Make it work, people. Here is a fun challenge for fashion-crazed tweens and fans of Lifetime’s Project Runway.
Host your own “Renewable Project Runway” competition, incorporating only used/recycled clothing, blankets or sheets, items from the recycling bin (newspapers, rinsed cans and bottles, lids, cardboard cereal boxes, etc.), masking tape, scissors and whole lot of imagination.
Each competitor designs and models his or her own creation (or have teams of two work together!)—the sky is the limit for this earth-friendly challenge.
Designate moms and dads to assume the roles of Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia—and a few celebrity judges, of course, dahlings! Award prizes for Most Chic, Cutest, Most Outrageous, Funniest—and a say Auf Wiedersehen to those who just can’t make it work!
For more info: Check out the fashions and judge profiles and blogs at Lifetime’s Project Runway.
Twilight vampires are thoughtlessly destroying the planet and our ecology. If we look closely at the habits of Twilight vampires, we see that they… Keep Reading »Why settle for store-bought when you have custom? Talk about impressive footwear! The perfect fit, your favorite style, and wheels. What more could… Keep Reading »Get “green” for back-to-school! As you make your list of must-have school supplies, consider ways you can re-use equipment and supplies…Keep Reading »Like Jazzercise for Generation Z, Pearl Jam offered a chance for fans to exercise to their favorite music. At Outside Lands music festival in San…
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Host your own Renewable Project Runway competition September 10, 2009
Twilight vampires to end human race? September 3, 2009
Twilight vampires are thoughtlessly destroying the planet and our ecology. If we look closely at the habits of Twilight vampires, we see that they engage habits that endanger humanity—beyond just the occasional blood-thirsty rampage (although that doesn’t help our survival rate, either). Let’s look at the evidence.
Future Environmentalists’ Club science question: What causes extinction? There are five major causes of extinction (using the HIPPO model): habitat loss, an introduced species, pollution, population growth, and overconsumption.
H- Habitat loss: Sadly, humans are taking care of this for the vampires, cutting down trees and rainforests, depleting the ozone, overusing gas,oil, and water, etc.
I – Introduced species: Twilight vampires certainly qualify as an introduced species–alien, exotic, non-indigenous, and non-native. Some introduced species are damaging to the ecosystem they are introduced into, or impact on the health of animals and humans. Since humans (and animals) are their food group, Twilight vampires certainly make an impact on our health. Further, Twilight vampires have smaller carbon footprints as opposed to us. For example, Vampires depend less on vehicles for travel (they can run so fast, they virtually fly), their, ahem, “food” doesn’t require packaging, washing or heating to eat, and they don’t need to wash plates and utensils when they are satisfied–the “trash” from their food is essentially organic. They don’t require heat or cooling systems, or even a toilet (If you’re dead, you have no working intestines or fluids.) They prefer classic clothing styles, rather than jumping on every latest trend, thereby reducing trash and waste. However, Twilight vampires are by no means environmentalists; The closest the Twilight vamps have ever come to anything remotely eco-friendly was a visit a greenhouse on a biology trip—where they give not a moment of thought to anything but their own concerns. See the You Tube video.
P- Pollution: As they are dead, vampires do not need oxygen for survival, but we do. What’s more, we need it to be free of carcinogens and carbon dioxide. Most all Twilight cast members are smokers; Being immortal, that unhealthy habit won’t kill them, but the pollution of second-hand smoke is a danger to our health–and their romanticism of smoking doesn’t set a good example for fans, either. On an annual basis, an acre of trees might grow 2,000 pounds of wood, use 2,940 pounds of carbon dioxide, and give off 2,140 pounds of oxygen. As they keep smoking, and we cut down forests for paper products, lack of oxygen will threaten our species, but not the vampires. When Bella asks Edward how long he can go without breathing, he replies: “Indefinitely, I suppose.”
