Many of us choose our plants based on what we think our gardens should look like after seeing the breathtaking photographs in gardening magazines and flower shows. There was a time when I thought the more exotic the plant the better (not that there are many “exotic species” that survive, let alone thrive, in our very short summer season.

I never even gave native plants a second thought. They were like weeds, just always there getting in the way. Then I started going on nature walks with my little girl and she would point out some of these “beautiful weeds” growing on the side of the road or in the woods. I realized that these weren’t all just “weeds” some of  them were actually just as lovely and sweet smelling as flowers I was spending a fortune on.

My new philosophy is, if it’s not tough to survive without any coddling then it doesn’t belong in my garden.

Gardening with native plants not only saves you a lot of work but it’s also much better for the environment. Here are a few good reasons to choose native plants over exotic mass-produced ones:

1. Pest Resistance
Native plants are much more resistant to pests. Do you know someone who grows hybrid roses or tropical imports? They are probably always fighting June beetles and other pests. Native plants, on the other hand, grow naturally in your area. If they grow there on their own, they have obviously learned how to survive the local pests. This resistance to pests also means you won’t be tempted to resort dangerous pesticides.

2. Heartiness
Non-native species often need babying. They have to be covered or sheltered if the temperature gets below a certain point, for example. Native plants, on the other hand, come from generations of survivors. They can be remarkably tenacious, needing little tending. They don’t even need much watering, except right after they are planted or transplanted. So native plants help you conserve water, too.

3. Suited to the Soil
Gardeners can spend a great deal of time, money, and effort changing their type of soil to one that is more suitable to the plants they choose. Sometimes all the existing soil is even dug up and replaced it with bagged soil. Changes are made regarding the acidity or alkalinity of the soil, and compost, sand, or whatever else is added to make the right environment for their plants. Then heavy applications of fertilizers are often necessary to sustain these foreign plants.
Native plants, on the other hand, have learned to adapt to the soil and will grow and thrive on it as it is. Gardening with native plants cuts back on a lot of this extra labor.

4. Fewer Chemicals
As noted above, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides (weed killers) are often necessary to maintain a non-native garden. But native plants are adapted to the soil and climate in your area, meaning they need a lot less chemical coddling. Therefore, gardening with native species of plants is less harmful to the environment.

5. Wildlife
Everything from bees to songbirds will benefit from native plantings. Songbird populations are dwindling in many areas. Native plants can help provide a sanctuary and food source for these important creatures.

6. Surrounding Ecosystems
Potentially invasive, foreign plants can “escape” the garden and have devastating effects on the surrounding ecosystem.  Native species are therefore crowded out, eliminating the food source of local wildlife and disrupting the delicate balance between plants and animals. If you plant a native species and it escapes, it will only improve things and add more of a good thing.

Here are some excellent resource books for gardening with native plants:

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants, Updated and Expanded

Armitage’s Native Plants for North American Gardens

100 Easy-To-Grow Native Plants: For American Gardens in Temperate Zones

Unfortunately, my daughter is not like that, she is improving though, slowly. There was a time when the only vegetable she would touch was frozen corn, but it had to be frozen and maybe peas if they were frozen too. No other vegetable touched her lips except for the ones I pureed and hid in her pasta sauce, ketchup or meatloaf.  At least now she’s eating more vegetables, even spinach, but she’s not crazy about meat.

I’ve always worried about whether she was getting enough vitamins so I started buying the Flintstones vitamins when she was younger. Then I read about all the coloring that goes into them and how unhealthy it was for children. Funny (not) how something that is supposed to help our children can actually do as much harm as good. I gave up on the vitamins since every children’s vitamin that I could find at the drugstore had all the same artificial colorings added.

Then I received and e-mail from Alternavites asking me to try out their children’s vitamins. My daughter was thrilled, they came in little tube and were like a sugary powder that she could sprinkle on her tongue.

I was thrilled because they were sugar-free with no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners. They have no animal products or by-products and they are free of ingredients that are major food allergens such as egg, nuts, milk, fish among others.

