• Last updated 6/6/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Susan Biggar A Web Exclusive The best thing about our suburban house is the back garden. I readily admit it’s not a pleasant sight for anyone with a green thumb, because it’s not that kind of garden. The grass is worn thin in key places, like threadbare knees on favorite jeans. In fact, there’s not a trace of green at the two ends, which double as soccer goals in winter and cricket batting boxes in summer. The plants that survive living on an all-terrain sports field get almost no pruning or tender loving care. And the rain dries up for months on end, sometimes at... read more

• Last updated 11/2/12 by Melanie Mayo

This week I’m going to answer a question that many moms get asked at least once a week. Imagine the usual scenario:  Your little darling is screaming in the check out aisle.  He won’t let go of the magazine that he just grabbed somehow with his sticky hands, and, oh, he just ripped the magazine.  Wonderful.  And he NEEEEEDS that chocolate bar, and also the cough drops hanging from that clip.  You are keeping a smile pasted on your face.  You try reason.  Fail.  You try ‘toddlerese’.  Fail.  You try bribery, but not even that is working today.  And the lady... read more

• Last updated 11/3/12 by Cynthia Mosher

It was almost eight hours after my son was born that I first had the presence of mind to ask my husband if I could see the certificate that the birth center had made us to celebrate the birth of our son.  The ‘name’ slot was blank still at that point (my husband later filled it in), and the only identification was a beautiful tiny footprint.  It still makes me smile to think of that tiny footprint.    As I looked at my son’s footprint for the first time, the last thing that was going through my mind was our ecological footprint – which is a measure of... read more

• Last updated 4/19/12 by Mothering Editorial

Cloth Diaper How-to: A Video Resource Section This video resource is a web exclusive addition to the feature article "The Diaper Dilemma" in the May/June 2010 issue of Mothering magazine. To read the article, and accompanying resources, order a digital subscription or a copy of the May/June issue. The following pages contain short videos from Mothering advertisers with helpful information, cloth diaper how-tos, and demonstrations on how to properly use the cloth diapers they sell.       Prefold and Flat Diapers - Watch the Videos What is a prefold... read more

• Last updated 11/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

I wanted to take some time this week to fill you on the information I have about bamboo! We see this fabric everywhere, but many of you wonder what the rage is? And is it founded? Here are some basic bamboo facts! • Bamboo is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers • Bamboo requires no irrigation • Bamboo rarely needs replanting • Bamboo grows rapidly and can be harvested in 3-5 years • Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen that an equivalent stand of trees • Bamboo is a critical element in the balance of oxygen and... read more

• Last updated 11/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

  What a gift these last few weeks have been. Daily temps in the 70′s accompanied by bluebird, sunny skies. We’ve been happily shrugging off long sleeves and socks in favor of sun hats and sandals. There is nothing like the warm, nurturing feel of sun on bare skin; skin that’s been covered for way too many months. For the first time this year it’s been keep-the-windows-open-while-we-sleep warm, which is worthy of celebration. No doubt we will have more snow still. Spring in Colorado can bring our biggest snowfalls. But just as the old saying... read more

• Last updated 3/28/12 by Mothering Editorial

The ABCs of Going ClothBy Elizabeth GawlikIssue 147 It’s the middle of the night and my baby is squalling. I reach into the hamper for another diaper and discover that only two are left. I realize it’s time—not to run to the store for diapers, but to do a load of laundry. I am one of a growing number of parents who use cloth diapers. I chose cloth for a number of reasons, including budget, the environment, and my baby’s comfort. I’ve learned from my experience that cloth diapers can be easier to use than I would have imagined, and can fit into any budget or... read more

• Last updated 3/22/12 by Mothering Editorial

Corey from Celebrate Green! shows which foods make ideal dye for Easter eggs. Click here for step-by-step instructions on the Celebrate Green! blog.  Also check out Fun Upcycled Easter Baskets from the Celebrate Green! team. Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are the mother-daughter co-authors of the book, Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family. Visit Corey & Lynn at www.CelebrateGreen.net.       read more

• Last updated 3/28/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Rachel Rose Web Exclusive It's spring, my first spring back in the Northwest since I was a child, and the first spring I've had a garden of my own. When we rented this house, I looked at the large, weedy yard as a liability. I had never considered becoming a gardener; my life was too full already. Gardening just snuck up on me, one petunia at a time. You'd think, with all the exposure I've had to gardening, I would have taken to it more easily. My mother is a master gardener of the obsessive-compulsive variety. Ever since I can remember, any house we've... read more

• Last updated 3/14/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Helen CoronatoIssue 150September/October 2008 Many pregnancies are accompanied by a baby shower. In this age of greener consciousness, why not opt for an ecologically friendly shower? Eco-showers are the latest green trend to add momentum to the movement toward freedom from carbon emissions, as environmentally savvy women look for ways to host parties that honor the mother-to-be and Mother Earth with greener gift registries, reusable party decorations, and more meaningful activities and rituals. You’re probably already doing your daily best to reduce, reuse, and... read more