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
  • New* NL Archives
  • 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
  • New* NL Archives
  • About
    • Standards & Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Eco Beauty & Fashion

    Trader Joe’s Sustainable Skincare Anti-Aging Night Hydration Routine

    April 16, 2023 /

    Oh, aging. I’m 52 and, for a while there, it was like my skin was perpetually in Palm Springs — dry and desiccated no matter what I put on it. But I recently developed a quick-and-easy, Trader Joe’s sustainable skincare, anti-aging night hydration routine that really does work wonders — and together, these three products cost less than $25!

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    hemp-organic-healthy-natural-mommy-greenest-photo

    Can Hemp Save the World?

    June 4, 2013
    Not only is Alysia Reiner an awesome actress; she's a super greenie with excellent taste. Which is why she's the perfect partner for a clothes swap to shop!

    Aysia Reiner Swaps to Shop with MG

    May 31, 2013
    woman in flowered dress against white background

    Style Spring Fling: Flowered Dresses

    May 8, 2014
  • Eco Beauty & Fashion

    Oil Cleansing Skincare Miracle

    March 30, 2022 /

    Decades ago, I complained to my friend Vanessa about the blackheads on my nose. She recommended washing with oil, but I ignored her advice. More oil on my oily skin? It didn’t make sense. Now I wish I’d listened to her, all those years ago. Because oil cleansing is a game changer. Over the past few weeks, the practice has DRAMATICALLY changed the way my skin looks and feels. But I had to learn how to do it — the right way.

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    woman wearing black pants, gray patterned shirt and black cardigan against wood background

    3 Things to NEVER Buy at a Thrift Store

    January 10, 2014
    orange shirt with green H&M Conscious Collection tag showing 70% recycled polyester

    Is Eco Fashion Conscious?

    March 31, 2014
    Slugging is a beauty trend that’s trending on TikTok, where petrochemical products are promoted. Try my vegan slugging solution for natural beauty!

    Vegan Slugging, Naturally

    February 28, 2022
  • facial oil
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Loves: Superfood Facial Oil

    November 17, 2020 /

    As hormones plummet and cells stop renewing, skin becomes drier with age. The only thing that seems to restore moisture is a pure, natural facial oil. I’ve been using certified organic argan facial oil for a while, but recently upped my game by switching to seriously rich Superfood Facial Oil from British natural beauty brand PHB Ethical Beauty. My skin drinks it up!

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 1 Comment

    You May Also Like

    natural perfume

    Mommy Greenest Approved: RareEarth Natural Perfume + Video

    December 8, 2015
    Weleda Evening Primrose Facial Care

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Weleda Age Revitalizing Evening Primrose Facial Care

    May 11, 2015
    wrapped chocolate safe for food allergies against wood background

    Mommy Greenest Approved: PASCHA Chocolate Fights Food Allergies

    October 12, 2015
  • natural skincare saison beauty products lined up in a row
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Saison Beauty Natural Skincare

    September 28, 2015 /

    Remember when you were in high school and your grandma’s friend was “having her colors done” and you learned you were a Spring? Okay, maybe that’s just me. But I was fascinated by that cool little color wheel and how it finally made sense that I still loved pink even though I was 16. That’s kind of how I felt when I discovered Saison Beauty, which takes the seasonal concept and applies it to natural skincare. Genius!

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 80 Comments

    You May Also Like

    gift bags against white background

    #ShopDrop2016 Gift Bag Preview

    January 15, 2016
    jessica alba's honest company detangler next to a brush on a table with a blurry green background

    Mommy Greenest Approved: The Honest Company

    August 4, 2014
    three dark brown bottles with rose colored labels against gray background with rose petals scattered in foreground

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Love for Humanity Organic Skincare

    September 29, 2014
  • organic sunscreen bottles against a white background
    Mommy Greenest Approved

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Goddess Garden Organic Sunscreen

    May 12, 2014 /

    It’s Skin Cancer Awareness month. Can we talk about organic sunscreen? If you’re still using chemicals because you hate the chalky white residue natural sunscreens leave behind, I’ve got the perfect solution for you: A new non-toxic, non-aerosol spray from Goddess Garden Organics sunscreens that’s essential for beach days, plus face-and-body blockers with a light consistency that leave none of the telltale white behind. Want to try? I scored you 25% off, plus a chance to win some for free!

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 6 Comments

    You May Also Like

    healthy products on white background with kale and grass around them

    Heal Yourself, Heal the World!

