Jennie Lyon

Jennie is a green lifestyle writer and founder of Sweet Greens, a blog which focuses on simple, fun ways for families to go green together. She is also the green lifestyle writer for Cascadian Farm. She lives on the treasure coast of Florida with her fantastic husband and amazing ten year old son. When she is not writing about all things green, she enjoys paddle boarding, thrift stores, family hikes, books, the beach, succulents and a fantastic cup of tea. You can also find Jennie on Sweet Greens Facebook Fan Page or on Twitter @SweetGreens.

HOW TO: Make Recycled Bottle Cap Valentine Magnets

by Jennie Lyon, 02/06/12

READ MORE >

Celebrate the Upcoming Change in Seasons with Groundhog Day

by Jennie Lyon, 02/02/12

READ MORE >

5 Ways to Save Money for Your Child’s Education Today

by Jennie Lyon, 01/23/12

READ MORE >

5 Educational and Artsy Apps for Creative Kids

by Jennie Lyon, 01/18/12

READ MORE >

7 Thrifty Ways for Families to Save Money and the Planet

You will most likely find both saving money and saving the environment at the top of your 2012 New Year's intentions list. In fact, these are at the top of my families own list. When it comes to saving the environment, it comes almost naturally when your family is focused on saving money. And since there are many ways that you save a little green while saving the planet at the same time, it's a win-win for your family and the environment. Read on to learn my seven favorite ways to save money while helping the planet at the same time.

5 Upcycled Cold Weather Clothes for Eco Kids from Etsy

It's that time of year when bundling your child up before they head outside is a must. Super cold days means you want to wrap your child up in warm and cozy outdoor wear that is also eco-friendly. One great place to find a stylish selection of coats, hats, mittens, and scarves that are handmade and eco-friendly is Etsy. There are many great Etsy shops with a focus on sustainability - making it easy to pick the right outerwear to keep your children warm all winter long. Read on to see my top picks for sustainable outdoor clothing to keep your little one cozy this winter.

HOW TO: Organize Your Child’s Bedroom for the New Year

Yesterday was a chilly day in South Florida, so we stayed home and did some winter cleaning. First on our list, organize my son's bedroom. At first he moaned, however once we started getting all of his toys, books, clothing and collectibles organized he smiled and said, "Wow, Mom! Organizing my bedroom really was a good idea, everything looks so nice!" That is one of the nicest things a mom can hear. Getting your child's bedroom organized is perfect for making your child's toys easy to find, play with and put away, which in the long run means less broken toys or torn books hitting the landfill. Read on to learn how to get your child's bedroom completely organized in an afternoon.

7 Healthy Family New Year’s Resolutions for 2012

2012 has arrived. Have you and your family made any new year's resolutions? Living a healthier lifestyle is one of the most popular resolutions, and it can be one for the whole family to tackle. But don't think your resolution has to be a chore, it can actually be a lot of fun. The key is to make resolutions that are attainable, fun and don't take a lot of time. Read on to learn the top seven healthy new year's resolutions that I will be making with my own family, and you'll see that getting healthy as a family is much easier than it may seem.

HOW TO: Upcycle Holiday Cards into Puzzle Thank you Cards

Once the holidays have come and gone, the last remembrance of the holiday may be all of those holiday cards that you received. It can seem easy to toss them into the recycling bin or stash them away in a drawer. However, upcycling holiday cards into something new and fun is always a good idea. One of the best ways that I have found to upcycle holiday cards is by using them to make jigsaw puzzle thank you cards to send to friends and family. Your child's friends, cousins and other recipients will love receiving a thank you card puzzle. This super-simple craft will keep your children entertained for an afternoon during winter break, read on to learn how.

7 Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah with Your Children

Today is the first day of Hanukkah, so take a moment to plan a few eco-friendly ideas for your eight festive nights. Hanukkah is all about celebrating our freedom and spending time together as a family. You can have a super-special, festive Hanukkah without spending a lot of money and or leaving much of an impact on our environment. One of my favorite things about Hanukkah is that it is a very traditional holiday that can be enjoyed in a very simple manner. Read on to learn my 7 favorite ways to celebrate Hanukkah with your children that are simple, fun and eco-friendly.

5 Eco-Friendly Family Holiday Traditions to Start this Year

The holidays are quickly approaching us and even if you have been too busy to truly enjoy the season, it isn't too late to start holiday traditions with your family this year. Holiday traditions are important because they build a strong family bond that is based on activities and memories that you have enjoyed together. Holiday traditions don't have to have a huge impact on your wallet or the environment, in fact many holiday traditions are so simply that you can start them today. Read on to learn my five favorite family holiday traditions.

