Smart Mom Jewelry Review and Giveaway

Like I said in my post on Toxins In Toys - Plastics, I'm very picky about the toys my babies have. Our home is not completely free of plastics or toxic toys, but all of the infant toys we own are safe. When we started our toy purge, baby toys were the first to come under scrutiny. Anything that a little one might put in his or her mouth has to be safe! My assortment of baby items includes cloth and wooden toys. I also have a silicone teether, and when my children need a pacifier, we use an all silicone brand. As much as I have researched silicone, I haven't found anything negative about it and feel that for some things, its the safest option. Silicone is a fairly inert substance and does not leach toxins like some plastics do. Aside from baby toys being safe, another thing to think about is the jewelry mom wears that a baby might try to mouth.

Smart Mom Jewelry includes donut shaped necklaces and bangles that are made of silicone. The silicone is non-toxic, latex-free, food-safe, and even dishwasher friendly. They use only the highest quality phthalate-free and federally approved silicone. Smart Mom Jewelry is a safe option for mom to wear and safe for baby to teeth on.

I received a donut shaped pendant and two bangles in coordinating colors to review. They have a great variety of colors, which made it hard to choose! I eventually decided on the turquoise pendant and turquoise and onyx bangles. The jewelry is sturdy and thick, a great size for baby to grasp and teeth on. I like that the necklace has a breakaway clasp so that if baby pulls on it to hard it will release. The necklace would also be very easy to adjust but pulling the cord through the clasp and shortening it, although I left mine long so its easy for a baby to grasp while nursing.

Smart Mom Jewelry has conveniently packaged gift sets, keychains, heart shaped necklaces, or you can even design your own gift set. If you're interested in trying Smart Mom Jewelry for yourself, they've graciously offered one reader a gift set of your choosing. I won't make you go to their website and choose a color, that's just too hard (there are too many fun options). :) Leave a comment on this post and let me know the name of your little one who would enjoy playing with this jewelry while you wear it. Be sure to include your email address so that I can contact a winner.

For an extra entry, become a follower of my blog and let me know you did so/ do so already in a comment. You can gain another entry by blogging about the giveaway including both a link to Smart Mom Jewelry and my blog. Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your blog post.

I'm going to close the giveaway on January 4 at midnight. If you can't wait that long or would like to give Smart Mom Jewelry to someone on your Christmas list, Moonstone pendants are on sale for 50% off this month while supplies last! Happy Shopping.

**Thanks for your interest. The giveaway is now closed and PisecoMom has been chosen by random.org as the winner.**

Toxins In Toys: Plastics

This month I've been posting about Toxins In Toys and some of the changes our family has made over the past few years. We've talked about lead and where it hides. Today I want to focus on plastics a bit. There are several potential issues with plastic toys - Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, PVC, and more.

Bisphenol A is an endocrine disrupting hormone - a developmental, neural, and reproductive toxin. Very low doses of BPA exposure have been linked to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity among other problems. Exposure to BPA is widespread - it has been found in the urine of 95% of people tested in studies. Alarmingly, the median level of BPA in humans is higher than the level that causes adverse effects in animal studies. (information from an Environment California report)

Bisphenol A is found in hard clear plastics and has been in the news quite a bit for its presence in baby bottles, sippy cups, and the lining of canned foods. BPA can also be found in many toys including teethers and toys that infants may mouth. Although many newer toys are BPA free, anything you already have or purchase used should be suspect. We had to toss some rattles (things with the clear hard plastic parts on them) and baby toys that had BPA in them. I also have to wonder, even if plastic toys are now marketed as BPA free, what do they contain instead?

Phthalates are a human carcinogen, added to soft plastics to keep them pliable. Think teethers, bath toys, vinyl books... PVC often contains lead and phthalates and is the least recyclable plastic posing numerous health and environmental concerns. Phthalates in children's products are being phased out due to the CPSIA regulations.

Although the new CPSIA laws are aimed at making toys safer for children, the bottom line is that so many times I look at a toy and just don't know what's in it. Honestly there have been stays of enforcement on the CPSIA laws and I can't quite figure out which thing is banned and when. Many manufacturers are also selling off old products that will no longer be safe at a certain point when laws go into effect, but are okay to be sold now. Have you noticed the rubber ducks everywhere, packaged in with other toys and gift baskets? I got an Oriental Trading Company catalog recently and they had an enormous lot of rubber duckies for some insanely cheap price. No thanks.

