Every day I pack my kids’ lunches (yep…even in the summer) and every day they need a spoon. Well, I learned a long time ago that sending them with silverware was a bit of a crap shoot. It might make it home. It might not. And that right there? Is why I love Pop!CornWare utensils. It’s like the plastic stuff in that it’s disposable but it’s NOT plastic. Nope. It’s actually made from corn and it’s totally biodegradable, non-toxic and petroleum free. You can just use it and pitch it (or lose it) and not feel one iota of plastic guilt. But this is where Pop!CornWare gets even better. We DON’T just use it and pitch it. We use it, wash it in the dishwasher, and use it again. And again. And again. It’s true. I got my package of Pop!CornWare probably 4-6 months ago and I took 4 spoons out to use and have been using them ever since in my kids lunchboxes. Now how they can lose silverware but manage to hang onto a Pop!CornWare spoon is one of life’s great mysteries but whatever… They’re green. They last. They rule!

Find It Here: 3 Green Moms

Before I met my husband, I never really thought of bird feeding as a hobby or something I would find enjoyable. Turns out a very basic peanut butter pinecone like the one I made in third grade was a simple way to be part of a popular and relaxing hobby. Of course, my husband prefers the more complex bird feeders that prevent squirrels from stealing the seeds but whether you go basic or become an avid birdwatcher, bird feeding is a great hobby for both kids and adults. My young kids enjoy watching the birds fly around and eat from the little feeder attached to our patio (so do my cats, for that matter) and I often find myself slowing down after a hectic day and watching the show. I know…you’re dying to ask what birdhouse is best for your family or backyard, right? Well, for those of us who lean green, a natural edible bird house is a wonderful eco-friendly alternative from those complicated plastic or metal feeders. I especially like the castle bird feeder made from a sunflower seeds, dried apple and orange slices, corn and other delicious treats—for the birds, of course! By providing a yummy little haven for birds to hang out, you get to enjoy nature and the stress relief that comes with it and who doesn’t need more of that in their lives?

Find It Here: Zen Garden Bonsai

Around my place, we eat a lot of veggies—especially carrots and potatoes, which means a lot of scrubbing and cleaning of said vegetables. Thankfully, we found the Tampico scrub/vegetable brush by the good people at GreenBoatStuff.com. (This family-owned company has a range of green products, with particular emphasis on boating and watersports, and proudly asserts its Earth-friendly nature in its name.) What I adore most about this rough brush, though, is not that it makes vegetable-cleaning a hundred times easier and quicker than, say, a toothbrush, though it really does; not its great price (a steal at $3.25 plus shipping); and not the health factor of having well-cleaned versus inadequately cleaned veggies. I love the green denominator best: It’s plastic-free and constructed to be as biodegradable as possible, even if it were to accidentally make its way into the marine ecosystem! The bristles are made of Tampico fiber, which is a vegetable fiber from a plant indigenous to Mexico, and the handle is of finished hardwood. A few of the other great things about Tampico are its capacity to store and release water, its resistance to heat and oils, and its abrasiveness, which makes it ideal for other applications on and off the boat and around the house. Although not the sleekest, most fashion-forward brush (but who needs form when you’ve got oodles of function?), it more than gets the job done—sans chemicals!

Find It Here: GreenBoatStuff.com

Yep, we’re giving away a ton of cool stuff courtesy of Seventh Generation. Squeee! It would take me about 5000 words to tell you about all of their products so I’m just going to highlight a couple of their baby items today, like the Seventh Generation wipes which are, hands down, my favorite brand. Their wipes are always really moist (especially the ones that come in the fill packs…my advice is to get those and forget buying the new box every time). Their disposable diapers aren’t bad either. (Did I just say disposable and diaper in the same sentence?) Oh yes, that’s right. I *gasp* do use disposables. I cannot tell a lie. I’ve also used cloth, as well, and go back and forth. Admittedly, I’m not perfect — so, if like me, you set out intending to use cloth diapers but you don’t quite make it happen and you’re looking for something disposable, then Seventh Generation is a pretty good option. First off, they work well. I have yet to have a leak and I have used them with my son overnight, after a marathon breastfeeding session, so I consider them well-tested! The diapers are fragrance-free, hypo-allergenic, and latex-free. Additionally, the wipes are hypo-allergenic, whitened without chlorine bleach, unscented and alcohol free. Also, because their diapers and wipes are chlorine-free, they won’t contribute to toxic dioxin pollution. In the name of full disclosure, Seventh Generation diapers, like other disposable diapers, are made with man-made materials that are petroleum-derived (not so great). So yes, cloth is definitely the greenest option, but if you’re not quite ready to do cloth yet, Seventh Generation is worth a look!

Find It Here: Seventh Generation

Win It! Win an awesomely huge prize package of Seventh Generation products worth $140, including a package of diapers and wipes; phosphate and chlorine free automatic dishwasher detergent; natural kitchen cleaner; natural all-purpose cleaner; natural glass and surface cleaner; natural shower cleaner; natural toilet bowl cleaner’ natural tub and tile cleaner; and natural laundry detergent. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “SG55” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is the name of your favorite Seventh Generation product? U.S. and Canadian residents eligible. Enter by 10/17/08. Giveaway closed. Congrats, Leigh!

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.

