…that this is a little disturbing, no? From the Toronto Star’s parentcentral.ca (thanks, Kelly):

Sex and the City put stilettos in the spotlight and now a couple of mothers have put them in the crib.

Tiny soft baby shoe with soft heels, for infants up to 6 months, are “just a fun, novelty, dress-up item,” says Britta Bacon, 30. “I’ve always been a shoe freak and I thought, `Omigawd, what if you could take a baby to a party wearing high heels? It would be hilarious!’”

Bacon and partner Hayden Porter, 31, call their Bellevue, Wash., company Heelarious.

The one-size shoes, in leopard and zebra patterns, black and hot pink patent and hot pink matte arrived this week at Acheson’s in Orangeville. They’ll be available next week in Toronto at the Doll Factory, 1122 Queen St. E.

“They’re very cool,” says Acheson’s owner Dianne Acheson, who sells them for $39.95. “The packaging is so cute, with a great big rhinestone. They’re a beautiful baby gift. The heel is soft. There’s nothing that’s going to affect the baby.”

But there’s been criticism of the product, on blogs and by some experts. “We get tagged as horrible and perverted: `Why would we put babies in heels, taking away their innocence?’” says Porter. “But a 3-month old baby has no idea she’s wearing high heels.”

This reminds me of sex-stereotyping clothing I’ve seen, from “Future Cheerleader” or “Future Prom Queen” for girls, and “Future Quarterback” or “Future Prom King” for boys. Both in pink and blue, respectively, of course. I find it so nauseating and unfair.

The stilettos? Where is the hilarity in putting an item so wrapped up in sensuality and empowerment on a baby? There’s a difference between making Baby “cute” with frilly dresses and bows, and making them “sexy” with high-heeled shoes. It doesn’t help the shoe styles have rather hooker-esque names (when attached to stilettos) such as Brooke and She’s a Little Lady.

Also: $40 for a 0-6 months soft pair of shoes? Um, no.

Did you hear or read or see the CTV/Globe and Mail tests and stories about bisephenol-A in canned goods such as apple juice, soup and baked beans?

Reaction to the story totally depends on which side you’re on.

The environmental peeps say Canadians are “marinating” in the chemical, and that “little by little, these exposures add up to a bigger hit.”

Product manufacturers say the found levels are well below safe levels from Health Canada, and question the testing methods.

More info for you to ponder. Read more info on BPA, sippy cups and bottles etc. here, here, here and here.

While at the Green Living Show this weekend, I picked up several cards that list cosmetic and personal care ingredients in big and little kid products to avoid. These are synthetics that are potentially harmful — especially to vulnerable, developing babies.

(For the record, I’m SO not saying these ARE harmful or cause cancer or make your arms fall off or or will kill us all tomorrow. They are thought to be harsh or not environmentally-friendly or come from nonrenewable resources. And yes, this information comes from companies that sell naturally-based products with their own agendas. Which is why I’m linking to Wikipedia or Google for definitions, where you can find all sorts of links on your own.)

While I knew of some of these (parabens and phthalates) I thought you might like to see what other things to look for on an ingredient list. As with food, if you can’t pronounce it, it’s probably not good for you…

• sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate — a cleansing agent that creates foam and suds (which is why many natural products are not near as “soapy” as we’re used to)
• parabens — preservatives used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Controversial studies have linked it to cancer and increased estrogen.
• phthalates — used in plastics to make them more elastic, and found in everything from shower curtains to sex toys to nail polish and perfume and iPods. Controversial studies have linked it to hormonal imbalances (especially in fetuses) and allergies.
• petrolatum — a greasy, film-building skin protector widely used in cosmetics. Byproduct of petroleum (duh).
• phenylenediamine (PPD) — used in hair and textile dyes, printer ink and photographic products. A known allergen.
• coal-tar colours (FD&C or D&C) — synthetic food and cosmetic colour dye.
• diethanolamine (DEA) — used to create a creamy texture and foaming action. Linked to cancer, decreased brain development and miscarriages.
• dimethicone — a silicone oil used in shampoo to make hair slippery and shiny.
• formaldehyde — too. much. to. process.
• phosphate — commonly added to dishwasher detergent to help soften water and boost cleaning power. Excessive amounts in our water can create excess algae.
• oxybenzone — organic compound used in sunscreen and cosmetics as it absorbs UVA rays. A known carcinogen that penetrates the skin and creates free radicals (this one scares me, because I’ve been wearing sunscreen cream for years, and regularly slather it on Lucy. Need to look into it more and find alternatives.)

