Win This Eco-Plush Lovey

Stuffed animals always make wonderful gifts for little ones. More often than not, it doesn’t even matter what they look like, as long as they’re soft and snuggly, and fit just right under a child’s arm.  And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, a stuffed animal might make the perfect lovey for your little lovey.  But how do choose a safe and healthy alternative from the gazillions of stuffed animals that are stocked on store shelves?

For safety’s sake, look for plush toys that do not have small pieces such as beads for eyes or sequins for decoration that can fall off and end up in a baby’s mouth. And avoid stuffed animals that are filled with beads or beans that a baby could choke on if the toy broke open.

I’ve written before about the in boosting creativity and sparking a child’s imagination. You can find all-natural, organic stuffed animals, from sites such as .  Or browse through one of the many cuddly, green, handmade stuffed animals from that are made from clean, recycled fabric.

Another option is the new line of eco-plush toys from that are handmade from 100% soybean fibers. Aurora’s line includes arctic and endangered animals like polar bears, penguins and pandas, as well as jungle animals such as gorillas, monkeys, elephants and hippos.

The best news about all of these eco-toys?  One lucky winner will win an eco-plush toy from Aurora’s new line …just in time for Valentine’s Day!  Want to win?  Leave me a comment below and tell me about your favorite stuffed animal (yours or your babies)  For an extra entry, hop on over to our and post a picture of your favorite lovey!  One winner will be chosen at random on Monday, Jan 26th at 5pm EST.  Good luck…can’t wait to see those pics!!

The latest on CPSIA

Have been following the hub-bub on the regulations banning lead and phthalates in children’s products and toys?  (Click on the link for background info.)  If so, then you know that while the new law, which will go in to effect on February 10th, was meant to protect children and improve safety regulations in their products, it actually went a little too far and may make it impossible for handmade toy manufacturers and thrift stores to stay in business.
So here’s the latest news on the story.

Last week the clarified their position on the CPSIA law stating in a press release the law won’t affect thrift stores and other resellers of children’s gear.  These small business owners had been worried that they would have to certify that the used products in their inventory were free of lead and phthalates…a procedure that would be cost-prohibitive for more small shops.  From the press release:

The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.

Needless to say, this press releae did not exactly put anyone’s mind at ease…especially if they happen to own a thrift store or children’s resale shop.  It is impossible to tell if an item has lead or phthalates in it just by looking at it. Thrift store owners could make a gues when it comes to lead…bright colored or camo paints are commonly lead based, but not always. Would any store owner really want to risk their livliehood on a guess?

In an interview, CPSC spokeswoman Patty Davis stated, “If you’re selling used children’s products, you’re not required to certify that those products meet the lead limits or the phthalates standards.  What the law does require is that the manufacturers and the importers certify that those products made after Feb. 10 don’t violate the new lead limits.”

I understand that the CPSC is saying they are not targeting thrift store for compliance, but they don’t seem to understand that unless the law is actually reworded, thrift store owners will have no choice than to dump most of their inventory and only accept items made by manufacturers after the regulation went in to place.

And if you think this thrift store business is crazy, check out this article from The Boston Phoenix on the potential for CPSIA to affect libraries.  From the article:

“We are very busy trying to come up with a way to make it not apply to libraries,” said [Emily] Sheketoff [associate executive director of the American Library Association]. But unless she succeeds in lobbying Capitol Hill for an exemption, she believes libraries have two choices under the CPSIA: “Either they take all the children’s books off the shelves,” she says, “or they ban children from the library.”

The bottom line: Congress needs to rework CPSIA, and the need to do it quickly.  If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to contact your representative (or your local newspaper) and let them know you are concerned about CPSIA.

No, I’m not Scrooge.

And I don’t mean to imply that you should take away all of your child’s toys; just all of this battery-powered, light-em-up, electro-beeping toys. Not permanently.  Just for a day.

For the record, yes, my kids have a few electronic gadgets.  So I know how tempting it is to plug them in to something that keeps them safe, quiet, and out of your hair for a few hours.  But I also know that while those toys certainly keep my girls entertained they do not get them engaged (I don’t care how much the manufacturers try to push their educational value.)

