Learn Science by Making and Breaking Toys!

I have been seeing tons of green science projects and green toys in commercial stores lately. This is something I haven’t seen before. Usually when shopping for gifts I have to do it online at green stores because they are the only ones who carry them but over the weekend while looking for some gifts I saw this My Toy Factory – Learn Science by Making and Breaking Toys!
set and I was excited! I got a few of them to give to some kids that I knew would love them.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to start teaching children at a young age the importance of our environment and being eco-friendly.  This is something that will stick with them throughout their whole lives. Click here if you want to get My Toy Factory – Learn Science by Making and Breaking Toys! of your own.

Product Description:
My Toy Factory is an entertaining and eco-friendly concept where children MAKE their own play area and play environment using everyday material like straws, ice-cream sticks and newspapers etc and then BREAK these toys to understand how they work. Children open the kit and get an appointment letter to become workers in their own Toy Factory. They make tickly whistles out of ice cream sticks, swooshing jet cars from bottles & balloons along with ten more exciting toys using their toy kit. A perfect gift to engage the creative gene pool of your kid!

Synergy Peacock Skirt

I love peacocks! Their colors are beautiful and every time I see them I want to go right up and squeeze them. When ever I see something with either a peacock design or feathers I fall in love. Which is basically what happened right here with the Syngergy Peacock Skirt! I love love love it!! Perfect for spring and summer and since the colors are muted you can carry it right into fall if you want. The Synergy Peacock Skirt is handmade with organic cotton by artisans in Nepal using Fair Trade practices as well as using minimal carbon foot print practices ie using low impact dyes for the skirt. The only set back is the skirt does run a little small in sizing so please make sure to go up in size when ordering. If you want your very own Synergy Peacock Skirt from Element EcoWear click right here!!!

I never like to get rid of glass bottles and jars at home because I know they could be used for something else. Last night I was going through and organizing all of my crafting supplies and thought why not decorate some of them for funzies. I have been looking to do more crafting and send some gifts out anyway so this is a great way to reuse things I have around the house. This is also an excellent way to make a dent in my glass collection sitting in my basement. I used some ribbon, buttons, paper flowers and hot glue to attach everything and I think it looks pretty cute! If you don’t have a craft collection at home or don’t stock pile odds and ends like i do you want to decorate your own below are some links to where I got some of the stuff you see on my bottle:

Old broken or unused jewelry and hair accessories
Rags that are clean
Wrapping Paper or paper you have at home
Paper Flower Assortment
Buttons
Old Pins and Brooches
Bottle Caps
Ribbon
Glitter
Die cuts

The possibilities are endless! This is a great party craft for kids or scouting. You can even go natural and get leaves, twigs rocks, sea shells, sand anything! The Shabby Chic bottles make for great gifts or even something new to spruce up your house!

Owl Kitchen Art

As usual Pinterest has blown my mind! In my quest to find crafts for items that would otherwise be recycled or thrown out I found these crafts that use jar lids, pot tops,strainers, forks, spoons, bottle caps, whatever!! I am in love with this! The Kitchen Owl makes for a great housewarming gift or rainy day craft for students. The Kitchen Owl is the perfect way to really implement the ideas of Reduce, Recycle, & Reuse.  Think of all of the things that would have otherwise been thrown out. Talk about another man’s trash is another mans treasure!  This just goes to show that you really can reuse almost anything if you put your mind to it creatively. 
I found this at the perfect time because while reorganizing my kitchen I put aside a bunch of kitchen items that really aren’t so usable anymore and should be recycled or things we had a bunch of that we didn’t need. I cannot wait to break open that box and get started on all the fun animals that can be made. You can probably do bunnies, kittens even dogs. Get creative you can add other things to the kitchen craft they don’t have to all be metal. Use glitter or paint and make them colorful. Add stickers or jewels to them.

Preserve Toothbrush

This is basically the awesomest thing I have seen in a really long time. This toothbrush was made from recycled yogurt cups, they come in multiple colors and sizes. Stonyfield has partnered with Preserve to take their plastic scraps and plastic products to make the razors, tongue cleaners and toothbrushes. Preserve Jr. donates a portion of their proceeds to the National Wildlife Federation. Preserve does all recycling and manufacturing in the USA. The package that the tooth brush comes in is a no postage necessary mailable package to send back your toothbrush when you are done. The colors of the toothbrushes I bought are super cute too. My toothbrush is bright pink and the bf’s is a super cute blue. The brushes feel just like any you would buy in the store. I’m not sure why but I thought the brushes might feel different but they don’t which makes them even cooler.
I went to www.preserveproducts.com to see what else they have to offer and I am excited! They make razors, kitchen supplies, table ware and even to go products. The website is neat and clean and most of all colorful! I am soo in love right now. Preserves tableware is dishwasher safe which I think for moderate greenies/families is a definite plus.
You can also sign up for Gimme5 and Recyclebank on the Preserve website where you an earn rewards for recycling! If that isn’t incentive for doing the right thing I don’t know what is. There are all kinds of ways to earn points on both sites. I am extremely excited I found these sites and cannot wait to start earning points. The fun part is I already use most of the products that earn you points as well as have been recycling them! If only I knew about this sooner. Are you a member of Gimme5 or Recyclebank? If not you can log on with your Facebook account and show other people what you are doing.

