2009 November | Inhabitots

Green a Holiday Tradition with Reusable, Felt Christmas Crackers

by Jasmin Malik Chua, 11/30/09

Pull apart a greener Christmas cracker this Yule — and skip the cheap plastic tchotchkes within — with Green Planet Parties’ reusable versions. Made with felt and tied on each end with hemp string, the crackers can be purchased empty or with a sustainable toy or organic treat squirreled inside. They’re available in two colors (Earthy Green, Traditional Red) and three designs (Seasonal Stripe, Santa Fun, Forever Trees). Make them a part of your holiday tradition by reusing them year after year, or use a cracker to package a gift within a gift.

+ Christmas Crackers $5.95 each

+ Green Planet Parties

WoodStation Clock Helps Kids Tune in to their Environment

by Desmond Williams, 11/30/09

Recently my young son has been demonstrating a keen interest in the environment — specifically with regard to weather. For a kid like him (or older kids showing interest in meteorology), the WoodStation Clock, designed by Sebastien Wallet for Inovaxion, is the perfect room accessory. With an exterior made from compressed recycled wood (other components seem to be standard) and devoid of fussy buttons that can confuse kids, the weather station looks like a sculpted block of wood — until its motion detector is triggered…

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Green Board Game ‘Destruct 3′ Offers Eco-friendly Family Fun

by Desmond Williams, 11/29/09

Get a constructive handle on your kids’ destructive side with green board game Destruct 3 from Unkle Skunkle Toys. Made from sustainable rubberwood and rated Toy of the Year by Creative Child magazine, Destruct 3 is environmentally friendly and offers tons of build it/smash it fun. “Players build the tower, roll the dice to determine the destructo device, then knock it down with the Catapult, the Pendulum, or the Ramp.” Sounds like a good way for kids to burn off some energy indoors this winter!

+ Destruct 3 $69.99/small $125/large

+ Unkle Skunkle Toys

Organic Sleepy Bear Includes Older Siblings in Babywearing

by Jennifer Chait, 11/29/09

NAP, Inc. just introduced an adorable new babywearing teddy bear that would make the perfect big sibling gift for a child who sees his mama wearing his baby sibling in a baby sling or infant carrier and wants to be included. Made of soft organic cotton, the eco-friendly Organic Sleepy Bear is perfect for young children since it features soft stitching and contains no buttons, snaps or removable parts. Organic Sleepy Bear is produced in accordance with the requirements of the Organic Exchange 100 Standard and contains zero pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers or any other chemicals.

+ Organic Sleepy Bear $27.18

+ NAP, Inc.

Inhabitots Link Roundup of the Week

Crafty green tweens will delight in How About Orange‘s how to make a gift bow from a magazine page tutorial.

Babyology gives a shout out to Hoot Baby Designs — a kids clothing collection that is handmade in the United States by in-home sewers and craftspeople — making each …

Organic Ciuccio Tandem Baby Quilts

Ciuccio (Italian for pacifier) makes organic, heirloom quality quilts, that would make a very special green holiday gift for babies and tots. The Ciuccio Tandem quilt, a Rose & Radish exclusive, is designed and manufactured by quilt maker supreme Ciuccio in collaboration with Australian textile house Umbrella Prints. The Tandem quilt is nearly double the size of a traditional ‘lovie,’ making it the perfect, plush landing pad for tots. Each of these modern quilts comes in a gender-neutral shade of blue, Kimono red or Starfruit green. Because fabric placement varies, each quilt is one-of-a-kind — just like your tot.

GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Gifts for Eco Babies, Tots, Moms and Dads!

The Inhabitat 2009 Green Gift Guide is here!
Featuring the best eco-friendly gifts for babies and kids, girls and boys, new moms and dads, and veteran parents, our Green Gift Guide is your one-stop shop for eco-friendly gifts, and the best place to find the latest and greatest, greenest TOYS! Giving green presents to everyone on your list this holiday …

Thanksgiving Goodness: 88 Bikes Foundation Gives Children in Developing Countries A Lift

The art of spreading joy translates to all cultures and peoples, and really has no limits when it comes to locale or economic conditions. 88Bikes Foundation is heroically going the distance to share this message with its global “buy a child a bike” initiative. With the goal of providing a sustainable and empowering form of transportation to young people in developing countries (typically “in situations where children have been challenged to be their own heroes due to war, conflict, poverty, disease, or other regional hardships”), 88Bikes is making a real difference in the lives of kids who otherwise have a very difficult time experiencing the freewheeling spontaneity of childhood and good time fun.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM INHABITOTS!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING INHABITOTS READERS!
We love Thanksgiving because it gives us the chance to slow down and spend quality time with friends and family — all while eating delicious foods! We have so much to be grateful for, and after the jump, the Inhabitots team shares pictures of their loved ones and their sentiments of gratitude!

