Baby Toys Made in the USA

With all the recalls happening with baby products made in China, it's time to take a close look at the products our babies are using and playing with. We decided to do a bit of digging to see what locally and ethically-made, baby products we could find to share with you.

Here are a couple we found:

Wooden Toys:
Making handcrafted wooden toys in Vermont, Maple Landmark has been around for 25 years and has been getting rave reviews from their customers for their building blocks, toy trucks and trains, rattles, wooden games and more!

Stuffed Toys:
Another great find from Vermont is this Organic Stuffed Dog sold by Our Green House. Who wouldn't fall in love with this puppy! They also make an elephant, a pony and a bunny and other toys.

If you have any others you would like to recommend, please email us a link!

Truth and Myth of Natural and Organic Fabrics

From our August Newsletter:

There is a growing interest in natural fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, but "approach new fabrics with skeptical enthusiasm"People often forget that just because a fabric is made from natural fibers, doesn't necessarily make it environmentally friendly. We decided it was high time to do a little digging and find out the story behind some of the natural and organic fabrics especially when choosing fabrics for your baby.

Organic Cotton: Conventional cotton uses 25 percent of the world's insecticides and 10 percent of the world's pesticides (more than $2.6 billion worth). Organic cotton eliminates the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizer, defoliants and other toxins. Instead they depend on natural processes to increase yields and disease resistance, partly through enhancing soil quality. Organic production is also the only internationally recognised, independently assessed certification or label for cotton production - OTA

Hemp is an extremely fast growing crop, producing more fiber yield per acre than any other source. Hemp can produce 250% more fiber than cotton using the same amount of land. The amount of land needed for obtaining equal yields of fiber place hemp at an advantage over other fibers. The plant itself is easy to grow in temperate climates, and requires good soil, fertilizer and water, but no pesticides nor herbicides. Moreover, hemp does not exhaust the soil. Hemp plants shed their leaves all through the growing season, adding rich organic matter to the topsoil and helping it retain moisture. - Hemptraders

Bamboo, at first glance, sounds great: it's a fast-growing plant, not reliant on chemicals, and beautifully drapes the human form. Trouble is, bamboo plantations can displace native forests, and the harvesting and fiber processing are often polluting and unregulated. As with soy, corn, and Tencel (which comes from trees), the processing from plant to fabric is energy and resource intensive - TreeHugger

Camping with Your Baby

So getting outdoors used to be one your favorite pass times. But now shouldering your backpack has been replaced by shouldering your baby carrier. Never fear! Getting back outdoors and introducing your baby to it is not as complicated as you might think. You might not be the minimalist packer that you once were, but just add a few things to your packing list and you'll be back outside.

To read our full article with packing list, visit Trailpeak

Perfect Blanket for a Perfect Summer

Those blissful summer days are here, great weather for spending time with your family at the park, the beach or on a picnic and I recently got to use a blanket that is a must-have for those memory-making moments.

With some friends and their kids at a park one of the gals had this great big blanket with cushiony fleece on one side and waterproof fabric on the other. A bit of cushioning to keep bums and knees happy, but without the worry of dampness seeping through the blanket.

This great "SpillProof Blanket" is made by Milk Factory, a local Vancouver company. Check it out and enjoy wonderful summer adventures with your family and friends!

Organic Cotton for your Baby?

So why is organic cotton a better choice for your baby products?

Q: What is organic cotton?
A: Growing organic cotton reduces the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. To be considered organic, fabrics must be certified to ensure that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. The benefits to babies, is the softness and quality that only organic cotton can provides.

Q: Difference from non-organic cotton?
A: The cotton that is grown in conventional ways is compromised and weakened by the chemicals used in growing, processing and dying of the cotton, all these things break the fiber down and create a weaker, inferior cotton garment, that is why you get a softer, stronger, better cotton using organic.

Statistics:

• Regular cotton uses approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides
• Approximately 10% of all pesticides sold for use in U. S. agriculture were applied to cotton
• Eighty-four million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on the 14.4 million acres of conventional cotton grown in the U.S. in 2000 (5.85 pounds/ acre)
• Over 2.03 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were applied to conventional cotton the same year (142 pounds/acre)
• The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 in the United States as “possible,” “likely,” “probable,” or “known” human carcinogens
• It takes roughly one-third of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt.

