Who: Little Sapling Toys – Sheboygan, WI

What: Organic Driving Toy

Where: etsy – $32

Why We Love It: With all the plastic around us, it’s comforting to find good solid hand-crafted toys back en vogue. Ones made of natural materials and not concocted in some chemical lab. Designers Nick and Kimber Christensen, the duo behind Little Sapling Toys, clearly feel the same way too. They’ve got a sweet collection of wooden toys with everything from bowling pins to rattles to teethers to puzzles to memory games to this rugged car and truck set. Love that the kit comes with hills and mountains for climbing and a handcy cotton drawstring carrying pouch for toting.

What we love even more about Little Sapling toys is that they are green inside and out. All are made from FSC Certified hardwoods (maple, cherry, or walnut) and finished with locally sourced beeswax and organic jojoba oil–except for the teethers, they are unfinished. The hardwoods they use don’t splinter when finished properly, so are safer for kids. In addition, the company itself makes strides to conserve energy and promote conservation; planting a tree through Trees for the Future for each toy sold–to date they’ve funded the planting 20,000 trees!–and participating in a local green power program to offset their energy use, to which we say ‘thank you!’

Who: Lostine – Philiadelphia, PA

What: Colorblocked Balloon Cutting Board

Where: Anthropologie – $128-$248

Why We Love It: So yes, paying $248 for a cutting board is a bit excessive, nonetheless, we are ‘pining’ for these colorblocked cutting boards (sensing a DIY project is in order). These high quality boards have that heirloom quality–like they were found in an old farmhouse beneath a fresh baked loaf of bread. Meticulously handcrafted in Philadelphia from locally sourced Sycamore trees, they are colored with a food-safe milk paint that gives it that yummy hand dipped feel. The final finish is a food-safe mineral to protect the integrity of the wood.

If you are will to splurge on one of these eye pleasing boards, they are certainly worth displaying whether on the wall or as a serving board. Built-in leather handles and cut-outs make hanging easy–helps with drying too!

Who: Rebel Green – Milwaukee, WI

What: Free Bird Bad Habits Lunch Tote

Where: MightyNest – $21.95

Why We Love It: “Bad Habits are Disposable Good Habits are Reusable” is a good motto to live by, and this reusable lunch tote from Rebel Green makes it easier to embrace good habits like skipping the brown bag at lunch time. Made in the USA from 100% organic cotton and printed with low impact inks, this cheeky tote is great for lunches on the go for kids or grown-ups. Pair it with a reusable cloth napkin for added ‘green.’

Who: Core Bamboo – New York, NY

What: Mortar + Pestle

Where: Macy’s – $24.99

Why We Love It: In this fast food world we live in, it’s good to take a step back and celebrate the ritual, the flavors, and the health benefits of a home cooked meal. As food critic, Mark Bittman, will attest, it doesn’t necessarily take much longer to prepare a thoughtful meal and you may find the ritual of cooking to be quite satisfying, more so, perhaps, than the meal itself.

Maximize flavor by grinding whole spices, fresh herbs, garlic, and more with this functional, durable, and colorful mortar and pestle. A traditional tool with a modern pop, it’s hand-crafted from 100% organically grown bamboo and comes with all the benefits of this fast-growing plant–it’s naturally antimicrobial and it’s one of the strongest yet lightest materials around. Core Bamboo uses food-safe water based adhesives, natural oils, and lacquers made from natural cashew trees.

Who: Omhu – New York, NY

What: Omhu Canes

Where: Amazon.com – $135-$155

Why We Love It: The Omhu Cane has serious style so those who need one (and those who don’t) can walk with pride. Taking design notes from Scandinavian furniture, bicycles, hockey sticks, and skateboards, this colorful, and cool walking stick has levity and functionality at its core. It is both light-weight and light-hearted breathing fun, joy and color into an oft neglected tool.

The handles are made from layers of birch laminate and hand-finished with Livos oil, an all-natural, non-toxic, plant-based finish. The light-weight, high-strength shaft is made from recyclable aluminum and finished with bike paint. Both the handle and the tip are designed for maximum cushioning, grip, traction and support, usability being of utmost importance.

Available in three sizes 31, 34, 37 and six colors: purple, green, orange, black, cream, and light blue.

Who: Inhabit – Indianapolis, IN

What: Statement Outdoor Pillows

Where: Inhabit – $45, also available in orange, sunshine, lime & more!

