Blog Talk Radio - Vapur, Radley London, Anvil Eco, YogaFit, ECOS, Skoy, GlacialLight and Sylvania

Tune in Wednesday March 17th at 8 p.m. Central Time (9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific) to the 1GreenProduct.com show on Blog Talk Radio for reviews of these eco-friendly products.

(If you're unable to listen to the show live, you can always download it later and listen to it at your convenience.)

Have questions or comments about other products we've reviewed in the past? Call in to the show (347-945-6594) and share your thoughts!

Vapur 16-ounce Reusable Water Bottle ($8.95 via Amazon)

YoGen Mobile Charger ($49.99 via YoGen website)

Radley London Umbrellas and Totes made from post-consumer PET plastic bottles and other recycled materials.  ($50 for umbrellas, $35 for totes). Note that only the Nostalgia and Beside the Seaside styles within the Umbrella collection are made using recycled materials.

Sylvania Ultra LED high performance series 8-watt bulb ($29.98 via Lowes.com)

Floodlight-style LED GlacialLight (GL-BR30, $44.95 via C. Crane Company)

ECOS Laundry Detergent ($46 for 4-pack of 100-ounce bottles via Amazon.com)

YogaFit jacket made from 70% bamboo ($25.99 via YogaFit website) Correct link and image posted on 3/24.

Skoy Cloth 100% biodegradable cleaning cloth ($5.99 for a 4-pack)

Anvil Knitwear Eco (available for direct purchase here) collection including AnvilRecycled T-shirt ($10) made from 69% recycled cotton...

....AnvilSustainable T-shirt ($12) made from recycled PET plastic bottles and transitional cotton (grown on farms that are striving to obtain organic certification)...

....AnvilSustainable fleece sweatshirts ($37) made from a blend of organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles...

...and AnvilOrganic T-shirts ($12) made from 100% certified organic cotton

To hear reviews of all these products, discuss any past reviews on 1GreenProduct.com or talk about whatever eco-friendly products you've got on your mind, remember to tune in Wednesday March 17th at 8 p.m. Central Time (9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific) to the1GreenProduct.com show on Blog Talk Radio.

Disclaimer - All of the companies mentioned above sent me free samples of their products for testing purposes.

Update - Did you miss the live Blog Talk Radio broadcast? You can still hear the show at your convenience by clicking the button below...

Listen to Aaron Dalton

Green Travel in Palm Beach and Boca Raton, Florida

Getting fit at The Breakers (image courtesy of Palm Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau)

The town of Palm Beach, Florida may be one of the richest communities in the United States (#26 per capita, if you believe Wikipedia), but money isn't the only thing that's Green down there.

Your intrepid correspondent spent a long weekend braving the sun and surf (not to mention the crazies on I-95) to seek out some of the eco-friendly travel highlights in Palm Beach and its surrounding County.

- The famous Breakers resort in Palm Beach not only maintains an organic herb & vegetable garden to supply its restaurants, it also runs a weekly Green Market (November to May) that gives employees access to fresh produce from local farms. Not content with just making a difference at the resort itself, two members of The Breakers' executive purchasing team (Geoffrey Sagrans and Rick Hawkins) founded an independent, non-profit organization called Localeopia to match local Florida farmers and organic food producers with nearby chefs and restaurants. This locavore initiative not only gives customers fresher food, it also helps preserve farmland while cutting out the greenhouse gas pollution associated with transporting food cross country.

The oceanfront pool at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach (photo via Four Seasons website)

- Palm Beach County contains numerous natural and wild areas. Some of the highlights include the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (221 square miles of Everglades), a portion of the 110-mile LOST trail around Lake Okeechobee, the 90-acre Okeeheelee Nature Center in West Palm Beach and the 325-acre MacArthur Beach State Park where you can go kayaking among the mangroves.

- Yes, it sometimes seem like everyone is driving either a Bentley or a Ferrari (neither of which are known for their MPGs), but you'll also see plenty of joggers and bicyclists taking advantage of Palm Beach's flat terrain and well-developed trail system.

