Greener Nests. Healthier Childhoods.

Featuring unique Scandinavian organic brands like Brokiga (above)…

Floppy Buddha (honestly, are Pandas not the cutest thing ever)…

Lille Barn (which I can tell will be one of my new favourite brands)….

Poppy Rose, (a must for the sartorial son who will look very “shooting party” in these togs)…

…and Esencia, among others – Little Scandinavian is my new first go-to fashion blog.  Those Scandies are all about “natural” and great design, so I have them bookmarked in my Top 10 Blog Faves.

The only frustrating thing is that many of the featured brands are only available from the EU.

But maybe you have an aunt in Helsinki?!

Farvel!

If you live in a small space, and have a bump, you’ll want/need/lust for this.

Basically, it’s a crib slash changing table slash chest of drawers all under one roof. Literally: theres a roof.

Compact, beautiful, on roll about wheels – this is really the most perfect small space solution I have ever seen. Who needs an actual nursery with this thing to roll about?!

Honestly, is this not just the sweetest solution ever?!

I don’t know if it’s green – but I do know that these things tend to be custom built – so you could most likely choose your non-toxic paints and finishes.

Nina’s House is designed by David Keune, who I never heard of until today – but who I hope gets into the baby design business for good.

(Why are all those Vikings such good designers? It’s so strange….)

Een mooie dag verder!

Sublime. Thats what this perfect little genius of an air purifier is. Not only does it not produce ozone (which many air purifiers do), but it’s basically using Natures natural air purifiers (plants), to protect you from all the formaldehyde and chemical rubbish in your home – and, most importantly, your nursery.

Oh, and it’s groovy looking.

And, when junior is old enough – the Andrea Air is a great conversation starter about the importance of the environment, plants, air quality, etc.

I am so getting one.

Best of all, the darling thing is less than $200 – which is far cheaper than most good air purifiers.

(Just be sure to choose a non-toxic plant to humans and animals – in case either sort out how to open it.)

This is a brilliant shower gift.

Happy Wednesday!

Cool Mom Picks featured this beautiful hanger avec Sterling silver name/date plate today, which I wish I had known about before I had my sons baptismal gown preserved.

Slightly less dear, and almost more decorative, are these personalized hangers also by Julian & Co. A bit expensive for an entire closet, they are perfect for coats and things that hang in the open.

Precious, no?

I suppose one could also have Monday – Friday ones made up, to both help Junior learn his days and save mama the trouble of early am outfit picking. (Wow. That was really a Virgo moment. I’d never be that organized.)

As Ms. Crawford so sagely advised, “No wire hangers….”

One of my favorite children’s catalogues is Chasing Fireflies, which clothing collection seems inspired almost exclusively by a Midsummer Night’s Dream.  (The founders of this site must have been theatre majors and most certainly share my prenatural love of costume dramas, ruffles and Colin Firth.)

Though I haven’t a girl, I was thrilled that Chasing Fireflies DOES carry a few organic things (though, sadly, not in velvet, silk or Fairy costumes) for the wee lasses:

Okay. So it’s really only two adorable outfits, plus the sweet sweater above. But these could portend more in the future…

These two smocks plus modern “pantaloon” outfits are so sweet, and post modern Austen. If I had a little girl, I’d buy both.

The boy’s selection is not inspired by white steed riding Heathcliffs – (I can’t imagine why not) – but for girls, Chasing Fireflies is a must.  (They have a blue velvet double breasted coat that makes me wish I had never heard the word organic. Perfect for eco-agnostics.)

“The lunatic, the green mum and the poet, are of imagination all compact.”

I paraphrase….

Well. She won’t eat her rice pudding again, as she would rather be skipping about in her shoes that are free of harmful dyes and toxins such as Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium, Antimony, Selenium and Barium.

Available over at Satara, these darling Mary Janes are all I would shod my daughter in, if I had one.

Classic, safe and so much nicer than sneaker shoes that light up and scare pets as they burst into battery operated song, Mary Janes almost guarantee a well behaved child. (How can one have a tantrum in shoes so sweet?)

