Do you have cardboard boxes left over from Christmas or from a new appliance and a little person at home that likes to create and build?  Check out this awesome (and free!) website called Fold School that offers 3 design plans to create furniture from cardboard and it’s geared for the children to make with an adult!  The age recommended for building is 4-8 (although Lego says the same thing and stumps me every time), so this should be obtainable for an adult to accomplish and looks like an incredible project for a child.  They created the site to inspire creative fun for children by reusing a material into a functional furniture piece that later can be recycled.  How cool is this?  Try out a design during this last week of R&R before the kids are back to school and the crazy schedules start back up.  Check out these pictures, then read on.  Pictures courtesy of the Fold School site: 

Cardboard Chair

Cardboard stool

Very cool of Fold School offering these designs for free in the hopes of helping parents spark creativity with their children.  They state the products are able to bear the weight of an adult and they use cardboard as the product’s material so that when the shelf life of the stool, chair or rocker is over, you can discard with a clear conscience.  They recommend using 4 mm single layered cardboard and that these projects take approx. 5 hours to create.  How wonderful and what a great project for a preschool or early elementary class to work on and create as a group.  I can’t think of a more powerful message for reusing and recycling for kids.  And what child wouldn’t want to sit on something they created or take a ride on a rocker they hand crafted?

What child wouldn't love the rocker?

Merry Christmas to all our friends that have supported Mommy Footprint since it began last Spring.  All the best to you and your families in 2009.

Congratulations to Michelle our latest contest winner.  She will enjoy Little Chipipi wall art from Raspberry Kids.  Enjoy! 

I can’t wait to write about latest trends in this new parenting world of keeping children safe with non-toxic products in 2009.  It will be another year of companies and mompreneurs doing amazing things I’m sure.  Take care and have a happy and safe holiday season.

Much thanks,

Suzanne

I’ve recently noticed what the contents of Christmas crackers are…I had no idea they were filled with dollar store quality toys.  A very cute concept for kids, but really, another example of a small way you can re-vamp a Christmas tradition that can reduce some waste and plastic.  By tweaking the cracker and making it yourself - you keep the fun, but help make your Christmas become a little more sustainable.

My mom told me about a neighborhood tradition when I was younger that I thought was such a cute idea.  Take an empty toilet paper roll, fill with something yummy or sustainable to create home made Christmas crackers. There are sites or even Michaels that could tell you how to make a cracker with the ‘cracker piece’ that makes the pop noise, but I would never attempt in such detail with my clan.  But if you are feeling so inclined, there is a great site called Not Martha and they have detailed instructions for making your own party crackers (with the pop).

My boys have the attention span of 4 minutes to start and finish a craft, but that’s all you need to make your own cracker.  Take a toilet paper roll, fill with all natural nail polish, hair accessories, organic chocolate, etc., and wrap in either seed paper or tissue paper.  Tie off each end with hemp string and presto.  Get your children to write guests names on a label or directly on the cracker and it’s your place setting for Christmas dinner. 

A few other nature based, holiday crafts that I found so inspiring come from my favorite outdoor site Green Hour and a blog that contributes to the Green Hour site occasionally called Nature For Kids. Check out the nature box that Shawna and her kids made - what an awesome rainy day (or snow day) activity for indoors.  Also, check out her latest post on making a pine-cone bird feeder. A really cute and easy activity for all ages..could also be a unique holiday present. My only advice would be to hang it really high in a tree so that bears or other wildlife don’t find it first. But, a really cute eco activity that I know my kids would all love and if we get snowed in for another day tomorrow, I’ll be looking for fun ways to keep them entertained.

Don’t forget to enter the Mommy Footprint give-away.  Enter to win wall art from Raspberry Kids.  Read details here or click the below link to complete contest form:

http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/

This year, I’ve been feeling like most men do every year… I have a major allergy to the mall and I’m ready to do all my shopping last minute.  This might be a stereotype, but I somehow doubt it.  <smile>  I have a little tip for local hubbies that haven’t gotten that perfect, well priced, eco-friendly, impossible sounding gift for their better half.  Lavish and Lime is an online store, located out of West Vancouver, and is here to rescue you!  They are ready to ship that perfect gift next week to arrive in-time for Christmas.  They have some very special items for moms.  I’m very practical and I love their line of bamboo accessories (nightshirts, hats), eco-chic jewelry, and bags. 

