Hi friends! Wow, what a fun and informative blog motherhoodsupport is! I am so thrilled to have been invited by Jennie and Kim to add my three-cents. I know, the typical is two-cents but I usually have so much to say that I go over the allotted amount. Consider yourself warned!
I am Lynn, otherwise known on the blog-o-twitter-sphere as “Smiling Green Mom! My blog as you might be surprised to learn is yes… http://smilinggreenmom.com/ where living green is crazy fun – and sometimes just plain crazy. That’s usually how things work with busy moms like us, right? It is my personal belief, as the mom of two little ones, that we can live healthier lives with every small change we make that can have a great impact on our personal homes and the home we affectionately call Earth.
Living green to me means choosing to live a natural life by making daily choices that are good for my family and good for our planet. Some of the small choices we have made in the past year have included planting a garden, making our own laundry soap, shopping our local farmer’s market, avoiding processed foods, cooking homemade and making our own cleaners. There are so many shades of green and no two people are ever the same. But if we all started changing just a few things, avoiding over-consumption and really simplifying our daily lives, we just might see a difference.
I have always believed that we can all be green just by making small changes everyday - but I also believe that there is not at all the "perfect" shade of green. Depending on our lifestyles, we just have to be the best shade of green that we can be with every choice we make. Living green does not have to be more expensive or time-consuming. I know that as a busy mom sometimes we just go with what is convenient in our daily shuffle. But I wanted to share just a few suggestions on ways that might just save you some time and money – while saving the health of our bodies and Mama Earth at the same time – it’s a win-win lovely friends!
Here are some of the ways busy families can make some quick and simple changes to help enrich and protect our children in a toxic world.
Avoid Chemicals:Written By: Lynn Stone
Exercise
- Stop using dyer sheets that contain harsh and unnecessary chemicals and instead spritz your clothes with a refreshing essential oil! (see our post on Natural Remedies for more info on essential oils!)
- Throw out plastic containers as they can leach nasty and unhealthy chemicals such as BPA into your food. Use glass instead! I know, those cute little plastic Dora cups can be tempting, but that’s what Big Corporate is banking on.
- Do not use air freshener sprays - they contain harsh chemicals and fragrances that you are inhaling. Rather, fill a small spritzer bottle with several drops of your favorite essential oil and some water. This is a much healthier way to add a lovely scent to any room. This is especially important for those who suffer from allergies and asthma.
- Fill your cleaning bin with two simple and healthier alternatives to toxic cleaners....baking soda and vinegar. These work great and cost much less than traditional cleaners.
Takes walks or ride bikes with the little ones! It is great exercise while avoiding carbon emissions. It's a win-win!
Hike! Take hikes through the woods, at your local parks or by a nearby pond and explore nature. Make it even more fun by creating a scavenger hunt list to encourage your kids to look for geese, nests, frogs, a stick as tall as they are. Let your kids get dirty! (see our Family Fun page for local parks)
Eat Well
Purchase fresh foods as much as possible. The second best choice is frozen since studies are showing that cans may also be leaching BPA into the foods. Support your local farmer's by purchasing your fresh goodies at your Farmer's Market. Plant a vegetable garden. Don't have the space? Plant a container garden! (see our Healthy Living post for info on Farmer's Markets and our Garden Adventures for more info on starting your own garden)
Unplug
Take some time to unplug from the wired-world they are growing up in and instead…choose a game of Scrabble, Go Fish, Memory or whatever age-appropriate game your child enjoys. They will appreciate the time they get to spend with you and it’s a great learning tool for their development.
Relax
As hard as it is to believe, relaxation is a skill (a valuable skill) that our children must learn in order to function as adults in a high-paced society. It is good for their mind, soul and body to have down-time. A great way to teach the art of relaxation is with a warm bath. Baths are a great way for children to sit quietly and rest their minds and bodies. Make sure though to choose toys that are healthy for the tub! There are some great places to look such as http://www.franklingoose.com/ and http://www.thesoftlanding.com/ for a toxic-free bath time.
Read
Reading is so healthy for a child’s development. Children as young as infants enjoy (and benefit from) the nurturing that a parent gives while they snuggle up close with a good book. Reading to and with your child can foster a life-long love of books, literature and reading.
These are just some of the things that we can do as parents and caregivers to help our children grow into healthy, Earth-loving, nature adoring, whole foods loving adults! I don’t want to hear the statistics that this generation of children are destined to NOT outlive their parents. Not in my house. That is why I want to do everything I can to ensure that our little ones have a long and healthy life – and I believe it can be done with every small change we make.
Did I go over my three cents? Shooot – probably. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
http://smilinggreenmom.com/
Photo Courtesy of: http://www.webmd.com/
We would like to thank Lynn for all of the great ideas on going green! Change can be overwhelming, and we certainly can't do it all! Small changes really can make a difference!
