Go Green Lunch Box is genius.  Plain and simple.  This company has invented a way to totally cut out all waste at lunch time, right down to the little love note from mom.  Not only does this lunch box help save the environment, it teaches your children early about the importance of “reduce, reuse, recycle”.  Just as important, this lunch box also regulates portion size and encourages complete, well-balanced meals.  The “turn-and-lock” technology ensures that all compartments stay separated, even yogurt, salad dressings, pudding, etc.

Clearly, this girl has places to go.  Good thing her food is safe in her Go Green Lunch Box, even the yogurt!

Go Green Lunch Box is offering one lucky reader their very own lunch box, their pick.  To enter, comment below telling us which style lunch box you like best. See the styles here.  For extra entries, post this giveaway on your Facebook, Blog, Cafemom group, or Twitter.  For another entry, DIGG this by clicking on the “digg” button on the main page here.  Leave additional comments with links to your promotions in order to receive your extra entry. Contest ends at Midnight on Saturday, October 3.

My daughter is the girliest of all girls. She’s constantly talking about pretty clothes, pretty hair, pretty shoes to anyone who will listen. I recently discovered Kula Klips, a Canadian company started in 2006. Their assortment of clips is seriously huge. Their clips are categorized on their site by style to help slim down the options for you (Flower, Bows, Trendy, Seasonal, Animals, Bugs, etc). Their designs are adorable and really do stay put versus a lot of the other clips out there. My daughter loves to go pick out which hair accessory she’d like to wear to match her chosen outfit for the day. They are your one stop shop for hair clips of every style and color.

Personally I love their Kula Band. My daughter thinks headbands are supposed to be worn on the back of her head and refuses to wear them any other way. I was so excited to try the Kula Band on her. After our small disagreement where she kept telling me it was a necklace, she finally agreed to let me put it on her. After all of my gasping at how cute she was, she asked me to stand her up on the counter so she could stare at herself for a few minutes to admire her reflection. I love that the tension is adjustable because tight headbands can seriously cause headaches. How they work, is that they are made of ribbon with stoppers at the end to keep the toggle from falling off. Make it as loose or tight as you want. One size fits all.

Their attention to detail is easily seen in all of their products. Click here to let your little one browse through all of the options and purchase your Kula Klip products.

Kula Klips is generously offering In The Know Mom 20% off of their purchases through October 31, 2009. Enter Kula09 when checking out.

Follow them on Twitter here and become their fan on Facebook here.

In a perfect world my daughter would have a place mat, a plate, utensils on the side… all in neat order.  Well I have a toddler and it’s not a perfect world so I need Skip Hop Stay-Put Plate + Mat.  The trusted brand has designed an all inclusive eating system that will restore order at your table.  The removable plate is microwave and dishwasher safe.  The plate also features a 3 compartment design, allowing you to serve balanced meals neatly.  Of course all materials are PVC-Free, Phthalate-Free and BPA-Free.   To purchase directly from Skip Hop go here.

 Ok, I admit it, I’m a germ freak. Even if people don’t know it, I’m internally cringing when touching doorknobs and such. It just grosses me out. My daughter constantly has her hands in her mouth after running around at her school and i just have to accept that the germs are building her immune system. I love my hand sanitizers, but hate the smell and how dry they make my hands. Have you ever eaten something with your hands after applying hand sanitizer? It’s not pleasant. I recently found VMV Hypoallergenics who specialize in effective yet safe products for kids and pregnant women. Their items lack not only all cosmetic allergens, but also all 65 known allergens.

Their Grandma Minnie Mom & Baby line of products really target sensitive skins during pregnancy, lactation and uber sensitive kiddos. Personally, I’m in LOVE with their Kid Gloves Monolaurin Hand Sanitizer. Monolaurin is coconut-derived, skin-friendly, gentle-yet-powerful disinfectant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral + antiprotozoal and is clinically-proven as effective as 70% isopropyl alcohol and topical antibiotics. It also contains green tea for reparative and antioxidant benefits.

