Itty Bitty Greenie

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Archive for the ‘Sustainability’ Category

How Does my Garden Grow? (part 1)

This week we will be moving into our new house, and I will have the privilege of inheriting a *dream* garden complete with fruit trees, veggie patches and every herb under the sun. I’ve always wanted to grow my own food and am so excited about the possibilities, but the scary part is, I know very little about gardening and am terrified I might just kill off everything in record time.

While I try to be a good greenie in general terms, I must confess that up until recently, I’ve had little interest in gardening. And moving to the other side of the world only made the idea more intimidating, since the difference in climate, seasons, etc. still feel foreign to me and I wouldn’t know where to begin. But I’ve always loved the idea of growing my own food – not to mention the health benefits and cost savings – and now that I have children, I know this is something we can do together and it can be an educational and rewarding experience for our family.

But before I march out the back door in my gumboots and gardening gloves – this greenie has some research to do. Luckily, in my travels online, at the local library and in talking to the few green thumbs that I know, I’ve come across some great resources for the novice gardener. I’ve also been letting my three-year-old watch “Dirt Girl World” in the hope that something will sink in :)

Here are a few tips and tricks I thought might be worth sharing if, like me, you haven’t done much gardening but would like to. If you’re a seasoned pro on the subject, feel free to share some advice as well. I need it!

THE LITTLE VEGGIE PATCH COMPANY
If you’re in Melbourne, these guys can be a godsend in your garden by taking the guesswork out of what to plant, when, where and so many other questions. They will come to your house and assess the aspect of your garden, give advice on soil, build your own custom veggie patch, etc. Bless! They’ve published a guide book, or their website is a great resource too.

THE ORGANIC NURSERY AT CERES
If gardening organically is important to you, then finding folks who know the ins and outs is key. I used to traipse through the organic nursery at Ceres and buy my organic fruit and veg from the farmers market located on the other side. Now I’m going no further than the nursery itself in the hope that I’ll be growing my own. Again, this is intimidating. There are so many choices, and one can spend a good chunk of money… and these guys can help.

BOOKS BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS
One trip to my local library and I had a new stack of reading that on everything from organic gardening to managing pests and more.

PINTEREST
Oh, how I love that you can type anything into the search field of Pinterest and then proceed to burn hours of time sifting through the magical results. Check out my board on organic gardening to find some of the gold I’ve found on everything from growing tomatoes, starting seeds and other great tips for beginners.

ONLINE
Here are a few great websites I’ve found with helpful information to get you started:
Urban Farming Oz
Sustainable Gardening Australia
Environment Society of Australia‘s guide on checking your soil

Now I guess I just have to decide what to plant this winter. To be continued…

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16 May 2012 |
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Earth Day: Then and Now

While I like to think that every day is Earth Day in our house, I know that when the internationally recognized Earth Day pops up on the calendar, it’s a chance to get others thinking about things they can do to show their consideration for this great big planet of ours.

Earth Day started in San Francisco in 1970 to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. Why San Francisco? Well it’s the city named after Saint Francis, the patron saint of ecology. That, and there was a senator there who decided to hold a “teach-in” on April 22, 1970 to educate and mobilize people on environmental issues. To everyone’s surprise, 20 million Americans participated in colleges and universities, while environmental groups also came together recognizing they shared common values.

Now lead by the Earth Day Network, 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities on April 22 each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. The network works year round to broaden the environmental movement through education, programs and partnerships that affect change at the local, national and international level.

And for little ol’ you and me, Earth Day is a chance to reflect – ideally with the whole family – on ways to help preserve and protect our environment, and more importantly, act. Whether you have a discussion at the dinner table, get the kids involved in some garden activities or crafts, or simply pledge your act of green along with millions of others on the Earth Day website, no gesture is too small.

Tell us your act of green right here and you have a chance to win a $100 gift voucher from Itty Bitty Greenie. Add your comment below – and one lucky greenie will be chosen and notified on April 23.