Unless you’ve felt bamboo clothing or worn it, you might not know it’s the softest material you can source against your skin.  Any adult clothing made from bamboo is also very eco-chic because bamboo is a naturally fast growing, sustainable material and unlike cotton, isn’t grown with pesticides.  It’s always been one of my top picks to put against a baby’s skin, but why not a hat or nightshirt that sits against your skin for many hours each day or night?  Choosing a gift like this scores you bonus points because you haven’t just gone to La Senza and picked out something non-practical and uncomfortable.  This gift involves thinking about the environment, her comfort, and selecting a quality item.  How cute are these bamboo nightshirts?!!  I honestly can’t think of anything I’d rather sleep in than bamboo.  I have one of the bamboo hats from Lavish and Lime and it breathes and feels wonderful on my head because I can’t have wool or anything scratchy on my body.

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Another affordable idea is the recycled wood and silver jewelry line.  Again, nothing says thoughtful like being gentle on our environment and sourcing a beautiful, simple item that can be worn as an everyday piece.  The recycled seastar necklace is special.  It is handcrafted from recycled, re-melted and combined with sterling silver components…and made in Canada!  Sweet!  The wooden tree pendent is also a very eye grabbing, eco-chic item.

Shopping this year with help from Lavish and Lime’s wonderfully sourced products is a great way to buy amazing gifts, avoid the mall, not spend a bundle, and there is still time to finish your shopping with a beer in one hand, while watching the hockey game.  Sounds like the perfect shopping scenario to me!

I am such a huge fan of any space, be it a website, home, or canvas that consists of clean lines.  A place where visually everything is delightful and navigation is a snap.  If you appreciate this kind of experience, you need to check-out the online shopping experience at Raspberry Kids.  Their site design, easy to navigate store, and hip/eco-chic product line have created quite a buzz.  Sue, the chief Executive Mom of Raspberry Kids is also very talented with writing - I dare you to read ‘The Story Of Raspberry Kids’ and not mist just a little.  I’ve also become a fan of the Raspberry Kids blog, where you’ll find a mix of business and personal, all combined into a great read! 

I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with Sue over the last few weeks and I’m excited to offer Mommy Footprint readers a new contest give-away, the last contest for 2008!  Click on the below link and complete the easy form to be entered!  Contest closes December 20th.  The Little Chipipi Wall Decals would be such a lovely surprise for someone in time for Christmas.

http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/

The contest giveaway is from Raspberry Kids and will enhance any child’s space (toy-room, bathroom, bedroom) with these amazing wall decals that are closer to wall art.  Boy, they’ve come a long way from what was available when Francesco was born.  The 2 decal lines Raspberry Kids carries are amazing and the exclusive Little Chipipi Red Robin Wall Stickers are the give-away in our contest.  Raspberry Kids also offers the forwalls decals that add a zip to any child’s space with mostly single images (chalkboard or regular stickers) - even a cute owl chalkboard design! <drool> Then there are the Little Chipipi Wall Stickers that unlike other brands, contain enough wall stickers (approx. 40 per set) to completely transform and decorate an entire room or fill up a wall.  They are like sticking art work on the wall with their hip, vibrant designs.  The decals are removable and re-positional which is great because as parents we like to change things over, and over again when it comes to our children’s spaces.  <smile>  Also, this is perfect for someone renting their home of if a family is room shuffling every few years.  Here is the image for the Little Chipipi Red Robin set. 

With all little boys loving vehicles of any sort, how perfect are these Little Chipipi Drive Time Wall Stickers?   So cute the set includes 9 Vehicles, 3 Bowsers, 5 Trees, and 20 Road Signs! 

The Raspberry Kids tag line of fresh. healthy. fun. is evident everywhere on their site with toys like Bamboo E-Racers and safe products for food and bath.  A few days ago, Sue sent me a link to a recent article in the Vancouver Sun about toys that are still sold in Canada that have been banned in Europe since 1999. When you see some of these toys and read the article your heart will sink.  The picture of the Winnie The Pooh blocks at the front of the article, my boys both played and teethed on during their toddler years.  Soft plastic…filled with plasticizers and chemicals.   Raspberry Kids is another success story of how toys should be sourced and products that are safe for children to use.   Thanks for sending me the article Sue and I urge all parents to have a read…click here.

So cuddle up with your tea or wine and get some online shopping done in time for Christmas!  Why get stressed at the Mall with the Christmas chaos of line-ups and no parking?