I can go to the effort to contact every manufacturer (and I have quite often done so) and figure out whether or not my particular toy contains BPA, phthalates, or PVC, but more and more we are simply choosing natural toys that we know are safe. Toys are not labeled "contains BPA", nor are they required to be. Manufacturers aren't required to tell you what is in a toy and will sometimes reply to an inquiry with something along the lines of claiming that their toy doesn't leach BPA, or is non-toxic, or is compliant with government regulations at this time. Wording meant to creatively skirt the questions.

Plastics are petroleum based and are filling up our landfills and oceans. They are rarely recyclable and often break easily. Natural toys are much more durable, and often more open ended in their play options (no batteries, flashing lights, etc). Although natural toys can be more expensive, we have been focusing on purchasing one high quality item instead of several inexpensive toys that won't last long. Our house is small as it is, so limiting what comes into our home is a necessity. We do have some plastics - Lego is a reputable brand and uses a safer type of plastic, Green Toys uses recycled milk jugs to make their sturdy toys, and yes, we do have some (toxic) Little People just because the girls love to play with them. I have a basket of baby toys and these are all natural wooden or cloth toys. Here is a great article about natural toys.

As far as toy safety, I purchase toys from manufacturers that I trust. I don't necessarily trust the "natural" toys that are popping up at large retail stores. Just because something is made of wood doesn't make it safe. What type of glue holds it together? What type of paint is used on it? I look for a water based stain that shows the wood grain rather than a thick coating of paint that could be toxic or peel off. Things like art supplies, music, and books can still be purchased at super stores. Try thinking outside the box and invest in a zoo membership, aquatic center pass, museum gift certificate, or make a coupon book of visits to the park. The saying is true - homemade gifts are often the best. I've posted a few ideas for homemade toys on my blog and you can find more by searching the internet.

I hope this gets you started thinking about safe toy choices for your families. I have a couple more reviews and discount codes coming up, so stay tuned!

Toxins In Toys

Two years ago in November, I wrote an article and posted it to my blog. It was the very first post and the reason I created this blog. Its called "Article on Toys, Lead, and Plastics" and you can find it here. I had been reading different things on the internet and kept coming across terms - BPA, phthalates, lead, and more - and was getting confused as to what all of the issues were, what was safe, and what was not. I knew that there were things in my home that could be unsafe, but couldn't figure out where to start looking for them.

One day I had a friend over visiting and she asked me if I had done anything about making changes in my home. I replied with "No, I haven't. Its all too confusing, have you?" She responded that yes, they had made some changes as far as buying safer pots and pans and eliminating some plastics from kitchen use. This inspired me to sit down and begin to figure it all out. I thought, "If she thinks this is important enough to try and figure it out and make her home safer for her family... I should too!" The article I posted back then was the beginning of our family's journey towards a safer healthier home. (Its not perfect, I misspelled phthalates in the whole article, and have learned even more about the issues since then, but it was a start and probably still worth your time to read.)

We've come a long way these past two years and have slowly made numerous changes in our home. I've become much more aware of toxins and where they hide and have been working on eliminating them. We are picky about toys and items that come into our home and try to make wise choices. I still feel overwhelmed at times and don't know how to completely eliminate certain things or am limited by cost. (I can't afford a brand new organic mattress, only organic clothing and all organic food for example.) Many of the changes I've made in our home and the research I've done, I post about here on my blog: the water filtration series, information about cloth training pants, staying healthy during pregnancy, product reviews and more.

Why do I do this? My kids. I absolutely love being a mom and am passionate about making my home as safe as I possibly can for my family. I can't change everything all at once, but I can keep learning, keep researching, keep trying and creating a safer healthier home in the process. Although there are some things that are out of my control, there are many things that I can change and steps I can take.

This month I'm going to be focusing my blogging on some of the potential toxins that can be found in toys and how this affects choices our family makes. We'll talk about lead, where it can be found, what phthalates are, and more. I will also be posting some reviews of natural toy companies throughout the month along with some giveaways and discount codes. Keep reading... hopefully some of it is helpful to you. Feel free to ask questions as we go and I will do my best to share with you what I've learned.

Nature Studies - Beaches and Bugs

I just posted a long list of nature studies resources we enjoy having in our home. A couple of items that we recently received from A Toy Garden deserved their own special mention. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been searching for things (games, toys, books, etc) to make nature studies interesting and fun for my girls. We've had a blast with each of these two items and give them two thumbs up.

