The Big Apple Bites, Barbie's A Hoarder & Free Music

The Big Apple is taking the bite out of sugar addiction and throwing down the gauntlet on Soda.  There's arguments for and against such war and I'm not sure where I stand.  What I do know is regulation and moderation is key.
Read more about it here.
Then tell me what you think.
Email me.

If only Barbie were truly "real life my friends and I used to joke as we took off her clothes and poked at her large breasts.  Not really. But I could never identify with anything remotely close to the blond bombshell or her material possessions and trends.
Her life was/is a fantasy I didn't care for.
Sophia is not into dolls.  She likes horses.  That's much more fitting for a girl I think.
Regardless, I wanted to share a darker side of the icon that we were raised with as one artist wonders
If Barbie Was A Hoarder.

FREE saves Green and Music is Great Medicine. 
Nothing like having a weekend to clean the house with some
Eco friendly cleaner and recycled rags.
Let's organize and shake your booty
(because a little caloric burning never hurt your bottom line).
Here's a link to the new METRIC album.  Stream it for free.
 Move and shake with me.  Dig?
Why because I love you.

Happy Weekend Green Mom's.  
Kiss your Green Baby's for me.
XOXO
GMGB

Drum Roll For Roll Models Please!

Being a single green mom, trying to run a new business (super green at this too) is no excuse, I admit.
But I will politely apologize for my tardy GMGB posts.  
However, I've made a firm commitment to stick to an editorial calendar and get a prompt GMGB blog out every Friday.  So here's to rebirth, renewal & committing to commitment (it's a big deal).


First, S&^% Sophia Says:
Yesterday Sophia asked: Mom, Can you help me learn patience?
My response: I am working on it myself so when I master it little one, I will let you know.


Truth is, I've learned to become more flexible with life as it continues to throw lemony curve balls at my person, sometimes at 150 miles an hour. 
I definitely have become a better listener. 
I've asked baby girl to take deep breaths to get her through crying fits. I take them with her. But I can't say that I have truly mastered the art or virtue if you will of patience. 
Inherently I believe it's a cultural thing. We are a fast food nation and yes, I like my high speed internet. I've gotten to a point that If someone doesn't call or text me back within three hours I breathe through that too. (it used to be an instantaneous ick thing)
But I wouldn't and I really don't know quite the words to explain to my four year old how to have composure through a rough patch. 
I've done it personally. I'm currently doing it as I type.
But how do I translate it to a four year old?
I'm at a loss.
So I ask you my community members, mommy's and friends - how do you or would you explain to a four year old how to have patience other than to wait their turn to share?
Email me. or leave a comment below. Please and Thank You!


While speaking of behavioral stuff and things, (a.k.a being a good Role Model) I came across a really amazing slide show/article that I wanted to share. I find all of it's points muy important regarding teaching kids about self esteem.
Here it is.


And lastly, a year ago I discovered Kris Carr & her Crazy Sexy Diet. 
Not only did it make a huge impact on my diet and health but it changed my life. 
I've recommended it to dozens of clients and friends and will continue to do so. 
For my 'anniversary' I've embarked on the 21 day cleanse in Ms. Carr's book. 
I'm on day four of green juice in the morning and amazing veggie foods all day long. 
This is no easy task. The first few days of have been like peeling back the onion layer emotionally and it's been getting completely raw both inside and out. 
There's also been heavy meditation combined with ninja fighting off sticky buns (my favorite) my mother bought from Alpine Bakery. (harumph!)
But knowing where the first journey took me, how it changed me and my entire being I can feel already that there's an amazing light at the end of this tunnel.
With everything that's been swirling around me, coming out of me and being all venus and retrograde-y and such I can't wait to see how shiny and glittery the other side of this will be.
So drink it all in, email me or leave comments lovelies. 
Here's to being a super green role model!

Cheers Greenies!

LOVE GMGB

Meet GreenMom Tanya Pineda & her Roundies!

I'd like to introduce you to a fabulously amazing GreenMom Tanya Pineda.  Tanya is the creator of Roundies. We've had great success & even greater feedback carrying Roundies at Venus & The Moon so I wanted to share the love. 

Where did you get the idea for Roundies?:  
My inspiration to make Roundies, actually came as a suggestion from a wonderful long time customer named Heather in the Virgin Islands. She asked if I could create some mini washable make up removing pads, as alternatives to cotton balls etc. And another friend who makes herbal products (threesisitersherbals.com), currently sells them in a set along with an herbal make up remover too :).


