For those that want to invest in a quality reusable bag we recommend checking out Nubius Organics’ zero waste lunch section. They feature a stylish line of insulated, reusable totes for transporting your lunch as well as some large bags that are made of recycled plastic bottles. Most, if not all, of their bags/totes are PVC free, teflon free, and lead free so you know your food is safe from toxins.

Nubius Organics also carries another Mable’s favorite: the Laptop Lunch System. Made famous by the Vegan Lunchbox Blog.

These 100% biodegradable pots are made from renewable grain husks, are certified organic, and will hold their shape and size for about 5 years. That’s a long time to grow some delicious herbs. As an added Green bonus, by growing plants indoors they will convert the CO2 you expel into Oxygen for your lungs. Yay for synergy!

Order yours today and choose between Lemon Basil, Lavender, Oregano or Parsley. Remember you can always pick up your own seeds from somewhere else and use those in these organic biodegradable pots. These make great green gifts for teachers, and families with kids to help show us all what goes into growing food.

$15.95

Find more green growing gifts in our Plants and Gardening gifts section.

This blog post we are featuring Back to Basics Toys because, they carry a vast amount of wooden toys and games that aren’t just fun, but also educational and award winning. But, how is a wood toy more green?

Reasons why Wood is Good: Longevity of items (say no to planned obsolescence) , Perfect for your child’s development, Non toxic material, and many are American made, which avoids the need for shipping overseas.

Mable’s wants to remind you that everyday is Earth day and every decision we make has an effect, so let’s do the best we can everyday.

Amidst the recalled toy controversy, it’s nice to know that some stores will never carry items with questionable or uncertain contents. There is a new message on their homepage that says “At eBeanstalk we are dedicated to a child’s development and learning, and we never compromise a child’s safety. Rest assured that NONE of the recalled toys from Mattel or Fisher Price have ever been sold at eBeanstalk. NOT ONE.”

COUPON: Save 10% off anything on the site. Expires October 15, 2007.

Shopping for toys can be so hit and miss. Sometimes you’ll be sure you bought the perfect gift only to watch the recipient wrinkle his nose. Short of bringing your child to the store and saying “just pick something off the shelf”, your best bet in finding a kid-pleasing toy is picking an award winner. These have passed critiques by kids, parents, and industry experts. Gaining praise from iParenting, Oppenheimer, Dr. Toy, and Parent’s Choice, the imaginative Award Winning Toys section on eBay contains some genuinely rad toys. Standouts for me are the Alex Puppet Theatre, and the funky little Whoozit Activity Spiral. Every product encourages imaginative play or is an educational toy, so they’re gifts you can feel good about giving, too.

Another fantastic educational toy store to check out it eBeanstalk. Many of their toys are “award winners”, but more interestingly is that EVERY toy has been hand picked by their team of experts, parents, and kids. How cool is that?

Add these reversible swimsuits to the why wasn’t this around when I was a kid? category. As a child, I’d pour through the pint-sized racks in search of the coolest swimwear in existence. I knew that if I settled for the cute-ish one in my hand then the absolute best suit would surely be on the next rack. Not much has changed for me when it comes to finding new summer swimwear, and ladies (both young and grown-up) know that feeling. What if I find something cuter later?

Little Miss Matched to the rescue! Each piece from the reversible Little Miss Matched bathing suit line comes with 2 print/color combinations. The one piece suit with cover-up offers 4 options, and the 2 pieces with cover-ups create 8 options! Whether your little girl likes hearts, polka dots, stripes, solids, one-pieces, two-pieces, bikinis, or tankinis, she will find something adorable at Little Miss Matched.

RELATED: Reversible Bedroom Sets

$38-$60

People tend to use the phrase “the gift that keeps on giving” metaphorically. However, eBeanstalk offers a more literal interpretation with their Gift Series, where your child receives a toy in the mail every 3 months matched to their stage of development. This idea is all kinds of brilliant!

• For those of us without kids of our own, it can be a little tricky to select age appropriate toys for the children in our lives. You can skip the educated guesswork with the Gift Series: all the toys are hand picked by 5 child development specialists and 500 moms from around the US.
• Same thing goes for parents or guardians who travel a lot or don’t get to visit very often. When you haven’t seen a child for a few months or when you look back on the development of your own child…they are a different child today than just a few months ago. Each toy is carefully matched with the appropriate stage of development, so you won’t end up with a gift that is too young or old for your child.
• With the continual gift metaphor in mind, you can actually purchase a set of gifts that are delivered over time. This is the gift that actually keeps on giving.
• Save time by purchasing a set of gifts all in one sitting. Never worry about forgetting a special date in the child’s development or having the gift arrive late.
• If you’re the spoiling type (yes, you) then you’ll undoubtedly appreciate how easy eBeanstalk makes it to lavish gifts upon your wee ones. One purchase results in a whole years worth of gifts!
• Best of all, of the nearly 500 quality toys available at eBeanstalk, every one is geared towards helping your child grow. Their Child Specialists identified the stages of development children grow through. They matched 7 core skills- Imagination, Education, Language, Dexterity, Locomotion, Emotion and Social- with the stages of a child’s development, and then categorized each toy accordingly. Ahhh, science: improving childhood playtime and development!

Also, individual toys are available for purchase too, if you’d rather buy a la carte.

Now let’s try a test. Ask your 5 year old what she wants more: a fantastical child-sized pirate ship playhouse… or a college education. Seriously though, if you have the money, this Posh Tots exclusive handcrafted playhouse is going to make a whole neighborhood of kids insanely happy. As the price tag assumes, this is a movie-quality structure that’s got 2 levels, a crow’s nest, sleeping quarters, and it looks amazing. If it was a little bigger, I’d be saving up to get one for myself.
$52,000

If all this talk of kid’s pirate bedrooms has sparked your imagination, then try your hand at entering the pirate contest at Home & Bedroom Furniture. They want you to describe, in 100 words or less, what a real pirate’s bedroom would look like. Winner gets a Pirates of the Caribbean bedding set. What if your bedroom decor is all ready chosen? Why, create a pirate bathroom, of course!

Here are some of the coolest pirate ship toys that I’ve found online recently:

Ultra Rad RC Pirate Ship

Pirate Rocker

Venture Tall Ship

Pirate Ship Activity Set

If you’re seeking more adventure than a toy pirate ship can offer, why not sail in a real pirate ship? There are actually businesses out there that offer pirate-themed day and extended cruises in real tall ships! Many of them sail from Florida, but options exist in many locations.

Real Pirate Ships and Cruises:

• POTC Fan Trips
• Captain Memo in Clearwater Beach, FL
• The Pirate Ship At Johns Pass in Madeira Beach, FL
• Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise in Panama City Beach, FL
• Jolly Roger Cruises on the Grand Cayman Island (Home of the annual Pirate Week in October)
• Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake in Annapolis, MD
• Marigalante in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
• More Tall Ships through the world…

Happy sailing!

Designed for ages 3 and up, this chromatically tuned Schoenhut baby grand has 30 full sized keys, and high gloss finish for that long lasting appeal. Made of hardwood and hardboard this piano includes matching 9″ bench, songbook, and a color-coded learning system that fits behind the keys to guide small fingers.

Also available in Black or White, a baby grand piano makes an excellent gift that incorporates musical learning into the young mind of someone very special to you. The piano might not travel with them throughout the years, but they will be forever changed having experienced the wonder of making their own music.