The Green Parent - Blog Posts RSS Feed https://thegreenparent.co.uk/blog Blog posts from thegreenparent.co.uk en editor@thegreenparent.co.uk Copyright 2015 2015-10-19T17:56:36+00:00 Seasonal celebrations /blog/post/seasonal-celebrations I’ve been putting together a series of activities for my daughters based on the changing seasons and I thought I’d share my inspirations and sources in case anyone else is looking for ideas. “NATURE’S PLAYGROUND”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0711224919/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0711224919 Activities, Crafts and Games to Encourage Children to Get Outdoors Another beautiful book from Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks, Nature’s playground is packed to the brim with games, crafts and adventures for all seasons. Ideas for autumn include Natural painting, autumn collections, forest mobiles, elf houses, woodland monsters and colourful crowns. Another section is entitled Fun After Dark with ideas for a Halloween feast, games to play in the dark and how to watch moths. I’m gleaning ideas for making family walks even more fun and exciting this autumn and winter and also planning some leafy crafts using material from this book. “FESTIVALS TOGETHER”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1869890469/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1869890469 A Guide to Multi-Cultural Celebration I love the combination lot recipes, songs and stories in this book. This year we’ll be making Pumpkin Pie to celebrate Thanksgiving and making a tree from which we’ll hang cut out leaves, detailing everything that we are thankful for in our lives. We’ll read about Divali and cook an Indian meal together to celebrate. We’ll probably end up henna-ing each other’s hands and listening to some sitar music and perhaps putting on a play with puppets of the story of Rama and Sita. In years gone by we have made lamps and decorated rangoli patterns too. This book contains an incredible smorgasbord of ideas for festivals from many different cultures. It’s quite brilliant! “CELEBRATING THE SEASONS OF LIFE”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1564147312/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1564147312 Samhain to Ostara: Lore, Rituals, Activities and Symbols I love this book; it goes into quite a lot of depth about each celebration and Samhain is no different. Expect to learn about all sorts from singing for the ancestors to how to make gingerbread, building a community altar to the importance of pumpkins at this time of year. Ashleen O’Gaea is the author of several books and she and her husband run their own coven. I love the idea of a reverse spiral dance to mark Samhain so will be borrowing ideas from this book for our family celebrations. “THE FAIRY PARTY BOOK”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1590030540/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1590030540 Bringing Magic into Every Celebration Throughout the Year In this cheerful and fun book, Marina Stern shares her ideas for celebrating every month of the year. Each entry includes some background history and often a recipe or party idea. For Halloween she shares a spiced hot apple juice drink. I’ve used this book for gaining insight into Samhain and why it is celebrated. “SEVEN TIMES THE SUN”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0967571308/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0967571308 Guiding your family through the rhythms of the day Although this book is not specifically about seasonal celebrations, I find myself turning to it again and agin when looking for a meaningful and joyful way to celebrate family life. The book, one of a selection by Shea Darian shares simple rituals, songs and ideas to bring calm, peace or a sense of excitement to different times of the day. Currently I am using the section on celebrating quiet; it focuses on listening and encourages the use of a ‘pause’ during each day when everyone enjoys a time of silent relaxation. Shea suggests activities that might help our children to slow down and take a pause, “Individual quiet time might be inspired by repetitive crafts or simple tasks that help clear a buzzing mind. Finger knitting, weaving a basket or beading a necklace can bathe one in silent relaxation.” I love the gentle inspiration that I receive from reading her words. “CELEBRATING THE GREAT MOTHER”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0892815507/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0892815507 A Handbook of Earth Honouring Activities for Parents and Children This is a wonderful book packed full of ideas for marking the turning wheel of the year. Each of the projects aims to encourage a deeper understanding of earth based spirituality and it has certainly opened up some interesting insights for our family. I love the Samhain activity on discovering your power animal which takes parents and children on a magical journey to meet their special animal. Other projects involve making costumes, creating bean runes to use for divination and how best to decorate an altar for this time of year. Think pumpkins, scattered colourful leaves, candles, nuts, bones and offerings to the ancestors. Written by Cair Johnson and Maura Shaw, this handbook contains a wealth of ideas for family celebrations. The beautiful image that I have chosen to illustrate this post is from an autumn trees tutorial to make decorations for your autumn nature table from Patch O’Dirt Farm. Find out how to make some gorgeous, colourful, gossamer leaves for your home and read more about the family behind the project “here”:http://patchodirtfarm.blogspot.com/2010/10/tutorial-trees-for-your-autumn-nature.html. Seasonal celebrations

I’ve been putting together a series of activities for my daughters based on the changing seasons and I thought I’d share my inspirations and sources in case anyone else is looking for ideas.

“NATURE’S PLAYGROUND”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0711224919/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0711224919
Activities, Crafts and Games to Encourage Children to Get Outdoors
Another beautiful book from Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks, Nature’s playground is packed to the brim with games, crafts and adventures for all seasons. Ideas for autumn include Natural painting, autumn collections, forest mobiles, elf houses, woodland monsters and colourful crowns. Another section is entitled Fun After Dark with ideas for a Halloween feast, games to play in the dark and how to watch moths. I’m gleaning ideas for making family walks even more fun and exciting this autumn and winter and also planning some leafy crafts using material from this book.

“FESTIVALS TOGETHER”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1869890469/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1869890469
A Guide to Multi-Cultural Celebration
I love the combination lot recipes, songs and stories in this book. This year we’ll be making Pumpkin Pie to celebrate Thanksgiving and making a tree from which we’ll hang cut out leaves, detailing everything that we are thankful for in our lives. We’ll read about Divali and cook an Indian meal together to celebrate. We’ll probably end up henna-ing each other’s hands and listening to some sitar music and perhaps putting on a play with puppets of the story of Rama and Sita. In years gone by we have made lamps and decorated rangoli patterns too. This book contains an incredible smorgasbord of ideas for festivals from many different cultures. It’s quite brilliant!

“CELEBRATING THE SEASONS OF LIFE”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1564147312/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1564147312
Samhain to Ostara: Lore, Rituals, Activities and Symbols
I love this book; it goes into quite a lot of depth about each celebration and Samhain is no different. Expect to learn about all sorts from singing for the ancestors to how to make gingerbread, building a community altar to the importance of pumpkins at this time of year. Ashleen O’Gaea is the author of several books and she and her husband run their own coven. I love the idea of a reverse spiral dance to mark Samhain so will be borrowing ideas from this book for our family celebrations.

