Today’s Friday favorites was easy as I am about to board a plane to one of my favorite places on earth…Lake Tahoe! Nestled 6225 feet above sea level in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, this breath taking lake is amazing year round!

During the winter Lake Tahoe is surrounded by snow capped mountains and boasts 7 ski resorts to get your powder on. Heavenly and North Star have amazing views of the lake! During the summer, Lake Tahoe is covered in ski and sail boats and the shores are lined with sun bathers. There is hiking, biking, rafting, eating, gambling and everything else in between at Lake Tahoe. But the true reason I cant stay away? The smell of the pines and the insanely clear water.
But this water and that fragrant forest will not stay like that forever if we don’t do something….
in 1968 it is said that “one could see a white disk submerged to a depth of 100 feet. Today, clarity has dropped to around 70 feet. That means Tahoe is losing about one foot of clarity per year!”. The lake is getting cloudy due to excessive algal growth. Pollutants also contribute…which we can change! Go to keep tahoe blue to learn more about saving the forest and the clear water that make this one the worlds most gorgeous destinations!!!

Peace, Love and Modern Style…check out our blog feature today on the ADORABLE Organic Cotton Peace Hoodies!! http://bit.ly/4CYXEt

We just love these Peace Hoodies by Kiwi Industries! Hand loomed in Peru by  a women’s knitting cooperative , these 100% organic cotton sweaters are as adorable as they are cozy and functional! Of course they are machine washable, so their high style is no sacrifice for momma! I personally love the modern color combinations- my Jack wears the steel grey and orange hoodie all the time (check out our homepage bloumebaby.com )! Plus, I just love knowing that while he spends all that time sucking on the sleeve, he is only putting organic, non toxic substances into his mouth. Oh, and the fact that each hoodie was hand loomed in a socially responsible manor, makes these all the more “peaceful” and perfect!

Thx @NMPRgirl for the @bloumebaby luv!

News from The Bloume Blog - “Going Green For Beginners” : http://blog.bloumebaby.com/bloume/going-green-for-beginners http://bit.ly/89mN7i

Going green does not happen overnight, in fact it’s often an ongoing lifestyle change that continues day after day, year after year. Not ready to give up your SUV or install solar panels yet? Going green does not mean to you have to turn your world upside down to make a difference… I say start small, start simple, start at home. Here are a few very small changes that will make a very BIG impact.

1. Switch out your bottled water for a water filtration system (in other words pick up a Britta or faucet system).”Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. “- Clean Air Council. These plastic bottles can take up to 700 years to decompose! By making a simple switch to using a water filtration system, you will not only keep all those plastic bottles out of the landfills, you will save a TON of money too! Bottled water on average can cost up to 10,000 times more per gallon than tap water. Oh, and did I mention that “Approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil—enough to run 100,000 cars for a whole year—are used to make plastic water bottles, while transporting these bottles burns even more oil.”- Treehugger.com

2. Recycle, it works! Need a few fun facts to convince you that by simply placing your cans, bottles, paper and plastic containers into a seperate can really does make a difference? Here you go!…
-One ton of paper from recycled pulp saves 17 trees, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 7,000 gallons of water, 4,200 kilowatt hours (enough to heat your home for half year), 390 gallons of oil, and prevents 60 pounds of air pollutants.
-It takes 90% less energy to recycle an aluminum can than to make a new one.
-The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.

3. Switch to energy saving light bulbs. Did you know that if every household replaced just three 60-watt incandescent bulbs with efficient bulbs, the pollution savings would be like taking 3.5 million cars off the road!? Its a lot easier to switch a few light bulbs then ask 3.5 million people to car pool or take the bus!

4. Ditch the paper towels and go for that ole dish rag! This will save you money, along with saving trees! The NRDC estimates that if every household in the United States used one less roll of paper towels, we could save 544,000 trees. So, add that to the $$savings you will see by using a dish rag, and this one is a no brainer!

Check out Healthybitchdaily’s “Bitches We Love” feature with Annie Totten from Bloumebaby.com -… http://bit.ly/8pYXsY

check out @bloumebaby’s Annie Totten featured on @healthybdaily!!! thx @healthybdaily for all the luv - we SO appreciate it!

New Blog Posting! Every Friday check out our Friday Favorites…for the best in stylish, eco friendly baby… http://bit.ly/6Exksc

Every Friday I will bring you a new “Friday Favorite” of mine…whether it be a product, a food, a place, an activity etc. And to kick off the weekly trend, I thought I would start with one that has been on top of my “Mommy Must Have” list for as long as I can remember, Sophie the Giraffe! It’s no wonder she is our #1 seller at bloumebaby, as she is completely functional, is non toxic and totally adorable (this combination is very very hard to come by). Made by Vulli toys (a French company), Sohpie was born on May 25th, 1961, and has not changed her fabulous appearance since then. “Sophie is ‘traditionally’ produced to this day, a process that involves more than 14 manual operations. She is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea Tree.”- Sophie press book.

Starting at the age of 3 months, Sophie stimulates each of your baby’s 5 senses; 1. Sight (through the dark contrasting spots all over Sophie’s body) 2. Hearing (the squeaker inside Sophie makes an amusing sound for young babies who will later learn the cause and effect of squeezing the toy to make the sound) 3. Taste (Sophie is made from completely natural rubber and food paint, and her soft texture and many parts- legs, ears etc- are perfect for soothing your baby’s teething gums). 4. Touch- (Sophie is soft like a mother’s skin, and will stimulate physiological and emotional response that will help soothe your baby). 5. Smell (the unique soft scent of the Hevea tree rubber will make it easy for your baby to distinguish this toy from all the rest).
And if Sophie is not your style, don’t worry, Vulli came out with their Chan Pie Gnon line. Their names deriving from the french word for mushroom, these little guys represent three siblings who will offer your baby the same benefits as Sophie, but in a more modern way.