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

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!

We know if you come here, there’s a chance you have older kids and thus, you may be familiar with Element for their skatewear and boards. What you may not know is that they also have a line of sustainably-produced 100% organic cotton clothing called Power to the Planet. The Power to the Planet project is about making a difference in the world, which is way cool. What makes their clothing a little different than your average line of eco-friendly clothing, however, is the distinct lack of…crunchiness. Nope, not an earth tone or green colored piece in the whole Power to the Planet collection. It’s all monochromatically colored in shades of white, grey and black and it’s incredibly edgy and hip (and those are words I don’t use loosely, lest I sound like a total dork) Of course, Element’s Power to the Planet line is for anyone who wants to wear it, but we think picky, way-too-hard-to-shop-for teens might really dig something from this collection. Hell, they might even think you’re cool for three and a half seconds for knowing about it ;)

Find it Here: Power to the Planet

Win It: We’re giving away a black organic cotton scoop neck Power to the Planet tee. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter PTP3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: How many items are in the Power to the Planet collection? Open to residents worldwide. Enter by 3/10/09. $24 value. Contest Closed. Congrats to Linda.

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.

Organic cotton onesies designs are anything but boring these days. Just when I think I’ve found the cutest design somewhere, I stumble upon something even better. My new find? Tailored Tadpole. And specifically, their “Rock It” onesies and tees.  Who can resist a perfectly placed guitar applique on organic cotton, right? Right! Made in North Carolina by people making a fair wage, these onesies are not only cute, but they are also made responsibly. Materials are purchased in the USA and their tees and onesies are made of 100% organic cotton. And what’s more…we’re giving one away! Rock on!

Win It! Win a long or short sleeve 6-12 month Organic Bodysuit in the Rock-It design, courtesy of Tailored Tadpole! This onesie is made of SKAL certified organic cotton, azo-free dyes and features nickel-free snaps.  Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter TT550 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite Tailored Tadpole onesie design? Open to US residents only. Enter by 1/14/09. $34 value. Contest closed. Congrats, Melissa!

Deal! Receive 20% off of all purchases at Tailored Tadpole with code “GreenMom”. Expires 2/6/09.

Every now and then, we come across some kind of organic clothing that we think is really special or unique. These organic cotton onesies by Mermapillar are one such example. As you probably know by now, organic cotton is mega-soft and is grown without the heavy pesticide load and processing chemicals associated with conventional cotton so two thumbs up for organic cotton, right? But the Mermapillar organic cotton onesies are special because you get to choose from 21 different little super-charming “merma-critter” appliques to be sewn on your item in the color of your choice so you essentially get a totally custom product. You can choose from hats, t-shirts, bibs, onesies and thermals to customize. Be warned, though…they’re so cute, you might be hard-pressed to choose just one!

 Find it Here: Mermapillar

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 

Looking for the perfect eco-gift for the guy in your life who can’t go anywhere without his laptop? Look no further than the Cornell Bag from KEEN. Made from repurposed rice paper and recycled rubber and aluminum, this laptop bag is as sustainable as it is hip. And…we’re giving our readers (you!) a chance to win this laptop bag OR another fab prize from KEEN! Yep, the winner of this contest will get to choose to receive this laptop bag as a prize OR any other product from the KEEN website (up to $150 value). Woo-hoo!

Win It: Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “KN34” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite KEEN product besides the featured bag? Open to US residents only. Enter by 12/12/08. Contest closed. Congrats, Wendy W.!

Deal! Receive free shipping when you order from the KEEN website with code GREENMOM. Expires 12/10/08.

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.

Aaahh, it’s not often you get to ask yourself this question as a grown-up… and that’s exactly what makes these yummy, soft t-shirts so utterly inspiring to us of the older set, ahem. The natural-colored Value Statement™ tees from When I Grow Up are soft, comfortable and a great fit in 100% certified organic cotton and printed with water-based ink in the U.S.A. The “When I Grow up” clothing line is designed for 2T -8 year olds…but I’m secretly hoping that they expand to adult sizes because who wouldn’t want a ”wear it, teach it, live it”…value statement tee shirt such as these: I will… plant a tree, I will… walk in someone elses shoes, I will… eat my vegetables, I will…give. They’re just the thing that Santa would bring <stocking stuffer alert!> since he has never really grown up himself!

Find It Here: When I Grow Up

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. BabyLegs are just about the most stylish way to dress up baby’s legs. And with colder weather here already, it’s not just about looking good, it’s about keeping warm too!

That’s why we think it’s perfect timing to give away a pair of BabyLegs to THREE lucky winners. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “BL38” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is your favorite BabyLegs pattern? U.S. residents eligible. Winner’s choice of his/her favorite Organic or Seasonal BabyLegs pattern. Enter by 11/17/08. Contest closed. Congrats Heather, Heather S., and Vanessa C.!

Good Stuff: BabyLegs gives 10% of all proceeds from the sale of their Pink Ribbon BabyLegs to the Susan G Komen for the Cure Foundation to support breast cancer awareness.

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.