Stop over at Eco Women where I recently wrote posts on having a vegetarian Thanksgiving (or hosting a vegetarian for the holiday) and Baby’s First Thanksgiving.
Photo from Flickr by Paige Gabert
Macclaren Stroller Recall November 9, 2009
MSNBC is reporting that Maclaren, a large stroller manufacturer, is recalling many of its strollers including:
- Volo
- Triumph
- Quest Sport
- Quest Mod
- Techno XT
- Techno XLR
- Twin Triumph
- Twin Techno
- Easy Traveller
Maclaren Volo Stroller
The article reports that a side hinged mechanism poses the risk of cutting or amputating a child’s fingers when the stroller is being opened or closed. Maclaren is providing consumers and retailers free repair kits which will cover a joint on the faulty hinge mechanism. Contact Maclaren’s website or call toll-free at (877) 688-2326.
Orbit Baby Toddler Stroller with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Material October 3, 2009
Before my daughter was born a year and a half ago, I poured over information on breast feeding, baby bottles, and diapers. I felt confident in my choices of BPA-free items for feeding and “greener”, chlorine-free disposable diapers over the traditional. I was new to raising a “greener baby” and was unaware of phthalates in plastics, such as in the baby bathtub I chose, or fire retardants in her crib.
My education of greener choices started with observations of my daughter followed by research. Such as the day I was out with my daughter in her stroller and she was chewing on the shoulder straps of her stroller. Like most babies, everything went into her mouth. As I pushed her down the street, I wondered what was in the material.
From that point on, I started noticing other things that I hadn’t considered before. Like the day it started raining and I was about to place a PVC plastic rain cover on my daughter’s stroller. After a lot of research, I found a PVC-free option made by Orbit Baby.
A few months ago, I was given the Orbit Baby Toddler Stroller to try out and review. The first thing that impressed me was the use of Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 material for the micro-fiber upholstery fabrics on all their Orbit seats.
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- Orbit Baby’s Toddler Stroller
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- Toddler Seat fully reclined
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- Orbit Baby’s Toddler Seat
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- Sunshade Extension
Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is an international certification that sets limits for over 100 harmful chemicals, substances, and emissions in textiles. It’s the only valid certification of its kind and tests for compounds ranging from harmful heavy metals like lead and arsenic, to many known allergy-inducing and irritating chemicals. The list includes pesticides, phthalates, dyes, and VOC emissions.
The stroller itself is not PVC-free, however, Orbit Baby responded to my quires about this issue with this statement:
“Since one of Orbit Baby’s main priorities is the safety of the materials your child touches, we are committed to being the first baby gear company to rid our supply chain of PVC, PBDE, and other harmful chemicals.“
“We are not 100% there on our PVC-free goals, but we are further along than other gear companies, and can say that no surfaces of Orbit Baby products in contact with or near your child contain PVC. The remaining traces of PVC on our current products are on small tags and internal cable coverings – the amount of material constitutes a very small fraction of the overall material content of our products, and most of it neither you nor your child would likely come in contact with. That said, since Orbit Green: PVC-Free is an ongoing initiative, our future productions will have reductions in even these small quantities of the material. We are not 100% there on our PVC-free goals, but we believe we are further along than other gear companies“
Other features I really like about the Orbit Toddler Seat and stroller are the seat’s ability to easily turn to all four directions (forward, backwards towards the person pushing the stroller, and to either side) without lifting the seat, the bonnet’s Sunshade Extension that blocks almost 100% of UVA and UVB radiation (which can be used at any point in its range of motion), the reversible cool aero-mesh and warm micro-fiber upholstery pad for easy cleaning, its ability to easily fold when putting it in the trunk of a car and its maneuverability. The Orbit Stroller frame comes with a Cargo Pod bag that hangs under the seat. It easily converts to an on-the-go diaper bag with its attached shoulder strap.
The stroller’s back wheels are a bit wide (24 1/4 inches) so it did take some getting used to. I haven’t found the width to be an issue while strolling through store aisles, though. It also doesn’t have a foot rest, which I thought would be a problem, buy my daughter has improvised by placing her feet against the stroller’s frame while the seat faces me. It should also be noted that the seat back doesn’t go completely flat.
Orbit Baby offers the Orbit Infant System (this stroller was not reviewed) which includes the stroller frame, infant car seat, and base. The Orbit Toddler Seat can be purchased separately to attach to the stroller frame that came with the Orbit Infant System, or can be purchased along with the Orbit Stroller frame. The stroller frame can take a child from infancy to 40 pounds with the two separate seats.
You can order Orbit Baby strollers and products directly through the company. To find a retailer who sells Orbit Baby strollers, click here.
I am not an employee of Orbit Baby. The Orbit Baby Toddler Seat and Stroller Frame mentioned in today’s post were given to me to review by Orbit Baby. I am never paid to review a product by a company and I always give my true feelings about any item mentioned on my blog.
Tylenol recalls some of their children’s medications September 24, 2009
MSNBC is reporting today that Johnson & Johnson has voluntarily recalled over 20 of their Tylenol children’s medications due to bacteria found in one of its inactive ingredients. The products being recalled were made between April and June 2008 and include items such as: Children’s Tylenol Cold MS Suspension 4 oz. Grape, Children’s Tylenol Plus Cough & Runny Nose 4 oz. Cherry, and Infant’s Tylenol Suspension Drop 1 oz. Grape.
