Six baby Etsy must haves!
You can always find super sweet, unique, handmade baby items a plenty at Etsy. Etsy is so darn cool that it’s easy to get totally sucked in though, so to save you some time, I gathered some of my favorite baby Etsy items to share. Take a look…
The Chunky Baby Bowl Newborn Egg: These come in an array of lovely colors, but I like the green egg cocoon. This is the perfect prop for a stunning newborn photograph. Each gorgeous newborn photography egg cocoon bowl prop is made from a super cozy acrylic wool blend yarn. The extra large stitches allow for babies toes and fingers to show through for the cutest pictures. It is crocheted in the round so that there are no seams. Adorable time ten.
Alphabet Wooden Blocks set of 30 Bold Birdies and orange dots: This sweet block set is just one of MANY amazing block styles to choose from at Magens Bay. I like this set because it’s suitable for baby boys or girls and the set has a nice unique flare. Set of 30 1 1/2 inch wood blocks. The edges have been sanded. The blocks are covered with six different styles of paper and sealed several times with a non-toxic varnish. Can easily be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Little Dew Drops: This lovely shop offers quality pure organic baby onesies and little tees. Each is hand painted high quality environmentally friendly water based fabric paint and lots of aloha. Each one is slightly unique because these designs are not mass produced but individually crafted to order. Today I think I love the cruz with me organic onesie best!
Little Sapling Toys: Hands down, this shop is one of the best Etsy has to offer. All of Little Sapling’s toys are handmade, non-toxic, gorgeous and for each purchase a tree is planted. Their natural teethers are especially cool, but it’s hard to pick a favorite. I think today I’ll recommend the cute Little Brontosaurus teether.
Melon & Pebble: This nice Etsy shop offers super cute baby hats, but if you have a baby girl I think you need the hyper sweet Aislyn Slouch hat.
Wood Toy Stacker – Wooden Pinwheels: This unique take on the normally typical baby stacker is really neat. Lovely whirling, twirling wooden pinwheels are the main event of this toy stacker. This is a wonderful first gift for baby or toddler and is a durable, heirloom classic. Handcrafted with care of locally, harvested maple and reclaimed mahogany. Sanded buttery smooth, then finished with a food-grade, non-toxic oil. Wonderful satin sheen that shows off the natural wood grain.
New food labels may warn about choking hazards
The New York Times is reporting that a new choking hazard label is being recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics in order to help parents make smarter decisions about which foods to feed their children.
The piece opens with a fairly disturbing story about a family who gave popcorn to their 23 month old baby girl. She choked, her dad couldn’t help her and she ended up dying. Shockingly, the girl’s mother said, “Neither one of us knew that popcorn was unsafe.”
Situations like this is what’s prompting the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend new labels. The academy is also urging food manufacturers to redesign some of the most dangerous foods, such as the hot dog; a major child choking hazard. Food manufacturers and many consumers feel this step goes too far.
The Times notes…
“The F.D.A. needs to set a uniform standard for cautionary information on food that should not be consumed by children under 5,” said Bruce Silverglade, legal director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that lobbied unsuccessfully in 2003 for a bill to require the Food and Drug Administration to develop food labeling regulations.
Labels are all good and fine I suppose, but my recommendation is for parents to use some basic common sense. Choking, last I saw is mentioned in every single baby care book I’ve ever read. Choking is a covered topic at pediatrician visits. I myself talk about choking hazards incessantly here at P&B, as do many other baby bloggers. Yet, each year many young children die due to choking hazards while research estimates that maybe 20,000+ children are hospitalized because they’ve choked on some small item.
I’m not so sure that labels will solve the issue. If parents aren’t paying attention to advice from blogs, books, doctors and more will they pay attention to labels? PLUS good luck coming up with a label for things like apples and carrots (both choking hazards) – what, will the FDA mark every baby carrot with non-toxic ink? Really?
In any case, I’m not against the new labeling idea, I just think it’s less useful than say a TV commercial about it – something maybe parents will notice.
Here are some basic ways to prevent choking according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Later, I’ll round up all the posts I’ve done about choking here as well so stay tuned.
