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

Win It: This month, one of our newsletter subscribers will win a New Mama Nurture Basket by Love & Blessings worth more than $100! Just sign up for our free e-newsletter, Green Moms Monthly, and you’re entered to win. Enter by May 31, 2008. U.S. and Canadian residents eligible.

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

Bringing reusable bags to the grocery store is a great way to reduce waste and keep plastic bags out of our landfills. Not only that, but bringing your own bag is just an ultra-hip thing to do; at least we think so! Now there’s a great new board book available to help teach young children about the importance of toting reusable shopping bags - My Bag and Me by Karen Farmer. This adorable board book is shaped like — you guessed it! — a reusable bag and there’s even a kid-sized shopping tote inside the book! But the best part is the simple message it imparts — bring a bag to the store and you’ll be helping to save the planet. It’s a great message for kids to hear early and often so that as they grow older, bringing their own reusable bags will be second nature to them, which is really cool. But can you imagine telling your grandchildren about the olden days when we all just threw bags in the trash? So not cool!

Find It Here: Amazon.com

Win It: We’re giving away FIVE copies of My Bag and Me! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “MB98” as the giveaway name and tell us one reason why you’d like this book for your family. Enter by 5/15/08.

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By Cristina, May 8, 2008  
Filed under: Read, Reduce/Reuse, Toddler, Win

Though I love fruits and vegetables now, I’m pretty sure I didn’t eat a single vegetable when I was a kid without some sort of protest. Maybe if my parents had been able to send me to bed in New Jammies, I would have started enjoying my vegetables a lot sooner. Made of super soft 100% organic cotton, New Jammies fruit and vegetable print pajamas for kids and babies feature brightly colored images of bananas, blueberries, carrots, peas, tangerines and apples along with cute little phrases like “Apple of My Eye” and “Pretty Peas Please.” The icing on the cake carrots is the little book that comes with every pair. Filled with pictures of happy produce, counting games, rhymes and a short story, it really does make fruits and vegetables look fun; like something kids would enjoy instead of something yucky their parents insist they eat — and take it from a former world-class vegetable hater, getting little ones on the path to healthy eating in a positive way is half the battle in the veggie wars.

Find It Here: New Jammies

Win It: We’re giving away a New Jammies pajama set in winner’s choice of pattern and size. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “NJ60″as the Giveaway Name and tell us the name of your favorite item available from New Jammies. Enter by 5/13/08. U.S. residents eligible.

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By Izzy, May 5, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Kids, Learn, Organic, Toddler, Wear, Win

Ever since I heard that vinyl bibs contain lead, I’ve been backing off the plasticky bibs and going for cloth. Cloth bibs tend to be much easier on the eyes anyway. One of my favorites are these 100% organic cotton, soft terrycloth bibs by La Queue du Chat (aka The Cat’s Tail). We love this French company for their bib designs, but we love them even more for their commitment to fair-trade practices. Their bibs are manufactured in an Indian factory that works exclusively with organic cotton. Female workers make equal pay to their male counterparts (no children are employed), and all workers receive higher-than-average wages, a yearly bonus of one month’s pay, medical insurance, and free access to a doctor and a pharmacy for themselves and their families. Working conditions are safe and clean. But wait, there’s more! They even send a collection of their baby clothes to charities that provide assistance to homeless mothers. Wow. Suffice it to say that we’re hooked on them.

Find It Here: Comptoir d’Enfance

Win It: We’re giving away a fair-trade, organic cotton bib by La Queue du Chat. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “CE33” as the giveaway name and tell us your favorite La Queue du Chat item available from Comptoir d’Enfance. Enter by 5/9/08. U.S. and Canadian residents eligible.

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By Cristina, May 2, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Eat, Fair Trade, Organic, Win

Do you know what an açai (ah-sci-ee) berry is? Well, if you do then you’re light years ahead of me. I’d never even heard of them until I recently came across the very tasty Bossa Nova Açai juice (I’ve had the blueberry and passionfruit). Harvested from the Amazonian rainforest, açai berries are higher in antioxidants than any other fruit in the world, which means they’re really, really good for you and since they’re naturally low in sugar, too, they’re something of a superfood. Unlike apple, white grape and many other juices, most of which are low in antioxidants and high in sugars, Bossa Nova Açai juices are sweetened with organic agave nectar which has a very low glycemic index. While Bossa Nova Açai is not specifically organic, the açai berries they use are wild harvested and naturally free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers — which means instead of worrying about toxic chemicals, I can work on neutralizing evil free radicals simply by enjoying a little Bossa Nova!

Find It Here: Bossa Nova

Win It: We’re giving away 2 bottles of Bossa Nova Açai Juice to 5 lucky winners! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “BN43″ as the Giveaway Name and tell us which two flavors you’d like to try most. Enter by 5/8/08. U.S. and Canadian residents eligible.

