I just came to the last of my Garnier Fructis XXL volume hair spray and realized that this was probably another bad habit I just needed to kick.  Twenty years ago I had stopped the aerosol version, but I rely daily on hairspray to be able to see easily out of both eyes.  A check on the Cosmetics Database confirmed my suspicions.  It's a high hazard or "red" product coming in at a 7/10.  Mine, in particularly, was off the charts bad.

I know the healthiest thing would be to just pin my hair back, get bangs, or survive with it falling in my face all day. But I'm a creature of habit and I like my hair the way it is and out of my face.  Hair spray stays.  But what to do to be healthier?! 

Fortunately, there were over 15 "safe" options and much to my surprise, not all of them were hard-to-find enviro brands.  Coming in at #2 on the list of "safest" brands was a plain old Clinique non-aerosol.  If you are open to going up to "3" on the hazard list, you will find Clairol and Aveda.  Several brands, including one that I am trying (J/A/S/O/N Naturals) are readily available at Whole Foods.

Even some of the "safe" brands have nasty stuff in them, particularly denatured alcohol.  But a non-alcoholic option does exist by Naturade if you want to avoid any single ingredient that ranks higher than a 2 on the hazardous list.

It's always interesting to try new products and see what works.  So far, I'm not a huge fan of J/A/S/O/N but mostly because I hate the smell, even though it's fragrance free.  I see a Clinique or Aveda test in my future, but any and all recommendations are welcome.  Except one that involves a clip, bangs, or not being able to see.

Note to Readers:  I will be off for a few weeks to adopt a baby girl in Vietnam.  I'll take lots of green travel notes and share either from there or when I return.  Best,  Susan

A good friend has been on a quest for a dishwashing detergent that is phosphate-free and bleach free and reports that she has finally found something that also works fabulously:  Method Home Smarty Dish.

It comes in two options:  grapefruit and a "Go Naked," a fragrance free option.  Method is available at http://www.methodhome.com/ and from Amazon.  It's also sold through Target, Stop and Shop and Whole Foods, although I haven't found it yet in any locally.

BoMoms:

On November 16th, people interested in a greener Massachusetts will converge on MIT's Strata Center for the 2008 Massachusetts Climate Action Conference, "The Power of One, The Power of All".  The day long event includes key note speaker David Gershon, who is the author of Low Carbon Diet:  a 30 day program to lose 5,000 pounds, as well as very practical workshops to help ordinary people learn about being greener.  Some of the more interesting sounding (to this BoMom) workshops include:

Low Carbon Living:  Getting Started

Energy conservation at home: What you need to know

Renewable power at home: What's in it for you

Green building basics

Climate change education in our schools

Leaving the car at home: transportation options

I called and unfortunately, childcare isn't available (and he sounded a bit bummed they hadn't thought of that.  Maybe next year!).  The cost for non-members is $60 for the day.  However, if you sign up by October 31st, you will save $10

Registration is here: https://www.acteva.com/go/mcan 

I've been trying to buy more local food which generally means the following: 

1.  Pay attention at the grocery store to where food is from

2.  Take a trip to Allendale or Wilson Farms

3.  Stop by the Newton Farmer's market

Option 1 is easy, but it is suprising how "un-local" many stores are.  Option 2 still gives me that "special" feeling of accomplishment when I can manage to squeeze it a trip there between preschool drop off and pick up, soccer & t-ball and work, which unfortunately isn't that often.  Option three requires me to remember which day the farmers market is---- and in which location---and get there before 6pm, which generally dooms me to missing it.

So when someone told me about http://www.inseason.us/, a grocery delivery service for locally grown food, I jumped at the option to try.  This Saturday, I placed my first order and yesterday, I got my first delivery.  Unlike a community supported agriculture share where you just get a big box of winter squash or kale one week, this service lets you order and pick, just like PeaPod.  Delivery is set for the next week on a specific day, depending on your town.

I went online Saturday morning to peruse the items I wanted across fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, coffee, dairy, fresh pasta, jams and other categories. 

The first thing I noticed was that the selections were more limited to start with than I expected, but the amount of sell-outs made it worse.  I couldn't order seasonally reasonable items like winter squash.  But I could get fresh garlic, tomatoes and basil.  I couldn't get chicken breasts.  But I could get steak tips.  The only fruit offered was apples, but then again--it's probably the only fruit available in late October locally.