Click here to see a complete list of the recalled medications.
The Green Girl’s guide to disposable diapers September 16, 2009
I’m over at Eco Women today talking about “eco” disposable diapers for those who can’t go the cloth route. Go on over and add your own experiences for both choices.
Photo from Flickr by IngaMun
Kinderville’s bowls, cups, and storage jars – I think I’m in love… August 12, 2009
About a month ago, I had had enough of worrying if my 20 month old was going to drop another breakable saucer from her highchair during feeding time. I don’t think she does it on purpose – it’s just her way of saying, “I’m done”, and I haven’t raced over to her chair fast enough to take it from her extended hand.
I started looking into plastic, BPA-free options but was then offered the opportunity to try out Kinderville’s high-grade silicone bowls, cups, and storage jars. The timing couldn’t have been better.
What I love the most about all three products is how they’re so stable on a table. The silicone makes them almost seem like they “hug” the surface they’re sitting on. The bowls are versatile enough to be used as a small plate or shallow bowl and the cups are a perfect size that molds well in small hands. The storage jars have a great seal and I’ve found them to be really handy for both dry and wet snacks. The four basic colors have also helped with a routine, meal-time favorite of “which color would you like?”
All three of Kinderville’s products are:
- BPA-free, Phthalate-free, Lead-free, and bacteria resistant
- Microwaveable, dishwasher safe, and can be used in the freezer
What I also really love about these products is that they’re used throughout the day, everyday, and they’re worthy enough to be passed along to someone else who will appreciate them when I no longer need them.
I am not an employee of Kinderville. The products mentioned in today’s post were given to me by Kinderville to try out and review.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Great parent web sources July 10, 2009
Head on over to Eco Women today where I’ve written about some great sites for parents.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Product Review – The Safe Sippy 2 July 7, 2009
Discount code below!
Like most mothers, I’ve been through quite a few sippy cups. My daughter has tried BPA-free plastic ones, the stainless steel Klean Kanteen (which has always been a favorite), and recently, the Thermos Foogo Stainless Steel Straw Bottle. I chose the Foogo because I wanted a stainless option where my daughter didn’t need to tilt her head back to drink. I’ve always felt that’s a bit of a safety issue when a child is walking. I really like the Foogo, and so does my daughter, but the problem with it is that she always wants to press the button to release the top and although it says it can be used at 18 months, she’s just not strong enough to do it herself.
Well, I wish I had waited about 2 weeks because now there’s an old sippy available with a new twist – the Safe Sippy 2.
The Safe Sippy 2
The Safe Sippy 2 is the Safe Sippy original, but with the added option of a straw so it doesn’t need to be tilted to drink from. The Safe Sippy:
- is made of non-leaching stainless steel.
- has an 11 ounce capacity.
- has an easy grip insulating sleeve.
- has removable handles.
- is BPA, PVC, and phthalate free.
- has a no-spill valve.
- has a cover dome for the spout when you’re traveling, along with a travel plug to put directly on the spout so you won’t have an accidental leak.
- is dishwasher safe.
What I really love about this sippy, besides the list mentioned above, is that it fits in a typically sized travel mug compartment, the spout is slightly angled, and your fingers can easily fit into most of the mouth piece to clean it, although I do recommend using a pipe cleaner for the spout and straw. I’ve been using ones made by Dr. Brown.
I purchased this sippy cup through The Soft Landing, which is a favorite site and blog of mine for up-to-date, reliable information on many BPA, PVC and phthalate-free feeding supplies for children and babies. The Safe Sippy 2 can also be purchased at other US online sites and retailers and Canadian sites and retailers.
If you have the original Safe Sippy and want to purchase the straw and valve attachment, The Soft Landing will have them in stock 6 – 8 weeks from now.
The Safe Landing is offering readers 15% off any order through July 15, 2009 with no minimum purchase. Just enter “beinggreener15″ at checkout.
I am not an employee of The Soft Landing or Kid Basix, the company that makes the Safe Sippy. The product mentioned in today’s post was purchased for my own personal use.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
Safety first the eco way June 25, 2009
I don’t have stairs in my apartment so I haven’t needed to purchase a safety gate for my daughter. If I did though, this one seems to fit the bill environmentally.
Nature Text Bamboo Gate
The Nature Text Bamboo Gate is made from bamboo and 100% recycled materials. It can be used in doorways and openings anywhere from 28 – 42 inches wide and is 24 inches tall. The Nature Text Bamboo Gate can be purchased at Amazon and directly through Safety First Shop.
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Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
You’re kidding, Coca-Cola, right?! June 12, 2009
Go on over to Eco Women today where I’ve written about how Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, Del Monte, and other manufacturers of canned foods and drinks, met to come up with a public relations and lobbying strategy to stop the government from banning the use of Bisphenol-A, or BPA, from being used in the linings of metal lids and cans.
You really need to see what they came up with and what you can do about it.
Copyright © 2008. Trying To Be Greener. All rights reserved.
