Toby + Rei: Eco-Friendly Clothes and Accessories for You and Your Baby
Toby and Rei is a company out of Massachusetts featuring eco-friendly clothes and accessories for you and your baby. Toby and Rei's Baby Blanket is made of super soft bamboo fleece (70%) and organic cotton (30%). This thick blanket is aesthetically pleasing with Toby and Rei's signature mother bird and baby bird satin stitch embroidery on the center patch. This blanket is sure to become a comfort object of any young child. Designers Alanna Mallon and Kate Browning explain their inspiration:
as fashion designers, we are aware of the impact that standard growing and harvesting practices have on our natural environment, and want to provide an alternative to concerned consumers. as young mothers, we want to leave a positive legacy for our own children and the planet that they will inhabit.
The harmful effects of Bisphenol-A (BPA) have been known for some time now. A study released last month by the University of Cincinnati released states that BPA leaching from plastic containers increases greatly with hot liquids. According to Globe and Mail,
The finding suggests that parents sterilizing polycarbonate baby bottles by heating them in water or in a microwave may be inadvertently increasing the amount of the estrogen-mimicking chemical leaching from the containers. It also indicates hikers who use the bottles as a thermos to store hot tea or liquids may be doing the same. The addition of boiling water increased BPA migration rates by up to 55-fold compared with water at room temperature...
If you are a coffee or tea drinker, try using a stainless steel travel mug. This is a great option to use instead of wasteful, paper/styrofoam cups and is a safer alternative to reusable plastic mugs and bottles. This mug is made with fair labor practices, including paying fair wages.
Gone are the days when organic cotton meant hippy dippy. There are A LOT of folks using organic cotton for their baby clothes these days. So a parent can be discerning.
Astrotot now makes an organic line of baby clothes and kids t-shirts with a sense of humor. According to the press release for the new organic baby gear,
Astrotot prides itself on providing uniquely funny, insightful and expressive infant and toddler gift wear while supporting sustainable cotton farming practices and ecologically responsible printing methods....All designs are printed in-house using a revolutionary eco-friendly digital printing process and packaged in distinctive gift boxes made of recycled cardboard.
We haven't seen the shirts in-person, but on the website they look to be high quality. And "I Have a Wedgie" and "Fo'Shizzle" are pretty darn funny.
Be sure to select from the organic line, if that's what you're after; other shirts are sweat-shop-free American Apparel, but not organic.
Now through December 15th, Astrotot is offering free shipping on orders over $40.
We blogged about Arabella Miller's fun graphic kids t-shirts last month. As you'll recall, they're so organic (cotton, ink, etc.) that they're soil-certified. And, just as importantly, they're (almost) as cute as the sweet little muffin you're going to put in them. At the time, we lamented that they were only available in the U.K. Well, it's a global world. Yippee!
We especially like the new long-sleeve t-shirts, pictured here, which have a cool, retro baseball shirt look. Nice.
Shipping to the U.S. costs seven pounds. Not a bad deal when you consider that overnight domestic FedEx is about the same.
Got an email from the folks at Zoe b Organic about their new Natursutten all-natural rubber pacifiers. Imported from Europe, the pacifiers are made from pure, natural rubber from the tree Hevea brasiliensi. They include no artificial color, parabens, PVC, or phtalates and they're BPA-free.
Rubber pacifiers are softer than those made from silicone. Plus Natursutten pacifiers are extremely hygienic because they're molded in one piece--which means no joints or cracks where bacteria can accumulate. I'm happy and quite relieved to have found a natural alternative to conventional pacifiers on the market, just in time for our daughter-to-be.
We're big fans of Blirt's wordplay designs - available in t-shirts and longsleeve t's - designed to introduce kids to the playfulness of the English language. (Check out our Blirt t-shirt review from last May.)