How Can a Sleep Consultant Help You?

I had the opportunity to talk with Helen Sands, a sleep consultant based in Vancouver BC with over 29 years of experience assisting families internationally.

Read below to find her answers about sleep consulting and how you may benefit from talking with a sleep consultant

What is a sleep consultant?
Many families are in crisis, unsure if they can go another day without adequate sleep! An experienced consultant can provide sleep education for families whose child or baby is experiencing sleep issues. Many parents are often completely exhausted by the time they contact me! I take a very hands on approach, finding out as much information about their family as possible and then designing and preparing a sleep plan that will suit their individual needs and work for them.

What does a sleep consultant do?

• Meets with parents and gives them the tools to teach their baby or child to go off to sleep on their own.
• Guides parents through night time awakenings and how to ensure baby learns to sleep through the night.
• Guidance and instruction on how to implement healthy naps and ensure baby gets the amount of sleep she needs.
• Guidance on nutrition.
• Gives information on how long and how often a child should be sleeping, in every 24 hour period.
• Provides the tools to teach baby to sleep through the night, in as little as a few days, sometimes immediately! (step by step guide).
• Provides information on how to handle sleep situations when the family travels together as well as how to deal with illness and teething.
• General tips and hints on how to achieve longer, healthier sleep for the child! Achieving quality sleep is not about any one particular thing.
• I provide a step by step “map” to ensure baby achieves maximum quality sleep around the clock!

Can a sleep consultant help with your child’s sleep?

• Here is a list of questions parents should ask themselves in order to assess their situation:
• Does your child resist every time you try to put her down for a nap?
• Does she cry and cry until baby ends up having no nap?
• Do you walk the floor with your baby until she falls asleep?
• Do you use props such as “rocking” to put your baby to sleep?
• Does your baby only return to sleep if you nurse her?
• Do you have to lie down beside your baby/child in order for them to fall asleep?
• Do you resort to driving your baby around in the car or “stroller walking” to assist her in falling asleep?
• Is your baby waking up many times during the night and cannot fall back to sleep without you being there?
• Does your child cling to you constantly and seem inconsolable, at certain times of the day?
  Is your child extremely exhausted by the end of each day?

What ages of children does a sleep consultant work with?
I work with children from newborn to the age of 6 years. While in the newborn phase (0-4months), I can offer guidance on how to shape the child’s sleep, beginning with ensuring baby knows how to sleep for 7-9 hours straight at night, from the age of approximately 10-12 weeks. We can also work on nap training, putting into place the morning nap, followed by the afternoon, by the age of 20 weeks. At 5 months, baby should be sleeping through the night from 7.30pm to 6.30am, with two very lengthy naps each morning and afternoon, followed by a small “kip” at the end of the day to see her through to bedtime.

Some babies will spontaneously sleep through the night from a very early newborn age, but it is not common. I work with babies particularly, to ensure they learn how to sleep adequately from a very early age. The most common age groups I work with are 5 months through to 3 years.

How long does sleep training take?

We can have your baby sleeping through the night within 3-5 nights, and often, less! Nap training varies, but it can sometimes take a little longer. With the parent’s commitment to the plan, great improvements can be made to naps within 2 weeks. Ensuring your baby or child experiences sufficient sleep within every 24 hour period, will be our goal! I work together with the parents to ensure this happens for the family!

How do I find out more about Helen Sands?

Visit: http://www.helensands.com/ Phone: (604) 803 0068 Email: info@helensands.com

Sleep Consultant Extraordinaire!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Helen Sands, an infant sleep consultant, who consults internationally. Her specialty is helping your child get better sleep in as little as two weeks. Judging from her client feedback, she gets fantastic results!

Visit her website and go through her list of questions to see if your baby (and your sanity:) ) could benefit from her expertise. We've added her to our resource page because we feel she is such a wonderful sleep resource!