Boston’s 2010 Earthfest, sponsored by 92.9 Radio, was a wonderful event.  I took my daughter and met up with a friend and her two kids early on Saturday morning.  We are both interested in organic food and gardening and looked forward to learning something new.  Whole Foods was the primary sponsor of all the “eco” booths.  They were all gathered along the river, and included many vendors that offer their products at Whole Foods.  The local Farmer’s Market community also had a booth with lots of listings for upcoming markets.  (For detailed listing, visit MassFarmersMarkets.org)

My two favorite tents were the Whole Food cooking demonstrations and Diaper Lab from Somerville.  The cooking tent offered great treats, including an amazing lobster bisque dip.  I got some great tips on how to mix fresh vegetables with a prepared Mediterranean salad mix for a fresh side dish.  Plus I came home with more reusable grocery totes to replace some of mine that are falling apart.

Diaper Lab‘s tent made the event so much more enjoyable as a parent with a child in diapers.  Not only could I change my child’s diaper in a clean and safe environment, but I got to try some cool eco-wipes.  My friend was also able to nurse in a comfortable space which is so refreshing.  We also signed the petition to get cloth diapers back onto the Ellen show.  Diaper Lab sells not only a variety of cloth diapers, but also helps teach you how to use them.  They are located in Somerville, MA.

Overall, it was a beautiful day and it was great to see a little of the concert on the main stage.  I forgot my phone in the car and I think that helped me slow down and enjoy every minute off strolling through the vendors.  Maybe I’ll make that a new habit over the weekend…

Remember to stop in and enter to win Pattycake Powder and more on our review post here.

I had the opportunity to test the latest Baby Magic products to help treat my daughter’s diaper rash.  I have tried a variety of products with a mixed bag of results.  I don’t like how so many diaper rash treatments are not compatible with cloth diapers.  Powder usually works best, but I struggled to find a brand I liked.

Pattycake Powder is a talc-free, dustless powder that worked like a charm.  It comes in a small package, which I give it high marks for in portability and eco-friendliness. The powder is the perfect size for diaper bags.  The idea behind this new product is to use a disposable cotton pad for a single application that provides just the right amount of powder on the little one’s bottom.  No mess, and no dust.

The cotton circles that were provided shed a little if used too soon after the use of a baby wipe.  I switched to my flannel wipes and was much happier with the application of the powder.  When powder wasn’t enough, I used Baby Magic’s Baby Cream made with Organic Shea.  I liked using this with overnight diapers.  Both products washed out fine when I used them with cloth diapers as well.

The Pattycake Powder will be available in CVS stores nationwide beginning in June.  For additional information on where to purchase their products, you can visit the Baby Magic website.

Baby Magic has provided a gift package of the new Dustless Pattycake Powder, Extra Moisturizing Baby Cream, and Diaper Rx, made with 28% Zinc Oxide for the worst of the diaper rashes!  For one lucky reader of Random Recycling, you will win the entire gift package.

How to Enter:

I made it to the HGTV Green Home tour on Sunday.  It was a spectacular day down the Cape, and we met up with friends for the tour.  It is in the Pinehills development in Plymouth, MA, which prides itself on promoting sustainable living.  Home owners are able to bike to the market, enjoy protected open spaces, and be happy with the water conservation projects. We arrived early and stopped into Cafe Olio and enjoyed a great cup of coffee and then headed off for the 12:00 tour.

The cottage home was smaller than I expected, a mere 2100 sq ft.  The smaller footprint is green itself, and all the square footage was put to good use.  There is a beautiful wrap around porch that has inspired me to look for some rocking chairs for my porch.  The deck is made from a sustainable product (non-wood) that would weather the salty Cape winds for years to come.  The doorway opens into one large great room, where the living room, dining area and kitchen are all open.  The kitchen is my favorite room of the house so that was my first stop.  The energy efficient refridgerator caught my eye, and even my husband’s eye too.  (I’m slowly working on convincing my husband we need to replace the refridgerator with an upside-down version so we stop wasting food we can’t see inside!) The countertop is made from quartz, which is an environmentally friendly option, and more durable, than of granite.  My other favorite kitchen appliances are the induction cooktop and the very small Krups cappucino maker.

My favorite room had to be the utility room.  A room for laundry and a spot for recycling everything!  There is even space to have bins for sporting goods and winter hats and mittens.  The baskets line one wall, a large utility sink anchors the middle space, and the most gorgeous red washer and dryer is on the far wall.  While it is a lot of space to dedicate to a room very few people will see, it will probably become one of the most used rooms in the entire house. 

Upstairs there are two bedrooms and a very tiny loft.  The most creative space has to be the kids room with the built in bunk beds and vibrant colors. My daughter went right for the toy bin and really didn’t want to leave.  But we walked over to check out the master bedroom with the calming blue color scheme and she loved the cool rug in there.  Our favorite part was the master closet, complete with a Solatube that brings natural light into a space with no windows.  The master bath was beautiful, with low flow shower heads and low flow toilets.  The soaking tub was very large, and my daughter attempted to climb in!  Not sure if that is the best use of water, but it’s probably quite relaxing. 

The house is beautiful, but I left feeling a little underwhelmed.  It felt like going through an open house for a house on the market.  Without the brochure, I would not have learned about the solar panels, the Anderson Low-E4 SmartSun windows, or the Rinnai Energy Saver Intelligent Fireplace.  There is so much more information that I expected to learn, but was disappointed that it wasn’t presented.  Yes, the brochure has lots of talking points, but I really wanted to see the basement with the smart girds, the furnace set-up, the solar panel system and so on.  I will take the time to do the research and learn more about the energy saving features of the home, but I wish they were presented more overtly to all the people on the tours.  Maybe some of them are thinking about a new home or a renovation and the tour will give them pause to think there may be a greener option in their future.

If you would like more info about the tours, please visit my post HGTV Green Home Giveaway.

Summer is the time for packing up and heading to the beach, the farmer’s market or a day at the park.  Wherever you need to go, you need a great tote.  If you are out shopping for the afternoon, bring along a larger tote to haul your new purchases.  Going to some early morning yard sales, bring a tote and a pillow case to help you wrap up and transport any delicate items.
Here are some totes on my summer wish list…

1. A Tote with a cause~ Feed Haiti bag is made from 100% organic cotton materials, and by purchasing a bag thru Feed, one bag equals 50 meals for children in Haiti. The cost is only $35.00.

4. Keep your purchases cold while coming and going~ I love the print on this tote. This cooler is much more durable than those (ugly) styrofoam containers I still see people bringing to the beach.  This tote is made by Built, and can be purchased from our Green Girl Shop.

~Emily

I love presents, and surprises.  Especially from my husband.  But what makes me really happy is just having time to relax with my family.  Getting outside for a long walk into town, stopping for ice cream, and then enjoying some play time in the grass is a perfect afternoon for me.

This Mother’s Day, think about what you can give her beside more stuff.  Does your mom need help with her to-do list?  Can you help get the spring gardening projects off the ground?  Step back and don’t fall into the flowers for Mother’s Day fall-back gift.

For some great alternative ideas, check out The Daily Green’s article 10 Waste-Free (and Free) Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Read more: The Daily Green