I never post items here from other blogs of mine. However, at Pregnancy & Baby I posted this and I’ve been thinking that this post is applicable to all families and their safety this New Year’s Eve, so I thought I’d share it here as well. I’ll be back tomorrow with fresh Tree Hugging specific items.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) notes that each year around 16% of firework injuries aren’t caused by big fireworks, but by sparklers.  The majority of sparkler injuries occur in children such as hand and leg burns. Children five years and younger are at the most risk with around 1/3 of all firework injuries to this age group being sparkler related.

This year, you and your family may be considering sparklers to ring in the New Year. If you have a toddler in the family this can be dangerous and even more so if you also have a baby. If your eyes are on your baby you may not be able to keep a close eye completely on your toddler.

If you have a little who will be using a sparkler the best advice is one adult per child. The National Council on Fireworks Safety notes that the majority of sparkler injuries occur because small children are simply not being closely watched. With a baby around, your toddler may get over-excited and want to show your baby the sparkler (with lots of waving involved) watch out for this.

According to the The National Council on Fireworks Safety these are the best tips to follow in order to have a safe New Year’s and safe sparkler use. 

• “Children under the age of 12 should not use sparklers without very close adult supervision.
• Always remain standing while using sparklers.
• Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.
• Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time.
• Sparklers and bare feet can be a painful combination. Always wear closed-toe shoes when using sparklers.
• Sparkler wire and stick remain hot long after the flame has gone out. Be sure to drop the spent sparklers directly in a bucket of water.
• Never hand a lighted sparkler to another person. Give them the unlit sparkler and then light it.
• Always stand at least 6 feet from another person while using sparklers.
• Never throw sparklers.
• Show children how to hold sparklers away from their body and at arm’s length.
• Teach children not to wave sparklers, especially wooden stick sparklers, or run while holding sparklers.”

Follow all of the above to have a safe and fun New Year’s with your children.

~ By Marye Audet

One of the things I really love about my house is that it is flanked by creeks on two sides. Because of the over building that the city is doing upstream it is also one of the things I hate about it because of the increasing flooding issues but THAT subject is for another time.

Because of the creek bed and the trees we have a plethora of animals to watch and interact with. It is not unusual to hear a pack of coyotes howling at night, or see the bobcat pad across the pasture by the light of the full moon. It is amazing because it does not disturb the horses one bit. Sometimes we hear a huge owl near the house. One night Marc was driving home and saw it standing by the side of the road and thought it was a fire hydrant until it looked at him.

We have a raccoon that we call Harry that lives in the walls of our house and a family of foxes in the pasture next to us. Deer use the creek bed as a safe highway from one grazing area to another. All of this first hand nature gazing has given the kids a real appreciation for wildlife and the environment and they love to read about animals and such. My 15 year old dreams of the day he can afford 100 acres and a teepee. I think I read My Side of the Mountain once too often!

There are so many really good modern books on the environment that have been published that it is hard to get through them all, let alone to hunt up an author that was only semi popular fifty years ago. But one of my favorite authors of all time is a man by the name of Sam Campbell, and if you are really, really lucky you can snag one of his books on ebay or at the local thrift store.

He was nicknamed the philosopher of the forest, by the media of the day because he was a prolific and thoughtful writer. He wore many other hats: photographer, radio personality, promoter, lecturer and a student of nature. His summer home was a game preserve in the forests of northern Wisconsin. He said he retreated there to study the animals, “their habits, their work, their play, and the examples they set for human beings in right living.”

His books basic, without difficult vocabulary or dry and lengthy paragraphs. He writes as if he is sitting and laughing with you over a cup of coffee. These books are a great family read aloud because of it.

Here is a website where you can read some of his books online. Next time you have a blustery afternoon grab a cup of (fair trade, organic) hot chocolate and snuggle up with your computer and spend a few hours in the forests of Wisconsin.

Please visit Marye’s other blogs, Baking Delights, Kettle and Cup, and read more of her green-minded tips at HubPages.

~ By Peggy from Light Green Stairs

Maybe “used” is a word that needs a makeover in our minds. How about slipping it into “recycled?” Or just leave it alone and learn to accept “used” can be good.

