Eco-Snipits

Image Courtesy of Flickr User Loren Javier

I know that my preschooler is not the only one who is begging for her parent’s to plan a Disney themed getaway.  The funny part is that we took her two years ago — unfortunately, she doesn’t really remember it at all!  I know that Disney is in our vacation future within the next couple of years for sure.

Now, like so many other parents, I’ve begun looking at Disney vacation packages.  What most parent’s first question is Disneyland in California or Disneyworld in Florida?  My first train of thought, of course, goes to how I can make even a Disney trip a more eco-friendly experience.  There is always carbon offset credits that can be purchased to make up for flying.  And there are tons and tons of more environmentally friendly hotels that are available in both Orlando and Anaheim.  All you really have to do is look.

One of the most important considerations when looking for a green-er hotel is water consumption.  Hotels can easily reduce their water usage simply by not changing sheets and towels every single day in every single room.  These linens really only need to be changed at the guest’s request.  This simple act of putting out a card (all recycled content of course) that ways you want the sheets changed on the bed can make a huge difference when you are looking at dozens and dozens of rooms.

Hotels can also reduce their water consumption by having dual flush toilets installed in all guests rooms, low-flow shower heads and water efficient washing machines for laundry.  It’s amazing how these little things done over and over again each and every day can add up to a huge savings of water, energy and money!

I’m off to research hotel water consumption rates in Orlando now.  Don’t tell my kids!!  lol

Tags: Disney vacation, eco-friendly hotels, eco-friendly vacations, water consumption

Image Courtesy of Flickr User Cessna 206

Pregnancies that occur after miscarriages or stillbirths are often referred to as “rainbow” babies.  The hope and joy that these subsequent pregnancies is astounding and definitely even more beautiful than a rainbow.  I knew that I would be anxious when becoming pregnant again after two losses.  What I didn’t know was just how anxious I would be.  I’ve been walking around in a daze for 15 weeks and 5 days now knowing that I have a rainbow baby of my own growing inside and terrified at the same time that I will do something and lose this one too.

My blogs have definitely been suffering from my overwhelming depression and anxiety.  It is nearly impossible to overcome some days.  We have an ultrasound coming up in less than 3 weeks now.  This is the same ultrasound where we found out that our precious baby Kye had no heartbeat.  If I had any beliefs, I would definitely be praying.  If I wasn’t pregnant, I’d definitely be drinking!  Please bear with me as I make it through these difficult weeks lying ahead.  I am hoping for the best but definitely preparing for the worst.

Tags: hope, miscarriage, pregnancy, stillbirth

I have always loved Thermos.  Back in the day, my Mom had an entire line of harvest gold thermos products.  Whatever happened to Harvest Gold?  Even our fridge was that color!  I think we should start a petition to bring back harvest gold!  I have just totally aged myself, haven’t I? lol

 On my other blog, Green Colored Glasses, I featured some of the modern adult line of thermos products today.  They’ve definitely come a long way since their harvest gold days.  They have got many different styles for people with all different lifestyles.  I love that they have redesigned so many of their products and expanded the lines to keep it fresh.

However, Thermos also has an incredible line of kids products as well all the way from the baby stage to school age kids.  They have sippy cups, straw cups, traditional insulated thermoses, lunch kits and food containers in a huge variety of fun styles and colors.  They also have lots of “character” products featuring kids cartoon characters, movies, etc.  All kids go through that stage where they only want things that are “Disney Princess” or whatever.  Thermos makes it easy to satisfy them and your eco-friendly lifestyle at the same time.  All of their products are BPA free and all are reusable which is absolutely fantastic for the environment.

For little ones, I’d totally recommend their Foogo line which both of the pictures above come from.  They are available at a ton of stores including Walmart, Target and a ton of those little “green” baby boutiques that I’m so fond of.  Or, if you’re feeling lucky, you could enter this giveaway for a chance to win one from Natural Baby Goods blog.  Good luck!

Tags: bottles, BPA free, cups, design, Thermos

As an earth loving, budget stretching Mama, I’ve always got my eyes open for a great deal.  I ran into a site a couple of days ago that makes bargain hunting for natural kids products child’s play.  It’s called Green Baby Bargains and it’s run out of Livonia, Michigan.  The idea is exactly the same as the concept behind Kid Steals or Baby Steals (two of my other favorite bargain websites) although not run by the same company.  Each one of these sites offers one deal a day.  It’s first come, first served at all three sites.  They have a limited quantity of the deal of the day and they often run out within a few hours of being posted!

The difference with Green Baby Bargains is, of course, that all of the products featured on this site are eco-friendly.  Some products are definitely green-er than others though.  The trick with eco-friendly living though is to make a variety of more responsible environmental choices.  It does not mean that you have to become a vegan, granola eating, earth worshipping environmentalist in one giant leap though.  You just need to make a series of small steps in the right direction.  If enough people do this, it will make a huge difference!

