green child magazine

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Family Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Egg Dyeing, Naturally

Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning

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Hello! Welcome to Green Child Magazine! Green Child has already become a village of moms with one pri-mary goal, to raise healthy, happy children. I love how much I am learning from each of you! Your en-thusiasm to be a part of this project and share your knowledge has been heart warming. I look foward to raising our children together, while protecting them and their future. For new parents, this issue is full of ways to get your baby off to a green start! We have found so many amazing, eco friendly products, created by parents, and can’t wait to share them with you. We cannot thank our advertisers enough, for their support and faith in us, getting out of the gate. Many of them have also shared their stories, that we hope will inspire you as they have inspired us. Our advertisers would love to hear from you and we hope you will support them as well. While helping Mother Earth and raising our children, we have one other mission, to get every single child out of foster care and in to a place they can call home, with a family who will love them, uncondi-tionally, forever. Each issue we will feature chidren who are in seach of their very own family. You can help us by simply sharing our magazine with anyone and everyone you know. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! And again, WELCOME! Danielle

from our editor....

Danielle Sarasua / Editor [email protected] Shepherd Smith / Sales [email protected] Roberts / Art Direction & Design [email protected] photo by Aimee Roberts

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from our editor....

FeaturesCelebrating Art, Sharing Stories, Living Barefoot 10

First Annual Baby Guide 38

Benefits of Cloth Diapering 49

The Lullaby Organics Story 55

EcoFab 4Book Reviews 9, 22, 46

Great Stores 20

Crafts 23, 50

Fashion 30

Freshly Picked 37

Recipes 57

ArticlesDyeing Easter Eggs Naturally 17

Celebrating Earth Day Family Style 25

Bra Recycling Time 48

Stop Poisoning Your Home 65

Buyer Beware 69

Great Zoo Debate 73

Five Things You Can Do To Help Big 75

INEVERY ISSUE

greenchildmagazine.com

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Australian eco friendly company Apple & Bee has just re-leased their new lovebird red canvas eco tote. This col-orful new design will carry your kids stuff in style. With inside pockets and lots of compartments, this super prac-tical tote is a great choice for on the go. Apple & Bee takes an active role in promoting enviromental sustain-ability using certified organic cotton, bamboo silk, hemp, and burlap. A portion of their profits are donated to vari-ous enviromental organizations. appleandbee.com

LOVE TO TOTE • TOTE TO LOVE

Snack TaxiLooking for ways to reduce your carbon foot-print? Ditching plastic snack bags and switching to re useable bags is a great way to start. Each re useable bag you use regularly has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over the course of it’s lifetime. Snack Taxi’s are not only functional, but what kid wouldn’t love to pull these cute and stylish bags out of their lunch sack? Available in a wide variety of fabrics and 2 sizes for sandwiches and snacks. snacktaxi.com

Rockin GreenLooking for an all natural detergent that ROCKS!? Rockin Green is free of dyes, enzymes, whiteners, and brighteners. 100% phosphate free, animal by-product free, never tested on animals and biode-gradeable, with scents like , smashing watermelons and rage against the raspberries, laundry time just got a little sweeter. Rockin Green comes specially formulate for your water type in three varieties; soft rock, classic rock, and hard rock. RockinGreenSoap.com

ECOFAB

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Snack TaxiLooking for ways to reduce your carbon foot-print? Ditching plastic snack bags and switching to re useable bags is a great way to start. Each re useable bag you use regularly has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over the course of it’s lifetime. Snack Taxi’s are not only functional, but what kid wouldn’t love to pull these cute and stylish bags out of their lunch sack? Available in a wide variety of fabrics and 2 sizes for sandwiches and snacks. snacktaxi.com

HAPPYFAMILY happybabyfood.com has launched a brand new iPhone app! HAPPYBABY’s “First Alphabet Flash Cards” app gives parents an easy way to engage babies and young children at home or on-the-go. The new app is available for free on iTunes. It includes 26 colorful flashcards, each contain-ing a letter of the alphabet, vibrant illustrations of a fruit or vegetable that correlates with each of the letters and fun sound effects. Download app at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/first-alphabet-flash-cards/id408256383

Rockin GreenLooking for an all natural detergent that ROCKS!? Rockin Green is free of dyes, enzymes, whiteners, and brighteners. 100% phosphate free, animal by-product free, never tested on animals and biode-gradeable, with scents like , smashing watermelons and rage against the raspberries, laundry time just got a little sweeter. Rockin Green comes specially formulate for your water type in three varieties; soft rock, classic rock, and hard rock. RockinGreenSoap.com

STYLISH & SAFESan Fransisco based Earth-lust’s stainless steel water bottles were created by it’s founder to aid in eliminat-ing unecessary waste in her home. The water bot-tles were then placed in a few stores and they were snatched up quickly. Today, Earthlust is a large company producing water bottles with a wide range of nature and vintage style designs. Ditch the juice boxes and pack an Earthlust bottle in your kids lunch. Money will be saved, and less lands in the landfill! earthlust.com

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ECOFAB

Detox Your Mouth!Who says washing your mouth out with soap is a bad thing? Not with ToothSoap! Created by a SAHM who was searching for natural dental products to no avail, the founder stumbled across research done on using regular old soap for dental care. ToothSoap is made with whole food ingredients that let nature support the body so that it can build and repair as needed in a natural and safe manner. Non toxic, 100% sustainable ingredi-ents, and gluten free. ToothSoap is available as a liquid, whip or gel in 17 flavor varieties. toothsoap.com

Din Din Smart™ Stainless Bus Platter Kid-friendly fun shape to make mealtime fun even for the picky eaters. Five separate compart-ments – perfect for introducing the five food groups. Made with highest quality food grade type 304 stainless steel. Dishwasher safe. innobaby.com

The Total Vitamin Treat!Smarty Pants Gummy Vitamins are an all-in-one natural gummy vita-min with eco friendly omega 3’s, Vitamin D3, and a taste that will keep kids asking to take their vitamins! Founded by parents and healthcare providers unable to find a healthy, guilt free way to get their kids the nutrients they need. Not only is SmaryPants a smart choice for a safe vitamin, they give back in a BIG way. Each bottle sold is matched with a bottle donated to VitaminAngels, an organization that provides much needed nutrients to expectant mothers and kids in need around the world. Help the SmartyPants mission while keeping your kids healthy! wearesmartypants.com

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Baby FaceThe Erbaorganics travel pack con-tains all you need for baby’s skin care on the go. Non toxic and mildly for-mulated with lavender and chamo-mile, Erbaorganics products are a close second to a mini aromatherapy session in 4 tiny bottles. Erbaorganics plays an active roll in social responsi-bility by donating 15% of gross sales from their body oil and shampoo to the Worldwide Orphans Foundation. Erbaorganics.com

SAFE & NATURALBabo’s products are free of parabens, sul-fates, synthetic dyes and scents, as well as many other common skincare product tox-ins. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this company is the fact that Babo’s entire collection is made on an organic farm in up-state New York. Emphasis is highly placed on fair trade practices and supporting lo-cal industry. Available in 5 fourmulations, Babo’s scents include Lavender Meadow-sweet, Oatmilk Calendula, Berry Primrose, Rosemary Tea Tree, and Cucumber Aloe. Products range from shampoos, washes, bubble bath, leave in spray conditioners, lo-tions, and soaps. babobotanicals.com

Go Green Lunch Box This Spring Fling Set is by Go Green Lunch Box set comes with an insulated fabric carrier, a five-compartment food container, and a bottle that will hold over nine ounces of water or your child’s favorite drink – all leach- and lead-free. Turn ‘n lock technology ensures your child’s lunch stays fresh.

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Kids’ Garden40 fun outdoor activities and gamesGet outside and grow with some child-friendly fun with gardening! Kids’ Garden includes forty activities and games and an eight-page booklet that contains informa-tion on gardening tools, year-round plant care and garden safety. These step-by-step instructions are enhanced by colorful collage artwork on each double-sided card and they create a fun and easy way for budding green-thumbs to plant, investigate, learn and experiment. www.barefootbooks.com

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Celebrating Art, Sharing Stories, Living Barefoot

meet Nancy Traversy

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Celebrating Art, Sharing Stories, Living Barefoot

In 1992, two young moms with four children between them were looking for a creative career that would be inspiring to others, while keeping their children at the center of their lives. And so Barefoot Books was born. “We wanted bright, colorful books with wonderful art and captivating stories we could share as a family. We wanted rhyming rhymes, sing-along songs, and dance-along dances. We wanted tales that celebrated exotic places, magical creatures, and the wisdom of other traditions. Most of all, we wanted beautiful books that would capture the imagination, spark curi-osity, inspire creativity, and instill a respect for the diversity of the planet and for the earth itself.”

Green Child Magazine recently spoke with co-founder and CEO

of Barefoot Books, Nancy Traversy

GCM: Nancy, hi, I am not even sure where to begin! It is all so exciting! How about with your beginning. I always enjoy a great, “corporate mom turned en-trepreneur to follow her dream of raising her family while fostering a career that has benefits”! I hope other moms find inspiration in you, as you went from working in the banking division of Price Waterhouse to becoming a children’s book publisher! Tell me what motivated you to go beyond dreaming to actu-ally doing? Nancy: Tessa Strickland and I started Barefoot Books

in 1992 when my oldest child was just a few weeks old. We wanted books that would feed our children’s imaginations and help instill in them a respect for diversity and a love of the planet. We had a hard time finding books which had beautiful artwork and en-gaging stories from far off lands and which shared the wisdom of different cultures and didn’t talk down to children. So we started out on our journey to cre-ate them ourselves! Our biggest motivation was, and still is, our own children.

