The Happy Gardener

As spring comes into full bloom, many of us are heading out to the local garden centers to purchase fertilizer, plant food, containers and more. But how many of us stop to consider the dangers in the chemically-laden products we're buying?

There is a safer alternative. The Happy Gardener Inc., a company founded in 2003 by Annette Pelliccio, focuses on eco-friendly gardening and lawn care. Their wide range of products include vegetable-based fertilizers and plant foods, rather than the traditional animal manure-based ones, as well as bird feeders, birdhouses and birdbaths made from recycled plastic milk jugs and soda bottles. They carry handmade specialty items, flower bulbs from the Netherlands, composting bins made from 100% recycled materials, container gardening supplies and more.

There's more to fear in your shower than Norman Bates

The shower was a scary place to be back in 1960 as women tried to shake off the image of Vera Miles being brutally stabbed to death on the big screen. But guess what, folks. It's even scarier today.

Why? Because of the toxins lurking within your plastic shower curtains. Toxins like DEHP and DINP, phthalates known to cause hormonal upsets in humans. Toxins that are also being considered as carcinogens by some researchers.

Doing a happy dance with Happy Mama

Have you tried the Earth Mama Angel Baby products yet? If not, you don't know what you're missing. My daughter swears by the Earth Mama Body Butter and the Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash is a must have if you have little ones in your home.

But today, I'm singing the praises of a new USDA Certified Organic product -- Happy Mama Body Wash with all natural ingredients, zero toxins and no parabens.

Newly pregnant and nauseas? Hop in the shower with some Happy Mama Body Wash and let the fresh ginger scent calm the queasiness.

Feeling fat and sluggish? Let the invigorating pink grapefruit and lime energize you and make you feel light on your feet.

Have a little one who loves to shower with mommy? How nice is it to be able to lather up with the same, safe product?

Wow, it's hard to turn off the advertising copywriter in me sometimes. While this may sound like ad copy, I'm just expressing the thoughts that came to me during my shower as I breathed in the essence of Happy Mama Body Wash. It's almost an out-of-body experience!

The liquid foams as you pump it and creates a nicely scented lather, yet leaves behind little scent as you dry off, so your body wash does not compete with your body spray, lotion or cologne.

Did I mention ZERO TOXINS? Yeah...but it's worth another mention.

Happy Mama Body Wash makes this grandma, well, happy!

Buy some. Try some. Drop some in a pampering baby shower basket for the mother-to-be. After all, we all need some me time. And there's nothing wrong with that. Not a thing.

Keeping it green,

Hana

For Love

Do all the good you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

                  -- John Wesley

Saturday's quote

"Never, no, never,
did Nature say one thing,

and wisdom say another."

                                                -- Edmund Burke
                                                   1797

Vinegar Fridays

TGIVF!

With Easter being a little over a week away, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss vinegar and Easter eggs. So here goes...

Maybe some of you grew up dipping your eggs in store bought dyes or in homemade concoctions of vinegar and food coloring. Not me. And not my kids. For us, painting Easter eggs involved undiluted food coloring (we were hardcore!) and a pile of Q-tips®. With newspaper spread out to protect the table from the inevitable spill, we unleashed our creative sides and went to work on our egg-shaped masterpieces. I'd create my mini-Mary Engelbreit reproductions as the kids and my husband painted crosses, empty tombs, bunnies, etc. In the end we'd have a variety of styles and colors and tie-dyed fingers that took days to clean.

This year, we'll probably do more of the same. But I plan to try some of the ideas I'm presenting here as well.

The Dip

Set out some cups deep enough to immerse eggs in. Fill the cups halfway up with water. Add about a tablespoon of food coloring and 2 teaspoons of distilled white vinegar. Gently lower the egg into the cup and swirl it around a bit. For pastel eggs, remove quickly. For richer colors, allow the eggs to soak for awhile.

Simply Marble-ous

Prefer a marbled look? That's easy. Grab another cup and add a tablespoon each of food coloring, vinegar and oil (the real secret to the marbled egg). Fill the cup with enough water to cover the egg and stir. Immediately lower the egg into the solution and remove. Dry with a rag. Simply marble-ous dahling.

A Little Twisted

Using the same solution as The Dip, dye eggs wrapped in rubber bands for a twisty-striped look.

Color My World

Pull out the crayons and let your imagination go wild! Color pictures on the eggs and then dip them in the vinegar, food coloring and water solution. The waxy markings will repel the dye and give your eggs a totally different appearance. This is a nice way to get even the littlest members of the family involved.

