It’s official.  I’m hungry every fifteen minutes.  It’s tough to always grab healthy foods on the go, especially with pregnancy cravings haunting me when I’m at my hungriest.  Do you have any ideas for snacks that I may not have thought of yet?  I eat lots of nuts and some cheese, but I’m still famished much of the time.  Thanks for sharing your insights!

In the March issue of ShopSmart, put out by the publisher of Consumer Reports, experts analyzed used baby gear to determine “when you can gratefully say yes and when you should gracefully say no thanks.”  I am devoting a few posts to discussing their findings.  (I’ve already written about baby bath tubs, car seats, and cribs.)

 Here’s what ShopSmart said about secondhand high chairs:

Safe: Say yes to a hand-me-down high chair if it has a five-point harness to prevent your child from climbing out and a fixed crotch post that prevents him/her from sliding out the bottom.

Unsafe: Old fashioned wooden high chairs with removable trays or arms are considered dangerous and uncomfortable for the baby, in addition to not being up to newer product safety standards.

This time I do not have a crazy story about my rickety secondhand baby gear, but I find this advice about used high chairs rather vague.  “Old fashioned wooden high chairs with removable trays”?  Most high chairs have removable trays, so I am not sure why this is something they point out.  Also, their idea that a wooden high chair wouldn’t be comfortable for the baby has nothing to do with safety.  I do know that their advice about a five-point harness (or T-strap or T-bar) is important; many older high chairs we’ve encountered in restaurants have nothing but the tray to hold the baby in–a definite safety hazard.

So what do you think about secondhand high chairs?  Yea or nay?

Before I had a child, I actually used to complain about the hassle of running errands.  I had no idea what hassle was!  Even a few stops at different stores tends to wear both of us out.  Lately though, I’ve figured out a way to save time, money and the planet: I use the phone!

Instead of driving all over town shopping for certain items, I call stores and talk to salespeople before I ever leave the house.  I check to see if an item is in stock, if it’s on sale, and if they can hold one for me at the register.  Then I breeze in and pick up whatever it was I  was hunting for.  

This may seem like an obvious tip, but I’m amazed it never occurred to me before now.  What a great way to simplify life and spend less time shlepping my toddler all around town.  

If you have a simple budget-friendly, eco-friendly tip we hope you’ll join us this week.  Read here to learn how to jump right in and add a link to your themed blog post.  Also, please read each other’s blogs and comment.  It makes it more fun for everyone!

 In the March issue of ShopSmart, put out by the publisher of Consumer Reports, experts analyzed used baby gear to determine “when you can gratefully say yes and when you should gracefully say no thanks.”  I am devoting several  posts to discussing their findings.  I’ve already written about baby bath tubs and car seats.

ShopSmart discusses secondhand cribs:

Safe: Any crib that was manufactured after the year 2000 should be fine, as long as it is not broken or missing any pieces.

Not Safe:  Prior to 2000, cribs were held to different safety standards, and will not be acceptable for your baby, even if you slept soundly in them. Any crib with cutouts in the headboard, and corner posts over sixteen inches pose serious risks for a child’s safety.

My sister, daughter, first cousin once removed, and I all slept in this crib (not at the same time!). 

Wow, I’ve got to say that I find this advice rather extreme.   I do think child safety is important, but it’s hard for me to think that every crib manufactured before the year 2000 needs to go straight to a landfill.  I used my own crib (from the seventies!) for my daughter.   It meets all the safety standards set by the American Academy of Pediatrics, so I felt fine about using it.  Almost everyone I know with kids–which, admittedly, is not that many people–has a hand-me-down crib, too.  Are we just nuts?  Would you consider a used crib (if your baby slept in a crib)?

I have to say that using my old crib for my daughter worked for me and her.  For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, go to We are THAT Family, the new WFMW host!

When I meet a pregnant person I try hard not to launch into a full speech about my experience with midwives, but I have to confess that it’s happened a few times.  So why have I become suddenly evangelical about this alternative to the typical hospital birth? 

