Our newest toy offering is now an award winner. We knew it was great, but now it has been officially recognized by Parent’s Choice as well. They have awarded Twig one of the most prestigious awards in the toy industry – The Parent’s Choice Gold Award.

As you may know, Parents’ Choice is the nation’s oldest nonprofit guide to quality children’s media and toys.  The Foundation’s purpose is to search out and recommend products that help kids grow imaginatively, physically, morally and mentally . . . fairly-priced products that are fun, safe and socially sound.

It’s obvious why the people at Parents’ Choice singled out Twig as one of the best toys of 2009.  Here’s what the Parents’ Choice reviewers (real parents and real kids!) had to say about Twig:

By now you have all probably seen the Shamwow infomercial on TV. They make some pretty unbelievable claims, but some of them are actually true. Specifically the claim about using less paper towels, and therefore helping the environment in the process.

Our Super Shammy is the original product, and is a heavier weight, and higher quality material than what is sold on TV. It will work better and last longer than any other similar product on the market, including the infamous Shamwow. One of the best things about the Shammys is that they really can enable you to be a little bit greener at home. We all  spend a lot of money on paper towels, and using a Shammy instead can be easier, faster and most importantly, cheaper. You will also get the added benefit of not using a paper product that will just be thrown away when you are done. With Shammys around, you can all but eliminate your need for paper towels. They can be washed hundreds of times before wearing out, and if they aren’t  dirty,  just wring out, and let  hang dry.

Fingerprints, smudges, dirt, food, and other yucky stuff all ends up on our walls over time. They can get really nasty, and if you haven’t cleaned yours in a while, you can guarantee that you will notice a difference. Sometimes it is next to where you put your shoes on, or in the kids play room, but everyone has a place in their home that is prone to this type of mess. It is one of those jobs though that can be hard to clean, and the proper tool is not really clear. Most traditional sprays and wipes will also remove the paint from your walls, or nothing at all. It seems like if it works, it works too well, and if not, it is completely useless. Traditional methods will leave you skipping the job or ending up with mediocre results.

Picture this: sitting down to a dinner with the freshest organic vegetables your friends or family have ever tasted. And knowing that they are super charged with goodness and nutrition – priceless!

It might be the juiciest and most flavorsome tomatoes, a salad made up of crisp leafy greens, or perhaps a tabouleh of “vitamin-C-super-rich” parsley and in-season herbs – and that’s just the first course!

And what if your main course veggies selection meant just popping out to the garden and to see which are the ripest ones today?

Now take that thought a step further:

Wouldn’t it be great to open your pantry and see jars of preserves that you (and the kids?) made from your surplus fruit and vegetables – and that’s after you supplied your neighbors as well!

You can do all of this if you set about creating your own veggie patch.

Looking for a way to go green in the kitchen? Then look no further. A bamboo cutting board is an environmentally friendly choice to cut food on, and will put you one step closer to a green kitchen. There are plenty of benefits to switching to this type of cutting board, and very few negatives. If you compare a bamboo cutting board to more traditional versions, you will find that the bamboo versions perform quite well. In general, bamboo is harder than traditional woods, and will tend to last and look good longer than maple or plastic boards. They don’t really cost any more than other types of boards, so people everywhere are making the switch to this more earth conscious choice in cutting boards.

* Green Your Clean-up: Many commercial cleaning products contain chemicals, dyes, and fragrances that con irritate eyes, skin and respiratory tract, especially in children, older folks and those already battling illness. Look for alternative brands, such as Seventh Generation and Method, which can be found at local health food stores.

* Eat Veggies 2-3 Times a Week: A HUGE amount of environmental resources—water, grain, land, fossil fuel— are used to support animal farming for human consumption. Reduce the impact your diet has on the planet by skipping meat a few times a week (”Meatless Mondays” for instance), and not only will it be beneficial to the earth, but you’ll benefit too!

* Stop The Paper: Cancel the subscriptions to unwanted catalogs and newspapers by using the FREE service at catalogchoice.com. Cut down on the amount of junk mail you receive by removing your name from mailing lists at dmachoice.org. Pay all of your bills online or through your bank. Not only are you saving trees, but you’re saving yourself a little extra time each week by not having to visit the post office to mail bills.

This comforter is perfect for people with allergies because it provides all of the warmth of a down comforter, without any of the irritation. It is generously filled with a synthetic, microfiber material that is hypoallergenic and much safer for people with allergies or skin sensitivities. It delivers a feeling as close to natural down as possible, and it does so at an amazing price. Similar products are sold for more than twice the price both online and locally. Our Down Alternative Comforter features maximum loft and hypoallergenic protection. Adding to it’s appeal is the ability to put it in your washing machine. This great comforter is totally machine washable and dryable. It won’t clump up or wrinkle either. Thanks to the 600 thread count cover it is incredibly soft and warm, while remaining safe and allergy free. The cover doesn’t even need a protective covering.

