2011 January | Inhabitots

NEW Kalon Studios Caravan Crib Adds Color to Nurseries

by Julie Seguss, 01/31/11

Kalon Studios has amazed us with their sleek and modern Hut-Hut rocking horse and impressed us with their previous award-winning IoLine nursery line. Now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages … Kalon Studios presents the Caravan Crib! The colorful design, sweetly inspired by the storybook circus wagon, can be yours in black, red, yellow, green, blue or natural. So what a fitting crib for circus themed nurseries, or a fun way to add a splash of color to any nursery! And as the show must go on, this crib will live on as your baby starts to grow up — the mattress height is adjustable and a toddler bed conversion kit is included. Plus, it’s made in the USA from 100% solid FSC-certified maple and if finished with 100% low-VOC, 100% HAPS (Hazardous Air Pollutants) free paint. Spectacularly sustainable!

+ Caravan Crib $695.00

+ Kalon Studios

6 Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids

by Julie Seguss, 01/31/11

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Link Roundup: Beat Cabin Fever with Eco-Friendly Fun

by Julie Seguss, 01/29/11

Create Goldilocks and the Three Bears puppets with the help of Wild Olive.

Check out the cute recycled animal friends on Petite Eco Kids.

Growing bump? Take advantage of being stuck inside by working on your nursery design. The Stir has a case for going minimalist and white.

Visit Design Mom to learn how to make your own bilingual card game dreamed up by Little Lovely.

If you can go outside or if you have room in your basement, turn those old cardboard boxes into giant blocks with inspiration from Scrumdilly-do!

Organic Knitted Bird Rattle Set from Yellow Label Kids

by Jennifer Chait, 01/29/11

In totally ‘tweet‘ worthy news, Yellow Label Kids just released the world’s most adorable bird rattle set! Handk nit with organic bamboo yarn, this sweet little set includes three colorful bird rattles in pink, blue and green. Each bird offers a gentle rattling bird song when shaken by your baby. Rattles were designed in San Francisco, but made with Fair Trade Standards by artisans in Bangladesh. These baby rattles are surface washable only to preserve the quality of the organic bamboo yarn, but you can gently spot clean with a damp cloth and air dry. These precious organic rattles are affordable and perfect for your own baby or would make an excellent baby shower gift!

+ Bird Rattle Set $28.99

+ Yellow Label Kids

The Grasshopper Converts from a Sled to a Wagon

This year’s round of Snowmaggeddon-sized storms begs for a school-free afternoon of sledding, and the Grasshopper Convertible Wagon Sled is the perfect hybrid for towing your tot through the snow. Unlike most sleds, this handmade wooden pull sled can be used all year round — it converts into a 4-wheeled wagon so you can still get your child from here to there long after the snow has melted!

Is Breastfeeding for the First Six Months Unnecessary?

Image ©babbagecabbage via Flickr

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A new study notes that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months might not be as useful as previously thought. According to the study, published in the British Medical Journal, the team said breastfed babies may benefit from being given solid food earlier than six months of age. Current breastfeeding guidelines from the World Health Organization say that weaning should occur at six months, but the new study from a University College London (UCL) team of researchers say weaning could happen as early as four months. Why the switch? The researchers suggest that later weaning may put your baby at an increased risk for food allergies and iron deficiency levels. The researchers also suggest that babies not exposed to solids before six months may not develop the taste for green leafy vegetables. So should you listen to this study and wean your baby early? Keep reading to find out what pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene and other organizations have to say.

Toto Knits Organic Animal Sweaters for Your Wild Child

Lions, and crocs, and kitties, oh my! Getting dressed for a cold winter day can turn into a fun pretend play experience in an adorable organic animal sweater from Toto Knits. Available in both safari animal and farm animal styles, the sweaters are hand-knit under ethical conditions in Kenya from organic cotton grown locally there. Choose from a lion, crocodile, elephant, pig, chick, fish and more.

Toby Atticus Fraley Creates Robots from Found Objects

Artist Toby Atticus Fraley works with vintage household and industrial castoffs, converting them into robots that are full of character. Fraley has now made 50 one of a kind creations in his Robot Series. Even though your robot-crazed kid may want to get his hands on one of these, he’ll have to settle for standing next to one — they’re all 3- to 4-feet tall! Most of his robots are themed around winter sports and music, and all of them are wired to light up in one way or another, some with LED bulbs. And the robots are so eye-catching and cool that they’ve been picked up by some pretty high profile buyers.

HOW TO: Get Your Child Excited About Kid’s Yoga

We live in a fast-paced world and many children experience the stress related to school pressures, over-scheduling and competition in today's lifestyle. A great way to counteract these stresses is by incorporating yoga into your daily family lifestyle. Yoga is great for relaxation, stress relief, inner peace and even helps to build self esteem. The practice is also known for increasing flexibility, coordination, focus, strength and body awareness. Studies have also found that yoga helps kids with ADHD. By incorporating animals, music, drawing, journaling, art and storytelling into the mix, yoga helps to calm the senses and teaches children how to slow down, relax, express and honor themselves. Now that you as a parent are excited to incorporate yoga into your child's daily lifestyle, here are my favorite ways to get your children excited too.

