Chilewich–fashionable and practical textiles

I first fell in love with the Chilewich designer woven vinyl products in 2001.  I encountered bags and floor mats that are so fashionable and verrrrry easy to take care of.  You literally can take them outside and hose them off to clean…they dry quickly and are as good as new!!  As a mom now, I can especially see the added benefit of using mats and bags made of vinyl.  Ever had a sippy cup spill in your bag???

I was reminded of this line not long ago while in a store and decided to see what’s new–well– A lot is new!  For one, they have engineered a new type of flooring called plynyl.  Many new styles of bags, a hospitality section for your dining area, and more mats!

Check out the products Sandy Chilewich has to offer to jazz up your space or your child’s space!

Klean Kanteen and Born Free are safe alternatives to BPA containing plastic

Recently, there has been more research concerning plastics that contain the hormone disrupting Bisphenol A (BPA) .  This caused me to go through my daughter’s sippy cups, my reusable water bottles and other food and drink related plastics.  So far, I threw away any plastics that have a recycling number 7, and it was quite a trash pile. I also found our water jug that we pay for monthly is a number 7 and it is quite worn since it gets reused.  The more worn BPA plastics are, the more it allows the chemical to leach into your beverage more easily. 

This article from a Chicago newspaper, describes the concerns about BPA well, and how some companies aren’t waiting for government intervention, such as Medela, and are choosing to stop using the BPA containing plastics.

This article recommends you only use 4, 5, 1, and 2 for food and to avoid 3, 6 and 7 unless they are a new bio-based plastic labeled as such.  

Overwhelming yes, and I am of the mind that a lot of times there is a scare for a whole lot of nothing, but this chemical that is in baby bottles, sippy cups etc seems unacceptable.

The solutions can be pricey, at least for now, but I believe it will be better for my family.  I ordered some Klean Kanteen stainless steel sippys and two water bottles for my workouts.  They look great, come highly recommended, are super lightweight and will last longer than any plastic I could buy.  As your child grows, you can change the top of the cup to a sports top, screw-on cap, or looped top.  Easy to clean, and healthy!  I have also found some safe plastic bottles and sippy cups by Born Free, at www.newbornfree.com.  I believe that Whole Foods also carries the Born free brand.  When my daughter would take an occasional bottle, I used the Playtex Drop-in system which is affordable, and free of BPA as well.

So—check your plastics, decide what you are comfortable with, and happy shopping!  Mama Jen

Send Us Your Favs!

We all know that there are an endless amount of family friendly goodies available today. Our kids are both 2, so we so of feel like we have a decent grasp of the toddler area of the spectrum. But we’re just two moms…and we know that we have umpteen readers with kids and experiences and other grrrreat ideas. So…send us your finds…products, services, people…”stuff” that you feel has “MomAppeal”. We’ll take the tips and research the info further…and if the tip results in a future entry on our sites, we’ll give you a shout out in the write up!

Send your tips to momappeal@gmail.com…thanks!!!

Monkeybar Buddies are a school supply for girls only!

                                             

I saw Monkeybar Buddies recently and think they are sooooo cute and practical for the active little girls who love dresses and skirts!  Perfect for the playground!! Great for the young, carefree girlie girls to not have someone be able to shout “I see London, I see France…!”

Also check out the adorable leggings that can help bring dresses and skirts into the cooler seasons ahead with a chic layered look.  Just look at that cute bow detail at the bottom of the shorts and leggings too!

Monkeybar Buddies are a fab idea!!!!  We’ll definitely be getting these! 

If you are in the Madison Area, they  are available at the wonderfully chic and friendly Purple Goose in Verona.  Pssst!   Their store is expanding into more parts of the house it is in next Thursday.  Yes!  More wonderful shopping!  For a full review of The Purple Goose, search it on our site.  Mama Jen

Another Major Toy Recall – Stay Alert For Our Kid’s Safety!

Toy company Mattel has announced two recalls in two weeks. The second one came today, and involves 9 million toys in the United States.

Realistically speaking, this is not the first recall of toys, nor will it be the last. Be sure to pay attention and stay alert for news about recalls. If you spend time online (and if you’re reading this, I know you do!), check out the US Consumer Product Safety Commission web site. You can sign up for email notification every time there is a recall…very handy!

