A Different Look at Your Stuff

June 28, 2010

by Athena Serapio, Itsabelly Baby Planner - San Jose

Today was an amazing accomplishment because I left the mall with no bags.  I visited A Pea in the Pod, stopped by BabyGap, said hello to an old friend, and then I left without reaching for my wallet.  Why is this amazing?  I recently finished watching “The Story of Stuff,” which is an enlightening online video that has been viewed over ten million times since being released in March 2009.  It takes away our blinders and shows the full story on production and consumption of our things.  If you have not seen this intriguing 20 minute video presentation by Annie Leonard, then you must see it now:  www.storyofstuff.org.

She captures our attention with her cartoon, simplistic stick figure drawings, but the social and environmental problems are not at all simple.  We know these problems - global warming, forest destruction, plastics flooding the ocean,  rising health problems, etc. - but we have to put it all together and find out how we are involved as consumers.  This is exactly what Leonard does in the duration of the video.  Critics have described the video as unpatriotic and anti-capitalistic, but is trying to create a safer environment for our future babies anti-anything?

I have to admit that my family of 3 has a lot of stuff.  I am starting to run out of places to put everything I own.  For the past five years, I have been more mindful of what I purchase.  I always ask myself the following questions:

• Is this a green product?  (Make sure you read labels carefully & know what they mean)
• How long can I use this product?
• What are the materials made out of?
• What will happen to it when I do not need this product?

Even with all my attempts to buy green, it is not enough.  According to an interview on May 26, 2010 with Planet Green “Questions for Annie Leonard Part 1: The Problem with Greensumption”, Leonard indicates that green buying is not a solution.  Instead, the collective action to change our production and consumption processes will make a difference.

Do you want to learn more than what is presented in the video?  Just our luck, Leonard decided to write a book with more information, The Story of Stuff book , and it was released in March 2010.

Annie Leonard who is also a Bay Area resident, is the creator and director of The Story of Stuff Project.  She traveled all around the world for twenty years investigating environmental health issues.  Note that many of her quoted statistics are noted in the manuscript, which you can download from the website.

The Dirty Truth

June 8, 2010

By Ashley Harkrader & Melissa Moog

Itsabelly's Diapering Disclaimer:

Itsabelly educates parents on the many options they have when deciding how to care for their precious baby. We specifically have an interest in choosing the non-toxic or green route as this is our specialty. For a few of our baby planners, we've learned about choosing a less toxic approach long after having used disposables so we've honestly experienced both sides. Most of us have even used disposables for traveling because it was convenient. Hearing the information about what our diapers were made of and how many ended up polluting our landfill was totally shocking. In the end, even though we were armed with this information we realized using disposables doesn't make us bad parents. Our own parents used disposables when we were babies but we would never judge them for doing what they thought was best.

When we researched the different diapering options we understood why today's parents might want to make the switch. Heck, making the switch today towards a lighter shade of green diapering is made so easy! You can choose from a hybrid disposable diaper like gDiapers to a green disposable diaper like Seventh Generation carried by your local Whole Foods store - that is if you don't want the hassle of using cloth. Some new families even get creative and take the 50/50 approach (half green disposable diapers and half cloth). With all of the stylish and creative choices available green diapering has almost become as cool as getting a new iPhone!

After doing our research we believe there are truly better options than the traditional disposable diapering brands. Bottom line, is that we do not judge or push information on any parent who isn't interested in this topic. In the end, after reading our information you have to decide what the right path is for you based on your lifestyle, budget and values but most importantly your gut instincts. We hope that this post will inform you about the benefits in choosing a healthier option for baby, avoiding disposables or at least considering how to reduce your consumption and protecting mother earth. Ultimately, as the parent it is your decision that matters most and you have to decide if you're on the spectrum of green what shade you'll be!

