Design^Sprout | Your Guide to Green Design

Kids' Clothes That Actually Last: WIN AN OUTFIT!

In this tough economy, a mom's gotta shop smart. Polarn O. Pyret, home of the most well-made and oh-so-organic kids' clothes on the planet is having a fantastic 50% of sale, perfect for the penny-pinching parent.

Their well-designed clothes are stylish, fun and hand-me-down ready. No joke considering you can pick up an adorable onesie for under $20 that's sturdy enough for little Emma, Dylan and oops, little Bella too!

Click here to check out their sale! or...

WIN A P.OP 100% ORGANIC KID'S GIFT SET!

Leave a comment in the field below. Every comment counts as an entry and any 'ol comment will do! The winner will be announced July 1. GOOD LUCK!

Tips for a Green Kitchen!

1.  Buy seasonal local organic produce whenever you can - it's not as hard as you think! It’s healthier and you are supporting your local farmers and helping your community thrive. Buy a share in your local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) or become a member of your neighborhood food co-op. Ask your local grocery store to start carrying some organic produce or cut down on the over packaging.

2.  Keep a jug of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the tap run for cold water.

3.  When hand washing, rinse your dishes in a large bowl of water or rinse them after putting them in the drainer. Don't let the water keep running.

4.  Fix leaking faucets immediately. One hot water faucet leaking one drip per second will waste 9,000 litres (75 barrels) per year, the equivalent of 160 dishwasher cycles.

Someone Buy Me These Already...

   I am so addicted to this designer that I want to heat her up on a spoon and shoot her directly into my veins. MANIMAL, by Kristen Lombardi is that effortless blend of bohemian free-spirit and high design that junkies like me scale the earth for. It's especially cool that Kristen doesn't waste a thing and uses the scraps of material from her insanely cute moccasins (which have recycled tire soles) to make quirky jewelry and bags.  Of course, heroin is slightly more affordable than these pricey picks but my mom would get mad.

Kickin' Grass and Taking Names

   So you wanna kick some ass while at the same time sending a message about sustainability? Growing Jewelry’s brass knuckles feature inset Icelandic moss that the owner has to lovingly water and trim.  At last,  bar fights with a purpose.

Recycled Jewelry For All You Packrats!

   Are you the type of person who holds onto stuff? Do you cart unopened boxes of family heirlooms from house to house?  Is your grandmother's wedding china gathering dust in your cupboards? Lucky for us the designer behind the The Broken Plate has found a way to make use of your family treasures in a creative way. She will take that special treasure of yours, break it, and create a gorgeous piece of jewelry unique to you. Finally, granny's china sees the light of day. (via The Budget Ecoist)

Recycled Phonebook Coffee Table

 Rodrigo Jaroseski of Porto Alegre, Brazil created a pretty cool corrugated coffee table out of several old phone books. Despite best efforts, we all  seem to have a couple of these outdated directories collecting dust somewhere - every year in the United States alone 500 million directories are printed, and the E.P.A. estimates that they account for nearly 5% of total landfill waste. By carefully folding and gluing together the pages of several phonebooks, Rodrigo created an inspired re-use for these antiquated tree-pulp products.

Note to Yellow Pages Phonebook Makers:  Please understand--We're not using them for their intended purpose. We're actually not using them so often that cheeky designers are finding new and ironic ways to emphasize our independence of them by, you guessed it, using them. Truly, It's exhausting for all involved. Please stop the maddness.