- You can get a little tipsy in style while still maintaining your eco-cred at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach thanks to organic cocktails like the Herb Garden Mojito served in The Restaurant.

The very beautiful, very pink Boca Raton Resort and Club (photo via resort website)

- The Boca Raton Resort & Club gained admission to Florida's Green Lodging Program last year. In addition to expected eco-friendly programs (recycling, fluorescent light bulbs, use of Green cleaning products), the resort installed an electricity-saving energy management system and reclaims enough water to support 90% of all exterior landscaping!

- Enjoy some peaceful contemplation at the Morikami Museum & Park in Delray Beach. The museum tells about the Japanese settlers who created a Floridian colony called Yamato in the early 20th Century.  Paths lead visitors through 200-acres of gardens representing various eras in Japanese landscape design.

- Pick up fresh and local fruits, vegetables, breads, pastries, plants and more at the West Palm Beach Greenmarket, open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (October - April) at 2nd Street and Narcissus Avenue in Downtown West Palm Beach.

Disclosure - The Palm Beach County CVB facilitated my trip to Florida. The Four Seasons and the Boca Raton Resort and Club each hosted me for two nights.

The Best Green Products of 2009

Welcome to the second annual 1GreenProduct.com roundup of my favorite Green products I had a chance to review in 2009:

Cut on recycled cardboard? You betcha.

1. Epicurean Cutting Boards, particularly those made from recycled cardboard.

2. Sylvania Living Spaces CFL bulbs. Affordable bulbs offering the usual CFL energy savings with better-quality light. What's not to like?

3. prAna's tough but lightweight men's Sutra Pant, woven from a combination of hemp and recycled PET. I have a feeling these pants will last for a long time. I'm pretty impressed with prAna's total clothing line, which incorporates lots of bamboo, hemp and recycled fabric while using quality workmanship and cool designs.

4. Green Pieces affordable, biodegradable puzzles made from recycled paper and implanted with wildflower seeds. Great idea!

5. It wasn't specifically marketed as a 'green product', but after six months of use I'm still super-impressed with the performance, size and especially the energy efficiency of my new desktop PC, the Compaq Presario CQ2009F. Of course, it was so affordable and efficient that Compaq discontinued it (grrrr...) but you can probably find similarly small and efficient PCs from various manufacturers now. If you've been using an older PC and you upgrade to one of these mini desktop machines, you could your computing energy usage by 60-70 percent!

The incredibly efficient GeoBulb-II is now much more affordable.

6. The incredibly energy-efficient GeoBulb-II LED light bulb. Using just 7.5 watts of electricity, the cool white version of the bulb is designed to deliver as much illumination as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Note that the price of this bulb has dropped by 50% in just five months since I first reviewed this product. It's now somewhat more affordable at $49.95. Meanwhile, the next generation GeoBulb-3 has hit the shelves, costing $99.95, but apparently using a tiny bit less energy (7 watts) to deliver more luminosity and last nearly twice as long (50,000 hours)!

7. A2B Electric Two-Wheeler. I rode several electric bikes in 2009. If price were no object, this is the one that I would buy. It was the most fun, the best-looking and offered the most comfortable ride. (If you look around a little, it seems like some dealers are now offering the A2B for a few hundred dollars under MSRP - i.e. around $2500.)

8. Reynolds Wrap 100% Recycled Aluminum Foil - works just as well as the non-recycled kind, but requires much less energy to produce and keeps trash out of landfills. Brilliant.

9. Soft, comfortable, durable and eco-friendly bamboo clothing from Ivee. For yoga, fitness or just lounging around, Ivee Bamboo Clothing has got you covered.

10. Dr. Oetker Organic Muffin Mix and If You Care unbleached baking cups. A muffin mix on the top 10 list? Oh yeah, these are some tasty eco-friendly muffins :)
And that's all folks for 2009. Have a very merry holiday season and a wonderful New Year's celebration. I'll do my best to bring you reviews of lots more exciting Green products in 2010.

Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions for making this site better, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I welcome your ideas for making 1GreenProduct.com even better in the year ahead.

Thank you for reading and for caring.

- Aaron Dalton, Editor, 1GreenProduct.com

Revenge Is... Organic and Recycled T-Shirts

This woman appears to be calmly plotting her eco-revenge...

What do you get when you mix eco-friendly organic cotton with recycled PET fiber spun from plastic bottles?

Thanks to Revenge Is...®, you get some seriously soft and comfy t-shirts for men ($32), women ($32) and tots ($21).

Buy a blank shirt to keep your vengeful eco cred undercover, or go for a bold graphic design like my fave, the Earth Day t-shirt.

Usually I would resist spending more than $30 on a t-shirt, but I have to say that the quality and softness of these shirts - plus their eco-friendly materials of course - makes them appealing. I also respect the fact that they are made in the USA and seem built to survive numerous trips through the wash-dry cycle.

For more info on the eco-friendly shipping and manufacturing steps that Revenge Is... has taken for its shirts, check out this page.

With all due respect to George Herbert, English clergyman, who apparently originated the expression "Living well is the best revenge," I think we need to update that sentiment to 21st Century standards and note that living Green may be an even better revenge.

Where to buy:

Get your revenge online via the Revenge Is... website.

Disclosure - Revenge Is... gave me a t-shirt to review.

cmarchuska eco-friendly fashion

Women's mseries t-shirt from cmarchuska 

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

I like how Christine Marchuska put a little twist on basic styles with her eco-friendly cmarchuska clothing line to make them a little quirky and interesting, but still versatile and wearable.

For example, the cmarchuska mseries t-shirts have little epaulettes on the shoulder to set them apart from the zillions of other t-shirts out there.  The slim styling on the shirt is comfortable, but very fitted and flattering.

In terms of material, the short-sleeve mseries t-shirts use a 50/50 mix of organic cotton and modal, both of which are considered excellent eco-friendly fabric choices. The long-sleeve women's mseries shirt is made from 100% organic cotton.

Organic cotton is always great, but I have to admit I like the organic cotton/modal blend. The shirt came through my apartment building's industrial washer/dryer circle looking like new. Plus, there's something about the smoothness and softness of modal that makes it feel a bit different and special --just like those spiffy epaulettes. ;-)

FYI, much of the cmarchuska line is made right in New York City's Garment District, but the mseries t-shirts are made in China.

Where to Buy:

You can buy mseries t-shirts ($30-60) and other cmarchuska fashions direct through the designer's website. Some of the t-shirts are plain, while others carry the words "Vivons Vert" - French for "Let's live green!"

Pangea Organics Body Care

The Product:

Pangea Organics body care products (prices vary from $8 for bar soap to $40 for facial mask)

The Promise:

• No petrochemicals, sulfates, detergents, synthetic preservatives, artificial colors/fragrances or GMOs.

• Organic, fair trade (whenever possible), cruelty-free

• Molded fiber packaging made from 100% post-consumer newsprint without glues or dyes. Packaging has been impregnated with seeds from the same plants found in Pangea Organics products.

• A 100% wind-powered facility where the carpets are made from recycled soda bottles, the paint is non-VOC and the workers are paid a living wage.
  

The Reality:

We believe that the USDA only provides organic certification for food ingredients, so it would be nice if Pangea provided some information on how it knows its ingredients are organic. We've seen other cosmetics brands - particularly European ones - that contain the logo of one or more organic certification authorities, but Pangea seems to have foregone this step.

Other than that, the product and packaging seem to match the descriptions on the website and press materials.

The Experience:

The organic essential oils (sage and geranium in massage oil; blood orange, lavender and and Egyptian calendula) in Pangea products give them a truly heavenly scent.

We thoroughly liked all the Pangea cleansing products that we tried. The facial cleanser seemed to do an especially nice job on our 'problem' skin ($28), which perhaps explains why the cleanser won a Redbook MVP Beauty Award.

