Green Options

Kids for Saving Earth is an environmental education site that offers great curriculum for teachers, mentors, and parents to teach kids more about protecting the earth. Kids can learn about animals, global warming, how their environment affects their health, and much more. The curriculum is bright, fun, and a great tool for helping kids learn more about protecting the earth. And right now, you can get a free membership.

Kids for Saving Earth is a non-profit organization that was founded as a small club by Clinton Hill, an eleven year old boy that loved the earth and could not understand why people would hurt it. After dying from cancer at a young age his parents established Kids for Saving Earth to carry on what he had begun. Years alter Kids for Saving Earth is still going strong, providing education and inspiration for kids who care about the Earth.

It used to be a common sight, rows of clothing and sheets flapping in the wind along clothes lines. But as electric and gas dryers became more popular fewer and fewer families used the wind to dry their clothes. And unfortunately more and more areas decided that the environmentally friendly clothes lines were more a nuisance than anything.

According to an article in the LA Times however line drying your clothing may be becoming popular again. And with celebrities such as Olivia Newton-John and Rachel Bilson doing it too using a clothes line might stand a chance of making a real comeback. With the stats on just how much power using electric clothes driers takes up, it’s really no wonder that more and more families are looking for a environmentally safer alternative.

Dirt used to be the only place for kids to play, before we concreted most of it up. As recent news has shown playing in the dirt and grass actually made kids healthier a lot of parents are tossing their kids back into the yard for some old fashioned fun. That’s where the book I Love Dirt by Jennifer Ward comes in.

This is one of my favorite books of ideas for getting kids outside and playing. I Love Dirt is more of an activity guide, featuring 52 wonderful ideas for kids ages 3-8 to get out in nature, explore, and even learn something along the way. The various activities span the entire year, covering ideas for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. No matter if your kids are in the middle of a city, out in the suburbs, or already enjoying the country side you will find something worth doing. I love that Ward also included little “Help Me Understand” sidebars for adults to help us explain the science aspects of nature.
“Here is the potential for much fun, many meaningful experiences—and a trove of shared stories.”

With the recent scare of mercury in high fructose corn syrup many parents are worrying about the foods they have been feeding their children. Sweet snacks and treats are large concerns as they often contain a large amount of the potentially dangerous substance. Many parents are now looking for alternative foods they can feel comfortable giving their children. Companies that do not use high fructose corn syrup in their foods, such as Newman’s Own Organics, are becoming even more popular due to this new health risk.

However, parents can go an extra step and choose to make their own treats rather than buy prepackaged foods. Not only is this healthier and often less risky, it also cuts out the negative effects of packaging and transportation. One favorite healthy treat in my house is Black Bean Brownies.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, if you haven’t thought about what to give your sweetheart yet then it is time to get ready. On top of picking out the perfect gifts to give, you also have to consider just how green your Valentine’s Days gifts are. From chocolates to flowers there are environmentally friendly gift alternatives to help you add a little green to cupid’s arrow. Here are the top 5 green Valentine’s Day gift ideas for you to give.

What if that empty milk jug you just tossed into the recycling bin could be made into a fun toy for your kids to play with? Now it can, thanks to an amazing toy company called Green Toys Inc. This amazing toy company out of California creates cute and colorful children’s toys from recycled plastic milk jugs. creating toys that really are green in so many ways.

We believe the world would be a much better place if everyone said “please” and “thank you”, cell phones didn’t ring during movies, and all toys were fun, safe, and made from environmentally friendly materials. Since it’s probably no use holding our breath for those first two, we’re concentrating on the toys.

Green Toys Inc strives to be eco-friendly from start to finish. First their toys are made from recycled milk jugs and other environmentally friendly materials. Second, everything is local to their business in California. They are made 100% in the USA, reducing the fuel and energy use that transporting the toys or materials would use. And as they mention on their site the toys are made in California, a state known for strict toy safety and environmental laws. Even their packaging is recycled and environmentally friendly!

Despite the common idea that you need to be wealthy to really be green, there are many ways to both save money and be environmentally friendly. One of those ways, a personal favorite of mine, is buying used instead of new. Especially when you are buying books. Choosing to buy a used book rather than a new one saves a tree, lessens the impact from printing the book, and if you buy it from a local used book shop lowers the impact that shipping has on the environment.

But what about renting books? The Netflix CEO is taking the rental idea from movies to textbooks. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars buying new textbooks for a class you will only be in half the year you can now rent them for a fraction of the cost. It is definitely something I wish had been around when I was in college.

In an effort to be healthy, environmentally friendly and save a little money I usually try to make most of our meals myself. However, there are still those days when I am too tired, ill, or just in a rush and having a prepackaged meal to eat is the easiest thing to do. That’s where Contessa Green Cuisine comes in.
What is Green Cuisine?
Contessa’s slogan is “Eat Responsibly” and they strive to help people do just that by operating out of one of the world’s first LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certified frozen food manufacturing plants. The Contessa Green Cuisine plant uses a solar panel array that reduces their carbon dioxide emissions, a water heating system that runs on the waste heat created from their refrigeration compressors, a special loading dock design that reduces the amount of lost refrigerated air and energy, and variating motors that allow them to minimize energy use. These are just some of the ways that Contessa’s Green Cuisine plant strives to be more environmentally sound.

Despite the cold weather outside, seed catalogs are starting to arrive in the mail and making promises of the spring to come. If you are like me the idea of getting outside and digging in the dirt makes you giddy with joy. Of course, you don’t have to hog all that fun for yourself. Getting dirty, digging holes, and watching new little plants bloom make gardening with kids double the fun.

Getting kids involved in gardening is very easy to do, no matter if you have a huge yard to grow things in or are using pots on the balcony of you apartment. Even children as young as two can help with basic gardening tasks such as watering, planting, and pulling weeds. Begin by letting your little one in on the planning of your garden. Whether you are growing vegetables or flowers, letting them pick out some of the plants will make kids even more involved. Older children might even enjoy having a small garden of their own. A simple 3 foot by 3 foot square is big enough to grow nearly anything and yet still small enough for kids to manage on their own. Indoor gardeners could give their children a few pots or an entire window box of their own to care for.

Now that the presents have all been opened many houses are covered in torn pieces of wrapping paper, ribbons, and tags. You can gather it all up and toss it in the recycling bin, or reuse it yourself for some recycled craft fun. Recycle your used wrapping paper into thank you cards to let people know how much you loved their gifts. Making handmade cards like these is just one way to create special memories in your family.