The Dirty Truth

Today, June 8th is "No Plastic Day." I wanted to incorporate this into my blog and what better way to do that then discuss diapers. I attended the World's Largest Baby Shower last month in Atlanta. The room was filled with experts including baby industry leaders to small businesses. For the event I was given the pleasure of speaking on behalf of Itsabelly Baby Planners along with my Itsabelly partner, Anna Vandiver. Our topic was disposables vs. eco-friendly diapers. On the trip down I thought "how many people will actually be interested in learning why green diapering is better?" My answer was quickly handed to me as I arrived. I found so many people (moms, dads, aunts, grandparents, etc...) were really interested in hearing what Anna and I had to say. We were asked questions like what is the difference between cloth and disposable, what are they made of and what are my options. If you're interested in going green in your baby's diapering here is some information that may help you answer some of those questions.

Decoding the Disposable:

Please note the following information is based on facts cited from:

Itsabelly's Guide to Going Green with Baby

Real Diaper Association

Ease Into Green

• Disposables are made up of a water proof polyethylene outer layer, an inner layer made from wood pulp and synthetic polyacralate, and a water repellant liner. Most brands have even added perfume and fragrance to the diapers as well.
• It can take up to 200-500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose-if it even does?
• Americans throw away close to 20 billion disposable diapers a year. Enough to stretch to the moon and back 9x.
• Disposables cost $2,000+ a baby's lifetime (multiply that if there is more than one baby).
• It takes 1 cup of crude oil to make the plastic for 1 disposable diaper... eekk that’s a lot of diapers floating in the gulf.
• It takes 286 lbs. of plastic (including the packaging to supply 1 baby in disposables.
• It takes 200-400kg of fluff to supply 1 baby in disposables for a year.
• Disposables create 2.3x as much water waste.
• 3.5x the energy, 8.3x the non-generable raw materials, 90x renewable raw materials, 30x as much land to grow the raw materials, and it is estimated that 75% of the hospitals in the US use disposables.

If you're concerned about being eco-friendly then this information might hit home:

"It takes 3.4 billion gallons of oil and over 250,00 trees annually to manufacture a diaper that ends up in a landfill which we're not even sure biodegrades. It is estimated by scientists that a diaper may take up to a few hundred years to biodegrade but we'll never know because we won't live that long."

The Dirty 3:

Disposables are made up of many things that should not come in contact with vulnerable and delicate baby skin. In most disposable diapers there are three main toxins.

Tributlyin (TBT)

• A toxin pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in animals and humans.
• Also been linked to obesity in humans, as it triggers genes that cause the growth of fat cells.

Sodium Polyacralate

• An absorbent gel used in most disposable diapers.
• Linked to asthma and reduced sperm count in boys.
• The chemical was once used in tampons and became banned in 1985 due to the cause of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome).

Dioxins:

• A chemical by product of the paper bleaching process that uses chlorine gas in the manufacturing of diapers.
• Contains carcinogens- which are a cancer causing chemical.
• Small quantities of dioxins can affect the liver and immune system.
• Banned in most countries but widely used in the US.

A Different Way to Diaper

With so many new diapering choices many parents are taking a closer look at choosing green diapering over disposables. We have an array of choices before us such as eco-friendly diapers (Organic, cotton, jersey, bamboo and hemp) that come in every color of the rainbow, Velcro, snaps, flushable, cloth inserts, chlorine free, and then the re-invented diaper service.

Itsabelly Baby Planners has a few green diapering choices we recommend if you are considering this route.

• Nature Baby Care-Chlorine free and made from Stewardship Council certified wood pulp. They also have a corn based bio plastic. 
• Seventh Generation- Also made of certified wood pulp and also chlorine free ( they are brown for a reason) 
• Bum Genius- Super absorbent microfiber inserts and fasten easy with Velcro sides. 
• gDiapers- Come in cloth and flushable liners. Fashionable colors that are sure to be the talk of the playground, easy Velcro sides and they are biodegradable for composting.

Need a fashionable alternative to the Plastic Bottle?

May 19, 2010

By Amy Kux, Itsabelly San Francisco

Alternative to the Plastic Bottle

Piggy Backing on the 40th Anniversary of Earthday, I thought it was appropriate to present the importance of reusing and eliminating waste by eliminating the usage of plastic bottles.

