Rant aside, they’re not doing anything that all the other companies aren’t plus this company is affordable so on with the show.

Swell Foop makes 100% organic tees and tanks for women, mens tees, tees for toddlers, and baby onesies. The designs are simply and feature endangered animals, but not in an obnoxious way. There are many color choices and prices are affordable. The company also donates 10% of proceeds to environmental causes. I LOVE the cute elephant onesie above.

Check out Swell Foop if you’re looking for some good basic organic pieces.

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Julie’s daughter is autistic and she created the site because as she notes, “Too many people stare when kids on the spectrum act up, but the kids can’t help their actions. So, I thought…there are kids and adults that act ‘bad’ and /can/ help it, why is that ok and why should they think they’re better than the ASD kids? We taught our daughter to say the logo last year.”

I like when people create goods that help people express differences in a more positive way, or in this case, at least a more sort of in your face, I’m ok with myself sort of way. These green goods are are well priced too.

Green goodies:

Women’s, men’s, and kid’s organic t-shirts in 100% organic ring-spun jersey or cotton. Both fitted organic women’s tee and basic organic tees are available.

Sigg reusable water bottle.

Visit Autopia to check out the goods.

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If you’re looking for decent priced green clothes that are new you’re more limited, because one, eco-friendly clothing can be more costly but consider that you want your kids in healthy clothes. Also, as noted here before green clothing manufactures seem to think people are either age birth to five or teen to adult. Kids clothes of the greener kind are WAY harder to find, but you do have a few options…

Check out normal stores BUT look for the organic label. I’ve found organics in my son’s size (he’s a typical eight year old size) at places like Sears and other department stores. Most of the time these stores don’t make it easy to find the eco-options, but there are often some available.

For actual places to get eco-friendly clothing for kids (older than babies) check out…

Earth Creations has  bunch of tees for kiddos in nice designs (see above) and many are on sale for $10! Yup $10. Nice.

Hanna’s Dream – some insane sales on right now too!

Greenedge kids – lots of stuff even in size 12! Wow.

Sarah Waldo Organics – a bit more $ and girl based, BUT so cute; perfect for a special back to school piece or coat – sizes up to 10 I believe in most pieces.

Organic for Your Kids – UK based but has some older sizes.

Revenge Is… who I’ve reviewed here before now has a really cute kid tee for a good price.

Also see: earth friendly shoes for kids.

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One adorable organic maternity tee (or more!) three I LOVE include the tees shown above, all are 100% organic cotton and printed with non-toxic inks. Available at Euphoria Maternity:

• Seeded Organics Boy Sprout Maternity Tee
• Seeded Organics “Green Mama” Maternity Tee
• Pure T Buy a Tee, Plant a Tree Organic Top

You know you want to keep primping during your pregnancy, but nail polish with all its toxic ingredients is a big no no. Nail Paint by PeaceKeeper allows you to paint your nails all sorts of lovely shades without having so many toxic chemicals pass through your skin to your baby. Skin Deep rates them a 3 -  really good for nail polish BTW.

Morning sickness is no fun at all. On the flip side, at least now you have a great excuse to munch organic candy treats – for breakfast! Organic Preggie Pop Drops are made with all natural and organic ingredients, with a blend of essential oils to soothe your tummy, alleviate dry mouth, and give you a quick energy boost – Preggie Pop Drops – Organic.

BONUS: Of course anything from Earth Mama Angel Baby is swell too!

Are you pregnant right now? How are you managing your green pregnancy?

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Today’s reader question comes from Karen, who asks…

I have a question for you. I’ve decided to start going green slowly, as you’ve suggested, and have focused first on body and cleaning products. With both of these, I am finding some difficulty in figuring out what products are actually green and which are not. Some products say they are biodegradable, some say eco friendly, some talk about fair trade, and as I’m sure you know the list goes on. How do you choose what types of products to use? Since you seem to really know about these things, I’d love to hear your point of view on this.

Thanks!
Karen.

Excellent question! I’m sure many folks going green wonder about the above. First off, as for the cleaning products part of the question, we’ve discussed how to choose or make green cleaning products in multiple posts here so for this, you can browse the following.

• How to choose green cleaners – store bought green cleaners
• 25 Safe, Non-toxic, Homemade Cleaning Supplies
• Hot Water for Cleaning – Yeah It Works
• Are Sponges A Great Green Choice?
• Reader Question: how long to keep homemade green cleaners?

WHAT ABOUT GREEN BEAUTY & BODY CARE?

To green your beauty and body care product routine use the following tips.

Read labels and learn what they mean: Anyone can write “natural” or “green” on a label and both may mean absolutely nothing. At the very least the beauty/body care products you buy should state that they are natural, free of preservatives, free of chemicals, not tested on animals, and so on. BUT to be more sure, you should look for official eco-labels such as Leaping Bunny Eco Symbol and USDA Organic. However, unlike food, there’s not a massive eco-labeling underway of body care items, so your best bet is to read the label carefully for ingredients.

