Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Washington, DC

Review: MiYim Organic Plush Toys Perfect for Baby

by Leticia

May 29, 2009

Weddings and babies seem to go in cycles and I find myself shopping for baby presents for friends and colleagues.  Despite the fact that my children are only 5 and almost 3, the baby market has changed since they were born. 

The other day I ventured to Target to shop off a friend’s registry.  There were the standard onesies, bottles, and diapers but a completely new line of organic plush toys from MiYim.    

I fell in love with the super soft MiYim Andrew the Hippo and envisioned a 6 month old falling in love with it just as my daughter fell in love with her white stuffed Gund Bear.  The petite deep rose colored Baby Victoria the Bunny is heavenly for a little girl.  It comes clothed in a darling little dress that makes it tea party ready for when a baby girl grows up.

I love the idea of organic gifts like the ones from MiYim because they are made from organic cotton, use plant and mineral dyes, and are packaged in recycled materials.  I can’t think of a better way to welcome a new little baby into the world than with something super soft and completely natural.

The MiYim line is available at Target, Toys R Us, and online through Amazon.

Merrifield Garden Center

by Beth Hoffman

May 23, 2009

Ah, Spring, when a young suburbanite's fancy turns to thoughts of mulch.  Do you constantly smell like mulch these days, even three showers past your last stint in the garden, or is that just me?  Last weekend, to get a break from the weeding and the mulching, we went to the garden center to buy some new plants for all those bare spots that were formerly covered by weeds.  We had a two-year-old gift certificate to Merrifield Garden Center, so we decided to head over there and put it to use.  We went to the new place near Fair Oaks, not the original in Merrifield.  And wow, this place blows my regular nursery out of the water.

We had both kids with us, of course, and they had a blast.  The toddler was in the backpack, saying hello to all of our fellow patrions, and straining for handfuls of any plant I got him too close to.  The preschooler ran all over the place admiring the plants, debating the best azalea colors, helping me pick tomatoes based entirely on their pictures and/or funny names, and getting an impromptu education on the difference between annuals and perennials, evergreen and deciduous, indoor and outdoor plants, and why in the heck we needed all that mulch anyway. 

I never thought a trip to the nursery with the kids would be anything but a hassle, but it was actually a lot of fun to go through all the plants with the kids, and Merrifield was a great place to do it.  It's huge, well organized, well stocked, and has plenty of wagons to dump the kids in when they get tired of tearing up and down the rows of rhododendrons.  So brush up on your plant identification skills, or just keep a sharp eye out for the tags, and take the kids to the garden center for a free field trip and ecology or biology lesson.
 Read more...

Savvy Guest: Amy Peck Demystifies Getting Started With Organics

by Leticia

April 24, 2009

Today's Savvy Guest post comes courtesy of Being Savvy Denver and Amy Peck.  Amy is The Denver Examiner's organic gardening columnist and is here to share how to get started with organics in honor of Earth Week. 

Getting Started With Organics
by Amy Peck

Talking about organics can sometimes stir up as much controversy in a conversation as bringing up religion or politics. It's a topic with fervent followers and stoic skeptics, and after my children were born, I started leaning more toward the fervent follower side of things. Over the past few years my interest in organics has grown to the point where not only do I try to feed my family organics as much as possible, but I've started a business delivering organic fruits and vegetables to people's homes and offices, plus I write a regular organic gardening column for the Denver Examiner.

The decision of "going organic" is understandably not an easy one to make. There are so many choices about organics out there that it can seem overwhelming. And what does it mean to be organic anyway? The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

"Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards."

What Does That Mean For Us? 
Does the benefit to the animals, plants and their caretakers translate to the consumer and our children in some sort of measurable context other than making a bigger dent in our wallets? In the April 2008 issue of Organic Gardening magazine a study from the University of Newcastle on Tyne was reported to have found that, "Organic fruits and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants than non-organic produce." Project coordinator Carol Leifert told the BBC News that the ongoing study found that, "there are more of certain nutritionally desirable compounds and less of the baddies in organic foods, or improved amounts of the fatty acids you want and less of those you don't."

