Mommy Greenest

Healthy Living, Less Judgment

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  • Home
  • Book
  • Categories
    • Healthy Living
    • Mommy Greenest Approved
    • Eco Beauty & Fashion
    • Natural Parenting
    • Latest Buzz
    • Green News & Events
  • Mommy Greenest Guides
    • Guide to Going Green
    • Guide to Eco-Friendly Fashion
    • Guide to Healthy Eating
    • Guide to Natural Parenting & Pregnancy
    • Guide to Green Beauty
    • Guide to Healthy Cleaning
  • About
    • Standards & Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • seahorse plastic earbud
    Healthy Living

    Plastic: 4 Facts You Should Know

    June 18, 2018 /

    Have you heard the stats on plastic? One million plastic bags used every minute around the globe. Three million water bottles used every hour in the United States. Five million straws used every day in America. Plastic production increased 2,000 percent from 1964 to 2014. More than 300 million tons of new plastic produced annually and less than 10% recycled. Plastic overconsumption is affecting our environment—and our health. Reports show that eight million tons go into the ocean each year (the equivalent of a garbage truck full every minute) and that if we don’t do something about it, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. In the last two…

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    Rachel Sarnoff 3 Comments

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    Sean Penn, Environmental Paranoid?

    October 25, 2013
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    Today’s InspirApril Daily Affirmation: Confidence

    April 29, 2015
    vegan chocolate on a board

    Vegan Chocolate Easter Eggs? Yes Please!

    March 14, 2016
  • Green News & Events

    Transgender Fish Found; Fertility Compromised

    January 5, 2016 /

    The latest U.S. Geological Survey found that 85 percent of male smallmouth bass in and near wildlife refuges in the Northeast show compromised fertility: They have eggs where their testes should be, according to the Washington Post. Earlier, surveys had found as much as 100 percent of fish in the southern Potomac River were affected, and 90 percent in West Virginia. A reported 37 species of fish have been identified as exhibiting “intersex changes” that affect fertility, and although scientists have not yet identified the culprit, many believe endocrine disrupting chemicals are to blame.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 10 Comments

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    Boycott Hershey’s

    January 17, 2014
    Jenna Elfman and Angie Everhart at Saving Innocence sex trafficking awareness event

    What We Need To Know About Sex Trafficking

    August 13, 2015
    Mommy Greenest interview with boxer Laila Ali on Organic Spa magazine cover

    Laila Ali, Organic Spa &…Mommy Greenest?

    January 20, 2015
  • Green News & Events

    Endocrine Disruptors Make Mice Fat And Lazy

    October 1, 2015 /

    We already know that endocrine disruptors–like BPA in cans and cash register receipts, or phthalates in perfume–are linked to obesity, reproductive problems, and even cancer. But could they also make you fat and lazy?

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    Rachel Sarnoff 1 Comment

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    Chemical Movie Must See

    April 16, 2015
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    Campbell Opts For GMO Labeling, Against GMA

    January 8, 2016
    hershey's kiss on white background

    Boycott Hershey’s

    January 17, 2014
  • Green News & Events

    [email protected] Finds BPA in 90% of Cans; Chemical Linked to Obesity

    June 16, 2015 /

    It may be time to rethink canned food. A new study from the Environmental Working Group found 90% of cans are lined with hormone-disrupting BPA, which was back on California’s Prop 65 list of toxic chemicals as of May.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 0 Comments

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    hershey's kiss on white background

    Boycott Hershey’s

    January 17, 2014
    Toronto goes dark during Earth Hour

    My Earth Hour Fail

    March 18, 2015
    campbell soup gmo labeling photo

    Campbell Opts For GMO Labeling, Against GMA

    January 8, 2016
  • Green News & Events

    Cali Sets Precedent with Green Chemistry

    June 8, 2015 /

    Are you tired of playing whack-a-mole with toxic chemicals? California’s Green Chemistry Initiative could set a precedent for the way we manage toxic chemicals nationally, creating a four-step process of assessment, as NRDC reported.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 0 Comments

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    Boycott Hershey’s

    January 17, 2014
    Jenna Elfman and Mommy Greenest Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff on Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" show.

