Previously, I wrote about my weight loss journey and overall, journey to be healthy. My children are an extension of me and therefore my journey is their journey. What I eat, how I exercise and the way I view the world affects them.  This is why it is extremely important, for me, to set a good example in as many ways as possible. The way I see it, when parents set good examples the children learn what the parents does. Children usually do as they see. I love reading, for example, and I continually saw my mother read and encourage us to read, instead of watch television.

Part of learning how to keep the weight off, and being healthy, involves activity. Summertime activity is much easier for me to accomplish with my children because of the nice weather. We can go swimming, run in the sprinkler, enjoy the beach and find rocks, play soccer and the list and can go on and on. Winter time activity or cold fall days are a little more difficult. I live where it begins snowing towards the end of October and it snows through March (notice the date on the picture above). This means I have to get creative with indoor activity. My family enjoys a lot of outdoor time during all seasons but with freezing cold temperatures and below zero wind-chill, we are limited some days.  With winter just around the bend I don't have much time to plan, maybe 42 days?

Here are some tips for being active this coming fall and winter when the days outdoors might be limited:

1.  Make an indoor obstacle course. I love this activity but have to warn you, your kids might get wild! We use all sorts of objects for the kids to have to go around, jump over, go under, etc. This is a great activity is also great for teaching positional words like over and under. We do this to music and if the music is fast we go fast. If it is slow we go slow. The children really enjoy this and get creative at helping to create the obstacle course.

2.  We go on a moon walk. Using all of the pillows in our home we cover the living room floor and the put sheets over the pillows. We make astronaut helmets out of paper bags to reuse the bags! The children pretend they are on the moon and when we are done we have a gentle and fun pillow fight!

3. Dancing with home-made instruments. We take rice and beans and make shakers with old plastic bottles. The kids shake them and dance all over the house to the music. For other great homemade instruments visit, Family Fun and you'll you could have a whole band!

4. Musical Shapes. I've cut out a variety of shapes and we place them all over the living room floor. When the music starts we have to walk from shape to shape. When it stops you have to be on a shape or you are out. This is an activity we usually do when friends are over because the more the merrier.

5.  Follow the leader. We walk all over the house doing whatever the leader does and sometimes this can make all of us out of breath, depending on how crazy the leader gets!

For some great ideas I suggest visiting Time Magazine's article about fitness and children. It has lots of facts about childhood obesity and fitness. Healthy U also lists 101 tips for getting your kids moving and staying fit, so there aren't any excuses for not having an ideas now!  What are do you do to get your kids moving?

Original post written for 5 Minutes for Going Green

Read more from Sommer over at Green & Clean Mom, where she writes about being some shade of green every day.  Subscribe to her blog here and don't miss out her latest finds, contests, giveaways and sexy and sassy green tips!

We love finding fabulous links from around the web for you each week, and this week they are all from the personal blogs of our awesome Green Team here at 5M4GG.  Enjoy!

Sommer from Nature Moms is sharing about her success with homeschooling, and making me realize how fun it could be.

Jennifer from The Smart Mama spreads the word about the potential for chemical burns from tagless labels.

Green Mamma, Jessica, started a great series on trash that continues our quest for reducing waste and safely getting rid of the rest.

Sommer from Green & Clean Mom gives us tips on green camping (I adore fall camping!) and there's even a giveaway!

Finally, Monica from Healthy Green Moms shares with us how she finally cured her baby's eczema in a matter of days.

My mother always told me to eat my greens. That advice is as true today as it was when I was young. But these days, green foods go beyond spinach and broccoli to organic selections of coffee, fruits, veggies, and burgers.

Conventional farmers use around 300 different pesticides to grow foods that are sold in supermarkets every day. These chemicals pollute the soils and waterways, harming fish, birds, and other wildlife. Pesticides are also dangerous for the farmers who are exposed to them on a daily basis. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that pesticides are responsible for 20,000-40,000 work-related poisonings each year in the United States.At home, these pesticides hitch a ride to the dinner plate on our favorite foods.

