Eco-Fashion Addresses Economic Downturn

GreenEdge Kids today announced a new 2009 line-up of sustainable children’s clothes targeted for budget-conscious parents. We’ve all recognized the need to economize this year, and GreenEdge Kids, the largest online boutique for designer organic and natural kids clothing, sizes 2-12, is offering eco designer styles that are both greener and more affordable than ever. Eco designers, typically already operating on lean margins, have trimmed even more off prices for both spring and fall 2009 with strategies like avoiding high-cost eco fabrics, keeping designs styled yet simply sewn, offering new colors of prior seasons’ designs. Those who can’t get prices down are getting value up by adding versatility and functionality, with features such as reversible dresses/skirts, 3-season colors/weights/styles, mix-and-match and dress up/dress down capability.

Maia Andersen, designer and owner of Sustainable Kids, a U.S.-based green childrenswear designer, says, “Because we are manufacturing in the U.S. and we’re using high quality certified fabrics, we can only bring down our prices so far, but we can add value to our pieces. We have developed a number of multi-season reversible styles, which we are selling much faster than we had anticipated. We have also adapted to the market uncertainty by adding flexibility to our manufacturing and delivery timeframes for certain styles.”

On the retail side, in 2009 GreenEdge Kids is bringing in more value-based products, such as the Kite Kids organic tees, affordable but high on original style, the reversible organic dresses by Sustainable Kids, and the 3-season well-priced organic and recycled styles offered by Twirls and Twigs. “We listened to our retail customers, and developed some fall styles with value in mind,” explains Shawna Dalton, designer and owner of Twirls and Twigs. “We are offering pieces that carry the same Twirls and Twigs look and feel, but are constructed more efficiently so we can offer them at lower prices.”

GreenEdge Kids is showcasing the latest in green kids’ clothing values at 2009 Earth Fairs, including San Diego’s Balboa Park and Sony Pictures.

Camping is Cool for Kids

We used to camp a lot...but for years the story has been either no time, no money, or neither. Yet camping costs almost nothing, and it such a break. We recently broke back into it with friends, and the mental escape factor was so high at the end of the week-end, we couldn't help but wonder why we aren't gone every week-end.

Yes Disneyland and Legoland and Sea World and the Zoo are all great diversions, but they don't hold a candle to a warm night around a campfire toasting marshmallows or sleepless but cozy nights snuggled in with the whole family in a row. "Camping clean" dishes take nearly no time to do, and as long as you're not gone too long, there's no need to shower. The kids can run and explore, and dirty is no problem for them. They loved every minute, and want to know when they're going back.

Who's packing the car?

by Annie Kaskade
www.grenedgekids.com

Earth Day Ideas for Kids

No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. - Edmund Burke

Earth Day is coming up fast, and the planet needs your help more than ever. Now is the time to ramp up whatever you're already doing to conserve resources, minimize your carbon footprint, or educate others on what they can do to make change for the better.

In between Earth Day Fairs, I'm working hard on some Earth Day efforts in Solana Beach...maybe they would work in your school or community:

- Field trip to local nature preserve: identify plants, animal tracks, birds, and burrows
- No-Car Week: Ride a bike, walk, or carpool every day (this takes a lot of outreach)
- Art projects from natural materials or junk around the house
- After-school hikes
- Planting of garden (pots, in ground, whatever you have available)
- Promote/sell re-usable bags, water bottles, waste-free lunch supplies
- Eco-friendly fundraisers..here are a few:

• Fair Trade Sports
• Pura Vida Coffee
• Sjaak's Organic Chocolates
• Elephant Poo Paper
• New Leaf Composition Paper/Notebook Paper/Notebooks

There are so many more things you can do with kids, but Earth Day is about celebrating and protecting nature and kids should be able to experience the magic...do whatever you can do.

by Annie Kaskade
www.greenedgekids.com

Organic Cotton Girls Beach Dress by Kite Kids

What makes this beach dress by Kite Kids so cool is that it really is a beach dress...not simply made of organic cotton, it is organic cotton with a soft organic cottonball-like lining that looks like it will actually work to absorb water after swimming. Long sleeves and a hood are perfect sun protection. Oh, and did we mention that it's only $38? Not bad for all that...

