New Year’s Eve Resolutions for Eco-Conscious Parents

New Year’s resolutions are notorious for being broken before February. One way to minimize back-sliding is to involve others in your resolutions. Elicit your family’s help and come up with a list of resolutions that everyone can participate in and remind each other about. Here are some suggestions for green resolutions that will change your lifestyle for the better.

1. Eat organic food

You may already be doing this. But if not, this is a relatively easy eco-conscious resolution. Your family can remind you to buy organic food, and you will be the healthier for it. You could combine this with commitments to eat out less often, or to buy locally grown, seasonal food whenever possible.

2. Creative recycling

You probably already recycle your plastic, glass, metal, and paper items by taking them to the recycling center or having them picked up. There is another way to re-use “disposable” items – make things out of them. You could commit yourself to a twice-monthly creative project that involves making something out of recyclable materials. There are entire magazines dedicated to this, so it should not be difficult to find ideas.

3. Commit to less waste

Get the kids on board with this one. Children’s school lunches and tendency to accumulate plastic trinkets are key areas you can address, as well as your own wasteful habits. For example, you might commit to using stainless steel, using refillable water bottles instead of disposable plastic ones, or packing your child’s lunch in a reusable bag.

4. Resolve to lower your carbon emissions

This could take the form of walking to more destinations, carpooling with friends, taking public transportation, or simply staying home a bit more. This can be integrated into a resolution to spend more time with your family – instead of going out, you could have a family game night. You’ll save fuel and spend more time with your family.

5. Resolve to borrow and share before buying

Do you need a tool for a specific job? See if you can borrow it from your neighbor, co-worker, or other acquaintance before you spend money on a piece of equipment you are only going to use once. And offer to share your tools and other items with others.

6. Eco-friendly cleaning for a less toxic New Year

Properly dispose of the chemical cleaners you use to clean your house and opt for home-made, simple cleaning recipes. Baking soda and vinegar can be used in various combinations to clean just about anything. This will change the way your family does things, but isn’t that the point?

It can be difficult to stick with your New Year’s resolutions. But with the whole family participating, it can be an enjoyable experience that actually changes your lifestyle for the better.

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How to Make Fun New Year’s Eve Noisemakers

New Year?s Eve is just around the corner, why not start the year off right with homemade fun New Year ?s Eve noisemakers. They?re environmentally friendly because you?ll be repurposing things you likely already have around the home, they?re cost effective and they?re festive.
Here are a few noisemaker ideas you can make at home.
Shaker Noise Makers
Ingredients:
* Cans or plastic cups. Baking soda cans are ideal for this because they have a nice tight plastic lid and the can is much noisier than a plastic cup. This is the one time noisier is better. Soda cans work well too.
* Masking tape or duct tape
* Beans or macaroni noodles
* Construction paper
* Markers and/or crayons
* Glue
Glue the paper around the cup or can and let dry. Decorate the paper however you desire. Fill the can with your noisy items of choice. If you?re using a soda can, you?ll want to tape over the mouth of the can. If you?re using a baking soda can, you can glue the lid on. Voila! You have some really noisy noisemakers.
Paper Plate Noise Makers
Paper plates are great because they?re easy to decorate and you likely already have a few around the house. You?ll also need:
* Small bells, beans, beads, or those macaroni noodles
* Glue or thread to seal the plate closed
* Markers, stickers, paint, construction paper and other items to decorate the plates with
* Binder clips or large paper clips to hold the plate closed while the glue dries

Step One: Fold the plate in half and then unfold. Folding it in half shows you where the seam is so you can see what it will look like once you?ve decorate it. Decorate the paper plate. In addition to decorating it, you can add fringe on the edge by cutting strips of construction paper and gluing them to the edge of the plate.
Step Two: Fold the plate in half and sew or glue closed, leaving a bit of room to insert your noise makers. Finish gluing or sewing closed.
Step Three: Hold the ends closed with binder clips or large paper clips until dry.
Step Four: Shake and enjoy!

Happy New Years!

How to Make a Delicious New Year’s Punch

?New Year?s Eve is right around the corner and with it comes the celebration of the passing of a year and the promise of a new one. It?s a time of reflection and celebration. And it?s a time for food, fun and festive drinks. Enjoy one or all of these Delicious New Year?s Punch recipes.
Champagne Punch
Ingredients:
* One quart orange sherbet
* Two quarts fresh orange juice
* One 2-liter bottle ginger ale
* Two bottles champagne
Directions:
1. Chill both the champagne and the ginger ale.
2. When you?re ready to serve, no more than 10 or 15 minutes before your party. Place the sherbet in the middle of a large punch bowl. Add the orange juice to the bowl, pouring over the top of the sherbet. Next pour the ginger ale, followed by the champagne. The mixture will be a foamy and fun delight.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Non-Alcoholic New Year?s Punch
Not everyone enjoys imbibing on New Year?s Eve and the children need a fun way to celebrate too. This tasty punch is fun, colorful and of course delicious. Best of all, once y you?ve cut the oranges, it takes about 60 seconds to make.

Ingredients:
* Three 1/2 liters ginger ale
* Two quarts orange juice
* Two oranges, sliced into rounds
* 20 maraschino cherries
Directions:
1. Slice oranges.
2. Combine ginger ale and orange juice in a large punch bowl.
3. Gently set orange slices on top of punch and set the cherries on top of the orange slices. If you have a child that wants to help prepare for the festivities, this is a great job for them.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Fruity New Year?s Punch (also non-alcoholic)
Finally, if you?re tired of the old orange and ginger ale punches this unique mixture still uses ginger ale but has a unique flavor best saved for special occasions.

Ingredients

* One 46 ounce can pineapple juice
* Four cups brewed tea (black tea works best)
* Three cups apple juice
* 1/2 cup lemon juice
* Two cups ginger ale

Directions
1. Brew the tea
2. Combine all ingredients except ginger ale in a container that will fit in your refrigerator and holds about one gallon
3. Store in your refrigerator until you?re ready to serve
4. Once you?re ready to serve. Pour ingredients into a punch bowl, add the ginger ale and enjoy!

Happy New Year!

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