FREE Glass Straw (LAST DAY)

Sorry for the late notice, but here's a super-cool product that you can get for FREE, if you send an email today!

Do you or your kids just love to drink from straws, but as an EcoParent, the thought of all those plastic straws is troubling? Well - be troubled no more! Here's an option...GLASS STRAWS from Glass Dharma! (Why didn't I think of that?) Anyway, here are the details for a free one (good only thorugh the end of the month, which is TODAY):

1) Send an email to freestraw@glassdharma.com with the subject line “free please”

2) Let them know why you would like a GlassDharma glass straw (just one or two sentences)

3) Include first name and last initial

4) In return, we'll send you a coupon code for $7.00 to use when you check out at glassdharma.com for one Simple Elegance, 9.5mm x 8” long glass straw ($3.00 shipping additional)

5) Follow the link that will be included in the body of the email and add the straw to your shopping cart

6) Continue shopping if you choose (we’d be thrilled!) or go and checkout (make sure to include your coupon code).

Even if you don't hop onto the free straw offer, it would be a great thing to try. Let us know if you do!

Thanks to EcoParent Lena for this great info!!

Volunteer Opportunity: Clean up Linden Hills PATH

Here's a way to give back to Linden Hills and help out the Linden Hills Environment Committee, which is one of the sponsors of Linden Hills EcoParents!

Saturday, May 2
9 am to 2 pm
HELP CLEAN UP THE PATH
(The PATH is the landscaped pedestrian path in old trolley right-of-way...between 43rd & 44th Streets, running for 2 blocks between Zenith and Xerxes Aves.)

Come for any amount of time
Bring gloves, rakes, shovels, garden forks.

For more info, contact Christ High at cdivahmn@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Organics Cart Rental from Minneapolis

Fun meeting last night on Green Parties! Thanks to everyone for all their great ideas!

If you live in Minneapolis, or if you are planning an event is in Minneapolis, did you know that you can rent an organics collection cart from the city of Minneapolis? The city will drop it off at a specific location on the date you want, and pick it up when your event is over? It's $20 per cart and includes the disposal fee!! More information and an application form is available online here.

It's a great option to be able to have all food waste and other organic material (e.g., paper plates, cups, napkins, corn-based utensils, etc...) stay out of the waste stream. Those who live in Linden Hills have our own green carts, but if you don't live in LH, you can rent one for an event! (You can also rent garbage and recycling carts for $20 each, including drop-off, pick-up, and disposal, using the same rental form.)

The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council rents organic carts from the city for organics collection for the Linden Hills Festival - to help the Festival be Zero Waste! (Speaking of which, we need volunteers to help monitor the disposal stations! Visit the volunteer webpage or email Laurie Foster at fosterfamilymn@comcast.net to sign up!)

Special Events at IATP

Thanks to EcoParent Ellen for the following upcoming IATP events:

• April 28: Farmers, Gardeners and Planners: A New Urban Strategy for Health and Wealth featuring Will Allen, Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
• May 4: Resonating Change: Connecting Communities Through Fair Trade, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
  Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 2104 Stevens Avenue South, Minneapolis

For more information, contac Anne Walters at awalters@iatp.org or 612-870-3408.

EcoParents Mtg TONIGHT: Green Parties

Hope to see you all tonight (6:30-8:30) at Linden Hills United Church of Christ (42nd & Upton) for our EcoParents meeting on GREEN PARTIES. Please note the location is NOT the Park this month.

Great donations from Linden Hills Co-op and Linden Hills Natural Home for EcoParents who volunteer to host a Green Party this summer and post about it!

Leave early, come late - as your schedule permits! Bring the kids, if necessary, as the church provides some extra run for them to hang out. We're (mostly) parents, so we all understand!

Oh...one other thing:

THERE WILL BE WINE TONIGHT, sustainably grown, of course!

See you tonight!

Donate used toys to Totally Kids, get 22% off!

This week, Totally Kids in Bloomington (7876 Portland Avenue South, Minneapolis), is accepting all toy donations to benefit the locally headquartered group "Parents United Against Autism". They are offering a 22% discount to all donors in honor of Earth Day on April 22nd and will take the donated toys to local families in need, especially those in the Somali immigrant community.