Read the company’s website: Most beauty companies have an “about us” “eco-goals” or “green page” IF they’re eco-friendly. If they’re forth coming about green company policies and list all ingredients on their website and/or packaging that’s a good sign.

Try bulk: Many co-ops and natural food stores offer bulk body care such as organic shampoo, lotions, and body soap. You simply snag some refillable bottles and keep refilling them with healthy products rather than purchasing new.

Buy recyclable: If you do buy products (vs. buying bulk or making your own) buy products that come in recycled or recyclable containers. Look for the least packaging possible as well.

Buy  & use less: Buying and using less of all items is a green step. You cut down on packaging, emissions, and save money to boot. You don’t need to shampoo each day (really) or wear as much make-up. You can try using less of an item, like lotion and get the same effect. You can also use items like dry shampoos to save other resources like water (also a green move).

Score check: You can quickly find our how your favorite products stack up at Skin Deep. Skin Deep rates everything from sunscreen to baby shampoo to make-up and more. They offer a score based on issues like toxicity levels, animal testing, chemical content, and more.

Shop check: As you shop you can check out the safety and greenness of products with the iPhone app, GoodGuide. GoodGuide mobile is a free application that allows you to look up safe, healthy, and green products on the go. There are over 70,000 products and ratings included in the app.

Look for product reviews from green bloggers you trust: Assuming you trust me, you can read up on green beauty care products I’ve reviewed at my green beauty blog or check out our huge growing list of green product reviews here at THF (beauty and body care included). You can also do web searches like, “Organic soap review” and substitute whatever product you like and see what pops up.

Make your own: The best way to know what’s in your beauty and body care products is to make your own. Plus this is greener still because it cuts down on packaging. Some recipes featured here include…

• Homemade Organic Herbal Hair Conditioning Spray
• Homemade Sugar Body Scrub
• Homemade Healthy Hair Care – Hair Masques
• Homemade Organic Facial Toner
• Homemade Organic Cleansing Creams
• Homemade Organic Paint Soap for Kids
• Homemade Organic Facial & Body Cream
• Homemade Organic Honey Beauty
• Fast Homemade Organic Fresh Kitchen Face Scrubs
• Homemade Organic Liquid Handsoap
• Homemade Deodorant
• Strawberry Face Mash

Hopefully the above helps you to navigate the green beauty and body care market. If you’ve got your own tips, share in the comments.

[image via jennifer chait]

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Chapter One Organics (shown above) has some seriously inexpensive sale items right now, all organic and healthy for your little one.

• $16 – earthluxe olive onesie
• $14 -  floral side-snap pants
• $13 -  patch leaf onesie

Other deals:

Sundress in organic cotton – reg. price $27 on sale for $10! Seriously now. There’s lots more to see too, many pieces under $20 at Nuno Organics.

Greenedge Kids is having a SUPER summer sale – I’m talking eco-clothes of all sorts at deep discounts. See a small sampling above or head over to Greenedge Kids to see it all.

Shown above Happy Print Short Sleeve Tees – all organic ($12 each 3 for $24), plus tons more on sale at Positively Organic.

Tons of basic baby and child organics – i.e. basic bodysuits, pants, and sweaters all on sale for under $20 at Lapsaky.

Hopefully you’ll find something you need for the kiddos on sale.

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Moonpads is an Etsy shop run by Annie Rose Shapero. Annie has been making her Moonpads since 2003 and they’re carried both at her own web shop and in stores across the country.

Facts about Moonpads:

Moonpads come in four sizes – a pantyliner, a regular absorbency, extra absorbent, and a long pad.

AN ORGANIC DEAL: The pads come in 100% organic cotton but just because they’re organic, you won’t pay more. Annie notes,

“All the pads in my Etsy shop are currently organic. I have made conventional cotton pads before, and I do sell conventional cotton ones to a few retail stores, but most stores choose to go with the all organic because a) why not? it’s better for the planet! and b) I don’t “upsell” organic- i charge what it literally costs me to buy organic cotton and dye it. When you factor in the percentage that stores mark up, this makes them about $0.70 more than conventional. To me, it’s utterly immoral to charge a “luxury upsell” just because a product is organic.

HOW THEY’RE MADE: Moonpads are made with organic cotton that is grown in the USA and milled in the USA by union workers. Annie hand dyes the fabric herself, and notes, “I use procion dyes. this is the safest dye i could find- it’s recommended for baby clothing and for the chemically sensitive. It creates a chemical bond with the fabric, so there are no chemical residues to get into your body. This also makes it very colorfast.”

My review will be later this week, but just to note, these pads are super thin, which is a nice design characteristic. As I’ve noted before, some reusable pads are so thick they seem like a diaper, and none of us want that (well, unless just postpartum). These pads stay closed with a snap – some are basic snaps and some are very pretty little colored snaps (see below).

PRICE: Moonpads vary in price from about $6.50 to $7.75 and whole sets are available as well. Additionally, Annie offers seconds (when available) which is a great way to score a deal.

