The Echo Crib from Kalon Studios raises the question: Why shouldn’t your baby’s crib be a finely designed piece of furniture?

This handsomely appointed crib is made of 100% solid FSC-Certified domestic maple and finished with eco-friendly milk-based paint.  The Echo Crib reverberates with the many of the classic attributes of the traditional crib and a whole lot more – featuring a sleek sculpted form, exposed hardware and sloping surfaces that transform the crib into a beautiful piece of furniture.

The Echo crib has stationary sides to provide maximum structural stability and is open all around so parents can see their children from all angles. With a 2-point adjustable mattress height and toddler bed conversion, the crib grows with your child and provides lasting utility.

About that paint – milk paint is fully biodegradable and 100% organic and non-toxic, it’s also one of the most durable and long-lasting paint finishes available.

Pre-order now from Kalon Studios and get 10% Off.  Cribs begin shipping June 15.

Nothing’s more eco friendly and sustainable than a waste-free, cost-free experience.

Check it out — The Daily Green serves up 10 smart ways to celebrate Mom’s big day without causing any harm to the environment or your wallet.

Related: (previously on altCon)

• green your mother’s day
• cool green gifts for you or mom
• last minute mother’s day finds from SHEfinds

Sitting here in Sarasota on the veranda of our friend’s vacation condo overlooking beautiful Sarasota Bay all seems quiet, serene and beautiful.  The pelicans, Cormorants, herons and egrets inhabiting the area beaches and perched atop ocean pilings have no inkling of the black gooey threat looming just a few hundred miles to the northwest.

In the last 24 hours British Petroleum has lowered a 100 ton containment dome over the splooging oil well in the hopes of stemming the leak – but the damage has already been done.

Lighter surface oil and pollutants are already hitting the Louisiana coastline, while heavier oil and sludge both suspended beneath the surface and on the ocean’s bottom will soon be caught in the Gulf’s Loop Current and head south toward Cuba, the Florida Keys and perhaps, with the aid of the Gulf Stream, the East Coast of Florida and points north.

At this moment the extent of the deep-water oil problem is hard to define; it may remain a recurring source of pollution for years to come, as deposits of oil lying on the ocean’s floor move, get dislodged by storms, or are carried shoreward by changing currents.

One can only hope that efforts to contain and disperse the oil are more successful than anticipated, or we may soon be sitting on our favorite beaches amongst tar balls and oil splotches for years to come.  Communities dependent on tourism, fishing and pristine beaches have no way of knowing whether or not they will be spared this environmental tragedy.

There are currently over 4,500 people responding to the spill – 2,500 of whom are trained volunteers.  For more info on what’s currently going on visit deepwaterhorizonresponse.com. If you’re looking for ways to help checkout volunteerlouisiana.gov, volunteerflorida.org, or matteroftrust.org for it appears Mother Nature is going to need all the help she can get.

photo credits: ap

UPDATE:  It’s official!  Congrats to our two, lucky winners – Vittoria and Melissa V!  Thanks to all who Tweeted, as well as Eberjey for sponsoring such a cool and sultry giveaway!  Our next giveaway begins Monday, so…stay tuned.  (original post follows…)

This Great Green Giveaway is for all you people on Twitter.  We love relaxing in the comfort of our Eberjey baby dolls, and we’re excited to feature their organic lingerie in this Twitter-oriented Giveaway.

Two very lucky readers will each receive a beautiful O Girl Babydoll chemise in striking peacock.  It’s super soft and comfy — made of 100 percent organic cotton jersey, (retails for $66).  Prize includes free shipping. Winners must reside in the USA.

Extra perk — win or lose, exclusive to altCon readers, you can enter coupon code GREEN20 at checkout and receive 20% off site-wide through June 1, 2010 @ eberjey.com

To Enter this Random Drawing, simply:

• Follow Eberjey on Twitter
• Then Tweet about the giveaway — be sure to refer to @eberjey, and leave a comment on this post linking to the Tweet.
• Also add the following address to your email address book: m at AlternativeConsumer.com.

Two lucky winners will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email.  Contest ends Friday, May 14, 2010 at 11:59p (EST). Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void. Winners’ names will also be included on this post.  Good luck!

*more ways to enter

• If you have your own blog, you can post about the giveaway with a link back to this giveaway post. To make sure we know, you can come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.
• You can tweet about the giveaway once a day — be sure to refer to @altCon, and leave a comment linking to the status.
• You can also receive additional entries 3 more ways: subscribe to our RSS feed, follow us on Twitter & become a friend on FaceBook. (If you’ve already signed up, just enter a comment to let us know.)

Note: this giveaway is also featured on free!grechen.

This week’s small edited collection of eco savvy wear is squarely focused on summer, that elusive season when all is light and breezy…

(above) Our friends at blisstree showcase a snappy collection of vegan and eco-minded shoes with an espadrille flair.

(above) Yves Béhar creates spectacular spectacles for kids in need in Mexico – via green guru Jasmin of Ecouterre.

(above) Flip flip ’round the world with a base made of recycled rubber and a thong strap from recycled polyethylene – find an array of fun & funky styles, ($16) @ lovegreenenvy.com

(L to R above from ShopElroy)

Get that Twiggy look with the Jarrah Tunic made from either organic cotton or hemp & Tencel; now on sale ($68.60).  Gather and mingle in modern style & comfort in the Blythe Romper made of 100% raw silk; ($112.70).

(L & R above) Show your individuality with one of a kind collectible from former Vogue editor, Gale Parker’s Clothespin.  Available either online or in her new West Hollywood shop.

That’s about it for now — as always, free free to jump in with your faves.  Here’s to a fun-loving, low carbon impact weekend.

For all you Mother’s Day procrastinators, you’re in luck.

SheFinds saves the day with quick and easy E-Gift Ideas and a great roundup of Etsy finds. (Photo above from Lu’s Boutique on Etsy)

This simple, energy-saving device easily installs between your water pipe and shower head – allowing you to cut wasteful water flow.

Just flip the handle back to the preset low flow position to reduce your water flow up to 70% when shampooing, shaving or soaping up.  Flip the handle down to resume full flow.

$19.95 @  uzlow.com

• Fingers and toes are crossed…BP Lowers Containment Dome at Oil Leak Site (coast guard photo above) – cnn
• We can thank our government’s ‘oil friendships’ for this…Past Spill Exercises Foretell Current Disaster – yahoo! news
• Hair care has changed dramatically…Whatever Happened to the Ozone Hole? – natgeo
• Not the award you want to win…Brazil + U.S. Ranked Worst for Environmental Impact – livescience
• A different kind of road hazard…Ohio Police Warn of Mysterious Pair of Peacocks – myway
• Not so fast dipstick…Shell to Court: We’re Ready to Drill Arctic Ocean – msnbc

Now this is a cool way to distribute your latest album – the old cassette tape reborn as a new music player.

The band dadahack has created this personal music player (you can plug your headphones to the device) to distribute their TAP3 release.  The gadget plays in ordinary compact cassette players, and can be connected to your computer and loaded with more songs via mini-USB, which also charges the device’s lithium-ion battery.  Each audio device is numbered and constructed to order.

Each TAP3 cassette is hand-finished with a yellow stripe and features an inkjet printed sleeve, scored and hand cut.  The outer case is made from 100% recycled polypropylene in Scarborough, U.K..

Oh…the music is a tasty hybrid of danceable, retro-electronica infused with a smidge of Kraftwerk.  Lots of synth swirls and movements.

buy it for ₤25 @ dadahack.com (via: yanko design)