Since many of us are spending our weekends raking leaves these days, we thought we’d share this list of way to use your leaves in the garden and in your home.

Bagging, hauling, and disposing of leaves uses landfill space, fuel, and other resources, costs towns (taxpayer) money, removes nutrients from the environment.  These alternatives make better environmental sense.

1.  Leave them where they are to provide a home for insects, amphibians, and as root insulation for trees.

2.  Compost them along with nitrogen-rich materials (like lawn clippings, food scraps), and have great mulch by spring.

3.  Mow them into your lawn, and see less weeds next year.

4.  Use as winter cover for your vegetable garden plot.  Worms love leaves, and plants love worm castings!

5.  Use as a winter blanket for your more fragile outside plants.

6.  Make leaf rubbings.

7.  Make leaf sun catchers for your windows.

8.  Use them to stuff a scarecrow (and then compost them).

9.  Make a leaf wreath.

10.  And don’t forget to make big piles and jump in them!

To celebrate Breast Cancer Prevention month, we’re giving away five dolls from our PINK collection. A percentage of the sales of the PINK collection benefits breast cancer research all year long. We also work to educate parents about prevention (none of our products contain any phthalates, BPA, etc.). The PINK collection is organic (no pesticides or toxins) and machine washable because we know that toys get a lot of love and a good bath is necessary.

What seeds of change does your family do now? What seeds of change are you trying to master?

Please note whether you’d prefer the blonde or brunette doll. We’ll pick the winners on Friday, October 28th. If you don’t have a little girl in your life to love the doll, just note that in your comments and we’re happy to send an Activity Ball instead.

Ever think about where that plastic fork you used at lunch goes once you’re through with it?   How about that packet of ketchup or coffee stir?  When you throw something “away,” does it ever really go away?

We’re pleased to share a podcast interview with Lisa Borden, founder of the Takeout Without campaign – a project to reduce waste from purchased foods and beverages.

Takeout Without aims to reduce this waste – everything from coffee cups to straws to packets of soy sauce – through both individual and  restaurant industry action.  Tanya talked with Lisa about things each of us can do, as well as what restaurants can do, to reduce this waste.

You can listen to this podcast using the player below, listen using Quicktime, or listen to it at our free iTunes store.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Are you planting bulbs for next spring?  If tulips are on your list, check out Journey North’s international citizen science project which tracks tulip growth as a measure of climate and climate change.

Participants in this project, including many kids at school, plant tulips in the fall.  When the plants emerge and bloom in the spring, kids record and report their observations.  In doing so they can “watch the wave of spring as it moves across the globe.”

Blooming patterns reveal trends about climate, and the data you collect through this project becomes part of a long-term database which can be used to study changes in climate.

Journey North offers a kids’ section, a teacher’s guide, and maps of plantings and growth.  They host several other citizen science projects, including ones on hummingbird, monarch, American robin, gray whale, and whooping crane migration, at other times of the year.

Halloween can be a fun and exciting, especially for families with young children.  With candy and costumes tempting young ones at every turn, it can also be frustrating for parents.  One way to avoid those wasteful and potentially harmful costume purchases is by getting children excited and invested in creating their own costume with everyday items found in the home. Not only is this better for the environment (and our pocket book!) but it provides an opportunity for creativity and problem solving as well.

Have your child(ren) brainstorm ideas – what do they want to dress up as for Halloween?  Once they have decided on a few options, work together to determine if there are items you already have that could be used to create a costume.  Here are a few of our favorite materials to use for dress up, and some costumes you can create with them:

Materials

Socks: These can be used to create antennae, ears, tails, tentacles and more!

Toilet paper cores: periscopes, binoculars, super hero cuffs, and telescopes to name a few…

Paper Bags: Great for creating costumes such as the tiger pictured above, a robot, crayon box, or any primarily rectangular shape – for older children the bag works best as a mask, for younger children the bags can be cut out on the sides to accommodate arms.