Practical aspects aside, it's fun! The polka dot print is outstanding. A++ for designer Jo.

by Annie Kaskade
www.greenedgekids.com

Organic Cotton Sandwich Wrap

I'm writing about this before I've even gotten my samples, because I'm already predisposed to appreciate Eco Ditty. Eco Ditty is a brand new company making sandwich wraps and snack bags out of organic cotton, in the U.S. The bags have no plastic lining so it's still a bit of a question mark as to how fresh the bread stays, but it is PVC and plastic-free.

Wrap-a-mats are ok, but I never understood why the company couldn't make such a simple thing out of organic cotton and in the USA...Eco Ditty has arrived!

by Annie Kaskade
www.greenedgekids.com

Organic Easter Outfits for Boys

When you look around for organic boys dress-up clothing, there's really not much. It makes you want to start making your own...sort of.

Serendipity has a beautiful option for spring and summer...a summer weight white tunic, and blue striped shorts. They're really good together, and available up to size 12. The shorts are well-made and are amazing in that they're both organic and zippered...very hard to find.

If you only need up to a size 6, you are set with Look Organics. Our model guy looks fantastic in the jacket, pants, and buttondown, no matter what the color. Check him out for yourself:

by Annie Kaskade
www.greenedgekids.com

Spotlight on Serendipity

Serendipity is a new line for GreenEdge Kids, and so far we are impressed. We had our reservations, because it is fairly high priced for made-in-India, but the extent and quality of the designs are outstanding. We limited our order to best value items, and we priced at what we thought was reasonable, which turned out to be quite a bit lower than the standard markup.

We are happy with everything we received for spring, especially the flower empire dress and the tiny flower halter top for girls, and the color block shorts and henleys for boys.

In their own words, "Serendipity Organics is natural childrens clothing made for comfort and easy wear. It is Scandinavian design inspired by children playing and having fun. " Serendipity designs and makes its own certified organic fabrics, for truly original results.

by Annie Kaskade
www.greenedgekids.com

Organic Kids Value for Spring

I have to say, I am really liking the the Kite Kids' organic cotton tees that just came in for both boys and girls. They are versatile and well-made, they seem to fit well, and they're not overly expensive - especially given the embroidery work and detail on the screenprint designs. The colors are appealing, and they work with most any other pant, skirt, short, etc. that is already in the closet...even more valuable.

The messages are good too!

by Annie Kaskade
www.greenedgekids.com

Seattle Green Festival 2009

If you've never been to a Green America (formerly Co-Op America) Green Festival, you may want to add it to your list. Green Festivals are incredible showcases of the most amazing aggregation of green and socially responsible businesses, taking place in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and Denver.

The Seattle Green Festival is coming up this week-end, March 28 and 29 at the Seattle Convention Center. From the Green Festival organizers, it is "a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America. Named one of the top 10 green cities in the U.S. in 2005 by National Geographic’s The Green Guide, what better place to celebrate an urban community’s vision of green than Seattle? Led by the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, the City of Seattle is proud to co-host the Green Festival in the Pacific Northwest.

Discover some of the best green products and services the Northwest has to offer. And, through Seattle Climate Action Now!, Clean & Green Seattle, and the city’s many other climate projects, you’ll learn how neighbors, community nonprofits and city departments are working together to make their city a healthier place to live.

Click here to see this year's amazing speaker line-up!

Learn about special Green Week pre-Festival activities.

Although GreenEdge Kids is Green America-approved, this year will be our first exhibition in Seattle. We are excited to participate in this event, showcasing designer kids eco fashions among all things green. We will be carbon neutral for the event of course.

2009-10 Nature Inspired Fashion

Unless you're a big player making your own custom fabric, many color and pattern trends start with the fabric suppliers. So what is the forecast for fabrics? Interestingly, all the trend reports we found point to predominant nature-inspired colors...earth tones, pastels, soft fabrics, redefined animal prints, and more eco-friendly, recycled yarn, and organic fabrics than ever. The designer organic kids lines for Fall 2009-2010 seem to follow this same theme.

