I love writing about wonderful stores that cut out the junk and feature natural, organic, and overall creative toys that promote open play without sacrificing your wallet. Started by a mom with a “wild child” who loves the outdoors, Wild Dill carries playtime and clothing lines that feature the magical green elements - soy fiber, bamboo, organic cotton, and are fair trade. They feature such lines as Barefoot, a fair trade animal doll company out of Sri Lanka; the adorable clothing line Jasper Hearts Wren; and the new (and often hard to find) Green Toys line, made from recycled milk jugs (go for the tea set!) There’s also a well thought out Gifts section, that will help you find the perfect present for the bug-bird-water-loving, rocking, artistic kid of yours!

This week, I’m so happy to offer a $35 gift certificate to Wild Dill for one lucky winner! Please leave a comment at this post with an answer to this (possibly) simple question - what is your favorite Wild Dill product? If you sign up for their newsletter, get 15% off your next order with a discount code that will be emailed to you. Sweet! This giveaway will close on Friday, June 6th at midnight, PST. Good luck!

This contest is now closed!  Thanks to everyone for entering! 

Now that the summer is almost upon us, I thought I’d restart my “Weekend Outing” posts on Thursday. Who doesn’t need ideas about how to keep busy during the steamy, lazy days of summer? This week, let’s head over to the awfully steamy city of Houston, where the Children’s Museum is hosting a special exhibit called “My Home Planet Earth“.

My Home Planet Earth tells the story of Riff and Rosie, squirrels on a mission to find out who and what is polluting their home! Kids act as sleuths uncovering environmental issues through hands-on science. Activities include -

Rosie’s Tree House - Kids learn about allergies and indoor air quality; explore lung functions; and see dust mites under microscopes.

Marigold Marsh - Play games to learn how animals are affected by water pollution; “fish” for pollution clues; and gather samples from the water to determine what’s polluting Riff and Rosie’s habitat.

There are over 25 hands-on activities in the “My Home Planet Earth” exhibit, as well as ton of wonderful other ways to entertain your kids for at least part of an afternoon. The museum’s EcoStation, an outdoor, activities-based exhibit with puppet shows and crafts, will reopen in June. There’s also free admission on Thursdays from 5-8pm, and weekend hours will be expanded for the summer!

Can I mention again how much I love Twitter? I’ve met some wonderful moms on Twitter, and have also been introduced to some amazing writers who have inspired me to explore my own writing and writing purpose. I wanted to highlight a few of them today, since I know so many of my loyal fans are writers and bloggers themselves. I hope these websites can bring your insights as well into your writing and your life!

Words for Hire - Karen Swim (don’t you love her name?) is the CEO of a targeted writing and marketing firm. Aside from being a perpetually cheerful and positive person, Words for Hire is Karen’s way of giving readers back a bit of her experience, which turning a mirror to you. Karen always asks readers focused, important questions about the roadmap of life. I look forward to getting her daily post in my inbox every evening - they give me a great reason to go to sleep thinking about how I can be a better writer and person. Follow Karen Swim on Twitter.

ProBlogger - If you’re a blogger who wants to make money, Problogger should be your first stop. Darren Rowse leads a group of writers as they guide you through the AdSense process, tricks for improving your blog, business blogging, and much more. Problogger is often a bit technical for me, but I do like the articles that highlight networking with other blogs, building blogging relationships, as well as many, many links to job boards and other freelance websites. Follow ProBlogger on Twitter.

The Writing Journey - For more personal insights into writing, I really enjoy Bob Younce’s really helpful, no-frills posts. As Bob puts it, he’s “helping internet writers to acheive their dreams”.  From fiction to internet writing, The Writing Journey reminds you that, whether writing is a job or a labor of love for you, it is truly a journey to be navigated! Follow Writing Journey on Twitter.

How Not to Write - Jamie Grove is a self-described “cheery fellow” (seriously, he told me himself!), and his blog about writing, rejection, and redemption really shows how well he handles the often-rocky road of writing.  It’s wonderful to read about someone else’s writing process, book reviews, and of course What Not to Do When Your Story is Rejected.  Follow How Not to Write on Twitter.