FYI, two of my favourite Durham retailers (who also happen to advertise, yes) carry wonderful natural baby bath products. Tamarra of Lollipops & Lizards (online) now carries the Little Twig line, and Shelby of Natural Earth Tones (Oshawa) has the All Things Jill line. Both are great priced (the higher cost of natural and organic products is always an impediment for people, myself included, which is why these are great).

President’s Choice had a HUGE booth at the show and was really promoting its Green products. We got a free, full-size sample of their floor cleaner and cleaning putty. Currently, we use the laundry soap, toilet paper and paper towels, and will switch to the dishwasher detergent when our stock is up. I love that these are so accessible and reasonably priced.

A company called Live Clean gave away tons of mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner to promote their eco-friendly body care line. Their stuff is 96% plant derived, and they gave out this neat bookmark that you can plant to make a wildflower garden (what clever, clever marketing).

This post is huge, so I’d better stop before your eyes roll back in your head from too much info or you click screaming away from the hippie-ness. Hope it all helps!

I’ve seen these floating around the Internet for a while, and finally saw them in real life at a consignment store yesterday.

I still can’t figure out if they’re a real help for parent and baby, or just another product gimmick.

Walking Wings help baby experience fewer falls, balance more effectively with two hands free, and offer more independence and confidence, says the site. For parents, the system helps relieve sore backs from bending over, and does not bend or twist baby arms.

I remember doing this exact thing with Lucy when she was starting to show interest in walking. And while it is hard on your back (isn’t parenthood in general?!), I don’t think she would have gotten up on her feet near as much without doing this — and I wonder if Walking Wings still offer the same support as an adult hands? Does it take enough weight off baby’s wee feet?

I dunno. I’d have to try this, I guess.

What do you think? Has anyone tried them?

Let’s kick the weekend off with a blast, shall we? Here are the latest product safety recalls — one of which we own!

• The First Years 3-in-1 flush & sounds Winnie the Pooh potty (lead)
• The First Years reclining feeding seat (malfunctioning straps, thus falling risk — we own this one, and have never had a problem…)
• Starbucks fusion mugs (scalding risk from loose handle)
• Old Navy performance fleece boy’s jacket (strangulation risk)
• Collectible horse ornaments (lead)
• Crystal innovations jewelery (lead)
• Metal jewelery by Colossal Jewelery (lead)
• DesignWare confetti bursts (lead)
• Kidzone wrestling figure (lead)
• Toy bus (lead)
• Mighty Wheels power shovel (lead)

Are any of you taking advantage of the exchange rate and doing some cross-border shopping?

Transport Canada is reminding parents that it is unsafe to buy car/booster seats in the U.S. for use in Canada. (Not?) surprisingly, American car seats do not meet Canadian federal safety regulations (eg: U.S. laws allow for lower weight limits), making them illegal here.

Apparently, American seats are showing up in car seat safety check clinics across Canada.

Obviously this is one bargain to pass up. (Thanks to Lisa for the link.)

One of the best purchases I’ve made for walking/toddler Lucy (as opposed to blob/infant Lucy) is a step stool.

My little darling is obsessed with “a-sim” which is Lucy toddler-speak for washing hands/playing with water (and sometimes holding hands). We’ve no clue what word/phrase she is trying to say (a sink? washin’?), but know what she means.