So I really try to reserve those toys for occasions when their brains need a rest (when they’re sick, when I’m sick, and road trips.)  And instead of those toys, I make sure my girls have access to toys that keep their brains active and spark their creativity.  Blocks, dolls, figurines, art supplies, puzzles, cars, and trains are some of my girls’ favorites.

Simple is best when it comes to kids toys.  And with the holidays approaching, I was pretty excited to come across a company called Natural Pod that makes simple, creativity-sparking toys, like wooden puzzles and musical instruments, hand-sewn plush dolls, hand-dyes play silks and more.

We gave the Tree Branch Blocks (pictured above) a test drive in our house and so far they have been used for stacking, counting, sorting, and of course, to create a home for forest gnomes.  Their unusual shapes and sizes are a welcome complement to our collection of symmetrical wooden blocks.  And their sturdy construction means that they’ll “stick” around long enough to be passed down again and again.

Natural Toys for Green Kids

by Marni Matyus, Peppermint Natural Baby Boutique

Giving children toys feels good.  Giving them toys that are safe and earth-friendly feels even better.

Natural toys are simple toys without batteries that foster creativity and stimulate imaginative play.  Oftentimes, when toys think for the child, their thoughts jump from one toy to the next.  Natural toys encourage a child to use their imagination for the countless possibilities for that toy.  Simple blocks can become buildings, castles or towers.  An important aspect of encouraging creativity in children is it benefits them well into adulthood.  Creativity inspires and rewards adults in their business and personal lives.  Here’s why natural toys are better for kids and the planet:

Natural Toys Boost Brainpower: Creative play helps children develop and express their personality in their own way (pretending to be an animal), explore their own feelings, and handle their emotions. It also provides a way of scaling down, understanding and dealing with the world.

Natural Toys Benefit Children’s Physical Health:

It’s frustrating and stressful to purchase a toy for a child and later see it on the news being recalled for a safety issue.

• Natural toys do not contain PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride). PVC is a dangerous chemical used in the conventional dyeing process and has been shown to cause kidney failure, developmental delays, and even hearing loss in children.
• Most toys on the market are stuffed with “fluff” that cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems in many babies. Companies like Under the Nile stuff their toys with organic cotton.
• Soft toys made with organic cotton do not contain the dangerous pesticides or fertilizers that can be absorbed by the body through the skin.
• Natural toys are finished with non-toxic paints and finishes like linseed, walnut oils or beeswax.
• HABA toys use Maple and Beech, which are a naturally germ-free material.

Natural Toys Promote a Healthy Environment: According to ImagiPlay, green toys teach kids to think about where things come from and where they’ll go-an early lesson in environmental responsibility and responsible buying.  Natural toy companies produce high-quality products using materials and processes that show respect for the planet. They select factories that are close to their raw materials to avoid the needless expenditure of gas, oil and greenhouse gases.  They do not use use the conventional pesticides in their materials that contaminate ground and surface water, damage surrounding plants, pollute waterways, and affect birds, fish, and other wildlife. They also create less waste as they last longer than plastic toys and ca be recycled when the time comes to retire them.

Peppermint Baby Boutique is a valuable parenting resource that provides a wide variety of organic and natural parenting products including wooden and organic cotton plush toys.  www.peppermint.com.<–>

Fortunately, there ARE still a few toy manufacturers out there producing toys that are worth both your child’s time and your hard-earned dollars.

One of my favorites is The Earth Friends, a collection of nine beautiful dolls that give kids a new friend to love while they learn about respecting nature. The dolls are

made in the USA with natural and recycled materials such as organic cotton, hemp and recycled plastic, making them as safe as they are snuggly. And each Earth Friend also brings along his or her own backpack containing a “Hope Tree Planting Kit” that kids can use to plant and grow a Douglas Fir tree.

So steer clear of the scary toy aisle and keep The Earth Friends (www.theearthfriends.com)in mind for your next gift-giving occasion. Need some money-saving incentive? Readers of The Green Parent get 10% off their order…just enter coupon code “greenparent” at checkout.