I had a revelation, the kind you have after feeling troubled for no apparent reason, a few days ago while sitting in a restaurant. I had been shopping for a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law. The store where I was shopping sells used CDs and DVDs alongside new ones. I immediately put back all the interesting used CDs I came across, even when a new option wasn’t available.

Give a used gift? Unthinkable, horrible, cheap, a cause for shame. And how surprised and hurt would the gift recipient be? I might as well get him carrots.

I’ve bought used CDs before for myself. I’ve also become a member of PaperBack Swap. Yet, other than an occasional antique gift, I never thought about giving anything used. It just isn’t done, is it?

Upon the revelation night, my mind became awash with images of all the used gifts I had decided not to buy in the past. I saw “5 used available” links on amazon.com. I saw library discard deals, used CD stores and estate sales passed by for the mall.

All of these thoughts brought up a self-confession. Despite my efforts to be greener, I am still a perfect consumer. I was ashamed of the fact that I was ashamed to give a used gift. My feelings are not surprising given the way everything shiny and new is marketed.

What is it about tags with the price removed that makes an item so glossy-special? Do we really like UPCs that much? (I did see a giant UPC tattooed on a guy’s neck on a plane once, but that’s another topic.) Can’t we give “used” a little relief from its second-banana role to “new?”

I had more questions than answers:

1. What is wrong with giving someone a used gift?
2. Should I pay more and support wasteful spending if a used option is readily available?
3. Will the gift recipient think I’m cheap or trying to pull one over?

Below is one solution that answers the questions above with “Nothing, No and No.”

This January, tell your circle of friends, family and co-workers that they will receive only used birthday gifts and you would like the same or nothing. That means you might give a designer purse from a thrift shop, a used book without coffee stains, a still-hardy vintage kitchen utensil, a groovy garage-sale jewelry find from the 70s, or a gently used and charming lamp from an estate sale. Recycled gifts don’t have to be trendy bracelets made of reclaimed tea tins or purses made of candy wrappers.

Emphasize you are buying used and you expect to receive the same or nothing. This may seem a little drastic, but explain your reasons. You will avoid the shame you may feel for giving a used gift and hurt feelings on the part of the gift recipient.

Once you remove the stigma of “used,” you may begin to see shopping in a whole new, adventurous and reusable way. Go ahead. For 2008, become a used rebel and bring some charm, originality and fun back to shopping.

Please visit Peggy’s blog, Light Green Stairs for more green-friendly tips and advice.

Over the next few days I have some heavy duty projects I’m working on. Since it won’t do to leave you stranded with no green tips to run with we’re going to be reading some great guest posts.

I’ve been lucky enough to have two excellent green minded friends agree to come in and take over while I’m away. Welcome both Peggy and Marye today and tomorrow — you’ll really enjoy what they have for you.

I’ll be back soon and I hope everyone has an amazing week.

Wishing all the tree hugging families out there a wonderful and peaceful day.

There are so many reasons why foods like the Twinkie are bad for you and bad for the environment that it makes almost no sense to even go into it. Food, real food, does not last a million years on the convenient shelf. Twinkies are a waste of energy, waste of resources, waste of money and chock full of stuff you don’t need.

However, in the spirit of making something good out of a bad situation here’s a plan: A better use of your time (and health) then eating Twinkies is to perhaps play with them. You and your kids can have a lot of weekend fun at the T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. website.

T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. stands for “Tests With Inorganic Noxious Kakes In Extreme Situations.” Most of these tests may convince you that Twinkie cakes honestly should be considered inedible.

Many of these tests are somewhat dangerous so be sure that if your kids visit the site that you make it clear that experiments, while fun, must be done with an adult.

It won’t be the kiddos favorite but my favorite experiment on the site is the Twinkie intelligence test.

Have fun!

Most people I know have experimented with hair color at some point. It’s fine to want a new look or want to brighten an existing look but most commercial brands of hair color are unnatural and unkind to your hair. Worse, most hair coloring products are super bad for the planet.

