By the time they were five and seven, they could hike all day — as long as we included picnics, tree climbing, rock skipping, tag and other games to keep them engaged and their minds off what they were actually doing: walking up a big hill, then walking down again.We also bicycled to local parks, visited horse stables, went to the zoo, and prowled the botanic garden. Going with friends whose kids were the same age as ours made it more fun for us all.

During several spring breaks, we camped at Cinnamon Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It’s a wonderfully safe place where children can flit about wild as birds and find endless fascination in hermit crabs, land iguanas, bats, and the myriad fish they see when they snorkel. My son eventually joined the Boy Scouts. My daughter became a dancer and a musician as she entered middle school, but we still made it a point to go hiking as a family a few times a year.

One summer, we spent a week white-water rafting, kayaking, rock climbing and rappelling in West Virginia’s New River Gorge. I was thrilled that everyone was so “unplugged” from commercial culture and “tuned in” to the environment. Our last night, my son built a roaring fire so we could make s’mores. My daughter threw a few small logs on the coals, toasted her treat, then casually bid everyone a contented good night. When I checked on her a little while later, I found her snuggled up in the tent, her sleeping bag over her head, a mischievous smile on her face. She was plugged into her iPod, watching an old episode of The OC.

So…the best laid plans! I took solace in the fact that she was still under the stars…and doesn’t a beach figure into The OC somewhere?

How do YOU keep yourself and your kids connected to Nature? Here’s how the members of the Green Moms Carnival do it, courtesy of The Green Phone Booth.

The post I took her camping; she took her iPod. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But I’ve been to enough funerals and burials to know that they’re usually wasted on the person being laid to rest. The people left behind – those still alive, in other words – get to have all the fun. As sad as the occasion is (and I mean absolutely no disrespect to those grieving the loss of a loved one), a funeral presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate someone’s life: who they were, what they loved, and the legacy they left behind.

Why would I want to miss that?

I don’t.

So…I want my funeral service before I die. And I want it exactly like this:

I want to be surrounded by my family, friends, and pets. My kids are at the top of that list of course, followed by my father, who is 92 and shows absolutely no sign of departing this world any time soon, and photographs of my mother, who died in amazing peace a year ago this month. I have four siblings, two sisters and two brothers. They’ll be there, too, hopefully all telling stories about fun times we had growing up (like the time my oldest sister conned me into standing in the corner for her…). I want to know what everyone remembers most about our life together; I want to tell each of them why they made that life so special for me.

I want to be sitting in a chair big enough to accommodate my two cats, who are never satisfied no matter how much I pet them; I don’t want anyone to get upset when my dog runs around and tries to snatch food off their  plate.

Speaking of food, it should go without saying that the meal will be first, potluck, and second, primarily organic and vegetarian, though served with some of the delicious poached haddock that was a Friday staple in our house growing up. Can most of the fruits and vegetables come from my local farmer’s market, please? My favorite cake in the whole world is the fruit-filled yellow creme cake at Whole Foods. I want a big one -no little cupcakes or dainty cookies, certainly nothing overprocessed or packaged in plastic. Let’s put plates of goat cheese drizzled in olive oil and baskets of fresh fruit everywhere. And of course, organic chocolate, maybe Equal Exchange’s exotic chocolate and spice mixes, definitely Lake Champlain Chocolate’s organic truffles.

You can skip the bottled water; my home seltzer maker should suffice. Please bring your own beer or wine. I’m not an afficionado on organic varieties, but if you have a favorite, bring it along.

Serve the refreshments on all the reusable plates and platters I’ve amassed over the years. Really, I’ve got enough for a couple of hundred people at this point. You’ll find dozens of cloth napkins and loads of silverware in the  Gypsy Style duffel bag  I keep in the coat closet; you can get reusable cups and mugs from the stash I share with a couple of neighbors.

Fill the room with cuttings from my garden, especially the native hydrangeas, Black Eyed Susans, gerberas, hollies, and Purple Coneflowers I love. Light tall golden tapers made from beeswax; string twinkly LEDs around the balcony. Don’t forget the music. I hope my father will play his fiddle; I’m sure my sister will play the guitar. Let’s definitely have a sing-along; I’m still a sucker for folk songs, Dylan, Springsteen, and four-part harmonies. If you make a songbook, just please print it two-sided on recycled paper.

Let’s not belabor my modest achievements in life. I’d prefer to hear people recite their favorite poems or funny limericks they write for the occasion. I’ll have to read a few things from Walt Whitman and Mary Oliver, but I’ll try not to choose anything too schmaltzy.

In lieu of presents, I think I’ll pass the hat for a couple of my favorite causes: protecting the Arctic Wildlife Refuge from Oil Drilling, supporting food safety and nutrition education at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, keeping women and children safe at the House of Ruth. Please give generously.

