Living Like Ed - A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life by Ed Begley, Jr. - BOOK REVIEW

by Janis Brett Elspas
MommyBlogExpert

Toward the middle of Ed Begley, Jr.'s book, Living Like Ed, it hit me like a brick wall.

Referencing the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) the author points out, "If every household in the U.S. bought just one box of 100% recycled tissue (175 sheets) instead of one box of virgin-fiber facial tissue, we could save 163,000 trees."  That's a pretty good-sized forest, wouldn't you say?

Begley, though also a successful actor, does indeed walk the talk -- he's been an environmental activist for more than 30 years.  As the author tells it in the book, he first got involved with the environment in 1970, the year of the first Earth Day, apparently he hasn't stopped since.

Even in the movies his roles have often revolved around preservation of natural things.  Though most remember him playing Dr. Victor Ehrlich in the 1980s TV show St. Elsewhere, my kids and I are much bigger fans of his performance in the G-rated family feature Ms. Bear.  In fact, my family still owns and loves this 1997 VHS video where Begley stars as a dad with kids who works for the Fish & Game Department.

The actor-environmentalist continues to work frequently in Hollywood both in mainstream films as well as traditional and new media focused on ecology, nature, and preservation.  Of particular note is Begley's popular environmentally-correct show Living With Ed considering the number of views of this program's webisodes from the new season.  At the same time, he successfully markets Begley's Best line of nontoxic cleaning supplies online and sometimes makes personal appearances with his eco products at farmer's markets.  He's actively spreading the environmental word still further via Twitter and Facebook, too.

It's amazing that someone so dedicated to earth-friendly causes was born in Los Angeles -- a town better known for its smog.  And it's even more of a mind-blower to find out that rather than escape to greener pastures in some far away rural area, he has decided to permanently settle in L.A., doing his part to model green living for the rest of this sprawling, urban metropolis' inhabitants, which includes our family of six.

Even though mostly written by Ed, wife Rachelle Carson-Begley's contributions are evident throughout this title's pages.  Pointedly, in the foreward of the book she confirms Ed's conviction that the couple and their 10 year old daughter are committed wholeheartedly to living the green life, sharing with us why they chose not to buy a home in Beverly Hills. "We live in a charming little house in Studio City, complete with a white picket fence made of recycled plastic milk jugs," she says.  You get the picture.  This is one earth-passionate family.

This photo, which is from Rachelle's official website, shows the happy couple living the green life with the famous recycled white picket fence in the foreground.  I just love this pose, because it evokes a modern day Green Acres (the old TV show from the 1960s).

Well-organized and user friendly, this paperback is broken up into just six chapters: Home, Transportation, Recycling, Energy, Kitchen/Garden, and Clothing/Hair/Skincare.  In each section, which includes some photos of the author in action as well as an array of interesting sidebars, facts and resources, Begley tells and demonstrates how his own family practices the advice he shares.  If I had to choose though, my favorite chapter would be the last, because that's where I personally learned the most.

In Chapter 6, Mrs. Begley says, "People who make it a point to eat only fresh, organic food often aren't aware of the choices they have when it comes to clothing and hair- and skin-care products ... But it's not only what you put into your body that matters; what you put onto it matters just as much, too."  I had no idea that things like harmful fabric dyes used to make most clothing is polluting our earth and water and that synthetics such as those used to make many plastic shoes are usually made from petroleum. Yikes and yuck!

Don't worry, I intend to delve further into exploring those particular topics this month for my eco post series, both here on MommyBlogExpert as well as on Zulily.com's Blog, where I write a mommy blogger column.  Actually, I'm already working on several related features and product reviews on this front, so definitely bookmark both the two links here right now.

This book doesn't just dispense information, it inspires and engages readers in an active way.  A workbook section at the back proves that all this stuff the Begleys are talking about really does work.  All one has to do is complete the fill-in-the-blank forms provided with the small and not-so-small changes you've made, and you'll be able to witness first-hand any improvements in efficiency and dollars saved.

