Here are some of my favorite crafting websites for kids. My six year old and four year old can both do many of these crafts together, or with help from grown-ups. They always appreciate a fun project that brings them out of their usual routine! It’s also amazing for me to see how differently they approach a project, and how the same directions can have such varying results!

Kids Craft Weekly** – Amber Carvan is an adorable Australian SAHM who started this creative, well designed newsletter FREE to your inbox. My girls get so excited when I tell them the new Kids Craft email is here! Each newsletter has a great theme, everything from pirates to stripes to the latest issue, Cutting Crafts. The crafts are designed for a wide range of ages, uses a lot of items from around the house and can be modified for even the youngest kids. You can find the entire Kids Craft Weekly archives on-line!** There’s also a wonderful Flickr pool** for Kids Craft-ers who want to show the world (ok, other kids) what they’ve come up with.

Scrumdilly-do** is where all the hip kidlets are going to make crazy crafts. Jessica Wilson consistently comes up with funky, innovative projects mixed with kids book reviews and “Boredom Busters” – quick and not too messy ways to kick your kid’s creative moods in gear. Scrumdilly-do also has a Flickr pool** and an awesome blogroll to lead you to other kid-related sites and cool products.

I’m new to The Crafty Crow,** but I love it already. It’s CHOCK FULL of recipes, crafts and ideas for “repurposing” items (which is a lovely word for recycling without having to actually recycle). I especially loves these Toddler Activity Bags** when traveling with little ones, or these amazing lanterns** made from jars and cans, for backyard summer camp-outs!

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What to do with all these shoes? I found Soles4Souls** through a random email from the Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic shoe website Piperlime,** an exclusive partner. Soles4Souls has distributed over 3 million shoes worldwide, as well as partners with various retailers across the US to collect shoes and promote their efforts.** This includes disaster relief both domestically and internationally, as well as in orphanages, shelters, inner city hospitals and disadvantaged areas. It’s worth a quick look through not only your kid’s closets, but yours as well! You can donate gently used or new shoes** several ways:

• Donating money to Soles4Souls
• Donating new or gently used shoes
• Volunteering your time at a shoe drive/shoe sorting event
• Hosting a shoe drive at your school, business, or religious institution
• Hosting a Soles4Souls fundraising event

You can also plug in your address here,** to find S4S drop boxes within your area. These are for individual donations, so if you have a boxful of shoes, it’s better to send them via mail. Soles4Souls will send you a tax deductible receipt for your charitable, amazingly worthwhile donation!

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Now, with more families needing help for even the most basic items for kids, consignment shops are popping up everywhere. Consignment stores (not to be confused with thrift stores) are an amazing way to find gently used, yet high quality products, without paying retail prices. This isn’t limited to children’s clothing and furniture. Consignment stores cater to everything from vintage items to weddings, home goods and more.

Here’s how consignment clothing stores work:

1. Bring in your slightly used clothing and accessories in – everything from clothing to blankets to the jogging stroller you swore you would use on a daily basis.

2. They sell your items to the general public, at great prices to the consumer.

3. You get a small percentage of the sale, determined before the store accepts your items.

Of course, as with anything, be careful in determining which store you’ll trust your stuff with. The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops (NARTS)** has a great website with comprehensive guidelines** in choosing which consignment store is a good fit for you. Their seal of approval in the store window is a big help, but you want to ask questions about how long your items stay in the store, what happens if it doesn’t sell, and tax information. A good consignment store will help walk you through the process.

Go ahead, try it! You’ll definitely be surprised when you Google “children’s consignment stores” in your area!

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But when I found the Preserve Junior** toothbrush, it really was instant love. The Preserve Junior is ergonomic, with soft bristles, made from 100% recycled plastic including Stonyfield Farms yogurt cups and Brita filters, and is BPA free. The toothbrushes come in packs of four for a reasonable price, and if you order through the website, you can have a toothbrush subscription – one mailed to you every two, three, or four months, so you can actually remember to change your child’s toothbrush. Plus, mail it back to them in a postage-paid recycled mailer (of course) when you’re finished, and they’ll recycle it again for you! Talk about circle of life… As a fun bonus, each brush features a fun fact about one of three endangered animals: currently, they’re featuring the St. Lucia Parrot, Galapagos Tortoise, and the tiger. A portion of Preserve Junior toothbrush sales goes to the National Wildlife Federation.**

Even better are the Preserve products for every member of your home. They’ve really expanded from toothbrushes, to include razors, dishes and cutlery (that is plastic but dishwasher safe and reusable), and various kitchen items including cutting boards and food storage containers. It’s like using plastic without the plastic guilt.

Happy brushing!

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Although cities are constantly trying to increase their green space, it never seems to be enough. That’s why I love the concept of PARK(ing) Day,** which takes place this year on Friday, September 18th. This global event, created by Rebar San Francisco art and design collective, encourages regular people like yourself to take the time to create your own green space in place of a concrete, metered parking spot where you live.

