The Environmental Working Group recently released a new report with the sensational title of “Toxic Tub”–which is typical of EWG, which values publicity in a big way. The bottom line is one we’ve heard before–US labeling and testing laws allow suspected carcinogens and known harmful substances to be put into body care products for people of all ages, and there’s no way to tell from the label.

My favorite source for checking up on body care products is Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic safety database. It’s a good first stop for assessing the safety of your favorite products. But even this resource must be read carefully–listing “fragrance” as an ingredient will raise a product’s score (higher scores are bad), even when the fragrance in question is an essential oil with no known risks. The database is trying to be even-handed and fair, but, as always, reading and questioning doesn’t stop just because a resource or company seems to be eco-friendly and well-intentioned… sigh.

For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to have an organic chemist to pester, my two favorite eco-friendly and safe lines for kids are the ever fabulous Earth Mama Angel Baby, which I feature in several of our luscious baby gift boxes, and California Baby, which is easier to find in stores–at least in this neck of the woods–and also offers sunblock. (If you are having trouble finding natural body care products, look in the nearest natural grocery store–or even in the natural-food section of a large chain grocery store. Whole Foods even has its own “Premium Body Care” program which carefully selects the safest products.)

Being prone to rashes myself, I am always very careful about skin care products, and since my sons were born I’ve noticed a number of EMAB and California Baby products making their way over to the adult bathroom in the house. We have tried a number of “natural” product lines over the years, but we keep coming back to these two. California Baby even has a shampoo for swimmers–an absolute essential for my water-obsessed and blond kids. Though, come to think of it, they might like having green hair…

We have a number of sweet baby gift boxes new this spring! Have fun browsing around our collection of organic, natural, and always practical baby gifts.

While new babies love to snuggle in our organic cotton and silk blankets, for older kids it’s time for rain boots! Yes, it’s pure mud and puddles outside here in Vermont.

So I’ll put in a plug for Kamik, whose adorable toddler and kid rain boots are indestructible. I especially love the recycling program, where they’ll take back their products if you can’t find another kid who needs them. Did I mention that my older son *lived* in his pink squiggle rain boots the summer he was two? He refused to wear anything else for months…

Last year, in one spectacular leap, the metro area around Burlington, Vermont went from having zero “natural parenting” stores to two in the space of the month. Of course, this was about three years too late to save me from fruitless trips to the local kiddie stores, including blank stares when I asked about non-toxic crib finishes. (I once had a well-groomed sales lady at an Ethan Allen insist that there was no such thing as a child-safe, non-toxic finish. Gack.)

So imagine my delight when suddenly there was not only a helpful, local place to scout out natural products, but two! First to open was the friendly, sunlit space at BeBop Baby Shop. (Check out their adorable organic wash mitts in two of our baby gift boxes! End plug.)

Shortly thereafter, Sprout, a mainstay in Brattleboro, opened a second store on Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace. Well, Church Street is the pedestrian mecca of this corner of the world, a true delight to people-watchers, foodies, and shoppers alike. The arrival of an amazing child’s bathroom and separate nursing lounge, all wrapped up with natural products galore, was like Christmas in August. And now it’s gone!!

Can I say again how awesome the bathroom was? A real toddler-sized toilet, lots of space, a great diaper-changing counter, a child-sized sink—oh, and adult sized versions in the room, too, so you could pee in tandem. I would have taken a camera, except that’s exactly where my sense of humor would give my mother a heart attack. (You put photos of MY grandson using a TOILET on the internet?!! And you used a word like “pee” in a written document?!?!)

So now I feel guilty for using Sprout as the Bathroom Mecca of the Farmers Market Saturday while only rarely buying anything. But despite my preschooler’s romance with the Plan City garage in the play area, I can’t exactly teach my kids to expect toys all the time. And the rest of the store was filled with items I have from Baby #1. So there’s not much to do besides wonder why all baby gear looks better designed and infinitely cooler once your first child turns one.

And, of course, one of the problems with running a eco-conscious household is that you are cautious about consumerism and don’t make a large number of impulse purchases…which doesn’t exactly help support green businesses. Bother. Sprout, I bid you a fond farewell.

