Inhabitots

Wry Baby Delivers Great Green Laughs

Sometimes the efforts of green parenting could benefit from a few guffaws, so have your babe wear Wry Baby’s tongue-in-cheek, eco-printed onesies. They deliver lighthearted laughs alongside light footprint reminders. Cheeky logos include: “Thanks for all the Global Warming” and “Ask me about my compost pile.” And you’ve got to see this onesie’s logo, based on hairy armpits for yourself.

One of the site’s founders …

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Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouse

The Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouse designed and handwoven by Judith Needham in Surrey, England, provides the backdrop for modern day fairy tales with ecologically happy endings. The eco-friendly aspects of this playhouse are rivaled only by its natural beauty and charm. Constructed of highly renewable willow, with a pine base, the structure gradually degrades, over a period of four to five years, due to sun and rain exposure. When it becomes brittle, it may be recycled: shredded and used for garden mulch, added to a compost bin, or used as kindling for building a fire. What a poetic celebration of a child’s rite of passage beyond playhouse affinities.

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THE GREAT SLEEP DEBATE: Tell Us What You Think!

There’s nothing that seems to be a more universal conundrum, or a more divisive issue for parents, than how their babies sleep. The first question that I get hit with in almost every discussion about my kid is, ‘Does he sleep through the night yet?’ ‘Sleeping through the night’ seems to be the panacea of every parent. But is it natural, a reasonable expectation, and is it the best thing for babies? As the mother of a six-month old, I really don’t know what to think. My husband and I have poured over tons of parenting books (including the entire Dr. Sears collection), and have gone back and forth between a number of philosophies on the sleep issue. Now, with a six-month old who sleeps in our bed and wakes up for a comfort nibble 3-4 times per night, we’re rethinking the issue and our perhaps overly literal interpretation of Attachment Parenting. We’d love to hear what you think about babies and sleep – so please leave a comment below! To foster a dialogue and encourage a forum discussion about this issue, we will be sending a free Inhabitots T-shirt (or onesie) to our favorite response in the comment section.

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Inhabitots Blog Picks of the Day

Olli & Lime debuts their new Spring/Summer 2009 collection of stylish, modern toddler bedding, decor and gear. The “George” pattern is shown above, and comprised of 100% organic sateen cotton percale with a 320 thread count. With bedding of this quality and character, parents may be asking to sleep in their tot’s bed instead of the other way …

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Safe Co-sleeping With the Arm’s Reach Co-sleeper

We’re big advocates of co-sleeping here at Inhabitots, as we believe it makes life easier and healthier for both mother and baby and is helpful for creating a special bond between parents and children. However, it is not advisable to try to turn any old platform bed into a ‘family bed’ without some sort of modifications. For those of you who are interested in co-sleeping, but have a raised platform bed, don’t worry! Your salvation has arrived in the form of the Arm’s Reach Co-sleeper – a small bassinet-type device that attaches to the side of your bed so that your baby can sleep safely in his own bed, just an arm’s reach away from you.

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Kumo Friends Organic Pillows

Say goodbye to bedtime and nap time blues with an organic pillow that doubles as a stuffed friend. Kids will love cuddling up to Jaya Loves Tekeko’s Kumo Friends pillows day and night. The unique assortment of characters includes Owlie, shown below, Raindrop, Leafgirl, Professor Acorn, Hedgehog and Eggboy. Pillows are a blend of organic bamboo and organic cotton, stuffed with kapok, and hand printed with PVC and phthalate free waterbased inks. Kumo friends will not only look adorable as cushions for your kid’s sweet head, they’ll provide hip decor wherever they happen to land around the house. We’ll rest even easier knowing that a portion of Jaya Loves Tekeko sales is donated to Planting Peace, an organization dedicated to cleaning the environment and saving humanity from disease and famine.

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Getting Your Nanny to Embrace Green

Nannies, like mother-in-laws, come with their own set of ideas as to how everything should be handled in your home when you’re not around. When these ideas differ from yours, problems typically arise. For parents who have raised their children to be eco-minded in a household based on earth friendly practices, it may be a challenging psychological and cultural hurdle when it comes to fostering a sense of environmental awareness in a child’s part-time caregiver. Here are tips on how you can get your nanny to enact green initiatives in your home and keep your kids on the emerald path, even in your absence.

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TobeUs Toys: Handcarved Italian Toy Cars

TobeUs toy cars are an artistic, refreshing departure from the vast array of plastic toy cars on the market. Handmade in Italy by four Italian designers and craftsman, these sets of wheels are ones we’d definitely let our tots get behind. Choose from models including: the sports car, the saloon, the security van, the pick-up, and the romantic one. The motto behind …

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WINNER: Squishy Bowls Giveaway

Congratulations to Bodie P.!
You have won the Squishy gear from Inhabitots! We will be contacting you personally with the good news!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Squishy gear giveaway! We hope you all continue to choose safe, fun feeding gear for your families.

