KidBean.com Blog

Beginning 25-Oct-2011, select Nature’s Paradise Organic Kids body care products are on sale for 25% off. No special coupon is needed.

We love Nature’s Paradise Organic Kids body care products because they are:

• gluten-free
• dairy-free
• nut-free
• vegan
• USDA certified organic
• made in the USA

Plus they all smell divine, even the unscented versions! All Nature’s Paradise Baby Organic products are rated 0 or 1 in the Skin Deep database (0 is the lowest/safest rating).

In early September, Swaddlebees and Blueberry Diapers announced the launch of their new prints for 2011/2012!

The new prints for Swaddlebees and Blueberry diaper covers are all made from PUL. Products that will be available at KidBean.com in these new prints include Blueberry Coveralls and Blueberry Mini-Coveralls. Blueberry Coveralls will be available in the new prints beginning on 20-Sep-2011, while Blueberry Mini-Coveralls will be available in the new prints at the end of October. We are now accepting pre-orders.

The new Blueberry Diapers and Swaddlebees prints are:

	Monkeys adorable, whimsical little monkeys with bananas and tropical leaves on an off-white ground with dark brown snaps or hook-and-loop
	Dinos bright, bold cartoon-style dinosaurs and bones on a chocolate brown ground with yellow snaps or hook-and-loop
	Baby Blooms funky, psychedelic, neon flowers on a black ground with pastel pink snaps or hook-and-loop
	Swirls reminiscent of a formal affair, with fancy blue and brown swirls on a white ground with white snaps or hook-and-loop
	Tweets earthy green/brown gender-neutral tones in a modern print of birds in (what seems to me to be) a wetland, with white snaps or hook-and-loop
	Butterflies beautiful, feminine combination of pink and yellow flowers and butterflies that is perfect for the little girly-girl in your life, with pink snaps or hook-and-loop

Cloth diapers and diaper covers have come a long way since I started using them with my first child in 1999! Thank you, Swaddlebees and Blueberry Diapers, for making cloth diapering so stylish and fun!

On 23-Apr-2010, I made the official announcement that KidBean.com is going out of business. I’ll address the reasons behind this decision in a later post. The purpose of this post is to clarify the changes I have made to our policies due to our closing.

1. We no longer offer made-to-order or drop-ship items. The only items left in our online store are the ones I have in-stock here in our main warehouse.
2. We no longer accept returns or exchanges. All items are sold on a final-sale basis. (NOTE: We will still accept returns/exchanges for items purchased before 23-Apr-2010. See our return policies for details.)
3. We no longer offer Free Shipping. We still offer many UPS and USPS shipping methods and change only the actual published rates with no mark-ups. As always, if your actual shipping charges end up more than $1 cheaper than your estimate, we’ll refund you the difference.
4. We no longer sell Gift Certificates. (NOTE: Customers with gift certificates with open balances will be contacted shortly and given a deadline by which the gift certificate must be used.)
5. On 1-May-2010 I will discount by 15% off the retail price all the regularly-priced items still in-stock.
6. On 1-Jun-2010 I will discount the above items still in-stock by an additional 15% (for a total of 30% off the retail price).
7. All inventory still left on 1-Jul-2010 will be sold at auction, to a liquidator, or donated.

Please be advised that customer service response times are a bit slower than usual. Please allow several business days for a return phone call or email. I will certainly try to reply sooner than that but it may not be possible. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support!

In light of the recent recall of Infantino baby slings, New Native shares their company history regarding baby slings safety and offers important, easy-to-follow safety information for their baby slings. The company notes:

From the beginning of our business in 1992 we made our product to the highest standards. Our fabrics are 100% cotton. This allows airflow through the fabric. We have tested our slings for strength and flammability even though there are no requirements for manufacturers to do this. It is our goal to educate people about safe ways for using our slings [my emphasis]. We have not received any reports of death or injury related to our baby sling to date, nor have we had a recall.

We only sell the organic cotton varieties of New Native’s baby slings and we do include with each sling a free instructional DVD full of tips and safety information. If you obtain one of their slings second-hand or misplace your original DVD or need one for some other reason, you may purchase one for only $2 plus the cost of shipping (USPS First-Class Mail will be cheapest).

For the safest babywearing experience, care must be taken to choose the correct size and New Native has prepared several tools to help you choose the correct size. Start with the basic sizing information for New Native baby slings, which includes measurements and corresponding sizes. If you still need help, we also offer two PDF files with additional fit, use and care information.

