Small Footprint Family™ | Sustainability Starts at Home

25 Ways to Use Less Plastic

5 Min Read

produce in a store in plastic packaging

Carrot Halwa – Spiced Carrot Pudding (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

3 Min Read

carrot halwa dessert in a glass bowl with a spoon on a white counter

Natural Parenting

Is Your Sunscreen Safe?

9 Min Read

mother applying sunblock to little girl's nose

Gardening & Homesteading

10 Non-Toxic Ways to Control Weeds

8 Min Read

hoe weeding in the garden

Gardening & Homesteading

Is Your Garden Hose Toxic?

4 Min Read

kid drinking from garden hose

MOST READ AND SHARED

produce in a store in plastic packaging

25 Ways to Use Less Plastic

carrot halwa dessert in a glass bowl with a spoon on a white counter

Carrot Halwa – Spiced Carrot Pudding (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

mother applying sunblock to little girl's nose

Natural Parenting

Is Your Sunscreen Safe?

hoe weeding in the garden

Gardening & Homesteading

10 Non-Toxic Ways to Control Weeds

kid drinking from garden hose

Gardening & Homesteading

Is Your Garden Hose Toxic?

sun dried tomatoes in a jar next to rosemary, salt and garlic on a table

Raw & Fermented

How to Make Sun Dried Tomatoes

brown eggs in a carton with chickens in the background

Foodprints • Natural Health

Egg Carton Labels and What They Really Mean

purple kohlrabi bulb in the garden

Gardening & Homesteading

How to Grow Kohlrabi Organically

snap peas on the pod in the garden

Gardening & Homesteading

How to Grow Peas Organically

powdery mildew on a cucumber leaf

Gardening & Homesteading

How to Control Powdery Mildew Organically

baby on tummy wearing cloth diaper with teddy bears on it

Natural Parenting

Why Disposable Diapers are Dirty and Dangerous

woman pouring seed packet into her hand

Gardening & Homesteading

The 10 Best Seed Companies for Heirloom and Non-GMO Seeds

Thanksgiving table set with traditional foods

21 Dairy Free, Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes

nuts and seeds in a divided wood box

Why You Should Soak Your Nuts and Seeds

children running down a school hallway

Natural Parenting

10 Tips for a Healthy, Planet-Friendly Back-to-School

wooden box of fresh picked produce

Why You Should Join a CSA This Year

GREEN LIVING
Foodprints Natural Parenting

Foodprints Natural Parenting

beach with happy new year written in the sand

10 Eco Friendly New Years Resolutions

Holiday tree with green recycling ornament

12 Ways to Have an Eco Friendly Holiday

baby on a wood floor looking into an air vent

16 Ways to Eliminate Indoor Air Pollution

bowls and spoons full of superfoods, including spirulina and goji berries

Are Superfoods Bad for the Environment?

three wooden spoons with different types of salt

Why Sea Salt is Better Than Refined Table Salt

boy keeping cool by eating watermelon

5 Planet-Friendly Ways to Keep Yourself Cool This Summer

Even if your company hasn't “gone green” as a whole, there are things you can do and habits you can adopt as an employee to make your workplace more eco-friendly.

4 Powerful Ways To Be Eco-Friendly At The Office

bulldog puppy with paw on a globe

8 Ways to Go Green with Your Pet

large bamboo hut on a river in a tropical forest

10 Eco-Friendly Travel Tips

man removing compost from compost bin

100 Things You Can (and Should) Compost

mom with three kids in a shopping cart reading product labels in a grocery store

Can Shopping Change the World?

bride and groom on a bicycle

5 Tips for a Sustainable Wedding

flowering canola plants in a field

The Inconvenient Truth About Canola Oil

Meal planning is the single-most powerful thing you can do to save money and reduce your ecological "food-print."

Save Money and the Planet with Meal Planning

The benefits of energy efficient LED light bulbs are important for your wallet, and also for the quality of our air and water, and the protection of the nation. Click to find out why.