Air pollution and asthma go hand and hand, as asthma rates in children have risen alarmingly in recent years - often blamed on exposure to environmental pollutants, absence of green space in cities, and a myriad of other reasons. Studies have shown that children in inner cities have it worse than suburban kids - often at a rate three times higher - and, combined with poor health care options, asthma has become a major problem in urban environments.

That being said, shouldn’t a new inhaler that lacks cholorfluorocarbons (CFCs) be applauded? CFCs have been removed from almost 100% of products, such as aerosol cans, and as of December 2008, no new albuterol inhalers with CFCs will be available. After reading the article titled “It’s Not Easy Breathing Green,” written by Gregg Mitman at the Huffington Post, the idea of this seemingly responsible device brings with it an alarming concern. These new inhalers, called HFA (for hydrofluoroalkane) - while better for the environment - are much more expensive than their CFC-laden counterparts. According to the AAAAI (American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology), the new inhalers cost consumers $30-$60, up from $5-$25. And this is WITH a prescription!

So, here we are with a green predicament. For inner city and kids in poorer neighborhoods who lack insurance and proper medical assistance, it’s widely believed that they will be the last to receive these new inhalers. While supporting advances in medicine can, in turn, help the environment, how can we leave out a crucial group of people - kids, in this instance - who need the medicine the most? This is not the “Whole Foods is so expensive” debate - food co-ops and farmers markets allow people to buy fresh food and products without breaking their banks. Aside from bringing in a ton of $$ to pharmaceutical companies (Mitman’s article explains that asthma meds account for 20 percent of GlaxoSmithKline’s $35 BILLION in profits for 2005), what good is this really doing? Sort of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” theory?

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance can help if you need it; search for programs by state or pharmaceutical maker. A blog called Smoke Rings, Coffee Stains, claims that the new HFA inhalers is a “forced switch,” that they simply don’t work as well as the CFC inhaler, and this passionate petition also claims that the new inhalers may do more harm than good, physically as well as financially. How about asking major pollutant creators to foot the bill, since it’s their waste that’s creating the mess in the first place? If you or your child has asthma, please talk to your doctor about HFA inhalers, and how they may affect you out of pocket. And please pass this info along - this is too serious to not tell your friends and family about, for eco reasons as well as the health of your children!

For many, Memorial Day weekend signifies the official start of summer - here in Florida, it’s been scorching hot for weeks, but we’ll take the long weekend all the same! This is the time to hit the beach, the trails, backyard barbeques, and many other places where bugs are just waiting to eat you and your kids up. So, to celebrate bug season, I thought I’d highlight some new natural bug repellants and sunscreens I’ve seen making their way on the market lately.

Burt’s Bees - We use a lot of Burt’s Bees products in our home, and I love their sunscreen. My kids can’t stand the sunscreen sprays - they’re sticky and messy, and if I reapply it outside, it usually sprays everywhere but their skin. That being said, Burt’s Bees line of 100% natural sunscreens contains titanium dioxide, a natural sunscreen, as well as a blend of oils and plant extracts to keep skin from drying out. They also have an Herbal Insect Repellent with rosemary, lemongrass, and citronella oils, as well as a camphor and tea tree oil Bug Bite Relief stick for the bites that annoy even the toughest kids.

California Baby - Who doesn’t love California Baby’s signature bubble baths with wands? California Baby also has a wonderful line of sunscreens and insect sprays that are natural, hypoallergenic, tear free, waterproof, and made with essential oils. Many of the products are completely fragrance free, for sensitive kids, and come in either sprays, lotions, or even sticks. Check out their Suncare Basics Tote for a great sampling of their outdoor products!

