Parties are notorious for consumption and waste but there are things you can do to green your party and be kinder to the environment. Remember, going green is not an all or nothing proposition—do what you can and it’ll help in the long run.

Recycle: Don’t let a party keep you from recycling. Provide plenty of refuse containers for garbage and recyclables and label them so that it is clear what kind of waste goes in it. The best containers are those that require some action or thought on the part of the user, like lifting a lid, stepping on a pedal or opening a cabinet (trust me, I got a masters degree in this stuff).

This simple act forces your guests to think and notice your recycling sign. If you have these types of containers and label them correctly, you’ll limit misplaced items. If you don’t, just use any containers and label the heck out of it. You’ll still get misplaced items but it’s better than nothing. Read the rest of this entry »

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What: Peekinz baby clothing

Features: Peekinz sleepers, onesies, pants and rompers features a special pocket in back that allows for quick and easy diaper checks…because sometimes? You’re just not sure!

Green Factor: Peekinz clothing is made in Canada from soft, sustainable bamboo.

Bonus: $5 shipping to anywhere in Canada and the US—a great shower gift!

Find It Here: Peekinz Baby

Win It: We’ve partnered with Peekinz to give away one of their bamboo sleepers! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter PK11 as the giveaway name and tell us three advantages of using bamboo for clothing, according to Peekinz. Giveaway ends at midnight on 4/10/11; $34 value. Open to residents of all countries. Official Rules.

Extra Entries: Tweet about this giveaway (be sure to include @greenmomreview in your tweet) and note, along with your answer, that you tweeted the giveaway (include your Twitter name) to receive an extra entry.

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What: Compostable dinnerware

Features: Disposable plates, bowls, cups, utensils and more made from natural materials like bamboo, sugarcane, wheat straw and cornstarch that will biodegrade and are safe to compost.

Green Factor: None of it is made from plastic, which conserves fossil fuels and keeps plastic garbage from polluting our oceans or sitting in landfills for the next 500+ years

Bonus: Buy it in bulk at Amazon.com and save yourself some green.

Find It Here: Amazon.com

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What: Organic bamboo velour baby bath towel

Features: Hooded organic bamboo towel is super soft and 3x more absorbent than cotton towels plus bamboo is naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic.

Green Factor: Bamboo is a highly renewable and sustainable resource and unlike cotton, does not require the heavy use of pesticides and herbicides.

Bonus: Towel has a neck strap that allows it to be worn across the body while bathing baby so you stay dry and you have both hands free!

Find It Here: Baby U R Precious

Win It: We’ve partnered with Baby U R Precious to give away 1 Organic Bamboo Hooded Towel to one randomly selected winner!

Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter BU10 as the giveaway name and tell us the size of the hooded towel and name one other item carried by Baby U R Precious. Giveaway ends at midnight on 10/29/10; $40 value. Open to US and Canadian residents only. Official Rules.

Extra Entries: Tweet about this giveaway (be sure to include @greenmomreview in your tweet) to receive an extra entry.

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What: Bamboo Veneerwear  by Bambu

Features: Available in sets of eight, these single-use plates come in three sizes (appetizer, salad and dinner plate) and are far sturdier (and more attractive!) than their disposable counterparts

Green Factor: While simply washing regular plates is the greenest option, if you require something disposable or less fragile, Veneerwear plates are made of 100% organically grown bamboo, peeled right from the stalk. They’re also compostable, biodegrading within four to six months, and FDA approved food-safe

Bonus: Veneerware was named Best Product Design by Fortune Magazine in 2004!

Find It Here: re:modern

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What: Bamboo kitchen set

Features: Bamboo’s got a lot of good stuff going for it–it’s durable, lightweight and stain resistant. This six-piece kitchen set comes equipped with five handy utensils and a crock for storage

Green Factor: Sustainably grown without pesticides, fertilizers or chemicals plus it’s natural water resistance helps inhibit growth of germs and bacteria

Bonus: BuyGreen has slashed the list price by over $10, and offers a one-year manufacturer’s warranty

Find It Here: BuyGreen

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What: Bamboo E-Plane

Features: Up, up and away! This wooden toy airplane from Hape is stylish, modern and built to last.

