Children and collectible vintage furniture generally don’t mix. No one wants kiddie edibles in their Eames or spit-up on their Arne Jacobsen Swan. But Tiny Modernist encourages such pairings with their fashionable children’s clothing line featuring embellishments of classic furniture designs.
Roebuck Studio is a children’s furniture design and manufacturing company chock-full of imagination and whimsy. Roebuck Studio boasts that they “Make furniture for your kids that fit with your Eames chair.” They’re not kidding either; all of their pieces are beautiful and modern. The designs are creative enough for your child, yet every piece has such clean lines and great colors that you can implement them into your living space with confidence that they will mesh with your existing furniture and decor.
It’s not often that you come across an eco-luxe design that demonstrates true versatility in terms of its use for the entire family, regardless of age or playtime indulgences. The Pomeroy Faux Fur Throw by Loyale is a simply irresistible eco treat. This vegan luxury blanket offers a great way to combine eco-chic living with plush comfort. Tummy time and naptime for both parents and little ones never looked so eco-fashionable or felt so delightfully dreamy.
Toys bleep and buzz and boom and bop, and sometimes they even burp. They bemuse boys, make girls giggle, and annoy the heck out of adults. Show me a parent whose kid does not have a battery operated toy, and I’ll show you a likely candidate for the next series of Frontier House. For the rest of us eco-minded toy owners, there is the Green Batteries website.
The art of baby wearing has been practiced since ancient history; but it was only recently that this age-old parenting skill really blossomed, thanks to an ever increasing array of carrier options, and the rise in popularity of attachment parenting in Western culture. Now, there are so many baby wearing options on the market that attempting to sort them all out may be mind-boggling. I’d like to share a few of my favorite carriers with you, to help take the guesswork out of your search for the perfect way to tote your baby.
Given the noticeably shorter days and slightly cooler evenings, there’s no denying that fall is in full swing, and winter is nipping at our heels. One of my favorite cold weather accessories is a pair of toasty legwarmers. They are stylish and functional, and they add so much flavor and coziness to any outfit. Legwarmers are very charming on little girls, and they are an unexpected, equally compelling surprise when worn by little boys. Every time my little guy sported his legwarmers, he would be greeted with compliments and gushing admiration. Luckily, it’s easy to find these adorable little accessories in organic materials from BabyLegs.
If you are looking for stylish, contemporary, environmentally-friendly furniture for your nursery, look no further than Oeuf. This Brooklyn-based husband and wife design duo – named after the French word for egg – serve up adorable kids clothing and furniture that are as easy on the eyes as they are on the planet. My favorite design on the Oeuf menu is the ‘Classic Collection’ of baby furniture. Featuring a matching dresser / changing table, a movable changing station, and a crib that converts to a toddler bed, Oeuf’s versatile 3-piece collection will stylishly and sustainably cover all your baby furniture needs from birth until kindergarten.
Why should children be the only ones who get to wear super soft, warm and toasty, cozy, cuddly organic cotton apparel? The folks at Hanna Andersson think your whole clan is worthy of quality clothing and sleepwear, and they offer several family collections to dress dad, mom, son and daughter in coordinating duds. Dads, no need to run for the hills at the prospect of getting all matchy-matchy. You’ll really dig some of these eco-conscious threads…
Taraluna is an online eco-conscious haven with an outstanding collection of non-toxic, healthy, and organic toys for babies and young children. Their newest selection includes a variety of soft, plush, organic stuffed friends – like the 100% Organic Cotton Cuddle Bunny below, a perfect pal for little ones.
The explanation I found for the concept behind this wooden bike is a bit convoluted: “A balance bicycle that can be transformed into a rocking horse. The cycles are being folded into the wooden body of the bicycle and are used as breaks (brakes) which prevent from the child to turn over while swaying.” Huh? I assumed the bike’s coolness got lost in translation…
Chapped and sun-smacked lips need lots of TLC these days, regardless of climate or rugged outdoor pursuits. The sun feels stronger, and environmental stresses are increasingly a factor. We could think of no better way to nurture and soften one’s lips than with All The Better To Kiss You With eco lip balms. Created by a Mom for concerned Moms and their families, these certified organic lip treats are a great way to insure that everyone in your family will be coddled and lip swaddled, day in and day out – and all the better for it.
