Greener Nests. Healthier Childhoods.

Right. Like millions of parents since 1961, my sons both had a Sophie the Giraffe. Like millions of green parents, I thought this rubber even toed ungulate mammal was utterly safe. Little did I imagine that she tested for nitrosamines – a little carcinogen also found in cigarette smoke.  Of course, the U.S. distributor will tell you that she tests within legal limits (quite frankly, ciggs do too – aren’t they legal?!), but I say “merde” to that – and tossed mine.

I read about this over at Safer Chemicals (bless them) and feel grateful that I am a mum in an age where so much information (frightening though it may be), is available to me for parenting. I don’t trust any government organization that has allowed zillions of consumer products into our bodies and environments (which is – all of them) – and am grateful that there are testing organizations that bring this sort of thing to light. It’s not that ONE product is harmful – it’s that the chemical exposure cumulatively over a childhood is. And this is one less that will be in my sons mouth.

Vive Robespierre!

Not because she is a fellow Latina, but Jessica Alba is officially my fave green mum in Hollywood (Gwenyth lives in London). Half Mexican (clearly the half that gives her that impossibly perfect olive skin) and half Danish (you’ve seen her body 47 seconds after giving birth) – Jessica is a wonderful example to younger mums on how to be green, gorgeous and fashionable. Before she co-founded the company: Honest.com, Jessica was a contributor to HealthyChild.org and very active with various pro-organic, anti-toxin groups. None of which was ever covered by E! or Access Hollywood. The girl lives the message.

The point?

Jessicas company has created a wonderful service for mums like herself: BUSY!  You can order the only “decorative” diapers that are/have…

• Naturally biodegradable & pure plant-based PLA inner & outer sheet (NO petrochemicals!)
• Bio-based wheat / corn super-absorbent materials blended with reduced SAP gel
• Positively NO added chemicals used during production: no lotions, perfumes, odor eliminators, fabric finishes, optical brighteners, or harsh synthetic additives.

… via Honest.com, as well as all the other basics a nursery needs: organic laundry detergent, soaps, etc.

Though the diapers that my sons wear are wonderful (and biodegradable) – I do think that if I lived back in Florida, where children often only wear diapers (it can be too bloody hot for even a t-shirt) – I might give the “anchor” ones a go. Rather sweet looking, really.

This is a package a month kind of thing which is wonderful, as the diaper things always take up so much space in the weekly shop – and we all know that mum hates to make a second trip out to the car.

I love Jessica. I love this company. I love “pretty” nappys that aren’t decorated in crap characters with toxic inks. And I love that she is an example to younger mothers that being green doesn’t mean being a raw vegan in hemp sandals reading a dog eared copy of Friedan. Not that thats a bad thing.

Buena suerte a Jessica x

WINTER FARMER’S MARKET IN ANDERSONVILLE JAN. 15

Children Activities Include Wiggleworms, Face Painting and Games

 

WHAT:           Andersonville Winter Farmers Market  (FREE)

Wiggleworms Music, free child care, face painting, games, crafts and more!

Admission to the market is FREE and open to the public.

WHERE:         Ebenezer Lutheran Church

1650 West Foster

Chicago, IL 60640

 

WHEN:           Sunday, January 15, 2012

                        11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

                        Kids crafts and games – Upstairs

                        Wiggleworms at 1:00 p.m. – Upstairs

                        Face Painting from 12:30 – 2:30 – Lobby

 

WHO:             Lindsay Weinberg, Old Town School of Folk Music – Wiggleworms

                        Lisa Gillis of My Corner Playroom – Face Painting

Many local vendors and farmers

 

Come enjoy a market in historic Andersonville in the heart of winter with cheese, natural meat and poultry, breads,  popcorn, mushrooms, sauces and salsas, preserves, micro-greens and other fresh produce as available. Fair Trade coffee and chocolates are also available along with pastries, muffins, rolls and snacks.

