The Green On Produce

I have said many times that going green is possible for anyone who is willing to be creative. However, when you are on a very tight budget, it can be extremely hard to go green in the food department. And, produce is what we will discuss today. Yes, it can be pricey. However, again, if we can be creative and know all our options, we can do this green thing!

Going Green with Produce Tips

• Buy Organic. Yes, pricey. However, only buy in season and only buy local. You will find that it is not as expensive that way. Better yet, grow your own if feasible!
• Wash and Peel. If organic is just not in the cards for you, make sure you wash and peel produce very well.
• Widen the Gap. Eating a wide variety of produce will minimize eating the same bad chemicals over and over.
• Children. Only feed them organic. They matter more than a latte from Starbucks. Invest in their health and development.
• The Most. Whatever produce you notice is consumed the most in your family, consider buying that only in the organic versions.
• Avoid the Worst of the Bunch. If  you cannot go organic, then avoid the following produce items. They have the highest levels of contamination; apples, peaches, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach, potatoes, carrots, green beans, hot peppers and cucumbers. Yeah, I know. Some favorites for you too, eh? Well, make some budget changes and buy the above in organic. It really is the only option. They are way too contaminated for any sane individual to not take notice!
• Go for the Least Contaminated. The following produce still have unhealthy pesticides and chemicals like the previous list. However, they are the least toxic. A few are; onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and eggplant.

We need to pay better attention to what we are eating. We especially need to protect our children. Mostly, we need to make changes that will affect the produce industry as a whole. If consumers rise up and say NO MORE, these companies will be forced to make better choices. They will be forced to stop poisoning our food, and contributing to cancer and many other unnecessary diseases!

Think. Pray. Most of all…DO something!

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Five Easy Ways to Teach Toddlers to Live Green

As a mom it is always front and center on my mind how I can teach my children to be good stewards of this great earth. It can be tough for younger children to grasp the concept of living green but through our example we can really teach our young ones to start caring now, thus leaving a legacy of caring that is more precious than anything you can make from plastic. Below are five ways to start teaching toddlers today.

1. Take your children on a field trip to an organic farm that will allow them to pick fruits and veggies. While there discuss why organic farming is good for the earth. Also talk to them about how we should pray for farmers and thank God for them as well – after all, we get much of our food from those farmers.
2. Young children go to a lot of birthday parties. A great way to encourage green living in your toddler is to opt out of buying new wrapping paper for presents. Rather, you can recycle an old paper bag and have your children decorate it with crayons and markers. Use this time to discuss recycling and why it is important for our earth.
3. Plant some flowers or even a tree. Children, especially young children, love to help their parents out in the garden. Have your toddlers assist you in planting some beautiful flowers or even a tree or two and explain to them how this helps the environment. You can even take this time to discuss how God made the flowers and trees and that part of taking care of our earth is helping these wonderful things He created to grow.
4. Teach the importance of conserving water – when your children are brushing their teeth or washing their hands teach them to turn off the water in between brushing or scrubbing. Talk to them about how water is a resource we all need and that we need to make sure there is enough to last for everyone. Have your kids think of other ways they can conserve water around the house – you will be amazed what toddlers can come up with!
5. Get out a great nature movie or series such as Planet Earth and watch it with your little ones. While watching it discuss with them the beauty of God’s creation. Teach your children to appreciate what the Lord has provided. Discuss with them all the many different types of plants, animals, trees, etc… Have your kids draw pictures of the earth and tell you what they appreciate about it most. Pray and thank God for giving us this beautiful place to live in.

Copyright ©  2009, Becki, Green Christian Network, All Rights Reserved

               

More on Back to School Green

Across the country kids are flocking back to school and many of us are wondering how to start the year off while encouraging a greener way in our youth. It can sometimes be hard to get kids to think about “being green” when all they really want to do is look cool and hang out with their friends, but by our example they will learn and a great example can be set just in back to school preparation.

It starts with school supplies. While many of those flashy and bright notebooks can be eye catching, why not help our environment a little and purchase recycled paper instead? Many manufacturers are now offering this option. Also, rather than spiral notebooks go for the refillable binder. While some places will allow for recycling paper on a spiral bind, many still do not and this means a lot of paper waste simply because people don’t want to spend the time tearing paper off. When purchasing the refillable binder try to find one made of canvas or cardboard. Plastic may feel durable, but it is also, well, plastic. And if you still have a binder from last year that is in good shape why not just reuse it?

