Author Archives: Jenny and Andrew Argington

About Jenny and Andrew Argington

Jenny and Andrew, the founders and designers of Argington, began their company with their children in mind. Launching from backgrounds in architecture, mathematics and fine art, the two set out to create designs in which children alike could discover a world of simplicity, beauty, and magic.

Ahead of their time and keeping true to their altruistic approach, the designers made it their core mission to create and manufacture sustainable and green designs that are affordable, convertible, and mobile. Since their inception in 2003, Jenny and Andrew have been leaders in their industry to bring innovative, contemporary, green products to the market. Along with their nursery, toddler, and youth furniture lines, they have also introduced a full line of organic bedding and play mats.

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Bedtime Bliss – Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

Chances are, if you have or had a baby, you are familiar with the problems of trying to get your baby to go to sleep. Here are some time-honored ways of getting your baby to go to sleep. All of these tips have been provided by mothers like you, who want their baby to get a good night’s sleep. After all, a good night’s sleep is an integral part to your baby’s health and development.

  1. Try a bath before bedtime – A warm bath will help soothe your baby and make him or her feel nice and warm. In addition to the warm comfort of a bath there is also the cuddling afterwards while drying him or her off. Try these organic baby bath blankets for drying your baby’s delicate skin.
  2. Soothing music – Babies love music. Aside from the mental stimulation and the associated learning that music provides, it can also soothe the baby to sleep. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of mobiles that play soft music as they slowly rotate to induce baby to sleep. Some mobiles, like this one sold by BabyEarth.com, play soft classical music to soothe the baby.
  3. Car rides – Few things put people, babies and adults, to sleep faster than long car rides. Perhaps it’s the vibration of the car, or maybe it’s the general movement. But some parents swear by a car ride. Put the baby in a securely attached car seat, wrap him or her in some blankets, give them their favorite organic stuffed animal to snuggle, and head around the block.

    Image courtesy of Argington

  4. Vibrating sleeping mats – If you want your little one to be able to stretch out in their crib, but they love the vibrating feeling from the swing or car, you should invest in a vibrating mattress pad. The pad gently soothes the baby to sleep and, according to the description, the “soothing vibrations gradually turn off as baby falls asleep.” This is a great idea if you travel with the baby and can’t bring the swing along or if inclement weather prevents a quick drive around the neighborhood.
  5. Swing to sleep – One popular accessory for baby sleep is a swing. Swings can help put a baby to sleep like nothing else can. They can rock babies for hours until they fall asleep, at whatever speed the baby is comfortable with. There are stories of some babies falling asleep in the swings, and waking up as soon as the swing is stopped. Accentuate your baby swing with some organic cotton blankets and watch your little one fall asleep in minutes. You can get these blankets on sale this weekend!

    Image courtesy of Argington

Interview with Scott Menchin, Author of “Harry Goes to Dog School”

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

We recently had an interview with Scott Menchin, the author of Harry Goes to Dog School.  You can check out our review of that book here.

JA: What inspired you to write children’s books?

SM: I became a father and wanted to share my ideas with creatures similar to my daughter

JA: What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?

SM: Turning a good idea into a story that works.

JA: Whose opinion do you value most?

SM: Everyone’s but ultimately you have to trust your own opinion.

JA: Did you always know you want to be a writer?

SM: No. I started out an illustrator and wanted to control the whole show.

JA: What is your favorite book?

SM: The Conquerors by David McKee.

JA: What’s your favorite dessert?

SM: Dark chocolate gelato stuffed into a sliced fresh brioche.

To see more books by Scott, check out his website:  www.scottmenchin.com/

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Ways to Make Play Fun

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

One of the best things about having a new baby is playing with them, watching them grow, explore the world with new senses, and learn new things. Baby playtime is about more than just fun, though. The earlier that you can start your child’s educational development, the better. Obviously newborn babies aren’t capable of much beyond sleeping and eating, but when they reach a few months old, their sight is good enough to start playing games using visual acuity as they are able to recognize people and things. Here are some fun ways that you can play with your little one.