Sonya suggested that we review the Bug Bingo game because the bingo cards have so much information printed on them and the pictures are quite detailed and true. I wasn't sure if the game was going to be over Lucy's head, but it said ages 3- adult, so we decided to give it a try. Lucy and Julia both enjoy finding bugs outside and were very interested in playing this game.

At one point I asked Lucy if she had to go to the bathroom because she was dancing around and wiggling so much. She said no, she was just very excited about the game and trying to see all of the pictures. The game is very simple to play, there are large printed bingo cards, bingo marker chips, and flash cards with the bug pictures and information. One person holds up the flash card and each player checks to see if they have a matching picture on the game card in front of them. I didn't read much of the information on the backs of the cards because Lucy was enjoying just matching the pictures and I didn't want to overwhelm her with too much at once. She was able to play on her own, and even wanted to check Daddy's game card for him when he had to distract Julia from destroying the game. She didn't want to stop once she got five in a row so we kept going until we all had a Bingo and our game cards were filling up.

I really like that the cards have the information printed on the backs. I did read out loud a few sentences about a some of the bugs and we'll definitely read more of the information as Lucy gets more used to the game and is a bit older. For now I thought it was great that she was just learning the names of the bugs and by matching the pictures she was learning what each one looks like. There are even a few terms like "metamorphosis" included, which is fun.

We all enjoyed playing this game and will be using it often. There are six game cards included, so even Grandma and Grandpa can play when they come over. A Toy Garden also sells Nature Bingo, Ocean Bingo, and more. I think these might be appearing on Christmas wish lists in the near future.

The second item we received for review is the Green Toys Sand Castle set. We already had the tea set by Green Toys and absolutely love it. Green Toys is a wonderful company - their toys are made of recycled plastic milk jugs (a very safe plastic) and are BPA and phthalate free. There is no coating on the toy, so definitely no lead paint here. The toy even comes packaged in recyclable cardboard. The plastic toy itself is very durable and sturdy, I was impressed with the quality.

The set comes with a pail, shovel, rake, and castle mold. The pail has a thick rope handle and is a great size. Lucy had fun scooping water from the lake so that Daddy and Julia could fill the castle mold with wet sand and make castles. The mold worked well and made nicely formed castles. The shovel and rake are both quite sturdy and will hold up to quite a bit of use. We'll use this set at home to work in the garden, collect nature finds on walks, and much more.

I honestly wasn't sure what I would think about the sand castle set since we already own several pail and shovel sets that we use in our sandbox at home. After playing with it though, I'm ready to throw all of the others away and just use this set. Other sand toys crack and the handles snap off and they just aren't as sturdy and nice as this set, not to mention I'm sure the other ones we have are not a safe plastic nor in the slightest bit environmentally conscious. I much prefer my children play with something I know is safe and responsibly made. This is a fun set that I know will last for quite some time.

Visit A Toy Garden to find either of these fun "nature studies" items. Check out the autumn category for a large variety of fun fall items. (A Toy Garden also sells Fundanas, another of our favorite nature studies tools.) Thanks for the great recommendations, Sonya!

Safe Sassy Toys

http://thesoftlanding.wordpress.com/2008/01/19/which-sassy-baby-products-are-bpa-free/#comment-675

This blog has compiled a list of some safe Sassy toys. We're steering away from plastics altogether here based on my research, but its nice to know what are the safer options (especially since my kids have the lion teether and won't part with it).

Correspondence With Sassy Toys

I've emailed Sassy several times about their toys and pthalates/ BPA. Here is the relevant correspondence so far...
......................................................................................................

Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your concerns.

This year, as Sassy, Inc. celebrates our 25 year anniversary, we look back with pride on the products we have developed. Using Sassy products, parents have played with, fed, bathed, comforted and nurtured their children. Those special times represent the fruits of our creativity and our relentless dedication to safety.

To address your concern: All the material s with which Sassy products are made meet or exceed accepted international and U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) standards and methods. In addition, currently, we do not use any material s that contain detectable phthalates, which acceptable CPSC methods define as 50 parts per million or fewer. Please be assured that the safety of our products and the children using them is our primary concern.

You may know that, prior to the late 1990’s, Phthalate softened PVC was widely used for more than 50 years in toys, building material s, autos, and life-saving medic al devices. Because it was durable and bite resistant, this material was used in Infant feeding and teething items. When PVC softened with phthalates became a concern for some independent organizations, we worked closely with the CSPC. They oversaw an exhaustive study, which concluded that children are not at risk from PVC softened with phthalates. This was affirmed in independent and government sponsored research by Dr. Juberg of the Internation al Center for Toxicology and Medicine in Rockville , Maryland . Non-the-less, due to consumer concern, we opted to use al ternate materi al s to phth al ate softened PVC in Sassy products and continue to do so today.