Au Naturale

Dying eggs with nature's dyes is a fun project, especially for pre-schoolers and elementary school-aged kiddos.

You can make your own dyes using any of the following:

• Tea bags -- for a variety of colors, try red zinger, hibiscus, chamomile, green or black pekoe teas
• Onion skins -- yellow or red
• Spices -- turmeric, saffron (although a bit pricey), chili powder, paprika
• Vegetables -- cooked carrots, beets, spinach
• Fruits -- cranberries, grape juice, blueberries, raspberries
• Instant coffee

Prepare the dyes first by boiling any of the above in a small amount of water. Let stew until the desired depth of color is achieved. Add the dye to the pan/pans of water being used to cook the eggs, along with a tablespoon of vinegar, of course.

My preferred method of making hard boiled eggs is to place room-temperature eggs in cold tap water with at least an inch of water above them, cover the pot, wait until the water boils and then turn the heat off. Time for 10 minutes. Dump the hot water and fill the pot with cold. To ensure easier peeling, you might want to add a few ice cubes to the water to make sure the eggs cool completely. Once cooled, you can crack the top and bottom of the egg and peel the shell.

To be safe, keep the eggs in the refrigerator and consume within one week.

That's it for this week's vinegar tips. Enjoy your egg dying. While the real meaning of Easter has nothing to do with painted eggs, adding fun traditions to every holiday is good for family bonding. So, dye some eggs, laugh together, and tell your kids you love them...over and over and over again.

Hana

Not the cool mom….not me!

I am happy to have guest blogger, Becca Smith, sharing her insights about raising boys in today's society. Becca is a single mom whose parenting combines old-fashioned ways with 21st century common sense....hey wait, that sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it?

None of my friends will ever accuse me of trying to be the “cool mom.” Why? Because I live by a self-imposed set of rules with my kids. I am a 47-year-old only parent of two boys, aged 14 and six. I love my boys with all my heart and want them to grow up to be good men, not six-foot-tall little boys. I may be old-fashioned by many of today’s standards, but what's wrong with that? Here are some of the things that make me “un-cool:”

1) I never rush out to buy the latest and greatest. Not cell phones, MP3 players, DVD players, etc...

Kids who get everything they want end up being discontent kids if you’re not keeping up with every upgrade out there. I expect my boys to be happy with what they have, rather than always waiting for the next new thing to come out.

2) Don't create a praise/reward junkie.

I know you need to praise them and reward them so they know they did well. On occasion.

I once heard a mom tell her grade school child, "Oh, you didn't misbehave in class today? Hey, that's great!" Hmmmm, don't you expect them to behave at school every day? I know we all have a bad or off day from time to time, but those days should be the exception, not the norm. I reward my boys and praise them for trying their hardest, while also reminding them that the reward is a job well done. That is the value, how they feel for their accomplishment, not the gift they get from me.

3) Not my Johnny.

This is my personal pet peeve. If a teacher/coach/daycare person tells you something negative about your child, listen to them. Think about it -- what do they have to gain by telling you your child didn't listen well or was not nice? Ask questions or ask another adult for more information; that is your right as a parent and advocate of your child. Then ask your child for their side of the story. Don't fly to their defense without gathering as much information as you can. You’ll know in your gut whether or not they are picking on your kid. I know that happens. When someone tells us about our child’s misbehavior, it’s hard to not take it as a personal criticism of our parenting skills. I have a hard time with crow myself...

4) “If you get in trouble at school, you are in trouble at home, too, mister.”

No confusion here. I support my kids’ teachers and principal. They will be punished at home, too. Period. That might mean no TV, or I might restrict computer usage to homework only. I’ll let them know that they didn't do what I expected them to do at school. Okay, that sort of goes with #3. Told you it's a peeve!

5) Homework gets done as soon as we get home.

I know some parents feel kids need time to de-stress, but I like to have the work done and over for the night. Since we’re in the car at least 30 minutes, we have time to talk about the day and visit with each other on the way home. I’ve found it's hard to get my boys to settle down to do homework later. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest; objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Don't mess with Albert's rules!

6) Regular bed, meal and chore times.

I have many friends who feel they don't get enough grown-up time -- sleep and such -- because they don't have a set time for anything. It appears this may be contributing to the obesity issues we are finding in our children today as well. Eating dinner at 8:00, and going to bed between 10:00-11:00 is just too late for grade and middle school kids. I can't fly by the seat of my pants and it seems most kids don't do well with that lifestyle either.


My two favorite sayings about parenting are:

1) If it takes a village to raise a child, don't yell at me when I correct yours, too!