Let's face it, we are all inspired by nature to some degree...and our children should have a chance to be inspired too.

Fall 09 Organic Children's Fashion Trends

Fall 09 is a fashion year of hanging tight...recycle, re-purpose, pare down, and get the most fashionable value for your buck. After previewing the collections, we've pulled together a few themes (photos courtesy of Serendipity, Sustainable Kids, and Lola & James):

Girls:
Pleated tops, dusty rose and earth tones, leggings, short slim skirts, skinny pants, hooded sweaters, thermal underlayers

Boys:
Raglan baseball tees, buttoned henleys, skinny pants, recycled fleece hoodies, thermal underlayered shirts

Designers are putting new spins on successful 08 styles, with more streamlining, better value, and mix-and-match capability. Indigenous Designs had the same idea...more tee hee pants coming, in new shades, and they completely eliminated the few sweaters they had for boys. Twirls and Twigs continued on with the hedgehog dress style and ruffle pants in new colors, although they also added a couple new fab-value items, including pinstripe pants and coordinated top and uneven pinks mini-skirt. Lola & James went with many of the same one-of-a-kind rock styles as last year.

And why shouldn't fashion be multi-year and good value? Shouldn't we get as much use as possible from what we have? What do YOU want to see eco kids designers working on?

Green Kids Online Resell and Buy

There are many places to sell your used stuff, and Craig's list is probably as good as any, but thought it was really cool when we came up on Green Kids Auction. It doesn't seem to have any product in it yet, but the site looks promising. It's focused on all things green and all things kid, which makes it so much easier to connect buyer to seller, and you can even search for used organic products.

Another one to check out is Cheap Kids Clothes. It seemed to gave a good amount of product. Another site focuses on baby, maternity and toddler used clothing is Gentlyused.com. They seem to have a little more established user base, but don't deal with older kids' stuff. Another one is called Once Worn Not for Long...hard to see the pictures, but hey it's another place to check. Another one is Kids Again Online. There are plenty of other sites, and of course Ebay and Craig's List...but there are clearly bargains to be found online if you don't live in an area with plentiful garage sales and consignment shops.

Why Organic Clothing is Ideal for Kids

Kids need to play, run, climb, paint, cook, explore, and get dirty. Thus as parents, we all know they also need clothes that are durable and washable, especially for boys. With multiple kids, you want clothes to last until the next one. Extra-soft feels good on growing skin.

Besides the helpful impact of reducing toxic pesticides and heavy duty chemicals used for conventional cotton farming, organic cotton fabric is perfect for kids. It is generally softer and more durable than conventional cotton of the same weight. It thus wears beautifully and lasts well for the next brother or sister or friend destined for it. When something looks and feels good, kids want to wear it, so it's less likely to sit there unused in the closet.

When you think about it, it's amazing that more people aren't demanding it for their kids. We can only conclude that they just don't know about it because once you've tried organic cotton, it's hard to go back.

Can Eco Fashion Really Make A Difference?

We all own several t-shirts. What harm could the production of your traditional cotton t-shirt have on the environment? Well, you'd be amazed (as I was) to learn the following...

1. Pesticides & Herbicides Production: The textile industry is one of the most chemically intensive industries on earth, producing over 25% of the world’s use of pesticides and 11% of all herbicides. One t-shirt requires an estimated 1/3 pound of agricultural chemicals to just produce the cotton used to make it.
2. Water Resource Waste: Textile production is the leading industrial polluter of water on the planet (second only to agriculture overall). Producing one cotton t-shirt requires about 720 gallons of polluted water.
3. Chemical Dye and Bleach Pollution: The textile industry generates and consumes an estimated 1.3 million tons of dyes and other synthetic coloring agents per year. Due to cotton's natural resistance to dyes, roughly 50% of the chemicals used as dyes or fixers end up as waste in rivers and soil. Natural textiles, like the cotton used for your T-Shirt, are cream or pale brown and require bleach before dyeing. In Tirupur India, referred to as “T-shirt Town”, 800 dye and bleaching factories use some 130,000 pounds of chemicals every day just for your t-shirts!
4. Unfair Trade: The “cut-make-trim” stage of textile production contributes to the majority of 27 million people enduring the worst working conditions on the planet - including child labor, the absence of employment contracts, delayed payments, sexual harassment, long work-days, not to mention the exposure to hazardous chemicals, noise, and injuries. Your t-shirt was assembled by children of the age between five and fourteen.
5. Transportation Impact: From cotton field to textile mill to the garment factory, an average T-shirt can travel the equivalent distance of once around the globe during its production alone due to transport between different processors, and then to reach its final delivery – your closet (adding to carbon emissions and, thus, global warming).

