Back-to-School with Eco-Friendly Fabkins!

It's the beginning of August, and at this point there's a good chance that either you think summer is ready to be over or that it's gone by way too fast. Either way, it's time to start thinking about the inevitable back-to-school topics that we all know and love.

One of the priorities of many parents is to reduce waste and promote environmental resposibility in their children. One way to help with this is to use a product like Fabkins, cool reusable cloth napkins for kids that are perfect for a child's lunchbox and at-home use, too. Fabkins were created and designed by Marin mompreneurs Joyce Raffo and Paige Rodgers. (We interviewed Joyce and Paige last year about their product and business; you can read that article here.)

Useful as both napkins and placemats, Fabkins encourage good table manners, and help reduce waste by eliminating the need to use paper napkins both with school lunches and meals at home. They're embroidered with fun designs in themes ranging from Prima Ballerina and African Safari to Xtreme Sports and Beach Bound. Fabkins retail for $19.95 for a set of four, and can be purchased at numerous retail locations throughout the Bay Area or online at www.fabkins.com. Marin Mommies readers can take 10% off their online Fabkins purchase by using the coupon code Marin10.

Here are some helpful back-to-school tips from the Fabkins website:

• Tips on easy ways to pack a waste-free lunch
• A “Green Toolkit” for schools
• Custom Logo Fabkins for spiritwear and fundraising