Gwyneth Paltrow, who started going green when she had children, reportedly turned to Earth Mama Angel Baby’s Natural Stretch Oil during her pregnancies with kids Apple and Moses to prevent stretch marks from forming.

The oil is light, absorbs easily, and hypoallergenic. Click here to read more

Boy, do we love playing the reclaim game. In our buy it, trash it culture, it’s almost a thrill to come up with creative ways to make old things new again. Laura Bergman, creator of Bottled Up Designs, feels the same way. Bergman has been reclaiming antique glass and bottles from the natural wooded habitat and rural farmland in Pennsylvania Amish Country, where she lives. Not only does she create unique jewelry pieces out of this reclaimed glass, but she also provides the history of each glass item.

The Vanilla Extract Bottle Earrings are handcut from empty bottles of vanilla, a staple item in every kitchen. These delicate amber glass oblong hoops dangle from sterling silver wire, and the edges have been filed for a smooth, rounded edge. Click here to read more

The National Resources Defense Council explores the negative impacts liquid coal would have on the economy, communities, and the environment. This ‘cure-all’ for our dependence on fossil fuel releases twice as many emissions as per gallon as regular gasoline. Is this proposed solution really in the public interest, or only in the interest of coal companies?

Handlebar, Fu Manchu, pencil – the varieties of mustache are endless. This Organic Cotton Mustache t-shirt, brought to us by the hilarious folks at Partybots, pays homage to a few.

But it’s not just funny – it’s smart too. You can buy it in either 100 % organic cotton or eco-heather, a blend of recycled polyester, organic cotton, and rayon made from naturally occurring polymers. Plus, you don’t have to be able to grow one to enjoy it, because it’s available in women’s and kids’ sizes too. Click here to read more

We’ve mentioned before that the beauty industry is pretty much self-regulated, and the fragrance industry is no exception. Whereas perfumes used to be made with blends of essential oils to create fragrance, most cosmetics companies now depend on cheaper synthetic replicas of scents.

Some of the most popular, most expensive fragrances contain hundreds upon hundreds of chemical compounds – most of which are volatile organic compounds. And ingredients like formaldehyde, ethanol, d-limonene are suspected carcinogens, respiratory irritants, and neurotoxins. And we’ve already talked about the dangers of phthalates, which are used abundantly in perfumes to help scent last longer.

Ecco Bella’s Eaus de Parfum are hand-crafted using traditional perfumery techniques, not manufactured in a laboratory using scores of chemicals that haven’t been properly tested for safety. Click here to read more

A product’s versatility is often key to how eco-friendly it is. The longer you can use something, the less you’ll contribute to the waste stream, the fewer new products will be purchased, and the more money you’ll save. But many expecting parents seem resigned to the idea that as kids grow, everything will need to be replaced – clothing, toys, furniture, you name it.

In a time in which longevity isn’t a concern for many companies because it doesn’t yield as much profit, Stokke’s Sleepi Mini and Crib System stands out. It’s the perfect solution for keeping up with kids’ changing needs. It starts out as a small bassinette, just big enough for newborns to feel cozy and safe in. A conversion kit makes it simple to turn the bassinette into a full-size crib in a snap, and later on, it converts to a toddler bed. Eventually, when children have graduated to a full-size bed, the Stokke system disassembles into two sidechairs, perfect to read in. We really like the rounded, modern look – no sharp edges – and the fact that it rolls from room to room. Click here to read more

Think about it: how many of the gifts you’ve been given over the years do you still have? If you’re anything like us, it’s probably a pretty small percentage. Clothing goes out of style, electronics become obsolete, or we just grow tired of things – things that ultimately end up in landfills.

With so many gift-giving occasions every year, it can be a struggle to find a present that will be meaningful, useful, and lasting. Organic Style’s Heirloom Apple Tree To Be is all of these things. Each kit contains everything needed to grow a Ralls Janet apple tree, including seeds, seeding pot, potting soil, and reference guide. The Heirloom Apple Tree To Be even comes with an aluminum tag meant to be inscribed and attached to your tree once it’s grown. Click here to read more

Ever wondered what happens to that leftover rubber after the shape of your flip flop is stamped in it? VivaTerra’s come up with an ingenious, eye-catching way to recycle the leftovers – so eye-catching, in fact, that this Flip Flop Door Mat was featured on Project Runway.

Since they’re made of rubber, they’re durable and weatherproof – you can dirty them up, hose them down, and continue to enjoy the bright, colorful patterns unique to each rug. Click here to read more

IdealBite, one of our favorite green websites, turned us on to this short film by international sustainability expert Annie Leonard. Leonard shows us how inextricably linked our global material economy is to the variety of social and environmental ills we’re facing. She takes us through the full cycle of products’ lifespan, from extraction of materials to disposal.

Did you know that only 1% of products people purchase are being used 6 months later? Or that Americans make up only 5% of the world resources, but use 30% of its resources and create 30% of its waste? The Story of Stuff is truly eye-opening.

Check out this video for a small preview - and head on over to www.TheStoryofStuff.com for the full-length film.

Yup, you read right – they’re Birkenstocks. Like many companies with a longstanding green reputation, the shoe brand has recently upped the style quotient in their line, adding designs that are not only functional, but also fashionable.

Just like the footbeds in Birkenstock’s leather shoes, the Isis Sandal features a footbed made of cork, latex, and jute – some of the planet’s truly sustainable raw materials. And no part of the cork harvest is wasted. The ground cork that’s become a Birkenstock trademark is actually made from first-quality by-products from the wine industry. Click here to read more