Aside from helping our friends and neighbors, this is an excellent opportunity to clear out your closets a little and keep those unused toys from ending up on a landfill for the next 100 years.

Call 952-881-2425 for more details!

Thanks to Totally Kids for posting this info on the Linden Hills EcoParents group page on Facebook!

REMINDER: EcoParents GREEN PARTIES on Monday!

Come to learn (and share) ideas for hosting a more eco-friendly party. Bring your creative thinking cap b/c we are going to learn from each other about all different kinds of parties.

Date:	Monday, April 27, 2009
Time:	6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:	Linden Hills United Church of Christ
Street:	42nd & Upton (enter in 'office' door on 42nd St side)

Discover local resources to help give the earth a break the next time your throw a party. Truly become a hostess with the most-est.

We will also be looking for volunteers (with incentives) to host green parties this summer to demonstrate ideas to non-EcoParent friends and SPREAD THE WORD!

Feel free to invite friends and neighbors to the EcoParents Meeting. Hope to see you there!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

So this is it...the big day! EARTH DAY! Seems like a good time to think about some of the top things I've learned through EcoParents so far, eh?

1. Those pesky #5 plastics like yogurt containers (and other so-called tub plastics) can be dropped off for recycling at Whole Foods and Linden Hills Co-op as part of Preserve's "Gimme 5" program!
2. Organics curbside collection by the City of Minneapolis totally rocks! Call the city to encourage them to expand the program beyond Linden Hills. If you live outside of Minneapolis, call your city solid waste department or your hauler!
3. Paying attention to packaging can save a lot of excess waste (and money).
4. Avoid using ANY plastic in the microwave, just to be safe.
5. Making your own non-toxic cleaners for everyday use saves money and provides peace of mind about my kids handling just cleaned surfaces. I've found that the all-purpose cleaner and window cleaner work great!
6. Plastic film of all types can be recycled into decking material through the "It's in the Bag" program. Collection sites are at most metro grocery stores.
   

What have YOU learned?

ReCORK the wine!

Thanks to EcoParent Jennifer for forwarding on this interesting article about recycling wine corks. While it doesn't appear to currently be a local collection opportunity, it's something for which we can be on the lookout!

Farewell, Grandma Midge!

I'm sorry for the lack of posts in the past couple of weeks. My amazing grandmother was in the final stages of her life. She passed away this morning. She was a truly incredible woman who taught me that anything is possible...and that one person CAN make a difference.

I am honored to share an article from the Madison, WI newspaper about this extraordinary woman who so influenced my life, and ask for your understanding and patience.

Thank you. -Keiko

Eco-Egg Dyeing

So, I'm in Madison, WI again visiting family and I saw this neat article in the Wisconsin State Journal newpaper about "Eco-Egg Dyeing" and a local artist that uses natural materials to dye eggs. Read the full article here for full instructions and inspiration, but here's the basics:

Basic technique:

1. Add natural material to a pot with water


2. Boil until liquid reaches desired color intensity


3. Add 1-3 tsp vinegar or cream or tartar to help color set


4. Add cooled hard-cooked or blown eggs and leave until dyed as desired!

Natural Materials for Dyes:

• Yellow or orange - golden beets, ground cumin, tumeric, paprika, yellow onion skins, or annatto


• Tan or brown - cinnamon sticks, walnut shells, coffee or coffee grounds, tea, or chili powder


• Red - cherry juice or concentrate, red wine (which produces sparkling eggs), beets or beet powder


• Purple or blue - grape juice or concentrates, red onion skins, red cabbage leaves, blueberries, violets


• Green - leaves such spinach or garlic mustard

Variations:

• Add handful of sugar after step 2 and let cook down before using, or dip dyes egg into sugar water. Sparkle will show up after egg dries.


• For two-toned eggs, dye with a solid color, then when dry, put enough of a different color in a dish and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Run a fork through it for a streaky look, then roll the dyed egg in it.


• Grate beets or smash leaves, place on a square of parchment, add egg, wrap and leave it for a bit.

There are more details, as well as the story behind an interesting artist, in the full article.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU TRY THIS!! Share with us how it turned out...

