I was blown away by the incredible line up of speakers. The first person I met was the Editor in Chief from Treehugger, Meaghan O’Neil. As a huge fan of Treehugger I was thrilled. She spoke on the second day of the Forum on Green Media.

Here are some of the things I learned

• Californians need to vote and get the word out  on Prop 23, a bill that would kill clean tech jobs and innovation. http://www.StopDirtyEnergyProp.com/
• 85% of purchase decisions at home are made by women
• Plastics in the U.S. are made with 69% natural gas
• Vegetable glues are being use in eco chic shoes
• 30% of U.S. kids are obese
• Our children have a lower life expediency  then previous generations.
• The coast line has risen 9 inches in the last 100 years

My biggest take aways from the Forum were

• Do give up, we can make a difference
• Follow your gut, go for it!
• Build up your network, women are great at collaborating
• Engaged citizens can level the playing field with special interest groups

I couple of great women I met at the forum were from:

Recycle Match - a company that match those with waste with companies that can use it!

Natural Mill – an indoor compost bin!

Blog

Low-impact Laundry

By Marisa Belger for Green Goes Simple

As the mother of a 2-year old boy with an unrelenting affinity for mud pies and finger paints, I spend most of my free time doing laundry. I’m either sorting it, loading it or folding it — which gives me lots of time to think about how I could be doing it better. Better for my family and better for the planet. All it took was a bit of research and some executive decision-making to make some easy eco-adjustments to laundry day (which, in my house, is every day).

For starters, I use cold water exclusively. Choosing chilly on your machine dial saves tons of energy and money. While I’m in money-saving mode, I sometimes skip the dryer, opting instead for collapsible drying racks (winter) and outdoor lines (spring through fall).

And now, all I have to do is save up for an Energy Star washing machine (EnergyStar.gov): It’s guaranteed to save energy and lower electric bills!

Marisa Belger’s work has appeared in Travel + Leisure Family, Natural Health, Prevention and on the TODAYShow.com. She was a founding editor of Lime.com — which specialized in wellness and sustainable living — and she collaborated with author Josh Dorfman on his bestselling books, The Lazy Environmentalist and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget.

We had dinner at a restaurant tonight that had amazing wall art that was all living plants. Beautiful and amazing.

Here is a website that sells these amazing works of art.

Web Shop – Flora Grubb Gardens.

Green Goes Simple: Family Footprints

6 Ways to Go Green for Back to School

By April Davis for Green Goes Simple

When I was a kid, the very best thing about a new school year was all the new stuff that went with it: new pencils, new notebooks and new clothes. Come late August, you went shopping for all the supplies — regardless of what was left over from last June.

But times have changed, and so should the back-to-school routine. Maydelle Fason, a green-living mother of two and a former horticulturist, offers some tips for preparing your kids while protecting the environment.

Clothing Swap
About that new wardrobe … skip it! The best way to outfit the little ones is a friendly neighborhood clothing swap. It’s a win-win: The kids get new-to-them styles and parents avoid the madness of back-to-school shopping (and even better, they save money!). If new duds are a must, Fason suggests buying clothing that is made from natural fibers and manufactured sustainably.

My Box Is Metal
Bring back the 1970s by giving your kid a retro lunch box instead of a disposable bag to tote back to school. Better yet, use pretty, insulated lunch sacks made from recycled materials. For sandwiches or snacks, opt for easy-to-clean, reusable cloth bags or sturdy reusable containers.

Getting There
With schools cutting back on bus service to lower costs, many parents are faced with few transportation alternatives. Fason lives in New York City and is able to take her daughter to school via subway. (As a bonus, the two read books on the way.) If public transportation isn’t an option for you, try riding bikes to school or organizing a carpool with other parents.

I’m Thirsty!
It’s important to keep kids hydrated, and sending your child to school with a reusable bottle keeps trash out of landfills. Make it even more fun by letting her pick it out herself!

