My new favorite hobby is sewing. Granted, I have yet to dust off the old Singer I bought ten years ago and never learned to use, but I just know it’s going to be my new favorite hobby. I have this itch to make something with my hands, something not purchased in a store, something of my own creation. My new beginner’s handbook is Bend-the-Rules Sewing. Written by the popular blogger and craft goddess, Amy Karol (known as Angry Chicken to her blog fans), Bend-the-Rules Sewing is the perfect book for the beginning seamstress. If you know absolutely nothing about sewing, this book would serve as a great primer. Read the first few pages and you’ll already know the sewing lingo and the exact supplies you need to get started. But what I love, love, love the most about this book are the incredibly hip projects. From cute handbags and aprons to cloth napkins and scalloped baby blankets, this book provides instructions for thirty projects with beautiful colorful pictures of each. Every time I flipped to a new page, I thought, “I want to make that!” and then I’d flip to the next page and think the same thing again! And really, what could be greener than making your own stuff, right? It’s sew true. Heh.

Find It Here: Amazon.com 

As someone born and raised in a warm part of California, I must say that when it comes to cold, I am a wimp. I admit it. I no likey the cold. And that means that when it dips below 70 degrees, I’m pulling out my jacket, gloves, scarf…and now….my muffatees too! Muffatees are these really cool fingerless gloves designed to give coverage to that little space between the top of your mitten and your jacket sleeve….because no one likes cold wrists, right?! Hand-knit by a woman’s collective in Peru, muffatees are made of super soft alpaca wool and available in sizes for mamas and children/toddlers. At $20 and under, they might just be the perfect holiday gift for the girlfriend/co-worker/niece/nephew that you need a present for, but just weren’t sure what to get. And if you pick up a pair for yourself, we’ll totally understand.

Find It Here: Go Baby 

Quite possibly the fastest way to attract the attention of an infant is to wear jewelry.  I mean how many times have you had to gently pry your little one’s bionic-baby grip from your favorite necklace?  I’m here to tell you the fight is over. Teething Bling by SmartMom is made for moms to wear and infants to tug and chew.  Personal testimony here—the necklace occupied my little one for almost 30 minutes straight.  Amazing. The jewelry is made from non-toxic, phthalate, BPA and PVC free materials.  Beautiful, practical and eco-friendly!  Plus, they’re dishwasher-safe. The necklace also features a breakaway clasp and is available in a variety of stylish colors and two shapes: donut and heart. SmartMom also features matching bangles and keychains made from the same non-toxic materials—because it never hurts to be both prepared and stylin’.

Find It Here: Heavenly Hold

Deal: 10% off from Heavenly Hold with coupon code WEARME! Expires 12/31/08.

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.

I’m pretty choosy when it comes to what I put on my kisser and you can call me crazy if you want but I don’t like the idea of lead — or any other toxic substance for that matter — in something I put on my lips. Now that we’re heading into the fall/winter season, I have been on the lookout for a good lip balm and I’ve definitely found it in Rockstar Baby Organics Lip Balm. Packaged in a slim little stick about the size of my index finger, this lip balm smells and works great and we’re most impressed with what’s NOT in it: parabens, petrochemicals and artificial colors. We also like that Rockstar Lip Balm is only $3.99. So pucker up, baby — this rockin’ lip balm is so awesome you’ll want to kiss it.

Find It Here: Cooler Choices

As a self-proclaimed “lactivist”, I’m all for breastfeeding in public, whenever and wherever needed. In fact, I don’t even mind whipping my breast out uncovered if need be (really!).  Typically, though, I use a nursing cover.  But now I have an even better option — Momzelle’s breastfeeding apparel. Made in Canada of 100% organic cotton, Momzelle’s simple black nursingwear pieces make breastfeeding convenient and stylish. And when I read that they are “designed to flatter the postpartum figure,” I was like SOLD!!! Plus, they are made for moms by a mom (bonus points) and they are eco-friendly and made ethically. Above all, no one will ever guess that you’re wearing a nursing top  —  that is, until you pull down that flap :)

Find It Here: Momzelle

Win It! We’re giving away an organic v-neck nursing top by Momzelle. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “MZ55” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite product available from Momzelle? U.S. and Canadian residents eligible. Enter by 9/29/08. Contest closed. Congrats Lisa!