Now will someone make up a potty trainer’s Google map for Burlington, VT and send it to me? Please?

For the fabulous boxes here at Green Baby Gift Box, I’ve focused on baby gifts that are lovely as well as practical. But there are also some basic items not quite exciting enough for a gift that everyone needs on hand when their first baby arrives. And that brings me to THE LIST–the basic checklist of what you need on hand when baby comes home.

Now I’ve seen about a zillion of these “what you need” lists in books and online, but they’re usually tied to some sort of marketing or gift registration list. And as you may have suspected, you really don’t need a special monogrammed cloth widget to hold diapers that hangs off your $1,000 diaper changing table (you remember, the changing table that your baby will be too wriggly to use in a few scant months).

So here you have it. The actual, yes-you-need-it List. Now I have to hedge a little bit by pointing out that the personality of both parents and the new baby will determine whether some items end up in the “can not survive without” or “totally useless” bins, but here’s a good start. Quantities may seem low–it’s generally better to buy just a few things and then wait and see what works best for you before stocking up. Enjoy!

Needed immediately:

• Car seat, baby sized. Check if your model fits in your particular car & if there’s an adapter so it can click into your stroller.
• Diapers (some newborn sized, some next size up–newborns go through them FAST, but this does taper off after the first month or so. Honest.) For info on cloth diapers, check out Mothering magazine, which has a great reprint on the issue. For disposables, Costco’s in-house Kirkland brand is the best deal, while the chlorine-free diapers from Seventh Generation are well liked.
• Burb cloths (aka spit-up rags–cloth diapers or old t-shirts can sub for this—and some babies spit-up more than others).
• Baby wipes (either a stack of baby washcloths to use as wipes or disposables)
• Diaper cream (we like Earth Mama Angel Baby or Burt’s Bees).
• Nail clippers, baby-sized (Some people insist on buying a nasal suction thingy–but many of us never needed to use one of these even when the baby had a cold. Wait and see if the hospital gives you one in any case.)
• 3 Receiving Blankets
• 3 Onesies or undershirts (might need fewer if you live in a cold climate, or more if you live somewhere toasty–see sleepers below)
• 1 Blanket Sleeper (aka sleep sack). We love CeeWee Baby! Sleep sacks are a wonderful, safe alternative to blankets, especially in the winter–you zip in the baby and they can’t kick off the blanket because they are wearing it-!
• 3+ Sleepers/coveralls/rompers/nightgowns. The sleepers with feet are great–babies can wear them all day & night and they can’t kick off the footies (socks are pretty useless when your baby’s a kicker, though some babies do well with rompers & booties).
• 1 Hat for newborn warmth (The hospital might give you one. A sunhat might come in handy, but usually your carseat or stroller is shading the baby so you may not need one until baby is mobile.)
• 1 Crib / bassinet / or co-sleeper (Even if you plan on co-sleeping, you will want some place to put baby down for napping.)
• 1 Crib mattress
• 1 Crib mattress pad
• 3 Crib / bassinet sheets & bumper (yes, you really need the bumper)
• 1 Baby shampoo/body wash combo. We love Earth Mama Angel Baby and California Baby.
• 1 Baby moisturizer (see Earth Mama Angel Baby & California Baby again for this & all other body care products!)
• 1 Infant Tylenol
• 1 Adult Tylenol extra strength (haha)
• Maternity menstrual pads (regular overnight pads work fine. snag some disposal underwear from the hospital if you like–very handy for the first couple of weeks!)
• 1 Diaper changing pad & covers
• 1 Diaper bag/backpack (or a portable changing pad to tuck into a bag you already own)
• 1 Baby thermometer (digital, or one of the new Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometers–these are great, you just scan across baby’s forehead, which is snazzy when you don’t want to wake them. Costco usually has a good deal on these.
• If you are planning on any bottle-feeding, a few bottles & nipples (look for Born Free, Adiri, or one of the other BPA-free brands). If you are planning on pumping, check and see if there’s an adapter so you can pump straight into the bottles (Born Free has these). You may also want a sterilizer, especially if you pump at work.
• 1 Small basket for dishwasher (for washing bottle parts, pump parts, teething toys and all sorts of small items)

collecting birth stories from everyone you know!