Gettin’ Girly

July 1, 2008 – 2:00 am

I tried but I just can’t do it. Once again, I’m over the pretty toe nails. It’s not that I don’t appreciate finely pedicured tootsies on other women (I do!) but as a former ballet dancer, I think I’m just too used to worn and weathered looking feet when I peer down at my own. Still, Angelique the yogini extraordinaire I met a few weeks ago at Greenhouse Spa suggested that my masculine side was way more developed than my feminine side. At first I wanted to argue but really, it’s not too much of a surprise given the fact that I’m a single mom with a high testosterone son, in the midst of growing this little non-profit organization that is not so little anymore. Of course I’ve had to call upon the stronger, more stereotypically “masucline” sides.

So since I was at a spa, and a free pedicure was offered, I figured it would be a perfect way to bring in some more femininity. I even tried to keep it up at home with a fresh coat of the non-toxic Honeybee Gardens Polish. But after a weekend of camping I’ve now discovered that Sierra dust sticks to nail polish even if it has been dry for a week and is the peel off kind, and what was once a lightly glazed sheen is now a mud puddle of blackened specks and I just don’t think I can keep up! So it’s back to the natural toes for me - and I’ll have to start looking at some deeper ways to let my girly side out more. Somehow, I think that’s probably what Angelique meant anyway.

If you’ve got to mani-pedi, stay away from formulas containing formaldehyde, toluene and/or (DBP) phthalate, (all of which are on California’s Prop 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity) and opt for safer alternatives such as those from Honeybee Gardens, Nubar, and Peace Keeper Causemetics. And I’ll keep admiring your pretty toes from afar.

By kimberly | Posted in Beauty, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Summer Kick Off

June 23, 2008 – 11:21 pm

Marshmallows, paddle boats, river rafting and feeding Buttercup, the eight week old baby goat. Yes, that’s how Corbin and I were fortunate enough to kick off the summer on a four-day adventure up in the Mt. Shasta region of Northern California with my Dad. On the drive up, we stopped to check out the new Gaia Anderson Hotel, the second of what creator Mr.Wen Chang is intending to be a chain of green hotels. Though nothing too fancy, just off Interstate 5 in Redding, it was refreshing to find a saline pool, organic EO products, and a host of other environmentally friendly touches in a roadside stopover and gives me hope for a day when all such establishments have “gone green.”

It was also quite inspiring to watch Corbin on our friend Glen’s farm. He and our host’s daughter, Montana, spent the morning tending to the baby goats and then collected eggs from their chickens which we ate with freshly made chèvre just an hour later. When I think of sustainability, these are some of the visions I aspire to. Eating local (as in off your own farm!), off the grid, and in a gorgeous setting with mountain peaks all around and water flowing nearby. It was an adjustment to come home though I keep in mind that just as we hiked up Mt. Shasta one step at a time (well, actually just to the Sierra Club’s Horse Camp, elevation 7,950′ which was plenty for Corbin’s 6-year old legs), so too do we move toward a sustainable future one step at a time. We all just need to do it together

By kimberly | Posted in Adventure | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Marshmallows and Mom Guilt?

June 11, 2008 – 12:17 am

This whole mom guilt thing just really gets me. I look at these amazing women doing amazing juggling acts as they strive to take care of home/child/husband/career/world/self etc. etc. and it’s super human. No wonder it hurts so bad when, on occasion we mess up. We’re exhausted. Last week, I missed the first and only event I have missed all year in Corbin’s class. No matter that I had attended every field trip and volunteered in his class at least once a week all year, the day after the-event-I-missed, the tears ran down his cheeks. The guilt filled my soul.

I know rationally that it is irrational, but it doesn’t matter. How can we, as women and mothers, realize that just being is enough? All the stuff we do, isn’t really who we are and it really doesn’t change who we are when the stuff goes awry. Does it? Tonight, Corbin and I were sharing a facial mask before shower time (long story but let’s just say it was a fun way to integrate me taking care of me and him exploring his sensory self). Who were those crazy, happy people we saw in the mirror covered in calendula and marshmallow? Why was I able to let go of the guilt tonight as I firmly said no to some 6-year-old negotiations while on other nights, I feel so overwhelmed and unsure? Was it the marshmallow? Which by the way is a real plant (Althaea officinalis), not just the puffy white chemically-magical thing that drops off the stick over campfires and somehow makes Christmas fudge.

Worth a try I’d say. I usually try to stick with locally made products but U.S. based Miessence rep Erin Ely sent me a few testers of this Australian Certified Organic line and I’ve definitely noticed my skin looking really healthy (even during a few low exercise, low sleep, high mom guilt periods). With ingredients “so pure you can eat them,” and complete ingredient lists on each product page and because the ingredients are actually things you have heard of and can pronounce I have to admit that local or not, I’m loving their products. I’m till not sure how to get rid of the mom guilt but it can’t hurt to get rid of the bags and lines eh?