As a new mom and an avid explorer of world cul-tures, I was immediately captivated by the idea of creating books for children that celebrated diversity and imagination. So Barefoot Books began and we have been living and growing Barefoot for nearly two decades, always staying true to the core values and Nancy Traversy and Tessa Strickland,

Barefoot Books founders

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grassroots, community-based approach upon which the company was originally founded back in 1992.

GCM: What did the name, Barefoot Books, mean in the beginning, and over the years, how has it evolved to have a deeper meaning?

Nancy: The name Barefoot Books came to Tessa in a dream; it was an image of a barefoot child who beck-oned ‘follow me.’ In the early days and still today, Barefoot Books is about beautiful books that capture imaginations, spark curiosity, inspire creativity, and instill a respect for the diversity of the planet and the earth itself. For me, living Barefoot means creating beautiful, magical and authentic stories and art and bringing these to a grassroots, global community of people who care about how our next generation of children is raised.

Today, Barefoot Books has become synonymous with raising happy, healthy and engaged children who re-spect the planet, appreciate and honor the many di-verse cultures of our world and, most importantly, enjoy a creative, fun and imaginative childhood!

GCM: Over the past eighteen years, you have grown a worldwide business, and expanded your product line to other types of media to include fun music, educational games and even fun little finger pup-pets, (my seven-year old son has been asking for a hedgehog, SO excited to find one on your site by the way!) while raising four children at the same time!! What is your secret to balancing a stay at home ca-reer and family?

Nancy: The constant pull between work and family is always challenging. Because of the demands at Bare-foot, there are situations and times when I have to be away from my kids or can’t spend as much time with them as I’d like. My husband and four children are at the center of my life. But I also love my work and believe in what I am doing… so it can be tough some-times fitting everything into the days and weeks. The end result is a very busy, often chaotic, but always fun and energetic family dynamic. I also have four

Meet Herb, a dragon who knows how to stay true to his values even

in the stickiest of situations.

Beware of this “prickly” hedgehog in the garden.

Natural Child Gift Collection

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very independent children who, if they choose this path, will certainly be well-equipped for an entre-preneurial career themselves!

In terms of finding “sanity” time, my family goes every summer to our farmhouse in rural Southwest France, which we bought many years ago when we lived in England and had four tiny children. I work when I am there, but my kids, and more recently their friends, are around all the time, running in and out of my office, drawing, reading, playing games and hav-ing fun. I always stop for lunch every day when I am there and share time with family and friends, which is incredibly relaxing. Being in a different environ-ment with a different view and a fresh perspective is a great way to recharge my batteries and get the big picture back.

What I like about being a mom and an entrepre-neur is that my kids have grown up surrounded by hard work, creativity, energy, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Since they were very little, they were always involved in Barefoot Books in some way – stuffing envelopes, working at events, giving their feedback on artists and manuscripts. They also quickly be-came comfortable around adults as, at one point in London, I had 16 people working in my house every day.

Now, as they are older, I think they feel a strong con-nection to Barefoot Books and the important role it plays in our family life. My son, Jordie, recently re-corded the introduction and closings for our Bare-foot Books Podcast, which was lots of fun. All of our children have been involved with the opening of our new Barefoot Books Studio in Concord, MA: from helping customers find just the right book, to run-ning craft workshops, painting shelves, and greeting authors and artists who come in to do family events, our children have been very instrumental in the suc-cess of the Studio..and of Barefoot Books!

GCM: Tell me a little bit about the process of select-ing authors and artists to publish under the Barefoot Books umbrella.

Nancy: We look for authors, artists and musicians who share the Barefoot Books’ ethos and who can engage children with wonderful and imaginative stories, creative, colorful and distinctive illustrations and fun music to sing along to! We have an amaz-ingly talented team of contributors from all over the world, many of whom have also become great friends, for example, Clare Beaton (illustrator of beautifully crafted books and gifts created from felt, fabric, beads and bric-a-brac), Hugh Lupton (world renowned storyteller extraordinaire) and Miriam Latimer (playful, funny and extremely talented art-ist). At this time, our editorial program is closed as we are already hard at work developing our offer through 2012! GCM: Tell me about the Ambassador program Barefoot Books has set up to assist other moms (and dads, grandparents, educators…) in getting involved in making a little extra income for their family while promoting products all families are sure to love! Nancy: Since we started Barefoot Books back in 1992, we always believed we were more than a publisher making and selling books and trying to find the mil-lion copy bestsellers that define success and identity in the market. Instead, we wanted to be a commu-nity of people who care about how our next genera-tion of children is raised. We believed passionately that Barefoot Books could be a “lifestyle brand” and we wanted to connect as closely as possible with the parents and educators who supported us.

The Barefoot Books Ambassador Program embodies our core philosophy of creating a community of like-minded people who share our values, love what we do, and want to “live Barefoot”. In the current eco-nomic climate, families everywhere are looking for ways to supplement their income, either working full or part-time. Parents, grandparents, educators and librarians – as well as independent retailers – can join the Ambassador program to earn income, fund-raise or simply connect with others with whom they may share interests or goals. I was recently speaking

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with an Ambassador who told me that she is put-ting her two daughters through private school with the income she earns running her Barefoot Books business! I hear these types of stories every day from Ambassadors and it is extremely gratifying to be able to connect with book lovers and also empower people to run their own businesses or fundraise for a great cause.

We have a wonderfully dynamic and supportive on-line community in which Ambassadors can share ideas and questions about parenting, their business-es, and many other aspects of their lives. We also bring the Ambassadors together in person each summer for a lively conference with workshops about art, literature, and entrepreneur-ship. For me personally, building a global community of Ambassadors is one of the most rewarding as-pects about running Barefoot!

GCM: What are some titles you have that are great for families who are living a Green lifestyle?

Nancy: Every day we hear from people about how much they love our Natural Child collection. These titles are perfect for families with children of all ages and include the Yoga Pretzels and Yoga Planet activ-ity card decks filled with yoga poses the whole fam-ily can have fun with; Kids’ Kitchen activity deck featuring 40 easy and healthy recipes families can make and share together; and Kids’ Garden, with more than 40 craft and gardening activities includ-ing growing a pizza garden, planting seeds in a sock, recyclable craft ideas, and other fun ways to learn about nature through creative play.

Books such as Whole World, Who’s In the Garden?, Who’s in the Forest?, The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales, Herb the Vegetarian Dragon, and The Beeman offer Children a greater understanding of the won-ders of nature and our planet. You can check them all out at www.barefootbooks.com/shop.

GCM: How can families experience what Barefoot Books is all about?

Nancy: We’ve recently launched a Barefoot Books Podcast where some of our most beloved stories are available for families to listen to. Those can be found on iTunes/podcast/kids and family, as well as at www.barefootbooks.com/podcast. In addi-tion, we’ve come out with some lively and fun digital videos for families to enjoy, based on some of our best selling books. The videos can be found on the Barefoot Books channel on YouTube as well as at

www.barefootbooks.com/story/childrens-crafts-activities/. On this page you can also find activity sheets to help bring the Barefoot stories to life long after the book is over.

If you’re in the Boston or New York City areas, we’d love for you to visit us and experience what “living Barefoot” is really all about.. We have recently opened our brand new Barefoot Books Studio in Concord, MA, which

brings Barefoot Books to life through daily story and craft times, yoga, music, pottery and cooking classes, and a wide variety of other family workshops and events. In the Barefoot Books Boutique at FAO Schwarz in New York City, families can see our com-plete collection of books and gifts for children and enjoy daily story times at our Storyteller’s Throne! Find out more on our website by visiting www.bare-footbooks.com/story/about_us/our_stores.

We’d love for Green Child readers to connect with Barefoot Books through our website www.barefoot-books.com, where they can learn about our story, books, and complementary gifts, and also explore our rapidly expanding community of Ambassadors living Barefoot. We also have a Facebook Page with the latest Barefoot press and news. You can follow us on Twitter as well at www.twitter.com/livebare-foot. We hope to hear from you soon!

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natural & organicpregnancy • baby • children • lifestyle

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Look for all of our cereals, meals & snacks at happybabyfood.com!

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NEW! HAPPYMUNCHIES!baked organic CHEESE & VEGGIE snack

60% less sodium than the leading toddler cheese snack

Contains 25 mg choline per serving for healthy brain developmentMade with whole grain corn

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Start with hard-boiled eggs with clean shells. Use indi-vidual judgment to estimate how much of each dye stuff (see color chart next page) to use, except for spices, place a handful (or two or three handfuls) of a dyestuff in a saucepan.

Add tap water one inch above the dye stuff, or about 1 cup of water per handful of dye stuff.

Bring water to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer about 15 minutes to an hour until you like the color. Remove the pan from the heat.

Pour mixture into a liquid measuring cup. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of white vinegar for each cup of strained dye liquid. Pour the mixture into a bowl or jar that is deep enough to completely cover the eggs you want to dye.

A slotted spoon works well to lift and lower eggs into the hot liquid. Leave the eggs in the water until you like the color. Dyed eggs will not get as dark as the color in the pan, but the longer the eggs sit in dye, the darker they

will become.For a textured look, dab the still wet egg with a sponge. Eggs colored with natural dyes have a dull finish and are not glossy. After they are dry, you can rub the eggs with cooking oil or mineral oil to give them a soft sheen.If desired, before dyeing the eggs, draw shapes, pictures or inspiring words on them with crayons or a piece of wax. The wax won’t absorb the color so the designs will show through. Using a crayon, simply draw a de-sign onto your eggs and then dye as you would any other Easter egg. Your crayon design will be accentuated by your choice of dye!

