Busy Mommy Media » Green Mom

Fruits and Veggies: Go Local for Healthy Kids!

Kelly Tracy — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:02:47 +0000

You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz lately about local food. There are a lot of compelling reasons to shop at your local farmers market or produce stand, including supporting the local economy and reducing oil use for transporting food (grocery store fruits and travel an average of 1,500 miles from farm to table). Plus, super-fresh food just tastes better.

But did you know that eating locally is good for not only your conscience and your palate, but also your family’s health? From nutrition profile to food safety, buying local produce is a great way to give your kids the healthiest food you can.

Fresh, Local, and Chock-Full of Vitamins

The cross-country journey that a lot of produce makes to reach your kitchen can take several days. Time isn’t the only thing ticking away after a fruit or vegetable gets picked—levels of essential nutrients, particularly vitamin C, go down quickly after harvest. Furthermore, the fruits and vegetables grown on massive commercial farms are more likely to be bruised by mechanical harvesting and transport, sapping even more valuable nutrients. Locally grown foods are usually fresh-picked and therefore have higher levels of vitamins by the time your kids eat them.

Mass-produced fruits and veggies are often harvested when under-ripe to make them durable for transport. When is the last time you salivated over an anemic tomato from the mega-mart? The freshness of produce that is picked ripe makes it tastier, sweeter, and more appetizing. This translates into a better chance that your kids will chow down on these healthy, vitamin-packed foods. Fruits and vegetables allowed to ripen fully before harvest also develop higher levels of vitamin C, cartenoids, and other antioxidants.

Small-Scale is Safer

It seems like every time you turn around, there has been another food-borne illness scare. Two years ago it was salmonella from imported jalapeño and serrano peppers, but it took months for authorities to trace the source of over 1400 cases of illness. Our highly centralized food system may seem efficient, but the long path from farm to a web of distributors to your family’s table makes it tricky to figure out where contamination happens.

Buying local often means buying directly from the farmer, or at most, from an establishment that bought directly from the farmer. This shorter “food chain” means fewer opportunities for contamination to happen. Plus, many small-scale farmers who grow for the local community use organic practices (even though they may not be certified organic), making food safety problems less likely to occur. Knowing the person who grows your food also means that you can ask questions about pesticide use, genetically modified organisms, or other concerns. You might even be able to visit the farm—what a great family excursion!

Finding Local Produce

You have several options for locating local fruits and vegetables for your family. Local Harvest is a great resource for finding any of the following:

Farmers markets feature several farmers selling their wares in a central location, usually on certain days of the week. Besides produce, you may find local meat, eggs, dairy products, and even flowers and herbs.
Farm stands are often on the farm’s property and are a common summertime sight on country roads. The food comes from literally yards away and couldn’t be much fresher.
U-pick farms open fields of specific crops (often berries, but sometimes vegetables as well) to the public to pick at a very reasonable per-pound rate. Kids love them!
Community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) offer “shares” of their harvest for purchase and deliver regular boxes of produce (and sometimes other food items) to members.
Food co-ops are member-run organizations that order food together to take advantage of volume pricing. Many co-ops focus on natural, organic, and/or local foods.

Your turn: Where do you find locally grown produce in your community? How do you think it compares to grocery store fruits and veggies? Most importantly, how do you get your kids to eat it?

Things You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle

Kelly Tracy — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:57:09 +0000

Recycling newspaper, soda cans, and bottles has probably become second nature for you, but why stop there? Innovative companies are coming up with ingenious ways to recycle even more consumer products, so it’s easy to add a few more items to your family’s recycling repertoire. Check out some of the surprising recyclables you probably have in your home and how to keep them out of the landfill.