And cinnamon-lovers will be over the moon about the Malagasy Cinnamon Cassia with Cloves bar soap ($8). Incidentally, the soap not only smells great, but it looks like a work of art.

Inside the seeded boxes, Pangea packages all its products either in glass or #2 HDPE plastic, both of which are very recyclable. The caps on the shower gels and lotions are apparently also recyclable.

As for the seeded boxes, they all contain sweet basil seeds except for the bar soap, which has the seed of a spruce tree.

We love the idea of 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, especially when it comes with a bonus of free plant seeds! Not only does Pangea packaging reduce trash, it actually promotes plant life!

The packaging is so innovative that we almost feel silly complaining, but as advocate for eco-minded consumers everywhere, we wish that Pangea had put different types of seeds with different product boxes. If you buy six different Pangea products, you get six boxes impregnated with basil seeds. How about some oregano? Maybe a little rosemary?

(Also, it's not immediately clear from the boxes that you need to remove the label - which does appear to be held onto the box with a bit of glue - in order to access the full planting instructions.)

These are small quibbles. On the whole, Pangea seems to have a large number of laudable eco-friendly practices in place and to be producing some very nice skin and bodyare products.

Where to buy:

Shop online at Pangea's own website or through other e-tailers like Amazon.com.

Prefer to try before you buy? Use the Pangea Store Locator to find a retailer near you.

prAna Clothing

We have to give major props to prAna for doing a fantastic job of making practically its entire line of women's clothing eco-friendly.

You've got the Women's Chakara collection made from Chakara(TM) fabric, a brand new type of recycled polyester fabric that prAna claims involves less than a quarter of the CO2 production of other processing methods. Chakara fabrics also contain a dollop of Spandex, allowing the clothes to keep their shape for a long time.

Thanks to the Women's Organic collection, ladies can choose from an array of versatile tops and pants (including denim capri, $70), many with 98% - 100% organic cotton content.

The Women's Mahdia collection also uses organic cotton, this time tie-dyed using an eco-sensitive hands-on process with low-impact dyes and steam-set colors (minimizing water usage). The intricate patterns and the 90% organic cotton content make this collection a winner.

prAna may have focused most of its eco-attention on Greening its womenswear collection, but men aren't left completely out of the picture. Check out the casual, breezy and flexible Men's Sutra pant ($64) made mostly from a light but sturdy combination of hemp and recycled PET.

Where to buy:

Order directly through prAna's website (ladies tops from around $28, pants from around $65) or via other etailers like Amazon.com.

Prefer to try on before you buy? prAna's Dealer Locator page can help you find stores worldwide that carry prAna products.

My Earth Too! Pajamas

We spend a significant portion of our lives in bed.

(Some of us wish we could actually hibernate and spend months in bed, but that's another story...)

But even the sleep deprived among us spend a good chunk of each day between the sheets.

Hopefully those sheets are made from something eco-friendly like these JC Penney organic cotton sheets that we reviewed last year.

But even if your sheets are made from organic cotton, you don't really want to sleep in cotton pajamas made from crops that were treated with synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, do you?

We certainly don't. That's why we were so happy to find these cute 100% organic cotton sleepshirts and pajamas from My Earth Too! (on sale now for just $13-16 each). Since organic fashion is often priced for the affluent, we really appreciate the fact that My Earth Too! has made organic sleepwear that can fit within almost anyone's budget.

Apparently, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all My Earth Too! sleepwear gets donated to the Chuckie Goodnight Foundation For The Environment, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing environmental education for children and preserving green space.

Unfortunately, these organic PJs are currently available only in women's sizes and styles.

Men want organic sleepwear options too! We're hoping that My Earth Too! expands their offerings or that some other fashion companies will step into the breach so that we can drift off to the Land of Nod in organic comfort.

Where to buy:

You can find My Earth Too! sleepwear through Kohls.com and offline at select Kohl's locations in the West and Northeast.

Embrace Only Love

Actions based in love result in love.

That's the heartwarming message behind the new Embrace Only Love eco-friendly clothing line.

