pomegranates and persimmons in the Winter and berries in the Summer. Because when you eat (mostly) what’s local and fresh, you help the environment by not buying food that needs to be shipped in planes, trains, and automobiles. And the shorter the road from the farm to your mouth, the fresher and tastier too!

Now that Spring is here I can’t wait to dig into some of my “green” favorites: artichokes, asparagus, peas and arugula. And one of my go-to recipe blogs has the perfect child-friendly pasta dish where you can sneak in a little green and even do on a week night. Continue reading →

Eco Friendly St Patrick’s Day Party

My husband’s cousin got married last St. Patrick’s Day and while I feared the worst (green beer and cabbage anyone?), they actually had a very tasteful and lovely celebration. That got me thinking: how can you green the greenest day of the year? Did someone say party? I think you did.

So follow these tips for a fun, festive and green St. Patrick’s Day party. Continue reading →

Technology Cleanse

Everyone around me is doing some sort of New Year’s cleanse: cabbage, cayenne lemon juice, things only Gwyneth eats. But since I’m pregnant I can’t partake in a food cleanse (riiiiight, that’s the reason…). But it did get me thinking… Are there other “toxins” I can eliminate? And that’s when I stumbled upon something called a Technology Cleanse.

How many times after an outing (playground, supermarket, date night) have you realized you had your nose in the phone the whole time? I know I can “watch” whole movies without noticing the plot sometimes. We like to call it Multi-Tasking but psychologists might call it: Addiction. That’s where a Technology Cleanse comes in. Not quite a 12 Step program, but it is a good chance to cut off for a short while from the computer and cell phone, and yes, say it with me: no Twitter or Facebook either. You too, Pinterest – sayonara for now.

Here’s how to do a Technology Cleanse. Continue reading →

5 Minutes to a Green, Clean Baby Nursery

As I mentioned in a previous post, Moms are willing to give up quite a lot to make sure their houses are clean. Me? I’d rather sleep. Especially with a preschooler in the house and a newborn on the way, sleep will be the difference between a functioning me and a non-stop weeping me. So with that pretty picture in mind, let me make your nursery room cleaning routine that much faster so you can spend your extra time in whatever way you like best! Continue reading →