Hair it is - the word on phthalates

I try to live by the golden rule for awesome hair - only wash every other day, or if you or your family can stand it, every third day.

And when I do scrub away, I go phthalate free. That's the nasty group of chemicals that has been shown to cause problems in animals, ergo people animals. The GreenGuide has a super primer on what products are free of the accused and a great list of brands you can trust. A couple of personal favorites include Aveda and Tom's of Maine. Okay, the aluminum free deodorant tends to leave you smelling like a travel weary tourist in mid-August, but I feel good about the product ingredients and when my husband used it, his armpit rash vanished.

Don't forget to suds up with my every other day routine of Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo.

Enjoy!

EcoMoms Unite!

It started on vacation when I saw the headline in the NY Times: For ‘EcoMoms,’ Saving Earth Begins at Home. I got intrigued, but between catching up on email, real mail, laundry and de-sanding the suitcases, I haven't picked it up again until now. I'm glad I did! I just signed up for the EcoMom Challenge. It's the brainchild of excellent mom, Kimberly Danek Pinkson, who started the EcoMom Alliance to "leverage the power of mothers to help reduce global warming; To inspire and empower mothers to take First Steps For A Sustainable Future by Sustaining their Homes, Sustaining their Planet and Sustaining Themselves."

Here are the first 10 Steps to getting eco, mommy style:

1. Change a light. If every household in America changed out just 5 light bulbs to energy efficient CFL's it would be equivalent to taking 8 million cars off the road.
2. Drive More Efficiently: Car pool, don't idle during drop off and pick up, drive a hybrid and drive less.
3. Shop local, fair trade and organic.
4. Use non toxic products for cleaning, bathing, even make-up and you'll protect the environment as well as reduce you and your family's risk of disease.
5. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
6. Turn off and unplug electronic devices and you'll reduce your exposure to electromagnetic radiation, and save on energy and CO2 emissions.
7. Re-think your laundry plan!
8. Plant a Tree.
9. Buy carbon offsets. Click to learn how
10. Play more.

Stay tuned and enjoy!

How to go green: when you're lazy like me

I feel the pressure. Not only to be responsible to our environment, but with the business, I really should walk the talk. That means composting. Yes. I can't tell you all the food scraps I shove down the insinkerator (which I love!) that could be going to nourish the soil where I grow my half-live hostas and hydraengas (sic).

So I've made a change and am using a large Ziploc brand (FIL works for the makers of these WONDERFUL products that are 100% recyclable) tub with top to contain the remnants of meal prep and mealtime. I decided I'm going to try to empty it a couple/few times a week. More if opening it becomes a biohazard experience.

I keep it under the sink and it's been pretty easy to manage the routine. I've been doing it for 4 days without complaint. I'll try to take it out to the yard waste bucket today when I bring in the recycling and garbage cans that my husband hauled out at the crack this morning. Good egg.

When I get really ambitious, I'll start a compost pile and feed the worms, but for now, I rest.

Good luck going green!