Review: Mr. Milkman Delivery Service

Delivery time!

Folks, my dad's friend told me to check out Mr. Milkman and, when I did, I could not contain my excitement! 

You know all the local and organic agriculture in and around Central PA? Well, imagine being able to pick and choose from many purveyors with dozens of products and have them show up on your porch in a few days. This is your new reality, my friends. 

We tried Mr. Milkman and here are some of my thoughts:

1. At my request, they made a special delivery for our first order on Thursday, though our usual day will be Tuesday. Very accommodating.
2. Dan, one of the owners, pulled up in this adorable truck and personally loaded our goodies into a cooler waiting on the porch. He was very nice, apologizing for accidentally giving my peanut butter ice cream to another customer and making up for it with two containers (rocky road and chocolate covered strawberry).
3. My order: 2 dozen eggs from Nature's Yolk; pint of peanut butter ice cream, quart of buttermilk and quart of cream line whole milk from Trickling Springs Creamery; homemade 1-pound tub of FarmFriend natural butter; two pork chops (pastured); and one container of Pequea Valley Natural Yogurt (vanilla).
4. The delivery area is huge! You Philly people and suburbanites can participate, too.
5. If you have never had cream line milk, you are in for a rich treat. Timmy was not a fan, but Alex and I LOVED it in our morning coffee.
6. Soy-free eggs are available. A little pricey but an excellent option for the many people avoiding soy these days.
7. Other products: homemade sauerkraut, artisan cheese, honey, raw milk, gluten-free baked goods, Charles Chips and much more local meat.
8. The ice cream was decadent, super delicious, but the label indicated a lot more ingredients than I expected from homemade ice cream. 
9. The delivery fee of $4 is more than fair. The prices are in line with what you'd pay anywhere for products of the same quality that are probably less fresh.
10. All in all, we are ordering again. Love getting fresh milk in glass containers (no waste!) and knowing where our food is grown.

Try Mr. Milkman and come back to tell me what you thought, too!

My sister outgreened me: the legend of Mythic Paint.

My sister is decorating her nursery and after much research into paint, concluded that Mythic Paint is the most eco-friendly and high-performing product on the market. While in town for her baby shower, she asked us to stop in at Fresco Green Building Supplies on Commerce Drive in Lancaster, Pa., to pick up some samples. I didn't even know this place existed and it's been there for 18 months. Sigh.

I am not ashamed to say that this new mother (to a healthy preemie, thank goodness) outgreened me, her eco-evangelist sister. I have heard of Mythic Paint through The Land of Nod site, but almost five years ago when we were painting our rooms, I did not have it in my consideration set. They claim to be "the World’s first high performance, zero-toxin, zero-VOC paint." And they are less expensive than low-VOC version of mass brands such as Benjamin Moore's Aura or Sherwin Williams Harmony. It's not a fair comparison because those both contain more VOCs than Mythic, as well as kaolin, which some believe has negative health effects. Green Your Decor did three green paint reviews that are mostly favorable (Olympic, California and Mythic), for anyone looking for additional opinions.

I am anxious to see how Mythic performs for them in their new nursery and will report back.

I will also be doing a follow-up interview with the nice guys with the beautiful Fresco Green store. They are a great resource for people in Central PA who want to decorate using eco-friendly materials, from carpet to cement stains to flooring and even LEED consulting. Stay tuned for that.

20 Spring Cleaning Recycling Reminders (Don't Throw It Out!)

I don't know how long ago I got it, but I held onto a flyer from Co-op America about recycling because I really wanted to write a post on it. I used their new online list as a starting point, added my own suggestions and even did a little research. So, without further ado:

1. Appliances. First try the store where you're buying a new appliance; many will take your old one. If it's in good working condition, Freecycle it or donate it to Goodwill. Some utility companies pay you for your old refrigerator. Or, as a last resort, contact the Steel Recycling Institute.
2. Athletic shoes. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America and Haiti. Nike's Reuse-a-shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring.
3. Automobiles. If they're old and more trouble than they're worth, don't pawn them off on some poor sap. Donate them to a charity and take the write-off.
4. Batteries. For rechargeables and single-use, use Battery Solutions. You have pay for the kits, but FedEx shipping is included both ways.
5. Cardboard Boxes. Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they can use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes on Freecycle or Craigslist. When we moved here, we put our moving boxes on Freecycle and had a taker in minutes. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes accepts them for resale.
6. Clothes. My favorite, for women's work clothes, is Dress for Success. You can also donate them to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or your local shelter. If the clothes are unwearable, your local animal shelter may want them for pet bedding.
7. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks. Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like new.
8. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL). Your local IKEA store will take them. Or you can order a Sylvania RecyclePak.
9. Computers and electronics. Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at BAN.
10. Crayons. We all have 10 times as many as we need, thanks to the many places that hand them out. Send them to Crazy Crayons to be melted down into new crayons.
11. Eyeglasses. Your local Lion’s Club or eyecare chain may collect these. Lenses are reground and given to people in need.
12. Foam packing peanuts. First, make sure these are not the bio-peanuts that melt in water. Those are easy to get rid of. Otherwise, your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse. If not, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site at 800.828.2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers.
13. Ink/toner cartridges. Recycleplace.com pays $1 each. 
14. Motor oil. Find used motor oil depots in each state at RecycleOil.org.
15. Phones. Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell it to someone in a developing country. As will the CTIA. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims. Recycle single-line phones at Reclamere.
16. "Technotrash." Project KOPEG offers an e-waste recycling program you can use as a fundraiser for your organization. Use Project KOPEG to recycle iPods, MP3 players, cell phones and chargers, digital cameras, PDAs, palm pilots and more. Also, easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box which you fill with up to 70 pounds of any of the above and ship back to them. Your fee covers the box, as well as shipping and recycling fees.
17. Tires. Bad for landfills. Look up a local recycling program on Earth911. (This site is a great overall resource for recycling.)
18. Toothbrushes and razors. Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from Recycline, and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Recycline products are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogurt cups.
19. Tyvek envelopes. Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234. Quantities larger than 25, call 866.33.TYVEK.
20. Wine corks. Recork upcycles them into other products. Bottoms up, everyone!