The next impression was price.  I am a big believer that we don't pay enough for our food relatively speaking.  Yet, I still went "ouch" for many items.  After comparing with Whole Foods however, the prices are actually not as high as they first seem.  The issue is more that the quantity/size is fixed.  For example, you have to order a 1.3 lb steak and seeing the all-in-price is a bit shocking when you are used to a cost per pound.  I would recommend that they move to a model where they give you the price per pound, you put in how many pounds you want, and they give you that amount (or as close as they can get).  That would also avoid under-ordering, which it turns out I did when the ground beef I ordered was delivered at a lower weight than the range specified.  While I paid for less, I actually need the larger quantity to feed the family.

But overall it was an easy transaction and I cut my weekly shopping list in half in less than 15 minutes online.  On Wednesday morning at 7am, a black bin arrived on my back doorstep, right where I told them to put it, filled with my veggies, fruit, meat, cheese and coffee.

The real value of Inseason.us, in addition to the convenience, was apparent as soon as I saw the food.  The cocktail tomatoes were perfectly round and red and taste delicious.  The basil is the healthiest, greenest, tastiest basil and will go perfectly with the fresh mozzarella that is melt in your mouth.  The meats come packaged in a shrink-wrapped plastic which, while not my first choice, means I'm not worried about exposure or mishandling.   The apples are firm and just the perfect stage of ripeness. 

In general, the convenience and quality of http://www.inseason.us/ are excellent and makes locally sourced meat, dairy, and produce much more feasible for a busy family who is wants to buy local, but can't manage to get to the farm or the market. 

Will I continue to order?   Most likely.  The selection of items needs work (and not just because it's October), both in what's offered and how it's ordered.  The pricing and quantity options need fixing.   But these are kinks they can work out and if the quality of food can stay consistent once they expand their options, I can see many a Bomom doing her local food shopping at 10pm on her computer.  Which, let's be honest, is really the only time we have to do it anyway....  

One of the dumber decisions we made when we were renovating the house was to totally overlook/ignore/avoid the condition of our windows.  They are historically beautiful--oversized, interesting shapes, rope & pulleys.  We learned last winter that they are total thermal sink holes.   Drafts that could power sail boats come through some of them.  No amount of plastic covering could mitigate significantly the outrageous quantity of heat (and money) we lost last winter.

So over the last few months, we have been trying to figure out what to do with the windows.  The first thought was full replacement with super, duper energy efficient windows and we went out to get lots of those bids.

But then I started reading some articles, including the Globe's own handyman on call Peter Hotton, who said that replacements may not be necessary.  And other articles show that in older homes, replacements may be less green because you replace high quality wood for "faster growth" pine which isn't as dense and won't last as long--not to mention uses a tree unnecessarily. Two other options were frequently mentioned, including restoration, weather-stripping and storm windows, or this process from a company called Bi-Glass where they restore, weatherstrip, add jambliners, and insulated glass.  We went out and got bids for the other options and the costs were essentially the same.

So the problem became (and still is!) figuring out which option is most energy-efficient.   Which meant I suddenly had to read articles with concepts like "U" values, double/triple glazing and various gases like argon and krypton. I perused web sites for articles written for a non-technical reader.  When the article technical details reached to point of no return, I asked my contruction manager/architect to try and figure it out.  Even he wasn't completely certain--- which made me feel much less of a dunce.

We are still in "do nothing" phase, despite the heat kicking on last week.  We are leaning against total replacement despite the temptation from the "triple glaze, two low E with argon" windows always coming out at the top of the efficiency charts.  We like our existing historic windows and throwing out that original, dense wood just feels wrong.  Everything we read suggests that the Bi-Glass option or doing a good weather-stripping, insulating the pockets and adding storms gets you really close to the top of the energy charts as well.

But once again, it isn't clear, easy or definitive for a home-owner or even some of the pros helping her out to figure out the greenest option.  So we will just pick---and remind ourselves that the only truly un-green option is to continue to do nothing. 

I find myself loving certain online eco-friendly stores, but disappointed that they either don't have a store (Vivaterra) or it's in some far off locale where I'm unlikely to visit (Environmental Home Center in Seattle). 

Fortunately, a relatively new Sudbury eco-boutique gives us a choice.  Perfectly Natural, located on Boston Post Road in the Sudbury Plaza, offers options for every aspect of your home and every member of the family that are earth friendly and promote fair trade.  Products include workout gear and fashionista options for BoMoms, bamboo t-shirts for dads, baby and kids eco-wear, Pet gear, bath and body lotions, baby gear, water bottles, and home decor.  They also offer a fun collection of "eco-cool" gadgets like solar powered wrist watches and messenger bags, eco-friendly sandwich wrap, and just in case you're getting funky sometime--the solar powered disco ball.

