One of my favorite places to visit is Muir Woods. Located about 12 miles north of San Francisco, Muir Woods was declared the 10th national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt on January 9, 1908. And quite the monument it is! Muir Woods is over 550 acres with over half of that covered in old growth Coast Redwood trees. The tallest tree is about 250 feet tall and the ages of the trees range from 500 to 800 years old!

You can hike around the main loop on a nice paved pathway, which is perfect for kids and strollers. Or you can be more adventurous and take the trails that lead to the Pacific Ocean. Whatever you choose to do, you will be in awe of the greenery that surrounds you. Because of the fog, the new growth (called burls) can be seen on almost every tree. These bright green sprouts of new trees are just waiting to shoot up! The green color of the new growth that covers the forest floor is amazing-something you’ve got to see for yourself!

We created our Nature Lover shirt with these very images in our minds. Its just so simple… we love nature! And kids do too! That is why no matter where you live, just get out and enjoy it!

Having kids in the city is fun and exciting, but also a challenge to be sure they get enough exposure to nature, not just cement! Thankfully, San Francisco is full of wonderful parks, trails, trees, and green spaces. But I see the difference between my childhood where we would camp out in the backyard in CT any summer night and my kids “camping” in our living room. So we make it a point to get out and enjoy nature all the time! Which is why I was thrilled to discover Wonderbug Adventures!

Wonderbug Adventures was started by 2 Bay Area Moms Hillary and Melissa who both have backgrounds in early childhood education and environmental science. Their mission is a great one- to encourage kids to explore nature through hands on activities and to get out there and see just how beautiful our city is!

Wonderbug Adventures offers weekly classes for little ones aged 18 months up to 4 years. Each class is an hour long and includes educational lessons on a variety of topics likes birds, ponds, ducks and bugs! There are stories, songs, pictures, and dances! The best part is a nature discovery walk, where the little ones get a nature bag with some tools to collect items that will be used for an art project at the end of class. My 3 year old has learned about ducks, bugs and birds and loves to tell me and daddy about all the new things he’s learned!

So please check out this wonderful program! I’ve learned a lot too and its a great way to connect with nature and your little one all at the same time!

For those not in San Francisco, I’m sorry! I hope there is something like this in a city near you, google it!

For the boys birthday I ordered them each the Indoor Gardening Kit from Green Toys. This adorable kit includes 3 potting plants, a tray holder, dirt, seeds, and a trowel. Our kit included seeds for organic basil, sunflowers, and zinnia seeds. The boys had a blast planting their seeds and watching them grow! The basil is wonderful and has been used in many recipes, and the sunflowers are growing taller everyday!

The really great part of this gift is what it is made from. Green Toys, a San Francisco-based company, makes all of their products from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs! So cool!! These products are made in the USA and are fantastic quality. Even their packaging is fun to read! We read all about how Green Toys are made and how much energy is saved from using plastic made from recycled milk jugs (saves enough electricity to power a tv for 3 weeks, for example…)

Green Toys makes cool trucks, sand toys, jump ropes, tools, cookware, and tea sets! All made from colorful non-toxic recycled plastic. Find our more about Green Toys on their website and buy them from Greeno Bambino! You’ll be so happy you did and your kids will be happy too!

Cooking has become a new activity in our house. Thankfully, my husband is a really good cook and he has been inspiring all of us to think of fun and new meals to make together. Cooking with the boys has really gotten them excited about eating and shopping for food! Especially when we go to the farmers market.

It is so important to shop local when you can, not only because you can get fresh and organic produce at fantastic prices, but you support a sustainable food system, keep small farms in business, and protect the environment since the food does not travel far from the source.

Here in San Francisco we are lucky to have many wonderful farmers markets, but according to the United States Department of Agruiculture, there are over 4,600 farmers markets in the US! Here is a great link to find a farmers market in your area!

RIght now there are so many wonderful in season fruits and veggies like brocolli, brussell sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, zuchinni, apples, pomegranates, and persimmons. There is no excuse not to pull out your cookbooks and come up with something wonderful! Enjoy!!

I just ate a sundae. As in chocolate ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream and cherries. We went to Mitchell’s Ice Cream and anyone from SF knows that it was good I didn’t need the sundae and I feel a little ill from it to be honest, but after I finished scraping the caramel from the bottom of the cup I realized I was eating from a Greenware biodegradable cup. They look like plastic cups, but they are made from a plant derived resin vs. an oil-based plastic. They are compostable, made from renewable resources, and made in the US.

Its pretty exciting to see the new products coming out that are making a difference in the world. I imagine these are more costly to the retailer, but if more businesses used this type of product it would be really exciting to see the difference it can make. I also think people would be more likely to return to that business as well in order to support a “green” business. SO I guess that means I’ll have to get more ice cream!

But seriously, be on the lookout for Greenware products and feel a little less guilty about what is inside!

For the last few years I thought I was doing pretty well “being green”. I mean, I did my part with recycling, I turned off the lights, changed my light bulbs to energy efficient ones, I composted…. BUT I was doing something pretty bad. Not using cloth napkins! Yep, I was giving in to finding cute paper towels or cute paper napkins that the kids might find fun. Thats wear Fabkins fits in!

Fabkins are kid-sized cloth napkins, perfect for eating at home and packing up in the lunch box. Fabkins come in lots of cute colors and designs and are made from 100% cotton. Not only are they cute, but they promote good table manners and help eliminate excess waste. So much waste is created every day by using paper napkins, that this is such an easy thing to add to your daily routine.

