family fun

Feature

• Green Your Pet

  When our daughter began teetering around our home independently, I became seriously concerned about the dust on the floor surrounding our feline powder room. How could I be sure it was safe?

• Conservation With Kids

  Teach your tikes how to go green with these recycling, conservation and reusing activities just for kids.

• Turn Something Old Into Something New

  Upcycling -- the process of breathing new life into unused objects -- makes a great family project and is more doable than you may think. The best part? You’ll be going green while creating something beautiful and functional at the same time.

• Fun Earth Day Activities for Kids

  It's time to show your love for the planet! Celebrate this Earth Day with our kid-friendly activities and crafts.

• Green Your Kid: Trade Screen Time for Together Time

  This summer was fairly relaxing and unstructured for my brood. With the exception of a couple of weekends away, we opted for a home-improvement-themed "staycation" instead of a big trip.

• How to Beat the Winter Blues

  Keep spirits up -- and the kids entertained -- this winter with these simple, eco-oriented indoor activities.

• Family-friendly Winter Escapes

  In search of a winter getaway that’s tons of fun, easy on the planet -- and maybe even educational? Whether you and your family like it frosty or tropical, there’s an eco-friendly vacation waiting for you.

• Everyday Chores Get Greener

  Give your daily tasks an eco-upgrade with these easy changes that make a big difference

• Camping Goes Green

  Pack up the family for an adventure in the great outdoors! Try these tips for creating an exciting -- and eco-friendly -- camping expedition for kids and parents.

• Kid-friendly Conservation Lessons

  This summer, give your kids an eco-education with fun (really!) lessons and activities that will teach them how to love the planet.

• Summer Fun for the Family

  Parents and kids alike will be thrilled with these eco-friendly summer activities. Let the fun begin!

• A Planet-friendly Summer Vacation

  When it comes to mapping out your summer vacation, it's easy to consider the planet while you plan. Here, our top five budget-friendly travel tips to help you save money and natural resources.

• Start Walking!

  Stay healthy and connected with your family by walking together. Here are some easy ways to get started.

• New Uses for Old Things: Household Odds and Ends

  As a busy, penny-wise, green-minded mama, I'm on an ever-present mission to find new uses for things that may otherwise end up as trash.

• Kid-friendly Gardening Tips

  Whether you plant pumpkins or petunias, gardening with your kids can cultivate a lifelong love of green. These four easy steps will get you started.

• Go Green for Earth Month

  April is Earth Month! It's easier than ever to give your kids a clean, green home and inspire them with easy suggestions.

• Eco-eating: 5 Seasonal Soups

  Simple, economical, quick and versatile: Soup gives the entire family plenty of reasons to hover over the pot together!

• Love the Earth -- and Your Sweetie -- This Valentine’s Day

  Add some green to your V-Day celebrations this year by making easy changes and involving the whole family.

• Play-and-learn Games for Kids

  Combine quality family-bonding time with great eco-games for kids. You’ll have a blast and learn a lot!

• Eco-eating: Homemade Granola

  What could be greener than granola? Whip up your own batch: It’s planet-friendlier than the store-bought stuff -- and just as tasty!

• Winter Boredom Be Gone

  It may be cold outside, but have no fear! Kids can be entertained -- and educated -- inside. Here are six eco-conscious activities guaranteed to engage any antsy kid.

• Eco-eating: Jam

  The sweet-sour burst of berries is no longer limited to summer. Take the sustainable route by preserving fruit at the peak of their seasonal flavor, and you'll be spreading blueberries and raspberries across your toast all winter.

• Green Your Kid: Halloween!

  From costumes to candy, there's plenty to love about Halloween. But it may not always be as fun for the planet as it is for us. Want to have a green Halloween this year? Here's how.

• Yoga for Families

  Turn off the TV and step onto your mat.

• How Does It Work? Composting

  I've always known my plants could benefit from the fertilizing effects of my family's cooking scraps, but for me, the idea of composting usually conjured up images of stinky containers bulging with fermenting cucumbers and rotten tomatoes.

