5 Tips to Minimize Food Waste with Kids

Please join me in giving a warm "Frugal Family Fun Blog" welcome to my guest, Debbie Lillard, from SpacetoSpare.com for today's post! Debbie is the author of Absolutely Organized – A Mom’s Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and a Clutter Free Home, and she has generously offered her best tips to help minimize food waste with kids. Picky eaters can quickly bust your budget, and Debbie offers tips that help save money as well as the environment.

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Does this happen to you? You come home from food shopping and the kids tear into all the new bags of food yelling, “Whadya get?” before you have time to unpack. New snacks are ripped open, meanwhile you have 4 half-full bags of cookies, pretzels, and crackers in the cabinet, but somehow those just don’t seem so appealing. My children are 7, 10 and 13 so I go through this about once a week. I hate to waste food, so I’ve had to come up with some simple tricks to finish one thing before we start another. (This is one of my Absolutes of Organizing).

1. Healthy After School Snacks - When they get home from school they are famished – so put out what you want them to eat on the table. If it’s easy, they’ll grab it. I often do cheese & crackers, chips and salsa, cookies and milk or a big bowl of grapes.


2. Party Trays -The day before you go food shopping, check the cabinets for half full bags of snacks and use them up. To make these more appealing, put them in a decorative serving tray. I have one with three compartments so I might do: nuts, pretzels and chips or cheese, crackers and cut up peppers. If your kids like dip, put that out in a little bowl.


3. Mix It Up -Produce doesn’t last long so I find myself with black bananas quite often. For this reason, I always have a big container of vanilla yogurt on hand for smoothies. Toss one cup of yogurt, one cup of fruit juice and whatever fruit you have: bananas, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries into the blender and let it whip. I like to add some crushed ice at the end. These make a great after-school snack or breakfast. A little whipped cream on top makes it even more appealing. And who can resist a bendy straw!


4. Buffet Style - Left over meals are an economical way to save food and money, but if you have picky eaters, they won’t like the sounds of this. Again, on the day before I plan to food shop I have a “Pick Your Own” dinner or lunch. I will categorize the food by protein, starch and fruits & vegetables and put it all out on the counter. Everyone in the family gets to choose one of each and that’s the meal! If you don’t have enough left-overs to round out the meal, make one new thing that the kids love like oven fries or pasta, this will make the meal seem fresh.


5. A better lunch – It’s so easy to go for convenience these days when it comes to packing lunches. I used to buy big boxes of school snacks at BJ’s and just use them until they were done. Now I’m trying to be more environmentally & health conscious, so I invested in some key lunch box items to do both:

Small stainless steel drink bottles– no more plastic.

Cloth napkins – no more paper

Reusable containers – for cut up fruit, snacks and sandwiches

Foil – to wrap other items ; I tell the kids to bring it home to recycle.

Thank you, Debbie, for sharing these wonderful tips with us!

Do you have any other tips to share? I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment and share your ideas with us!

Teaching Kids the Art of Thrift Shopping

We have been experiencing a block of insanely beautiful and warm weather here recently, and I suddenly realized Emily's Spring/Summer wardrobe is severely lacking. Since she is built similarly to a bean pole, I tend to have a difficult time finding pants that fit her. Thankfully, shorts and skirts are much easier. So I brought her along for a little Thrift Shop 101 lesson. Here are some things we covered so far:

1. Donation -- The girls' room was due for a thorough cleaning, and we used a bag to store unused or old toys for donation. I started doing this with her when she was about three years old or so, so by now she knows the drill. I explained to her then that instead of throwing these toys in the garbage, we could bless some other little girl or boy with her things by donating them to the thrift store, and she may find other new-to-her toys that she might enjoy playing with more instead. I let her carry the bag into the store and give it to the person behind the counter. Hearing her say, "Excuse me, I want to donate this" just makes my day.