Why You Should Switch to LED Light Bulbs

eggs, cheese, meat, milk and fish piled on a white counter

Why Eating Meat (or Eggs or Dairy) Won’t Kill You

little girl with nail polish on her fingers

Where to Find Non-Toxic Nail Polish

mother taking child's temperature with a thermometer

Why You Shouldn’t Treat a Fever (Most of the Time)

someone getting water from a filter on the kitchen sink

Why You REALLY Need a Water Filter (And How to Choose the Right One)

Most store-bought baby food contains yucky modified starches, corn syrup and other additives. Here's how to feed your baby healthy food on a budget.

How to Feed Your Baby Healthy Food on a Budget

buying produce at the farmers' market

Why We Should All Eat More Locally Grown Food

child holding out hands to receive hand sanitizer

DIY Natural Hand Sanitizer

leaky outdoor spigot against a cloudy, blue sky

9 Easy Ways to Save a Ton of Water (and Money)

earth sheltered home with trees

5 Eco Friendly Home Building Ideas

Paper is substantially more resource intensive to produce than you would think. Click to get 30 ways you can save paper (and money) at home, school and work.

30 Ways to Use Less Paper

It takes 3 liters of water to make 1 liter of bottled water, plus 17 million barrels of oil per year. It's time to stop this incredibly destructive habit.

Why You Should Finally Give Up Bottled Water for Good

woman applying weatherstripping to a window.

Sealing These 10 Home Air Leaks Can Save You Lots of Money

Many people don't realize that the concentrated fructose in agave syrup is bad for you —worse than high amounts of glucose, especially if you are diabetic. Click to learn why!

Sorry Folks, Agave Syrup is Bad for You!

A man and a woman both carrying babies on their backs using babywearing slings

5 Benefits of Babywearing (and How to Choose a Baby Carrier)

Choose from 40 simple, planet-friendly ways to save a ton of money in both the short term and long term.

40 Ways to Save Money by Going Green

No Idling Children Breathing sign on the street

The Dirty Truth About Idling Your Car

On average, Americans waste 40% of all food, which costs about $600 a household per year. Here's five ways to stop food waste in your community.

5 Ways to Stop Food Waste in Your Community

This recipe for homemade vapor rub will relieve chest congestion and coughing without the toxic petroleum products, parabens and other nasty additives.

DIY Vapor Rub for Colds (and Sore Muscles)

children picking through trash

37 Ways to Reduce Trash in Your Home

Each year, we each get nearly 600 pieces of junk mail and waste about 8 hours dealing with it. The trees, oil, water and other resources squandered on stuff that goes straight to the recycling bin is unconscionable. Here are some ways to stop this incredibly wasteful annoyance.

How to Stop Junk Mail

Is pork bad for you? Or is how healthy it is more a matter of how it is raised and prepared? This article will help you decide.

Is Pork Bad for You?

More and more states are authorizing solar panel leasing and green energy sourcing, making solar as affordable as your monthly electric bill! Click to learn how you can go solar, too!

How to Affordably Power Your Home with Solar—Whether You Rent or Own

Here are five ways to save money on your new baby, possibly saving you thousands of dollars in the first two years of parenting.

5 Green Ways to Save Thousands on Your New Baby

The systems we take for granted to deliver everything from TVs to apple pie are much more vulnerable than we think. Radical simplicity is the solution.

Can Radical Simplicity Save Us?

Can organic farming feed the world, even when we have more than 8 billion people? According to leading experts, it's the only thing that can. Click to find out why!

Can Organic Farming Feed the World?

Nothing would protect the environment and decrease our dependence on oil more than taking steps to reduce your transportation footprint. Here's how...

Reduce Your Transportation Footprint (and Save a Ton!)

an overcrowded beach

How to Stop Population Growth—Humanely

plastic bags littering beach

How to Remember Your Reusable Bags

cow eating grass on holistically managed pasture

Grass Fed Beef Can Help SOLVE Climate Change

Most people spend up to $450 a year on energy that their phones, computers, TVs, DVD players, etc. use when they’re turned OFF. Here's how to slay those energy vampires once and for all.

Slay the Energy Vampires in Your Home

ripening blueberries on a bush

10 Homegrown Superfoods Without Super Hype or Super Cost

In order to create a sustainable food system, we must leverage the full range and force of private and public activity. Here's 13 ways to do that.

