Earth Day | Hip Moms Go Green

Happy Earth Day!

Today is the day we celebrate the ways we can protect our earth and show how important it truly is. To be mindful of our precious resources and wildlife is at the forefront of today’s message. If I had one wish it would be that the readers of Hip Moms Go Green treat Earth Day like they would New Year’s. Make a “re:solution” to start making change somewhere in your life and the process can evolve to things like: planting an organic garden, buying local and organic foods, getting picky about the things you recycle, stop buying processed or chemical ridden foods, avoiding GMOs, unplugging your appliances, buying natural household cleaners, stop spraying toxins in the air, and useing less water. Whew! I know that list was long and it could have gone on all day, but I had to stop somewhere.

If I could choose one thing for you to take action on today it would be to STOP buying bottled water. The bottles contain chemicals in the plastic and when it is heated these chemicals leech into your water and ultimately into your body. Most of us have heard of BPA which has led to fertility problems in adults and reproductive issues in children. Some of the bottles that were tested for chemicals had industrial solvents and arsenic in them as well. As if the health issues were not enough to entice you, the ecological impact surely will. We use 18 million barrels of oil just to transport plastic water bottles from place to place. The amount of plastics dumped and floating around in the ocean are somewhere around 3.5 million tons. That means the fish we eat are exposed to these chemicals as well.

What to do? You could start by buying your family stainless water bottles to use. They come in very cool designs that you and your kids will love and they can be easily cleaned with a little baking soda and water, rinsed, and they are ready to go again. I have started buying cool bottles as gifts for kids birthday parties too. Give a great gift to a child and the earth at the same time. You can go to Reuseit.com and purchase any reusable product. They have a great selection of water bottles. Some of my favorites are made by EarthLust and Kleen Kanteen. Kleen Kanteen has the best sippy cup around! Reuseit.com is offering us a 15% discount at check out today (expires at midnight 4/23)with discount code: hipmoms

I should point out that I did not turn into the way I am now over night and I still have a ways to go but, it has to start somewhere. The possibilities are enormous if everyone tries. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Nickie

Check out my video on Stop Buying Bottle Water here.

Toy Story~Earth Day Series

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Global Green Pals are educational dolls that serve a dual purpose; they promote play and saving the planet. There are five 12-inch dolls in the collection of Green Pals, which are handmade in Sri Lanka with clothing and accessories made of natural and organic fibers and low impact dyes. The Global Green gang includes Carbon Offset Chet, Clean Air Kate, Pink Coral Laurel, Pani Rani and Recycle Kyle. Each character highlights major environmental issues including: global warming, air pollution, recycling, water scarcity and conservation.

The dolls are stuffed with 100-percent post consumer recycled plastic PET bottle stuffing and each cute character comes with a tag printed on recycled paper (with soy-based inks) that tell their story and offer kid-friendly green tips on saving the planet. Proceeds from the sale of Global Green Pals goes to One Percent for the Planet.

There is an online store at globalgreenpals.com and each doll is priced at $22 for Hip Moms Go Green readers, enter discount code: HIPMOMS. There’s also an online blog that is written by each of the doll characters as well as a narrative of the complete story of the Global Green Pals.

Be sure to check out our Green Giveaway this week, the winner gets the entire set of Global Green Pals!

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

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Earth Day Series Post #5

In honor of Earth Day we have created a series dedicated to inspire environmental awareness and conversation between you and your kiddos. This book will surely do the trick! I received a copy of The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen to review and loved it. This book is filled with easy to learn facts about climate change. Be sure to check out our Green Giveaways to enter a chance to win this delightful book and an Organic “Go Green” Scholastic t-shirt.

The book starts out when Ms. Frizzle brings an old book of the world to class that she had when she was a little girl. Then she whisks the children off in the flying Magic School Bus to tour the world. The children are amazed at the differences in what they see happening on the earth today and what was in the book years ago when “The Friz” was only nine years old.

The difficult subject matter is presented in a way that my four and seven year old boys found highly entertaining. As always The Magic School Bus is fun and beautifully illustrated. Your children will come away from this book educated and inspired in the different ways they can make a difference in the greenhouse effect. My boys got out coloring materials and started drawing up plans on how they can help teach other kids to use less energy. I am overjoyed!

Be sure to sign up for this fun webcast with “The Fizz”!

