Gift Guide for Kids

Here are some great products for kids to give as gifts. Christmas is right around the corner so get your holiday shopping done so you can check it off your list and relax. If you are in need of some more ideas my gift guide is sure to help. Happy Shopping!

Children

Burt's Bees
Any new Mom will love these awesome products. They are all natural, Earth friendly and not that expensive either. Prices range from $5 - $16.



If you'd rather give a small collection, try the Trial Kit. For under $15 you get six products.



Tell Me a Story Set
Inspire kids to use their imagination and create stories with these adorably designed blocks. The set comes with three wood blocks, a 50 page Match and Write notebook and laminated index sheet all packaged up in a muslin bag. How cute! You can support local artists and give the gift of "anything's possible" all at once. Not bad for $35!



Organic Lunch Tote
This is too cute. A great gift for any child in school, this organic lunch tote will get them on their way to a greener life. This is another great Etsy find and at only $15.99 you can't go wrong.



Little Passports
Talk about an awesome gift. Little Passports helps children learn about the world through Sam and Sofia. You would buy a subscription of your choice and watch the little ones explore! They have packages for all budgets as well.



Bright Toss Balls
These toys are great for babies and infants and help with their motor skills. They come in two sizes: 3x3 and 5x5 inches so any small hand can hold them. They are made from organic fabrics and filled with natural kapok fiber. Children will love tossing these around and you don't have to worry about anything breaking. Plus, they are so damn cute!



Matching Shades Puzzle
Being an artist, I can appreciate toys that help kids learn about art and design. My children will have plenty! I absolutely love this puzzle because its a small crash course in color theory. By showing kids that color is so much more than Crayola will enhance their thinking and inspire creativity. By training them early to see the different in shades and tones, they will be on their way to creating masterpieces in no time! Made for ages 2+ yrs. See if there is a retailer near you: Kid O.



Number Book
I love the artist who makes this book. She has lots of other goodies you must check out as well. They are all so beautifully hand crafted, they are hard to resist. This number book is just too damn cute not to buy! Made by hand with linen and organic muslin.



Robots Sketchbook
Great for any young artist, this eco-friendly sketchbook is fun and looks cool. Its made out of post-consumer waste and fully bio-degradable. The paper is also chlorine-free and the cover design is made with vegetable ink. For $8 why not get a couple! This shop has tons of other fantastic items you should check out too.



For other great shops check out the Revolt Kids page!

Kids at Play

When I was young I had a wild imagination. Being an only child I had no choice! I loved to play with my dolls and pretend I was teaching a class or running a store with my little cash register. Those were the days. However, the one thing I loved more than anything when I was small was my Annie mansion. It was so friggin cool. I wish I still had it today.

Kids love to play with figurines and what better way to push their imagination than giving them a dollhouse. They are on every girls, and some boys, wish list. Here are some I found that are really cool. A unique way of reinventing the doll house. Check these out for sure.

Mobile Home - Hip From Holland
This house has 8 rooms, spy holes and an attic for storage. It's easy to put together and light to carry, not to mention easy to store when not in use. It folds flat! Your kids can decorate it any way they want too. So modern and so cool.



Tree House - Creative Toy Shop
How cool is this! Brought to you by the company Calafant who makes awesome cardboard models. Another great idea with so much room for creativity and its only $25!



My First Dollhouse - Hape
I love how this doll house is sturdy and will last forever. It's made out of plywood and maple wood and has a clean modern design.



Tree Trunk Fairy Home - Magic Cabin
I fell in love with this house. Being a fan of fantasy themes, how could I not! With a puzzle base and three floors your child is sure to have fun with this one. Check out the other dollhouses this shop has too.



Adventurer's Tropical Tree House - Hearth Song
Whoa! Talk about a tree house. There is no doubt your kid will jump for joy and be amazed when they see this!

Better Toys for Your Tots

I am always looking for great shops and websites that carry earth friendly products, especially for children. My Natural is one of the best I have found for stuffed animals. Not only are they adorable but they are made from cotton that is untreated, unprocessed and unbleached. 100% toxic free! Now that's what I'm talking about. Their unique PureWaterWash process is what makes their products stand out from the rest. Check out their website, read up and do some shopping!

They have three collections: Bamboo, Dr. Seuss and Jane Goodall. All are adorable and worth buying. I LOVE the gorilla!







Here are some other great shops!
Stubby Pencil Studio
Plan Toys
Green Toys
Baby Earth
North Star Toys
Pi'lo
Little Twig
The Little Seed

Better Food Choices

I have to say I am very happy with Working Mother's April issue. In their "let's eat" section they list better food choices for you and your kids. Here is what they had to say.

