Until a few years ago, bamboo was, to me, something that grew like crazy in my neighbor’s backyard and occasionally turned up in my Chinese food. These days, however, bamboo is turning up in all kinds of places like flooring, clothing, towels and sheets. Yes, I said sheets. Super soft sheets, in fact, because it turns out that bamboo fibers are very silky and yet strong and durable. But bamboo isn’t just soft and silky and durable. It’s also highly sustainable and renewable, requires no pesticides to grow, is fast-drying, hypo-allergenic and has remarkable natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. I’m thinking bamboo sheets are the ones I’d want to sleep on and the ones we want you to sleep on, too, which is why we’re giving away a set of fabulous, luxurious, awesomelicious Karen Neuburger bamboo sheets to one lucky reader!

Find It Here: BonTon

Win It: We’re giving away a set of Karen Neuburger queen/king-sized bamboo sheets to one randomly selected winner. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter KN5 as the giveaway name and answer the question: Do you have any other bamboo products in your home? Enter by 5/27/09. $130 value. Open to US residents. Contest Closed. Congrats to Michelle!

I admit that I’ve never owned a wipe warmer. But I also admit that there were many, many times when I wished I did, such as when my little newborn baby would let out  painful howls of protest when touched by a cold, wet wipe *hangs head in shame*  Yes, I used disposable wipes back when being green meant you were probably going to yack all over someone’s shoes. These days, however, I know about all sorts of groovy green things, including reusable, chemical-free wipes made from non-toxic fibers like organic cotton and bamboo. And that cold, wet part? Not so much of an issue with a Warmies Wipe Warmer made especially for reusable wipes. And by using those reusable wipes, you’ll keep all those chemicals they use in conventional wipes away from your baby’s delicate skin AND avoid the painful howls of protest that come from putting an ice cold wipe on your baby’s tush. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Find It Here: Warmies Wipe Warmer

Win It: We’re giving away a Warmies Wipe Warmer for reusable wipes. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter WW5 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: How many bamboo wipes come with the Warmies Wipe Warmer? Enter by 5/18/09. $35 value. Contest closed. Congrats to Kaiya!

(Don’t forget to check out all of the great giveaways at Mom Most Traveled’s Giveaway Carnival this week!)

You know I love all things green, right? Green is good. No, actually green is AWESOME. But even better than the awesomeness of green is the awesomeness of green combined with style.  While I love many traditional childhood decor themes, I’m a big fan of nifty modern designs for the wee ones, as well. One shop in particular that makes me swoon is Saplings. They have oodles of  stylish eco-friendly kid and baby decor, all with an emphasis on being chemical-free, organic, fair-trade, sustainably-produced and locally procured whenever possible. Perusing their site is like a little slice of mass-marketed-characters-free heaven, with timeless designs that won’t become embarrassing or uncool as your child grows older. In a culture where everything is designed to break or go out of style in a shockingly short period of time (aka “planned obsolescence“) Saplings is like a breath of fresh, VOC-free air.

Find It Here: Saplings

Win It: We’re giving away a $50 gift certificate to Saplings. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter SAP as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite item in the Saplings shop? Enter by 4/19/09. $50 value. Contest closed. Congrats Katie!

We’ve mentioned this in the past but it bears repeating…even stuffed animals, which look so cute and harmless, can be toxic. Naturally, I find the idea of my children snuggling up to poison very disturbing but luckily non-toxic and eco-friendly plush toys are out there. and right now I’m quite taken with the Eco Stuffed Naturally Bunnies from Celery Street. Extremely soft and totally huggable, they’re made and filled with an eco-friendly alternative to traditional synthetics that is made from 100% soy fiber and the stuffing is 100% kapok, a golden silky fiber known for its hypoallergenic softness.  Additionally, kapok is a sustainable rainforest crop that comes from the seed pod of the kapok tree. Green and yet affordable, these adorable bunnies would look perfect in the center of an Easter basket but little ones (and their moms) will love them long after the Peeps tummyaches are but a distant memory.

