Obsessed Moms

Protecting tiny eyes

2011-12-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Having battled with melanoma myself, I'm always worried about my daughter's exposure to the sun, especially living in Miami. She currently has a pair of sunglasses that have a band around the back of the head, but we just can't get them to stay on her head. The band is still a bit loose, so I won't blame the glasses, but she did used to have a pair of regular sunglasses that she seemed to enjoy wearing a lot more, until her mom somehow lost them.
In searching for a new pair, I came across Real Kids Shades. I like them because they detail their rigorous product testing program which assures all Real Kids Shades are CPSIA Compliant, CE Certified, and FDA Approved to provide 100% UVA and UVB protection. Just because glasses say they have UV protection, doesn't mean they do, and wearing glasses that lack sufficient protection is actually worse than wearing no glasses, since when behind a shaded lens, the retina actually opens, letting in even more dangerous rays to insufficiently protected eyes.
I ordered the Flex, for ages 3-7. They come in great colors and are a frame shape that I wish I could find for myself. Check them out at RealKidsShades.com

Safe, softer, sleeping

2011-11-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

Now that my daughter is getting older (she's edging quickly towards 2 1/2) her mattress, organic in all it's glory, is feeling a little on the firm side for her tossing and turning little body. I'm finding her sleeping on her side and back more and more, so I started looking for a mattress topper to soften it up a bit. Not as easy of a task as I thought it would be. Finally though, I found one, at Ecobaby.com.
Since growing bones grow best on firm mattresses, their recommendation for softening up a firm mattress without adding too much give was one of their organic plush pads, made of natural wool attached to a cotton backing, so as to be humane. My daughter sleeps in a Stokke oval crib, and they even make a pad for her mattress.
Here's to hoping both she, and I, will be catching a few more Z's.

Funny letters-BOOK GIVEAWAY

2011-10-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Jokelabet-the ABCs of letter jokes, a new book by Russ Stark and Tony Buckland, teaches kids the differences between letters with a sense of humor.
"What did the I say to the T? Cool hat." and "What did the O say to the Q? Your shoelace is untied." are a few of my faves from this independently-published book available at blurb.com (search for Jokelabet).
Write a comment about which letter gives you and your family the biggest laughs on a regular basis.
One v-e-r-y lucky winner will receive a free copy of the book (make sure to include your email address so I can be in touch if you win).

Wee-licious

2011-09-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

For a while there, I was cooking up a storm for my daughter. I was a member of an organic food share, I was finding new recipes, chopping, dicing, slow-cooking, fast-cooking, I was even cooking Kale.
Lately, I've lost my cooking mojo and have been stuck in frozen food purgatory, but today I saw a post on my friend's facebook page and clicked onto Weelicious.com. I got my mojo back. I went and bought ingredients I needed. I mixed and whisked and made these delicious Peanut (well, Almond) Butter and Jelly frozen pops. So easy. Tomorrow, I have the Avacado and honey dip on my to-do list and am actually looking forward to it. I think I just needed a little inspiration, so thanks Weelicious. The thing I love most is that they have an amazing number of specified categories including dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free.
Crossing my fingers that my daughter digs the PB&J pops tomorrow.

Say NO to GMO

2011-06-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share this video series by Jeffrey M. Smith, author of Seeds of Deception.
Don't Experiment With Your Baby is a must-watch for anyone thinking about having a baby. The video details how GMO tests on animals have shown very serious results to babies in utero. And if you're going to watch only one of the series, make it It's Time For a Food Fight. Apparently animals know better than we do.
I think a lot of us have organic foods on our radars, but forget about how dangerous genetically modified (GMO) foods can potentially be to us and our children. Luckily, all certified organic foods cannot intentionally include GMO ingredients But a lot more varieties of non-organic fruits and veggies are going under the needle these days, so refer to the non-GMO shopping guide website. They even have an iphone app. Now chant with me...No GMO, No GMO, No GMO.

Your Wee Friend

2011-06-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter is about to go into full-on potty training mode, as soon as I'm up for sitting her down on the potty every half hour that is.
Well, one step I've taken so far is installing these too-cool, heat-sensitive stickers that change color when your wee one pees on them into both her potties. They're called, appropriately, Wee Friend stickers and they start out black and change to the object of your choosing (they come in a variety of designs including a star, pig, flower, etc.).
You just stick it to the bottom of any flat-based potty surface and wait for your kid to pee.
Don't be a dimwit like me and try to show your little one how it works using cold water, because it's only activated by the warmth of you-know-what. Poo will do the trick as well, but it's definitely not as fun to look at afterwards.
My daughter peed in her potty for the first time yesterday and was definitely encouraged when I told her that the "magic" star would appear for her.
One sticker per package. Available at pottytrainingconcepts.com. Make sure to use the code ShipCheap (caps are case sensitive) at checkout to get the $4.95 shipping. Also use coupon code: CLR15% for 15% off any order of %50 or more.
Happy training.

