Feature Articles: The Green Scene

Cheer up Kermit! When it comes to products for babies and children, it’s easier than ever to be “green”. Today’s companies are paying close attention to safety concerns and parental demands, and are producing a wide variety of environmentally-conscious products. As we get ready to celebrate Earth Day this month, The Giggle Guide® is featuring brands that make going green a walk in the park. Happy Heinys, BabyGanics, Cotton Monkey, Sofi & Liv, and Mary Meyer are fantastic companies whose products are designed to be kind to both babies and the environment.

With the family movie “Tooth Fairy” opening this week, we’re pleased to present a Green Scene gleam on the best natural toothpastes for kids. Mainstream toothpastes are often chock full of artificial ingredients and flavors, and knowledgeable parents are searching for healthier alternatives. It’s only natural to turn to toothpastes by Tom’s of Maine, Burt’s Bees, and Weleda. These winning products are made with safe, flavorful ingredients found in nature, so they promote healthy teeth and smiles without exposing children to artificial additives. The Tooth Fairy is surely waving her wand in approval!

Julie Barger isn’t your run of-the-mill mama; she’s a creative mastermind! As the stay-at-home mother of two little girls, she spent her days in search of ways to let her creative mind thrive, while tackling day-to-day parenting tasks. Knowing how competitive schoolyard fashion can be, Barger sought fresh and exciting ideas to keep her girls ahead of the trends without breaking the bank. She began by applying recycled and vintage materials to her girls’ jeans for a truly cutting-edge look. Her creations were soon the envy of the schoolyard, which encouraged her to take the next step.

The fabric of the children’s industry is changing. Production quantities are being influenced by cautious pre-season orders and demands for more immediate buys. Consumers are also becoming more educated about the sensitivity of newborns’ skin and the benefits of organic clothing. Combine this with advancements to incorporate a wider range of colors and fashionable styling into organics, and you have a recipe for success.

Did you know there is an estimated 5-6 billion pounds of pre-consumer cotton remnants being thrown into our landfills every year? Fortunately, as a nation, we are becoming more and more environmentally aware. Today we recycle our bottles and cans, plastic containers and cardboard — but isn’t there more we can do? Is it possible to recycle or re-use fashion? Yes there is, and yes you can! Here are some children’s wear companies that are making this change for the better, through passion and innovation.

Consumers today are becoming increasingly interested in products that are environmentally safe and socially responsible. Of course, when young children are also involved, these concerns become especially heightened. New parents generally feel responsible for everything their children touch or ingest. As such, the importance of green certification for children’s products is on the rise. Obtaining certification allows companies to advertise their products as environmentally safe, and tells consumers that the companies care about the planet and their customers’ well-being. In this installment of The Green Scene, we’ll take a look behind the red tape of green certification and provide information on several reliable organic certification programs.

There is nothing more delicate than a baby’s skin. Unfortunately, many commercial bath and body products marketed as “hypoallergenic” can still cause irritation and rashes. Today’s parents are also concerned about possibly harmful ingredients that are often present in non-organic bath and body products. The Giggle Guide™ takes these concerns into consideration and spotlights some wonderful baby products, made with organic and all-natural ingredients, from Nature’s Baby Organics, Kiss My Face, Earth Mama Angel Baby and Giggle Baby Organic Skin Care.

Looking into the trusting eyes of a baby, it’s hard to imagine anything more pure. Parents today are looking for the best, most wholesome products for their precious new addition, and that includes toys! With more and more mainstream toys being recalled for toxic paints or harmful components, many parents are turning to the basics to keep their children safe and happy. What better way do parents have to protect and stimulate their children than to consider the tactile delight of pure, organically inspired plush toys? The Giggle Guide® looks at four companies that meet these needs: Apple Park, miYim. Sigikid, and Simply Fido.

The air inside our homes and schools can be more toxic than the air outside! Why? Because the very materials and products we use to furnish and maintain our indoor environments can release hundreds of pollutants such as formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ozone and even biological allergens.

The GREENGUARD Certified Mark on products, ranging from mattresses to fllooring, drywall to paint, offers peace of mind to parents seeking solutions to poor indoor air quality and chemical sensitivities. GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), considered one of the world’s foremost resources on indoor air quality, will be at The ABC Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, September 13-16, Booth 2135, in the Naturally Kids Pavilion.

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