Living Greener Series Part 1 - Goals

The presents have all been opened, the last of the eggnog and fudge consumed, and the relatives have departed. Soon we'll toast the passing of 2008 with family and friends, and look forward to the coming year. With the best of intentions, we'll exclaim "This year I'll lose weight" or "Get organized!" Then the days will get busy, the laundry will pile up, and cold winter weather will persuade us to skip another early morning jog.

It seems too many resolutions are vague and fail to offer a path to success. Just as you would set performance goals at school or work, your resolutions should contain some key elements. They should be attainable and measurable, with an outline to achieve, a method to be held accountable, with a reward at the end.

We just returned home from a family vacation in Arizona. After thinking about how our holiday celebrations differ from the rest of the year, I started compiling a list of goals for 2009.

• SIT-DOWN MEALS: Sit down at the kitchen table together for one meal every day. Some days it may be breakfast, other days it can be dinner, but schedule it on the family calendar. You'll eat healthier, save money, and enjoy your family more. During the holidays in AZ, the dinner table was set every night with fine linen, china, silver, and crystal. Everyone lingered after dinner to chat, and dinners often lasted two or three hours.
• FAMILY NIGHT: Designate one night a week as Family Night - no excuses. Save electricity and turn off the TV, Blackberry, Mac, and Wii and focus on your family for a couple hours. Pull out the Trivial Pursuit, try a new recipe, or learn how to play dominoes. Single? Invite a friend to join you. We enjoyed a walk, a dip in the hot tub, and a few boisterous games of cards.
  
• ONE IN, ONE OUT: For every new item that enters your house this year, give up one item. Our son is the only grandchild on both sides, and our house is overflowing with new toys, books and puzzles. This week, we'll be picking out some old toys to donate, and the following week we're hosting a Toy Swap with our playgroup.
  
• FEWER CARS: Pledge to walk, bike, carpool, or take the light rail one day a week, one week a month, or to at least one event per month (like an Av's game or to the DCPA). Set a goal that is realistic for the transit options available, and stick with it! You'll save money, reduce emissions, and de-stress! We spent five days with 11 family members and only two cars and never had more than one in use at a time, with many people walking the mile to and from the hotel.
• SHOP GREENER: Replace one product each week with one that is healthier for your family and the planet. Keep buying (or using) it and add a new one each week. Treat it like the Twelve Days of Christmas - where week 1, you switch to cage-free eggs. Week 2, you keep buying cage-free eggs and switch to rBGH-free milk. Week 3, you keep buying eggs and milk, and replace disposable plastic water bottles with a reusable, BPA-free, stainless steel one. The repetition will quickly become habit!
  

They sound like huge goals until you stop and realize how intertwined they are, and how even little changes can make a huge difference keeping your family, finances, bodies, and planet healthy in 2009.

Every couple of weeks, I'll be adding more suggestions on living "green". Whether it's gift buying or travel, I hope you'll be inspired to incorporate some of these simple goals ideas into your own lives.

Vote or Quit Complaining

I am a Child of the Eighties. I began kindergarten during the 1979-1980 academic year, which meant my formative years were spent listening to Mrs. Garrett teach the Facts of Life at Eastland School and to Arnold often inquiring, "What you talking 'bout, Willis?" I fell in love for the first time with a smart, Young Republican named Alex P. Keating, long before he was the face of Parkinson's Disease. I watched Michael Jackson moonwalk on Motown 25, while my Aunties screamed like the day the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan. I layered my clothes like the Material Girl and John Hughes helped guide me through the challenges of adolescence.

Much like my parent's generation will be forever linked to the moment when a handsome, young, Catholic president was gunned down during a Parade in Texas, I was jumping rope on the playground when they canceled recess to announce the Challenger Space Shuttle had blown up a minute after take-off. I watched my country take turns with the Russians boycotting the Olympic Games, while a handsome, ex-Hollywood heartthrob played a strategic game of Star Wars and kept my family safe from Communism. Yes, I am a Child of the Eighties, who once believed a Republican President could be the only person on the planet strong enough to demand another Super Power to " tear down this wall!"

