Aug

4

Cheat Sheet: Safer & Eco-Friendly Lunch Gear

Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Food Safety, PVC Free | 13 Comments

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    A while back we did a quick write up of safer alternatives to lunch boxes when all that “lead in lunchboxes” hoopla went down.  Since then there are so many great alternatives to lunch boxes available that it totally warrants a new cheat sheet. Lunchboxes are perfect for little and big kids and help reduce waste that’s clogging up our environment.  Whether stainless steel, canvas or recyclable plastic is your thing – there is a lunch system for you.  No matter what age.  Note: This is not a comprehensive list – if you think a brand should be on here please let us know and we’ll verify it! (Last Updated July 8, 2011)

    Lunch Boxes, Bags and Lunch Systems

    We looked high and low for lunch boxes and gear that was free of BPA, PVC, Phthalates and either claims to be lead-free or meets CPSIA testing standards for lead.  I’ve noted which brands claim what regarding lead. All of our picks are also free of Microban.   Here are our picks

    Lunchable Storage Containers

    I also encourage you to download the CHEJ 2010 Back to School PVC Free School Supplies shopping guide and the EWG Back to School Guide for more ideas on having a less toxic school year.

    Great places to shop for lunch/food storage gear:

    Feb

    24

    Kind Signs Stroller Signs!

    Filed Under product finds, Product Reviews | 2 Comments

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      Having a baby again, I had forgotten how much other people love babies. I cannot go to a store without people swooning and goo goo gah gah-ing at my handsome little guy. Not that I blame them. He is utterly adorable. And if I forget to put on his socks? People can’t resist coming up to touch his little piddies. I can’t keep my hands off his feet either. But I’d rather not have strangers touching my baby when I’m out and about. That sounds like I’m a grump. But in reality, there’s germs, illnesses, flu’s and all kinds of icky things he isn’t immune to that could be lurking on the kind hand of a stranger in the produce aisle. I’m also the type of person who has trouble asserting myself in situations where I’m uncomfortable.

      I found MamaBears.com one day surfing the Internet and I was so excited to find their adorable Kind Signs. Kind Signs are a silicone “sign” that says “Your Germs Are Too Big For Me, Please Don’t Touch”. You can hang them on your stroller, carrier, shopping cart, cribs, diaper bag or anywhere your little cutie is sitting to gently let people know you’d rather they not touch your baby. Each sign is large enough for people to read easily and is a nice way of saying “hands off”. The signs are made of silicone which is BPA, PVC and Phthalate free so if baby happens to get his mitts on it’s not the end of the world.

      They come in Orange, Blue or Pink and are only about 8 bucks. I keep mine in my diaper bag so I can easily whip it out while I’m out shopping with my little man. I’ve not had any trouble with strangers touching him since (but we still get the goo goo gah gah’s) and I’m a happier mom for it.

      GET IT: You can order your own Kind Sign from MamBears.com!

      Feb

      5

      Cheat Sheet: BPA Free Baby Food, Baby Food Creation and Storage Tools

      Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Food Safety | 8 Comments

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        Having a 6 month old means I am in the midst of the baby food jungle.. starting to introduce cereals and purees, which he is really loving and doing so well on them. I’d love to say I carve time out of my day to make all my own baby food but realistically, we all don’t always have the time and need to rely on prepared baby foods.  I set out to find as many safely packaged baby food as I could and interestingly enough – most of the baby food packaged in BPA Free packaging was organic.  Yay! Many of these brands you can find at your local health food stores or Whole Foods.  Some you can find at the grocery store (Like Sprout Organics and Plum Organics). I’ve had some luck finding brands at Babies R Us as well. So here is a cheat sheet for those of you who need a little extra help finding something right for you.  I have not included baby food packaged in glass  jars due to the fact that jar lids have a BPA containing epoxy. To the makers of Earth’s Best – Get with it already!

        Last Updated: February 10, 2010

        Baby Food Packaged in BPA Free packaging

        BPA Free Baby Food Preparation Tools

        BPA Free Baby Food Storage Options & Ideas

        Make Your Own Baby Food Resources

        *Please note this is not a comprehensive list… if there is a brand or item you don’t see here please share it with us!

        Oct

        23

        PVC Free PuddleGear & Awesome Giveaway

        Filed Under Giveaways Coupons | 126 Comments

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          puddlegearEarlier this year we did an article on PVC free rain gear thanks to some reader questions and stumbled on PuddleGear.  PVC can contain mercury, phthalates and dioxins which al can be harmful to your health and the health of your little ones.  Why smother your kids body in PVC when there are great alternatives like PuddleGear?   Puddlegear is completely free of PVC and phthalates. Not mention they are certified by Öko-Tex which is a screening system that can detect over 100 toxic chemicals.  PuddleGear kindly gave us a rundown of their materials and why they are exceptional compared to most.

