Inhabitots Link Roundup of the Week

We’re smitten with the creative DIY masterpieces that designer dad Joel, of Made by Joel whips up for his adorable kids. Above, doll house furniture fashioned with hand printed fabric scrap embellishments, wire for the chair, a swatch of faux fur from a household rug, and a twig …

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Yotaro Baby Simulator Teaches Newborn Care, Terrifies at the Same Time

Oh creepy, larger-than-life fake baby in the bear suit, how do we fear thee? Let us count the ways… First, there’s the interactive screen that serves as the baby’s face, complete with facial expressions that shift from happy-as-a-clam to inconsolable (a hidden water-supply tank provides “real” tears and — we kid you not — “actual” snot). Then there is the infrared camera, which the Yotaro Baby Simulator uses to interact with its victims faux-rents by responding to touch. The researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan even included built-in sensors in the baby’s rattle and tummy that trigger audible cooing and movement in its arms and legs, like a Tickle Me Elmo but infinitely creepier. Don’t believe us? Watch the video after the jump.

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Caboodle: A Cardboard Cat Condo Your Kid Can Decorate

If children and cats have anything in common, it’s their shared love of cardboard boxes. Keep the peace between the two species with the Caboodle, a corrugated cardboard kitty condo that acts as a blank canvas for pint-size Picassos of the less-furry kind. Made in the United States from 40% post-consumer recycled cardboard, the Caboodle features peek-a-boo holes and contoured “grooming edges” for rubbing …

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Eco-Friendly, Space Saving, Convertible Studio Crib from Nurseryworks

The modern Studio Crib from Nurseryworks boasts multifunctional design that helps stretch parents’ furniture budget while enabling families to save space in smaller homes. The Studio Crib is a combined crib and changing table in one, and it expands to meet the evolving needs of a child as he grows into a toddler, by easily converting into a toddler daybed and desk.

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Upcycled Plush Owls Deliver Special Valentine Messages

If you have a Valentine who shares our affection for owls, the adorable parliament of Tiny Wee Hoot Owls from Etsy shop Buttercupbloom make wise, eco-friendly gifts with heart. Each colorful, snuggly plush owl is handmade from a variety of upcycled fabrics from wool sweaters to the faux bois …

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WIN IT WEDNESDAY! Win an Exclusive Collection of Mama K’s Aromatic Play Clay Valued at $105!

Mama K has partnered with Inhabitots to offer an exclusive collection of her amazing Mama K’s Aromatic Play Clay worth $105 to one lucky winner! Mama K’s Aromatic Play Clay offers endless fun for both kids and parents. The perfect indoor activity during the winter or any season, this kid-safe, 100% natural, gluten free, biodegradable clay is made with gluten free flours, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable colorants — and is infused with subtle aromatherapy organic essential oils to soothe the mind during playtime. Handmade in Seattle, Washington, and packaged in reusable/recyclable containers, Mama K’s play clay is suitable for children with Celiac and Autism Spectrum disorders. See the collection of amazing Mama K’s goodies you could win in this exclusive giveaway after the jump!

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Tiny Revolutionary Organizes Clothing Drive for Children of Haiti

One of our favorite kiddo clothing companies, Tiny Revolutionary, is organizing a clothing drive for the children of Haiti. Partnering with For This One, Tiny Revolutionary will be sending 200 T-shirts, along with any gently used clothing donations, to orphanages and schools in the impoverished, earthquake-torn nation. (Bottoms and shoes …

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Cola Powered Radio Control Car Fueled by a Sugar Rush

As a health conscious parent, you’re probably not seeking plausible reasons to introduce your kids to cola — but a radio controlled car powered by pop? How cool is that? Takara Tomy, a Japanese toy maker, has manufactured a prototype RC ‘ene Bio Engine’ car (looks more like a futuristic delivery truck) that runs on Sony’s sugar fueled Bio-Battery. See the car in action in the video after the jump!

