Pint-sized ball or marble run

Written by Green Mama

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—we hear it all the time, right? But, even though many towns have moved to single-stream recycling, we can’t just throw everything into the blue bin. So, what actually goes in there? And what are other alternatives before the landfill? (Can you recycle batteries? Shrink wrap? How do I dispose of expired medications? Electronics? How difficult is composting?)

So, herewith:

Seven Ways to Dispose of Your Stuff Besides Tossing it in the Trash

#1 (Let Someone Else) Reuse

Have things you want to get rid of (clothes, toys, household goods)? See greenHaven’s Second Time Around for a list of consignment and resale shops in our area, or consider selling via Craigslist. Is your stuff a little too worn to sell or maybe in need of a small repair? Throw a swap meet at your house, offer items on Freecycle, or donate to one of the many area thrift shops. Donate books to your local library or to New Haven Reads.

#2 Recycle: The Basics

What is recyclable in your town? Are you sure? Towns change recycling policies all the time, and word doesn’t always get around. You might be pleasantly surprised that all numbered plastics are now recyclable or a type of paper that wasn’t previously now is. Be sure that you are recycling everything you can (and not putting in things you shouldn’t) by checking greenHaven’s Recycling Town-By-Town. Many town sites also offer information about disposal of bulk trash, leaf and brush waste, and electronics (see also #4, below).

#3 Repurpose

Channel your inner crafter! Pieces of cardboard make great bases for collages, onto which your kids can glue every scrap of leftover wrapping paper, string, or fabric that passes through your home. Save empty tissue boxes, then work with your kids to make them into blocks by simply taping paperboard or pieces from other boxes over the holes. Toilet paper and other cardboard rolls can be used in so many ways—play telescopes, binoculars, or what we call “toot-toot horns,” or try making a ball run like ours (top photo), inspired by a trip to the Eli Whitney Museum.

If you just don’t have the time or inclination, make a collection bag for potential project material to offer to your child’s school!

#4 Electronics

Many towns accept electronics at their recycling or transfer stations (for example, Bethany, East Haven, and Hamden). See Recycling Town-By-Town to see your town’s regulations. Or try . . .

• Goodwill: With the Reconnect Partnership, take your unwanted computer equipment and accessories—any brand, any condition—to a participating Goodwill site. The program will refurbish, reuse, or recycle the equipment, benefiting communities and putting people to work. Select locations also take TVs, cell phones, and appliances. See: reconnectpartnership.com/locations.php for participating sites in our area (including Orange, Branford, Wallingford, and Westville) and be sure to call first for any details.

• Best Buy (with locations in North Haven, Orange, Milford, and Meriden) will now recycle—FOR FREE—up to three items per household per day. Best Buy accepts most consumer electronics regardless of where they were purchased. For more information, see: www.bestbuy.com/recycling.

• WeRecycle!, with a location in Meriden, is the only e-Stewards certified electronics recycling location in CT. They take computers and peripherals, cell phones, stereos, TVs, game systems, and more. See their website for more information on drop-off and mail-back programs.

#5 Safety First

Mail away unused/expired medication for safe disposal

Did you know there is a safe way to dispose of household chemicals and other toxic waste? HazWaste Central, located on Sargent Drive in New Haven, down by Long Wharf and IKEA, is open on Saturday mornings starting May 19 for the season. Don’t pour paint thinner or antifreeze down the drain! Don’t toss batteries or fluorescent lightbulbs in the trash! Open to all residents of Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, East Haven, Fairfield, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven, and Woodbridge.

Note that HazWaste does not take unused medication, but this stuff can equally end up in our groundwater or drinking water. (Most treatments do not remove all drug residue from our water supply, so it can come right back into our house.) At the drugstore I found “TakeAway: Environmental Return System.” For $3.99, you get a prepaid envelope to use to send your expired meds to Texas where the company (which also disposes of used needles from labs, etc.) deals with it safely. You are asked to send the original packaging, but I was still able to get a decent amount into the 8″ x 11″ envelope. (Apparently some pharmacies will take your meds and send them directly to TakeAway–mine does not–so you might want to ask.) Note that you can’t send controlled substances. (So what do I do with my three leftover two-year-old Percocet from my very unexpected c-section?)

#6 Plastic Bag Recycling — Not Just for Plastic Bags!

Did you known that the plastic wrap around a package of diapers or toilet paper is recyclable? But don’t stick it in your blue bin or haul it to your transfer station. All of the following can be recycled along with used grocery bags at most supermarkets.

• newspaper bags
• dry cleaning bags
• bread bags
• produce bags
• toilet paper, napkin, and paper towel wraps
• furniture wrap
• electronic wrap
• plastic retail bags (hard plastic and string handles removed)
• plastic food storage bags (clean and dry) – (e.g. Ziploc® Bags)
• plastic cereal box liners (if it tears like paper do not include)
• Tyvek (no glue, labels, other material)
• diaper wrap (packaging)
• plastic shipping envelopes (no bubble wrap/remove labels)
• case wrap (e.g., snacks, water bottles)
• All clean, dry bags labeled #2 or #4.

• NO food or cling wrap or prepackaged food bags including frozen food bags.

Reuse the plastic in any way you can first (I use extra plastic as packing material and keep bread bags for dirty diapers when out on the town), then collect all your bags and film—you’ll be amazed at how fast this adds up—and take it along with you on your next trip to Big Y, Whole Foods, Shop Rite, or Stop & Shop. Check out this informative and easy-to-use resource for more information: plasticbagrecycling.org

#7 Compost

Even if you don’t ultimately want to use compost in a garden, you can greatly reduce your food waste by making some of it practically disappear. In addition to produce scraps, some of the many things you can compost which you might not have realized are coffee grounds and used tea bags, clean cardboard and newspaper, hair, and even dryer lint. And as long as fats, meats/fish, and animal waste don’t sneak into your compost, it should not smell unpleasant!

