Helpful Tips- in the Kitchen
Being conscious about our environment and using eco-friendly practices is critical for 
saving our planet. Here are some easy tips for things you can do in the kitchen, to cut down on useless waste:
- Limit food waste- use perishable items before they spoil and save leftovers for another meal. If we reduced the amount of food waste by 25 grams per day (the equivalent weight of a slice of bread) we would save 20 lbs. of food annually which is equal to 16 meals!
- Microwave and limit your oven’s preheat setting- Microwaves are 3.5 to 4.8% more energy efficient to use than an electric oven and the cost to cook an item in a microwave is 4.8% less than a standard oven. If cooking an item in the oven for over an hour, there is no need to preheat the oven. If you reduce the time your oven is on by one hour per year, you’ll save an average of 2 kilowatt- hours of energy. If 30% of the households in America did this, we would save 60 million kilowatt hours of energy a year!
- Stove- use the right size pot on your stove burners it can save you $36 annually for an electric stove and $18 for a gas range…who would have thought?
These are just some of the ways you can make minor changes in your kitchen which will both reduce the amount of energy you consume and cut down on your out of pocket expenses. For more helpful tips like these, check out- ReadtheGreenBook.com.
*If every household in America used the tip about reducing food waste, the savings would provide three meals per day for an entire year to the 1.35 million children who are homeless in the U.S.!
Add comment March 10, 2010
Parents’ Dollars- Grocery Shopping
When Evan and I set out to create this blog, it was important for us to share things we experience in our own lives. For me personally, establishing a grocery budget for a family of 7 is one of my biggest challenges (my mom also lives with us), especially when my lists’ contain only foods that are natural and organic.
I have come up with some practical solutions for making my monthly budget work on a fixed amount of $950. This may seem like a lot of money to spend on food, but with a toddler and two boys (one teenager), I get a lot of bang for my buck (and I know my kids are eating healthy foods)! I also force myself to stay within a certain dollar amount which is helpful if I decide to indulge on something or if I come across great deals at the store.
Here are some of the ways I plan my food budget each month:
A few days prior to the beginning of the month I spend some time looking through my cookbooks for recipes I will want to fix sometime during the month; this way if it calls for a specific ingredient, I have planned for the item in my budget. In the past I have attempted to create a weekly menu, but what I have found is that it often doesn’t work out the way I plan it, either because the kids have something going on or I don’t want a specific meal the night I thought I would make it (nothing like planning chicken on a night you really want pizza).
The first trip I make is to a wholesale store like Costco, Sam’s or BJ’s. I know I will use bulk items like Capri Sun or chips for the kid’s lunches, so I start by stocking up on the items I know I am going to need for the entire month.
*Cost saving tip- most wholesale clubs offer their own coupons each month. Spend some time going through the booklet for items you use frequently and budget to allow for the items with the added benefit of a coupon. Make sure you check the expiration date, because sometimes they offer better coupons, but for a shorter period of time.
Once I’ve stocked up for the month on the everyday items I know I am going to need, I look through each store’s weekly ad. Several times a month, certain stores will offer “stock up” deals where certain items may be priced- 10 for $10. If it’s something I use regularly, I will purchase more of a quantity at the reduced price. I will also watch the ads for the ingredients I use most like cheese or sour cream and buy the items at 2 for $4 instead of one at full price.
*Cost saving tip- often retailers will run sales at the same time manufacturers offer coupons in the weekend circular. I can often get 2 for $4 deals with an additional $1 off coupon.
Most people think you can’t find coupons for organic or natural products, but that is no longer the case. Many companies offer coupons through their web sites, or you can even find some on facebook or twitter. It may require you to register for email notifications or by becoming a fan of their company, but it saves you money so what does it hurt? Companies like Stoneyfield Farms for example, offer coupons via their site for download. You can print them and after so many weeks, they are available for download again. Watch the expiration dates because these often require you to purchase the item in a shorter amount of time.
*Tip- some stores do not allow coupons printed off the internet so make sure you check with the store to find out whether they will accept the coupon.
Finally, the trick to being able to afford organic products over commercial ones is to know when to buy certain items in bulk when you find them on sale. For example, I used to find organic strawberries on sale at Target; they would run them 2 for $5. You can bet when I found them at that price I stocked up (the average price for a package of organic strawberries is $3.99 or more). I use as many of the strawberries as I can while they are fresh and then I freeze the rest. I also know that my son loves 
Cascadian Farms granola bars which usually have a coupon on the package for a $1 off of 2. Since he eats them in his lunch every day, buying two packages and using the coupon makes sense. This is another great reason to set aside a fixed amount of money so when you come across these deals you can take full advantage of them!