Tuna fish that isn't so fishy

2011-05-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a canned albacore tuna fish so that I can make my girl a nice little tuna fish salad sandwich, but almost all canned goods have the not-so-added benefit of having BPA in the can linings. I've made a habit of buying most of my other usually-canned goods (tomato paste, beans, peas, etc.) in glass jars or frozen bags instead. Tuna, unfortunately doesn't taste so great out of a frozen bag and isn't available in glass jars so my search went on until the other day when I picked up a can of Wild Planet sustainably and wild-caught albacore tuna fish in Whole Foods and read the back label to find that, wahoo, they use a certified BPA-free can.
Wild Planet tuna fish is also much lower in mercury than the average canned tuna fish because they use smaller troll-caught fish instead of larger and older (which means higher-in-mercury) line-caught fish.
Check out Wild Planet's website to read more. wildplanetfoods.com

Half sippy, half cup, it's the Tilty

2011-05-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

I remember seeing an ad for the Tilty cup when my daughter was first born and thinking "that's a great idea, but it'll be years before my little tiny baby will need that." Well, it's two years later and she wants so badly to drink out of a regular cup. Unfortunately, at a few months shy of two years old, she has the motor-skills of a guy stumbling out of a bar at 3am, so more of her drink ends up on the rug than in her mouth. The other day I spotted the Tilty at a local store and grabbed a two-pack to try out. My daughter loves it and so do I. There are no straws, filters or valves. There were early mornings where I felt like I needed a mechanical engineering degree in order to put her various cups together. This one is simple. Fill. Snap top on. Hand to thirsty kid. Done.
Tilty keeps the liquid at an angle and allows it to flow to the spout with minimal effort so that your little one doesn't have to tilt his/her head back as far. According to The American Dental Association, the fact that it doesn't have a valve also makes it better for a toddler's dental development. TILTY is BPA Free, PVC Free, Pthalate Free, made of safe #5 polypropylene, and is dishwasher safe.
Happy sipping.
Available at Amazon.com Tilty Sippy Cup, Clear, 7 Ounce, 2 Pack (Obsessedmoms.com gets a small percentage when you buy through this link)

Wishing you a Happy Earth Day with an offering of Green Toys

2011-04-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, at 6am, when my dear daughter tends to wake up, I did a small inventory of some of the toys that have slowly been trickling into our house (via gifts from Grandparents and well-meaning friends) and realized there were lots of "invader" toys that do not meet my standards for the health of my daughter mixed in the bunch. So I got a basket and started gathering questionable plastic toys to put into toy lock-up and then took a look to see what alternatives I could find for them that were BPA and Pthalate-free. The skies opened up when I found safe versions of all the "no" toys in my reject basket. From the same people, Green Toys, who brought us the BPA-free tugboat made of recycled milk jugs I also found replacement "safe" versions of our play dishes and utensils, tools, trucks and other great safe toys are also available. They're now in my Amazon basket and I'm hoping they'll make it into yours too.
Read more at Greentoys.com and purchase at Amazon.com(Obsessed Moms gets a small percentage when you purchase through these links)
Tool Box
Dish Set
Tea Set
Happy Earth Day!

Obsessed Moms logo has been born

2011-04-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Obsessedmoms.com finally has a logo, thanks to amazing illustrator and designer Maura Condrick. There are a series of other great obsessed-animal-mom illustrations to come, so keep an out for them as they arrive. Hoot-hoot.

Zapping big germs on little toothbrushes

2011-04-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

I read about the Violight ZapiPOP kids' toothbrush sanitizer in a magazine about a year ago and finally bought one for my daughter. Turns out some pretty gross stuff can end up on your kids' toothbrushes because of airborne bacteria that go flying when you flush...Influenza, herpes simplex I, streptococci, staphylococci, yeasts, and the bacteria that cause gum disease, cavities, and even diarrheal illness just to name a few. Also, germs can move from one brush to another if you store toothbrushes near each other.
The Zapi uses ultraviolet (UV) light which is a proven germicide which eliminates up to 99.9% of bacteria that thrive on your toothbrush. They come with stickers that you can change to create new characters on your Zapi. My daughter loves her oso (bear in Spanish) and asks to hold it when brushing her teeth. Available at violight.com
NOTE: I just saw a 20% off code smile311

Truly Green Grass

2011-03-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

When we moved from New York, where our fire escape was our yard, to Miami, where we actually had a real yard, we started to think about how to treat our grass without making it dangerous for our daughter to play in. Most fertilizers, weed killers and bug killers are chock full of nasty toxins you don't want your kids anywhere near, and since our children probably eat more grass from the yard than they do veggies from their plates, it's important that we make it safe for them.
There are several brands and types of organic fertilizers, including some that are specific to vegetable gardens and others to lawns and flowers. Scotts Organic Choice Lawn Food is one that I found to be readily available at local hardware and home stores like Home Depot and Ace.
Of course, the results may be a little slower-going than with traditional fertilizer, but like with all good things, a little patience pays off. We noticed a big difference after applying it three times, with empty patches filling in and greener, fuller grass.
Seems like a small thing we all can do to make our children and our planet a little safer.

Clean drinking water out of thin air

2011-03-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

You can filter your drinking water with a grocery store-bought filter or a fancy-pants ceramic one, but there are some things that no filters can clean out. Antibiotics, anti-depressants, hormones and other compounds are running rampant in our drinking water, albeit in small, but detectable amounts. Check out this article for details.
I for one, do not want any of that stuff in my or my daughter's drinking water, so I'm saving up for one of these bad-boys...an Ecoloblue atmospheric water generator. It takes the humidity out of the air, filters it and turns it into some of the cleanest drinking water around. It's pricy, starting at just under $1000, but look at it this way, if you buy bottled water in an effort to avoid all the yuck in tap water, you're probably spending about $3500 a year already ($.40 per 8 oz. bottle x 8 glasses a day x 3 people in a family x 365 days in a year = $3500). And just think of all the plastic you wouldn't be adding to the landfills.
The Ecoloblue generator makes 28-30 liters a day, depending on the model, in both cold and hot temperatures, so you can use it for cooking as well (easy to forget that the water that your food is cooked in actually ends up in your food). For the really green, they are also solar-panel-compatible.
It has 30-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty.
Available at www.ecoloblue.com (tell them Obsessed Moms sent you)

