Sunday Links 1-4-09
Jan 4, 2009 Sunday Links
Here’s your Sunday Links again. I was conserving my own energy last weekend, being rather exhausted from all the holiday events.
12 Health Warnings for Parents and Kids in 2008 - Did you miss any of these?
Seven Green Time-Savers for Busy Families - Simple, yet effective for many families. Great if you’re still trying to set your green goals for the year.
EarthTalk: Which Is Greener, Dryer Sheets Or Liquid Fabric Softener? - I have to be honest here, I’ve never tended to use either dryer sheets or fabric softener. My laundry turns out just fine. I do sometimes add some baking soda or white vinegar to the load if I think something extra is needed that time.
OK Grasshopper, This Is What You SHOULD Have Done to Prepare - Ways to cope with winter… planning ahead required!
Handmade at Home: Keeping the Skills Alive - Sewing I can do. Gardening too. Canning is on the list to learn. Cooking I can do. Knitting and crocheting… I’ve been thinking more on quilting than those. Hospitality my family limits me on for family gatherings until we live in a place with more room. But the kids’ friends are always welcome.
FDA Pushing Plan to Promote Mercury-Laced Seafood Diet for Pregnant Women and Children. - Oh FDA, I loathe you so some days. There are better ways for pregnant women to get omega-3s than by eating fish without worrying about mercury.
Add Clothing and Subtract from Your Heating Bill - So simple a reminder, and very worth doing. Even when the kids grumble.
I Dream of An Earthship - Me too, Tiffany. Me too.
Dear President Obama - Don’t forget about breastfeeding - A topic near and dear to my heart, especially with my due date so near.
Hand-Me-Down Clothes in the Post Hand-Me-Down Era: Consumer Protectionism Gone Too Far? - CPSIA’s reach is insanely long. Even thrift and resale shops will be in trouble with it.
Update: New Hope For Handmade Industry in Lead Law Exceptions - On the plus side, a touch of sanity may be headed CPSIA’s way. We need to keep this up, folks!
Sunday Links 12-21-08
Dec 21, 2008 Sunday Links
Holiday Gift Guide: Green Gifts That Don’t Cost A Cent - It’s still not too late to finish off those last few holiday gifts!
KidTip: Little hands cut up old holiday cards for tags and decor - All those cards you get in the mail are great fun for the kids.
Green the city, get healthier kids - Yes! Thank you! Have lots of green areas and kids will find reasons to go play.
Composting in winter, dry climates - You can keep things going, at least a little.
Growing Up Girl: An Eco Parents Guide to Puberty - I have a few years before my daughter faces this issue, thank goodness. It can be an interesting challenge to keep feminine products green, no doubt especially for young girls new to it.
Are You All or Nothing When It Comes to Green? - And should you be? Some people think so, but most of us do have to balance green with the reality of our lives and finances.
Planning Ahead for Next Year’s Garden - It’s certainly not too early. I told my husband to go through the seeds we already have, because he buys too many every year!
10 signs you bought too much Christmas crap - A little humor to go with your holiday.
What is Green? - Some thoughts on what it really means to be green.
Back to Basics: What Kids Actually Need for Play Fun - Forget the plastic toys! These are the toys kids have enjoyed for years and will continue to enjoy.
The Perfect Last minute gift: Courtesy of My Mom - What a sweet gift and a great lesson for the kids!
Giving birth can be good, ecstatic and even orgasmic - I’ve been discussing this with my husband. Looking forward to the show and seeing how much cooperation I can get from my OB on keeping things as natural as possible with a VBAC.
Four Ways To Give The U.S. A ‘Clean Slate’ - 4 things President Obama could do after taking office to quickly improve our energy policies.
Sunday Links 12-7-08
Dec 7, 2008 Sunday Links
Weatherproofing 101: Windows - This is something I need to look at, particularly for my son’s window. Always the coldest room in the house during the winter, and it’s an old casement window.
5 Simple Holiday Crafts to Decorate and Celebrate - Kids always love doing crafts. You may have done some of these during your own childhood.
Environmental Defense Fund: Oceans of Jellyfish? Or Oceans of Abundance? The Choice is Ours - Something to think about, especially if you love seafood.
Compost vs Landfill: Does it Really Make a Difference? - Why should you compost, you ask? Well, if you’re here you may not be asking that, but it’s good to have an answer for those who do question it.
Crafting pizza, mail, and sachets out of felt! - This got me to thinking that I could have my daughter make her presents for her cousins this year. She was asking just a couple weeks ago about learning to sew.
Easy Green - Simple And Inexpensive Ways To Make An Eco-Difference. - Going green isn’t always tough or more expensive. This always bears repeating.
DIY Play Kitchen Links - Young children love using play kitchens, but buying them is so expensive. These are some good ideas, or you can do as my sister did, buy a short, old dresser and paint a stove pattern on the top. Her kids love it.
Thinking About Sugar and Kids - I know I see a difference in behavior when I let my kids have too much sugar. But with a healthy start they won’t complain much about it being limited.
The Five Reasons Why I Recycle - Very simple and good reasons to recycle. Really, does anyone need more reason than this? Apparently some do.
Say Aloe to your Health - Aloe Vera is easy to grow, too. One of my favorite sunburn treatments.
Too many cloth shopping bags? - Such a nice, simple way to handle your cloth bags as you shop. You may even have a carabiner
Redefining and greening holiday traditions - Holiday traditions can break away from the commercialism that is so popular right now. Simplifying your celebrations makes them so much more meaningful.
You Can Can: Four Tips for Virgin Jam Makers - Very encouraging for those who are thinking about getting into canning. I’ve warned my husband that if the garden does well next year, I will want to try it myself.