13 Ways to Create a Sustainable Food System

When you know how to start a food buying club, you can not only save a ton of money, but you can also connect with the food produced in your region and build a real sense of community in your social group.

How to Start a Food Buying Club

Store-bought finger paints can contain toxic chemicals and allergens that can harm your child. Here's a non-toxic alternative you can whip up in your kitchen.

Allergen Free Non-Toxic Finger Paints

tofu, soymilk, soybeans, edamame, and soy sauce on a table

Why Soy is Bad for You and the Planet

GARDEN & HOMESTEAD

four butternut squashes on the ground

How to Grow Winter Squash and Pumpkins Organically

13 Min Read

10 Things You Should Not Put In Your Compost Pile

20 Perennial Vegetables to Plant Once for Years of Food

How to Grow Great Garlic

How to Use Stinging Nettles

WHOLE FOOD RECIPES

almond milk yogurt with cut strawberries on top

Homemade Almond Milk Yogurt (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

9 Min Read

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Black Friday Pie (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

Tricolor Kohlrabi Slaw (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

Pistachio Arugula Pesto (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

Gluten Free Pecan Sandies (Paleo, Vegan)

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

globe surrounded by dollar bills in the shape of a heart

How Joining a Credit Union Can Help the Planet

7 Min Read

4 Powerful Ways To Be Eco-Friendly At The Office

10 Eco-Friendly Travel Tips

Can Shopping Change the World?

The Time is NOW: 6 Things We Must Do About Climate Change

NATURAL HEALTH
Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies

different types of sugar on a table

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About (25 Types of) Sugar

dandelion cream for muscle cramps in a glass jar

Dandelion Magnesium Cream for Muscle Cramps

bowls and spoons full of superfoods, including spirulina and goji berries

Are Superfoods Bad for the Environment?

lemon, ginger and a glass jar of honey on a wooden table

Honey Ginger Cough Syrup

stinging nettles on a white countertop with gloves, scissors and a basket of nettles

How to Use Stinging Nettles

three wooden spoons with different types of salt

Why Sea Salt is Better Than Refined Table Salt

Because you cannot replace brain cells once they have died, preventing Alzheimer's disease is the only cure. Good thing it is preventable with diet. Click to find out how!

Is Alzheimer’s Disease Caused by Diet?

flowering canola plants in a field

The Inconvenient Truth About Canola Oil

Meal planning is the single-most powerful thing you can do to save money and reduce your ecological "food-print."

Save Money and the Planet with Meal Planning

DIY antibacterial wound healing ointment in a tin on a wooden table

DIY Antibacterial Wound Healing Ointment

eggs, cheese, meat, milk and fish piled on a white counter

Why Eating Meat (or Eggs or Dairy) Won’t Kill You

mother taking child's temperature with a thermometer

Why You Shouldn’t Treat a Fever (Most of the Time)

little boy with tissues, honey, lemon and tea

10 Ways to Strengthen Your Immune System

fennel seeds in a white dish

Fresh Fennel Seed Tummy Tincture

While Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is pretty rare, there are still plenty of reasons why you should consider a less toxic, more sustainable option for your period. Click to find out why!

Are Your Feminine Hygiene Products Toxic?

Jar of fire cider

Boost Your Immune System with Fire Cider Master Tonic

bowl containing garlic, onion and ginger for homemade cough syrup

Onion, Garlic and Ginger Homemade Cough Syrup

The 4 7 8 breathing technique takes the shallow, oxygen poor, carbon dioxide rich breathing you do when you are stressed out, and turns it upside down, giving you quick relief from anxiety, panic and stress. Click to learn how to do it!

Eliminate Stress, Anxiety and Panic in 57 Seconds

skull drinking from a fluoridated water fountain

The Dangers of Water Fluoridation {And How to Protect Yourself}

Many people don't realize that the concentrated fructose in agave syrup is bad for you —worse than high amounts of glucose, especially if you are diabetic. Click to learn why!

Sorry Folks, Agave Syrup is Bad for You!

mother and daughter helping other daughter hold a towel over her head to inhale steam from a red bowl

Thyme Oil Vapor Steam

This recipe for homemade vapor rub will relieve chest congestion and coughing without the toxic petroleum products, parabens and other nasty additives.

