What: Ana Peep-Toe Shootie

Where: Amazon.com – $145 in inky blue or in tan at Piperlime

Why We Love It: Yes, we’ll admit we were at first skeptical about peep-toe booties, wondering when they’d be appropriate, but now we wonder how anyone could live without a pair of blue (or tan) suede ‘shooties’… Turns out they are incredibly versatile. Pair with jeans, leggings, trousers and go with or without stockings in just about any season (rain and snow are admittedly tough). The soft pleats of the 100% chrome free suede lend a sophisticated edge.

And you don’t have to worry about wrestling to get your feet in, the side zipper allows for easy slip-on and the extra room in the footbed makes them quite comfortable for wider feet. A biodegradable latex foam comfort system adds cush and the recycled cork non-slip outsole keeps feet secure. The generous 2.5″ inch heel is made of sustainable bamboo and it’s all held together with water soluble glues and cements for a more eco-friendly alternative.

Naya, a member of the Brown Shoe Company which also owns Dr. Scholls, Buster Brown, and Via Spiga, is committed to using natural and eco-friendly materials whenever possible to create a collection of shoes that look good, feel good and are better for the planet than traditionally manufactured shoes. They use vegetable-tanned leathers, natural or recycled content fabrics, water-based cements, footbeds containing natural cork and outsoles containing natural. Even their packaging is eco-conscious with boxes composed of 80% recycled paper pulp, soy-based inks and water-based glue and reusable shoe bags and shoe forms made with recycled PET.

NAYA

What: Organic Cotton Horton Lovie Blankee

Where: Amazon.com – $14.49

Why We Love It: Two of our favorite things have come together is this new collection of MiYim’s simply organic lovie blankees and plush toys featuring beloved Dr. Suess characters like the Cat in the Hat, Horton and The Lorax. The oh so snuggly Lovie Blankies are sure to be a favorite with your little ones and likely will go with them to ‘all the places they will go.’

Parents will take comfort in knowing that their child’s security blanket is made from natural cotton that is unprocessed, untreated, and unbleached and colored with miYim’s PureWaterWashTM process using only plants and minerals. Safe for your little one to chew and snuggle and better for the environment too. The Lorax would certainly approve!

organic toys

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What: Chick Bookends

Where: Modern Nursery – $49 in black, blue, green, orange, tomato red,  yellow or white

Why We Love It: This one is for our 3 year old niece who just lo-oves chickies and is sure to have fun with these adorable bookends.  We love the simple design, the color selections  and the eco-conscious design.

They are made of a strong and lightweight baltic birch plywood that is  glued together with low emission glues. The paint used is a water based interior grade paint coated with a clear, durable and waterproof GreenGuard Certified water-based finish. Roebuck Studios manufactures locally, buys materials from local sources and has complete control over the fabrication process. The bookends are designed ship flat to further minimize the carbon footprint.

bent ply

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What: Porthole Mirror Collection

Where: VivaTerra – $369 (set of 5)

Why We Love It: Such an eye catching focal point for any room whether grouped together or separately. Love the way that the beautiful grain of the woods is left exposed so you can see all the whirls and color variations of the wood. The mirrors are crafted from naturally aged sustainable sheesham wood, a fast growing hardwood grown on plantations in India.

As with all of the products that VivaTerra features, these were selected because of the eco-friendly and people friendly sensitivities. Supporting sustainable business practices.

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What: LAX 3x Wall Mounted Shelf

Where: Exclusively Home – $690 (See also the LAX Wall Mounted Desk)

Why We Love It: This sleek design by Bernard Brucha is ideal for the apartment dweller or for someone who appreciates a neat, tidy and streamlined space. Love a piece of furniture that can be used in more ways than one.  Consider it survival of the fittest, this wall-mounted shelf adapts to your needs be it storage over your desk (particularly nice paired with the LAX Wall Mounted a bar or buffet, a media stand,  a headboard or a display case.

