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May
30
Reusable Swim Diapers: Bummis Swimmis
Filed Under Eco-Mama, product finds | 6 Comments
- Leave it outside or in a well ventilated area for some time in order to let the materials “off-gas” before baby sleeps on it
- When the mattress doesn’t smell like materials or plastic, it’s ready to be brought back into the house.
- Consider an organic cotton or wool mattress pad to add a layer of breathability and “buffer” between baby and the mattress surface.
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
2
Eco-Easter: miYim Organic Bunnies
Filed Under Green Mama, product finds | Comments Off
Despite refusing to sit on the Easter Bunny’s lap at a local mall (and frankly, I don’t really blame him), my son has become slightly obsessed with all things bunny-related lately. Aside from a few cookies, I’m planning on filling his Easter basket with some toys and books, and while I generally try to stay away from purchasing stuffed animals (I swear those things multiple like…well, bunnies) I figure a stuffed bunny is in order here.
Lots of toy stores are featuring bunnies right now, not surprisingly, but I am always reluctant to buy a toy that’s filled with mystery content. So I turned again to miYim. Back when we decided to wean my son from his beloved pacifier at bedtime, I was looking for a stuffed animal that he could cuddle with instead. Specifically, I was looking for an organic stuffed animal. I found a monkey at miYim that fit the bill. Organic stuffed animals tend to be firmer and “less plush” than their synthetic counterparts, but so far my son hasn’t seemed to care about that. So I was happy when I found a miYim bunny at my local toy store and found a couple more online.
There’s the BabyVictoria Plush Bunny, the Baby Victoria Knit Bunny, and the Victoria Plush Bunny plus the Bunny Lovie Blanket and Bunny Crib/Stroller Toy for the youngest of bunny-lovers. All miYim products are made with organic and natural cotton materials. You can read more about their product safety here.
Get It: Check the miYim website store locator.
Mar
24
Organic Candy This Easter: Natural Candy Store
Filed Under Food Safety, Product Recalls | Comments Off
Here comes Peter Cotton Tail…hopping down the organic bunny trail… Easter is on it’s way! We have a couple weeks and I know I’m not the only one who’s been oogling the Easter candy selection at the grocery store. I started to think about what is going into my kids Easter basket this year. I’m lucky that so far my 3 year old doesn’t really care too much about candy, with the exception of the occasional Yummy Earth lollipop (I keep a stash in my bag for trips to the bank so I don’t have to succumb to the day-glow blue lollipops they hand out).
But this year I’ll be putting a few choice candy items in there along with the art supplies and matchbox cars. I started to look online for organic jelly beans and hit the mother load in a website called Natural Candy Store. They provide a wide variety of natural candy that ranges from organic to vegan to allergen free, which they’ve created a symbol system and a great way to sort through with their navigation.
I stocked up a couple of organic chocolate bunnies and organic jelly beans (ok ok so this is more for ME than him but I want organic candy too!) They also have ready-made baskets for Easter too. Score!
Gimme Some Candy: NaturalCandyStore.com
Mar
17
Review: Kids Konserve Lunch Sets
Filed Under Eco-Mama, Food Safety, Green Mama, Product Reviews | Comments Off
Now that my 3 year old is in pre-school, finding safer school supplies and lunch items came to the forefront of my life. I didn’t want to become part of the giant pile of waste created by disposable lunch containers and wraps so I went on a hunt to find better solutions that wouldn’t be a pain in my time-limited neck.
I got a chance to try out the lunch sets by Kids Konserve. Their sets come with everything you need to take lunch with you and you come away with zero waste. ZERO. That’s something I’ve been working toward while keeping the materials I’m using safe. The kit comes with a Velcro seal canvas lunch bag, a canvas place mat (this was great for me more than my 3 year old – especially at the park), a reusable sandwich wrap, 2 stainless steel containers for snacks, fruit or whatever really, and a stainless water bottle.. all in a stylish matching print.
I was really pleased with all the components and it works perfectly for lunch on the go. The stainless containers seal air tight and keep things fresh, and the sandwich wrap miraculously kept my sons sandwich held together until lunchtime. I’m trying to teach my son about helping the environment and keeping the planet clean so he gets a kick out of using this system and then bringing it all home to use again the next school day.
