I know people who will NOT drink a beverage without a straw. One has very sensitive teeth and another refuses to drink without a straw because she has weak enamel, leaving her prone to cavities and stained teeth. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any alternative to offer my straw-addicted friends until recently when I was introduced to glass straws from GlassDharma. Though I honestly didn’t see how glass straws could possibly be practical, especially with children who break, ohhh, pretty much everything, I was intrigued by their “Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage.” When my DharmaGlass straws arrived, their sturdiness surprised me. Apparently, they use the same strict, computer-controlled process that Pyrex uses to insure strength and durability. My kids don’t care about any of that, though. They’re just happy to have straws (because I’m mean and won’t buy the plastic kind) and use their beloved glass ones almost every day to drink smoothies. I use my delicate little one to drink water although it would be perfect for a cocktail if I ever had time to actually drink one. In any case, after weeks and weeks of regular use, none of our three glass straws have broken and I can’t help but think about how much plastic would be saved from the environment if everyone had a glass straw of their very own (they have the coolest little hemp sleeves and bamboo cases!) And my two straw-fiend friends? Well, you KNOW what they’ll be getting for their birthdays…

Find It Here:  GlassDharma

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

It’s a brand new year and to help you go even greener in 2009, we’re giving away a box of great green goodies!

1  CoolTote Non-Toxic Lunch Bag: A lead and PVC-free, reusable, insulated replacement for the old brown bag. Comes with an adjustable shoulder strap and handy inside net pocket. 8 oz. Freezer Pack is included. Made in USA.

1 Baby Blend “Surf Chick” Long-Sleeve Onesie: Made of 100% organic cotton and  eco-friendly water-based inks & dyes, Baby Blend’s babywear and tees are embellished with kid-friendly yet cool designs that don’t scream “My parents are hipsters!”

2 Showertime  Shower Timers: 20% of your home’s water usage comes from the shower. A 3-minute reduction in shower time, from the average 8 minutes down to 5 minutes, could save 6-15 gallons of water per shower per person per day. The cute little Showertime timer gently reminds you after five minutes, that well, you’ve been in there for five minutes already. Very handy!

1 YES to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter: Made with all-natural ingredients such as shea butter, beeswax, olive oil and coconut oil, C Me Smile lip butter is paraben, petroleum and phthalate-free, as well as certified organic and not tested on animals!

1 copy of Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet: Seven Wonders is a fascinating little book that uses everyday items, from the bicycle to the ceiling fan, the clothesline to the library book, to illustrate that we need to look no farther than our own backyards to find ways to change the world.

1 copy of The Hippy Gourmet’s Quick and Simple Cookbook for Healthy Eating: Bruce Brennan, the host of the hit PBS show The Hippy Gourmet shows you how to make easy, delicious dishes using freshly-grown ingredients. His vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian meals will transform your eating experience and help you change the world for the better, one meal at a time.

1 copy of The Compassionate Carnivore: How to keep animals happy, save Old MacDonald’s farm, reduce your carbon hoofprint, and still eat meat—a unique and intimate perspective on the morals, economics and practicalities of raising and eating meat humanely.

1 Verimeri “Go Green” Tee, size S: Verymeri tees are all designed by kids. They host t-shirt design contests for schools, camps and non-profits—kids submit ideas for tees, vote on their favorite, and the winning design is made available for purchase. The kid designers, Free Arts for Abused Children and other partnering organizations receive a portion of the sales. Verycool!

1 Goodnight Room Twisty Pals Teether: Made of unbleached, undyed, non-chemically processed 100% organic cotton, Twisty Pals teethers are easily washed and dried along with baby’s laundry. The twisted organic cotton body is pliable, providing the perfect texture for teething and can be wet and then frozen for extra soothing. Made in USA.

Win It!  Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “NYG09” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What would you like to see more of on The Green Mom Review? Open to US residents only. Enter by February 11, 2009. $150 value. Contest closed. Congrats to Denise!

Baby drool. It’s just a fact of life when you’ve got a child under the age of six months. And let’s be honest, your baby’s drool isn’t really that yucky. In fact, it’s kind of cute—because everything about your baby is cute, right? And yet, regardless of how absolutely precious your baby’s drool is, it’s still great to have something to wipe it up with—preferably something reusable and preferably something soft. That’s where Lauren Faye Baby’s wipes come in pretty darn handy.  In your mind, try to picture fabric that’s a cross between the softness of cotton candy and a super fluffy cotton ball. Turn that into a cloth wipe for baby and you’ve got Lauren Faye Baby wipes. Made in Texas of minky dot fabric on the front and 100% cotton terry cloth on the back, we think they’re especially great as an alternative to using disposable wipes during diaper changes.

Find It Here: Lauren Faye Baby

Unfortunately, even cute, cuddly stuffed animals and plush toys are not immune to being made from toxic materials. There is hope, though, from companies like Maggie’s Organics. Their Maggie’s Menagerie Sock Monkey is made from their “less than perfect” 85% organic cotton crew socks at a 100% worker-owned cooperative in North Carolina.These adorable one-of-a-kind monkeys are all hand sewn, they’re machine washable and the faces are also hand sewn so they’re are no small parts that could come off and be ingested by children. My son has one and he sleeps with it every single night. He has no idea how much I love his monkey, too!  Each Monkey is approx 9″ tall. Outside: 85% cotton certified organic cotton, 13% Nylon, 2% spandex. Filling: Polyester fiber from mill scraps.

