CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOG LAYOUTS, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

4.26.2009

::What's Green About Going Organic?::

or·gan·ic adj. ...3.d. simple, healthful, and close to nature: an organic lifestyle.
_____________

We've all heard of eating organic. We've all heard of organic clothing. And we've all heard of natural cleaners. But what does going organic have to do with being eco-friendly? You want to know and we'll tell you!

Alright. Let's begin with organic foods. Why is organic grocery shopping good for the environment? Not only is eating organic healthy for you and your family, but it's greener too. When you eat non-organic, your fresh fruits and veggies are the carriers of various pesticides and fertilizers, none of which are good for the earth, not to mention unhealthy for your body. Even when you wash a non-organic apple, there are still pesticides that are left behind and some can even soak into the apple itself to be ingested by you or your kids, and those pesticides are far from healthy. Some have even been linked to forms of cancer. Plus, pesticides, of course, aren't produced in a green manner. So not only is eating a non-organic apple supporting pesticide production and use, but it's much less healthy for you as the consumer. What about canned and non-perishable foods? The problem here is the practices in factory production, not to mention how processed the foods are, and processed foods are much less healthy (and sometimes even harmful, if you have an irritable stomach) for you than organic. Another issue is packaging. Not only is it often packaged in non-recycled materials, but the packaging itself rarely gets recycled too. That's a lot of empty jars of JIF winding up in landfills.

And meat? Wow. Where to start? First of all, over half of all water consumption in the United States is used for raising animals for human consumption, so the less meat consumption you can handle the better. Fact: a meat-based diet requires 4,000 gallons of water per day, while a vegetarian diet requires only 300 gallons. That's a HUGE difference! The second meat problem is that it takes not only a great deal of water, but also a great deal of food to feed all that livestock as well, so by buying more meat, or even just slightly more than you need, you're actually supporting the use of all that food for that purpose. As we lose more and more farmland every day, we're running out of space set aside for farming to support just the human race, and we're using that food to feed our livestock instead. So, again, the less meat you can handle, the better! To top this off, factory farms are run on nonrenewable fossil fuels, so they're about as far from green as you can get. Now comes the issue of chemical usage. Cows don't need pesticides to make them edible, right? Well, yes and no. Pesticides from the food provided for the cows are retained in some of the meat, but pesticides aren't the issue here - it's synthetic hormones such as rBGH and rBST, both of which are used to increase milk production in cows. While rBGH was banned about a decade ago, it is unfortunately still being used. Sadly, not only do these hormones make it into our milk, but they also result in horrendous and inhumane side effects in the cows, making their lives painful and short. Even the manufacturing of the hormones is ecologically harmful, not to mention unethical. So, what should we do instead? Drink local milk. Many milk jugs and cartons will be labeled if they don't contain any hormones, so look for those on the shelf. If it's available to you, buy your milk from a local producer, many of whom will sell their milk in co-ops and natural food markets. Here's a way to help the local economy, support humane treatment of animals, live healthier, and still spare your spending. Just so you know, most hormone-free milk is priced about the same as hormone-filled milk. It's an even exchange! If you'd like more on the benefits of going organic, you can learn more here.

Now, on to organic clothing. What's all this mumbo jumbo about anyway? Usually, organic clothing is made from either cotton, soy, or bamboo, although you can sometimes find it made from other fibers. More often than not, even the inks used on the shirt are soy-based, so they're eco-friendly as well. If you've ever shopped for or purchased a piece of organic clothing, you know it can be pricey. However, with a little bit of searching, the priciness can be avoided. Organic clothing is often more comfortable than non-organics, simply because it isn't treated and produced in the same manner. Also, there are no chemicals or irritants in organics, so they may spare you any allergic reaction you might have to a certain fabric. The main reason behind producing organic clothing is, you guessed it, sustainability! When your tag says "100% organic cotton", you can assure yourself that the shirt you just bought was produced without causing harm to the earth. The cotton fiber is completely sustainable and the fact that it's organic means that no ecologically harmful methods were used in its growth or production. Your organic cotton shirt is completely green, and Mother Earth will certainly be happy about your wardrobe choice.

Helpful Hint: Buy your organic clothing online and look for discounts, sales, and special offers and deals. Back Country Outlet and Sierra Trading Post have some great buys that may even undercut your current clothing purchases, and for baby, check out sites like Organically Baby, Positively Organic, and BabySoy. Check out eBay, too. If you're diligent, you'll find fantastic deals on organic clothing from several different brands, all being sold at really cheap prices. Best of all? You'll be following the second of the three big "R"s: Reuse. Buying second hand, whether it's been worn or still has the tags on it, will reduce your consumption while still getting you a great deal and some new organic clothes. Try the same tactic with all your purchases. Frequent eBay auctions, check up on Craigslist, and scope out local garage scales, many of which will be featured online in your local newspaper. Your hard work will really pay off and reduce your impact on the earth, plus you'll still be one step closer to being 100% green and you'll still have money left over. That's a pretty great deal!