Find it Here: Celery Street

Win It: We’re giving away two Eco Stuffed Naturally Bunnies. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter CS4 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are the names of the three colors of Eco Stuffed Naturally Bunnies? Enter by 4/11/09. $30 value. Contest closed. Congrats to A.

Sleep is golden when you have a newborn and yet the hospital typically sends you home with a large, less-than-soft blanket to assist you with swaddling. If only Satsuma’s bamboo blankets were standard issue everywhere — incredibly soft, durable and entirely sustainable, the 30″x30″dimensions are perfectly suited for swaddling a little one right up into the softest snuggle ever with the extra added bonus of bamboo’s naturally antibacterial properties to protect baby and soothe my germ-o-phobia! The price range is terrific ($35-$50) for something you will use day and night, swaddle in…swaddle out and even if your little one has outgrown the need for swaddling, the Satsuma line is growing!

Find It Here: Cooler Choices

Win It! We’re giving away a velour bamboo blanket! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “BV5” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite product available from Cooler Choices (besides the Satsuma blanket!)? U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 9/16/08. Contest closed. Congrats, Regina W.!

As a grass, bamboo grows very quickly and can regenerate in three to five years. This is one of the reasons that bamboo is often seen as a sustainable “green alternative” and makes us love it for cutting boards in lieu of wood or plastic. Yet, there are some concerns about the manufacturing of bamboo, as well as worries about clear-cutting and fertilizer use. Sheesh. Can’t anything ever be cut and dry? I guess it might be greener to salvage a cement slab and use that as a cutting board, though it wouldn’t be quite as attractive as the bamboo variety. So for now, we’re going to skip the cement (and also the plastic) in favor of these handsome cutting boards from Totally Bamboo. My favorite is the Hawaiian collection with the African collection coming in at a close second. They’re so pretty that when they’re not in use, you’ll be tempted to put them on display. I could never say that about my ugly old plastic cutting boards (that I now have to try and recycle!)

Find It Here: Totally Bamboo

Towels are something I don’t skimp on. I want a big nice, fluffy towel to wrap myself in after a bath. Correction — I deserve a nice big fluffy towel to wrap myself in after a bath. After all, and I think this goes without saying, it’s hard being a mom and thus, I get to spoil myself now and then! My new favorite way to spoil myself (after giving myself a long hot bath…with a book…and a sinful chocolate dessert) is to dry off with a bamboo towel from The Company Store. Over the years, I’ve bought many cotton towels and I have to say that they don’t hold a candle to the bamboo variety. It’s softer, fluffier and in my estimation, stays that way longer than cotton. Bamboo fabrics are also naturally anti-bacterial, which means that your towels naturally stay fresh-smelling longer. And did I mention how absorbent they are? And fluffy? And soft? And, and, and….what are you waiting for? If you need a new towel or two, these won’t disappoint.

Find It Here: The Company Store

Green Mom Discount! Get 10% off eco-friendly items from The Company Store using code “ECO10″ at checkout. Expires 10/15/08.

Baby Gap and Gymboree watch out - you’ve now officially got some serious eco-competition. Introducing…Kicky Pants, our latest and greatest find for totally unique, comfy and eco-friendly clothing for babies and toddlers. We love them for their line of bamboo basics, which are really and truly the softest baby clothing we’ve ever felt. (Yes, bamboo clothing is actually really soft! The fiber itself has been compared to silk and we’re not surprised. It’s that luxurious.). Created by designer and mom Erin Cloke, Kicky Pants was developed while she was on bedrest with her second son (wow!). With the help of her husband, environmentalist Nick Cloke, Erin has created a line of bamboo clothing that includes coveralls, dresses, onesies, PJs, and tees. My personal favorite are the coveralls - if only because I love the adorable “drop down” butts on those pants! All in all, I’d say this husband-wife duo has come up with a pretty kick ass line. No pun intended.

Find It Here: Kicky Pants

Congratulations to Frances F., winner of a set of bamboo coveralls by Kicky Pants!