Since early December, the poorly written Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all products subject to CPSC standards or bans, ignited tremendous panic among handmade toymakers, crafters and toyshops, even trickling down to libraries and consignment shops. It’s been terrifying to realize how we would all be affected by the inability for small businesses to afford to test their products, rendering many toys and products for kids illegal based on this law.

However, the support and pavement-pounding protesting for making changes to the bill has also been overwhelming! Yesterday, it was announced that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has granted a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger. The vote by the CPSC provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements, which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for lead content limits, phthalates limits for certain products, and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

The decision by the CPSC gives the staff more time to finalize four proposed rules which could relieve certain materials and products from lead testing and to issue more guidance on when testing is required and how it is to be conducted. The stay will remain in effect until February 10, 2010, at which time a CPSC vote will be taken to terminate the stay.

Needless to say, many people are breathing a huge, albiet temporary, sigh of relief! The fight is not over to make this bill adequate for every business, large or small. You can still do your part, including joining this 15,000+ person Facebook group to Help Save Handmade Toys, or going directly to the Handmade Toy Alliance website! My initial post about this issue also highlights petitions to sign and people to write to. Let’s keep up the good fight!

If there’s one form of papermaking I truly adore, it’s letterpress. Letterpress is the art of creating a template, adding ink, and delicately pressing the form onto a card the old fashioned way. Of course, it’s a lot more complicated, but the idea of handmade cardmaking makes me a little giddy.

sweetbeets is one of my favorite letterpress card artistes, capturing not only the beauty of letterpress as an art, but the wonders of childhood with simple yet stunning images. All Sweetbeets cards are printed on chlorine-free, 100% post consumer recycled paper stock, on a vintage printing press. Envelopes are 30% recycled brown kraft. And the cards are one in a million, just like your kids…

This “tea party with bunny” card speaks to my childhood. I may have had a Cabbage Patch Kid instead of a bunny sitting across from me, but tea parties were a big part of my imaginary playtime. This is a card for a special little girl who pours tea over and over again, to anyone who will sit and stay awhile. Retro yet modern, sweet and simple, this card should be framed for years of reminiscing of fond memories of cupcakes, friendship, and quiet time.

Since Valentine’s Day is coming soon, I thought I’d take this week to blend my paper obsession with new favorite eco-friendly cards for kids and adults. Let’s start with a trip down memory lane…

modernemotive is a brand spanking new design and “social stationery” company out of hip Toronto. Totally awesome and eco-friendly, modernemotive’s cards and envelopes are printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper, and are either 30% or 100% post-consumer recycled. The cards are protected in biodegradable, plant-based clear bags, and shipped in eco-packaging as well.

Adele, the brains behind modernemotive, has channeled your youth to the letter. This personalized “Love Doodles” card is just too perfect for words. It reminds me of junior high and beyond, when being bored in class plus endless boy drama equalled many hours of notebook doodles. Pretend you’re in puppy love all over again! Perfect for your high school sweetheart or your adorable kids, the card even has doodle hearts and a stray ink spot.  Simply leave the names you’d like to use in the “comments to seller” section, and modernemotive will take care of the rest. Order now, V-Day is coming up fast! This card will have a quick turnaround time, but always best to order early.

I have a feeling modernemotive will be coming out with a lot more green paper goodies in the months to come, so check back at their shop often!

Where were you during the Inauguration of Barack Obama? This is a day not to be forgotten, and to share with our kids for years to come. Whether you voted for Obama or someone else, the catchphrase “Yes We Can” has been embedded in our minds this election season. Nina and Tom wants to help celebrate this day with their wonderfully simple, unbiased and organic “Yes We Can” t-shirt, available in every size from kids through adults. Written in purple ink, to remind ourselves that in the end, the states we live in are neither red nor blue.

Hope everyone has an inspiring day!

It’s finally here! Over a year ago, I signed up to host TreeHugger’s Carnival of the Green, and I’m thrilled to finally feature it here. For me, Carnival of the Green brings to light so many blogs I may have never found in the big sea of green writing. I hope you find some new favorite sites this week! For more information about hosting or submitting a post to Carnival of the Green, just click through the link. Last week’s Carnival was hosted by The Tao of Change, who did an amazing job highlighting all the eco-news of the week.  

