Hello my Dear
EcoMoms,

My apologies for
taking so long to check in but thanks to all of you, I am keeping extremely
busy. With a slurry of media moments
lending support and exposure to the EcoMom Alliance, including mention in a
recent article on www.babycenter.com and a segment on ABC’s View From the Bay, participation in, and enthusiasm for, the EcoMom Alliance continues to grow. I
have spoken at Mom’s groups from San Francisco to Colorado and let me tell you,
there are so many wonderful, inspired – and inspiring – EcoMoms out there!!!
One day I hope we will have a tech sponsor so we can actually tabulate our
collective CO2 loss, but for now, please be reassured that we are having an
impact (i.e. even if your food diet isn’t working, as an EcoMom, your C02 diet
is going quite well). Amid all of this, I’ve got birthdays on my mind . .
.

Last week I was
fortunate enough to attend the birthday celebration of EcoMom Sunny Chayes. A month
earlier she had promised Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson that she would host an event
to bring more peace into the world and she chose to make good on her promise on
the same day as her birthday. The evening was a Who’s Who of business leaders,
philanthropists, musical artists and social entrepreneurs like Heidi Kuhn (with me in the photo above),
another EcoMom and founder of Roots of Peace. There were some
amazing speakers and inspiring singers, but what struck me the most was Sunny’s
willingness to shift a birthday celebration from one of self-congratulations to
one of global awareness for a sustainable future. It was an honor to share the
experience and it made me remember a time, many months ago, when my neighbor,
and inspired EcoMom, Kris Peterson, and I were talking about ways to make kid’s
birthday parties more eco. So here, my dears, are a few green ideas:

• Hold your party at
  a local organic farm, animal shelter or aquarium and create a nature-based
  theme.

• Serve organic,
  locally grown food.

• Use biodegradable
  or recyclable “flatware”, wrapping paper, and cloth napkins

• Give eco-friendly
  party favors such as little pots with bags of seeds, non-toxic art supplies or
  even, purchase the gift of a goat or plant trees for a needy community in all
  the kid’s names. Most organizations will then send the kids information so they
  can “meet” the kids they’ve helped. Oxfam Unwrapped offers some great ideas.

• Recycle and compost
  waste.

• Top the cake with Ben & Jerry’s who not only offer organic options and have a host of
  environmental and social equity programs already in place, but they’ve also
  begun taking steps to be carbon neutral within five years.

Finally, don’t feel
guilty if you sneak a little more of that frozen treat after the kids go to
bed. Remember, mom guilt does not a sustainable future make, and if my
reassurances aren’t enough, here’s a good story: Several years back I went to
see my doctor for a sprained ankle and when the appointment was done she handed
me a prescription, on a piece of prescription paper, you know, the slip you
turn into the pharmacist, (i.e., it looked very official). It read: 1 Quart Ben
& Jerry’s Ice Cream. Eat all at once with foot piled high on pillows,
watching TV or reading a trashy magazine. She was a great doctor and understood
that sometimes what we need most, is a little self-indulgence with our feet up
on a pillow. Sustain Your Self. Sustain Your Planet. It’s all connected.