Jan

6

Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green with Baby – Book Available Now!

Filed Under Eco-Mama, Green Mama, SafeMama Press | Comments Off

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    itsabellybookThis is a little overdue and I admit I’ve been sitting on a fresh copy of Itsabelly‘s premier book Going Green With Baby since December.  I am so proud of those ladies and the wonderful book they’ve put together!  I’ve taken some time to read through the book and I am really impressed with its thorough yet bite size approach to going green  – without all the scary “we’re all gonna die” feel to it like some others I’ve looked into.

    They cover everything you can think of from baby gear, crib mattresses, nursery supplies, cloth diapering and bath and skin care they really cover a wide range of topics in easily navigable sections.  This book is a MUST for any new mom.  There is insight and commentary from a bevy of our trusted colleages like Under the Nile, gDiapers, TheSoftLanding.com and Earth Mama Angel Baby.  Plus!  There is a fabulous little chapter introduction from yours truly, Kathy from right here at SafeMama.com.  I was thrilled to participate and think this is a terrific book.  Congratulations Jennifer Lo Prete and Melissa Moog from Itsabelly for birthing Going Green With Baby! Great job ladies!

    Get a Copy! Pick up a copy or two from Itsabelly today for only $17.95: Itsabelly.com or on Amazon.com!

    Nov

    11

    SafeMama Kathy on Healthy Child Healthy World Blog

    Filed Under Green Mama, SafeMama Press | Comments Off

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      One of my daily reads is the Healthy Child Healthy World blog.  They are so insightful and on top of every toxic issue you can think of.  They recently asked me to participate by sharing my “going green” story which they posted yesterday.  If you’re interested in my little story head on over and check it out. Yes, I’m tootin’ my own horn.  Everyone needs to do that once in a while!  While you’re there though check out some of the other articles.  I don’t know what I’d do without that site!  I’m very honored to have been included.

      Healthy Child Healthy World: The Making of a Green Mom

      Jul

      17

      CNNMoney Article: Wal-Mart: The New FDA

      Filed Under Articles, Bisphenol-A, SafeMama Press | Comments Off

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        While many parents have been frustrated over the FDA’s lack of progress over whether or not to ban the chemical Bisphenol-A, giant retailers such as Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and CVS have already made the announcement that they’re taking action and removing bottles and cups containing BPA from their shelves. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is more as a result of dropping sales on these items and customer satisfaction, rather than whether or not the FDA deems this chemical safe. In CNN Money today…

        The question is, why? Bisphenol-A has been widely used since the 1950s. The Food and Drug Administration, as well as Japanese and European regulators, have no problems with it. Canada is about to ban it from baby bottles, but officials term the move purely precautionary.

        To be sure, other scientists worry because animal studies have linked small doses of BPA to cancer and other health problems. But scientific debate isn’t driving the baby bottle war; a hard-hitting push by activist groups, politicians and trial lawyers is.

        And then I noticed that there’s a tiny mention about SafeMama in there. Oh HI!

        In all seriousness, if it’s enviromental activists, lawyers and politicians that are driving this momentum, than I am all for it. Anything to remove these chemicals from everyday products.

        Kathy interjecting here… I find it comical that Mr. Gunther gives people like Healthy Child Healthy World and SafeMama credit for making this happen. It couldn’t be oh, say the startling research published by independent researchers at Universities that are making consumers think twice about trusting the antiquated FDA’s ruling from a billion years ago. From his article:

        What’s inarguable, though, is how rapidly markets can by reshaped today by an activist campaign that catches fire online. The Environmental Working Group and the authors of the book Our Stolen Future have used the Internet to sound alarms about bisphenol-A. The Bisphenol-A Free portal keeps a running tally of bad news reports. Bloggers at www.safemama.com and www.healthychild.org pound away at the chemical industry.

        We’re pounding away at the chemical industry? Not exactly. We’re merely parents trying to help pther parents wrap their head around the information we have available to us. Here at SafeMama, we have made it our priority to not inject our opinion on what parents should do, we simply present material we find and help parents educate themselves to make their own choices.

        We can’t help that parents don’t want to risk their children’s safety on a cheap piece of plastic so that a bottle company can make a few bucks. And frankly, I think it’s an insult to consumers intelligence to assume they are changing their buying habits on an internet whim.

        But now that I know we have that kind of persuasive power, I challenge all bottle, cup, formula and food makers in this country to give the consumer the choice of buying BPA free. AS parents, we aren’t willing to risk it for even .00005% chance. So get with the program.  (Thus endeth Kathy’s rant)

        All I can say is, don’t mess with a woman who is on the forage for some chocolate!

