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It is the time of year when we might buy a new weekly planner and calendar. This is the first year that I am sporting a  GREEN one thanks to Sarah Pinto.

Not only is this a GREAT, stylish planner it is eco friendly and made by a mom of two. Sarah wanted to make a fun, stylish planner that would fit well inside a purse for those that like the visual reminder of a weekly planner. These planners measure 5” by 7” and are made with high-quality recycled paper, soy-based ink and they are printed and bound in San Francisco, California (my fave town). There are five unique cover designs. I have the blue one with a horseshoe that says “This is My Lucky Year”. LOVE that!

Sarah Pinto’s 2009 Weekly Planners are a stylish, eco-friendly answer to your busy everyday schedule. Check em out at SarahPinto.com!

I just want to give a shout out to a great Etsy seller. This week I bought a recycled wool phone cover for my Blackberry and I LOVE it! It is made from a felted wool sweater and then an adorable owl was appliqued on it. A button was sewn on to close it. It fits my phone perfectly!

Another cool product I spotted there is a wool cover for Klean Kanteen bottles. Woot! That may be next on my “to buy” list. Check out what this small, mom etsy seller has to offer at Second Chance Studio.

I have always had a favorite water bottle and his name is Mr. Klean
Kanteen. But step aside Klean because you may have been replaced. Okay maybe not replaced, but you will now have to share your coveted position in my cupboard. Make room for the sleek and ingenious Intak by Thermos.

I wondered how I would like the Intak but I can now say I am a huge fan and while the Intak is a reusable (green) water bottle it does have a big strike against it…it is plastic. BPA free, safe plastic but plastic none the less. But am an ardent admirer now and I will tell you why.

The Intak is a great sports bottle…emphasis on sports, activity, hiking backpacking, camping, etc.  In that respect the Intak wipes the floor with heavier stainless steel bottles. I personally do not like to take Klean Kanteens on hikes or when camping because it is heavy and when backpacking or day hiking weight is extremely important. Backpackers know the full weight of their packs down to the ounce…just look at backpacking gear in a sporting goods store and look to see how they put the weight on everything. Sigg is not as heavy but it also has another problem that it shares with KK. They are cold. If I put a cold liquid in either of these bottles, the temp transfers to the outside and it can be very uncomfortable to hold onto such a cold bottle, especially in winter. An insulated bottle somewhat fixes this but it adds weight. This problem is not as pronounced with plastic.

Also, when backpacking or camping I sleep with my water bottle in cold weather to keep it from freezing. I know I don’t want to sleep next to a cold metal bottle.

Beyond that, the Intak has an ingenious design…the best I have seen. The bottle portion is long and sleek with ridges along one side to help with grip. It has an ounce measuring line on the other side so you can keep track of how much you are drinking. This leads to another reason why plastic as opposed to stainless steel makes a better sports bottle…you can see the water levels. Knowing how much water you have is important when backpacking or camping.

The Intak has a push button on the cap and with one push the top pops open so you can grab the bottle, pop the top, and drink all with one hand! To prevent you from accidentally opening it you can put a little metal flap over the button to keep it from engaging….perfect.

AND it also has a sturdy plastic loop on the back of it so you can attach it to a pack or belt if you want to. This is a great feature. It even rated a mention by The New York Times as a great bottle for sports enthusiasts.

It is made of plastic that is BPA free so you don’t have to worry about toxic leaching into your water. You can also put in on the top rack of the dishwasher.

It comes in blue and purple, green, and pink. If you are a die hard stainless steel fan they even have a SS version!! I have the blue one as you can see above and below. If you are in the market for a reusable bottle this is a good one! The $9.99 price tab is great too.

Also wanted to mention that Thermos is partnering with the non-profit organization charity Hydration for All to address the global water crisis by building two wells in Ethiopia and Liberia. They’re encouraging everyone to donate through HydrationForAll.com.

My two boys love to take things apart and put them together. They love to create/invent new things too. Unfortunately most toys that allow for this type of thing are plastic…it is just easier to make interchangeable parts in plastic than in wood. Automoblox is a fairly new toy that I think gives us the best of both worlds. They have made a line of wooden automobiles that have plastic attachments. The bulk of the vehicle is wood that comes apart in sections and the plastic parts like the wheels, windows, and people are plastic and interchangeable so that with just a few cars or trucks you can create a ton of new customized vehicles. Wheels can be alternating colors and you can put a flat bed on a car, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Both of my boys like cars (big surprise) so I was eager to see if they liked Automoblox and they really did. Not long after my oldest son took the T9 truck for a test drive he was eager to get more so that he could start designing his own vehicles. The quality is tops too. These vehicles will stand up to rough play.

They get a thumbs from me for several reasons. They partially use sustainable materials when most counterparts use all plastic. They are quality toys that will last and they inspire creative play, design, and imagination. The interchangeable pieces help with problem solving too and kids enjoy playing with them. They have all the makings of a good toy.

