5 Finds for the Winter Season

Below are my five favorite gifts and finds to help you enjoy this winter season in warmth, health, and good peace of mind. 

1.  Coral Reef Protection - Gifts that protect our earth's ecosystems will only become more popular as the need persists. Topping the list of meaningful gifts our family received this Christmas was a certificate from The Nature Conservancy stating that "A generous gift was made to protect the coral reefs of Palau on behalf of your family."  According to the giver (my sister), a $100 donation helps protect 1 acre of this precious ocean habitat.  Learn more about giving this gift at The Nature Conservancy.

2.  Celestial Clothing - A personal favorite gift that I received is a most versital polar fleece vest on a website called the Celestial Shop.   It's the most lively turquoise color which goes surprisingly well with everything I own.  My closet is so full of earth tones that a piece of color cheers it right up. The clothing is designed by a Spiritual Master who uses the proceeds from their sale to fund her associations humanitarian relief efforts worldwide.  I learned about their efforts on a free-to-air satellite channel called Supreme Master TV. As a social bonus, all of their gear is made in Taiwan.

3.  Flowering Tea - What better way to treat yourself to a moment of peace than with a fragrant jasmine flowering tea?  I put some in my own stocking on the advice that "Taking care of mom is taking care of everyone."

4.  Acorn Sox - Another shameless self-stocking-stuffer, I enjoyed wearing my Acorn Sox while also giving them to almost everyone as gifts.  Made from recyled materials,  these vegan fleece wonders are just the right amount of cush and keep you feet warm yet totally breathable.  Polyester fleece used to on my naughty list, but thanks to Acorn Sox and a little research, we have a new understanding. 

 5.  OregaSpray - North American Herb and Spice Co.'s OregaSpray is a true necessity for winter and all year round.  Oregano Oil is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral... it does it all.  As a mother of small children, I keep mine on hand at all times.  I've been known to douse elevator buttons, public train tables, tiny hands and even my own throat if necessary (it's totally edible.)  As a bonus, it leaves that nice pizza smell temporarily wafting in your wake.  Get yours here.

Cloth Diaper Mama-Drama

Everyone has a roller-coaster relationship.  One minute your in love, the next total disdain.  Finding excuses for irrational behaviour is easy for humans.  My love affair with cloth diapers is no less dramatic than a bad daytime soap, and similarly mine has an obsessive beginning.

Pregnant with Micah, my first child, my mind entered a permanent state which I can only describe as "excessively tox-spicios."  Once during the roundest month of my pregnancy, my unassuming aunt assertively rubbed grocery store brand lotion on my exposed baby-sphere.  Grabbing the nearest kitchen towel, I wiped fervently at the offending petrochemicals while racing to the shower.

When he was born, I expressed my dedication to swaddling his pure and precious little bum in organically grown comfy cotton diapers until the day he was potty trained.  I did well with a stack of prefolds and bummis covers for the first year.  I was diligent then.  There was no chore more satisfying than a clothsline uniformly hung with cotton rectangles flapping in the wind.  When Micah was 14 months old we stayed with friends for a week during a move.  That's the week that commercial brand diapers found their way into my regimen.  Wow, so soft for paper diapers!  So easy to put on... and those cute little Pooh characters couldn't possibly be indicators of some dark disposable secret.  I was (temporarily) hooked.

With my second baby I stocked up on variety.  Little Meric has been pampered in Fuzzi Bunz, Swaddlebees, Little Beetle, Kissaluvs, Eco-baby, Imse Vimse, Bummis, Hemparoos, Aristocrats, and two dozen fresh prefolds.  (Planning to review them all in future posts.)  My motto became: Whatever you do eight times everyday should be fun, even if it's changing a diaper.  My interesting arsenal of nappies has gotten me through well into the sixteenth month, although I must admit a former addict's fascination with 7th Generation disposables and a brief affair with Little G pants.

