Who doesn’t love a baby? Even if you’re pre-procreation or just undecided in the “bringing a human into the world” department, it’s hard to resist the soft skin and fresh smell of a little bundle.

When my sister-in-law gave birth to my nephew I wanted to steal him, I mean buy him...every outfit on the rack. But the green in me screamed “don’t do it”. Babies are bundles only for a moment, quickly growing into little adults who walk and talk. So instead I bought three organic and unisex “onesies” from Little Lark, which she reused when my niece was born 2 years later.

Little Lark is a mother-owned and operated company based in Portland, Oregon. (Yes, another fabulous momtrepreneur!) They sell unique, hand printed baby and toddler clothes made of 100% organic cotton. Their designs are “modern, hip, fun and non-gender specific…exhibiting simplicity and style with a sophisticated edge”. They aren’t kidding, as you can see here and even better here.

Available in sizes 3-6m and 6-12m for $24 (and tax free) at fawn & forest, each onesie comes in a printed, reusable muslin bag - perfect for gift-giving.

Now that my brother and sister-in-law have confirmed “two is enough”, they’re giving their onesies and more to friends and family still in the baby-making mode. Hand-me-down has never been greener.

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It's not every day you see a baby onesie emblazoned with a head of celery and the word "stalker". I love these cheeky tees from Diet Detective. They promote healthy eating with clever slogans and clean graphics that look great on men, women, and babies; and are right at home at the gym, on the hiking trail, at the beach, or on the streets. Some of the options are sweatshop free and organic cotton and you'll also find tote bags, yoga bags, and other items available. You can strike a tree pose, veg out, proclaim your juicy status, let everyone know you're a flower child, tell 'em to bite you, be a cry baby, and even vote on your favorite. Just $20.00.

I still go ga-ga over cute little girl clothes despite the fact my children are sprouting like kudzu. In fact, my almost 12-year-old is five-foot-five and wears a woman's size 10 shoe. (Must have been my amazon-strength breast milk!)

I pick up sweet kids' fashions when I'm staging a room for a client or for a book. A favorite source is Tea Collection. The clothing company has always traveled to find interesting textiles, and now is showcasing a spring collection inspired by West African traditions, such as Ghana batiks, Mali indigo dyes and Bogolan geometric prints. These exotic influences are charming when loaned to the mini set we love to dress.

The good news is that Tea supports the Global Fund for Children, giving millions of dollars every year to "little citizens" of the world. The San Francisco-based business also uses soft jersey cottons and linens in its line which makes for comfortable and sustainable summer garb.

Momtrepreneur is the latest buzzword defining a growing minority of talented women who've left the traditional workplace to have families and simultaneously start successful home-based businesses. Luckily for us many of them are using their entrepreneurial powers for good by starting eco-friendly businesses. 

Momtrepreneur Kira Solomon founded Baby LaRue, her eco-conscious baby boutique, after leaving a lucrative career in the fashion industry. With the birth of her baby daughter, Rowan (such a cute name by the way), fueling her passion for green products, Kira's focus turned towards healthy and safe alternatives to otherwise unhealthy products.

Baby LaRue's growing inventory includes bpa-free and phthalate-free baby bottles (Green to Grow) and organic and paraben-free baby wash and lotions (Little Twig) along with Kira's own line of hand drawn silk screened 100% GOTS certified organic cotton onesies.

Kira has a great eye for unique and adorable items and she is committed to selling only organic, recycled, handmade, fair-trade or locally made creations like these handmade monsta's made from recycled fabric and organic cotton.  For you busy moms who want stylish and responsible alternatives for your babies, Baby LaRue is a great place to get started!

Sara’s shameless plug: Hi, it’s your editor. De-lurk, dear reader, and leave this fabulous writer a comment. (We love chatting.) You can also share this post with friends – just click your favorite social bookmark listed below. New reader? Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter to win free eco goodies! You can also subscribe to any RSS feed your heart desires.

Images: Baby LaRue

When talking about water conservation, it's easy to forget the underlying truth - there's not much fresh water to go around. Globally, 1 in 6 of us don't have access to a safe water supply.

It's a technological challenge. We'd love to see wide scale use of the technology behind the Steripen. But for now, there's a better, more affordable option, and it's called the Lifestraw.


Images: Boolean Split and Vestergaard Frandsen

(Link to Saatchi & Saatchi award requires Flash Player).

Where can you find a sustainable agriculture paradise, family farm activities, and award-winning cuisine within an hour of Manhattan?

