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After the Holidays are over-How to be Green!

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Trees are decorated, gifts are wrapped and holiday plans made, shew glad that is done. But what do you do with all the waste when its done?  In the past we just gathered it all up and tossed it in the garbage, not even giving a thought to what happens next.  Out of site out of mind… so the saying goes. Yet decades have gone by with that mindset and where has it gotten us?  To the place where we are now with too much waste –  mounds of trash and toxic air and water.  So what can you do to reduce this impact on the planet and still enjoy your holidays? Changing habits isn’t easy but it can be fun!  After awhile you will find that it isn’t so much a hassle anymore, it will just become your new habit. Here are some great suggestions on what to do when the holidays are over:

  • Re-use wrapping papers and gift bags and bows if you can, if not recycle them
  • Use cardboard boxes for kids to be creative with and make pretend toys
  • Recycle cardboard boxes or save to use for storage
  • Recycle your live Christmas Tree by mulching it or setting out for the city to mulch- let it compost on it’s own – wild animals love it
  • Recycle plastic bags or re-use them – some people make decorations from them
  • Clean out old items clothing, coats, toys and gift them to Goodwill or Freecycle
  • Re-gift  it is the Eco thing to do!  It’s hip to be green so go for it
  • Compost your uneaten food and scraps.  Remember to eat leftovers- it saves money and the environment
  • Re-use decorations, ornaments, trimmings
  • Donate the packing peanuts to the nearby UPS Store they like them
  • Donate used Holiday cards to your local school or daycare- they make crafts from them next season
  • Save un-savable gift wrap and bows for your home craft projects, it save on buying them later – kids love it!

It is estimated that 3 Million tons of waste is created during the holiday season- that’s a lot of trash. The Religious Holiday season is the most wasteful time of the year and even more of a reason to begin with new habits of disposing of waste. This is the time of year most people put recycling on hold – and also a time when it is needed more than ever!  It really can be fun and educational and a great way to teach your children how to be Green. Even the little steps we make will add up if we all take action. Happy Holidays! www.mypumpkindoodle.com

Green Your Kids Holiday Gifts

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Black Friday is here and consumerism at it’s highest.  Huge sales and irresistible promotions. How do you shake the holiday spending drive?  I have to say it is very tempting all the commercials, sales and the rush you feel when you’ve got all your shopping done and saved money.  Part of being in the Green mindset is to realize that this is the very issue we are trying to change.  The ad’s the marketing gimmicks and the way they work on your desire to have more and more. The credit card companies and stores depend on the money they make during holiday season as it is the biggest spending time of the year.  Kids learn very early on these marketing ploys to draw us in to buy.  Commercials get to kids advertising plastic and disposable  toys that will end up in the landfill in no time, rarely are they ever passed down to another child. Children grow up more aware of the environment when they are given toys and play supplies that are more environmentally friendly.  They grow up healthier when given toys that are free from PVC and phthalates, which off gas. Some toys despite regulations, still have toxic paint on them. Children spend long hours playing with these toxic toys.

Our commitment is to the environment, and we sell toys that are not only non-toxic, but quality made and ethical, they have a lighter footprint on the environment.  Some of our toys have replacement parts.  Replacement parts are rare in the toy industry where disposable is the norm. Our Maple Landmark Toys uses sustainable wood in its handmade toys and uses non-toxic paints and finishes. They offer repair and replacements for their toys. When you buy Maple Landmark Toys you are paying for quality that can be passed down for years of use. When comparing pricing, I think you will find our Toys are very comparable to toys made of plastic that are not ethical made and are toxic.  You know the old saying” you get what you pay for”.  I think that is so true in some respects.

Name Train Set
Maple Landmark Name Train Set

Little Colorado Company is also a Green company that not only produces Green Toys in the USA but also ships it’s toys with recycled packaging inside and out. They also use only wood harvested from ethical resources and any MDF used is certified Green.  The quality of these two companies is unsurpassed.  Their commitment to children’s safety and the environment is not compromised by the quality and value you receive with these toys.  Children’s imagination is developed with pretend play and with these ethical Green Toys, you can allow your child to develop naturally without all the electronic plastic on the market that doesn’t allow for much imagination.

