Non-Toxic Kids

From Down to Earth Toys: Maple Landmark Wood Blocks--No Plastic, No Finish, U.S. Made

2009-11-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for high quaility, non-toxic blocks for your little builder? Look no further.

My Best Blocks, made by Maple Landmark in my home state of Vermont, and found at Down to Earth toys makes an exceptional eco-friendly and safe gift. The junior builder set has 41 pieces, all in different shapes and sizes for your little builder to create castles, buildings, houses, or whatever they dream up.

They are made from maple wood, sanded smooth with NO FINISH. Fabulous. No chance of discovering later, after your child has mouthed it for months, that it contains some awful chemical. Simple. And this way, your child uses her imagination instead of prescribed colors.

My daughters love blocks. We are in the elaborate building stage, where entire scenes are built over hours, and one not dare to move or touch (or even go close to--) their creations. These blocks, I noticed, gave them more flexbility in what they were building versus regular lego type blocks. The different sizes allowed for more shapes, more balancing, and more options.

Maple Landmark of Vermont works hard to be a sustainable and green business. You can feel good about buying safe and non-toxic toys made by a U.S. company like Maple Landmark, from a mama owned safe and natural toy store like Down to Earth Toys.

Planning a Vegetarian Thanksgiving

2009-11-21T06:00:00.001-08:00

One way many families are cutting back their food budgets is by eating less meat. Meat costs a lot, utilizes way more natural resources in its production, and can be bad for us. For me, a vegetarian of 18 years (that makes me sound OLD), it comes naturally by now. Thank goodness, because I don't think our budget could handle the expense of meat on a regular basis.

But with the concept of very local eating, including meat, emerging in our collective consciousness, and in my own neighborhood, I see the value in eating locally raised meat from farmers you know and trust.

I really like the idea of buying my organic, hormone free turkey from my neighbors and friends at Tangletown Farms. They supply schools and families with locally and ethically raised meat, and the farm is a mile down the road. But I want to spend less this Thanksgiving, and NOT cook a bird myself. I'm really not interested in learning, but for folks who must have a turkey, buying one local and organic is a great green and healthy option.

So we will have a vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast. Here are some of the recipes I am considering (I will be one of those Wednesday night after work shoppers--ugh).

This menu from Cooking Light I will follow with some modifications. I love the idea of a mushroom strudel: crispy, flaky, flavorful. I will make it without a run through first! Wish me luck with that phylo-dough.

This tomato bread pudding looks divine, although I have never made bread pudding. I hope mine looks like the picture!

Here are a few other sites with great recipes:

*Treehugging Family

*Divine Dinner Party

*and for those vegetarian families without a nut allergic child, this nut roast looks interesting.

Readers, what are your favorite, somewhat fancy and nice looking vegetarian main dishes? Please tell me, in case I can use one for the big day. And wish me luck because I am not a very talented chef or homemaker-- let's just hope it is all edible!

Green Moms Carnival: Saving Money through Green Means

2009-11-19T19:12:00.001-08:00

The ladies of the the Green Moms Carnival have cooked up lots of great ways you can be green while saving cash. You'll find a diversity of topics, ranging from kid gear, travel, buying food and green cleaning. Enjoy!

From the Washington Toxics Coalition: Babies Exposed To Chemicals Found in Everyday Consumer Products Before They Are Born

2009-11-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

Add this to the chorus....Babies shouldn't be born prepolluted! Check out this information about a new study from the Washington Toxics Coalition.

"Babies enter the world already having been exposed in the womb to chemicals from common everyday consumer products, according to a new study by Washington Toxics Coalition.

The first-of-its kind study tested blood and urine from pregnant women during their second trimester of pregnancy and found their bodies contaminated with chemicals found in a wide variety of consumer products. The results in this study are alarming:

*100% of study participants had bisphenol A (BPA) in their bodies
*100% had mercury
*Most had several different types of phthalates, which may have an impact on masculinity in boys, according to a recent study.
*The study didn’t make any associations between a woman’s lifestyle and the levels of chemicals found in her body.

