You know how we’ve been chatting about saving money on green goods lately? Well, one big way to save on green good is to do it yourself, make it yourself, and use recycled goods to do it with. For example, another big topic here as of late has been reusable, waste-free lunches. Now, while I doubt you’re gonna go out and somehow make a reusable bottle, you can make other components of an eco-friendly lunch kit all on your own. Make the items below. Add silverware and a water bottle and your kid will be good to go for the …read more

Yesterday I posted some eco-lunch kit choices and said that my son Cedar was going to have to choose one. Then I said I’d be back with the results. I had an idea about which he’d choose, but instead, like a typical kid, he decided to TOTALLY surprise me.
I showed him all the choices, and he looked them up and down, and sideways, and made me read him the stats about them. He’s eight, and he’s saying, “So what does that bag measure?” For pete’s sake. Anyhow, his decision…
You won’t believe it:

He says, “I think I’ll just stick with the …read more

So, Cedar’s lunch sack died this summer. He’s currently using the Bamboo lunch sack for camp, but it’s not appropriate for a kid all year at school I don’t think. One recent con I’ve found is that because it’s cloth, ice packs act badly in there (see an updated review).
In any case, Cedar my son is super picky about stuff. Clothes, toys, books, and so on, so I knew choosing a lunch pack wouldn’t be easy, but it’s actually been harder then I thought. He’s snubbed some eco-lunch kits as not cool enough already and our options are wavering. Of …read more

Lots of kids want a new backpack to go with the new school year. I remember that feeling when I was in school.
In some cases, the backpacks get too worn to reuse. In many other cases, kids just get sick of the old backpack.
Alternatives to buying a new backpack:
• Swap backpacks with a friend or sibling
• Patch up a backpack with a hole or reinforce broken straps
• Select something from a thrift store
If you’ve already bought a new backpack and your old one is in good condition, consider donating the used pack.
Your local Goodwill or Salvation Army would be happy …read more

Peggy and I think alike. She just posted, Green Your Child’s Lunch, which is actually the direction I was considering this morning. Since she went over some basics, I figured I’d pull out some of the best green lunch boxes to share. Later we’ll look at some healthy organic food choices, and of course other green back to school issues.
Last year we took a look at how to Pack Your Kids An Eco-Lunch and also saw (more recently) a cool idea for making your own Oilcloth Bags.
Both of the above are good choices. When looking for a good green lunch …read more

Yes, I can say these tees are the “ultimate” since I tried one of them. Except mine was the adult size.
I’ll do a product review on it coming up later. For now, I’ll just say — very comfortable!
Mine Organics, an organic cotton clothing company started by two mothers, offers a hefty dose of stylish green for back to school.
Sizes include infants, toddlers, youth and adults!
All tees are 100% certified organic cotton, and even feature a tag containing wildflower seeds.
And of course, the tees rock with earthy-friendly messages.

For the infant who’ll be relaxing at home while big sister is in school, …read more