Little Colorado Playhouse Kit
Little Colorado Playhouse kit

Remember the cost of plastic toys on the environment and you child’s health when you purchase a gift for a child. Our toys are ethical, well made, non-toxic and affordable.  Check out our complete selection of Green Toys at www.mypumpkindoodle.com

Climate Change isn’t Happening?

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I was in a debate with someone this week ( which is totally rare for me to do) and I was told that she thought that Climate Change was happening because of solar activity and polar changes.  Ok, no one can be 100% sure what the cause is and it could be more than one thing causing it. I’ll give her that.  However, the fact is, we have a huge problem other than climate changes. We have toxic water, toxic air, toxic food and toxic chemicals in just about everything we use.  We have mountains of trash in our land and oceans, we have oil spilling out in our oceans and we have cruise lines dumping sewage in our oceans.  If that isn’t enough to consider this a problem, we have disease and birth defects because of all the chemicals we use. No one is including this into the “Climate Change” definition.  I call it Ecological deterioration because it is so much more than climate changes. We can’t even grow true “Organic” food due to aluminum in the air.  So if climate change was caused by the polar shifts and solar activity, then does that mean we just continue with our habits as they are?  Does that mean we vote different because someone has said that climate change isn’t caused by our polluting the air?  I fail to see how just that reason minimizes the major issues we have on this planet.  Clean Energy is more than just climate change. Clean Energy keeps people out of dangerous mines, it keeps oil from spilling out in our oceans and deterioration of our natural resources and wildlife.  Alternative technology keep trees in the Amazon rain forest from being cut down, it cleans the air, helps with erosion  and protects waterways and sea life.  It helps us grow healthier food and keeps chemicals out of our bodies.

Whatever name you want to give it. We have an enormous issue to deal with and so will our future generations.  We have to act now climate change or not! I hope that economics and future debt issues don’t get in the way of our future survival on this planet and the health of the next generations.

Mothers all over the world making a difference

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Mothers all over the world making a difference

September 30, 2010
| by itshiptobegreen

This year has been a difficult one in many ways.  It has been a year of economic changes, challenges and discord among the parties.  It has been a year of devastation to many due to the Gulf Oil Spill and the many lives it has effected or killed; human, plant and animal.  It has been a year of record heat in some areas and devastating cold and flooding in others.  One thing I’ve noticed about myself and other Mothers around the world,  we are getting more outspoken about our children’s health and future on this planet.  I feel a deep passion within me, that just has to speak out, about the issues that have been procrastinated to the point of ridiculous proportions and do something about it.  It saddens me that all this procrastination on laws being hung up in government quick sand just may cause us to not make the changes in time to prevent major irreversible climate devastation..  I see it everywhere, Mom’s taking the stance to do something to make some kind of noise loud enough to be heard.  Some have radio talk shows, some t.v shows, some blogs and some get into government and me, I write letters to the White House, my local and state government.  This is the time that women around the world feel compelled to stand up and be heard.  For so many centuries women had the back seat, and then the passengers seat in matters such as this.  I’ve seen decades go by where women’s rights have been fought for and won. I’ve seen women get stronger and more powerful over the years. Still we have not been heard enough and haven’t stood up and said ” I’m not going to let you ignore me”, but now we are!  But, this isn’t a battle over women’s rights this is a fight for our children’s future. This is a great time for women all over the world to unite and say ” I want to see change now so that my children will have a future!”. One thing about Mom’s, we will fight for our children’s safety. Now is the time. I hope that the clean energy bills will be passed and I hope that everyone goes out and votes this November, this is a very important election.  Vote for the change that we need to get the world cleaner air and safer food for everyone, but especially for our children.

