Posts filed under 'environment'
My 5 year old starts kindergarten, so I’ve got lots of back-to-school thoughts and supplies on the brain right now (more to come …). Particularly, I’ve been on the hunt for safe, reusable, and plastic-free food containers for packing up breakfast and lunch.
Check out these cool Snack Taxis. Perfect for snacks and sandwiches—even grownup-sized versions—they are water resistant, easy for kids to open, washable and thus reusable. Plus they come in a multitude of cool patterns. Good-bye plastic baggies! The company also makes lunch sacks and reusable napkins. Buy ‘em online or at retail location near you (see they list on Snack Taxi’s site).
Also love To-Go Ware’s stainless steel Sidekicks for snacks, yogurt, etc., and the two- and three-tier Tiffins, great for keeping foods separate. Check out the carrying sacks and reusable utensils, too.
— Mama Kate
August 26th, 2010
E-I-E-I-O!
We love anything sustainable, and are looking forward to visiting Jordandal Farms—which practices sustainably in Argyle, WI—for this year’s “A Day on the Farm.”
It’s sponsored by REAP Food Group—Research, Education, Action and Policy on Food Group, focused on building a regional food system that is healthful, just, and both environmentally and economically sustainable.
The day features a farm tour, kids activities, oohing over baby farm animals, and getting up to speed about Jordandal’s sustainable practices with the farm’s owners. A farm-fresh picnic-style meal will be served up by some of Madison’s finest chefs Madison Club, Restaurant Magnus, Dayton Street Grill, and Tornado Steak House.
Here’s what else you should know about REAP: The organization is all about making local farm-to-table connections easy, supports small family farms, and also organizes the Farms to Schools program (YAY! Keeping it fresh by connecting our local farmers with our schools’ food needs), and the excellent “Food for Thought Festival,” Burgers and Brew, and Pie Palooza, among other events, in Madison each year. Check those out — and don’t miss the organization’s local coupon book.
Date: Sunday, July 18
Time: 11am-3pm
Advance tickets (recommended!): Adults, $20; kids 12 & under, $12; kids 3 and under, free.
For more details and to order tickets, visit REAP’s site, or call 608.310.7836.
—Mama Kate
June 26th, 2010
French company Peau-Ethique beautifully offers the trifecta in responsible clothing. Handmade–check. Fair trade–check. Organic–check.
They carry lovely soft lingerie and pajamas which you can peruse for yourself…They have also added a knit collection for babies that will have your little one singing “La Vie en Rose!” These Peruvian knit outfits are absolutely gorgeous and perfect for baby…The entire Peau-Ethique site is full of beautiful items that are good for the planet and for the people who make them.
Mama Jen
November 20th, 2009
I gotta say, I am digging Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP website/newsletter, whose mission is to “nourish the inner aspect.” It’s filled with lots of ideas, both hip and helpful (well, and some not so at the moment—though I do love anything foodie oriented, I, sadly, don’t envision I’ll be lunching with the kids in Barcelona or London any time soon, or purchasing any designer fashions until my next life …). About every week or so, I get a nifty, conversational email about the idea of the week (and hey, it’s from Gwyneth, no less!). GOOP is wrapped around six main categories: Make, Go, Get, Do, Be, See. And, Miss GP includes plenty of family- and mommy-friendly ideas. GOOP features expert advice aplenty. And, there are lots of celebrity hooks—recipes and restaurant ideas from GP buddy Mario Batali, Cameron Diaz’s “green list,” DJ AM’s party jam picks, gal pal Madonna’s fave books, and so on—and that’s kinda fun. Essentially, though, I find it a great resource and collective of ideas—info on things alternative (healing modalities, for example), travel ideas (for my future files…), general food for thought (parenting ideas from experts). Back on that foodie note, I absolutely love the recipes GOOP features—a great variety that runs the gamut from family friendly to vegan, dairy-free, meat-free, super healthy deals that sound truly delicious. One friend had great success with Gwyneth’s detox diet (minus 6 lbs in one week) … that’s one aspect of GOOP I’ve not yet checked out, but hope to soon!
—Mama Kate
July 3rd, 2009
The other day, a rainy day hit and my little lady’s raincoat that got us through 2 yrs of rain was definitely too small. Poor thing put on the hood and her neck was being pulled backwards. Wow they grow fast!! Maybe I am in a French state of mind since returning from the fabulous French Quarter in New Orleans…I am half French after-all—but I found my girl a cute little raincoat yesterday at A Classic Tale by the designer Pluie Pluie (which is Rain Rain in French).
The coat is PVC free 100% cotton with a nice flexible waterproof coating to make puddle jumping comfortable as well as a blast! The coat is also knee length so that there is good coverage! Sizes run from 1/2 through youth 7/8 for girls and boys and the styles are hip, hip and more hip…
So, if you find yourself on the same hunt I was on last night, Pluie Pluie may be just right for you!!!
