AND, we MUST raise our children to be this way too.

1. Reduce consumption. Don’t buy what you don’t need, evaluate what you really want, and use everything you have.

2. Reuse when you can. Pass down clothing, donate, use papers again, etc.

3. Recycle cans, bottles, paper, books, toys, clothing, etc. Use Freecycle, eBay, and Craigslist instead of buying new.

4. Enjoy nature instead of enjoying the indoors. AND, respect nature.

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Raise a Green Kid

The first adventure book of Garry Errill, “Close Encounters of a Very Green Kind” follows the exploits of the Eco Family, the most ecological family in the cosmos. The setting for the book is futuristic, sometime in 2150 and aliens are no longer strange unknown beings – they are everywhere across the galaxies. Living in the City of Fontainia on Planet Algore, the Eco Family includes Professor Eco and his beautiful wife Mother Eart, Grandpa Zuron, teenage girl Mira and a younger Eco Jr., and oh, several droids and goggle-bots. The adventure starts when they receive a signal to immediately come to the aid of Planet Earth. Readers will follow their journey to the planet and what the family needs to do to accomplish their mission.

The book will be well-liked by children and parents who want to teach their children respect for the environment. I would recommend this as a great conversation-starter for the effects of global warming and what we can do to about it. Imagination runs high with the book, and the colorful sci-fi looking illustrations by American artist Diana McManus Whitman complemented the feel of being in the future.

Beyond just reading the story, this book is itself an example of being eco-friendly. I was surprised with the book’s quality and the vivid colors, since it was printed on 100% recycled paper and the illustrations were printed using either vegetable oil or water-based inks, which are more resistant to scuffs. Even the printing cloths were washable! Author Garry Errill will also donate a portion of the sales to the Eco Planet Fund, which helps families who look after children living in poverty and solitude.

The book “Close Encounter of a Very GREEN Kind” will be released in the United States and United Kingdom on November 15, 2008, at various retailers or from the website www.theecofamily.com to learn more about The Eco Family, and where they will be able to purchase a copy.  The book retails for $6.95 (USA), and £5.95 (UK).

image: ARL Marketing PR Firm

Post from: Blisstree

Book review: "Close Encounters of a Very GREEN Kind"

Here are some tips to keep your children active during the cooler season of autumn:

(FIRST) Right after school, give a light protein-packed snack. It staves off hunger and prevents over-eating, but also gives them a little more energy for the physical activity.

1. Get them involved outdoors while it’s still daylight and warmer. Walk, bike, stroll the neighborhood, play hoops, jump-rope, anything to get their blood going, for at least 15-30 minutes.

2. If you choose to do homework first, everyone can head out right before dinner (or daddy can lead the troupe while mommy is cooking). A brisk walk or exercise will give them appetite too.

3. Get up early on Saturday and enjoy the neighborhood, but wear a light sweater and headgear.

4. Take walks at the mall, indoor park or gym. The community center is also a great place to get blood going.

5. YMCA, Boys/Girls’ Club offer classes and lessons, or enroll the children in some indoor lessons like taek wondo, dance/ballet.

The cold weather shouldn’t stop our children from getting exercise and physical activities, so while they’re at it, let’s join them too.

Post from: Blisstree

Get the kids to stay active in the fall

The products were donated by PTPA Media, which stands for Parent-Tested, Parent-Approved, a company that provides parents with home and household products that have been reviewed by other parents. Check out their website and see what other products passed the test among parents.

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Kids Health give-aways: Clean, green and parent-approved – winners

‘Sides, it’s Kids Health Notes’ First Anniversary last month, so I want to start the new year with cleaner, greener, and healthier families for our readers.

I’m giving away three products that have been parent-tested and parent-approved, so you know they really work.

• Universal Stone all-purpose cream based cleaner. It’s certified green and made in Europe.
• Seventh Generation cleaning products.
• Ringley Teether. This a wooden and organic cloth teething ring that parents and infants love!