Green Mom Discount! $5 off every purchase when the code “WGMF” is entered. Code valid until 10/22/08.

While I’m not much of a girly-girl, I confess to preferring my toenails polished over au naturale. My daughter, however, is far more fascinated by polished nails and asks me all the time to paint hers for her. There was a time when I would reluctantly give in and paint her nails with one coat of very light pink but after I found out how toxic nail polish actually is, I had to stop painting her fingernails and my toenails. Fortunately, there are now alternatives to conventional nail polish that are free of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene. According to the Breast Cancer Fund web site:

All three chemicals are on California’s Prop. 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. Studies have linked DBP to underdeveloped genitals and other reproductive system problems in newborn boys. DBP is banned from cosmetics products in the European Union but the FDA has taken no such action in the United States.

In addition, the U.S. National Toxicology Program says formaldehyde is “reasonably anticipated” to be a human carcinogen. The EPA, meanwhile, restricts toluene in drinking water because it can cause nervous system disorders and damage the liver and kidneys. The FDA does not require that cosmetics products be tested for safety before they are sold.

After reading the above, I’m just damned glad I wasn’t painting my nails when I was pregnant with my son. I’m also glad somebody took the initiative to create Suncoat, an award-winning, quick-drying. water-based nail polish that doesn’t contain phthalates (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde, acetates or FD&C dyes. And? It’s manufactured right here in North America. When I get my next pedicure, you can bet I’ll be bringing my Suncoat with me.

Find It Here: Suncoat

Moisturizing daily is important for skin health — or so says my very astute and trustworthy esthetician friend. However, I find it disconcerting that so many moisturizers have synthetic ingredients that are downright toxic. Ugh! Who wants to put chemicals on their face every day? If you’re looking for a safer facial moisturizer, then check out Grateful Body’s Daily Facial Therapy. Available for dry, oily and normal skin types, it’s my all-time favorite facial lotion. Produced locally in California, the moisturizer gets a very low hazard score (a good thing!) from the Environmental Workging Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database. They are also a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and they do not test their products on animals. All of their products are vegetarian or vegan and they use recycled packaging and soy based inks. Oh and? Their moisturizer is really effective. I should know, I’ve been using it for over a year and I love it. At the risk of sounding a little un-green, I guess you could say, I’m sold.

Find It Here: Grateful Body

Congratulations to Meghan B., winner of a bottle of Grateful Body’s Daily Facial Therapy!

Deal: Receive 20% off your purchase at Grateful Body with code greenmom20. Valid through July 31, 2008.

At almost every baby shower I’ve ever attended, the mom-to-be receives what seems like fifty zillion packages of newborn onesies. They’re nice to have, for sure, but original? Not so much. If you’re trying to find a unique gift idea for a baby shower, then check out these baby shower gift baskets by Love & Blessings. Started by mom of twins Victoria Loveland-Coen, Love & Blessings was founded with the philosophy of “nurturing the nurturer and caring for baby naturally, while lessening the toxic impact on our environment.” We love her philosophy and love her gift baskets even more! Individually crafted and assembled, each gift basket offers a unique selection of hip, earth-friendly products to nurture mama and baby. My personal favorite is The Ultimate Baby Bonding Gift Basket, which comes with a baby bonding book, baby bonding audiobook with guided relaxation, a nursing shawl, burp cloth, some Earth Mama Angel Baby products (all rated well on the Cosmetic Safety Database), and a little baby elephant rattle. You even customize your own gift basket if you want. Just choose the size basket you’d like, then shop their store for the perfect items to include. They will assemble the basket and ship it to you. It doesn’t get much any easier than that! And with plenty of natural, organic products to choose from, you’re only problem will be trying to figure out what not to put in your basket.

