This 100% natural baby wipe kit is really cool and you can win one by going to Organic Girl's blog.  It consists of a reusable/recyclable jar to keep the bum wipes in, 10 wipes and a blend of essential oils.  The oil blend contains chamomile, calendula and lavender to help calm and freshen baby's wee little bum.  The set is kind of DIY because you add water to moisten the wipes and vinegar to reduce bacteria and odours.  Imagine how many baby wipes you use for one child from birth to potty training...the amount of money wasted and trash ending up in the landfill is ridiculous!  Re-usable wipes such as these are better for both the planet and for baby's delicate skin.  When you make it yourself, you know that there are no harsh chemicals or perfumes in the wipes to dry or irritate your baby's skin.  Now the saying "Soft as a baby's bum" will finally make sense!!

Eco-Me has a whole range of neat products that allow you access to the materials to DIY a variety of environmentally friendly products for babies such as baby pail deodorizers and room sprays.  They also have other kits for home cleaning, dog or cat products.  Check out Organically Hatched to purchase these items or go directly to the Eco-Me website to see their entire range of products!  Thanks to Organic Girl for the chance to win this baby wipe set and check it out!

There are a ton of products for teens that can help them become as eco-friendly as the rest of the family.  A good place to start is by getting them using an organic acne treatment.  Organic ingredients are much better than chemicals for problem skin and help to maintain a sustainable base for the skin care industry.  When you buy organic, you are saying that you want them to keep producing organic products, that the earth is important to you and that you'll continue to ensure that organic farming exists.

There are many DIY acne skin care treatments that you can look up online.  Fresh and all natural ingredients are the way to begin.  Ensure that you research any information you receive thoroughly to make sure that you don't end up with skin that's in worse shape than it already is!  Be aware that some treatments may work better for others than it does for you.  Pay close attention to how your skin reacts and be willing to try something new if it doesn't work.  There are also tons of organic and eco-friendly acne treatments that are ready to buy from the shelf.  Again, just make sure that you understand what you're buying ahead of time.

I'm going to try to do more posts on eco-friendly living for teens as well as the rest of the family.  I realized that this is an area I've been forgetting.  I've got a teenage son and I want him to start picking up some green habits too!  The picture is from Flickr user Fotoos Van Robin who has an amazing array of great photos with clean, clear lines.

This week's Etsy find was inspired by watching the reality show 18 Kids and Counting last night.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can check out this TLC reality show here.  Last night's episode showed Anna's labour and birth experience with baby McKynzie.  It was soooo beautiful that I just couldn't believe it.  They were "hoping" for a natural birth as many other parent's do and had a doula set up to assist the doctor in achieving their goals.

The doctor ended up being out of town when they went into labour so they opted for a home birth instead of dealing with a doctor that they've never met before.  I think that this situation happens frequently.  It even happened to me during my first labour and delivery experience.  I was only 19 and ended up naturally delivering my son at the hospital with a doctor I've never met before or since.  This really took alot of the intimacy of the experience out of the equation unfortunately.

Josh and Anna asked their doula to help them with a home delivery and she managed the pain naturally with the aid of showering, massage and a series of exercises.  I've never seen birth portrayed in such a natural, beautiful way!  Their experience was completely different than all 3 of my births.  I'd love to be able to experience birth in a more natural way.

Maybe using Etsy seller JoyfulGirlNature's products could help women reconnect with having a more natural and calmer birthing experience.  As a mom of five and a grandmother of 2, she certainly has experienced birth in a variety of ways!  She uses natural and organic ingredients to create her own recipes that have been found to be effective for their intended use.

This back pain relief oil is made of organic almond oil, lavender and frankincense.  The frankincense is especially good for natural labour because it aids in meditation which slows and deepens breathing.  It's very hard to stay calm and focused during labour and birth because of the intense pain.  Anything at all that can help mothers to achieve their goals of having a natural birth or to just calm them during labour is definitely worth a shot, right?  This product also can help provide sedative effects as well as being a natural muscle relaxer.  To make it even better, she uses PET packaging for all of her packaging!

She even has a pain relief labor package that contains a relaxation pillow with organix flaxseed and lavender, a labor relaxation oil, 2 lip balms, a natural peri-care spray and the back pain relief oil described above.  This would make a great gift for any Moms-to-be!!  If I ever get pregnant again, this is definitely on my must-have list.

