It’s time to start thinking about back-to-school and when possible, I’d like to add some green supplies to my list. The Laptop Lunchbox is first up….what a great product!  Here are some ideas to assist your back-to-schooler!

Green Lunch Boxes and Water Bottles:

The Laptop Lunchbox- This is the greenest lunchbox you’ll find and it’s practical.  If you have a child that eats sandwiches and enjoys an assortment of snack items, this would be a great back-to-school investment!  You can eliminate plastic bags, plastic wrap, and plastic containers by sending lunch in one of these American style bento box. They also come with real flatware and a cloth napkin can be put inside it too. Help yourself pack healthy and environmentally friendly meals for your children.

Klean Kanteen Bottles. Either the 12oz or 18oz bottles work great for school age kids.  The 12oz size can fit into even the smallest of lunch boxes. These stainless steel bottles are available everywhere and are my favorite water bottle because there is no plastic liner, no plastic replacement straws, and they can go into the dishwasher! 

For those extra pieces of fruit or snacks for after-school activities, send along a cotton lunch sack from Ecobags.  This company has wonderful products (including the Ecobag for produce) and have greatly assisted our world with helping to eliminate plastic bags by replacing them with these washable, certified organic bags.

Looking at all my picks for lunchbox and water bottles, I believe these products can be fundraised in your school by Green Hands. This company has assisted schools to become more green in their fundraising efforts and to eliminate excess plastic waste at the same time!

Online Canadian School Supplies:

Grassroots Ecojot Notebook / Journal made from 100% Post-Consumer Recycled meaning no trees were used. They go one step further by printing their ink with vegetable-based ink. Look at these awesome designs!

Grassroots biodegradable corn pen. Except for the ink refill, this green pen is made from  a revolutionary new material derived from cornstarch.  It is similar in look and feel to ordinary plastic with one important exception: it is completely biodegradable!

Online US School Supplies:

Green Apple Recycled #2 Pencils: These pencils are made from cedar wood scraps from the pencil manufacturing process. They are also not coated with laquer. Check out the adorable packaging.

Red Apple School Supplies also sells back-to-school packs, complete with most all the supplies your child will need. Check out this pack from Red Apple School Supplies.

Large US and Canadian chains have vowed to keep green supplies available to customers:  Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot.  Looking at the Staples website, I noticed a section marked EcoEasy Products. Within this section you can complete your list with binders, calculators, ink, and paper.

Fundraising campaigns for schools, athletic teams, and clubs is changing.  The desire to do the right thing for the environment has crept into all aspects of parenting and education with our kids…why not fundraising?!  Tracy Green of Green Hands Fundraising has found a great way to generate money for schools, while supplying parents and children an avenue to eliminate waste from school box lunches.  Her vision is to create litterless lunches by supplying stainless steel bottles and laptop lunches.  

Tracy Green started this green fundraising company when she recognized the lack of environmentally conscious and socially responsible products available to schools and organizations wanting to fundraise. In the midst of the BPA controversy, she decided to run a fundraiser with Klean Kanteen bottles to try and eliminate all of the plastic water bottles children were drinking from. In the hope of raising a few hundred dollars, the success of this fundraiser went off the charts!  Selling a product that parents need, while helping our environment seemed to be the perfect fit.  Also, have you attempted to source stainless steel bottles lately?  The prices are very expensive and they are hard to find.  With Green Hands, the sourcing of bottles has already been done, the prices are fair or even below retail cost, and money goes back into your school for finding a product you need!  How awesome is that?

Not only does Tracy run the fundraiser hand-in-hand with the PAC or teachers, she will educate regarding BPA and healthy alternatives. She is branching out to Eco Bags and has lots of cutting edge, cool ideas for fundraising products.  She is one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve spoken to locally about environmental issues, and has been successful since starting up just before the school year wrapped up last year. So if you are looking for fundraising alternatives to selling Entertainment books or wrapping paper, you can contact Tracy in the Fall when school starts back. This awesome company, based from the common sense approach of giving parents products they actually need, is very successful with generating dollars to help schools and athletic teams.  Klean Kanteen, Bilt Bottles, Laptop Lunch Kits, Eco bags, and Eco cleaning supplies are all on her list of fundraising possibilities.  Visit the site Green Hands Fundraising for more information or to contact Tracy with questions.

Wow – time to start planning that perfect gift that will show daddies all over the world they are loved and appreciated. hmmmm it’s not so easy is it? I have become quite practical when it comes to gifts for Ray, but based on the fact that most dads are tough to buy for, here are some green (and one not-so-green) ideas that will appeal to the dad on your gift list.