Sassy has stringent design, development, testing and assurance programs, which include independent third-party preproduction design evaluation and post- production assurance testing to the American Society of Testing & Materials

(ASTM) and European standards. Safety tests are performed by our manufacturer’s quality control staffs and by Sassy’s own QC team in China .

We additionally perform tests intern al ly for each shipment, including use and abuse testing. We are proud to say that our standards not only meet, but al so exceed those set by the CPSP and the ASTM. The safety requirements can be reviewed by contacting the CPSC for a copy or they can be found online at: http://www.cpsc.gov.

We take great pride in our track record, but we aren’t resting on our accomplishments. We continually seek to improve our testing methods and procedures to maintain our high company standards for safety, quality and creativity. Please contact us if we can provide additional information.

Consumer Relations

..............................................
Hi,

Thanks for the reply!  Just to clarify... there are no
pthalates in any of your products?  What about the
baby photo album?  I read a review dated 2003 that
said there were pthalates in that one item.  I see on
the packaging it now says pthalate free, when was that
taken out?  (I have an older version I'm wondering
about.)  When exactly did you stop using pthalates in
things (again, I have some older teethers, etc I'm
wondering about)?  Thanks for the help!

Christy

..................................................
All of our products are Phthalate free. Our old book
in 99 was changed.

Shannon Novak

..................................................

(I emailed about BPA and Shannon asked for me to
name specific toys.)

Ok, how about these, what are they made of?  Thanks!

lively links
fascination station
polka dot rattle
who loves baby photo book
big and small chime ball
circle rattle
hourglass rattle
me in the mirror
ideal temp feeding spoon
coolin teethers - lion
gummy guppy
scoop, pour, strain turtle set with purple hippo and
squirt bug
foam letters and numbers

We may have more, but thats all I can think of for
now.  I really appreciate your replying to me!

Christy

.............................................................................................................

The fascination station - the clear plastic ball
The Circle rattle - the clear section with beads
The Hour Glass rattle - the clear section with beads

These are the items that are still made with Polycarbonate.


Shannon Novak

Consumer Relations
2305 Breton Ind. Park Dr. SE
Kentwood, MI 49508
1-800-323-6336 EXT. 3331

Article on Toys, Lead, and Plastics

What follows is a summary that I've typed up of the current research on lead, toys, and plastics. It is by no means complete, and a much of it is quoting from various websites. As I get time I may come back to it and clean it up some. If nothing else, the links at the end are worth checking out!

I’ve recently become increasingly aware of the dangers of children’s toys. Toy recalls are all over the news, and recent reports by reputable agencies such as the Environmental Working Group are finding toxins in our toys and homes. Although some of this may at first seem to be a big media scare, I’ve come to believe that it is in fact a real concern. CNN.com published an article in which a family underwent testing to determine what toxins their bodies were carrying. The children “had chemical exposure levels up to seven times those of their parents….He had two to three times the level of flame retardants in his body that's been known to cause thyroid dysfunction in lab rats.” Lead poisoning and other chemicals in our bodies are serious concerns; couple this with the fact that autism is on the rise – 1 in every 150 children is currently being diagnosed as somewhere on the autism spectrum, and you will realize that we are contending with a serious issue. I’m not implying that lead toys are causing autism in children, but I am aware that there are numerous health problems and autoimmune disorders that doctors cannot find a cause for and I do believe that they are related to our lifestyle and environment. Any attempt at making our daily lives safer and healthier for our children is worthwhile and a valuable effort.

Of course this brings to mind the question – are my kids safe? There isn’t exactly a definite answer, as there are many variables, but this question keeps nagging and prompts some action. I’ve spent many hours researching the issues and trying to wrap my head around what is safe and what could be unsafe, and what to do about it. I’ll start with the issues and then try to summarize and explain the position that our family is taking.

The issues:

Recalls – toys are being recalled left and right for lead paint in excess levels. I’m glad that toys are being recalled, but it leaves me wondering what next – do I have a toy that will be recalled next week, leaving my child with lead in her system and a $5 voucher for a replacement toy? Do I have a toy that was overlooked and will not be recalled, but actually contains lead? At the risk of making this article far too long, I’m including a quote from http://saras-toy-box.blogspot.com, it’s the best summary of the lead issue that I’ve found so far. This article is from a blog about toys and toy safety that I recently came across; I’ve found it to be very informative and a great resource. Italics are my own added emphasis.