She also offers a huge variety of other products for kids, men, women and even cats and dogs!  She has cleaning products, shampoos, moisturizers, face and body products and a huge array of natural remedies available.  All natural products by an Etsy crafter...fantastic!  I'd love to have the opportunity to review some of these products one day.  This is definitely a site that I'll be re-visiting in future posts (and purchases!).

Sounds too good to be true right? This seems to be one of those rare circumstances where it's even cooler than you think it is! New Jammies is a company that is making 100% organic sleepwear for kids that actually gets kids to eat their fruits and vegetables! They come in a variety of adorable food inspired picks although if you're looking for the grease laden french fries from McDonald's, you'll have to shop somewhere else! These jammies are the all natural kind and each pair comes with a book that helps parents to encourage kids to eat what they should be eatting -- fruits and veggies!!

In our world of what we want it when we want it, kids meals have become little more than pre-prepared overpacked trash. These tendencies are leading to huge overconsumptions of sugar and salt and contributing to an incredible rate of childhood obesity. Check out articles on the slow food movement for more information on how healthy eating can affect people of all ages. Anything that makes healthy eating a regular part of a child's day and exposes them to the normalcy of eating fresh and organic is definitely a step in the right direction!

Check out Organic Girl's blog for your chance to win a pair for the apple of your eye -- that's actually the name of the apple design! They contribute a portion of their proceeds to Fetal Hope -- which is a cause close to my heart as a mother of a lost baby. They also contribute clothes and blankets to preemies in NICU units and are a member of the Organic Trade Association. This is another company that I can definitely stand behind and support. Now just how to decide on which design to buy....

This week's featured Etsy seller is Nue to Me. This talented crafter has found a way to repurpose old t-shirts into some really cute, fashionable and practical items for kids. Each item is once of a kind and designed by her so it's not like getting your daughter a gap dress and everyone in her preschool class has it. What a terrible fashion faux pas!! lol My daughter actually loves it when people are wearing the same thing as her -- samesies or twinsies is what she calls it. Three year olds might think it's cute but I think it's more of the mindless drone consumerism that seems to be rampant. I love the custom look of these dresses as well as the green-ness of upcycling old t-shirts.

The dresses made by Nue to Me are my personal fav of her items. You can see the quality and work that goes into stitching each dress. The designs are carefully laid out according to what sorts of designs the t-shirts she's working with have. I love the two dresses pictured here...absolutely adorable! She has a variety of designs and sizes available on her site. They range in size from 6 months to 6 years with a ton of different styles so even the hardest to please little diva would be easy to shop for.

The t-shirt dresses that she makes tend to leave lots of left over bits of t-shirt material. With these bits, she makes cute hats in a variety of colours and sizes. There's the mohawk design featured here as well as a dread lock pirate version! These would be awesome when the snow starts falling soon and the temperatures are dipping. These would be great for Halloween as well! Just imagine how comfy the often washed t-shirt material would be even for the the youngest little one and the sizes would fit for quite a while because of the stretch of the material.

She also makes skirts from co-ordinating panels of t-shirt material like this Disney-inspired piece here. Check out her Etsy site for more of her designs and to see what else she makes out of the bits and pieces left over. This crafter leaves very little waste left over from her designs of wristlet bags made out of sleeves, masks, over size bibs (called dinner armour for a reason!) from the front and shoulder pieces, hair clips, etc. etc. etc. If only I was this talented!!! I'm thinking I might have to place a couple of orders from her for this Christmas...I suggest you do the same before she runs out of pieces!

She has a couple of other Etsy stores as well -- World of Whimm which features fantastic kids costume pieces for boys and girls and On a Whimm which features miscellaneous cute eco-friendly products such as tacks, pin cushions and cat nip toys. Or you could check out her blog at www.worldofwhimm.blogspot.com for more news and information on this imaginative crafter.

My kids always had little booties like this when they were little. In fact, my youngest still wears a similar pair except hers are leather. These booties are called Isabooties and are completely animal free!! This is a huge benefit for people leading the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle which has many environmental benefits. Pediatricians have long been recommending soft soled shoes such as these for new walkers.

