Green Parent Chicago

The Green Stork Recommends: Travels with Toddles

Sadly, I have just returned from bright, sunny Florida with my Vitamin D fortified toddler to gray Chicago. But the important thing is that I now know, after a week ALONE with a toddler – that travel CAN BE EASY!!!

As you may know, I travelled with one 10 pound stroller, one diaper bag and one overhead carry on. That was all. Not only did we have enough clothes and toys, I had enough room to bring back presents for the wee one in my belly. 6 outfits, to be exact.

What I learned:

1) I took too much (heavy) food. A few fruits would of sufficed. 1 avocado, 1 kiwi and 1 banana would of been more than enough with no more than 3 organic packaged meals.

2) I didn’t take any laundry soap and was forced to use shampoo to wash out clothes.

3) Linen dries 3x quicker than cotton. Bring linen shirts, rather than thicker cotton ones, when visiting warm climes.

4) A carry on duffel is all very fine and well, but I am going to buy an equally small one with rollers. A 5 month pregnant woman can only manage a diaper bag.

5) No need to go to Whole Foods at your destination, the local grocery store will have enough organic produce choices.

6) Don’t wear a skirt or maxi dress. The bathrooms on planes are too, too vile.

7) Bring little diaper bags to throw away those nappys. It seems that there is some sort of regulation against throwing away dirty nappys on the plane.

8 For mums that don’t allow videos/technology – bring a new book that is long enough – or several new books – for the hours you’ll be on the plane. Also, crayons that you can easily wipe off the seat, tray, person sitting next to you.

9) Book as far to the front as you can. We were in the second seat that allowed us to get off the plane quickly.

10) Don’t fly pregnant, so that you can drink.

Basically, it was painless. Alden loved all of the new sights and sounds of the airport (though I was annoyed at all the bloody televisions that were blaring from every corner) – and fell asleep for an hour before each flight. Everyone was so lovely at the hotel and terribly accommodating. And there were always car services that already had car seats, so I had no reason to have sent one ahead.

Most hotels now have organic choices on their menus, so inventing little meals was easy. However, I supplemented with my own stash.

Traveling with children does not have to be the nightmare that so many mums make it. I’m actually looking forward to our next trip, as being away with my son was actually the most relaxing and enjoyable time I’ve had in years. The nights were early, but at my age, they should be. That’s what good books are for.

Hopefully a Europe trip is in the cards for next year. Seven hours on a plane may cure me….

Bon Voyage!

-"The Green Stork" Claire Douglass is a first time Chicago mom, concerned with ever increasing data connecting childhood health issues from asthma to autism to exposure to common household toxins, chemicals and air quality – seeks to detoxify her nest, and create as green a nursery and playroom as possible.Without driving herself, or her husband, crazy. The former is going far better than the latter.

-photo credit:USCPSC

A Family Bike Ride Along the Fox River

This past weekend some friends of ours invited us to bring our bikes out to their place near Aurora Illinois. They live near the Fox River and wanted to take us on a bike ride along the river trail and check out the local Wine on the Foxfestival.  Biking, prairie paths, good friends, and wine? How could we say no? We were considering taking the train out their way, but the logistics didn’t quite work out, so we loaded up our bikes  on the bike carrier– including Oma! — and drove west.  After some lunch we headed down to the Fox River Trail near their house and were on our way.

 

The first part of the trail wove it's way between the trees in the woods along the river. Right away we had to cross over the Fox River on this impressive bike bridge.  It was a challenge for Little Ding to ride up and across it but he persevered.

 

Pedestrian and bike bridge over the Fox River

 After we turned off the bridge, we rode through the park, and spotted a few families of geese.

The trail wasn’t very crowded even with the festival going on, so we were able to ride at our own pace and circle back around the younger riders when needed.

We rode about 1.5 miles to the park in downtown Oswego where they were hosting the wine fest.  I have to say it’s a pretty nice festival.  The park is nicely situated along the river, with a really great playground in the center.  They placed the wine tents around the playground on two sides so the kids could play and we could sip wine.  It worked out well. They also had a few bands that played, sold some food, and had a water give-away tent for designated drivers.

