Sustainable Saturday - Raising Environmentally Responsible Kids

When I think of being a child I immediately think of be carefree and playing outside! We hope that by the example we are setting our children will be environmentally-conscious kids and someday adults. When we purchased our home we consciously chose somewhere where we can walk places; to the neighbors' house where there are other kids who play outside, to school, to the park and up town. I have previously written about our neighborhood, see my previous post here.

This is an excerpt from an article featured on treehunger


Is creating the next generation of environmental stewards as easy as sending your kids outside to play? Research suggests the answer is yes. A study done several years ago by Louise Chawla tried to understand what factors went into the make-up of people who demonstrated significantly pro-environmental behavior. After doing a psychometric profile of these people Chawla found they all had one characteristic in common: they all spent a significant amount of time outdoors playing in the wild.

Recent research has continued to expand and support the idea that more than any other factor the act of getting children outdoors will powerfully impact their desire to preserve the natural world. As prominent environmental educator David Sobel eloquently stated, "One transcendent experience in nature is worth a thousand nature facts." It turns out that children who have an immersive experience in nature between the ages of 5 and 10 foster a deep love of the environment that they carry with them their entire lives. Aside from significantly increasing the likelihood that they will actively work to preserve the important life-giving aspects of the environment as adults, an engagement with nature has other positive cognitive impacts, from improved performance in school to moral development to a greater involvement and concern for community well-being. A recent study of 300 of the world's most innovative thinkers and leaders showed clear links between childhood immersion in nature and an out-of-the-box creativity and tireless commitment to society.


You can read the rest of the article here.

Originally published by Symhomemom April 2009.

Environmental Working Group's 2010 Shopper's Guide to Sunscreen - UPDATE!


UPDATE: Environmental Working Group has released their 2010 Sunscreen Guide.

With Spring upon us, it's a great time to check out the sunscreen that is hanging around your house.  Environmental Working Group has once again proved to be a great resource when it comes to purchasing sunscreen.  You can check out their full report:  Environmental Working Group's 2009 Shopper's Guide to Sunscreen.


Best Easy to Find Sunscreens

California Baby - any sunscreen
Mustela - “Sun Cream” or “Sun Lotion, Bebe”
Mission Skincare - “Face Stick”
Neutrogena - “Pure & Free” or “Sensitive Skin”  

Symhomemom Comment:  The Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby sunscreen is now listed as 7 - AVOID.  As you see in the picture below this is one of the Sunscreens that I purchased.  Fortunately I have not opened one of them yet so I will be returning it.  I am disappointed in EWG's inconsistency between 2009-2010 and what appears to be incomplete reviews of a lot of sunscreens in the 2010 guide. 

Blue Lizard - “Face”, “Baby”, or “Sensitive”
Jason Natural or Earth’s Best - “Mineral Based”
Solar Sense - “Clear Zinc Sport Stick”
CVS - “Sport Sunstick”
Coppertone Water BABIES - “Pure & Simple”

Reading the Labels

BUY
SPF 30 or higher for best protection.
At least 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for broad spectrum protection.

AVOID
Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3:  skin absorption, allergies, hormone problems
Spray and powder sunscreens:  inhaling sunscreens can pose extra risks
Fragrance:  allergies, reproductive problems
Sunscreen with added bug repellent:  you can get too much of the pesticide in your body


Here is what we purchased:


Photo Credit:  About.com and Amy Lloyd

Today's Groupon - Nature's Garden Delivered


 
Ever heard of Groupon?  I signed up awhile ago to receive their emails of the daily deal, but had yet to purchase anything.  You can enter your zip code and Groupon will provide you with a daily deal that is local to the area in which you live.

 
How it works: 
  • Each day they feature something cool to do at an unbeatable price.
  • You only get it if enough people join that day… so invite your friends!
  • Check back the next day for another awesome Groupon!

Today's deal for Columbus, OH is $15 for $32 Worth of Organic, Local Produce from Nature's Garden Delivered.

 

 
How Nature's Garden Delivered Works:
  • Select your box size and type (They range in price from $22 to $55 per week or bi-weekly)
  • Customize your box contents
  • Weekly or Bi-Weekly Delivery
  • Free to sign-up
  • No commitment
  • No cancellation fees 
They appear to be a broker for multiple local farmers

 
They Deliver throughout Greater Cincinnati including SE Indiana, Northern Kentucky, Columbus and Louisville.  Also: Dayton, Indianapolis.  You can check on their website to see if they deliver to your area.