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By Izzy, May 1, 2008  
Filed under: Eat, Win

Not all toys have batteries in them. I had to explain this concept to my almost three-year-old recently when he kicked one of the wooden cars I bought him and said, “Mommy, it doesn’t go. It needs batteries!” Admittedly, battery-operated toys are fun for kids, but wooden toys can be just as entertaining and can stimulate the imagination in ways that battery-operated toys might not. And let’s not forget the HUGE pluses of not having to run out to buy replacement batteries all the time or the good feeling we’ll get by eliminating worries over the hazards that batteries present to our environment.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, eco-friendly wooden toy for your preschooler/budding architect, check out Kapla’s wooden construction planks. The accompanying instructions sheets will give you great building ideas - from the simple to the complex (Eiffel Tower anyone?) . Made in France of 100% pine from certified renewable French forests, Kapla’s construction planks are sure to bring out the creative genius in your child. And parents, don’t worry, you won’t have to mess with glue, nails, batteries, or toxic paints. Just bring your imagination and you’re all set. Hooray!

Find It Here: Comptoir d’Enfance

Congratulations Angela H., winner of a box of 40 Kapla construction planks! 

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By Cristina, April 29, 2008  
Filed under: Preschooler, Sustainable, Toys, Win

Baby Gap and Gymboree watch out - you’ve now officially got some serious eco-competition. Introducing…Kicky Pants, our latest and greatest find for totally unique, comfy and eco-friendly clothing for babies and toddlers. We love them for their line of bamboo basics, which are really and truly the softest baby clothing we’ve ever felt. (Yes, bamboo clothing is actually really soft! The fiber itself has been compared to silk and we’re not surprised. It’s that luxurious.). Created by designer and mom Erin Cloke, Kicky Pants was developed while she was on bedrest with her second son (wow!). With the help of her husband, environmentalist Nick Cloke, Erin has created a line of bamboo clothing that includes coveralls, dresses, onesies, PJs, and tees. My personal favorite are the coveralls - if only because I love the adorable “drop down” butts on those pants! All in all, I’d say this husband-wife duo has come up with a pretty kick ass line. No pun intended.

Find It Here: Kicky Pants

Congratulations to Frances F., winner of a set of bamboo coveralls by Kicky Pants!

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By Cristina, April 25, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Bamboo, Wear, Win

I’m really trying to buy more used items these days because not only is it better for the environment to not buy new stuff all the time, it’s also better for my pocketbook. But when I’m looking for natural and fair-trade toys and clothing, I’ve had trouble finding them used. So I was totally psyched (do people still use that word?) to find The Conscious Child. While The Conscious Child mainly carries brand new items, it is their small selection of gently used environmentally friendly baby and toddler products that made us fall in love with this unique online store. Browse their shop to buy, or sell some of your own items for cash upfront. While their inventory is sometimes a little low, you can find some good deals if you check back often - like this organic cotton Under the Nile baby gown priced at only $15.99 and available elsewhere for $22.00. Shop owner, Sarah, personally and fully inspects all used items for first-quality condition prior to selling them so you can feel confident in what you’re buying. So if you’re the type who loves to shop consignment stores, flea markets, garage sales, or if you’re just a closet Craigslist addict with a bent towards green living, then take a peek at the selection of gently loved items at The Conscious Child. But hands off the ecological wool booties, kay? Those are mine :)

Find It Here: The Conscious Child

Congratulations to Lily K., winner of a set of (3) handcrafted beeswax body balms from The Conscious Child!

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By Cristina, April 23, 2008  
Filed under: Fair Trade, Organic, Reduce/Reuse, Win

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream Stonyfield YoBaby Yogurt. Why? Because Stonyfield YoBaby Yogurt is totally yummy and lovable (even for the finickiest of children) and it’s also all natural, USDA certified organic and comes without the preservatives and artificial ingredients so commonly found in yogurts these days. The Stonyfield Company also makes extraordinary efforts to minimize their impact on the environment - whether it be through their choice of packaging, their use of solar panels, or their efforts to reduce Co2 emissions. They’ve even won several national environmental awards. So, yeah, they’re getting a big thumbs up from this green mama. And as if they read my mind, they’ve now come out with YoMommy Yogurt, the organic, low-fat variety just for moms that’s chock full of the good stuff expectant and new mothers need. Something tells me the dads are about to get jealous…

Find It Here: Click here to find a store near you.

Congratulations to Beth S. and Janet, who will each be receiving $25 in coupons for free YoBaby and YoMommy Yogurt Packs.

Editor’s Note: Prior to writing this post and arranging the giveaway, we consulted Stonyfield Farms’ website to make sure the plastic containers they were using for their yogurt cups were safe. Their site indicates that they exclusively use plastic #5. However, some of our readers have informed us that while the large containers of yogurt are packaged in #5, the small YoBaby yogurt cups are still packaged in #6 plastic. We contacted Stonyfield to question this and we received the following response:

Thanks for your inquiry about our packaging and specifically our use of polystyrene #6 for our YoBaby products. First, none of our packaging contains BPA, the chemical currently in the news and which is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. As for our use of polystyrene #6, you’ll be reassured to learn that #6 containers are considered safe for food use by the both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union (EU). The FDA requires the styrene content of the packaging be less than 5,000 parts per million (ppm). The styrene content in Stonyfield Farm’s polystyrene packaging does not exceed 400 ppm.We appreciate hearing from you. Because the use of any plastic can have an adverse effect on the environment, we continuously search for packaging materials with lower environmental impacts. For now, we believe the best option for our small cups is polystyrene since it allows us to reduce the overall amount of packaging material we use - less packaging means less consumption of resources, less pollution and less solid waste.