Please contact us if you’re still unsure and we’ll be happy to help!

From the very beginning of KidBean.com in 1999, I have always intensively researched each and every product we sell. Over the years I have refined my review process and made it more efficient. Additionally, the explosive growth in the “green” products industry has made my research easier, as more manufacturers are now aware of and forthcoming with information about product ingredients, certifications, recyclability, and end-of-life disposal. Still it takes many hours to review a single product.

While it is certainly time-consuming, I wouldn’t short-cut this process because it ensures each and every product we offer meets our standards for fair labor, sustainability, safety, and quality. Because we have insisted always on completing a comprehensive and full review before carrying a product, we can say with pride that we have never had to remove a product from our store in response to customer concerns/complaints about safety, quality, etc. OR because we later found out it wasn’t what it was marketed to be (i.e. greenwashing) OR because it was recalled. Products only get removed if they are discontinued, sold out, or don’t sell well; or if a greener version becomes available. Some products never make it into our store at all.

Some of our best-selling products are our organic toddler pillows. Concerned parents seeking safer, greener alternatives to conventional pillows that are often made from synthetic materials (such as polyester and polyurethane foam) and treated with flame retardants (like PBDE’s) can appreciate that ours are:

• 100% flame retardant free
• 100% chemical free
• made with all-natural materials (such as organic cotton, kapok, organic buckwheat hulls, and natural latex rubber)

Even though these pillows are some of our best-sellers, and I’m otherwise pleased with all of the toddler pillows we sell, I’m still always on the lookout for something even better. In this case, that means something cheaper. I know my own family’s finances have been strained in this economy over the last couple of years and I regularly hear from my customers that they need to cut costs and work with a smaller budget, too.

In my research I recently found a company that seemed promising. My initial review was a breeze, as their website answered all my preliminary questions.  It was a small company that manufactured their products exclusively in the USA from all-natural and certified organic materials. Their pillows were 100% chemical-free and all of their components (organic cotton, buckwheat, and kapok) were sourced in the USA as well. And, their prices were significantly cheaper than the toddler pillows I currently sell. It was all going so well that I was suspicious… I wondered whether the quality could possibly be high enough with prices that low. With children’s products, an inconsistency in quality can often mean an inconsistency in safety.

I spoke with one of the owners to set up a wholesale account and order some samples to review. I was frank with my concerns about the quality of their products and she reassured me that their pillows were some of their best-sellers and that they had been making them for many years. A few days later when I opened the box and inspected the sample pillows, however, my concerns were validated.

First, one of the pillows had a gap over 1 inch wide where the seam had not been finished. I could see right through this hole to the organic cotton filling inside. Second, the seam on the sample pillowcase was poorly sewn. It was finished completely, but I wondered whether it would hold up well to repeat cycles through a washer and dryer–and it certainly didn’t look very pretty. I compared this pillowcase to one of the Cotton Monkey ones that I currently sell and the difference was stark–the Cotton Monkey one was clean, professional and aesthetically-pleasing while the sample had none of those qualities. Third, the tags did not specify that the materials (pillow casings and fills) were organic. I know the federal label laws are quite specific about the format of these labels and about which terms may be used in certain areas of the labels, but if the materials are organic then the label needs to state this (in a legally appropriate position, of course) OR a second label needs to be used. Otherwise how is the consumer to trust that the materials are, in fact, organic? Sure, the manufacturer could show you copies of their organic certifications, but the labels still need to be accurate.

In light of my initial openness with the owner about my quality concerns, the fact that I received samples that were anything less than extraordinary was unacceptable. I certainly couldn’t trust the quality of anything they might send directly to my customers, and I anticipated ongoing quality issues that would waste both time and money. I failed the toddler pillows and pillowcases and sent them all back to the manufacturer. I am admittedly disappointed, as I had hoped to be able to offer my customers a more economical option for their toddler’s first pillow. The pillows and pillowcase were labor-friendly, earth-friendly, and vegan; but they still failed our standards for quality & safety so they have been added to our “Why Don’t We Carry…?” directory of products/companies that have failed our review process.

I hope when you are comparison shopping online for your toddler’s first pillow that you look beyond the sticker price. The old adage “you get what you pay for” certainly applies here, especially if you consider the true cost of the pillow. If you are shopping for an organic toddler pillow and need help deciding which fill material you should choose, or if you have questions about caring for your child’s pillow, please check out our Organic Toddler Pillow Buyer’s Guide.