“Pregnant women can’t avoid every exposure to these chemicals because they are in so many products. They can’t shop their way out of this problem. We need policies that keep toxic chemicals away from pregnant women and the most vulnerable—the developing fetus.”
-- Erika Schreder, staff scientist for the Washington Toxics Coalition and author of the report

“With increasing rates of chronic diseases, like asthma, diabetes, and breast cancer, we need to update our country’s laws to ensure that harmful chemicals aren’t used in products mothers and children use everyday. As this study shows, even the most careful mother can’t protect herself from exposures to chemicals, so the answer is to phase them out of products.”
--Dr. Rich Grady, pediatric urologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Washington Toxics Coalition, Commonweal, the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition, and all members of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Campaign are urging Congress to reform the federal law (the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act) by doing the following:

· Immediately initiate action to eliminate chemicals that build up in our bodies or are passed on to the next generation.

· Reduce the use of chemicals that can cause serious health problems such as cancer and reproductive harm, or lead to learning disabilities.

· Require manufacturers to create consumer products using only chemicals they have tested fully for safety and to provide full information on their hazards to the public.

· Preserve the rights of the states to enact legislation that sets higher chemical safety standards than federal law.

To view videos of study participants (like this one), click here.

Here is a tip sheet for a healthy pregnancy,- and one for a healthy nursery."

Support the good work of the Washington Toxics Coalition:

*via Facebook
*via Twitter

Thanks to the Washington Toxics Coalition for this new study, and the call to Congress to update our nation's woefully outdated toxics laws. We need to protect babies, children and families from the known harm of chemicals in everyday products. The key here is, we can't shop our way out of this problem, no matter how much organic food we eat or safer products we buy. The onus to prove chemical safety should rest with the companies selling the goods and profiting. Profits shouldn't come at the expense of human health-- especially with our most vulnerable, developing and newborn babies.

Act now to support the Washington Toxics Coalition and tell Congress to give the EPA the tools they need to put common sense limits on toxic chemicals in every day products (it is easy and fast!).

New Post on MightyNest: Green Your Thanksgiving

2009-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Check out my new post on MightyNest about how to green your Thanksgiving. Gobble- gobble!

Eating Naturally While Spending Less

2009-11-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

This article was orginally posted on Eco-Child's Play. It is part of Green Moms Carnival, where the green moms are sharing ways that living green can actually save you money. There's sure to be lots of great tips from this frugal and eco-smart group of women. It's hosted by Lisa NW Condo Blues, check it out!

Awhile ago I read an article on Mothering Magazine’s newsletter about eating naturally while spending less.

This article is important to me because we (as are most Americans) are trying to spend less at the grocery store (or co-op). But we also want to buy food that is safe for our kids (organic) and limit our environmental impact.
The article shares some simple but effective tips that hit home with me. For example, this one. We spend gobs of money on organic cereal, and I could pretty easily make up some tasty granola (nut free) for my girls. I hope I haven’t missed the window for them to like it– they are used to the Kashi brand we regularly buy.

“One of the most expensive investments families make each week is on organic cereals. A family of five can go through a lot of cereal, especially packaged boxes. While making homemade cereal does take a little bit of time, buying the ingredients in bulk and making a large weekly batch can cut your breakfast bill in half, depending on your family size. Most granola recipes mainly consist of using rolled oats, sugar, oil or butter, and dried fruit and/or nuts and don’t require much hands-on time during cooking. Buy a large storage container and, as a minimum, double a granola recipe for a week’s worth of cereal.”

Readers, do you have a homemade cereal or granola that your family loves? Please post the recipe in the comments!

And this tip, although painful for a lover of salty organic snacks:

“Eliminate Organic Snack Food Purchases

While definitely not the easiest to do, try to refrain from loading your cart with organic snack food.
While it may be organic, it isn’t necessarily healthy. Just as with conventional foods, chips, candy, chocolate, fruit bars, fruit wraps, and cookies are OK on occasion, but can really rack up the grocery bill and your sugar or fat intake. Find the willpower to reduce these purchases and replace them with healthy alternatives that are cheaper and acceptable as daily snacks, such as organic peeled mini carrots, grapes, applesauce, and homemade air-popped popcorn. (Organic popcorn kernels can be purchased in almost every bulk section for under one dollar/pound.)”