So without further ado (and in no particular order) are a wide variety of eco-tastic articles covering kids, cooking, products, travel, saving money, recycling, redecorating, and just re-doing for the New Year. Enjoy!

Have you made your New Year’s resolution yet? Get some great green ideas and inspiration for 2009 with this resolution round-up from Janelle at Healthy Child Healthy World’s Watch this week. Include your kids, and you’ll be sure to have a wonderfully green new year.

Speaking of kids, City Living Girl offers a wonderful way to decorate your child’s room with artist Annie Lawrason. Keeping an environmentally conscious, animal theme in mind, a portion of all Lawrason’s artwork proceeds go to charity. CLG also wants moms and any make-up wearing woman out there to “Be Gorgeous and Green” when it comes to cosmetics. Here, she reviews the all-natural mineral make-up of Bare Escentuals.

In this economy, who doesn’t need coupons to help with groceries, especially if you lean towards organic products. Kathy Hester (aka GeekyPoet) offers a comprehensive guide to finding coupons for organic food and green products.

BPA free containers are one of the most important new products on the market. If you’re a sports and outdoor enthusiast, you now have better hydration carrying options than bulky, stainless steel containers. Tiffany with Green and Natural Parenting reviews the new Intak water bottle by Thermos, one she thinks will quickly make its way into your backpack!

Keeping with the food theme, Russ at Simple Homebrew Beer wants to help you save money from store bought beer. Forget buying beer, make your own!

Many manufacturers of processed foods are touting their plastic containers as the environmentally-friendly choice because of their lighter shipping weight.  But plastic and glass are not the only choices.  In many cases, we can skip the packaging altogether and make our own!  Here’s a very simple, easy recipe for homemade mayonnaise from Beth at Fake Plastic Fish, one woman’s successful crusade to become totally plastic-free.

Here’s a worldly, thought-provoking post. Charlie Good’s lodge in the Andes is a fantastic birding destination. Charlie has written a short piece about how the indigenous Andean people around his lodge are in danger of losing their land.  It’s a fascinating story of an ancient culture on the brink of dissolution.  Read it on Veggie Revolution this week.

If you’ve never visited the site 10,000 Birds, now’s your chance! This month, posts are exclusively highlighting saving endangered parrots around the world. This week, Charlie Moores describes the remarkable conservation activities and organizations involved in saving a tragically endangered Caribbean parrot, the Puerto Rican Parrot, with vivid photos and amazing facts.

The Queen is going green! Naomi from Diary From England writes about Queen Elizabeth’s plans to convert her two state Bentleys to run on biofuel. Apparently, Prince Charles has already begun the trend, by converting some of his luxury vehicles to run on 100% bioethanol fuel from surplus wine.

Gas prices are down (phew!) and hybrid cars are still making a push for reducing carbon tire tracks. Jacques with The Smarter Wallet discusses the continuing trend in hybrid vehicles, and offers his ideas on why we should still think green when it comes to driving!

Meg from How to Make a Difference reminds you to shop locally and think globally! Buying goods from within your community brings support not only to your neighborhood, but affects everything from travel waste, quality of goods, keeps people employed locally and more. It pays to buy from those whom you live near.

News About Green Living brings you an assortment of eco-articles that span your home to your health. This week, they present Part II of The Eco-Friendly Home, focusing on how flooring, carpet, mattresses and furniture can help create a healthy, green sanctuary you can call home. Mind Mart also offers an article specifically discussing green flooring options. If you don’t know cork from bamboo, here’s a good place to start.

If you’ve been wondering about your green habits these days, Betsy over at Money Changes Things is not afraid to talk about the tough stuff. She discusses our trends of over-consumption, societal stupidity and her own “eco-epiphanies” that have led her to live a better quality of life. Are you getting by with less these days?

The holidays are over - how can you clean house in an eco-fashion with, well, everything left over? Mrs. Green from My Zero Waste shows you how to completely recycle your Christmas - everything from the tree to wrapping paper, gift boxes and cards. You’ll be sure to have your home cleaned out by next winter!

