The folks at Positively Organic are positively impressive when it comes to combining super cute baby onesies and tees for tots with a socially-responsible business practice. Their 100% organic cotton and sweatshop free designs are great mix-and-match attire for little ones on the move. If you are looking for an eco-friendly way to share in environment and social outreach this Valentine’s Day, look no further than Positively Organic’s ‘Heart for Haiti’ limited-edition baby bodysuits and varsity tees. 50% of all sale proceeds will go to CARE‘s Haiti Relief Efforts. Not only is this a great way to contribute to Haiti’s rebuilding efforts, but it is also a unique opportunity to spread the message of doing good for one of the year’s most touching occasions.

+ Heart for Haiti infant onesie retails for $22 (2 for $40)

+ Heart for Haiti varsity tee retails for $22 (2 for $40) available in four colors

+ Positively Organic

Beetle Blocks are not your typical building blocks. Handcrafted from Ponderosa Pine in Western Canada, their naturally-stained geometric blue pieces are the dye work of a local species of bark beetle that kills and tints the grain of the Ponderosa tree rings. Thankfully, this ‘dead wood’ has found new life in Beetle Block building sets that are not only engaging with their limitless construction possibilities, but also a great way of crafting nature’s leftovers into interactive toys for all ages. Perfect assembled on a playroom shelf or scattered underfoot in the living room, these gorgeous block sets transform a sad tale of destruction into one of resourcefulness and adaptiveness.

+ Beetle Block sets retail for $50 at TRUNKSHOW

The art of spreading joy translates to all cultures and peoples, and really has no limits when it comes to locale or economic conditions. 88Bikes Foundation is heroically going the distance to share this message with its global “buy a child a bike” initiative. With the goal of providing a sustainable and empowering form of transportation to young people in developing countries (typically “in situations where children have been challenged to be their own heroes due to war, conflict, poverty, disease, or other regional hardships”), 88Bikes is making a real difference in the lives of kids who otherwise have a very difficult time experiencing the freewheeling spontaneity of childhood and good time fun.

*We suggest that parents first talk to their kids about the difference between igniting a passion for gardening and playing with dangerous household matches, though.

+ Matchstick Garden books are available for $3.50 each from ROMP

For any family that is ‘on the go’ as much as mine is these days, it is great to come across pack away toys that are both imaginative in concept and eco-friendly. Home on the Go is a cute little campervan that your wee ones can tote along, no matter how far from the nest you opt to venture. Cleverly designed as a 13 block set that allows for 1300 ways to arrange the pieces, this versatile and colorful play kit has no limits in terms of getting some very good mileage out of imaginative play.

The mysteries and joys of breastfeeding are no doubt a unique experience for many new mothers and their families. One dreams of an instant mother-infant bond, but let’s face it, there is no exact ‘formula’ for getting it right from the get go. Add to this the challenges and demands of birthing multiples, twins in my case, and there really is no guarantee that one can be fully prepared for all that unfolds. My breastfeeding experience has been a relatively positive one, but I know from talking with other mothers, that this is not the case for some. What we assume will be a blissful and natural process, is often extremely unpredictable, demanding, and heartbreaking when things do not go as planned. As a mother of multiples, I want to share a bit of what I learned in caring for my newborns – now toddlers, as well as reach out to other parents (of multiples) for their own stories and resources that they might want to share with our reader community.

 

If your household tends to be a bit of a zoo at times, rest assured that this can be a good thing when Gary the Gorilla is on the scene. Crafted by the super-creative Swedish design team, Our Children’s Gorilla, Gary is an environmentally friendly version of the tough (but oh, so adorable) action figure. Handmade out of hemp-twine and FSC certified Oak and Pine, this cute playtime figure is built to last and withstand some significant tug of war contests. Even better, knicks, scratches and dents will only add to the character of Gary’s already charismatic design persona. Recommended for children ages 4 and up, we also envision Gary perched atop a few desks in college dorm rooms or work cubicles as we head back to the jungle this fall.

Dimensions: 20cm x 15cm

+ Gary the Gorilla £75.00

+ Our Children’s Gorilla

via Dwell

If you’ve been looking for a spirited way to animate the table settings for a friend’s eco baby shower or your child’s upcoming birthday bash, look no further! Stylish PopMat Paper Placemats are perfect green decor for any eco-friendly party agenda. With a wink to children’s pop-up books, these unique silhouette cut-out designs are intricately crafted in the USA out of recycled paper with a minimum of 30% post consumer fiber. Available in fifteen eye popping designs and a variety of hues, we believe that recycled pulp fiction of this variety is a great conversation starter for any gathering. Even better, you can write the name of invited guests in a designated area on each mat. Designed by Lian Ng, PopMat Placemats illustrate party throwing of the creatively edgy and sustainable kind.

 

Whether or not your little one is off to nature camp this summer or is getting geared up for some backyard adventures with neighborhood friends in tow, this super cute wood camera is a wonderful toy to help broaden a curious peep’s horizon. Handcrafted in the USA out of New Hampshire hardwoods destined to be firewood, this beautifully made piece has a moveable lens, a see-thru viewfinder, and a durable cord for toting about on sightseeing outings. The natural, food grade tung oil finish ensures that this non-toxic sharpshooter can also sit on a play shelf, looking stylish and smart when not in use. Ansel Adams or Berenice Abbott surely would have enjoyed having a toy camera like this before launching their photography careers. Who’s to say that future visionaries and world changers aren’t informed by quality playtime with an imaginative toy such as this?

+ Non-toxic Wood Camera $32.00 at Shoptwine

*Dimensions: 5″w x 3 1/2″d x 4″h

Whether or not you subscribe to the notion that the Bauhaus school is the cornerstone of all great Modernist design, you might very well become a convert when you behold these lilliputian renditions created as a promotional showcase for the New Zealand based paint company, Renese. Crafted by Auckland sculptor Gidon Bing and styled by Katie Lockhart, we love that these design-savvy ‘dollhouses’ meld haute craft, architecture, and an eco friendly color palette with a clever wink to the Bauhaus of yore sensibility.