Inhabitots

NEW YORK PARENTS! ‘Unplug on a Rug’ is this Thursday Dec 17th!

Calling all New York eco-conscious baby-mamas and daddies!
The Great Green Playdate is back – and it is happening at Kidville (on the Upper East Side) this coming Thursday, Dec 17th, at 4:30pm.

For those of you who are not familiar with Unplugged on a Rug — it is a fabulous, green-themed traveling playgroup in NYC for families of children ages 0-4 years. …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 1

Eliminate Diapers with Infant Potty Training!

Back in 2008 we published an article that provoked a lot of interest with our readers, and opened up a whole new world for me as the mother of a new baby. The article (written by our intrepid Dr. Mom writer Neelam Misra) was entitled ‘Elimination Communication: Skip Diapers Alltogether’ — and it chronicled the growing movement of moms in the U.S. who are starting to potty train their babies from birth and forgoing diapers entirely. Inspired by this article, I started putting my son (now 15 months) on the toilet around age 6 months. After all, the greenest approach to the whole diaper-debate is to do without (or do with less in my case).

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 13

The Baby Show NYC – Our Favorite Green Finds for Eco Babies!

This past weekend, Inhabitots was on the scene at NYC’s first ever Baby Show, a fun event gathering all the best baby toys, clothes, services and gear together under one roof for new parents and parents-to-be! Several green baby brands showcased sustainable goods at the show, and we’re super excited to share our favorites finds with you. Here are our top green finds from The Baby Show NYC!

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

WIN AN AWESOME BAMBINO BABY GIFT BOX – WORTH $175!

Attention all new and expecting parents!
We’re giving away an awesome baby goody box: the Bambino Box to one lucky winner! The Bambino Box is a wonderful way to welcome your baby to your eco-friendly family. Valued at $175 this sweet gift box from Jade’s ToyBox includes: a starter library for parents and baby, including children’s classics, Goodnight Moon, replenishable wood ABC blocks, a phthalate-free rubber duckie, a wind-up wooden music box, and a handmade, fair-trade Yoyo animal from a Bolivian women’s cooperative. This wonderful goody box is valued at $175 and is CHOCK FULL of great fair-trade and non-toxic children’s classics, so it makes a wonderful new baby gift!

TO WIN A BAMBINO BOX FOR YOUR VERY OWN:

1) Sign up with Inhabitots.

2) Leave a comment on this post below telling us how you plan to green your lifestyle for your new baby!

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 80

Barley & Birch Adorable Eco-Chic Clothes for Your Hipster Baby

When people hear the word ‘organic’ in reference to clothing, beige and bland is often the first thing that comes to mind, (frustratingly for all of us who are trying to change this irksome stereotype). Happily, eco kids clothing line Barley & Birch is making great strides in keeping your kids sustainably stylish while fighting the crunchy stereotype, with their vivid, eco-chic tee shirts and organic onesies for babies and toddlers. Sporting beautiful, bright duotone prints of images such as the Golden Gate Bridge, and a desert cactus, Barley & Birch’s stylish eco clothing for tots proves once and for all that eco-friendly doesn’t have to be boring or crunchy.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

5 Ways to Get Breastfeeding Off to a Good Start

We all know that nothing beats breastfeeding in terms of feeding your baby Thanks to doctors, La Leche League, and lactivists around the world, this message has been drilled into our heads and breastfeeding is now happily experiencing a resurgence. But, despite the fact that all moms know that ‘breast is best’ – many women experience great difficulties nursing their babies and many give up on breastfeeding early on. I personally think that some of this has to do with the fact that many new moms typically don’t realize how difficult breastfeeding can be, and don’t have reliable sources of support when challenges arise – a function that in generations past was served by sisters, mothers and extended family. (More to come on this in my next post….)

