• Last updated 10/6/11 by Mothering Editorial

Related Articles:Sidebar: Making the Big Day Special By Betsy R. Rosenthal Issue 101, July/August 2001 My soon-to-be three year old's birthday was rapidly approaching. We avoided making a public show of Joel's first and second anniversaries. We got off easy. He didn't ask; we didn't suggest. Frankly, I needed a break after hosting parties year after year for my two older children. But this year my little guy specifically requested a party--a big party. A Spiderman party. Since we don't go in for hired outside entertainment (I'm not sure whether it's a sign of the... read more

• Last updated 2/4/10 by Mothering Editorial

February 4, 2010 A Boulder, Colorado hospital has made the move to reduce waste and save money by switching to cloth diapers, among other changes, reports the Denver Post. Boulder Community Foothills Hospital is known for its eco-conscious choices, including sporting solar panels on the roof, and with an international reputation for "being green" hospitals all over the world are learning a trick or two from Foothills. Last year the hospital saved $150,000 by switching to reusable metal sterilization containers alone. At the direction of sustainability coordinator Kai... read more

• Last updated 9/21/10 by Mothering Editorial

By Rob Williams Issue 127, November/December 2004 We live in the most media-saturated society in the history of the world. Americans spend between 10 and 12 hours a day consuming media through ever-more sophisticated technological delivery systems, including (for the average household) three televisions and radios, two VCRs and CD players, one computer, one video game player, and a bewildering variety of newspapers, comic books, magazines, books, and other print media.1 As we enter the 21st century, this situation might seem to call for celebration—more media... read more

• Last updated 8/22/11 by Mothering Editorial

    Etsy "Handmade Portraits" brings us toymaker Amber Dusick. Amber creates the kind of toys she wanted for her son: simple, natural, and inspiring. Watch her Etsy profile at YouTube. Amber's work was featured in Mothering's natural toy webinar. If you didn't catch it the first time around, be sure to watch her wooden toy making tutorial.   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 11/3/12 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 6/27/09 by Mothering Editorial

"The best gift I ever gave a child was a gaudy cast-iron chicken that I pulled from the metal-recycling bin. I thought it was a joke that would leave the four-year-old boy out of the loop and endear me further to his mom. Well, both of them really like it, and it props their country door open. Basically, I had to find a birthday present 'cause my wife told me so. I always complain that we should just bag it and let the material culture of birthdays suffer down. Her response: 'Well, you get him something.' So I scored at the dump and felt win-win-win all the... read more

• Last updated 1/26/13 by Cynthia Mosher

When I was in my twenties I used credit cards to pay for almost everything. The convenience! No jangling change in your pocket! No waiting to save before you buy! In those days with only one mouth to feed (I was skinnier back then) and a job in corporate philanthropy, I almost always managed to pay off the balance in full each month. Now that we’re a family of six, when I use our credit card we struggle (and usually fail) to pay it off. Though I’m sincerely grateful to Mr. Visa for financing our recent escape to rainy California, I no longer see... read more

• Last updated 10/19/12 by Melanie Mayo

 This week I did something that may sound a little crazy.  I took the Amtrak train from Washington, DC to Milwaukee, WI.  I had to make the trip for a work meeting, and I wanted to see if I could do my part to lower my carbon footprint by not flying.  The train was about 0.04 tons of carbon pollution, while a plane would have had nearly three times the emissions of the train.   Also, once we transition to renewable energy, trains will be an even better option since they can be powered by the wind and the sun.  The train was overnight, so I didn’t miss any... read more

• Last updated 8/29/10 by Mothering Editorial

With the the holidays just around the corner many of us are focused on choosing the most natural gift options for our children. This Mothering Special Report on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will keep you up to date on how this law is influencing the way toys and other childhood products are tested before they hit the marketplace, as well as how the laws are affecting small businesses. Plus, don't forget to check out the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Mothering for lots of help on finding the perfect natural toy options.   News - Mothering news and bulletins on... read more