2 of my 3 kids wore these amazing baby leg warmers and my 7 year old still does. Not only are they great for winter warming here in Ohio they are light weight enough to be used in summer as well… to protect that soft baby skin from the sun. LOVE their summer selections. Babylegs is having a great sale this week for Memorial Day.

A few weeks back I tested out some eco friendly flip-flops. This past week I have been wearing vegan shoes courtesy of Jambu Adventure Designs. Many of their shoes (including mine above) are vegan which makes them a great choice for ethical vegans and vegetarians who still want fashionable footwear. They also have an earth friendly bent because their outsoles are made with partially recycled and re-usable compressed rubber. They also use 100% recycled, recyclable and re-usable packaging. So while they are not the perfect green shoe they are certainly a good option for those looking to reduce their impact. A step in the right direction.

What I really like about their line is that most of the shoes seemed geared for environmentalists and adventurers. Its outdoor fashion. The shoes above are their water diva vegan shoes, which are pretty darn comfortable. And if you recall my post on barefoot running then you will know why I was excited to see they have vegan barefoot shoes too. I do not try to make every purchase vegan but where I can, I like to do so… wearing animals on our feet when we don’t have to is a huge waste of life.

Other women might be attracted to the design of the shoes with feminine floral motifs and contrast stitching. They are nice looking shoes. From the straps to the soles. They have a tribal flair that I like.

They are designed for adventuring and actual use. Jambu shoes are trail rated and they can be tightened or loosed as needed. Some are designed for use in an out of the water as well. That is the part that excites me because I am not to big on fashion but I do admit that they are snazzy shoes to look at. Any shoe company that makes ethical shoes or eco shoes need to appeal to a broad market and this brand seems to capture the green Fashionistas along with the outdoor adventuring type.

These shoes are sold via outside retailers so if you want to find them try Zappos or Amazon.

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Winner Announced!! It is Tammie Hutto Egloff. Congrats!

In the past I have been a flip-flop addict of sorts. Years ago it was not uncommon for me to have 10 or more pairs… of JUST flip-flops. In recent years though I curtailed my habit because they are generally so flimsy (lasting only one season) and they are heavy on plastics and foam. They were just a nightmare in the green department. So I tided myself over with sneakers (sniff) that last much longer and eco friendlier shoes when I could swing it.

Anyway when an eco conscious shoe company called Okabashi asked me to take some of their recyclable flip-flops for a test run I agreed to do so. They look just like regular flip-flops but there are several important differences.

For one they are not outsourced to a third world country, thereby paying workers peanuts AND saving resources with local manufacturing. These shoes are made in Buford, Georgia and I have heard you can tour their facility if you want to. The shoes travel only 7% as far as the average imported shoe. Second, they are VERY sturdy shoes, probably the highest quality pair of flip-flops I have ever owned. These babies are going to last years and the company even guarantees them for 2. Buying plastic anything can be a hard sell but when you know that plastic will only last a few months before it becomes completely unusable… that is a deal breaker.

Third, the material used in these shoes is unique in that it is soft, flexible, non-slip, odor-resistant, dishwasher safe, and contains an anti-microbial agent. Who ever heard of shoes you can toss in the dishwasher? Flip-flops especially can get nasty because the foam used so often to make them is porous and holds stains, and odor and cannot be washed effectively. These are going to be perfect for the gym since I can shower in them and wipe them down and make sure nothing nasty from the showers or locker room is going to get a foot hold in my shoes.

Fourth, these shoes are completely recyclable. Most times when you hear that a company is taking back their shoes for “recycling” that usually means they redistribute them. Okabashi believes in closed-loop recycling to reduce the use of virgin material and to keep old shoes from becoming environmental waste. So when you buy a pair of Okabashi shoes you are likely buying shoes that are made with recycled material already and when you are done with them you can send them back to Georgia (their address is on their web site) so they can be made into yet another pair. Their facility is virtually zero waste.. next to no scrap and last year they used 100,000 pounds of scrap material in their shoes. This is pretty amazing to me since I have first hand knowledge of the plastic scrap that get tossed in a local (Ohio) plastic business. It is STAGGERING the amount of plastic scrap that gets tossed out… ahem… like a huge parking lot full.

Fifth, they are vegan! The entire line contains no animal skins or byproducts, and they are not tested on animals. This is important because most sandals and flip flops that contain animal by-products such as leather and adhesives are nearly impossible to recycle and they end up in the landfill.

Sixth, they are affordable. No $50 flip-flops here. The prices are right around $15-$18. Wahoo! They (Okabashi) also have some listed on Amazon. The price on some is a tad higher but they are darn close to qualifying for free shipping.

I ended up getting two pairs of eco friendlier shoes for the summer and happily these Okabashi flip-flops are one of them because I don’t currently own any others (flip-flops, not shoes). We’ve been reunited and it feels so good.

I saw an ad for Sprout Watches in a magazine recently and I was really impressed with them. Of course I do not wear watches or any jewelry… they annoy me, but just in case I am actually freakish and most people do still wear watches, I thought I would mention them.

If you asked me a week ago what would be not so green about watches I would have only thought of the leather wrist straps but all of the sustainable features of these watches really shows how green conventional watches are NOT.

Sprout Watches are lead and phthalate free, have 100% organic straps, biodegradable case and buckle, the face plate is bamboo, the glass is mineral crystal made from sand not plastic plexi-glass, the battery is mercury free, and 80% of the packaging is recycled post consumer. I hear they also come with seeds that you can plant inside the watch box. Very cool. They are also VERY reasonable in price and nice looking too.

If your in the market for a watch or you want to gift one these would be good to consider.

When I stopped eating meat awhile back I did so for health reasons, not really for ethical reasons. But when you read vegan and vegetarian blogs, magazines, etc you start to understand the ethical reasons for avoiding animal products. This video from PETA shows the absolute horrors of using animal skins to make belts, shoes, and purses. Thank goodness I have never much liked the look of snake skin bags or alligator skin shoes because I would be so distraught after seeing this video. Ironically I saw it just after I finished vegan shoe shopping for my daughter at Simple Shoes. I was thrilled at how easy it was to find cruelty free shoes that she actually liked and I was also thrilled by the price (under $50).

But on to the video. I warn you… you could lose your lunch… it is THAT graphic. I wonder if anyone can buy animal skin products after watching something like this?