Children

Erica writes …

My son has a birthday coming up in a few months so I’ve started to look at organising a party.  It was great to come across these ethical party bags which are either environmentally friendly or fairtrade for both bag and contents.

I like this jungle juice bag for younger ones.  It’s unisex which is useful and is very brightly coloured.  The bag itself is made from recycled drink cartons by a cooperative in the Philippines.  It contains a handmade fairtrade animal whizzer, a fairtrade chocolate wafer and a wordsearch.  Available from Ethical Party Bags for £4.85 each.

For older boys there’s this fun space party bag.  It comes with a great reusable blue drawstring bag made of jute and a name label.  It comes with a fairly traded rocket or UFO magnet, recycled pen, wordsearch and fairtrade chocolate wafer.  Available from Ethical Party Bags for £3.50 each.

For the girls there’s this flower party themed bag.  It comes with a great reusable pink drawstring bag made of jute and a name label.  It contains a pretty flower magnet which is fairly traded, a notebook made from recycled materials and fairtrade chocolate wafer.  Available from Ethical Party Bags for £3.50 each.

Erica writes …

I like to give my little boy good quality ethical toys where I can, rather than ubiquitous bits of plastic.  Little Green Earthlets have some beautiful well made toys which have been ethically produced. All their toys are either made in the UK, are European made or are fairly traded. Their wooden toys are primarily made of Organic Rubberwood which is past its productive life. Plus, the colours in their rubberwood toys are all natural, water based dyes.

My little boy loves the Noah’s Ark story and singing the song: we have 2 books, an ark and a jigsaw!  This ark would make a lovely introduction to the story and its a fun way to teach your child about animals. A pull along toy and a shape sorter that is suitable from 6 months, so it is useful that the animals are washable.  The animals all have different noises or textures.  The animals can be used as finger puppets and it is possible to attach the toy to the cot to allow for early morning play(hopefully without waking mum and dad).  Having so many different ways of playing with the same toy should mean that it’s a favorite for many many months.  Also, because it is such an attractive looking toy, it’s one that you will be happy to have on display in your home.  Available from Little Green Earthlets for £18.11.

Another favourite of mine is this cooking utensils set made from recycled rubberwood and metal.  My little boy is always wanting to play with my pots and pans in the kitchen and inevitably always wants to play with the ones I want to cook with.  This is a very realistic set  and is made to a high standard so it should last and last.  It would make a lovely addition to a kitchen centre or could be used on its own.  Available from Little Green Earthlets for £12.67.

Another way to play at pretending to be mummy or daddy is with this lovely garden tools set.  Your child can play with these realistic tools while you get on with your work in the garden or on the allotment.  The tools are good enough to be used to provide real help when your child is old enough or to tend their own little garden or plot.  Available from Little Green Earthlets for £5.82 and there is also a matching watering can which can be purchased separately.

Brenda writes…

I have been saving this store as my Xmas gift to you, our readers on TGF.  Cool Green Attitude are a fab site that caters for the whole family and starting today they have started their January sale which is valid until the 31st January 2009.  With prices being slashed by upto 50%.  They are also offering you free Postage and Packaging for all orders over £75 in the UK.

Cool Green Attitude was inspired by 3 mums who have developed and created a unique organic and sustainable clothing range for children and adults that are more than just something to wear, but also something to think about.

All products are certified by the Soil Association in the UK, and produced under GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).
They only use 100% certified organic cotton or 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton in all of their products. Continued

Sue writes…

I have used washable nappies with both my daughters and have tried many different types. My favourites though are the one-size nappies such as Mother-ease.  As they last from birth, all the way through until your baby is potty trained.  They are very economical and they are the only washable nappies that I like to use at night as they never seem to leak!

Until now, the Mother-ease nappies have always been quite plain, but I spotted these beautiful rainbow coloured Mother-ease One Size nappies from Little Green Earthlets. They look so cute it seems a shame to cover them up! The nappies cost £7.50 or you can buy a pack of 7 for £47.25, a saving of 10%.

If you’re using washable nappies, why not try washable wipes too? Little Green Earthlets also stock Mother-ease washable wipes (£1.85 each).  The wipes come in either white or natural and look beautifully soft.  As well as being gentle on your baby’s skin, the wipes are very economical, working out much cheaper than disposable wipes in the long run. Used wipes can be stored in your nappy bucket and washed along with your nappies.

Erica writes …

I love this outfit from Bamboo Baby’s Chocolate collection.  Chocolate brown is one of my favourite colours and I have loads of this colour in my wardrobe and so does my little boy.  I think this would be a great outfit for a party over the winter, but it could also be worn on a day to day basis.

The tank top is knitted from a yarn made from 70% bamboo and 30% cotton.  It comes in a wide range of sizes: birth up to 5 years old. Available from Bamboo Baby for £32.

A perfect match are these neutral combat jeans made from 100% bamboo denim.   These are avaliable in sizes up to 2 years.   Available from Bamboo Baby for £25.

Bamboo is a very sustainable crop and the bamboo used here is organically grown so you don’t need to feel guilty about splashing out on these lovely clothes.

Brenda writes…

Daisychain Baby has just celebrated its first month in business.  It is a hot new eco-friendly website, not only in its choice of products being sold, but how it operates as well.

Here are three of the best hot new products added recently to the Daisychain Baby website.

Goldfish Bowl Logo T-Shirt

This is a cute t-shirt that is made from 100% organic cotton and features eco-friendly  printing.  The t-shirt has an envelope neck for ease of getting off and on. Available in two sizes 12-18 and 18-24 months.  Designed by Milk & Cereal.  Price £10.99.

