I realize that this doesn’t look remarkable – but this 11 pound stroller actually folds down into a BACKPACK! Bloody genius is what this is.

The QuickSmart backpack stroller, from down under, is the best piece of gear that I’ve seen this year. If I didn’t have the G-Lite, I would order one. It even fits as airline carry on – which is such a plus when traveling on long flights when you don’t want to wait for your stroller. You must watch the video on their site.

In the US, it seems that its available from a distributor right here in Illinois:

QuickSmart USA:

C/- My Paintbox

102 N. Cross Street, Suite 4C, Wheaton, IL 60187, USA

Toll Free: 1 (855) 4-FUNTASTIC or 1 (855) 438-6827

contactus@quicksmartgo.com

Those Aussies do tend to surprise.

G’day!

Personally, I’ve never registered for anything. My wedding and baby tea – were all “please give to charity” affairs, as the thought of giving a list to friends of stuff to buy me made me cringe. Here! Get me something or feel like an arse! I especially like number seven! I know that “everyone does it”…except that everyone really doesn’t.

A very dear friend of mine was in a panic as she didn’t want to do a traditional registry or “register” for a “depressing” baby charity.  So we decided on a brilliant little charity that, based on the Buy One/Give One model, that will send you a swaddle blanket – as well as give one, printed with critical baby health information, to a mum in a severely disadvantaged country.

She plans to use the blankets that she actually receives, to a local shelter – helping two babes with one blanket as it were.

Of course your parents or bff’s are going to get you pressies when you have a baby – but wouldn’t it be nice if for all your work mates and less bosom buds – you could turn the joy you are experiencing into good for another, less blessed mum and babe?

Exactly.

Learn more about The Information Blanket.

Via Springwise, and following on the heels of other “box of the month” services that I have seen springing up for mums, Citrus Lane sends a box of safer and organic goodies to “I so need a present” mums for $25 a month.

Personally, I love this idea as a gift. Age appropriate what nots – as well as something to look forward to and open – I think makes a superb combination.

All of the products  seem to be green mum faves and you end up saving a bit of green by getting them bundled this way. The brilliant thing is, you can always re-gift what you don’t need to other green mums – which always saves time.

I love the idea and will certainly keep this in mind for the next baby shower. (A wine of the month gift is always good too….)

Cheers!

Were it not for the fact that his papa is a carnivore (he’s from Wisconsin, poor sod) – my impossibly beautiful son (above), would be an ovo-lacto vegetarian like his gorgeous Tia (also above).

Alden has only had organic, grass fed chicken – and never more than 6 oz in a week. But still. I cringe when I see my husband get it out of the fridge – that slimy, limp, dead piece of flesh – warmed up enough to put into my son’s beautiful and perfect body. Quite frankly: I find it revolting. Repugnant. And vile.  (Red meat will not pass through that child’s lips until he’s old enough to drive.)

Now, lest you start shouting about protein and calcium…I do give Alden goats milk, goats yogurt and gorgeous goat, buffalo or sheeps fromage – the latter as a very special treat (as he’s never so much as seen a cookie or sweet) – but that’s only after reading that all bovine milk – save for that from all but two species of cow – expose us to A1 beta casein - which is the pesky protein that gives so many so much trouble (from funny tummy to diabetes.) Anyway. Read Devil in the Milk for more on that.

So.

As I don’t want my child eating putrid offal or cow product, it wouldn’t make much sense for me to have it available at his upcoming birthday party. A vegetarian caterer is needed….

I have yet to choose which caterer I am using, but here is a list of Chicago based vegetarian catering options for other mums who would rather get e-coli than serve conventional pizza, hamburgers or hotdogs at their child’s birthday party.

1) Chicago Vegetarian Cooking: a wee outfit that seems birthday party affordable and specializes in smaller fetes. They make sweet potato homefries. Yes, please.

2) The Chicago Diner: With “wings”, “potstickers” and “mozzarella sticks” on the menu – this Chicago vegetarian favorite makes all the fare that children and adults love – sans the dead creature.

3) Fig Catering: Lovely menus that I’d certainly want at an adult cocktail party. Not as expensive as it looks.

4) Verite Catering: Mouth watering menu. May be expensive.

5) Blind Faith Cafe: Affordable, uncomplicated menu. Been around forever.

What’s good about working with an exclusively vegetarian caterer, rather than asking a traditional caterer to do a veggie menu, is that they share your reverence for “clean” and “healthy” food – and won’t, for example, make a veggie soup with chicken stock. Trust me. It happens.

If you are worried about your guests that aren’t vegetarian – don’t be. I can suck down a rack of ribs faster than a Texan chasing a confirmed bachelor in a Jimmy Carter t-shirt – but a meatless meal never killed me. Your guests can stop and grab a dawg (especially here, in Chicago) on the way home. The important thing is to have booze. And a fast pouring arm. (Aldens fiesta will have both.)

Whatever our personal dreadful eating habits (I’m a study in them. I admit it: I love foie gras. LOVE. Pan seared. Mary had keep her eye on that little lamb when mummy is around.), children deserve a better and healthier example. Just as we can smoke and drink like Janis Joplin on the last day of a six city tour – but not around a child – as we must pretend to be better than we are. Until our children make us so.