Parents know that kids often slip on surfaces like tile or hardwood and little ones need grippers of some kind on their feet to avoid wiping out constantly. These shoes have a material called ToughTek on the bottoms that is the same as used in climbing equipment and rescue dog booties. It really prevents lots of bruises and tears and is machine washable and dryable!

Instead of using leather, these shoes use Ultrasuede which has some definite advantages over leather. First of all, and most obvious, no animals are harmed! They are 100% animal free. Ultrasuede can also be machine washed and dried without losing it's shape. The comparable leather shoes claim to be machine washable but end up coming out balled up and worn out. Parents know how often kids stuff needs to be washed so it's important for both budgets and the overfilling landfills that the product does not wear out quickly. Lastly, ultrasuede is a very breathable and comfortable fabric that won't make your little ones tootsies sweatier (and stinkier) than they already are!

This company uses recycled materials in their packaging with soy based inks. They are American made, formaldehyde free and use non-toxic dyes. Chemicals may not seem to be of much importance in a shoe. However, kids put everything in their mouth -- including their feet! It's a great idea to have non-toxic shoes as well as the other non-toxic kids products already on the market such as crayons and nail polish.

The only question is where can I get them? Their website has a store locator listing stores in the U.S., Canada, Denmark, France, Holland, Japan, Singapore, etc. etc. You can also buy them online on their site or enter Organic Girl's contest to win a pair for free! Thanks Organic Girl!!!

I discovered a whole new world of kids music the other day thanks to Organic Girl's blog.  Visit Putumayo for upbeat songs from a variety of cultures throughout the world.  There's no way your kids can help but to get their groove on while listening to this music in a wide range of languages.  It's like taking a mini-vacation right from your stereo!!

They have a variety of cultures represented from South Africa to Euroope to Russia to Palestine.  They've got one CD that just does different songs of Sesame Street shows throughout the world.  Fantastic!!  My toddler is dancing to it right now...  She's always dancing to something.

Thanks to Organic Girl for offering a review of the different CD's available from Putumayo.  She's also doing a give-away right now of four of Putumayo's different albums that would make a fantastic Christmas gift for any kid or kid at heart.  I'm telling you, there's no way the kids could cry while listening to this stuff.  It's just so different, lively and upbeat.  I even have a hard time sitting still while I'm listening to it!

It's important to teach children about different cultures while teaching them a love for the environment.  It's just as important for kids to develop a love of all kinds of people, beliefs and cultures.  After all, people and the plants and animals inhabiting the earth are some of the main reasons for trying to save the planet, right?

Solar energy is becoming more and more common for consumers of all kinds.  The technology is becoming less expensive and the knowledge of solar as an option is definitely increasing.  The demand for alternative energy sources, such as solar energy, is also increasing as people become more aware what more traditional sources of energy are doing to our planet.  Going green is also becoming a more fashionable lifestyle as celebrities and trend setters have picked up the cause.

Almost anything that you can think of is now available in Solar Specials.  Many kids will be heading back to school this season with solar devices in their backpacks.  There are many kinds of gadgets that kids need (and just plain want) that are available in special solar energy models.

The calculator is one gadget that has used light as a back-up energy source for a couple of decades now.  A small solar cell is mounted on the face of the calculator to catch the light and use it to power the calculator.  In this way, you can make sure that the batteries do not run out on your calculator right in the middle of the big math exam!  Most calculators made now contain a dual power system with solar energy being the main power source and batteries as a back up.  I guess this is so you can calculate how dark it is!

Backpacks have also gone solar with cells being mounted on the outside of the bag to power up a variety of gadgets that kids may want to charge up.  Anything from cell phones, I-Pods, MP3 players and even laptops can be charged when you're using a solar powered backpack.  This kind of bag is also popular with hikers and bikers who may spend hours in the sun.

Some of the gadgets that can be charged with a solar backpack are also available in special solar models as well.  Cell phones and MP3 players can be purchased with a solar capture device on them to help to power them.  These aren't exactly what I'd call back to school "essentials" but even the younger kids these days seem to have these devices in their school bags.

Remember to look for solar energy alternatives the next time you're in the market for a gadget of any kind.  Solar isn't just a great choice for the environment, it's a great choice for your wallet as well!  It can help you to save loads on batteries and that's just for starters.  Consider buying your kids solar powered back to school supplies to show them that the environment should come in top of the class everytime!

