If you have access to fresh food and freezer/refrigeration, making fresh, homemade baby food is a green, economical, DELICIOUS, and incredibly satisfying way to ensure that your child is receiving the highest quality food that you can provide. I decided to make homemade baby food after I opened a jar of organic peas and began gagging because of the horrid smell! I did not want to feed my children anything that I was not willing to taste (or sniff) myself. Read more…

WARNING: Once you start cloth diapering, it becomes an obsession. Once you try one Kushies Ultra-Lite Cloth Diaper, you WILL purchase more!

Kushies sent me a Trial Pack of Infant (neutral colored) diapers to sample on my little Owen. The Infant diapers are sized to fit babies from 10-22 pounds. I discovered that the diaper did not fit him properly until he was about 15 pounds – the only drawback to this incredibly soft and vibrant diaper (every baby is shaped differently – just because they did not fit Owen properly until 15 pounds does not necessarily mean it will be the same for your little one). As one of the least expensive “All-In-One” diapers on the market at $12.49 or less, I additionally purchased a Toddler Pack of 5 (boy colored) to use on my 2-year old son. Read more…

All right . . . weak joke . . . but this baby bottle is so green that it could’ve grown in my garden!

Pura generously sent me a Pura Kiki stainless steel baby bottle in this beautiful shade of aqua blue to try out on Owen, my new little boy. I cannot comment on its function as a baby bottle, as my little Owen is exclusively breastfed. However, this toxin free, environmentally friendly baby bottle is also able to function as a sippy cup simply by changing the attachment on top. Read more…

The following is a guest post by Erin.  If you would like to guest post for TheGreenists.com, e-mail courtney at thegreenists dot com.

When volunteering at my daughter’s school, I’ve become increasingly disturbed by the contents of her classmates’ lunchboxes.   Recently, my kid was the ONLY child in her class to bring a veggie in her lunch, and one of only two children to bring water to drink.  Everyone else had an assortment of pre-packaged processed foods plus a “juice” box of some sort.  What gives?!?

I get it: we parents are a busy lot.  Family, work, school, extracurriculars, chores, etc. require more and more of a time commitment.  Healthy eating and sensible meal planning have taken a backseat, and the convenience of pre-packaged grocery store offerings is too much for many folks to resist.

The trouble with all of this convenience food is that while it may be fun and easy to serve, it is unhealthy for both our children and our planet. Read more…

Stylishly Green Baby Clothing is the definition of SOFT, a new, very unique and eco-savvy brand of baby clothing. SOFT was kind enough to send me a free sample of their super trendy Growl Onesie which is much loved by celebrities. I could not wait to get my new baby, Owen, in it!

Owen felt so comfortable wearing this incredibly soft 100% organic cotton onesie, that he fell asleep immediately (I knew I liked this brand for a reason!). The Growl Onesie, which retails for $30.00, washed and dried perfectly. The “safe, low impact” orange dye did not fade or crack. The naturally colored organic cotton, which according to SOFT’s website is produced using Fair Trade and easy on the environment practices in China, did not shrink or pill. I appreciate the generous length of the sleeves on this bodysuit because they add extra protection for Owen’s little arms when we are outside chasing around his two year old brother! The Growl Onesie slipped easily over Owen’s head without any tugging or discomfort. Additonally, he just looks so darn cute – what a stylish way to showcase chunky baby thighs! Read more…

The following is a special guest post by an awesome Junior Greenist.

These products smell like lotion and lavender. They feel like face soap. I like to use them so I don’t get acne and I do get beautiful skin. It is important to me that these are all natural so they don’t harm me or the environment. I expected beautiful skin. The result was beautiful, smooth, shiny, and natural skin. I recommend Good For You Girls.

By Sophie, age 8

Even though Massachusetts public schools are on February break this week, another teacher friend and I were discussing our respective Green Teams and just how into it the kids are. So many kids want to take responsibility for their own planet that it warms even my jaded little teacher heart. At the beginning of this year, for example, the Green Team installed three different recycling bins in the cafeteria for cans and plastic bottles, one for each grade (sixth, seventh, and eighth). Each week, the grade that recycles the most cans gets to play music during their lunch period and students get to enter to be the DJ for their lunch period. They call it Tunes at Noon and it’s been a huge success.

Just this week I heard about another program that not only lets the kids have that feeling of responsibility, but also makes money for the school. NSTAR Energy has been promoting their Change A Light, Change The World Fundraiser, and it couldn’t be easier. NSTAR provides energy-efficient bulbs at no cost, and students sell them as a fundraiser. Not only does the school get 100% of the proceeds, but students are also convincing people to switch to energy-efficient bulbs.

According to the NSTAR website, “The program includes of a kick-off event, educating students on energy-saving light bulbs and energy conservation. The event will also provide the students with an overview of the fundraising program, as well as explain the benefits of saving energy and how the money earned can benefit your school. The students are then encouraged to spread the word on energy conservation and sell the energy-efficient light bulbs provided by NSTAR.” I think the program sounds pretty amazing, especially for school districts that are less affluent and have less access to education on energy efficiency.

Next week I plan on emailing NSTAR’s contact person to find out more about this program and see if my school’s Green Team would be interested in participating. For right now though, I think I’ll just enjoy my week-long vacation from the darling kidlets.

All that hysteria over H1N1 seems to have died down the past few months, but we’re still in the midst of cold and flu season. I know this because I managed to catch myself one. A cold, that is. Or possibly bronchitis. Or maybe the pneumonic plague. I’m kidding. I’ve consulted Dr. Google, and I’m pretty sure it’s not the plague, though I may have to wait a few days to be certain. Meanwhile, I’m sipping fluids and bonding with my couch and wishing I had picked up the little bottle of CleanWell hand sanitizer I recently bought a week or so earlier than I did.

Hand sanitizers have gotten a bum rap the past couple years, for partly good reasons. Read more…

It’s that time of year again! You know, the time of year when you start to have an anxiety attack every time you think about how close it is to the holidays and how little shopping you’ve actually done. Over the past few weeks I’ve been reading increasingly frantic blog posts and tweets from people wondering what to get their kid’s teacher or daycare provider. And as a teacher myself, I am here to fill you in on the gifts that do not go immediately into the trash (I’m looking at you, Coca-Cola tree ornament!) or contribute directly to the tightening of our jeans (that means you, delicious homemade baked goods!).

There are so many great eco-friendly gifts available now that it’s really easy to choose something fun, practical, and green. The CupKozy is a great gift for the coffee and tea drinking teachers out there. Because there is nothing worse than waking up at 5:30 a.m. and braving the nasty weather without a warm beverage to escort you into your classroom. Feeling cheap just getting this? Throw in a gift card to your local coffee shop and your kid’s teacher will love you for life.

Next up, these super cute rhino erasers from Priscilla Woolworths. Who doesn’t love having wildlife to erase errant pencil marks throughout the day? Plus they also come in polar bear and gorilla shapes, and I know I would personally love to have that trio sitting on my desk.

Feel like doing it up with something homemade? As a library teacher, I think these Book Page Wreaths are a fantastic idea and the personal touch would make receiving one extra special. Especially if someone used old school Nancy Drew books to make it!

Maybe you don’t know this about schools, but they are constantly running out of things like paper towels for the faculty bathroom. I’ve taken to bringing in dish towels with me so that I can wash my hands without then having to wipe my hands on my skirt on the way back into class. I would love to get some super cute new towels like this Velo Tea Towel from Branch. Read more…