And, to brighten up this post (recalls are a bummer!), here is a link to making some safe, fun, homemade goodies with/for your kids…enjoy!

Postman Pat Is A Real Treat!

Postman Pat is pretty popular in our house. I think we clicked it on one day because it had a catchy name, and my son took to it right away. Pat drives around his little English town called Greendale with his cat, Jess, and delivers mail and cheer to everyone he encounters. Postman Pat airs on HBO Family every morning. I love the show’s description on the HBO site: “It depicts a close community and the unhurried pace of rural life, full of fun, humour, music, adventure, wonderful characters and imaginative storytelling.”

There is also a line of products (of course!) like books, pjs, and Pat’s mail truck…all very cute, and yes we have one of everything. The only trick is that products ordered on the official site are shipped frm the UK, so it can get spendy. If you shop around, you can find a few products on Amazon, Target, and Ebay too.

If you have the opportunity, check out Postman Pat…watch the video on the HBO Family site. And while you’re there, check out the downloadable activity pack…good stuff!

Your husband will leave these pink tools alone!

                               

I was having dinner with one of my close friends and  part of our meal was an unplanned venting session about some annoying husband issues—you know how we can get some times!

I brought up how hard it is to find a properly sized screwdriver for the many different screws I need to unscrew in order to restore our daughter’s different battery operated toys…my husband has a knack for not keeping screwdrivers anywhere specific. The unfinished workspace part of our basement–where the screwdrivers should be returned to– houses a lot of tools, but I can never find my way through the mess on the floor to the mess on the workbench where there may or may not be—the screwdriver I need! 

My friend mentioned something her friend has done to solve the problem, and it is deliciously simple and clever!  She has her own girlie tool bag of common tools that her husband won’t touch!  Quality tools decked out in pink that you can keep in a place of your choosing (I’ll still hide mine since my husband may chose pink over the inconvenience of hunting in the basement).

Check out this version called Little Pink Tools.  Purchase this one and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Research.  You’ll never find yourself rifling through a junk drawer, or stepping over a circular saw for a tool you need again! Mama Jen

Thymes – Good Stuff!

In a previous post, I raved about the Thymes scent: Kimono Rose. Since then I have had the opportunity to try several other scents and products and I’m telling you, I haven’t found one that I don’t love yet!

Olive Leaf and Wild Ginger body washes are my current favs…subtle, earthy scents that are natural and not too overbearing. The Sweetleaf Baby scent and products are really nice, and there is a nifty gift box of Sweetleaf Baby products that makes for a terrific, not to mention handy, gift!

Thymes is a Minneapolis based company. All products are natural and non toxic, and no products are ever tested on animals. You can find Thymes in many specialty shops or online at the Thymes web site…you will not be sorry!

Melissa & Doug Products – Classic!

One day I looked around and took stock of the many (many) toys in our house. A recurring theme: Melissa & Doug.

You name it, they make it…puzzles, baby toys, classic toys, puppets, stuffed animals, craft supples, and room decor. Favorites at our house include the Train Sound Puzzle, the Tool Box, and the Classic Stacking Wooden Train. Great quality and very affordable!

Melissa & Doug products can be found at many specialty toy stores as well as at big box outlets such as Target, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon…don’t miss out on these goodies!

Reusable bags from Envirosax

The Green Girl’s Guide is now selling the best in reusable bags—-they are so convenient, stylish, and good for the environment! 

These bags can hold up to twice the amount of your typical grocery bag, and have a SHOULDER STRAP which is huge…I just found myself running into the store with my large reusable bag with teeny tiny handles—throw in some potatos, onions and then pack it to the brim—well, it began to get quite hard to hold in my hand.  I could have really used this bag that has a shoulder strap.  It is also so convenient that it can be stashed in your purse when you fold it up.  How many times have I left the house without my reusable bag because it is hanging on the door knob in my laundry room…too many times!!

I believe this is the first time these bags are being sold stateside, so if you are interested in them and live in the US, shipping became a lot cheaper, and your bag doesn’t have to travel as far to get to you!

Use them for groceries, beach, ANYTHING!  These bags are ultra-light, fashionable, convenient and are soft on the environment.  Get yourself or a friend a pack of five stylin’ Envirosax at www.greengirlsguide.com Mama Jen