E is for Environment

Looking to encourage a little more green in your offspring?  Check out the lovable book, E is for Environment!  Brother and sister, Elliot & Lucy are featured in 26 engaging stories filled with ways to make a positive difference for the environment.  The stories are cute and charming while teaching kids fun lessons and examples of how to be eco-friendly! 

Each story has an adorable illustration (we wish there were more of the sweet pictures!) and features questions at the end of each story (for the record, my son wasn’t into the questions, but he loved each of the stories).

Written by Ian James Corlett and Ilustrated by R.A. Holt, this book would be a perfect holiday gift or addition to a child’s library! 

Check out E is for Environment on Amazon!

music to our ears

Has your child been asking to play the guitar or drums?  Good news for those budding little musicians!  Kids who played musical instruments achieved higher results on both intelligence and memory tests.

Childhood music lessons have long term effects on the brain.  “Musical activity throughout life may serve as a challenging cognitive exercise, making your brain fitter and more capable of accommodating the challenges of aging,” says the lead researcher, Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, PhD of the American Psychological Association.  In another study by Northwestern University in Illinois, music lessons were credited for boosting language & speech skills, memory & attention spans, and the ability to pick up a new language.

Playing music helps to keep the mind healthy!  Starting childhood music lessons is a great way to connect a child with instruments & music.  When starting lessons for your child, consider the following:

·         Is he/she old enough?

·         Showing avid interest & enthusiasm in an instrument?

·         Can they sit still and pay attention?

·         Does the instructor get along well with your child and work well with that age group?

If lessons are not an option, try exposing your children to different genres of music, music programs and concerts to gain the positive effects of music.

What instrument does your child play or want to play?  We have been fielding a lot of requests for a guitar from our 4-year-old!

sun = fun! safe sunscreen!

Sun = fun. But too much of a good thing can be dangerous {especially with little, delicate skin}. Before heading out this summer, consider how to keep your kids skin safe and protected without harsh or damaging chemicals.

The Environmental Working Group has come up with extensive information to help guide parents:

Check out their review of the best and safest sunscreens on the market!

Surprising facts about sunscreen!

Sun safety tips!


We sell safe sunscreens {in the Green Outdoor Play section}!  Check out our eco ike boutitque!  SHOP HERE

composting with kids!

Help your kids develop their green thumb by teaching them to compost.  Composting is a fun family project that's easy to do and great for the environment. Teach your tykes how simple it is to recycle waste and turn it into nutritious soil for your yard or plants. The micro-organisms that make the compost, need an even mixture of “greens” and “browns”. They also need water and air for a perfect compost formula. Here’s the compost recipe:

One part “brown” (dead dried plants – they provide the carbon): dried leaves, pine needles, straw, hay, wood shavings or chips.

One part “green” (fresh living plants – they provide the nitrogen): grass clippings, vegetable and fruit leftovers, plants, coffee grounds.

Place layers of brown, green, brown, green, brown into the composting bin, being sure to add water after every layer – make sure that the compost is always moist so the microorganisms can do their job. Stir every 3-4 weeks and voila… nutritious, rich soil!

A couple of composting no-no’s: NO meats, dairy, oil, fats, diseased plants or pet droppings!

A great book to read is, “Compost Stew” written by Mary McKenna Siddals and illustrated by Ashley Wolff  "Apple cores, bananas bruised, coffee grounds with filters used.  Just add to the pot, and let it all rot into compost stew!"


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Save the Planet {and $1,510 this year!}

picture & product from athena creates 

Check out these great tips from Natural Health Magazine. 

I love these and think you will too!

