Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Kimberly Jordan Allen is a freelance writer focusing on health and wellness. Kimberly's work has been featured in E/The Environmental Magazine, NY Spirit, Check Biotech, and the Organic Consumers Association website.

This author has contributed 91 posts.

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Idbids for Kids

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10/14/08

Waverly, the aquatic Idbid.

The Idbids Kit for kids encourages play, learning and caring the earth. Always on the lookout for toys that will inspire my children to love nature, Idbids offers a cute, eco-friendly option.

The kit contains organic Egyptian cotton toys, a bright storybook that is unique, a canvas bag, and a Field Guide to plant the seeds of ecological stewardship. Reminiscent of claymation movies, the adorable storybook features photographs of the stuffed toys in various settings taking “iddy biddy steps” toward a greener, cleaner planet.

On the company’s website, kids can sign up for their certificate of completion, once they have finished working with the Idbid Kit Field Guide that lists ten ways to be more sustainable in everyday life, such as, “color on both sides of the page to double the masterpieces.”

Encouraging positive action and simple steps, the field guide helps to get kids involved and feel motivated by their own ability to care for their environment. Idbids are a great gift for little ones.

book, car, children, cotton, farm, kids, movies, Organic, Outdoors, photographs, simple steps, sustainable, water

Is Melamine Safe for Kids?

6 Comments

09/25/08

If you ever needed another reason to breastfeed, here it is. Four babies have died and thousands are ill after melamine was found in contaminated dairy products in Asia.

The industrial toxin, which is high in nitrogen, is added to milk when producers want to artificially boost protein content. According to the Associated Press, one in five national dairy companies tested positive for the chemical. The hygiene practices of dairy farmers dates back to 80′s standardization and this lack of updated regulation has allowed the antiquated technology to go largely unchecked.

After the pet-food scare with melamine it leaves one wondering what, if any, form of melamine is safe. I was recently given some kids’ bowls made from melamine. Are they at risk? Obviously the substance is solidified, but as we now know with regard to plastics, it is best to err on the side of caution.

Melamine flatware is usually created by combining the chemical with formaldehyde. Formaldehyde has been linked to asthma and cancer. In a piece for the Green Guide, Alexandra Zissu (author of The Organic Pregnancy – a great book I reviewed last year,) discusses the concern surrounding melamine and other durable plastics used in baby and toddler wares. In her article on plastics Zissu notes:

Aside from sippy cups, most kidware isn’t made of polycarbonate but of durable, colorful melamine. Melamine is a questionable choice for food because it’s made with formaldehyde, which has been linked to allergies, asthma and cancer. There’s no evidence that formaldehyde leaches out of melamine every single time it’s used, but some studies, including one by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, have shown that the chemical can migrate out of melamine and into food under certain circumstances, such as heat and when serving highly acidic foods.

In my home we have been using glass, stainless steel, #5 plastics and wood. As far as plastics go, it is wise to never use abrasive detergents or scrubby sponges as this can cause degeneration, which can lead to leaching. Zissu discusses what she feels are the best alternatives:

My daughter eats from our own lead-free ceramic dishes. She also eats from small stainless-steel prep bowls purchased at a kitchen supply store, and even the occasional glass bowl. I know some moms and dads worry about shattering glass, but she’s never broken one, despite the fact that the floor under our dining table is poured concrete (inherited from someone else’s renovation). It probably helped that we have firmly explained to her over and over and over that she may not toss the things.

Avoiding all things plastic is not a new concept. The idea of toddlers throwing glass and ceramic bowls at the dog can be daunting, but as Zissu says, teaching can help alleviate flying objects (at least ideally.) People go back and forth with the plastics debate. A few weeks ago a study was released saying “everything is OK – you can use BPA” and some of my friends told me they felt duped into buying BPA-free. But, here’s the thing. If we know we are already exposed to all of these chemicals in our environment and have a higher body-burden than our civilization has ever seen, isn’t it wise to err on the side of caution? When so many still use microwaves and plastics together, this just seems like a no-brainer to me. We put this stuff through the dishwasher (heating to high temps,) we serve hot food on it, and we bang it around and scratch it up. The attitude of “well, everything is dangerous – everything causes cancer” is resigning responsibility and leaving the well-being of our youth up to Dow and Monsanto, who as we know, have done a bang-up job so far.

allergies, Amazon, babies, Baby, book, BPA, bpa-free, Cancer, car, carbon, eating, farm, FDA, Food, formula, Home, kids, melamine, Milk, mom, moms, News, Organic, plastic, plastics, plates, Pregnancy, produce, spa, Tea, teaching, Technology, wood

Pedoodles Eco Kicks for Kids

2 Comments

09/22/08

Pedoodles, a small kids shoe line, has released eco-friendly kicks made from remnant leather. These shoes are really light-weight and they must be comfy, because my little ones keep going to them and bringing them to me saying “shhooose!” and requesting I put them on their feet.

