Breastfeeding Cover-Ups

I am 100% in favor of free and open breastfeeding in public and private places. How insulting is it that society has co-opted women's breasts as sexual objects instead of the shame-free mammary glands that they really are.

However, not all communities are comfortable with women's lifecycles as natural and normal. And sometimes, it's just plain cold! So, if you have a new baby you're breastfeeding and don't feel comfortable breast feeding openly in public (or it's winter!), consider a cover-up. Using a cover-up in a public place is a great "in between" step to help move society in the direction of feeling comfortable with breastfeeding as natural.

The one pictured here is from "The Undercover Baby." They offer cute and stylish designs in organic cotton. Check them out if you are or will soon be a breastfeeding mother or know someone who is!

PLUS: Through Jan. 31st, they're all 20% off!

Image from http://www.theundercoverbaby.com/assets/images/homepic2.jpg

Home decor sales

Style Saves the World (original article here) says,

"I've raved before about the great organic and hemp linens that Amenity offers...now you can get 30% off the entire site (including sale items!). Enter 2009 at checkout. Expires 2/1/09.

"Need other sustainably made goodies for your home? Get 25% off at Branch by entering DCBRANCH at checkout. Excludes furniture and sale items."

Amenity has beautiful linens for the home and the nursery. Branch offers a wide range of things, including biodegradable/compostable disposable plates, bowls, cups, and silverware. So, if you need sheets, linens, home decor, party supplies, etc., consider these green options.

Rent-A-Toy

It gets a whole lot harder to be green when you have kids. Even if you surround your children with good examples of sustainable living and commercial-free media, eventually their friends or billboards or something will convince them that the "need" a whole slew of material things. Of course, this is not true. And we adults can do a lot to help fight this mind-set through good parenting and community support.

Yet, there are battles we choose not to fight with children. Perhaps you'd like to satiate their undying desire for, say, a remote control car. Instead of heading out to the mall to buy one, consider the green alternatives:

-Borrow the toy from a friend, neighbor, cousin, etc. Kids lose interest in most toys very quickly. There's almost certainly a forgotten specimen of the toy you're looking for in the bottom of the toy box of someone you know.

-Buy the toy from a thrift store or Goodwill. These type of organizations do good in the community, too. If you support their work, support their retail fundraising.

-Buy the toy used online through eBay, Amazon, etc. This is an excellent way to keep unwanted toys out of the landfill and extend their lives.

-Forgo the carbon footprint of transporting the toy and get it in your community. Craigslist and yard sales are great options. You may even get lucky and find what you're looking for through a Free Cycle program.

-Rent your toys! Programs like Rent-A-Toy work kind of like Netflix, in that you can keep the toys as long as you want and even have the option of buying them if your kid gets really attached. The toys come to you sanitized, in working order, and with pre-paying return packaging.

More Socks!

For socks, tights, scarves, t-shirts, lounge pants, and even sock monkeys, check out Maggie's Functional Organics. Made using organic cotton, Maggie's clothing is cute and affordable.

They even have a section for baby and children's clothes and socks. When your kid is growing a size a week (or so it seems, at least), you can reduce his or her impact by choosing organic (or consignment).

Now, before you go to Maggie's and get scared off, I'll warn you: they do offer tie-dyed clothes. Try to ignore it, and focus on the functional and/or the cute offerings.

I, for one, want a pair of those leg warmers. But, alas, I can't imagine where I'd need them...

Also, Nimli offers organic socks for women and infants, too. Just more options!