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 4

WIN A FREE CUSTOM PHOTO BOOK FROM SHUTTERFLY

If you read my last post about Shutterfly’s custom photo books and are interested in making one yourself, you’ll be happy to know that we are running a contest on Inhabitots to give away 12 custom photo books to our readers. This fun service allows you to design-your-own hard bound book for your child: anything from …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 71

Make Your Own Customized Alphabet Book with Shutterfly!

Most tots love alphabet books, but moms can get a little burnt-out reading ‘A is Apple’ everyday. That’s why when I found out about Shutterfly’s make-your-own custom alphabet books, I got super excited! Finally, I could combine my passion for scrapbooking and taking copious pictures of my child, with the necessity of reading alphabet books — and create an alphabet photo book totally focused around my adorable son. Now my son can read an alphabet book all about his life – filled with photos of him engaged in different activities. All children learn most naturally when educational material is made relevant to their daily lives – and what could be more relevant than an ABC book highlighting all of my son’s favorite things and people?

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 4

Little Lark Offers Eco-Friendly Mommy / Baby Matching!

Recently I’ve gotten into getting matching clothes for myself and my kid, and eco label Little Lark allows matching nerds like myself to go crazy with tons of cute matchy-matchy prints for mom and baby. A friend of mine who recently returned from Japan tells me that this phenomenon is called “Peyaruku” or “Pair Look” in Japangrish — though I think in Japan this phenomenon is mainly limited to adult couples who dress to match each other. However, being the big momma nerd that I am, I’m compelled to try to do this with my poor innocent baby who isn’t big enough to protest yet (unlike my husband! . So if you’re into “Pair Look” and you want to do it in an eco-friendly manner, your first stop should be Little Lark.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

REMINDER: EcoZoo Backpack Contest!

Just a little reminder that we are giving away an adorable green ‘EcoZoo’ critter backpack to the family who impresses us the most with their green back-to-school tale. So if you want to get your hands on one of these uber green, super cuties, enter our contest …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 1

Baby Versions of Modernist Classics by KnollKids!

If you’ve been reading Inhabitat or Inhabitots for awhile, you might know that we are big fans of the Modernist design movement that revolutionized building, products (and life as we know it), starting in the 1930s. We love us some Mies, Eames, and Gropius furniture — but up until now it wasn’t really possible to find tot-sized, or eco-friendly versions of classic Modernist furniture pieces. Happily, Knoll Kids now has a collection of Modernist children’s furniture that is eco-conscious and adorable.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 3

Little Mateo Organic Custom Letter Onesies

Looking for the perfect baby shower gift that will really stand out from the crowd of generic onesies? Little Mateo to the rescue! This mom and pop line of baby wear creates adorable, organic baby onesies, custom-designed with an oversized print of your requested letter or number on the chest. If you’re searching for a stylishly monogrammed onesie, or perhaps want a memento of your baby’s current weight with an “8 lb” creeper, Little Mateo can custom tailor to your satisfaction, with super-cutey results. I recently tested out a Little Mateo monogrammed “P” onesie on my little guy Petey (see above), and we both loved it.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

PREGNANCY SWIMMING: An interview with Olympian mom Dara Torres

With all the emphasis on exercise and physical fitness these days, it seems amazing that just twenty years ago doctors advised pregnant women to ‘rest up’ and cut back on exercise while pregnant. The jury is in, and doctors now advise that exercise is good for expectant mothers and their babies – both pre-delivery and postpartum. One of the best exercises for expectant mothers is swimming, because it is easy on pregnancy-vulnerable joints, the cool water prevents you from overheating, and the buoyancy of water alleviates some of the stresses of gravity on the extra weight you are carrying. I swam while pregnant, and I found swimming to be a lifesaver for me when I could no longer jog, do karate or do pilates. I actually managed to swim right up until the day before I gave birth, and feel like swimming helped me to stay in shape and have a complication-free birth.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 3

Black gDiapers for Baby Sophisticates!