Stay tuned to Inhabitots for more, great green giveaways to come!

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Poteez: Eco-friendly Disposable Potty

What would you do if on your next long car ride your partner asked you to don a pair of Depends briefs because he or she wasn’t about to pull into a rest stop whenever nature called? Sound cruel? Well, parents potty training their kids might be unwittingly subjecting them to this treatment when they slip their tots into training pants in situations where a bathroom stop is not convenient. Thankfully, Poteez offers an eco-friendly solution: a disposable potty.

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Inhabitots Blog Picks of the Day

boopalina + bebe is expanding their vintage collection to include various children’s decor items including decorative pillows and wall art. Their newest line of eco modern kerchief bibs will be made out of Scandinavian textiles and organic bamboo fleece.

Enchanted Dandelions has a hip way to soothe headaches and owies. Check out April’s organic flaxseed owie bag …

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7 Tips For Throwing an Eco-Friendly Birthday Party

Celebrating your child’s birthday with a party is a fun way to highlight a memorable milestone; but birthday parties often turn into occasions of excess, where waste runs rampant and eco-friendly sensibilities are tossed aside (plastic party favors galore, paper plates piled in the trash… these are no cause for celebration!) With a little consideration, you can give your child a very green and happy birthday party. Here are seven easy ways to green your child’s birthday party:

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Rockin’ Guitar Softies by The Grateful Thread

If you think that your kid is a rock star (and what parent doesn’t), we may have found the perfect instrument for the music-loving peep in your midst. Guitar Softies by The Grateful Thread are an ideal way to let your little one jam and rock out without alienating the tunes-shy neighbors or folks downstairs. Handcrafted out of quality fabric scraps, these super-cute guitar cushions are a sure way to catapult your little one to stardom while also adding cool accents to your interior décor or lounge space.

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Melamine in Dishware: A Cause For Concern?

Melamine has been all over the news lately, thanks to the melamine pet-food poisoning scandal, and the poisoning of babies in China due to melamine-tainted infant formula. But did you realize that this toxic substance, melamine, the one that is killing babies in China, is also a major component in a large number of plastic dishware including plates, bowls and cups? If this stuff is toxic enough to kill babies and pets in trace quantities, should we be concerned about it in our dishware? We thought this was worthy of an investigation. After some sleuthing around, here’s what we found out…

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ENTER TO WIN: Our Squishy Bowls Giveaway!

Intrigued by Squishy Bowls after reading Jill’s post? If so, now you can win a set of your very own Squishy Bowls by Guyot Designs! Great for kids, for camping, for mobility and even baby-feeding, Squishy Bowls are cute, fun and extremely handy to have around the household. One lucky Inhabitots reader will win a green and blue Squishy Bowl & Cup set, two ’shot’ glasses, and some ‘Microbite’ utensils from Guyot Designs. Want to win this Squishy package? Here’s what to do:

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

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Squishy Bowls Make Eating Fun

I’ll be honest and admit that when Guyot Designs first sent me some ‘Squishy Bowls’ to review, I had no idea what to make of the little buggers. ‘Why would anyone want a Squishy Bowl?’ I wondered… ‘What is the point of these things?’ Then my baby turned six months old and we started him on solid foods, and the beauty of the Squishy was suddenly revealed to me.

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Eco-Friendly Growth Charts by Bold & Noble

“Kids grow up so fast,” as the old adage goes… so savor every centimeter along the way with a stylish and eco-friendly growth chart by Bold & Noble. “Grow” is printed on card made from 100% recycled material, and it’s available in colorful variations of Azure Blue and Poppy Red. You can watch your wee ones sprout alongside this chart starting at 50 centimeters up to 140 …

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FASTRONAUTS: Action Figures Powered By Play

One of fifty inspired entries in this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition, Fastronauts was one of our favorite entries. Fastronauts are a dynamic trio of power-packing superheroes that aim to make renewable energy accessible to eager young minds. Each eco-friendly action figure is powered by play: the more you charge your little fastronaut (through motion), the more it will talk, light up, and zoom around in its little vehicle. Each fastronaut uses a dynamo to generate energy for lights, sounds, a bicycle speedometer and more. These versatile action figures are a great way to introduce kids to energy conservation while encouraging them get outside and play.

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Inhabitots Blog Picks of the Day

Food art lovers will delight in Anna the Red’s bento food art. Where the Wild Things Are is featured above. We’re fans of anything that makes picky toddlers actually eat their food. Even if you can’t design the above, try your hand at making your tot’s food artistically appealing to reduce waste.

Save money and energy heating your house by …

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Power Folding Origami Stroller to Roll Out in October ‘09

Choosing a stroller for your new baby requires a great deal of thought and research, given the plethora of options on the market. From the uber expensive trendy strollers to the practical, less pricey prams, there’s a wide gamut of possibilities when it comes to wheeling your bundle of joy around town. The upcoming Origami stroller by 4moms is the first in its class however. This futuristic stroller is packed with mom inspired, innovative perks; and designed to make a parent’s life easier by folding itself compactly with the simple touch of a button.

