10 Tips to Save Money by Going Green

This Earth Month, why not try one or a few of these 10 simple tips that will help save the planet and your bank account at the same time:

What are you doing to save money in your family?

Picture courtesy of Flickr.

Ali Kalis is the senior director of digital marketing at Recyclebank, the company that rewards people for taking everyday green actions. Ali has always had a personal interest in social entrepreneurship, sustainability and healthy living, and holds a certificate in integrated nutrition as well as an MBA. She and her photographer husband, Amani, live in Brooklyn with their young son, Satchel, and miniature pincher, Jinx.

She wrote it to make life easier for moms who are trying to do a good job raising their kids while also being green and environmentally-conscious. Making green living easy is her color, her cause, and her career.

About the book, which was recognized in such publications as The Huffington Post and People.com, she says:

“In addition to the age-old daunting task of raising happy, healthy babies, mothers are constantly bombarded with new and contradictory research concerning environmental toxins, long-term product effects, and the far-reaching impact of every product we purchase and decision we make. Spit That Out! answers the questions posed by mothers on the verge of a “green mom nervous breakdown” and turns to experts to present facts, debunk myths, and help parents stay on a reasonable and responsible course without losing their minds.”

She came up with the idea to write the book when she was pregnant with her first child and felt compelled to do in-depth research on real-life eco-friendliness with kids. She does, in fact, have a degree in English/Journalism from the University of Delaware, where her work at the newspaper and campus magazine helped to earn two Pacemaker awards, the “Pulitzer prizes of student journalism.” Before she was an author and a mother, she was a journalist, publicist, and communications manager. Writing comes naturally to her.

In 2002, she started her own PR firm, through which she helps “promote manageable eco-chic living.” She works with clients who contribute to a sustainable world and positive change. The firm is the first and only certified B Corporation public relations company in the Philadelphia area, meeting comprehensive and transparent social and environmental standards. And for every printed copy of Spit That Out! that’s sold, a tree will be planted, through a partnership with Eco-Libris. She is serious about being green.

But she’s also realistic, like Sommer Poquette, who we talked about here. Paige says: “I am certainly not the greenest person around—not even the greenest person I know! But I try my hardest to be as green and healthy as possible without making myself—or others—crazy. Sometimes this means not bringing my own mug to Starbucks or letting my toddler eat Cheese-Its for dinner. I can’t claim to be perfect, and perfect should not be anyone’s goal. However I believe we can always do better. That’s why it’s my goal to seek out practical, manageable, and affordable solutions to greener and healthier living!”

Some might say she’s lucky, having success while touting something that is often perceived as inconvenient or expensive. Regardless of what one believes about global warming or pollution, it’s hard to deny the ever-present need to be responsible with what we have. As the Roman statesman Seneca once said: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” An opportunity exists to show the way to be environmentally responsible easily and inexpensively. Paige Wolf, because of her own preparation and publication, is, by that definition then, quite lucky.

You can find out more about Paige at SpitThatOutTheBook.com or PaigeWolf.com, on Twitter at @PaigeWolf, and Facebook at PaigeWolfPR.

How do you try to live greener? In what ways will you be green this year?

Eeeek-o-Friendly Halloween Crafts and Projects

Upcycle your Costume

Avoid creating new waste and, instead, make costumes rather than buying them. You can use supplies found in your own home by raiding the recycling bin—yogurt containers become robot buttons. With a little paint, toilet paper tubes turn into Frankenstein plugs or a spyglass for a pirate. If you have a big cardboard box, you’ve hit the goldmine:  cut head and armholes in the box and paint it like your favorite cereal box. Paint the box brown, add some yellow letters, and you have a UPS truck. Also, seek out existing outfits that can easily be converted into a costume; your old prom or bridesmaid dress would make a stunning Tinkerbelle or Cinderella. If time is short, visit second hand stores to find some vintage treasures that can make for a very original costume that’s zero impact.

Add Flair to a Reusable Treat Bag

Forgo the plastic bag (which requires fossil fuels to make and can last a 1,000 years in landfills) and make your own goodie bags from eco-friendly and recycled materials. First, create a basic bag from pillow cases, scraps of fabric, old clothes or towels, used paper bags or pails. Then, add charm to your bag with leftover scraps of paper, glitter and colored pens. Washable markers suitable for fabric are a great way to dress-up fabric bags or pillow cases; you can even wash them afterwards to convert them back! Digging into your stash early? Take the candy wrappers and glue them onto a pail for a very festive treat bucket. After Halloween, use the bucket in your kid’s playroom to hold crayons or small toys.