Living Like Ed isn't brand-new, having been published in 2008 by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, New York, yet it is still a book that is as much ahead of its time in 2010 as it was the year it came out.  In my own humble opinion, it's among the finest books written to date on accessible eco-conscious living for the average family.  Readers, at every level from green newbies to eco-savvy consumers will benefit from the many simple ideas on protecting the earth's valuable natural resources complete with all the step-by-step directions that even the most challenged do-it-your selfer can easily handle.

With their self-sufficient solar-powered L.A. area home and fleet of eco-friendly vehicles -- including his electric Phoenix Motorcars sport utility truck which can be recharged using their home's solar power, her hybrid, and the family bicycles -- and all the composting, recycling, and other green things they do, The Begley Family is a fine example to aspire to.  Our family, for one, may never be nearly as committed as they are.  But just think of the impact we collectively can make if my family and yours and all the other families who read this blog try to do just a few of the "Little Changes," as Begley terms them in this book.  I doubt few of us would be surprised, if we added up all those small gestures, to discover that the environment would be impacted in a truly big Living Like Ed kind of way.

Living Like Ed by Ed Begley, $18, is printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper and is available for purchase at booksellers on the Internet and offline.  Families on a budget might also consider checking to see if this book is available from their local library or buying a second-hand copy on Amazon.com and similar online marketplaces.

FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert wrote this review based on a copy of Living Like Ed borrowed from the extensive collection of green living books available at the Beverly Hills Library.  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any products, payment or other compensation associated with any company or product referenced in this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.       

Gardeners Sphere-Shaped Bird Feeder Protects Little Birds While Teaching Kids Nature & Science - PRODUCT REVIEW

This post kicks off a month-long series on this blog on all things eco-friendly in observance of April 22, 2010, the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.  I've already received a number of great family-friendly ideas for thinking and living green, but you're encouraged to suggest others that might align with this topic.

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert

It's spring.  That usually means at least one thing: that birds are beginning to appear just about everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere.  This season is certainly one of my personal favorites because we start getting outside more as a family.  I also love waking up right before the sun rises to hear a chorus of many different bird calls floating in the still early morning air.  

At our house spring is a particularly good thing.  As a homeschooling family of middle schoolers and a ninth grader, it's the opportune time to go out to our backyard.  Since we do it ourselves, I know first hand that teaching and learning about science and nature are so much more fun when you can experience the great outdoors first hand.

Lately, when we're not watching Molly, the wild barn owl recently hatching owlets via live webcam over the Internet, my teens (triplets, almost 13, and big brother, 14)  and I can often be found in our own backyard enjoying all the beautiful small birds that have been visiting this brilliantly-designed Globe Bird Cage Feeder that was sent to us late last fall by Gardeners.com.

This feeder, featured among the Most Perfect Gifts for Thanksgiving,  is unique in that it serves as a safe refuge allowing smaller birds to enjoy feasting without having to worry about being bullied and scared away by the larger birds and squirrels who might otherwise hoard all the food for themselves.   It keeps the big guys out because the heavy duty metal grid's openings are each only about 1-1/2" square so only the tiniest of bird species can enter the protective globe to nibble peacefully from the center cylinder that holds the bird seed. 

Within a day or two of receiving this feeder in the mail, one of our daughters unpacked this from the shipping box.  It comes completely assembled, so she was able to easily hang it up this solidly built black-enameled steel cage by herself in our yard's persimmon tree by knotting a 2 foot length of rope to the metal handle top and then tying the other end to a sturdy branch.  To fill the feeder with food, she simply lifted the cap on top of the central cylinder, added the seed and snapped it securely back in place, to prevent Nutty and our other squirrel regulars from burglarizing it.

Seeing nature at work is not only educational, but entertaining too.  Though crows, ravens, jays and other large birds had frequented our yard for years, none of us had ever seen small birds in our backyard before, except for hummingbirds, which flew so quickly we were never able to get a good look at them.  In this photo you see the feeder filled with black sunflower seeds with the Peace Wreath which was featured in the Best Christmas Gifts Guide as well as  We received this unusual wreath from Gardeners during the holidays and decided to decorate it with strands of popcorn and cranberries as a special bird (and squirrel) treat.


