The Green Parent

OK, so its not technically spring just yet. But the warm weather that hit most of the U.S. over the weekend had me itching to clean out the cobwebs, throw open the windows, and wave bye-bye to winter.  And as part of this month’s Green Moms Carnival, I’ve joined up with other eco-savvy mamas to [...]

Got a pile of catalogs clogging up your mailbox? According to the website Catalog Choice, more than 19 billion catalogs were mailed to American consumers in 2005 and most of these were unsolicited. If you read the fine print on the back of those catalogs, you will notice that the company “conveniently” includes a phone [...]

Why pay for good food only to throw it away? It doesn’t make sense, yet it’s something that all of us have done. That’s why 12% of the U.S. waste stream is made up of food scraps. Keep your hard earned dollars out of the trash by using these simple tips to help reduce your [...]

Show your love for your beau and the planet this Valentine’s Day with these gifts that are big on romance and gentle on the planet: Cards: Around the world, approximately one billion Valentine cards are sent out each year. Save a tree and reduce waste by sending your Valentine a mushy e-card or online slide [...]

Feeling the sting at the pump lately? You can alleviate some of this misery by making sure your car is properly tuned. Your car should receive a professional tune-up every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first, in order to run at its maximum fuel efficiency. But there are a number of things you [...]

Are you flushing money (and the environment) down the toilet? In the typical American household, 35 to 45% of all of the drinkable (or potable) water is used to flush the toilet. Older model toilets are the worst offenders, using 7-10 gallons of water with each flush. Newer models are slightly more conservative, using between [...]

Oddly enough, one of the most common green parenting questions that I am asked is centered on those pesky toilet paper and paper towel tubes that accumulate so quickly in the family recycle bin. Sure, you could do a craft with them (there are several craft ideas list below) but that idea may lose its [...]

Cleaning house? Consider donating things you no longer want or need to someone who does. Donating old stuff is not only great for folks in need, it is also great for the environment, as it reduces waste and the consumption of new resources. Get your kids involved by filling them in on where the old [...]

It’s that time of year where we all reflect back on the past 12 months and make a plan for the months to come. If you’re ready to really make a difference in 2008, try making a promise to go easy on the planet with one (or all) of these Green Parent New Year’s Resolutions: [...]

Are you worried about your holiday gift list this year? With all of the news about global warming and environmental degradation, let alone sweatshop labor and toxic toys, what’s a Green Parent to do? Never fear, there are tons of gifts that you can give to show your spirit without selling your soul. Here, without [...]

Have you ever met a kid who didn’t love jumping into a pile of freshly raked leaves? I certainly haven’t! So with a beautiful fall weekend almost within reach, it’s time to rev up you rakes and get ready for some weekend fun. And after your kids get finished smashing the leaves to smithereens, be [...]

Skip the beef at dinner tonight and opt for a veggie meal instead. A vegetarian diet is not only healthier for you, it is also better for the environment. The production of beef makes more of an impact on the environment than any other type of food. According to a report produced by the World [...]

How much does your car weigh? Personally, I can’t answer this question except to say that my car is pretty darned heavy. That’s why I find it so disturbing with the findings from FuelEconomy.gov that “most vehicles produce several times their weight in greenhouse gases each year.” The amount of time we spend behind the [...]

Recycling is a great way to keep stuff out of the landfill and reduce the need for new materials. And if you are lucky enough to live in a community that heavily supports (or even mandates) recycling, the task may be as simple as remembering which stuff to put in the recycle bin. But for [...]

There are tons of exciting new green options for folks interested in building or remodeling their home. Even if you aren’t going to DIY your project, take a look at the U.S. Green Building Council’s website. The USGBC has develed an eco-savvy rating system called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) that serves as [...]