Better Breakfasts for Kids
Ian's French Toast Sticks $4.60
Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal $4
Horizon Natural Little Blends Yogurt $3.50
Amy's Steel-Cut Oats $2



Better Breakfasts for Moms
Kashi GoLean Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble Cereal $3.90
Fage Total 2% Yogurt $2.50/7 oz cup
Amy's Breakfast Scramble Wrap $2.80
Bear Naked Fruit and Nut Granola $4.90



Better Lunches for Kids
Rico M. Panada Baked Empanadas $3
Happy Tot Organic Meals $1.20
Ian's Twisty Mac & Cheese $3.50
Applegate Farms Organic Chicken Strips $8.30



Better Lunches for Moms
Campbell's V8 Garden Vegetable Blend Soup $3
Michael Angelo's Natural Vegetable Lasagna $3.60
Applegate Farms Chicken Pot Pie $4.70
Amy's Indian Mattar Paneer $4.80



Better Dinners for the Family
Putney Pasta Shrimp Pesto Skillet $9
Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza $7.30
Sea Cuisine Mediterranean Crusted Salmon $7
Michael Angelo's family meals $7.80
Annie Chun's Organic Chicken & Vegetable Potstickers $4.50
Kashi Margherita Pizza $6
Bertolli Mediterranean Style Pastas $8



Now what I like about these suggestions is that they are all natural and some organic. Everywhere you look there will be something telling you that this is the way to eat healthy. Processed foods need to be thrown out the window! Now just be aware that just because something says "natural" or "organic" it doesn't mean its healthy. You really must read all the ingredients in everything you buy. I know this may be a pain but you don't really have a choice. There are simply not enough laws that protect you and the food you eat. Companies are allowed to sneak up to 20 or more ingredients in their products and do not have to include them in the ingredient list! Can you believe that? This is why I say do not trust the USDA. Simply buy organic and read all the labels! You should be all good if you stick with with that.

Out of all these suggestions that Working Mother listed Revolt highly recommends these few: Amy's, Bear Naked and Applegate Farms. You are on your own with the rest. I also came across these articles while researching the companies above. I am sure you will want to read them before buying anything!

Horizon Organic Milk - Is it all just lies?
Recall Alert - Happy Tots Baby Food
Getting to the Meat of the Matter
Campbell's Soups New Labels

Teaching Your Children About Real Food

Teaching children about food and where it comes from is so important. Now, more than ever, we must get our kids involved. Make them aware of the natural amazing foods that the Earth gives us and teach them the benefits of all these yummy treats. They need to know that vegetables, fruits and grains are the most healthy and beneficial foods they can eat. You need to get this in their heads while they are young so as they grow up they can see the difference between the "real" food and the "processed" food. Being a parent is such an important job. If you don't do this for your children than no one will. Don't depend on your schools or your community to do your job for you! Take responsibility NOW and do what is right for your kids.

A great way to do this is to have a garden of your own. Get your children involved in the growing process so they can see first hand how awesome it is. They will get excited, believe me. Once they see how something grows they can appreciate it more. Then when they see how the plant can be cooked in so many ways it will allow them to get creative and hopefully inspire them to learn more.

I came across some great games you can get that will help you out with this issue. What child doesn't love games! Check these few out and be on your way to spreading the garden love.

Eboo - Gathering Garden
This board game for 5 yrs and up is such a cute way to get your children excited about fresh food & plants. The game itself is made out of recycled materials and no plastic. Love that! The game shows your kids to collect flowers, veggies and more from vendors and gather enough items for their garden. The first one to get home first wins. Im sure your kids will love it. At $9.00 you can't go wrong!



Ravensburger - Mystery Garden
This game is all about what is what. Its suggested for 4 year olds and up and not only teaches your child how to think and ask questions but also how to place a name on things. The artwork on the board itself is beautiful and the rules are fairly simple. Someone plays the Secret Keeper who picks up picture tiles to view the photo (something on the board). Then the other players have to ask simple yes and no questions to try to guess what the picture is. Which each correct guess the player wins the tile and gets to move ahead in the game on a 15 rock path. Fairly simple and highly educational. A great combination! You can purchase this game for $12.00 on Amazon.