Organic foods are better for the planet because they are produced without the use of any of these nasty chemicals or genetically modified ingredients. They are safer for the environment, safer for farm workers, and better for your family’s health because they keep these unwanted toxins off your plate.

Shopping for organic foods is easier now than ever, as both large and small grocers are expanding their organic selections in response to the explosion of demand. Even in my small town, I can find everything from organic eggs to organic chocolate. Eating your greens never tasted so good!  Here are some easy tips for for greening your diet:

Buy Local: This is one of the most important rules of organic shopping.  Look for foods that are produced as close to home as possible.  Shipping food across the country (or around the world) creates waste, consumes resources, and contributes to global warming…negating the benefits of organic farming!

Buy The Farm: Searching for wholesome, fresh, organic food at a fraction of the cost? Look no further than your local farmers’ market, where you can find organic growers selling produce without the supermarket premiums. For listings of local farmers’ markets, check out Local Harvest or the US Department of Agriculture's listing of farmer's markets. 

Hold The Beef: The production of beef makes more of an impact on the environment than any other type of food. According to a report produced by the World Wildlife Fund, more pasture is used for cattle than all other domesticated animals and crops combined. Cattle also eat an increasing proportion of grain produced from agriculture, are one of the most significant contributors to water pollution, and are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The average American eats roughly 4 servings of beef each week. Skip the beef in just one meal and you can reduce the impact to the environment by 25%.

Breastfeed: If you have a baby on the way, consider breastfeeding her once she arrives. The health benefits to your baby are tremendous. According the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, breast-fed infants have lower rates of hospital admissions, ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies, and other medical problems than bottle-fed babies. Breastfeeding also helps new moms lose that post-partum weight. And breastfeeding is great for the environment, too: no waste, no resource consumption, no pollution, no problem.  Need some help?  Get in touch with your local La Leche League group.

Compost The Leftovers: Don’t toss those bread crusts and apple skins, compost them instead. Composting will keep food scraps from filling up landfills and turn them into a usable product that’s great for your soil. Check out Let It Rot for more information about composting.

Read more from Jenn in her book,The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Environmentally-Friendly Livingor her blog The Green Parent.

Original 5 Minutes for Going Green post.

While those of us living a green lifestyle are committed to practicing the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle), every now and again even the greeniest of us may need to discard of items that our community trash collection does not accept at the curb (or is inappropriate for reuse and donation). What to do? Here are a few suggestions for safe and environmentally friendly disposal of a few tricky items from around the house:

In the medicine cabinet

To safely get rid of old and unused prescription medications, the Office of National Drug Control Policy recommends the following:

1. Remove medication from its container and place pills in the trash.

2. To discourage illegal use of disposed medications, mix medications with "undesirable substances" such as kitty litter or coffee grounds and put in nondescript containers.

3. Read the label. If your medication specifies that it is safe to flush remainders down the toilet, flush away.

4. Locate your community medication donation or take-back program. I simply asked the pharmacist at our local C.V.S. if I might drop off old prescriptions, and she verified that our C.V.S. pharmacy accepts the return of unused prescription pills.

Under the kitchen sink, in the tool shed, and out in the garage

Ideally, the best way to manage hazardous wastes in your home is simply to purchase safe and healthy alternatives or create your own products. However, when you do have HHW (household hazardous waste) to dispose of, such as all purpose cleaners, drain openers, oven cleaners, glue, mold and mildew removers, automotive oil, paint strippers, thinners, and removers, and grease and rust removers, first consider your family's safety and the health and safety of our sanitation workers. Surprisingly, federal law approves of putting HHW into the trash, however, "HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers, [can] contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets, and present hazards to children and pets if left around the house."

So, how can we be proactive when getting rid of household hazardous wastes? The E.P.A. recommends:

1. Locate your local year-found collection facility. Leftover hazardous waste products may be used by others or properly disposed of in a safe way.

2. Find out whether your community hosts special days for hazardous waste pick-ups. Again, your HHW will go to a facility that treats hazardous waste.