Honestly.  These shoes look lovingly cobbled by doe eyed elves. And will go perfectly with all that is smocked.

Thank heavens for proper little girl shoes.

(And rice pudding.)

From Kai Kids, is one of the only organic “snowsuits”, that I have been able to find. Now, I realize that for we Chicagoans, this is not the “Northface” looking thing that we are all used to, and this seems more like a “Fallsuit”, than “snow”. But it is organic, and with  a few layers, should work for a jaunt from the house to car, and a wee bit of playtime outside.

This one, from MaM Design, looks a bit “Halloweenish” to me. But it does look cozy and warm.

If you find a more traditional organic or Oeko-Tex Standard 100 snowsuit, please let me know. Sleigh bells will ring before we know it….

I don’t usually (or ever), post warnings likes this. But having had many younger family members and friends children play on these things (as did I, as a child) – I felt it may be of interest.

Bouncy “castles” and massive jumpy toys are irresponsibly toxic. From the Center for Environmental Health:

“CEH testing found one bounce house contained more than 70 times the federal limit for lead in children’s products under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Independent testing commissioned by CEH also showed that lead from bounce houses can expose children to the toxic chemical at levels that violate California law.”

(Read more: HERE)

Really? SEVENTY BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP TIMES?!?!

Luckily, a suit is in the making:

“It’s the PVC to blame for the lead content in these bounce houses. This “poison plastic” has prompted the California Attorney General Jerry Brown to file a lawsuit against companies that supply bounce houses.”

(Read more: HERE)

Being safe is a total buzz kill. I get that.

But 70x?!! It’s safer to give them a few Menthols for Pete’s sake.

That doesn’t really seem like anything to celebrate.

Available in 8 friendly colors, Max’s Mudd is food grade (gluten free and vegan), organic play dough. No doubt we have all eaten our fair share of that “other” play dough (I still have fond memories of the salty (toxic) taste and smell) – but for our healthier and greener generation, we now have delicious and safe Mudd.

Even the containers are “high-quality food grade,  recyclable, reusable LDPE #4 and PP #5 containers. They are compliant with FDA, EU, and CA Prop 65 restrictions on lead & cadmium. They contain no traceable amounts of Parabens, Phthalates or BPA.” (Gosh. Almost as edible as the play Mudd itself!)

Though still a choking hazard for the under two’s – Max’s Mudd, under supervision, seems the perfect art supply.  It seems unlikely to end up on your walls, or make any curious pets sick. And what could be easier to clean up after?

I have forsworn the use of markers in my home until my child is 18 – so I’m glad to see that in addition to soy crayons, my budding artist can make Francis Bacon like renditions of his family in play dough.

Ceci n’est pas Play Doh.

Warning: If you are from Fort Lauderdale, and are a “Topsider” purist, this will offend you.

You know you grew up in Fort Lauderdale if you had an entire drawer full of bathing suits, you have had to figure out what to do with green hair (if you were blond), you have seen as many Manatee as Georgians have ‘coons, and you had at least four pairs of Sperry Topsiders. If you grew up within 10 miles of The Galleria in the 80′s, those Topsider laces were curled into spiral things, rather than tied in a bow. It looked “totally wicked” with your double layer of pastel colored Polo shirts (both collars up). Just the thing to wear as you stole macaroons from the LYC.

Sadly, Topsiders have yet to go “green” – but Timberland has created a line of “greener” boat shoes that, though not Topsiders, are suitable for a go on your runabout.

From their site:

• 100% organic cotton canvas and burnished leather uppers from a silver-rated tannery
• Lightly padded collar for a comfortable fit around the heel
• 100% recycled PET and 100% organic cotton linings
• 360-degree lacing system for optimum adjustability
• 100% recycled polyester laces
• Outsole made with 5% recycled rubber
• Rustproof hardware

I know that Sperry-lovers will never buy them – but they ARE better for the environment, and that means better for the Manatee.

(Slight exaggeration, but it all ties in.)

Happy boating!