Athletic Shoes – Nike collects worn-out athletic shoes (all brands) and grinds them up to make surfaces for playgrounds, tracks, tennis courts, and more. You can drop off your shoes at Nike stores and other collection points or mail them directly to Nike’s recycling center.
Drink Pouches - Terracycle collects drink pouches, potato chip bags, and other food containers to turn into colorful new products like backpacks and lunch bags. Even cooler, school groups and nonprofits can collect the recyclable items and sell them to Terracycle as a fundraiser.
CFLs – We’ve all heard that compact fluorescent bulbs are long-lasting and energy efficient, but they also contain toxic mercury. So what do you do with them when they finally do burn out? Drop them off at your nearest Home Depot, and every part from the mercury to the metal end cap will be recycled.
Cooking Oil - If you are one of the growing number of people experimenting with biodiesel vehicles, you are probably already saving your cooking oil to convert into this clean-burning alternative to fossil fuels. Otherwise, check Earth 911 for programs in your community that will be glad to receive the remnants of last night’s fish fry.
Crayons - Does your kids’ art supply stash need culling? Those broken and stubby crayons can find new life with Crazy Crayons, a company that melts down unwanted crayons to create multi-colored crayons in an endless variety of fun shapes.
Cosmetic Containers – Shampoo bottles usually have a recycling code imprinted in the ubiquitous triangular symbol, but what about other cosmetic containers, like that lipstick tube? Origins accepts empty containers from any brand of cosmetics for recycling—just drop them off at any Origins store or department store counter.
Water Filters – Filtering your own water at home is much greener than buying bottled water, and Brita is making it even greener. Send in your used Brita pitcher filters and they will be recycled thanks to a partnership with Preserve, a company that makes great (and recyclable!) toothbrushes, razors, and kitchenware from recycled plastic.

Of course, this is only a partial list—what other surprising recyclables have you discovered? Share in the comments below!

(Photo credit: Karin Beil)

How to Pick a Safe & Natural Sunscreen

Kelly Tracy — Thu, 27 May 2010 01:31:13 +0000

Have you ever read the ingredient list on a bottle of sunscreen lotion? The long list of unpronounceable chemicals can be baffling when you want to choose natural products yet protect your family’s skin. Let’s look at two kinds of sunscreen ingredients—the active and the inactive—and decipher what they do and how safe they are.

Sunscreen Active Ingredients

The active ingredients in sunscreen are ultraviolet (UV) filters. They either absorb or reflect UV radiation and extend the time you can be in the sun before burning.

Oxybenzone is a UV filter that is easily absorbed and helps other ingredients in sunscreen to penetrate your skin. That means it gets past the skin and into other systems. The Centers for Disease Control says oxybenzone is in 97 percent of American’s urine. This is not a chemical you want in your children’s bodies—oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor, meaning it interferes with hormonal processes like growth and development, sexual maturation, and thyroid function. Many people are allergic to oxybenzone.
Octinoxate is less allergenic than oxybenzone but is also an endocrine blocker.
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the mineral active ingredients found in many “natural” sunscreen products. Many sunscreens use nanoparticles (microscopic particles) of these minerals to avoid the white streaks they’re famous for. The jury is still out on the safety of nanoparticles—they may be able to interact with DNA because of their tiny size. Unfortunately, sunscreen labels usually don’t tell you whether or not they include nanoparticles.

Sunscreen Inactive Ingredients

Like other personal care products, sunscreens often contain fragrances and preservatives, some of which carry risks.

Phthalates are chemicals found in plastics as well as in the fragrance added to many personal care products. They are another endocrine interrupter and are connected to breast cancer.

Parabens are common cosmetic preservatives and—you guessed it—endocrine interrupters. Look out for ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and particularly methylparaben—recent studies show that it can become carcinogenic when exposed to sunlight.

The Safest Sunscreen Options

Compared to the alternatives, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide appear to be the safest UV filters in commercial sunscreens. They provide what’s called broad spectrum protection, meaning they are effective against both UVA and UVB rays. Avoid sunscreens containing parabens or synthetic fragrance.

The Environmental Working Group has a fantastic database of sunscreens rated by ingredient safety. Some of their recommended products include:

Of course, the safest sun protection is avoidance. Use shade, tightly-woven clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat as your first line of defense, and remember that moderate unprotected exposure is important for healthy vitamin D production.