Backpacks are big business during the back to school shopping, but with a quick wash most old backpacks are just like new – use a gentle cycle and air dry.

If your school requires books to be covered you can stay green by recycling paper bags rather than buying fancy book covers. Give your kids some crayons or markers and stickers and they can decorate the books to their liking.

Pens and pencils are imperative for school and you can make sure to buy refillable pens and refillable pencils (if you use mechanical pencils). Also, if buying regular pencils there are some brands that actually do use recycled materials.

Clothes for back to school can hit the budget hard, but what’s worse is that so much of last year’s fashion goes to waste. This year before you throw out the old stuff check to be sure it doesn’t still fit or that it can’t be made into something else great for the year. If it is a “must go” then give it to a local charity rather than just throwing it in the garbage.

Back to school supplies aren’t the only area where were can help our kids stay green - there is also the issue of back to school transportation. If you live within walking or biking distance go ahead and have your kids walk or bike. You can walk or bike with them to show that it isn’t so bad. I live right across an open field from the schools in my town and it amazes me how many parents will hop in a car, drive for three minutes (literally), drop their kids off and then drive home. Walking is not only exercise, but it saves on fuel consumption and it teaches kids that they can move without the world coming to an end. If it’s raining out give your kid an umbrella – it won’t hurt them and you will be teaching them a natural mode of transportation in the process. If you live too far for walking or biking then get involved in a local carpool – you can take turns driving your kids to and from school.

And finally, when that first day (or maybe I should say the entire first week) arrives and the mounds of paper work start coming in make sure to sign what you have to sign and return it, but for the rest don’t just throw it in the trash – have your kids walk it to the recycle bin thus instilling in them once again that recycling is good for us all. Remember, back to school is a great time to lead by example and teach your kids the importance of a greener way of life. Have a great school year!

Copyright ©  2009, Becki, Green Christian Network, All Rights Reserved

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Green Tip – (08/25/09) – More Tips for those Paper Tube Rolls

We did a great article awhile back with tips to reuse cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towels. You can read it here. Well, good news…we have a few MORE ideas!!!

More Tips to Green those Tubes

Seedling pots – Cut a few of the cardboard paper towel rolls into four pieces OR toilet ones into two, then fold the bottom part to hold the soil. Add the soil and plant your seeds. Once your seedlings are ready to go into the ground simply plant the whole paper roll and it will biodegrade right into the ground where it is planted. This is also a GREAT way to have a mini herb garden for your daily kitchen use that is not only eco friendly, but made from recycled materials!

Maracas: Fold the bottom of a cardboard paper roll over and staple it closed. Fill with dry beans or rice. Fold top of roll and staple closed. Decorate. Enjoy.

Puppets: Glue a Popsicle sickle stick (two recycling items in one fun craft! LOL!) to the bottom of the toilet paper or paper towel roll to make a handle. Now, decorate the roll with funny faces. Use yarn or colored feathers to make hair. Those little fun eyes and whatever else you have in your art box can add to your funny faced puppet people. Let the kids put on a recycling puppet show for you when they are done! Making it fun will help your kids WANT to recycle and be better stewards ofg God’s planet!

Wildlife Yard pots – If you’d like to attract wildlife into your garden paper rolls are a great biodegradable option. Fill with nuts and seeds and place amongst a pile of leaves to bring hedgehogs and lots of bugs and insects into the garden. You can also insert a string from the top of it and hang it hidden in a tree. Fill it with bird seeds to attract the birds.

Get creative with your old cardboard paper rolls. You will be surprised at the many things you and your kids can use them for!!!

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Send Your Kids Back to School Green!

Our youth are the future. If we train them to do the right thing while they are young they will continue in it. We are told in Proverbs 22:6; “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This is true for every aspect of our jobs as parents…from how to behave, who God is and even being better stewards of God’s planet!

If we send them back to school green minded and looking green, their friends will notice. We should be raising leaders that want to impact our planet for God’s glory! What better way to bring God glory then by honoring Him and being good stewards with what He loaned to us??

Tips to go Back to School Green

Go with as many recycled materials as you can!

• paper would be the biggest. Unfortunately, schools have not come up with a better way to have our children do their school work. So, if they must use paper, make sure it is recycled paper!
• forget the wood pencils that kill trees! Go for reusable plastic pencils…or better yet keep using the wood ones, but, try PaperMate’s “Earth Write” line. Yes they are wood, but, they are recycled!
• eco Binders are a must as well.
• backpacks can be green too. go for a recycled material instead of the norm.