Non-stink, indoor-composter...toddler food scraps turned to fertilizer

2011-03-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

Nature Mill has just released their third-generation indoor-composter, and it doesn't stink, literally. It has a carbon filter to weed out the stink of decomposing organic waste, fits under a kitchen cabinet and uses about $.50 of electricity a month. I've always been a bit weary of having rotting food sitting in my kitchen, but at the same time, I'd love to teach my daughter that she can make a difference in making our Earth a healthier planet, and composting is a great way to do that.
Using the compost to fertilize the yard is another fun, earthy, thing to do with your kids and lets everyone reap what they sewed, or at least what the composter sewed.
Watch this video (scroll down mid-page) to hear the details.
Available through Eartheasy.com

Good Night Light

2011-02-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

After searching for a great nightlight that my daughter could easily hold, I found this cresent moon light by Kinderglo. It has several color settings, including one where it changes from one color to another. You can set it to turn off on it's own or to stay on all night. The LED light prevents it from getting hot to the touch so your child can keep it in bed if they want. It's too bright for my daughter to sleep with on, but she likes holding it before bed, and has named it a very appropriate "moon". Available at amazon.com
Kinderglo Portable Fun and Safe Rechargeable Night Light, Quarter Moon
(Obsessed Moms makes a small percentage if you buy it through this link)

Double-edged...spoon

2011-01-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

I recently bought this spoon that is actually two spoons in one, one on each end. It's great because each spoon has a non-slid area that helps food to not fall off, as well as being large enough for a good-size bite. Most of the other baby spoons I have just weren't cutting it for my girl anymore.
She's at the stage where she wants to put food in her mouth herself, but still doesn't have all the dexterity she needs, so this funky spoon design is really helpful for her little hands. It's 100% rubber and is PVC, Phalate and BPA-free. I wish I had bought this cousin of the Teethifier long ago.
Teethifer and Spoon Z are both available at shopkidgear.com

Real wood VS. Fake wood

2011-01-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

When looking for a wood kitchen set for our daughter's Christmas gift, we had a tough time finding any that weren't made from MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), which is often marketed as "wood", but is not actual real wood. Here is a link to an article about the dangers of MDF and the formaldehyde used in the glues that attach the layers of fiberboard. We kept searching and found this adorable and simple REAL WOOD kitchen set, that is made right here in the USA, sold by Land of Nod at landofnod.com. Note that they also carry furniture made of MDF including other kitchens, so if you're looking for real wood, make sure you read the descriptions very carefully.
Happy cooking.

Congratulations to Laura...she won a free set of wood and sandpaper letters

2011-01-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Laura's comment about how she plans to teach her little one their letters and numbers won her a free set of innovative Polliwog birch and sandpaper letters. Congratulations Laura.

Spell it out with sandpaper-WIN A SET!

2010-12-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

These letter and number cards use sandpaper to help kids learn their ABCs and 123s. Not only can they trace the letters and numbers with their fingers, but when they're ready, they can do crayon rubbings with them. Made from natural birch wood.
Michele, creator of Polliwog Learning Products, also added the genius touch of a small dot to indicate which way is up. Another nice learning tool is that consonants are red and and vowels blue. The numbers are a gorgeous green...the color of money.
She makes mini and full-size sets of upper and lowercase letters and numbers and also makes a combination set that includes all three.
One lucky Obsessed Moms follower will win a set of lower-case mini letters. Just leave a comment below sharing your favorite way to teach your little one their letters and numbers. I will pick a winner on January 1st to make it a happy new year. Don't forget to include your email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you're the winner. Only one comment per person please. Shipping within the U.S. only.
For more info check out Polliwog's store on Etsy.com

Sun shade on the go-go

2010-11-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

My family and I just got back from a trip to South America, where the ozone layer is in even worse shape than it is here. Since my daughter is the fairest of them all, I decided to bring my Protect-a-Bub sunshade with me. I borrowed a stroller from a friend down in the lower hemisphere, but I guessed it wouldn't have as much sun protection as my stroller, so I folded up my shade (it's flexible and lightweight) and stuck it in the suitcase. We ended up using it every day and got of perplexed looks from passerbys who had never seen one or such an Obsessed Mom. I have the older model, which is a little cockeyed to one side when tied on, so looks slightly goofy, but doesn't stop this mom from trying to compensate for darn hole in the sky. There is now a newer model, which hopefully sits a little straighter.
I originally bought it to cover my daughter's infant car seat, but decided to try it on our lightweight stroller a few months ago and it worked great. Now, it's proven itself to also be useful in travel. Protect your bub with one through this Amazon link and Obsessed Moms makes a small profit to continue searching for the best products for our bubs.
Protect-a-Bub Single Compact Sunshade, Black

