PONG iPhone & iPad Cases Reduce Exposure to Radiation

Over at Inhabitots this year, we have been reporting on the disturbing research that has been making headlines with regard to children and cell phone use. Such studies, including the findings that cell phones are linked to cancer, and that children's brains absorb twice as much radiation as adult's brains during cell phone usage, are deeply disturbing.

So when I heard about PONG iPhone and iPad cases, (they also make cases for Blackberrys and Androids), which drastically reduce exposure to radiation, I knew I had to outfit our iPhones in them, as well as tell you about them.

PONG cases protect you from cell phone radiation, without compromising the integrity of your phone's performance. PONG cases offer the only solution proven in FCC-certified labs to protect consumers significantly (up to 95% below FCC limits) from wireless device radiation. Additionally, each case features a patented antenna technology that redirects and redistributes the cell phone radiation that would otherwise be absorbed by the user’s head and body (as opposed to shielding or blocking the radiation which the FCC warns may actually increase radiation exposure, forcing the phone or iPad to work harder to find a signal).

I feel a million times better about not having a land line, and relying solely on my iPhone for communication, now that I have a PONG case. However,  even with this trusty new case, I still don't allow Miss O to play on my iPhone like I used to do -- before I knew doing so could be harmful to her health and development. Yet, it makes me wonder why SO many apps are designed and marketed to children. I used to employ my iPhone as the ultimate on-the-go entertainment center for Miss O, and I know many parents currently do. But I think it's time to go back to a notepad and a game of hangman or tic-tac-toe, some finger puppets, and good old fashioned paper and crayons.

At least in the meantime, as technology continues to excel at the speed of light, and our dependence on it continues to deepen, it is good to know that PONG Research has stepped up to create a solution that will help protect us.

Toy Car Art

Check out this super cool art installation, 'Car Atlas' -- a rainbow made of 2,500 old toy cars by UK artist David T. Waller. It makes for quite the roundabout.

This would be Mr. A's version of heaven.

See more pics here.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you peace, love, health and happiness.

Last Minute Green Gift Wrapping Tip

The countdown is on! No doubt we're all busy wrapping up holiday shopping and gifts, and I just came across this charming idea to top presents: evergreen and holly. What a beautiful, organic way to put an eco spin on your wrapping endeavors! See all of the details here at stephmodo.

Image via stephmodo

HOW TO: Make Personalized, Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper

Every holiday season, the gifts that we spend so much time and money wrapping in fancy store bought wrapping paper get opened in record time and the paper is quickly tossed aside. This Christmas, save money and the earth by creatively wrapping presents in items you probably already have around your house. Doing so is a unique, personalized, eco-friendly way to present your offerings to loved ones. Here are some quick and easy ideas for making your own wrapping paper!



Materials you will need:

• Brown paper bags- I know we all use reusable bags, so pick up a few brown bags the next time you go to the grocery store.
  

• Small paper lunch bags

• Shredded recycled paper

• Magazines - This month's issue of Martha Stewart Living has beautiful holiday pictures!

• Copies of family photos

• Raffia, ribbon

• Glue and scissors

• Newspaper, butcher paper

1) Following the folds of your brown paper shopping bags, cut open the sides, and then cut out the bottom. Wrap your gift items in the brown paper, using it as the base layer before you start decorating it.


2) Once you have wrapped your gift in the brown paper, cut out your selected magazine pictures and glue them to your package. You can use colored paper underneath the magazine pictures as well, to make them 'pop.' You can even make a bow for your package (like the one I made above) using colored paper, newspaper, or old scraps of wrapping paper.


3) Give gifts an extra personal touch by using photographs. I took a picture of my son, made a copy of it, then traced his hands and glued them on a gift bag. Grandparents will especially love this!


4) Other sweet touches include cookie cutter or candy cane embellishments. Note the red filler in the gift bag on the left -- I simply ran red recycled paper through the shredder and used it as filler instead of buying tissue paper. You can do this with any scrap paper, or even newspaper.

