http://safemama.com/2008/01/19/ikea-kids-rainbow-cups-and-utensils-bpa-free/
I have this set and love how colorful and safe it makes my kids =)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Awesome way to get kids excited about reading!
http://www.storylineonline.net/
The Screen Actors Guild Foundation provides this wonderful service! For those of you who are a little embarrassed making character voices =)
The Screen Actors Guild Foundation provides this wonderful service! For those of you who are a little embarrassed making character voices =)
Saturday, September 20, 2008
The perfect "sleep number" bed is one that has a ZERO in toxicity...
Original post written for 5 Minutes for Going Green.
In recent years there have been studies and news stories about the danger inherent in our bed mattresses. Conventional mattresses contain toxic chemicals which leach out into the air over time (off-gassing).Mattresses today are required by law to have fire retardant materials in them to allow consumers more time to get out of their homes in the even that there is a mattress fire. While that is the goal, the exposure that consumers may have to fire retardant materials in the mattress may be leading to the same potentially lethal outcome.Boric acid, a household product often used to kill roaches is now being added to some mattresses to help them pass the government’s flammability test. Other chemicals being used include antimony trioxide a flame retardant chemical which has been dubbed by consumer groups as a “probable carcinogen.”The alternative to these toxic mattresses are natural or organic mattresses and covers.Eco-friendly mattress suppliers offer mattresses that use materials that are often renewable, all natural and not toxic to humans. There are two general mattress constructions that are popular today – coil inner spring and rubber mattresses.The coil inner spring mattress consists of metal coils wrapped in organic wool. The natural wool acts as a fire retardant and regulates body temperature. By the way, organic wool is produced without the use of hormones or pesticides and is a sustainable resource.Surrounding the organic wool is organic cotton which serves to make the mattress softer.The other popular option for eco friendly consumers is the natural rubber mattress. These mattresses have a core made of a rubber (a completely renewable resource) that acts much like a memory foam mattress. You get great support and you’re not likely to feel any movement from the person next to you. Wrapped around the rubber core is usually a layer of organic wool which serves as a fire retardant and to regulate moisture.For your young infant there are also natural crib mattresses. Make sure to choose a mattress made with organic cotton filling. Also pay attention to the substances used in the mattress cover that will be beneath your child. Many crib mattresses are covered in materials made with highly toxic vinyl/PVC. An environmentally friendly alternative to toxic vinyl/PVC is Polyethylene. This environmentally friendly plastic is used throughout the food packaging industry for its non-toxic properties and its recyclability.Conventional mattresses have that awful off-gassing property which puts us at great risk of being exposed to potential carcinogens over a long period of time. Organic mattresses are made of products that are natural, often renewable and aid in repelling dust mites (which can’t survive in many of the materials used like rubber and wool). Remember our beds and bedrooms are where we spend a good deal of our time so investigate your eco-friendly mattress options carefully.You can read more from Tiffany at her blog about Green Parenting, where she writes about green family living, parenting, natural health, safe children's products, and homeschooling. Subscribe to her blog here.