P- Population growth: According to Twilight Lexicon It is impossible for a human to kill a vampire by any means because they are too strong to be susceptible to humans or human weapons: “You try shoving wood through granite;” For the most part, only other vampires can do it. When you consider that all the books in the series have sold more than 53 million copies and been translated into 37 languages, there are likely millions of rabid fans around the world who would willingly accept a nibble. Humans have even hurt each other while attempting get close to a Twilight cast member. In November 2008, Twilight fans started a mini-riot at an event at a Hot Topic in a mall in San Francisco. The crowd of 3,000 turned violent in hopes of being among the first 500 fans promised to receive a free Twilight T-shirt and a chance to meet Robert Pattinson, the British hearthrob who plays vampire Edward Cullen in the films.
O- Overconsumption: Overconsumption of humans (and animals) is bound to happen as vampires grow in population–and why wouldn’t they multiple, when we popularize them? And, they never take a break—Vampires are always awake and alert. (“I can’t sleep,” says Edward.)
Be warned. The fan craze may subside, eventually. But, unless we reduce our own carbon footprint, Twilight vampires may be the cause of total extinction of the human race.
For more info: According to Linda Rodriguez, there is virtually no one on the planet who hasn’t heard of Stephenie Meyer’s saga, a series of four books–Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn–about a human girl and the complications arising from her budding love for a vampire. Twilight, debuted in fifth place on the New York Times bestseller list in 2005, hitting the top spot shortly after. How can we reduce our carbon footprints and save ourselves? Check out Future Environmentalists’ Club: What is a carbon footprint?
Future Environmentalists’ Club: Converting shoes to skates Why settle for store-bought when you have custom? Talk about impressive footwear! The perfect fit, your favorite style, and wheels. What more could… Keep Reading »
Future Environmentalists’ Club: Say thanks and win! One of the most important lessons we can teach our children is gratitude. Earthbound Farm offers organic salads to feed healthy,… Keep Reading »
Future Environmentalists’ Club: How to preserve flowers–and make homemade paper! Pressed for time? Preserving flowers is easy enough for any family member who can pop a head off a flower or press a button on the microwave….
Future Environmentalists’ Club: Breathe new life into last year’s school supplies Get “green” for back-to-school! As you make your list of must-have school supplies, consider ways you can re-use equipment and supplies…Keep Reading »
Future Environmentalists’ Club: Pearl Jam listening stations get cranked Like Jazzercise for Generation Z, Pearl Jam offered a chance for fans to exercise to their favorite music. At Outside Lands music festival in San… Keep Reading »
Future Environmentalists’ Club: Creating a family “gratitude ritual” for a happier life Gratitude in our homes helps us feel connected. Encourage your kids to show their gratitude at family mealtimes by creating a centerpiece for the… Keep Reading »
Future Environmentalists’ Club: What is a carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions an individual produces in his or her daily life. Average individual emissions are… Keep Reading »
How kids can calculate the family’s carbon footprint August 10, 2009
The following is an excerpt from my Green Living column on the national edition of Examiner.com.
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions an individual produces in his or her daily life.
Average individual emissions are calculated from your family’s lifestyle. Up2Me Kids explains that how your family heats and lights your home, and how energy efficient you are, can affect your overall impact on our environment.
What kinds of things increase my carbon footprint? ZeroFootprintKids narrows it down to 5 categories:
Transportation Does your family travel by car? How often? Do you ever ride a public bus, or go on airplane trips? For your family to travel to work or school, how much land was converted to road to help get you to your destination?
What you eat How much processing, land, and water were needed to produce your meals? How much packaging does your food require, both at the store and to carry it to school for lunch? How far did your food have to travel to reach your plate? Did it come by truck or plane?
Home and school How much heat, land, and water is used and/or wasted?
What you use What are the carbon dioxide emissions from your household appliances (stoves, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, computers, cell phones, DVD and game players)? How many newspapers and magazines do you receive?
What you throw away How much land is required to dispose of household garbage? Do you turn off lights, appliances and games when not in use?
Reduce your carbon footprint
Why not calculate your household’s carbon footprint?
Go to Zerofootprint kids’ calculator or try Greenhouse.gov’s calculator.
