Raising a Green Family

Whole Foods Market Coming! (to Mishawaka, IN)

2012-02-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

I had heard through the grapevine that Whole Foods is coming to the Michiana but officially saw it on the news today. Honestly, I'm pretty thrilled even though I recognize there are some cons. The Michiana area has been needing a grocery store like this as there is nothing like this. It drives me nuts that when I tell people I try to purchase organic produce, dairy, and meats, it is assumed I'm wasting my money paying on something premium. Needless to say, organic is seen as a "specialty" item seen in the elite grocery stores and only those who can afford to pay more.

Bringing Whole Foods here is going to be great opportunity for the community. It's going to build our "sustainable" living community up and offer a much wider selection of goods where people had to drive to Chicago or Indianapolis to find. Perhaps it will do so well that other businesses will want to come here too.

Do you have a Whole Foods Market in your area? What's been your experience with it?

Peace,

Jen Starks, Owner

www.ecologicalbabies.com, www.facebook.com/ecologicababiesllc, ecologicalbabies@gmail.com

"Our Love Grows" Valentine's Day Project for Mommy & Me

2012-02-09T14:00:00.000-05:00

I'm really excited to feature today's blog post. Brought to you by our dear friend, Carrie Fraser. Carrie is the talented founder & owner of Happy Little Monkey. She creates and sews many baby items (particularly known for the best swaddling blankets around) and has expanded her products to include toddler & up items. If you are new to Happy Little Monkey, then you must head over to her Etsy shop to check everything out or join them on their facebook page. Perfect for your baby/toddler or as gifts!

"Our Love Grows"

This project can easily be adapted for children of any age by just modifying the amount of assistance you provide.

Materials:
Shallow pot, pan, or other container
Small amount of soil
Rye grass seeds
Paper
Scissors
School Glue (non-toxic)
Paint brush
Wildflower seeds (optional)
newspaper
decorative rocks, leaves, or other materials

My children are ages three and four and always ready to jump right into a project. In order to make the project go a little more smoothly, I try to get as much of the prep work done before I tell them about the project as I can by having all the materials I think I will need together and trying to do anything the kids can’t do.

Collecting materials. You can probably find many of the things you will need around your house. For a container, choose from what you have, it just needs a wide enough top, old pie pans, an old plate, a flower pot, or you can even plant it in your yard. We used rye grass seeds and some wildflower seeds. (In case you aren’t familiar with rye grass seed, it is practically the same thing as chia grass, and it will grow on anything and everywhere- rocks, concrete, paper- so be careful with where you get the seeds because they will sprout later.)

By the time I collected the last of the materials, both my little monkeys were waiting with great interest to find out what we were going to do!

They helped me to put some soil in the bottom of each container. The quality of soil really doesn’t matter, its mostly for visual appeal because these seeds will sprout on anything. We also had a little dirt on the side to bury our hearts later.

Next, we cut hearts out of the construction paper and made sure they fit inside of our containers. (If your child is younger, you may want to do this in advance)

Then, each kid drizzled glue all over their heart. They loved this part. After drizzling they spread the glue around with a paint brush to cover the whole paper. My four and a half year old conquered this task without problem, but my three year old needed a little assistance.

Now, the fun, cover the glue with seeds. We just piled them on, patted them down a little, and let it sit for a minute or two. Then, we listed the heart up, and held it up to let the excess seeds fall off. We added some more glue on it and then put the excess seeds back on it.

When you are satisfied with the amount of seeds coating your heart, you bury it! Just put it in your container and cover it with a little soil.

Initially, we covered ours with burlap. I was hopeful that the grass would grow through the holes, but the burlap was really just holding back growth.

In the end, we pulled some rocks from our yard, and decorated around the heart grass growth.

Other notes:
- We had some wildflower seeds, so after we added the extra grass seed, we outlined the heart with the wildflower seeds and are waiting to see if they grow.
- We left our containers outside and one day it rained, so they got extra water. The container that sprouted the fastest was the one without any holes in the bottom.

Thanks Carrie! Can't wait to start this project!

Peace,

Jen

www.ecologicalbabies.com, www.facebook.com/ecologicalbabiesllc, ecologicalbabies@gmail.com

Bring Back Your Grannies' Hanky's!

2012-02-08T11:00:00.002-05:00

After my Grandma Rita died, I inherited all her scarves and handkerchiefs (one being pictured to the left) . I know many of us have some around or have family members who aren't using theirs anymore. Why not bring them back, especially at this time of the year?

I keep mine in a little box in my room and keep in my pocket (or tucked in my shirt sleeve like Gram's did!). At the end of the day, I put them in my dirty clothes or with the towels for laundering. My more delicate ones are washed separately, so they aren't ruined.

Not only do I take pleasure in the physical softness of the material against my nose and the better it is on the environment, but I feel more connected to my Grandma Rita. What's better than that? Let's ban together and ditch those throw away tissues (or at least reduce our habit to use them)!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

GroVia's Stay Dry Soaker Pads

2012-02-07T11:00:00.002-05:00

Have you snagged a pair of these new stay dry s oaker pads yet? Word on the street is that the worst part about it is that it's difficult to tell when the soaker pad is wet. That's pretty amazing!

The soaker pad is GroVia's best attempt yet with a super soft fleece on top (and the leg gussets are fleece too!) and is made from a cotton/hemp blend. This blend means that it is actually more absorbent than ever (hemp is 3x more absorbent than cotton) AND it is a thinner soaker pad (thinner=less bulk).

If you've been dissatisfied with GroVia's earlier soaker pads then you must give these a shot! If you like your other soaker pads, then these will make a fantastic addition, especially for night time use and longer trips. They are the same price as the organic cotton ones at $17.95 for 2.

Have you tried these yet? What's your opinion?

Jen Starks
owner

www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Reality Check: Disposable Diapers are Inconvenient

2012-02-06T11:00:00.001-05:00

I hear this all the time: "Cloth diapers are an extra hassle." or "Disposables are too convenient." Honestly though, it is all about how you look at it. Let's face it, if you were really wanting a convenient life, then having a baby wouldn't be at the top of it. They are full of inconveniences no matter how you diaper them.

If you are considering using cloth diapers? Do you have a friend or family member who gives you a hard time about using cloth diapers? Here's some great information to know, when you are comparing cloth diapers to disposable ones.

Top 10 Reasons Why Disposable Diapers are Inconvenient:

-It sneaks up on you that you are using your last couple diapers in the pack late one evening. Late night runs to the store to purchase disposable diapers when you've run out is inconvenient.

-Experiencing the common "up the back blow out" when you baby has been sitting, especially in a car seat is inconvenient (and messy too!). Note: This does type of blow out rarely happens in a cloth diaper.

-Just took out the trash the day before but that lingering poopy diaper and wipes you put in the new liner is causing a stench? Having to take a partially full trash bag outside to your garbage bin to get rid of that smell is inconvenient.

-Having to throw away a poopy diaper outside in a separate plastic bag when you are visiting someone's house is inconvenient.

-Allergic reactions and heat related diaper rashes are common with disposable diapers. Having to make an extra trip(s) to your pediatrician for a disposable diaper related rash is very inconvenient.

-Using disposable diapers will cost you about an extra $1,200 and more with subsequent children. Having to work harder or hours to afford trashable diapers (and other disposable items like wipes) is inconvenient.

-Your baby just had a growth spurt and no longer fits in his/her size in disposable diapers but you are not even close to using up that huge case you recently purchased at CostCo. Having to give away or sell disposable diapers that your baby couldn't use because they grew out of that size is inconvenient compared to using a cloth diaper that fits a range from 8-35lbs.

-Do you have 2 small children both in diapers? Having to carry 2 different sized disposable diapers in your diaper bag is inconvenient compared to having 1 cloth diaper that fits both of your children (one-size) .

-Having to take a pet to the vet after he/she consumes a disposable diaper is inconvenient (and expensive). (This came from a recent story where a dog actually died after doing this.)

-Cloth diapered toddlers tend to potty train earlier on average. Having a child who potty trains later is inconvenient.

Need I say more? :) Does anyone else have an example of how a disposable diaper is inconvenient?

Our most convenient cloth diapers will prove to be more convenient to the disposable diapers out there. Our top recommendations:

1. GroVia All-in-Ones
2. GroVia Hybrid Diapers
3. Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper
4. bumGenius All-in-one Newborn Diaper
5. Tots Bots Tini Fit Diaper

Free shipping on all orders over $50 this month!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

*Photo used from http://www.earthycrunchymama.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Disposible-Diaper-Trash.bmp

Creating Time by Doing Less

2012-02-04T09:18:00.000-05:00

I have the tendency to overfill my schedule. I've worked hard these last couple years to scale back because a "fried" mom is not a good mom. I know it's been an overbooked day when my house is a mess, I have take out packaging from a meal we had to eat on the fly, and all I want to do is just veg out after the kids are down. Sound familiar?

Yesterday evening, I had planned on going to our town's "Shiver by the River" festival. I had it all mapped out on what to see and at what time. We'd be drinking hot chocolate, riding the trolley, watching ice carvers, listening to a jazz group, eating some spicy food, and enjoy watching the ice skaters having fun. These were all evening activities.

Once we had sat down at the dinner table, it was clear that my "big plans" were probably not going to work out like I had planned. Brian had come home late, Rita Clare kept dodging her dinner and trying to duck under the table (her new hiding spot these days), and I was starting to get grumpy. Instead of fighting Rita Clare to eat her dinner so we could go and pushing Brian into changing out of his work clothes so we could head out, I (well, Brian and I) decided it would be best if I just took Tyler.

We had a ball. I knew that I wouldn't be doing nearly as much as I plotted out and accepted this change. In fact, I embraced it. Instead of locking him into a stroller and making sure we did everything, I planned for him to walk at his pace and just enjoy our time together. I became present to our moments, instead of sticking to a plan. So simple, yet sometimes so challenging for me.

We shared hot chocolate at our South Bend Chocoloate Company. Yes, it was absolutely delicious!

Then we happened to be near a trolley stop and took a ride to where the ice sculptures were being displayed. This was definitely a highlight for Tyler who's recent favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus". He kept saying "Weeeee!" I love how it brought joy to all those around us.

After our final trolley ride back from the display, we headed back to the car. Nothing too big, yet it was about an hour and a half of great quality time. With 2 small kids in tow, I have to make it a priority to spend one-on-one time with each of them at least weekly. With Rita Clare now at home more often, I've been trying for good daily time. It helps both of us to connect.

Have you had some quality moments lately? We'd love to hear them!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com , ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Purchasing New = Big Carbon Footprint

2012-01-31T20:29:00.000-05:00

There have been quite a few moments recently where I have realized my negative impact on the environment. I typically try to watch this but sometimes experiences sneak up on me, giving me a "whoops!" reaction. This happened last night.

A few days ago our microwave officially died. (I secretly wanted to try to see how long we could go without one, but my s.o. called me out on it and said "not happening". Perhaps someday I can gently coax him into it and in the meantime, practice finding ways not to use it. He claims that it is more environmentally sound than using alternative methods of heating and cooking, so this is to be continued until I do more research)

Anyhow, we went out to the store last night to purchase a new microwave. For a microwave, this definitely makes me happy seeing it on my counter.

When we came home, we opened it up to put on our kitchen counter. As we took it out, I realized just how much packaging was involved in bringing this microwave to our home in new condition. I had the same experience when we moved across the country using a full-service company. Oh my goodness, we spent 2 months of putting boxes and packing paper in our recycling bin. Even though I posted on Freecycle and kept a bunch in storage, it was a massive amount of paper.

Have you had any experiences like this recently where you realized your negative impact?

Peace,

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Mind Your Children's Manners

2012-01-29T15:51:00.001-05:00

Meet my spirited 4 year old, Rita Clare! For a long time, I didn't care too much whether my baby was loud in restaurants or throwing food on the floor. I mean they are just babies, right? For a while, I'd even bring my daughter to higher end restaurants, almost using it as a way to show that parents with young children deserve the opportunity to eat in these types of establishments too.

I have been given some stern comments in the past. And unfortunately, I'm a lot more anxious about my children's behavior in public, especially in places like church and nicer restaurants. Today though, I was given a gift from a senior lady who sat behind us during a dedication ceremony. My daughter seemed to be showing her wild colors and I was a bit concerned about the distraction. But this elderly lady came up to us after and said how impressed she was with our kids' behavior. Honestly, I was shocked. But I really did appreciate hearing positive feedback. I do care. I do care about how I'm perceived, as this has been ingrained in me since I was a little girl. I don't go overboard to please other people at my own expense and will comment back to rude and judgmental people if they say something to me (as respectful as I can). So, if you compliment me, I appreciate it. We can all use a little support these days, don't you think?

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Giveaway: Trainer of Your Choice

2012-01-24T14:26:00.003-05:00

I know we all hope that our children will eventually stop using their adorable cloth diapers someday. Why not be prepared for the day when it comes by winning one of our new trainers?

The two trainers we now carry, Flip Trainer and GroVia's "My Choice" Trainer, have brought cloth trainers to a new level. We've tested a bunch before these and I have not had a trainer that is as trim and versatile than these.

The Flip trainer comes as a kit and give you 5 pads. That's an awesome deal. It also goes up to 50lbs. This is a great trainer for getting started with potty training. At first you'll need to assist them in pulling it up and down. Later, they'll be able to do it on their own.

GroVia's trainer is more like an extension of underwear with added protection. It will accelerate the training process and will appeal to those toddlers who want something that makes them feel like a "big boy" or "big girl". It's not made to be an absorbent diaper like the Flip Trainer. However, it has a pocket, so you could add more protection if you need it.

This is an easy giveaway to enter! Some of these entries can be entered daily, so check back in and earn more points!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Journaling in Time of Need

2012-01-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

These past couple weeks have been tough for me. It had become quite apparent that the preschool my 4 y.o. daughter was attending (montessori) wasn't panning out. She is high spirited and her teachers kept writing me notes about another "incident" that was happening. Without going into all the details that only bring up resentments, the breaking point occurred last Tuesday when I was notified that Rita Clare was being "terminated" from school for failure to progress in the direction she needed to be going. I have until the end of the month to set a new plan up in motion.

While she's in school, I have been using these couple hours to work from home without the struggle of managing kids in the background. During this time frame, my 2 year old son is napping. It has been really nice to have this carved out time in the middle of the day. Now what??

I've been dappling in homeschooling, joining a gym with child care, hiring a babysitter to consistently help out, other child care centers that will take kids after a semester has begun, etc. I don't have everything figured out just yet, but I'm starting to feel a plan emerging.

During my many panicky moments, I have come back to my journal. It is a space I can say anything and let it all out. I can come up with lofty goals and feel a sense of direction. It's a spiritual space, much like prayer or meditation. It's always my hope that I will continue to journal regularly. But usually I come to it when I'm overwhelmed and need to purge my emotions. It's funny to read through my past journal entries as they are often similar in their theme and take me back to certain events.

Do you journal? How has it impacted you?

Working on peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

The best calzone filling EVER!!!

2012-01-19T20:22:00.012-05:00

Before we get started, let me apologize for the weird spacing and formatting. I promise one day I'll get the hang of blogging!

I've had leftover chicken in my fridge for longer than I care to admit. It's from a chicken I boiled for stock, which means it needs to be in a casserole or something because there's not much flavor in boiled chicken. I was thinking I would make a pot pie with it, but I just haven't been inspired to make one.

One of the meals I was planning to make this week was ham, cheddar, and broccoli calzones. But the ham I got from the deli counter this morning was just too darn tasty and was just begging to be made into sandwiches.

Also lurking in the fridge was this odd, Amish-style Swiss cheese that I bought because it looked interesting, and I'd never heard of Amish-style Swiss cheese before. It's delicious, but for some reason we hadn't used much of it. I got my cheese from Publix a couple weeks ago and threw away the wrapper, and I grated it before thinking to take a pic, but the gorgeous cheese in the photo can be found here.

I made dough this afternoon from the recipe in an earlier post, and was planning to make extra steamed broccoli with dinner to go in the calzone filling. I wasn't making the calzones for a particular meal, just to have on hand in the freezer for my husband's lunch, quick dinners, or snacks.

All of a sudden it hit me - Chicken, Swiss, and broccoli calzones!!! As my pal Ina Garten would say, "How bad could that be?" Grant was happy on the porch playing with his tools at his tool bench making a "new invention," so I figured I'd go all out and make an actual cheese sauce instead of just using shredded cheese.

If I do say so myself, they are AMAZING!!! In fact, I don't even have a picture to show you because we ate all 12 of them after Grant went to bed. No, just kidding. Actually I just forgot to take a picture because I was too busy and excited making them. I know, I'm a food dork.

I kind of threw this together, but I will attempt to recreate the recipe because seriously, these were delicious and totally worth the extra steps of making a cheese sauce.

Chicken, Swiss, and Broccoli filling for calzones

For the cheese sauce:

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

salt and pepper

1 C chicken stock (or broth)

1/2 C milk

1 C shredded Swiss cheese

1 C finely chopped steamed broccoli

1 C shredded chicken

Melt the butter on low heat, stir in flour, salt and pepper. Whisk for a few minutes to cook the flour. Whisk in milk and stock, and turn up the heat. Bring it almost to a boil, and keep whisking until it's nice and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Stir in broccoli and chicken, and assemble your calzones as directed here.

A note - For this recipe, only divide the dough into 8 pieces. You need thick dough rounds since the filling is a little runnier than the other ones I wrote about. If the dough is too thin the calzones could burst in the oven (and if they do it's not a big deal, just push the filling back in).

Eat all twelve at once, or eat a few, let the rest cool, then wrap individually in foil, label, and freeze.

Enjoy!

Please note, credit for the photo above comes from http://www.cubacheese.com/.

Claire Williamson, Representative for Ecological Babies

claire@ecologicalbabies.com

(850) 228-8322

A Cure for the Common Toddler Hunger Strike

2012-01-18T19:56:00.003-05:00

Even at the ripe old age of 3 1/4, my son Grant still occasionally stages a hunger strike just like he did when he was a toddler. You know the drill - all the sudden your child who typically eats his normal three little meals and two little snacks a day has suddenly decided that in a last ditch effort to establish autonomy that he will eat only (and I mean ONLY) Cheerios and milk. And you don't even buy Cheerios!

'Round these parts, we have a cure for this type of behavior. Hot chocolate! But shhhhh!!! With a hidden egg yolk. I know that sounds really weird and maybe a little gross. Have you ever had pudding, though? No, not from a powder in a box. I mean real pudding. Know what that is? Hot chocolate with tempered egg yolks, cooled down in the fridge.

What little kid wouldn't want their own mug of nice, steaming, thick, frothy liquid chocolate? Oh yeah, mine wouldn't. That's because everybody knows things that are steaming and labeled "hot" will burn you. And so, we have re-titled this recipe, "Warm Chocolate." Because if you ask Grant if he wants hot chocolate, he will say "No, I just want it warm, Mom." Makes sense, I suppose.

Step one - Pour one cup of whole milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm gently, on

medium-low.

Step two - Gather up a few simple ingredients. One tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon sugar (or maple syrup), 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.

Step three - Find a cute little boy to help whisk. (This step isn't crucial, but I do find it necessary.)

He looks serious about his whisking, doesn't he?

Step four - Separate an egg, and put the yolk in a little bowl. Scoop out some of the hot chocolate and stir it into the yolk with a fork, to warm the yolk. This is called tempering, and keeps you from ending up with an egg yolk poached in hot chocolate, which sounds pretty gross.

Step five - Whisk the warm yolk mixture back into the pot, and keep whisking until it's steaming. This way you know the yolk has cooked.

Step six - Serve to your child and watch them gleefully drink up 2 1/2 grams of protein, and a day's worth of essential fatty acids, carotenoids, Vitamins A, D, E and K, not to mention lots of iron and many other minerals and nutrients. And that's not including the milk, just the egg yolk!

Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition, and I love them and could eat them every day. I just about do! My son and many other kids, I hear, though, are not big egg fans. This easy recipe works great for breakfast or a snack, and is a delicious way to slip a boatload of nutrition on days when your child has decided to exert a little control over what goes down the hatch.

Note - if serving to a child, you will want to let the hot chocolate cool off the burner for a few minutes before pouring it into an appropriate mug. Look for one with two handles.

Another note - if you have a beige couch, you may want to consider NOT letting your child sit on it while drinking his hot chocolate. It's really hard to get out of microsuede. Just a thought.

