My grandmother always had eye masks to sleep in, as did my great-grandmother. I have the cheap ones that airlines always give you – but I think that they may be hiding somewhere with my hotel shower caps.

I love the idea of having the sun blocked out to sleep – as I wake with the slightest hint of light…(if I weren’t a green mum my whole house would have black out shades) – so I really was intrigued when I saw this sweet organic “sleep mask” for babies.

I know that babies sleep soundly, but I do like the idea of having this adorable hat/sleep mask at the ready for a daytime car trip – especially for our trips back “home” to Florida. From Zoe Organics, who also have a guilt free  biodegradable beach play set that would be great for Florida – the hat/mask is my new fave thing.

Sweet dreams!

If nothing else, the Huns do know how to build a car.

I have just ordered my sons first “wheels”: this Haba (German built), auto/walker, that he can ride his favourite toys about in.

Though I considered other Haba and Plan Toys walkers, I like that this red convertible has “storage”, so that I can keep other toys out of the way in our family room. I also liked that other mums mentioned that the car doesn’t tip over when their wee ones pull themselves up on to the handles.  (And it meets EU safety standards, most importantly.)

It may not be ready for the autobahn, but I’m hoping that it gives Alden a bit of fahrvergnügen.

Tschüß!

Of course, the greenest car choice is to buy one used.

My husband just received the new Orvis catalogue, (I have tried to take us off all direct mail lists, but some still gets through), which, for once, I think rivals the Neimans Christmas Book as it features this ”capital” (said with closed mouth and emphasis on the “C” as a “K”) restored Rover.

This 1962 Martin Walter built Series 11A 109 Land Rover  is more travelled than the Jolie-Pitts.  It’s dominated the crags and moors of it’s native England, it’s traipsed through the Continent on it’s Grand Tour and followed that civilised visit with colourful adventures through exotic Asia and unforgiving Africa.  All 22 countries traversed by this ripping Rover made it ever cooler.

If you bought this peripatetic Rover, your child would be coming home in the most brilliant piece of metal on the block.  Neighborhood. Entire village.

I mean, how green can you get? A car older than you in the most appropriate colour! And it’s just bloody fantastic….

Get it before J. Peterman does.

Or that greedy Jeremy Clarkson.

Tally’ho! Wot, wot.

In my first post (and I am sure that you have read each and every one), I mentioned that my non-toxic journey began three years ago by helping a friend find a car seat, which led me to a site: Healthycar.org – which led me to the disturbing knowledge that most car seats were SATURATED with lead, ARSENIC (Wot?!) , cadmium, mercury, chlorine, bromine and all sorts of other scary toxic heavy metals and chemicals that baby skin absorbs and which they, double the adult rate, breathe via the air.  And where do they tend to breathe these neurotoxin fumes rising out of the car seat?  In your Dachcar – that is saturated in the same poison (that belongs in an Agatha Christie mystery – not your baby’s body).

Is it getting better since three years ago?  Yes.  Angry mothers calling manufacturers, writing their legislators, supporting healthy childrens products legislation, starting blogs and spreading the word are FORCING companies to mitigate or rid their products of these cheap chemicals.

What was www.HealthyCar.org, (bless every last one of the people that work with The Ecology Center that puts on this site) – is now www.HealthyStuff.org, which now reviews heaps of other kid’s products.

I bought my Sunshine Kids car seat based on these cats – as well as my car.  And now that they review an increasing pile of products – I’ll be sure to check them even more frequently.

HealthyStuff has mobile apps, that you may consider.  You can text their elves with a product and they will text you back with it’s toxicity rating.

Please take a gander, become their Facebook friend, sign a petition on their site, get a widget, download an app, send them a few shekels — these people are doing incredibly important work – and deserve your support.

And most importantly? (I’m on my knees begging here), PLEASE check HealthStuff.org before you buy a new car or car seat…with cherries on top.

And if you car brand isn’t on their site (which mine wasn’t), buy one that is 3 years old.  That’s how long it takes for these cars to “off-gass”.

www.HealthyStuff.org.

Pass it on.

Thank you.

On Friday they deliver my new car!  Well,  it will be new to me (it was first new to some bloke about three years ago) .

Why three years?

It seems that it takes an average of three years for a car to reach safe levels of daily VOC consumption (there’s a safe level?):

“…volatile organic chemicals in a new minivan were over 35 times the health limit the day after its delivery. In four months they had fallen under the limit but increased again in the hot summer months, taking three years to permanently remain below the limit.” Source.

What my car doesn’t have, is that new car smell that people love so much they buy in sprays.  Basically, actual new car smell is, as the LA Times so cleverly describes:

“…a cheeky cocktail of bromine, chlorine, lead, arsenic, mercury and other such wonderful chemicals and elements linked with allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.”

Eek. I need a cocktail after reading that.

What is heartbreaking to me is to know how many couples actually buy a new car just BECAUSE a baby is on her way!  But, without checking www.HealthyCar.org, they may be buying a car that is even MORE toxic than the minivan that was mentioned above. It’s maddening. I think that all cars should have a toxicity rating right on the sticker next to gas mileage. G-d knows toxicity is a zillion times more important to me than bloody petrol. No point in saving money on gas, if I’m later spending it on child inhalers.

Here is an example of how easy to use and read the www.HealthCar.org information is.

If you need to buy a car before the baby comes, please check out HealthyCar.org first. KNOW what you are buying.

Also, it is actually a brilliant idea to buy a used car. You can buy an additional warranty (as we did), your baby is chauffeured about in a safer vehicle, you aren’t loosing the depreciation value, and you’ll save shekels! What’s not to love?!

Drive Safely.

Though my husband and I love “Top Gear” (Jeremy Clarkson and my hubby share a birthday, though a different year), I hate cars.  Well, not hate exactly, I love the look of some of the classic ones, but I do loathe that most little boy things are covered in cars. Or sports (which I detest even more than cars. Superfluous movement confuses me.)

But.

Not everyone does – and if you like cars, and less-toxic carpeting – this car/roadway rug may be for your nursery. The Green Depot also has more neutral carpeting for nurseries that is devoid of the uber toxic chemicals, dyes and adhesives that traditional carpets and rugs are laden with.

Seriously, rugs and carpets are the most massive no-no in a nursery. They are poison, and may be the most toxic thing in your house. If you can, get rid of all the carpeting in your casa – even if you live in Boca Raton.

I won’t warn you about how dangerous carpet cleaning chemicals are, as I know that you already know. And, as you love your family, you would never, ever use Scotch Guard or any other kind of non-organic stain remover, which is why I won’t mention it.

Well, maybe I’ll just mention this tiny snippit, so that you can quote it to eye rolling friends:

“Carpet cleaners: Toxic fumes, principally naphthalene (a carcinogen), are especially dangerous to children who play on carpets after they’re cleaned. The majority of poison exposures from carpet and upholstery cleaners were for children under six. Fumes can also cause kidney and liver damage.”  Source

Though, as you won’t allow people to wear filthy shoes in your house (especially the nursery!), and you have that fabulous HALO vacuum cleaner, you won’t really have much dirt to worry about on your new wool car/roadway rug!

Clever thing.