DIY Vapor Rub for Colds (and Sore Muscles)

Is pork bad for you? Or is how healthy it is more a matter of how it is raised and prepared? This article will help you decide.

Is Pork Bad for You?

With cold and flu season in full swing, everyone should keep this DIY Thieves oil recipe in their natural first aid kit to kill germs and prevent illness.

DIY Thieves^®* Oil Blend: A Safe, Natural Disinfectant & Health Aid

It’s estimated that up to 90% of doctor’s visits are for conditions in which stress plays a role. Here's how stress makes you sick.

How Stress Makes You Sick (and What You Can Do About It)

Americans each eat about 130 pounds of sugar per person, per year! This infographic called Nursing Your Sweet Tooth, puts it all in perspective.

The Cost of Nursing Your Sweet Tooth

hypodermic needles stuck in fresh tomatoes

What is a GMO and Why Should You Care?

If you're trying to prevent osteoporosis, you may be taking a prescription or loading up on calcium. If so, there are much better ways to protect your bones.

How to Prevent Osteoporosis with Nutrition

ripening blueberries on a bush

10 Homegrown Superfoods Without Super Hype or Super Cost

chicken broth in a white bowl garnished with parsley

How to Make Perfect Chicken Broth

tofu, soymilk, soybeans, edamame, and soy sauce on a table

Why Soy is Bad for You and the Planet

Some experts are promoting stevia as a good substitute for people who are looking to reduce their sugar intake. But is stevia healthy?

Is Stevia Healthy?

woman in mask looking at bottles of household chemicals

Why Are We Fat? – How Common Chemicals Make You Fat and Sick

Carbs and sugar—not fat—increase body fat and weight, and America eats over 160 pounds of sugar a year! Here's why carbohydrates make you fat...

Why Are We Fat? – How Carbohydrates Make You Fat

feet on a white scale that reads "too much"

Why Are We Fat? – Dangers of Polyunsaturated Oils

child with red toothbrush brushing teeth

The Real Cause of Tooth Decay (and How to Stop it Naturally)

POPULAR THIS WEEK

three glass cups of coconut milk yogurt garnished with fruit

Easy Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

man removing compost from compost bin

100 Things You Can (and Should) Compost

coconut flour zucchini bread on a plate

Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegetarian)

fungus gnat on a leaf

How to Control Fungus Gnats and Damping Off Organically

bottle of laundry detergent next to a stack of clean towels

DIY Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent

hand planting a seed in the soil next to a small seedling

How to Keep Monsanto Out of Your Garden

small white pail full of compost scraps

10 Things You Should Not Put In Your Compost Pile

side of uncooked bacon with rosemary on a table

How to Cure Bacon at Home

LATEST ARTICLES

rows of gluten free holiday cookies on a tray

24 Gluten Free Holiday Cookie Recipes

3 Min Read

Here are 24 delicious, dairy free, grain free holiday cookie recipes that are so darned yummy, no one will know the difference!

tomato bacon jam in a white dish next to crackers and cherry tomatoes on a countertop.

Smoky Tomato Bacon Jam (Gluten Free, Paleo)

2 Min Read

If you have a bumper crop of tomatoes in your garden, or simply see some lovely ones at the market, Tomato Bacon Jam is a delightful treat to help you preserve...

vegetable garden in partial shade

Gardening & Homesteading

28 Vegetables That Grow in Partial Shade

5 Min Read

Can you still grow some of your own food if your yard has shady spots? The answer is YES! Here is a list of 28 vegetables that grow in partial shade.

Paper is substantially more resource intensive to produce than you would think. Click to get 30 ways you can save paper (and money) at home, school and work.

30 Ways to Use Less Paper

13 Min Read

Why should we care about our paper usage? Paper is pretty cheap and renewable, right? Unfortunately, paper is substantially more resource intensive than you...

raw sweet potato pie on a plate with a fork and whipped cream

Raw & Fermented

Raw Sweet Potato Pie (Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan)

5 Min Read

This year I am lightening up the dessert course (and improving its nutrition!) by making raw sweet potato pie. This pie has two toppings to choose from:...