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

Totem Boys… is it a bird, a plane or…sanity in a box? The correct answer is “All of the above!” Just when the boys of summer (mine) began that low but audible whine of “Mom, I’m bored,” I was able to produce shock and awe (to the 7+ set) by producing a game that bends those imagination muscles more than a Wii ever could… Totem Boys is a new building game for kids that is half puzzle and half model kit in a mix of unique die-cut panels made from recycled laminated cardboard and imprinted with interesting reversible graphic images of metal, wood, fire and air to create a spaceship, a plane, a ship etc. There are over 120 building cards for with imagination to spare and a little time on their hands. You can thank Kidsonroof of the Netherlands for saving summer and perhaps your sanity, as well. Cheers!

Find It Here: Stubby Pencil Studio

Win It: Enter to win a Totem Boys or Totem Girls puzzle (winner’s choice), courtesy of Stubby Pencil Studio! Click over to the Green Mom Forum to enter. U.S. and Canadian residents eligible. Enter by 7/20/08.

By Deb, July 13, 2008  
Filed under: Gift, Kids, Recycle, Toys

If you’re like me and catch yourself cringing inwardly when you see the words “batteries not included” on the toy your kid just has to have, then you must check out this toy helicopter — it actually runs on solar power! Recommended for children 3 and older, this solar-powered toy helicopter is lead-free and non-toxic and will never run out of batteries since none (yay!) are required.

Find It Here: Estella

Congratulations to Suzanne B. and Shirley C., winners of a toy helicopter! 

By Cristina, July 10, 2008  
Filed under: Gift, Kids, Preschooler, Toys, Win

If you’ve got lots of broken crayons lying around the house, don’t throw them out — it’s easy AND fun to make new color crayons out of all those old broken pieces!

You’ll Need:

• old color crayons
• muffin pan
• muffin pan liners.

Get Started:

1- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2- Peel paper off crayons.
3- Cut crayons into small pieces.
4- Divide by color.
5- Put liners in muffin pan. If you don’t want to use liners, use a non-stick oil.
6- Fill your muffin pan with whatever colors you wish.
7 - Bake for 10-15 minutes at 250 degrees.
8 -Remove from oven and let cool 30-60 minutes. They will be hot!
9- After they are cool, remove paper liner.

Go crazy! You can create all kinds of color combos like rainbow, camo, two-toned, patriotic, Halloween or even Christmas colors. Use a regular sized pan, mini muffins, shaped muffin tins — the possibilities are endless!

While it would probably be much better to use a more eco-friendly type of color crayon, lets face it — a lot of households still have Crayola crayons and reusing them is a great way to give them new life!

Reprinted with Permission From: The Eco Chic Family Blog

Got a great green tip you’d like to share? Share your tips on our tips discussion thread over at the Green Mom Community Network!

[Image credit: knitting school dropout]

By Cristina, July 8, 2008  
Filed under: Kids, Recycle, Tips

If you have kids, I’m betting you’re already painfully aware of the challenges of throwing a party that’s fun, as well as green, healthy and socially responsible. It’s a pretty tall order and frankly, I feel like I’ve hit a home run if I can meet just one of those last three. I know I’m not alone because I’ve heard plenty of parents lament over feeling pressured to top the previous year’s party with something bigger and better; with the latest character themes and lots of cool stuff in the goody bags (which, let’s face it, usually ends up being a lot of cheap crap from China). My own kid party dilemma is coming up again soon and, as per usual, I’m grappling with ways to throw a green, non-commercial, crap-free party that is still a lot of fun so when I read this article on KIWI magazine’s web site with ideas for kid’s parties that are eco-friendly, healthy or socially responsible, I was pretty stoked. It’s got a long list of ideas for party themes and games that have absolutely nothing to do with arcades featuring rodent mascots, fast-food places, expensive bouncy things or build-your-own overpriced stuffed animal places and everything to do with having genuine fun while doing good.

Find it Here: KIWI Online

[Image from Webweaver]

By Izzy, July 3, 2008  
Filed under: Kids, Resources, Tips

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

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

This is by far the easiest playdough recipe I have ever tried. OK, well, it’s true that this is only the second playdough recipe I’ve ever tried, but still — after I used this one, I knew I had a winner. The pluses of making your own playdough? You will recognize all of the ingredients, which you probably already have in your home. You can make more whenever you run out. And most importantly, you don’t have to drag your kid to the store buy more. It’s a win-win for everyone! Oh, and this recipe takes about 5 minutes to make - that’s about an hour less than it would take for me to go buy some at the store! Even the kids can help with the mixing and kneading. Store it in an airtight container and it stays moist through many, many uses.

