Eco friendly Archives - Page 2 of 3

Lower Your Paper Trail The Green Eco Party Invitation and Holiday Cards

December 15, 2010 by Momstart 2 Comments

Remember, we’re going green this December with a series of articles written by my friend Summer. We’ve had lots of great tips from how to recycle Christmas lights to giving gifts that are eco friendly. Today’s Green Tip from Summer is about throwing parties. During the holidays we have lots of parties, but this is a great tip to remember all year round….

Lessen your paper trail by inviting people to your holiday party via electronic invitation. I use evite and they’re updating to new things. A new user interface is in Beta mode but I think for the most part it’s easier to use (though I miss the option to change a guest’s status and/or comment) and evite now is very Facebook-like. Not only will this cut back on paper but you’ll save green (money) on purchasing invitations and the stamps to mail them. AND if you have changes or updates that’s simple, just email them straight from evite.

If your family will forgive you than skip the card sending too! You can make a card or letter via Microsoft Word or Publisher with all sorts of pictures and text and just e-mail them out. Printing cost zero; postage cost zero. It takes just as much time as creating any other card and will save you in the addressing time. You also won’t have to limit who you send it too, like if you only ordered 100 photo cards for the 102 people you owe cards too.

On a final green note, you save the gas and emissions of all the driving just to get your letters to their final destination. (More on lessening your paper party trail tomorrow.)

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.

Ways to Properly Dispose of Your Batteries Recharge, Recycle, Reduce!

December 12, 2010 by Momstart 2 Comments

I know that we have tons of batteries and we’re trying to convert over to all re-chargeable batteries. All of the brands out there now make rechargeable batteries and chargers but it is almost inevitable that you are still going to use some non-rechargeable batteries as well. So, with Christmas coming and all of those extra batteries, what do you do with the old, none-chargeable batteries?

Mom Start’s green guru, Summer has some tips for us when it comes to disposing of those none rechargeable batteries.

Many toy packages have 1 of 2 sets of words: “Batteries Not Included” or “Batteries Included”. Everything seems to run on batteries these days! And that means a lot more trash, especially if you’re sending those batteries to a landfill. Did you know you can recycle those batteries?!? Yeah, recycle! In our area of Seattle many libraries, city halls, community centers, and churches do their part by collecting non-rechargeable. Places like electronic stores and groceries stores will offer bins for disposing of rechargeable batteries. Both types of batteries should not be placed in your trash.

I just did a search on Google about local places to drop off those batteries. There is a place called Total Reclaim that takes batteries for Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. I also found that If you have less than five pounds of batteries, take them to the nearest Emedia program to recycle batteries as well as cell phones, "electronic media" such as CDs, and inkjet cartridges.

Now Summer has a suggestion on which brand of rechargeable battery we should use.

In my house we personally love (and have been using) eneloop rechargeable batteries by Sanyo. We have purchased ours at Costco but I’m sure many other fine retailers also carry them. They come pre-charged for your convenience. They say they hold their charge longer than their competitor by only diminishing their power by 15% over 1 year as opposed to other batteries diminishing to 0% power over 1 year. Eneloop batteries can be recharged 1000 (so that’s 999 batteries saved). Do your part and buy smart!
If you’re getting rid of batteries but can’t find a recycling facility visit Call2Recycle online or call them at 1-800-822.8837.

We actually use the same brand in our house. I would have to say that having your product at Costco is going to get it in a lot of people’s houses. They last, work great and we keep using them over and over again!

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.

Clean out your Electronics By Selling Them–Electronic Recycling

December 11, 2010 by Momstart 2 Comments

I’m running a day behind here on posts, my new contributor Summer has been helping me come up with content. She’s even been extremely good about giving me enough to last me over a week at a time, and here I still can’t get her content up. Aye Yi Yi! Anyways, enough about my delinquency!!

Summer is full of wonderful green tips and has been sharing her own "Tis the Season of “Red and Green”” Here on Mom Start. We’ve had 9 tips already and here is tip number 10 on being more green than red this Holiday Season. Clean out your electronics, by re-selling them. Of course you can reuse them, donate them, and recycle them through specific programs, but today’s tip is to just sell them again! Check out Summer’s ways to sell your old electronics.

