Green Treehouse

What’s on your baby’s holiday wish list? While she may seem content playing with wrapping paper and bows, these 11 gifts are sure to please–especially her parents!

1. Sassy Baby’s Loved Ones. ($7.99)

2. Mini WeeGo Glass Bottles. ($11.99)

3. Baberoo Organic Leggies. ($12.00)

4. Sassy Wooden Trio. ($10.49)

5. Cloud b Sleep Sheep. ($24.95)

6. Cloud b Twilight Turtle ($30.95). Children LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this night light!

7. Organic Bear Teether. ($8.00)

8. Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug. ($59.95)

9. Hammer Balls, by Plan Toys. ($18.00)

10. Haba Push Car. ($152.99)

11. Classic ABC Block Cart, by Melissa & Doug. ($12.49)

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Whether your plans today include turkey, tofurkey, baby jar meat or pizza, Happy Thanksgiving from the Green Treehouse!

Countdown to Christmas: 27 Days, 57 Gifts - Under $10

Ready, set, go. After the dishes are washed, it’s time to get ready for the next holiday. For eco-friendly baby gifts and economical gift-giving ideas, check out BabyEarth’s fabulous collection of gifts under $10. Orders over $99 ship free.

New parents have one more thing to worry about this morning: the safety of U.S. infant formula. Traces of the chemical melamine have been found in recent samples of popular U.S. infant formula brands. According to the Director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, “The levels that we are detecting are extremely low,” and [parents and caregivers] “should not be changing the diet. If they’ve been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That’s in the best interest of the baby.”

Earlier this year, melamine was found in Chinese infant formula and has been linked to at least three infant deaths. Melamine is also linked to making thousands ill. More recently, melamine was discovered in certain candy, causing parents to avoid imported Halloween candy.

Melamine ingestion can lead to kidney and bladder issues, including kidney failure. Exposure to the chemical arises when it is leaches from food packaging or from equipment used during food processing.

To read more about Melamine found in U.S. Infant Formula, click here.

Congratulations, you’re expecting a baby soon! If you’re a new mom (or know one) who needs everything, and I mean everything, for baby, but money is tight right now, read on.

You’re going to love these 7 tips for gearing up for baby without busting your bank account or your stress level. The icing on the cake? They include eco-friendly ideas, too.

1. Ditch sposies. Or keep use to a minimum. New parents can save a ton of money by using cloth diapers instead of disposables. Don’t worry, cloth diapers today have come a long way from the old school “fold and pin” style–some even look like and feel like disposable diapers.

2. Buy the essentials, wait to buy the optional goods. You may have your heart set on that yummy Banana Fish Bubble Gum Diaper Stacker, but your baby isn’t going to love you any less if you can’t afford to buy it before she’s born. Instead, hold off until you have the essentials, like Under the Nile Organic Onesies and T-shirts (which by the way, trust me, you can never have enough onesies!) and then splurge!

3. Skip the huge expensive baby shower cake. Instead enjoy a smaller cake (and fewer calories!) and encourage friends and family to create a longer lasting “diaper cake” that baby will get to appreciate.

4. Buy a car seat with an extra base. Save a little cash by buying one car seat and an extra base, instead of two car seats.

5. Accept hand-me-downs and troll the Internet for deals. Shop online when possible. You’ll save $$ and gas costs.

6. Buy one high-efficiency laundry detergent for family and baby. Look for sensitive, baby safe laundry detergent that works for both baby and the rest of the family. You’ll save money on “specialty” detergent. Be sure to look for an eco-friendly brand!

7. Get your hands on a quality stroller. Save gas money and get exercise (hey, what mom doesn’t look forward to shedding old pregnancy weight?) by walking with baby whenever possible! A stroller can even help you save gym membership costs!

November 10, 2008: Johnson & Johnson-Mercy Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co. has announced a recall of approximately 12,000 units of Mylicon gas-relief dye-free drops, sold in 1-ounce plastic bottles and distributed to stores and pharmacies after Oct. 5. The recall involves lots SMF007 and SMF008. The lots are recalled because some bottles could include pieces of metal.

Mylicon drops are a popular product used to relieve gas in infants.

For more information about the recall, click here.

Besides taking up landfill space, did you know that many mattresses (e.g., foam mattresses) impact the environment because they are made from non-renewable fossil fuels?

Did you know that some studies suggest that petroleum-based foam mattresses pose health risks, especially overtime as foam breaks down and releases toxic formaldehyde gas?

Sealy has responded to these health and environmental concerns by introducing a Soybean Foam-Core Crib Mattress. Parents looking to buy an affordable, eco-friendly crib mattress will definitely want to check out Sealy’s Soybean Crib Mattress.

What’s to love about a Soybean-based mattress? How about peace of mind? Sealy’s Soybean Foam-Core Mattress is made in the USA from soybeans grown in the USA. So say “bye-bye” to dangerous petroleum-based foam, and say “hello” to renewable-based soy. Sealy’s mattress is also hypoallergenic and features a cover that prevents allergens from clinging to the mattress. And, the icing on the eco-friendly cake is the price. Sealy’s soybean-based crib mattress is reasonably priced, making it easier for parents to give their babies the gift of a healthy night’s rest—plus, of course, a healthier Earth.

Stuck for a baby name? Well, here’s one Green Treehouse Blog Post you don’t want to miss!

Whether you’re looking for a modern beauty or timeless classic, here are 21 Best of the Best ‘Green’ Baby Names for 2008 — names that reflect the current green movement, environmentalism, and inspire appreciation for nature.

1. Jane (think Jane Goodall)
2. Mackay (think Whole Foods, John Mackay)
3. Henry (think Henry David Thoreau)
4. Rachel (think Silent Spring author)
5. John (think Sierra Club, John Muir)
6. Julia (think Julia “Butterfly” Hill)
7. Clay (think Earth, not Idol)
8. Margaret (think Margaret Mead)
9. Rosalie (think Rosalie Edge)
10. Terra (think Earth)
11. Willow
12. Rain
13. Coral
14. Spruce
15. Linden (think tree, not Second Life)
16. Sierra
17. Autumn
18. Sommer
19. Shale (think rock)
20. Mica (think rock)
21. Julian (think Alps)

Have a favorite green name? Leave a comment and tell us.

What causes Autism? That’s what parents, doctors, and researchers want to know. Thanks to a new study we may be closer to answers. Researchers at Cornell University have found that “children growing up in the rainiest or snowiest areas of the country seem to have a higher risk for autism than children living in drier climates.”

The latest thinking is that precipitation increases exposure to mercury and other dangerous neurotoxins through deposition in the environment. It’s suspected that this exposure to outdoor and indoor neurotoxins triggers a genetic predisposition to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Recent studies have also shown increases in mercury levels in Americans in recent years, which support this latest reports’ findings.

To read more about this study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, click here.

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