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5 Simple, Green Mother’s Day Surprises for Eco Loving Moms

May 4, 2011 0
With Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday, I have seen Mr. Sweet Greens and Eben doing a lot of whispering and sneaking around the house. Ha! I wonder what big surprises they have in store for me. Here are a handful of simple, green, Mother’s Day surprises that you can plan for Sunday. I hope to be surprised with one or two!

1. Scenic Hike or Bike

What is more fun that packing up the camera, snacks, wildlife guides, and other goodies and taking a hike or bicycle ride with the ones you love? What a great way to get a little fresh air, while spending quality time with family.

2. Visit a Garden

How lovely would it be to set off for lunch and a stroll at one of the many local gardens? Spending a day meandering through a beautiful garden, smelling the flowers, and watching the bumble bees – followed by lunch on the lush green grass, sounds perfect to me!

3. Patio Brunch

Mother’s Day brunch on our patio is a tradition that we have celebrated year after year. What a great way to start the day – fresh mimosas, organic fruit + yogurt and German pancakes in the sun!

4. Surprise Picnic

I love picnics! The combination of yummy food laid out on a blanket, my toes in the grass, birds chirping and the sun shinning overhead – what’s not to love? It’s even better when you get to cuddle with the ones that you love.

5. Simple Treats

My favorite gifts to receive on Mother’s Day are handwritten love letters and gifts made by Eben, an eco-friendly journal, book or organic clothing from Mr. Sweet Greens and getting to spend an entire day enjoying my family. Maybe this year, I will get an organic cupcake too!

What is the one way that you hope to be surprised on Mother’s Day?

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7 Creative Ways to Experience Your Local Farm this Spring

May 4, 2011 0
Beyond simply stopping by to view the animals at your local farm, there are many other hands-on and creative activities you can do with your family — and spring is a great time to go. Visiting your local farm during spring comes complete with baby animals, plus the weather is warming up and it’s the perfect opportunity for outdoor learning time with your children. To get the most out of your springtime visit to the farm, you’ll want to explore it with a different lens and look at your local farm as more than just a place that keeps animals and agriculture. Learn seven creative ways to experience your local farm this spring with your family.
ps: How cute is Eben in his cowboy gear? This was at a birthday party when he was in kindergarten. How time flies!

Earth Day Giveaway Week: Cascadian Farm Gift Set Giveaway

May 4, 2011 0
Hello Friends. Today’s giveaway is a yummy one sponsored by Cascadian Farm. Two of my lovely readers will receive a prize package consisting of Cascadian Farm cereal and a stainless steel Cascadian Farm water bottle.
Cascadian Farm has recently launched its Change Flows initiative, asking Americans to join them in an effort to restore and preserve our valuable rivers. You may have remembered that I write the Earth Day, Every Day segment for Cascadian Farm’s newsletter – this is just another way that Cascadian Farm is showing their commitment to the environment.

Now, through April 30th, you can help make “Change Flow” by visiting Cascadian Farm and “liking” the U.S. Region you think is most deserving of a river clean-up. The region with the most “likes” will receive a river clean-up and Cascadian Farm is contributing $50,000 to American Rivers, a non-profit organization committed to restoring and preserving our country’s water sources.

Jump over to Cascadian Farm and “like” the U.S. region, you think is most deserving of a river cleanup, then become a fan of Cascadian Farm on Facebook and leave a comment here sharing your favorite memory of being at a river or stream.

This giveaway will end on May 4th – please invite your friends and family so they don’t miss out on the fun!

***Extra Entries: You can receive additional entries by Facebooking, Tweeting, Stumbling or Subscribing. Just leave a separate comment for each that you do.

* I was not paid to tell you about this fantastic initiative sponsored by Cascadian Farm — it is just one that I really believe in!

– UPDATE: The winner’s are Junkyard Jennifer and Locomono! Congratulations and thanks for playing! 

HOW TO: Find the Safest, Top Rated Sunscreen

May 3, 2011 1

My family spends a ton of time outside in the sun every week. With this said, we are huge fans of hats, sunglasses, shade umbrellas, and swim shirts. However, it is impossible to protect all of your skin, all of the time — this is why sunscreen is so important.

Finding a sunscreen that will protect your body from the sun without hazardous chemicals that penetrates the skin is vital. What good does it do to use a sunscreen to prevent skin cancer only to find out that it causes other cancers and disrupts hormones? Lucky for us, Environmental Working Group has done a great job putting together their 2010 Sunscreen Guide, giving you access to the information that you need to pick the sunscreen that is right for you and your family. You can download a sunscreen guide that will tell you which ingredients and products to avoid here.

If you are still using conventional sunscreen on your family, now is the time to switch. If you are unsure whether or not, your sunscreen is safe, look it up here. Believe me, you will be surprised! And before you buy another sunscreen, find the best of the best here.

What is your favorite sunscreen?

Summer Planning | Eco Version

May 3, 2011 0
Hello Friends. Can you believe it is already May? Summer is right around the corner! I am excited to spend another summer break with Eben. Isn’t summer break one of the lovely things about being a Mom? Every May, I like to sit down with Eben and talk about the summer activities that he hopes to do.

A few years ago, I would send Eben to a gardening camp during the summer, which was fantastic. However, I really enjoy the time that he and I get to spend together, so I want to stick closer to home and plan summer activities that we can enjoy every day together.

We do have a few camping trips on the calender, which is always good fun. Also, we are seriously considering a eco-tourism trip to Costa Rica. And Eben’s grandmother and favorite cousin are coming to town for a two week visit in June. Does it get any better than that?

The rest of the summer I want to spend growing garden goodies, hanging out at the beach, reading books under a big tree in the park, and creating memories with Eben. We are still making our list of ideas for the summer.

Are there any summer activities that you think we should definitely add to our calender? Do you have anything eco-friendly planned for the summer?  Or, your go-to summer plans? We would love to hear them and possibly add them to our list! Once we are finished making a summer plan, I will share our calender.

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