– Have a garage sale if you live in warmer climate with low precipitation. Set it all out and use your local newspaper to advertise.

– Use eBay on items that have high values and a board audience. You can sell items using “Buy It Now” for a set fee or you can allow people to bid on your items by simply setting a lowest acceptable price. Using eBay may also cost you a fee to simply post your items, but the buyer pays all shipping costs when they front the money for your item. Remember you’ll have to mail these items so plan accordingly during this holiday season. I purchased my son’s Imaginext pirate ship for under our tree there last month. Don’t forget to get your eBay box on the move too. eBay also owns a book division called Half.

– Find specific venues such as places like Half Price Books which pays money for your used books.

– Last and not least, Craig’s List, where you get to sell unwanted items locally. The buyer and you hook up at a mutually agreed upon place and time, you get on the spot cash, and the win- win is they get the product they want and you get rid of the product you’re done using. I have been using Craig’s List to get rid of all my no-longer-needed baby items.
Not sure you want to sell or if it has any value? Check us out tomorrow!

About Summer:

Recycle Cell Phones through Operation Gratitude

December 9, 2010 by Momstart 8 Comments

Yesterday Summer brought us a way to make a little green while being green. Now that’s a great way to get rid of any electronic that you might have, however, wouldn’t it be great to help someone instead?

Even if you can’t support the current war, all of us can agree to support the troops over there. There need not be common ground on the battle for you to show the members of the U.S. military some gratitude. Are you upgrading your phone this year? I just got the Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7. I need to transfer some numbers but then I’ll recycle my old phone for free through Operation Gratitude. Through GRC Wireless Recycling, Operation Gratitude will earn 50¢ – $30 per phone with which to purchase care packages such as food, toiletries, and entertainment items to send to service members in harm’s way. GRC recycles cell phones through an environmentally responsible, zero landfill process by either reusing phones as refurbished products or literally recycling them by scrapping them for the metals.

Now Summer, I need you to tell all of us how to not be lazy. I’m terrible about cell phones. We have 3 or 4 that we just let the kids play with. I’m sure if someone somewhere had a charger half of them would still work.

About Summer:

Turn Homemade Snowflakes into a Charity Event

December 6, 2010 by Momstart 2 Comments

During the snow storm that we had we were stuck inside a little bit more just because of how very cold it was. So we got out the art supplies and made snowflakes, according paper snowman and home made Christmas Trees. We had quite a bit of fun making all of these crafts. The kids were allowed to use scissors and markers and to Zoe that is a very very special day.

Now we’re using our snowflakes as a decoration in our windows by the dinner table but did you know you can do other things like donating your flakes to charity. What? Read today’s red and green eco tip for today:

Decorating for the winter can be snow much fun, no matter where you live, as long as you have the right tools. So leave the blowers off and keep the shovel parked; gear up with your scrape paper and scissors and make your own indoor blizzard. Need some help? Never fear! Check out The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for some guidance. You can even step up your efforts by making your fun project a fundraiser for The Hole in the Wall Gang with offers camps for seriously ill children. Schools and clubs simply create as many flakes as possible and sell them for a fee. Purchasers can either take them home to decorate with or their flake can be displayed like other paper fundraisers in the stores for Children’s Hospital, Jerry’s Kids, March of Dimes, or Walk for MS. If you want to carve up some scrap paper to make a different kind of green ($$$) difference then consult the camp’s site.

So have fun with the kids and make a difference!

About Summer:

Green Gift Wrap Ideas

December 4, 2010 by Momstart 6 Comments

December 4th means tip number four from Summer’s Red and Green Holiday Season here on Mom Start. Have you ever really thought about all of the trash that Christmas amounts too? Christmas wrapping paper, packages, and more packages. Summer has a few ideas on how to wrap up those gifts and save the environment.

Rethink your wrapping! It’s fun and very memorable to wrap a child’s gift and have them rip it open with excitement, but here is my gift wrapping suggestion … BAG IT!