• Eco tip: Save all of the gift bags and wrapping paper you receive throughout the year, so you may pull from this collection and reuse these materials to wrap gifts you give out for every occasion.
  

• Other clever gift wrap options: new dish towels (which the recipient may then use instead of paper towels, colorful comic pages from the Sunday paper, scarves or other scrap fabric.

• Involve your kids in the art and fun of making their own eco-friendly wrapping paper -- have them color pictures and wrap smaller items with coloring book pages, or take a piece of recycled butcher paper and have them paint, trace or color on it, then cut and use their art as gift wrap.

Using household items to wrap gifts is a great lesson in green resourcefulness, reusing, recycling and upcycling! Kids will carry on this tradition with their own families and we can collectively stop piling gift wrap into landfills. You can make your own gift wrap for any holiday or occasion- simply pick a different theme and let your imagination run wild!

DIY: Make Holiday Candle Holders from Baby Food Jars!

Do you ever wish you had a useful purpose for your empty glass baby food jars? We're taking it up quite a notch from typical recycling purposes for baby food jars, ie: storage for nuts and bolts, loose change, etc. Here is a great, eco-friendly way to upcycle your baby food jars into beautiful, decorative candle/votive holders, just in time for the holidays!

Materials you will need:

• Baby food jars- any size, labels removed, washed and dried
  

• Festive fabric

• Old holiday cards

• Stickers

• Ribbon

• Glue

• Glitter

1) To make a fabric candle holder, take a piece of festive fabric and cut it so it fits around your jar. Brush glue on your jar where you are going to put the fabric, then place the fabric around the jar. Next, you can take ribbon or rikrak and glue it around the top and bottom of the fabric going around the jar. Allow to dry then place your votive candle in the jar.

2) You can add adhere snowflake stickers to your jars and make them sparkle by adding sequins. Or cut pieces out of old holiday cards and glue them to the jars, and then add glitter by brushing glue on your jar and sprinkling glitter over it.


3) Decorative options are endless- stickers, ribbons and glitter will jazz up any ol' jar! Note: when you tie ribbon around the neck of the jar, make sure it is positioned low enough to avoid contact with the candle flame.

If you are feeling really adventurous, you can also make your own soy wax candles to place in the jar.

These baby food jar candle holders make sweet holiday host/hostess gifts as well as adorable stocking stuffers! What a great, green way to literally brighten someone's holidays!

Merino Kids Baby Hoodie Keeps Little Ones Cozy & Stylish

Holiday gifts for kids don't always have to center around toys. Keepsake clothing also makes a wonderful present, and I love this Merino Kids Baby Hoodie for all the little guys on your list.

Made of super soft New Zealand Merino fabric, this sweater is casual enough for playtime but may also be dressed up for a special occasion. I also like that it has a scoop neck which enables the hood to easily fit over your tot's head, and stay put.

Additionally, merino is allergy-safe and fire resistant and it absorbs moisture when tots get hot and keeps them warm when they're cold.

Today I layered this sweet sweater over Mr. A's other adorable Merino Kids long-sleeved top, and I loved that the fit wasn't bulky and that layering his clothes didn't put him at risk of overheating. He looked super cute and stylish while staying warm.

Another one of my favorites from the Merino Kids collection is their baby sleep sack. Mr. A wears his to bed every night. Read my extensive review of Merino Kids sleep sacks here. This sleep sack would also be a lovely gift for that special baby or toddler in your life.

Merino Kids Hoodie is available in sizes 6-12 months and 12-14 months.

Enter Your Favorite Photo Memory For a Chance to Win a $500 Best Buy Gift Card

I wrote about my favorite family photos over at Inhabitots. Click through to read my post and to enter your own photos for a chance to win a $500 gift card from Best Buy!

Green Toys Tea Set from Pottery Barn Kids

One of the most gratifying things to witness as a green parent is when large, mainstream companies add a selection of eco-friendly toys and goods to their repertoire -- bringing nontoxic, sustainably made toys to the forefront for all to learn about and purchase. This season, Pottery Barn Kids is, as usual, offering an array of delightful holiday gifts for kids, and my favorite among their wide selection is the Green Toys Tea Set.

