Green Living

In my house tea parties, real and pretend, are just part of a normal day. We love a good spot of tea and even better we love a fun tea set to serve it all up. Constructive Play has this new Green Tea Pretend Play Set that's absolutely adorable and smart. The 25 piece tea set costs $39.99 and includes two mugs, saucers, sugar cubes, tea bags, cherries, cookies, teapot, cream and sugar bowls all made from renewable hardwood.

The most excellent kiddie lifestyle site Ohdeedoh has posted two tutorials for making your very own baby wipes. Why do this? According to blogger Erin "I'd been freaking out about the non-biodegradability of traditional polyester baby wipes.. (300 years to disappear is a conservative estimate!) So I figured out how to make my own less environment-hatey ones. It also doesn't suck that they work out cheaper than traditional wipes, even when you use unbleached, recycled materials. So you know, win-win."

MUU has a really sweet looking collection of furniture screaming to take center stage in your modern kid's room. The Sam Collection is comprised of a few key pieces of furniture that are fresh, modern, versatile and functional.

Maven of all things wonderfully crafty Maya Made is so generously sharing her really great "Portable Art Studio" tutorial. Her precise, well-written tutorial with clear pictures explains how a cardboard box can be transformed into a nifty table top easel and a milk carton made into a swell art caddy. I love that she even thinks to use recycled baby food jars as paint containers.

As mentioned in a previous OH Guide it's our goal this year to move our son's packed school lunch towards zero waste, something we started last year and have received a lot of satisfaction from doing. Not to mention the bonus karma. In order to accomplish this goal he'll begin taking reusable cloth napkins as opposed to paper napkins.

The beginning of each new school year brings new adventures and routines. As the first day of school approaches we find ourselves anxious and excited about all the possibilities. This includes the making of the school lunch or "brown baggin' it" if you will.

Why bring a lunch?:
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a group committed to making changes in school lunch programs, has an informative site

I'm not sure how well these "Live Strong" looking Bug Bam bracelets work at protecting our sweet little nature kids from those evil blood-sucking buggers. However if they do work and work well that's super awesome because I really hate the whole Silkwood shower spray down I have to experience with my kids anytime they want to enjoy an outdoor BBQ or camping expedition.

With spring here it's time to get those family veggie gardens growing with some tasty coffee grounds compliments of Starbucks.

On Treehugger, Jasmin Malik Chua asks "Is Earth Day the New Christmas? We  didn't think it was possible for Corporate America to co-op and monetize Earth Day, but then again, previous generations probably thought the same about Christmas.