Quick School Party Favors

Our daughter is having her school party today, she turns 5! The kids have a very informal snack consisting of cupcakes and juice. Last minute, I went to our local drug store and found Crayola markers on sale, so I picked up 20 sets and added our 9SpotMonk Colour in Cards and made a little package. Hopefully, this will start kids into writing (or colouring) cards and letters and sending them to family and friends!

Happy Birthday Kasie!!

Spotlight: Creative - Soy Crayons!

Natural Soy Rock Crayons by Clementine Art

I was in Whole Foods this morning getting my usual coffee and croissant and came across the most wonderful creative art supply. Natural soy crayons!

Clementine Art's tag line, "non-toxic is just the beginning" is right, it is just the beginning. We're always teaching our kids that natural is the way to go for most everything and this extents to art supplies as well. I picked up the Soy Crayon Rocks on the double and brought them home to test out. My kids love them. The shape is fascinating to them. To date, they've only had crayons that looked like the standard writing utensil kind and they are so curious how little rocks can have colour.

Soy crayons by Clementine Art

Clementine Art products are sourced responsibly and made in the USA. They're all non-toxic and safe. They are definitely setting a higher standard for health and safety in kids' products.

Going on Clementine Art's site, they also have natural modeling dough, paint and markers! I spoke with Megan at Clementine Art and she tells me the paint and markers will be shipping December 15th, 2009, so we are definitely stocking up on these and the rest of their great products for stocking stuffers and gifts for all our little friends.

Natural Paint by Clementine Art

Modeling dough by Clementine Art

To read more about Clementine Art's values and see their products visit their site at clementineart.com. Their great products can be found in Whole Foods nationwide.

[photo: Clementine Art]

[tags: soy crayons, natural paint, natural modeling dough, clementine art, eco friendly crayons, wholefoods]

[Spotlight: Eco Toys] Sweet Baby's Mobile

Forest Mobile by Linea Carta

Eco-friendly, made of 100% linen, screenprinted by hand and made in California.

[Spotlight: Gear] The Masculine (diaper) Bag

Whenever Erik, my husband takes the kids out, he brings his Patagonia Critical Mass® bag. He packs the necessities - water bottles, diapers, snacks, a sweat shirt for each kid and bandages (you never know), Benadryl and the Epi Pens. Then when he's done and out of the way, the kids pack in their own stuff - books, cars, stuffed animals and the ever important mini blankies for both of them.

I've never really had a traditional diaper bag per say but my chosen bags have compartments. Erik has veered away from the compartments all together. He says he has his own organizational thing going on in that bag. I look in it and see chaos, but hey, he's taking them out of the house so I'm not complaining any further. I didn't start to love his Critical Mass bag until I used it for the first time months ago. Yea, it's chaos in there but an organized kind of chaos.

Anyway, the moral to the story is - when he's done using this as a diaper bag, he's still going to use it. When I'm done using my diaper bag, I'm done using my diaper bag and getting one of these.

[Tags: Patagonia Critical Mass, diaper bag for men]

[photo credit: patagonia.com]

Eating on the Go

Ring Cutlery Set by GSI Outdoors

Eastern Mountain Sports is one of our favorite shops. We're not avid hikers, or bikers, or skiiers or climbers but our family has it's share of 'pro' equipment. The kids and I love EMS because they always have these really cool gadgets, most everything is so streamlined and sleek.

On our last trip to the shop for beach shorts (for me), I saw this cutlery set by GSI Outdoors. It's basically a fork, spoon and knife all kept together with a plastic ring. Sometimes it's just handy to have a set for the kids, keeps eating with their hands to a minimum. The two best things about this set? It's BPA-free and it's kept together so no losing a fork here or a spoon there. I keep their sets in a handkerchief, which sometimes doubles as a lunch napkin.

Not only are these cool, it's an eco-friendly way to eat on the go than using disposable flatware.

[Tags: Eastern Mountain Sports, GSI Outdoors, ring cutlery set, camping utensils, eco-friendly, BPA-free]


[photo credit: Smuppy Kids, GSI Outdoors]

There's a Shark in our House

Sandro and my father spent the morning painting and drawing. Pretty neat how my father took Sandro's abstract paintings and turned it into an underwater adventure.

[It's a Party] Part 1: Favor ideas

My kids' birthdays are coming up fast and furious. We have a mid September and a mid November and it's time to start the planning. I have been thinking about their party for months but haven't come up with anything solid. Maybe I should work less in a straight line: party theme, venue, invitations, decoration, food, favors and more in the way my brain normally thinks: invitations, favors, decoration, food, venue and lastly the theme... While researching I found these totally beautiful totally eco friendly reusable gift bags from Living Ethos...

These would be wonderful for the kids' favor bags. They could reuse them for little toys, snacks, etc. I am inspired! I love the eco-friendly aspect of reusable anything, especially with these being so stylish and modern, it's right up my alley!

Check out the sewing and trim details on these bags, I know how to sew and these are real time consuming details that are well thought out, big thumbs up, Living Ethos!

Dig It Fabric Gift Wrap by Living Ethos

All styles on their site are available in four sizes ranging from the smallest 3 x 3 x 2 inches to the largest at 15 by 11 by 13. You can order a set of four in the four sizes or just order one. 

Flora and Fauna Fabric Gift Wrap by Living Ethos 

Pocket Full of Posies Fabric Gift Wrap by Living Ethos

[Tags: Living Ethos, Fabric Gift Wrap, Fabric Party Favor Bags, Eco Friendly Gift Wrap, Birthday Party Favors]

[photo credit: Livingethos.com]