Every year, over forty members of my extended family–ages negative one month to 94 years–meet up at Lake Tahoe for a week of swimming, kayaking, hiking, and eating.  Little Audrey had a wonderful time splashing in the lake and digging in the sand with her cousins, and everyone enjoyed catching up over mounds of appetizers, cold drinks, and gigantic home-cooked dinners and breakfasts.  

One of the problems with cooking for such a large crowd is all the clean-up afterwards, and my green sensibilities were shocked upon witnessing bag after bag of bottles, cups, and paper plates pile up after each group dinner and breakfast.  That got me thinking: How could we “green” our family reunion?

Our reunion wasn’t a complete environmental disaster–we practiced many eco-conscious activities.  First, we crammed ourselves in large houses outfitted with kitchens.  Unlike hotels, we didn’t have housekeeping service, so we reused towels and sheets for the week.  We were also able to prepare all of our meals in the houses.  Best of all, most of my family members live close to Tahoe, so we saved on some carbon emissions traveling to our destination.  (I personally cannot take credit for this, as we drove each way from Portland.)

So how could our family reunion go even greener next year?  Here are some ideas:

Cut down on disposable products.  We used as many real dishes as we could, but we supplemented with paper plates and plastic cups.  With so many people and so few real plates, I am not sure paper products could be avoided entirely, but we could stand to cut down.   This year, we got lazy about labeling our disposable cups.  I myself am guilty of using more than one disposable cup a day because I kept losing track.  I hope no one took a picture of me committing this extremely non-green act!  Next year, I am going to vow to use just ONE cup all week.  And I’ll bring a pen for labeling.

Use recycled paper products.  In the future, we could make an effort to phase out any bleached paper plates made from virgin forests or colorful plastic plates and start using recycled paper products.  A quick trip to a main-stream grocery store revealed that Chinet’s plates are “made from recycled materials.”  Other plates were not labeled.  Here are some plates made with sugarcane fibers–they’re biodegradable!

Recycle.  I was surprised that there was no recycling program set up at our gathering place–this was northern California, after all.  About halfway through our reunion, we started sorting our bottles and cans from the rest of the trash so my dad could take them home to be recycled.  Next year, I will set up a recycling system right from the start.  My sister suggested bringing some cardboard boxes, labeling them, and setting them next to the trash bags from day one.  I am also going to write the rental company and ask why they do not provide recycling.

Surely I am overlooking many other excellent ways to conserve resources while entertaining large groups.  Please post a comment to help me green next year’s reunion!  I’m already looking forward to stuffing myself on food served on recycled paper plates and quenching my thirst with Pims punch sipped from my well-labeled cup.  

Right after I wrote my post about walking everywhere with a baby, we moved to a different neighborhood in Portland.  One of my big concerns with my new neighborhood is that it would not be as pedestrian-friendly as my old one.  It would be hard to live the carefree green lifestyle of my dreams if I had to drive a car everywhere.  Although my job is miles away (necessitating a bus ride), I was able to run most household errands by foot in my old neighborhood.

According to www.walkscore.com, the walk score of my old and new neighborhoods is exactly the same: 88 out of 100, or “very walkable.”  Just plug your address into this website and you’ll get a walk score of your very own.  The site will show you the grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, movie theaters, schools, parks, and other places that are within walking distance of your address.  The algorithm is not perfect–it does not take into account some things like your proximity to public transport or the “pedestrian-friendly design” of your neighborhood.

“Pedestrian-friendly design” is what my new neighborhood seems to be lacking.  From my old digs, I could stroll through a pleasant residential neighborhood or along a trendy street lined with coffee shops and bookstores to get to a major grocery store.  Today I ventured out to the Fred Meyer that’s just .68 miles from my new house.  Walking along a major street, I passed a car dealership, a bar, a “fantasy” shop, a men’s bathhouse, a “hot barber” shop, and a thrift store run by wayward teens.  Now, these are all very interesting establishments, I am sure, but not ones I am likely to frequent with a young child in tow (except for the thrift store, of course).  I then had walk on a highway overpass to get to the store.

On the plus side, that was just one grocery store.  I can walk to several others, taking less adventurous routes.  We can also take peaceful walks to the park, the doctor,  and Audrey’s future elementary school.  The best benefit of our new location is that we’re near at least five major bus lines and just seven minutes away from the Max (a light rail system that goes downtown, out into the suburbs, and directly to the airport).

What’s your walk score?  Visit www.walkscore.com and find out!