Kids Konserve has a bevy of other reusable lunch storage items like mini stainless tins (great for dips or condiments), insulated food thermos for warm or cold food, and my favorite thing – party supplies. The volume of waste created at parties is phenomenal. They have sets of reusable party dishware for class parties, picnics or parties at home – all made of recyclable yogurt containers. Cool! Kids Konserve gets a thumbs up from SafeMama.com!
Get Kids Konserve: Pic up any of their items or lunch sets at KidsKonserve.com. Bonus! Save 10% off your order with the coupon code “safemama“.
The Earth Day Special for Schools:
Make money or save money – 25% off is for schools that choose to do a Waste-Free Challenge (either the school earns a 25% kickback or each family will save 25%, the school chooses.) Contact christy@kidskonserve.com to get it started.
Jul
29
Organic Mattresses: Naturepedic Review
Filed Under Product Reviews, Product Safety | Comments Off
The topic of organic mattresses is met with a rash of strong opinions over what’s safe, what’s safer, and whether it’s really something we should consider changing or embracing. Regardless of how you perceive it, it’s an investment one way or another. The bottom line is, your baby spends 10-16 hours a day face down on it.* So there is some serious merit to wanting to eliminate any potential hazard your baby could be breathing. Traditional baby mattresses are covered in vinyl, (pvc) which in many cases contain phthalates to soften the material. That’s just the surface. Inside that mattress is polyurethane foam (hello Volatile Organic Compounds) which are then treated with PBDEs to add flame resistance to an otherwise highly flammable material. PBDEs (Poly brominated diphenyl ether) levels have been increasing in the past decade and who wants an infant breathing a potentially toxic substance? You don’t have to worry about this if you choose a mattress free of all these materials.
Enter Naturepedic. I had the chance to spend some time investigating organic mattresses and settled on one that I felt is an excellent choice, not only in safety but in performance. Naturepedic provided us with a No Compromise Organic Cotton crib mattress to run through a battery of tests and I am happy to say, they passed every single one. When it arrived I opened it up and was just taken back by how pristinely nice it looked. Seams were all perfect, no nicks or weirdness, and it was smooth and soft without that crinkly PVC feel to it. Definitely a winner of the first impression test.
The Liquid Test: Naturepedic crib mattresses have a food grade polyethylene plastic coating, which is an environmentally friendly material due to it’s non-toxic nature. We dumped leaky sippy cups on this bare mattress and I am thrilled to report that it did not absorb or cause any staining and cleaned up like a dream. A few leaky diaper tests were done as well, thanks to my yet to be potty trained 2 year old and it passed those with flying colors. To add a layer of breathability to it, I have an organic mattress pad and an organic cotton sheet on the mattress for sleeping, but my sippy cup test took place on the bare mattress itself.
The Durability Test: Babies are tiny, so the damage they can do on a mattress is minimal at best, but when your child grows, you really want a mattress that will hold up through their developing years. This was the one area I had concerns, prior to seeing the mattress in person, as to whether it would perform as well as any “top of the line” traditional mattresses.
For the sake of science, my 2 year old still sleeps in a crib. (Yes thats it…science) This means, a 30+ lb boy who jumps up and down like a wild banshee put this thing through the ringer. The older traditional mattress we shunned was starting to take a good beating, and really showed it from all this activity so I was curious as to how Naturepedic would hold up in comparison. We’ve been jumping on it for well over a month or so and I can say with much confidence that this mattress would do great in the long haul. It still looks perfectly new and is unwaivering in the wear and tear department.
The Sound Test: Here is where I was really impressed. Regular mattresses, at least in my experience have this weird crinkly plastic covered noise to them. I always kept them padded and sheeted of course but I could always hear him rustling around in there over the baby monitor. Naturepedic is the exact opposite. In fact, the first time I laid my son on it, it was as if the whole room was quieter. When he rolls around, I don’t hear a thing… except the sweet sound of him breathing. He sleeps a bit more soundly on this mattress than any other we’ve had.
The Overall Impression Test: I really like how this mattress feels… it’s solid and firm but comfortable in all the ways you want it to be. The construction is impeccable, and you can tell right off the bat that this is a serious mattress… not some hippie inspired sack full of hemp and recycled bottles. They take great care with safety standards, adhereing to all Federal laws and requirements. The CPSC recommends infants sleep on a firm, flat surface. Some of the other organic mattresses I’ve looked at have a thicker quilted appearance which could be a drawback if that concerns you. Naturepedic’s mattresses are flat and firm (but not hard) on both sides of the mattress.
