Tazi Recommends: Nature Mom's Blog

Dear Readers:

Welcome to another edition of Tazi Recommends.. in honor of Earth Weekend, I am recommending that you recycle your Sunday paper into a cat toy. We felines love to shred stuff, so when we are done with it you can recycle it again by putting it in your garden as a mulch. Sigh...we cats do nothing but give, I'm telling you! Since you are probably expecting a blog review, I will give you one of those, too (feline generosity knows no bounds!). Again, in honor of Earth Weekend, I am recommending

Nature Mom's Blog
by Tiffany, a Nature Mom Since 2004

I am not a Mom, nor do I pretend to know how to Mom. In fact, small children unnerve me, with their tiny, paw-sized hands and their loud, cat-like wails; however, I am often asked for advice from Moms who are doing their best to raise their children; but sometimes need an outside, unbiased opinion. Because of this, I read a lot of parenting sites and pass along the advice I learn from experts in the field. It was while perusing these sites that I came across what People I Want To Punch In The Throat would call a "crunchy granola Moms" blog. What caught my attention was a line in the first paragraph, about a Mom-To-Be explaining how she bought all of her new baby's things second-hand - INCLUDING CLOTH DIAPERS! Speaking as one who likes my litter to be fresh, I cannot imagine buying second-hand cloth diapers. Yes, I know they are clean, but isn't that a little like wearing someone else's old underwear? As a devotee to the extremes some people will go to in an attempt to out-granola one another, I was hooked and decided to see what this site was all about.

It turns out the recycled underwear woman was just a guest writer (she has her own blog, where she writes about sustainable living), and that the rest of the blog is actually quite interesting in a "hey, I would actually do this" kind of way. I especially loved the blog on Top Ten Green Toys For Toddlers, which offers short reviews and purchase information (most of the stuff is reasonably priced) on high-quality, sustainable toys made from natural products - like wood. And water-based paints. And...yeah, that's about it. No plastics, chemicals, or undecipherable without a degree in Organic Chemistry dyes; and I have to say, this stuff looks fun! As a cat, I would spend hours playing with the "rolling sorter" toy that has different shaped blocks that fit inside of it. I can just see myself spending hours sticking my paws inside of this thing...Other cool toy recommendations include green versions of traditional children's toys, such as stacking toys, push toys, toy cars, and other gender-neutral play items.

Other blogs of note cover topics like "Creating A Real Foods Kitchen" (which is a kitchen devoid of processed foods and artificial ingredients). With suggestions on what equipment to buy (I did not even know there was a such thing as a home-use yogurt maker!) and how to make the transition from processed to whole (or "real") foods, it offers tid-bits that many of us might overlook, such as the importance of purchasing cast iron pans and griddles (which add iron to your diet) over non-stick ones (which add chemicals to your diet).

What I really like about this blog is that it offers a sense of category for each blog, through a tagging index, in the right-hand margin. Each blog is cross-referenced according to category, like Recipes (yes, with me it always comes back to food!), Health and Healing (where I found many natural cures for insomnia), how to host a Green Holiday (I like the idea of using beet juice to dye Easter eggs!) or Eco-Friendly Birthday Party ideas, and even random ideas on how to live or more sustainable life.

Although it is hard to believe that one person can incorporate all of the ideas presented in Nature Mom's Blog (especially since she is also home-schooling her children), pictures of Tiffany and her family are included on the site; many of them showing how they all participate in the über -green lifestyle that is being promoted. Nature Mom's Blog is what I like to call "green fantasy": something many will read and fantasize about doing, but will never actually put the effort into accomplishing. I suggest that, rather than go overboard, you make a conscious effort to incorporate one or two of the green ideas presented in Nature Mom's Blog into your life. A little effort by all of us can help make the world a more sustainable place, and our children all the healthier for it - especially if they are using BPA Free pacifiers, teething rings, and sippy cups.

Happy Earth Weekend to all! I'm off to celebrate by taking my nap in the garden.

Snuggles,
Tazi




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