Amazon.com, the king of all super convenient e-commerce sites, has launched a new online site dedicated to all things eco-friendly and green: vine.com. The site sells earth-friendly products at super friendly prices across home and beauty, kids and babies, pets, apparel, grocery and more. But the best feature is when you use a coupon code when checking out (HEALTHYCHILD10), you’ll get $10 off your order, free shipping, and vine.com will donate $10 to Healthy Child Healthy World. Everybody wins.

Healthy Child Healthy World is a nonprofit very dear to Paper Culture’s heart. We made holiday cards to benefit the organization, while educating consumers on how to have a safer, healthier home. Healthy Child Healthy World has been around for 20 years, working to teach families about the link between a child’s health and the environment. Not to mention they have a great website with daily ideas about improving our child’s health. Vine.com seems like a can’t-beat combination. Next time you do your weekly shopping check it out and make a free donation to an amazing charity.

Can a candy bar really be considered healthy? Probably not. But everyone needs a treat now and then. And if you’re going to go down the candy aisle, bear in mind that there is a whole range of candy options from not-so-bad to pure chemical junk. You might as well go for something with minimal junk. Yet when it comes to getting a sugar fix, we don’t always have time to go to the health food store to pick up a favorite like chocolate-covered organic almonds. One company is trying to change all that: Unreal.

Enter Unreal candy, a new company that mimics our favorite treats, such as peanut M&Ms, Milky Way bars, Snickers, or Reese’s peanut butter cups. But these versions are “unjunked,” made without corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial ingredients, GMOs, or preservatives. And on top of all that they have a low glycemic index. Your kids won’t even be able to taste the difference. But what is really revolutionary is Unreal candy will be available in stores nationwide. It’s currently in stores  like CVS, Kroger, Michaels, Ralphs and Staples and will soon be available at Target. That’s 30,000 stores coming soon. Here’s to a slightly healthier Halloween!

It’s hard to know how to prepare for a new baby, especially if it’s your first. A dozen different books and articles will tell you to buy a dozen different things. But how many are actually necessary? Our friends at Inhabitots have compiled a handy list for what  you don’t need to buy. Check out this list of things that are just too excessive or can be easily swapped for something you already have. What? No changing table? Just convert any dresser by putting a changing pad on its surface with a safety strap. And of course your voice and tender love will prove to be more crucial in that first year than any toy could be. Next, think about swapping out a crib for a co-sleeper. Click to see more items you can do without,  a handy guide on how to cut down on overbuying in that first crucial year. Your home space, and landfills will thank you. What else would you add to the list?

1. Baby Wipe Warmer

2. Diaper Pail

3. Changing Table

4. Baby Laundry Detergent

5. Crib

6. Toys/Videos/Stuffed Animals

7. Stacks of Fluffy Blankets

8. Shoes

9. Fancy Designer Clothes

1o. A Bigger House

Do you ever struggle to get your kid to bring a reusable lunchbox and bottle to school, and bring them home for the next day? If you’re arguing with your child over a Fruit Punch juicebox vs an eco-friendly alternative, argue no more. Just send them off with the coolest gear in town. We stumbled upon these adorable bottles from Swell that are sure to make any kid protect their lunch goodies.

The stainless steel bottle, BPA-free of course, comes in a compact size that is the perfect size for kid’s lunchboxes. It will keep milk cold for 24 hours, and hot chocolate hot for a whopping 12 hours, even if it’s thrown in a locker all day. And there’s even a place where you can write their name on the bottle for extra security. Pair this up with the perfect vintage lunch box and your child is all set for back to school lunching in style. Available for $25 from Swell.

Everybody’s got to have one in the car, to take on travel, and at home in the medicine cabinet. But how many toxins are in that amazing first aid kid? If you’re a parent who prefers to keep everything in the house as toxin-free as possible, consider NaturoKits, all-new naturopathic first aid remedy kids. Naturopathic medicine uses the healing power of nature to bring about balance to the body. It addresses the root problems instead of simply relieving symptoms.