For more information, visit the Earth Day Network, which has a variety of tools to help you plan your own Earth Day event, or simply pledge your act of green, right along with millions of others across the globe.

Also, visit our “Earth Day” board on Pinterest, for more tips and activities to get your green on this year.

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16 April 2012 |
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5 steps to a greener Easter

After Christmas, Easter is one of those kid-friendly holidays we all look forward to. Here are some easy tips to help you celebrate in a more eco-friendly way:

1)  CHOOSE FAIR TRADE CHOCOLATE
One of the best things about Easter is the excuse to indulge in chocolate. It’s a $100-million industry in Australia alone, but unfortunately most of what you’ll find on store shelves is the result of cacao sourced unethically, including trafficked children, child slavery and hazardous labour. Take a moment this year to support fair trade brands. Here’s World Vision’s guide to buying fair trade chocolate in Australia.

2)  ECO-FRIENDLY EGGS
Most commercial egg dying kits are made with petroleum or coal tar-based artificial colours that can pose a risk to health, including allergic reactions and hyperactivity in children. There are many natural options for dying eggs that are just as colourful and fun to do with your children. Here are some great natural egg-dying recipes.

3)   SKIP THE PLASTIC
If the traditional Easter egg is a symbol of birth, resurrection, or a more paganesque celebration of fertility, then what does a plastic Easter egg signify? This year, why not skip the garish plastic eggs, baskets and grass for natural alternatives? Even better, get your children involved with some eco-friendly craft ideas that are sure to make the occasion more fun and memorable.

4)  GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY NATURE
An Easter egg hunt is a perfect chance for kids to explore all the nooks and crannies of the garden, so get outside and make it fun for everyone. Studies have shown that people who spend time outside are healthier, both physically and mentally. Take a deep breath, touch the grass, climb a tree, and run around with your kids – what better way to start a holiday?

5)   ENJOY A MEAL THAT’S LOCAL AND SEASONAL
Most families have their own traditions for Easter lunch or dinner, and why not create new ones by enjoying some seasonal dishes sourced from locally and organically grown produce? In Australia we are blessed with an abundance of pumpkin, sweet corn, figs, pears and apples this time of year (to name a few). Eating seasonally encourages you to buy local produce, which will not only reduce your carbon footprint, but also save you the labour costs of transport and storage, as well as supporting your local economy. For information, visit the seasonal food guide.

 

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2 April 2012 |
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Fine dining in a world without waste

Ever since the Greenhouse restaurant in Sydney was featured in an episode of Australian MasterChef last year, I have been waiting with anticipation for Joost Bakker, the brainchild of the pop-up sustainable restaurant concept, to bring a similar event to Melbourne. This year during the food and wine festival, I had my chance.

Last night some girlfriends and I popped in to this city’s first pop-up restaurant, which is built using only recycled or sustainable materials. The floor is made from old conveyor belting, the chairs from disused irrigation pipes, recycled bottles and jars are the drinking glasses of choice, and terracotta-potted strawberry plants line the façade of the structure, which is mostly timber and old shipping containers stacked four-high.

Bakker is a Dutch-born florist, artist, builder and environmentalist who has inspired people across Australia with his visionary concept of “no waste” dining, and everyone at our table last night had to admit it was impressive.

The dinner was a four-course French-inspired feast created by Auckland chef Simon Wright (The French Café) and Melbourne’s Nicolas Poelart (Embrasse), which celebrated fresh, local and seasonal food in some most unexpected ways.

The standout dishes were Wright’s first course of marinated kingfish, spanner crab, apple jelly, verjus, shaved fennel and crème fraiche – which awakened the palette and made us all hungry for more. This was followed by a dish of Australian marron, then another of roast pheasant and finally, the piece de resistance, was Poelart’s dessert called “forest floor”.

Served on a piece of plywood covered in chocolate “dirt” were chocolate and meringue “mushrooms” along with fresh mint and sorrel granita. It looks like something straight out of a fairytale and it disappeared in record time.