Be floored

2010-11-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

When my daughter started to outgrow her foam play mats and baby gates, I went in search of a healthy floor covering alternative (our floors are marble, and are hence very hard and cold). I was turned onto Flor modular carpet tiles, an ingenious system of square carpet tiles that fit together to make either a large area carpet or wall-to-wall carpet. They have a variety of different types of tiles, but the natural wool option was what made me fall in love. A wool carpet was a must for us since we only wanted natural fibers near our daughter's skin. FLOR squares are also one of the lowest VOC (volatile organic compounds)-emitting home carpet products out there. This is good since we don't want most of the acronyms you hear of (BPA, PVC, VOC...) anywhere near our kids.
The tile system is great since you can replace just one if (or more like when) an accident occurs. You can mix and match colors, weaves and patterns, even as subtly as parqueting the tiles (alternating direction of the weave), which is what we did. Since we've had the carpet in our living room, we've suddenly started migrating back into our formal living room, which we haven't gone near since she was born. It makes the room feel warm and cozy, and now I don't need to hunt down a pillow to sit on every time I want to sit on the floor to play. Installation consists of laying the squares down and lining them up. Voila. They also provide corner stickers to connect the tiles, but I haven't even used those yet and the carpet seems to be sticking in place just fine.
As far as my daughter's reaction, it was like Christmas had come early. She thought it was crazy and amazing that all of this soft carpet was laid down just for her. Who knew Santa came in the form of carpet squares.
I also love that over 90% of FLOR tiles are made in the USA and that they recycle any squares that are returned to them. Check them out at www.flor.com/

Clean well

2010-10-25T18:40:00.001-07:00

I love this product for keeping hands clean when soap and water just aren't an option. With all the news about hand sanitizers like Purell containing parabans that cause Endocrine disruption, CleanWell decided to come up with a paraban and alcohol-free alternative. It's made with Ingenium™, a patented formulation of essential plant oils proven to kill 99.99% of germs. Ingenium consists of citrus oil, citrus acid, aloe leaf, thyme oil and copper PCA (a skin conditioner and naturally occurring mineral found in human skin). The bonus is that is gets 4 times more uses per than alcohol gel and comes in biodegradable packaging.
I keep one in every stroller, every diaper bag, every purse...they also come in individual wipes when you're traveling light. Well done CleanWell.

RECALL: Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets

2010-10-25T18:35:00.001-07:00

I don't usually list recalls on my blog, but since this is a product that I've been using on my daughter for the past year, I felt that I needed to share this recall information. The FDA is advising to stop use of the tablets immediately due to inconsistent amounts of Belladonna. Please read and make sure to share this link with any mothers who may use it.
Still, I believe in homeopathic products and believe that this link supporting Hyland's tablets is a very good one to read as well.

Lightweight lunches

2010-10-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

My daughter received one of these neoprene insulated lunch bags by Built NY for her first birthday...it also doubled as the gift bag for a beautiful dress. It's a great size, big enough for two straw-cups, a sandwich and several 2-oz cubes of food. It's also lightweight and comes in a selection of adorable designs. Vinyl-free, PVC-free, and machine washable. More information at www.builtny.com. Also available at Amazon.com (Obsessed Moms receives a percentage if you purchase through this link). Built NY Lunch Tote

Big protection for little ears

2010-10-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

Peltor Junior Earmuffs are made to protect little ears at concerts, sporting events, on planes, etc. I just ordered a pair for my daughter after attending an outdoor concert last week. The music was too loud for her sensitive ears and I was wishing I had a pair of these cute ear muffs. Available on Amazon.com (Obsessed Moms gets a small percentage if you buy through this link) Peltor Junior Earmuff

Fresh Aire

2010-10-13T19:46:00.001-07:00

When we moved into our current home one year ago, I decided to paint what would be my daughter's room since the half baby-pink, half baby-blue walls with duck border just didn't cut it for me. I knew I wanted to use a zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air inside a home is, on average, two to five times more polluted than the air outside. One way to clean it up is to use paints that aren't full of stuff we don't want in our kids bodies.
Finding the right paint was easier than I thought, just around the corner at Home Depot. I ended up going with Freshaire Choice, a zero VOC (as opposed to "low" VOC) paint. They achieve zero VOCs by not only creating VOC-free paint, but VOC-free colorant. Speaking of colors, they have a great selection that you can check out at freshairechoice.com

Seriously lovable dolls

2010-10-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

In looking for a doll for my daughter to play with in the bath, I ran into the usual issue of those icky ingredients that most doll manufacturers use in their plastics these days. In my search I did come across one that was truly lovable to me and to my daughter. It's made by Kathe Kruse, a German manufacturer and it's PVC, Phlatate and PVC free. They make dolls for the bath, dolls for dress-up and dolls for just dragging around.
I also love that they make boy dolls since little boys have the right to have a mini-me too.
They're a bit pricey, but worth it to avoid the ick. I ordered mine from Debra's Dolls in NJ. www.debrasdolls.com

Babies for the Planet

2010-09-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to get an umbrella stroller for traveling and to have as a lightweight option in the car. I ended up with a Britax, but when it came time to find a raincover for it, I was disappointed with my choices. I found one that was PVC-free, a must for any little one, but it only had a small clear window and the rest was opaque. It made me claustrophobic just looking at it, so I continued my search until I found the BabyPlanet new single-seat rain cover. It's completely clear, PVC-Free, BPA-Free and Phthalate Free. It's lightly frosted to reduce glare. As far as fit, it is made for BabyPlanet's single seat strollers, but fits most other brands as well.
Icing on the Good & Green cake is that they have a donation and recycling program to keep their (as well as any other brands you send in) strollers out of landfills.
www.baby-planet.com

Cooking is a snap

2010-09-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

As I finish up a night of cooking...turkey meatloaf, beets, purple kohlrabi puree (I buy from an organic food share, and have to figure out something to do with the weirder vegetables that I get), I was just thinking about how much I love the glass storage set that I bought two sets of. The lids are silicone and snap on tightly. I baked my meatloaf in one, let it cool and then just snapped the top on and put it the fridge. The beets and kohlrabi, I transfered from the hot pan right into a glass container, let it cool for 10 minutes and then let it join the meatloaf in the fridge. I'm a big cook-ahead-and-eat-as-leftovers-girl, so these things are lifesavers for me, and none of that yucky plastic leaching to worry about.
Available on Amazon (Obsessed moms gets a percentage if you buy it through this link:)Snapware 18pc Glasslock Tempered Glass Storage Containers 18piece Set with Lids

Waste not, want not

2010-09-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

Fellow-awesome-blog (and store) The Safe Landing has started a fundraising program to help educate and provide moms and kids with waste-free lunch options. If you are affiliated with a non-profit organization who would like to have a fundraiser selling these BPA and Phltlate-free reusable lunch box options, please visit Safemunch
to sign up.

