EcoParents website!

EcoParents has a new website!! Check it out...www.lindenhillsecoparents.com.

The blog has shifted to the new website as well...and this blog site will not be updated.

SO, move on over to the new website - www.lindenhillsecoparents.com!

Go paperless

Quick tip for today...sign up to go paperless! Think about all the paper that comes through your house that you glance at for one second and then discard. No really. Stop and think about it for a moment. Wow, eh?

• See if your school has an electronic communication option and opt out of receiving paper notices. (If they don't...suggest it to the PTA or school staff)
• Sign up for e-bills and electronic statements.

Take stock of all the paper you look at this week and see if there is a way to eliminate it. And for those that you can't...consider re-using it for scratch paper and then recycle it!

be a no waste leader!

According to this article in yesterday's New York Times, no-waste school lunches are very popular among schools administrators, as they reduce waste & therefore, reduce costs to haul away the waste. Some schools even have adopted official school policies about no or low waste lunches. Kids are totally on board as well - in part due to peer pressure and in part due to the eco-friendly messaging. Retailers love the idea because it means higher back-to-school spending.

Who's been the hardest sell for the no-waste lunches? Parents. They don't want the extra hassle nor the extra expense. Huh? But, as pointed out in the NYT article, "parent-to-parent evangelism" has been the most effective strategy for getting parents on board.

So - what does this mean for you? Since you're reading this blog, you're clearly sold on waste reduction already. You're on the cutting edge. You are a leader. This is your opportunity to serve as one of those 'parent-to-parent' influencer. So, show off your cool no-waste lunch gear...but not in an obnoxious or pious way, please. Just be so cool...and show how easy it is...so your friends and fellow parents will see how easy it is as well!

We can be good role models for our kids, as well as our friends, help reduce our waste and environmental footprint, AND help save our schools money (in these all-too-tight budgetary times)...sounds like a win-win-win situation to me!

Snack Taxi reusable bags - on-the-go convenience & waste reduction too!

All summer long, we've been eating on-the-go. Whether its a picnic at Lake Harriet Bandshell, snacks in the car or just being prepared to get stuck in the airport for 8 hours (thanks, Delta!), we've been using our snack taxi reusable snack bags a lot. We've had these for a couple of years now, and they are so very useful.

They are pretty widely available these days...I've seen them at the co-op, Whole Foods, as well as online. These handy and fun reusable bags are the perfect thing to pack a no-waste snack or lunch. They are totally washable and basically eliminate the need for plastic baggies. They come in snack and sandwich sizes, and lots of fun patterns! I've found the sandwich size as a perfect 'family snack' size - and tend to use a sandwich wrap (more on that in a future post) for sandwiches though.

Having snack-size reusable bags allows you to buy snacks in bulk rather than individual serving sizes, which tend to produce a lot of unnecessary waste. It also allows you (the parent) to be completely in control of what your kids are snacking on - rather than beholden to those few options that come in prepackaged convenient sizes. And let's face it, there are not a lot of healthy snack options that come in those individual packages! (even more important if your child has allergy issues, I would imagine) Oh - and it saves you money to pack your own snacks as well!!

Reusable bags are a great option for grown-ups taking their lunch to work as well as for packing school lunches or snacks for the kiddos.

We just happen to have snack taxis, but there are other options out there as well for reusable snack bags, including PlanetWise (also available at the co-op, I believe). Check out the very local Linden Tree as well, for other reusable lunch options.

L-I-C-E...the non-toxic (and most effective) way

Lice...truly a 4-letter word. Or so I thought. My 6-year old daughter got a serious case of head lice this summer (and so generously shared it with her loving mother - thanks). When I discovered it, I was a bit paralyzed. What do I do? All I knew was I wanted it gone!

Well, with a little on-line research, I found help. Seriously. There are several local companies that will come to your home and do head-checks and the full nit-picking combing. (It's not cheap...but it is so worth it.)

