We’re having another GIVEAWAY!

Green Toys

With winning awards from, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toys, and Fat Brian, Green Toys’ line of classic toys uses recycled plastic milk containers to make safe, eco-friendly children’s toys that do not contain phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA), and meet FDA food contact standards. All that plus, they in turn save energy and reduce greenhouse gases. Being “green” also means doing business locally. All Green Toys Inc. operations are located within close proximity of one another in California, which helps reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding long transportation distances.

All Green Toys products are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and all the toys are 100% recyclable too. So, not only are they earth-friendly they are ready for your recycling bin. Made in the USA from Recycled Milk Jugs

Watch a video that highlights how Green Toys are made in an eco-friendly and healthy way!

In a recent study, performed by the Ecology Center, medium to high levels of toxic chemicals were found in one in every three children’s toys tested. The chemicals included lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.

There is no place for chemicals in children’s toys. To prevent exposing your child to a harmful chemical from something as simple as a holiday toy, choose toys that are made from organic, non-toxic materials.

All children’s toys available on OrganicBug.com are safe for children. Here are five of our favorites.

MiYim Organic Cotton Plush Sleepytime Charlotte Collection

When your child cuddles up at night with a Plush Sleepytime Bear, you can be assured your child is not breathing in toxins, chemicals or dyes. Each bear is made from naturally colored, buttery-soft organic cotton. The organic cotton is untreated, unbleached and unprocessed with color dyes acquired from nature. Bears are approximately 12 inches tall.

MiYim Dr Seuss “The Cat in the Hat” Eco-Plush Toy

The Cat in the Hat Eco-Plush Toy is a very popular gift item. Spark a child’s interest in reading by giving this fun, cuddly toy. The Cat in the Hat Eco-Plush Toy is made from natural cotton that is untreated, unprocessed and unbleached. Colors on the toy are derived from natural plant and mineral sources. Made with a polyester fiber filling, The Cat in the Hat Toy is eco-friendly and safe for your child.

Maple Landmark Woodcraft Classic Tic Tac Truck

Put a little twist on the traditional game of Tic Tac Toe with the Tic Tac Truck. Trucks are made in Vermont, primarily from maple hardwood which is free from added chemicals and harvested from sustainable forests. The bed of the truck serves as the game board with round indentations where X and O game pieces may be inserted. Unlike plastic trucks, which can easily break or release chemicals, these wooden trucks will last for generations. The truck is approximately 9 inches long and weighs 2.75 pounds. It is recommended for children of three years and older.

Little Pickle Press 3 Book Series in a Little Pickle Bag

These three award-winning children’s books introduce kids to environmental issues. Books in the series include What Does It Mean To Be Global?, What Does It Mean To Be Green? and What Does It Mean To Be Present?. Books are packaged in an eco-friendly, global-minded book bag created with recycled PET and pursuant to fair trade practice.

Green Toys Recycled Fire Truck

The Recycled Fire Truck from Green Toys is made from 100% recycled plastic milk containers. Your kids will play for hours with this durable truck’s rotating roof ladder and lateral side ladders. There is no metal on the truck, and the plastic is non-toxic. The truck comes packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties.

Having a naturally safe and healthy summer is very important to us,  so we have researched and tested  products to provide you with the best shopping choices for your family and your home.   Here are some of our favorite summertime products to ensure your summer is natural, safe and healthy. Be safe and enjoy your summer!

#1 Summer Must Have: Sun Protection Products from Shady Day

Shady Day Wipes is one of our all time favorites among our customers.  They have been featured on Oprah’s “Love it” List and Parents Magazine have called Shady Day their favorite sunscreen for the summer.

This product was created by 2 moms who wanted to provide a product that combine mess free application solutions, with all natural, high quality ingredients.  We encourage you to check out their entire line of products but the award winning Daily Sun Protection Wipes are a customer favorite!