Mama Jen
March 26th, 2009
Recieve your mail online? Yes, it is possible with Earth Class Mail.
Maybe you have personal mail needs that this could solve…paperless, available to you while traveling etc.
Or maybe— just maybe, you’d like your small business to have a Park Avenue address in NY!! Earth Class Mail lets you choose street names with that certain panache that will reflect so well on your business. “Street Cred!” Imagine handing out your business card at a mixer somewhere in the middle of America with that business adress on it!
You could also escape to a nice getaway, say, at a beach house on the Gulf—and not miss that important letter you are waiting on…
There are endless possibilities with this amazing tool that solves so many snail mail issues in this “on the go” portable world!!! Now that has some MomAppeal!! Thanks for sending this my way Mama Jess!
Mama Jen
February 26th, 2009
The debate over the safety of BPA continues to rage on. As parents — and consumers in general — we are concerned. My husband and I recently cut out our family’s favorite beverage — Klarbrunn sparkling water, in the can — because the cans have an epoxy liner that contains BPA, as confirmed by a company spokesperson. (Klarbrunn’s plastic bottles are make of PET, according to the same spokesperson, and do not contain BPA.)
Anyone concerned about the subject should read the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s compelling investigative special reports and editorials on BPA, published this fall, including one estimating amountsof BPA a child could ingest daily due to leaching from conatiners.
Here’s other food for thought to entice you to read up on the subject. According a November 17, 2008, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article by Meg Kissinger:
“BPA, used to make baby bottles and the lining of metal food cans, including those containing infant formula, is tied to reproductive failures, breast cancer risk, diabetes and heart disease. A study last month found that it interferes with chemotherapy for breast cancer patients.”
“In addition to Congress, 13 states have proposed bans on BPA. Wisconsin is not one of them. But State Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) said Monday that she is preparing legislation to ban BPA from children’s products in Wisconsin.”
Hooray.
Please read the articles for more details.
— Mama Kate
November 20th, 2008
Sometimes in the fall/winter, as the temperature drops, I find it harder to be inspired to go outside, but the book “I Love Dirt” is full of inspiring thoughts to keep you and your children in awe of nature.
The book isn’t activity driven, yet is full of questions to help you and your children get curious about the world around them. The book is divided into seasons, so you can find seasonal ideas for exploring the world around you.
If you want an activity-specific book, you should check out Nature in a Nutshell for Kids which will get your 2nd thru 4th grader involved in phenomenal activities that help them learn about nature and how it works…
Happy playing in the dirt!!!
Mama Jen
October 16th, 2008
We’ve found another kids cup to love: The Safe Sippy by Kid Basix.
Bret Plate, a father of two, was worried about the toxic components of plastics and how they may leach from his kids’ drinking cups and into their beverages. In search of a better alternative, he designedbeverage container of food-grade stainless steel, inside and out. All plastics used on the product are certified or tested free of BPA and pthalates (the company says it pays for independent lab tests to ensure the cups are free of these substances). The interior no-spill valve is made from silicone. Why are there no plastics on this cup, then? As the company says, nobody wants to sip on a steel straw.
The no-spill valve isn’t absolutely leakproof; the company admits that while the valve will prevent major spills, there still will be drips and dribbles when the cup is inverted. I haven’t found a perfectly hermetically sealed sippy cup, so I can live with a few drips. And I appreciate that this one’s easy to put together, and has saved us from those leaks caused by “assembly-mom error.” The removable outer sleeve adds a nice grip-factor for kids, especially if you choose not to use the sleek little handles, and also insulates cold drinks from their little mitts.
The Safe Sippy is easy to clean, and is dishwasher safe. We wash ours the fast, easy and green way: in the recommended solution of baking soda, vinegar and hot water, the same way we wash our other stainless steel containers.
And, well, the cup’s styling is just plain cool. It comes in three great color combinations: stainless steel and orange paired with bright blue, turquoise or hot pink. In fact, it’s so cool, my kids fight over the single Safe Sippy we have. Guess I should finally purge all those plastic cups and stock my shelves with these.
Mama Kate
August 18th, 2008
Kice Kice is a clothing boutique for kids with a big conscience. The gorgeous, artfully designed clothing is 100% certified organic and sweatshop free.
Kice Kice is created by twin sisters in Southern California who both have art backgrounds—it shows in their clean, modern, whimsical designs. The clothes all are comfortable which leaves lots of flexibility for play. I don’t know about how it goes in your house, but my daughter insists on “cozy clothes” which is her definition for soft cotton clothing with elastic…I agree!
Mama Jen
June 3rd, 2008
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