Rubber bands are all you need to make tie-dyed eggs. Use a collection of different sized rubber bands. Wrap the rubber bands, one at a time, around the eggs. Make sure to leave some of the egg shell exposed so it can be dyed. Once the eggs are dyed to the color you like, re-move them from the water and let them dry. Once dried completely, pull the rubber bands off to reveal your banded design. see color chart on next page >>

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Blue

Brown or Beige

Brown Gold

Brown Orange

Green

Greenish Yellow

Grey

Lavender

Orange

Pink

Red

Canned BlueberriesRed Cabbage Leaves (boiled)Purple Grape Juice

Strong CoffeeInstant CoffeeBlack Walnut Shells (boiled)Black Tea

Dill Seeds

Chili Powder

Spinach Leaves (boiled)Liquid Chlorophyll

Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (boiled)

Purple or red grape juice or beet juice

Small Quantity of Purple Grape JuiceViolet Blossoms plus 2 tsp Lemon JuiceRed Zinger Tea

Yellow Onion Skins (boiled)CarrotsPaprika

BeetsCranberries or JuiceRaspberriesRed Grape JuiceJuice from Pickled Beets

Lots of Red Onions Skins (boiled)Pomegranate juice Canned Cherries (with syrup)Raspberriesea

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Violet or Purple

Yellow

Violet BlossomsHibiscus teaSmall Quantity of Red Onions Skins (boiled)Red Wine

Orange or Lemon Peels (boiled)Carrot Tops (boiled)Chamomile TeaCelery Seed (boiled)Green teaGround Cumin (boiled)Ground Turmeric (boiled) or Saffron

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Nest Organics | Asheville, North Carolina “Dedicated to offering organic, non-toxic and environmentallysustainable products for babies, children and the home”

Located in one of my most favorite eco conscious cities in the United States, Nest Organics is owned and operated by mother and daughter team, Truly Ball and Sarah Easterling. Truly and Sarah spent two years searching for the highest quality and most sophisticated designs in organic and sustainable products.

“We are committed to bringing consumers new choices from the practical to the elegant, for every room in your home.” Nest Organics is committed to the process of moving our culture toward conscious lifestyle practices by providing modern goods that blend function, style and sustainability. We believe the basic foundation of sustainable business is making conscious purchasing decisions that consider personal, environmental, and cultural impacts.”

Luxury organic clothing, natural skincare products, locally crafted cloth diapers, eco friendly toys, and many other hand selected items are available to help you create your eco-friendly nest. Nest Organics is a wonderful representation of Asheville’s commitment to natural prod-ucts and sustainable business practices, and a must shop when traveling to Asheville, North Carolina. Not going to be in Asheville any time in the near future, check them out online at NestOrganics.com

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Nest Organics | Asheville, North Carolina “Dedicated to offering organic, non-toxic and environmentallysustainable products for babies, children and the home”

Located in one of my most favorite eco conscious cities in the United States, Nest Organics is owned and operated by mother and daughter team, Truly Ball and Sarah Easterling. Truly and Sarah spent two years searching for the highest quality and most sophisticated designs in organic and sustainable products.

“We are committed to bringing consumers new choices from the practical to the elegant, for every room in your home.” Nest Organics is committed to the process of moving our culture toward conscious lifestyle practices by providing modern goods that blend function, style and sustainability. We believe the basic foundation of sustainable business is making conscious purchasing decisions that consider personal, environmental, and cultural impacts.”

Luxury organic clothing, natural skincare products, locally crafted cloth diapers, eco friendly toys, and many other hand selected items are available to help you create your eco-friendly nest. Nest Organics is a wonderful representation of Asheville’s commitment to natural prod-ucts and sustainable business practices, and a must shop when traveling to Asheville, North Carolina. Not going to be in Asheville any time in the near future, check them out online at NestOrganics.com

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Up, Up, UpWritten By: Susan ReedIllustrated By: Rachel OldfieldThis airborne adventure takes readers ballooning over lands near and far, all the way to the stars. The charm-ing singalong song on the accompanying CD keeps spirits high, while the rhyming and playful text introduces all sorts of settings and vocabulary-building words. Book with CD edition includes song sung by Susan Reed. www.barefootbooks.com

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make a

marble roller coasterMaterials• a flat pizza box for the base (you could also reuse a piece of foam core or

other big piece of cardboard)• strips of scrap paper and sparkly tape.• some L shaped packing edges. (We cut these down to shorter lengths

with a saw)• paper towel tubes of differing lengths, pained bright colors• craft paint for painting the background of the

marble run (the pizza box)• hot glue gun for putting it all together• glitter, stickers, etc. for decorating• two egg holders from an egg carton

Get Started!We started by having the kids paint their flat pizza box.

Then we started laying out the marble course. We would glue down a new piece, test it, and glue down the next thing. We learned quickly, that it was more exciting if it went back and forth more than just straight down, right away.

Submitted by ReCreate.org

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celebrating

earthdayfamily style

Whether or not this is your first Earth day or your twentieth Earth Day, this day is a great day to spend time with your children and teach them more about the environment around them.Our children are the leaders of the future. It is important that they learn the importance of the environment now, instead of waiting until they have grown.

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A great way to teach your children about recycling is to make crafts out of recycled material.

One great craft is creating “fossils” out of used coffee grounds. This craft will teach your children about recycling as well as give you an opportunity to talk about dinosaurs.

To create coffee ground fossils you need to mix coffee grounds, flour, salt, and a little old coffee. Once the mixture is a doughy consistency you knead it and then flatten it onto a sheet of wax paper. Next, you cut out pieces of the dough and then cut shapes and images into the dough to create the fossil. Finally you allow the fossils to dry overnight, or you can bake them if you don’t want to wait.

Another great recyclable craft, build little bugs out of recycled egg cartons, pipe cleaners, and google eyes. Just cut out the cup portion of the egg carton before you begin the craft. Give

Making Crafts from Recycled Materials

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each child an egg coup and allow them to add google eyes and pipe cleaners any way they want to create their own unique bugs. By using a little felt and recycled jars, you can create adorable animal jars. Just help your children glue the felt to the top of the jar so that you create an animal face.

You can reuse milk jugs, detergent bottles, and cereal boxes as well. Just clean out the container in advance and then allow your children to decorate the containers any way they want. If you cut the tops off you can create all sorts of things with the recycle containers.

Use clothespins and make cute butterflies to hang your chil-dren’s artwork. Or, reuse old magnets and glue to the back of the butterflies for double-duty artwork magnets!

All it takes is a little imagination.

Earth Day Quiz ShowThere are numerous online Earth day games that will teach children about picking up trash and recycling.

One fun game that you can play with your chil-dren is the Earth Day Quiz show. You can be as elaborate with your game show as you want. The basic things you need for the quiz show are cards with questions about Earth Day on them (as well as the answers) and prizes for the win-ner. Be sure to include difficult and easier ques-tions. The more into the quiz game you are, the more fun your children will have with it.

Another game you can play is the Earth Day Scavenger hunt. To play this game, create clues that leas your children to different Earth Friendly objects or areas around your home. An example for this is…” go to the container that is big and blue that reuses cans used by me and you”. Once your children find the recycling bin that this clue leads to, they will find the next clue and con-tinue on in the scavenger hunt. This game will test your children’s eco-friendly knowledge as well as get them active outside.

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More Ways to Help Mother Earth...

Signature Waste-Free Lunch KitReusable, waste-free lunch kit includes recycled cotton sack, cloth napkin, 304 food-grade stainless steel beverage bottle, food kozy and two 304 food-grade stainless steel food containers. KidsKonserve.com

Dante Beatrix’s Big Eco Pack is a fabulous backpack made from PET (100% recycled plastic bottles) with a naturally biodegradeable canvas trim. Big enough to hold books, notebooks, and a lunch sack. The exterior has a large zippered pocket, as well as two roomy pockets on each side. Durable, easy to clean, with a padded back panel and shoulder straps for your child’s comfort. This roomy backpack makes an excellent diaper bag as well. Available in a choice of recycle, peace, or heart graphics. beatrixny.com

Receive 10% off your order with the code "GCMAG"

Reusable Products For The Home, Cloth Diapers & Accessories, Baby Carriers, Baby Bottom & Skin Care, Handmade Soaps,

Handbags & Totes, Natural Art Supplies, Natural Toys

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More Ways to Help Mother Earth...

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classic.defining.organicclassics reinvented with style

MilliLee Designs

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This darling little patchwork dress is made of fabric squares stitch together to give an all American look. The dress features a satin bow tie back, and pockets in the front. Beautiful 100% cotton, and can be worn any season. Simply put a cardigan on or a long sleeve shirt underneath for the Fall and Winter, and pair with some leg-gings and boots.Price $35.00Sizes 6-9 mo., 9-12 mo., 2t, 3t, 4t, 5tmillilee.com

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DyPeas cloth diapers by MilliLee are avail-able in over 20 plus trendy cotton fabrics. These are COMPLETE pocket diapers with a hidden layer of waterproof fabric. They also feature a cozy and comfortable “stay-dry” fleece that helps wic the mois-ture away from baby’s bottom. Sizes are x-small, small and medium. Price $18.50.

