The Green Lunch Sack

REbaggingIt has the cutest bags! They take empty juice pouches, and turn them into stylish eco-friendly bags.

My personal favorite is the lunch sack. They are super easy to use with velcro closures, which is great for young children. Plus, they are lightweight, and wipe off messes really easily.

I think it is great that the bag along with the straps are very colorful and fun. It definitely makes you want to take it everywhere you go.

The lunch sacks are very strong; therefore, you don't have to worry about packing too much in them. That is a major plus for me since I don't like to pack lightly for anything!

REbaggingIt not only has great lunch sacks, but they also make other products from juice pouches such as dog leashes, book covers, small totes, and large totes. Their prices are super affordable, so be sure to check it out at www.REbaggingIT.etsy.com.

Newspaper Handbag

I am always trying to find THE perfect bag! Being a mother of two children, I need lots and lots of room in my purse for my kids things as well as my things. Ecoist has THE perfect bag!

The Daily Newspaper bag from Ecoist is a must have bag, esp. for moms. This bag is large, yet lightweight. Since it is made from recycled newspaper, you can basically wear this purse with any outfit because of all the different colors in it. I love that it is very strong and durable; therefore, you are definitely getting your monies worth because it will practically last forever!

A major plus to this bag is that it can easily be wiped down. That is so perfect for when little grungy hands decide to touch it!

Everywhere I go, I get compliments left and right. "Wow, did you make that?" or "That is a very cool bag!" It makes me feel good that I am carrying around a purse that is very eco-friendly as well as very chic.

Ecoist has all kinds of handbags and purses. They even have clutches that match The Daily Newspaper bag! I love that there are so many different styles and different materials used for each purse. Plus, no two purses / handbags are alike! See for yourself at www.ecoist.com.

The No Slip Slippers

Don't you just hate it when your slippers slide around on you? Don't you also hate that slippers make your feet sweat?

Sun Shadow Slippers are the perfect solution! These slippers do not slide around on your feet. They are made from stretchy natural fibers; therefore, they grip your feet in a very comfortable way. This is awesome for the wiggly baby and toddler. Plus, the natural fibers also allow the feet to breathe; therefore, eliminating sweat!

My daughter normally takes off her shoes and socks right after we put them on her. This can be quite frustrating in the winter when her toes are ice cold. But now that we have the most comfy cozy slippers from Sun Shadow Slippers, she does not even attempt to take them off. Yay - her toes will never be cold again!

The slippers from Sun Shadow are quite unique in that they use prints inspired by nature. They have cute prints from frogs to butterflies, turtles, etc. The inside of these slippers are 100% pure wool felt (extremely cozy!). The dye that is used to create the fun prints is low toxic and sun reactive which means it is safe on our environment.

I love that Sun Shadow Slippers are made very well. My daughter's slippers will definitely be handed down to my son, and probably make it through another child (if we decide to have another!).

Get these fabulous slippers at www.sunshadowslippers.etsy.com. The whole family deserves to walk in the clouds with wonderful slippers!

Arts And Crafts With An Eco Flare

I bet you get lots of junk mail just like me! What do you do with your junk mail? I used to throw mine out, but now I pretty much save everything. This is because of The Paper Bead Roller.

The Paper Bead Roller is a utensil that lets you easily wrap a piece of paper around a metal stick to create a fabulous bead. Just insert the tip of the paper strip into the slot, begin rolling, and voila - a paper bead. I love this thing! Rolling paper beads by hand causes cramps in your hands. Not to mention, the pain from trying to roll the bead tight. Using The Paper Bead Roller is so easy to use, and there is not any pain!

I get so many magazines, newspapers, and junk mail that it is not even funny. So instead of throwing them out, I can use them to make jewelry, baskets, pens, etc. The possibilities are endless with this wonderful invention.

The roller kit comes in two sizes which is great because you can make beads with larger holes for larger string, or make beads with smaller holes for smaller string. The Paper Bead Roller also comes with different patterns to make different style beads. My personal favorite is the hourglass template - so cute!

