Author Archives: Donna DeForbes

Product Review: Adopt a Healthy, Sweeter-Smelling Herban Lifestyle

  By Donna DeForbes | April 21, 2015 - 9:00 am | , ,
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Herban Lifestyle Body Butter | Eco-Mothering.com

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood. I received products to review but was not compensated for publishing the review. Opinions are all my own. One of the best things about being a blogger is forging relationships with small, natural living companies that I may never otherwise have discovered. Herban Lifestyle is one such company that makes it easy for us to balance our urban lifestyles with herbal habits. Owner Mary Kearns grew up in an ecologically conscious family and began making herbal bath and beauty products in 1999, selling them at local farmers markets. Her interest in the healing properties of herbs led her to found Herban Lifestyle in 2008 and share her products with a larger audience. Mary has also served as a wellness consultant on the scientific review of cancer prevention programs. With a mission to “make the world a happier, healthier, better-smelling place,” Herban Lifestyle creates products of … Continue reading →

The Shape of Our Family: Musings on Genealogy

  By Donna DeForbes | April 14, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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The Influence of Family | Eco-Mothering.com

Welcome to the April 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Family History This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, lore, and wisdom about family history. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants. ******* I’ve had an interest in genealogy since the fifth grade when my grandfather helped me make a family tree of my Scottish ancestry for a school project. I learned the tendency of the Scots to exaggerate: my grandfather claimed a relation to Warren Beatty (we do have cousins who married into Beattys, just not Warren’s family) and said we were descended from Bonnie Prince Charlie (highly unlikely). However, my determination to continue tracing my roots persists to this day as I map my relatives on ancestry.com and make … Continue reading →

Take the #GreenScream Challenge and Affect Climate Change

  By Donna DeForbes | April 7, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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#GreenScream Challenge | Eco-Mothering.com

Remember last year’s ALS ice bucket challenge? That was wildly successful with donations topping $100 million in a single month. Now, in honor of Earth Month, the Environmental Media Association brings you the #GreenScream Challenge. This is totally fun because you get to sneak up on someone and scare them. And videotape it. And post it on Facebook or Instagram for the world to see. Ha. Even celebrities are doing it — watch Lance Bass #GreenScream Michael Turchin in this video. Why are we being challenged to scare someone? To spread the word on the scary impacts of climate change, which we’ve been seeing in the form of sea level rise, extreme heat, droughts, blizzards, storms and flooding. How does this help the earth? Everyone who takes the challenge needs to challenge three more people and plant an herb, flower or veggie within 24 hours. Carbon pollution is the main … Continue reading →

Unique, Wacky and Gently Green Holidays to Celebrate in APRIL

  By Donna DeForbes | April 2, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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unique-holidays-april

Some people only think about an eco lifestyle on Earth Day, April 22. However, a little research showed me that every month has a few unique and earth-friendly holidays that can be cause for celebration. Pick whichever ones appeal to you, then get out there and celebrate! April is Lawn and Garden Month. Beginner gardeners can get resources on Vegetable Gardening 101. Or if you’re looking for simple tips on how to make your yard more eco-friendly and safer for the kids, read this post. April is also Couples Appreciation Month, Poetry Month, Decorating Month and National Humor Month. April’s Celebrations by Date: April 2 – International Children’s Book Day Recognized as the approximate birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, International Children’s Book Day is a day to call attention to children’s literature around the world. So go to the library, stock up on some books and read, read, read! April 3 … Continue reading →

Best April Fool’s Day Pranks in History

  By Donna DeForbes | March 30, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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1957spaghetti

Here’s a fun post for April Fool’s Day that has nothing whatsoever to do with eco-friendly living or parenting. Enjoy this list of some of the best April Fool’s Day pranks in history. Make sure to click on the “read more” links to get all the details from the Museum of Hoaxes. The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest of 1957 A British news show broadcast a story about a bumper crop of spaghetti in Switzerland. Their phony video footage of people pulling pasta off tree branches had hordes of callers inquiring about how to grow a spaghetti tree. Read more. The Taco Liberty Bell of 1996 A full-page ad appearing in six major U.S. newspapers announced that Taco Bell had purchased the historic Liberty Bell, renaming it as “Taco Liberty Bell.” Thousands of irate citizens hounded Philadelphia’s National Park Service until Taco Bell fessed up to the hoax. Read more. The Left-Handed … Continue reading →

Natural Parenting from A to Z

  By Donna DeForbes | March 17, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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Natural Parenting Basics | Eco-Mothering.com

Are you a natural parent? What does that even mean? Natural parenting is generally defined as “a desire to live and parent responsively and consciously.” Within that definition there are some basic principles and a variety of lifestyle choices. Don’t worry; to be a natural parent, you don’t have to follow every single one of them! Some choices will speak to you, others will not. For instance, I am a strong proponent of breastfeeding, babywearing, nurturing touch and nature. I also had an induced labor, a fully vaccinated daughter and never made my own baby food. Yet I still consider myself a natural and responsive parent who makes conscious choices every day. If you’re new to parenting, you can peruse this list to see what aspects of the natural lifestyle may work for you and your partner. Which ones jive with your personality? Start here, then do further research on your … Continue reading →

My Life in Pictures on a Random Day

  By Donna DeForbes | March 10, 2015 - 5:00 am |
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Eco-Mothering.com

Welcome to the March 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Day in the Life This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have given us a special glimpse into their everyday. *** As part of this month’s Carnival of Natural Parenting, I took snapshots of a regular day in my life. And I apologize for my camera phone, which is quite lacking. At first I thought my life seemed kind of boring (how do you capture a work day spent mostly on the computer and make it interesting?), but once I posted all the photos, scrolling through them made me smile. It is the little things, the mundane moments, that brought that smile to my face, and I’m happy to have documented some of those things I likely never would have otherwise (such as … Continue reading →

Natural Parenting Convention: #MommyCon2015

  By Donna DeForbes | March 3, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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MommyCon 2015 | Eco-Mothering.com

I sure wish there was an event like this when I was pregnant nine years ago! It would have been amazingly helpful to have so much natural parenting information and products gathered in one location — with experts on hand to answer my every question and like-minded moms to befriend. What is MommyCon? Back for its third consecutive year, MommyCon is a boutique-style convention focused on natural and organic parenting methods. The daylong event features speakers and workshops that provide an education about parenting choices. And you don’t have to be an über-crunchy mom to attend…the organization prides themselves on being a judgment-free environment open to all parents or parents-to-be and a variety of perspectives. All you really need is to be passionate about parenting. 2015 events are being held in eight cities across the U.S. While each city’s specific program differs, topics generally include: birth, breastfeeding, natural health and … Continue reading →