January 15 will cater to families with children with free childcare while parents shop the market, a free Wiggleworms music session by acclaimed Old Town School of Folk Music teacher Lindsay Weinberg, face painting by Lisa Gillis of My Corner Playroom, crafts and games led by market volunteers and church members.

A friend of mine is going to Mijami (which is what we Cubans call it: My-Ja-Mee), with her two beautiful daughters. She has asked me for some clothing ideas (she’s a green mum too) for the trip. These are they – ruffles and bows – all perfect for the tropical salsa spirit of my “home”.

Though it’s January, Miami nights can be at bit cooler – for which this ruffled cardi would come in handy.

And we Cubans love a bow (actually – as with ruffles, the more the better), on a child. This sweet little shirt will look great at News Cafe for breakfast.

The above looks are all from Bloume Baby – a great little shop for organic togs, with tropical sensibilities.

And, in the tradition of ruffles….

Stella never gets it wrong.

And from Arte Bebe (you’ll love this site)…pink!

Sweet, feminine, cool and simple. You don’t need to dress your hija like like Carmen Miranda to fit in. (But that would work too.)

Besos!

I’m utterly obsessed with Downton Abbey – the Julian Fellowes soap opera – ahem – I mean drama – that appeals to anglophiles and actual Brits, world wide.  I loves it more than the HRH loves her Corgis.

I also love that “shooting party” look – as anyone who has ever met my son knows. Which is quite a trick to pull off organically. Trust me – my life revolves around this problem.

But Adooka – a darling little organic brand – has a few pieces than can help your child look like they just might be found in Burke’s.

Gorgeous enough to show in both colours….

If I had a daughter, she would already own the two above coats. Both are worthy of an “Honourable” mention.

And for classic, something to wear with the Harris Tweed, trousers…these:

These would look best with a Chocolate Lab.

Even if you aren’t a great fan of costume dramas and any BBC piece that takes place in a country pile – these Adooka pieces are as responsibly made (here, in the colonies) as any of your organic faves. Green mums can like them just ’cause they are organic, low carbon footprint and durable. (Though that isn’t as fun.)

Until Sunday, Guv….

A Greek friend of mine was lamenting – in true dramatic Greek fashion – that though she “appreciated” the way I dress my son (meaning: “he’s going to be a total poof if you don’t watch it”) – she didn’t really love any particular organic brand – many being too simple or too modern.

This μαμά lived in France for 12 years and Greece for 18 – where they have that classic linen and stripes fashion sense that works so well in salt air exhaling over stony beaches where 70 year old men wear Speedos with ὕβρις known mainly to Southern politicians who spend more on their hair than Jennifer Aniston. But. I love a challenge….

Little Esop is a brand that loves stripes. These outfits are perfect for a μητέρα that loves an easy look that doesn’t look organic or American. Both, what she’s looking for.

I love patches (usually elbow ones) so these I adore…

Little Esop is perfect for the mama who wants her chitlins in something a bit more “European casual” – rather than in Ascots and tweeds like SOME mama’s tend to…. (Ahem).

Giasou!

I have found less than 5 organic play mats in 3 years. Two of them I found today.

Lifekind, better know for it’s organic mattresses for grown ups, offers two unoffensive play mats for your smallest one. Made domestically, organic inside and out – as well as washable – these mats are perfect for home or travel. Especially to “shoe” homes.

The themes are a bit limiting – “Lion” and “Garden”, but who really cares as long as they aren’t inhaling PVC fumes and getting toxic dye particles all over their wee little hands.

For those Barcelona chair type parents, there is also this mat which comes in three very BRIGHT colors…

Slightly too jarring for my eyes – but it does look comfy.

If you need a foam mat – you can try the very beige Natural Foam Mat or the Bubba Mat. These are especially perfect to place under the crib as soon as junior can stand up and looks like he might make a break for it. (As you may remember, France and Belgium banned foam mats last year for their high levels of formaldehyde. Most mats here are filled with formaldahyde, unless stating otherwise. Which is still astounding to me after all these years.)