I am also a member of Generation X. In the 1990's, I donned over-sized flannel and frequented bagel shops and coffee houses. A depressed singer from Seattle changed the course of music history and concerts morphed into an all-day Lollapalooza. Pedro taught me about dealing with AIDS on the only reality TV program I've ever watched. Live television broadcasts allowed me to witness a Royal Wedding, the LA police chase a white Bronco through the streets of Los Angeles, and missiles explode during the first Gulf War. Cheers closed, but at Central Perk there were six Friends who helped me navigate my twenty-somethings.

During the four years I spent at the University of Colorado at Boulder, I learned more than academics. It was an era of self-discovery, and the place that exposed me to world issues and opposing viewpoints. Ellen came out, but Mathew Shepard was brutally murdered. College was affordable, but the University took heat after admitting more out-of-state, higher paying tuition students. Campus NARAL hosted rallies for a woman's right to choose across the UMC Fountain from Pro-Life advocates protesting a local doctor's support of late term abortions. I waited for hours for a chance to hear Hillary to address the students in Norlin Quad about why we should "Rock the Vote" in favor of her husband, who promised to play his sax on MTV if elected. Yes, I am a Gen X'er, who once believed a Democratic President could be the only person on the planet with the convictions to protect the rights of every American boy and girl .

I was blessed to be born into an average, middle-class neighborhood. My parents were high school sweethearts and for 36 years have worked hard to escape the 50% divorce rate that plagues American families. I have family who benefit from the tax breaks afforded to the wealthy, and family who have had to rely on government assisted housing, WIC or food stamps for a time. I live in the beautiful state of Colorado, a place John Stewart described, "There is absolutely no middle ground in this state: You're either a rapture-awaiting Promise Keeper or you drive a car that runs on G.O.R.P." during the DNC. I am married to a registered independent, a man who voted against Clinton both times, yet admits he was the strongest President of our time.

Yes, I see both sides of the political equation. There are valid reasons for a strong national defense and a healthy socio-economic interior, and I believe anyone willing to stand up to the scrutiny of the national news media to seek the highest office in the land loves their country and has the best interest of the nation at heart.

I am fortunate to live in a country where, as a woman, I was able to open a small business. With that right, comes responsibility. Today, I should be working on my quarterly tax filing. Instead, I have another American obligation that requires my attention. The mail-in ballot for the 2008 election.

My Granny Hazel was born in 1911 and lived 93 years. She voted in 18 presidential elections, and told me when I turned 18 that if you don't vote, you forfeit your right to complain. She took her responsibility seriously (and complained quite a bit too!).

As I look back at the events that shaped my past and molded my beliefs, I realize the 2008 election is not about the past. It is about the present and affects the future. My present is comprised of the challenges of operating a small business during a recession, struggling to keep and heat our home, and affording quality health care. My future includes top-notch and affordable education for our son, saving for his college and our retirement, and leaving him with a healthy planet instead of a national debt. Today, I am voting...as a wife, as a mother, as a women... for the candidate that promises to protect the things that I hold dear to my heart.

Your concerns may not be the same as mine. Regardless of our differences, I encourage you to find the candidate who cares about your issues and get out and vote on Election Day. Otherwise, quit your complaining.

Copper Bandits Bring Eco-Tears

Enticed by the steadily rising price of precious metals, criminals have discovered a destructive and environmentally devastating manner to steal from their communities and bring heartache and havoc to its citizens. Copper thefts have been on the rise for several months, and increased police patrols in previously targeted industrial, commercial, and construction zones have forced thieves to find new sources of copper to sell for cash.

Our Lakewood home was the target of one such copper theft. At approximately 10:00 pm on Saturday night, Lakewood's own copper criminals struck our quiet Belmar neighborhood.

The cavalier criminal(s) trespassed on our property and vandalized our home when they cut the copper piping connecting our home's water supply to our automatic sprinkler system. As my son slept and my husband and I watched re-runs inside, they removed the copper pipes and stole the brass backflow regulator from the side of our home.

As water rushed from open water pipes into our neighbors driveway, we heard the sound of running water that we assumed was our sprinkler system turning on. We retired for the evening after a TiVo'd episode of Cheers, only to awake the following morning with so little water pressure we couldn't turn on a faucet or flush a toilet.

At six AM, my husband discovered water gushing out the side our house with enough force to still reach the neighbor's driveway a few feet away. After shutting off the water, we reported the incident to the Lakewood Police Department, and began repairs.