And the super cool material?: 
The material i use to make the Roundies is new not recycled. However, I am happy to do custom orders to up-cycle fabric provided by customers.


Tell us about being a Green Mama: I'm a green by being mindful of where the items we use & consume originate as well as deteriorate. 
We try to use, re use, recycle, up cycle, gratefully relieve & hand down as much as possible. 
I am especially interested in how previous generations have created functioning alternatives to our more disposable & wasteful mindset. That's how I came to the create my line of HagRag TM cloth menstrual pads and other items. I delight in making "old fashioned" ideas & concepts more fun, colorful & empowering rather than embarrassing if possible.

Motherhood has changed me by also becoming a cloth diapering pro & big earnest fan of EC (elimination communication) & proud mama of a confidently potty trained since 2.5 mystic daughter of the universe :), who now 3 says "mama do you have your moon blood? That means you are not having a baby this month!" 
She is already developing an early understanding & comfort in communicating how our bodies work. She's given me the deepest understand of our sacred existence & how all we do and say can and does create our current reality, as well as the future for generations to come. 
We cannot take this responsibility too lightly & must work at it each day to be mindful parents & interconnected humans in general. I believe what we teach our children to be "normal & acceptable" or otherwise sets them up to experience their whole existence as a blessing or lifelong struggle. I choose blessing for myself, child, family & friends- and am amazed & saddened by how many people choose or passively or knowingly to struggle. 


That's right! You've also invented HagRags! Talk more about these amazing products!
HagRag TM cloth menstrual pads are a cotton flannel & terry cloth line of pads & pantie liners alternative to disposables. 
I offer the pads in an array of prints, shapes, styles and thickness from: Mini Pantyliner, to Goddess & Mermaid Delux (often but not exclusively used for postpartum). 
I offer a sort of customized 'build your own' pad, you simply read through the styles and available prints. Then customers can pick the fabric prints and apply it to the style they would like- voila custom cloth pad. 
I love to create custom items if the exact thing someone is looking for is not available on my site also.
 I have been sewing myriad permutations and refining each style since 1992- wow it's my 20 year anniversary I didn't even realize that! We will have to celebrate that! I am deeply greatful to all the amazing women who have shaped the pads I make over the years, with all the AMAZING suggestions & good humor & sisterhood of experience we share. 
They have been inspiring to me for 2 decades and more- I originally did a zine called Hag Rag to network & share experiences, frustration & inspiration with others around the world- ya know back in the day when we USA actually write letters with pen & paper.


Finally, tell us what's on the horizon for you Tanya!
I'll be rebuilding my website (www.HagRag.info)  which is very exiting, as well as daunting! Due to unethical domain theft of my original site (& name) being stolen. It caused chaos in my webworld during a personally deviating loss. I'm now beginning to be able to rectify all that wrong phew!  
I also have begun to make custom crystal intentional jewelry currently available at Venus and the Moon in Jim Thorpe.I must give a shout out to the ubertalented owners Michelle & Selena here who's incredible Eco friendly laundry soap I must also say is the best I've ever used n looooove for all my cloth items, so get yer hineys over there! 

Coincidentally Jim Thorpe is the very town in which I am looking for a retail space to create a tattoo studio (oh yeah psst...I'm also a professional tattoo artist!) and shop to make my HagRag & other creative creations publicly available in the near future!

Thank you to Tanya! 
Thank you GreenMommy's for sharing this space and for being eco-friendly! 
For more about 
Tanya Pineda, contact: tanyago@hotmail.com or call 646 279 8530

www.HagRag.info

Paying it forward.

The Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) is a nonprofit that takes an outside-of-the-box approach to civic engagement to educate & mobilize young people across the world toward issues of literacy, equality, and human rights. Their mission is to empower our members to act like the heroes that they love by acting for a better world

Some really great kids in Jim Thorpe have started a local chapter of HPA & I'd like to raise $5k in their founding members name in time for June graduation.

20% of all Witch Wolf? The Curse Kindle sales will be directed towards this goal.
There will also be a ROLLER SKATING party in the spring at Memorial Park in Jim Thorpe. Just sayin!

Not only am I hoping to give back to some truly amazing kids here in town that are doing awesome things for both the global and local community but I'd like to also encourage other  schools to start their own chapter of HPA.

