Eco Party Bags

Don't you get fed up with all the plastic tat that your children bring home from parties? I started using recycled brown paper bags a few years ago and get the children to decorate and write their names on them. I've just found some fantastic party bags for Green Eyed Frog which are made from jute and of course will last for ever. They are a lovely, longlasting gift to take away from a party.

Ideas for filling your eco party bags:

• The cake - of course


• Organic fruit bar


• Box of raisons


• Organic, fairtrade chocolate treat


• Recycled pencil or pen


• Rubber eraser

Beware - some children however, don't take too kindly to finding organic fruit bars and raisons in their party bags and some may start to cry if they don't have an unhealthy sweet or two so you may have to slip a few of these in just to avoid the tears!

Ditch the Plastic - Use your own Shopping Bags

Some supermarkets are encouraging customers to use cloth bags for shopping. At Green Eyed Frog we have a selection of Eco Shopping bags which will help you gain extra points if you shop at Tesco but are really handy to keep in the car, handbag or coat pocket. You can try the organic, fair trade cotton coloured string bags made in India using natural pigments or the jute every day shopper. I use the recycling bags with bamboo handles. You can fit two or three of these in the trolley and are easy to transport into the car. I also use them to take my orders to the Post Office - it just makes life easier.

Help prevent marine pollution. Turtles are mistaking upturned plastic bags for their favourite food, jellyfish, with deadly results. By reducing the amount of plastic bags you can help the environment - Say No to Plastic!

New Eco Pre-School Nursery

As Chair of the local Pre-School in Stonham Aspal I have been helping to plan for a new Eco building for the children and staff, to be located on the grounds of the Primary school nearby. Committees have been working on this project for over 15 years and now with an Eco twist we hope to win the hearts and pockets of funders.

The Pre-School has been running for over 25 years in temporary accomodation at the local village hall. A new building will be safer for the children and provide facilities for those with special educational needs. It will be a true sustainable Eco building with rain water harvesting, grass roof, solar panels for water heating and electricity and a biomass heating system.

We are all hoping that this will be the last time that committees will need to go through this time consuming and lengthy project and hope that next year children will be playing in their purpose built contemporary eco haven. Our award winning architects Ralf and Meredith at StudioMGM have been very patient and even more patient as it has taken nearly two years to get to the planning stage but we hope that there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

Get Rid of Flies the Eco Way

I saw my first fly in the house today and its only the beginning of April. This warm weather is starting to wake up the summer insects. We have also seen butterflies and bumblebees in the garden.

Orders for Red Top Fly Traps have started to increase and I am already on my second shipment from the supplier this year. The Red Top Fly Catcher is an Eco friendly way to get rid of flies without the use of pesticides and chemicals sprayed around the house. The trap sits outside in the garden and catches female flies thus reducing the fly population in and around your house. If you haven't already tried one of these take a look at the Fly Trap on Green Eyed Frog.