Also available are DyPeas ORGANIC cloth diapers. These are COMPLETE cloth pocket diapers, as well, and feature 100% Organic Sherpa cotton next to baby’s skin. Sizes are x-small, small and medium. Price $23.50millilee.com

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the “Pocket Clothing Collection”These sweet dresses are made to bring out the personality of little girls everywhere! The back features an adorable satin rib-bon bow tie. This simple dress is made of 100% cotton and lined with soft linen.Price $33.00Sizes 6-9 mo., 9-12 mo., 2t, 3t, 4t, 5tmillilee.com

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the “Pocket Clothing Collection”These sweet dresses are made to bring out the personality of little girls everywhere! The back features an adorable satin rib-bon bow tie. This simple dress is made of 100% cotton and lined with soft linen.Price $33.00Sizes 6-9 mo., 9-12 mo., 2t, 3t, 4t, 5tmillilee.com

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The Patchwork shirtSuper cute long sleeve patchwork shirt brings out the retro in any little girl. This is a cotton shirt made of different fabrics stitched together. It comes in three differ-ent fabrics. Price $18.50Sizes3-6 mo, 6-9mo., 9-12 mo, 2t, 3t, 4t, 5, 6, 7, 8millilee.com

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Freshly Picked

Cara Cara orangeThe Cara Cara orange was first grown in 1976 on a farm in Venezuela. From its outside appearance, it looks like your typical variety of orange. Cut one open you’ll find a ruby red flesh rivaling the juiciest grapefruit. Cara Cara’s are sweet and decadent, perfect as a sauce, in salads, or sliced up as a snack for your kiddos. Organic Cara Cara’s range from 1.69-1.89 per pound, and are grown in Florida and California. In season and freshly picked at their peak during the months of December to February. Try one today! We promise you and the kids will fall in love with the Cara Cara orange.

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greenchildFirst Annualbaby guide

KushiesLooking to cloth diaper on a budget? Kushies Ultra-Light diapers are a great option for doing cloth on a dime. Ultra-Lites feature an adjustable hook and loop closure system, waterproof exterior, and 6 lay-ers of 100% cotton flannel for a complete all in one diapering option. For added protection and extra absorbancy, Kushies has added a patented built-in soaker flap. The Ultra-Lite has a trim fit with no sagging in the rear. Available in infant, 10-22 lbs and toddler, 22-45 lbs. kushies.com

SIGG Water BottlesSchool age kids want to carry their water in style, you want the water carried safely. Do both with a SIGG kids stainless steel water bottle. The EcoCare liner is made from BPA and phthalate free ingredients. Available in 10, 13, and 20 ounce sizes with multiple kid friendly designs available. mysigg.com

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greenchildVermont Soap Organics Baby Wash ShampooYou can rest easy knowing that Vermont Soap manufactures USDA certified organic baby products that are safe, nontoxic, and free of petroleum based chemicals. We care about you and your baby - we are parents (and grandparents) too! VermontSoap.com

Bubble and BeeBubble & Bee’s 100% Organic Unscented Body Butter is pure, whipped, buttery goodness. Organic shea butter moisturizes deeply, delivering essential protecting lipids to the skin, while organic coconut oil keeps the formula smooth but not greasy. Per-fect for dry skin during the winter months. Avail-able in 4oz and 8oz sizes. 100% USDA Certified Organic. bubbleandbee.com

LolliDoo Overnight Eco Pocket DiaperThe LolliDoo Overnight Eco Pocket is hands down one of the best leak proof night time diaper systems available. The recycled fleece cover is highly breatheable, al-lowing moisture vapor to escape while containing messes. The stretchy fleece can be stretched tight for a perfect fit, while internal leg elastic can be adjusted to fit each stage of growth. LolliDoo’s feature recycled stainless steel snaps that keep the diaper secured and in place. Skin layers available in organic cotton and recycled StayDry material. Customize your Eco Pocket with multiple Innies for desired absorbancy, and use alternative insert brands if desired. Made in the USA and available in multiple colors. lollidoo.com

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Birds and BeesEarthlust Birds & Bees stainless steel bottles are dent resistant, insulated, and do not leach toxins. Comes complete with a nipple for babies, a sip-py spout, and removeable handles for the toddler stage. PVC, Phthalate, and BPA free. Available in 2 styles. birdsandbeesbottles.com

LifefactoryLifefactory glass baby bottles with silicone sleeves are BPA and PVC free! Love all the fun colored sleeves! lifefactory.com

Apple Tree BoutiqueApple Tree Boutique’s custom drooler bibs are both sylish and highly functional. The absorbant layer catched the moisture, while the fleece back-ing keeps it from getting their clothes wet! 2 snap closure settings to fit from newborn to the tod-dler years. Super soft and an array of fabric pat-terns to choose from. appletreeboutique.com

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Birds and BeesEarthlust Birds & Bees stainless steel bottles are dent resistant, insulated, and do not leach toxins. Comes complete with a nipple for babies, a sip-py spout, and removeable handles for the toddler stage. PVC, Phthalate, and BPA free. Available in 2 styles. birdsandbeesbottles.com

Blissful Booty All in One diaper:Cloth Diapering for a Green Generation on the Go! Blissyful Booty diapers are an AIO (all in one) ,hook and loop closure, sized diaper sys-tem. These AIO’s are a great solution for those that may find stuffing pockets times consuming. Just wear, wash, repeat! Unique features include; inner and outer leg casings, front/back gathers that hold in messes and prevent leaks. The no pill “stay dry” liner resists stains keeping diapers looking fresh, and laundy tabs make washing easy. Available in 5 sizes from newborn to toddler for a perfect fit. blissfulbooty.com

Aden + AnaisAden + Anais has expanded their product line to include silky bam-boo fiber swaddle blankets. Bam-boo is a highly renewable resource known to grow as much as 2 ft per day. An ultra silky alternative to cotton, Aden + Anais bamboo swaddlers are machine washable and naturally wrinkle resistant. These multi-purpose wraps can be used for stroller covers, burp cloths, nursing covers, swaddling, and more. adenandanais.com

BamboosaBamboosa’s BambooBaby Hooded Towel is crafted from 80% viscose from organic bamboo and 20% recycled polyester (rPET) recycled soda bottles. This highly ab-sorbant, fast drying, and super soft towel will wrap your baby in fluffy luxury. American made and sweatshop free. Available in 4 colors. bamboosa.com

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Chubby CherubChubby Cherubs “Chubby Cheeks MINI” is a one of a kind, one size AI2 cloth diaper fitting newborns and preemies 2-8 pounds. Constructed with a waterproof PUL outerlayer, with the option of a plush minky cuddle OR organic bamboo fleece inner. The Chubby Cheeks MINI features an innovative Snap In Soaker System. Available in 6 fabric options. This diaper is very well made and would be a great option for those that do not want to mess with prefolds for the newborn stage. chubbycherubsclothdiapernaturals.com

EnfantitudeWearable Attitude for your Infant!The enfantitude collection con-sists of simple, cool and wearable 100% organic cotton onesies. Available in 11 fantastic colors with an array of bodly screen-printed designs. enfantitude.com

Pura KikiPura Kiki stainless steel bottles are a safe and environ-mentally friendly choice for your baby. Crafted from electropolished stainless steel, these BPA free bottles are hygienic, lightweight, and will not leach anything harmful into your child’s drink. Pura Kiki bottles are designed to grow with your child, accommodating both a infant nipple and a toddler sippy spout. The kiki is 100% recycable, top rack dishwasher safe, and comes with a unique silicone top that won’t come pop off in the diaper bag. Offered in a wide variety of modern colors and shaped for small hands. Purastainless.com

miYimBring a bit of nature to the nursery! miYim’s whimsical mobile comes in simple shapes, showcasing the beauty of nature and animals. mi-Yim™ organic cotton toys are made with safety and sustainability in mind. Colored by nature and 100% certified Non-Toxic, our toys help to make your home a safe and chemical free environment for you and your child. miyim.com

Chubby Cheeks All In Two DiaperThe Chubby Cheeks AI2 (all in two) one size diaper is truly one of the most versitile diapers available. Each diaper comes with one bamboo velour or fleece snap in insert. Order a few extras and use this diaper cover through multiple changes, reducing the number of covers needed to make it through the day. Chubby Cheeks also work wonderfully as a cover for prefolds or fitteds, features a PUL outer, three rows of snaps, and plush minky wings/tabs that won’t leave red marks on baby. Over-night snap in soakers are also available to purchase for the heaviest of wetters. True to it’s name, this Chubby Cheeks diaper is sure to fit the chubbiest little legs. chubbycherubsclothdiapernaturals.com

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Chubby CherubChubby Cherubs “Chubby Cheeks MINI” is a one of a kind, one size AI2 cloth diaper fitting newborns and preemies 2-8 pounds. Constructed with a waterproof PUL outerlayer, with the option of a plush minky cuddle OR organic bamboo fleece inner. The Chubby Cheeks MINI features an innovative Snap In Soaker System. Available in 6 fabric options. This diaper is very well made and would be a great option for those that do not want to mess with prefolds for the newborn stage. chubbycherubsclothdiapernaturals.com

BamboosaBamboosa’s BambooBaby fitted crib sheet is crafted from 100% viscose from organic bamboo. Ultra soft for your baby’s sleeping comfort. Ther-mal regulating, and odor resistant fabric. Available in 5 colors. bamboosa.com

miYimBring a bit of nature to the nursery! miYim’s whimsical mobile comes in simple shapes, showcasing the beauty of nature and animals. mi-Yim™ organic cotton toys are made with safety and sustainability in mind. Colored by nature and 100% certified Non-Toxic, our toys help to make your home a safe and chemical free environment for you and your child. miyim.com

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Meet Monasia!

Age 13 Oklahoma

Child ID 9226

Is the morning your favorite part of the day? It is for Monasia. Monasia is described as a self-confident, happy, compassionate, friendly, social, easygoing, outgoing and curious young woman. Listening to music of

any kind makes her smile. She also enjoys drawing and is known for being a very talented artist. Monasia will eat a good variety of foods, currently preferring Chinese food. Her goals include learning to play the guitar and becoming an artist. Currently in the eighth grade, she relates very well with all current household members. Monasia is described by her caregivers as an intelligent, artistic person with excellent communication skills. She benefits from counseling, which will need to continue after place-ment. A two-parent or single-mother family would be a great fit for Mona-sia; however, all family types will be considered. Monasia has sib-lings with whom she would like to stay in contact in the future. For Oklahoma children, both homestudied and non-homestudied Oklahoma families are encouraged to inquire; only homestudied families from other states should do so.