How about those popular jeans, so many of us love to wear (especially with a nice cotton t-shirt)? Tehuacan Mexico is known as the "heartland of Mexico's denim industry," a heart that launders enough jeans to bleed blue dye and bleach into rivers used to irrigate corn fields (and, no, this is not how blue corn tortillas came about). As I've come to understand, dozens of industrial laundries, some of which put the finishing touches to jeans for export, discharge a cocktail of bleach, dye and detergents into Tehuacan's wide valley with almost no government controls, residents say...Water from the denim laundries runs through Tehuacan, where it mixes with municipal sewage and is discharged untreated in a foaming green torrent to a river that feeds irrigation systems in the downstream village of San Diego Chalma.

Even the high-tech Grupo Navarra factory that launders jeans for brands made by Levi Strauss is blamed of creating widespread pollution by contaminating a ditch behind it with a dark blue sludge.

But, with Mexico’s huge garment firm-economy being generated from its huge markets in the United States, will the government lend its ‘ear of concern’ for the prevailing environment crisis in the state?

Health authorities were reported to have advised against irrigating tomatoes and root vegetables with the blue-green water because of a risk of contamination. "But corn is permitted and is sold locally and to buyers from Mexico City...Industry leaders in Tehuacan blame most of the pollution on the dozens of small unregulated laundries that wash, bleach and dye jeans for Mexican brands. "We all know Mexican firms demand less than the international brands," said Javier Lopez, spokesman for the city's industry chamber."

Fair labor conditions are a worthy goal, as long as sensible environmental standards are simultaneously considered. It's a bit disconcerting to see the near fad level of market attention lavished on "fair trade" clothing brands, but the lag on attention devoted to environment impacts.

The best hope for shoppers wanting to make a difference would be to buy clothing made right - eco fashion that enforces both environmental and fair labor standards. Yes, eco fashion can really make a difference, but it starts with you, the consumer.

Jim Kaskade
Co-Founder

Community Inspiration is Green

This past week-end, I was inspired. A neighbor organized a huge 16-family garage sale at her home, replete with sawhorse tablecloth-covered tables, product zones, and beautiful baked goods. But it was not only the massive scale and organization that made this one special...it was all the other neighbors helping out - setting up, baking, selling, packing - teaming together to raise money for a family in need. Well over $1,000 was raised in a single day, with more expected in coming weeks from Craig's List sales, and it was enough to make a good dent for the single-parent family's costly diabetes medication.

I couldn't help but also be excited by the fact that so many household discards were being diverted from the landfill and placed directly in the hands of people who would give them a second life. While I wasn't surprised that people would snap up unused candles or expensive clothes with the tags still on them, the purchase of an ancient blender with a substantial layer of equally vintage food particles covering the buttons was a shocker....and a definitive contribution toward landfill space saving. You just never know what is going to go at a garage sale...now don't you want to have one too?

New Eco Children's TV Show

I find the concept of eco-TV fascinating...shouldn't kids be outside for their eco education?? On the flip side, if they're going to watch TV, may as well be a useful theme. Read on (excerpted from a recent press release from Passion for the Planet, a UK TV station), and decide for yourself:

Passion for the Planet TV has been chosen to exclusively debut the pilot episode of Chuck the Eco Duck – a new animated TV series designed to teach as well as entertain children between the ages of 5 and 11 about environmental issues and citizenship.