By kimberly | Posted in Beauty, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Destiny

June 6, 2008 – 2:39 pm

“My destiny is me,” said Emile, the Bulgarian, in his heavy accent, as we drove home in natural gas powered car from the airport. I was struck by his innocent, yet somehow quite evolved, sense of self. I was recently asked, “What do you think is the most important gift a parent can give a child?” Aside of course from the obvious roles of “good parenting”, which of course vary greatly from parent to parent but are presumably rooted in some form of nurturing and love, I found two things came to mind. 1. To give a child the gift of seeing his or her parent’s eyes light up every time he/she walks into the room, and 2. To give him or her a feeling of self-efficacy.

The Bulgarian, with is passion and faith in bringing his dreams to fruition made me realize I don’t often hear my American peers and colleagues so openly sharing their dreams. For fear of failure? Perhaps even embarrassment or some sense of shame? Is this part of why the vapid gossip magazines do so well, filled with the shallow dreams-come-true of many not famous for much more than being famous? Or why we so often look to blame others rather than change one’s self? It may seem a stretch, but if our collective consciousness has become one of victim and fear is that not perhaps part of why we find ourselves in the global conditions of today?

Perhaps it is because I am reading Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose but given the environmental, social and economic ills we face during this time in history, it seems a perfect time, for each of us to take responsibility for our actions and reconnect to the greater whole rather than stay stuck in a place of guilt, fear, shame. To step up passionately to our dreams and take responsibility for wherever we are. You see people who are there. Who are on their way. Their eyes glow. They enjoy the present. They are good at what they do and they know it but there is an absence of arrogance. Having just met Erica Ehm, a Canadian celeb and founder of Yummy Mummy, I think of her, with her sense of power and vulnerability so beautifully balanced. As Tolle writes, “Wherever there is inspiration, which translates as “in spirit,” and enthusiasm, which means “in God,” there is a creative empowerment that goes far beyond what any mere person is capable of.

Shortly, I’ll be off to pick up Corbin from school and we are going to spend the afternoon together, dreaming, playing, flowing, being. And I hope in creating enough of these moments for him, he will be better prepared to find his purpose and feel good in doing so.

By kimberly | Posted in 10 Things You Can Do, Uncategorized, Wellness | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Feelin’ Chipper

June 2, 2008 – 11:28 pm

It’s official. Corbin and I are in love with a suburban squirrel named Chipper. Created by Stephanie Rach, founder of IAGmedia, Chipper is the star of Into the Great Outdoors which tells the story of this perky little creature as he explores the wonders of the environment around him. Through mishap and adventure, Chipper teaches kids to respect nature and even more importantly, to love and play in nature. The Chipper chronicles include DVD, CD, and workbook. With such catchy little ditties you’ll find yourself and your kids singing along to. “. . . because I’m going on a trip, with my family. We’ll drive each other crazy, my Dad is going to snore. But when the trip is over, we’ll all want some more.” Reminds me of the time we took my godfather Vic camping in Monterey. Let’s just say he slept great. The rest of us, well, not so great.

With recent studies indicating more and more children choosing video games over time outdoors, Rach’s vision “to get kids back into nature so they will intuitively want to take care of it” is one shared by many, including Richard Louv, renowned author of Last Child In the Woods. Key to creating a sustainable future is reducing what Louv terms “nature deficit disorder” in our children and Chipper offers a light hearted reminder to get you and your family outside.

As for Corbin, well his backpack is now packed with Chipper’s Checklist and yesterday after school, he was doing an art project singing his new self-chosen mantra (and the closing of the CD), “I’m dreaming this blue planet green . . .” When I commented on how nice he sounded, he warmed my heart to the nth degree by responding, “And because you and all the mommy’s are being EcoMoms, the chipmunks and kids will have oceans and forests and stuff when we grow up.” It couldn’t have been more perfectly scripted and I, of course, got tears in my eyes - and wished someone else had been around to witness the quick passing moment. ‘Twas one of those sweet, sweet times when you realize your kid really does love and appreciate you. And then you’re back to the other reality. Anyway, check out Let’s Go Chipper and enter code EcoMom to receive a special treat (and a percentage of sales goes to support EcoMom Alliance outreach education).

By kimberly | Posted in 10 Things You Can Do, Adventure, Babies & Kids, Books | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Southern Hospitality

May 26, 2008 – 2:17 pm

What could etiquette possibly have to do with sustainability? Quite a bit I’d like to suggest. Having just spoken at the Mommy and Me week at the Greenhouse Spa in Arlington, TX I am more inspired by the power of the environment to bring even the most unlikely of acquaintances together. Going to the Greenhouse, built by the Neiman Marcus family over 40 years ago, feels like stepping back in time. Though close to the airport and just blocks from the freeway, upon entering the vast doors, I immediately felt like I had been transported to a set of an old movie and expected Greta Garbo to appear any minute, with feathered negligee trailing behind. Silence. Peace. A gentle easiness and sincere grace among the staff, especially hostess Jennifer, yogini Angel, and sweet esthetician Emma, who has been doing President’s wives nails for over 40 years (and gave me my first pedicure ever!).