One last note - If your child is into semantics, like mine apparently is, be careful what you call this recipe. Everyone knows you shouldn't eat or drink food that is hot and steaming. It can burn you.

Claire Williamson, Representative for Ecological Babies

(850) 228-8322

claire@ecologicalbabies.com

Core Strength Pre/Post Pregnancy

2012-01-18T14:16:00.000-05:00

We welcome Tara Valentine Jennette Posey of Healthy Mama, Happy Baby to our blog today. Tara is a physical trainer and one of the healthiest people I know. Today she shares her wisdom on the importance of mamas having core strength all the way from before conception to post partum. If you haven't already, head over to her blog and to learn a lot more ways of being a fit and healthy mama (or daddy).

The Importance of Core Strength: Before, During and After Pregnancy

Before you get pregnant is the best time to build your core strength (as seen in 1st photo). But don't think it is too late if you are already pregnant (as seen in 2nd photo- 6 months pregnant). I will show you how to do both.

If you have a strong core, you shouldn't have any back or hip problems during your pregnancy. Your core muscles will be able to hold your growing baby without putting stress on your back or hips. When your baby is born, the core muscles will help you carry your growing baby and toddler. They will also help keep you from hurting your back when you have to lift that stroller, car seat and all the other stuff in and out of the car.

You can do all of these exercises before and after you are pregnant. But only do the last two if you are pregnant. When you are pregnant, you don't want to do anything where the muscles push directly against the baby.
This first move is a Suitcase Crunch. Lying on your back, cross your leg over, try to crunch your legs into your upper body. So picture opening and closing a suitcase and your upper body is one side and your legs are the other. Make sure you don't arch your lower back or pull on your neck. Try to do 10 with one leg crossed then cross the other leg for 10.

This move is really good for your Transverse Abdominus (lower abs or internal girdle). Lie on your back with your hands under your bottom and push your bellybutton into your spine. Make a scissor motion with your legs for 20 flutters.

The Plank is a wonderful core strengthener. When you do this exercise, you pull in your stomach and help place all your organs in the right place. Very good to prevent and reverse incontinence. Try to hold for 30 seconds at a time without letting your low back sway towards the ground.

This is a great move to do while you are pregnant. It works your obliques (the muscles on your side). Make sure your shoulder is over your elbow on the arm you are propping up on. Stack your legs on top of each other. Lift and lower your hips. When you come back down to the ground don't rest your weight, just slightly touch your hip and then rise up again. This is a very small motion. Try to do 10-15 on each side.

All of this hard work will definitely pay off between not having those annoying back aches and no accidents when you sneeze : ) Most of all these muscles will help you do the most important job ever- push out those babies during labor! Believe me I know- after 22 hours of labor and a 9 lbs. baby with her hand up- I NEEDED my core strength!

-Tara

http://healthymamahappybaby.blogspot.com/

Ugly pies and reflections on embracing imperfection…

2012-01-11T22:54:00.005-05:00

I can say with absolute certainty that the most difficult part of parenting for me is learning to accept failure, or rather, less-than-perfect results. To say that I am particular about things is an understatement. I like things just so. I like them done immediately. I do not like change. I also like to be right. I like plans, schedules, and rules.

As a child, my parents had very high expectations for my sister and me. They were also very conservative and had fairly strict rules. My mom was far from a “Tiger Mom,” but she still expected us to make good grades and do a good job with whatever extracurricular activities we chose. But we thrived! I had a very happy childhood and learned to have a strong work ethic and to expect success.

When I was pregnant, what I worried about most was that I would hate having a child because my life would lose its comfortable predictability. Friends and family would ask if I was nervous about parenthood, and I would tell them I wasn’t worried if I would be good at it, because I (arrogantly) was pretty sure I would be. What I did worry about was whether or not I would enjoy being a mother in the first place. This doesn’t exactly make for fun chatting at showers, as you can imagine. Even though our son was definitely planned for and wanted, pregnancy totally snuck up on us and happened much, much sooner than we expected. Did I mention I don’t like change?

As a matter of survival over the past three years, I have had to accept that having a child means life will rarely go as planned. Life with a baby teaches you that you must learn to accept failure. Things will not be perfect. Your baby will cry, you will get poop on your hands, and eventually you will come to terms with not showering regularly. Then later on your toddler will throw a fit in a store, you won’t be able to eat in restaurants, and your living room will turn into a giant playpen. Soon you’ll have a preschooler whose favorite word is “mine,” takes 20 minutes to get in the car because he wants to do it himself, and frequently goes to the grocery store wearing a cape.

Things definitely do not always turn out RIGHT, but they do turn out. I’ve learned to accept less than stellar results in exchange for contentment. At least I’m working on it.

Today at the grocery store there were these nifty tetra packs of organic pumpkin pie filling that simply required an egg and a pie crust. They were only $1.50! My 3 year old ADORES pumpkin pie, and I figured it would make for a fun afternoon project, and it did. He got shortening all over his hands and his shirt, but he learned how to use a pastry cutter. We counted tablespoons of cold water, and then he helped me roll out the pastry into a (lopsided) circle. I forgot to lower the temperature on the oven after the first 15 minutes because we were doing a new Berenstain Bear puzzle I scored at the thrift store today, so it turned out a little too brown around the edges. But you know what? It was delicious, and we all ate two slices for dessert this evening.

Five years ago I would have been horrified to serve a pie that looked like this. But today, I am so proud of my son for just about making it himself, crust and all. Cheers to motherhood, ugly pies, changing expectations, and accepting – and embracing - failure.

Claire Williamson,
Representative for Ecological Babies
850.228.8322

Ode to All My Imperfect Moms Out There!

2012-01-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

You know, I am often humbled by how much my mom did for me. Without becoming a mom myself, I'm not sure I would have been able to recognize all that she did. Was I thankful at the time? Unfortunately no.

She wasn't perfect and I am definitely not perfect as a mom. I think at the end of the day, we moms just need to cut ourselves some slack. Shake off that mommy guilt that we aren't doing enough.

So what if your child ate fast food, watched too much tv, and you yelled at them? Are they alive? Do you feed them well on other days? Do they feel safe and know you love them unconditionally? Really, it's all about balance. You are a good mother and you are doing VERY hard work. I know this is absolutely the hardest thing I've ever done and maybe will do. Every day, you get out of bed, sacrifice so much of yourself, and take care of your children and many other responsibilities around the house. If you are working outside of the home, you are doing all that AND your extra work on top of that. Wow.

Give yourself a little pat on the back, take a deep breath, and recognize all the great things you are doing.

From an imperfect mom,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Calzones with Homemade Dough

2012-01-08T19:27:00.027-05:00

How many times has dinner snuck up on you, and you end up standing in front of your fridge at 5pm thinking, "well great – what are we going to eat for dinner?" Don’t feel bad. It happens to everybody, even cook-aholics like me. Inspite of careful meal planning and grocery shopping, there are still those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking, but a bowl of cereal or scrambled eggs just won’t cut it.

So what’s the solution? Keep a stash of highly-processed, MSG-laden bagged meals in the freezer? You know, the ones with the sauce pellets that you nuke, stir, nuke some more? The ones that go on sale buy one get one every other week? Yikes!

There’s a better way to beat the 5pm dinner woes than a bag of mystery stir fry. I like to call it Investment Cooking. You put in a little extra time on the weekends or on a weekday when you’ve got some extra time, and you cook extra meals, double recipes, or just cook large quantities of a protein (roast beef, chicken, etc) to save for using on a later date. One of the best Investment Recipes that isn’t a recipe at all is a roasted chicken, or a boiled chicken. From a single chicken, you can end up with 8 cups of delicious homemade stock and at least 2 cups of meat. You can boil it to use the meat in casserole type dishes like enchiladas or pot pies (then you already have your stock made), or you can roast it and eat it alongside rice and a side salad, then boil the carcass (isn’t that an awful word?) for stock. The humble chicken is a power house in Investment Cooking.

Today’s topic, however, is one that’s a little more fun to think about than boiling a dead bird. Homemade hot pockets! Or if you want to be fancy, we can call them calzones. Whatever you title it, this recipe is my family’s all-time favorite food to have on hand in the freezer for work lunches, Sunday nights, or random Tuesdays when I just don’t feel like cooking. And let’s just say it – hand-held food is fun! And if one of your diners is a child, then hand-held is pretty much a guaranteed hit, at least at my house. It’s easy to double or even triple, and you can fill them any number of ways.

On a side note, any other children of the 80s out there? Is it just me, or can you still sing the Hot Pockets jingle? What about Bagel Bites? My mom never would buy this stuff for my sister and I – she insisted on homemade food, which I recall as a child thinking that was very uncool. Surely all the cool kids got food that magically cooked in the microwave. I also distinctly remember asking for those nifty Kid Cuisine TV dinners each time we went to the store and always hearing a resounding NO. We got the occasional grape soda in the summer, but that’s about as wild as things got. Man, I didn’t know how good I had it. Thank you, Mama, for laying the foundation of good homemade food (even though for a long time I thought you were just being mean not buying me nasty fake rainbow colored food).

Sorry, I get sidetracked easily. Back to homemade hot pockets! I mean, calzones. Dinner pockets? Whatever.

Let’s make some dough! This is a very versatile dough, and one you will do well to learn and have in your repertoire. You can make it ahead of time and stick it in the fridge, or double/triple the recipe: some to use now, some for later. You can make pockets, regular pizza crust, mini pizzas, plain little dough rounds (great with butter and jam for breakfast), or even pitas. If you’ve
never made bread before and phrases like “proof the yeast” freak you out, this is a perfect beginner recipe. Try it! I promise you can do it!

Our humble cast of characters: Flour, oil, salt, yeast, sugar (not pictured) and water (in the sink).

For the record, yes, I know many people think canola oil is evil. It was on sale, and works well in baking. Please don’t let this change your opinion of me. Feel free to substitute olive oil.

I’m not really a recipe follower (except for cookies and candy, which are sciences and not to be trifled with), so bear with me. Measure 1 ½ cups of warm water (tap is fine) into a glass measuring cup. How warm? Like a baby’s bath water. Lots of dough recipes call for taking
temperatures. If you are particular about these things, feel free to google yeast temperature charts and bust out your thermometer. But here’s a good rule of thumb: if it feels like it would be cold on your baby’s bottom, your yeast won’t like it either. If it would burn your baby’s bottom, you would kill your yeast. Simple, right?

Into your 1 ½ cups of baby bath temperature water, add 1 packet of yeast, or 2 ¼ teaspoons (this you do need to measure accurately) of bulk yeast. Sprinkle in some sugar (about a teaspoon), or a squirt of honey to feed your yeast. Set this aside for 10 minutes or so while you get out your mixer, bowl, dough hook, etc. This is called proofing. Your yeast will eat the sugar, and create lots of lovely foam on top of your warm, toasty water.

Ta da! Happy, well-fed yeast:

Now for the mixing. What?! No stand mixer? Never fear, a wooden spoon and your hands will do just fine. (But seriously, though, make a mental note to ask Santa for one next Christmas.)

Measure 3 cups of flour into your bowl. We’ll start with that, then add more as necessary. Use your favorite flour, so long as it is all purpose, not self-rising. Please don’t use bleached flour. Bleach doesn’t belong in food. Or diapers, either, but I guess that’s for another post.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt, and turn your mixer on low to start stirring. Use the dough hook. If you don’t have a mixer, just stir. Slowly pour in the yeast/sugar (or honey)/water mixture. Add 3 tablespoons of oil. Keep stirring or keep the mixer running on low until it’s all incorporated. Stop and scrape your bowl, then turn the mixer back on. It should look about like this, kind of ropey and gooey.

Slowly add in ½-1 more cup of flour, and continue kneading with the dough hook until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, like this:

If you are doing this by hand, you’ll probably have to knead in this last cup of flour, since by now the dough is slightly stiff and stirring would either be too hard or not effective.

At this point, cover your bowl (or put your dough back in the bowl) with a towel and set aside for a couple hours to rise. Or put it in the fridge and think about it tomorrow, Scarlet O'Hara-style. After a couple hours, it should look like this, and will smell amazing! Really! I love making dough and watching it change texture like magic. So does my 3 year old, which makes my heart happy.

At this point, you can turn your dough out onto a floured counter or board and have your way with it. Roll it out for one big pizza, pull off little bits and roll for mini pizza or pockets.
Or, once you roll out the little pieces of dough, let them rest and rise for another 30 minutes, then bake at a high temperature and you have pita pockets! Or if you’re 3, you can eat it as is. Raw. Yum?!

By the way, I highly encourage you to allow your children to help you in the kitchen. With practice, they can probably do much more than you might think! Here are Grant and I, working together to knead the dough after turning it out. I think it is so very important to teach children where real food comes from. Make bread together, so they know it’s not all pre-sliced from the grocery store. Put cream in a jar and shake it so they see what butter really is. Pick blueberries in the summer and make jam together. I even let my son help me stir things on the stove and slice vegetables (with a Pampered Chef spreader with a blunt serrated edge). Children learn by trying, and the more you let them try (and inevitably fail and make a huge mess) the more they
learn. And if they’re anything like my Grant, anything they make themselves they will be much more inclined to actually eat.

But back to the recipe…at this point, we pulled off bits of dough and rolled them into small circles. Don’t roll it too thin, or your calzones (or are we calling them pockets now?) might burst and ooze filling onto your baking sheet and it’s hard to scrape off. (Don’t ask me how I know this.)

I’m pretending you can’t see thesink full of dirty dishes. I cook a lot, ok? Let’s focus instead on the ¼ cup of flour my son is wearing and the fact that my fabulous husband is helping roll
out the dough. Dinner is a family affair around here. See? Here he is with Grant making the filling:

One of our favorite fillings is spinach ricotta, and we dip the finished calzones in marinara sauce. Here’s a basic recipe:

1 small container ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ package frozen spinach, thawed
and thoroughly wrung out
¼ cup parmesan cheese
½ C mozzarella cheese
Basil, oregano, onion powder,
garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Ta da! Thank you, sweetie!

Put a little blob (that’s a technical term) on each circle (use your imagination) of dough.

Fold over, and seal with your fingers or a fork.

Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

I really wish this picture wasn’t blurry. Oh well. See the one in the middle that’s deformed? And the one on the left that’s oozing filling? That’s what happens when you let a 3 year old make your dinner. You know what, though? He ate it! So there!

Make a big batch of these with your family next weekend. Let the ones you don’t eat right away cool completely, then wrap them up in foil and toss them in the freezer. One night down the
road when your baby has a leaky diaper, your 3 year old has a tantrum at preschool, and your husband has to work late, you’ll be so glad you’ve got these yummy things tucked into the freezer! Just thaw them out, and warm in the oven. Ta da! Instant dinner, no microwave required.

Here is our other favorite filling – cheeseburger!

Brown a pound of ground beef with some diced onion and garlic. Drain, then stir in about ¼ cup of ketchup, a few tablespoons of mustard, and a few spoonfuls of dill or sweet relish. Put a slice of cheddar cheese on each rolled out dough round, then put a heaping spoonful of the meat mixture on top of the cheese. Seal and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

Seriously, these are so good. It feels naughty, like fast food, or college-style from-the-freezer food. But guess what - you made it yourself! Hooray! Eat some more!

Happy Cooking, you guys! More recipes to come.

Claire Williamson

http://www.ecologicalbabies.com/

claire@ecologicalbabies.com

850.228.8322

A Habit Worth Changing!

2012-01-04T20:48:00.001-05:00

I just read this quote about consumption that was spot on for me. It said:

"Stop Consuming So Much Information without Doing Anything. Seriously, do you really think that next eBook for $27.99 is going to tell you way more than you already know? It amazes me how many people would rather ‘consume’ all day than actually apply the teachings they’ve been reading and hearing again and again and again. The fact is most of us don’t need any more information, we just need to actually do something."

I don't know if this hits home for you as much as for me. I never considered pouring myself into parenting books, cookbooks, or business books as a way of consumption. But I couldn't help nod when I realized that often I read books with the same message just reiterating what I already knew. Just reading these concepts isn't producing any results unless I use the knowledge already in me and put it to good use. Duh!

Honestly, sometimes I even purchase a few books on a topic I'm excited about and then only get to a couple of them before my enthusiasm dies down. Fortunately, I'm into used books. :o) But what a waste of time and money, I'm realizing!

Here's to getting out there and practicing all that wisdom we've been reading about!

Peace,

Jen

Note: This quote comes from "The Sales Lion" at http://www.thesaleslion.com/life-changing-habits-make-2012-best-year-ever/ on 1/4/2012.

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Making New Year's Resolutions That Last!

2011-12-31T14:43:00.000-05:00

Well, the new year snuck up on me just like every year, how about you? It seems every year I make the same new years resolutions. This year I've decided to take a different approach that I have been working on with other goals (personal and professional).

This year, I'm coming up wi th a new plan. It's a three layer system appraoch. First, I'm writing down my dreams for the next 5 years. Am I heading in the direction that will help me reach these dreams. If not, I'm breaking it down into small parts. The second layer is to decide what big goals need to be met to ge closer to my dreams. This puts it into something tangible that I can cross off a list. This would usually include items I usually put on my new years resolutions.

But that won't be good enough this year. The third layer is to break these goals into small baby steps. With small baby steps, I can cross things off sooner and the new changes won't be such a big leap that ends up failing after a week or month. Let's come up with example to illustrate my point.

My dream is to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I'm already heading in that direction and to some people, I'm well on my way. Let's pretend this is a new concept that I want to integrate into my family life. I nstead of going the extreme direction and radically change my life (and my family's too), I'm going to make a list of things I'd like to work on this year.

List:
Eat local and mostly organic foods
Grow an organic garden
Switch to cloth diapers
Reduce my water consumption 30%
Reduce amount of plastic in my home 50%

Ok this is already a fairly large list for a newbie, but I wanted to give a variety of examples on the list. Next, I need to break this into bite size steps and work my way to these bigger goals.

So for organic foods, maybe I'd start by learning which fruits and vegetables are most important to eat organic. Then as the food already in my home gets eaten, I then add organic foods into the pantry. In the meantime, I'm going to start reading labels on the foods in my grocery store. What's in them and where did they come from? I'll build on this until I reach my goal and make it a slow process.

Maybe with cloth diapers, I can start by attending one of our workshops or calling us up and using us to learn all I need to know. Then I would ask any friends or even strangers how it has been working for them and their preferences of diapers. Once I'm ready to take the leap, I might start with diapers and then work my way to cloth wipes.

So what are some of the changes you are thinking about making? Are you moving in the direction of your dreams? If not, how are you planning to get back on track?

Happy New Year,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Flip Trainers-Our Insight

2011-12-30T21:04:00.000-05:00

We've officially been testing out these trainers for about 4 weeks now and have primarily been using them as added fluff to our cloth diaper stash. Technically, they are designed to assist your toddler in moving out of diapers and using the potty. I'm confident my son Tyler will get there when he's ready but we're both not ready to take that leap. SO, I can only give you my input about the technical details and reasons I like them as a diaper and not necessarily as a trainer.

These trainers are by far the best designed trainers I've tested out yet. They are very trim and adjustable to toddlers 20lbs to 50 lbs. They can truly be pulled up and down by your toddler. The kits that are available for purchase right now are offered for a limited time. I think this is a great deal for what it all entails. I have 5 extra pads (look like a double) that are organic cotton and have used these inside the shell and also inside other pocket diapers for extra absorbency. These trainers could also be used at night time as a diaper with 2 or 3 pads stacked inside the shell. So basically you get 5 diaper changes for $25-not bad!!!

The pads attach to the inside of the shell with a hook/loop system and so nothing slides around. Since the shell is a laminated polyester like most other covers for cloth diapers (e.g. Thirsties covers), it can be reused over and over again in one day. The pads are also absorbent like a normal cloth diaper but since it is 100%, your toddler will feel wet.

Right now, we just have the "gender neutral" kits in stock which has the vanilla color with a turquoise blue. It's nothing fancy or super exciting like our other printed diapers. But it certainly gets the job done and works for boys and girls.

I'll post pictures of Tyler wearing them soon!

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Give Your Presence as a Present!

2011-12-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you but something about the day or two before Christmas sends anxiety over me that I haven't given enough "gifts" to our kids or my husband. I feel this burning desire to jump back into my car with credit card in hand. It's not a good feeling!

