Mommy Greenest

Healthy Living, Less Judgment

  • 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
  • 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
  • Green News & Events

    Legos Pledges $150 m. to Green Building

    July 7, 2015 /

    Want to promote green building? Soon, you could start with your Legos. The company just announced they’ll sink $150 million into sustainable initiatives over the next 15 years. But are the iconic toys recyclable?

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Jenna Elfman and Angie Everhart at Saving Innocence sex trafficking awareness event

    What We Need To Know About Sex Trafficking

    August 13, 2015
    Toronto goes dark during Earth Hour

    My Earth Hour Fail

    March 18, 2015
    Jenna Elfman and Mommy Greenest Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff on Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" show.

    MG Joins Jenna Elfman on “Home & Family”

    May 10, 2013
  • Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: UKonserve Waste Free Food Storage

    January 19, 2015 /

    You’ve heard it so many times: Don’t heat or store food or drinks in plastic. But did you ever stop to think about why? It’s pretty simple: Most plastics contain phthalates like BPA, which mess up our hormones and are suspected to cause cancer. Especially when they’re warmed—whether it’s in the microwave or because of hot food inside—plastic containers leach these phthalates into food. Not good! Still, you need to be able heat and store food and drinks safely—even on the go. So what’s the solution? Enter UKonserve, an amazing new line of durable, waste free silicone-enhanced glass storage boxes and water bottles—perfect for the fridge or lunchbox!

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 91 Comments

    You May Also Like

    thredUP box of eco fashion

    thredUP Ultimate Eco Fashion Haul

    January 22, 2015
    jar filled with brown liquid against white background

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Miessence Balancing Skin Conditioner

    April 7, 2014
    natural perfume

    Mommy Greenest Approved: RareEarth Natural Perfume + Video

    December 8, 2015
  • raw beets and carrots surround packaged organic healthy chocolate milk drinks
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Sneakz Organic Healthy Chocolate Milkshakes

    June 16, 2014 /

    Okay here’s a genius idea: Create a healthy chocolate milkshake, cram it full of organic vegetables, and package it in a way that’s lunchbox-friendly—for kids and adults. That’s the genius behind Sneakz Organic healthy chocolate milkshakes, which combine USDA Certified Organic milk, sweet potatoes, broccoli and carrots into a delicious drink that delivers more fiber and less sugar than chocolate milk—as well as a full serving of veggies, plus their vitamins (from food, not fortification). How do I know this GMO- and pesticide-free shake is delicious? I personally taste-tested it, and am now giving away FOUR CASES to Mommy Greenest readers!

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 1 Comment

    You May Also Like

    woman and man drinking water

    Mommy Greenest Approved: #MinorMiracle with ZerorezSoCal

    March 21, 2014
    jars of natural deodorant against a white background

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Schmidt’s Natural Deodorant

    May 26, 2014
    lash enhancer product in white tube next to white box against white background.

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Lash Food Natural Lash Enhancer

    June 30, 2014
  • air freshener advertisement with flowers and butterflies coming out of the pot
    Healthy Living

    Air Fresheners Don’t Make Scents!

    May 7, 2013 /

    From plug-ins to sprays, synthetic air fresheners are bad news. Chock-full of toxic ingredients, they typically contain phthalates linked to obesity and other problems, as well as potent allergens that lead to fragrance allergies—a condition that affects 34 million people in the U.S. That’s why when I heard about this new campaign from Women’s Voices for the Earth, I knew I had to share. The campaign targets Glade air fresheners and employs some of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen as messengers. If SC Johnson can use cute babies to sell products, why can’t we use them to let people know about the air-polluting fragrances that are in their products?

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 10 Comments

    You May Also Like

    There's no research that shows antibacterials like triclosan are more effective than soap and water—but a lot that prove these pesticides can hurt kids.

    3 Steps to Avoid Antibacterials & Still Keep Clean

    June 5, 2013
    broken pieces of a milk chocolate bar

    What is Fair Trade Chocolate?

    April 14, 2013
    hershey's candy bars on a white background

    Boycott Hershey for Healthy Halloween Candy

    October 11, 2013
  • african american family enjoying salad and other healthy meal items
    Natural Parenting

    5 Rules to a Healthy Eating Habit

    May 7, 2013 /

    My kids are sick of healthy eating. They don’t want organic soybean butter and Farmer’s Market fig jam sandwiches, they want Lunchables: crackers, processed cheese, salty disks that pass for lunch meat and a whole lot of chemicals wrapped up in a plastic box. My younger daughter confessed she dumps the organic carrot sticks the trash (and I thought the ranch dip was decadent). My oldest has been trading her edamame for candy. Forget the veggie chips I carefully stowed in wax paper bags—heaven for these children would be to open up their lunch boxes and spy a bright-orange bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 11 Comments

    You May Also Like

    breastfeeding infant at mother's breast

    Breastfeeding, By The Numbers

    February 13, 2014
    teenaged boy wearing jeans with bare feet up on couch

    Mommy Greenest Eco Rules

    May 29, 2014
    pastel colored toy tea set on white background

    4 Tips to Nix Toxic Holiday Toys

    November 27, 2013
  • beautiful baby boy sleeping on a mattress
    Natural Parenting