10 Eco-Friendly Travel Tips

Monique — Tue, 25 May 2010 03:23:31 +0000

It’s that time of year again. The summer holidays are coming up – Memorial Day, 4^th of July, and Labor Day – and families like to take long weekend vacations to visit friends and family. Other families use the summer break from school as an opportunity to travel for extended time periods. You have several options available to save your family money and help save our planet at the same time. And, as usual, these ideas are super easy to implement.

Before you go on vacation, unplug your as many appliances as you can, and turn off, turn down, or turn up your heating and air-conditioning systems. Leaving items plugged in uses electricity, even if they’re off. You can start doing this on a daily basis, but definitely do this when you’re away from your home for an extended length of time. For security, many people will leave a lamp or a television on, but you don’t want a houseful of items using up electricity unnecessarily. This saves on energy costs.
Suspend your newspaper service for the time you’ll be gone, and have the post office hold your mail. This stops unscrupulous people from seeing your papers and mail pile up, and knowing that you’re away from home.
Pack less clothes, and take a few scoops of your own powdered laundry detergent so you’re prepared to wash them at the hotel. This also allows extra room in your suitcase for the souvenirs you bring back.
Use as many reusable containers as possible. Travel-size items are more expensive than regular-size items, and they create more waste. However, if you insist upon travel-size containers, refill them from your stash at home, instead of buying more. Carry reusable bags when you’re sightseeing, then pack your puchases in your luggage for the trip home.
Bring a reusable bottle – and use it! Use it for water, soda/pop, or juice. Just wash or rinse it out between uses. If you’re flying, you’ll have to bring it to the airport empty, but you can fill it up after you pass security.
At the hotel, skip the daily towel service. Instead, use the same towels and washcloths for several days, before exchanging them for new ones.
If you use the toiletries at the hotel, bring the half-empty bottles home, instead of wasting the contents.
Stay in a hotel near public transportation, or within walking distance of the tourist attractions you’re going to visit.
Use reusable utensils and avoid restaurants with disposable wrappings. Instead, opt for eating at local restaurants. This gives you an opportunity to really “eat locally”, and keep your dollars in the community you’re visiting.
You know those brochure racks you see everywhere? Skip ‘em. Especially if you’re not going to do a thing with the ones you pick up.

So it doesn’t take much effort for green travel, and it can actually save you a few dollars. That’s extra spending money on your vacation!

Luna Panties – Green Product Review

Pamela — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:22:58 +0000

Every where you look people are telling you about ways to live green, lower your carbon footprint, find healthier ways to live. I am always looking for practical ways to “tread lightly”. To me, “practical” is something that can relatively easily be merged into my already chaotic life. Well the gals over at Luna Pads have done just that – they have created a product that is both practical and green. Most of us moms get monthly visits from Aunt Flo. If you use disposable pads and tampons, you are a huge contributor to our landfills. The very nature of a maxipad is that it doesn’t breakdown easily, so that it can withstand it’s purpose. But with each time you change your pad you add to the landfills. So what’s the solution – Lunapads!

I was very excited when I was asked to do this product review. I was rather blessed to not menstruate for just about 5 years, while I was pregnant and nursing my little guys (stop gasping and throwing things at the computer, I absolutely do know how lucky I was, LOL). But when it came back just about 6 months ago, it was with a vengeance. So I really was interested to see if Lunapads could stand up to this sort of “punishment”. I have got to hand it to Suzanne and Madeline, the creators of Lunapads, for coming up with a both comfortable and functional product. I received the “period panties” in a bikini cut, which were just released earlier this month. The super soft brushed cotton was very comfortable and fit great. I was pleased to see that their size chart was very accurate. I would strongly suggest that you watch the short video of Madeline explaining the panties and their proper use, not because it’s difficult, but precise. I will admit that I did have to come up with a bit of new routine when it was bathroom time, but it was an easy transition. I definitely plan to use the Lunapads as much as possible from now one, because in addition to saving the earth, in the long run, it is going to save me money too. Currently the panties are available in hipster, brief, bikini and thong cuts, which are all available in either black or magenta and come in sizes small to 3XL.