To learn more about Monasia or other waiting children like her, please contact The Adoption Exchange at 800-451-5246 or visit

www.adoptex.org.

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Meet Stephen!

Age 15 Colorado

Child ID 9167

Want to meet a guy with an astounding array of interests? Stephen fills the bill! He loves basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, animals, match box cars, video games, movies and board games. He participated in a 4H Program and enjoyed working in the equine division. He likes to help with chores at home and reports that he is espe-cially fond of cooking and yard work. Being outdoors refreshes his soul and he hopes to go to the mountains and go hiking. Stephen's teamwork and athleticism are two of his strengths, and he also is happy helping others. A great sense of humor is a char-acteristic that will always win Stephen the one-on-one attention he favors. In the ninth grade, this young man tries hard and benefits from an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). He has an excellent sense of direction and is excited to start learning how to drive. His CASA and he have a great relationship, and they enjoy community outings together. Stephen gravitates toward younger friends. His school reports that he is encouraging to peers and gives appropriate feedback to the other children. He has been elected by his peers several times as a peer leader. Stephen participates in counseling, which will need to continue after placement. The caseworker prefers a two-parent or single-female family; however, all family types will be considered. Stephen will need a home that can provide him with a great deal of structure. He has a strong desire to be a part of a family and needs unconditional love and lots of attention. He would like to maintain contact with his CASA and his siblings. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. For Colorado children, both homestudied and non-homestudied Colorado families are encouraged to inquire; only homestudied families from other states should do so.

To learn more about Stephen or other waiting children like him, please contact The Adoption Exchange at 800-451-5246 or visit

www.adoptex.org.

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The ABCs of Yoga for KidsThe ABCs of Yoga for Kids, written by Theresa Anne Power, uses the alphabet, rhyming vignettes and colorful illustra-tions to introduce children to basic yoga postures in a kid-friendly way. The book is beautifully illustrated, and encour-ages children to emulate the poses presented. With this book children can learn the alphabet, develop flexibility and coordination, all while incorporating healthy activity into their daily lives. A great interactive book the whole family can enjoy! Also available are learning cards, a coloring book, a poster, and free printable coloring sheets. abcyogaforkids.com

47®Property of Blissful Booty LLC 2010 888-819-Diaper (3427)

These aren’t your Grandma’s cloth diapers…

With Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers, it has never been easier to make the switch to cloth diapering. Our full line of washable baby products will

save you time and money, be kind to the environment and most importantly, keep your baby healthy, comfortable and dry. From birth to

potty, we’ve got you covered!

Learn more about cloth diapering at www.blissfulbooty.com

Shop for Blissful Booty products at shop.blissfulbooty.com and enter coupon code GREENBABY for a 10% discount off entire purchase!

Also available on amazon.com

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timeBRA RECYCLING

Guess what time it is??? Santa has come and gone, New Year’s Day lasted, well, about as long as my resolution, and everyone knows Valentine’s Day is February 14th, but it’s even more important that you know from now until February 14th is bra recycling time! That’s right, girlfriend, Soma Intimates want...our bras! Not the ones you still wear, silly, you know, the ones that you bought last year that didn’t quite fit just right, still hanging in your lingere closet, looking brand new.

“A bra is one of the least donated but most needed items. Donating sounds like a small thing, but it makes a big difference to women who have to make the choice between buying a bra and putting food on the table,” says Laurie Van Brunt, Soma Intimates’ brand president, in a company statement.

Gently used bras can be donated at any of the 128 Soma Intimates boutiques nationwide. The used, wearable bras will then be donated to women’s shelters, local charities and breast cancer support groups in each region. The new bras will be given to Dress for Success, an international nonprofit that helps underprivileged women gain eco-nomic independence by providing professional attire as well as career development tools. The non-wearable bras will be sent to the Bra Recyclers, a textile recycling company that diverts worn bras from ending up in landfills. They suggest that you ensure any bra you want to donate is clean and in good condition, so the clasps and straps need to function, and note special needs bras like post-surgery or mater-nity bras.

“The bra drive offers an opportunity for women to clean out their drawers at the start of the new year and give back to their local com-munities at the same time,” Van Brunt says.www.soma.com

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time

Benefits of Cloth Diapering

oday, families are searching for alternative ways to care for their baby. With the rising concern of chemical exposure to our babies and the awareness of the environment, cloth diapers are now making a comeback. You might be thinking, Cloth Dia-pers? You are crazy! No, these are not your grandmother’s dia-pers. The diapers that are out on the market today are innova-tive, simple, easy to use and best of most are created by moms! FuzziBunz, Happy Heiny’s, Tiny Tush, Bum Genius, Mother Ease, and Bummis are cloth diaper brands that are made to be washed at home and have developed many followers.

Cloth Diapers are redesigned with new closures such as snaps and Velcro which replace the much dreaded safety pins. The old rubber/vinyl pants are now replaced with new water re-sistant covers made of wool, nylon or polyurethane laminate (PUL). The leg opening and backs are often fitted with elastic making them snug fighting and preventing blowouts! A popular diapering system is the Pocket diaper, which is a 2 in one sys-tem consisting of a waterproof outer layer with an inner layer of fleece, suede cloth or organic cotton. These two layers are sewn

together in such a way as to leave an opening at the back (pocket) into which you put absorbent material (called an insert) of your choice.

When your baby wets the diaper, the moisture is wicked through the inner cover layer to the insert. Pocket diapers can be compared to disposable diapers in terms of ease of use. I hope to provide you with some information on the benefits of cloth diapers! Why they reduce the amount of chemical exposure to our baby, how they help

the environment and how they can save you and your family mon-ey.

Health: When my son was around 2 months, he started to develop severe diaper rash. I was on the search to find a

reason and find out what was causing the rash. Because he was exclusively breast fed, I started looking at what

I was eating and that didn’t seem to help. I was given natural remedies and those did not help. I finally

found out that my son was having a reaction to the chemicals in the disposable diapers; I made the switch to cloth at 4 months and have never gone back! I found some very startling infor-mation: According to the Real Diaper Associ-

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ation (RDA) disposable diapers contain a number of nasty chemicals such as sodium polyacrylate, Dioxin and Tributyl tin (TBT). Sodium polyacrylate, which is found in the fluff layer of the disposable diaper, turns your baby’s urine into gel; it can absorb 100 times its weight in liquid. Sodium Polyacrylate has also been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome in Tampon use and has been associated with severe diaper rash. Dioxin, one of the most poisonous and carcinogenic substances produced on earth, has been associated with birth defects, miscarriage, cancer and genetic damage. Dioxin is banned in most countries, but not the United States. Tributy tin (TBT) is a contro-versial chemical compound, a study by Greenpeace confirmed TBT in major name-brand disposable diapers. Greenpeace found that TBT causes hor-monal problems in animals and humans and they are demand-ing a world-wide ban!

Environment: An added benefit of using cloth is you are help-ing our environment. In the United States, more than 49 million diapers are disposed of each day. Landfill practices re-quire waste to be well buried and then sealed in with clay to prevent contamination caused by rain water mix-ing with garbage from forming, meaning that your baby’s diapers are virtually entombed in the landfill without sun, air and water which are key elements to decomposition. Which is why, according to the Real Diaper Association, a single use disposable diaper can take 200-500 years to decompose

Cost: Using cloth diapers can save you $2000 over the cost of disposables. You can save even more when you cloth diaper subsequent children. Let’s take a closer look to see just how many disposable diapers you go through and how much you will pay in a 2 1/2 year period or 130 weeks. I am going to take an average of 70 diapers a week, considering a baby being changed every 2 to 3 hours and a tod-dler being changed every 3 to 4 hours. This is a to-

tal of 9,100 diaper changes. I am going to take an average of $0.24 of what a disposable diaper costs per change, per week it would cost $16.80. The to-tal cost of disposable diapers: $16.80 per week x 130 week per diapering period is $2184.00. I have not even factored in the cost of laundering your cloth diapers at home, but you will still save money by us-ing cloth diapers! You can purchase the newest and most expensive diapers out on the market and spend over $1000 and you will STILL save money! 24 of our highest priced diapers that fit and last you from birth to potty cost $455.76, saving you over $1700! On the other hand, you can use the basic pre-folds with covers and you will save even more money. Our lowest priced diapers and covers, enough to last you from birth to potty

cost $278.10, which saves you $1900! You can further increase your savings by us-ing the same cloth diapers on subsequent children.

As with anything there is conflicting research on the environmental impact of re-usable diapers and disposable diapers. However, I think the main reason is to protect our

babies from potential hazardous chemicals. If we can do one thing, we can better educate ourselves on what we are being exposed to everyday and hopefully lessen that exposure! I hope you will consider making the switch to cloth diapers.

Marissa Evans owns Growing Green Bums in Na-varre, FL. Her business has provided Marissa the opportunity to carry out her passion of working with families and her love of teaching and sharing natu-ral parenting information to help families reach their goals. For more information on cloth diapering or babywearing call 850-420-6235. Please shop in store at 2270 Hwy 87 Ste 5 Navarre, FL 32566 or online at www.growinggreenbums.com.

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packing peanut crittersmake

For this craft, you need:• a bowlful of eco-friendly packing peanuts. (The

kind that dissolve when you get them wet.) • some washable markers, if you want to color

them.• a wet sponge in a small bowl• scissors

To create, simply dampen the part of the packing foam you want to attach to the other piece of pack-ing foam, and touch them together.

