Polliwogged || Category || Green Living

The eco-friendly - and oh, so cute - romper

I am all for organic, environmentally friendly clothing but sometimes the prices have me rethinking just how green I am prepared to go (and how much green I’m willing to part with). Fortunately for the environment, my wallet, and my toddler daughter, I discovered babysoy’s bubble romper.

This playful romper shouts picnics, park and lots of summer play dates. It has the cutest gathered puff sleeves and ruffles on the legs, and those two little ruffled pockets are the sweetest touch to an already super sweet outfit.

Babysoy is one of the first companies to create newborn clothing using eco-friendly soybean protein fiber. The company uses this renewable natural resource as the raw material for their baby wear. The bubble romper is made from soy and cotton and is pre-washed so it’s super soft. At $22, it's also much more affordable than many green clothing options; I’d gladly pay that for an outfit this cute and this earth-friendly!

You can purchase the soy bubble romper (available in dark pink, light pink and purple) and other fun and fashionable infant wear from babysoyusa.com. - Emily H.

bubble romper from babysoy

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Step into an eco-friendly way of life

I love nature almost as much as I love shoes. (I know, it should be the other way around. I’m working on it!) When I found ScooterBees, a company whose shoes were as eco-friendly as they are child-friendly, I immediately fell in love. Shoes and nature - the perfect combination for Earth Week!

ScooterBees shoes utilize a patent-pending design to accommodate even the most narrow or chunkiest of feet. This design also means the shoes are easy to put on, a lifesaver for parents who fight the daily infant shoe struggle. (Maybe if those little feet would hold still...) What I really love about ScooterBees is the little story each pair tells. Simply lift back the soft flap on top of the shoe to view additional handcrafted artwork.

To minimize the impact on our environment and with your child’s best interests in mind, ScooterBees shoes are made of recycled fibers derived from post-industrial and post-consumer sources, including PET soda and water bottles, while the artwork is applied using non-toxic paint. The soles are made with anti-slipping and water-resistant TPE, which uses no harmful chemicals in its production and is PVC free, latex free, chlorine free, dioxin free and phthalate free. Free never sounded so good!

As a nice added touch, the company has partnered with Trees For The Future and will plant a tree for every ScooterBees pair purchased. You can purchase a pair of ScooterBees (and plant a tree) for $38 from Amazon.com. - Emily H.

ScooterBees

One tree, one little world: Innovative Kids’ “Green Start” books

Earth Day is just around the corner (Wednesday!), and there's no reason to leave our littlest planet-dwellers out of the discussion. I firmly believe it’s never too early to start teaching children about nature and the world around them. But how do you do that with an infant who is more interested in splashing water than conserving it?

Innovative Kids has a wonderful board book collection called Green Start that features four books with thick recycled cardboard pages ,all related to nature. One of the books, One Tree, tells the story of a single tree growing in a meadow, and at first glance this little tree appears very lonely. As you flip the pages your child will discover this tree is really the center of life for a variety of animals. From its insect-nibbled leaves to sheltering branches, the little tree is anything but lonely. It is a little world for a lot of little creatures! You and your child will learn how many living things depend on this small-but-oh-so-important tree throughout the year.

Green Start’s One Tree is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day with your little one. The other books in the collection include Baby Animals, In the Garden and The Five Senses. You can purchase One Tree and any other books in the Green Start collection for $7 each from Amazon.com. That’s a great price for a little infant-friendly (i.e., board book), “all-natural” education! - Emily H.

Green Start: One Tree

Send a card, plant a tree: An affordable green baby shower gift

If you’re looking to go green for your next baby shower gift but the price of an organic layette set or an eco-friendly wooden toy is a bit out of your budget, how about buying the new little one her own tree?

The Arbor Day Foundation’s online store includes Give-A-Tree Cards, a line of beautiful greeting cards that when purchased, plant a tree in honor of the recipient. Their Budding Family card is the perfect gift for a new baby: “In honor of your budding family…the birth of your child has been celebrated with a tree planted in a National Forest. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy.”

Arbor Day Foundation’s Give-A-Tree cards usually cost $5.95 but their Budding Family card is currently on sale for just $3.50. If you’re like me and love stocking up on great gifts, this would be a perfect one to buy in bulk for those upcoming spring and summer baby showers. It has a very simple yet very sweet design and is a gender-neutral gift.

You can purchase the Budding Family Give-A-Tree card for $3.50 from the Arbor Day Foundation and give a gift that celebrates life in more ways than one. - Emily H.

Greener birthdays build tradition

It is always a thrill to plan my kids' birthdays. Not only is it a time for them to celebrate being a year older, it is a time for my husband and I as parents to celebrate surviving another year of parenthood!

I recently discovered a wonderful website that has all kinds of products to help "green up" birthday parties. GreenPartyGoods touts that they have "planet friendly products for any celebration." Some of my favorite products on their site are their felt birthday hats, "cornware" tableware that is compostable and biodegradable, and goody boxes that can be used in lieu of plastic goody bags.

Actually, I think the greatest thing about green birthday party supplies is how many things are reusable and can build traditions within a family. If the same hats and banners are used for every birthday over the years, it becomes a welcome and exciting part of each celebration. I love the idea of having a special felt birthday hat that my entire family can use as we celebrate each year.

Surf on over to GreenPartyGoods - you can help build traditions with your family and reduce birthday waste in the process! - Sara I.

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