Inhabitots’ Greenmarket Recipes for Kids: Sautéed Apples by Sarah Poten

“Try these with ice cream,” says Sarah Poten, Education and Special Projects Coordinator, Greenmarket (CENYC). Or you can try ‘em with diary-free sorbét. A great dessert to finish off our Thanksgiving collection of recipes, these sautéed apples are always in season and sure to please even the most discerning kiddy connoisseurs. Sarah has even included fun nutritional facts about apples — who knew that apples help strengthen bones?

Inhabitots’ Greenmarket Recipes for Kids: Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup by Sarah Poten

Here’s a question Sarah has for our young cooks: “Did you know that cranberries are packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants that are good for your immune system? Homemade cranberry sauce is very easy and fun to make!” Get ready to eat your vitamins in a super yummy way with Sarah Poten, as she shares a kid-friendly Greenmarket recipe for a Thanksgiving staple: Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup!

2.1 Million Stork Craft Drop-side Cribs Recalled Due to Infant Suffocations & Injuries

Stork Craft, a juvenile furniture manufacturing company based in British Columbia, and the CPSC have issued the largest voluntary recall of cribs in North American history. 2.1 million cribs made by Stork Craft, some also bearing the Fisher Price logo, have been recalled after 110 reported incidents of the drop-side breaking off — resulting in 15 entrapments (12 in the US, 3 in Canada, 4 of which caused the suffocation death of four infants). Also included in these incidents were injuries ranging from concussions to bumps and bruises which afflicted 20 infants who fell from the cribs.

Inhabitots’ Greenmarket Recipes for Kids: Oven Roasted Carrots and Parsnips by Sarah Poten

Carrots and parsnips… that’s about all you need to make Sarah Poten’s simple and delectable side dish of Roasted Carrots and Parsnips this Thanksgiving. Be sure to review the fun nutritional facts Sarah, Education and Special Projects Coordinator, Greenmarket (CENYC), has included with this recipe after the jump!

Inhabitots’ Greenmarket Recipes for Kids: Rainbow Salad by Sarah Poten

Sarah Poten, Education and Special Projects Coordinator of Greenmarket (CENYC), has a challenge for our kid helpers: “Find at least one fruit or vegetable of each color at the Greenmarket! Make your plate as colorful as possible for a rainbow of healthy nutrients for your body!” See the color-specified nutrient list after the recipe for Rainbow Salad!

Eco-Friendly, Handmade Advent Calendar for Green Kids

Counting down the days to Christmas is nothing short of thrilling for a child — but ticking away the days with a disposable Advent calendar is no way to pass the time! Instead, observe the path to the 25th with this green spin on the Advent calendar from Etsy shop Nuvonova. A brilliant tradition to add to every eco-friendly family’s holiday …

Inhabitots’ Greenmarket Recipes for Kids: Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower

Here’s another question for our child chefs from Sarah Poten, Education and Special Projects Coordinator, Greenmarket (CENYC): “Did you know that Romanesco is a tender variety of cauliflower with a delicious nutty flavor? It’s light green with spiraling fractal-shaped florets that captivate kids and grown-ups alike. Cooking cauliflower in a hot oven concentrates its natural sweetness — think vegetable candy!”

Inhabitots’ Greenmarket Recipes for Kids: Purple Mashed Potatoes

Sarah Poten, Education and Special Projects Coordinator of Greenmarket (CENYC) has shared 6 vegetarian recipes for Inhabitots readers to try this Thanksgiving. The first one is: Purple Mashed Potatoes. To begin, Sarah poses a question to our kid helpers: “Did you know that potatoes originated in Peru, and the first varieties were purple? These mashed potatoes are delicious, rich in beta-carotene, and you’ll love the amazing lavender color!”

Inhabitots’ Thanksgiving Recipes from Sarah Poten of Greenmarkets

At a time when green advocates are pointing to meat consumption as the single most environmentally devastating practice humans have adopted, certain Thanksgiving dishes such as the turducken (that’s a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey) must represent all that is wrong with humanity. But don’t strike off this holiday as an ecological no-no just yet. This week Sarah Poten, Education and Special Projects Coordinator of Greenmarket (Council on the Environment of New York City), saves Thanksgiving by serving up fresh recipes on standard fare locavore and vegetarian families can dig into. This week on Inhabitots, we’ll feature six recipes from Sarah Poten that are “simple, child-friendly, and guaranteed crowd pleasers for eaters of all ages!”

‘Stewart the Owl’ Handmade Ornaments, Stockings and Throw Pillows

Stewart the Owl is a lovable character created by Etsy shop Cuore. Just in time for the holidays, Stewart the Owl can be found in ornament form and also perched within his own wool felt holiday stocking which is shaped like a tree trunk. Both holiday Stewart the Owl items are made with 100% camel wool felt, and feature …

Handmade Pretties’ Christmas Stockings and Tree Skirts made from Recycled Sweaters

Handmade Pretties offers festive, eco-friendly decor to liven up the holidays. Their cheerful Christmas stockings are made from recycled sweaters, and each is fully lined and features a cute vintage button hanging loop. You can buy a single stocking or purchase a personalized set of stockings for the entire family! And wait until you see how sweet their recycled sweater tree skirt is after the jump!