So, who’s up for it? Here’s how to join.

Answer this in the comment: What is one household chore you really love to do?

• One entry per person per day.
• It’s open to residents of the US only.
• Contest ends 11:59 midnight EST on October 12, 2008 (Sunday). Three winners will be randomly chosen and announced via blog and email the week after.
• If a winner does not reply within 3 days, he/she forfeits her winnings and an alternate entry will be chosen.
• REMINDER #1 : In previous contests, I have had several winners forfeited for failure to reply to my emails.  Please make sure your settings don’t put my email into the junk folder, otherwise you’ll have no idea you won. Better yet, please check this blog for the winners’ list after the contest ends. Best bet, come back often and stay a reader!
• REMINDER #2: Only entries with legit answers will be included in the draw. There are good reasons I ask these questions in Kids Health Notes. Actually, only a few forget to answer the questions, but I really want to include all commenters into the contest, so just take note of that when you join. And as always, I appreciate the conversation. Have fun here!

UPDATE: This contest is now closed.

Post from: Blisstree

Kids Health give-aways: Clean, green and parent-approved

Published in the current issue of the journal Acta Paediatrica, the study measured the levels of harmful chemicals or pollutants in the umbilical cords of some 400 children in Menorca, Spain. One of those chemicals is hexachlorobenzene (HCB), a pesticide that has been banned in the UK.

When the children were followed up six years later, those with the highest levels were twice as likely to be obese. Experiments in animals had already shown that pollutants can cause obesity (in animals) but this is the first study that showed the effects of pollutants inside the human womb.

See, that is totally why we need to get rid of chemicals in our homes, schools and the environment. The effects are felt from within the womb, when the fetus is so vulnerable and will absorb everything that mommy passes on to him. The ugly thing about chemical pollutants is that they remain in the environment long after they have been banned.

Reach the article at Independent Co.

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Pollution in the womb can make children fat, study

These days, we hear about it all the time, of famous athletes being caught or admitting that they used performance-enhancement drugs. Unfortunately, this drug abuse also happens in college campuses, where the pressure to excel in a sports or varsity can push a young person to take steroids.

The AD Council has a new campaign called “Don’t Be An Asterisk” to make steroid use socially unacceptable, and get parents, teens and educators become more aware of this kind of drug abuse.

How can you tell if your teen, or someone close to you, is using performance-enhancing drugs? What can parents do to prevent or deal with the issue of steroids? The symptoms of steroid abuse are:

• Rapid weight gain and muscle development
• Acne flare up
• Fluid retention
• Jaundice (yellow tinge to eyes and skin)
• Mood swings and depressed moods
• Aggressive behavior
• Premature balding

What can parents do?

• Teach your child to resist social pressures to try drugs like steroids.
• Be informed about steroids and it abuse.
• Work through self-esteem issues with your child.

Got questions? Visit this fact sheet on steroid use.  To find out more about the campaign, visit Don’t Be Afraid of the Bee

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Is your college student an asterisk?

  Chapter One Organics

Talking with Jennifer Murphy, the owner of Chapter One, was a delight as I educated myself a little more about clothes that I want my family to wear.

I received a pair of boy’s loungewear, the Earthluxe red clay top and bottom for review last month. There is a onesies and pants pair, for babies, and shirt and pants pair for 12 months and up. The retail price is $52.00. The clothes are available online and in select stores across the US.

The cotton is remarkably soft, even after several trips to the laundry (no ironing). I’m not sure if the cotton is pima, but it certainly feels like it. The weave is tight, so the shape is retained. The variations to the dye color actually lend interest to the edgy design. My son can’t stamp his approval on it yet, but as a mom this loungewear is A+. The only downside to baby clothes, really, is that kids grow so fast out of them, but the good thing is that his younger sibs can still someday use this set.

The price is steep, but for now, that is what we all pay for buying organic. Someday, maybe when more retailers go green, the price of production and manufacturing will go down.

