This following post was an entry in our Blog to Inspire contest. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of Eco Baby Steps or Parenting By Nature. Blog to Inspire entrant Tiny Offerings is Julia Bain. Recently our family and friends celebrated my eldest daughters fifth birthday.…Read the full article.

Last minute and you aren’t sure what you’ll use to wrap gifts? Don’t reach for paper. All you need to create colorful holiday gift wrap is a cloth bag, a tea towel, or a play cloth. No more post-holiday bags of garbage. Reduce and reuse. Sew a bag. Even last minute, it’s very quick to…Read the full article.

My family lives next to a golf course full of mature pine trees. We gather pine cones frequently. Our flower beds and gardens are full of them—yet the pine cones keep coming. So, we do crafts and make decorations with pine cones. Last year Nature Mom did the same. She and her children spent an…Read the full article.

One of the keys to cutting down on unnecessary consumption is putting the focus on people’s needs. Give people what they need but either can’t buy or just haven’t bought for themselves. Which brings me to cloth diapers. As a practical matter babies need diapers. Even diaper-free babies, those families who practice elimination communication, wear…Read the full article.

Gift giving on your mind? I have read a lot of great green gift giving advice lately. These are the highlights from some of my favorite greenies. Please, follow these links to see the best green gift giving advice of the year. If you really need a jump start, check Inhabitat. If you are looking…Read the full article.

Black Friday is coming. I know you’ve seen or heard advertisements about it from companies large and small. Why Black Friday? Because this coming Friday is the day in the calendar year when most retailers go into the black financially—all because so many people brave the danger to rush out to drive themselves crazy and…Read the full article.