Despite being one of the few people who could claim "I can find green building materials, I know the answer to local vs. organic, and I can calculate my carbon footprint" she still found that she had a LOT of questions about how to go about greening her pregnancy and family with the addition of a young child. "Women no longer know who to ask for answers to ever more complicated parenting questions: cloth versus disposable, plastic or glass, vaccinate now or later? We used to ask our parents or grandparents but when they were parenting the issues were different--milk wasn't loaded with artificial growth hormones, bottles weren't plastic, and everyone pottytrained by two years."
During the process of answering these questions for herself, she began to share what she found first through her popular Green Mama blog, then through the radio program the Little Green People Show, and finally through classes, corporate and home consulting, and TV programs.
Today, The Green Mama LLC consists of a team of women trained in aspects of green living from chemical sensitivities to small business development who bring their various expertises to thousands of parents through the web, radio, TV, and in person with classes, play-think groups, and consulting. The Green Mama has been described as "the green guru" and "serious, but not absolute" bringing practical and trusted solutions without the judgment.
Check out The Green Mama at www.thegreenmama.com
Cecelia Ungari
Cecelia has been teaching about sustainable lifestyle choices for more than 5 years in the Chicago region. Two projects that she is particularly proud of are the Right Bite sustainable seafood awareness program and the Green Initiative, which she spearheaded while working at the John G Shedd Aquarium. She also practices what she preaches; living green and having fun while biking, composting, avoiding toxins, growing food and building community. In her current role as the Director of Education and Outreach at Evanston's Healthy Green Goods, Cecelia combines her passion for resource conservation, local resiliency and human biology.
Cecelia is a trained doula focusing on the complete spectrum of maternity support - preconception, pregnancy, labor and post-partum stages. Cecelia has nannied professionally for over 15 years, and while not yet a biological mama, she is focusing on preparing her body and home with her partner, Phil.
Known to friends as the queen of concoctions, Cecelia is constantly mixing, blending, or brewing local, organic foods to eat, drink or put on her skin. She's most proud of her experiments and recipes for deodorant, hair conditioner and carrot cake cookies.
Cecelia on at work in the Bahamas!
Kari McLennan, LEED AP
Before starting with the Green Mama, Kari worked in the green building industry for 3.5 years with Greenmaker Supply (now Green Depot) and Eco Tec Insulation. Her career started as the assistant manager in a health foods store before she moved to California to become the assistant manager of a green lifestyle and renewable energy store in L.A. There her passion took root and she has been inspired ever since to find the best solutions and products for eco-conscious and chemical-free living. In Chicago, she has been an active participant in the green community through her work with the Foresight Design Initiative since it's inception in 2002. First as a volunteer, then as a board member and manager for the popular monthly event, Green Drinks.
Kari's experience with children comes from work in day care centers, two independent educational toy stores and as a camp counselor for three summers. She and her husband are looking forward to starting a family in the very near future!
In her free time, you can find Kari practicing yoga at Self Centered Yoga, creating something new in the kitchen, or sharing the road with her husband as they ride their motorcycles up to Wisconsin (or beyond!)
As a consultant and educator, her specialties include green building materials, green product selection for retail or online stores, green practices for day cares and small businesses, and green parenting practices.
Kari on a five alarm playdate.