The Cycling Mum

I'm pretty noticeable around my local area, as I wear a high-vis vest with "mum" on it, and ride a long orange bike. Here I will answer some of the questions I am often asked.  

That is an unusual bike, did you make it?  Is it electric.

I didn’t make it.  It is a Yuba Mundo cargo or utility bike from the USA.  You can get electric ones, however my bike is chocolate-powered.  We call it ‘Rocket’.

Where did you get your bike?

Daryl, from Maungaraki imports them and sells them from a cycle store in Upper Hutt.  I found his website, cargobikesnz, on the internet when I was researching my options.

What do you use it for?

I originally got it because I was sick of pushing a buggy around! I’d been doing it for 6 years and would estimate I was covering over 1000 km a year.  That is because I prefer to use active transport, like cycling or walking, for short trips.  I didn’t expect my young children to cover the distances I was, so needed something for them that I could power.  We have also used a kiddy bike trailer, but I have found the cargo bike much easier to use and park.  My kids mostly cycle and scoot themselves now, but I still use my cargo bike and love the fact that I can put so much on it, and thus use my car even less.

Why did you choose that bike?

It has room for my youngest child plus cargo like bags, shopping, etc.  Or I can take two kids on it.  You can hear us coming when that happens, as my son gets very very excited!  It is easier to use, maneuver and park than a trailer, although we did like the trailer for safety of toddlers and adventures.

How far have you cycled?

On this bike I only really cycle around the Hutt because it is hard to manage a puncture on the rear wheel.  But on other bikes I have had many cycling adventures in NZ and overseas.  I’ve cycle toured in NZ, Australia, Slovenia, Scotland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Vietnam.  That was before kids!  With kids, we’ve done the Central Otago Rail Trail, and recently I did the Nelson Great Taste Trail on my folding bike.

Where do you cycle?

On this bike I cycle around the Hutt.  I use my bike for school runs, errands, appointments, library trips, and my market shopping.  On my own I use the road any river trail.  With kids I will often use the footpath, depending on traffic and destination.

Why do you cycle?

Because it is good for me and for the planet.  

Do you have a car?

Yes I do, but I prefer to keep it for longer trips and occasional use.  For short trips I like to use my feet or bike.  It is great not to have to bother with parking!  Plus I get fresh air, exercise and a greater sense of community.  I find it a bit sad when really little kids ask me “Don’t you have a car?”, it is like they have no concept of getting around other than driving/being driven.  

Is it safe?

I’ve certainly had my moments, but mostly it is fine.  It is important to cycle confidently and be visible.  I wish there were more cyclists and more facilities for cyclists.  Anytime a motorist gets angry, aggressive or impatient, I just wish they would vent their feelings by campaigning for more facilities for cyclists.  If they don’t want me on the road then get me a cycle path!  There is a six-times return on investment for any amount spent on cycling facilities, so we all win!

Do you cycle on the footpath?

When I am with my kids I often cycle on the footpath.  I really don’t like doing this, but must put their safety first.  I’d like to invite anyone who doesn’t like cyclists on the footpath to send a letter to the council requesting safe, connected, separated cycle paths, especially around schools, train stations and the CBD.

What would you say to anyone who wants to try cycling more often?

I’d say get the right gear and give it a go.  There are great ‘Cycle Ready’ skills courses you can do.  You have nothing to lose and so much to gain!  And if cycling doesn’t appeal, just try walking more.  It is so good for you and your whanau.  

Plastic Free July

Plastic free!… now that is an idea I love!  What is it? How do you do it?

“The challenge is quite simple...attempt to refuse single-use plastic during July.

Plastic Free July aims to raise awareness of the amount of single-use disposable plastic in our lives and challenges people to do something about it. You can sign up for a day, a week or the whole month and try to refuse ALL single-use plastic or try the TOP 4: plastic bags, water bottles, takeaway coffee cups and straws.

Join thousands of people from over 70 countries saying NO to single-use plastic this July.”  From: Plastic Free July.  

"Think about it...why would you make something that you are going to use for a few minutes out of a material that's basically going to last forever. What's up with that?"  - Jeb Berrier, BagIt movie.

