Tuesday's Tips for Summer Survival-- Green Style

Carey at Life in the Carpool Lane is in a panic. She's got her two boys home for the summer and she doesn't know what to do with them. You see, Carey's still a young mother and hasn't learned the fine nuances of The Disney Channel, Nick Jr, Noggin and Discovery Kids. And let's not forget the endless supply of DVDs. So Carey is asking for advice on how to entertain her darling little boys (and they are darling!) and has started her own weekly blog carnival called Tuesday's Tips for Summer Survival. And since I'm such a supportive friend I decided to join in.

Welcome to my Tuesday's Tips for Summer Survival
Green Style!

What's really great about my post is that not only am I supporting Carey's blog carnival but I'm also applying Carey's "green" philosophy to living. In case you missed it, Carey did a week long series on tips to live more greenly (is that a word?) during Earth Week and I was deeply influenced.

We started a garden in our back yard. We're going to live off the land! Of course, my neighborhood doesn't allow gardens so I planted 2 tomato plants, 2 green pepper plants and a jalapeno plant along the side of house. That should feed a house of 9 people all year! Okay, maybe not, but hopefully we'll get a few BLT's and some home made salsa.

I try to water the plants every night and I caught the attention of my young children. Children and water... hmm...

Summer Green Tip #1: Involve your children in lawn work.

What kid doesn't like to water flowers? And with their own watering cans too. But why stop there?

Sure, mowing the lawn with a non gas powered lawn mower is hard work but idle hands are the devil's mischief, or something like that. I could show you the photos of my children tied to trees and forced to weed but I refuse to incriminate myself.

But all these "natural" activities got me thinking: What other green activities could my children do?

Summer Green Tip #2: Liter patrol

Let's say I want to go to Starbucks for a refreshing beverage. Good heavens, do I really want to take a car load of kids with me? No, but I don't want to leave them home alone either. Solution?

Drop them off on the side of the road to pick up recyclable items. They're saving the planet and Mom's got a some peace and quiet. (Emma's cheating in this photo and picking clover flowers. That's not very green Emma!)

And they're even using reusable shopping bags to collect their finds. My heart is bursting with pride. And my trashy neighborhood is cleaner too.

Jenna showing off her loot.

But surely there are other green activities my children can participate in. Hmmmm....

Summer Tip #3: Children, your personal electric source.

Every child needs to learn how to ride a bike, but how about harnessing that bike power to not only save the planet by reducing green house gases but also lowering Mom's electric bill?

Kids! Mom needs to make some toast! Get outside and get to work!

We merely harnessing the pedaling power to operate the toaster. One child can't seem to generate enough power so they have to take turns. No peddlin', no toast.

See? It works!
(I'd like to thank Ed Begley Jr. and HGTV for this awesome idea.)

You think all that peddling would wear those kids out but no. They're still looking for something to do.

Summer Green Tip #4: Alternative Transportation

Cars use gas which emit carbon gases reducing our ozone which is a bad thing. But even more importantly, the price of gas is going up! Yikes! Time to think of alternative transportation.

Kid Powered Cars! Sure, it's a bit Flinestonian but remarkably effective. We're still working on the brake system.

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I hope you've enjoyed my tongue in cheek Survival Summer Tips. If you want some REAL summer tips check out Carey's blog Life in The Carpool Lane and the other blogs listed at the bottom. Now excuse me while I keep working on trying to extricate my booty from this car.

PS> No children were harmed in the making of this post unless public humiliation counts. If it does, then I'm beginning a fund raiser for Julia's therapy after having people "look" at her while picking up recyclables. How embarrassing! However let the record show that she was not forced to participate.