Easy Organic Living- Take the Challenge!

Our family tries to use organics whenever possible, especially in food and cleaning products. Bob is committed to his pesticide-free garden, which he has just started to till, and can talk for way too long about his compost pile! We also choose hormone-free dairy products and meats when we can. I think it's a good idea to read labels and be more aware of where the things you purchase come from. It doesn't seem too hard, even here in Wichita where we are, sadly, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods-less. Our local Dillon's and Walmart are all stocking more organics these days and the prices are often competitive.

Healthy Child Healthy World and BabyCenter.com have joined forces to create Easy Organic Living, a new interactive community sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt. Its mission is to educate parents about the benefits of adopting an organic lifestyle and give them easier ways of getting there, with helpful tips from other community members and from featured experts including reknowned pediatrician Dr. Bill Sears, Valerie Deneen (Frugal Family Fun Blog), Robyn O'Brien (author and co-founder of the Allergy Kids Foundation), Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D. (registered dietitian and “Food Sleuth” columnist) and Catherine McCord (Weelicious).

I'll be one of twenty five bloggers taking on the four weekly Organic Challenges, which will include:

• A money-saving challenge to help parents make organic living affordable.
• A snack invention challenge to inspire parents to think outside the wrapper and create their own healthy snack using at least one organic ingredient.
• A meal preparation challenge encouraging parents to use at least one organic ingredient.
• A simple label-reading challenge to encourage parents to understand what they’re eating.

This week's challenge is "Save a dollar here, Shift a dollar there." Join me in taking this challenge and see how easily you can Shift Your Habit.

For a full week, make a conscientious effort to save money by using some of the tips below. Then shift your savings to organics!

1. Choose some easy ways to save money:

Buy in bulk and save up to $500 a year!

Eat your leftovers. According to the USDA, 14% of all the food that we buy ends up in the trash, adding up to almost $600 thrown away each year.

Opt for water. Instead of grabbing soda or juice, drink what’s freely available from the tap. You could save up to $200 per year or more.

Choose whole chicken. Save up to $600 per year by choosing whole chicken instead of boneless skinless breasts.

Buy fruits and vegetables when they’re in season. You can save up to $130 or more per year by shifting to seasonal produce (i.e., apples in the winter, plums and nectarines during the summer).

Eat less meat. If you were to cut meat out of your diet once a week and replace it with a vegetarian option, you could save about $250 per year for a family of four.

2. After a week, estimate your savings and shift the money to organic food.

The hardest habits for me to break were buying in bulk and buying whole chickens. I'll admit it- I usually buy boneless portions because they're easy, but it's not so hard to cook a whole chicken or to butcher it and freeze parts for later. I just need to get over my hypocritical squeamishness about cooking things with carcasses. (You know, because then you think about it being an animal. I am such a hypocrite, ack!) I don't buy bulk a lot because… well, honestly, I've never really thought about it. So I'll have to give it a try. I'm already totally down with buying seasonal produce, eating meatless meals and choosing water. We do a fairly good job of repurposing leftovers, too. I think I've got a decent headstart on this Challenge.

How did you do? Let me know in the comments below or share your thoughts in the Easy Organic Living community. You can also comment using hashtag #ezorganic on Twitter.




In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I will receive an Easy Organic Living goody bag for myself and one to give away in exchange for my participation in the Easy Organic Living challenges but all opinions are strictly my own.