 
I'm going to give it a try and purchase the fruit box.  Using the Groupon, I can get $32 of fresh produce for $15 and I can cancel at any time.  I'll report back on the quality and freshness of the produce once we start receiving it.

Green on the Green, Worthington, Ohio - Saturday May 22, 2010

Today is finally the day.  It's Green on the Green.  It's also the official launch of Sym-homeSymbiotic home (sym-home) is the one-stop shop for better home comfort and performance for new and existing homes.  Visit our booth on the Southwest corner of the Village Green in Worthington, Ohio.  Check out Sym-home's facebook page www.facebook.com/symhome for a giveaway only available at the booth. 


WHERE – WHEN

In conjunction with Worthington’s outdoor Farmers Market, Saturday, May 22nd 10 am-1 pm, on the southwest corner of The Village Green.

WHAT is Green on the Green?
  • Bring environmental awareness to Worthington residents, businesses, schools, civic groups, etc. and to reinforce the notion that we can make an impact both locally and globally.
  • Showcase businesses and groups that are local, may offer green services, products or educational opportunities.
  • Reinforce the big and small efforts that Worthington is making to reduce its environmental impact.
  • Offer motivation and information on how we can do even better by supporting local businesses, reducing our waste, decreasing our carbon footprint and taking care of our planet, etc.
  • Highlight the areas in our community that need improvements (i.e..: downtown recycling, recycling at the high school sports fields, support local businesses, walk and bike more, etc.)

WHO is behind Green on the Green?
  • BigGreenHead.com 
  • Worthington Schools
  • Worthington Libraries
  • Leadership Worthington
  • Various volunteers, including Symhomemom!

Sustainable Saturday - In Defense of Food

"Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants."  excerpt from In Defense of Food:  An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan.

This book gave me a better perspective of the "Western Diet" as Pollan calls it and explains how we got to where we are now in regards to food, or maybe I should say food processing.  My childhood was spent in a growing suburb of Columbus.  My Dad is from a rural village in Ohio and my Mom from a mostly rural / early suburban area.  I know that my Paternal Grandparents had a garden.  My parents too had a garden growing up for a few years . . . I'd have to ask them how old I was and for how long, but never the less I remember it.  Another thing I remember about my childhood was canned food both fruits and vegetables.  I tease my mother to this day that I don't ever want to see another can of fruit cocktail again in my life!  Recently, I had been thinking about why I remember so vividly this canned food and really a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables.  I think about our society today and at almost any time of the year you can find strawberries, watermelon and all of the staples like carrots, potatoes and onions. 

As I eagerly read through the pages of In Defense of Food:  An Eater's Manifesto many of my questions found answers.  My childhood (in the 1980s) was filled with processed foods because that was a sign of the times.  New foods and processes were being created at a rapid pace and still are today.  The food industry has lost all sense of "real food" and has made its millions (probably more like billions) creating artificial everything.  Food promising to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, provide more fiber, provide more vitamin D, etc.

It made me realize and reaffirm why I do some of the things I do.  I've had friends tell me, how do you get so much done?  That's usually when they see my garden in the summer time.  And I guess the simple answer is because I've made it a priority.  I've made it a priority to move away from many of the things and foods my husband and I grew up with.  The "Western Diseases" that Pollan speaks about:  Heart Disease, Cancer and Diabetes resonate strongly with me.  I want to give my kids the best start in life that I possibly can in this crazy mixed up world that we now live in.

In Defense of Food reaffirmed things for me about the importance of buying local and growing your own food.  I also learned or maybe it simply heightened my awareness of all the health food claims that we are confronted with every time we set foot into the grocery store.  Even the products that are labeled "All Natural" or even "Organic" may not be the best option for our bodies because they are processed and are removed from this concept of real food.

I highly recommend In Defense of Food:  An Eater's Manifesto for anyone who wants to learn more about the culture and history of food in the United States.  I really feel like Pollan says it so simply:  "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants."  I would add to that:  Buy local, organic or simply grow a garden.  Spend time preparing food.  Enjoy it (slowly) with company.  I think Pollan would agree.


What's next?  I'm going to attempt to tackle The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.