In addition to the wonderful food was a jovial atmosphere and quirkiness that made the entire experience unique. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Rod Barbey, Australia’s only certified organic chef, from Organic Matters Food & Wine Store in Hawthorn East, who like me, wanted to experience the Greenhouse above all else at the festival.

Even a trip to the loo was educational, as diners were told in a note on the bathroom wall that their “wee” was going to be used to help grow mustard plants. From the light fixtures made from vintage tins to the herb gardens planted outside in old metal barrels, the resourcefulness and attention to detail was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

There is only a week left to experience the Greenhouse in Melbourne, as Bakker’s masterpiece will be taken down from the banks of the Yarra after the festival, which closes on March 21. I hope I can get back there just to have a drink at the rooftop bar!

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14 March 2012 |
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A fresh start: there’s nothing like homemade for baby’s first foods

By Janelle Fowler

Are you planning to start your baby on solid foods?  It can be very difficult to decide what food is suitable for such a young baby. I worried that my child wouldn’t be able to digest the food properly or might be allergic to something I chose. It worried me so much that I decided to do some research before making a change.

The best book of guidance I found was a book called “Breast, Bottle, Bowl” by Anne Hillis and Penelope Stone.  It gave me some great hints and tips on how to progress through stages, what foods to feed and when. One of the best suggestions was to make your own baby food.

As a mum who is conscious of what I feed my child, I preferred not to give her jarred or pre-packaged food at every meal. The thought of processed food or food containing ingredients I didn’t know really concerned me. Instead I took the active role of making my own baby food.

I knew that steaming some veggies would be easy and beneficial to bubs. I gathered a few other new mums and we had a ‘puree party’ to steam 5 different foods for our kids to try for the next few weeks. Like most new mums, we were tired and didn’t want to have to think about meals for the bubs as well as for the adults while still managing the rest of our lives. Having pre-steamed veggies ready to warm up and serve was a major time saver.

One of the best gifts I was given was individual food freezing trays. At our ‘puree party’ we each brought our trays and spooned in the sweet potato, apples, potato, pear and carrot to take home and put in our freezers. The next day we were able to take out a cube or two out, pop it in the microwave (or put in a bowl inside a bowl of bowling water for non microwave users) slip a bib onto our babies and we were ready to serve our new solid food eaters!

As the kids grew older, the puree parties stopped but I kept on using the containers and making my own baby food. I have moved on from puree and instead steam some different veggies and put them in the freezer container cut into finger food size for later use. I can also use the containers for rice, pasta and even cooked mince (with sauce if you want!) which can save on even more cooking on the nights when my child is not able to eat what we are eating.

Healthy eating starts from habits learned when young and that nothing is better than the love and care a mum can produce in a meal.  I enjoy knowing that I am feeding my daughter healthy, pure, homemade food and that I have been able to give her best start to life.

Janell Fowler is a SAHM to her 2 year old daughter Addison while running her company BabyButton.com.au. BabyButton specializes in Breastfeeding Covers for mums, bibs, gift packs and more.

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10 January 2012 |
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Makedo your own toy masterpiece this Christmas

For many of us with children, there’s a familiar scene on Christmas morning after all the presents have been opened and the kids are happily playing with their new treasures: a mass of packaging carnage littered across the lounge room floor. And while it used to be that this “waste” was discarded or recycled and forgotten, there’s a better way to engage kids in the process, and even get them making their own new toys and Christmas masterpieces by upcycling.

Makedo is a connector system that enables everyday materials including cardboard, plastic and fabric to easily join together to form new objects or structures. It has been hailed as the “Lego of the next generation” by media around the world, and has won some very impressive toy and design awards. But did you know that it was conceived by a Melbourne-based company?

I love the brand because not only does it inspire children to use their creativity and change their perspective on what might otherwise be thought of as rubbish, it also has no boundaries, it celebrates sustainability and aims to foster social change and sharing.

The makedo system started with the Freeplay Kit that includes their clever “re-clips” (reusable nylon connectors), “lock hinges” for creating corners, and “safe saw” for cutting cardboard or plastic as needed. Recently they’ve added new products to the line, including a “Find & Make Robot” “Find and Make Car” “Find and Make Dollhouse” and “Find and Make Flowers”, which are all based on the same concept of using found materials to inspire new creations.

