Of course you do. We all do—and if you’re like me, you don’t have a clue how so much of it got into your life but you know it has to go. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could exchange some of that stuff for stuff you actually want and never have to set foot in a store? That’s not wishful thinking, my friend. You can actually DO THAT on Swaptree! How it works is Swaptree creates trades by matching items that you have (books, music, movies and video games) with other people who want those items and vice-versa. Best of all? It’s FREE. And because there are a frillion people on Swaptree, there’s a ton of stuff available for trade which means there’s a very good chance you’ll score exactly what you want and that someone wants your stuff, too. Short of just not ever buying another book, video game, DVD or CD, SwapTree is one of the greenest options around so get busy and start writing up your wish list!

Find It Here: Swaptree

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

Yes, I know this is just one of a thousand Earth Day-themed posts but don’t leave! I’ll be brief, I promise. All I really wanted to say is that while this site is devoted to bringing you greener alternatives to the things we all need everyday, we still believe that buying less is the greenest thing we can do. That said, on this Earth Day, our challenge to everyone, ourselves included, is to buy nothing unless it’s secondhand or recycled. If it’s too late to do that today, then you can always do it tomorrow! We won’t tell :)

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.

When I’ve gone to my local party supply store, I was always struck by home much themed, matchy-matchy, character-driven junk they carry, none of which appears to be made from recycled materials or eco-friendly inks. It begs the question…What the hell am I doing in here?  In recent years, I’ve tried to avoid the party store altogether and find more unique and thoughtful ways to celebrate. One really neat thing I recently learned about are Big Day Chains kits; they contain everything you need to make a classic 30-day paper countdown chain in anticipation of a big event such as a birthday or a wedding. You simply assemble the links, which are 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper and printed with soy ink and hang it on a wall or from a doorway. You then tear off one link each day as the big day beckons. It’s especially fun for little ones to watch the big day get closer as the chain grows shorter!  For extra fun, the birthday links are printed in full color on one side and on the other side, have outlined birthday shapes ready for kids to color as an added activity. Recycled paper, soy inks and thirty days of old-fashioned countdown excitement makes Big Day Chains so appealing to us that we’d like to share them with one lucky reader! See below for details.

Find It Here: Big Day Chains

Win It: We’re giving away a Big Day Chains kit (winner can choose from the birthday or new baby kit). Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter BDC4 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: To which charity does Big Day Chains donate 5% of their profits? Enter by 4/27/09. $14.95 value.

You know I love all things green, right? Green is good. No, actually green is AWESOME. But even better than the awesomeness of green is the awesomeness of green combined with style.  While I love many traditional childhood decor themes, I’m a big fan of nifty modern designs for the wee ones, as well. One shop in particular that makes me swoon is Saplings. They have oodles of  stylish eco-friendly kid and baby decor, all with an emphasis on being chemical-free, organic, fair-trade, sustainably-produced and locally procured whenever possible. Perusing their site is like a little slice of mass-marketed-characters-free heaven, with timeless designs that won’t become embarrassing or uncool as your child grows older. In a culture where everything is designed to break or go out of style in a shockingly short period of time (aka “planned obsolescence“) Saplings is like a breath of fresh, VOC-free air.

Find It Here: Saplings

Win It: We’re giving away a $50 gift certificate to Saplings. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter SAP as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite item in the Saplings shop? Enter by 4/19/09. $50 value. Contest closed. Congrats Katie!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have little reminders around the house to help everyone remember to be green? Not for you, of course, but you know, for the kids or maybe your spouse? I can’t even begin to count how many times a week I have to remind my kids to turn off their bedroom lights when they leave the room and well, it does get a bit tiresome which is why I’m really digging Ecominders. They’re these cool little stickers that you can put all over your home and office to remind everyone to “stick” to being green. Reusable and removable, they help you remember to do things like turn off lights, keep the thermostat at a certain level, turn off electronics when you’re not using them, turn off the water when brushing, use less toilet paper etc. They come in Kids & Schools versions, too. My kids think they’re really neato and are already turning the lights off more often than they used to so I’m giving Ecominders two green thumbs up—one for saving electricity and one for cutting down on my nagging!

Find It Here: Ecominders

Win It: We’re giving away a 5 pack of the Home & Office and Kids & Schools Ecominders along with a reusable tote and an Ecominders organic cotton T-shirt. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter EM4 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: Ecominders donates 1% of their profits to what organization? Enter by 4/15/09. $70 value. Contest closed. Congrats to Stefanie!

If there’s one thing we dislike about Easter time, it’s those awful baskets. You know the ones, right? Not only are they kind of um…ugly but they’re PLASTIC! This time last year we featured cool fair trade baskets handwoven in Africa (we love handmade stuff!) and this year we’re featuring these awesome handmade, hand-embroidered baskets made from reclaimed fabrics and buttons. Whimsical, adorable and reusable year after year, these one-of-a-kind baskets are a fun alternative to the plastic junk that’s available in most stores at Easter time and guess what? We’re giving one away!

