Green Prophet

Green Prophet welcomes our latest writer, Eco-Mum Sophie Ohana. We’ve blogged about her new organic baby clothes company Tinok Yarok here before. Sophie is going to be writing a weekly post on different tips for greening your baby. This week she starts with nursery furniture. Read on.

Writes Sophie:Being a mum at the best of times can be quite a challenge, so much to learn and so quickly, so when everybody is talking about being an eco-mum it can seem just like one more thing that is too much to take on. Well I am here to help and to show you how it can actually make being a mum just that little bit simpler. So what are my creds for this task? Well I grew up on an organic farm in England and in a slightly crazy eco-house, later studying conventional farming and learnt all about agricultural chemicals, which was a real eye-opener.

I then did a full turn about and immigrated to Israel, slowly losing almost all my connections to a green lifestyle (11 years ago it seemed an entirely different world here in Israel), though cleaning with vinegar, lemon and essential oils I was a firm diehard.But one can only ignore one’s roots for so long before they bite you in the “tush” and remind you that life is a definitely not just about me and mine…I became pregnant just under three years ago and felt it was not a question of what but of how; there seemed to be nothing available to keep up with my idea of giving my baby the healthiest environment.

In the end I enlisted my mum in England to help with the task.During my first few months I found it ever more frustrating: the idea that I had to send to England for the basics, such as organic cotton clothes, bedding, nappies & toiletries. Hence Tinok Yarok was born. I started with a basic collection of organic cotton baby clothes for the first year and spiralled out to bring together everything green & eco for baby and family; and to let you know just how easy it can be!Ah, so where does an eco-mum come into it?

Well it goes like this: we live in a consumer driven society gone mad, all that seems important is to do it fast and cheap and pooh to the consequences. Eco-mum is about slowing down and taking a good look at what is really important, your child’s health and happiness, and this is surprisingly easy & would you believe very cost effective.So here goes for the first tip of the week – plenty more to come and feel free to ask questions, in fact do ask.

Nursery madnessAll that new furniture and “essential” items you are all being told are necessary for your baby are NOT. Swap and borrow furniture from friends and family. You can even rent a crib in the beginning. Your baby really doesn’t care if the bed or change stand is new or that the clothes are hand me arounds.

Second shops are opening everywhere around the country and there are great sites too that specialise in second hand items.

Think twice before you buy – who are you really buying it for and why?All this new furniture is putting a lot of strain on our world. Think about it this way, in 1999 the world’s population hit 6 billion, and with approximately 75 million babies being born each year, that’s a lot of beds, clothes, bottles etc, etc, being made, bought & thrown away!

If you are looking for a good way to give and get baby furnishings, try the Yahoo list Freecyle networks around Israel and beyond.

In the region try:Ashkelon
Herzliya
Jerusalem
Ramallah
Tel Aviv
Tzfat Yokneam Ilit
Zichron Yaakov - Alona
::Tinok Yarok

Tags: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, tips