In my experience, midwives bring an entirely different perspective to the birth.  Doctors are trained for years in how to cure sick people.  On the other hand, midwives specialize in empowering women to find natural, non-invasive ways to stay as comfortable as possible during labor.

Now I’m not going to say that people should only have natural births, but in this age of scheduled C-sections it does seem like we’ve gone to some extremes.  Doctors are extremely nervous about liability and often move toward surgery or drugs far more quickly than they necessarily have to.  But with the proper education, coaching and support, many more women would be able to deliver naturally and feel like they had more options in the birthing process.

Did you have a positive experience either with a  hospital birth or a midwife?  Did you deliver at home or in a small clinic?  Please share your stories!

Thanks to all  of you who helped me begin potty training my two year old son.  It’s amazing how quickly he’s mastered it and we’re happy with the drastic reduction in diaper laundry.  The only hurdle we can’t quite seem to overcome is pooping in the potty.  Although we’ve tried to sit him alone in his room or read books with him for long periods on the potty, he can’t quite seem to master it.  He inevitably goes in his training pants, but only the solid stuff.  He’ll even pee in the potty, pull up his training pants and then poop in them just ten minutes later.  We’ve offered him treats and encouraged this step but we aren’t sure if there’s something else we should be doing.  Any ideas?

In the “getting to know you” part of the college composition class I teach, I may have alluded to my illustrious career here at the Green Baby Guide.   I explained to my students that the Green Baby Guide was all about finding ways to minimize the impact a baby has on the planet.  You know, reducing the amount of baby gear you buy, finding deals at garage sales, using cloth diapers–

“I would NEVER use cloth diapers!” a student screeched.  “Sorry,” she said a moment later, clamping her mouth shut.

Jamieson Diemer grew up green–whether she wanted to or not.

Of course I assured her that if she ever had a baby of her own, she could simply log on to the Green Baby Guide, where she would find so much practical, encouraging advice to make the whole cloth diapering process–

“Sorry!”  She shook her head with finality.  “Not going to do it.  No way, no how.  Nuh-uh.”  (All right, she did not phrase her distaste quite like that.  That’s what we composition teachers like to refer to as hyperbole.)

So passionate was my student on the topic of “green living” that she devoted her first essay assignment to the subject.  It explained a lot.  You see, my student’s cloth diaper repulsion was rooted in experience with a younger sibling and . . . you guessed it: a Green Mother.

Have you ever worried that as a “green mom,” you were destined to raise a rebellious child who would one day hold a disdain for all things eco?  Are we unwittingly raising the next generation of reckless tree killers?  Here’s your chance to find out.  Read Jamieson Diemer’s thought-provoking essay: Green Mother.

First of all, if you don’t know what the amazing Yumm Sauce is, you’ll have to check last week’s post for details.  It is a magical liquid that makes young and old alike beg for bowls of brown rice and beans–seriously!

Now I like to support our local Cafe Yumm just because I believe in their business and want to contribute, but some of you live across the country and will never be able to experience the wonder of Yumm Sauce for yourselves.   Hence, the reason for today’s recipe imitation.

This recipe comes from the site Chick Chat, written by a local mom right here in Eugene.  I can take no credit whatsoever for the following recipe or its authenticity, but I hope it’s as delicious as the real thing!

Original Yumm Sauce:
1/2 cup oil (she recommends canola oil)
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (available in bulk at health food stores)
1/3 cup garbanzo beans – drained (you can use a bit more)
1/4 cup soybeans (or use 1/2 cup silken tofu if needed)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder

Blend nuts, beans and oil in food processor. Then blend in yeast and liquids one at a time. Puree until smooth. Voila!

Although this sauce does contain nuts which can be an allergen for little ones, it’s otherwise a wonderfully safe and healthy food.  It’s free of eggs, wheat, gluten, and sugar.  Plus, you don’t have to worry about cholesterol since there are no animal based ingredients.  You can take Yumm Sauce beyond the rice bowl to use as a dressing, dip, soup topping, sandwich spread, or a meat marinade.  Enjoy!  (and thanks to Chick Chat.com again for the recipe!)