“THE FAIRY PARTY BOOK”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1590030540/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1590030540
Bringing Magic into Every Celebration Throughout the Year
In this cheerful and fun book, Marina Stern shares her ideas for celebrating every month of the year. Each entry includes some background history and often a recipe or party idea. For Halloween she shares a spiced hot apple juice drink. I’ve used this book for gaining insight into Samhain and why it is celebrated.

“SEVEN TIMES THE SUN”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0967571308/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0967571308
Guiding your family through the rhythms of the day
Although this book is not specifically about seasonal celebrations, I find myself turning to it again and agin when looking for a meaningful and joyful way to celebrate family life. The book, one of a selection by Shea Darian shares simple rituals, songs and ideas to bring calm, peace or a sense of excitement to different times of the day. Currently I am using the section on celebrating quiet; it focuses on listening and encourages the use of a ‘pause’ during each day when everyone enjoys a time of silent relaxation. Shea suggests activities that might help our children to slow down and take a pause, “Individual quiet time might be inspired by repetitive crafts or simple tasks that help clear a buzzing mind. Finger knitting, weaving a basket or beading a necklace can bathe one in silent relaxation.” I love the gentle inspiration that I receive from reading her words.

“CELEBRATING THE GREAT MOTHER”:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0892815507/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0892815507
A Handbook of Earth Honouring Activities for Parents and Children
This is a wonderful book packed full of ideas for marking the turning wheel of the year. Each of the projects aims to encourage a deeper understanding of earth based spirituality and it has certainly opened up some interesting insights for our family. I love the Samhain activity on discovering your power animal which takes parents and children on a magical journey to meet their special animal. Other projects involve making costumes, creating bean runes to use for divination and how best to decorate an altar for this time of year. Think pumpkins, scattered colourful leaves, candles, nuts, bones and offerings to the ancestors. Written by Cair Johnson and Maura Shaw, this handbook contains a wealth of ideas for family celebrations.

The beautiful image that I have chosen to illustrate this post is from an autumn trees tutorial to make decorations for your autumn nature table from Patch O’Dirt Farm. Find out how to make some gorgeous, colourful, gossamer leaves for your home and read more about the family behind the project “here”:http://patchodirtfarm.blogspot.com/2010/10/tutorial-trees-for-your-autumn-nature.html.

]]> 2015-10-19T17:56:36+00:00 Best Green Hotel /blog/post/best-green-hotel Do you have a favourite green place to stay? I am working with the Best Kept Secret Awards this year to help them find the hotel with the Best Eco Credentials. You can share your best eco place to stay up until 27th August. LateRooms.com has just launched its annual search for the UK hotel industry’s hidden gems with its 2012 Best Kept Secret Awards. The hotel booking specialist is once again calling for nominations of hotels, B&Bs and all types of accomodation following the thousands of entries that last year’s awards received. Guests have until August 27th to nominate their favourite hotels for one of the coveted awards. Ten categories will recognise an array of accomodation, and unique categories will give properties with their own special qualities the chance to shine, honouring those with the Best Eco Credentials, Best Service, Best Spa and Best Gardens. Nominations for properties can be made via the "LateRooms.com":http://www.LateRooms.com website and the dedicated 2012 "Best Kept Secret Awards page":http://www.bestkeptsecretawards.com. A shortlist of finalists will then be drawn up, with the judging panel selecting the eventual winners. Best Green Hotel

Do you have a favourite green place to stay? I am working with the Best Kept Secret Awards this year to help them find the hotel with the Best Eco Credentials. You can share your best eco place to stay up until 27th August. LateRooms.com has just launched its annual search for the UK hotel industry’s hidden gems with its 2012 Best Kept Secret Awards. The hotel booking specialist is once again calling for nominations of hotels, B&Bs and all types of accomodation following the thousands of entries that last year’s awards received. Guests have until August 27th to nominate their favourite hotels for one of the coveted awards. Ten categories will recognise an array of accomodation, and unique categories will give properties with their own special qualities the chance to shine, honouring those with the Best Eco Credentials, Best Service, Best Spa and Best Gardens. Nominations for properties can be made via the "LateRooms.com":http://www.LateRooms.com website and the dedicated 2012 "Best Kept Secret Awards page":http://www.bestkeptsecretawards.com. A shortlist of finalists will then be drawn up, with the judging panel selecting the eventual winners. ]]> 2012-08-10T10:27:30+00:00 Buddhafield /blog/post/buddhafield Super excited to be heading off to Buddhafield this weekend. This year's theme is Doorway to Freedom and if the programme is anything to go by, we're going to be hard pressed to find enough hours in the day to try out all the wonderful things that we'd like to experience. Last year we had the most amazing heart opening time at "Buddhafield":http://www.buddhafield.com/index.php?festival=about. Our eldest daughter explained that it was her favourite festival because everyone was genuinely happy. The no drugs, no alcohol policy at the festival means that everyone is more likely to be expressing their true self. This makes for a very special experience. We enjoyed all sorts of workshops, dancing, therapies, yoga sessions, singing and impromptu events. It was quite magical. This year we are hoping for more of the same. The Dharma Parlour looks especially interesting with an abundant programme of talks and events, including hot debate topics such as "a serious Buddhist is a vegan Buddhist". I can't wait to check out some of the yoga classes on offer, including Yoga Twister - yes!!. Avalon Roots and Carrie Tree are providing some of the lush sounds on offer throughout the weekend and oh the workshops.... Well, Jewels Wingfield is offering a magical mix of the divine and the earthly so I hope to catch plenty of that! Plus there's Goddess Dance and Tribal Bellydancing, Biodanza and Soulful Singing with Mahasukha, Family Constellations and NVC Parenting. The kids area looks special with meditation games, stories and a space for older kids to try out DJing, circus skills and acrobatics. Plus of course there's a permaculture area with Natural Bee keeping talks, forest gardening and Patrick Whitefield teaching Reading the Landscape skills. Plus there's Green Crafts, Women's Space and heaps, heaps more. The green credentials of the festival are particularly strong with site-wide compost loos, very active recycling team and plenty of yummy locally sourced organic veggie food. There are still "tickets available":http://www.buddhafield.com/index.php?festival=booking and it'll probably be the most valuable £110 you've ever spent. Hope to see you there xx Buddhafield

