Eco Child’s Play

Rosie Hippo offers parents a place to shop for unique, handmade, organic, fair trade and eco-friendly toys.

They have toys made of wood, made of fair trade materials, they have stuffed animals, pretend play toys, and everything you need to spark your child’s imagination and give them something safe to play with. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m a bad daughter, as I haven’t gotten anything for my mother this year for Mother’s Day. The truth is I hate buying gifts, and I don’t have time to make anything. Of course, I have turned the responsibility over to my children to honor grandmother, but I did send her this video, which of course I had to watch first making myself Mother of the Year (on the same evening my daughter told me I was “extremely mean” for asking her to do her homework).

Mother’s Day originally began as a day of peace; it is not a Hallmark holiday.  MomsRising, an organization devoted “working to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America”, has created personal videos for Mother’s Day.  According to MomsRising, Americans will spend $16 billion this year on Mother’s Day celebrations!  That’s a lot of money to show Mom we care, and even though I have sent my mom her special video, I will probably still buy her some Dr. Hauschka. Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s note: The following post was originally published on Green and Clean Mom. “Green & Clean Mom can inspire you to try a little harder, be a catalyst for change and to offer you some new tips and news on how to be the green, sexy and sassy mom…I know you are!”

Mother’s Day is only a few days from now and if you’re anything like me – you don’t have a gift for that beloved mom or mother-law. No need to panic. There are some “kinda green” last minute gift ideas to save you from looking foolish.

1. Tech Savvy Moms and for big spenders you might want to pay extra for two day shipping or overnight shipping (not so green though) and get the new Amazon Kindle. Help mom save some trees if she reads a lot of papers or books. She’ll love this gift and maybe you can even borrow it? Keep in mind the pros and cons to this great gift last minute is the shipping and there is some debate on whether this device or others like it are all that green. Another option is a e-certificate for mom to pick out her own Kindle or maybe she likes Ebooks on her laptop or computer and would enjoy a e-certificate from Ecobrain.
2. Plant a Fruit Tree. If mom has everything she needs and doesn’t need more junk try giving her something that will help other people. In her honor, plant a fruit tree and support a non-profit organization that gives the gift of fresh fruit and sustainability. Mom is sure to appreciate this!

Read the rest of this entry »

Increased sports activity and exposure to ultraviolet rays means an increased risk to your child’s eyes, say experts at The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

New research shows that children’s eyes can be damaged from sun exposure like their skin. This damage may lead to increased risk of developing diseases including cataracts or macular degeneration as adults.

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Art supplies are wonderful and versatile. What other items offer fun play, creative expression, and learning all in one…for very inexpensive prices?

With art supplies children have the world at their fingertips. There is so much that can be done, be made, be transformed…but with toxic ingredients like lead showing up in kids’ products you want to be sure that the creative supplies are not only fun but safe for the little ones.

Stubby Pencil Studio offers the biggest selection around that I have found, of eco-friendly, non-toxic art supplies and old fashioned games and toys. Perfect items to stuff in Easter baskets.

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I’m all for everyone getting a set of backyard chickens. I love mine! It’s an easy step in sustainability. Plus, it’s great to see your kiddos literally play with their food, but in a more natural setting.

However, are you just getting those cute lil fuzzy birds for your children for a holiday? No coop, a little bread, and that’s all you need?

Not so much, folks. You can pick up chicks without putting their health in jeopardy.  And give yourself a big ol’ pat on the back while you do.

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Here at Eco Child’s Play, we LOVE Stubby Pencil Studio when Kate Rosenthal,  mama of twin girls started her quest for safe art supplies, she found a wonderful niche to fill.  I had the opportunity to meet with Kate a while back and see her in action.  We spoke about her quest for safe products, the new CPSC/lead regulations, and how one person’s vision has turned into a busy home business.

With Easter coming, we have baskets to fill and my first thought was of Kate and her wonderful shop.  So hop on over to Stubby Pencil Studio and order up some of these fabulous eco friendly art supplies and toys (If you are in the Portland area, you can arrange pick up).  You’ll feel good knowing that your children are getting safe, sustainable products and our Earth will breathe a bit easier as well.

Start with your choice of basket or packaging (Stubby Pencil offers two basket options this year and also carries Envirosax).  If you already own baskets (or buckets, bins and bags) reuse those of course.  If not, opt for a container that can get lots of reuse (and you know your world best, so pick: a galvanized metal bucket, a cloth shopping bag, a wicker basket, a hat turned upside down, a kid sized wheel barrow, etc…

Some of our favorite basket filers: Read the rest of this entry »

Ah, Easter memories. I remember those brightly colored plastic dye sets. You know the ones. All that packaging, plastic parts, and chemical dyes. The cute little bunny labels and little plastic egg dipping spoons.

They are still available, of course. And for busy working mother types, this is tempting. Especially for the craft and creatively impaired such as myself. But they are essentially the opposite of what I believe in: made from chemicals, created and shipped from China (can you say carbon footprint), and packaged in and made from gobs of plastic.

So I was happy when my mother in law passed along a clipping from none other than Ladies Home Journal. Not exactly the site I’d go to for green advice, but they had this short article about how to dye eggs naturally with ingredients found in your kitchen. How cool is that?

Here are the directions:
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Packing a lunch without using plastic can be a challenging. With all the Ziploc baggies and plastic containers out there makes it hard to avoid. Packing a healthy lunch is one thing but having to worry about packing a plastic and waste free lunch is where it can get difficult.

Look no further…LunchBots are here to the rescue! 100% stainless steel and non toxic lunch containers.

LunchBots was created by a mom who couldn’t find any non-plastic containers to use and no longer wanted to worry about which plastics are safe. Sound familiar?

Jacqueline Linder of LunchBots began the company with the idea that we could eliminate the use of Ziploc bags and other plastic containers that are harmful to the environment. Plus, she wanted them to be unique and have a great design so kids AND parents would love them.

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Envirosax have a whole line of bags just for kids and they make great eco-alternatives to Easter baskets, like this adorable pink bunny bag at Stubby Pencil Studio. The bags are pretty big, 17 3/4 inches by 15 3/4 inches and will hold the equivalent of 2 plastic grocery store bags full of stuff.

The Envirosax kids bags are perfect for filling with Easter goodies then reusing for school, sports, as an overnight bag or a shopping bag just for the kids. Each kid could get their very own bag as they come in several designs other than the bunny, including: Piggy, Rusty, Dino, Marshmallow, Flower Power, Tubby or Wingnut. Designs both boys and girls will love. Read the rest of this entry »