Summer is all about sunshine, and with summer sunshine comes heat and with heat comes rapid dehydration. Most people know that drinking plenty of pure water is the best way to stay hydrated, but doing so sometimes comes at the cost of using plastic water bottles to carry with us throughout the day. There is a better way!

I have been using Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles for a while now and I am officially a Kanteen convert. They are sturdy, eco-friendly, BPA-free, non-leaching, insulating and convenient. Stainless Steel and aluminum water bottles can be found in many mainstream stores nowadays, from Old Navy to the chain grocery store - I’ve seen them everywhere. However, not all non-plastic water bottles are created equal, so - as always - it’s important to be an informed consumer.

I chose stainless steel because I feel that it’s generally a safer material than aluminum for containing beverages. The stainless steel (18/8) used in Klean Kanteen bottles makes them extremely rugged so they will stand up to years and years of wear with little upkeep. This makes the initial investment a little easier to swallow (no pun intended.) If you haven’t yet made the switch to a non-plastic, non-leaching water bottle to contain your family’s hydration needs - there is no better time than this summer! Now…go drink your water.

No matter if you live on a coastline or live smack-dab in the middle of the country - you are bound to seek out time in or by the water this summer. One memorable part of growing up near the Pacific Ocean for me was the frequent trips to the nearby beach. We would play tag with the waves, find sea shells and make sand castles for hours on end. Here we are, several (I won’t mention how many) years later and kids are still finding the same great joy in creating works of art out of sand and water. Thanks to Green Toys, Inc. - parents can now offer their little beach bums a better, more eco-friendly choice for creating their masterpieces.

This Sand Play Set is made from milk containers that have been recycled into HDPE which is considered to be one of the safest plastics available. This adorable little set includes a bucket with a rope handle, sand castle mold, a shovel and a rake - everything you need to make one impressive fortress on the shore or in the sandbox.  Unlike chincy plastic beach toys you might find at the local drugstore, this set is sure to last for years and years so you don’t have to replace them every summer. Green Toys are completely BPA and Phthalate-free, rigorously tested for safety and sustainability and made in the U.S.A. to help reduce greenhouse gases from overseas transportation. To top it all off, every Green Toy comes in a 100% recyclable package with nothing extra and unnecessary. From start to finish - this is a company that cares about our world as equally as our children. So go pack up the car (or the bike) - it’s time to hit the beach!

In between San Diego and L.A., you’ll find San Clemente, California ~ a surfer’s town with no lack of board shorts, flip flops and sun~kissed bods.  Locals take surfing seriously.  For some it’s a ritual, for some it’s a religion and others find it is both; and with that comes a deep reverence for the ocean. 

Based in San Clemente, footwear brand Ocean Minded can be found one block from the Pacific Ocean and wants everyone to be just that…mindful of the ocean.  Most of their staff are avid surfers and they strive to protect the Earth’s most precious resources, the oceans, lakes and streams and they coordinate frequent beach clean~up days.  In fact, just two weeks ago they cleaned up 115 pounds of trash from a local beach. 

They look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and make more sustainable footwear, including currently working on a completely glue~free shoe.  (FYI…shoe glue can be one of the most toxic elements in your footwear).  They’ve already taken steps in the right direction by using the following eco~friendly materials and/or processes: 

~Metal free leather and/or suede

 ~Hemp

~Water based glue

~Recycled car tire or recycled rubber outsoles

~Organic cotton lining and/or laces

~Made with recycled Croslite Eco material

When you buy a pair of Ocean Minded sandals or shoes, they’ll donate a portion of the purchase price to the Surfrider Foundation, a non~profit grassroots organization that’s dedicated to the protection of the world’s oceans, beaches and waves through conservation, activism, research and education. 

Did you know many conventional fabric softeners coat clothes in softening agents made from animal fat?  I didn’t either but I stopped using conventional fabric detergents long ago due to the overwhelming synthetic fabric that trails whoever wear clothes washed with it.  Seventh Generation uses a plant-derived softening agent instead and this softener is scented with only 100% whole essential oils and botanical extracts - no knock-your-socks-off perfume cloud here.  I also truly appreciate that Seventh Generation has adapted a full-disclosure ingredient policy so that you can see for yourself what is in their products, which is much more than can be said for most laundry products. 

I’m using Seventh Generation Blue Eucalyptus + Lavender Fabric Softener for all my laundry right now and I really like it.  It’s my first time using it and I like the results - clothes come out smelling fresh, not perfumed, and they feel soft.  The other good news is that it’s really affordable - I didn’t buy my bottle on sale, but I just found it here for $3.95.  One bottle should get you through 40 loads if your using a conventional dryer and longer if you have a high efficient version.  This product is also formulated to work well with cold water so you can save money by saving energy! 

The bottle itself is made of at least 25% post-consumer recycled plastic and the contents does not include any animal ingredients and is not tested on animals, as noted by the Leaping Bunny seal. 

Back in 1998, Honest Tea Co-Founder, Seth Goldman noticed there were a lot of sugary drinks on the market and flavored waters were also gaining in popularity, but nothing filling the need in between.  As an active person, he was in search of the perfect beverage to quench his thirst after a run, basketball game or between grad school classes. 

Honest Tea was born in 1998 when it hit the shelves of Fresh Fields (Whole Foods Market) in 5 flavors - barely sweetened and unsweetened, with batches of tea brewed in the Co-Founder’s kitchen.  In 2004, every Honest Tea beverage received USDA certification. 

I like that Honest Tea can be found many places (from the grocery store, to the gas station, and that little cafe on the corner) and I can trust it’s content since the USDA Certified Organic seal is stamped on the front of the bottles.  It’s also refreshing to find just tea, no sweetener (if you should choose that option). 

