10 Baby Steps for Green Kids

In honor of my youngest son's upcoming 2nd birthday, let's talk about some easy things you can do with your children to teach them about living more eco-friendly.

1. Make recycling fun. We make recycling a game at our house. Whenever there's something to discard, while sorting mail, making dinner or just cleaning up, we'll hold each piece up and ask if it's recycle or trash. Kid who answers correctly gets to toss it. Even the toddler knows to grab the papers and run for the recycle bin. (For obvious reasons, this game works best for little kids.) 

2. BYOB. Invest in a cool reusable bottle for each kid, something fun that they actually like to carry. Then encourage them to use it frequently. Headed outside to play? Here's your bottle with some water. Early morning church? Here's your bottle with some juice or milk. Let them know that planning ahead will save them from creating more trash later.

3. Go on a vampire hunt. Make a game of finding all the appliances and charging cables that are plugged in but not in use. Bonus points for using a Watt Meter to find the biggest energy hogs. Talk about ways to *kill* the vampires by unplugging unused items, using smart power strips or finding non-power-using alternatives.

4. Take a walk. Get some fresh air, talk about the trees, plants, sky and animals. Take a small trash bag, a trash pick or gloves, and pick up litter while you walk. You'll get some exercise and teach a little something about taking care of your neighborhood.

5. Make water savings a game. Who can take the fastest shower? Who can catch Daddy forgetting to turn off the water while he brushes his teeth? Who can collect more rain water to water the plants with? You'll be amazed at where this game goes -- kids can find water in the oddest ways.

6. Grow something green. Whether it's a few plants on the windowsill or a veggie garden out back, commit to growing something green, preferably edible, and give your kids the chance to help. My preschooler loves to garden and water the houseplants, and he just planted his own little bean garden, which happens to be doing better right now than my own veggie seedlings.

7. Make something clean. Try making some of your own household cleaners, and let your kids help. Since homemade cleaners are much safer than traditional toxin-laden ones, your kids can take a hands-on roll with mixing new cleaning concoctions and putting them to the test around the home. Littler ones especially love helping out around the house. You still have to supervise, but isn't it nice seeing the kids scrub the kitchen table and wipe down the mirrors? Help them start a journal detailing their cleanser "recipes."

8. Get creative about Reduce and Reuse. Before throwing something away, like a can or baby wipe container or paper towel roll, ask your kids if they can think of some other way to reuse it. Their creative imaginations can see treasure in what we think of as trash. Likewise, before buying something new, take the kids on a scavenger hunt around the house looking for something you can reuse in a new way. Maybe you won't need to go to the store after all.

9. Feed some worms. Kids love creepy crawly things, and a worm bin is an excellent way to indulge their love of all things ooky while teaching some valuable lessons about composting and reducing garbage. My preschooler always sets aside his apple cores and banana peels "so the worms can have their dinner." Once you have some finished compost, let the kids help spread it around their garden or plants, and talk about how the worms have made something wonderfully nurturing as their gift back to us.

10. Play green. Get the kids away from the TV and video games, and play outside, exploring nature and getting their hands dirty. Ride bikes, make mud pies, feed the birds, and play tic-tac-toe in the dirt with sticks. Getting kids involved in the outside world gives them a new appreciation for what's "real." Do craft projects with found items and reclaimed items that were headed for the trash.  Explore the library.

Quick Tip: Shower Time

What do you do with all those shower gels, bubble baths and shampoos you don't like? Don't waste them -- toss them in the shower or tub along with a washcloth or sponge, and use them to clean the shower while you're in there. It takes just a minute to scrub down and rinse the walls and floor, and since there are no harsh fumes like traditional cleaners, you can get your bath clean easily and safely. If you do this once or twice a week, your shower will always look sparkling clean. It's also really easy to do this as your young children are winding up their bath -- they like to help, so hand them a washcloth and let them go for it! Don't forget to recycle the bottles when they're empty!

Increase the Moisture

You may have noticed that during the cold winter months, the air is much drier inside, thanks to forced air heating. Not only can this be uncomfortable, it can lead to bloody noses and itchy skin and lips. The dryness also sucks the moisture out of your furniture and woodwork, and it leads to pesky static electricity. With proper humidity levels in your home, you feel more comfortable at a lower temperature, so you can turn down your thermostat and save some energy. Here are a few ideas to add a little moisture back to the air.

Invest in a humidifier. Cool mist is safer than warm mist, and don't forget to clean the humidifier and the filter often to avoid mold and mildew growth. Humidifiers are great to have in the bedroom while you're sleeping.

Decorate with water. Place a few pretty bowls of water around your home, and the water will evaporate into the dry air. If you have a radiant steam heater, place a water bowl on top of radiators to speed up evaporation. Refill the bowls regularly.

Cook on the stovetop. If you're cooking something that can be done either on the stovetop or in the oven, opt for the stovetop when the air is dry. The oven dries the air out even more, but the stovetop adds much-needed moisture. It's also a cozy practice during cold winter weather.

Hang it to dry. Hang damp laundry and hand-washed clothes inside on laundry racks. It'll save you energy from the clothes dryer, and the moisture from the clothes will evaporate into the air.