When I began my talk, I knew the message would be well received by Heather Stouffer, founder of the organic baby line, Mom Made Foods, but I wondered how other guests, such as Mrs. Bernadette Watkins of Broadwell’s Elegant Etiquette would respond. While several admitted to some early reticence, by the end of the evening, everyone was excited about our positive and proactive goals. In the words of Mrs. Jennifer Fisher, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, “You’ve got a whole bunch of new EcoMoms after tonight!” Even Mrs. Watkins, who shared graciously, “Yes, yes, this is just wonderful.” It goes back to our Sustain Your Home, Sustain Your Planet, Sustain Your Self mantra. I don’t know that it is so much about proper use of fork and knife but I do know that if we could all begin to approach one another, ourselves, and the environment, with a more genuine consideration and respect, we would find ourselves in a much healthier manner and creating a more sustainable way of being. And good table manners doesn’t hurt either.

By kimberly | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Stop the Spray

May 12, 2008 – 1:03 am

Yesterday I spent the morning participating at a Stop the Spray Campaign organized by several groups of local Bay Area mothers to put a halt to the planned Bay Area-wide spraying of pesticides that have not been tested on human beings. I was called to speak unexpectedly and though butterflies (or were they Brown Apple moths?), filled my belly as I wondered what I would say, the words came easily as I briefly shared the stage with a host of powerhouses including Lisa Chipkin, Kris Brewer, Lisa Krausz, Judi Shils, Joe Nation, Carol Migden, and Mark Leno among others (most notably, a teen age girl who spoke with great poise about not wanting her younger siblings to grow up being sprayed with a toxic cocktail of chemicals). Even if unprepared, there was no way to be uninspired. If this can happen in our community it can happen in yours. Indeed, after spraying begins in August, the plan is to expand the spray to other states thereafter. Education is the key to making sustainable choices so whether you’re a Bay Area-ite or not, if you’re inclined to learn more and take action, please visit Stop the Spray Marin and MOMAS.

By kimberly | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Those were the days . . .

May 6, 2008 – 7:38 pm

Once upon a time there was an oh-so-not-tech savvy mom who still owned a 2002 Nokia phone with nothing more than calling and text messaging capability. Then, in an effort to inspire women around the world, she started something called The EcoMom Alliance and lo and behold, a year and a half later she is learning all about Technorati, Facebook, widgets and more. Yes, that mom is me and I still own that phone, despite regular complaints that I am unavailable due to my archaic personal communication system, (so I’m not yet “twittering”) but I’m doing my best to be a part of the technologically hip and cool. Still, it was a lovely surprise to receive Christina Strutt’s new book, A Guide To Green Housekeeping. In this age of all things fast and efficient, her writing, and the whimsical photos, make even the dirtiest of jobs sound well, just lovely. Perhaps it is her British manner that shines throughout, the book is part call to action, part how-to and most certainly a visual treat that harkens back to a time when one took pride in the laundry and such. For all of these reasons, as well as the educational aspect of course, I just loved Strutt’s book.

By kimberly | Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Tune Up

May 5, 2008 – 1:01 am

With summer almost upon us, it’s time to begin thinking of a tune up if you have not already. No, not your car (you’re using that less anyway, right?). I’m talking about you. Your body. Your soul. I was reminded of this with painful clarity after a morning round of “playing Danny Phantom” (if you don’t know, don’t ask) with Corbin finished with me on the floor. Ice pack under my neck. And as I sit and work this evening, going on six-hours straight, it occurs to me that I am not doing such a good job of walking my talk in terms of the whole Sustain Your Self mantra on which I am regularly asked to speak. With shoulders up to my ears, and neck-oh-so-tight, I vow that tomorrow I will make an appointment for some acupuncture with my favorite integrative medicine specialist Susan Fox, of Balance Restored. She’s also one of our EcoMom Experts and well worth a visit if you’re in the area. For tonight, I’m off to go do some stretching and deep breathing in my candle lit living room.

By kimberly | Posted in Health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Save A Bag

May 4, 2008 – 10:57 pm

For a fun little read introducing young children to the importance of reusable bags, check out My Bag and Me, by Karen Farmer with illustrations by Gary Currant. Complete with a real bag discreetly packed within the book, it is a quick and simple piece for tiny hands and the story reminds us all that for every trip to the store, carrying one’s own bag saves energy and natural resources. As I’m hearing more and more of my friends worry about eco-angst in our children, we can use books such as this to teach them, early on, efficacy instead of despondency.

By kimberly | Posted in Books | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)