The Green Consumer

LiViTY Outernational

Hemp and raffia clothing? A shirt made from recycled plastic bottles? Could such a product look like anything other than a potato sack? I was dubious…until I found LiViTY Outernational, an apparel company who is, in their words, ‘110% for the planet’.
I recently had the opportunity to try several of their products, including the Queen V-Neck in moss and the argyle sock in gray.* And trust me, the tee looked nothing like a potato sack! It’s fitted and flattering and very soft. The socks are made of a blend of hemp, organic cotton, and Lycra, and I’m definitely a fan!
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After-School Snacks that Tread Lightly on the Planet (and your Grocery Budget)

If you’ve been following my posts here at 5 Minutes for Going Green, you know I’m all about taking baby steps toward eco-living. In other words, I tend to take two steps forward, followed by at least one squarely on my cushy bottom.
One step forward I’ve taken recently is to bake and cook healthy, whole-food after-school snacks for my kids. I’m tired of buying over-processed, heavily-packaged snack foods that destroyed my grocery budget.

Three winning recipes my (picky) kids happily eat:

Egg and cheese sandwiches:

2 packages English muffins (I buy wheat)

2 dozen eggs (I go with free range)

24 slices cheese (cheddar for our family)

Optional: ham slices or the veggie equivalent (we like Yves brand)

Fry the eggs individually (we cracked them right into circular cookie cutters on the griddle to keep their shape).

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Recycling Plastic Markers

My daughter, Hannah, is almost 5 years old and she loves to draw. She’ll use whatever’s on hand but her favourite drawing tool, by far, is a marker. I can see why – they have the most vivid colours and they don’t become dull with use. As long as you remember to put the tops back on they hold their own for quite some time.

I have concerns with markers, though. For one thing, markers are all made of plastic. This means that when we’re done with them they head to the landfill where they’ll spend tens of thousands of years.

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The Dinner Co-Op: an Easy Way to be Green?

A number of years ago, an acquaintance of mine belonged to a dinner co-op. The concept was simple: four friends (living on the same block) shared the burden of the evening meal. Each friend was assigned one day of the week (Monday through Friday) and on her assigned day, cooked dinner for all four families. The other three days, she sat back and waited for her family’s meal to be delivered.

At the time, I thought it sounded like a convenient idea–even an ingenious idea–but I didn’t consider it to be necessarily a ‘green’ idea. I realize now I was wrong: dinner co-ops are a great way to be environmentally responsible while enjoying the awesome benefit of cooking only once or twice a week.

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Dreaming of a Green Vacation

Those who read my site Pitstops for Kids know I’m a big fan of family travel, and when planning a trip and choosing accommodations, I do look at the environmental impact of my choices. We do a lot of backpacking and camping, yurt camping in the off-season, and stay relatively local to explore our own area more often than not. That said, there are certainly times when I catch a glimpse of pristine, tropical waters on a website or brochure and yearn for a stay at a luxury resort somewhere with palm trees and balmy weather. This year, I’m looking forward to staying home for the holidays, but that doesn’t stop me from adding to my dream list of family vacation destinations.
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Package Sizing and Sustainability

My grocery buying habits have shifted over the years. Once upon a time (in a long forgotten age) I was a single university student living alone. Most of the food I bought came in small packages. In the first place, there just wasn’t much cupboard space in my tiny apartment. In the second place, there was no way I could get through the economy sized tub of mayonnaise before it spoiled. But then I got married and had one baby, and another. And suddenly we were going through food at an alarming rate. These days I do opt for the economy sized mayonnaise , because we will eat it and it’s, you know, economical.

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Great “Green” Toys

Last week, I shared some of my ideas for what makes a good kid toy.  This week, I would like to share with you some sources and suggestions for toys that are durable, fun, useful and green!

Next week is Thanksgiving and as we know the day after T-day the Christmas spending season begins.  However, some folks (like me) observe a special day of consciously not consuming (known as Buy Nothing Day). I really like this website that has great ideas to make the day after Thanksgiving Make Something Day.

And if you just don’t have the time, skill, materials…. whatever… to make or create gifts for the kiddos in your life then perhaps some of these resources will make your holiday season easier.

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Planning for a Green Holiday

The holidays are approaching really quickly. Far more quickly than I would like, in fact. And along with the parties and the treats and the annual photo of the kids with Santa, I am thinking about the environmental impact of all of this celebrating. When you consider the presents, the packaging, the gift wrap and the energy (both electrical and emotional) that go into the holidays, you can see how quickly it all adds up.

In an effort to reduce my environmental impact this year, I am doing a few things to make the holidays a little greener. I’m starting now, because some of them require a little planning ahead.

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‘Add to Cart’

I’m a big fan of online shopping. I was well-versed in Paypal and credit card verification numbers back when my next-door neighbor, my hairdresser, my mother-in-law, and everyone else’s mother-in-law were still shaking their heads in disapproval, telling me it couldn’t possibly be safe, and that my bank account, identity, and quite possibly my firstborn child were being lifted by some shadowy web-hacker every time I typed in my Visa number.

I also pride myself on finding the best bargain. I actually enjoy comparison shopping, and will flit back and forth between various websites like a cat toying with a mouse for days or even weeks before finally parting with my cash.

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Staying Warm in the Winter

One of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint is to use less fossil fuels- pretty simple right? The complicated part is expanding our awareness so that we understand the ways that we are consuming.

In the winter I notice my energy use raising.  A few examples: I turn the lights on earlier in the day, I sneak the heat on, I tend to watch more TV, and I eat more cooked foods and less fresh out of the garden.  Some of the less obvious might be: I buy more stuff. Ever notice all the catalogues that show up in late October, early November?

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