All little about Lunapads

Lunapads International is a women-owned small business based in Vancouver, Canada. Our mission is to help women have healthier and more positive experiences of their menstrual cycles, and by extension, their bodies overall. Our team is made up of a passionate group of gals who believe that using natural menstrual products is a creative and empowering way to honor and care for ourselves and the planet.

Lunapads offers a diverse selection of products designed to meet the unique needs of women of all ages. All our products have been created or chosen based on our own needs and lifestyles (in other words, we use them ourselves, and have done so for years), and we are confident we can find a solution that will work for you. We are completely committed to customer service and want to ensure that your experience with Lunapads is a positive one. We love to hear from our customers, so please let us know how we can better serve you or how Lunapads has made a difference in your life.

Lunapad’s Social Mission

Pad donations. For almost a decade, Lunapads has been donating washable pads to women’s groups to support their fundraising efforts. We also regularly donate washable pads to women in developing nations. Our Pads4Girls campaign, in partnership with individuals and numerous NGOs, supplies washable pad kits to girls in developing nations. Imagine1Day is just one of many examples of groups working to help girls who would otherwise be missing school because they lack of adequate menstrual supplies. We also supply Maxi Pads to birthing mothers in Uganda.
Mentoring women entrepreneurs in our community. We regularly invite women wanting to start their own businesses (particularly green ones!) to our office to interview us about our experience, ask questions and generally bounce ideas around. We provide leads, contact and advice.
Business community support. We are members of the Green America Business Network and the Social Venture Network, as well as our local and online Better Business Bureaus and a local social-mission business support group.
Volunteerism in action. Madeleine is a volunteer Mentor with the Women’s Enterprise Society of British Columbia and the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Suzanne is a former board member, treasurer and honored lifetime member of the Georgia Strait Alliance, a BC marine conservation organization.

Get Connected with Lunapads

Blog Check out the Lunapads Blog where you’ll gain an insider’s perspective on the goings-on at Lunapads. Get to know the Lunagals a bit better and see what’s on our minds, as well as read guest entries from our oh-so-devoted fans! Send an email to blog@lunapads.com if you’d like to share your experience with us. If we post your entry to our blog, we’ll send you a special thank you gift pack!
Facebook Page Our official home on Facebook! This is where we launch contests & giveaways, post current sales, share blog entries, promote new products & offer exclusive Facebook only specials to our Fans. Fans will also have the opportunity to post reviews of our products. Come on over!
Facebook Group Join this thriving Facebook Group to ask questions, give feedback, share stories, make suggestions, and discuss what you love most about natural menstrual products. Have fun!
Twitter Through the exchange of quick, frequent ‘tweets’, Twitter lets you in on the daily happenings at the Lunapads office. Follow our tweets to be among the first to hear about the new fabric we’ve just received, what feature we’re just about to launch on our website, what products are currently in production, or who’s popped by for an unexpected visit.

Luna Panties Twitter Party

Do you have questions or want to talk to other moms who have tried Luna Panties? There will be a #ecowed Twitter party for Luna Panties on May 12th from 10p-11p EST.

Try Luna Panties at a discount by using the promo code EcoMom10 for 15% off orders over $50.

In compliance with the FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post. I was given a pair of Luna Panties to review free of charge, however, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.

Let’s Celebrate! Earth Day 2010

Monique — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:00:44 +0000

There is an ancient proverb which says “Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.” If we stay mindful of this “truth” we are bound to treat the earth better than we currently do. We get a new reminder every year about our responsibilities to the earth.

History of Earth Day

On April 22, 2010 we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. In 1969 Senator Gaylord Nelson had the idea to organize a grassroots protest over how the people were treating the environment. For many years before he had been trying to figure out a way to make the environment into a political issue. Well, in April 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated, and in 1971 it became an international holiday.

How to Celebrate Earth Day

There are so many ways to celebrate Earth Day. Choose the ones that are most comfortable to you – then try to commit to doing them long after this year’s Earth Day is over.

