MightyNest.com

May

8

Sonny & Reed Teething Necklaces for Mom (Giveaway)

Filed Under Giveaways Coupons, Product Reviews, product finds | 106 Comments

I really love dual purpose products when it comes to parenting – it just tickles me when something meant for one thing has a totally separate use.  I also try my best to be somewhat stylish on a day to day basis.  I know it’s hard – believe me there are days when I am appalled that I dropped my son off at school having not showered in two days (I’m admitting that because I know I’m not the only one!).  But now that my second child is no longer an infant requiring round the clock feeding, I can actually put myself together and look somewhat cute.  Which is why I adore this new teething necklace from Sonny & Reed.

They contacted me and I was all for checking out their product because it’s jewelry and you all know how much I loved that teething bling necklace I reviewed earlier this year.  So I was super psyched to check it out.  This is a really great piece.  It’s made with an FDA approved acrylic (though they aren’t spilling on what exactly it is) and have assured me is its BPA, PVC, Phthalate and Lead free.  The beads are large and do not pass through the “choke tube” so no worries on that front. They are really quite stylish while being simple and make a fabulous statement.  They are solid beads and have tiny “nibs” on one side to soothe baby’s gums while they chew. So useful!  Anyone who’s ever had a teething baby on their hip will tell you that always having something around for them to chew on is a life saver.  Better it be a stylish necklace than your finger.

Here’s the part where it pains me to say that the sample I received is GREAT, but my son is kind of past that whole phase where it would be useful.  He’d much rather be crawling on the floor than chewing on my necklace (that makes me so sad!).  So, I am going to offer up the sample I got for a giveaway to one of you.  :) (I can assure you I haven’t worn it, other than to try it out for length and style  – and for the photo.  I have also not let me drooly kid chew on it.)  I packed it back up and make the painful decision to give it away to someone with a teething baby who needs some style.  Is that you??

Get It: If you can’t stand waiting to see if you won a giveaway then I urge you to go to Sonny & Reed’s website and pick one up for yourself.  They would make an excellent gift too.  They come in three colors: The clear (which is what I am giving away), a pretty blue and black (I think the black is my favorite).

WIN IT!

You can have my Sonny & Reed Teething Necklace sample!  I promise I don’t have cooties and that no one has ever chewed on it.  It’s made with the clear beads so you can coordinate it with anything!

To Enter (Required):

Leave a comment on this entry telling me what your favorite mommy “Must Have” is… I’d love to know what YOU all love.

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  • Tweet this giveaway (CAN BE RETWEETED DAILY – Just leave the link to the tweet itself each day in the comments):  #WIN a Sonny & Reed Teething Necklace from @safemama #giveaway ends 5/17 http://tinyurl.com/3x3owtl

One winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Giveaway open to US residents. Entries will be accepted until May 17, 2010 at midnight PST. Good Luck :D

Congratulations Elizabeth, commenter #82!

Dec

10

Teething Bling: Safe for baby, stylish for mommy!

Filed Under Product Reviews, Product Safety | 9 Comments

BabyBling0044When I have a new baby around, like many, I tend to focus more on the baby than on myself and my appearance is well… lacking in polish.  I run out the door to drop one kid off at preschool while I rush off to the grocery store to get shopping done before I have to pick him up again, then rush home to shower, squeeze in some work while the baby naps (if you call 20 minutes a nap… sheesh) and then supervise the kids until dinner time relief.  Did you see any time in that schedule for primping?  Yeah, me either.  I’m lucky if I slap on some mascara and lip balm.  During this time of m life I rely on smoke and mirrors to appear I have my ish together so I’m always on the lookout for things that can add to my personal style without requiring time.

I heard of Teething Bling a while ago, before I was even pregnant with my second son, and I knew I wanted to get one.  They look like a super stylish piece of jewelry… and well , they are.  The disc on their fabulous pendants are about 2 inches wide so they make a proper statement.  But the beauty of it is that they’re made of food-safe, phthalate-free, federally-approved silicone so they double as a safe teether for baby.

I wasn’t sure how effective they’d be but for he price I knew I’d give it a try.  I am so glad I bought one because baby loves it, he always has something to chew on and I am never without something to give him.  He’s yet to get his first tooth so he’s constantly jamming everything in his mouth.  I’ve gotten several compliments on my bling and a few moms have said “what a great idea!”.  And it is!

Ive taken to wearing it everyday to boost my appearance, while having a handy teether around.  No digging in the diaper bag, no searching the house for something, its just there ready for baby.  I bought a round donut pendant in a pretty turqoise (called Jade), but I have my eye on the Mother of Pearl too.  They come on a black cord with a breakaway safety clasp.  I know what will be in my stocking this year… Teething Bling!

