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Archive for the ‘Sustainability’ Category
'I Cherish Planet Earth' Combo Voted Best Green Toy
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 by Challenge and Fun Inc
Press Release
Sept. 9, 2009
Dr. Toy taps memory game
and children’s book by FocusBloom for top honors in this year’s eco-friendly toy
awards.
ASHLAND, Ma. – (Sept.
4, 2009) Little minds are fertile ground, and FocusBloom has been given industry kudos
for creating a toy that seeks to grow something vibrant and green in the
psyche of children.
The “I Cherish Planet Earth”
memory game and book set have been given Dr. Toy’s “Best Green Toy of 2009”
award, a distinction that sets it apart from the mass of other playthings manufactured
around the globe each year. The annual award gives recognition to novel green toys
produced and marketed in an eco-friendly way with safe and natural materials.
The awards showcase high-quality options available to green-minded consumers, encouraging
sustainable living practices.
“These 40 green products
constitute a small number among all the choices of play products available, but
we need to start somewhere,” says Stevanne Auerbach, the nationally recognized child
play expert known as ‘Dr. Toy.’ “As awareness grows, more families are thinking
and considering new directions that are safer, more balanced and healthier.”
The authors of “I Cherish
Planet Earth” – Margot Losa and Emily Kea – consider their picture book a “love
letter to Mother Earth.” In it they have paired beautiful artwork with text
that imparts green-living concepts to encourage children (ages 4-10) to be good
stewards of their environment and to appreciate the earth’s inhabitants.
These eco-friendly principles
are echoed in a matching game that comes with the book. Artful memory tiles feature
inspiring visuals and green affirmations such as “I love the forest,” “I recycle
and dispose with care,” “I celebrate peace” and “I pass things on.” To preview
illustrations from “I Cherish Planet Earth,” watch and listen to the YouTube music video clip by
children’s singer Charlie Hope.
“How our children see the
world in which they live is of ultimate importance. It’s vital to their growth
and future,” said Rob Wilson, vice president of Challenge & Fun Inc, a
natural toy wholesaler that distributes the award-winning eco-toy set. “That’s
why ‘I Cherish Planet Earth’ is so much more than your run-of-the-mill memory
exercise. The game reinforces the ideas introduced in the companion book, which
helps kids assimilate a love for nature, our planet and one another. Learning
and fun…it can’t get much better than that!”
Half a dozen activity
suggestions have been included with the book-game set to expand its educational
value. These application exercises allow children to respond to core ideas, helping
them retain the concepts long term.
This is the third year
DrToy.com has honored eco-minded companies and children’s products made from
sustainable materials and sold with minimized packaging. Products like “I
Cherish Planet Earth” are evaluated on toy safety, the messages they teach
children about Planet Earth, their use of natural resources, and other green
principles. The 48-piece matching game and book set is printed on recycled
paper, uses vegetable oil-based inks, and comes with a cotton drawstring pouch
– all made in the USA.
I Cherish Planet Earth is available online at:
Amazon
Three Sisters
MyToysMart.com
Tree Hollow Toys
My Little Green Room
About FocusBloom
FocusBloom,
the producer of “I Cherish Planet Earth,” is a privately owned small business
based in Rainier, WA, dedicated to creating products with meaningful
content, detailed artwork and affordable pricing. The company strives to
manufacture its products locally, using recycled materials, vegetable inks and
minimal packaging. FocusBloom is part of a “1% for the Planet,” a global group of
companies that donate a percent of their sales to a network of more than 1,500
environmental organizations worldwide.
About Challenge & Fun Inc.
Challenge
& Fun, Inc. was established in 1998 and is headquartered in Ashland, MA. This wholesaler
of natural children’s products markets safe eco-friendly toys and other beautiful
merchandise often not readily available in the United States. Although “I Cherish
Planet Earth” is a USA-made item, many of Challenge & Fun’s products are
made in Europe of natural, organic, Fair
Trade-certified materials. Most of the company’s soft toys are either certified by
Oko-Tex or by GOTS. Challenge & Fun is a member of the Toy Industry Association , ASTRA and the Organic Trade Association.
