"amazon mom" new discount club on amazon

ok, here's what i understand this brand-new moms club to be:

*not just for moms, but any caretaker
*30% off diapers and wipes that you have signed up for as a  scheduled delivery
*free 2-day shipping for the first 3 months.  it continues like this : for  every $25 you spend in the baby department, you earn a month more  of free 2-day shipping.
*emails from amazon about discounts and helpful product  recommendations.

i loooove this since i am already buying nature babycare diapers off of amazon, so it's aaaallll gooood!

tres chic custom co-sleeping!

i love love love this little custom co-sleeping roll-away bed that interior designer david kaihoi made for his daughter.  it is so genius!  i recently stumbled across it in house beautiful's "is small the new big?" issue this summer.  what i love most is that kaihoi proudly displayed that his daughter co-sleeps with him and his wife.  ok, fine, they live in a postage stamp-sized (yet fabulous) new york city apartment and would not be able to actually wear clothes from the closet next to the bed if it didn't roll away, but at least he showed it in the photo---so kudos to him!!

a little more groovy art...i can't resist.

the above and below art by paulofnavarone on the uk etsy site made me giggle like i haven't in quite some time.  leave it to the brits.  and ok, so maybe the one below isn't quite appropriate for a kid's room, but come on....

and these cut paper print maps below by famillesummerbelle on the french etsy site are soooo lovely.  be sure to bust one out on a street corner and ask a local for directions.  her very visual blog is fantastic too!

coolio nursery decor that cleans the air

are you at a loss for what to hang in that last spot in the nursery? well, these woolly pockets for plants (start at $49) are a great option...

they look super cool, are waterproof, and come in a few different sizes and colors.  as you may know, plants clean the air, especially spider plants, philodendron and golden pothos, so they are a wonderful addition to your baby's nursery.

photo courtesy of woollypockets.com

natural solutions to sinus problems : number two, humidifiers

humidifiers are wonderful machines.   they are particularly wonderful in the winter months when we need to run the heat in our homes.  dry air reeks havoc on your sinuses.   use one in your bedroom (and your kids') every night.  it can cure everything from dry sinuses to much more serious sinus conditions.   on a side note, try to avoid running the heat at night if possible--cozy up with some warm pj's and a fluffy down comforter.

if you live in the desert (aka los angeles), like me, you may want to invest in a decent one as you can easily use it every night of the year for relief.

if you are staying at a hotel, which typically has very dry air in wintertime, housekeeping may have a humidifier you can borrow.  if not, you can use a little travel humidifier ($40) on your bedside table. you just screw a large bottle of drinking water into it, and you're good to go.

air-o-swiss is a tried and true brand that has many great models. their top of the line models ($200) have lcd screens that show you the humidity in the room and will adjust the amount of mist released accordingly.

need a green playpen?

if you're searching for a playpen option that is not plastic, you may want to check out herlag by kettler's collapsible wooden options.  if you're not familiar with herlag (distributed by kettler in the u.s.), they are a german company that has been around since 1883.  i tend to gravitate toward their products when given chance as they are more on the green side.

playpens are great for allowing mom and dad to be handsfree once baby starts moving around (4-7 months, onward).  ours has become like an island in our kitchen that i can roll onto the back deck too.

the solid beechwood playpen comes in two shapes/sizes:

48"x 48" square
42" x 50" hexagon (not collapsible)

to see photos and more info click here.
best prices click here.  or search locally on craigslist.

positives:
not plastic
large with more open sides than plastic playpen
base has 3 height adjustments
wheels roll or lock
use inside or out
collapsible (not available in hexagonal style)

negatives:
*base is made of "safe" chipboard (read more at asterisk below)
base is covered in foam and vinyl
padding options are semi-hideous

how i got around negatives:
buy plywood made with non-toxic glues and make own base.
cover plywood base with natural latex foam, or other padding, and heavy canvas fabric.
make own removable canvas cover sheet.  bumper pads negotiable--only necessary for catching escaping toys and limbs (until baby is more in control, around 6 months-ish).

in los angeles, richard jebejian 310 854 4450 accomodates all of my crazy green upholstery requests (including the ones above) and can source the green components including non-toxic plywood, natural latex, and organic fabrics.

*kettler's national sales manager sent me the following info re the formaldehyde in the chipboard/mdf base, for what it's worth: "The material used is a Standard E1 Chipboard. The amount of free formaldehyde in 100 g. is below 8 mg. therefore achieving the highest world standards."

sids linked to crib mattresses?

if i could talk you into buying one extremely important item for your newborn, it would be an organic mattress....whether you intend to have your baby in your bed or her own crib.  i have logged many many hours on researching the link between non-organic mattresses and sids, and i think you will be shocked how little information is shared with the public once you look into it.  i came across the site below that has an awesome article on the toxic mattress link to sids, and in order to not write the world's longest post here, i would love to refer you to it:

healthy child

i was a little wary at first since this site sells a variety of organic items including mattresses.  but they have clearly done their homework (otherwise i would never refer them) and list all of their legit references at the bottom of their articles.   plus, they directly link you to variety of safe mattress options which is nice.

click on the additional links within the above article that will lead you to other important topics like:

factors that may increase the risk of crib death (including the vaccination link)

co-sleeping and toxic gases in adult mattresses

invest in an exercise ball for labor and baby naps...

honestly, we use our exercise ball about 100 times more than we have ever used our rocker in the nursery (maybe all we really needed was a dresser in there, since we don't use our crib either).   the ball is great for gently bouncing baby to sleep.   since i have "the boob", i usually do not need to bounce my son to sleep, but my husband and babysitters do for every nap.

some may worry about babies developing an addiction to having to be bounced in order to fall asleep, but babies actually need bouncing (and swinging, etc) in order to develop their very important vestibular system---the system in the inner ear that controls their sense of movement and balance.  read more here.

the ball can also come in handy when you are in labor---my doula tells funny stories of running through hospital hallways with a gigantic ball to her clients' births.  you can lie on it with your chest and gently hug it in order to take the weight off of your back and belly.  also, in early labor, just sitting and bouncing is helpful.