I bought the Energizer Weather Ready Carabineer Crank Flashlight a little over a year ago for my daughter’s Brownie camping trip. We have a few other flashlights but they always seemed to be missing when we needed one and if you’ve ever let your kids use flashlights, you know they have a tendency to leave them on and kill the batteries.

Of course, we do have a ton of rechargeable batteries around here, but they’re always in use and I was tired of doing the battery shuffle every time we needed some so a flashlight that relied on hand power (because it’s pretty hard to misplace your hands!) seemed like a logical choice.

Well, over a year later, I’m here to tell you that our little hand-crank LED flashlight is still going strong. It’s never needed batteries plus it’s survived two camping trips, a road trip, many household adventures and well, it’s survived my kids, so I’m declaring it a very wise purchase on my part!

(Now, we got ours at Target and I saw them a few months back in my local store but I didn’t see this exact model on their web site so I’m linking to Amazon—but you probably can find them at Target or at a home improvement store.)

Find It Here: Amazon.com

What: The Zero Charger from AT&T

Features: A charger that is compatible with a variety of small USB devices such as cell phones (excluding Nokia models), iPods, MP3 players, Bluetooth headsets, cameras and portable gaming devices

Green Factor: The Zero Charger is the first wall-based charger that turns itself OFF when not in use so you don’t have phantom energy-sucking going on when it’s plugged into your electrical outlet but not being used.

Bonus: For a limited time, you can get the Zero Charger for a whopping 40% off !!!

Find It Here:  AT&T

What: A device that kills weeds

Features: Uses thermogenic heat to disrupt the weed’s normal function, causing it to shrivel up and die.

Green Factor: Uses NO herbicides or chemicals of any kind so your yard, gardens etc. remain blissfully untainted by toxic nastiness. This is safer for you, your children, your pets, wildlife, the groundwater and the overall environment. Also noteworthy, it’s a corded electric device so there are no noxious fumes or emissions.

Bonus: The temperature of the ceramic stone plateaus at a pre-defined set point of 400˚F so that it can safely be used around mulch and pine straw without the threat of instantaneous ignition or scorching.

Find It Here: CompostMania

What: WrapWrap

Features: Finally, a solution for the annoying, yet necessary, cables that come with our beloved gadgets. Use the WrapWrap to keep wires from cell phone and iPod chargers, headphones and small USB cables discreetly contained.

Green Factor: This ingenious little device was created out of salvaged wood scraps from furniture manufacturers. Available in walnut and oak finish.

Bonus: Want to buy a WrapWrap as a gift? Have it delivered to you, already gift-wrapped, for an extra buck!

Find It Here: Merchant_4

What: Best Buy’s electronic recycling program

Features: Did you know that Best Buy will take pretty much any electronic item off of your hands for recycling? From cell phones and video game consoles to big screen TVs, Best Buy will accept it. The web site offers program variations for each state, as well as information on how to dispose of the few items the program doesn’t accept. All US stores, (and stores in Puerto Rico, too!) run the program.

Green Factor:  Last year, Best Buy repaired, refurbished or recycled over 60 million pounds of old electronics. Recycling electronics helps keep toxic waste out of our landfills and water supply.

Bonus: Best Buy has several recycling programs in place as well as an informative FAQ page on their electronics recycling program. Check their web site for information,

Find It Here: Best Buy

What: Weather Radio by Etón

Features: Stuck on a Father’s Day gift this year? The Solarlink FR600 Weather Radio is about fifteen different things all rolled in to one. It’s a radio (tunes in to AM/FM and Shortwave frequencies, as well as all seven NOAA weather bands) and a USB charger (perfect for phones or small devices). It’s got a built-in flashlight, siren and a headphone jack; its digital display (including a 12-hour clock with an alarm, sleep timer and snooze button) is illuminated by an LED backlight.