So why refuse, why not just recycle?

Currently only 5-10% of the plastics produced are recycled, 50% end up in landfill and a lot of the rest ends up in our waterways and oceans.  

“Every piece of plastic ever produced still remains somewhere in the earth today. In the last half of the 20th century over 1 billion tonnes of plastic was produced. This figure has already doubled in the first ten years of this century (Scientific American).”

But how? Here are some ideas I use in my own life.

1. Plastic Bags.  I use reusable shopping bags.  I have lots of them strategically located near my bike, near the car keys, in the car, in my bags.  I make sure I always have one with me by hanging one (which packs into it’s own little pocket) from the outside of my handbag.  That way it is ‘in sight and in mind’.  For grocery shopping I take my reusable bags with me.  For market/fresh produce shopping I take a stash of plastic fruit and vege bags with me and reuse them until they fall apart.  Once I’ve run out of those I will move to using lightweight fabric/net bags for my fruit and vege.  When I get home I unpack my fruit and vege and then put the bags back into the stash with my market basket, ready to use again.
2. Water Bottles.  I’m tight, I don’t like to buy water.  But I do like to drink a lot of it.  Solution: strategically located reusable water bottles: in my handbag, on my bikes, in the car, in my gym bag, in the kids lunchboxes, etc.
3. Takeaway coffee cups.  Drink mindfully! - try and make your coffee break a real break, sit in the cafe, take time to enjoy your coffee from a reusable cup.  If you have to grab and run, keep your own travel cup in the car (a stash of them if need be; you can nearly always find them at the salvos.  Many of them are thermal and will keep your hot drink warm too!  If you end up with disposable cups, then use them for planting seedlings ready for your spring garden.
4. Straws.  Yes these are fun, and my kids will tell you everything tastes better with a straw.  So here is how to kill two birds with one stone.  Get those reusable shaped crazy novelty straws.  Tell your kids the only way to keep them clean and healthy for reuse is to only drink water from them.  Voila, no plastic straw waste and kids are drinking the best drink of all!
5. ClingWrap, Food packets, Zip Lock Bags.  These often lurk in lunchboxes, then blow around the playground, then get washed down the drain, into the stream, then into the ocean.  But at least your kids get lunch treats that you missed out on right?  And you save at least two whole minutes every morning.  Yes, rant rant, I hate food in little packets, and next to that I hate glad wrap and plastic bags.  There is a whole world of ideas out there to help you achieve a rubbish free lunch box.  And whilst you are at it, you could knock a fair bit of sugar and salt out of their diets too.  Next year obesity is set to overtake smoking as the nation's biggest health problem.  Don’t set your kids up for a life of weight watching; get them used to healthy eating now!  Remember it was party/treat food for a reason - because it is lovely to have sometimes!  Check out this post for ideas.  And Eastern Hutt Schools EnviroKids have some great observations and suggestions also:

So whether it is islands of plastic trash in our oceans visible from space, beautiful sea creatures tangled in and poisoned by plastic, concern for renewable resources, or your own health concerns; you have plenty of reasons to nudge your comfort zone, stretch your convenience muscles and power up your positivity and try out a plastic free July.  And hopefully you will form a fabulous new habit or five!

And here is a school holiday idea: Grab some buckets or sacks and head for your local beach, park or riverbank.  Pick up us much rubbish as you can: maybe make it a race of contest with prizes.  Talk about where the rubbish comes from.  

Healthier Greener Lunch Boxes - Nude Food

I have a pet hate.  Well, I have a few actually, but a biggie is little packets of food.  You know, single server crackers, raisins, museli bars, yoghurt, chippies etc.  Why don't I like it? Isn't it convenient?

'convenience' costs money
'convenience' costs the environment (boy am I sick of all those packets floating around the footpath and playground!)
'convenience' costs our kids - getting in the way of them developing healthy food habits for life

Take a quick look at the alternative!
Here are some examples: healthy lunch and morning tea for two children, one at school, and one at preschool (purple lunchbox).  For a new entrant, packing lunch and morning tea separately makes things a bit less confusing!  For the preschooler, morning tea is provided at pre-school, but often she doesn't eat stop to have it, so extra food is provided with the lunch sandwich roll.

