Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet [Paperback]

Tracey Bianchi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2010

Moms today are busier than ever. Taking care of the planet sounds like a great idea---but in the midst of taking care of your kids, it becomes just one more thing to feel guilty about not doing. Tracey Bianchi knows what it's like to live in the middle of suburbia with a to-do list too long to write down. In Green Mama, she brings green living within reach for every overtired, overstressed, and overwhelmed mom. Her practical suggestions help moms like you make environmentally wise choices at the grocery store, schoolyard, and kitchen table, while keeping an eye on the kids and the budget. With creative tips, tricks, and resources, she shares her stories of successes and failures in saving the planet and inspiring her kids to love God's world. Moms need a resource like Green Mama to remind them that green living is not another chore but an invitation to a creative partnership with God. As Bianchi enthusiastically tells you, green living is more than a trend---it is God's beautiful plan for the planet and for your life. This book and its contents are not authorized, endorsed, sponsored or approved by The Green Mama, LLC

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Writer and speaker Bianchi does what few evangelicals have the courage or social insight to accomplish, treading fearlessly into the minefields of discord between those Christians who go enthusiastically green in their habits and philosophical leanings, and those who do not. The author presents a compelling argument for prudently using (and not simply wasting) everything from water to electricity to foodstuffs. Bianchi shares her personal story of becoming a "green mama" with eloquence and gently calls others to do likewise, making small but significant choices as outward expression of faith, trust, and selflessness. The author also offers plenty of practical "Green Steps" and "Eco-Examen" questions in every chapter for daily application. Readers will not be guilt-tripped into accommodating Bianchi's ardent desire to save the planet, but will instead find themselves compelled to rethink their lifestyle with a more environmentally friendly eye. END

From Booklist

Bianchi artfully blends a Christian outlook with a quest to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. While unabashedly focused on saving the world as part of God’s plan, she realizes it will take a lot of practical choices to accomplish that goal. So while she does credit her faith for much of her determination, she also notes that combating global warming so that the onslaught of the Mountain Pine Beetle will be halted is a worthy achievement anyone can appreciate. Bianchi doesn’t make suggestions about specific products so much as point out the connections between our choices and some very dire ramifications. “It’s all hooked up,” she writes, and then draws a line from fewer scallops on her plate to the increase in predatory cownose rays that are booming due to the overfishing of sharks. Bianchi avers that convenience must not be the choice of those truly committed to their faith, family, and environment. Hip, funny, and earnest without being preachy, Bianchi is an environmentally focused author. Fox News fans, among many others, will easily embrace. --Colleen Mondor

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310320364
• ISBN-13: 978-0310320364
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #747,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tracey is a mother, sister, wife, daughter, dreamer, lover of naps, and a writer. Mostly, she chases three young children around and hollers a them to recycle everything. When not with her family she writes, speaks, and serves on the staff of her church. It's a lot to do and sometimes it all gets done, most of the time it does not. Along the way she managed to throw in an MDIV and other fancy letters and accolades. But mostly, she sorts laundry. Her musings are an attempt to normalize the greener pursuits of this world. Anyone can be a live a bit more sustainably.

"Green Mama: The Guilt Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet" is her first book. It is a collection of witty vignettes and glimpses into the daily life of a suburban family trying to make the world a little bit better. Bits and pieces on how to share the planet, help others, and glean some green wisdom along the way. You can catch her ongoing musings at http://traceybianchi.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Green Mama (by) Tracey Bianchi, April 19, 2010

By 

M_ Fitzgerald (Georgia,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet (Paperback)

Tracey Bianchi begins by admitting how far from green she was, leaving marinara and candy for the ants, broken branches, and toilet paper in her wake, a far cry from the Boy Scout motto of `leave no trace.` Tracey just as quickly tells how she became a green mama. Because she lives in a suburban area her book has a suburban flair; however many of her suggestions can be taken on by urban and rural households as well.
Tracey admits she owns a station wagon and only bikes for fun, her kids love fruit snacks with high fructose corn syrup and she highlights her hair. She is admittedly an average girl trying to make a difference in God's green earth.
It made me think, when Tracey stated that we are stealing from our children, and their children, when we drive gas-guzzling SUV's, and by taking more than our share of resources. I found myself highlighting ideas throughout the book; such as, on a hot summer day use a clean squirtable ketchup bottle to cool off with.
Tracey very eloquently reminds the reader that God created the world and would have us learn how to care for it. In order to help the reader become more eco-friendly Tracey has added what she calls "Green Steps" at the end of each chapter. These "Green Steps" are tips and ideas for your family to try. It's a way to decide what will work and what may not work for your family. I appreciate her honesty of what worked for her and what didn't.
Going green may seem like a difficult task, but as Tracey says, "Once you sniff out the scams and lock your loyalty into a few solid companies the green road is wide open, and getting what you need becomes easier."
Throughout this book, Tracey does not attempt to make you feel guilty, for what you may or may not be doing, she is simply giving suggestions and states that you should do what works best for your family.
This book would be a good addition to the library of a family that is truly interested in becoming better stewards of this creation that God has given us.

*Zondervan provided me with a free copy of this book to review.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Green Mama, April 12, 2010

By 

Lollipops "lollipops5" (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet (Paperback)

Going green is a popular topic now-a-days. We're inundated with suggests for electric cars, getting new heat pumps, water heaters, etc, and getting rid of our old appliances and buying new "greener" ones. But sometimes our financial situation just doesn't allow that. So how can you go green without going into debt?

Tracey Bianchi has written this book for busy moms who want to make wise choices for her family - and makes simple suggestions for going green. Simple things, like reusing scrap paper for your to-do-lists or recycling your cans and bottles. But there are also more complex suggestions if you are already doing the simple stuff.

Ms. Bianchi includes creative tips and spiritual inspiration to help you make wiser environmental choices in the community, office, or at home.

GREEN MAMA is filled with suggestions, most of which are common sense ones. But they are shared with real life stories, such as the time Ms. Bianchi went hiking with a real eco-friendly man as their guide, or stories about her children discussing why trees are important. And Ms. Bianchi recognizes that not everyone will be able to follow all the advice. Such as, I live in a rural area with no public transportation and am twenty miles from the nearest grocery store. I won't be riding the bus or biking any time soon. But the tips are there in case you are in a situation where you might be able to use it.

I already incorporate most of the ideas into our lifestyle, and with homeschooling, that might make it a bit easier, since the children are raised with it day in and day out. But still, even if you don't do anything right now, there are things to try, and simple suggestions included in each chapter, as well as questions to answer at the end, with plenty of room to answer them. If you want to go green then GREEN MAMA is definitely a good place to start. Ms. Bianchi suggests borrowing a copy of this book so you don't waste resources, but I don't think the publisher would be behind that suggestion one-hundred percent. And since you might want to refer back to it occasionally, I suggest buying your own copy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greener Mama, March 2, 2010

By 

Elizabeth E. Falco - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Green Mama: The Guilt-Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet (Paperback)

I read the book as a mama that was feelin' like I was pretty green. Whether it was inpsiring me to make more thoughtful purchases of coffee and chocolate, plant my veggie garden already, or to get rid of my kids plastic sippie cups, this book helped add to the list of ways to be more green. It goes deeper though. THe author does an amazing job of connecting us back to the reasons WHY to be green. It reminds us of our connection to one another from Chicago to California to Zambia and Haiti. How our choices and purchases can make a difference to each other and in a very larger and more importance sense, to God. In the most fundamental way, this book reminds me of how being Green is serving humanity, bringing hope, and honoring God.