And now a word about our sponsors...

You may have noticed a recent addition to EnviroMom on the left-hand sidebar -- our sponsors! People have different reactions to advertising, and in an effort to make our readers' reactions positive, Renee and I are being pretty selective about who we'll accept advertising from on EnviroMom, as we have on ReadySetMom. As a rule, advertisers on EnviroMom have to offer an eco-friendly product or service that we feel would be of interest to our readers. And at their core, they are people like you and I, who are trying to make a living by doing the right thing. To wit:

Little Green Star: This is a small business started by two Bay-area moms, Kelley and Victoria, who design and sell organic cotton t-shirts for babies and kids with humorous, green messages: "My other ride is a hybrid." "My dad recycles more than your dad." The inks are all water-based (unlike conventional PVC-based inks), the cotton is organic, and we love the pro-environment messages. But Kelley and Victoria walk the talk as well and share their ideas and experiences in their own accompanying green-living blog. Two friends -- moms -- running a small, green business? We can relate to that.

PH12.6: Our friend and fellow Master Recycler, Alex, introduced Renee and I to PH12.6 a few months ago at a GreenGroup meeting, and now we're hooked. This cleaning product is actually just water that has been ionized (but don't ask me to explain this process). As a result, it becomes a totally green, highly effective cleaner. My black granite countertops have never, ever looked better, and it neutralizes and cleans up urine like nobody's business.

Hoot-n-Annie: Most of my kid's clothing comes from this resale shop. Keeping clothes in constant circulation from family to family is one of the easiest things you can do to benefit the environment. (We've preached, er discussed, this many times before.) What I love about this store (aside from their new, larger location) is that their prices are low, their selection is huge and the two women who run it, Michelle and Tracy, are so darn welcoming. (For the next store, ladies, I want my own barstool that I can pull up to the counter for a little breeze-shooting.)