As soon as my daughter and son–now six and soon to be four, respectively–started crawling, it became very apparent to me that they were the kinds of kids who were keen on putting everything in their mouths. From soothers and bottles to their fingers, pocket change and whatever happened to be lying on the floor next to them, if it was within arm’s reach, they were going to eat it. I fished more buttons and balls of lint out of their mouths than I care to remember and caught them with their shoes shoved halfway down their throats so many times that I began to wonder if they preferred the taste of their footwear over my homemade baby food.

And when it came to them gnawing on their shoes, I wasn’t so much worried about choking hazards as I was about what they were ingesting. Just what were those shoes made of, and was it safe for my kids to be, well, eating them?

If only I had known about Little Soles, a Calgary-based line of footwear created by Mompreneur Jessica Jacobs in 2005. Not only are Little Soles’ designs durable and totally adorable, they’re 100% non-toxic because, yes, shoes ARE typically toxic. Since subjecting their latest collection, Baby Soles, to thorough testing in order to ensure each shoe was toxin and dye-free, Little Soles has adopted the same method with all of their products, resulting in footwear that’s safe for the Earth—and for children to use as teethers.

Find It Here: Little Soles

If your kids are anything like mine, they like TV. Me? Not so much. I have a couple things I watch each season and that’s about it (my sick semi-addiction to CNN notwithstanding). Since I tend to be critical of most television programming, particularly for kids, I generally only let mine watch certain things; things with some kind of educational value mostly. So yes, I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to my kids’ media consumption. Whatever. Well, in case you didn’t know, that doesn’t leave much, but I’m always keeping my eyes open for new and interesting things that I can DVR and save for them to watch when they’re in the mood for some boob tubing. I recently became aware of Kid Guides, a show where two kids travel around to museums, zoos, aquariums and the like and share their adventures in nature and science with viewers. I let my kids watch some clips and they really liked it (they totally dug the “kid” hosts) and I liked it, too, because it was remarkably devoid of spastic, screaming, anthropomorphic cartoon animals (or sponges) and it’s not dumbed down to the point of tedium. And? Kid Guides has received the Parents Television Council Seal of Approval and scored an Emmy Award, to boot. You can check the Kid Guides site (under ‘Show Times’) to see if it airs in your area OR you can get Kid Guides on DVD from Amazon.com

Find It Here: Kid Guides

Win It: We’re giving away 2 Kid Guides DVD’s. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter KG7 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: Name three of the four available Kid Guide DVD’s. Enter by 7/13/09. $30 value. Open to US residents. Winner will be notified by email.

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) is used to force cows to make more milk. It is, in essence, a genetically-engineered synthetic hormone. Most of the industrialized countries in the world have banned rBGH but here in the United States, we’re giving it to our most vulnerable citizens—our children! It is estimated that at least 84 million gallons of milk from artificial hormone-treated cows were distributed through the school nutrition programs in fiscal year 2005-2006. That’s about 20% of the milk offered in school cafeterias nationwide. I don’t give my kids rBGH-derived milk at home—why would I be okay with them having it at school??? The good news is that we have a great chance to bring milk free from artificial, genetically engineered hormones into our schools as Congress takes up legislation on the National School Lunch Program. Make your voice heard on this important issue by signing the True Food Network’s petition to ask Congress to state that schools can specifically seek out and purchase artificial hormone-free milk and organic milk.

While I don’t really fish anymore, I used to go fishing ALL the time as a kid. I’d frequently fish in the lake by my house with my friends and my family fished down in the Florida Keys at least once a month for years and years. So now that I’ve proven that I know a thing or two about fishing, let me show you how ignorant I am by admitting that since I no longer fish, I’ve never once thought about the possibility of earth-friendly fishing gear. Well, as it happens, green fishing gear DOES exist and it’s a good thing because a lot of fishing tackle still contains toxic lead or is made from non-biodegradable materials such as plastic. Obviously, lead is a danger because, well, it’s LEAD and all the non-biodegradeable junk being left behind in the oceans and waterways is not just pollution—it’s also deadly to wildlife. Fortunately, companies like Green Tackle are tackling the problem—they carry, among other things, lead free weights, all sorts of biodegradable bait and lures and most awesomely awesome, fishing line that will biodegrade instead of hanging around for the next eleventeen hundred years further damaging our fragile ecosystem. Pssst…keep Green Tackle in mind at Christmas time when shopping for your favorite fishing fanatic.

Find It Here: Green Tackle

Try as I might to control it, I have a terrible sweet tooth that frankly makes me wonder why haven’t developed Type 2 diabetes yet. In hopes of sparing my children from this curse, I’ve always tried to steer them away from junky, sugar-laden sweets in favor of healthier stuff. Yes, I’m a total hypocrite. Unfortunately, it’s gotten a lot harder since they’ve started school. Every birthday party and holiday is an excuse to sugar the kids up with cupcakes (covered with that nasty bakery icing) and then send them home with a buttload of candy. Suddenly the healthy stuff I’d always given them was more like a punishment than a treat *sigh* Since they’re now fully aware of the appeal of candy, I’ve tried not to make it out to be some forbidden fruit because I know that will backfire. Instead, I let them have it in moderation and only after they’ve eaten something healthy. Searching for not-totally-unhealthy candy, however, has been a bit of a challenge (particularly because it has to peanut-free) but I recently picked up a bag of YummyEarth organic lollipops and it’s the smartest thing I ever did. They taste awesome because they’re sweetened with organic fruit extracts, they’re colored with cool things like organic carrots and pumpkin instead of chemicals, they’re peanut-safe (also gluten, wheat, soy and tree nut-free) and the ones I got have 75% of the daily recommendation of vitamin C. So to recap…I can bribe my kids with give my kids these little YummyEarth lollipops and they’re totally psyched, getting a lot of vitamin C and best of all, NO high fructose corn syrup. Oh, and as a total bonus? They satisfy mommy’s sweet tooth, as well. WIN.