Fear greening your home is too expensive?  These simple changes can pay off big every year:

• Choose a laptop over a desktop model with a monitor.  Savings: $45 a year
• Ditch paper towels in favor of reusable cleaning cloths.  Savings: $150 a year
• Trade in your current showerhead for a low-flow model.  Savings: $180 a year
• Install a programmable thermostat that automatically sets the temperature based on how hot or cold it is outside.  Savings: $250 a year
• Replace the air filters in your furnace and air conditioner unit every three months (dirty filters make the units work harder).  Savings: $80 a year
• Use an electric teakettle instead of heating water on the stove.  Savings: $40 a year
• Download music (legally) instead of buying CDs.  Savings: $300 a year
• Lower the brightness on your TV.  Savings: $15 a year
• Unplug your TV, DVD player and stereo before bed.  Savings $50 a year
• Swap disposable zip-close bags for reusable thermoses and containers.  Savings: $400 a year on lunches for a two-child family

excerpt from Natural Health Magazine

please take your shoes off!

taking off your shoes not only helps keep your home cleaner, it also helps keep it healthier. If you think about where your shoes have been, you will realize that you possibly came in contact with a lot of contaminated dirt.


It is estimated that we track 85% of the dirt in our homes in from the outside on our shoes or paws of pets. In a recent warning about lead exposure, the Environmental Protection Agency specifically recommends that shoes remain outside the house. According to a report called The Door Mat Study, lead-contaminated soil from the outside causes almost all the lead dust inside homes.

wiping your shoes on a mat & removing them at the door cuts lead dust by 60%. The study states that limiting the amount of tracked in material may help reduce exposure to lawn & garden pesticides, wood smoke & industrial toxins, mutagens, dust mites, and allergens.

image courtesy of Real Simple

3 cheers for houseplants!

you know they can brighten your surroundings and improve your mood, but here are three more reasons to buy a plant:
1.)  The American Society for Horticulture Science found that common ornamental plants (the purple waffle plant, in particular) removed indoor air pollutants, significantly improving indoor air quality.
2.)  A study in the Netherlands discovered that plants boosted productivity in creative work environments.
3.)  Hospital patients exposed to plants had shorter stays and less pain, anxiety and fatigue than their plant-less counterparts, according to a study by Kansas State University.

excerpt from Natural Health Magazine
photo from Fine Green Design

go berry picking!

picking fresh berries is a wonderful, fun and memory-making activity for the entire family! to find a local berry picking farm near you, berry picking & freezing tips, jam recipes and more, check out PickYourOwn.org for tons of resources and information!

*photo from The Daily Green

use reusable bottles this summer!

there are lots of little things you can do as a family to be green. one small {but very big!} way is to use reusable bottles. when leaving your home, make sure you've got everything... plus, the bottled water. it's great on the pocketbook and the environment!

 

natural play dough recipe

Whether your little one is a budding sculptor/artist or needs an activity to keep them busy & happy… your little ones will have fun sinking their fingers in this all-natural play dough.
The recipe is free of artificial dyes and chemicals.  It’s safe, smells wonderful and if ingested, is completely nontoxic and natural.
Pull out some cookie cutters, plastic knives, rolling pins and muffin tins and let the creativity and merriment begin!   Have fun!
1 cup flour

1 cup water

1/4 cup salt

1 Tablespoon oil (any type)

2 Tablespoons cream of tartar

1 Tablespoon peppermint extract (or cinnamon or vanilla)

1+ Tablespoon natural food coloring

(1.) In a pot, mix dry ingredients then stir in the wet ingredients while the burner is on medium heat.

(2.) Once it thickens a little, lower the heat and keep mixing until it looks almost solid and there are no gooey parts.

(3.) Dump out, let cool and wedge.

(4.) Keep in a glass or bpa-free airtight container.

* recipe courtesy of Simple Bliss

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eco ike in U.S. News Green Gift Guide!

eco ike was named in U.S. News & World Report's Green Gift Guide for kids! Check it out here!

eco ike love

So many wonderful blogs & e-magazines have written about eco ike lately. Head over to:

great green baby

lilsugar

upscale baby

organic 4 baby

babyfling

style saves the world

baltimore mama

reviewing baby gear

baboo baby

sage and savvy

to see what great things they had to say about eco ike! And thank you to these publications for the kind words ;)