I imagine that after opening all the presents, my daughter will say, "Is that it?" or "But I REALLY wanted..." But you know what? She might say that even if I dash back out there and buy more. This isn't what the season is about. And what Rita Clare and Tyler and Brian (spouse) really want is quality time with me. What good am I if I leave during this holiday and go shopping? I come back tired, they've been having fun without me, and we now have less money to spend on other fun events together.

Today, I am making a few extra surprise gifts to add to the Christmas tree. No wrapping necessary! They are going to be those cheesy coupons we gave our parents (and I've been known to do this for Brian too). With two young kids and a busy lifestyle, I want to plan out fun events of one-on-one time with each of them to use this upcoming year. Spending intentional time together builds our relationship and creates memories that last a lifetime. I know I can remember some of those moments growing up and still like to think back to those. Maybe it's going out to lunch just the two of you. Maybe it is doing an art project together. Get creative and cater it to the interests of your recipient!

So, share a nice warm drink together and enjoy these next few days where we are given an excuse to do nothing but spend quality time together.

Cheers,

Jen

P.S. If you are making coupons like this, what are in yours this year?

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Giving Thanks = Happy!

2011-11-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

I recently heard that happier people tend to be those who are more grateful. I know I'd like to be one of those people. Why does it take a special day for me to step back and acknowledge all that I am thankful for? Why don't I acknowledge how blessed I am all day, every day?

Oddly enough, we also find these moments during times of tragedy. Recently, my Uncle Steve died. Out of his death, I felt more connected to those I love than I had in while. Why did it take that event to get me to that place? In some of my most painful moments, I have been more grateful for the support of my friends and family than any other time.

Well, today I am going to seize the opportunity and give thanks. After all, it IS the focus of the day. I truly have more blessings than I deserve. Our life this past year has been turned upside down over and over again. Despite some hardships, we are stronger as a family unit than ever before. I have found more balance and peace. I'd like to think that I've become a bit wiser too! :o)

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Myth Buster: ANOTHER Load of Laundry?

2011-11-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

It's true that once you have a baby (or two or three children), there's always laundry to do. The idea that you'd be adding more to that pile, just seems off putting. I get it!

The good news is that you can launder cloth diapers with less time and effort than all the rest of your laundry. If you are able to afford a 3 day supply (and I recommend working toward that!), you are only doing a load 2 times a week. The amount of time you are actually spending doing that laundry is probably 10 minutes a week. Even better, you don't have to worry about ironing, folding, or even putting the cloth diapers away. It can be as easy as throwing the clean diapers in a laundry basket from the dryer and pulling from that basket when it's time to do a change. (On those REALLY lazy days, I have been known to leave the diapers in the dryer and pull clean ones from there!)

If you use diapers like GroVia's all-in-ones, Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper, bumGenius All-in-Ones, or Tots Bots Tini Fit Diaper, you don't even need to stuff or assemble the diaper. That's it!

For those veteran's currently using cloth diapers, how has the extra loads been for you?

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Myth Buster: Cloth Diapers Cause More Leaks!

2011-11-15T14:37:00.001-05:00

Leaks!

This is a common concern I hear when I meet with families first considering a cloth diaper investment. And certainly having leaking issues is an extra hassle no one wants to deal with. I'm pleased to share a few insights in avoiding leaks in cloth diapers. In fact, I often here about less "blow outs" that many disposable diapers cause (especially the up the back leaks!).

1. Proper Size & Fit- You want to make sure your baby is in the correct size. Don't try and purchase a larger size to save money. The diaper should fit snug around the legs and waist. Gaping in the legs is a big culprit of leaking issues, especially with newborns and boys in particular.

2. Wearing Diaper Correctly- It is always a good idea to make sure that you read the directions on your diaper label and/or visually see how to properly put on the cloth diaper. If you haven't stuffed a pocket diaper correctly, haven't tucked in that prefold inside the cover, you'll have leaks.

3. Changing Often Enough- Cloth diapers are much more absorbent than they have ever been. That being said, they still need to be changed about every 1.5 hours to 2 hours. Technically, that's how often you should be changing your baby in disposables but the companies make it absorbent enough to go much longer (read: health hazard!). Now, night time is a different story in cloth diapers. We use a pocket diaper stuffed more than usual to make it all night long. Since there is a nice fleece liner used to keep your baby dry, we are able to make it all night in one diaper. Everyone is comfortable and dry!

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Top 10 Ways to Raise Your Sustainable Family

2011-11-07T14:35:00.000-05:00

This list was put together just off the top of my head and could go on and on. However, if you're looking for some ways to live a bit more sustainable, here's a good start. I'd love your additions in the comment section!

Top 10 Sustainable Living Ideas for your Family

Start with your baby. It’s easy to bring in a lot of excess “stuff” when baby comes. Looks for ways to reduce (avoid a lot of unnecessary baby gear), look to reuse as much as possible (cloth diapers, used clothing)), and find creative ways to “upcycle” what you already have around the house that you might just recycle. For instance, baby wipes containers can be used for storage of many items around the house.

Skip plastic and work toward getting it out of your house. Even with BPA regulations, we don’t know the harmful impact of BPA alternatives are right now. Glass, stainless steel, silicone, wood materials are a worthwhile investment.

Eat in season and try to rely on your farmer’s markets for your produce. Less miles traveled, the food is fresher, it supports your local economy.

Try and eat as much organic as possible. Memorize the “Dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables and make that a starting point.

Look for ways to reduce your water consumption: turning off water while brushing teeth and washing face, hang dry clothes, don’t shower everyday, purchase water savers in toilets and shower heads that turn off.

Compost your food scraps. It will be your fertilizer for your garden. It reduces waste in your trash.

Grow an organic garden. It will save you money, it is great exercise, it helps you appreciate where your food comes from, and skip the pesticides.

Weatherize your home. Keep drafts out of your home by sealing your windows and underneath your doors. Insulate your heater coils. You’ll save money, you’ll be more comfortable, and you won’t be wasting money.

Invest in energy efficient household items. Sometimes cities will offer rebate, look for good sales.

Purchase in bulk as much as possible but pay attention to how the bulk items are packaged. A lot of bulk items that make items in “portioned sizes” use a lot of excess packaging. All this extra packaging is unnecessary.

BONUS: Avoid purchasing any single use item as a rule of thumb. It’s usually more expensive and all that packaging will be trash for a long time for one use.

Peace,

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Too Clean to Be Green

2011-11-04T14:54:00.000-04:00

Germs. They are everywhere and we have become a culture that tries to sterilize everything. As a parent, I can understand it. There's not much worse than seeing your child suffering when you can't do much about it. It's especially concerning with newborns because they are so vulnerable and most over the counter medication isn't safe for them.

I believe part of this cultural need stems from all the fear that has been driving us here in the US. I often hear people justifying a bigger car because they are afraid of being hurt. We run out to the stores to buy what "everyone else" has partly out of fear of not fitting in. Don't get me started on how this plagues us as parents. My daughter an outcast? That feels scary. We buy those shopping cart covers because who knows what's on them?

So, we fear getting sick and maybe covertly this reflects a fear of mortality. The pharmaceutical companies feed into this and market their products to us, so we will buy their products. Anti-bacterial gels/wipes/sprays anyone? At my daughter's music class, it's practically not an option to pass on using that gel the teacher brings to each child.

Most often, all it takes to clean up around our house is some good 'ol fashioned vinegar and baking soda (occasionally hydrogen peroxide). But people bring out the BIG GUNS...just in case, right? Bleach (chlorine) is put into practically all of our store bought cleaners. It is, however, unnecessary to use in most household settings. Shed the toxic bleach and make your own cleaner- it's super easy, less expensive, and MUCH better on Mother Earth (kinda like cloth diapers!).

Getting back to the issue of germs. There seems to be a spectrum of people who range from believing germs are bad and need to be zapped immediately all the way to those who embrace germs believing they can actually help us.

I have to admit that I'm probably somewhere in the middle of the road but lean toward embracing germs. I especially lean when it comes to my two children (4 & under). Some of you are probably judging me believing that I'm being negligent or not protecting my children. But studies are also showing that if we allow our children to build up their immunity at a young age, their immune system is stronger and they have lower rates of allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune diseases in adulthood.

I still believe it's important to have good hand-washing routines. We don't need the "anti-bacterial"soap. Instead, some of LuSa Organics soap would be perfect! And I do believe we should be cautious about infectious diseases but let go of that fear and find some balance.

I even give our kids a supplemental bacteria daily. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that live in the large intestine. By maintaining a healthy balance of these good bacteria, our body can protect itself better from the harmful bacteria.

Buying organic foods can also prevent some of the food-borne illnesses that have been causing massive amounts of recalled food. Even today, I learned that cantaloupe is being recalled for having listeria on it and causing deaths. This is something to be concerned about and well worth spending a few more on the organic selection.

So what about you? Where do you fall on the spectrum? What cleaners do you use at home? Do you use those shopping cart covers to protect your child in the grocery store?

Here's another article on the topic, if you're interested in reading more about it.

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Homemade Goo

2011-10-03T09:00:00.002-04:00

We're ready for hours of playtime using only a few ingredients that we already have around the house. Whether we're at home, at a restaurant, traveling, or at a playdate, this goo is a hot ticket item in our house. Good news-it doesn't leave a resitudeo to stick to anything but itself!

8 oz white or carpenter's glue
3/4 cup water
food coloring (optional)
1 teaspoon 20 Mule Team borax
1-2 TB water

Combine first three ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the last two. Add the borax mixture to the glue mixture, stirring until a "blob" forms. Remove the blob from the mixture. Add a new batch of the borax mixture to the glue mixture. Repeat the process until the glue mixture is all gone. Knead all the blobs together. Store in an airtight container.

Most of all, have FUN!

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Mom's Time Out Fall Market: The Place to Shop!

2011-10-01T20:06:00.000-04:00

Whether you're ready to do some early holiday shopping or ready to enjoy the beautiful weather this time of year, our Mom's Time Out event is definitely the place to be. I don't know any other event where I'm supporting both local businesses AND mom-run operations AND building community like our markets. I guarantee you won't find anyone asking you to sign up for a credit card, sell you an inflated cheap item, or encounter a rude face behind the booth. Our event is fun in spirit and the positive energy is a breath of fresh air.

So come out to Earth Fare tomorrow and we promise a great time!

Peace,

Jen Starks
MTO Member and Co-Founder

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Starting a Babysitting Co-op!

2011-09-30T14:10:00.000-04:00

A great idea for saving some money is to find a group of friends with whom you can start a babysitting co-op. It's very simple to do and will save on childcare and the stress of bringing your kids to the grocery store. Who wouldn't enjoy more date nights? This works for families with parents at home or working out of the home because it works around your schedule!

Here's how it works:

-Gather a group of friends for your initial meeting.
-Give each person a coupon book of 30 coupons.
-Each coupon is worth 1 hours of child care, and this was how you pay each other.
-The Co-op can be used to grocery shop, clean house, or have an evening out (or you can come up with your own agreed upon rules).
-Members are free to specify if they wanted to baby-sit during the daytime, evening, or weekends.
-One could always say "no" on an occasion that wasn't convenient.
-Have a once-in-a-while meeting meeting to meet new members and keep up with how many coupons members have accumulated.

I know Claire on our team and some of my good friends are currently in a babysitting co-op. I'd love to hear their insight and feedback!

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

New Initiative: Finding More Ways to Save Green (Money)!

2011-09-30T14:00:00.000-04:00

One of my new initiatives with Ecological Babies new year is to offer some suggestions of ways to save your family money so that you have more financial freedom to invest in other purchases you might not otherwise be able to afford. So for example, say you REALLY like the GroVia all-in-one diaper but you don't have the budget to have your stash filled with it. With some extra spending money, you can upgrade at no additional cost to you! I know I'd personally like to invest in higher quality items and perhaps save money for trips. You might have other priorities!

We hope you find some value in this initiative and look forward to hearing your feedback!

Sincerely,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Reflections & Resolutions

2011-09-28T14:42:00.000-04:00

What a busy year for us! We went from launching our natural parenting products to adding a new location, and even hiring Claire Williamson. I have to admit, having Claire on board our team has been a highlight. Partnering with others really helps bring in fresh new ideas and discussions! Of course, Ecological Babies would absolutely not be operating if it weren't for my amazingly talented web designer, Liz Buzone. Thank you Liz for ALL that you do!!!

Every year on our birthday, I like to do a little "R & R". Nope, not rest and relax! Rather, I like to see the day as the beginning of a new year and reflect & develop some resolutions. It's time for planning and improving and going back through our notes when we first developed our mission.

Here's some of the key points in my notes of what I originally wanted integrated into our mission:
-Creating value through our products & education.
-Developing relationships with those that we serve and work with in the community.
-Desire to serve society rather than exploit. Something many big box stores don't embrace.
-For me to be able gain balance and peace within my self and help others too.
-Promoting simplicity, social justice, community, and spirituality. These are values that stem from a volunteer year I spent with the Jesuit Volunteer Corp (JVC). Spirituality in the sense of connecting people to each other and their environment, whatever beliefs you may have.
-For me to gain autonomy to be home raising my children.

In reflecting on ways I believe we can improve, I've come up with a short list that will sound a bit vague. But as I continue to dwell on these topics, I'll put more details into motion. Most of all, I'd love your feedback!

Ways of Improvement:
-More education. I'd like to offer more discussions on topics related to cloth diapers to offer more support and guidance. In addition, I want to become more a resource on other topics related to our mission: natural parenting, attachment parenting, simplicity, community building, etc.
-Faster Shipping. I have to be honest. Right now, it's an effort to ship out orders. I want to become more efficient to minimize efforts and costs, and to be able to ship within 24 hours.
-Quicker Follow up. We want to offer as much support to you as possible. You should expect us to return your message or reply by email within 24 hours at the latest.
-Find more ways to build community. Since we're home-based, our main presence is online. And while we can connect online to many people at once, we can connect better when we are physically with people. We want to provide more opportunities where like-minded families can get together. When you have small children, you can become limited in your ability to meet people you'd really connect with. We want to help orchestrate that!
-Have more presence in hospitals, day cares, and other places where consumers can learn more about cloth diapers. We want nurses excited about cloth diapers, day cares to be more eco-friendly and open to accepting cloth diapers. If they won't come to us, we'll just have to come to them!!! :o)
-Give back more to the community. We're talking charity events, donations, volunteering. We're all in this together, right?

Like I said, I REALLY want to hear from you and your experience with us. What can we be doing better or already doing well? You can even post anonymously! Please don't make me beg!

Thank you to all that we have met with this year. You make us a success and keep our mission going in your community.

Peace and lots of love,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

"Winner Picks" Giveaway!

2011-09-21T11:01:00.000-04:00

Our three year anniversary is right around the corner and we couldn't be more excited with where we are right now. I found it difficult to pick an item to put up for our giveaway. SO, instead I thought I'd leave it up to YOU! :o) That's right. If you are the lucky winner, you get to pick ANY item you've wanted to try out or have already been loving at Ecological Babies. (Note: this doesn't include packages but single items)

Giveaway Requirements:
1. Like us on Facebook.
2. Tell us which item you'd like to win and post on our wall.

Extra entries:
1. Tell us one of your favorite products of ours you've been using and why you like it so much.
2. Give us a shout out on your wall promoting our giveaway and make sure to tag us.
3. Bring us a new friend to like us and tell them to give you credit when they post on our wall.
4. Post a picture of your baby wearing one of the diapers you've purchased with us.
5. Subscribe to our Blog and let us know on our FB wall.

Deadline:
Friday September 23rd at 10pm E.S.T.

Note:Winner will be drawn using random.org and will be announced on our wall. Winner has 1 week to claim prize.

Good luck!

Cheers,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Becoming a Community Insider

2011-08-06T09:14:00.000-04:00

Last night, I realized something important about me. Where ever I am (whether I'm just visiting or permanently living there), I need to feel connected to that community. I seek out local establishments, local residents, and attempt to learn what it's like on the inside. Perhaps call it an immersion experience! It wasn't until last night that I began to understand why.

Growing up, I was not connected at all to my community nor did I understand its significance. In fact, I hardly paid attention to local, national,or international news, remaining in a little protected bubble. Many people might say that is good for kids and I definitely agree to a certain extent. I agree that children (nor us as adults really!) should not be exposed to violence. But I believe there are limitations of protection that hinder their chance at growing connecting to their "real" community that has some unfortunate circumstances.

For example, people who are homeless or poor in their community. I personally believe that allowing our children to experience interactions and relationships with those experiencing hardship is beneficial to our children, to the disadvantaged person, and even to the community. How many of us are honestly intimidated by the person asking for money on the sidewalk and act as though they are invisible? I want my children to know these are people, just like us in many ways, people deserving respect and need love too. They too are part of our community and because we are more advantaged, we need to help those currently living with a disadvantage as often as we can. More about this another time though....I want to come back to my original topic of community living.

It wasn't until I volunteered a year of my life with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps where our life was completely immersed in the community that I experienced what it was like to be a part of a real community. I now know belonging to a community is a spiritual experience that feeds our soul in ways unimaginable. It provides a sense of connectedness to those around us, a sense of belonging which is a biological need. I also feel more grounded to know local people that I can trust and to know what events are going on around me. Each community is authentic in its own way.

In some ways, this goes coincides with the current local movement. The government is advocating this movement with the economy as it's main angle. I obviously believe supporting locally goes much deeper than that. In some ways, I believe I'm connected more to the "slow food" movement. It's about learning about local farms, what's in season, and developing a connection with nature. I yearn for the fresh organic produce from my local farmer stand as those it is going out for ice cream. It sounds ridiculous to say it that way, especially since I could never imagine as a child ever thinking this as an adult!

Well, we just moved recently and at first it was difficult, being an outsider of this community. It was a bit lonely. But it has also been really exciting as though I'm on a treasure hunt. And I can feel my sense of grounding starting to take root as relationships are forming.

How about you? Where's your community and do you feel connected to it? Where have you "rooted" yourself in it and feel that spiritual sense of belonging?

If you don't feel connected, why? Where would you like to become closer to your community?

I would love to hear about "your" community!

Peace and love,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Meet Our Newest Team Member, Claire Williamson!!!

2011-05-23T12:25:00.000-04:00

I can't tell you enough how excited we are to have Claire taking over our Tallahassee region. Never than before have I felt like the mission of Ecological Babies is going to continue to sustain itself, even without my presence (sigh!). I anticipate Claire's customer service to outshine mine and put my complete trust that you will all welcome her with open arms to our EB community. Some of you may already know her, as she is an active member in Tallahassee. Below is her response to some of my questions I asked her to share with you. I love how she's so open & honest and can relate to so many of us making stepping stones to living a more sustainable life. Serendipitously enough, I recently discovered Claire's son Grant was born only 3 days after Ecological Babies' launch date! I can't help but wonder how much more we're connected and share similar paths. Maybe you will too....

Here's Claire in her own words...

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to introduce myself as the newest member of the Ecological Babies team. I know I am not the only one sad that our friend Jen is moving so far away, but I am thrilled for her family and the opportunities this move will provide for them. I’ve got some big shoes to fill, but I look forward to the opportunity to pick up the reigns here in the Tallahassee region and carry on the mission of Ecological Babies – Simplicity, Sustainability, Community.

My husband Nathan and I moved to Tallahassee in July 2005 from Nacogdoches, TX so that I could attend graduate school at Florida State University. I graduated in 2007 with a Master of Music degree in oboe performance. I’ve been a musician most of my life, and enjoy many different creative outlets. Most of my musical opportunities these days come in the form of freelance gigs around town, and the occasional out of town orchestra concert. Locally, I play with the Tallahassee Winds, which is a non-profit community ensemble. My husband Nathan teaches drama at Deerlake Middle School, and we are both avid volunteers at Tallahassee Little Theatre. However, he’s the one on stage, and I’m usually behind the scenes sewing costumes or working in the box office.

On September 25, 2008 we welcomed a precious little boy into our lives. Our son, Grant, is the light of our lives and keeps us running from dawn till dusk! When he was born I was working at Tallahassee Little Theatre doing marketing, and briefly entertained the idea of bringing him to work with me. I gave it the old college try for about 6 weeks, at which point it became painfully obvious it was not going to work. I was firmly committed to being the one to raise him, and couldn’t bear the thought of taking my constantly nursing, wanting to be held all the time little boy to someone else for the day. We crunched numbers, pondered and prayed, and decided we could make it work, so I resigned from my full-time job at the theatre and became a full-time mom.