Almost all the commercial brands of hair colors and dyes contain petrochemical; many of which are toxic. You can be exposed when petrochemicals are inhaled or absorbed through your skin — both of which are likely while coloring. Other bad news about hair dyes includes the chemicals ending up in and polluting groundwater, chemicals that can deplete the ozone (like methyl chloroform), and inhumane testing of animals. Hair damage, skin irritations and allergic reactions resulted from hair coloring are common negatives as well.

What to use:

You can still color your hair; it’s how you color that matters.

Henna is one of the most popular hair coloring choices for people looking to keep it natural. True henna is a powder that you’ll mix with water and apply to your hair like a paste; leave on for a bit, and then rinse. Henna coats your hair so your hair may seem thicker after use. Straight up henna will almost always produce a reddish shade. because of that, henna is almost always mixed with another shade of herbal powder. Chamomile is a popular additive because it creates golden highlights along with the red of the henna. Henna products have become very sophisticated lately and are available in all sorts of shades due to mixes; but these aren’t considered true henna. They still work the same though.

Downsides of henna include: 

• Not permanent — actually this can be a positive depending on your needs.
• Hard to use in long curls — I actually can’t use henna at all. It gets all clumpy in my hair. The last time I used henna, it took days to get it completely out of my hair. However, I’ve always had really huge ringlet like curls (think Shirley Temple) when my hair is wet so maybe people with less curly curls could manage. Most of the people I know who have great henna success tend to have straight hair that already runs towards a shade of red.
• Individuals with very light colored hair (light blond, white, silver) usually can’t use true henna because it’s too strong.

Henna is actually a really in-depth topic. You could write a book about it. For more info visit Henna for Hair.

To find henna and other natural coloring hair products try:

Natural Expressions

Rainbow Research

Mountain Rose Herbs

Highlighting options:  

If you’re looking to color gray there are fewer natural options. Highlights can work for women with less gray (such as under 50%) and you can highlight at home with simply a lemon, some water, and the sun (mix all three well). However, lemon can be drying to hair in some cases so it’s best to overly condition after sitting in the sun with a lemon drenched head.

You can also use sage tea. Only use sage tea on darker brown to black hair though. Simply boil sage (about a handful dried) in a quart of water. Boil for around 30 minutes to an hour. The color will darken as the herbs steep. Cool tea, strain, and pour through your hair continually about 20 times. Rinse with water only. Sage can produce good color but it also can be a long drawn out process to get dark locks. To really attain the perfect color can take weekly treatments over a few weeks or more.

*Tip: If you try coloring with sage tea, add some lavender oil so that your head doesn’t smell like Thanksgiving dinner. I haven’t tried it (my hair is too light) but I made some for a friend once and it was very strong smelling. Not bad; but not how you want to smell.

There are plenty of other natural highlighters and dyes you can make, such as walnut hair dye — that’s a long topic though. Maybe we’ll go over it at another time.

Later this week more natural, less harsh dyes — outside of henna.  

SIGG is a cool company that carries reusable beverage containers –the bulk of them water bottles. This is not some wimpy water bottle. Backpacker magazine conducted field tests last year that included many of the major water bottle brands. Backpacker fired at the bottles with a 100 pound cannon packed with golf balls. In the end, the SIGG bottle was the only one left standing and was named, “The World’s Toughest Water Bottle.”

The SIGG bottles exceed FDA requirements and are tested to ensure 0.0% chemical leaching and according to SIGG, “SIGG bottles are manufactured in an ecologically-friendly environment and are 100% recyclable after their very long lives.” Nice.

Besides strength and ethics these bottles are also created with your custom likes and dislikes in mind. With 144 bottles plus 22 interchangeable lids there are 1,000 custom water bottles just waiting to lend to your drinking experience. Of course you only need the one perfect bottle.

Finding that perfect bottle is a whole other story. There are so many to choose from; throw in various lid choices and yikes.

I thought it would be fun to create some of my own custom water bottles as a way to show you some of their great style options. I made some for me and some for other bloggers who you’d be well advised to pay a holiday visit to (i.e. great stuff going on at their blogs right now.)