At Home – Take short showers. Turn the water off when brushing your teeth and shaving. Repair leaks. Wash full loads in both the dishwasher and washing machine. Donate extras instead of throwing them away. Unplug electronics when not in use.
At School – Plant classroom gardens and compost waste. Only provide waste-free snacks (snacks without packaging like juice boxes, plastic wrap, etc) that day.
At Work – Shut down your computer at night. Recycle aluminum cans. Turn off lights at the end of the day. Carpool to work. Walk or ride a bike to work. If you must drive, park farther away from the entrance. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Set up a book exchange.
In the Community – Clean up parks, roads, and waterways in groups.
Shopping – Stop buying things. If you can make do without it, don’t buy it. If you have to buy it, buy it from the company that uses the least amount of packaging. At least you’re thinking about it.
Cards – Instead of buying and mailing paper cards, send ecards.
Outdoors – Plant a tree. Compost. Make a birdhouse.
Learn & Teach – Borrow books from the library to learn additional ways how you and your family can do its part. Teach others what you’ve learned.
PBS Kids will have an entire line up to celebrate Earth Day. Go check it out!

If you can’t remember anything else – remember that EVERY DAY is Earth Day. Every day we can make a difference.

Green Living – It’s Easier Than You Think!

Monique — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:54:06 +0000

Green Living. We hear it all the time. But what does it mean – for ME, a busy mommy? Generally speaking, green living means living in such a way that you’re not harming the environment. Although green living can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be, and it can actually save you money. You don’t have to “go green” all at once. In fact, if you try to, you’ll likely become overwhelmed very quickly, and stop your efforts. So, instead, incorporate one or two green ideas at a time, get used to this new way of doing things, then add something else. Sounds easier now, right?

Start a Garden

Gardening is a great way to live a greener lifestyle. Start a vegetable, fruit, or herb garden. It’s not too late. Even if you only plant a few plants, when the plants mature and you’re able to use them for cooking or eating, you’ll be proud! And next year, you can add more plants. If gardening doesn’t interest you but eating healthy still does, shop at your local farmers market. Shopping locally is a very green thing to do. It keeps your money in your community, and you’re able to meet and interact with the people who grow your food. How cool is that?

Avoid Bottled Water

Reduce your dependency on bottled water. Water as your beverage of choice? Wonderful! So many benefits to plain old water. Still drinking your water from a disposable plastic container? You’re losing major brownies, my friend. Major. Stainless steel is a lot better than plastic. Make it a habit of filling up your refillable water bottle before leaving the house and leaving work, and you’ll always have water when you need it.

Get Rid of Disposables

Speaking of getting rid of disposable bottled water containers – get rid of disposables, period. Disposable diapers, wipes, tissues, utensils, grocery bags, etc are no longer in vogue. Replace them with reusable items. It might cost a little more up front to buy reusable “paper” towels or napkins, for example, and will then take time to get used to using these things, but we’ll be sending less trash to the landfills, and we will be saving on those monthly grocery expenses. Simply add the towels and napkins to your regular laundry loads. No extra effort required.

Reduce the Use of Plastic Grocery Bags

Every time you shop you end up with a lot of small plastic bags – so many that you can’t think of what to do with all of them. Of the 100+ billion bags thrown away every year, less than 3% get recycled. To reduce your footprint, take your own bags to the store and reuse them. It’s not always easy to remember to bring your own bags into the store when you go, but you’ll get it. I put my bags on the front passenger seat of the car, or on the floor near my purse, to help me remember. Reusable bags are sold everywhere, and sell for as low as $.99 to a high of around $50 for a single bag. Whether you buy them or get them free somewhere, you can do your part to reduce the number of bags going to landfills.

It really doesn’t take much extra effort to go green when you do it a little bit at a time. What it will do is save our precious planet earth for the next generations to come. And I like that. You should too.

Save the World One Poopy Diaper at a Time

Rachel — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:34:44 +0000

Any parent with a child in diapers know how much waste diapers can generate. I’ve had at least 2 in diapers for most of my life as a mom and it was staggering to realize how much waste we were creating every week, especially once you realize how long disposable diapers sit in the landfill. This week Green and Clean Mom sent me a package of Broody Chick Naturally and fully compostable diapers to try to try as part of the Mommy Go Green Blog Tour.