The item of the day is posted at 10AM Eastern Standard Time Monday to Friday.  They also have some extra bonus items from time to time.  All of the items they feature are reduced by at least 50%.  That’s a huge discount even when shipping is taken into consideration!

Tags: bargain shopping, bargains, deals, eco-friendly baby products, eco-friendly products, sale, savings

Check out this fantastic Eco-Dollhouse from Plan Toys.  It teaches kids about sustainable living by having it’s own tiny alternate power sources — there’s a windmill, some solar panels on the roof and an electric interverter.  This really opens up the road of communication for parents and kids to discuss why these features are so important.

It’s made from chemical free, sustainable rubberwood that is finished with vegetable dyes.  The bedding and furniture with cloth is made with organic cotton as well.  Fantastic and completely safe for kids aged 3 and up.  No worries about what’s in their toys at all which is a huge relief after all of the lead and chemical recalls on toys.

The house completes complete with 5 rooms of furniture, recycling bins and an adjustable blind to natural control this eco-home’s temperature and air circulation.  This toy is an absolute must for all future green designers!  Love, love, love it!!

This toy is available at Ape to Zebra online.  This is a fantastic store that offers a huge range of natural, eco-friendly and safe kids toys and products which is exactly what all of us parents are looking for!  They carry a toy of great lines including Plan Toys, Yellow Label, Haba, Bambu, Kleen Kanteen and many others.  They even keep a list of current recalls to help keep parents informed about product safety!

Tags: Ape to Zebra, eco-friendly toys, green, green toys, Plan Toys

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday yesterday, I discovered these green farm animals.These are the greenest and pig that I’ve ever seen!  Perhaps these will inspire the next generation’s Dr. Seuss to go green.

They are called Bock Bock chicken and Wiggly Woo Piggly.  They are hand made by Ecoleeko.  These toys are made with soft all natural materials that are hand dyed with care.  The fabric is a bamboo fleece, the stuffing is kapok fibers and ground walnut shells and it’s even sewn with organic cotton thread!!  Talk about eco-friendly kids toys.  This is probably about as green as it gets!

Ecoleeko has a whole range of stuffed animals, bean bags, rattles, balls, bath puppets and tagged blankets made with the same sorts of all natural materials as seen in Mr. Bock Bock.  The owner even details how the paperwork involved in invoicing and receipts is recycled, as well as the packaging.

This is definitely a company owner that you know you can trust your children’s safety with.  In recent years there have been so many scary recalls on children’s toys and cloths that have parents wondering what exactly is safe.  Check out Ecoleeko for gifts and baby essentials instead of a big box store where items are made overseas under dubious safety regulations.  Handmade supports local businesses and shows companies that we are concerned about child and planet safety!!

Tags: Kids, Toys

I ran into this fantastic shirt today online by a really cool company called Wire and Twine.  It’s a very small company that hand prints the shirts they make in a barn.  Yup, a big cool red barn.  Between making shirts, they occassionally go out and bale hay.  Hence the name, wire and twine which are two options to make hay bales.  Awesome company, great graphics and a few green designs.

This one is absolutely my favorite.  It reminds me of two things.  First, I need to get my teenager unplugged and outside more.  He has an Xbox issue from time to time.  Even my preschooler is a bit addicted to her DS (I did not buy it for her!) and the tv.  Second, spring is finally (I hope!) coming!  What a great reminder to parents and kids that nature is the world’s best wonderland.  It’s a great way for kids to learn and play.  It’s healthy, free and always available!  No need to worry about dead batteries either…

These shirts are printed on 100% organic cotton, sweatshop free tees and are available in kids and big kids (adult) sizes.  Absolutely fantastic!!  They have got some other great green shirts available on their site as well including a baby onesie that says I’m a Green Baby Diapered with a Conscience which is a great way to promote cloth diapers as an earth friendly option and a really cool (but not organic) t-shirt that graphically represents 50 ways to help the planet.  This shirt is awesome and I’ve absolutely got to feature it at one point or another.  It’s got some fantastic and easy ways to live a little greener regardless of how busy your schedule is.  Definitely worth checking out!

Tags: cloth diapers, Kids, organic cotton, sweatshop free tees, Wire and Twine

As a mother of two, I know that musical instruments are one of children’s favorite kinds of toys.  These awesome wood instruments from Plan Toys are sturdy enough to withstand the playdates my house hosts on a regular basis and be handed down to generations of music lovers to come!

Check out this drum kit — two drums, a cymbal and a ridged surface to create some fantastic sound effects with.  The kids could definitely get their rock out with this set.  Headache??  Sure but kids definitely need an understanding of music.  It helps with learning math through pattern recognition and is a great resource to help them express themselves and their creativity.  That’s definitely worth popping a Tylenol or two, right??

