Something handmade and organic is cooking over at The Sweet Line — custom hand-embroidered super soft, organic cotton clothing for babies and kids! Made in the USA from 100% organic interlocking cotton, all items are embroidered by hand by the owner and shipped for free. You can customize the message and thread color to your liking on onesies, t-shirts, dresses, and adorable frilly pants. As if that weren’t enough to make you completely giddy, The Sweet Line also carries 100% organic cotton canvas totes and aprons. And? The Sweet Line processes your custom order in 7-10 business days. Pretty sweet, huh?

Find It Here: The Sweet Line

Win It: We’re giving away an organic cotton onesie or T-shirt in winner’s choice of size and custom embroidery. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “SL78” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite hand-embroidered item available from The Sweet Line? Enter by 7/23/08. All readers eligible.

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By Sarah, July 16, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Gift, Kids, Made in USA, Organic, Sustainable, Toddler, Win

“An America that makes nothing? No way!” That’s the cry from Made in USA Forever.com founder, Todd Lipscomb, who founded his online shop to make it easier for people to find US-made products. One of our favorites from his store is this classic fire truck by Maple Landmark. Handmade from hardwood maple in Vermont, this fire truck is 100% non-toxic and will last for years. With two firefighters and two removable ladders, this fire truck is ready for play. Maple Landmark is also committed to recycling and conservation. For example, you’ll be happy to know that they reuse boxes and packing materials for outgoing shipments. That means less waste in our landfills and more time feeling extra good about your new locally made firetruck.

Find It Here: Classic Fire Truck

Congratulations to Melissa, winner of the classic fire truck featured here, courtesy of Made in USA Forever.com!

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By Sarah, July 2, 2008  
Filed under: Made in USA, Toys, Win

ShainsWare wants you to say it, wear it, mean it with their 100% recycled rubber bracelets. When I was teen hipster back in the nineties, if I could have worn a bracelet that said “save the dolphins” I probably would have. Thanks to ShainsWare, today’s kids, tweens and teens can make a personalized statement with these groovy bracelets by choosing from 9 different colors and inserting letters, numbers and icons that can be changed whenever they feel like it PLUS ShainsWare donates 10% of net profits to environmental organizations. With their totally unique and customizable bracelets, Shainsware has made environmentally conscious self-expression easy and cool!

Find It Here: ShainsWare

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By Sarah, June 29, 2008  
Filed under: Gift, Kids, Recycle, Teens & Tweens, Wear

The environmental benefits of cloth diapers over disposables are well known by many. Unfortunately, the perception that cloth diapers are a pain in the you-know-what to clean and care for is still widespread. But thanks to innovative moms like bumGenius creator Jenn Labit, new designs in cloth diaper technology are continually being introduced to make it easier than ever to cloth diaper. One of our favorite cloth diapers is the bumGenius. A diaper and diaper cover all in one, they will continue to fit children as they grow from 7-35 pounds, which means that one diaper is all you need from infancy to toddlerhood. And don’t worry, there are no pins required. The stretchy tabs we all love create a snug and comfortable fit that allows the diaper to be less bulky. One might even venture to say they are as easy as using disposables, but without the landfill waste or nasty chemicals. No wonder they’re called bumGENIUS!

Find It Here: Belly Sprout

Congratulations to Cyndy S., winner of two BumGenius diapers in white with a small red wet bag from Bummis courtesy of Belly Sprout!

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By Sarah, June 25, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Win

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rebel. That’s the motto at Reform School, a Los Angeles store owned by two high school friends with a focus on sustainable art, design and crafts. Lucky for us non-Angelenos, these best friends realized that not everyone can’t make it to LA so they started a website (with a cool school theme, natch) featuring one-of-a-kind sustainable and handmade finds. And just to keep things interesting, each month at Reform School, different artist is featured as “student of the month.” Make sure you also take a look at their wide and creative selection of stationery, books, posters, house accessories and unique handmade wares for kids like the Mobilhome Recycled Cardboard Dollhouse or the nifty Optrixx Cameras made from recycled wood. This is one school where you definitely won’t mind staying after class!

Find it Here: Reform School

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By Sarah, June 24, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, DIY, Home, Learn, Recycle, Reduce/Reuse, Sustainable

While we’re not normally fans of vinyl for new products, we are in favor of re-using the vinyl that already exists because it does not break down in landfills and thus, it might as well be used again for things that need to be tough and waterproof (obviously not baby/kids products!). What better way to display your fabulous “reduce, re-use and recycle” lifestyle than with a purse, tote or bag made from recycled vinyl billboards? In 2002, the Vy&Elle company (a play on word on ‘vinyl’) started designing and creating women and men’s accessories that were practical works of art. To date, Vy&Elle have reused over 100 tons of billboard vinyl and their manufacturing process includes 100% recycling of all scrap and waste materials, which are turned into garden hoses and flooring by other manufacturers so every bit of those billboards is reused and lives another life as something else — which means LESS NEW VINYL being produced! Of course, we look forward to the day that vinyl is no longer made at all but until then, we think Vy&Elle products are not only good-looking but also gorgeously green!