In the organic vs. conventional buying decision then there is always the "list" that people talk about when choosing which produce to buy. According to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research group, the top ten foods that retain the most pesticides are strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, Mexican cantaloupe, celery, apples, apricots, and green beans. While a good starting point for sure when talking about the best organics to buy based on our own consumption, I like to think of the bigger picture. For me it's important to teach my children how buying organics is not only good for us, but for the farmers that grew our food and the environment.

Buying organic has broadened for our family. In addition to the organic certification, we consider the small farmers who practice organics but don't have the capital to get the certification necessary to label their food as such. We consider where our food is grown and like to make choices that are as local to where we live as possible. I consider this thinking "beyond organic."

Getting Started
When people ask me about organics or how to get started, I recommend starting wherever they can. In Denver, shopping for your produce at Vitamin Cottage, which carries only organic produce, is a good place to start in the winter months. Visiting farmers' markets in the spring through fall months gives you the opportunity to meet the farmers themselves. Not all farmers' markets participants are organic growers so be sure to ask if it's not clearly posted. Growing our own organic food is by far the least expensive way to bring organics into our homes, and a highly rewarding experience that the whole family can take part in. I don't think there are any hard and fast answers to this question.

The Bottom Line
As with anything that is good for us and the environment, making any organic choice, however small, will make an impact. We need look no further than our own children to know how small successes lead to big milestones. Perhaps someday, our children won't have to make this decision, because all of their options will be safe for them and the environment.

Weekend Update

by Beth Hoffman

April 02, 2009

Here are some of the kid-friendly goings-on about town this weekend.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade:  Saturday starting at 10 AM.  It happens every year, it is a madhouse every year, and you will spend the day begging your children not to touch the cherry trees (it is bad for them, remind the tourists, would you?), but it is also the most beautiful time of year to be downtown and a heck of a lot of fun for the kids.  Alex Trebek is the Grand Marshall this year, there are musical guests that I have never heard of but who will surely delight the tween set, the DC Roller Derby Skaters, performances from two Broadway shows, and, of course, Elmo.  Take Metro, pack snacks, the kids will love it.

Rainforest Alive! at Discovery Theater:  Special family performance at noon Saturday.  Got a critter lover?  This live animal show features a boa constrictor, caiman crocodile, iguana, and other rainforest animals.  The Saturday show is followed by a reception with "Earth-friendly treats."

Our Ocean Planet at National Aquarium in Baltimore:  Saturday and Sunday 11 AM to 3:30 PM.  The Baltimore Aquarium introduces a new dolphin show this weekend with special events including games, face painting, and a "build a dolphin" activity.

Polar Weekend at the Maryland Science Center:  Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM.  Tired of the warmer weather?  Missing the winter chill?  Check out the cold weather tents, displays of cold weather animals and a polar science fair at the Maryland Science Center.  Anyone else think they should have saved this for August?  Read more...

Kid Art Auction for Earth Day 2009

by Beth Hoffman

February 05, 2009

Our fabulous Being Savvy Denver City Editor, Aimee, has recently announced the second annual Kid Art Auction for Earth Day. This effort was started last year when Aimee's six year old son suggested that they hold an art sale in their backyard. Things being what they are, the effort soon made the jump to cyberspace and raised nearly $800 for environmental causes. The concept is  Read more...

Favorite Pool Toys

by Leticia

August 05, 2008

We have spent the better part of the summer at the pool. Between swim lessons and using the pool as our nearby getaway, the pool is one of our favorite summer hangouts. Prior to pool season, I stocked up on pool toys. I scoured the aisles of many stores to find new and novel toys to keep the kiddos entertained pool side. We selected our favorites for our pool bag but each time we arrived at the  Read more...