Here are just a few facts about the harm that plastic bottles have on our planet:

• Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste,
• The Food and Water Watch reports that plastic requires 47 million gallons of oil per year to product,
• Tap water is held to more stringent standards than bottled water.
• 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled
• Plastic bottles take 700 years to begin composting
• Plastics are the most common man-made object sighted at sea. During a 1998 survey, 89% of the trash observed floating in the North Pacific Ocean was plastic
• 24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles
• The United States is ranked number one as a global warming polluter compared to other large nations
• Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the United States
• The state of California spends $72 million a year collecting and burying disposable cups and bags
• In the Pacific Ocean, there is a floating island of plastic trash twice the size of Texas

So what can we do to help “Save our Earth?”

A simple solution is to buy a BPA free stainless steel or plastic reusable bottle.  Lucky for us, this is an increasing market and these products are found everywhere.  One company I am personally fond of is EarthLust (www.earthlust.com).  I love the fact that this company has an array of great designs and different sizes to fit anyone’s taste.  In addition, they donate 1% of their proceeds to causes to support our planet.

Just recently, they have added a baby bottle/ sippy cup to their collection.  To me, this is very exciting as my daughter is now into grabbing everything I have, so being able to have a stylish “Mommy and Me” eco-friendly bottles is the perfect solution.

D

Are Green Diapers Really Affordable?

April 30, 2010

 

By Amy Kux, Itsabelly San Francisco

Are Green Diapers Really Affordable?

As our economy continues to remain slow and people are re-evaluating their expenses and priorities, I felt the need to look into the cost of diapers. What I found is that “Green” can be cheaper, but the initial investment is much higher. Below is a quick cost breakdown of several diaper brands for newborns. Keep in mind that we do change between 12-16 diapers for the first 2 weeks and as the baby becomes older, the frequency of changes drastically decreases.

Here is a quick chart of the costs.

Cost of Newborn Diapers	Cost per change	Cost in one month (assuming 10 diapers/day)
Disposables (Pampers)	$ 0.28	$ 84.00
Disposables (Huggies- Little Snugglers)	$ 0.25	$ 75.00
Green Disposables (7th Generation)	$ 0.25	$ 75.00
Green Disposables (Tushies)	$ 0.30	$ 90.00
Green Biodegradable, Disposables (Nature Babycare)	$ 0.27	$ 81.00
Hybrid (G-Diapers 4 covers, 6 inserts, buying the starter kits only)	$ 0.54	$ 162.00
Prefolds and Covers (36 prefolds, 12 covers)	$ 0.10	$ 30.00
Hi-Tech Cloth Diapers (BumGenius- 36)**	$ 0.56	$ 168.00

Looking at these prices, the pre-fold cloth diapers are the most affordable, but may be inconvenient for most. The hi-tech cloth diapers seem on the expensive side, but it is important to evaluate your long term goals and sizing.

As babies grow, the disposable diapers pack cost the same, but there are fewer diapers in the packs. With the hi-tech cloth diapers, the larger size fits a wider span of sizes (often lasting from 12-18 months onto potty training age). There are even diaper covers that are so adjustable, that one can lose almost the entire diapering stage (keep in mind that these may not work for all babies)

In the end, I found that cloth diapers do pay off. The cost per change averages $0.22 per change for the hi-tech diapers, while the disposables end up costing $0.39/ change (over the span of diaper changing). Yet again, this demonstrates that it pays to be green in the long run.

Coddlelife PP Bottle, One Piece Venting Technology

April 27, 2010

By Czari Anulao

Coddlelife PP Bottle, One Piece Venting Technology



When you hear the word "Coddlelife" what do you think of? When I heard the word "coddle" it stuck in my head. To coddle is to "treat tenderly, nurse or tend indulgently."

Coddlelife's products are bottles and accessories. I was curious. I checked its website. I read about its new technology and what it had to offer. Once I received the bottle and opened the package I stared at it for awhile. A very interesting looking bottle (nipple and venting system). I noticed the textured lip base and the venting system which keeps the air and liquid separated (which helps to reduce colic, spit-up, and ear infections). In the bottle there was a dip stick. I had no clue what it was. After a few seconds the "light bulb" came on. I realized it was the cleaning device. It sure is a plus to have its own cleaning device for the venting system.

Now, it's time to test it out...