  1. Use stuffed animals to teach the baby about different animals and the sounds that they make. Cute stuffed animals aren’t just for cuddling. They can be used to teach babies about the different sounds that the animals make. Babies often imitate sounds that they hear and will learn through association.

    Image courtesy of Argington

  2. Some toys are timeless, and brightly colored blocks are one of those toys. Blocks like those offered by ChildTrek are simple yet classic wooden blocks, painted in a variety of bright colors. Bright colors seem to hold babies’ attention longer. You can also start teaching your baby about shape recognition with these brightly colored, high quality blocks. For really young babies, try fabric stuffed blocks
  3. Through a wide variety of toys and playthings, you can start to teach your little one about different textures through different kinds of fabrics and materials. Products like the Dandelion Organic Activity Ball offer a wide variety of fun and engaging little activities for little fingers. These kinds of toys help to stimulate several senses at a time, making them an educational (and very cute) option. Best of all, it’s soft, so baby can chew on it if they so desire.
  4. For the more technically inclined, you can break out your iPad and discover the wide variety of apps designed for children. There are a vast multitude of apps, both paid and free, in the App Store. Apps like “Peekaboo Barn” and “Baby Touch & Hear” apps are great for stimulating baby’s senses and keeping them busy for a little while.

    Image courtesy of AdamR

  5. If you want to keep something on in the background, consider investing in the Baby Einstein series. Babies learn various things through musical association. Baby Einstein isn’t about just planting your baby in front of a TV but, as they say, was created by a mother who “wanted to create products that encouraged interactive experiences for parents and their young children as they discovered the world together.” They can be a bit pricey but if you look in a big box store, you might be able to find them for less money.

6 Ways to Save Money When Eating Healthy

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

We’ve been speaking for weeks about the importance of eating healthy, organic food. What concerns many people is the cost of organic food. How can you and your family get the most bang for your buck? That is the question families are pondering as they try to save money while still enjoying healthy, organic meals. Here are some tips to help you and your family save money while eating healthy!

1) Shop at Trader Joe’s! – What can you say about a store where their employees dress in Hawaiian shirts and they encourage you to bring your own bags? Well, they are among the cream of the crop when it comes to healthy grocery stores. For over fifty years, Trader Joe’s has been putting out reasonably priced, “innovative, hard-to-find” products. You can always count on them to a feature a wide variety of organic products that will make your stomach growl with hunger and anticipation.

Image courtesy of kraifreedom

2) Clip coupons! – Gone are the days of using weekly circulars as your only source of coupons. In our tech savvy era there are numerous websites and apps for your smart phone to help you save! One of the best out there is Smartsource.com. Here, you can find hundreds of coupons with location and store specific searches for your convenience.

3) Local farmers markets – There is no better way to support local businesses and eat healthy then shopping at your local farmers market. Here, you will find locally grown fruits, vegetables, and other delicacies to meet your heart’s desire.  Around this time of the year, farmers markets are overflowing with apples, pumpkins, and squash, perfect for cooking on cool fall days. Search the Internet for a local market near you or check out the national database at http://farmersmarket.com/.

4) Grow organic food at home – If you have the space in your backyard, grow your own fruits and vegetables. There is nothing better than picking your own freshly grown tomatoes for your salad. As you are in the planning stages, it is imperative to pick out an organic fertilizer that will suit your needs.  You can use leftover produce to start an organic compost pile and have fertilizer for next season.

5) Trade with friends and neighbors – Once you have your garden in place, why not network and share your fresh, organic crops throughout the neighborhood? Not only will you get to try new things, but you can make some new friends along the way. You can set up an exchange with your neighbors and organize potluck lunches or dinners. Remember, sharing is caring!

Image courtesy of suat eman

6) Learn to store products better – As you combine your groceries from Trader Joe’s and your fresh, organically grown crops from your garden, there is a proper method of storing and keeping food fresh and healthy for your family to enjoy. You should can, jar, or freeze your produce that’s left over from your garden at the end of the season.  Check out some more handy tips from lifehacker.com.