    3 Steps to Avoid Flame Retardants

    May 1, 2013 /

    This could be the end of the line for flame retardants. As the EPA launched an investigation into the chemicals, Washington state banned flame retardants from kids’ products, and California announced a move to update the state’s flammability standards, pressured by those concerned about a policy that had exposed millions of people to toxic flame retardants—also known as PBDEs—in our homes. What’s the big deal about California? Because the state represents such a large market, California’s flammability standards—governed by TB117, which was adopted by the state 40 years ago—have become a national standard, essentially forcing furniture and baby product manufacturers throughout North America to add chemical flame retardants to their…

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 49 Comments

    You May Also Like

    jane goodall reaches her hand out to touch the hand of a baby chimpanzee in the forest

    Jane Goodall Exclusive MG Interview

    August 29, 2013
    Breastfed infants have lower rates of SIDS; breastfeeding moms show lower rates of postpartum depression. These three steps can help breastfeeding success!

    3 Steps to Breastfeed: Reduce Risks for Mom & Baby

    June 20, 2013
    woman holding up sheet that reads: Are our kids canaries in a coal mine?

    Mommy Greenest Manifesto

    February 7, 2014
  • what is teflon coated frying pan
    Healthy Living

    What is Teflon: The Infertility Connection

    April 29, 2013 /

    We all do it. The minute we decide to move out to a home of our own, we’re  imagining creating the perfect meal in the perfect kitchen outfitted with the perfect pots and pans. For most of us—myself included—that means a 10-piece set that includes everything from a giant roasting pan to a teeny-tiny frying pan, which goes from the box to the cupboard and never sees the light of day after that. Typically, these inexpensive cooking sets are coated with a nonstick surface like Teflon. And we love them because we can make an egg and it’ll slide right off the pan onto the plate. But there’s something else that…

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 10 Comments

    You May Also Like

    a red apple with a slice cut out on a white background

    Poison Apples

    April 28, 2014
    Anna Getty and Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff

    Anna Getty Exclusive Mommy Greenest Interview

    April 6, 2015
    rachel lincoln sarnoff zoom

    How To Rock A Zoom or Videoconference

    March 30, 2020
  • woman with fire coming out of her kitchen tap
    Natural Parenting

    What is Fracking? 4 Facts You Should Know

    April 26, 2013 /

    What is fracking? Here’s the short answer: Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a drilling practice that calls for injecting millions of gallons of a toxic mixture of chemicals, water and sand into the earth in order to create enough pressure to cracks open rocks and release oil or natural gas. And here’s what you need to know: 1. The nearly 600 chemicals used in fracking include known carcinogens such as benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene, among others, which can leach into drinking water.

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 8 Comments

    You May Also Like

    baby in floral bathing suit and pink hat at beach

    Watch Unacceptable Levels on Mommy Greenest!

    March 24, 2014
    Jenny McCarthy’s opinion about parenting inevitably circles back to one idea: vaccinations cause autism. But the facts prove she's wrong—and dangerous.