        And in conclusion, one of the things mentioned in the article, that sticks out in my mind as of late, is that the industry doesn’t exactly have a good track record. Opinion aside, I’ve never had much confidence in an industry that comes across as so biased. If there’s one message we strive for as a parent, do your own research and do what’s right for you and your family. Of course we’re trying to make as much of a difference as we can, but the more people become educated on environmental toxins, the more of a difference we can make.

        May

        9

        Safe Mama: Boycotting Fisher Price

        Filed Under SafeMama Press, Website News | Comments Off

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          No thanks Fisher PriceMy son has a fair amount of Fisher Price toys. A lot of them gifts from grandparents and various friends, sure, but being that he’s an only child, we’ve definitely supplied him enough plastic from China to help put some of those workers into early retirement. It’s not something I’m proud of, and as he outgrows his toys, we’re definitely making a more concerted effort to choose toys that are less noisy, more educational and thought provoking, as well as better for the earth.

          We’ve gotten emails from numerous Safe Mama readers regarding Fisher Price’s motives on keeping parents in the dark regarding the materials used in making their toys. Most companies have been very nice about disclosing product materials used in their toys, which warms my heart. Not so much with Fisher Price. It seems that Fisher Price refuses to give out information on exactly what types of plastic are used in their products. No matter how much they’re pushed. Stating that they either “Don’t have that information...” or that the information is “proprietary.” Nearly every person that has called has been assuaged by statements like “all of our products are tested for safety” and “meets strict testing standards.” Quite frankly, we’ve had enough. This is a company that makes up a large percentage of the world’s toys and I find it disgusting that they try to hide behind their legal team to avoid telling consumers what the products are comprised of.

          There are lots of other great toy options out there, which we support and plan to support through this website. From here forward, we at Safe Mama will not be purchasing, promoting or otherwise acknowledging anything from a company that so adamantly refuses to disclose product information to its consumers.

          We understand, that Fisher Price is within their rights to not disclose material information. By assuring consumers that “It’s made with the highest of safety standards.” they are covering their behinds. That’s all fine and good but as we have all learned or will learn this year is that just because a company stands behind something that the higher powers say is safe, doesn’t always mean it is. In essence, Fisher price is telling us “It’s safe, cupcake…don’t worry your pretty little head about the details.” As if to suggest that as a parent we can’t comprehend what polypropylene is or how the recycling code system works. This isn’t rocket science, but parents today are learning about these things and have a right to know what their toddler might be chewing on.

          What applaud companies such as Phillips Avent or Playtex that can come out from behind the “We stand by BPA and it’s safety” wall and disclose their materials because it’s what their customers want. Even though they still support and sell it, we can respect the fact that they are listening to us. Fisher Price, we’re afraid, is being a bully and assuming we’ll all continue to buy their products and get over it. Sorry Fisher Price… until you start giving parents what they need to feel comfortable buying your products, we just won’t buy them.

          Jan

          17

          SafeMama on Motherhood Uncensored

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            If you missed me on Motherhood Uncensored tonight you can check it out here. Kristen was a lovely host and we covered a lot of information. I forgot to mention our coupon code so graciously offered by The Soft Landing in the bustle of interviewing. I can’t multi-task! So, have a listen to the show and count how many times we collectively say “nipples”. Clue: It’s a lot thanks to Cristina from Green Mom Finds. Send me your guess (safemama at gmail.com) and I’ll reply with your coupon code good for a freebie worth $4.95 with a $20 purchase at The Soft Landing. The first reader to answer correctly will also get a free mystery gift (it’ll be a BPA Free gift) from Safe Mama to sweeten the deal.

            Stuff we mentioned:
            Green Mom Finds – great site for all things green and eco-friendly
            The Soft Landing – Takes the stress out of non-toxic shopping
            CleanWell – Natural and safe soaps and sanitizers
            BornFree – BPA Free Bottles and Cups
            EWG Report on BPA in Baby Formula

            Dec

            4

            Jumping Monkeys mentions Safe Mama

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              Jumping Monkeys We received a nice mention on the podcast show Jumping Monkeys yesterday. Megan Morrone and Leo Laporte are hosts of the talk show Jumping Monkeys broadcast by TWiT.tv. We were mentioned on their recent show where they also interview Becky Worley, who is expecting twins very soon. Her goal is similar to what mine was when I was pregnant. Don’t give birth on Christmas. We wish her luck with that! Thanks Megan and Leo for the plug! You can download or stream Jumping Monkeys on TWiT.tv or you can subscribe in iTunes. Megan’s blog is found at JumpingMonkeys.com.

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