We learned a few things from making our crafts:• You can roll the foam between your hands, and

the moisture on your hands will condense the foam. This helps if you need a smaller piece. Also, cutting pieces to the shapes you would like works great.

• A few pieces of year or fabric scraps and be intergrated to this craft quite easily. Just use a dab of glue to attach.

Don’t have any packing peanuts handy? You can buy one of our Playing With Packing Peanuts Art Kits. reCREATE is a nonprofit organization. Our mission is to divert clean, safe, usable materials from entering our landfills... and we use those materials to encourage creativity and art! Our art kits can be found at: www.recreate.org/art-kits/

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The Lullaby Organics STORY

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The Lullaby Organics STORY

lmost exactly a year ago, in a small town outside Seattle, WA, I remember the moment when I

stopped breathing. In the middle of my retelling the story I had told at least twenty other medical pro-fessionals in the 16 weeks since my daughter’s birth about her ongoing respiratory distress, the E.R. nurse suddenly put up his finger as if he was holding a re-mote control with which he could put me on pause. I instinctively stopped speaking. He looked at his watch and then at my baby girl, panting like a tired puppy in my arms. Then back at his watch. He stood up and darted out the door.

Before I could catch my breath, six scrub-clad strang-ers rushed into the room, including the nurse who had abandoned us moments before. They worked syn-chronously as they passed tools to one another and hooked my baby girl up to a variety of machines. The nurse dialed the phone so I could call my husband and tell him not to bring our toddler into the room. Then he handed me a little purple dragon-faced mask that would connect my baby girl to a nebulizer for the first of more than 120 breathing treatments she would face in the coming months.

The nurse who had just saved my daughter’s life taught me how to administer the treatments. He ex-plained that he had timed her taking over 140 breaths per minute and that at that rate “her lungs might just get tired of working so hard and give up”.

She was admitted to the hospital and was breath-ing normally by the time we left, three days later. In the coming months, we administered the prescribed medications via nebulizer to our “baby dragon”, researched, and sought out specialists, alterna-tive treatments, technology, prayer, and everything else we could think of to help our baby girl become healthy. She was so tiny compared to the other babies her age – only in the 5th percentile for weight at one point. She endured testing for ailments ranging from the common Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease (GERD) to the devastating pulmonary disease Cystic Fibrosis. Thankfully, every test came back negative. But we still didn’t have an answer to what was causing our little one to be so sick.

Then one day, a friend suggested she might have

“chemical sensitivity”. We intensified our research efforts and decided to eliminate allergens, chemi-cals, and anything else that might be compromising her respiratory health from our home. We had already adopted a fairly organic diet, and used a greener-than-average combination of traditional and natural cleaning and skincare products, but we knew there was room for improvement.

Since our now six-month-old spent about 70% of her life asleep, we focused on her sleeping environ-ment where, based on our research into chemical off-gassing and toxins commonly found in nurseries, we thought we could have an impact. We carefully se-lected 100% organic materials for her bedding, baby carrier, diapers, apparel, and baby care products. Be-lieve it or not, within days, our daughter was (and still is) breathing normally, gaining weight and thriving. She is now a strong-willed toddler with strong lungs to prove it!

After this experience, we realized how lucky we were to have discovered the environmental cause for our baby’s respiratory distress before it was too late. We wanted to help other families eliminate nasty chemical toxins from their homes too. And so Lullaby Organics, an online store for organic bedding and apparel, safe toys, and natural mom and baby care, was born.

Many people readily accept that what we put INTO our bodies should be as free from chemicals, pesti-cides, and artificial preservatives as we can afford to provide for our families. We found true health benefits by taking this effort to the next level and looking at the positive changes we could make in what we put on and around our bodies and in our home to keep our kids and the environment healthy and thriving.

I am proud to say my business now supports Healthy Child, Healthy World and my family has fundraised over $12,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation since 2008. As a busy mom of two and a green business owner, my goals have become ever-clear and include helping others reduce exposure to harmful chemi-cals, toxins and allergens, promoting safe and healthy working conditions, and minimizing environmental impact. lullabyorganicsshop.com

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Vegan Valentine’s Day

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“Let them eat cake!“ I love this phrase, as do my kids. It is still debated if Marie Antoinette first coined these words, but I am sure that your child will not mind who gets the credit once you announce that it is time to “let them eat cake” this Valentine’s Day!

Our family has been vegan for three years. During this time we have tested many vegan cake recipes in our home kitchen. Just in time for Valentine’s Day we have become smitten with a new confetti-specked, pink cupcake creation. Pink-alicious Cupcakes are super easy to make and a healthier, vegan treat.

Being vegan, our family has eliminated all animal protein from our diet. We also choose to eat natural foods that do not contain high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils or artificial food coloring. Thank-fully, we are surrounded by a circle of family and friends who understand our dietary needs. There are the occasional holiday parties this time of year that seem to have an abundance of food with some variation of red food coloring. Since we try to avoid eating artificial food dyes, we love sharing naturally-colored, vegan dishes.

The Pink-alicious Cupcake recipe demonstrates how to use fruit to dye icing pink. Natural food dyes are

Valentine’s Day Meal Plan By: Vegan in the Kitchen Serves a family of 4

BreakfastFruity Breakfast Pizza from the Heart

• 4 whole wheat English muffins or 1 whole wheat pizza round

• 4 tablespoons vegan cream cheese• 4 teaspoons of cinnamon and sugar, mixed• fresh fruit of choice, cut into bite-size pieces (I used

strawberries, bananas and peaches).

If using English muffins, slice each muffin in half. Cut muffins into a heart shape.

If using a pizza round, carve it into a heart shape. Spread bread with cream cheese (1 tablespoon per muf-fin), and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (1 teaspoon per muffin).

Arrange fruit on top, and toast in oven for 2-3 minutes.

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often obtained by using the natural pigments from fruits and vegetables. You might try using beet juice for the color red, turmeric for yellow, spinach for green and red cabbage for blue and purple.

In years past, we have enjoyed the opportunity Valentine’s Day parties have given us for indulging and sharing healthier vegan goodies with our friends. Last year, the kids helped plan a fun homeschool class where we discussed the history of chocolate and set up a chocolate taste test station. This class is how I first became friends with rice chocolate bars! The year before that, you would have seen us on Valentine’s Day with vegan chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks in hand that were given to us by friends.

Our favorite Valentine’s Day treat was the year my husband and I set packages of fresh raspberries and plump, sweet strawberries out on the kitchen table along with homemade Valentine cards and white stuffed animals accented in red. Always remember there is a healthy way to enjoy your Valentine’s Day.

I am pleased to share several naturally red and sweet dishes in my Valentine’s Day meal plan. You can also find a fresh weekly meal plan each Sunday on my blog at www.veganinthekitchen.com. Preparing your vegan Valentine’s Day dishes with lots of love, then exclaiming after dinner, “It’s time to eat cake!” will leave your little Cupids well-nourished with happy little hearts!

LunchCreamy Tomato Basil Soup served with Cupid’s Hummus

For Cupid’s Hummus:• 1 - 2 container(s) hummus • whole wheat crackers• ½ pint cherry tomatoes• 1 celery stick, cut in half• 8 baby carrots• heart-shaped pie pan or heart-shaped cookie cutter

If using a heart-shaped pie pan, spread hummus to cover bottom.

If using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, place it in the center of a small lunch plate. Fill it ¼ full with hummus. Slowly remove cookie cutter to create a Hummus Heart mold. Repeat with each lunch plate.

Outline Hummus Heart(s) with red cherry tomatoes. Create Cupid’s arrow with celery sticks. Make the end and point of arrow(s) with baby carrots. Serve with crackers.

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Lunch, continuedCreamy Tomato Basil Soup served with Cupid’s Hummus

For the Soup:• 1 large onion, sliced then cut in half into half-moon shape• 4 cloves garlic, minced• 1 large zucchini, chopped• 5 cups tomatoes, chopped

(or 2 ½ cans fire roasted tomatoes)• 1/3 cup fresh basil, cut into strips• 2 cups vegetable broth• ¼ teaspoon thyme• ¼ teaspoon parsley• ¼ teaspoon oregano• 1 teaspoon salt• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper• 1 teaspoon sugar• 1 cup soy creamer

In a large stockpot add just enough water to cover bottom of pot. Sauté onions until soft, about 6 minutes, adding additional water if needed. Once onions are soft, add garlic, and sauté for an additional minute.

Add zucchini to onions and garlic, and cook 2 more minutes. Next add tomatoes and basil, allow-ing to simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour vegetable broth into mixture. Stir in spices and sugar. Add creamer just before pureeing. Use an immersion blender if you have one. If not, puree in blender in batches being careful not to fill over half-way at a time. The steam and heat from the soup can cause the lid to pop off. Serve with Cupid’s Hummus and crackers

Snack Chocolate Covered Strawberry Frappe’ • 2 cups almond milk (or other plant milk of choice)• 3 ice cubes• 1 large banana• 1 package organic frozen strawberries• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves• ½ avocado• 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder• 1 tablespoon ground flax• 3 dates or 2 teaspoons agave nectar, optional for extra sweetness

Place all ingredients in blender in order listed. Blend until smooth.

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Snack Chocolate Covered Strawberry Frappe’ • 2 cups almond milk (or other plant milk of choice)• 3 ice cubes• 1 large banana• 1 package organic frozen strawberries• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves• ½ avocado• 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder• 1 tablespoon ground flax• 3 dates or 2 teaspoons agave nectar, optional for extra sweetness

Place all ingredients in blender in order listed. Blend until smooth.