    Jenny McCarthy is Viewless on Vaccinations

    July 19, 2013
    yellow wine poured into glass against white background

    6 Ways to Nix Pesticides at Home

    October 17, 2013
 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

This week, I received a beautiful card from a frie This week, I received a beautiful card from a friend whom I’ve only known through a zoom screen. Her words of encouragement could not have been better timed, as I’m wrestling a massive, sticky octopus of a new plot and had been wondering if I should just let it swim back into its inky, anonymous cloud. Getting this card was the push I needed to hold on. So today, I’m sending words of encouragement to another writer whom I know primarily through screens, and hoping she’ll pass it on, too. There’s something about the surprise of a message facilitated by ink and paper and a stamp that resonates more strongly than an email. Do you agree? #AmWriting #Writing #WritingCommunity #PacificMFA
What if you could wash your hair just once a month What if you could wash your hair just once a month? New MG story up — link in bio! #hair #hairstyle #ecohair #ecostyle
This has always been a challenging day for me, as This has always been a challenging day for me, as it is for so many of us who grew up without or have challenging relationships with their mothers. From kindergarten on, the week before was filled with questions and activities designed to honor a person who was not present in my life, and that reminder was a special kind of pain, like a shard of glass in your sole that shifts every so often into something sharp. The feeling softened as I became a mother, and is changing again as my children leave the nest — today, it’s just my youngest and me. But there is also sweetness in annually honoring all the amazing and generous women and men who have mothered me and taught me how to mother — some are mothers, and some love with a mother’s heart. I believe that we choose our own families — sometimes they’re connected by blood, but not always. If this day is difficult, please remember to honor and nurture yourself through it. For me, this means writing about these feelings, until I’ve worked out the glass and it can no longer make me bleed. #amwriting #writer #writersofinstagram
Happy trails to you… #lakearrowhead #arrowhead # Happy trails to you… #lakearrowhead #arrowhead #mountains #mountainlife #treehugger
Honored and inspired by last night’s conversatio Honored and inspired by last night’s conversation with Shannon Perry about her incredible vision and execution on @cityofsantamonica #sustainability and Daniel Thurmond about the amazing work of the student-led Team Marine @vikingssamohi! What’s the best way to ensure progress on #environmental goals? Take daily action and #VOTE! This fall, legislators could pass the #BreakFreeFromPlastic Act, and in my home state of California, voters will decide the #PlasticPollution Reduction and #Recycling Act. Let’s do this!
When is someone too old to wear band shirts? Askin When is someone too old to wear band shirts? Asking for a friend. #music #livemusic #bands #bandaid #wetleg #whatareyoudoingsittingdown
Flashback to last month, when my essay was feature Flashback to last month, when my essay was featured on the front page of the #WashingtonPost. Did I get trolled? Yes, until my editor shut off comments. Am I more thoughtful about consumption? Hell, yes. Link in bio. Would love your thoughts. xo
#AmWriting #Fiction #WomensFiction #WritersOfInstagram #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity
Isn’t she magnificent? Please don’t kill #shar Isn’t she magnificent? Please don’t kill #sharks for #beauty! New MG post explains how to stop — link in bio. #naturalbeauty #naturalbeautyproducts #cleanbeauty #cleanbeautyrevolution #cleanbeautyproducts
Lula has new skills. #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsdo Lula has new skills. #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsdoingthings #dogsdodrive
Game changer! Who else is oil cleansing? This dail Game changer! Who else is oil cleansing? This daily practice has totally rejuvenated my skin. New story up on MommyGreenest - link in bio! #beauty #naturalbeauty #naturalbeautytips #oilcleansing #oil
My husband bought this wetsuit from @patagonia a d My husband bought this wetsuit from @patagonia a decade ago and the zipper was shredded. He sent it back, they fixed it, and now it’s good as new.  This is not a sponsored post — I’m just perpetually impressed with the company’s commitment to circularity, especially when it hits home like this. #Patagonia #Surf #LovedThingsLast
The bodacious and delicious Dolly Parton rose, ins The bodacious and delicious Dolly Parton rose, inside Octavia Butler’s mind-blowing world-building, the tree that has everything (leaves, flowers, scent), and how does my mother have less wrinkles than I do?!?
My essay about drinking was published in the Washi My essay about drinking was published in the Washington Post today (linktree in bio). Here’s context: During the pandemic, the number of women who have five or more drinks each day increased by 41% — today, this is the daily habit of 30% of American women. I’m feeling all the feels — especially about how my story will be received by family and friends — but it seems to be resonating with a lot of people. It’s scary to be this honest, but I think it’s an important conversation to begin. I’m slowly working my way through every one, avoiding trolls along the way. #amwriting #writing #writer #alcohol #alcoholism
When you can’t refuse a gift that comes in a pla When you can’t refuse a gift that comes in a plastic bag, make it reusable! #motivation #health #wellness #healthylifestyle #breakfreefromplastic
Sometimes you don’t even need a key to get thoug Sometimes you don’t even need a key to get though the lock. #amwriting #amediting #writersofinstagram
Going makeup-free to demo slugging, the beauty cra Going makeup-free to demo slugging, the beauty craze that’s taken over TikTok. But do you really need petrochemicals or animal products to nail this super-hydrating technique? No! For my latest MG post, I discovered an all-natural, vegan solution — and it’s just $15. Link in bio! #beauty #beautytips #natural #naturalbeauty #skincare #skincaretips #naturalskincare #vegan #veganbeauty #veganbeautyproducts #slugging #sluglife
Enchanted, as always. Enchanted, as always.
Party like it’s your birthday. #lula #lovepuppy Party like it’s your birthday. #lula #lovepuppy #dogsofinstagram
Yes, Fashion Revolution. #Design #ShopDropChallen Yes, Fashion Revolution.
#Design #ShopDropChallenge #WearYourValues #Fashion #SustainableFashion #EcoFashion #EthicalFashion #SlowFashion #FashionRevolution #LovedClothesLast #LovePreloved #Preloved #PrelovedStyle #PrelovedFashion #PrelovedClothes #Thrift #ThriftedFashion #PreOwned #Vintage #VintageStyle #SwapDontShop #Secondhand #SecondhandStyle #Repair #Reuse #Sustainability #MommyGreenest #Activist
I knew that pursuing an MFA through Pacific Univer I knew that pursuing an MFA through Pacific University would help me as a writer. But I underestimated the joy that being part of its community would bring. This week, I had the privilege of reading an ARC of The World of Pondside by Mary Helen Stefaniak, who was my advisor and is now one of my favorite writers. The book comes out in April and is available to pre-order now. It is fantastic! As with every world that Mary Helen creates, this one is deep and vivid and the characters are alive and real. The plot is complicated in the best possible way and at every turn I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Pondside, yes! #fiction #books #author #bookstagram #writing
Load More... Follow on Instagram
©2022 Mommy Greenest
Ashe Theme by WP Royal.
Posting....