• The Green Walnut Archive

    Because my 8-year-old can read me like a book, I try to surprise her every now and then. Bath before dinner, OJ in a fluted glass (yeah, that one’s reserved for special occasions)…my changes in routine may be subtle, but they throw her for a loop every now and then. And since packing lunches have definitely hit a case of the doldrums by this late in the school year, I thought I might fool her with a small lunchbox treat that was bound to make her think she had mistakenly opened a classmate’s bag. Yesterday, I packed her sandwich in a Wexy Munch & Lunch Bag. Unlike ordinary zipper-locked baggies, these disposable bags are BPA-free, biodegradable and made from 100-percent recyclable materials. How’s that for [&hellip

    Read More...

    Like you, we’re wondering if Mother Nature has the same calendar we do. In March, it felt like May and in May, we’ve seen the April showers that never quite made it on time. If you’re as tired as we are of making a mad dash to the bus stop with a fully clad younger sibling in tow, you’ll love the line of Rainwear Hoodebaby as much as we do. This easy-on, easy-off rainy day-inspired hoodie is the perfection solution to getting out the door in time, minus the battle scars (you know the ones we mean…”I want to wear my fireman hat and my fireman jacket…”). There are no buttons, zippers or snaps to wrestle with. Made from BPA- and lead-free laminated cotton and [&hellip

    Read More...

    Baby-soft skin…it’s something I was fortunate to have through much of my childhood. When I was little, my dad used to reach over and playfully rub my cheeks. By the time I became a teenager, this small gesture became mildly embarrassing. But now that I’m a mom, I find myself doing the same thing to my daughters. Their unblemished, tender faces are a thing of beauty, something that makes wish that I could freeze this moment and keep them little forever. Well, since time won’t be standing still for this daydreaming mom, at least I can keep my girls’ skin in top condition. BabySpa‘s new collection of natural skincare is specially formulated to work for different ages and stages, since your kid’s skin changes as [&hellip

    Read More...

    With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, can I count on breakfast in bed or, better yet, a little extra shut-eye? Fat chance on either one, but not for lack of trying. My almost 8-year-old won’t stay in her room a minute past her regular wake-up time, and my feet have always hit the ground before my hard-working husband (and no, I’m not trying to butter him up by saying so…although I hope he can take a hint about a certain pair of slippers I’ve been eyeing). But, I digress! Even if I can’t have my first meal of the day in a horizontal position, I can bask in the glow of fond memories of my daughter happily preparing a pretend breakfast of pancakes, orange juice and [&hellip

    Read More...

    Today I am recovering from Mohs surgery. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s a dermatological procedure that removes cancerous skin cells. Having been blessed (or shall we say “cursed”?) with a Irish complexion, it’s my second time I’ve had this procedure in five years, and one I hope my own fair-skinned daughters will not have to experience. Sunscreen usage wasn’t nearly as prevalent when I was growing up as it is today; we spent our childhoods blissfully ignorant of the sun’s harmful rays. And while I remembering my mom slathering me with that infamous Coppertone scent, there were clearly times when we missed a spot or two, or endured a painful burn after failing to reapply lotion after a long day of sun [&hellip

    Read More...

    My 7-year-old told me she didn’t have to flush the toilet this week…in honor of Earth Day, that is. So, in the name of science, we’re doing our part to conserve energy and save the planet. Just don’t hold me to that type of bathroom etiquette! Instead, we’ve got our hands on 2 Birdie Banks, an all-in-one environmentally-friendly craft kit that gives more than it takes. It comes with 2 makeshift banks (fashioned from recycled paper) that kids can outfit with coin slots and lids before decorating them with colorful squares. Using the included sponge brush, kids can easily affix the paper tape with glaze and wait a while for their creation to dry (the kit is designed for ages 6 and up, so younger, [&hellip

    Read More...

    Know many kids these days who don’t have their own water bottles? Me neither. Most of the grade schoolers we know have been carrying their own beverages as early as first grade, and if your child brings her lunch often, it’s almost a given that she’ll carry one along. No longer reserved just for summer camp or the soccer field, water bottles are everywhere. And if there’s a staple product that I know we’ll be using again and again, I’m more inclined to invest in a more expensive model that stands up to wear and tear than settle for an inexpensive, flimsy model that we’ll inevitably wind up replacing again and again. In my houses, we go through water bottles like…well, water. One look at [&hellip

    Read More...

    Lunch out with little kids is no picnic.  Because many of our local restaurants must keep up with a steady flow of kiddie customers, we sometimes dine atop tables that are, shall we say, not exactly up to snuff? Combine that with having to wait for your food indefinitely, and you have the makings of a rather unpleasant dining experience. For moms eating out with little ones comes a new line of eco-friendly products that won’t make the intended fun turn into a fiasco. Icky Products Color Me Placemats are ideal entertainment for kiddies in waiting (for their chicken fingers, that is). One handy box contains 10 stick-on, biodegradable mats and 3 non-toxic crayons, so little ones can busy themselves and eat their yummy meal [&hellip

    Read More...

    My 3-year-old is at a bit of loss when she doesn’t have pockets. These days, she is constantly picking up stones, flowers and other treasures courtesy of Mother Nature, yet never seems to have a spot for safekeeping. While her standard outfit of pants and tops usually offer plenty of pocket space, we’re often at a loss when it comes to dresses. It’s one of the many reasons we love the oh-so-adorable Maggie Pocket Dress from MUNY Shop. This vintage-style one-piece is the perfect pull-over for the precocious preschooler: one who loves to dress up, but who needs her clothing to accommodate her sense of adventure. We love the contrasting print of striped pockets offset by the sweet flower bodice of this 100-percent cotton design. [&hellip

    Read More...

    Back in the day, figuring out what bottle to feed your baby with wasn’t considered rocket science. Buzz words like BPA and PVC didn’t have moms on high alert, worrying whether their child would ingest toxic substances while drinking from her “ba-ba.” Plastic didn’t conjure up images of towering landfills, but was simply something you used to box up your leftover meatloaf. But because today, we live in a different world and have a myriad of product choices, figuring out what’s best for our kids can be a bit more challenging–even when it comes to something as ordinary as selecting a baby bottle. Well, we had an eye-opener this week when we learned that some of those bottles dubbed “BPA-free” may, in fact, may still [&hellip

    Read More...