Put a little green in your red, white and blue celebration July 1, 2009
This Fourth of July weekend, Americans will light up more than 60 million barbecues and will roast about 150 million hot dogs and 890 million pounds of chicken and red meat. A yummy prospect for most picnickers, but consider that, according to Jason Green, coordinator for St. Petersburg College’s Office for Sustainability, “A typical party of 30 guests can create 80 pounds of waste.”
Not only is paper waste an environmental concern, but as Green reports, “It’s estimated that Americans using their grills will create the same amount of carbon dioxide as if 2,300 acres of forest were burnt.”
Think it ends with paper waste and CO2 emmissions? Think again. Fireworks contain potassium perchlorate, which gets into the soil, air and water and causes damage to the thyroid gland. Other ingredients include such heavy metals as barium and copper, which are toxic.
Party Like an Independent American, AND Minimize Damage to the Environment!
What are the best ways to celebrate the holiday season in an environmentally friendly way? Here are some ideas:
- For July 4 parties, use real plates, silverware and cloth napkins and stay away from paper napkins, disposable paper plates and plastic utensils. If you must use disposable plates, buy plates that are biodegradable. Did you know that disposable plates are now available that are made from corn, potato and sugar-cane pulp?
- Throw a potluck party to share resources and carpool.
- Prepare meals and desserts with locally-grown organic ingredients and free-range, grass-fed meats and poultry. (Bonus: they’re much more delicious!)
- Balance your meat dishes with more sustainable vegetable-based items. Potato salad, anyone?
- Provide recycling bins for glass bottles, cans and plastic — A must-do!
- When BBQ-ing, use natural gas grills — they pollute less than charcoal grills. To make matters worse, over-charring meat produces toxic chemicals in the food itself.
- Don’t shoot off polluting fireworks at home; instead, go to one of the city- or county-sponsored events.
- Make your own natural insect repellent! Frequently reapply basic essential oils like lavender, rosemary and cedar wood. These oils can trick insects into thinking you’re a plant.
- If you must use a DEET-based insect repellent, choose products with less than 20% DEET. Never apply over cuts or wounds; never apply on infants or if you are taking any medications; don’t spray in enclosed areas; and wash skin with soap and water after use.
- Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products and cloths or micro fiber rags to clean up after the party.
Learn more about the sustainable | SPC initiative.
Make your own natural insect repellent!
#15 Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend November 21, 2008
Build A Family Photo House!
This adorable three-dimensional house makes a perfect photo memory display, and is a great way to reuse items from the recycling bin! Younger
Home Sweet Home
children can create simpler designs, enjoying the process of cutting and pasting. Older kids will appreciate more intricate details when decorating their house.
For tweens, have them create a swanky hang-out with pics of all their BFFs. Instructions courtesy Kaboose.com
What you’ll need:
- Recycle a toaster pastry box, cereal box, or or one of similar shape and size
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pennies, pebbles or modeling clay
- Tape
- Photographs of all family members (get permission from your parents first)
- Fine-tip permanent markers
- Tiny flowers, birds, or other decor as desired. (Make them from construction paper!)
How to make it:
- The top of the box (with flaps intact) will be the top of the house.
Decide what color you would like your house to be and cover the outside with construction paper. Leave three extra inches of construction paper at the top all the way around (where the flaps are – see figure 1). - Cut slits in the construction paper at the top corners, so that the paper can fold like the flaps can. Glue the construction paper to the flaps.
- Trim the pictures into rectangular windows, or you may decide to cut carefully around the person’s picture (sort of like a paper doll) and glue that to a rectangular piece of white paper to make a window.
- Decorate the house, placing the windows and a door. You might want to include your family name, a message and the year.
- Put pennies, pebbles or the modeling clay in the bottom of the box to give the project some weight and keep it from falling over.
- Fold corners of the big flaps of the top of the box inward to make an upside down “v”. Fold the corners inward, but leave them sitting like tabs, so that you can glue the roof to them. Fold the small flaps down inside the box.
- Decide what color you would like your roof to be and cut the construction paper to cover it. Glue it on and then add any details you would like to your house, i.e., window boxes, shutters, flowers, ivy or anything else you like!