Mats aren’t the most exciting or gorge thing that you’ll buy for your baby – but considering how close she will be to them for the first two years – they are one of the most important.

Happy Monday!

I frequently post about cardboard toys and furniture – as the compact/travelbility (is that a word?) of them is beyond convenient. As I travel light – and now with two boys that will become more of a challenge, I need to think about how to have enough “amusement” at our destination – sans the bulk, weight and general annoyance of a Great Toy Shlep.

I adore Calafant toys for this very reason, but for your children that are still too young to really decorate their own toys – Kroom toys, available from Abe’s Market (my new fave green store), give you that light cardboard portability, pre decorated, and ready for playing.

Both of the above are less than $30 (each)! Ship them to you destination – and spare yourself the agony of dragging toys about a dirty airport and being told by some snug, underaged ticket counter bird that your luggage is over the limit of 2 pounds and will cost an extra $500 dollars, will that be cash or charge?

In addition to the farm and Noah set, you can send this lovely Kroom table set ahead, which the grandparents can easily store under  a bed when not in use.

This dollhouse is compact enough to store under a chair.

As is this castle.

Kroom toys are lovely, durable, inexpensive and easy to store. The perfect thing to send and keep at grandma’s – which is where the boys and I are headed next week!!!

Florida, here we come….

Of the piles of toys and other presents my son received for Christmas, his favourite was this battery free, wind up microphone.  All I knew when I bought the thing was that it was in eco packaging and required a child’s energy, rather than batteries, to work. Excellent, I thought smugly – a musical toy that doesn’t require dirty toxic batteries. What a truly clever mummy I am!

What this idiotic mummy didn’t realize is that though it works just as well as advertised – the damn thing plays “Pop Goes the Weasel” in a dolphin singing in electronica pitch just as many times as junior will push the button. And push the button he will. Again. Again. And again.

Yes, it works just as well as any microphone. It also has a few “beat” sounds that my darling, totally lacking in any rhythm or musical ability, son adores pressing incessantly whilst singing “Pop Goes the Weasel” with the unmitigated joy and exuberance known only to two year old boys.

So. Is it a good gift that a little one will enjoy? Yes. It is that. Will they play with it for more than one day? Yes, they will. Will it amplify their little sweet voices like a true microphone? Yuppers.

And THAT, my verdant friend, is the point.

How many parents have been puzzled (if not somewhat annoyed) at seeing their progeny tear into a gift with absolute delight at the ripping of paper, only to remove the gift and after a cursory look and try, spend the next few hours playing with the box.

And how many of us (if not all) aren’t wondering how in the bloody ‘el our children have amassed this mountain of toys, when we have struggled to keep it all under control with a no-gift and/or green toy policy? My eldest is only 2 and I am already packing toys away that I will be placing on a Green Mama “Craigs List” type site (more on that early next year).

Well. Tired of tripping over, stepping on and otherwise running into the seemingly fertile toys in my house , I recently wondered if I mayn’t just wrap up a few toys that my son already owns and regift them to him for Christmas. Not because I’m cheap – but because my toe hurts from running into the seemingly endless recycled, European, eco, non-toxic painted shapes of wood that are strewn about my house. (Well, it used to be my house.)

Box Play to the rescue!

Box Play provides mama with a selection of wonderful stickers that will turn any box, from an egg or milk carton to cereal or shoe box (among others) into a fun toy! Even into a bowling set (above)!

These recycled eco stickers are affordable and brilliant in that they allow you to turn boxes into toys for a second life, before hitting the recycling bin.

Why shouldn’t the ever present toilet roll be turned into a rocket ship?

Box Play stickers are the perfect thing to pack when traveling for the holidays to turn cartons into toys when you arrive – sparing you from having to pack too many toys – using space that you need for those parkas and jumpers.

I love this company, and hope that they develop even more stickers. No one ever bruised a toe on an egg carton.

9 days ’til Santa!