Last but not least, moving on to natural cleaners and household products. Wow, these guys are really something else! You might think that your Swiffer wet mop is the only thing that works for your floor cleaning, but there are some things you should know. First of all, many household cleaners use formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has no determined safe level of human exposure - it's a toxin. It also has links to early aging (causing wrinkles to form), as well as emphysema and heart disease, and various cancers. Ever dissected something in your high school biology class? Those little frogs are soaked in it, which is what makes their bodies so tough to dissect. Nowadays, dissection classes are less prominent to avoid formaldehyde exposure to our kids, so if your child happens to be in a biology class, ask questions. Chances are, they won't be doing dissections, but if they are, you might want to consider writing a note to excuse your child from the class. Try sharing your helpful info with other parents as well. They'd be grateful to know! And as far as household products go, formaldehyde can be in any of your toilet cleaners, dishwashing detergents, air fresheners, or even in your shampoo. It's even in Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo! If you google search your products, you can find out if formaldehyde is contained in them and spare yourself the chemical exposure. But formaldehyde isn't the only harmful chemical being used in seemingly benign household products. The Swiffer sweeper that's so popular, for example, has had trace amounts of chemicals found in anti-freeze in the cleaning solution. The ASPCA has recently stated that any link between these chemicals and pet death or illness is unfounded, however, if your pet walks through your freshly Swiffered kitchen and then licks its paws, you can bet they're ingesting some of those chemicals. Fatal or not, the warning on the Swiffer WetJet still reads "May Be Harmful to Children and Animals", so it's probably not a risk to be taking. And what about those baby toys that go between your child's hand, the floor, and their mouth? That's right. More chemical ingestion. Whether it has fatal effects or just causes some intestinal pain, it's enough to put any baby or pet in danger. So what's the remedy? Natural cleaners. Now, you may think that if you go and buy Seventh Generation detergent or invest in some Green Works kitchen cleaner you're going to be paying a pretty penny and breaking the bank. Not true! While there are plenty of excellent natural cleaners on the shelves, you don't have to buy your cleaners when you want to go chemical-free [and eco-friendly]. Here's the better way: make your own cleaners by trying these clean and green alternatives. Most of them will use a mixture of water, vinegar, and lemon juice, and they'll clean just as well as the brand names off the shelves, only without the chemical additives. And don't worry about compromising your purchasing and losing your streak-free shine. With as many recipes out there for natural cleaners and household products, you'll find that they work every bit as efficient as the chemical-filled ones, only they're healthier for you and your family, including your pets, and they don't harm the planet.

Try this! Find some recycled plastic spray bottles [and as a note, check to see what percent of the bottle is recycled and whether it's pre-consumer or post-consumer - if it's post-consumer, you've found your bottle], gather up some online recipes for different detergents, cleaners, soaps, shampoos, etc., and get to mixing. Chances are that what you need to make your cleaners is already in your cabinets. That means you save money while you enjoy your healthy, sustainable living!

So, the conclusion is this: buy organic. If you can help it, buy local organic by shopping at your nearest co-op or hitting up the farmer's market. The amount of toxins you'll avoid and the amount of chemicals you'll be keeping out of the earth really adds up. You'll feel healthier, spend less of your money, and live greener. So the next time you see an organic apple, pick it up and stick it in your reusable bag. You've just done yourself and your family a good service, not to mention the world.

♥ Mama Bennett

Bennett Family Organic Favorites: Burt's Bees Baby Shampoo & Yerba Mate Tea

This stuff keeps Miles' and Molly's hair smelling delicious, looking fantastic, and all without formaldehyde. Just like Johnson & Johnson, it's tear-free, so it won't sting their eyes, plus, the scent is natural too and made from coconut and sunflower oils. It's even phthalate-free and not tested on animals. An even bigger perk? The bottle is made from 80% post-consumer recycled materials. And when baby has used it all, you can recycle it again with your #2 plastics. Remember to remove the cap first!