Someone questioned me about Flamebreaker™, the non-toxic flame retardant they use to help buy time in house fires. There are, of course mattresses out there with absoloutely zero protection. However, I am 100% comfortable with Flamebreaker™ fire protection system which is based on baking soda and silica bonded to cellulose fiber. It buys time without exposing your child to harmful and potentially airborne chemicals/ Naturepedic’s mattress are without:
NO PBDEs
NO Brominated or Chlorinated Fire Retardants
NO Antimony
NO PAN (polyacrylonitrile)
NO Modacrylic
NO Dimethyl Sulfate
NO Boric Acid
NO Respirable Crystaline Silica
NO Potentially Harmful Chemicals or Allergenic Materials (i.e. Wool)
If that’s not enough, Naurepedic is wildly recognized by a bevy of associations including a certification from GreenGuard, and recommended heartily by our personal favorite organization (and a great resource) Healthy Child Healthy World.
I personally think an choosing an organic mattress is one of the first changes that need to be made, or in the case of expecting parents, should be a serious consideration. I realize, this is not a cheap decision. But the product you are getting is not only much safer for your baby, but it will endure your baby’s growth into a toddler and then some, and perhaps the young life of a second or third child. I’d see it as an investment rather than an expense.
If you aren’t in the position to buy an organic mattress, and let’s face it, not everyone is ready for that, you do have options. Tips when buying a traditional mattress:
Naturepedic’s Organic Cotton mattress has FAR exceeded my expectations and I am completely comfortable recommending them to anyone. My son is getting to the age where he is ready for a bigger bed so when the time comes, and he no longer fits in a toddler bed (which the crib mattress fits as well) I most certainly will be investing in a Naturepedic Twin Mattress for him.
Is this the only option out there? Of course not. But this is one I am very comfortable recommending for both safety, standards and overall product performance. For those looking for other organic bedding items, Naturepedic makes portacrib mattresses, bassinet pads, and changing pads as well.
*Note: You should always put your baby down on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS. We realize babies flip over eventually.
Get yours here: Naturepedic No Compromise Organic Cotton Mattress
Tip: Check out the Shopping Mall for discount coupons!
Jul
24
Rewind: SPF Lip Balm Revisited
Filed Under Dear SafeMama, Skin Care | Comments Off
Well, after yesterdays Dear SafeMama snafu with the SPF ingredients I went on a hunt to find another lip balm containing SPF … but an SPF created by titanium dioxide rather than Oxybenzowhateverthecrap. I found two candidates. Welcome to Kathy’s Quest for Safe SPF Lip Balm. (You have to say that in a deep booming voice for full effect, by the way.)
First one by a company called Lavera who sells an organic lip balm with an SPF of 15 from 100% titanium dioxide. Their ingredients boast organic oils including Jojoba and aloe vera oils to supply extra moisture, and vitamins C and E to offer protection against the elements. Organic oils of olive, soybean, almond, sunflower, calendula and shea butter to maximize hydration.. and we all need some hydration, do we not? Lavera claim’s the lip balm to be waterproof, completely vegan and biodegradable. Excellent. Now onto the second find, with the assist going to SafeMama Beth…
Second pick is by (not everyone’s favorite but we can’t seem to escape it), Burt’s Bees. Burt’s Res-Q line is one of my guilty pleasures… we use the bug oil, and on occasion the Res-Q ointment for bites around here. Burt’s Bees now carries Res-Q Lip Balm with SPF 15 as well. The don’t use organic ingredients but the ingredients they use are natural and free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, and petrolatum. The sun blocking agent in this one is titanium dioxide (2.8%) giving an SPF of 15 for sunny, windy and dry adventures where lip block might be needed.
Our reader Beth tipped us off on the Burt’s Bees angle and she recommended Burt’s Bees Lifeguards Choice Lip Balm. This also contains titanium dioxide although no SPF number is given it does provide some protection. SafeMama Beth says “The only downside is that, like many physical blockers, I have to blend it really well or my lips look whitish. Thus, it’s not for everyday use, but good for a day at the beach.” Thank you Beth!