A how-to on composting could easily be its own article, but since there are plenty of resources out there, I’ll point to a few:

• Compost Instructions is a comprehensive resource with pages on what can be composted, composter designs, worm composting, and more. Check out the one-page quick-start guide here.

• Live in an apartment? Try these composting guides from TLC and sustainable-gardening.com

• Earth911 (a fantastic site!) has a number of articles on composting. A good place to start is with this one on summer composting. Search the site’s articles database for more.

ALSO: The City of New Haven offers residents a small free compost bin for your backyard. Call 203-946-7700 for information.

Seven tips not enough? Hungry for more? Check out Urbanminers.com, a local business which will salvage building materials from your home’s construction (or deconstruction or reconstruction); CDrecyclingcenter.com, a mail in program that also takes DVDs, VHS and cassette tapes, and cell phones; and the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe Program, which recycles old sneakers (any brand) and has drop-off locations in Clinton and Farmington.

This imaginative project is perfect for spring. The birds have all come back north and are foraging for things outside to primp their nests. This is a great project to do with kids because they can search the house for biodegradable lose scraps and stuff the balls easily themselves.

It was fun to find all sorts of materials and imagine ways that the birds would use them. Soft felt seems like it would make a comfortable bird bed!

I’ve seen some variations of these bird “shops” as I like to call them. My kid helpers decided these were free stores where birds could make their “house” a “home”. We decided to use yarn as the starter ball but wire is also an option.

Materials used:

Yarn

Cloth scraps

sticks, leaves or grass

balloons

scissors

burlap

glue

water

Alternative materials:

Wire ( 21-22 gauge works best)

string

fabric

burlap

twine

Begin by blowing up a balloon to about the size of an orange. This size ensures that there is enough space to stick the materials into the soon-to-be nest “shop”. Once the balloon , mix 1/4 cup of glue with 2-3 tablespoons of water. This will be what is added to the yarn to create the ball. Once the balloon is tied begin to wrap the yarn around it. Wrap the yarn in different directions allowing holes to come through.

As you wrap, apply the glue and water mixture generously all over. Wrap as little or as much as you’d like just be sure there are enough places where you can add materials. Once the yarn is wrapped and the glue is covering all the yarn, let it dry a couple hours. (If you are using wire, this part can be skipped all together)

Once the yarn feels stiff, pop the balloon and that leaves you with a hollow ball. Now it’s time to fill it! Take your materials and push them through each opening in the ball. It’s ok if some stuff is sticking out. Get creative with your nest shop! The birds will love the assortment of string and cloths and will surely be grateful for all your help.

These nest primping balls are perfect for spring projects, classroom crafts and even gifts! With earth day coming up and other spring holidays it’s seems only fitting to pass on these fun gifts.

Upcoming Holidays

- Easter

- Mother’s and Father’s day

- Earth Day

- Arbor Day

- Birthdays

You can also add some bird seed to the nest for an extra special welcome treat.  Create a set of nest primping balls and attach a note to instruct the recipient of what to do with these special gifts. Not only is this project fun for kids and adults but it also is helping our wildlife thrive!

I hope you enjoy making these!

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Christina works at the Painted Pomegranate and also runs her own blog, CT Green Gal. Visit her sites for fun DIY home décor crafts, eco-friendly ideas and everyday need-to- know information for kids and adults!

Eggs dyed with chlorophyll, turmeric, and blueberries. (Basket filled with shredded paper packing material.)

Is dyeing eggs part of your Easter tradition? Then why not give a try to natural dyes this year? They’re fun and easy and you’ll feel a lot better when your kids get them on their hands and faces and possibly in their mouths. Plus, as long as you minimize the time the eggs are kept outside the fridge, there’s no reason not to eat them when you are all done! Making these dyes involves boiling and cooling, so prepare them ahead of time. Note that you’ll never get those intense hues that come from artificial dyes, but the pastels from these methods are lovely. Soak longer—around 15 minutes—for deeper colors. Also, not straining the dyes can give you a cool texture, especially with the turmeric.

• Yellow: Boil 2 tsp. turmeric in 1 cup water. Simmer 5 min., cool,  strain.
• Orange-brown: Boil a bunch of onion skins in 1 cup water. Simmer 10 min., cool, strain, add 1 tsp. white vinegar.
• Green: Boil 1 cup water, remove from heat. Add contents of 3 chlorophyll capsules (buy at health food stores), stir, cool, strain.
• Blue: Boil 1 cup frozen blueberries with 1 cup water. Simmer 5 min., cool, strain,  add 1 tsp. white vinegar.
• Pink: This is the basic recipe for pink, but I have never gotten it to work. (My dye looks right, but the egg comes out brown. I’m trying fresh beets next time.) If you want to try: Boil 1 cup water with a jar of beets. Simmer 5 min., cool, strain, and add 1 tsp. white vinegar.

