I am a book person. Before I was a mom, greenie, blogger, or whatever else I can be labeled with, I was a bookworm. Last week, I was browsing my local giganto-chain bookstore (can someone PLEASE fund an indie in Boca, PLEASE) and found a beautiful book simply called People, written and illustrated by Peter Spier. Published in 1980, I had ever seen or heard of this book before now. As much as I wish this was one of my all time favories, I’m so glad I found it for my kids.
People is not a narrative. However, the book’s descriptions of how, where, and why we live the way we do flow easily and simply. “We all know that there are lots and lots of people in the world - and many more millions each year,” the book starts off. Oversized for little hands, People is chock full of detailed illustrations of, you guessed it, people from all corners of the globe. It’s a true globetrotting guide to the best of what makes each of us wonderfully different - warts and all.
What’s most amazing about People, aside from the illustrations, is the sense that you can open the book up to any page and start an important conversation with your children. I’ve seen my older daughter flipping through the book on a few occasions, and ask me questions later about something she found that intruiged her. Now more than ever, opening up a dialogue with our kids about the differences in citizens of the world, their beliefs, what they eat and how they look, is a vital step in growing up global. I hope you have a chance to find People, either at your library or local bookstore!
Ah, tweens, that fairly newly-coined phrase describing young women ages eight to thirteen - “too old for toys, too young for boys,” according to Urban Dictionary. Tween girls are a major market for product makers, but I have to say it’s been rare to find eco-stuff specific to the tween market. I really mean personal care products, like shampoos and face wash - the kiddie stuff is, well, kiddie, and are YOU ready for your tweens to invade your bathroom? Exactly.
That’s why I was psyched to learn about tweenBeauty products, made specifically with tweens in mind. tweenBeauty shampoo, conditioners, body wash and lip care are made from all-natural, organic herbal infusions and extracts. They’re also biodegradable and come in amazing scents like Grapefruit Mint, Vanilla Bean and Coconut Lime. See, not too cutesy but definitely not in the “Mom, meet my new boyfriend” stage yet. Phew!
When you think about it, this is the best age to introduce natural products to kids - it sets the tone for the rest of their lives, along with making healthy eating choices and taking care of their body through exercise. tweenBeauty also backs up their products with a site for parents only, discussing tween issues and taking steps to make this a less-stressful time in their lives.
This week, win some great goodies for the tween you love! tweenBeauty is sponsoring this giveaway with their Bath Gift Set - a hand-woven bag filled with a bottle of Orange Sherbert Shampoo, Vanilla Bean Conditioner and Pink Lemonade Body Wash! Please leave a comment here with an answer to this - what is your (or your closest tween’s) favorite tweenBeauty product flavor? This giveaway will be open until next Wednesday night, April 1st at midnight, PST. One entry per household, please, and this contest is only open in the US. The winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!
So, as much as I profess my love for Etsy on a regular basis, I also have another obsession favorite site that I have kept to myself for while. Threadless t-shirts are well priced (ie, so much cheaper), fit great, and dare I say they keep my kids way cooler. Since all the tees are designed by the “Threadless community,” it has an indie vibe that I try to keep going when buying stuff for my family. And, while Threadless tees are 100% cotton, they don’t carry an organic line - yet (which would probably bump up their prices, but that’s for another post).
For Earth Day this year, Threadless is going green, and not without a lot of noise and awesome prizes. The Threadless Loves Green t-shirt design contest is asking you, readers, crafters, artists, etc, to design a tee reflecting what green means to you. Are you a lover of organic food? Perhaps worm composting is your thing? Or maybe, like me, you love to promote being outside and just hugging trees (literally, if you’re four and an acrobat like my daughter). Whatever is your eco-passion, if you can put it into a design, Threadless wants to see it. And if you win, well, not only will your design be splashed all over the Threadless website, you can also win goodies like -
- Chosen design to be printed on American Apparel Organic tees
- A Timbuk2 Hacker Daypack bag! Pro-planet!
- An awesome gift bag of Origins Organic goods! A $275 value!
- $500 Threadless Gift Certificate (can be redeemed for $200 cash)
- $2,000 in cash!
- Some amazing goodies from the community!
The Threadless Loves Green contest is open NOW until April 6, 2009 at midnight, Central time. Check out the Submission Page for all the details (there’s a lot of technical talk there, but you’ll get the idea). This can be a great way to get your kids involved in expressing their love for being eco-friendly, so don’t be shy!
The First Family announced they will begin planting an organic vegetable garden as early as this week! Foodies, eco-families, slow food supporters and healthy eating experts are cheering. Sustainablog has a wonderful article detailing how this garden came to pass. We can’t wait to see how it grows!
If you’re wondering where the White House garden will be planted, as well as the most important factor - what foods will be grown? - Crunchy Domestic Goddess has all the details. Fifty-five varieties of seeds AND two beehives for honey? State dinners will never taste the same…I also just received a picture of the layout of the garden! I wonder if it will be included in White House tours?
The Environmental Working Group has updated their “Dirty Dozen” - the list of the fruits and vegetables contaminated the most by pesticides, and are recommended to be bought in organic form. I wrote about the list for my Filter For Good article this week.
If the Obamas have inspired you to start a family garden, or your children are old enough to want to help out, head over to this gardening post at NatureMoms! Tiffany has compiled a comprehensive guide to gardening tool sets and gear just for kids, as well as strategies to keep children involved and excited to help grow their own food!
Did you know that the ZRecs folks also have a gardening blog? It’s called Gardenaut, and I was just informed they’re going to start posting more frequently now that Spring has sprung. Definitely worth an addition to your RSS feed, even if you don’t have a family garden! Don’t forget to watch the hilarious videos of the Vegetable Orchestra!
