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
  • kool aid packet against a wood background
    Healthy Living

    Hey, Kool Aid!

    July 16, 2015 /

    So an interesting thing happened the other day. My eight-year-old daughter, who’s pretty much been raised without artificial food dyes–except for the occasional birthday cupcake or Halloween candy–was given a party bag that contained a single-serve packet of Kool Aid. Now, I grew up on Kool Aid, having spent summers with my grandparents in Nebraska, where fruit punch was considered juice. Remember that commercial where the kids yell, “Hey Kool Aid!” and a giant walking pitcher crashes through the wall? I lived for it. There was nothing better than gulping down a big glass of Kool Aid after riding my bike for hours in ninety-percent humidity. But after learning about the…

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    Rachel Sarnoff 5 Comments

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  • Green News & Events

    KraftFoods Nixes Food Dyes in Mac ‘n Cheese

    April 21, 2015 /

    Great news! Kraft just announced they would cut out food dyes in their beloved mac ‘n cheese. This means American kids can get their cheesy noodles without artificial food dyes that have been linked to hyperactivity in children. They can eat cheesy noodles just like children in Europe, where mandatory food dye front-of-pack labeling forced manufacturers to phase out artificial food dyes years ago.

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    Healthy Living

    I’m Not the Eco Police

    February 4, 2015 /

    Ever since I started writing as Mommy Greenest, I’ve noticed people avoiding me. Not my close friends, obviously. But the casual friendships—those afternoon coffee invitations that turn into weekend playdates with wine? I’m getting less and less of them. I’ve heard, “Oh, don’t let Rachel see that,” as a plastic water bottle is shoved into a purse, and “She had fries—don’t kill me!” as my daughter is returned home from a playdate. They think I’m the eco police.

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    MG Food Dyes on Kids in the House

    June 24, 2014 /

    It’s an oldie but goodie, but Kids in the House recently shared this video—part of a series on eco parenting—and I thought I would share with you. Because despite the fact that we made this a while back—hence the super long lashes, thank you Mr. Makeup Artist—I’m still royally pissed about food dyes. The fact is, American kids eat snacks tainted with food dyes linked to hyperactivity, while in Europe—where food dyes are required to be labeled—the same food is manufactured without them. Does that seem fair to you? Here’s a link to the original video on Kids in the House, an amazing resource of expert videos for parents!

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  • hershey's candy bars on a white background
    Healthy Living

    Boycott Hershey for Healthy Halloween Candy

    October 11, 2013 /

    In years past, I’d wait until October 30th before I hit the market for Halloween candy. But I now know that’s a sad trick, because conventional candy is full of food dyes: Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, have all been linked to allergic reactions and behavioral problems in children. The only way to avoid these artificial food dyes is to buy USDA certified organic foods, which are guaranteed by our government not to contain synthetic ingredients. But organic Halloween candy has traditionally been hard to find—especially the night before the big day. Not anymore!

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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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