Find it Here:  Devzbagz

Win It: We’re giving away a Devzbagz Easter ‘Bag’sket. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter DB3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What four designs does Devzbagz offer for Easter? Open to US and Canadian residents. Enter by 3/18/09. $25 value. Contest Closed. Congrats Deanna!

When I work in my yard, I always wear gloves. This is partly because I’m kind of prissy and don’t really like getting dirty but also because gloves protect my hands from branches, thorns, stubborn weeds that can cut and of course all the bacterium that live in soil. I learned about all the aforementioned hazards the hard way…by NOT using gloves and thus, I’m now a big fan. Of course, I always wear my husband’s el cheapo grande work gloves and of course, I always swear I’m going to get myself a decent pair. The ones I have my eye on are the West County Gardener Work Gloves. Full of recycling goodness, they’re constructed with a high-tech spandex mesh fabric derived from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) beverage bottles that have been ground up and spun into recycled yarn and each pair of gloves removes one 8-ounce beverage bottle from landfill. Only adding to their coolness is the fact that they also make them for kids. The Kid’s Classic glove is an exact replica of the adult Classic Glove, with all the same comfort and durability, but smaller. And cuter. My daughter, who always wants the gloves off my hands, literally, would be thrilled to have her very own and I’d be thrilled because then she could help me pull weeds!

Find It Here: West County Gloves

 Win It: We’re giving away three pair of West County Gardener gloves. The winner can choose from the Kid’s Classic and the Work Glove. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter WC3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is a signature feature of the Work Glove? Open to US residents. Enter by 3/20/09. $60 value. Contest Closed. Congrats Shawn!

Have you ever seen a purse or tote bag made from recycled candy wrappers? I have, at an Earth Day festival, and they’re way cool—just like the one pictured, from by Sweet-n-Handy Handbags. Made of 100% recycled candy wrappers, bottle wrappers, and similar wrapping materials—most of which were misprinted labels that would  otherwise have been trashed, spending all eternity in a landfill—their bags are bright, colorful, sturdy and of course, green! All Sweet-n-Handy bags are handmade in a small Northern Mexico village by skilled craftspeople and Sweet-n-Handy is also Kiva Microlender. This means they use a portion of their profits to help make microloans to entrepreneurs in developing countries, empowering them to move out of poverty, which we think is REALLY sweet.

Find It Here: Sweet-n-Handy Handbags

Win It: We’re giving away the “Pinata” handbag by Sweet-n-Handy!  Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter SH7 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are the names of the four Sweet-n-Handy handbag collections? Open to US residents. Enter by 3/3/09. $40 value. Contest closed. Congratultions, Paula!

Deal: Use the code “GreenMom” to receive a 15% discount on your entire purchase from Sweet-n-Handy.

We’ve all heard of classical music as lullabyes and even some rock music retooled as sleepytime fare but country hits as instrumental lullabyes? Heck yeah! If you’re a country music mama (or dada) and even if you’re not, we’re bettin’ the farm you and you’re little one will appreciate the dreamy lullabyes  found on the Hushabye Baby collection of CD’s. Each one is packed with totally relaxing versions of songs from country’s biggest stars. Now, I can assure you I’ve never once considered putting my ‘lil guy to bed with Johnny Cash’s  Ring of Fire or Folsom Prison Blues but the Hushabye versions are downright hummable and soothing! Best of all, there are six artists to choose from and every CD is housed in 100% recycled packaging. Move over, Mozart—there’s a new sheriff in town named Hushabye Baby!

Find It Here:  Hushabye Baby

Win It:  We’re giving away a gift-wrapped set of 4 Hushabye Baby CDs  (lullabye renditions of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson and George Strait) Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter HB0209 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: Who are the other two Hushabye artists that are not a part of the gift set prize? Open to US, Canadian and international residents. Enter by 2/19/09. $73 value. Contest Closed. Congratulations to Anne!

Did you know that nearly nine million tons of clothing is dumped into America’s landfills every year? NINE. MILLION. TONS. That’s kind of mindblowing, no? Here’s another handy statistic for you… Each pound of recycled clothing saves 1.7 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and we all know eliminating carbon emissions is something that needs to be done wherever and whenever possible. Fortunately, our friends at Ideal Bite have provided us with some excellent resources for  recycling something that you’ve probably never even thought about—your underwear!

• Project Underwear is a program that collects new and gently used underwear to be distributed personally to poor children in third world countries like India, Ethiopia and Romania. For more details, please visit the Project Underwear website.
• Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores and donation centers accept donations of clean underwear in good, wearable condition. Visit their websites for more detailed information on donations.
• Patagonia Common Threads Garment Recycling would like you to send in or drop off your worn-out thermal underwear and other thermal clothing and Patagonia will turn them into NEW apparel. For details, visit the Patagonia website.