Shining a light in my grocery cart is a good and necessary (although sometimes embarrassing and humbling) act for trying to cut back on spending. Eating less packaged snack type foods is healthier for us and for the environment. Does Pirate’s Booty last more than one day in your house, anyway?

At ABCnews.com, a recent article shared some of the same money saving ideas as the article from Mothering. The tip of cutting back on eating meat, will save costs to the environment and your pocketbook. Just cutting one meat meal a week and replacing it with beans or eggs will reap significant savings.

How to beat the snacking bug? Both resources call on ditching the chips, pretzels (the horror!) and organic snacks in exchange for—-popcorn. Not from those microwave bags lined with chemicals and destined for one time use, but from an airpopper or my favorite (but not so low fat) on the stove.

And have you heard of SustainLane Greensavers? They publish weekly newsletters containing coupons for green products and food. You can use the coupons online with a coupon code.

Readers, what are your tips for cutting spending on food? How are you managing increased food prices in our tough economy?

image: housemade granola and tea at red & black cafe, portland by cafemama on Flickr under Creative Commons

Green Parenting News Roundup: BPA and male sex problems, Swine Flu Vaccinations in Europe, and Tamiflu

2009-11-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

There have been so many important stories in the news this week that I need to do a news roundup just to keep up with it! If you have flu in your household, H1N1 or seasonal, two of the links below will be of great interest. And, more studies to prove BPA is toxic to humans (no surprise there).

Now that BPA is being linked to erectile dysfunction in men, maybe it will get some real national attention and legislative action! A new study on men working with BPA in China (probably making dollar store gadgets for the U.S.) links BPA exposure with male sexual problems. For more on this visit The Washington Post. Exactly how many studies do we need to see and report on before BPA is banned?

Swine Flu news from Europe: The most vulnerable don’t have to wait in long lines, but are invited to make appointments to receive their shots.

Dr. Steve Field, president of the Royal College of General Physicians, “said Britain's socialized health care system allows the country to target people who need to be vaccinated quickly: "It's not like the U.S., where it's the survival of the fittest and the richest."”

This is in response to the Wall Street firms getting their vaccinations before most of the nation’s children and high risk individuals.

To read more about other countries different approach and mindset about the Swine Flu vaccine, check out this story from the Washington Post.

Speaking of the flu, when doctors are to prescribe Tamiflu has been recently questioned. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states “antivirals should be given in the most severe cases of the flu, or when a patient is in a high-risk group, which includes pregnant women and children under 2.”

But I know of a friend, a healthy male of 38 years old, who has been prescribed Tamiflu with no underlying health conditions. The article discusses some side effects of Tamiflu that parents should know about before deciding with their doctor whether to use the medication. Read more about it at The New York Times.

Walmart Spreading the Flu: Sick Days = Demerit (and potential job loss)

2009-11-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Another reason to avoid Walmart! I know they are developing sustainability standards (that you have to pay thousands of dollars to have input on), but they are encouraging sick employees to work at their stores. And in doing so, spreading the flu to countless shoppers everyday.

According to Momsrising,

"The New York Times just reported that, "At Wal-Mart, when employees miss one or more days because of illness or other reasons, they generally get a demerit point. Once employees obtain four points over a six-month period, they begin receiving warnings that can lead to dismissal." 2 That's right, calling in sick gets you a demerit at Wal-Mart."

And we wonder why there are more emergency room visits and poor health outcomes in the United States. It is because people working close to the poverty level, in dead-end jobs like at Walmart, can't afford to take a sick day, and can't afford to lose their jobs. Then, they get seriously sick, and have to go to the ER and have worse outcomes than if they took the time to get healthy before the situation deteriorated.

I agree with Momsrising: "We think the real demerits should go to Wal-Mart for their sick days policy: It's bad for their employees, customers, and for public health."

Well said.

Let's give them a Dermerit for not taking care of their workers and public health. The signatures collected will be delivered to Walmart executives by Momrising.

A change in Walmart's policy could have a wide reaching effect. Again, from Momsrising:

"If we're serious about stopping the spread of the flu (and preventing all the costs associated with so many people getting sick), we need employers to step up and make sure their policies support employees making the right decision to stay home when they're sick. As one of the largest employers in the country, Wal-Mart's policies affect a large portion of our population. The way they handle the flu is has a huge impact on our nation's health and financial security."

