9/21/11

An easy way to teach kids how to be greener is to have recycling bins right in their own classroom. Find out if their school has a recycling bin and, if not, purchase inexpensive ones from your local hardware store. You and the other parents can share collection duties and take the materials home to recycle, making it easy on the school and teachers involved.

9/20/11

If you don't have time to host a clothing-swap party with other parents to trade your kids' clothes, use the web to make it happen. The trading site ThredUp.com lets you swap your kids' clothes and toys and exchange them for items you like. It's this simple: Pick a box of items you like, pay $5 (plus shipping), prepare a box of items that no longer fit your child, and send it for free when someone picks your box. Go to www.thredup.com for more information.

9/19/11

Apples, bananas and pears are good, fresh fruits to pack whole in kids' lunches. They don't need wrappers or extra containers to hold up well in a lunch box. If you do pack cut pieces of fruit, consider making a pouch using aluminum foil. The foil can be crumpled and tossed into the recycling bin.