PARK(ing) Day is open to any city, and anyone is welcome to download their how-to manuals** (for a nominal fee). PARK(ing) Day is considered to be an “open source” project, meaning there are tons of ways for you to communicate with other people participating in this event. You can browse past parks** via their Flickr photo pool, follow them on Twitter,** or find an already established group** in your area to join. There are few “rules” to follow, although you’ll probably have to check with your local parking authority about taking over the space (this is a peaceful event, after all)!

PARK(ing) Day is a great way to support your city and speak up about increasing green space in a quiet, artistic way. Hey, and you can invite your friends for a lunch break at your park!

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So, we’re driving home, and I’m taking a sip of my Strawberry Surf Rider (strawberries, peaches, lime sherbet and lemonade), when it dawns on me – I’m drinking out of a styrofoam cup! Styrofoam, really Jamba Juice? What year is it? Is there no other alternative to placing your juice in a potentially carcinogenic, landfill choking, non-biodegradable product?

There really is no reason for Jamba Juice to be using such a terrible material. This is a company that prides itself on natural fruits and ingredients, no trans fats or high fructose corn syrup. In fact, this quote from their website -  “Because our goal is simple: For you to lead an active, balanced life brimming with “Healthy Energy” – could not be further from the truth as soon as the juice is poured into their signature cup.

According to this metroactive article,** Orange County and Santa Cruz, California, have banned styrofoam, thereby causing Jamba Juice to use a wax-lined paper cup alternative. So, change can happen. Let’s try and make sure it happens everywhere.  If you think it’s time to get styrofoam out of ALL food establishments (and if you’re reading this, you probably do), then find a way to email a company and tell them what you think! Letting a company know you’re unhappy with their practices is the best way to make progress.

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This New York Times piece** on Consumer Reports’ position on extended warranties caused me to dig a little deeper into the warranty waters. And indeed, Consumer Reports** doesn’t want you to take the extended warranty either. Not for everything, or most things, that is. Here are Consumer Reports’ reasons why to say no to extended warranties (from the site):

• Some repairs are covered by the standard manufacturer warranty that comes with the product.
• Products seldom break within the extended-warranty window—after the standard warranty has expired but within the typical two to three years of purchase—our data show.
• When electronics and appliances do break, the repairs, on average, cost about the same as an extended warranty.

Basically, they’re saying to take a few moments to read the general warranty first; for really big items such as TVs and washing machines, warranties last a few years and so does the product. For something like an Apple computer, which only gives you a 90 day phone-support warranty for your computer, getting an extended one for three more years is worth the price of not having to completely replace your computer (and sanity). However, this isn’t the case for most products. The key is to be a smart consumer and actually read the fine print.

As for recycling large electronic pieces that you have no idea what to do with after it burns out forever, Consumer Reports saves the day again! Their Greener Choices** Electronic Reuse and Recycling Center is a great resource to help you decide what to do with either a repairable device, or how to recycle it through various means. This includes clicking over to electronic recycling websites such as

• Earth911 searchable recycling database** – find out where you can recycle almost anything in your home, just using your zip code
• Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation** – think you can’t recycle your rechargeable batteries? Think again, and you may be able to do it at your local hardware store.
• Electronic Industry Alliance** searchable e-cycling center map  – another great resource to find a landfill replacement for your old TVs, computers, stereos, etc.

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American Museum of National History** – Aside from the immense collection of fossils (can you say awe-inspiring dinos?), the AMNH always has great summer exhibits you have to check out. This summer, see over 400 species of frogs in Frogs: A Chorus of Colors,** including poison dart frogs and the good ole’ American Bullfrog. The new Climate Change** exhibit highlights how the Earth’s climate works, why it’s warming, and what we can do to help. And don’t forget to visit the Hayden Planentarium** and take in an amazing space show!

Habana Outpost** – Something a little more low-key we like to visit is this funky restaurant/eco haven. Located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, (no pun intended) Habana Outpost is the first eco-eatery in New York City, meaning everything from the solar-paneled awning that powers everything, to the herb garden, to the sugar cane plates, will amaze and delight you. Run, don’t walk to try the smoothie ‘Bike-Blender,’ powered by you! Shop at the Weekend Open-Air Market, where you can find vintage-y goods and crafts galore! And of course, check out the Kid’s Corner**…”John the bee man” makes homegrown honey with his real bees! Help water the garden with collected rain water! There’s face painting, crafts, even demonstrations on composting and recycling, for kids ONLY.

I grew up near the Greenburgh Nature Center,** and enjoy bringing my kids there every time we visit. The GNC is a 33-acre woodland preserve in the middle of Westchester County with trails, ponds and gardens. The Nature Center building itself has a live animal museum (always a hit) with over 120 animals, a hands-on room, greenhouse and nature art exhibits.

