From Paloma’s Nest and less expensive than tacky sets – is this gorgeous, eco-wood, ready to paint in your child’s room colors table and chair set. This set is worth creating a safari or animal room around.

Even just the tree table coupled with other chairs would be beautiful and suitable to most rooms.

For less than $200 you can order the table and two chairs - which I think is a really good deal, having seen chemically treated sets for far more than that.

Completely unrelated – but from the same shop – are these beautiful party hats that you could also decorate…

and crowns…

So lovely.

And for mummy…

I’m loving Paloma’s Nest and the honest feel of their customizable wooden wares.

Gift giving season is just around the corner…it’s never too early….

Happy Fall!

One of my dearest friends has found out that she is pregnant. With twins. In a two bedroom (but brilliant) loft in the city. This is a girl that loathes clutter the way I loathe shoes with velcro, Juicy Couture and chewing gum. And the thought of having “twice as much stuff” was almost too much for her to bear.

So.

Those simple Swedes to the rescue.

ByBo Design creates the Swiss Army knife of baby furniture. Under this changing table is a dining room table, queen sized bed and half bath. Okay. Not really. But almost.

(Cue Flight of the Valkyries)

This “nursing table” is perfect for any couple in a Manhattan 25 floor walk up – or – surprised by twins.

And if even this put it in your pocket table is too much – because you have sacrificed space for an “address” (which I completely respect) – there is always this…

And here it is closed…

Honestly. My purse is bigger than this.

I have never understood why the sons of Odin have this seemingly innate understanding of design economy.  But they do. And many a parent, who would rather eat cut glass than eat pickled herring, is grateful. Especially if they live in a stunning – minimalist loft.

Lycka till!

This 1960′s bassinet is a bit too MOD for me, but I know many a mama who would coo in delight. (A Nina Simone record scratching on in the non-smoke filled background.)

In that same room, I can imagine these lovely vintage blocks…

And in the other corner, this free of all evil things rocker…

It really is all so much easier today to create a greener nursery than it was even two years ago…..

All available from Etsy. A green and vintage mamas most addictive lunchtime peruse.

Though a bit modern for my sons – this dresser  made me smile.

With where things should go as clear as clear could be – this dresser is perfect for training your little one to be as organized as a Virgo.

It’s made of the “safer” plywood – but it doesn’t specify if the glues are formaldehyde free. I bet that they’d accommodate that.

Tarted up to any color room – its really a perfect piece. (If you aren’t Edwardian, that is – like me.)

Time to tidy up!

The shame of it is – that as a result of a gross lack of regulation – most well meaning parents create toxic nurseries for their vulnerable little ones that increase their childs chances of SIDS, asthma, learning disabilities and a myriad of other life long health problems.

Fortunately, every day more manufacturers are offering products that are safer and healthier for our families – and most importantly: our precious babies. Greenguard is one of them. What is Greenguard?

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) was founded in 2001 with the mission of improving human health and quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. In keeping with that mission, GEI certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides a free resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.

Before you buy anything for the little ones room, or your home, take a gander at the comprehensive list at the Greenguard site to see if the product you need is available in a safer brand. (It is.)  And if its a building material, you will most likely be able to find it over at the Home Depot for Green parents: The Green Depot.  These two resources will prove especially invaluable to those parents moving to a new space due to the impending arrival of joy.

I am currently creating my second green nursery – and its so much easier than the first time due to the much larger selection of products that don’t look Amish or too Svee-dish. (No offense to either.)  Your childs health is worth the slight effort that it requires – and I hope that my downloadable pdf. for registry planning helps you a bit. Every day we learn more about our childrens poor health and their immediate environment…its time for a changing of the guard: be a Green Mama instead of a McMama. The less toxins that get by you, the healthier we’ll ALL be.

Happy July!

The #1 concern/complaint I hear from mums is “being green is more expensive”. I know. I understand. It’s true – to a point.

Green mums tend to buy less “stuff”, as there is less “stuff” that is safe, which keeps the wallet a bit fuller. But greener furniture is, alas, more expensive as it it free of the more toxic (cheaper) glues, etc. But reCrib is here to help.

ReCrib is basically a classifieds section for nicer nursery furniture – much of it – though NOT all – is from the greener (more expensive) brands, like one of our favourites: Ouef. A current listing as an Ouef crib listed for $500, which usually retails for $730. It’s not that $500 is “cheap” – but its cheaper than you’d have to pay usually – perhaps putting it in your price range.

Another listing that caught my eye was the Uppa baby stroller (which is what we have), for $400, which retails for $700. A great deal, if you live near the seller in New Jersey.

Though there were not yet any Chicago listings (where I am located), I hope that these types of sites (in fact, I’m developing one too!), begin to become more popular so that more mums can go green without going broke.

Back to watch my DVR’ed “Extreme Couponing”….

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!

For those of you who cringe at the Pottery Barn catalogue look, vintage whatnots are the way forward.  Not only are they “recycled”, with a carbon footprint that faded before the Carter administration, vintage pieces tend to have a bit of soul and story – perfect for a nursery.

Three Potato Four is a fabulous resource for vintage signs, toys (careful of lead paint), furniture and general curiosities.  For example, how fabulous is this life preserver to make a traditional nautical nursery more interesting…

And this authentic 60′s child chair is a must have for any Eames loving parents…

And why use boring, seen them a thousand times before storage bins, when you can have these….

And wouldn’t these old science charts be “gee whiz wow” framed on juniors’ wall…

Basically, vintage pieces (after a lead test) are greener, groovier and often less spendy than new “art” or furniture that may bore your child to tears.

Happy shopping!

It just keeps getting easier to be a green mum….

The most important piece of furniture your baby will have is his crib. His home away from you needs to be the safest thing in the room – as it can easily become the most dangerous. (Sign up for a recall alert service to always ensure that your crib is safe structure wise.) Sadly, many mums don’t realize that their cribs contain a whole Love Canals’ worth of chemicals – which is why we are loving Romina.

Romina makes beautiful, save for the grandchildren baby furniture that does not contain lead, phthalates, VOC’s or that dastardly formaldehyde. And, as you may have guessed, the finishes are all uber non-toxic as well.

Most importantly, these pieces don’t look “green”, modern or carved by women who wear calico and bonnets. (Not that thats a bad thing.) They just look classic, elegant and well made.

The company harvests the wood responsibly as well – but, quite frankly, I don’t care. I only care about the toxins.

If you are in Chicago, you can get Romina furniture at Lazar’s, where you can also pick up an organic mattress to pop in the crib. Lazar’s also carries the modern Stokki cribs for excruciatingly hip among you. It’s a bit of a schlep – but totally worth the drive.

Happy Weekend!

Though still unable to crawl, eventually my son will be playing in our family room, which still has baby hostile furniture in it.  One of the most insidious pieces of furniture that we have (aside from the foam cushioned sofas that I can’t wait to get rid of), is a glass topped table with saber like sharp edges. As it’s from Goa, I don’t even want to think of what toxic finish it’s covered in.

So,I’ve been searching for a safe ottoman that I can hide his toys in.

I think I may have found it.

W&C makes eco-certified furniture that uses FSC approved wood, no formaldehyde and Oeko Tex 100 standard fabrics – eliminating the dreaded toxic off gassing that I live in perpetual fear of.

It ain’t cheap (healthier furniture is still a bit spendy), but neither would be my son’s allergist bills if I bought traditional furniture which fumes he would be breathing.

(Contact me if you like furniture from Goa…I have a lovely coffee table that I’ll sell you cheap….)