Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Beaches fill with umbrellas and sandcastles, swim clubs open for the season, campgrounds flood with tents, and the smell of barbeque pervades neighborhoods. Start your holiday weekend with our bbq favorites and the natural condiments to go with them.

Between the Buns
All-Beef: For a plump, hearty, tastes-like-it-came-off-the-grill treat, try Applegate Farms Great Organic Hot Dog. Made with 100% organic grass-fed beef, this dog has half the fat as many traditional varieties, but all the flavor as your childhood faves.

Pork & Beef: Juicy, with hints of both sweet and salty, Organic Prairie’s Uncured Hot Dog gives a great snap as you bite into it. For the youngsters, try Niman Ranch Fearless Uncured Franks for Kids. These dogs are made with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat, plus the mild flavor and thin shape make them a great choice for little mouths.

Vegetarian: Want a dog, but not meat? Packed with protein, LightLife’s Veggie Dogs, made with organic ingredients, and all-natural Yves Good Dog boasts a delicious hickory flavor. Plus, there’s no saturated fat or cholesterol in these dogs, making them one summer snack that won’t ruin your diet.

Poultry: Organic Prairie Uncured Chicken Hot Dogs and Uncured Turkey Hot Dogs are skinless, made from organic meat and boast a smoky and hearty taste, but contain much less fat than pork or beef dogs.

Tasty Toppers
Ketchup: With Annie’s Naturals Organic Ketchup, delight in the same traditional ketchup taste that you love but without the high fructose corn syrup or pesticide-ridden tomatoes. Or try a new twist on an old classic with Wholemato’s Spicy Organic Agave Ketchup, a thick adaptation with a smoky flavor that’s sweetened with agave nectar.

Mustard: Available in a jar or a squeeze bottle, Eden Organic Yellow Mustard Stone Ground with Apple Cider Vinegar is essential for any condiment lover. Gentle hints of vinegar and garlic harmonize in this smooth-textured mustard.

Sauerkraut: Tree of Life sauerkraut contains only organic cabbage, water and salt, making it mild enough for even the youngest family member to enjoy.

Relish: For a refreshing summer treat, top your dog with the crunchy Del Monte Organic Sweet Pickle Relish. Its tangy taste will be sure to put your tongue into overdrive.

– Cricket Azima, KIWI Food Editor and lover of bbqs

Living near Denver, Colorado? If so, the place to be this weekend is the Green Festival at the Colorado Convention Center (700 14th Street Denver, CO 80202) on Saturday May 2nd from 10am - 7pm and Sunday May 3rd from 11am - 6pm.

“Having just hosted the greenest national political convention ever, we think Denver is a natural site for the Green Festival in May 2009 and are excited to host this successful event. Denver is proud to be creating safe, healthy, sustainable communities and a strong local economy by raising awareness, sharing best practices and collaborating on greening initiatives. The Green Festival is a terrific place to trade success stories, brainstorm innovative new ideas and learn about the newest technologies and services.”

– Denver Mayor John W. Hickenlooper, a geologist turned brewpub pioneer who had never run for political office, elected Mayor of Denver in 2003 and reelected in 2007.

Stop by our KIWI Magazine booth Booth #1213 to say “hi”! Green Festival is a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America.

– Stephanie, KIWI staff and green festivaling all weekend in Denver

Richard Louv, co-founder and chairman of the Children & Nature Network and recipient of the 2008 Audobon Medal, discusses the need for children to make connections with the natural world in his new book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Algonquin Books: Chapel Hill, NC).  I’m pretty confident that if you read the introduction below, you’ll be hooked.  To learn more, check out our interview with Mr. Louv at Kiwi Community. You can also enter our contest to win a copy!

Introduction to Last Child in the Woods

One evening when my boys were younger, Matthew, then ten, looked at me from across a restaurant table and said quite seriously, “Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?”

I asked what he meant.

“Well, you’re always talking about your woods and tree houses, and how you used to ride that horse down near the swamp.”

At first, I thought he was irritated with me. I had, in fact, been telling him what it was like to use string and pieces of liver to catch crawdads in a creek, something I’d be hard-pressed to find a child doing these days. Like many parents, I do tend to romanticize my own childhood—and, I fear, too readily discount my children’s experiences of play and adventure. But my son was serious; he felt he had missed out on something important.