But the most interesting thing that I learned from our lice episode is that the most common treatment - shampooing with a hard-core pesticide from the drug store - DOESN'T EVEN WORK. Yes, those pesky little bugs have built up a resistance to permethrin, the pesticide found in NIX and RID! Even if it worked, do you really want to apply a pesticide classified as a neurotoxin and likely carcinogenic directly to your children's heads???

Thankfully, we don't have to. All the local professional services use natural, chemical-free, non-toxic products these days. Afterall, these fabulous professionals are up to their elbows (literally) every day in this stuff, so they have to use something they feel comfortable with. Besides, even with the gnarly chemicals, you still have to do the combing and strand-by-strand nitpicking! It's the manual removal of all the nits & bugs that truly eliminates the lice.

But want to prevent getting it in the first place? Rosemary, mint & teatree oils have been shown to have lice repelling properties. So, find a shampoo brand you trust (check out EWG Skin Deep database) that contains one or more of these natural compounds to give you a little extra protection when sending the kids back to school. Want a little more protection? I bought a small travel squirt bottle and mixed up my own special lice repellent spray that I spray on my daughter's head daily. It's just water with a couple of drops of rosemary, mint and/or tea tree oils (all are available at any co-op or natural foods store, in the health/beauty section). It smells great too! It's no guarantee that your kids won't get it, but it's a little extra protection!

And what about all the sheets, stuffed animals, etc...? Don't they have to be fumigated? With the harshest stuff possible? And the whole house too, while we're at it? Actually - NO. Lice don't like heat - so putting things in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 mins (sheets, stuffed animals) or boiling them for 10 mins (combs, hair clips) will take care of them! And for things that cannot be dried nor boiled - either bagging them up (dolls) and/or a good vacuum (furniture) should suffice. That's right - NO TOXIC CHEMICALS REQUIRED.

Yes - the initial combing is time-consuming and a pain and there's no way around it, but getting lice does not mean you have to expose your loved ones to nasty chemicals. Don't panic and be fooled...non-toxic lice removal is the most effective way to go. And non-toxic prevention as well.

Need a local service?

• Minnesota Lice Lady: www.mnlicelady.com
• Lice Finders: www.thelicefinders.com
• Melissa's nitpickers: melissasnitpickers.com

The Blog is Back!

Yes, the blog has been mostly on hiatus for the past year, but that is (hopefully) going to change. With the start of the school year just around the corner, I'm re-starting the EcoParents blog! So, tune back in for lots of great information about interesting products, services, and events - as well as ideas and resources to help you and your family minimize waste, reduce toxicity, and shrink your overall footprint!

More to come soon! Spread the word!

Tree Trunks - eco-friendly (& easier!) moving

Do you remember the last time you moved? Or helped a friend move? Remember how long you were hoarding cardboard boxes of all sizes, or how much you spent in buying them? And then breaking them down (and probably throwing them out)? Don't you just wish there were an easier - and eco-friendly - option?

There is!!!

TreeTrunks, started by a local couple after helping friends move, uses industrial strength boxes made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic to help you green your moving day. And they re-use them over and over and over...! You simply tell them how many you need (using their handy guide as reference), and they drop off the boxes at your old house. You pack 'em full of your stuff, move 'em to your new place and unpack, and they pick up the empties! How easy is that? And since they are going to pick them up...you have no choice but to unpack in a timely manner!! No more living among stacks of brown boxes for months after you move in. (How's that for an added bonus!)

TreeTrunks also offer dollies to help move the boxes, as well as wardrobe trunks for hanging clothes and recycled packing paper for fragile items.

Is your business moving? TreeTrunks can handle that as well. Their boxes can hold all your file folders just like filing cabinets.

It's what we're all looking for...a win-win solution. Actually - I count at least five wins! Win #1: Keep cardboard out of landfills. Win #2: Keep plastic out of landfills (since their boxes are made from 100% post-consumer content). Win #3: Simplify your moving experience! Win #4: Save money. Win #5: Support a locally owned small business. It's a no brainer!