Happy Birthday Virgos!

I saw this over at Inhabitots – and could not believe that I didn’t develop this idea.

If you knew me, you’d know that I sort of (totally), believe in a bit (all of it) of astrology. I’m a Pisces, We tend to believe in the unbelievable.

Zodiac Baby  - (which is just a perfect gift, I don’t care if it smells like old sardines) – is an organic baby wash and lotion line that I am SO telling EVERYONE about. It also has a very cute site at which you choose the sign of the babe and get a horoscope like direction to the correct wash/lotion.

I loves it. I do.

I can already think of four babies that I’m buying this for.

The fault dear Brutus….

Organic layette sets are increasingly common – but not increasingly lovely. Lauren Celeste has a darling set that won’t offend your cousin who lived in France for 4 years or darling Poppy who is about to have a 5th generation Ethel Walker girl.

Grab a Lauren Celeste gift set, click on the Mikimotos and don your vintage (oh, so green) chapeau – and off to the shower you go – knowing that she’ll love her beautiful, discreetly organic, layette.

Kiss My Face has developed a gorgeous line of non-toxic, bio-degradable soaps that can be used as prolifically as Dr. Bronner’s.  You can wash your body, clothes, dog, dishes and floors with this stuff. It’s inexpensive, 10% of the profits go to help children in war-torn countries and the scents are far milder than the the nutty Dr.’s.  Plus, the packaging (though slightly influenced by that peppermint stuff, ahem) is fresh and fun.

At $16 for 34 oz, it would also make a cute shower favour if pored into smaller vials. Soap never goes to waste.

The “Peace” blog is quite good, and will make you feel even happier than a good soak in the tub. You may need a few of their soy based Peace candles for that soak.

Even the wick is natural cotton for Petes sake!

They aren’t Jo Malone or Maria Santa Novella candles – but this is the price that we green mamas pay….

Enjoy!

I confess. I eat mercury laden sushi and love, I mean REALLY love, antibiotic, GMO, pesticide filled, toxin producing ribs. Slathered in high fructose corn syrup BBQ sauce. Yup. Nothing better.

Those are hardly the least of culinary (or other) sins.

However, though an adult may choose to smoke, drink and suck down succulent finger lickin’ good ribs – these are not, obviously, the delicious venom with which we want to fortify our growing childrens immune systems and life long risk of many diseases and conditions. Nope. Foie Gras for mum, kale and pears for you, little one.

I have bought several cookbooks and books on nutrition and have found the following to be the easiest, most instructive and helpful.

In no particular order:

1) The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth (Um. Ribs are NOT on the list.)

2) The 100 Top Healing Foods

3) Disease Proof Your Child (Great advice to “treat” sniffles or any other common ailment sans making the drug companies shareholders any happier.)

4) Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids (Great way to make healthy party food without fear of making other children sick.)

5) The Vegetarian 5 Ingredient Gourmet (If you are as lazy as I am – this is the book for you.)

6) Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly (Easy vegetarian recipes for lunch and snacks.)

Armed with this small library, I hope that you’ll find the task of raising the healthiest baby possible (with its life long benefits that will survive your own life), easier and less daunting. Honestly, if it doesn’t strengthen your child – it weakens him – is as good a golden rule as any. If not on the list of the first book – chances are that junior doesn’t need it. With 150 amazing foods full of healthiness and goodness, why bother with anything else? Your child will do all the damage he needs in college – so don’t worry that you are depriving him of the rubbish that you (guiltily) love. You only have 18 years to feed him, really. Let him discover those dirty burnt ribs himself. They’ll do far less damage after the healthy start that you have lovingly provided.

You may actually raise a child that avoids the Raman Noodles/Hot Pockets/Pizza Bites college diet. Well. Maybe.

Bon Appetit!

Though not “organic”, Living Ethos makes gorgeous little favor gift bags that can be reused until the moths get them.

In every size and color, these darling bags become the gift, and can be filled with just a few sweets to be suitable as a memorable favor.

From simple polka dots (can you really ever have enough polka dots?), to themes like Paris Pink….

…or the ever popular “jungle”…

…to the Lilly Pulitzer wearing mum…

Living Ethos has it covered.

These sweet bags will live on as makeup and jewelry pouches – so they are suitably “green” for verdant vixens.

(Oh. They also have lots of grown up and holiday bags – which are so much nicer for gift giving than rubbish toxic ink colored paper that is used once and tossed – all at the expense of some poor tree.)

Well.

Thats wraps it up!

(Sorry. It was too easy.)

Most eco wrap is either too “earthy” or too modern for my taste.  But Amy Butler makes refreshing as a sparkling minty mojito wrapping that is perfect for new baby gifts in 100% recycled paper.

Even better?

She makes gorgeous matching paper plateware with non-toxic soy inks on recycled paper with water soluble coatings.

Clever Amy makes both in hues of blues and pink – but the designs seem neutral enough to me to be suitable for “surprise” babies.

I just hope that the woman comes out with eco holiday paper goods, as cubist reindeers and “retro” Santa’s just aren’t for me.  Eco toile, anyone? Anyone?

That’s a wrap.