Just love this great collection of deer-themed holiday Christmas cards from Moo.  Set includes personalized holiday message on card interior and back with sustainable paper envelopes – $40 for set of 25.

We also love Moo’s set of JPG Magazine’s Photo Contest Cards.

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• Orbit Baby
  – a modern baby transportation system
• Boodalee
  – modern kids bedding
• Boon – hip
  baby products and toddler gear
• Card Store
  – stylish holiday photo cards and more
• Inspired
  Crib Bedding – contemporary baby crib bedding
• Spunky
  Sprout – toys + organics + gifts + modern designs
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• Zutano –
  clothes as unique as your baby

Welcome to the first post of Little Baby Green, by guest blogger Deborah Guyer Greene, where Deborah will share her stories, expertise, and tips about green family living.

As a co-owner of an environmental design center, I always get a kick when the door opens and an expecting couple walks in.  Typically the woman is 5-8 months pregnant and the man is somewhat doe-eyed, nodding as she insists everything must be green, eco-friendly, and non-toxic.  This, of course is a stereotype.   But, as with most stereotypes, there is some small truth and I have genuine empathy for both parties as they struggle to nest. and nest with the most natural materials possible.  ”Green” can be infuriatingly confusing.  As parents, of course, we want the best and the safest products for our kids.  As consumers we are inundated with next best “x”, the promise of a better “y” and now, the most fuel efficient, non-toxic, no visible footprint, regenerative and environmentally sustainable “z”.

Having a baby, in many cases, is the gateway to green.

We also want the best for our planet but it is the coming birth of child that springs many consumers into action.  Then, it’s the “where to begin” dilemma and soon we are overloaded with information, partial truths, and downright wives tales about going green. It’s a joy to watch a couple as they realize they can create a green nursery, one that is stylish and safe, and yes, one that is affordable to any budget.

Once they see how easy it is to be green, they can then open up and start investigating their own lives and living quarters.  I believe, this is just one of the ways children teach.  By caring for a child, we learn to care for ourselves as well.  WE want to be better, so we can make our children better.

I always wanted to name my firstborn Riley.  Well, Riley came into my life 13 years ago.  He was a beautiful, soulful Ridgeback/Great Dane mix and he was my firstborn baby boy.  The interesting thing about raising a dog is you are not teaching them to be independent someday.  They will always remain in the place of looking to you, taking your lead.  But the truth is, he led as well.

When he was eleven he was diagnosed with bone cancer.  I don’t mean to date myself, but in my recollection when I was a kid, dogs died of old age or getting hit by a car… not cancer.  Riley was amazing.  I decided against chemo but I did remove his front leg and treated him with herbal and eastern remedies.  Perhaps I’ve been out here in California for too long but I tell you what… what was a prognosis of 3-6 months turned into an inspiring year and a half.  For the next year, we spent mornings running on the beach, Riley galloping on his three legs.  Eventually, we would spend our mornings just sitting and watching the ocean. He taught me to practice peace.

In the end I let him go on that same beach and learned about grace.  Dogs like Riley are our gift and our warning.  If this wasn’t such a private and fast acting disease, we would be looking at an amazing number of tripods tromping along our streets.  We can look at our environments and make change.  We can protect those dear to us and make our lives better as well.

Little Baby Green is not just a blog about building a better nursery.  It is an investigation into how to bring sustainability to all aspects of our lives – from compostable cups to unmanageable schedules, from picking non-toxic carpet to vaccinations, from choices on children bearing to child rearing.  How do we live truly sustainable lives – heart, body, mind and soul, and give that gift to our children.  We will bring you information from the experts and find the simplest way to convey the facts and get you to the best resources.

Next year I will be joining your ranks as I try for my first baby.  I’m sure I will alternate between the demanding nester and the doe-eyed conspirator!

Looking forward…

~Deborah Greene

Deborah Guyer Greene is the founder of epOxyGreen, a Los Angeles-based design center offering sustainable building and design products for residential and commercial projects.  Her goal is to bring art, social awareness, and commerce together to create what she calls conscious commerce.

