Unique, Wacky and Gently Green Holidays to Celebrate in AUGUST

Unique and Green Holidays in August | Eco-Mothering.com

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! August is Water Quality Month. You might never think about the quality of your local water until something goes wrong, but pollution from high concentrations of nutrients in our water is becoming a widespread problem. On an individual level, we can help prevent such pollution by: avoiding pesticides and fertilizers, not dumping chemicals down the drain, picking up pet poop, paving less and planting more. August is also Romance Awareness Month, National Golf Month and Admit You’re Happy Month. The first week in August is World Breastfeeding Week, which promotes the value of breastfeeding and garners support for improved maternity benefits and nursing in … Continue reading

Unique, Wacky and Gently Green Holidays to Celebrate in JULY

Unique, Wacky and Gently Green Holidays in July | Eco-Mothering.com

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! July is Picnic Month. The perfect time to enjoy eating outdoors. Pack up some eco-friendly picnic supplies and head to your nearest scenic spot. Have you ever enjoyed on of these 10 best picnic spots in the U.S.? What places would you add to the list? July is also Ice Cream Month, Independent Retailer Month and Unlucky Month for Weddings. July’s Celebrations by Date July 3 – International Plastic Bag Free Day It takes a plastic bag anywhere from 100-500 years to fully decompose. In the meantime, there are quite a lot of them forming masses in our oceans and clogging our landfills. … Continue reading

DIY Solutions for a Natural Summer

DIY Solutions for a Natural Summer | Eco-Mothering.com

Summer is a carefree time of sunshine, vacations, picnics and outdoor living. For the eco-conscious person, that outdoor living can bring up questions from “How do I make my own tiki torches?” to “What natural product will keep bugs out of my garden?” Other times, the casualties of summer (sunburn, bug bites) leave us hunting last-minute for natural remedies. Be prepared for anything summer dishes out with these DIY solutions for your body, home and garden. DIY for Health and Body DIY Herbal First Aid Kit for Summer from Delicious Obsessions Easy Sunscreen Recipe from Scratch Mommy Homemade Sunscreen for SPF Allergies from Life Currents Bug Repellant with Coconut and Essential Oils from Delicious Obsessions Treating Bug Bites with Essential Oils from Mix Wellness Healing Garden Salve from Nourishing Simplicity Strawberry Lemonade Foot Scrub from Richly Rooted Medicinal Yarrow Salve for Cuts, Rashes and Stings from Montana Homesteader DIY Non-Toxic … Continue reading

Unique, Wacky and Gently Green Holidays to Celebrate in JUNE

Unique and Gently Green Holidays in June | Eco-Mothering.com

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! June is Camping Month. Of course it is. It’s the kick-off to summer and what better way to celebrate than ditching the structured house for some time outdoors. While camping is already a pretty eco-friendly activity, here are a few tips for making camping greener. June is also Gay Pride Month, Aquarium Month, National Adopt a Cat Month and Iced Tea Month. June’s Celebrations by Date June 1 – Go Barefoot Day Also, known as “earthing” where we draw electrons from the earth, going barefoot has been shown to improve our health: reduced stress, better immunity, less pain. Try it today and maybe … Continue reading

July’s Top 5 Eco Crafts

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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 to enjoy this summer. Tin Can Outdoor Lantern from Inhabitat Sea Shell Mobile from I Love Shelling Paper Bag Kites from KinderArt Animal Flower Pot from Crafts Unleashed Egg Carton Fairy Lights from Red Ted Art

Top 5 Tips for Eco-Friendly Summer Entertaining

Tips for Eco Entertaining | Eco-Mothering.com

Along with summer comes outdoor gatherings and backyard barbecues. While being outside may already seem green, here are five ways to go easy on the earth (and save yourself some bucks) when entertaining. Dine on Bamboo and Sugar Cane Several companies — including BAMBU, EATware and Treecycle — now make biodegradable or compostable plates, bowls and cups made from items like recycled plastic or sugar cane. When our parties aren’t too large, we prefer to skip the disposables altogether and use our regular dishes. If you don’t have enough, comb thrift shops and yard sales to create a funky collection of colorful tableware for entertaining. Dress it up with pretty cloth napkins or items from nature for a tablescape right out of HGTV. Drink with Less Packaging Fill glass pitchers with water, lemonade or iced tea instead of buying individual bottles. (They also look nicer on the table.) Nix the juice … Continue reading

Top 5 Summer Solstice Family Activities

summer-solstice

This June 21 we celebrate the Summer Solstice — also known as Litha or Midsummer Night — as the longest day of the year. In the northern hemisphere, we often unofficially honor this time as the start of summer when kids finish school and vacation begins. On a deeper level, the Solstice is a fire festival, which our ancestors have celebrated for centuries, honoring our connection to the burning warmth and life-giving rays of the sun. Here are five ideas for celebrating the Summer Solstice with your kids: Build a Bonfire This is the traditional activity in cultures around the world. In Greece, men leap over flames; Norwegians often stay up all night with the fire; and Bulgarians perform a barefoot dance on smoldering embers. You can choose a much safer ritual around a backyard fire pit or campfire. Sing songs, have a drum circle, roast marshmallows or dance around with … Continue reading

Keep the Family Busy with an Active and Outdoorsy Summer

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This is a guest post from Allison Davis. The kids are out of school for the summer! Keep the family entertained and active by embarking on these fun summer activities. Backyard Camping Trip Pitch a tent and pull out the sleeping bags, flashlights and lanterns. If you’ve got a fire pit or portable grill, you can cook your meals over a real fire. Don’t forget the chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers! Sit around the fire at night and tell ghost stories or sing campfire songs while indulging in S’mores. While sitting fireside, play educational games about health such as Kool Smiles dental bingo or download coloring pages from oncoloring.com. Down and Dirty in the Vegetable Garden The North Dakota State University “Food Wi$e” page and the Family Nutrition Program promote hands-on experiences for kids. Gardening teaches kids about science, reading, math, organization and responsibility. Kids may be more interested … Continue reading