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May

30

Reusable Swim Diapers: Bummis Swimmis

Filed Under Eco-Mama, product finds | 6 Comments

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bummi My 3 year old is finally potty trained, so swim diapers are now a thing of the past… oh wait, I’m having another baby in 6 weeks, my diaper days are not over. Swim diapers were one thing that, although required by public pools and useful for water play are yet another thing we stuff into a landfill. With all the cloth diapering going on, why not a reusable swim diaper too?

I stumbled on Bummis this morning, and i think I’ve seen my friend Alicia twitter about this before as well, but I thought it worthy of a mention here. Bummis is a cloth diaper company that makes a reusable swim pant. You use it, wash it and use it again. You buy one diaper instead of bag after bag of those expensive disposables. An economical investment if you ask me. They come in a few cute designs (I like the Pizzazz one but that’s me) and fit babies and kids up to 30 lbs.

Check them out: You can check out the Bummi company at their website Bummis.com, and you can order a swimmi from any of their retail partners. You can also find them online at many boutiques. (A quick Google will fin dthem at many online shops)

Apr

16

Dear SafeMama: “Eco-Friendly” Swingsets

Filed Under Dear SafeMama, Eco-Mama | Comments Off

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I would like to buy a small slide/swing set contraption for our backyard…. can’t find an eco-friendly place to go… wood versus plastic… just want a small something for young kids and am having trouble figuring out where to look…. thanks!

Welcome to my personal hell. With a new baby on the way, going to the local pool and park are going to be somewhat limited, so I’m trying to look for options for our backyard to offset the whole boredom factor for my son. We’re lucky in that we have a swing set that came with our house, however, it’s geared towards kids that are a little bit older, so he can really only use a portion of it. It’s also starting to look worn and in need of repair soon.

I’ve been going back and forth in an internal debate. Do I buy something plastic, or do I go with something wood? Neither of these options are particularly eco-friendly. The resources used to manufacture most plastic or wood sets are not entirely ideal. But there are things you can do to be more eco-friendly in the process:

Check classifieds. Places like Craigslist or eBay are great places to search for something used. Buying these items new are not only expensive, but they’re adding to the problem. Buying them used, extends the life of something that may prematurely end up in a landfill, and kids don’t really care whether or not it’s shiny new or if it’s used. To them, it’s a new toy. Drawbacks: Items like Little Tikes and Step 2 are extremely hard to find and when you do find them, they go really fast.
Ask your friends. If you have any friends whose kids are older and have outgrown their old play sets, ask them if they’d be willing to sell it to you. Again, a great way to extend the life of something.
Choose recycled. I did happen to come across a couple of options, however, these sets look more like professional playground sets, or something only someone very rich could afford. I.E. I’m not going to even show my son those links.

jpd4837f_ol_200 My choice, if I can’t find something used on Craiglist or the like, is to suck it up and buy something new in the plastic version. I’m not really proud of myself, but I look at it this way: Both Little Tikes and Step 2 products hold their value used. Once my children outgrow these products, I can either sell it later on Craigslist and put it towards something else, or I can donate it to a local preschool or daycare and write it off on my taxes. Either way, the life of these products will be extended after my children are done with them. I’m steering clear of wooden sets, because the majority of them are treated with things like pesticides and arsenic. So while I could theoretically turn around and sell it later, I don’t want to expose my children in the meantime, nor would I want to expose other children later on. Again, there are natural untreated sets out there, but I have to send my kids to college and even though I have a relatively large yard, there’s no way one of these monstrosities would fit back there.

So, in a way, I didn’t really answer your question. But hopefully, I gave you some direction on where to go. My opinion (and take it for what it’s worth) would be to start with Craigslist (or even someplace like Freecycle.org. I’ve seen some people get some really awesome things off of there. If you have the time to dedicate, you may find what you’re looking for) and go the used route first.

Reader Feedback

SafeMama Melissa writes in…

“There is a great company called Cedar Works that uses 100% northern white cedar harvested in Maine-…..‘Used for centuries in boat building and other outdoor products, northern white cedar is the longest lasting natural and splinter-free wood used in wooden outdoor swing sets. No other wood species meets our discriminating requirements for strength, long life, and no splinters without chemical treatments, paints or stains.’ And CedarWorks will donate a two-year-old cedar seedling to an environmental group or small woodlot owner for every catalogue requested, as well as one for every family that purchases a playset. It’s all part of their ReCedaring program. And though this qualifies as one of the those natural untreated monstrosities out there, the different thing about Cedarworks is that YOU design it yourself on their website so that it fits your yard and your budget!