7 Sustainable Ways to Celebrate the Days Leading Up to Christmas

The days leading up to Christmas can be just as much fun as the big day itself when you plan unique activities to celebrate. These ideas don't have to take a lot of time, effort, or resources - in fact there are many activities that you can do with your children before December 25th that have zero impact on the environment. They will however have a huge impact on your family and their fondness of the holiday season, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Read on to learn my seven favorite unique and eco-friendly ways to celebrate the days leading up to Christmas.

HOW TO: Make a Holiday Snow Globe from a Recycled Jar

Looking for a project to make with your child that can be displayed in your home during the holiday season? Creating a recycled snow globe is a fun way to get him excited for the holiday, and also gives him something to show family, friends and visitors. Snow globes are magical items with the tiny creatures inside and the snow that falls when you shake it. Making your own snow globes with your children is a breeze. All you need is a jar from your recycling bin, small plastic toys and few other supplies. Read on to learn how to do it in just a few easy steps.

HOW TO: Grow Paperwhites in Recycled Mason Jars

There are a handful of plants that just scream, "The holidays are here!" and paperwhites are one of them. Paperwhites are the perfect holiday gardening project to do with your children because they grow so quickly. Start your paperwhites now and you will have beautiful full blooms to enjoy all winter long. These pretty white blooms look great when grown in recycled mason jars. They make the perfect gift for children to give to teachers, grandparents and coaches. Read on to learn how you can plant paperwhites in recycled jars this afternoon.

HOW TO: Make Organic, Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli

Sometimes finding new and creative ways to incorporate more vegetables into your child's diet can be tricky. Especially when you're trying to get your children to try different vegetables for the first time. We recently picked up a butternut squash from our local farm. Since it was the first time my son had tried butternut squash, I decided to try using it as a filling for handmade ravioli. Ravioli is fun to make with children because there are so many times throughout the process that children can help, including mixing the ingredients, rolling out the dough, filling and crimping the dough pockets and carefully dropping them in the water. Read on to learn how you can made a batch of organic, homemade butternut squash ravioli with your children.

7 Fun Fall Family Activities that Help Save the Planet

Fall is one of my favorite times of year, the cool crisp air, falling leaves and shorter days call to me to spend time outside with my family. Every fall, I love to focus on seasonal family activities to fill our after school time, savoring as much of this wonderful weather as possible. This year, I wanted to incorporate planet saving activities to our schedule, so we took our favorite fall activities and added a green twist. Here you'll find 7 family activity ideas to fill an eco-friendly afternoon.

HOW TO: Make a Simple Eco-Friendly Advent Calendar Using Books

Sometimes, we get so focused on the actual day of Christmas that we forget to enjoy the whole month of December. An advent calendar is a fun way to celebrate each day of the month, and also get children excited about the upcoming holiday. Right after Thanksgiving I unpack all of our holiday books and place them in a large stack on our coffee table. However, this year I want to make sure that every single one of those books gets read together as a family. So I made a simple advent calendar using these books along with a few others that I picked up from our local thrift store - all holiday themed. This way, we can celebrate each night in December with a new festive bedtime story. Read on to learn how to make this simple, eco-friendly advent calendar for your children.

5 Ways Children Can Connect with Out of Town Family During the Holidays

The holidays are a wonderful time of year, usually full of friends and family. However, if you live far away from close friends and family, this time of year can be bittersweet. I know this first hand because a large portion of our extended family lives on the other side of the country and getting together on Thanksgiving doesn't happen often. Making sure that your children are able to connect and stay in touch with out of town friends and family now is important. Read on to learn my five favorite way to keep in touch and start planning for the upcoming holidays.

6 Family-Friendly Green Volunteer Projects for the Holidays

The holiday season is a good time to discuss volunteer opportunities with your children. Volunteering as a family is a great way to teach diversity, thoughtfulness and charity, plus it helps kids learn to appreciate everything they have. Not only can your children help individuals in need this holiday season, but also they can help the environment by incorporating a green theme into their volunteer projects. Read on for six easy and green ways to get your children into the true spirit of the holidays.

3 Easy, Eco-Friendly Crafts Kids Can Make for the Thanksgiving Table

Thanksgiving is almost here, so now is the perfect time to gather the children to make crafts for the Thanksgiving table. These crafts can keep your kids busy while you're busy baking and you can be they'll get excited when guests arrive on the big day to a table decorated in crafts they made by themselves. Read on for simple, fun crafts that you and your kids can make in an afternoon using items you can find in your recycling bin or on a nature walk.