Category Archives: Product Reviews

Review: Fun, Affordable Eco Art Kits from Artterro

  By Donna DeForbes | October 21, 2014 - 5:00 am | , ,
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Artterro Eco Art Kits | Eco-Mothering.com

My daughter, Sofie, wants to be an artist when she grows up. While she mostly draws or paints, I like exposing her to new mediums to get her creative juices flowing in a different way. Arttero’s Eco Art Kits are a great way to encourage that — they offer 11 kits with a variety of materials and open-ended projects to spark young creative minds. Making Art Eco-Friendly When we received their Creativity Kit (Sofie’s choice) and perused their website, I was kind of blown away by the level of sustainability and social conscience behind Artterro. Ethically sourced, natural materials including wool felt, recycled paper, glass beads, wood bangles, U.S.-made copper wire and non-toxic paints. The handmade recycled paper is composed entirely of scraps from the garment industry and is processed pollution free! Corn-based, biodegradable plastic bead bags. Minimal packaging with 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard that can be repurposed. The box … Continue reading →

An Award-Winning, Eco-Friendly Children’s Book: “Earth Remembers When”

  By Donna DeForbes | October 7, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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Review of the eco-themed children's book, Earth Remember When by Dawn Wynne | Eco-Mothering.com

I am so pleased when I see another eco-themed book on the market, especially in children’s literature. Making the environment a regular part of our children’s vernacular is an important step in them becoming stewards of the earth. My latest discovery, Earth Remembers When by Dawn Wynne, is an absolutely stunning picture book with many layers to enjoy. Layer 1: Reading the rhymed story in which the narrator reminisces about a clean, abundant earth when forests covered the world and foods came from the ground instead of a box. Even though my seven-year-old reads on her own, she wanted me to read this book to her, and we cuddled on the sofa together. Layer 2: Studying Gloria Piñeiro’s beautiful illustrations of oceanscapes, sunlit forests and wildlife families. Her work is vibrant and nostalgic, rich with lush detail. Layer 3: The pages fold out to reveal a very different scene of … Continue reading →

Greening Your Home: Cushy, Quality, Eco-Friendly Rug Pads

  By Donna DeForbes | September 9, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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Eco-Friendly, Non-Toxic Rug Pads | Eco-Mothering.com

To be honest, I’ve never give much thought to rug pads. We don’t have wall-to-wall carpet in our home. We have wooden floors covered with area rugs, and getting pads for the area rugs didn’t seem worth the extra expense or bother. Then I was contacted by Karl from Eco-Rug Pads who wanted to know if I’d like to try their product. After reviewing their website, I decided I did. I liked their family-oriented business and their commitment toward the environment. That’s a big deal in the rug business where it’s so easy to cut costs in half by importing cheap materials from China. I was curious to try some of the company’s eco-friendly rug pads so I gave Karl the measurements of two area rugs. The very next day, I received the package. Excellent first impression! My second impression was just as good when I opened the package and … Continue reading →

Family Nature Getaway in #PerfectVT

  By Donna DeForbes | May 13, 2014 - 5:00 am | , ,
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#PerfectVT | Eco-Mothering

Last month, a friend and I headed up to Vermont for a blogger retreat (a.k.a. weekend getaway). Like all moms, I’d been feeling the need for some time away, ideally spent soaking in nature or indulging in awesome food and spa-like activities. And, except for the spa bit, I found it all in the tiny town of Pittsfield, just north of Killington, Vermont. I discovered the area through my hosts, Tom and Erlin, the founders of Perfect Vermont Retreats. The young couple organizes fitness and nature retreats (for corporations, groups of friends, wedding parties and families) where they “challenge guests to get outdoors, live consciously and experience life simplified.” Such a retreat might involve yoga classes, guided biking tours, hikes on 30 miles of mountain trails or “re-wilding” instruction from an expert on foraging and wilderness survival. Pretty cool, huh? I love that Tom and Erlin’s business is run as an ongoing … Continue reading →

Goddess Garden Organics Sunscreen Review

  By Donna DeForbes | May 1, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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GoddessGarden | Eco-Mothering

This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood. As always, the opinion is my own. Answer this question: Do you treat your skin as well as you treat your child’s? The honest answer for me would be: No. Most of my life I made buying decisions based on price and/or convenience. I have to admit that I didn’t start caring much about what lotions and other skin care products I used until I became a mother and began worrying about the potential toxins that could enter my daughter’s skin. When Sofie was a baby, I sought out baby-specific, non-toxic products geared toward sensitive skin… and I still used whatever was on sale for myself. Quality Sun Care for the Whole Family The year that I turned 40, I began to change my tune and realized that I wanted — and deserved — quality too! (Turning 40 will do that to you.) Since … Continue reading →

Soap Nuts for Sustainable Household Cleaning

  By Donna DeForbes | April 8, 2014 - 5:00 am | ,
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soap-nuts

I have been curious about soap nuts for a while, and, since trying them, I have to say they are possibly the most sustainable cleaning choice you can make. Derived from a plant, these organic berries are easy to grow, non-toxic, odorless, compostable and reusable in household cleaning. What Are Soap Nuts? Soap nuts come from the Sapindus genus of trees and bushes, native to temperate and tropical regions around the world. The soap nut, which is actually the shell of a de-seeded berry, contains saponin, a natural cleaner that has been used for centuries. Their primary function is a laundry detergent. Toss 5-6 nuts in a small cloth bag into the washing machine, and you’re all set. NOTE: You will not see suds in your laundry, which is perfectly fine by me since suds are typically the product of compounds like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a toxin considered the … Continue reading →