My New Mint Green Kids Program

I haven't been blogging or updating any of my sites for a few months now, and I apologize for not stopping by to say hello. However, I do have a good reason. For the past 3 months, I have been working on creating a Mint Green Kids Program for my local school district!

In addition to being a stay-at-home-mom to my three wonderful children, I was once a teacher. Though I have not taught in over 6 years, and I miss it terribly. Being a SAHM has been amazing, rewarding and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity. However, recently I have felt like something has been missing. Like I need to do something more with my life.

So I have combined my passions - parenting, teaching and going green - to create a Mint Green Kids Program.

My program is designed to show the children, teachers and parents that we can all go a little green. I will be going into classrooms (starting with grades K-4) and teaching mini-lessons to the kids, as well as helping the teachers create greener classrooms. I will also send tips home for the parents to implement at home.

I believe a program like this is important for two specific reasons:

1. A lot of people hear the phrase "Go Green" and automatically think that means you have to be a bike-riding, vegan, tree hugger that lives in a house made out of recycled materials and is powered by the sun. That is the extreme (though kind of cool!), and it is impossible for most of us to do. The reason I started Mint Green Moms was to show people that you can do simple things within your owns means to help the environment, as well as make your home safer and healthier. This is also the purpose of my schools program. I want to share simple tips that every family and school can feel comfortable putting into practice on a daily basis.

2. If we don't start changing our ways, we will be passing on a very sad and ailing world to our children and future generations. We have to teach our children to take care of the Earth so that they may teach their children to do the same, and so on down the line. But first, we must set the example.

My ultimate goal is to make going green fun and easy. I will not be one of those preachy extremists who tries to force my values onto others. That's a sure fire way to turn people off!
All that being said.... I'm off to get back to work. Wish me luck!!!

Hoping your all well,
Katie

Our Mint Green Vacation

We're leaving for our wonderful beach vacation next week and I'm feeling a bit guilty about our mode of transportation....... the family SUV. We really have no choice - 3 kids and all our stuff crammed into my husbands Ultima? No thanks! Plus, the Trailblazer has a built in DVD player - priceless on a 9 hour drive with the kids.

So I've been trying to work other green aspects into our trip. Here are some of my ideas and what I've done so far. Tell me what you think or if you have any other suggestions for me. I'd love some advice!


1. We'll start by leaving our house in the green: we'll turn off all lights, turn off the water heater, turn off the air conditioner, power down our computers, unplug almost everything (lamps, nightlights, TVs, stereos, room fans, appliances, and anything else I can think of!

2. We just had our car serviced this past weekend to make sure it will perform at peak efficiency. They checked things like the oil, breaks, exhaust and tire pressure. A well-kept car will consume less fuel, pump out fewer greenhouse gases and also last longer.

3. I'm packing our Klean Kanteens ONLY to use on the entire trip for NO plastic water bottle waste. There aren't too many recycling bins on the road, the beach, or even at hotels. If you don't know about Klean Kanteens, check out their website. They are better than the popular Sigg bottles because the Siggs are lined, and the lining most likely contains a trace amount of BPA. Just FYI for all the Sigg users out there - I was almost one of them.

4. I'm bringing non-toxic Seventh Generation dish washing detergent (to wash the Klean Kanteens & sippy cups) & SG laundry detergent (to wash our bathing suits in the sink).

5. I'll conserve in-room energy - Just like at home, I'll shut off the lights, TV, and air conditioner when we leave our suite. I'll even unplug the things not in use - cell chargers, DS chargers, lamps, coffee pot, toaster, night lights, etc.

6. No unnecessary laundry - We don't need the towels and sheets to be changed every single day. I will ask the maids to do it every few days.

7. I am packing a few of my reusable shopping bags to carry the souvenirs we will undoubtedly buy.

8. I will TRY to pack as light as possible. Heavier cars use more gas.

9. We will be walking...... A LOT. We will use our car very little because most days will be spent entirely at the beach. And nights might be in town - so we'll park our car centrally and walk everywhere.

10. Lucky for us, digital cameras are considered a green choice. Disposable cameras are wasteful.

11. We will pack our own toiletries like soap, toothpaste, and shampoo. Hotels usually provide these things for their guests, but I don't use them for two reasons: (1) They create waste from the plastic wrappings, paper boxes and plastic containers they come in. (2) - I ONLY use things like Burt's Baby Bee, Kiss My Face and Pure & Natural. NO PARABENS, NO SULFATES and NO SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES for my family!

12. I just got done packing our food (car & beach snacks for the kids, bread & peanut butter). Or maybe I should say repackaging our food. I don't want any waste while we're on vacation..... it would upset me to throw away recyclable card board boxes or plastic bottles just because my 'pale green' husband doesn't want to drive home with a bag of garbage to take home to recycle. So......... I took the fruit snacks out of the boxes and bagged them (recycled an old gift bag!). I took the Pop Tarts out of the card board boxes and put them into a reusable plastic container (so they don't break). And I put dish detergent and laundry detergent into travel containers. Every little bit helps...... thats what I always say!


