Reclaim that borrowed sippy in style!

We are excited to offer the option of getting mini and oblong peronalized labels for your child’s bottles and sippy cups!

Created by Cherry Hill Designs, these labels are made of a thick, waterproof vinyl and really do hold up in the dishwasher!

There are multiple things these could be used for: bottles, sippy cups, lunch boxes, pool and beach toys, swim googles, shoes, sports equipment, cell phones, cameras, CD’s, DVD’s, musical instruments, camping gear, laptops.

There are four designs and colors for both boys and girls.  The rectangle labels come in sheets of 20.  Fonts and colors as shown.

 

 

These oval ones are MINI and are sold in sheets of 60 with the same font and colors as shown below.   I’ve enlarged them so you can see how cute they really are!

They will come shipped to you straight from the printer, so if you’ve placed an order for other things besides the labels, expect to receive two packages.

Glass is back!

Our mother’s had it right!  With BPA in the news, glass bottles are in high demand and becoming incredibly difficult to find.  We are excited to have 8 ounce and 4 ounce three packs and single glass bottles from NurturePure.  They are non-toxic and free from chemicals such as Bisphenol A, pthalates and dangerous plastics such as Polycarbonate and PVC. All bottles come with food-grade silicone nipples that are latex-free, allergen-free and free of nitrosamines.  We also have stocked Stages One, Two and Three silicone nipples that control the flow rate of liquid to baby.  Get them now as we don’t know how long they’ll last!

8 ounce and 4 ounce 3 packs

 

8 ounce and 4 ounce single glass bottles 

 

The above photos were provided by our supplier, however, the bottles we actually have come with a clear cover, which I think I like better.  I also like that the bottle top is clear and it overlaps the top of the bottle for a unique look and also an easier way to twist it off.  

  

The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition

CHEC’s HealtheHouse is The Resource For Environmental Health Risks Affecting Your Children.  They’ve put together a brief summary of why Bisphenol-A, or BPA, should be avoided and in just these few words explain why we at BPAFreeKids.com are doing what we’re doing.

Bisphenol-A is the building block of polycarbonate plastic, a hard plastic used to make numerous consumer products, including most baby bottles and 5-gallon water bottles. Bisphenol-A is also used in epoxy resins, in the plastic lining of some food cans, in some dental sealants, and as an additive in other consumer products.

The chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is ranked as Orange for Warning. We recommend that you avoid exposure.

They go on to say:

Immediate Health Effects

If SWALLOWED, bisphenol-A (BPA) is Very Highly Toxic.
If ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN, bisphenol-A (BPA) is Very Highly Toxic.
If INHALED (SNIFFED OR BREATHED IN), bisphenol-A (BPA) is Highly Toxic.

Longterm or Delayed Health Effects

This chemical It is considered a Unclassifiable Carcinogen by the World Health Organization, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or another agency.
Suspected Endocrine Disruptor = May interfere with, mimic or block hormones

And then:

Other

Damage to male reproductive organs in test animals: Male laboratory animals exposed to low levels of bisphenol-A in the womb had enlarged prostate weight as adults, shrunken epididymides (sperm-carrying ducts), and reduced sperm counts.

Early puberty and 20% increase in body weight in female laboratory mice exposed to bisphenol-A in the womb, and increased body weight in mice of both genders exposed as embryos. In mice, exposure to low levels of bisphenol-A has also induced aneuploidy, an error in cell division that causes miscarriages and birth defects, including Down Syndrome, in humans.

 For more information, please visit HealtheHouse or CHEC’s homepage.

The perfect bowl for those independent eaters!

The Catch Bowl by Boon
A Toddler Bowl with Spill Catcher 

My youngest son will be a year old next week and he is very interested in eating table food.  He reaches for the food on his own and often gets upset if he can’t put it into his own mouth.  The Catch Bowl is the perfect dinnerware for him.  With a suction cup on the bottom the bowl doesn’t move from the first position I put it in.  That means no upside down bowls tossed on the floor!  The soft, flexible matching “Catcher” is there to help prevent food from falling from baby’s mouth and getting stuck and squished between tray and belly, and easily bends when bumped by your child. 

The baby above is still a little young to use a fork yet, but the one buried in his pasta is the matching Benders Fork and Spoon Set by Boon.  

They look unusual at first because this fork and spoon set actually bend at the neck, making them easily positioned in a way that makes it easier for baby to get the food into his mouth.  No more spilling before it even reaches their eager tongues.  One small adjustment to the right, left, even up or down, will work with your child instead of against them.

We now have Foogo Sippy Cups with No Handles!

Perfect for the child who is experienced enough for a cup with no handles, but not quite trustworthy enough to be lid free yet, we now have Foogo brand sippy cups without handles.  Still made with the superior technology by Thermos, the Foogo sippy cup is the top rated children’s sippy on the market, according to a study done by Cornell University. 

