Children's Eco-Friendly Wall Clock

In my quest to teach Olivia how to tell time, I unearthed this adorable clock from Etsy shop Play to Learn. I pretty much want to buy every single handmade learning toy in this ingenious shop, from the felt clocks to the numbers and counting toys, to the embroidered alphabet letters.

I love that this clock is clear, concise, and colorful. I think it would be even more fun if the numbers were detachable and perhaps stuck on with Velcro, so kids could practicing placing them on the clock in the correct order.

All toys from Play to Learn are handcrafted with high quality eco-friendly felt made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

Week in Review!

Here are my green stories from across the web this week!

Get Kids to Eat Healthy by Presenting Fruit as 'Fun'

4 Top Tips on How to Green Your Child's Art Repertoire

Start a Green Gratitude Journal & Improve Your Mental Health

6 Sexy Green Lingerie Styles for Red Hot Summer Nights

NEW! Klean Kanteen's Wide Insulated Bottle is My New Best Friend

How many times has someone asked you if you've consumed enough water in any given day? It has been a constant goal of mine to drink the required ounces, and I even have the half empty glasses strewn about our household to mark my attempts. Now that I have the Klean Kanteen Wide Insulated bottle, drinking from it all day long has been a breeze. I carry this thing everywhere! It's like the traveling gnome in the vacation photos, except that it's woven into the fabric of my daily life.

Due to its vacuum insulation and double-walled construction, this amazing bottle keeps iced drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 6 hours! I have tested it on both notes and it really does work. I like that I can just toss a few ice cubes into the wide-mouth of the bottle and drink from it throughout the day and have it taste exactly like it did when I poured it. And the keeping drinks hot feature is so great because I have tossed countless mugs of cold tea into the sink after being distracted by mommy or household duties... but now I can pour tea into the bottle and it will stay hot for 6 hours. (And if I can't get to it by then, something is very wrong!) And instead of using paper cups at your coffee house of choice, tote your Klean Kanteen and filler up to keep your drink hot and save the planet from all of those disposable cups!

The cafe' cap is my favorite lid option, because it has a sliding component which allows you to open or close the hole in the cap -- also ideal for parents whose kids are prone to climbing onto counters to tip over drinks. (ahem, that would be my little monkey)

I'll close by saying that I own many, many reusable water bottles and NONE have as clean of a taste as the aptly named Klean Kanteen. It is made purely of stainless steel and has no questionable inner lining to worry about leaching BPA or other chemicals into your drink. I love that I can't taste the bottle itself, which has always been an issue for me until now.

So, put this bottle on your wish list or treat yourself to one and you'll have a hydrating friend for life!

Eco-Friendly Peg Racks from Maple Shade Kids

Every kid deserves a sweet place to hang their hat at "home sweet home," and this adorable Mother and Baby Bird peg rack from Maple Shade Kids is a delightful addition to a child's space. The 23 inch rack provides ample storage space to keep your little one's jacket, hat, purse, dress-up clothes, or whatever else they wish to hang up, organized and off the floor.

Each unique and colorful peg rack is hand cut by artist Wanda Hirsch, and made with FSC certified poplar wood. The colorful appliques are applied with non-toxic glue, and the glossy finish is achieved with a non-toxic soy based sealer. I love that this peg rack is appropriate for all ages from toddlerhood through elementary school, and will always look darling and be functional in any room in the house.

Additionally, Maple Shade Kids plants a tree with Trees for the Future for every purchase made!

Other peg rack design variations include Blue Owls, a cheeky Monkey, a Castle & Maple Tree and more! All of the characters featured are personable, cheery and fun!

DIY Eco Felt Board for Teaching Toddlers Spelling & Reading

Raising a toddler who is as inquisitive, curious and eager to learn as my sweet little girl, I'm always wanting to turn any and every opportunity into an enriching experience. Enter the eyesore of a wardrobe cabinet that landed in her room as the only place it fits in the house. Big and brown, it's never fit in with the colorful decor of her space, and my friend and I decided it was time to spruce it up and transform it into something fun!



We simply bought several different colors of eco-felt (felt made from recycled plastic bottles), measured and lined the cabinet door panels, and then set to work cutting out dozens of letters, numbers and shapes. There are a variety of different stencil options available online, so you may choose the size and font that suits your taste.



We traced the stenciled letters we downloaded to the felt, cut them out, stuck them to the felt on the fabric doors, and voila! An easy way to teach toddlers spelling and reading and counting! And a great way to transform misfit furniture into a functional item!

Week in Review!

Here's some of my green writing from across the web this week!