Find It Here: YummyEarth

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

When I got an email from the peeps at Imagine Childhood asking that I take a look at their site, I clicked over and instantly fell in love—like “WHERE have you been all my life”? love. Why? Because their site reminds me of my childhood, of being outdoors, of exploring and learning and playing and life’s simpler pleasures. If you haven’t yet heard about nature deficit disorder, you soon will. It’s a hot topic and one that plagues my mind when I think about my own children’s distinct lack of free time spent outdoors (mostly for reasons beyond my control). Imagine Childhood may not be able to fix nature deficit disorder but damn if it isn’t a great place to start trying because they carry so many things that are geared toward free, imaginative, explorational and outdoor play. And the books they carry? Pure awesomeness. I urge anyone with kids to hop over there and take a gander and also note that Imagine Childhood is not just a storefront. It’s also an inspiring blog totally worth bookmarking.

Find It Here: Imagine Childhood

Win It: We’ve partnered with Imagine Childhood to give away a super cool Nature Study Kit and the amazing book I Love Dirt. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter IC6 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are one of the five questions the folks at Imagine Childhood ask themselves when choosing new products? Enter by 6/22/09. $50 value. Open to residents of US. Winner will be notified by email. Contest closed. Congrats to Steven!

If you’ve been reading the news for the past couple years, you probably already know that research has proven that plastics are a problem, particularly when it comes to food/drink storage and cooking. Many companies are now starting to phase out certain chemicals in their plastic products that have been proven unsafe for humans and for especially children but, at the same time, many companies are doing business as usual and that’s a problem. Since we don’t always know what’s in the plastics we use or which companies are doing right by consumers, we’re of the opinion that it’s best to just avoid them whenever possible. Fortunately, there are companies like Noplastic.ca that have amassed all kinds of great products to fill many of your non-plastic needs and we’ve partnered with them to give away to one lucky randomly selected winner a 12 oz stainless steel bottle with a sippy adapter and Avent sippy spout.

Find It Here: Noplastic.ca

Win It: We’re giving away a 12 oz stainless steel bottle with a sippy adapter and Avent sippy spout. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter NPL5 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are the six categories of non-plastic items carried by Noplastic.ca? Enter by 6/2/09. $19 value. Open to residents of US and Canada. Winner will be notified by email. Contest closed. Congrats to Monica!

I know…I’m, like, the LAST person on the internet to gush over the coolness of the Color Me Houses and Color Me Rockets but I don’t care because I think these playhouses made from recyclable cardboard are super awesometastic. Why? Well, mainly because you can play INSIDE them and we all know how much kids like stuff they can get inside. And? They can color, paint and marker them them any dang way they want to, as well. The word on the street is that kids TOTALLY DIG these award-winning, imagination-stimulating and creative play-inducing toys. As a parent, I dig that they take no batteries, use no electricity and contain zero plastic. The only thing that would up the DIG factor for me is if they were made of recycled cardboard and who knows, maybe someday they will. Nonetheless, I’m pretty sure a very special soon-to-be 4 year old will be getting the Color Me Rocket for his birthday next month. Don’t tell!

 Find It Here: Color Me House

Pennies for the Planet is a very cool site from the National Audubon Society that helps kids to make a difference by either participating in local conservation efforts or by saving and collecting pennies (through their schools, for example) for national and worldwide conservation projects. If we want our kids to care about the earth, we have to empower them by giving them a way to help. Pennies for the Planet is one such way!

Find it Here: Pennies for the Planet

Another birthday party. Another bazillion gifts to add to the kajillion other things your child already owns. I know. It makes me cringe a little bit, too. It’s just…so much. But there’s another way. You CAN make your child’s next birthday party more meaningful—instead of bringing wrapped and packaged presents, guests simply RSVP and make secure online contributions that are pooled for the purchase of ONE memorable gift and to support ONE meaningful cause. Simply select an eco-friendly invitation, choose a cause and invite your friends. No Driving. No Shopping. No Wrapping.

Find It Here: Echoage

Happy Earth Day! Are you feeling creative? Feeling extra green? We hope so because now through May 15, Kroger (*and other stores under the Kroger umbrella) is inviting customers to visit to enter the Kroger Reusable Shopping Bag Contest. You can design your own reusable grocery bag with Kroger.com’s easy-to-use design tool. Then? Get your friends, family, random strangers etc. to vote for your design. Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 bag designs, with one lucky designer winning a $1,000 Kroger gift card and the chance for their bag design to be sold in stores. Judges will also select four finalists who will receive $250 Kroger gift cards and five runners-up who will receive $100 Kroger gift cards. Plus? Kroger has also partnered with Café Press so you can purchase a reusable bag with your design on it. This would be a really fun project to do with your kids and how totally psyched would they be to see their art on a reusable bag?! And finally, just to sweeten the deal a bit, we’re also giving away Kroger’s gift cards that can be used at any of their *stores to two lucky readers!

*Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Dillons, Smith’s Food and Drug, King Soopers, Fry’s Food, Quality Food Centers, City Market, Owen’s Market, Jay C Foods, Food 4 Less

Find It Here: Kroger Reusable Shopping Bag Contest

Win It: We’re giving away two $25 Kroger gift cards. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter KR4 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are one of the energy-saving measures being taken by Kroger in their stores? Enter by 5/15/09. $25 value per card.