Go to the Book Release of "The Zero Footprint Baby: How to save the planet while raising a healthy baby"

My friend, colleague and fellow DC resident Keya has been a huge inspiration for me as I've sought to go greener in my life.  She and her family really walk the talk when it comes to reducing carbon footprints.  In her "spare" time, she's somehow found time to write a book about raising a child while keeping a low carbon footprint. "The Zero Footprint Baby: How to Save the Planet While Raising a Healthy Baby" shows how to raise a child with little to no carbon footprint and addresses the pressures and preconceptions new parents face as they start a family from pregnancy (what kind of birth has the lowest impact?); what to feed your baby (breastfeed, formula, or both?); childcareand of course, diapering. There's a book launch on Saturday, June 1st at the Greater Washington Breastfeeding Center 2141 K St., NW Suite 3 from 10 am to noon.  Keya will be talking about the book and signing copies.  This book will make the perfect shower gift!  Click here to RSVP.  Hope to see you there!  

If you can't make it to the book launch, you can buy a hard copy or ebook version on Amazon.com.  Remember, Father's Day is coming up on June 17th!

DIY: Making Your Own Cleaning ..and Other Products: Deodorant

This blog has challenged me to explore new areas of recycling/greening that I might not have taken on otherwise.  Since I started using baking soda and vinegar to wash my hair and as cleaning products in my house, I've become more interested in reducing a/o eliminating the chemicals I purchase through various products - toothpaste, dishwasher soap, prewash treatments - a la "spray&wash".  For the next couple of posts, I'm going to document some of the products I've made - and their success or failure and ideas for improvement.

My Homemade Deodorant (next to a small bottle)

A friend of mine asked me how to recycle a deodorant tube.  I think you can just put it in the bin, but then I offered to try to make some deodorant.  He was game, so I started looking through recipes.  I knew that I would need something that wouldn't melt in the container in DC summers - but that would work.

After some research and reading through pros and cons (staining clothes, melting in the container, not working etc), I found this recipe. It uses all natural ingredients - baking powder, beeswax, cocoa butter, etc.  It was easy to make and I was able to refill my friend's tube, and I had this leftover for me.  After a few days of use, he reported that it works fine..though I may have gone a bit overboard on the beeswax (which makes it hard). (Maybe I should use a tad less beeswax in the winter/spring).  Let me know how it works!