Comments on: Pink & Green Parenting: Greening Your Back-to-School Preparations (and Saving Some Greenbacks, Too) http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/ We're here, We're queer, and We're not going Shopping without Coupons Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:42:20 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jennifer http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/comment-page-1/#comment-152310 Jennifer Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:27:34 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/#comment-152310 Thanks, Moorea! Let me know if _they_ have any good tips I didn't think of!<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-152310">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Thanks, Moorea! Let me know if _they_ have any good tips I didn’t think of!

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]]> By: Moorea http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/comment-page-1/#comment-151619 Moorea Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:04:11 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/#comment-151619 Wow, wonderful post! I'm going to send this link to all of my Parent Coaching clients and friends with kids!<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-151619">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Wow, wonderful post! I’m going to send this link to all of my Parent Coaching clients and friends with kids!

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]]> By: Jennifer http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/comment-page-1/#comment-150830 Jennifer Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:05:05 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/#comment-150830 S, thanks for those tips. I couldn't agree more with you about DYI school supplies. Good point about reusing the conference swag--we reuse some of the weird promo stuff my partner's dad gets at cardiology conferences (we have a water bottle she loves that promotes some sort of heart medication...not exactly what most toddlers need, but hey, it's bright red and she adores it!)<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-150830">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> S, thanks for those tips. I couldn’t agree more with you about DYI school supplies.
Good point about reusing the conference swag–we reuse some of the weird promo stuff my partner’s dad gets at cardiology conferences (we have a water bottle she loves that promotes some sort of heart medication…not exactly what most toddlers need, but hey, it’s bright red and she adores it!)

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]]> By: S http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/comment-page-1/#comment-150724 S Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:36:16 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/#comment-150724 What adds up for me are school supplies, since we typically get a very long and very precise list of what each child is expected to bring. Last year, rather than buy notebooks in each of the specified colors, I glued construction paper of the correct colors onto each of the blue notebooks that had been on sale. So when the teacher told all the kids to pull out their green notebooks for spelling, my son was right there with everyone else. I like not driving all around town to find the right colors, either. (Especially this year: a magenta notebook???) I also refuse to believe my son needs a dozen red pens on day 1 of school. He can bring in the 2 he used last year, and if/when he uses them up, then I'll send in more. Ditto for black pens, pencils, and glue sticks. They'll take up less space in his desk this way, too. I second the thermal lunchbag suggestion of DivaJean's. I'd also suggest this is a great way to use the weird promo lunchbags that adults often get on business trips or from vendors. Plain blue lunchbags are easy to confuse with someone else's... but my son has never misplaced the bright green lunchbag embroidered with a picture of a lobster wearing a labcoat!<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-150724">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> What adds up for me are school supplies, since we typically get a very long and very precise list of what each child is expected to bring. Last year, rather than buy notebooks in each of the specified colors, I glued construction paper of the correct colors onto each of the blue notebooks that had been on sale. So when the teacher told all the kids to pull out their green notebooks for spelling, my son was right there with everyone else. I like not driving all around town to find the right colors, either. (Especially this year: a magenta notebook???)

I also refuse to believe my son needs a dozen red pens on day 1 of school. He can bring in the 2 he used last year, and if/when he uses them up, then I’ll send in more. Ditto for black pens, pencils, and glue sticks. They’ll take up less space in his desk this way, too.

I second the thermal lunchbag suggestion of DivaJean’s. I’d also suggest this is a great way to use the weird promo lunchbags that adults often get on business trips or from vendors. Plain blue lunchbags are easy to confuse with someone else’s… but my son has never misplaced the bright green lunchbag embroidered with a picture of a lobster wearing a labcoat!

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]]> By: Jennifer http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/comment-page-1/#comment-150632 Jennifer Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:42:35 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/#comment-150632 Nina, that's a good point--brown bagging saves money for _everyone_. And yes, my daughter is a genius. She can get the 'w', 'm', and 'x' now, too. Not that I'm bragging or anything... That's a good tip about using thermal lunch bags and those ice thingys, DivaJean. I'd love to hear more about the Syracuse school-greening process--do you have any links about it?<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-150632">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Nina, that’s a good point–brown bagging saves money for _everyone_.
And yes, my daughter is a genius. She can get the ‘w’, ‘m’, and ‘x’ now, too.
Not that I’m bragging or anything…

That’s a good tip about using thermal lunch bags and those ice thingys, DivaJean.
I’d love to hear more about the Syracuse school-greening process–do you have any links about it?

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]]> By: DivaJean http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/comment-page-1/#comment-150504 DivaJean Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:56:29 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/#comment-150504 We use thermal lunch bags and plastic frozen icee-thingys to keep the kids food safe until until lunchtime. We also prefer to use washable plastic containers for packing the lunch contents- saving on disposable plastic wraps, tinfoil, etc. Our kids school in Syracuse, NY is a VERY green school- some local recycling specialists (ok- they process the recyclables for our county!) have kids in our school. Changes were made in how school lunches are distributed, types of products used, etc. LOVE it!<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-150504">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> We use thermal lunch bags and plastic frozen icee-thingys to keep the kids food safe until until lunchtime. We also prefer to use washable plastic containers for packing the lunch contents- saving on disposable plastic wraps, tinfoil, etc.

Our kids school in Syracuse, NY is a VERY green school- some local recycling specialists (ok- they process the recyclables for our county!) have kids in our school. Changes were made in how school lunches are distributed, types of products used, etc. LOVE it!

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]]> By: Nina http://queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/comment-page-1/#comment-150477 Nina Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:15:15 +0000 http://www.queercents.com/2008/08/12/pink-and-green-parenting-greening-your-back-to-school-preparations-and-saving-some-greenbacks-too/#comment-150477 Jennifer: Terrific post as usual. Brown bagging it is a yummy, healthy, and green alternative for adults too. I work from home but Jeanine packs her lunch a couple of times a week and <a href="http://blog.nola.com/judywalker/2008/07/when_the_going_gets_tough_the.html" rel="nofollow">the savings add up fast</a>: <blockquote>The average brown-bag lunch costs about $2 to prepare compared to a $6 average for a fast food lunch. Save $4 a day and that's $20 for a five-day work week, which is about $80 a month, or roughly $1,000 a year.</blockquote> Even Boar's Head is marketing the financial benefits to meat eaters at their <a href="http://www.brown-bagging.com/FYI0.php" rel="nofollow">Brown-Bagging.com</a> website. By the way, this line is priceless in your post - "my daughter, despite her ability to 'go get the y' from the alphabet magnets on the fridge..." Cute... you're a proud mama!<p class="top-comments">Current score: <span class="top-comments-karma" id="karma-150477">0</span> <small>(to vote for this comment, please visit the site)</small></p> Jennifer: Terrific post as usual. Brown bagging it is a yummy, healthy, and green alternative for adults too. I work from home but Jeanine packs her lunch a couple of times a week and the savings add up fast:

The average brown-bag lunch costs about $2 to prepare compared to a $6 average for a fast food lunch. Save $4 a day and that’s $20 for a five-day work week, which is about $80 a month, or roughly $1,000 a year.

Even Boar’s Head is marketing the financial benefits to meat eaters at their Brown-Bagging.com website.

By the way, this line is priceless in your post – “my daughter, despite her ability to ‘go get the y’ from the alphabet magnets on the fridge…” Cute… you’re a proud mama!

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