Thanks to Momsrising for alerting me to this important public health issue. When you are sick, you shouldn't also have to worry about losing your job!

image: Ron Dauphin's on Flickr under Creative Commons

5 Ways to Raise a "Good Enough" Child

2009-11-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a guest post by author Jan Denise. Enjoy!

How many times have you told your ebullient child he's too loud or too active? How often have you told your contemplative, cautious child not to be a scaredy-cat and so shy?

In subtle ways, you are giving your child, when is expressing his or her unique temperament, the message that he's not good enough. He will get the same messages at school, at church or temple, and from the media. By the time your child is an adult, he will have learned how not to follow the beat of his own drummer and how not to be himself. He will have learned exactly how to act in order to get the approval of others.

If you think that's not much a problem for a child, wait till she grows up and marries someone she thinks she should marry, works in a job she hates because it's expected of her, gets in debt buying a house or car that makes her seem more successful than she really is, or is on a perpetual diet and hates her body because women are supposed to be rail thin.

You can stop this negative conditioning! As a parent, you already instinctively know that your child is good enough. Your child was born good enough. Here are five ways to reinforce that positive message.

· Be there for him. Let your child have his true feelings--sadness or fear, for example. Show him with your support, reassurance, and presence that it's okay to have emotions, and that you'll stay with him through all those feelings, without judging.

· Teach her not to personalize rejection. If someone tells her she's ugly or too brainy, for example, remind her that someone else's words aren't the truth. The truth is that she's fine--just the way she is.

· Teach him not to worry what other people think. If he's afraid to take chorus at school for fear of being teased, or cuts class with his friends to be part of the "cool" crowd, help him understand that following others opinions won't help him be happy.

· Encourage her individuality. If your child wants to wear a pink tutu to church and it embarrasses you, consider the message you might be giving her about being an individual and expressing herself. Unless it's an act that could harm your child, try to allow her to be and do what she needs in order to fully explore who she is.

· Show him he is loved--unconditionally. Remind your child dozens of times a day, in gestures, words, and acts, that you love him just the way he is. A child who learns that he really is good enough will grow into a confident, healthy, fulfilled adult.

Jan Denise is a syndicated newspaper columnist, an empowerment guru, and author of the new book, Innately Good: Dispelling the Myth that You're Not (Health Communications, 2009). You can find out more about her and her teachings at www.innatelygood.com.

The Environmental Working Group Reports: Toxins in School Cleaners Make Kids Sick

2009-11-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Environmental Working Group has done it again. They have another report out about a subject near and dear to my heart-- the greening of schools.

When I first start teaching, the cleaners made my lungs hurt. You could feel it in your nasal passages, literally burning your cilia. And just imagine what is was doing to those young, developing bodies.

Now, I am in a school with a strong green awareness. We use the green cleaners, and it has taken a few years for the full conversion. There is still lots to do, of course, because we all know public schools are not made of money, and there are old carpets, vinyl floors, and old, worn out building parts that cause air quality problems. But at least there is an effort, a strong effort to make our school the greenest it can be with what we have.

It is worth the fight. According to EWG, "Ordinary school cleaning supplies can expose children to multiple chemicals linked to asthma, cancer, and other documented health problems and to hundreds of other air contaminants that have never been tested for safety, a study by the Environmental Working Group shows. Laboratory tests done for EWG found that a typical assortment of cleaning products released 457 distinct chemicals into the air."

Chemicals such as chloroform, benzene, and formaldehyde. Not good for anyone, especially our most vulnerable, where they go everyday. To find out what brands test for what dangerous chemicals, click here.

To find out ways to help your school green the air, check this out. This link included tips for how to communicate with schools.

There is also this fantastic list of tips for how to clean your home without harmful chemicals.

For more information, check out the full report and the frequently asked questions. Thanks again, EWG! You've helped us parents learn another way to lessen our kids' exposures to toxic chemicals. All children (and everyone else in schools!) will benefit from this. No child in our nation's public schools should be at a greater risk for cancer or asthma from toxic cleaners.

