Green Living Tips for Exercise

At VannyBean, we like to toot the horns of the products we carry, as they are eco-cool. However, we want to be adding more on our blog about green living, in general. Indeed, we are retailers who love organic baby clothes and eco-friendly baby products, but we also love improving and exploring ways to treat the planet better in our daily lives. So, on this post, let us explore Green Living tips surrounding how we exercise.

GET OUTSIDE
First and foremost, GET OUTSIDE! A part of natural living and being "green" is getting out in it. Spending time outside will flourish your desire and understanding of the earth's many ecosystems and better enhance your knowledge of your local ecoystems. Look at places to explore on your local "parks & rec" website or visit state DNR (Department of Natural Resources) websites for places of beauty to get outside for solo time or with the babes. If you are with the babes, consider our Dreamer Ditto Manhattan Merge double jogging stroller, or look to buying used if need be. But definitely, GET OUTSIDE!

Yes, we know, we know, right now it's winter and so we must consider snow sports--this is a tough one in our household since we have an infant, but don't brush off the benefits of building snow forts & snow queens. Being in the fresh air, sun and trudging in the deep snow can lift spirits and burn calories at the same time. Otherwise, if you don't have your own equipment, consider renting equipment for a trek on the cross country skis, or if the snowfall calls for it--snowshoeing (our favorite)!

BE PVC FREE

Choose duffel bags or gym bags made from recycled plastic over petroleum-derived virgin polyester (PVC), like our Re-Run Fleurville bags, which are made from recycled plastic bottles. According to The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers & Thomas M. Kostigen, if "1 percent of Americans who participate in outdoor activities each year were to purchase a sports bag made from recycled materials, more than 180,00 pounds of plastic could be diverted from the trash (p.109)." Is your Yoga Mat, PVC free also? Avoid Petroleum-derived plastic mats and go for those made from natural rubber, jute or cotton.

AVOID ALUMINUM

Avoid Aluminum--whether it's a ball bat, or the new bike you will use in the triathlon for whichyou are training. Aluminum is the most energy intensive of all materials manufactured in the U.S. So for ball bats--think of wood or bamboo. For bikes--check out the steel frames, especially those made from recycled steel.

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

Please recycle: Recycle your used bike tires-please. We can make many more products from our recycled bike tires, such as handbags and shoe soles and even more bicycle paths. According to The Green Book, "if one in fourteen American cyclists were to recycle his or her bicycle tires each year, the rubber saved could pave the current route of the Tour De France." Now that is Magnifique!

Valentine's Day Sale

VannyBean celebrates St. Valentine's Day with an eco-friendly bundle of goodness for baby.

eco-friendly baby shoes

eco-friendly diaper bags

modern nursery furniture

designer organic baby clothes

When thinking of gifts for that special mama sporting a bump right now, think of gifting her with sweet organic clothes, or a functional/hip diaper bag.

Check out these sale items and you won't be disappointed.

Also browse the fabulous, amazing deals by designer and eco-conscious Nurseryworks. Their products will grace your nursery with loveliness for this holiday of love.

Organic Baby, Organic

Get Your Green On

Go organic baby, organic! For 2009, greenify yourself and have your little pea pod wearing, well uh. .. a pea pod. Promote your dedication to local, natural, organic foods with a statement of cuteness. Your organic baby could be wearing these soft, organic duds from Green Babies. Made in the USA and manufactured with ultra soft organic cotton and low-impact dyes, your baby will be thank you for the comfort and attention s/he will render. Check it out at http://www.vannybean.com/

Babywearing for the Colicky Baby

Many blogs will feature holiday themes, as ours has already. But this particular post goes out to all of those newborn babies who might be a little colicky and the mamas and papas who are holding them into late hours of the night. In our household we think that one remedy for crying baby and tired mamas is an organic, pouch sling.
Why newborns might cry incessantly is a mystery and has many theories: upset tummy, "some babies are just that way", gassy baby, etc. Reading of other cross-cultural experiences of how people respond to colick, some of the world's peoples have baby hammocks they make for a baby that cradles and rocks. The one comfort in this is to know that it experienced all over the globe.
Experiencing what I did with my own newborn (first born) it is important to remember that
1) every baby is different
2) if you become frustrated, ask for help
3) soothe your baby and do what works for her/him
4) know that this too shall pass

5) if nursing, nurse as much as possible and try to eliminate foods that might be upsetting. For me, this included peanuts, as we later found out our baby had a peanut allergy.

Interviewing other moms and reading other people's experiences, what does seem to help is to cuddle, swaddle and cradle the baby with a soft bounce. For our little girl, this was the only soothing method that worked. We actually had an exercise ball and had to toss the rocking chair aside, as she only wanted to bounce up and down not glide back and forth. She would also wake to the little squeaks of the rocking chair. This baby of ours was highly sensitive! As for the bouncing motion, why does it work? The theory: recreating the movement in the womb. It makes sense when thinking of how babies don't experience the back and forth motion of a rocker, rather the soft bounce of up-and-down, safe inside mama's womb. Indeed, we bounced away and our exercise ball busted from the intense use.
Our other weapon: a pouch sling. It goes along with the wisdom of other societies and what people have done for thousands of years: wear your baby. Our baby slept, nursed and hung out in her pouch sling. And when she would screech and holler, she'd instantly calm down and feel soothed by it. The sling not only became an item of convenience, but of survival. Rattled parental nerves were also smoothed over by the slings comforting abilities. We have several slings--one for water, a fleece sling that stretches and cuddles and a cotton sling for the humid mid-western days.
The beauty of the pouch sling is that it is practical for a child well into the toddler years. Sometimes, I still put my 2 1/2 year old in the sling; bum inside, legs straddled out when she needs to be held like my 9 month old.
As for my nine month old baby, she gets so excited at the sight of the pouch sling. She kicks her legs and is now clapping her hands to know that she can ride along with mama during her daily tasks. Not to mention, I have my hands free to sling around the yogurt and other demanded snacks for my toddler.
Take a look at our selection of pouch slings and if you are experiencing a colicky baby, please share what works for you or what questions you might have.