Now, despite my best efforts to get her to eat a well-balanced diet, I can give her a multi-vitamin that helps make sure she is getting everything she needs without any of the other garbage the other vitamins contain.

**Alternavites for kids are available at Alternavites.com. Use the code moms20 to get 20% off your order.

You can follow Alternavites on both Facebook and Twitter for updates and special promotions

Disclaimer: I received a free package of Alternavites kids vitamins for review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

One of the places I’ve been wondering about keeping bacteria-free is the kitchen. I’m always worried about making sure that the cutting boards are properly cleaned and the counters sanitized after preparing meat or using raw eggs. The thought of using a toxic chemical cleaner anywhere near where I prepare food has always been totally out of the question. I’ve always just used scalding hot water and hoped it was enough to kill any bacteria left lying around. It always did a good job of burning the skin off my fingers.

I was relieved (and so were my hands) to come across such easy ways to keep a kitchen free from bacteria using natural products.  These are all things that are very easy to find at your local grocery store or pharmacy and that many of you probably already have some of them around the house.

1. Grapefruit seed extract, or GSE

According to author and herbal scholar Stephen Harrod Buhner, “GSE has been found to be more powerful as a cleaning disinfectant than standard hospital preparations.” In other words, it works better than the disinfectant the hospitals use. GSE is active against a large number of bacteria. It is even effective against haemophilus influenzae, which causes ear infections, sinusitis, and meningitis. To make a disinfectant spray, add 30 to 40 drops to 1 quart of water and shake.

2. Vinegar

An acidic solution, vinegar kills some germs and microbes and inhibits their growth – if it didn’t, it would not be used to preserve foods like pickles. To make a sanitizing spray from white or apple cider vinegar, mix 1/4 – 1/2 cup vinegar per cup of water. You can add some essential oil of bergamot, orange, or lemon to this solution to make it smell good and also to increase its’ antibacterial properties (bergamot is a citrus fruit and all citrus fruits have disinfectant qualities).

3. Hydrogen peroxide

A 1996 study showed that hydrogen peroxide, when combined with an equal amount of vinegar, is a potent bacteria killer. Salmonella, shigella and e-coli were all vanquished by this solution. You can also spray hydrogen peroxide directly onto countertops, or mix it with an equal amount of water.

4. Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is known to be effective against many antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It definitely works to kill staphylococus, e-coli, shigella, and salmonella. In a spray bottle, combine and shake 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp. liquid soap, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, and 20 drops of tea tree oil.

5. Neem oil

Neem oil comes from the seeds of a tree that is native to India, and is more than a sanitizer. It is also an insect repellent, and keeping insects at bay is an important component to kitchen cleanliness. It does not dissolve well in water without some sort of emulsifier, such as liquid soap. The best way to make a neem cleaner is to mix the neem oil in a vegetable-based, liquid soap such as castile. Then, use a few drops of this soap to clean your kitchen counters or try mixing the neem-soap mixture with water in a spray bottle. Shake it well.

Bacteria that tend to live in kitchens include staphylococcus, salmonella , shigella dysenteriae, and e-coli. These germs tend to proliferate on sponges and cutting boards, but they can be on countertops and other surfaces as well.

As I mentioned in the Review that I did awhile ago , some of my favorite things about Baby Gourmet Organic Baby Food are:

•  They are 100% organic.
•  They contain no sugar, no salt and no fillers.
•  The packaging is BPA free.

Baby Gourmet has kindly offered two readers the chance to win a package of each of the six new Baby Gourmet Protein purées flavors.

To enter just leave me a comment below letting me know which of the new flavors sounds the most appetizing to you. You can also enter by leaving a comment on our Facebook page

Giveaway ends Wednesday at midnight EST and winners will receive an e-mail by Thursday morning.

Comments are now closed for this post.

Bedding

The central part of most bedrooms is the bed itself. Depending on your budget, you can replace your child’s mattress with a natural rubber one. Synthetic foams and plastics found in conventional mattresses can off-gas potentially dangerous, possibly even carcinogenic, fumes. Natural rubber mattresses provide the spring and support without the chemicals.

