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

Got little ones? Trying to raise them green? Then you might consider adding Sesame Street’s new DVD, Being Green to your eco-teaching arsenal. Being Green stars ultra-cute actor Paul Rudd as Mr. Earth, who teaches Elmo and Abby Cadabby how to be environmentally conscious by recycling, re-using, and conserving water and energy.  In her desire to help Elmo to be more “green,” Abby accidentally turns Elmo the color GREEN and can’t remember how to change him back!  Fun and hilarity ensue and Abby eventually turns Elmo red again and Cookie Monster, Rosita, and Telly Monster pitch in, pledging to be eco-friendly because they LOVE the earth! As a special bonus feature, Being Green also contains 16 pages of downloadable activities and story sheets to extend the learning at home. In addition, Being Green is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled cardstock and is printed with soy-based ink and uses reduced-plastic as compared to other DVD cases. Once your kids have watched it eleventeen thousand times and have the being green thing down pat, pass it on to some other kids and keep the message going. We’re going to help five lucky readers get started by giving away five copies of Sesame Street’s Going Green. See details below!

Find It Here: Being Green

Win It: We’re giving away five copies of Going Green. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter GG6 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: As Mr. Earth, what does Paul Rudd wear in Being Green? Enter by 6/6/09. $16 value. Open to residents of US. Winner will be notified by email. Contest closed. Congrats to our five winners!

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

Changing diapers on the go? I’m not a fan—but if you have to do it, it might as well be done on top of something organic and non-toxic and if it’s pretty and portable, so much the better (back when I didn’t know any better, I had this lovely vinyl *cringe* portable changing pad). We like the One Small Change changing station/tote from JourneyLight. It’s made of organic cotton, hemp and low-impact dyes, has compostable cornstarch foam padding, a non-toxic water resistant finish plus handy pockets and a shoulder strap—completely cool (with nary a bunny, ducky or teddy bear in sight) and totally uncringeworthy!

Find It Here:  JourneyLight

Win It:  We’re giving away a One Small Change portable changing station/tote. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter OS5 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: JourneyLight products are certified by ___? Enter by 5/11/09. $65 value. Contest closed. Congrats to Amanda!

Deal: Use the promo code “GreenMom” to get 25% off your JourneyLight order plus free shipping!

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!

We’ve mentioned this in the past but it bears repeating…even stuffed animals, which look so cute and harmless, can be toxic. Naturally, I find the idea of my children snuggling up to poison very disturbing but luckily non-toxic and eco-friendly plush toys are out there. and right now I’m quite taken with the Eco Stuffed Naturally Bunnies from Celery Street. Extremely soft and totally huggable, they’re made and filled with an eco-friendly alternative to traditional synthetics that is made from 100% soy fiber and the stuffing is 100% kapok, a golden silky fiber known for its hypoallergenic softness.  Additionally, kapok is a sustainable rainforest crop that comes from the seed pod of the kapok tree. Green and yet affordable, these adorable bunnies would look perfect in the center of an Easter basket but little ones (and their moms) will love them long after the Peeps tummyaches are but a distant memory.

Find it Here: Celery Street

Win It: We’re giving away two Eco Stuffed Naturally Bunnies. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter CS4 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What are the names of the three colors of Eco Stuffed Naturally Bunnies? Enter by 4/11/09. $30 value. Contest closed. Congrats to A.

Plastic baggies…we know they’re convenient for packing lunches because, well, we’ve used them. I mean who hasn’t, right?  There’s just one problem…they aren’t recyclable. The end result is that every day of the 180 day school year, millions of plastic baggies are thrown away and will live on for hundreds of years in a landfill. But it doesn’t HAVE to be that way. There  are lots of reusable options available for packing waste-free lunches and one that we especially like are Fresh Snack Packs. I like them because you can see what’s inside them but equally awesome is the fact that they’re phthalates, PVC and BPA and lead free. Oh, and did I mention they’re reusable? Yeah, they are and we think they’re so groovy green that we’re giving away a couple sets of Fresh Snack Packs to one lucky winner!

Find It Here:  Fresh Snack Pack

Win It:  We’re giving away two sets of Fresh Snack Packs (4 snack and 2 sandwich packs) to one winner. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter FSP3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: Fresh Snack Packs are made of what material? Enter by 3/25/09. $29 value. Contest closed. Congrats to Tammy!