Apr

4

Dear SafeMama Weekend Edition: New Use For Old Fabric

Filed Under Dear SafeMama, Eco-Mama | Comments Off

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I’m searching for a way to dispose of my old pieces of fabric that are not good anymore. I can’t find any place that takes old piece of fabric except for wearable used clothes. I have already reused them the maximum I could in making old clothes into rags but what do I do with my old rags? I have also old washed clothes gone all thin in the middle, and I can’t find a way of reusing them. I feel guilty putting “fabric” in the trash bin.

I’ll admit I was stumped when this question came in. What do you do with rags you’ve already made out of old clothes or what to do with old sheets and blankets you just have no room to store any longer? I had no idea. Then my neighborhood newsletter came in the mail and I had an epiphany. In it they were asking on behalf of our local Spay/Neuter animal shelter for cloth donations for the animals.

What a great idea! Many animal shelters that care for and house animals run solely on donations and what better use for an old sheet or blanket than to help make a stray animal feel comfortable and cared for. Contact your local animal shelters and animal facilities in your area to find out what they need. There might be other opportunities for donations – rugs? unused pet supplies for food, towels, sheets, fabric, rags… find out what they need and perhaps your trash is an animals saving grace.

Find a Shelter Near You:

Sep

11

SafeMama Review: Stainless Steel Lunch Box

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Green Mama, Product Reviews | Comments Off

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null While most kids are back in school, mine isn’t (and the day he climbs the bus to head to kindergarten, I will cry a lot and then I’ll promptly proceed to my nearest sofa, because HELLO free time!) but I didn’t want to be left out. We currently use the Foogo stainless steel container when we go out because it’s great at keeping things warm if we know we’ll be out for awhile, but as my son gets older, we realize that it’s a little on the smaller size. Not wanting to compromise my son’s safety by allowing food to sit in a plastic container all day, I sought for something else.

I found this two tiered stainless lunch box. This is great for parents who are looking to avoid unecessary materials that will most likely rot in a landfill and contaminate the water supply. It’s small enough to carry around and not be too bulky, yet big enough to hold a sandwich and a few snacks. The only thing about this is that it’s not insulated so by the time my son was ready to eat his lunch, he had to eat his chicken cold. You may be able to squeeze a hot or cold pack in there, but it would be a tight fit. This is probably a better lunch box for an older kid, maybe one in high school, as I am going to venture to guess that it’s total utilitarian look isn’t going to appeal to the kid that wants the latest hot cartoon character or something a little more fun. But it’s definitely form and function.

Get It: You can find this lunch box over at Healthy Kitchen Ware. They also have a three tiered version as well as some great alternative options to plastic.

Apr

8

Review: Little g flushable diapers

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Green Mama, Product Reviews | 5 Comments

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I have been in the very long arduous process of slowly switching my son over to cloth diapers. It’s a long process because I tend to go overboard on researching things, and there’s a lot of trial and error in the beginning of what’s right for your baby. I had been interested in testing out Little g’s after first hearing about them, you know, for research and scientific reasons. So when I saw them on sale, I snatched up a starter pack and a refill. We purchased these on Easter, and I wanted to give them a fair try before posting a review.

Overall, if you’re looking to reduce your waste added to landfills, and are apprehensive about cloth, these may be a good fit for you. The inserts are flushable, but your mileage may vary. Our toilets are fairly new(er), but they can be persnickety in regards to some things. Little g’s weren’t one of them. If you flush them according to the directions in the booklet, you shouldn’t have a problem, but like I said, it really depends on your toilet’s pressure. They even have a video on their “101″ page. The inner core of the refill is made of “tree farmed fluff pulp,” the outer part of the refill is natural fiber that is compostable.

What I liked about them:

The diapers themselves are well made. The starter kit comes with two “little g” pants and four snap in liner inserts, where the flushable refill sits. I like this aspect, because with this setup, you don’t have to wash the outer pants as often (which I do anyway, because I’m weird like that), unless you have a leak. Unlike cloth diapers, where the whole thing needs to be washed once it’s been soiled. The snap in liner is made with a water resistant breathable plastic. The snap in liner can also be machine washed, but they recommend that you line dry them. I find it’s easier to wash them by hand in the sink with some mild baby soap and warm water, as they’re plastic and they dry relatively quickly, and won’t get beat up in the wash. The diaper itself can be used with one of your regular cloth diaper inserts as well, which is a nice feature.

What I didn’t like:

The flushable insert isn’t exactly soft. It’s kind of stiff, stiffer than a conventional disposable, which just doesn’t really look comfortable. The design of the pant makes it so that the insert bunches up when it gets wet, which is another aspect that can’t be comfortable for any baby. It’s the same way if I insert a cloth insert and I know if I had to utilize a setup like this, I’d probably go insane. Its a fact of life that babies need diapers, but why make it any more uncomfortable than regular underwear? The other thing is that you have to position the snap in liner just so, between the creases of the legs in order to create a seal to prevent leaks. If you have a squirmy child (and let’s face it, most of us do), this can get old quickly.