New Posts on MightyNest: Consumer Reports Finds Unsafe Levels of BPA in Canned Goods, and Angel Baby Lotion Saves the Day

2009-11-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've been busy over at MightyNest. First, I wrote about Earth Mama Angel Baby's Angel Baby Lotion, which is currently saving me from a screaming 2 year old who depises cream on her red, itchy, rough skin. Earth Mama Angel Baby is a great mama owned company that makes only safe, harsh chemical free products for babies and children.

Next up I wrote about the recent report from the Consumer's Union and published in Consumer Reports about the unsafe levels of BPA in canned goods. They are calling on the FDA to finally ban this harmful chemical from food and drink containers.

A Must Read: The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-Being by Nena Baker

2009-11-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

I have been reading this book for months. Literally. The Body Toxic is PACKED with the whole story of the troublesome chemicals I have been so interested in for many years. When I became a parent, this focus on harmful chemicals became even stronger, and manifested into this blog and various levels of activism.

Why it took me so long to complete The Body Toxic is because in every chapter, I underlined, wrote notes, circled and interacted with the text constantly (I'm a teacher, too!). It was just so damn interesting, informative and shocking to hear the history of each chemical: its science, its harm, its PR spin, and its lack of regulation. This book is a stunning work and a resource I will return to again and again.

The book is broken into chapters of high interest to a green parent wanting to learn more. First, Nena delivers an overview of the chemical stew in all of us: our body burden. This chapter outlines how bio monitoring, or calculating the amounts of chemicals in one's body, is revealing the heavy toxic load in many people, across ages, geographic regions and backgrounds. The author also looks into her own family for clues as how these chemicals might have caused or worsened cancer.

Next, Nena takes on the history of specific chemicals, and how it is that we ended up with 80,000 chemicals, untested for safety, in our everyday products. Nuggets like, "The EPA has not attempted to ban a chemical since 1989," when there is copious amounts of research that many are currently causing damage to our children, shock and surprise the reader. It almost feels like science fiction: but the scary part is its truth.

In what I found the most interesting, Nena then explores each chemical's story. There are chapters on: Atrazine (weed killer), phthalates, brominated flame retardants, BPA, and perfluorinated chemicals (ie: teflon and Gore-Tex). These are all chemicals I have written about many times here on Non-Toxic Kids, and I was eager to learn more about them. I enjoyed hearing about the scientists, often meligned by big companies and corporations, who are courageously proving harm from these chemicals in study after study. They've faced endless scrutiny and mud-slinging from companies only interested in protecting their bottom lines. Scientists such as Tyrone Hayes, Dr. Fred vom Saal, and Scott Maybury, in my mind, are the true heroes of this book.

A chapter on new policies gives us an overview of what needs to happen to make chemicals safer for all of us, what we can do, and what is happening. Once you read about the REACH program in the European Union, you will see where we need to go. Manufacturers need to be the ones to prove the safety of their chemicals (and have this testing be independent), not the government. This new model would put the onus back on the ones making and selling the product, where it should be.

Nena goes on to tell us what she does to limit toxic chemical exposure in her life. This is a simple but powerful list. And it gave me yet another reason to vacuum more (and to invest in a HEPA vacuum cleaner). The epilogue lists organizations that "get it", where you can go for more information.

This is a monumental work. Nena has taken super complex chemical histories, science, research and data and boiled it down in a way that even tired parents can understand. I applaud this work: it is important, timely and incredibly thorough. This should be a wake up call to all of us. The time is now to act to protect families from dangerous chemicals in all of us. We can't shop our way out of this. No matter how much organic produce we eat, safer toys we select, or toxins we limit, these chemicals are getting into us. Nena shines a light on this, and shows us how it happened. Now it is up to us to change it.

You can buy this book on Amazon here, or better yet, visit your local, independent bookstore instead.

New Post on MightyNest: Baby Einstein Videos: Not so Brainy After All (Refunds and Deceptive Advertising)

2009-11-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

Did you see this in the news last week? Here's a post about the recent news of refunds for Baby Einstein DVDs. The link for information about how to get a refund is in the post, as well as some of the educational claims (which are completely untrue) that Baby Einstein has been making for years. Thanks to the Campaign for a Commerical Free Childhood for their work on this issue.

Charlie Hope: I'm Me! A collection of songs for children

2009-10-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

What a cool name. I mean, really. Charlie Hope.