Super excited to be heading off to Buddhafield this weekend. This year's theme is Doorway to Freedom and if the programme is anything to go by, we're going to be hard pressed to find enough hours in the day to try out all the wonderful things that we'd like to experience. Last year we had the most amazing heart opening time at "Buddhafield":http://www.buddhafield.com/index.php?festival=about. Our eldest daughter explained that it was her favourite festival because everyone was genuinely happy. The no drugs, no alcohol policy at the festival means that everyone is more likely to be expressing their true self. This makes for a very special experience. We enjoyed all sorts of workshops, dancing, therapies, yoga sessions, singing and impromptu events. It was quite magical. This year we are hoping for more of the same. The Dharma Parlour looks especially interesting with an abundant programme of talks and events, including hot debate topics such as "a serious Buddhist is a vegan Buddhist". I can't wait to check out some of the yoga classes on offer, including Yoga Twister - yes!!. Avalon Roots and Carrie Tree are providing some of the lush sounds on offer throughout the weekend and oh the workshops.... Well, Jewels Wingfield is offering a magical mix of the divine and the earthly so I hope to catch plenty of that! Plus there's Goddess Dance and Tribal Bellydancing, Biodanza and Soulful Singing with Mahasukha, Family Constellations and NVC Parenting. The kids area looks special with meditation games, stories and a space for older kids to try out DJing, circus skills and acrobatics. Plus of course there's a permaculture area with Natural Bee keeping talks, forest gardening and Patrick Whitefield teaching Reading the Landscape skills. Plus there's Green Crafts, Women's Space and heaps, heaps more. The green credentials of the festival are particularly strong with site-wide compost loos, very active recycling team and plenty of yummy locally sourced organic veggie food. There are still "tickets available":http://www.buddhafield.com/index.php?festival=booking and it'll probably be the most valuable £110 you've ever spent. Hope to see you there xx ]]> 2012-07-10T16:42:33+00:00 Happiness and lifelines /blog/post/happiness-and-lifelines We are just in the process of putting issue 47 to bed. It’s been an easier lifeline this issue as we’ve been able to work with the energies of the New Moon. This always makes the whole process smoother and less stressful. If only it was possible to schedule the lifeline for every magazine with the New Moon. Actually looking at our schedule for the new two editions, we will be aligned with the dark moon so each magazine should be a breeze! We’ve chosen a Go Wild theme for our next edition and there’s so much inside to inspire. Articles on wild swimming, camping with teens and foraging for food sit alongside pieces on biodynamic beauty and how to create a baby naming ceremony. Plus one of our readers went meat-free for a month with her family and shares her diaries of the experience. We have lots of simple tasty family meal ideas and a gorgeous craft project too. As well as heaps of great articles in the mag we’ve put together a packed guide to the summer with our Free Festival Guide. This free pull out guide has loads of green events taking place this year and a chance to win tickets to plenty of them. Jez has put together a new design for the guide this year and it’s really fun and exciting. We received a review copy of Natalie Fee’s new book; "The Everyday Alchemist’ Happiness Handbook":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844095878/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1844095878 and are super proud that this brilliant author writes for The Green Parent magazine. Her book is vibrant and life-enhancing and packed with tools and techniques for readers to bring greater joy into their lives. This would make a great pick me up pressie for when the weather is soggy and grey. Apart from the good soaking that the garden is receiving, another plus point is that working at a computer is easier when the weather is like this – the rain is pouring down in torrents outside the window and I don’t feel as though I’m missing out so much. So, better plough on… Happiness and lifelines

We are just in the process of putting issue 47 to bed. It’s been an easier lifeline this issue as we’ve been able to work with the energies of the New Moon. This always makes the whole process smoother and less stressful. If only it was possible to schedule the lifeline for every magazine with the New Moon. Actually looking at our schedule for the new two editions, we will be aligned with the dark moon so each magazine should be a breeze! We’ve chosen a Go Wild theme for our next edition and there’s so much inside to inspire. Articles on wild swimming, camping with teens and foraging for food sit alongside pieces on biodynamic beauty and how to create a baby naming ceremony. Plus one of our readers went meat-free for a month with her family and shares her diaries of the experience. We have lots of simple tasty family meal ideas and a gorgeous craft project too. As well as heaps of great articles in the mag we’ve put together a packed guide to the summer with our Free Festival Guide. This free pull out guide has loads of green events taking place this year and a chance to win tickets to plenty of them. Jez has put together a new design for the guide this year and it’s really fun and exciting. We received a review copy of Natalie Fee’s new book; "The Everyday Alchemist’ Happiness Handbook":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844095878/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1844095878 and are super proud that this brilliant author writes for The Green Parent magazine. Her book is vibrant and life-enhancing and packed with tools and techniques for readers to bring greater joy into their lives. This would make a great pick me up pressie for when the weather is soggy and grey. Apart from the good soaking that the garden is receiving, another plus point is that working at a computer is easier when the weather is like this – the rain is pouring down in torrents outside the window and I don’t feel as though I’m missing out so much. So, better plough on… ]]> 2012-04-25T10:03:27+00:00 Enter our awards /blog/post/enter-our-awards There's a real buzz around our 2012 beauty awards this week. We are currently gathering thousands of products, which will be sent out to a team of natural beauty testers in the first week of April. To find out how you can get involved read on... Each item has to meet strict criteria regarding ingredients, manufacturing, packaging etc. In 2011, the Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards were highly respected in the industry because we had strict guidelines and only the cleanest, greenest products received awards. Another plus point cited by industry insiders was the fact that our testing process allowed the small scale cottage industries to do as well as the larger brands. *ENTER YOUR PRODUCTS* If you sell beauty products and would like to enter them into our 2012 awards, you still have time. The lifeline for this is 26th March. If you have not received forms for entry please email "info@thegreenparent.co.uk":info@thegreenparent.co.uk and I'll get more info sent out to you. *JOIN OUR TESTING PANEL* If you are a natural beauty guru and would like to be considered for our panel of testers, you can read more about that "here":http://www.thegreenparent.co.uk/articles/read/be-on-our-beauty-panel/. We've had an amazing response to our survey, which is now available on our Facebook page - "check it out":http://www.facebook.com/greenparentmag?sk=app_127709503932081. Tell us what you think of The Green Parent and you could win a whole array of goodies. We are getting lots of requests for more content relevant to those with older children. So we are currently working on a way to make coverage of older children and teens a more regular and more visible part of the magazine. Many of the articles in the magazine deal with all stages of family life; communication, natural home, wellbeing, learning etc. But we do have a special section for Green Babies every issue, which we feel is really important for our new parent readers. Perhaps we need a special section each issue for older children too. Any suggestions welcome! *GROWING THINGS* This week has seen us making a proper start in the garden. I'm planting by the moon so I have sowed leaf (spinach, oriental greens, lettuce) and fruit (sweetcorn, beans and peas) seeds into pots and insulated with a bit of bubble wrap and created some plastic bag mini greenhouses so the soil stays warm enough for them to germinate. Leaves should be sown when the moon is in a water sign (Scorpio this week), and fruit when the moon is in a fire sign of the zodiac (Sagittarius). There is conflicting advice as to whether seeds should be sown in the next couple of weeks as the moon is ascending through the zodiac signs. Some sources say this is the best time for germination, others recommend not sowing at this time as all the energy is concentrated upwards and you end up with tall, spindly plants. Am undecided which source I trust most at the moment. I think if I am tempted to get some flowers in tomorrow (the moon is in Aquarius, an Air sign until Tuesday morn) I just will. I have some exciting flower seeds saved from last year - cornflowers, aquilegia, calendula, nasturtiums and more. We are also building a herb spiral using some discarded stone from a house re-fit up the road. Perfect timing! It's in its primitive stages but should be up and running in the next week or so which is exciting. Happy Mother's day - hope you've enjoyed a day full of love and laughter xx Enter our awards

