5 Tips for Growing "Green" Kids

1) Switch plastic baggies for reusable containers when packing your kids lunches. If you find it hard to pack a lunch without plastic then start teaching your kids about recycling and proper disposal. All plastic bags can be recycled in the bins in front of most grocery stores.

2) Save money and reduce your families exposure to harmful chemicals by cleaning with vinegar. At about $2.00 a gallon, vinegar really is a money saving option. The acidic Ph kills almost all viruses and bacteria, just switch up the concentration of vinegar to water depending on what you are cleaning. The all purpose cleaner we use at my daycare is 2 cups water, 2 table spoons vinegar and 2 drops tea tree oil mixed in a squirt bottle.

3) Compost! My garden has never looked so beautiful! You can buy a compost bin, make one from an old trash can or even just dig a hole in the back yard. Save all your organic kitchen scraps and yard waste, water occasionally and wah-lah, Soil!

4) Buy non toxic art supplies or make your own. Many store bought products contain preservatives that can be bad for our kids and our environment. Refer to my blog called "Recipe For Play" for instructions on making your own play dough and more.

5) Ventilate your home everyday to release toxic VOC's (volatile organic compounds) that build up. Let the fresh air and sunshine in for at least an hour everyday!

My Cleaning Priority

For those of you who know me you know that I don't like cleaning, I LOVE cleaning! I like to know where everything is, a place for everything and everything in its place. I like to know that my home has been deep down cleaned. I like knowing the tub has been scrubbed before I soak, I want the 5 second rule to last a whole minute on my floors, I dream about polished faucets and have nightmares about dust bunnies, I want my house to sparkle but most of all I want to do the cleaning, I think it is fun!

Before you start thinking I am some sort of neat freak, let me explain that my above statements are true but mostly fantasy. I run a daycare people! I don't have that kind of time on my hands! With my business, my two kids, two dogs and carpenter/musician husband, I feel like my house is always dirty. Sure I pick up everyday and because I am an organizer my home may appear to be tidy but I know that it isn't eat off the floors clean and it is the cause of much of my stress. I used make time everyday for cleaning one room in my house, but then I had kids and realized quality time with them was more important. So while I think having a clean home and setting good cleaning habits for my kids is important, the dishes will always be there when you get back. Silly time with my family and making memories is my priority.