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.

I’ve been looking at ways to become a bit greener for the new year and hopefully save myself some money too.

For me energy saving lightbulbs have been a no brainer way of being green - who doesn’t want to save money on electricity and have to change bulbs less often?  But, as I have a couple of rooms with dimmer switches, I haven’t been able to change over all my lights, so I was very interested to see these dimmable light bulbs.  They will dim from 100% to 2% brightness and have a life of 16,0000 hours.  Whilst they are quite expensive, they should save you £100 in energy over their life.  Available from Nigel’s Eco Store for £13.69.

I’ve also been using eco balls for my washing for some years. These are very simple to use - you just throw them in on top of your wash.  They can save you a fortune in detergent and are great for the environment.  Our first set lasted nearly 2 years (but we were childless then) and our second set doesn’t look as if it will last quite as long (strangely I seem to be washing more often now I have a child).  The balls can also save you money on your energy bills if your washing machine allows you to use a reduced lenght of rinse cycle.  To help them clean the balls contain mineral salts that produce ionised oxygen.  At the moment they are available from Nigel’s Eco Store for £29.99 (or £27.99 if you buy more than 1 set) rather than the usual £34.99.

Avoiding using new carrier bags when I’m shopping is one way I’ve tried to be green especially over the last year or so.  I have quite a few reusable shopping bags, but never seem to have enough for my monthly shop and they can be bulky to carry around.  That’s why I like these eco friendly shopping bags which are durable, lightweight and waterproof plus they look great and there are lots of designs to choose from.  They roll up small so you can pop one into your handbag, one into the glove compartment and you could keep on in your child’s buggy too.  Available from Nigel’s Eco Store for £5.99.

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…

On behalf of the team here at The Green Familia, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and a very merry new year.  May 2009 be a healthy and happy year for you and your family.

We took a little break over the festive period and am gearing up for the new year.  Posting will get back to normal next week.  Look out for a fantastic competition from recently featured company - COOL GREEN ATTITUDE, coming up next week, we will also bring you the best in the sales roundups amongst other posts.

If you would like to try your hand at writing for The Green Familia, get in touch with us at brenda(at)thegreenfamilia.co.uk, not forgetting to add in the @ sign.

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.

The process also used to print Cool Green Attitude t shirts is completely chemical free using certified organic water based inks that do not harm the environment.

Their adult range has been created to inspire a sense of awareness, happiness and freedom.

Their children’s ranges offer inspiring learning opportunities with BUDDY that promote and increase self awareness, confidence and self esteem.
BUDDY can be used to enable parents, to encourage, engage, exemplify and nurture the qualities they most want their child to have and / or develop, in a fun and unique way..

Why Choose Cool Green Attitude

Their Ethical & Environmental Benefits
-Sweatshop free
-No Child Labour
-Fair Wear minimum wage
-No pesticides or chemicals fertilisers
-Azo free dyes for producing coloured organic cotton
-No Water-based organic printing for designs
-Certified GM free
-Low impact on the environment
-Clean water and soil supply
-Protects local population and wildlife
-Builds a biologically diverse agriculture
-Socially Responsible Working Ethics

Like us Cool Green Attitude are members of Ethical Junction, a fantastic network for likeminded green businesses. 

Here are my top 3 best buys from Cool Green Attitude:

Luxury Baby Box - Includes 5 essentials for newborns, a sleepsuit with logo, knotty hat, bib, 3 in 1 comforter and a rattle & teething toy ring, beautifully packaged in a luxury 100% recycled cardboard box.  Available in sizes 0-6 and 6-12 months.  Price £39.99.

Womens Cool Logo Tee - This fab tee features the companys logo, with Buddy the cool character that represents what’s great about eco living.  Available in 5 sizes from XS to XL in 3 colours, white, black or a fitted pink style.  Was £18 now £9.

Girls Dream Tee - This tee has a slogan that gives the child a sense of confidence in themselves, in a time where so many people are negative, it is great to see refreshing and inspiring slogans on kids clothes.  Available in ages 9, 11 and 13 years. Available in 2 colours candy pink or virtual sky.  Was £15 now £11.25.

Check out the wonderful Jan sale now on at Cool Green Attitude to pick up these and more bargains for the whole familia.

Since having my baby boy my hands have been very dry and sometimes rough, so I have become much keener on buying good handcream than before.   Trilogy Rose hand cream targets a range of hand problems including my dry rough hands, but also ageing skin, damaged cuticles and brittle nails.

It contains a range of botanical including marshmallow and calendula to soften and smooth dry skin plus horsetail to help deal with problem nails.  It contains a base of evening primose, rosehip, jojoba and almond oils with rose oil to provide the scent.

Available from Love Lula for £14.65.

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.