After our daughter filled the feeder with black sunflower seeds, we sat back an waited.  Within a few days the big backyard bullies arrived to try and rob the feeder, without success.  After the larger birds gave up and stopped trying to get seed from the feeder, we all became hopeful that little birds would finally start arriving. Unfortunately, they didn't.  Even after the globe cage had been hanging for more than 6 weeks, we hadn't had a single tiny feathered friend stop by.

So, always looking for new learning opportunities, I said to my kids, "Let's do some detective work to find out why."  First we checked our family's copy of the Birds of North America Golden Field Guides from St. Martin's Press to see what more we could learn about the winged creatures we were hoping to see.  We also went to the library and borrowed some books on wild birds and bird watching.  

Next, we stopped by Wild Birds Unlimited, a nature shop chain specializing in all things for bird lovers, to ask the pros to help us problem solve and analyze the reasons why we were not attracting our intended feeder guests.  What we quickly discovered was that the first food we tried, black sunflower seeds in the shell, generally appeals only to larger birds and surprise, surprise -- squirrels.  Based on the store owner's recommendation, we then bought their store brand wild birdseed blend which consisted of hulled sunflower chips, peanut pieces, and hulled white millet.

Upon arriving home, the kids went in the yard and replaced the old seed with the Wild Birds Unlimited blend.  It took about a week more before our first little visitor arrived and flew inside our feeder to enjoy some really yummy seeds.  That first bird stayed for hours and soon we were seeing two, sometimes three tiny ones in the feeder at a time.  Since then we've been privileged to see a wide variety of smaller colorful birds such as sparrows, finches, and wrens that winter in the western coastal area of Southern California.

As you see in this picture taken by our young bird lover, showing two very small birds together inside the globe feeder, we finally had success.  It was definitely worth the wait to catch a glimpse of nature like we'd never seen before.

It has been great to get to see such a wide variety of smaller birds eating happily from our dining room window, thanks to the safe refuge that the Globe Cage Bird Feeder's generous 11-3/4" diameter interior space provides.  Luckily, this clever feeder literally promotes harmony in nature -- as well as a symphony of large and small bird songs.  Accompanied by the peeps of the little ones, we still get to view and hear the bigger species in our yard, too, such as the pair of Western Scrub Jays that our daughter affectionately calls, "Mr. & Mrs. Gutsy" that scurry around underneath this backyard bird sanctuary, gathering any seed that drops to the ground.  Pictured here, in a photo taken by our bird-loving daughter, is the husband bird of that infamous couple.

The Globe Cage Bird Feeder, $24.95, is available online from Gardeners Supply Company  and at Gardener's Supply Company's  two Vermont retail locations.  Sturdily built, this gift to nature holds 1-1/2 lbs. of birdseed. 

How is your family living the green life? Please leave a comment and share the ways you and your kids are pitching in the save the environment. 

FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert received the Globe Cage Bird Feeder and Peace Wreath from Gardeners Supply Company for review and the holiday gift showcases. All other products mentioned were personal purchases made by the writer of this blog.  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated any company or any product referenced in this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.      

Sheblogs Founder Launches The BlogWire - A Cutting Edge PR Distribution Service Connecting Brands with Niche Bloggers

by Janis Brett Elspas
MommyBlogExpert

Just a few months ago, I was invited to join the Advisory Board of SheBlogs.org, an online community that connects women bloggers with and without children -- including mom bloggers, product reviewers and others -- with PR and brand pros who issue the news and promote the products that women care about most.  Julie Wohlberg, founder of SheBlogs, has certainly played a pivotal role in connecting brands with bloggers with this initial venture, so I was thrilled to hear that Wohlberg has partnered with Michael Connor to launch another new business, this one known as The BlogWire.