For me: I couldn’t decide so I made myself two (pretty, right?). I’m leaning towards the first one.

I grabbed a beautiful chocolate garden bottle for Linette over at Mother Earth’s Garden… Then I decided that for the always sweet Kate from Babylune I’d make something completely opposite of her vibe — just for kicks. Who knows. Maybe Kate has a side we rarely see; maybe this rocker bottle would be her secret bottle of choice.

They make kid bottles too so I made my son Cedar a “cool” bottle and also made one for Heather who is not technically a kid but she is stationed over at The Food Bowl — home to many cute animals like this little dog. Bonus, the puppy bottle I made with a glow in the dark lid. Who can’t use that?

SIGG also makes thermos style bottles which are handy for hot and cold beverages. I picked one for the always entertaining Tracee of Blog Fabulous because it reminded me of her. Does she even drink coffee (not sure). Does she like pink, (who knows)? It was just one of those times you see something material and it reminds you of someone random — maybe it’s because her blog is oh so fabulously pink. Lastly I snagged a flask style bottle. Which is a little odd but hey, maybe some people like their alcohol served eco-friendly. I bet Farley over at Behind The Vines could use it.

As you can see, SIGG offers many choices for all kinds of bloggers; um, people. If you’re in the market for a super strong, super unique, earth lovin’ water or other beverage bottle why not try SIGG — with all these styles you’ll find one that’s perfectly you.

To learn more visit SIGG.

Yesterday I offered up some last minute green gift ideas available online. Today for the major procrastinators I’ll tell you how to create a great green gift when even online ideas won’t cut it. We’re talking about gifts that you can buy the day before folks. Yikes. I really hope that’s not me but it’s looking more and more realistic.

Here’s where to go for supplies:

Local natural food stores: Personally I’m a fan of Wild Oats and local co-ops but seeing as how Whole Foods bought out Wild Oats recently and also noting that not everyone has a co-op close by I will say that Whole Foods is a good option when you’re in a gift pinch. Other quickie options that may work includes your local grocery store. Stores vary from place to place but what’s the same is that most grocery stores nowadays have jumped on the eco-train. Most have at least a small natural food section.

The drug store: These types of stores also vary from town to town too but it’s likely that you have some sort of drug store near by.

The mall & other department stores: Yikes. I made the mistake of going to the mall once the day before Christmas. NEVER again. You can find green stores and products at these places but I highly recommend NOT trying this option and sticking with the above others, which may be crazy busy too; but not quite as bad. That said these gifts won’t be focused on malls or department stores.

What to do:

Grab a basket or gift bag (recycled of course) and fill with items to create the following:

Gift for relaxation: Natural loofas, candles, soaps, incense, organic essential oils, organic teas, and a CD of nature sounds are items you might want to include in a peaceful gift basket.

Gift for people who love food: Grab some organic pasta sauce, whole grain noodles, jarred garlic spread, organic crackers, nuts, jams, cookies, and more to create a basket of yummy items for a foodie. Throw in a natural food magazine and you’re good to go. Some people won’t try organic because they think it’s too expensive so this is a nice treat. This can also be a good introduction gift to organics.

Gift for the kiddos: Organic fruit leathers, animal crackers, and juice boxes are less fun than a train set sure; but I find that most kids love these types of treats if they don’t have them all the time. We don’t do drink boxes so my son is way excited when he gets a rare one. Make sure packaging is recyclable. Some co-ops and Whole Foods even have toys now.

Gift for babes: Organic baby crackers, biodegradable diapers, gourmet organic baby foods and awesome collections of organic baby bath care products are all available at a store near you.

Gift for beauty: There are so many natural beauty items that this is an easy gift basket. There are organic soaps, perfumes, essential oils, scrubs, and fun items like all natural masks at most drug stores and co-ops nowadays. You can focus on one part of the body like face or feet or try a whole body pampering gift.