And of course, coffee lovers will adore their newest addition to the makedo family: Makedo Cup Critters, which allow you to take an ordinary coffee cup and turn it into a cute creature, from silly monkeys and cheeky chicken, to happy hippos and waddling penguins.

Best of all, the parts are reusable, and the possibilities are endless. The makedo website has instructional videos, teacher resources and a photo gallery where you can upload your own creations and connect with others.

Discover the makedo range this Christmas at Itty Bitty Greenie, and share your creations with us too – we’d love to see them!

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6 December 2011 |
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Gifts that keep on giving…

I don’t do it often, but I’ll admit, I love getting crafty – especially at Christmas time. And I’m always looking for nifty new ways to recycle all those beautiful holiday cards that come in the mail. I’m always looking for nifty new ways to recycle everything, actually!

But after spending all that time in planes, trains and automobiles to get to my snail-mail letterbox laden with a heavy carbon footprint, it seems a total shame not to recycle these lovely little treasures and heartfelt notes from friends and family into something beautiful to keep.

Here are a few favourite ideas I found recently, that I can’t wait to try.

Recycled ornament balls: This one is courtesy of Martha Stewart, and to be honest, I love her team’s ideas, but rarely give them a go because they just seem too fiddly and tedious. But these ornaments are really beautiful, and hey, I can cut and glue stuff… Actually speaking of cutting and gluing – I also found this idea for creating your own gift tags out of recycled cards courtesy of Martha. Easy peasy!

Recycled Christmas trees: This project seems a bit easier – and I love the layered, wobbly look of these trees. Kids will love them too.

Holiday greetings are not the only things that make great recycled Christmas decorations. Check out these other lovely seasonal ideas:

Cute Christmas trees made from recycled wine corks: Hmmm… how many bottles of wine do you think it will take to make one of these…?

Fuzzy trees made from recycled wool jumpers: These are beautiful, (almost huggable!) and such a great way to recycle all those old sweaters no one wants to wear.

And look at these lovely wreath ideas – all made from recycled materials. I love the one made with recycled gift cards cut in the shape of holly leaves. It would make a beautiful gift. There’s also the wine cork wreath. But for me the ultimate in eco-chic has to be the wreath made from recycled plastic bags – who knew those nasty things could actually look so pretty?

Time to get into my Christmas workshop to start making… happy holidays everyone!

 

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14 November 2011 |
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California, where it’s easy to be green.

We spent the last couple of weeks in sunny California, which was a welcome break after more than a year of working on Itty Bitty Greenie – and also a chance to meet up with my family, who flew in from Canada to join us on our holiday.

I’ve never explored this part of the world, and was delighted to find that not only does it offer wonderful attractions for the kiddies (Disneyland anyone?), it is also a very eco-conscious place. Of course, you first have to get past the fact that the population of motor vehicles is actually greater than the population of people…

I always seem to have my green radar on, so I tend to notice things like green-rated hotels, an abundance of hybrid vehicles and the recycling trucks that run on natural gas.

As we settled in to our lovely beach house with the organic fruit and yogurt bar down the street, and the massive Whole Foods market and amazing farmers markets where we did our shopping, I realized I was in eco heaven!

A few other eco things I found interesting about California:

  • – California is first state in the U.S. to ban BPA as a harmful toxin in baby bottles – in legislation that was passed this month 
  • – there is an abundance of amazing eco products for children and I couldn’t resist taking home things from California Baby,  Tomat for Kids, and more.
  • – they offer incentives for recycling, and have an elaborate recycling program with strict laws on use of post-consumer materials in everything from trash bags to newspaper and sustainable building materials (In 2010, Californians recycled an average of 45,305,983 beverage containers each day. Each day? Wow.)
  • – there are tax incentives for things like the use of hybrid vehicles and solar power installation in homes
  • – almost everywhere, there are random things with eco value – like at Legoland, many of their park benches were made from recycled milk jugs – cool!
  • – the state is known for its wineries, and in recent years there has been a push on sustainable wine growing. Many top-class wineries are using eco practises for production – which made my wine shopping a joy!