5. Cell Phone Hands Free Ear Piece:
After watching the Larry King show this week featuring a story on serious health problems caused by excessive cell phone use, I decided this item would be on the dad’s gift idea list. It actually bumped my original pick for a Kodak EasyShare SV811 8-inch Digital Picture Frame out of the running for 5th spot.  It’s not a picture or handmade present, but it’s still sentimental because it shows you care about dad’s health. This hands free cell phone ear piece might protect his health in multiple ways as it keeps cell phone radiation away from the brain and keeps hands free if you need them to operate a vehicle. I don’t think Hallmark makes a card for it, but you could work those reasons into giving that special guy this gift. Here is a sample of what this device looks like: Cardo Systems Scala 600 Bluetooth Headset, Black



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Thanks to Heidi for passing this information along!  Canadians can call this number to receive a BPA-free sippy cup from Avent/Philips. The number is 1-866-624-1906. (People in other parts of the world should call and find out what number to use for their country.)

My representative asked me the ages and number of children I have, so depending on that, you either receive a BPA-free sippy for a little person (handles) or the older toddler’s sports cup (no handles).  Based on my four children, she’s sending me 2 cups.  I asked the representative helping me a few questions regarding why they are doing this.  Here are her responses:

Q: Why? Is it because your previously sold products containing BPA?
A: As a courtesy to our customers. Health Canada has not concluded its findings regarding BPA. We pulled our products off the shelf as a courtesy…not because we had to.

Q: What plastics code is on the new BPA-free cups?
A: Still code 7, but the product is a part of our new BPA-free line.

Q: What are the requirements to receive the free cup?
A: That you live in Canada.

Based on how she answered my first question about why they are doing this…I wish Avent, who is known as the worst offender about acknowledging BPA, would just come clean.  Also, why are they still using number 7 plastic?  I will continue to use my stainless steel Klean Kanteens, but since the Avent / Philips cups are stamped BPA free, I’ll try them for milk, since I still don’t have a substitute.

My rep wasn’t able to answer what exact product type they are sending out, but after visiting their website, I think this picture shows the product I’ll receive.

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Okay…I think these 5 gift ideas are awesome for Mother’s Day gifts.  Some are green, some not, but I would be super happy to receive any of these. <Ray are you reading this?>  You might want to use the ‘Share This’ link at the bottom of this article and forward to your guy! Or any daddies visiting…read on!

Number 5:

No cut flowers.  Come on guys….move away from the pesticide ridden bouquets of flowers that just require work on our behalf.  I have 4 children…I don’t want to have to feed or water anything else.  If the mommy in your life enjoys flowers or gardening, why not buy her a tree or bush that flowers at this time every year.  She will always remember your thoughtfulness when the buds begin to bloom.  The Magnolia and Cherry Blossom trees are so amazing this time of year!  Beautify your yard and the planet with this gift!

Number 4:

Ebay gift certificate.  Do you have a mom in your life that is too busy to shop?  Maybe has 4 young children that render her house-bound <Ray, are you reading?>  ha ha… but seriously.  Some of us love to shop, but just aren’t able to get to the malls anymore.  Ebay has gift certificates, so the mom you are buying for can have anything she wants.  I would have listed Etsy for this gift certificate idea, but they don’t offer this service yet.  The next best thing to Etsy is Ebay so there you go!

Number 3:

Canvas tote filled with ‘green’ treasures.  There are some amazing reusable tote bags out there.  They are trendy, cute, and great for the environment!  You can throw in some fillers like: a yoga mat/yoga gift certificate, organic tee, Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle, gardening gloves/equipment, gift certificates to a favorite store/spa/restaurant.  Any of these ‘filler’ goodies are icing on the cake after receiving the adorable new tote!

Number 2:

Lululemon  gift certificate.  You know the reason all young children will grab onto any pair of black lulu pants…it’s because the decal works as a beacon for moms and children.  My kids just look for that symbol and start to leg clutch!  Why?  ALL Mom’s LOVE lululemon!  They might not like the prices, but you can’t beat that magical place where they hit your abdomen and  make you look slimer and suck everything in.  I have cheap black yoga pants that never get worn, now that I have my lulus.  Just to make it easier for you…call their 1-800 number and mail the gift certificate to your house: 1-877-263-9300.

Number 1:

Family Jewlery!  I’ve written about this in a past article, but I can’t think of anything more meaningful, affordable, and simply lovely as having a unique piece of jewelry with the names of your children to wear proudly on your body.  One talented artist, Jane Eskuri, features her wonderful family necklaces on her website.  Order this suggestion soon, as Mother’s Day will be here in no time.

I hope these ideas help you or inspire your own. I know that most busy moms are happy to be adorned with hugs and kisses on Mother’s Day….anything else is a bonus.