Embrace Only Love makes its graphic t-shirts and hoodies out of materials such as hemp, bamboo and organic cotton -- and does a nice job explaining the eco-benefits of each type of fabric.

Founder Kheng Chow got the idea to start Embrace Only Love after completing a ten-day silent meditation course, so it's no surprise she's decided to donate 7% of all profits toward helping others attend free Vipassana meditation courses.

We had a chance to review two products first-hand. The men's organic cotton t-shirt is light and comfy, well-made and nicely fitted. We liked the design and the "Find Your Center" message ($26.90). (Would our center be our belly button?)

We also had a chance to check out a women's limited-edition "Attain Peace Through Balance" long-sleeve hooded t-shirt made from ecoKashmere - 70% Bamboo, 25% Organic Cotton and 5% Lycra ($36.90). The shirt really is nice and versatile - light, warm, stylish, durable, machine-washable and so forth. (Frankly, we'd prefer not to see any of the synthetic lycra in the product. Sure, it adds a bit of sexy clinginess and helps the garment keep its shape, but we'd rather have an all-natural shirt...)

The hemp t-shirts - like this "Respect Your Place in Nature" version - are made of a 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton blend. We didn't get a chance to try one of these in person, but based on our experience with a similar mix of fabrics in a Royal Robbins shirt, we're confident that the hemp and organic cotton blend will deliver a nice mix of strength (hemp) and softness (organic cotton).

One thing that's interesting about Embrace Only Love is that the company tries to make its sourcing a bit transparent. So you can learn on the website that the hemp/organic cotton t-shirts are supplied by Hemp Traders. The ecoKashmere(R) products (not just the women's hoodies, but also the men's long-sleeve t-shirts) come from Jonano. Continental Clothing Company makes organic cotton t-shirts for men and women.

We're not sure if the transparency is good for Embrace Only Love's brand strength, but we like the fact that the company has apparently partnered with some really nice ethical and high-quality suppliers.

Of course, the suppliers only provide the 'canvas'. Embrace Only Love comes up with the designs and the messages, and then turns to Spreadshirt.com to hand-print its shirts using water-based inks.

Where to buy:

Order your clothing directly through Embrace Only Love's website. Since fabric content varies for each item of clothing, be sure to check carefully to make sure you're getting organic cotton, bamboo, hemp or whatever else you want. Be aware that the totes do not seem to be made from organic material.

Royal Robbins Hemp Shirts

Comfortable, casual, perfect for climbing or other outdoor adventures - that's Royal Robbins clothing in a nutshell.

A supporter of various environmental causes, Royal Robbins has recently developed a line of eco-friendly Flynn shirts for men that combines hemp (55%) and organic cotton (45%) into a light but sturdy knit shirt.

The shirts are available in four styles:
- Short-sleeve Crew (we'd call it a t-shirt) for $26
- Short-sleeve Polo on sale for $23.40
- Long-sleeve Crew for $32 and
- Long-sleeve Turtleneck on sale for $24.50

Hemp and organic cotton both have their eco-benefits. Hemp is strong - three times stronger than cotton, according to Eartheasy.com. Organic cotton is soft. Both are grown without the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides.

Some people think hemp on its own feels too rough on the skin, but mix it with organic cotton and you get a lightweight shirt that still provides a nice level of base warmth and feels pleasantly textured but not irritating in the least.

The long-sleeve crew shirt we tested came with such a rich orange-red color that we were a bit afraid the shirt had been overdyed and might bleed colors into the rest of our wash. Enjoying life on the ragged edge of disaster, we nonetheless washed the Royal Robbins crew with the rest of our laundry.

Sacre bleu! The shirt came through with flying (and unbled) colors. In other words, the color didn't fade or bleed at all. In fact, the shirt continues to look good after multiple washings in our apartment building's industrial-strength, clothes-mangling washers and dryers.

According to Royal Robbins (and Eartheasy.com), hemp is naturally anti-microbial and resistant to UV damage, which makes the Flynn shirts great for outdoor, sweaty activities like biking, hiking or pogo-stick riding. To each his or her own.

