Tag Archives: toxins

Greening Your Home: Cushy, Quality, Eco-Friendly Rug Pads

  By Donna DeForbes | September 9, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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Eco-Friendly, Non-Toxic Rug Pads | Eco-Mothering.com

To be honest, I’ve never give much thought to rug pads. We don’t have wall-to-wall carpet in our home. We have wooden floors covered with area rugs, and getting pads for the area rugs didn’t seem worth the extra expense or bother. Then I was contacted by Karl from Eco-Rug Pads who wanted to know if I’d like to try their product. After reviewing their website, I decided I did. I liked their family-oriented business and their commitment toward the environment. That’s a big deal in the rug business where it’s so easy to cut costs in half by importing cheap materials from China. I was curious to try some of the company’s eco-friendly rug pads so I gave Karl the measurements of two area rugs. The very next day, I received the package. Excellent first impression! My second impression was just as good when I opened the package and … Continue reading →

Guilt-Free Green Tip #74: Bring Your Own Containers to Restaurants

  By Donna DeForbes | July 29, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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Eco Packaging Tip for Restaurant Leftovers | Eco-Mothering.com

Welcome to a regular blog feature called Guilt-Free Green Tips. These will be easy action steps you can take to be a little greener, and each mini post will feature one tip. Choose the ones that appeal to you, and learn what eco benefits a single, simple step can make. This particular tip is one I used to follow and have since fallen away from, so I’m hoping that featuring this advice will inspire me to bring it back. It’s easy enough. I just toss several reusable food containers into a reusable bag and keep them in the car. The tricky part for me is usually remembering to bring them from the car into the restaurant! I have had the pleasure of seeing startled expressions on the faces of waiters and waitresses when they ask if we want our leftovers wrapped, and I say, “Oh, I’ve got my own containers … Continue reading →

What’s in Your Tampon? It’s Time to Detox the Box. Period.

  By Donna DeForbes | May 29, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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detox-the-box

Remember Justin Timberlake’s Dick in a Box music video from Saturday Night Live? Women’s Voices for the Earth spoofed it. But instead of presents, it’s toxic chemicals in pads and tampons. Studies have shown that commonly used menstrual pads and tampons contain dioxins, pesticide residues and chemicals with names like methyleugenol and tonalide — many of which have been linked to hormone disruption and cancer. Click the image below to watch the video, and then tell Tampax and Always to drop the toxins and list all their ingredients!

Choosing Eco-Friendly Art Supplies for Children

  By Donna DeForbes | May 20, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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boy-painting

This is a guest post by Alison Lansky It is becoming more important than ever to try to live a greener life so that our children are left with a healthier place to live. That is why, as parents, we should take every opportunity to teach our children how to be more eco-friendly. Choosing eco-friendly art supplies is one fun way to demonstrate this important lesson. Consider the two key benefits: You will be teaching your children a valuable lesson about preserving our planet. The majority of eco-friendly art supplies are also non-toxic making them the safer choice for your little ones. But where do you begin? Check out these handy hints for finding eco-friendly alternatives to common children’s art supplies. Eco-Friendly Paper Craft Paper is one of the easiest places to start when you’re looking to switch to eco-friendly art supplies for your children. Not only can you buy … Continue reading →

Top 5 Reasons to Download the (Free) 2014 Baby Non-Toxic Shopping Guide

  By Donna DeForbes | May 16, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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WVE-2014-Baby-Non-Toxic-Guide

See what childhood and environmental safety experts list as their picks for the best baby products from feeding and personal care to car seat and mattresses. (Experts include the CEO of Healthy Child, Healthy World; the creator of the Clean Birth Initiative and the author of Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reducing Your Child’s Toxic Exposure.) Because harmful toxins are lurking in so much baby stuff these days that you need a trusted source as a shopping guide. It includes a link to a fact sheet on what toxic chemicals to avoid before, during and after pregnancy to ensure a safe birth and healthy baby. See little ol’ me cited as part of the Green Sisterhood of earth-conscious bloggers (we give our recommendations on strollers and baby carriers). To support Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), an organization that works to eliminate toxins from our homes and communities. … Continue reading →

Goddess Garden Organics Sunscreen Review

  By Donna DeForbes | May 1, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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GoddessGarden | Eco-Mothering

This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood. As always, the opinion is my own. Answer this question: Do you treat your skin as well as you treat your child’s? The honest answer for me would be: No. Most of my life I made buying decisions based on price and/or convenience. I have to admit that I didn’t start caring much about what lotions and other skin care products I used until I became a mother and began worrying about the potential toxins that could enter my daughter’s skin. When Sofie was a baby, I sought out baby-specific, non-toxic products geared toward sensitive skin… and I still used whatever was on sale for myself. Quality Sun Care for the Whole Family The year that I turned 40, I began to change my tune and realized that I wanted — and deserved — quality too! (Turning 40 will do that to you.) Since … Continue reading →

Top 10 Eco-Friendly Labels to Know

  By Donna DeForbes | April 18, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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Eco-Friendly Labels You Should Recognize | Eco-Mothering.com

Buzzwords like “natural,” “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” frequently show up on packaging, but what do they mean? If a product says “organic,” is it really? Labeling can get downright confusing, and U.S. marketers take advantage of the fact that many consumers make purchases based on a certain word or “green-looking” graphics. That’s why third-party testing and certification processes were developed — to create sustainable standards that consumers can trust. This Ecolabel Index defines 449 labels (wow!) that speak to a variety of eco-conscious products or company. Below, I’ve selected 10 pretty common ones to seek out in your everyday consumer lives. Certified Green Restaurant® Make greener choices when you dine out. Restaurants with this seal meet standards of sustainability in resource efficiency, waste reduction and sourcing local foods. Certified Humane Raised and Handled This label ensures that the farm animals raised for your eggs or meat were treated humanely (clean, safe … Continue reading →