For the best resource to find ways to keep busy with your kids in New York, Time Out New York** has a great print and on-line guide. Don’t forget to find things just for moms and dads, too! It IS New York, after all…

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Since hearing the interview, I’ve been paying much closer attention lately to foods that claim to be healthy and “natural.” The interviewer, Joseph Cooper, had taken various foods out of the studio vending machine for Pollan to analyze. Can you say even more eye-opening? Here are some claims Pollan makes about how to determine if a packaged food is “healthy” -

*Never eat a product that has more than five ingredients in it – the more ingredients, the more processing the food goes through. That means, the less nutritious the food is, since nutrients are broken down through processing.

*If a product claims to be healthy, it probably isn’t – go ahead, test this one out. Find your favorite packaged “healthy” food, and check the ingredients. See above for the five ingredient rule. Also think about who the product is trying to target and why. Ad agencies are sneaky, sneaky companies.

*Know as much as you can about where your food is coming from (and he doesn’t mean which factory). Eating local can ensure a healthier, less traveled product that will be healthier for your family.

The item they analyzed that appalled me the most were the Fiber One Bars, which I, um, find very yummy and thought it was fairly healthy considering it has nine grams of fiber. Boy, did this FAIL. Too many ingredients to count, loaded with sugar, and too many no-no ingredients to mention – I was so disappointed to see how a company can market something as healthy when clearly it’s not. Click on “Full Nutrition Information”** from this page, and have a good gasp for yourself.

I tried these ideas out with Vitamin Water’s new 10 calorie version. I love Vitamin Water, but I stay away from it because of it’s caloric content. I was very interested to try the “healthier,” less guilt ridden version. While the commercials are fairly appalling (think Mother Nature’s crew gone wild), I was curious about the drink.

So first, my taste test. I bought the “multi-V” lemonade drink, thinking it was going to taste, well, lemonad-y. The first sip was pretty good. The second, not as good. Then came the aftertaste. Ew. It was then I wondered why I didn’t read the label for the ingredients first. Here goes -

Reverse osmosis water, crystalline fructose (natural sweetener), erythritol (natural sweetner), citric acid, natural flavor, calcium lactate gluconate (electrolyte), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), magnesium chloride (electrolyte), gum acacia, rebiana (stevia extract, natural sweetener), ester gum, zinc picolinate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, monopotassium phosphate (electrolyte), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), cyanocobalamin (B12), folic acid.

WHOA! Talk about breaking the rules! Although many of those ingredients are vitamins (hey it IS Vitamin Water), there are no less than three mentions of “natural sweeteners,” including the stevia derivative Truvia, which is having its own controversy** about health benefits. And I know I’m analyzing a drink, but I think it opens my eyes even more about how caught up we get with foods that seem to offer more than they actually can. In this case, even the taste is sacrificed. While I still try to manage my sugar intake, I’m becoming more and more of a sugar purist, forgoing all sweeteners except for the real deal (ok, and agave, which I’m still learning to love).

Lessons learned: Read labels. Drink water. As Michael Pollan puts it, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

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This week, I stumbled across an article about drought-resistant plants, and was overjoyed. We’re actually entering into a period of extreme rain, which I am very thankful for. Florida has seen a huge winter/early springtime drought for years, and lawns and gardens everywhere suffer because of it. We’ve tried only watering our lawn at night, or very early morning, but the heat of the day just negates all refreshment from the H2O.

The article, from National Geographic’s The Green Guide, is kind of amusing as well as a bit misleading. I thought I was going to click through to an article highlighting a wealth of plants that can withstand little water, or just watering from a small watering can when my kids remember that the plants need a drink too. Instead, it gives a tiny bit of input on how to keep a garden growing even in tough watering times, and a whole lot of what to avoid, which I guess I’ve been trying to do anyway. The title is, “Plants That Will Suck Your Garden Dry.”**

Here’s what I learned from this article, and why it can never pertain to me:

*Don’t plant annuals, such as impatiens – Have you ever taken two girls under the age of seven to a gardening center, and expect them to NOT get sucked in to the pretty pretty pink and purple plants that DOMINATE the store? Those would be my kids, and they would be the impatiens we will probably be killing bringing home shortly.

*Don’t plant a “traditional lawn” – um, ok? What would you like me to do? Rip up my lawn and plant what, mulch? Have a gigantic rock garden instead? I like being zen, but there’s enough sand on the beach here for me to not have it be my lawn. Floridians have this idea that their lawn is their special year-long prize for living in sunshine all year – but often, they end up looking like hay by the summer! For the sake of saving money, and possibly keeping a good relationship with your landscaper, I’d look for alternatives such as Patch Perfect or other lawn solution products.

*Stay away from tropical plants – again, hello? Florida? Many gardening centers push selling the tropical beauties simply because they’re so readily available. The same for cacti. Plenty at the store and pretty to look at, but once they prick someone’s finger, forget it. Bye-bye, cacti.

And when in doubt, I’d go with sandstones. They don’t hurt your feet as much…

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