Wine on the Fox at Hudson Crossing Park

We actually rested Little Ding's bike cross-wise over our bikes and locked all three bikes together with my ABUS chain lock. It's a heavy beast of a lock, but it sure comes in handy sometimes.

By the way, all the lights in the parking lot were these cool solar/wind-powered lights.

Eventually we had to turn around and head back, while the kids still had enough energy left to ride.  There were a couple of inclines that we tackled that were big ‘hills’ for Little Ding so he got in some good practice going up and going down hills.  It’s not as easy for him to stand up on the pedals as with other kids so we’re thinking his next bike will probably need to have some gears.

Heading back down the trail

At the end of the ride we had to cross back over that bridge, and it actually has quite an incline.  Little Ding made a valiant effort, but he was pretty worn out riding hard and playing hard while lugging around those leg braces, so he asked for a few “Turbo Pushes” to help him get over the bridge.  I happily obliged.  And yes, that is a girl in a prom dress you see in the background. Apparently it was Oswego’s prom that night, as we rode by a few picture-taking sessions as well as an enormous Hummer limo on the brief section of the trail that overlaps a residential street.

Turbo pushes for LD. (and a girl in a prom dress in the background)

All in all, it was a banner weekend! The rain stayed away and we had a great time with some great friends.  If you ever have a chance to check out any part of the Illinois Prairie path system, I highly recommend it.  Mr. Ding and I have ridden the section from Oak Park to Lombard and it was equally as lovely.  And you now have proof that at least on the Fox River Trail, you  can ride it on a Dutch bike!

-Samantha This article originally appeared on Samantha's family biking blog Ding Ding Let's Ride where she writes about everyday biking in the city, family biking, and adaptive biking for special needs children.

 

Don't Miss Earth Day Family Fun at The Green Metropolis Fair

The Green Metropolis Fair, an all-day fair for conscious living and eco-curious minded families will take place Saturday at The Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago from 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

The event is sponsored by Mindful Live!, the Mindful Metropolis magazine community event series and Green Parents Network, the online network "where green families meet" based in Chicago.

Workshops and presentations on eco living will be offered as well as hands-on family activities. Local, sustainable food and drinks will be available for purchase. A green marketplace will highlight the latest in eco living products and services available throughout Chicagoland and the Midwest. 

Admission to the fair is free, a non-perishable food donation is requested. All ages are welcome.

 

Keeping Hopes and Dreams Alive: Blackstone Bicycle Works

Our congratulations to Blackstone Bicycle Works for becoming the first ever Seattle's Best Brew-lanthropy award recipient. The program based out of Experimental Station on the city's southside, allows neighborhood kids and teens to learn bike repair, safety, and business and life skills while saving old bikes from being tossed away in landfills.

As evident from this beautifully shot video highlighting BBW, its staff and its young participants, there's a lot you can learn about yourself and your world when you know you're accomplishing something meaningful.

via www.youtube.com

-Christine

EarthTalk: Update on Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency

Dear EarthTalk: A number of federal energy efficiency related tax incentives expired at the end of 2010. Will any such programs remain in force and if not, are there other ways to save money on green upgrades?-- Jen Franklin, Chicago, IL

It is true that some federal tax credits for energy efficiency upgrades expired at the end of 2010, but there is legislative effort afoot to extend some of those credits—and there are plenty of other ways to defray the costs of turning over a new green leaf or two this year and beyond.

One of the best known green federal tax incentives, the Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit—which kicked in 30 percent of the cost of household efficiency upgrades up to $1,500 on items including water heaters, furnaces, heat pumps, central air conditioning systems, insulation, windows, doors and roofs—is no longer available as of January 1, 2011. However, some lawmakers are looking to extend the credit. U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico) have drafted legislation calling for keeping the program going, in a slightly revised form, for another two years.