And for Mom and Dad, there's Yerba Mate tea by Nativa. It's extremely healthy, increasing energy, clearing the mind, relieving allergies, and even improving your sleep. It even contains less than half the caffeine that you'll find in ground coffee. You can find it pretty much anywhere, but we buy ours from HyVee. Don't go to a natural foods store for this one. Keep costs down by buying from a grocery store or your local Walmart, if they carry it there. It'll save you quite a bit of money and it's still all-natural. A little tip: if you like things sweet, add some organic honey and a touch of sugar to make it extra delicious. Then, sit back, relax, and enjoy some quiet time with your Yerba Mate! It's a great way to relax after a long day.

4.23.2009

::Paper or Plastic - Does Your Shopping Bag Really Make a Difference?::

Alright, if you've ever watched the television show Living With Ed [and we have!] you know the answer to the oh-so-common question "paper or plastic". According to Ed, as well as many other eco-friendly shoppers, the answer is - "neither". But does toting around a reusable bag or two really make that much of a difference? Good news - it really does!


Fact: Plastic bags sitting in landfills don't only take up to 1000 years to break down, but during their breakdown period they release toxins that pollute the earth and soil. The production of plastic bags also uses a great deal of oil, which also adds to the pollution problem. It's estimated that the citizens of the United States collectively use more than 380 billion plastic bags every year. Paper bags, while a seemingly better alternative, are in fact made of paper, which means that the use of paper bags requires using something very important to the environment - a lot of trees. Even paper bags that are made from recycled materials are often made from pre-consumer materials, not post-consumer, thus nullifying their eco-friendly effect. So even those who are trying to remedy the plastic bag problem by going with paper are still stuck in a corner with this option. The remedy? Go with reusables!

Around here, we have a house stocked with reusable bags from all our most frequent shopping locales. Of course, Target and Wal-mart are two of them, but our personal favorite is the Community Mercantile, better known as The Merc, which is our local co-op grocery store. Like a smaller version of your typical Target Super Center, the Merc has everything from fresh produce to books, cosmetics to cleaning solutions, and everything in between. The best part? If you shop smart and keep your eyes peeled for great deals, your budget stays the exact same, and you may even save money by shopping at your local co-op. Chances are it's packed full of items produced locally and sometimes at lower prices than you'd find on the shelves at a large corporate grocery store. Better yet, these co-ops frequently encourage going the eco-friendly route, as is the case with The Merc. Not only do they have your everyday reusable bags for sale, but they also have ones displaying The Merc logo, various designs from local artists, and even handmade bags by locals for locals. [In case you'd like to find the location of a community co-op near you, try searching through the natural food co-op national directory!]

Of course, if you buy your reusable shopping bags handmade, they may cost you a smidge more than a run-of-the-mill one, but the good news is that nobody needs a fancy bag to go grocery shopping. In fact, you may want to save a bit of money by going with a set of the average reusable bags than buying pricey alternatives. That way, when the bag finally needs replacing [which will generally take quite a while] you aren't out $20-$30. The price of a reusable bag at a corporate grocery store such as Target? $1.00-$5.00, depending on what design you'd like. And don't hesitate to take your Target bags to Wal-mart or your Wal-mart bags to your local co-op. If you're worried about insulting the store you're at versus the store bag you're carrying, keep this in mind: you're coming to their store to shop, so there's no harm done no matter what bag you tote in. Don't worry about store-appropriate bag etiquette!

But how many bags should you keep on hand? And how will you remember to take them with you to every shopping excursion? For us, we have a total of about 10 bags altogether. They hold quite a bit and are sturdier than both paper and plastic, so that's about all you need. Got a big family? You can always buy an extra bag or two, for those just in case shopping outings, but chances are 10 will be the right number and you won't need extras.

Helpful Hint: If you think that you'll forget your bags when going to the grocery store and once again be faced with the "paper or plastic" question, try this: When you return home from your shopping and everything gets put away, fold up your reusable bags and place them in the trunk of your car or under one of the seats. This should ensure that they get taken with you each trip and you won't be turning around halfway to the store to go back for your bags or end up buying extras at the store.

For the Fashionably Green: In case you don't just want to sport the average reusables and would rather make a statement along with your eco-friendly actions, try searching through the savvy and swank reusable bags on Etsy, a site specifically for all things handmade. Here, your bags can be made from anything from organic cotton to recycled materials and you can even request that a seller make a one-of-a-kind item just for you. Now you have something with sass, something eco-friendly, and something handmade all in one! Try browsing through the Etsy site for these shops, [or just click on the links here]: Happy Family, The Craft Pantry, and Proletariat Bags. Each has its own style, and each store has great feedback! Now you can go green without compromising your style... or your pocketbook.

