Earth Week : Family Fun Recycled!

Earth Week springs forth a refreshing refocus on the family's responsibility in taking care of our very precious resources. As parents of young children, we want to believe that our children will grow up to have a clean and bountiful environment to live in; but, let's face it, those tiny little feet can leave quite a large carbon footprint!

Babies never truly come into this world alone, they come accompanied by an entourage of 'stuff' that begins accruing even before they grace the world. The growth a baby accomplishes in the first year alone can leave a monstrous wake of discarded clothes, rags, bibs, etc. that the child has simply outgrown. Handing down items to others in need, either friends or family or your local charity, are obvious options; but, let's try thinking outside the toy-box! Before you toss out those teethers or bag those burp cloths, try out a few of the following tips to reduce, reuse, and recycle all that baby-baggage.

Powder Formula Containers: Formula containers can be used for all sorts of creative organization. Remove that label and you have an instant canister for organizing and storing an long list of household items. Organize nails and screws in the garage, hair bows in a little girls' room, plastic forks and spoons in the pantry, or that collection of finger-nail polishes under the bathroom sink. Create a cheap and visually interesting display in the playroom by drilling a hole on each side of the empty can, attaching a decorative ribbon as a "handle" and spray painting the cans with chalkboard paint. Now you can simply hang your new storage cans from decorative wall pegs and fill 'em up ("reuse" by looking for vintage door knobs or second hand hardware to use as your wall hooks)! This system is perfect for organizing crayons and markers, but the opportunities are endless.

Burp Rags: Burp rags make excellent rags for household cleaning, or even for dish towels. The thick ones also make great pot holders; sew them into squares or use them as is.

Bibs and Onesies: Oh, the bibs and onesies one does receive when a baby is conceived! The collections can be quite impressive. The 0-3 month onesies sometimes never even fit a newborn baby! Why not reuse those little unitards? Little girls can glitz and bedazzle and create an outfit extraordinaire for their baby dolls to wear. A little glitter, beading, and some paint and !voila!, you have a little fashion designer on your hands. Boys can design, too. Let them make some onesie wear for their favorite teddy bear. Bibs are a bigger challenge due to their odd pattern but can also be used in baby-doll play. A more sentimental option is to take your bib collection to a quilter to have a keepsake throw made out of your little munchkin's mess-catchers.

Toys: It's often hard to resist buying new toys and teethers for your new tot, but before you know it, you have a heap of tiny plushies and shakers that no longer interest your child's growing curiosities. Because those toys spend most of their time in your baby's mouth, they often get shunned as a hand-me-down option. Instead, sanitize them as best you can and take them to your local animal shelter or doggie day camp. Many welcome new toys for the pets and these can make the perfect chew-toy.

Bottles: Baby Bottles can make superb storage vessels for crafting supplies. The see-through aspect makes the bottle perfect for color coding things like beads or sequins. Roll up your ribbon and stuff your rolls into the bottles, leaving one end of the strand accessible; the next time you need ribbon, simply pull and snip the perfect measurement. Store your restored receptacles on shelves, or reuse an old spice rack.

The bottom line is: get creative. Raising environmentally conscientious kiddos is a commendable conquest, and it's never too early to instill those values. It may seem like a small step toward such a large goal, but the best way to start preserving for your baby's future is with, well, baby steps.