• Last updated 1/6/13 by Melanie Mayo

Five Ways Frugal Living Benefits Kids by Laura Grace Weldon Sophie is a single mother raising a five-year-old boy. She’s working to establish her own house cleaning business after losing her job nearly two years ago. Sophie and her son live in a small trailer home. Marissa and Jack run a thriving dental practice while raising five-year-old twin daughters. They live in a suburban home on several acres. The five-year-olds from these families are at opposite ends of the economic spectrum. But their parents are raising them in remarkably similar ways.... read more

• Last updated 1/17/12 by NWRaven

Here are safe from Monsanto seed companies. Abundant Life Seeds (Cottage Grove, OR) Amishland Seeds Annapolis Valley Heritage Seed Company canada Baker Creek Seed Co. (Mansfield, MO) Berlin Seeds - they don't have a website. Atleast I didn't find one. Botanical Interests (Broomfield, CO) Bountiful Gardens (Willis, CA) Diane's Flower Seeds (she has veggies now, too) Fedco Seed Co. - phasing out seminis seeds. (Waterville, ME) Garden City Seeds Good Seed Company (Oroville WA) - cold hardy, short-growing season plant seeds Heirloom Acres Seeds -I've heard... read more

• Last updated 4/17/13 by Monica S

With spring upon us and Earth Day right around the corner, many of us are thinking about how we can green our cleaning routine this year. Last week we ran a Spring Cleaning Contest and asked Mothering members to share eco-friendly ways they found to keep things clean. Below you'll find some of the great ideas our members shared, as well as awesome green cleaning products our community has recommended.   Photo by Suzettesuzette via Flickr.   Soak orange peels in vinegar "I love cleaning with vinegar, but not the vinegar smell.  So... read more

• Last updated 11/1/12 by Melanie Mayo

Actress and The Honest Company co-founder shares her non-toxic, eco-friendly vision of the future.   By Sharon Kehoe   Mom always said honesty is the best policy, and the story behind The Honest Company is no exception. One day, actress Jessica Alba, mother and co-founder of The Honest Company, had an allergic reaction to a baby-friendly laundry detergent. Surprised by this, she began researching the ingredients found in conventional baby products, but didn’t find enough information to make her feel comfortable using... read more

• Last updated 12/6/12 by Melanie Mayo

      Contains organic ingredients Made with nontoxic ingredients 100% Natural Plant Based Natural Botanical Ingredients Made with plant extracts Contains organic essential oils Earth-friendly Environmentally safe   Do these claims look familiar?  You now see them all over a wide variety of packages, from salad dressings to moisturizers.  They’re meant to lead us consumers to believe that we are buying a better and safer product than other options, and they work really well at doing just that!  Unfortunately, very few of products with such... read more

• Last updated 12/1/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Judith L. Rubin Issue 121, November - December 2003 One night, not long after Christmas, my pacifist friends Jay Levy and Su Zuniga quietly crept down to the basement with a hammer while their three-year-old daughter, Samantha, slept. There, they methodically banged on the belly of her new mechanical dog until it stopped yapping. Another friend's daughter received a Victorian makeup table for her fourth birthday. "It's plastic, it's ugly, and it's huge. It's totally inappropriate for a four year old. Not to mention that my daughter is a tomboy." When asked about... read more

• Last updated 12/6/12 by JenniO11

I was raised in an Attachment Parenting household, but I had never really been involved in the all-natural lifestyle until I went to college in Northern California.  There, my eyes were opened to an interest in composting, natural soaps and detergent and the Dirty Dozen.  But I have to admit: the idea of cloth pads, which I learned about only once I started working with Mothering, still kind of made me say “ew.”  I was one of those women (you know who you are!) who thought to herself, “That’s a cool idea – but it’s definitely not for me!”     After chatting with... read more

• Last updated 3/7/13 by mamazee

  Even though we can't hear them as well as our children can, the trees are trying to tell us to stop cutting them down 1. Let your hands air dry after you wash them in a public bathroom. 2. Ask for a ceramic mug for your low fat decaf latte. Often clerks default to paper if you don’t mention you’re staying put. 3. Keep a travel mug in your bag for when you want your drink-of-choice to go. 4. Bring your own plates to school dinners. 5. Carry a handkerchief to blow your nose and your kid’s nose. (Old-fashioned is the new... read more

• Last updated 2/12/13 by Amy Paolinelli

    I’m definitely a frugal person, and with 3 kiddos I simply haven’t been able to justify the price tag associated with regular manicures and pedicures.  In fact, I think my 6 year old daughter has had more of them than I have thanks to her Nana!  So what is this do-it-yourselfer herbal loving Mama to do?  Well, I do my own of course, and I now find that my daughter can’t seem to get enough of these at-home spa treatments!  Saves me money, while allowing her and I to bond and create special memories!    The recipes that follow are all super easy and... read more

• Last updated 12/12/12 by Melanie Mayo

Need some simple and frugal gift ideas? Check out these great suggestions from members of the Mothering community.    Now through Dec 19th, share your own homemade gift ideas in our 2012 Homemade Gifts Contest for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Nature's Fabrics!!   Also check out the article It's a Gift for more great, frugal suggestions.      Frugal Wrap by cyrusmama "We went to our local newspaper office and asked if they had any of their roll ends left. They usually charge the general public for them, but not educators. We are homeschoolers so... read more