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

In the new age of blogging, the practice of writing in a journal can seem downright quaint and yet, there’s still something really special about actually putting pen to paper. If you’re looking to write down your thoughts the “old-fashioned” way, but you’re also worried about cutting down on your paper waste, then check out Eco Paper. The great thing about this line is that absolutely no trees are cut down to make their paper. Sounds hard to believe, but it’s true! Eco Paper is made using the waste from bananas, coffee and tobacco. These “agro-fibres” are then combined with a base fibre from post-consumer paper waste (e.g., recycled office paper, tetra pack containers, magazines and news papers) to create Eco Paper. Artisans add the decorative on-lays and labels and help with assembly. The result is a line of environmentally friendly, sustainable and beautifully made paper products that include journals, writing sets, notepads, sketch pads, stationary and more. Their paper products also use organic and vegetable inks rather than toxins and chemicals. Eco Paper may not cause me to close down my blog, but it has inspired me to start journaling again.

Find It Here: Eco Paper

Win It: We’re giving away a lemon paper journal from Eco Paper. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “ECO52” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: Other than this journal, what is your favorite product from Eco Paper? Enter by 7/21/08. U.S. residents eligible.

By Cristina, July 14, 2008  
Filed under: Gift, Organic, Recycle, Reduce/Reuse, Sustainable, Win

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

When I found out that the chemicals used in conventional disinfectants can be toxic, I was compelled to start searching for safer alternatives. At least one mom out there has taken it a step further and has created and bottled her own non-toxic disinfectant! Mompreneur Christine Stewart developed her All-Natural Alternative to Antibacterial Disinfectants after finding out about the health hazards of using chemical cleaners. Modeled after the well-known Vinegar of the Four Thieves formula, Christine’s disinfectant is made from white distilled vinegar and certified-organic herbs and spices grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. That means you can spray it all over your house to kill germs and never have to worry about what kind of chemicals you (and your kids) are breathing in or getting on your skin. I’m actually considering sending a case of this stuff to my sister — she’s just completed a twelve step program for Lysol abuse and needs a good alternative.

Find It Here: For My Kids

Congratulations to Shirley, Bree, Beth and Kelly, winners of a bottle of All-Natural Alternative to Antibacterial Disinfectants courtesy of For My Kids!

By Izzy, June 23, 2008  
Filed under: Clean, Organic, 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

Moisturizing daily is important for skin health — or so says my very astute and trustworthy esthetician friend. However, I find it disconcerting that so many moisturizers have synthetic ingredients that are downright toxic. Ugh! Who wants to put chemicals on their face every day? If you’re looking for a safer facial moisturizer, then check out Grateful Body’s Daily Facial Therapy. Available for dry, oily and normal skin types, it’s my all-time favorite facial lotion. Produced locally in California, the moisturizer gets a very low hazard score (a good thing!) from the Environmental Workging Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database. They are also a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and they do not test their products on animals. All of their products are vegetarian or vegan and they use recycled packaging and soy based inks. Oh and? Their moisturizer is really effective. I should know, I’ve been using it for over a year and I love it. At the risk of sounding a little un-green, I guess you could say, I’m sold.

Find It Here: Grateful Body

Congratulations to Meghan B., winner of a bottle of Grateful Body’s Daily Facial Therapy!

Deal: Receive 20% off your purchase at Grateful Body with code greenmom20. Valid through July 31, 2008.

By Cristina, June 5, 2008  
Filed under: Bodycare, Cosmetics, Mama, Organic, Sustainable, Vegan, Win

Planting season is upon us and whether you’re just beginning or a “seasoned” pro, Seeds of Change is a great resource for all your certified organic, non-GMO seed needs. Since 1989 they’ve strived to help promote sustainable, organic agriculture and to preserve biodiversity in an ever-changing environment. With over 600 different varieties of traditional and heirloom seeds available, the hardest part might be choosing what NOT to plant. Got kids? You can get them involved with the Children’s Garden Collection of seeds. On the eco tip, Seeds of Change recently switched their seed packs to new, reusable, recyclable envelopes. They have a longer shelf life, can be resealed to store unplanted seed, reused for other purposes, or recycled as #1 plastic. You can order from their catalog, on-line or by phone, as well as sign up for their monthly e-newsletter to keep up with everything that’s happening on at Seeds of Change.

Find It Here: Seeds of Change

By Kris, May 17, 2008  
Filed under: Eat, Gardening, Organic, Resources, Sustainable

Ever since the whole lead-in-lunchboxes news came out a while back, I have been avoiding vinyl (and vinyl-looking) lunchboxes like the plague. Lucky for all of us, there are tons of cool, non-vinyl options for packing a lunch. My latest find for kids’ lunches is this 100% organic cotton lunch sack with a robot design. Created by the mom-owned, Massachusetts-based, fashion and design firm toby + rei, these lunchboxes are definitely cooler than those PVC/vinyl/plastic (insert character name here) lunchboxes for sale everywhere. And as a company, toby + rei is committed to using sustainable materials like bamboo and organic cotton throughout their entire clothing and bedding line. We like that. We like their funky robot lunch bag, too. But fun + sustainable + lead-free? We LOVE that.

Find It Here: toby + rei

Congratulations to Ashley, winner of the pictured lunchbox and a matching organic cotton T-shirt or onesie.

By Cristina, May 14, 2008  
Filed under: Eat, Kids, Organic, Reduce/Reuse, Win

At almost every baby shower I’ve ever attended, the mom-to-be receives what seems like fifty zillion packages of newborn onesies. They’re nice to have, for sure, but original? Not so much. If you’re trying to find a unique gift idea for a baby shower, then check out these baby shower gift baskets by Love & Blessings. Started by mom of twins Victoria Loveland-Coen, Love & Blessings was founded with the philosophy of “nurturing the nurturer and caring for baby naturally, while lessening the toxic impact on our environment.” We love her philosophy and love her gift baskets even more! Individually crafted and assembled, each gift basket offers a unique selection of hip, earth-friendly products to nurture mama and baby. My personal favorite is The Ultimate Baby Bonding Gift Basket, which comes with a baby bonding book, baby bonding audiobook with guided relaxation, a nursing shawl, burp cloth, some Earth Mama Angel Baby products (all rated well on the Cosmetic Safety Database), and a little baby elephant rattle. You even customize your own gift basket if you want. Just choose the size basket you’d like, then shop their store for the perfect items to include. They will assemble the basket and ship it to you. It doesn’t get much any easier than that! And with plenty of natural, organic products to choose from, you’re only problem will be trying to figure out what not to put in your basket.

Find It Here: Love & Blessings

Congratulations to Kristinia, winner of a New Mama Nurture Basket by Love & Blessings worth more than $100! 

By Cristina, May 12, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Gift, Mama, Organic, Win

The Mother Earth News website, a companion to the print version, is a great resource for tips on DIY projects, renewable energy, organic gardening, sustainable farming and more. In the Fresh Content Daily section, there is always something new to read. Curious about how and when to plant potatoes or what is the best organic milk? You’ll find it there. You can also browse through the most popular articles, diverse blogs, even the current issue of Mother Earth News. Also handy is the 38-year archive completely available on-line which features an archived article every day on the main site.

Find It Here: Mother Earth News

By Kris, May 9, 2008  
Filed under: Gardening, Learn, Organic, Read, Resources, Tips