5 Eco-Friendly Playhouses for Nature Loving Kids (I would love any or all of these for myself!)

5 Great Green Gifts for Baby's First Birthday

Binth Single Alphabet Letter Prints, Stylish & Modern Nursery Decor

Enjoy!

NEW! Personalized Green Stationery for Kids from Sweet Pea Papery

My family is known for writing thank you notes. We pretty much write thank you notes for the thank you notes we receive. While I'm a huge fan of electronic, no waste cards, I also think there's no replacement for good old fashioned snail mail to show one's appreciation and gratitude. Olivia is already well on her way down the thank you note writing path, and these adorable, personalized cards from Sweet Pea Papery would be right up her alley!

Featuring kid-friendly designs including teddy bears, fairies, flowers, dinosaurs, and more, it's easy to get green kids on the card-writing bandwagon with this special stationery.

Sweet Pea Papery cards are made with 100% post consumer recycled materials from paper to packaging to shipping supplies, and printing is done at an FSC certified printer. The illustrations featured on the cards are made exclusively for Sweet Pea Papery by an artist/mom.

Sweet Pea Papery just launched last month by a mother on a mission to create stylish stationery for her two children, while also treading lightly on the planet. Founder Christina L. Miller shares, "I try to teach my children how to reduce, reuse, recycle, so, with this in mind, I decided to create a stationery company that combined my love of thoughtful, handwritten notes with compassion for our environment."

Organic Crinkle Noise Cloth for Curious Babies

My husband and I were always amazed at Olivia's fascination with the tags and labels of the toys we gave her when she was a tiny baby. Forget the soft texture, cute face or sentimental value, she only wanted to caress and study the tag!

So when I saw this organic cotton/flannel crinkle noise cloth which features NINE little tags for curious fingers, I thought: genius! These little cloths are designed for 3-4 month old babies and decorated with black and white patterns combined with colors to help visually stimulate little ones. The cloth elicits a crinkling sound when touched and the loops and tags are made in different materials for an exploratory and tactile experience. Available in both pink and blue hues.

I'm sure since products like this exist, babies are keen on playing with tags as a hobby. So buy one for the next baby shower you attend and I'm certain it will be counted among the new baby's favorite toys!

Happy Birthday To My Husband

Happy Birthday wishes go out today to my husband -- for being the silver lining of so many of life's events, and for collaborating with me on the greatest gifts I could ever receive, my sunshine daughter and our son to be.
May All Your Dreams Come True.

Sprout Baby Food On the Menu at Tyler Florence's Restaurants

Food Network Chef and CEO of Sprout Organic baby food, Tyler Florence, will make restaurant going easier for parents and yummier for babies by serving up organic Sprout baby food at his restaurants.

The kid-friendly chef will open three new restaurants in the Bay Area this summer, all of which will have baby food on the menu to accommodate parents who bring their children in to dine with them.

Delicious Sprout meals for babies six months and older include baked sweet potato and roasted butternut squash, while tots 7 months and older may feast on pasta with lentil bolognese and peach rice pudding.

I wish more restaurants would offer simple, organic baby-centric meals so parents would feel comfortable dining out at fine eateries while having the option to feed their kids healthy food on the go. Thanks Chef Florence!

via LilSugar

Coolest Upcycled Gourmet Play Kitchen EVER!

Ok, so is it wrong that I wish the play kitchen shown above was our real kitchen? In a larger size, of course. This chic and sophisticated play kitchen was brilliantly upcycled from an unfinished TV cabinet and household scrap! What a beautiful testament to using what you have around your home to make something amazing for your kids!

There were indeed many purchased items that went toward building this diminutive gourmet kitchen, but I think they too could be sourced secondhand if some edits were made to the end result.

For more pictures and a breakdown of what was used to fashion this masterpiece, visit Ohdeedoh.

Images via Pilar Valtierra Photography

via Ohdeedoh

Week in Review!

Here are links to my other green-living articles from across the Web this week! Enjoy!

10 Essential Green Items for Beach-Going Kids & Babies

7 Squeaky Clean Non-Toxic Bath Products for Babies & Kids

5 All Natural Diaper Creams for Green Babies

Eco-Friendly Butterfly & Frog Kaleidoscope Glasses

Grow Mini Herb Gardens in Baby Food Jars

When I received this tip from The 30 Girl, I had to pass it on. She makes the sweetest seedling garden by repurposing baby food jars into tiny planters. This is a clever, eco-friendly option for those of us who want to hone our green thumbs, but don't have the space to do so.

