I fondly remember Scholastic book orders from my childhood. It was always so exciting to get that little newsprint catalog each month and browse the affordable books. My children experience this same excitement, only problem is…their book orders suck!
What has happened to Scholastic’s quality? Do they really think parents want to buy crappy cheap Chinese toys and video games instead of quality literature?
It’s been eight years since I taught elementary school full time, and even then I noticed the children were more attracted to the fuzzy diaries and the cheap horse necklaces than the actual books in book orders. As a teacher, I liked being able to provide affordable books for families to purchase, as well as earn points redeemable for classroom books from our orders, but I hated sending home all that junk and poorly written books. [read the full article...]
The time has come to make a CHOICE. For the economy, future generations and for the sake of nature!
We must decide who will reign the title of the 2009, Green America People’s Choice Award!
“The People’s Choice Award is a celebration of the leaders of the green economy, and a challenge to corporate America to follow their path.”
In order to get nominated these businesses must pass Green America’s screening process. Green America only chooses businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible.
So, without further ado;
Meet the Top 10 Nominees…
(Listed in alphabetical order.)
[read the full article...]
Everybody does it.
Now do it a little greener, make a 2 minute video and win a chauffeured night on the town for two, compliments of Astroglide, along with two gift baskets full of sexy, eco-friendly goodies and Astroglide gear to spice up the night. [read the full article...]
Oh, I hate to write a negative review, but sometimes you got to do what you got to do. Rumer & Qix: The Race to Terra Incognita by Kathleen S. Wilson is a book written for young adults, a demographic that is often ignored in the wave of green children’s literature that has been forthcoming. Most green children’s books target a younger audience, so I was excited to learn about Rumer & Qix, especially since my daughter is an avid reader and loved the Gaia Girls series and anxiously awaits the next book. Both my daughter and I were seriously disappointed in Rumer & Qix.
What’s wrong with Rumer & Qix? It’s confusing. The futuristic names are hard to follow and interfere with the story’s flow. Just consider the book description:
Rumer, a petite apprentice reporter for the 31st century Global Quotidien with a flair for fashion, loves zipping across Nanjing with her loyal sidekick, Qix, in search of stories. But now, she’s furious with her boss for asking her to cover the exploits of Alfa, the planet’s wealthiest mega-conglomerate. Her parents died in an Alfa accident and she can’t understand how he can be so insensitive. She escapes into the indie networks and soon finds herself puzzling over an image of a bizarre nature sighting. Ever since the flora and fauna were replaced with Alfa’s Syncov™ replicas eons earlier, sightings like this have been routinely dismissed. When ethereal voices relay a message confirming Rumer’s hunch that things are terribly amiss, she slips away on a globe-trotting quest for answers. An epic battle is brewing between Dr. BigCo, the powerful Alfa CEO, and his nemesis, MoNa, the vulnerable matriarch of the cosmos. Will Rumer be able to turn things around before it’s too late?
[read the full article...]
When we were on vacation a few weeks ago I picked up Sara Snow’s Fresh Living and read it in one day. It felt good to sit down and really dive into a book! I guess I will have to just go on another vacation if I ever want to finish a book again.
I learned a tremendous amount in this book, had many “ah ha!” moments and patted myself on the back a couple times.
For instance, Sara writes a lot about nurseries (maybe she was baby hungry while writing this book; now she would have the cutest baby!) and how to make sure they don’t have harmful chemicals. She writes about how important it is to watch what chemicals we put into, rub on, put around our new babies and that their bodies are so tiny and fragile you need to be even more aware and careful of everything.
For a healthy environment, do any redecorating, furnishing, and cleaning at least one month before you bring your baby home. If that’s impossible, let your baby sleep in a bassinet in your room while the new furnishings for her room off-gas elsewhere.
[read the full article...]
A couple weeks ago it had been windy for days on end. We were cooped up in the house and I decided we were going to get crafty. In high school, I was a Recreation Leader and we did all sorts of crafting and played games to our hearts content during the spring and summer. Kids love to craft and when you’re in the comfort of you’re own home it’s even better! Why not reuse some plastic water bottles and make this quick, simple and fun eco-craft!
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Lava Lamp
Supplies:
Empty plastic bottles
Cooking or Vegetable Oil
Funnel
Water
Food Coloring
Masking Tape or Glue
[read the full article...]
The Obamas aren’t the first family to get a dog, but they are among the few families who have had to get their dog under a microscope. As long as we’re analyzing every microscopic detail about Bo the Portuguese Water Dog, let’s put on a green filter and see what turns up. Hmmm…interesting that President Obama and his family woud choose a breed with “water” in its name…
[read the full article...]
Ahh, the joys of iced tea. Even in the depths of winter, sipping a tall glass of sweet iced tea calls to mind lazing around on the porch under a warm midsummer sun. What’s more, it’s even good for you!
While there are some good bottled iced teas on the market with natural ingredients, making your own at home offers many advantages: less packaging waste, guarantee of no artificial ingredients or HFCS, unbeatable freshness, and complete customization for your taste preference perfection.
If you’ve been inspired, as I have, to green your beverages by making your own coffee and even soda pop at home, then here are some tips on making your own sweet iced tea. After all, we’ve just survived February, we’ve earned a look ahead into summer!
[read the full article...]
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