“The risk from lead occurs when a child put a toy in his mouth. This is of greatest danger to children under two because they naturally explore the world with their mouths, and also have fast growing brains. Low levels of lead affect brain development and can cause developmental delays in young children. Lead has also been shown to effect adult brains, is toxic to the kidneys and blood and is a powerful carcinogen. There are no symptoms for lead poisoning, so all children should be tested for lead exposure.

There are two types of lead contamination in toys. Surface (or coated) lead and embedded (or substrate) lead.

Most of the recent recalls are due to surface lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates surface coated lead and has set the standard at no more than 600 ppm (parts per million). There are no regulations for non-toy products.

Embedded or substrate lead is often used as an additive in such materials as vinyl or plastic, which is why Christmas tree lights now come with a lead warning label. Toys or children’s products with embedded lead meet all federal safety standards. Why? Because there are no safety standards.

Yet, health experts warn that even embedded lead has no place in products for children as even low level exposure poses a health risk. The CPSC reports that a four-year old boy died from lead poisoning after ingesting a jewelry charm with embedded lead. Wal-Mart and Toys R Us voluntarily recalled bibs this year due to concerns regarding embedded lead.

Things to know about lead in toys:

• Lead is not only a problem with metal toys. Lead can be painted on wood, fabric and plastic as well as injected into plastic and vinyl.
• Plush Toys are NOT guaranteed to be safe. While most fabric toys do not have lead, you do need to watch out for fabric that has been painted. The recalls of fabric blocks and a plush Curious George doll underscores the possibility of lead contamination in fabric toys.”

For the full article, see: http://saras-toy-box.blogspot.com/2007/11/lead-in-toys.html

Mega Blocks have been found to contain embedded lead but have not been recalled.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/10/maxi_lead.html

A Utah news station did some testing and found lead in dinner plates currently being sold at WalMart: http://www.kutv.com/content/gephardt/story.aspx?content_id=d567af85-e5fc-4343-bc6a-a7c3bc47ba9f

One thing that stood out to me in flipping through the recall list on cpsc.gov is the fact that these are toys that I would buy and could easily have in my home. The list of recalls is huge, and these aren’t just about a piece breaking off, most of them are lead related recalls.

Plastics- Plastics have come under scrutiny again lately because of the discovery of a toxic chemical, Bisphenol A, which has been found to leach out of plastic containers including commonly used water bottles and baby bottles. Another concern includes products (children’s teethers and toys) made with PVC including pthalates, chemical compounds used to make the PVC soft which can leach out of the toy and into a child’s body.

Bisphenol A (BPA)- Bisphenol A is an endocrine disrupting hormone that has been found to leach out of certain plastics and the lining of canned foods.

“Bisphenol A is a Developmental, Neural, and Reproductive Toxicant

• Scientists have linked very low doses of bisphenol A exposure to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes, and hyperactivity, among other problems.
• For example, in one recent study, a single, low dose of bisphenol A administered to a newborn rat resulted in hyperactive behavior.

Exposure to Bisphenol A is Widespread

• Bisphenol A is most commonly used to make clear polycarbonate plastic for consumer products, such as baby bottles. Through use, this plastic breaks down and leaches bisphenol A into liquids and food to which it comes into contact.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found bisphenol A in the urine of over 95% of people they tested.
• Alarmingly, the median level of bisphenol A in humans is higher than the level that causes adverse effects in animal studies.”

From http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/environmental-health/environmental-health-reports/toxic-baby-bottles

BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics, labeled #7 in the triangle recycling code stamped on the bottom of an item. Most Nalgene bottles are #7 plastic, as are most baby bottles. However, manufacturers are not required to list the type of plastic their items are made of. One website has taken the challenge of figuring out which baby bottles, sippy cups, and pacifiers are made out of this harmful plastic. (http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/11/z-report-bisphenol-in-baby-bottles-and.html) Some companies use polycarbonate in certain products and not others, and other companies will not even respond to inquiries to disclose this information. There are no regulations in place on this issue, so companies could change their products at any time and include polycarbonate plastics even if they currently do not use them. There are a handful of responsible companies who are concerned about the issue and are committed to not using polycarbonate plastics.

Pthalates – Pthalates are found in PVC products and are a human carcinogen. Toy manufacturers have been pressured in the past to stop using pthalates, but it remains in some toys and kitchen plastics and is a danger. Teethers, bath books, and other soft plastics can contain pthalates. Again, companies are not required to disclose the use of PVC in their products. PVC often has lead added for strength, is the least recyclable plastic, and poses numerous risks to the environment and human health.