3. Check out local businesses and garages to see whether they offer a collection program for the use or proper disposal of HHW.

Batteries

Whether you're checking your e-mail, hanging curtains, or listening to a portable radio, if you are not plugged into an electrical outlet, chances are that you are benefiting from the use of batteries. Since batteries are a convenient source of power, nearly 3 billion dry cell and 99 million wet cell batteries are purchased by Americans each year.

The best course of action for environmentally friendly battery use is to purchase reusable batteries, which not only keep nasty chemicals like mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel from contaminating our environment but also keeps hundreds of single use batteries from entering our solid waste stream. Another way to manage battery waste is to locate battery recycling centers; many retailers who produce certain kinds of batteries are mandated, by state laws, to accept used batteries for recycling.

To find a free, battery collection agency in your community, visit the non-profit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.

Compact Fluorescent and High Intensity Discharge Light Bulbs

The good news about CFLs and other mercury containing light bulbs is that they last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs (the old standard for lighting our homes). The bad news? Over 670 million mercury containing bulbs are discarded of in the U.S. each year, and when these bulbs are improperly disposed of (by being placed in curbside trash), it can result in a release of elemental mercury into the environment and in the long run can contaminate the food chain.

A smart and safe way to dispose of your CFLs and other mercury containing bulbs is to recycle them; several retailers across the nation are committed to reusing the glass, metal, and mercury from CFLs to manufacture new bulbs and other glass and metal products. Currently, the Home Depot accepts CFLs for recycling and IKEA offers a Free Take Back Program at all of their stores. Another great resource for safe and environmentally friendly CFL disposal is LampRecycle.org, which ensures that CFLs find their way to a recycling facility.

The safe and proper disposal of all trash is just another way that we can make way for a clean and healthy environment. By making sure that our garbage goes to the appropriate treatment facility, we are doing a favor for our families and pets, our sanitation workers, and the environment. What items from around the house pose a disposal challenge for you and your family? How are you managing hazardous household wastes? What tips do you have? We'd love to hear about your environmental efforts and safe disposal acts. Please share in the comments. Thanks!

Jessica Monte also blogs about natural parenting and the environment at Green Mamma and API Speaks.

Original 5 Minutes for Going Green post.

It seems like every home has a "home office" these days.  For some, it's their sole place of employment, for others it's simply a place to pay the bills, surf the computer, and help the kids with homework.  But whether yours is a dedicated room, a corner of the kitchen table, or just a state of mind, there are lots of things you can do to make it a greener and cleaner place to take care of business.  Here's how to green your home office:

Install CFLs: Replace traditional light bulbs with long-lasting and money-saving compact fluorescents that are better for the planet and better for your wallet.

Go Paperless: Hide the paper in your office so you have to think before you print/doodle/or write yourself a note. Use email and text messages to distribute memos or customer newsletters. Share and edit documents using a wiki program. Skip the cover sheet on faxes, and instead print the correspondence information directly on the first page of the document.  Use virtual post-it notes (try Stikkit) to track important info and online calendars like Google Calendar or Famundo to manage your family's schedule.

Recruit The Stars: If you're in the market for new gadgets, look for products that carry the Energy Star label (which means they use less energy than comparable models). Many Energy Star machines, such as laser printers, copiers, and faxes, also have an automatic standby mode that saves energy when the machine is not actively in use.

Stock It Green: Stock your office with green office supplies such as recycled paper and re-manufactured toner cartridges. Skip disposables and choose reusable pens, pencils, and staplers. And buy products in bulk whenever possible to reduce costs and packaging.

Read more from Jenn in her book, The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Environmentally-Friendly Livingor her blog The Green Parent.

Original 5 Minutes for Going Green post.

Earlier this week, some friends and I were talking about how to continue our weekly gardening play dates into winter. Throughout spring and summer we have been relishing the benefits of planting, tending and harvesting without looking past fall. Now that Labor Day approaches and autumn lurks around the corner, how do we relinquish this simple pleasure we share with our children outdoors?