Visit our sponsors:

• Orbit Baby
  – a modern baby transportation system
• Boodalee
  – modern kids bedding
• Boon – hip
  baby products and toddler gear
• Card Store
  – stylish holiday photo cards and more
• Inspired
  Crib Bedding – contemporary baby crib bedding
• Spunky
  Sprout – toys + organics + gifts + modern designs
• Wallter
  – coat racks, mobiles, wall decor, and textiles
• Zutano –
  clothes as unique as your baby

Inspired by vintage travel poster art, one-year old Henry is one lucky baby to wake up every day in one of the more uniquely decorated nursery’s we seen in a long time.

See more photos of Henry’s nursery and vintage travel art mural at Ohdeedoh.

Visit our sponsors: Orbit Baby | Boodalee | Boon | Wallter | Zutano

Holiday parties are made special with a beautifully-designed printed invitation, and Paper Culture offers some of the most unique modern design party invitations that we’ve seen.  In addition to beautiful designs, Paper Culture offers a free Mail & Message service (just pay the cost of postage) that addresses and sends your invitations to save you precious time during your hectic holiday schedule.

Paper Culture’s eco-friendly printing processes and paper are also available for holiday photo cards,  baby birth announcements and baby shower invitations.

Order Your Holiday Cards Now from Tiny Prints

Visit our sponsors: Orbit Baby | Boodalee | Boon | Wallter | Zutano

Am I dating myself if I remember having one of these clock radios in my room when growing up?  These days, though, this retro remake comes with an input for your iPod.

Crosley Clock Radio & iPod Speaker |  $58 at Urban Outfitters

Order Your Holiday Cards Now from Tiny Prints

Visit our sponsors: Orbit Baby | Boodalee | Boon | Wallter | Zutano

Dads take note – sometimes moms would love not to be carrying around a bag that screams “I’M A DIAPER BAG!”  Kate Spade’s Coney Island Baby is just such a bag that looks more high fashion while still providing the utility of a well-outfitted diaper bag.

Kate Spade – Coney Island Diaper Bag |  $299 at Zappos

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Sure, maybe a bit sappy but reassuring and comforting for the little ones.

Yes, We Love You Poster |  £50 via Present Joys

Visit our sponsors: Orbit Baby | Boodalee | Boon | Wallter | Zutano

The inside insert of Simple Diary summaries three reasons why people don’t keep diaries.  First, not every day is eventful; second, it takes a lot of discipline (especially if your day was boring), and third, in case it’s found by another, it can be quite embarrassing.

After picking up a Simple Diary, I can see how I might actually keep a diary.  Each page is filled with questions that help you explore the meaning of your day, and gives you some space to record your thoughts.  I found many of the questions provoked ways to understand the experience of my day from a different perspective.  And I found the answers were revealing but not in any embarrassing way, and that maybe my Simple Diary might be an interesting read one day for my children.

The beauty of Simple Diary is that there’s no obligation to do a page a day, nor is there a rule to do the pages in order.   Just pick any page, record the date at the top, and jot away.  In this busy world, Simple Diary is exactly that – “simple” – a no-pressure way to chronicle your life and thoughts for the day.

Simple Diary was conceived by artist and writer, Philipp Keel, and is available via Amazon in 6 different colors for around $10.

You can visit the Simple Diary website and also follow @simplediary on Twitter to brighten your day.

Visit our sponsors: Orbit Baby | Boodalee | Boon | Wallter | Zutano

This poster made me chuckle a bit, probably because I’ve been married too long.   via Swiss Miss

See all our Halloween posts at Coochicoos.com

What would your child have to do to earn a 60 minute time-out?  Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out, but this wall time is still pretty cool to use as some sort of teaching tool.

Kikkerland XL Magnetic Rotary Kitchen Timer |  $14 at Amazon.com

Visit our sponsors:

• Orbit Baby
  – a modern baby transportation system
• Boodalee
  – modern kids bedding
• Boon – hip
  baby products and toddler gear
• Card Store
  – stylish holiday photo cards and more
• Inspired
  Crib Bedding – contemporary baby crib bedding
• Spunky
  Sprout – toys + organics + gifts + modern designs
• Wallter
  – coat racks, mobiles, wall decor, and textiles
• Zutano –
  clothes as unique as your baby