Reusing a Coffee Filter

I did something that was very green and frugal last week without the intention to do so.  On Wednesday we ran out of coffee filters.  The unbleached variety.  It was a busy week and getting the grocery store to purchase more filters was just not in the cards.  So, Wednesday night I put the coffee grounds into my compost pail and then rinsed the coffee filter itself to reuse the next day.  I did this for 4 days before I finally replaced it.  And you know what the filter lasted that whole time!



Environmental Working Group's 2009 Shopper's Guide to Sunscreen

With Spring upon us, it's a great time to check out the sunscreen that is hanging around your house.  Environmental Working Group has once again proved to be a great resource when it comes to purchasing sunscreen.  You can check out their full report:  Environmental Working Group's 2009 Shopper's Guide to Sunscreen.

Best Easy to Find Sunscreens

California Baby - any sunscreen
Mustela - “Sun Cream” or “Sun Lotion, Bebe”
Mission Skincare - “Face Stick”
Neutrogena - “Pure & Free” or “Sensitive Skin”
Blue Lizard - “Face”, “Baby”, or “Sensitive”
Jason Natural or Earth’s Best - “Mineral Based”
Solar Sense - “Clear Zinc Sport Stick”
CVS - “Sport Sunstick”
Coppertone Water BABIES - “Pure & Simple”

Reading the Labels

BUY
SPF 30 or higher for best protection.
At least 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for broad spectrum protection.

AVOID
Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3:  skin absorption, allergies, hormone problems
Spray and powder sunscreens:  inhaling sunscreens can pose extra risks
Fragrance:  allergies, reproductive problems
Sunscreen with added bug repellent:  you can get too much of the pesticide in your body

Now thru May 27, 2010 there is a 25% off Sunscreen available for Babies R Us/ Toys R Us with in store coupon.  They carry a variety of brands of sunscreen including, but not limited to:  California Baby (Reg. $19.99), Mustela (Reg. $15.49), Neutrogena Pure & Free (Reg. 10.99), Jason Natural, Earth's Best and Coppertone Water Babies Pure & Simple (Reg. $11.99).

Coppertone Water Babies coupon available here

We purchased our Summer 2010 Kids Sunscreen during the Babies R Us Sale.

Here is what we purchased:


Photo Credit:  About.com and Amy Lloyd

Sustainable Saturday - A Series Documenting our Garden 2010 - Update

So we didn't get as much planted over the last few days I had initially anticipated.  I always seem to underestimate the time it will take to prepare the beds, till up the soil, spread and mix the compost and transplant the plants. 

4 x 8 raised garden bed:

Carrots
Lettuce
Spinach
 Spinach seedlings

Green Beans
Tomatoes

Green on the Green, Worthington, Ohio - Saturday May 22, 2010

WHERE – WHEN

In conjunction with Worthington’s outdoor Farmers Market, Saturday, May 22nd 10 am-1 pm, on the southwest corner of The Village Green.

WHAT is Green on the Green?
  • Bring environmental awareness to Worthington residents, businesses, schools, civic groups, etc. and to reinforce the notion that we can make an impact both locally and globally.
  • Showcase businesses and groups that are local, may offer green services, products or educational opportunities.
  • Reinforce the big and small efforts that Worthington is making to reduce its environmental impact.
  • Offer motivation and information on how we can do even better by supporting local businesses, reducing our waste, decreasing our carbon footprint and taking care of our planet, etc.
  • Highlight the areas in our community that need improvements (i.e..: downtown recycling, recycling at the high school sports fields, support local businesses, walk and bike more, etc.)

WHO is behind Green on the Green?
  • BigGreenHead.com 
  • Worthington Schools
  • Worthington Libraries
  • Leadership Worthington
  • Various volunteers, including Symhomemom!

Sustainable Saturday - Gardening with Children: A Series Documenting our Garden 2010

My typical early morning Sustainable Saturday post this week will be happening a little later in the day or possibly even on Sunday.  This is the weekend that we plan to transplant many of our plants from their starting containers and move them outside.

I'll post our progress and completion photos to document our progress.  My initial plan was to outline where I'm going to put what using Gardener's Supply - Kitchen Garden Custom Planting Map.  This FREE online tool you can simply drag and drop your vegetables into a very user friendly Planting Map.  However, I think that I am going to just plant.  There will be some thought, but I can just simply head out to the garden with my plants (and my children) and put everything where it makes he most sense.  I will probably also reference Organic Gardening Magazine from their Feb/March 2010 Issue to roughly plan how to get the most out of the space I have.