Make Home-made Old Fashioned Gingerbread Men!
Making gingerbread men (and women) is a blast, plain and simple. Toddlers can get in the action by breaking eggs and mixing ingredients, and everyone enjoys rolling the dough, and making shapes. The scent of fresh-baked gingerbread will draw the masses from blocks around.
Dressing your ginger-people for success is a snap: Choose healthy snacks such as raisins, dried cranberries and pepitas, or go Old School with gum drop buttons and licorice whip smiles. Click here for the recipe!
Future Environmentalists Club
Did you know that Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 use large amounts of electricity and can each consume as much energy as TWO new refrigerators?!
According to a new report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), you can cut your electric bill by as much as $100 a year simply by turning it off your Xbox 360 or Sony Play Station 3 when you are finished playing.
Playstation 3 uses five times the power of a stand-alone Sony Blu-ray player to play the same movie. This is a particularly dramatic difference considering these two products are made by the same company. Changes need to be made.
The NRDC is urging manufacturers to make future systems more energy efficient, to help save consumers money, for our clean energy future, and reduce global warming pollution.
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Looking at the “big three” video game consoles – Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft XBox360 and Nintendo’s Wii – the report measured the amount of power they use when they are active, idle and turned off. It found these systems use nearly the same amount of power when you are playing them as they do when you leave them on and walk away.
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On average, the report found that Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 use large amounts of electricity –150 Watts and 119 Watts respectively. These two systems can each consume more than 1,000 kilowatt-hours per year if left on all the time. The Nintendo Wii, however, uses significantly less power when on (at <20 Watts) and actually uses slightly less power than the previous generation of their console.
NRDC is working with the leading video game hardware and software designers to help make these improvements. In particular, NRDC is working to make sure users will be able to automatically save their settings and place in the game before they shut down the systems.
For a full copy of the report, and ideas for saving energy in your home, click here.
“By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families,
*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries
#14 Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend November 7, 2008
Reinvent Your Boardgames for Little Ones
Now that our oldest is 3, games like Memory
We bent the rules of Bendomino by making a pile everyone could pick from and just started with a random piece, matching colors and numbers of dots in each direction, making sure not to let our “snake” or “train tracks” curl into itself. Number, color and spatial recognition, anyone?
This weekend, unearth the games you buried in the back of the closet after baby was born, and see what learning tools you might uncover.
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Safety first: Pieces small enough to fit through a toilet paper roll pose a choking hazard to children under two.
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The sky is the limit! Re-purpose Monopoly money as a learning tool for larger numbers and arithmetic.
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Playing cards can become number flash cards, or practice matching numbers, hearts, spades, etc.
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Roll the dice and count the dots. Name the colors on the game board. Organize game pieces by color, size, animal, vegetable or mineral.
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Let your child take the lead! There is no “right” way to play with toddlers and preschoolers, let your imaginations wander. You may just invent a new family game!
Put a Spin on Brussels Sprouts
What now? I’m presenting Brussels sprouts as a family-friendly dinner option?!
Dating back to the 13th century, children have been choking Brussels sprouts down for centuries, so let’s keep the party rolling. Did you know that Brussels sprouts are among the superfood family that includes cabbage, collard greens, broccoli and kale? Sprouts are also rich in sinigrin, which is proven to stop precancerous cells in their tracks before they develop into full-blown tumours!
This recipe plays dress-up with Brussels sprouts, veiling them in bacon and fresh Parmesan cheese. Try them prepared this way, ooh and ahh over them, and they just might make it past your child’s lips, too. Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!
Future Environmentalists Club
Recycle Your Empty Cereal or Detergent Boxes! Turn them into attractive holders for your books and artwork withthis handy craft. We rolled out a long piece of banner paper, and Noah (age 18 months) and Joseph (age 3) painted it with blue, green, red and white fingerpaints, using both hands and feet! It was messy, but fun!
What you’ll need:
- Large cereal or detergent boxes
- Scissors
- Scotch tape or craft glue
- Artwork, leftover gift wrap, leftover wallpaper
How to make it:
- Have a parent cut off the top of cereal box. Halfway across top of box, cut at a 45 degree angle down to front of your magazine holder, cut straight across then back up other side at the same angle.
