I have listed some of the clothes that we have from my toddler boy in sizes 12-18 months. You can view pictures and short descriptions of the items here. If you have further questions, feel free to comment on this post and I will answer shortly. You can also visit my listing on the MDC Trading Post for a more complete description.

An About Soap Nuts Quicky
Soap nuts grow on Sapindus trees and they contain saponin. This saponin is released when the harvested shells come in contact with warm or hot water. Soap nuts have become a popular environmentally friendly alternative to manufactured, chemical detergents. They are also safe for washing delicates, silks and woolens.

Why Use Soap Nuts
One good reason of course is the environmentally friendliness of soapnuts. They don’t require any manufacturing to be made since they just grow on trees. Soapnuts also have natural anti-microbial agents so there is no need to add bleach to kill bacteria. People with sensitive skin can also benefit from the seeds of the Sapindus tree because the nuts have proven to be gentle and effective for those who suffer from eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions.

Amazingly enough, soap nuts even have insecticidal properties and can be used as a wash for the treatment of lice or gardening.

If you are using cloth diapers and have experienced annoying problems with build up, soap nuts may be the solution since they can strip diapers and leave no residue. This means an extra rinse is not necessary after each wash to make sure they are rinsing clean. Now your diapers can be done faster and you’ll use less water.

Saving money is something a lot of people like to do and soap nuts has such a wide variety of uses such as laundry, cleaning and body care that one could potentially save money on the many different products they need to buy on a monthly basis.

How To Use Soap Nuts
It’s really simple. You have two choices for laundry… to make a liquid or to put 4-5 soap seeds in a muslin bag and add to the drum of the wash machine.

To make the liquid you simply boil water and add soapnuts. How much you use depends on the concentration and amount of soap nut liquid you will use. You don’t want to make too much since it will spoil. We do a lot of laundry so this is what I do:

Boil 12 cups of water and add 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of soap nuts. Boil gently for 30 minutes.

This liquid can also be used for cleaning countertops and more. Add some essential oils to give it a nice scent.

Get more personal use and cleaning recipes using soap nuts .

After you enter the contest, come back here and tell us what piece of advice you shared with Nature’s Child by commenting on this post. If it’s the best advice ever, we’ll showcase it on our website with your name for all other parents to see so they can get a jump start on great parenting tactics.

I started thinking about what good, sustainable gifts would be for birthdays when my daughter was invited to one of her good friend’s fourth birthday party. Most people assume buying a toy of some sort is the best gift for that age group and if you can find a sustainable toy or organic t-shirt then it is a good option. For our family though, a sustainable toy is usually out of our price range for a birthday party. So here are my ideas for sustainable and organic gifts.

Sustainable Gift Idea #1: Organic, fresh cut flowers
Available at local farms, organic flowers have a unique appeal. I love the idea of receiving flowers as a gift because flowers are a special treat and they are something I don’t usually buy for myself. We bought some beautiful pink and white flowers for a special four year old…what else does a princess deserve but fresh cut flowers? We then moved on to the thrift store and found the perfect ocean blue vase to put them in for the finishing touch. The flowers were $8, the vase was $1. I know the vase will be reused because it matches the interior decor of the girls house.

This child can now enjoy the beauty of nature in her own home for several days. If the mother likes, she can even use the flowers to do a project with the young girl, like drying or pressing them. But you don’t have to be four years old to enjoy fresh cut organic flowers, you just need good taste.

Sustainable Gift Idea #2: Fresh & Organic Summer Food Basket
Simply because I love to shop local, I must add this one. I also find fresh, local produce to be much tastier than anything bought at the grocery store so receiving a fresh, summer food basket truly is a treat. Our local farm offers raspberries, melons, basil, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, fresh goat cheese, sustainably grown olive oil, quality vinegars and so much more. One of my favorite things to make with some of these ingredients is figs stuffed with goat cheese.

One idea for a food basket would be to pair some lettuce and shallots with figs, goat cheese, olive oil and vinegar. Or you could just give the olive oil and vinegar as a set. Another basket might consist of raspberries, melons, basil and some fresh flowers.

Need something to put the food in? If you don’t have an extra basket you can check the thrift stores. If you don’t like the idea of the basket and you want to make your gift a little more elegant, consider a bamboo bowl to present your fresh and organic food items.

As I come up with more sustainable gift ideas I’ll add them here so check back as I update them. But for now, I gotta go….

Reducing is the most important key to eliminating toxins, conserving world resources, protecting underpaid workers, and all of the other unfriendly things that come along with consumerism. There are a number of things that we could throw out of the house right now and never miss. I’m not saying to do that… quite the opposite. Instead, just stop wanting the next best model, don’t upgrade when what you have is working fine, repair a video recorder instead of buying a new one, don’t fall into the trap that the marketing agents have set.

Annie Leonard explains how things get from there to here in “The Story of Stuff,” a video by Free Range Studios. The video is packed full of interesting facts but don’t worry, its not blah. When you are done watching the video be sure to check out Another Way. Here you’ll learn that there isn’t a single way to solve the production and consumption problem that we face…and you’ll find examples of what can help.

So, tell us what you are doing to reduce your consumption. We want to know what your ideas are for using less stuff. Even if you haven’t tried your own ideas, we’re open to giving them a spin…and then we’ll give you our feedback on them. Ready to share? Post a comment below so everyone else can start reducing today.