Dismissed as a fad until some years ago, most mature organizations around the world are now willing to give the Green Building concept a serious thought. Although the journey is far from over, yet the comforting fact is that this issue features prominently among the long-term strategies of many medium and large size companies across the globe.

Thanks to the efforts of the United Nations and other international bodies, decision makers now increasingly realize that we cannot afford to have a myopic vision when it comes to the future of the planet. The simple logic being that our planet’s ecology can be in real danger until some genuine efforts are made in the direction of creating energy efficient buildings.

Check out this new serving knife from Kuhn Rikon. It is a high quality Swiss kitchen gadget that makes serving dishes quick and easy. It also allows you to remove food in one piece easier than you can with traditional methods. It is a serrated knife and serving spatula in one. High quality steel makes up the blade and is coated with a nonstick finish. This coating allows the knife to cut effortlessly, and also allows your food to slide easily onto the plate once cut. The great design of the handle allows you to easily get all the way into your pan to remove food in a flash too. It also comes complete with a safety storage sheath made from high quality plastic as well. Just slip the knife in, and toss it in your drawer. This  sheath makes storage a breeze, and allows you to take the serving knife with you on the go too. It is great for parties, camping picnics and more. The shape of this knife is long and wide, making it perfect for pies, cakes, lasagna and more. Discover the easiest way to cut and serve food. Slice a piece of food, and place it on your plate with one easy motion, and with one high quality tool. Click here for more info.

Introducing a natural alternative to traditional hand sanitizers. This great product is plant based and does not contain any alcohol or other toxic ingredients. For this reason, it is totally safe for use around children and pets, and it won’t dry out or harm your  skin like other might. It will work just as well as the traditional versions, but you don’t have to worry about any of the drawbacks. Kill 99% of germs in just 15 seconds. This includes common illness causers like E-Coli and MRSA. It is also a foaming sanitizer too. This means you will get twice as many uses as you would with the same size of gel sanitizer. It works the same way though. Just pump it on, and then rub until dry. The Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer from BabyGanics is extreley safe and effective, and it comes in two conveninet sizes. The 50ml travel size is great for on the go, and fits conveniently into your car, purse, diaper bag and more. Use the larger 250ml size for the home or office. This larger size is perfect for placing on the countertop so it is always available when you need it. Stop using harsh chemicals and toxic ingerdients to kill germs on your hands. Switch to a safe and natural alternative today. Click here for more info.

It is surprising how many people in today’s era of information are still not aware that our households are full of toxic chemicals. Despite this, thousands are switching over to safer products and this is why.

“Since 1950 at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environment. Only a fraction of these have been tested for human toxicity.”

“We are by default, conducting a massive clinical toxicology trial, and our children and their children are the experimental animals.”
Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., Philip J. Landrigan, M.D. Raising Children Toxic Free

It is alarming, the information about safety of products and the lack of labelling required for these products.

“Of the 70,000 chemical compounds, only 25% have been tested – and they were tested individually. Chemicals do not occur individually in our body, they occur in combinations.Tiny amounts of only 2 toxic chemicals at the same time are 1,000 times more dangerous than 1 of them alone.” The Center of Bio Environmental Research
[Green Cleaning Supplies]

What is it about nice clean walls that makes children want to draw all over them. It seems like no matter how many sheets of paper or coloring books are offered, some amount of crayon always makes it’s way on to the walls. Even though we cherish every piece of art created by our little ones, we could all do without the drawings that dirty our walls. This type of mess can be a total disaster, and many people find it hard to clean. Luckily this is one of those chores that seems harder than it really is, and can be cleaned easily with the right tools.

“Green” remodeling is a growing trend with environmentally conscious homeowners and renovators. You should know, however, that without formal building codes and definitions, many different practices are called “green” and not everyone agrees.

Going “green” can bring health benefits and reduced costs, but it’s not likely to bring higher prices to homes on the market. Environmentally friendly designs are most useful for people who plan on living in the home or have a market for people to whom it is a perk.

The costs of utilities can be affected tremendously by proper design. High efficiency appliances, especially furnaces and air conditioning units, waste less energy and reduce your electric bill each month. Toilets and dishwashers that use less water also help.

Passive systems can be installed to reduce the need for electricity. Solar panels can heat water, your home, and provide electricity. At least one firm also uses solar panels and fiber optic cable to bring natural sunlight into your home.

