Timing is everything right? With parents concerned about plasticizers, chemicals, and just a little paranoid about their children mouthing plastic toys, along comes a company called Green Toys. Being a toy company, the words that describe their adorable product line are music to concerned parent’s ears:
“Made in the USA”
“Made from 100% recycled products”
“Contains no BPA”
“Contains no phthalates”
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Many children have fallen asleep listening to their parents reading the enlightened stories of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss graduated from Dartmouth College in 1925 and then went on to Oxford University where he received a doctorate in literature. He wrote his first book in 1936 entitled, “And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.” He was turned down by 43 publishers before a friend of his agreed to publish it for him. As you may expect, it turned out to be a best seller.
The magic of Dr. Seuss is that his stories, along with being great fun, also carry with them powerful and relevant messages and lessons for children and adults alike. This is true for most of his books, but it is especially for the last book he ever wrote, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (Classic Seuss)
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Kirsten, the owner of The Village Toyshop, speaks to parents about carrying dolls that aren’t sexual with body image and risque outfits. Beautiful, wholesome dolls that are still ‘edgy’ and cool do exist without the commercialism. My girls started with their Corelle babies from this store and the selection for older children is amazing.
During my last visit, I was actually stunned by the beauty of a new line of dolls I hadn’t seen before. They are called Karito Kids. If you haven’t heard of them, but have a daughter over the age of 5, brace yourself.
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I’m inspired. So inspired!! Usually, I only need to look into the eyes of my children to stay focused with greening my world. Well today, I re-discovered a book that should be on every child’s book shelf from the time they’re an infant until they fully understand environmental issues. Let’s see if you can guess the book - it all came back to me as I read a few pages…
“Way back in the days when the grass was still green
and the pond was still wet
and the clouds were still clean,
and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space….
one morning, I came to this glorious place. And I first saw the trees!”
Still can’t guess? Try this!
“Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back.”
It’s The Lorax by Dr. Seuss!! It is hard to believe this book was written over 40 years ago and honestly, I’ve never reviewed something that explains why we are in the predicament today because of the mistakes we’ve made with our planet. In the fun way Dr. Seuss reads, the book covers air/fish pollution, clear cutting a forest, driving animals from their natural habitat, and short-term financial gain for long-term environmental ruin. Really, if you have a child, The Lorax might be one of the most thought provoking, discussion starting, books you’ve read.
This article was going to highlight several green books I’ve researched for young children, but I’m stopping at this book. As I slowly read each page I remembered being read this book, the vibrant pictures and the wonderful hero of the time…The Lorax. It all came back to me and I’m inspired once again to keep finding ways to ‘green’ my family. Now that Francesco and Angelo have been told the story, if they ask me why I’m spending so much researching green options….I’ll respond “because I want to be like the Lorax!” Trust Dr. Seuss to perfectly sum up the problems of our planet and the solution required to fix it. Read this book to a child and discover the power of his message of sustainability.
Do late afternoon lulls have you and your kids climbing the walls? The witching hour usually starts at 3:00 and goes until dinner is ready - right? The best way to avoid a melt down is to head outside or throw on an awesome, danceable, CD and rock out with the kids. I normally enjoy picking out single MP3s, but these two CDs are worth getting because all the songs are awesome!
Our all time favorite is the Happy Feet Soundtrack. This CD is loaded with awesome music! We have been listening to this CD for over a year…it never gets old. At 1 years old the girls would do their ‘happy feet’ pretending to tap dance. It so easy for parents to enjoy the songs because it features great artists like Prince and Pink. The songs are classics, but kids find them catchy to dance and sing to. A few highlights from this CD are:
♥ My Way - Robin Williams (this is the BEST song Francesco and I have ever danced to!! It makes you want to move your hips!!)
♥ Tell Me Something Good - Pink
♥ Boogie Wonderland - Brittany Murphy
♥ Heartbreak Hotel - Nicole Kidman
I could go on and on listing favorite songs…check it out. You won’t regret purchasing this CD!
The other soundtrack is from the movie Barnyard. OMG there is nothing more funny then watching my twin 2 year old girls rock out to Shaggy. I had no idea they were fans until we bought the DVD and discovered this untapped source for great music. You know, sometimes Paramount Pictures or Warner just knock a soundtrack out of the park. Well, this is one of those movie sountracks. Our favorites from this CD are:
♥ Hittin The Hay - North Mississippi Allstars
♥ Wild and Free - Rednex
♥ Boombastic - Shaggy
♥ Father, Son - Peter Gabriel (warning it’s a tear jerker)