Discounted trees available for Mpls residents

A thousand trees are being made available to city residents for planting this spring as part of the City Trees Program, which has provided a low-cost way for folks to help build the city’s urban forest. The program, which is funded by the City of Minneapolis, provides trees which are approximately six feet tall with a one-inch trunk for $25. Residents can order one tree per household, and all trees will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Varieties of trees available include Black Hills spruce, Korean mountain ash, prairifire crab, accolade elm,bur oak, and 50 mount royal plum trees. The plum trees produce edible fruit that’s great for jellies, jam, sauces or for eating straight off the branches. Residents who purchase the plum tree must attend a workshop on Saturday, June 20 to learn about fruit tree care and to pick up the tree.

Order your trees beginning April 3

Orders for trees can be completed online starting on April 3 by visiting the Tree Trust Web site or by calling 651-644-5800. You can also order a tree by picking up an order form from your neighborhood group or local library. In previous years, the trees have sold quickly, so place your order early.

Folks who order trees will need to pick them up on one of three days. Volunteers will be on hand to help load your new tree and complimentary bag of mulch in to your vehicle. Trees (other than the plum trees) can be picked up at Franklin Middle School East parking lot, 1501 Aldrich Ave. N. at the following times:

• Saturday, May 9, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sunday, May 10, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Monday, May 11, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The City Trees program is a partnership between the City of Minneapolis and Tree Trust, a local nonprofit that works to improve the community environment.

Get Your NEW Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce is an incredible resource for people who want to buy organic produce but can't afford to all the time. They analyzed pesticide residues on 47 fruits and veggies and then ranked them from the most contaminated to the least, making it easier for you to make choices when you're in a pinch.

This 5th edition is based on data through 2007 and the list has changed! New on the Dirty Dozen side (the 12 items you should most often buy organic) are Kale, Lettuce and Carrots. New on the Clean 15 side (you're safe buying conventional on these) are Cabbage, Eggplant, Watermelon, Tomato and Sweet Potato.

If you want to see the full list, it's available here. Most people just download the wallet guide so they've always got it with them.

Thank you EWG!!

GoodGuide...A New Website for Finding Safe, Healthy and Green Products

Did you know that 75% of white breads contain high fructose corn syrup or that a glass of cranberry juice has more sugar than a Coke? You'll find these surprising facts and a lot more at a brand, spankin' new website called GoodGuide. (in fact it's so new, it's still in Beta testing so you will probably see it evolve over time.)

The site appears to serve two purposes: a rating system for products and a resource for learning about all sorts of health, environmental and social issues that are associated with the types of products we buy.

You can search for a specific product or browse by category for the following types of products: Food, Personal Care, Household Chemicals and Toys. Each product is given a rating score of 0 to 10 (10 is the best). The rating is made up of data from 3 different types of performance: health, environment and social. If you're interested in the deets, click deeper for information about things like how the manufacturer is addressing global warming or workplace diversity.
The site also provides links to current, relevant news stories and the latest product recall information.

Yowza! There's a lot of information on this website! I've signed up for a free membership which hopefully doesn't mean my inbox will be bombarded with mail, but that I'll get a head's up on the latest product news that I can share with you!

Mpls Recycle Run on Earth Day

Are you a runner? Are your kids runners? Do you want to support cleaning up our watershed? Here's a win-win opportunity:

2009 Minneapolis Recycle Run
Sunday, April 19
5K and Kid's Half Mile
Lake Harriet Bandshell

Presented by the Minneapolis Park & Rec Board and the City of Minneapolis. Proceeds benefit future Mpls Earth Day Watershed Clean Up.

To encourage participants to save paper, the $3 service fee will be waived for those who register online! Race Day registration is also available, but will cost $5 more than pre-registering.

They are also offering Recycle Run t-shirts, made of 100% organic cotton, available for $5, with proceeds supporting Watershed Clean Up efforts.

Bring in your old running shoes and shirts for recycling and receive prizes, including Twins tickets and Aveda products!

For all the details, check out www.minneapolisrecyclerun.com.

Thanks to Chance for the heads-up on this event!

Help make Linden Hills Festival Zero Waste again!

The Linden Hills Festival is going ZERO WASTE again this year, but we need VOLUNTEERS to make it happen. Please consider signing up for a 2-hour shift to help festival goers dispose of things properly (aka disposal station monitor). Contact Laurie Foster via email or fill out the online Volunteer Form to volunteer.

The Festival is SATURDAY, May 16, 2009.

Thanks for your support!