Napa Soap Company

I have written about Napa Soap Company before and just held a contest for some lucky greenie to win a sample set of their soaps that ended yesterday. I have a fragrance background from past jobs I have had and for some reason the sense of smell is really important to me when using products. I cannot stand over scented or artificial smelling products. It ruins the whole thing for me.
The Napa soaps I received were not only packaged beautifully (and not over packaged which is something I have been seeing lately much too often) but what I noticed immediately was the careful detail to the scent of the soaps. That is one of the most important elements to any good soap, in my opinion. The soaps looked so beautiful in their packaging I really didn’t even want to unwrap them.
I appreciate a green company that pays attention to detail. The Napa Soap Company website is great, their products are lovely and the prices are quite reasonable. They live up to their green practices which is also an extremely important to me when purchasing a green product. Overall, I am going to say that I am impressed with Napa Soap Company and will be sure to use their product in the future!
Have you ever tried Napa Soap products? If so tell me about them!

Bike Chain Picture Frame

I’m not generally a fan of recycled bike chain merchandise like jewelry, bags, chains, but this frame caught my eye. I like the shape and pattern of the chains in this frame. It’s simple but interesting.  You can even decorate it up if you like with odds and ends you have around the house.   The idea for these frames came about when someones bike chain broke on their way to work. There are plenty of uses one could have for a bike chains which is good but this picture frame sort of makes sure it won’t end up in a landfill somewhere. People generally keep picture frames for long periods of tome or at the least give them away. It’s not easy to break a bike chain and as long as it is constructed sturdily the frame could last forever! Another special perk to the bike chain picture frame is that it is made in the USA. That’s just one more reason why you should be buying these for yourself, friends, family, even strangers! You can find this frame and other super cute items at Hipcycle!

Eco-Fun: Great Projects, Experiments, and Games for a Greener Earth

Eco-Fun: Great Projects, Experiments, and Games for a Greener Earth
The weather is getting nicer out and this makes all of nature seem more relevant since is will soon be sprouting all around us! This is a great time to learn how nature works, why we need to save it and out. Eco-Fun is perfect for the whole family to get involved. When the kids are bored give them this and make them learn something. Eco Fun could also be a great tool in a school setting as well as groups like the scouts.
Description: The earth they walk on, the air they breathe, the water they drink, the sun that gives them energy–not to mention animals and their very own selves: everything about our world excites children. And, with these 50 fun-filled, science-based environmental experiments, kids will discover more about how our planet works and how to make it better. Divided into five themes (earth, air, energy, water, and biodiversity), these activities show how each element operates alone and in connection with the others–and what effect it has on us and the environment. Here are real-life ecology projects to do at school or at home, and for the community. Helped by an abundance of lively illustrations, youngsters will become “supermarket sleuths,” finding out where food comes from. They can build a solar panel, make recycled paper, construct a worm composter, and create a forest ecosystem in a jar. And when they’re done with each section, they’ll take an entertaining quiz or complete a puzzle. There’s no better way to develop a child’s intimate connection with nature.

Hello awesome eco-handbag alert!!! I just learned about Gunas Handbags from a sale that Pure Citizenis currently having. Gunas designs are soo my style! They are eco-friendly and use all faux leather materials as well as using hardware that is lead and nickle free! The Rockstar bag in particular is making me drool! I really love it when I can find super hot designs that are eco-friendly.
Now that all being said, WHY IS THIS BAG $325?!?!?! Really this is the impression we are giving to people who already don’t understand the importance of eco-friendliness! This makes me soo mad! People already have the misconception that organic/eco-friendly/sustainable is more expensive and generally not what it says it is. Companies like this give other green businesses a bad name. We are just scaring potentials off. I thought green businesses are supposed to be changing the minds of the masses about making responsible purchases? Luxury items are so expensive because people are stupid to pay for it not because the items are actually worth that much. You pay for a logo people. I am soo disappointed in Gunas and Pure Citizen. We cannot change peoples minds about being green by trying to fit in with the mass luxury market. We are above the high prices and snooty noses. We don’t need our hand bags to cost $325 dollars because it is unnecessary to spend that kind of money on an accessory. Don’t get me wrong I love fashion and I want to look just as cute as the next greenie but there must be a limit.

Wild Dill is one of my fave green shops for kids! You can get clothes, toys and gifts all in one spot. I appreciate a store that is really dedicated to the green cause instead of just claiming to be. I would also like to add that this is another company with awesome customer service. That is one of the most important things to me when shopping anywhere. Now on to the fun stuff!

Uncle Goose Antics Ant Blocks

Wild Dill Uncle Goose Antics Ant Blocks – Images of ant hills, a queen with her eggs and an enemy spider, Non-toxic, child safe inks, 16 blocks, Made in Michigan.

Yellow Label Kids Organic Bird Rattles

Wild Dill Yellow Label Kids Organic Bird Rattles -Set of three rattles: one bird and two owls,Fair Trade, made by groups of artisans spanning the globe from Chile to Nepal,100% organic bamboo yarn.

Roy Toy Earth Friendly Tree House

Wild Dill Roy Toy Earth Friendly Tree House – 71 pieces,Pieces tumbled for a smooth finish,Natural color with no dyes,Building instructions included,Packaged in a cotton bag,Made in USA

Zubels Organic Crinkle and Rattle Giraffe

Wild Dill Zubels Organic Crinkle and Rattle Giraffe- Hand knit,Low impact dyes,Arms span 13″ making them perfect for tying onto strollers, cribs and car seats,Fairly made in the Philippines, 100% Organic Cotton Yarn