And, we like it that Blirt shirts are made of 100% organic cotton, using non-toxic dyes and are water-base silk-screened (a more environmentally friendly process). According to Tracy, the decision to go organic wasn't part of the original business plan until Blirt ran into some delays sourcing the shirts:
During the delays, we learned about conventional cotton farming and were dismayed to find that it is actually one of agriculture’s most environmentally destructive activities. So the decision to go organic was really a no-brainer.
We're glad to hear it, and glad to hear that that Barneys will be carrying Blirt's kids shirts and pants. Sounds like there's a market for "organic without the crunch" baby wear. Hallelujah!
The site features a video of party planner Traci Phillips talking about how she planned a green baby shower for Sheryl Crow's son Wyatt. Among the tips:
- Use local foods
- Avoid paper products or use recycled, recyclable tableware
- Wrap presents in reusable grocery bags or cloth diapers tied with a bow
- Have guests sign an organic baby t-shirt instead of a guestbook
Get more tips and check out the video at Wee Generation.
Alison Rothwell just wrote in to tell us about her new company, Arabella Miller, making organic cotton t-shirts for babies and toddlers. The shirts are made of organic cotton, and even organic ink. And the designs are awesome. Check out "Puppy Love," one of our favorites, at right.
Arabella Miller is located in the UK (and, alas, doesn't currently ship to US locations), but UK orders ship for free!
Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup - BPA-Free for the Whole Family
BPA-free drinking vessels aren't just for babies and grown-ups. Check out your toddler's sippy cups to make sure they don't contain the dangerous chemical compound found in hard plastics. (Here's how to tell.)
The Klean Kanteen stainless steel sippy cup is safe and non-leaching, with no epoxy coating on the inside of the bottle. It comes with a non-leaching #5 polypropylene adaptor and #5 polypropylene sippy spout. (The Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup also works with the Avent Sippy Spouts - two of which are included - and is dishwasher safe. ) When your child outgrows the sippy spout, you can replace it with any other Klean Kanteen cap.
Sandra Blum just wrote in to let us know about the launch of a new site for parents concerned making safe and healthy choices for their children - Safe Alternatives for Baby. She writes:
With this blog, we wish to shine the light from potentially harmful or toxic choices we may unknowingly make for our children, onto safer alternatives. We hope to inspire parents to become as aware as possible.
Initial entries focus on sunblock, water filters, baby wipes and pacifiers.
Good luck to Sandra and her partner Samantha on the new site. Sandra and Samantha, welcome to the blogosphere! Keep us posted.
For our baby shower, Nicole gave me a copy of The Diaper-Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh. I've been reading through it while I'm feeding him, and I have to admit I'm intrigued.
The book's premise is that babies are aware from birth of their need to go to the bathroom, and that they give off certain cues - just as they give cues when they want to eat or need to be burped. By learning those cues, and responding to them - a process called elimination communication - parents can toilet train their kids at a very young age (even as infants).
Practicing elimination communication takes a lot of work and a lot of patience. But the book argues that there are benefits (financial, ecological and emotional) to using it even just periodically -- and offers advice for full-time, part-time and occasional practitioners.
Little Green Star: Organic Cotton Baby T's with a Message
Victoria Holland, co-founder of Little Green Star, just wrote to tell us about the company's line of organic cotton baby t-shirts, designed to inspire and educate -- and bring a smile to your eco-conscious face.
Shirts are emblazoned with cute graphics and statements like "Water Pollution Makes Me Crabby," "My Other Stroller is a Hybrid," and "My Dad Recycles More than Your Dad."
All shirts are printed on 100% organic cotton using non-toxic water-based ink. Too cute.
Toby + Rei: Eco-Friendly Clothes and Accessories for You and Your Baby
Thinking about throwing an eco-friendly baby shower? Get tips from 
BPA-free drinking vessels aren't just for babies and grown-ups. Check out your toddler's sippy cups to make sure they don't contain the dangerous chemical compound found in hard plastics. (
For our baby shower, Nicole gave me a copy of 
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