Green Treehouse

April 22, 2009, is Earth Day. Pull out the red crayon and circle that date on your calendar! Why? Because it’s the perfect day for resolving to go green!

You can jump start your Earth Day and green commitment with Classy Kid’s Degradable Diaper Sacks. Keep them in your diaper bag or within reach in the nursery. While ordinary plastic shopping bags may do the trick for containing dirty diapers, plastic takes years to break down in the landfill. These green diaper sacks break down and decompose quickly, making them a green, eco-friendly diaper disposal sack.

Though my mother hoped I would obsess over dolls as a child, I wasn’t all that into them. That’s far from the case with my own children. From the first time my girls could pick up a doll, they were hooked. True love at first sight.

As a mother, I’ve enjoyed watching their love for dolls evolve. At first, there was the baby cuddle doll and then there was the Gloworm—gee, that was such a hit with my older daughter. She refused to sleep without it.

The Gloworm love gradually faded, replaced by the discovery of a Dressy-type doll, which was later tossed for a baby doll that needed diaper changes because she could wet her diaper. I admit that once I started spending more money on doll (newborn) diapers than I did on those for my own living and breathing children, I did try to encourage Cabbage Patch Doll adoption, but that only backfired.

Now while my younger child is at the Gloworm stage, my older child is quickly falling for Barbies, American Girls, and Friends Forever Girls. While I try to let my girls steer their love for dolls and interests, I admit that I’ve said “no” to the purchase of a few types (brands) of dolls along the way. Frankly, I just don’t want my girls to grow up any sooner than necessary.

Thankfully, American Girl Dolls and Friends Forever Girls seem to have staying power, at least for now, though my daughter appears to increasingly favor her Friends Forever Doll. I guess that’s because the doll looks like a friend she could find in real life, minus the eye liner. It’s dressed in trendy clothing, similar to outfits my daughter likes to wear, but the clothing is age-appropriate (no micro-minis here…a huge thanks to a company that got it right…oh by the way, the doll packaging is eye candy for moms–no zipties!).

I appreciate how these two doll companies try to promote positive self-esteem, responsibility and self-confidence. For example, Friends Forever Girls come with an inspiring book (My child’s doll, Natalie, arived with a book that tackles how to deal with feelings) and a special “Butterfly Promise” card. If you’re curious, each letter in the word Butterfly stands for a powerful girl message (e.g., B, “be the best I can be”; U, “Use kindness and be fair”, T, “Tell the truth”…).

In today’s society, girls definitely need all the positive messages they can get. When they find a doll they love, those messages really seem to soak in. Given what I know about my children’s love of dolls and the speed in which their interests wane, I hope they continue to obsess over dolls that love them back for a long time to come.

From an envionmental perspective, cloth diapers really make sense. Cloth diapers also make financial sense. If you’ve never before considered using cloth, between the state of the economy and worries about your baby’s future world, using cloth might make sense for you. Cloth diapers might add up to serious cents, too—-think hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars–in your wallet over the diaper-wearing years.

If you’re interested in figuring out how much money you can save by switching to cloth or starting your baby out in cloth, check out this handy calculator at Diaper Pin.

Even if you don’t have plans to go full-time cloth, keep in mind that you can always use cloth on your baby part-time. And, with the swim season coming up, you can even consider a reusable swim diaper, like Swimmi Swim Pants from Bummis. The price of a Swimmi is roughly the cost of one of those packages of disposable swim diapers, and if you expect to be at the beach or pool frequently, you’re bound to save a ton of money. Plus, you’ll be doing a little something to help preserve the Earth for your baby and future generations!

There’s never been a better time to opt for cloth diapers. Not only can new parents save LOTS of money on diapers by choosing cloth over disposable diapers, but today’s cloth diapers are EASY to use! Really!

The Fuzzi Bunz One-Size Diapers are proof on both points. These adjustable, one-size cloth diapers fit babies between 7-35 pounds, so you’ll get plenty of mileage out of your investment. In this economy, who can’t use a a good investment, right?

Fuzzi Bunz also feature adjustable waistbands, snap closures and lasting elastic–making these diapers totally easy to use and reuse over and over again! Oh, the Fuzzi Bunz One Pocket Diaper also comes in fabulous colors, like aqua and periwinkle–a fun bonus to the cost savings and ease of use!

Expecting in 2009? If so, with the New Year here, there’s never been a better time to resolve to go green!

Kick off the green resolution and nursery preparations with American Baby Company’s Yummy Organic Cotton Velour Crib Set. This organic set is free from bleach and dyes, and is available in natural or mocha hues.

When you walk into the nursery and see this organic bedding, you’ll be reminded of your green commitment–to growing baby green and a healthy, green lifestyle–time and time again. Talk about a resolution with staying power!

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I’m head over heels in love with yet another Trumpette product. This time it’s Trumpette’s Organic Tights.

With “recycle” imprinted on the fabric, these organic tights are the perfect hand-me-down after baby outgrows them. Available in sizes 6-12M or 12-18M.

Oh, in case you’re wondering, it’s not too late to jazz up your little one’s holiday with a dash of eco-green. Place your Trumpette order today for delivery by December 24th.

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Trumpette Socks Really Do Rock

If your child loves fruit or singing Wiggles-style about fruit, they’ll love this adorable Organic Fruit Tote by Under the Nile Organics.

Under the Nile Organics proves that fruit is fun and yummy, yummy….

Finally, a crib mattress that gives parents everything they want–quality, safety and comfort for baby at a reasonable price. Naturepedic’s Organic Cotton Crib Mattress features all the good stuff: organic cotton fabric, a waterproof coating, a non-toxic, chemical-free core, and flammability standards compliant.

Move over vinyl, PVC, and phthalates, now there’s Naturepedic’s organic cotton eco-friendly crib mattresses.

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If you’re looking for another reason to buy eco-friendly toys, consider this news: a Michigan-based environmental research group has found that one-third of popular toys “contain medium or high levels of chemicals of concern.” That’s one in three!