Some More Fun Fall Ideas for the Whole Family

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

This autumn, you don’t have to fall into the old ways of buying products that will only serve purpose for one day and then be thrown into a landfill.  There are tons of eco-friendly fall festivities that you and your entire family can enjoy together.

1- Autumn and pumpkin picking basically go hand-in-hand.  Pack up some warm apple cider in a thermos and head out to the local pumpkin patch with your family.  Be sure to wear those old sneakers and clothes that have been collecting dust in your closet for years because you will probably get dirty.  With your new pumpkin collection, you can turn them into elaborate jack-o-lanterns and a decadent pumpkin pie. Oh, and save the pumpkin seeds – they’re perfect for roasting.

Image courtesy of Chokphoto

2- Getting lost in a corn maze is always a great time so long as monsters aren’t lurking around.  There are different types of corn mazes – organic, haunted – any of them will permeate the air with the sweet smell of corn.  Some of them even have roasted corn and other organic treats waiting for your indulgence, if you survive.

3- Looking for a way to keep the birds out of your garden?  Scarecrows have been around for centuries and were intended to literally scare animals from coming into the fields and eating the crops.  You can make an eco-friendly scarecrow by using organic cotton and bamboo clothing, an extra pumpkin you collected from the patch, and some organic hay.  Your family can even enter the scary scarecrow into a contest.

4- Autumn is the time when leaves fall off the trees and scatter all over your lawn.  Make leaf raking fun by gathering them into colorful piles that you and your family can jump into.  Who said only kids can enjoy messing things up?  And then after, you can rake them into an organic compost pile.

5- Arts and crafts can even have an outdoorsy autumn twist.  First, start off with a scavenger hunt for different types of leaves, pine cones, and acorns.  Then gather all of your family’s findings together and create acorn necklaces, and press the leaves into a scrapbook.  Use eco-friendly paint to decorate the pine cones for Thanksgiving or save them to hang on your Christmas tree.

Image courtesy of Suat Eman

6- The season would not be complete without the shenanigans of Halloween.  Use household items and old clothes to create costumes (the ghost made out of a white bed sheet never fails).  Or if you don’t have anything scare-worthy, buy organic costumes to keep with the eco-friendly vibe.

There really is no limit to the green and eco-friendly festivities you and your family can participate in this autumn.  Especially now, almost everything- from food to clothes to activities- can be turned organic and environmentally friendly.  So get those jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows ready, dress your kids (and yourself!) in organic costumes, grab those pillowcases and get trick-or-treating!

Top 5 Ways to Jump Into a Healthy Fall

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

The kids are back in school. The days are starting to get shorter and the nights are growing a little bit cooler. With fall right around the corner, it’s time to start getting prepared. Here are some tips for a healthy and safe autumn.

  1. Check out local farmers markets – This time of year is wonderful for going to visit farmers markets. A local farmers market can yield a dozen kinds of apples and pumpkins as big as most toddlers. If you like fresh squash, this is definitely your season too. With the amazing bounty of fresh veggies and produce available at a well-stocked farmers market, you can try your hand at making your own organic apple cider or pumpkin pies.

    Image courtesy of Paul

  2. Make your own candles and soap from organic goods from farmers markets – Don’t forget that your farmers market is good for more than just produce. You can get organic wax and berries to craft your own organic candles and soap. Make your own sweet scents with a variety of organic berries. Even if you have to go further than a farmers market to get some of the components for the candles and wax, you will be surprised about how easy it is to cast your own candles.
  3. Start your own compost pile – What do you do with all of those veggies from your organic garden that you didn’t get to eat or preserve? Here’s something that can help you next year too. Take all of those veggies from the garden and dead, raked up leaves to make an organic compost pile. This way, next season you will have your own organic fertilizer. Just be careful and don’t throw in fruit, since fruit decomposition is faster and will rot.
  4. Unplug those air conditioners! – The summer heat is mostly gone, though you will have a few above average warm days until October or so, depending on where you live. So unplug those AC units unless you really need them. Keeping them plugged in actually uses up energy, even if they aren’t on. Take out your wall air conditioning unit so no excess cool or warm air escapes. So save electricity. Use fans instead and open the windows for some fresh fall air.