Oh, and there is a bonus to the clothes. The handmade hangtags are printed on seeded paper, so you can actually plant them afterwards. Keep the tags moist to germinate the seed, and plant with joy.

In every way possible, Chapter One Organics gives back to the earth. And that’s what I like most about it.

Post from: Blisstree

Product review: baby clothes from Chapter One Organics

Organic is the IN thing in fashion these days

But are they really? There are so many terms and so many things out there that say “organic”, and I don’t still know for sure what it totally means. So it was a treat for me, and quite a learning experience, to talk to someone who makes it her mission to be environmentally responsible in her life and at work.

  Jennifer Murphy is the proud owner of Chapter One Organics, a new fashion-forward clothing line for babies and toddlers. Jennifer studied design, art and business in college and wanted to work in fashion. Borne out of a medical experience dealing with harsh chemicals, she wanted to start a company that was totally organic. Her philosophy is to be organic from start to finish product, at every aspect of production and manufacturing of the clothing line for her baby and toddler clothes.

As Jennifer points out, “It is not just what you are putting on the baby’s skin. It is the earth, it is the workers in the factory who are inhaling the chemicals. You know when they are selling the garments some of the fibers kick up, it is the people who take the cotton from the field and the people who weave the cotton, to make it a knit or woven or whatever it is. So for me it was like, “Wow, we can really affect all of these people by choosing to use organic.”

Chapter One Organics uses what is called “premium certified organic cotton.” Jennifer explains that Chapter One Organic purchases the cotton from a company that has a certification, a standard called The Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS), where it holds people accountable the whole way through the processing. It is not just through the growing of the cotton but it is through the way that the cotton is processed. Did they use bleach on the cotton to whiten it or did they use peroxide? Premium certified organic cotton is safe all the way down to that.

Now that’s being totally loving the earth and its occupants! But there’s more.

Chapter One Organics is really a cut above the rest. Jennifer works with a US manufacturer who employ under served women, those who had a significant barrier to employment. Some of them are coming from a prison system. But the company trained them how to sew and get some career skills to move on with their life. Most of these women did not have a career path or had only worked in fast food restaurants and have no where to go. So Chapter One Organic has given them the opportunity to see what it is like to be a part of a different culture.

Bigger US clothing retailer, like Gap and Walmart, are now becoming environmentally friendly. The Gap now has organic baby clothes they offer online. I am even wearing a Walmart shirt that says “transition cotton.” So one would think that major companies would go the earth-friendly route because they can, so why aren’t we seeing the organic movement exploding into our clothing industry? Jennifer believes it has to do with cost. And yet, the more companies that start to do it and the more demand there is for organic cotton and bamboo and all these different alternative fabrics, probably the more they will do it. She would like to see the large companies jump on board because, admittedly, they can make the biggest impact.

If someone wanted to be more educated about organizations, I asked Jennifer where they would go for more information. She shared that there are a lot of organizations online that are really green organizations. She pointed out Co-op of America, which is a group that she belongs to. Co-op of America screen their businesses who sell products. Organic Trade Association is another good place to scout for information. They list all of the businesses that they support and are supporting them

Ms. Murphy’s advice to making certain that consumers are buying the right “organic” product? DO YOUR HOMEWORK. EDUCATE YOURSELF. SUPPORT THE BUSINESS.

“I think, as a consumer one of the ways to become more involved is to research maybe what you are buying a little bit more,” Jennifer points out. “See because when you go to Target something may be organic but do you really know the foot print, where it came from, that the worker was paid a fair wage.”

My conversation with Jennifer Murphy continued on about the baby clothes she sent me, and the book that she wrote about educating children on factory farming.

© Zorro12 – Fotolia.com; chapter one organics images

Post from: Blisstree

Organic living, all the way: Interview with Jennifer Murphy, Chapter One Organics

WAIT! Hold your horses. I am pretty sure children are gonna love these books I’m giving away, and maybe get them to read more this summer! My personal favorite in the lot – The Encyclopedia of Immaturity. It kept me laughing and wishing I had an excuse to be a child again.