Visit www.paperbeadgirl.com to get your very own Paper Bead Roller. Start getting crafty while being eco-friendly!

Snacks With A Zing

Finding healthy snacks for little ones can be quite challenging. For me, I feel like I am always purchasing the same snacks over and over again. My daughters on-the-go snack staple is always raisins and crackers. Though it seems like she never gets tired of them, I get tired of watching her eat them.

Recently we got the opportunity to try freeze dried fruit snacks from Funky Monkey Snacks. Freeze dried fruit. What is that? It is a process in which fruit is dried by freezing. By using this process, the fruit keeps all of the nutrients and flavors unlike dried fruit or other fruit snacks. Plus, these snacks do not have any preservatives, colors, flavors, or added sugars.

At first I was a little hesitant because it just does not sound or even look all that appetizing. And everyone knows that kids only really eat things that are super delicious! Despite my concern, we ate them, and ate them, and ate them......

Now let me tell you that my first thoughts quickly vanished when my daughter scarfed down the entire package of Bananamon! Wow, a NEW and healthy snack that she loves. Hurray, now I can buy a bunch of different staple snacks for her on-the-go needs! Funky Monkey Snacks come in scrumptious flavors such as Bananamon, Carnival Mix, Jivealime, and Purple Funk.

While my little one was speedily eating the Bananamon (organic bananas with cinnamon) Funky Monkey Snacks, I decided to try the Purple Funk (organic bananas with acai). After my first bite, I was even hooked on these snacks. It was like a firework went off in my mouth, and my tastebuds decided to do a little jig! These snacks are so amazing that I want to keep eating them too!!!

To get a healthy and yummy snack for you and your little ones, go to www.funkymonkeysnacks.com. Add a little zing to your eating habits!

"The Earth Is Our Playground. Our Mission Is To Preserve It."

This is the philosophy of the clothing company Mission Playground. What an awesome statement! Don't you just wish this was everyone's philosophy? I do!!!

Mission Playground is an amazing company that has 100 % organic as well as recycled fabric clothing for men, women, and children.

The Willow Dress is outstanding. Since it is a wrap dress, it is very comfortable. The whimsical design on the bottom creates a very contemporary feel to this eco-friendly dress.

When I wore this dress to a party, almost everyone commented on how cute it looked on me!!! My sister-in-law actually asked me if it was okay to purchase one herself! Another person said that I look stunning and slim! Now, if one article of clothing gets that much response, think of how many compliments one would get wearing other garments from Mission Playground.

A great aspect of Mission Playground is that they give 1 % of sales to non-profit organizations that share the same passion for the earth that they do. That is awesome....be fashionable and comfortable in their clothes while supporting a great cause!

Extra, Extra, Wear All About It

Newspapers are great for reading up on current events. They are also great for lighting up grills, and stuffing inside of postage boxes. But one use in particular makes a bold yet cute fashion statement. This use comes from Just Liv.

Just Liv makes adorable headbands from old newspapers! This is perfect because newspaper basically goes with everything from red to black to brown, etc. Each headband is constructed so beautifully with three little rose like pieces.

The headband fits and looks so perfect on me as well as my 17 month old little girl! Wow, a headband that I can actually share with my daughter and it looks great on both of us - that is hard to come by!!!

$15 is an outstanding price for such a magnificent eco-friendly headband that will spruce up any wardrobe. Check it out at www.justliv.etsy.com. They have so many adorable accessories that are all made from vintage and recycled materials.

VersatiliT Meets TranquiliT

Luxurious, lightweight, serene. Wrap yourself in pure TranquiliT...

TranquiliT is a company that carries eco-luxe lifestyle wear. So, you might be thinking is it possible to have eco-friendly and luxurious all in one? Absolutely!

TranquiliT uses bamboo as well as organic cotton fibers which make super soft apparel. Bamboo is naturally soft and silky and wicks moisture. Organic cotton is lightweight and feels wonderful. Bamboo and organic cotton fibers create pure TranquiliT!

