Ahhh, the joys of becoming a new mom. You had heard of “mommy guilt” but didn’t realize it would hit hard on your first sleep-deprived trip to the store…when faced with which diapers to buy…regrettably knowing in your head all about those diapers on the shelf and the ugly nature of their plastickyness. But then you spot them, your beacon box of hope on the third shelf - Nature BabyCare Diapers!

YES! The 1st award winning biodegradable* disposable diaper! Manufactured in Sweden, they are breathable, chlorine-free, gentle to wear and made of natural materials (no oil-based plastics) that may cause irritation OR diaper rash. The best part, and we think this bears repeating, is that these disposable diapers are almost 100% biodegradable. Nice!

You toss them in your cart, now guilt free. The endorphins have kicked in, thus allowing you to reach for dark chocolate, trendy magazines and the like so you will be fully stocked for the inevitable 3 am wake up call. What a rush!

*The tabs and leg/waist elastic of these diapers are not biodegradable - but everything else is - even the package they come in. The wipes are also 100% compostable.

Find It Here: Cooler Choices

Win It! We’re giving away a package of diapers in winner’s choice of size and a pack of biodegradable wipes! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “CC20” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is one other eco-friendly item available in the Diapers and Wipes section at Cooler Choices? U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 7/28/08.

A big shout out to the moms at Cool Mom Picks for finding these first and tipping us off to their eco-fabulousness.

By Deb, July 21, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Win

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.

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

These days, we hear a lot in the media about bisphenol-A, phthalates and PVC in children’s products, particularly teethers, bottles, sippy cups, utensils and other food-related items. One thing we don’t hear much about are those same chemicals in your children’s bath toys. When I think about all the bath toys my kids have had over the years, I have very distinct memories of certain items always being in their mouths and I cringe at how many of them were probably tainted with toxic chemicals. It’s enough to make a parent crazy. Luckily, some companies have taken the lead on making safer children’s products, including bath toys and our safety-conscious friends at Z-Recs have taken the time to do the legwork and compile some great resources about which bath toys are, in fact, safe. Take a look at The Z-Recs Guide to Safer Bath Toys and then check out the bath toys and other non-toxic goodness over at The Soft Landing. Everything they carry is BPA and phthalate-free!

Find It Here: The Z-Recs Guide to Safer Bath Toys

By Izzy, July 15, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Kids, Resources, Toys

Running along the same lines as Healthy Child, Healthy World, Alan Greene’s Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care covers everything from the time of conception to when your little one arrives and beyond. It offers tips on how to be green through several areas: The Womb, Labor and Delivery, the Nursery, the Kitchen, the Bathroom, the Garden and the Whole House. Other helpful tips include which plastics are safer, questions to ask when choosing a non-hospital birthing center, statistics on differences between home and hospital births, the effects of medicated vs. non-medicated birth and much more. At the back of the book, there is an excellent list of green resources: books, websites, organizations, etc., as well as a section that is termed as “Green Information”, a supplement to each of the chapters. As a gift for green-minded parents, this book rocks — and you can rest assured that it will still be around and used as a reference long after those receiving blankets and onesies are but a distant memory.

Find It Here: Raising Baby Green

By Kris, July 1, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Gift, Learn, Organic, Resources

Attention all green-minded mommies and daddies-to-be, I just found the coolest birth announcements by Inventing Matilda. Inventing Matilda designs range from totally hip and modern to traditional with a touch of whimsy. Each card design is like a work of art and now they are now available in an e-card format! That means you can score exceedingly cool designer birth announcements for a fraction of what it would cost you to purchase them in printed form and you can help the planet by sending them out via e-mail instead of snail mail, which saves oil, carbon AND trees. Just select the design that you want, personalize it online and order it via the website. Once you approve the proof, you will receive a custom jpeg image of your card. You can then send it out via e-mail, post it in on a blog, and even print it for a scrapbook if you like. I love these so much that I’m planning to have another child just to buy one. Ha! Kidding. But if I ever do have another baby, I already know where I’ll be getting my green, stylish and so totally non-generic birth announcements!

Find It Here: Inventing Matilda

Congratulations to Kimberly V., Priscilla, Aubrey, Louise B. and Lisa I., winners of a free personalized e-card birth announcement from Inventing Matilda!

By Cristina, June 30, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Made in USA, Win

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!

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

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

Becoming a parent changed me in ways I never would have expected. And I’m talking about more than just stretch marks! I realized that being responsible for a new life means doing whatever I can to make them safe, healthy and happy – and for me, that extended to making my children’s environment as safe and natural as possible. If you’re like me (always looking for good resources for information on natural and eco-friendly alternatives and products), then I’m got a great new resource for you - Organic Baby. Developed by New Zealand mother Lianne Earles, this web directory contains articles on topics from safer skin care options to cloth diapering FAQs, and the online shopping directory provides great suggestions on where to find natural and organic products. While much of the site is available for free to anyone, you also have the option to sign up for a membership, which earns you a fab organic cotton tee or onesie, automatic entry into a monthly prize draw, exclusive discounts, refer-a-friend rewards and more. The only thing you might not get is a cure for those stretch marks. :)

Find It Here: Organic Baby

Congratulations to Michael B., winner of a one year membership in the US Organic Baby Club, including a free organic cotton tee or onesie and all the other membership benefits!

