The electric blue is kind of cool. White’s got the Apple look going for it. Black is still the new black. No comment on the sea foam green.

The iPhone 4 accessory wagon continues its quick ramp-up with this new solar-powered battery charger/case available from SimeniBiz. (Read: “Direct Wholesale from China.”) It comes in not-exactly-rainbow colors, but its non-toxic, protective soft silicone sheath is “environmentally friendly” – whatever that means these days. I’m also digging on their marketing line: “Free solar power.” Um, okay. Thanks!

The “high-power” solar panel on the base of the case and built-in 1500 mAh Li battery is where you store the electric stuff. I know, mAh is a “what’s that?” term for me too, but 1,500 of ‘em is a pretty healthy storage capacity; enough to “top off” your charged phone, says EnviroGadget. This is a good thing for those of us who get all nervous when the percentage charged icon falls below 98 percent.

The deal is that its battery charges when it’s left in the sun, with or without the phone in it. It can also be charged with an AC adapter, car charger, or USB charger via a 5-pin cable. The “dash” is simple enough for me, with three light indicators for capacity - 25, 50 and 100 percent - and an ON/OFF switch. Yep. Can do.

Since we’ve been on a bit of sun kick lately (hey, it’s August), here’s a solar-powered gadget that’s going to multi-task today. First, it’s going to thrill you with its ingenuity and get you thinking about how quickly personal solar-powered charging is coming along. It’s going make you think about all the times you looked down at your laptop, saw the “7 percent charged” note blinking on menu bar and thought, “Wouldn’t be nice if I could just plug this thing into something and keeping working?”

Yes, the Voltaic Generator Solar Laptop Charger is a solar-powered carrying case powerful enough to charge a laptop. We first showed it to you a few month’s ago in a solar-powered gadget round-up, but here are some details on what’s in the bag:

The case does its thing with high-efficiency monocrystalline cells and a battery pack that stores and converts electricity generated by a 15-watt, 20-volt panel. It’s being billed as more of a “mobile office” deal, as the case will also charge cell phones and most other handheld electronics.

The Lilon (lithium ion) battery has a capacity similar to a typical small laptop battery and is stored inside the bag, so it’s good to go whenever you need it (as in, “Hello! Hello! Still there?! Damn!”). When the bags not in the sun (with direct sun, a full charge takes five hours), the battery can be juiced using an AC travel charger. An Indicator light inside the handle shows it working.

The bag itself (shell, webbing, mesh and lining) is comprised of fabrics made from recycled PET (soda bottles). It’s strong. It’s water-resistant. It has an aluminum frame and a silicon handle, and weighs in at 4.5 pounds, including the solar panel and battery. It’ll hold something as large as a 17-inch MacBook Pro and comes in four colors.

Cost for packing sunshine: about 500 bucks.

And now, this case is going to serve its second solar-related purpose of the day. Writing about the Voltaic Generator Solar Laptop Charger requires no more from me. Nope, no 1,000-word tome today on Darwin, global warming or the evils of The Man. I’m outta here. It’s gonna be a scorcher and I’m hitting the chaise lounge that’s screaming at me from my balcony. Lates.

Here’s today’s Mother’s Day giveaway: the iconic Yes bag.

Mom will get plenty of admiring glances when she carries this unique and coloful bag. Crafted from scraps of recycled fabric in a myriad of bright hues, a $64 value. Leave a comment to enter to win. Good luck!

Meet the rubber beach slip-on that became an urban fashion staple: The Flip Flop.

So popular are these rubber thongs, you’ll find barrels full at your favorite boutiques in mod patterns, as well as more sensible Eco versions for the camping set.  College kids (male and female) ride bikes to school in them and teens pair them with dresses..even on winter days. They offer zero support but there is no taking back the craze. The good news is you can store your pile over your closet door, thanks to Organize.

This Bamboo Flip Flop Rack by Jokari® is an over-the-door organizer made from fiber friendly bamboo and can house up to 12 pairs of your favorite zories. The rack comes with two metal hooks on top that mount right over the door and a third hook at the bottom that is attached to an elastic strip to accomodate door height. It fits over any standard size door, and actually looks pretty cool. Since they’re in plain view, you’ll never forget to grab a pair en route to your next pedicure!

A friend of mine wants to keep it hush-hush when her daughter is gifted a hand-me-down dress, as if wearing used garb signifies poverty or shame that might not fly in her affluent social circle.

My friend is a European whose family often struggled to make ends meet. And although she keeps it all in the closet, she accepts these offerings for all of the right reasons: they are clean and usually in perfectly good condition; It’s wasteful to go out and buy a new outfit when you can recycle; people who snub second hand goods are snobs. She may aspire to the don’t ask, don’t tell policy, but she knows better.

In fact, there’s a entire culture of thrifty moms who surf newspaper classified ads, Craigslist and Ebay to locate gently-used clothing and objects for their children. Seizing on this trend, an emerging site called handmedowns provides a one-stop destination condensing all of the shopping sites into one.  It combines the listings from the top five classified sites with original postings from trusted hand-me-down users.

