What: Wrap-n-Mat

Features: A reusable sandwich wrap and a place mat, all in one—the Wrap-n-Mat is perfect for meals on the go. It’s easy to clean; simply hand wash and hang to dry. (Tip: Get two so you can use one while the other is drying).

Green Factor: The lining is made with a low-density polyethylene, which is free of phthalates, lead and BPA. It’s estimated that every school day, 20,000,000 plastic baggies are used and discarded—Wrap-n-Mats are a great alternative to disposable plastic packaging!

Bonus: Available in regular and large sizes. Check out the web site for colors, patterns and other reusable products

Find It Here: Wrap-n-Mat

What: Nimble Nester Stacking Arches

Features: From Little Sapling Toys, a lovely set of stacking arches that are simple in appearance, yet perfect for young, developing minds. Kids can hone their balancing, fine motor and pattern-making skills with this timeless wooden set that can be passed on for generations because hello? NOT made from junky plastic.

Green Factor: Made out of maple, cherry and walnut; the arches are finished with a light beeswax and organic jojoba oil.

Bonus: For every toy sold, Little Sapling Toys plants a tree.

Find It Here: Little Sapling Toys

What: Staple-free stapler

Features: This ingenious little tool stitches (up to five) pieces of paper together, eliminating the need for staples on packets containing five or less sheets. It’s cute, safe for smaller hands and it means that the days of having to pick staples out of page corners before recycling (or shredding) are over!

Green Factor: The staple-free stapler never needs to be refilled, makes paper recycling a bit easier.

Bonus: Greenraising offers eco-friendly fundraising items–check out their website for more information.

Find It Here: Greenraising

This Week’s Giveaway: LunchBots for Waste-Free Lunches

What: LunchBots

Features: Dishwasher safe stainless steel lunch containers that can be reused over and over for waste-free lunches.

Green Factor: They’re made from the highest quality stainless steel and contain no plastic, BPA, phthalates, or VOC’s and independently lab-certified to be lead-free.

Bonus: Use the following coupon code for 15% off an order from Lunchbots: BACKTOSCHOOL

Win It: One randomly selected winner will score a set of Uno and Duo Lunchbot containers! Just leave a comment telling us what you’d pack in a Lunchbot. Giveaway ends at midnight  8/27/10; $30 value. Open to US residents only. Official Rules.

Extra Entries: Tweet about this giveaway (be sure to include @greenmomreview in your tweet) and note in your comment that you tweeted the giveaway to receive an extra entry.

Non-Toxic Kids: Eco-Friendly Back to School 2010: Green Backpacks, Lunches, and Gear!

The Daily Green: Back to School Green Shopping Guide

Blisstree: Ten Green Back-to-School Supplies

Care2: Green Lunchboxes

The Center for Health, Environment and Justice: The 2010 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies

Inhabitots: Organic Nap Mats for Toddlers

Know of any other helpful posts about greening back-to-school time? Share them in the comments!

PS: Check back for a fabulous non-toxic back-to-school giveaway on Friday 8/20!!!

I snapped this photo while I was out getting the last of our school supplies. We did pretty good at getting most items in a green or at least green-ish capacity but this? Really triggered my greenwashing radar [more…] Read the rest of this entry »

What: Set of 4 silicone ice pop molds

Features: Molds have a tapered design that makes ice pops easy to eat; 3.5 oz. size is perfect for little hands!

Green Factor: BPA, PVC and phthalate-free and you can use your own healthy ingredients instead of the high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors/flavors found in most store-bought ice pops and popsicles.

Bonus: Dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, and microwave safe and the silicone is naturally bacteria resistant.

Find It Here: The Soft Landing

What: Whoops Bunny Natural Makeup Sticks

Features: Five twist-up tubes of brightly colored makeup for your little bunnies to play with, worry free!

Green Factor: Unlike most kids’ play makeup that’s loaded with nasty and sometimes toxic chemicals, Whoops Bunny is made from all natural, biodegradable ingredients such as raspberry extract—and the plastic tubes are recyclable, as well.

Bonus: Whoops Bunny makeup sticks are made right in the USA and manufactured with wind power.

Find It Here: Whoops Bunny

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 »

What: Little Bites Storage Jars

Features: Packing a lunch ain’t what it used to be—on top of providing a nutritional meal, today’s parents also have to make sure that what they’re packing those lunches in isn’t full of harmful toxins or chemicals. These brightly colored Little Bites storage jars from Kinderville are the perfect solution—you can pack them in lunches or stack them in your freezer, worry-free.

Green Factor: The containers (and their lids) are made from a high-grade silicone, making them freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe. Like the rest of Kinderville’s wares, they’re BPA, phthalate and lead-free and bacteria resistant, too.

Bonus: The price is right—a set of four is less than $20!

Find It Here: Kinderville on Amazon

What: Wooden trike

Features: I’ve always been a sucker for a red and white trike, but I’m head over heels for the fresh, modern look of this wooden one from Plan Toys! Constructed and designed with the toddler set in mind, this trike is fun, functional and built to last.

Green Factor: Made from all-natural, organic recycled rubber wood; decorated with non-toxic paints and finishes.

Bonus: Plan Toys was won over thirty awards for their innovative, eco-friendly, imagination-stimulating toys.

Find It Here: Amazon

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.