However, owner Peter Totfalusi also knows his customers may not make it to Sudbury and offers many products online with free shipping for orders over $45.  You can also find some great savings in the online specials section and get green tips from his Why Green tab.  For moms wanting to get their babes in the Halloween spirit, check out the KeeKa organic pumpkin outfit! 

The combination of great green products, a local retail presence, and being open 24 hours online makes Perfectly Natural a perfect place to help BoMoms go green.

1.  Go Pick Pumpkins & Apples

After reading Barbara Kinsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I finally understand why buying local is the likely to be the greenest way to get your food, even if it isn't "certified" organic.  Fortunately, the Boston area abounds with markets and farms in close proximity and it's apple and pumpkin season, which is a really fun family activity.  Two recommendations are:

Russell Orchards, Ipswich, MA

In addition to no-spray and IPM grown produce, Russell sells it's own wine, cider donuts, pestos/salsas and pies, and offers hay rides.  You can pick your own produce as well.  While not certified organic yet, they are in the process.

Tougas Family Farm, Northboro, MA

Tougas is designed for kids with pumpkin and apple picking, but also face-painting, caramel apples, barn yard and a playground.  Their farm kitchen produces donuts, pies and other delicious treats.

2.  Celebrate The Rose Kennedy Greenway Opening

It took awhile, but that ugly green elevated expressway has been dismantled and replaced with some truly lovely parks, fountains, and trees, which transform the downtown/North End area and clean the air.  The Opening Festival is on Saturday, October 4th where you can ride a ferris wheel, listen to local bands, or do a self-led treasure hunt.  Special Go Green activities will connect city life and sustainability.  Click here for a schedule of events.

3.  Check out Green Buildings in the Berkshires

If you have an desire to check out the Berkshires and learn how to be more green, this Saturday is the 2008 Green Buildings Open House.   Over 13 participants show off everything from a net zero energy house to various ways to use solar, geo-thermal, and conserve water.  In case you get thirsty, they even show off solar-brewed beer at the Barrington Brewery.  For more information, visit http://www.cetonline.org/Events/events.php?id=95.

On June 30th, I blogged about our efforts to find a bigger, but greener car.  It needed to fit, bare minimum, 2 adults, 2 car seats and a dog who goes everywhere plus various athletic gear, groceries, etc.  We looked at nearly every hybrid SUV on the market--the Lexus, Highlander, Escape, and Saturn.  In the end, we debated trying to eke out another year from our Audi, frustrated at the lack of choices, the high cost, and mileage that is much better than a conventional car, but still under 30 mpg. A lack of enthusiasm and inertia took over and we did nothing.

Then I read a review of the Prius on Consumer Reports and noticed they had classified it as a mid-size vehicle.  I had pegged the Prius similar to a Mini-Cooper:  the "perfect for single people or couples, but totally not practical for families" vehicle class.  On a whim and figuring it would just confirm our assumptions, we went to our local Toyota dealer and test-drove one.

I now know what all the fuss is about.  First of all, it is WAY bigger inside than it looks.  It easily fits two car seats and because it's a hatch back, the dog fits even with sports stuff and groceries.  We are both tall and had heard the Prius wasn't great for tall people.  That is true, if you are over 6' 3"-- which neither of us is. 

Second, it is really fun to drive and also feels safe.  It accelerates and manuevers well, the push button start feels very Jetsons, and the on screen "fuel efficiency gauge" is totally addictive to watch.  You don't get that "I could get totally squashed" feeling when you drive next to an SUV due to it's height and size.  While it's light weight, it still feels very solid.

Third, and most importantly, it legitimately gets over 50mpg in a mixed city/highway commute.  That alone will save us about $3,000 per year versus the Audi AND we get to feel good about reduced carbon emissions.

We became total Prius converts.  The only issue after falling in the love with this car is that it is darn near impossible to get one.  The backlog for a new one is running 6 months at many dealers.  We started looking for a used one and noticed that the used prices are HIGHER than the new ones.  It took several weeks, but we finally found a slightly used, fairly priced one and snapped it up---and yes, averaged 51.6 mpg in our first day driving it.

Now, I do confess that the wagon will remain the road trip/Costco car.  I foreshadow a second look at the Highlander Hybrid 8-seater (hopefully a lot more options are out by then) down the road, when the wagon dies and we are schlepping 10 year olds to t-ball.

But for now, the only debate is who gets to drive it.