Eat-on Art

San Francisco based Modern-twist brings art from independent artists to our kids' tables minus any BPA, lead, latex, phthalates or other chemicals. Their Kidz Placemats made from food-grade, hand silk-screened silicone and the Kidz box come with a set of washable pens for little artists (pronounced with a french accent) to color while they eat. They roll up for travel and are easy to wash off with a sponge.
My daughter was given one by a family member on the eve of me doing research about exactly what is in my daughter's previous laminated placemat. If the fact that I couldn't find a straight answer anywhere on what laminate materials are actually made of is an indicator of anything, I'm guessing that it's that laminate is potentially dangerous to tiny mouths and bodies.

Find a design you love at modern-twist.com.

Half sippy, half cup, it's the Tilty

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)