I really, really try not to pay attention to commercials. I also rarely watch TV while my kids are around - ok, they love the Food Network, but you know what I mean. That’s why I had to stop, look, and listen for a moment this week when a different kind of commercial caught my attention.
This AT&T ad featuring TOMS Shoes snuck in during the spare minutes the TV was on a “Mommy channel”. And, for some reason, my daughters were mesmerized. Maybe it was the adorable children putting on adorable TOMS Shoes. Or the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie, who is, shall we say, fairly easy on the eyes. My daughters began to ask me questions about why these children don’t have shoes, where do they live, and on and on. It was eye-opening for them, and an opportunity for me to discuss topics of poverty and kids, geographical issues, and the importance of protecting your feet!
TOMS Shoes are made from canvas and burlap, and some shoes are made with hemp, recycled plastic, and are completely vegan. More than anything, TOMS “One For One” program is a genuine, exceptional way to help children in need when you buy their shoes. One For One does what it says - for each pair of Tom’s Shoes you buy, they’ll donate one pair to kids around the world.
The website explains that “TOMS has given over 140,000* pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. Because of your support, TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.” This is incredible on any level. We can plant a billion trees, recycle a million bottles of water, but to help 300,000 pairs of little feet - just amazing.
So, I encourage you to buy a pair of TOMS shoes. I’m debating between a flirty summery pair, or plain white that my kids can decorate themselves. Either way, somewhere in the world a child will be celebrating their new pair of shoes as well.
You can follow TOMS Shoes on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or simply sign up for updates on their website.
So, as much as I profess my love for Etsy on a regular basis, I also have another obsession favorite site that I have kept to myself for while. Threadless t-shirts are well priced (ie, so much cheaper), fit great, and dare I say they keep my kids way cooler. Since all the tees are designed by the “Threadless community,” it has an indie vibe that I try to keep going when buying stuff for my family. And, while Threadless tees are 100% cotton, they don’t carry an organic line - yet (which would probably bump up their prices, but that’s for another post).
For Earth Day this year, Threadless is going green, and not without a lot of noise and awesome prizes. The Threadless Loves Green t-shirt design contest is asking you, readers, crafters, artists, etc, to design a tee reflecting what green means to you. Are you a lover of organic food? Perhaps worm composting is your thing? Or maybe, like me, you love to promote being outside and just hugging trees (literally, if you’re four and an acrobat like my daughter). Whatever is your eco-passion, if you can put it into a design, Threadless wants to see it. And if you win, well, not only will your design be splashed all over the Threadless website, you can also win goodies like -
- Chosen design to be printed on American Apparel Organic tees
- A Timbuk2 Hacker Daypack bag! Pro-planet!
- An awesome gift bag of Origins Organic goods! A $275 value!
- $500 Threadless Gift Certificate (can be redeemed for $200 cash)
- $2,000 in cash!
- Some amazing goodies from the community!
The Threadless Loves Green contest is open NOW until April 6, 2009 at midnight, Central time. Check out the Submission Page for all the details (there’s a lot of technical talk there, but you’ll get the idea). This can be a great way to get your kids involved in expressing their love for being eco-friendly, so don’t be shy!
Spring is on everyone’s minds, and stores are starting to show short sleeved shirts for warmer weather. This Valentine’s Day, why not get you and your kids in the spirit of the day with these not-so-traditional, organic tees. Here’s a sampling of my favorite this year!
This lovely t-shirt made it into my inbox last night (for moms!), and I fell in love. As a native New Yorker, the “I heart (symbol)” means all things NY. Plus, the shirt is organic cotton and is only $20 (for organic, how can you resist?) District Cotton has been turning out hip, modern and affordable apparel for adults, and right now they’ll sweeten your order with a free tin of chocolate covered cacao from SweetRiot with any order over $20.
Tiny Revolutionary has scored another love connection with this adorable Recycle Love tee for babies and kids. This shirt totally walks the walk. It’s made from 100% recycled, sweatshop-free cotton using water-based ink, and is sure to get a ton of wear from your little one.
One of my favorite Etsy designers is Wren Willow, and for Valentine’s Day she has a bunch of onesies and shirts for infants up to kids sized twelve. Each piece is either hand silkscreened (such as this heartbreaker tee) or painted with original designs (Mom tattoo, anyone?). Both the shirt color and water-based inks can be customized. Wren Willow’s items can take a week or so to ship, for printing and drying times, so order early!
