• Gobblet
• Froggy Boogie
• Chicky Boom
• Zimbbos

• 32 yrs x 0.85 efficiency x 260 days/yr x 2.5 mi/day = 17,680 miles!
• If I drove up the hill, the distances would be slightly greater,
  say 3.5 mi/day, or around 25,000 driving miles over the 32 year
  period. At 25mi/gallon average fuel efficiency say, this would be
  about 1000 gallons of gasoline, or about 2 1/2 years of typical
  average car gasoline usage per year (at about 10,000 miles per
  year per car, on the average).
• From an EPA Emisson Fact page, I get that 8.8kg CO2 is emitted
  for an average gallon of gasoline. So, for 25000 miles we get
  220,000 kg CO2 emission saved.
• The circumference of the entire earth is around 25,000 miles, so my walking
  to and from work has taken me about 72% the way around the earth!

Nice job Dad!

I want to highlight a great ingredient for cake decorating that can make your cakes colorful and fun without anything artificial.  India Tree makes sprinkles, food coloring, and other sugar decorations with all natural ingredients (available at Whole Foods).  The Marigold Orange sprinkles have five ingredients:  sugar, beta-carotene, citric acid, red cabbage, and carnuba wax.  Green sprinkles are colored by spinach, yellow by curcumin, and pink by beets.  But they don’t taste like anything other than sugar.  The dinosaur cake above was decorated using such sprinkles.  I feel good about my children eating such a cake, and about serving it to all our friends.

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 cups brown sugar (depending on how sweet you prefer your cookies)
• 3 ripe mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 3 tsp dark rum
• 3 cups oats (I used old fashioned)
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch of gluten, if you have it available
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1.5 cups flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup cranberries or raisins
• 1 cup shelled pistachios or walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place first 6 ingredients in bowl and beat with mixer until blended.  Add oats and set aside so that they can absorb some of the moisture.
2. Combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and coconut.  Mix dry ingredients with wet.  Add cranberries/raisins and nuts.   Drop spoonfuls of dough onto parchment-paper lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-19 min.

• My neighbors make money, while I save it.
• Most of the off-gassing has already occurred by the time I get it (such as for cushions in furniture).
• Less waste ends up in landfills.
• I’m not as worried about my children or pets damaging used things that cost me very little, so this allows me to be a more laid back parent. 

Buying a natural/organic mattress is a big deal.  They are expensive.  It’s something I almost did with my second child, but the cost deterred me.  To off-set some of that this time, I ended up buying used furniture for the baby’s room so that I could spend my money on a better mattress instead.  Parents don’t blink an eye when it comes time to buy a $400 crib, but then they skimp on the mattress.  Well, I did the opposite–I spent $50 on a 3-year old used crib and was willing to spend up to $400 on a natural/organic mattress.  If you’re looking for one, here’s what you can expect.

There are two types of mattresses available.  The cheaper is an innerspring mattress, much like the one you probably sleep on.  They tend to run $200-300.  The steel coils are usually wrapped in organic cotton or wool, and then the mattress is covered in wool (which is fire resistant and provides a natural barrier to dust mites).  Wool can also absorb up to 30 times its weight in moisture, so it’s great for sweaty sleepers.  It also is breathable and good at regulating body temperature–keeping baby warm in the winter and cooler in the summer.  There are some manufacturers (Naturepedic) that have opted not to use wool, as some people can be allergic to it.  Instead, they wrap their mattresses in food-grade plastic (polyethelene).  Their mattresses get good reviews on Amazon, but I wasn’t about to spend hundreds of dollars on an organic cotton mattress that was then wrapped in plastic.  I don’t care if it is food grade.  I also felt uncertain about how the mattress met flammability codes.  Mattresses with wool are naturally flame resistant.  Naturepedic wasn’t especially clear on their website about how their mattresses were flame resisent (“exclusive fire protection system features a non-toxic and naturally derived fire barrier system that is safe and effective”) and this made me nervous.

