Sometimes I picture myself like in a movie scene, on the back of a shiny turquoise scooter (yes, in my fantasy it's turquoise, okay?), silk scarf in my hair, cruising around Europe without a care in the world. That's not likely to happen…
My daughter used to be the kid who would try anything. She liked broccoli. She ate eggs. She even liked horseradish. My husband and I would brag about it. Well, now she's a typical, picky three-year-old and she has a few eating quirks. O…
I'm definitely an eco-minded person, but I don't think I'm alone when I admit that sometimes convenience wins out over conscience. For years I've stuffed my son's lunch box with pre-packaged snacks or plastic snack bags, but I think I've…
I realize that school is now in full swing, but if you have yet to find the perfect lunch box, or if your house is the mysterious Bermuda Triangle of lunch bags like mine, you can't have too many reusable lunch bags . Particularly if the…
I've learned that as my kids get older, they will have plenty of time to use their decked out backpacks with the 400 pockets and zippers. And I'll have lots of chances to clean them out. But for my little preschooler, I'm digging the new…
My job as a parent has always been playing defense, which is why I'm the one who slathers the family in SPF 50, sorts the recycling, and saves fifty cents on black beans with a coupon. My favorite strategy these days is reusing bags, and…
Packing kid lunches is one of my least favorite things; rummaging for useable plastic food containers and matching them to lids that have migrated between several shelves (yes, plural. In my house, it's an Issue) is a misery. And I'm abo…
We've long adored the cute, unique little kid backpacks from Little Packrats (now PVC-free, by the way!), but now that some of our little kids are turning into big kids, we're glad that they've added some new bags just for them. The new …
We're lunch packers around my house, but when there's no microwave to heat up anything, it makes it challenging to pack the hot lunch my daughter would beg for. Too bad we didn't have new Crocodile Creek insulated food jars , now at mom-…
Sure, my husband is happy with his solid blue, no-name water bottle. But he also eats the exact same ham sandwich every day and owns an endless army of white socks. Me, I want my environmentally conscious, BPA-free water bottle to be as …
I can't believe I'm already looking at back to school items for my kids, but that I am. So I checked in to see if last year's CMP find, Dabbawalla Bags , was doing anything new for 2010. And that they are. Good stuff too! I adore this Un…
We're huge fans of the Dante Beatrix backpacks for almost too many reasons to mention--the eco-friendly materials, the perfect toddler sizing, the adorable designs. How's that for a start? Now the company is simply named Beatrix NY. And …
I'll never be the eco-mama who reuses plastic wrap or gives up the soft toilet paper for the stuff that feels like newspaper. Mostly I look for small changes I can live with , and one of those has been cutting down on my reliance on disp…
You probably already know Crumpler for their sturdy, stylish bags for adults. Or at least you should. But now they've gone and shrunk two of their favorites down to kid-size and it's definitely worth a look. The Baby Pea preschool backpa…
Now's the time in the school year that moms are figuring out whether that cool lunchbox you bought for your kid actually does the trick, or whether it was more cute than functional. Luckily, I fared pretty well (thanks Cool Mom Picks - h…
There are all sorts of good reasons to pack a lunch instead of grabbing one on the go. The downside, of course, is the packaging; paper bags are wasteful but most reusable lunch bags are, well, ugly. Or designed for third graders. Or bot…
I know every week lately, one of us shows up here saying OMG I found the cutest lunchbox EVER, but I think I may have just topped them all with the Shinzi Katoh Japanese bento boxes for kids. Spotted at the adorable e-boutique My Sweet M…
Still looking for the perfect backpack for your preschooler? You're in luck. Because recently, CMP editor Liz Gumbinner taped a segment for BetterTV on some of the cutest backpacks for younger kids headed to preschool and kindergarten. O…
We're so excited to bring you the first of our new weekly Etsy round-ups. Tune in every Wednesday for more delicious handmade goodness. Everyone knows that when you go back to school , it is IMPERATIVE to have the coolest stuff. (Althoug…
I was clicking around etsy this past weekend and discovered this adorable handmade girls' pencil case that I love for so many reasons. The illustration is beyond precious of course, but the I Heart Books slogan is really the kicker. It c…
I pack school lunches for my kids every day. I don't mind actually making the lunches; it's the packaging that gets me, all those little plastic bags bound for the trash, stored in a garish character tie-in lunchbox. That part is depress…
So okay, we've been fawning over Dante Beatrix way too much lately. First it was their fabulous eco-backpacks made out of 100% recycled bottles which now come in little kid sizes. Then it was their adorable wheelie bags for kids. Next up…
I don't even want to think about how many plastic sandwich bags I go through a month. Every day my son takes at least two or three in his lunch bag, and I've felt it's either use a disposable sandwich bag or buy the much more expensive p…
If you've been known to lust after designer backpacks and dream of sending your kid back to school in impeccable style, but can't quite bring yourself to face the designer price tag, I have some great news. Now's a great time to buy thos…