Why We Love It: Always nice to have a little extra inspiration when you are lounging on the sun porch lost in contemplation. These bold graphic pillows share motivational messages from ‘Change the World’ to ‘Why Not Today’ to ‘When Was the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time?’ (Answer: last week – tried stand up paddling for the first time!).

Each pillow is handprinted and handmade in the USA using VOC-free water-based inks and 100% certified PET recycled polyester from pop bottles for both the outer fabric and the pillow inserts. Inhabit has done a great job ‘greening’ all aspects of their manufacturing process. The power used in manufacturing is purchased from a local Green Power Initiative that sources electricity from wind mill farms throughout Indiana.

Who: Hemptress – Los Angeles, CA

What: Mona Mini Hemp Bag

Where: La Terra Bella – $91.80, also available in Herringbone

Why We Love It: Not too big, not too small, this bag is just right for toting all your essentials. And it’s no wonder why, handbag designer Arlene Nilsson had over 10 years experience in the industry before launching her own line of fashion forward eco-conscious handbags.

What sets the bag apart is all in the details; the ruching details on the outside made of 100% hemp (feels like canvas) dyed a deep rich, stunning teal using low-impact dyes; the unexpected contrasting lining made of a bright purple silk and hemp blend; and, a ‘best in the business,’ heavy-duty zipper that will outzip any other zip on the market. And, of course, our favorite detail, the gold chain topped off with a leather shoulder strap made from “reborn” recycled leather that nestles comfortably on your shoulder. Perfect for the eco-conscious fashionista on the go.

teal

Who: Zoë B Organics – Salem, NC

What: Zoë b Beach Toys

Where: Green Rainbow Shop – $22

Why We Love It: Hopefully you’ve still got time to squeeze in one last beach trip before back-to-school chaos descends. If so you’ll likely be packing up all sorts of toys, boards, coolers, towels, games and you’ll likely lose a plastic shovel along the way (we did on our last visit). Instead of worrying (as we are) about whether that little plastic shovel will find its way to the giant plastic island in the sea, slowly poisoning the sea and its precious inhabitants as it biodegrades over hundreds of years; consider an alternative.

Zoë b Organic just created the world’s first biodegradable beach toy and they are quite cool. The colorful 5 piece set includes a bucket/carrying case, a sifting lid with geometric cut-outs, 2 cups, and a sturdy shovel all made out of Mirel™ bioplastic which is made from corn sugar, not petroleum, and is BPA, phthalates and PVC-free, so it’s a safer plastic for your kids. Plus, it will biodegrade when submerged in 2-3 years when buried in soil, immersed in water, home composted, or composted in industrial facilities, a far cry from the 500+ it takes most plastics to biodegrade. And it’s made in the USA, not China!

Who: Babyletto – Los Angeles, CA

What: Harlow 3-in-1 Convertible Crib

Where: CSNBaby – $500 $399, & now through August 5, 2011 get a free mattress with purchase!

Why We Love It: Babies spend a lot of their formative years sleeping, so they might as well do it in style. The modern streamlined design features delicately hand-etched decorative panel anchored with a dark wood base (choose navy or espresso). And, particularly for kids who grow like weeds, convertible products are the way to go; multi-use is multi-green in our books! This one converts from a crib to a toddler bed to a day bed, so the little guys can transition to a big kid bed at their own pace.

The bed itself is made from solid fast-growing New Zealand pine sourced from sustainable forests and finished with a non-toxic, finish. It is JPMA certified and lead and phthalate safe. Babyletto also runs a green office obtaining over a quarter of their power from solar panels, recycles 100% of their cardboard waste and has waterless urinals (yikes, but they say it saves up to 40,000 gallons of fresh water every year!).

Who: Gina Michele – New York, NY

What: Whiskey Rock a Roller Bag

Where: Gina|Michele – $198 (also available in vibrant grape suede, on sale for $148)

Why We Love It: Skip black and neutral bags this summer and opt for a pop of tropical ocean, perfect sky blue with this deliciously slouchy tote – it’s pure joy. It’s your something old, something new, something blue, that’s likely to be something borrowed quite frequently….

Crafted entirely from upcycled fabrics – super soft vintage suedes and leathers recovered from old jackets, silks salvaged from vintage shirts – it’s topped off with a hand dyed rope strap for a touch of laid back beach style.