#2 Summer Must Have: Herbal Bug Balm

This bug repellent is a must have for parents concerned about using synthetic chemical compounds on their children’s skin. Created by For My Kids, this Herbal Bug Balm is a safe natural alternative to chemical bug repellents for kids and the whole family!

The Herbal Bug Balm uses pure organic catnip essential oil to keep bugs at bay. AND it is chemical free! Ingredients: organic coconut oil, organic soybean oil, candelilla wax, lemongrass oil, organic tamanu oil, Vitamin E oil, organic lemon balm, organic rosemary, organic geranium oil, organic catnip oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil.

#3 Summer Must Have: Piggy Paint “Flower Power” Kid-Friendly Nail Polish Gift Set

Piggy Paint is a customer favorite for a reason. Girls of all ages can have fun decorating their fingers and toes with these vibrant, natural & non toxic polishes.   It’s as natural as mud in the sense that every ingredient is biodegradable with no residues left behind to harm the environment.  This product was also created by a Mom so she could provide safe, non-toxic pedicures for her young daughter’s “piggies”.    And make sure you check out the Piggy Paint “Little Miss Firecracker” Kid-Friendly Nail Polish Gift Set for the 4th!

#4 Summer Must Have: Green Toys Recycled Indoor Gardening Kit

This 9-Piece Indoor Gardening Kit is a great way to introduce your young ones to gardening and growing their own food. Everything you need is included, and of course, it is 100 % recycled.  Green Toys’ line of classic toys uses recycled plastic milk containers to make safe, eco-friendly children’s toys that do not contain phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA), and meet FDA food contact standards.

#5 Summer Must Have: Klean Kanteen 12oz Brushed Stainless Classic Bottle + Kid Kanteen Sippy

This is a healthy and eco-friendly alternative to plastic water bottles-  perfect to take along  for the pool, summer vacations and camp. Klean Kanteen products help to keep your kids well hydrated while on-the-go.  The  12oz Kid Kanteen Sippy is designed like a basic bottle, add an adapter cap and Avent non-spill, easy-sip spout.  All bottles and caps are BPA-free .

Our St. Patrick’s Day COLOR ME GREEN GIVEAWAY was announced this week; so I felt like this would be an appropriate time to spotlight 2 of our favorite “Green Companies” in the Organic Bug family.  Honestly, we don’t play favorites- but in honor of St. Patty’s Day- Green Toys and The Green Glass company is about as green as they come!

Green Toys
Green Toys makes a line of eco-friendly classic toys that are free of phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA).  These unique toys are constructed from recycled milk containers.  Founders Robert von Goeben and Laurie Hyman created this company out of their desire to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic toys while making an effort to improve and preserve the world around us.  Their toys have been nationally recognized by media, and have won awards from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toys, and Fat Brian.  We love them because they have adopted environmentally sustainable practices into their manufacturing by:

• Doing business locally. Their operations are located within close proximity of one another in California, helping to further reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding long transportation distances.
• Packaging their products in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties.
• The toys themselves are 100% recyclable too. So, not only are they earth-friendly they are ready for your recycling bin.

See for yourself in this You Tube video:

The Green Glass Company

What is so special about The Green Glass Company you ask?

It is committed to using recycled materials: Discarded bottles that would have ended up in landfills are transformed into usable and gorgeous pieces of glassware.

Each glass is unique: Each glass from  The Green Glass Company “Copenhagen” Tumbler Set is made from an emerald green Carlsberg beer bottle.  The slight variations of color and shape make each glass a unique character and bring out the magic of the set!

Made in the USA  Baby! While glassware made from The Green Glass Company is collected and enjoyed all over the world- it is made in a glass studio located in the peaceful woodlands of Northern Wisconsin.

The Green Glass Company is committed to preserving our natural resources. Owners Christa Donohue and Brian Roome ensure that every step of the process is done in the most environmentally friendly manner possible.

