I’ve been meaning to write about these awesome Envirosax bags for so long, and someone beat me to it!  Fortunately, the ’someone’ is ecorazzi, a site that blends eco-news with celebrity news - where I also happen to write (I didn’t write that post, for the record).  ecorazzi reports that Cameron Diaz loves her Envirosax bags, and you probably will too (now, if only I could look like Cammie in a bikini while carrying it..)  If you haven’t fallen in love with these bags already, check out the graphic series of bags, sold individually or in a pouch of five.  They also have a new hemp bag, with more designs coming soon.  Leave one in your car and diaper bag instead of plastic bags!

And for a bonus, ecorazzi is offering 10% off Envirosax orders through Delight.com.  Use the code ECORAZZI when you check out.  I’m buying mine right now…

Giftwrap/wrapping paper is a sore subject with people who like to give gifts (ok, everyone), but hate knowing all that paper is going to end up in a big black garbage bag for the trash man Monday morning (ok, me).  I don’t like the comics thing…too dirty.  Lately I’ve been wrapping gifts in my kid’s artwork, but it involves a lot of tape and glitter/sequins all over the place.  Then I found Fish Lips.  Great name, right?  Fish Lips Paper Designs makes 100% post-consumer, totally oversized, soy-based ink recycled giftwrap in designs you might want to frame instead of put on a gift!  I promise, you will keep this paper for yourself unless it’s for your best friend or someone who will totally appreciate your thoughtfulness. 

I have two mama-sized sheets of paper in your choice of styles for one lucky winner!  Leave a comment here now through Thursday night at midnight.  And keep checking back at Fish Lips for more products!

Does Bilibo live at your house?  It’s probably the most played with toy in our home.  Sit in it, stand on it, use it as a bowl, eye-spy gadget, or magic fairyland ride…all in one piece of a 100% recyclable simple shell.  Now, Bilibo has a little brother (or sister, depending on color, I guess!).  Meet Bilibo mini, our new favorite sand scooper, water carrier, bear bed, M&M’s bowl…as versatile and imaginative as the big version.  We’re bringing ours to the beach tomorrow!  Comes in a two pack for maximum Bili-fun!

Available nationwide, including Fat Brain Toys.

One thing I miss most about Florida is living a stone’s throw away from the beach.  Boca Raton, specifically, has an amazing number of parks and recreation centers to teach kids about nature and conservation efforts.  One of our favorite weekend spots was Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, located across the street from the Atlantic.  Gumbo Limbo is a modest environmental complex, but it’s full of eco-education (ok, and fun too), inside and out.  They have saved many turtles and other fish, housed in large tanks around the center.  Walk through the nature trail, sit in the butterfly garden, watch a shark feeding or browse the eco-friendly gift shop. 

Now is a very special time of year at Gumbo Limbo.  From July through September, GL offers turtle hatchling release evenings for the general public to share (one of only three places in Florida).  It’s an incredible sight to see a group of tiny turtles make their way out to sea.  They tag and track the turtles to see who comes back in 20 years!  Check the calendar to find a class or lecture perfect for your little naturalist!

Congrats to Jenn, our first giveaway winner!  Jenn won subu’s awesome ‘Top Secret’ journal.  Thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments and kind words, both about suburose and teensygreen!  For those of you wondering, subu’s journals are NOT sold out…she’s constantly making new ones, even custom work.  Please visit her shop for more info.  And don’t forget to look out for next week’s giveaway…

Dare we say, ‘Back to School’?  An article from National Geographic’s ‘Green Guide’ wants to make you aware that the places your children spend a lot of time may be making them sick.  With asthma and food allergies still on the rise, it’s important to know schools and day care centers can adjust to keep your children healthy.

The Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) has a voluntary ‘Eco-Healthy Childcare’ program for daycare centers to use as an eco-guide.  Centers must meet at least 20 out of 25 criteria, two of which are required: “no smoking anywhere in the vicinity of children and least-toxic pest control methods both inside and out”.   Other criteria include having PVC-free toys, wood furniture, least-toxic cleaners, low-VOC paints and mercury-free thermometers.  Find your state’s requirements at the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Early Childhood Edcation.