STYLE & DESIGN: The best thing about Moonpads are all the many styles they come in. Many styles are offered in all sorts of cool designs. Visit Moonpads to see them all.

HOW THEY WORK: Moonpads can be used like any other menstrual pads. You simply wrap them round your undies, snap, and go. There are two washing options; rinse, dry, and wash OR soak and wash. Instructions for both washing methods are easy and are included on a brochure that arrives with your pads.

Here’s a visual tour:

Top view…

Bottom view…

Later I’ll post a review of these pads, and some reasons why you might want to switch to reusable pads vs. disposables. If you want to learn more asap, visit the Moonpads Reusable Menstrual Pads website.

If you’d like to win your own Moonpads enter the Moonpads Reusable Menstrual Pads Giveaway.

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Way to send the message home right? I love it. Also, it’s made with organic aloe vera juice so your bubbles will be just as ethical as your actions.

Get some Save Water Soap at Plum Party Supplies.

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Basics: The Revenge Is… t-shirts I received were created with plastic bottles! That’s right folks, recycled plastic bottles. On their website, Revenge Is… notes that these shirts are recycled plastic bottles that have been melted down to become a fine yarn which is then blended with organic cotton. They also call their shirts “soft and silky” which is exactly what I would have told someone about them, if they hadn’t said it first. They also offer a 100% organic cotton t-shirts – which are supposed to offer a more relaxed fit; although, I thought the bottle shirts were pretty darn relaxed to begin with.

Packaging: T shirts are wrapped in brown paper made from 100% recycled material; and the ones I received were packed super tight in a tiny box – go them. This is a great way to save space and resources. This company prints on FSC certified paper using soy ink – and when they must use new boxes to ship, they are made from recycled material. Although, they note that “Frequently, your purchase will come in a reused box.”

Design: Simple, no fuss, no muss designs are on these shirts. The t-shirts are available with various text imprinted, each with a socially responsible message -  Taking Back Our Country, Energy Independence (with OPEC X’d out in the lower corner) or Main Street At Work (with Wall Street X’d out in the lower corner). Colors available include black or charcoal. Something nice about the men’s t-shirt fit on a girl (me) is that the shirt was not all boxy, like some guys shirts. It fell nicely, and still looked like me in a shirt vs. me in my boyfriend’s shirt.

Here’s a look at the men’s t-shirt design (both front and back):

And for the ladies there’s a little bit more of a streamlined look going on…

What I think, plus the Revenge Is… happy tree score:

Pros:

I can not believe how soft and smooth these shirts are considering they started as plastic. Seriously, they feel like second skin. I didn’t want to take mine off (eventually I had to shower, but you know).

I love that they’re tagless and I like the simplicity of the design. I got charcoal colored shirts and it’s a great gray color, not too dark or light, just about perfect. I washed one of the shirts about three times to see what happened. As recommended by Revenge Is… I washed on cold and hung the shirt to dry (I would have done that anyhow). There was no shrinking what-so-ever and only the most minor loss of silky soft – but not enough to notice unless like me, you were looking.

Cons: 

• I wish they came in other colors. I’m not a fan of black, and while I like gray, I might be more inclined to purchase a blue or olive colored shirt. I think guys will dig on the color choices, but maybe not girls as much.
• I thought the fit was a little tight on the girl sizes. My size large fit fine and I’m an averaged size girl BUT if I had a bigger tummy or (excuse me – boobs) it would have been a too tight fit. For example, my sis and best friend are um, rather well stacked, and these shirts (in female) would not work out for them I don’t think. The men’s styles were sized well I thought.
• Lastly, I didn’t love how the little logo on the back of the shirt lines right up on your bum. It sort of draws attention to your butt, which I suppose could be a good thing in the proper situation, but not all.

Revenge Is… final score:

Four out of five happy trees. I almost gave them a five just because these are some of the softest most comfortable shirts I’ve ever had on, but because they lack other colors, and because the girl sizes run a wee bit small, I knocked off a point. They did score high enough that I’ll be adding these to my green holiday gift guide. Overall, in spite of minor issues, this is a great shirt, an ethical company, and would make the perfect casual clothing gift for a friend.

P.S. Revenge Is… also offers some pretty cool looking eco-gear, like a HUGE reusable bag and a hybrid mug.

$38 – Revenge Is… t-shirts

+ Revenge Is...

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via Revenge Is...]

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I think that they’re the perfect holiday gift for all tree hugging families with little ones. And no, I don’t get a bonus for saying that. In fact, I’m going to order my own soon – for a friend who is expecting.

The tees feature ‘Habby’, the Inhabitot owl mascot, and are made from 100% organic cotton. They’re hand-printed with eco-friendly, water-based inks and available in sizes 3-24 months. The super fly old school-like tagline reads ‘I give a hoot’. Bonus, these are economical kiddie organic tees (just $20 a pop); not something we see every day.

Get your own little one a hip organic owl tee.

[images via Inhabitots]

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