Wipes that keep on giving

2010-08-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

When my daughter was born I decided to use cloth wipes instead of disposable, and bought 2 packs of Prince Lionheart Warmies Cloth Bamboo Wipes. They come 8 to a pack and they are the softest little cloths that I found. I used them in the warmer until she was a few months old and then I started using Nature's Babycare biodegradeble wipes. Once she started eating solids (with her hands) I started using the bamboo wipes to wipe her hands and face after eating. Another great use I found for them was wetting and freezing them to use as teething relief. They're just the right size for little hands and mouths and they're made of natural bamboo fibers. Only bummer is you cannot dry them in the dryer, so I hang them to dry. They're worth it.

Safe suds

2010-08-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

As I just flipped through a baby's first objects book with my daughter, we arrived to the tugboat, which she pointed at inquisitively wanting to hear what it was. I said "Bote" in spanish and thought to myself, we need a "bote" in her bathtub. Then I thought the dreaded thought that I always think...where am I going to find one that isn't toxic. I just went onto Uncommon Goods website to search for something unrelated and came across this little beauty. BPA, PVC and Phtalate-free and made from recycled plastic milk jugs. Toot-toot. uncommongoods.com

Add iron the old-fashioned way

2010-08-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

I recently found out that my daughter's iron levels are leaving a little to be desired, so I've been pushing the eggs, spinach and beans, but another natural way to add iron to your little one's (as well as your) diet is to cook in cast iron cookwear. I just purchased this dutch oven with glass lid (I got the 10.25" size). Don't be tempted by pretty, colorful enamel-coated cast-iron wear, since your food will not absorb any iron through the coating. Also worth noting is that Lodge cast iron cookwear is made here in the old U.S. of A. Details at www.lodgemfg.com. Also available through Amazon (Obsessed Moms also gets a small percentage if you purchase one through this link:)Lodge Dutch Ovens with Glass Lid

Teething relief bling

2010-07-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

Several friends have decked their little one out in one of these amber teething necklaces. I've always admired them, but it only recently occurred to me, after 4 sleepless teething nights, to get one for my daughter. I got this lemon-colored, clear necklace, but they come in colors from black to orange to yellow. Check out the selection on Etsy.

BPA-free pumping

2010-07-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

When my daughter was born one year ago (her birthday was this past Monday), I didn't know much about breast pumps and didn't even think to research to see if there was a "Green" one. A friend had given me her old one, but after a very expensive meeting with a lactation consultant, she made it very clear that with each child you MUST get a brand new pump, not necessarily for hygienic reasons, but because the pumps are only single use and they slowly burn out, sometimes unbeknownst to the user.
So, I bought a Medela, which has worked well for me, but according to this article Medela bottles, even though marketed as BPA-free were found to have low to high levels of BPA in them. Luckily, I read this early on and always immediately transfered my milk into glass bottles, but it was very disheartening news to read. Enter the Hygeia pump. All of it's parts that come into contact with breast milk are BPA/DEHP Free and it even has an innovative feature that allows you to record you baby's cries, laughs or whatever other sounds help your milk let down. Kinda makes me want to have another...
hygeiababy.com

Green garbage

2010-07-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Even though they're not designed specifically as a baby product, Perf's Go Green Biodegradable bags work great in the diaper bin, as well as in the kitchen and for recycling. We've tried several brands of biodegradable bags and these take the prize. They're thick enough that they don't rip or leak and they have handles to make it easy to remove them and tie them up. They are made from recycled plastics and break down within 2 years of exposure to the elements (but just as a reminder, just because things are biodegradable, doesn't mean they go away if they're stuck in the middle of a landfill pile and not exposed to sun and rain to break them down, so if you don't need to make trash, don't:)
We use the 30 gallon Garden & Leaf bags in our Simple Human garbage can, recycling can and Diaper Bin. They also offer 13 gallon tall kitchen bags, Kitty Litter bags and Doggy Duty bags. Three giggles, meows and woofs for biodegradable...
More info at perfgogreen.com. Available at grocery stores or at Amazon.com

Bamboo is the new black

2010-07-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

I don't write about clothes all that often since they usually don't fall into the "innovative" category, but I felt that I had to share Kicky Pants with you all. We have a few pair of pajamas and rompers for my daughter and they are just the softest and most lightweight things around. They're 95% Bamboo and 5% lycra for a little stretch. I've noticed that a lot of other manufacturers of Bamboo clothing include a small percentage of Polyester, which to me, is unacceptable. If you're interested, take a look at this article about polyester and you'll see why.
I will warn that the colors do fade a bit and that you need to lay them flat to dry instead of throwing in the dryer, but they are well worth the effort. They also have cute maternity T-shirts and regular T-shirts as well. Check them out at kickypants.com.

Car Troubles?