Still need convincing? Lets break it down:

1.  Cost
Here are a few simple comparisions to get you thinking

Yoguhrt.
Yoghurt mix, e.g. easiyo, costs approx $4.70 and makes 1 kg yoghurt makes 8 serves, so $0.60 each.
A six pack of yoghurt tubs (750g) costs an average of $4.  So $0.66 each.
An extra saving: have you noticed that the average pot of yoghurt is too big for many kids, especially preschoolers.  A lot gets thrown away, and an open youghurt container makes a big mess in the lunch box or bag. 
Conclusion: Packing your own, in the right quantity for your child,  in a resealable and reusable container saves waste and money.

Biscuits
A 10 pack of tiny teddies is $4.55, so $0.45 each for 25 grams.
No name tiny teddies are $1.90 for 200 grams, so that is $0.24 cents for 25 grams.  That's almost half price!
Again, the savings may be more if your child doesn't eat a whole pack.   You can add variety with different types of biscuits, and ensure the serving size is appropriate and healthy.

Crackers
'Shapes' 10 pack for $6.27, that is $0.63 for 25 grams
'Shapes 160gm box is $2.85, so that is $0.44 for 25 grams.

Raisins
18 little boxes of 14 grams each are $0.19 per box
A 250 gram pack, split into 14 gram serves work out at $0.13 per serve.

I could go on, but you can work out many examples yourself with a calculator.

2.  Environment
It boils down to too much packaging.  All those single packs come with plastic on the outside, and little plastic packs on the inside.  It is not recyclable.  It blows around like crazy and ends up in our water ways.  It is bulky with a lot of air, so costs more in terms of transportation costs too.
Then there is waste, and the concept of wasting food.  Simply put, when you pack your own food you can better control the serving size and match it to your child's need.  And a reusable container is also resealable, so they can eat according to their needs and 'save some for later'. 

3.  Health
So many of those pre-packaged 'convenient' products are full of sugar and salt.  They are poor dietry choices and they give our children a 'taste' for unhealthy food.  Remember the ultimate 'convenience' food is fresh fruit!!! It comes in it's own individual servings and consumable or compost-able wrappers!

Crackers: If you take some time to compare the sodium levels of different crackers, you will find better choices that flavoured ones like 'Shapes'.  CornThins in particular are great.  If you get your child started with the healthier crackers at an early age, they will not desire the other ones.  My kids detest flavoured crackers as their tastebuds are used to plainer options.

Muesli Bars:  Oh boy, I could write so much on this topic.  Suffice it to say that many of the muesli bars are less healthy than biscuits or cakes!!!  So much fat and sugar.  If they are low fat you can bet they are high sugar.  The serving sizes cater for an adults needs.  Many have too much sodium too.  Healthier alternatives include: fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit, corn thins, plain biscuits, breakfast cereal.

Serving Sizes: Some of those little packets of biscuits just have too many in them for one child.  Sugar satiates quickly, leaving them with little appetite for healthy food that they need to ensure they get all the vitamins, minerals and energy they need for health.

Be encouraged!:
You don't have to turn into Martha Stewart and do home baking!
You don't have to eliminate treats.  We buy little packets of stuff when on holiday and this keeps the kids from feeling deprived.
You are in charge.  Just because a packet of biscuits or crackers or whatever is open, doesn't mean they will just disappear.  If that is happening, think about your role as grown up in the house and make sure you are really in charge and not the kids!  If your partner eats them all, then just buy ones he/she doesn't like!
Start early - right from first foods!  Study those dietry panels and choose options with low sugar and sodium.
Don't get sucked in!  Just because some products are marketed for kids doesn't mean it is suitable for them in any capacity other than a very occasional treat.
It does not take long to chuck some food into little containers or a divided lunch-box.  I can do it in less than 5 minutes for two kids.   Your kids health is worth it!

So get geared up, buy and name some little containers, or divided lunchboxes, and introduce your family to a healthier and more environmentally way of eating out!