These seedlings look adorable on a window sill, as shown at The 30 Girl's blog -- and they also make great gifts for gardening gurus!

via The 30 Girl

Downloadable Guide of 'The Dirty Dozen'

Whenever I step into a grocery store, my mind suddenly goes blank with regard to what I need to buy. Unless I have a list, I am a lost cause! Add to that, the need to remember which fruits and veggies are on the dirty dozen list, and my brain nearly implodes. Although, I DO know that grapes are on the dirty dozen list, and now every time we're in the produce section Olivia is sure to ask, "Do they have organic grapes yet mommy?'" And sadly, no, I can't find any to save my life...

This cute and handy downloadable dirty dozen cheat sheet should go in your wallet or purse, (like it's going in mine!) for easy reference. It tells you which produce to always buy organic, and what the lower pesticide foods are. Of note: celery was ranked the most heavily pesticide treated crop of 2010 -- so make certain you buy these stalks in the organic variety!

Polished Mama Non-toxic Nail Polish Created Especially for Moms-to-Be

When I was pregnant with Olivia, I skipped my pedicure indulgences entirely to avoid the dangerous toxins (formaldehyde, parabens, dibutyl phthalates, and toluene to name a few) inherent in nearly all brands of nail polish and nail polish removers. But I have to say, this time around, I'm getting a bit tired of looking at my naked toes. With summertime around the corner, and my desire to live in flip-flops once weather permits, it was high-time I found a safe alternative to mainstream polishes to make my tootsies pretty again.

I was delighted to discover Polished Mama, a line of nail polishes developed by Kristin Polston, a registered nurse in labor and delivery, internationally board certified lactation consultant, wife, mother to a toddler, and non-toxic nail polish proponent! Polston says, “When I became pregnant, just the idea of getting near smelly nail polish was a reason to keep my nails unpainted. When I came across a study about phthalates in nail polish and their potential harm to fetuses, that was the day the idea for Polished Mama was born.”

The main ingredient in Polished Mama nail polish is water, which comprises 70% of the its composition. All of the other ingredients are non-toxic. In addition to being safe for use for moms-to-be and nursing moms, Polished Mama nail polish colors boast fun and cheeky names based on pregnancy and motherhood. Some cute names of the shades in the collection include: 4th Trimester, Attached, Craving, and Epidural Shmepidural.


I can relate to all of those meaningful names... and those are only a few in the ample collection of nail polishes from Polished Mama that moms can wear without worry! And I could tell no detectable difference in the performance of Polished Mama. It works like a charm and I was happy I didn't have to smell that stinky polish smell while my husband gave me and my daughter a pedicure on Mother's Day! (See photo above!)

I also love Polished Mama's moisturizing nail polish remover, which easily removed Polished Mama polish minus the eye-burning, nose-singeing smell and toxic fumes!

Here's to safe babies, pretty feet and happy toes all summer long!

Happy Mother's Day

This is my favorite view on earth -- looking at my daughter joyfully embracing my belly, full of her baby brother. I wish all moms a very Happy Mother's Day. Especially my own mom, for whom my cup runneth over, and who I could have never fully appreciated until I became a mom myself.

Last Minute Green Gift Ideas for Mother's Day!

If you need some last minute ideas for fun activities and gifts to celebrate Mother's Day this Sunday, head on over to my article at EcoSalon, 5 Eco 'Outside the Box' Gifts That Moms Will Love For Mother's Day!

Week in Review!

I'm spreading the green love and knowledge all over cyberspace these days... and I'd love to share my articles that appear elsewhere with you each week here on Petite Planet! Below are links to each piece. I hope you enjoy my other posts as much as you enjoy visiting me here at Petite Planet!

REVIEW: Ergobaby Organic Baby Carriers

Step Right Up to Humane, Animal Free Circuses

10 Eco-Friendly Dog Beds for Green Hounds Who Like to Lounge

"No Artificial Hormones" Now a Major Selling Point

Easy and Affordable Organic DIY Dog Food Recipes

Can You Stomach Wheat? How Giving Up the Grain May Better Your Health

5 Ways to Boost Your Heart Health and Give the Earth a Boost, Too

Artist Converts Garage into a Gorgeous Woman Cave Retreat

Eco-friendly Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mee a Bee Handmade Messenger Bags for Boys and Girls

Build Your Own Furniture Out of Life-Sized Lego Pieces!

CozyToes Handmade Baby Shoes

Does baby need a new pair of shoes?

Put a little spring into your baby girl's step this season with a decadent pair of handmade CozyToes baby shoes. These natural cotton springtime white MaryJanes are perfect garden party attire, and they make every day with baby feel like an extra special occasion, (as it should)!

