Rebecca and I were delighted to discover Natural Pod, a website full of quality, eco-friendly toys.  If we had endless baby budgets, we might find ourselves purchasing everything on their site—from the wooden oven to the fully waterproof suits for Oregon winters.  The toys and gifts are truly beautiful and heirloom quality.

Roscoe tried out the plates and cups from Natural Pod and has been enthralled with them for weeks.  He uses them to feed blocks to his stuffed squirrels and carefully carries then around the house with perfect balance.  Besides training him to be a waiter one day, I find that the simplicity of the cups and plates makes them wonderful for creative play.   He uses them as hats for his animals, builds block towers on the plates, and uses them to prepares several imaginary meals. 

Rebecca’s daughter Audrey received the gnome family kit, which comes with colorful pieces of felt for the clothes, little wooden beads for the faces and hands, pipe cleaners for the bodies, and embroidery thread to pull it all together.  Her mom has volunteered to assemble and sew the dolls, which should be done just in time to surprise Audrey for Christmas.  The kit also comes with some gnome facts.  Do you know why gnomes wear pointy hats?  (To keep falling acorns from hurting their heads.)

Now for the best news of all: Natural Pod is sponsoring a giveaway for one of our lucky readers!  By commenting below you’ll be entered to win a set of these natural stacking rings—a beautiful addition to your baby’s nursery or the perfect holiday gift.   Be sure to comment before October 28th to win.  Thanks for your interest in Natural Pod toys and good luck on the giveaway!

Several months ago I shared that my dark diapering secret online.  Even though we only used disposables at night, I hated having to toss the waste into the trash. Since my son out-wet our cloth diapers, it seemed there was no other option. 

Thanks to our wise readers’ comments, I tried pocket diapers with him a few months later and was thrilled.  No more wetting in the night!  This also meant no more trips to the grocery store to haul home disposables.  The sky was brighter, the birds sang more sweetly, and our garbage was delightfully emptier. 

Then Roscoe started to develop yeast infections on a regular basis.  We tried creams, giving him “naked time,” and sunlight, but the infections persisted.  Finally, in desperation, we switched back to disposables at night and Roscoe’s redness completely cleared up. 

I then tried switching back to pocket diapers, only to have the yeast infections return.  Intermittently I experimented with prefolds, all-in-ones and again with pocket diapers, only to find that he got yeast infections with every single option.  He bathes just before bedtime, so it can’t be a hygiene issue.  What would people do years ago before disposables were invented?  There must be a solution.

For now, we’re sad to say that Roscoe’s back in disposables at night.  Does anyone else struggle with yeast infections at night?  If so, have you found anything that works on a long term basis?  Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us!

Mindful Momma lists some Good Green Reads for the Preschool Set.   If you are looking for some picture books with environmental themes that will please your young children, check it out.

Nature Moms reviewed Wysi Wipes, “an alternative to pre-moistened towelettes, facial tissue or paper towels.”  They come in tiny tablets, and you just add water to moisten them.  They’re compostable and biodegradable, so they’re better for the environment than your standard throw-away tissues.

Eco Child’s Play found some Eco-friendly, Solar-powered Night Lights that both young and old kids will appreciate.

Not Quite Crunchy Parent offers tips for getting your kids to talk about their day.  The comments section adds even more ideas that I’m tucking away for the future, once Audrey outgrows her “chattering toddler” phase.

Soft Landing, our favorite place to find the latest in safe plastics, reviews a silicone baby bottle–an interesting alternative to traditional plastic or glass bottles.  They also have a helpful article to explain what silicone is.

Green Style Mom writes about her experiences with community gardening–something to look into next year for those of you who don’t have gardening space at home.

Don’t forget to check out our organic diaper cake giveaway here on the Green Baby Guide.  This is a $40.00 value an expecting green mom would love!

Often when I’m headed off to buy a whatzit, it strikes me that someone nearby is probably dying to get rid of the exact thing I want.  And when I drop off a sack full of goodies at a thrift store, I wonder if they’ll make it past the cluttered shelves and into the hands of someone who needs them.

That’s where  the Internet comes in.   For the first time in human history it’s incredibly easy to unload unwanted stuff or search for a used item—all for free! 

Zwaggle is an online resource for parents who are looking to give and get items for their children.  People receive Zwaggle points called “zoints” for giving gently used items to others and then can use then to “purchase” things for their family.  Since it all happens online, you can get things from across the nation so it’s a bit like Ebay without the expense. 

One of my favorite online resources is Freecycle—a local network where people can offer unwanted items and score other things that they need.  According to their own definition, Freecycle is “a movement of people keeping stuff out of landfills while building community.”