- Wrap box in artwork or leftover giftwrap or wallpaper. Secure with glue or tape.
- Decorate with stickers or markers, if you like!
Tips:
- Any kind of decorating technique can be used. (Decoupage, fabric used in the room, etc.)
- Try to decorate the front of the boxes so when lined up they all coordinate with each other.
- Use heavier detergent boxes so the boxes will be sturdier.
“By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families,
*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries
#13 Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend October 22, 2008
Is it coincidence? This issue of Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend is “lucky” number 13, and the theme is spooooky Halloween!
Host a Pumpkin Carving Party!
This weekend is the ideal time to host your very own Pumpkin Carving Party! Jack-o-lanterns can only survive 5-7 days once cut, so with only a week left until Halloween, let the festivities begin! Did you know that, botanically speaking, pumpkin is a fruit? Grown on every continent but Antarctica, the pumpkin was once thought to be a cure-all for freckles and snakebites. Here are some tips for hosting your pumpkin party!
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Fill a wheelbarrow with pumpkins and place it by the door so guests can choose a pumpkin to carve as they come to the party. (Crunched for time? Have guests bring a hollowed pumpkin with them to the party!)
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Choosing the perfect specimen: Examine the pumpkin’s rind; It should be firm, uniform in color, and free of cuts, bruises, and blemishes. Give the pumpkin a knock; A thumping sound means the pumpkin is solid, with no internal defects, rot, or soft spots.
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Decorate Halloween themed brown paper bags–Make enough for each guest. Fill each bag with inexpensive pumpkin-carving tools, a tea light, and a permanent black marker. (Or substitute poster paints, if your party guests are very young.)
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If using a candle to illuminate your pumpkin, you can create the smell of Halloween spice by sprinkling cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice on the underside of the jack-o’-lantern’s lid. Once lit, the pumpkin will create a wonderful scent.
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Download free pumpkin carving patterns and have several copies on hand.
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Create a centerpiece using a large pumpkin surrounded by colorful autumn leaves. Use a drill to make holes around the top and sides of the pumpkin, and fill the holes with caramel apples or lollipops for guests to enjoy!
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Cover your work surface with newspapers or a vinyl tablecloth.
Party music to carve by…
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“Beetlejuice: Main Titles,” composed by Danny Elfman
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“Ghostbusters,” Ray Parker Jr.
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“In the Midnight Hour,” Wilson Pickett
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“I Put a Spell on You,” Nina Simone
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“I Want Candy,” Bow Wow Wow
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“Spooky,” the Classics IV
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“That Old Black Magic,” Ella Fitzgerald
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“Thriller,” Michael Jackson
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“Werewolves of London,” Warren Zevon
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“Witchcraft,” Frank Sinatra
Bone up on Halloween Safety Tips for Moms and Dads.
WIN up to $15,000 in prizes at Pumpkin Master’s Carving Contest! (Check out their Contest Winners page for ideas!)
Gourmet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Once you’ve separated all the seeds from the ooey-gooey, stringy inside of your pumpkin, roast them seasoned with these fabulous spice combinations! Roasted pumpkin seeds are rich in fiber as well as vitamins B and E, and kids love them–but be sure to share them with Grandma and Grandpa, too!
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Roasted pumpkin seeds promote prostate health, thanks to the carotenoids and the omega-3 fats which are currently being studied for their potential prostate benefits.
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Zinc is one further nutrient found in pumpkin seeds that might positively impact prostate function.
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Zinc found in pumpkin seeds also decreases the risk of osteoporosis.
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Pumpkin seeds have been recently investigated for anti-inflammatory benefits in arthritis.
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Pumpkin seed phytosterols dramatically reduce blood levels of cholesterol, enhance the immune response and decrease risk of certain cancers.
Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!
Future Environmentalists Club
Recycle Your Halloween Pumpkin! When Halloween is over, don’t just throw away those jack-o-lanterns! Kimberly Danger has some great ideas to make use of every last bit of your pumpkin.