I love the line from TranquiliT. Each garment is versatile which gives you more for your money! Plus, the clothes were made with a busy lifestyle in mind - meaning you can wear these clothes for yoga, and then turn around and go to a nice restaurant without changing into something else. Yes, workout apparel by day, sexy yet comfortable by night!

The cardi shawl is among many of my favorites. You can wear it as a cardigan, or wear as a sexy shirt with a low back. It is extremely easy to turn this must have piece into basically anything that you want. The raw edges make this piece look and feel fabulous.

To have TranquiliT in your life, go to www.tranquilit.com.

Paper... Beads

When you think of paper, what comes to mind? Trees, writing, scrapbooking, paper airplanes, and the list goes on. . . . .

What about beads? Did that cross your mind? Crazy! What an ingenious idea. It never crossed my mind that beads could be made from paper until now. EnvirO Mental makes paper beads that are amazing! Paper beads!? They look just like expensive beads from a bracelet in a nice department store.

EnvirO Mental takes left over paper such as scrapbooking paper, magazine articles, or newspaper articles and turns them into beautiful beads. Then they string them with beads from other projects to form a gorgeous eco-friendly bracelet. Best of all, these bracelets cost only $8! Now that is a steal - eco-friendly, beautiful, and looks like the real thing!

EnvirO Mental also makes other neat items from recycled materials as well like their Treasure Bags. These cute drawstring bags are made from recycled t-shirts. They are perfect for diaper bags, purses, gym bags, etc. I like to put my keys in them so that I can find them really easily in our overstuffed diaper bag!

They also make recycled tee shirt scarves / necklaces, tote bags, t-shirt totes, bangles, etc. Be sure to check out all of the wonderful and eco-friendly products that they have to offer at www.enviromental.etsy.com.

Cardboard Fantasy

I am convinced that kids don't need toys! I know my children love to play with things around the house other than their toys. For instance, my daughter would rather play with toilet paper, remotes, pens, tupperware, and BOXES. Notice how boxes is all uppercase?

Ah yes, cardboard boxes! Give a child a cardboard box, and they will go to town for hours. Well, what if you give a child toys that are made out of cardboard? Not only is it very eco-friendly, but it leaves lots of imagination for your little one(s)!

Cardboard Design is a company that makes cardboard toys. They have dollhouses, rockets, playhouses, etc. I love that the cardboard toys are left blank. Kids can paint on it, draw on it, color on it, or do whatever they like to it.

Cardboard Design creates their product with the ease of assembly. Now I am a very impatient person, so when it comes to instructions, I basically throw them aside and begin the project full throttle. Putting together the cardboard playhouse was extremely easy; however, my daughter made it extremely tough. From the moment that I pulled all of the pieces out of the box, she basically dove head first for each piece!

She absolutely loves the Cardboard Design playhouse. She will go inside, outside, inside, outside all day long. It is so cute to see her so excited about such an eco-friendly toy that will keep her occupied for hours at a time!

Cardboard Design also has very neat tables, chairs, vases, etc. To see all that they have to offer, go to www.cardboardesign.com.

Alternative Apparel

I am all about being simple. With such a hectic lifestyle of chasing little ones, going to appointments, preparing dinner, making play dates, etc. I find joy in the simple things. When it comes to my wardrobe, I want simplicity!

Alternative Apparel has very cool yet basic clothing that is a must have staple for your wardrobe. You can dress the garments up, dress the garments down, or layer them in fall and winter months - be as simple as you want.

Alternative Apparel has an Organic Collection of tees that fit amazingly while feeling super soft. They also have an Eco-Heather Collection that is made from a blend of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon. These tees have a vintage flare while providing ultimate comfort.

Another great collection is their Eco-Vertigrain Collection which is also a blend of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon. These garments are sweater knit garments that are super cute with a vintage feel.

Their clothing comes in men, women, and children sizes. The whole family can be hip, yet comfortable in these eco-friendly garments! Plus, each piece is very affordable!

When you wear Alternative Apparel, you will feel so comfortable as well as fashionable. Plus, you will be doing our earth a favor by wearing eco-friendly clothing! To get these fabulous staples in your wardrobe, go to www.alternativeapparel.com.