I had truthfully never considered compostable diapers. I’ve tried G-diapers (which I really enjoyed although the cost was a bit prohibitive) and I cloth diapered part time (which wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be) but compostable diapers never crossed my mind. Learning to compost has been on my to-do list for years but between selling our house and moving it hasn’t been in the cards, but I do like the fact that even if I don’t have a compost pile, Broody Chick diapers will certainly decompose a lot faster in a landfill than a traditional disposable diaper. I wonder what the time share people will think if I create a diaper compost pile in the back yard of our temporary home?

How Much Waste Do Your Diapers Create?

I harbored a fear of cloth diapers until my third son was born. We went from having an overflowing trash can each week (and sneaking some extra into any of our neighbor’s trash cans with extra space) to barely filling half a trashcan. The thought of how much extra trash we had created over the years made me sick. I couldn’t believe what a difference it made when we removed the diapers from our weekly waste. Each one of those diapers sits in a landfill for thousands of years. Cloth diapers aren’t realistic for everyone but compostable diapers can make a dramatic difference in how long disposable diapers sit in a landfill.

Broody Chick Compostable Diapers

I’m not a diaper snob. I’m not attached to any particular brand. For me, it’s more a matter of what works for my kids and what works for me. My kids have extremely sensitive skin and I do notice a difference when I use chlorine free diapers. Broody Chick diapers are not only chlorine free but also hypo-allergenic and fragrance free. I try and avoid using laundry detergent with any fragrance but it’s surprisingly hard to find diapers without at least some extra fragrance added. The Broody Chick diapers feel slightly papery on the outside (as most disposable diapers do) but I was impressed by how soft the inside is. I have an extremely active 2 year old but I was able to get a snug fit on him with no leakage (except when he decided to take the diaper off and streak through the house, but no diaper can stand up to that)

The packaging of the Broody Chip diapers is beautiful but I was slightly disappointed that there was so much of it. I admit I have high expectations for anything that calls itself eco-friendly. While you can compost the box, or repurpose it I would have liked to see lighter packaging, especially considering the sheer volume of diapers kids go through before they are potty trained.

Better Baby Bums

You can buy Broody Chick diapers and other natural baby products from Better Baby Bums. It’s often difficult to find eco-friendly baby products in local stores – although it is getting easier – but I love seeing a variety of green products before I make a choice. If you consider the gas that you use driving to the store, shopping online is a fairly green option.

Make Your Own Recycled Paper

Rachel — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:26:44 +0000

My kids love to recycle but until recently, they really had no idea what happened to our paper after they put it in the recycling bin. This simple activity is a fun and interactive way to teach kids how to recycle paper and can be a good use for the extra newspaper you have laying around from couponing.

We decided to make use of my toddlers destructive streak earlier this week and recycle the book that he destroyed. I’m hoping we didn’t unintentionally encourage his book tearing habit but at least my kids learned how to recycle something we weren’t using anymore. Kids love learning how things really work but there are so few opportunities for kids to see and understand the full process of things that they do everyday.

What You Need

Paper to be recycled – this can be old newspaper, junk mail (just avoid the glossy kind), leftover tradeshow material (that’s a big one around our house after CES and now as we’re getting ready for Toy Fair), extra construction paper, etc.
A blender – Don’t worry about using your regular blender for this. The paper washes out easily and after you are done.
A window screen – If you have old screen material laying around this would work just fine but be sure and put masking tape around the edges to prevent sharp edges from hurting your kids while they do this activity. I bought a cheap adjustable window screen with a metal rim that worked well.
Optional: Flower seeds – These are a fun addition if you want to plant your paper after you are done use it and plant it in your yard to show the complete process of recycling.

What To Do

This project takes several days for kids to complete because you have to wait overnight for several steps to be complete.

Step 1 – Tear paper into squares that are about 1-2 inches wide. This does not have to be exact. You just want to start the process of breaking the paper down.

Step 2 – Soak the paper pieces overnight in a bowl of water.

Step 3 – Take the soaked paper out of the water and place it in the blender. Fill the blender halfway full with fresh water. Blend the paper and water mixture until you have something that is about the consistency of pureed soup. Add water as needed to thin it out.