Fabkins was started by two moms and friends, Joyce and Paige, last year who were looking for a way to have “waste-free” lunches for their kids, but couldn’t find the product they wanted. So they decided to make their own! I love it! These Marin County moms have created a great way for kids to be involved directly in protecting the environment, by reducing waste. Nice work ladies!!

In addition, Fabkins works with schools to help promote waste-free lunches by having fundraisers. You can get your schools logo put right on the napkins for a fun way to get the whole school involved in this easy, yet very important green action.

So check out their kids napkin collection today and be inspired to have waste-free lunches (breakfast and dinner too)!

Its wonderful to be pregnant, but it is so painful to spend so much money on maternity clothes! Well, thats where Maternity Xchange fits in. Instead of going to the department stores and spending a ton of money on new clothes, visit a monthly Maternity Xchange sale and you can find high end clothing at great prices.

According to their website, the monthly sales feature new clothes (priced at 40% to 70% off retail price) and used items on consignment (priced at 60% to 80% off retail price). The sales are located at the Presidio Sports Basement in San Francisco and other locations throughout the Bay Area. In addition to answering all of your questions about the sales events, the Maternity Xchange website also offers maternity clothes shopping tips and links to local
resources.

Maternity Xchange is a great example of recycling and reusing. Clothes, especially maternity clothes, can be used again, so don’t let these great clothes end up stuffed in the back of your closet for the next few years or even worse end up in the landfill! This might be one of the easiest “green” things you can do, I mean you as the seller get money from the sale (50% of the selling price) and you do something good for the environment by letting your fabulous clothes be worn again. Pretty easy!!

In addition to the monthly sales events, Maternity Xchange also sponsors the San Francisco Birth and Baby Fair. These events are usually in the spring and fall and are so much fun! We have participated in two of these events and they are our favorite events to do! Here is all the info from the Maternity Xchange website:
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The San Francisco Birth & Baby Fair, is an event for new and expecting parents in the San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area.

* MEET representatives from many pregnancy, birth, parenting and baby related resources including doulas, midwives, massage therapists, fitness instructors, childbirth educators, lactation consultants, photographers and more.
* LEARN by talking to experts in the birth and early parenting community, participating in workshops and watching demonstrations.
* SHOP for maternity clothes, children’s items and more. We’ll have cute, hip, funky clothing from local designers as well as our own selection of new and nearly new designer maternity clothing. Take home some original products from up and coming designers and support the local economy.
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I mean, is that fun or what?!! Its a great event, so stay tuned for the next event! Little Green Star hopes to be there as well!

So if you are in the need for maternity clothes, you’ve gotta check out these events. You’ll look fantastic and your wallet and the earth will thank you!

Maternity Xchange…. Because You’re Losing Your Waist, Not Your Taste!

We had a wonderful day today visiting the Coyote Point Museum. What a beautiful place!! The weather was just perfect, the air was cool, but the sky was perfect and blue. I wish we had spent more time there, so we will just have to go back.

The Coyote Point Museum has a mission that Little Green Star can relate to - “The Coyote Point Museum is a learning center that inspires each of us to make a lifelong commitment to act responsibly in caring for the earth.” That about says it all! From local animals like coyotes to racoons, to an amazing exhibit on the six ecosystems of the Bay Area, the Coyote Point Museum really captures nature found right outside of our doors that we sometimes forget is there.

The really fun part of the day was a wildlife show, with two adorable gals teaching all of us about how every animal, no matter how yucky (cockroach) or scary (boa constricter) all have a place in this world and help balance out nature. It was really fun for kids and grown ups a like!

The grounds are just lovely. Lots of bike paths and trails in forest of eucalyptus trees and lots of great picnic spots. We had a great time sitting on a bench, looking out at the Bay watching the airplanes land at SFO.

I’m really looking forward to going back! So next time you are in the Bay Area, plan a visit here. If you don’t live nearby, find a an education center such as this in your neighborhood. I’ve lived here 10 years and this was the first time I’ve been, so you never know what you’ll find!!

In this busy holiday season with so much traffic, why not take the bus? Or the train? Or… walk! I know not everyone lives in a city where its easy to hop on a bus, but if you can a really fun and easy “green” activity is to take the kids on the train! Hearing the excitment in my son’s voice yelling “I see a switch. There’s another coach car!” when we take the train to Grandma’s house vs. “are we there yet?” when stuck in traffic, is a lot of fun.

Sometimes when you have kids its easy to think that public transportation can be so exhausting and difficult. But if you change the way you look at it, it can be really fun! Teaching my boys that one less car on the road helps keep the air clean, makes me feel good. And they feel good too knowing they are helping too!

If Little Green Star could quote one of our organic cotton shirts, “water pollution makes me crabby”!  The oil spill last week in San Francisco Bay is devastating and sad.  It has impacted so much….beaches, ecosystems, water quality as well as plant and animal species. We were actually a bit surprised that the Department of Fish and Game opened traditional Dungeness ground in the ocean outside the Golden Gate to fisherman after the 58,000 gallons of sticky, toxic bunker fuel spilled in the bay.    Please visit Save the Bay for more information and ways to help. They have a short video that shows the impact of the oil spill to a local beach that is worth watching to see the extent of the damage.