I love Burt’s Bees. I even love the name. If you’ve never tried them, you’re missing out on some of the purest skincare around. Their goal is to be “The greenest personal care company on earth”. I’ve used their products for years.

By using sustainable packaging methods and responsible natural ingredients, Burst Bees’ is one of the most popular health and beauty lines available. (Did I say affordable, too?) And their products work!

One thing I particularly like is the Burt’s Bees School Survival Kit.  This little set is packed full of full size products that are soothing and beneficial to the skin. Perfect for a young teen girl on her first day of junior high, or her college bound sister.

These little beauties fit nicely into a gym bag or an overnight bag. Just add an amazing and tasty (Peppermint) sheer and shiny Lip Shimmer (Which I personally use and love!) and they have a great little kit that’s appropriate for a young girl’s introduction to skincare and the many friends that will want to try them.

Of course one of their most popular sellers’ is their “Mom and Baby” line that boasts too many items for me to suggest, but I encourage you take a look at the many exceptional product’s Burt’s Bees has to offer and decide for yourself. I’ll bet you’ll become a “Bee” lover too!

While shopping for some back-to school clothes for my son the other day (On Pricegrabber of course, who has time to go to the mall?) I figured I would pick up a few things for my sixteen-year-old nephew.  “What’s his style?” I inquired of his mother?  “Goodwill” she replied.   Uh, okay and that means exactly what?  Get him some T-shirts, she suggested.   Well, I gave it my best shot and here’s what I came up with. I hope he likes them!

Quicksilver Eat Your Veggies Organic (of course) T-Shirt: Made of organic (Not 100%) recycled materials, this comfy cotton shirt will add some style to his wardrobe.

Live The Life You Love 100% Organic Cotton Tee: This natural and green company makes fabulous clothing for men, women and even pets!

And for my own crunchy kid, Quicksilver Boys Past time Organic Cotton Layered Tee: He wants to be like his cousin!

Why do I love organic cotton so much? It’s not so much for the body as much as it is because it is environmentally friendly. Farmers are able to manufacture organic cotton without the use of pesticides and harmful chemicals.  They instead use a natural and safe system of composting and the introduction of many other innovative techniques that are good for the environment, wildlife and our water.

Of course it feels good too and if your child has sensitive skin, nothing feels better against it than organics. Prices have come done in recent years due to the demand of these types of natural products making them very affordable and worth every penny!

With all the warnings about the various Flu viruses’ heading our way, it’s time to get serious about ways we can help our children stay illness-free this year. 

The Centers For Disease Control emphasizes that the best way to achieve this is simply through hand washing.  It is an effective way to keep colds and Flu from infecting your kids and you! The best way to do this is to pack waterless hand sanitizer in their lunchbox and instruct them to use it before eating their lunch or whenever needed.

Now you might think I am going to go organic here, but the facts are that unless a hand sanitizer is at least fifty percent alcohol it won’t work effectively.  That’s why I would suggest picking up the number one selling brand in America. Purell Instant Hand-Wrapped Wipes are individually wrapped towellettes that will do the job nicely.  Drop a few into their lunchbox or book bag and pack a few for a friend. (If you’ve ever been in the cafeteria at lunchtime like I have, you’ll know why!)

The interesting and really great thing about hand sanitizer’s is that kids never seem to turn it down if it’s offered to them. (Even teens, and for them I recommend the handy two oz. bottle of Purell Portable-Size Hand Sanitizer Liquid with a backpack clip. Little kids will use this up in one day!)

This is one habit you’ll want your kids to pick up so that they can have a healthy and happy school year.  

I was never much of a cook.  Never gave much thought to my diet, of what I put in my body. (Potato Chips are goooood!)

This all changed as I got older and the birth of my son reinforced my belief that my habits had to change. I had a specific plan of what I would allow him to eat and not allow.  Of course like most good intentions, this sometimes falls by the wayside, particularly if we are running late or on our way to soccer practice. (Nobody’s perfect!)

For the most part though, I try to feed him healthy organic foods as much as possible. With school starting next week, I would like to introduce some new foods into his diet.  Although he is not a picky eater and is exposed to many different ethnic foods he, like most kids, gets bored with eating the same thing.

I decided to invest in a couple of new cookbooks, and this one looked good to me. The Family Organic Cookbook promises exciting recipes that will entice the whole family. What I like about this particular book is that it has a specific section on ideas for lunchboxes and snacks that are quick, easy and of course, healthy.

There are even recipes for making you own condiments such as ketchup (a staple in our house!) It would be fun for a younger child, not yet in school to help whip up a healthy after school snack for his sibling with Mom’s help.

Let’s face it, we all try to do our best for our children, but sometimes we need a little help and inspiration.  I hope this cookbook does both for you!

It’s not easy being “Green” Kermit The Frog once crooned. As I wrote in a recent Not Quite Crunchy Parent Post, I am always searching for new ways or products to help me in this endeavor.

Happily, I’ve solved my problem regarding using a “zillion” little lunch bags when packing my son’s lunch for school. My initial plan was to perhaps wrap his sandwich and fruit in some sort of cloth napkin from my mother’s extensive collection but I decided that was a little too girly, and quite possibly he would be the last one picked at recess.

I found these Wrap-N-Mat washable, reusable lunch “bags” and I plan on using these not only for my son, but for my own lunches as well. This reusable sandwich wrap comes complete with a Velcro closure to keep food secure and also doubles as a tiny placemat. Your kids can toss them right back in to their lunch boxes when they have finished eating and use them again for tomorrow’s lunch.