One of the many ways we decided we could trim our budget was to give cloth diapers a whirl. I had an old friend in Texas who tried them for a while, and at the time she was my only resource, and a meager one at that since her foray into cloth-diapering lasted less than a month! When Grant was tiny I was a regular attendee at the breastfeeding support group at A Woman’s Place, where one day I had the great fortune to meet Jen Starks. She told me about her business, and I was intrigued. My son has always had a very active bladder. Come to think of it, all of him is active so it shouldn’t be a surprise! He peed all the time, and cried to be changed immediately. We were going through two dozen diapers disposable diapers a day, and it seemed like such a waste of money to buy something, have your kid foil it up, and then toss it in the trash. Not to mention I was getting really tired of throwing out all those bags of trash, and at the time we were living in an apartment and the trips to the dumpster were getting really old really fast. I made an appointment with Jen to have a consultation, and she graciously let us come on a Saturday so that my husband (who was totally on board!) could come with me.

We were hooked on cloth from the get-go. We didn’t buy them on the spot, but went home loaded with information and hemmed and hawed about what to buy. Since we had made the decision to drop to one income, we wanted to spend wisely. Finally we decided to go with mostly prefolds and covers, with a couple all-in-ones and pocket diapers to use when we were out. As I mentioned, Grant peed a lot and demanded immediate changing, so getting anything super-absorbent (or fancy and expensive!) wasn’t really a draw, since even at night if he was even slightly damp he wanted changing – pronto. The biggest issue I had to overcome was what I fondly refer to as the “poo factor.” I was not entirely convinced that the poo would rinse out in the washing machine, and had visions of a layer of poo stuck to the drum of my washing machine that would then surely leave a layer of poo film all over all of our other clothes. Surely we would need a separate washing machine!!! Well, lo and behold, it really does wash out, they don’t make your washing machine gross, and wonder of wonders, they don’t even stink!

To a mother considering making the jump into cloth-diapering, the best advice I can share is just try it! For a relatively small investment (you can get a days worth of prefolds and a cover or two for less than the cost of two mega boxes of Huggies), you’ll have enough diapers to at least try it out. I would almost guarantee that after giving it a week you would be hooked like I was, and like so many others have been. When you have a baby, you deal with poop and extra laundry no matter what type of diaper you use, so why not choose one you can use over and over and save for the next tiny bottom that comes along?

The choice to cloth-diaper our son was initially done for mostly economical reasons, but little did we know that it would be the catalyst in a chain of future decisions to create a more sustainable, “green” life-style for our family. The longer we did it, the more we noticed our thinking towards many other aspects of our life slowly changing shape. We made small changes over time, often not even thinking about them until looking back. For example, one day it dawned on me I hadn’t bought paper towels in over six months. That was in 2009, and I haven’t bought any since! We changed our eating habits and our purchasing habits, and while we have come very far we still have far to go. The path towards sustainable, green living is an ever-changing one as more research comes available, as more green products and organic food becomes available and more affordable, and also, we must admit, as public opinion changes. Our generation has a huge undertaking ahead of us as we work hard to counteract what was once seen as progress – the integration of chemicals and disposable products. Taking steps toward green living and stepping away from the conventional and familiar can be intimidating, but I look forward to the opportunity to help enact such change and help parents like me see things in a new light.

Peace,

Jen & Claire

p.s. You can now reach Claire at claire@ecologicalbabies.com!

Ecological Babies, llc

www.ecologicalbabies.com
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com
850.284.5887

Ecological Babies' Top 3 Recommended Events this Weekend!

2011-05-13T15:03:00.001-04:00

Here are our top 3 recommendations for this weekend:

1. Tour of Gardens (Maclay Gardens)- Saturday from 10-5pm.
www.floridastateparks.org/maclaygardens

2. Healthy Mama, Healthy Baby 5k Walk/Bike/Run- 10:30-1:30pm
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204666349557430

3.Prophecy School of the Arts' Annual Student Showcase
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222243817790040

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Summer Fun Contest-Best Smoothies!

2011-05-11T19:49:00.000-04:00

Ok, to kick off the warm weather lately, I thought we could cool things down with a smoothie contest. Post your favorite smoothie recipe and where you found it in our "Albums". Then everyone will get to try out the recipes and vote for them. The person with the most "likes" and comments (total between them) will win one of our new Kinderville Silicone Ice Molds.

We often freeze leftover smoothies in these for a sweet treat later. Can't wait to try these and add them to our smoothie list. :o)

DEADLINE & WINNER ANNOUNCED: 5/18 at 8PM.

Good luck & have fun!

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Simplify Your Diaper Bag

2011-05-10T17:38:00.000-04:00

Holy smokes! I just cleaned out my diaper bag (can't tell you that last time that happened) and it's no wonder I can't find anything in there...ever. My diaper bag has become a dumping ground for random items I need during each trip, yet I don't make the effort to clean it out right after a trip.

I found single socks, random toys, 3 chapsticks, spare clothes, spilled Easter candy, 3 pairs of sunglasses, extra pair of shoes, sunscreen, receipts and way too much more to list individually. Recently, I've thought that I need a bigger diaper bag. Not today! Today, I completely cleaned out my bag (literally, as my diaper bag is going through a wash cycle right now!) and am going to attempt to be better at keeping it at bag. I really only need a few things in there for each outing. Instead of thinking that I'm saving time by keeping a bunch of things in the all the time, I want to lightly pack the bag each day (or the night before) and cater it to our plans for the day. Not only will I be carrying a lighter load but I will actually be able to find what I'm looking for in there with ease. I can't tell you how many times I didn't think I had an item in there that I wanted only to find it deep in the bottom of my bag buried under junk.

What's in YOUR diaper bag?

If you'd like to ditch the idea of a "diaper bag" all together, I have an alternative suggestion. Pack a wet/dry bag for all your diapering needs. In the dry part, put only the amount of diapers necessary, a onesie, & wipes. Once the diaper has been soiled, you put it in your wet part of the bag. Then all you need is a small purse for your belongings. If you plan on only changing the diaper in the car, leave it there until you do the change. It feels so freeing to only carry around a small purse these days. Sometimes, I even stick my credit card, ID, and phone in my pocket and do errands. It's wonderful!!!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Celebrate our Motherhood!

2011-05-07T21:53:00.000-04:00

Ah, Mother's Day. Why can't you come every Sunday? :o) I officially like Mother's Day better than any other holidays (even my birthday). I feel no pressure to plan my day or think about how I'm getting older but can just stop and "feel the love."

It's also my favorite because 2 years ago on Mother's Day weekend, I found out I was pregnant with Tyler. What a special gift for the weekend! If you've been reading any of my recent posts, I've been in a great space mentally and I can see the impact it has had on my relationship with my 2 kids. The amount of quality time I spend with them directly impacts the well-being of everyone in the family. But I have to admit, I'm wondering if I can keep up the momentum.

I have been doing a few things these past 2 weeks that have been KEY to how things have been going.
1. Organized-With all the purging I've been doing, I've also be organizing the heck out of everything I want to keep and use in my house.
2. Efficiency-I've found a few tricks that has saved me a lot of energy and time, so I'm not completely exhausted at the end of the day. For example, I've set up routines for laundry, dishwashing, cleaning up toys. I've integrated them into the day, so it doesn't all wait for me at night. I really can't believe how much I'm able to accomplish.
3. Preparedness- I cannot tell you how much of a difference getting things prepared the night before does on my days. I'm not a morning person, expecially when I never seem to have enough sleep. I've been packing lunches, putting things in the car that I need to do the next day, getting my coffee area all set up for easy access, meal planning, and coming up with a couple activities I want to do the next day. HUGE difference in my life.
4. Taking Care of Myself- Eating breakfast, green smoothies, more yoga and time for myself at the gym. It's like taking a big breath of fresh air. I am a new person when I meet my own needs.

Despite all this, I can tell you that I have put in more "floor time" and intentional time with my kids than ever. For example, I spent about an hour just having fun with Tyler on our hammock. I thought to myself, why don't I do this more often? We played hide and seek, colored, did puzzles, read books, shared nice meals, went out for frozen yogurt, and all today. It blows my mind away.

Today, I love being a mother. I hope you have a wonderful day full of love and laughter.

Peace,

Jen

Ecological Babies' Top 3 Recommended Events this Weekend!

2011-05-06T12:36:00.000-04:00

Hopefully the weather will continue to be as beautiful as it has been these past few days. If so, I know we'll be outside as much as possible savoring these last few days before the heat sets in. Don't forget sunscreen!

Sat:
Tallahassee Downtown Book Fair- 9:30-2pm
-This event supports our local library book sale, features local authors and musicians, has food and sounds like a wonderful day outside in our community.
For more details:http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/library/friendsofthelibrary/images/2011/BookFair2011Promo.pdf

Kidsfest at the Fairgrounds- 10am-4pm
-A fundraiser for Kids Incorporated, this is a great family event. It has kids activities, live performances, lots of tables of local businesses, and a great way to meet other families.
For more information: http://www.kidsincorporated.org/attachments/065_Kidsfest%20flyer.pdf

Blue Crab Festival in Panacea- 10am-9pm
-Our family attended this festival last year and had a pretty good time. It's a little bit of a drive, so I recommend bringing a picnic blanket, some of your own snack food, and devote a solid chunk of time there. They have live music, bounce houses, kids activities, vendors, and a lot of food. The food, however, is a bit like our festivals downtown-a lot of grease. BUT the seafood is excellent. Be prepared to spend some money on the food. I also love that it's located right on the coast with a beautiful view.

For more details:
http://www.bluecrabfest.com/
http://www.tallahasseegrapevine.com/event/view/id_3354/

What's on your agenda this weekend?

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Counting My Blessings!

2011-05-05T21:14:00.000-04:00

I can honestly say that this week hasn't gone as smooth as last week. Brian just finished up his faculty position on Sunday. Oddly enough, having Brian home has been a bit of an adjustment period. Who's doing what, when and who's going to tackle some extra time with the kids. Our balanced has been thrown off. But like any new adjustment, we get through it and find our rhythm again.

When I get caught up in some of the trials of the day, I often lose sight on what's really important on a grander scale and just how good I really have it in my life. Today, I'm going to stop and write down some of my greatest moments today I was gifted. Life is truly good once I can pull away and admire it's beauty.

1. My son, Tyler, is source of much love and joy in our family. Today, he was on a kick of going to each family member (and a visiting stranger!) and giving kisses. He particularly loved giving kisses to my daughter and seeing their growing relationship makes my heart swell. Sigh!

2. Rita Clare's sense of self-assurance and maturity astounds me. For a 3 year old, she understands more about the world and just needs a few extra skills to keep up with the confidence that she can do it all. The other day, I had the WORST experience ever as a mom. My keys got locked in the car with both my kids inside. Yep! I can feel my heart beating faster just thinking of the situation. First I called my husband in a panic and told him to rush to me (I was at home). Then as I'm trying to explain to RC what happened, I decided to try and see whether she could unlock her seat belt. My first instinct was, "Wait, I don't want her to know how to do this!" But we calmly walked through it and she DID it!. I was so proud of her. She saved me!

3.. My husband surprised me with delivered flowers as an early Mother's Day sentiment. It stopped me dead in my funky mindset and I couldn't help but recognize how lucky I am that I'm in a great marriage. We have our stumbling blocks but I'm so grateful for a good life partner who sometimes is a bigger believer in me than myself.

3. I'm so grateful that I live somewhere that I have access to all the things important to me: clean water, fresh food, a safe community, great preventative-minded family doctor, freedom to live a life of autonomy, kid's nights at restaurants :o), and supportive/unconditional love from friends.

I have a million more but these are the top tier. What are some of your blessings today?

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Waste Not, Want Not

2011-05-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

This is a phrase that has struck new meaning this morning. In particular, the second half-"want not." Recently, I have been posting about my journey toward a more simple life and it has been an indescribably freeing experience.

A chosen life of simplicity is not one of sacrifices. Instead, it is living life the way you want it, to the fullest. It's the freedom of staying in those precious moments far longer than you can imagine. It's empowering. This past week, I have been repulsed at what possessions I just couldn't let go of that "cluttered" my home and my mind. Clothes that I might "someday" fit into, candy that has been around for months, little "trinkets" filling in space and collecting dust, books I read a long time ago that I thought I MAY someday want to read again (and didn't!), baby toys that were never really a hit but couldn't let go of (that future baby might like it??), and more.

All these things carried emotional power over me. The life of consumption is an endless drive that takes over my mind, drains my financial resources, and crowds my space. Today, I looked at my small bathroom and for the first time, I thought it was the perfect size and looked beautiful with absolutely nothing on the surfaces. I took a few moments and admired the colors, the way the light shown in, and how clean I felt as I stepped out of the shower. My mind was still.

As I embrace a more simple life, I don't want many things. The idea of going to Target or another box store that tries to fill my head with "needs" seems unpleasant. this is completely different from how I normally feel when I head to Target (excitement over deals, etc). I've stopped thinking I might need something in CVS or Publix a while back, as most of their items aren't what we use or consume. There's an occasional item or two, but on the whole I drive around not interested in most of the stores.

Does it bring the opportunity of quality time with my family? Am I REALLY going to use it enough times to justify it's need in our home? Can I borrow something like this from family, friend, or a neighbor for a short period of time? What happened to our community life?

I've decided this past week, that big warehouse stores like CostCo isn't right for our family anymore. Sure I save a dollar or two on Cheerioes, easy to make meals, organic broccoli and carrots, etc. But I don't need 4 boxes of crackers (Even the ones I like) taking over my storage or 10 pairs of socks b/c it's a good deal. I definitely spend more when I'm there, but more importantly, I'm tricked into thinking I need items in there and I don't. The bulk buying usually has more packaging too. I'll let my favorite stores buy in bulk and only pick up when we immediately need. Right now, I have the luxury of it being so close to me (literally down the road).

Buy 1 Get 1 Free at Publix? The $1 section at Target? No thanks.

Hoping you find the beauty in your moments today,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Steps Toward More Simplicity

2011-05-01T14:25:00.000-04:00

This past week, I have been shedding excess possessions at levels I never imagined. I'm fortunate in that our moving process has sparked new energy to organize and see what we don't need anymore. But beyond that, I've realized that all this clutter and extra "stuff" is sucking up attention and energy away from my children. I'm not even aware of it but I've realized that I've been full of restlessness that has kept me running, yet I'm exhausted from it. Waste of energy, if you ask me. Regretfully, I haven't really been enjoying the time spent playing with my kids as much as I like to and often when we play, I think about what I still "need" to do. Yuck!

First of all, someday I hope to reach a point where my happiness isn't based on my accomplishments. It's ego-based and mostly causes me disappointment because I can never "do" all the things I think I need to do. When people ask me how I'm doing, the first word that pops in my head is BUSY....What??? Instead, I'd prefer my first thought to be AWESOME, or NEVER BEEN HAPPIER! I lose touch with people because I get so wrapped up in all my to do lists and that includes my kids. :o(

As the layers of excess has been slowly removed from my home, I'm spending more time using the toys/tools I actually like to use with my kids. Bye bye crappy plastic toy that I kept around because we got it as a gift years ago!! The drawers aren't filled with a mess from things just thrown in there. I don't have to search through all the items I don't like, we don't use, or doesn't work well. Now I'm only keeping the things of use or will keep for a short period of time (following the geniune interest of my kids). What a great feeling!

Another thing I've been doing is working on simplicity of my time. I don't need an action packed day. We can do things...but much slower. For example, the other day after I dropped my daughter off a preschool, my son Tyler in tow), I decided to stop by our closest library to pay a little fine I had. Well, the library wasn't going to be open for another 10 minutes. Waiting 10 minutes shouldn't be a big deal, right? I honestly considered driving to the bank first and then to come back. I didn't REALLY need to go to the library. I then looked around and thought, maybe I should walk around a nearby store to kill time. Kill Time???

But then I stopped and thought, here's a great opportunity to slow down and enjoy these short moments with Tyler. I put on some nice music, rolled down the window, and blew bubbles in the car. Tyler LOVED it. I even had a great time! I want more of these moments. I don't want to spend my days doing things FOR the kids and wait to have "me" time. I want to spend the day WITH the kids with us all having fun.

In just this short week, I have already noticed a difference. Instead of feeling proud of my accomplishments off my to do list, I'm feeling grateful for my wonderful children. Instead of trying to get them both to nap at the same time so I can be alone, I'm enjoying their staggered naps and the special time we get to share with each other. We've been dancing and singing, playing games, taking slow walks, and genuinely enjoying each others company.

Granted I still need some space for myself too. And I'm a little manic about wanting to get rid of more things in our house. It's a work in progress but am grateful for this next mindset.

One happy mama,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Ecological Babies' Top 3 Recommended Events this Weekend!

2011-04-29T12:13:00.000-04:00

Sat-
1. Nene Fest:
*This is one of Tallahassee's finest festivals. It's run by the Indian Head community and for them but open to anyone! I highly recommend bringing a picnic blanket, change of clothes/towel, and sunscreen.

Optimist Park from 3 to 9 pm. This year’s ―for neighbors, by neighbors‖ festival will feature live
music and a few surprises. Bring your picnic, a chair, dancing shoes, and a kickball, Frisbee, or whatever
else will contribute to the fun. When Indianhead/Lehigh neighbors come together, amazing things can
happen!
If you have questions, contact Marie-Claire at marieclaireleman(at)gmail.comor 728-7514.
You can view photos from last year’s Fest at http://ihlna.org.

2. Clothing Swap: 8:30-10am

Need some new clothes for the kids?
Good Samaritan MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Group and Momslikeme Tallahassee are sponsoring a Spring Clothing Swap. We all know how expensive kid's clothing can be. It doesn't get any easier than this!

Check in begins at 8:30am. Bring your kid's clothes and shoes ready to exchanged - get one credit for each piece. The Swap will start promptly at 9:30am. "Shop" around the swap for the things you need, using your credits. All leftover clothing can be taken home by the original owners, or will be donated to The Brehon House.

There will be some fun things for the kids to do also! Come check out our info tables that will have information about our MOPS group, Momslikeme Tallahassee, Good Samaritan Academy, and Good Samaritan Arts program. Free to attend!

3. PRSM Sale: TODAY 10am-6pm, Sat, 10am-6pm

Probably pretty picked over since it started today but awesome deals!

Parents Raising Sensational Multiples (PRSM) is happy to announce the spring sale will be at the former Goody's location at the Tallahassee Mall.

For the first time our sale will be accepting credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and Discover). There will be a $20 minimum purchase required for using a credit card.

What are your plans this weekend?

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Easter Festivities

2011-04-24T23:23:00.000-04:00

I must say, each Easter seems to get a little more fun as the kids get older. When Rita Clare was younger (much like how Tyler is now), she really didn't understand too much about what was going on, nor could she participate in the ways she did this year.

Highlight #1: Dyeing & decorating the eggs. Next year, I'm going to have Rita Clare help me make the natural dyes. This year, I lacked confidence in whether it would actually turn out, she's notorious for making decisions without checking in with me first, and her attention span would have died out before we actually started dyeing the eggs. Much like cooking in peace (when both kids actually nap at the same time), making the natural dyes was quite fun and adventurous. I used some leftover red cabbage (blue/purple color), beets (pink), and turmeric (yellow-gold). I tried mixing a couple to make different shades but it didn't work out that well. (Maybe next year, I'll double my quantities of the primary colors and work with it)

After cooking the color into the water/vinegar, I poured the contents through a strainer. If I had strained it with a cheesecloth, I wouldn't have had any specking of the eggs. Honestly though, I kinda liked it speckled! At that point, I was ready to set up the dyeing station. The stress level was low because I had it all prepped before Rita Clare came out from her nap. Tyler sat up at the table and watched, while eating an undyed egg. Both the kids (and actually Brian and I too) have been eating a ton of hard boiled eggs recently. Some mornings, Tyler will eat two in one sitting! Here are a couple pics of the dyeing process:

Red Cabbage

All three cooking at the same time

Presto!