My smallish city of Eugene, Oregon, has hit the big time by hosting the USA Olympic Track and Field Competition this week­­—and we’re striving to hold the greenest major sports event in history.  

It’s a thrill to see our little city on national news and spot a few ultra-athletes strolling our streets, but it’s even more exciting to see the creative ways event planners have minimized waste.  We’ve gone down to the race venue to admire all the green details.

• Compostable disposables: All the utensils and plates at the food booths are made from compostable materials. 
• Recycling containers everywhere:  Local organizers somehow found a way for all food (including meats and cheeses) to be thrown in the containers  with compostable utensils and dishes.  Another bin is for comingled plastic, aluminum and newspaper recycling, drastically reducing the amount of trash that will head to landfills.
  
• Solar powered stage: Solar panels have generated plenty of power to support big screen TVs, stereos and lights.
  
• Wind-power energy: All the remaining energy needed for the event was purchased from wind-generated power.
  
• Human power: A set of power-generating stationary bikes are available for volunteers who want to personally contribute energy by signing up for 30 minutes of pedaling.
  
• Valet bike parking: The meet has sometimes filled the fenced area that can hold more than 400 bicycles.
• Electric shuttle: The city offers a free EmX bus shuttle for spectators that is hybrid-electric powered.

As if that wasn’t all wonderful enough, there was also a track meet for local youth that takes place on the actual track where the potential Olympians sprint across the finish line.  Roscoe participated in the under two category—and ended up running his own direction. In the photo he’s about to cross the finish line after taking the scenic route with Dad and a friend.     

This Independence Day, in spite of the fact that I teach American History, I’m looking forward rather than back.  Maybe it’s motherhood, or rising gas prices, or melting glaciers, but it seems as though boundless independence might not be working for our country at this point.

We’re free to use as much fuel, energy, food, and water as we’d like.  We’re free to toss recyclables into the trash and drive Hummer limousines. The pursuit of happiness has pushed us into a level of consumerism that would have baffled our nation’s founders.  (I can’t help but mention here that they were imperfect as well—some of them using slavery to support their own luxurious lifestyles.)

Meanwhile, our unsustainable lifestyle is having a daily impact on the planet.  You have to check out this website, Breathing Earth, to see just how much more carbon we’re emitting than the rest of the world.  It’s humbling and a bit shocking.

So what do we do now? If you’re reading this website, there’s a good chance that you’re making eco-conscious choices instead of shrugging your shoulders in apathetic dismay.  The next biggest change we can make is to share our down-to-earth ideas with our local communities.  People are very threatened by the idea of composting, or using cloth diapers, or planting their own garden until they know someone who has done it themselves.  Share your cloth diaper experiences with other moms, start a green group in your area, and include your family in your eco-victories, even if they don’t share your enthusiasm. 

Grassroots movements have changed the world countless times.  On this Fourth of July, it’s good to remember that a small group of dedicated people started a nation based on freedom. Looking forward, we can help one another take small steps toward sustainability to make our shared future just a bit brighter.    

Our house is perched on a giant anthill.  I have no scientific proof of this except for the constant stream of tiny black specks that march around like they own the place. These little sugar ants are happier than ever since Roscoe has joined our family.  Now they can load up with the remnants of my son’s cracker snacks, spaghetti dinners, and cookie treats to their collective heart’s content.

So how do we mercilessly rid them of their newfound territory without endangering our son or the planet?   We don’t want to use any pesticides in our home, not just because our son likes to put almost everything in his mouth, but also because it isn’t safe for the environment. 

So far our weapon of choice has been Borax.  The Boric Acid it contains has natural ant-repelling properties and isn’t quite as scary as some other products.  It does need to be kept away from children so you have to be careful.

After looking at online resources such as greenpaige.com and barebones gardening, I have some new tricks to try on our little friends. 

Barriers:   Sprinkle or spray these in ant walkways or areas where they enter your home.   Their odors disrupt the scent trails ants create for each other. 

• White or yellow chalk (ants will not cross a chalk line)
• Cucumber peelings
• Red chili or dry mustard mixed with a bit of water
• Lemon juice
• White vinegar or half strength cider vinegar
• Orange based environmental cleaning products
• Cloves
• Coffee grounds
• Cinnamon
• Baking Soda
• Baby powder
• Black pepper
• Mint Leaves
• Mint tea bags

Ant traps: You’ll need..

