Green Steel Reusable Straws

What: Green Steel Stainless Steel Straws

Features:  Billions of plastic straws are used and discarded every single day around the world and end up in landfills and in our oceans. These straws by Green Steel can be used over and over again — all you have to do is to clean them and they’re ready to use again. BPA-free, phthalate-free, lead & toxin-free, these straws are made from high quality 18/8 stainless steel. Available in medium and long sizes. (Editors Note: I use these in the medium size and love them)

Green Factor: Made from non-toxic, food-grade stainless steel and can be washed (with the free brush that comes with them) and used repeatedly with no plastic waste. Comes in eco-friendly packaging.

Bonus: Comes with 4 straws, a cleaning brush and a lifetime money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

Find It Here:  Amazon

Organic Toddler Pillow

What: My Little Toddler Pillow

Features: Perfectly sized for smaller heads (ages 2-5) and made of 100% super-soft certified organic cotton shell, it is breathable, soft, and supportive, as well as machine washable and dryable. Filled with high quality soft, chemical-free, polyester cluster fiber that is 100% hypoallergenic.

Green Factor: Chemical-free with no mold and mildew resistance chemicals, flame retardants, or dust-mite and a certified organic cotton shell.

Bonus: Made in America with materials from U.S. based suppliers

Find It Here:  Amazon

It’s a Wrap!

What: Lilywrap Reusable Gift Wrap

Features: Beautiful wraps mimic the tailored look of paper gift wrap with reusable stretchy fabric in a variety of stylish designs. It’s super easy to wrap a gift in just 30-seconds with simple set, cinch, tie method using drawstring ribbons — great on the go and reasonably priced! Perfect for TSA travel & shipping, too!

Green Factor: Reusable and durable with no need for scissors, tape or waste!

Find It Here:  Amazon

Green Nurseries on a Budget

If you follow celebrity news and gossip, there’s no doubt you’ve noticed the abundance of stories about green celebrity baby nurseries. The price tags on some of those eco-friendly digs, however, might lead you to believe that a safer, greener nursery is out of reach on anything but celebrity’s budget.

It’s absolutely true that a green nursery could easily cost a pretty penny but fortunately, with a little creativity, perserverance and time, you can give your bundle of joy some safer, greener digs without taking out a second mortgage.

1. Don’t be afraid to buy some things used.
I know with my firstborn, the idea of putting my baby in or on anything that wasn’t brand new was completely unacceptable to me. What I didn’t know then that I know now is that new stuff off-gasses all kinds of chemicals into the air and in your baby’s body. Getting something used (from friends, consignment stores or even Craigslist) means it’s probably already off-gassed those chemicals and also, buying used means you’re helping to conserve resources. You can’t get much greener than that! Ideal items to buy used are cribs (check models for recalls and other safety issues), dressers, gliders/rockers and changing tables. As these are also big ticket items, you’ll be saving plenty of green right out of the gate. Just make sure to clean everything really well with a NON-TOXIC cleaner.

2. Your baby’s bedding is one thing you should NOT skimp on.
Shop around online for good deals on organic cotton sheets, crib bumpers and swaddling blankets and most importantly, an organic crib mattress. There are several varieties — the key is to find one that contains no chemical flame retardants (wool is good natural choice of flame retardant) and contains no chemicals or non-organic materials. This is important because your baby will breathe in anything that is outgassing from the mattress. There has also been some speculation that the chemical cocktails used in conventional mattresses are a possible cause of SIDS because when babies lay on their bellies, they’re breathing them in with very little fresh air.

3. Use No-VOC paints.
Painting is almost always part of setting up a new baby’s room and the new, green No-VOC paints are the paints you want to use. No-VOC means “no volatile organic compounds” which really just means none of the toxic stuff that contributes to indoor air pollution and that you don’t want your baby (or you!) inhaling. No-VOC paint is more expensive than regular latex interior paint but for a bedroom, one gallon may be enough and trust me, it’s money well spent. No-VOC paint is available at most stores such as Home Depot. Just make sure it’s NO-VOC or Zero-VOC instead of Low-VOC.

4. If you have hardwood or tile floors, leave them.
Do NOT carpet the room. Carpet is the source of much indoor pollution and outgassing. You can pick up organic or natural area rugs for far less than re-carpeting a whole room — or consider FLOR. FLOR is eco-friendly, recyclable carpet that comes in self-stick squares so you can mix, match and make your own patterns while staying green. If you already have carpet and it’s not completely gross, leave it and use a green carpet cleaning system to clean it really well rather than install new carpeting.

5. Be picky with clothing.
Since clothing touches your baby nearly 24 hours a days, organic cotton or bamboo is the best choice. Regular cotton is grown with incredible amounts of pesticides and if you can avoid it, you don’t want that touching your baby’s sensitive skin. Scour eBay for deals on organic clothing. Try to approximate what season it will be when your baby is a certain size and you can get off-season clothing for far less. Also, there are oodles of stores on the web that sell incredibly cute organic clothing. Check their sale and clearance pages to score bargains. If you choose to cloth diaper, obviously organic cotton diapers are ideal. If you want to use disposable diapers that aren’t made with chlorine bleach and other chemicals, try G-Diapers. They’re totally biodegradable, flushable or compostable.

The quest to live a less toxic life in a very toxic world isn’t always easy or cheap but it can be done. Best of luck to you and your new green nursery!

Great Gifts: Electric Snow Thrower

greenworks-snow-throwerWhat: Greenworks Electric Snow Thrower

Features: Is it time to clear snow in your neck of the woods? The Greenworks 13 amp electric snow thrower clears a 20-inch path at a depth of 10 inches and has a cord lock that holds an extension cord securely in place. Adjustable 180 degree directional chute makes snow throwing manageable.

Green Factor: Zero carbon emissions and zero pollution because it doesn’t use gas. No smelly engine emissions, no trips to fill the gas can and no tune-ups!

Bonus: On sale for $171.30 with a fabulous 4 year warranty (twice the industry standard) plus FREE SHIPPING!

Find It Here:  Amazon

Is Plastic Killing Your Sex Drive?

imagesWarnings about the danger of phthalates in plastics are once again in the news by way of a study recently presented by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

This time researchers have found a link between soft plastics such as those found in raincoats, rubber duckies, shower curtains and air mattresses* (PVC) and a reduced sex drive in women.

The primary reason for this is due to phthalates, which are already known to be endocrine disruptors that reduce testosterone levels in men, women and children and are associated with overall reproductive toxicity. However, the findings that women’s libidos can also be affected was revealed in a study by University of Rochester School of Medicine.

The findings noted each of the 360 women who participated in the study showed traces of phthalates in their urine. Those with the highest levels of phthalates were found to be two and a half times as likely to have lower libidos compared to those with the least. “They are throughout our environment and every single person studied showed measurable levels of these chemicals. So even at the levels found in the environment every day we are seeing an association with interest in sex,” said lead author, Dr. Emily Barrett, about the study’s findings.

If testosterone levels, declining sperm quality and feminization of males, early puberty in girls and an increased risk of diabetes weren’t enough to make all of us rethink what kind of plastics we use and bring into our homes, this new information will hopefully sway people to start rejecting these dangerous products by avoiding PVC and plastics marked with recycling label #3.

*Read our article about PVC-free air mattresses