Earth Day~Plant a Garden With Your Kids

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My younger son and I just planted our garden for the year. Honestly, this has to be the best way to teach your kids about how important it is to be mindful of what we’re putting into the Earth as well as our bodies. We use organic soil, organic seeds, and organic fertilizers in our efforts of going green. We haven’t had a problem with pest control—my husband and the baby are very happy to hand pick bugs
off the plants—but if we did, there are many organic, safe pest remedies available at your local nursery, and many can be mixed at home with common household items. I let the baby pick which seeds to plant this year and he chose all the things he loves: carrots, Swiss chard, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, pumpkins (extremely giant!), and lettuce. Broccoli will go in later. We don’t have a ton of space, so the selection had to be limited, but the most important thing is to let your kids be really involved in the creation of their garden. It’s a great time to teach them about Earth Day issues like pollution and water scarcity as well as nutrition. (The reason my older son isn’t involved in this project is that he’s in school all day, and he only willingly eats carrots!)
You can start your seeds in store bought seed starters, (Burpee has an organic one where everything can be composted or recycled when you’re through.) but a really fun thing to do, and one that’s also great for the planet, is to start your seeds in egg shells. When you crack eggs to use in recipes, try to crack them towards the top so that you leave a majority of the egg shell whole. Rinse them out and save them until you have enough to start your plants. We keep ours in the carton (you can also just use the carton—separate the egg sections and bury them straight in the ground once your seedlings are ready to go outside—so that they’re easier to work with. Fill the shell with soil, drop a seed in, and add water. Keep your “pots” in a window with lots of sun, watering when the tops are dry. You can plant the egg shells directly into your garden. I like to crack them a bit so the roots don’t have to work so hard to reach the new soil. You don’t need a lot of space for your garden. We use an old bookcase that my husband built turned on its side and filled with garden soil. We put our watermelon and pumpkins in large pots and just let them go wild in the side yard. Be creative and try to reuse containers where you can.
Every day, we go out and the baby waters with his watering can. He really loves his garden and shows everyone when they come over. There’s nothing better than seeing the excitement on his face when he gets to pick vegetables that he grew from seeds. I hope this really instills a love of vegetables and healthy eating for life, but since I do have a twelve year old that did the same activity starting when he was two and now only eats healthy food under duress, I know that could be wishful thinking!
Have fun and GET DIRTY!

Kelly Polston
Contributing Author and Chef

Earth Day in the Kitchen—Celebrate our Planet

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Here are some ideas to celebrate the Earth and get your kids thinking about how to better take care of themselves and our planet!
 Go to the Farmer’s Market. There are wonderful things to be found there: new fruits and vegetables that your kids may never have seen, locally produced honey, breads, chocolate, and locally grown nuts. Talk with your kids about why it’s so important to buy locally. Encourage them to try something new.

 Scavenger hunt at the grocery store. Have them find a certain number of different colored fruits and vegetables. Discuss the differences between organic, transitional and conventional.

 Make an Earth Dinner: have your kids pick fruits and vegetables that represent the colors of our planet—you’ll be surprised how creative they can be! Talk with them about how food grows, where it comes from and why it’s important to try to buy locally and organic.
 Think like a pioneer. Have a candlelit dinner that you cook without electricity, go without the dishwasher for a night, read to one another while you eat popcorn made the old fashioned way! Lie on your lawn and look up at the stars. Talk to your kids about the importance of energy conservation.
 Save the water that you let run while waiting for it to heat up for a week. Show your kids how much water is wasted and talk with them about why it’s important to conserve water. Use your saved water in your garden.
 Plant your family’s favorite fruit tree in your yard.

 Start a compost

Most of all have fun learning!

Going Green with Hip Moms Go Green is fun and attainable. We're dedicated to empowering you to simultaneously effect a healthful difference in the lives of your children and planet. Whether you're looking for tips on how to make your existing home green, want to identify creative ways to share environmental and social responsibility with your little ones, or incorporate nutrient-dense foods into your family's diet in a delicious way, HipMomsGoGreen is your ultimate resource. We bring all of your favorite eco-topics and products to the table to make going green part of your everyday life.

Happy Earth Day!

Toy Story~Earth Day Series

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

Earth Day Series Post #5

Earth Day~Plant a Garden With Your Kids

Earth Day in the Kitchen—Celebrate our Planet

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