What: The 2010 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies by The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ)

Features: Lists of the most common back-to-school supplies made out of toxic PVC and safer PVC-free product alternatives in over 20 product categories.

Green Factor: Many children’s school supplies, such as lunchboxes, backpacks and binders, are made out of PVC—a toxic plastic that is dangerous to our health and the environment. The CHEJ guide, in PDF format, helps you avoid it.

Bonus: Comes in regular and wallet-sized versions.

Find It Here:  CHEJ

There was a part of me that was afraid to read this book.

I totally wanted to read it, but I was nervous because I knew that I’d probably read things that would freak me out. I was right—much of the facts and statistics in it are disturbing—but Slow Death by Rubber Duck is a highly interesting and informative read. In it, Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, two of Canada’s top environmentalists, target a handful of common toxic substances and detail the effects on both their own health and the environment. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m so pleased to announce that I am now a Parent Ambassador for Healthy Child Healthy World! If you’re not already familiar with them from the many times we have linked to Healthy Child, they are a non-profit organization that works tirelessly to help parents protect children from harmful chemicals found in the environment and in the products we all use every day.

Healthy Child Healthy World exists because more than 125 million Americans, especially children, now face a historically unprecedented rise in cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD/ADHD, and learning and developmental disabilities. Credible scientific evidence increasingly points to environmental hazards and household chemicals as causing and contributing to many of these diseases.

If you haven’t already seen it, I urge you to take 3 minutes and watch Healthy Child’s short but very informative video, A Wake Up Story. It will help you and your family and also illustrate what Healthy Child Healthy World is all about!

And to show you how much we appreciate our readers and your interest in creating a safer world for children everywhere, we’re giving away a copy of their awesome book, Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home along with their DVD and pocket shopping guides.

Win It: Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter HC06 as the giveaway name and then name three of the chapters in the Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner,  Greener, Safer Home book we’re giving away . Giveaway ends  6/14/10; $17 value. Open to US residents only. Official Rules.

How You Can Help Clean Up the Gulf Coast Oil Disaster  by The Big Green Purse — Diane has put together an excellent article detailing things you can do to help with the BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. As a Gulf Coast resident, this is of special interest to me and I hope even if you are nowhere near the region affected, that you will consider helping somehow. One way is to donate hair, pantyhose and pet fur. No, I’m not kidding!

Recycled Artwork by Oooh Baby Green Living and Parenting Ideas — J. Claire wrote a post about using art from old children’s storybooks that aren’t in readable condition. I love storybook illustrations and think this is a super cool way to honor an old book that would otherwise go to the landfill.

Ecological Footprint by The Curious Case of Mommyhood — Bridget wrote an interesting post about knowing your ecological footprint, the importance of buying local and consumerism in the industrialized world. You may think you’re doing everything right but the devil’s in the details!

Kids Cook Monday: Strawberry Cream Tart by FoodieTots — Check out this yum-azing looking strawberry cream tart recipe, complete with photos and video, that FoodieTots and her son are making for Meatless Monday.

Taking the Stairs by The Not Quite Crunchy Parent — Maryanne talks about how a move to the suburbs has changed her family’s habits from walking and taking public transportation to driving everywhere. This summer, they’re going to change all that!

Also Check Out: Surf Sweets candy giveaway

What: SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue!

Features: Aviva Goldfarb’s new cookbook, SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue!, is packed with ideas for preparing meals for busy families, as well as ways to eat with the environment in mind. Aviva dishes up tips on efficient meal planning, buying in bulk and freezing/storing meals. Also helpful are suggestions for weekly plans and shopping lists that will make the most of your grocery trips.

Green Factor: Teaches readers how to lessen their environmental footprint by eating seasonally, cutting out waste, knowing when to buy organic and by moving toward a slightly more vegetarian menu.

Bonus: Subscribe to The Scramble to receive weekly menu plans, newsletters and nutritional information. Create your own Recipe Box, search the database to customize your weekly dinner plan and organize your meals, all in one place!

Find It Here: The Six O’Clock Scramble

Win It: We’ve partnered with The Six O’Clock Scramble to give away a copy of SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue! PLUS a three-month subscription to The Scramble!

Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter SS04 as the giveaway name and tell us what magazine is giving the cookbook rave reviews. Giveaway ends 05/04/10; $37 value. Open to US & Canadian residents only. Official Rules. Giveaway has ended.

On our Blog: The Pollution INSIDE Your Home

Happy Earth Day!

What: The Green Hour

Features: Research shows that spending time in nature actually makes kids happier, healthier and even smarter. Todd Christopher, the creator of the GreenHour.org, has filled this book with activities designed to encourage discovery, creative play, and a wonder of nature, as well as practical advice for parents to make getting outdoors easy and worry-free.

Green Factor: The premise behind The Green Hour is to encourage parents to carve one ‘green hour’ in to their kids’ days. This year, celebrate Earth Day every day for an hour (or more!) outdoors.

Bonus: We love that The Green Hour mixes family time with outdoor education. Brilliant! Watch this video trailer to learn more.

Find It Here: Amazon.com

Win It: We’ve partnered with Shambhala Publications to give away TWO copies of The Green Hour to two lucky readers! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter GH04 as the giveaway name and tell us what federation recommends that parents give their kids one ‘green hour’ a day. Giveaway ends 04/30/10; $18 value. Open to residents worldwide! Official Rules. Giveaway has ended.

On our Blog: Kid’s Health: Pesticides in Food

What: Naturally Better

Features: From “The World of Beatrix Potter” comes Naturally Better, a line of products that are better for people and planet.

