Our Team's Zone Of Clean Up

Yesterday our local community organization had a pick up some trash day. Of course it was 40 degrees and raining! We had 11 braved souls, kids and adults, show up from a few local Girl Scout troops.  They were indeed troopers and we had a lot of fun in the wet and cold!

Here is a short video we did for a contest:  Girl Scouts Earth Day 2012 Check it out!

Mita wrote up a little something for this special day:

 Earth day is not just another day.  It’s a day that we think about the earth and how fragile the earth is and how we can make it better or improve more. Here are some ways you could make the environment better below:

  * Recycle cans, papers, plastic, glass,
  *  Reduce the amount of water you use like taking, shorter showers take a shower instead of a bath.
  *  Reuse paper on the back instead of throwing it away and getting a new one.                                    *  Conserve the amount of light you use ( turn off the lights you have on when you leave your home or room.
* Turn off your car when you’re in a long line at a fast food place.
* Turn off your TV when you’re not watching
* unplug a cord when you’re not using it

However, on this countdown to Earth Day series, I did recently get contacted by 3M.  You know3M the company that gives us all the neat little tools to make our life easier. Think post-it notes, stickies, scotch tape and more.  They have graciously donated several rolls of their new Sustainable Scotch® Greener Masking Tapes to my local school district. 

 Masking tape is a must around children. Think labels, repairing game board or boxes, painting over stained and messy walls.  Not to mention the crafty side of masking tape.  Now we have the opportunity to buy it made from recycled and renewable resources. An Easy-Peasy choice if I do say so myself.

 I know that many a environmentalist curses at big business and big companies, but as consumers we have told said companies that we want a better, more responsible product. We vote with our dollars.  This product is evidence that 3M is listening.

Here is a quote with the stats that are interesting:

SAINT PAUL, MN – April 16, 2012 – Today, 3M announced the introduction of Scotch Greener Masking Tapes which are designed to provide the same great performance as other Scotch Masking Tapes, while creating less waste and conserving paper resources.  The new tapes are made with 56% renewable resources*, including paper backing made with 30% post consumer recycled content and adhesive made with natural, regenerating latex harvested from rubber trees.  The tapes are manufactured using solvent-free and water-based processes.  The tape core contains 87% post-consumer recycled fiber and the shipping cartons are made with 100% recycled fiber.

The tapes can be found just about anywhere, including Wal-Mart, Target, K-mart and Sears for about $5.

(Disclosure:  I received several rolls of the about mentioned masking tape to donate to my local school district. I think the art teachers and maintenance people will be happy!)

With all of that it can be hard for me to spend a little more money on a product that is Earth Friendly.  I do buy things that are better for the planet, but I want them to be competitive in price and quality.

So how can you tell a product is environmentally friendly?  A lot of times the packaging advertises the fact to give consumers the heads up but here are a few other ways to tell:

• Less is better. Does it have a huge box for a little product?  Remember when CD’s came in the long cardboard box…they thankfully stopped that wastefulness.
• Is the packaging made of recycled materials? Post-consumer waste is best.
• Is the packaging itself able to be recycled locally?  A lot of smaller towns (that would be my town) don’t recycle #3,4, 5,6 plastics.
• Is the product locally grown/produced?  Buying local not only helps out your neighbors, but it takes less gas to get it to the store.  You can sometimes talk to the grower/maker and ask questions about chemicals and fertilizers.
• Is it organic?  This is what I seem to struggle the most with. I have a list of the dirty dozen, which are the 12 foods you should buy organic as they tend to have the most pesticides and chemicals.  Organic can be pricey and it goes bad quickly (chemicals are there for a reason – to stop bugs and rotting.)  I hate it when I let produce go bad, but I also don’t go to the store more than once a week.   Having four growing girls that eat a lot and eat all the time can be expensive. I want to feed them healthy and organic, but I also don’t want to go into debt trying to accomplish that.

