Thanks to growing interest in environmental health, sustainability and non-toxic living, environmentally friendly cleaning products are now hitting mainstream store shelves. Even boxstore giant Walmart carries the new natural, biodegradable “Green Works” line from Clorox.

If you have children, ditching toxic household cleaners in favor of eco-friendly alternatives makes a lot of sense, and not just because of obvious Mr. Yuck reasons. Removing toxins from your home means less exposure to neurotoxins, irritants and potential health hazards like carcinogens. Less exposure to toxins may mean overall improved health.

While it is entirely possible to create your own natural and effective cleaners at home (check out Green Living’s 5 Basics for Non-Toxic Cleaning) or Whole Food’s Clean & Green recipes), you might just love these no fuss eco-friendly labels.

1. Seventh Generation. Seventh Generation makes a huge line of great eco-friendly cleaning products. I especially love Seventh Generation’s Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner (and I’m a former Windex fan). No streaks. No harsh fumes.

2. Clorox Green Works. According to the company, “Green Works” labeled products are eco-friendly, plant and mineral based products and free of harsh chemicals.

3. Sun and Earth. An affordable line of natural cleaners. I used Sun and Earth products for years, before I fell in love with Seventh Generation.

4. BabyGanics. A safe line of all-natural cleaners designed with children and home health in mind. BabyGanics also makes a streak-free Glass & Surface Cleaner and an Organic Floor Cleaner.

For additional recommendations, check out Healthy Child, Healthy World.

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It’s the day of pranks. If you’re looking for some G Rated family silliness, check out FamilyFun’s April Fools’ Pranks Galore. I know I’m up for the Time Warp. There are many things I hope to–actually need to– accomplish today, like shopping for a birthday present for a second grader, planning a birthday party for my preschooler, and grocery shopping.

If you’re like me and crave a few extra minutes in the day to get things done (and don’t have time to fool around), check out this list of 50 Best Mom Blogs to discover how other parents manage the zillion things on their to-do lists.

Show and Tell Time. Do you turn to a favorite “mom blog” or website when you’re looking for strategies to better manage the demands of family, work, and life?

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Wondering if it’s possible to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy? Maybe. Genes, diet, weight gain, hydration are factors that come into play. For example, drinking eight or more glasses of water a day may go a long way toward maintaining skin elasticity.

Oils and creams specifically blended to ward off stretch marks may help, too. Like Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Natural Stretch Oil. You and your beautiful, growing belly will love this delicately scented oil, which is made with pure, organic essential oils. Earth Mama Angel Baby’s line of pregnancy wellness products are toxin-free, too.

There are plenty of mamas out there who swear by stretch mark creams and oils, and I’m one of them. Earth Mama Angel Baby makes “the only line of 100% natural skin and body care products to support the entire birth process”–pregnancy, labor, postpartum, even c-section recovery. This is one company that has figured out how to give expecting moms and new moms the products they want and need for skin wellness and beauty, without harsh chemicals and toxins like phthalates.

If you’re expecting or looking for the perfect gift for a new mama, don’t miss Earth Mama Angel Baby pregnancy wellness products–when it comes to preventing stretch marks, there just aren’t any second chances after those nine months!

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March 25, 2008: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of Backyard and Beyond Metal Water Bottles, distributed by Downeast Concepts Inc., of Yarmouth, ME. The recall affects model numbers 67402, 67404, 67442, 67444, 67742, 60442, 67744, 67746, 67748 and 60448 printed on the hang tag.

According to CPSC, “Surface paint on the metal water bottles contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.” Consumers are advised to discontinue use of the bottles.

The recall affects about 18,000 units.

For more information about the recall, check out the news release here.

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Note: Since last year, thousands of aluminum water bottles have been recalled for violations of the federal lead paint standard. However, not all aluminum bottles are affected by these recalls. For example, check out SIGG eco-friendly water Bottles.

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I’ve raved before about California Baby products, and since I’m not one to stay quiet for long, I’m going to rave some more. I stumbled upon California Baby in a natural food store weeks before giving birth to my first child. What then attracted me to California Baby was my mother-to-be obsession with finding natural and organic products for my baby. Only the best, right? My first California Baby purchase was Calming Shampoo & Bodywash. I admit, given that I was expecting a baby girl, the product’s label featuring an adorable little girl sealed the purchase decision. Hmmm…I guess the company knows how to make great products and market them, too!

California Baby’s Calming Shampoo & Bodywash cleans and smells delicious. While there are plenty of shampoos and bodywash products on the market that clean and smell good on babies, not many can claim they contain organic or sustainably grown ingredients. And few can claim that they don’t contain Sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, or other ingredients that could potentially impact health. California Baby Calming Shampoo is a popular choice for babies or older kids (even adults) with sensitive skin. No tears and non-irritating, too.

Since I bought that first Calming Shampoo & Bodywash product, California Baby has greatly expanded their natural care line for babies, kids and sensitive adults. California Baby offers organic and natural options to traditional baby essentials such as non-talc baby powder and diaper cream, as well as unique baby products like Colds & Flu Bubble Bath. California Baby even sells products in travel sizes and sampler totes.

If you’re looking for organic and natural products for your baby or young child, check out California Baby. You can find a huge selection of California Baby products at baby-Wise.com. There’s a lot of piece of mind that comes along with buying and using a product on your baby that is as natural as baby care products probably get.

