Important links to learn more and take action:

The Story of Cosmetics site
Safe Cosmetics Act Action (letter to House)
E-card to tell your friends about The Story of Cosmetics
Safe Cosmetics Act main info page

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 »

Please take 3 minutes to watch A Wake-Up Story. It’s a must-see for parents, parents-to-be and anyone who cares about the health and well-being of future generations.

Find it Here: Healthy Child, Healthy World

What: If I Were a Fish CD

Features: What better way to teach and inspire children about this great, green earth than through music? If I Were a Fish, a thirteen-song disc from Birdsong and the Eco Wonders, is geared toward educating kids about marine animals, the ocean, and the planet through rhythm, dance and good ol’ fashioned fun. Also noteworthy,  Birdsong’s music is used as a teaching reference in state, county and city parks throughout southern California.

Green Factor: CD is packaged in plastic-free, eco-friendly material.

Bonus: The Tide Pool Song, a tribute to tide pools written in 2005, appears in a short film that won an Emmy for Children’s Programming

Find It Here: Birdsong and the Eco Wonders

Win It: We’ve partnered with Birdsong to give away TWO copies of If I Were a Fish to one lucky winner!

Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter WF04 as the giveaway name and tell us what animal is playing the bongos on the Birdsong web site. Giveaway ends 05/10/10; $30 value. Open to residents of the US, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Belize, Australia and Europe. Official Rules. Giveaway Closed.

On our Blog: The Pollution INSIDE Your Home

Children’s developing bodies are especially vulnerable to toxins found in our food and environment. Switching to organic food has an immediate effect on the body. Within 36 hours, pesticides may no longer be detected in a child’s urine.

Pesticide Exposure Has Been Shown to:

• cause low birth weight and birth defects;
• interfere with child development and cognitive ability;
• cause neurological problems;
• disrupt hormone function;
• cause a variety of cancers, including leukemia, kidney cancer, brain cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Read the rest of this entry »

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: 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.

What: Climate Counts web site

Features: Keep tabs on your favorite companies and their efforts to address climate change with Climate Counts, a web site that scores their impact on the environment. Check the scorecard for a ranking of a company’s grade and the ways they’re reducing their carbon footprint (Kraft Foods, for example, is up 19 points from last year and is listed as ‘Striding’ toward their environmental goals. Sara Lee, on the other hand, is ‘Stuck’, meaning they have yet to take meaningful action on climate change)

Green Factor: The goal is clear (and green): to encourage awareness among consumers, and, in turn, within the companies themselves

Bonus: The site is full of information. Sign up for their newsletter, watch videos, contact companies directly, download a helpful iPhone app and more!

Find It Here: Climate Counts

Cardboard—it ain’t just for boxes anymore.

Well, okay, so it is but these fun, functional boxes from Green Lullaby are a far cry from their boring brown counterparts. Designed for younger kids, MultiBoxes are made out of 100% corrugated, mostly recycled cardboard and are great for storing, stacking and sitting. They withstand up to 110 lbs. and are outfitted with two built-in handles and a sturdy lid. The tops and sides are brightly illustrated with kid-friendly shapes, letters and numbers, and each box is treated with a non-toxic, flame-retardant coating for longevity and durability. Kid appeal, eco-friendliness and hello? Extra storage—all in ONE box.

Find It Here: Green Lullaby

Grocery stores are such an illusion. The waste in packaging, transporting products, the ingredients (and the real ingredient behind what is mysteriously listed on the label), shelf space and electricity, dated items going to the garbage (that’s mostly produce since the other stuff has a life span to practically last into our child’s adulthood), how the animals we consume are treated (you are what you eat), hormones shot into our animals and getting into our dairy and meats, genetic modifications to the DNA of the foods, the colors and additives and smells added that now seem normal to us. It’s all a strange place with food-like substances. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve featured amazing blenders that help you puree homemade baby food. We’ve featured little BPA-free containers in which to freeze your homemade baby food. And now? We’re featuring an e-book series to help you really kick ass at making that homemade baby food. You may not need help with the basics because cooking and pureeing squash? Not so hard—but how about advice on when and how to start your baby on solids? How about nutrition information? How about advice for dealing with feeding problems? Tips for spotting and avoiding allergies and/or digestive problems? Feeding your baby while traveling? Recipes for homemade finger foods? Recipes for special occasions? And of course, tons of recipes for baby food that doesn’t taste like the flavorless, vacuum-sealed, months old gunk from a jar? Christine Albury, mother of five and the author of Tempting Tiny Tastebuds pretty much covers it all and because we know a lot of our readers are DIY types who like to make their own baby food, we’ve partnered with Christine Albury to give away FIVE sets of her three e-books—Tempting Tiny Tastebuds, The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Annual - 2009 (More In Depth Nutrition Information, Tips and Recipes) and Best of Blog (The best articles and recipes from Christine Albury’s blog).

Find It Here: Homemade Baby Food Recipes

Win It: We’re giving away five sets of Christine Albury’s three e-books. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter BF6 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are three types of recipes found on Christine’s web site? Enter by 6/30/09. $17 value for each set of e-books. Open to residents worldwide. Winner will be notified by email. Contest closed. Congrats to all five winners!

A Greener Apple (NYC) is the project of  New York City mom and producer/director Pamela French. She takes her camera to a variety of locales in New York City area for man/woman-on-the-street interviews asking people what they would do to make New York greener (A Greener Apple!) It’s actually very interesting to see where people’s heads are at in terms of greener living and what sorts of things they feel would make a difference. The responses range from highly aware and educated to flip and somewhat ignorant. Fortunately, Read the rest of this entry »