The intro the green cleaning gift: Ok, now I know some of us don’t want cleaning supplies for Christmas; I however, would love this. Organic cleaning products like laundry detergent is expensive; but I prefer it, so I would not mind someone giving me some. I can use it so it makes more sense than a knick knack. In any case one nice thing about natural and organic cleaning products is that they tend to be packaged nicely. This gift will look good in a basket. Try a natural sponge, lavender organic dish soap, all natural air freshener, and whatever else catches your fancy. Tied up in a nice basket it’ll look good.

Other green finds that make good gift ideas from these local shops may include; flowers, candy, fresh organic fruit (put that in a basket), and wine. You can also buy gift baskets at places like Whole Foods — but making one is more fun and usually costs less.

Here’s the key point. When it’s last minute it’s easy to rush out and buy whatever; but you don’t need to buy over-packaged and chemical laden gifts. Even if all you’ve got is a couple of hours you can still create a beautiful, useful, and healthier gift.

One last note: If you don’t have any baskets in good condition laying around hit the grocery stores first and then stop off at the thrift store for baskets. You can also find thrift store ribbon and greenery; like fabric flowers to liven up your basket.

I hadn’t thought of this before; but see that gift bag to the side. That’s from a Whole Foods store — and what a great idea. You can use a reusable shopping bag instead of a basket. You can get these bags at the stores and fill them up. Such a good idea because it’s two great gifts in one.

I hope this helped out the people lurking in wait… hoping that the holiday gifts will magically come to you. I wish that too; but it’s not gonna happen. These baskets are an easy way to play catch up and come off looking like the best gift planner on the planet. What people don’t know won’t hurt them.

Christmas is almost here. I’m hoping you’ve shopped before now. However, if there are a few of you (like me) who haven’t exactly finished yet here are some ideas.

There are a few places online that are still taking last minute holiday orders. Shipping may cost you but it’s possible to still save because you aren’t in your gas drinking car driving around frantically. If you’re going with online solutions check the fine print of the shop’s shipping policy carefully.

Here are a few online ideas:

Dirt Candles: First off, these candles are soot free (yippee). The perks just go up from there. Each candle is made from organically grown American soybeans and natural essential oils. Recycled glass and papers are used for packaging. Plus a portion of profit from each candle goes to a select charitable cause. Also they come in crazy fun scents:

• Bah Humbug: bayberries and cranberries with a top note of fresh crushed cinnamon bark and a hint of orange.
• Catch 22: patchouli, sandalwood, spice and fresh Spanish moss
• Slow Poke: fresh lavender and vanilla
• Old School: begins with old-fashioned notes of natural bergamot, galbanum, lemon, petitgrain and lime, leading to a sweet-spicy middle of amber, vanilla, nutmeg, and clove, with rich bottom notes of ambergris, balsam peru and sandalwood (WOW; can someone send me Old School!)
• And many, many, more.

Soaptopia: Eco friendly, delicious scents, and as they say, “100% junk-free” body products that come in a seriously large array of selections. Also, they’ve got some killer holiday sales and shipping deals going on. Just look what you can find:

• Build a MACHO Gift: Fun for the guys; choose from various eco -friendly and manly bath products.
  
• Festival of Lights: Shea Massage Candle, 50/50 Body Balm, 2 Soap Bars, Allota Bubbles, Salt Soak and Remi Mitt.
• Way more soaps than you can believe (on sale – $5 for $25) in cool slices like: Candy Cane, Blue Pearl Jam, Soap. Revolt!, Tequila Sunrise, Lean Mean Tangerine, Staying A-Lime (shown to the side), and more. Go look because the real fun is seeing these soaps; each one a work of art. Amazing shades and textures.
  

Soaptopia also offers lovely eco-gift wrap. Free!

And in super easy chocolate gift giving is the Endangered Species Chocolate of the Month Club. Almost everyone will love this gift. And bonus, no wrapping. Just send. This gift includes a 3-pack of 3oz. all-natural chocolate bars and a 3-pack of 1.4oz. organic chocolate bars each month. You can choose between dark chocolate only or a mix of milk and dark chocolate. Available in both 3 and 6 month gifts.

Next up some green gift solutions you can find right in your own town — for the brave few waiting until this next weekend to shop.