So if you'd be so kind, please pass it on! :)
Thank you!!

Recycled Xmas & Green Holiday Wishes!

This holiday I knew I needed to make my daughters time extra special. What was I to do?
Our family is south till spring. And since we've been gypsy's, Sophia made it quite clear that she needs a place to call her own.

As a determined single green mommy not only did I want to give her medicine for all of the above but I also needed to get her out of the habit of sleeping in my bed.  (Mommy's medicine!)

I asked her what color I could paint her room while showing her some examples of fairy tale bedrooms online. Wanting to get an idea of her creative genius and see what would make her sleep and play in her own part of our "castle" with ease.
Needless to say Sophia didn't want pink walls or polka dots sheets or green (her favorite color) anything.

She did however scream at the sight of this:

For days later she insisted that she wanted a tree house bed with a pretty light.

Wow. Did I have my work cut out for me! Where was I ever to start?

Asking around I got quotes that was way more than I could shell out at this moment in time.  

So I put it out to the universe and am excited to report that this fairy tale has a happy ending. 

The first grain of holiday luck struck when I scored a bunk bed.  

My friends Andrea & Jim were looking to switch out their son's bunk for something a little more age appropriate. They even delivered and assembled it while I was at work.  

They knew that I wanted to make this thing a surprise and that I was working on limited time.

In speaking to Aileen & Dave Miller I inherited tree branches to make this thing have a real woods like feel. When Aileen dropped them off (saw included) my partner Selena was putting together the chandelier (which Sophia also insisted on having) that she donated to the cause. 

This particular evening was my first experience with power tools.  SWOON!  

My girls (Selena & Aileen) really knew what they were doing and I was in awe.  

We added some loose branches to the foundation of the bed.  Things were on the up!  But what next?

David Watkins Price threw in bed sheets that were no longer of need to him.  Blue and white stripes! Perfect!

Then Tom Storm & I sat down, discussed, drew and contemplated how to go about this project with the materials gathered and budget I was working with. 

Mary Huber Harwood picked up a king size sheet and some lace for me while I was putting design together with Tom.  I gave us a deadline of Friday the 16th because while I so desperately wanted to suprise Sophia on Christmas my nerves were becoming shot with her sleeping in my bed and her clothes and bed being displaced from her room.  You see, when Andrea & Jim put up the bed, I closed off Sophia's room with wrapping paper & a note from Santa 

.....she was amazing about not peeking!

So here's a look at what Mommy and the true Spirit of Christmas delivered to our home yesterday.  

I couldn't take the suspense of waiting.  It was also suggested that Sophia know how much she was loved by all & how hard we worked to make her holiday wishes come true.  

Santa is still coming...but until then, we are both sleeping better with visions of ...well....I'm just happy!

                                  The end result :)

So, the moral of this blog to which I'm sharing in this space...

You really don't have to buy something new for Christmas to make the holiday special.  

You can make the spirit bright by accepting gifts and time from others and making them into something magical & your own.

With the leftover branches & light fixture Selena bought I started working on my own vision for my home office (which will look something like the Mad Hatters Tea Party and a Gypsy's side show)!

In conclusion, I'd like to take a moment to firmly acknowledge that the spirit of the season & making my daughter's wishes bright was fully supported in time & love by:

Andrea & Jim Bird

Selena & Dan Mazmanian

Aileen & Dave Miller

David Watkins Price

Mary Huber Harwood

& finally the artist who took my vision, heard my voice & made it come to life, Tom Storm.

I am in deep gratitude for all, coming together and making Green Miracle Magic.  

You more than helped me create the best gift but you taught me more about what it means to be open to possibility and acceptance. I also got to explore my own creative on the upcycled side of things being a true Green Mom.

Letting go of ego, expectations and really welcoming community, we are blessed not only in these gifts but also in the gift of your friendship and love. 

That's the best part of this entire experience and as I type with tears in my eyes - I feel so very lucky.

My wish for you is that you get back what you gave to us in three's.  

And....may Santa always keep you on his nice list.    

Happy Holidays to all!

XOXO

GMGB

This peach is still green.

Green. not fully developed or perfected in growth or 
condition; unripe; not properly aged: 
This peach is still green.


