Posts from — August 2007

We here at KIWI love Healthy Child, Healthy World. That is why we were extra happy when we learned about their partnership with Seventh Generation and babystyle to create Wee Generation.

Wee Generation believes “Raising a healthy baby is simply a matter of knowing where potential hazards might be hiding in your home and learning how to replace them with non-toxic alternatives that keep everyone safe and happy.” And we couldn’t agree more! They even have 5 Easy Steps that everyone should take to protect their children. The steps are the following:

1. Manage pest safely
2. Buy non-toxic products
3. Clean up indoor air
4. Eat healthy, shop organically
5. Be smart about plastics.

Seems simple enough! Click on the link above to read the steps in full detail. (Also click here to read KIWI’s tips on choosing a safe water bottle.)

We also love the face that Wee Generation is developing the diaper bag to end all diaper bags. They are asking moms and dads to share their stories about diaper bag disasters and triumphs. They are going to take all the ideas, stories and suggestions and make the first “Cradle to Cradle Certified eco-baby bag.” Log onto Wee Generation’s site to get the full details, share your story and help design the best bag for you and your children.

And last, but certainly not least you can enter to win a consultation with a green-home decorator and funds towards a green nursery! Where do we sign up? Just click on over to Wee Generation homepage and enter the sweepstakes at the top of the page. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you!

This week KIWI has decided to focus our pick on a organization that has been given a bad name by certain members– the NFL!

Lately a lot of focus dealing with the NFL has been on Michael Vick (ick!) and his involvement with dogfighting. While this is not a matter to be taken lightly at all, I thought maybe it was time to check up on all the good the NFL is doing. In today’s world, there is so much focus on the bad news, KIWI likes to bring light on the good!

Under the large umbrella of the NFL exists the NFL Charities. Within this organization, they have many programs ranging from youth to health programs. One of their programs includes the youth orientated “What Moves U” health and fitness program. Designed to help fight child obesity, the program includes the following:

1. An in-school activity kit created for teachers, by teachers, which includes curriculum-based activity sheets, program–specific learning materials.
2. School promotional materials.
3. An interactive fitness-focused website for children.
4. A national public awareness campaign that will include television, radio, print, movie cinema PSAs, and community outreach events through NFL teams and American Heart Association division.

And undoubtedly, my (and KIWI’S as well) favorite program existing in the NFL is the Philadelphia Eagles’ Go Green Program (E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!). I first heard of the The Go Green initative while walking in Franklin Square in Philadelphia. I looked up and saw a sign that read, “In just one week of recycling, we can each save 17 trees.” I thought, “Oh that’s nice.” And I really thought nothing of it.

But the Eagles are backing up these signs with some serious action. The Birds are reimbursing employees who purchase wind energy through PECO Wind and New Jersey Clean Power Energy Programs (the first NFL organization to do so). The program also includes:

1. A donation of $125,000 to Treevitalize, to restore tree cover in Philly.
2. A “Go Green” Energy Calculator located on their site (pictured above).
3. A hardcore recycling program at Lincoln Financial Field.
4. Renewable energy project with the Saint Louis Rams to offset game-related carbon emissions.
5. Providing close to 200 shrubs and trees to spruce up the same Franklin Square where their lovely tip signs are located.

So, in honor of all the good things coming out of the NFL, KIWI would like to thank the NFL for doing their part for the youth of today and, especially the Eagles for helping the youth of tomorrow. Go EAGLES! I mean… =)

-Stacey

For kids with food allergies — and their parents — the back-to-school anxiety is palpable. How can we alert others to our children’s specific food allergies? What can we do to prevent an emergency situation? And, if there is an emergency, how can we ensure that those caring for our children will know what to do?

Food allergies affect teachers, coaches, babysitters and anyone else who cares for allergic kids. They have told me that they worry, too. Their heads are filled with questions. How they I remember each child’s specific allergies? How will I know if a child is having an allergic reaction? Will I be able to respond appropriately?