I love working with so many eco-friendly companies, especially in the month of April. In this month, as we celebrate Earth Day, many of my suppliers make fabulous offers that I’m able to pass on to my customers. For starters, Obasan is offering FREE shredded latex rubber pillows with organic mattresses purchased this month. If you’ve been waiting to buy an organic, vegan mattress until a good deal came along, then here’s your chance! You could save up to $224 with this offer! Click here for full details.

I’ll be posting about more special offers, sales, and discounts throughout the month, so be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed (above right) or check back soon!

Infantino Infant Slings Recalled

Today the CPSC announced a mandatory baby sling recall of Infantino infant slings–1 million of the infant slings in the United States and 15,000 in Canada. Due to the risk of infants suffocating in these baby slings, consumers are urged to stop using the slings immediately. Infantino is offering replacements–but with other products, not with baby slings. CPSC is still interested in hearing reports of injuries or other safety issues related to these products, whether for this same issue or a different hazard. You may submit your own report here or call the CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772.

CPSC Recently Issued an Infant Sling Safety Warning

This recall follows shortly after the 12-Mar-2010 CPSC warning about infant sling safety, in which the CPSC cautioned about two different suffocation risks for infants in baby slings. The CPSC warning notes that:

“Many of the babies who died in slings were either a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely, or had breathing issues such as a cold. Therefore, CPSC urges parents of preemies, twins, babies in fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and consult their pediatricians about using slings.”

History of Baby Sling Recalls

The current CPSC recall is for a specific type of carrier from a single manufacturer. According to the CPSC website, there have been 5 recalls for infant slings since 2005–4 voluntary and 1 mandatory. This is the second recall for Infantino’s infant slings–the first was a voluntary recall in 2007 for a fall hazard due to the plastic slider on the strap breaking and causing the strap supporting the carrier to release and allow the baby to fall out of the carrier.  Only in the two Infantino recalls have injuries been reported. I find it noteworthy that the recalled Infantino infant slings were made in China.

Are Baby Slings Safe?

This official warning and mandatory recall may have you wondering whether it is safe to use a baby sling with your baby. Let me assure you that, YES, it is safe if done properly and with a properly designed carrier. By “done properly” I mean by following the safety tips and guidelines at trusted resources like Mothering Magazine and Babywearing International. By “properly designed carrier” I mean one that is, at a minimum:

• made of breathable, natural (ideally organic) fabric
• allows you to see your baby’s face

We sell baby slings from New Native, Inc. and California Diversified Marketing (CDM)/Over the Shoulder Baby Holder. All of the baby slings that we sell:

• have never been subject to a recall
• are made in the USA
• are made from 100% pure, breathable organic cotton
• do not have buckles that may break
• do not have elasticized edges that can increase the risk of suffocation

My Personal Baby Sling Experience

I used a New Native Baby Carrier baby sling with my son, Jared, from birth until he was about 6 months old. From that time until he was 3 years old I used both the New Native Baby Carrier and an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder (OTSBH). He was 6 years old when I wore him in the OTSBH sling for the last time. He practically lived in his sling for the first 6 months, as it allowed me to keep him close enough to breastfeed on demand while still keeping up with my very active toddler daughter (she was 3 1/2 years old when was born). I had first learned about baby slings at a La Leche League meeting when my daughter was only a few months old. While I became very familiar with them at the time, learning various positions in a variety of carriers, my daughter never did like being in a sling. I just carried her in my arms everywhere.

Conclusion – Benefits of Infant Slings Outweigh the Risks

With the numerous benefits of babywearing, for both mamas and babies, so well-documented, I still wholeheartedly recommend using baby slings. When used properly, baby slings can be a safe and essential parenting tool that promotes bonding, reduces colic, facilitates breastfeeding, and makes it easier for mamas to go about their day while still meeting their baby’s needs.

I will be happy to address any concerns/questions you may have, about safety or babywearing in general. Just post a comment below or contact me.