Flooring

Take up carpet and refinish your hardwood floors underneath with eco-friendly stains and varnishes. If you don’t have hardwood, put down an eco-friendly flooring choice such as natural linoleum, cork, or bamboo. If you want carpet, try wool carpet and avoid toxic glues and adhesives.

Furniture

Use eco-friendly, used or refurbished furniture. There are some very interesting  re-purposed items out there out these days. You can also visit the second hand stores and come up with some creative ways to re-use items. Since you are looking for less toxic items, stay away from any kind of plastic. Stick with wood or metal items that can be re-finished with non-toxic paints or stripped and left natural.
If you are investing in new furniture, choose natural wood furniture without synthetic varnish or shellac. Bamboo and mango wood are eco-friendly choices.

Window Treatments

As with the bedding, choose fabrics that are natural and dyed with non-synthetic pigments. Cotton, wool, and linen are good choices.  Too much fabric holds dust, dirt, and in our house spiders, in the creases. You should be letting  in as much natural light as possible so a simple blind would be a good solution. If you live in country, like we do, you can just leave your windows bare,  put up a nice window frame and enjoy the view.

The Walls

There are quite a few companies now that offer non-toxic, eco-friendly paint that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). You can go crazy and try out some new painting techniques or a mural or you can stick to traditional solid colors of paint on the walls and decorate them with photographs of some of your kids’ favorite places and pets. My daughter’s bedroom walls are an art gallery of  horse pictures that she has painted and she just loves it.

Lighting

Use CFLs in lamps and overhead light fixtures. You can have a little more fun with your lighting and use strings of colored or white LED lights. The best light is obviously the natural kind so make sure to keep those curtains and blinds open as much as possible during the day. If you like hunting in antique shops and second hand stores then you can find perfectly good used lighting fixtures and chandeliers that just need a little re-wiring.

Just a few small changes can make a huge difference in the well-being of your child. Apply the changes to all the rooms in your house and the whole family can enjoy a healthier living environment.

It’s no secret that insurance companies aren’t at the top of anyone’s list when it comes to popularity.  Most people I know, including myself, have had something negative to say about them at one time or another.  So, normally, I wouldn’t even have considered promoting anything that one of them was doing.

The $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund competition is different, it’s not some far away competition by an insurance company that nobody ever really sees the results of. I’ve seen firsthand what it can do and the impact it can have on a community.

During last year’s competition The Wales Home residence for seniors, not far from here, submitted an idea. They wanted to build a therapeutic garden for Alzheimer’s patients.  They submitted their proposal, which you can read here, to the Aviva Community Fund Contest. Since winning is based on the number of votes you receive, they actively encouraged everyone in the community to vote for them through the Aviva website and they won. Their garden was started last May and was completed over the summer.

If you have a great idea for your community but lack the funding then this just might be your chance to make a dream come true.  Ideas can be submitted to the Aviva Community Fund Competition until November 30^th 2011. Once you submit your proposal make sure to spread the word through friends, family, social media and even the press to get as many votes as you can.  You can also increase your chances of winning by gaining the support of an insurance broker.

Don’t have an idea of your own? Then why not check out the ones already submitted and cast your vote for the ones you think deserve to win.

To make it even easier this year supporters can like Aviva Community Fund on Facebook and submit their votes that way.  For every like they receive on Facebook $1 will be donated to Free the Children to support at-risk youth programs in Canada.  The Aviva Community Fund is also on Twitter Follow @avivacf. Winners will be announced January 25 2012.