I love that instead of drying my skin out, which alcohol can do, Grandma Minnie’s Hand Sanitizer actually moisturizes and softens it. Pick yourself up some of their hand sanitizer that helps to prevent the spread of and clears existing infections.

Not all of us care for the traditional diaper bag, a big poufy pastel thing.  Sometimes it’s more practical to find a tote that has excellent storage.  But when you do that you miss out on the necessities like changing mats, diaper or wipes containers, bottle holders, etc.  Babystar is a trusted brand that we know already by their soy organic infant clothing.  How cute are those rompers? Well now they have put out a line of diaper bags and I couldn’t be more excited! These modern print totes are 18″x15″, giving you lots of room to house the million things you need for your baby.  They have made organizing easy with multiple pockets, zippered and open.  There’s also a home for baby bottles, cell phones, etc.  Included with the tote is a matching wipes case and changing pad… all FORMALDEHYDE-FREE, BPA-FREE and AZO-FREE.  These totes certainly create a happy marriage between style and functionality. Sign up for the Baby Star newsletter here.

Baby Star has extended a coupon code to In The Know Mom readers for 30% off purchases until December 31, 2009.  Enter 20twinkle09 at checkout for your instant savings! Purchase from the site here.

Baby Star also is offering one lucky reader their Rock The Tote in Daisy Chain, an $88 value. To enter, comment below telling us which Baby Star product you like best. To see the products, click here.  Want extra chances to win? Promote this giveaway on your Twitter, Facebook, Cafemom Group, or Blog. For more chances, follow Baby Star at Twitter, Facebook, and their blog, links below.  Report back with the link in a separate comment for every promotion you do.  That’s a lot of chances, Good luck!  Contest ends October 2, 2009 at Midnight PST.

Prize: ROCK THE TOTE IN DAISY CHAIN

Every child deserves a good night’s sleep. With the economy changes, natural disasters and every day misfortunes, over 298,000 families are homeless with children from birth to pre-teen. These children need and deserve essentials to help them feel secure, ready to learn and significant. Project Night Night is a charity that packages security blankets, age-appropriate children’s books and stuffed animals inside a small canvas tote for children. They donate 25,000 totes every year to these homeless children to help ease the anxiety of shelter living.

How can you help? 

• Donate gently used books, stuffed animals and new blankets to be packaged for a homeless child. Items can be dropped off at donation centers listed here.
• Organize a tote-packing fundraising party. Project Night Night will supply you with totes that cost $3.50 each. You round up your friends, blankets (new with tags, please), and gently used books and stuffed animals to fill each tote.
• Or donate money here to help underwrite the cost of a Night Night package. $20 can help change a child’s life forever.

Project Night Night helps to reduce trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children they help. Help encourage a child with reading, help them feel more secure with their own blanket and help by giving them a cherished new friend.

I can’t even begin to tell you all of the times I’ve taken my daughter for a walk in her stroller and had her throw her toy or sippy cup out of the stroller onto the ground. First couple of times it’s ok, after the third or fourth you begin thinking “So help me, if she throws that toy one more time, it’s going in the storage basket under the stroller.” I’ve now noticed I avoid bringing toys to street festivals that we go to or even the zoo for fear that it will be the last time we’ll see them.  The Mini Toy Wrangler by Luvloo is seriously the third arm you’ve been wishing for while out on the walks. One end of the Mini Toy Wrangler is a plastic link, the other is a velcro elastic cuff and the two are joined together by a fabric bungee.

Test Baby: She drops her toy while playing with it. Then realizes it’s attached to the Mini Toy Wrangler and then is able to grab it all by herself!

I love the versatility of the Mini Toy Wrangler. You can use either side of it depending on the width of the item you’re using it with. Some bottles and sippy cups can actually fit around the plastic ring. If they’re too big you can easily use the elastic cuff like in the picture below. Finally, you’ll be able to enjoy a meal out at a restaurant without having to bend down picking up toys every thirty seconds. You can even use it with toys on your infants car seat. I remember the days of driving Sydney and she’d be screaming that she dropped her toy and I’d have to keep saying “I’ll get it as soon as we stop at the next red light” as if she had any idea what that meant. If they get a little bit dirty, just toss them in the wash on the Gentle cycle and you’re good to go again.