2010-07-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

When we first moved down to Miami from NYC, my daughter was completely freaked out by being trapped in a car seat, instead of strapped to mama, bouncing happily along. I, of course, looked for every distraction I could find, but also read that having toys hanging from the car seat was unsafe, and I, luckily, stumbled across this gizmo in my research.
The Auto Mobile by Kicky Pants is genius, simple and safe. It velcros around your back seat handles to create a hanging (safe) place to tether a toy or two to occupy baby. Be careful, not to hang anything heavy that would injure baby in an accident, and try to keep them to the side of their face. It works with either forward or rear-facing seats too. Like I said, genius.
Available through whateverybabyneeds.com (which also has an amazing selection of organic, and affordable clothing)

Safe (Sleeping) Travels

2010-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Now that our daughter is nearing her first birthday, we're finally looking at doing some traveling. Since she sleeps on an organic mattress in her crib, we'd also like her to have one in her travel bed (pack 'n play). Her Arms Reach mini co-sleeper had an organic mattress so we plan to get one for our travels as well. This article is a great resource for where to look for one. Another interesting option is the new Go Crib, a lightweight, inflatable portable crib that is made of PVC, Phtlalate and lead-free non-toxic materials. It also has the bonus feature of packing up into a backpack and fitting in the overhead compartment of a plane. That would help any parent sleep well.

Wonderful Wool

2010-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

When our daughter was born I bought several wood puddle pads for her co-sleeper and, later, Stokke crib. Luckily, we haven't needed them too many times, but there were a few nights of diaper rash, where we let her sleep without diapers that they came in very handy. We now have the oval pad under her organic mattress in her Stokke (oval) crib and we use one of the smaller ones we got for the co-sleeper in the middle of our bed, under the sheets.
Lots of manufacturers make natural pads...we got ours from Pure-Rest, but the wool mattresses and pads from Sheperds Dream are just dreamy.
http://www.purerest.com
http://www.shepherdsdream.ca

Family sleeping is on a roll

2010-06-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

The Humanity Family Sleeper by Humanity Organics is a great tool to have in your co-sleeping arsenal. Our daughter sleeps in her crib for most of the night, but inevitably moves into our bed in the early morning. Usually she's in between my husband and myself, but if one of us gets out of the bed, we put the sleeper roll down on that side of the bed to safeguard and allow the other one to continue sleeping without worrying about her rolling off. When my husband goes out of town I sleep with the roll on his side and sometimes I put her between the myself and the roll on my side.
It has a large pad for mama and baby to sleep and breastfeed. Soft organic cotton to absorb leaks so no sleeping on wet sheets. Easy to use. No belts, straps or buckles. Pad stays in place.
Bonus is that the body pillow is detachable in case you become a mom-to-be again. The pillow now has an all natural Kapok fill.
Can also be used in a toddler's bed to prevent them from rolling out. As I said before, now we're on a roll.
humanityorganics.com/

Too hot, too cold or just right

2010-06-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Gro Egg Digital Room Thermometer by Keen is a nightlight/thermometer that my household couldn't be without. Since the air conditioning is so wonky in our house (hot in one room, cool in another) I rely on my egg in a strangely co-dependent way. My husband hates the egg because when he says that our daughter's room is cool enough, I have the courtroom-evidence-rebutle of "well, the egg says it's 74 degrees". If the room is too hot, the egg is red, too warm...orange, and just right...yellow...blue means too cold. Pretty complex for an egg.
Available on Amazon.

To teeth or not to teeth

2010-06-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

My daughter is in what I call "Stage 2" teething. She went through an early stage of mouthing everything she came in contact with, but now at almost 11 months, she's looking for a very particular kind of thing to chew or suck on, and whatever that may be, I'd prefer for it to be free of PVC and phthalates. So whenever she reaches for a questionable toy to chew on, I try to slide one of these into her hand. I have the Haba Trix by the changing table, the Haba Salto tethered (see earlier post about Baby Buddy tethers) onto the stroller, the Green Sprouts Cornring tethered to the Ergo and I alternate between the Haba Kringelring and Green Sprouts Corn Keys tethered onto the high chair. The Haba teethers are all wood with lead-free water-based lacquerers and the Green Sprouts teethers are made from corn and are PVC, phthalate, BPA and nitrosamine free. Chew on that.

Surf's up, in a bowl

2010-06-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is the Cali kids bowl by Simple Wave. It was inspired by the rolling waves of California, and allows your kids' food to stay inside the wave of their patent-pending bowl lip. It's perfect for new eaters and toddlers alike and has a suction cup that keeps it on the tray. They also make adult cali bowls for stubborn bowl-escapers like salsa and guacamole. They are made from BPA-free, medical-grade polypropylene, and they'll even give you a 20% discount on a new product if you send your old ones in for them to recycle. Kids' bowls available at Calibowl.com and Buy Buy Baby.

Sunscreens exposed

2010-05-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

I felt that I had to share this Hall of Shame list of sunblocks from the Environmental Working Group, since so many of them are specifically marketed as baby and children sunblocks.
Please check out their listing of Top Sunblocks which I've blogged about in the past. Stay in the shade...

Get a crib-lift

2010-05-29T19:45:00.001-07:00

I attend a weekly moms group for crawlers taught by an extremely seasoned lactation nurse, who has been telling all of us since the beginning to raise the heads of our babies' cribs with phonebooks. Apparently this can help with reflux when they're infants and teething when they're crawlers and who-knows-what down the road. Anyhow, I finally listened to her advice since our daughter was waking up several times in the night because of some nasty lateral incisors breaking through. I used some board books instead of phone books, which i end up stubbing my toe on pretty much every night. I'm considering buying some of these Baby Bed Blocks by Space Babies, but seeing that the shipping from Canada (carried by www.babyguru.ca) is more than the cost of the blocks, I may just accept the toe-stubbing as part of my nightly ritual and add it to the list of mommy-injuries I have suffered on account of my little teether.

