A Million Tiny Things Book Review

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm reviewing and giving away a copy of A Million Tiny Things: One mother's desperate search for hope in a changing climate. The book comes out on Mother's Day, but here's your chance to check it out early.

My great green friends

I have always been the wierd neighbor. I spend more time on my veggie garden than my landscaping. I have an attempt of a compost bin in my yard. I save seeds and recycling from my office.

Most of my friends shake their head. "I'm proud you actually spent time on your front yard," one told me the other day. They simply don't understand.

My haven has been online. The friends I've made through the Green Phone Booth and other green blogs help motivate me to stay on the path toward sustainability, even when work, volunteer and family committments divide my time.

But I'm happy to have found some great green friends at home, too. My happy accident was getting to know three wonderful women who became our Girl Scout Troop's co-leaders this year. Each brings her own talents, but what we've found is a common desire to help make our world safer for our children.

For the last few months, we've been brainstorming ideas for a water conservation badge series the girls will take on in Brownies next year. We share ideas, large and small, found over the internet and in copied library book pages. We cheer on each other when we stumble on a county-sponsored rain barrel workshop or composting classes. And we have big dreams. That our girls learn to love our world.

It's great to find camaraderie among women like these. And I'm blessed to be part of the group.

Bunny Bling

Wishing you a very blessed Easter!

Recycled Easter baskets

Making Easter baskets out of paper. That's what my daughter had on her mind.

In my naivity, I thought this would be a great activity while her brother was sleeping. And then I went hunting for directions.

Got coupons? I have stacks of ads and good intentions, and this basket from Roots of Simplicity would be a great solution: roll, glue and go. The project takes about an hour, not including drying time.



Unfortunately, needed something a little more in tune with the inpatience of a kindergartener. Instead I found another alternative at Miss Birtie's Blog. Simple, but easy enough to do with some leftover cardstock or magazine ads.

Bunny "baskets" for the garden

Baskets from the Easter Bunny have been something I've struggled with since becoming a parent. I don't want the kids overrun with trinkets, or worse, drowning in sugar, but there's something fun to the tradition of a little treat on Easter morning.

In recent years especially I've worked to simplify the kids' baskets, adding a small religious book or item or a toy that they can enjoy. Last year, The Bunny brought "harvest baskets" - large baskets that the kids have since used to harvest their beans and tomatoes from the garden.

This year, we're taking a different spin on it. Noting my kids' love of (OK, fights over) watering our plants with the hose, we're investing in cute watering cans which will be used as the "baskets" this year from The Bunny. Keeping with the theme, my little guy will get his own pint-size gardening tools, and my daughter will get a flower ring she pined over at the Girl Scout shop.

You could easily add seeds or other fun items to the mix, but in our home, we're well stocked-up.

Are you doing any alternate Easter basket ideas this year?