With the growing popularity of touch screen devices, more and more people are using them every day. Whether you have an iPhone, iPod touch, one of those new Samsung touch phones, or some other similar pda or phone, chances are it gets really dirty just like everyone else’s. Fingerprints and grime build up on these devices quickly, leaving users to wonder what the best method is for cleaning. Although it is a pretty simple process, there are several things you will want to avoid to make sure your phone is both clean and in working condition when you finish. Because these devices are so unique, and their screens are so so sensitive to touch, many people don’t know the best way to clean their iPhone or other touch screen device without damaging it. In this situation, less is more, and just a simple tool will give you the best results. We recommend a microfiber cloth as the safest, quickest and easiest way to clean your iPhone. One like our microfiber lens cloth would be ideal, but any other version would be a good choice also.

Don’t you hate it when you buy a new product, or even a used product, and it comes with stickers, tape or other labels on it. You go to remove that sticker or label and then you get that sticky goo left behind. This sticker residue seems impossible to remove, but if you use the right thing, it can be an incredibly easy task.

This kind of problem is common with book, cd and dvd purchases. It is also pretty common for glassware and other similar items to have stickers or labels on them too. Sometimes we even do it to ourselves with tape on glass,  children putting their stickers almost anywhere, or other similar instances. Most of us have tried to pick it off, or rub it off, only to be left with a worse looking surface that is both sticky and dirty instead of just sticky.

Many people have an image of going green as expensive. Hybrid cars cost more than regular cars. Solar panels are expensive.

Thank goodness there are more ways than that to go green!

One of the most important steps you can take to go green is to simply consume less. Go shopping less. Reuse and repurpose things as they get older. It can’t be expensive if you aren’t spending money on it, except maybe in time.

Some steps may cost a little more at first, such as making the switch from paper napkins and paper towels to cloth varieties of the same things. On the other hand, these can last for years, so you can save quite a bit in the long run. And that’s what you should ideally be thinking about.

[Super Shammy - Stop buying paper towels. ]

There’s so much buzz about organic foods these days. It’s becoming more and more mainstream all the time. Conscientious moms (and dads) are voting with their dollars and big business is finally listening. You may even purchase some organic milk or maybe organic apples at your house. If you’re like I was initially, you go to pick up the gallon of organic milk, and you’re eye catches the price difference of the conventional milk. You may feel a twinge of uncertainty – is this really worth it or am I being taken for a ride here? Or, you may all ready know what I now realize, that organic foods are very important for growing children’s bodies, and you feel a bit mad that you have to pay more in order to provide your kids with food that’s not covered in cancer-causing pesticides or that didn’t come from genetically modified seeds. You may even wonder (yes,I have wondered this), what was I thinking when I signed-up for this parenting thing? I certainly never realized how much I would be thinking about things like food and poop (that’s a whole other story). But, here I am and I am thinking about those things because I have little people who are counting on that fact.

This new product is quickly becoming a customer favorite. These sheets are a great quality for an even better price. For just 19.95 you can choose from 15 different colors in three different sizes. That’s right, even king sized sheets are available for this incredible price. This is a 6 piece set, and includes one fitted sheet, one flat sheet, and four pillow cases.

Add some luxury to your bedroom with these amazing sheets. Each set is an incredible value at such a low price and features high quality sheets with an incredible 400 thread count weave. They are made from Egyptian Cotton, which gives them a shiny and silk-like look. These bed sheets come in a set of six pieces that includes four pillow cases, one fitted sheet and one flat sheet. The fitted sheets feature extra deep pockets, so they fit great on thicker mattresses and pillow-top model beds. The 15 inch pockets will accommodate mattresses of up to 18 inches thick. Because they are offered in a wide array of colors and sizes, you are sure to find the perfect shade and fit for every bed in your home.

While in the past many people were not thinking about the environment, especially at work, increased awareness of the importance of conservation and saving the environment has even made business owners begin to take a second look at practices they can change to improve the environment. If you haven’t considered how your business is affecting the environment, it may be time to consider what you can do to operate a little greener. Today it is becoming more and more popular to go green at the office and it is relatively easy to use great policies at work that can help the environment and make your business more successful as well. Not sure where to begin? Well, here are a few tips to help you out.

Are you looking for a natural alternative to traditional medicine and expensive doctor’s visits and prescriptions? Let’s face it, we all know that here in the U.S., the cost of medical care keeps going up while the quality of care continues to decline with no solutions in sight either.

While I don’t advocate dropping your medical insurance all together, I do believe that there is a natural alternative you can use before you call your doctor and that’s natural homeopathic remedies. Natural homeopathic remedies are safe to use, highly effective, have no side effects, don’t interfere with any existing medicines or prescriptions you may need to take, and they’re cost effective too which makes them perfect for families with children.

The truth is you can start living a more natural life now by starting your own natural medicine cabinet for your home with natural homeopathic remedies which are affordable and you can easily find them at your local farmer’s market or whole foods store.

