Calling all urbanites: alma urban cot from bloom.

The team of four dads who founded bloom – famous for bringing style and innovation into parenting – have now turned their attention to the bedroom and created the new alma urban cot – a beautifully designed folding wooden cot that is the perfect choice for parents looking to bring a little contemporary chic to the nursery.

The alma urban cot has a unique space-saving folding design, which means that when not in use it can be simply concertinered into a slim column that is easy to move and store.  This makes the alma a great cot for smaller spaces, or for grandparents’ and second homes.  It’s also ideal if parents or children are sharing a room, as it can be easily folded away during the day to create space. Read the full article

You can never have too many reusable bags, especially as there are so many wonderful designs around. Fizbag has a fantastic selection of designs and specialises in stylish, modern bags for life. New prints are added each season, so your bag can be fashionable as well as eco-friendly.

It’s hard to choose a favourite from all the gorgeous designs that Fizbag stock, but top of my shopping list will be one of these grogeous Art Deco Fizbags in chocolate and lime. Another great design is the lovely Marie Curie Cancer Care Bag – for every bag sold Fizbag will donate 15p to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

All Fizbag designs are available as either a shoulder bag or hand held bag, both costing £3.99 each. They measure approx. 35cm x 40cm but fold up into a pouch measuting just 10cm x 6cm, so they’re small and light enough to keep in your handbag for those impromtu shopping trips! They also have a specially designed clip on the pouch so that they can be attached to a belt or keyring

Natalie co-founder and designer of Sophie4Sophie has been a loyal supporter of TGF and one of my facebook and Twitter buddies for some time, so I thought it only right to send some love and support back to her as she storms her way into the world of childrens fashion, turning it on its head, with vibrant prints, stylish and practical designs.

All the creations are designed and handmade in the UK by Natalie.  She started off with the adorable pants, which are so funky yet so practical.  To find out more information about ordering the pants email Sophie4Sophie at hello@sophie4sophie.com.  Then she created the Swing Dress which fits from 6 months up to toddler, wear it as a dress, as a baby then as they grow it becomes a top…ingenius idea!  These are being stocked in these fabulous boutiques www.thehedgepig.co.uk or www.juicytots.co.uk.  (If you are a retailer and want to stock these, then contact S4S on wholesale@sophie4sophie.com.  Hot off the press are the newest additions and one that set my hear palpitating this morning are the bibs!  Again contact S4S on hello@sophie4sophie.com for more information on the bibs.

I am just gutted that my little girl is way too big for these cute dresses, never mind, am sure I can find a deserving child to buy one as a pressie.

This months competition prizes are kindly sponsored by Potions and Possibilities.  They stock a wide range of gorgeous products created by Julie Foster using natural products.

Soothe and refresh tired feet this summer with this cooling aromatherapy foot spray from Potions and Possibilities.  The crisp, rejuvenating power of wild mint is blended with pure, therapeutic Tea Tree for a treatment that leaves the feet feeling energised, comfortable and ready for action!

To win this fabulous prize just tell us who creates the products for Potions and Possibilities?  Please send your answer, along with your name, address, and email address to competitions (at) thegreenfamilia (dot) co (dot) uk.  The closing date for the competition is Thursday 30th July 2009.Please note that in entering this competition you are already subscribed too or are agreeing to subscribe to the weekly email update which highlights the posts from The Green Familia. There is no longer a ‘no mailout’ option Read the full article

Here are the lucky winners of the two competitions run in June.

Adagio Teas – Anthony Loader

incognito – Maxine Fuller and Christine McIntyre

Many thanks to all who entered, check out July’s competition tomorrow at 9am.

Here are my hot picks of this summers ethical fashion must-haves for the ladies.

1  People Tree Paradise Print Halter Top - Available from Purity in sizes 8-16 for £24.

2  Fair Trade Floral Kurta Top - Available from Natural Collection in either brown or indigo for £23.50.

3  Fat Cat Organic Cotton T-Shirt - Available from Nigel’s Eco Store in sizes 8-14 for £17.99.

4  Dragonfly Dress - Available from Saltwater, this dress has been designed and made in the UK and is available in sizes 6-16 for £85. Read the full article

Here is a list of organic options for you to check out if you are thinking about going down the organic route for your families bedding.

Organic Cotton Quilted Pillows - Made from Organic Cotton Fleece, measuring 50 x 75, these are available from Natural Home-Products for £68 each.

Organic Cotton Duvet - Made from 100% organic cotton, this summer weight duvet (6-7 tog) comes in a double bed size for £166 from Swallowtail Hill.

2 Row Satin Stitch Organic Bedlinen - Made from 100% organic cotton, this lovely set of bedlinen with gorgeous attention to detail would look fab on any bed.  Available from Luma Direct with prices starting from £14 to £110. Read the full article

This will make a brilliant new born baby gift, especially if your friend is a Vegan, as all the products are certified Vegan, through a not for profit organisation called Vegan Action.

Included in the set are the following: hair and body wash, body lotion, nappy rash cream, baby oil, sunscreen and a free Arbonne Intelligence Rejuvenating Cream for the new mum (worth £24)!

All this is available from Pebble Baskets and Gifts for £69.95.

Ethical, essential foods are literally at your fingertips and just a few clicks away now with the launch of www.ethicallyessential.coop from the 24th June 2009.

This new online shop features a wide range of ethical foods from store cupboard essentials (such as cereals, pulses, seeds and fairtrade chocolate spread) to more exotic and unusual fare (such as Fairtrade red quinoa, biodynamic Egyptian herbal teas, wild-gathered dried mushrooms and Fairtrade herbs and spices).

Increasingly people are seeking foods that are ethical – not just organic, vegetarian and vegan. www.ethicallyessential.coop makes it easy for people to make a sustainable choice by offering an ethical shopping basket at the push of a button.  People can shop with confidence, knowing that every single product has proven provenance and is ethically and/or fairly traded. Read the full article