Queen Baby Bean

School is approaching at a rapid pace - some may already be back! Our little Beaner is 5 years old and heading to Kindergarten in just a few short weeks. Mommy is clearly taking this harder than everyone else involved! So to cheer me up, I'm giving something away!



Our latest addition (and my personal favorite) is Shinzi Katoh Bento Boxes. What is a bento box you ask? Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. Bento can be very elaborately arranged. Surf around the internet and you will find some beautiful creations, sure to inspire even the busiest mom! Oh, and they are eco-friendly...replaces all those plastic lunch bags!




Shinzi Katoh is a famous Japanese artist, well-known for illustrating children's books. He is also a Zakka designer. 'Zakka is a broad term used to describe anything that improves or spruces up your home or life and often refers to a common household object infused with Japanese cute.'

Leave a comment on this post telling us two things: #1. your favorite kids e-learning website (I know, random, but my daughter is loving on the internet lately so we need some ideas!) - Here's a few of our own favs....EekoWorld & Peep and the Big Wide World. This isn't a requirement to enter but we'd love to hear your ideas! and #2. which bento box is calling your name!

One entry per person and please be sure to include your email address so we can contact you with the good news! You do not need to have a blogger account - just click on 'anonymous' and enter your contact info.

Contest is open to everyone (worldwide). Contest ends midnight ET on Friday, August 29, 2008. Two winners will be selected at random (names in a hat, one sweet 5 year old picks the lucky winner!). Each winner picks one bento box!

Oh! Be sure to check out our Back to School section while you are browsing.

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Parenthood no longer means sacrificing your style and sophistication. Ramalama, an Australian based company, has designed a gorgeous range of leather nappy bags that combine sophistication and style with the functional features you need everyday with baby. You'll be using your Ramalama bag even when baby is all grown up.



All of our Ramalama bags are genuine leather and have a water-resistant lining, making this bag a practical choice for the mom on the go! Each bag also comes with a quilted waterproof change mat, that is machine washable!





View our entire line of Ramalama bags here and be sure to check back soon as we will be adding another great line of diaper bags! Free shipping on your purchase of $100 or more - no coupon code required!

My sister sent me information on this creative and eco-friendly idea so I had to share!

TerraCycle, in cooperation with some big name drink pouch producers, is collecting used drink pouches and turning them into things like pencil cases and tote bags! All you have to do is sign up and they will send you a prepaid envelope to send in your pouches. Capri Sun and Honest Tea will donate $.02 per Capri Sun, Kool Aid and Honest Kids drink pouches and $.01 per other drink pouch you collect to the charity of your choice. If you don't have a charity currently in mind, you may choose from a list of existing charities! There are no signup fees whatsoever. How cool is that??

Be sure to check out the other products that Terracycle upcycles!

Sticking to our Earth Day theme and feeling in the giving mood, Queen Baby Bean is having a contest!

One of our absolute favorite things at Queen Baby Bean is the HOUSE. It is 100% endorsed by the Queen Baby Bean rugrats (aka 2 year old & 5 year old mama's little product testers). By the way, the HOUSE is currently out of stock but we've confirmed today it will start shipping at the end of April, so get your orders in now!



The HOUSE's smaller counter-part is the Mobile Home, which is cute as can be and sure to be a hit in your home! It is made of 100% recycled cardboard and 100% biodegradable.



It has 8 secret rooms, stair openings and spy holes. And an attic for storage. For knights, pirates and princesses.For Japanese "figurines" and little dolls. For on the road, When staying over (with grandma or grandpa), For a day in the park, At home, or on holidays. Easy-to-assemble for hours of play. Easy-to-store: it folds down flat in its box. 5% of profits go to UNICEF

Are you convinced the Mobile Home is for your little one? Here's how to get one absolutely free!

Leave a comment on this post telling us two things: #1. your best tip for 'getting green' (you know, a save the planet tip!) and #2. one item in our store that you heart!

One entry per person and please be sure to include your email address so we can contact you with the good news! You do not need to have a blogger account - just click on 'anonymous' and enter your contact info.

Contest is open to everyone (worldwide). Contest ends midnight ET on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - EARTH DAY! One winner will be selected at random (names in a hat, one sweet 5 year old (just turned!) picks the lucky winner!). Winner gets a MOBILE HOME!

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Sorry we were so slow to pick a winner but we've finally got one! Little Beaner picked #41 which is Lisa (great name, if I do say so myself!) who said:

Lisa said...I love the lion anamalz, and those plantarium things are way cool!

Hmmm, so many good green tips. I also try to not buy new whenever possible. We just bought a diesel car and we are going to put the conversion in to run it on waste vegetable oil. I have also been looking at living roofs. And I am planning on going to cloth wipes for myself as well as the baby when the next one comes

We'll be contacting Lisa to claim her house! Thanks to everyone that entered and be sure to check back soon for more great contests!

I missed yesterday, didn't I? Ah, well sometimes I need a break! ;-)

I've posted about this next topic before, but based on how much junk mail I get, I think it's time to post again!

Catalog Choice is a free service that lets you decline paper catalogs you no longer wish to receive. Catalog Choice is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. It is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, and funded by the Overbrook Foundation, the Merck Family Fund, and the Kendeda Fund.

Simplify your life and save natural resources!