droolicious : teething toys

5 Green Gifts for Earth Day

SunnyChanel — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:01:00 GMT

This week features a very special day, Earth Day, a perfect time to bring some green, eco-friendly goodies into the house. But it doesn't need to be Earth Day, these 5 green gifts are good for any occasion. They celebrate play as much as our dear old Mother Earth.

Green Toys Recycle Truck (above)
Forget the regular old construction trucks, what’s way more appropriate these days is a very green recycle truck. This push toy is made 100% from curbside-collected recycled milk jugs and it’s safe with none of those icky phthalates or BPAs. You can pick up one of these trucks by Green Toys for $23.70 from Amazon here.

Sprout Your Own Sweet Scents
Seeds for your little sprout, this mini-garden kit has everything you need to create some sweet spelling plants. And perhaps the plants won’t be the only thing to grow, a green thumb might also be in your kid’s future. The kit includes a 32-page booklet, 3 biodegradable plastic planters and drip trays, 3 seed packets, 3 peat pellets and sticker sheet. This is appropriate for ages 4-12. Just add water and in no time your kid will be smelling the sweet life. You can pick one up here for $18.99.

Organic Fruit Basket Teething Toys
Young babies won’t get the whole ‘Earth Day’ thing, they’re too busy putting stuff into their mouths. But to combine those two things, you can pick up this organic fruit basket that features safe, non-toxic teething versions of a watermelon, pear, small banana and grapes by Under the Nile. Each fruit is made of 100% organic Egyptian cotton. You can pick up the set here for $24.89.

Idbids: Waverly Eco-Friendly Starter Kit
Waverly is one of three environmentally friendly characters, the idbids, that teach kids about our home, planet Earth. Waverly is handmade from organic cotton and comes with a storybook about the Idbids, a field guild with 10 “doable iddy biddy steps” to make the world a better place, and an organic cinch sack backpack to carry the new member of the family. You can pick one up from Progressive Kids here for 40% off! They regularly sell for #29.99 but you can pick one up here for $17.99.

Sprig Rally Racer
This extremely sturdy and durable racer by Sprig is made from some magical eco-friendly material called Sprigwood™. This lightweight resin like material is made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic. They also managed to not use any decorative paint in the production process, the packaging is totally minimal and the people at Sprig made sure to partner only with ecologically responsible manufacturers. Yeah, they care.

The Rally Racer is kid-powered and as push and pump action is made, electronic features reward the kid’s play with lights and sounds. And since it’s ‘kid-powered’, no batteries are needed. You can pick one of the Rally Racers here for $27.50.

Organic Rattles with Some Color

Lisa Mulcahy — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

I love organic baby products, especially the ones that will inevitably end up in the mouth. The only problem is that although I like the natural look, neutral browns and cream colors can be a bit boring. These brightly colored ring rattles prove that organic doesn’t have to be beige.

From Mary Meyer Stuffed Toys, these multi-colored rattles, $12, with an elephant, frog or monkey on top are made with 100% certified organic cotton fabric and contain no harmful pesticides, toxic chemicals or dyes.

First Look: Oh Plah! Green Teething Bracelet

Nicole Feliciano — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:30:00 GMT

Superhero bracelet for moms.

Admit it. You’ve been caught in the desperate situation with a crabby teething baby and nothing appropriate to give the little guy to gnaw. So you resort to handing over the cell phone, your keys or some other dirty and not so kid friendly object.

Roundhouse Design Collaborative to the rescue. In honor of Earth Day, they introduced a special edition of their Oh Plah! teething bracelet called the Energy Bracelet.

This bright green bracelet is trendy (love the windmill design)—and cool enough to don for brunch with gal pals or a PTA meeting with the top brass. When junior wakes from his nap and starts to fuss, hand over the bracelet and let him chew to his heart’s content.

All of the Oh Plah! bracelets (the unusual name comes from the French term, "Here you go") are free of paints, lead, latex, PVC, BPA and phthalates. ($24.99; 10% proceeds to benefit environmental charities). Use coupon code: 409bab20 for a 20% discount.*

*expires 4/30/09

Rear Molar Relief

Lisa Mulcahy — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:30:00 GMT

This might be a wacky looking teether, but I think they’re on to something.

Most teethers are pretty bulky and don’t really reach those back molars, which are often the most painful when they come in. Some try to be more like toys, but fail to do their job. In contrast, the Teethifier, $5.99, is in the familiar pacifier shape and is designed to glide over the front teeth to reach the molars.

Clutch And Jingle Toy

Lisa Estall — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:19:00 GMT

For babies who are learning to touch and feel, this Sonajero Rojo Clutching Toy from Kathe Kruse looks fun to play with.

Babies can squeeze the center handle and crinkle the orange heart. There are also beads in the pink heart for...

jingling. The ring is for teething and there’s a loop for attaching a pacifier.

This toy is made in Germany and sold at Oompa for $24.99. A little pricey but hey, it's different.

Get a Chan, Pie, or Gnon to Chew On

SunnyChanel — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Who are Chan, Pie and Gnon? They are the petite teething toys by the French company Vulli, famous for their popular Sophie the Giraffe teether. Chan Pie Gnon comes from the “Champignon” the French word for mushroom and is the shape of these natural rubber and painted with food dye soft chew toys. Each one is sold separately and go for $13.99 here.

Star Baby: Nicole Ritchie’s Daughter Bites Into A Giraffe

SunnyChanel — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:22:00 GMT

Nicole Ritchie was out and about in West Hollywood with her 10-month old daughter Harlow. Looks like the little baby was a wee bit hungry, and she was in the mood for some vintage giraffe. Harlow took a bite out of Sophie the Giraffe Natural Rubber Safe Baby Infant Teething Toy. The French have been making Sophie since 1961 and it has been a soothing teething toy for generations with over 10 million being sold, and each one is still made by hand. You can feed your kid one for $19.95 here.

7 Days of BPA-Free Plastics: Giraffe Teether

Lisa Mulcahy — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:50:00 GMT

Of course bottles are at the top of the BPA-free hit list, but any mother with a teething infant can attest, there’s a wide range of other things that make their way into baby’s mouth, like chemical ridden toys and teethers. Similar to bottles, teethers are often subjected to the high temperatures of sterilization, so there’s an equal risk of leaching. A longtime essential in France, this non-toxic, natural rubber teething toy will satisfy your little chomper’s urge to mouth everything in sight.

Handmade in the French Alps with all natural rubber (phthalate-free) and food quality paints, Sophie the Giraffe from Vulli is just the right shape for babies to get a good grip. And her nubby head seems to soothe sore gums.

$19.40 at Amazon.