Continuing with the recycling/repurposing posts, Leila over at everydaytrash highlights musical recycling projects from the Clean and Humble recording studio in Brooklyn. Owner Flex Unger is hard at work deconstructing an old electric organ into a portable drum machine, a stylish amplifier and a mini organ. Who knew musical trash could be so productive?

And, speaking of the holidays, how many of your kids have had more fun with the boxes their gifts have come in, rather than the toys themselves? The Digerati Life takes a look at creative alternatives to playtime, to help kids take charge of their imaginations.

Morgan Hill Review, one man’s blog about a Southern California neighborhood, offers a thorough take on cloth versus disposable diapers. This is always a hotly debated topic, and worth taking a look at again and again. My kids are both out of diapers, but I’m always reading and hearing varied opinions about a necessity for parents.

Looking for ways to save money? Don’t forget that reducing, rather than replacing, what you use is not only economical but environmentally savvy as well. Savings Toolbox offers ways to “Reduce What You Waste To Save Some Cash,” a must read during these tough economic times!

Green Thinking Blog gets your mind turning over two topics this week. First, news that the San Francisco International Airport is planning to install new kiosks where travelers can purchase carbon offsets for their flights sets off some exciting, low-cost options for greenies. On a completely different note, the Big Belly trash receptacle is making waves with its solar powered compactor. By crushing the trash, more garbage can be collected in less bags.

Finally, Praveen from Tao of Simplicity shares exciting news about Japan Airlines. They have announced plans to test a 747 flight with one of its four engines composed of a mix of regular fuel with a non-edible biofuel. What amazing progress biofuel can make this year!

Thanks for letting me share all of these informative and inspiring posts with you! Next week’s Carnival will be hosted by SustainaBee, so don’t forget to check it out!

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I heard lovely stories about my husband when he was a baby. Specifically, my in-laws related how his colic could not be soothed for SEVEN MONTHS. Seven months, people. This luckiest of numbers brought my in-laws no sleep, too much worry, and many failed attempts of soothing, swaddling, shushing and whatever “s” word doctors tell you to do these days.

Let me tell you - this burned a nightmare into my brain. I was terrified that my child would have colic, a constant fussiness, inconsolable crying, distended belly, sleeplessness, and overall upset baby. It can be caused by an underdeveloped digestive system, the extra air being taken in by crying, allergies, anything that can set a child off. The worst part is not knowing the source of the pain, but that will never stop parents from helping their littlest ones.

I didn’t want to give my daughter Mylicon, a synthetic gas reliever that contains artificial coloring, maltitol (a sugar alcohol used as a sugar substitute) and the additive sodium benzoate, among other not-so-natural ingredients. I had heard about miracle cure (sort of) called Gripe Water, but couldn’t find it anywhere. When I did, I ordered in bulk. And, to my (and my daughter’s belly’s) relief, Gripe Water worked. Now called Baby’s Bliss Gripe Water, this is the first all-natural supplement for occasional gas and discomfort, as well as teething and hiccups. Gripe Water is made with organic fennel and ginger, two herbs known for their digestive calming properties. We placed a couple of drops into a bottle, and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Gripe Water is thankfully available everywhere now!

Another new product that can help with colic is Colic Calm, an FDA-approved, 100% natural and homeopathic remedy that also works with gas and reflux babies. Made from a blend of chamomile, fennel, caraway, peppermint, ginger, aloe, lemon balm, blackthorn and vegetable charcoal, as well as glycerin and purified water, Colic Calm goes the distance to help your baby enjoy life without gas. I would definitely check the ingredients before giving your child anything medicinal, but from personal experience as well as recommendations, these are sanity-saving products!

Ah, the memories (and drama) of setting up the nursery. Some people call it “nesting,” a way to show creativity in the first space a child will call their own. So, of course you want to make it as safe as possible! If I had known about these paints when I was pregnant with my first daughter, I would have used it for the entire house. That paint smell that never seems to go away? Those are mainly VOCs - Volatile Organic Compounds - that not only contributes to poor indoor air quality, but depletes the ozone layer as well. Here are some innovative, safe, non-invasive paints with a stunning color palette to help your prep your baby’s room. Be sure to check about application, if it needs a primer, or anything else paint-related before you buy. Like many things green, these paints don’t come cheap, and you want to make sure it’s done right the first time!

