If you and your family are going green, it’s important to note that there may not be just one solution for all the green issues your family faces.
There are shades of green, and the point is to not only find the shade that suits your family but the shade you’ll stick with. For example, I don’t think anyone should use disposable grocery bags. There’s plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t that make sense to most people. However, where it gets sticky is when it comes to choosing the bags you’ll be shopping with. Should you choose recycled organic cotton bags from a well known eco company (my choice) or go with reusable heavy plastic bags (reusable but still a plastic, so not perfect) or those bags from the store that don’t last as long (reusable, but not for as long as say, hemp or cotton). One green decision turns into many.
The answer to the above question is going to depend on your family. I won’t use those store made reusable bags because I think it’s lame that they’re not made to last. I do however like them a lot more than totally disposable bags. Some people only use store reusable bags and that’s still a much smarter green choice than disposable.
Another example is the water bottle issue. We all know disposable water bottles are bad news. Plenty of us have reusable water bottles. On the flip side some folks use filters (of which very few are recyclable) or have water delivered which creates energy drains. IF you’ll only use a reusable water bottle if you can fill it with filtered water it’s not as green a choice as tap water, BUT it’s so much better than buying disposable water bottles.
You have to choose a shade of green you’ll actually use. If someone is bugging you because you’re not using the sort of bags they think are the greenest, ignore them. Your shade of green is better than none especially if it works for you.
Small choices your way is a good way to start getting green. To see some small changes you might be interested in making check out:
Over a year ago, my son, Cedar and me made a video review of Playmais for Tree Hugging Family, but after we made the video, Playmais, by that name, basically vanished off the face of the planet. I looked everywhere and found them very few places and they were going out of stock, so I didn’t write up a review here. Then this morning, I noticed HappyMais Building Blocks at Peek A Green. HappyMais are just Playmais by a different name. And your kid will love them.
What are HappyMais: Natural arts and crafts material made with GM-free certified cornstarch and dyed with non-toxic food colorings. You can use them to build just about any old thing you can think of and there’s no glue needed. HappyMais stick together with water.
Eco-perks:
100% biodegradable
Non-toxic
For every box sold, the manufacturer makes a donation to the Earth Fund Association.
If you buy from Peek A Green you’ll get a tree planted for your purchase.
Getting your kids outside more often sometimes means adjusting your own outdoor space to fit your kids needs. Going wild is a great way to get the kiddos interested in what’s happening outside their door. Here’s how.
If you like a manicured yard, that’s fine, but if you leave one small corner a little wild, it’ll attract cool creatures like worms, snails, and pillbugs that kids will like to see. Creatures like these enjoy a little cover - so a pile of leaves, a few more weeds than normal, and so fourth encourages visits.
Make sure to go native to attract the wild. If you grow only non-native plants, fewer animals like birds and insects will visit. Native is not only a sustainable way to grow but it’s attractive to local wildlife.
Create the sort of garden that actually attracts the wild to your yard. For example, a butterfly garden or place a birdbath and birdhouses around for flying friends.
Make it utterly fun with a wild sunflower playhouse, a pizza garden, bean teepees and more. Kids love an adventure and if you give this to them in your yard, they’ll be more inclined to go outside. See 10 Fun Organic Gardening Projects for Kids for ideas.
It’s been a while since I’ve done any sort of link love post around here. Too bad, because there’s been some cool green family news lately. Here’s a recap of some issues and topics that green families can use.
Make homemade origami stars with the kiddos - I recently posted about some hyper cool eco-friendly origami stars elsewhere, but the downside was the price tag. With this tutorial you can make your own for much less. You could even switch out the paper for a recycled brand.
eco umbrellas - green and fashionable - actually, I didn’t think an eco-umbrella was possible because of all the materials. However, it is, and if you live in a rainy area or ever come visit Oregon, I’d bring one. If you move to Oregon don’t bring one though - umbrellas pretty much divide the natives from the tourists here.
Which is a better eco-choice; organic foods or local foods? This article looks at your options.
It’s a newish green magazine for the whole family! Check out Kiwi for tips on green living, healthy lifestyles, and news especially for parents and kids.
What cool green news have you been reading lately?
Lately I’ve had off-grid living on the brain. Probably because I read WAY too many green building / home books, which without fail, contain an abundance of self-sufficient homes to obsess over. I’ve also been thinking about off-grid in an urban context. When I lived in Humboldt and New Mexico I knew plenty of folks who were living off-grid to varying degrees but most of them lived in fairly rural areas so that was my example.
I currently don’t live in a rural area and for various reasons, I won’t be moving to a rural area anytime soon. So the question is, how to manage off-grid in an urban setting. You can, in fact live off-grid and urban at the same time. Here’s one awesome example:
Uses: Replacement for toxic scouring powders. Effective at deep cleaning and polishing stainless steel, porcelain, hard surface counters, corian counter tops, and other bath and kitchen surfaces.
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