2. Pride -- There is no shame in shopping second-hand. It is good for the environment, and it reduces waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. Plus, there are real bargains to be found! Shopping at a thrift store should be done with as much pride as donating, since you are passing on the virtues of buying second-hand with your children.


3. Purchase with Intention -- This is true for any shopping we do, but for some reason I find myself asking Emily these questions more while we are thrift shopping. Do you have room for it? Will you play with it, or use it often? Is it in good condition? Do you really love it? If the answer is no to any of these, don't buy it! Be picky about what you allow into your home.


4. Inspection of Merchandize -- Check clothing to make sure no buttons are missing, that there are no stains or rips, and that any zippers are working. If the piece can be mended relatively easily, and it's a good deal otherwise, I will usually go ahead and buy it. I do try to inspect merchandize to make sure I won't get any "surprises" when I get home.


5. The Element of Surprise -- One of my favorite Emily quotes from today was, "At the thrift store, you never know what you might find there!". This is the fun of it. You may not find exactly what you intended to buy that day, but you may find something else equally as charming -- for a bargain price!

Do you ever visit the thrift shop with your kids? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your stories with us!

Welcome 10 Show Viewers

Emily and I were very excited to do another segment for NBC's 10 Show about green activities for kids. Here are links to the activities we mentioned on today's show:

Nature Packs

Inexpensive Field Guides for Tots

Pantry Art

Sunflower Potato Prints

Pasta Necklaces

Free Printable Garden Journal Pages

Starting a Garden Journal with Kids

Rainy Day Fun with an Indoor Teepee

Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk Paint

In case you missed today's show, here is the clip!

We hope you enjoyed today's show! Do you have another green activity for kids that I forgot to mention? Leave us a comment and share your ideas with us!

Bird Feeders.... From Recyclables!

Yesterday, Newswatch 16 was here to film for a segment called "Power to Save", which will air later this evening. While they were here, we made bird feeders from recyclables.  It occured to me that with the help of a simple power drill, you could turn just about any recyclable into a bird feeder. We used bamboo skewers for the bird perches. Here are a few examples....

I like how this one turned out the best. It is an empty tennis ball container.  (I happen to have several of these, and plan to make a few more!) Emily helped fill it up with bird seed.

Emily helped paint this one.  It is made from a plastic take-out container, a waxed cardboard box, and some thin-gauged wire to hold it all together.

This was an empty baby cereal box, but an empty milk carton would work nicely for this too. Emily also helped paint this one.

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching all of our local bird "customers" visit the feeders, and later drew pictures of them! Can you tell I am looking forward to Spring??

20% off Online Solar Course

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Raising baby green -- on a budget

Clara at 7 months old.

In most cases, being frugal is also good for the environment and vice versa.  However, raising baby green can sometimes be challenging for your budget since what is best for the environment may not always be the most frugal choice. Organic baby food, for instance, usually costs considerably more than regular baby food.  If you are planning to raise baby green, here are some tips to keep costs down.

