Where did July go? I can’t believe summer is flying by so fast. It is August- which means back to school time.

You know this always happens to me. The 4th of July comes along then all the sudden I realize summer is almost over. I know there’s still August, which means a whole month before school starts here in Michigan but it is always so busy with doctor and dentist appointments and still trying to squeeze as much fun out of summer before it’s gone and we’re left with a long, cold, never-ending winter.

One thing I always dread is back to school shopping. And wouldn’t you know it- the stores are already doing their sales. My daughter needs a new backpacks (among other things) since hers has fallen apart. I’ve cleaned it and sewed it for the past year and a half but I think it’s on its last leg finally. So I’ve been researching eco-friendly backpacks.

So far here’s what I have found. (continue reading…)

Rosie Hippo is a fabulous online store where you can shop for handmade, organic, fair trade, ethical and eco-friendly toys. All that are high quality unique toys your kids will love.

They have toys made of ethically sourced and eco-friendly wood, toys made from fair trade materials, they have stuffed animals, pretend play toys…anything and everything that can  spark your child’s imagination while giving them something safe to play with.

I call my youngest child my little monkey and monkey man because he loves monkeys, absolutely adores them. Plus he hops around and climbs everything like a little monkey. (continue reading…)

Cuisinart GreenGourmet

Thanks to new green cookware options you can say goodbye to toxic Teflon pans filled with dangerous chemicals that off-gas into the air and can possibly leach into your food.

Cuisinart’s line of non-stick cookware  is PTFE and PFOA free, which means that it contains none of the nasty chemicals that Teflon and similar non-stick coatings are formulated with.

Cuisinart’s GreenGourmet pans are petroleum free, have a hard anodized interior, an aluminum alloy core, and a Cuisinart Ceramica (TM) interior which is what makes the pan non-stick.

So what does all this mean? Keep reading to find out. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - ImagesbyTrista

If you let your children play with Blue Dominoes Activity Dough you’ll have no worries that they are rolling around and squishing up toxic dough balls.

Blue Dominoes Activity Dough is all natural, organic, wheat and gluten free, contains no lead or other heavy metals, is BPA free, contains no artificial coloring and is hypo-allergenic.

So this playful activity dough is not only eco-friendly but child friendly. (continue reading…)

eracers by HABA

If you are looking for safe, eco-friendly and ethical toys for your little ones then look no further than Maukilo.

Maukilo carries all the best eco and ethical toy brands- Fat Brain, Green Toys, HABA, Plan Toys, and many other trusted brands and they have tons of toys perfect for summer fun- in or outside.

If you are looking some cute and playful indoor toys they have tons of those too. (continue reading…)

Soji Solar Lantern

Whether you are looking for unique lighting for an outdoor celebration or just beautiful lighting for your landscaping Allsop Home and Garden has an interesting selection that can light up the night in eco-friendly style.

Allsop has a beautiful selection of hanging solar lanterns, hand blown glass string lights, even solar votives- elegant enough for a wedding yet casual enough for any outdoor party these aren’t your garden variety solar lights.

Soji solar lanterns glow without the hassle of electrical cords or the worry of candles. The elegant festival-style lanterns open like an accordion, collect sunlight all day and turn themselves on at dusk. They will cast a beautiful glow on your garden party or patio. (continue reading…)

Photo Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Public Affairs

No matter where you are, you can help the efforts to clean up the Gulf oil spill, and recycle at the same time. Matter of Trust is collecting donations of hair, fur and pantyhose to help with spill containment and remediation. Oily hair on your head may be bad, but hair’s affinity for oil also makes it a great tool for getting oil out of water and away from where it can damage ecosystems. The hair gets stuffed into the nylons to create booms that, when attached end-to-end, contain the oil and stop the spread. Hair is also made into oil-absorbing hair mats that can be used to remove the oil from the water and to line the enclosures of oil-soaked wildlife while the animals wait to be scrubbed and cleaned.

To help the cause, sign up for Matter of Trust’s Excess Access database. Because of limited warehouse resources, the organization is directing individual donations to separate locations where they can be used most efficiently. Once you’ve signed up for Excess Access, you’ll receive instructions and a shipping address for your donations. Anyone can donate clean hair. To keep the processing times down, the group prefers larger donations of bulk hair and fur from barber shops and pet groomers; if you’re not a salon owner, consider talking to your stylist or groomer about arranging to donate clippings from all customers. (continue reading…)