- Objects such as safety pins, small parts from toys, and coins cause choking, but food is responsible for most incidents.
- You must be particularly watchful when children around the age of one are sampling new foods.
- Don’t give young children hard, smooth foods (i.e., peanuts, raw vegetables) that must be chewed with a grinding motion. Children don’t master that kind of chewing until age four, so they may attempt to swallow the food whole. Do not give peanuts to children until age seven or older.
- Don’t give your child round, firm foods (like hot dogs and carrot sticks) unless they are chopped completely. Cut or break food into bite-size pieces (no larger than ½ inch [1.27 cm]) and encourage your child to chew thoroughly.
- Supervise mealtime for your infant or young child. Don’t let her eat while playing or running. Teach her to chew and swallow her food before talking or laughing.
- Chewing gum is inappropriate for young children.
- Small non-food objects are also responsible for many choking incidents. Look for age guidelines in selecting toys, but use your own judgment concerning your child.
- Also be aware that certain objects have been associated with choking, including uninflated or broken balloons; baby powder; items from the trash (e.g., eggshells, pop-tops from beverage cans); safety pins; coins; marbles; small balls; pen or marker caps; small, button- type batteries; hard, gooey, or sticky candy or vitamins; grapes; and popcorn.
If you’re unsure whether an object or food item could be harmful, use the following rule - IF an item can fit through a basic toilet paper roll, it’s too small for a child under the age of five years.
Pregnant women should avoid canned food due to BPA
According to a new report, No Silver Lining, published just this week, eating common canned foods may expose you to higher levels of bisphenol A (BPA) than previously thought. The levels are thought to be equal to levels shown to cause health problems in laboratory animals, according to the new study released by The National Work Group for Safe Markets, a coalition of public health and environmental health groups.
The study tested food from 50 cans from 19 US states and one Canadian province for BPA contamination. Over 90% of the cans tested had detectable levels of BPA, some at higher levels than have been detected in previous studies by the FDA (no shock there). According to the report…
The canned foods tested were brand name fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, soups, tomato products, sodas, and milks, which together represent “real-life” meal options for a wide range of North American consumers. The cans were purchased from retail stores and were chosen from report participants’ pantry shelves, and sent to an independent laboratory for testing. One can of DelMonte green beans had the highest levels of BPA ever found in canned food, at 1,140 parts per billion
Minnesota became the first state to ban BPA in baby bottles entirely (back in May 2009) and other states plus Canada and Denmark have followed suit, but the fact that BPA is so abundant in canned food items is a major concern.More concerning is the fact that some MAJOR companies want you and your family to eat BPA. Yup, it’s true. Major organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Toy Industry Association, the Grocery Manufacturers of America and more want to make sure that bisphenol-A (BPA) stays in consumer food and beverage containers. Learn more about this issue.
With all the above in mind, pregnant women, kids and really everyone (in my opinion) should avoid canned food items. The National Toxicology Program says there is “some concern” that BPA might negatively affect neural development in fetuses, infants and children however, an outstanding number of studies completed over the years say that BPA, does indeed, no question, have major health risks for humans. Also, just recently the FDA admitted publicly that BPA needs harsher regulations.
However, large organizations like The FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health want to waste time examining whether or not BPA is an actual risk before making a statement about the safety of BPA in food and drink containers. These groups have already been studying BPA for years and multiple studies have already shown that BPA exposure is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in cancer patients, developmental and brain defects in infants and more.
So, you can wait for an official statement from some large organization, or just quit eating foods that contain BPA now. Of course, this can be hard, because canned food is simple. Luckily there are ways around it.
Tips:
Happy Earth Day 2010
So it’s officially the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and all month I’ve been writing about how you can go green with your baby care and parenting. Today we’ll have some more of the same, but just in case you missed any of the special green features this month, following is a recap…
First you should head over and enter our Earth Day Giveaway – you could win a super cool reusable baby wipes kit!
BONUS – More Earth Day contests to enter!
What are you doing for Earth Day 2010?