It’s a brilliant idea because recycling clothes is good for us and for the shaky economy. The credit goes to two Hollywood dynamos: Norah Weinstein, a lawyer and mom who also founded The Hollywood Reporter, ESQ, and Jane Buckingham, who authored the bestselling Modern Girls Guide to Life.

“The sites that were out there had some great listings, but were simply not designed with a parent in mind,”  remembers Weinstein, who tired of sifting through torn, stained cast-a-ways on the web. “Our goal is to raise the bar for children’s classifieds and create a more family-friendly atmosphere.”

Buckingham adds they are saving parents time and money by pulling together safe, user-friendly products. Safety, they say, is heavily promoted to stay on top of government product recalls.

When you visit the site, you can click on your location and what you are shopping for (clothing for girls, boys, toys) and the age range. In terms of clothing, from layette to child sizes, you will find everything from shoes to winter outerwear and cute little legging outfits. There also are categories for selling, donating or giving your items away for free.

As the founders put it: “Once you start shopping at handmedowns, it may be hard to buy at retail prices again.”

It’s great news for kids who don’t have older siblings or cousins. I never met a kid who didn’t smile when I handed them something one of my girls had worn, from party dresses to ski parkas. For some, it’s even more special knowing your new posession was loved so well.

Image: manuel

Take Back The Filter has launched a campaign pushing Clorox (the owners of Brita) to either set up a filter recycling program or create a reusable filter with a permanent housing, in which you only have to replace the environmentally-safe carbon granules inside. No plastic to throw away. British company Aqua Select has already done this, but so far no American company has jumped on this eco bandwagon. Take Back The Filter is working to change that, and if you’re a filter-lover like me, you can help them do it.

Bamboo cosmetic brushes are the fashion buzz, being touted in the December issue of InStyle as one of many new little ways to go green. As the magazine observes, “they’re making floors out of this prolific woody plant, so why not hair rollers and makeup brushes?”

The ECOtools, which we featured in a post several months ago, are only $10 for a 5-piece set at various drug stores,including Rite Aid.

You can also buy them online at Paris Presents. While these appear to be the only truly eco make-up brushes around, there are other cool bamboo tools out there, also available at Paris Presents. These include the  loofah face scrubs, a bath bristle brush, and a foot file.

Sometimes my daughter Syd’s drawers smell a bit gamey, like her soccer uniform after a match of  living up to her title as “the finisher”. She’s a darling girl, don’t get me wrong. But she has a frightful habit of  tossing items into her drawers to avoid that exhausting chore of putting them in the hamper. Enter drawer sachets. They give off that happy floral odor that can even compete with dirty socks.

Here are a few nicely packed bundles gathered from from the natural garden.

Show at top, and pretty enough to give as a hostess gift, this lime green natural linen drawer pillow was crafted by graphic designer Lotta Hellberg using safe dyes and aromatic potpourri. $22 for a set of two at Eco Artware.

Lavender is always a draw. Just ask the bees. These Sonoma Lavender sachets from Body and Home are $18 and are wonderful for lingerie drawers.

These Eco Seashell bags from Little Things Favors are not just for the bridal party. They’re Florida Coast fresh and add a delicate scent to the closet. $350 each. And for bringing in the great outdoors (and deterring the moths at the same time) the Natural Wild Herbal sachets at Eco Day Spa are $7.99 and tres outdoorsy.

In creating our own traditions, it’s nice to find alternative symbols that speak to who we are, Jewish or Christian, pagan or devout decorator. Here are a few unique items I came across that allow you to  responsibly spruce up your own winter wonderland.

I love these hemp holiday stockings from Amenity in earthy shades of brown, green and silver. Who says red and green rule in December? The organic company also offers beautiful hemp ornaments of balls and birds, and an inventive hemp tree skirt (below).

Recycled soda cans, wire, and beads let Ruldolph lead the way in these fetching handcrafted reindeer from the free trade company, Serrv.

Angels can appear from the sky or from old scrap, as proven by the Tin Can Angels ($29/set of 4) from our green sponsor Viva Terra. Or great the season with a Noel sign from twigs ($69) and an organic pussy willow wreath ($52 to $62). All of these offer fresh takes on old symbols.

Modern and green, these recycled menorahs are sculptural and made of glass from the past, $180 at Vertige Glass.

Eco Artware decks the halls with recycled glass balls ($36); reused record label tree trinkets ($18/set of 3); and an Ever-Green Aluminum wreath forged from traffic signs ($100-$140).

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A move from Berlin to San Diego 10 years ago sparked the creative fire in Micha Kuchenhoff’s mind. The young designer developed a knack for sewing and began to create designs from found objects. Turning vintage materials into one-of-a-kind masterpieces, a loyal following of friends and fans quickly grew. Always striving to be green, Micha uses recycled fabrics, trinkets, and charms for her signature look. Most certainly conversation pieces, you’ll be making a bold statement about your design aesthetic with this jewelry.

Image: Helen Cornell