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Have a Lovely Weekend + A Few Green Things

January 27, 2012 0

Hello, Everyone! How are you? Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? Tonight we are staying home, snuggling up on the sofa with good books and popcorn. I picked up Michael Pollen’s In Defense of Food at the thrift store this week, I am looking forward to reading it again.

Tomorrow, we are heading to Miami to look at a sailboat! Every since our camping trip to Bahia Honda, we have had sailboats on the brain. We are thinking of selling the camper and buying a sailboat – I think camping on a sailboat would be so much more adventurous and fun. Don’t you agree? In the meantime, here are a few green links for your viewing pleasure.

– Looking for great wines under $15 – of course you are!
– Need another good reason to quit drinking soda? Here are 3.
– This family lives on a sailboat, I find that idea VERY intriguing!
– It’s No Name Calling Week, this is a great discussion to have with your children – we did.
– I want to eat at a waterfall restaurant – agree? disagree?
– Does this hen think those kittens are her babies?
– I am in the mood for yummy honey right about now.
– Are you on Pinterest? Check out my recycling at it’s finest board and let’s follow each other!

Have a great weekend, enjoy your time off and I will see you back here on Monday.

xo,
Sweet Greens

New Healthy School Lunch Changes Equals More Nutritious Meals for Kids

January 26, 2012 0

We have never been fans of the USDA school lunch program in our home. In fact, when Eben was in public school he never ate school lunch, we have always packed a healthy and delicious lunch for him. The very idea of pizza being the vegetable on a school lunch menu makes me cringe. And remember when a Chicago public school banned homemade lunches to encourage their idea of healthy eating? For the most part, school lunches contain too much fat, sodium, artificial flavors and colors that it rivals fast food. However, it looks as though things are about to change, the USDA is making the first changes to the school lunch menus in 15 years.

The new standards are meant to be consistent with the healthy food choices that many families are already trying to implement in their own homes including:

  • Students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week.
  • Substantially increasing the offerings of whole grain foods.
  • Students are offered only fat-free or low-fat milk.
  • Ensuring proper portion size by limiting calories based on the age of the children being served.
  • Increasing the focus on saturated fat, trans fats and sodium reduction.  
  • Foods and beverages sold in vending machines on school campuses will also contribute to a healthy diet. 

These new school lunch rules were built around recommendations from a panel of experts convened by the Institute of Medicine – a gold standard for evidence-based health analysis. You can see a sample lunch program menu with the before and after comparsion here.

Sounds pretty great, right? However, their are challenges that the new rules face including:

  •  A $3.2 billion expense to school meal costs over the next 5 years – when school budgets are at an all-time low. 
  • Taking a three-year period to implement the key changes in the nutrition standards to schools.
  • The ease of Congress allowing these key changes being implemented. 

What your thoughts? If you pack a healthy school lunch for your child everyday – will you allow them to eat school lunch once the program is implemented in your school?

If your child eats school lunch, are you happy with the changes that are being made?

Intro photo via Ben + Sam, 2nd photo via USDAgov

Natural Organic Clothing for Women | Krimson Klover Giveaway

January 24, 2012 0
Today, I have a huge giveaway for you. Yay! Krimson Klover is offering a beautiful Van Winkle button cardigan made from natural merino wool worth $158! Wouldn’t this cardigan be perfect for those chilly winter days coming up?

Krimson Klover creates the most beautiful natural fiber clothing, locally in Vail, Colorado. [One of my favorite towns!] Each playfully feminine piece in the collection is made with premium ultra-fine merino wool making the clothing super soft. And with impeccable attention to detail and a fantastic selection of colorful patterns and designs, you can’t go wrong!

I received the Van Winkle cardigan to review and it has quickly become a staple in my wardrobe – especially since we had a cool December here in Florida. The quality really is fantastic and the colors are bright and vibrant. My favorite part – unlike traditional wool, I didn’t find the merino wool to irritate my skin. Instead, it was cozy, comfy and is machine washable. 

The winner of the Krimson Klover Van Winkle cardigan has their choice of size and color combination! Good Luck.

Full Disclosure: I received a Van Winkle Cardigan from Krimson Klover to review in exchange for my honest opinion. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 Ways To Save Money For Your Child’s Education

January 24, 2012 0

It costs a lot of money to raise children and one of the largest expenses that your family will encounter will be for higher education. Starting to save for college when your children are young is essential since it’s such a large expense. There are many great ways to save for your child’s education – ways that are easy, affordable and will make sending your child off to college an easier process. And when your child does go off to college, the steps that you took today will allow your child to focus on their education, not how they are going to pay for it. The key to saving for your child’s education is to start when they are born. Read about the five ways that we are saving money for Eben’s college education, and get started on your own savings today.

How are you saving for your child’s education? 

photo credit stevedepolo via Inhabitots

Snorkeling + Paddleboarding | Bahia Honda, Florida Keys

January 23, 2012 0

We are back from our long weekend at Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys. We had a fantastic time – we were sad to have to leave! I thought it would be fun to share some of the photographs I took with you – you can also see more Instagr.am photos here. Don’t miss the Octopus below!

We spent the majority of our time at Bahia Honda paddleboarding and snorkeling. Our best day was Saturday – we woke up early and hit the water before breakfast. It turned out to be a fantastic day, the water was crystal clear and the weather was perfection. We paddled for a while admiring the soft corals, sponges and puffer fish – it was so quiet and lovely. Then, after about an hour of paddling we started to see juvenile Bonnethead Sharks. It was fantastic! If you aren’t familiar with Bonnetheads, they look like small hammerhead sharks. I wasn’t able to take any photographs of them since I am too nervous to take my iPhone or expensive camera onto the ocean. [I really need to pick up a waterproof camera!]

After a few hours, we headed back to camp for brunch. Then, we hit the Bahia Honda Channel to do some snorkeling. Eben had a blast finding bright orange starfish, seashells and baby lobsters. We came across a nurse shark hanging out on the bottom near the bridge’s pilings. Then, Mr. Sweet Greens spotted a beautiful octopus that was also super friendly. He wrapped himself around Mr. Sweet Greens hands and arms – it was spectacular! We have seen Octopuses before, but this one was larger and had the most beautiful eyes.

It was THE perfect weekend, I can’t wait to go back.

How was your weekend? How did you spend it?

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