I was luckily the recipient of a new CD from Charlie Hope, called I'm Me! A collection of songs for children. Oh, and it's so sweet. This is a lovely, folky CD with a plenty of catchy, funny and poignant songs for kids.

This is a perfect morning CD, when you are up early with a little one, not quite ready for something loud and too bouncy, or a deep voice. Charlie's CD is now right next to Elizabeth Mitchell's Little Bird in my book, both lyrical and sweet for the child and grown up-- and perfect with strong coffee to get up to speed with your energetic toddler (where do they get that energy in the morning?) I loathe comparisons, but it also reminded me of a children's version of the 10,000 maniacs.

The opening track is good fun right away, with animal sounds that your child will want to repeat and join in. And it's message about being who you are is perfect. In fact, the whole CD is participatory and empowering in its message. Truly.

For those having another baby, the lovely New Baby song shares the joys of being a big brother or sister. I found myself singing this song while at school teaching and then thinking: yikes! My students might think I'm pregnant (I'm so totally not). The song is just THAT catchy. My little girls love saying, "Wait, wait, wait, frogs don't eat edamame!" in the frog song, and all the other wrong food items, too. I adore the ode to naps, called Naptime, since neither of my little people take one anymore (heavy sigh). Zoom, Zoom, Train Song, and Fire Truck invite dancing and singing without being loud and crazy. My girls love these songs.

This is a beautiful CD for children and obnoxious children's music weary parents. Charlie's CD also is labeled with "Made with certified green components" printed with vegetable inks, and the package is made with 100 green practices board with a minimum of 10 percent recycled content. Righteous!

You can listen to the whole CD here, and buy it at our good friend Craftsbury Kids.

AND- I've got one to giveaway. Just leave a comment below by Novemeber 5th, and add your email address (of the spam free variety: at for @, dot for .). Extra entries (and hoorays!) for tweets, links on FB, follows on Twitter, linking on websites and blogs.

New Post on MightyNest: Super Scary Halloween Face Paint (lead, PVC, and phthalates!)

2009-10-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

Very scary, indeed. Here is a new post about the toxins in mainstream face paints you might be reaching for this Halloween. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has a shocking new report about face paints, including safe do it yourself recipes.

New Post on MightyNest: Lack of Sleep and ADHD

2009-10-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

I just posted a new article on Non-Toxic Nest about the link between sleep and behavior problems in children. It includes an eye opening list of how many ZZZZs your kids should be getting.

Join the Million Baby Crawl: Help Seventh Generation Fight Toxic Chemicals in Our Homes

2009-10-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

You've got to check out this creative new awareness and action campaign from Seventh Generation. They've created an interactive site that lets the user create a baby to crawl to Washington D.C. to demand chemical reform.

It's the Million Baby Crawl. You've got to love the opening statement: We cannot stand, but we've got to stand for something.

The site shares how our current chemical regulation (I should say lack there of) desperately needs to be rewritten to better protect our children from chemicals in everyday products. It also calls for what needs to be included in a chemical reform bill (and I wholeheartedly agree!):

"Here’s what we want the bill to do:
•Take quick action on the most dangerous chemicals.
•Require full information on the health and environmental hazards associated with all chemicals.
•Protect all people and vulnerable groups - including children and pregnant women – using the best science."

Go, Seventh Gen.

Right now, everyday products are the wild frontier of chemicals. Chemicals can be in products, and not listed on the ingredients. Chemicals that are known carcinogens. And in many cases, the ingredients that are listed are unsafe. Phthalates, Formaldehyde, dixoane, are just a few examples I've written about on this site. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required safety testing on only 200 of the more than 80,000 chemicals on the market, many of which have been linked to serious health concerns.

Check out the Million Baby Crawl where you can learn more about this issue. Then take action to email Congress about protecting our families from toxic chemicals.

Want to be part of the conversation? Learn more? See what else we can do to support this? Join a Seventh Generation Twitter Party with 8 panelists (including yours truly!). Dr. Greene will be there (author of Raising Baby Green), as well as the CEO of Seventh Generation. Join us!