(more…)

With a full line of body care products for pregnancy, labor, post-partum, and breastfeeding, Earth Mama Angel Baby has new and expecting moms covered in organic goodness.  The line was created by moms who view pregnancy the way our foremothers did, as a phenomenal natural process to be honored accordingly.  Their offerings feature eco-friendly packaging and 100% natural, vegan ingredients for lotions, potions, sprays, and oils you can feel good about.  We’re big fans of their Mama-to-Be Tea Sampler, which makes a cool, unexpected shower gift.  Learn more at earthmamangelbaby.com.

Marygrace, KIWI intern

A new study was published this month in the medical journal The Lancet that appeared to be groundbreaking for some but is really common sense when you stop to think about it.  The study came out of Europe and looked at young patients with heart disease and addressed that they are smoking more and twice as many suffer from diabetes compared to 12 years ago. It was determined that heart disease prevention in routine clinical practice is inadequate, with only a third of patients being referred to and joining prevention programs, while doctors are prescribing more and more drugs. The most shocking revelation was that despite large increases in the use of all classes of blood pressure lowering drugs, blood pressure management showed no improvement.

One thing many of us agree with is that lifestyle programs should be the backbone of preventive care. Saving people’s lives from acute heart attacks is one thing where conventional medicine excels, but we need an urgent investment in prevention to address the lifestyle causes of heart disease. The nation’s integrative health care leaders met in Washington DC earlier this month to discuss patient centered health care and how to reduce health care costs in the long term. As I was there to witness this inspiring meeting, the word prevention was repeated over and over.

Just how do we prevent heart disease? Exercise and diet are key. How many times do you hear yourself or friends and family make excuses for not exercising. Well, there is not an excuse; in fact your life depends on it! Remember that even housework and gardening burn a number of calories. Enjoy the increased light and longer days. Get on a bike with your kids or throw your little ones in the jogger. Create a mom’s walking group in your neighborhood.

As for diet, fresh fruits and veggies, 5-8 servings a day! When choosing which ones, always aim for a variety of colors to increase the vitamin and mineral assortment. Fiber is important as well. Try to get a minimum of 25 grams a day. While fresh fruits and veggies have a lot of naturally occurring fiber like pectin, other reliable sources are Chia seed, which also contain essential fatty acids. Try Gaia Herbs Chia Fresh. It can be added to salads, smoothies or taken alone.

And yes, of course, no heart healthy plan will ever be complete without mentioning Omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish regularly and/or consuming around one gram daily of EPA+DHA from fish oil. For a great quality heart healthy option, try Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. They have a guaranteed no repeat policy because their oils are so fresh.

-Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.

It’s time again for another round-up of the best of the mom blogosphere!  Here’s what’s going on…

• Hopping on board the backyard vegetable garden train this spring?  Nature Moms reviews garden tool sets and gear for your little farmers-in-training.
• To school or not to school?  Read about Mama-Om’s journey on her family’s decision to send their son to school or stick to unschooling at home.
• Green Baby Guide puts the bokashi bin, an indoor composting system from Japan.
• Forget balance.  Instead, Healthy Green Moms says we should be seeking harmony.
• The Soft Landing Blog covers possible legislation for federal ban of BPA in children’s food containers.  Yes!

What’s happening on your blog?  We want to know!

Marygrace, KIWI intern

If the name Pure and Little doesn’t give you enough warm fuzzies, try their logo on for size: Organic. Baby. Love.  Ahhh!  I’m sold.  The company offers organic baby clothing, bedding, and accessories like bath products, books and music, and plenty of plush toys.  Spring and summer babies can keep comfortable in Pure and Little’s organic cotton onesies (we love the peace out natural), while fall and winter babies will stay toasty with a unisex kimono jacket.  But my very favorite?  The Baby Fred monkey plush.  He just looks so happy!  More at pureandlittle.com.

Marygrace, KIWI intern

All of us here at KIWI are excited about the launch of KIWI Community, a resource we created to help families have more fun outdoors.  In addition to tons of fun ideas for things to do in your very own backyard, KIWI Community has the lowdown on things like nature walks, green zoos and theme parks, nature centers, family gardening, local community events, green lodging options, as well as a rotating variety of fun contests and discounts on all things green-related. You can also add comments about local events happening in your area.

Daylight savings time just started and the warm spring air is beginning to settle in.  Visit KIWI Community at kiwimagonline.com/community to plan a day of outdoor fun for your family!

Marygrace, KIWI intern and lover of spring, the outdoors, and sunshine!