If all of this feels familiar to you then you just may be headed for a miracle…. Miracle Diapers that is. Miracle Diapers is a cloth diaper charity that sends families cloth diapers to use on their babies or toddlers. There are no income minimums or maximums so even if you don’t fit typical low-income guidelines don’t hesitate to apply. You simply give them your financial information and describe your personal situation to them. Then they determine which families can participate in the program.

Cloth diaper recipients are asked to pay for postage, sign and agreement and return the diapers when they are done. At that point, if you need to size up, Miracle Diapers will re-evaluate your situation and then send you the next size diapers. You can even get instructions on how to cloth diaper with your package.

Truly an amazing program. Miracle Diapers accepts all kinds of donations. Even cloth diapers that are in need of repair can be donated. If you want to cloth diaper or maybe need to for financial reasons but are having a difficult time with the initial investment, visit Miracle Diapers and fill out their easy online application. Applications are accepted every other month so don’t wait, visit the application page to see if you can apply this month.

If you’d like to donate new or used cloth diapers, Miracle Diapers would be glad to accept your donation and you’ll be helping them to ‘cloth diaper the world, one baby at a time.’

I have experienced this first hand and have to say that I do believe that young children who are already sensitive can be highly affected by the use of disposable diapers. My son suffered from RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) as a newborn and has had asthma-like symptoms since. His symptoms sometimes require breathing treatments. Recently we had to put him in disposables because he developed a reaction to synthetic fabric. (We were using Fuzzi Bunz which have polyester fleece lining.) The wait for cotton diapers took longer than anticipated and after just a few days of being in disposables he began to have labored breathing which did not subside. Keeping him in the Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers was probably a lesser evil then using the disposable diapers.

Parents with children who have existing breathing problems have a good reason to switch to cloth diapers. There is not a good reason to keep using products that have a large possibility of increasing health risks. Read the complete article about disposable diapers being linked to asthma and find out which disposable diapers did not release the bronchial irritants.

I did splurge and get a few colored diapers since only the outside is dyed with non-toxic dyes and the inside is unbleached and untouched by dyes. There is also a snap-in organic velour doubler which was an important feature for me because I really wanted the cotton to be able to rinse well. When the doublers are sewn in the cloth doesn’t seem to be able to rinse as well which can lead to build up.

Loveybums have a lot of snaps which is great for a perfect fit. The diapers fit really well and have a lower rise which is good for movement in active little toddlers. The sizing seems to be really accurate in regards to weight which can be a rare truth in some cloth diaper brands. They also dry on the line quickly which is another plus of getting the snap in doubler.

I wash my organic cotton Loveybums on the gentle cycle. The manufacturers website doesn’t recommend to, they actually don’t recommend what wash setting to wash them on except for mentioning the water temp which is warm. I have chosen to wash them on gentle because organic cotton tends to be a bit more sensitive to washing and a gentle cycle can help prolong the life of your diapers. Line drying can help extend the life of the cloth diapers also but if you can’t line dry then I recommend drying on low.

The only place to get new Loveybums online is at Loveybums.com or you can buy them used on sites like DiaperSwappers, the MDC Trading Post, or another used cloth diaper site. I was lucky enough to find mine at a local store called Fresh & Green. They only sell Loveybums in their store but they do offer through the online store another great organic fitted cloth diaper made by ecobaby .

On the other hand, if you are fortunate to have a locally owned store that is buying U.S. made products and has eco-conscious buyers then you can be a cleaner shade of green.

We happen to live in an area that hasn’t always been too savvy about the environment until recently when two friends opened Fresh & Green in Bakersfield, Ca. Sometimes all it takes is a single movement by a couple of people, like what Jennifer and Sasha at Fresh & Green are doing, to educate the many. (Don’t forget that Google started with only two guys and now the world searches them over.)

Some may find it hard to believe that everyone doesn’t want to or wouldn’t like to shop online but the fact is that a lot of people just don’t. A local store that offers sustainable products makes it easier for local residents to buy products that are healthier and safer for them and the environment. Stores that offer green products can also become a local resource for consumers to learn about the effects that we have on the environment and how we can make productive changes in our lifestyle.

If you have a local store that offers sustainable and organic products shop with them before you shop online, even if you are spending a tad bit more money. It’s worth keeping the convenience of a quick trip to your local green outlet. Chances are you will get better customer service since the people can put a face with your name. If you aren’t sure if there is a local store that supplies sustainable and organic products, keep checking online. I ended up finding Fresh & Green in Bakersfield by a fluke click on a cloth diaper site. In these days of increased environmental concern and green washing, you just never know when a green store might pop up.

Interested in shopping local in more ways than just this one? Learn where to buy local produce.

In summary.. the Environmental Protection Agency released a report detailing increased and ‘irreversible’ health issues directly linked to global Warming. It was noted in the article the release of the report has been postponed since April for Political reasons.

More or less, global warming which is causing the severe shifts in the worlds weather patterns, which is causing an increase in droughts,wildfires, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters, is now being correlated to increases in health risks like Hantavirus, asthma, salmonella, Giardia, heat stroke and more.

“If you read between the lines,” says Sen. Barbara Boxer, (D-Calif.), “this EPA report on the health effects of climate change provides further evidence that our families and communities are seriously endangered by global warming, and that we must act now. Unfortunately, as the Bush Administration made clear last week, they have no plan to address this serious threat.”

Barbara Boxer is absolutely right… we need to act now. We should have been acting 3 months ago because now half the country is under water, California is nearly up-in-smoke and also in a drought.