There's a real buzz around our 2012 beauty awards this week. We are currently gathering thousands of products, which will be sent out to a team of natural beauty testers in the first week of April. To find out how you can get involved read on... Each item has to meet strict criteria regarding ingredients, manufacturing, packaging etc. In 2011, the Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards were highly respected in the industry because we had strict guidelines and only the cleanest, greenest products received awards. Another plus point cited by industry insiders was the fact that our testing process allowed the small scale cottage industries to do as well as the larger brands. *ENTER YOUR PRODUCTS* If you sell beauty products and would like to enter them into our 2012 awards, you still have time. The lifeline for this is 26th March. If you have not received forms for entry please email "info@thegreenparent.co.uk":info@thegreenparent.co.uk and I'll get more info sent out to you. *JOIN OUR TESTING PANEL* If you are a natural beauty guru and would like to be considered for our panel of testers, you can read more about that "here":http://www.thegreenparent.co.uk/articles/read/be-on-our-beauty-panel/. We've had an amazing response to our survey, which is now available on our Facebook page - "check it out":http://www.facebook.com/greenparentmag?sk=app_127709503932081. Tell us what you think of The Green Parent and you could win a whole array of goodies. We are getting lots of requests for more content relevant to those with older children. So we are currently working on a way to make coverage of older children and teens a more regular and more visible part of the magazine. Many of the articles in the magazine deal with all stages of family life; communication, natural home, wellbeing, learning etc. But we do have a special section for Green Babies every issue, which we feel is really important for our new parent readers. Perhaps we need a special section each issue for older children too. Any suggestions welcome! *GROWING THINGS* This week has seen us making a proper start in the garden. I'm planting by the moon so I have sowed leaf (spinach, oriental greens, lettuce) and fruit (sweetcorn, beans and peas) seeds into pots and insulated with a bit of bubble wrap and created some plastic bag mini greenhouses so the soil stays warm enough for them to germinate. Leaves should be sown when the moon is in a water sign (Scorpio this week), and fruit when the moon is in a fire sign of the zodiac (Sagittarius). There is conflicting advice as to whether seeds should be sown in the next couple of weeks as the moon is ascending through the zodiac signs. Some sources say this is the best time for germination, others recommend not sowing at this time as all the energy is concentrated upwards and you end up with tall, spindly plants. Am undecided which source I trust most at the moment. I think if I am tempted to get some flowers in tomorrow (the moon is in Aquarius, an Air sign until Tuesday morn) I just will. I have some exciting flower seeds saved from last year - cornflowers, aquilegia, calendula, nasturtiums and more. We are also building a herb spiral using some discarded stone from a house re-fit up the road. Perfect timing! It's in its primitive stages but should be up and running in the next week or so which is exciting. Happy Mother's day - hope you've enjoyed a day full of love and laughter xx ]]> 2012-03-18T21:06:05+00:00 New issue arrived /blog/post/new-issue-arrived The latest edition of The Green Parent has just landed on my desk - it has a gorgeous fresh cover and plenty of enticing cover lines. Jez and I are really pleased with how it's come out and want to say a big thank you to everyone involved in our forty sixth issue! This is a our Natural Home special; inside there's article on "going off-grid":http://www.brithdirmawr.co.uk/, "clearing clutter":http://myzerowaste.com/ and how to "make space":http://www.playfulearning.com/Playful_Learning/Playful_Learning.html for learning at home. Other exciting features include "Claire Ashbourne":http://www.mamauktalesfromwales.blogspot.com/ on how to heal your children's teeth, "Lisa Hassan Scott":http://lisahassanscott.co.uk/ on Awareness Parenting and "Sally Butcher":http://veggiestan.com/blog/ on jewel-like edible delights from the Middle East. Tasty! An interesting book also arrived this week - "Moontimes":http://thehappywomb.com/products-page/moon_time/ by Lucy Pearce takes a look at the menstrual cycle and explores ways in which we can celebrate each part of the process from ovulation through to our blood time. There are some great ideas for tuning into the body and a wealth of heartwarming information that I needed to read on the Crazy Woman time of the month! I particularly enjoyed the section on creating a menarche ceremony, written by "Rachel Hertogs":http://www.rachaelhertogs.co.uk/. Her story was inspired by many years of planning and co-ordinating these ceremonies at the "Sacred Arts Camp":http://www.sacredartscamp.org/, which takes place every spring in Oxfordshire. Talking of camps, whispers of festival plans have been heard in the office this week. We're planning our Family Festival Guide, which will be free with issue 47 (out on 11th May) and we've enjoyed the first burst of spring-like weather, prompting us to think about plans for the summer. A favourite and annual treat is "Sunrise Celebration":http://www.sunrisecelebration.com/ in Somerset, which this year will be held on the Solstice. Jez and I will have just put an issue to bed as the gates open to this marvellous event so we'll be there as soon as we can after finishing. I expect the actual Solstice will be spent by the sea in Sussex, getting creative, making fire, night swimming and enjoying the company of friends and family. Another festival that we'd love to be part of this year is "Buddhafield":http://www.buddhafield.com/index.php?festival=about. We had such a magical time last year. There was a real sense of love and heart centre expansion during the festival, which lasted long after we had left the beautiful wooded site near Taunton. I'd like to go back and allow each of us to experience the freedom and joy that we enjoyed last year. I had hoped to "teach yoga":http://eyeheartyoga.wordpress.com/ here but spaces get booked up almost before they become available. Maybe in 2013? Our enewsletter is going out tomorrow with some juicy content. You'll be able to read about ways to celebrate Spring Equinox with your family, get some knitting inspiration and explore a month of meat free meals. "It's free to sign up":http://www.thegreenparent.co.uk/articles/read/email-newsletter-sign-up/. Have a great week! PS: Great pic for this week's post features the treehouse at "Bewilderwood":http://www.bewilderwood.co.uk/ in Norfolk, featured in our Green Holidays on the Coast article in the current edition. New issue arrived