The second type of natural mattress is one made of natural latex.  This is similar to the memory foam beds out there.  They tend to be a bit more expensive ($400-600), but the entire mattress is latex, making it super comfy and easy to work with (no need to worry about exact measurements as you can squeeze a slightly larger mattress into the crib, and changing sheets is also easier as you can just bend the corners of the mattress to put them on).  I found latex mattresses almost always came surrounded in wool, and then sometimes with a bamboo cover or organic cotton one.  These mattresses were either 4″ or 6″ deep.

It was very hard to decide on what mattress to get.  I spent weeks researching mattresses and was frustrated by how difficult it was to find information about the materials (was the wool organic or chemically treated, how was the latex processed, what were the sources for  these materials, etc.).  It was especially challenging shopping online when there are so few online reviews of natural and organic mattresses.  Many companies make their own organic mattresses (Daxstores, Purerest) but without any consumer feedback, I just wasn’t certain.  It’s not easy buying a mattress online without touching and feeling it, and being able to ask detailed questions.  I almost bought one from Daxstores, a company I have bought bedding from before that has excellent customer service, but was worried about the cost of shipping the mattress back if I needed to return it.

We ended up getting one made by a local company from a local eco home goods store.  It was a 6″ natural latex mattress with a wool/bamboo blend cover.  It retailed for $475 and we had a 25% off coupon.  Now we just need a mattress pad/protector and we are set.  We plan on using this mattress for 3-4 years, putting it on a toddler bed to get more of our money’s worth.  And we are considering getting our older two children natural rubber twin mattresses (which seem to run about $800-1000) in the future and possibly one for ourselves.  We’ll see though.  That is definitely a serious investment.

So what’s the problem with conventional mattresses?

According to Dr. Alan Greene, author of Raising Baby Green:

• Conventional mattresses are often covered in the polyvinyl chloride (PVC), widely considered to be one of the most toxic and environmentally unfriendly plastics in use today.
• Phthalates, associated with asthma, reproductive effects, and cancer, make up 30% by weight of the PVC surface of a typical crib mattress.  The FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued general warnings regarding the use of phthalates, yet the PVC surfaces of baby mattresses still contain phthalates.
• The surface of a typical mattress is also treated with toxic fire-retardant chemicals such as antimony, arsenic, and phosphorous.  Various biocides are often added as well.
• Polyurethane foam, the predominant filling material used in baby mattresses, typically contains various problematic ingredients, including chemical catalysts, surfactants, emulsifiers, pigments, and other chemical additives.  These frequently include formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and organotin compounds.
• Polyurethane foam (essentially solid petroluem) is extremely flammable.  To combat this hazard, toxic industrial fire retardants (PBDEs) are added.
• There is some speculation that the off-gassing of mattresses may be a factor in SIDS, especially if baby’s placed on his stomach such that his face is close to the mattress.

Where can I buy a greener mattress?

• Suite Sleep (make sure to read their page on how their mattresses are made)
• Daxstores (they carry some of the best priced innerspring and latex mattresses)
• Purerest (I have no personal experience with this store but Dr. Alan Greene recommends them)
• Ecobedroom (also recommended by Dr. Greene)
• Nontoxic (also recommended by Dr. Greene)
• Natura (I have purchased other bedding products from them before and have been very pleased)

Are there other ways to make my bed healthier if I can’t afford a new mattress?

• Consider buying a natural/organic mattress pad or topper.  I have purchased several wool mattress pads that I hope create some of a barrier between a conventional mattress and the person sleeping on it.  Wool mattress toppers can be bought several inches thick, providing a very plush sleeping experience.
• Buy organic cotton sheets.  Gaiam sells organic bedding for a very reasonable price.  Many of the stores mentioned above for mattresses also sell organic bedding.
• Buy a natural pillow.  I have used a natural latex pillow from Natura for 4 years and love it!  My children sleep on shredded natural latex pillows, which are more affordable than solid latex.  I think that many organic wool filled pillows seem very nice.