A Royal Robbins representative (say that three times fast) also says that hemp fibers are naturally long, which makes it easy to spin hemp into clothing with only a minimal amount of processing required.

Where to buy:

Purchase any of the Flynn shirts online through the Royal Robbins website or use the Dealer Locator to find a retailer near you.

You may also be able to find the shirts for sale on other websites like REI.com.

Afterglow Mineral Cosmetics

Ah, Christmas time is here.

Surely one of the nicest Christmas traditions for the romantically inclined is the traditional Christmas smooch under the mistletoe. (Although, apparently the mistletoe kiss has its roots in pagan tradition, specifically the Goddess Freya.)

In any case, before you pucker up beneath the mistletoe, you'd better consider the lipstick that the female kisser might be wearing. (Or the male kisser - hey, it's the 21st Century. You never know!)

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics issued a report in 2007 alleging that certain popular brands of lipstick contained unsafe levels of lead.

In September, an article in The Huffington Post noted (in the context of political satire) that some lipsticks may contain scads of potentially harmful synthetic dyes and/or be tested on animals.

What's a girl (or guy) who wants sultry and colorful yet cruelty-free and all-natural lips to do?

Thank goodness for companies like Afterglow Cosmetics and their line of Organic Lip Love lipsticks (MSRP $24).

Some shades of the all-natural, paraben-free, synthetic-free Lip Love lipsticks contain more than 82% certified organic ingredients.

We're talking about organic jojoba seed oil (to reduce inflammation and prevent flaking), organic aloe leaf gel (to nourish and moisturize), organic apricot kernel (to soften and soothe), organic vitamin E (for antioxidant purposes), organic pomegranate seed extract (more antioxidant power) and organic grape seed extract (you guessed it - another dose of antioxidants).

According to Afterglow Cosmetics, the only reason that the rest of its ingredients aren't certified organic is because they are inert minerals and thus ineligible for organic certification. These minerals include iron oxides and micas (for pigment) and titanium dioxide (for opacity). Afterglow says it uses 'pharmaceutical grade minerals' to ensure top quality and purity.

(Frankly, we were unaware that minerals were used in pharmaceuticals, but presumably that's a whole 'nother ball of organic wax. In any case, according to this information from Medical College of Georgia, 'pharmaceutical grade' sounds pretty darn pure.)

If you're concerned about buying eco-friendly products, you're probably also interested in buying animal-friendly products. After all, animals are a big part of the ecosystem.

Thus you'll be pleased to know that both Leaping Bunny and PETA have apparently certified Afterglow as cruelty-free.

Our tester gave the Lip Love's Secret shade a big thumbs up from both an appearance and performance standpoint.

As far as we can see, the only drawback to Afterglow's Lip Love lipsticks would be their price. At $24 per stick, these are 2-3 times more expensive than many famous national brands.

On the other hand, if women really do eat 4 lbs. of lipstick in their lifetime simply by licking their lips (as reported all over the Internet and attributed to a 2002 Glamour Magazine article), then we think it's certainly worth spending the extra moola to paint your lips with something that's pretty and organic.

Your lips will thank you - and Santa Claus or whoever else you kiss beneath the mistletoe just might thank you as well.

Merry Christmas!

Where to buy:

You can order Organic Lip Love lipsticks directly through Afterglow's website ($24 each).

Prefer to check out the lipsticks in person before you buy? Just use the Store Locator to find a retailer near you.

Traditional Medicinals Teas

I've been a big fan of Traditional Medicinals teas for years ever since a box of Echinacea Throat Coat (R) took care of a stubborn sore throat.

I don't recall if Traditional Medicinals teas were organic back then, but many of them are certainly organic now.

For example, take the Organic Chamomile tea (recommended for its calmative and digestive properties) that contains 100% USDA-certified organic ingredients and 100% Fair Trade Certified ingredients by dry weight.