A new label, with buttery soft organic cotton is here: Eco-Ike. We fell in love with the simple, sweet designs that reminded us of images from a French storybook circa 1920's. The sizes are for babies up to toddlers. You will find these organic cotton duds not only adorable, but also practical. They wear well with a simple pant style such as cute baby jeans, a skirt or even a diaper only day. I know we talked about how soft this organic cotton baby shirt is. . .but really you won't believe it.

Eco-Ike's founder is designer and mom, Faith Moser. Always mindful of the environment, having a baby took it up a notch,making her into a self-proclaimed "earth worry wort." Eco-Ike's mission is to encourage folks to "go green and take better care of the earth." Eco-Ike is doing their part by providing cute designs on organic, fair-trade cotton shirts and using water based inks that stay clear of PVC and phthalates. It's always nice to know that our child is sporting a shirt doesn't contain heavy metals such as lead either. Thanks Eco-Ike--we like these shirts and sweet designs a lot!

Understanding Organic & Fair Trade Certifications

The terms "eco-friendly" and "green" have finally made their way into the mainstream, however these terms are rooted in the concern of environmental quality over the past several decades. They are even finding themselves in reference to children’s clothes and toys. You might find yourself reading “organic baby clothes sold here”, or “designer rugs for baby’s nursery sold here—fair trade”. But, what does this mean and what should the consumer be looking for in terms of green products.

Throughout the past several decades, various certifications and “eco-friendly” seeking organizations have been born in order to add validity and regulation to manufacturers and producers of items that are “organic”, “fair-trade” and “eco-friendly.” Largely this has been a response to the lacking of regulation in the government realm. It was and is important for the consumer to understand and be familiar with various certification agencies. And they simply have responded to those conscious in learning how global manufacturing and trading of goods have revealed harmful practices and substances for both humans and the environment.

For starters, as a consumer, you should also be looking for manufacturers to be a member of the Organic Trade Association whose mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.

When shopping for organic baby clothes, for example, you may want to know that they are for certain “organic.” For example, Sckoon Organics of New York have organic baby clothes as a response to the harmful pesticides and insecticides used in cotton production. And when we think of a baby’s skin being 7 times thinner that adults, we start to listen to why organic is important. But, going a step further, Sckoon Organics align themselves with Demeter International. Demeter (international biodynamic certification board) is one certifying agency that seeks out members. On its website Demeter writes
“Demeter is the brand for products from Biodynamic Agriculture. Only strictly controlled and contractually bound partners are permitted to use the Brand. A comprehensive verification process insures strict compliance with the International Demeter Production and Processing Standards, as well as applicable organic regulations in the various countries; without a gap, through every step, from agricultural production to processing and final product packaging. Yet, the holistic Demeter requirements exceed government mandated regulations. Not only do they exclude the use of synthetic fertilizers and chemical plant protection agents in agricultural crop production, or artificial additives during processing, but also require very specific measures to strengthen the life processes in soil and foodstuffs.”

In addition, members of SKAL international are part of an organization that “independently regulates and certifies international standards for sustainable textile production.” One of the newest lines of organic baby clothes that have been all the rage, Happy Green Bee, are members of this organization.

Finding a designer and label that are part of these memberships better assures you as a customer, that you are buying products that are free of child labor or those which are made with harmful pesticides and insecticides. One may even buy carpets that carry the RugMark label. This little label assures that no child labor was used in the manufacturing of a handmade rug and the consumer is supporting a non-profit “which is the international nonprofit organization devoted to building schools, programs and opportunities that give children back their childhoods by ending child labor in the handmade carpet industry in South Asia.” Such companies as not Neutral carry such rugs. Now people can decorate their baby’s rooms with modern style without compromising the humane conditions of other peoples.

Indeed, being eco-friendly means that we look beyond the product itself and put on our "responsible consumer lens" to more closely consider the manufacturing of the product and its location. When being mindful of buying a product, we want to know what practices were used when growing or harvesting the product materials and who made them.

Consider Sckoon Organics for the Holidays

When the shipment arrived, we ripped open the box to find such soft, adorable organic cotton baby clothes from Sckoon Organics of New York. Their styles stand out as being hip and unique with a fusion of Japanese and Euro designs. Style aside, Sckoon Organics are attractive to VannyBean because they are members of the Organic Trade Association http://www.ota.com/index.html and Demeter International http://demeter.net/ . In addition, they have been featured in such magazines as American Baby, Cookie, Mothering, Earnshaws, Organic Styles and other feature publications.

So we love funky baby clothes, especially when they are fair trade and organic. Sckoon's soft organic clothing is also 100% Fair Trade, as Sckoon products are made in Egypt, India and Japan at fair trade factories.

Simply click on the images to browse these and other fun items from Sckoon--you'll love them. We know we do.