Due to the bumps on the base of the nipple it took some time to getting use to. The nipple fit snug in the baby's mouth which no leakage of milk was seen. Yay, no clean up around mouth and mess under baby's chin. Although, four ounces of milk was in the bottle for each feeding time the venting system worked fine. The bottle size is bigger making it easier and comfortable to hold, especially for a grandparent who has arthritis and helps with the feedings. Kudos to Coddlelife from Grandma!

Another praise for Coddlelife's PP bottle is Itsabelly loves that the bottle is polypropylene, non-toxic, BPA, lead, PVC, and phthalates free. Coddlelife "treats its products tenderly."

Greening Your Child's School

April 27, 2010

By Jennifer Lo Prete

With Earth Day just passing we are reminded that the choices we make in our lives can make a positive or negative impact on the environment. Many times we evaluate our family and home life for ways to minimize our footprint on the Earth. Considering the amount of time that most children spend in schools and care centers, perhaps we should also turn our attention to improving the those environments.

At Itsabelly Baby Planners, we understand that change is most sucessful when approached in baby steps. In line with this, we provide two simple, small steps that are easy to achieve and have a positive impact on both the environment and teaching our children the importance of caring for the Earth. You can look forward to future posts with more simple steps to green your child's school.

Two Simple Solutions for  Greener School

Encourage Recycling: Schedule a visit from your community's recycling program to talk to the children about how to recycle. Or better yet - see if you can go there on a field trip. Many recycling and garbage collection services have school presentations that teach the importance of recycling in a fun way for children. Children of all ages can help sort recycling items. An added bonus and cost-saver is that many recycleable items, such as paper towel rolls, newspaper and yogurt cups can be re-purposed into art projects. We found some ideas on the SCRAP (Scraps Creatively Reused And Recycled Art Projects) blog and  Kiwi Magazine.

Use Green Cleaning Products: Strong and toxic chemicals are not needed to achieve a clean school. Cleaning companies are now offering eco-friendly cleaning supplies or your school can make their own (could even be a fun science project for the children!). Sometimes cleaning solutions are not even needed when you can use green cleaning tools, such as a UV sanitizing wand or a steam cleaner.

Find An Ec0-Friendly Child Care Center

The Oregon Environmental Council certifies childcare centers as being "eco-healthy centers" after the center completes a 30-point checklist to "reduce children's exposure to environmental health hazards" (OEC). Visit the OEC website for a checklist and procedure information to help your school achieve certification. Currently 1418 centers are certified. Click here to find one near you.

More Information

• Video on UC Berkeley's Highly-Rated "Green" Child Development Center
• Ec0-Healthy Child Care Initiative
• Gaiam article: Childcare Centers Going Green
• Seattle Times article on Eco Childcare Center
• Edutopia: Design Eco-Friendly Schools
• Eco-Friendly Schools in the UK
• Smart Ways to Make Your School More Eco-Friendly

Itsabelly Baby Planners is the only Green America certified baby planning service. Not only can we help your family go green, we can provide consultations in helping your school or child care facility become more eco-friendly with solutions that fit your budget. With offices in nine cities across the United States and Canada, there is bound to be an Itsabelly Baby Planner near you! Contact Itsabelly Baby Planners today and let us know how we can help you.

Itsabelly's Tips for Making Home Made Baby Food

April 9, 2010

By Nicole Mabry, Itsabelly Atlanta

Tips for Making Homemade Baby Food

Gone are the days when feeding baby had to involve commercially prepared glass jars of goo! Now, more and more parents are preparing their own baby food at home and providing baby with a tastier, fresher, healthier and often less expensive alternative.

Shop:

First, a parent must shop for the foods to feed baby. Be sure to follow your pediatrician’s advice on which foods to introduce first and when. Also, be sure to introduce new foods to baby one at a time to make sure that there are no adverse or allergic reactions. Once you have your pediatrician’s OK, it’s time to shop! To protect baby’s developing system from harmful pesticides or hormones, you may want consider organic produce and meats. In the produce category, be sure to buy organic when choosing a fruit or veggie from the “dirty dozen” and chose either organic or conventional produce from the “tempting twelve.” You can learn more about which foods fall into which category in Itsabelly Baby Planner’s book, Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green with Baby.