Get It: I bought my bling at my favorite spot The Soft Landing!

May

1

Sassy Earth Brights: An Alternative To Plastic Teethers

Filed Under product finds | 4 Comments

8405-itemI found these Sassy Earth Brights teethers and rattles the other day while perusing my local Babies R Us. These are a great alternative for parents who are trying to get rid of all the plastic teethers in their house. The rattles are made of hardwood with water based stains and finishes, along with nice bright colored fabric to catch baby’s eye. I wish they had these when my son was into teethers. There were so few plastic toys he was interested in at that age, which in hindsight was a good thing.  Hmm, maybe he knew something we didn’t.

Mar

30

Alternative Teether: Camden Rose Maple Wood

Filed Under Green Mama | 1 Comment

We’ve already determined that there are in fact safe, affordable teethers made without BPA, PVC and phthalates on the market. But there are other alternatives to plastic that are safe and effective as well. A reader brought a teether to maple teethermy attention that I thought was a great addition to the alternative teether category. Camden Rose makes a non-toxic Maple wood teether, created in a smooth ring shape for easy gripping by little hands. The teether is finished with natural beeswax and is made in the USA. Sounds good to me! Where to find it: Shop for it online at either Palumba or Amazon.com

Feb

12

FAQ: Teethers made of EVA Safe

Filed Under Dear SafeMama, FAQ, PVC Free | Comments Off

Dear Safe Mama,
I have teethers made out of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA)… are they safe? I thought vinyl was a bad plastic?

I’ve gotten this question and admittedly, I didn’t know how to answer it. I asked the Non-Toxic Super Hero: Alicia from The Soft Landing. She of course, had the answers we seek!

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is widely accepted as safe for use in teethers. EVA is a type of plastic that does not require a plasticizer and is bisphenol-a free, so it is considered to be non-toxic.

So what is this plasticizer stuff? PVC’s soft texture is imparted by “plasticizing” chemicals. DEHP, a member of the phthalate family of chemicals, is the most widely used plasticizer in teethers. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CEHJ) recommends EVA as a safer PVC-free plastic alternative. CEHJ describes the effects of phthalates in their article PVC: The Poison Plastic.

Short answer: Yes, it’s safe and BPA, phthalate and PVC free. Thanks Alicia!

Jan

11

Chan Pie Gnon Teethers by Vulli: Safe and Cute!

Filed Under Product Safety, Toy Safety | 3 Comments

In our quest to find safe teethers and other products I had stumbled on Sophie the Giraffe while perusing all the goodies on Cool Mom Picks. Sophie is hand made in the French Alps out of safe phthalate free rubber and features food quality paints. Sophie was so wildly popular that in 2007 Vulli, the makers of Sophie the Giraffe, launched a line of cute mushroom shaped characters made of the same safe rubber and food quality paints called Chan Pie Gnon (a play on the word champignon, which means mushroom).

The folks at KangarooBoo carry all the Chan Pie Gnon teethers as well as Sophie the Giraffe and a few other Vulli items. KangarooBoo is a company founded by Jennic and Justin Law who have 2 children of their own. They pride themselves in providing products that they feel are safe for their own children to play with as well as others. Jennic is a cancer survivor and they went on to have two healthy children. They are committed to providing safe toys as well as make a difference in the lives of children. KangarooBoo donates a portion of every sale to children-related charities. From their pre-approved list, the customer picks which charity the money goes.

Jan

4

BPA Free Pacifiers and Teethers Cheat Sheet

Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Bisphenol-A, Green Mama, PVC Free, Phthalates Info, Product Safety | 20 Comments

I’ve gotten a couple of emails from parents asking about BPA Free pacifiers and teethers. With all the news surrounding Bisphenol-a (BPA) in bottles and sippy cups, parents are now wondering what else they might need to modify in their babies routine to avoid those plastics. Once a parent learns about potential hazards its tough to know what to buy and what to avoid. I’ve said myself more than once “Can’t someone just tell me what to buy?“.. and I am pretty sure I am not the only busy parent who’s uttered that phrase. Not a comprehensive list.

IMPORTANT: Please do not copy/paste this material on other websites without prior written consent. This page is constantly being updated so republishing it could mean you are distributing inaccurate information.  Copying and/or republishing this list or any written material from this website is also a violation of our Terms and Conditions.