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Why Wearing Organic Cotton Matters – Even If We Don’t Eat It

We all know about the benefits of eating an organic diet, but why wear organic cotton when we’re not stocking our pantries with it? Our sister publication, Ecouterre, asked Lynda Fassa, founder of Green Babies and organic-cotton pioneer extraordinaire, why organic cotton matters beyond the environmental factors. According to Fassa, conventional cotton might hit closer to home — and your stomach — than you might think.
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Handmade, Eco-Friendly Lucha Libre Fighters from Caribbean Puzzles

My son loves luchadores. He also loves puzzles and has a great appreciation for the environment. So there’s nothing about Caribbean Puzzles’ line of eco-friendly fighters that this kid wouldn’t adore. Like every jigsaw in the company’s varied offerings, these masked muscle men are “earth friendly, child safe and people kind.” They accomplish this by utilizing formaldehyde-free MDF (recycled wood fibers are compressed to form a sturdy wood-derived material), and employing Fair Trade practices in their factory in Mexico.

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Organic Cotton Onesie ‘Cupcakes’ for Your Little Sweetie on Valentine’s Day

While your little one may too young for candy and treats this Valentine’s Day you can still spoil her rotten (or sweetly as the case may be) with her very own freshly baked Organic Cupcake Onesies from The Baby Bunch. Each reusable magnetic clasp dotted Kraft paper bakery box of luscious cupcakes is packed …

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Organic Linen Valentine Sandwich Bags Pack Lovable Lunches Year Round

What better way to show both your little one and the earth that you care on Valentine’s Day then to pack a healthy eco-friendly Valentine’s Day themed reusable lunch? Organic Linen Sandwich Bags with sweet little hearts from Country Life Naturals are the perfect way to send along some love in a lunch box.

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Uncle Goose Sustainable Wooden Nursery Rhyme Blocks

We’ve introduced you to eco-friendly Uncle Goose classic alphabet blocks, but once your toddlers know their ABCs you can move on to a set of these charming Uncle Goose Nursery Rhyme Blocks. Available in sets of 9 or 28, the blocks have images and text from timeless Mother Goose stories like Hey Diddle Diddle and Hickory Dickory Dock — printed with non-toxic inks, of course. The blocks …

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PeopleTowels: Reusable, 100% Organic Cotton Cloth Towels Eliminate Paper Towel Waste

Limiting paper towel use at home is a small change you can implement in your family’s routine that will make a huge environmental impact — because paper towels are a huge drag on the environment. Paper towels pollute our water and use up trees and energy resources to an excess. But what about when you’re out and about? It’s harder to stay green on the go because most public places have paper towels, electric air dryers, or questionable multi-person use cloth towels. It’s difficult to teach your child that cloth towels are best when all she sees are paper towels everywhere she goes. PeopleTowels solve this dilemma. PeopleTowels are 100% organic cotton, reusable personal hand towels that make it easy to teach your tot that cloth is best!

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Inhabitots Link Roundup of the Week

We’re smitten with these adorable, handmade stuffed animals we spotted on mmmcrafts, created with love by an Etsy artist and mom — and she sells the PDF patterns to create your own!

We love our animal shaped book cases, and Bambino Goodies trumpets the upcoming spring/summer 2010 debut of this bright yellow elephant bookcase on Habitat –  we know there will be …

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Mini Taj Mahal Kids’ Palaces Recycled from Old Water Tanks

If you’ve ever given a present to a little girl or boy only to have them ignore it and play for hours with the box it came in, you’ll understand why these fantastical kids palaces are the perfect plaything in the eyes of a child. They’re the brainchild of one very resourceful designer, Katell Gelebart, who realized that the water tanks discarded while constructing the Dune eco resort near Pondicherry, India were just the right size and shape for fun and fanciful dwellings for little guests. Painted with palm fronds and colorful flowers and topped with ornate mini-gazebos, it’s hard to believe that these beautiful little houses started out as boring old water tanks!

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