As the debate rages on between cloth and disposable diapers, their is a lesser known third option that bypasses diapers alltogether: elimination communication (EC). In many third world countries, diapers are not an option. When Ingrid Bauer visited India, she noticed that mothers would often be carrying diaperless babies fearlessly and with what seemed liked virtually no “accidents.” How is this possible? In many cultures, mothers develop an incredible sensitivity to their babies’ elimination needs and can hold them over an appropriate receptacle when that need should arise. Ingrid Bauer has written a book on EC entitled: Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene.
I have long felt that messenger bags make the very best diaper bags. They’re the perfect size, with plenty of pockets for stashing binkies, wipes, bibs, and basically every little piece of baby paraphernalia that needs to be toted around on a daily basis. Best of all, messenger bags allow parents to look sleek and sophisticated, instead of frumpy or cutesy. Now, with the Urban Bag from Alchemy Goods, you can have a hip diaper bag that’s also eco-friendly and unique.
The PedoBike will seem familiar to most readers because, let’s face it, it looks a lot like a LIKEaBIKE – that other popular wooden push bike. The PedoBike is also a likable bike. It’s slightly less expensive than its competitor, and it boasts modular craftsmanship, varied accessories, and a sustainable manufacturing process. Besides, according to the distributor’s website, PedoBike is actually the “original of all wooden walking bikes for children”.
You might have heard the frightening statistic that disposable diapers are the third largest consumer item in landfills and make up about 4% of all solid waste. While most of us want to be as environmentally responsible as possible when it comes to diapers; the prospect of spending hours scraping poop and laundering cloth diapers can be daunting when you’re exhausted in your new role as a mom or dad. Luckily, gDiapers have come to the rescue! If you haven’t yet heard of gDiapers, they are the world’s first flushable, compostable diaper, pairing the “green” attributes of cloth diapers with the convenience of disposables. As a new mom of a five week old baby, gDiapers have been a godsend for my time-constrained eco-aspirations. They are cute, comfy and most importantly, easy to use, and I can’t recommend them more highly.
Chances are, your toddler has already left his “artistic” mark somewhere in your home. Whether he draws swirls in his oatmeal, or left an original on your wall, compliments of his red crayon, kids love to express themselves via art. There are many eco-savvy tools available which encourage your child’s instinctual desire to unleash his designs on the world. Here are some that will enable him to keep the planet “green,” while painting it with rainbows.
Cotton Monkey is your one-stop shop for beautiful, organic baby bedding. The image above is a fitted sheet from the gorgeous Cotton Monkey Whispering Grass Collection of baby bedding. According to Cotton Monkey textile designer, Harmony Susalla, this lovely and soothing design was inspired by the foliage in her backyard: “All of the plants in this print are native to the California redwood coast. None of them were planted, they just grow of their own accord.”
In case you are wondering what a baby nursery decorated entirely with Whispering Grass looks like…
Books: the scourge of every environmentally conscious parent. It takes about 6% of a tree to make a ream of non-recycled paper. That doesn’t seem like much, but consider the fact that each year in the US, over 2 billion books are published (not to mention magazines and newspapers), and that equates to a whole lot of trees. But you can’t not read to your kids. Thankfully, Simon & Schuster’s Little Green Books are coming soon to a bookstore near you.
Kids grow up quickly; so I’m always looking for new ways to celebrate these fleeting days while my little ones are still small. Recently, I came up with a fun project that captures a moment in a child’s life, and creates a unique fashion statement. Here’s how to make a customized silhouette T-shirt that features your precious tots.
Imagine this: a formerly plain white baby onesie jazzed up with a vintage tie applique. Pumpkin Girl, an Etsy artisan and crafty mom (who started sewing at the ripe old age of five), dreamed up this sassy pairing. Pumpkin Girl has a penchant for incorporating vintage materials into her designs, and her totally unique “Tiesies” give new meaning to the term “business casual.” Each Tiesie is an original design, so when your little man sports these couture threads, he’s sure to avoid those embarrassing moments of running into another little dude wearing the same outfit.
Etsy shop owner Munieca’s delightful paper prints, illustrations, and collages are comprised of animated colors and simple designs, making them perfect patterns for any child’s space. These silhouetted creations are child-friendly, but not childish – meaning parents will love living with them too. The nature-inspired Patterned Birds print (above) is an original Munieca digital illustration. Recycled retro patterns are used for the colored feathers of the birds, and all images are sent by the designer, ready to be framed and displayed. Decorating babies and kids’ rooms has limitless possibilities, but we love unique designs such as Munieca’s, which foster imaginative thinking and cultivate an affinity for the natural world.
