Looking for a play dough that is all-natural and made without chemicals or artificial dyes? Want to support a mom of three with a passion for making safer products? Then look no further than Eco-Kids non-toxic, non-staining eco-dough. The vibrant colors of this play dough come from plant and vegetable extracts and for those with allergies, Eco-Kids comes in a gluten/soy/dairy-free variety, which we LOVE, especially since conventional play dough often contains wheat. Now before you question the packaging…don’t fret. It may look like the containers are plastic but would  any self-respecting eco-dough come in a plastic container? No way! The packaging is made from cornstarch and is 100% compostable. Just throw in a bamboo rolling pin (only $3.00 - score!) and let the kids have at it!

Find It Here: Eco Kids

Win It! We’re giving away a tube of six 3 oz. containers of eco-dough and a sustainable bamboo rolling pin! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “EK54” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What else besides play dough does Eco Kids sell? U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 9/2/08.

By Cristina, August 27, 2008  
Filed under: Kids, Made in USA, Win

Who says that organic cotton bedding has to be plain and boring? This supercharged sheet set by Pixel Organics is anything BUT boring and the retro red, white and blue print is “really cool!” as my son would say. This set is made in the U.S.A. of super soft organic sateen cotton with low-impact dyes, which we love, and they have actually enticed my son to get to bed on time which is no small feat. I think it’s safe to say these sheets totally RULE.

Find It Here: Wild Dill

Win It! We’re giving away a fitted twin sheet! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “WD55” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is the name of one other item for sale in Wild Dill’s sleep selection? U.S. or Canadian residents eligible. Enter by 8/26/08.

By Cristina, August 19, 2008  
Filed under: Bedding, Kids, Made in USA, Organic, Win

Shopping with a cloth bag is eco-friendly, for sure, but shopping with super stylish cloth bags makes being green so much more interesting, not unlike like wearing a variety of great shoes instead of the same old ones every day. A perfect example of such hip, functional totes are minusbags which are made in the USA from 100% locally grown cotton and are machine washable. Handsewn and screen printed in New Hampshire, you can order your bags with a regular short handle or opt for a longer over-the-shoulder strap. We love their bright colors and modern designs and we really love that the large tote holds more than THREE plastic bags worth of groceries. Holy shopping cart, Batman! These bags put the fun in functional and the fab in fabulous!

Find It Here: minusbags

Win It! We’re giving away a miniusbag in winner’s choice of style. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “MB86” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite style of minusbag? U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 8/19/08.

By Sarah, August 12, 2008  
Filed under: Made in USA, Reduce/Reuse, Win, bags

How much can you really fit inside a pretty reusable bag? A LOT! Check out Pretty Green’s founder as she shows you just how many groceries can fit into a Pretty Green Bag. Not only are these bags roomy, but they are so stylish that we can practically guarantee that even your non-green friends will be asking you “Where did you get that bag?” which is a great segue into a subtle plug for reusable bags and how good using one can be for the environment. Made locally in California from a sturdy twill, canvas, or sateen cotton, the patterns are very cute and summery and the water repellent liner makes them practical too. So if you haven’t taken that leap into shopping with a reusable bag yet or if you just want to upgrade your plain canvas tote to something a little more attractive, check out Pretty Green Bag and prepare to start strutting your eco-conscious stuff at the grocery store in gorgeous green style.

Find It Here: Pretty Green Bags

Win It! We’re giving away a Pretty Green Bag in winner’s choice of style. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “PG49” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite style of bag from Pretty Green Bag? U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 8/11/08. Contest Closed. Congrats, Bonnie P!

By Sarah, August 4, 2008  
Filed under: Made in USA, Reduce/Reuse, Style, Win, bags

Do you know what a biome is? Don’t feel bad — I didn’t either until my son got a super soft 100% organic, unbleached cotton t-shirt from the bioME 5 Animal Alphabet Project. Made in the USA using low-impact screenprinting dyes, the shirts are festooned with a bright, bold alphabet letter and corresponding type of animal (N for Newt!) and most interestingly, the name of the featured animal is upside down so the wearer can actually see/read the name when they look down, which, if you think about it, makes perfect sense! This genius idea comes from the creators of bioMe 5 — two architectural designers who are inspired by the visual learning processes inherent in all children, all the while encouraging their environmental awareness. And just so you can feel extra brainy should the question ever come up again, biomes are communities of organisms (as featured on their shirts) adapted to a particular environment, such as deserts, grasslands, aquatics, forests, and tundras. Smart stuff, that bioME 5!

Find it Here: BioME 5

Deal: Enter code “GREENMOMS” at checkout for $5 off and free U.S. shipping on all orders over $25! Offer expires on 8/30/08.

Win It! We’re giving away a toddler tee OR onesie in winner’s choice of size and letter! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “BM5” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite tee-shirt design from bioME 5? U.S. residents eligible. This contest is closed. Congrats to Suzie G!

By Izzy, July 29, 2008  
Filed under: Kids, Made in USA, Organic, Wear

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

Congrats to Judith R., winner of an organic cotton onesie/T-shirt with custom embroidery!

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!

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

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

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

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

Sandcastle-building is one of my my kids’ top 10 favorite summertime activities. But I am filled with a small twinge of guilt at the thought of buying those made-in-China plastic beach toys. Luckily, a better option is now available — the Sand Play Set by Green Toys. Made of recycled milk containers, Green Toys are made of plastic that you can actually feel good about! Green Toys, Inc. takes environmental consciousness to a whole new level. Not only are their toys made locally in California, but they also obtain the raw materials locally. By eliminating oversees or cross-country transportation costs, they are also reducing pollution. They also use recycled, non-plastic materials for their packaging and (hooray!) no twist-ties! And finally, because I know you want to know, these toys have no traceable amounts of phthalates or BPA and have no external coatings that could contain lead paint. Yep, we think we’ve found a winner here! So skip the dollar store next time you are looking for sand and beach toys and check out Green Toys instead. Your planet thanks you.

Find It Here: Green Toys

Congratulations to Rachael W., winner of a sand play set by Green Toys! 

By Cristina, May 26, 2008  
Filed under: BPA-free, Made in USA, Play, Preschooler, Recycle, Toddler, Toys, Win