Have you seen these great play sets? They’re from Green Toys, a company out of San Francisco, California, that is dedicated to creating eco-friendly and safe alternatives to traditional toys. Their toys- which include an awesome sand play set, tea set, cooking set, and sweet little gardening set- are made out of recycled milk jugs in California. Novel idea, right? Their website explains further:

“Yes, the exact plastic milk jugs that you and your family drink from every day. When you finish your milk and toss the container in the recycling bin, these milk containers are collected at your curb by a local recycling company, who then sorts them from all the other types of plastic. Next, the milk containers are reprocessed into super clean fresh plastic. For you plastic geeks, the plastic material we use is called high-density polyethylene (or HDPE). This material is considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around”.

The toys contain no phthalates or BPA, and are designed without external coatings so that they are lead-free and meet FDA requirements for food contact. They also are minimally packaged in recycled corrugated boxes using no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties. These toys are such a win-win-win.

For those ultra-concerned with toy safety (and rightly so)…
Green Toys products pass a plethora of tests, including:

• Consumer Products Safety Standard Specification, ASTM F963
• California Prop. 65 restrictions on lead & cadmium
• FDA regulations for food contact
• California regulations prohibiting phthalates in toys
• Voluntary testing for no BPA (Bisphenol-A)

And for everyone concerned about the planet, it’s great to know that every step in the manufacturing process, “from milk container recycling to toy production to final assembly, occurs in California.Our raw materials and toys aren’t shipped from overseas, which saves a lot of energy and reduces greenhouse gases”.

Plus, if I failed to mention it, they’re fun and great for the imagination!

Available online at WildDill and Amazon.

It’s Fair Trade Friday!…

These adorable hand puppets from Kenana Knitter Critters have got to be some of the cutest I’ve seen. They’re all hand knit by a group of women in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya using locally grown hand-spun sheep wool, then dyed with all natural plants from their garden, and naturally moth-proofed with a local daisy-like flower. Since each “critter” is individually handmade, no two are exactly alike and they have their own unique character. The Kenyan women are proud of their work and sign the cards that accompany their products. It’s also great to know that while you and your children enjoy the wonderful fair trade animals and dolls, the women have gained income, status, and economic growth in their community, and ultimately a better life for themselves and their families.

The Critters come as hand puppets, finger puppets, or stuffed knit animals.

Available from $18 at Wild Dill.

If you grew up playing with Fisher Price toys like I did, you’ll be happy (or maybe a bit stunned) to know that most of our favorties have been reissued as “classic vintage” toys for today’s kids. I suppose it’s pretty cool that we can purchase new versions of our old, beloved playthings that hold so many memories. For me, it was the Chatterbox Phone (rotary, of course. How old fashioned!) For my husband it was Retro Two Tune Television (with an actual dial on the set) which he nearly had a stroke over when he saw at Target and promtly bought it for our son…although it was him that played with it once we got home.

Wow, they really do make you feel old….(and I grew up in the 80’s!) Rotary phones and box TV sets (with dials) are just two of the many familiar things to us “old folks” that our kids will never be familiar with- unless they see them in antique shops. Sheesh. So I suppose I’m on the fence about these new classics. Or at least it will take me a while to warm up to the idea.

Every baby needs to be swaddled, and doing so with a blanket or sack made of bamboo makes a lot of sense. Bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial, plus it regulates body temperature, so it wicks moisture away from the body. It’s also non-irritating which is perfect for a delicate new baby, and is a natural UV protectant. A great eco-friendly and sustainable material, it’s practical because it’s fully machine washable. And if you’ve never felt bamboo fabric, you will definitely be surprised by it’s softness. Beba Bean’s Organic Bamboo Jersey Baby Swaddling Blanket is an oversized, triangle-shaped blanket made of 100% organically-grown bamboo fiber. Swaddling instructions are sewn right into the blanket for easy reference, which I love.
($29.99 at Amazon.com)

Kiddopotamus makes their highly popular SwaddleMe blanket in a bamboo variety, too. This incorporates all the benefits of bamboo with their SwaddleMe design, which includes wings that provides a custom fit. This has been a popular product because the SwaddleMe, according to the manufacturer, “soothes infants and reduces symptoms of colic byrecreating the familiar, soothing snugness of the womb. It also reduces the incidence of the startle reflex, allowing babies to sleep for longer periods of time.” Plus it’s a timesaver, and helpful if you can’t wrap up your baby like a burrito in a traditional blanket - (it’s harder than you might think!). An excellent choice if you’re in the market for a baby shower or new baby gift - believe me, it will get a lot of use!
($14.99 at Amazon.com)

You’re never too young to help out in the kitchen, even if it’s just banging on pots and pans or organizing measuring cups. But when kids get a little older, this cute and creative A to Z Recipe Box with cool, yummy recipes is absolutely great to get them involved (or keep them occupied) in the kitchen.

From Ants in My Applesauce to Zany Zucchini Sticks, the 26 recipes offer young chefs a wide variety of hands-on cooking adventures. Each recipe has clear, simple steps that children will find easy to follow and in the process, they’ll learn about the foods they enjoy and practice skills like following directions and measuring, too.

Developed by a former chef who is also a mother and a cooking teacher, these tasty (but still healthy) recipes have been kid-tested and perfected. Recommended for ages 4-8, but kids even younger would no doubt love eating the fun recipe results.

$16.99 at Amazon.com