You can expect to find the handle free version available as part of our Transition Kit as soon as our much anticipated arrival of straw bottles come in.

The Foogo Transition Kit

It’s a smart idea and saves you money when you choose our Foogo Transition Kit.  Foogo makes pink and blue sippy cups and straw bottles.  We have created Transition Kits that you can mix or match up the colors.  I have all boys so just blue around my house!  I gave my toddler a blue sippy cup with handles and my older son got a blue straw bottle.  The baby is still using his Stage Two Adiri Natural Nurser and a NurturePure glass bottle (to be stocked soon in our store). 

All was going well in our world when #2 decided he was a big boy and wanted a “big sippy” (his brother’s blue straw bottle).  Unfortunately, all straw bottles are on back order until June 1st, so I wasn’t able to give him his own “big sippy”, but my oldest son has a sweet side and told #2 he could use his straw bottle.  

So #2 happily took possession, a complete one-sided ownership, of the blue straw bottle.  With him doing that, I decided to introduce the baby to a sippy cup.  As hand-me-downs go, the baby got #2’s previously used blue sippy with handles and he eagerly slurped it up, sometimes seeming to drown himself and sometimes emptying it like he hadn’t had anything to drink in days! 

 

Neither the blue nor pink straw bottles are leak proof with the top flipped open.  When closed, not a single drop will escape, but a two year old doesn’t always remembe to latch the lid on his appropriated straw bottle when he falls asleep with it in bed.  We’ve convinced him to take the blue sippy with him to slumber.

Earth Friendly Shipping

We are trying to leave as small a footprint behind as possible us as we provide other families with BPA Free products for the children in their lives.  One of the ways we are doing this is by re-using shipping boxes and packing material.  We have asked our family and friends to pass on cardboard boxes in good condition so we can reuse those first.  We hope you appreciate our efforts in this area.

 

Canada Confirms Labeling of BPA “Toxic”

I chose to share with you this breaking news from Z Reccomends because they are the ones that did us all a service by putting together their report about BPA Free products; safer ways to service our kids.  Their blog is overflowing with information.

Thanks again, guys! 

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/ 

Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement announced yesterday that Canada would ban BPA in baby bottles as well as asking formula makers to reduce leaching from cans, the Globe and Mail reports today. To us, this represents a tough stand on bottles but a fairly soft one on other products which affect infants and young children - sippy cups, utensils, tableware, pacifiers, and teethers - and suggests there will be no firm requirements for eliminating BPA from formula containers or glass baby food jar lids. From the Mail:

Although the government doesn’t expect to formally ban polycarbonate baby bottles for another year, the use of the product is coming to a rapid end in Canada anyway. Throughout the week, retailers across the country took the nearly unprecedented step of stripping their shelves of polycarbonate bottles used by infants and adults in the face of overwhelming consumer rejection of the product.

Canada on its own has never taken an international lead to ban the use of controversial substances. The move against bisphenol A, which is able to mimic the female hormone estrogen, is being compared with decisions made by the United States and other countries more than 30 years ago to curb the use of the insecticide DDT - the first major chemical challenged on public health and environmental grounds. [Link]

 

 

Canada’s own review about BPA will be announced soon.

Even if the Health Minister declares BPA toxic, that doesn’t mean it’ll be pulled from the shelves.  Please read more below.

Calling a chemical toxic doesn’t get it off shelf

Tom Spears
Canwest News Service

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

OTTAWA — As speculation mounted Tuesday that Ottawa will declare under the Canadian Environment Protection Act that a chemical commonly used in plastic food and drink containers is about to be labelled officially toxic, an odd twist emerged.

The designation would not by itself force products off store shelves.

The chemical in question is bisphenol A and rumours swirled Tuesday that Health Minister Tony Clement is about to announce the result of a review of BPA begun last year.

Health Canada would not say what the minister will announce, or when.

But even if BPA were listed as “toxic” under the CEPA law, the substance could remain legal to use.

The wrinkle is the government would have the option to restrict bisphenol’s use, or not.

BPA is used to make polycarbonate, a shatter-proof plastic used in CDs, some toys, resin that lines most metal food and soft drink cans, see-through water bottles for athletes and hikers and some baby bottles. It was invented in the 1940s as a synthetic copy of the sex hormone estrogen.

Scientists have been split about health effects; chemical industry studies conclude it is harmless, while opponents say it is dangerous — most of all for fetuses and young infants — especially when heated.

The two sides base their opposing views on different lab methods involving tests on rats.

Last year, Health Canada labelled BPA a chemical “of concern to Canadians,” and started reviewing its health effects. The department wouldn’t answer calls Tuesday.

“We’ve been waiting for them to come out with their assessment,” said Kathleen Cooper of the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

“My sense of it is they’ve probably sped up their assessment of this particular one [out of a group of chemicals being evaluated] because of the high degree of interest.”

But past chemicals found to be toxic under this law are still widely used, she noted.