Sheets: in addition to the traditional ghost costume, use sheets to create dresses, togas, bat wings, mummy wraps, and bandages.

Mom or Dad’s t-shirts: create super hero capes, art smocks, and lab coats, or stuff to create a big belly or a funny shape.

Costume Ideas

Octopus: attach 6 stuffed tube socks to a sweatshirt of the same color. A matching hat will help tie the look together.  Now you have 8 arms instead of 2!

Penguin: cut out a white piece of paper in an oval shape and cut off ends for a flat top and bottom.  Attach to a black sweatshirt, and place a yellow“beak” at the top of your child’s forehead.

Super Hero: Make a cape and mask from an old t-shirt, create cuffs from toilet paper cores (add a slit down the length to attach) and create a belt from any remaining t shirt material and some colored paper.

Robot: Cut out a paper bag to resemble either the body or the head of your robot, depending on the size of the child.  Create the remainder of the robot by attaching colored paper controls.

Have you created your own Halloween costumes?  We’d love to hear your ideas, and how the costumes turned out!

Commercial baby wipes.  Expensive but indispensable, right?

Well, maybe not.  If you don’t want to shell out money on wipes, worry that the ingredients might not be great for your baby’s sensitive skin, and if you don’t want your used wipes to sit in a landfill for generations to come, consider some alternatives:

• If you use cloth diapers, just use small cloth diapers (the newborn size works well) and a container of water.  Keep the water in a container – a plastic shoe box, small kitty litter box, or Pyrex pan would would work – on your diaper changing table.  Then just dip the diapers in water, clean your baby, and throw them into the diaper pail.

• If you don’t use cloth, get some old, softer material – old t-shirts, towels, sheets are all fine – and use pinking shears (zig zag scissors)  to cut out small squares.  Or, sew the edges using a zig zag stitch.  If the fabric isn’t thick enough, sew several layers together.  Use as described above.  Store used wipes in a small diaper pail by the changing station until laundry time.

• If you use cloth wipes at home but want pre-moistened wipes when you’re out of the house, consider making your own wipes from paper towels, here are some instructions.   Carry in a wipes container or wet bag.

• If you want to add a wipe solution (which isn’t necessary in most cases), here are some recipes.  If you use a baby shampoo in the solution, be sure it’s free of harmful chemicals.

If this sounds daunting, there are brands of wipes which are “greener” than most.  Check out Safe Mama’s list of wipes with the least harmful ingredients.

Want to make the care of your cat or dog more environmentally friendly?  Not sure about that clay kitty litter or your dog’s food?

We talked to Christine Mallar, owner of Green Dog Pet Supply – the nation’s first pet store specializing in environmentally-friendly pet care products – about how we can all green our pet care.  We discussed pet foods, kitty litter, toys and bedding, and ways to make green pet care affordable.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, listen with Quicktime, or listen through our free iTunes store.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Mark your calendar and start digging through your boxes:  October 8th is National Costume Swap Day!

An effort to green our Halloween celebrations by reusing costumes, these swap events allow you to donate your used costumes and walk away with a new-to-you costumes for your kids or yourself.  The event is sponsored by Green Halloween, Kiwi Magazine, and Swap.com.

Green Halloween says that reusing half of all kids’ Halloween costumes would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equal to the weight of 2500 midsize cars.

And of course swapping costumes can save you money.  The National Retail Federation estimated that Halloween costumes, decorations, and candy would cost the average U.S. family over $66 in 2010.

Costume swaps are occurring all over the country this year, and you can find one by searching the list here.  No swap planned in your area?  Consider organizing one yourself!

Want more ideas for ways to green your Halloween?  Check out Green Halloween for a wealth of tips and projects.  Green Halloween’s founder, Corey Colwell-Lipson, joined us for a podcast interview with her mother Lynn Colwell on how to throw an eco-friendly baby shower.