My goal is to become a bit less of a penny-pincher when it comes to healthier products for my kids.  I go in and out of making my own cleaners, it depends on my busy level but when I do buy cleaning products I try to make them the “greener” ones.  I need to focus more on my long-term goal. 

I  must also concentrate on the fact that where and how I spend my money makes an impact on the Earth not only by helping the natural state of the Earth, but telling businesses and corporations what  I as a consumer care about.

Do you shop towards Earth-Friendly or Pocketbook-Friendly?

This week I want to write about simple and more in-depth ways that I, as a mom, wife, nurse and Girl Scout leader am trying to put a dent in my wasteful ways.  This is my Earth Day Pledge, or act, at least a part of it.  We are also cleaning up our local reservoir with Girl Scouts on Saturday.

Today I will congratulate myself on what I have accomplished:

• As a household we have been recycling (by carting to a local center or curbside pick up) our trash for five years.
• I have been reusing my favorite two water bottles for over two years now. I rarely drink from a disposable water bottle and when I do it is normally because it is at someone elses place.
• I don’t forget my reusable bags anymore when I grocery shop! I forgot them for a very long time and it has finally become habit now.  I also carry bags in my purse and use them for everyday purchases or clothes shopping. It is amazing what you can get in a little bag! 
• I recently bought the cutest re-usable containers for my girls’ lunch drinks to replace the chocolate milk/apple juice cartoons. This saves me money (buying a gallon is more cost-effective than buying six individual boxes) and waste.  You have to get good ones or the leaking frustrates you!
• I have been using re-usable sandwich and snack bags for about four years now.  I still do use some plastic baggies when I am not caught up on laundry but give myself a B+ in ditching the plastic baggies.
• I keep the  heat down lower in the winter months. I admit that I used to crank it up a bit high at times, but now I am better at just putting socks or a sweatshirt on to stay warm.  I also did this when I heard that families stay healthier when the heat isn’t used as much.  I think this is true as it keeps the dust down and the rotation of germs!
• We talk about recycling and being Earth Friendly a lot in Girl Scouts. It is so much easier for this generation as they are growing up knowing that it is important to not be wasteful. As an eighties child, it seemed all about more and what was convenient than anything else.
• I love to shop consignment or second-hand stores.  You never know what a good deal you may get. I scored a beautiful, like new dress for Enu the other day for $1.09!  She looks great in it, it saved me money and it didn’t end up in a landfill. Win, Win, Win I say.
• I also congratulate myself on nursing my two bio babies and am pleased that my other girls were most likely breastfed as well.  Great for the Earth not to have formula containers or plastic liners :)

So now that I am full of myself I will focus on my goals to improve my efforts and become more natural with using less, re-using more and in general being a better steward of my Earth.

That, my friend, is for tomorrow!  Check out this site and make your own pledge.

Of course even the healthiest of people get sick at times.  Disease like cancer can strike anyone at anytime.  That does not mean we need to wait around for a diagnosis or not take care of ourselves because it may happen to us anyway.  Attitude means a lot in our health.

We all hear of the special diets, exercises and pills that are supposed to reduce our cancer risks.  Whether these work or not is always doubtful.  Like almost everything in life moderation seems to be the key.

Let’s look at proven ways to reduce the incidence of breast cancer.

*Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.

*Limit amount of alcohol intake.

*Know your family history and your cancer risk. There are medications that some women can take to prevent cancer.  Knowing your history may also help you with deciding if you should take Hormone Replacement Therapy.

*Breastfeed your babies (You all knew this was coming!)  Women who Breastfeed for one to two years total in their lifetime (all babies total) have a decreased risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer.  There is some evidence that nursing only for a few months may help as well.

*Watch your environment.  This is a little more controversial as in everyone seems to have different answers, but is always good to avoid know carcinogens.  Decreasing our exposure to BPA is a good way to start when wanting to decrease toxins around us. Check out this link for a list of chemicals that may cause cancer.

So what am I doing to prevent breast cancer in myself and my family (Remember it does strike men)?

I see my doctor annually and will get my baseline mammogram in five years.

I do self breast exams.

I’ve gained a lot of weight in the last two year and have finally started taking steps get get back into a healthy shape by exercising at least three times a week.

I try to get as many fruits and veggies in our diet and use supplements as well.

We do not use bottled water and I use stainless steal water bottles for our purified tap water.

I have gotten rid of all plastic and containers that contain BPA.

I have breastfed for about three years total between Meg and Elle.

I know my history and limit my alcohol content.

I use enviromentally healthier cleaning supplies.

I am trying to buy more organic and less processed foods.

I teach my girls the importance of knowing their bodies and taking care of them.

What do I need to do more of?

Check out the content of the beauty products in our home and Keep up on the new research so that I can learn more and pass on this knowledge.

I would love to hear what you are doing in your own lives to help prevent breast cancer. Please share your knowledge!

Sites of interest:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

American Cancer Society

As I mentioned last week, we have been doing a lot of shuffling around of clothing at my house, in preparation of the beginning of the new school year.  The clothing shuffle is never easy with four growing girls who all have different likes and body types. I am  a firm believer in hand-me-downs though so I make it work the best I can.

This year I have a new way of clothes sharing that I am really excited about:

ThredUP!

I first heard of ThredUP a few weeks ago at BlogHer10. They had a booth on the Expo floor asking parents to be more environmentally friendly this school year and trading clothing was one of their suggestions.

I soon plugged into the ThredUP site and was happy with how easy it was to manage my account. The first box I chose arrived in two days with clothing items my kids liked and could wear.

I quickly listed five boxes of our clothes that where in nice condition, but we didn’t need anymore and four boxes were picked the very next day giving me credits in my account since they were sizes the site needed at that time.

The basic membership is FREE and the pro membership is $29.99 a year/or $19.99 for six months. With the pro service, meaning you get all the bells and whistles that the site offers.  With my link you can have pro service free for one month!  This way you can feel out the site, list some boxes, maybe earn some credits and soon be a trading maven yourself.

Remember the site does not offer pictures of the clothes, just brief descriptions. I think it is important to remember that you are not shopping for Homecoming dresses and suits here. You are trading hand-me-downs to help out the budget!

Also, until August 30th, ThredUP will donate $1 to Cradles to Crayons for each transaction on the site.  Good deeds, good clothes equals good for everyone! The site is easy to understand and I encourage you all to go there and see for yourself.

One lucky reader will receive a years pro membership for free! This is a $29.99 service for twelve months to use and keep your kids in jeans for a while.  This contest runs from August 23 through August 31st  at midnight. (2010!)  The winner will be drawn via Random.org.

There are several ways to win:

1)  Leave a comment below about your favorite back to school moment. It can be about your children or from your own childhood.

2) Leave a comment below describing your child’s favorite outfit this year that you hate!

3)  Follow me on Twitter @FourAgainstTwo and leave me a comment that you are now following me.

4) Follow ThredUP on Twitter @ThredUP and leave a comment here that you did so.

5) Tweet the following tweet (once a day only) and leave a link to your tweet:

Win a membership to ThredUp with @FourAgainstTwo http://fouragainsttwo.com/index.php/2010/08/23/thredup-is-my-new-place-to-trade-give-away/

Good luck!

(Disclosure: I have not received any compensation for this post. I just thought a giveaway would be fun! I do get a month of Pro status when you sign up through me with ThredUP .)

All of my girls wanted to create some veggie art and here are the master pieces!

Meg created The  Princess and the Frog out of raisins, green peppers and spinach.

Mita used lentils to make a “Peace and Love” mosaic.

Enu made  unicorn out of carrots.

Elle (with mama help) made a dog out of a banana!

Here are some places to check out some fun playing with your food projects you and your kiddos might like:

Google Images

Photo Basement

With any luck, some of the fruits and veggies will end  up in your childrens’ bellies and they may not be so afraid of the healthy stuff!