According to TheBlogWire's new site which launched March 31, the online company's goal is to provide a new way for brands and bloggers to connect.  In the organization's own words, "BlogWire is a PR distribution service that picks up where traditional newswires and media database services fall short -- by connecting marketing professionals with niche, targeted blogging communities that want to receive their news, host contests and giveaways, or review new products."

This got me thinking about how truly amazing it has been to be an observer of how the ways the PR profession works with the media have evolved over time.  Though I'm a full-time mommy blogger now, relying on everything that the Internet has to offer to stay close to my family while also working professionally, I learned to write not on a computer but on a manual typewriter.  Having worked previously for more than two decades in PR, media relations, and journalism, yes I even pre-date IBM Selectrics (the electric typewriters in vogue in the late 70s and early 80s).

During all stages of my career I have never ceased to marvel at the power of technology and have enjoyed the thrill of riding out the multitude of waves of tech booms and busts that fellow old-timers will also recall.  PR news distributing vendors have definitely come a long way.  Where there were once only companies such as PRWire, Businesswire and others like them acting as messengers for PR workers helping them to distribute news releases to traditional media, there is now TheBlogWire. A company that I think, specifically because of its unique paradigm, will make it easier than ever for bloggers and brands to find each other and interact in a world where these two forces might otherwise be whizzing past each other in cyberspace missing countless opportunities to connect.

And to think my own first job out of college was at an agency in the good old days, before the FAX machine was invented, before PCs were on all workers' desks, and before the Internet was in common use.  Back then, my associates and I relied instead on sending messages via Telex and we were forever manually updating media mailing lists (sans the computer) via hard copies of spiral-bound Bacon's Publicity Checkers. We even received monthly mailings of updated contact information stickers that the publisher would snail mail us that we'd then have to paste up in our Bacon's books.

Bloggers, brands, and their public relations representatives have so many ways to benefit from connecting with both TheBlogWire.com and SheBlogs.Org.  Now that it's 2010 and bloggers and brands want so desperately to find each other,  I can't imagine not being networked into both of these vital resources and tapping into all they have to offer.

FTC Disclosure:  Janis Brett Elspas, the MommyBlogExpert, is an Advisory Board Member of SheBlogs.  However, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.       

Molly Owl LIVE WEBCAM Hatching - Educational & Building Awareness About the Dangers of Using Rodentcides

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert

Hopefully you and your family are enjoying owl hobbyist Carlos Royal's Live Webcam Owl Box that has gone viral on the Internet.  The automatic camera has given kids and parents a 24/7 chance to see Mommy owl who just last week was nesting with 5 owl eggs -- some of which have since hatched -- in an Owl Box in San Marcos, California.  If you haven't seen it already, you'll find the link to The Owl Box Cam at the end of this post.

This blog's regulars know that my kids and I have been watching the events unfold for over a week now and have been reflecting on what we are witnessing.  Molly, the mom owl, has already hatched 2 owlets as of the time/date of this blogpost.  For everyone who has seen it so far, this is proving to be a rare chance to personally experience a mother barn owl up close feeding her young and waiting for her other eggs to hatch.  Several times daily, Mcgee -- the daddy owl -- stops by to bring the new mommy a dead rabbit, gopher, bird, mouse or rat.  Every few hours Molly tears up bite size strips of this fresh meat to feed to her hungry babies by holding it next to their beaks.  Mother has also been surviving on the animals her DH hunts and delivers to her (rats, mice, small rabbits, etc.) the entire time that she has been incubating the eggs in the nest.

All the excitement about this natural owl event that more than 2 million have already viewed via the Internet since the camera started rolling on February 15th has generally brought about a renewed respect for owls and other wild creatures in nature.  Yesterday, one of MommyBlogExpert's readers, Barbara, sent me an email since she had trouble posting a comment directly to an earlier story on this blog.  I thought this was worth sharing since she makes an excellent point.

