Comments Christine Gardner has made

  • I'd buy into that

    I'd even slap that bumper sticker on the back of my bike trailer.

    Plus, I love the optimism. It's a nice break from the doom and gloom from China.

    And for the record, it's not a cop out. I would stand with my children for a carbon neutral country. It's not like we were handed a pristine platter from those that came before us.On How much should we aim to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions? posted 2 years, 3 months ago 10 Responses

  • CSA

    I'm in the same one-income boat and joining a CSA was the best food decision I've ever made. You feel really invested in the product and the community, you get to try a lot of different types of very healthy foods and the farmer takes all of the "what should I buy this week" out of the equation, which I kind of love. And it's turned out to be a pretty great deal. Anybody know what to do with 5 pounds of summer squash?On Umbra on prioritizing organic purchases posted 2 years, 3 months ago 10 Responses

  • Glad you made it home OK

    I hope these rides, dangerous though they are, help get you some of the protection you need. I've been riding for just a few months, and not in a major city, but I've already learned what kind of jackasses are out there.

    Minivan. SUV. Minivan. SUV. SUV. Don't mind me guys. I know it's a four-way stop, but you go on ahead. Jerks... On Time to get serious about bikes posted 2 years, 3 months ago 15 Responses

  • Maybe it's just me

    But when the argument comes down to "wean ourselves...from milk and other dairy products" it's extreme. Try to get parents to stop from buying dinner in a bag? Maybe. Get parents to stop giving their children milk? Not going to happen.

    Biodiversivist's arguments on this matter have been thorough, but I will say buying local, even if meat and cheese are involved, seems like a better solution to the environment/obesity/overall-health than advocating a diet that less than 1 percent of Americans can follow.

    Again, it's probably just me. And where's that donut recipe?On On the difficulties of going veggie posted 2 years, 4 months ago 65 Responses

  • I love my daughters' doctor

    My kids' pediatrician was just responding to my questions. She probably would have added a scolding "tsk tsk" if I had asked about a diet of corn chips and chicken nuggets.
    And frankly, I think she's right. Just because you can provide a vegan diet to a toddler doesn't mean you should.
    My family opted for a more natural diet by eliminating high-fructose corn syrup and making a lot of home-cooked food.
    It's not crazy restrictive but it keeps us from buying in the middle aisles of the grocery store, where all the evil lives. Plus we buy a lot of local food.
    Local fruits, vegetables and meat. I'll take that over fortified cereal.
    On On the difficulties of going veggie posted 2 years, 4 months ago 65 Responses

  • Re: Ignorance

    I'm glad to see I've nailed down at least half the recipe for success.

    Erik, thanks for the links. I'll defitely check those out. On Do parents lose or gain by taking kids outdoors? posted 2 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

  • Universal access

    Here in Bloomington-Normal, anybody who goes to school or works for the university rides for free. The number of riders increased drastically when the program started in 2003, although I imagine it suffers from the same energy-cost-per-passenger-mile problem as the NC system. That's kind of a bummer to think about.

    My husband and I sometimes don't take the bus because a $3 round trip doesn't seem cost effective. When the kids are school aged, the price will go up to $6, making it unlikely we'll take too many family trips around town this way.

    I try to remember it's still less expensive than owning a second car.On It's not part of the precipitate, it's part of the solution! posted 2 years, 5 months ago 8 Responses

  • Safe and sound

    While still too new to be an expert on cycle safety, the last week went fine in terms of safety and distance traveled (I somehow managed to get up at 6 a.m. for a quiet ride before the girls got up). I ride only on very light-traffic streets, on sidewalks alongside busier streets (probably a bike no-no, but it feels OK) and on an awesome trail that provides access to a playground and an ice cream shop.

    I came across this mom blog talking about Bike to Work Week.

    In our quest for safety, we have made the world a more dangerous place. ... Help end the madness."

    But I did run up against this little surprise. At this busy four-way stop near my house, vehicles were always more than willing to let the stroller pass. Strangely, they don't provide the same courtesy to a bike, even one carting a trailer.

    Lesson learned. SUV gets right-of-way. For now...On My bike and kids posted 2 years, 6 months ago 12 Responses

  • Our answer? Stop watching TV

    My husband and I were just talking about this tonight. How did we come to need so much stuff? Our answer. Advertising. It's always there to remind us of how much more we could have, if only we were better.

    It's like this with fashion. It comes and it goes, but in a three decade period, bell bottoms were in, they were out, and they were in again. And again, out. Who decides this stuff?

    We gave up cable a few years ago and watch a lot less TV because of it. Now we don't really know about the newest innovation in room fresheners.

    Anyhow, I feel you on the Hummer front. I take my girls to this great playground in this really awful, cookie-cutter neighborhood. There's a Hummer parked right across the street from the park. On the plus side, it's always parked there. I imagine the owner can't afford the fuel it costs to drive it.
    On What's in your status symbol? posted 2 years, 6 months ago 10 Responses

  • About time

    Evangelicals and now Catholics? The next thing you know, the Amish will be on board. Oh wait...