That's all I can think of right now. I'll add more as they come to me. In the meantime, please share your ideas with me!

Green Your Father's Day

One of my favorite green sites - MSN Green - has a new section for greening Father's Day. If you click on 'Father's Day' then "Shop for Dad' you will find ideas for green gifts under the following categories: Apparel, Shoes, Sports & Outdoor, and Gadgets. Please check it out for yourself to see it all in detail. But for those of you who love Mint Green Moms because we do some leg work for you...... here's the run down:

APPAREL
The most accessible mint green places to find organic clothing is at 2 stores - Target and JC Penny. At Target, look for the brand Mossimo. It's their most popular brand, and they sell the following organic clothing for men: tee shirts of all kinds, button down shirts, and Polos. At JC Penny, look for St. John's Bay. Again, a very popular brand which sells tee shirts and button downs. Also, look for Arizona Jeans Co.'s Recycled Jeans.

SHOES
For eco-friendly shoe, you can shop online at Onlineshoes.com. Or go to the MSN link - here you can click on specific shoes, and not have to search the larger site (onlineshoes.com) for specifically eco-friendly products.

SPORTS & OUTDOOR
I didn't find this section to be very helpful. It gave 3 items - shoes and a tee shirt already mentioned above.

GADGETS
This is probably the most sought after section for most men. The MSN site a lot of great things like light fixtures, lamps, light bulbs, curtains, fans, electricity usage monitors, shower heads, heaters & air conditioners, Smart Strips, and batteries - not Father's Day gifts, per say. Those are things you pick up at Lowe's all the time. However, I did find a few things on this site that are actually pretty inventive. My husband, who is not entirely eco-conscious, would even appreciate these items:

Solio Universal Solar Charger - $99.99 at Target
Features:
- A portable power source for all your portable handheld devices, including game players, digital cameras, cell phones, GPS, Notebook computers, iPods, iPhones, Portable DVD players, PDAs and MP3 Players.
- Renewable solar charger draws energy from the sunlight and stores it in an internal battery.
- Plug into the sun while traveling abroad (no more outlet problems), camping, at the dorm and more.
- Sun’s rays hit solar cells then attach cable, push a button and get instant energy.
- Fits neatly in a pocket, purse or backpack.
- Rechargeable Battery.


Solar Powered Shed Light - $99.95 at Brookstone
Solar lighting fixtures are a better choice than battery operated lights. Until recently, battery operated lights were the only choice for illuminating non-powered sheds and greenhouses. Our solar lighting offers a better solution to dark spaces. The exterior mounted solar collector automatically recharges the light during the day, eliminating maintenance and inconvenient battery replacement required with other lights.
Features:
- Our Solar Shed Light is reliable and maintenance-free.
- Built-in LED night-light helps you find the pull cord in total darkness.
- Solar lighting system powers two included 8W fluorescent bulbs for up to four hours.
- Solar panel can be installed up to 10 feet from light fixture.
- Integrated compass provides easy solar panel adjustment for maximum power.
- Light easily installs on wood or metal walls.


Small X-Ray Flashlight - $39.99 at Target
Features:
- 20-hour run EOFe• Bright LED and wind-up power source.
- No batteries required, includes A/C adapter.
- 2Hx2-2/5Wx6-1/3L"; 1 lb.

Greener Schools

When I take my daughter to school, I usually just drop her off at the door with the rest of the car riders. However, one day last week, she needed my help carrying something to her classroom, so I walked in with her. Now, I've been in the school many times, but something really struck me that day. I must have walked in right after they cleaned the cafeteria (you know, where the children EAT), and the smell of BLEACH almost knocked me over!

Okay..... not a big shocker. I know that bleach is still a common cleaning product. But I've been making such a huge effort to green my home, and now I feel that it's almost been negated. It never occurred to me that my kids still come across that poison in the outside world, and this realization makes me upset.

Our children spend a lot of time in the schools - about 7 hours of school time, plus any before and after school programs - and for ALL this time they are being exposed to the toxins we are trying to rid from our homes! AAAAHHHH!!!!!

Here a few other things I noticed just by walking down the hall on my way out of the building:
1. BOTH of the water fountains I passed were dripping.
2. Lights were on in EMPTY classrooms.
3. Dusty incandescent light fixtures in every room.
4. Waste baskets FILLED with paper that could be recycled.
5. The landscape people were there spraying the grounds where the children play.


I am a stay-at-home-mom now, but before I had children I was an elementary school teacher, so I know the best, and the worst, of both worlds.

If you have similar concerns and want to make a change at your child's school, here are some GREAT websites you should check out:

The Green Schools Initiative

EPA - Illinois Green School Program

The Green Guide


My goal for this summer is to prepare a "Greener School Plan/Proposal." I want to present it at the first PTA meeting when school starts again this fall. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I promise to keep you posted on my findings and (hopefully) my accomplishments!