Green Cotton

Photosource: the little seed

What a cute name for this new eco-friendly baby clothing line.

Soleil Moon Frye (you probably remember Punky Brewster, the adorable little girl with bunches and her sneakers with all sorts of canvas) and Paige Goldberg Tolmach, the two co-founders have just opened their new eco-friendly baby boutique in L.A.

The idea came when Soleil and Paige were looking for organic products for their babies and they couldn’t find anything healthy for them and the planet.  So they decide to create their own organic-friendly space.

Everything you can purchase for your baby is eco-friendly, organic and non-toxic products such as: clothing made with 100% Organic cotton, bottles, skin care, baby carriers, handmade woven toys, furniture … shopping bags are also recycled. Even the store environment is non toxic, with no V.O.C (Volatile organic compounds) paint on the walls.

Check out on thelittleseed.com, the selection both on-line and in-store is amazing. Designers are Kate Quinn, Ecoland (made exclusively from the highest quality 100% organically grown cotton, which is GOT (Global Organic Textile) standard certified by Control Union World Group), Salvor Fauna, Under the Nile…For more information on GOTS, visit our latest post on this topic.

Under the Nile, manufacturer of organic toys and apparel, is doing more than just helping kids make a positive association with healthy foods. They are also proud participants of the 13-Villages-Project. The campaign is co-conducted by Under the Nile and its Farm in Egypt. It takes place in 13 rural villages in Sharkeya, Egypt. Through vocational training and infrastructural development, the project is improving the health, skills and overall well being of the village inhabitants.

Soleil and Paige also give us eco-baby tips to protect your chidren’s health: how to eat well by reducing exposure to synthetic pesticides, avoiding plastic bags, beware of radiation…

Happy mum, you can now shop safely and peacefully, the store provides a diaper changing station, a discreet nursing lounge as well as an arts & crafts area.

By: Julie Finkel

Bamboo Velour Changing Mat Satsuma Designs

With the arrival of a new bundle of joy comes a lot of love, but also a hefty amount of concerns. Health. Nutrition. College? Ok, maybe not yet. But as you tackle so many new mommy issues, know that you won’t have to search long and hard for safe, eco-friendly products for your little one. Satsuma Designs has you covered with organic bamboo baby gear that can keep Baby clean, comfy and happy!

Satsuma’s adorable products are made with all-natural materials like bamboo and organic cotton. Onesies are decked out with cute slogans like “Go Green” and “Small Carbon Footprint.” Satsuma’s signature item, the bamboo swaddling blanket, is soft, antibacterial and machine-washable. Most of the products are 100% bamboo, but a few, such as the velour blankets and onesies, are also made with an organic cotton and poly-blend that adds durability and ease of care to the fabric.

One handy product is the Baby Booty Bamboo Barrier (featured above), a changing table pad cover that boasts germ-fighting properties to keep the diaper table clean and fresh. The nursery starter kit comes with this genius item, along with a swaddling blanket and a bamboo jersey infant hat—all for $60.

Satsuma began as co-founder Jennifer Porter’s quest to “turn over a new green leaf” following the birth of her son, Jimmy. Porter “started taking a hard look at buying decisions in every category,” especially “the clothing and accessories that went into our son’s nursery… I felt that organic materials and baby products were both well aligned and started doing my homework.” Armed with a background in marketing and consumer product development experience, Porter decided on bamboo for her company’s products.

“Bamboo is what I consider a super resource for all its positive characteristics, and that’s how things got started,” Porter says.

Bamboo has been getting a lot of press in the last year as the hottest eco fabric on the market. No longer known to just the hippie set, it’s getting plenty of wear in designer collections, from Diane von Furstenberg to eco-fashion labels like Jonano. Some people are surprised when learning that bamboo can be spun into fabric, but it’s more than just a meal for pandas or a clever option for furniture. With its rapid growth rate (1.5-2 inches an hour!), bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world, and arguably the most sustainable plant on the planet. It’s also an eco-friendly and less expensive alternative to conventional fabrics. For more on Bamboo, read our post on Bamboo: The Miracle Fiber and post on the processing of bamboo to make it into a fiber.

Organic bamboo is soft and drapes like silk, yet is even more durable than cotton. As Satsuma’s collection attests, bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, water-wicking, wrinkle-resistant, odor-fighting and hypoallergenic. Plus Satsuma doesn’t use any harsh chemicals or dyes, which is great for sensitive skin. Eco-conscious mommas, are you keeping track? Those are seven less things to worry about!

Check out Satsuma’s cute baby gear at Satsuma Designs. And if you are looking for bamboo clothing for Mommy too, you can find gorgeous bamboo and organic cotton tops, dresses and pants at Jute and Jackfruit.

By Erin Dale