          PuddleGear has been around for a long time but was more recently taken over by a husband and wife team who really believe in the product.  All their rain gear is coated with ATEK – a Polyurethane-coated stretch fabric.  It’s a very light, soft, tear-resistant material and is wind and watertight. I had a chance to ask them about their Polyurethane coating,  they put me at ease:

          “…when this particular Polyurethane is in its fully expanded state it is an “inert chemical”  meaning that it has no off gassing left to do.  Atek is fully expanded- and tested to be free of over 100 harmful chemicals.
          Not all Polyurethane is PVC or Phthalate free- some who don’t heat seal their seams use PVC to make them waterproof…and Phthalates make the PVC soft.  Polyurethane is also a controlled application  when you make it so its not leached into the ground water like PVC plastics.

          PuddleGear products are totally waterproof , tear resistant and machine washable.  They are incredibly well made and durable, and they all include reflective accents for safety during darker rainy days or at night.  They come in a great selection of colors and fit kids 6 months to 9 years old!

          Giveaway!

          The great people at PuddleGear have generously offered to giveaway a PuddleGear Suit!  That’s a $125 value for one of our lucky readers.  Here’s how to enter our giveaway:

          To Enter

          Leave a comment on this entry after visiting PuddleGear.com letting us know what PuddleGear Suit you think is cool!

          For Extra Entries (please leave a comment for each extra task so we can count your extra entries):

          • Follow us on Twitter (@safemama)
          • Follow PuddleGear on Twitter (@PuddleGear)
          • Join our Facebook Group
          • Tweet about the giveaway! (Example: Win a @PuddleGear Suit from @safemama –  http://tinyurl.com/yjndfb6 )
          • Add our button to your website or blog and let us know where to find it!

          One winner will be selected at random.  Entries will be accepted until midnight EST on October 30, 2009.  Open to US residents.  Good luck!

          Congratulations to commenter #66 Terra Jones!   Thanks everyone for entering!  Stay tuned for more awesome giveaways coming this week.

          Aug

          18

          Review: Spa Baby Bathing Tub

          Filed Under product finds, Product Reviews, Product Safety, PVC Free | 3 Comments

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            spababyWith my new addition to the family I’ve been reconsidering a lot of things I used the first time around, including our baby tub.  I had a basic blue baby tub with the infant sling attachment and my son always screamed through baths as a little baby.  Only did he start liking being bathed when I put him in a bigger tub with more water.  I’ve since recycled my old baby tub to someone else who needed one so when I went looking for a new tub I wanted something better.

            I discovered Spa Baby in one of my late night Internet searches and was in awe of this genius idea.  The Spa Baby tub is basically a European style bathing tub that allows the baby to sit in an upright position as opposed to laying down so the baby is somewhat submerged up to their shoulders.  This keeps the baby warm and comfy, whereas in traditional tubs the baby is wet and can get cold easier -hence all that crying!

            You can set the tub on a low flat surface, or in a regular tub – anywhere safe and sturdy so you can bathe and rinse easily.  The nice part about this is it’s made of #5 plastic (is totally recyclable once you’re done with it) and doesn’t contain anything like BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead or flame retardant foam inserts or slings.  The tub is much larger than I imagined and can fit a baby up to 6+ months old.  You could also use this later to keep toys (in or out of the tub) organized, or use it to store extra towels in the bathroom when baby gets too big for it.

            I’m really quite smitten with this tub and I think it would make a great baby shower gift for that mom-to-be.   I always seem to struggle finding a unique gift and this is definitely perfect for that.  I gave it a go and I have to admit, there is a bit of a learning curve with this tub as I felt pretty awkward and nervous about using it with a newborn who can’t hold his head up.  He wasn’t too happy about it but I think it was mostly because it was one of his first bath experiences and he felt my awkwardness.  With a little practice this is a great tub, although I think I’ll wait until he’s a little bit bigger before I try it again.  Once you get yourself comfortable with this tub I think it would be a great alternative. 

            Get A Spa Baby: You can purchase Spa Baby tubs on their website SpaBabyTubs.com!

            Jul

            12

            Waterproof Mattress Covers without the Vinyl

            Filed Under product finds, PVC Free | Comments Off

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              aller-easeThis will probably be my last post for a short time – baby comes on Monday so I’ll be laid up for a bit.  But before I go, I wanted to post this last thing because I’ve gotten the question a few times and I had this own challenge myself.  My 3 1/2 year old graduated to a real big bed, twin style!  And while I went through lengths to make sure he had the safest everything – wood bed that wasn’t off gassing, organic mattress, and I even went so far as Dr. Suess organic sheets.  But then there’s the problem of leaking and accidents with little kids.  Even though the mattress has some great waterpoofing to it – I wanted some added protection to help me avoid a lot of washing.  After all the effort I spent on making him a safe sleep environment I didn’t want to cover his organic mattress with a piece of vinyl.  Kind of defeats the point, no?