By Cristina, June 20, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Resources, Win

For the first few weeks when my son was born, one of the only things that would soothe him at night was to be swaddled tightly in a blanket. My only problem was that the blankets I used never seemed big enough to get a secure wrap. If only I had know about the Solana Swaddle Wrap! Handmade in the USA, these blankets are perfect for swaddling for so many reasons - they are oversized so you’ll have enough fabric to get a tight swaddle; they are super soft and lightweight; and just as important in my book, they are made of 100% organic cotton and without the use of chemicals. While practical and eco-friendly, the wraps are also pretty - each one is finished with an organic cotton sateen trim in pink, blue, or green. Perfect for summer, use it as a swaddler by night and throw them over your stroller as a sunshade by day. Guaranteed to make you a perfect baby burrito!

Find It Here: Solana Babywear

Deal: Use code ‘greenmom’ for a 10% discount on your purchase at Solana Babywear!

By Cristina, June 17, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Made in USA, Organic, Sleep

In my mind, there is nothing sexier than a man who is “man” enough to wear his baby in a carrier. So when I heard about a new line of carriers designed by two fathers, I just had to check it out. The Belle Baby Carrier was designed by Seth Murray and Mark LeBeau who are fathers, outdoorsmen, and designers/engineers in the climbing industry. The carriers are made to hold babies 10lbs - 25lbs, both outward and inward facing, and have been referred to as the “infant” version of the popular Ergo carrier because they are designed to distribute weight to the hips, not the shoulders. Not only is the carrier comfortable and stylish (and by the way, touted by celebrities), but we especially like that the company is committed to eco-friendly practices. Belle Carriers are made locally in Colorado and include a line in 100% organic cotton and hemp fabrics and environmentally friendly dyes. The waist belt is made out out of yoga mat manufacturing remnants and their packaging is made from recyclable cardboard. Suffice it to say that they take reducing, reusing and recycling very seriously, and they make a good (and green) baby carrier, too — for both mamas and papas!

Find It Here: Belle Baby Carriers

Win It: We’re giving away a Belle Baby Carrier in organic cotton! Simply leave a comment in the giveaway thread in our brand spankin’ new Community Forum and you’ll be entered to win! U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 6/30/08.

Deal: Receive 20% off your purchase with code ‘Mommies’ at checkout!

By Cristina, June 16, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Made in USA, Organic, Win

Treehuggers agree - growing cotton organically is far better for the environment than growing cotton conventionally. Not only are all those pesticides and fertilizers bad for the environment, but they’re hazardous to workers, too. When it comes to buying organic cotton, what better place to start then with your baby’s bedding? If you’re working on the nursery, then check out these crib sheets by Kee-Ka. Made of 100% certified organic cotton with low-impact dyes, these sheets are 220 thread count, machine washable, and fit standard crib mattresses. Oh and they come with a totally cute cupcake motif for girls and an equally adorable monkey motif for boys. While buying organic cotton crib sheets is generally more expensive, I say we can make up the difference by buying only one or two sheets instead of three or four. And plus, who can resist that cupcake motif? I can barely resist it and I have two boys!

Find It Here: NewBornMom

Congratulations to Saundra M., winner of a set of organic cotton crib sheets courtesy of NewBornMom!

Eco Fact: It takes 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans.

By Cristina, June 9, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Bedding, Organic, Win

Lucky for us, the first pacifier we ever tried with my son (the Natursutten Pacifier) was the best pacifier we ever purchased. Now granted, he only used it a few times before he opted for the good old thumb, but despite that, I totally fell in love with it. I know what you’re thinking. I fell in love with a pacifier? Really? Really. Just hear me out.

Made in Europe from natural rubber, Natursutten Pacifiers are CE certified to meet European health, safety, and environmental directives. You won’t find any BPA, phthalates, or PVC in these babies. Plus, unlike most pacifiers that have a plastic shield and a nipple joined together, this pacifier is molded into one piece. That means you won’t have to worry about yucky, germy stuff accumulating between the shield and nipple. It’s easy to clean, really (you guessed it!) rubbery, and naturally softer than silicone – perfect for baby and for mamas looking for a BPA-free paci for their child.

Find It Here: The Soft Landing

Congratulations to Mommie and Charline, winners of two Natursutten Pacifers each! 

By Cristina, May 23, 2008  
Filed under: BPA-free, Baby, Win