I don’t know if kids are still asking for ponies these days, but this organic horse t-shirt/onesie from Little Lark will definitely appeal to your horse-loving daughter (see the website for pink and yellow versions). For boys, robots are always a big hit, and I love how this organic robot tee has just a hint of V-Day without overdoing it. Little Lark always uses lead-free inks as well.
Where were you during the Inauguration of Barack Obama? This is a day not to be forgotten, and to share with our kids for years to come. Whether you voted for Obama or someone else, the catchphrase “Yes We Can” has been embedded in our minds this election season. Nina and Tom wants to help celebrate this day with their wonderfully simple, unbiased and organic “Yes We Can” t-shirt, available in every size from kids through adults. Written in purple ink, to remind ourselves that in the end, the states we live in are neither red nor blue.
Hope everyone has an inspiring day!
Snow is starting to make an appearance around the country this week, which means new boots and snow shoes are either being broken in for the first time this season or people are running out to find the right shoes! I’m a big fan of KEEN footwear, and their just-launched website where you can buy shoes, bags and gear directly from them is a definitely go-to place for winter (and summer, but let’s talk snow for now). Here’s what I love most about KEEN - their products are top quality, stylish and beyond that, they take great pride in being responsible not only with their products, but for the planet and community as well. Here are some green points about KEEN I think you’ll appreciate:
*KEEN’s shoeboxes are made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste;
*Their awesome line of Harvest Bags features recycled shoe manufacturing components, such as rubber and aluminum;
*KEEN shoes use either water-soluble glues or vulcanized rubber instead of glue;
*Natural cotton (grown without pesticides) are used instead of treated canvas;
*KEEN uses leather only recommended by the Leather Working Group, a watchdog for environmentally safe tannery practices;
*Their successful social efforts, including the KEEN Hybrid.Stand campaign, where sustainability entrepreneurs were awarded (collectively) $125,000 for their humanitarian and eco-efforts! And don’t forget to visit KEEN’s HybridLife community page, where you can read about and nominate people and groups who “Stand Out” and make a difference worldwide.
So, how does all of this wonderful information translate to you, dear readers? This week, one very lucky commenter can win ANY one item from KEEN! ANYTHING - shoes for you, your little one, your better half, a bag, anything. Comes right on time, doesn’t it? Here are the rules - leave a comment here with an answer to this: What KEEN item would you love to give/get for the holidays? Please visit KEEN and leave the item name in your comment. This contest will be open until next Sunday, December 14th until midnight, PST. One winner will be chosen at random; open to US residents only.
For an added bonus, use the code TEENSYGREEN for free shipping now through December 14th! Good luck!
This contest is now CLOSED! Thanks to everyone for entering!
I don’t know about you, but it’s going to be baby city in my world shortly. Not from me, but I have a good number of friends adding to their family, and I’ve been on a gift hunt to prep for all the little ones! Since one of my favorite things to write about are shops and products from parents just like us, how excited was I to find Olive and Bean, a beautiful green store to help get kids off to a great start!
Olive and Bean’s brick and mortar store in Las Vegas (of all places, and Amen!) is chock full of eco-modern products for babies and toddlers, including such brands as Dwell (linens), Spot on Square (furniture), Erbaviva (skincare) and Pediped (shoes). The on-line shop is vibrant and so much fun to browse, with both practical and whimsical gifts. I think it’s an amazing spot to find the perfect baby gift - categories are broken down not only by product, but how much you want to spend. I have my eye on these adorable, non-gendered soft blocks by QCollection Junior for a few of the babies my friends are having this fall and winter!
Click around and pick your favs! This week, Olive and Bean is generously giving away three gift certificate for three winners! Two gift certificates are for $50, and one is for $25. Please leave a comment here with an answer to this - what would buy with your Olive and Bean gift certificate? Winners will be chosen at random. This contest will be open until next Friday, October 3rd at midnight, PST. Good luck!
This contest is now closed! Thanks so much for participating!
I’m all about Etsy, although I try to keep my postings about it to a minimum, for fear of this turning into an Etsy/teensygreen exclusive site! Every once in a while I do love to share something beautiful and fun for kids that parents can also appreciate. Handmade items seem to give off a much more personal vibe to me, and I find myself giving more and more Etsy-found gifts than ever before!