It was great fun and Enu and Elle won $20 Buttonwood Market gift certificates for winning their age groups.  I made them both buy me a jug of milk with their winnings, since I made the initial investment in fruits and veggies!  They have had fun spending their winnings (pop corn, ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate cake mixes!).

If you are local I encourage you to check out Buttonwood market. You may find Ethiopian coffee on sale right now!  Elle bought some for her daddy…shhhh, he doesn’t know yet!

(I received no compensation for my mentioning of Buttonwood Market. I just really like this place!)

At a Girl Scout event I learned of a way to  keep down the shoe stench is using baking soda and some mis-matched socks.  I don’t know about you, but I have a few hundred socks with no mates in my basement and some of them are really cute Littlest Pet Shop or Wizards of Waverly Place socks.  The cuter the sock the more fun they have with this project.

Simply fill each sock with 1/3 cup of baking soda and tie tightly with a string or a rubber band.  I also tie the sock in a knot just to be sure.

Place filled socks into shoes to keep them fresh and clean!  These sachets can also go into drawers or sports duffel bags.

Notice who is still in her pajamas!

Enu was home sick for the day, so I put her to work.

Ahhhh...fresh smelling shoes...okay..Fresher smelling shoes!

This makes a great rainy day or lazy day project before the hot summer heat hits your house and their shoes! 

Some baking soda will ooze out of the sock if the sock is used as a weapon to hit with..not that my children would ever do such a thing…but I consider a little baking soda on the carpet deodorizer, so this works for me!

For more Baking Soda ideas check this out.

Our school age daughters, Meg, Mita and Enu, love to play tether-ball at school and were asking Hubby to get a one set up at the house last week.  His green light-bulb moment happened rather quickly as he remembered that we still have the four poles from our old trampoline!  These poles are from the net enclosure around the trampoline to keep the kids from falling off.  These poles have hooks on them to hold up the net.

Hubby quickly set up two separate tether-ball poles and purchased the balls and ropes at a local sports store.  Having two for us was a must  with the four kids. I didn’t want to hear the whole taking turns battle that would have for sure erupted.  For about $40 and an hour or so of time we were set up for action and the kids have been playing during every free moment is seems!

To Hubby, his idea may have been more about saving money than being green, but as it often is, we win both ways!  I have seen tether-ball sets from $25-$65 online and that is just for one and the trampoline poles seem much sturdier than the poles for sale are.

We gave the other two poles to my brother and sister in law, and the recycling just continues.  So go look for a old trampoline on Craig’s list or a yard sale and make some tether-ball poles!  It is a great way to keep your kids active and busy and OUTSIDE.  Oh yeah, my kids like to bend the rules a bit…here are the rules to tether-ball if you need them!

I would love to hear other ideas about reusing kids toys in creative ways!

The other day I was feeling quite proud of myself.  Needing curtains for Mita and Enu’s rooms I shopped at Gabriel Brothers and dug for the matching curtains I needed.  I saved a lot of money with that little bit of digging.

Then Elle and I were off to the Good-Will to see what treasures we could stumble upon.  As we walked into the store Elle was confused as this was not the Good-Will she was familiar with.  I explained that I often dropped off things we didn’t need anymore at the Good-Will drop of near our house, and that the store we were going into was the place were every-ones donations were sold.  I then proceeded to over-explain  for my five year old’s age level and discussed how this was a form of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and it helped people find jobs.  Not thinking anymore about it, I went shopping and I scored some Timberland shoes for Elle at $1.99 and some brand new Girl Scout shirts for adults for $1.99 each.

The next day I was wearing my “new” Girl scout shirt when someone commented on it and said, “Where did you get that?”.  Before I could answer Elle jumped in and said,”My mom got it in the trash.”

So much for my lesson. All that fuzzy-good-for-me-feeling was gone as my attempts at being earth/people friendly were reduced to an episode of dumpster diving!

Photo Credit