Top 5 Fridays | Eco-Mothering

Top 5 Activities for Celebrating the Spring Equinox

By Donna DeForbes | March 14, 2014 - 5:00 am | Holidays and Celebrations, Top 5 Fridays

The vernal equinox (March 20) marks the first day of spring, a shifting of seasons, a time when daylight and darkness are of equal length. Nature is in balance.

Traditionally, the vernal equinox focuses on rebirth, and it was honored by ancient cultures in the festival of Ostara. With winter giving way to spring, Ostara celebrations centered around new life, fertility and the planting season.

For us in the northern hemisphere, we appreciate spring’s soft breezes, newly born wildlife and the melting snow giving way to damp, nutrient-rich earth. It is a season of wonder, new beginnings and a “spring fever” that energizes us from our dormancy.

Here are five ideas and family activities for honoring the essence of spring.

Nesting Birds

Clean out your family’s hair brushes (or the vacuum cleaner) and put the hair outside for the birds to build their nests with. Or provide them with nesting material (using a wine bottle and some yarn) following this tutorial from Dawn Marie Howard. Engage in some birdwatching and see how many you can identify. Connect with your local Audubon chapter to find a bird hike near you.
Sowing Seeds

It’s so simple, yet utterly amazing to watch a tiny seed blossom into something green, lush and even edible. Let the kids choose their plants, and sow seeds indoors using unique, recycled containers.
Eco-Friendly Eggs

Eggs are an ancient symbol of new life, and egg balancing is a popular thing to try on the equinox. Using egg shells to make your own beeswax candles is an inspired activity. Check out the tutorial from Homeschooling in the Rose Garden.
Spring Scents

Make your own spring-inspired incense to fill the house with flowery smells after a good cleaning. For tips on de-cluttering, organizing and natural green cleaners, check out my Spring Cleaning blog series.
New Beginnings

Honor the essence of rebirth by transforming a part of yourself. Is there a new hobby you always wanted to start? A new food to cook? A foreign language to learn? For little ones, it may be as simple as trying an unfamiliar food or making a new friend.

Get more inspired ideas like this for every holiday in my eBook, The Guilt-Free Guide to Greening Your Holidays.

This post is featured on Small Footprint Friday, Natural Living Monday, Thank Goodness It’s Monday and Natural Family Friday.

Top 5 Unique Containers to Recycle into Seed Starting Pots

By Donna DeForbes | March 7, 2014 - 5:00 am | Home and Garden, Top 5 Fridays

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This time of year many of you are planning gardens, starting seeds indoors or making lists of what to buy in a few months.One thing you don’t need to buy is seed starting containers when there are a myriad of household items that can be repurposed as such. Save money and the earth by using any of these five unique options to start your garden growing.

Loofah Sponges from Thyme Square Garden

This is the coolest thing. Ever. Grow your own Loofah (I didn’t even know it grew as a backyard plant!) and then use the harvest to pot next year’s plants? Wow.
Roasted Chicken Containers from Inside Urban Green

My family is a sucker for pre-roasted chickens as a quick dinner. Now I have a great re-use option for the container. (This idea also works great with Applebees To-Go containers.)
Egg Shells and Carton from Free People Blog

Such a sustainable idea! Make omelettes with the eggs, then rinse out the shells for planting purposes.
Chinese Takeout Boxes from Instructables

I always thought these cute boxes should have some good re-use, and here it is. Although this tutorial shows using the box as a planter, I imagine the smaller ones can be used just as well for seed starters. Side note: These Chinese takeout boxes were designed to be used as plates, thus saving the need for dishes.
Olive Oil Can Planter from E.A.T.

I never would have thought of this, but what a sturdy idea for a bed of greens.

Some less unique but wonderfully upcycled ideas for seed starting containers include newspaper, coffee cups, yogurt containers and toilet paper rolls.

This post is featured on Natural Family Friday, Tuesday Greens, Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Hop, Small Footprint Friday and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.

March’s Top 5 Eco Crafts

By Donna DeForbes | February 28, 2014 - 5:00 am | Arts and crafts, Holidays and Celebrations, Top 5 Fridays

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Welcome to my monthly installment of eco-friendly arts and craft projects gathered from around the Internet. While some projects require adult supervision, they are a fun, educational and green hobby for your kids.

This month’s collection includes crafts for St. Patrick’s Day and the Spring Equinox. Enjoy!

Shamrock Sprouts from Housing a Forest
St. Patrick’s Day Bunting from Simple As That Blog
Garden Hose Spring Wreath from Create Craft. Love.
Floppy Disk Planters from Brit + Co.
Hanging Light Bulb Vase from DIY Weddings

This post is featured on Natural Living Monday, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Tuesday Greens, Works for Me Wednesday and Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Blog Hop.

Top 5 Eco Tips for Hosting an Oscar Party

By Donna DeForbes | February 21, 2014 - 5:00 am | Home and Garden, Top 5 Fridays

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The Academy Awards are coming up, and I’ve been a fan of the show since childhood. Even if I haven’t seen any of the nominated movies (as is the case this year), it’s fun to ogle the stars, laugh at Ellen’s jokes and discuss fashion with my daughter. Last year I even wrote about the eco gowns on the red carpet. (I’m hoping for more of those this year.)

With Oscar season comes Oscar parties, so here are a few ways you can green yours.