Brows crinkled and faces twisted with despair as we recall those days spent indoors during the winter months. What to do? What to do?! How do we find a city garden that needs our superior weeding expertise all year round? Hmmmm. Living in Chicago, we are blessed to have The Notebaert Nature Museum and The Garfield Park Conservatory close by so that we continue learning, but is there a way to find a greenhouse in the city that needs us?

Prayers answered! Check out this Sunday's Chicago Tribune article about Green Net Chicago, an organization designed to help you find a community garden. The article even gives you pointers about starting a community garden using Neighbor Spaces, a 12 year old not-for-profit organization about creating and maintaining community managed spaces in Chicago. How inspiring! Part of what draws me to a green lifestyle is the commitment it makes to our local community as well as the planet.

Chicago will always have a special place in my heart. Ever since I graduated college sixteen years ago, I have been proud to call the Windy City my home. Even when I traveled extensively with my job, my roots were firmly planted in this sparkling city on the lake. Last night we drove in from the western suburbs and I got the same dynamic charge from the city skyline that I did all those years ago. But it means more to me now.

Now I share this city with my children. This summer we helped create a farm in the zoo that sparked a year round curiosity and a desire to share what we have learned. By making a commitment to the less visible outdoor spaces in Chicago, I believe we can make the entire city more beautiful, more productive and more accessible to families just like ours.

An original 5 Minutes for Going Green post. Jen shares her journey going green and raising a family as The EcoChic Organizer.

A few weeks ago, late at night, I received an email from a public relations exec about an all-natural children's hair care product. Called oopsy daisy! leave in detangler and conditioner, this "incredible, must-have" product was $18 for 8.25 ounces. What!!?? My hair care products don't even cost that much (I admit, I may have screamed out loud)! This was the last straw in a series of eye-popping price tags that I just couldn't let go without comment. After I hit "reply," I was as calm and polite as possible, asking the exec to please explain me how a hair care product for children could be so pricey.

While I write green, read green, and try to live as green as possible, it's become extremely tough to not notice how expensive, and often un-affordable, it has become to buy a lot of eco-friendly products. From milk and eggs to toys and clothing, "green" is often synonymous with "expensive," and I am constantly disappointed at organic or natural price-points, both for children and adults. One of the most rewarding parts of writing teensygreen is connecting with moms and dads who have created these amazing solutions for better living, and who often risk a lot to get them noticed. Yes, the economy is tough. Yes, everyone is struggling. But in this world going crazy for all things eco, how can we provide all these amazing things for people who can't (or won't) buy them?

I ended up emailing with Debby DeOliveira, the founder and creator of the oopsy daisy! line. She was very kind to answer some questions about how she came about pricing her products, and understood the plight of the modern green mom. Below is a very lightly edited interview, which hopefully sheds some light on how some green companies need to compete, and survive, in this competitive eco-market:

teensygreen: Who is your target audience for oopsy daisy?

Debby DeOliveira: It’s really any parent with kids! Our rinse free products are perfect for toddlers, because they are the masters of getting messy. High Chair Hair Care rinse free shampoo and No Bath Bubble Bath rinse free body wash can clean them up quick, anywhere, because you don’t need water. Our Traditional products are PH balanced for babies and can be used as they grow.

tg: How did you come up with your price point?

DDO: A lot of factors figured into that. First there are the costs of manufacturing, which I have no control over. My products are all natural and the ingredients are more expensive than synthetic ones. I am also a small company and I can only do small runs at this point, so the cost of everything is more expensive. Even the packaging figures into it - I spent months looking for the best prices I could find in the US, without having to import from China. If I were manufacturing tens of thousands of bottles at a time my cost would be reduced and the product prices would be lower. The costs essentially set the prices. I did look at everything I could find on the market that was as similar to my product. I needed to make sure I was in the ballpark and I think the price is right for the quality of product I produce.

tg: Who are your competitors, and why?

DDO: I don’t really think I have competitors because I am the only company who manufactures an all natural rinse free shampoo for kids. High Chair Hair Care rinse free shampoo is our signature product and where oopsy daisy! started. I needed something to help keep my girls clean throughout the day without running to the tub after every meal.

tg: What makes your product different than similar products?