This is a sponsored post with 100% real opinons.

There are so many kids out there that spend their lives glued to a screen of one kind (computer) or another (television).  It's so important to teach kids a love of nature so that they cherish the planet that they will inherit.  Living in a city only seems to make this problem worse because there is less of the green stuff and a lot less freedom for kids.  Kids are no longer free to roam and play outside free of supervision because of safety concerns.

It's great to teach kids about recycling, nature, the environment, and animals but what they really need is hands on experience to develop a true appreciation of it.  On my quest to "green up" my family, I've tried to discover some experiences for my kids to truly get it.

Our trip to the Calgary Corn Maze really seemed to make it click.  My kids have a huge difference in age -- one is 15 and the other is 3.  The thing is, this place really kept both of them interested and busy all day!  My teenage son loved the corn cannon which was actually shooting garlic cloves that day.  They had high pressure air "cannons" that staff loaded and let the kids shoot off into the corn fields.  If the clove landed in the bucket, they won a free t-shirt!  These suckers really did shoot too much farther than even I expected.

The maze itself kept my teenage son and his best friend busy trying to win the race through the maze against the grown ups and toddler.  We were defeated but the war has not been won yet!  I plan to avenge my defeat on our next trip through the maze.  They had different levels of mazes too with big ones for big kids and little ones for little kids.  That's probably the version that I should take!  They even had stone and string mazes for those of you with Children of the Corn issues.

There's a huge play center with swings and play houses and slides.  They've even got a pyramid built of hay bales with slides leaning down the outside for the little ones to enjoy.  There's teeter totters, picnic tables and a concession stand for those afternoon snacks that are a must when travelling with kids.

My preschool daughter especially loved the train rides though.  The train itself was made of repurposed barrels painted like cows for the kids to ride in.  The barrels are all hitched together and pulled around the area with a tractor.  Super bumpy with lots of giggles!  The whole center is exceptionally well set up and designed with the entire family in mind.  My son even gave the tricycle track a try!  They have special events where you can bring your dog or go through the maze with flashlights afterdark.  They even have a pumpkin patch and Halloween events at the maze.

The highlight of the day for both of my kids was the animals.  My daughter loved the petting zoo.  There was sheep, goats, donkeys, a pony, rabbits, chickens, a rooster, pigs, piglets, a turkey, ducks and most importantly -- baby kittens.  I actually checked her pockets on the way out to make sure that we didn't end up with a new pet when we got home!  My son and his friend loved that there were frogs everywhere and spent a ton of time trying to catch them.

It's great to feed your kids organic foods and get them involved in home recycling but what is most important is teaching them why these things are truly important.  Going green is for the planet.  It's not a fad or a trend.  It's a genuine love of nature and everything in it.  This is something that I think we're born with but society kind of beats out of you with technology and boredom.  The Calgary Corn Maze is only 8 km out of the city but you can truly experience a return to nature by spending the day out in it.  If you're not living in Calgary or the surrounding area, try to locate a corn maze near you or a farm that lets kids go and play and truly be kids.  It will be a great day for all and maybe change your kids minds about the way they view nature.

These reusable snack bags are truly my favorite back to school item this year.  These ones are made by the Craft Twins on Etsy and are only $16 USD for the matching set of three.  The Craft Twins are actually a set of twin sisters who have been sewing professionally for over 30 years so you can be assured that the quality of their products is very good.  These bags come in a variety of styles in case you are not a huge shoe lover, like myself!

They've got everything from Dora for the little ones to skulls for the bigger ones.  They've even got some neutral reusable bags for the boring grown-ups in your life.  They come in sets of three sized just right for lunch -- one sandwich sized bag and two snack sized bags.  These kinds of reusable bags can really help to keep plastic out of our landfills by making plastic baggies obsolete.

They are waterproof as they are lined with nylon and close with velcro to keep everything in.  The one thing that I really like about this seller's bags, in particular, is that there are no exposed seams inside of the bag to catch crumbs and food bits.  That makes the bags easier to keep clean!  All you have to do at the end of the day is turn them inside out and wash it with a cloth.  Then, they're ready for use again tomorrow.  Much better for the planet and your wallet than continually buying and throwing away masses of plastic bags.  They take up much less space than tupperware containers too!