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Green Childrens Toys

My son is six years old now, but I still worry about chemicals he might be exposed to – even with his toys. But, when he was little, I never thought about plastic toys that might contain PVC. Now, we are learning that not only toys, but also cups and bottles may contain PVC. PVC (or polyvinyl chloride) is a bad plastic that is unfortunately very commonly used. It has what are known as hormone disruptors and can cause asthma or other respiratory problems. Many companies are voluntarily discontinuing use of PVC and some states are trying to ban products … Continue reading →

Climbing Part IV

With my daughter’s ever persistent desire to climb the stairs, she will take advantage of any and every opportunity to zip up the stairs. From my perspective it seems like she watches and waits for the barricade to be moved or not in place yet. She is especially on the watch in mornings as the barricade is moved often while people run up to get clothes and toys. When she notices that the furniture or other barricading objects (I often use a large board slid between two stair posts) are out of place, she literally races towards the stairs and … Continue reading →

Easy and Free Toy Storage

Forget paying for those fancy (and expensive) toy storage solutions. Build your own system using items that you already have around your home, or those that you can get for free. As an added bonus, by using the things that you already have on hand or things that can be given new use, you are going green. Baby Wipe Containers Baby wipe containers have got to be one of the best forms of free toy storage out there. My kids have been out of wipes for some time, and yet we are still using these sturdy containers for everything from … Continue reading →

The High Price of Being Thankful

Tis the season for homemade turkey. If you are a parent of elementary-aged kids, then “homemade” is code for “handmade,” which basically means that the exterior of your refrigerator is coated with dozens of construction paper birds. Mine is. With 10 days and counting until Thanksgiving, my 7-year-old has already come home from school with no less than 14 handcrafted turkeys. Kind of makes me wonder how much time is allotted for arts and crafts versus reading, writing and arithmetic. Regardless, I’m happy to display my child’s feathery masterpieces. In fact, I am particularly fond of the handprint bird she … Continue reading →

More about Children and Chemicals

I have blogged before about children and the affects chemicals we expose them to every day may affect them. I am not talking about any unusual exposure, but just exposure to things like carpet cleaner, cell phones, and plastic. Think about how many different products we use today compared to what we used 20 years ago. Do you know how safe each product you use really is? Do you know what it is made of? It is a lot to think about. There is a Senate subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health that is examining the chemicals we are … Continue reading →

Family Fun At The State Fair—A Day Of Pig Races And Deep Fried Pickles

There aren’t too many places on the planet where you can watch a retired NASCAR announcer provide color commentary on a race between four pot-bellied pigs speeding around a sawdust track, and then 2 hours later gnaw unforgivably on a deep fried pork chop-on-a-stick. It happens daily at the Wisconsin State Fair. The annual 10-day event is famous around these parts for deep-fried everything, food-on-a-stick, a giant slide and world-class agricultural venues. What more could you ask for, right? That was my thought when I decided to brave the crowds (more than 800,000 descend on State Fair Park in Milwaukee … Continue reading →

More Minneapolis Must-Sees

In the wake of the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis I have been writing about my favorite Twin Cities attractions. I realize the bridge tragedy is causing many to amend their travel plans and find alternate routes in the Minneapolis area, but hopefully the incident won’t deter you from visiting. The Twin Cities is a vibrant space that has so much to offer. Here now are a few more of my favorite places to visit in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and whenever I visit the Minnesota Landscape … Continue reading →