I know a lot of people believe they can’t afford to eat natural and organic foods, but if you do some research, buy things when they’re on sale, and set aside a fixed amount of money each month to budget for groceries, you will find you waste less, eat healthier and spend less money on the items you purchase.
Happy shopping!
~Tara
Add comment March 7, 2010
This Little Bear… went and saved your child’s life
Thank you Lauren Rosenfeldt for submitting the CPR Teddy Jr for review! I’m very excited you did since I love this ingenious little product that no child care-giver should be without. Ok here’s the break down….
REVIEW CHOKING RESCUE & CPR ANYTIME ANYWHERE!
For those who have kept up with this blog, you already know how passionate I am about every parent and child care-giver taking a certified cpr/first aid class. Well, the first thought that went through my mind after going through the training was, “OK, I’m sure I’ll forget half of this in a few months….what then???” Yes, the obvious answer would be to review my notes, grab a buddy and practice pulse taking, etc…. Let’s be real, most of us go back to our normal lives praying: 1) that we’ll never have to use what we’ve learned and 2) that we remember the steps if and when we need it most…
Well, now there’s an alternative to praying. It’s a little stuffed bear that comes pre-programmed with audible reviews of CPR & Choking rescue techniques that are triggered by squeezing either paw (Left Paw for infants and Right Paw for toddlers) and by pressing the bear’s heart for CPR review. Before I continue I do have to say that my first reaction to the bear was:
“Oh no – I really hope people don’t buy this thing instead of taking the class and plan on using it during a real emergency!”
To this end, the manufacturer does offer this warning:
Trainikins, Inc.TM recommends that all parents, babysitters, and other child care providers take a complete CPR and First Aid course for Adult, Child, and Infant rescue taught by a certified instructor. CPR TeddyTM manikins are intended to assist in practicing skills already acquired, and are not meant to be used in an actual rescue.
And this is about the only negative to this bear that I could find, since there’s no way to actually stop someone from ignoring this warning… The reason the actual class is so critical lies in the actual hands on muscle memory you can only acquire in a setting with dummies and with a trained professional critiquing you. For instance, in my class, I had a tendency to not push hard enough on chest compressions and the teacher came over, stopped me, looked me right in the eye, and said – “This baby just died,” and explained that to be effective you need stern pressure….but not too much! That shook me up, and I spent the next 1/2 hour getting it just right. No bear can do that. The only thing worse than not being prepared at all is the false confidence that you are!
With that said, this product serves a much-needed purpose as I mentioned earlier: to review procedures from a certification class anytime and anywhere – hopefully bridging the gap between annual retraining certifications. It also comes with a Training DVD “Infant Child CPR & Choking Rescue” which I found to be very thorough, though the same warning above applies. 
The video also gives great tips on childproofing your car and home (I had never thought about my car until I watched the video!)
But here’s what I didn’t expect – My son loves to play with it. Unintentionally, I’ve heard the Choking and CPR reviews at least 20 times today while he pressed each paw just to make the bear talk. If your currently a parent who’s child has a toy that plays a song or talks, you, like me I’m sure, have at some point caught yourself singing or repeating the annoying toy sounds throughout the day. That’s repetition for ya. The bear now has me counting out ~in perfect time~ chest compressions, and I know exactly when it will say, “Now call 911.” It’s officially ingrained into my head via the old parent standby: “The Obnoxious-Audible-Toy-Repetition” method…. Except this one is a life saver so I really don’t mind…
With a Velcro loop attachment that allows you to attach the bear to a stroller, diaper bag, car seat…anything really, I’ve also found that it’s a great conversation starter. It turns out a lot of people wish they knew how to do CPR and are curious enough to listen to a bear tell them (at which point I launch into my “This is not substitute for Physical Practice” speech). But the awareness alone is a benefit worth considering for the price of about $40.00!
I HIGHLY recommend the CPR Teddy, Jr to everyone who spends any time around children and who has already taken, or is about to take the CPR/First Aid Certification course (click here to find locations near you!). It would make an ideal baby shower, or child’s first birthday gift for example – especially if paired with a gift certificate to a certification course like those held by the Red Cross in every city.
If you have any further questions Lauren will be happy to answer them by emailing her at: info@rovisandthebean.com
To Order The CPR Teddy Jr click here: CPRTeddy
…and for a limited time, Lauren is offering $5.00 off your order: Just type bestparents in the space where it asks for a voucher or coupon code!
Happy Parenting!
~Evan
This just in from Lauren:
“One more thing…just so you are aware, the big bear (which is the pic you put on the blog) is the bear that tells you if you are doing the compressions correctly. There is a light in the bow tie, so when you see the green light, you are doing it correctly and when you see the red light, it is incorrect.” (they are $80.00 each)
2 comments February 28, 2010