We are well on our way to owning every toy in the Green Toys collection, which are all made from 100% recycled milk jugs, and completely nontoxic and free of BPA and phthalates. The adorable tea set available from Pottery Barn Kids includes 17 pieces: a tea pot with lid, a sugar bowl with lid, a creamer, four cups, four saucers, and four teaspoons.

Both Miss O and Mr. A adore having carpet picnics and tea parties, and this set will really up the ante of our make believe play. We currently own the Green Toys cookware and dining set, and not a day goes by that the kids aren't playing with some pieces from that collection. Mr. A often carries around and refuses to relinquish the blue cup from that set - all day long.

I love that Santa can give this tea set as a gift for BOTH kids to share and enjoy many a special moment together.

Classic ABC Blocks from Uncle Goose

Green parenting involves a lot of studying and decision-making. Especially around the holidays when the world tells you to buy everything in sight and to and fill your kids' lives with MORE STUFF. This year especially, I have been approaching Christmas with a decidedly eco attitude. We cleaned out a bunch of our old, unused toys and donated them to a rummage sale, and we're asking Santa to bring the kids just a few classic, high-quality and sustainably designed toys to add to their collection.

Classic ABC Blocks from Uncle Goose are an heirloom quality toy that we know will get plenty of use, providing learning experiences and fun -- and both Miss O and Mr. A can enjoy them together at playtime. And in addition to all of these qualities, they are most importantly eco-friendly and nontoxic.

The collection includes 28 blocks patterned after turn of the century blocks, embossed and printed with nontoxic, colorful child safe inks. The blocks are crafted from sustainable Michigan basswood, and they feature beveled edges to eliminate sharp corners. Each block tells a story, with letters, numbers and animals on all four sides.

I would recommend Uncle Goose blocks to anyone and everyone looking for the perfect gift for the children on their list. They also come in a Groovie Math Blocks set.

SPECIAL DEAL FOR PETITE PLANET READERS: You can purchase these magnificent blocks and get 20% off from Wild Dill, a Petite Planet sponsor, by clicking the Wild Dill banner in my left hand sidebar and entering code petiteplanet at checkout. Offer expires 12/31.

Recycled Wood Art Panels from Urban Tickle

I am absolutely in love with these adorable wood art panels from Etsy shop Urban Tickle. How sweet are the inspirational sentiments: "I hope that even the sky is not the limit for you," and "I hope you will always go the distance."

And adding substance to style, the eco-savvy artist prints her unique designs on 100% recycled wood which she salvages from fallen apple orchard trees. They come ready to hang, as the back of each piece of art is equipped with a saw-tooth hanger. Panels may also be color customized to match your child's nursery or playroom.

Modern, Eco-Friendly Nativity Scene

The true meaning of the holiday season gets all to easily buried by visits with Santa Claus, shopping trips to the mall, and gifts galore. I think a wonderful way to anchor the authenticity of Christmas is to display a Nativity Scene in your home, in a prominent place where little ones may look at it daily and be reminded that Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth. I have fond memories of interacting with and admiring the Nativity Scene my mom displayed in our house every December.

I have seen some pretty cool Nativity Scenes in my day, but this variation by Bunny With A Tool Belt is especially unique. Crafted entirely out of scrap wood and found objects, the figures are so very abstract, but so obvious as well. I love the artist's interpretation and think this scene makes quite a statement and an impact, and rightly so.

Gorgeous Advent Calendar Made from Toilet Paper Rolls from Maya Made

One of these years, I will get around to making a homemade Advent Calendar. And when I do, I hope it is as gorgeous, green and innovative as this beauty from Maya Made.

Who knew toilet paper rolls could be upcycled into something so classy, festive, and important --counting down the days to Christ's birth.

See the DIY details here!

Image via Maya Made