Cook:

One of Itsabelly Baby Planners’ favorite new mommy tools, the Beaba Baby Cook can make baby food preparation a snap! With this handy machine, a parent can steam and puree foods for baby with one small appliance.

If parents don’t have a Beaba Baby Cook on hand, then they can steam food in the traditional way. Steaming is often the preferred method of cooking as it helps fruits and veggies to retain the most nutrients.

Once food is cooked, it must be pureed or mashed for young babies. The Beaba will do the trick in this case as will the food processor or blender that you may already have at home.

Some foods also require thinning; water, breastmilk or formula can be used to thin baby food to an edible consistency. Be sure to follow safe freezing practices for milk.

Store:

Since baby’s tummy is tiny – only about the size of his fist, a parent will want to save some food for later. Many homemade baby food makers use ice cube trays to freeze and store food in baby sized portions. Baby Cubes are also a great storage solution. Make sure that any food storage system you choose for baby’s meals are free of BPA, phthalates and PVC.

Think you’ll need additional help in becoming a babyfood gourmet? Call your local Itsabelly Baby Planner for consultation or write us at info@itsa-belly.com.

Solana Swaddle Blanket - 100% Organic Cotton

April 1, 2010

By Czari Anulao

Solana Swaddles are lightweight, 100% organic cotton, and handmade in the USA. These “soft and thin baby swaddle blankets are designed to comfort babies without overheating them.” They come in delightful colors and designs. The blankets are made generously large (45 x 45) to swaddle any baby. It’s great for other uses. The blanket is perfect as a towel after bath time, or a sunshade/ bug screen over strollers and carseats. Solana Swaddles- A multi-purpose blanket that is great all year long.

Ja*Lu, Grow Up Organic, Swaddle Blanket

March 17, 2010

By Czari Anulao

Ja*Lu, Grow Up Organic, Swaddle Blanket

Looking for a functional and stylish swaddle. Ja*Lu manufactures eco-friendly products for baby. The swaddling blankets are free of harsh chemicals and 35 x 35 in size. The borders of the blankets come in colorful solids and patterns. Choose a gift set and the baby accessories come in their signature gift box ready for delivery. It’s a perfect gift for the expecting parent.

Better Baby Bums Earth Friendly Diaper Review (and Giveaway)

March 16, 2010

By Czari Anulao

Bambo Nature and/ or Broody Chick Diapers. I did not know what to expect from the two international earth friendly brands. Honestly, I have not heard of either brands until I received them.

The first thing that caught my eye was Broody Chick’s packaging. The diapers are in a cardboard box unlike Bambo and others in the market that use plastic or compostable bags like Nature BabyCare. It seems everything from the contents to the packaging is eco-friendly. The materials are also listed on the packaging. However, Broody Chick bares biodegradable/ compostable European and U.S. standards of their 3 layer design and NatureWorks trademark “ingeo.” For those who do not know what ingeo is, it is a man-made and nature-based fiber from plants rather than oil.

Bambo Nature Nappies (as they call it in the UK) are 100% biodegradable and Broody Chick’s are 100% compostable. Hmmm...you might ask yourself what is the difference between the two terms.  Biodegradable means it breaks down under anaerobic conditions by naturally occurring microorganisms. Compostable describes a material that can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. In the end it supports plant life, as well. For further details feel free to type “compostable versus biodegradable” into a search engine and see what you come up with.

The difference between the two terms may not be a major factor when purchasing diapers for your little one(s). So, lets talk about the functionality.

The absorbancy of both diapers are great. The diapers are super absorbers and leave the skin dry. This is important especially for the baby’s ultra sensitve skin. In addition, I did not observe any leaking from either of them.

The diaper tabs are dissimilar. Bambo has the elasticity. Unfortunately, Broody Chick does not. I am used to seeing the stretchy tabs. Nevertheless, it’s not a deal breaker.

Overall, both diapers are great! I am leaning towards Broody Chick because its fully compostable. However, both are earth friendly. If you want to know more about them, go to Better Baby Bums.



*READY to give them a try?  Better Baby Bums is offering you 20% OFF your purchase!  Use the code “greenbum” when you check out. You can also get free shipping on orders over $49.99 and a free stainless steel water bottle with orders over $10 while supplies last!