No, I haven’t lost my mind.  Much to my daughters’ dismay, we don’t actually celebrate ALL of the winter holidays (ie, they don’t get to double dip for presents.)  But we do observe as many different holidays as possible so that my girls can understand the traditions we share together as a family as well as the traditions of people all over the world.

In this spirit of fellowship, I was very excited to come across a beautiful book that talks about the different ways that love and lights are celebrated at this time of year.  Winter’s Eve: Love and Lights by Lisa Sferlazza Johnson takes children on a journey around the world as they learn about Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, as well as Los Posados, Diwali, and more. The book is published by Positive Spin Press, a publishing company that aims to help children learn about the world they live in in a positive way.  And it’s just got a great message of love, family, and connectedness that’s appropriate no matter what winter holiday you celebrate.

Blog post for Parent Bloggers Network.

Tweens Shop Green

Got a tween who loves to shop?  Is it possible to teach them to do it green?  That’s the question The Green Parent posed to Trendy Diva, a self-professed tween diva and uber-shopper, and her mom, a self-professed greenie and shop-o-phobe.  Here’s what this mom and tween eco-duo have to say about shopping green:

Trendy Diva’s Mom: I personally don’t get into shopping, it’s not my thing. But, when I have to I’ll shop as green as possible. Shopping online is the way to go for me. It’s easier, less hassle and no crowds. However, I second guess the method of shipping and question the carbon footprint of my order. I prefer only shopping places that offer organic, fair trade or natural products. I don’t purchase a lot of clothing but when I do, I want quality and to ensure I’m not putting chemical laden clothing over my skin. Food shopping is easy…fruit stands, health food store and various local stores that carry organic foods who don’t look at us weird when we pull out our reusable totes to bag our goods in. Now, my daughter is another story…she loves to shop. I’ve finally gotten her to think about her purchases before she goes running to the cash register.

Trendy Diva: Shopping is a must. I love to shop in the mall, and different stores. I could live at the mall except for there aren’t a lot of stores who sell eco friendly clothing or stuff I need.  I go there wanting a lot of things and then end up thinking about the items before buying them and end up not getting much of anything. My mom has educated me so much that I want to buy some things and then don’t. When it comes to clothes, I want what’s in and sometimes I find that at Plato’s Closet. They have a site at www.platoscloset.com where you can take your clothes in and get money or buy clothes there too. It’s like an upscale consignment store. So, that helps when shopping green for clothes. I get what I can there and other times I do have to shop the mainstream stores because there’s not a lot of fashionable organic clothing for people who are small like me.  Food shopping is my mom’s thing but we do it together and I love Clif Kid Twisted Fruit and their organic Z Bars. She allows me to make my own choices and these are two of my favorites. Having been brought up green and natural I want to keep making smart choices that help the earth and me as well.

Trendy Diva’s Tips on Green Shopping:

• Reuse or repurpose what you can. Shop consignment stores, thrift shops for clothes, household items. It’s better for the environment and your pocketbook to buy reused than new.
• Buy local when possible. Creates less of a carbon foot print and helps local businesses.
• Buy organic when possible. No pesticide on your body is good thing in clothing. No pesticides in your body via foods are good too. Pesticides help nobody nor the environment.
• Buy what you need. You don’t have to have 20 pairs of shoes (really…you don’t).
• Remember
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  that every item you purchase came from somewhere and will end up somewhere, make sure the path it took and will take is an environmentally friendly one.

Tara Burner is an eco friendly multiple business owner for over 18 years.  Tara conducts business and her personal life totally green and enjoys helping others do the same. Affordable Mineral Makeup^TM was started by Tara to fill a need for chemical free, natural mineral makeup. All of her businesses are green related, you can stop by http://www.TaraBurner.com to view more about Tara and all she does. Trendy Diva is the young nearly teenage daughter of Tara Burner. She’s a diva, she’s trendy and she’s green. Trendy Diva loves fashion, makeup, jewelry and helping the environment. She blogs to show others that you can be a diva as well as eco friendly at http://www.TrendyDivaTalk.com.

Do you have a teen or teen who loves to go green?  I’d love to hear from you!  Drop me a line with you favorite stories/tips/or comments on shopping green with tweens and teens.

Some organic clothing companies use organic fibers, dyes, and finishes, while others use only organic fibers. According to Koach, “Until there’s some regulation, it’s up to consumers to ask questions, learn about the companies they buy [from], and hold them accountable to their promises. “

In other words, know what you’re looking for and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Check out this chart from organic cotton supplier Harmony Art to see why organic cotton is just plain better, for your family and for the planet, from seed to finish. It gives you a good idea about what to look for and what questions to ask when shopping.

For more info about conserving water, check out these posts

Toilet Talk: Green Parenting for the Potty?
Up At Dawn?
Go Low-Flow
Don’t Be A Drip

Plan Ahead: Before you prepare your next shopping list, take a few minutes to think about your family’s schedule for the week ahead and which foods will work best for your menu. You don’t have to go so far as to assign a meal for each day of the week (although if you’re uber-organized, you probably do this already.) But there is no point in buying a lot of great organic ingredients if everyone will be too busy to eat them. Make a list of the ingredients you’ll need for that week (or day or month…depending upon how frequently you shop) and stick to it.