    After half a lifetime disagreeing with 12 years of Catholic schooling, it's certainly startling to agree with the Pontiff so completely. I could never understand why Catholics -- or others with strong religious beliefs -- weren't more environmentally conscious, what with protecting god's creations and all.

    Population control will eventually have to be addressed if Rome is serious about this.
    On Green the Pope way posted 2 years, 6 months ago 29 Responses

  • Thank you

    Using the "eat food" advice of Michael Pollan, I was planning on eating corn (and sweetening my ultra-awesome salsa with it) this summer, but had the same concerns raised by your other reader. But in the heart of corn country, I'll definitely quiz the grower before I go home and enjoy it with butter.
    I love summer.
    On On the peculiar American habit of demonizing food posted 2 years, 6 months ago 22 Responses

  • More about babies

    Babies don't use much water, until you consider you've given your baby a bath every night as part of a bedtime routine, and you continue to bathe him/her/them every night through preschool or you have a fight at bedtime (and you're too tired to fight at bedtime). Suddenly your kid is 6 and you've used a lot more water than was really necessary.

    So, maybe just don't reproduce and save yourself the headache of the internal debate about how often is too often to bathe your children.
    On How to reduce your household energy consumption, easy-like posted 2 years, 6 months ago 30 Responses

  • Stop bathing baby

    At least stop doing it every night. I found this out accidentally after both kids had a hip problems requiring them to wear a brace for their first six months of life. The brace made it impossible to give them a tub bath.

    Truth is, babies don't really get all that dirty. A damp washcloth is all the cleaning they need and it's better for their delicate skin.

    I agree about the benefits of making meals from scratch. My rule of thumb is no high fructose corn syrup. The kids still get Cheerios but it eliminates most prepackaged food.

    Plus, so much more delicious.On How to reduce your household energy consumption, easy-like posted 2 years, 6 months ago 30 Responses

  • What I've learned

    My friend who e-mailed the link about the laundry soap sent along this helpful bit this morning:

    "Vinegar works great in the oven too.  All you do is put about an inch of vinegar in a tin or other metal baking dish and put it in the oven overnight.  It loosens up any spills and stuck on stuff and you can then use the vinegar in water to wipe out the oven. A trick my grandma taught me."

    Oh white vinegar, is there anything you can't do?

    Although I too noticed a lot of streaking on windows and mirrors, last night I tried my grandma's old trick of using newspaper for the final wipe down. Worked great!

    Oh grandmas, was there anything you didn't know?
    On Can a mother survive without antibacterial wipes? posted 2 years, 7 months ago 13 Responses

  • Sorry

    Obviously, I meant McKibben. If I'm going to complement somebody, I should at least get the name right. Sorry, sorry...On It's descended completely into 'small steps' posted 2 years, 7 months ago 37 Responses

  • But first, give Earth Day a hug

    This post bothered me all weekend, especially because it came on the heels of a wonderful post quoting Bill McKibbon, advising a warm welcome to newcomers.
    I just received an Earth Day e-mail this morning from a woman (another mom) with whom I share some common friends. She wanted to share all the things she'd done during the year to help green her household and ask what others are doing. I never knew we shared common values relating to this issue, and now here she is, spreading news of her family's efforts. We've started a conversation based on her decision to reach out.
    Maybe turning off the water while you brush should be a given and isn't really helping anyway. But when we spread our ideas and become a larger group, and help those who aren't sure where to start, the big changes can happen too.
    So long live Earth Day, and Earth Day parties and e-mails and conversations. Stop listening to the polls. Don't forget to smile.
    On It's descended completely into 'small steps' posted 2 years, 7 months ago 37 Responses

  • It only gets worse

    As the mom of the only two grandchildren my mother will ever have, we have more toys and clothes than a family of 10 would want, or need. You can do your best to express your desire, but sometimes the only thing you can do is make sure all that crap you get gets another home when you're done.
    As far as diapering, it's really a decision best made before the baby arrives. Diaper services and gDiapers seem like good options, but this family has a lot of information on elimination communication (sexy name, right), which seems great if you can make it work.On Umbra on baby gifts posted 2 years, 7 months ago 14 Responses

  • So much to think about, so little to say

    I really appreciate all the excellent suggestions (dares, invitations and threats, well not threats) posted in last few days. It's given me a lot to think about and consider.

    I'm definitely ready for some challenges and a chance to let other moms know what works, what doesn't and why. I'll be posting here monthly on updates to these little experiments and appreciate all your green guidance.On Dare this mom to change her life posted 2 years, 7 months ago 36 Responses

  • Good food and disappointment

    I felt the same way when I saw Rick Bayless -- chef and organic advocate, who decided to keep his restaurant in Chicago rather than branch out-- shilling Whoppers on TV. Are you kidding me?

    If you can't trust famous chefs, who can you trust?On A great chef pimps his name for industrial food posted 2 years, 7 months ago 8 Responses