Last Updated: April 30, 2010

BPA, PVC & Phthalate Free Pacifiers*

  • BornFree: BPA-Free Pacifier for Day and Night Use, Clear Button Pacifier, Clear Pacifier, CoolFlow Pacifier
  • Playtex: Playtex “Binky” (one piece silicone pacifier), Binky Most Like Mother Latex Pacifier, Binky Most Like Mother Silicone Pacifier, Binky Angled Pacifier, Ortho-Pro Pacifier
  • Gerber: NUK Original, NUK Classic Silicon & Latex, NUK Nautical NUK Genius Silicone, Orthodontic Trendline Pacifier,  Orthodontic Pacifier Rose & Blue Silicone  Latex, Wildlife Pacifier, Animal Face Pacifier, Nature Pacifer, EZ-to-Hook TM Pacifier Carry Case
  • The First Years: Soothies Silicone Paci’s, Safe Comfort, Ultra Kip
  • Vice Versa Binky w/ Case
  • Natursutten Natural Rubber Paci
  • Evenflo: Mimi Soft Touch, Mimi Premium, Mimi Neo One-Piece, Vizion, Fuzion and Illuzion
  • Happy Baby Soothers
  • NurturePure™ Pure™ Orthodontic Silicone Pacifier & Teether
  • Sassy Mini MAM, MAM (only with packaging labeled BPA FREE)
  • Avent PES Pacifiers (marked BPA Free) Nighttime, Fashion, Freeflow, Bear, Translucent

BPA, PVC & Phthalate Free Teethers*

  • Please also check out The Soft Landing Blog for a great list of BPA Free products.
  • Cross check your items with The Zrecs Guide to see what harmful chemicals are/aren’t in them.

*This is not a comprehensive list, it just contains the BPA, PVC & Phthalate Free products I am aware of. If there is a product not on here, it does not mean it’s not safe. Inquire with the toy maker about materials used if you are unsure. If there is a product that is not listed here that SHOULD be, please let me know and I will be thrilled to add it.

My absolute favorite site to take the headache out of non-toxic shopping:
The Soft Landing

What is Bisphenol A?
Bisphenol A is a hormone-mimicking chemical used in polycarbonate plastics and resins commonly used for items such as shatterproof baby bottles. Bisphenol has estrogenic properties which, in animal tests has shown to cause a bevy of health problems such as an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes and obesity and neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Research is showing that when plastic containers, mostly those used to hold liquids and foods, are leeching Bisphenol into the foods and liquids they are holding. Heating food and liquids with these plastics is shown to increase the leeching of this contaminate.

Many companies use this chemical in their packaging including cans, soda cans, and plastic food containers. There is a risk of absorbing this chemical through the use of containing foods and liquids but can also leech into our water systems through landfills.

Many leading experts argue that the use of Bisphenol is safe to the human public but research may begin to further prove otherwise.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

“Bisphenol A has been known to leach from the plastic lining of canned foods and, to a lesser degree, polycarbonate plastics that are cleaned with harsh detergents or used to contain acidic or high-temperature liquids.[16] Infants fed with liquid infant formula have among the highest exposures of anyone eating canned foods. Infants fed canned formula with polycarbonate bottles can consume quantities of Bisphenol A up to 13 µg/kg/day.”

Nov

27

Boon Products free from BPA, PVC and Phthalates

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Product Safety | 2 Comments

I received an email yesterday from a mom looking for information about safe teethers and utensils. So far we’ve only come across one teether that’s not even on sale yet and I have yet to find better information on what teethers and utensils already on the market are BPA and Phthalates free. However, we’re still looking and hopefully we can add that info here soon. In the meantime, I made a call to Boon, Inc, the makers of the Boon Fluid Sippy, which is on the approved BPA free list. I spoke with them briefly to ask about what of their other products are BPA free. She (I can’t recall her name… my toddler was hanging on my leg and then my husband picked up in the middle of the call) assured me that all but 2 of their products were BPA free. The Squirt Spoon and the Catch Bowl are both made with polycarbonate plastic, and for this reason is not considered BPA free.

Update: All Boon feeding products are BPA, PVC and Phthalate free now.

Boon makes some great products, although I have yet to try any of them. I ordered the Fluid Sippy to try it out and haven’t yet received it. I will say that I have high hopes for it since it looks cool and was way more affordable that some of the other safer sippies on the market.

I’ll keep digging for information on teethers and safe alternatives to those and eating utensils. Update: Since the posting of this article we have compiled a list of safer teethers, pacifiers and other items into shopping cheat sheets.  See the left hand column of this site for links to our BPA Free Teether Sheet and our BPA Free Bottles and Sippy Cups Sheets.

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