Category Archives: Holidays and Celebrations

Well, Halloween is over, but it was fun! Super EcoMom (yes, that’s me in the green mask and leaf cape) went trick-or-treating with a band of superheroes and other cool parents. Did your kid make out with too much candy? I know Sofie did (although I was pleasantly surprised to see her excited about receiving pretzels and crackers). Check out the Halloween Candy Buy-Back program and find a participating dentist near you. Wondering what to do with those leftover jack-o-lanterns? Pumpkins make happy compost, so toss it into your compost bin or someone else’s. Rhode Islanders can drop their old pumpkins at either Providence Whole Foods location by November 2 where ecoRI will collect them for farm compost. Sofie and Dad carved this kitty-bat into our pumpkin, which went outside today for the squirrels to munch on. And that darn stray cat I always find in our yard. Don’t forget to save … Continue reading →

Here’s the awful truth: We make Sofie give her Halloween candy to recovering drug addicts. That sounds worse than it is. My husband is a drug and alcohol counselor at a methadone clinic. Methadone is the government-approved drug that opiate addicts switch to, and the withdrawal process is alleviated by eating sugar. So my husband keeps a steady supply of candy in his office. We thought this would be a great solution for all that Halloween candy when Sofie began trick-or-treating at age two. (We’re not ogres; she keeps a good amount of candy and passes on the rest to Dad.) But we’re amazed that we’re able to keep it up at age six—it’s become a normal part of Halloween for her. I know everyone isn’t lucky enough to have a drug and alcohol counselor partner, so here are my top 5 alternatives to excesses of Halloween candy. Halloween Candy … Continue reading →

{Editor’s Note: this is Day 9 of the EcoChallenge through the Northwest Earth Institute. You can read about the kickoff here.} With October comes my daughter’s birthday – always a highlight for her and an eco challenge for me. I struggle with the amount of paper products and waste that often accompanies kids’ birthdays not to mention the focus on presents. (See my post, Children’s Birthday Parties are a Scam!) Yet I don’t want to deprive Sofie of a good birthday celebration. I told her we’d have a party at home for six friends (I’ve read that limiting the number of guests to the child’s age is a good rule of thumb). Then I braced myself for the fairy/princess/superhero theme my daughter might choose. But she surprised me this summer when she saw me reading the Defenders of Wildlife member newsletter. She asked about the animals on the pages and I explained … Continue reading →

If your child is like mine, she has known what she wants to be for Halloween since the day after last year’s holiday. This year it’s Supergirl. While I am happy for the switch from pretty princess to assertive, butt-kickin’ female, I must admit there wasn’t a green thought in my head when I told Nana to order the costume. I didn’t even know about National Costume Swap Day. Started in 2010 by Kiwi Magazine, Green Halloween and Swap.com, National Costume Swap Day is an opportunity for families to trade and reuse those gently worn kids’ outfits. This year it’s being held on Saturday, October 13 with swaps organized in 34 states plus Canada. Find a 2012 costume swap near you (or start one and register it here). While we’ve sometimes put together a costume from items Sofie already owns (last year’s cowgirl comes to mind), too often we buy … Continue reading →

These events get parents to fork over numerous dollars on the latest toys and carve out 2-3 hours of precious weekend time. Why? So their own child can run wild, get a sugar high and beg for the same experience when her own birthday rolls around. The children love it, the parents buy into it, and I want to know: who’s responsible for this? When I was a kid, birthday parties were just another reason to hang out with relatives in a backyard cookout. Sometimes I could invite a friend. I did receive gifts—usually clothes—but nothing special. Aunts and uncles smiled, remarked how big I was getting and disappeared for a drink refill. My cousins and I fueled up on soda and ran around the yard until it was time for the best part—the cake. Nowadays, the preschool scene is an endless round of birthday parties, meeting the same kids … Continue reading →

For my sister’s 30th birthday this month, I am sending her a package of 30 gifts, which I will not reveal here in case she is reading this blog. (J, you’d better be reading my blog!) I will say that planning the gift was fun. However, the most creative part of the process ended up being the wrapping. I wanted each item wrapped separately to prolong the joy and suspense of opening, but I felt guilty about using so much paper. According to the EPA, holiday waste, including giftwrap, contributes to a 25% spike in curbside trash volume between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Then I remembered a recent Christmas present from a friend: candles wrapped inside colorful cloth napkins. The idea inspired me to new heights. What could I find around the house that might jut be tossed in the trash otherwise? A quick search in the recycle bin offered … Continue reading →

Deck the Earth
 Deck the earth with love this season, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Sustainability is the reason, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Don we now fair trade apparel, Fa la la, la la la, la la la. Wind has no cost per barrel, Fa la la la la, la la la la. See the rising sea before us, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Bears and seals and whales implore us, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Give the gift of carbon offset, Fa la la la la, la la la la. And think twice before you toss it, Fa la la la la, la la la la.   Let It Grow
 Oh, food ingredients can be frightful But growing your own is so delightful So get yourself some land to sow Let it … Continue reading →

With Sofie’s third birthday approaching, we’re hearing lots of talk from our daughter about cake and parties. Big change from the last two years when she hardly knew what a birthday was. Now she’s been indoctrinated through invitations to friends’ parties where cake, ice cream and presents are the norm. This is not what we want our norm to be, but how do we tell her this without crushing her? My husband would like to honor Sofie’s birthday by taking a trip down memory lane: telling her our stories, sharing video, photos and poems from her birth. I like that. It’s personal; it speaks to the real meaning behind a birthday. But what about the fun factor? I also wondered how other countries celebrate birthdays and discovered a range of traditions. Unfortunately, the ones relating to Sofie’s ancestry (Filipino, Irish, Italian and Scottish) involve either physical duress (bumps, smacks and … Continue reading →