Climate change. Global warming. Sustainability. These were the buzz words of 2007. Most people now accept that global warming is a reality and are faced with the seemingly overwhelming task of minimizing their carbon footprint. Two Portland moms are trying to help parents make those changes one step at a time through their Weblog, EnviroMom.com. Launched in February 2007, EnviroMom emphasizes 'baby steps' as a method for embracing larger lifestyle changes.

Heather Hawkins and Renee Limon are neighbors, best friends and stay-at-home moms to young children. They are not environmental experts. Like most parents, they are concerned about raising their children in a healthy manner, in a healthy world. After launching their popular Portland parenting blog, ReadySetMom.com, in 2006, they decided to start EnviroMom, which documents their own journeys into greener living while encouraging other parents along the way.

"We are big on small steps," says Limon. "We want to show people that they don't have to make a bunch of changes all at one time. There is a lot of information out there about all the things people should be doing. We just try and reassure people that they can tackle one small step at a time, and then move on the next."

Some of the features on EnviroMom include a series called Outdoor Kids, which shares ideas for getting children out in nature and enjoying their local environment. KidTips are ideas used by Hawkins and Limon or submitted by readers that suggest ways to teach kids environmental awareness. But one of the most powerful ways to change one's habits, according to Hawkins and Limon, is to get together with other parents and talk. "We call them 'GreenGroups' and they are small, informal gatherings of moms (or dads) that meet at a coffee shop or community center and share ideas and brainstorm solutions to one another's eco-friendly living challenges," says Hawkins. "The women in my GreenGroup have inspired most of my own changes and have become a great, supportive network." There are currently two GreenGroups in Portland and one just across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington. Hawkins and Limon will help other parents establish and publicize their own groups, or hook them up with an existing one.

While the blog is based in Portland and often discusses local events and organizations, much of the content is broad enough to be useful to anyone. The site currently attracts over 6,000 readers each month, many from around the globe.

Visit online at www.enviromom.com