Category Archives: The Eco Lifestyle

The ABCs of a Greener Lifestyle

  By Donna DeForbes | March 18, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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ABC-letters

Okay, so you’ve decided to make your life a little greener. Where do you begin? The amount of options out there can seem overwhelming, so start with ones that feel good to you. From A to Z, here are 26 eco-friendly actions to choose from on the road to green living. Begin with one or two changes, then add on at your leisure. Aside from saving the planet, many of these actions will also save you money and improve your health. Air-dry your laundry on an outdoor clothesline or indoor drying racks. Bring reusable containers for taking home restaurant leftovers. Compost food scraps and more. Drive a hybrid or fuel flex vehicle. Eat organic produce for the Dirty Dozen. Find a new purpose for items instead of throwing them away. Go paperless wherever possible, from electronic bills to cloth napkins and rags. Hook up a rain barrel to collect gray water for use … Continue reading →

Product Review: Mohawk Valley Trading Company

  By Donna DeForbes | January 7, 2014 - 5:00 am | , ,
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Natural Products from Mohawk Valley | Eco-Mothering.com

There are companies who try to make everything natural and green—a valiant effort—but they often spread themselves too thin. Then there are companies who specialize in a few items and do those items very well. Mohawk Valley Trading Company is one such company. With a warehouse and apiaries located in upstate New York, they produce honey, beeswax, maple syrup and soap— unprocessed and natural and of the highest quality. I had the pleasure of sampling some of their products, which are only available online. Beeswax and Honey I have their beeswax candle lit right now as I work on my computer. (Apparently, when burned, beeswax candles emit negative ions, which are believed to clean the air and reduce symptoms of depression and asthma. Not that I suffer from either, but I figured it might offset the electromagnetic radiation from the computer.) Beeswax candles may seem a little pricier, but honeybees … Continue reading →

Top 5 Reasons to Take the Eco Challenge

  By Donna DeForbes | September 27, 2013 - 5:30 am |
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eco-challenge-cans

Last year I participated in (and blogged about) the annual EcoChallenge from the Northwest Earth Institute. You can read about that here. Basically, it’s a two-week event challenging you to make a commitment toward environmental change, however big or small. And it’s fun. The site is set up as a fun, connecting game with teams, points and prizes. This year’s EcoChallenge runs from October 15-30. I’ve committed to reducing my trash by composting more regularly. Won’t you join me? Here are some reasons to give it a try. Kickstart a New Habit Sometimes all you need is a little motivation to make a green change. The EcoChallenge makes it easy for you with lists of possible actions to take, daily check-ins for accountability and prizes as regular incentives (like a year’s worth of Organic Valley products). Choose whatever personal challenge speaks to you, and commit to it for two weeks—a … Continue reading →

How Educating People About Being Green Benefits Everyone

  By Donna DeForbes | September 26, 2013 - 5:30 am |
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NBA-eco-video

This is a guest post by Peggy Smith. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), climate change is the biggest crisis that the world faces in this generation. They point out that by protecting the environment, public health is improved, air is cleaner and water is safer. In order to draw more attention to a safer and cleaner environment, it’s important to teach good tips to young people and show them how the benefits of being green are better for everyone. Top Ways of Teaching Green Tips to the Next Generation Taking kids to a farmers market is a good way to expose them to the life of a farmer. Let your child interact with local growers. Have them ask questions about the ways the food is grown and how the farmer takes steps to protect the environment from harmful chemicals and runoff. Respecting our environment must be done … Continue reading →

Start Here: Resources for Going Green

  By Donna DeForbes | September 24, 2013 - 5:30 am |
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go-green-keyboard

So you want to go green but don’t know where to start? Below are some online resources to help you navigate the eco-friendly lifestyle. Define Green Greenopedia is an online encyclopedia of green questions pertaining to your home, food and children. They answer everything from “How babies may be exposed to BPA” to “What do the plastic recycling codes mean?” to “Choosing between farmed and wild-caught fish.” The articles are arranged in hubs around a particular topic. For example, the topic of “local food” will include articles on CSAs, farmers markets and whether local food is healthier for you. Greenopedia also has a glossary defining all those terms that get bandied around a lot but might confuse you (genetically-modified, phthalates, post-consumer waste, etc.). Live Green EarthShare is a non-profit that connects people with environmental charities, and they also have a site offering lots of tip for eco-friendly living. The EPA has a page … Continue reading →

Top 5 Ways You Can Prevent Marine Pollution

  By Donna DeForbes | September 20, 2013 - 5:30 am |
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Ways to Prevent Marine Pollution | Eco-Mothering.com

While the huge oil spills make the headlines, there is much more to marine pollution. Trash litters coastlines around the world. Man-made pollutants (like pesticides and pharmaceuticals) are entering the global food chain. There are “garbage patches” comprised of millions of pounds of floating debris in the Pacific Ocean, harming marine life and disrupting food chains. Our precious water resources need protection. The good news is that everyone can help stop marine pollution, even landlocked residents, because—get this—80% of the problem originates on land! Some of the biggest causes of marine pollution include trash dumping, pesticide runoff and improper waste disposal. Making individual changes at home can lead to big solutions. Here’s a few things you can do: Use that trashcan Too many people use public areas as dumping grounds for their trash. And what happens to the litter tossed onto sidewalks, parks and streets? It gets washed into storm drains and our … Continue reading →

How to Recycle in Just 15 Minutes a Day

  By Donna DeForbes | September 19, 2013 - 5:30 am |
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recycle-sign

This is a guest post by R. Beechum. It takes approximately 700 years for a plastic bottle to completely decompose in a landfill. Sadly, about 50 percent of the waste present in landfills today is made up of those same plastic bottles. Meaning that unless you’ve bought a ticket on The Axiom (from the eco-themed movie Wall*E), this might be a good time to learn a thing or two about recycling. Recycling in the past could be a time-consuming task that involved washing out cans and bottles, removing labels, buying separate trash cans and sorting, sorting, sorting. But it doesn’t have to be that difficult. If you’ve been a reluctant recycler all your life because the task seems too time-consuming or daunting, well, in the classic words of Bob Dylan: “The times, they are a changin’.” By learning some tricks of the recycling trade, you can help the planet without spending your whole day over … Continue reading →

Going Green: My Eco Bucket List

  By Donna DeForbes | September 3, 2013 - 5:30 am |
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Green Living Bucket List | Eco-Mothering.com

I’ve been dreaming green for decades, although my desire and goals sometimes change. Here, I’ve corralled everything into one eco list from the small stuff I never seem to get around to (replacing plastic food containers with glass) to the big fantasy dreams (saving a species from extinction). Live in a thoughtfully-designed green home Stay at an eco lodge in Costa Rica Invest in an organic mattress and bedding Own a hybrid car Attend a natural parenting convention Raise lots of money for green charities through Eco-Mothering Switch to holistic medical practitioners Receive regular bodywork on a weekly basis (massage, reflexology, etc.) Go meatless four days per week Explore part of the Amazon rainforest Save the yellow-tailed woolly monkey from the edge of extinction Swim with dolphins in the wild Expand my vegetable garden Plant fruit trees and bushes Eat only at green-certified restaurants Use only organic beauty products Raise chickens … Continue reading →