For the millions of children with food allergies and those around them, this time of year is particularly stressful. With new teachers, new classmates and new schools, the risk of exposure is high. Here are some tips for a safer school year:

1. Before the first day of school, meet with your child’s teacher, school nurse and principal to discuss your child’s food allergies and how the day-to-day school environment will be managed.
2. Create an emergency action plan that clearly explains the required response to an allergic reaction. Review it with your child’s teachers, the school nurse, gym teacher, specialists and anyone else who will be spending time with your child.
3. Clearly identify your child by his/her specific food allergies to keep others aware.
4. Clearly label his belongings—lunch bag, backpack—with allergy alerts to prevent exposure.
5. Keep emergency medication available and accessible at all times.
6. Make sure that whomever is with your child is prepared to manage a life-threatening emergency.

COMMUNICATON IS KEY—before you leave your child with a teacher or coach, friend or babysitter, or even a grandparent, it is crucial to have a discussion about your child’s food allergies. And don’t forget to be detailed. The information that we as parents have internalized and which now seems intuitive may not be as obvious to others.

So get back to the basics. Talk about your child’s food allergies and what foods are off limits. Explain anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and can cause death (definition from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). Make sure to fully explain the symptoms of anaphylaxis, which can begin with a tingling oral sensation and progress to other symptoms, including swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth and throat, wheezing, coughing, vomiting, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness. These symptoms can start from within minutes of the first contact up to 2 hours, which is why constant vigilance, not just in the lunch room, is so important.

Provide details about foods that are unsafe and those which might contain hidden ingredients. Discuss cross contamination and the importance of hand washing at the beginning of each day, after snack and lunch time. And make sure that whomever will be spending time with your child knows how to use the Epi-Pen. His life could depend on it.

-Robin Davison, MPH, JD
Founder of STAT KIDS (www.statkids.com)

My favorite television show is The Office. My favorite night of television is easily the NBC Thursday Night line-up or “Comedy Night Done Right” as they coined it. Which is why I was really excited to hear NBC Universal is going completely green for a week.

From the article, “We will have every single one of our prime-time shows with storylines themed to green with our characters … being agents of change and being proactive, positive, green members of our going-green society,” said Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. Every show is getting an eco makeover, including Sunday Night Football, Deal or No Deal, 30 Rock, and many others. Even the late shows are getting in on the act.

And green themed storylines? Can you imagine Michael Scott spouting environmental advice– that’s comedic gold right there! I am almost giggling with anticipation!

In the words of the funny John Krasinski aka Jim from The Office, “We’re a paper company. We’re going to get hammered.”

So hooray for the Peacock! We here at Kiwi, personally cannot wait until “Green is Universal” appears on our home television sets!

To read more about it, click here.

One of the oldest cities in the world, London is doing its part to be eco-friendly. That is why we choose it for our Pick of the Week. London has many environmental initiatives that make us Yanks a green with envy.

First, London is one of the greenest cities in the world– literally. Two-thirds of the city is covered in water or green space, including homes to a variety of animals and plants. The city includes the following wild habitats: ancient woodlands, chalk grasslands, parkland, rivers & streams, and wastelands.

Also, on London’s official website. They list ways for the everyday Red Coat to make a difference in London’s environment. Click here to see their list of ways to help the environment.

And London doesn’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. On June 1st, the entire city went dark for Lights Out London. For one hour (9 pm-10 pm), an estimated 2 million light bulbs went out around the capital, saving roughly 750 MWh of electricity– enough to run 3,000 televisions for a year. Pictured here is the iconic Big Ben clock tower and the Houses of Parliament in their dark glory.

On top of programs such as this, London now testing hybrid buses on routes in Central London, they introduced a plan for “Low Emission Zones,” and the buses have routine emissions checks to ensure they are within standards. Plus London has one of the best public transportation systems around. With easy and convenient ways to get around without a car, London definitely has parts of America topped.

So to London we say, “Cheers Mates!”

I was walking through my local Target, just browsing. Which, as anyone knows, is a very dangerous thing to do in Target. You go into Target needing to stock up on Method products and you come out with 4 DVDs, some house cleaner, a box of Kashi and about 40,000 other things you were not aware you needed until Target politely pointed it out to you.

Anyway, I was in the underwear section and I was surprised to see that old, reliable undergarment company Hanes, with a 100% organic seal on their label. I was skeptical at first, but then I saw a whole line of Hanes organic underwear. Everything from underwear to lounge pants! For a person who was not raised organically, this comes as a huge comfort. I grew up always wearing Hanes, and now I am glad I can continue doing so. (They are just so darn comfy!)