The contest is easy:

• Just browse the selection of books on the next page, and let me know the two (2) choices of books you want to receive. There is only only 1 copy of each book, so first come first served.
• This time, one entry per person only.
• It’s open to residents of the 48 contingent US states only.
• Contest ends 12:00 midnight EST on June 27, 2008 (Sunday). Nine winners will be randomly chosen and announced via blog and email the week after.
• If the winner does not reply within 3 days, he/she forfeits her winnings and an alternate winner will be chosen.

The Scholastic books treasure trove include:

Health-Related Books and Activities:

The World of Germs from The Magic School Bus Series science kits from Young Scientists Club. This kit allows young scientists to grow bacteria and fungi, test antibiotics and cultivate bacteria. (Age 5+)

How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon–What if a dinosaur catches the flu? Does he whimper and whine between each “At-choo”? Does he drop dirty tissues all over the floor? Does he fling his medicine out of the door? Just like kids, little dinosaurs hate being sick. And going to the doctor can be pretty scary. How DO dinosaurs get well soon? They drink lots of juice, and they get lots of rest; they’re good at the doctor’s, ’cause doctors know best. As in their previous book, Yolen and Teague capture children’s fears about being sick and put them to rest with playful read-aloud verse and wonderfully amusing pictures. (Age 2+)

The Magic School: Inside the Human Body–When the Magic School Bus is swallowed by a bewildered Arnold, Ms. Frizzle takes the class on a tour of his stomach, intestines, and bloodstream. (Age 4-8)

For Older Kids:

The Encyclopedia of Immaturity–The seed for this project was planted way back in 1977. That’s when we published Juggling for the Complete Klutz®, our first effort to teach a skill essential to something we thought was a very important part of living right — never growing up. We never did. And now we’ve written the ultimate how-not-to guide.

The Encyclopedia of Immaturity contains more than 300 entries: How to Skip a Stone, How to Do a Wheelie, How to Hang a Spoon from Your Nose, How to Really Annoy Your Older Sibling… all painstakingly explicated and illuminated with full-color photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and the occasional footnote. Written by the editors of Klutz. (Age 8+)

The Adventures of Captain Underpants–He used to be Principal Krupp, but now he’s the crime-fighting, wedgie-dodging Captain Underpants, the only superhero wacky enough to tackle the evil Dr. Diaper. (Age 7-10)

Paint the Wind–Maya is a captive. In Grandmother’s house in California, every word and action is strictly monitored, and even Maya’s memories of her mother have been erased — except within the imaginary world she has created. A world away, in the rugged Wyoming wilderness, a tobiano Paint horse called Artemisia runs free, belonging only to the stars. She embodies the spirit of the wild — and she holds the key to Maya’s memories. How Maya’s and Artemisia’s lives intertwine, like a braided rein, is at the heart of this richly drawn adventure about captivity and freedom, about holding on and letting go. (Age 7-10)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret–ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery. (Age 9-12)

 For a Green and Healthy Planet:

The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming–Irreverent and entertaining, DOWN TO EARTH is filled with fact about global warming and its disastrous consequences, loads of photos and illustrations, as well as suggestions for how kids can help combat global warming in their homes, schools, and communities. Engagingly designed, DOWN TO EARTH will educate and empower, leaving readers with the knowledge they need to understand this problem and a sense of hope to inspire them into action. (Age 9-12)

You Can Save the Planet: 50 Ways You Can Make a Difference–This book is a call to action for children everywhere. The effects of pollution, global warming, and the destruction of our planet have never been so visible or measurable. The book introduces and explains massive global problems that need to be addressed now. It’s packed full of 50 useful things kids can do to make their homes, schools, adn neighborhoods more environmentally friendly. (Age 9-12)

image: sxc

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Kids Health Notes give-away: Scholastic books for children