Green Treehouse

You’ve heard about baby proofing. But what about eco-baby proofing?

Eco-proofing is the latest proactive effort to protect babies and reduce their exposure to environmental threats, especially those lurking in the nursery or house. Eco-proofing a nursery involves taking a close look at the contents and surrounds of that room and eliminating risks. For example, new and expectant parents can eco-proof by opting for toys, furniture, and baby products that are known to be of harmful chemicals or compounds, such as phthalates, lead, and bisphenol A.

To make eco-proofing easier, parents can look for “eco-friendly” products, many of which have labels to guide the eco-conscious (e.g., organic, BPA-free, certified lead free, etc.). They can also look to eco-friendly retailers, such as BabyEarth for eco-proofing ideas and environment-friendly baby gear advice.

April 22, 2009, is Earth Day. Pull out the red crayon and circle that date on your calendar! Why? Because it’s the perfect day for resolving to go green!

You can jump start your Earth Day and green commitment with Classy Kid’s Degradable Diaper Sacks. Keep them in your diaper bag or within reach in the nursery. While ordinary plastic shopping bags may do the trick for containing dirty diapers, plastic takes years to break down in the landfill. These green diaper sacks break down and decompose quickly, making them a green, eco-friendly diaper disposal sack.

Though my mother hoped I would obsess over dolls as a child, I wasn’t all that into them. That’s far from the case with my own children. From the first time my girls could pick up a doll, they were hooked. True love at first sight.

As a mother, I’ve enjoyed watching their love for dolls evolve. At first, there was the baby cuddle doll and then there was the Gloworm—gee, that was such a hit with my older daughter. She refused to sleep without it.

The Gloworm love gradually faded, replaced by the discovery of a Dressy-type doll, which was later tossed for a baby doll that needed diaper changes because she could wet her diaper. I admit that once I started spending more money on doll (newborn) diapers than I did on those for my own living and breathing children, I did try to encourage Cabbage Patch Doll adoption, but that only backfired.

Now while my younger child is at the Gloworm stage, my older child is quickly falling for Barbies, American Girls, and Friends Forever Girls. While I try to let my girls steer their love for dolls and interests, I admit that I’ve said “no” to the purchase of a few types (brands) of dolls along the way. Frankly, I just don’t want my girls to grow up any sooner than necessary.

Thankfully, American Girl Dolls and Friends Forever Girls seem to have staying power, at least for now, though my daughter appears to increasingly favor her Friends Forever Doll. I guess that’s because the doll looks like a friend she could find in real life, minus the eye liner. It’s dressed in trendy clothing, similar to outfits my daughter likes to wear, but the clothing is age-appropriate (no micro-minis here…a huge thanks to a company that got it right…oh by the way, the doll packaging is eye candy for moms–no zipties!).

I appreciate how these two doll companies try to promote positive self-esteem, responsibility and self-confidence. For example, Friends Forever Girls come with an inspiring book (My child’s doll, Natalie, arived with a book that tackles how to deal with feelings) and a special “Butterfly Promise” card. If you’re curious, each letter in the word Butterfly stands for a powerful girl message (e.g., B, “be the best I can be”; U, “Use kindness and be fair”, T, “Tell the truth”…).

In today’s society, girls definitely need all the positive messages they can get. When they find a doll they love, those messages really seem to soak in. Given what I know about my children’s love of dolls and the speed in which their interests wane, I hope they continue to obsess over dolls that love them back for a long time to come.

March 24, 2009: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of about 24,000 Fisher-Price 3-in-1 High Chairs (”3-in-1 High Chair to Booster”). The recall involves product number (P5369), which is printed on the side of the seat, on a label on the seat pad, and on the product’s packaging. The high chairs were sold exclusively at Target from December 2008 through March 2009.

According to CPSC, “The seat can fall backwards from high chair frame if the booster seat release is unlatched while the child is in the product. Also, the seat back can detach if not fully snapped in place, posing a fall hazard and risk of serious injury to young children.”

At least one serious injury has been reported. Consumers are advised to discontinue use immediately.

For more information about this recall or to determine whether your high chair is involved in this recall, click here.

Feb. 4, 2009: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of approximately 100,000 Safety 1st SmartLight Stair Gates (model number 42111 and manufactured before December 31, 2007).

According to CPSC, the gates are voluntarily recalled because “The hinges that hold the stair gate in place can break, posing a fall hazard to children if the gate is placed at the top of the stairs.”

Consumers are advised to stop using the gate and contact the manufacturer.

To learn more about the recall or to determine whether your gate is affected by the recall (and to see an image of the gate), click here.

‘Twas the Night before Christmas…and if that perfect gift for baby or the new mom or dad in your life still elludes you, put an end to your gift-giving worries.

BabyEarth E-Gift Certificates are a click away. You can give a gift certificate in three easy ways:

1. Email it directly to the recipient. (It arrives in a cute .html email, “We’ve got just the gift for you!”)
2. Print it yourself to give the recipient an actual certificate. (You just need a color printer.)
3. Call us and we’ll make a printed copy to send the recipient. (We’ll help you!)

Happy Gifting and Happy Holidays!

Related Posts:
Baby’s Holiday Wish List: 11 Eco-Friendly Gifts
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

I’m head over heels in love with yet another Trumpette product. This time it’s Trumpette’s Organic Tights.

With “recycle” imprinted on the fabric, these organic tights are the perfect hand-me-down after baby outgrows them. Available in sizes 6-12M or 12-18M.

Oh, in case you’re wondering, it’s not too late to jazz up your little one’s holiday with a dash of eco-green. Place your Trumpette order today for delivery by December 24th.

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For the first time ever, with days to spare before Christmas, I’m able to brag that my holiday shopping is complete. Well, 99.9% finished–after all, is anyone really EVER finished?

The only reason I can jump up and down now is because I did so much online shopping this year. With three little ones, I can’t imagine how I would have found the time or energy to check all of the names off my holiday list had I limited myself to brick and mortar shopping. Plus, I know I saved a bundle this year, having found great online deals, like free shipping–not to mention the eco-savings, like less driving and gas consumption.

Now that my orders are showing up on my doorstep at a steady clip, I’m even more excited. My five year old actually caught me singing the lyrics to the Sound of Music song My favorite things… “brown paper packages tied up with strings,” while I zipped around the kitchen preparing dinner tonight.

It’s not too late to wrap yourself up in the excitement of online shopping. If you’re looking for a gift for baby or mom, you can find that perfect gift online at BabyEarth.com. In a matter of clicks, you’ll find yourself singing about brown paper packages, or e-gift certificates, too!

Happy Holidays!

If your child loves fruit or singing Wiggles-style about fruit, they’ll love this adorable Organic Fruit Tote by Under the Nile Organics.

Under the Nile Organics proves that fruit is fun and yummy, yummy….

If you’re looking for another reason to buy eco-friendly toys, consider this news: a Michigan-based environmental research group has found that one-third of popular toys “contain medium or high levels of chemicals of concern.” That’s one in three!