If you’ve ever been to a trade show or convention, you know about the swag (actually an acronym for “stuff we all get”). In plain English, it’s all the promotional junk that you get and give to your kids as “souvenirs.” Imagine how much of that stuff gets produced and given out every day all over the country — that’s a lot of stuff! Now imagine that all that stuff was biodegradable, recycled, fair trade, sustainably-produces or some other flavor of green. Much better, right? Of course, we at The Green Mom Review are always in favor of less consumption across the board but if you’re going to give out branded items regardless (at your meeting, conference, family reunion etc), it would be awesome to do it in an eco-friendlier way and that’s where EcoBranders comes in. They have all the same stuff the regular promotional products companies have except it’s greener and every single item can have YOUR logo, design or name on it. Pretty cool, huh? Makes me wish I’d thought of it first!

Find It Here: EcoBranders

First there were wire hangers. Then came the plastic hangers. And now? We have wheat hangers. No, seriously. They’re called Wheatwear and they’re made mostly from wheat. Though they do contain a small percentage of plastic, the great thing about them is that they are biodegradable, compostable, and non-toxic. Now, we’re not recommending that you go throw out all your plastic hangers and replace them with these because that wouldn’t be very green, now would it? But if you do need to buy new hangers, you now have another option. And? They’ve got those coveted little notches to hold spaghetti strap tops and dresses, too, which is always nice for the ladies. Hangers have never been so exciting! Someone pinch me!

Find It Here: Wheatware

Tired of lugging around those plastic behemoths of detergent? Hate dealing with the messy powdered stuff? Then you’re going to love these tidy little detergent packets called Dropps that aren’t just amazingly convenient but earth-friendly, as well. Simply drop the pre-measured packet of liquid detergent right into the washer — one for small loads and two for large loads. No measuring, no mess and best of all they’re free of chlorine, phosphates, NPE’s and completely biodegradable. Additionally, thanks to their 6x concentrated form, they will help save tons of water every year, as compared to liquid detergents. And hello? No more ginormous plastic bottles!

My laundry is now fabulous — light, fresh and clean. And guess what? You, too, can share in the Dropps experience because they’re giving away samples! For free!

Find It Here: Dropps

Congratulations Kevin K, lucky winner of a year supply of Dropps Laundry Detergent!

When it comes to chocolate, I don’t usually need an excuse to eat some but now I have even more reason to indulge because I’ve found a green mom’s dream cookie company - Liz Lovely’s Online Bakery and Chocolate Shop. This socially responsible company specializes in fair-trade, non-GMO, organic, vegan chocolates, cookies, fruits, nuts and all kinds of other yummy and totally guiltless goodies. Almost every product is made from scratch in their very own bakery in Vermont. These are true artisan goods, made by real people instead of machines and free of preservatives and artificial flavorings. Their packaging is pretty darn eco-conscious, too, right down to the biodegradable ribbon and the compostable, “corn-tainers”, which biodegrade within 90 days. Check out their gift samplers, which give you a little taste of everything. As for myself, I think I see an Easter Treat-ster sampler with my name my kids’ names on it.

Find It Here: Liz Lovely

Congratulations to Julianne, winner of a $40 “Easter Treat-ster” sampler from Liz Lovely! 

When you’re hauling your trash to the curb, do you ever find yourself feeling lousy about sending yet another totally not-biodegradable-ever bag to the landfill? Yeah, me too. But now we don’t have to because BioBag has developed an alternative to the standard polyethylene/polypropylene plastic bags most of us use. You see, BioBag products are 100% biodegradable, compostible and “shelf stable.” This means you don’t have to worry that BioBags will start to break down before you use them or while you’re using them. In fact, they don’t actually decompose until they are introduced to the earth’s elements or micro-organisms in the soil. Oh, and for all you considerate poop scoopers out there, they make biodegradable dog waste bags, too, which means you no longer have to use those not-so-green plastic bags from the grocery store. Bow WOW!

Find It Here: BioBag

A natural and non-toxic dishwashing liquid that actually works on grease, Dishmate by Earth Friendly Products contains no dyes, no artificial scents, no petroleum-based chemicals and it biodegrades quickly and completely so it’s as easy on the environment as it is on your hands. Just a small squirt of this highly concentrated dishwashing liquid is all you need to wash your dishes and, as a total bonus…it can be used to gently clean hand-washable clothes, too. Earth Friendly Products is a family-owned company that sources it’s ingredients locally, does not test on animals and won the 2003 Socially Responsible Business Award for their ethical business practices. Can the multinational conglomerates that make those heavily perfumed and synthetically colored dishwashing soaps make such a claim? We’re thinking not.

Find It Here: Earth Friendly Products

Trying to make lifestyle changes to lessen your impact on the environment may seem daunting at first, especially when you’re not sure where to begin. For the person in your life who wants to start on the path to a greener lifestyle and needs a little help getting started, consider giving them a boost with the Get Started Toolkit from Green Lemonaide. This environmentally friendly kit includes a Reusable Tote, a Smart Strip Surge Protector, a Tire Pressure Gauge, two Sink Aerators, two Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, a Shorter Shower Timer, and some biodegradable doggie “business” bags. With all of this, your giftee will be on the road to saving energy, natural resources and reducing carbon emissions in no time. You can’t say that about a fruit basket!

Find It Here: Green Lemonaide

Win It: Subscribe to Green Moms Monthly, our free e-newsletter and you will automatically be entered to win this gift basket. Current subscribers and new subscribers living in the U.S. are eligible.