Mother’s Day is still two months away, but it’s always a good time to think about honoring moms-to-be! I was so thrilled when the organization Operation Shower contacted me. Operation Shower “recognizes and honors the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating baby showers for pregnant and expecting military moms to be whose spouses are deployed”. Last year, Operation Shower showered more than 100 deserving women from different branches of the military with thousands of dollars worth of baby and mom gear.
Due to the success of last year’s Mother’s Day showers, OS has decided to hold an annual Mother’s Day event for the military moms-to-be whose spouses are deployed. This year, OS will be showering approximately 50 military moms-to-be on Mother’s Day weekend. The theme for the event is Boxes in Bloom (for their “showers in a box” program) and they’re planning on making the showers eco-friendly!
This Mother’s Day, Operation Shower will be hosting two showers – approximately 40 women at Ft. Hood in Texas and 10 women at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. OS will actually go to their base and host a shower. Each woman will receive a large box of goodies similar to what she would receive from a regular shower and there will be raffle items as part of the fun.
I’m more than proud to announced that teensygreen will be part of organizing this year’s eco-friendly showers! This is my first journey into the realm of green event planning. Many of these families can’t get eco-friendly baby items, either because of location or financial situation. The ability to offer 60 new babies a healthy, green start is heartwarming and exciting! You can also help in many ways: By donating money to Operation Shower; hosting your own “shower,” and sending the goods to OS for a shower in a box; or by donating goods directly to Operation Shower.
For more information, please contact me at stefani@teensygreen.com or Lena Morrissey, co-founder of Operation Shower, at lena@operationshower.org. Help support this wonderful cause and bring some “green” to deserving families!
Yesterday, you couldn’t help read about the new swing set the Obamas had purchased and installed for Sasha and Malia. The playspace is within view of President Obama’s office, and is definitely big enough to accomodate the girls as well as many friends. My first reaction was joy in seeing a kid-friendly symbol right on the White House lawn. My second reaction - is the structure eco-friendly?
The playset is built by Rainbow Play Systems, one of the country’s most widely known playset builders. The model that the Obamas chose is the “Supersized Rainbow Castle Package” (say that three times fast!). Regularly selling for almost $13,000, it’s on-sale right now for $8,999 (this is according to droolicious - I can’t find the price on the website). The Rainbow website explains that their wooden swing sets are made from 100% North American Redwood and Cedar, the “environmentally responsible choice”. That’s all well and good, but the big question is, how is the wood obtained?
The website explains: “Rainbow Play Systems has mandated that our suppliers adhere to one of two major forest initiatives. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) calls for third-party inspections of forestlands for sustainability and habitat use. Certification has been set up to certify mills to produce “Certified Lumber.” Certified means timber has been approved to be harvested under an agreement reached in cooperation with scientists, environmental groups and foresters so as not to harm watersheds around streams, wildlife, soil erosion, and to ensure no one area is over-harvested.”
Rainbow goes on to explain that the wood is not treated with toxic chemicals, but it is treated. They also say the sawmills are visited by inspectors several times a year to ensure the process remains sustainable.
So, what do you think? Did the Obamas make a good choice? Are they keeping their home green?
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Since becoming more environmentally conscious, I not only keep a lookout for eco-products, but pay close attention to how people act towards the process of going green. Whether you’re changing over your home, your wardrobe, even your diet, I believe a big part of going green is not only about making habitual changes, but the initial efforts to make these changes happen. In essence, we’re making promises - to ourselves, our families, homes, etc. - to better our world. Fortunately, there’s a website to help you recognize and prioritize which changes are the perfect fit for you.
Earth Promise is an on-line community of eco-conscious people who want to make and share the steps we take towards being greener. It’s free and easy to set up a personal profile. Then comes the fun part.
Making eco-promises is easy, right? You turn out lights when you leave a room, run the dishwasher only when it’s full, etc. But what else? The Earth Promise Starter Plan is a great way to explore what promises might pertain to you. Categories include “In Your Car,” “Personal Care,” “In the Kitchen,” and more. Or, write your own promise! If you don’t see something about, say, reusing craft materials for pillow fill, or shopping only at consignment shops, go ahead and add it. You may be surprised at who else is inspired by your efforts! The best part is, you can be reminded (via email) about your promises, so you can stay on track and manage your progress. You’ll be amazed at the little ways being greener can play a bigger part of your day!
Earth Promise’s blog is also an important element of their site, so be sure to check it out! I was honored to be a part of their “Green Guide to Grown-Up Eco-Sites,” which highlights a great group of people writing, thinking and being green. I hope you’ll sign up and make Earth Promise a part of your daily eco-reading/interacting routine. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter!
Theodor Seuss Geisel - most affectionately known as Dr. Seuss - would have been 105 years old today. As one of the most popular children’s book authors of all time, Dr. Seuss continues to influence generations of children all over the world.
Not surprisingly, the National Education Association has declared March 2nd to also be Read Across America Day! As we all know, reading to your kids is one of the most important aspects of early learning. It encourages socialization, imagination-building, a love for education, and simple, carefree bonding time. On this day, whether you read to your own children, a friend’s child or an entire classroom, the NEA wishes to ”call for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult.” And on this snowy day in many parts of the country, what better time to cozy up with a good book?
Dr. Seuss has left behind a legacy of silliness children of every age can appreciate. As an adult, I understand the meanings behind his rhyming and wordsmithing. Whether reading to my kids about Horton, feet, made-up animals, or the ever-important Lorax with his message of conservation, Dr. Seuss is a writer to be celebrate every day. Today, take some time to pore over the great Dr. Seuss library. You can also find all things Seuss at Suessville.com, a colorful and entertaining guide to Dr. Seuss and his legacy!
What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
