FTC Consumer Alert – Have You Been Bamboozled by Bamboo Fabrics?

Looking to be a more environmentally conscious shopper? You’ve probably heard about bamboo. Bamboo stands out for its ability to grow quickly with little or no need for pesticides, and it is used in a variety of products, from flooring to furniture. But when it comes to soft bamboo textiles, like shirts or sheets, there’s a catch: they’re actually rayon.

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, wants you to know that the soft “bamboo” fabrics on the market today are rayon. They are made using toxic chemicals in a process that releases pollutants into the air.

Read the full article at FTC’s website…

Attachment Parenting Good for the Environment?

This is an interesting article about the controversial attachment parenting method which is blamed for creating needy children and slaving parents.  The author looks at it from a different perspective and claims that attachment parenting can actually be good for your child and for the environment too.  Please read and let me know what you think…

Go On, Attach Yourself to Your Baby: It’s a Win-Win Situation

from ecosalon.com

You can’t go wrong with attachment parenting. It may be a relatively new practice in the Western world, but this type of parenting embraces the ancient art of maintaining a deep bond with your baby once he or she leaves the womb, allowing them to experience the world with a steady physical and emotional attachment to their parents. At its core, this style of parenting is as good for babies as it is for the earth. As a mother who is raising a toddler in this fashion with a newborn baby on the way, here’s why I believe attachment parenting is an amazing gift to children and the planet!… read the complete article here.

Why Are Organic Products More Expensive?

Many consumers complain about organic products being expensive.  A new mom told me that she sincerely wanted to buy organic baby clothes but believed that the retailers were overpricing organic products for no reason.  Unfortunately there are many people out there who thinks like this new mom. The fact is that organic products are not being marked up any more than regular products.  Sometimes they are marked up even less.  The reason for the high price is the cost of growing organic cotton; having to say no to the easy way of pouring chemicals on the crops. It is also expensive to apply for and attain the necessary certifications so the consumers know they are not being fooled.  I believe that with the increasing demand for organic products the price will eventually come down.  Until then, we need to continue buying organic and support organic growers.

Organic Baby Bodysuit Giveaway

Our friends over at simple-momreviews.com are hosting a giveaway for one of our most popular products “cuddly bear” organic cotton baby bodysuit with short sleeves. 

Entering is easy and you can get multiple entries by tweeting about it or becoming facebook fan.  Don’t miss this opportunity to win this wonderful organic baby bodysuit.  Enter here.

organic baby clothes giveaway

Do You Know How Pesticides Affect Your Water?

I came accross this article on the USGS website and wanted to share with you. It explains in a very easy to understand way how pesticides seep into soil and contaminate our drinking water. Read the original article here.

Design a Stylish and Environmentally Friendly Nursery

Ferrick Mason designed fabrics are inspired from organic natural forms. All designs are both drawn and screened by hand so the lines are not perfectly symmetrical. This imprecision gives the designs a painterly, handmade feel. All of these fabrics are locally printed in Los Angeles on Belgian linen using eco-friendly inks and dyes. 

They are not specifically designed for nursery but we thought the ones below will brighten any baby’s room and can be used as upholstery on a chair for the mommy to relax in or as window treatments.

     

Calliandra in green                                 Willow in pink/green

Stokke nursery systems are designed to grow with your child.  The changing table magically converts to a play table, then study desk and finally a side table with storage.  The crib is extendable up to age 7 and converts to 2 comfy chairs after that.  Organic mattress and sheet options are provided on their website.

Blush magazine featured Stokke’s SLEEPI and CARE within a “wilderness” concept.

These organic crib set s by Dwell Studio have simple yet elegant designs that will wrap your baby in comfort.  Their sets are available in multiple sizes including a perfect fit for the above mentioned Stokke SLEEP.

   

Blik offers a wide variety of reusable wall decals that can be used to add color and imagination into a nursery.

   

Amenity Organic Blankets are made in the USA and they are non-allergic and safe for your baby.  We like this one with illustrations from the forest.

 

If you know of other elegant yet environmentally friendly nursery products that you want to share please let us know by commenting to this post.  We’d love to hear from you!

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Ecovative Design – Two 20-somethings Rethink The Way We Insulate

In science-speak, Greensulate is a revolutionary, low-cost, biodegradable, rigid organic insulating material. It has been developed to replace polystyrene and polyurethane board insulators, which are typically used in commercial building in the form of insulating panels, laminated roofing insulation, internal partitions and door cores.

Read the original article at feelmorehuman.

3-Piece Organic Cotton Baby Clothes Set Giveaway

If you have not checked out the INO Mommy blog, this is your opportunity to get to know a fabulous and fun mommy/baby blog and also enter the contest to win a three-piece set of First Step Organic’s super cute “Cuddly Bear” collection.  Enter here.