Highlight #2: Setting out everything from the Easter Bunny. This year, I progressively picked things up. I especially was excited for the opportunity to support a few local businesses in our gifts: Little Speckled Frog, Happy Little Monkey, Handmade Natural Wooden Gifts, Earth Fare, One Week Boutique, and a local vendor (I can't remember now) from Spring Time Tallahassee. This year, I wanted quality rather than quantity. Brian still thinks I went a little overboard (and I probably did) but many are the gifts that will bring us quality time together as a family. Here's what it looked like before I turned out the lights last night:

Highlight #3: Little moments in the early morning. As neat is it the moment they come out to look at everything, it is usually immediately followed by a craze that I have a hard time handling. This is especially because I am always woken up earlier than normal and have not had my first cup of coffee. Despite all that and some of the greed that is in there, there were a few memorable moments I'm glad I captured:

Tyler secretly swiped Rita Clare's chocolate & decided to help himself to it. When caught, he started laughing as thought he knew what he'd done and was proud of it!

Rita Clare wanted to ice the cinnamon rolls "all by myself". She'd ice one roll, lick off the knife and move on the the next one. I just couldn't bring myself to throw away the dye at that point, so I actually dyed the icing lavender.

Highlight#4: Easter Egg Hunt with family & friends. We were fortunate enough to be able to do our egg hunt with some other like-minded friends at Lichgate. I take this space for granted....it's stunning! It was so low key and most of the eggs weren't loaded with more candy. We put temporary tattoos in ours as our contribution.

Honestly though, Tyler was a major highlight of the egg hunt. It was his first official "hunt" where he could put it in his basket and look for the eggs. I was surprised how quickly he caught on. It was adorable. I have a video I made too. Maybe I'll post it on facebook, since it's too cute to keep to myself. :o)

Entering the Enchanted Space

Sister & Brother Love

Satisfied with a full basket

Priceless. This was his first egg.

Final Highlight: Baby birds on our back porch were born and set free this weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good picture but this was such an awesome experience. A finch nest was made on our screened in porch and the last few days, we knew the eggs had hatched. We'd hear their little chirping and the many rounds of food their parents made keeping their little bellies full. But yesterday, they all left the nest and flew for the first time...all over our screened in back porch. I couldn't believe how large they were for only being a couple days old. Their little fuzzy heads and vulnerable state kept Rita Clare and I watching them from our window. It was an honor to witness their freedom and how we helped protect their nest as they grew into being.

Hope your Easter was a great as ours!

Peace from our family to yours,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Now Hiring! Sales Representative

2011-04-20T12:45:00.000-04:00

Sales Representative/Community Educator

Job Description

Summary of Position:___________________________

Oversee and manage Ecological Babies in the Tallahassee region. Will be responsible for community education, fulfilling orders, providing customer service, and be involved in various community events.

Must promote & advertise Ecological Babies’ mission and help continue to bring in new clients.

Key Qualities of Employee:_______________________

Passion for cloth diapers and green living
Excellent interpersonal and social skills
Ability to handle money and enact sales transactions
Must have daily access to computer and the internet
Must have clean, temperature controlled space for inventory storage
Needs effective time management skills (must schedule and keep appointments)

Strong community ties is a plus
Sales background is a plus
Acquaintance with Social Media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is a plus

Specific Duties & Responsibilities:_____________________

Run Community Seminars- (approximately once a month)
Host Cloth Diaper Showers in the area
Set up, maintain, manage online registries
Advertise -Post flyers in various locations of upcoming events
Social media assistance- announcements, promotions/sales, local events
Mom’s Time Out participation (possibly sit on committee board)
Manage local inventory
Pay is commission based (Must be able to commit to a minimum of 10 hours per week, more hours will produce more income)

Training:

Owner will provide training on all aspects of the job. This will include an in-depth introduction to Ecological Babies’ mission, procedures for inventory management, and training on how to conduct sales, community seminars (will observe at least one seminar presentation), and cloth diaper showers (may observe one shower). Owner will maintain a close relationship with employee and be available for ongoing support.

Ready to Apply? Here's the Application.

All About Sunscreen!

2011-04-19T17:00:00.001-04:00

Finally! After trying out so many different brands of sunscreens, I think I can finally settle on this one. If you were to look in my bathroom closet, you'd think I was a collector of sunscreens. We have ones for us adults that I've had for a long time (and now my husband is the only one who uses it). They include the standard brands and some with insect repellent in it too. Then a couple summer ago, I was hooked on those cooling mist ones that spray on. I thought, hey's this is easy and it's SPF 70 too! Plus, they didn't feel like they were clogging my pores.

Then I started to learn that some sunscreens were arguably worse for your skin/body than if you never worn it at all. Say WHAT??? If you're just starting to evolve in the land of sunscreen and want to learn more, here is an EXCELLENT website to bookmark: www.cosmeticdatabase.com. It will cover makeup, lotion, shampoo, and MUCH more. Be careful though, the more you learn, the uglier and more unsettling it gets!

So then we started trying one just for kids. Bad news-most of those aren't trustworthy either! BUT there are a few safe brands that are safe that I've tried and will review for you:

Badger-Smells good, goes on really thick, terrible for my face

California Baby-Pricey for little bottle, goes on white & very difficult to rub in, thick on face

Aveeno-has parabens, gentle, rubs in nice, strong sunscreen smell

Jason-Like the smell, not good for babies, rubs in nice

Burt's Bees-strongly dislike smell, texture after rubbing on is weird, easy to rub in, not thick

I know we haven't tried them all but I believe we've made a good dent! So, here are some features about Dr Robins sunscreen and why I'm finally settling on this one:

1. It's made in USA by a pediatric dermatologist

2. The ingredients are very impressive and therefore I can trust it. Here's the list.

3. The entire family can use this (including babies).

4. I will put this on my face.

5. It goes on white at first, so you can see where you put it on.

6. It rubs in so easily, which is especially good for my squirmy kids.

7. The smell is non-intrusive. It's very mild.

8. After I put it on, I don't feel the need to go wash my hands. It's not oily & can be rubbed off hands easily.

9. It's not tested on animals.

If you have some time, I'd recommend you checking out Dr. Robin's sunscreen Q & A. It's a great jumping point for being safe in the sun, especially for your little ones.

I'm curious what other brands are out there. Which ones have you tried? Like/dislike?

If you'd like to give ours a try, then we now have it in stock. Here's the link.

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Letting Go

2011-03-15T16:07:00.000-04:00

These last couple weeks, I've been trying to work on my tendency to over control my 3 y.o. and being more patient. Somehow, I've come to micromanage her life more than I should and it has been taking its toll on both of us. With her unpredictable nature of wanting to do what she wants to do (sometimes at the expense of others' well-being), I struggle between letting things "play out" vs "protecting" the other person.

Perhaps it went up a few notches when my son was first born. I literally feared his life everyday and instinctively wanted to protect him from her. For the most part, it wasn't maliciousness but rather loving or playing too hard on him. :o) I'm grateful to be past those early days of that.

With my intention to let go a bit, I've definitely noticed an improvement in Rita Clare and my relationship. I'm trying to trust her choices and "talk it out" more. I've been trying to say "yes" more too.

Yesterday, I had 2 proud mama moments. Rita Clare invited me to music time at her preschool. At one point, the leading teacher asked RC whether she wanted to come up to the front and sing me a song. Without a hesitation, she went to the front of all the school. She picked Twinkle, Twinkle and sang loud and proud. Even though I felt embarrassed with everyone looking at me, I couldn't help but get misty. It was definitely a moment I'll always remember. My love was absolutely pouring out of me. After the song, one of her teachers told how great she had been doing the last couple weeks at school. Maybe it was partially from our improved relationship. Maybe not! Nonetheless, I was beaming. :o)

THEN, Tyler and I were eating some lunch together. I've recently been eating a bunch of beets and had them available to eat at the table. Tyler leaned in and signaled he wanted some too. He devoured it and on the inside, I was doing a happy dance. OK, so I might have did a happy dance during it too! ;o) But I caught it on video and it just warms my heart to watch him eat so well....and with character. I attached it, if you want to join in the moment!

Loving being a mama,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Lasting Effect of Healthy Foods Seminar

2011-03-04T12:53:00.001-05:00

You know the feeling of going through all the cookbooks on the shelf, picking one out, and bringing it home for the first time? You can't wait to get started on some new recipes and a new found sense of energy surges through you in the kitchen. That is how I'm feeling after our Healthy Foods Seminar with The Kitchen Goddess, Jill Welch. What's better is that I'm fired up about all my cookbooks and some of Jill's recipes she shared.

Even more still, I know which foods I want to focus on and have a bunch of new veggies, grains, sauces, dips to start my adventure. Thank you Tyler (my son) for taking a nice long nap after visiting New Leaf Market to buy some goodies! If I didn't have some peace and quiet, I wouldn't have nearly enjoyed this "free" time as much as I did.

As expected, the seminar went great! I knew how much I needed the advisement from a whole foods educator, but am now even more convinced by how necessary these seminars are for the community at large. Sure, we might have mastered the first solid foods for our baby. And that's a great start! But how are your mealtimes going through the week and weekend? How do you manage to do it?

I'm the first one to admit that it is such a challenge for me to make dinners. I've started getting the healthy snacks and lunches going. But both kids home with me and running Ecological Babies takes away a lot of my gumption for preparing meals. With this new energy and focus back on making it a priority, I'm feeling great about getting back on track. I've learned some tips on which foods I'm integrating and how to get creative with fitting it all in. A work in progress though!!! Thanks Jill for a wonderful seminar.

A humble mama,

Jen

p.s. If we decide to do another round of these seminars, would you come? What day/time would be best for your busy life?

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Life too Short to be Uptight!

2011-02-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

These days, I'm always looking out for the win-win as a parent. Many of my waking (and sometimes foggy) hours are spent completely focused on my kiddos. Lately, I've realized that I haven't included enough "fun" time for me. Sure we share laughs together as a family. Yes, I have fun when we sing songs together. But sometimes, I'd like to dance like crazy to some of my old jams. How about some Beatles or techno in my underwear? Or when was the last time I tried to ride my bike without holding on?

I've been taking a life a little too serious recently and honestly, it is getting old. I don't like feeling uptight about whether my daughter says please to me or lifts up her skirt in public to show off her underwear. Manners, manners, manners. Today, I'm more interested in learning more about having fun. I'm ready to rekindle some of the fun I had as an adolescent and bring in some new energy.

Anyone else want to jump on the bed and put an avocado mask on? How about an innocent prank call, anyone?

When I'm enjoying the moment, so are my kids. And that to me, is the ultimate win-win.

Cheers,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Coming Soon!!! Biodegradable Beach Toys!

2011-02-23T11:50:00.001-05:00

INTRODUCING ZOE B BIODEGRADABLE BEACH TOYS: PLANET OVER PLASTIC.

I am ecstatic that we'll be bringing these to Ecological Babies. Finally, some quality beach toys that aren't made from harmful plastic. Plus, it's affordable and made in the USA (only $21.99)! Here's all the info:

BEACH TOYS FAQ

What are Zoë b Beach Toys made of?

Our toys are made with a biobased material that comes from American-grown corn. Specifically, this bioplastic from Mirel™ is made with PHA, a polymer produced by microbial fermentation of sugar.

Do the toys contain Bisphenol A (BPA)?
No. They’re made with bioplastic derived from corn sugar and contain absolutely no BPA, phthalates, or PVC. In fact, our bioplastic is even FDA-approved for food contact (not that we recommend your child eating sand out of the bucket).

Why is your bioplastic better than ordinary plastic?
Our bioplastic comes from corn grown here in the USA, a renewable resource. Ordinary plastic comes from oil and natural gas, fossil fuels that are not renewable. Our bioplastic fully biodegrades in 2 to 3 years when buried in soil, immersed in water, home composted, or composted in industrial facilities. Ordinary plastic takes up to 500 years to degrade, and even then it only breaks down into tiny particles that are toxic to wildlife and the environment. Our bioplastic is BPA-free. Most ordinary plastic isn’t. And yet our bioplastic looks, feels, and holds up just like ordinary plastic.

Will the toys last?
Zoë b toys are durable and designed to hold up to playing just like ordinary beach toys. And don’t worry about exposure to the hot, summer sun. The material we use is “performance bioplastic” that can withstand endless sunlight and extreme heat—it’s even dishwasher-safe. It only biodegrades when exposed to microbial activity, such as in soil, home compost, industrial compost, or marine environments.

How long will it take the toys to fully biodegrade?
Within 2 to 3 years, depending on conditions. Our bioplastic is fully biodegradable in microbial environments, including natural soil and water, home composting systems, and industrial composting facilities— where these facilities are available. So if even if the toys get left on the beach and washed out to sea, they’ll fully return to nature in a few years. However, like nearly all other bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel is not designed to biodegrade in landfills.

So how long does it take ordinary plastic to go away?
The average plastic water bottle takes 300 to 500 years to break down. And even then, ordinary, petroleum-based plastic only photodegrades—which means it breaks down under the sun’s ultraviolet rays into smaller and smaller particles—but never actually disappears. And that alone poses a problem for our planet. Scientists estimate that every year at least 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die when they entangle themselves in plastic pollution or ingest it.

Will the toys biodegrade in my compost?
Yes, unlike most other bioplastics, the material we use to make our toys doesn’t require the high temperatures of an industrial-composting facility to biodegrade—which is a good thing, since many communities don’t even have these facilities. So when you’re done with the toys, please just put them in your compost or bury them in your backyard—or better still, give them to someone else who can use them.

Will anything harmful go into the earth? No. The Mirel™ resin we use is industry-certified to meet biodegradation and composting standards. For more information, go to: http://www.mirelplastics.com/about/default.aspx?ID=390

Do you use GMO corn to make the bioplastic?
Unfortunately GMO corn is all that’s currently available to create our biodegradable resin. (In fact, 86% of all corn in the U.S. is GMO corn.) But as technology evolves, we’re always looking for better alternatives. So stay tuned.

Can I recycle the toys with my recyclables?
No, biodegradable plastics cannot be recycled. As mentioned above, the proper way to dispose of them is ordinary composting. We’re all for recycling, but right now 15 billion pounds of conventional plastic are being produced in the U.S. every year, and unfortunately only one billion pounds are actually being recycled. That’s a frightening amount of plastic sitting around for hundreds of years.

What about other environmental costs, like transportation?
We try to reduce our footprint wherever possible. That’s why our toys are manufactured right here in the USA. Wisconsin, to be exact. (And yes, China would be a lot cheaper.)

Do the toys simply break down into tiny bits like other plastic—making them just another example of “greenwashing”?
No, the toys full biodegrade in microbial environments (soil, water, home composting, industrial composting). As noted above, ordinary, petroleum-based plastic does, in fact, break down into tiny, toxic particles that are dangerous to our wildlife and our environment. Sure, biodegradable beach toys won’t save the world, but we think it’s a small step in the right direction. And what better place to start than on our beaches.

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

New Intention

2011-02-23T11:13:00.002-05:00

New Intention
I'm adjusting my blog to merge both my personal and professional lives together. After all, they are both interwoven into my every day life and make me who I am. I've realized that I'd like this blog to be for me, an extension of my self, a place for me to process and share. Honestly though, I'm a big nervous about the whole thing. I was raised a private person and showing my vulnerable side isn't something that comes easy to me.

I'm the first to admit that I do not qualify as an expert in motherhood, nor do I think I have all the answers. My goal is to stay open-minded, to look for opportunities to grow, and to give it my personal best. My natural tendencies, however, don't always keep me in that space.

So with that all in mind, my goal is to remain real to myself and anyone who might read this. To kick off the new direction, I'm going to start with a few confessions to get my feet wet. Ok, here it goes:

Confession 1 (this one is weighing on me the most): I'm torn about what to do about shaving. For the first time, I've made the personal choice to skip shaving my body. My upbringing screams, "hide it, shave it now b/c you've started wearing tank tops again." But something inside me has changed. I've never felt so liberated! I'm fascinated at how I look, enjoy not having to keep it up, and feel more true to whom I am. SO, I'm torn whether to shave and make it a seasonal thing OR go with it and say "screw 'em" to those who judge and scoff.

Whew! That felt good to say, although I still haven't published it (if you're reading this, I've decided to do it!).

Confession 2: I have NO idea how to prepare meals for my family every night of the week. I was raised on processed convenient foods and I just can't keep it up everyday. I've come A LONG way since having Rita Clare but am baffled by those who can. I simply can't manage all of life's demands AND get dinner served every night. Somedays, I literally have a child on or next to me all day. Sure I can manage some dinner preparations with them. But often, I'm chopping veggies with a child either wanting to eat something in the kitchen, wanting to constantly help (which is actually fun when I'm in the right mindset), or to be held (wearing as a backpack doesn't always work). Then there's the challenge of feeding both kids whom may or may not want to eat what I've prepared, and the clean up effort. I'm exhausted just thinking about all that. SO, you'll find me a kid's night at Moe's and often at Earth Fare's kids night. I'm not proud nor am I hiding. I embrace having a day off or two from cooking, so I can focus on other important things in our lives too. Accepting it frees me from mama guilt, which cripples me and brings in unnecessary anxiety/stress. Do I think I can do better? You betcha!

Cheers to all of you mamas who have it together today,

Jen :)

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Potty Training (Learning) Season

2011-02-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

Call it what you want, this is PRIME season for starting to get your toddler out of diapers. The weather is warming up and you can let them run around without pants inside or outside your house. Now I'm the first to say I'm not an expert on potty training, so I won't spend time writing on that topic. Though, I have certainly learned A LOT on the topic from going through it with my first child!

To kick off the season, we're going to have a special on our Little Beetle Learners (15% off) starting 2/21 noon for a week. These trainers are like a fitted cloth diaper in that they won't leak if a little bit of pee ends up in the learner. It isn't, however, waterproof. Here are some top reasons why we love these:

1. They are super soft organic cotton=comfortable and they feel it when they are wet.
2. They have snaps on both sides if your toddler decides to go poo poo in it-SO much better than sliding it down.
3. They can be worn like underwear underneath clothes AND can be pulled up and down by your child.
4. If you add a doubler and throw on a cover, you can use it if you want to take a break on the learning process and it is functional cloth diaper.
5. They look like big kid underwear (which for our daughter was a big deal)!
6. You're not throwing money in the trash for those expensive pull up disposables.
7. It's healthier against the skin compared to most disposables.

Whether you've never given a thought to cloth diapers and are hoping to encourage your toddler out of disposable diapers, or you are continuing cloth beyond the diapers, these trainers are a great option.

Finally, I have a couple accessories to recommend when you begin this process.

1. GroVia BioWipes- Made from a plant source, these wet wipes help the toddler (and you) with the poopies on the toilet. One last wipe after she/he has wiped himself, so you won't have messy underwear. We also used these when training "on the go".

2. GroVia BioLiners- Let's face it, the poopies at this stage are really not fun to clean up. These liners go on top of the trainer so in case they aren't comfortable yet pooping in the toilet, all you do is take off the liner and flush everything down.

3. Diaper Sprayer- If you haven't already purchased one of these yet, your experience during this process will be really enhanced with one of these. If you plan on using a portable potty seat, these sprayers are the BEST at cleaning it out. If you skip the Bioliners and have poopies in the underwear for awhile, a sprayer really does the job with minimal mess for you. We use the sprayer for many other uses to, so you'll have plenty of excuses to use it (cleaning the bathroom, filling up buckets, bidet, etc).

4. Prefolds- If you've already invested in prefolds, don't put them away yet. These are excellent at soaking up accidents in record time. We'd keep them in a bin around the house, so if we needed to wipe up an accident it was ready for use. And the bonus is that you won't need to buy a lot of paper towels and they can be washed with the trainers!

Good luck to you and your new adventure!

Peace,

Jen
Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Valentine's Day Special!

2011-02-13T11:41:00.001-05:00

On February 14th, we're offering a special 15% off selected pink, red, and white diapers (in stock items).

See below to see which ones qualify:

BumGenius 4.0: Zinnia, White, Concrete Jungle
GroVia Hybrid: Cosmos, Mod Flowers
GroVia All-in-One: Cosmos, Mod Flowers
Thirsties Wraps: Rose, Alice Brights, Warm Stripes
Tot Bots: Pomegranate, Cherry, Mushroom Magic
Knickernappies: Red, Raspberry
Happy Heiny's: Pink Hybiscus

Receiving the Discount:
1. Online Purchases: We'll refund you the discount after you pay.
2. In Person: We'll discount you at the check out.

With love for all of you!