Why is this a Thrifty Green Thursday post?  Because eating meatless meals saves you time, saves the planet and saves you money.  Plus, it’s great to get kids hooked on rice and beans since they provide a complete protein and are packed with fiber.  If you make the sauce yourself, you’ll have loads of family meals that cost just a few cents per serving!

For more eco-friendly, budget friendly tips, check below.  We love hearing from our contributors and seeing how our community comments on one another’s sites.  Feel free to join the carnival today just by reading the directions here.  Thanks for visiting us!

In the March issue of ShopSmart, put out by the publisher of Consumer Reports, experts analyzed used baby gear to determine “when you can gratefully say yes and when you should gracefully say no thanks.”  I am devoting several posts to discussing their findings.  (I wrote about used  baby bath tubs here.)

ShopSmart has this to say about hand-me-down car seats:

Safe: A car seat that has all its original parts and labels, has never been in a crash, and fits your car and child is OK.

Not Safe: Products more than six years old are outdated, and most likely too run down to be considered safe.

Now for my own story: We found a car seat in a dumpster, dusted it off, buckled it in, and used it ever since.  Kidding!  I had heard all the warnings about using a secondhand car seat, so we got a brand new one.   If someone I trusted had offered me a car seat, I would have happily borrowed one.  Unfortunately for me, I did not have many (actually, any) friends with kids who lived nearby.  But, to assuage my eco-guilt, I did pass the infant car seat along to a friend’s baby.  That baby outgrew it in just eight months, and by then my cousin had a baby, so now she’s using it.  I hope that as many babies as possible use the seat before it “expires.”  (This idea really worked for me.  For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, check out Rocks in My Dryer!)

If I had to do it all over again, I may have considered the car seats that work for infants and convert to boosters for older kids.  The whole car seat issue was so overwhelming.   Does anyone else have some green ideas for car seats?  Let us know!

With my first pregnancy I had no idea where I wanted to deliver. I just assumed I’d give birth in a hospital with a standard OBGYN. 

After our first doctor’s appointment, however, everything changed.  They whisked us in and out of the office in just ten minutes and everyone, from the receptionists to the physicians, seemed tired and overwhelmed.  The hospital tour depressed me even more.  From the generic pastel wallpaper to the cramped rooms, I knew I didn’t want to deliver there. 

Finally, I had the good fortune to find out about our local Nurse Midwifery Birth Center, a clinic housed in a vintage house with six wonderful midwives, antique furniture and a more homey atmosphere for birth.  This ended up being the room in which our son was born!

Still, when I first found out about the clinic, I was a bit resistant.  Here were just a few of my concerns:

Will it cost more than a hospital birth?

Luckily our midwife center is covered by our insurance program.   Insurance companies realize that a midwife assisted birth is far less expensive than a hospital birth and since our midwives work closely with OBGYN’s, the liability costs stay under control. 

Will it be safe?

In over thirty years of operation, the Nurse Midwifery Birth Center has never lost a mother or a baby.  They refer high risk pregnancies to a team of OBGYNs and only allow low-risk pregnancies to deliver at the clinic.  If there is a possibility that the mother or baby will need more support because of medical issues, the midwife will accompany the mother to the hospital for the birth.

What if I can’t handle the pain?

It’s up to the patient to decide where she wants to deliver.  Pain medications can’t be administered at the midwifery center, but patients can be transferred to the hospital if pain meds are needed.    The truth is, I found that being able to move while at the birth center, use the crouch bar, sit in the tub, and try a variety of positions without being confined to a bed was extremely helpful.

If you’d like to see some photos of real families who used the midwifery clinic and plans for our new clinic to open up sometime in the next few years, check out this online video.  I have to warn you that it made me weep within minutes, but I’m pregnant so you may not have such an emotional reaction. 

I have LOTS more to say about the benefits of using a midwife so stay tuned next week for more details!