Organic Peppermint (recommended for healthy digestion) also contains 100% organic ingredients. Organic Smooth Move herbal laxative tea with Senna leaf is 98% organic. You get the picture.

But what really gets us excited is the fact that Traditional Medicinals has just installed a large solar power system at its California headquarters, prompting the company to claim the title of "largest sun-powered tea company in the world!" The system's 1,450 solar panels are designed to generate 430,000 kWh of electricity per year -- more than 75% of the Traditional Medicinals' needs.

If you're wondering about where Traditional Medicinals gets the rest of its electricity, the company apparently supplements its solar power by purchasing wind energy credits.

(Traditional Medicinals says that it also tries to bring the benefits of solar power to some of the communities that supply its tea. In Rajasthan, India, the company says it is providing solar training, solar ovens for cooking and solar lights for night school education to the Bishnoi farming community that provides Senna leaves for Traditional Medicinals teas.)

Where to buy:

You can order Traditional Medicinals teas online from the company's own website (usually $5.49 for a box of 18 teabags) or find the teas in stores at Whole Foods Markets, Vitamin Shoppes ($3.99-4.99) and numerous other natural products retailers. Use the Store Locator to find the most convenient retail location near you.

Maggie's Organics & Hat Attack

Plenty of folks recognize the benefits of organic clothing now, but how about back in 1992?

In those beknighted dark ages, organic clothing was many years away from breaking into the mainstream.

But that didn't stop the folks behind Maggie's Organics from founding their company based on "the premise that all workers could be treated ethically and that clothing could be functional, beautiful and affordable and also constructed of environmentally sustainable materials."

16 years later, Maggie's Organics says that it is still using certified organically grown fibers (Certified Organic Cotton or Certified Organic Wool) in all its apparel and accessories.

Intellectually, we admire Maggie's Organics for its commitment to rely on suppliers (many of them locally based in the U.S.A.) who guarantee livable working conditions.

From a consumer & reviewer standpoint, we appreciate the fact that Maggie's Organics uses truly minimal packaging, and that the packaging it does use appears to be made largely or exclusively from recycled materials.

The unisex lounge pants (regularly $23, on sale for $12) that we tested were not only comfortable, soft and durable, but slipping them on seemed to promote a real sense of relaxation and ease. They won't replace tuxedo pants or a pantsuit, but they're certainly ideal for lounging around the house.

As for the Maggie's Organic textured tights ($20.80), they were impressively warm and simultaneously stylish, according to our tester.

And by the way, the Organic cotton crew socks in Natural color ($8) - those were primo too.

From the tips of your toes, we turn to the top of your head. If you're looking for something organic to keep your noggin safe from the winter wind, consider the organic stylish caps from Hat Attack. If your climate is relatively mild, we'd suggest the jaunty, somewhat bohemian $32 Organic Cotton Cap. For chillier climes, you'll get more mileage out of the Organic Cotton Trapper ($75), lined with faux fur. No word on whether that's organic faux fur. That trapper also comes in an adorable baby size ($58) so your little tyke can look Iditarod-ready.

Where to buy:

You can order Maggie's Organics products through the company's online outlet.

Pick up your Hat Attack head-topper through the company's Internet store.

Natracare Feminine Hygiene Products

OK, we admit it. As a guy, we feel a bit...uncomfortable talking about feminine hygiene products.

But we also feel it's important that women know they have a Green hygiene option thanks to Natracare, a company that produces 100% certified organic cotton tampons, panty liners, baby wipes, nursing pads and more.

If you're already eating organic food and wearing organic cotton clothing, why not consider organic personal care products for you and/or your baby?

Not every Natracare product uses 100% organic cotton (some are simply labeled 'Natural'), but the company says its entire product line is totally free of plastics, chlorine and perfumes. Even the wrappers on its individually-wrapped products are made from TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) paper and plant starch, while the outer package is composed of 100% recycled cellulose.

More than 90% biodegradable, Natracare products aren't just good for the planet, but they may also be better for your skin. Natracare says gynecologists will often recommend Natracare to women who suffer from skin allergies or irritation when using other personal care brands.

