GREENWASH ALERT!
Marcal Small Steps motto is “Paper from paper, not from trees”.
For over five decades, Marcal has been saving trees and reducing landfill by making its paper products from recycled paper. Marcal uses paper collected from curbs in residential neighborhoods in cities and towns across America; from the small blue baskets in office buildings, unwanted junk mail, and waste from printers; all in an effort to do something good.
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Photo by
jermudgeon
No matter the weather, take a weekly family walk.
The British have a family tradition that is dying: the family walk. According to the Telegraph:
Instead, researchers from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Science at Loughborough University found that families are increasingly likely to convene for sedentary activities such as mealtimes and watching television.
A family walk is such a simple idea that can promote the health of every member. From the dog to grandma, going for a promenade in the neighborhood or park is wonderful way to spend quality time together.
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During tough economic times, you’d expect parents to be working longer hours to make ends meet and family time would suffer. A recent poll conducted by the New York Times and CBS News has found quite the opposite: “More Americans are spending more time with family and friends and less time shopping during the recession.”
What exactly are families doing together? According to UPI:
Meanwhile, the poll found that while some Americans are working longer hours, a larger proportion are spending more time than before with family and friends and pursuing such hobbies as gardening, cooking, reading and watching television.
The Times said the poll results mirror a poll performed by the Department of Labor, whose latest time-use surveys indicated that Americans spent less time in 2008 buying goods and services and more time cooking or taking part in “organizational, civic and religious activities” compared with 2005.
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Here’s a fun book you may enjoy. It could inspire you with new ways to teach your child about living green. Or it may make a great gift for another parent that you know who could use some help in the eco-department.
Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 activities to teach your child how to live green
by Wendy Rosenoff is full of activities, crafts and recipes that can easily teach children about the environment and about being green without being preachy.
Some of the activities sound like so much fun your kids won’t even know they’re learning. [read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on October 24, 2009 · 9 comments
For parents who were suckered into Disney’s Baby Einstein concept, the company has announced they will give full refunds on up to four videos. The basis of the refund is to compensate parents who actually believed the videos would make their children smarter. UPI reports:
The move comes after Disney’s Baby Einstein Co. last month announced “enhanced consumer satisfaction guarantees” after lawyers had threatened a class-action suit for false advertising. “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development,” a letter from the lawyers reportedly said.
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by Derek Markham on September 9, 2009 · 2 comments
Once school starts, sports and band practice begins, and vacations are over, it seems there is never enough time in the day to just get outside with our kids.
I’m a firm believer in getting lots of nature time – anything, as long as it includes plenty of fresh air, surrounded by trees and plants and dirt. The National Wildlife Federation’s campaign, “Be Out There” has a list of 10 ways to get outside, even after school starts. [read the full article...]
by Derek Markham on August 29, 2009 · 1 comment
Whenever we decide to go “Exploring, Collecting, or Investigating” those titles seem to have a bit of a jinx to them. It seems whenever we go on an expedition, the rain follows us. Some days we don’t mind, but others make us run for cover.
This past Sunday was such a wonderfully relaxing day, and I could tell that fall was on it’s way. I told the girls we must go “End of Summer Collecting” up at the Jordan River in Utah so we could keep the things we would miss when summer leaves but still be able to remember the fun we had.
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