Pass It On: Got an extra jar of creamed corn or box of mashed potatoes that you’re not likely to use? Pass on any non-perishables (or even unspoiled perishables) to your local food bank so that they can feed someone in need. Check out America’s Second Harvest to find a food bank near you.

Tell It To The Birds: What is it about kids and bread crusts that makes the two so incompatible? Save those discarded bread crusts along with any stale crackers or moldy rolls and bring them along to feed the birds on your next outing in the park.

Turn It Into Dirt: Don’t toss those rotten tomatoes or banana peels in the trash. Turn them in to compost instead. Compost is the ultimate recycler…it turns useless yucky stuff into really valuable yucky stuff. It also reduces waste, saves money, and can help protect your plants from diseases and pests. And it’s not as hard as you might think to get started. Check out this post on starting a compost pile.

I usually make it a rule in my house that we don’t talk, shop, or decorate for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. Any sooner than that and we risk an all-encompassing holiday burn-out. This year, however, I am making an exception, so that I can thoroughly research all of the eco-savvy new games/books/toys/and gizmos out there and have my Green Parent Holiday Gift List ready before you hit the stores.

So, I’m making my list and I’ll be checking it twice. If you know of a cool green something or other (product, gift card, charity, etc.) that you think should make the list, drop me a line. And be sure to check back here on Green Friday (formerly known as Black Friday) for a list of earth-friendly gifts that will please everyone on your shopping list.

You’ve carved pumpkins, put together a costume, decorated the house, had a Halloween party, and picked up your Halloween goodies to hand out on the big night. Now it’s time to grab your little ones and head out for a fun night of trick-or-treating. Here’s how to keep it green:

Carry A Reusable Sac: Grab an old pillowcase, a tote bag, or a canvas shopping bag for your kids to fill with treats. But whatever you do, don’t use a flimsy, disposable, plastic bag that is likely to break before the night is through.

Eat Some Candy!: It’s Halloween, and if you’re going to do the whole trick-or-treat thing, relax a little bit and let your kids gobble up some of their hard-earned treats! Set a limit for the amount of candy they can eat that night and then put the rest away (preferably out of sight) for another time. If they decide to eat as they go, just make sure they put the wrappers in their pockets to throw away later.

Pass It On: It takes just one small-town neighborhood block for my kids to accumulate enough candy to rot out all of their teeth (even the ones they don’t have yet) and rev up their systems for a good month. So at our house, the kids get to indulge for a few days before I pull the plug and get rid of the sugar. Fortunately, there’s no need to throw it all away. Nursing homes, women’s shelters, and Boys and Girls Clubs all happily accept candy donations.

If you’re shopping for treats to hand out this Halloween, you are likely to find a frightening assortment of artificial ingredients, plastic packaging, and sweatshop trinkets. How scary! Steer clear of these ghoulish wares and Green Your Halloween by giving out treats that don’t trick! Here are a few ideas:

• Fair Trade Chocolates: Chocolate is always a popular choice at Halloween. But according to the non-profit group Global Exchange, 40% of the world’s cocoa is produced in “abysmal working conditions” where children are exploited and used as laborers. Give out fair-trade chocolates instead. (Try Exquisite Swiss or Endangered Species Chocolates)
• Gummies: Fruitabu’s Organic Smooshed Fruit is made without any scary artificial ingredients. Individually-sized packs come in great seasonal flavors like Autumn Apple, Abundant Apricot, and Bountiful Blackberry.
• Lollipops: College Farm Organic offers an assortment of lollipops and hard candies made with all-natural ingredients. Even better, the candy bags and wrappers are fully-compostable leaving you with a no-waste treat!
• Popcorn: Hand out individually-wrapped bags of organic microwave popcorn. (Try Newman’s Own Organics)
• Raisins: Earthbound Farms organic raisins are available in individually sized boxes
• Snack Bars: Earth’s Best snack bars make the perfect bite-sized Halloween treat
• Soy Crayons
  
• Stickers
• Temporary Tattoos

I am therefore torn by Wal-Mart’s latest push to “go green.” On the one hand, I am thrilled to find organic cotton clothing available to the masses. Organic produce and dairy products have never been easier to find. And Wal-Mart’s plan to expand the market for CFL light bulbs has single-

handedly caused a market explosion that could very well lead to a “CFL in every socket.” Yet, it remains unclear whether or not these new offerings are really green or just “green-washed”.

I mention all of this today in response to Wal-Mart’s latest environmental move. They have recently partnered with a non-profit called the Carbon Disclosure Project in an effort to improve the energy efficiency of their stores and their supply chain. The retailer will participate in a pilot project to report all of the energy used in the manufacturing, distribution, procurement and supply of seven commonly-used household items, namely, DVDs, toothpaste, soap, milk, beer, vacuum cleaners and soda.

This seems like good news to me…a large company like Wal-Mart could potentially account for real reductions in energy use and overall greenhouse gas emissions. Yet I remain wary. What do you think?

Photo courtesy of www.freeimages.co.uk.