At Amazon.com right now you can get a combo pack of Mini Automoblox vehicles…the C9 is Red, the T9 is Green, and the S9 is Blue.

Remember my post awhile back about toxic nail polish and my search for something better for my daughter. Some of the ingredients of conventional nail polish are scary…Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene so of course I hesitated to let my daughter polish her nails. But I did find many safe options and just stumbled upon another this weekend, Piggy Paints! They are non-toxic, odorless, and very kid friendly. Their slogan is “natural as mud”.

They use natural ingredients that dry to a hard, durable finish. There are no toxic chemicals; it’s free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate and acetone. They also have a safe nail polish remover.

Piggy Paints are a big hit with my daughter. The nail polish dries pretty quickly (1-2 minutes) with a blow dryer and the color is very vibrant and pretty. I love the suggestions on the piggy paints site for distracting young kids while their nails dry too. While I got my camera my own daughter gave herself a blue eyebrow. ;) They have some amazing colors my daughter is in love with. I like Dandelion Dance and Dragon Tears. In the picture below my daughter is wearing Tea Party for Two and Girls Rule! Piggy Paints get two very emphatic thumbs up from us!

Aaah…the stuff that makes life easier. Two on my tops list this week are the Nappy Balm Protection and Sleepytime Bath from the Eco Store. My family has had a case of the sickies lately…some type of flu. Four of us, inlcuding me have had it and my two sons had some bowel issues that came with it too. My youngest, who is almost three and still wearing diapers (lazy mommy), got bad diaper rash. Nappy Balm Protection to the rescue! This stuff is divine! It is creamy white and feels like whipped cream and it is very natural and safe….no chemical nasties. It has the following ingredients… Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Sesame Oil, Zinc Oxide, Beeswax, and Pseudowintera Colorata (Horopito) extract. It works well and really soothes a sore bottom.

The second miracle product is the Sleepytime Bath that I also used on my almost three year old son. He stopped napping a few months ago but mommy loves nap time so I decided to give him a 1:00 PM bath a few days a week with this bath soap. The proof is in the pudding… he was out like a light every time. Is there ether in this stuff??? It is a restful aromatherapy blend of lavender and geranium and the stuff works.

Ecostore is the US extension of New Zealand’s Ecostore, which has been in business for more than 15 years in New Zealand, well before green and sustainable became buzzwords in the US. Check them out!

Sure there are lots of really cool green lunchboxes on the market but you sometimes you just want a no muss, no fuss lunch sack…but you don’t want paper. Enter the EcoBags Lunch Tote. I am a big fan of fancy bento lunches for me and for my kids but simplicity is divine too and I really like this lunch sack. It is just a tad bigger than a paper lunch sack and it is made of recycled unbleached 10 oz. cotton canvas and it has a Velcro closure at the top. It is recycled because scraps are collected and woven into new canvas material to make the bags. Taking care of it is easy too…just machine wash on cold and hang to dry. I hand wash mine in the kitchen sink and hang to dry or throw it in the wash with a load of clothes. It is both kid & grown up friendly and oh so perfect for travel and day trips. You can even get creative and personalize them with colorfast fabric markers and paints, or sew on some patches. And at only $5.50 a bag they are a steal.

You may want to consider these for Christmas gifts. An Ecobags lunch tote, a Wrap-N-Mat, and Klean Kanteen combo would be a great gift!

Yet another great family owned store giveaway! The Soft Landing is a store dedicated to healthy, non-toxic products for the whole family. With all of the conventionally available products, and especially feeding items that are made of toxic plastics, Alicia Voorhies (a former RN) decided to give parents a better alternative. You will not find products with Bisphenol-a (BPA), phthalates, and PVC. What you will find are safe baby bottles, teethers, sippy cups, feeding gear, water bottles, lunchboxes, and much more. The site is also a great resource for finding out exactly why some plastics are dangerous with all the latest research and news about the topic.

What I love the MOST about this store is that they have amazing sampler packages where you try different brands. You don’t have to buy a six pack of one brand and then find out you don’t like them, you can buy several different products in one package and then see what works and what doesn’t. This feature is a huge time and money saver for parents. 

If you want to stay up to date on the latest “safe” products and research into the not-so-safe ones, I suggest you sign up for the Soft Landing newsletter on left side of their web site. And now on to the giveaway! Alicia and her team at The Soft Landing have been gracious enough to giveaway an awesome prize pack to my readers and it is just in time for cold weather! Imagine drinking your coffee and tea in safety and style with these gorgeous Thermos containers. A $67 dollar value!! Great for you or for Christams gifts.

The Thermos Stainless Steel Coffee and Tea Prize Pack:
1 - SS 12oz Tea Tumbler w/ Infuser - Espresso $23.00
1 - SS 18oz Grande Coffee Tumbler - Espresso $26.00
1 - SS 16oz Coffee Tumbler - Metallic Blue $18.00

The winner is comment #52 Princess Momma!!!