Dapple Baby uses green technology to harness the power of natural ingredients, such as baking soda, to keep your home and environment a healthy one for your child.  Right off the bat I want to say that Dapple Baby products are not proven antibacterial. They work like a thorough wash though, so your baby can build up a strong immune system while enjoying clean surroundings.  Dapple uses natural ingredients to keep your baby’s area clean.  All products are Phtalate-free, paraben-free, SLES- & dye-free, and biodegradable (even the wipes).  Dapple Baby also donates both proceeds and products to family and eco-friendly causes. Once again, here’s a company that is part of the solution.

Just how many times does your baby drop their bottle on the floor while feeding?  The next time your infant fumbles the bottle, just take it to the sink and wash it with Dapple dish soap.  You can be assured that the all natural, eco-friendly soap won’t leave a harmful residue behind.  My favorite use for the Dapple dish soap has been for products my daughter puts her mouth directly on like: squeezable yogurt tubes, applesauce crushers…  I also rewash any sippies, or baby utensils that come out of the dishwasher.  Specifically made for babies and their messes, it can get rid of that smell and film that regular dish detergents can’t remove. (wuhoo)

And how many times are you out and your kid drops the one toy that is actually keeping them happy?  Is a baby wipe enough?  There’s no time to wash and rinse enough with a toxic cleaner.  Your baby is a ticking time bomb, 3, 2, 1. Don’t fret!  Whip out your Dapple toy wipes for an effective, safe clean.  And with the wipes coming in a convenient travel pack, you can keep one in your diaper bag.  Hello park playdates!

Even at home I stress about the cleaners I am using around my daughter.  I have to get that mysterious goo off of her toys, where did that even come from?  But am I using safe cleaning products for her things?  Are the cleaning products leaving a toxic residue on the toys?  I can rest assured that most everything in her room will end up her mouth eventually.  With Dapple I know that my daughter can lick any toy in there and she’s safe.  The toy cleaner comes in two convenient forms, spray and wipe. The toy cleaner can be used to not only clean toys, but everything else your kids touch (play equipment, high chairs, swings).

Dapple Baby products can be purchased at convenient stores such as: Babies-R-Us, Toys-R-Us, Bed Bath and Beyond, diapers.com.

The deadline has arrived and the winner has been picked… drum roll, please.  The winner was picked by a random number generator, picking a comment by Stacey W!  CONGRATULATIONS Stacey!

And thank you once again to Dante Beatrix for the amazing giveaway!

I’ve been searching for quite some time for environmentally friendly and non-toxic art supplies for my daughter. The frustrating part was I would find one manufacturer that made one and only one great product. That is, until I discovered Clementine Art. Their products are made from 80% post consumer recycled and reusable materials and are professional quality. They are the first line of all natural children’s art products available nationally at Whole Foods Market. Their product lines include washable paints, water-based markets, crayons, crayon ‘rocks’, scented modeling dough and washable glue.

Their products are colored with plant and mineral pigments instead of artificial dyes. Their paints won’t crack or flake and their modeling dough will never turn into a crumbled mess all over your carpet. Here’s another crazy tidbit, Celementine Art is the first art product company to list all of their ingredients on its packages. How crazy is that!!

Clementine Art was founded by Diana Mercer, a former teacher with 20 years of experience in education, arts education and child development. She knows first hand how important it is to have safe products for fear that the second you turn your back, your may child sneak a taste of one of their art supplies. She also knows that if a product doesn’t work well or isn’t vibrant enough, it won’t keep the attention of your child. Art products encourage imagination, problem solving, creativity and a way for your children to express themselves.