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Mermapillar Thermals: Warm and Crittery

Remember the long underwear you wore as a kid? Scratchy, tight, and thankfully, meant to be hidden under many layers? With Mermapillar thermals, our children are in much better luck when it comes to keeping warm. Mermapillar thermals keep tots toasty and stylish when heading out into the wintry outdoors. Individually crafted in the USA, made with 100% soft organic cotton, and eco-friendly dyes, thermals are available in hues of brown, green or white. Each may be customized with one of an eclectic assortment of twenty-one appliqued “merma-critters” ranging from jack rabbits and squids to ladybugs and starfish. The Mermapillar collection also includes bibs, hats, onesies and T-shirts. Good thing, because merma-critters are so cute, you’ll want them crawling across your child’s entire wardrobe.

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Last Minute DIY Valentine’s Day Treats

I recently experienced a lesson in love from my 4 year old son. “Love is not just giving someone what they want,” said the little Love Guru. “Love is just when you love somebody.” Of course he said this without realizing that Valentine’s Day was around the corner. As I’m sure today love will mean giving him exactly what he wants… chocolate. Below are 4 ways to give your children what they want without taking too much away from the environment… even if they want loads of chocolate.

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Inhabitots Blog Picks of the Day: Valentine Edition

Need to whip up some last minute Valentine gifts? Check out Inchmark’s my little Valentine post, for instructions on making the cute little matchbox Valentines filled with treats seen above. For extra eco points, craft these with boxes from your existing collection, and ask lucky recipients to recycle them or continue to use them to house small items.

Design Mom shows us how to make Valentine …

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Nature Bag: Environmental Activity Kit for Kids

The Nature Bag encourages children and their families to get out into nature and unearth lots of fun. The kit includes: a Fair Trade 100% certified organic cotton shoulder …

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The Green Doula’s 10 Childbirth Preparation Tips

Congratulations if you have just found out that you are pregnant! You’re excited, curious, and at the same time you may even be fearful of the process of childbirth. For the majority of Americans, this process is only briefly explored in high school during a sex education week. After that, the dialogue takes a hiatus and seems to abruptly resurface as soon as you realize you are pregnant. Regardless of whether you are a single mother, have a loving & supporting partner or a scared-silly partner, there are always support and resources available to you. It’s never too early to start preparing for childbirth, and in this case, the sooner the better. Here are my top 10 tips to help you prepare for childbirth.

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Reusable Valentine’s Day Goodie Bags

Valentine’s Day treats can be nicely wrapped in cello or paper treat baggies – but sadly, treat bags made with paper and plastic take a toll on the environment and planet resources. This year, give treats to your child, or significant other in cute reusable bags or containers that you can use again and again, like the sweet Little Hearts Bag from Haba shown above.

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BUGPLUG: A Kid-Friendly Power Monitor

Perfect for a kid’s room or nursery, the BugPlug is a small energy-saving creature that seeks out power-draining devices and shuts them off at the source. Simply attach it to an appliance (or a whole set of electric devices through power strip), and an infrared sensor will search for human presence by looking for body heat and motion. If none is detected, the Bugplug will turn off the unused devices. Conceived by Polish designer Kamil Jerzykowski, the kid-friendly energy saver is one of fifty finalists in the 2nd annual Greener Gadgets Design Competition.

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Voila’s Eco Animal Clinic with Dolls

Most kids love animals, and many proclaim they want to be a “veterinarian” when they grow up. The best green option for pretend veterinarian play is the Voila Animal Clinic with Dolls. This set is packed with fun! It includes …

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POWER HOG: Piggy Power Monitor Teaches Conservation

Looking for a fun way to teach your kids about the merits of conserving electricity? Check out the cute Power Hog, a pint-size power monitor that introduces kids to energy efficiency by piggybacking upon the familiar format of the piggy bank. Simply plug the hog’s tail into an outlet and feed it a coin to meter out 30 minutes of energy for TV, video games, or other activities. A novel way to associate energy conservation with savings, the Power Hog is just one of fifty great finalists in this year’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition.

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Inhabitots Blog Picks of the Day

Cool Mom Picks finds a naturally gorgeous baby blanket for your naturally gorgeous baby… or toddler! Organic Blankees are eco-friendly, supremely cuddly, and 10% of their proceeds are donated to Autism research.

Healthy Child, Healthy World examines Secondhand Safety. Go get the lowdown on which baby and child products are okay to use as hand me downs, and what conditions to look for in …

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Baby’s Language Organic “LO” “VE” Twin Sets

Talk about teamwork! This twin clothing set spells out “Love,” and it takes two to get the message across. Make your twins even more …

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