So there you have it. I take this lip balm business very seriously (*puts on her Blueberry BeeCeuticals*) so hopefully these are a couple decent alternatives. I am going to stay on the hunt…
Jul
23
Dear SafeMama: Lip Balms and Bath Mats
Filed Under Dear SafeMama | Comments Off
Q: There is a great range paraben & phthalate free lip balms out there, but I can’t tell if they have any sun protection in them. Are there any safe options specifically for lips?
If there is anyone more addicted to lip balms, glosses, tints, sticks, pots and pens… it’s me. I have literally 7-8 different ones in my bag at any given time. What I’ve found once I switched to using safer lip products that are free of parabens and petroleum and other icky junk is that they tend to not contain any SPF. Which hasn’t put a stop to my addiction, I just go without. But for some, that’s not an option and people want to protect those smoochers. I found two possible options, but I only feel comfortable recommending one of them. *buzzer* See below! Eco Lips… I stumbled on them recently but have yet to try it out. They use as many organic ingredients as possible and don’t use any petroleum, are non-GMO, free of hydrated oil, gluten, petrolatum, synthetic fragrances or other icky junk.
Eco Lips has a line of regular organic lip balms, a vegan option, tinted lip balms, and a few enhanced with b vitamins for healing.
*BRAKES SCREECHING* Stop the presses… In the words of Dr. Jake Houseman of Dirty Dancing “When I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong…” SafeMama Beth wrote in to point out that the sun blocking ingredient in the lip balms are done with Octinoxate (7.5%) and Oxybenzone (3%). Oh well, back to the drawing board on this question. Oxybenzone is one of the sunblocking ingredients under fire with the EWG so I’ll have to pass on recommending those. The rest of the SPF free line looks delicious though. Sorry about that folks! They also carry a few with SPF 15 and SPF 30 in their Sport Balms. I’m going to have to give them a try myself… I could use something for the beach with SPF 15. They’re packaged in BPA free plastic (polypropylene) and are working on a 100% recycleable package soon.
I’ll repost this question tomorrow with another alternative.
Q: I have made sure my baby has safe tub toys, and a PVC free shower curtain. However, I can’t for the life of me find a safe tub mat, or tub treads!!! I’ve searched EVERYWHERE, and am shocked to not find anything listed PVC free, or phthalate free. Is there a mat I’m missing? Please help us have a safe slip free tub!
Boy have I looked. And looked and looked and to no avail. I have only found one company that sells a PVC free non slip bath mat and shower stall. VitaFutura carries a bath mat made of natural elastic material (Caoutchouc) obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus). Suction cups cover the back for non-slip assurance and they have 4 colors available: Orange, Blue, Grey and Off-white. I ordered the blue for my bathroom to give it a try. I’ll report back my findings when I have some!
Get one here: VitaFutura
Have a question you’d like to see answered in our weekly Dear SafeMama column? Drop us a note! Haven’t seen your question answered yet? Hang tight, we might still be working on an answer.
Jul
14
Product Find: Yummy Earth Organic Candy
Filed Under product finds | Comments Off
Every time I go to the bank with my 2 year old in tow, it never fails that the bank teller falls for his charming smile and big blue eyes and offer him lollipops. People love to give kids candy. I don’t love it, but I also don’t want to shelter him so much that he can’t have a freakin’ lollipop once in a while. Now I have a compromise. I stumbled on Yummy Earth Organic at a local organic health food store in Delaware. Yummy Earth specializes in organic lollipops and hard candy with no chemical colors, artificial flavors, corn syrup or other chemicals. They use organic fruit and vegetable extracts for flavor and color. And for those with allergies, never fear. These are also gluten, nut, dairy and wheat free. What I love is that their candy isn’t made of corn syrup like many other brands and instead uses tapioca syrup and sugar beets (instead of corn). They come in a huge selection of flavors including Googly Grape, Blood Orange Cocktail and my favorite Pomegranate Pucker.
My kid loves them and I don’t feel like I’m giving him some awful blue dyed corn syrup concoction that leaves him walking around with a blue mouth all day. I can rest easy knowing when I give him a treat it’s not all a bunch of crap. I only had 3 but I hurriedly hopped on their website and ordered 2 one pound bags of assorted flavors and the Vitamin C Mix. Now I can keep a handful in my bag and whip it out at the bank when the teller tries to pawn off her blue lollipops on my kid.