Choose (and Fully Use!) Your Pumpkin Wisely

Sustainably grown organic pumpkins are becoming more widely available at a growing number of supermarkets, grocers and specialty stores.  To find a nearby source, visit www.eatwellguide.org, a free online directory of sustainable food sources. Once you’ve carved your pumpkin, don’t waste the insides. Take those gooey white seeds and roast them in the oven for a nutritious and fiber-filled snack—click here for easy and delicious recipes.

Create a Green House of Horrors

There are many fun ways to turn your home into a house of horrors without making Mother Nature scream. Here are a few easy ideas:

• Set an eerie ambience with eco-friendly candles (soy or beeswax), LED lights or flash lights powered with rechargeable batteries.
• Give your candles added Halloween flare by cutting out patterns in a paper bag, adding some sand to the bottom for stability and placing a votive candle in the center.
• Make a graveyard out of old cereal boxes turned into gravestones. Even better, transform recycled cardboard into coffins, chains or skeletons by cutting them to your own design and painting them with non-toxic paint.
• Use old bed sheets or pillowcases to make ghosts by stuffing a t-shirt into the center and tying it off with a ribbon to create the head.
• Use white spray paint to transform old stockings and the netting that holds oranges into creepy cobwebs for your corners.
• Paint spooky Halloween murals on your windows with non-toxic window paint.
• Decorate with gourds, pumpkins, apples and other edible items that you can eat once the night is over.
• Gather leaves and branches from the backyard to dress up your front walkway and steps.

These are just a few of many crafty ideas that show it’s easy and fun to make Halloween more eco-friendly. What fun Halloween projects have you done with your kids that also help the planet?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Ali Kalis is the director of digital marketing at Recyclebank, the company that rewards people for taking everyday green actions. Ali has always had a personal interest in social entrepreneurship, sustainability and healthy living, and holds a certificate in integrated nutrition as well as an MBA. She and her photographer husband, Amani, live in Brooklyn with their young son, Satchel, and miniature pincher, Jinx. This year, Satchel’s costume is a zero-impact one—he’s wearing his baby bear costume from last year.

I think it’s safe to say, don’t you think, that none of us wake up thinking: “What can I do to harm the planet today?” To some extent, most of us want to help our planet in some way. We realize it’s not an infinite resource and that we need to take care of it. There are a lot of recommendations, products, and resources out there for going green, above and beyond “reduce, reuse, recycle.” I think it’s safe to say that it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know what are really the best ways to take care of your little bit of earth.

So, at a MomItForward Girls’ Night Out Twitter party last week, we asked for suggestions on what’s worked best for people. Sponsored by Seventh Generation, a maker of environmentally-friendly cleaning products, and involving Laurie Berkner of children’s rock music fame, we talked environmental baby steps.

10 Tips for Going Greener

1. Start buying re-usable grocery bags instead of plastic, from @laur723 and many others. Some stores, like Target, will actually take money off your bill if you use the cloth bags. See this list for more information.
2. Damp dust your electronics. According to this article from @healthy_child, doing so can keep brominated flame retardants, found particularly in older electronics, out of the air you breathe.
3. Open your windows to clean out your indoor air, which is typically more polluted than outdoor air, says @healthy_child.
4. Shop the aisle ends at Target. @ChooseWiser says “I shopped the back end caps at Target today and found tons of 50% off organic food! Victory!”
5. Go for paper, cardboard, or glass over plastic, if you have the choice, says @glassisback. According to this article, doing so is wiser not only because it keeps non-decomposable plastics out of landfills, but also because it decreases your exposure to BPA. This tip is admittedly controversial, since both paper and plastic use natural resources and cause pollution, according to this article.
6. Choose products that disclose all ingredients. When buying cleaning products, choose products that disclose all of their ingredients. Know that current OSHA standards (according to this article and this one) do not require listing of every single chemical, and that some of those chemicals can be harmful.
7. Use baking soda in more ways. @ChooseWiser says you should let it sit on baked on dishes, then “swish scrub it’s done.” @glassisback also says putting baking soda in bath water with your baby not only cleans the tub, but also gets rid of diaper rash. She says, “This totally works! Put about 1/3 a cup in warm water bath, bathe about 15 minutes.”
8. Buy local. @austinKVS says “I buy from a local co-op bi-weekly and get a bushel of fresh produce. A fun challenge and good diet.”
9. Make your own musical instruments, with these tips from Laurie Berkner herself.
10. Use a reusable Diva cup or cotton menstrual pad instead of traditional tampons or pads, which aren’t that biodegradable, according to this source and this one.  This recommendation comes from @HuppieMama.