Chuck is the oldest son of Ductor Duck and lives on a farm outside a big town. Chuck is known worldwide as a defender of bird and animal rights. His best friend is Doodle the young cockerel. Chuck is supported in his good work by Bert the Albatross who flies with a camera and portable transmitter sending back photos and videos to TV channels and newspapers.

In episode one “Chuck and the Palm Trees” Chuck and Doodle get quacking and visit Brazil to learn about biofuels and bring some back to try out on the Farmer’s tractor.

Future episodes include Chuck and the Penguins, Chuck and Clean Water, Chuck and Good Paper, Chuck and Water Energy, Chuck and Clean Air and Chuck and the Snow Goose.

“Passion for the Planet TV was the obvious choice for Chuck’s debut. It’s the only TV channel working to change the world by using entertainment to inspire and motivate people to live a greener, more ethical life. Chuck’s values are very closely aligned with Passion for the Planet so it made perfect sense.” explained producer Robert Sidaway from Ultra Green Films.

“We loved Chuck the moment we saw him,” says Passion for the Planet’s Managing Director Chantal Cooke, “The idea of using a fun story with colourful animation to help children learn more about environmental and conservation issues has to be a winner.”

‘Love your world’, Chuck continually reminds his friends and acquaintances.

by Annie Kaskade
www.greenedgekids.com

Out of Car Out of Gym Onto Bike

The transition from car and gym (entirely un-eco-friendly) to bike can be painless, really...even with kids. It's mostly mental. I was forced into this when my gym went bankrupt, and I still miss it, but biking the kids to school always makes me a happier person. There are a few tricks to the transition.

First, invest in equipment, but think Craig's List so you don't have to go broke in the process. Depending on the ages of your kids, you may want to look at a 2-kid bike trailer or a bike extension. These have both worked really well for us. You can even get the bike extension for two kids so you can bring two littler ones to school with only one adult.

Then, once you've found a safe and reasonable route to school, it's just a matter of changing the habit. You may have to leave 15 minutes earlier or just mentally commit so you're wearing something bikeable, but give yourself 6 weeks to make the change (isn't that how long it takes to change a habit?).

Now if you have 3 or 4 little kids and the older ones can't ride their own bike, well then maybe you need to postpone this plan...but it can work for most of us, and the outdoor commute is a refreshing change to the daily pickup and dropoff idle. Plus you don't kill all that time at the gym, spending even more time indoors. Enjoy the fresh air and quality time with your kids!

How to Raise Green Kids

This is a reprint from a really good Ezine article, and it is copied in its entirety, in accordance with its reprint guidelines:

One big concern that parents often have about going green is how they can get their kids involved and help them to develop their own affinity for protecting our one home. In a society where the cultural norm is to consume as much as you can as fast as you can with little regard for the consequences, it is vital that parents start to cultivate some green values within the next generation.

What we need are kids who can step up to be leaders and pioneers. Kids who will realize the importance of community and that it extends beyond themselves to everyone around them and all the organisms on this planet. It is all connected. So how do we teach kids to value green causes?

1. Model green values for them. I think most parents would agree that it is better to teach by example. If we want our kids to value green causes then they must see us actively seeking ways to protect our health and the health of the planet.

2. Help them recycle. Set up colorful recycling bins and label them - glass, aluminum, tin, cardboard, paperboard, etc. Make sure everyone in the family knows that nothing goes into the garbage if it can be recycled. Beyond that, engage your kids in a discussion at the grocery store about only buying products that can be recycled and skipping the ones that cannot. For older kids, encourage them to find out how they can recycle their old cell phones, mp3 players, and other techno gadgets.

3. Volunteer your family to participate in community clean up events at state parks and nearby waterways. It is a great way to spend time together, meet new people with green values, and do something valuable for the environment.

4. Provide green entertainment. There are numerous eco board games on the market that promote environmental awareness and conservation. What family doesn't like playing games together? There are also some really good green movies you can watch together like March of the Penguins, Fergully, and The 11th Hour. Kids also enjoy trips to local zoos, conservatories, and wildlife preserves. Opportunities abound to have fun AND educate about the importance of environmental protection.