Don’t forget to let your friends know…  Tweet, put it on your facebook page, e-mail…  Good Luck!

BioMimicry and Organic Farming

Imagine being able to use spider web in place of Kevlar, or in place of the cables of a suspension bridge. Or using a sealant based off of the lotus plant on your shower walls, and never having to clean your shower again. These are only a few of the exciting innovations biomimicry makes possible.

Biomimicry is the utilization of designs, systems, materials, or processes originating in nature and applying these to human use. The application of such is often more sustainable and more efficient than similar human attempts. Current examples of biomimicry include Velcro, passive cooling (inspired by termites), and Gecko Tape. There’s a list of 15 of the coolest examples of biomimicry available here. As exciting as the current list is, the upcoming potential is far greater.

This blog post is about the use of biomimicry in crop growth, possibly one of the greatest impact and furthest reach in this area. Currently most crops are grown in a field as a homogenous species. Row after row and field after field of a mono culture. These crops are often rotated, meaning that for several years in a row they will use one single field to grow these crops, when that field becomes nutrient depleted they switch to another field following the same practice and patterns but allowing the first field to nutritionally recharge. The fields are often fertilized regularly, and the crops are covered in insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and any other pest inhibiting, growth promoting products.

Obviously the above described practice does not happen outside of the human influence, there is no location untouched by man where you would see one particular crop planted as a single species switching growth locations. Instead what you see in the natural process is year after year of multiple species, bio diverse, pesticide free, insecticide free, and herbicide free plants thriving. This type of farming where nature is being mimicked can and is currently being introduced to many organic farms.

Studies have also revealed that the yields of these organic farming practices can be comparable to those of more conventional practices, however with the reduction in pesticide and fertilizer applications and therefore the reduction in cost associated with those inputs. As a result, organic farmed product can generate higher profits.

The list of additional resources for biomimicry is small but growing quickly. To get started do a search for the following terms:

Bioneers:  Also known as the Collective Heritage Institute, a New Mexico-based nonprofit organization promoting practical and innovative solutions to environmental and social problems based in a philosophy which recognizes the aliveness, interdependence, and intelligence of the natural world.

Bionics:  Also known as biomimetics, bio-inspiration, biognosis, biomimicry, or bionical creativity engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.

You can also take a look at Nature’s 100 Best List to view a collection of these technologies, or submit your own.

More resources:

Wikipedia
Science in School – spidersilk
Cotton Day – biodiversity

Great Gifts – Zero Waste

With Christmas, Chanukah and New Years around the corner, there seems to be one thing occupying everyone’s mind:  Gift-Giving!  Giving and receiving gifts are fun.  While we are thrilled when we unwrap that box to unveil something we’ve always wanted, more often than not we will receive just another something that will end up in the dark corners of our already overcrowded closet. 

Maybe we can re-gift but that will just move them from our closet into someone else’s garage.  Think for a second:  if this is how we feel about the gifts we receive, are those people we are giving gifts to reacting any differently?  Not to our faces of course; but have you ever seen Auntie Maggie use that kitchen gadget you bought for her?  And whatever happened to the mug with your picture on it; or that expensive toy (aka: pile of toxic plastic) that you thought would be a big hit with your sister’s toddler?

Let’s do something different this year and give our loved ones gifts they will actually like and use!  Something that did not consume a gazillion of unnecessary resources to create and won’t end up in the landfill.  What a novell idea…  Are you up for the challenge?  Okay, I will make it easy for you and share with you some of my favorites.  Here it goes:

• Something Personal:  Gift your time!  Print a gift card on recycled paper that is redeemable for something you can offer personally (i.e. car wash, computer help, bike tune-up, babysitting, you get the idea). 
• Something Magical:  Give an experience!  This is similar to the first one but here you’ll let the experts do the job.  You can gift a day at the spa, tour & tasting of an organic winery or micro-brewery, museum admission… Now who would waste that?
• Something Edible:   If you can bake you’re lucky.  Make something yummy, put it in a container salvaged from a prior purchase (jars and tin boxes especially work well), embellish and personalize if you must, and voila – you have a gift sure to be consumed.  Beware, they may ask for more!
• Something Organic:  It’s hard to purchase a sweater or pants for another person.  I hardly get the sizing right when I shop for myself   But babies are easy right?  All you need to know is how many months old they will be at the time of gift-giving.  If they are closer to the upper end of their range, I would suggest to go with the next bigger size.  Babies grow really fast.  Why does it have to be organic?  Because conventional cotton is grown doused in pesticides and insecticides.  Who wants that on their baby?  Organic baby clothes are naturally soft and don’t irritate the skin or cause allergies. 

There you have it.  I have more ideas that I will cover in my next post.  In the mean time, feel free to share with me your eco-friendly gift-giving ideas.