family

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I find today an interesting holiday, even though I’m not Irish, because it’s the only holiday really celebrating people’s ethnic identity. Although it originated as a feast day for St. Patrick, it has grown to be a celebration of all things Irish, and while Ireland is the place of its origins, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and parades actually started in the United States in colonial times. They gained in popularity over the years as the large number of Irish immigrants coming to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, following the Great Potato Famine, led to prejudice in the United States against the Irish. The holiday was a way for the Irish to rally and keep up their pride in themselves.

Whatever our nationality or ethnicity, we can all take pride in our backgrounds and in the people who came before us, the people who helped to form our character and identity. As Americans (I can claim that myself now—I’m an immigrant from Canada whose parents immigrated there from Russia—and I recently became a U.S. Citizen), we celebrate our melting pot of culture, but as we have melted, we have often lost touch with our roots.

It's birthday party time of year in our house with my son's 3rd birthday rapidly approaching.  So I've been on the lookout for some ethical party bags and fillers, to avoid adding to the mountains of cheap plastic (and quickly broken) tat. Eco Party Bags have some great ideas and designs for both bags and fillers.

Eco Party Bags have a range of party bags in some great, bright colours.  These come with a environmentally friendly gift tag that says ‘Thank you for coming to my party' and there's a space to write in the child's name. They are strong and have twisted paper handles. The body of the bag is made from paper that is produced from a sustainable source. The bags are certainly good enough to use again and look fabulous.  They are priced at 45 pence each.

Who are you and what is your position

My name is Sally Greenaway and I am founder and director of www.greenchild.co.uk , and very busy mum of 2!

The reason for starting your company

Being surrounded by my inspiration (2 bundles of trouble), a passion for setting up on my own and being made redundant from a 10 year marketing career at an international hotel group, I decided it was about time I put all my enthusiasm and skills to the test.  Being made redundant gave me the push I needed to set up Green Child.   I also wanted to create a life / work balance which allowed me to spend more time with the children and make money by starting an exciting venture too.  Why can’t mummies have it both!

I have always struggled to buy my children products which were a little bit different and great quality, and like many parents, organic and natural was a high priority when choosing products for the  kids.  I could never really buy organic bedding as it was either too expensive or very beige and boring.  So, I felt there was a gap in the market to offer style and planet conscious parents the natural choice for their little ones and Green Child was born!

How long have you been in businessGreen Child and www.greenchild.co.uk has just had its 6 month birthday and we are so delighted with the response we have received so far from our customers, retailers and product review panels.  Green Child baby sleeping bags

The team at TGF feel quite passionately that we should all try and grow your own!  Even if it is only a window box full of herbs, or a full allotment, we think that people should be applauded for their achievements.

Kids in particular should be encouraged to start the habit from a young age.  Personally I think that all schools should have a working garden that the children themselves are responsible for.  It teaches children about different types of fruit, vegetables and flowers.  Eating in season, and teaches them to take pride in what they are creating.  Studies have shown that kids who grow their own fruit and vegetables are more likely to try it!

With all this in mind, I have been searching out some gardening kits that kids could use, which would make great gifts for upcoming birthdays.

Grobox Vegetable Garden in a Box, available from Ethical Superstore for £7.50.

Children's Garden Voucher, available from the Jamie Oliver site for £35.

Flowerbunch Seed Pack, available from Farm Toys Online for £3.25.

Sunflower Seed Growing Kit, available from The Garden Factory for £1.74.

Creativity for Kids Mini Windowsill Garden, available from Crafts 4 Kids for £9.34.

I Can Grow Buckets, available from The Urban Garden with a choice of beans or tomatoes for £6.39.

If you have tried any of the above or have other great suggestions, please get in touch and share them with us.