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Those who know me personally know that I have some food "issues" as I call them.  I like to purchase as much locally grown food as possible, know where my meat comes from, prefer Organic dairy and produce, grow a garden to harvest our own food in the warmer months and try to cook and bake from scratch as much as possible in our busy lives. 

In the past I have read an interview with Michael Pollan which was featured in Organic Gardening Magazine

In Defense of Food has been on my list for awhile of books to read.  I decided last week that it was time to read  In Defense of Food to further my knowledge or "issues" when it comes to food.

I hope to finish this book sometime within the week and then share my thoughts here.  Anyone want to join me? 

Whole Foods Market® - This Week's Hot Deals





You can check out all of Whole Foods Market® Hot Deals here.  These prices are valid from May 12th thru May 18th.

You can read all about the current coupon deals available in both the whole deal and available to print online here.

Freshly Made In-House Pork Sausages
Sale! $3.99 lb
Reg. $5.99 lb

Boneless Beef Sirloin Steak
Sale! $6.99 lb
Reg. $9.99 lb

Costa Rica Gold Pineapple
Sale! $2.99 ea
Reg. $3.99 ea

California Jumbo Navel Oranges
Sale! 10 for $10
Reg. $1.25 ea

Wild-Caught Fresh Sea Scallops
Sale! $13.49 lb
Reg. $16.99 lb

IZZE
Sale! 2 for $8
Reg. $5.49 ea

Tortellini Antipasto Salad
Sale! $5.99 lb
Reg. $7.99 lb

Late July Organic Mini Animal Cookies (5 oz) Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate
Sale! 2 for $5
Reg. $3.69 ea

the whole deal coupons - NEW!


  coupons


If you like to shop at Whole Foods Market® you definitely need to check out the whole deal for recipes and money saving coupons.

Now available is a selection of printable coupons from the latest issue of Whole Foods in-store value guide the whole deal.  You can print a selection of coupons available in the whole deal here.  Be sure to pick up the in-store guide for even more coupons, along with money-saving tips, recipes and meal planners to help keep the budget blues at bay.

Here is a list of coupons available to print online:

$1.00 off any THREE (3) CLIF BAR, MOJO, CLIF Builder's or CLIF C Bars (mix and match ok)
$1.00 off any ONE (1) Ben & Jerry Pint
 
$1.00 off any TWO (2) Rudi's Organic Products
50¢ off any ONE (1) 20oz. Vitamin Water or Vitamin Water Zero
$1.00 off any ONE (1) Pacific Natural Foods Hemp Milk
$1.00 off any ONE (1) Earth Balance Creamy or Crunchy Peanut Butter or Creamy Almond Butter
75¢ off any ONE (1) Annie's Naturals Product
$1.00 off when you buy ONE (1) box any flavor/variety Cascadian Farm® Granola Bars or Cascadian Farm® Cereal
$1.00 off any TWO (2) Pints of Ciao Bella Gelato or Sorbet
$1.00 off ny ONE (1) Scharffen Berger® or TWO (2) Dagoba® Chocolate Products
$1.00 off any ONE (1) Kashi® Organic Promise® Cereal
50¢ off any ONE (1) Tazo® Zero Calorie Ice Tea

Here is a list of coupons available in store the whole deal:

* $2 off Quinoa Salad w/Chickpeas and Zucchini
* $1 off 365 Everyday Value Organic Agave Nectar
* $2 off Whole Foods Brand Supplements
* $1 off 3 Clif Bars
* $1 off 1 Ben and Jerry's Pint
* $1 off 2 Rudi's Organic Products
* $.50 off 1 Vitaminwater or Vitaminwater Zero
* $1 off 1 Pacific Natural Food Hemp Milk Item
* $1 off 1 Earth Balance Creamy or Crunchy Peanut or Creamy Almond Butter
* $.75 off 1 Annie's Natural Product
* $1 off 1 Cascadian Farms Granola Bars or Cereal
* $1 off 2 Ciao Bella Gelato or Sorbet
* $1 off 1 Scharffen Berger OR 2 Dagoba Chocolate products
* $1 off 1 Kashi Organic Promise Cereal
* $1 off 1 Bear Naked Product
* $.75 off 2 Larabar or Jocalat bars
* $1 off 2 Lifeway Kefir Products
* $1 off 2 Helios Organic Kefir Products
* $.50 off 1 Naked Coconut Water
* $.55 off 1 San-J Cooking Sauce or Salad Dressing
* $1.50 off 2 Nature's Path Organic Eco Pacs or Granola Bars
* $1.50 off 2 Nature's Path Organic Waffles
* $.50 off 1 Tazo Zero Calorie Iced Tea
* $1 off 1 Organic Valley Yogurt
* $1 off 1 Organic Valley Single Serve Milks, 4pk or 12pk
* $1 off 1 Nasoya Product
* $1 off 1 MI-DEL product
* $2 off 1 Soy Kaas product
* $.75 off 1 Berry Veggie Machine, Orange Carrot, Tropical or Peach Guava Naked Smoothie
* $1 off 1 Oikos Greek Yogurt 4oz. 4pk or 16 oz.
* $.50 off 1 thinkThin or thinkThin Bites
* $1 off 1 Half Gallon So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla, Original, or Unsweetened Beverage
* $.75 off 1 Traditional Medicinals Digestive Product
* $5 off 1 Vitamin Code Raw Multivitamin
* $2 off 1 Weleda Facial Care Product

Thanks to The Budget Mommy for compiling this list!

Whole Foods Market® - Half Pint Club

Please join us on Sunday May 16th for the planting of our first Kid’s Club garden. We will be planting 2 container gardens in the front of the store with lots of vegetables and flowers for your children to enjoy. You are invited to help us also with maintaining the gardens on your weekly shopping trips and then we will all celebrate the harvest. Please plan on getting dirty as we learn about the seeds we are planting and have a great time planting. We will start planting at 2:00 pm and will end our party at 4:00 pm, this will be a great experience for your children as we plant our first Whole Food Market Kid’s Club Garden J  I sure hope that you can join us, please RSVP if you can attend, hope to see you all here on Sunday !!!!!

You can check out Whole Foods website to see if your store is participating in a similar event here.  

Ollie-Pollie

Green on the Green, Worthington, Ohio - Saturday May 22, 2010

WHERE – WHEN

In conjunction with Worthington’s outdoor Farmers Market, Saturday, May 22nd 10 am-1 pm, on the southwest corner of The Village Green.

WHAT is Green on the Green?
  • Bring environmental awareness to Worthington residents, businesses, schools, civic groups, etc. and to reinforce the notion that we can make an impact both locally and globally.
  • Showcase businesses and groups that are local, may offer green services, products or educational opportunities.
  • Reinforce the big and small efforts that Worthington is making to reduce its environmental impact.
  • Offer motivation and information on how we can do even better by supporting local businesses, reducing our waste, decreasing our carbon footprint and taking care of our planet, etc.
  • Highlight the areas in our community that need improvements (i.e..: downtown recycling, recycling at the high school sports fields, support local businesses, walk and bike more, etc.)

WHO is behind Green on the Green?
  • BigGreenHead.com 
  • Worthington Schools
  • Worthington Libraries
  • Leadership Worthington
  • Various volunteers, including Symhomemom!

Mother’s Day Extravaganza Giveaways

The Thrifty Mama is hosting a Mother's Day Extravaganza Giveaway

You have until Monday, May 10, 2010 at 8 PM EST to enter them.  The winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 11, 2010.  See all giveaway guidelines and disclosures here.   Good luck!

One of many giveaways is the 16 GB Apple iPad!

You can enter to win! and check out all the details of all her giveaways by clicking on this link:  Mother’s Day Extravaganza Giveaways List!

Sustainable Saturday - Gardening with Children: A Series Documenting our Garden 2010 - Rain Barrels

One of my goals for this summer is to reduce the "spike" in our water bill during the summer months.  This "spike" is primarily due to watering our garden.  We have a rain barrel installed at one of our downspouts which collects roughly 1/4 of the rain water off our roof.  Currently the rain barrel is connected to a soaker hose which is in the planting bed close to it.  Running the water from the rain barrel out to my garden will require burying a hose beneath the ground.  Should be an interesting venture and I hope that my efforts will pay off in that our water bill will remain relatively constant throughout the year.  

Want to know more about Rain Barrels? 