Don’t Bite Me! Patch - I’m getting a sample of these babies next week, so I’ll do a more detailed post about it then. What’s interesting about the Don’t Bite Me Patch is, instead of an additional spray to pile on, it’s a clear, transdermal patch you wear. Vitamin B1, a natural insect repellant, is absorbed into your skin and covers your whole body. It’s DEET free, safe for kids, waterproof, and lasts over 24 hours. That being said, we’ll be wearing ours soon!

Liquid Net - billed as “The Ultimate Insect Repellant,” Liquid Net is 100% DEET free, non-greasy, and comes in really convenient towelettes and pocket-sizes that you can carry around with you!

It’s a big world to change, but somebody has to do it - why not kids? Epic Change is seeking to make a difference, through a “pay it forward” model that doesn’t just ask people to reach into their pockets. One of Epic Change’s founders, Stacey Monk, was in Arusha, Tanzania for a few months to volunteer, and came back with her heart bursting. There, she found a small school, called Shepherds Junior Academy, a pre- and primary school of about 170 kids, which had been displaced because the landowner was selling it to a developer for a hotel. These children - in one of the most destitute countries in the entire world - were about to lose their chance at an education they may not ever regain.

Luckily, Stacey’s heart had room for all these kids, and an idea to start Epic Change. Monetarily, here’s Epic Change’s approach: they take donations, large and small, from anyone willing to chip in. They then give an interest-free loan to the targeted project. Giving doesn’t stop there, however. Epic Change then helps the organization to generate income to help pay the loan back; they then recycle the money given back to help fund another project; and so the cycle goes on. It’s a truly monumental approach to giving, much in the vein of Kiva, except you get to see firsthand the changes being made through Epic Change’s website. According to the website, Epic Change has loaned about $30,000 to Shepherds Junior - with that, an acre of land has been purchased, classrooms have been built, and classes started this past March! They have also been paid back about $500 through funds raised by a school performance - a TON of money in Tanzanian terms, and important all the same.

The best part about Epic Change (ok besides helping these beautiful children) is the effort being put into empowering kids (yes, your kids!) to take the initiative towards their own epic changes; a “Kid-Powered Revolution” as they put it. There are many suggestions for FUNdraising events, such as a LemonAID stand; a YouTube group, where kids can post short videos introducing themselves and questions to the children in Tanzania; and a Flickr group for artwork showing what makes your kids happy and sad.

When I told my five year old, normally camera shy daughter about Epic Change and making a video for kids in Africa who need a school, I could see her mind turning. It excited her to know that something as small as talking on camera can help someone across the globe feel like they have support. Please take the time to check out Epic Change’s website - there’s so much amazing information to read, and many opportunities to volunteer and get involved!

Follow Stacey Monk on Twitter

Follow Epic Change on Twitter

We moved (again, within the country, no worries) a couple of weeks ago, and had many boxes sitting in our living room. Some of them were not unpacked from Panama, so they went from Panama to a Boca garage to a Boca apartment. And after almost six months of these unopened boxes sitting around, what, do you think, made an appearance in my living room on a bright and sunny Sunday morning? Yes, it was a gigantic roach. GIGANTIC, or as my kids will tell you, it was THIS BIG (feel free to move hands as far apart as you might think is possible - they’re still debating the size). And not only was it big…it was ruthless! It crawled away from the line of boxes we had so neatly set up to actually be removed that day, right into my kitchen.

Being as eco-friendly as possible with bug products and living in Florida seem to be polar opposites. The ants and water bugs, plus other unnamed creatures, pop up anywhere and everywhere, especially living by the beach. We even had blue crabs travel to our door one summer (I know that’s not technically a bug, but it is creature-like, and NO, we did not kill them)! The only product I could find on this morning was my Orange Guard. Now, I admit, I had never tested this on roaches. It’s been my ant spray for a while, and it works pretty well to keep them away. Plus it’s water based, and all ingredients are listed safe by the EPA. That being said, I checked the bottle, and Orange Guard clearly states you can spray “DIRECTLY on roaches - Kills on contact”. What it didn’t tell you was that, if this was a Panamanian cucaracha like I suspected, it actually had the opposite effect. This THING had the nerve to saunter into my pantry, surprise attack my foot, then attempt to leave the house - all while it was being doused, no, SOAKED with Orange Guard. Nothing. What finally did this beast in was my husband’s shoe (and a lot of yelling choice words at it).