(Hey, does this make my kid tri-lingual? English, American Sign Language and Lucy toddler-speak?!)

Bright me figured out that if I got Lucy involved in the kitchen, I could maybe get the odd thing done in the kitchen without it being a big battle. As simple a concept as this may seem, I can’t tell you what a difference it’s made. Now I can unload the dishwasher, cook, put groceries away without encountering a epic toddler meltdown, house destruction or resorting to Elmo for the third time that day.

Sure, I have be prepared for a bit of a mess — mostly splashing water on the floor or counter — but it’s worth the time it gives me, and the pure joy Lucy has dunking things in the sink, filling up containers and splish-splashing. She loves it.

I love this Bekvam stool from Ikea, which was just $20. Unlike a lot of Ikea products, it’s solid wood — making it hefty and durable. Even better, Lucy can’t pick it up or easily move it around (although dragging it on the hardwood floors is a daily occurrence). It’s taller than a kid-geared wooden stool, so Lucy easily reaches to the top of my kitchen counters. I personally use it all the time, too, as it holds up to 200 (maybe even 300?) lbs. And it’s got a nifty hand-hole on the top to lug it around.

The only negative is that unlike more traditional step stools, this one cannot be folded and put away. And if you’re stupidly-Ikea-assembly-inclined like me and don’t have a mechanical engineer husband to put the mere eight pieces together, you could be in trouble (note: I’m an idiot).

Aside from that — love!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling the insanely popular Bumbo Baby Sitter seat.

The CPSC has received 28 reports of babies falling out of the seat — including three skull fractures! — when the chairs were placed on tables. It can’t be long before Canada follows suit and extends its own recall.

his brings back horrible, vivid memories of when Lucy fell off the stove because of our stupidity. I can only imagine how the parents in those 28 reports (of which I’m sure there are more that have gone unreported) feel.

In an act of high standards, grace and corporate responsibility, Bumbo has launched an entire web site devoted to the recall and the safe use of the seat. Kudos to them.

Lucy, of course, is not surprised. She always hated the Bumbo. See here how the invisible hot spikes are gouging her skin, making her screech in terror.

In related news, the federal government has launched a catch-all web site (called Healthy Canadians) for recalled children’s products and food. I’m thrilled for the site, but saddened it even has to exist…

And if you want to subscribe to receive an email about said recalls, you can do so here.

A little baby boy strangled to death while in one of these Kolocraft Sesame Street playpens, and they’re being recalled. Further details are on the company’s web site.

How utterly horrifying. They were sold at Loblaw’s and Superstore’s, so wanted to let you know.

What makes it all the more awful is that the playpens come with warnings NOT to put babies in with the changetable attached to the top.

So sad.

Anyone who has a baby knows hard it is to keep socks on the adorable feeties. I’ve struggled with this since the day Lucy was born. Actually, it wasn’t that much of a problem when she was a newborn, because she usually got poop on her socks at least three times a day and they were rarely on long enough to stay put.

I’ve had great success with Carter’s cuffed socks when Lucy was an infant, but haven’t been able to find them in toddler size around here. My girl is already a size 7 foot, but still has chubby baby legs, so we have issues with cuffed socks that fit her feet, but not her calves.

Our local supermarket is now carrying Joe Fresh Style  clothes, and I found The Dream Sock this week. They’re simple, light-weight cotton, stretchy, with just enough elastic around the top to hold onto Lucy’s legs without cutting off circulation. And they stay put. And they come in adorable colours (pinks, purples, creams, browns) and patterns (stripes and polka dots). AND they’re a great price: $6 for a pack of three pairs. We’re now proud owners of six pairs.

The other Joe clothes are sweet, too: Check out the stylish tops and sleepwear. And how can you not love all of these?! My mom picked up Lucy this adorable vest (with hot pink lining!), leggings and matching top.

I never thought I’d be telling people to go to the grocery store to buy pants, but here you go. Happy squeezing of fruits and clothes shopping!