Ampersand Press - The Garden Game
Another great game to check out, The Garden Game focuses on science and nature in more of an educational way. This one is more for kids ages 8 and up and celebrates the seasons. Cultivating their own gardens your children will learn how to feed the soil, plant seeds, nurture the plants and harvest. Even celebrate at harvest festivals and help other players through natural disasters! What a great way to teach them about the realistic issues they would have to deal with. I am all about that! The winner must save the most seeds and plant the largest garden. Not only will this game be fun but it will get your kids excited about farming. It also won 2 awards; Dr. Toy Award in 2002 and the Dr. Toy Best Vacation Children's Products Winner. I highly recommend this one! Right now its on sale on Education Learning Games for $24.99. You can also purchase it on Gardening with Kids for $29.95.



Happy Shopping and Happy Growing!

Best Green Companies for Your Kids

I don't have children yet but I have about 5 years of experience under my belt with them. Working in a daycare and being a nanny really helped me to understand kids and know what is important for them to live healthy lives. Whether they are your kids or someone else's all America's children play a big part in this country. It is our responsibility as parents, teachers, mentors and family to give them the best ingredients of a happy life. They learn from all of us. I can't stress enough how important healthy food and natural products are to a child's well being. In April's issue of Working Mother they list the best green companies for America's children. I really liked this article and was impressed that the magazine featured it. Here are the companies:

Annie's Homegrown
You might know this company by it's mac 'n' cheese but Annie's Homegrown has a nice array of products that your kids will sure to love. The company was founded 21 years ago by Annie Withey who herself is a mother of two. It's line of products are all natural and grown without pesticides, fungicides or synthetic fertilizers. From meals to snacks, Annie's mission is to create real, authentic food. Not only do they support over 75 organic family farms they also donate products to programs that educate children on organic gardening. In addition, their Cases for Causes gives $50,000 in scholarships to students who plan to study sustainable agriculture. They use recycled packaging for all their products and helps out the earth by supporting NativeEnergy. I have personally eaten some of their food and it is really tasty. Next time your in the supermarket try one of their products. I promise you won't regret it!



Clorox
I must say that I am not a fan of Clorox. Just thinking about bleach makes me sick. Yuck! All those chemicals! But I have to give credit to the company for the small steps they have been taking to help the environment. First of all, they bought out Burt's Bees. Then it brought us Green Works which is a line of natural plant derived cleaners. Because of this their profits rose by 23 percent. It just goes to show that despite a recession people want better products in their homes. Last year the company also agreed to stop using and transporting chlorine gas which causes air pollution. They partnered up with Sierra Club which now endorses the Green Works label. Besides all this, Clorox hosts clothing swaps for children in hopes to eliminate some of the 23.8 billion pounds of clothes that end up in our landfills each year. Now thats a great idea! Although, I am not a fan of the brand Clorox I have to admit they are making wiser decisions. In a perfect world, their chemical filled products would be taken off the shelves and the company would just sell the natural ones. But I guess this is better than nothing!



Intel
For the last 15 years this company has supported education and renewable energy. They invest about $100 million a year to education alone with a focus on math, science and technology. Between their science fairs and their own Climate Savers Computing Initiative they give support to teachers, students as well as underprivileged communities. Trying to create more efficient computers at reasonable prices is yet another focus of the company. Their new Intel Core design eliminated 15 million tons of carbon dioxide over the past three years! If that wasn't enough they earned the top spot on the EPA's Fortune 500 Green List last year due to the use of renewable energy. Almost half the company's energy is produced by solar and wind sources.



Starbucks
I don't drink coffee but this company surely got my attention. Their mission to help protect the planet is proven by the work of its Social Entrepreneurs Fund. In 2008 alone it issued $2.1 million in grants to organizations that support young innovators. They also partnered up with Save the Children to do their part in helping to educate coffee farming communities and improve health. Their plan is to raise their sourcing of responsibly grown and ethically traded coffee to 100 percent by 2015 and make all their cups 100 percent recyclable or reusable. You also might notice the stores getting a makeover. With additions like eco water fixtures, energy efficient lighting and the use of renewable sources for energy they will be sure to make an impact. Plus, all their new stores are being built according to LEED standards. These are great steps to a better future!



Johnson & Johnson
This company has been around for a very long time. They surely have stepped up to the plate when it comes to helping the planet. Focusing on climate issues it reduced its use of fossil fuels by 34 percent and have been investing in renewable energy sources. The company has the highest amount of hybrid vehicles in the world! Their philanthropic efforts have made a difference in women and children's lives everywhere and with their help programs for health literacy like Safe Kids Worldwide really get to make a difference. They are a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and its Aveeno line has partnered with TerraCycle to host national recycling drives.



Here are some other companies to look out for: Northstar Moving, Rain Bird and Green Truck