Remember my story about our family of birds who moved into our flowers? Well, they’ve hatched! I’m a total bird auntie now. My son is thrilled too – and we’re surprised at how fast they’re growing.
The parent birds are a little kooky. One, they hate me because I have to water the flowers which means moving the pot, but other times they’ll come sit right by me on the patio. I think they’re torn between liking me and not. But in any case the babies are hatched and here are some pictures…

How cute right!? If you have any nature or …read more

So the die hard candy fans out there might know that April 22; Earth Day, is also National Jelly Bean Day.  Odd but true. Actually seeing as how NJBD launched way back in the 1860s, one might say that National Jelly Bean Day is also Earth Day.

Still, the point now is that these events fall on the same day. If you’re interested in celebrating both events, I’d snag some eco-friendly beans. Such as…

Surf Sweets Jelly Beans: Made with organic fruit juice and sweeteners, 100% Vitamin C per serving, no corn syrup or GMO’s, gluten free, made in a nut-free facility.

Green …read more

Remember my green New Year’s goals? One of them was to actually recycle those pesky toilet paper tubes. Well, I had a thought. Maybe I could track down some ways to actually put them to good use. And just maybe, these tips will help you too. I know we have a few other tube slackers here.
First I came up with some of my own ideas (using that old cerebral cortex)…
Baby safety: You probably know this one, but if it fits in a tube, it’s too small for a baby. This has got to be the cheapest child safety tool …read more

I just got a heads up about a cool new club for earth-loving kids. The Clean Air Club, is an interactive website that helps to teach kids about the importance of protecting their environment. The club (and website) are appropriate for kiddos 14 and under.
The club was started by Cook-Illinois Corporation, the nation’s largest independently owned and operated school bus company. Recently, Cook-Illinois Corporation made some eco-changes to their company; they switched most of their fleet of 1,700 schools buses to bio-diesel fuel. This switch reduces around 1000 tons of toxic emissions in Chicago.
About the club – perks for kids: …read more

One of the greenest ways to dress up for Halloween is to try face painting. There’s no resource draining costume to purchase, plus it’s fun, and you can use face paints for dress-up games, long after Halloween ends. Of course, you’ll want non-toxic and safe face paints. A very good choice (maybe the best out there) is a set of Lyra Face Paint Pencils.
Lyra Face Paint Pencils are not tested on animals, dermatologically tested for safety, and are certified nontoxic by the Art and Craft Materials Institute.

Available at the ever delightful and child friendly Oompa Toys.
Click here to learn about …read more

I’m back from my vacation in Chicago. What were some of my favorite things?
• You can see buildings in other buildings. Hence the photo above!
• There’s a Calder exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. And yes, there’s a cat mobile! I couldn’t take photos though.
• I had a great taste of Armenian food at Sayat-Nova. So, I take photos of restaurant signs to remember the name…

• Plus, an awesome Picasso sculpture (below) in Daley Plaza. It’s often called “The Picasso.” It’s untitled and the artist never explained what it’s meant to represent. It was a gift from Picasso, so …read more

I’ll be on vacation next week, but there will still be plenty to read here. I’ve set some posts ahead, plus Jennifer will be around with some great green baby posts for you.
And I’ll come back with some cool photos to share. I decided to let you guess where I’m going.
The image is a hint.
Can you guess?
(Image via Serge Melki flickr.)

This month, Lifestyles decided to have a little fun with one of summer’s favorite pastimes – picnics & potlucks. Here are all the tips from around the channel, there’s recipes, tips and a few laughs thrown in for free.

Here at Tree Hugging Family I shared 10 tips for an easy green picnic or green potluck
At Declutter It you can read five tips to help you organize your summer BBQ. 
Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch by Robust Cooking
Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade at All Holiday Cafe
Rice Krispie Treats at Keeping the Castle
Homemade Oreo Ice Cream at Chocolate Bytes
Cool Summer Snacking at Inside Motherhood
Pasta Salad at Thrifty …read more

Today the Lifestyles Channel is holding a potluck / picnic of sorts. Each of the channel blogs will be somehow discussing potlucks and picnics today – a favorite recipe, maybe some planning tips. Here at Tree Hugging Family, we’ll be looking at how to hold a green picnic.

Pack green silverware and plates. That means real dishes or at the very least a smart eco-alternative.
Bring at least one meatless main dish.
Aim for a healthy organic picnic.
Block the sun with eco friendly sunglasses.
Toss an earth friendly Frisbee.
Don’t forget the human safe bug spray and sunscreen.
Forget stuff like balloons to mark your picnic …read more

Does anyone really say that… ever!?
I’m a Sagittarius. Sagittarius folks are the best – in case you were wondering. Offhand, I also tend to like people who are a Leo, Scorpio, or a Aries. Oddly I’ve liked some Cancers too.
Capricorns and I don’t mix; at all. Every Capricorn I’ve EVER met has manged to make me overly mad, get on my nerves, or otherwise annoy me, to the point of freak out at some point. I’m open to them, but I’m telling you, the odds of a Cap and I getting on in some stellar fashion – not good. By …read more