The basic first aid kid contains everything you need to treat minor injuries: bruises, burns, cuts, stings and bumps. It also covers daily issues like diaper rash, chapped lips, dental pain, stress and anxiety. The kit contains a full nine remedies inside an attractive canvas bag, including charcoal, arnica, calendula and wild weed salve. NaturoKits sells gift packages for the graduate or new mom, as well as kit refills and individual products. As with anything, consult your doctor before using.

Image via Summer Tomato

I try to buy organic food whenever possible. But I’m in constant conflict. Often the prices are almost double what conventional produce would cost. Is it really worth the extra cost just to avoid some pesticides?  Of course not all fruits and vegetables are created equal. It’s recommended to try to at least buy organic on foods with thin skins, like berries and lettuce. With thicker items such as with citrus or bananas, it’s not as important to buy organic.

But now science has proven that with at least one type of produce, buying organic means not just less toxins, but actually increased antioxidants. As The Daily Mail reports, when it comes to tomatoes, it’s definitely worth it to shell out for the organic variety. Scientists from the University of Barcelona found that organic tomatoes contained higher levels of polyphenols, or disease-fighting antioxidants. These polyphenols have been found to prevent certain types of cancer as well as protect against heart disease and chronic conditions like arthritis. What’s your stance on organic?

We’ve been looking for a good reason to start gardening, despite our lack of a green thumb, and found one with new inspiration from the First Lady herself. First-time author Michelle Obama has put together a photo-rich book, American Grown, on how her efforts to start a garden at the White House. It’s an inspiring book that shows us how to grow our own patch of green, no matter how big or how small. The book is part of Michelle Obama’s initiative in fighting childhood obesity with easy suggestions on incorporating more exercise and more vegetables into our lives.

The book is filled with the First Lady’s famous friends, including Jay Leno, Olympians Dominique Dawes and Michelle Kwan, and basketball legend Grant Hill as well as top chefs like Tom Colicchio, Alton Brown, and Rachael Ray. Although Michelle Obama admits her own daughters aren’t so interested in gardening, typical mother-daughter rebellion, the book is filled with recipes that would make even the most vegetable-shy child get their daily serving of fruits and vegetables. Find an exclusive recipe from the book for Minted Spring Pea Salad below.

The First Lady’s proceeds from the book go toward the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s National Park Foundation.

Ingredients
2 1/2 Cups shelled fresh green peas

1 small shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small leek, cleaned, white part only, thinly sliced

1/2 Cup shredded fresh mint leaves

1/4 Cup extra-virgin olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pour the peas into the water and cook for no more than 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge the peas into a bowl of ice water. Drain and pat dry with a towel. Puree ½ cup of the peas in a blender.

2. Place the peas, pea puree, shallot and leek in a medium, nonreactive bowl and toss gently to combine.

3. Add the lemon zest and juice, olive oil and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss gently until the vegetables are coated.

Serve immediately. Serves 6-8, depending on portion size.”

Recipe via Obama Foodorama

Image: Romulo Yanes

Mayor Bloomberg recently announced that he plans on banning super-sized sugary beverages from New York City’s restaurants and food vendors. While it’s not without controversy, we can appreciate measures intended to create a healthier city. Indeed, Bloomberg’s ban on smoking in public places and trans fats from restaurants has set the bar high for many other major cities. The good news is that banning soda doesn’t necessarily mean limiting yourself to H2O for life, although there’s nothing wrong with that. For special treats, there are plenty of homemade sodas that can be made while skipping the sugar and the chemicals. And they’re simple and fun to make, even for kids. Here’s a few recipes to try at home from Cherry-Vanilla to classic Ginger.