What to do? When I try to wade through all this information on plastics and what is safe and what isn’t, it starts to get a little crazy! For example, one website lists that Glad Cling Wrap and Saran Wrap are supposedly safe, but one should avoid Reynolds Wrap because it is made of a different type of plastic…. and so on. I’m in the process of trying to figure out which plastics in our kitchen and toy box are safe and what isn’t. Many items aren’t labeled and that requires trying to contact the company for information on what type of plastic certain items are made of. I’m left wondering if the other types of plastic in my home are actually safe, or if the toxin just hasn’t been identified yet. Plastics are petroleum based and are filling up our landfills and oceans, which is another reason to avoid them. I’ve referenced an article below that talks about the sheer mass of plastics in the ocean and how its harming wildlife and humans.

This brings me to the practical steps that our family is taking. Research in these areas is ongoing and confusing at best. However, there are real dangers involved. We will continue to research and educate ourselves on these issues. Ideally, changes need to be made on a corporate level, but in the meantime we’ll start at home by making the best decisions we can based on the information we have. Some of these are clear choices, and some are goals that we are working towards. Replacing every plastic item in our home is unrealistic. Taking a closer look at what plastics we use in our kitchen and the toys that our children play with seems like a logical first step.

Kitchen- As far as kitchen plastics, we have removed numbers 3, 6, or 7, and will not be using items with those numbers. Plastics should not be used in the microwave, and we are looking into alternates for food storage containers, such as glass. Cling wrap is best avoided as well. I’m still trying to figure out which type of plastic many of our baby items are (bowls, soft tip spoons, cups, etc). We will be replacing anything that is found to be PVC or #7 plastic, and any future purchases (sippy cups, bibs, etc) will most likely not be plastic to avoid this issue entirely.

Toys- Based on what we have learned, we would like to avoid purchasing plastic toys altogether. We have already started eliminating some of what we have. While we are not throwing everything plastic out the window, in the long run we would like to be able to provide safer alternatives. Although this means that practically everything at places like WalMart and Target is off limits for our home, we are finding that this is a step that more and more families are taking given the recalls and the possible dangers (embedded lead, surface lead, PVC with pthalates, BPA).

Aside from eliminating plastic toys due to safety hazards, simplifying our lives a bit more by having less is another reason. We have a small living space and often feel cluttered as it is. Replacing a large number of plastic toys with a few higher quality play things will help us in more ways than one. Several brands offer non-toxic products, most of which are made of wood and other natural fibers. Some can be found at specialty toy stores and most can easily be ordered thru online retailers. Items such as books, music, and art supplies can still be purchased locally.

We are constantly researching and making the best decisions we can for our family. We appreciate your help and understanding as we work through all of this.

Resources

CNN article on body burden testing:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/22/body.burden/index.html

Article on PVC and pthalates:

http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/ftoys.htm

BPA:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa

BPA in specific sippy cups and bottles:

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/11/z-report-bisphenol-in-baby-bottles-and.html

Plastics Guide:

http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=77083

More about plastic containers, including specifics on what products to avoid:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=44&sec=3

Plastic Oceans:

http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/health-fitness/Our_oceans_are_turning_into_plastic_are_we_2.shtml

Why Not to buy from China:

http://www.maplelandmark.com/imports.shtml

What to Do (specific steps to take in avoiding harmful plastics):

http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/environmental-health/stop-toxic-toys/toxics-fact-sheet

Sara’s Toy Box:

http://saras-toy-box.blogspot.com/

Sara’s Toy Box article on gift ideas from super stores:

http://saras-toy-box.blogspot.com/2007/11/gifts-ideas-from-super-stores.html

Article on Natural Toys

https://www.threesisterstoys.com/t-aboutnatural.aspx

Toy Websites:

Oompa.com

Threesisterstoys.com

Palumba.com

Magiccabin.com

Novanatural.com

Moolka.com

Rosiehippo.com

Atoygarden.com

A quote from palumba.com: “Toys made from natural materials such as wood, silk, wool or beeswax have a warm and honest quality. For example, a doll with a woolen body becomes warm in the embrace of a hug while synthetics remain cold. A wooden block has the weight that one expects to encounter when lifted. It tells a truth about the nature of the object whereas a plastic toy gives a false impression of weight and mass. Young children are learning about our world through their senses. It is our responsibility to provide an environment that tells the story of our world honestly.”