“Residential energy efficiency has been identified as the most effective strategy to enhance our energy security and save money on energy bills,” says Snowe. “The residential energy efficiency tax credits…have been key catalysts in improving the energy efficiency of homes throughout the country [and] have driven companies to produce the most advanced products current technology allows…”

And if you were thinking you would save thousands of dollars on the price of a Toyota Prius thanks to federal incentives, think again. Federal tax credits also expired at the end of 2010 on the purchase of hybrid gas-electric cars and trucks. However, if you want to roll away in one of the sporty new all-electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt, you can now qualify for up to a $7,500 (depending on battery capacity) federal tax credit. The federal government now also offers a tax credit for 10 percent (up to $4,000) of the cost of a kit to convert an existing hybrid vehicle into a plug-in hybrid.

All of these programs expire themselves at the end of 2011. Whether or not new federal alternative fuel vehicle incentives crop up for 2012—when many new ultra-efficient plug-in hybrids from the likes of Toyota, Honda, Volvo and others are slated for release—remains to be seen.

Regardless, many states have their own programs to encourage energy efficiency. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) regularly updates its free online State Energy Efficiency Policy Database, which makes accessing information on your state’s energy efficiency programs, standards and “reward structures” as easy as clicking on a map. Likewise, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) is another free online resource that lists state and federal incentives for buying an alternative fuel car, greening up your home or otherwise embracing energy efficiency. And the Energy Star website details special offers and rebates from cities, towns, counties and utilities on the purchase of appliances and equipment that meet federal standards for energy efficiency.

CONTACTS: Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), www.dsireusa.org; ACEEE’s State Energy Efficiency Policy Database, www.aceee.org/sector/state-policy; Energy Star Special Offers and Rebates, www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

-Photo courtesy Nissan

Carfree Update: Winter Edition

A few months ago, I mentioned that we'd gone carfree. I like to use the word "carfree" to denote our transportation situation over the term "carless". As carless makes it seem as though we are deficient in something somehow. Well here we are a few months later, with what we hope is most of the Chicago winter behind us, including one massive blizzard that dumped over 20 inches of snow and blasted us all with 70 mph wind gusts.

Well we weathered not only the aforementioned blizzard but, getting hit with the flu the week before Christmas, too. 3 down in a house of 4 was no fun. My son was still temporarily immune to the bug from a bout in 2009. It was about the only time I sort of wished we had a car to take my daughter to our doctor halfway across the city for a checkup. A quick phone call and a visit to a nearby doctor instead, though not ideal, helped confirm that all was well.

Lessons learned this winter so far:

1. We still like being a carfree family.

2. We've gained the weight back. Hey, we're working on it.

3. We could use a pediatrician a little closer. We're working on this too.

4. Being carfree isn't half bad when a blizzard hits, since there is no car to dig out and battle over parking with neighbors who insist on setting out their entire lawn furniture collection/broom and mop collection/empty baby car seat/flowerpots to hold "their" space.

5. We're still saving money and using the savings to travel more.

6. Snow pants are indispensable in Chicago winters. Why did it take me over 3 decades to find that out!?

7. I love Peapod.

On Becoming A Car Free Family

A little over 4 months ago, we lost our car to an accident. We could have replaced it, by taking the total loss check from our insurer and signing ourselves right up into another car loan. But we had just finished paying off our now demolished 2002 Honda Civic after some 7 years, including several years leasing it.

My husband and I figured we could use a break from the auto insurance payments and any car payments at all, not to mention the feeling of throwing our money away on fuel.

Despite our family's advice to the contrary, we talked it over and went with it. We know plenty of families personally who don't own a car and we knew it was possible for us. What were the obstacles? I made a list. They just didn't convince us:

What if one of us needed to go to the hospital?
We live across the alley from a hospital.

What if my husband needed it for work?
He doesn't travel for work and his commute is a 20 minute bus ride either direction.

What if we needed it to run errands?
We'd been planning to upgrade my bike and get one for my husband. He wound up riding my old men's bike and I bought a new one for a good deal. There are plenty of grocery stores convenient to the train.