In recent years there have been studies and news stories about the danger inherent in our bed mattresses. Conventional mattresses contain toxic chemicals which leach out into the air over time (off-gassing).Mattresses today are required by law to have fire retardant materials in them to allow consumers more time to get out of their homes in the even that there is a mattress fire. While that is the goal, the exposure that consumers may have to fire retardant materials in the mattress may be leading to the same potentially lethal outcome.Boric acid, a household product often used to kill roaches is now being added to some mattresses to help them pass the government’s flammability test. Other chemicals being used include antimony trioxide a flame retardant chemical which has been dubbed by consumer groups as a “probable carcinogen.”The alternative to these toxic mattresses are natural or organic mattresses and covers.Eco-friendly mattress suppliers offer mattresses that use materials that are often renewable, all natural and not toxic to humans. There are two general mattress constructions that are popular today – coil inner spring and rubber mattresses.The coil inner spring mattress consists of metal coils wrapped in organic wool. The natural wool acts as a fire retardant and regulates body temperature. By the way, organic wool is produced without the use of hormones or pesticides and is a sustainable resource.Surrounding the organic wool is organic cotton which serves to make the mattress softer.The other popular option for eco friendly consumers is the natural rubber mattress. These mattresses have a core made of a rubber (a completely renewable resource) that acts much like a memory foam mattress. You get great support and you’re not likely to feel any movement from the person next to you. Wrapped around the rubber core is usually a layer of organic wool which serves as a fire retardant and to regulate moisture.For your young infant there are also natural crib mattresses. Make sure to choose a mattress made with organic cotton filling. Also pay attention to the substances used in the mattress cover that will be beneath your child. Many crib mattresses are covered in materials made with highly toxic vinyl/PVC. An environmentally friendly alternative to toxic vinyl/PVC is Polyethylene. This environmentally friendly plastic is used throughout the food packaging industry for its non-toxic properties and its recyclability.Conventional mattresses have that awful off-gassing property which puts us at great risk of being exposed to potential carcinogens over a long period of time. Organic mattresses are made of products that are natural, often renewable and aid in repelling dust mites (which can’t survive in many of the materials used like rubber and wool). Remember our beds and bedrooms are where we spend a good deal of our time so investigate your eco-friendly mattress options carefully.You can read more from Tiffany at her blog about Green Parenting, where she writes about green family living, parenting, natural health, safe children's products, and homeschooling. Subscribe to her blog here.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
My personal crusade #1
Thanks to the ZRecs Network Holding Pen for this one.
How to check a car seat
Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:23 PM CDT
A friendly reminder from ZRecs to check your car seats. Follow these steps to make sure that what's supposed to be keeping your children safe while you drive, actually is:
Make sure the harness straps are set at the appropriate height for your child - typically at the car seat's notch above the shoulders for forward-facing and below the shoulders for rear-facing.
Check your car seat documentation to make sure your child is within not only height or weight limits but any other limits specified by the car seat manufacturer. Some car seats require that the child's ears be at or below the top of the shell, for example.
If your child weighs more than 40 pounds it may be time to reinstall your seat from the LATCH installation to the seat belt installation. You can find the LATCH weight limits for your specific car in your car manual - these are set by the car manufacturer, not the car seat manufacturer.
If you haven't yet met with a car seat technician to make sure you are installing your car seat correctly - especially if you have a new seat or have changed the installation from LATCH to seat belt - please take a minute to set up an appointment. You can find a certified technician here.
If you've already done all these things, then give yourself a pat on the back and give your car seat a tug to make sure it is securely installed and hasn't come loose since you installed it.If you'll need a new car seat soon, check out the semi-annual Britax sale but hurry, it only lasts a week! We have Britax infant seat sale recommendations on Polliwogged and for later seats on Z Recommends.
How to check a car seat
Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:23 PM CDT
A friendly reminder from ZRecs to check your car seats. Follow these steps to make sure that what's supposed to be keeping your children safe while you drive, actually is:
Make sure the harness straps are set at the appropriate height for your child - typically at the car seat's notch above the shoulders for forward-facing and below the shoulders for rear-facing.
Check your car seat documentation to make sure your child is within not only height or weight limits but any other limits specified by the car seat manufacturer. Some car seats require that the child's ears be at or below the top of the shell, for example.
If your child weighs more than 40 pounds it may be time to reinstall your seat from the LATCH installation to the seat belt installation. You can find the LATCH weight limits for your specific car in your car manual - these are set by the car manufacturer, not the car seat manufacturer.
If you haven't yet met with a car seat technician to make sure you are installing your car seat correctly - especially if you have a new seat or have changed the installation from LATCH to seat belt - please take a minute to set up an appointment. You can find a certified technician here.
If you've already done all these things, then give yourself a pat on the back and give your car seat a tug to make sure it is securely installed and hasn't come loose since you installed it.If you'll need a new car seat soon, check out the semi-annual Britax sale but hurry, it only lasts a week! We have Britax infant seat sale recommendations on Polliwogged and for later seats on Z Recommends.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Mr. Mischief's favorite thing of late
http://shopping.discovery.com/product-61582.html
Moon in My Room
He loves it and I'm sure Mr. Happy will soon too.