Once I’m actually gone, of course, I hope my burial will have as little environmental impact as possible. Skip the fancy casket made from mahogany or some other endangered wood species. If you make it quick, you won’t have to use any nasty embalming chemicals on me, either. Truly, I want to become part of a garden somewhere, though getting buried in our backyard would probably freak out my kids.  Maybe if I start talking to them now, they’ll get used to the idea.

For more “green” burial choices, don’t miss  this month’s Green Moms Carnival, hosted by Deanna at Crunchy Chicken.

The post Please: “Bury” Me Before I Die appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But how can we cut back if, as President Bush once famously said, “We’re addicted to oil”?

The fearless women behind the Green Moms Carnival tackle the issue head-on this month.

Jen at PuddleJumping in D.C. puts things in perspective with these amazing statistics: The U.S. consumed almost 3 gallons of oil per person per day in 2007, with about 70% of that fueling transportation. Jen compares that to the 1.6 gallons per day per Japanese citizen and 1.2 per person per day in Great Britain. Jen recounts her family’s efforts to travel by foot, bicycle and stroller as much as possible, and makes a strong argument for planning communities that don’t depend on cars.

Lisa of Retro Housewife Goes Green reviews what using oil really costs us. In addition to the 11 human lives already lost in the explosion, all kinds of wildlife and fish are now at risk in the Gulf. Fishermen face a very uncertain future as they wait to see the impact the disaster will have on their industry. And the residents of cities like New Orleans worry that the damage the spill will do to their wetlands will make them even more vulnerable to hurricanes than they’ve been in the past.

As for solutions, Mary at In Women We Trust sets a great example by using the train to cut her commute into Los Angeles in half and get in an hour of productive work time during the ride, rather than gritting her teeth to fight the smoggy LA traffic.

Some moms, like Lynn over at Organic Mania, are in the market for a hybrid car. Kimberly at EcoMom has already taken the plunge with a Nissan Ultima Hybrid, though she’s also a strong advocate for buying local, carpooling, bicycling and shopping online as ways to reduce driving overall. Micaela of MindfulMomma took a different approach by downshifting to become a one-car family. It helps that her husband bikes or takes the bus to work, but even so, it’s been far easier to manage with one car than she’d expected. I’ve joined ZipCar, which has saved me a lot of money and helps supplement my one-car family when needed. I’ve also done a test drive of the Ford Fusion Hybrid, which doesn’t equal my 2001 Prius hybrid in gas mileage but still exceeds most cars on the market.

Other moms are advocates for oil alternatives along with energy conservation. Linda at Citizen Green notes that Indiana has more wind  power developing than any other state and in her Green Moms Carnival posts suggests many ways you can use less gas when you drive. Maryanne at The Not Quite Crunchy Parent is urging her son to think of alternatives, too – though in his case, Maryanne is trying to get him to take the stairs rather than ride the elevator, and walk a lot more rather than drive. Karen at Best of Mother Earth wants to promote biking, even after her son recently found himself and his two wheels caught between an SUV and a taxi cab.

Beth at Fake Plastic Fish is ever vigilant about plastic, even in windshield wipers! Says Beth, “There is a company that is now making fully recyclable silicone windshield wiper blades that are guaranteed for the life of your car and that you can send back to them for recycling into new wiper blades.” Good to know!

By the way, the clean-up effort in the Gulf needs as much help as it can get. One “commodity” in demand right now is human hair and pet fur, two ingredients rescue workers can fashion into emergency booms to help absorb oil out of the water. Don’t miss this post by Lisa of CondoBlues who explains how she cut her hair to help clean up the Gulf. You can find more ways you can pitch in here.

You can get the upcoming schedule of Green Mom Carnivals over at OrganicMania.

The post Green Moms Want Safer, Cleaner Transportation Choices appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The brainchild of Lynn Miller, who blogs at OrganicMania, “Green Moms Carnival” will feature submissions around rotating themes related to, well, being a Green Mom.The carnival will cover a wide range of topics, including global warming, raising green kids, sustainable living, healthy eating, non-toxic gardening and lawn care, and much more.  Like other carnivals, Green Moms will be hosted by each member of the carnival on a rotating basis. Blogposts will appear the first Monday of each month.

The “founding members” of the carnival, most of whom  were recently listed (again, thanks to Lynn) on AllTop Blogs, include:

OrganicMania   Big Green Purse   Crunchy Chicken  La Marguerite  The Not Quite Crunchy Parent Best of Mother Earth  GreenBeanDreams  eco ‘burban  Mindful Momma   Surely You Nest  TheSmartMama  Green Talk

The post Green Moms Create a (Blog) Carnival appeared first on Big Green Purse.