I recommend using hardboiled white eggs (anyone know where to buy organic white eggs?). Double-soaking (e.g. in green then blue) can create some nice shades. Again, be sure to keep eggs in the fridge when not dying them if you plan to eat them. And be sure to cover sensitive surfaces with newspaper or rags—these dyes can be just as staining as artificial ones! Some additional options and methods:

• www.frontiercoop.com/learn/hs_naturaleggdyeing.php
• www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/eggs/natural-easter-egg-dyes/
• www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Food/Stir-It-Up/2011/0422/Celebrate-Earth-Day-with-natural-Easter-egg-dyes

What to do with the leftovers? Some ideas:

• Blueberry: mix  berries into oatmeal, muffin batter, or smoothies. Use dye as basis for a simple syrup and mix with seltzer for a treaty natural soda (with addition of sweetener, you won’t notice vinegar).
• Chlorophyll: use dye to water plants
• Turmeric: add some dye to rice cooking water for a nice complement to an Indian-inspired meal.

Do we really need an excuse to read aloud to our children? If so, know that reading aloud raises both receptive and expressive language abilities, both of which predict future reading skills. Reading books with sophisticated language provides a strong predictor of later vocabulary. While it might seem hard to find the time, know that the dinner dishes can wait long enough to share an experience that’s not only good for your child, it’s also a good way to bond, and the memories will last both your lifetimes.

Getting Started

Here’s what you should know when thinking about reading-aloud to your family:

1. Go for the Montessori approach: read to all your kids at once. Multiage grouping gives each child the opportunity to focus on the components of the book that interest them most, while benefitting from the questions the others ask.
2. Reach up a grade level or two. No matter what the age of your child, be sure to choose something that stretches beyond his or her current vocabulary level.
3. Increase the frequency of read-aloud sessions. Every night is perfect, though every-other night is still good. Make it a predictable part of the night-time routine and you’ll find that you and your kids will begin to look forward to it.
4. Allow for interruptions. Entertain your kids’ questions and ask some of your own. Discuss the text, explore the vocabulary. Begin to work new vocabulary into everyday conversations in the days and weeks after a word is first introduced. See example below of Text Talk (from Pacific Resources for Education and Learning)

The struggle in choosing reading material for read-aloud sessions is finding the right balance between sophisticated language and keeping the subject matter and story-line age-appropriate. A good rule of thumb is to think about the books you enjoyed as a child: The Borrowers, The Incredible Journey, White Fang, Little House on the Prairie, the Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia. Mark Twain and Charles Dickens are good reaches for precocious boys and girls.  And, of course, the Harry Potter series, Chistopher Paolini’s Inheritance series (beginning with Eragon), the Artemis Fowl series.

As a last note, consider exposing your children to the sound and cadence of foreign language, if you’re able. My kids loved Keith Baker’s Who Is the Beast? We read it often, even though we didn’t speak Spanish in the house. The loved the flow and poetry of the Spanish version even more than the English version.

With my kids now in high school and college, I look back fondly at all the hours spent reading books together. A few weeks ago, the Harry Potter movies were running on tv. The fourth movie came on and my 16-year-old began paying special attention. I asked if it was her favorite. She said, “Not so much, but it’s the last book we read together. I never really understood the whole story line, but wasn’t that a great time? ” Yes. Yes, it was.

PS. If you’re ever in doubt about what to choose, you can always sign up for a Just the Right Book children’s subscription. Let us know when filling out the preference form that you’re looking for books that you can read aloud with your child. We’ll take care of the rest.

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

Even Walt Disney, the king of animated movies, had a library to die for. For those of us old enough to remember the lead-in to the weekly Disney movie on Sunday nights, Walt magically, if subtly, demonstrated the connection between the written word and the movies they became by nonchalantly selecting a book off the expansive shelves in his office and setting the stage for the movie that followed.

Growing up in a household of seven kids, we never lacked for books. Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, of course, but also bookshelves filled with poetry, Michener, the complete works of Dickens and a plethora of kids’ picture books and teen paperbacks. I’ve noticed recently that many homes are devoid of bookshelves and the libraries they hold. These same homes have entertainment centers filled with DVDs. What’s happened? Has the glow of the television replaced the glow of the flashlight under the covers after “lights-out”?  Even though many of the books on the shelves in my home haven’t been read in years, I like the fact that they’re available to read. That one day, when my daughter comes home from college and drops a reference to Dickens, the book will be at the ready for her to devour.

So it goes with children at any age. We can’t always guess whether they’re ready for a book that previously had been a bit of a reach. Nor can we anticipate when they want to reminisce with the Velveteen Rabbit for one last time. Keeping a library allows a child to grab a book that excites or interests them at any point in time, for any mood they’re in at that time. With February vacation upon us, consider taking some time to visit your local bookstore (often a magical experience itself) and pick up a few books for your child’s library. While you at it, put a new book on your shelf, as well.

Just the Right Book suggests a few books to get your library started. Of course, you can also consider signing up for a Just the Right Book subscription, and have books sent throughout the year that our expert booksellers will pick especially for your child (or for yourself!)

• Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom

Paperback, Fiction, Humor

Recommended Ages: 8-12 yo

Like most kids, Frankie Pickle hates cleaning his room. But what happens when his Mom says he never has to clean it again! Frankie and his unstoppable imagination mean fun. He and his side-kick Argyle become explorers swinging on vines, forging paths through piles of clothes, and scooting past lava pits! They perform flawless surgery on a broken action figure! They spend time in the big house. They even become superheroes. But will all this imagining be enough to conquer… the closet of DOOM?

• The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton

Paperback, Fiction, Historical Fiction

Recommended Ages: 8-12 yo

Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge lives a boring life on the Island in the Middle of Everything, but she longs for adventure. And she soon gets it when she overhears a life-altering secret and suddenly finds herself in the middle of an amazing journey. It turns out that Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain in the center of the island, is not really a mountain – it’s the belly of a sleeping giant! It’s up to Persimmony and her friend Worvil to convince the island’s quarreling inhabitants that a giant is sleeping in their midst and must not be awakened. The question is, will she be able to do it?