Meet the first of its kind, the 360 Bottle concept said to be made from 100% renewable resources, food safe and a solution to our plastic water bottle problem.   Brandimage developed the concept, branding, prototyping, engineering and product design.  According to their site:

 The Challenge

Each day, Americans throw out 60 million plastic bottles. Only 14% actually get recycled—meaning 86% become garbage or litter. We looked at this as a radical problem requiring an equally radical solution. Could we design a container that would leverage sustainability, be easy to transport, and enhance the consumer’s drinking experience?

The Solution

The 360 Paper Bottle is a sustainable vision of the future. It is the first totally recyclable paper container made from 100% renewable resources. Versatile in its range of consumer applications and made from food-safe and fully recyclable materials, it decreases energy consumed throughout the product life cycle without sacrificing functionality. It is paper packaging that stands up to all liquid categories.

What are your thoughts? 

Sources: DieLine, Re-Nest &Amala.

It’s no secret that purchasing reusable containers will help reduce the amount thrown into a landfill.  Whether you’re the one who’s going back to school or the one packing the lunches (or both) with a few cool tools, you can save time and money.    

To-Go Ware Stainless Steel Food Carrier

Great for hot or cold foods, this comes with a removable plate and 2-tiers so you can separate foods.  Stainless steel is highly durable, won’t leach toxins like plastics can and is very easy to clean. 

Plastic Bag Dryer

I never knew these existed until very recently.  Way back in Elementary school I had a friend who would save all her Ziplocs she used for snacks & lunch in a day and bring them home with her after school and gave them to her mother who would wash, dry and reuse them as many times as she could.  Back then I  thought it very strange (because no one else I knew was doing it).  Little did I know back then that it would be considered “eco-friendly” today. 

SIGG Water Bottle

According to Fast Company, Americans use 50 billion water bottles each year.  Most are not recycled.  Find a reusable water bottle that looks good (so you’ll be more inclined to use it) and help keep your share of water bottle waste out of the trash.  They come in an assortment of colors and sizes for kids and adults alike. 

Moms are busy and while wanting to keep their family safe and healthy, they might not always have the time to investigate each and every product.  And it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what should be focused on since there are so many opinions about what is safe & important for you to focus on as a mother.  The bottom line is, you want the absolute best for your family.  Keep in mind that any steps in the right direction is a good thing and try not to get too overwhelmed about what you’re not doing or what you could do better.  If you have just one minute to spare (maybe while the kids are napping), watch one Mom who found some great “green” finds for her little ones and I’ll show you where to find them below! 

1). Bath Ball Faucet Filter: Hang this from your faucet at bathtime, to reduce chlorine in your water by 95%.     

2). Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Liquid Soap: Dr. Bronner’s has been creating totally safe & completely pure soaps for the past 60 years.  They are both USDA certified and Fair Trade certified.  Their liquid soaps are very concentrated, so they’ll last you a long time.  

 3). Under The Nile Organic Cotton Hooded Towel and Frog Washcloth puppet: One of the great organic cotton baby lines, they are Demeter certified (one of the highest level of biodynamic certifications; a step above organic) and USDA Certified Organic.  And the dyes they use are also certified organic.  Be assured this company has your baby’s safety and comfort in mind.

4). Under The Nile Fitted Crib Sheet: Rest easy knowing your baby is sleeping on totally pure bedding. 

 5). thinkbaby Bottles: According to Toxic Nation, BPA (Bisphenol A) is a hormone disruptor. Studies have linked low-dose BPA exposure with such effects as: permanent changes to genital tract; increase prostate weight; decline in testosterone; breast cells predisposed to cancer; prostate cells more sensitive to hormones and cancer; and hyperactivity.   Canada became the first country to officially ban the chemical from baby bottles.   California recently passed a bill to ban the substance (click here for more info).  Big companies like Nalgene, Wal-Mart, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Playtex have said they will no longer make or sell BPA-containing products. 

Most gardens need more water than is provided through normal rainfall. Usually we must turn on an outside faucet and hook up the hose to provide our array of plants with the water they need. Rather than run up your water bill and draw from your community water supplies—often exhausted over dry spring and summer months—why not recycle?

Recycling water sounds strange, but it actually makes sense. Consider all the rainwater that runs off your roof and straight into the gutter. Collect this water instead in a large barrel and then use it to water the plants.

A barrel like the one from Green and More is ideal for the average home. It holds 60 gallons and comes with an overflow fitting, drain plug, screw on cover, and threaded spigot. Available in a variety of colors, these barrels are especially great because they’re repurposed. Originally used to import olives from Spain, Green and More barrels gain new life by becoming rain barrels.

Watering lawns accounts for an incredible 40 to 60 percent of residential water consumption during the summer months, making lawn maintenance not only a chore but also a drain on the pocketbook and water supply.

The addition of patios, decks, or flower beds also serve to diminish water use by replacing thirsty lawn that needs watering. Or don’t even have a lawn . . . according to Gardeners magazine, trees and shrubs grow better when the soil over their roots is covered with a mulch or ground cover rather than grass. Manicured grass competes for nutrients and water, and passing lawn mowers can injure stems and trunks.

Of all the wood flooring choices available, bamboo is considered the most environmentally friendly. Bamboo is not only highly sustainable—a renewable resource that grows with little water—but also using bamboo avoids using the world’s already dwindling timber resources.

Bamboo is not a tree. In fact, it is a giant grass. And just like the grass on a lawn, when bamboo is cut it’s root system is unharmed, healthy and regenerative. Best of all, bamboo has the ability to grow to maturity in 4-6 years while hardwoods take decades to achieve maturity. Once cut, most hardwoods are left lifeless. Whereas after bamboo is cut, it is able to grow again and again.

An image of carbonized bamboo flooring.