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.

My son is utterly uninterested in rattles yet – but I love that Green Sprouts, a wonderful little company that makes all the things that a mum used to buy in plastic, out of safe, non-toxic cornstarch resin, has a yummy one.

In addition to rattles, they make food bowls, bottles, pacis and more. All products are also BPA and PVC free.

Of course, the beautiful silver rattle that his Tia Stacy gave him is also BPA and PVC free.  Bless her.

In searching  for a BPA, PVC, Phthalate free baby toothbrush, I came across Soft Landing, which is a brilliant company that sells plastic wares (for you, baby and pet), without PVC, BPA or Phthalates.  Ah, the face of the future. Watch and learn MBA students….

For the indesisive and those who like “samples”, they have perfect little baby packs of things like safe bottles…

eating service

or bath toys…

Honestly, these cats have everything you could possibly need. And any company that realizes that furbabies need safe toys too, I heart…

This is one of my new fave sites - and I hope you’ll forward it along to new and seasoned mums alike.

Bookmark for stocking stuffer time.

Happy Monday!

This is not a torture device – it is a bathtub, inspired by the tubs used by those eccentric Europeans.

Needless to say, it’s BPA, PVC, phthalate and lead free (yes, those things are in conventional plastic tubs), but, most importantly, it seems that babies love being in warm water up to their chests, and in the fetal position – both of which are accomplished in the Spa Baby.

I haven’t bought one of these space age looking things, but they are also BPA/PVC free. (My only concern would be that baby might reach up and touch a still warm spout.  I still have a scar from having done just that.) I do love the name: the Puj Tub (it makes me lust for a curry). It doesn’t seem that anything larger than a baby or Shih Tzu could fit in one, though.

And what to wash the dear one with?  Natural sea sponges (best brought back from the beach holiday you should squeeze in before the baby), and any soap (when he is old enough), that has a “0″  rating from the Skin Deep database.

For a yummy and cozy dry off, organic towels  from Under The Nile are just the thing.

Note: For those of us having winter babies, rather than worry about creams and lotions, just consider using extra virgin olive oil. It’s been the safe choice of mother’s for 4ooo year - and soaks in gorgeously apres bath. (Any oils that contain nuts, such as almond or sunflower, are to be avoided until they are cleared by the Doctor of not having nut allergies.) 

Let me know if you use the Raj, and love it.

After you read this, which describes the malevolent tetrogens that are in a conventional baby mattresses, you’ll buy an organic one (you will, you’ll see): http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-sleep/part-i-toxicity-analysis-of-baby-mattresses/

I think that the Princess, now married for the second time,  to that adorable stable boy, is also too upset to speak to producers after discovering that her breast milk (and yours, and mine), most likely contained flame retardant levels 10 to 20 times that of our European sisters.  How the boll#$%^ have we been so exposed to flame retardant chemicals? Our mattresses. Every single one we have ever slept on: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-09-22-breast-milk_x.htm 

(Note: Mattresses are not the only culprit, sadly. Flame retardants are now found in most household dust – as a result of the chemical saturated foam in furniture, textiles and the plastics in TV’s, etc. VACUUM!  ALOT! And get a non-ozone producing air purifier. I’ll talk about vacuums and air filters next.)

And of course, the Princess was less than amused to discover that that pile of mattresses also contained PVC’s that will never, ever, ever leave her system: http://www.safemilk.org/article.php?list=type&type=55 

Alright. You get it. I know you do. The good news? Organic crib (and adult) mattresses are everywhere today. Buy one. If nothing else, just do this one thing, and reduce your child’s chemical body burden and statistical chances of suffering from asthma, allergies and SIDS, among other diseases and conditions. http://www.healthychild.com/toxic-sleep/has-the-cause-of-crib-death-sids-been-found/

Understandably petrified to buy anything else, I now have several organic mattresses in the house (which use naturally flame retardant wool): one for the crib, one for the bassinet and one for the toddler bed, all from http://www.naturepedic.com/ The least expensive organic mattress that I have found that is kosher INSIDE AND OUT is here: http://www.babyearth.com/naturepedic-mattress-naturepedic-no-compromise-organic-crib-mattress-150-seamless.html  When looking for a mattress, please be VERY CAREFUL of “Greenwashing” – it’s when part of a product may be organic, but other parts are not, the latter not being mentioned in it’s promotion - as an example – the very inexpensive Sealy “organic” mattresses actually have a non-organic FOAM core.  Most foam is evil. Repeat after me….MOST FOAM IS EVIL. That’s the bit that they usually treat with the most chemicals. So do NOT go by cost alone. Again, when it isn’t perfectly clear what is IN a product, either don’t buy it, or contact the company and ask.

This recent article from The Chicago Tribune on choosing a crib mattress may prove helpful: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-tc-fam-cribs-0806-0802aug02,0,4564480.story

Lesson #3: Your child is breathing in whatever he is on, or is on him. And as he breathes in TWICE as much as you do, he will absorb in TWICE the toxins.

PS: No matter how toxic your breast milk, it is still the best for baby. That’s how good the stuff is.

PSS: The Princess is actually fine. She’s Danish and Denmark is part of the European Union which has already banned most of the insidious chemicals that we are happy to expose our children to. http://chemicalwatch.com/2553 and http://www.euractiv.com/en/environment/relaunches-controversy-children-exposure-chemicals/article-166009