What helps you go greener? What steps do you make on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis to live greener?

Photo courtesy Salvatore Vuono.

Then last week, I went to two New York Fashion Week shows that were sponsored by Aveda. Not having been exposed to their style and beauty side, I was excited to see the hubbub from the behind-the-scenes views of makeup being applied and hair being flat ironed all in anticipation of seeing made-up models strutting on the cat walk, wearing the upcoming trends. And just like my trip to India, although I should have known this time, I was baffled to find a green backstage.

No! A green backstage doesn’t mean the room was painted green. In fact, I think the only green around was Mac green eye shadow, which would not have been called green, but something much more clever like my favorite shade: sumptuous olive.

A green backstage meant that Aveda took eco friendly to the next level by going green behind the scenes during Fashion Week. What I loved about this first and foremost was their total integrity to their mission. They are an all natural company, therefore they:

• Do not allow their models to wear hair extensions.
• Provide food backstage that is organic and purchased locally.
• Provide everyone with aluminum water bottles to decrease the amount of plastic used.

This total commitment to green living didn’t come across as a big, bold statement or offend anyone with hair extensions. But instead was a subtle reminder that we can all do better and that as we rush to and fro in our everyday lives, we can insert a behavior here or be an example there when it comes to going green. Specifically, we can:

• Use environmentally friendly products.
• Cut down on the amount of paper and plastics we use.
• Do what Aveda did and use aluminum water bottles and buy organic food.

What simple steps do you take in your life to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle?

Photo used with permission from Jen Tilley at How To: Simplify.

Regardless of where you fall on the green living scale, this week’s meet ups in Denver, Portland, and Seattle promise to provide fun, information, and healthy food for everyone (not to mention awesome product giveaways, of course!).

Supported by Seventh Generation and Mom It Forward, the purpose of the event is for parents and kids alike to meet and learn from green living expert and co-author of the book Planet Home, Alexandra Zissu, who will be available to share tips, answer questions, and sign books. Planet Home offers a unique, comprehensive, educational, and easy approach to helping you and your family lead healthier lives as we collectively protect and maintain our shared resources for many years to come.

By the way, one attendee at each event in Seattle and Portland will win a year’s supply of Seventh Generation products! Join Planet Home author Alexandra Zissu to talk all things green and clean. Learn the how’s and why’s of sustainability at home and share your own best practices!

Event Details and RSVP Information

Denver

• Date: Monday, January 24
• Venue: Children’s Museum of Denver (Program Playhouse)
• Time: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
• RSVP: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1234471337

Seattle

• Date: Tuesday, January 25
• Venue: Red Twig Bakery & Café
• Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
• RSVP: http://planethomebooktourseattle.eventbrite.com/

Portland

• Date: Wednesday, January 26
• Venue: Portland Green Parenting (The Warehouse)
• Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• RSVP: http://planethomepdx-estw.eventbrite.com/

Upgrading your green life and becoming an even better conscious consumer can have a major impact on your life, as well as the lives of your children, grandchildren, etc. What are different ways you plan to live a greener life this year?

10 Tips to Green Living

Here are 10 bite-size ideas:

