Spring makes us want to renew everything--from decluttering the garage to replanting the flower beds, clearing out the closets and cleaning out the refrigerator. Since we can't change all the routines in our life, why not give those routines a bit of a makeover to keep up with ...read more
We welcome Spring. On the one hand, warmer temperatures, melting snow, sunshine for more than an hour at a time. And those breezes, the flowers and green things appearing. Soon we're fantasizing about our farmers market finds and our own perfect gardens. And then we start ...read more
Helping out around the house is a normal part of being in a family. And for preschoolers, getting to help like the grown-ups do can seem as wonderful as a trip to the toy store. Unfortunately, what's tough for most parents is finding stuff that a preschooler can do without ...read more
Summer vacation, which is coming upon us rapidly, means a lot of great things: Parks, playgrounds, more family time. Grilling out, picnics, hiking, sports, firefly chasing and family vacations. Oh, wait, that last one. It can be great, but when it comes with a road trip on both ...read more
Getting kids to eat their vegetables can be a challenge. Even adventurous young eaters can struggle to like new foods, so introducing vegetables beyond the standard baby carrots or green peas may not yield a fantastic response. Try a few of these kid-friendly ideas to get more - ...read more
Perhaps eating flowers hasn't earned its place in your diet... yet. A little more bizarre than appealing? But picture a salad of fresh spring greens, tossed with bright yellow and orange chrysanthemum petals. Or a beautiful spring cake, iced and garnished with sugared violets. ...read more
Everyone knows that fairies love flowers, and what better way to bring your child into gardening than to help him or her create a diminutive, magical little garden space for fairies? Creating one can be simple, a fun activity to tackle in an afternoon or over a weekend, and can ...read more
I've come to trust my gut instincts more and more when it comes to dealing with the common sicknesses my kids encounter. And I've thought a good bit about why we do what we do - spooning out the grape-flavored meds - when our kids do get sick. Do our kids really benefit from ...read more
For those of us who can visualize the end result - a plate of juicy, perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes, for instance - it's easier to get excited about all the groundwork that goes into making one's garden great. For the little ones, though, who don't have the ability to see the ...read more
Moms are busy, and kids get hungry. The easy route is to rely on processed, packaged foods for quick snacks and meals. After all, there's nothing more convenient than something you can simply open and set in front of your kids. Or is there? The power of processed foods is in ...read more
For the green thumbs among us, nothing quite beats the onset of spring as we begin browsing seed catalogs, walking through nurseries and envisioning those colorful blossoms erupting in our own outdoor secret gardens. As soon as the weather starts warming up, you'll see flats of ...read more
Preparing for a new baby can be so overwhelming when you start browsing through all the options, especially for the organic mama. Do you want to create a safe, nurturing environment for your baby, without excess stuff? We've broken it down and created the (short) list you need! ...read more
When you're scrambling for something to feed the family at the end of the day, the last thing you want to find is that all your fresh vegetables are gone, all your meat is still frozen, and the only thing that has edible potential within the next 20 minutes is a loaf of stale ...read more
Dance class. Gym class. Soccer practice. Swim meet. Music lessons. Play dates. How many activities is your child involved in on a weekly basis? When you remember your growing-up days, do you think blissfully of the unstructured summer days of freedom or the regular round of ...read more
There's nothing quite as soothing as a cup of hot herbal tea. Add a little honey and a squeeze of lemon, and herbal teas can calm you down for a good night's sleep, relieve a sore throat, ease cold or flu symptoms and build your immune system up. Plus, deliciously so. Herbal ...read more
Beyond having a recycle bin in the kitchen, how can you help your kids learn to live in a more sustainable way? One way is by simply encouraging them to use their own natural creativity in a greener way. Every kid loves arts and crafts, but it's not exactly sustainable to ...read more
There's nothing more fun than dreaming about that newborn you'll soon be holding, and flipping through the pages of What to Expect While You're Expecting or watching Baby Story. But for green mamas-to-be, there's a wealth of information that can not only give you entertainment ...read more
Being healthy and raising healthy kids is as admirable a goal as any. And going about it as naturally as possible will make you a shoo-in for sure. Sometimes the information on holistic health, herbal remedies and natural treatments can be overwhelming, though. Here's a quick ...read more
Locally sourced food is one of the cornerstones of green living, but finding the sources you need for your regular food requirements isn't always easy. Sure, you might have a great farmer's market in the summer time; but what about locally raised free-range meat, or dairy ...read more
Breakfast is a rushed time for most of us, and it's so easy to throw something pre-packaged at the kids just so they won't launch into their day hungry. So we may not have time to cook a three-course breakfast, but there are ways to serve something nutritious and homemade and ...read more
You want to give your baby the very best of care, right? Taking care of their skin is a daily practice. But sometimes the most common products, such as baby oil, aren't the best for baby's skin. The primary ingredient in almost every brand is mineral oil, and if your purpose in ...read more
We get the whole concept of spring cleaning from our Victorian forebears, who did a thorough cleaning of the home in spring for very practical reasons. Their homes were heated primarily by coal or wood-burning fires; over the course of winter, the soot and ash would build up in ...read more
If visions of this year's lush green garden are already filling your head, well, join the club. My first seed catalog came in the mail a couple of weeks ago, imparting visions of the gorgeous, healthy, organic herbs, vegetables and flowers that will soon be ours for the growing. ...read more
Kids need stuff (although they could probably use less of most of it): food, a bed, clothes, shoes, toys, art supplies, sports gear, school supplies, swimming gear, bikes, balls, musical instruments... The list is long and just seems to grow as they do. Keeping up with our own ...read more
It's... not spring time. Not by a long shot, even here in the Midwest where winter doesn't last that long. Still, even though spring isn't yet in our reach, any gardener will tell you that as soon as the holidays end, our thoughts turn to one thing only: the garden. It's a bit ...read more
The New Year is a perfect time to tackle those goals you've had in the back of your mind. You know, the earth-shaking ones like volunteer at a local charity, solve world hunger, and clean out your closet. It may seem unimportant, but bringing order and organization into the ...read more
Snacktime can be one of the biggest hassles in a Mom's day. It's usually a busy time (late afternoon when you're trying to figure out dinner or finish up the day's to-do list), the kids are cranky, and the last thing you want to do is stop and actually make something. Before you ...read more
As a parent of three active, energetic young children, I have one automatic outlet that saves my sanity: open a door and send them outside. In spring, we splash in puddles and make mudpies. In summer, we turn on the sprinkler or hide out in the shade of the woods. In fall, we ...read more
I love cold weather; fall is my favorite season, and the idea of winter coming just behind only makes it better. But I still hate the loss of the beautiful view out of my kitchen window; after the red and orange and gold of fall, I'm left with brown. The huge expanse of trees ...read more
Holiday traditions are important to us; they hold us together, remind us of who we are, and give us a way to pass our own memories down from one generation to the next. But sometimes these benefits can get offset by the craziness of trying to do it all: trying to squeeze in so ...read more
It's past Thanksgiving, which means it's open season for marketers, managers and your mother-in-law to tell you what you should be doing, buying, getting, giving, spending, baking, making and wrapping for the perfect family holiday. In order to preserve some of that holiday ...read more