Love eco-friendly cloth diapers but tired of the childish, bubblegummy pink and blue designs that prevail in eco diaper options? gDiapers to the rescue for your urban hipster baby! As Inhabitots readers know, we’re big fans of eco-friendly gDiapers; so we were thrilled to hear the announcement that the flushable diaper company has recently added new glam black diapers to their line-up of little gPants.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

BECK WINS THE ECO-CUTEY TITLE!

Drumroll please….
And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for! We are thrilled to announce that…
Beck has won our Eco-Cutey Photo Contest!

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Knit Nesting Blocks by Elizabeth Pavese

It’s a block! It’s a nesting toy! It’s an awesome 3-for-1 soft knit nesting set of blocks! This year at the Pratt graduate show we spotted Elizabeth Pavese’s handmade, knit nesting blocks and instantly fell in love. These cute, brightly colored blocks serve multiple play functions, as they can be nested, stacked, buttoned and unbuttoned, and offer hours of delight and fun learning for tots.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Drafting Play Table Deskhouse by NinetoNine

Creatively inclined kids with love this beautiful Deskhouse, which doubles as both a playhouse and a drafting table / desk for art activities. We spotted this lovely design by Spanish kids furniture company NinetoNine at the Milan Furniture Fair, and now we are coveting one for ourselves.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

PARO: Therapeutic Baby Seal Robot!

Bet you’ve never seen a baby seal sucking on a pacifier before! What you are looking at above is PARO – an adorable fuzzy robotic seal pup designed to help sick and elderly people relax and heal through Animal-Assisted therapy. We spotted Paro at the ICFF, (not really sure why it was there, since a robo-seal isn’t exactly furniture) and instantly fell in love.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 4

CRAYON RINGS by Timothy Liles!

I just spotted these fantabulous crayon rings by Timothy Liles at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, and I’m super excited about them! What a great idea, right? Fun for both kids and adults, crayon rings allow you to wear your artistry on your hands, and color with your knuckles. Now you never need to worry about forgetting your box of crayons. I’m sure parents with nice, clean, white walls will be thrilled that I brought this to your attention!

$50 from the Future Perfect
+ Timothy Liles
+ ICFF 2009

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Our Roundup of the Best Kids Design @ ICFF

If you read our parent site Inhabitat, you may have noticed us going a little nutty this past weekend over the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). The huge furniture trade show comes to New York every May, and design aficionados from all around the world flock to New York City to check out the latest trends in furniture and interior design. While most of the stuff on display is geared towards grownups, we always find some great new kids stuff every year. This year was no exception. Check out our pics below to see the eco-friendly kiddie gems we spotted this year at ICFF…

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 3

Hugh Hayden’s FUNature Tennis Ball Chair

There’s an overwhelming amount of furniture on the market that is geared mostly toward adult use. Hugh Hayden’s Tennis Ball Chair is not one of those pieces. Strong enough to bear the weight of adult bodies (a fact we tested and confirmed at this year’s Bklyn Designs show), the chair, made from (duh) repurposed tennis balls, is the kind of playful piece any kid will appreciate. It’s bright, engaging, and super comfortable. Plus, it bounces and jiggles without losing its shape (something adults and children both need).

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 4

PECANPALS: Eco-friendly Wooden Cuties

The kid in us is squealing with excitement over the launch (today) of the Pecanpals collection of eco-friendly collectible toys. These charming wooden Inhabitants of a small Pacific island have just landed in the U.S., and are here for your collecting pleasure. The sustainable wood figurines were dreamed up by artists Candy and Nick of Noferin studio, and they couldn’t be cuter.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 3

Baby Knit Octopus

Does it get any cuter than this little guy?

This smiley little octopus will melt any baby’s heart, and lots of tentacles and tassels are extra fun for exploring fingers. Happily, this charming baby octopus is as friendly to the earth, and to struggling artisans as he is to children. Hand-knit by …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 1

Ninetonine Zebra Crib

What’s better than stylish baby furniture that treads lightly on the earth? How about stylish baby furniture that is fun, playful and celebrates the earth’s creatures, all while maintaining a small environmental footprint? We love this Zebra crib by Ninetonine design for this exact reason. Forgoing the same-old same-old jail bar crib design that characterizes the majority of cribs these days, Ninetonine’s zoomorphic Zebra crib brings a safari spirit to your nursery, with a crib that literally looks like it is about to take off on a gallop across the savannah.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

BLOGGER CONTEST: Blog the Inhabitat Shop Launch!