My daughter absolutely adores her Clementine Art Soy Crayons. The colors are extremely vibrant, no more having to press hard to get deep, rich color from the crayons. My daughter carries her crayons around with her every where she goes and has become slightly possessive over them. No, really, she’ll yell at you if you even look at them. I’ve never been so excited over art supplies for her before. Tomorrow, I’m making a special trip to Whole Foods for the Strawberry, Lemon and Lime scented modeling dough.

I recently heard about a product called Baby Silk that made SPF 30 wipes.  I was shocked, skeptical, and EXCITED.  The real kicker was that these products are manufactured by pediatrician moms.  I mean if you can’t trust them with your baby’s skin, you can’t trust anyone.  My daughter does not have incredibly sensitive skin, but something about sunscreen irritates her severely.  I’ve tried all kinds of sunscreens, finally finding a couple natural ones that don’t make her face break out in a burning rash.  But even still, I’m faced with the daunting task of applying cream all over her, avoiding her eyes and hair, all while she wriggles and squiggles.  NO THANKS.  But I live in the steaming hot desert so what do I do?

MD Moms, the miracle workers as I like to call them, have solved the equation.  Take out the messy creams and add in sweat-proof SPF 30+ Towelettes! Unbelievable.  They are dermatologist approved and award winning.  Naturally, I had to take my daughter to our neighborhood fancy resort for some fun in the sun and pool.  I grabbed her rashguard, floaties, and the towelettes and I was out the door.  At the resort, I threw my diaper tote on a bed and pulled out the towelettes.  My daughter looked confused as I wiped her whole body down with the one wipe.  (Yes, 1 wipe works for the entire body of a 2 year old.)  The towelettes left little white residue, but enough for me to be secure that they were working.  I wiped it all over her face, even over her closed eyes, and through her hair.  I was able to rub it over her scalp without making her hair one gloopy mess.  Well a couple hours later she looked great, no signs of sun at all.  I couldn’t believe they worked!  I felt like a doubting Thomas having brought my back up sunscreen bottle.  Here she is happy (and singing).

My complete love affair with the SPF towelettes aside, MD Moms has many other fantastic products for everyday baby care.  The all purpose Cleansing Towelettes are wonderful and have the best smell I’ve ever smelled on a wipe.  They are strong and durable and I’d never go back to previous brands I’ve used.  These towelettes have a powerful cocktail of ingredients including: marine silk, vitamin E and B5, organic aloe, ginger and chamomile.  They not only clean but nourish your baby’s skin. Md Moms Moisturizing Balm is also fantastic.  The smell, once again, is gloriously fresh and the consistency is great.  It’s silky and moisturizing unlike some baby lotions that are sticky and thin.  It’s lightweight and is absorbed easily into the skin.  With ingredients such as shea butter, aloe, oat, avocado oil, and olive oil, you know this is one powerful moisturizer.  To help your skin naturally defend itself from the elements, it contains antioxidant vitamins E and B5, and grapeseed oil.

Go now to MD MOMS and buy some Baby Silk products.  It’s the smart thing to do for your baby.  If you order 6 or more products, enter LOVEYOU at checkout for 25% off your order.

Hi there.  I’m Neil.  I’ll be your bartender this evening.  What’s it gonna be?

This week’s drink is a very simple version of a popular classic.  Guys, listen up. If you think you’re going to give that special someone a Bud Light mug filled with vodka from a plastic jug splashed with cranberry juice, think again.  I mean she’s already starting to wonder what she was thinking coming over in the first place.  Let’s not belabor the point, shall we?  Here’s an easy way to impress her, and yes, even you can do it.

APPLETINI

* 1 measure apple schnapps (apple pucker does nicely)
* 1 measure apple juice ( Simply Apple is what sets this drink apart, but any apple juice will do.  If you prefer a clear drink, a white apple juice is nice)
* 1 1/2 measure vodka (an apple infused version is clearly tastier, but any quality brand is ok)

Combine apple schnapps, apple juice, and vodka in a shaker over ice.  Shake vigorously and pour into a frosty martini glass.  Garnish with some thin green apple slices.  Like I said,  simple.  Pay attention here, and she may just come by again.

Stop by next week for another adult time out beverage.