A Green Home & Eco-Friendly Life

As moms, we can all do our part to reduce our children’s exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. We can also help the environment along the way by purchasing natural, eco-friendly and organic baby products. Hopefully we can inspire our children to live healthier and more eco-friendly lives in the process.  Here are some resources where you and your family can learn more.

Amazon’s Green Baby

BabyEarth

Consumer Report’s Greener Choices

Earth911.com

ECHOage Birthday Parties

EcocentricGuide

ecofabulous

EcoMom

EcoStiletto

Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database

Generation Orange

Good

GoodGuide

Greenopia

GroovyGreen

Health Child Healthy World

Inhabitat

Martha Stewart’s Whole Living

PayItGreen

PlanetBox

Planet Green

The Daily Green

The Guide Girls

Think Green From Home

TreeHugger

Zerofootprint

Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home
by Christopher Gavigan

Green Goes with Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet
by Sloan Barnett

Organic Baby: Simple Steps for Healthy Living
by Kimberly Rider

Squeaky Green: The Method Guide to Detoxing Your Home
by Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry

The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time
by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen

Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life
by Ed Begley Jr.

Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century
by Alex Steffen

Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet
by Elizabeth Rogers

Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World
by Diane MacEachern

Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style
by Christie Matheson

Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life
by Sophie Uliano

Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home
by Renee Loux

Basic Green Living Tips

Are you looking to lead a more eco-friendly life but you don’t know where to start? Do you ever feel guilty that you are not doing enough for the environment? I certainly know how shameful I feel when I am checking out at the grocery store and I have to answer the dreaded ‘paper or plastic?’ question when I know there are seven perfectly good reusable grocery bags tucked away in the trunk of my car.

The best way to get started is to keep it simple and start small. Here are a few ideas to consider that will help you and your family lead a healthier and more eco-friendly life.

1 – Green Cleaning. Stock-up on natural and eco-friendly cleaning products for your home. There are many wonderful natural soaps and biodegradable cleaning solutions available today and many come in recyclable or biodegradable packaging as well. Keeping the toxins and harsh chemicals out of your home is a great first step. Shopping online is the most convenient way to stock up on dish washing soap, laundry detergent and other cleaning products. I’ve even found biodegradable sponges at Target!

2 – Buy Organic. Selecting organic fruits and vegetables is a great way to ensure your family does not ingest harmful insecticides. Support local farms and agriculture production in your area by shopping at your local farmers’ market. For a really convenient solution, consider signing up for an organic produce delivery service that will ship or drop off seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables right to your doorstep.

3 – Save a Bag. If you are guilty (like me!) of forgetting your reusable grocery bags in the trunk of your car, buy yourself a few that fit into these nifty little pouches no bigger than the palm of your hand. They come in lots of wonderful colors and prints. You can conveniently toss a few right into your purse so you’ll always have one handy. Another trick is simply to carry a larger purse when you are out shopping. I carry a large tote bag when I am running errands, and I can easily tuck a few articles of clothing, a new coloring book for my son, or a handful of items from the drugstore right into my bag.

4 – Make Organic Baby Food. If you have an infant, or know someone who does, try making fresh, organic baby food. This is a wonderful way to provide fresh wholesome nutrients to your infant, without all of the packaging that comes along with individual portion baby food. Steam some veggies, put them in a blender with a splash of water, and mix them up. You can make all sorts of yummy combinations. All you need to do is fill up ice cube trays with the mixture, pop them in the freezer, and you will be all ready to go. A bag full of frozen colorful cubes is a perfect gift for any new mom.

5 – Donate Eco-friendly Diapers. There are a number of environmentally friendly choices when it comes to diapers. Check out the latest biodegradable diapers, chlorine free diapers, and cloth diaper services on the market. Consider donating a month’s supply of eco-friendly diapers to a mom at a local shelter.

6 – Recycle More. I noticed that the only items that make it into my parents’ recycle bin are newspapers and aluminum cans. It is still so hard for me to believe, but I don’t think they even realize that most junk mail, yogurt containers, olive jars, cereal boxes and scratch paper can be recycled as well. Think twice before you toss something in the trash. Consider making your recycle bin more convenient to reach than your trash container. It is easy to get lazy, but recycling is such a simple way that we can all make a difference. You can also recycle by swapping or trading used baby and kids gear.

7 – Hire a Green Consultant. Think about hiring an eco-consultant to come to your home to provide insights on how to improve your family’s carbon footprint. They can provide you an individualized assessment of your home and provide your specific recommendations to make your home and lifestyle healthier and more eco-friendly.

Together if we all try to live a more eco-friendly life, we can all help create a healthier environment for our children and grandchildren. Remember, small changes to your lifestyle really can make a difference.