1. Make Your Own Organic Baby Food -- Check with your pediatrician about making your own organic baby food. Organic carrots and sweet potatoes are some of the cheapest vegetables, and both last a very long time so stock up on these. Add a small amount of water and blend well in a food processor. Freeze in ice cube trays, and defrost as needed.
2. Apple Sauce -- Instead of buying several jars of organic apple baby food, try one large jar of organic apple sauce (with no sugar added).  
3. Cloth Diapers -- We have had great success with bumGenius cloth diapers. These adjust to fit your baby and will last from the infant stage all the way until potty-training. Try one or two cloth diapers to see how they work for your baby before purchasing a bunch of them. Over time, the cost savings of using cloth diapers is significant, and you will keep diapers out of the landfill (where they frequently take 100 years to decompose!).
4. Make Your Own Baby Wipes -- Since we use cloth diapers, it made sense to use cloth wipes too.  We use baby wash clothes as baby wipes, and I keep a spray bottle of watered down solution of baby wash on the diaper changing table.  Spray the wash cloth and you are good to go!
5. Save on Skin Care -- Before using tons of lotion or baby powder, check with your pediatrician.  Many times infants only need plain water or very little baby wash, so you can use it very sparingly.  
6. Learn to Knit -- This is my personal favorite. Learning to knit is a great hobby for stress relief, and can help save money. Organic cotton baby sweaters can be very expensive, but you can knit your own for a lot less!
7. Prioritize Organics -- If you cannot afford to buy all organic baby food, try focusing on the foods that are typically grown with the most pesticides and only buying these foods organic instead.  These include: apples, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, peaches, pears, and cherries. 
8. Swap Clothing and Linens with a Friend -- Kids out-grow clothing at such a rapid rate.  Let friends know you are looking to swap children's clothes. Check craigslist or your local freecycle to help keep clothing out of the landfill.
9. Save on Paint -- Thinking of painting the nursery?  Shop and compare prices for no or low VOC paint.  To save money, be sure to measure the square footage of your project accurately so you do not buy more paint than you will really need. You may want to check the returned paint section -- you may find the perfect shade for 1/2 the price!

Clara models some baby booties I knitted for her.

Do you have a money-saving tip for raising baby green?  I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment and share your ideas with us!

Top 5 Things to Buy Used

Photo by DIY City Mag

I am a huge fan of shopping at thrift stores, consignment shops, and yard sales for used items.  Not only is this a great money-saving strategy, it is also better for the environment.  Buying used requires less resources to produce, and helps keep waste out of landfills.  

Here is my top 5 list of things to buy used:

1. Books --  I never buy new books anymore.  Instead, I frequently borrow books from the library for free, or search for used books.  See my related post: Alternatives to buying new books for more information.
2. Wooden Furniture --  Huge savings here!  Check the condition and if the furniture seems sturdy, you may be able to refinish the surface and have a "like new" piece to add to your home.
3. Lighting and Home Decor --  Lamps, light fixtures, and other home decor items usually go for about 10% of the original purchase price.  With lighting, be sure it is UL certified.
4. Children's Clothing --  Kids outgrow their clothes at such a rapid rate.  Instead of stressing over whether or not that stain is going to come out of little Johnny's new outfit, try finding quality used kids clothes and save yourself a ton of money. If the price is right, I have been known to stockpile clothes for the girls for years to come.
5. Glassware/Bakeware -- You can find significant savings in used glassware or bakeware.  If you see an item you like, be sure to purchase it right away.  Items in thrift stores tend to move very quickly!

Have a favorite thing you like to buy used?  Leave us a comment and share your ideas with us!

Give Green Holiday Gifts -- For Free!

This holiday season, promote a better environment with these green gifts that help reduce waste.  The best part -- they are FREE!

1. Stop Junk Mail --  Junk mail uses a tremendous amount of resources.  Use CatalogChoice.org to create an account for the recipient to pick which catalogs are of genuine interest, and CatalogChoice will work with companies to remove the recipient's address from their mailing list for free.  GreenDimes.com has a similar free service for all junk mail.
2. Offset Carbon Emissions for a Day --  Go to OneDay.BrighterPlanet.com to find out how you can give the gift of being carbon free for a day - for free.
3. A Green Email Account -- Create a free green email account  for the recipient at CommunityMail.net.  This is a free email service that is provided by a wind and solar powered web hosting company.
4. Green a PC -- Call 1-800-PC Support and a technician from support.com will help your recipient green their PC for free.  
5. E-Cards --  Each year greeting cards generate tons of waste.  This year, consider sending free e-cards instead.  Check out evite.com, hallmark.com, and 123greetings.com to get started.

Frugal Gift Idea -- One Day Carbon Free

Visit BrighterPlanet.com to find out how you can give the gift of being carbon neutral for a day, for free!  

From the site:

Forget fruitcake. This year, you can spread your holiday cheer by giving presents that contribute to the fight against climate change. Give the gift of carbon neutrality for a day — it's free!