5. Spend time outdoors. There is a popular saying that you will not protect what you do not love. With nature deficit disorder afflicting many these days it is important that we spend time with our families outside and help them grow to love nature and the outdoors. Take walks, ride your bikes together, go camping, identify birds and bug species, look for edible plants and flowers...help them to understand why YOU love nature so much and why we have to protect it.

Here is to helping your children to grow up GREEN!

Tiffany Washko is the editor of Nature Moms, http://www.naturemoms.com and author of Raw Kids Recipes, http://www.rawkidsrecipes.com After working several years in corporate healthcare marketing and public relations, she took time away to be a mother.

This new pursuit lead her to a new passion, natural family living and writing about environmental and political issues. She currently works as a freelance writer and newspaper journalist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tiffany_Washko

Thanks the author, Tiffany, for a great summary of green teaching that gets straight to the core.

Recession Designer Kids Fashion

Recession fashion was the theme of spring 2009 fall fashion previews for kids, and adults for that matter. The way it works is simple...when you buy new apparel items, pick things that are versatile, durable, multi-season, mix-and-match, and otherwise give you more wear for your money. Along those same lines, GreenEdge Kids has a number of items that fit the bill for efficient clothes buying.

This heathered blue henley from Serendipity is perfect that way...it's a spring 09 style, but perfect color and weight for year-round wear in nearly any climate. It'll be up in the next day or two, so keep an eye out for it as well as other styles from Serendipity.

Mom Made Foods

Personally, we prefer home cooking even the simplest healthy meals over processed foods, but Mom-Made meals look like a decent option for desperate parents (and we all have those kind of nights). Check out their latest release:

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, March 6, 2009: Mom Made® Foods, choice organics for
children, debuted an expanded selection of its Meals and Munchies for kids, including a healthier version of a favorite American dessert: Apple Pie Munchie, today at the Natural Products Expo West trade show. The company also announced that its organic baby and children’s meals are now available at Amazon.com, shipping throughout the continental United States.

“Since hitting store shelves last summer, customers have been raving about our Meals and Munchies for kids,” said company founder Heather Stouffer. “We’re so excited about being better able to satisfy growing national demand for our yummy products.”

Mom Made’s twelve frozen USDA-certified organic meals and snacks for children give parents a guilt-free, convenient way to feed kids foods they love that are good for them. Four new options give big kids even more variety, with choices to satisfy meat and dessert lovers! Apple Pie, Chicken Burrito, and Sausage Pizza Munchies, and Spaghetti and Turkey Meatball Meal.

Established offerings are Cheesy Mac or Fiesta Rice Meals and the Bean Burrito and
Cheese Pizza Munchies. Mom Made for Baby, organic purées for babies, are available in broccoli, sweet potato, pear, and apple varieties.

The company’s organic products are flash frozen to preserve flavor, nutrients,
color and natural texture. They contain no preservatives, no trans fats, no added sugars (except the Apple Pie Munchie), no artificial colors and are low in sodium.

The Mid-Atlantic’s first USDA-organic certified producer of fresh frozen foods for
children, Mom Made is available nationwide through Amazon.com, and at SuperTarget and at select leading grocery retailers, including Whole Foods and Wegman’s.

There you have it...feel free to comment if you've tried something from them, as we are sharing based on looks alone.

Obama Influence on Kids Fashion

We stumbled upon a really interesting site, Suite 101...it predicts the influence of the Obama girls on tween fashion, away from the inappropriate/revealing and toward the sensible.

This is especially interesting given what we hear over and over again from tween moms...there is hardly any selection at all, and most of it is totally inappropriate...so maybe the Obamas will be able to turn the tide in a direction that works for everyone.

Only problem is...J Crew, apparently an Obama brand of choice, is not particularly eco-friendly. Maybe the Obamas just haven't really thought about the origin of their clothing or how it is made? We should tell them.

Holy Cow That T-Shirt is Truly Green

Hot off the presses:

What are you wearing right now? Is it a T-shirt? Well, the average conventionally grown cotton T-shirt requires 1/3 lb. of pesticides to produce! Make you want to change? When shopping for your next organically grown tee, make sure it's truly green.

