Green Options

Sandy Swan is the lead designer for Holy Cow. Her bio is an impressive design history that includes little boy’s apparel at OshKosh B’Gosh for six years. She recently created the kids collection in collaboration with Nordstrom stores.

Hani Hong is an established graphic designer. With business partner Tina Fusari, she owns and operates Fierce Hugs, Inc. In Virginia. She also happens to own an independent graphic design business.

Designer Tina Bossy’s company goals are to provide comfy and stylish cozy outfits for babies, and to help promote green living. She utilizes the softest organic cottons, huggable hemps, and a new collection of recyclable and vintage fabrics which are transformed into exclusive items.

The newborn collection is designed for babies with sensitive skin. The organic cottons come in subtle pastels and natural cream colors. Baby nursery rhymes come to life with her signature embroidery. You can choose the rhyme that suits your little one best.

The competition for Best Eco-luxury Infant Clothes Designer ended September, but last-minute nominations came rolling in. To expand awareness of exceptional green designers, this fashion category of nominations continues.

Meet Jennifer Murphy. She is a Chicago resident who lives with her husband, daughter, and son. They hold a family passion for farm animals and the future of our environment. Jennifer’s mission is to improve the lives of others through her talents, creativity, intuition and knowledge. She produces modern fun baby and toddler clothes from sustainable fabrics.

Do you put an infant to sleep on its belly or on its back? Over time, the advice on how best to prevent SIDS with infant sleeping positions has changed, yet parenting magazines have not kept pace with the changes.   Do these misleading images negatively affect parents in choosing the safest sleep position for their infants?  Pediatrics, the official magazine of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is concerned.

Nowali Cable Knit Moccasin are adorable, cozy, and actually stay on little one’s feet!  If you have a toddler, you’ve probably experienced what usually happens with slippers designed for little ones…they always slip off!  Not with Nowali, which are made in Sweden and are great on any floor surface.

Diane Reznik, Nowali’s Sales Manager and co-designer, describes these great slipper socks:

Our feature product is our famous Swedish moccasin.  This item is a unique combination of a sock and a shoe: knit sock upper with a leather sole and color coordinated foxing. The moccasins are still stitched together by hand in the traditional Swedish way.

When I had infants, I was never one for buying all the paraphernalia many parents think they need to be successful (see Heather’s great series Baby Essentials that Aren’t).  One item I wish I would have had was a shopping cart cover, but I couldn’t see buying one.  Now Sprout Shell offers one that is multi-purposed, which makes it useful in so many more ways and thus more environmentally friendly, although I wish it was made from organic cotton fabric.

Sprout Shell is a 3-in-1 cover for baby. It can be used as a 1) infant car seat cover for cold weather, 2) a nursing cover for moms who want extra privacy (never a problem for me), and 3) a shopping cart cover.  It can also be used as a high chair cover when dining out.  “The Sprout Shell is the only infant carrier cover that is multiple products all rolled into one to save parents time, money and space.”

Who wouldn’t want eco-safe threads and accessories for their babe? It is exciting to see new green companies targeting family needs growing on the Internet.

One such new company is NewBornMom, which features many cute, eco-friendly goods, as well as 100% eco-friendly gift wrap! Plus, they are offering our readers 10% off all purchases until March 31, 2008 (promo code: ecoplay).

NewBornMom was founded by Aliette Fenton-Sharp and Fernanda Pinzon, both new moms. After having difficulty finding elegant, trendy and environmentally safe essentials for their newborn daughters, they founded the store. This online store features goods meticulously selected by Aliette and Fernanda that they would use with their own babies.

The company supports Fair Labor Trade regulations, and every item offered is made in proper working environments. NewBornMom uses only recycled office, shipping and gift-wrap supplies; “we pride-ourselves in being a relatively paper-free company as most of our business is conducted via e-mail”, states Aliette.

Six years ago, when my daughter was a baby, there was very little available in organic, affordable clothing for children. Thankfully, that has changed. A new company called Happy Green Bee is offering organic, fair trade, sustainably produced cotton clothing for infants and toddlers. The company was founded by mother, conservationist, and Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby.

Happy Green Bee clothing comes in bright, colorful patterns. Not only is their clothing line cheerful, comfortable, and playful, but it is also ecologically responsible. Founder Roxanne Quimby explains,

We created Happy Green Bee so that a child can be a child, first and foremost. By using organic cotton, a comfortable and practical fabric, and simple bee-striped patterns, children feel as comfortable as they look, while their parents take a small step in making a big difference in the environment their children will live in.

Magic Cabin offers this delightful version of an old-fashioned folk toy for about $17.00. The Mushroom Maypole moves when wound up, spinning back and forth, while it bounces up and down. I am truly fascinated with the movement, as are both of my children. The Mushroom Maypole is rated for children three years and older, but I have found that babies enjoy staring at it and are likewise fascinated by [...]

When a baby is born, it is so pure and natural, yet will soon be exposed to all of the harsh chemicals of the modern world. It is true that babies are exposed to some toxins in utero and through breastmilk, but this exposure is limited and mostly out of the control of parents. What is in the control of new parents are the kind of products they use on their baby, and of course, [...]