Wave bye-bye to the waves

2010-05-28T18:53:00.001-07:00

My husband and I both use these Pong radiation-reducing covers on our iPhones. Since as you can see in this Environmental Working Group review, the iphone 3G does not fare very well in the radiation department. The Pong cover draws the waves up and away from your head (where your brain lives). We both turn our phones on airport-mode when we're with our daughter, but if and when we do have to use it near her, it's nice to know that this deflects 60% of radiation away from you.

pongresearch.com

Buzz off, bugs

2010-05-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

I've had several friends ask for advice on bug spray lately, and my answer is Buzz Away, which is sold on Amazon.com and at Whole Foods. It's an all natural product using only essential oils (no DEET...ick) but it works for up to 8 hours against mosquitos in a USDA test. Also protects against ticks for 2 hours. My husband, who's a mosquito magnet, doesn't get bitten in our jungly Coconut Grove backyard, so it really does work. It's also sold in towelettes and squeeze bottle.
More info at quantumhealth.com

Give me shelter

2010-05-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we tested out this 50 UPF Sun Smarties pop-up tent from One Step Ahead and it was great. There was plenty of room for my daughter and her mama and papa under there and it was fairly easy to get into the sand (4 small stakes that have their own little pocket on the tent). The zippers allow it to be more open-air or it can be closed up if it gets windy or cool (not likely in Miami). Enjoy the summer and the shade.

PVC and Phtalate-free pools

2010-05-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Instead of re-writing what's already been very well researched, I'm directing my readers to another great blog for great info on safe pools for the babes this summer. safemama.com

I just received my Sun Smarties pop-up pool by One Step Ahead. My daughter has big plans to test it out tomorrow.

Safe sunblock

2010-05-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

Being a melanoma survivor myself, I'm rightfully obsessed in choosing the right sunscreen for myself and for my daughter (especially since she got her mama's light skin).

The best resource for picking the safest sunblock for your little one is the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database http://www.ewg.org/whichsunscreensarebest/2009report

Topping their list for kids' sunblocks are Heiko's natural Zinc Oxide 40 SPF sunblock. It's pricey at almost $40 a tube, but when you consider that most sunblocks you find in drugstores contain Oxybenzone, a hormone-disruptor, it seems like $40 well-spent. It does contain lavender so you may want to consider Loving Natural's (below)or another at the top of the EWG's list if you have a boy since lavender and tea tree oils may boost estrogen and hamper androgens (male hormones).
Also at the top is Loving Natural's 30 SPF, which is a more-affordable $23 a tube.

When you buy either through the above links to Amazon.com, you'll be supporting the Environmental Working Group.

Also worth mentioning, since most sunscreens don't put it on their packaging, is that you need to apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before sun exposure, and re-apply every 1-2 hours or after swimming.

Cool seats

2010-04-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

I ordered this bamboo carseat topper from Innobaby recently. It's supposed to keep baby cool, as opposed to the sweaty tushies that come from sitting on those hot, polyester car seats and strollers. It is light sensitive since it's natural bamboo, so it needs to be kept from bright sun, but I'm hoping that the little shade that I have on the car window will stop it from discoloring too much. I also got the ramie (a natural fiber) topper for her stroller and so now she is literally, chillin'. Innobaby.com

No sunglasses better than cheap sunglasses

2010-04-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

I just pulled out these Retro Baby Banz that my mom got for my daughter while she was still in my belly. I picked these based on a few things. 1. They're 100% UVA and UVB protective. (As tempting as cheap sunglasses are for both you and baby, don't do it. As a woman who's had melanoma, I have to be very careful with the sun, and one thing my ophthamologist told me is never to scrimp on glasses. Cheap ones are even worse than none actually because they fool the eye into thinking it can dilate, which in turns lets even more rays in then when you squint. 2. They've got a great band that holds them onto the little ones' heads. 3. They are awesomely retro (also available in non-retro styles). babybanz.com

Sleep tight, organically

2010-04-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

My husband and I recently bought a new King-size bed to accommodate our part-time co-sleeping daughter. Even though she always starts out in her crib (also outfitted with an organic mattress), she nearly always ends up in our bed during the night, so we decided that our mattress should be organic too. We went with a SavvyRest natural rubber mattress. It's three layers of mattress actually. We were able to try it out at a retailer near us and decided on a soft layer of Talalay rubber on top with two layers of Dunlop (firm and medium) on the bottom. Now we're all sleeping like babies, when the baby is sleeping that is.

Crawl baby crawl

2010-04-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

I use their chlorine-free diapers and all their cleaning products, and I just entered my daughter into Seventh Generation's Million Baby Crawl to fight toxic chemicals in our homes. They report that since 1976, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required safety testing on only 200 of the more than 80,000 chemicals on the market. Gross.

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/million-baby-crawl/

Ergo is for Ergonomic

2010-04-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

I (not me in the pic) carry my daughter in an Ergo baby carrier and at least 10 people a day must comment on it. Back in Brooklyn, where my daughter spent the first 3 months of her life, Ergos are a dime-a-dozen, but it seems that they haven't migrated down to Miami, where we're living now, because people are completely fascinated. Here's why...it has a little hood that snaps up over baby's head when they're taking a nap or if it's drizzling or too sunny. They're much more comfortable for mom or dad than other carriers and are the healthiest for baby's hips, they have a little zipper pocket for your keys (keep your cell phone out though...dangerous waves near baby), they're available in organic cotton in great colors, and you can carry baby on front, hip or back.