Calling all bloggers! The Inhabitat Shop recently launched with a fabulous collection of eco baby products and green design goodies, and we need your help spreading the word about our spring green bounty! In order to get the word out about our new shop, we’re trying a new experiment and holding a green blogger contest. Consider yourself a trendsetter? Think your blog (or facebook profile, or twitter profile) is influential, and want to prove it by winning your favorite designer item from the Inhabitatshop? If so, pick your favorite item from the Inhabitatshop and blog it. The blogger (or facebooker, or twitterer) who sends the most traffic to the Inhabitatshop will win the very item they chose to write about – not to mention bragging rights as most influential blog in the ecosphere. Intrigued?

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Organic Animal Finger Puppets

Spring has sprung, the birds are chirping, and it’s the season for baby animals! Now is a great time to enjoy the flora and fauna of the natural world, and you can get your baby in on the action, without leaving the comfort of your own home, with these adorable …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Roebuck Bunny Scooter

HAPPY EASTER!
Today is Easter and we have bunnies on the brain! Along with eggs, the rabbit is an ancient fertility symbol that has obvious associations with new life and the beginning of spring. (Did you realize the words ‘Easter’, ‘Estrus’ and ‘Estrogen’ all have the same root and come from an old Germanic goddess named Eostre?) In addition to all this symbolic good stuff, bunnies are just plain cute, and Easter is a wonderful celebration of the dawning of spring. With bunnies in mind, we’d like to call your attention to this adorable (and eco-friendly) Bunny Scooter from Roebuck.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Kozyndan Spring Cherry Blossom Bunny Poster!

It’s April, and we’ve officially entered the season of bunnies! Any parent knows that there is no lack of sickly-sweet bunny designs all over kid’s stuff – especially during this time of year – but design-duo Kozyndan takes a slightly more sophisticated approach to everyone’s favorite fuzzy lagomorphs. Spinning swirls of tiny bunnies into familiar, traditional Japanese-style illustrations, Kozyndan have managed to take a springtime cliche and give it fresh, new life. We particularly love how this Bunny Blossom poster (shown above) evocatively combines the Japanese spring iconography of cherry blossoms with the traditional European spring symbol of the rabbit.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

BABY ZZZs: Organic Sleep Aid For Babies

Every parent knows that sleep deprivation goes with the territory of having a baby. You may try to ‘nap when the baby naps’, or opt to let your baby ‘cry it out’ when he’s a little older, but it is pretty much a given that as a new parent you will have dark circles under your perpetually sleep-deprived, bloodshot eyes. Until now! Herbal medicinal company Cradle-2-Cradle has just released a revolutionary new product that promises to solve every new parent’s biggest woe: sleep deprivation. Their new supplement, Baby ZZZs, is an infant sleep aid that can be added to breast milk, formula, food, or simply dropped into a baby’s mouth to encourage long, deep sleep, (with no waking) for up to 10 hours at a time!

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 1

WeeHugger? How about WeCopiedInhabitots!

This morning green blog Treehugger introduced the newest ‘baby’ to their list of online properties: Weehugger. While we are usually big fans of the original, news-breaking content Treehugger delivers, we’re none too pleased with their blatant copying of the Inhabitots design and the concept for their latest venture!

We do however, fully support the notion in their new Weehugger initiative, to “keep children happy, busy and productive.” Go read all about how putting your children to work, the …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 2

Calling all LES Baby Mamas!

Do you live in the Lower East Side of NYC? Do you have a baby between the ages of 3 months and 12 months? Are you looking for fun activities for your baby in the neighborhood? If so, please give me a shout!

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 1