Jen :o)

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Healthy Foods Seminar w/ The Kitchen Goddess

2011-02-07T11:45:00.000-05:00

Old habits die hard, right? I can't tell you how many years I have made New Year's Resolutions and the SAME list appears again. I'm not saying I don't improve a bit and don't continue to work on issues throughout the year. But it sure seems to take me a lot of effort to make a significant change in my life and I don't always have the patience to embrace tiny improvements. Instead, I expect big and permanent results quick. :o/

Ok, I know I'm sounding vague about right about now and you're probably wondering how this relates to our upcoming seminar with The Kitchen Goddess. Here's why! I grew up in a heavily meat-eating, canned veggies, and convenient/process foods diet. In an attempt to not insult my loving, hard working dual-income parents, I at least want to say I never starved, was content with all the foods given to me growing up, and was instilled with a desire to try new foods and learn how to cook well.

At the same time, I was not raised to yearn for a healthy, fresh foods diet. I never considered where my food came from, how the animals were treated, what a lentil was, and how great my body felt when I ate healthy foods. Sure I learned the food pyramid and knew that fried foods weren't healthy. But I lacked a foundation to eat healthy, and which foods were going to make me feel best (no, I'm not just talking about eating salads at every meal!).

With 2 small children whom I'm trying to raise in a healthy way, I'm still working on feeling confident in feeding them well. I continue to read books, talk to other moms, and experiment with different foods. But one person who has been a HUGE asset for helping me not only feed my children well but myself too is Jill Welch, The Kitchen Goddess. When I was pregnant with my son Tyler, I met with Jill to help me improve my own diet and to prepare for healthy eating after he was born.

I've FINALLY come around to recognize that when I'm not eating well (e.g. skipping meals, grabbing quick convenient meals when I'm really hungry, etc), I'm not my personal best for my family. With 2 young children and Ecological Babies in operation, life is always very busy. I forget to stop for a minute and take care of myself. Silly and foolish, huh?

Jill has prepared healthy meals for our family after my son, Tyler, was born. She also brought food when our family was sick and needing a "healing" meal. We've met to talk about healthy and tasty snacks that my picky toddler will go for and foods to have around to keep our immune system strong. I now crave healthy foods and drool over fresh greens and beets (now that I know how to prepare them well!) rather than force a salad down in the name of "health." Thanks Jill!

I've asked Jill to partner with Ecological Babies to bring this knowledge to you and the rest of our community. I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to invest in your health and your kids health too. Whether you don't have children yet, your kids are young like mine, or your kids are all grown up and you want to start now eating well--this is for you. Want to learn how to extend breastfeeding while slowly introducing foods to your baby? You'll learn how here!

As a bonus, Jill will be providing healthy snacks at the seminar to give you a first hand experience while you learn. To register for both or just one seminar, head to our website to sign up:
http://www.ecologicalbabies.com/events-healthyfoods.htm

To learn more about Jill Welch and all her amazing talents, check out her website. She does other seminars around town that you might also want to check out sometime.We've been to a few and they are excellent.

What topics are you hoping she'll cover? Post here and I'm mention them to her to incorporate into the upcoming seminar! Do you have some bad habits too?

Peace, love, & healthy eating,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

New Ways to Use Rockin Green Detergent

2010-12-02T13:59:00.002-05:00

Here are some creative ways to use your Rockin Green Detergent posted recently on their Facebook Page. Do you have any other ways you use it at home?

Jamie Lynn G. uses it to steam clean her carpets

· Robyn L. uses it to soak dishtowels in the sink. “They come out super clean,” she says. “Rockin’ Green is miracle stuff.”

· Heidi M. soaks her dish rack in Rockin’ Green to bust away all the icky soap scum.

· Diane T. sprinkles Rockin’ Green on her toilets before swishing them.

· Amy K. rocks a soak with her sheets.

· Kellie B. used it once to get red fingernail polish out of her white carpet and it worked!

· Samara Q. uses it on nearly everything in her house - carpets, as dishwasher detergent and as a stain remover for just about anything – bathroom, mirrors, counters, diapers, floors. She has even made a paste with Rockin’ Green and water for shining her appliances before her family comes over, and she got the hard water off her spray hose and showerhead in the bathroom.

· Liz F. uses it to get out dog urine from the carpet and walls, as well as spit up from baby and dog on the carpet and the couch.

· Amy P. rocks the soak with her husband’s military uniforms.

· Amy K. took off the covers from her couch cushions and rocked the soak. “I was shocked that they looked like new,” she says.

· Heather W. uses it to get out dirt from the grout in her tile floors.

· Alison B. uses it as jewelry cleaner.

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Mom's Time Out Giveaway!

2010-11-15T15:54:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard already, we're sponsoring an upcoming shopping event designed for Mom's (or Dad's) ultimate pleasurable experience. Not only are you going to be supporting parent-operated local businesses but you have the opportunity to get your holiday shopping done for quality and unique gifts! What's more, we'll have fair-trade coffee, cupcakes, and cookies awaiting you. If it couldn't get better than that, we are also going to have a FREE raffle from a bunch of local businesses with no entry costs to come shop.

Our goal is to provide a fun, relaxing day for you, while your kids stay home with your significant other. We hope you'll join us 12/5 from 1-5pm. More details are available on our event's Facebook Page (Mom's Time Out Tallahassee).

Of course, we'd like to get the fun started now :o) We're going to be doing a free giveaway of an organic layette set from Halo. If you don't have a babe younger than 6 months, this is also a great gift!

Here's all the different ways you can enter the giveaway:
1. Follow the Mom's Time Out Tallahassee on Facebook

2. Follow the Ecological Babies on Facebook
3. Follow Ecological Babies' Blog.

4. Follow Ecological Babies on Twitter

5. Visit Ecological Babies and find one product you'd like to see at Mom's Time Out.
7. Retweet or share on Facebook about Mom's Time Out, Ecological Babies, or this giveaway.

Rules:
List each thing you did in the comments (here on our blog).
A winner will be chosen at random from the legitimate entries.
The contest ends Nov 22 11:59pm (My birthday!)

Best of Luck!!! :o)

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Eating From Our Pantry

2010-10-21T16:17:00.000-04:00

I just came back from the grocery store and I've literally been reworking my pantry and freezer trying to fit everything in. Granted, I don't have a large kitchen. But I keep hearing myself say I need to get to the grocery store so we can have some food for dinner. Hello, are you awake in there? I'm going to step back and use some of the food we already have at home for the next week. If all goes well and I'm in a groove, I might even add a week. Ok, so I'll probably have to get some milk and maybe a couple others after a week but I'm fairly confident we won't be starving.

Over the summer, we purchased a deep freezer with the intention of saving money buy purchasing produce in season in bulk and by making larger portion meals. I think it's time to tap into the food before it goes bad or is lost indefinitely in my pantry. Have you bought something you were sure you didn't have at home only to find it in the back of your pantry? Yep, that happened to me today. Foolish!

So if you find yourself in a similar situation, join me....even for a day. One more disclaimer. We won't be giving up our Kid's Night at Moe's on Monday and Tuesday I have a cooking club. But Cooking Club doesn't violate my system.

Who's with me? What's in your freezer and pantry waiting to be eaten?

Bon Appetit!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Delta=Success, FAA=Still Pending

2010-10-06T12:28:00.000-04:00

I just spoke with Delta's CEO executive assistant about what happened to me on Delta's flight a couple weeks ago. It was a great conversation and honestly, I applaud Delta for their customer care services thus far. They initially followed up with me very promptly and were courteous. Then this follow up came shortly after we all sent our letters of concern. Thank you again to all who sent your letters and made our voice heard!

It has helped that both representatives are mothers who are proud supporters of breastfeeding and babywearing. They both put themselves in my position and were horrified by the way I was treated. What's more, they both welcomed my/our suggestions to help make Delta a family-friendly and safe airlines.

Once thing I did find out was that MOST of our suggestions need to be heard and taken seriously by the FAA. They are the ones who call the shots regarding carriers and they basically inform and train Delta. SO, if we want to press forward (and I do believe we should), then we need to pressure the FAA (more to follow). I now understand the chain of command, the grievance process, and ways we can make positive changes.

Here's what Delta is doing to make this right:
1. They compensated me for my ticket.
2. They are having a Delta liason involved in the "investigation" regarding the flight attendant and my situation, since it was with "Pinnacle Airlines" contracted with Delta.
3. Effective immediately, they are sending out a memo to remind flight attendants to do pre-boarding for families with small children.
4. They are going to strongly suggest to Delta's Social Media Team to initiate a "family section" for all families to be near each other during the flight.
5. They are going to look into adding the educational section for parents and attendants on their safety video and their presentations, so all are aware of the FAA regulations for keeping "infant in arms" safe.

I feel positive about my phone meeting and am going to press on with the FAA. The changes with FAA, I was told, is a SLOW and resistant to change process, since it deals with laws being directly changed and consider. Next I want to work on a new letter we can all send the FAA, focusing on exactly what we want changed and demanding them to take us seriously as parents who want their children to be safe.

Stay tuned and thanks again to everyone who helped make this possible.

Peace and love,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Ready, Aim.....FIRE!

2010-10-03T20:58:00.003-04:00

This is it everyone. So far I've felt nothing but absolute support from everyone and I know you're itching to play a significant role in seriously making some positive changes. All that's required is for you to flood the policy makers' emails and the media contacts with letters asking them to take this issue seriously. Good news- I've make it VERY simple for you to do this and I promise it will take maybe 2 minutes MAX. Below are 2 letters for you to simply cut and paste into an email body. The first is the big guys who have to make the decisions on everything. The second is to hopefully grab more media attention, in case the "big guys" still need more pressure.

A Couple of Notes:
1. Send a mass email cc'ing everyone from each section. That shows them that they aren't the only ones who are hearing from you. It adds the pressure and intensity of what you're saying.
2. The BIG guys have hidden emails. I have their link to email them below and they will receive the letter individually.
3. The optimal time to send these emails are Sunday evening and Monday morning. As the week presses on, they have other "issues" to compete and catch their attention.
4. I'm not asking but FEEL FREE to send the same email everyday this week...maybe even next week. We want them to think we're not going away.

Policy Makers:

Richard.anderson@delta.com, allison.ausband@delta.com, Heidi.gould@delta.com, toby.broberg@delta.com

FAA Hotline: http://www.faa.gov/contact/safety_hotline/
SUBJECT: "Infant in Arms" Safety Regulations Need Updating!

To Whom it Concerns,

I am writing to ask you to review and update your safety policies regarding “infant in arms.” A friend of mine, Jen Starks, was recently escorted off an airplane because a flight attendant attempted to force her into following an FAA “regulation” that did not exist. While the attendant acted poorly and abused her position, the situation illustrates the importance of proper guidelines and adequate instruction of parents and flight staff regarding infant safety on airplanes. Parents should feel secure in knowing that the regulations have been purposefully constructed to ensure safety and all involved should be adequately educated on the proper procedures. I am joining with many other people in this movement and believe that the situation requires serious consideration. I hope that you will join with us and work towards improving standards and ensuring the excellence of air travel in the U.S.

Sincerely,

______________________________________________________________________________
MEDIA:

belkin@nytimes.com, chris@elliott.org , eileen@takingthekids.com, abratton@ap.org

SUBJECT: Join Us--"Infant in Arms" Safety Regulations Need Updating!

Hi,

I am joining with many people in a movement to improve safety standards and policies regarding “infant in arms” air travel in the U.S. A friend of mine, Jen Starks, was recently escorted off an airplane by armed police because a flight attendant attempted to force her into following an FAA “regulation” that did not exist. While the attendant acted poorly and abused her position, the situation illustrates the need for proper guidelines and adequate instruction of parents and flight staff regarding infant safety on airplanes. Parents should feel secure in knowing that all regulations have been purposefully constructed to ensure safety and all involved are adequately educated on the proper procedures. Jen’s story has recently appeared in Mothering Magazine, and I am asking you to write a story that puts additional pressure on policy makers to update and improve guidelines and education. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Decluttering Your Main Rooms- Part 2 (Green) Clean it Up

2010-09-27T15:51:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you but it has been WAY too long since I deep cleaned the main rooms. When was the last time you vacuumed the curtains, cleaned your ceiling fan, or cleared the rooms to completely clean your floor? I'm not going to tell you my answer but can say I'm excited to see how great the rooms are going to look.

We recently discovered that our almost 3 year old, Rita Clare, has environmental-related allergies. Our family doc suggested we invest in a air purifier, especially since we often run our ceiling fan. The fan kicks up all the dust from the room and contributes to allergies. Our 8 month old, Tyler, is also crawling/pulling up like crazy. That boy is also putting EVERYTHING in his mouth. Our floor and table space is overdue for a deep clean. And it's time to eliminate all spit up spots and lost cheerios once and for all!

Materials Needed:
A lot of rags
Mop
Vacuum
Bucket
Safe Cleaners (might need to purchase materials and spray bottles)

You're more than welcome to use store bought cleaners. We personally like 7th Generation. However, here's an opportunity to make your own and see just how easy it is. I also want you to take this opportunity to COMPLETELY say good bye to all your harsh chemical cleaners. Bye bye oven cleaners, drain stoppers, chlorine bleach, windex, Comet, and all other toxic cleaners. Instead of the running chance your child might poison themselves or doing yourself harm from inhaling or absorbing these chemicals into your system, let them go and vow to only clean safely. Guess what? Those harsher chemicals aren't going to outperform your green cleaners. That's a myth! In fact, they might actually harm the things you're trying to clean by eating away what they are trying to clean (pipes, clothes, floor surfaces, etc). What's even better is that you will save A LOT of money too.

What to do with your old cleaning bottles?
- Give them to a neighbor that uses them or use Freecycle.
- Dispose of them properly by bringing them to your local hazardous waste center.

Much like transitioning to cloth diapers, the hardest part about switching to green cleaners is the upfront education, purchasing the materials, and using them for the first time. After that, you'll probably be thinking "why did I think this was going to be so hard?" Let's just say "the man" wants you to believe that you are incompetent to do things on your own. Ok, enough of my soap box. Here are some easy recipes for getting started:

Glass/Mirror Cleaner:
1 C White Distilled Vinegar
1 C Water

All Purpose Cleaner:
1 1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. borax
1/2 t. liquid soap or detergent ( Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is recommended)
2 C hot water

Wood Cleaner (all types of wood, including bamboo):
1/4 C Vinegar
30oz warm water

NOTE: Oil-based cleaners are not recommended for wood floors, contrary to popular belief.

Soft Scrub Formula (Stove, Bathtub Grime, etc):
-1/2 C Baking Soda
-2 T. Castile Soap (Dr. Bronner's)
-Enough water to make a paste.

Other Things to Clean with just Vinegar:
-Defogging glassware
-Deodorizing toilet
-Stove and Refrigerator- Removing sticky substances
-Coffee Pot

Most of these items can be purchased at a Dollar Store (white distilled vinegar, baking soda, borax). Here in Tallahassee, Dr. Bronner's can be purchased at New Leaf Market. I'm sure it can be found other places too. Where have you found it? Also, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a nice fresh scent. What's your favorite? We like lemon and eucalyptus!

OK, now that we have our supplies here's what we're going to tackle. Remember to clean from top to bottom or you'll spend time re-cleaning surfaces.

1. Cobwebs on ceiling and room corners (Tip: Wrap a rag around the end of your broom using a rubber band and swirl in circles on the webs).
2. Dust ceiling fan (all you need is a few damp rags).
3. Ceiling air vents (take off the covers and soak/scrub them in a bucket of warm water)
4. Clean windows inside and out (tip: Wipe vertically inside and horizontally outside to see which side still needs more attention)
5. Dust off all items on table tops. If necessary wipe them down with a multi-purpose cleaner.
6. Wipe down all surfaces with a new damp rag (only water necessary). After wiping down, dry off the wood surfaces. Recondition them with olive oil. Using a clean rag, dab olive oil on rag and rub it into the wood in a circular motion. Get ready for some serious shine!
7. Time to pull out those cushions and vacuum inside your couch and chairs. How many cheerios did you find? Any money found to treat you for doing a good job cleaning?
8. Move out your furniture and clean up your floors (don't forget the base boards too!). Spot clean your rugs, vacuumed and sweep. Then clean up your floors if they're wood (see cleaner above).

This is also a good time to consider rearranging your furniture. It's amazing how different a room feels when the furniture has been changed!

Special considerations for Kitchen:
1. Clean under the heating elements with a baking soda/water paste. Let the paste sit on it for awhile and it will come right off.
2. Use the same paste in your kitchen sink. Voila, a bright (and disinfected) sink!
3. Use the same paste inside your oven too. Bye bye toxic fumes in your house with the self cleaner!
3. Microwave and fridge can be cleaned out with the multipurpose cleaner.

Did I miss anything? PLEASE share some of your homemade solutions with us. We'd love to hear what you use!

Other Green Cleaning Resources:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-cleaning/
http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/greencleaning

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Peace,

Jen
Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Decluttering Your Main Rooms- Part 1 Reflections

2010-09-27T14:12:00.000-04:00

Well, it's clear my time line was a bit off ;o) In my house, these days, decluttering a room is kinda like digging a hole in sand close to the tide. If the tide is low, then the hole I dig may stick around a while and I might be lucky enough to make a great sandcastle. But if the tide is on its way in, I can't make too much progress before it disappears. Right now, I feel the tide retracting and thus can make progress on simplifying our house.

Our first part of decluttering the main rooms has been a 2 tiered project. I typically don't think of our house as being terribly cluttered. What I found was that once I took away the visible clutter and piles that initially bothered me, I realized that I have many little things laying around that have been there so long that I hadn't even really noticed them anymore. I changed my lens to a finer focus and started to tackle the little things and they were mostly "unfinished projects" like taping up a ripped page in Rita Clare's pop-up book, putting cd's back in their cases and storing them in the other room, random seasonal items needing to be put away, etc.

With the main rooms cleared away, I actually feel a lot more organized and clear headed, even though many of the others rooms are still a disaster (trying not to think about it!). I now enjoy my living space and feel more "present" in the room. Who says Feng Shui is bogus? :o)

Unfortunately, this journey toward simplifying your home isn't a quick project. At least, not in my home. Maybe before kids, I could tackle this all in one weekend. Now, I can barely finish 1 project from start to finish. If I do, I usually feel a bit guilty that I've neglected my kids. Alas!

Now you have a choice. You can either move on to all your other rooms and do a big sweep of purging the unnecessary items OR clean up the other rooms. This is a great opportunity to deep clean the rooms, since you'll have less to move out of the room before more things return and take up space. I'm going to move on to cleaning in my next post and then will revisit cleaning up the other rooms later on. Each other room has some special considerations.

If you've started this journey with me, what are some obstacles you found? Any surprises? Issues?

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Step 1 Achieved: Local Media Coverage

2010-09-24T20:04:00.001-04:00

Tonight, my story was shared on our local news highlighting the greater issues with Delta's safety regulations in question and accountability for their flight attendants. This was a great jumping point for us, especially since the station made it the lead story for the 5pm news. By being the lead story, it reiterated how significant this issue really is and how it has potential to make some real positive changes in regulation and our experiences flying with Delta.

Next, we REALLY need someone national to pick up the story and run with it. Delta isn't going to make any changes without some serious attention and pressure. Here's the link to the story:

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/103754494.html

The best way to keep up the momentum is to copy this link on your Facebook, Twitter account and continue to ask your friends to spread the story around. Delta cannot get away with treating families poorly and should be providing us with extra consideration during our flights.

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Delta's First Offer of Compensation-Take it or Leave it?

2010-09-23T13:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday evening, I received a phone call from a Delta Customer Care Representative. I can't tell you how nice it felt to have someone from Delta eager to hear what happened, empathize with what I went through, and apologize for it. Instead of blaming me, she listened and asked questions. After hearing the whole story, she said there will be a thorough investigation on what happened. We'll see!

After apologizing, she said she wanted to make it up to me by compensating me for my plane ticket and offer me some sky miles. I was thrown a little off guard, since I figured nothing would be offered until the investigation went through. At that point, I had the opportunity to take the offer and let the situation go. Perhaps I should. After all, being heard, apologized to, and refunded was a nice gesture. Over the last few days, however, I have realized that I might have the opportunity to be a voice for all the other mamas (and dads) to listen to our concerns about flying with children, change/improve the regulations, and request all parents to be better informed on how to keep our children safe inflight.

Here's the bottom line:
It's obvious from all of my experiences (and yours) that the attendants aren't trained uniformly on regulations, parents have extra unnecessary stress and isolation by not being offered extra consideration inflight or during boarding, attendants aren't being held accountable for bullying and forcing someone to do something that isn't mandatory, there's ambiguity about "carriers" and proper restraints for babies, and it shouldn't be okay to have someone bullied, humiliated, and then deboarded off a plane by armed police when they weren't disobeying federal regulations.