Blog

• Green Your Kid: Trade Screen Time for Together Time

  This summer was fairly relaxing and unstructured for my brood. With the exception of a couple of weekends away, we opted for a home-improvement-themed "staycation" instead of a big trip.

• How Does It Work? Composting

  I've always known my plants could benefit from the fertilizing effects of my family's cooking scraps, but for me, the idea of composting usually conjured up images of stinky containers bulging with fermenting cucumbers and rotten tomatoes.

• Green Your Pet

  When our daughter began teetering around our home independently, I became seriously concerned about the dust on the floor surrounding our feline powder room. How could I be sure it was safe?

• Eco-eating: 5 Seasonal Soups

  Simple, economical, quick and versatile: Soup gives the entire family plenty of reasons to hover over the pot together!

• New Uses for Old Things: Household Odds and Ends

  As a busy, penny-wise, green-minded mama, I'm on an ever-present mission to find new uses for things that may otherwise end up as trash.

• Eco-eating: Homemade Granola

  What could be greener than granola? Whip up your own batch: It’s planet-friendlier than the store-bought stuff -- and just as tasty!

• Eco-eating: Jam

  The sweet-sour burst of berries is no longer limited to summer. Take the sustainable route by preserving fruit at the peak of their seasonal flavor, and you'll be spreading blueberries and raspberries across your toast all winter.

• Green Your Kid: Halloween!

  From costumes to candy, there's plenty to love about Halloween. But it may not always be as fun for the planet as it is for us. Want to have a green Halloween this year? Here's how.

Simple Steps

• Have an Extra-special Holiday

  Holiday celebrations aren’t always easy on the planet. This year, try these five tips and have a super-special, just-a-little-greener holiday.

• 6 Simple (and Fun!) Ways to Green Your Halloween

  Like most holidays, Halloween gives parents lots of opportunities to make a greener choice. This year, celebrate with sweets, costumes and decorations that respect the planet, without skimping on the spooky fun. Try these easy, unique -- and creepy! -- Halloween ideas.

• Throw a Green Birthday Party

  Birthday parties are an essential part of childhood, but they can also be a major source of waste. Fortunately, there are ways to celebrate without skimping on the fun. Make these simple shifts to your party planning and give the kids a day they won’t forget.

• Pack a Greener Lunch

  Whether you’re putting together a midday meal for the office or sending your kids off to school with nutritious lunchtime goodies, it’s easy to pack a greener lunch:

• Five Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

  You may have subsisted on cheese puffs and reality TV before you got pregnant, but the next nine months are the perfect excuse to treat your body in a whole new way.

• The Top 5 Biking Cities in America

  Whether you’re looking for some great family biking or thinking of relocating to a bike-friendly community, these five cities are the top contenders for two-wheeled transport, as determined by the League of American Bicyclists.

• Bug Off!

  Summer pests can ruin the happiest of gatherings. This year, keep bugs at bay at every outdoor gathering with these safe and planet-friendly options.

• Have a Green Night out

  Whether it’s an evening out with the girls or a date night with your honey, dinner followed by dancing or drinks is a great way to blow off some steam. But even the most eco-savvy cook (or bartender!) can fall into some very sticky situations when away from home. Here are the top five traps to avoid as you head out for a green night on the town.

• Green Your Beach Trip

  Going on a family trip to the shore instead of sitting in an air-conditioned movie theater or spending more time in front of the computer is already a green choice. Here’s how to make your excursion as planet-friendly as possible.

• Get Your Grill on! Throw a Planet-friendly Barbecue

  Summertime means family, fun and firing up the barbey. For your next outdoor feast, why not give back to the earth you’re eating on? A few steps can make any barbecue a planet-friendly affair.

• Perk up Your Picnic

  Who wants to eat indoors when the sun is shining so brightly? It’s easy to make your outdoor picnic as green as it is delicious with these five easy tips.