Imse Vimse has changed the sizing for their organic cotton training pants. The ages and weights are the same, but the names of the sizes have changed. Here’s a summary of what’s changed:

• size Small (S) is now size Extra-Large (XL)
• size Medium (M) is now size Super-Large (SL)
• size Large (L) is now size Junior (J)
• size Junior (J) is now size Junior Plus (J+)

The only tricky aspect of this is that Imse Vimse is still using the name Junior for one of the sizes but it now has a different meaning. The tags on the training pants only give the ages and weights, so this name change only matters if you’re shopping for new training pants. In that case, you’ll want to make sure you check out the new Imse Vimse training pants size chart. If your child was wearing a size Junior and you need to get more training pants in the same size, you’ll need the new size Junior Plus. If your child was wearing the old size Medium and you need the next size up, you’ll now need to buy the size Junior.

Everything else about the training pants remains the same. They’re still made from soft, pure organic cotton. They’re still made with fair labor in Sweden. They still contain a thin layer of PUL to make them waterproof to protect your toddler’s clothes. They’re still available in plain white and in assorted fun & stylish prints. They are still unpackaged to minimize waste. And, they’re still more economical and eco-friendly than their disposable counterparts!

When the 7.3 magnitude struck Haiti on January 12^th, the already-impoverished and struggling nation was reduced to chaos. The initial news stories painted a bleak picture of tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless, with total devastation of essential infrastructures such as hospitals, roads, airports, schools, and relief offices.

Within days the IFRC had posted on Flickr a collection of photos that showed the damage. The images ranged from wide aerial shots–of neighborhoods that look almost like they could be the aftermath of crude structures flattened and destroyed by a toddler "playing" earthquake in his sandbox–to tear-jerking close-ups of children whose dirty, bandaged faces show banal expressions from knowing too keenly in their young lives the pangs of hunger and poverty.

As I clicked through these images and read the scant reports that came out in those first few days, I imagined what it would be like to be there amidst the devastation. I imagined what it would be like to a child in that environment. I was determined to help in any way I could. I knew that the people of Haiti were surrounded by dilapidated buildings, raw sewage, broken glass, and other debris. They needed food, medical care, shelter, and clean water. I didn’t have any of those things to offer, and, like many of you, I’m not in a financial position to give any meaningful amount of money. But I did have children’s shoes—shoes that could protect the feet of the Haitian children to keep them safe and clean.

On January 19^th, I contacted my local Red Cross chapter and asked whether they were accepting in-kind donations and was told they were not because they had no infrastructure in Haiti to receive them—their own offices had been destroyed. Disappointed but not discouraged, I posted my findings on Twitter and quickly received a link to a shoe store in Canada that was accepting donations of shoes to send to Haiti. From their website I was able to jump to Soles4Souls and then everything just fell into place.

On the Soles4Souls website I read about their commitment to donate 1 million pairs of shoes, along with other relief supplies, to victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. To meet this goal, Soles4Souls partnered with shoe stores and other businesses who accepted donations on their behalf. After my experience with the Red Cross, I first needed to confirm with the Soles4Souls procurement department that they could in fact get the shoes into Haiti. Once they assured me they could, I got to work.

KidBean.com is primarily an online retailer, but for a time I did also wholesale a few products, including a line of organic hemp children’s sneakers that I co-designed. I also had organic hemp sandals, rainbow sandals, and loafer-style organic hemp shoes for kids. In all, I had nearly 850 pairs of children’s shoes in my warehouse and I sent every one of them to Soles4Souls on January 22^nd for them to forward to the children of Haiti.

It took several hours to ready the shipment and my six-year-old son, Jared, was indispensable that Friday afternoon as the two of us raced around the warehouse emptying bins of shoes, sorting and counting the contents, and then packing them neatly in boxes. We weren’t ready when our UPS driver came by for our daily afternoon pickup but he happily agreed to come back later that evening to pick up the shipment.

(In case you’re wondering about my dark attire, you should know that I always wear black on Fridays. Whenever possible I attend a weekly vigil with the Women in Black in downtown Asheville. Even when I can’t attend, I still wear black as a symbol of my protest of violence everywhere.)

I’m glad that I was in a position to offer assistance to the victims of the earthquake, and I’m encouraged by news like today’s Miami Herald report that, as of February 1^st, $35 million had been donated via text messages alone to various Haitian relief efforts. The local response here in Asheville has been amazing, including creative fund-raising events by businesses such as The Water Lily and Wildflower Studio salons donating money from haircuts, Rosetta’s Kitchen sending to Haiti all donations from their Sunday cauldron soup night, and the upcoming Help Haiti Heal benefit concert.

