What: Polar fleece hats

Features: Environmental Studies grad Ryan Williamson runs his business, The Mouse Works, out of his studio in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. His polar fleece winter wear is available in baby, youth and adult sizes and comes in a wide variety of bright colors and funky styles

Green Factor: Ryan’s philosophy is a green one: do all we can to lower the environmental impact of our daily lives. With that in mind, he uses only discarded fleece from factories, ships his products in recyclable material and has seriously reduced his waste output (in 2004, he was able to fit ALL of his business trash in to one paper bag!)

Bonus: Head to the site to see photos of Ryan’s studio, read about his dedication to the environment and check out what else is up for grabs (including fleece overalls and a full-length skirt that has comfort written all over it)

Find It Here: The Mouse Works

What: Grass Drying Rack

Features: A modern twist on a kitchen staple, this funky two-piece countertop drying rack was built with mothers in mind, as it’s great for air drying baby gear (bottles, soothers, teething toys, etc.). Objects big and small stand upright and dry atop the flexible faux grass blades while water drips down to a tray below AND it’s easy to clean—both the grass and its tray are dishwasher safe

Green Factor: BPA, phthalate and PVC-free

Bonus: Free shipping on orders of $75 or more at Sprout Baby!

Find It Here: Sprout Baby

Did you know that even if it’s marked “pure and gentle,” baby shampoo might contain contaminants linked to cancer. That’s what the Breast Cancer Fund’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found nearly a year ago, when product tests revealed formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in children’s shampoos, bubble baths and other cosmetics.

Yet because U.S. cosmetics are almost completely unregulated and the FDA has no authority to issue recalls on dangerous products, our government has taken no action.

Please support the Safe Baby Products Act, which would require the FDA to test kids’ products for contaminants and work to prevent contamination in the first place.

Find It Here:  Safe Baby Products Act

On Our Blog: We’re Blushing!

What: Dandelion Organic Teething Blanket

Features: The bear on this blanket has knotted appendages and wiggly ears for infants to touch, feel and teethe on; the soft material makes it the perfect bedtime companion (or anytime lovey!)

Green Factor: Made with the good stuff (100% certified organic cotton and natural dyes), not the bad stuff (pesticides and chemicals). Packaged in recycled materials.

Bonus: Baby Green Sprout only chooses products from companies that employ fair-trade and sweatshop-free standards.

Find It Here: Baby Green Sprout

What: Titi Collection

Features: A fashionable, functional line of clothing made exclusively for nursing mothers—blouses, hoodies and gowns are made from stretch silk and feature a built-in Italian lace bra

Green Factor: Each item is created using salvaged fabric

Bonus: As opposed to factory production, all garments are sewn by a local seamstress

Find It Here: Titi Collection

What: Weebit Hemp Baby Slippers

Features: These snazzy slippers come in a variety of colors and patterns; the tops are adorned with a wee little piggy face made of wool felt

Green Factor: Weebits boast hemp tops lined with organic cotton and sturdy, recycled rubber soles (they used to be car tires!)

Bonus: Fits up to 18 months. Each pair is shipped in a super cool box that look like a truck!

Find It Here: Buy Green

On Our Blog: Disinfectant Overkill

What: The Baby Bunch

Features: This exquisite bouquet of rosebuds is made out of itty bitty baby clothes–newborn onesies, t-shirts, bibs and socks

Green Factor: Clothing items are 100% organic cotton

Bonus: Makes a great baby shower gift. Right now, take $10 off the price plus shipping is free!

Find It Here: Boys to Men Gifts

On Our Blog: Disinfectant Overkill

What: Baby wipes made from bamboo fiber

Features:  Natural ingredients, scented with non-toxic, all-natural essential oils with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties

Green Factor: Bamboo is highly renewable and sustainable, wipes are 100% biodegradable. Bum Boosa is also a signer of The Compact for Safe Cosmetics.

Bonus:  Bum Boosa plants a tree for each package of 80 count wipes sold. Trees are also planted to offset 100% of their carbon emissions.

Find It Here: Bum Boosa

Win It: We’ve partnered with Bum Boosa to give away three 80 count packs of Bum Boosa bamboo baby wipes and one container of Bum Boosa bamboo diaper rash ointment. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter BB11 as the giveaway name and name one of the ingredients in Bum Boosa wipes (besides bamboo!) Enter by 11/27/09. $25 value. Open to residents of US and Canada. Winner to be notified by email. Contest Closed.

What: Bucky’s Woopsies Kids Soothing Packs

Features: Can be warmed up in the microwave or chilled in the freezer

Green Factor: Made with machine washable bamboo terrycloth and premium whole buckwheat seed filling

Bonus: These creatures, with their bright colors and funny faces, are sure to distract kids from their owies!

Find It Here: Amazon.com

On Our Blog:  Bite on This: More Grocery Store Secrets

Sperm counts worldwide have been cut in half over the past 50 years and 60% of sperm is abnormal. Testicular cancer has doubled in the past 20 years and more and more cases of genital deformities in male newborns have been documented. And most troubling, significantly fewer males are being born.

The Disappearing Male is a disturbing look at how the chemical revolution has begun to affect the human race.

PLEASE watch and forward the link to your friends and family and particularly, people who are trying to conceive.

What: Extra soft t-shirts, onesies and thermals for kids (tees for adults, too)

Features: Designs with a vintage southern flair; cool without being too hipster-ish

Green Factor: Southern Brand uses water-based, soy & vegetable inks and offsets the carbon emissions of their shipments through the purchase of carbon offset credits.

Find It Here:  Southern Brand

Having a preemie was something I never had to worry about when it came time to deliver—both of my kids were a week late and required an eviction via a Pitocin drip. A good friend of mine, however, went in to labour over a month early; the end result was a tiny baby girl who weighed in at just over five pounds. “She’s just so small,” I remember her telling me a few days later. “And I don’t have any clothes that fit her.”

I felt for my friend. There I was, with my nine-pound butterball baby boy who wore 3-6 month onesies from the get-go, and she was struggling to find sleepers her new daughter wouldn’t swim in. If only I’d known about Fig Leaf Baby then, I could have pointed her in the right direction!

Fig Leaf Baby is a line of baby clothes that specializes in preemie sizes. Their products are made from 100% Peruvian Prima cotton (they are slated to be made from organic cotton next spring) and colored with organic dyes. Fig Leaf Baby has hats, onesies, leggings and kimono dresses for the preemie set, with bodysuits displaying embroidered catchphrases like Preemie Donna, Early Bird and N.I.C.U. Alumni. They may be smaller, but just like their mamas, even preemies deserve cute, eco-friendlier clothing that fits well!

Find It Here: Fig Leaf Baby

New! Miss Britt’s August column is up over on our blog. Be sure to check it out give her a little comment love :)