The latest edition of The Green Parent has just landed on my desk - it has a gorgeous fresh cover and plenty of enticing cover lines. Jez and I are really pleased with how it's come out and want to say a big thank you to everyone involved in our forty sixth issue! This is a our Natural Home special; inside there's article on "going off-grid":http://www.brithdirmawr.co.uk/, "clearing clutter":http://myzerowaste.com/ and how to "make space":http://www.playfulearning.com/Playful_Learning/Playful_Learning.html for learning at home. Other exciting features include "Claire Ashbourne":http://www.mamauktalesfromwales.blogspot.com/ on how to heal your children's teeth, "Lisa Hassan Scott":http://lisahassanscott.co.uk/ on Awareness Parenting and "Sally Butcher":http://veggiestan.com/blog/ on jewel-like edible delights from the Middle East. Tasty! An interesting book also arrived this week - "Moontimes":http://thehappywomb.com/products-page/moon_time/ by Lucy Pearce takes a look at the menstrual cycle and explores ways in which we can celebrate each part of the process from ovulation through to our blood time. There are some great ideas for tuning into the body and a wealth of heartwarming information that I needed to read on the Crazy Woman time of the month! I particularly enjoyed the section on creating a menarche ceremony, written by "Rachel Hertogs":http://www.rachaelhertogs.co.uk/. Her story was inspired by many years of planning and co-ordinating these ceremonies at the "Sacred Arts Camp":http://www.sacredartscamp.org/, which takes place every spring in Oxfordshire. Talking of camps, whispers of festival plans have been heard in the office this week. We're planning our Family Festival Guide, which will be free with issue 47 (out on 11th May) and we've enjoyed the first burst of spring-like weather, prompting us to think about plans for the summer. A favourite and annual treat is "Sunrise Celebration":http://www.sunrisecelebration.com/ in Somerset, which this year will be held on the Solstice. Jez and I will have just put an issue to bed as the gates open to this marvellous event so we'll be there as soon as we can after finishing. I expect the actual Solstice will be spent by the sea in Sussex, getting creative, making fire, night swimming and enjoying the company of friends and family. Another festival that we'd love to be part of this year is "Buddhafield":http://www.buddhafield.com/index.php?festival=about. We had such a magical time last year. There was a real sense of love and heart centre expansion during the festival, which lasted long after we had left the beautiful wooded site near Taunton. I'd like to go back and allow each of us to experience the freedom and joy that we enjoyed last year. I had hoped to "teach yoga":http://eyeheartyoga.wordpress.com/ here but spaces get booked up almost before they become available. Maybe in 2013? Our enewsletter is going out tomorrow with some juicy content. You'll be able to read about ways to celebrate Spring Equinox with your family, get some knitting inspiration and explore a month of meat free meals. "It's free to sign up":http://www.thegreenparent.co.uk/articles/read/email-newsletter-sign-up/. Have a great week! PS: Great pic for this week's post features the treehouse at "Bewilderwood":http://www.bewilderwood.co.uk/ in Norfolk, featured in our Green Holidays on the Coast article in the current edition. ]]> 2012-03-07T13:38:36+00:00 Snow Moon /blog/post/snow-moon The Full Moon falls on the 7th of February - the Sun in Aquarius and the Moon in Leo. Astrologically, this is a Fire Moon as it falls in the fiery house of Leo, creating a powerful, if volatile energy. Conversely in folklore it is known as the Snow Moon. Read on to find out what energies to focus on at this time. This full moon is named the snow moon because there is snow upon the ground or it is at its most deepest at this time of the year. Other names include Moon of the Seer, Storm or Quickening Moon. It marks a time when the night of the year is drawing to a close and we are entering the half of the year with greater hours of daylight and warmth. However, just as a storm can flare up just before it ends so too can winter be most fierce just before Spring. We may feel drawn to continue our inner work - working with and uncovering our personal truth. It is said that this full moon brings light to illuminate our own darkness. I like that analogy although I understand that that means some challenges in acknowledging and accepting the darkness within. I am going to use divination to help illuminate those parts which I might not otherwise be prepared to look at. And to find out which areas I need to focus upon in the coming month. At the moment I am using "Wisdom of Avalon":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1401910424?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1401910424 cards, which are beautiful and work on many levels, the "Druid Plant Oracle":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1859062431?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1859062431, which I love because I feel drawn to plants and for a fluffier and empowering reading, the "Goddess Guidance":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1401903010?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1401903010 cards. I thought it would be a good time to create my own divination tools so am going to make myself a deck of tree cards over the next month. I am also going to deepen my practice of really observing the messages that nature offers us. Last week, when driving back from a workshop with a carful of friends we came across an amazing, majestic stag, standing motionless by the side of the road. We stopped the car and everyone became completely silent just watching this beautiful beast. He continued standing there, staring back at us. In Wiccan belief the stag represents grace, gentleness and swiftness. I will never forget the image of him, white against the dark forest behind. And a day or so later when late and rushing to pick up my children from a party, feeling anxious, a white dove flew past and settled on a rooftop nearby, bringing calm and a sense of perspective to the situation. So now I am trying to be alert to further symbolism from the natural world. This beautiful painting has been created by Carol - here's her "myspace":http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=143567108 page. Tell us about what this full moon holds for you. I'd love to hear from you. Follow @greenparentmag Snow Moon