Unisex Denim Jeans

Made from 100% Bamboo, these cool jeans have an elasticated waist and front popper for ease of slipping on or off.  They also feature 6 pockets. Available in sizes 6-12, 12-18 or 18-24 months.  Designed by Bamboo Baby.  Price £25.

The Snowman Pyjamas

Recently we had a competition, which was kindly sponsored by Green Eyed Monster which was a hat and scarf set with The Snowman embroidery, so I instantly picked up these pj’s on my search of cool goodies for your little one.  Made from Organic cotton, with elasticated waist, ankles and cuffs these would make a great pressie for Christmas.  Available in one size 12-24 months.  Price £25.

Brenda writes…

The Green Familia are proud to be members of Ethical Junction, a fabulous place for companies that are ethically minded, whether it be organic or fair-trade driven, this is a one stop website that has members from all walks of the green ethical living.

They have a website/shop, called Get Ethical, that showcases members goodies, which makes it a must visit site for all those who love to buy green/ethical/fair-trade/organic goodies.

Here are a few of the goodies available to buy this xmas from Get Ethical.

Bamboo Eco-Plunk

This is a great eco version of the old favourite kids game - Ker Plunk!  Suitable for age 4 years+.  It is made from Bamboo, which is a fantastic renewable resource and great for the environment.  It has recently been featured in Junior and Prima Magazine.  Price £19.

Solar Powered Business Bag

This cool bag, could solve your problems what to give the man in your life.  It has the power to recharge the necessary equipment, including:  mobile phones, blackberries, mp3 or mp4 players, digital cameras/camcorders etc.  It is also spacious enough for him to store his laptop.  Price £45.

Frankincense & Christmas Jewel Soap Set

This cute looking gift would be ideal for any female in your life.  It comprises of two natural handmade soaps, which are presented in a pretty chiffon bag, which is fabulously presented.  Price £9.

Brenda writes

Earlier we featured Nalan Collection as our featured retailer, if you missed the feature click here to read it.  They have very kindly donated the blanket and babygro set for Decembers competition. 

For those of you who are not familiar with Nalan Collection, they do an exclusive range of organic cotton clothing for babies and children at reasonable prices.

Hopefully, if I can get the kinks ironed out this month, we will be starting a monthly newsletter for The Green Familia in January.  It will be sent on the first friday of every month.  The monthly newsletter, will include competitions, discount codes, info, tips and a spot for reader interraction, as such all existing weekly update subscribers will automatically be added to the list and only people who subscribe or are subscribed will be able to enter the competitions. Continued

Brenda writes…

Todays featured retailer, Nalan Collection, is also the supplier of todays fantastic competition prize of a Baby Blanket and Babygro worth £40.

Who are you and your position - Laura Speake, Director

The reason for starting the company - My children are more precious to me than anything. Louis, my eldest, suffers from allergies which have brought out eczema and so I wanted to have pure sources of clothing for him and others like him. I also wanted to create stylish and modern clothes that are funky, fun and eco-friendly; so you don’t have to accept bland and boring as the price for not destroying the planet.

I believe in great design that has a small impact on the planet, and a positive influence on its people.

Not only can organic cotton be much softer than conventional alternatives, making it ideal for babies and toddlers, but it allows consumers to make ethical buying choices too.

When you buy this product you know the farmers have had a fair price for it and that they haven’t had their water sources polluted by chemicals. It is also reassuring for parents to know that they can dress their children in clothes made from natural products

Continued

Erica writes…

The Maclaren Beginning Travel Bag’s name sounds like it should be something very practical to use with your buggy, but I was delighted to find out that it’s a very special pampering pack. I was sent one to review and I was very interested to try out this new product range from a trusted baby brand.

Why would you want to buy this product? Packaged in a natural coloured wipe clean bag with five bottle loops to hold your products and an internal zipped pocket, it would make a lovely gift for an expectant mother or simply be a great way to treat yourself while pregnant and have some beautiful natural baby toiletries to use after the birth.

There are 6 products in the travel bag - three for mum and three for baby. They are 100ml Connecting Massage Oil for Mother; 100ml Alleviating Leg Lotion for Mother; 100ml Balancing Facial Mist for Mother; 100g Absorbing Dusting Powder for Baby; 100ml Comforting Room Mist for Baby; and 100g Protecting Nappy Change Balm for Baby.

What are the products like to use?

After a long and tiring day, I tested the mum to be products and found them very soothing and relaxing. I particularly liked the Connecting Massage Oil and Balancing Facial Mist. The massage oil was warming, relaxing and moisturising, without being too oily or sticky. A spray of facial mist left me feeling relaxed and refreshed, but it wasn’t too bracing and you could use before sleeping. The Alleviating Leg Lotion soothed and moisturised my legs, but didn’t seem to have a huge impact on the aching of my limbs. All the products have a lovely aroma and are very easy and pleasant to use.

I tested the baby products on my little boy. The Comforting Room Mist was lovely to use. It filled the room with a pleasant, homely and comforting scent which seemed to help calm my son in the run up to bedtime or naptime. Maclaren suggest using it when travelling to help your child adjust to unfamiliar surroundings and I think this could be helpful. I’ve never used any sort of powder on my son before, but the Absorbing Dusting Powder has converted me. It’s a really quick and easy way of getting all those crevices dry and it leaves his skin silky smooth. I also like the Protecting Nappy Change Balm which I used successfully on mild nappy rash and a facial dribble rash.

All the products are made from natural ingredients and use organic essential oils. Also, they have been dermatologically tested on sensitive skin.

Any negatives? The carrying case that the products come in, is a slight letdown from the outside as it is fairly dull to look at. Inside it has very clean lines which have a calming, but pleasant look and the bottles and tubes have very simple and elegant styling.

Available to buy from Maclaren for £34.26 here.