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    May 10, 2013
    girl holds shoes and white shirt with big smile

    Inside the MG & Moms LA Swap Party

    February 17, 2014
  • Green News & Events

    #BPA Back On CA #Toxic Chemicals List

    May 8, 2015 /

    If you live in California, you’ve seen the plaques that alert–and alarm–people that building materials may contain toxic chemicals. In a historic decision, today California added Bisphenol A–better known as BPA–to our state’s Proposition 65 list of known toxic chemicals.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 1 Comment

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    May 10, 2013
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    What We Need To Know About Sex Trafficking

    August 13, 2015
    mommy bloggers gather in a living room to talk

    Mommy Bloggers for Pushing Motherhood

    April 30, 2013
  • three glass water bottles with blue lids against white background
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Retap Water Bottles

    July 17, 2014 /

    Ready to rethink your water bottle? In previous posts, I’ve talked about the impact of bottled water on your health. But as cities like San Francisco move to ban plastic water bottle sales in public places, more and more consumers are considering the cost—both to their wallets, and to the environment: Plastic bottles require more than 17 million barrels of oil annually to make, enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year. Enter Retap reusable water bottles, which are designed to make drinking water from the tap safe, easy and convenient. I’ve got FIVE to give away!

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    Rachel Sarnoff 3 Comments

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    Carbon Offset: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

    December 15, 2014
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    Mommy Greenest Approved: Blue Sky Family Farms Pasture Raised & Free Range Eggs

    February 23, 2016
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    Mommy Greenest Approved: SIRUM Life Saving Medication Reform

    February 18, 2015
  • plastic water bottle pours water into a clear glass
    Healthy Living

    Maybe BPA Isn’t Bad for You?

    March 16, 2014 /

    I am so confused about BPA. For years I trusted studies that linked the endocrine-disrupting substance—a chemical used to harden plastics like water bottles, as well as to coat cash register receipts and line aluminum cans—with obesity, anxiety and reproductive problems. Recently, a new study concluded that prenatal exposure to BPA—before and just after birth—was linked to liver cancer. But on the heels of that study came another from the FDA that puts my beliefs about BPA in question.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 5 Comments

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    A Case for Fair Trade Coffee

    April 13, 2013
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    When to Toss An Off Gassing Toy

    April 17, 2013
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    10 Ways to Nix Breast Cancer Chemicals Now!

    June 27, 2014
 Older Posts

Welcome! I created this blog in 2008 as a resource for healthier living with less judgment. I'm a mother of three, former journalist, and co-founder of the (shuttered, sniff) sustainable beauty and fashion site EcoStiletto. I was Executive Director of the nonprofits The 5 Gyres Institute and Healthy Child Healthy World and appeared as a sustainable lifestyle expert on "The "TODAY Show" and "CNN Headline News," among others. Oh, and have you checked out my TEDx talks: Trash is Ruining Recycling and Can One Straw Change The World? Today, you can find me here. Let's keep in touch! xoRachel

