go green

by partysugar

Plastic water bottles produce a lot of waste; one way to cut back is to use larger, refillable bottles for drinking water at home. This works well in an area like San Francisco where the tap water is drinkable and delicious.

Since I entertain a lot, I thought it would be eco-chic to make my own! Here's what I did:

1. Start by saving several wine bottles. I collected three clear bottles with smaller labels and screw caps.
2. Wash the bottles and their caps in the dishwasher.
3. Part of the labels will be removed. There are several ways to remove the rest of the label. You can heat them in the oven for a couple of minutes or warm with hot air from a blow dryer.
4. Scrub any of the label's residue off with a good sponge or a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover.
5. Fill with water, close the cap, and place in the fridge to chill.

A set of these also makes a thoughtful gift. Has anyone else made their own water bottles?

by POPSUGAR Moms

We've raved about the high-quality and chic practical duds of Liz Lange's line for Target. The designer is now helping us go organic with a handful of eco-friendly items she added to the line in time for Earth Day. The ultra soft t-shirts, hoodies, and pull-on pants come in solids as well as a cute butterfly and flower pattern. Made from organic cotton and spandex or nylon, the line once again makes a trend affordable for the masses.

by POPSUGAR Moms

If you've got an eco-conscious tot, there's no time like the present to get them involved in saving the environment. In honor of Earth Day, which is approaching, show your youngster this darling video — a compilation of all the reasons that children want to make the world a better place — and initiate a green conversation. What does your wee one want to save?

by POPSUGAR Moms

Like most parents, lilsugar wants the world to be a better place for our children, so we're going green for Halloween. This month we're giving you the tools to provide the thrills of dressing up and indulging in treats for your children in an eco-friendly fashion with ECOWEEN! Keeping with with the theme reuse, renew, and recycle — stay tuned for fun posts on the following:

Costume Swap Party — This prior-to-Halloween-party is costume required and allows children to swap their old costume for one that is "new-to-them" from another guest. Send out recycled invitations, bob for organic apples, and make it a ghoulish good time.

Five Costumes Made From a Box — As the saying goes, children enjoy the box more than the present, so take it a step further with some eco-friendly paint and a box cutter and turn their favorite toy into a fitting costume.

To see what other tricks and treats we have in store, read more

by POPSUGAR Moms

Nothing is better than a lil green gift. Outfit the cutie pies in your life with 100 percent organic cotton shirts hand screen printed with water-based inks. Eco ike tees ($22 - $24) can be laundered and then line dried to save energy. Available in soft pastel hues with a heart, sun or peace sign and a natural tone with sayings like, "I'm organic" or "be green", these tops will keep your tot cool and earth-friendly. If you're looking for something a bit more adventurous, pick up my son's favorite version — the one with the elephant riding a bicycle.

by POPSUGAR Moms

Most lil ones take time out of their days to nap, but there's a product that may help you send them off to slumber quicker than a lullaby. The Downtime Sleepy Hat ($22) is an organic cap that parents can tuck over the baby's head and eyes. The flip down mask blocks out light and visual stimulants. The eyelid detailing signals others not to disturb the sleeping babe.

What do you think of the breathable pima cotton cap?

by POPSUGAR Moms

For every family that lives in a three story walk up or isn't overjoyed with weekly jaunts to Costco, there's Diapers.com, the one stop online shop where you can order baby goodies (even green ones!) to be delivered to your door in a few days. So stock up on diapers, wipes, baby wash, bottles, cups, organic food, mommy products and other merchandise without ever leaving the house or having to clear out your trunk. And, if you're traveling this summer, you can have your order shipped to your destination so you don't have to worry about paying for extra bags on airlines.

Gone are the days of hunting down your favorite green brands like — Seventh Generation, Tushies Tender Care, Earth's Best Baby Food, Born Free baby bottles and Dapple cleaning agents — at your local stores. This Eco-friendly mecca has it all and more, for a fair price. Orders over $49 are shipped free of charge. Last week, I ordered a case of diapers, wipes and bath wash for my son which arrived two days later. I can't believe I didn't use this service sooner. For postpartum mommies and those with a few tots in tow, it cuts down on run around time which can be better spent with your babes.

by babysugar

So many baby care products are on the market claiming to be organic or natural, that it sometimes feels like you need to be a scientist to figure out what is best for your child.

The Natural Products Association just announced plans for a new certification program that will identify truly natural products with the seal pictured here.

Products obtaining the seal must be made up of at least 95 percent natural ingredients (and the other five percent must be determined to not be harmful to humans), feature ingredients that come from a purposeful, renewable/plentiful source found in nature and include processes that do not dilute the purity of the ingredients.

To read more about the new seal, and which companies already have it, read more