Find It Here: Love & Blessings

Congratulations to Kristinia, winner of a New Mama Nurture Basket by Love & Blessings worth more than $100! 

We’re taking the day off today and we hope you are, too!

Happy Mother’s Day!

[Image via Adrienne]

It seems as if every time I read the news, there is some new report about BPA in our plastics, oxybenzone in sunscreens and a whole bucketful of various chemicals in our mattresses, not to mention the beauty industry’s slack guidelines concerning what they put in personal care products and cosmetics. I’m fed up with all of it but I’m not ready to give up taking care of myself just yet, especially when I can make my own personal care products. Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles contains over 175 different homemade herbal formulas for glowing skin and a vibrant self. In fact, there’s a recipe for just about everything you could ever need: natural bug repellent, facial steams (yes, you need facial steams), makeup remover, body butters (great for stretchmark prevention!) In addition to the recipes, the book gives primers on essential oils and how to use them; harvesting herbs; basic information on hair and skin and nail care as well as a basic ingredient dictionary. In fact, it’s very likely you’ll already have most of the ingredients right in your cupboard. And no, you don’t have to use your chocolate stash unless you really, really want to — we know some things are sacred.

Find It Here: Organic Body Care Recipes

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream Stonyfield YoBaby Yogurt. Why? Because Stonyfield YoBaby Yogurt is totally yummy and lovable (even for the finickiest of children) and it’s also all natural, USDA certified organic and comes without the preservatives and artificial ingredients so commonly found in yogurts these days. The Stonyfield Company also makes extraordinary efforts to minimize their impact on the environment - whether it be through their choice of packaging, their use of solar panels, or their efforts to reduce Co2 emissions. They’ve even won several national environmental awards. So, yeah, they’re getting a big thumbs up from this green mama. And as if they read my mind, they’ve now come out with YoMommy Yogurt, the organic, low-fat variety just for moms that’s chock full of the good stuff expectant and new mothers need. Something tells me the dads are about to get jealous…

Find It Here: Click here to find a store near you.

Congratulations to Beth S. and Janet, who will each be receiving $25 in coupons for free YoBaby and YoMommy Yogurt Packs.

Editor’s Note: Prior to writing this post and arranging the giveaway, we consulted Stonyfield Farms’ website to make sure the plastic containers they were using for their yogurt cups were safe. Their site indicates that they exclusively use plastic #5. However, some of our readers have informed us that while the large containers of yogurt are packaged in #5, the small YoBaby yogurt cups are still packaged in #6 plastic. We contacted Stonyfield to question this and we received the following response:

 Thanks for your inquiry about our packaging and specifically our use of polystyrene #6 for our YoBaby products. First, none of our packaging contains BPA, the chemical currently in the news and which is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. As for our use of polystyrene #6, you’ll be reassured to learn that #6 containers are considered safe for food use by the both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union (EU). The FDA requires the styrene content of the packaging be less than 5,000 parts per million (ppm). The styrene content in Stonyfield Farm’s polystyrene packaging does not exceed 400 ppm.We appreciate hearing from you. Because the use of any plastic can have an adverse effect on the environment, we continuously search for packaging materials with lower environmental impacts. For now, we believe the best option for our small cups is polystyrene since it allows us to reduce the overall amount of packaging material we use - less packaging means less consumption of resources, less pollution and less solid waste.

We are disappointed that Stonyfield has chosen to use plastic #6 containers. We have requested that they update their website to indicate that they use a range of plastics for their containers, including plastic #6 for their yogurt cups. We have further urged them to find a safer packaging for their yogurt cups. Despite the FDA assurances about the safety of the styrene content of their current packaging, we do not feel comfortable giving our children any amount of styrene, which is considered a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and which may also disrupt hormones or affect reproduction. Healthy Child Healthy World recommends avoiding foods packaged in polystyrene plastic, denoted by a #6. So, as much as we love Stonyfield’s YoBaby Yogurt cups, we are no longer comfortable recommending them. For now, purchasing the larger plastic #5 Stonyfield Yogurt containers seems to be a better option.