https://youtu.be/sOol1MIgois

rachellincolnsarnoff

I’ve been a big fan of JUNOCO ever since I disco I’ve been a big fan of JUNOCO ever since I discovered their plant-based squalene, but their recent #ToBeHuman campaign made me a fan for life. Campaigns like these aren’t exactly new: In 2016, Dove released a study that found 50% of American women had low self-esteem and 85% of women stay home because they’re uncomfortable with the way they look. But these types of studies seem all to be commissioned by massive, multinational companies — Unilever owns Dove — that are contradictory. Case in point? Unilever’s Hourglass depends on highly photoshopped models touting products like “airbrush concealer” that will “vanish” imperfections. For me, these campaigns seem to be more about selling products than really making change.  But that’s not the case at JUNOCO, the minimalist beauty company that’s focused on producing superior, vegan skincare from a short list of sustainable ingredients, where are much as possible is dispensed in recyclable glass and any plastic used is highly recyclable PET. For #ToBeHuman, the company photographed a group of skin-positive thought leaders with different skin tones, backgrounds, and perspectives to prove that perfection doesn’t exist — but inclusive beauty does. There was no professional lighting, stylists, or retouching; the only caveat was that they had all used the JUNOCO Clean 10 Cleansing Balm for a month before the shoot. Btw I LOVE that cleansing balm! My skin drinks it up — fine lines, wrinkles, sunspots, and all. Link in bio to Mommy Greenest, where you can read all about it plus get 10% off. 
photo: JUNOCO
#Beauty #Style #Motivation #Health #Wellness #HealthyLifestyle #MommyGreenest #sponsored
Byeeee… Byeeee…
Summer. #capecod #mass #summer #sunflowers #bees # Summer. #capecod #mass #summer #sunflowers #bees #pollinatorgarden
Why I shop local. #preloved #thrift #thriftstorefi Why I shop local. #preloved #thrift #thriftstorefinds #swapdontshop
It’s official: @greek_theatre takes the crown fr It’s official: @greek_theatre takes the crown from @hollywoodbowl for best summer music venue. #angelolsen #julienbaker #sharonvanetten scorched that stage all the way to nosebleed. Amazing show! (And canned ranch water didn’t suck, either.) #wildheartstour #music #livemusic #showtime #summer
This big box makes me happy every time it appears This big box makes me happy every time it appears on my doorstep. Why? Because I know that I’m helping to prevent the ONE MILLION TREES — many in old growth forests that are climate defenders — that are cut down to DAILY, just to make toilet paper. Yes, really. New story up on Mommy Greenest, linktree in bio! (Not sponsored.)
#Climate #ClimateJustice #ProtectTrees #SaveForests #RecycledPaper #Motivation #MommyGreenest
These skies never disappoint. What do you see? I h These skies never disappoint. What do you see? I have some ideas…
This makes me so mad. Still claiming “#covid res This makes me so mad. Still claiming “#covid restrictions” @urthcaffe @flylaxairport refused to fill my #reusable cup with hot water — I offered to pay — and insisted on giving me a #plastic lined #paper cup, paper cuff, and plastic lid, which are now going straight to landfill after literally 10 seconds of use. (No #recycling bin.) How can people do the right thing when companies — even those claiming #sustainability as the heart of their brand — continue to perpetuate the wrong option? #breakfreefromplastic #reuse #reuserevolution
HUGE NEWS: #OceanConservancy just retracted their HUGE NEWS: #OceanConservancy just retracted their seminal "Stemming the Tide" report and admitted that it led to misinformation -- basically that plastic in the ocean was the "fault" of people in Asia -- because they did not include the context of waste exports from other countries, primarily the United States. There are so many other (racist) layers to this, but the gist for me is what I said in my first TEDx talk: "If you have a cup that's overflowing, do you blame the cup -- or the hand that continues to pour?" This is a picture of the plastic that was picked up in the once-pristine Hanauma Bay in Hawaii. When it comes to single-use plastic, we need to stop pouring.
#Plastic #CircularEconomy #BreakFreeFromPlastic #Motivation #Health #Wellness #MommyGreenest
Time erodes friendships — some strengthen and so Time erodes friendships — some strengthen and some dissolve. This essay is about the weird false intimacy that is perpetuated through social media, the historical context that often shadows it, and the words we can no longer say. I’m so proud to be published in @hippocampusmag and honored to be featured alongside so many incredible writers. Link in bio! (Photo is from Hippocampus of time eroding something, I guess…?)
#AmWriting #Memoir #Essay #Nonfiction #Fiction #WomensFiction #WritersOfInstagram #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity
Hearing a lot of complaints about how now that eve Hearing a lot of complaints about how now that everyone has discovered #thrifting, there are less golden eggs to discover in stores. (Looking at you, #newyorktimesmagazine.) I think that’s hogwash. Maybe if you #thrift for status — i.e. labels? But that’s never been my jam. I grew up #thrifting and have exclusively shopped #resale (or #swapped with friends) for nearly two decades and the plethora of online and brick-and-mortar stores makes it all so much more fun! Case in point: embellished boots, a 100-year-old #vintage petticoat, and an unbranded eyelet blouse that together are my new favorite just-over-here-floating-in-the-summer-breeze outfit. If you choose #preloved because it’s 1. better for the planet and 2. better for your bank account, then wouldn’t you agree the golden age is upon us?
#Fashion #SlowFashion #FashionRevolution #Style #Motivation #mommygreenest
How to #zerowaste a day at #Disneyland? It’s muc How to #zerowaste a day at #Disneyland? It’s much easier these days, until you take your eye off the ball. But as much as I sweat the small stuff, I know I have to let it go. It was a great day celebrating my daughters 21st, which culminated in a drink on another planet. As living out fantasies goes, that one is hard to beat. #zerowastedisneyland #breakfreefromplastic #noonecandoeverythingbuteveryonecandosomething
Remember when it was just the sweet sharp smell of Remember when it was just the sweet sharp smell of green grass giving way to fat dripping on the barbecue and berries carmelizing in the oven? The heavy air draped over your shoulders like an invisible cloak that you shook off pogoing over the banana seat and the wind you made dried the sweat from your hair. Then you dove over a dozen other kids and into the pool so thick with chlorine that after one tap on the bottom your eyes emerged red and raw. You floated on your back and watched the blue bowl of the sky and counted the seconds until the sun went down. Finally, the fireworks bloomed overhead and on the corner and at the bottom of your grandparents’ stoop the synthetic black snakes wiggled and splayed. You felt the burn on your fingertips and darted back just in time as fire shrieked past your ears and shot up up up and exploded into light so bright you still saw it behind your lashes. Someone was always singing. And there was no context or blame.
#FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay #AmWriting #Fiction #WomensFiction #WritersOfInstagram #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity
Can anyone tell me how this is achieved? Last time Can anyone tell me how this is achieved? Last time I looked at a #Coke bottle it was “100% recyclable,” a claim that is simply #greenwashing, as the fact that something can be recycled doesn’t necessarily mean it is. This bottle says it’s made from #recycled material, and the QR code drives to a lot of fancy talk — including #BillNye — about the best way the purchaser can recycle it. But the American Beverage Association, which represents the company, still lobbies against #BottleBills that would incentivize the recovery of plastic. So how is #CocaCola getting enough #PCR to make this bottle and distribute it nationally — or is this just intended for the libs in California? #BreakFreeFromPlastic #ReuseRefuseRecycle
Say what you want about Apple, they have packaging Say what you want about Apple, they have packaging down. This #foamfree #recyclable paper origami-quality box with the tiniest amount of plastic transport led my #preloved #refurbished iMac. The best part? The box now has new life as a toy for the toddler across the street. #repair #righttorepair #ewaste #lovedmacslast
Just another sentence to blow your mind. #Inspirat Just another sentence to blow your mind. #Inspiration #1000wordsofsummer #AmWriting #Fiction #WomensFiction #WritersOfInstagram #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity
This ritual, every week. Sometimes alone but bette This ritual, every week. Sometimes alone but better with friends. You?
#Pandemic #Exercise #Bike #Biking #California
Fun fact: Stanley Gerald Thompson was my grandfath Fun fact: Stanley Gerald Thompson was my grandfather. And that’s not even half the story.
#AmWriting #WritersOfInstagram #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity #1000wordsofsummer
Last year, I wrote about watching #StrangerThings Last year, I wrote about watching #StrangerThings with my daughter. I described how the series helped us connect during the pandemic. I was conflicted about whether or not to publish the piece, but finally felt that sharing what we went through might be helpful to other parents – and it was. I heard from so many people that they had also shifted habits, gotten more lenient with things like television watching and chores, all in the name of making things a little bit easier for our children, who were going through so much. Things are different now, thankfully — new MG post, link in bio. (And Season 4 is worth the wait.)
#Parenting #Pandemic #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity
Happy official start of summer, everyone! Now can Happy official start of summer, everyone! Now can we please talk about your sunscreen? Friends don’t let friends use oxybenzone. We’re friends, right? New #Sunscreen story up on Mommy Greenest, link in bio! https://www.mommygreenest.com/why-i-only-wear-reef-safe-sunscreen-and-you-should-too/ #ReefSafeSunscreen #NaturalSunscreen #Sunscreen 
#Health #Wellness #Toxics #Chemicals #HealthyLifestyle #MommyGreenest
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