Photo: Davidlohr Bueso/Flickr

Cast Your Vote Electronically

It may seem like a small thing, but why print out ballots when some sites offer easy online voting? Both Oscar.go.com and Entertainment Tonight offer options where you can make your picks via Facebook and even compare with friends. An added benefit? The computer does all the tallying so you don’t have to worry about your math skills after downing a few drinks.
Serve Sustainable Snacks

Think local by creating appetizers with what’s available from your farmers market. Sustainable Table offers lots of recipes. Serve them alongside organic wine and beer.

While these treats aren’t necessarily sustainable, they are nut-free and super cute: Oscar-themed cookies from Eleni’s New York. She’ll ship the cookies or cupcakes next day so you can take a bite out of Christian Bale.
DIY Décor

Look around your house and you’ll stumble upon any number of items that can be repurposed as Oscar party décor. For the statue himself, use a child’s trophy or an old Ken doll painted gold. Repurpose old negatives to make filmstrip candles.
Fold cloth napkins into award envelopes. A red blanket can be rolled out as the red carpet, and simple white table linens provide a classy backdrop alongside silver barware and glass flutes.

Photo: partyblog.mygrafico.com
Thrift Shop Threads

Dress up like the stars. Check out thrift shops or get some use out of that old bridesmaid gown. Go over-the-top glam with costume jewelry from Grandma’s collection. With an iron-on transfer or a little paint, you can convert old T-shirts into those classy tuxedo tees the kids will love. Download a design here.
Green Your TV

Obviously, the more people you gather together around one TV, the less energy wasted. You can also watch the Academy Awards via an Internet-based system instead of a cable box, which is a major waste of energy, averaging about 34 watts (even when not in use) compared to less than 7 watts from streaming Internet content through Apple TV or Roku. (source)

What are you doing for the Oscars?

This post is featured on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.

Top 5 Greenest U.S. Presidents

By Donna DeForbes | February 14, 2014 - 5:00 am | Top 5 Fridays

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A 2012 survey of environmental heavyweights (including organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists) led to a list of the greenest presidents our country has seen so far. You can read my post at Earth911 about 4 eco lessons we can learn from them.

Here are the top 5 with a few reasons why they earned the nod. (It’s interesting to note that two were Republican!)

Photo: Liz Lawley/Flickr

Theodore Roosevelt (R)

Famous for his conservation efforts, Teddy—our 26th president—persistently lobbied Congress for wilderness protection and revolutionized the U.S. Forest Service. Under his authority, five national parks were created as well as 51 wildlife refuges, 18 national monuments, and 150 new national forests (protecting 172 million acres of land).
Richard Nixon (R)

Love him or hate him, you have to give Nixon credit for supporting landmark environmental legislation. Nixon helped establish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and his term saw the passage of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts; the Coastal Zone Management Act; the Ocean Dumping Act; the Marine Mammal Protection Act; the Endangered Species Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Jimmy Carter (D)

This energy-saving president installed solar panels on the White House roof and was known to set the mansion’s thermostats at 68 degrees. His proposed national energy policy promoted clean, alternative fuels (solar and wind) to reduce our dependence on gas and oil. Carter also oversaw passage of the Alaskan National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which conserved more than 100 million acres and 26 rivers.
Barack Obama (D)

Our current president is making his mark by raising auto fuel efficiency standards that could double the average mpg by 2025 and reduce our oil consumption by 2 million barrels per day. His stimulus package included an unprecedented $80 billion for clean, green energy. Obama also approved the nation’s first offshore wind farm and finalized the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards to reduce toxic emissions from power plants.
Thomas Jefferson (D-R)

Aside from his Declaration of Independence fame, Jefferson was an avid botanist who envisioned an agrarian society living in harmony with nature. He commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition, which became the first to study and document many of America’s indigenous species and peoples. Side note: Jefferson also used many local materials in building Monticello. (The bricks and nails were made on-site, and the stone and timber came from his own land.)

Click here to read the full report from Corporate Knights.

This post is featured on Small Footprint Friday, Thank Goodness It’s Monday and Natural Living Monday.

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Ideas for Couples

By Donna DeForbes | February 7, 2014 - 5:00 am | Green Gifts, Holidays and Celebrations, Top 5 Fridays

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Who needs roses and chocolate? (Well, okay, I’ll take the chocolate, but make mine Fair Trade.) Here are five ways to show your love on Valentine’s Day… with a uniquely eco flavor.

Inspire a romantic mood with essential oils. Jasmine, sandalwood and ylang ylang in particular are three oils known for their aphrodisiac qualities. Mix them in a carrier oil for massage or use in an aromatherapy diffuser to release their scent into a room. (Vitacost has great prices on Aura Cacia essential oils. First-time shoppers can use my referral link to receive $10 off!)
Sport some groovy green underwear. When it’s that close to your skin, shouldn’t it be good for you? You can find men’s and women’s organic underwear (even nursing bras!) made from cotton, bamboo and recycled pine fiber. Or make your own edible underwear. This tutorial uses red licorice and chopsticks.
Green your sex life? Oh yes you can! Search online and you’ll find 50 shades of sexy green including items like a solar-powered vibrator, recycled rubber whip, sustainable hardwood dildos and 100% vegan and organic lube.
Dine at a restaurant that’s certified green. That means it has been assessed for sustainable practices such as water and energy efficiency, waste reduction and the sourcing of local ingredients. Search the Green Restaurant Association for a certified place near you.
Bypass the red roses for greener gifts. Support artisans through sites like Etsy that offers unique Valentine ideas—including upcycled and recycled materials— for him or for her.