              So I went on another hunt to find a mattress protector that wasn’t vinyl.  Easier said than done but on a whim I tried a few super stores to see what they had and what I was up against.  Vinyl, vinyl everywhere!  But I hit the jackpot.

              A company called AllerEase makes mattress and pillow protection made entirely of polypropylene and polyethylene plastic, weaved in a manner that it is thin and has a soft material feel like those reusable bags at grocery stores.  It fits the mattress well and has helped us avoid some major “wet” incidents so far so I can attest to its waterproof ability.  I feel better knowing there is no vinyl between my son and his bed.  Plus it wasn’t a fortune..I think I spent a total of $23 on a twin cover.

              Where Do I Find It?  I found mine in WalMart of all places and according to AllerEase’s website they sell them at Target, KMart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl’s and Sears (although I checked almost all those places and only found it at WalMart… the other stores I looked in only had vinyl but perhaps its regional).  You can also order them online at Amazon.com and a few other retailers.

              Mar

              31

              Review: New Boon Bath Toys

              Filed Under Phthalates Info, Product Reviews, PVC Free, Toy Safety | Comments Off

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                boon bath toysI recently got my hands on all of the new Boon Bath Toys for my son.  Our bath toy collection had drastically dwindled last year when I learned about PVC and Phthalates and promptly pitched everything we had.  Bye bye bath squirties.  Then, light shone down on me when I entered a giveaway at The Soft Landing (hey I like to win things too!) and I was totally giddy.

                To start, these bath toys are totally cute, are BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free so you can be confident that your little one isn’t chewing on some off-gassing toxic piece of junk.  They’re done in the bright colors we’re used to from Boon products and I have to say, I even had a great time with them.

                The Boon Scrubble Squirties are adorable (and also double as a good “car wash” if you have boys) and my favorite part is they unscrew so not only can you refill them quick, you can clean them.  Traditional bath squirters tend to get moldy and end up in the garbage since there is no real easy way to get them clean.  These wash up easy and you can mix and match them.

                boonsplatBoon Splat Bath Toy works like a good old simple ring toss. The blue Splat floats on the water and my son and I take turns trying to get the rings on the peg.  He thinks its hilarious.  And of course the Boon Water Bugs Bath Toy is my favorite.  The little bugs float on the water and you can scoop them (or other things) up with the little net.  Overall good bath time fun!  When they get a little grimy you can run them through the dishwasher on the top rack and they’re good as new so these will last a long time.  Good job Boon!

                Get Boon Bath Toys: Pick up any of the three Boon Bath Toy sets at The Soft Landing, and don’t forget to use our SafeMama coupon code “SF-10” for 10% off your order.

                Mar

                30

                April Showers Bring PVC Free Rain Gear

                Filed Under Green Mama, Product Safety, PVC Free | Comments Off

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                  We got an email from a reader last week asking about rain gear.  I thought writing something up about it now at the beginning of Spring would be an appropriate time.  Traditionally, raincoats and hats are made with a PVC outer shell.   We try to avoid PVC for a multitude of reasons.

                  Dioxins: PVC or polyvinyl chloride (also referred to as vinyl) is one of the most toxic plastics made.  When created or burned, it releases dioxins which are some of the most dangerous synthetic chemicals out there.  They can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive system. It also may never stop off-gassing… ew.

                  Mercury & Phthalates: We are contaminated with chemicals released during a piece of PVC’s life including mercury, dioxins, and phthalates.   PVC is almost always made using phthalates to make it soft and flexible.  We avoid phthalates for some of the same reasons (reproductive health risks, potentially carcinogenic & hormone mimicking).

                  Environmental Bummer: PVC cannot be recycled.  In fact if one PVC container gets mixed into a batch of other plastics during recycling,  it makes that whole recycled effort a complete waste.   Producing PVC in plants has contaminated the air and ground water in surrounding areas with dioxins, which are dangerous to people and animals.

                  So What To Do?

                  I’ve looked around and found a few alternatives I think are better choices.  It seems to be the normal alternative for companies to use fabric coated with Polyurethane rather than PVC.  The reader who wrote in and I looked for the next step above that and came up empty handed.

                  In some situations, you don’t even need rain gear.  I’ve never bought my son a raincoat and we’ve survived on a simple windbreaker.  But if you live in really wet areas or need rain gear for a specific reason here are the ones we found that would be a safer choice.

                  puddlegearPuddleGear: This company has been around for a long time but was more recently taken over by a husband and wife team who really believe in the product.  All their rain gear is totally PVC and Phthalate Free and instead coated with ATEK – a Polyurethane-coated stretch fabric.  It’s a very light, soft, tear-resistant material and is wind and watertight. I had a chance to ask them about their Polyurethane coating,  they put me at ease:

                  “…when this particular Polyurethane is in its fully expanded state it is an “inert chemical”  meaning that it has no off gassing left to do.  Atek is fully expanded- and tested to be free of over 100 harmful chemicals.

