Molly McKinley is the TriangleMom2Mom mom of the week. Earth Day is Wednesday and Molly has a company selling eco-friendly products for kids.

Here's Molly ...

Mom2Mom: Tell us about yourself.

Molly: I am a work-at-home mom of three kids ages 5, 3, and 2. We moved to the Triangle almost 7 years ago from San Francisco when my husband returned to school to get his PhD from Duke in biomedical engineering. Even though he completed the degree years ago, the Triangle felt like home to us and we stayed.

Six years ago, when I was pregnant with my first son, I was commuting back and forth from Durham to San Francisco as an exec for a high-tech PR firm. The frequent transcontinental travel was brutal and I began to make strides towards building my own local company. I knew I wanted to do something creative so I started designing women’s and children’s products for myself and others. Earlier this year, after an inspired lunch with my son at his preschool, I came up with my latest product called Happikins, www.happikins.com, which are kid-friendly cloth napkins.

While at his school, I noticed the kids comparing fun, brightly colored paper napkins which was great, until they collectively crumpled them up and threw them in the garbage can. My mind starting turning and thinking about all the waste that was being generated in schools across the country. Since then, I’ve learned that an average-size elementary school generates about 18,760 pounds of lunch waste each year and I’m committed to doing my part to teach moms how to pack a waste-free lunch.

Remembering the enthusiasm of the kids with the colorful paper napkins, I knew my product had to be fun so kids would actually like to use them. I even designed a pouch that could store the dirty Happikin. The pouch has a special spot to write notes or draw pictures to my kids with dry erase marker, so I could let them know I was thinking of them while we’re apart. I’m very proud of this product and am glad that we’re part of the larger movement of encouraging people to make small changes that will have a huge impact on our environment. My kids have even switched to Happikins instead of Kleenex for nose wiping. I also get emails from moms with kids who have allergies who say they use them as placemats for public dining. Great!

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite family place in the Triangle?

Molly: My favorite family place in the Triangle is the Museum of Life & Science. There is something that keeps each of my kids interested and engaged and I love the serenity of the butterfly garden. Each year we look forward to seeing “Rudolph” on the Santa train and it has become a big part of our family tradition. As members, we go at least a couple of times a month.

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite place for yourself in the Triangle?

Molly: My favorite place for myself in the Triangle is The Open Eye Café in Carrboro. I don’t get there often enough, but I love to work there with my laptop sans kids. It has the same creative vibe that I used to feel in San Francisco café’s, has great lattes, and I always get a ton of work done there.

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite ritual with your kids?

Molly: My favorite ritual with my kids is our bedtime routine. After everyone is bathed and teeth are brushed, we quietly read books together in my bed. I then tuck everyone in individually with a special song and prayer. This is the time I get loads of information about my child’s day that wasn’t shared earlier. I love to hear their sweet, sweet voices when they talk in a whisper about things on their mind. In our busy house, this is a guaranteed time to get my undivided attention and I look forward to it as much as the kids do.

Mom2Mom: What did you eat for dinner last night? Can you share the recipe?

Molly: Last night we ate Vegetarian Lasagna. The recipe is simple, it’s a meatless version of my mom’s recipe, and we always have enough for leftovers the next day. I serve it with a garden salad and fresh bread for a dinner that everyone in the family will actually eat.

1 pkg. protein crumbles
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 ½ cups fresh cut-up tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
¾ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 pkg. lasagna noodles
1 egg
1 small carton of cottage cheese
1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350°. Brown crumbles in garlic. Add tomato paste, cut-up tomatoes and seasoning. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Meanwhile boil lasagna noodles until soft. Combine cottage cheese, egg and 1/ 4 of mozzarella in another dish. In oblong baking dish, alternate layers of lasagna noodles, tomato mixture and cheese mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake 30 minutes. Enjoy.

Mom2Mom: What's your guilty pleasure?

Molly: My guilty pleasure is a hunk of a dark chocolate bar that I eat nearly every night. Since I spend most of the day shuttling my kids, I don’t usually start work until after they are in bed. I’m tired but get the kick I need with some dark chocolate and a cup of green tea every night around 8 p.m. Does Facebook count as a guilty pleasure? If so, count it as well.

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