The quality is superior: Each piece of glassware is produced with great attention to detail. The Green Glass Company uses its own unique process to convert these bottles into reusable drinking glasses. This commitment to high quality has helped to make The Green Glass Company the largest producer of reclaimed glassware in the world.

And, as you may have heard- we will be giving away a Green Glass Company “Copenhagen” Tumbler Set and a Green Toys Recycled Plastic Dump Truck on Wednesday March 17.  Be sure to check the contest rules so you may also enter for a chance to win!

Before you head off to drink green organic beer at your local Pub Crawl on St. Patty’s Day, join our shenanigans on Twitter! Our GIVEAWAY has a new twist this time around so pay attention!

Our crafty Organic Bugs want you to get to know us a little better. So, on St. Patrick’s Day I will pose 2 questions (something like~what are some of our favorite products, what specials are we having, what are some gift ideas we love~you get the idea) at 2 different times during the day on Twitter and you can go find the answers on Organic Bug!

On St. Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17^th, I will tweet the first question on Twitter @OrganicBug at 1pm EST and the second question will follow at 3pm EST.

How to Participate:

1. First make sure to follow me on Twitter @OrganicBug
2. Watch for the 2 contest questions that I will ask on Twitter March 17^th at 1pm and 3pm EST.
3. Visit Organic Bug to find the answer.
4. Tweet the correct answer and the 10^th person to answer correctly WINS*! Include #ecogiveaway as your hashtag. Your tweet will look something like this:

@OrganicBug The answer to question 1 is… #ecogiveaway

And yes, it is possible for the same person to be the winner of both prizes IF you answer both questions correctly and happen to be the 10^th person to do so for each question.

And yes, we will ship your prize to most addresses in the US including Alaska, Hawaii + US Territories, APO/FPO + Canada.

We will notify the winners via Twitter and winners will be posted on our Feed Your Eco Blog!

*Winners have 48 hours to respond to our notification with shipping information otherwise another winner will be chosen. Note that we do not share any information you give us during this or any Giveaway by Organic Bug.

Now that you’re all jazzed up, see what GREEN goodies you can win during our St. Patrick’s Day COLOR ME GREEN GIVEAWAY!

Prize #1: The Green Glass Company is committed to preserving our natural resources so the company developed a process to turn reclaimed bottles into usable glassware! You can win a set of “Copenhagen” Tumblers made from the bottom portion of Carlsberg beer bottles. They are fun, festive, unique and Green in more ways than one! Set of 4 emerald green 8-ounce glasses valued at $33

Prize #2:  Green Toys set out to provide parents with a healthy alternative to traditional plastic toys. And so the company has designed a line of rough ‘n tumble plastic toys made from recycled milk jugs! Green Toys are not only healthy for kids, they put less stress on good ole mother Earth. You can win a recycled plastic Recycling Truck that not only teaches youngsters about recycling~it is recyclable, too! Interactive toy truck valued at $25

So, join the shenanigans on Wednesday, March 17^th! I’ll tweet the first question at 1pm EST and the second question at 3pm EST. Go ahead and mark your calendar; set an alarm for 2 chances to win!

Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last.
–Irish Saying

Let the games begin!

..By offering children toys that send a positive message about protecting our planet helps to educate the younger generation about how to make good choices for our environment. It may even create young ambassadors for Mother Nature. -Laurie Hyman, Co-Founder of Green Toys

Part of our philosophy is to provide consumers with offerings that are safe, good quality and help to promote a better world.  What better way to do this than to teach future generations to respect and preserve the natural resources of our planet? One way to teach this lesson is to lead by example, talk to your kids about the importance of recycling, conserving our resources, and supporting companies who embrace sustainable practices.

The holidays are an important time to share these ideals by giving toys that foster their imagination and creativity while while keeping true to the values of an eco-conscious home.   I want to highlight some of the companies we adore who provide a line of well made toys that will out last the others and are made with the safety of our children and planet in mind.