So a big thank you to Target and Hanes for making this shopper very happy!

Here at Kiwi, we are all about our kids, as I am sure you are. That is why we love children’s museums! Children’s museums give us endless amounts of things to do with our kids. That is why children’s museums are this week’s Pick of the Week!

The first children’s museum was opened in Brooklyn, NY in 1899 and is still operating over one hundred years later. Now, the United States has more than 200 children’s museums. Museums solely built and designed with children in mind have survived depressions, two world wars, and probably countless budget cuts!

Even though they were the first, Brooklyn’s Children Museum is definitely not outdated. In fact, they are temporarily shutting down in order to expand its already impressive children’s activites. Until then, BCM has different activities everyday like “Little Scientist” and “Totally Tots Fall Fun Party.”

Here is a list of KIWI’s favorite children’s museums.

• Brooklyn Children’s Museum
• Please Touch Museum
• Garden State Discovery Museum
• Children’s Museum of Manhattan
• Children’s Museum of Los Angeles
• Bay Area Discovery Museum
• The Children’s Museum, Seattle

Your favorite not here? Let us know! Also, check our website for KiwiKaravan events, soon. We maybe be coming to a children’s museum or an event near you!

Who doesn’t love to snack? Snacks can boost your energy and keep your metabolism steady. However, snacking can be dangerous. Most snacks are chips and chocolate and lead no where but trouble.

Especially, activities like working long hours, running errands and driving your kids around feed our need to snack. We here at KIWI are proofing our Sept/Oct issue this week, so we definitely need the extra energy! When the snack attack hits, we turn to The Snack Factory’s Pretzel Crisps.

Of their products, the Snack Factory says, “But it’s [our] HEALTHY ATTITUDE towards snacking that makes all The Snack Factory products truly great.” We couldn’t have said better ourselves. So you will not feel bad about snacking on these pretzels or passing them along to your kids.

The “better for you” pretzel crisp is much better than a regular pretzel!

Fave flavor: Buffalo Wing for that extra kick!

Go to The Snack Factory site for more information.

…to the Mommy in front!

What do moms do with all the things like cribs, play pens, books, dolls and all that old baby clothing? Reuse and recycle them in a fun way!

Mommy Auctions offers an alternative to the big, unfriendly eBay. This site is more like a community for mothers to share thoughts on products and buy and sell things they need for their little ones. Mommy Auctions creates a place that moms can reuse and recycle products they or their children have outgrown. What makes it even better is that thrifty moms can get deals, with piece of mind that the doll, dvd, cd or changing table they are getting is already “mommy approved.”

Samantha Stack, founder of Mommy Auctions, says, “I thought it would be great to have an online auction community where moms alone are the demographic and we could all share product reviews, mommy advice, sell the products that we no longer needed, or buy products both new and used.”

So, now you know what to do with all that old baby stuff you have in storage! Auction it off!

OK, I have a bit of a confession to make– I was raised in a meat and potatoes home! Yes, we did have fruit and vegetables, but they were never really a big deal. When I became a vegetarian at age 11, my family was shocked. “What was I going to eat?” they all wondered. At 11, it was kind of hard for me to choose what foods to eat and where to get them, so I began eating very unhealthy.

Fast forward to present day– I am no longer a vegetarian, but I am definitely eating better. One of my favorite things to eat is fruit. Any kind, any where! My mouth waters at the thought of a good, ripe strawberry and don’t even get me started on pineapples! Recently, I tried my first kiwi (Shocking, I know. Remember, meat and potatoes home!). Needless to say, I loved it!

That is why this week’s pick is Summer Fruit. We are smack in the middle of summer, so let’s celebrate it. There are so many different types of fruit out there that need tasting! Summer is the perfect to experiment with a nice summer fruit salad or just trying a new fruit you’ve never had before.

So head out to your local Farmer’s Market and start celebrating the Summer of Fruit!

–Stacey

Again, our server went down and it took almost everything with it! Our surveys, our blog and our sweepstakes were all offline. Hopefully we have fixed the problem, and we can return to just being KIWI!

Thank you for your patience while we sorted out this problem.

The Kiwi Family