Milk Paint - Yes, it sounds kind of, um, gross, and yes, I too have envisioned the paint smelling like a dairy product. However, The Genuine, Old-Fashioned, Home Made Milk Paint company has recreated an old-fashioned milk paint formula that is safe, durable and anything but milky. Milk paint is made from milk protein (also known as casein) and lime, (also known as calcium), plus the earth or mineral pigments. This is as natural as it gets, folks. There are no acrylics, acetates or formaldehydes in the paint to make your project unsafe. Their new Safe Paint for Walls is organic, non-toxic, zero VOC (volatile organic compounds), biodegradable, non-flammable, fast drying, comes in 20 colors and comes in powder form to mix at home.

little YOLO - The children’s line from eco-paint innovator YOLO Colorhouse features six gender-neutral colors that will brighten any infant’s room. Called the “Sprout” line of paints, YOLO contain zero VOCs, and are washable. The paints are also certified by Green Seal, a non-profit organization focusing on environmentally responsible products.

Green Planet Paints - One of the newest “high-performance, interior” eco-paints on the scene, Green Planet Paints has a colorful palette to go from your nursery to any room in your home. The paints come in eggshell, flat or semigloss, all created with mineral pigments and no VOCs. If you’re building a LEED certified home, using Green Planet Paints can earn you up to four (4) LEED points. You may have to just repaint your whole house!

It’s the first week of 2009, and already two friends have had babies, and five more have announced they’re expecting this year. It’s definitely the year of the baby for a lot of people! I thought I’d kick off the new year with a week of newborn/infant write-ups to make any parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or whomever ready for their eco-kid’s arrival.

Can you count how many blankets you’ve either given or received for children? I had everything from handknit throws to cotton swaddlers to a blanket that screamed flammable, sent to me after my kids were born. For a truly luxurious (and thankfully, natural) blanket, these SHI SHU BABY blankets will fit right in. The mom behind SHI SHU found out the hard way how unnatural products can react with skin, when her son broke out in a rash from a microfiber blanket. SHI SHU blankets are handwoven, and made with a 60%/40% natural cotton to bamboo blend with bamboo sateen trim. Bamboo is an amazing fiber - it’s antibacterial, breathable, washable and long lasting. The fibers are not chemically treated, and will wow anyone who receives one!

This blanket would be an ultimate for me, something my kids would snuggle in for years to come. And luckily, they come in adult sizes! This week, I’m celebrating the wonder of babyhood by giving away one super-gorgeous, large SHI SHU BABY blanket in the color of your choice! Just leave a comment at this post with your favorite color. The giveaway will be open until next Sunday night, January 11th at midnight, PST.

Winner will be chosen at random. Open to US residents only. Retail value is $88.

This contest is now closed! Thanks to everyone for entering!

Happy New Year! It’s been a very busy holiday season for us, culminating in a move to our new home in Fort Lauderdale. One thing I absolutely love about living here is the ability to walk to around a quiet neighborhood rich in history. We also take advantage of not having to use our cars to get to restaurants, the post office, even the library (if we’re feeling a little adventurous).

Downtown Fort Lauderdale is rich in culture and activities for children as well! If you live nearby, or a planning a trip down here, don’t forget to visit the Museum of Discovery and Science and 3D IMAX theater. Right now, they’re featuring “The Climate Change Show,” a multi-media exhibit that explores the effects of global warming through special effects, weather recreations and talking sheep (it is a show, after all). For little ones, the permanent playroom includes bubble making, climbing through a make-believe rain forest, and other hands on/nature related activities. Of course, there are also huge fish tanks, turtles ponds and baby alligator tanks to delight everyone.

This weekend (starting Friday, January 2nd through Sunday, January 4th) marks the 21st annual Las Olas Art Fair, one of my favorite in this area. The streets are jam-packed with craftsman and artists featuring everything from sculpture to photography, jewelry, home goods, clothing, and whimsical things you have no need for but are fun and pretty anyway. There are also great handmade toys and stuff for kids - I’ve been known to pick up some wooden cars or funky mobiles for people. Since I’ve missed the fair the past couple of years, I’ll be sure to be on the lookout for recycled or upcycled crafts to buy report on!