So how does Freecycle work?  People post emails either offering or requesting items from their local community.  At this moment on the Eugene Freecycle network I found a full set of screwdrivers, a baby gate, and a bag of unopened kitty litter all offered free of charge.  Also, if you live in Eugene, Oregon, and have loads of Hawaiian party décor on hand, someone on Freecycle needs it!  If I want to respond to any post, I just email a reply and pick up the item or arrange for someone to else to come get my unwanted goods.  Done!

Similar to Freecycle, Freepeats is a set of local, online forums where people can swap stuff for free—but its focus is on children’s items.  The first twenty users in a few area get a lifetime membership for free.  After that you have to pay a one-time fee of just $4.95—which is completely worth it if you end up scoring a decade of hand-me-downs.  Freepeats hasn’t been around as along as Freecycle, so there aren’t as many online communities—but it’s spreading quickly. It currently has new communities opening San Francisco and Portland, Oregon.

My other favorite spot for freebies is Craigslist’s free section.  It’s great to hit it on Sunday or Monday when many people are happy to give away garage sale leftovers. Also, if you’re looking to unload anything, just describe it on the free section and wait for your junk to disappear.   My husband and I posted a broken countertop that we would have otherwise hauled away to the dump.  Within two hours it happily swiped by a local couple who used it in their greenhouse. 

So clean out the garage, save some cash, score some treasures and save the planet.  With online resources at your fingertips, you can help community recycling grow from the grassroots.

Do you have a handy tip that might save money while helping the environment?  We’d love to have you join us at Thrifty Green Thursday.  For directions just go to this page. 

While on a garage sale gift shopping spree, I ran across this rusty red wagon for just five dollars.  Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about getting a wagon for my son’s birthday and it did look rather damaged, but its previous owner coached me through the steps for fixing it up and ended up convincing me to buy.  I’m so glad he did!

The total time it took to fix the wagon was about three hours (including shopping time) and didn’t require much effort.  We followed  a few simple steps and found ourselves quite happy with the results.

Sand down the rust. Using steel wool, we scrubbed down the inside of the wagon with soapy water until it was as clean and smooth as we could get it.  We should have paid more attention to the corners and seams between the bottom and sides, but overall we did well.

Let the wagon dry: Just long enough so that the paint can be applied to a moisture-free metal surface.

Treat with rust-prevention product:  We ended up using “Naval Jelly” which seemed the least toxic and applied it outside so the area was well ventilated.  

Brush on enamel paint: A small container of red paint, perfectly matched to children’s wagons, was easy to find at our local hardware store.  We could have also checked at our recycled building materials center (BRING) to see if they had any on hand.  It cost a whopping twelve dollars for the paint, but it also helped to fix up my son’s tricycle.  While the container recommends a liberal coat, ours was a bit too thick.  We were told not to use a primer, and it worked fine without it.

Wait at least 24 hours: The wagon was just so beautiful and shiny that we rushed to share it with our son before it was fully dry.  Since we used a thick coat, we should have waited even longer than 24 hours.  My son’s foot marred the paint a bit, but overall it still looks great.

The total cost for the wagon after buying the paint was $17.00, compared to $90.00 retail!  Already, we are so happy with our purchase.  Roscoe pulls the wagon around the backyard filled with leaves and sits in it for neighborhood walks.  We used it at his birthday party to haul food to the picnic table and provide free rides.  It’s pretty wonderful to think that this little gem was saved from a landfill only to provide us with years of sturdy service.  

Check out the creative cost-saving, eco-friendly posts below for more enlightenment this Thrifty Green Thursday.  Anyone’s welcome to join us, just read the directions on how to get started and jump in.  Thanks for stopping by!

My daughter fell in love with her  Pedoodles Petal Jumpers the minute she pried them out of their eco-friendly box.   These shoes are well-made and comfortable for young walkers.  Flexible rubber soles protect delicate feet from the wet and pebbly ground.   On top of all this, Pedoodles leave a small footprint (pun intended!) because they’re made from “premium leather remnants from furniture.”  The soles are also made from recycled materials.

Joy’s son Roscoe, who sprints, jumps, and gallops through life, hasn’t managed to even scuff up these sturdy shoes yet.  He enjoys wearing them and looks rather dapper in the Blue Bumper Cars design.  We will always give you a truthful review here at The Green Baby Guide, and Joy and I both give these shoes our stamp of approval.

Not all of Pedoodles’ shoes are made from recycled materials, and at first I had trouble seeking out the eco-friendly designs on the website.  Just look for the “eco-friendly” label on some of the shoes in the Next Steps Collection, which will fit children from eight months to about three years old (U.S. sizes 4-9.5).   Pedoodles makes some adorable newborn shoes as well, but these aren’t made from salvaged materials.

