Green Gal Pick: WestMama Designs Review and Giveaway!!

I am so excited to introduce this next Etsy shop to all of you.  WestMama Designs is an ADORABLE little shop that features all sorts of earth and people friendly apparel and gifts.  

Kimberly kindly sent Miss C a 100% organic cotton t-shirt in her unique giraffe design.  WestMama Designs uses only non-toxic inks and people friendly materials.  Kimberly cares about the people behind the materials she chooses in her shop.  

Onto the review of this cute t-shirt.  First thing that I noticed is that this t-shirt is SO SOFT.  It has a silky, light feeling to it.  The color is beautiful.  It is a muted orange that is ideal for a boy or a girl.  But, what really impressed me about this shirt was the unique design.  At first glance, you see a giraffe, but then you notice that the giraffe has stars for spots.  I think it adds a touch of whimsy to this children's shirt and makes it special.  Miss C loved her giraffe shirt and kept growling at it (she isn't so great with animal sounds just yet, haha).  This shirt is nice and light, so it is perfect for layering in the spring and fall when you aren't quite sure what the day will bring.  It also works great for summertime, because the light soft material is so breathable.  

WestMama Designs caters to a natural parenting crowd.  She uses phrases and  images that tie us to our earth and one another.  Here are a few that I know the more "crunchy" crowd would love:

I had the chance to talk with Kimberly and get some insight on her business and her inspirations.

How did you get your start in green clothing and accessories?

I have always been a creative person and for long time wanted to start a business on Etsy. After my daughter was born I knew I needed a an outlet for my creativity to help combat my ppd. Act of going green was a no-brainer for me. It is very important to me that the product I use treat people and the earth kindly. It's that simple. 

Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from my immediate environment. Often my back yard or my son's interests. The Bird and Tree design is from a dogwood in my back yard. It is the lone tree back there and brings me a lot of joy. I also want to create items that are different from the mass produced gender specific stuff. 

What is your favorite item in your shop? 

It is hard for me to pick a favorite. I'd say my bird and tree shirt is up there. 

My little bird card set, because they were inspired by a great late winter day in Oregon. 

And my cuttlefish because I LOVE cephalopods.  

What are you hopes for your business over the next five years? 

My hope is that I'm still in business. That my products are in more stores locally and that I can earn enough income to stay at home with my kids as long as possible.

Well, I for one, certainly hope that WestMama Designs sticks around because the quality and caring behind each item is certainly going to make this shop popular for any baby presents I need to buy!

WIN IT!

Kimberly has generously offered to host a giveaway for one LUCKY Baby To Green reader!  The winner will get to choose a shirt in the size and style of their choice!!  What a great prize!

To enter each entry must have an email address in the comment or visible in your public profile.  No email address = no winning.  Each comment is worth 1 entry into the drawing.

Mandatory Entry:  You must be a follower of Baby To Green via Google Friend Connect and you must become a fan of WestMama Designs On Facebook.  After we are all friends, leave a comment saying that you will be our friend forever!  That counts as your mandatory first entry.

Extra Entries (only after Mandatory Entry has been entered):

• Fan me on Facebook.  
• Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
• Follow WestMama Designs on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter ID.
• Tweet this ONCE per day and leave the permalink in your comment. "Win an organic tee from @WestMamaDesigns and @Baby2Green http://bit.ly/bcSS3J #eco #giveaway"
• Go to WestMama Designs Etsy Shop and pick one item you LOVE and come back here to tell me what it is.
• Become a follower of WestMama Designs Blog

So that is at least SEVEN chances to win.  Be sure to pay attention on Twitter and Facebook.  I may or may not be giving out bonus entries throughout the week.

Deadline for entries is Friday, April 23th at noon Eastern Time.  All entries will be checked and any entry that doesn't qualify will be removed before the drawing.  The winner will be drawn via Random.org for fairness.  Winner will be notified and has 48 hours to respond.  If winner does not respond, a second drawing will be held.

Disclaimer: I did receive a sample product for review.  

This does not affect the review of this product. I was not paid for this review and the opinions are mine and mine alone. 

Green Gal Pick: A B Sea Baby

 
A B Sea Baby has the most adorable baby clothing I have ever seen.  With all this snow piled up outside my door, I am longing for the summer days I get to sit lazily on the beach -- well, in my case chase two rambunctious kids down the beach.  Either way, it sounds blissful compared to this icy weather we have had lately.  A B Sea offers all natural, organic, silk baby clothing -- that's right -- silk baby clothing in colors that will remind you of long, breezy summer days by the sea.  Can you think of anything softer next to baby's skin than organic cotton blended with natural silk?  Because I cannot.

The best part about A B Sea clothing is that they are a company that cares about our earth.  They wrap and ship all orders in recycled material and their clothes are easy to care for which means using less energy.  Just wash on a gentle cycle in cold water (yay for cold water washes!) and hang dry (yay for the breeze!).

Best yet is that silk is naturally wrinkle-resistant, hypoallergenic, and weather-proof.  Which means these are great to carry along in the diaper bag for just about any outing.  A B Sea's special blend of natural silk and organic cotton is perfect for weather all year round since the material breathes in the heat and holds warmth in the cold.  Since their clothing is hypoallergenic it is safe for even the tiniest of babies.  These clothes would definitely make an amazing baby gift to an expectant mother.  They even have a registry right on the site.

This is the one I have my eye on for my little girl!  Alexis (founder along with her mom Renee) wanted to let everyone know that right now everything in the store is on sale! So click over and check out their beautiful line of clothing for newborns up to 24 months.

How do you shop green?

I was out over the weekend and I noticed that most stores already have their Spring clothes out.  I was window shopping all of the adorable baby clothes and I started wondering when more eco-friendly clothes with a decent price tag would be available to the masses.  Target and Walmart already have some very affordable children's and baby clothing that is organic and I love that, but I don't always see it on sale there.  I have to really search and even then it is only a few t-shirts or onesies.  When will the big children's stores catch on?

We are fortunate to have a lot of hand me down clothing for my kids from family and friends, but we always need a few nicer outfits.  I tend to check out our local children's resale shop first because they have a very large selection with a lot of items that are brand new and still have tags on them.  The dressier clothes are generally in perfect condition, under $5 for the entire outfit, and just as adorable as the $45 outfit I can find at the mall.

I have yet to find an inexpensive baby or children's line that offers organic clothing consistently.  I have a hard time plunking down $15+ for a t-shirt that my children will get food on the first time they wear it.

 

This adorable dress by Zah Organics is just $19 which I think is a pretty good deal considering it is certified 100% Organic cotton and uses only low impact dyes. 

So, where do you buy your baby or children's clothing?  Do you know of an organic or eco-friendly retailer with affordable prices?