helwen

A friend posted yesterday about her child wanted heelys because everyone else has them, and asked if she were as expensive as they were, or something like that - meaning, do you love me as much as their parents must love them, since they buy all that stuff? It can be a hard thing, surrounded as we are by advertising, for people (esp. kids) to remember that stuff does not replace love.

So what do I get in my Ideal Bite newsletter today, but a list of sites to go to for things for kids. Green-related, but does maybe help with the buy-buy-buy mentality.

Educational/game site for kids:
http://www.bamboo-zoo.com/joomla/

A book: Gaia Girls: Enter The Earth, by Lee Welles, Ann Hameister (Illustrator). From Ideal Bite: "teacher and grade schooler-approved and printed on recycled paper, this book follows four girls approached by an Earth in-need."

A book: There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars, by Bob Crelin, Amie Ziner (Illustrator). From Ideal Bite: "teaches starry-eyed kids all about light pollution in the prettiest way possible ."

A book: The Precious Present, by Spencer Johnson, from http://www.betterworld.com. From Ideal Bite: "for parents and young'uns, it's about a boy who gets everything for Christmas but wants something that you can't put under a tree."

A book: The Gift of Nothing, by Patrick McDonnell. Ideal Bite: "as soon as they leave the womb, kids are bombarded with the message that they need more stuff. This classic sets 'em straight."

A book publisher web site that has several series of books on nature and the environment, for kids: http://www.dawnpub.com/home.cfm

And last but not least, one more book, which you can find new or used:

The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss

***
And for those interested in checking out Ideal Bite, their URL is: http://www.idealbite.com

They have:
- a free newsletter
- a Tips Library (archive) of all their previous newsletters
- have a fun and readable presentation of the info they put out, including suggestions, links for finding stuff, and of course, their "Cocktail Factoid" for each newsletter. Ex: At 1,045 feet above sea level, a municipal landfill affectionately known as "Mount Rumpke" is the second highest point in the state of Ohio.