    Image courtesy of winnond

  5. Redo your insulation around doors and windows – This may take some work and a little bit of cash but the money you save could be considerable. Check all of the insulation around your doors and windows. If you feel a breeze coming in from outside and the window is closed, that means not only is cool or warm air escaping, but so is your money. Go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up some insulation. If your entire window is letting in the outside air, you may even want to consider replacing it with a new one that has better insulation.

 

Top 6 Ways to Get Your Community Involved in the Green Movement

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

For the past few weeks, we’ve been focused on how to send the kids back to school with a fresh, green start. Everything from organic lunches, to organic clothing, to eco-friendly school supplies, we have searched the web to bring you some of the best options. But one thing that we know as parents is that activities with kids are more fun and last longer when they are done in a group. So what kind of group activities could you do to encourage the green movement among your kids’ friends and neighbors?

  1. Organize a massive recycling effort – Many towns have recycling programs set up. You could encourage your kids and their friends to scour their homes, looking for things that can be recycled. They could have competitions to see who collected the most cans, bottles, or newspapers to bring to the local recycling center. Teams can be organized so that no one is left out and in the end, rewards could be given to the kid who collects the most. See if your local school district has a recycling program or if your child’s teacher will allow an in-class recycling program.
  2. Have a clothing swap – Instead of buying new clothes and constantly letting old ones clutter up the closet, you should organize a big clothing swap among your friends and neighbors. This is a great way to de-clutter your closets, especially if you have older kids and no younger ones to pass the clothing down to. At the end of the swap, you can donate extra clothing to a local goodwill store.

    Image courtesy of Worakit Sirijinda

  3. Plant trees/bushes– Nothing says you love the environment like planting a tree. Contact your local park and verify their guidelines in planting some trees or bushes; after all, you don’t want to plant a tree just anywhere. This is a great way to get both kids and parents involved in a big project that everyone can be a part of. If you would like to keep the planting close to home, raise seedlings inside using organic soil and plant them in your yard during the fall.
  4. Organize a walk/run – With fall right around the corner, the weather is turning cooler. It’s the perfect time to walk or run outdoors. Contact local businesses to sponsor the run. Most small businesses won’t say no and will want to pitch in for the event. Contact a charity or hospital nearby and make the whole event a charitable one. This way, you can get some exercise and do something positive for the community or a charity.
  5. Host an organic potluck – Nothing says organic more than food! Get some neighbors and organize a potluck dinner or lunch featuring just organic recipes. Choose your favorite organic food recipes or experiment with new ones that you have always wanted to try. Create a recipe swap amongst your friends and neighbors. It’ll help build interest among the kids, since they will see how many healthy and tasty options that there actually are.

    Image courtesy of Victor Habbick

  6. Organic NFL Snack Time – If you have little ones that love to watch the big game with dad, organize a local football game with parents and kids. Parents in the neighborhood can host each Sunday a game before the game to keep your kids active. Now that football has started, you will find some great organic, healthy snack foods to take the place of the usual greasy snack foods.
CATEGORIES       Health

Winding Down Your Summer with Labor Day Activities Part 2

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

Last week we listed a few different ways that you can prepare for a healthy, green Labor Day weekend. This week we are featuring different activities that you and your family can participate during the long Labor Day weekend that are fun, engaging for the whole family, and contribute to a healthy lifestyle and a greener planet.

One trend that appears to be gaining steam is encouraging people to take a step away from social media and the Internet in general. One such initiative known as the Reconnect Project, is targeting September 2, the Sunday during Labor Day weekend, as a day to disconnect from the Internet and connect with the world on a human level. They want to foster innate human creativity and see what happens when people don’t go online for a whole day. Here are our 5 tips for disconnecting from technology.