Leave the doors open. Leave the bathroom door open after a warm shower. Leave the dishwasher open after its cycle is complete, and air dry dishes instead of using the heat dry feature.

Water houseplants well. Not only will your thirsty houseplants thank you, the moisture in the soil can help add humidity to the room as well. Plants constantly release water vapor through their leaves, and the soil and tray under the potted plant can also be a source of evaporated humidity.

My Nemesis: the Office

We've been hitting some heavy stuff lately, so let's go with something a bit lighter now. My February challenge was working on my home office, a challenge that will be consuming March as well. Our home office -- the Office of Doom -- is a large media room over our garage, very spacious, with lots of light, tucked away in the back of the house. Due to its size and isolation, it's become the family dumping ground for everything that doesn't have a home. Where can I stash this mail? In the office. What about all these charity donations? Eh, in the office. Party supplies? Extra artwork and frames? Toys? Random bits of furniture? Yep, in the office.

This home office has been my nemesis since we moved in 3 years ago. This isn't just my office either; my husband also has a full set-up, and we have made space for the kids to play or color while we work at our own desks. The cats' litter box is up here, because we can't find any other place to put it. Most of the floor is covered in piles -- primarily mine or household stuff I haven't gotten around to dealing with, though my husband has his fair share of books, files and old tech equipment. There are no window treatments save for the wooden blinds, and the art on the wall is a mishmash of pieces we like that don't seem to fit the decor of the rest of the house. The room doesn't have a door -- it's at the end of a long hallway, and we've hung heavy drapes that can be closed for some semblance of privacy, or more often, to regulate the heating/cooling of the space.

I had hoped to finish the room in February, but I should have known I couldn't defeat my nemesis during the shortest month of the year. I did accomplish a lot though. My husband's office furniture is all coordinated, a dark brown-black finish from IKEA, all pieces chosen by him for this room specifically. My furniture, on the other hand, was a conglomeration of pieces from other rooms situated around a corner desk from our old house, which left me facing a wall with my back to the large room. I detested it, and I rarely worked up there, preferring to take my laptop to our bedroom or down to the kitchen.

For my birthday, my husband switched out my old corner desk for an IKEA desk in the same brown-black as his furniture, in a style that suits me and the way I work. I was able to rearrange the rest of my furniture to coordinate around the new desk, so it's not as haphazard as it was before, and I was able to disguise some of the mismatched stuff with fabric.  I also redid my power systems for my computer, etc., with the new smart surge protectors that automatically turn on or off under settings you control.

Most importantly, I've been on a decluttering spree. Books have been sorted to donate to the library, random bags and baskets of clutter have been sorted, paper and random boxes have been recycled. We've freecycled and sold a few things; another large pile is on its way to charity this weekend. We still have a long way to go, but the difference is already obvious, which gives me more energy to keep working on it.

The Game Plan for March

1. Continue decluttering, and get the items OUT (charity/sell/recycle). 
2. File the piles of papers, recycling anything that can be tossed.
3. Remove items that don't belong in the office -- if it doesn't have a home in a more appropriate room, perhaps it's not needed after all?
4. Sew and hang curtain valances -- I bought some fabulous fabric for them...now I just need the office work table cleared off so I can make them.
5. Rearrange furniture as needed for form and function. If possible, create a seating area for reading or watching TV/playing the kids' TV-based computer games.
6. Re-evaluate artwork choices, patch holes in walls and touch up paint.
7. Consider some new and fresh design ideas to make the room a place I actually want to work in.

Lofty goals, for sure, but it's OK if the work slides into April as well. It didn't get messed up overnight, so it's fine if it takes a while to make it the cozy, comfortable, organized office that I really want. In the meantime, here's a few of my inspiration photos that keep me motivated.

My new desk is similar to this. I love the way they styled it. photo from houzz

I love the graphic window treatments here...a similar style will give our windows some punch. photo from houzz

I love these baskets for storage. They would look great with our darker wood tones. photo from houzz

I like these fabric-covered magnetic boards from Ballard Designs. The top photo of the "Create" office is also from Ballard Designs.

 

Well, now that you've seen what my current hobby is, tell me what you're up to these days. What kinds of styles do you like for a nice home office? Links and suggestions are always appreciated!

Year of the Tiger

Check out these stunning photos of endangered tigers from The Daily Green. I adore tigers, and it breaks my heart to think that they might not be around for my grandchildren to see. One of my greatest memories is when my husband took me to a tiger preserve for our 10th wedding anniversary, and I got to play with a baby tiger. There are as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild, and they are being threatened by deforestation, poachers, illegal trafficking and other factors. WWF, a leader in animal conservation, plans to use the celebration of Year of the Tiger to draw attention to these amazing endangered animals. In September, a Global Tiger Summit will be held in Vladivostok, Russia, with the goal of having all tiger-range countries lay out an agenda to recover the population of these big cats. The goal is to double the species numbers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. If nothing is done, tigers will disappear from the wild within the next decade. The good news is that we can save the tiger. Please check out WWF's What You Can Do, and help us save this beautiful big cat.