• Borax
• Sugar
• A sticky substance such as mint jelly or peanut butter

Mix the substances together thoroughly.  Spread the mixture on a cracker and place out of the way of children in a cupboard or on a countertop.  When the ants get the food, they’ll also get the poison. 

Dealing with Ant Hills:  The most merciless way is to pour boiling water or hot vinegar directly into the anthill.  This site recommended putting dry grits outside the hole.  Apparently the ants try to eat them and then explode.  That sounds a bit less humane but it’s your call. 

What are your natural pest control tips?  How do you keep baby safe without ending up with ants in the sugar?  

Joy extolled the virtues of Eugene, Oregon, in her “Living in America’s Greenest City” post.  One of our readers, Amy, commented that it’s hard to strive for greenness when your city doesn’t have a recycling program or other eco-friendly amenities.  I can relate!  I currently reside in ultra-green Portland, Oregon, but I haven’t always lived in such progressive places.  So what’s it like being a lone tree-hugger in the non-green parts of the United States?

When I first moved to Portland years ago, one thing I loved was how accessible everything was.  I worked in a retail shop two blocks from my apartment. The library, post office, grocery store, coffee shops, and anywhere else I wanted to go were just steps away. Where I grew up, everything was so spread out that driving was a necessity-and a way of life.  So for me, the worst thing about living in a non-green city is the dependence on cars.

Recycling was also difficult in where I grew up.  Yes, it existed, but at the time we didn’t have curbside recycling, so it wasn’t easy to do, especially if you were a teenager without a driver’s license.  On the plus side, though, we got more creative about reusing items.  A high school friend and I won a prize in our school’s science fair by designing a Glockenspiel out of old glass bottles, and we saved newspapers to burn in our fireplace (not really green, I know).  I remember collecting toilet paper and paper towel tubes to donate to elementary schools for craft projects.

If you live in a non-green town, people may not look kindly upon your “wild & organic” yard as they would in Portland.  Where I grew up, in the high mountain desert, many people maintained vibrantly green, weed-free lawns. They may have looked nice like the one in the photo, but I’ll bet behind most flawless yards are bottles of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.  I’m happy to report that my hometown has taken a few steps towards eco-friendly landscaping.  Over the years it’s become more popular to keep the native climate in mind while designing outdoor spaces, saving precious water.   

Of course the biggest downfall of living in a non-green place is the lack of access to like-minded tree huggers.  When I was pregnant, I wasn’t afraid to breastfeed, use cloth diapers, or make my own homemade baby food (from my homegrown organic produce!) because those things were seen as normal.  It’s certainly more difficult to jump into an eco-conscious lifestyle if it feels like you’re the only one who’s ever heard of global warming. 

Now we want to hear from everyone else!  How do you make your place of residence greener-or how do you stay green despite the obstacles? 

Lately, Roscoe spends all of his time running around our house, hitting a ball with his “ockey tic”  (hockey stick).  He can’t go anywhere without it and even has it by his side when we lay him down at night.  It is his most cherished possession.  It also happens to be a wooden spoon. 

Roscoe also uses his “ockey tic” as a drumstick, a “scooper-dumper” (shovel), and a  cell phone when he can’t be reached on his land line.

A few weeks ago we went to grandma’s house, two hours away.  Roscoe spent the car ride talking on his phone and beating his drumstick along to the songs on the radio.  Upon his arrival we went down to the beach where he used his spoon to dig in the sand, ladle seawater into his mouth, and pack down the exterior of the sandcastle he then quickly destroyed.  One toy sustained all this activity for the entire day.

Before I had kids I heard people talking about how children tend to latch onto cardboard boxes and rubber bands as their preferred playthings, but I had no idea just how true it would become. 

Here are some other objects that Roscoe adores:

Real pans: Instead of playing in a toy kitchen, Roscoe bangs around with authentic culinary stuff while I cook dinner.  I think he likes the fact that actual pans are much louder than their plastic counterparts.

The vacuum cleaner: Roscoe has to be held by daddy while the two of them vacuum the floor together.  It’s always the highlight of his day.

Tape: He loves having scotch tape stuck onto his hand and then sticking it on the other hand for awhile.  This whole process is very entertaining and can last for at least ten minutes.

What weird objects do your children love to play with?  Maybe we can get a top ten list going once we get all your ideas!

I’ve recently realized that the foods that thrive right here in my local community gardens have somehow become more exotic to most families (including mine, until recently) than mainstream items like oranges or bananas.  My grandparents generation regularly ate homegrown cabbage or beets, but today these are somewhat of a culinary rarity in many households.