Here's the information: Join #gno Tues 10/27 (9-11pm ET) to chat about safe/environmentally responsible products w/ @SeventhGen #mbcrawl RSVP: http://bit.ly/41baFu

I hope to see you there. Twitter parties are a lot of fun (I've been to a couple #ecowed parties). Don't be intimidated. All you do is label your tweets with #gno, and we will have a running conversation. It's fast and furious, in real time.

MightyNest Post Roundup (BPA and girls, flame retardants in sleepers, fight flu, and more)

2009-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I completely forgot to link my posts from MightyNest here. And there were some topics that you readers might be interested in, I think.

First off I discussed greening your Halloween, which of course is right around the corner! I wrote about a safe, non-toxic teether made right here in Vermont, and a new study linking BPA with aggression in girls. Then I chronicled my search for non-toxic sleepers made without flame retardants (and my purge of fleece sleepers). Next I tackled how sleep and illness are so closely related (but that doesn't seem to stop me from not getting enough).

Whew! Take your pick. Now your are truly informed (ha!).

Global Day of Climate Action: 350 is the most important number in the world!

2009-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today is a day of action on climate change, with over 2,000 events in over 150 countries. Check out what has already happened:

Now it's our turn.

Here's information from 350.org about the world's largest social action on global climate change and what we can do about it.

"Around the world today—from capitol cities to the melting slopes of Mount Everest, even underwater on dying coral reefs—people held rallies aimed at focusing attention on the number 350 because scientists have insisted in recent years that 350 parts per million is the most carbon dioxide we can safely have in the atmosphere. The current CO2 concentration is 390 parts per million.

“That’s why glaciers and sea ice are melting, drought is spreading, and flooding is on the increase,” said Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and author twenty years ago of the first major book on climate change. “And it’s why we need a huge worldwide movement to give us the momentum to make real political change. Our leaders have heard from major corporations and big polluters for a long time—today, finally, they heard from citizens and scientists.”

These global actions come six weeks before the world’s nations convene in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to draw up a new climate treaty. 89 countries have already endorsed the 350 target, as well as the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, the world’s foremost climate economist, Sir Nicholas Stern, and Nobel prize-winner Al Gore.
Images of the events from around the world were featured on giant video screens in Times Square in New York as part of a 350 countdown, and are accessible at 350.org as part of a online photostream. Visual documentation From the Day of Action will be delivered to the United Nations on Monday.

“People have said the science of global warming is too confusing for average citizens to understand,” said McKibben. “Yesterday’s events prove that millions of people understand exactly what is at stake in the next few years, and that they want swift action to safeguard the future.”"

So many people are acting, planning and protesting in support of 350.org, the website is overwhelmed. Now, maybe we'll see some action to protect the plant from the dangers of global climate change.

New Post on MightyNest: Bang a Solid Wood Drum by Plan toys

2009-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a new post on MightyNest about a cute wood drum by Plan Toys. This is a great gift from a safe toy company. Check it out!

I Cherish Planet Earth: A Beautiful Book, Game and Teaching Tool (and Giveaway!)

2009-10-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

One thing that is critical for me is to teach my girls to love, respect, protect and honor the earth. We talk about all that we do to that helps the earth, but sometimes it seems so ephemeral, so hard for them to understand.

I Cherish Planet Earth is a great way to develop and continue the conversation about how to love, honor and protect the earth in a way kids can understand.

In it, you've got a beautifully illustrated book, written in a love letter format, to earth. Each page describes what we find, see and discover from earth, and shares an affirmation such as "I explore the magic" or "I pass things along" or "I conserve water." Simple and colorful illustrations show clearly what the affirmations mean, illustrating the concepts for young minds.

Also, you have a memory matching game with the earth affirmations, with 48 pieces and a pouch to contain them. There are lots of variations of the game, and my 2 and 4 year old played the simple matching memory game right off the bat. This purchase also goes to One Percent for the Planet, where one percent of all profits from this product go to preserving the environment.

This toy won an award for Best Green Toy from Dr. Toy in 2009. The book and cards are printed on recycled paper, with vegetable oil based ink, and are made in USA.

For a preview of the earth affirmations and the beautiful illustrations (with Charlie Hope's sweet voice and song-- her music will be happily reviewed on this site soon), click here.