Many of us go through a lot of paper and ink each year using a home or office printer.  But we can pretty dramatically cut reduce the amount we use – and buy – with a few easy changes.

Of course, it’s worth it to consider whether you really have to print something before you do.  Cloud computing and mobile devices make it less necessary all the time.  But if you do need to print, here are some ways to make it greener and cheaper.

Re-use paper printed on one side, and print double-sided.  If one side of a piece of paper is blank, consider it reusable.  Save mail, school notices, or take home outdated flyers or stationery from work, and use it in your printer.  Printing double-sided will save paper and money, too.

Buy recycled paper and toner cartridges, and add ink.  If you need to use new paper, buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content.  Donate your used toner cartridges, and buy re-manufactured ones. 

Download Eco-Font.  Want to cut down on ink consumption and keep ink cartridges out of the landfill?   A Dutch company called Eco-Font has created a font that looks just like any other font to the naked eye, but is actually composed of tiny inkless circles.  It reduces ink use by 20%, and it’s downloadable for free.

Print in “draft” or “economode.”  Unless your document needs to look perfect, printing in a slightly lower resolution will work just fine, and will keep toner cartridges out of the landfill.  Here’s how to set Word to print in draft, and how to set HP printers to print in Economode. 

Change your margins.  By shrinking the margins around the text you’re printing to .75″, you can save almost 5% in paper usage.  If the entire U.S. were to adopt these slightly smaller margins, the Change The Margins campaign estimates a savings of over 6 million trees annually.  Here’s how to change your margins on a PC or a Mac.

School’s in, and we’re packing lots of school lunches again.

We try to pack healthy foods to fuel our kids during the day, but can we do so in a way that creates no waste?  Here are a few tips for packing a zero-waste school lunch.

Reusable lunch and snack boxes.  There are many cute and lead and PVC-free lunch box options available, and they’re a great and cheaper alternative than disposable paper bags.  Properly cared for, they can be used for years.  Here are a few great options compiled by Safe Mama.

Reusable containers.  Ditch the plastic bags, and instead put food in reusable containers, such as those made from stainless steel.  You’ll create less waste, save money in the long-term, and avoid plastic products which can leach toxins into food.

Avoid packaged single-serving foods.  You’ll save money and create less waste by avoiding single-serve, packaged foods.  Instead of a mini-package of carrots, buy a full bag and put some in a small reusable container instead.  Instead of a packaged granola bar, buy a bag of trail mix and put some in a reusable container.

Reusable silverware and napkins.  No need to buy plastic sporks or paper napkins!  Just put a spoon or fork from your silverware set into your kids’ lunch boxes.  And put a cloth napkin in as well.

Bring home compostables.  If your school doesn’t have a composting program but you compost at home, have your child bring home any compostable waste so you can dispose of it.

It’s a big day! We reached our first mega-milestone and now have 10,000 fans on our Facebook page. To us, that’s 10,000 seeds of change — each fan is someone who has taken at least one small step towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

Imagine how that all adds up! Over a year, think of how many fewer plastic bags you toss out or bring home. How many water bottles you don’t buy or how many paper towels you save. No matter what your green steps are, they all add up to a better planet for us and our children.

To celebrate our first giant step, we are giving away a gift bag full of Dandelion products and a $500 savings bond for your child. We believe that education is the key to planting seeds of change, and our actions every day teach our kids what we think is most important.

To enter to win, leave us a comment and tell us what seed of change has made the most difference for your family. We’ll pick a winner at random.

In our area at least, the weather is cooling and inviting us outside to enjoy and explore. We had the opportunity recently to visit an outdoor sculpture by the artist and nature lover Patrick Dougherty.  Whether you are naturally inclined to get outside and explore, Dougherty’s sculptures appeal to young and old alike.

 This particular installation was created entirely from willow trees that were encroaching lakes in a local metro park.  The sculpture is scheduled to stand for two years and then be transported to the park’s composting facility. 