Sold in more than 45 countries around the world, Natracare products have achieved a number of certifications from organizations including The Soil Association and The Nordic Ecolabel.

As near as we can tell, Natracare makes an admirable assortment of products. The new packaging does a good job of spelling out the Green benefits, but we do think that Natracare could make its website a bit more user-friendly. We'd love to see individual pages for each product with clearer explanations of the Natural and Organic product lines and the eco and health benefits of each.

Where to buy:

You can purchase Natracare products online at Drugstore.com, Amazon.com, Organic Pharmacy and HerbTrader.com.

The products range in price from MSRP $3.29 (30 Tanga Natural Panty Liners) to MSRP $7.49 (16 Regular or Super Certified Organic 100% Cotton Tampons), although you may be able to find discounts online or in stores.

Offline, you can find Natracare products at a range of natural food stores, supermarkets and pharmacies including Whole Foods, Shaw's, Fred Meyer, Publix and Wegman's.

You can browse a more complete list of online and offline stores on Natracare's website.

Natural Mat + LaLicious Sweepstakes Update

You're never too young to start living the green life!

That's why the eco-friendly baby bedding products from Natural Mat caught our eye.

Handmade in Devonshire, England, Natural Mat says it uses only the finest natural and organic raw materials in its crib mattresses and sheets.

One of these mattresses, the Coco Mat (MSRP $375) is actually filled with coir, a fiber extracted from the outer shell of a coconut. Natural Mat says its coir comes from the only certified organic coir plantation in the world.

(Personally, the thought of coconut-based products being made in England puts us in mind of the Monty Python Holy Grail migratory coconuts bit.)

Anyway, Natural Mat wraps its coir in lambwool bathed in the extracts of lavender, lemon and eucalyptus, which not only smells lovely but supposedly makes the mattress anathema to dust mites. The mattress is then covered with a removable and machine washable unbleached cotton cover.

Since England presumably has resident horses, we don't need Monty Python to figure out where Natural Mat got the horsetail hair for its Mohair Mat. The Mohair Mat features horsetail hair (which Natural Mat calls the longest and most durable natural fiber in the world) at its core, sandwiched between layers of organic coir. The whole bit apparently offers a firm, supportive base for baby.

Like some nocturnal layer cake, the coir is in turn wrapped with mohair fleece, which is then itself covered in that washable, removable unbleached cotton. The whole shebang will set you back $625 (MSRP), but we say that any natural product with the potential to help a baby sleep through the night is probably worth its weight in horsehair.



Love your baby, but don't have so many spare Benjamins sitting in the bank? You can still pick up that English organic cred with some 100% organic cotton sheets and mattress protectors. All the sheets are unbleached and undyed, and all bedding can be washed including the waterproof mattress protector. Prices on the bedding start at less than $50.

In addition to the eco-benefits outlined above, Natural Mat also claims that its products offer superior breathability (keeping baby cool and comfy), naturally fire retardant (passing fire regulations without the use of chemical fire retardants) and durability.

According to Natural Mat, a number of parental celebrities like Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba and Laila Ali have Natural Mat products.

Where to buy:

Many online retailers carry Natural Mat products, including Barebabies.com.

Natural Mat has kindly provided a discount code for our readers. Enter code gp10offnm and you should be able to receive a 10% discount on any Natural Mat products ordered through the Barebabies.com website. UPDATE - Barebabies.com has apparently suddenly gone out of business. To get 10% off Natural Mat products, use the code "1gpnm" on the site Goores.com.

LaLicious Sweepstakes Update:

We have our first winner in the LaLicious Sweepstakes. Congratulations to Michele from Waterville, Maine!

Meanwhile, we're still waiting to hear from our second winner. He or she has until December 5th to respond and claim the prize. If he or she does not respond, we'll hold a second drawing to find an alternate winner.

Thanks to everyone who signed up to participate in the Sweepstakes. Stay tuned for more eco-friendly product discounts and sweepstakes in the near future!