     Things have been becoming ripe-ish since we last met dear ones.
After joining forces with artisan & soap formulator Selena Mazmanian of 13th Moon Creations I've learned a thing or seven, made some pretty cool concoctions, met some amazing people, got my feet wet and of course I'm still getting my hands dirty as to what really is
eco conscious consumerism.
     It's not ironic to me that the occupy movement takes off and people are starting to rally and support something less than big business.  Word on the streets is there is certainly a green revolution of sorts happening in our economy. People are becoming more aware that they do have a say. I'd like to think that I'm being present to this movement - creating a financial future my (& my partner's) own way.
Trying to also be a person of my word and have great integrity doing what I love (helping others) and getting paid to do it. Green but growing - being what I love and creating an authentic life to honor that. I want to be a good example for my daughter.  True story. But I digress.....

GREEN is a secondary color when you mix two other primary colors.
Selena & I recently created Venus & The Moon. A magical blend of body and soul, naturally.
It will be home to `13th Moon Creations & host my Soul Services.

Selena & I  are excited to also represent local artists (Anne Martino) & crafters (Zen Creations) and are pleased to announce that Friday December 2nd Devin Greco, a self taught painter and Pocono Mountains native will have her first official showing at our space on 31 Race Street in Jim Thorpe.
The event is from 5-7pm. Celebratory cocktails immediately after at The Black Bread Cafe, 47 Race Street.

     Venus & The Moon is calling for submissions for
      a collaborative recipe book regarding: Aphrodisiac's.
      We'd love for you to share a recipe or story & photo of one of your favorites.
      Portion of the proceed of this endeavor will go to NO KID HUNGRY.
     We're looking forward to a February event to embrace this!
     Email Michgall@gmail.com by December 27th to participate!

I know it's been a little while but I wanted to personally thank you for being a loyal Greenie. On this day of giving thanks - I have a lot to be thankful for.

Next blog: How this single green mom deals with dating. Sophia has some pretty green issues of her own, like finding mommy "prince charming".
If you have an stories to share under the theme - would love your input!


Oh and if you are in the area - please stop by 
Venus & The Moon
31 Race Street
Jim Thorpe, PA 18229


GreenMomGreenBaby 
And Venus & The Moon fully support:
Black Friday, 
Small Business Saturday 
& Green Solstice.

Green Keeps On Giving

Ello my green sweets!  
We are bursting with excitement to bring you a handful 
of great news & give you some free love too!
Let's start with the the wee ones & free ones! 
Web MD has a great promo right now where they are signing up people to their new website Web MD Fit Kids.  
You can enter to win $4000 & some other cool monetary prizes just for getting their newsletter. I've been a fan of Web MD for a while. 
Personally, I read 90% of the emails they put out and use their symptom checker if need be. Big fan of Web MD. 
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP for your shot at the $$ & to learn how to grow your kids fit!


Back to school means Mom & Dad have more time to themselves.  Put a little spring in your step by stepping up your work out.  I've got the hook up to some great new mixes (FREE!) from my boy DJ Cams in San Francisco. 


Finally, GreenMom is stepping up my commitment to being a wellness warrior 
(Thank you Christie McClelland & Kris Carr! for your divine inspiration!!) 
Today along with two other really amazing and powerful women, I'm signing the lease for  
The Elemental Alchemist a Wholeistic Wellness Studio (the first of it's kind!) in Jim Thorpe, PA.  
Our mission: To Nurture Wellness & Create Wholeness in our Universal Community.
The three of us lovelies have come up with a great healing arts menu that will include: Reiki, Massage, Hatha Yoga, Chair Yoga, Tarot, Intuitive Readings, Incense Making courses & so very much more. 
We are exclusively featuring the Unique, Natural, Hand Crafted Artisan Soaps & other Luxurious Body Products made by 13the Moon Creations.  
13th Moon has happily found a way to fuse  love of art with the love of chemistry & you can tell in their products!


All of The Elemental Alchemist's courses are going to be offered online. 
This truly is a spectacular way to grow community and promote like minded wellness. I'm honored to be a part of this great adventure!


A quick update on my novel: Witch Wolf? The Curse  - 
there will be a signing at The Emporium of Curious Goods in Jim Thorpe, PA 
September 3rd at 1pm. 
Bring a pre ordered copy and enter to win 
a Witch Wolf? The Curse Bag of magic tricks courtesy 
of M.L.Gallagher & 13th Moon Creations!


Enough about GMGB! Tell us about you!  
How are your greening your back to school routine?  
Please email GreenMomGreenBaby@Gmail.com


Much love my greenies!!
XOXO
GMGB