The 6 Sins Of Greenwashing - Yes, they lie. We all know they lie. How do you spot the lies? It helps to know the common ones.
Wal-Mart “100% Committed” to Renewable Goal. If it’s Cheaper. - Well, it’s better than what most companies are doing when it comes to renewable energy. And there’s still many, many other areas in which they need to improve. But it’s nice to see a chance that they’ll do it. We need more big companies looking into renewable energy.
What You Can Do to Get Rid of Hormone Disrupting Phthalates in Your Household - Why mess around with phthalates now that we know they’re problematic?
GM VP Bob Lutz’s green pose is (what’s the phrase?) a “total crock of sh#t” - The bailout of the Big 3 auto makers is problematic at best, but can we trust any of them to do the right thing in developing more efficient and alternative energy vehicles?
Better Toys Make Better Gifts: Holiday Shopping Naturally - I posted the other day about places to buy green toys; here are more.
Simple Green Simply Greenwashing Consumers for Decades - Rats! And here I liked Simple Green!
Weekend Project: Donate Unused Toys Before Christmas - We’ve been working on clearing out the toys our kids don’t use any more for donation to thrift shops. It’s a great project.
Sunday Links - 11-30-08
Nov 30, 2008 Sunday Links
Stop Making Our Kids Sick; Make Chemicals Safe - It’s amazing to me that so few chemicals have actually be checked for safety. While we wait for proper testing, think more about homemade cleansers made from things you already have around the house. Most are really good at their jobs.
Melamine in formula: Another round with the FDA - It’s really hard to not use “FDA” as a swear word anymore. Sure, there’s less than what was found in Chinese formula, but just what do you think “no known safe level” means?
US Formula Makers Say Products Are Melamine Free - Yes, they do. Do you trust their in-house testing?
How to Separate the “Green” from “Greenwashing” When You Shop - Perhaps someday greenwashing will just mean cleaning with green cleansers. But for now it’s all too common for companies to pretend to be offering green products when they really aren’t.
How to Green Your Carpet Cleaning - Carpet cleaners often have some really nasty toxins in them. This article will give you some great options. I will add that baking soda and vinegar can work too… just don’t overdo the baking soda because it takes a long time to work out!
Nature Inspires Art in San Diego - Hey, it’s my hometown! I have no idea if I’ll make it there during the show, but pretty cool anyhow.
Are in-sink garbage disposals eco-friendly? - There may not be a clear cut answer, but if you can compost, the garbage disposal shouldn’t be your default for some things.
Are Lower Gas Prices a Good Thing? - This echoes some of my own feelings on the matter. I’m determined to not drive more just because it has become more affordable again.
Five Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Dry Cleaning - I almost never buy “dry clean only” clothes, but every once in a while something comes up. I’ve been carefully washing a lot of these outfits for years with few problems.
New Bluefin Tuna Quota Levels Are A “Mockery of Science” - Say goodbye to this species if regulations don’t get better soon.
Before You Let Your Doctor Give Your Kids Drugs, Read This - I don’t like to give myself medications, but that goes double for my kids. So many of the problems we see now may be more related to diet and activity levels than any need for medication that I’d rather give other options a try for anything not life threatening.
Doubting Renewable Energy - Ever wonder what’s taking so long with renewable energy? Investors who can’t see the opportunity in front of them, for one!
Sunday Links 11-23-08
Nov 23, 2008 Sunday Links
Top Ten “Green” Thanksgiving Tips - Don’t overdo is perhaps the most important.
New Study: Kids Prefer Vegetables Over Candy - Maybe not true for all kids, but a nice reminder to talk to your kids about why vegetables are important.
Tips for Eating Green on Little ‘Green’ - Healthy, green food isn’t all expensive. It may take a little more time in the kitchen, but if you can swing that you can make some wonderful, green, healthy meals for pretty cheap.
Greenwash Of The Week: Febreze-”It’s A Breath Of Fresh Air”. - Can I say that I am not the least bit surprised? I’ve never liked the scent of artificial “air fresheners” and such. This makes me quite happy to be leaving them out of my home.
Skip the Plastic at the Grocery Store - A challenge, but a good one. Just pay attention and you can avoid a lot of plastic when you buy groceries. In my house we buy the olive oil in the big metal cans and then refill the glass jar with a funnel. Fewer containers of any sort to buy and a better price!
Keeping it Cheap and Green: Kitchen Edition - Some simple tips for keeping your kitchen a bit greener.
Outgoing Bush Takes Final Stab at Earth - The war on the environment continues. You can find a lot of stories on this if you want to get really mad at our outgoing President.
I Don’t Think Alternative Energy Means What You Think It Means: Fred Pearce to BP - They say they’re looking at alternative energy, but their definition of it isn’t what you might want it to be.
Homemade Eco Gifts You Can Make for the Holidays! - More ideas for things you can make as gifts this year. Great for families on a budget or just if you want to keep things greener.
Flow and Tell - A roundup of feminine products that are greener than the usual. My husband was a bit grossed out talking about some of these at first, but he got the idea after a little.
The Coupon Trap - Are coupons really worth it? You may be saving money but are you getting anything healthy?
10 Tips For A Non-Toxic Pregnancy - It’s just about impossible to avoid it all, but pregnancy is a great time to do what you can.
5 Simple Water Conservation Methods: Do They Save Real Money? - Some fair calculations done on some of the most basic ways to save water. Of course, it’s not all about money, especially if you’re in an area currently experiencing or likely to experience water shortages in the future.
American Food System Fertilized With Industrial Chemical Melamine - Ever feel like the bad stuff is just hard to avoid? Stories like this make me love my garden more.
When Natural Foods Aren’t Natural: Agave Nectar - Agave nectar turns out to be highly processed, not so natural a sweetener as you might hope.