The clean simple lines basic box form gets modernized with two 100% recyclable, powder-coated aluminum sliding doors that slide on a hardware-free groove. The box itself is made of solid English Walnut, free of formaldehyde glue and other toxins finished with a natural linseed oil finish that is VOC-free and solvent-free.

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What: Everything Counts Poster

Where: Fawn & Forest – $50, 16×20 (mat & frame not included)

Why We Love It: This is just the latest fodder for our obsession with number and alphabets poster. Tara Hogan’s “Everything Counts Poster” blends delightful graphics and a fabulous color palette (love love love the blue and red!) with an important message that all things, big and small matter, reminding us to find joy and peace and reverence for the world around us. It reads: “One Earth, 2 pears ready to eat, 3 trees to plant, 4 peace symbols, 5 high fives, 6 bowls to fill with food, 7 happy days, 8 cupcakes made with love, 9 wind turbines conserving energy, 10 cans to recycle…”

Artist Tara Hogan practices what she preaches, designing with the environment in mind. The “Everything Counts” Poster is offset printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper with soy inks and packaged in a recycled kraft tube mailer.

What: Earthkeepers Kennebunk Thong

Where: Amazon – $67.90

Why We Love It: This laid back thong takes us back to those magical days of summer spent on the coast of Vactionland (just south of Kennebunk). The thong is east coast staple that never goes out of style – like the pair mom used to have that we coveted, constantly slipping our sandy toes into them, willing them to fit to no avail. But now this timeless summer classic fits just right and it got a whole lot greener.

As with all Timberland shoes, these sandals are built to last, but as a member of Timberland’s Earthkeepers Collection, they are built with the earth in mind. Using more eco-friendly materials like recycled tires and organic cotton and considering the entire lifecycle of a product Timberland strives to create a more earth conscious shoe.  The latest in the Earthkeepers achievements is Earthkeepers 2.0 – shoes that are designed to be taken apart when you’re done with them so their parts can be recycled to make new footwear.

The leather for the Kennebunk Thong is sourced from a Leather Working Group (LWG) Silver-rated tannery awarded for its reduced energy use, reduced waste and quality water treatment. The ring is made of organic raffia and the outsole contains 42% recycled rubber from scrap tires.

Available in Dark Brown, Black or Tan.

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What: Zen Wagon

Where: Kaiku – $319 w/free shipping

Why We Love It: The little red wagon gets a modern update with this hip design by husband and wife designers Scot and Amy Herbst. The updated design features ergonomically designed seats with a dip in the base for feet making rides to the market and to the playground more enjoyable and making the wagon a viable alternative to a stroller. Just chuck kids and gear in the wagon and you are ready to go. Ideal for beach trips!

This sleek ride is hand-built from formaldehyde-free Baltic birch bent plywood, natural rubber tires, weather and corrosion resistant hardware, and safe water-based, non-toxic finishes. And it’s built to last.  Also checkout the handy attachable accessories like the Lightship Basket – come on, how precious is that? A wagon with a basket….

Awards include a 2010 Red Dot Design Honourable Mention and a 2010 International Design Excellence Award.

Want to stroll in style? Shop Baby Earth’s collection of hip strollers from Orbit Baby, Bugaboo and more.

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What: Names & Notes Napkin Rings

Where: Make Designed Objects -  On sale for $55.96 (20% off list price)

Why We Love It: These chalkboard napkin rings double as name cards and make setting the table a lot more fun. The set includes 4 rings, a white slate pencil and a natural sponge eraser. Use the pencil to jot  down your dinner mates names,  to post menu items or for personalized messages, notes or jokes.

The set is handmade using locally sourced and untreated maple with a light coat of environmentally friendly lacquer. Names & Notes was designed by Cologne-based industrial designer Jörg Gätjens for the Side by Side workshop. The workshop is pretty remarkable, employing over 120 physically and mentally disabled adults to produce their collection of high-quality, designer products for the home.

For a more economical set, see these unfinished wood napkin rings – 8 for $10. Or these cool Oval Olive Wood Napkin Rings