$50-100

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After pushing my 3-year-old’s legs back onto her toddler bed in the middle of night too many nights in a row, I decided it was time to move up to a big girl bed. This was a big milestone for both of us. She would get to sleep in it and I would get to dress it up. For me, of course, that meant organic bedding. I priced out a couple of organic mattresses, but they were too pricey for our budget. I then spent weeks trying to find a used bed in good condition, to no avail. Craigslist doesn’t have as much to offer when you’re in a small town. I finally settled on a new, antimicrobial mattress set.

It’s been a while since I have posted about something with a bird motif. Too long, if you ask me. I can’t help it — I am just drawn to the little critters by some unknown force. Thankfully for me, there’s no shortage of eco-friendly art featuring friendly birdies. These Bird Collages by Petite Flaneur would be welcome in my home any day. Just don’t tell my husband that. He’s not quite as fond of the birdies as I am.

One of the things I have learned to appreciate since I began my green journey is products that are handmade. There’s none of the waste or emmense energy use created by a factory, and often, handmade items are one of a kind. While mass-produced products might offer a little bit of a convenience, when you buy handmade, you know you are getting an item than the artist took time and care in creating, and that kind of attention to detail is priceless. So when I started looking for a clock for my daughter’s newly decorated room (more on that later, including photos), the first place I looked was Etsy.com. Although the clocks aren’t necessarily the style I am looking for, the handmade clocks from Infinity Arts are beautiful pieces of art.

If you’ve lived in as many small spaces as I have, you’re always looking for ways to save floor space. The oldest trick in the designer’s book for small spaces is to use vertical space and elements as much as possible to fool the eye into thinking the room is larger than it is. It is also practical, as it gives you more room to move around. Even if you’re not lacking space, any pet owner would appreciate this beautiful hanging Square Cat Habitat by Buddha.

Decorating my daughter’s nursery was quite possibly the most fun I have ever had decorating. I had a blank slate, and could do literally anything I wanted with it. This was back in the days before I was green mama and before I really knew anything about decorating. So while I had fun doing the room, it wasn’t what I would call well-designed. This beautiful bamboo Jungle Friends Mobile from Branch Home is leaps and bounds above the gaudy plastic Winnie the Pooh mobile that hung over my daughter’s crib.

My daughter has a very active imagination. Her 3-year-old mind often comes up with fantastic, intriguing stories that never cease to amaze me. This year, I plan on giving her only gifts that will help her learn or grow in some way, and I’d love to give her something that continues to encourage that imagination of hers.

The Cardboard Playhouse from Natural Pod is the answer. Made of recycled cardboard, it is very literally a blank canvas waiting for her to turn it into her dream house. Lately, my daughter has been in the “Mommy, can I have one of those” phase every time she sees a commercial for some new-fangled, cheap, plastic toy she sees on TV. This ought to satisfy those desires for a while.

I believe that the things a person chooses to have around them, in their home and elsewhere, are a reflection of who that person is. Because we haven’t been living in our own space for quite some time now, my husband and I look around and don’t see very many reflections of ourselves in our surroundings. There are the photos on the wall — but not much else. We’re hoping that this move to a new state also means a new start, and I intend to put my stamp on our space as much as possible.

In the not-so-distant past, I used to be a serial shopper. You know — one of those people who would go to the mall or to a department store “just to look,” then leave a few hours later with a couple of shopping bags in tow and my wallet significantly lighter. Thankfully, I now know why that type of lifestyle isn’t good for the Earth or my family, and I’ve changed my ways. But if there’s one thing that could make me revert, it’s beautiful organic bedding. The fabulous Silver Smoke bedding collection from Under the Canopy isn’t helping matters any.

I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’m a bit of a dictator when it comes to towel use. There are a few that are my “special” towels that I won’t let anyone else use. One has been designated as such because of its size — it is a bath “sheet” that is therefore large enough to wrap around me comfortably. After all, I’m not an itty bitty lady, so I can’t really use an itty bitty towel. The second I have accosted because I love the subtle linear pattern created by the weave of the cotton. I know…crazy. But I like it.

Though I’ve never been on a true sailboat, I love the feeling of being on the water. Whether it was a ride on the ferry between St. Thomas and St. John (Virgin Islands), a spin on a paddle boat at Magen’s Bay Beach, or a ride on the Staten Island ferry, the water has always welcomed me. That said, this particular use for sails may be a bit too much for my taste.