So what did we figure out?
1) Ed's right! The only real eco-friendly answer to "paper or plastic" is "neither".
2) Sacrificing plastic bags doesn't have to break the bank or your personal style.
3) Utilizing reusable bags is easy to do [even with kids in tow!] and makes a big impact.

So the next time you go grocery shopping at your local co-op, supermarket, or even the farmer's market, remember to say "I brought my own bag". What a big difference one little bag can make! Happy shopping, everyone!
______________________________________________

Tiffany's Favorite Reusable Shopping Bag: The Brown Multi-Dot Bag from Babies 'r' Us

"Believe it or not, even Babies 'r' Us has a few reusable bags for sale! Super durable and sporting a neat modern design, [not to mention costing only a couple dollars], this bag is definitely my current favorite! Talk about neat eco-style for cheap!"
______________________________________________
*the reusable bag featured at the beginning of this post can be found on the Etsy.com site at The Craft Pantry*

::Meet The Bennetts!::

So, just who are we, eh? And who are we to tell you how to go green when you could simply be watching Living With Ed to find out all your green tips? Good questions! Let's start with introductions!



Meet Mom and Dad! Tiffany and Zac Bennett!:

Zac comes from a background full of great green goodness! Mom and Dad on that side of the family have all the knowledge on both electric and hybrid vehicles and could talk non-stop about solar paneling for hours! We'd like to say that Papa Bennett has a pretty good grasp on all things green, not to mention fact vs. fiction.

Though Tiffany comes from a much less green background, being married to a green guy says something! Unlike Ed Begley's wife, [whom we still love no matter what!] Mama Bennett is always searching for ways to go more eco-friendly and all that stay-at-home mom time is certainly good for lots of research and experimenting! Everything from green cleaning to natural cosmetics reviews are available here!

Meet the Baby Bennetts!:

Molly may be just now getting her green footing, but she knows how important the environmental cause is, even if she forgets to turn off a light switch now and then. For her, the expertise lies in what makes going green fun. Want some advice on green toys or what ways you can keep you and your kids entertained while still saving the planet? She's your go-to girl!


Miles, although he's yet to begin expressing himself through words, has a whole 15 months worth of green experience, and he's getting pretty savvy! His area of expertise? Green eating, of course! Wanna know if something produced in an eco-friendly way is still super tasty? If so, he's got the dish on all the dining delicacies! Not bad for a 15-month-old, eh?







So, now you've met the family! Now, let's go back to the question "who are we to offer green tips?" Well, now you see that each of us has a separate area of emphasis in the green cause! The best part? We're an absolutely normal family with a tight budget and a tight time schedule. What's good about that you may ask? We understand how hard it can be to go eco-friendly, especially with little ones in tow [and believe me, the Bennett babes aren't any more well-behaved than anyone else's!]. But we can help you in your green efforts by keeping you up to date with our green family! Everyday in our house is filled with discoveries, green challenges, questions and answers, and fantastic finds. Then, we put our finds to the test! After that, we pass on all our green knowledge to you! And with a little luck, a bit of elbow grease, and maybe even a smidge of solar power, hopefully we can help you out a little bit in your quest to go green. Are our reusable shopping bags alone going to single-handedly save the planet? Probably not... but if every person we see decides to tote a canvas bag for their fresh produce instead of going plastic, we might be on to something!

Thanks for meeting the Bennetts and check back very soon for our latest daily discoveries and helpful hints to keep you and your house growing up green! And don't forget to keep checking your blog updates - we've got a new all-natural made-from-scratch bundle of joy coming this summer! Get ready this July to welcome Daphne, the new Baby Bennett, to our great green house!

4.21.2009

::Welcome!::

Welcome to Growing Up Green! This blog is for parents who want to learn how their decisions, purchases, and parenting methods effect the environment and how we as parents can create positive change by going eco-friendly without a lot of expense or hard work.


It's a big job - saving the planet. But parents have some of the most say over what goes into landfills and how we interact with our environment. Did you know that just one disposable diaper, even a chlorine-free diaper, can take up to 500 years to biodegrade in a landfill? Take that times how many children you have, how many diapers they go through in a day, times how long they're in diapers - it's nearly unfathomable! But parents today have two things on their side: 1) they can find out easily how their choices effect our planet, and 2) they can easily find ways to help the environmental cause through switching and altering their choices, most of the time through simple and easily accomplished methods.

In our blog, we want to connect and reach out to other parents by handing out the facts about eco-friendly parenting and communicating on a personal level with other parents by sharing what our family does to keep growing up green. Thanks so much for dropping by, and keep in touch for updates, suggestions, tips, and tidbits of information that could change your idea on parenting, make a huge change for our environment, and teach you how to grow up green along with us!