“The thing about calling something ‘CEPA-toxic’ is that it doesn’t get you very far until they actually follow up with activity,” she said. “And it’s been a chronic problem. Lead has been ‘CEPA-toxic’ since 1988, but that hasn’t stopped the flow of lead into thousands of consumer products ever since.

“The link between whether a chemical is considered toxic and whether we’re still finding it in all these consumer products — that’s the weak link.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

Here are some more news stories from Canada:

Canada Could be First to Call Bisphenol A Toxic

Ridding life of products made with chemical BPA could prove a challenge

Bottle Blues: Canada calls Nalgene plastic toxic  

Just How Dangerous is Bisphenol-A?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG)

On the left side of the EWG’s website they make this statement: 

At EWG, our team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know.

Wow.  Their work load is heavy, therefore, their website is immense.  When you have the time, please sit down and look through their site.  It is so worth their time.

I regret not breastfeeding my first born and treasure the memories of doing that for my two subsequent sons.  If the chance arises, I advocate breastfeeding and wanted to share what EWG recently put on their website because it mentions both breastfeeding and BPA.

http://www.ewg.org/node/25637

More details for bottle-feeding parents: Breastfeed whenever possible!

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for babies, and contains essential fatty acids that help bolster babies’ bodies against the impacts of toxic chemicals. However, there are many reasons why families rely on formula for some or all of their baby’s diet. Most babies in the US receive some formula during their first year of life, with 70 percent of babies receiving some formula by 3 months of age (CDC 2007). These babies need a safe and healthy source of food, and formula should be manufactured in a way that avoids contamination with hormone disrupting chemicals.

Formula-feeding

Powdered formulas are the best choice for parents who want to avoid bisphenol A in their baby’s diet. While powdered formula has not been tested for BPA, it is diluted with much more water than liquid formulas which reduces the amount of BPA that the baby consumes in each feeding. Nestlé has made unsubstantiated claims that they don’t use any BPA to line their powdered formula cans. Nestlé, Enfamil and Similac use a mixed metal and cardboard package with less BPA-coating. Second best are Earth’s Best Organic and PBM’s store-brand powdered formulas that use a fully metal can.

Some liquid formulas are sold in plastic, mostly polyethylene and polypropylene which do not contain any BPA. Avoid any plastic containers that are rigid and transparent, marked with “PC”. All liquid formulas sold in metal cans are lined with BPA-epoxy, which has been shown to leach into the product. If you buy formula in metal cans choose the concentrated type which is diluted with water prior to feeding. Avoid ready-to-eat formula in metal cans, which has the highest BPA leaching potential.

Bottle Nipples

Choose bottle nipples made from silicon. They are the most durable and inert options. Latex rubber nipples can cause allergic reactions and can contain impurities linked to cancer (Freishtat 2002; Westin 1990). The same goes for pacifiers. Throw away any nipple or pacifier that is discolored, thinning, tacky or ripped.

Bottles

There has been a lot of attention recently about BPA leaching from baby bottles and sippy cups. It appears, however, that babies fed liquid formula could have much more intense exposure to BPA from the formula itself. Even so, parents should still choose bottles that don’t leach any BPA. Glass bottles are an excellent choice. More manufacturers are also making bottles and sippy cups out of safe plastics which are polyethylene, polypropylene or polyamide. Avoid all polycarbonate which are transparent (either clear or tinted) and rigid or inflexible plastic. These bottles may be marked with the letters “PC.” Polycarbonate plastics are sometimes marked with the recycling #7, which is a miscellaneous category, so not all #7 plastics are harmful.

Your pediatrician may recommend plastic bottle liners if your baby is colicky. If not, avoid using them - the manufacture and disposal of plastic liners raise environmental concerns. And never overheat formula in a plastic liner. The soft plastic liners may leach chemicals into formula, especially when heated.

What type of water?

If your water is fluoridated, use a reverse osmosis (RO) filter to remove fluoride, which the American Dental Association recommends avoiding when reconstituting formula (ADA 2006). If your water is not fluoridated, use a carbon filter, either a pitcher-style or one that attaches to your tap. If you choose bottled water make sure it’s fluoride-free. Be aware that the cost of bottled water may add up to more money than a home reverse osmosis system.

Expressing breast milk

Medela breast pump tubes, shields, and jars are BPA and phthalate free. This is important as pump parts withstand repeated washings in hot water.

Cleaning and sterilizing

Bottles, nipples, pacifiers, breast shields, pump tubing and containers should be sterilized before first use. After that, washing with hot soapy water or the top shelf of the dishwasher should be sufficient. Avoid sterilizing in the microwave or frequent use of boiling water since both will speed the breakdown of the plastic.

Warming a bottle

Warm bottles of formula or breast milk in a bowl of hot water. Do not microwave them or place them in boiling water. In addition to creating a hazard for baby, these extreme heats weather the plastics.