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!

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!

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.!

Who says that organic cotton bedding has to be plain and boring? This supercharged sheet set by Pixel Organics is anything BUT boring and the retro red, white and blue print is “really cool!” as my son would say. This set is made in the U.S.A. of super soft organic sateen cotton with low-impact dyes, which we love, and they have actually enticed my son to get to bed on time which is no small feat. I think it’s safe to say these sheets totally RULE.

Find It Here: Wild Dill

Win It! We’re giving away a fitted twin sheet! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “WD55” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is the name of one other item for sale in Wild Dill’s sleep selection? U.S. or Canadian residents eligible. Enter by 8/26/08. Contest closed. Congrats, Denise G.!

When I was a small child, you wouldn’t see me go anywhere without my blankie. I cuddled with it for more years than I’d like to admit and I still keep it tucked away as a memento of my childhood. Now that I have kids, I’ve been looking for that perfect blankie for them, and I think I’ve found it. The little lu by ja*lu is exactly what a lovely should be. Made of 100% certified organic cotton velour, it’s the perfect size for little hands to hold onto. And it’s soft — the kind of soft that you hold against your cheek and feel instantly comforted. Something else that will make you feel good? Ja*lu also gives back 5% of its profits to selected charities, including Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, the International Breastmilk Project and The Mary House. And finally, the little lu is machine washable so when it gets dirty— and it will — it’s easy to clean. Mama and baby are gonna be resting sooo much easier.

Find It Here: ja*lu

Win It! We’re giving away a little lu to one lucky winner! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “JL49” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is one other organic cotton baby item sold from ja*lu? U.S. and Canadian residents eligible. Contest closed. Congratulations Teresa!

Treehuggers agree - growing cotton organically is far better for the environment than growing cotton conventionally. Not only are all those pesticides and fertilizers bad for the environment, but they’re hazardous to workers, too. When it comes to buying organic cotton, what better place to start then with your baby’s bedding? If you’re working on the nursery, then check out these crib sheets by Kee-Ka. Made of 100% certified organic cotton with low-impact dyes, these sheets are 220 thread count, machine washable, and fit standard crib mattresses. Oh and they come with a totally cute cupcake motif for girls and an equally adorable monkey motif for boys. While buying organic cotton crib sheets is generally more expensive, I say we can make up the difference by buying only one or two sheets instead of three or four. And plus, who can resist that cupcake motif? I can barely resist it and I have two boys!

Find It Here: NewBornMom

Congratulations to Saundra M., winner of a set of organic cotton crib sheets courtesy of NewBornMom!

Eco Fact: It takes 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans.