Came across this awesome nail polish set today and had to share. Nail polish is IMO one of the nastiest products you can buy but several companies are now marketing non toxic nail polish and this is good news for moms of little girls who love to wear nail polish. This particular nail polish is made by one of those companies (Keeki Pure and Simple) and I LOVE that they have bundled Halloween sets, the Franken-Keeki Gift Pack. I want one for myself! The green is awesome although they call it Sour Apple Slushie and the black is Midnight Snack. My daughter can testify to the fact that the name is just as important as the color. ;) Although not in the Halloween pack, the Sugar Plum Nail Polish is an awesome purple color that would be great for Halloween too.

The Candy Corn Gift Pack has Lemonade, Marshmallow, and Orange Sorbet.

These nail colors have no parabens, phthalates and other nasty ingredients. They are also gluten-free, toluene-free, vegan, made here in the US, and never tested on animals.

Anxious for Halloween yet?

Related: Ditch the Nail Polish Nasties

A couple years ago I compiled big lists of BPA free kids cups. Most of us were used to giving our kids plastic sippy cups to avoid spills but when we found that BPA or Bishpenol A had the potential to harm our children we sought better options. Our demand for better products was so loud that MANY companies reformulated their products to offer safer cups and many new companies popped up to fill this need as well. Still for many moms, myself included, there was still something missing.

Yes we had safer cups but they were made of plastic.. which frankly can have other issue besides BPA. While I gave moms who wanted plastic options they needed I scoured the net for stainless steel cups and I bought up small mason jars at thrift stores for my own kids. With out mix of stainless steel tumblers and little glass jars we made do, but I DID miss the sippy cup option!

Now a company has stepped to the plate to provide an answer for us picky moms… a glass cup with plastic sippy attachment, and a sleeve to prevent breakage. It is quite simply the most awesome safe sippy cup I have yet seen. I am really loving it… the EIO Glass Cup for Kids.

The design is similar to what we now see in glass baby bottles. It has a silicone sleeve that prevents breakage of the body.. which is glass. The top portion is BPA, Phthalates and PVC free plastic with a small hole in the inclined area. There is no spout or valve that is impossible to clean or that allows for mold growth. It is dishwasher safe. The BEST part though is that the lid fits on to virtually any 8 ounce canning jar!!! Yes… if your cup breaks (which is unlikely IMO) you can replace with a canning jar, easy peasy! I just love the whole concept, especially the part where I do not have to buy another cup if the part most likely to break, does in fact break.. I can just use a caning jar I already have. The top plastic part is very sturdy and unlikely to break IMO. The sleeve is nice but not really a necessity.. if it were to rip somehow, the cup would function just fine without it.

Up until we got the EIO cup we were just using open cups (both metal and glass). We had lots of breakage, which was no biggie really but the spills were getting out of hand. Since we have started using the EIO that issue is gone, thank goodness. We have the green cup but there is also purple and orange and I am considering getting one for my 6 year old too because the cup does not have a babyish appearance and it would help with dinner time spills. This cup is great for older kids too.

I don’t like using plastic or buying new plastic but I will buy “smart” plastic. Something that will be reused over and over again, that will last, and that makes it easier to use less plastic overall. This cup definitely qualifies.

All in all, I am pretty excited about his new innovation. Some companies see a need and they do the bare minimum… like take the BPA out of their existing cups. Other companies see moms who are concerned with not only the chemicals but also the reliance on plastic and the move towards other materials and they come up with a solution. I love the EIO cup but I also love the fact that one company stood up and took notice of what I (and other moms like me) wanted in a kids cup and they delivered. It should be no surprise to anyone that is was in fact a mom who invented this cup… a mom that wanted to empower her kids to use REAL, earth friendly dinnerware at the table.

Much thanks to Kathy Haskell of EIO for the awesome product and for sending me a sample cup to review at my request.

One of the few NEW items my daughter will be sporting to school this year is an organic tee from Little Green Star. I made the commitment to buy mostly used and I am sticking to it. I make my final thrift store run next weekend. BUT I have no qualms about spending money on new clothes when they come from ethical companies with green values and Little Green Star is one of those companies IMO. And my daughter has to go to school with some shirts that declare our values right?

My daughter loves this natural tee with a ladybug on it that says “Ladies Don’t Litter”. It has become a motto for her and she goes around saying it all the time. And their other slogans are just as cute:

Peas Out
Water Pollution Makes me Crabby
Bee Green

I love that they have sizes for older kids (4-6T). It drives me batty when I see cute organic clothing and it is only for babies. The tees are 100% certified organic cotton and the designs are printed by hand with water-based inks that are PVC-free and phthalates-free. The prices are not out of ths world either.

Now that I have found my groove with used clothing, my new purchases are dwindling, but for Little Green Star I will make an exception.

This week my toddler, Mr. Parker, has been digging on his new BPA free feeding gear from ThinkBaby. It is a complete stainless steel feeding system encased in safe plastic (polypropylene). It contains a baby bowl with lid, a soup bowl with lid, a bento box with air tight lid, a cup, a fork, and a spoon. They are free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, and melamine.

My first impression of the set was that it is VERY attractive and functional. We got rid of the cheap plastic and melamine plates and cups a long time ago and started using regular dishes. But there is just something to be said about pint size dishes that can be tossed around without fear of breakage. I can’t recall if I ever mentioned this before but Mr. Parker has a one inch scar on his cheek from a glass bowl that broke. It was a very traumatic experience so I fully understand why many parents want kiddie dishes instead of adult dishes. I could care less about the expense of broken dishes but I care very much when I have to spend half a day in the hospital having my baby stitched up. :(  And I care that he is now scarred for life.

The Thinkbaby Feeding Set is very attractive, it is much more sustainable then pure plastic options, it is sturdy and functional, and much safer than other many other feeding products. BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, and melamine are deal breakers.

This set is also perfect for travel and packing a lunch. This summer the family will be spending a lot of time at the zoo, the science museum, and picnicking in area parks. We plan on packing lunches in our bento boxes and Parker’s will be packed in this set. If I fill up a Laptop lunchbox for him, I would be wasting a lot of food… the Thinkbaby set is the perfect size for young kids. I think I will buy one for my 5 year old as well. They are not heavy at all so there won’t be extra weight to lug around either. They would be phenomenal for taking food to day cares and preschools.

My favorite piece in this set is the cup. It is the perfect size for my toddler and it has a handle so drinking is easier to master. Since we are not using sippy cups anymore it is the perfect solution. We use the cup more than any other item. The bento box is also great for snacks…either at home or on the go. Parker has been using the bento to eat his breakfast every morning of late… fresh and dehydrated fruit slices, sprinkled with crushed nuts and seeds. If he doesn’t manage to eat it all I just put the lid on it and stick it in the fridge until lunch. The bigger bowl is great for small salads and fresh cut veggies for dipping as well as soup.

I the only things I would change about this set are the utensils. I think they need to be bigger for toddlers and older kids. As they are, they reminded me of baby utensils…which is perfect for babies I guess but not so much for toddlers. I also wish they came in more colors. I would ideally like to have a set for my toddler and my 5 year old and each having their own special color would be awesome and would make traveling with these dishes even easier.

All in all though I think I can safely say this is my favorite set among the BPA free, safer kids dishes and cups. They are a good value for the money and I know we will get a lot of use out them. I would recommend them highly to other parents!

On the menu: Egg drop soup, a green smoothie with spinach and fruit, and sliced bananas sprinkled with dried cranberries, almonds, flax seed, and banana nut granola from Bare Naked.

Watch the video below to see Parker in action. He loved the green smoothie (of course) and the fruit…he would not touch the egg drop soup, he only played with it. He is soooo my vegan baby. ;)

Boon has quickly become one of my favorite companies for kids products. Their BPA free bowls and utensils for kids rock, they have an awesome potty bench that we are using, and the design is modern yet slightly retro. The design mom in me loves them. Oh and they are also sticklers for safe plastics that won’t poison our kids.

They have just come out with some really cute and safe bath toys that are free of BPA, PVC, and phthalates, as have some other companies. Here are some safer bath toy options:

The Scrubble (picture above) - A set of three interchangeable bulbs and textured attachments. For fun, fill the bulb with water and squeeze it out. The toys are easy to keep clean, just unscrew the parts—and they can even go in the dishwasher.

The Original Rubber Duck - This classic has been re-done with a non-toxic spin. All natural materials and hand painted with non-toxic paints.

Green Toys Tugboat - Made by the amazing company, Green Toys and from recycled materials no less.

Water Bugs – Kids can scoop up these colorful critters as they glide across the water. Set includes three floating bugs and a mesh net. My kids would LOVE this!