Our family’s vegetable vocabulary was much smaller until just a few months ago.  Since joining a CSA, I’m humbled by just how ignorant I was about the range of produce available.  We ate the same ten types of veggies most of the time and rarely tried anything outside our repertoire.  Then we got a rutabaga.   

Of course, I had no clue what this alien veggie was even called until I looked it up on our CSA website.  Previously, I had only used rutabaga as a nickname for my infant, but I had no idea how to prepare it. 

After looking in the Joy of Cooking for a simple recipe, I found that it was easier than I imagined.  I peeled, sliced, and sautéed the rutabaga with a bit of red wine vinegar, a few herbs and some salt.  The result was incredible!  The rutabaga flesh was buttery and smooth, with a taste that my toddler loved. 

After that first success, I’ve learned that there are so many simple ways to prepare the veggies outside my comfort zone.  I’ve thrown red cabbage, kale, leeks, and potatoes into frittatas and stir fries with great success.  There’s really no recipe required!  Just chop veggies, sauté them and season for stir fry or toss in eggs and cheese for frittatas. 

My best adventure was making homemade pizza with sausage, leeks, and red chard.  It was a great success and everyone loved the veggies I slipped in!  So, if you’re wanting your toddler to develop a healthy palate, you can take the lead by throwing some unique produce in your cart or planting them in your raised beds.  Enjoy!

Having a blog with thousands of loyal readers is a great way to feel accountable for those Earth Day Resolutions that sometimes fall by the wayside in the midst of raising a family.  I’m happy to report that we’ve made some progress toward accomplishing our green goals for the coming year in just a few months.

Green groceries:  B+    

We struggled with finding reasonably priced organic produce without driving all over town.  Thank goodness for our CSA!  I have to admit that some pieces of random produce have perished in our fridge but it has provided a wonderful variety of veggies and fruits that usually make it into our menus.

Eco-friendly transport:  A

We just purchased a 2001 Honda Civic to replace the 4 Runner we had been borrowing for the last eight years.  The Civic’s average gas mileage is a whopping ten miles per gallon more than the 4 Runner and I can almost feel the lighter carbon load while I drive.  As if the fuel efficiency wasn’t enough, this particular Civic happens to be forest green.  It was meant to be! 

Energy efficient lighting: C

I have replaced about half of the lights in our home with compact fluorescents, but we now have two halogen light fixtures in our home.  I’m pretty sure they aren’t the most efficient bulbs but I do love the bright light they provide in our tiny kitchen and dark hallway. 

Potty training:   I

That’s an I for incomplete.  Roscoe now tells me right before he performs a bodily function, but doesn’t want to do it anywhere near a toilet.   We may need to break down and buy a more exciting potty to inspire him to help us out on this one.  Still, he’s quite young so we may just hold out and hope that his tiny bladder makes enough progress to get him in training pants someday soon. 

If I manage to overcome my last hurdles on these resolutions I may just have to set a few new goals for the months to come.  Change is a slow and overwhelming process, but it’s nice to look back and see that we are indeed making green progress.  It’s clumsy and imperfect, but we are stumbling in a forward direction.

It’s almost summer and with gas prices skyrocketing, global warming in full swing, and a toddler who loves to be outside, I’m longing to climb on my bike and pedal off into the sunset. But NOT WITH TOE CLIPS!!  You may think my fervor is a bit intense for the rather benign little stirrup that holds a cyclist’s shoe to the pedal, but you won’t after you read this post on my toe-clip trauma. 

Here is the synopsis:

On a family bike ride, my husband stopped short right in front of me.

As I careened toward the pavement, the toe clip trapped my foot.

I dislocated my arm and broke off a few bits as well.

I had to work several doctor’s appointments into my busy life.

I learned how to tote my toddler with one arm.

He’s learned how to cling onto me like a monkey (with sound effects) and climb into his car seat.

Then, I had surgery to fix the nerve so that I could again bend my arm.

A week later, with an arm that is still black and blue and won’t move, the surgeon has told me tat I’ll have to undergo another more invasive surgery to ensure that I can get my range of motion back. 

That means more monkey clinging, more purple arm, and more frustration with the fact that I need two arms to juggle this very full life of mine. 

Have you removed your toe clips yet?  Please go do so before summer bike rides, pavement collisions and future surgeries.  And every time you bend and straighten your arms do so with gratitude—it’s harder than it seems!