DinnerStuffed Shells with Red Sauce and Heart-y Salad(ricotta inspired by Post Punk Kitchen)For the Stuffed Shells with Red Sauce:• 1 box jumbo pasta shells• 1 package organic Nasoya firm or sprouted Tofu Plus

(I like the servings of protein, calcium and Vitamin B12 in this brand).

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice• 2 cloves garlic, minced• ½ teaspoon salt• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper• 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried basil• ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil• 1 Jumbo-size jar spaghetti sauce

Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with organic cooking spray. In a large stockpot begin heating water for shells.

Cook pasta in boiling water for about 6 minutes. You want the pasta more al dente than mushy, or they will tear apart.

Assemble ricotta filling while shells are cooking. Give tofu several squeezes to release excess water. In a large mixing bowl, mash tofu until crumbly, breaking up any large pieces. Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and basil. Mix with hands until it is the consistency of ricotta cheese.Add olive oil and stir with fork. Next, mix nutritional yeast into mixture with fork.

Once shells are cool enough to touch, stuff each with 1½ tablespoons of ricotta mixture. Place stuffed shells in a single layer in baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce on top, and bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until warm.

For the Salad:• 4 bunches of Hearts of Romaine salad greens• ½ red bell pepper, sliced • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped• 1 small jar artichoke hearts• ¼ cup olives• lemon juice, Balsamic vinegar or your favorite salad dressing• 1/8 teaspoon sweet paprikaOn top of a bed of Romaine Hearts, layer red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice, Balsamic vinegar or salad dressing of choice. Sprinkle salad with sweet paprika.

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DessertPink-alicious Cupcakes(icing inspired by Post Punk Kitchen)

• 1 box Naturally Nora Alot’a Dots cake mix• ¼ cup non-hydrogenated margarine• ½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening• ¾ cup sugar• pinch salt• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract• 5 fresh raspberries

Prepare cupcakes according to package directions. Let cupcakes cool completely before icing them.

Beat margarine and shortening together on medium speed. Add the sugar, and mix for 5 addi-tional minutes, until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Beat for one additional minute. Toss raspberries in, and mix completely until smooth and fluffy.

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GROCERY STORE TOURDemystify the aisles and get to the good stuff. Grocery shopping can be fun and easy! In this group or individual tour, you will learn to go be-yond the confusing labels, and get to the bottom of what makes a healthy choice. Discover the best foods for the season and how to shop on a budget, even when your family has diverse tastes. Grocery trips will never be the same again!

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Stop Poisoning Your HomeBreathe Better, Live HealthierThe tradition that seems to hold true every year, is the development of New Years’ Resolutions. Have you ever made a resolution to “go green”, but just didn’t know where to start [even Kermit knows it’s not easy being green]. With this Detoxifying Guide we will show you how to make a resolution, that will not only last throughout the next year, benefit your family’s health and save you money, but also put you a step closer to being “green”.

The United States EPA, The American Lung Association and The American Cancer Society all agree that “Americans live in toxic and sick homes that increase our risk of cancer, and even shorten our lives”. Detoxifying your home can be as easy as getting rid of household chemicals such as bleach and ammonia, or more involved, including a deep “EcoFresh® cleaning and using EcoFresh® Odor Absorber Bags to help reduce and eliminate off-gases. Here’s a simple system that can help you “Detox Your Home” in 3 simple ways and clean up your indoor air before 2011. You can do it all, or you can start with the Basic stage. It’s up to you.

BASIC For Detoxing Your Home.• Remove all pesticides and toxic cleaning products* from your home.• Open doors for 48 hours to cabinets and closets where pesticides and

cleaners have been stored to allow off-gassing of fumes.• Clean and vacuum cabinets and remove vinyl liners which may trap off-

gases. Replace lining with recycled plastic liner.• Replace all cleaners with EcoFriendly products such as EcoFresh® and

only use toxic products when necessary.• Eliminate use of indoor pesticides and use EcoSafe brand “Sticky”

Traps for pest control. Inspect and replace every 30 days.* Toxic cleaning products that contain bleach, ammonia, alcohol,

enzymes, bactericides, phosphates, acids, salts, fragrances, VOC’s, etc.. Also includes all sprayable and aerosol pesticide products

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ADVANCED For Detoxing Your Home.• Perform all Basic Detox procedures.• Remove all candles (wickless included), air fresheners and other airborne aerosol products from inside

the home.• Clean all carpets and floor surfaces with Ecofresh® products.• Clean all counters and glass doors with EcoFresh® products.• Open doors and windows for at least 8 hours to allow off-gases to escape.• Eliminate or store all toxic cleaning products to an outdoor storage

GO ECOFRESH.• Perform all Basic and Advanced procedures.• Eliminate the use of hairspray, cologne, misters, atomizers, aerosol cooking oils, or any other product

that could become airborne.• Use only pump-type sprayers.• Use EcoFresh® Odor Remover Bags in Air Conditioning returns and vents as needed to help remove

indoor noxious gases and fumes. Replace every 90 days.

• Clean all furniture, flat screen TV’s, ceiling fans, etc. with EcoFresh® Products.

• Remove silk plants and replace with live plants if possible (helps replace oxygen and remove airborne toxins).

* This is only a basic list of recommendations for illustrative purposes. For more detailed information, consult with your physician.

Choose your detox level and visit www.EcoFreshBaby.com to purchase your EcoFresh Products.

Remember:• EcoFresh contains no bleach, ammonia

or alcohol• EcoFresh kills odor causing bacteria

without enzymes• EcoFresh is hypoallergenic and

biodegradable

Here’s to a safer, healthier and greener New Year!

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Enter voucher code “Green Child” to receive

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Go to www.sustainababy.com.au

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Buyer Beware

Would you be surprised to know that many “tra-ditional” baby care products are filled with toxic chemical ingredients? I remember when my first child was born some 20 years ago. I left the hospital with the baby care packet full of free samples. The only thing I used then was Johnson and Johnson’s baby shampoo. It said it was for babies, so I as-sumed that because it is made for and marketed for babies that it is safe and gentle, like it said on the label.

Although this was 20 years ago, I’m guessing that this is similar to many other new mothers experience even to this day. The label says it’s safe and gentle, and so you think it must be safe right? The cosmet-ics (personal care) industry is very poorly regulated. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act does not require cosmetics and personal care products or their ingredients to be approved before they are marketed and sold to consumers. While you might think that the US Food and Drug Admin-istration (FDA) is looking out for our best interest,

this is not the case as FDA regulations start after the products are already in the marketplace. The cos-metics market is a self-regulated industry and it is regulated by the very companies that are producing chemical laden products.

While food products must be tested for their safety before they may be sold, cosmetic companies are not required to do so. A study by the Environmen-tal Working Group (EWG) found that personal care products expose children to an average of 60 chem-icals every day, that they can breathe in or absorb through their skin. EWG product testing, conduct-ed in partnership with Health Care Without Harm and other members of the Campaign for Safe Cos-metics, showed phthalates in three-quarters of 72 name-brand products tested. Because federal law contains no safety standards for cosmetics, it is legal for companies to use ingredients that contain re-productive toxins, such as phthalates, carcinogens, and other potentially harmful substances.

Do you know what you are using on your babies skin and why should you care?

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What are Phthalates?In Feb of 2008, a study appearing in the Pediatrics journal showed for the first time, infants are now ex-posed to potent reproductive toxins called phthalates, from everyday baby products, including shampoo, lotion, and powder. Jane Houlihan, Environmental Working Group (EWG.org) Vice President of Re-search, issued the following statement in response to this study: “This new research provides strong evi-dence that phthalates in baby products end up inside babies’ bodies, where they pose real-world risks for reproductive system damage among baby boys. We hope these results spur companies to re-move phthalates from products sold in the U.S. Many of these same chem-icals are banned from baby prod-ucts in other countries. There is no justification for keeping them on the shelves here,” said Jane Houlihan.

Phthalates are chemicals used in a variety of consumer and personal care products. Phthalates can be found in any products that contain fragrance. If you see the word “fragrance” on an ingredients list the product will have phthalates in it. Phthalates are also used in the manufacturing of soft plastics, like vinyl, oily sub-stances in perfumes, additives to hairsprays, lubri-cants and wood finishers.

It’s been almost three years since this information came out and, all of these same ingredients are still being used in baby care products that are being sold to parents and used every day on babies. There are now several studies and even more information on the damage that phthalates create for our health. There are over 10,500 chemicals used in personal care prod-ucts and many of these chemicals are untested: scien-tists do not understand their implications for human health, alone or in combination with other pollutants people encounter in their daily lives. Babies and chil-dren are especially vulnerable when it comes to ex-posure to chemicals and we are finding that chemi-

cal pollution in people is increasingly associated with a range of serious diseases and conditions, including childhood and adult cancer, behavioral problems, in-fertility and birth defects. Of course it is impossible to isolate ourselves from the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis from plastics, toys, household cleaners, and personal care products, etc. The reality is we will never get com-pletely away from chemicals, they are ubiquitous in our world today. Knowing this can make a person feel somewhat overwhelmed and helpless.

What can we do about this? It’s not easy to get rid of everything all at

once but it is important to start edu-cating ourselves around the issue of

chemicals in the environment and in the every day products we use. We can make choices about the products we purchase and use for our families . This is one place where we do have some control over what we are put-

ting on our babies and on our own bodies.

Most cosmetic products on the market are made for a shelf live of over

three years, therefore they contain - syn-thetic parabens - ie preservatives to prevent spoilage. These preservatives are cellular toxins, otherwise they could not kill microbes. Parabens penetrate the skin to a certain extent and many of them have been shown to cause allergic reactions and dermatitis and they have been shown to act as endocrine disruptors. Over 80% of all ingredients in commercially available cosmetic products are of synthetic origin and come with the associated health risks. On the other hand there is a wealth of information and practical knowledge avail-able about natural safe herbal products because they have been used for thousands of years starting with aboriginal natives people, Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine.