Women are responsible for 85% of the purchases made in households. With that much buying power we have the ability to make changes based on our purchases.  This is why, as a Mom, what we buy for our children and our families has a huge impact on the changes that occur in the marketplace.  By buying Green, Non-toxic, chemical free products, we are speaking out with our buying power and the manufacturers are following suit.  We can also call manufacturers and tell them we want Greener products.  Ask them why they are not producing a more eco friendly product.  I have called manufacturers to tell them they need to offer replacement parts , use Greener plastics and I’ve written HP and told them they could do better in the Green department.  If a company gets enough calls they will listen.

On the other side of purchasing, Women also have power by refusing non essential items when purchasing.  I refuse plastic bags ( and they really try hard to get me to take one), I refuse plastic eating utensils, I refuse plastic toys at fast food restaurants, and I refuse to have my bed sheets changed everyday when I travel.  Mom’s, we have the power to make a huge difference in our children’s lives now and in the future.  Let’s take advantage of the power and be heard!

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Spring is in the air

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Spring is here! Time for Gardening

March 20, 2010
| by itshiptobegreen

Spring is here!  Time to start thinking of outside activities and gardening, if you haven’t already started your garden.  Composting your leftover food is a great way to get compost ready for your garden. There are many ways to compost. You can buy a composter, they range from simple and inexpensive to expensive, just throw your food in and it does the work for you or build one yourself.  You may ask how does that help the environment?  Well it helps your garden grow better by providing nutrients to the soil.  It keeps rotting food out of plastic bags which end up in the landfill which leech methane gases.  Ordering beneficial insects to keep those pesty insects away is another great way to green your garden. There is a beneficial insect for every pest insect, and the great thing about beneficial insects is that they help your garden, but also can help you.   A Praying Mantis, for instance, eats mosquitoes, flies and moths along with the pests that eat your garden.  They are an all purpose pest control.  They are very easy to hatch; place your order and when they arrive you attach them to a tree branch and nature does the rest. If you don’t like the thought of using insects to rid your garden and yard of pests, there are many types of natural and organic pest control methods.  There are even natural and organic weed control products.  I use corn gluten in the early spring to prevent the weeds from taking root.  It saves me time by not having to spray weed killer and it is very easy to use, just spread it like grass seed.  We’ve become so accustomed to using chemicals that for many people they have a false idea that going Green with your gardening and yard care is more time consuming and expensive.  Some products may be more expensive, but I find that many are very reasonably priced.  Many you can make yourself.  I’ve used boiling water to kill weeds before – works great!   It really can be easy to Green your garden and yard.  I, for one, like not having to breathe those smelly chemicals. Here are a few more tips for Greening your yard and garden :

  • Buy non treated grass seed or organic grass seed
  • Use compost for your top soil for your garden
  • Use newspaper/cardboard to prevent weeding in your garden
  • Use beneficial plants to help rid your garden of pests
  • Use compost tea ( juice from your composter) as liquid fertilizer

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Instant World

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Isn’t it the instant, faster, easier, disposable frame of mind that has gotten us in the climate change issue to begin with.  “I need it now” “How fast can I get it?” The instant gratification addiction? Instead of eating food in season we want them year round so we modify them to grow longer seasons, we want our mail faster so we air ship it.  We want to fly faster so we have the concord- Just thinking about how things have evolved into a more instant world- we have instant oatmeal! and instant mashed potatoes, instant coffee, instant homes and instant messaging.. Mom’s are over extended so they are always looking to find more quick ways of cleaning, cooking managing time – I’m in this myself always wanting to find a quicker way to prepare food so that I can handle the huge amount on my list to do.  Spending time with my children is very important so I try to find ways to make things easier and faster.  I do wonder sometimes what all this is teaching my children the fast paced instant world.  How it all has greatly affected the climate change.  One might argue which came first the need or the ability? Seems to me though that there must be a way to balance and create in a way that isn’t so damaging to our health and well being on this planet.  Stepping back and making less hasty decisions has greatly improved our lifestyle in our family.