Recipe

1 cup flour

1 cup boiling water

2 tbsp. cream of tartar

1/2 cup salt

1 tbsp. oil

Mix and knead together.

Tipped off By: Cooks.com

Image credit: Pinot & Dita

By Cristina, June 13, 2008  
Filed under: DIY, Kids, Play, Tips

Did you know that conventional store-bought fingerpaints can contain toxic chemicals, like Toluene and Ethylene Glycol, that can get into your child’s body through their skin? How this is even legal we don’t know, but the good news is you can buy safe, natural finger paints or even better, make your own with ingredients you may already have around the house. Let the kids help if they’re old enough and make an afternoon of it. Then, after the kids go to bed and the mess is all cleaned up, go ahead and treat yourself to a nice long bath or a glass of wine. Or both!

Natural Fingerpaint Recipe

• 1 cup of cornstarch
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of grated soap (choose your favorite plain organic bar soap)

1. Melt grated soap flakes into a half cup of boiling water.
2. Add cornstarch.
3. Blend well and put aside. Allow mixture to thicken.
4. Divide into small containers and add coloring.

Natural colorings can be derived from the juice of frozen berries, beet juice, tea, onion skins (boiled) or other natural sources. You can store your fingerpaints in the refrigerator. for about a week.

Thanks for the Tip: LovetoKnow.com

By Izzy, June 3, 2008  
Filed under: Kids, Learn, Preschooler, Tips

Teaching young kids how to power down the computer is a great way to help them understand the importance of saving energy. Now there is a fun and easy way to do that - the turnOFFtool. Created by a team of Stanford students for a school project, the turnOFFtool was inspired by discussions with parents who expressed how difficult it is for a young child to remember all the steps involved in shutting a computer down. The turnOFFtool, which is free and can be downloaded to your computer in a matter of minutes, bypasses all of the steps it usually takes for you to turn off your computer. Instead, all you have to do is click on a little moon icon which is always available on the screen (or minimized at the bottom of your screen). When you click on the moon, your computer will automatically shut down - or you can easily set it to sleep, if you prefer. Currently, the tool only runs on Windows, but future versions will work with Macs, too, and will allow users to add text or sound effects and select their own picture. For the record, though, we think the moon image with the zzzz’s couldn’t be cuter more appropriate for kids to get the “sleep” metaphor. Bravo, Stanford guys — we likey!

Find It Here: turnOFFtool

Eco Fact: According to the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, leaving a computer on all day for a year could result in more than 1500 pounds of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. To put that into context, it would take 100-500 trees to offset that amount of extra CO2!

By Cristina, May 29, 2008  
Filed under: Gadgets, Home, Kids, Made in USA, Office, Resources, Tech

Got a teenager with an attitude? Got a tween who loves collecting? Then check out these ATTITUDEsters Monster Pets. Handmade in Thailand, these little cat, dog and bear creatures are made from scraps of material that would otherwise be thrown away. Each one is made with one-of-a-kind fabrics and embellishments and comes with a tag and personalized quotation. They make cool party favors for elementary school kids, while teens can use them as key chains to express their attitude(s) — because teens don’t do that nearly enough :)

Note: These are not suitable for children under the age of six.

Find It Here: Green Party Goods

Congratulations to Ann G., winner of a set of 12 fabric monsters (4 of each character)!

Deal: Receive 20% your purchase at Green Party Goods with code “GREENMOM”. Valid for 90 days.

By Cristina, May 28, 2008  
Filed under: Kids, Reduce/Reuse, Teens & Tweens, Win

I don’t usually read parenting magazines - mainly, because I’m too busy actually, you know, parenting, to read them. Plus, to me, parenting mags have always fallen into the “you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all” category. That is, until I stumbled upon KIWI Magazine. Focused on natural family living, KIWI covers topics ranging from the latest in natural and organic products to social and environmental issues important to families. They also have a keen eye for finding great eco-friendly kids’ clothing, toys and games. I picked up my first issue about a year ago and I was immediately hooked! They even have a companion website with articles, healthy recipes, eco-crafts, an e-newsletter, and some great contests/sweepstakes, plus a site just for kids! You’ll find their print mag in stores nationwide including Barnes and Noble, Whole Foods and Wegmans - or subscribe for just $12/year. Their second annual home issue (May/June) just hit newsstands last week and features topics such as natural cleaners, eco-friendly lawn and pool care, and natural mattresses.

Find It Here: KIWI Magazine

Congratulations to Sharon C. and Elizabeth, winners of a year print subscription to KIWI Magazine!

By Cristina, May 19, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Kids, Preschooler, Read, Toddler, Win