Herbs and plants have been used safely and effective-ly for thousands of years. Herbs can be safely used for treating and helping all kinds of skin and health

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conditions. Herbs have a variety of properties, there are herbs that are anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, soothing, healing, calming, regenerative, moistur-izing, stimulating, restorative and more. Herbs are amazingly useful ingredients when it comes to tak-ing care of your skin. Many, if not all pharmaceuti-cal drugs have originated from the properties that you find from herbs.

How to know what you are buying.1 Do not read the label, read the Ingredients list. The labels of all products are about marketing. Any com-pany can call their products “natural” or “organic”. There are no regulations around the use of these terms on personal care product labels. You will see these terms used indiscriminately on all kinds of products that are full of synthetic chemical ingredients. If you are shopping online and there are no ingredients lists for the products, this is a huge red flag. Do not pur-chase products without being able to read a complete ingredients list. Many companies use deceptive tac-tics by only naming “key ingredients” on their web-sites. Don’t fall for this trick. If they are only listing “key ingredients” they are not disclosing their com-plete ingredients list for the products.

2 If you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the label, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s “natural”. If there are long chemical names on the ingredients list, these are NOT natural ingredients. Many companies try to pass off ingredients as “natural” by using deceptive la-beling of ingredients, listing them like: cocamidopro-pyl betaine (from coconut). This is a marketing ploy. Cocamidopropyl betaine is a synthetic petrochemical but the fact that on a label it says it’s “from coconut” gives the impression that the ingredient is “natural”, meaning directly from coconut. Ingredients like this are not natural, they are chemically extracted and processed so they are nothing like the original natural ingredient coconut by the time they are used in the product. 3 If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. Look for products that are certified organic. When you see the term “certified organic” on a personal care/baby care product you have a third party independent verifica-tion that the product is what it says it is. At this time,

the term “certified organic” is only for food products BUT, if you see a personal care product displaying a certified organic logo from USDA or ACO (Austra-lian Certified Organic), QAI (Quality Assurance In-ternational), you know what you are buying is truly an organic product. There is a defined, measurable standard for certified organic. Products labeled certi-fied organic must contain (excluding water and salt) at least 95% organically produced agricultural ingre-dients. The remaining ingredients (up to 5%) can be non-agricultural substances or non-organically pro-duced agricultural ingredients, with strict processing criteria, (eg. absolutely no GMOs or synthetic chemi-cals).There are many other quasi “organic” labels, don’t be fooled by them, look for the word “certified organic” on the label, this means the organic product claim is legitimate.

4 Use online resources to learn more about this is-sue and to look up cosmetic/personal care ingredients to see if they are safe. The Environmental Working Group - skin deep data base is a good place to start. www.cosmeticdatabase.com . Another good site is the Good Guide - www.goodguide.com and the most recent site like this: Cosmetic Analysis - www.cosmeticanalysis.com

Given the choice and the knowledge, why wouldn’t you choose products made from herbs, that have been proven safe and effective over thousands of years over synthetic chemicals that have an unclear and unprov-en history of safe use and application?

Erin Ely is the owner of ElyOrganics.com - your source for Miessence certified organic products. Erin is married to Doug and has two children Locke, age 20 and Maggie, age 16. Erin is passionate about or-ganic and has been eating organic for over 15 years. About 6 years ago, Erin became more aware of the is-sues around chemicals in personal care and cosmetics. Erin has spent the last 6 years educating herself about the issues of chemicals in the personal care products and the environment and helping others to understand the dangers of using chemical based products.

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The GreatDebateZOO

Most of what we know about animals is what we have learned in schools as most of us do not have direct contact with many animals out in the wild. If we take an interest in a particular animal or animals, we actively research to learn more. There are many sources of information now and the certain information you are seeking is just a click away, not to mention more photographs than you could count. Seeing and learning about those animals might make you want to go out and see it in real life, or as close as possible. Zoos help the public do that. However, there is an ongoing debate whether zoos are beneficial or detrimental to animals and the environment.

The GoodIt has been noted that those who work in zoos (zookeepers and the like) are genuine animals lov-ers and will go out of their way ensuring the animals are content and happy. It has been stated that zoo animals tend to live longer lives, have a healthier and substantial diet and are less likely to be ill with parasites or diseases. The animals in zoos have a constant food source, so they live without fear or stress of famine. Zoos act as a conservation sanctuary for the animals, and several times

the populations of threatened animals have been replenished. Many zoos are affiliated with conservation projects and help

scientists conduct research, especially when studies are involved in new forms of medicine and techniques for animal health. Zoos have vastly improved over years, gone are the bars and cement of the zoos of long ago and have been replaced with more space and natural-looking habitats that mimic the animal’s natural environ-

ment. Animals are more at ease when they are familiar with their surrounds, and that brings out their natural

instincts. Even the process of acquiring the animals have improved greatly. Before the animals were caught di-

rectly from the wild, but now they are obtained through captive breeding programs and other zoos. Captive

breeding programs breed the animals in a human-controlled environment that have restricted settings

which would include facilities wildlife reserves and conservation areas. Also, zoos have been known to take in abandoned animals, for example, po-

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lar bears that have been rescued from travelling cir-cuses have found new homes in the Bronx Zoo. If people become excited seeing the animals and learn more about zoos as a method of education it may prompt action for environmental change in hopes to conserve the earth that these animals share with us. Moreover, people may be more inclined to make donations to the organisations that help con-serve and protect animals.

The Not So GoodOn the other hand, many people especially animal rights activists fight against zoos. Animal cruelty ex-ists in zoos whether it is intentional or not. Not to mention, there are plenty of “zoos” that are com-pletely disgusting and deplorable in regards to ani-mals’ health and safety.

There is a concern over space. Animals like ele-phants, zebras, gazelles and giraffes need miles and miles of space as elephants are used to walking great distances in a day and zebras, gazelles and giraffes are used to running and leaping on open terrain. If they are not able to do this they become bored and morose, especially elephants. Elephants that are forced to stay indoors (due to cold climates in the Northern Hemisphere) will suffer from debilitating boredom and persistent foot problems. David Hancocks, a now zoo consultant who was previously a zoo director states that the natural-looking habitats are actually just illusions as there is no improvement on the amount of space. Zoo animals are often deprived of privacy and are unable to engage in natural-hunting and mating activities. Some of the animals develop Zoochosis which are obsessive, repetitive behaviours due to confinement and boredom. Dietary matters are also a concern as some animals require very specific food which may be hard to come by. Millions of people visit the thousands of zoos that are located all around the world. However, only you can make your own decision whether you want to use the zoo as an educational tool for environmen-tal concerns regarding nature and wildlife. Research the zoos that are close to you, and see what their mandates are and whether they are affiliated with other conservation/preventative organizations. If you are against zoos, perhaps you could look into organizations that are fighting for change. Regard-less of where you stand on this issue, it is important to realise that we as humans are destroying the hab-itats where these animals live. We need to protect the environment and make sure that everything on the Earth is cared for and looked after, whether it is animal or vegetable.

Source: GreenSolutionsMag.com

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Things YouCan Do ToHelp Big

Park ItWhen running errands, opt to park your car and go inside instead of using the drive-thru. The EPA es-timates that for every minute the average car engine idles, it emits 6 to 7 grams of pollutants into the atmosphere.

Don’t idle! Remind your school system to turn off bus engines when buses are parked. Exhaust from idling school buses can pollute air in and around the bus, and can enter school buildings through air intakes, doors, and open windows. Constant idling also wastes fuel and money, and school bus engines really need only a few minutes to warm up.

Eat Your VeggiesIf you’re part of the meat-eating percentage of the population, consider going meatless for just one meal a week. It’s been estimated that 18 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions are associated

with meat consumption, including raising the live-stock and processing, packaging and shipping the products. The Environmental Defense Fund esti-mates that if every American substituted a vegetar-ian dish for a meat dish for just one meal per week, the carbon dioxide reduction would be roughly equivalent to taking more than one-half million cars off the roads.

Go PaperlessOne of the easiest ways to reduce your household’s paper consumption is by paying your bills online and receiving statements via e-mail. Taking advantage of paperless programs at your bank or utility com-pany means you’ll save money on stamps, eliminate paper waste and always have easy access to your account information and payment history.

We also suggest reading online magazines, like, well, like GreenChildMagazine.com!

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GreenMy Baby’s

is yours?

mybabysgreen.com

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Power DownThe fossil fuels burned to provide a single home with electricity put more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. Use less energy by turning off lights and unplugging appliances when you don’t need them.

Even a cell phone charger continues to use energy when plugged in, whether your cell phone is charg-ing or not. If you use a power strip, you can turn off several appliances with the flip of just one switch. Bonus points: Each time you wear out an appliance, replace it with a more energy-efficient model.

Check Your TemperatureSometimes a small change in temperature can have big results. Try keeping your thermostat one to

two degrees warmer in the summer and one to two degrees cooler in the winter. This will lower your electricity bill and save a wealth of energy over the course of the year.

Also, adjust your refrigerator thermostat to save additional energy. Storing food at the recommend-ed temperatures – 37 to 40 degrees F for the fresh food compartment and 5 degrees F for the frozen food compartment – will guarantee your refrigera-tor doesn’t work harder than it has to and make it last even longer.

If the weather is nice, open the windows for some fresh air and natural light. Sources: Earth911.com and GreenSolutionsMag.com

green child magazine - spring 2011

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