The Full Moon falls on the 7th of February - the Sun in Aquarius and the Moon in Leo. Astrologically, this is a Fire Moon as it falls in the fiery house of Leo, creating a powerful, if volatile energy. Conversely in folklore it is known as the Snow Moon. Read on to find out what energies to focus on at this time. This full moon is named the snow moon because there is snow upon the ground or it is at its most deepest at this time of the year. Other names include Moon of the Seer, Storm or Quickening Moon. It marks a time when the night of the year is drawing to a close and we are entering the half of the year with greater hours of daylight and warmth. However, just as a storm can flare up just before it ends so too can winter be most fierce just before Spring. We may feel drawn to continue our inner work - working with and uncovering our personal truth. It is said that this full moon brings light to illuminate our own darkness. I like that analogy although I understand that that means some challenges in acknowledging and accepting the darkness within. I am going to use divination to help illuminate those parts which I might not otherwise be prepared to look at. And to find out which areas I need to focus upon in the coming month. At the moment I am using "Wisdom of Avalon":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1401910424?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1401910424 cards, which are beautiful and work on many levels, the "Druid Plant Oracle":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1859062431?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1859062431, which I love because I feel drawn to plants and for a fluffier and empowering reading, the "Goddess Guidance":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1401903010?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1401903010 cards. I thought it would be a good time to create my own divination tools so am going to make myself a deck of tree cards over the next month. I am also going to deepen my practice of really observing the messages that nature offers us. Last week, when driving back from a workshop with a carful of friends we came across an amazing, majestic stag, standing motionless by the side of the road. We stopped the car and everyone became completely silent just watching this beautiful beast. He continued standing there, staring back at us. In Wiccan belief the stag represents grace, gentleness and swiftness. I will never forget the image of him, white against the dark forest behind. And a day or so later when late and rushing to pick up my children from a party, feeling anxious, a white dove flew past and settled on a rooftop nearby, bringing calm and a sense of perspective to the situation. So now I am trying to be alert to further symbolism from the natural world. This beautiful painting has been created by Carol - here's her "myspace":http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=143567108 page. Tell us about what this full moon holds for you. I'd love to hear from you. ]]> 2012-02-03T04:08:23+00:00 Natural Nutrition /blog/post/natural-nutrition I am fascinated by nutrition and as well as having a seasonal appointment with a NatNut trained nutritionist, I also like to read anything I can get my hands on, attend lectures and experiment with different ideas in the kitchen. The most enduring for me is the work of "Barbara Wren":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/184850103X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=184850103X, who I had the pleasure of meeting this spring, whilst on a retreat with the inspirational Kirsten Chick and Hayley North. I discovered "Nourishing Traditions":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0967089735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0967089735 by Sally Fallon a few years ago and unearthed a whole new way of thinking about food. It is a very traditional approach based in part on research done by Weston Price at the beginning of last century. He was a dentist who travelled the world in the 1930s and observed peoples untouched by civilisation, living solely on local foodstuffs. Most of these tribespeople ate seafood and animal proteins, including organ meats. They saw animal fat as vital to good health. Everything that they ate was in it's natural unrefined state. The one thing that was noticeable about these groups was that they were free from degenerative disease, dental decay and mental illness. Sally Fallon started the Weston Price Foundation in 1999 in the United States and wrote "Nourishing Traditions":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0967089735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0967089735 (a recipe book literally packed with recipes for traditional foods) to bring his work to a wider audience. I use the recipes from this book regularly, although we've yet to cross over to the meat eating side (we enjoy raw dairy and eggs from our chickens instead). I really like her ideas for providing nutritious food for your family on a budget. * DON'T BUY BOXED COLD BREAKFAST CEREALS, even those made of whole grains. They are very expensive, poor in nutrients and difficult to digest. A serving of the best quality oatmeal costs half the amount of the average boxed breakfast cereal and is infinitely more nutritious. For optimum nourishment, you need to think ahead and soak your oatmeal overnight. * MAKE YOUR OWN SALAD DRESSING. You can make your own dressing using the finest ingredients for about the same cost as the average bottled dressings, most of which contain rancid vegetable oils, trans fatty acids and numerous additives. With practice, it takes no more than a minute to produce a delicious dressing for your salad. * ALWAYS BUY BUTTER. Margarine may cost less but it is a false economy, one that leads to numerous impoverishing diseases. If the cost of butter is prohibitive, use lard. * MAKE STOCK AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. * IT'S BETTER TO PUT YOUR MONEY INTO WHOLE FOODS THAN VITAMINS. However, most benefit from a daily teaspoonful of cod liver oil. Lacto fermented beet kvass contains a large array of nutrients in easily assimilated form. * GOOD QUALITY DAIRY PRODUCTS ARE WORTH THE PRICE. * THE LESS EXPENSIVE VEG INCLUDE SOME OF THE MOST NOURISHING. Potatoes, cabbage, carrots, courgette, onions, broccoli, chard, beets and kale are all easy to prepare. Always prepare or serve veg with butter for best assimilation of the minerals they contain. * DON'T FORGET EGGS AS A LOW COST PROTEIN. It pays to buy the best quality. * MAKE SOUPS PART OF YOUR REPERTOIRE. Blended soups can be put together in very little time and are very nourishing. * MAKE KOMBUCHA! The taste is better than the most expensive soft drink, beer or wine. TRY NOT TO OVERECONOMISE ON FOOD. Instead cut out all the junk food, prepared cookies and cakes, soft drinks, frozen foods, fast foods etc. - and use the savings to buy good quality whole foods. Above all use good quality fats - they keep you healthy during times of stress. Natural Nutrition