We have a golden opportunity to pressure Delta to improve its policies permanently. How often does that come by us? This might actually give Delta the chance to be the top choice for parents when considering airlines. Sounds like a win-win, if you ask me.

Thank you to everyone for sharing your own experiences, providing me with support and encouragement, and for your great ideas to improve traveling with children on airplane. My next step is to continue to rally up the media to make it a national issue, to write more complaints to higher authorities, and to find out how much Delta is willing to step up without more pressure.

When I have some firm addresses/contact info and perhaps a formal letter template you can use to send your own letter, I'll post again. In the meantime, please continue to share our story on Facebook/Twitter and encourage people to offer their suggestions on how their experience on flights could be improved. Include this link for a place to post them: http://ecologicalbabies.blogspot.com/2010/09/rebel-with-cause-best-case-scenario-can.html

I look forward to hearing your suggestions and hope you'll continue to help make a difference for all of us on future flights...

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Rebel with a Cause- Best Case Scenario, Can you Help?

2010-09-22T08:04:00.002-04:00

After reading all your responses, I realized that this situation with Delta is bigger than my lone experience.
I want to discern my ultimate goal/what would correct everything. Of course, we'd all love to have free flights the rest of our lives and for the delta attendant (whom somebody nicknamed Cruella the Attendant!) to make a public apology for the way she has treated myself and others on the plane.

But this isn't really about just my situation. It's about much more.
Women (and men) who are traveling with small children need more positive attention and consideration on Delta's flights (and by all airlines). At best, we're given sympathy inflight, maybe an extra bottle of water. But let's be honest-mostly we're viewed as a nuisance and maybe a little nutty for attempting to travel with kids (well, the latter part might be true!).

So I need your help. What would make flying on Delta's or any other airline more comfortable for you and your baby/toddler? How can we make my experience a reason to reduce some stress we carry inflight. Is this a policy issue? Is it a training issue? Do we need to update how to properly hold a baby on the plane? Do we need to educate them on the benefits wearing a baby on the plane or be educated ourselves? Do attendants have the right to call the police on ANYONE according to their discretion and publicly humiliate/scare young children b/c I was escorted off the plane?

I really believe I/we have the opportunity for Delta to make things better for us and only have a small window for it to happen. A Delta Rep called me last night (missed the call) and they're calling me back today. I'd like to feel prepared using all of our experiences to "make things right." I believe this is worth it and truly believe we're all in this together!

Your thoughts?

(Photo courtesy of holistickid.com)
Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Rebel with a Cause-Delta's 2nd Response (Small Victory!)

2010-09-21T17:12:00.001-04:00

I just received an email from the Delta Social Media Team. Here's what they wrote:

Dear Ms. Starks: We have had the opportunity to review your posting on the “Raising a Green Family” blog and have initiated an internal investigation on the matter.

As part of our focus on ensuring the safety of all passengers, we do have strict criteria as to the type of seating used by infants and small children. In the event that a child’s seat does not meet these guidelines, it is standard procedure for our flight attendants to request that you not use the seat.

Based on your blog, it sounds as though you were not pleased with the way this information was presented to you and for that we apologize. As we continue to investigate this matter internally, we would like to offer you some compensation and will have our Customer Care Department contact you to discuss the details later today.

We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope you will offer us the opportunity to serve you in the future.

Regards,

Delta’s Social Media Team

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Rebel with a Cause- Delta's First Response

2010-09-21T15:17:00.001-04:00

SO, I filled out my complaint online (see my Part 1-My Complaint to see what I wrote) and received an auto-reply (listed below). I wonder how many people complain on a daily basis and am sure they probably won't do much unless the press gets hold of this story.

A representative from Delta's SocialMedia sent me a short email saying they heard what happened and wanted my flight information and such. It was about 24 hours ago and still no response after I sent him the info. I'm planning on replying after this post.

I've contacted my local newspaper and seem to get the response "we're all busy here but I'll see what I can do." Not promising! Who wants to join me and target a media source? Shall we do our local Tallahassee media as a starting point or jump up to a national source? I'm also going to be writing a letter to the CEO but am not sure anything will result without pressure from more people.

Here's Delta's Auto-Reply

"Dear Jen Starks,

RE: Case 1482511

This is an automatically generated message to acknowledge the receipt of your email. Please do not reply to this message.

We appreciate your continued patience while we review your concerns. If you have requested a response to your email, you should hear from us within 30 business days. If you need assistance with a current reservation please contact Reservations directly at 1-800-221-1212. For international reservation locations, please visit https://www.delta.com/help/contact_us/reservations/index.jsp. They will be happy to assist you.

Customer Care

Delta Air Lines

_______________________

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Rebel with a Cause (Part 2)-My Complaint

2010-09-20T16:37:00.001-04:00

Here's the statement I submitted to Delta. If I receive a response, I'll post it! Thanks everyone for your support!

One of the flight attendants tried to force me to take my baby out of a carrier while I was breastfeeding. At this time, the plane was NOT taking off, landing, or taxiing. In fact, the seat belt sign was off. She was rude, was disrespectful, bullied me, and had me escorted off the plane with my baby when we arrived at our gate. Separated from my husband and 2 year old, they had no idea what was happening and it scared my daughter. Then we almost missed our next flight and were not able to sit down to eat lunch, since I had to make a statement with the Memphis police and airport security.

I have shared this with my friends on Facebook and others have received similar treatment by a Delta attendant. Another Delta agent shared the FAA regulations with me and I learned that I had not violated it in anyway and was unjustly put through this situation.

I'd like to receive a response from Delta and to have this attendant held accountable for her actions, so she will not treat any other vulnerable mothers on future flights this way. It's hard enough to travel with children. This treatment was unacceptable.

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Rebel with a Cause :o)

2010-09-20T14:58:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, I was almost arrested for misconduct on an airplane. I wasn't the obnoxious drunk or a physical threat to anyone, although I wished I might have had a little buzz as I was escorted off the plane by police when we landed. The story?

Brian and I were separated on the plane. Brian and Rita Clare sat 4 rows ahead of me, while I sat next to a stranger (male) with Tyler. One of the flight attendants seemed to pick on all of us, since we boarded the plane. Is RC's car seat FAA approved for flight? Was my mini suitcase too heavy? Could I please make sure my bag was completely under the seat in front of me? Could Rita Clare keep it down and stop tapping her pretzel, since it was a disruption to the rest of the people on the plane?

The kicker was when she demanded I take Tyler out of my carrier and hold him over my shoulder during the entire flight. At this time, I was TRYING to breastfeed discreetly and Tyler was finally dozing off for a much needed nap. At first, I was kinda nodding like ok ok I'll try and get him out when I can, attempting to stall for time. I really didn't want to take him out. She came back again a few minutes later asking and I said ok again but didn't do anything. I realized then she wasn't going to let it go until I took him out, so I needed to make a real decision.

I decided I wasn't going to take him out. We've flown a bunch and this has never been brought up as a rule. Take off, landing, and taxiing were the only times I've been told he needed to be out of our carrier. When she came back for the third time, I told her I had decided that I was going to keep him in and would not be removing him. She was furious and huffed about it threatening that she'd be taking this to...the captain! As I sat there away from Brian, not being able to talk it out with him, I thought about the situation. What's going to happen now? Am I going to have to take this to court and make a stand for all the mamas out there that have been treated like this? How far do I REALLY want to take this and would Brian support my decision? Am I being rational about this or just being stubborn?

About 10 minutes later, she came back with a piece of paper stating I was in violation of federal regulations. It also said I could be imprisoned or fined. She came back a little later asking if I had read the sheet and snatched it back from me. I told her I'd be happy to talk to the captain about this and she snapped, "Oh you won't be talking to the captain about this..."

Here's what I came up with. Deep down, I knew this lady was a bully and wanted to feel powerful over me and everyone else on the plane. I know my baby was much safer and better off in the carrier at that point in time. I also decided I was not ready to get arrested, spend a lot of time in court, and that Brian would probably ask me to not take this too far right now. It was a tough situation for me because I do not like being unjustly pushed around and having someone demand I do something I don't think is best for my kids.

If any of you have been in a situation when you're asked not to breastfeed in an establishment, perhaps you can relate to this. You are not weak for choosing to just leave and not put up a fight. It's not like you say no, the police come with the news, and you walk away a hero minutes later. It is an absolutely BIG commitment (worthy and commendable!) of time and money to make a stand....a process that doesn't work around your family's schedule.

What happened next? Well, fortunately Tyler helped me out. Not too long after I was given the violation slip, Tyler woke up and wanted to get out of the carrier and play. SO, I happily took him out and held him during landing and taxiing the way I was told was right. Once we arrived at the gate, the announcer told everyone to stay seated for a couple minutes. Then 2 officers (Armed) came on the plane and asked me to follow them. I wish I had a camera, so I could have taken a picture of Brian's face. His face was like, what the........? My legs were like jelly and I really could NOT believe the attendant had called the police on me.

The officers looked at the baby in confusion and wanted to know the story. As soon as I told them how I was breastfeeding and trying to be discreet, etc, they were pissed they'd been called for this and apologized to me. Also, greeting me off the plane was head of airport security! After making a statement and seeing all of their reactions, I was finally able to breathe, knowing I wasn't going to prison or fined. In fact, they all apologized and I was really grateful for it.

I'm also going to be filing a complaint about the attendant, as a way to prevent other women from experiencing this. She was wrong and should be held accountable for what she did. I'm just glad I don't have to say it to a judge or be kept from my kids stuck behind bars......

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Decluttering Your Main Rooms- Part 1 Picking Up & Removing

2010-09-02T16:28:00.000-04:00

Decluttering Your Main Rooms- Part 1 Picking Up & Removing

The main rooms in our homes are our living/family room, kitchen, and dining area. These areas are top priority, since we spend the most time living in these spaces. After these rooms are finished, we are already going to feel tremendously better.

Our Recommendations: Turn up your favorite music and have fun with this!

Main Objectives:

Tidy up the room and remove everything that doesn’t belong.
Clean the room.
Organize what gets to stay.

Task 1: Tidying

This process can either be an easy one or a tough one, depending on how attached you are to the things in your home. I try and think objectively about what I really don’t need or haven’t used in this room in a while. For instance, I had been collecting my shopping bags by the front door to take to the car (someday). It had been there so long that I stopped seeing it. Look on top of your surfaces, then below it. Have you been storing things on higher surfaces, so that your kids can’t get to them? We have!

Everything that doesn’t belong in that room either needs to return to the room where it belongs (e.g. shoes by the front door need to go back in my closet), or it needs to find another home.

Here are some suggestions:

Craigslist

Garage/Yard Sale

Thrift Store

Freecycle

Everything we decide is going to leave our house is going to be stored in one place. My rule: Once I put it in that area, it’s not going back in the rest of my home. You’re welcome to give yourself a couple days to think it through before you let it go.

Give yourself a day or so to do this. In my house, I rarely get a long time span to devote to anything. It’s bits and chunks of time (and often depends on how well the two kids slept the night before!).

What's your favorite local thrift store?

Next Objective: Cleaning the Room!

This will include moving furniture, simplifying your cleaning products, removing the dust bunnies, and more….stay tuned!

Good luck and have fun!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Before We Begin-Our Intentions

2010-09-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. "

~Hans Hofmann, Introduction to the Bootstrap, 1993

First a disclaimer....In no way am I an expert on simplifying your life nor do I want to impose any of my personal values on you. This journey has to come within yourself, and take or leave what you want. This is a great opportunity for those of you who are pregnant and nesting like crazy, have kiddos at home constantly undoing the house behind you, and those of us who haven't done our "spring cleaning" in a while. If you have just had a baby within the last 6 weeks, please don't do this right now. The beauty of these posts are that you can start it whenever you like, at the pace you want, and pick and choose what you want to do.

As we begin this journey toward decluttering our homes together, we're going to start with our main rooms- front living room, kitchen, & dining room. These are the spaces we use the most and are most visible to us. Once we tackle these rooms, we'll already feel a lot better about what we're doing.

I'm constantly being told by family and strangers to enjoy the time with my kids and not worry about keeping the house tidy. I understand the intention and believe it's important to spend quality time with my kids.

There are a few reasons I'm advocating decluttering and organizing your/my home:

1. I think much clearer when I'm organized. A clear head means I'm able to be "present" to my kids when I'm spending time with them.

2. I want to know what I have in my house to use with my kiddos, rather than miss an opportunity of fun because I didn't know I had it. (Quick story to illustrate my point-I recently discovered a bunch of arts and crafts materials I bought Rita Clare for Christmas. All this time, it was hidden under junk I haven't moved since Tyler was born.) Goal: I'd like to have an organized craft area that is accessible to use when Rita Clare wants to do something fun. It's a waste of time rummaging around a mess and I'm not as likely to want to take the effort to do it when it's unorganized.

3. Other people could actually benefit from your unused possessions. Whether you sell it, donate it to a thrift store, or post on freecycle, it's time to let things go.

4. It's better for the environment. Your house is using extra energy when there are more things inside. How many things do you have plugged in that you haven't used in a long time? I can think of a few things of mine off the top of my head.

Can you think of other reasons? Are you ready to begin???

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

CONTEST: Submit Your Best --Beans & Rice/Legumes & Grain Recipe

2010-09-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

One of the best ways to start our journey of simplicity is to embrace a simpler and healthy way of eating. I'll admit that I used to despise beans. But over time, I've experimented with different types of beans/legumes and recipes. Now, I really enjoy them and particularly embrace them during the cooler months.

This month, I want to start eating a legume & grain meal once a week. It's a great way to start eating healthier, is a simple meal, saves money, helps us be in solidarity with those in poorer countries, and better for the environment. (I'll go into more detail about the last statement in another blog post.)

Join us in pledging to eat a meal like this once a week. I know many of you have a great recipe or two you already use with your family. Let's put our favorite recipes together, so we have a great central location to try new recipes.

Contest Requirements:

For the next week, submit some of your favorite beans & rice (or legumes & grain) recipe. At the end of the week (9/9 5 pm), I'll draw a name for the winner. Our lucky winner will receive a set of 4 plates from Kidishes. ($17.99 value)!!

To Qualify:
1. Post the recipe in our Discussion Board section under "Great Simple Meals".
2. Every time you submit a new recipe, you are entered into the contest. (PLEASE don't just submit a random recipe from the web you've never tried. I want these recipes to be GREAT...and the simpler, the better!)
3. You have to be a "follower" of our blog.

We look forward to trying some of your fabulous recipes!

Peace,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

September's Theme: Simplicity

2010-09-01T15:28:00.001-04:00

This month, we're going to be focusing on simplifying our lives. There's something about the beginning of the school year that feels like a new beginning (much like New Year's). This is the first year our oldest daughter started school (preschool) and I've been "nesting" again like crazy trying to become organized in our house.

As you know, both simplifying your life and becoming organized is a process. It's almost like detoxifying both our physical homes AND our inner "home". It's a spiritual experience. Initial questions such as, "Do I NEED this?", "Am I ready to part with that?" "Am I ever going to look at my house and feel like it's not cluttered?"

Once you clear the physical clutter, it's time to work on embracing a simpler lifestyle. Instead of having to regularly remove the clutter in your life, you'll be preventing the clutter from occurring. In the long run, you'll be saving money and time spent on figuring what to do with everything. The Earth will also thank you :o)

So join me this month. First we'll go through your home, car, office. Then we'll work on organizing everything you have so that you actually USE what you're keeping. Then we'll focus inward, understanding why we consume, how we can embrace a simpler, yet deeper life. Are you ready? I know I am!!!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Breastfeeding Humor

2010-08-11T10:14:00.000-04:00

I once came across this great song about breastfeeding and thought it would be appropriate to share in honor of breastfeeding awareness month.

(Sing to tune of "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast)

See our breasts, see our breasts-
Everywhere, half-naked chests.
While we nurse,
The prudish curse
And wish we'd button up our vests.
Sorry, folks, look away
If we're too decollete,
But this is what boobs are made for,
Not those Wonderbras you've paid for.
We refuse to go feed
Hunched in bathroom stalls indeed,
We're appalled that you would make sure rude requests.
Would you agree to eat
Upon a toilet seat?
See our breasts, see our breasts, free our breasts!

Enjoy and feel free to share with others!

(taken from Babytalk Magazine Oct. 2006)

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Win $10 in credit or a Free Diaper-Promote our Upcoming Workshop!

2010-08-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all!

We're having a "Cloth Diapers 101" workshop on August 24th starting at 5:30pm at The Birth Cottage. We need your help to spread the news. As an incentive, we'd like to give you a couple ways to win.

First Winner- New bumGenius 4.0 One-Size Diaper!

All you need to do is post the following on your Facebook wall and give us a shout out:

Using "<@>Ecological Babies" post: If you're interested in cloth diapers and want someone to give you the "in's and out's", attend Ecological Babies free upcoming workshop August 24 at the Birth Cottage starting at 5:30pm. If you can't make it, they do free one-on-one consultations!

Winner will be randomly drawn (from random.org) and announced the day after our workshop (Aug 25th). Note: Winner must be able to do a store pick up to receive the diaper.

Second Winner- $10 Credit on ANYTHING in our store!

If anyone in the workshop attends because of your Facebook post on your wall and they tell us, we'll give you $10 in credit. Sweet, huh? All they need to do is mention you and the Facebook contest during the workshop!

We'll write down all the referral names at the workshop and do the drawing at the end of the workshop. Winner will be announced and notified after we return home from the workshop! Note: You don't have to be local to win this one.

We hope you'll help us out, so we can help more people choose cloth for their babies!

Peace,

Jen Starks
Owner

www.ecologicalbabies.com
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com
850.284.5887

Some Survival Tips for Traveling with a Toddler & Infant 22 hours in the Car

2010-08-02T21:47:00.000-04:00

We recently took a road trip with our two kiddos (6 mos & 2 yr, 8 mos)up to Indiana to visit both sides of our family. Since I'm currently still recouping from it, I'm not sure I'm going to do it again. Then again, I said that after Rita Clare's birth and somehow got back into the idea :o)

Gone are the days when we could make it in a long day for 12-14 hrs. Now, we break it up into 2 nights and 3 days, in order for it to be bearable. I know, that's a huge difference! Last summer, we purchased a pop-up camper so we could make our trips into little family holidays rather than pure torture.

This post is just going to be some tricks we used on during our car time. Rita Clare, our 2 yr old, was the hardest to please but we anticipated this.

RC:
1. Bag of surprise gifts wrapped in tin foil- I purchased little items from the dollar store that she could use either in the car or some time on our trip. (Silly Putty, gel pens, capsules that grow in water, jump rope, sunglasses, stickers, candy, cd)
2. Pipe Cleaners- great fun to manipulate and doesn't make a mess!
3. Colored pencils and a note pad (blank)-don't dare bring crayons in the car, risking a lost one to melt somewhere.
4. Water coloring pad
5. New markers that only show colors in a specific coloring book-it's quite amazing!
6. Borrowed DVDs and a new one.
7. LOTS of cds.-I included kids sing a longs, some calming ones, and some of mine I haven't heard in a while. If I'm happy, then the car is a lot more pleasant!
8. Activity book with dry erase markers. Actually, I wise up early on and we only used these during some down time on our trip when I was with her. She really liked them those.
9. LOTS of books. She's really into the seek and find books.
10. A doll to play with.
11. FAVORITE snacks-string cheese, pretzels, graham crackers were the biggest hit.
12. Finger puppets and songs with finger gestures- RC now knows what each finger is called and can sing "Two Little Blackbirds" all by herself.
13. Talking about things outside of the car.-Great distraction, especially when she wanted to wake Tyler up by screaming or when stuck in traffic.

Tyler:
1. We packed about 8 different toys. It was nice when RC would fall asleep and he started to fuss.
2. Mesh food eater. This was great when we tried stalling him from nursing. It always seemed to happen that we'd be less than 30 minutes from our destination and he'd have a meltdown. Then we'd all kinda start to melt down too. He liked the cheerios and bananas but boy he was a mess after the nanners! We also put ice in there a couple times.
3. Butt and Back Massages! Every time I took him out of his car seat, I'd nurse him and change him. Then I'd let him play on his belly while I gave him a good rub down. I'm sure his little tush was aching during some of those long hours.

