When the weather turns warmer, it often turns wetter. A waterproof, breathable shell can keep you dry inside and out. The days of sweaty rubber rain gear are gone, as new technologies allow fabrics to release heat, by allowing moist air to pass through the material, but only moving inside to out. So body moisture escapes, and rain water beads and rolls off the shell. This way, you stay comfortable and dry, on the inside, and outside of the jacket. Technology has also allowed manufacturers to make rain gear more environmentally friendly with less toxic water repellent coatings, and fabrics made from recycled materials. These versatile and green hard shells work great as backpacking companions, lightweight ski jackets, or everyday wear. Keep reading →

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 →

Many green options cost more than their replaced product – but the SodaStream Soda Maker offers a wealth of eco and health benefits for cheaper than buying sparkling water and soft drinks the old fashioned way.  So you’ll be improving your health, keeping tons of plastic out of landfills and saving money instead of lugging heavy bottles of future trash home from the market.

Some SodaStream Background

As a fan of all things that bubble, from champagne to sparkling water to soda (does beer count?), I’ve found it increasingly difficult to enjoy these great things due the myriad of challenges the conscious consumer faces when looking at purchasing these products.  These range from the health impact on you and your family (hey, only 33 grams of fructose corn syrup in most major single serving soda cans!), to the environmental impact that millions of plastic bottles of mineral water and the impact of transporting mineral water from some remote part of the globe to your favorite posh restaurant table. Keep reading →

So, you have decided to kick that nasty bottled water habit? Good for you! I’m sure you already know about the huge environmental impact of the bottled water industry, like the more than 1.5 million barrels of oil that are used to make bottled water each year. Or maybe that 90% of plastic water bottles end up in landfills, instead of being recycled. But, have you also heard some of the many benefits of drinking tap water? Most tap water in the U.S. is as safe or safer than bottled water, which makes sense considering that 40% of all bottled water is just filtered tap water! Haven’t you ever wondered what the “Municipal Source” or “Community Water System” labels mean on your bottled water? Yup, filtered tap water. So what if I told you that you could make this same bottled water, at your home or on the go, save money, and drastically decrease your environmental footprint? Here are some of my favorites that use high-end carbon water filters to clean tap water of chlorine, iodine and other bad tasting chemicals while you drink! Keep reading →

While snowboarding may not be the most eco-friendly sport out there – especially the lift-served, made-snow variety – there are some snowboard companies going all out to make a difference. Companies are raising awareness of the threat that climate change is posing to our winter wonderlands, helping riders find the resorts that are putting some green towards being green, and working to make their products as sustainable as possible.  After all, it’s in their interest to keep the snow falling!

In 2007, professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, formed Protect our Winters (POW); an organization aimed at bringing the winter sports community together to focus on initiatives that will have a direct impact on the climate change that has become such a threat to our mountains and glaciers. In other words, to prevent the official rise of grassboarding as a sport. Our options are becoming more limited, as smaller resorts that rely on only natural snow are being forced to close. Beyond the future of the sport, in many places snow pack is a natural storage system for water used to irrigate agricultural lands, come snow melt in spring. As glaciers recede, and snow accumulations lessen, many people who depend on them for food and water are threatened. Keep reading →

One of the best things about buying t shirts is how fun it is. Here are a few of our favourite eco-tees on the site. Clockwise we have: California Rising’s Mind Over Matter, Topo Ranch’s W’s Spray and Saddle Up tees, Andira’s Rainforest Tee and PartyBot’s Little Timmy Tee.

T-shirts haven’t always been the pinnacle of fashion that they are today. They were first made ‘cool’ back in the 1950’s when actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean started wearing them as regular clothes, a layer or two above their traditional position as underwear. Suddenly, they became a symbol of sex, irreverence and rebellion. Ever since, tees have been a popular means of conveying a personal message, whether political, humorous or downright cool. Keep reading →

It is official, Olympic fever is in full swing. So appropriately timed, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say a few of those outdoor Olympic types have felt the havoc the winter elements can reap on exposed skin. Lets face it – nothing burns the heck out of your face like a sunny day on the slopes. Living in upstate New York, I find myself relating with treks down the drive to retrieve the mail (with Olympic like speed of course!), and sliding down my very own steps luge style.

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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 →

If there is one thing I have learned during my time spent searching for the perfect organic foundation is that once you’ve found the brand and tint for you, you are golden (well hopefully not golden per se, I would hope for more of a beige or ivory…). All joking aside, it’s hard to find the perfect foundation for your skin, especially when you want to take your eco conscious beauty side to the next level with an organic product. With this in mind, I hope the organic mineral foundations I came across are your dream products, and if not, I hope it helps you get one step closer.

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