 

Overall, I fell in love with the fact that living sustainably and making green choices seemed to be second nature and extremely mainstream, while at home in Australia it often still feels like an alternative lifestyle choice. Awareness is growing here, but it was inspiring to see how easy it can be, to be green.

Click here to discover our new range of organic and eco-friendly clothing from California label Tomat for kids.

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18 October 2011 |
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For the mouths of babes

If you can survive the teething phase, there’s nothing quite as adorable as when your baby cuts their first tooth. But caring for those pearly whites can be a little tricky when you’re starting out, and if you’ve ever read the ingredient list of most commercial brands of toothpaste you’d be wise to exercise some caution when putting these chemicals into the mouths of babes.

That’s why I was thrilled to discover Jack N’ Jill organic toothpaste for kids. It’s made in five fruity flavours (oh yay!) and it’s also hypoallergenic and doesn’t contain any mint, sugar, colour, preservatives, or chemicals (big yay!). The fact that it’s also made in Melbourne, Australia, had me rapt!

The back story is this: Jack N’ Jill toothpaste is a family company that has been around since 1949, but when it was time for the next generation to take over (just recently), they reformulated it to be 100% safe for young children. Being eco-conscious parents themselves, Justin and his wife Rachel also designed new packaging that is minimal, recyclable and BPA free.

Alongside the toothpaste they have designed and manufactured the first children’s toothbrushes that are made of cornstarch, and are therefore biodegradable and recyclable. And did I mention cute? There are two designs – hippo and bunny – and they are also ergonomically designed.

For the very little ones, there’s a baby-friendly finger brush made from medical-grade silicone (which is, you guessed it, toxin free) and it has soft bristles on one side and little bumps on the other, to soothe those sensitive gums during teething. The toothpaste is also gentle and safe enough for teething babies.

Since my two-year-old is notoriously difficult to wrangle at tooth-brushing time, I decided to give these products a try – and am happy to report that he loves the toothpaste (especially the strawberry flavour) and this twice-a-day ritual is no longer a chore.

Jack n’ Jill organic toothpaste and biodegradable toothbrushes are available now at Itty Bitty Greenie. Click here for more on these products.

 

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16 September 2011 |
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Don’t just hug a tree … plant a new one

I grew up in Canada, so when I think about forests, I picture majestic, sky scraping old-growth trees in the Rocky Mountains and journeys along the Trans-Canada Highway passing logging trucks stacked with the biggest toothpicks in the world. As World Environment Day approaches (June 5), the United Nations General Assembly wants everyone to think of forests and how they play a key role in the battle against climate change.

To raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests, the UN has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests, and World Environment Day (which started in 1972) is one of the main vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

On a more local level, I have decided to mark the day this year by getting involved in a community tree-planting initiative with Greenfleet and Parks Victoria. Next Sunday, they are hosting a free, family friendly event in Berwick, Victoria, with tree planting, nature walks and children’s activities. Itty Bitty Greenie has donated 100% recycled paper colouring pages and 100% recycled eco-star crayons for the kids, as a fun way to educate about the importance of conserving and recycling paper in order to save trees. :)

And for those who don’t know about Greenfleet, they are an Australian not-for-profit environmental organization that encourages businesses and individuals to avoid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and then offset any remaining emissions by planting native forests.

Unfortunately global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – every year, 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed – but it is by raising awareness, educating and getting involved in some way that we can all make a difference. As one of my Canadian heroes, environmentalist David Suzuki says: “Environmentalism starts at home.”

For more interesting facts about forests and the United Nations Environment Program, visit their website:
http://www.unep.org/wed/forestfacts/

For more information and to register for the free Greenfleet / Parks Victoria Community Planting day, visit: http://plantwithgreenfleet.eventbrite.com/

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28 May 2011 |
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