About Dr. Toy
Dr. Auerbach, who has a PhD
in child development, is one of the nation's leading experts on children's
play, toys and products. She has more than 30 years of professional experience
in this arena. To see a full list of Dr. Toy’s top green products for 2009, go
to: http://www.drtoy.com/awards/2009-green-products-list.php
Contact:
Do you have questions about the
“I Cherish Planet Earth” book and game set, or wish to set up an interview with
book author Margot Losa or illustrator Emily Kea? Go to http://www.focusbloom.com/contact.asp
and leave a message, or call Rob Wilson at the Challenge & Fun Inc. office
at 1-888-384-6200 or 1-508-881-7500.
Challenge & Fun Inc.
Rob Wilson, vice president
PO Box 222
Ashland, MA 01721
Email: info (AT) Challengeandfun.com
Toll Free: 888-384-6200
FocusBloom
P.O. Box 1220
Rainier, WA 98576
www.focusbloom.com
###
Local, Organic, and Green! (and Delicious!)
Thursday, August 14th, 2008 by Challenge and Fun Inc
A few months ago I received a newsletter from one of our retailer customers, Crunchy Granola Baby. In this particular newsletter, they espoused the virtues of joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and were looking for people to join with them in buying shares of their local CSA. I had heard of CSAs before, and was interested in joining their group, but Salem is a little far for us. I decided to look for a CSA closer to home and found the Heirloom Harvest CSA in Westborough, MA.
For those of you not familiar with CSAs, they are generally cooperative farms where you buy a membership and get a "share" of the harvest, usually weekly. It gives local farmers secured capital, a guaranteed market, and less risk, while giving locals local produce, and an opportunity to participate & connect with their food source (often a some volunteering on the farm is required).
Some benefits we have found include (1) forcing us to break out of our "broccoli, corn, and peas" routine by introducing us to veggies we normally bypass at the grocery store…such as kale, eggplant, swiss chard, different types of squash, etc. and try new recipes….mmmm kale soup! (2) give us an opportunity to show our children that food comes from the field, not aisle 1 of the grocery store (particulary on "pick your own" days when we go out to the field to get our peas, green beans, or cherry tomatoes)., (3) and save money on organically grown produce. I haven't done a scientific analysis…but my gut says we are saving—our split share is just over $300 for weekly produce from June through October.
Of course the other great benefit is supporting local organic agriculture. Why not check to see if you can find a CSA near you?
Challenge & Fun Introduces "Lift A Child" Greeting Cards
Friday, August 8th, 2008 by Challenge and Fun Inc On a recent trip to Thailand, I happened across some greeting cards in my hotel lobby that were illustrated by chldren and produced by the Duang Prateep Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand. I had heard about this organization from previous experiences in Thailand. I knew about their excellent work in the slums of Bangkok.
I proceeded to contact them about bringing their cards to the USA, and including them as part of our product line. They agreed, and so we have introduced them in our Fall Supplemental catalog (wholesale only). We hope that they will begin to be available in stores near you (and online). We will have them up on our website in the coming weeks.
Here is a little history of the Duang Prateep Foundation, and some of the worthy projects that they are actively engaged in.
The founder, Prateep Ungsongtham, grew up in the Klong Toey slum of Bangkok. She worked very hard to save money to put herself through school. She became a teacher, but eventually found she was spending more time dealing with life in the slums, than teaching. She also began doing more advocacy work for the slum dwellers that didn't have a voice.
Eventually the Duang Prateep Foundation was established in 1978, with 5 staff members. It has now grown to over 100 staff (most of whom are from the slum) and 20 volunteers. The core program of the DPF is to establish kindergartens, and provide educational sponsorships. They have also expanded into other areas including micro-credit, HIV/AIDS programs, drug rehabilitation programs, and more.
We are starting with 3 styles of the greeting cards, and hope to add more products from this organization (and other community organizations that make high quality products) in the future. When you purchase these cards, you will not only be supporting the DPF, but we will be putting $0.15 from every card sale into a fund to support children's programs around the world. Want to do more? You can also make donations directly to this organization. Want to do more? Perhaps you have a blog, you can write about them and the many things they are doing to give children a chance through education.