• Girl Who Circumvented Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making by Catherynne Valente

Hardcover, Fantasy Fiction

Recommended Ages: 10 yo and up

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.  With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

This book is nominated for a ReadKiddoRead Kiddo Award for 2011! ReadKiddoRead subscriptions are available from Just the Right Book through the end of February.

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

This month’s craft blog is a little different. With Valentine’s Day this month, it seems only appropriate to give kidHaven readers a variety of kid-friendly craft ideas.  This “round-up” of links will guide you and your child to wonderful craft ideas that can be used for Valentine’s parties at school, home décor or just for fun!

• Pencil topper Craft

This craft is quick and perfect for a group of people or kids. Instead of candy, consider this pencil with a sweet message! Hey, why don’t you make one for your child from you today?  What a fun surprise to get after school :)

Follow this link to view the craft and view or print the directions to make it.

• Hand-made Valentine’s Day Cards

Nothing says “I love you” like a homemade card from your heart. Follow this link to get ideas and inspiration.

• Valentine’s Day Sentimental Gifts

This site has everything you need for some last minute  v-day ideas! From flower crafts to easy paper mache vases (ok, maybe paper mache is not exactly last minute) there is bound to be something you find for yourself and your little one to make!  Click her to get started.

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Christina works at the Painted Pomegranate and also runs her own blog, CT Green Gal. Visit her sites for fun DIY home décor crafts, eco-friendly ideas and everyday need-to- know information for kids and adults!

This month’s craft is so cute and once again uses materials that you probably have around the house.  I’m always thinking of creative crafts that kids can potentially do on their own but parents also have fun doing them.

For January, I chose to transform an ordinary salsa jar into a functional barn owl. The barn owl jar can be used as a coin jar, gift container or candy jar. The possibilities are endless!  This craft has many alternatives so feel free to put a different spin on any of the materials used.

Materials used:

• Clean glass salsa jar

• Two 4inchx4inch pieces of fabric

• Brown felt

• White paper

• Markers

• Orange paper

• Black string

• Hot glue

Tip: Use any old fabric from clothes, curtains or sheets.

Alternative materials:

• Instead of markers use any writing instrument you have

• Use pipe cleaners or thin rope instead of black string

• The orange paper is for the wings but any color will work

• The felt is used for the body of the owl but any color could be used

• Instead of a jar use a can or similar container. Anything with a lid will work

• Hot glue dries fastest but regular glue or tape can be used in its place.

The first step once you’ve got all your materials collected is to glue the felt or chosen material around the jar to create a “body”. This creates a clean workspace for the owls face and wings.

Next, draw the face of the owl your chosen paper (I used white paper for the face). Below is a photo of how I drew my owl face.

Tip: you can always put your own spin on the owl face! Try adding funny eyes or a sideways beak.

After the face is drawn, glue it onto the felt just beneath the jar lid.

Next, take your fabric and glue it to the top of your lid. You can do this before it is screwed onto the jar or vice versa. I found it easiest to screw the lid on and then glue it.

Once the fabric is secured on the top, take your string (or whatever you have chosen) and tie it around the bottom of the lid to allow the fabric to “fringe out”. This creates a hat or bonnet illusion on the owl.

Tip: If you are turning this into a coin jar be sure to safely poke a slit into the top after putting fabric on.

Lastly, cut out 2-3 inch long wings for the sides of the jar. I used a pen to draw scalloped feathers. An easy way to do this is make wave-like squiggles that represent feathers.

With the finished owl jar you can place candy, coins, stickers or other treats inside as a fun rewards jar. You can also use it as a cute gift contained for small presents.

**Always remember to save your cans and jars from the kitchen for fun do-it-yourself projects!

Thanks for checking out this month’s craft!

- Christina

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Christina works at the Painted Pomegranate and also runs her own blog, CT Green Gal. Visit her sites for fun DIY home décor crafts, eco-friendly ideas and everyday need-to- know information for kids and adults!

The holidays can certainly be a busy, stressful time, a time when all around us waste goes up and conservation goes down. I admit that holidays throw me for a loop; I can get easily overwhelmed and let best practices slip. A month later, I have finally caught my breath! Below is a quick assessment of how I did this year during the holidays — What I did well and not so well. How did you do? What will you try to change next year? (Remind me to look back at this next November!)

Top 5 Things I Did Right (i.e. Green) This Holiday Season

Santa goes tag-sale-ing: My son’s gifts included a secondhand stroller and kitchen (plus a new water bottle “like Mommy!”)

1.     Giving: Our son was over the moon about his two big gifts — a wooden kitchen and a baby stroller — both of which Santa acquired at a tag sale last August. For my son’s teachers, we candied organic almonds and packaged them in reused (and reusable) decorative tins. For a close friend, I bought a gift certificate at an upscale local consignment store.

2.     Wrapping: We wrapped everything in reused or reusable materials, including cloth, empty cereal boxes, pillowcases, and decorated bags/boxes, old wrapping paper, and re-used ribbons seeing their nth Christmases.

3.     Receiving: We convinced grandma to give my son about half the number of gifts she gave him last year (yay!) and requested from grandpa a stainless steel water bottle and dish set — both of which my son adores.

4.     Cleaning Up: I meticulously separated out every piece of shrink wrap (recyclable with grocery bags), paper & cardboard wrappers (went right to my son for drawing), and reusable material before putting anything in the garbage. (After a chaotic Christmas morning, it was rather soothing to drink a cup of tea and smooth old tissue paper into neat piles for next year.)