All in all, they we both champs! We were lucky when they'd both fall asleep at the same time. That was basically our break during our traveling days (no fun). On the bright side, I almost finished my sweater I'm knitting for myself-woohoo!

Do you have any good travel tips I didn't mention? I'd love to hear them!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Interview with a Local Midwife

2010-07-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity and honor to be taken care of by Diana Janopaul, a local midwife here in Tallahassee. It was during my pregnancy with Rita Clare, when I spent some quality time sharing my new journey into motherhood with her. At the time, she was working at The Birth Cottage. However, she decided to take a leap of faith late last summer to start her own practice, being allowed to grow more intimate with a few clients while spending more quality time with her family.

I briefly interviewed Diana and encourage you to take a look at her website, learning more about what she does in the community as a midwife....awesome and inspiring woman!

How/when did you first become interested in becoming a midwife?

I first became interested in midwifery when I was living in NYC at 18 years of age attending NYU. Honestly, I probably had never even heard the word "midwife", but when I found a copy of Ina May's Spiritual Midwifery in a bookstore on 8th Street, I knew that was what I was put on the planet to do. (You can read my article The Call to Midwifery online-- it talks a lot about my journey to becoming a midwife)

What's the best part of being a midwife?

The best part of being a midwife, other than the obvious baby catching part, is the emotional connections I get to forge with women and their families. Birth is a peak experience and I have the honor of being present for that moment over and over. It is wonderful!

What's the worst part?

I don’t think there is a worst part. Some parts are harder than others-- not being able to plan to do things with my family if I have a woman due is hard. Lack of sleep is hard. Dealing with insurance is super-hard. But, those things are outweighed by all of the good things.

Why did you start "Where the Heart Is Midwifery?

I started Where the Heart Is Midwifery last November. I had been practicing in a birth center setting for almost four years, but needed more flexibility for me and my family. I wanted to slow down a little bit and be able to focus more on each woman. I also was intrigued by the idea of doing all of the care in the woman's home. It has worked out really well for me. I accept two women a month (occasionally three!). I come to their homes for all the care, including the prenatals, lab draws, birth, postpartums. I can be flexible to meet their scheduling needs, so I do evening and Saturday appointments, if need be.

If you had someone call you skeptical about a home birth, what would you tell them?

If someone were interested in homebirth, but skeptical about it, I would suggest that they sit down with me and their list of questions/concerns and talk. Most concerns that couples have are easily addressed and often based on inadequate information. My job is not to "talk someone into" a homebirth; it is to present accurate and complete information so that the couple can make a good decision for themselves. I find that out-of-hospital birth works well because women feel safe in their own nest. It is important for a woman to feel safe, no matter where she chooses to birth.

If you had only a couple minutes to talk with pregnant mamas on the best ways to take care of themselves during their pregnancy, what would you emphasize?

I would tell them to get to the basics-- eat real, whole food. Sleep as much as their body requires-- if it is asking for a nap in the middle of the day, go for it. Avoid those things that we know are not good for us and, therefore, couldn't be good for a developing baby. Exercise--stretching, yoga, swimming, walking are all good exercises for a pregnant mama.

Relax, laugh and enjoy the pregnancy!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Remember "Mama and Baby Love"? It's back as a blog!

2010-06-16T22:49:00.000-04:00

A couple years back, we had a wonderful local business that served the Tallahassee area as a premier place for natural parenting to blossom. It was a yoga studio, a "green" boutique, offer massage, and had many resources on becoming a "green" parent". No longer serving in that same capacity, it has returned to us as a blog. It provides us an outlet to continue how to be "ecological" parents and I'm excited to promote it!

Right now, you have the chance to win a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag. All you need to do is follow it. Pretty sweet deal, eh?
http://mamaandbabylove.blogspot.com/2010/06/win-free-petunia-pickle-bottom-diaper.html
Welcome back, Mama and Baby Love!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

P.S. Stephanie also wrote a great post on why she chose cloth diapers.

Top 10 Reason to Come to our Potluck 6/12

2010-06-09T11:36:00.001-04:00

Top 10 Reasons to Come to Our Potluck this Saturday from 11-2pm:

10.You can just drop by for a while, if you have other plans that day.

9. It doesn’t conflict with the World Cup Game at 2:30.

8. Smoothies (free) made and demonstrated on site…yum!

7. Meet some doulas and midwives to prepare for your upcoming birth.

6. Learn how to make healthier and tasty food for your kiddos and family.

5. You’ll learn about the importance of Tummy Time, Baby Signs, and Potty Training Tips.

4. Relax with a chair massage after enjoying some good food.

3. Family Portraits will be available at a super low price at the event.

2. Bounce House, so they can have fun and take a LONG nap afterwards

1. Meet some incredibly awesome families in our community.

We hope you'll join us!!!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Theme of the Month: Community

2010-06-01T21:28:00.001-04:00

This month, we're focusing on the value of community. There's something authentic and satisfying about being a part of community and yet, many of us miss opportunities to get out there and join in. Once upon a time and in many underdeveloped countries today, it literally took a village to raise children. I believe we're missing out on something that our ancestors once had and villages have.

When was the last time you went to a local festival? How many locally-owned businesses have you supported? Do you know the owners? How many of your neighbors do you know...REALLY know? When was the last time you went to a potluck? Has it been since your kiddos were born?

One of the greatest joys I receive in operating Ecological Babies is from connecting and contributing to our community. I love meeting other locally-owned business owners and working together on a project. I love donating to a local fundraiser, meeting new customers in the area, and seeing our "ecological" babies out and about.

I personally want to instill the importance of community to my kids because I think it has a spiritual component and essential for their development. Here's an example: We all go through tough times. Think of how much it meant to you when you received a meal or some Easter cookies from your neighbor or a friend you made from a local mom's group. Here's another example: About once a week, the kiddos and I deliver meals with Meals on Wheels. My daughter, Rita Clare, usually starts out by saying that she wants their meals. Then I have her come to the door and bring some of the meal with me. After seeing how much they appreciate it and through talking about how much they need it, she becomes excited about it and ends up yelling. "Enjoy your meal!" as we head to the car. The rest of the day, she talks about the experience. When we drive near neighborhoods where we've delivered a meal, she remembers. I can tell it impacts her.

This month, I challenge you to put yourself out there. Contribute to something local and see how it impacts your entire family. This month, we'll give you lots of ideas to do this, so get ready!!! For starters, you can come to our potluck on June 12 from 11-2pm. I promise loads of fun and community development opportunities. :o)

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-07T14:47:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day. It's a day that's worth celebrating more often, don't you think? Since becoming a mother, I have a new perspective on Mother's Day. Not only does it feel nice to be acknowledged and valued as a mom, but I certainly have gained a lot more insight and appreciation for all the mother's in my life (adopted mom, mother-in-law, birth mom, step mom).

This Mother's Day I am especially overjoyed because it was a year ago I first found out I was pregnant with Tyler. Seeing those double lines on a pregnancy are moments I'll never forget. Just a simple test, yet the emotions overflow. Every time I've had a positive test, I feel disbelief, excitement, scared, anxious, and many more emotions! It's truly one of those "I'll never be the same" moments.

I could list off many reasons why I love being a mother. But it is often events that occur when I suddenly think "this is why!". The hours following Tyler's birth were one of those occasions. He was resting on my chest naked and I was so grateful to be holding him finally. The other day my daughter, Rita Clare, gave me one of those moments. It was a day I was particularly exhausted and I banged my leg on a chair. She ran up to me and say "It's okay, Mama. I love you!" Then she kissed my leg (to make it better of course, like I do to her). (Even now I'm tearing up thinking of that!)

One of the hardest things I personally struggle with is finding enough time for myself. Often too busy and tired, I try to "do it all." But when I make the time to take care of myself and be away from the kiddos awhile, I am such a better mom. I appreciate what I have and I'm more balanced.

All moms can use a little pampering, even if the baby is still "cooking" inside. To me, you're already a mom and we honor you too this weekend. We're doing a contest to win a FREE pedicure at Kanvas Spa in Tallahassee and hope you'll join in on the fun.

All you have to do are 2 things:

1. "Follow us" on our blog.
2. Tell us what you love the most about being a mom, or a special "mommy" moment.

We'll randomly select someone and announce it Sunday evening on our Facebook page. Good luck and we look forward to reading all your responses!

Warmly,

Jen Starks

Vote for a new scent & receive a free sample!

2010-04-28T11:07:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

After receiving many suggestions to carry the popular detergent "Rockin' Green Soap," I've finally decided to put in my first order over the weekend. I need your help though! There are a lot of scents to choose from and I can't decide which ones you'd like the best. Would you help me out and tell me which one sounds most appealing to you? If I choose your scent, then I'll offer you a free sample for giving me your input. How's that for a win-win?

Orangevana - orange and cream combine together to reach a new level of cleaning awareness
Smashing Watermelons- this juicy watermelon blend is like a kick to your senses.
The Green Tea's - the zen like blend of green tea and aloe, is sure to make it to the top of your playlist.
Rage against the Raspberry- this raspberry and honey blend will have you running around the laundry room looking for the mosh pit!
Mötley Cleän - there's clean and then there's Mötley Cleän. This fresh blend has hints of ocean, fresh linen, and sunshine.
Lavender Mint Revival- this medley of lavender and mint is like nothing you have heard or smelled before!
Bare Naked Babies- because we love the smell of babies, we offer an unscented variety too!

Which one sounds most appealing for laundry?

Thanks!

Jen

GroBaby as a Hybrid Option

2010-04-15T15:37:00.000-04:00

Cloth diapers seem to get easier and easier the longer I'm in this business. I'd have to say that GroBaby has become a great new alternative that all families (even those unenthusiastic about cloth diapers) can use and love. GroBaby started out with shells (covers) and an organic cotton snap in soaker. Basically, it looks like a giant cotton maxipad that snaps inside. Despite how bulky it may appear on the inside, this diaper is very trim when put on your baby/toddler. The snaps are great, so that it doesn't move around inside the shell (as opposed to the BumGenius "Flip" diaper).

GroBaby works as a system. What that basically means is that it works best when you purchase at least 2 shells and then buy 4 or more soaker pads. Like prefolds and covers, you'll snap out the soiled soaker pad and then lay that damp shell on the changing table. Then you'll use another shell with a clean soaker pad. When that soaker pad is wet or poopy, then you'll snap it out and grab your initial shell laying on the changing table. If you fully invest in GroBaby's system, you could ultimately spend about $15/diaper and receive ultimate convenience and organic material against the skin. That's really a great deal compared to other diapers on the market right now.

Now, GroBaby has released biodegradable soaker pads. The soaker pads stick inside the shell. Then when it's used, you can either flush, compost, or trash the pads. This concept is a great option for our busy summer months, day cares, and errands. I've only been testing the biodegradable pads for almost a week now, so I'm still learning and forming opinions. Here are my first impressions.

Overall, I really enjoy having them to turn to compared to another disposable diaper. It has save ingredients and is a lot less harmful on the environment. I've had some really messy diapers and not a single blow out yet. The material is soft to the touch and easy to put in the diaper. I hand washed the covers and was able to just use 2 in a single day's worth of diapering. The pads are the smallest option for a diaper bag I've ever seen (smaller than disposables).

Here are the not so great parts I've found. First of all, I almost want to not like it because it feels like a slippery slope to disposable diapers. Secondly, they need to improve the sticky part on the pads. The sticky part likes to cling on to the snaps and can leave part of the stick behind. With a little bit of effort, the sticky part does come off but it was annoying to mess with it. Thirdly, I wasn't able to go 12 hours at nighttime without a leak. I can go that long with our other cloth diapering options, so I was a bit bummed by that. My 12 wk son seems to wet A LOT though at night and I've only tried it once. But who likes to wake up wet and change all the sheets? Not me! Next time I try it at night, I'm going to stick in a booster that the GroBaby shell set comes with. Maybe in combination, I can find success at nighttime. Finally, I'd like the pads to come in a one-size fits all like the GroBaby is meant to be. It would be nice to be able to use the box for both my newborn AND my toddler.

We've tried the GDiapers too, which is a direct competitor of the GroBaby diaper. We've had an awful time with leaks in the legs, since they are cotton legs. Plus, the velcro on the GDiapers take getting used to as well. The GDiapers are also more expensive option, especially when factoring shipping costs too.

I've now had a few customers give the GroBaby Hybrid Test Drive Kit a try so far. I'd love to hear other people's opinion and definitely think it is a great summer option, despite some drawbacks. PLUS, I hear they are improving the pads and will be releasing new ones in the near future months. I have not been able to find out when it is going to be released yet but will keep you posted.

Event 4/14 from 5:30-7pm

2010-04-14T15:08:00.002-04:00

SAVING ENERGY AT HOME

Wednesday, April 14th
5:30 - 7:00 PM
Earth Day Dinner and Educational Night
"Saving Energy at Home"

The Good Shepherd "Green Team" is hosting a night focused on ways to care for the earth and save energy and money in the process.

Following a simple dinner showcasing local produce and fresh foods, Bob Seaton from the City of Tallahassee will give a talk on ways to cut home energy usage.

In addition, members of First Presbyterian Church, a leader in environmental stewardship, will discuss changes that their church has made in operations as well as an outreach program that provides carbon offsetting for their church's energy uses.

There will also be display tables on green cleaning and green products to purchase including fair trade coffee. Since all food is homemade, they need a definite count for the dinner.

Please RSVP to Pat Beckett at the Parish Office, 893-1837 or E-mail to beckettp@gs.ptdiocese.org

Top Foods to Buy Organic

2010-03-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

I know as parents of young children, we're always looking into giving our child the best. Especially during these tough economic times, it can be challenging to afford things like organic foods. I like to refer to this list when I'm grocery shopping, so I know which foods are really worth buying organic. This way, you can save some money and avoiding those terrible pesticides. This list is from www.msnbc.com and the full link is at the bottom of this.

The “Dirty Dozen”: Must-buy organic foodsFruit

Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported (Chili)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries

Vegetables

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Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach

The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., have developed the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, above, that they say you should always buy organic, if possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides. They cost about 50 percent more — but are well worth the money.

Other organic foods worth considering:

Milk
Beef
Poultry

Reduce the risk of exposure to the agent believed to cause mad cow disease and minimize exposure to other potential toxins in non-organic feed. These foods contain no hormones, and antibiotics — which have been linked to increased antibacterial resistance in humans — have not been added to the food. They often cost 100 percent more than conventional products.

No need to go organic with these foods:Fruit

Bananas
Kiwi
Mangos
Papaya
Pineapples

Vegetables

Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Onions
Peas

These products generally do not contain pesticide residue.

SeafoodWild or farmed fish can be labeled organic, despite the presence of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. No USDA organic certification standards for seafood — producers are allowed to make their own organic claims.

CosmeticsHaving “organic” or “natural” in its name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safer. Only 11 percent of ingredients found in personal-care products, organic or not, have ever been screened for safety.

Managing the high cost of organic foods:

Why does organic cost more?

Growing the food is more labor-intensive. And even though organic food is a growing industry, it doesn't have the economies of scale or government subsidies available to conventional growers.

How to save money buying organic food:

Comparison shop in local grocery stores.
Take advantage of local farmers' markets: Many farmers do not charge a premium.
Order by mail: Products such as organic beef can be shipped nationally.

How to protect yourself from “non-organic” pesticides: Produce

Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season. When long storage and long-distance shipping are not required, fewer pesticides are used.
Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.
Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.
Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.
Purchase only fruits and vegetables that are subject to USDA regulations. Produce imported from other countries is not grown under the same regulations as enforced by the USDA. Examples are strawberries and cantaloupes from Mexico.
Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush. Experts at the University of California-Berkeley report that this removes nearly all insects and dirt, as well as bacteria and some pesticide residues.
Special soaps or washes are not needed and could be harmful to you, depending on their ingredients. Read the label! Cold water is perfectly fine.

Meats/poultry/fish:

Trim the fat from meat, and fat and skin from poultry and fish. Residues of some pesticides concentrate in animal fat.

Potty Training Tips

2010-03-23T14:03:00.000-04:00

Quick Facts About Potty Training
By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of The No-Cry Potty Training Solution

Potty training can be natural, easy, and peaceful. The first step is to know the facts.

The perfect age to begin potty training is different for every child. Your child's best starting age could be anywhere from eighteen to thirty-two months. Pre-potty training preparation can begin when a child is as young as ten months.
You can begin training at any age, but your child's biology, skills, and readiness will determine when he can take over his own toileting.
Teaching your child how to use the toilet can, and should, be as natural as teaching him to build a block tower or use a spoon.
No matter the age that toilet training begins, most children become physically capable of independent toileting between ages two and a half and four.
It takes three to twelve months from the start of training to daytime toilet independence. The more readiness skills that a child possesses, the quicker the
process will be.
The age that a child masters toileting has absolutely no correlation to future abilities or intelligence.
There isn’t only one right way to potty train – any approach you use can work - if you are pleasant, positive and patient.
Nighttime dryness is achieved only when a child's physiology supports this--you can't rush it.
A parent's readiness to train is just as important as a child's readiness to learn.
Potty training need not be expensive. A potty chair, a dozen pairs of training pants and a relaxed and pleasant attitude are all that you really need. Anything else is truly optional.
Most toddlers urinate four to eight times each day, usually about every two hours or so.
Most toddlers have one or two bowel movements each day, some have three, and others skip a day or two in between movements. In general, each child has a regular pattern.

More than 80 percent of children experience setbacks in toilet training. This means that what we call “setbacks” are really just the usual path to mastery of toileting.
Ninety-eight percent of children are completely daytime independent by age four.

This article is an excerpt from The No-Cry Potty Training Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers by Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2006)
~*~*~*~*~

Green Safety at Home-Fluorescent Lights

2010-03-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

As families turn to "green" ways to improve their household (and to save money!), many have chosen to start using fluorescent lights in their home. But are you aware of their health consequences if they shatter? Did you know there is some mercury inside that is toxic? First of all, it's important to know how to dispose of them properly when they burn out. Here in Tallahassee, we can recycle and dispose of them properly by bringing them to our city's hazardous waste center off Apalachee Pkwy.

But secondly, it's important to clean them up properly if it breaks in your home. Today, one of ours shattered and I honestly didn't know what to do. SO, I looked it up and was surprised to learn what I found. Note: The bold is my emphasis.

According to National Geographic, "...the greatest danger may be the broken glass. But to minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA and other experts advise a few precautions.

Children and pets should stay away from the area, the agency says, and windows should be opened for at least 15 minutes so that vapors may disperse. Cleanup can be done by hand using disposable materials, the experts add.

'Use rubber disposable gloves and scoop up the materials with stiff paper or cardboard,' Bender said. 'Use sticky tape to pick up small pieces and powder, clean the area with a damp paper towel, and dispose of the materials in an outside trash can.'

'Never use a vacuum,' Hogue added. 'This, he said, will only disperse the mercury vapor and leave particles trapped inside the cleaner bag.'

References:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070518-cfls-bulbs_2.html
http://www.talgov.com/you/solid/hazwaste.cfm

Cloth Diaper Review: Smartipants

2010-02-23T14:41:00.000-05:00

Here's another diaper I've heard some chatter about, so I decided to test it out. Unlike the Happy Heiny's, I'd use this diaper more often. But to me, it feels like a "cheap" diaper.

Pros:
-Cute colors
-Snaps for a one-size
-Insert swishes out in the wash

Cons:
-The overall design and fit of the diaper is awkward. I think they need to improve it to fit on a baby better
-The inner lining, like a suede cloth, is rather rough against the skin. It feels like a generic material and RC doesn't really like it (my daughter)
-The insert that it comes with doesn't really fit correctly in the pouch. It's a bit too big and some of the microfiber always pokes out. This is a material you don't want against your baby/toddler's skin!
-We've had multiple leaks in this diaper. I use it around the house but cannot rely upon it while out and about.
-The diaper is made in China and at this point, I have no idea what the factory conditions are like there.

Cloth Diaper Review: Happy Heiny's One-Size

2010-02-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

I've been testing out the Happy Heiny's One-Size diaper and I've been disappointed. I wanted to like this brand, since it is made in the USA and it is a well-known brand. However, it just isn't comparable to other diapers. This is a diaper I use as a last resort.

Pros:
Cute colors/patterns
Not bad price for a one-size
Made in USA

Cons:
Bulky
Sags when stuffed for nighttime causing leaks around waist
Inner fleece loses its softness quickly
Front snaps pop out easily, losing its custom fit
Velcro isn't strong