Shopping for a kid gift and found this cool, multi-use toy. 

"Children enjoy rocking back and forth on the rocking boat just as though they are rocking on the ocean waves. Turn it over and it becomes a sturdy set of stairs; children as young as two especially enjoy climbing up and down the stairs, having great fun while they develop coordination and motor skills.

Today is Blog Action Day 2009, and this year’s topic, selected by popular vote, is climate change. 

If you haven’t heard by now, there is a lot of scientific evidence that the earth’s atmosphere is changing due to man-made side effects of the consumption of fossil fuels.  Along with the atmospheric changes come weather and elemental changes such as melting glaciers and loss of habitat, rising oceans, droughts and loss of potable drinking water, tsunamis and hurricanes.  There is a tipping point, beyond which we cannot stop the mounting effects that will destroy much of the life on this planet.  It’s probably the single biggest challenge of our generation, and may be the defining act of humankind, how we respond to this self-created crisis.  So what can we, as designers, do to positively affect climate change?

Live, work and design sustainably.  Take a serious look at your workplace, your home, and your designs.  Do they incorporate sustainable principles?  Are you taking every possible measure to reduce your consumption, reuse what you have already and recycle anything else in a responsible manner?  Are you considering environmental and chemical factors when selecting products and finishes?  Do you provide a transparent service to your clients and educate them?  Are you educating yourself with the latest information on products, services and eco-design techniques?  (Furnicology.com can help you here!)

A {Friday Find} on Monday!  This one is too cute to pass up.  Instead of spending much more on a side chair, get this one for $40 and you can easily put in a fabric of your choice.  Also, take advantage of the trend in dining chairs by having a hodge-podge of chairs -- a mix 'n match of sorts.  It looks like the seller has three of these chairs. 

"Great classic mid century modern chair, tightly grained wood, not sure if teak or oak or ?? Very sturdy, solid chair, comfortable padded seat, recently covered in cotton muslin fabric in a linen color. A few small knicks and scratches. Great as a side chair, desk chair, in entry, great style for fabulous fifties kind of price."  Link is here.

Good Housekeeping has come up with a new seal of approval, launched last month, it is called simply the "Green Good Housekeeping Seal."  Here is everything (and then some) that you need to know:

"The Green Good Housekeeping Seal was introduced in 2009 by Good Housekeeping magazine and the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI). It was developed to help consumers sift through the confusing clutter of "green" claims on hundreds of products on store shelves today. The Green Good Housekeeping Seal helps them make environmentally responsible choices.

In evaluating products that apply for the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, GHRI reviews and verifies a wide range of data related to the product's measurable environmental impact. Reduction of water use in manufacturing, energy efficiency in manufacturing and product use, ingredient and product safety, packaging reduction, and the brand's corporate social responsibility are among the factors considered.

Check out this website for ideas on how to have a 'green' halloween. 

www.greenhalloween.org