Hey eco mamas and green dads – have you heard the news? Our kids and parenting site Inhabitots is now on Pinterest – and we’ve been pinning up a storm of goodness for green tots – from green toys and recycled craft DIYs to baby products and Waldorf toys. If you haven’t checked Pinterest out yet, we’re inviting you to join in on the fun and take a look at all of our Pinterest boards today!

FOLLOW INHABITOTS ON PINTEREST >

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Post tags: eco toddler, green baby, green design, green design for babies, green design for kids, green kids, green pinterest boards, inhabitots on pinterest, inhabitots pinterest boards, pinning, pinterest

Every kid needs to get out of the house and interact with other children once in a while, and those occasions are great times to introduce them to green group play. If you live in NY, Unplugged on a Rug‘s Great Green Playdate, which takes place every month at Kidville, is a wonderful way to do just that. Join our Jill Fehrenbacher and her son Petey as they check out this fantastically fun fete.

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Post tags: eco baby, eco parenting, eco play, eco toys, great green playdate, green baby, green events for kids, green events for toddlers, green parenting, green play, green playdate, green toys, kidville, max cure foundation, natalie reyes, ofrit peres, playdate, unplugged on a rug

If you love ice cream (and who doesn’t?!), then you’ll love our recipe for homemade lemon ice cream sandwiches! A great treat to tickle your summer taste buds, and to cool down, this recipe is delicious, organic and a much healthier alternative to the dubious store-bought kind. So do yourself a favor and fill your stomach with wonderment instead of worry, and have a little toothsome fun with this homemade recipe. It’s sure to have your household gobbling up yummy lemon ice cream sandwiches all summer long!

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Post tags: diy treats, eco baby, eco kids, green baby, green design for kids, green kids, how-to, jennie lyon, kids treats, recipes, sustainable design

Bundle your baby up in organic love this season with a few of these lovely pieces from Zutano. This week we’ve teamed up with Zutano to give away a $150 gift certificate to one lucky reader. More than just basic tees and booties, you can shop their new organic baby layette collection, which includes dresses, leggings, pants, onesies, receiving gowns, blankets and more! This contest end soon, so don’t delay – enter to win after the jump!

ENTER TO WIN HERE>

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Post tags: free stuff, giveaways, green baby, green baby clothes, organic baby, organic baby clothes, win it, win this, zutano

Debuting nearly two years ago, gDiaper became the world’s first flushable diaper. Meeting rave reviews from mothers and fathers who were conflicted with the extra work that came with cloth diapering, and the endless piles of dirty diapers toppling over in the planet’s landfills, the gDiaper was a perfectly packaged godsend to the eco-conscious parent. Since launching their first product in 2008, the gDiaper collection has expanded turning out gCloth washable diaper inserts, fashionable new gPant styles, and the latest addition to the line, biodegradable gWipes baby wipes. An incredible endeavor that has grown to become an eco-powerhouse, we decided it was time to catch up with Kim Graham Nye, co-founder of gDiapers. Read ahead for our five questions with Kim, who gives us the scoop on how gDiapers got its start and what Kim credits as her inspiration for these planet saving products!

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE>

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Post tags: cloth disposable diaper hybrid, eco baby, eco-friendly baby, eco-friendly diaper, flushable inserts for diapers, gdiapers, gdiapers interview, green baby, hybrid diaper, kim graham nye

We were absolutely enamored when we spotted this delightful tree shaped bookshelf by designer Shawn Soh at this year’s ICFF. Appropriately named the “Tree Bookshelf,” Soh sets up several loving tree branches for kids and adults to stack up their most treasured literature. A wonderful design that recalls nature and cultivates a love for reading, you’d also be pleased to know that the Tree Bookshelf forgoes the use of wood for a more eco-friendly option, steel, which boasts durability and can be recycled!