DDO: There are a lot of great products on the market. A lot of them were created by moms and that’s my story as well. I needed something to help me with a very specific problem and that’s what lead me down this path. The fact I can use my products to wash my daughter’s hair in a restaurant or clean her knees at the park is what makes my product different. I don’t stress out over those little messes anymore; we just clean them up and keep on going! My Rinse free products are like having the whole bathtub in a bottle, they don’t need additional water to work.
.
tg: Why do you feel it's important for your company to uphold green standards, even if it means marketing products that are more expensive?

DDO: The funny thing is I never went into this to create a green product. I just wanted something to solve my problem that was safe for my children. I did a lot of research about the ingredients in baby products on the market and I wanted to use the best ingredients I could find. Based on my research, I decided to use all natural ingredients. When I started telling my friends about what I was doing they wanted some too. I started getting really great feedback from them, and their friends started asking where they could get it. So, it just seemed natural to put it on the market. It was important to me that other parents felt as good about using these products on their children as I did using them on mine. There is a wide range of products/prices on the market for children and parents have a choice. The prices are a reflection of my costs and the care I put into my line. All I can really control is the quality of the product I sell.

I'd love to know from you (yes, YOU reading this) what green products, toys, clothing, anything, you splurge on. Or, what you would never overpay, no matter how organic it is. Whatever the case, it's a tough market to navigate as a consumer. I hope this helps people realize how tough it is for both sides of the green market!

Original 5 Minutes For Going Green post. You can read more and find some practical green tips from Stefani Newman at her blog teensygreen.

Pressure Canning…..does that cause fear to run it's icy fingers down your back? The idea of something sitting on your stove boiling to un-godly temperatures with pressures that exceed normal atmospheric levels? It did for me. The thought of pressure canning made me nervous and scared. I'm not really sure why I was nervous about it. I've never had any bad experiences with pressure canners in my past. I think it was the fact that I'd NEVER used one, nor had I ever seen anyone use one, that caused me to fear the unknown.

Now, please know that I am not talking about pressure cookers. Pressure cookers are never to be used for canning. Pressure canners are large pressurized kettles that allow you to can low acid foods in temperatures that exceed what could ever be possible with boiling water. By increasing the pressure inside the canner with a heat source, the temperature increases as well. Here's a little chemistry for you at no extra charge!

Gay-Lussac's Law of temperature and pressure states that if the volume (the size of the canner) and the amount of gas (steam) stay the same, an increase in temperature will increase pressure. It works in reverse as well. As the pressure inside the canner increases, the temperature also increases. These temperatures are high enough to kill the spores that cause botulism: provided you pressure can your food to the specific pounds of pressure for the amount of time recommended.

Pressure canning is indicated for low acid foods. Some examples of low acid foods are corn, squashes, meats and so forth. Low acid foods do not contain enough acid to keep food spoilage from happening. And unless you are pickling or jamming a low acid food by adding acid and/or salt or sugar, pressure canning is necessary.

This is a pressure canner. Pressure canners can look differently, but essentially, they have the same equipment. It needs to be large enough to hold quarts, pints, and even smaller jars. This type of pressure canner is not recommended for using tin cans. That is a whole other method all together. So in this article, I am referring to glass canning jars made by Mason or Ball.

In the very center of the lid of the canner is a dial. This is the pressure gauge.

This allows you to accurately know how many pounds of pressure are inside your canner. Each fruit, veggie, meat or whatever you choose to pressure can has a recommended poundage and processing time based upon your elevation. Many recipes will indicate pounds of pressure and processing time based upon sea level. It's important to know your elevation and make adjustments accordingly. Usually, if you buy your canner new, it will come with elevation adjustments within the instructions. It's very important to read all the instructions that come with a pressure canner before you ever use it. If you don't have the instructions for your canner (say you bought it used or it was a family member's) it is possible to look up the instructions online now. It's also very important that you have your pressure gauge calibrated each canning season. You can have this done by calling your local county extension office

Each pressure canner will have a lid that locks into place. Most new models have a small air vent cover lock. In the photo above, you can see a small silver button that's popped up to the right of the gauge. When the pressure inside the canner begins to pressurize and exceed safety limits for opening up the lid, this cover lock acts as a safety lock. It pops up and locks the canner so that no one can open it while there is pressure inside the canner. Also, when all the pressure has been released after processing time is up, this button will fall back down into place to let you know it is now safe to open the canner.

