2011 January | Inhabitots

Top 8 Strollers for Green Babies

by Julie Seguss, 01/10/11

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Felted High Top Baby Shoes for Sporty Babies

by Julie Seguss, 01/09/11

Part baby booties and part sporty sneakers, the felted baby high tops from The Clever Kitty are a fun way to brighten up gloomy winter days and keep your little one’s feet warm. Designer Shannon Hanley says these baby sneaks were inspired by her Chuck Taylors. The slipper-like baby shoes are hand knit using 100% merino wool, which is then felted to make a solid cloth. They come in a rainbow of colors and sizes from preemies up to 12-months.

+ Felted Baby High Tops $27

+ The Clever Kitty

Announcing the Winners of Inhabitots’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards!

by Julie Seguss, 01/08/11

What were the top Inhabitots stories of 2010? You voted and here are the results! Among all of the shocking, amazing, helpful, and playful stories of the year, here’s what you, our readers, selected as the best of the best. As we embark on the journey of a new year ahead, see the 2011 green parenting predictions of some of our favorite bloggers and designers. See what you couldn’t stop talking, ooo-ing, and ahh-ing about after the jump.

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Honeyami Organic Cotton Infant & Toddler Bedding

by Beth Shea, 01/08/11

Sweet dreams are made of this: Honeyami‘s elegant collection of eco-friendly bedding for infants and kids. Honeyami offers 100% organic cotton, Oeko-Tex certified crib and twin bedding, blankets and pillows — all free of harmful chemicals and dyes, and full of style and personality. Available in ‘Night Owl,’ ‘Social Butterfly’ or ‘Honeycomb Quilt’ designs, Honeyami bedding gives babies and tots a green, safe, and soft landing for slumber.

+ Honeyami Bedding $60-$450

+ Honeyami

Is What’s in Your Bottled Water Worth Trashing the Planet?

Image ©serpico via morguefile

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We think that cutting out your bottled water habit is the perfect New Year’s goal for 2011. So does the Environmental Working Group (EWG). EWG recently posted their 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard, and the results show that most water isn’t as as crystal clear as most water companies would have you believe. According to the EWG report, most water companies are elusive about some common right-to-know questions — “Where is this water from?”, “Is the water purified? How?”, “Have tests found any contaminants in the water?” When water companies keep quiet about sourcing and purity, it kind of makes you wonder why you’re paying more for bottled water than gasoline right?

Kids Over Exposed to Medical Radiation

image © morguefile: clarita

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A new study estimates that the average U.S. child will receive seven or more radiation scans before hitting 18 years of age. The study, published this week in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, is the largest of its kind to date and is fairly worrisome. Researchers found that on average, 42.5% of young patients experience procedures such as X-rays, CT scans and other medical radiation. Children older than 10 years had the most procedures but infants younger than 2 years of age frequently have medical radiation as well. The most troubling issue though is that during the study duration, 8% of kids received at least one CT scan and 3% had two or more CT scans. CT scans, while often useful, also use much more radiation than other procedures and may carry an increased risk of cancer. While no one is doubting that medical radiation is useful, and can save lives, studies like this show that children may be needlessly over-exposed to radiation, which can put them at risk for cancer.

Digital Storytelling 101: How Kids Can Use Technology To Tell Their Story Online

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In this brave new world of gadgets our children are growing up more technologically savvy than we’ll ever hope to be — if you’ve ever seen a two-year-old working an iPhone you know what we mean. Why not foster your kid’s creativity, help them learn to express themselves, and develop technological literacy by teaching them to create their own media instead of simply consuming it? Getting your kids involved in the right kind of technology early on can help them step into this new age on the right foot. Have relatives or friends that live too far to visit or talk to regularly? Start a blog or a vlog with your kids and help them tell their stories online. Read on for some tips to get you started!

Study Linking Autism to Vaccines Found to Be an ‘Elaborate Fraud’

For more than a decade, parents and medical professionals hotly debated whether routine vaccinations caused autism in children. However, the British Medical Journal reported yesterday that the claim, made by Dr. Andrew Wakefield in a 1998 study, was an “elaborate fraud.”