Why choose organic?

• While latex is not organic, other bedding materials like cotton and wool can be.  Latex can be synthetic or natural though.  See this site for more information about natural latex.
• 25% of the world’s insecticides are used on cotton, making it the most insecticide-intensive crop in the world.
• Chemicals used to grow cotton (pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers) can end up in the cotton that your baby’s skin lies against.  The porous nature of skin allows it to absorb what it comes into contact with.  Organic cotton is not just good for the planet, but also for your baby.
• According to Dr. Alan Greene, organic wool is produced without detergents, dyes, and other irritating substances.  Organic wool also comes from sheep that weren’t dunked into a pool of toxic organophosphate “dip” to kill parasites, as are conventially raised sheep.  Instead, beneficial insects and ntural repellents handle parasites.
• Organic wool comes from herds of sheep that are carefully managed to protect the land from damage caused by overgrazing.

I’ll try to post an update after our baby is born to report on how we like our mattress.

You can see more about what happened on February 4th’s Environment and Public Works hearing “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals” here.  You can even read the testimony of the president of the EWG, Ken Cook.

Many carpets and rugs are made out of petroleum, increasing our reliance on oil and bringing more chemicals into our homes.  Healthier options include wool, or natural fiber rugs like jute and sisal.  The rugs in our house are all made of wool or jute and I have to say I just love the wool ones–they are stain resistant and very durable.

Many rug pads are made with petroleum based products as well and I found they often contain PVC.  I accidentally bought a PVC one and it smelled horrible.  It was promptly returned and I was pleased to find environmentally friendly pads made from 100% plant oils instead (like these sold at West Elm and Crate and Barrel).  I’ve even seen them at discount stores like Home Goods, so you just need to look around to find them.  I couldn’t be happier with the price, free shipping, or quality of the ones we bought from West Elm.

We recently bought five new types of diapers–Gro Baby, Flip, bumGenius bamboo fitteds, bumGenius 3.0 pocket, and Fuzzi Bunz One Size pocket.  I have used the last two before (in fact, we’ve used Fuzzi Bunz since 2005), but a lot has changed since we last bought diapers.  I love that Fuzzi Bunz now is one size and includes replacement elastic (genius!).  I like the idea behind Gro Baby and Flip–the shell gets reused and you just remove the insert when it’s only wet.  I think this will help the shell last longer.  I also love that those diapers come with organic cotton inserts.  My 2-year old is potty trained but still wears a diaper at nap and bedtime so we’ll probably try the new diapers on him since it’s still months until the baby is due.

Also see my posts:

• 5440 and Counting
• How we got started using cloth

However, I must say that this is one of the better pregnancy books out there.  It’s written by an ecology professor and tracks her pregnancy from her first positive home pregnancy test through her daughter’s second birthday.  It’s beautifully written–a nice blend of personal narration with facts about development and the environment, and most importantly, how changes in our environment may affect the development of a fetus.  I especially appreciated her balanced descriptions of toxins like lead, mercury (and why eating fish can be so dangerous–the FDA doubled the amount of allowable mercury for pregnant women in 1969, in response to pressure from the fishing industry), PCBs, dioxin, and pesticides.  I also was captivated by her account of when in history humans have made good preventative decisions (like not allowing the synthetic estrogen DES, prescribed to pregnant women in Europe and responsible for serious birth defects, into the U.S.) and when we failed (like disregarding an international covenant that had already banned lead-based paints for interior use in 1925 on the basis that lead was a neurotoxin and lead paint in homes produced lead dust).

Intermixed with serious descriptions of toxins in our environment, wombs, and breastmilk, are Sandra’s personal experiences with pregnancy–deciding to do an amniocentesis, having a natural labor and delivery, struggling to breastfeed her child, and then struggling to eventually wean her.  Somehow, this information dense book was actually a page-turner and I found myself finishing it in less than a week.  Highly recommended for anyone expecting or planning to become pregnant in the near future.