    May 1, 2014
    gift bags against white background

    #ShopDrop2016 Gift Bag Preview

    January 15, 2016
    organic raw milk products against white background

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Organic Pastures Dairy Raw Milk

    December 22, 2014
  • Mommy Greenest Approved

    Steamcream

    December 16, 2013 /

    1.2.14 Editor’s Note: After being alerted by a reader (see comments below), I was disappointed to discover that Steamcream does in fact contain parabens, which are absolutely not Mommy Greenest Approved. I apologize for not doing a more thorough job of researching this product. When I investigated further, the company told me that, “”The parabens we use are esters of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid which occur widely in the plant and animal worlds (for example, in barley, strawberries, blackcurrants, peaches, carrots). Ours has a mineral origin that is synthetically refined and does not contain any material from animal sources. We buy it in powder form and dissolve it into our formula.” When I asked…

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 7 Comments

    You May Also Like

    gift bags against white background

    #ShopDrop2016 Gift Bag Preview

    January 15, 2016
    natural cleaners on kitchen counter

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Branch Basics Natural Cleaner

    January 5, 2015

    Mommy Greenest Approved: Kids Konserve

    August 19, 2013
  • eco health organic oatmeal face mask mommy greenest photo
    Eco Beauty & Fashion

    4 Ingredient DIY Organic Face Mask Recipe

    May 24, 2013 /

    I love scrubs but don’t like that most of them contain oil. So I created this natural beauty organic face mask recipe that doubles as a scrub. You can even use it every day—okay I’m a little obsessive—and seriously your skin will never look better. The secret ingredient to this face mask recipe is honey. Honey is a natural emollient, which means it helps the skin trap moisture. Sugar is a natural exfoliant, as is oatmeal, which also has colloidal—or soothing—properties. And egg whites also increase the production of collagen. Bonus! All I know is when I use this face mask recipe regularly my blackheads disappear, my giant pores are…

    read more
    Rachel Sarnoff 13 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Oil Cleansing Skincare Miracle

    March 30, 2022

    Recycled Metal Jewelry Gift Guide

    September 29, 2021
    brunette model with dramatic makeup and red lipstick

    With More Lead in Lipstick, Choose Natural Beauty

    July 25, 2014

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, appeared on the "TODAY Show" and "CNN," among others, and shared two TEDx talks: Trash is Ruining Recycling and Can One Straw Change The World? Now, I work as a marketing and communications director at an environmental nonprofit while slow-boating an MFA in fiction and writing about a less dystopian, more hopeful world. Recent publications, talks, and more are here. Let's keep in touch! xoRachel