Maybe one or both of them will be inspired to be astronauts? Or UFO groupies. Let's hope for the former.
Moon in My Room
He loves it and I'm sure Mr. Happy will soon too.
Maybe one or both of them will be inspired to be astronauts? Or UFO groupies. Let's hope for the former.
Nices price on great gifts for new babes!
http://www.redenvelope.com/re/gifts/product_display/product_information.jsp?nc=86438&refPg=%2fproduct_display%2fgift_results.jsp&bct2=shops&bcp2=1&bcm2=1%24%24-8193&bct4=sale+shop&bcp4=3&bcm4=1%24%24-8209&bct5=entire+sale+collection&bcp5=4&bcm5=29$$%2Fshops%2Fsale+shop%2Fentire+sale+collection@@30$$-12541@@35$$12541@@32$$RE_DISPLAY_PRICE_MIN%7C0&catOid=-12541&oid=27687044&nc2=1
http://www.redenvelope.com/re/gifts/product_display/product_information.jsp?nc=86438&refPg=%2fproduct_display%2fgift_results.jsp&bct2=shops&bcp2=1&bcm2=1%24%24-8193&bct4=sale+shop&bcp4=3&bcm4=1%24%24-8209&bct5=entire+sale+collection&bcp5=4&bcm5=29$$%2Fshops%2Fsale+shop%2Fentire+sale+collection@@30$$-12541@@35$$12541@@32$$RE_DISPLAY_PRICE_MIN%7C0&catOid=-12541&oid=27154213&nc2=1
http://www.redenvelope.com/re/gifts/product_display/product_information.jsp?nc=86438&refPg=%2fproduct_display%2fgift_results.jsp&bct2=shops&bcp2=1&bcm2=1%24%24-8193&bct4=sale+shop&bcp4=3&bcm4=1%24%24-8209&bct5=entire+sale+collection&bcp5=4&bcm5=29$$%2Fshops%2Fsale+shop%2Fentire+sale+collection@@30$$-12541@@35$$12541@@32$$RE_DISPLAY_PRICE_MIN%7C0&catOid=-12541&oid=20627211&nc2=1
http://www.redenvelope.com/re/gifts/product_display/product_information.jsp?nc=86438&refPg=%2fproduct_display%2fgift_results.jsp&bct2=shops&bcp2=1&bcm2=1%24%24-8193&bct4=sale+shop&bcp4=3&bcm4=1%24%24-8209&bct5=entire+sale+collection&bcp5=4&bcm5=29$$%2Fshops%2Fsale+shop%2Fentire+sale+collection@@30$$-12541@@35$$12541@@32$$RE_DISPLAY_PRICE_MIN%7C0&catOid=-12541&oid=27154213&nc2=1
http://www.redenvelope.com/re/gifts/product_display/product_information.jsp?nc=86438&refPg=%2fproduct_display%2fgift_results.jsp&bct2=shops&bcp2=1&bcm2=1%24%24-8193&bct4=sale+shop&bcp4=3&bcm4=1%24%24-8209&bct5=entire+sale+collection&bcp5=4&bcm5=29$$%2Fshops%2Fsale+shop%2Fentire+sale+collection@@30$$-12541@@35$$12541@@32$$RE_DISPLAY_PRICE_MIN%7C0&catOid=-12541&oid=20627211&nc2=1
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Call me crazy, just don't call me Mooo.
For those that don't know (shocking b/c I'm insanely proud of this fact and don't hesitate to share it), I produce enough bm (breastmilk, silly) to feed all of Africa. With no one else in the house to drink it besides Mr. Hair, I decided to start slipping some into Mr. Mischief's sippy cups with his organic cow milk. I figured it didn't hurt him and would help beef him up a bit. It's not good enough for the Int'l Milk Bank, but it's good enough for my kiddoes. Even the dogs got to lap it up back in May when I almost lost those 600 ounces...that was a one-time treat never to be repeated...take my word for it.