5.     Swapping: A few weeks after the holidays ended, I hosted a swap meet. Friends cleaned house and showed up to trade no-longer-needed clothes, children’s stuff, and housewares. (Think tag sale, but everything is free!) All leftovers were donated to charity.

Top 5 Things I Want to Change Next Year

1.     Better Buying: While I purchased a number of things locally this year, I still depended way too much on ultra-convenient two-day shipping. Ugh, the size of those boxes!

MY GOAL: Next year everything I give for Christmas will either be made locally (including home-made by me) or will be a non-tangible/non-shipped (a gift card, a charitable donation, a coupon for babysitting, etc.).

2.     Holiday Cards: I love sending them; I love receiving them. But is this use or waste? We can definitely reduce our impact in this area.

MY GOAL: Next year, I will send fewer cards by at least half. (People we see regularly will probably get e-cards — hey, maybe those will actually be on time!) With the savings, we’ll print cards on recycled and recyclable paper instead of photo stock (we keep our cards, but maybe others toss them?). I think I’m also going to follow a friend’s lead: send holiday postcards this year instead of card in envelopes. The postcards had photos on the front, and messages and addresses on the back. The photo still looked great on the mantel, but they saved all those envelopes (and some $ on postage, too). I think we’ll give that a try next year, too.

3.     Lights: We’ve been using the same decorative lights for years and we are meticulous about running them for only a few hours each evening for a few weeks. (Anyone got tips on hinting to the neighbors that no one sees their illuminated reindeer at 3am?) The lights do absolutely help my mood on days when it’s pitch black out before my son’s nap is over. But we are still using too much energy. I need to research who makes the best LEDs and maybe scoop some up on sale out of season.

Part of my collection of reusable Christmas wrapping, including a holiday-themed tissue box circa 2003.

MY GOAL: I will replace two strings of holiday lights with LEDs each year for the next three years.

4.     Cleaner Eatin’: I really get a low score for food over the holidays. At celebrations, I indulged in plenty of junk — chips, desserts, and drinks full of chemicals — just because it was in front of me and I was hungry. I even found myself giving in to my son about what ended up on his plate (e.g. the cupcake with the fluorescent frosting) because I was tired and it was easier. Usually I am up to the food challenge, but during the holidays, I lost my resolve a bit.

MY GOAL: I will stick to my guns next year when it comes to how my family eats. I will arrive at celebrations fed and rested, and I will bring with me a healthy, delicious food contribution that, if all else fails, I will eat all of  it (just kidding).

5.     Okay, so I don’t really have a fifth major category to tackle—everything else either fits in one of the above or a little off-topic for greenHaven (e.g. argue less with relatives). So I’ll just say this: I know that to be successful with my goals during the next holiday season, I will need to be better organized and less harried. That means I will need to be calm and not over-committed, with realistic expectations about what I can get done.

MY GOAL: I will slow down during the next holiday season so that I have the wherewithal to remain strong in my convictions. I could even start that now . . .

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Green Mama, kidHaven’s newest contributor, is a local parent doing the best she can to raise her toddler with sustainability in mind. She first got involved with green efforts while working at a local university and found that she really enjoys learning and sharing green knowledge, especially time and money-saving tricks! She looks forward to hearing tips and ideas, from readers.

Happy December!

With the holidays fast approaching as well as the official start to winter it is suiting to make this month’s craft a cute, do-it-yourself snowman! This craft is great for children young and old. It can be as easy or as complicated as you’d like it to be. I love that each snowman can be tailored to any personality and age.

What you’ll need:

• White paper
• Colored paper
• Glue
• Markers
• Toilet paper roll
• Paint brush
• Scissors

Alternative supplies:

• Crayons
• Glitter
• Felt
• Sequence

First, start with the toilet paper roll. Measure the white paper around it and line up the edges to wrap around. You may need to cut the paper to fit properly around the roll.

TIP: Glue one edge of the paper to the roll first and wrap it around to make for easy and accurate measuring and cutting.

Next, glue the white paper around the toilet paper roll. Take the colored paper of choice and cut 6inch by 1inch strips. Use one strip as the snowman’s scarf and one as the snowman’s hat. Cut fringe into the end of the scarf for a fun effect!

TIP: Don’t worry about the exact measurements of the scarf and hat. Bigger or smaller looks just as great! You and your child may not want the fringe; you can also scallop the edges or leave it as a straight edge.

Continue to glue the scarf and hat on the covered toilet paper roll and wrap around the entire roll. The hat strip should be wrapped towards the top and the scarf strip should be wrapped in the middle of the roll.

Once everything is glued on, it is time to add the decorative details! Add eyes, a happy smile and buttons to the front of your snowman. In this example I did a traditional snowman with a carrot nose, coal eyes and black buttons. Feel free to add stickers, sequences, felt or any other additions to make your snowman extra special!

Use this craft as a decoration in your home or even as a pencil holder!

**Pencil holder alternative: Cut a circle out of cardboard and seal the bottom of the toilet paper roll. Add two marbles to the bottom of the roll. This will anchor the roll to hold pencils for easy, everyday use!

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Christina works at the Painted Pomegranate and also runs her own blog, CT Green Gal. Visit her sites for fun DIY home décor crafts, eco-friendly ideas and everyday need-to- know information for kids and adults!

We love to cook. And we know good food brings families together. That’s why we’ve spent the past few years sharing many of our popular market menu dishes and some of our all-time favorite recipes on our blog. We’ve been getting requests for some time now to help shed some light on family friendly recipes that inspire even the tiniest of chefs to help make—and pick up their forks to eat without a battle.

