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perfect earth day reading for young boys AND girls alike. this awesome book has projects FOR KIDS BY KIDS that help the environment.

now that the kids are in school and have a rhythm going, how about a class project? greg mortenson (author of THREE CUPS OF TEA, a remarkably inspiring book) brings the pennies for peace program to school kids everywhere.

my kids eat the same lunch almost daily. peanut butter and jelly sandwich for one, and soynut butter and jelly for the other (who has a strict "no nut" policy at school, and yet, somehow they always let me in!). 

in teaching gratitude, graciousness and giving back, it seems like a good idea to also read this book with our kids. the subtitle is "lessons for kids on money and abundance". fantastic and simple approach to talking about "you aren't the stuff you have" or in some cases, the stuff you DON'T have. no matter where we fall on the socioeconomic food chain, subtle (or not so subtle) reminders of gratefulness and priorities can't hurt.

as the end of summer arrives, there is no shortage of sunshine (thanks in part to global warming) and although we are still clinging desperately to our sunglasses, this is an easy activity.

as we start to think about returning to the normalcy of school and all that it brings (insert: sighs of relief), about now STAPLES, TARGET and CVS are stocked with back to school merch.

another chance to show appreciation, this time toward people in real danger, risking their lives for our freedom.

in honor of easter and the story of the loaves and the fishes, let's spread the loaf, people. sure there are bunnies, eggs and cadbury chocolates to partake in, but this is a little bit less obvious. at SPREAD THE BREAD, kids are encouraged to bake a loaf of bread and wrap it up with notes of gratitude. this gift is then given to ANYONE your child feels deserves it; police officer, librarian, trash collector, coach - whomever!

there are thousands of bread recipes to be found online or you can go the "cliffnotes" version by picking up a frozen pre-made loaf in the freezer section of any market.

the lesson: it's so easy to show thanks and support to people who have earned it. when your child sees the intense impact a simple gesture can make, they might be motivated to act in a "giving" and "grateful" way more often. and really, that's the whole point, isn't it? or most of the point, anyway.

***added bonus: warm fresh bread out of your oven slathered in butter??? please, like you're not going to bake another one for yourselves?


here's a link to spread the bread for more details

here's a link for a simple bread recipe for kids

so each child i know is living in abundance. when the calendar falls on their special day, yes, it's great to get them a gift, but we all know they don't NEED one. here's a real gift - show them that they can make a difference. log onto MARKMAKERS and choose the amount you'd like to spend. an automatic email will be sent to the birthday child or their parents letting them know they have a "gift card" there. that child can log on to the kid-friendly website and shop. they can choose to donate that money toward any cause they like; rainforest, animal rescue, books, food, medicine, the list goes on.

this is the most wonderful, albeit, esoteric, children's book. it touches on gratitude and being present. i love reading this book because my kids have no idea how important and deep the meaning really is. it's like feeding them spinach disguised in a brownie.

to buy this book, see acme library to the right

as it is now january, the month of cleaning out, i suggest you and your kids put on some music, pop some popcorn, sit on the family room floor and go through all of your DVDs. this is an easy project that not only helps you feel organized, but it also gives back. KID FLICKS is a KID run organization started by 2 teenage sisters in los angeles. they distribute movies to pediatric wards of more than 200 hospitals all over the U.S. and even in South Africa.

ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE by Barbara Kingsolver

This is narrative nonfiction, a book about her family's year-long attempt to be locavores -- eating almost exclusively locally grown (mostly in their garden and on their farm) foods. I read this book with a pencil in my hand. I underlined and starred and exclamation pointed and smiley faced my way from beginning to end. There are too many great lines and important thoughts to share here, but I'll pick one:

"I share with almost every adult I know this crazy quilt of optimism and worries, feeling locked into certain habits but keen to change them in the right direction. And the tendency to feel like a jerk for falling short of absolute conversion. I'm not sure why. If a friend had a coronary scare and finally started exercising three days a week, who would hound him about the other four days? It's the worst of bad manners -- and self-protection, I think, in a nervously cynical society -- to ridicule the small gesture. These earnest efforts might just get us past the train-wreck of the daily news, or the anguish of standing behind a child, looking with her at the road ahead, searching out redemption where we can find it: recycling or carpooling or growing a garden or saving a species or something. Small, stepwise changes in personal habits aren't trivial. Ultimately they will, or won't add up to having been the thing that mattered."