He hasn't caught on yet, even when he stands by and watches me pour it in straight from his brother's Dr. Brown's. In the beginning, I was like some frat boy spiking his date's punch, sneakily uncapping the bottle and slyly pouring it in while shielded by the fridge door, heart-pounding all the way for fear that I'd be discovered.
The excitement is over as he doesn't care either way. But it has made for a treat in his diaper each morning. Imagine a toddler-produced bm (the gross one you thought of the first time I said 'bm') diluted like a bf infant's. Color, shape, consistency - yup...multiplied by one zillion in quantity. With a few carrots for good measure.
I digress to disgusting.
So, he's developed a slight rash on his inner thigh. Being that BabyDaddy was home today and school isn't that busy, I decided to try making my own wet wipes.
Results pending. FYI, here's the link to the concoction I used.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Baby-Wipes
He hasn't caught on yet, even when he stands by and watches me pour it in straight from his brother's Dr. Brown's. In the beginning, I was like some frat boy spiking his date's punch, sneakily uncapping the bottle and slyly pouring it in while shielded by the fridge door, heart-pounding all the way for fear that I'd be discovered.
The excitement is over as he doesn't care either way. But it has made for a treat in his diaper each morning. Imagine a toddler-produced bm (the gross one you thought of the first time I said 'bm') diluted like a bf infant's. Color, shape, consistency - yup...multiplied by one zillion in quantity. With a few carrots for good measure.
I digress to disgusting.
So, he's developed a slight rash on his inner thigh. Being that BabyDaddy was home today and school isn't that busy, I decided to try making my own wet wipes.
Results pending. FYI, here's the link to the concoction I used.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Baby-Wipes
Arm and Hammer all the way!
In the staff lounge the other day, some co-workers commented on my desire to clean my kitchen sink with baking soda. Skeptical, understandably, they asked how I also clean my hardwood floors.
Here's a quick description on how to for those who don't want to take my word for it. Thanks to healthychildhealthyworld.org.
Kill odor with naturally deodorizing and disinfecting white vinegar.When housetraining my dog, I used a solution of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water to clean up accidents and eliminate the smell. Dilute with water for mopping floors and surfaces. It’s a good idea to test the surface first to make sure the vinegar will not damage it. A simple recipe of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle also works well.
Baking soda absorbs odors.Most of us have an open a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to keep food smells at a minimum. Baking soda can also freshen musty carpets: Just sprinkle baking soda on the carpet, let sit for a while, then vacuum. You can also fill small bowls with baking soda and place them in areas where smells accumulate — closets, bathrooms, etc. Be sure to put the bowl on a high shelf, so kids don't get into it.
http://healthychild.org/resources/checklist/freshen_indoor_air_naturally/
Here's a quick description on how to for those who don't want to take my word for it. Thanks to healthychildhealthyworld.org.
Kill odor with naturally deodorizing and disinfecting white vinegar.When housetraining my dog, I used a solution of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water to clean up accidents and eliminate the smell. Dilute with water for mopping floors and surfaces. It’s a good idea to test the surface first to make sure the vinegar will not damage it. A simple recipe of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle also works well.
Baking soda absorbs odors.Most of us have an open a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to keep food smells at a minimum. Baking soda can also freshen musty carpets: Just sprinkle baking soda on the carpet, let sit for a while, then vacuum. You can also fill small bowls with baking soda and place them in areas where smells accumulate — closets, bathrooms, etc. Be sure to put the bowl on a high shelf, so kids don't get into it.
http://healthychild.org/resources/checklist/freshen_indoor_air_naturally/
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Great link for "Green on the Go" ideas
http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/09/01/green-on-the-go-eco-guilt/
I tried really hard last night to justify why everyone in the Rose Bowl needed their own copy of Sports Illustrated...maybe we can make up for it with these great ideas...
I tried really hard last night to justify why everyone in the Rose Bowl needed their own copy of Sports Illustrated...maybe we can make up for it with these great ideas...
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