Yummy Earth Organic candy is available at Whole Foods, Toys R Us, Linens N Things, Babies R Us and a bevy of other places. I don’t know how I have never seen them but I’m glad I found them. You can also order bulk on their website YummyEarth.com.
Jun
24
BeeCeuticals Re-Review & Giveaway!
Filed Under Eco-Mama, Giveaways Coupons, Skin Care | Comments Off
I know I have raved about BeeCeuticals Organics in the past. However, now that the site has come to many new people’s attention I feel it’s definitely warranted to bring it up again. We focus so much of our time and energy on our kids but us safe moms want some pampering without the parabens. I discovered BeeCeuticals Organics from a commercial on the Howard Stern show over a year ago but since then, and since becoming seriously hooked on their products… I am now a devout believer and follower. I really cant say enough about this company. Why? Because they use as much certified organic fair trade ingredients as is humanly possible to find. They care about their environmentally friendly packaging, they care about the environment… they offset 100% of their power usage with Green-e certified wind and solar power energy…. and they care about saving the bees! bzzzz…
But enough about how caring they are. What I want to focus on is their products. Sure they are a great company but are their products great? YES. I started out trying a few things here and there and fell in love with their Bee-yond Body Balm™. I had a few peeves about it but once I was past them I fell head over soft supple heels. Imagine my shock when they FIXED my peeves with a reformulation. Now, this stuff is heavenly perfect. It works some serious rough feet miracles that no foot balm has ever fixed for me. I use it all over the place now and plow through a container a month. Its great for dry hands, lips, rough spots, feet, elbows, cuticles… it softens everything without saturating you with some awful petroleum like other balms.
I am also a self professed lip balm addict. I have about 12 in my diaper bag. I wish I was kidding. BeeCeuticals lip balms are my favorite. I dig through the pile in my bag to find my BeeCeuticals lip balms over all others. I recently learned also that some natural and even organic lip balms are packaged in polycarbonate plastic. Big natural name brands that sell at natural food stores. They don’t mark the tubes. What a dirty little secret! BeeCeuticals Organics packages all their products in safe recyclable materials and plastics and are making moves towards glass containers soon as well. No polycarbonate lip balm for me thanks!
They have 3 new flavors of lip balm available: Blueberry, Peach and my personal favorite, Raspberry. I am hoarding 2 of them as we speak. No one gets my raspberry BeeCeuticals.
Win it!
One lucky reader will receive a tub of Bee-yond Body Balm™. To Enter, check out the BeeCeuticals Organics website. Send an email* to safemama [at] gmail.com with the subject “Save The Bees!” and tell us what BeeCeuticals Organics lip balm flavor you’d love to try. Giveaway ends Friday July 11th, 2008 at midnight EST. We’ll announce the winner here and we’ll be submitting winner info to PRIZEYWinners so you can check there to see if you’ve won as well. Contest has ended.
*your email address will never be shared or used to email you. It will only be used to notify you if you win.
Jun
11
Eco Diaper Bag from Wee Generation
Filed Under Eco-Mama, Green Mama | Comments Off
A group called Wee Generation is the collaboration of Seventh Generation, Healthy Child Healthy World and Rickshaw Bagworks which has joined forces on a great project. They’ve created an Eco-Friendly diaper bag. A “labor of love”, designed by parents with parents in mind, the bag boasts to appeal to men and women alike as the bag for the parent on-the-go. It has some pretty nifty features like detachable pockets and teether tethers. The exterior fabric is made from 100% post consumer recycled beverage bottles. Not to mention that when you buy the bag, 100% of the profits on each bag will be donated to Healthy Child Healthy World.
Better yet… the first 500 bags sold contains $100 worth of eco-treats including the book Naturally Clean, the Seventh Generation Guide to Safe and Healthy Non-Toxic Cleaning, a Wee Generation baby T, healthy household tips from Healthy Child Healthy World and coupons from Seventh Generation.
I totally want this diaper bag… buuut, I already have one and since I’m trying this whole “buy less, reuse more” thing I’ll refrain. But if you’re looking for a great diaper bag, (perfect shower gift too!) this might be the one. It’s cool, it’s totally functional, and eco-friendly… plus you’re donating to a great organization. What’s not to love?
Get this diaper bag: The bag retails for $200, comes in 4 neutral fabric choices and is available on Rickshaw Bagworks’ website.
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