Rip + Tatter Kid’s Chair by Pete Oyler

One thing’s for sure — there would be no need to worry about your tot’s destructive side if you outfit his playroom in designer Pete Oyler’s Rip + Tatter Kid’s Chair. Designed for children ages 2-5, the lightweight perches, which are made of industrial cardboard, achieved their rugged aesthetic after Oyler sculpted them via hammering. …

Mibo Recycled Paper Animals

The newest Mibo Paper Animals, Wise Guys are wide-eyed adorable owls, so yes, they’re right up our Inhabitots alley. These four little paper owls are cute, yet still sophisticated décor for your child’s room (or your own adult spaces). Mibo’s mini birds nest nicely and wisely on any shelf, tabletop, or bookcase. Like other Mibo Paper Animal sets, the new Wise Guys are printed on 100% recycled paper. A little glue and a pair of scissors are all you need to finish creating these DIY owls.

HOW TO: Find A Birth Doula

If you read our post: Should I Hire a Birth Doula? you’re probably convinced that every mama-to-be deserves to have a doula by her side during the momentous occasion of labor and delivery. Your next question might be, ‘How do I find a birth doula?’ I recently asked both of the aforementioned questions, and as I type this, my 3-month old baby sleeps on my chest, having entered the world via a natural childbirth that I thought I wasn’t capable of, but that my amazing doula and supportive husband helped me achieve. Read on to learn tips on finding the right doula for you!

NEW! Peek-a-Boo Puppets from Cate & Levi

Cate & Levi’s brand new Peek-a-Boo puppets made us squeal at first site and we bet your tot will do the same, which is no surprise since the eco-conscious design team has yet to disappoint with colorful handmade creations including stuffed animals, Zoo Cubes, and hand puppets. The neat thing about these big-eared and antlered characters is that you can put your hand inside with your index and pinky fingers extended, and then when …

Top 6 Green Play Mats for Babies and Toddlers

Whether your baby has just started reaching and grabbing, or if she's already sitting up and stacking blocks, you'll need a spot for her to play. You may want a full-featured play mat with lots of toys to bat at and textures to crinkle, or you may simply want a soft spot for your little one to call her own. So we rounded up the best of the best in sustainable play mats ranging from plush activity gyms to kid-safe floor tiles. Check out our top six.

6 Green Family New Year’s Resolutions for 2011

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It’s time to start 2011 off on the right foot by setting New Year’s resolutions. This year my family decided to make green resolutions together for new year – resolving to things that we can do that will not only have a positive impact on the environment but also on our family relationship as well. Read on to find six resolution ideas that you may want to make this year with your family, or consider them inspiration for making your own.

Green Parenting Predictions for 2011

As we turn over the new leaf that is a new year, we have the opportunity to dream big of what's to come in green design and what sustainable steps our world will take to make it a better place for our families. We asked some of our favorite green designers and bloggers to share their predictions for 2011. We love that they are all decidedly hopeful, empowering consumers and seeing more healthy choices available for our families. Read on to see what Healthy Child, Healthy World's Danielle Friedland, Natalie Zee Drieu of Craft, Small for Bigs' Mari Richards and more see for the future of 2011.

Green Parenting New Year’s Resolutions for 2011

Another year is behind us and as we ring in 2011, we're thinking of ways to make this year greener, brighter, and better for our families and yours. So we asked some of our favorite green bloggers and sustainable designers to share their 2011 New Year's resolutions including gDiapers' Kim Graham-Nye, Petit Eco KIDS' Flavia Fazzini, the designers behind Little Sapling Toys, among others. They're looking to the new year as an opprotunity to do more crafting, eat more sustainably, simply slow down, and more. Read on for the details of these smart and sustainable resolutions and then make a few of your own.

Editors’ Favorite Inhabitots Stories of 2010: Vote for Your Favorite!

As we get ready to ring in the New Year we’re taking a moment to reflect on what 2010 brought us by reviewing the most noteworthy posts of the past year. We were wowed by what can be built from LEGOs and by the power of kids energy. We got inspired by a number of posts that taught us how to make awesomely creative crafts and do …