I had the dizzying pleasure of attending the mammoth Toy Fair in February, and one thing that seemed to be everywhere was cardboard. Of all of them, my favorite was easily the U.S.-made Elia Mini Chair Kit which takes this basic material…
When I first discovered Smiling Planet , I was instantly smitten by this mom and pop company's avid commitment to teaching children respect for the environment through artful, eco-friendly housewares . Essentially Freddy and Olivia Deane…
I never really thought the words "eco" and "barrette" would be used in the same sentence, that is until I was introduced to the felt hair clips at Sophia Bella Mia. At first glance, you might think they look like any other cute girl's fl…
I think the final nail in the outmoded "eco=crunchy" coffin has been set firmly in place by our friends at the wonderful blog Inhabitat, who have just announced the opening of their brand new Inhabitat Shop . I want absolutely everything…
I notice when I hit the mass kids' toy stores that the blocks are always in the boys section. It's bizarre to me because both my daughters love blocks like a frat boy loves Spring Break. And I can assure you they'd go flat out bonkers fo…
If you had told me a few years back that I'd be counting the days until a toy company released their new trucks, I would have said you were nuts. But if you've seen Green Toys then it's not so hard to believe that I've had the date marke…
Someone gave my son an old-fashioned yo-yo. (As soon as I figure out who it was, I'm going to hurt them. Or at least ask them to spackle the new dents in my walls.) But a yo-yo doll has nothing to do with yo-yos -- it's actually a classi…
The last thing we ever thought we'd be featuring on these pages is a a Virgin Mary softie , or an eco-friendly one at that, created by hand from eco-fi felt made completely from recycled water bottles. But the way we see it, some pewter …
I love Egg by Susan Lazar baby clothes as much as the next regular person -- which is to say that I adore the designs and the commitment to eco-friendly fibers, but those adorable designer baby onesies and jumpsuits in premium organic co…
When my local supermarket carries twenty different baby skin care lines, it's clear there's a lot to choose from out there. I can't keep track of what should or should not go on my baby's skin and who is or who isn't using the most envir…
No matter how conscious we may be about the earth-unfriendliness of bottled water (how does 150 million pounds of plastic waste each year grab you?), we've all had that situation where we simply had to buy a bottle of water. For me, it a…
So it's not as though Q Collection Junior offering truly eco-conscious nursery items is new (it's a whole year old), but we do love their new 3-in-1 convertible Luna Crib which helps you get more for your money as you do more for the pla…
Nothing like a holiday to make me feel like the harried mom buying last-minute decorations that probably aren't even worth saving for next year. That's just bad for my wallet and bad for the earth. So this Easter, I'm ahead of the game, …
Sure, siblings are going to have their own likes and dislikes, but overall, picking toys with a wide appeal that would have lasted through all three of my kids would have been one brilliant move. So learn from my mistake, mamas, and snag…
Just when I thought I'd seen every sort of soft soled baby bootie out there, I was introduced to Scooterbees. And being the obsessed but still picky shoe nut that I am, I fell instantly in love. These truly eco-friendly baby booties are …
As my daughter's preschool starts preparing us for next year's (eep!) full day schedule, I'm suddenly faced with the reality that we're going to have to send her to school with lunch. Every day. I haven't yet figured out how I'm going to…
It never seems to matter how many adorable baby layettes I've got, I still end up choosing my favorite and using it more than anything else. Had I received the amazing Dimples organic baby layette , it would have easily been the one I wa…
Babies these days have expensive taste. They've got designer shoes before they can walk in them and name brand clothes before they're able to put them on themselves. But while they might not be quite off the boob and onto unagi just yet,…
We're so sad to get word this week that two of our favorite web shops are shutting their doors. On the upside: Deep discounts for you. Brittain's Betty Joy , one of our favorite stops for fun little handmade gifties is selling all of the…
It's tough finding organic play clothes with a bit of a modern twist. But the folks at Frenchy Baby Organics do just that with their ridiculously cute 100% organic children's basics. While the website could use a little work, in person t…
Since falling in love with muslin swaddling blankets, I've donated most of my daughter's other blankets to my kids' play bin. So when Jessica Burros of the shop Bambino Land told me she was designing muslin wash cloths , I scrambled to g…
If ever there were a sign that organics had bypassed the crunchy crowd and hit the mainstream, it's the label Sarah Waldo Organics . The sweet, girlie spring line from Providence designer Sarah Waldo are as lovely as anything in any high…
Oh how I love the adorable children's slippers from Satch and Sol . But more importantly, my daughters love them. They don't know that these soft slippers are handmade from felted wool and suede soles by a fair trade artisan cooperative.…
Last year my son noticed that snack time at school meant 20 plastic cups thrown away every day. He suggested recycling bins for all the classrooms and made a poster encouraging other kids to go green. (I'm so proud!) That kind of hands o…