* Using a simple gift giving bag with tissue paper is a great way to reduce waste. Hopefully the recipient will reuse it, as will subsequent receivers, and when the bag and tissue paper become unusable the final recipient can recycle them.

* Buy or make cloth bags. For children, Santa can leave their sack which you can "mail back" or leave in the stocking for Santa’s elves to claim if you wish to continue this green tradition year after year. For adults, bag it with something they can continue to use such as an Envirosax®, ReUsies®, or even a purse or traveling makeup bag.

* Cloth bag patterns can be found for free online if you’re crafty, but if not support local businesses by buying locally produced wares. This makes your purchase even better for the environment by cutting long distance transportation costs such greenhouse gases and emissions.

I love to use the newspaper, or my children’s artwork as gift wrap. I think it’s a great touch for the grandparents and it’s a good way to pass on the art. Just remember to recycle all of the paper you can this year, that’s the first step.

About Summer:

Eco Gift Idea, Give the Gift of Experience

December 3, 2010 by Momstart 2 Comments

Eco Tip number three from our friend Summer is to find gifts for your friends and family that give them an experience:

Need a green gift that just keeps giving? Try experience gifts! Memberships to the zoo, tickets to the local performing arts theatre, season tickets to your local sports team, or joining a club such as geocaching.com to name a few. These gifts continue for an extended period of time beyond the receiving day. Most don’t require more than an envelope to wrap or you can get a reusable gift card ornament or Santa can slip it into their stocking.

I think this is a great gift idea, it gets people out of the house and active and is quite creative. You can think really far outside the box with this one. The world is at your fingertips.

If you haven’t noticed yet, we’re doing an eco tip every day. One Green tip during the holiday season of red and green for the whole month of December and all of the tips are coming from a friend of mine. Day one was Eco Advent Calendar ideas, and day two was Eco Christmas Tree tips.

About Summer:

Red and Green Tips on Finding an Eco Christmas Tree and Living Christmas Trees

December 2, 2010 by Momstart 4 Comments

Today is day too in Summer’s Red and “Green” event here on Mom Start. We’re bringing you tips on turning your house into an eco friendly green house. Yesterday’s Tip from Summer was all about Eco Advent Calendars. Today Summer brings us some tips on Christmas Trees:

Get your tree! It surprises some people that environmentalist actually endorse using real trees in decorating. Fake trees last forever — in your house and in a landfill. Fake trees also cause MORE allergens as they collect dust year after year. Real Christmas trees are grown for the holidays on tree farms. These farms cut down a select number of trees each year and cycle their land so they can offer trees each year. These farms also replant what they harvest. Not only can you get your tree at the store or from a parking lot vendor BUT many of these tree farms allow people to u-cut their own tree (saws and such materials are typically provided). Another fresh option is getting a permit from your local national forest or park to u-cut (no supplies provided, bring your own). See December 31 for a green way to get rid of your real tree.

For my family, we have to use a fake tree because my sister in law is allergic to real trees. I do love the smell of a real tree, but that’s exactly what she is allergic to. So this is one step we can’t join any of you on. Being the savvy blogger that I am though, I found out that in California you can have a live, living tree.

There is a way to reduce some of the stress while preparing for the holidays – and reduce your environmental impact while you’re at it? The Living Christmas Company allows customers to order a tree, have it delivered and picked up from the comfort of their couch. This way, you can get back to what’s important: running everything.

The Living Christmas Company rents to its customers (currently Greater LA area) a live potted tree, which is kept alive all year long, so households can enjoy the experience of a live tree every year. The Living Christmas Company is a unique way to celebrate the holidays while helping the environment. With prices starting as low as $25 (plus delivery), prices are competitive with buying a tree from a cut tree lot.

In addition to helping the environment, renting a tree from The Living Christmas Company will improve the safety of your home. It is proven that a live tree is more fire resistant than its plastic or cut counterparts. Also families are able to rent the exact tree from the previous year, adding another “branch” to your family tree for the holidays.