To us the holidays mean family, and that means family friendly recipes! With the holiday season rapidly approaching, we thought there was no time like the present [get it] to share our go-to kid-pleasers with the kidHaven family to enjoy at home.

This is one of my favorite recipes—it just feels like home. Making this classic ricotta gnocchi reminds me of my time in my grandmother’s kitchen, rolling gnocchi dough, making homemade sauce and eventually sharing a delectable dish for dinner [and so much more].

Homemade Gnocchi

Ingredients:

•  3 lbs. Ricotta

•  4 cups of parmesan cheese

•  2 cups of semolina flour

•  2 cups of all purpose flour

•  1 teaspoon of salt

•  1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper

•  3 egg yolks

•  3 whole eggs

•  1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Yield: Dinner for the family.  Store the rest in the freezer for those days when you need dinner in a hurry.

Directions:

•  Place all ingredients in a mixer using the dough attachment.

•  Mix slowly until everything is incorporated.

•  Wrap the bowl in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (nap time?).

•  Take one ball of dough and break off approximately a 1/2 lb. piece and roll into a cylinder of 1/2 inch thick—add flour if it is too sticky.

•  Cut 1/2 inch pieces and press each piece with your thumb.

•  To get the right shape for the gnocchi, take each piece and fold it over using the slope of the fork (like shown here).

•  Place the pieces on a well floured sheet pan and freeze in thin layer storage bags until frozen.

•  When you are ready to use, strain off all excess flour and boil for 7-8 minutes.

© 2011 Denise Appel. Permission must be given by Denise Appel to reproduce.

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Hailing from Glastonbury, Connecticut, Denise Appel has been wildly successful in her passion and vision as a chef. As co-owner and head chef of ZINC Restaurant and Kitchen ZINC New Haven, Denise credits her Grandmother Katherine for instilling in her true love for the art of cooking.

Chef Appel’s trademark cuisine features regionally farmed produce and cheeses, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef, veal and poultry and fresh and non-endangered line-caught fish. At her restaurants, Denise switches her menu every few weeks and during the summer season, she will spend mornings at the Farmer’s Market before deciding what meals to cook for the evening. Denise’s Farm-to-Table approach has earned her many honors.  Teaching and discussing food is another passion for Chef Appel. She introduced her Chef’s Table courses in 2008 to the public that focused on a different topic each month during the winter and spring and were received with sell-out attendance for each event. Outside of creating culinary masterpieces and broadening her cooking repertoire, you can also find Denise spending time with her three rescued pups or traveling the world, seeking inspiration for new dishes.

It’s November and with Thanksgiving right around the corner it seemed only appropriate to do a turkey craft! This project is fun and easy to do. Included are some alternative ways to do this craft for younger and older kids. In my everyday life I am crafting and creating different projects for kids to do and adults to enjoy. Each month you can look forward to craft ideas from me that are easy and use materials that you may already have around your home.

The Thankful Turkey

 Supplies you will need:

• 1 toilet paper roll per child
• Googly eyes
• Orange, red and yellow paper
• Scissors
• Hot glue
• Black sharpie marker

Alternative supplies:

• If you don’t have googly eyes you can always draw a set of eyes.

• You can also use any colors for the feathers but the colors listed are festive for Thanksgiving. Brown, black, purple or blue would be great as well.

• Hot glue is not a must. Elmer’s works well but takes longer to dry.

• Glitter, string, strips of newspaper and tassels can also add extra fun to this project

Begin this craft by cutting out “feathers” out of paper. Make them long enough to have a word written on them.

After cutting out 7-8 feathers per toilet paper roll, write one thing per feather that your child is thankful for.  You can write it, or your child can write it.

Next, cut out turkey feet, wattle and a triangle beak from the orange paper. Use the glue to attach everything to the toilet paper roll. Attach eyes, beak and wattle and then the feet to the bottom of the roll.

** For younger kids, it may be easier for parents to pre-cut the body parts for faster attachment.

Tip: Cut the feet into circles about the size of a dime then make two slits at the top of it to make turkey claws. Glue to the front side at the bottom of the toilet paper roll to give the illusion that the turkey is sitting.     

Lastly, take each feather with chosen word and attach them to the back of the toilet paper roll. Fan them out so they look like turkey feathers and so the words are visible.

Display your craft as a house decoration for the holiday or better yet, on your Thanksgiving table. Have each child take the time to read a loud the things they wrote and explain why they chose them.

Another fun way to do this craft is to write one thing you are thankful for each day leading up to thanksgiving. Start on Sunday or Monday and then attach your last feather on Thanksgiving Day. Your finished craft can be displayed and presented full of all the things you are thankful for on Thanksgiving!

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Christina Cioci crafts daily with kids at the The Painted Pomegranate.  Start looking for her monthly craft posts her on kidHaven!  Welcome aboard, Christina :)

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Christina is the head teacher and social media coordinator at The Painted Pomegranate, an experiential learning center in Woodbridge, CT. She graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2010 and soon after began her freelance career as a writer. Crafting and art are a couple of her passions that join together her love of children and creativity.  As an eco-minded person, Christina hopes to show others the ease of “going green” through her work as a teacher and a writer

We’ve been thinking a lot about classic books lately here at the JTRB office, in light of our Contemporary Classics Quiz, which highlights some of the best books for adults from the last 75 years–many books that were written decades before I was born, and that I love. That’s the thing about really good books–they have staying power.