Green Factor: Charging the FR600 is easy – not only is it outfitted with solar panels, it’s got a hand crank, too! (Can also be charged by using a rechargeable battery pack or a with an AC adapter)

Bonus: For each Red Cross product purchased, The Etón Corporation donates .49-$1.00 of the sale price to support The American Red Cross. Also…it’s NOT another tie :)

Find It Here: Etón

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: Hybrid Solar Lite

Features: You’ve never had a better reason to stop buying batteries for your flashlight until now! The Hybrid Solar Lite generates renewable power from sunlight and room light – eight hours of charging will get you over ten hours of bright light; can be charged repeatedly. A lithium battery backup provides 50 hours of light and has a shelf life of 7 years

Green Factor: Each year, hundreds of thousands of batteries clog landfills. With proper use, this flashlight’s backup battery, which weighs half of what an alkaline battery does, needn’t be used

Bonus: Works in extreme weather conditions, is waterproof up to 80 ft, and floats. Oh, and it pays for itself within a year, too

Find It Here: Hybrid Solar Lite

What: A steam cleaner for floors

Features: The Haan SI-35 cleans and sanitizes floors using steam and microfiber pads. Lightweight, low-profile gets in hard to reach places. Leaves floors clean and nearly dry.

Green Factor: The SI-35 heats water to 212°F — you don’t need any toxic chemicals or harsh cleaners to get your floors REALLY clean (as in 99.9% germ and bacteria-free). Ideal for homes with children or pets.

Bonus:  The Haan SI-35 comes with an attachment that allows you freshen your carpets with steam, too.

Find It Here: Haan USA

Made by women at a co-operative in New Delhi, these cell phone cases are fashioned out of antique saris that would normally be burned for their gold and silver. Each beautiful case is intricately detailed and completely unique. They’re equipped with a strap that can be hooked on to your purse, backpack or belt for safe keeping and are traded fairly from India. Choose from three colors – green, brown and turquoise.

Buying one of these cell phone cases is something you can feel good about. The women who create them earn the money they desperately need to raise their families and The Rainforest Site will preserve 1145.0 sq. ft. of land for each one purchased. So for just $16, you’re not only getting a one-of-a-kind case for your cell phone, you’re saving the lungs of our planet and putting gorgeous antique saris to good use.

Find It Here: The Rainforest Site Store

Take one long-haired cat, a bushy-tailed dog, and two active little boys, and what do you get? Well, in my house you get lots of fun times AND a very dirty family room carpet. I’m not one for using chemicals for cleaning anywhere in my home but I like a clean carpet (who doesn’t?!) so I was super excited to try out the new Oreck Halo Vacuum Cleaner. The Oreck Halo not only vacuums up dust and debris like typical vacuum cleaners, but actually kills microorganisms without the use of harsh chemicals thanks to the use of UV-C light technology. If you’re an allergy or asthma sufferer, this vacuum will hold special appeal in that it kills dust mites eggs (up to 90%), which can trigger allergies. Beyond just killing dust mite eggs this vacuum also kills a host of other microorganisms, such as flu viruses, e-coli, mold and salmonella. According to the company, the Oreck Halo’s UV-C light is even powerful enough to kill the superbug MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes staph infections. Wow! Now for the performance of the vacuum itself… Prior to trying out the Oreck Halo, we had a high-end vacuum cleaner which retailed for more than $400 but I felt the Oreck had stronger suction, was easier to maneuver, and had a better all-floors function. In addition, the attachments were longer and more user-friendly to take out.  My assessment is that the Oreck Halo performs better than expected for vacuuming debris, PLUS it includes UV-C light technology for killing microorganisms. And considering that the floor in your home probably has more bacteria (much more) than your toilet seat, I’d say that the Oreck Halo is worth a look, especially if you are in the market for a high-end vacuum. Or you have a crawling baby. Or you just want your floors to be cleaner than your toilet seat :)

Find It Here: Oreck.com

After a quick Google search, I learned that the average American showers for around eight minutes, which equals about 12 gallons of water/shower. Now, I’ll admit that I love a long hot shower. I do. But I also realize that shaving just two minutes from my shower time wouldn’t be that hard, but would add up to big water savings — three gallons, to be exact. That’s 21 gallons a week or 1,092 gallons a year — wow! Saving water in the shower is made easy with these Digital Shower Timers available from Ripple Products. Available in a variety of designs, these digital timers attach to your shower wall and function much like a stopwatch (also features a built-in clock). Set the timer to the desired amount of time you’d like to shower and a little alarm will sound when your time is up. Of course, you don’t have to get out but think of how totally green and eco-fab it will make you feel knowing you saved 21 gallons of water that week!

Find It Here: Ripple Products

Congrats to Barbara, Laura, Rebecca, Judy and Andrea, winners of a turtle shower timer!