https://youtu.be/sOol1MIgois

rachellincolnsarnoff

Celebrations started on Friday with mind-blowing m Celebrations started on Friday with mind-blowing magic and concluded today at lunch with the family (missing two, but they were there in spirit) plus a bonus bike ride on the beach with my baby. I believe in doing on my birthday what I want to be doing all year so I started with yoga, did some writing, spent time with friends, loved on my family (missing the aforementioned), drank top-shelf tequila and ate good food (and cupcakes), stood on a corner and made some wishes, and sang a lot of Prince. Now that my birthdays have tipped past the halfway mark, the overwhelming feeling is gratitude. That I am surrounded by family and friends and community. That I have purpose and inspiration. That my body and mind can move without pain. I no longer take these things for granted. Thanks for all the birthday love — virtual and IRL, I felt it all. 
#birthday #birthdaygirl
These photos were taken 30 years apart. One is of These photos were taken 30 years apart. One is of me, one of my daughter. Who’s who? You decide. #mother #mothersanddaughters #minime #mom #momlife
I’m obsessed with the poetry of @katejbaer and n I’m obsessed with the poetry of @katejbaer and now I get to wear it. Here’s why:
“You can be a mother and a poet. A wife and a lover. You can dance on the graves you dug on Tuesday, pulling out the bones of yourself you began to miss.”
Right? And:
“You are not a ‘good girl.’ You are not 
somebody’s otherness. This is not a dress rehearsal before a better kind of life. Pick up your heavy burdens and leave them at the gate. I will hold the door for you.”
I will hold the door for you. I love everything about this idea. I may tattoo that on my body. And, finally:
“Let your life rest on what is already good.”
Yes, this. Already good. Thanks @polishedprints! (Not sponsored.)
#feminist #poetry #katebaer #alreadygood #amreading #amwriting #inspired #polishedprints #smallbusiness #womenowned #womenownedbusiness
It’s a complicated day for me and so many others It’s a complicated day for me and so many others. But this part is clear: “Oh, you love them like you never thought you could/Oh, you love them like the moon does love the Earth.” Happy Mother’s Day everyone. Lyrics (sort of) from @obadiah11 “Hey Little Mama” and always make me cry in the best way. #mothersday #motherhood #mother #mom
Start ‘em young. #morrisday #prince #dmsr Start ‘em young. #morrisday #prince #dmsr
This is my bff’s place and yes it’s every bit This is my bff’s place and yes it’s every bit as gorgeous as these photos! Message @foxhaven_lakearrowhead if you want to book for summer.  I can’t wait to go back! #arrowhead #lakearrowhead #retreat #weekend #family #girlsweekend #getaway #airbnb
I also feel this good after a bath. #dogsofinstagr I also feel this good after a bath. #dogsofinstagram #dogoftheday #doglife #doglover #dog
Great day celebrating the installation of UCBS’s Great day celebrating the installation of UCBS’s first book sharing library, which is the @ucsb_eli project of my fabulous mentee, Shoshana, aka @ucsb_littlefreelibrary! Students at San Nicholas residence hall can now swap and donate books thanks to her commitment and tenacity — and the generosity of @littlefreelibrary! (Also hoping we’ll get another Gaucho in the family.) #UCSB #EnvironmentalLeadershipIncubator #ELI #Gauchos
I love my book club. #AmWriting #WritingCommunit I love my book club. 
#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #Writing #Writer #AmWriting #AmQuerying #Fiction #WomensFiction #UpmarketFiction #AmReading #Book #Bookish #BookClub #BookClubSelection #BookClubReads #AloneWithYouInTheEther
I read this book in high school, when I was sixtee I read this book in high school, when I was sixteen. Devoured it in days — gulped it down without chewing, belly full of words. As a girl without a mother, the passionate and painful relationship it depicted was everything that I imagined I was missing. That was when I began trying to write about my own family in order to make sense of it. Last night I had the privilege of hearing Mona Simpson read from her new book, Committed, and then she signed my battered old copy of Anywhere But Here. I didn’t tell her that she had inspired me to become a writer. But I think she knew. 
#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #Writing #Writer #AmWriting #AmQuerying #Fiction #WomensFiction #UpmarketFiction #AmReading #Book #Bookish #BookClub #BookClubSelection #BookClubReads #MonaSimpson #Committed
My story is up on Bluedot! LA’s Westside Thrift My story is up on Bluedot! LA’s Westside Thrift Store Hotspots. What’s your favorite? Tell me about it in comments, please — round two coming soon! Photo: Bluedot, link in bio. Whee!
#Fashion #SlowFashion #FashionRevolution #Recommerce #Style #Motivation #MommyGreenest #thrift #thrifting #thriftstorefinds #poppintags
This is EXACTLY how refill could work. I went to @ This is EXACTLY how refill could work. I went to @petco to pick up dog food, asked the extremely helpful manager what was the least expensive, and she directed me to the refill machine. No hard environmental sell, purely economic. The bag is free, there are two flavors of nutritious food to choose from (Lula appreciates variety), the handles make it easy to carry, and then once it’s empty you bring it back and start all over again. This post is not sponsored, nor did I get free product from anyone. But of course I was so excited I documented the whole thing. Don’t you hate those giant, non-recyclable plastic bags of kibble? Or the humongous box (and associated ghgs) when you have food shipped to your house? Me, too. Now there’s a solution. Genius! #refillrevolution #refill #reuse #reuserevolution #reuserecycle #plasticfree #zerowaste #breakfreefromplastic #dogsofinstagram #dog #doglover #doglife #canidaecrew
