Oh I love this review. Another practical, but cute product was recently introduced to me and I’ve been testing them out for weeks with my kids.  Graze Organic is a new company from California that has put an original spin on reusable sandwich and snack bags.  They’ve created kid-friendly designs (that parents will love too) that are generous in size, made with a strong Velcro seal that should ensure food staying fresh.   My Graze Organic bags have saved me time, money, and gives me a great feeling since I’ve completely eliminated plastic wrap, plastic sandwich bags, and wax paper with getting snacks and lunch ready. These will be a staple with September quickly approaching with back-to-school lunch planning. The obvious use for the bags are for sandwiches but you can eliminate plastic bags and wrap if you start planning alternatives for cut veggies, fruit, and snacks.  The founders of Graze Organic have thought of everything with bags labeled ‘sandwich’, ‘fruit’, vegetables’, ‘snack’ and the favorite ‘surprise!’ My boys think the surprise bag is simply the best thing ever and always have high expectations when this bag is opened at lunch. Check out how fun these prints are! 

I laugh because I’m sure the founders of Graze Organic get asked on a regular basis ‘what are they lined with’?  Well folks ~ that is the point.  There is no lining because that would mean something synthetic is touching your child’s food. These bags are made from 100% organic cotton and they go a step further with printing the illustrations by hand with silk-screen using water based inks. Graze Organic has also found a way to produce their product line with a local footprint – proudly made in the USA.

This September, when your kids are going back-to-school, think about supporting and teaching them ‘litterless’ lunch habits, but also protect them from soft plastic wrap that contains PVC, plasticizers, and chemicals.  There is no longer any excuse to not reuse lunchtime containers. The co-founder Leslie, was lovely enough to walk me through the washing instructions so I can reiterate how easy caring for these bags really is. Only if the bags get really messy (jam sandwich, etc.) the bags should be turned inside out to machine wash. If there are only a few crumbs, just knock those out and machine or hand wash right-side out.  They can be thrown in with Jeans, towels, and other light weight fabrics.  Hey – even I can handle that and I appreciate another avenue to wash lunch time products since my dishwasher is always packed with stainless steel containers and water bottles. I also measured the bags before and after I washed them for the first time – almost no shrinkage which is awesome news for the roomy sandwich bags!

Also, thank you to Heather and Leslie for offering a set of 3 snack/sandwich bags for a back-to-school contest at Mommy Footprint.  They will ship the winner a set of 3 sandwich, veggie & snack or surprise bags. These reusable bags are a wonderful prize for any parent sourcing back-to-school lunch items.  Click on this link and complete the Referral Form to be entered to win. Contest closes August 28/09.

http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/

The ultimate spring contest give-away is here at Mommy Footprint with summer backyard BBQs quickly approaching.  Stainless steel ice cube trays are also the perfect gift for new moms that want to freeze home-made baby food and not worry about freezing food in plastic with the worry of BPA and phthalates.  Just in time for sunny days, complete the below contest form and I’ll draw a winner May 3rd.  Thank you to our friends at The Tickle Trunk for donating this awesome give-away.  We are talking high end stainless steel, food grade 18/8, and BPA-free ice cube trays.  Feel safe about making ice cubes again and these trays have the easy-to-use handle that quickly pops out the cubes.  Mommy Footprint especially loves stainless steel for freezing food or liquids.  Here is the link for this contest – enter and at the same time, share the word about Mommy Footprint with your friends.

http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/#usermessagea

 Picture courtesy of The Tickle Trunk site:

Many of us remember leg warmers from our youth- a craze brought on by watching the TV show Fame I’m sure (even the ever-cool Leroy owned a pair!).  Well think of how cute leg warmers would be on a baby or toddler, combined with the eco loveliness of being made from 100% bamboo.  Bam – you’ve got Leg Huggers.  The prints and softness of Leg Huggers are so adorable; they are a wonderful Valentines Day gift for the baby or toddler in your life.  That little person needs to be a girl because the boy’s prints are not coming out until April, but Raspberry Kids gave me a sneak peek on the boy’s styles and they are SO CUTE! 

