Fairtrade
You may remember that there was a trend in the '80s for animal-shaped rucksacks. I had a frog, and I remember all kinds of other critters adorning my schoolmates' backs. And now most of those schoolmates have kids of their own, I'm hardly surprised to see this cute little trend coming back.
Only this time, we're doing it noughties style, with far more respect for those involved in making the products. Tatty Bumpkin is one ethical label that's picked up on the trend, with its smiley 'spider' rucksack, that's just the right size for transporting essential items to school. Its costs £13.99. Alternatively, there's a similarly proportioned butterfly bag for young arachnophobes!
competitions
Shinzi Katoh has been making cute, whimsical tote bags for a while now, but now the kooky label has branched out, transfering its designs to water bottles and lunchboxes, allowing you to store and save food and avoid the waste and expense of bottled water when you're on the go.
And today, we've got two lovely prizes to give away from Shinzi Katoh: a 'what is that on your head' water bottle and a lovely red and blue lunchbox, just in time for stashing away in the 'back to school' cupboard!
Follow the jump for more pictures and instructions on how to enter
Related: Shinzi Katoh sets up shop in the UK | Bag it all up with Envirosax
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Food & drink
The more variety you expose your baby to early on, the more willing they'll be to try more sophisticated, healthier food options when they get older. So how can you ensure you baby's tastebuds are fully tempted without too much slaving over the stove?
Hippyshopper Mums have long been fans of Plum; the 'organic superfood' for babies, so I was pleased to hear that four new varieties have been launched this summer. Follow the jump for details on the new products, all of which contain all natural ingredients with no GM, salt, sugar, meat, egg or dairy.
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Kids stuff
Gone are the days when 'reusable nappies' meant stinking, toweling rags (though some people still swear by them, I'm told!) There is now a wealth of options for the eco-friendly parent who'd prefer not to spend every hour of the day thinking about poo.
Reusable nappies are now designed to be as hassle-free and leakproof as possible, which is good news really when you consider the sheer bulkiness of normal nappies and their tendency to clog up landfill something rotten.
Read on to find out about some of the new kids on the block in nappyland.
Related: Wam-bamboo eco nappies | gDiapers flushable nappies
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Health & beauty
Method has a surprise in store for its UK fans today: the Californian cleaning gurus have just launched the Method Baby and Method Kid ranges, both available in Boots stores from today.
As with all Method products, half of the fun is in the sustainable packaging, and with children in mind the design team have really let rip. My favourite thing about the Method kids' Squeaky Green body wash has to be the 'scratch 'n' sniff' panel on each otter-shaped bottle, which means you can test out the scent in the shop before buying. I have a bottle of the 'crisp apple' flavour on my desk, and have been keeping it there for stressful moments.
Read on to find out more
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Kids stuff
When crayons get all short and stubby, it's tempting to throw them away, and with the school summer holidays looming on the horizon, most parents will soon have a surplus of well-used waxies littering the house. But next time you're about to jettison any, think of the beauty of this little wax model, the work of Crayon Fawn, who melts down the old scribblers and turns them into fabulous works of art.
Over at Haute*Nature, they featured some instructions on how you can melt down your own crayons for model moulding purporses, with tips on how to add glitter or even scents your creation. Read on after the jump to find out how.
[Via Crafty Crafty]
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Kids stuff
Eco-boutique Fair and Fabulous has just brought in a range of adorable soft toys to its range that are perfect for the little monkeys in your life.
The toys are fairly traded and hand-made using locally sourced cotton in Sri Lanka. They have oodles of character, and What I love best about these little cuties is how they each come beautifully dressed in handloom fabric dresses and a little pair of bloomers! You can also adopt a mouse, duck, pig and various other animals for your child's menagerie, all at £12.99.
Related: Baby-safe toys from Zoe B Organic | ImagiPLAY fairtrade wooden toys with ethical and ecological integrity
You may remember that there was a trend in the '80s for animal-shaped rucksacks. I had a frog, and I remember all kinds of other critters adorning my schoolmates' backs. And now most of those schoolmates have kids of their own, I'm hardly surprised to see this cute little trend coming back.
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