2) If kids didn't need parents for guidance and to raise them, they would hatch out of eggs and run like he** before I ate them.

(Inspired by mama 'gator on PBS)

Okay, so I have a quirky sense of humor too. But hey, as a single parent, it helps get me through the day!

                                                          -- Becca Smith

Guest blogger...tomorrow!

I'm excited to be featuring a guest blogger tomorrow who is brand new to blogging! Becca has a lot to say about life as a single mother of two. Make sure you stop back to see what she has to say.

Apologies

I am in the middle of an office relocation (within my home) and things are a bit chaotic right now. So I hope you will accept my apology for not doing a blog today and drop in tomorrow for a new post. And don't forget about Vinegar Fridays...just two days away!

The difference in our lives

A riddle: What do March 17th and April 22nd have in common? Answer: The color green. While St. Patrick's Day involves shamrocks and green beer, Earth Day focuses on environmental issues and is day when young and old join forces to go green.

This year, there will be more attention given to Earth Day as we celebrate its 40th anniversary. Kids will come home from school asking you to help them with projects related to going green.

It makes me wish my kids were still little. They're projects may be simple, but they can pack an environmental punch, be it ever so small.

See, that's the thing about Earth Day. It's not always about the reforms in the laws, corporate initiatives, etc. It's also about the small things everyone of us does to make a difference.

"What can I do?" you may be asking. "How much of a difference can I make?"

The answer to those questions is why I do this blog. I'm not out to change the world. My goal is to encourage each of you to make a change or two in how you do things. I know not everyone who reads this will follow every one of my suggestions. It would be bizarre to expect you to. But just maybe you've read something and thought, "I can do that!" Something like:

• switched from disposables to cloth diapers
• started using Freecycle or taking things to Goodwill rather than adding to the increasing landfill problem
• protected your little ones from the dangers of BPA
• considered having dad stay home with the kids rather than placing them in daycare
• started buying organic milk and other products
• replaced your chemically-laden cleaning products with vinegar
• given more hugs to those you love
• considered adoption as an answer to an unplanned pregnancy
• bought earth-friendly and child-friendly products
• started taking vitamin D
• cut back on your energy usage
• read more labels
• signed a petittion
• reduced the amount of junk mail you receive
• been more creative and earth-friendly in your gift giving and wrapping
• not freaked out when there was a turd in the tub
• decided to circumcize, or not to
• forgiven someone
• reconsidered wind power
• decided to breastfeed
• opted for a gluten-free diet
• wasted less food
• used more cloth bags when shopping
• started eCycling
• got rid of mice the natural and kinder way
• discovered the benefits of hemp
• got a better night's sleep
• turned off the TV
• accepted the fact that going green is non-partisan
• realized it's all about common sense!

If you've made any changes in your thinking, your life, your family, your part of the world, because of what you've read here, I'm humbled and thrilled. If you could leave a comment and let me know what they were, I'd be grateful.

Let's encourage each other with our stories as Earth Day approaches. We're in this together. If you're looking for a prior post about one of the above subjects, there's a convenient search bar near the bottom of the page. While there, why not participate in the poll located there.

Keeping it green, keeping it healthy, keeping it real,

Hana

Blogger woes

There are definitely some problems going on with Blogger. Images are appearing and disappearing, rather ghostlike. Trying to get to the bottom of it, but until then appreciate any images that show up. They just might not be there next time you drop in!

New Poll

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and let me know which types of articles are most relevant to you. I really love knowing what means the most to my readers.

Wade through the confusion of recycling

I'm convinced some people do not recycle simply because the whole process confuses them. Going back to the April issue of Good Housekeeping, I wanted to share some tips they had about recycling that might just clear some things up for you.

Paper

I've spent more time than I care to mention removing staples from paper prior to throwing it in the recycling bin. Well, as it turns out, that wasn't necessary. The recycling plants have machines that will weed out all of the metal from the paper. So paper recycling just got a bit easier for me.

When tossing paper into the bin, avoid recycling paper that has any food stains on it, as this could contaminate an entire load. If food has come in contact with the paper, simply throw it away.

Glass and Metal

Do you spend time removing labels from cans, bottles and jars before throwing them in the recycling bin? Stop it! The machines save you time here, too. However, you do want to rinse out the containers.

What can you recycle besides the obvious? How about washed pie tins and foil, wire clothes hangers, metal bottle caps, and any other scrap metal you have. I just replaced my worn out aluminum wheels on my car with steel wheels and plan to haul the old wheels right to the recycling plant. Not only is this the responsible thing to do with them, but it's also a boost to my pocketbook, with aluminum bringing in a decent rate these days.