Brad Singley’s Wooden ‘MultiBlocks’ Foster Math Skills

As a right-brained creative writing major, I could have used all the help I could get learning math — from as young an age as possible! MultiBlocks by designer Brad Singley, a civil engineer who created these educational toys for his children, help blossoming builders develop analytical and math …

7 Ways Families Can Save Time at Home and On the Go

We all live very busy lives, however when you add the lives of each of your family members into the mix -- things can get a little, or even a lot, hectic. You know what I mean - the missed doctor's appointment, Johnny forgot his science report, Dad can't find his keys, on the way to practice Jenna realizes she doesn't have her tennis racket or Mom has no idea what to make for dinner. And when you get behind, some of your good green habits may go out the window -- making unnecessary car trips, forgetting your reusable grocery bags, or (gasp) buying fast food for dinner. A busy family can make saving time at home and on the go a challenge. However, you can solve a few of your problems just by being organized. Read on to learn 7 ways organization can save you time at home and on the go.

Plantable Eco Valentine’s Day Cards Bloom as Wildflowers

Flowers and cards are two top sellers every Valentine’s Day. Botanical Paperworks ingeniously combines the sweet duo of offerings into one with their eco-friendly Valentines which are handmade from post-consumer waste cardstock and feature embedded seeds. Once recipients delight in the card’s message, they may plant the seed paper and enjoy beautiful wildflower blossoms long after …

HOW TO: Plan a Green Baby Shower

Are you hosting a baby shower, which you'd like to be an eco-friendly celebration for an eco-savvy guest of honor? Or perhaps you'd like to help a dear friend turn over a new, green leaf for the sake of her bundle-to-be? We've got all the details on throwing a sustainable party for a green (or even not so green) mom-to-be that includes the delightful frills, 'oohs and aahs' while leaving a carbon footprint even tinier than that of the sweet little newborn on the way. Read on to get the scoop on planning a green baby shower including everything from keepsake invites and sweet decor to a no impact gift that will certainly top every expecting mama's list.

NEW! Mumi & Bubi Solids Starter Kit

With the introduction of Mumi & Bubi‘s Solids Starter Kit™, it’s officially time to give standard issue ice cube trays the cold shoulder. This savvy makeover of the trusty standby is a brilliant revamp resulting in baby food freezer trays that make it a snap to freeze and store ample batches of homemade purees. Each Solids Starter Kit™ includes two freezer trays with lids (with 21, 1 ounce cubes each), and a step-by-step e-guide with 27 recipes to get you started.

We Heart Etsy: 7 Green Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids

We shopped around on Etsy to find some of the sweetest handmade Valentine's Day gifts for kids -- and they're all about hearts. Your kids will love receiving a little token of love on Valentine's Day, whether it's a heart-shaped crayon or a sweet heart-embellished hat. Read on to see our favorite green Valentine's Day goodies.

Link Roundup: Pocket-Sized Bears, a Lego Sorter & More

Have you heard of Amigurumi? Check out the adorable teddy bear take on this Japanese art form on Momtastic.

Need a toddler birthday party theme? Check out Hip Hip Hooray‘s cute DIY Little Monster Party.

Design Mom shares springy kids shoes from Joy Folie.

Cool Mom Picks says to keep the kitchen art gallery alive …

Sustainable Wooden Puzzles from Just Hatched

We recently found, and were 100% delighted with the incredible handmade wooden baby books from Just Hatched. So imagine how happy we were to find out that Just Hatched also carries amazing wooden baby puzzles! These puzzles are beautiful, sustainable and chunky – perfect for little hands. The amazing Wooden Leaf Puzzle, shown above won Etsy’s Earth Day Voter category, and it’s easy to see why. Great for nature lovers of all ages, the Leaf Puzzle features six pretty leaf shapes with unique wood-burned details. Leaves include – Oak, Beech, Ivy, Dogwood, Maple and Cottonwood. Beneath each piece is the name of the leaf which allows puzzle solving and word recognition to go hand-in-hand. This puzzle comes in lovely green and there’s a stunning Autumn Leaf Puzzle as well, featuring fiery shades of fall.

Show Love with an Upcycled LEGO Heart Necklace

How better to show a little love, than by giving one of these sweetly awesome upcycled LEGO Heart Necklaces for Valentine’s Day? Crafted by mom of three Michelle, or MichellesCharmWorld on Etsy, these necklaces aren’t just lovey because they’re heart-shaped. Each and every LEGO used to make the charms was once loved as a toy, and the planet loves you for buying something that brilliantly upcycles a plastic object that otherwise might end up in a landfill.

+ LEGO …

Brood Baby Elegant, Sustainable, Organic Baby Clothing

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It’s very hard to find unique, elegant and sustainable baby clothing. Too often, all you can find are basics, like plain old organic cotton onesies or tees. However, babies (and their parents) do enjoy mixing it up, so Brood Baby is a refreshing change of pace. Beautiful dresses, adorable striped leggings and lovely sweaters, among other pieces, are all part of the enchanting Brood Baby collection. For example, the delightful Organic Baby Dress in Cotton and Silk shown above. This dress is hand-knit with 100% organic cotton and edged with a beautiful silk hem and matching silk sash. Pretty raglan shaping and cap sleeves complete this sweet dress – perfect for a baby photo session or a first birthday party.

bookhou Child’s Felt Chair is Kid-Sized and Stylish

So often child-friendly furniture looks, well child-like. That’s fine if you happen to be a little one, but as an adult, it’s nice to have some child-minded pieces that don’t clash with your style. The stylish child’s felt chair from bookhou doesn’t make you compromise on anything. While this chair won’t look out of place among your more adult pieces, its …