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Post tags: "green furniture", "sustainable furniture", eco furniture, eco kids, green baby, green kids, ICFF, International Contemporary Furniture Fair, kids furniture, metal furniture, shawn soh, storage, tree bookshelf

Is a new baby in the house keeping you on your feet and out of energy? The Koo might be your best bet in beating the  ‘round the clock battle of tear wiping, frequent feedings and of course, much obliged TLC. An eye-catching and clever design, the Koo by Lunar does double duty transforming from bassinet to rocker and back again with just a simple flip of the wrist. And with its colorful, contemporary aesthetic, we couldn’t think of a better piece of furniture for today’s modern mom and dad!

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Post tags: convertible furniture, eco baby, Eco Friendly baby Furniture, eco friendly rockers, eco friendly rocking chairs, eco-friendly bassinets, eco-friendly cradles, green baby, ICFF, Koo, Lunar, multifunctional furniture, transformer furniture

Rest? What’s that? If you’re a parent to a newborn, that’s a question you most likely ask yourself every day. Well enter the Koo, a new 2 in 1 bassinet/rocking chair. This clever design allows weary mommies and daddies to easily transform their baby’s bassinet into a rocker with a flick of the wrist and back again.

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Post tags: convertible furniture, eco baby, Eco Friendly baby Furniture, eco friendly rockers, eco friendly rocking chairs, eco-friendly bassinets, eco-friendly cradles, green baby, ICFF, Koo, Lunar, multifunctional furniture, transformer furniture

If you’re an urban-dweller, fresh air may be a hard thing to come by both outdoors and in. So why not stop all that dust, pollen, and other unsavory airborne elements from infiltrating your sacred spaces with a gorgeous ANDREA houseplant air-filter? This week we’re giving away one of these beauties (worth $195) to one very lucky reader! 40 times more efficient than HEPA or carbon filters, and much more effective than a houseplant alone, this divine device could be yours to win!

ENTER TO WIN HERE>

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Post tags: andrea air filter, david edward, eco baby, free stuff, giveaway, green baby, HEPA Filter, indoor air filter, Mathieu Lehanneur, plant air filters, plants as air filters, plants clean indoor air

Want to clean and freshen the air in your home using the power of plants?

We’ve been in love with the ANDREA houseplant filter’s modern design for quite some time now, so we’re thrilled to be giving one of these amazing air-purifiers (worth $195) to one very lucky reader this week! ANDREA isn’t just pretty to look at – it’s 40 times more efficient than HEPA or carbon filters, and more effective than a houseplant alone because it sucks air into the plant filter through a fan, and propels it through the leaves and root system of a plant, and then back out through water and soil filtration into the room environment. On top of all that, it requires no filter changes (meaning there is less trash to worry about).

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

1. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE >
We’ll be announcing the winners in our weekly newsletter, so if you want to find out who won, you’ll need to receive it!

2. LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW and tell us why you NEED an ANDREA. The deadline for this fabulous giveaway is Wednesday, April 14. We’ll pick the comment we like best and announce the winner in our newsletter next week, so make sure you’re signed up!

+ ANDREA

+ ANDREA on Amazon $195

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Post tags: andrea air filter, david edward, eco baby, giveaway, green baby, HEPA Filter, indoor air filter, Mathieu Lehanneur, plant air filters, plants as air filters, plants clean indoor air

5 Lessons About Small Business You Can Learn From Your Kids

If you own your own business and have small kids, you probably know that it ain’t easy to find a balance between the two. But for two moms in New York City who run a small company that organizes ‘Great Green Playdates’ for parents and toddlers, mixing business with family is a formula that seems to be working. Founded by Natalie Cronin and Ofrit Peres, Unplugged on a Rug teaches parents how to go green with their kids and lets these enterprising momtrepreneurs spend much-needed time with their own little ones! Check out the tips they passed on to Inhabitots’ editors for achieving the elusive “work-life balance” that many workaholics seek.