Find It Here: Vy&Elle

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By Sarah, June 7, 2008  
Filed under: Recycle, Reduce/Reuse, Style, Travel, Wear

Sometimes it is possible to do a little good without spending a penny! An e-card is a good way to spread joy and with a “Protect Habitat — FREE!” e-card you can also help save endangered species and the forest land they inhabit. Choose from one of the many well-designed e-cards and in no time you will make someone’s day and help the environment. With each e-card 10 square feet of land will be funded for protection in collaboration with The Rainforest Site and so far, over 40,000 acres have been saved and the number keeps growing. Weren’t you looking for the perfect excuse to contact everyone in your address book?

Find It Here: The Rainforest Site

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By Sarah, June 4, 2008  
Filed under: Do Good, Resources

Since 1988 Global Exchange, has taken a stand against exploitive, corporate-based retail and raised awareness about fair-trade activism, as well as environmental, political and social justice. Through their brick and mortar stores, Global Exchange has proven that purchasing from companies that produce fairly traded food and crafts items can be profitable. These same products are now available through their fair-trade online store. By remaining steadfast to their pledge of operating according to socially conscious fair-trade criteria, Global Exchange offers a wide selection of sweatshop free products and staples such as coffee, tea and chocolate can be delivered to your door, as well as various gift baskets, jewelry, books, crafts and clothing. Chocolate? Fair trade? Delivered? YES!!!

Find It Here: Global Exchange

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By Sarah, May 27, 2008  
Filed under: Eat, Fair Trade, Gift, Resources

While buying less is always preferable, we’re not completely immune to the joys of shopping. But remember, when you shop, your dollar speaks for you — whether you want it to or not. Enter Co-op America, a program that has tackled the noble task of teaching consumers how to shop responsibly with their Responsible Shopper program. By alerting consumers to a company’s practices you will become better informed and learn which companies are truly environmentally friendly and socially responsible. Take a stroll through the alphabetized list of companies on their site and get the scoop on the good and bad and the ugly of corporate America. If you’re struck with the urge to do something positive, check out the Actions page where you can join different campaigns like the Adopt-A-Supermarket Campaign, the Green Supermarket Pledge or Six Degrees of Exploitation, to name just a few — because as long as your dollars are speaking for you, they ought to be saying something worthwhile, yes?

Find It Here: Responsible Shopper

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By Sarah, May 22, 2008  
Filed under: Do Good, Fair Trade, Resources

Unlike with bottled water, there will be no environmental guilt when drinking from this Green Toys tea set. To make their enviro-friendly toys, Green Toys reprocesses plastic milk jugs made of high-density polyethylene, which is known to be one of the safest, cleanest plastics around. In addition to this adorable tea set, other products in this line include an indoor gardening kit, cookware and dining set and a sand play set. Not only are these manufactured in the USA, but they are also packaged in 100% recycled corrugated easy-to-open boxes with absolutely no plastics, cellophane or those horrendous twist-ties that can turn the sanest of parents into raving lunatics. And, as if those packaging virtues weren’t reason enough to love Green Toys, consider that their toys are Bisphenol-A and phthalate-free, as determined by third-party testing conducted in the United States. Kind of makes you wonder why they don’t make all plastic toys this way…

Find It Here: Green Toys Inc.

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By Sarah, May 13, 2008  
Filed under: BPA-free, Kids, Play, Recycle, Toddler, Toys

What month is it? What is the freshest produce available this month? Field To Plate offers seasonal guides to help you navigate the world of produce from the supermarket to your kitchen. A wide array of guides are available including The Produce Partner, The Berry Wheel, and Seasonal Produce Magnets. All guides are aimed to help you pick and prepare the freshest fruits and vegetables and eat in-season, which is always greenest option. By choosing the freshest produce grown by American farmers you are supporting their “growing craft.” Field To Plate is a food education company where the mission is to move food learning from ordinary to extraodinary because, in the words of famed chef Alice Waters — “Knowing where your food comes from can change your life.”

Find It Here: Field to Plate

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By Sarah, May 4, 2008  
Filed under: Eat, Learn

If you’re serious about changing your lifestyle for the health of the planet but don’t know where to start, check out The Environmental Impact Calculator at Low Impact Living. In just a few minutes you can find out your carbon footprint along with how much energy and water your house uses and how much trash you produce. During the process you will start to feel the impact you’re leaving, but don’t worry — this calculator will also recommend projects specific to your home that will help you reduce your impact factor and save money, too. This is not your accountant’s boring old calculator!

Find It Here: Environmental Impact Calculator

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By Sarah, April 30, 2008  
Filed under: Learn, Resources