an eco-score...

recently a gardening company that i do a bit of freelance writing for had a sample sale. i was lucky to have gotten a chance to attend--in addition to scoring a few nice things for our home and yard, and a half-filled bolt of sunbrella fabric (for an upcoming sewing project), i was also able to get a bunch of eco-friendly items for super cheap. my take-home pile included a big stack of books--lots of gardening, birdwatching, and nature-inspired books for kids, including a 'grow it, cook it' cookbook. i'm giving a few of the books as gifts this christmas (in handmade book bags), but am also keeping a bunch of them for lucy.

books for me included '1,001 ways to save the earth' and national geographic's 'the green guide, a complete guide to consuming wisely.' more on the green guide in another post--it's seriously a good but scary compilation of eco-info. not for 'take-it-to-heart,' 'believe-everything-that-you-read' people such as myself, but i digress.


i also scored 3 envirosax and a reisenthel mini maxi shopping bag. i've already gifted the envirosax to friends (they got a lot of play during our trip to monterey) but the mini maxi is mine to keep. it's a bit bulky on my keychain, but i swear it makes my keys easier to find in my overstuffed diaper bag...or in the couch cushions...or under the bed...or left hanging in the front door. you know. not to mention that with it, there's no worry of ever not having a bag in my possession--i've already used it on a number of occasions. i highly recommend the mini maxi, despite the fact that it holds less than an envirosax bag.

another great score at the sale was an indoor planting kit crafted by green toys. green toys is a great company that makes kids toys out of recycled milk containers--without the addition of nasties like bpa or phthalates. all of their products are made in my home state of california. from californian milk jugs, no less. maybe even some of mine? i'm familiar with the company because of their tea set (pictured below), which is on my 'someday' list for lucy. i'd never seen the planting kit before, but i think it's pretty cute. they also sell a sand play kit and a cookware and dining set. hmmmm...