Green Toys

Green Toys makes a line of eco-friendly classic toys that are free of phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA).  These unique toys are constructed from recycled milk containers!  Founders Robert von Goeben and Laurie Hyman created this company out of their desire to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic toys while making an effort to improve and preserve the world around us.  Their toys have been nationally recognized by media, and have won awards from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toys, and Fat Brian.  We love them because they have adopted enviromentally sustainable practices into their manufacturing by:

• Doing business locally. Their operations are located within close proximity of one another in California, helping to further reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding long transportation distances.
• Packaging their products in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties.
• The toys themselves are 100% recyclable too. So, not only are they earth-friendly they are ready for your recycling bin.

Piggy Paint Mistle Toes Kid Friendly Nail Polish

Piggy Paint was highlighted on our blog last October- but felt the need to mention them again for their wonderful selection of holiday themed nail polish sets.  Girls of all ages can have fun decorating their fingers and toes with these vibrant, natural & non toxic polishes.   It’s as natural as mud in the sense that every ingredient is biodegradable with no residues left behind to harm the environment.  Our favorites this season: “Mistle Toes”, “Jingle Nail Rock” and “Snowflake Fairy”.

Maple Landmark Woodcraft My Best Blocks-Advanced Builder

Montgomery Schoolhouse of Maple Landmark Woodcraft

Founded in 1971, the legendary Montgomery Schoolhouse products have been a part of the Maple Landmark family of Vermont since 2001 .  These products are made at the highest level of quality & eco-safeguards to insure many years of good clean fun.   Maple Landmark Woodcraft was founded by Mike Rainville who took up woodworking as a hobby in as a teenager, and launched his wood crafting company after his college graduations in the mid 80s.

Today, Maple Landmark Woodcraft continues to offer high quality American made toys and other wood crafts. Product safety remains their number one priority and the company does as much business locally as is possible including the many services needed and most material sourcing.

Concerns about toxic chemicals leeching from toys and ongoing environmental risks inspired the company to launch a line of  non-toxic wooden toys called Schoolhouse Naturals.  These toys are made from maple hardwood with no added chemicals that has been responsibly harvested from sustainable Addison County, Vermont forests. Be sure to check out the award winning My Best Blocks-Advanced Builder and the Natural Scoots Toy Vehicles from this line, one of our favorite offerings.

For My Kids

For My Kids, LLC is a company devoted to finding (and making where none currently exist) products that are beneficial to our children and our planet.  They offer a line of safe, natural & organic cleaners and personal care products that are a wonderful healthy alternative to chemical disinfectants. The company was founded by Christine Stewart when she learned about the potential long-term ill effects of the cleaning products she was using.  She set out to create effective cleaners that used non toxic ingredients for the sake of family.

Her latest triumph is Happy Fun Dough, an all natural and non-toxic version of play dough.  This soft, pliable dough is made from flour all natural ingredients- even the colors are all natural.

MiYim

Miyim Organic Cotton Storybook Collection

MiYim, a Shanghai based company, believes they have a special responsibility to protect the environment for future generations and offers safe and chemical free products for babies and children.   The company is committed to protecting the health and safety of their employees and safeguarding the environments where they do business.

Miyim is the ancient word for water. And seeds, rich fertile soil and water are the basis for all MiYim products. MiYim collectibles are woven with organic cotton that is untreated, unbleached, and unprocessed with color dyes acquired from nature.  Here are some of the other reasons why we love the toys from this company:

Low-Eco Impact Manufacturing.  They use a specialized natural filtering system purifies waste-water from coloring process before releasing back to the environment.

No chemicals or harmful substances are used in making of miYim products.

Socially Responsible Management: They follow the highest International labor standards and treat each employee with respect and fairness.

Sustainable packaging: Each miYim collectible is housed in a handmade box crafted from recycled materials and the miYim gift box is meant to be reused! Make the most of your miYim purchase and use it to store anything from photos to recipes.