Wow…confessions of a mom who is definitely plugged in. :)

Today I am doing a different sort of spring, but it still much needed…cleaning. I am cleaning out my virtual workspace…my computer.

I think like MANY people nowadays it seems my life is organized on a computer. I work from home on my computer, I make phone calls from my computer (Skype), I pay my bills online, I use an online daily planner, I shop online for the most part, I have thousands of digital pictures filed away, and because since I try to keep things waste free around here I keep digital receipts and records.

Every few months my puter starts to run sloooow so I need to do a cleaning. So today I did some virtual filing, updated my daily planner, moved a TON of data to a removable hard drive, and I installed Norton 360 2.0. I tried another virus/spam software program for a year and I returning to Norton, especially now that the 360 version is out. So far it is awesome. It cleans up the data with the PC Tuner and gets things moving faster, it stores all my passwords, personal info, and credit card numbers so I work faster and of course it protects my computer with their awesome firewall.

I think it is important to have good protection for your computer if you shop and work online. I would hate to think about lost I would be if all my stuff was gone. Which by the way won’t happen with Norton’s either because it backs up your data for you. So now I have double protection becuase I use an online back-up service too, called Mozy. The MOST tragic thing would be if I lost my pictures…that has happened before. Pictures AND picture slide shows. :(

In addition to that I made some iTunes playlists and I uploaded some parenting audios to my iPod so I will have plenty of fresh listening material for my vacation in 3 weeks. If I haven’t already mentioned we are spending nearly 2 weeks in Florida. 

Okay back to cleaning…

Last year when the lead toys fiasco all came to light, I briefly blogged about a new company called Green Toys. They take recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials and turn them into stylish and practical toys. They are made in the USA so you don’t have to worry about weak safety standards like you would if they were imported from China. They comply with all safety standards prohibiting phthalates and BPA.

My family recently got to test drive these great toys made from recycled milk jugs and they got a BIG thumbs up here. They are perhaps a bit more expensive than toys you could buy at Wal-Mart but you really do get what you pay for. Green Toys are sturdy and attractive…not cheap and flimsy looking. I love the darker pastel and earthy colors and to me they just shout out QUALITY. I think they are a much more appealing than anything you could find at a big box store, they are tough and will stand up to some serious play, and they are turning garbage into treasure.

Green Toys covered the basics with the following toy sets:

Green Toys Tea Set (17 pieces) – What little girls don’t love tea sets? I know my daughter does. She has several and unfortunately some of them are the cheap, low quality ones, so we are phasing them out. Her favorite tea set is a Strawberry Shortcake set made with real ceramic but since she is 4, I prefer she play with something less breakable for a while and earth friendly, green toys are perfect. The colors are beautiful with blues, greens, purples, and mauve.

Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set- If you have a play kitchen in the house then you need this cookware set. It has 27 pieces including a stock pot with lid, skillet, plates, bowls, cups, and 4 utensil place settings. It uses the same color scheme as the tea set so this makes a great pair for kids who like to make believe they are cooking and throwing diner parties. My kids could spend all day slaving over their hot imaginary stove. ;)

Green Toys Indoor Gardening Set- My kids get plenty of exposure to gardening outside but other than cut flowers we sometimes forget to bring nature indoors so this is a fun set for kids. It is adorable. It comes with 3 pots, a pea-pod shaped planter tray for the pots to sit in, a trowel, soil, and 3 packets of organic seeds. The seed packets (Teddy Bear Sunflower, Zinnia, and Basil). It is pretty easy to use too. Just drop in the peat, soak with water, wait 30 minutes and you are ready to plant. Unfortunately the pots do not have drainage holes so if your kids will be watering they need to be careful not to get things too wet. We will see I guess, if this presents a problem.

Green Toys Sand Set- We have a nice sandbox outside so these are a hit of course. If you are familiar with sand toys then you will likely know how cheap and breakable they usually are but these are sturdy and sure to last for several summers. The set comes with a bucket, a sand castle mold, a shovel, and a rake. These are perfect for your personal sandbox at home or for trips to the beach. They stay true to the gorgeous blues, greens, and oranges that the other set use too.

Overall I was very impressed with these toys. They will last, the kids like them, they are attractive, and they make use of landfill waste…turning it from trash to treasure. This green mom likes Green Toys.

Eco Ike is a fabulous new store that I found recently that makes green t’s and products for a happy, healthy world. They keep everything organic, sweatshop free, and 100% fair trade!

They have some adorable t-shirt design for children including one that says “Be Green” and my personal favorite, “I’m Organic”, with the “O” in organic being a smiling toddler face. They are soft and comfy too. :)

Eco Ike also has some gorgeous animal designs t-shirts and resusable bags. I just LOVE the fact that they are a triple threat – stylish, sustainable, and fair trade. What more could an ethical and green mom ask for?

The packaging is another awesome feature. They use 100% recyled paper and 100% biodegradeable ribbon for all their packaging. Plus 5% of their proceeds is donated to American Forests.

I love supporting these smaller, ethical companies, so in celebration of Earth Week I have a great Eco Ike giveaway for you. Special thanks to Eco Ike for donating the prizes!

I have two natural colored ”I’m Organic” t-shirts to giveaway. One is a standard jersey t-shirt in 3T. The other is a 3T fitted t-shirt for girls. The size actually says 1 (european sizing) on the latter shirt but is is equvilent to a size 3 US. 

To Win: Just comment! And let me know which t you want. There will be two winners.

I was interviewed recently by the mom shopping expert Chele at Moms Love Shopping and it is now available for listening here. We talked about the plastics habit, inverse quarantine and the book Shopping Our Way to Safety, and I shared the 7 questions you need to ask yourself in order to shop green. You MUST go and listen to the interview but here is the cliff notes version of my seven tips:

1. Do I really need and want this – can I get by without it? Sometimes the answer might be to STOP shopping.

2. Is it made from renewable, or nonrenewable resources? We are always going to want to choose renewable resources where we can. Also, no renewable resource are used to ship items around the world so shopping locally is VERY helpful and it supports your local economy.

3. Is it made of recycled materials and is it recyclable? Buy products that come in containers you know you will be able to recycle later on.

4. Can it be maintained and repaired? Or is it one of those products that once it breaks you pretty much have to throw it out and buy new.

5. Could I borrow, rent or buy it secondhand?

6. Is it overpackaged? It is wrapped in plastic and then wrapped again a cardboard box?

7. Can it be reused?

I hope you enjoy the interview…thanks Chele for asking me to come and chat with you!

To celebrate Earth Week I have decided to do 5 days of green giveaways.

First up…I am giving away a copy of the new book Gorgeously Green: 8 Steps to an Earth Friendly Life by Sophie Uliano. This is another book that targets women in regards in to green living and discusses green beauty, homes, fitness, food, travel, and gardening among other topics. It is written to be a handbook for women who want to live the good life while being kind to the Earth.

It is also a good intro for women who are not so knowledgeable about things like hybrid cars, green remodeling, and biofuels. It seeks to put some glamour in being green.

To win it: Just comment. A winner will be chosen via random.org on the 28th and be sure to check back all week for more giveaways….you can win more than one once!