When heading to the park, a walk, or long car ride a snack becomes a necessity in my world. Sometimes, I even share them with my 3 yr old (ha!) which is why I like to make sure, if I am not packing homemade treats, that I buy quality organic and natural snacks.  Thank goodness companies are hearing the cry for wholesome snacks that are not loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other artificial additives I can hardly pronounce. Here is a rundown of a few sure-to-satisfy goodies.

If you prefer a little crunch and salt in your snack, then Happy Herbert’s offers over 30 fun-to-eat snacks. Happy Herbert’s Organic Spelt Mini Pretzels are a crunchy and tasty alternative to conventional modern wheat pretzels.

Find It Here: Happy Herbert’s

Or maybe you are the fruit and veggie type person? That’s cool and lucky you, Sensible Foods offers a line of Crunch Dried snacks. Each bag is fat free, 100% natural, gluten and GMO free and nothing but fruit or veggie. Choose from flavors such as 100% Organic Sweet Corn, Cherry Berry, or Apple Harvest. Don’t be surprised if your kids mistake them for candy instead of something healthy. We won’t tell if you wont!

Find It Here: Sensible Foods

Finally, I know there are parents out there saying, “Hey, my kid is allergic to peanuts. What about us?”  Well, a mother in 2005 started a company for that very reason.  Nonuttin’ Foods is a family-run business producing 100% peanut-free snacks, including granola bars. Nonuttin’ Foods maintains very high standards for making sure their products do not come in contact with anything nut-related which means parents of peanut-allergic kids can dole them out, worry free!  As an added bonus, all three of the aforementioned companies are involved with giving back to the community and providing an environmentally-friendly workplace. Happy snacking!

Find It Here: Nonuttin’ Foods

If there’s one baby item I wasn’t sad to say goodbye to, it was the highchair. Yes, it served us well through two children but it’s ginormous footprint made it one of the few things I couldn’t wait to give away to some other poor, unsuspecting family. And the fact that it was 100% plastic? I can only plead ignorance. I simply didn’t know any better all those years ago. Now, if we’d had a minui HandySitt…I might be bragging instead of lamenting because the ultra cool and modern HandySitt is small, lightweight (5lbs), portable, adjustable and best of all made with steel and Forest Stewardship Council-certified birch. Additionally, all paint and varnish finishes are formaldehyde free, and the plastic guard contains no phthalates or bisphenol A (BPA). I’m actually a little jealous that new moms today have so many safer, greener options to choose from, but just to show you all that there are no hard feelings, we’re giving away a minui HandySitt portable highchair to one lucky winner!

Find It Here: minui HandySitt

Win It:  Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter MH21 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: The HandySitt is safety-certified by what group? Open to US and Canadian residents. Enter by 3/6/09. $149 value. Contest closed. Congratulations, Melissa!

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!

When I had my first baby, I had the best of intentions, right down to making my own baby food. Unfortunately, I was too overwhelmed with the everyday tasks of motherhood to do anything extra like shop for organic produce, wash it, peel it, cook it and puree it. Hell, I was lucky to have on two matching shoes when I left the house. So even though I wanted to make it myself, I bought organic baby food in the jar (and sometimes in those horrid little plastic containers) with both of my babies. For today’s baby mommies & daddies, however, life just got a little bit better because now there’s HAPPYBABY. They make a whole range of fresh-frozen organic baby meals (in BPA-free trays) that are nutritious, convenient alternatives to highly-processed baby foods and they also make probiotic dry cereals with DHA —the only probiotic dry cereals on the market. Equally impressive, these foods were developed with Dr. Robert Sears, pediatrician, author, and go-to-guy for millions of parents who have questions about the health and well-being of their children. Oh, and by the way…the HAPPYBABY Organic Puffs are really good and if you’re not careful, you might find you’ve eaten half of them all by yourself—not that I would know anything about that. Ahem.

Find It Here:  HAPPYBABY

Win It: We’re giving away an awesome bundle that includes 2 free trial coupons of HAPPYBABY fresh frozen organic fruits, vegetables, grains and meats, 2 free trial coupons of HAPPYBITES organic hand-held toddler meals with hidden veggies, 2 canisters of HAPPYBELLIES probiotic cereal with DHA, 2 canisters of HAPPYBABYPUFFS organic self-feed baby snacks, Infant and toddler Nutrition Guide by Dr. Robert Sears, FAQ on Probiotics & DHA and HAPPYFAMILY Recipes. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Enter HB123 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to these questions: Tell us which two flavors of HAPPYBABY baby food you will choose if you win and the name of the charity HAPPYBABY supports. Open to US residents only. Enter by 2/10/09. $40 value Contest Closed. Congratulations to Kristy!