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

You know not to buy stuff you really don't need. Just keep reminding yourself. Or shop at second-hand stores or on eBay. Then, of course, there's the stuff you already have that needs a new life. Try to find someone else who wants this stuff. And people will. Post it on Freecycle, Craigslist or Throwplace.com or give/sell them at iReuse.com or on eBay.  iReuse will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

Other great posts and resources worth checking out for more information on recycling:

• Obviously.com
• Greenopolis
• Yahoo news
• Real Simple
• Hello Beautiful

New finds for glamorganic goods

I'm always on the lookout for great organic style (aka glamorganics). Here are a few new finds with some paraphrased descriptions from their websites:

Fierce Hugs packs imagination, sustainability and a healthy eco-friendly lifestyle into remarkably soft, organic baby clothes using 100% organic cotton. Made with fair labor and designed by independent illustrators for cool and original graphics. Packaged in a cool eco-friendly gift box. Risk-free return policy.

Mama Om is "for trendy moms and hip girls." Organic clothing that is trendy and comfortable to promote the wonderful and unique bond between mothers and daughters, by wearing matching clothing, sharing a sense of style, caring for the earth and having a little fun! Fashion and play mix; comfort and caring for the environment are major priorities.

Green Edge Kids offers the largest selection of designer organic kids clothes online. Organic children's clothing is not only good for the environment, but it is very well-made and almost all of it is made in the USA. Offer a 100% price match guarantee. Best deals are reserved for newsletter members only. Also offers everyday free shipping (minimum order applies).

SafeKiddo is an environmentally and safety-conscious store sourcing products that are Organic, Made in the USA, Handmade, Fair Trade, Wood from managed forests, and/or toxin-free...essentially, the purest, highest quality products available. Each product description includes a stamp with an explanation of why it's safe, healthy and earth-responsible.

Care for Me Naturally stocks eco-friendly, nontoxic and organic products for baby and toddler. All are free from harmful toxins and contaminants. Many have been tested and approved by pediatricians and dermatologists, received industry awards and been acclaimed by parents internationally. Strong preference for suppliers showing environmental conscience by deploying only fair trade and eco-friendly manufacturing practices.

Kids books that teach earth-friendly ways

When you're reading a book to your child do you ever stop to consider exactly what you're teaching him or her? It's amazing all the "norms" that are engrained through simple, cherished stories we share with our kids. For instance, Three Little Bears reinforces the notion of a nuclear family (mama, papa, baby). Where The Wild Things Are concludes that there really is no place like home, especially for a bratty little boy with his hot supper in his cozy room. The Poky Little Puppy elevates dessert to a God-given right.

While these and most are pretty harmless, many reinforce consumerism, gender stereotypes and wastefulness, most times not with overt themes, but in the actions of the central characters.

But don't worry, you don't have to give up on reading to your kids. Great alternatives do exist. You just have to work to find them. Here are a few I've unearthed (ha ha, no pun intended) that would be nice options for your summer reading lists:

Green Sugar Press "Books to engage, entertain and enlighten children with the wonders of nature."

• An Environmental Guide from A to Z (ages 8-13)


• Earl the Earthworm Digs for His Life (ages 5-9)


• N is for Nature: An Environmental Alphabet Book (ages 2-6)

Simon & Schuster also has a line called "Little Green Books" with titles such as Don't Throw That Away! and The Adventures of an Aluminum Can. The books are made from recycled materials and cover earth-friendly topics.

Want the most comprehensive list anywhere I could find? Here's the site in all its ugly glory.

But, wait. Before you buy another new book from a big bookseller, consider a new model--Better World Books. Their motto: "Buy used books to fund literacy worldwide." When I checked, the stats at the top of the page were staggering, and growing before my eyes:

• Funds raised for global literacy: $6,427,439.60


• Books saved from landfills: 24,688,398


• WOW.
  

Love new tub toys ratings on GoodGuide

Wondering if the toys your kids play with are safe? Want to support companies who are trying to be good stewards of the Earth, paying fair wages and using energy resourcefully? GoodGuide is providing a tool to see how popular brands score in these areas, with tub toys being the first (presumably) segment evaluated. I checked out Gregory's bath whistle by ALEX and was happy to see it had a decent score! I'm looking forward to more good stuff from this site.

You can be a responsible shopper

It's hard to think green all the time. Like when you're standing in Best Buy looking at all the electronics equipment, trying to decide which TV to buy. You want to choose something that is environmentally sensitive, but the salesperson gives you a blank stare when you ask. There is no signage (other than Energy Star) to tell you that a company is a stellar enviro-citizen or that they are dumping their waste in third-world countries.

Thankfully, researchers are out there working to help you make informed decisions. I try to remember what authors Ellis Jones, Ross Haenfler and Brett Johnson wrote in "The Better World Handbook." It's a great little book that teaches you ways to make a difference without being an all-out activist. It's about influencing with your purchasing dollars.

Another great resource is Green America's Responsible Shopper, which "provides you with the real story about abuses by well-known companies, gives you actions to promote corporate responsibility, and helps you green your life and world."