New Post on MightyNest: Green Your Snacks

I just wrote a new post on MightyNest about how to green up your (and your children's) snacks.  I've shared some good ideas-- but I want to hear how you keep your kid's snacks green and healthy!  So hop on over to MightyNest and check it out.  And step away from that Ziplock!

Think Baby: Safer food and drink storage (free of yucky toxic stuff) and giveaway!

Have you gotten rid of your plastic tupperware yet?  Are you sending your child to school with ziplock bags that get thrown out? Maybe it is time to green it up.  Think Baby can help!

I was recently sent a few pieces of Think Baby separates.  I've known about Think Baby for awhile and have been interested in checking out their products.  I received a bright orange child sized mug, bowl with lid, sandwich holder and lid.

These are great, totally usable and green.  The mug is a perfect size for toddlers and preschoolers.  It even has a little carabiner clip to attach it to a pack or whatever.  The bowl and sandwich holders have a nice see through lid, so you can check out leftovers without opening.   The inside is stainless steel, and the outside is plastic.

Total bonus-- teaching the letters of Think (because they are so not babies anymore!) on the outside of all the products.  And the most important:  all thinkbaby products are free of Bisphenol-A (BPA), PVC, Phthalates, Lead, Melamine, Nitrosamines, and toxic chemicals.  Also, a portion of the profits of Think Baby are donated to one of my favorite organizations, Healthy Child, Healthy World.

Now, let's give some away!  Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a bento box, bowl, and mug.  Let me know if you want orange or blue.  Extra entries for following on Twitter, Facebook, and reposting this on your site.  Just let me know!  The giveaway will run until April 1.  Good luck!

Can't wait?  You can find Think Baby products (bottles, bowls, bento boxes)  at The Soft Landing (a sponsor of our blog and mama owned business!) and the lovely MightyNest (a parent owned, super researched, green parenting products site).

PS- leave your email with your comment, using anti- spam addresses (use at and dot).

The Story of Bottle Water

I've railed against bottled water often on this site.   The privatization of water is a global crisis, and it is high time for this issue to get the attention it deserves.  This video gives a succinct and clear history of bottled water and how it became so marketable and commonplace in our society-- and how bad it is for our environment, health, and global responsibility.  If you have a friend or family member who is still buying lots of bottled water, this might be a simple way to explain all that is wrong with it (from a third party helps, too!).  Also, we must get our states to stop buying any bottled water for use in government jobs and facilities.  I certainly don't want my dollars going to multi-national bottled water corporations!

And you can tell your governor not to buy or use bottled water in your state. We can do this if they hear from enough of us!

Michelle Obama Fights Childhood Obesity and Starts Letsmove.gov to Help

As the mom of two young kids, I feel like I am constantly dealing with food.  Meals, snacks, what do we have in the pantry, what can I grab for them that is healthy, not over-packaged, quick and easy?  It is a constant struggle, and I feel like they are eating all the time.  Do they need to?  Are they really hungry?  Or are they, like lots of Americans, just bored and wanting to eat?

I don't know the answer.  I do know that I am glad to have a focus on childhood obesity from the first lady.  What we have is an epidemic like smoking, drugs, and cancer-- and we need to treat it as such. In our society, healthy eating is a constant challenge.  We parents need all the help we can get.

So I was happy to read an article written by first lady Michelle Obama in Newsweek.  In it, she points out how it is our responsibility to make the tough choices for our children, to give them healthy food and the opportunity for plenty of physical activity.  It is our job, and we need to take it seriously.  No matter how loud the whining is, or annoying it seems to get the kids dressed to go outside (which takes 20 minutes) and then they are only outside for 20 minutes!

Eating well, and getting exercise can get lost with jobs, stress, childcare, and our media intensive society.  Days can go by in American families (like my own) with out much thought about food and excercise.  But Mrs. Obama reminds us to keep it in the forefront of our minds, because what befalls obese children is not child's play.  Type 2 diabeties, increased risk of heart disease, depression and low self esteem are reasons to keep paying attention. In fact, according to Obama, "Obesity rates tripled in the past 30 years, a trend that means, for the first time in our history, American children may face a shorter expected lifespan than their parents."

First lady Michelle Obama started website called LetsMove.gov to help busy parents with this complex problem.  There are some great links here, with lots of good information.  I just read the food and eating tips for preschoolers.  I really need to improve some of my language around eating!  Here is a list of what to say (and not to say) that is very eye opening.  There are multiple resources here-- for schools, teachers, parents, community leaders, and health professionals.

I'm motivated from the quick look I had at the site tonight. I will talk to the girls about eating only until they feel full.  I will start to let them serve themselves (even "if" it makes a mess!), and I will not praise them for having a clean plate.  Thanks to first lady Michelle Obama for making me think more about my my role in developing healthy eating habits in my girls, and for providing resources, funding and prestige to the crucial task of lessening the rates of obesity in children.