Protect Your Child, Your Wallet, and Your World with One Spin of the Dial

When I was pregnant with my first child, a colleague gave me a great piece of advice about labor: “Remember that you only have one contraction at a time.” I’ve since discovered that this advice has broad applications; I often remind myself of it when I become overwhelmed with parenting or fighting global warming. The end results I want in both arenas are really the culmination of many small actions, just as the birth of my daughter was the result of many (many!) contractions.

Global warming sounds so big (ginormous, as my youngest would say) that it is easy to feel overwhelmed or inconsequential. However, we can all make small changes, many of which benefit us directly. Collectively we can make a positive difference for the environment. As I remind my kids when we’re faced with a messy room, many hands make light work. None of us has to assume the mantle of responsibility for the entire world but we can all help to clean up the mess! Read more

Airing Our Not-Quite-Dirty Laundry

I remember, before becoming a parent, reading articles about large families and being amazed at the amount of laundry they always talked about doing. At that point in my life, laundry was a weekend affair and I simply couldn’t imagine it spilling over into the rest of the week. Then I had kids. Read more