Make Baby Food. Halve and roast your pumpkin, then scoop out the flesh. Mash well with a fork. (Begin with an organic pumpkin, preferably.)
Use it as a Harvest Planter. For pumpkins that were painted inside of carved, scoop out the inside membrane and clean. Fill with a little water and use as a vase. Fill the vase with natural twigs, grasses, and harvest mums for a beautiful autumn centerpiece.
Make a Pumpkin Bowl. Scoop out the inside membrane and clean. A typical pumpkin holds up to a gallon of soup or an entire casserole and adds flavor, too. Smaller pumpkins can be used for individual-sized bowls.
Make Pumpkin Puree. Pumpkin puree is the basis for many great bakery goodies. It will stay fresh in your freezer for months. Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds. Chop into big chunks and place in a baking pan peel side down. Cover with foil. Bake 2-3 hours at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, scoop the pulp out of the peel. Puree in a food processor to reduce stringiness. Freeze excess pumpkin puree for later use. (See Kimberly’s website for recipes for Pumpkin pudding and pumpkin bread, using your fresh puree!)
“By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families,
*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries
#12 Fun Things to Do With Your Family This Weekend October 9, 2008
Get Old-School!
We’re all feeling the squeeze from the economic downturn, but does that mean we have cut corners on family fun this Halloween? I think not! Craft magazine illustrates how to make fun and funky costumes for your kids with a visit to your recycling bin, sewing box or local craft store – Much easier than standing in line at a crowded costume shop and a bit easier on the wallet, as well.
You can quickly and easily whip up any of these five amazing kiddy costumes using supplies you probably already have on hand, plus a bit of creativity. Inexpensive and easy to make, these custom-made outfits have more staying power than most flimsy store-bought costumes. Follow the links below for full instructions, or Click here to watch the video.
Autumn Harvest Raw Apple Pie with Almond-Date Crust
This uncommonly good apple pie is raw–yes, unbaked–and it rivals the most luscious and delectable of cooked varieties. It is dense, rich, sweet and aromatic with cinnamon, and suitable for low-carb, gluten-free, low-glycemic and vegan diets.
Raw food (like many things worth waiting for) takes time. This dish is somewhat time-consuming, so I suggest you make a weekend of it! Spend Saturday scouring the orchards for apples; It’s fun, great exercise and often there are seasonal festivals with music, period costumes and demonstrations. Get the kids to help, and use the time together for a short history lesson about how food was gathered and prepared when Grandmother (or Great-Grandmother) was young. Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!
Future Environmentalists Club
“By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families, The following are excerpts.
Make your own Pine Cone Bird Feeder! This is a fun and easy project that is perfect for inviting our fine feathered friends to the back yard! All you need are fallen pine cones, string, chunky peanut butter, spoons, citrus fruit (such as lemons), scissors, sunflower seeds, and plates.
Cut the citrus into slices, then in to very small pieces and set them aside. Pour sunflower seeds into plates, spread around, and set aside. Tie a length of string around the top of the pine cone long enough to hang it in front of a kitchen window or from a nearby branch. Cover pine cone with peanut butter using the backside of a spoon. Stick fruit bits onto the peanut butter. Roll the pine cone in sunflower seeds, then hang your bird feeder!
Every part of this project is eco-friendly. Using fallen pine cones makes good use of a natural resource that you can later toss in the woods, where a thankful squirrel will claim it. Chunky peanut butter provides birds with high-energy peanut pieces, seeds are a staple in a bird’s diet, and fruit helps maintain health. Keep in mind that birds will come to depend on these feeders as a source of food, so plan on keeping up your pine cone practices through the Fall and Winter.
*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries.
#11 Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend October 4, 2008
Forever Flowers
Perhaps its the weather’s indecision about clinging to the hot and balmy days of Summer or allowing cooler gusts of wind to blow the first leaves off trees, but these frequent heat-waves keep me from putting away our summer clothes just yet. Even though the first day of Fall this year was Monday, September 22, in many respects, Summer is still alive and well, and I have the flip-flops to prove it.