Cherry-Vanilla Soda

3 cups 100% unsweetened black cherry juice

1 vanilla bean (about 6 inches long)

Seltzer or soda water

Simmer the black cherry juice and vanilla bean in a medium-size saucepan for 35 to 40 minutes. Chill the remaining syrup in the fridge. Pour 1/4 cup into a tall glass with ice and fill to top with soda water.

Serves 4

Ginger Beer

Two tablespoons ginger

1 lemon

Stevia

Soda Water

Grate the ginger very finely and add to a jar or large glass. Squeeze a lemon on top and let it soak for an hour. Add a few drops of stevia, a natural, pretty harmless sweetener. Add soda water and ice and drink up.

Serves 1

Mashed Berry Bliss

1/2 cup blackberries

1/2 cup raspberries

Stevia

Soda Water

Lightly crush the berries with a fork and put at the bottom of a large pitcher. Fill with soda water and refrigerate for one hour. Add stevia to taste.

Serves 4

I live in Santa Monica where it is nice and sunny all year round, if the fog burns off.  I am very fair and have sensitive skin,  as does my daughter. We both wear sunscreen every day (I sometimes show my age and tell her that we need to put on our “sun tan lotion!”) I like to use the more “natural” stuff, so I am always on the look out for Chemical free broad spectrum sunscreen. I have consistently had a problem where the sunscreen separates.  I get kind of nervous and I wonder, it if still works. Also, my skin is so sticky when I use it.

One of my Mom friends recently turned me on to Dr. Robin Sunscreen for Children. She told me that she used it on her ginger-haired son when they were in Hawaii. Not only did he not get burned, but his skin was softer after using it. So I tried the sunscreen and I have been very happy with it. Dr. Robin is a mom and a pediatric dermatologist based in Beverly Hills. Like they say, necessity is the mother of invention. She couldn’t find a sunscreen that she would recommend to her clients, so she made one up. And the best thing is that you don’t have to be her patient to buy it.

Dr. Robin Sunscreen for Children goes on smoothly and is not sticky. And as a big plus is it easily absorbed. I use it every day now. I will admit that I do look a bit pale, not like I am trying to be Goth, but I am a bit ghostly. I figure that it is better than being beet red and looking like a clown.

Dr. Robin also makes a lotion and shampoo/body wash that are for children and people with normal to sensitive skin and eczema-prone skin. The lotion goes on really nicely and makes my skin feel so soft. I love it. The shampoo/ wash is sodium Laurel Sulfate, Parables, Phthalates free!

All Dr. Robin products say that they are for children, but I figure, if they are gentle enough for my kid, it should work for me. And they do.

Lovely starlet Jessica Alba was just honored as one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. The reason might surprise you. After reading Christopher Gavigan’s groundbreaking book Healthy Child Healthy World, Alba was deeply affected to learn about the toxicity of our everyday baby products and household items. But rather than just feel saddened by the news, she brought her frustration to the author himself, telling him that while he presented a fair problem, he failed in offering a solution. So together, they started The Honest Co., a company dedicated to providing safe and natural products for your baby.

The website has a super-fun customization process. Enter in details about what kind of charities you support, the issue closest to your heart, and how you would define your own style. They’ll come up with a personalized package that can be sent monthly to deck out your entire nursery. Or keep it simple and choose a monthly diaper package or monthly home essentials package, including everything you need from laundry detergent to shampoo, all completely non-toxic. And, you can sign up for a free trial to sample the products.

In typical Hollywood style, the Honest Co.’s diapers are some of the most fashionable we’ve seen. But more importantly they’re free from chlorine, perfume, lotions, PVC and heavy metals. They’re pure plant-based, bio-based from wheat and corn, and super comfortable. While the diaper debate, which are the best to use, could go on for ages, we trust that what’s good enough for Alba is good enough for us. When you’re in the spotlight it’s easy enough to lend your name to a worthy cause. We salute Alba for taking the extra step and showing her business prowess while she’s at it. If you’re tried any Honest Co. products, let us know what you think.