Pedoodles are reasonably priced at around $35.00.  I know several dedicated garage sale shoppers who draw the line at used shoes (and underwear!), so it’s good to know that there is the option of getting new shoes made from recycled materials.  They would also make an excellent baby shower gift.

Post a comment by Tuesday and you will be entered to win a pair of these charming shoes.  The winner can choose any of the eco-friendly designs in the Next Steps Collection.

Last week you read about our adventures in green birthday party planning–but that’s only half the story. Our quest for quality gifts started long before the birthday festivities when I declared that we could buy all Roscoe’s birthday presents used.

My husband was a bit skeptical, especially because we had a very specific birthday list for our son.  It was short, but we knew he’d enjoy his presents and they wouldn’t crowd our small house:

• A tricycle
• A collapsible play tent
• A wooden city bus (He’s obsessed with public transport)
• A book

After weeks of searching online for a used trike, my husband started pricing new tricycles at around $50-$100 each.  My tightwad soul couldn’t bear spending that much on one gift.  So with a purse full of small bills, I hit the garage sale circuit to see if we could find everything we needed. 

I went to just two sales, but ended up scoring a tricycle, a Radio Flyer wagon, a train play tent, and another tricycle for friends (brand new in the box) for just $16 total. 

Honestly, I am still recovering from the high.  

The tricycle and wagon needed a little work, but at $5 apiece we were happy to do it.  (I’ll be posting a blog on the rusty wagon makeover next week.) The materials cost about $12, which brought our total birthday bill to $28.  

Since it would be tough to find a used wooden city bus at garage sales, we managed to find one that’s made here in town for $25.  Oregon Wooden Toys has a whole line of handcrafted vehicles that are great quality and very reasonable. 

To complete our list, my husband found a hardcover Thomas the Train board book for just $6 at our favorite used book store.

So, we could have bought this tricycle for $59 dollars, but instead we spent $59 and ended up with everything in the picture to the right–without the environmental or economic expense!  The total price of all the items we bought new would have been $233.96 and come with at least four cardboard boxes and/or plastic bags!  

After sharing my yard sale bliss with my siblings and my mom, we’re considering a family holiday of used gifts this year.  We’ll be able to pick out nice quality toys for the kids without having cellophane and cardboard strewn all over the living room floor when the gifts are opened.  Since those toys will all go in reusable gift bags, cleanup will be easy.

In the next few weeks, I’ll be searching out sales that can provide holiday presents for Roscoe, his cousins, and maybe even my resale-resistant hubby. I can’t yet say that he flings off the covers on Saturday mornings and bolts out the door to go yard sale shopping, but with deals like these, it’s only a matter of time before he’ll get hooked on my thrifty, green addiction.

If you have a simple idea that can save money and the planet, please join our Thrifty Green Thursday blog carnival.  For directions on where to start, just click here.   (Please make sure to follow the directions or we may have to delete your link!)  Thanks for stopping by and sharing in my garage sale ecstasy!

Today I walked into a children’s resale shop with a bag of Audrey’s clothing to trade.  I had carefully organized her outgrown garments, culled out the ragged, stained, and not-so-cute pieces, and waited until everything was seasonally appropriate.  I thought that my bag of clothes would earn me enough store credit to come home with something new for Audrey.   They took one item and gave me $2.00 in store credit.  That and $4.00 got me a pair of pants.  Not great.

Audrey, one month old, in consignment shop fashions

This store, as it turns out, does not donate the clothes they cannot sell, so I almost had to carry them all back home.  At the last moment, the store owner remembered that someone from “an orphanage” was going to stop by later in the day, so I didn’t have to lug the bag home after all.

I’ve had some troubles with other consignment stores, too.  Another shop in my new neighborhood has a very strict buying schedule, so one week they’re taking only boys’ clothes in sizes 6-10, another week they’re buying something else.  Because of this, I go into that store to buy clothes but have never managed to sell anything there.

The consignment shop in my old neighborhood, The Children’s Exchange, was excellent.   They buy and sell clothes, toys, books, and baby gear, and they usually accepted most of the stuff I tried to sell them.  Because they weren’t so picky (or shall I say snobbish?) about designer brands, I also found the selection to be better than most of the other shops I’ve tried.   When Joy visited me while she was pregnant with Roscoe, I marched her right over to the Children’s Exchange, where she stocked up on diaper covers for just a dollar each.

I’ve had such varied experiences with resale shops, and I know consigning my child’s outgrown clothing isn’t the most efficient money-making method–but what is?  Craigslist, eBay, garage sales?  Or do you just donate the clothes you aren’t keeping to charity?  Today is an opposite Works for Me Wednesday, which means we can ask our readers what works for them.  So, what works for you?  Do you try to sell your child’s old gear at consignment shops, or is there a better way?

