Back to School with KLEAN KANTEEN

Need some water bottles for back-to-school?  Klean Kanteen insulated mugs come in some gorgeous new colors for fall and they are a must have for the lunchbox and for anyone who likes to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.  They work like a charm, and are also great for soups, hot cereals, coffee, and tea.   These are ideal for kids and adults--who doesn't need a healthy vessel for portable drinks and food?  This allows you to control the contents and be sure you are getting organic and gmo free beverages and foods which can be tricky on the go. 

They are so gorgeous and inspiring, it's just what we need to ease into Autumn.  They come in different sizes too, 12, 16, and 20oz.  I love the bright Wild Raspberry and the stately basic Black, but the Gray is nice and the White...so many lovely choices.  If you have multiple children, you can color code.  Two different lids are available to fit your needs, a cafe lid for sipping (perfect for the car) and a stainless wide loop cap to keep your bottle sealed tight in your bag.  Everything is BPA, lead, and phalate free.  Find them HERE.

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Back to School: OOTS LunchBox

If you like your lunch packed with style, look at these super cool lunchboxes by OOTS.  These are fun for little kids, but I also love them for college students and work lunches.  They're not super big--for some reason they look bigger to me in the photos, almost cooler size, which thankfully they are not but rather the perfect size for lunch and a drink.

The bright colors are energizing and easy to find and just plain awesome looking.  They have some chrome accents and the bold lettering is fun and adds to the style factor. They come with stacking containers that are dishwasher safe, one large and two small.  Everything is easy to clean.  Definitely something different and  refreshing in the lunch box department, find them HERE. 

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Back to School: Looptworks Upcycled Computer Sleeves

Need a computer sleeve for back-to-school?  Check out these cool sleeves from LOOPTWORKS.  They're made from upcycled excess material from wetsuits.  They come in different colors and sizes and I love the zippered pockets perfect for id, credit card, and cash.   I like this for beach bags, carry on luggage and any backpack or bag that doesn't have a built in spot for your laptop.  Note the orange (goldfish) is neon.  And I mean NEON, this would be fun for kids and I would think, a great theft deterrent as anyone walking off with this would be super easy to spot.  Find them HERE.

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Eco Friendly Back to School Stuff

"Don't be a dunce," the folks at Eco Paper say, use their tree free papers and help to save the 644 trees worth of paper that gets tossed away in the trash every year at each school.  That's a ton of trees. 

Check out these banana paper notebooks, yep, made from banana fibers and recycled materials.  They're made in Costa Rica from agricultural waste that would have otherwise been thrown away.  How cool is this?  They're chlorine free, acid free, and tree free.

Itzy Ritzy Snack Bags are cute, come in lots of colors and patterns and are a great replacement for those endless plastic baggies.  Just wash and re-use over and over. 

Chacos makes some great eco friendly shoes for kids.   Check out these adorable Eco Tread slip on sandal shoe called Paradox.  It's non marking, easy to adjust, and made with recycled content. 

The Paradox is machine washable and tough enough to last through a couple of kids via hand- me-downs.  I love the cute little skull graphics and pretty shades of gray.  

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Back to School with Organic Snack Kits by Semilla

Need a fabulous lunch kit for school?  This Robot Snack Kit by Semilla is organic, reusable, and ridiculously cute.   You get a lot of bang for your buck with this--a lunch bag, sandwich wrap, snack bag, napkin, and stainless container. 

Great design is so important with stuff like this.  The organic wholesome world of real food is in direct competition with flashy corporate frankenfood on lunch tables across the country.  If you can make wholesome look cool and interesting, you're several steps ahead.   Not just that, but school lunches create a ton of waste.  This is a leave-no-trace lunch.  Nothing to throw away.

These are wonderful for trips to the park, family outings, any time you want healthy snacks handy (and when wouldn't you?).  This way, you can visit the bulk section and stock up and not only save money, but help the environment.  All those little plastic snack bags add up, this is a great solution.  

You can wash them in the machine, they come in several wonderful designs so you can have a few in rotation or get one for each kid.  That's not to say I wouldn't use this myself, I think this is perfect for taking your own healthy food to work or college, why should kids get all the cool stuff?  Find them HERE. 

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Too Cool for School: Mad Pax Backpack

This has got to be the coolest backpack I have ever seen, look at these crazy cool Mad Pax.   The folks at Mad Pax ask, "why blend?" and I couldn't agree more.  These packs are quirky, artful, tactile and fun, evoking visions of dinosaurs, sea urchins and other wonders from natural or alien worlds. 

"Mad Pax are three parts funk, a pound of punk, a dash of dare and a tab of turbo...the perfect way for kids to express their inner creature."  Express their inner creature---yes yes!  I love this!  Make them in my size already, these are fabulous.  They come in different colors and oh how I wish to see more of this creativity in the world!  Find them at BABYBOX.COM.

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Back to School: Eco Friendly Stapler

How about a stapler that doesn't use staples? Apparently production of staples isn't eco friendly (who knew), so here is a solution not only to that, but to having to keep staples on hand, a staple remover, or band-aids. Safe for kids and it works! You can find the EcoStapler at Green Apple School Supplies, along with lots of other great earth friendly supplies.

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Product Review: CROCODILE CREEK Backpack and COUPON CODE

Crocodile Creek products are very pleasing to the eye. Colorful simple images, like a flower or a dinosaur have a sweet look, the way kids stuff should look. There's a gentle innocence and as fleeting as that is in life, I love seeing this sort of thing around the house while it lasts. They're not just cute though, they are practical and safe. Crocodile Creek products are PVC and phthalate free, lead safe and meet or exceed US and European safety standards. The only problem I see with Crocodile Creek is trying to figure out what to get amongst so many great choices.

The backpacks stand out in a sea of Spongebobs and Spidermen. They are bright and colorful (easy to spot your kid), have an organizer pouch inside, padded adjustable straps, easy to use zipper pulls, and a place to put water bottles on the side.

Go to their website and use the coupon code BACK2SCHOOL for free shipping.

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