On the first Earth Day in 1970, the voices of twen On the first Earth Day in 1970, the voices of twenty million Americans were heard. As a result, the U.S. created the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. The occasion is now celebrated in 192 countries, where people plant trees and pick up trash and ride bikes to raise awareness about how we can tread more lightly on this earth. But do you know what makes the biggest impact? Voting for legislators that believe environmental protection. There are so many organizations doing great work on identifying these good legislators, including @sister_district and @environmentalvoter. Meanwhile, let’s all take care of our little corners with gratitude for all the earth gives us, even as we have taken so much from her. #earthday #earthdayeveryday #earthday🌎
I have a recurring dream, in which I float level w I have a recurring dream, in which I float level with the second story of my childhood home, high in the canyon above Los Angeles.
I can’t see myself, in the dream. I don’t know what my limbs look like. But I feel the muscles of my shoulders stretch as I soar, growing bigger, more powerful, expanding with flight. And then suddenly, I fall. 
And as I hurtle towards the earth, instead of being frightened, I’m calm. Like an inverted fishbowl, the sides of the yard rise up around me, thick layers of green plants shimmering, heavy with dew. I touch down and each blade of grass is in focus and I can see through to the root. Then, pure joy buoys me back up and into the warm rose glow of the sky. 
My father is an adopted member of the Lakota tribe. For four decades, he was a professor who wrote books about Native American literature and poetry. Throughout my childhood, he taught me to see significance in the natural world. Hawks, especially, are good luck — an indication of better things to come. 
Together, we watch two red-tailed hawks swoop and dive.
“Dad, I have to leave,” I say. “Just for a little while.” 
“That’s fine, Rachel. Take your time.” He smiles, beatific. “We’re like those two hawks, you know. We’re connected. I feel your love all around me.” 
“I love you too, Dad. I’ll be back soon.”
As I walk the mute and empty hospital hall, away from his room, I think again about the dream and my rust-tinged tail feathers, signaling good fortune to those who know how to look for the signs. 
#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #Writing #Writer #AmWriting #EarthDay #Hawk #Signs #HawkOutsideMyBedroomWindow #EarthDayEveryday
Once the love story catches hold oh this book is s Once the love story catches hold oh this book is so beautiful and the prose is stunning. One protagonist is a bipolar woman who refuses meditation and processes her mania through creativity — for me, this was especially fascinating as I have experienced this with family members. It really allowed me to go inside of this in a completely different way and exploded my misconceptions. Who has read this book — and what did you think? Can’t wait to discuss in #BookClub this weekend! 
#Fiction #WomensFiction #AmReading #Book #Bookish #BookClubSelection #BookClubReads #MentalIllness #Bipolar #Mania
Oh, aging. For a while there, it was like my skin Oh, aging. For a while there, it was like my skin was perpetually in Palm Springs — dry and desiccated no matter what I put on it. But I recently developed a quick-and-easy, Trader Joe's sustainable skincare, anti-aging night hydration routine that really does work wonders — and together, these three products cost less than $25! Link in bio to the new story up on Mommy Greenest. This post is not sponsored, nor did I receive free products from Trader Joe’s. 
#Beauty #Style #Motivation #Health #Wellness #HealthyLifestyle #MommyGreenest
After two years, feels like I should be further al After two years, feels like I should be further along than 12 songs. Sigh. Just got a new strap that’s not made for a man’s shoulders so that should help. New resolution is to practice standing up instead of sitting on the floor. Will that one day include playing in front of someone other than my dog? Who knows. Meanwhile, I keep chipping away at it, one song at a time. Anyone else still trying to master their pandemic instrument of choice? #music #songwriting #americana
Back in the high life again. #yoga #yogalife #yoga Back in the high life again. #yoga #yogalife #yogainspiration #yogapractice #yogalove #namaste
What a joy to celebrate the amazing @laura.tremain What a joy to celebrate the amazing @laura.tremaine and her timely new book #TheLifeCouncil last night. I first met Laura when we were both newbie bloggers and she is a force!!! For this, her second book, she interviewed hundreds of people and although she will be the first to tell you she’s not a therapist, it really seems to be a game changer for friendship in the digital age — check out all those five star reviews from people saying they’re passing the book on to friends and using it to re-evaluate their relationships. Last night was the first stop on her book tour and the conversation between Laura and the super sweet and stylish @ohjoy took place @zibbysbookshop — the gorgeous and friendly new destination that’s bringing bookstores back to LA’s westside FINALLY WHOOHOO! What comes through with all of Laura’s writing is true honesty and vulnerability and refreshing practicality— I can’t wait to read this book!  #AmReading #Book #Bookish #BookClub #BookClubSelection #BookClubReads
This is it. All 270+ pages. I’ve been waking up This is it. All 270+ pages. I’ve been waking up at 5 am every morning to whittle away at it paragraph by paragraph, page by page, for nearly a year. And for the past 24 hours, I’ve held it in my hands, reading each sentence aloud and marking the whole thing up with a red pen. It’s a victorious feeling, to close a physical book on that last page, let me tell you. Now I just have to work in those edits, plus feedback from two amazing beta readers, and then it’s ready to head out into the world. Can’t wait! #amwriting #amediting #amquerying #fiction #womensfiction #upmarketfiction #writing #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writer #omg
Load More... Follow on Instagram
©2023 Mommy Greenest
Ashe Theme by WP Royal.