The phenomenon of classics also applies, perhaps even more so, to children’s chapter books. It’s no surprise that what we read when we’re young tends to stick with us. Maybe that adage that you never forget your first love applies to books as well as people. The first books we read and fall in love with are often the ones we remember most fondly and vividly. And there are many, many examples of children’s classics getting new life today, some in their original forms and some updated for a new generation of readers. Parents are re-reading these beloved books and introducing them to their children.

HarperCollins just this week published The Betsy-Tacy Treasury – the first four books in Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. Pamela Paul mentioned in the New York Times’s Arts Beat that her six-year-old daughter is enthralled by the stories, which are set in Minnesota more than 100 years ago.

Publishers are also adapting traditional beloved children’s books to the modern-day mediums. For example, many titles in The Boxcar Children series are now available as e-books.

And I hope that recent movie versions of classic kids’ books are encouraging young readers to explore older books like Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series, Thomas Rockwell’s How to Eat Fried Worms, and of course C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.

And while all of these books are beloved by yesterday’s and today’s young readers, we can’t deny the power of adult nostalgia, either. It’s what prompted Wendy McClure, who loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s  Little House series as a child, to retrace the pioneer journey of the Ingalls family and immerse herself in Little House culture for her book The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House in the Prairie. In fact, it almost makes me want to go to South Dakota to visit some Ingalls sites on my next vacation… or at least re-read the entire Little House series.

Is there a young reader in your life who would like to be turned on to the classics? Give the gift of reading with one of our subscriptions for kids. Tell us what kind of books he or she likes, including any of the above titles or anything at all, and we’ll send just the right book, guaranteed!

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Kira Baum is Content Manager at Just the Right Book. A life-long book lover with a master’s degree in English, she spent nearly a decade as a project manager and copy editor at major publishing houses in New York City before returning to her home state of Connecticut and joining Just the Right Book.

It’s been a couple of months since school started, and I bet your kids are starting to show some signs of stress. Maybe you’ve even had a call home from the teacher already.  And then you start to show signs of stress. The antidote: humor, creativity and play.  And some alone-time (hint – that’s where the books come in).

Helping my three kids find the best way to diffuse stress was like diving for pearls. Sometimes I would come up with something that glowed. Sometimes I just got a handful of seaweed. Like when I mistakenly thought that routines were a good idea. They are, of course, to some extent, but the more I tried to get them to sit down and a chat about their day, the deeper the seaweed got.

After a day of schedules and expectations, they really just needed true, unscheduled down-time. Not veg-in-front-of-the-tv time. Real, all-about-them down-time. My son needed to organize his toys and read. My older daughter needed to go outside and play with friends. My youngest needed to pull the pots out of the cupboard and drum on them like the rock star she is. Instead of drilling them about their day, we found ways to laugh. And then they would begin to talk about their day.

Some kids experience a level of stress far beyond the norm. For these kids, getting through a week of school without a call home is a magnificent accomplishment. Why not reward them in a way that will also help them cope? Book series are great for this. My son, now 20, refuses to give up his Discovery Kids or Star Wars book collections. He worked too hard to get them; they brought him many hours of stress relief; and they feel like long-time friends. He gets very nostalgic about them. And there are some great book series out there:

For preteen boys and girls:

Maximum Ride series by James Patterson: Shows that girls can be tough. Full of fantasy, flying creatures and video-game type action.

Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker: Clementine is the new Amelia Bedelia for kids age 7 – 10. No matter how hard she tries, she only seems to make things worse. A fun series, especially for kids who might not be strangers to the principal’s office.

Everything Butt Art on the Farm by Brian Snyder and local artist Alexis Moniello. Talk about a stress buster! The first in a two-book series with more in the works, and an iPad app, this book is guaranteed to spark creativity, giggles and conversation.

Of course, all of these titles are available when you sign up for a Kids’ Series subscription at Just the Right Book. Teen and Fantasy Series (for titles like Maximum Ride) also available. Choose from hardcover or paperback or a mix of both, with monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly delivery. Titles chosen just for your child based on his/her reading level and preferences. (And if Mom or Dad need a little pampering…Indulge Yourself!)

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

One day when my kids were little, an audio book fell into my hands, unsolicited and out of the blue. It was Patricia Cornwell’s Isle of Dogs. When I put it in the tape player (yes, it was that long ago), something unexpected and wonderful happened. My kids gravitated to the Southern drawl emanating from the stereo the way they might have followed the scent of cookies to the kitchen. The family ended up listening to Isle of Dogs as a group over dinner – that night and every night after until we’d heard the whole book.

Enjoying the ritual and the conversation it sparked, we next chose The Life of Pi (read in rich Indian accents and taking us all out to sea, stretching our imaginations as we ate our meal at the earth-bound dining room table). Then DaVinci Code. Then Agatha Christie. And the rest is history. A family tradition had firmly taken hold.

I sometimes think that audio books have an unfair reputation as somehow less than. They get short shrift, as though they’re a cop out and as though we should only read – and not (good god, no!) – LISTEN to books! I’ve found that sharing literature as a family is a really satisfying way to connect with one another, while working an under-utilized part of our brains…that part that probably got a lot of exercise half a century ago when neighbors would cluster together in a living room and listen to a radio play. Audio books let kids experience adult literature with their parents. Perhaps most importantly, it exposes us all to that special and age-old theatre of story telling, with animated voices and strange accents and nuanced intonations.

Today in our family, audio books are a staple of vacations and weekends. They’ve even dictated how we tell time. Recently my sister asked me how long it took to drive from Los Angeles to Yosemite, a drive I had done with my family a few years earlier. I told her, “as long as it takes to hear Angel and Demons.”