Why do babies need Leg Huggers?  I asked the same question and got answers from moms, the expert source!
♥ To protect those little knees once babies start crawling, scooting, (moving in general) on the hard floor.
♥ Extra warmth, secured from their snug fit from ankle to mid-calf.
♥ They keep pants in place (prevents them from sliding up) when crawling around when the Leg Huggers are worn on the outside of pants.
♥ For around the house, makes for easy diaper changes….just let them hang-out in Leg Huggers and a diaper.   Very handy around here with potty training my twins!
♥ Unlike other versions of these legwarmers for kids, they are made from 100% bamboo fibers.  You cannot find a softer, more comfortable fabric to put next to a baby or toddlers skin.  Bamboo is also a very eco-friendly material because it grows in abundance, without pesticides or chemicals.
♥ They are a great price at Raspberry Kids – only $9.99.  Not often you can find a special gift for under $10.  Oh yes, and they make for the cutest pictures ever!

Thanks to our friends at Raspberry Kids, we have two pairs available to win in our contest starting today.  That means we’ll have two winners when the contest closes on February 8th.  To enter the contest, simply click on the below link, complete the form, and you are entered to win:

http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/

Raspberry Kids has introduced a new concept that is incredible for moms to save and share.  You can host an e-party, invite 15 friends, and from the comfort of your home, save between 15-20% for all your guests, with added hostess benefits.  This could be the newest way to shop with girl-friends or unite family members in different parts of the country to shop for a loved one.  Read more about e-parties at Raspberry Kids.

Merry Christmas to all our friends that have supported Mommy Footprint since it began last Spring.  All the best to you and your families in 2009.

Congratulations to Michelle our latest contest winner.  She will enjoy Little Chipipi wall art from Raspberry Kids.  Enjoy! 

I can’t wait to write about latest trends in this new parenting world of keeping children safe with non-toxic products in 2009.  It will be another year of companies and mompreneurs doing amazing things I’m sure.  Take care and have a happy and safe holiday season.

Much thanks,

Suzanne

I am such a huge fan of any space, be it a website, home, or canvas that consists of clean lines.  A place where visually everything is delightful and navigation is a snap.  If you appreciate this kind of experience, you need to check-out the online shopping experience at Raspberry Kids.  Their site design, easy to navigate store, and hip/eco-chic product line have created quite a buzz.  Sue, the chief Executive Mom of Raspberry Kids is also very talented with writing – I dare you to read ‘The Story Of Raspberry Kids’ and not mist just a little.  I’ve also become a fan of the Raspberry Kids blog, where you’ll find a mix of business and personal, all combined into a great read!

I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with Sue over the last few weeks and I’m excited to offer Mommy Footprint readers a new contest give-away, the last contest for 2008!  Click on the below link and complete the easy form to be entered!  Contest closes December 20th.  The Little Chipipi Wall Decals would be such a lovely surprise for someone in time for Christmas.

http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/

The contest giveaway is from Raspberry Kids and will enhance any child’s space (toy-room, bathroom, bedroom) with these amazing wall decals that are closer to wall art.  Boy, they’ve come a long way from what was available when Francesco was born.  The 2 decal lines Raspberry Kids carries are amazing and the exclusive Little Chipipi Red Robin Wall Stickers are the give-away in our contest.  Raspberry Kids also offers the forwalls decals that add a zip to any child’s space with mostly single images (chalkboard or regular stickers) – even a cute owl chalkboard design! <drool> Then there are the Little Chipipi Wall Stickers that unlike other brands, contain enough wall stickers (approx. 40 per set) to completely transform and decorate an entire room or fill up a wall.  They are like sticking art work on the wall with their hip, vibrant designs.  The decals are removable and re-positional which is great because as parents we like to change things over, and over again when it comes to our children’s spaces.  <smile>  Also, this is perfect for someone renting their home of if a family is room shuffling every few years.  Here is the image for the Little Chipipi Red Robin set.

With all little boys loving vehicles of any sort, how perfect are these Little Chipipi Drive Time Wall Stickers? So cute the set includes 9 Vehicles, 3 Bowsers, 5 Trees, and 20 Road Signs!

The Raspberry Kids tag line of fresh. healthy. fun. is evident everywhere on their site with toys like Bamboo E-Racers and safe products for food and bath.  A few days ago, Sue sent me a link to a recent article in the Vancouver Sun about toys that are still sold in Canada that have been banned in Europe since 1999. When you see some of these toys and read the article your heart will sink.  The picture of the Winnie The Pooh blocks at the front of the article, my boys both played and teethed on during their toddler years.  Soft plastic…filled with plasticizers and chemicals.   Raspberry Kids is another success story of how toys should be sourced and products that are safe for children to use.   Thanks for sending me the article Sue and I urge all parents to have a read…click here.

So cuddle up with your tea or wine and get some online shopping done in time for Christmas!  Why get stressed at the Mall with the Christmas chaos of line-ups and no parking?