Carbon Neutrality–Update
Monday, July 7th, 2008 by Challenge and Fun IncLast month we embarked on our first steps towards “carbon neutrality.” If you read our original blog entry regarding this, we decided to start with the paper that we use in the office. The steps are: measure, reduce, offset, then repeat. We have been measuring our usage. We have cut our usage down to 1 ream of white paper for last month, and a small fraction of a ream for yellow. (we don’t count pcs, we count reams—this isn’t an exercise in insanity).
The thing that we have learned most is how much we can save by simple awareness and a few systems. We have a bin to catch “scrap” paper that we can use for most uses on the opposite side. This has had a huge effect on our reduction efforts. Additionally, we have begun sending some invoice electronically. We are working on streamlining our processes generally in order to to as much as we can electronically by integrating our various systems—not an easy task!
I think one of the biggest benefits is the constant reminder we have here in the office to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint. For instance, I have also pulled my old (but very sturdy) bicycle from storage and am in the process of refurbishing it so that I can start riding the 10 miles to and from work, instead of driving. I can’t say that will happen everyday, but it should become quite regular. This is one of the positive effects of high gas prices—less cars on the road, and fitter bellies!
We will keep you updated.
The Path of Carbon Neutrality
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 by Challenge and Fun Inc
"A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step." How appropriate is this phrase to describe the journey that we embarked on at Challenge & Fun today.
But first, please go with me back to Chicago, just a few weeks ago. I was sitting in Coop America's Green Business Conference listening with interest to the presentation by the Carbon Concierge. I had long heard about about carbon neutrality, carbon credits, and other popular terms. But I didn't completely understand what it meant, and how we could possibly truly become "carbon neutral."
Fortunately, the Carbon Concierge not only made a presentation, they were there the whole time, available to meet with attendees one on one to answer our questions and challenge us to take the first step. My main concern was, how do I possibly measure the amount of carbon that we generate…from the office activity, to travel, to shipping, to our warehouse, etc. I don't think we are alone in feeling overwhelmed…both in business, and in our personal lives.
The point that was made to me, which gave me heart, was that carbon neutrality is not an "all or nothing" proposition. I was felt excited when I learned we can pick the "low hanging fruit" first and become carbon neutral in those areas; or put another way draw a small circle of what we want to work on first. As we become successful in becoming carbon neutral within that small scope, we then expand the circle…then expand the circle again.
The beauty of this approach is much more than the reduced carbon footprint that will initially result, but more important is the sudden awareness, creativity, and change in culture that emerges as we seek to find ways to do better in that circle and even outside of the circle. In this case, we decided our first step (of the 1,000 mile trip) would be to become carbon neutral in our paper use.
What I learned in Chicago is that there is a basic cycle that is followed in becoming carbon neutral within that circle. First, MEASURE. Measure your carbon footprint within the circle, or in our case, keep track of our monthly paper consumption. Second, REDUCE. Reduce our monthly paper consumption; find ways to reduce the paper that is printed or copied, reuse scrap paper, etc. Third, OFFSET. Offset the carbon that is generated from the amount of paper that we do end up using. This is typically done by paying a certain amount of money to a Carbon Offset Provider. These providers typically fund projects that are focused on renewable energy, energy conservation, reforestation, etc.
So fast forward to today. I went to each workstation, and pulled the paper out of the printers, took paper out of the fax machine & copier, and put this stack of paper aside. I then took a new ream of recycled paper and split it among each of those machines. We then took a simple piece of (scrap) paper and noted 1 ream of paper. Over the course of the month, I expect that we will run low, and need to open a 2nd ream of paper. That ream will be noted on the list. As I explained the process, my assistant, Ellen told me what she has been doing to REDUCE, and we discussed other ideas. I am sure there will be more ideas as this remains in the front of our minds. I suspect that no one is going to want to be the first person to require that a 2nd ream is opened.
Why am I telling you all this? I believe that many of you…especially if you have made it this far in this entry, want to reduce your carbon footprint and would love to be able to say that you are "carbon neutral"…at least in some part of your life or business. I want to include you on this trip. I want to share with you the things that we learn and problems that we solve, and hope to get your ideas as we move from step to step. I also hope that you will inspire us to hit our targets, and hope that we will inspire you to take your first step.