There are several ways  for healing and soothing heat rash naturally:

1. Ice
Simple but effective, an icy compress can soothe and cool skin very effectively. Rather than rubbing the skin directly with ice, put ice cubes or an ice pack in a zip-top plastic bag and wrap it with a cloth before applying it to the skin.
2. Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate)
A lukewarm bath (the cooler the better) in which 1/4 cup of baking soda has been dissolved, helps relieve heat rash. For children, use 2-3 teaspoons of baking soda since the bath will have less water. For babies, add only about a teaspoon to their bath. Remember to pat dry with a soft towel; don’t rub your skin vigorously or that will worsen the rash.
Another option is to apply baking soda to the rash in the form of a compress. On a wet cotton cloth, sprinkle baking soda liberally. Fold the cloth over so that the baking soda is on the inside, and lay the cool compress on the affected areas. You may need several compresses, and the applications will need to be repeated. Cool the compress in a cooler or refrigerator between applications, and/or re-dampen the cloth with cool water.
3. Peppermint Powder
You can make this cooling powder yourself. Mix 1 part baking soda with 3 parts cornstarch. Add 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil per cup of the soda/cornstarch mixture. Shake vigorously to mix the oil in well. Pat this on to cool and soothe heat rash. It is especially effective as a heat rash preventative, and/or applied after a lukewarm shower or bath.
4. Peppermint Tea
All of the mints – wintergreen, spearmint, peppermint, etc. – have cooling properties. Add a cup or two of mint tea to a lukewarm-to-cool bath. You can also apply mint tea to your heat rash directly, like a lotion. Soaking a cloth in mint tea and applying it to the rash as a compress is also effective.
5. Witch Hazel
A cotton ball soaked in extract of witch hazel (available at drugstores, usually sold near the hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol) can be patted on the skin to soothe heat rash.
6. Aloe
This ancient skin remedy is very effective at treating burns, and although heat rash is not a burn, it is a hot, prickly skin irritation that responds well to aloe vera gel. You can use the gel directly from the plant; just slit an aloe leaf lengthwise and press the split leaf onto the skin. Do not rub it in, as you don’t want to irritate the skin further.
7. Oatmeal
The anti-inflammatory properties of oatmeal are very soothing to skin irritations. It can be applied as a poultice using the method described in number 2 above; just replace the baking soda with finely ground oats or oatmeal. You can also add a cupful of oatmeal or oat flour to a lukewarm bath, but you will want to tie it into a muslin or cheesecloth bag so that it does not clog up your bath drain after you’re through.

The idea of greener vacations is becoming more and more possible these days and thanks to growing awareness and concern for the environment, it is also becoming very popular. Hotel visits are one of the easier more obvious ways to “green” your vacation.

Here are several simple things you might want to consider to help make your hotel stay a little more earth friendly.

Choose Your Hotel Wisely

There are certain features to look for in a hotel to see if it is really green. Shop around and check with various hotels about the following features:

- Saving water is challenging for hotels that do so much washing and have so many showering guests. Look for hotels that have low-flow faucets and other        eco-friendly equipment, including their washing machines and toilets.

- Cleaning supplies used in a green hotel should be environmentally friendly.

- LED lamps are more energy-efficient and due to their longer bulb life, LEDs reduce waste. Some hotels have installed LED lamps in place of regular lighting, or are in the process of doing so.

- Look into the hotel’s overall business practices and see if they really mean what they say about going green.

Reduce Waste during Your Hotel Stay

You can reduce your personal waste during your hotel stay in lots of different ways. Here are some ideas:

-Request that towels and sheets not be washed and changed daily (this saves water and energy).

- Bring your own toiletries, and ask room service not to stock your room with wasteful samples of shampoo, soap, etc. If you do request the travel-sized bottles, ask for only one set and inform room service that you won’t be needing any more samples unless you request them. Otherwise, the hotel staff will throw out partly-used bottles of shampoo and conditioner and replace them with unopened ones daily.

- Carry your own stainless steel water bottle instead of visiting the drink machines down the hall.

- Recycle, just as you would at home. Take the time to find out where the hotel’s recycling bins are and make use of them as much as possible.

- Shorten your showers to save water, just as you would if you were at home.

- Go easy on the heating and cooling unit in your room. Don’t run it constantly and open windows whenever you can if it’s hot, or run the unit on fan only.

Hopefully, these tips will help you travel a little greener. You can relax and enjoy your trip knowing you have done all you can to reduce your carbon footprint.

p.s. If you’re looking for a “Green” hotel for your vacation this summer I just discovered that Choice Hotels International marks all eco-friendly hotels with a little green leaf making them easy to find.