Plastic

Ever screw the lid back on a water or soda bottle before tossing it in the recycling bin? Bad idea. You see, the bottle and the cap are made of two different plastics, so they need to be separated before being recycled.

Check with your municipality to find out which numbers found punched on the bottom of your plastic containers are recyclable in your neighborhood


Bottom line....and I say it often enough for it to sink in: Think before you toss. Can you reuse, repurpose, recreate, or recycle it? Than what's it doing in your trash?!

Keeping it green as we start this first full week of spring,

Hana

Followers' Prize Drawing

Don't forget to sign up as a follower to be part of the drawing on March 31st.

One winner will receive a Green Grandma reusable cloth tote.

Second time around

The greenest product

is the one that already exists.

-- eBay ad               

Kudos to Earth Mama Angel Baby!

Earth Mama Angel Baby made the SafeMama list for the BEST CHOICES for 100% chemical free products for baby! Go EMAB! If you haven't checked out their products yet, click on the ad on the left of this page.

To see who else made the list, go the SafeMama website.

Vinegar Fridays

TGIVF!

Coffee, tea or...yuckiness! Don't you hate those awful lime deposits in your tea kettle? Guess what? Distilled white vinegar is the answer. Imagine that! Simply pour 1/2 cup into your tea kettle, fill with water and go to bed. The lime deposits will be gone in the morning.

Then there's the ashy residue in your coffee maker and other yuckiness. Fill the reservoir with a cup of vinegar, run it through a cycle. Follow up with two more cycles with just plain tap water.

Stains on your favorite teacup or coffee mug? Do a 50/50 mix of distilled white vinegar and baking soda, scrub lightly and rinse. Another non-vinegar related trick I sometimes do to rid my cups of those brown stains is to fill the cup with warm water and plop a denture-cleaning tablet in. Let the fizz do its magic and voila! Good as new.

There you go. Now you can start off your day with coffee, tea and...cleanliness. Thank God for Vinegar Fridays, huh?!

Keeping it green with distilled white vinegar,

Hana

Let's get back to the breast

Just a quick nudge to anyone out there debating between giving their baby formula or breastfeeding. There really are numerous advantages to breastfeeding. Today I just want to focus on the benefits to baby:

• Worried about SIDS? I can only tell you researchers have provided solid evidence that there is a significant decrease in risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Lots of food allergies in your family? Well, you can reduce your babies chances of developing her own by simply nursing her.
• Concerned about the rise in obesity in teenagers? Yep, I'm going to tell you that breastfed babies are less likely to become overweight teens. I'm just reporting the facts here, folks.

Of course, as mothers, our primary concern is the health of our children. If you want your baby to be protected against infections like diarrhea, haemophilus influenza, otitis media (ear infection), herpes simplex, and respiratory syncytical virus (RSV), breastfeed your baby for at least the first six months. Additionally, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends breastfeeding as much as possible to protect your infant from the H1N1 virus, and as you know, the swine flu presents serious dangers to little ones. By building up your child's immune system through breastmilk, you give him a better shot at a healthy first year.

If you choose to formula feed, does this make you a bad mother? Of course not! And I don't mean to imply that. I just want to make my readers aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, based on recommendations by the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and others. Now if you decide to bottle feed with cow's milk from the fridge, then we might have to talk!

Keeping it healthy,

Hana

Good Housekeeping goes green

April's issue of Good Housekeeping is full of green tips in honor of the upcoming 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd. I gleaned some to share with you.

• Looking for a new diaper bag? Rebirthing an a nearly new one saves 90% of the CO2 of making a new one.
• As the warm weather approaches, plan to set your AC to 78 degrees instead of 73. Doing so can shave up to 40% off your electric bill.
• Don't toss your coffee grounds into the trash. If you don't compost, at least spread the grounds around your outdoor azaleas, rhododendrons and other acid-loving plants.
• Buying case after case of bottled water, but not feeling too badly about it because you recycle the bottles? An average bottled-water-drinking family of four would save over $1,200 simply by replacing bottles with filtered water from the fridge or sink.
• Opting to skip the sales at the mall and hit a consignment shop instead? Good for you. Buying a pre-worn sweater instead of a new one saves the energy (that goes into making it) equivalent of nearly 70 loads of laundry.
• Recycle everything you can. I know I sound like a broken record here, but the United States is the king of the hill when it comes to trash. It is estimated that every single person in the U.S. produces 1,643 pounds of trash each year. It's time to dethrone the king.
• Taking a reusable bag into CVS = credits on your CVS card ($1 for every 4 visits when you don't take one of their plastic bags). If you shop CVS a lot, this could add up! Check with other stores to see if they have similar programs.
• Every page has two sides...why are some of yours blank? Set up your printer to print on both sides of the paper.
• Quit tossing those take-up cups into the trash! Keep a travel mug with you and when you get the urge to stop for a cup of java, ask them to fill it up.
• Lifelong habits are lifelong habits...if they're good ones. Teach your children to turn off the water when they're brushing their teeth. Each time they brush the eco-way, they'll save up to five gallons of water.
• Don't throw out that old vinyl shower curtain! Toss it in your trunk in preparation for all the spring planting that will be underway soon. Put all your plant purchases on the vinyl and protect your car from dirt stains. This is a perfect solution for keeping sand out of your trunk as well after a family trip to the beach.