I should note that it’s recommended by the company, that you should have your diapers loaded (heh) and ready to go, because it’s just easier, and well, common sense. If you choose to use these, take that advice, I was stuck once, and my son’s patience wore thin quick while I was putting this contraption together.

Overall, these aren’t a bad product. They’re better for the environment, which is a plus, and they’re a great option for people who may not have the time to commit to cloth diapering, but don’t want to use a conventional disposable. The design could be little bit better though.

Mar

24

Green Toys at KangarooBoo!

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Green Mama | 1 Comment

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Turn pretend play, planet friendly! One of my favorite online shops KangarooBoo is now selling Green Toys, a line of toy sets made of recycled plastic (like milk jugs). There are 4 cute sets, an Indoor Gardening Set, Cookware and Dining Set, a Tea Set (shipping in April), and a Sand Bucket set. All sets come in cute pastel colors gtgarden_preview without any surface paint (no lead worries!) The toys have all been voluntarily tested and are free of BPA, Phthalates, and have passed all voluntary testing for cadmium and those other nasties. They’ve been approved by the FDA for food contact and are made in the USA which helps reduce the fossil fuel needed to ship overseas! Even the packaging is made with recycled materials. I think these are great gift ideas and I have a set of twins to shop for next month … that tea set is perfect. KangarooBoo has a bevy of other great safe toys too, and they carry the Boon line of dishware. As always, a portion of their sales go towards children’s charities. It’s a win win!

Where to find them: KangarooBoo

Mar

4

Smells Like Phthalates

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Phthalates Info | 5 Comments

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I feel like a broken record with this phthalates business and on top of it, running a site like this I hit moments of panic where I feel as though everything around me is potentially harmful. I have to reel myself in once in a while or I start to give myself anxiety and need to drink red wine until it passes.

But then I get a grip and see that there are small changes I can make that are easy and make sense for my family. I ran across an article somewhere ( I forget where) and decided to look into it further. The premise of it was over phthalates in scented candles. I’ve been meaning to post something about phthalates and chemicals in household air fresheners and I’ve long sworn off the use of spray air fresheners for a long time. But phthalates, which helps synthetic fragrances bond to the product, are found in candles, incense and potpourri. Healthy Child Healthy World (one of my favorite websites) sums this up nicely:

Candles are also a source of indoor air pollution, according to the EPA, leaving black soot deposit (BSD) on floors and surfaces. Scented candles create the most soot.

BSD is primarily made up of elemental carbon, but may also contain phthalates and volatile organic compounds like benzene and toluene, which can cause cancer and neurological damage. BSD can be inhaled while airborne, but may also settle on surfaces like floors. BSD is especially attracted to electrically charged surfaces such as freezers, plastic blinds, TVs and computers.

Children may ingest BSD, after touching the floor or other surfaces and then putting their hands in their mouths. BSD, when inhaled, can lodge deep in the lungs, the lower respiratory tract or alveoli (very tiny tissue inside the lungs).

I know what you’re thinking. “GREAT… one more thing…” But there are easy solutions to this without selling your home and moving into a mud hut and sewing your clothes out of hemp.

Clean the air in your home with plants. Bamboo (I’ve read that Lucky Bamboo has great air cleaning qualities), Weeping Figs and Spider plants are some that clean the most pollutants (like formaldehyde and benzene) out of the air.
Baking Soda! That stuff does wonders for odor. Use it on carpets, or place a small dish of it near offensive areas.
Embrace the soy candle. If you need candle burning (I love candles), opt for soy based candles or beeswax candles which burn cleaner (and last longer). I found these
More tips: Here are a few other great tips from Healthy Child Healthy World: Freshen Indoor Air Checklist

Feb

23

Renaming safe mama: The Hippie Blog.

Filed Under Articles | 6 Comments

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cloth Ok, so not really. But for awhile now, I’ve wanted to switch my son over to cloth diapers. I actually purchased some, but we couldn’t get a handle on not even leaking through naps, and I knew if he was leaking through naps, nighttime would definitely not be happening. I haven’t revisited it, but after chronic eczema on his little bottom for the last two months, I switched over to using mostly seventh generation diapers, which for the most part, I really love, however, I don’t really like that I’m clogging up more landfill space. I’m sure that the diapers we wore as kids are probably still rotting away in a landfill somewhere, and that’s disturbing.