Check out Inhabitots video about Unplugged on a Rug here >

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Post tags: eco baby, eco kids, eco toddler, eco-friendly play, great green playdate, green baby, green business, green kids, green play, green playdates, green toddler, inhabitots editors, nyc playdates, nyc storytime, open forum, small business, unplugged on a rug

We saw Inhabitots, our site devoted to green design for the next generation, grow so much in 2009! We celebrated its first steps as well as its very first birthday(!), and along the way we shared the best green products and tips for kids and babies with all of our readers. Check out our editors’ list of our absolute favorite stories, from how to green your baby’s nursery with plants to a cozy and fun book-house bed to dazzling LED block lights fashioned into an energy efficient tree, and vote for the one you like best!

VOTE AT INHABITOTS >

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Post tags: andrea air filter, eco baby, favorite green parenting stories of 2009, get breastfeeding off to good start, green baby, how to green your nursery, inhabitots editors favorite stories of 2009, Kaspa Ghost Lamp, twisttogether, twisttogther LED lamp, uroko house

We first reported on the conceptual design of the Bel-Air living air filter back in 2007, and now everyone may breathe a little easier because it came to fruition as the ANDREA Air Filter and went on the market this week! The stylish air purifier, invented by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur with Harvard professor David Edward elevates common houseplants to heroic status as they eliminate noxious chemicals that pollute indoor air. Visit Inhabitots to see precisely how the ANDREA Air Filter works!

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

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Post tags: andrea air filter, david edward, eco baby, green baby, HEPA Filter, indoor air filter, Mathieu Lehanneur, plant air filters, plants as air filters, plants clean indoor air

We’ve been in love with eco kids outfitter Oeuf for many years now, and they’ve just unveiled their cutest morsel yet: an adorable collection of baby animal hats and booties that let your tot discover his inner ‘Wild Thing‘. Available in green dino-style, cuddly white bear, and grey wolf style, these toasty 100% Alpaca wool hat-and-boot outfits make perfect green Halloween costumes, but are also great for just playing make-believe around the house. In a bout of impeccable timing, Oeuf just released this new product right before the release of the ‘Where the Wild Things Are‘ movie this week, and we couldn’t be more excited to get into the spirit of this cherished children’s book and dress our little Inhabitots up as Wild Things. Go Oeuf!

+ OEUF ANIMAL HATS & BOOTIES

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Post tags: eco baby, eco kids, green baby, green halloween, green kids, oeuf animal hats and booties, where the wild things are costume, where the wild things are outfit

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER THE ECO CUTEY COMPETITION!

Creating a more sustainable future starts with today’s tots, which is why Inhabitots is currently running an adorable Eco-Cutey contest to show off the cutest kids that give a hoot about the environment! If you know an adorable eco-tot that deserves the prize, enter TODAY for a chance to be featured on Inhabitots and Inhabitat, and receive an Inhabitat shirt and a $50 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop. The deadline is tonight at 12 midnight EST, so submit pictures of your eco-cutey today!

SEE HOW TO ENTER AT INHABITOTS >

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Post tags: eco baby, Eco cutey, eco cutey green cutey, eco tot photo contest, green baby, green tot, i give a hoot, inhabitots photo contest

Inhabitots, Inhabitat’s sibling site bringing you the best in green design for the next generation, is having an eco-cutey photo contest this week! If you have the cutest eco-tot on the whole planet, enter TODAY for a chance to be featured on Inhabitots and Inhabitat, and receive an Inhabitat shirt and a $50 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop.

SEE HOW TO ENTER AT INHABITOTS >

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Post tags: baby contest, baby picture contest, cutest baby contest, eco baby, eco-cutey contest, green baby, green baby photos, inhabitots eco cutey contest

BAMBOO + DINOSAUR-SHAPED UTENSILS = GREEN FUN for your budding little enviro-tyke. Does it get much cuter than this? Bamdinos are adorable dinosaur-shaped utensils made from 100% organic bamboo and natural cashew lacquer. Super safe for exploring fingers and little mouths, these Bamdinos are as smart as they are eco-friendly, as they bring an added level of play to dining time with tots. We’ve raved about Bambu’s bamboo kitchenware before on Inhabitat, and this is our favorite thing yet to emerge from the brilliant minds over at Bambu.

