Our shipping charge for the continental USA is now just $10! We’ve been experimenting with how to lower our shipping costs and are passing the savings on to you, our fabulous eco-savvy customers.

As always, order 3 or more gifts at once and the shipping is free!

Looking for an easy way to dye eggs this weekend? I came across a fun article on how to make your own dyes! If you like to cook, you’ll probably have everything you need around the house. Except maybe the beets…

If you already own those little squirt bottles of food dye–my mother’s set lasted my entire childhood!–you can always use those with a little vinegar and hot water. Not as earth-friendly a dye, but I’m a big proponent of using what you’ve got around already.

Now I’m off to brave the wilds of preschool in search of one son. Happy weekend to all!

The Environmental Working Group recently released a new report with the sensational title of “Toxic Tub”–which is typical of EWG, which values publicity in a big way. The bottom line is one we’ve heard before–US labeling and testing laws allow suspected carcinogens and known harmful substances to be put into body care products for people of all ages, and there’s no way to tell from the label.

My favorite source for checking up on body care products is Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic safety database. It’s a good first stop for assessing the safety of your favorite products. But even this resource must be read carefully–listing “fragrance” as an ingredient will raise a product’s score (higher scores are bad), even when the fragrance in question is an essential oil with no known risks. The database is trying to be even-handed and fair, but, as always, reading and questioning doesn’t stop just because a resource or company seems to be eco-friendly and well-intentioned… sigh.

For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to have an organic chemist to pester, my two favorite eco-friendly and safe lines for kids are the ever fabulous Earth Mama Angel Baby, which I feature in several of our luscious baby gift boxes, and California Baby, which is easier to find in stores–at least in this neck of the woods–and also offers sunblock. (If you are having trouble finding natural body care products, look in the nearest natural grocery store–or even in the natural-food section of a large chain grocery store. Whole Foods even has its own “Premium Body Care” program which carefully selects the safest products.)

Being prone to rashes myself, I am always very careful about skin care products, and since my sons were born I’ve noticed a number of EMAB and California Baby products making their way over to the adult bathroom in the house. We have tried a number of “natural” product lines over the years, but we keep coming back to these two. California Baby even has a shampoo for swimmers–an absolute essential for my water-obsessed and blond kids. Though, come to think of it, they might like having green hair…

The first crocus just poked up through the ground, and that means it’s time for a spring sale! Enjoy 20% off all our gorgeous and green baby gifts during the month of April.