Pack Green Lunches.

• go for organic choices.
• no plastic baggies. period.
• use reusable containers.’
• give them recycled napkins.

Clothes.

Looking cool is important for most kids, especially as they get older. What is cooler than recycled clothing??

• go for organic cotton.
• let them wear green proud. get them shirts that TELL the WORLD to be green.

Getting to School.

This can be tough depending on how far you live from the school. However, even getting to school each day can be green!

• have them walk.
• ride a bike.
• car pool.

As you can see, being a better steward of God’s planet is not as difficult as one might think. The simple task of sending our kids back to school can be a way to be greener and become better parents by training our children to appreciate what God has given them…including the planet!

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Green Tip – 04/08/09 – Frozen Juice Cans

You never need to toss these. There are several things that can be done to reuse those plastic cans that frozen juice come in. Let me share a few…

Reusing Frozen Juice Cans

Pen & Pencil Holder - This is a craft that I have done with my kids. You leave the bottom plastic piece in place. Clean it well. Dry. Cut a piece of construction paper (let your kids decorate it) or use old scrap paper into a size that will evenly wrap around the can. Tape or Glue. Place on desk. Add pens and pencils.

Biscuit or Cookie Cutter - Leave the bottom plastic piece in place. Cut the can to about a third of it’s original height. Just high enough to make good biscuits! Reuse over and over to make cookies and yummy biscuits perfectly shaped every time! (you can also use this idea for a play dough cutter)

Bath Toy - Kids will play with just about anything in the tub and mine love cups. Again, leave bottom in tact. Clean well. Toss in with bath toys.

Beach Toy – See above. Same concept. Great for making sand castles. (you can also use this idea for a sandbox toy)

There are countless things you can do to reuse these plastic cans. Just use your imagination and soon you will be saving money, having fun with your kids, becoming a green mean recycling machine and a great steward of God’s planet!

Do you have additional ideas? Post them below!

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Green Tip – 04/06/09 – Toddlers and Paper

For those of you that have toddlers or young children the issue of using paper to draw on has most likely come up. How can we let our kids enjoy coloring without feeling like we are allowing the waste of paper and the over killing of trees? Well, by being creative, coming up with ways to reuse it, chilling out and teaching your children how to draw and enjoy the paper without wasting it! Children do what they are taught. If we teach them to be green and that God wants them to take care of the environment and be good stewards, they will be conscience of that.

7 Reusing Paper Tips for Toddlers and Young Children

both sides - make sure that when they draw, they are using the whole sheet of paper and both sides as well.

make more art - once the paper has been used, instead of tossing it, throw it in your art scraps for later. Old drawings can be cut up and used to make collages, or to cover an old frozen juice container and make a pen holder or other crafts that require paper.

wrapping paper – it can be used as wrapping paper for gifts your child gives others. A great personal touch…especially for the Grandparents!

make a puzzle - Use the pictures that are clear and have them cut it into medium size pieces to make a puzzle.

scrap for Momma – you can take some of the drawings that can be reused and use them for grocery lists, memos, phone messages, etc.

lining - cover some of the pretty pictures with contact paper and made draw liners. You can also make a couple place mats for snack time.

book covers - protect some of your child’s good books by making book covers with their art. You can use the contact paper for that as well.

It really isn’t that hard to be green. It just requires a change of thinking and the willingness to be creative and make better choices!

Please feel free to share your tips for reusing paper that your children draw on with our readers by posting it in a comment below!

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Get your kids involved!

If you are living a green life, your kids will eventually learn green ways and become better stewards of God’s planet. However, there is a way that you can not only get them involved, but they will be passionate about it! LOL!

How?

Making the green stuff…MONEY!

One of my kids decided they wanted to find ways to earn some money to go on a missions trip. Save soda cans and recycle them to earn cash. Sure, it’s not a ton of money, however, it helps the environment, teaches responsibility to earn own money, and the cans are reused for other purposes instead of helping overflow another landfill!

If you have preteens or teenagers, this is a sure fire way to get them active in the recycling movement. Nothing says “worth my time” to a teenager more than money…at least mine!

If they decide to do this, set up an area where they can store their cans. Then, let them loose. Soon they will be telling their friends and family members not to throw away the cans. Before you know it people who are not even greenies will be helping the environment!

You can help too, by saving the cans your coworkers use and helping them “spread the word” for their new “job.”

Seriously, it is a total win win green idea!

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