$9 from the Inhabitat Shop >

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Post tags: Bambdino Utensils, bamboo dinosaur, bamboo dinosaur utensils, bamboo utensils, Bambu dinosaur utensils, Bambu dinosaurs, Bambu Kids Utensils, bamdino-utensils, eco dinosaur dinnerware, eco dinosaur fork, eco dinosaur utensils, eco flatware, eco fork, eco spoon, green baby, green kids, green kids utensils, green spoon

Now that the weather is getting chilly, it’s the perfect time to make like a bear and cuddle your little ones up in cozy hats made for hibernating. The organic cotton baby bear ear hat shown above (modeled by our resident InhabiTOT Petey) is hand-crocheted by NY eco fashion designer Amy Mohlenhoff from design collective Ekovaruhuset. It is such a simple idea to add little bear ears to a baby bonnet, and yet so cute! Amy crochets baby bonnets when she’s not designing stylish women’s eco cocktail dresses, and her baby accessories are every bit as unique and inspired as her women’s wear.

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

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Post tags: 100% organic cotton, Amy Mohlenhoff, baby bear ear cap, baby bear ear hat, baby cap, baby hat, bear ear hat, BP-Oil-Spill, crocheted cap, eco baby, Eco designer, green baby, green parenting, packaging-the-future, sustainable style

Consider the fact that disposable diapers make up the third-largest consumer item dumped in landfills and take 500 years to decompose. Clearly there is a environmental problem waiting to be solved in the design of diapers. Now gDiapers have presented a solution – the world’s first flushable, compostable diaper! Their cute eco baby bottom-toppers are the first diapers to merge the convenience of disposables with the sustainability of cloth diapers. Our own eco-mama Jill Fehrenbacher has been testing GDiapers out on her little Inhabitot, and she has lots to report. Head over to Inhabitots for an in-depth review >

GDiapers at Inhabitots >

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Post tags: baby care made simple, baby shower gift, best diaper brands, diapering how-to, diapering must-haves, eco baby, eco diaper, eco ethics, eco friendly baby care, eco friendly babycare, eco friendly diapers, eco parenting, eco products for babies, eco-friendly family, environmental diaper, environmental education, environmentally friend nursery, environmentally sustainable diaper, Flushable diaper, G-Diaper, GDiaper, green baby, green baby eco baby, green diaper, green parenting, new baby, new mom gift, new parenting how-to, nursery essentials

The Great Green Playdate for a Cause is eco-play company Unplugged on a Rug‘s traveling playdate that caters to families with young children from 0-5 years. Inhabitots editor Jill Fehrenbacher will be on the scene with her own Inhabitot, Petey, so join us for some green play and musical surprises! All proceeds from this playdate will go to The Max Cure Foundation.

Hope to see you there!

GREAT GREEN PLAYDATE:
Jan 18th, 10:30am
Kidville’s Upper West Side location at 466 Columbus Avenue in New York City.
Check out our pics of the last Great Green Playdate HERE >

About Unplugged on a Rug and the Great Green Playdate:

“We tour the best stuff from our play rooms from community to community. We share our ideas to reuse, reduce and recycle to simplify the environment for more complex play. We are proud to introduce bObles as our favorite toys and many of our most magical playmates to join our cause to raise $10,000 this year to support charities for mothers and children.”

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Post tags: eco baby, eco kids, eco toddler, eco-friendly play, great green playdate, green baby, green kids, green play, green playdates, green toddler, inhabitots editors, kidville, max cure foundation, nyc playdates, nyc storytime, unplug on a rug