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., is all of these things and more on 80 acres of farmland, gardens, pasture and woodland. Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant, led by executive chef Dan Barber, is a jewel in this crown of the local and organic food movement. The center itself is housed in a stone barn complex built by the Rockefeller family in the 1930s in the rolling green hills of the Hudson Valley.

Everything at Stone Barns is intended to help eaters make the connections from farm to table, and to celebrate community through food and food production. Each week brings new seasonal activities at Stone Barns; there are author talks and garden walks, cooking instruction, tastings, sheep shearing, expert dialogues on food issues, weekend tours, and my favorite, the current Five Senses Dinner Series at the restaurant.

To celebrate Earth Day, Dan Barber and Stone Barns board president Fred Kirschenmann, an extraordinary agricultural visionary, philosopher and farmer, will speak on the morning of April 26. There’s even a summer camp for kids.

Visit Stone Barns Center online for current activities, restaurant hours, and information on group tours.

Bean bags make me nostalgic for something. Perhaps for childhood sleep-overs or pillow fights - or even just the sense of curling into a deep, textured pillow with no cares in mind. 

Snuggling into a bean bag adds a sense of playfulness to lounging around. It's wonderful to "take it down a notch" by sinking into these natural-materials chairs - but most bean bag chairs are made from such toxic materials, I feel like I'm suffocating inside a PVC shower curtain. These eco-friendly versions are far better:

Pictured above, a rather contemporary take on lounging around - the ecopod by In Mod. Would look great in an office or a casual entertaining area ($1,199).

For an eco update, try this bean bag filled with "polybeads" made of reground beans from Turning Life, or this sophisticated hemp "ottoman" (all zippered for easy washing; $200 and $85).

These "kids' landing pads" are bean bag chairs covered in eco-fleece made from 87% recycled soda bottles, and can also be used to add dimension and color to your family room or den.

Ahhh!

Image: In Mod

Sometimes the solutions are so simple. No need to give your kids a throwaway brown paper bag when a reusable, washable organic cotton lunch bag will do the job. I like these with bright designs, sold in pairs. Late July, a maker of delicious organic crackers, offers this bag with a zipper top and the option of ordering with a product sampler. If you're feeling creative, make your own; there are easy free patterns on the Web, or try this lunch bag pattern for sale at PurlSoho and elsewhere.

Packing the bags for kids off to school or summer day camp  can be easy, too. I asked Lisa Turner, a natural and organic chef, nutritional counselor, excellent mom and president of Inspired Eating in Boulder, Colo., for suggestions. Her favorites:

Start with a fun “main course” like cottage cheese and pineapple on raisin bread, mini whole-wheat pizzas, whole-grain pita bread stuffed with organic grated carrots, tomatoes, avocado and cheese, or a whole-grain pasta salad with organic cheese, shredded vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil.

Make cookie-cutter sandwiches - just slice the crusts off bread and use cookie cutters in fun shapes.

Add fun organic fruit, like pomegranate, sliced kiwi, mango cubes, whole strawberries and melon balls, instead of the standard apple or banana.

Freeze individual containers of organic juice to keep sandwiches cool until lunch time, when the juice will be thawed and ready to drink.

Don’t forget dessert - try fruit-juice-sweetened cookies or reduced-fat brownies.

Of course, adults can organic-bag it too. Share your favorite take-along lunch menu in the comments.

Image: Sashertootie

Do you have a child? Maybe an inner child? Either way, children need to play outdoors and playgrounds aren’t always enough. Children (and adults) need interaction with the natural world.

I remember climbing trees when I was a kid and nestling myself comfortably in the branches for hours. I still do it, actually. Being up in a tree puts you in the realm of the birds and the wind, and up there you have your own secret, sacred, personal spot in nature.

Having a sacred spot in nature is important to children and adults alike. If you have a child, consider taking them to find a special place – a grove or a meadow, perhaps – and letting them explore it on their own terms. Take them back there often so they can watch it change and build a relationship with it. And if you don’t have any kids, take your inner child.

What are your favorite sacred places in nature?

Image: Angel Oak by Mark Regs

While we're on the topic of milk today, here's a related issue that deserves serious consideration. With all the recent news about BPA (bisphenol-A, an endocrine disruptor) leeching from plastic bottles and into bottled water, it’s time to look at plastic baby bottles, too.

The most obvious alternative to plastic baby bottles is, of course, glass. But once babies grow up to be toddlers, glass is no longer an option. BornFree is a great source for BPA-free plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, with two 9oz bottles going for $19.99 (and bigger savings if you buy more), giving you a chance to keep your kids healthy right from the start.

While researching this post, I also learned that BPA is found in places we don't expect - for example, in the resin that lines many cans!

Image: yoshimov