Traveling with a toddler is not the easiest thing in the world. You need lightweight, versatile gear, plenty of snacks, and LOTS of distractions. In your haste to prevent airport and airplane freakouts, you might forget to make eco-conscious choices. We’re here to help, with the essential green kit for traveling with toddlers. Keep reading →

Last week, Renee told us which organic products can keep our skin looking and feeling good in the harsh winter weather. Kids and babies have a special set of needs when it comes to their skin. Kids need good sun protection (especially if they’re old enough to go skiing or snowboarding), and plenty of hydration (especially if they’re spending lots of time indoors in a heated house). Babies need healing ointment to protect little butts from diaper rash, especially if those little butts are wrapped in layers of winter clothes – while cozy thermals trap heat, they can also trap moisture, making rashes more likely. And every little one needs bug protection. Wait, what? Bugs? In the winter? Yup – don’t forget that, for half of our planet, it’s actually summer right now: Australia and South Africa, for example, are just hitting their peak annual temperatures. Natural insect repellent is perfect for keeping babies bite-free safely. Keep reading →

When it comes to diapering, you want to take care of both your baby’s bum and the earth it sits on. Cloth diapers used to be the eco-friendly standard, but recent studies suggest they’re not more eco-friendly than disposables: both have their own particular impacts on the environment. So which do you choose? Convenient sposies or reusable cloth? Water-hogging cotton or landfill-clogging plastic? It’s enough to make your head spin, even without the sleep deprivation you’re probably experiencing at this stage of the baby game. Don’t fret: whether you choose cloth or disposable diapers, there are ways that you can make both methods as green as possible. Keep reading →

Cradle cap. Snot. Head lice. (Ew.) If you have kids, chances are you’re going to have to deal with one or more of these ick-inducing afflictions, probably multiple times. If you don’t like the idea of lathering your child’s head with pesticides or coal tar, here are some natural, eco-friendly alternative products you can use. Keep reading →

You know the drill: You go to a kid’s birthday party, you leave with a swag bag. Often, though, the party favors inside aren’t particularly eco-friendly. You might get a couple of dodgy plastic bath toys, a board book, and some candy, which your child will probably shove in his or her mouth quicker than you can say “High fructose corn syrup!” Here are some ideas for greener party favors – and they’re all under $10, so you can buy one for each of the little guests at your kid’s next get-together.

Bud takes the traditional rubber duckie bath toy and puts a fun twist on it. Give kids a Space Duck, complete with a clear plastic space helmet and orange NASA jumpsuit. Darling Duck is turquoise with cute white polka dots; Rock Duck is black with red skull-and-crossbone logos; Love Duck has hot pink hearts on a bright pink background; and, for little ghouls, Horror Duck has gory red blood splatters on his smiling face. All Bud bath ducks are made of phthalate-free plastic. Keep reading →

Most kids love bath time – playing with giant soap bubbles, swimming with sharks and hippos, and splashing Mom and Dad. As a logical (sort of) adult, you’d assume that bath = clean and clean = good, right? Not always: some children’s bath products have additives that aren’t good for kids or for the earth, while others earn a gold star when it comes to natural, green ingredients. Make bath time not only fun, but also healthy – both for your little ones and for the environment.

Tubs
If your kids are big enough, they can soak in the grown-up tub. Littler ones will need special baby and toddler tubs. Steer clear of tubs containing PVC. The manufacture and disposal of PVC is terrible for the environment: it releases a cancer-causing chemical called dioxin, which becomes more concentrated as it moves up the food chain, and is extremely hard to get rid of. PVC often contains phthalates, additives that make it more flexible. Phthalates can cause developmental problems in children, including hormone imbalances. They’re also linked to various types of cancer. Keep reading →

OK all you last-minute romantics out there!  You still have time to “wow” the love of your life this Valentine’s Day!  I have scoured the cyber-world and compiled my top green picks this season to secure cupid status with your sweetie-pie and do something good for the environment!  Note that there are selections at many price points so everyone will have options!  Have fun shopping and you can thank me later for making it appear you spent countless hours planning your special Valentine gifts! Don’t worry, I won’t tell…

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When Barry Cik learned he was going to be a grandfather, he went out looking for the perfect organic crib mattress. Strange choice of baby gift? Not for Cik: he’d been an environmental engineer for the past 25 years. He knew all about the dangerous chemicals in conventional crib mattresses, and he wanted a healthy alternative for his family’s new arrival.

What Cik found disappointed him. Most of the organic mattresses were made with wool or latex, both of which can cause allergic reactions. The mattresses also weren’t waterproof: one leaky diaper or spit-up episode, and mold would begin to grow on or in the mattress, with no way to clean it properly. Cik decided to take matters into his own hands. He and his two sons founded Naturepedic, a company that makes organic, non-toxic crib mattresses. The company’s now so successful that it’s branched out into changing pads, adult-size mattresses, pillows and sheets.

Green mattresses are important, especially for babies. Conventional mattresses are often treated with flame-retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. These chemicals can have a significant negative impact on a baby’s growing brain, possibly causing developmental delays and behavioral changes. They’ve also been linked to SIDS. While states like California and Maine have begun prohibiting the use of PBDEs as flame retardants, plenty of mattresses still contain them. Naturepedic’s No Compromise crib mattress uses a nontoxic fire retardant instead. It’s a GreenGuard-certified piece of baby furniture, meaning it doesn’t release chemicals that affect indoor air quality, and it’s safe for children and schools to use. It won’t harm your baby or the environment. Keep reading →

You know that Izzit loves to connect you with the coolest, most innovative and sustainably produced products on the market.  Along with these product and brand connections, we think it’s super-important for consumers to learn more about the groups that work every day to improve our environment, certify the credibility of green-marketed products, and advance public knowledge of important sustainability issue.

To that end – here’s a little multi-faceted Holiday gift from us to you…and the oceans.  More specifically, some knowledge for you, some support for our oceans, and something to put under the tree for a loved-one this season. Keep reading →

Fashion lovers with money to spend may search far and wide for the for the trendiest sweater designs that are made from what is said to be one of the softest and most luxurious products on earth. But let’s face it, many of those with money to spend on fashion, discard their clothing picks with the seasons without even thinking about those poor sheep that took all the effort to grow their undercoat, and the factory workers that spent hours upon hours to spool the pricey wool.

TeddyLux is an eco-friendly company that doesn’t let the hard work of the sheep and the factory workers’ hard work go to waste by letting the cashmere sweaters end up in the cashmere graveyard. Instead, they recycle the discarded fashion items and turn them into some of the most luxurious and soft and cuddly toys available for children; and the knowledge that they’re eco-friendly through their use of recycled materials doesn’t hurt either. Keep reading →