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Green Toys: Eco-Friendly Toys For Children Giveaway

October 13, 2010 10
There is a lot of concern over the materials used to make children’s toys, especially ones made using PVC. PVC contains phthalates that are added as plastic softeners and also considered carcinogens by the EPA. Phthalates are also suspected as endocrine disputers that can affect hormonal activities in laboratory animals.

Our children put their toys in their mouths and snuggle them close to their faces – this alone is the perfect reason to find a green alternative. Green Toys, Inc. is a California based toy company that is a leader in the safe and environmentally responsible production of toys. All of their toys are made in the U.S.A. locally in California. Since the toys don’t have to travel long distances overseas, all of their toys have a smaller carbon footprint. Their toys are made from 100% recycled plastic milk containers which saves energy and reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The toys are packaged in recyclable corrugated boxes that are free of twist ties, plastic and cellophane.

Green Toys, Inc. has a beautiful line of classic toys that holds up against the roughest kids. My favorites are the indoor gardening kit and the recycling truck. I love the recycling truck because it is the perfect way to introduce the tiniest of tots to recycling and the gardening set is a great toy to share your love of gardening with your children. We received the gardening set from Green Toys, Inc. and Eben is so excited to be able to garden in his bedroom window.

Green Toys, Inc. is giving ONE of my amazing readers, a Green Toys Eco Saucer. This classic toy will bring hours of fun outside for your little ones this summer.

How to Enter:

1. Visit Green Toys, Inc. then leave me a note telling me which toy is your favorite.

2. Subscribe to Sweet Greens.
3. Complete this form.

Contest ends May 25th @ 12am EST. Winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator and will be announced the following day.

* Update: Winner:: Jen Morringelli. Congratulations.

Earth Friendly Etsy – Lil Fish Studios: Brooch Giveaway

October 13, 2010 1
This week’s Earth Friendly Etsy giveaway will add a little style and class to your fall wardrobe. Isn’t it fun to add new pieces of jewelry into your collection during the changes in the season? Lil Fish Studios is a beautiful shop full of nature inspired home decor and accessories. Lil Fish Studios is located under the poplar and pine in rural Minnesota and was created by Lisa Jordan. Lisa is giving a lucky reader a birch bark and wool brooch. This brooch is handmade using felt that has been fitted into a frame that she made from birch bark. The birch bark was cut from a branch that had fallen in her yard. The back of the brooch is covered in felted garment wood. If I won this brooch, I would wear it everyday in the fall!


Lisa is drawn to natural materials, wool, wood and stone – but has a fondness for vintage buttons! Lisa uses only recycled or sustainable materials in all of her creations. Wool from sweaters and coats is turned into felt, buttons are snipped off thrifted garments and bark is harvested from the trees that fall in her woods. How lovely is that?


Lisa is inspired by nature – she literally lives in the middle of the woods, so she is surrounded by what inspires her to be creative everyday. Lisa lives about 30 miles from town, so she only shops a couple of times a month. She has a large veggie garden and a makeshift greenhouse – made from recycled materials. Lisa life is by definition: sustainable.

When Lisa isn’t creating beautiful pieces for her shop, you will find her watching her four children run wild in the sun, covered in mud and catching bugs and frogs. Or she may be snuggled up with one of the lovely animals on the Jordan Homestead. Lisa loves to cook, incorporating wild foods into the weekly menu and on a quiet Saturday morning, you may find her laying on her belly in the woods – taking photographs of moss and mushrooms.

Rush over to Lil Fish Studio and pick up something special for yourself or someone you love. Make sure to check out her lovely ornaments – wouldn’t they look adorable on the Christmas tree this year? And leave a comment to enter to win!

*You can also share on Facebook, Twitter, Technorati, Digg, Stumble Upon or Kirsty for another entry – just leave a seperate comment. I will pick a winner on November 3rd.

ps: Do you have an Etsy shop? Would you like to be featured? Email me at mysweetgreens at gmail dot com.