The banjo from Plan Toys immediately conjures up sounds of dueling banjos in my head.  I can automatically picture kids strumming away with a look of pure joy and discovery on their faces.  Imagine how much fun a group of kids could have rocking out with a range of these instruments.

The best part of these instruments, in my opinion, is the company’s plan to be sustainable.  Their toys are made with organic rubberwood trees which no longer produce latex.  This is extremely important because it means no fertilizers of pesticides were used on this wood for at least 3 years.  You won’t have to worry about any chemical safety of these toys!  The wood is then kiln dried using a chemical free process to strengthen the wood.

What about the paint?  We’ve all heard about hazardous chemicals being found in the paint in kids toys lately and it’s enough to scare parents silly!  Plan Toys only uses safe water based non toxic dyes on all of their products.  They do not use dyes containing lead or any other heavy metals.  The heavy metal is saved for the kids to make and rock out to with the instruments!  Can you imagine a group of 3 year olds playing Metallica!! lol

The company uses a special non-formaldehyde, non-toxic E-Zero glue to assemble the pieces of their toys.  They also are heavily involved in recycling and use soy or water-based inks on all of their printed materials.

They have a huge range of toys for all age ranges from baby to large scale kids toys.  I definitely would recommend checking out their website for the huge range of safe toys.  They also have a list of online retailers that the toys can be purchased from separated by country.

Tags: Kids, Toys

Check out these cool plastic bracelets called Oh Plah!.  They’re not just bracelets though — they can be used as teethers, toys and nursing reminders too!  They’re made of medical grade plastic to prevent the bracelets from looking like teething toys with tons of chew marks in them.  They’re 100% safe for even the smallest babe with no little parts.  They’re also non-toxic, phtalate free, BPA free, lead free, latex free and bacteria resistant.  They’re simple to with soap and water and dry really quickly so that you can hand it back to the babe or slide it right back on your wrist.  They’re made in the US and meet or exceed all of the safety regulations.

This is totally brilliant for Moms who are constantly on the go with little ones.  Any mom can tell you that kids are fascinated by jewelery.  When my daughter was little, I stopped wearing anything at all for fear of her hurting herself with it.  This would totally negate any of those fashion stopping offenses.  And it would provide you with something to amuse little ones while grocery shopping, waiting at the doctor’s office or whatever you happen to be doing at the time.

Best of all, the company has an end of life recycling program in place.  When you are done with the bracelet, you can go to their website to print off a postage paid label to send it back to them.  Then they’ll use the material in the bracelet to make new products!  Great idea for sustainable business plan and an absolutely fantastic product.  Perfect gift for any new mom or new mom to be!!

Tags: bracelet, eco-friendly bracelet, Kids

These adorable bunnies and their stacking hill are made by Etsy crafter Imagination Kids who specialize in making handmade, eco-friendly wooden toys.  As a parent, I know how hard it can be to find toys that are “safe”.  Toy stores are full of made in China labels with toys that are constantly being recalled for having chemicals such as lead and barium being found in them.  It’s enough to scare the bejeebers out of you!

Imagination Kids takes all that worry away with their sweet and simply designed toys that kids will love.  This bunny family set would make the perfect addition to any Easter basket.  It comes with two adult rabbits and two baby bunnies although you can custom order more bunnies to reflect your own family.  They are hand made with sustainably harvested hard wood, non toxic paints and homemade wood polish of beeswax, jojoba and essential oils.  These types of toys will last through several generations of kids as well.  There are no fiddly parts to break or batteries to charge.  There’s nothing, in fact, to get between kids and their imaginations!

They have a whole range of toys like this in their shop.  There’s cars, helicopters, multi-colored blocks (imo best toy of all time!), fairy wands (which all little girls just must have!), a variety of wooden animals (from robins to narwhals), a fire stacker, an iceberg stacker, natural wooden eggs which would also be great in an easter basket and a rainbow stacker that I’m seriously considering buying in addition to a wand.

The colors are so bright, bold and beautiful that they are simply hard to resist!  Spring has been a long time coming here but this little rainbow really has got my hopes up that it will be coming sometime soon!!

Seriously consider buying toys like these that will be completely nontoxic, safe and last for years to come when filling up your kids Easter baskets this year.  I’m all for candy and chocolate in moderation but a holiday is no time to forget about the good of our planet and the health and safety of our kids.  Skip the dollar stores and walk right past those big box stores.  You really have no idea of where those products come from, who they are helping to support, what practices they use to make their products, what exactly is in that cheap plastic egg and stuffed bunny.  Shopping handmade from artisans takes all the worry out of the equation and helps to make Easter another sustainable green holiday for the good of the kids and all the bunnies in it!

Tags: eco-friendly, etsy, Kids