With great frustration, we paid the plumber, sprinkler repairman, and the hardware store, knowing that the time and money we spent on repairing the damage far exceeded the dollar amount the perpetrators received when they sold the copper pipes and sprinkler valves to the scrap yard.

But the greatest heartache came when I called the water company two days later. In just under 8 hours, almost 10,000 gallons had gushed from our home and ran down the street before we discovered the damage and shut off the water.

Our family strives to respect Mother Earth and reduce our Carbon Footprint so our son has a healthy, safe world to grow up in. We refuse to buy bottle water or accept plastic shopping bags. We adhere to watering restrictions on the lawn we were required by our developers to install, and we grow many of our own vegetables and herbs. We recycle. We compost. We turn off the water when brushing our teeth, don't pre-rinse our dishes and run the dishwasher only when it is overflowing. Our front loading washer runs on an eco-cycle water level, and we wash all of our clothes in cold water. We work very hard to generate as little waste as possible.

I was born in the desert of Arizona, and my family lives in a high altitude desert where water is precious. The image of thousands of gallons of water running down the asphalt brings eco-tears to my eyes.

Rocky Mountain High

For many Colorado families, summer means international soccer tournaments at the Air Force Academy, afternoons spent splashing around Water World, or a cross country trek to a real-life, modern day Wally World that would make Clark, Ellen, Rusty and Aubrey green with envy. In our home, it wouldn't be summer without at least one summer camping trip.

My husband often shares childhood memories of racing down the hillside with his brother and cousins and leaping off the dock into Warm Lake, Idaho, where his grandparents owned an A-frame log cabin. There were long, leisurely weeks spent trolling the lake in the "snoozer cruiser", a lawn chair pontoon boat built by hand, and a summer spent learning to water ski with his Granddad behind the wheel of the modified boat and Aunt Carolyn patiently coaching from the water.

I spent my first twelve summers boating at Roosevelt Lake and tent camping in the White Mountains of Arizona. My Granny and Granddad would haul their three youngest grandchildren in the cab of a 1977 pickup on Monday to set up the campsite before a myriad of relatives arrived for the weekend. Patiently enduring the demands of grandchildren who each needed to build their own campfire, they baited every hook for us, and fawned over each prized 3.5 inch catch. They taught us to fish, hunt, camp, and most of all, appreciate and respect the land over the consecutive summers of my youth.

In our family, these are the treasured memories that define a summer.

My husband and I couldn't wait to let our son, Levi, experience the natural beauty, thankfully, still protected within the boundaries of our National Park System.

A five family camping extravaganza was planned over July 4 th weekend. With friendships that spanned almost two decades, enriched by the addition of spouses and children, and set among the pines of the Rocky Mountains, the trip was shaping up to be an event worthy of a dozen pages in the modern mommy scrapbook.

Having recently discovered the fine art of upright mobility, our 13 month old Levi wobbled on the uneven,rocky slope. Within minutes of our arrival, crash! A cloud of dust billowed around his head like Charlie Brown's old pal, PigPen. Levi bounced back up without a scratch, but with a new layer of dirt that covered his entire 30 inch body, from his sandy blond hair down to his laces of his brand new Chuck Taylors. The stream of dirt that ran from his nose for two days was as steady as the babbling brook that beckoned several of us to wade into its chilly waters. A five event, round-robin style tournament of cards, horseshoes, badminton, ladder ball and sharp shooting played out over the weekend, with the strategy and skill of world record breaking Olympians. Bella Karolyi would have been proud to hoist the Trivial Pursuit champion above his head, and Michael Phelps has nothing on Michael Hawley, who earned a metal in the mens, womens and childrens watermelon eating contests. Look out Rachel Ray! A new S'more was created when one suburban dad turned culinary expert elected to cover his daughters' graham crackers with Reeces Peanut Butter Cups instead of plain old milk chocolate. Just one of these rich, gooey treats would have been enough to satisfy, had I consumed the Peanut Butter S'more before I roasted the first three regular S'mores. As exciting as our alpine adventures were, the true highlight of the trip was sharing the great outdoors with our son, Levi. For hours, I watched my son explore the forest, as only a child can. He examined every stick to discover what sound it made when tapped against the towering lodge pole pines. He was captivated by the golden colors of the fire, having never before seen an open flame. Fearless, he attempted to capture ants with his bare hands, using his recently developed pincher grasp. He reached a level of ecstasy that can only be achieved after your dad offers you your first taste of sugary, sticky, roasted marshmellow on a stick.