Holy Cow! That's the expression you're supposed to have when you realize just how green this company's T-shirts and sweatshirts are.

According to Katherine Melenovski, Marketing/Community Relations Specialist Whole Foods Gold Coast, just because it says it's organic, doesn't mean it's true, "It may say its organic T-shirt but the practices of its production and how it came to be you might not agree with."

Melenovski says that's why shopping at Whole Foods is easy for the green consumer, "We like to think of ourselves at Whole Foods as a filter. We look at different products out there and filter out to find the most natural, organic products for our customer."

The latest company to stay afloat in the Whole Foods filter process is a young one out of Minneapolis. A company that began small with a big mission according to it's founder, Justin Barrett, "Holy Cow is the best clothing on earth and that's our mission. Healthier for you and the planet."

We met these guys at Green Festival 2008 in San Francisco, and they are definitely out to make changes. We wish them the best and await the children's sizes.

Saving Money on Organic Food

Feeding a family organic food seems challenging sometimes when food prices go up and kids keep growing. If you're on a tight budget, or just don't like to waste anything, here are some money-saving and healthy ideas for you, whether you live in the city or the country:

• Cook very simple meals...it's the only way to cook fast without tons of processed food.
• Plan to cook when everyone's home for dinner and you're not leaving town the next day.
• Improvise your meals, so you can make use of the vegetables and fruits you have on hand.
• Instead of buying pre-sliced deli meat, buy the ham or turkey and slice it yourself.
• Eat less meat and more beans and tofu and veggie burgers.
• Eat less dairy products and more fruits and vegetables.
• Eat more oatmeal and less dry cereal.
• Avoid processed foods completely if you can. They are a fortune!
• Shop the sales and the bulk section.
• Don't waste at meals. Save leftovers for the next day, and give some scraps to the dog.
• Consider a co-op or local farm or other community resource.
• Buy bulk organic Arrowhead Mills bean and barley soup mix, if you can find it. It's incredibly cheap, healthy, and tasty, especially of you use vegetable bouillon, bay leaves, cumin, and whatever other spices you want to add to it

Green Celebrities

We have to say, we really like green celebrities. They keep the spotlight on eco products and green living, and the rest of the world likes to follow. For the latest and greatest on green celebrities, check out Ecorazzi.

You can find out cool stuff, like the latest activities of over-achiever Summer Rayne. Talk about someone who does about as much in a day as other people do in a year! We also just like the fact that she is both an Ivy grad and a model, and she blows away nearly every stereotype there is.

While surfing Ecorazzi, I learned Daryl Hannah has her own green website, and the videos are quite catching. Cool stuff to check out too. Look for Ed Begley Jr. on his bike, when you're in Hollywood...or just check out his website.

How to Recycle Kids Clothing

If clothes are too spotted or worn to wear, give them to Goodwill or Salvation Army anyway. From E Magazine's Earth Talk:

Just because that old shirt you used to love is too threadbare to wear anymore doesn’t mean it has to end up in a landfill. “Consumers don’t understand that there’s a place for their old clothing even if something is missing a button or torn,” says Jana Hawley, a professor of textile and apparel management at the University of Missouri-Columbia. “Ninety-nine percent of used textiles are recyclable.”

Non-profits like Goodwill and the Salvation Army play a crucial role in keeping old clothes out of the waste stream. When they get donations of clothes that are too threadbare to re-sell in one of their shops, they send them to “rag sorters” that specialize in recycling pieces of fabric large and small. Says Hawley, these textile recyclers sell about half the clothing they get back overseas in developing countries, while unusable garments, especially cotton t-shirts, are turned into wiping and polishing clothes used by a variety of industries and sold to consumers. She adds that other textiles are shredded into fibers used to make new products, such as sound-deadening materials for the automotive industry, archival-quality paper, blankets and even plastic fencing.

There you go...you know what to do.