How thrilled was I when Amber from cloud9 designs found me! Her organic, silkscreened onesies and tees for kids feature something we all would love our kids to be (all?) the time - little angels. Her tees are supersoft organic, some vintage, and she hand-screens her clothes with eco-friendly products. I say, put a set of these wings on your kids during their crankiest days, so you never forget where they came from! Seriously, these are hip and original designs that would look good on any kid.
This week, two people can win either a 3-6 month onesie OR a toddler tee (of the “nonburnout”) variety - that’s two winners, one item each. Check out cloud9’s Etsy shop (click on “baby” or “children” to see the kid’s designs) and answer me this with a comment here to enter - what is your favorite Cloud9 Design? It can be a mom tee as well (your fave). I’m coveting a few of them myself! This giveaway will run until next Sunday, July 20th at midnight, PST. Good luck!
This contest is now closed! Thanks for entering!
Let the summer contests begin! BabyLegs, one of my favorite go-to gifts for any season, is having a fun, Willy Wonka-esque promotion starting right now. SEW Golden refers to BabyLegs’ new signature gold-overlocking stitch found inside the seam close to the logo. Buy specially marked packages of BabyLegs in retail stores across the country from now until July 15th and look for your golden ticket, to win everything from blankets and bibs, a year’s supply of BabyLegs, to a Grand Prize trip to Seattle, BabyLegs’s headquarters.
Even in summer, BabyLegs are great to protect exploring knees, and make colorful fashion statements for kids of all ages. They have a wonderful range of colors and patterns, including an organic line, earth tones, and of course, funky. The SEW Golden promo isn’t available anywhere on-line, only in stores. Find your local SEW Golden retailer and happy hunting! Wouldn’t it be fun to sing “I have the Golden Ti-cket” (what, you mean you don’t already?)
My girls are big artists, and the concept of an “art contest” was intriguing and had them scribbling for a long time. One of the most beautifully globalized clothing companies, Tea, is hosting a contest for their Spring 2009 “Little Citizens” line for babies and toddlers. Tea is asking kids to draw their interpretation of what they believe a “citizen of the world” would represent. When I spoke with my girls about the contest, it led to some interesting questions about what a “citizen” is, especially one of the world. We talked about all the different kids around the world, how people look, dress, and play differently, and if there can really be a picture of one person to represent all of them. Kind of deep for a Monday morning, but it was nice to have their brains working to start the week!
The winner of Tea’s contest will have onesies and tees printed with their design, as well as a $200 gift certificate to Tea. As with the current collection, up to 50% of the sales from the onesies and t-shirts will go to The Global Fund for Children, an organization that provides grants to community groups helping venerable children worldwide.
Entries must be sent in by May 8th, so have your kids whip up their best drawings ASAP! The contest is available to children eight years old and younger only, and all contest details can be found when you scroll down here. Good luck!
It’s tough not to get bogged down by new organic clothing lines these days. As with anything else green, just because it’s organic doesn’t make it worthwhile to buy. But, Baltimore-based organic clothing company Uglyfish Organics is anything but ugly - in fact, I was blown away by the rockin’-themed designs, earthy colors, and empowering approach. Mom and entrepreneur Seema Reza began Uglyfish with the idea that “All great people start small,” and ran with it. Uglyfish’s designs are simple yet unique and if I may say, wicked awesome. They come in either Pima cotton or hemp/cotton blends with nonreactive dyes. My girls have been wearing the skirts nonstop - girly yet functional, they have three pockets that are definitely stuffed full by the time we come home. Each piece of clothing comes with a hangtag shaped like a musical note, and made from seeds. Soak it, plant it, and you have your own little wildflower garden.
This week, I’m so psyched to be giving away four complete outfits, one each to four winners. If you win, choose which tee shirts and skirt/shorts combo you think best matches your child - it’s not easy! Just leave a comment here with an answer to this question - which Uglyfish tee do you think your kids would rock out in? This contest will run until next Thursday, May 8th, at midnight PST. And for everyone as well, Uglyfish is offering 20% off its Spring/Summer collection! Just type in the word “teensygreen” at checkout. And, shipping is always free! Good luck!
This contest is now closed! Thanks to everyone for entering!