My sweet son drifted off into a sugar coma that night, cozy under four layers of winter clothing, tucked in a sleeping bag and beneath two blankets (requirements for summer camping at 9000 feet). The forest sounds were barely audible over our laughter. The campfire crackled as another log was added, and a million stars twinkled brightly overhead.

I finally realized what John Denver meant when he sang the tale of a Rocky Mountain High.

Green + Brown = Black Gold

No, that's not the recipe listed on the back of the food coloring box, play dough box or artist's color wheel. Green + Brown = Black Gold is the formula that my husband and I discovered last week during our "Learn to Compost" class.

In our ongoing effort to reduce our carbon footprint, my husband and I recently watched "Human Footprint" on the National Geographic Channel. Throughout the 1 hour show that aired on April 13 th, Host Elizabeth Vargas used visual representations to convey the message that Americans consume an enormous amount of food over their lifetime. The numbers were astonishing - 12,000 hamburger buns, 12,000 oranges, 19,000 eggs, 87,000 slices of bread, and 26,000 cups of milk. That is per person, per lifetime. Seeing those items spread across a football field made our jaws hit the floor and renewed conversations about what we can do to help.

Since our son was born last June, we have been making lifestyle changes to create less impact on the earth, from cloth diapers to reusable shopping bags. Our two recycle bins are overflowing by the end of the week because we no longer fill-up even one 13 gallon kitchen trash can with non-recyclable waste. We buy products sold with minimal or recycled packaging (did you know that the #5 plastics used for most food containers like sour cream or yogurt are one of the hardest and costliest plastics to recycle?). We expanded our vegetable garden this year, but since the City of Lakewood ( and my HOA) would frown upon me keeping a cow and chickens in the backyard, we still rely on our local grocer for much of what we consume. We try to buy only what we need, but there is still waste each week. With only two of us eating solid foods, I can't bring myself to serve Boca Veggie Dogs 4 days in a row to use the 8 hot dog buns before a couple of them mold.

A few days after "Human Footprint" aired, Oprah invited superstar BFF Julia Roberts to discuss howJulia composted her Thanksgiving Dinner with zero waste. The light bulb went off. If Julie Roberts can turn compost with a pitch fork, so could this suburban modern mommy!

Compost is a combination of organic material (GREEN) mixed in a 1:2 ratio with dry material (BROWN). The result is rich, nutritious material used as mulch and fertilizer for your garden, trees or lawn (BLACK GOLD).

Denver Recycles/Solid Waste Management, Denver Urban Gardens and Metro WasteWater Reclamation District sponsor a beginning composting class called "Learn to Compost". The free, two-hour class is offered on Saturdays and week nights throughout the summer in Denver Urban Gardens Grove Community Garden, and is taught by volunteers. Our two compost gurus guided us through the Composting Demo Site, showing us how to build or buy different types of compost bins, containers, and mounds. From a free-form pile directly on the ground with a tarp over the top, to perimeters created with cinder blocks, recycled crates or bamboo poles, to top-of-the line, rotating drums or balls made from recycled plastic, there are options available for every budget and backyard.

The process for composting is pretty straightforward. After buying or building a 3x3x3 foot compost bin, alternate 4-6 inches of brown matter with 2-3 inches of green matter. Browns are composed of things like newspapers, egg shells, dryer lint, peanut shells, vacuum cleaner bag contents, coffee filters, yard trimmings, and cardboard rolls. Greens are items such as moldy bread, fruits and vegetable peels, non-dairy or non-meat food scraps, pond algae and pet hair. Once a week, wet the pile to the consistency of a wrung-out sponge and stir with a pitch fork, allowing it to heat up to the optimal temperature of 140 degrees. In about two months you have compost that can be applied as mulch or sifted into a fine compost resembling products sold in stores.

According to the EPA, yard trimmings and food waste constitute more than 20% of the waste needlessly sent to landfills each year. The class is free, compost supplies are minimal, and it only requires a few minutes of time each week to maintain. Composting will reduce our waste, educate my child, and enrich my garden?

Sign me up! Now if I can just figure out where to put the cow...