Step 4 – Lay the window screen over the sink or have a child hold it over the sink and slowly pour the paper soup over the window screen, trying to pour it in an even layer. We found it helpful to start in the center and pour the mixture in a circular spiral moving out towards the edge until you make a very unappetizing paper pancake. Use your fingers or a spoon to even out any uneven places immediately after pouring. The paper begins to dry almost immediately once the water starts to drain and it becomes less workable as it dries. If you are adding flower seeds to your paper, add them at this point before the paper dries. You can either gently push the seeds into the top of the wet paper or put them on the paper and then use a tiny piece of paper mixture to “plant” the seed by laying it on top so the seed is not visible.

Step 5 – Lay the window screen with the paper mixture on a dry towel and leave to dry at least overnight. Change the towel throughout the day as needed if it becomes soaked through.

Variation – Add natural food coloring to create colored recycled paper to be used for preschool art projects or crafts for elementary school aged kids.

Your homemade recycled paper can be used as part of a preschool science lesson, as a homeschool science project, as an Earth Day project for kids, to send a unique birthday card to a friend, or as a special Valentines Day card.

What will you use your homemade recycled paper for?

Magic School Bus Going Green Science Kit (Closed)

Becky — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:51:40 +0000

Congratulations Susan Mayer! Susan is the winner of the Magic School Bus Science Kit Giveaway!

My children and I recently had the opportunity to The Magic School Bus Going Green science kit courtesy of The Young Scientists Club. The kit is a collection of hands-on science experiments for intended for children ages 5-8. It arrives with most of the supplies necessary for each experiment. You will need to supply such things as newspaper and acetone, but most families may already have those items on hand without requiring an extra purchase.

If you need a great science activity to keep your kids occupied during their holiday break from school or a fun activity for homeschoolers, you will definitely want to check out The Young Scientists Club.

Adult Supervision

With this age group, all of the experiments should be adult supervised–both for the guidance but also for the safety of your young scientist. A few experiments, however, do require an adult to perform a few tasks, such as running the blender or using a hot stove. So parents, do plan on completing the experiments with your child.

Instruction Guide

The colorfully illustration instruction booklet is printed on thick, glossy paper similar to a high-quality magazine thereby allowing it to withstand the rigors of getting messy. It is set up similar to the Magic School Bus books with the characters talking in bubbles, notes, and illustrations.

Experiments Use the Scientific Method

There are twelve experiments in the Magic School Bus Going Green science kit. Some of the experiments build upon each other therefore some require the end result of a previous experiment. The amount of time required for each experiment varies from a few minutes to a few weeks so be sure to read the requirements and plan accordingly.

Each experiment is introduced by a Magic School Bus character, who gives an explanation of the experiment and shares some basic facts. Using the Scientific Method as an outline for experiments, each one begins with a question to be answered. The young scientist is then asked to make a hypothesis based on the information available.

Once you are ready to begin, there is a list of the materials necessary and an outline of the methods necessary to complete the experiment. Each experiment ends with a place to record the results of the experiment and for the young scientist to write down his conclusions based on the results.

Space is available in the instruction booklet to record all the information or you can have your young scientist(s) write on another sheet of paper or in a notebook.

Extending the Lessons

Three of my four children are beyond the target age for the Magic School Bus Go Green science kit, but they still enjoyed their experience. Homeschoolers can easily extend this kit by a more in-depth study of the science around each experiment and supplementing with field trips.

More Kits Available

The Young Scientists Club is not limited to Magic School Bus kits! Their catalog also includes Nature Series, The Scientist Series, Adventure Science Series, and more.

You can visit their website at The Young Scientists Club.

Enter to Win

Win your choice of the following kits from The Young Scientists Club – School Bus Going Green, Magic School Bus Diving into Slime, or Science on a Gardening Adventure. This giveaway is open to the U.S. and will end on December 30, 2009.

Enter the giveaway by commenting on this post.

Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.

In compliance with the new FTC Guild lines, please note that this is a sponsored post. I was given a copy of the Magic School Bus Going Green science kit courtesy of The Young Scientists Club to test and review free of charge. However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.

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