If you have not already, you should check out National Geographic's Green Guide.   You can sign up for the Green Guide's Monthly E-Newsletter which is the only way to receive this terrific publication.  They have an entire section on their site; Buying Guides. 

Interested in installing a rain barrel?  Check out their Rain Barrel Buying Guide.

What to Look For

While rainwater may not always be safe to drink, it can be used for a variety of other applications—from watering your lawn and flower beds to washing cars or driveways. And depending on your state and local laws, you may be able to use rainwater for some household graywater uses, like toilets and showers.

A rain barrel is essentially a large tank with a spigot that sits under your home’s gutter downspout to harvest rainwater from your roof. You can make one for just a few dollars, or you can purchase a basic model for around $50 to $100. A more decorative model will cost upwards of $300.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
  • Safety: Rain barrels hold 50-plus gallons of water, so be sure the tank is both child- and animal-proof.
  • Handling overflow: Look for rain barrels with an overflow valve that kicks in when the barrel reaches capacity.
You can read the rest of the article here.

Rain Barrels have become more mainstream in recent years and can be purchased at a variety of retailers.  Be sure to check out options at Home DepotGeneration Green (Columbus, Ohio) and  Rain Brothers LLC (Columbus, Ohio)  just to name a few.  There are also lots of great online retailers such as Gardener's Supply.  

Photo Credit:  Photograph by Paul Thompson/Photolibrary

Symbiotic home (sym-home) is your one stop shop for new or existing home performance

After many months of hard work, sym-home.net has re-emerged as a Home Energy Performance Company. 

Are you concerned with your new or existing homes utility bills?



With fluctuating energy prices, this is a concern for many homeowners and we can help reduce your homes’ utility needs.

Symbiotic home (sym-home) is your one stop shop for new or existing home performance.

Sym-Home provides the expertise on home energy performance and comfort for both new and existing homes.  We work with clients that are looking to design and build a new home or addition, home builders, and other design professionals, as well as homeowners who are just looking to lower their utility bills.  We provide the knowledge, training and experience for any project to identify, set and implement your energy performance and comfort needs.

Sym-Home pulls from a decade worth of experience in the architectural field to provide affordable and creative solutions for design projects ranging from new kitchens and bathrooms, to new homes and additions.  We are knowledgeable of the current building and energy codes and various other aspects of health and safety that can be involved with any project.

 

Sym-Home has the certification necessary to perform home energy audits and help the individual homeowner qualify for some of the special financing that is available for home performance improvements.  By reviewing your previous utility bills, a thorough inspection of your homes envelope and systems, as well as conducting a blower door test, we can generate a report that will allow you to see a prioritized list of improvements that can be made to improve the performance and health of your home.

In 2007, an article published by Environmental Building News (The Challenge of Existing Homes: Retrofitting for Dramatic Energy Savings) stated that the existing housing stock is a critical component of the Architecture 2030, 2030 Challenge® to reduce our countries carbon emissions, and would require extensive energy retrofits of approximately 1.5 million homes a year.  Therefore it is sym-homes’ continued mission to provide the services and educational resources necessary to give you, the homeowner, a piece of mind with your utility bills and help cut the countries carbon emissions.

Local Green Events - Columbus, Ohio

I am always reading something, learning and sharing.  Here are some local events of interest:


Eating Green
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 @ 7 p.m.
Old Worthington Library, 820 High Street, Worthington

Representatives from Local Matters, a central Ohio non-profits group, will share their expertise and discuss how our food choices not only affect our own health, but also that of the planet.  Presented in partnership with the Healthy Worthington Coalition as part of their Being Green = Being Healthy series.

Cleaning Up our Kids' Diet Workshop & Store Tour
Wednesday, May 6th, 2010
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Whole Foods Market
Free, Registration Required

With Patty Canton, HealthSmart! Consulting

It's no secret that kids today are facing health, learning and behavior challenges at epidemic levels and the role of healthy eating is often overlooked when addressing these concerns for children. The foods we eat affects how we think, feel and behave. This workshop will focus on moving away from the Standard American Diet (SAD) toward more healthful alternatives to promote good health, behavior and learning for our kids. The session will also include some ideas for lunchbox-makeovers that provide kid-friendly, healthy alternatives followed by a walking tour through our store.

Green on the Green
Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Worthington Green, Worthington 

WHERE – WHEN

In conjunction with Worthington’s outdoor Farmers Market, Saturday, May 22nd 10 am-1 pm, on the southwest corner of The Village Green.