1. Take a shorter shower (i.e., two minutes) to save water.
2. Hit the salad bar of your local supermarket instead of buying a full bushel of spinach or lettuce, if you often end up with veggie leftovers. This will reduce waste.
3. Eat out one less time this week, to reduce carbon emissions and increase your health and family time.
4. Use slow-release, organic fertilizers on your yard to decrease the amount of polluted rainwater runoff in surface drinking water supplies. Visit RiverKeeper.org for more info.
5. Put a re-used plastic grocery bag in your car for garbage so that it doesn’t end up as litter, and so that you can use less energy when you clean your car!
6. Go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Directory of Farmers’ Markets to find the farmers’ market nearest you, then visit it. You get fresher, locally-grown food, which means energy did not have to be used to transport it cross-country.
7. Contact your state Senators, if you live in the U.S., and ask them to designate Clean Water Act penalties, paid for by BP, towards Gulf recovery and restoration. Do this before the end of the lame duck congressional session to ensure that the Senate actually acts on it. Visit the National Audubon Society’s Action Center for more info.
8. Send your state or provincial elected representatives a brief email or letter to encourage pursuit of more renewable energy policies. Go to AllianceforRenewableEnergy for more information and a sample letter.
9. Visit the website of the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC), a nonprofit aimed at reclaiming two of America’s most endangered resources — our youth and our environment.
10. Go to EcoPerk’s Carbon Calculator and figure out your family’s carbon footprint, learn about ways to offset it, and earn EcoPoints currency.

How Will You Give to Others This Week?

• What other ideas do you have for giving to others by going green?
• How has going green made a meaningful difference for you this week?
• How have others given to you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Make a meaningful difference this season by taking the Season of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how you can participate:

• Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week’s challenge.
• Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
• Enter to win each week’s giveaway. Check out this week’s prizes from Seventh Generation by clicking here.
• Join #gno this Tuesday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about using natural laundry and cleaning products that are safe for the home, your health and the environment. Seventh Generation’s prize pack includes:

• Free & Clean Starter Kit:
• Disinfecting Multi-Surface
• Disinfecting Bathroom
• Disinfecting Wipes – 35 ct.
• Laundry Detergent – F&C 32 oz
• Liquid Fabric Softener – F&C 40 0z
• Dish Liquid – F&C
• All-Purpose
• Auto-Dish Pacs – F&C
• Glass
• Natural Paper Towel
• Seventh Generation Recycled Bag

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @SeventhGen on Twitter.
2. Visit the website, check out the product line, and leave a comment on Mom It Forward sharing which product you’d most like to have.
3. Tweet the following:

• Join the @SeventhGen #gno Twitter party Mon 10/25 (9-11 pm ET) & chat about healthy homes http://bit.ly/98uALH PLS RT

• GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 chance 2 win Seventh Generation Prizes for a healthy home http://bit.ly/c5OLhY #gno #SeventhGen PLS RT

Optional Entries

The following extra entry is completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for this giveaway. Leave a separate comment on this post for the completed entry.

Like the Seventh Generation page on Facebook

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Tuesday, October 26. See all terms and conditions here.

This school year, if you haven’t already gone green, the time is NOW! Not only is going green good for the environment, it is also super hip! And it can all start by packing a guilt-free and garbage-free lunch for your kids in ways that don’t add time to your already-busy schedule.
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Eco-Friendly School Lunches

Here are several of tips for going green for lunch:

1. Pick a stylish, reusable lunch bag—one that is bright and unique so it’s easily recognizable by your kids!
2. Get one that is insulated because warm yogurt = yuck and yuck often turns into waste!
3. Use easy-to-open, reusable containers.  Get individual containers—one for a sandwich, and 2-3 for smaller snacks. Or, find an all-in-one container—think one holder and one lid with several compartments neatly divided. For younger kids, the latter option is often better since it is easier to keep track of!
4. Get something that is durable and easy to wash! These handy containers are available everywhere and come in loads of great colors for added fun. I found one of the best lunch containers for this: Easy Lunch Boxes.

It may not seem like it makes a big difference and it does require a bit more time in your already busy life (washing, etc), but every little thing we can do to minimize garbage helps!  Even if it is only a few pieces of food wrap, a zipper sandwich bag or a brown paper lunch bag. Just imagine the impact on the environment if everyone in your child’s school packed garbage-free lunches!

Join Avon Monday night (note the change in day from our originally scheduled parties) from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT) to learn how you can start living a greener life. Learn what steps Avon is taking to help save rain forests on a global scale and what you can do to get involved to make a big difference in small and simple ways. See the details below about this week’s giveaway.

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Monday, June 14, 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! Check back Monday for the link. (Use hashtags #gno and #avonhgt.)
• Topic: Making a Start to Live a Greener Life
• Who: Brand Panelists:  @avon_prnewsflash Community Panelists: TBD  Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee and @momitforward
• Party Favors: Enter for a chance to win an Avon gift pack (ARV: $250). (Deadline: Wednesday, June 16 at midnight PT)
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.