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10 Easy Steps to a Greener Lifestyle (VIDEO)

Posted by Mary Fischer
on Apr 6, 2012 at 10:15 AM

mom-ed green living

Ok, I have kind of an embarrassing (and somewhat shameful) confession to make. Even though I know it's a huge faux pas, I'm really behind the times when it comes to the whole going green thing. I run the air conditioning six months out of the year even though I live in the Northeast. I use plastic bags and containers and anything else that makes life a bit more convenient. And as far as recycling goes? Yeah, I try to do it. (Sometimes.)

But thanks to CafeMom's new YouTube show, Mom-Ed: Green Living, there may be hope for people like me who are kinda clueless in the green department. The new show is hosted by Kristen Eykel, and it aims to teach moms the ropes of adopting an eco-conscious lifestyle. For the first episode, Kristen was joined by eco-consultant Alexandra Zissu, and she gave 10 easy tips on how moms can make their daily lives a little bit greener.

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Sponsored Post: Garden for Your Family’s Health

Posted on Apr 1, 2012 at 6:06 AM

The following is a post from our sponsor, Burpee Home Gardens.

Gardening has many benefits. Not only is it great exercise and a stress reliever, it can also improve your family’s health. Many of the best sources for antioxidants come from home gardening favorites such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and peppers.

Take advantage of your garden with these tips for healthy eating:

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Say What!?

No Need to Fear the Big Bad Wolf in This Straw House (VIDEO)

Posted by Mary Fischer
on Mar 19, 2012 at 4:45 PM

One builder in Ohio is taking the idea of constructing a green home to a whole new level, by using straw instead of regular building materials. Straw. As in hay. As in "The Three Little Pigs."

But wait a minute -- I thought that the Big Bad Wolf destroyed the straw house, which forced that little pig to move in with the one who used bricks instead? I'm confused. How can a straw house actually stand up against rain, wind, snow, and whatever else Mother Nature may throw at it?

According to the builder, there is nothing to fear, as there is some kind of mud used to effectively pack the straw into the house. He calls it "earth plaster." Yeah -- ok.

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Inspiring

House That Uses 'Zero Energy' Is Super Cute Too

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on Feb 12, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Energy-Saving HomeA prototype for a new type of zero-energy-consuming house is on display in Los Angeles, and of course it’s very impressive. But you know what I love about it? It’s poofy!

Blah blah blah zero footprint, yadda yadda solar energy. Did I mention it’s poofy?

They also modified an X-Box Kinect so that all you have to do is wave at lights to turn them on and off. It’s like the clapper, but silent.

It’s an award-winning design from students at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and it’s actually an amazing design that I wish I could implement today. Here, let me show you around.

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Eye Roll

Gisele Bundchen Can Hide From Her Words in New Mega-Mansion

Posted by Mary Fischer
on Feb 2, 2012 at 3:02 PM

Sigh. When is Gisele Bundchen going to learn that she really needs to think long and hard about her choice of words before opening her (big) mouth?

The supermodel has never been shy about voicing her strong opinions on parenting, which have gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion. From insisting she had a painless childbirth to proclaiming that breastfeeding needs to be a law, Tom Brady's other half seems to spit out whatever happens to be in the front of her brain at any given moment.

Now, she has people all fired up again -- but this time, it's not because of another desperate attempt to be mom of the year. The latest furor is over her claim that the 22,000-square-foot mega-mansion she and Brady are building is actually environmentally friendly (yes, I said 22,000 square feet). She may find herself hiding from attacks on her words in the labyrinth of rooms rather than actually getting to enjoy all that luxury. Bummer.

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Cute Reusable Food Containers Have Me Dreaming of a Green Kitchen

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on Dec 24, 2011 at 11:29 AM

LunchskinsThis is the first year that I’m packing a lunch every day (well, three times a week anyway) for my kid, and I’m a bit depressed about how much garbage we’re suddenly producing. I’m paranoid about germs and food safety, and as a result overuse plastic sandwich bags, snack bags, plastic wrap, and assorted other landfill-filling crap.
 
But enough is enough! The other day, I was perched next to my daughter, Penelope, on a miniature chair, sharing lunch, when I looked around the octagonal table and saw that almost every single kid had some kind of adorable eco-friendly food container in his or her lunchbox.
 
Now I have the lust for these -- they're washable, long-lasting, and in many cases actually better for the flavor of the food.

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10 Tips for Saving Water (Irene or No Irene!)

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on Aug 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM

Low-flush toilet saves waterThe East Coast may be in the middle of the floodpocalypse, but the South is still suffering through some of the worst drought conditions on record.

Even when there’s no shortage, saving water is just good policy. As a child, I used to watch my dad shave. Rather than running the water over his razor to rinse it, he would fill the sink with water and swish the razor through at top speed. He said that serving in the Navy taught him how precious water is. 

“Why don’tcha save some for the fish,” he’d mutter, if I was letting the tap run too long.

We could all stand to preserve a few drops this summer. Here are some tips for saving water at home. Some are strange, some are easy, and some will save you buckets of cash on your water bill, for reals.

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Patriotic Flowerpot Will Fly Its Colors All Summer Long

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on Jul 1, 2011 at 9:30 AM

Closeup Of Flowers
Red, white, and blue flowerpot for your stoop.
Where I used to live in Queens, there was a guy on the corner whose garage was packed to the rafters with neatly organized and labeled boxes containing house decorations for every conceivable holiday -- the guy even sidestepped irony by having big, plastic, unrecyclable Arbor Day decorations. Every few weeks, his beleaguered wife would trail after him to their backyard and he’d bark orders to her, moving the boxes with military precision to rotate out the next batch of abode-bunting. 

I cannot be bothered. I prefer my holiday decorations to be subdued, natural, and storage-free. Which is why I created a cute little red, white, and blue flowerpot for the Fourth of July that’ll fly its colors all summer long!

Do you like it? Here’s some advice if you want to do something similar.

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Party Decorations That Will Save Money & Do Good

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on May 23, 2011 at 11:24 AM

birthday bannerI have this annoying box in my storage area, and it’s full of re-usable party supplies: gift bags, themed paper plates, leftover goody-bag crap/swag, slightly wrinkled wrapping paper, odd lengths of ribbon, and a few banners that, at this point, say something more like HAPY BITHDY.

I am not giving up that box.

But I think there’s a better way -- reusable party decorations and goody bags that don’t instantly add to landfills.

And I think that even if each item is more than I'd pay for the disposable kind, the reuse more than makes up for the initial expense.
 
Would these ideas work for you?

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Kid-Friendly House Plants

Posted by Amy Keyishian
on May 18, 2011 at 4:04 PM

Cute Kid With PlantWhen Mother’s Day rolled around, I went to the plant nursery so I could finally get a few touches of green around this abode. Since giving life via my body, twice, I hadn’t given life to anything non-human. It was time to finally replace my long-lost, hummingbird-attracting fuchsia plant.
 
But when I cast my eyes about, I no longer saw colorful living works of art and beautiful little oxygen factories. I saw a sea of worry and frettitude. Stuff my little crawler could pull over, stuff in her mouth, and otherwise devour, and that my slightly less-little toddler could run smack into. What plants, soils, fertilizers, and flowers would be least likely to maim my children? I didn’t know -- so I came home plantless.
 
And called Melinda Myers. A radio and TV personality and author of more than 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening, she knows all about blossoms, dearie. Here’s what she had to say.

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