So, aside from spraying my baseboards with Orange Guard for ants, I’m on the lookout for a new bugspray that will actually get rid of the bugs. Any suggestions? I’ll be heading to Whole Foods soon to see what’s out there. The saga continues…

This month has left me with not too many posts and a lot of questions.  I’ve been wondering what direction to take teensygreen, and I’ve realized, who better to explore this with than my loyal readers whom (I hope) have an opinion of what they’d like to read and see more (and less of).  So?  Let me have it!  What would you like teensygreen to deliver - more “stuff” and fluff?  Eco-activism?  Like the balance?  Looking for something else?  I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions, and thanks so much for reading teensygreen!

Best - Stefani

While we’ve been on the subject of planting trees and saving paper, eliminating junk mail seems to be the next logical topic. That being said, I hope you’ve all been clicking on that bubbly box up top there. ProQuo is a free service to manage the unwanted junk mail that inevitably clogs your mailbox (and recycling bin!). When you sign up, ProQuo sets you up with a personalized dashboard, where you can pick and choose which publications you want to see - or never receive - in your mailbox. It includes coupons and weekly circulars; credit reporting bureaus; marketing lists; and various other junky directories.

It works like this (verbatim from Erik at ProQuo) - “ProQuo acts on your behalf to request the removal of your name from a wide variety of data broker lists, coupon books, catalogs, etc. Depending on the organization, we either electronically fill out a web site form, send an e-mail, direct them to a third-party site, or have the consumer print out and send pre-populated templates. ProQuo follows whatever opt-out procedures the organization requires. It takes one to three months, and will reduce anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent of junk mail. ProQuo is currently the No. 1 free site for reducing junk mail and managing catalogs!”

Pretty impressive! My favorite part of ProQuo is their new service specifically for catalogs. Pick which catalogs you want to opt out of - or, if you’ve been itching to browse, say, the latest L.L. Bean catalog, sign up to have it sent to you. You can change your selections at any time, and add other members of your home or additional addresses. It’s a revolutionary way to manage the mail you never believed you had control over!

As the green movement has exploded, seemingly overnight, there’s an aspect of the green consumer universe I’ve noticed becoming more and more blatant to consumers these days. Known as “greenwashing,” it occurs when a company is claiming eco, but falling way, way, waaaaaay short, often for blatant marketing purposes. An SUV company plugging cleaner gas, with kids in the commercial? Yeah, right. I’ve been getting an amazing array of press releases lately, plugging products and services that may seem green, but to me, isn’t worth hitting the “write” button. But this one needed a mention.

Last week, Mattel announced a line of accessories for Barbie - plastic, twisty-tie-stuck-to-the-plastic-coated-box, Barbie - called the BCause Collection. This limited edition line “Reuses and Repurposes Excess Barbie™ Fabrics and Trimmings to Create Fashionable and Playful Handbags, Pillows, Diaries, Totes and Other Accessories”. Seriously? Was the release written on see-through paper?

Thankfully, other bloggers picked up on this as well, as did the New York Times, which ran a story about the release via Jennifer Lance’s post on Eco Child’s Play, as well as Mother’s Jones’ Blue Marble Blog. What’s the lesson here? While owning Barbie is not a crime (goodness knows my girls have a basketful of them), falling for corporate America’s ploys to make you (and your kids, this time around) feel better about buying more stuff should be. This, I think, is at the heart of why I started writing teensygreen - while I know certain toys or products will somehow find their way into my home, it’s finding that balance that takes the most work - and is the most rewarding payoff. It’s YOUR choice, not Mattel’s. Want eco-friendly Barbie clothes? Make them! Or, let them go naked. That’ll teach you, Mattel!