Some points of eco-intrest to help you with diapering decisions: (Source: The New Parents Guide)

• It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone.
• Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing.  (Little G diapersclaim to be compostable, I'll let you know in 90 days!)
• Disposable paper diapers contain sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper.  Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver.

Now some practical tips to help minimize your own diaper-drama:

• Variety really is the spice of life.  Different situations require different diapering options.  Prefolds are fine for spending time at home, but pocket diapers travel well and hold more.
• Washing cloth diapers is easy: 1. run through a cold cycle with no soap to rinse well 2. wash with a small amount of soap on hot to sterilize, add extra rinse cycle 3. line dry or tumble (detailed wash tips at Green Mountain Diapers)
• Oh yeah, and whether using cloth full time or part time paper: ALWAYS put solids in the toilet.  Not only will your house smell better, but this helps minimize untreated waste going into landfills.

My husband still smirks at the look of satisfaction I get when all the cloth diapers are clean and folded neatly into their catagorized baskets.  He also appreciates the stash of "natural" paper diapers I keep around for his mornings with the kids.  Micah remembers everything and once wanted to know why I don't buy the character diapers for his brother.  "Chemicals." I told him.  He understood.

Micah is now four years old.  This morning he asked me "What is Helpful, my baby octopus, made out of?"
"Polyester."  I informed.
"Is is organic?"
"Nope."
"Is it natural?" he inquired futher.
"It's man-made."  I said.  At this he promply washed his hands with soap and water.   Honestly, I couldn't make this stuff up.  I guess tox-spicious-ness is passed on easily to children.  So far, I'm okay with that.

Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle, Re-Gift!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
Holidays almost over,
But friends still come over,
Unexpected cheer
I'm so glad re-gifting season is here.

There'll be parties for crashing
And tastes for the clashing and
Some gifts that just aren't a score.
So carefully repack them and
Watch it unwrap, it's the moment you
Didn't work for.

Taking credit for gifts you didn't buy
Yes, it once was a secret
Now every one gets it
There's no taboo here,
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Holidays with Love, from Eve

Eve’s top 10 ways to Curb Climate Change

The Internet is now blooming with tips on ways to help curb climate change.  This trend is reflective of an exciting change in our thought patterns!  Please read on for a snapshot of Eve's top 10:

1. Forgo Flesh Foods. According to a 2006 United Nations report, Animal Agriculture has outpaced the transportation sector as the number one climate change contributor.
2. Bypass the Byproduct. Kin of the meat industry is the dairy industry.  Consuming animal byproducts supports its evil cousin,  planet scorching animal agri-business.
3. See the Sinister Side of Seafood. The near-depletion of certain fish species, dead zones, coral bleaching, mammals such as whales and dolphins going kamikaze on our beaches... skip the seafood.  Besides, it's largely contaminated with mercury.  And now that you're a vegan,
4. Share your earth-friendly diet with others and create your own support network.  Our culture values it's traditional and familiar habits.  By sharing with others the beneficial knowledge of choosing plant based foods, you are creating a supportive atmosphere for positive change for yourself, your friends and family and for the entire planet!
5. Buy Organic, Support Organic whenever possible.  The health of our soil determines the quality of our food, which determines the quality of our heath!   In recent years we have seen the demand for organic food and goods rise dramatically. Sometimes, when I pass the organic produce section of my local Wal-mart, I silently thank the persons who supported organic goods before me, who paid the higher prices and led retailers to provide better options and drop organic prices.
6. Drive a hybrid. The transportation sector is the second largest contributor to climate change.
7. Plant trees. Trees absorb carbon.  Preserving forests is just as important, also trees help mitigate the effects of local climate related disasters by holding on to soil, absorbing the impact of waves, winds, etc.
8. Take your head out of the sand. Climate change is frightening, let's look our fears in the eye.
9. Green your thinking. Take the time to consider the impacts of every small choice.  Also, think positive!  We'll get through this, with a lot of hard work, together.
10. Have faith. Whatever your's is, now is the time to have it.