I am fascinated by nutrition and as well as having a seasonal appointment with a NatNut trained nutritionist, I also like to read anything I can get my hands on, attend lectures and experiment with different ideas in the kitchen. The most enduring for me is the work of "Barbara Wren":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/184850103X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=184850103X, who I had the pleasure of meeting this spring, whilst on a retreat with the inspirational Kirsten Chick and Hayley North. I discovered "Nourishing Traditions":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0967089735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0967089735 by Sally Fallon a few years ago and unearthed a whole new way of thinking about food. It is a very traditional approach based in part on research done by Weston Price at the beginning of last century. He was a dentist who travelled the world in the 1930s and observed peoples untouched by civilisation, living solely on local foodstuffs. Most of these tribespeople ate seafood and animal proteins, including organ meats. They saw animal fat as vital to good health. Everything that they ate was in it's natural unrefined state. The one thing that was noticeable about these groups was that they were free from degenerative disease, dental decay and mental illness. Sally Fallon started the Weston Price Foundation in 1999 in the United States and wrote "Nourishing Traditions":http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0967089735/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thegrepar-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0967089735 (a recipe book literally packed with recipes for traditional foods) to bring his work to a wider audience. I use the recipes from this book regularly, although we've yet to cross over to the meat eating side (we enjoy raw dairy and eggs from our chickens instead). I really like her ideas for providing nutritious food for your family on a budget. * DON'T BUY BOXED COLD BREAKFAST CEREALS, even those made of whole grains. They are very expensive, poor in nutrients and difficult to digest. A serving of the best quality oatmeal costs half the amount of the average boxed breakfast cereal and is infinitely more nutritious. For optimum nourishment, you need to think ahead and soak your oatmeal overnight. * MAKE YOUR OWN SALAD DRESSING. You can make your own dressing using the finest ingredients for about the same cost as the average bottled dressings, most of which contain rancid vegetable oils, trans fatty acids and numerous additives. With practice, it takes no more than a minute to produce a delicious dressing for your salad. * ALWAYS BUY BUTTER. Margarine may cost less but it is a false economy, one that leads to numerous impoverishing diseases. If the cost of butter is prohibitive, use lard. * MAKE STOCK AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. * IT'S BETTER TO PUT YOUR MONEY INTO WHOLE FOODS THAN VITAMINS. However, most benefit from a daily teaspoonful of cod liver oil. Lacto fermented beet kvass contains a large array of nutrients in easily assimilated form. * GOOD QUALITY DAIRY PRODUCTS ARE WORTH THE PRICE. * THE LESS EXPENSIVE VEG INCLUDE SOME OF THE MOST NOURISHING. Potatoes, cabbage, carrots, courgette, onions, broccoli, chard, beets and kale are all easy to prepare. Always prepare or serve veg with butter for best assimilation of the minerals they contain. * DON'T FORGET EGGS AS A LOW COST PROTEIN. It pays to buy the best quality. * MAKE SOUPS PART OF YOUR REPERTOIRE. Blended soups can be put together in very little time and are very nourishing. * MAKE KOMBUCHA! The taste is better than the most expensive soft drink, beer or wine. TRY NOT TO OVERECONOMISE ON FOOD. Instead cut out all the junk food, prepared cookies and cakes, soft drinks, frozen foods, fast foods etc. - and use the savings to buy good quality whole foods. Above all use good quality fats - they keep you healthy during times of stress. ]]> 2011-12-21T14:34:43+00:00 Raw Christmas puds /blog/post/raw-christmas-puds Christmas is a time for all the family to enjoy the luxuries of life. Long walks, good company, roaring log fires, and of course plenty of good food. So when your diet is a little bit different from those around you, how do you make sure that you still can enjoy the fine things in life? For those who are on gluten free, dairy free and vegan diets, Christmas can be a little challenging. Raw Lisa, a little company based on the North Devon coast, has some big ideas about maintaining a healthy diet throughout the festive season – while still enjoying some luxury. “There is no reason why eating our favourite things should be detrimental to our health” says Raw Lisa founder, Lisa Sture. Lisa turned to a diet very high in raw foods five years ago when she started to experience fatigue and general low energy. “I loved my new diet and felt fantastic on it. But when it came to my first ‘raw Christmas,’ I felt left out of the festivities at the dinner table.” Following the success of her ‘raw bakery’ range – a range of bread replacement products including onion flatbreads and seed snaps – Lisa is launching for Christmas this year the "UK’s first Raw Christmas Pudding":http://www.rawlisa.co.uk/Raw-Luxury-Christmas-Pudding.html. “I gave the pudding its first trial run last Christmas and served it with a raw vanilla custard. Everyone round the table was asking for the raw pudding over their shop-bought and I knew I was onto something.” So is it a high-raw diet good for you? Much of it is in the way food is prepared. Temperatures over 118 degrees destroy much of the food’s nutritional goodness, including the enzymes. This means that the body has to work hard to digest any cooked foods as it needs to produce it’s own enzymes. Research is now suggesting that the body has a finite amount of enzymes and over a lifetime the energy used to digest cooked food takes it toll on the system. Raw food alternatively, is a complete food in that the enzymes are intact and the body does not need to work overtime to digest. That sleepy feeling after eating a large cooked meal is replaced by vitality and the body can find other, more fun things to do with all that energy (board games anyone?). The Raw Lisa Raw Luxury Christmas Pudding is the first product of this kind and is suitable for everyone to enjoy. Made from completely natural ingredients that are ecologically sourced and agro-chemical free, including fresh Medjool dates and cardamom, it is prepared by hand using a dehydrator, rather than an oven. This process ensures that the pudding’s nutritional content is maximized and, most importantly, that the enzymes in the raw ingredients are kept alive. So this pudding is not only delicious but also good for you. And because the nutritional content of the food is so well preserved, smaller quantities are generally eaten. The lovely folk at Raw Lisa have a Reader Offer for Green Parent readers: Order any Raw Lisa products from the "Raw Lisa website":http://www.rawlisa.co.uk/raw-food/ and receive a 15% discount. Just quote Raw Green Parent when you place your order. Enjoy! Follow @greenparentmag Raw Christmas puds