Still Useful
Resist the urge to buy all-new school supplies. (Junior’s crayons don’t need a perfectly pointy tip to create his masterpieces). Gently used binders and book bags can easily last a second — or third — year. And investing in sturdy, simple backpacks that go the distance means you can skip that hot-today-gone-tomorrow celebrity product (sorry, Justin Bieber!). For supplies that must be replenished — like paper — look for post-consumer recycled options.

Increase Your Impact
Greening your children’s back-to-school routine is a great start. But your best move is to encourage local administrators to reduce, reuse and recycle at school. Ask them to email rather than send paper notes home, and encourage an all-school recycling program. Be the spark that gets your school going!

April Davis is a writer and elementary school teacher. She writes a monthly column for the TriCity News, a weekly paper on the Jersey Shore. She has also worked for CBS News and MSNBC.

Saw these adorable bags on Inhabitots

My son just started preschool and these are perfect for snacks.

Love this site! Shop By Ethics at Equa | Fair Trade & Organic | Equa | Ethical Fashion London.

Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop

Green Your Kid: Gardening

By Lynda Fassa for Green Goes Simple

There are many fun things to do in the backyard with the kids: picnicking, jumping through the sprinkler and playing catch-and-release firefly competitions, to name a few. But the most memorable — and possibly the best brain-builder — is gardening.

Scientists and pediatricians have learned that kids who garden do better in school. There’s something magical about planting a seed, nurturing it and watching it grow. The biggest bonus comes when the flower blooms or the fruits (and veggies) of their labor end up on the kitchen table. For my family, the experience of planting one seed that turned into a huge pumpkin — about 6 pounds! — was a thrill.

Try these easy tips to give your kids a positive “growth” experience.

1. Find the right spot.
Choose a small, sunny area of your yard — or consider using a window box or joining a community garden.

2. Pick your plants.
If you’re new to this, you’ll probably want to stay away from hard-to-care-for beauties, like roses. The biggest, easiest wow-factor plants are sunflowers, butterfly bushes and mint (which is delicious in herbal tea or salads).

3. Cultivate a stress-free green thumb.
Gardening with kids should be easy and enjoyable, with minimal planning the first season. If you’re too late in the season to start from seeds, check out your local nursery and let the kids pick a couple of starter plants. Even the youngest children can turn a small plot of soil, dig a hole and replant. It’s a joyous responsibility and a great lesson in stewardship for the kids to take turns pulling weeds and watering every day.

Working in the garden reminds adults and children how connected we all are. When the earthworms, the sun’s warming rays and generous summer rains work together, small and fragile plants can grow to become big, strong and vital — just like your kids. Can you dig it?

Lynda Fassa is the founder of Green Babies, an organic-cotton baby clothing company, and the author of two books (Green Babies, Sage Moms and Green Kids, Sage Families). She is a frequent blogger for sites like Grist.org, ParentsConnect.com, Treehugger.com and PlanetGreen.com. Lynda has also appeared in People, The New York Times, Parents and Parenting, and on the “Today” show, “Planet Green,” “Fox News Happy Hour,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” “ABC News” and more.

There are so many wonderful tools out there to help parents teach their children about being eco-friendly. Here are a few ideas

1. Go on an a nature outing- look for little creatures, interesting leaves, acorns, etc…

2. Go to a Science Musuem, most science musuem have  exhibits on how to be more green.

3. Go to a local farmers market, talk to the vendors and ask about how the food is grown.

4. If your child is old enough put them in charge of recycling at your house.

5. Plant a garden with your child. We don’t have a yard(living in the city) but were able to grow a tomato plant in our atrium.

6. Check out books from your library about being green, there are so many out there now.

I love this water bottle. I was thrilled to finally find a water bottle that is easy to carry, a color that makes it easy to find it fast when running out the door, the perfect size and no BPA! You can order this one from “my store”  *Please note little green alien not included

Kleen Kanteen.

Great list of Green Fashion Blogs 50 Fabulous Blogs for Green Fashionistas.