CozyToes shoes are free of resin and glues, and this delightful pair is hand trimmed in ice yellow embroidery floss and feature a delicate white cut flower and yellow satin flower with a faux pearl in the center. Shoes are fully lined, and there are no inside seams to irritate tiny little feet!

These Blue Lambs Wool CozyToes booties for boys are precious as well! Made from felted wool sweaters that are washed and dried several times and brushed for softness, this particular pair is blue and navy, but Etsy artisan and CozyToes maker extraordinaire, Kathy, crafts them in a variety of color and patterns.

Each of these delightful pairs of shoes costs only $12.00! So buy a bunch to coordinate with all of baby's outfits.

Check out the entire darling and affordable collection of CozyToes shoes here!

Wooden Egg Maracas from Finns Finds

Happy Cinco de Mayo! What better day to discuss our love of maracas in this household? Babies absolutely love to shake handheld musical toys, and maracas in the shape of an egg have been Olivia's favorite since she could make her first tiny fist (and she's been ruling the world ever since!)

These festive red egg maracas are from Finns Finds, an adorable online boutique for babies and children. They are designed in Paris, by Vilac, a toy company which has been in business since 1911. The sweet shakers are made of wood that is turned, smoothed, sanded and lacquered by skilled craftsmen, and then coated with non-toxic paint. I love that they are made of wood, and not plastic, which is all I had previously come across before finding these gems.

So get your groove on today and every day there after by shaking it up a notch with these musical eggs!

My Eco Fashion Pick for Mother's Day

I was delighted to be asked to participate in the post at Ecouterre: 14 Eco-Chic Gifts Real Moms Actually Want for Mother's Day. Take a trip to Ecouterre and read about my pick: 100% recycled silver jewelry personalized with your children's names and birth dates, along with the eco-chic selections of several amazing green moms!

Resilience Pregnancy Oil from Soapwalla

I'm getting to the pampering stage of my pregnancy -- trying to slow down a bit more -- and of course, it's time to bust out the preventative anti-stretch mark oil! Lucky for me, Soapwalla chef Rachel Winard recently unveiled a new addition to her amazing collection of natural and eco-friendly personal care products: Resilience Pregnant Belly Oil.

First of all, let me just say that I love that Rachel refers to herself as the Soapwalla "chef." Isn't it comforting to know that as a consumer, we can be aware of every single ingredient that is going into our beauty products, onto our body, and into our (and our baby's) bloodstream? Rachel informed me that many popular pregnancy oils actually contain ingredients that should be avoided during pregnancy. She offers,

"I performed hours and hours of research on essential oils that are healing during pregnancy, and was somewhat dismayed to find that several well-known commercial pregnant belly oils contain essential oils that are strictly prohibited during pregnancy. This prompted me to create a product I am really proud to offer my clients. Some oils that are contraindicated for pregnancy include peppermint, borage and neroli. Rose essential oil should be avoided in the first four months, but can be tolerated the last two trimesters. Because borage and neroli oils are such potent skin healers, they appear in several well known anti-stretch mark oils. There are some schools of thought that these oils are safer as the pregnancy progresses as long as it is thoroughly diluted. However, other resources strictly prohibit their use during pregnancy, so I decided to be safer rather than sorry!"

To aid in the prevention of stretch marks, encourage collagen regeneration, and to soothe itchy, stretched skin, here is Rachel's description of her vegan Resilience Pregnant Belly Oil:

Meadowfoam, jojoba, apricot kernel, sweet almond, wheat germ and black currant seed oils hydrate, heal damaged skin, and provide a boost of anti-oxidants and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Rosehip seed oil is chock full of trans-retinoic acid, and is believed to be the best oil available for anti-aging and skin rejuvenation. A blend of pregnancy-safe essential oils including Roman chamomile*, calendula, arnica and lavender lightly scent this gorgeous oil, reducing inflammation and calming nerves. Gentle enough for babies. This oil is the perfect massage oil for old scars and scar tissue as well.

I massage this lovely oil into my skin, wherever I feel the "stretch" twice a day as directed. A tiny amount goes a long way.

As you've read here before, I LOVE Soapwalla's deodorant cream, so with summer approaching, make sure to add this to your shopping list as well!

Note: Most of my readers know I am allergic to wheat. Resilience Pregnant Belly Oil contains wheat germ oil, which Rachel was willing to leave out for me due to the trace amount in the recipe and the fact that its exclusion didn't compromise the integrity of the final product. If you suffer from wheat/gluten intolerance but would still like to buy this oil sans the wheat germ, please contact Rachel directly with your request.