What’s even more disturbing is exactly how toxic disposable diapers are. Yet a good portion of the population uses them, because they’re convenient, myself included. I found a really great eye opening article regarding disposables that links disposables to infertility, as well as cancer. Given my infertile status, this scares me.

Cloth diapers have made a huge comeback and I can understand why. Cloth isn’t just your simple pre-fold with a fastener. They’re cute, fashionable, and best of all, better for your baby’s skin and better for the environment. And if the cloth diaper jargon is enough to make your head spin, there’s another alternative, called Little G’s. The best of both worlds. A cloth cover with a disposable, environmentally friendly, flushable and biodegradable liner. There’s tons of options out there, and in the long run, it’s cheaper than disposables. And if you’re crafty, you can make your own. Lots of today’s moms are making a living out of selling their own designs.

If you’re more interested in learning more about cloth diapering, I found that this was a great site for information. You can also purchase diapers from the site as well.

Jan

28

Green Mama Baby Steps with Envirosax

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Product Reviews | 2 Comments

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envirosax Part of being a “SafeMama” for me means improving my family’s quality of life as well as making more efforts to protect our environment with a few small changes. I’m not fully green by any stretch… I’m more of a turquoise or mint green at this point but I am trying to make small changes that can help the earth. First it was my switch from plastic water bottles. Next step was plastic bags.

In a recent article, the New York Times reported that Whole Foods Market chains are going to stop offering plastic bags and instead provide customers with either recycled paper bags or reusable bags as an alternative. I really like this move by Whole Foods and I hope it continues and spreads to more grocery chains and super stores.

For the holidays a friend and SafeMama contributor gifted me with a set of Envirosax. I’ve been putting them to good use and I fully admit I love them. They are big enough to fit a ton of items and the material is waterproof and super lightweight. They have the ability to be rolled up tiny but I just jam all the bags into one and leave them in the trunk for my next outing. The best part, they are stylish as well as functional.

Get Some: They’re available on their website Envirosax.com (I have the monochromatic set but they all look cool)I just discovered they have a line of organic bamboo and linen sets too. I’ve seen them available is a few places like Amazon and the Wishing Fish. I might have to start scouring for the organic line… they look gorgeous. I do what I can, and at least this way, I look cool doing my part.

Jan

16

Product Review: ThinkSport Sports Bottle

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Product Reviews | 1 Comment

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thinksport Since I’ve researched so much information regarding Bisphenol-A and leeching plastics, I am slowly trying to eliminate unnecessary plastic in my life. One thing I have done is stopped my use of plastic bottled water. Not only do those little bottles find their way into landfills when they aren’t recycled but they consume resources to make and really, do I need a new bottle of water every time I go to the gym in the morning? No. Enter ThinkSport. After discovering ThinkBaby‘s new line of bottles and cups I stumbled on their stainless steel sport bottles. I fell in love instantly. Here was my opportunity to do what I’ve been saying I’ll do for years.

I ordered a ThinkSport in black. The bottle is larger (holds 750ml) than most little water bottles which works out pretty well since I don’t have to refill as often and it makes for a good take along when I need extra water to fill up my son’s sippy cup when we’re out and about. Also, the bottle just looks cool. It has a nice tapered waist and fits in your hand perfectly. The spout is the perfect size opening. I always hated those wide neck Nalgene’s because I inevitably spilled water all over myself when using it. (Not to mention possibly ingesting BPA in the process). The bottle has a double walled vacuum sealed stainless steel construction so it keeps cold liquids cold and I assume hot liquids hot for longer periods of time. I take it everywhere I go. I drag it around by it’s little strap.

A little extra nicety… it includes a removable screen part that you can insert to keep ice cubes or tea leaves in the body of the bottle instead of sneaking out into the spout. I took it out for general gym use but I can totally see the benefits of using it. It is easy to remove and put back in…it has a little handle. Sweet.

The Bottom Line: In summary, I love it. I use it daily and have it by my side at all times. Having a cool non-plastic bottle that is mine and only mine has encouraged me to drink more water during the day, which is of course a health benefit. My only critique is the exterior. I have the black model and it has been dropped in the parking lot a few times and sustained only minor scratch damage. That, I don’t mind… but the metal exterior makes this bottle a little bit clangy. It clangs on my keys and if dropped everyone hears you in a 5 mile radius. It might benefit from a rubber sheath or coating to soften the blow and make it a teeny bit more durable. But that won’t stop me from using it. It works great, feels good to hold and is totally non-toxic from every angle. Free of Bisphenol-a, phthalates, polycarbonate, cadmium and lead. It gets a whole hearted thumbs up. My husband tried to steal it so I’ll be ordering another one for him.

Get it here: Amazon.com

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