Supplied by the ever-creative people at Craft magazine, this craft is quick and easy, so you can pull it off this weekend before Summer disappears until next year—along with your flowerbed. If you’re looking for a timeless, classic objet d’art to complement your decor, this has got to be it: The art of drying and preserving flowers has been traced back to prehistoric times. It can’t get any more timeless!
Pressed for time? (Get it?) This project is easy enough for any family member who can pop a head off a flower or press a button on the microwave. Click for step-by-step instructions for this craft Send in your creations!
Caprese Stuffed Tomatoes
Since we’re not letting go of Summer, here is our last chance to take advantange of the bounty of fresh tomatoes available before we wave bye-bye to the season. These stuffed tomatoes smell wonderful cooking in the oven, and the breadcrumbs and miniature mozzarella balls are welcomed by kids. (They’re also a good source of vitamins A and C!) Large tomatoes work best, but consider using cherry tomatoes and putting the kids to work doing the potentially gooey assembly! Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!)
Future Environmentalists Club
By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families, The following are excerpts.
Ever wanted to shop online for great stuff… for free? Check out FreeCycle.org. You’ll get to know your neighbors better and do the environment a good turn. This non-profit organization allows people to give away awesome stuff for FREE. All you have to do is pick it up! And you can do it it too! You simply post the things you’re ready to give away and communicate online with people who want your stuff.
Taking a few moments to organize your items and post them online can open up an entirely new recycling outlet for you. All those things you’ve grown to old for but would still be pretty cool to a younger kid can be posted. In turn, you’ll find cool things someone else is ready to share, and all without spending a dime!
And, the good news is that recycling isn’t something you have to work at alone. Set yourself up for success by reducing and reusing with your family and friends—everyone will be better prepared and more willing to recycle, by your good example!
*Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries.
#10 Fun Things to Do With Your Family This Weekend September 19, 2008
Photo Flipbook
Remember doodling little “movies” in the outer margin of your schoolbook? Try using your own photos to create this classic hybrid between book and movie. 
The creative people at CRAFT magazine supplied all the instructions. Click here for details!
- What I love about this project is that all members of the family can play a role: little ones can pose, preschoolers can help select and organize the images, and older kids or moms and dads can use software and handle the scissors.
- Imagine what a cute Christmas gift this would make for Grandparents and other relatives! Or, a sweet and personalized birthday gift featuring your child’s BFFs.
- Try acting out a short play or favorite story. Create a short message on cards, or do a timeline of the year’s activities. Watch your children grow before your eyes!
Carrot Pudding
This rich carrot dessert (oh yes, it’s even richer and more decadent than carrot cake!) is a surprise hit with kids—yet also makes an elegant last course for guests. Part historical culinary wonder, part ”health food,” Carrot Pudding (better known as Gajur Halvah) is popular throughout Northern India and Pakistan. Made with honey, raisins, milk–and carrots, of course!–I propose a batch goes to school with young students presenting a Geography project on the Middle East. Click here for the full recipe.
(Visit my other blog, UnassumingFoodie.com for more great kid-friendly recipes!)
Future Environmentalists Club
By raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.”–Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families,
Reuse extra photos from the Photo Flipbook project!
- Glue your precious photos or artwork to make cute fridge magnets. Simply reuse the little magnets attached to all those business card and advertising magnets that come in the mail from realtors, pizza restaurants, etc.
- Revive “snail mail” by sending photo postcards. Simply use a permanant marker to write on the backs of leftover photos. Add an address and appropriate postage, and voila! a custom postcard!
- Cut up old birthday and greeting cards and used gift-wrap to make a scrapbook album of your best and your oldest photos with narrative and notes and dates.
- Plan your narrative with your grandchildren and their children in mind. One day they will want to know about you, your parents and your grandparents. Give them an idea about the kind of person you are, the things you like to do, and what your life is like. Make history today!
Family Deals and Contests
Sesame Street mousepads up for grabs!
Get a FREE Sesame Street mouse pad, simply by asking! Click here for more info!
Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Click here for Fun Things To Do archived entries.
