Eco-Friendly Fashion Tips for Saving Money and Being Green

Here are a few of my eco-tricks for saving money and being green all at the same time:

Join the Hand-Me-Down Club

Let your friends know that you are very happy to get hand-me-downs, and in turn, take good care of your kids clothes so that you can hand-them-down to the next person. I literally get a huge bag of clothes from a friend of mine whose son is about a year older than my son. I fully expect this relationship to continue until they both leave for college.

Play Clothes vs. Good Clothes

Remember when you were a kid and you had “play clothes”? I know it’s hard, but try to keep your children’s school clothes separate from their running in the park, jumping in puddles, and dripping ice cream clothes. It will reduce your stress, and up the fun factor for your kids. Pants they can get dirty? Okay, now we’re talking.

Learn the Art of Camouflage

Keep a handful of appliqués around for those stains you just can’t get out. It’s a shame to lose something that is in otherwise great shape just because of one spot.  If you’re really crafty, you can even make your own appliqués out of fabric scraps. Trust me, it’s easier than you think, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it myself!

Buy Out of Season

I’ve recently started to shop two seasons ahead, which means I get in on the end-of-the season sales. So for example, in the early Spring, I will be shopping for Fall and Winter items for the coming year. I buy a size up and assume they’ll be ready when the time comes. And if the clothes are still a little big, then I just hem them and roll up those sleeves—just like my Mama did.

Teach Your Children Well

The most important thing you can do as a parent is give your children the skills necessary to be happy, productive, responsible adults. Showing them how to spend money wisely, take care of their things, and respect the hard work it takes to provide these things begins with the littlest things. And it’s making the little changes in our own lives that  will  make a big difference when it comes to the our quality of life and the quality of our  Environment.

Of course, all of these ideas work when it comes to our own fashion choices too. One of my favorite eco-minded ideas are Swap Parties. This is a party where you invite your friends to bring some clothing items that they would want to “swap” for something “new”. The point is, you can be creative and have fun while also being more eco-conscious. So think about the small things you can do to be a little more green, and have a Happy Earth Day!

How do you make sure you get the most out of your child’s clothes? What are your tips and tricks for making the clothes last longer?

Emily Anderson is an author and designer, with three eco-style books. She is a frequent contributor for magazines and television, and is the Editor of her own fashion and design blog Good with Style. Emily lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

Studies demonstrate that Earth Footwear increases the rate of fat-burning inside the body. Women wearing Earth Footwear burn 4x the fat than normal shoes. The difference is in the Kalso Negative Heel Technology, which positions the toes 3.7 percent higher than the heels. The slight angle shifts weight subtly back over the heels, and help strengthen and tone the body while also burning more calories.

While you are out walking, enjoying the beautiful spring weather or our shopping, running errands and caring for the family, the shoes do the work for you.

Entry Requirements

Complete these three requirements to be entered in this week’s giveaway:

1. Follow @earthfootwear on Twitter.
2. Tweet and/or post a message on your Facebook profile page the following messages:

GIVEAWAY! Enter 2 win a pair of shoes from @earthfootwear (3 winners!). http://bit.ly/dp4yfy #gno PLS RT

Celebrate Earth Day w/ #gno & @earthfootwear 2NITE (9-11 pm ET) & get/share tips 4 green living RSVP http://bit.ly/bn7d12 PLS RT

Extra Entries

The following four entries are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry each. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed entry.

1. Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
2. Follow Mom It Forward on Facebook at http://facebook.com/momitforward.
3. Become a Friend of Mom It Forward’s Google Friend Connect (see box in right sidebar).
4. Subscribe to the Mom It Forward RSS feed (click on orange heart at the top of the right sidebar).

Terms and Conditions

Items featured in image may differ from what is included in the giveaway. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Monday, April 26, 2010.  See all terms and conditions here.

Join the #gno gang this Thursday, April 22 as we talk about green living with Earth Footwear. Whether you are new to green living and want to know basic tips for being eco friendly or are a seasoned pro and have passion and tips to share, please join in.

We’ll be chatting here Thursday, April 22 from 9-11 ET (8 CT, 7 MT, and 6 PT)! Details, including where to enter this week’s giveaway, are included below.

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• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Thursday, April 22, 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us here on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #earthfootwear.)
• Topic: Basic Tips for Green Living
• Who: Moderated by @jylmomIF, @Dadventurous, and @momitforward with panelists: @bodhi_bear @bookieboo @greenmom @hlkjgk @mamavation @paigebayer @purenaturaldiva @thesoftlanding @wildorchids09
• Party Favors: Click here to enter for a chance to win this week’s giveaway. Deadline: 4/26
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

Join us Tonight, Tuesday, April 20 with Marcal Small Steps and Thursday, April 22 with Earth Footwear to discuss tips for living a greener life.

Tuesday Celebration With Marcal Small Steps

Information for the Marcal Small Steps Twitter party can be found here.

Thursday Celebration With Earth Footwear

Click here to see details for the Earth Footwear party.

We’d love you to share your passion and expertise on the topic as well as learn from brand representatives from both companies as well as other #gno gals and guys and our amazing panelists.

Giveaways!

Both brands are providing awesome environmentally friendly products as giveaways this week as part of our Earth Day celebration. You can enter to win here and here.

Join the #gno gang this Tuesday as we talk about green living with Marcal Small Steps—a company that has been making its paper from recycled paper, not from trees, for more than 50 years.

We’ll be chatting Tuesday, April 20 from 9-11 ET (8 CT, 7 MT, and 6 PT)! Details, including where to enter this week’s giveaway, are included below.

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Tuesday, April 20, 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us here on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #marcal.)
• Topic: Living an Environmentally Friendly Life
• Who: @theecochic @mommyisgreen @troypattee @jylmomIF @marcalsmallstep @irg2000 @NJMplusJ @ladyofPC @greenmamaspad @mommyniri @jennboe @thesmartmama
• Party Favors: Click here to enter for a chance to win this week’s giveaway. Deadline: 4/21
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

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Kids’ parties are a perfect opportunity to take care of Mother Earth by embracing the principals of reducing, reusing, and recycling as you prepare for your party and also teaching your children how to be Earth-friendly as they celebrate their special days.

These seven tips make it easy to embrace being eco-friendly with your kids’ parties:

1. Look around your home and take an inventory of what you have on hand to make invitations, decorations, and party fun. It is smart to reuse what you already have in your home. First, it is easy on the pocketbook and makes sense. As an example, when you are creating your invitations, what paper and supplies do you have on hand?
2. Look around your home and use what you already have. If you are looking to add a gift tag or a decorative piece to your party package, take a hike and pick up a pine cone or acorn to decorate.
3. The easiest thing to serve your party menu and cake on are paper goods that often match your theme. Try to purchase only what you need. If you have leftovers, you may be able to reuse them in the future for another child in your family, or you could find another family who may be doing such a theme. Another trend these days, is selling/swapping your stuff on-line.
4. After your party, if you have used cans of soda or plastic juice bottles, etc. make sure that you recycle these.
5. As far as eco-friendly presents go, purchase stuffed animal toys for small children that are made of organic material, or if the gift you buy uses batteries, make sure to buy rechargeable ones. Older kids may appreciate a certificate stating that a tree has been planted in their name, etc.
6. Check out ECHOage.  The party is handled completely online with a portion of your money going toward one birthday present and the other half to a charity of choice.
7. Check out: Happy Green Earth which provides good quality, affordable and unusual items that are made from eco-friendly materials that are kinder to our planet.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! The mantra is here to stay—at parties and beyond!

Visit Hands On Network to learn more and to find volunteer opportunities in your community.