To the left of the gauge in the photo above is the vent pipe and on top of that sits the pressure regulator.

Usually the regulator does not sit on top of the pipe until steam has been allowed to vent for at least 10 minutes. After that time, the regulator is placed over the pipe and that's when the gauge begins to monitor the pounds of pressure within the canner. Processing time does not begin until recommended pounds of pressure is achieved. Always make sure you can see through the vent pipe ahead of time and that nothing is blocking it before you begin anything. You can do this by simply holding the lid up and looking through the pipe!

Did I overwhelm you? Lots of information isn't it? That's how I felt when I first read about pressure canning. But it's very important to understand all the features of a pressure canner before you use it. However, I assure you, once you pressure can once, it all makes sense. Luckily for you, I have condensed pressure canning down to step by step instructions you can easily follow and not feel overwhelmed. Trust me!

Beth's Super-Condensed Fabulous Easy Wonderful Great Pressure Canning Instructions

(Ok, so I went overboard on the adjectives. I can't help it. I thought perhaps it would help ease you into the process a little. Did it? Do I need to add more adjectives? Let me know.)

Step One: Prepare the food you plan to pressure cook according to your recipe instructions. Make sure you clean and sterilize your jars, lids and rings.

Step Two: Depending upon the size of your pressure canner, add the recommended amount of water to the canner before adding your jars. Add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to help prevent white residue on jars.

Step Three: Place your jars into the canner making sure the sides of the jars do not touch. Also, do not mix your jars, ie. quarts and pints together. Only process pints only, or quarts only.

Step Four: Place the lid of your canner in place and lock it by twisting until locked according to the manufacturers instructions. Mine has arrows that must align. Make sure you do not have the pressure regulator on the vent pipe just yet. Then turn on the stove. I turn my burner on high. Soon, steam will emit and you need to allow a steady stream for at least 10 minutes or per manufacturer's instructions.

Step Five: After 10 minutes, place the pressure regulator over the vent pipe and you will see the gauge needle begin to rise. Allow it to rise to the suggested pounds of pressure, then adjust the heat on your burner to maintain that pressure. Once it's at the correct pounds, begin timing your processing.

Step Six: Stay near your pressure canner while processing. You can leave the room briefly, but it's important to check the gauge frequently to make sure the pounds of pressure is staying steady. If you have a gas stove, this can be difficult if you have a drafty kitchen. So stand by and check often!

Step Seven: Once processing time is up, turn off your burner and remove canner from heat source. If you have gas stove, you can leave it there, but if you have an electric stove, you will need to carefully slide it over. Please take care when you do this! Then leave your canner alone to de-pressurize on it's own. NEVER ATTEMPT TO OPEN A PRESSURE CANNER WHILE THERE IS STILL PRESSURE!! This can cause serious injury. Once the cover lock pops back down, you can carefully open your canner facing the lid away from you as you open to prevent any remaining steam from burning your face or arms.

Step Eight: Remove jars from canner and allow to cool to room temperature. This could take overnight at times. Be patient! Don't remove your rings until the jars are completely cool!

*****

Alright…do you feel confident to try pressure canning? I really hope so. My desire in my how-to articles is to make sure everyone has enough confidence to try something new. I have literally fallen in love with my pressure canner because it just made canning so much easier. It uses less water, the kitchen isn't so hot and my jars almost always seal without fail. Happy Canning!!

Beth spends most of her time blogging at her personal blog Coming Up For Air, where she's up to her eyeballs in harvest right now and literally dreams at night about sterilizing jars and skinning endless tomatoes! Come on by!

