It’s Wednesday, a typical day. As you go about your daily routines however, it might be good to stop and consider some important eco-numbers.

365 – Number of days we all have to make a difference each year, and yet…
137 – The amount of plants, animals and insects species we lose each day to rainforest deforestation.
147,000,000 – The gallons of gas per year that vaporize into the earth’s atmosphere due to shoddy or lost gas caps.
7 – How many trees the average American uses up in one year. Also, the number of greenwashing sins BTW.
4.6 – How many pounds of …read more

Earthbound Farm has been in the organics biz for a good long while. Earthbound Farm was founded on a 2.5-acre backyard garden in Carmel Valley, CA, by Drew & Myra Goodman in 1984, and by 1993 they begin selling their salad greens to major food retailers. Now they deliver organic salads, fruits, and vegetables supermarkets across North America and beyond.

As they continue to grow they’ve made some changes such as recently switching to post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic for their salad containers. Along with the new labels, they’re designing new labels that carry the PCR symbol AND a possible …read more

Gather the kids and make one of these great Earth Day recipes or treats for the big day – or for any day you need some earth-minded-food fun.
NOTE: As always, any conventional ingredients you see can be switched out for organic.

Really adorable Earth Day Globe Cookies!
An entire Earth Day meal plan: Mushroom Kebabs, Fresh Fruit and Nut Coleslaw, Angel Hair Pasta and Asparagus, and Earth Day Dirt Cups
Four cool Earth Day meal and treat ideas from Earth Day Milkshakes to Green Juice.
Sticky Sweet Organic Vegan Green Apple Cupcakes
Fruity Frog – super duper cute!
Candied Flowers – beautiful and fun, especially for …read more

Before shipping deals for a green Valentine gifts end, here’s a round up of neat eco-gifts for little ones.
For babies:

Conversation Heart Rattles – Fair Trade, eco-company, knit sweethearts for babies.

Lovebird Baby Shoes – sadly, you can’t get these in time for Valentine’s Day, because they’re made to order, but they’re so cute I have to share. Made by eco-friendly Diddle Dumpling and perfect for upcoming spring (not just Valentine’s Day).

Looking for fun treats for Valentine’s Day that won’t crush the planet’s heart? Try one or some of these ideas…
Any of the lovely cookies from Beautiful Sweets – Their treats are all sustainable from the baking to the packaging, and they ship their pretty Valentine’s Day organic cookies all over. Some examples…

Skip diamonds (for the most part) and give eco-friendly jewelry instead.
Serve organic treats, wine, and champagne.
Give organic flowers.
Green that night o’ love and recycle your unmentionables.
Get sexy and stay green.
Make your own cards – more special than store bought and you can reuse supplies you’ve got around the house. Or be sure to buy Valentine’s Day cards made with recycled materials.
For romance light organic soy or beeswax candles.

Looking for kid specific green Valentine’s Day ideas?
Coming up I’ve got some specific examples of the ideas above.
[image via stock.xchng]

Make this Valentine’s Day green – you can love on the earth and still love on your kiddos.

Give organic and Fair Trade treats. Chocolates, lollies, punch, cupcakes and more are available in organic versions.
Give long-term gifts like an organic stuffed friend or a game vs. little plastic toss away toys. Wrap said gifts in recycled gift wrap.
Make homemade decorations out of recycled materials.
Make homemade Valentines with recycled materials. If you want new, buy Valentines made with recycled content.
Skip balloons – most can’t be recycled, and when let loose aren’t so great for the animals in your community.
Use treat bags that …read more

You have to see this great video created by the nonprofit group Kitchen Gardeners International, who are running the “Eat the View” campaign. The campaign’s goal is to encourage the return of edible landscapes on the White House lawn. This goal is seeking backing by President Obama. If he makes a change, and replants America’s garden, the theory is that this will inspire citizens to grow healthy and environmentally responsible food as well. This video is also a great simple history learning tool for kids – perfect for homeschooled kids too.

“Eat the View” is coordinated by Kitchen Gardeners International, a …read more

In the last post we looked at green cooking with kids. I thought I’d gather some good recipe links for you and the littles to go along with that post.

Animal Chips via Family Fun
FIRST: I didn’t look specifically for organic recipes. At this point, I’ll say what you’ve heard me say a million times; almost any recipe can be altered from conventional to organic. When looking for good green recipes to make with kids, look for ones that can be easily altered to make them healthier. Also keep in mind that you don’t have to cook entirely organic, but I …read more

One of the easiest places to get kids going green is in the kitchen. Kids like most kinds of cooking fun, especially the really fun stuff like baking, blending, and freezing.
If you want to introduce your kids to both green living and cooking skills, here are some easy tips you can follow…
1. Talk about organics: Kids don’t always get organic vs. conventional foods. I’ve been talking about the term organic with my son forever, and I’m pretty sure that now, at age 7, he’s just really getting it. At the store, he’ll ask for organics over non organic now.
To discuss …read more