• Last updated 10/31/12 by Cynthia Mosher

sponsored post Three years ago, Tracy Puhl joined the GladRags team as a customer service representative.  Now, at just 26 years old, Tracy owns Portland-based GladRags and runs it with a team of awesome ladies who are dedicated to showing women how simple, environmentally friendly and even fun it can be to switch to reusables.  In her free time, Tracy enjoys spending time with her family, reading, knitting, and volunteering in the community.  The Mothering team caught up with Tracy and asked her about what got her into reusables and her insider... read more

• Last updated 10/19/12 by Melanie Mayo

“Be Prepared” is more than just a boy scout motto in the age of climate change.  It’s more than just the title of a very funny book for new dads.  It’s an imperative.  All families need to be more prepared for extreme events because as we feel the first edges of climate change, they are happening with more frequency or severity. The media is covering one aspect of this.  In fact, over the past few weeks there have been some incredible pieces written about the connection between extreme weather and climate change. Eugene Robinson wrote a great piece... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by emilyfrischmann

Thanks to a freak storm bearing a name no one recognized, Washingtonians are being thrust into figuring out how to live without electricity.  The Derecho not only created a post-apocalyptic scene around town, it also led to some pre-industrial conditions.  Hundreds of thousands of people were without power.  In the middle of a heat wave.  The worst heat wave ever. I feel a little bad commenting on these circumstances since I still have power, and a gorgeous ceiling fan is whirring over my head.  But I do think that I have some experience to bring to bear for... read more

• Last updated 7/5/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Jennie Englund, M.S. Ed.Web Exclusive, November 20, 2006 As I join other Americans pouring out thanks over mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, I consider this question: does money buy happiness? My answer, based on experience, is a resounding "no." In fact, I treasure my little family's state of less-than-desirable money matters—it is a unique and absolute blessing, for which I am truly grateful. In the wake of my resignation from teaching to be a stay-home mom, there has, of course, been a great sacrifice—the illustrious financial one. But our family has reaped more... read more

• Last updated 10/18/12 by emilyfrischmann

  Bugs, bugs, and more bugs!  Some are cute and cuddly, others outright nasty.  Then there are those sneaky ones that can devour a garden seemingly overnight.  I have a no nasty rule in my home and on my property, meaning that I will happily spend an entire day pulling weeds because I refuse to use horrible chemicals on my plants, and on the land.  Because I love to garden, and am definitely not a fan of bugs in my home (even if those daddy long legs do keep other bugs at bay, they still have to go), my arsenal of natural and safe pest control is... read more

• Last updated 11/1/12 by Cynthia Mosher

It’s not your imagination, it actually is hotter than it used to be.  Climate change has kicked in and we are breaking heat records left and right.  It was a spring for the record books and we may be in line for another record breaking summer.  No matter what state you live in, it is hotter on average now than it was forty years ago.  Of course one response to this heat is to crank up the A/C.  But unless you select a renewable energy  option from your utility (an option not everyone has), that response would actually cause more coal to be burned, and... read more

• Last updated 11/2/12 by Cynthia Mosher

I’m a lover of all plants in all of their forms, but do seem to be on an essential oil kick lately.  They are the most potent form of herbs, and when used appropriately can do wonders.  So to continue on my essential oil rant, here’s a list of do-it-yourself cleaning products that are not only safe and super easy to make, but work just as effectively, if not more so, than anything that you’ll find at a store.   All Purpose Spray 1/4 cup white vinegar (kills germs, cuts grease, deodorizes & dissolves mineral deposits) 2 cups water,... read more

• Last updated 1/7/13 by Melanie Mayo

By Rebecca Balcarcel Web Exclusive Fifteen dollars, a trip to the local hardware store, and I was all set. One retractable clothesline, guaranteed not to break, rust, or raise the electric bill. Since I own a perfectly-running dryer, more than a few folks wondered at my new purchase. At the store, clerks passed my question back and forth like a smelly cloth diaper. "Clothesline did you say? Let me ask hardware." "A clothesline? Let me check with domestics." "Do you mean a line for hanging clothing? Stay right there; I'll find the manager." I finally scooped the single... read more

• Last updated 6/16/12 by Mothering Editorial

And Other Gardening Secrets from My Daughter By Deborah LiBrandi Web Exclusive   Growing up, the outdoors was a place of abundance and beauty. I was raised in rural Ohio on nearly four acres of land that included 28 apple trees, a blackberry patch, grape vines and a large vegetable garden planted and tended to every summer by my family and me. We grew corn, beans, tomatoes, broccoli and sunflowers. When I was hungry, I climbed my apple tree and picked an apple. If it was late summer, I would eat a fresh, warm tomato straight from the vine. I didn’t have to wash off... read more

• Last updated 1/7/13 by Melanie Mayo

By Annie Berthold-Bond My friend Rachel is pregnant with her second child. Like many pregnant women, she is distilling all of society's free-floating anxiety about exposure to toxic chemicals into nine months of serious worrying. Rachel asked me to teach her how to do nontoxic cleaning, and she was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy and effective it can be. There are five basics that I use for nontoxic cleaning: baking soda, vinegar, a good soap or detergent, washing soda, and tea tree oil. I believe you can clean everything in the house with these items. Rachel... read more