Green Factor: The environmentally-friendly E-Plane is made out of sustainable bamboo and is decorated with non-toxic, water-based dyes

Bonus: All of Hape’s products meet international safety and quality standards

Find It Here: Amazon.com

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What: Baby wipes made from bamboo fiber

Features:  Natural ingredients, scented with non-toxic, all-natural essential oils with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties

Green Factor: Bamboo is highly renewable and sustainable, wipes are 100% biodegradable. Bum Boosa is also a signer of The Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Bonus:  Bum Boosa plants a tree for each package of 80 count wipes sold. Trees are also planted to offset 100% of their carbon emissions.

Find It Here: Bum Boosa

Win It: We’ve partnered with Bum Boosa to give away three 80 count packs of Bum Boosa bamboo baby wipes and one container of Bum Boosa bamboo diaper rash ointment. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter BB11 as the giveaway name and name one of the ingredients in Bum Boosa wipes (besides bamboo!) Enter by 11/27/09. $25 value. Open to residents of US and Canada. Winner to be notified by email. Contest Closed.

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Remember floppy disks? Yeah, the plastic ones that stored about a megabyte of data… These days, we have nifty USB drives to store data and about a thousand times more of it, which is cool, but how about USB drives made from something a bit more natural than say, plastic? Earthimprints takes a greener approach by offering them in walnut, maple, bamboo and redwood finishes. These pocket-sized drives are great not only for consumers, but for businesses, too. They’re an item that computer users either rely on now or will eventually need. With that in mind, they’d make great (read: useful) promotional items—I mean does anyone really need another keychain? Instead of giving away a bunch of plastic junk, entice potential clients & customers with non-plastic 1, 2, 4 and 8gb USB drives they’ll not only appreciate, but will actually use, too.

Find It Here: earthimprints

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What: Bucky’s Woopsies Kids Soothing Packs

Features: Can be warmed up in the microwave or chilled in the freezer

Green Factor: Made with machine washable bamboo terrycloth and premium whole buckwheat seed filling

Bonus: These creatures, with their bright colors and funny faces, are sure to distract kids from their owies!

Find It Here: Amazon.com

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Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a web site chock full of organic baby wares at wholesale prices? A site where each product has been researched and reviewed, with a wide selection of organic cotton and bamboo items at discount prices? (Basically, a web site that does all of the legwork, and finds the good stuff for you?)

As it happens, there is a site just like that and it’s called Babblebabies and you need to check it out if you’re looking for organic baby products like bedding, clothing and toys at really great prices.

Babblebabies offers unique products from organic brand names like Sckoon, Speesees, Bumkins, Generation Baby and more. The site is informative and easy to navigate, and the products are cute. Very cute. I’m quite taken with the jumpers (like the Speesees one above), and the Sckoon Organic Cotton toys are absolutely adorable—they’d make fantastic gifts and great lovies for little ones.

The folks behind Babblebabies are always looking out for new, organic products, and they want to hear about your favourite green companies. They’ve even got a Facebook page—post a picture of your wee one wearing gear from Babblebabies and receive a $5 discount. So what are you waiting for? Shoo!

Find It Here: Babblebabies

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Because we know just how nasty and toxic a lot of toys can be, we love to feature natural, organic toys, especially those that are handmade with love by someone who truly cares about what they’re putting out there. Our most recent awesome toy find are Swaddle Babies. Each 9″ Swaddle Baby is crafted by mom Priscilla Rose, with organic cotton knit, natural eco-friendly bamboo fiber filling, and a variety of natural and organic handspun yarns. These sweet dolls are custom designed to your specs and personalized with the child’s name embroidered on the tag. A Swaddle Baby is the kind of toy that a child will love and keep long after all the made-in-China junk is gone. And it’s organic. Did I mention that???

Find It Here: Swaddle Babies

Win It: We’re giving away one custom made Swaddle Baby doll.  Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter SW7 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are the 8 hair colors available for a Swaddle Baby? Enter by 7/15/09. $40 value. Open to residents in US and Canada. Winner will be notified by email. Contest closed. Congrats to Sherri!

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