{Slightly} Greener Nails

Last weekend, I spent some quality time weeding out my mani/pedi box. I've known for a long time that the beautiful little bottles of vivid colors are hazardous to my health, but I like my pedis, so I turned a blind eye. As I get deeper into my studies of all things environmental though, it's become time to face the truth.

Why is conventional nail polish so dangerous? Most conventional nail polishes are chock full of chemical solvents such as toluene, acetates and alcohol. These solvents evaporate into the air as you polish your nails, generating toxic chemical fumes. If you have ever painted your nails or been in a nail salon, you know that smell. 

Many nail polishes also contain dibutyl phthalates (DBP), formaldehyde, camphor and toluene. Phthalates are chemicals used in PVC plastics, solvents and synthetic fragrances to preserve and "plasticize" the products. DBP in polish helps prevent the polish from chipping. DBP has been linked to reproduction system problems and underdeveloped genitals in newborn boys. Shanna Swan, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, conducted experiments in 2005 to show that phthalates could affect the reproductive health of baby boys.

Solvents such as toluene and xylene are petroleum-based products that have been linked to cancer. According to Skindeep, the Environmental Working Group researchers, there are 17 separate health concerns about toluene. These include risks to human reproduction and development, being carcinogenic and damaging to the immune system. Toluene causes rapid, shallow breathing; chemical pneumonia; blurred vision; dry, cracked skin; and can affect the kidneys and the nervous system. It may also cause an exaggerated feeling of well-being, headache, staggering tremors and convulsions.

Formaldehyde (also called formalin) is a strong allergen and irritant and is unsafe for use by asthmatic people, since it can increase airway resistance when inhaled. It is a known carcinogen. It is still used in some nail products, though it is being replaced in many brands because of health concerns.

The European Union has banned phthalates and formaldehyde from use in cosmetics, including nail polish.

Other solvents used include ethyl acetate and butyl acetate. Ethyl acetate is an irritant. Similarly, butyl acetate is considered toxic and an irritant and may cause respiratory and other problems. These chemicals are included because they evaporate, helping the plastic nail polish to dry and harden. When they evaporate, they're absorbed into the air, which is then being breathed in.

Mica is a common ingredient that gives a lustrous sheen to nail polish. Mica is from the mineral silica, which does occur naturally. Even so, mica as found in nail polish ingredients, is classified as toxic and also as bioaccumulators (they tend to accumulate in the body.)

There is no absolutely natural nail polish -- they all contain chemicals. But you can have a healthier manicure by using nail polish that is free of VOC’s and the most harmful chemicals. Some brands to consider include No Miss, Sante, Priti and Zoya. 

As always, read the labels carefully, and choose brands from health and environment-conscious producers. Dispose of used products carefully. Screw lids on tightly before disposal to prevent unnecessary leaks.

The healthiest solution is, of course, to skip polish all together. Keeping nails filed, clean and buffed is a pretty solution -- I buff my fingers and rarely wear nail polish on my hands. My weakness is my toes -- I love bright, cheery toes. My toxic polishes and remover have now made their exit, and I've carefully chosen a couple of healthier polishes and remover for my pedis.

Photo is Zoya "Envy"

Greener Laundry Day

Here are a few tips to put an earth-friendly edge on Laundry Day, and they'll also help save you money! Usual disclaimers apply: spot test where relevant.

Cold water
Given the efficiencies of modern washing machines and detergents, hot water is really not required in most cases. We've been washing in cold water for years and have rarely found the need to re-wash anything. By using cold water, you'll save on energy costs involved with heating and help extend the life of your water heater.

Load size and water levels
Wash full loads, and only wash clothes when they really need it. If you do need to wash a small number of items, consider hand-washing, as it only takes a few minutes to do, or adjust the water levels in your machine appropriately.

Detergents
Laundry detergents tend to contain complex chemical cocktails made up surfactants, builders, bleaches, colorants, optical brighteners, fragrances and solvent ingredients. Many components are synthesized from crude oil and, while the brand may claim biodegradability, breakdown can take some time, creating a build-up in waterways. Just about every supermarket these days offers "earth friendly" detergents, and they're just as effective as conventional cleaners.

One ingredient to watch for in detergent is phosphates. While a naturally occurring substance, if too much phosphate is present in a body of water, it can spark the growth of algal blooms that can have a suffocating effect on other aquatic life forms. Phosphate in laundry detergent really isn't necessary, so avoid it altogether if possible.

Opt for concentrated products in recyclable packaging whenever possible.

Wash cycles
Often we wash our clothes for too long - extra energy is used, there's more wear and tear on the equipment (and clothes) and perhaps even extra water is wasted. Experiment with your wash settings, gradually cutting back on the cycle to find the sweet spot.

Dryers
Electric clothes dryers are incredibly electricity intensive, capable of drawing thousands of watts an hour. Clean the lint filter regularly. Reacquaint yourself with your clothes line, whether indoors or out. Even if you just air dry a few items from each load, every little bit of energy saved counts.

If you have some washing tips to share, please add them below!