Do you have a California Baby Love Affair, too? If so, please leave a comment and give other parents the scoop.

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I spent the entire day STUCK in an airport–me, myself and I…plus three young children (a preschooler, toddler, and a baby). Given that the flight was supposed to be short and entail a very brief airport visit, I didn’t spend much time packing entertainment toys in the diaper bag. As shocking as it may sound, after eight hours waiting in the terminal, we finally walked off the plane at our final destination with big smiles on our faces–and still in good spirits.

Curious how I managed to survive all those hours WITHOUT losing my cool or dealing with meltdowns? Thank Melissa & Doug! As soon as I realized we were officially STUCK, we headed off to the terminal bookstore in search of puzzles. I found a fabulous, gigantic Melissa & Doug floor puzzle. We all plopped down on the floor near our gate and the kids spent hours assembling, disassembling and reassembling the puzzle. I even had a chance to read a book while they played beside me!

I’ve always loved Melissa & Doug products, but now I’m a bigger fan!

Do you have any airport survival tips for parents traveling with kids?

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The first time I heard someone speak the words “Tripp Trapp,” I couldn’t help but conjure up the kids’ song “This Old Man” (Knick-Knack Paddy Whack). Quickly enough, however, I learned that Tripp Trapp had nothing to do with music (even though it kind of rhymes with knick-knack, don’t you think). Nor anything to do with tongue twisters (think, “Betty Botter had some butter…”).

Instead, the Stokke Tripp Trapp represents the ultimate in versatility in the world of children’s high chairs. The chair is the chair that grows with the child. Not only does the Tripp Trapp enable a child to sit at the same height as an adult at the table, but it provides support for growing, little legs. Unlike some traditional high chairs that are only used for a limited period of time, the Tripp Trapp can be used for years and years. You can buy a separate five-point harness, rail and cushion for use with babies, meaning you can pass on the “traditional” high chair.

In my mind, the Tripp Trapp is one of those baby products that is definitely worth the investment. The Tripp Trapp is built to last, constructed with solid materials. The Tripp Trapp is also pleasing to the eye–available in a variety of colors. Plus, Stokke offers a 7 year guarantee on all wooden components. If you’ve ever tried to find a used Tripp Trapp for sale, you probably know that finding one is nearly impossible. Why? Because people hang on to a Tripp Trapp for years. People love Tripp Trapp chairs because they’re just so darn functional.

If you’re looking for the perfect high chair, you’ve found it! A must have for any hip mama.

Are you a Tripp Trapp fan?

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St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t a big deal in my family when I grew up. It definitely was for other neighborhood families, but not mine. This year I resolved to change course–start some leprechaun traditions. Up until this year I didn’t do much to celebrate other than dress the kids up in green. For days (if not weeks), I determined today would be different. I explained to my children that on March 17th, leprechauns the size of their thumbnails come out in droves to visit homes. A lie? Yes. But I rationalized the lie as being hardly any different than Santa Claus.

I set off early to Hallmark. Cliche? Perhaps. I darted to the St. Patty’s section. I loaded my arms with a bunch of inexpensive, somewhat tacky, but guaranteed to amuse, treats…clover pens, glow stick glasses, gummy bears, to name a few…and a little stuffed leprechaun toy. I returned home.

While cleaning the house, I shrieked, “Oh, my gosh!” The kids came running. I told them I thought I saw something scurry across the floor. A leprechaun perhaps? While the kids hunted under appliances with flashlights for a mysterious leprechaun, I set off to work. I put the stuffed leprechaun toy out for the kids to discover. Their eyes bugged out with delight. They couldn’t believe it. Leprechaun magic.

Later in the day, the leprechaun mysteriously moved around the house. Tricky, leprechauns, eh? Each time the kids discovered the leprechaun, they found a treat. At the end of the day, after cutting out construction paper clovers, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a green cake and green milk. While getting ready for bed, the kids discovered the glow in the dark glasses on their pillows, along with a “goodbye, see you next year” note from a leprechaun.

I’m certain my kids will talk about this day for many days to come. The excitement on their faces today was priceless–something I will think about for many days and years to come. Now, how’s that for breaking tradition?

Do you have a St. Patrick’s Day family tradition to share?

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Growing up, the Easter Bunny often left creative, sometimes even practical “baskets” filled with goodies. Rarely did a traditional basket make its way into the house. I’d still take a toy wheelbarrow, laundry basket, or garbage can any day over a traditional pastel basket.

If you’re also into unique Easter baskets, check out this totally chic kid Shopping Cart by Plan Toys.

What young child wouldn’t be thrilled to find this cart loaded up with a gigantic chocolate bunny on Easter morning?

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St. Patrick’s Day is less than a week away. If you’re looking for an excuse to go green or need a deadline to jumpstart an eco-friendly lifestyle, give St. Patrick’s day a new purpose. Go Green! Whether going green means recycling that pile of old magazines in your house, stocking the shelves with organic baby food (better yet making your own!), teaching your children about climate change, or shopping for Bispenol-A free baby bottles, use March 17th to motivate change.

What better day to go green, anyway? Even one small lifestyle change can have a huge impact on the world around us–and on the lives of our children and future generations.

What small change will you make next week?