Christmas is a time for all the family to enjoy the luxuries of life. Long walks, good company, roaring log fires, and of course plenty of good food. So when your diet is a little bit different from those around you, how do you make sure that you still can enjoy the fine things in life? For those who are on gluten free, dairy free and vegan diets, Christmas can be a little challenging. Raw Lisa, a little company based on the North Devon coast, has some big ideas about maintaining a healthy diet throughout the festive season – while still enjoying some luxury. “There is no reason why eating our favourite things should be detrimental to our health” says Raw Lisa founder, Lisa Sture. Lisa turned to a diet very high in raw foods five years ago when she started to experience fatigue and general low energy. “I loved my new diet and felt fantastic on it. But when it came to my first ‘raw Christmas,’ I felt left out of the festivities at the dinner table.” Following the success of her ‘raw bakery’ range – a range of bread replacement products including onion flatbreads and seed snaps – Lisa is launching for Christmas this year the "UK’s first Raw Christmas Pudding":http://www.rawlisa.co.uk/Raw-Luxury-Christmas-Pudding.html. “I gave the pudding its first trial run last Christmas and served it with a raw vanilla custard. Everyone round the table was asking for the raw pudding over their shop-bought and I knew I was onto something.” So is it a high-raw diet good for you? Much of it is in the way food is prepared. Temperatures over 118 degrees destroy much of the food’s nutritional goodness, including the enzymes. This means that the body has to work hard to digest any cooked foods as it needs to produce it’s own enzymes. Research is now suggesting that the body has a finite amount of enzymes and over a lifetime the energy used to digest cooked food takes it toll on the system. Raw food alternatively, is a complete food in that the enzymes are intact and the body does not need to work overtime to digest. That sleepy feeling after eating a large cooked meal is replaced by vitality and the body can find other, more fun things to do with all that energy (board games anyone?). The Raw Lisa Raw Luxury Christmas Pudding is the first product of this kind and is suitable for everyone to enjoy. Made from completely natural ingredients that are ecologically sourced and agro-chemical free, including fresh Medjool dates and cardamom, it is prepared by hand using a dehydrator, rather than an oven. This process ensures that the pudding’s nutritional content is maximized and, most importantly, that the enzymes in the raw ingredients are kept alive. So this pudding is not only delicious but also good for you. And because the nutritional content of the food is so well preserved, smaller quantities are generally eaten. The lovely folk at Raw Lisa have a Reader Offer for Green Parent readers: Order any Raw Lisa products from the "Raw Lisa website":http://www.rawlisa.co.uk/raw-food/ and receive a 15% discount. Just quote Raw Green Parent when you place your order. Enjoy! ]]> 2011-11-28T17:20:11+00:00 Christmas Offers /blog/post/christmas-offers ETHICAL GIFTS Free delivery on "fair-trade chocolate":http://www.divinechocolate.com/shop/ orders over £20 - Code: Green Parent Free gift worth £7.50 with first order of "child sized tools and toys":http://www.busybynature.com/ to inspire - code: bbnGP011 20% off first order of "beautiful traditional toys":http://www.harmonyathome.co.uk/shop/ - code: TGP 10% off "multicultural musical instruments":http://www.monkey-drum.co.uk/ and gifts - code: B1 WOODEN TOYS "Free wooden toy":http://freetoyoffer.co.uk/greenparent/ for every reader 15% off first order of "great wooden toys":http://www.vupbaby.co.uk/category/catalog/toys and more - code: GREENXMAS ETHICAL CLOTHING Save 25% of all "organic cotton baby clothes":http://www.GREENBABY.COM/ this winter - Code: GREENPARENT11 Save 20% on "beautiful fair-trade fashion":http://www.eternalcreation.com/index.php?osCsid=7cafdab805e5066bfa17d2066e951175&currency=GBP&osCsid=7cafdab805e5066bfa17d2066e951175 for newborn to 12 year olds - Code GR20 Save 15% on "natural wool clothing for babies":http://www.babiesinsheepsclothing.com - code: GreenParenAW11 Save 10% on "personalised organic clothing":http://www.bubbaboom.com/ for children aged 0-10 years old - code: GP10 Save 10% on "organic clothing for kids":http://polarnopyret.co.uk/ from Scandinavia - code: GPAW11 NATURAL BEDDING 15% off merino wool "bedding for babies":http://bambinomerino.com/ - code: GREEN89 NATURAL BEAUTY 20% off orders of natural therapeutic skin products for "babies and children":http://www.pittapatta.com/our_products.html - code: Greenparent Just £100 for "12 Beauty Boxes":http://www.amarya.co.uk/green - one a month for the next year - packed full of green goodies. the perfect gift! 15% discount oN "handmade organic skincare":http://www.soothe-me.com - code: GPDEC11 10% off natural and "organic skincare":http://www.naturalworkscompany.co.uk/ and beauty gifts - code: GREEN11 BABYWEARING 15% off handwoven fair-trade and "lambswool slings":http://thelittleslingcompany.com/ - code: GP 10% "award winning baby carrier":http://WWW.CLOSEPARENT.COM/Default.aspx?tabid=186&List=0&CategoryID=301&Level=1&SortField=ProductName,ProductName - code: GCP11 10% off "slings and baby wearing accessories":http://www.mamanatura.co.uk/catalog.htm?category=61 - code: GP10 REAL NAPPIES 10% off entire range of "natural nappies":http://bumdealnappies.co.uk/ and accessories - code: GRP11 10% off "reusable cloth nappies":http://www.babybots.co.uk/ and accessories - code: Green 10 10% off award winning brand of "washable nappies":http://www.closeparent.com/Default.aspx?tabid=163&List=0&CategoryID=9&Level=a&SortField=ProductName,ProductName - code: GCP11 NEW CAREER 10% discount off baby massage and "yoga teacher training":http://www.mamababybliss.com/training - code: Green Parent Christmas Offers

ETHICAL GIFTS Free delivery on "fair-trade chocolate":http://www.divinechocolate.com/shop/ orders over £20 - Code: Green Parent Free gift worth £7.50 with first order of "child sized tools and toys":http://www.busybynature.com/ to inspire - code: bbnGP011 20% off first order of "beautiful traditional toys":http://www.harmonyathome.co.uk/shop/ - code: TGP 10% off "multicultural musical instruments":http://www.monkey-drum.co.uk/ and gifts - code: B1 WOODEN TOYS "Free wooden toy":http://freetoyoffer.co.uk/greenparent/ for every reader 15% off first order of "great wooden toys":http://www.vupbaby.co.uk/category/catalog/toys and more - code: GREENXMAS ETHICAL CLOTHING Save 25% of all "organic cotton baby clothes":http://www.GREENBABY.COM/ this winter - Code: GREENPARENT11 Save 20% on "beautiful fair-trade fashion":http://www.eternalcreation.com/index.php?osCsid=7cafdab805e5066bfa17d2066e951175¤cy=GBP&osCsid=7cafdab805e5066bfa17d2066e951175 for newborn to 12 year olds - Code GR20 Save 15% on "natural wool clothing for babies":http://www.babiesinsheepsclothing.com - code: GreenParenAW11 Save 10% on "personalised organic clothing":http://www.bubbaboom.com/ for children aged 0-10 years old - code: GP10 Save 10% on "organic clothing for kids":http://polarnopyret.co.uk/ from Scandinavia - code: GPAW11 NATURAL BEDDING 15% off merino wool "bedding for babies":http://bambinomerino.com/ - code: GREEN89 NATURAL BEAUTY 20% off orders of natural therapeutic skin products for "babies and children":http://www.pittapatta.com/our_products.html - code: Greenparent Just £100 for "12 Beauty Boxes":http://www.amarya.co.uk/green - one a month for the next year - packed full of green goodies. the perfect gift! 15% discount oN "handmade organic skincare":http://www.soothe-me.com - code: GPDEC11 10% off natural and "organic skincare":http://www.naturalworkscompany.co.uk/ and beauty gifts - code: GREEN11 BABYWEARING 15% off handwoven fair-trade and "lambswool slings":http://thelittleslingcompany.com/ - code: GP 10% "award winning baby carrier":http://WWW.CLOSEPARENT.COM/Default.aspx?tabid=186&List=0&CategoryID=301&Level=1&SortField=ProductName,ProductName - code: GCP11 10% off "slings and baby wearing accessories":http://www.mamanatura.co.uk/catalog.htm?category=61 - code: GP10 REAL NAPPIES 10% off entire range of "natural nappies":http://bumdealnappies.co.uk/ and accessories - code: GRP11 10% off "reusable cloth nappies":http://www.babybots.co.uk/ and accessories - code: Green 10 10% off award winning brand of "washable nappies":http://www.closeparent.com/Default.aspx?tabid=163&List=0&CategoryID=9&Level=a&SortField=ProductName,ProductName - code: GCP11 NEW CAREER 10% discount off baby massage and "yoga teacher training":http://www.mamababybliss.com/training - code: Green Parent ]]> 2011-11-23T16:07:19+00:00