Sandbox Couture Adds Small Plum Organic Bamboo Grass Baby Clothes

Hey guess what...even the conventional boutiques are going organic! It's just a matter of time before we are all there...at least that's what we're hoping. Check it out:

Sandbox Couture.com, a popular online children’s boutique retailer of baby clothes, girls clothes and baby gifts, today announced the addition of Small Plum organic bamboo grass baby t-shirts, one piece and pants. The new line adds to the existing selection of organic baby clothes and accessories available at SandboxCouture.com.

"Going green is more than just a fashion trend, it’s a way of life and with these organic bamboo grass clothes by Small Plum, little ones are making a bold statement" stated Sam Brown, spokesperson for Sandbox Couture. “Naturally processed with a texture similar to raw silk, these organic pieces are easy to maintain, long lasting and kid tested. We are pleased to bring yet another quality line of children’s wear to our customers.”

As one of the most sustainable resources, bamboo grass grows naturally without the need for irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides. Our PVC-free screen print designs are water-based and eco-friendly. In addition to absorbing greenhouse gases, the benefits of using bamboo grass aid the environment and benefit the consumer. Small Plum processed naturally processed organic garments feel like silk and the odor resistant fabric wicks water considerably faster than cotton. Bamboo grass fabrics provide UV ray protection, are hypoallergenic, thermal regulating, are fast drying and have anti-microbial properties.

Source: WEBWIRE)

New Organic Children's Clothing Line to be Shown at ENK Children's Club in New York

Beau Beaux Inc. – a designer of retro-inspired children’s clothing - announces the debut of an organic cotton collection at the ENK Children’s Club in New York City.

“I’m very excited to be presenting my latest designs at the ENK Children’s Club,” said Amor Owens, Beau Beaux Inc. president and designer. “For the fall and winter 2008 collection I have made a conscious effort to be more socially and environmentally responsible in both the manufacturing of my products as well as the selection of textiles. I have added a new eco line called ‘beau beaux eco’ using Made in the USA organic cotton t-shirts with handmade embellishments."

The new Beau Beaux organic line is called beau beaux eco. The organic t-shirts for infants, boys and girls are 100 percent organic cotton with hand embroidered swatches of colorfully printed organic fabrics. The beau beaux eco label is also sewn on the front as part of the design. Aside from the beau beaux eco line Owens is also including a fall and winter collection with more couture detailing using fabric remnants for the appliqués, covered buttons and trim work. Beau Beaux is now carrying boys and girls woolen coats, also available in organic wool. The fall and winter collection continues to exemplify the designer’s appreciation for wearable art. In addition, every garment is still made in the United States.

(Source: PR.com)

ENK Children's Club S09

ENK Children's Club in New York is probably the spot to be at, if you are a children's fashion line. Starting this week-end, March 8-10 will showcase the fabulous Fall 09 kids' fashions, conventional and organic. Sustainable Kids, Lola and James, Serendipity, and Twirls and Twigs will be there. We are excited to see what designers have to offer this year!

Bubble S09

For those who aren't already familiar, there are a couple of big trade shows for organic and sustainable kids clothing in the U.S., and one of them is Bubble:

Bubble's philosophy is to bring a new generation of kids trade show to the marketplace. Each event is carefully conceived as a focused trade show in a wonderful space, where retailers can meet exhibitors from the 360 degrees kid's world: clothing to toys, shoes, accessories and more. The exhibitor's list features a global mix of brands, either young/upcoming or already established as icons of a new generation of children's products.

Today, Bubble, the Kids Trade Show runs twice yearly in New York and London. The New York show takes place mid-March and early August, to coincide with children's market week in NY. The London show, launched in 2008, takes place late January and early July, in sync with the European calendar.

Bubble has grown from 40 exhibitors at its launch in March 2006 to over 200 carefully selected vendors each season. Throughout this growth, the intimate atmosphere, the attention to details and the human-dimension of the shows have never been compromised. Bubble has become an international reference on the trade show circuit, a must-visit event for anyone with a keen eye on the fast changing and very exciting children's market. (Source: www.bubblenewyork.com)

Kate Quinn Organics will be there, as well as Sarah Waldo Organics. We'll keep you posted on what eco kids styles are most popular for Fall 2009!