GoodyBlog

Bamboo for Baby

It seems like just about everything can be made from bamboo these days. The eco-textile is being used to make furniture, floors, plates, cutting boards, clothes, bedsheets and more! Why? Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world (it can grow up to 3 or 4 feet per day), which makes it a renewable resource, and it doesn’t require pesticides or insecticides to grow. Its soft fibers, which are naturally anti-microbial and hypo-allergenic, form a fabric that's so comfy and durable it's been dubbed the "new cotton". Do you love the sweet bamboo outfit pictured to the right? Then check out the great new product line from Baby Bambu and get your hands on some green bamboo gear today.

Would You Steal Your Baby's Style?

There are a zillion fashion trends I can’t even begin to wrap my head around, but the “adult romper” is the most incomprehensible one yet. We all have our weaknesses for using little kid-stuff (I have more than my fair share of Hello Kitty pens and Winnie the Pooh mugs), but no part of me yearns to sport an outfit best accessorized with a pacifier and bonnet. Sure, it looks comfortable, but so is a jersey dress or a regular tank top and shorts. The write-up on Shopbop calls this romper “retro-cool” but babyhood is a little too retro for me.  What do you think?

Scary Stickers

My kids love stickers—princess characters for my daughter, Pokemon ones for my son. But this is one vending machine I'd certainly refuse to patronize: A Toys R Us in Sacramento is selling lower-back tattoos for 50 cents each—right next to Disney favorites like Hannah Montana and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters. Yes, they're temporary. But somehow giving your 6-year-old daughter a head start on looking sexy (trashy?) just doesn't sit right with me. What do you think?

via daddytypes.com via

Spankin' New Headlines

No child support? No hunting! A new program in Illinois encourages dads to pay up. Chicago Tribune

Why being pregnant makes you want to renovate. New York Times

A new study looks at the long-term health consequences of premature birth. Yahoo! News

Pregnancy discrimination complaints are on the rise. Wall Street Journal

Scary trend: Parents sign their kids up for human “cockfighting.” New York Daily News

How does it feel to be a pregnant man?  Advocate

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Even More Eco-Friendly Bags

I proclaimed my love for Envirosax back in May 2007, and now I have yet another reason to swoon over them: their new Japanese-inspired Mikado line is super-chic (my fave pattern is at right.) Head to their Web site and check out the mind-boggling stats while you’re there—it takes 12 million barrels of oil to make the 380 billion plastic bags Americans use each year!

Take a Whiff: Smelly Pencils

Let's face facts: Kids like things that smell. And they like things that smell yummy even more. Which explains why scratch 'n' sniff stickers, Mr.Sketch smelly markers, and Strawberry Shortcake (remember her sweet scented hair?) were wildly popular in the 80's. Luckily, today's generation of kids has something smelly to call their own. Rainbow Colored Smencils are made from 100% recycled newspaper and each has it's own delicious smell (orange, cherry, bubble gum, peppermint, fruit punch, watermelon, grape, pineapple, root beer, and cinnamon). Take a whiff for yourself at Delight.com.   

Shopping Alert! babyGap Goes Home

Get ready to swoon over even more chic baby gear: babyGap Home is coming soon! According to their Web site, you'll soon be able to buy Gap-brand strollers, car seats, bedding, and more. Look for the line to debut sometime in April in select stores (go here for the list); if there isn't one near you, sign up for an e-mail alert when the goods go online. Sadly, there are no product images yet, but if the collection is as cute as these metallic baby sandals, we're sold.

Spankin' New Headlines

The name game: If you choose a weird one, how will it affect your child’s life?  New York Times

Harry Potter fans, listen up! The 7th and last book will be split into two films because there was so much good stuff to work with. Yahoo! News

A scary fact: One in four teenage girls have at least one STD, according to new CDC data. USA Today

Pets can spread deadly MSRA infection. MSNBC

How children handle their parents’ scandals. ABC News

Is your child studying engineering? There’s a new push in schools to start teaching the subject as early as kindergarten. Wall Street Journal

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Abercrombie & Fitch + Kids' ER = Huh?

Clothing company Abercrombie and Fitch pledged $10 million to help Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, build a new emergency room—a generous gesture that will help kids, but not everyone is 100% thrilled about it. The issue: Should it be called the Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center? Slapping a corporation’s name on hospitals, sports arenas, and more is nothing new (the hospital already has “Nationwide” in front of it, after all), but A & F is notorious for its sexed-up ads aimed at teens—not exactly a great fit for a kid’s ER. (Check out the hilarious mock-up of the ER’s entrance that Consumerist created using images from A & F’s now-defunct, not so tame catalog.) What do you think: Should the hospital keep the money and refuse to use the name? Should they have refused to work with the company in the first place? Or is this not such a big deal?

Fisher-Price Goes Zen

You'd normally associate Fisher-Price with bright, notice-me colors, but their latest line, the Zen Collection, is a new direction for them. The look of their new reclining high chair (at right), infant seat, gliding bassinet, and cradle swing is "designed to create harmony in the home" (something everyone can use!)... think earthy yet modern. Check out the full collection—and find out where to buy the line—here.