** Update: Winner: FloatingInk. Yay! Congratulations and thank you to everyone for playing.

A Special Week Just For The Kids

October 13, 2010 4

Since summer will be starting soon for so many children, this week I am going to feature some how to projects, green tips, recipes and giveaways just for the them. Make sure to stop by to enter to win fabulous giveaways that your children will go wild for, learn how to make your own recycled crayons, get ideas for great green summer activities and finish the week off with a great cold treat.

I hope you have a great summer planned for your little ones. Honesty, I can not wait until May 29th (the last day of school here). I look forward to having the entire summer to spend with my little guy – I am counting down the days. 

photo via flickr

Night Owl Paper Goods – Ghost and Bat Plushies

October 13, 2010 0

Do you remember the super sweet Owl Plushies from Night Owl Paper Goods? Guess what? Just in time for Halloween – they now have Ghost and Bat Plushies and they are adorable! Handmade by local artisan, Lori Nichols these one of a kind sweeties are made using repurposed and thrifted materials.

Wouldn’t these make a fun Halloween gift?

Green your Back to School:: CG Kidz Stainless Steel Bottle {Giveaway!}

October 12, 2010 41

Did you know that Americans throw away 38 billion plastic bottles a year? Did you know that it takes 700 years for one plastic bottle to decompose in the landfill. 700 years! How about the fact that only 14% of plastic bottles are recycled? All of this for a plastic bottle that is used once and then thrown away. It really is such a shame and completely unnecessary. Can you imagine the amount of plastic bottles that would no longer end up in the landfill or the recycling bin, if all school aged children alone, brought their own stainless steel water bottle to school?

Eben starts school next Wednesday, we have all of the green back to school clothing, school supplies and lunch box {more on that, next week} purchased. The last thing on our list was a great stainless steel drinking bottle that could be attached to Eben’s backpack. We wanted a water bottle that was high quality food grade stainless steel, non-leaching, toxin free, lightweight, durable, reusable and that had a nice wide mouth to accommodate ice.

We found CG Kidz which is a division of CynerGreen, an environmentally focused organization that sells stainless steel water bottles and Eco products to the global community. The best part about GGKidz.com is that it is managed and written by 12 year old Riley Hoffer. Riley has a blog with all the latest in green news and tips to help kids make being “green” a way of living. Riley has just received the fab honor of being Pottery Barn’s Teen of the month for November for her work with CG Kidz. That is quite an honor, congratulations Riley.

We received our CG Kidz stainless water bottle and it is perfect for Eben. It is the perfect size for an 8 year old and he really likes the clip on the cap. He has clipped it on his pants, his back pack and even on his bike. We are really excited to start the school year with a great stainless steel drinking bottle. Would you like to win a CG Kidz stainless steel drinking bottle for your child?

Danelle and Riley at CG Kidz have both been so great to offer ONE of my readers a kids stainless steel drinking bottle.

{How to Enter}

1. Subscribe to Sweet Greens (if you haven’t already) and confirm the subscription in the email you receive from FeedBurner.

2. Visit CG Kidz and tell me which product is your favorite.

{Additional Entries}
please leave a separate comment for each that you do.

* Share CG Kidz on Twitter and follow @SweetGreens.
* Share CG Kidz on Facebook and join Sweet Greens Facebook Fan Page.
* Digg, Kirtsy or Stumble CG Kidz.
* Email a friend about Sweet Greens: Green you Back to School:: CG Kidz {Giveaway!}
* Add Sweet Greens to your Technorati Favorites.
* Add Sweet Greens to your blogroll.

{Rules for Entry}

* Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win.
* Contest ends August 29th @ 12am EST. Winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator and will be announced the following day. (I will announce the winner, if I do not hear from you within 72 business hours, I will pick another winner.)
* You must leave a comment telling me which item you love in order to qualify.

Good Luck and Enjoy.
UPDATE:: The winner is Lucky #1 Avlor. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated.
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