With the increase in health problems across the world, creating a healthy home has become a top priority. It is not uncommon to hear of allergies disappearing, rashes clearing up or headaches becoming a distant memory when a family takes charge of their environment. Here are 5 simple steps you can start taking today to make your house a healthy place to be. 1)Raid your pantry: If you have never thought about what you toss in your grocery cart you are in for an eye-opener. There are two big ingredients that destroy your health every time you consume them: Partially Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats) and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). If you have either of these anywhere in your house, trash them. Don’t worry about the waste factor. You wouldn’t want to pass on the “poison” to someone else. Trans fats are artery clogging fats that provide zero benefit to the body. Trans fats are created in a laboratory by adding extra hydrogens (hence the name partially hydrogented) to the existing fat molecule. This is done to extend the shelf life of food products. Monosodium Glutamate is a neurotoxin. Neuro means nerve and toxin means death. Nerve death is never a good thing primarily because your nerves cells don’t grow back!

Introducing one of the easiest ways to get professional looking results when washing your windows. This great set makes it easier than ever to reach, and thoroughly clean every window in your home. It is also great for mirrors, shower doors, for use on your car and more. This new product just arrived at simplygoodstuff.com and it is quickly becoming a customer favorite. The microfiber window washing set includes two washers of different sizes and a telescoping extension pole. Whats even better is that each individual washer can be separated into a stand alone microfiber washer and a stand alone squeegee. This aspect really gives the set versatility and value. You are able to clean fast and easy using this set. Because the washers are made out of microfiber, they are totally reusable and machine washable. This also means that you can clean without chemicals too! Just water alone will allow you to achieve a streak-free shine on all your windows and mirrors. One of these washers will remove 99% of all dirt and germs without any additional chemicals. You will be amazed at how easy it is to use, and how well it cleans. The unique design of these washers will let you wash and dry in a single pass thanks to the combined power of the microfiber and squeegee working together. High quality materials and superior construction ensure this window washing set will last for years of repeated use. Stop using windex and paper towels. Make window cleaning fast and easy with this professional quality set. Order Yours Today! More Info

If you really want to green your life the best place to start is your own home. Green may well be the new “black” and not just for fashions sake, but for the earths sake. Start to green your life today by clearing out your toxic cleaning products.

The EPA estimates that indoor air is nearly 100 times more polluted than outdoor air with standard cleaning chemicals being one of the main culprits. Plant-based, biodegradable products are easier on the earth; gentler on skin, lungs and eyes and help you green your life without having to sacrifice cleaning strength.

How green, or healthy is your home? With all the things the average person has to do each day just trying to keep up with their lives who has time to think about this question much less research it. But the health of your home is critical and the cleaning products you chose make a big difference. To green your life isn’t all that hard; here are 7 easy tips to make finding good green cleaning products easier.

These folks were nice enough to send us a free sample to try. Everyone at simply good tips loved the product. We would like to let all of our readers know that this is a great lotion and really does work as well as they claim. It seems to be good for relieving severely dry skin as well as everyday moisturizing. They explain it better than we can, but basically it is designed to work differently than traditional lotions.

Conventional moisturizing lotions only attempt to replace a lack of natural moisture with artificial moisture but the problem is it comes off every time you wash or touch something.

Until now, all one could do to alleviate a dry skin problem was to apply conventional moisturizing lotions. In order for any moisture to actually improve a dry skin condition it needs to get below the second major layer of skin. In reality the only moisture that is going to reach this level is your skin’s own natural moisture.

Introducing the easiest way to clean your driveway, patio, deck and more. It works with an ordinary garden hose to give you extraordinary water pressure. Just glide it across the surface to clear of dirt and debris. The Turbo Jet Water Broom makes cleaning large areas easy. It gives you the power to blast through tough dirt and build-up without any risk of damaging the surface you are using it on. Just hook it up to your garden hose and you are good to go. A convenient brass lever on the handle allows you to control the flow and turn the broom off when you are finished. It also features a foam grip handle for ease-of-use and comfort. When connected to a standard garden hose, it multiplies ordinary household water pressure to a powerful stream driving away dirt and debris with ease. Its amazing cleaning power comes from 7 high-pressure water jets that create a blast of water. The unit is made from sturdy, yet lightweight materials for years of hassle-free use. Thanks to mostly aluminum construction it is totally rust-proof and designed to last and last. Ideal for patios, garages, driveways, pool decks, etc. It is also great for removing thawing slush, salt or ice melting compounds in the winter. The Turbo Jet Water Broom won’t damage your pavement like a pressure washer. It is powerful enough to remove almost anything, but not so powerful it will cause damage or need to be operated by a professional. Almost anyone can use this great tool with amazing results. Measures 36″ wide. Make all your outdoor cleaning easier with this great pressure washer and water broom.