WHAT is Green on the Green?
  • Bring environmental awareness to Worthington residents, businesses, schools, civic groups, etc. and to reinforce the notion that we can make an impact both locally and globally.
  • Showcase businesses and groups that are local, may offer green services, products or educational opportunities.
  • Reinforce the big and small efforts that Worthington is making to reduce its environmental impact.
  • Offer motivation and information on how we can do even better by supporting local businesses, reducing our waste, decreasing our carbon footprint and taking care of our planet, etc.
  • Highlight the areas in our community that need improvements (i.e..: downtown recycling, recycling at the high school sports fields, support local businesses, walk and bike more, etc.)
WHO is behind Green on the Green?
  • BigGreenHead.com 
  • Worthington Schools
  • Worthington Libraries
  • Leadership Worthington
  • Various volunteers, including Symhomemom!

Environmental Working Group's 2010 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides

Environmental Working Group's 2010 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides

Dr. Andrew Weil, renowned medical expert on natural health and wellness, tells us why and how he uses the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.



Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood.  Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.


Dr. Weil suggests that there is a measurable drop in tissue accumulation of pesticides in people who eat using the guidelines of the EWG's 2010 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides.

April Grocery Budget Update

Well it's the end of April and I am happy to report that we stayed within $5 of our budget.  We bought lots of Organic and Earth-friendly products including Seventh Generation products in mass from Babies R Us.


Green on the Green, Worthington, Ohio - Saturday May 22, 2010

WHERE – WHEN

In conjunction with Worthington’s outdoor Farmers Market, Saturday, May 22nd 10 am-1 pm, on the southwest corner of The Village Green.

WHAT is Green on the Green?
  • Bring environmental awareness to Worthington residents, businesses, schools, civic groups, etc. and to reinforce the notion that we can make an impact both locally and globally.
  • Showcase businesses and groups that are local, may offer green services, products or educational opportunities.
  • Reinforce the big and small efforts that Worthington is making to reduce its environmental impact.
  • Offer motivation and information on how we can do even better by supporting local businesses, reducing our waste, decreasing our carbon footprint and taking care of our planet, etc.
  • Highlight the areas in our community that need improvements (i.e..: downtown recycling, recycling at the high school sports fields, support local businesses, walk and bike more, etc.)

WHO is behind Green on the Green?
  • BigGreenHead.com 
  • Worthington Schools
  • Worthington Libraries
  • Leadership Worthington
  • Various volunteers, including Symhomemom!

Sustainable Saturday - Gardening with Children: A Series Documenting our Garden 2010 - Garden Planning Tools


Someone commented to me this week that they didn't have enough area in their yard for a garden.  My response was, you can start small like a 4 x 8 raised garden bed and grow several varieties of vegetables over the course of the summer.  If you don't even have the space for a 4 x 8 raised bed, consider container gardening.  For this upcoming growing season I ordered a Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter utilizing my $25 gift coupon from Garden's Alive!  I received a FREE catalog with a $25 gift coupon that could also be used on shipping.  My total out of pocket was $3.10!

Utilizing one of the online garden tools available this year, you can plan out your garden before you even plant one seed (or plant)! 

For new gardeners:
Gardener's Supply - Kitchen Garden Custom Planting Map

Drag and drop your vegetables into a very user friendly Planting Map.  This planting map is always FREE to use.

For formal gardens:
Garden Planner

Arrange plants, trees, buildings and objects using an easy to use 'drag and drop' interface. Use tools to quickly create paving, paths and fences. Then produce a high quality color print out of your design.
Download the trial version right now or buy the full version for just $19.95.

For veggie gardeners:

GrowVeg.com is an innovative garden planning tool which helps you grow fruit and vegetables to the best of their ability, whatever the size or shape of your garden or plot.  They offer a FREE 30-day trial or you can Subscribe for $25 for one year or $40 for two years.

If you don't know where to start and have a small space, Organic Gardening Magazine  in their Feb/March 2010 Issue took all the guess work out of planting a Three-Season Garden.

I started out 4 years ago now with one 4 x 8 raised bed.  Now I have not only the 4 x 8 raised bed, but 4 additional 4 x 8 garden beds. 

2009 Garden:



Haven't started your seeds?  Here is a handy Seed Starting Chart available on OrganicGardening.com.