About Summer:

Red and Green Advent Calendar Ideas

December 1, 2010 by Momstart 3 Comments

Happy Holidays, it’s December first and yes, I really am inspired to be more green. I have always been afraid that I just can’t be green but one of the things that I learned at the Great Wolf Lodge Ecomoms event was that it all starts with baby steps. I recruited my friend Summer to help us with some of those baby steps and she has put together, MomStart’s Red and Green Event.

So for December 1st, Summer has some ideas on Advent Calendars and what to put in your advent calendar:

Day one of going green for the holidays with Mom Start. Take your advent calendar and in each day place a piece of paper with holiday activities you and your family can do together. This will cut down on all those useless trinkets plus if you invest in a reusable calendar then you also have less waste that way too. Include things like: make bird/squirrel feeders from popcorn, nuts and dried fruit; making a spare plate of goodies for a in family need; get your real tree (check back with Mom Start tomorrow for more on selecting a Christmas tree); make a tie-knot fleece blanket as a family and donate it.

My favorite advent calendar is one that I bought from Starbucks about five years ago give or take a year. Wow, that makes me realize that my daughter is about to turn four. Oh, sad. Anyways, it’s been great using the same one every year, we can refill it and now thanks to Summer, I realize I’ve been green all along and never even realized it.

About Summer:

I feel Inspired…Great Wolf Lodge Eco Moms Event

November 30, 2010 by Momstart 5 Comments

I can’t believe it’s almost been a full week since Kristin (Our Ordinay Life) organized and put on The Great Wolf Lodge Eco Moms Event. I’ve been working on a small local event and I’m not even the point person like Kristin was for the Eco Mom event and I can’t imagine how she stayed organized and on top of things. Yes, first I have to tell you how amazing Kristin is.

Kristin is a mother to two adorable girls, a wife to a husband that cares about her very much, a college student almost ready to graduate with a business degree, and a full time blogger making a business out of what she does. But on top of all of that she is Passionate, very passionate about everything organic and teaching others how to share in her passion. She took her passion and made a Mommy Blogger Event out of it, that just amazes me, She amazes me.

The first night there we went out to eat at a local restaurant and everything they served was organic. OMG, the chocolate dessert was to die for. I shared it with my son, and my husband shared his with our daughter and it was gone in seconds!

Day 2 we were mostly on our own. Great Wolf Lodge provided each of us with a Magic Quest adventure, I finished one quest. Yeah, it’s tough taking a two year old and a 3 your old up and down the stairs, but it was so much fun anyways. They got wands at the Howl O Ween event that we attend the month before and the great thing about Magic Quest is that once you have the wand you can just have them re-activated whenever you return. Little kids use demo mode and everything still interacts with the wands.

That night, Kristin had an organic wine tasting party. That was lots of fun too and she handed out door prizes and tons of organic swag. As I said before, I can’t imagine the hours she spent organizing this event.

It isn’t often that you can attend an event where the whole family can attend. It makes sense though, that organic companies and Great Wolf Lodge (a family resort) would be invested in families and I’m very grateful for the opportunity and relationship I gained at this event.

On Day 3 we had the actual conference. I wasn’t able to stay for very much of it. It started off with learning from Great Wolf Lodge about all of their efforts to go 100 percent green. It’s taking a lot of time because it is a lot easier to be 100 percent green when you start with building the building that way, but I’m still very impressed with everything they are doing to get there. The water park can not be green certified because there are no green certifications for water parks. Check out Project Green Wolf to learn more about Great Wolf Lodge and it’s efforts to be green.

There is no waste in their water park and all water in the resort, even the water in the hotel rooms is heated in the same location. The only water loss is splash out by guests and they are using as many LED lights as they can making it very cost efficient to have rides that light up!

Then came all of the fun stuff that I’m sad to say, I missed out on like making butter, eating Nature’s Path Samples.

Gardening 101

Making Home made soap

making home made cleaning supplies

Special Thanks to : Great Wolf Lodge, Nature’s Path, and Organic Valley. There were many other organizations that helped with the Great Wolf Lodge Eco Event, they are all listed on Kristin’s site.

I feel inspired to start being green around my house. I’m going to be taking baby steps but I invite you to take them with me. I have a friend that is going to be sharing a green tip with us once a day for the month of December.

Be red and Green this Holiday Season!

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