 The whimsical design draws you in, inviting you to explore the various rooms and peak out the numerous windows.

Or just sit down and relax for a bit!

The sculpture stands out against the formal gardens that surround it, and is situated near a children’s discovery garden that is equally captivating.  We spent hours exploring the sculpture and gardens, and not once did I hear anyone moan about being outside, away from various electronic devices!  You can visit Patrick Dougherty’s website to see his other creations and find out if there are any near you. 

Where do you go to get out into nature? Are there outdoor art sculptures or scenes in your area?

Today we’re happy to share a podcast interview on the downside of plastic straws.

Tanya Lieberman interviewed Daedra Surowiec, founder and owner of Strawesome, a company which makes beautiful glass straws (including the one to the right).

Daedra and Tanya talked about the number of straws thrown away, toxins which can leach from straws into your food, and how non-plastic straws might actually help you lose weight!  They also talked a bit about how Daedra’s home-based business got started.

You can listen to this podcast with the player below, with Quicktime, or at our free iTunes store.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Where will you be on September 14th?  On that day, and for many days to come, the Climate Reality Project wants your attention.

Founded and chaired by Al Gore, the Climate Reality Project aims to highlight the scope, scale, and impact of climate change, and to help the public connect the dots between extreme weather events and man-made pollution.  The project explains:

24 Hours of Reality is a worldwide event to broadcast the reality of the climate crisis. It will consist of a new multimedia presentation created by Al Gore and delivered once per hour for 24 hours, in every time zone around the globe. Each hour people living with the reality of climate change will connect the dots between recent extreme weather events — including floods, droughts and storms — and the man-made pollution that is changing our climate. We will offer a round-the-clock, round-the-globe snapshot of the climate crisis in real time.

The Project’s video, below, puts it best.  Will you be watching?

The first day of school is rapidly approaching (if it hasn’t arrived in your area already), and many of us are doing back to school shopping.

According to the National Retail Federation, American families with kids in grades K-12 will spend an average of $603 preparing for the start of school, making it the biggest shopping spree next to the winter holidays.

All that spending is hard on both the planet and your budget. So we thought we’d offer some suggestions on minimizing your impact and outlay for the most commonly purchased items:

Clothing

Think reduce, re-use, and recycle when it comes to clothing.  Weed through last year’s clothes to find clothes that can be worn this year.  If you can, repair or spot clean items that you’d otherwise replace.  For items that do need replacing, look for used items in good condition at thrift stores, on Craigslist, and on Freecycle.  And above all, take a hard look at what your kids actually need.  If the dresser drawers are crammed full of clothes, it’s time to stop shopping (and probably time to donate or sell unwanted items!).

Shoes are a harder item to re-use, since kids grow out of them fast and wear right through them, but shoes in decent condition can be saved for siblings or given away.  You may find good deals on used boots and other winter gear at thrift stores.

School Supplies

Before buying new pencils, pens, and notebooks, search through your house to see what you already own, and see what you can re-purpose.  Partially used notebooks?  Rip out the used pages and have your kids decorate the cover with stickers.  Pencils received as party favors?  Sharpen them up.  If you do need to purchase new items, aim for products with recycled content, especially paper products.

Take a good look at last year’s backpack.  With a good cleaning and maybe a sew-on patch for decoration can it be used again?  The same goes for re-usable lunch bags (preferable, of course, to disposable lunch packaging).  With some scrubbing, will it do for this year?  If you do need to replace these items, look for lead and PVC-free backpacks and lunch bags.  Re-usable shopping bags can also double as lunch bags.

Electronics

Here, the distinction to remember is “need vs. want.”  Yes, each year processing speed increases and there are more bells and whistles, but for most school assignments all that’s needed is basic word and data processing and web access.  If you do end up replacing electronic items, be sure to give away or sell your old ones down to be re-used, and for items that have reached the end of their useful life, be sure to dispose of them responsibly.