Many a parent-to-be has been faced with the quandary of whether to sacrifice their personal design
taste to usher kid-friendly decor into their home with wild abandon. Ballet slipper mobiles and sailboat wallpaper aren’t up everyone’s alley, so why not find the stylish happy medium and liven up baby’s nursery and play areas with items suited to both of your tastes? Modern Dose’s Animal Attraction Pillows bridge the child/adult decor gap as the perfect compromise between cute and hip.
Boopalina & Bebe is a playful, independent children’s eco-lifestyle brand with an offbeat, alternative design edge. Their green collection incorporates organic cotton and bamboo fabrics into lively patterns, pairing the essence of free-spirited youth with an eco-friendly outlook. Today we’d like to share our interview with Boopalina & Bebe founder Kristen Angelo. This interview is the first of our ‘Meet the Maker’ series where Inhabitots writers go behind the scenes to chat with designers about what inspired them to ‘go green’ and push forward on the frontier of sustainable design for families.
As a mother of twin baby boys, I am always looking to invest in toys that can be thoughtfully enjoyed and easily shared by my little ones. I also want my occasional purchases to contribute to something lasting, both in our home and in the world beyond. I was thrilled when a friend and her husband gave us Uncle Goose blocks as a gift for our twins. These gorgeously crafted, old-fashioned A-B-C letter blocks are a perfect example of classic, heirloom toy design paired with modern materials and sustainability. U.S. made and voted one of the “best 100 toys”, parents can be totally reassured that the basics for your green nursery or playroom are taken care of with ‘Uncle Goose’.
Building blocks should be a staple item in every child’s repertoire. Aside from providing good, clean fun, playing with blocks helps develop hand-eye coordination, encourages an understanding of spatial awareness, and exercises the imagination as your child can reach towering new heights via endless block combinations. You don’t have to be square when it comes to selecting the best blocks for your child. There are many eco-savvy options available that will entertain your little ones while leaving a lighter footprint on the planet. Natural Pod’s Tree branch blocks, Craftsbury Kids Jingle blocks, and Sakol Velcro blocks are all artfully designed choices for building your child’s creativity.
Everyone knows that building blocks make fun educational toys for children, but what if block-toys like Legos could extend their life beyond just playtime and provide household use value as well? Glide’s illuminated LED blocks takes the ’smart toy’ concept to the next level by imbuing their building blocks with LED lights: creating a combination toy / lamp that is as useful as a room illumination as it is fun to play with. These ‘Legos of the lighting world’ are safe, low-power, cool-to-the-touch, and function equally well as a child’s nightlight or a chic living room accent light.
Having a baby who had an intense sucking reflex, we needed to find an alternative to his saliva-coated digits (after approximately 6 weeks of established breastfeeding, of course). Natursutten is the perfect solution in this situation. Made of pure ‘natural’ rubber from the Hevea Brasiliensi tree, it’s a great alternative to plastic. ’Natursut’ means “natural pacifier” in Danish; it boasts no artificial colors, no parabens, and no PVC, phthalates, BPA, or chemical softeners. It’s ideal and truly comforting for both babies and environmentally-conscious new parents.
Make baby bathtime more fun and eco-friendly with these adorable organic cotton wash mitt critters from Under the Nile. What better way to entice a reluctant baby into the bath than with a talkie froggie puppet? And as you would expect from eco baby brand Under the Nile, these washcloth-cum-hand-puppets are as environmentally friendly as they come. Not only are they fair-trade and made from the softest organic cotton and water-based dyes, but the biggest green factor comes from the multi-functionality in allowing you to wash, entertain and play with your baby all with one little charming design.
What’s blue and bright and green all over? The LOVE IS line of organic denim fashions for kids. More than just “shrunken down adult styles” these jeans are designed with 4 essential elements in mind: kiddie comfort, organic ingredients, functional cuts and repair patches – because these jeans are intended to be well worn and LOVED in true sustainable kid style.
When a company trumpets its simple philosophy of being a good citizen, you can’t help but want to know more. More about its manufacturing processes, its employment practices, its impact on the community and in my case, more about its branding and logo design. Luckily ducduc™ Director of Communications, David Harris, made himself available to tell us more.
If you want to know the history of the products you buy for your child, ducduc would be a good place to go. Based in New York City with manufacturing facilities in Connecticut, ducduc is a company that attends to every detail, from sourcing sustainable hardwoods from Northeast US forests to providing living wages and benefits to each of their employees. Among their extensive furniture collections, the
Austin Crib caught our eye for its slim profile and functional flexibility.
LOTS MORE GREAT GREEN DESIGN STORIES HERE... KEEP READING!