We are disappointed that Stonyfield has chosen to use plastic #6 containers. We have requested that they update their website to indicate that they use a range of plastics for their containers, including plastic #6 for their yogurt cups. We have further urged them to find a safer packaging for their yogurt cups. Despite the FDA assurances about the safety of the styrene content of their current packaging, we do not feel comfortable giving our children any amount of styrene, which is considered a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and which may also disrupt hormones or affect reproduction. Healthy Child Healthy World recommends avoiding foods packaged in polystyrene plastic, denoted by a #6. So, as much as we love Stonyfield’s YoBaby Yogurt cups, we are no longer comfortable recommending them. For now, purchasing the larger plastic #5 Stonyfield Yogurt containers seems to be a better option.

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By Cristina, April 21, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Eat, Mama, Organic, Win

Did you know that many conventional household cleaners contain chemicals that are more dangerous and toxic than the germs we are trying to avoid by using them? According to the EPA, some of these toxins have been found to cause cancer in animals and are suspected, or are known, to cause cancer in humans. But before you get too freaked out, I want you to know that you DO have options; there ARE products made by companies who actually care about you, your family and the earth, one of them being Babyganics, which makes cleaning products that are plant based, organic, VOC free, non-caustic, free of harsh chemicals, fillers or dyes and are completely safe for you, your children, pets and the environment. You need it? They got it — all purpose cleaner, glass & surface cleaner, tub & tile cleaner, floor cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent and even an odor eliminator/air freshener, which is one of the things I miss most since quitting conventional cleaning products. But one thing I won’t ever miss are those nasty chemical odors that we’ve come to think of as “clean smelling.” Now clean smells like…clean.

Find it Here: Babyganics

Congratulations to Kathie R., winner of a Babyganics Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit, courtesy of Go Natural Baby!

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By Izzy, April 18, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Cleaning Products, Home, Organic, Win

The first time I ever tasted store-bought baby food, I think my exact words were, “Ugh! Yick!” Yeah, it was pretty gross. Despite the bad first impression, I now know that not all commercial baby food tastes so yucky. In fact, I have found a brand that actually tastes so good that even I want to eat it. Certified organic by the USDA and made in the USA, Jack’s Harvest comes frozen in the cutest one-ounce heart shaped cubes, the perfect size for a baby starting out on solids. With tasty creations like “pear with a dash of cinnamon”, “more peas, please with a hint of mint”, and “lip-smacking sweet potatoes with a dash of cinnamon and vanilla,” you’ll be asking for the recipes so that you can make some for your entire family! While Jack’s Harvest is not currently available in grocery stores (yet), they will deliver in the U.S., and you can try to get your local grocer to sell it by sending in this sample letter or by asking Jack’s Harvest to contact them for you. So here’s to totally-not-yicky, absolutely yummy organic baby food - it’s about time!

Find It Here: Jack’s Harvest

Congratulations to Ruth F., winner of a $25 gift certificate to Jack’s Harvest!

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By Cristina, April 17, 2008  
Filed under: Baby, Eat, Organic, Win

When I first found out that certain plastics can leach BPA at low levels into our food and drink, I decided it was time to find some safe, portable BPA-free drinking cups for my kids, and I did a lot of research to find the safest ones possible. If you’re looking for a reusable drinking cup for your child and you’d like to avoid plastic altogether, then you might like to try out the SIGG 0.3L water bottle. This is one of my favorite safe, reusable canteens for kids because of all the totally cool designs available, like this little fireman SIGG available from BuyGreen.com. For something a little more girly, check out the little kitty SIGG design. Great on the go, SIGGs are made of aluminum and come in many designs that are sure to make your little one smile. And you’ll be smiling, too, because you won’t be worried about toxins leaching into your kid’s drink.

Find It Here: buygreen.com

Congratulations to Samantha S., winner of a SIGG 0.3L “little fireman” water bottle!

Editor’s Note: After our initial post, we received a reader question about the potential for SIGGs to leach BPA or aluminum from the inner lining of the canteen. With regards to aluminum, SIGG states that their canteens are safety tested to ensure 0.0% leaching. With regards to BPA, we found out that while the canteens are made of aluminum, the make-up of the inner lining is proprietary and SIGG will not tell us what it’s made of. That said, SIGG has released a statement indicating that laboratory testing “has consistently shown SIGG bottles to have no presence of lead, phthalates, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Bysphenol A (BPA), Bysphenol B (BPB) or any other chemicals which scientists have deemed as potentially harmful.” Go to this Treehugger article for more discussion on this topic or here for the official SIGG statement on the safety of their canteens. For the record, I still like SIGGs for their cool designs and reusability and I am fairly reassured by their safety testing, but I sure wish we could find out what those liners are made of. I guess I’m just curious like that.

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By Cristina, April 16, 2008  
Filed under: Eat, Kids, Reduce/Reuse, Win