Author Archive | Jennie Lyon

NEW: Oeuf Perch Bunk Bed

I love the modern, eco-friendly collection that Oeuf has to offer, remember the squeeze me mittens? Well, Oeuf has just introduced the Perch Bunk bed and it is the perfect centerpiece for your child’s bedroom. It offers multiply configuration options with a sleek design. Did I mention it is eco-friendly too? I especially love it in the above configuration — that would be perfect for Eben’s room. Jump over to Inhabitots to see all of the ways that the Perch Bunk can fit into your home decor + I think it would be lovely for children who share a room! 
photo credit Oeuf via Inhabitots

5 Kid-Friendly Recycled Milk Jug Projects

If empty plastic milk jugs stack up in quickly in your recycling bin, there are plenty of great ways to reuse them. From a Lego scoop to a seed starter, here are a handful of fun, kid-friendly projects that make it easy to transform ordinary milk jugs into items that you and your family can enjoy all year long. Eben and I had a blast making these simple projects — all of which we create in just one afternoon. Jump over to Inhabitots to learn how to make these five simple recycled milk jug projects.

Chicago Public School Bans Homemade Lunches?

According to the Chicago Tribune, Little Village Academy a public school in Chicago has banned children from bringing their own lunches from home, unless they have a medical condition or food allergy. The reasoning behind the ban – to encourage healthy eating. I don’t know exactly what the public schools in Chicago are serving for lunch, but I have seen some of the foods being served in the public school system and I wouldn’t consider them healthy!
I have a question, what if your child is vegetarian, vegan, eats only organic, or doesn’t want to throw away milk containers, plastic ware, napkins and other food packaging everyday? The answer, if you child goes to Little Village Academy, the only choices that your child has is to eat school lunch or forgo lunch altogether.
To look at this from the school’s prospective for a moment, I can understand that many parents don’t pack their children a whole, nutritious lunch. And I have witnessed children who open their lunchboxes to find Crustables, chips, candy bars and soda. In these cases should the schools beable to tell parents what their children should be eating by banning that type of lunch brought from home?
What are your thoughts?
Whose responsibility do you think it is to ensure that our children are eating a healthy lunch?
Do you think that the government should have a say to prevent children from bringing junk food
for lunch?
Or do you think it is up to the parents to decide how their children should eat?
Would you continue to send your child to a school that dictates what they will or won’t eat for lunch?

Do you want my two cents? Maybe, rather than banning homemade lunches, this Chicago public school should ban children from bringing junk food to school. Just a thought.

photo credit Ben+Sam

Eco Down-Time at the Farm

Hello everyone. How was your weekend? Eben and I spent Saturday at a local farm that specializes in rescuing animals. Eben had a great time horseback riding, cuddling a lion-head rabbit and he even found a lone goose egg in the grass. Isn’t it great to just step back and enjoy a day outside?

Have you had a chance to support your local farm this spring?

7 Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly Easter Basket

Instead of filling your child’s Easter basket with plastic eggs, sweets filled with artifical colors and flavors, and plastic Easter basket grass that’s impossible to recycle, choose eco-friendly goodies this year. Mr. Easer Bunny can bring your child a fun bucketful of spring celebration that’s eco-friendly — not artificial — and there will be nothing to toss in the trash once your child is done! Jump over to Inhabitots on to learn my favorite seven ways to brighten your child’s day with eco-friendly Easter basket – all of which Eben will be surprised with this year!