Says this reader, "The popularity of the owl cam is a wonderful opportunity to educate the public on the dangers of using rodentcides -- which are a major killers of raptors and other predators.  In fact,  owls often die as an indirect result of rat and mouse poison.  This happens because the nocturnal winging bird mainly hunt rodents for food.  If the owl captures a rodent who is still alive but sickened because it ate poison itself, the owl that eats the tainted mouse or rat will likely be poisoned to death.  Other animals including hawks, foxes, and cats will sicken or die after eating a poisoned animal, too.

Her advice is sage, "Please always use 'humane' traps instead of poison," Barbara says,  "or install a barn nest box in your tree because a pair of barn owls will eat over 2000 rodents per year."

MommyBlogExpert couldn't agree more.  Creating habitat for owls not only keeps rodent populations in check, especially in area where people live, it is among the most eco-friendly ways that humankind can ensure the survival of these magnificent raptors.

Enjoy observing this awesome new owl mother by clicking on the arrow below to watch the automated Live Webcam trained on the nest.  The owl(s) are almost always visable with natural light during the day as well as at night, thanks to the night vision lenses on the camera.

Live Videos by Ustream

FTC Disclosure:  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.      

HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures Inchworm by Innovation First - TOY PRODUCT REVIEW

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert

For this review MommyBlogExpert's kids were excited to have the opportunity to try out the HEXBUG Inchworm from Innovation First International's Micro Robotic Creatures line.  Readers can also find this cute gadget featured in the 2010 Sparkling Fresh Gift Ideas for Easter & Other Spring Holidays. 

Pictured above is HEXBUG's Inchworm along with the miniature infrared remote control which fits in the palm of one's hand. 

My four kids (triplets who will soon be 13, and their big brother, age 14) and I were already familiar with this brand prior to test-driving the Inchworm since we had previously tested another of the company's products, the Hexbug Nano, that was included in Hanukkah 2009 Most Memorable Gifts and in Kid Christmas 2009 Gifts Enhancing Family Living. 

Though the HEXBUG Inchworm looks nothing like the real thing and this hi tech insect measuring just over 3 inches in length more resembles a Tarantula in appearance (especially in this blue color), don't let that fool you.  Thanks to the mini remote control unit that comes with it, it is loads of fun to operate with its seven-way steering range.  It's equally entertaining to watch as this Inchworm robot crawls along, which two of my kids described alternately as moving with a pinching motion and waddling like a duck with spiky toe nails.  

As the kids play with the new Inchworm alongside their HEXBUG Nanos in this blurry photo of the triplets, taken by their big brother, you can practically feel the frenetic energy, can't you?

True to the media fact sheet we received with it, this little robot toy can even do 360 degree rotations when stopped on its center pod foot.  In addition, the maker does state that the product's controller is outfitted with two channels so it is possible for two bugs to be operated independently or at the same time.  Since we received just one Inchworm we were not able to actually test this function and confirm that particular claim.  Though we did find it to be innovative and entertaining, my kids and I would caution users to play with this carefully -- like they would any other delicate toy -- because it is made of plastic that appears somewhat fragile and could possibly break if handled too roughly.

Actual measurements of the HEXBUG Inchworm, which weighs just 1.8 ounces, are 3.15" long x 1.57" wide x 2.56" high.  Two button cell batteries are included in each Inchworm and accompanying tiny remote controller, which measures about  2" x 1-1/4".  Packaged in the dome-shaped see through packaging shown here, this is available in such futuristic translucent colors as Indigo -- the color we received for this product review -- as well as Red, Green, Orange and Pink.  Keep in mind that, as the box warns, this product has small parts so this play thing is not suitable for children under 3 years old.

The HEXBUG Inchworm, which is recommended for ages 8+, retails for $19.99 USD and is available at RadioShack stores nationwide.  It may also be purchased from other specialty retailers internationally or at the company's website www.hexbug.com.  Other robotic creepy crawlers in the HEXBUG Micro Robotic Creatures family of products include the Ant, $11.99 and the Crab $14.99, both which come in different choices of hues and are available at various retailers.

See more reviews on this product featured on Hexbug's news page
 
FTC Disclosure:  For this review MommyBlogExpert received a HEXBUG Inchworm.  MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.