Find It Here: Maggie’s Organics

Who said being un-wasteful means being un-cool? Personally, we think the coolest lunch containers are not made of plastic. Take these fair wage/fair labor cotton lunch sacks from Print Pattern Paper. They come in a number of original prints, including some very cool robot designs for kids. Today we’re giving away a Print Pattern Lunch sack AND  a coordinating 100% organic cotton napkin, a reusable disposable 7″ Bambu brand bamboo plate, and a reusable bamboo fork, knife and spoon utensil set!

Win It! Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “PP66” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite lunch sack design? Open to US residents only. Enter by 12/16/08. $30 value. Contest closed. Congrats, Lisa W.!

There is something about picking out the perfect Christmas card and sending it with a personalized note, that I really love to do around the holidays. Maybe it’s because I treasure the ones that I get from friends and family that show that extra special care. This year, I found my perfect Christmas card at Print Pattern Paper. Made by Wisconsin mother and designer Rebecca Peragine, these holiday cards are made of 100% recycled cardstock and come in five designs - comfort (pictured), snowflake, peace dove, peace tree, and peace star. Her original designs are made with found papers, usually from magazines, newspapers, and foreign text books. And yeah, sending an e-mail greeting *might* be the greenest way to say “Merry Christmas”, but sometimes a special greeting is in order. Plus, it is recycled cardstock after all. :)

Find It Here: Print Pattern Paper

Deal! Receive 15% off at Print Pattern Paper, using code “GMF08″. Expires 12/14/08.

The Christmas season is almost here again and out of all the holidays we celebrate, I’d say that’s the one most in need of some greening. One good place to start is with greeting cards because with millions upon millions of cards being sent every holiday season, well, that’s a LOT of trees. Additionally, the photo paper used for photo cards is not made from recycled fibers, nor is it recyclable. Lucky for all of us, there are alternatives such as the cards from ElanInk. ElanInk’s stylish custom holiday cards are printed professionally on a digital press (no toxins released) on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper from responsibly managed forests. Envelopes are also FSC-certified and at least partially recycled. ElanInk also donates $1 of every purchase the World Wildlife Fund for the support and protection of forestry and eco-systems around the world. Who says the ideal white Christmas can’t be green and earth-friendly, too?

Find It Here: ElanInk

Win It: We’re giving away 25 custom holiday cards (like the one featured above) from ElanInk. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “EL25” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: what is the name of your favorite ElanInk card design? Open to US residents only. Enter by 11/23/08  Congratulations to Erinn, the winner of the ElanInk card giveaway!

Keep diaper rash at bay, the Bummas way! So what are Bummas you ask? Well, they are soft little cloth wipes made of 100% cotton - woven velour terry cloth to be exact. Now doesn’t that sound like something baby deserves to be cleaned with? Who wants to use those harsh, disposable wipes anyway? If my one-year-old could talk, I know he’d be saying…”choose the terry cloth!” So we know baby’s vote, but I’m all for ditching the disposable wipes anyway… if only for all the money it will save me. With a baby in diapers I spend a ton on disposable wipes that will eventually end up in landfills (ugh!). Switching to cloth wipes seems like a win-win all around. I save money, we all save landfill space, and my baby’s bum has never been happier!

Find It Here: Bummas

Ah, Etsy, what did I ever do without you? That’s what I’ve been thinking lately because I’m literally finding the coolest stuff there all the time—like this recycled kids’ furniture. Made in the Miami design district by owner/designer Jennifer Sanchez, each piece is re-vamped and then hand-painted with low to no VOC paints. The result? A one-of-a-kind usable piece of furniture that is also a work of art! Also check out her lovely mugs, plates and bowls, which are hand-painted with non-toxic and food safe paints and glazes. A good cup of tea or coffee really deserves a mug like this. Don’t you agree?

Find It Here: Jen-n-Ale

When I was in Italy many years ago, I fell in love with Venetian glass pendants. I had to buy one for everyone I knew! The same thing happened to me recently when I stumbled upon these recycled scrabble pendants from Squishy Sushi. I met the San Francisco-based owner and jewelry designer herself at a local craft fair in California where I promptly purchased the most beautiful pendant which I plan to give away (reluctantly!) as a Christmas gift to my sister-in-law. The pendants remind me of the Venetian glass pendants I loved so much, yet they have a decidedly oriental, rather than Italian, flair. Also, the fact that they are designed and hand-made right here in the U.S.A out of old scrabble pieces and recycled papers and magazines makes them totally eco-friendly and fun too - flip ‘em over and you’ll find the scrabble letter! At only six dollars each, including the coordinated gift box, I’d say these are one of my best finds of the year.

Find It Here: Squishy Sushi

Deal! Receive free shipping on any purchase until 10/31/08. Plus, just for GMF readers, receive a free necklace with purchase - simply mention that you were referred by GMF in the notes to the seller.

Have you heard of New Native? They make the most awesome organic cotton baby pouches — in addition to practicing the environmental and social responsibility that we adore at The Green Mom Review! And because we think their products rock, we’re giving away one medium-sized organic cotton baby pouch which will fit a woman who measures 34-39″ above the chest (it can be exchanged if the fit isn’t right), valued at $65. If you can’t take our word for it, check out all the celebs who also love the New Native pouches, which, by the way, are constructed right here in the good old USA by working moms.

Find It Here: New Native

Win It:  Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “NN2008” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What else does the New Native online store carry besides their fab baby pouches? U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 11/3/08. Contest closed. Congrats, Heather B.!

PS:  Have you checked out our new blog? Every week, we’ll be bringing you new and informative posts on the topics you care about so be sure to drop by!