Going Green – Ideas and Products

Recently, I have been surrounded with people who are GOING GREEN –  focusing more on our environmental impact:  Kindermusik International, and my daughter’s school, Lakeland Montessori.   

This blog posting is intended to list some great websites, blogs, etc. that I recommend for learning more, learning how, and learning about some really cool products that are available (if you really need to buy anything at all.)  I will continue to add things here as I find them – just to keep all the Green Stuff on the same posting.

You can reference my thoughts about Kindermusik’s new efforts here, or you can go directly to their blog, http://www.kindermusikgreen.blogspot.com , where they have a lot more information than JUST what Kindermusik is doing.

If you are interested in keeping up with all the aspects of becoming GREEN, check out:  http://www.thedailygreen.com/  – a website that is “the consumer’s guide to the green revolution”.  Includes blog postings with creative & inexpensive ways to “be more green”.  And there is a newsletter to which you can subscribe. 

 

I thought their gift ideas were quite unique!  For example, check out these websites for plantable paper, handmade paper that can be planted, and wildflowers will grow.

 

http://www.plantablepaper.com/index.htm 

http://www.swallowtailfarms.com  (click on Plantable Paper)

Lakeland Montessori found an excellent website that offers a wide variety of products to help in this process.  At www.greenraising.com , everything offered promotes reducing the impact we have on the earth, as well as supporting hard-working people in fledgling companies in third world countries.  Any purchases during the next year offer 10% of the sales to our school.  During the check out process, just select “Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse-FL” from the drop-down list of affiliates.    Highly recommended items: 

• Wrap-n-Mat – this ingenious mat replaces sandwich baggies, wrapping around food items and closing with Velcro.  Then, it opens up into a clean, reusable placemat.  Easy to clean!  I ordered 2 and switch them out every other day – and no longer use zip lock bags in Cora’s lunch.
• Aluminum or Stainless Steel Bottles – stop using plastic bottles, this works everyday!  I NO LONGER buy plastic bottles of water!!!  You can also get these locally at your sports stores.
• TWIST Euro cloths & Loofah Sponges – made with cellulose from renewable tree farms.  These work great, and even run through the dishwasher well to sanitize them.  I like the Loofah sponges the best.