Cardboard moving boxes is so 2009!

If you live on the west coast and are moving, you are in luck! Spencer Brown saw a problem in Southern California - the millions of cardboard boxes we use every year for moving and then throw away. Responding to this need Brown created Rent a Green Box, providing durable plastic boxes to rent for moving, saving 50% on the cost of moving as well as reducing waste and helping the planet. The boxes, also called Recopacks, are made from recycled plastic bottles, further reducing landfill waste. It's a simple idea that makes so much sense that they have kept on growing right through the recession and are targeting national growth in the years ahead.

Page 1239 of the health care bill promotes on keeping things natural

We have a new found respect for the Obama team. They are getting some things right. And they have our salute on the page 1239 of the health care bill. For anyone that knows that health of our kids starts right from start and with their parents also knows its impact on the society as a whole.

Nursing mothers will now get additional support, thanks to page 1239 of the health care bill that President Obama recently signed into law. It requires employers to provide "a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk." Only companies with less than 50 employees can claim it's an undue hardship.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics showed breastfeeding a child for the first six months of life would save nearly 1,000 lives and billions of dollars each year. That's because breastfeeding reduces the risk of certain illnesses such as pneumonia, according to the study. Much of the cost comes from excess premature deaths, the study authors said.

Major medical and health organizations agree that breast milk by itself is sufficient for newborns and infants until they are 6 months old. But a 2009 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that while 74 percent of women start breastfeeding, only 33 percent of mothers relied on breastfeeding only at three months. At six months, the numbers go down to 14 percent.

The very green Muir Woods

Our recent family trip to San Francisco was very refreshing and inspiring. Our trip to Muir Woods, just 12 miles north of SF was a real delight coming from the East Coast.

Muir Woods National Monument is a haven in the San Francisco Bay Area. You'll find redwoods, Douglas firs, maples, oaks and bay laurels in a peaceful setting about 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Watch butterflies and Steller's jays flying from tree to tree.

We took in a lot of fresh air and also literally inhaled the delicious food and goodies in their Cafe. Unlike most cafes at touristy locations that serve greasy pizza and hot dogs, it was a great treat to see a small menu with organic and local food options served in biodegradable and compostable ecotainers. It rounded up our visit of the glorious red wood trees perfectly.

Defending Food!

"Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are."
Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

If we are what we eat then we are a group of genetically modified and hormone fed animals. A long time ago, before the McDonalds, Burger King and KFC age was the age of healthy home-made balanced cooking. Food didn't travel the distances it does today, fast food was not a concept and processed foods were non-existent. It seems as if we have come a full circle. Our defense should begin at the table with Slow Food. Old was good, in fact golden!
"In the name of productivity, Fast Life has changed our way of being and threatens our environment and our landscapes. So Slow Food is now the only truly progressive answer."
- Taken from the Slow Food Manifesto

Slow Food is Good Food. What Can You and Your Kids Do?

Grow some of your own food. Start a garden, or if space is tight, fill a few pots with herbs, radishes, peas, or tomatoes. Pick and enjoy food fresh from your garden — and if there is any left, bring it into the kitchen and add it to your meal. Children will appreciate the fresh and delicious flavors of foods picked at the peak of freshness. Point out the benefits of eating foods right out of the garden instead of purchasing items from the grocery story that have traveled from other countries.

In the upcoming weeks we will focus on easy slow food recipes, stay tuned!

Make recycled gift bows with that leftover wrapping paper

We know it is almost impossible to avoid wrapping paper during the holiday season! I found this great craft activity to do with kids while the kids are off from school next week!

Wrapping Paper Bow

Supplies:

left over wrapping paper
invisible tape such as Scotch Tape
small piece of cardboard
scissors
ruler
optional: small piece of double-sided tape for each bow

How to Make a Paper Bow from Wrapping Paper

Instructions:

1. Cut the wrapping paper into strips that are approximately four inches long and 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch wide. There's no need to use a ruler to cut each strip, but try to make them all roughly the same.

2. Cut a 1½ inch square of thin cardboard (cereal box or food box cardboard works well for this).

3. Take a cut strip of wrapping paper and fold it over into a curled loop, with the plain sides together. Bring one end about an 1/8 inch away from the other end and hold in place with a small piece of invisible tape, allowing the tape to extend past both ends about 1/8 inch.

4. Stick the first loop down on the cardboard square, centered at the edge of one side. Repeat with three more paper loops, so you have a loop in the middle of each side.

5. Take four more loops and stick them down at the corners of the square. At this point, your bow should look like the photo, shown above, at right.

6. Continue making paper loops, sticking each one down just in front of, and between two loops from the previous row. The bow will begin to fill in, as shown in the photo, lower right.

7. When you get to center of the small square, make a single loop and stick this down right in the middle. Fluff the bow gently with your fingers and it should look like the completed bow shown in our large photo at the top of the page. It is now ready to decorate your next gift package.

8. Stick the bow onto a wrapped gift by making a loop of invisible tape with the sticky side out or, if you wish, use a small tab of double-sided tape instead.

School's in Session: Get Involved

Kids are back in school. School forms need to be completed, Back to School Night is coming up. Everyone is gung ho about the new school year. It is also a new year for the Home and School Association/PTA. HSAs offer a unique opportunity to parents to get involved in the extra curricular activities offered by the schools. This cannot happen without volunteer parents. So a simple resolve to volunteer 2 hours of your time to any activity in your child's school can be tremendous. Join a committee that is closest to your heart and take part. Leo Goes Grr is doing its part this year by offering a fundraiser to schools interested in conducting Grreen Fundraisers. our highlights are:
"Buy Locally Made in America Products" result Take Care of Small to Mid-Size Businesses in America.
"Buy products made from materials that are safe for our children".
"Buy products made from recycled materials which would otherwise get discarded and end up in our landfills"
"Buy products made from properly managed resources to minimize impacts to the environment".

Fundraisers are great but Grreen Fundraisers are even better because they help raise money "with a sense of pride for American businesses and Respect for healthy living and the environment".

Back to School Time

As much as we don't want to admit it, summer is nearing its end and that means school's around the corner. Here's a typical list for Kindergarteners:

1. A lightweight backpack. Try to stay away from rolling backpacks.
2. A healthy snack packed a reusable containers instead of disposable packaging and reduce waste.
3. An art smock for use in the classroom as well as during art class. (An oversized t-shirt works best because it can be slipped on easily. Try to stay away from smocks with buttons and ties, as they can be challenging to get on and off. Please label your child's smock on the front with his or her full name.)
4. A 2-pocket folder. Please label the right side "Homework" and the left side "Take Home". Try to use a sturdy folder such as a heavy cardboard folder.

Here are some consumer tips from the USEPA on how to reduce wastes at your school:
http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/funfacts/school3.htm