Moms · Eco-Chick

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Bubi Baby Butter

Bubi baby butter is soothing for babes and moms alike. The handmade combination of organic shea butter, coconut oil, calendula, and chamomile leaves skin hydrated during this cold, dry time of year.

The butter is free of petroleum by-products, fragrance, lanolin, and surprisingly, zinc-oxide. I have yet to find a diaper cream that does not have zinc-oxide, including many natural brands. There is debate about the safety of zinc-oxide, so some choose to avoid it. Most commercial creams contain zinc-oxide, as it helps to form a barrier for the skin. Soothing oils can work wonders in comparison to the commercial creams, and certainly won’t generate free-radicals or mess with my kid’s endocrine function!

Bubi’s works and can be used anywhere – parched hands, wind-burned cheeks and dry lips love it.

Baby, Calendula, Coconut Oil, farm, Handmade, mom, moms, oil, oils, Organic, Outdoors, skin, Sunscreen

Fashion Lessons for Eco-Chicklets

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by Danelle Brown · 10/09/08

Do you remember how fun it was as a little girl to go shopping with your mother, big sister, or babysitter? Those memories mark the foundation of our fashion-obsessed natures. The thing is, not all of our fashion role models at the time were eco-fashionistas.

We, as the new generation of role-models and mothers have the incredible ability to excite, educate, and inspire the qualities of an Eco-Chick into our Eco-Chicklets today so that they grow up to become even fiercer than our generation.

Loyale, ABC Carpet & Home, and Sons & Daughters, are just a few of the little boutiques across New York City that carry cute (organic) fashions for the little ones.

Some of the labels, such as Loyale, carry collections that both an adult and child could wear (so you can pick some new stuff up too). The Loyale collection uses 100% Organic Cottons, 100% Organic Cotton Faux Furs and embroidery and factory reclaimed fabrics in its construction, and the garments are all crafted in New York City.

There are definitely more on-line stores than boutiques, but the experience of going into a store or studio, and explaining to your child, niece, younger sister, or granddaughter why her new dress is better than a conventional one from the Gap can’t be beat. Remember that for kids, every experience is ripe for learning something new.

Showing them how to repair their own clothes, or even make their own, is another great way to show a young girl (or boy!) what goes into making her or his clothes (they’ll be able to relate to the usually-underpaid sewers who put together most conventional garments). Letting them pick out patterns and fabrics is a fantastic design lesson.

eco-chiklets, Fashion, kids, moms, Organic

Is Melamine Safe for Kids?

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 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

Eco-Hypocrisy

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 02/21/08

An enviro-moralism, substantiated by the current sense of ecological responsibility, has permeated modern discourse. Al Gore said, “this is not a political issue… it is a moral one.” One is judged by their use of plastic bags, their vehicle, their light bulbs – their consumption. The idealism has become dogmatized, which in turn allows for judgment based on this moral code. Nature has been deified, made ‘God-like’, perpetuating social persecution of those who are ‘un-godly.’ Celebutantes, politicians, ecomoms, musicians, businessmen, and hippies alike are analyzed, critiqued, chewed-up and spit-out, often by those attempting to initiate change.

The guilt and eco-anxiety mentioned in Patricia Leigh Brown’s recent NYT/IHT article on EcoMoms touches on the internalization of this ‘right and wrong.’ People torment themselves over decisions. The consumptive race leaves one feeling despondent. Perfection in all things eco and environmental leads some to self-flagellate or harshly judge others.

Allowing for contradiction or hypocrisy grants an acceptance and a willingness to “do what one can” while avoiding the eco-neurosis caused by either never feeling one is doing enough or by constantly living on a soapbox. Assuming that one can live without inconsistency, in an idealized state of eco-harmony, is naive and perpetuates a form of fundamentalism. As we have seen, fundamentalism leads to judgment, hatred, and violence. Perhaps accepting the potential for imperfection permits one the true ability to change?

bags, business, consumption, ecomom, farm, meat, mom, moms, Music, News, plastic, plastic bags, soap

Change Handbags

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by Starre Vartan · 11/29/07

Change Handbags is a small company run by two moms, Meg and Sara, so they know how to make a bag that’s useful and fabulous.

There’s the super-tough shopping/beach/carryall bags that you can have customized for fundraisers or an organization, or just use for shopping or the gym (made from recycled PET fabric with six outside pockets!)

And then there’s the amazing reversible bags which are soft and gorgeous. Literally two bags in one, which is eco-friendly in itself, these are made from low-impact, vegetable-dyed leather. 10% of profits from the bags go to groups that support women’s issues.