28 Sep Robyn’s Top Picks For September

1. The Deep Clean Mop from E-Cloth

To clean tiles, wood, laminate or stone flooring to a sparkling finish, all you need is water and the Deep Clean Mop from E-Cloth

I’ve just moved into a new home and I decided it was as good a time as ever to replace as many of the natural cleaning products that I have with the innovative e-cloth. My dirty old mop was the first to go and as you can see my amazing domestic worker, Francis is delighted. It requires only water, and not a lot at that, and it not only cleans our floors quickly and effortlessly (so now they get cleaned more often too), it does an even better job at lifting grease and bacteria than any detergent could. I love eco-innovation and this gets my thumbs up!

2. The Vintage Affair Chalk Sticker Labels

Upcycle your old glassware by turning it into a chic storage vessel in your kitchen or bathroom.

These funky little numbers have given my re-purposed glass honey jars infinite use! My superfoods are now all lined up in our new kitchen rather than in the grocery cupboard and have not only given our kitchen real charm but we are using them so much more now too. The chalk does rub off fairly easy so I would suggest positioning the stickers at the top or bottom frontage of your jars so you are not touching the label each time you use them. The stickers peel on and off without any effort. They make for such novel and useful little gifts too and will definitely be included in my Christmas shopping this year!

3. Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos is packed with nutrients including 17 naturally occurring amino acids

You’d be crazy not to try this delicious alternative to soy sauce so that is good for you, you could eat it for breakfast with a grin. Certified organic, GMO and gluten- free but also rich in an abundance of health-giving amino acids this is not just a condiment but a compliment in the true sense of the word. We’ve tried it and loved it on salads, steamed veg, in woks and over fish too.

4. The Faithful to Nature Bamboo USB Swivel

This USB storage device is made with durable, eco-friendly bamboo wood.

I use this green little gadget almost every day and it’s got my vote today because not only is it truly the prettiest USB I’ve ever laid my eyes on, but because I’m just so proud and excited for all Faithful to Nature has become.

5. Janod Sacred Totem Growth Chart

It’s intended for kids from 3-10 years old depending on their size, starting from 50 cm and going up to 141cm

Moving into a new home, was a fantastic opportunity to give my son’s room a face lift. As you can see from the picture, this wall chart from Janod is absolutely beautiful and we all love it! I’ll be honest – it was a mission sticking onto the wall as it comes in 6 different pieces and having a toddler and an ever excited dog trying to help me certainly caused for some deep breathes but it was totally worth it. I know you’ll be as delighted as we are if you are looking for some eco-friendly wall art or a growth chart for your kids.

6. Chi Coconut Milk Chocolate

Chi Chocolate Coconut Milk is blended with the finest cocoa, and contains only 100% natural ingredients.

I love trying new products on the market and our new chocolate coconut milk blew the lid off my expectations! It is absolutely delicious – my son loved it as a special treat and my partner and I used it as a smoothie base. Free of preservatives and artificial flavours and made using a “dash of coconut sugar” – it is rich in vitamins, minerals, immune boosting lauric acid, anti-oxidants and has added chicory powder – a fantastic pre-biotic! A real treat.

7. The Green Start Puzzles

Made from earth-friendly, recycled materials and eco-friendly inks.

That’s my son Cassian, pleased as punch the first time he built the silly circus giant floor puzzle from Green Start. He is totally puzzle obsessed so whilst we not only own almost all the floor puzzles from Green Start, we have a fair sized toddler puzzle collection from brands all over. I can say with complete confidence therefore that these puzzles are superior. The pictures are entertaining and the colours look real rather than garish. The carry-along storage box is so useful. We both love buying toys with a lower “eco-cost” and so the biodegradability of the whole set makes for a very special purchase. Although the puzzles are suitable for ages 5 and up, he started building them at 3 without any difficulty. The pieces are very big and covered in non-toxic paints so while I can not “officially” recommend them below the suppliers suggested age, our experience has been that preschoolers would love the puzzles too.

8. Santa Annas Organic Corn Chips

Made from Organic corn, which is naturally gluten free, high in fibre and lower in carbohydrates than wheat.

Not only are these the “healthiest chips on the planet” but in my opinion, the tastiest too. Just try them and if you are not happy – you are welcome to complain to me personally. That’s how delicious they are!

9. Janod DIY Barrel

The DIY barrel is designed for children who have a fascination with building, construction and finding out how things work and fit together.

This is a fantastic simple tool for kids of all ages and its. As I mentioned Cassian is 3 and plays for hours with the DIY pieces. This is a photo of him with the train he had just built. The pieces are very basic, and quite dull in colour which when it comes to encouraging creativity and problem solving is a good thing. Great for hand-eye co-ordination; imagination and problem solving! The barrel plays very nicely with the Janod toolbox.

10. The Real Meal Revolution – Raising Superheroes

Raising Superheroes focuses on the perfect start to weaning and how our children should be eating for their brains and bodies to gain optimal nutrition from real food.

I know there there is a fair bit of contention around Prof Noakes and the banting eating plan. Personally, I don’t bant and I am recently converted from vegetarian to pesca-tarian (the only flesh I eat is fish) but even so I really think this is a fantastic book to help any family reduce dependence on “sugary” staples. Ultimately my biggest mantra with anything in life, but particularly food, is balance. There are some fantastic ideas on preparing low –carb and low-sugar meals for children and adults alike and I think there is a lot of good common sense in the book.