I haven't always had a car anyway. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 23 years old, I just didn't need it growing up in Chicago. Besides my parents weren't in any position to buy me one and they didn't have an extra one for me to borrow. I finally got my first car when my sister and her husband gave me their old '87 Nissan Sentra right around that time. The 5 speed manual one with the vinyl bucket seats, roll down windows and tiny push-out triangle windows in back.

So, how's it been since going carfree? How have our kids, 10 and 5, adjusted to being a carfree family? Pretty good, I'd say. First of all, there's no bickering from the backseat to deal with. They get plenty of exercise walking to and from the bus stop and especially the train station, which is a good 4 blocks from our house at least. My husband and I bike and walk more and have both dropped a few pounds because of it.

We have the option of going downtown or other highly congested neighborhoods without the hassle of dropping loads of cash on parking or worrying how long we can stay in our parking space. More importantly, we're lessening the amount of pollution we are creating. In the long term, our kids are learning a lot about street safety, the people in their neighborhood and the city and being exposed to  different experiences that will help shape who they become and what they think when they become adults.

Now, this all sounds so convenient and simple doesn't it? No fights about it, no whining, no late night snack runs, no buses off schedule, no tired legs. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that of course we've experienced all of these. But, I'll take them anyday to gridlock, being on the receiving end of road rage, or an accident caused by a driver more interested in social networking than the steering wheel in front of his or her face.

So, for now, we'll stay carfree thank you very much, and face the new challenge of winter in Chicago without a car...with kids. I'll let you know how that goes in a few months.

 

-Christine

Chicago's First "Kidical Mass" Bike Ride To Take Place Saturday

 

Local bike enthusiasts this weekend will usher in the first day of spring by organizing a kid-friendly bike ride loosely based on the pro-biking Critical Mass rides that take place through downtown each month.

The first Chicago Kidical Mass ride will be held Saturday March 20 in Palmer Square in the Logan Square neighborhood. Riders will gather at  9 a.m. for a 9:30 a.m. departure and may ride until 10:30 a.m. The ride will start and end at “the bunny park” playground in Palmer square. The park is in the middle of Palmer Boulevard between Kedzie & Humbolt Boulevards. Future rides are proposed for each 3rd Saturday of the month.

The Kidical Mass movement was started in Eugene, Oregon in 2008 as a way to promote family friendly bike transit for beginning riders and experienced bike riders. Since then, similar events have been held throughout the Northwest, Canada and in Europe.

-photo credit: eyeliam, Flickr

Last Minute Gift Idea: Buy a Recycled Bike and Help Chicago Youth

(See they look jolly, don't they? )

Still looking for a great green gift for that eco-conscious adult or child? How about a bike from Blackstone Bicycle Works? These "recycled bikes" have been saved from the landfill and meticulously refurbished by kids from the Hyde Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods, under the guidance of Blackstone's knowledgeable staff. Working at the shop, kids learn valuable skills about safety, bike mechanics and small businesses entrepreneurship.

In addition to sales during the shop's regular hours, a special bike sale will be held Saturday during the ongoing 61st Street Farmer's Market, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. indoor at Experimental Station. Prices start at $25-$250, depending on the number of new parts needed to refurbish the bike and the general quality of the bike.

-Christine

-photo credit, pinguino, flickr

Deck the Halls with the CTA Holiday Train

Returning once again, the CTA's Holiday Train greets Chicago's transit riders decorated inside and out with the season's finery.

The train, decorated with lights, candy canes, tinsel and more, features Santa and his helpers who pass out candy canes and season's greetings to riders. Santa waves to boarding passengers from his sleigh on an open-air flatcar that carries his reindeer and decorated holiday trees.

The train operates from about 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on select weekdays (schedules for lines will vary and may be viewed at the CTA's website) The Holiday Train will make stops at all stations along the respective routes. Normal CTA fares apply.

-photo credit: 24gotham, Flickr