In December, Lynn’s dad/Corey’s granddad passed away, two weeks short of his 100th birthday. This will be the first Father’s Day we’ll share without our beloved “Grandpal.” How to honor him? We’ll gather his great-grandchildren together and re-tell the stories he shared so many times, about his days at Camp Utopia when his boat got stuck on Rattlesnake Rock or the time he was chased by a bear. Whether they’re true (or partially), or embellished (for sure), doesn’t matter. Remembering how his eyes lit up as he recounted his adventures will be enough. We’ll sing a few of his favorite tunes (though none of us can play any song on the piano as he did, in the key of C), and salute him by savoring his favorite apple cobbler. We won’t be buying Grandpal a gift this year, but we’ll plant colorful perennials in his honor and understand that each Father’s Day from now on will be about remembering.

-Lynn and Corey Colwell, mother-daughter duo and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family.

The eternal question: How I can stay fit, be outside, get enough exercise and juggle parenting? This Mother’s Day I told my husband that I was mowing the lawn, and that he was in charge of the kids. We recently moved into a new suburban neighborhood in Washington DC and as a result we have to keep up with the “lawn Olympics.” This is what my husband and I refer to as the compulsive need to have the perfect manicured lawn and garden, with all the accessories to manage it. While many of our elderly neighbors have lawn service, our younger generation tends to fend for themselves.

What I have noticed is that while much of the gardening is a shared task between the genders, the actual lawn mowing is most often the male’s “job.” I vote to change that. Not only was my Mother’s Day mow relaxing and meditative (good music on my Ipod), I burned somewhere around 900 calories! And I made Vitamin D in the process from the sun. Mowing the lawn can burn anywhere from 350-500 calories per hour depending on the speed you move and your body weight. There really is no reason why this chore needs to be male dominated.
In fact, I think I finally realized why men find such joy in this. I would take it any day over vacuuming or sweeping dusty floors inside. I am always looking for an excuse to be outside, why not get exercise in the process?  Maybe for Father’s Day this year, tell your husband you are treating him to a morning with the kids while you mow the lawn for him. He will think you are doing him a favor!

– Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.