KIWI Magazine :: KiwiScoop E-Newsletter August 13, 2009

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News, information, products
and recipes for a healthy family

August 13, 2009

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In This Issue:
Featured: Green Your Kid’s Birthday Party Tip: Saving Resources in the Summer Product Pick: Thayer’s Witch Hazel Activity: Fun Ways to Reuse Glass Jars

Green Your Kid’s Birthday Party

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Birthday bashes are a blast for kids, but the waste they can create (balloons, streamers, and oodles of wrapping paper and bows) isn’t fun for the planet. Plus, the cost of food, decorations, and activities can put a big dent in your wallet. Here are some of KIWI’s favorite ways to cut waste (and costs!) at your child’s birthday bash:

Most birthday decorations end up in the trash post-party. Instead, bring color and cheer with a few vases of freshly picked wildflowers. They’re free and they’ll last all week.
To save some money, try baking a cake from scratch. You’ll avoid the excess packaging that comes from store-bought cakes and boxed mixes—plus, it might even taste better!
Say goodbye to pricey parties at laser tag fields and skating rinks and hello to recycled craft activities that keep kids entertained right at home.

Want more ways to keep your kid’s party planet- and budget-friendly? Check out kiwimagonline.com/articles/greenbirthday.

- Marygrace Taylor

	Saving Resources in the Summer	top

Between car washes, pools, air conditioners, and fans, it can be hard to conserve water and energy during the summer. These tips will help you make the most of these precious resources: Run the dishwasher and washing machine in the morning or evening, so your air-conditioner won’t have to work extra hard to compensate for the heat of these appliances. When washing your car or letting your kids play in the sprinkler, do it in a place where the lawn needs watering anyway, rather than on the driveway or sidewalk. Ceiling fans are a great way to cool down, but remember that fans cool you, not the room, so turn them off every time you leave. (Click here for more tips on staying cool while going green.) Cover your pool when you’re not using it so the water won’t evaporate as quickly. Also, turn the heater off or down to prevent rapid evaporation (the warmer the water is, the quicker it will evaporate). - Stephanie Hacker

	Thayer’s Witch Hazel	top

The combo of sweat and sunscreen tends to leave faces pretty grimy by the end of a hot summer day. Banish the greasies with Thayers Witch Hazel, a natural astringent that cleanses skin by removing built-up dirt and oil. Plus, it also contains soothing aloe vera to provide cooling relief for skin that’s gotten a little too much sun. ($10, available at natural health stores and thayers.com) - M.T.

Fun Ways to Reuse Glass Jars

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After it’s use as a baby food or spaghetti sauce container, what can you do with a glass jar? Here, four great ideas:

Use the jars to grow your own sprouts at home
Store items like oats or dried beans that are purchased from your market’s bulk section
Make homemade salad dressing by shaking it up in the jars and storing them for later use
Kids can cover jars in papier-mâché, then paint them to create an original container for pencils, markers, or crayons.

- M.T.