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.

Last night my 4 year old daughter participated in her school’s Christmas Program. It reminded me of all the reasons why she loves this school and why it is money well spent every month. Some days I have my doubts when she comes home and I ask her what she learned and she says something like “Jesus is in my Heart”. She seems to be learning a lot more about religion than academics but hey I knew it was a Christian school. At least she is having fun.

Last night she wore her handmade angel costume. It only took about an hour to sew and I used white suedecloth material I already had from my cloth diaper making days. It turned out great and IMO she was the most gorgeous angel there, LOL. BUT we did have a slight problem. I got lazy and decided I would just get a white Christmas wreath/bead thingie at the craft store and make a halo with it. NOT such a great idea after all. It looked great but about 3 quarters of the way through the program she started having an allergic reaction to the glitter or paint chemicals in the headpiece.

At the end of the video below you can see her look up at the headpiece and then immediately start rubbing her nose. When it was all done she had a running nose and very puffy red eyes. Sometimes I think that the lack of chemical exposure in our green home makes us more vulnerable when we do get exposed. Her reaction was swift and she looked miserable by the end of the night. Here is my little angel:

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 $11.00 price tab is great too.

Update: 7/31/2011 – Still using this bottle and it is the one that I reach for quite often! When we went hiking in the Hocking hills region of Ohio just today I grabbed this lightweight bottle without hesitation and it was cinch to carry all day long.

As parents become increasingly aware of all the potentially toxic products that are marketed to kids it only makes sense that some concerned parents would open stores to provide us with safe alternatives. One of those stores that I really like is Non Toxic Tots. And it just so happens that I have known the owner (online) for a couple years now and she and her store are pretty awesome. I think I first met her via a cloth diapering community and a co-op she ran helping me to get natural goods at low prices. Even then she was helping other moms to have access to safer, more natural, and eco friendly products. I not only LOVE the idea of buying the safest and healthiest gear for my kids I love the idea of supporting other families with my purchasing dollars.

Non Toxic Tots has a little bit of everything…clothing, natural toys, soft sole shoes, soaps, and healthy feeding gear for kids including Klean Kanteens and Camden Rose wooden bowls. The bowls for instance are crafted from American Black Cherry and sealed with beeswax.  They are designed, manufactured and packaged in the USA and then of course sold by a mom in New Jersey.

Also make sure to check out her blog at Mama K in NJ.