This is an original 5 Minutes for Going Green post!

In an effort to get in better shape and create a more pleasurable commute, my husband bought a bike. Since he is one of those lucky people who has a knack for picking up new skills with ease, he assumed that riding a bike would be as easy as swinging one leg over his bicycle, pushing the pedals, and riding away.

During his first week riding with the new bike, my husband arrived home each day in good spirits. Partly because he was proud of himself for getting active, but he also enjoyed the post-exercise adrenaline rush. Biking was simple, accessible, and practical. Driving, on the other hand, was boring, frustrating, and involved traffic. Why hadn't he stopped driving to work sooner, he wondered.

Then one day he returned home with some bad news. After showing off his new wheels to a few co-workers who are cycling champions, my husband was informed that he was too tall for his bike. "No wonder my back's hurting," he said. The next day he returned his new bike for another bike that fit his tall stature. For a few days, riding with the replacement bike was a breeze. "Wow, my back feels great," he told me. "With this bike I ride faster and arrive at work more quickly than I would in my car." Part of the reason for the enhanced speed was due to thin road tires on the new bike.

Fast forward one week. My cell phone rings.  It's my husband. "Can you come and get me? I have a flat tire and am about 2 miles from home." That night he learned to patch the hole in his tire and felt a bit more optimistic about bike riding, flat tires and all. Unfortunately, the next morning on his way out the door, he noticed that the patch hadn't worked and his tire had deflated, yet again.  I was really starting to feel bad for him.

Over the course of the next month, his new bike's tires flattened some 3 or 4 times. At least 2 times he walked home from work, pushing his bike. Let's just say that his zest for exercise and saving the environment (one ride at a time) was as deflated as his tires.

I share the above story of my husband's struggles with bike riding because it is my feeling that most of us can relate to the kind of frustration and perhaps even doubt that my husband experienced as he attempted to learn something new (like how to make biking to work part of his everyday life). Learning to live in an environmentally friendly way is challenging, sometimes. Of course, when we come up against resistance in our lives and we are aware of it, we can learn to roll and learn. I remember when we first tried using a certain eco-friendly diaper (cloth diapers with flushable inserts), I continuously clogged toilets when I would flush the insert. One time I even clogged and overflowed our pediatrician's toilet (boy was I embarrassed!). Eventually I got the hang of how to dispose of my daughter's environmentally friendly diapers, but initially I had felt so frustrated I considered giving up and using disposable diapers.

Making changes to improve our lives and the condition of our Earth is not always as easy we'd like it to be. Over time though, with a little bit of determination, thought, preparation and passion, we can do things we think are impossible and even frustrating. Tomorrow my husband is riding his bike to work. Over the weekend, we're going to search for tubeless tires.  And I hope that in the coming months, my husband will devote more time to learning about bike maintenance and good cycling habits.

If you are a beginner cyclist interested in pedaling around, you may want to visit Zenhabit's "Beginner's Guide to Cycling" and Associated Content's "10 Tips for Beginner Cyclists." Cycling is just one more way to reduce carbon emissions and protect our environment.  And once a new rider gets the hang of being on wheels, biking is great fun too.

Jessica Monte also blogs about natural parenting and the environment at Green Mamma and API Speaks.

Original 5 Minutes for Going Green post.

Happy Labor Day weekend to you all from the green team here at 5 Minutes for Going Green!  Here are some interesting reads for your long weekend:

-Geek Dad creates an incredible Styrobot, all from styrofoam he collected over the past several years.  Check out the awesomeness.

-Last week, our own Crunchy Chicken had some exciting updates on the distribution of pads for her very important and very successful Goods 4 Girls organization.  Go read about what happened in Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda.

-Another one of our rock stars, Mama Bird, pointed out the lack of environmental awareness among the American Dental Association.  Way to go, Mama!

-Eco Child's Play's Jessica is a girl after my own heart, honestly talking about some of the woes of composting and includes some fantastic resources in the post.

-No Impact Man once again gets us thinking and helping to spread the word by listing 40 steps to getting started going green.

See you next week!