Want to start the audio book tradition in your family? Start Here:

To introduce classic fairy tales to younger children (This was our bedtime routine until, um, high school!):

The Emperor’s New Clothes The classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale retold by celebrities on the included CD. This combines the beauty of illustration with the magic of talented voices narrating. The bonus is that the kids can go back and read the text on their own later.

Conversation starter for older kids:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, read by Allan Corduner. Set in Nazi Germany, it describes a young girl’s (named Liesel Meminger) relationship with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa, and the other residents of their neighborhood, and a Jewish fist-fighter who hides in her home during the escalation of World War II. Published in 2005, it has won numerous awards and has been listed on the New York Times Children’s Bestseller List for over 190 weeks.

Classic, in observation of Banned Book Week Sept 24 – Oct 1:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, read by Garrison Keillor. An American classic read by an American classic. A great story read by one of the best storytellers.

Just the Right Book! Quarterly gifts, where books (no audio, yet) come 4 times a year, start at just $49. Visit our website at www.justtherightbook.com/sc/kidhaven.

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

photo courtesy of Chicargobike

Our middle guy is starting to talk about his upcoming birthday party – “upcoming” meaning, we’ve still got some time to plan.  Lots of time, in fact.  In the meantime, it makes us think about what we did last year: a make it ourselves Bike Festival.

Our party had three parts: bike decorating, a freewheeling parade, and cake time.

pre-Party:

• Beforehand, we found out if each kid we invited was a two wheeled or training or balance bike rider. We had test ridden the route for the parade a few days ahead of the party. We live close to a university campus which is a great place for this kind of fun. If you are heading to a park or just around the block you’ll need some grown-ups at all the alleys and intersections to keep an eye on everyone.

Bike Decorating:

• 

  photo courtesy of Chicargobike

  On the day of the party, there was a table out in front of our house with a pitcher of punch, small sandwiches, and snacks. In fine Chicago tradition, garbage cans across the street closed off our small cul-de sac. A better method for closing the street might be to call your Alderman and get it officially blocked off! People looking for parking kept trying to sneak by. A boom box was playing techno music good for biking. Then we pulled all of our extra bikes and trash bikes out so that grown-ups who “forgot” bikes could ride if they wanted to. A pump and some tools got a lot of use – everybody needed to fix something.

• As the kids and their parents arrived we helped everyone unload their bikes and welcomed them. We gave everyone bells, pinwheels, spoke covers, and silly handlebar streamers (bought in bulk from Irv’s Bikes old stock and a party store) for favors at the start and got to work winding crepe paper into spokes and getting the bells and streamers on.
• We cut up thick plastic disposable plates to get 2 rectangles out of each, popped 4 holes in each rectangle and threaded a zip tie through in a figure 8, around the seat stay or fork: instant bike motors! This was the cheapest and most fun part, and all those kids still seem to have the motors on their bikes many months later.
• The decorating took ages – but everyone had a blast fiddling and munching and talking. With snacks it was fun and a little bonk insurance for the kids who might not have had lunch yet.

Freewheeling Parade:

• After decorating the bikes and getting everyone full of snacks and ready to go, we got organized for our parade. Older kids helped get everyone up on their bikes and they mixed in with the younger riders to keep the pace right. There was a big range in the skills of our paraders and we wanted everyone to have fun. A couple of shy riders got into the box or onto the tandem right off the bat so that they would not worry about riding at all.
• We rode down our street and then up onto the sidewalk to the campus, where we rode in a big circle and looped around many times before turning home. Tired paraders got hoisted into the box or tandem or we just slowed the parade a bit to pace everyone to get back home.
• Parents silly enough to get on one of our trash bikes – rescued and refurbished zombie bikes that live in our garage – helped keep the ride moving, and some wrapped themselves in crepe paper to do it. One had the loud portable radio. Other parents relaxed at our house, talking out front.

Cake Time:

• When we got back, we pulled all the bikes up on the sidewalk and cut the cake. All the guests and any neighbors that happened to be out visiting got some.

Then it was time for everyone to pack up and go. We heard some kids even fell asleep on the way home.

It was wheely fun.

photo courtesy of Chicargobike

Our tips for making a bike fest work:

• Check with a bike store to see if you can get streamers or bells or something silly in bulk (we had a good experience with Irv’s in Pilsen). Just winding crepe paper was fun. Don’t forget the plastic plate spoke buzzer motors.
• Try to make sure everyone has had a little food before the parade.
• Tote a loud radio with fun music.
• Know which kids are less confident riders and keep the pace light. It should be fun for everyone and faster riders will just have fun rolling with all those other kids all decorated up. We went in circles so people could go at their own pace but never get left behind.
• It’s handy to have a sag wagon or other option for tired riders. You don’t need a cargo bike – a trailer to sit in, or a scooter to borrow while a parent carries the child’s bike might do just as well.
• Don’t ride all those kids in the unblocked street – it’s not Kidical Mass. We had parents watching the intersections and keeping everyone going but we had a huge pack of kids and only a few parents, so we stayed on the sidewalk until we got to the campus.
• This is also a good party to just have in a nearby park. No traffic to watch at all then.

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We are two parents who ride everywhere in Chicago with our three children ages 10, 7 and 3. We’ve kept riding as our kids grow and our lives get more complicated. Our lives biking before kids color our ideas about staying on the road. Before our ten years here in Chicago, D. lived in Munich for eleven years. I spent a year and a half in Munich. I led unsupported bike tours for kids, and I helped run an after school off-road bike and racing program for at risk kids in a small town in Massachusetts, fit around my day job as a baker. Our posts are written by one or the other of us and our opinions reflect who is behind the keyboard.