johncsnider

There I was sitting at the end of the runway in NYC with a judge's clipboard. I was a fashion judge! Not just any fashion judge but a green fashion judge! I am not a fashion saavy person but I was selected as a judge a few years ago. So how could I judge based on being clueless about fashion? Thankfully I didn't need to because I had green fashion designers on each side and we had a lot of whispering back and forth. Cute kids paraded in front of me as did adults in functional or crazy clothes. What made the clothes green to me what was how little of an impact they had on the environment. Yes the organic cotton imported from Egypt was "green" but it was MANUFACTURED and SHIPPED across an ocean and around the continent. Then there were the repurposed clothes. Clothes that had been salvaged from thrift stores then were carefully redesigned into one of a kind treasures. I liked these and the winning designer based on style and greenness had used repurposed clothes. The ow...

This is the real world, not Hollywood, but here goes my first video!  Here I am demonstrating how to cloth diaper using prefolds.  This is my very easy way of diapering where I only do one load of laundry per week!  Enjoy and don't forget to check out why I cloth diapered baby #3 and the details of cloth diapering the easy way with prefolds . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uk975ujPXQ&feature=player_embedded

Medela Pump-n-Style Breast Pump As promised in my Useless Baby Registry Items post, this post contains items that you can easily get for free on your local mom boards or  www.freecycle.org . You can also find them at yard sales or through other moms for cheap. These are things that are useful if you have the space but they are not at all needed to buy new (or to own). You can see what life is like without them then buy them if you feel that they would be useful. I did not put stroller on this list but it is certainly something that you don't need for a long time if you plan on baby wearing. Both of my kids were about one year when I really put them in (or bought) the stroller. Bouncer, swing, exersaucer.  These things are used for a short period and take up a lot of space. If you really want one, borrow one from a friend so you can return it when you are done if you are short on space. A bucket carseat can easily be used to put the baby for a few minutes or in the bathroom fo...

image: 123rf.com Moodboard As I plan for the arrival of my third baby, I need to buy some crib sheets, and a pacifier (to stuff in her mouth while asleep, on airplanes, or during screaming fits in the car).  This short list is because I own everything that I need (including mama milk and cloth diapers).   My heart breaks when I see first time moms (or subsequent moms) engulfed in the consumerism of useless baby items. I know firsthand what is useful because my first two babies were born into a small one bedrooms NYC apartment with no storage. We simply did not have the space for "things" that we could only use for a short time so we took the opinion of "let's live without it and see if need it" . After having the second child, we moved into a house and had endless storage so our baby supplies have increased greatly (thanks mostly to donations and yard sales) but we still only have what we really need. The most important thing is not to be afraid to return thing...

It is a great idea to start scoping out the support communities for new moms. Most mom groups accept new members who are pregnant with their first child as well as those seasoned with other kids.  Moms who have had a large gap between children also enjoy being reconnected with a new wave of moms. I suggest joining the following mom's groups while pregnant: LaLeche League -- They usually have an online loop that you can join (often for free but membership is appreciated) and read all about new moms breastfeeding and seeking help. It is a good way to get some invaluable knowledge in your head before you start learning and teaching breastfeeding to your own baby. Once you have your baby you won't have time to look them up and figure out how to join and what if you need them on day two home from the hospital? It is good to already have contact. Holistic Moms Network -- Since you are reading this blog you are into green living and mindful parenting so this is a national group of ...

As you know, I took my journey to removing beauty toxins in baby steps starting with what I use most: moisturizer . I now have more and more skin to cover with moisturizer and it all gets absorbed through my skin into my bloodstream which passes nutrients (and toxins!) to my baby. What can you not live without? My lips have always been pale and I like to tint them. Most of my lip color enters my mouth which seems like a gross place for traditional lipsticks filled with lead and other nasty chemicals. I found that I like Hemp Organics lipstick but it is rather pricey to have collection of colors. I use it sometimes but not often because my older daughters are always going through my purse and I don't want them wasting this lipstick! Instead I discovered that my local target has a lot of  rather natural tinted lip glosses/balms that really perk my lips up. Then I discovered that I could order them cheaper online at Vitacost  (disclosure: we both get a referral bonus if you buy ...

image: www.care2.org It is widely published that pregnant women should stay clear of cleaning products so the chemicals released into the air and put on the skin do not harm the unborn child.  Most women shout for joy and gladly hand over the task of housekeeping to their partners.  That it what I did when I was pregnant with my oldest child.  But I was on that holistic mission and learning more and more about why I didn't even want my husband exposed to those toxins . It was really hard for me to part with Mr. Scrubbing Bubbles and his effortless bathtub cleaning. This whole holistic journey was a lot for me so I needed to start with baby steps. I started by replacing the most used products with products that were safer.  The first item that I changed was the dish soap since my hands were in it all day long.  After a long experimentation period, my beloved Dawn was replaced with Seventh Generation dish soap. I was blown away by the price differences of everythi...