Green Factor: The timeless children’s classic The Tale of Peter Rabbit is back, printed in vegetable-based inks and sporting a fresh new cover design! Peter Rabbit™ Organic Spring Garden Baby Care Products are made of naturally derived and certified organic ingredients, making them perfect for infants, children and adults with sensitive skin. And for the wee ones, Rattle Sticks are phthalate-free, made of certified organic cotton and packaged in PVC-free materials

Bonus: A line of award-winning, organic, reasonably-priced baby care products? It doesn’t get much better than that!

Find It Here: Peter Rabbit Official Store

Win It: We’ve partnered with Penguin Young Reader’s Club to give away a great prize package: a copy of the newly designed classic, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, a bottle each of Organic Spring Garden Baby Shampoo and Lotion and one Peter Rabbit Rattle Stick! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter PR04 as the giveaway name and identify two of the ‘Main Characters’ listed on the web site. Giveaway ends 04/28/10; $37 value. Open to US residents only. Official Rules. Giveaway has ended.

Also Check Out: Win PicPocket iPhone Books for Kids

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What: PicPocket Books

Features: Have you ever wished you could put your kids’ favorite books on your iPhone or iTouch? Guess what? There’s an app for that! With the PicPocket app, kids can read, listen to and look at a variety of stories, right in the palm of their hands

Green Factor: The green factor is obvious – books as applications means less paper usage – but the Convenience Factor is through the roof! Having kids’ books available at your fingertips in places like waiting rooms and long car rides? Brilliant!

Bonus: Check PicPocket’s website for a complete listing of all available titles

Find It Here: PicPocket Books

Win It:  We’ve partnered with PicPocket to give away seven iPhone picture book titles to one randomly selected winner! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter PP04 as the giveaway name and identify two titles available for purchase from the web site. Giveaway ends 04/23/10; $28 value. Winner to redeem titles in the US iTunes app store and will be notified by email. Official Rules. Giveaway has ended.

Also Check Out: Think Baby BPA-Free Feeding Set Giveaway

What: The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

Features: Mrs. Frizzle and her students are back, and this time they’re learning about climate change.  Climb aboard the Magic School Bus and read along as the gang takes a fascinating adventure to determine why the world is getting warmer

Green Factor: The characters in this popular series make learning about the environment–and getting involved–fun for kids

Find It Here: Scholastic

Win It: We’ve partnered with Scholastic to give away three prizes to three randomly selected winners: a grand prize consisting of a Kids Organic “Go Green” Scholastic T-shirt and a copy of The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge, PLUS two additional prizes of one book each for two other winners! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter CC04 as the giveaway name and tell us what extraordinary measure the students take so they can see what is in the air. Giveaway ends 04/21/10. $37 value. Open to US residents only. Winner to be notified by email. Official Rules. Giveaway has ended.

Finally, someone reads my mind and does exactly what I needed them to do. No, no, they didn’t invent that laundry-folding robot yet. No, but almost as brilliant, they wrote The ABC’s of Natural. It’s just a simple, easy to understand guide to the good and bad stuff commonly found in supermarket foods—which, I might add, is WAY more convenient than whipping out the old smart phone to Google isodium guanylate or EDTA or bromate (none of which are on the good list, by the way). Created by Hain Celestial, this list will make shopping while avoiding the crap much easier so go download it (for free!) and keep a copy handy next time you go to the supermarket.

Find it Here:  The ABC’s of Natural

Walmart Knows What’s Best for Us Green Moms. Right? by OrganicMania — Lynn shares her thoughts on the Walmart Sustainability Index, which they are putting together with NO consumer input. (This makes me feel all kinds of stabby, particularly as one of our ad networks, despite past objections, has been running Walmart ads this week on our site.)

Bottled Water is Best by Crunchy Chicken — Bottled water isn’t nearly as bad as you might think and Deanna will tell you exactly why… It’s awesome satire with a sly side of sarcasm.

Cast Iron Cookware by Big Green Purse — Diane discusses alternatives to toxic PFOA (i.e. Teflon) non-stick pans. I personally use cast iron and love it.

Reviewing ‘The Story of Stuff’ by Enviromom — In this post, Renee reminds me of a fantastic short film—The Story of Stuff is twenty minutes of awesome that I promise you won’t regret watching.

Why Bother by Crunchy Domestic Goddess — CDG discusses a NY Times article by author Michael Pollan about reasons to NOT give up and throw in the towel in fighting climate change.

On Our Blog:  Bite on This: More Grocery Store Secrets

Minimal Mercury Marinated Tuna by Small Footprint Family — Like tuna but hate those pesky high mercury levels? Dawn highlights some sources for tuna with much lower levels of mercury and as a bonus, shares a recipe.

Will Your Kid Be Carrying a Pesticide (Triclosan) in His School Supplies? by The Smart Mama — Jennifer illuminates an issue that has been chapping my proverbial butt for a while now… Microban is in/on lunch boxes as well as a ton of other school-related items and it’s not good stuff.

Color My Driveway: Cornstarch Sidewalk Paint by Pink and Green Mama — This homemade sidewalk paint, made with ingredients you can probably already find in your own kitchen, is so cool that I wish I’d thought of it first.

Do I Make You Uncomfortable? by Heather’s Homemaking — Do you ever wonder if your commitment to the environment makes your less-green friends uncomfortable?

How to Clean a Toilet by Oooh Baby Green Living and Parenting — J. Claire teaches you how to clean your toilet the green way.

Cleaning Out Plato’s Reusable Closet with a Stylish Texas Teen by Greenopolis — Consignment stores can help fatten up a teen’s wardrobe at a fraction of mall prices. And? It’s much greener than buying new.

On Our Blog:  Back to School at the Thrift Store