By reading this book, and playing the game, children will develop a better understanding of what it means to cherish and protect the earth. This is something we all need to teach our children, and I Cherish Planet Earth is a great way to begin, extend, and develop this conversation and learning process.

And, dear readers, I have one to giveaway! Just post a comment here by October 31st, and I will pick one winner at random to get this amazing green book and game. Extra entries for following on Twitter, Facebook, linking to us, and spreading the word, just let me know in a comment. Please include your spam friendly email address (at instead of @, and dot instead of .). Thanks and good luck!

You can find this book and game at many fine retailers, including Three Sisters Toys, My Toy Smart, Tree Hollow Toys, and My Little Green Room and Amazon.

New Post on MightyNest: No BPA in This Travel Coffee Mug

2009-10-21T17:47:00.001-07:00

One, how I want one of these. "I'm not a Paper Cup" Porcelain Cup by DCI has NO plastic anywhere in sight, or coming in contact with my hot coffee. Check it out.

New Post on MightyNest: Fight Flu with Clean Well All Natural Hand Sanitizer

2009-10-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

Check out my new post on MightyNest about fighting flu with a little bottle of all natural hand sanitizer. All the germ killing we need but without toxic Triclosan.

Have an Eek-o friendly Halloween (from Kids Konserve)!

2009-10-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

(This is a wonderful guest post from Christy at Kids Konserve- a great resource for parents wanting to make and send waste free lunches with their kids.)

Back in the day, Halloween was different. It was a time to create, be imaginative, and it was a low-budget holiday. I still remember the countless decorations and costumes that were made out of old sheets and cardboard, not bought. The treats were homemade and trick or treating was done on foot. We used old pillowcases as candy bags! Back then, Halloween was green and it didn't even phase us. It was fun. Now, almost $6 billion a year is spent on costumes, candy, decor and other accessories, most of which are made from unhealthy, unsustainable materials, by people who may not be paid living wages or treated fairly. Most of the stuff - what isn't consumed - winds up in landfills. It is time to get back to basics - having good clean fun!

Environmentally minded businesses are increasingly finding one another to join together and strengthen the message. GreenHalloween is a non-profit, grassroots initiative striving to create healthier, eco-friendlier holidays - starting with Halloween. The mother and daughter team has come up with 25 Green Halloween tips to help with planning and reducing the cleanup. Here are some of their tips (to read all of their great tips and ideas, go to www.greenhalloween.org):

• Apply the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to all of your holiday choices: costumes, décor, goodies, etc. Of the 3 R’s, reducing is the best for the Earth, our wallets and, in regard to food, our waistlines. Rent, borrow, make or acquire used, when possible, to avoid buying new, especially disposables.

• Consider your costumes. The truth is, many store-bought costumes and accessories contain toxic chemicals that not only are a potential hazard to your child, but also to the environment and the people who helped to make them. Choose fabrics such as cotton, wool and silk or make costumes yourself from materials you know to be safe.

• Trim your trick-or-treats. Hand out less ________ (fill in the blank). Preferably your goodies of choice are healthy and/or Earth-friendly, but even if they’re not, handing out just one (rather than the conventional handful) of something is better for kids, better for the planet and better for your bank account.

• Choose eek-o-décor. Say ‘no’ to disposables and instead, re-use or re-purpose items you already own. Look also for items from nature and don’t forget to decorate with food (consumable décor). If you must use disposables, look for products that are reusable and recyclable items like Kids Konserve Party Pak.

• Instead of buying a goodie bag use your Kids Konserve Reusable Lunch Sack or Kids Konserve Drawstring Bag.

• Make your own face paints – the recipe can be found in the book, Celebrate Green!

• Invitations – use e-invitations or make your own from reused, recycled or tree-free sources.

• Start small and build your confidence. Start simply by having (and using) a recycle bin at your party or by going bottled water-free. You can green up each of your next celebrations a little bit at a time until celebrating green-style becomes old hat. Small things add up to big things.

• Don’t drive to trick or treat. Encourage your neighbors to go green and then go door-to-door near you. It’s good for you and the planet and builds community.

Kids Konserve wishes you all a safe, fun, and eek-o friendly Halloween!

image: Amymillerphotos on Flickr under Creative Commons