They come in cute colors that are very wearable. I don’t feel my kids need more than one or two pairs of shoes and these are great for Fall. The soles, also made from recycled materials, have a great grip too, which my twenty-month-old toddlers need since they are climbing, running, and deconstructing all day long.

Pedoodles is offering a discount of 20% off to Eco Chick readers. Use the code ecochick at checkout (good thru Oct 31/2008.)

kids, leather, recycled, shoes

In Honor of Those Who Served on 9/11

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09/11/08

Every year on this day we remember what happened.

This year I wanted to remember those who served. Some we lost, and many are still suffering with lung disease, cardiovascular illness, and fatal maladies. The price so many have paid is beyond what anyone can imagine.

One of my dear friends is an iron worker in NYC. He arrived on site the day of 9/11/2001. He did not leave for three weeks. At one of his doctor’s visits following the time he spent at the WTC, the doctor told him he had the lungs of a sixty-year-old smoker. He is thirty-one. What he saw, he would never discuss in detail. The intensity of emotion and devastation is so evident when he does speak of this time.

I respect Garret hugely and think of his sacrifice often.

Today we honor those who lost loved ones, those we lost, and those who are still experiencing the fallout of this event due to illness. To anyone in the NY area who wants to attend memorials, listen to amazing speakers and hear incredible music, here are some events.

car, Events, fall, farm, Music, NYC, Outdoors

We Add Up

4 Comments

09/03/08

Last month I attended a green expo in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was fun and there were a lot of interesting people to share stories, peddle eco-wares, and wax prolific on everything organic, local, and carbon neutral. One of the booths at the event was We Add Up.

We Add Up has a sharp design aesthetic with modern T-shirts, totes, and recycled water bottles denoting the message that we do, indeed, add up. With a number on each item, a purchase actually adds one to the count of folks who have chosen to become, as founder Jill Palermo explains, “ambassadors of the environmental message – helping to spur conversation and educate others about climate change.”

One of the initiatives We Add Up has created is having school children sell their products, instead of Girl Scout Cookies or People Magazine. This has helped to get children involved, to feel they are a part of something productive and making a difference. Being the jaded, eco-savvy, anti-consumptive consumer that I am, my initial response upon seeing the shirts was “hmmm… been there, done that, got the T-shirt?”

Is this another way to spend money so people can quell environmental guilt and appear to be concerned or making a difference? According to Palermo, the founder, the company is working to put its money where its mouth is.

We just introduced three new T-shirts to our line, which were suggestions from the public – PLANT TREES, COMPOST and VEGAN. The PLANT TREES shirt is very special because we have joined forces with Sustainable Harvest International. With every purchase, SHI will plant 10 trees in the Central American rainforest. As you probably know, trees in the equatorial latitude are much more efficient at absorbing and sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere than trees in northern latitudes, making reforestation in Central America imperative to ending global warming.

WE ADD UP is a member of 1% for the Planet. We donate 1% of sales or 10% of profits, whichever is greater. In addition, the sale of the “Plant Trees” tee directly contributes to creating more carbon sinks, as 10 trees are planted for each purchase. As a taste of what is to come with WE ADD UP, we are currently working to create exciting partnerships for each of our tee actions. We are seeking non-profits who are leaders in developing solutions to the action the tee promotes. And, $3 from the sale of each shirt will be donated to that chosen non-profit.

I know that we are not going to change the world by simply buying organic hair conditioner and carrying a canvas bag to Whole Foods. I think it is important to be mindful of what we consume and to choose wisely, but truth be told, if we see what is happening, and the speed at which it is occuring, buying a “green” T-shirt is not going to have a massive impact.

However, what about the message We Add Up is trying to convey? Can we act as ambassadors for environmentalism? Isn’t it better to have children selling eco-friendly T’s that have a message and teach them about what is happening with regard to climate change, instead of sending them door to door with boxes of lousy commercial frankenfood chocolate bars?

Is it not productive to have people see the words “buy local” or “recycle” or “unplug?” When I see these words, even on someone’s T-shirt, it does remind me that whatever trivial issues are dominating in the moment are nothing compared to a bigger, more important cause that is always calling. Acting on behalf of the earth, on any level, can instigate thought, dialogue and change. We Add Up, in the words of Al Gore, “…is a tremendous marketing tool to promote the important message about climate change.”

clothes, Organic, rainforest, t-shirts