  1. Find a group bicycling or walking event – This weekend, as the last official weekend of the summer, means that there are going to be lots of outdoor events planned. Some small towns have charity events like run/walks or cycling marathons that are fun and challenging for everyone.

    Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid


  2. Go to a local park – Go visit one of your local parks and explore the territory. Make sure that you have bug spray with you and be watchful of any notices that the parks department posts regarding ticks or other potential safety issues.
  3. Go camping – Pack up the family and go for a camping trip. Make s’mores with your kids over an open fire and get away from it all. Reconnect as a family. Teach your kids about preserving nature and how to live off the land for a little while. Go fishing and show your kids how much fun fishing can be. Tell scary stories around a campfire.

    Image courtesy of Simon Howden

  4. Build animal feeders – If your kids are artsy or into crafts, let them show off their creative sides and build animal feeders. It’s a great way for them to express themselves creatively and see their work in action. If you aren’t particularly crafty yourself and don’t want to build the birdhouse, you can always head to a local crafts store and buy a premade one that is ready to be painted and decorated. Get a book on birds and see how many birds you can identify that visit your feeder.
  5. Jarring and canning –One trend in food that is growing in popularity is jarring. Making your own preserves and canning food can help save money and can be shared at your next party. Tips from FoodNetwork.com to sterilize jars should be followed for the best jarring practices.

We hope these tips help you enjoy a safe and green Labor Day weekend!

CATEGORIES       Health

Winding Down Your Summer with Labor Day Weekend Preparations Part 1

Posted by Jenny and Andrew Argington

For the past few weeks, we’ve been focused on how to send the kids back to school with a fresh, green start. So now that the kids are ready to go back to school, and all the shopping is done, it’s time to kick back and enjoy the last few weeks of summer.

With that in mind, we’re offering tips on how to have a green Labor Day. This week, we’ll be talking about getting prepared for Labor Day weekend.

  1. Organic foods –No Labor Day weekend would be complete without a barbecue. Instead of going to the nearest giant supermarket chain for meat with questionable fillers and odd by products, head to a healthy grocery store like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods and get some organic meats. Organic meats must abide by strict criteria, including having been raised on certified organic pasture and be hormone and antibiotic free, in order to be certified. While you’re at the store getting free range chicken and fish, pick up healthy organic or natural snack foods as well.

    Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut

  2. Use wood chips and eco-friendly charcoal instead of gas – Use eco-friendly charcoal from Green Link charcoal and hickory chips to smoke your barbecue food is not only using an organic element but imparts a distinct flavor to your food, particularly chicken. Wood smoke also gives food a nice tang that can’t be achieved with a gas grill. Just make sure to check your food temperatures! Eco-friendly charcoal doesn’t contain fillers and burns cleaner than traditional charcoal.
  3. Use paper plates and cups – Instead of using plastic cups and plates at your barbecue, use paper plates and cups that are made from recycled goods. EcoProducts has a full line of plates, cups, napkins, and utensils that are made from recycled goods or made from renewable or compostable components. These items are made to support sustainability efforts.
  4. A Ride in the Park– The park is a great place to barbeque. Most county parks have barbeques stationed in pedestrian picnic areas. If you’re going to go to the park for your barbecue, ride your bike there instead of driving. This way, you’ll get your metabolism going before you eat, which will help you burn more calories, and you can burn some additional calories on the way home. If you have to drive to the park, carpool to save some gas.
  5. Decorations – You’re having a barbecue so you have to decorate the place. Use paper decorations that are made from recycled paper. A company like Green Party Goods is a great place to go to get your party decorations and supplies. They offer a wide range of decorations like biodegradable balloons, recycled paper lanterns, and other eco-friendly items.

    Image courtesy of m_bartosch

  6. Conserve power – While the party is going on outside, keep things powered down inside. Turn off any lights that you don’t need in rooms that are empty. Turn the TVs off. Turn the air conditioning off if you can. Open up the house and let in some fresh summer air.

Next week’s blog will discuss some of the activities and relaxing things to do during the last big weekend of the summer.

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