Environment Secretary says ‘Grow Your Own to Save Money & the Planet’ and now Penney Poyzer shows you how on ooffoo.com
 
During the week where Environment Secretary Hilary Benn publicly encouraged people to grow their own fruit and vegetables in order to cut waste and save money, multiple award-winning eco retailer Natural Collection’s new online eco community site ooffoo.com published a live call-in (including a PDF summary sheet) with Penney Poyzer, celebrated green queen looking at how to kick-start growing your own vegetables in the New Year to save money and reduce waste.
 
Growing your own is fun!
Penney Poyzer’s live webcast of practical tips and encouragement for making 2009 the year you save money and eat more healthily by growing your own fruit and veg reflects on Mr Benn’s comment that “there is a tremendous satisfaction in growing your own food and it is cheaper and better for your health”.
 
With over 5 million spuds being thrown away every day in the UK (source: WRAP) that’s a lot of money and a lot of waste…planting seed potatoes this winter will provide pesticide-free delicious spuds in your own back garden or window box, as and when you need them, saving money and landfill!
 
Other food related articles on ooffoo.com at the moment include:
 
Brussels Sprouts rule!
The challenge to find the best Brussels sprouts recipe!  Yes, Britain’s most hated vegetable comes into its own thanks to ooffoo’s wild “mystery sprouts” competition.  Try stir frying them, sautéing in garlic or even trying them raw in a salad (don’t be put off – take it from us, the less you cook them, the fewer the post-prandial windypops!)
 
Fantastic compassionate recipes
There’s really no need to get up at 3am to squeeze the turkey into the oven - our brilliant recipes section is bursting with flavourful top class veg-friendly inspiration from canapés to desserts – including pink mash, coconut canapés and pumpkin pie.  Feast without cruelty and dine like a king!
 
How to save money and help the planet with Love Food Hate Waste
Mrs Green points to a better way: “According to WRAP (a Government funded organisation that encourages recycling and home composting), we throw away up a third of the food we buy each week, which amounts to a staggering 6.7 million tonnes of food each year.

While millions of people starve worldwide, our wasteful western lifestyle is contributing to obesity and climate change. A more holistic approach is to buy and use only what we need.”
 
13 tips to avoid wasting food
Penney Poyzer offers up 13 fantastic tips on avoiding food waste including: Don’t prepare more than one meal, plan a menu for the week and stick to it, make a shopping list and loads more smart ways to save money, cut waste and eat better.

I was lucky enough to be sent a review copy of the fab Eco Hotels of the World Book, written by Alex Conti.  If you are planning a holiday, whether it be here in the Uk or to far reaching destinations, this really is a must read book.

What is it?

This is a book all about green destinations from all around the world, from the UK to New Zealand and more…  It gives you an in depth review of all 87 venues chosen.  Printed on FSC sustainable paper, by a printer who adheres to strict environmental standards and it has the carbon footprint offset.  Each destination has been awarded a green rating of 1 to 5 stars.  Whether you are looking for a luxury or you want to camp out in the desert this book has it all.  My kids have had great fun, picking out destinations of where we should be going and also learning a bit more about how it is possible to visit places, but still be eco-aware.

Who is testing it?

Me, Brenda, travel lover who is on a light green journey and is trying to become more eco-friendly in my life choices.  With an abundance of choice, that this book offers, there need never be a need now not to choose a greener holiday option next time.

Set Up

The book is well laid out and easy to read.  You have your intro, travel tips, then the destinations are all listed under the continents, Eco Lives tit bits, Eco tips and an A-Z Directory.

In Use

It is an incredibly user friendly books with all the info at hand, great colour pics and fab descriptions, which make you just want to dust down your credit card and make a booking.

Any Negatives

No none that I could think about.

Price

Available to buy from Amazon for £9.20.

Overall

A great book to have to help you plan your next holiday.  You can also get more details off their website www.ecohotelsoftheworld.com.

Rating

5/5

Here are a few ethical christmas gift choices that would make your friends and family very happy this christmas.

Mini Spa Bag

Bellingham Soap Company make gorgeous soaps and bath goodies, which are made from entirely natural products.  This gift bag is made from sustainable jute bag, which includes 1 creamy soap and 1 fabulous fizz bath.  You have a choice of 3.  Price £10.

Green Glass Recycled Glasses - Sol Bottles

Ethical Superstore, a favourite here at TGF, has these cool glasses on sale.  They come in a pack of two and are made from recycled empty Sol bottles.  They stand at 23cm tall and hold approximately 330ml.  Perfect gift for the hubby, who has everything.  Price £11.74.

Enlaira Recycled Glass Vase

Biome Lifestyle, have this stunning looking eco-friendly vase for sale.  Which has pink butterflies on a black background.  Made from 100% post-consumer recycled glass, which is sea-freighted in from Spain.  Dimensions are 38 x 25cm.  Price £70.