While the global response has been incredible—especially considering the economic downturn that still affects so much of the world—there is still a long way to go. The Washington Post reported today that only about half of the 2 million Haitians who need food aid have actually received it so far—three weeks after the earthquake. About 70,000 people have received temporary shelter materials, but tens hundreds of thousands more are in need of such basic necessities.

Please, if you have not already done so, I urge you to give in any way that you can. Numerous charities are accepting donations for Haiti relief and USA Today columnist Sandra Block offers valuable tips on what to consider before choosing a charity. Whether you donate by text, with a credit card online, or give a pair of shoes at your participating local shoe store, your donation WILL make a difference in the lives of the victims of this earthquake.

Let’s not stop with providing emergency assistance to the people of Haiti in their time of crisis. As relief workers are able to bring aid to the victims and the country begins to heal and rebuild, let us also remember to address the long-term social and economic injustices that contribute to the poverty in Haiti.

 

John Swann, Owner and President
Chuck Pruett, CEO
Greenlife Grocery
70 Merriman Ave
Asheville, NC 28801

21-Jan-2010

Mr. Swann and Mr. Pruett:

I have been a regular shopper in your Asheville store for over 4 years. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I often spend more in your store each month to feed my family of 4 human vegans and 5 pets than I do on my mortgage. Your store exemplifies some of the qualities I love most about Asheville: a passionate commitment to buying local, a brazen embrace of the freedom of personal expression, and a fierce devotion to protecting our environment.

With this in mind, I am writing to express my deep disappointment in your decision to use NatureWorks PLA containers in your Prepared Foods department. In my research I have confirmed that these containers are made from raw materials that include genetically-engineered corn. According to the Food Philosophy on your website:

Greenlife Grocery is committed to providing the freshest and healthiest food possible. We offer natural and Organic Food and Health & Body Care products that are free of:

• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)* [my emphasis]
• Irradiation 
• Hydrogenated Oil 
• Bleached Flour 
• Artificial Preservatives, Sweeteners, Flavors, or Colors 
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Animal By-Products of Rendered Animal Fats 
• Antibiotics, Growth Stimulants or Synthetic Drugs 
• Petroleum Based Ingredients or Mineral Oil 
• Testing on and/or Cloning of Animals
  

*Despite every effort, it may not be possible to avoid GMOs due to cross-contamination

While these containers are not "food" nor "health & body care products", they do come in contact with food. Even if they did not come into contact with food, their use is still promoting genetic engineering and all its negative ramifications, as well as the clearly unjust and unsustainable business practices of Cargill, the company who makes these containers.

Cargill supports child slave labor on its cocoa plantations, is a huge proponent of GMO’s, and is a serious player in the destruction of rainforests for palm oil production. For more information, please see the following resources:

• Green America’s Responsible Shopper Profile of Cargill
• Rainforest Action Network action page for Cargill
• International Labor Rights Forum

Numerous companies now manufacture compostable food service containers, and some are even certified by BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute). A few brands are GMO-free (such as GenPak and EatWare), but most (if not all) are made in China. There are serious environmental, labor, and health concerns over products made from palm fiber and from bagasse (health concerns are for the workers in the factories). I am aware of only one company, Earth Shell, manufacturing in the USA, but I have not been able to confirm whether their products contain any GMO’s. Another company, Be Green, has earned Cradle-to-Cradle certification for their line of food service packaging, but they also are currently made in China.

I wish I could recommend an ideal alternative brand for you, but I have not yet found one. However, I am dismayed that you have chosen what appears to be the worst available option. A more sustainable option would be to at least choose products NOT made by Cargill, and instead by a smaller manufacturer with a clearer, stronger commitment to the environment and to fair labor & business practices. Products certified by BPI, Green Seal, and/or Cradle-to-Cradle would be preferable (note, however, that such certifications do not expressly prohibit the use of GMO’s). Even if these products are made in China, or elsewhere overseas, they would still be preferable than Cargill’s GE-containing PLA containers.

I encourage you to check out these resources for more information:

• Responsible Purchasing Guide to Food Service Containers
• Sustainable Foodservice Consulting’s list of biodegradable food containers

I urge you to seriously and promptly re-evaluate your purchasing decisions regarding your food service products and to take immediate action to choose a more ethical and sustainable option. Thank you for all the good work you do in our community supporting and promoting organic products and the local economy!

Melissa Zenz
Asheville Resident
Owner, KidBean.com