Okay, enough tips for today. However, I do want to mention that the Good Housekeeping Seal, which has been around forever, it seems, is now even better. Look for the GH Green Seal on products that not only meet their marketing claims for efficacy, but also have made environmental improvements in ingredients and product safety and packaging reduction, as well as in manufacturing processes.

Good Housekeeping Green. How cool is that?

Keeping it green,

Hana

Vitamin D -- redux

A recent Reader's Digest article by Christie Aschwanden debunks some myths about vitamins. While I don't necessarily agree with most of her suppositions, the fact that she ends the article lauding the benefits of vitamin D makes the article worth mentioning, even though I blogged about this already, back in October.

The truth is many of us are seriously lacking an adequate supply of vitamin D. Part of it is due to our spending less time in the sun, and when we do, we tend to be slathered up with sunscreen. You see, sunlight is responsible for producing vitamin D in our bodies. If we're not exposing our skin to the sun's rays, then it's only natural we're deficient in this essential nutrient.

Why is vitamin D so important?

Well, according to Cedric Garland, MD, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Diego, an estimated 50,000 cases of colorectal cancer could be prevented yearly if only Americans had sufficient levels of D in their systems. Additionally, vitamin D significantly reduces the chance of developing other cancers (breast, skin and prostate), as well as cuts the risk of heart attacks in men by as much as 50 percent.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to other physical disorders/diseases as well, including:

• stroke
• adrenal insufficiency
• Alzheimer's disease
• allergies
• autoimmune disorders -- i.e. multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis
• diabetes types 1 and 2
• gluten intolerance
• lectin intolerance
• hypertension
• infertility
• learning and behavioral disorders
• tooth problems
• osteoporosis
• rickets
• Parkinson's
• PMS
• psoriasis
• osteoporosis

Not only that, our grumpiness meter could be seriously altered during the gloomy winter months if we started taking vitamin D supplements because this happy little vitamin actually helps to release melatonin in the brain; more melatonin means more smiles. See, there really is a reason for the mid-winter blahs!

This past summer researchers at Aberdeen University found a possible link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency. Wouldn't it be nice to find out some of our fat problems could be resolved simply by taking a supplement?! According to Dr. Helen MacDonald, from Aberdeen's department of medicine and therapeutics, "Obese peole had less vitamin D and the link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency was statistically significant."

So how does a lack of vitamin D in pregnant women affect their babies? I am particularly concerned about the findings here. According to studies conducted at Oxford University, springtime babies were more in danger of developing multiple sclerosis than babies born in the fall. The conclusion that was reached is that summertime pregnancy results in higher sunlight-induced vitamin D levels in the moms.

Apparently the birth-month effect is particularly strong in Scots, with a stronger link developing the further north you are, as Scotland is known to have a serious lack of sunshine.

Pregnant moms need a sufficient amount of vitamin D in their systems to ensure proper bone growth and strength for their growing infants. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor about the need for additional vitamin D supplements. Your pre-natal vitamins may not be enough, and even though this essential nutrient is found in eggs, milk and oily fish, chances are you're not getting enough simply through your diet. Keep in mind your body cannot absorb calcium without vitamin D.

One way to determine if you are vitamin D deficient is to put pressure on your sternum. If the pressure results in pain, there's a good chance you are seriously in need of a supplement.

How much should you take? Here's where experts differ. Within the past year the amounts have climbed significantly, with an average recommendation at 2,000 IUs for adults and 1,000 IUs for kids. Pregnant women need even more, but do not do anything without careful research and a conversation with your doctor!

Remember how simple life used to be? We spent hours on end poolside in the summer and a fair amount of time outdoors even in the winter. But that was before two-income households, Wii, TiVo, pay-per-view, Facebook, and...oh yeah, fear of skin cancer.

Keeping it healthy,

Hana