ABCs with no BPA

2010-04-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

I just started using these bath-time, foam letters and my daughter loves them. I might be giving her too much credit for a 9-month-old, but yesterday she pointed to the letter M when we asked her which letter was for Mama, then pointed to P for papa. I never would've guessed a Sassy foam product like this to be BPA, PVC & Phthalate free, but it is. A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

How do you take a shower?

2010-04-19T19:51:00.001-07:00

A friend asked me this today and my answer was Merry Muscles. It's a little jumper designed by an occupational therapist to help with muscle development and coordination. When my daughter was smaller, she spent more time in it than she does now, since she's now more interested in crawling, but when she was tiny, I hung hooks in every doorway of my house and moved the jumper around to whatever room I was in. I still use it in the doorway of my bathroom to, you guessed it, take a shower. I put her in and sing Old McDonald while she dances and I have an awesome long, hot shower. Win, win.

They're made in Canada and are still in the same packaging from the 70s, when they were probably first designed, but are adjustable (you let seams out as the baby grows), made of baby body-hugging cloth and have a metal ring at the top to prevent head bonking on doorways.

http://www.merrymuscles.com/

Folding tub that isn't toxic

2010-04-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

I just bought one of these Flexi Bath tubs for my daughter today. It only comes in pink, blue and white in the U.S. right now, but the colors are great, with different shades of the same color going down the seams. Looks cool, is space-saving and is PVC-free and is supposed to accommodate up to a 4- year-old. She had a great time in it, along with her PVC-free Boon duck, Jane. Find a location at http://www.arealcoolworld.com/

Clean eats

2010-04-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

I tested this Tiny Diner mat out the other day at a restaurant and it worked pretty nicely. I was able to lay down snack food and toys without having to wipe down a slimy table first. It even has a little food-catcher area that hangs off the table. It wasn't fool-proof, but saved some pieces from the floor. Several suction cups kept it on the table with no problems. Made by Summer Infant. BPA, PVC and latex-free.

Here come the 123s

2010-04-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

One of my daughter's favorite (ok, my favorite) CDs is They Might Be Giant's 123s. I put it on at dinner time every night and can't help dancing a little to it. I love their new song, Electric Car, on their newest album Here Comes Science. Check out the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAv6M1Bai0c

Keep it together

2010-04-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

I remember reading a recommendation for Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy snap on tethers before my daughter was even born. I ordered 4 packs of them because they sounded so useful. I'm now using all of them...one on the high chair, one on the carseat, one on the Ergo carrier and several on the stroller seat. They're also BPA, lead and phalate-free, which is important, since babies usually end up chewing on the cords more often than the toys themselves. They have adjustable snap lengths as well.

The Nosefrida, the ultimate snot-sucker

2010-04-12T08:03:00.001-07:00

The Nosefrida may look weird, but man does it work. Compared to those bulb-aspirators, it really does the job. My husband calls me the "Booger hunter" when I use it, because I am always able to get whatever is lurking inside my daughter's nasal passages out, with a minor fuss on her part. The tube only goes on the outside of the nostril as opposed to a bulb-aspirator, which makes it more baby friendly.

You'll need to press the tube into the filter section very hard to hear a click, which isn't currently in the directions, but has been added to info in their next order.

Happy snot-sucking.

Squeaky clean

2010-04-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Erbaviva products have been my favorite since I was pregnant. They are pure and gentle, using only plant products and no -ethyl anythings in the ingredients list. The shampoo is scented with organic lavender and chamomile.

I love the bar soap made from milk, honey and essential oils. Comes in cute little, canvas, reusable bag.

Safe swimming

2010-04-09T19:43:00.001-07:00

I just ordered these Schlori cotton swim floaties for my daughter since summer is upon us. They are free of pesticides, mercury, lead and other harmful substances that plastic floaties can contain.

Order at peaceloveorganicearth.com.

Scratch the sippy

2010-04-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Nuby straw cup is a great way to skip right over the sippy cup and help baby develop strong sucking muscles and coordination since they need to bite the straw and suck at the same time in order to get liquid out. My daughter started drinking water out of hers at 4 months and still loves it.

We just introduced the Beaba toddler soft cups and she has so much fun drinking water straight out of a cup. Love the colors and the wide base. Both are BPA-free.

Sun, Sun, go away

2010-04-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was given a Flap Happy sunhat as a hand-me-down before my daughter was born and the day she outgrew it was a sad one. Luckily Amazon.com carries a wide selection of prints, both for boys and girls. The best part about these hats is that they have very large brims, which I find most baby hats do not have. I also love that they're 100% cotton. Even though polyester makes for good sun protection, it's hot and it's, well, polyester. The tie strings on these are easier to size than velcro ones too.

"Just right" sized glass containers for heating home-made baby food

2010-04-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

These glass containers by Innobaby are the perfect size for heating up 2-4 oz. of homemade baby food. The lids are silicone and snap on oh-so-snuggly. They're a bit pricey, but totally worth not having to worry about plastic leaching into baby's food. The glass is thick enough that I just heat them up in a pot with a shallow of amount of water on the stovetop. They also fit into the Beaba Babycook steamer for reheating. Buy Buy Baby sells them as well as oompa.com.

The Teethifier. Like a Furminator, but for babies.

2010-04-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Teethifier, made by KidGear, is the newest teether I've acquired for my daughter. It's designed to hit those molars, but I'm going to try it out early (she's only got one tooth so far). It's 100% rubber and is PVC, Phalate and BPA-free. Also love that it's gender-neutral school bus-yellow. So ugly, it's cute.