Don’t forget to join us starting tomorrow evening for Thrifty Green Thursday!

We had so many deserving entries in our giveaway that I found myself wanting to buy everyone a Dirty Duds bag or sew a dozen by hand.  Since I’m not remotely wealthy, or skilled in sewing, I wrote Bumkins instead and begged for more prizes.  They awarded us with something all our readers can use! 

Just enter the coupon code 5off08 and get $5.00 off any purchase with a $50.00 minimum when ordering online at www.bumkins.com. The coupon is good on all merchandise so you can use it buy diapers, bibs and other baby gear as well. 

And here is our winning entry from April at Enchanted Dandelions.  

“In May of 2007, my younger brother graduated from Marine boot camp. The ceremony was to be held in South Carolina at Parris Island, about an 8 hour drive from our home in Virginia. Since I wanted to be there for this special moment in my brother’s life, I made arrangements to drive down there with my little ones and spend the weekend in a hotel.

As the kids were only 10 months old and just-turned-2 years old at the time, I had a lot of packing to do. Plenty of snacks and toys for the car ride? Check. Blankies, loveys, and dollies? Check. Matching patriotic outfits? Check. Diapers? Hmm, I had a decision to make. I could spend $20 and buy a couple packs of disposables for the trip. That would have been easiest. However, I’m stubborn, and decided to stick with our usual bumwear of prefolds and covers.

I packed our entire diaper stash into a collapsible laundry basket. I also took along a couple heavy-duty trash bags for dirty diapers, a box of baking soda and a bunch of grocery bags to keep in my diaper bag.

The weekend was absolutely amazing! Kids did great on the long car ride down. Touring the base was very interesting, as it was my first time on one. And of course, the reason for the trip, seeing my brother in his uniform was just awe-inspiring. I was SO proud of him!

Diaper-wise, things went smoothly as well. When we were out and about, I would put the dirty diapers in a grocery bag and shove it in the bottom of the stroller. At night, in the hotel, I rinsed out the poopy ones and left them to drip dry over the edge of the toilet. The next morning everything went into the trash bag with a liberal sprinkling of baking soda. (I made sure to put a note on the bag, just in case, so the housekeeper wouldn’t toss it away while we were gone).

Yes, it was a bit more work. But in the end, I am glad that I stuck to it. My brother was doing his part to protect our country… and I am doing my part in protecting the environment.”

Honorable mention goes to Kathleen at Katydid and Kid and Dorothy at Gabriel, Dorothy and William for their fabulous descriptions of those dirty diaper moments.  Thanks to everyone who participated and, as always, we’d love to hear more cloth diaper victory stories!

When I first used cloth diapers with my tiny infant, I would switch to disposables every time we went to the grocery store or even on a walk down the street.  For some reason I couldn’t imagine handling a cloth diaper change in a public bathroom.

Then my yoga instructor told our class a story about using cloth diapers on a cross-continental flight with her young son and during her three-week family jaunt through Italy.  All of a sudden, going to the grocery store in cloth didn’t seem all that challenging. 

Since then, I’ve managed to do several cloth diaper changes on the grass at the park, in our car trunk, and on various living room floors. My most challenging cloth diaper adventure actually happened in a restroom when I was driving my six-month-old home from a trip to visit relatives.

Desperate for a spot to change him, I stopped at a fast food restaurant bathroom and once there—found that there was no diaper changing station.  So, I changed his cloth diapers in his car seat (and believe me, the contents were challenging!), and managed to get him back in clean, dry diapers without a hitch.  As I strode out of that A & W bathroom with my happy baby in my arms and the dirty diaper in my wet bag, I felt a new sense of cloth diaper confidence. 

Have you had any adventures with your baby in cloth?  Where did you go and how did you handle it?  Have you had any harrowing diaper changes that increased your confidence in cloth diapers on the go?  Do you hope that a dirty duds bag will help you make the switch from disposables to cloth?  Are you pregnant and wanting to find tools that will make cloth diapering easier for you?  Our winning entry will become a guest post on The Green Baby Guide and will win the author a brand new Bumkins Dirty Duds bag to further inspire cloth diaper confidence!  It’s a wet bag with an adorable print that easily stores dirty diapers when you’re out and about.  

To enter, just post a comment about your dirty diaper experience (or your hopes about having a heroic diaper change) by August 17^th.  We’ll notify you by email you if your comment is the winner and send you your own Dirty Duds bag.  Thanks for sharing your cloth diaper victories with us!