The "Learn to Compost" class schedule is available at Denver Recyles. Denver Recycles also teaches a separate class on Worm Composting, a process by which thousands of red worms consume your green matter in a container stored under your kitchen sink. This is a favorite composting method among families with children (and based on my husband's reaction, dads).

Every Day is Earth Day for Local Mom

On April 22, people across the globe will celebrate the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, a grassroots demonstration that catapulted the environment into the American conscience. Initiated by US Senator Gaylord Nelson and coordinated by Denis Hayes, an astonishing 20 million Americans participated in the 1970 Earth Day rallies. By 1990, there were 140 countries and an estimated 200 million people across the world engaged in Earth Day activities, and in 2007, that number reached one billion.

Robin Morris, a Lakewood mom, believes Earth Day should be celebrated every day. When they announced they were starting a family, friends informed Robin and Paul that they would see the world differently through the eyes of child. They couldn't have been more right. Pregnancy complications placed Robin on complete bed rest for 17 weeks. Armed with only a wireless internet connection, Robin avoided Dr. Phil and Days of Our Lives by googling everything "baby" - from making baby food to the debate between disposable and cloth diapers.

"The more I read, the more concerned I became about the way our actions impact the world we were leaving for our soon to be born baby," she said.

Graduates of CU-Boulder, one of the most environmentally aware cities in Colorado, they decided they wanted to teach their child by example. Building a "green" house from the ground-up wasn't in the family's budget, so they started incorporating smaller changes. "It didn't make sense replace a working light bulb with an energy efficient one or throw out full bottles of commercial cleaners because you are generating un-necessary waste, " Robin says. Already equipped with Energy Star kitchen appliances and a front-loading washing machine, they adjusted the temperature and insulated their water heater, and starting replacing burned out bulbs and toxic cleaners with natural, biodegradable and efficient household products, and bought a set of reusable shopping bags. Billions of plastic bags end up in landfills annually, but many reach the ocean where sea turtles perish, having mistaken them for jelly fish.

"We found reusable shopping bags had a larger capacity, stronger handles, and looked cooler," says Paul. They focused on buying less, recycling more, using alternative modes of transportation, and expanding their vegetable garden.

Surprising their family and friends, they made the decision to use cloth diapers and make baby food and diaper wipes. Baby food jars can be recycled, but a couple jars per day for six months start to add up. With two sets of reusable, freezer safe containers, they puree unseasoned fruits and veggies from the meals they were cooking for themselves. As for the cloth diapers, these were not the flat, square cloth diapers held together with safety pins. Modern cloth diapers have elastic legs and Velcro waists, are as easy to put on as disposables, and can be laundered at home.

"At first, people thought we were crazy", admitted Robin, "but then they saw how easy they were to use." With several styles to choose from, fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, minkee and fleece, and pastel and brightly colored solids, and patterns with pirates, leopard prints, and geometric swirls, picking out the diapers was half the fun. Depending on the style, 36-100 cloth diapers cost as little as $400 and a complete set of premium diapers run about $1500, but can be resold or used on a second child. At six to twelve diapers per day for two to three years, one baby will generate 4000-10,000 diapers. According to the Real Diaper Association, 92% of disposable diapers end up in landfills and never completely decompose. The extra load of laundry every three days uses as much water as potty trained child flushing the toilet.

Robin became so passionate about the eco-friendly products she discovered during bed rest that she decided to leave her position as an HR Professional and start a web based retail company, www. ModernMommyGear.com.

"Busy modern moms don't have 17 weeks on bed rest to research products the way I did, so I'm bringing these functional and fashionable products together in one place for modern parents to discover how easy eco-friendly parenting can be," explains Robin. Many of these products are mom-invented. Stylish, reusable shopping bags, dishwasher attachments to wash and dry plastic bags, stainless steel sippy cups, pet supplies made from recycled soda bottles, biodegradable laundry soap, and home décor constructed with recycled LP records, Modern Mommy Gear showcases more than just the top rated cloth diapers. With a basement full of inventory, she now works from home, swinging by the post office to mail packages on her way to story hour at the Belmar Library.

"With advancing technology, it is easier than ever to be green." reminds Paul. If you are interested in learning more about cloth diapers or other eco-friendly products, contact Robin via her store email. She's happy to meet you for a cup of coffee to chat. Just be sure to bring your own reusable coffee mug.