• Last updated 5/13/13 by Monica S

I’ve written a lot about all of the reasons why you should switch to authentically organic skin care products.  While there are certainly some wonderful lines for you to choose from, sometimes the best option is to give it a go at home with ingredients you may already have in your pantry.  It will give you a taste of natural skin care, and from there you can decide if you want to explore further by using some of the other lovely products available.   For a simple, but powerful day and nighttime facial moisturizer, choose from any of the oils listed below.  Most of... 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

• Last updated 12/12/12 by JenniO11

        Become a Mothering Maven Today!   The Mothering Mavens Program is designed to connect brands with our most passionate members in order to help create better natural and sustainable products for our families.    Being a Mothering Maven is a great way to: Get new products to try out Have your voice heard and have a positive impact on the way natural products are created and marketed Get special offers that are exclusive to the Mothering Mavens Meet other natural moms who are as passionate as you are!   As a Mothering... read more

• Last updated 9/21/10 by Mothering Editorial

By the Mothering Staff Issue 116, January - February 2003 1961 Proctor and Gamble (P&G) introduces Pampers. 1971 Pennsylvania Boy Scouts conducting a highway cleanup campaign report that the largest single source of litter is the disposable diaper. Disposable diapers contribute 171,000 dry weight tons of waste to be processed by US sewage systems. (M. A. Shapiro, Preliminary Study of the Environmental Impacts from Processing and Disposal of Diapers) 1975, February In comparing the effectiveness of several brands of disposable diapers, Consumer Reports notes that... read more

• Last updated 5/2/13 by AdinaL

  This list is a work in progress! I hope this will be a great resource for new and old members alike.  ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick  Renewable energy incentives in your state 2009 Federal energy tax credits Low income weatherization programs Debt-Proof Living  Get Rich Slowly Consumerist Money Saving Mom MyFICO.com Resources Home Expense and Utility Assistance Weatherization Assistance – Helps families make their homes more energy efficient to reduce energy bills. LIHEAP – Low income energy assistance program WARM... read more

• Last updated 10/24/12 by Melanie Mayo

  With fall and winter fast upon us, our time spent outdoors is going to diminish from what it’s been during these nice last days of summer.   Our windows will close up, and the heater and fireplace will turn on.  Now while I absolutely adore sitting by a roaring fire, cozied up on the couch with my little loves, I also realize that the health impact from those seemingly benign luxuries are not what I’d like them to be.   When I think of air pollution, I often think of the Southern California sky where I grew up.  On the vast majority of days throughout... 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 1/7/13 by Melanie Mayo

I’ve always said that I’m not a good crafty mom.  I’ll take my kids on a hike, a bike ride, or swimming all day long, but when it comes to creative indoor ideas, I’m definitely lacking.  Recently however, my kids and I have been having a ton of fun making our own body care products that we all use and love!  They get to help create something from start to finish, taking pride in the fact that what they make is equal to anything that they can buy from the store – a confidence boost in that lesson for sure!  And together, we’ve bonded indoors and have found a craft... read more

• Last updated 10/4/12 by Mothering Editorial

Issue 130By Peggy O'Mara A few months ago I got a call from a reporter who wanted me to define natural family living for an article she was writing for the Seattle Times. Just yesterday a friend told me that the article had turned up in the Baltimore Sun. Until now I have resisted defining natural family living, for several reasons. First, at its best, natural family living defies general definition because it is about discovering what is natural for each individual. Second, I don’t want parents to think they must follow rules in order to be good at parenting. And... read more

• Last updated 1/3/13 by Keya Chatterjee

We made it through the twelve days of overconsumption!  We received no gifts for ourselves and only two gifts for our two year old our son--  both beautiful books that he will keep and cherish for a long time.  I feel like a Scrooge, but I am always relieved to get through the holiday without a pile of packaging to recycle and another pile of stuff that I know will end up in a landfill within the year.     We didn’t do as well in other areas as we did on reducing our consumption, though, so that means we have lots of room for resolutions and improvements.  I’m... read more