Building green schools and making eco-friendly changes to existing schools has become a top priority in the development industry.  Schools have made great strides in improving not only structurally - using low VOC-paint, building more windows for energy efficiency as well as promoting happiness - but with school’s inner workings, as well.  Schools have gotten rid of junk food in their vending machines; begun rigorous recycling programs; and in some cases, buy local produce for the cafeteria.  Check out the ten Greenest Schools for 2006, and be inspired!  What changes can your schools make to improve their green-ness?  Or, what have they already done?

Ok, ok, I know what you’re thinking…you don’t know what to think!  For some reason, talk about breastfeeding has been floating around me lately, even though my kids are four and two!  I remember how difficult nursing was, not only physically, but psychologically as well!  If I knew about this BabyMina nursing shawl by Milkdudz, I probably wouldn’t have run home to nurse every three hours for six months!  Yes, EVERY THREE HOURS.  Not fun, but I couldn’t bear nursing in public.  Not only are these shawls beautiful, hand-stitched, and made from raw organic cotton, they are completely discreet and functional.  There’s even a pocket for your breast pads - so ingenious.  Now, if I ever have another baby…. 

Who isn’t on the lookout for that perfect first vintage-y looking toy for a new baby?  You picture them playing with it, and then when they finally do, you’re either afraid it will break so it collects dust…or, it does break and ends up in the black-hole-toy-bin…

Pastel Toys gives you fantastic quality with a modern yet classic design.  They are totally kid friendly, and you’ll actually like they way they look around your house!  Pastel toys are handmade in Israel, on a self-sustaining kibbutz (neighborhood) created especially for disabled people.  Designed and built the ‘old-fashioned’ way (by hand!), when you buy Pastel Toys, you help the residents to be productive, confident individuals.  We love how this walker comes with blocks - use the blocks, pile the dolls or cars or small animals or playfood, in the cart, practice walking skills…it’s like three toys in one!  They also make cars, animals on wheels, baby carriages - all non-toxic, from recycled MDF, and hand made…

Pastel Toys can be found wholesale through Lalinka and retail at The Silly Wagon.

Do you have a hard time parting with your books?  Me too.  Aside from the classics I’ve saved my entire life for my kids (1979 edition of The Velveteen Rabbit, anyone?), my many signed books, and my children’s ever-growing library, it’s sometimes necessary to say good-bye to books that won’t be read anymore.  Donating to the local library is always a good way to go.  But, now there are two book stores/services that can ease your pain about buying books and sharing them as well…

 If you clicked through the Harry Potter link last week, you would have found Better World, a great new- and used-book store that blends environmental awareness with funding literacy.  When you buy books, a portion of your purchase will go to various literacy nonprofits all over the world.  Choose to fund a library in Africa or the library down the street.  Best of all, Better World ships their books using “CarbonFree Shipping” - meaning, they use pennies from your purchase to offset the cost of the carbon emissions (ie, planes, trains, and automobiles) to get the book to you.  This is Al Gore, stuff, people, and we like it.

Then, feel GOOD about giving that book away!  BookMooch is a free service that allows you to exchange books with people all over the world.  Search for what you want around the globe - you only pay for postage.  BookMooch works on an easy to follow point system.  Plus, you can donate points back to Book Mooch to various charities they support.  It’s a win/win all around!

Thanks for the tip, Shallah!

When I was a teenager, I wrote in my journal.  A lot.  More than anything, I wanted to make sure no one would read them, so I hid them well.  These days, kids have seem to lost the art of using journals.  After seeing these beautiful recycled, handmade notebooks by suburose, maybe you can change their mind!  These colorful books can be made completely customized -choose your color, with embellishments or text on them.  But the inside of the books are the coolest.  subu uses discarded printer paper as stock, so some pages have the print they came out of the printer with.  Now, I used to work in publishing, and I remember with horror how much paper we wasted from printer mishaps.  Makes me feel better to know some of it is being put to good use…

EXCLUSIVELY FOR TEENSY!  Win suburose’s ‘Top Secret’ journal for you or your secretive teenager.  Leave a comment here and I’ll pick a winner at random.  You have until Wednesday, July 25th at midnight to enter!  Good luck!