The film got me thinking about what we can do at our house to lower the amount of water we use/waste. Living in the country and having to depend on our own little surface well, we are a little more conscious of the amount of water we use than most city dwellers who don’t worry about their well drying up. We learned the hard way, within the first week of making the move from city to country, that yes, wells do run dry sometimes.

Still we do waste water more often than I would like to admit. Every time I catch myself letting the water run a little longer than necessary to rinse something out or letting it run a minute or so to warm up, I find myself thinking  about the children in Africa who don’t get to use that much water in a month or that a family there would have to give up their entire monthly income for less than half of the water that I just let run down the drain.

We all know the basic tricks for saving water; turning off the tap when you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers, dual flush toilets, using rain barrels to recycle water. All of these water saving ideas are great but then spring comes and suddenly water conservation gets tossed aside by the desire to have perfect green lawns and beautiful flower beds.  If you’re recycling grey water to water your lawn and flowers then that’s fine but if you’re using fresh water then you might want to rethink your approach.

Many gardeners are switching to low-water or drought-resistant plants. These are plants that have adapted to surviving on very little water. They have the ability to store water in their leaves, or have narrow leaves that reduce the loss of water.

Choosing Low-Water and Drought Resistant Plants

In general, plants with hairy, succulent, or narrow leaves tend to need less water.

Some evergreens such as junipers and hemlocks can survive with a smaller amount of water.

If you live in a drought-prone area, you will find native plants to be a good choice. They have already adapted to the low-moisture conditions.

Specific Plants to Use in Low-Water Gardens.

(Consider your location when you look at this list, and see if there are any species that are native to your region. Also make sure that none of these are listed as invasive plants for your area.)
-Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

-Thyme(Thymus vulgaris)

-Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)

-Hen-and-chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)

-Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)

-Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) (other Echinacea species are also low water-use)

- Dianthus

- Compass plant (Silphium laciniatum)

- Aromatic sumac (Rhus aromatica)

- Tall blazing star (Liatris aspera)

- Aromatic aster (Aster oblongifolius) (Most species of aster are low water-use)

-Aloe(Aloe vera)

-Lavender(Lavandula angustifolia)

Additional Benefits to Planting a Drought Resistant Garden

- Native plants are generally considered best for low-water landscaping. Planting natives is much better for the environment, supporting the local ecosystem and habitat and not introducing potentially invasive species. Native drought-resistant plants are less prone to pests and diseases which cuts down on the uses of fungicides and pesticides.

- Many weeds require moist soil. Your drier garden soil will not be as attractive to weeds, cutting back on chemical weed-killers and gas-powered mowers and trimmers.

We already have several of the plants listed above in our garden and many more that aren’t. Our flower gardens never get watered, plants have to be tough to survive here (just ask my mother.) The only things that do get watered are the vegetables and the few flowers we have in planters. I’m ashamed to say that yes we do water them with tap water, something I’m working to remedy with a rain barrel outside and a bucket in all of our showers.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars is available at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

Unfortunately, while the pictures are beautifully done and the instructions are very detailed and easy to follow, the projects seem to be pretty useless. All of the projects created are meant to be used as some kind of journal but none of them are big enough to hold more than a couple of items and none of them are very practical. You would have to make an awful lot of them to be able to store anywhere near the amount of keepsakes that most people have and even then you would be able to store only the smallest ones.

Yes the book is very creative and artistic but I would consider the projects more miniature works of art than actual journals. I was expecting the book to use more practical everyday “cast aside” items instead of items that most people do not necessarily have laying around. The only things that are used that would be fairly easy to find are the natural items such as tree bark, twigs etc and these are things that I wouldn’t really consider “cast aside”.

In the end it was probably my own expectations of the book that let me down. I was hoping for some ideas for recycling everyday things into useful items and while this book does have some interesting ideas, I found the projects in it far from useful.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by Booksneeze.com. All opinions are my own.