                  Not all Polyurethane is PVC or Phthalate free- some who don’t heat seal their seams use PVC to make them waterproof…and Phthalates make the PVC soft.  Polyurethane is also a controlled application  when you make it so its not leached into the ground water like PVC plastics.

                  PuddleGear also gets certified by Öko-Tex – an organization that tests materials for over 100 harmful chemicals.  PuddleGear has jackets, pants, mitts and hats in sizes ranging from 6 Months to 9 years.  Order from their website PuddleGear.com.  Rain Jackets range from $50-$60 but are virtually indestructible and last forever.

                  • aliengearAlien Kids RainCoat – PVC Free raincoats, cotton lined with a polyurethane shell.  You can find these at Hatley Stores on line and retail for about $40  These PVC Free raincoats come in a few different cute designs (I love the spaceships)and come in a range of kids sizes.  Find them at HatleyStores.com
                  • llbeanLandsEnd Big/Little/Toddler Kids Solid Rain Slicker – Polyester-backed polyurethane shell fabric that’s more flexible than the usual PVC kind. Of course, it’s every bit as waterproof, with sealed seams to prevent leaks., cotton lined with a polyurethane shell. It’s unclear to us as to whether this is totally PVC Free based on what we learned from the folks at PuddleGear.  They retail for about $36.
                  • landsendLL Bean Discovery Rain Jacket – For something a little less heavy duty LL Bean’s Rain Jackets might do the trick. These fleece lined jackets are covered with a waterproof nylon shell.  They are wind and rain resistant, as well as have reflective safety details.  LL Bean assures me that they seal the seams with nylon tape that is Polyurethane coated..jackets retail around $37.   Totally PVC Free.
                  • ruggedbearRugged Bear Kids Pulyurethane Raincoats – These raincoats are polyester/cotton lined with soft polyurethane shell that is waterproof & windproof.  They heat seal the seams for additional waterproofing.  These are a bit more affordable than some other options retailing at around$20.

                  What About Boots?

                  bootsMost of the rain boots I’ve looked are made of rubber, but I have seen some made of PVC so make sure to read the materials before buying.  Rugged Bear carries a line of cute kids rain boots by FireChief made of natural rubber with a cotton lining, in bright fun colors for girls and boys.   They retail for about $18.   Check them out at Rugged Bear.

                  Healthy Child Healthy World has an article about this now as well, with some other alternatives to pick from.  Check out their article on their blog at Healthy Child Healthy World.

                  Feb

                  3

                  Sam & Bellie Chalkmat

                  Filed Under Eco-Mama, product finds, Product Safety, PVC Free | Comments Off

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                    chalkmatAnyone who’s traveled or gone out to eat with children knows that keeping them entertained is more than a remedial challenge. You have to come armed with a bag full of items to keep them busy while you wait for food.  It’s not easy!  On a shopping trip I stumbled on a great idea from Sam & Bellie called the Chalkmat.  It’s a BPA, PVC and Lead Free reusable (and wipeable!) placemat… but when you flip it over it becomes a chalkboard to entertain your little one while you wait.  There is even a little pouch for the chalk!  I found one at Target weirdly, but they sell laminated mats and cloth mats on their website Sam & Bellie.  No need for those wasteful disposable placemats anymore!

                    Get one: SamandBellie.com – and it comes with chalk! You can find them at Target!

                    Update: Alicia from TheSoftLanding.com let me know that right now, only the mats sold at Target are PVC Free.  Thanks Alicia!!!

                    Nov

                    19

                    PVC Free Stroller Rain Covers

                    Filed Under Product Safety, PVC Free | Comments Off

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                      A while ago our friend Kirstin of Trying to be Greener went on a manhunt to find a PVC Free Rain Cover for baby strollers.  From what she went through it seems that was no easy feat.  I have never used a rain cover myself… I always thought they looked like a bad idea and if you know anything about PVC (a plastic which contains a bevy of volatile organic compounds and phthalates) it’s not something you want to encase your infant in.  (Read more about the dangers of PVC.)

                      Anyway, Kirstin searched high and low and finally, after 4 days of digging and searching found a PVC-free, chlorine-free, and phthalate-free rain cover from Orbit Baby.  Orbit Baby makes the covers for their strollers but Kirstin, the wonderful woman she is, went to Babies R Us and tested it on every stroller in the store.  I love her for that!

                      Head over to Trying to be Greener and see what she found out about the covers fit.  She’s posted a nice list of strollers the cover did and did not fit on along with some photos of the cover fit over her own stroller.  Thanks Kirstin!

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