These cotton-poly wraps are easily washed with a little soap and water, and then air-dried. Important to note, you cannot heat these in the microwave so no grilled cheese in them, please.

This is an easy and fun way for your kids to be eco-friendly and who knows, maybe the first one picked for tag!

Nothing beats a hoodie when it comes to dressing your kids.  Be it a boy or a girl, they seem to have a real sense of what is “cool” from an early age

While in New York City with my family this fall, I marveled at my teenage nephew who casually wore a hoodie as his outerwear.  “Aren’t you cold, I asked?”  He seemed confused for a minute and then replied,  “But I have a hoodie on!” (My sister has given up.)

Get ready Moms  because that’s all they will want to wear, so invest in a few of these wardrobe staples.   The Hatly Kids Lab Pullover Hoodie is a cute way to start . This pullover style hoodie sports elastic cuffs at the wrist and hem and a sporty kangaroo pocket.  The all-over Labrador print adorns the inside hood and of course what I like best, no ties at the neck. (They’re not necessary anyway.)

This is a perfect back-to-school item that will appeal to a lot of kids.  It is a unisex design, so feel free to pass it down to a brother or sister.  Made of 100 percent cotton, it will wash well and feel soft and cozy for years to come.

Hatly Kids also makes zip-up hoodies for kids that prefer that style, with the same fun appliques to spruce up their wardrobe.

I hate to think about getting ready for school, but it is right around the corner.  As usual, I am a little bit behind in this unhappy (happy?) task, but it will all come together (I hope!)

One thing I need to do is get my son’s bedroom organized so he has a clutter-free area to do his schoolwork.  This is very important, as I don’t want him to be distracted by any “shifty” Legos laying around, begging him to stop and play. If this sounds familiar, invest in some cute storage bins.

This Prep School Blue 3-Piece Storage Bin By Trend Lab will do the job. Use the large bin for storing bigger toys or even dirty clothes.  The medium for all of the tiny toy pieces he or she will have scattered around, and the small for whatever is left.  The colorful fabric inserts are removable so they can easily be washed if he (she) chooses to store, say a paint set in them!  Let your kids decide and get involved in keeping their important stuff neat and organized.

Granted, you can use clear plastic storage bins, or old Tupperware, but this looks so much better. There is even a clear plastic label area so they can easily identify what’s in each bin. Little girls may be more interested in this room improvement project than boys (Trend Lab Hula Baby 3-Piece Storage Bin Set) and getting them to actually put the “stuff” in them will depend on your child’s interest, but why not give it the “Old College Try?”  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist, but they are perfect for college students too!)

Oh, how I love a Poncho.  It makes me think of crisp fall days and my own childhood. I personally own a few and they are the perfect thing to accessorize a boring pair of jeans and a solid t-shirt.

There are many reasons besides fashion to love a poncho.  For one thing, they keep little hands free (especially important when picking up leaves.) Another thing I like about them, is most of them are “hoodless” which means you don’t have to cut the strings off of them so they don’t get caught on anything at the playground.

These Baby Girls DKPinecone  Striped Ponchos by The Childrens Place are the perfect fall outerwear for the truly fashion conscious little girl. Brightly striped cotton/viscose blend and pullover style accented with tiny embroidered flowers will keep her warm and cozy on her busy days. This is an easy alternative to a bulky jacket, especially when buckling her into her car seat.

If she gets too warm, just slip it off and it stores easily like a comfy sweater. This garment comes minus any buttons or grommets, so there is no chance of her putting any foreign objects in to her mouth and choking.

This simple little cover-up has “mad” style, and comes in two vibrant color palates to choose from.

I like to go to yard sales.  One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, right?

One thing I look for at these sales is toys.  You can often find Legos (like at my sister’s yard sale, thanks for saving them for me sis!) or favorite play figures.

Of course, you’ll want to clean these new treasures before passing them on. I used to fill the sink with some hot water and soap and let them soak for a while, Unfortunately, if your kid is with you they’ll want to get their hands on them right away.

Dapple Toy Cleaner Wipes is a friendly way to solve this little problem.  Packaged in a convenient travel pack, these all-natural wipes are perfect solution for the serious yard sale junkie. Using green technology, these wipes contain baking soda, purified water and essential oils.  The fabric is biodegradable, too.

These wipes are not anti-bacterial they just work like a good old-fashioned hand washing, which is better for a child’s immune system (let’s them build up resistance to some germs now and then) Of course, you’ll want to use these on everything your child comes in contact with from shopping carts to that “gotta have” used toy.

Winner of the iParenting award and the Yahoo Seeds For Success, this is one item you won’t want to leave home without. Look for it in the generous thirty –five-wipe canister or the handy spray.

OK- yes, you could make your own- but sometimes, well, we all need a convenient ready-made solution

With summer almost upon us, I feel obliged to share some important information with you.

We are all aware of how good water is for us and how essential it is to keep hydrated during the warmer months.  But did you know that dashing into the convenience store to grab your child a bottled - water on their way to soccer practice because she left thers at home can be potentially dangerous?

The Precidio Pink Polka Dot Aluminum Water Bottle is BPA- free (So important because of the many toxic risks associated when heating or cooling plastic) and because it’s made of aluminum, it won’t change the taste of whatever you put in it.  Drinks stay cold for hours and the built in hang -tag allows you to easily attach it to their belt loop, sports bag or shorts.

These clever containers are available in a variety of different designs, including a cool geometric pattern that boys will like. This makes a thoughtful gift for a summer birthday or even  High School graduation.

Teaching our kids to take care of their health as well as the environment is a good thing and introducing products like reusable bottles is a great opportunity to do just that.   (They’re fun, too!)