…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.

Check this out, new from Pampers:

Change the Wetness - Not the diaper!

When you’re out and about, it’s often hard to find a good place to change your baby’s diaper. Finally, a simple, clean way to keep your baby dry on the go. Introducing New Pampers Change ‘N Go, with the 1st ever replaceable Slip-In that pulls wetness away from baby’s skin and helps lock it away. The ultra absorbent Slip-In holds as much as a full size diaper and makes changes easier than ever. No changing table required! You only change the whole diaper for messy changes.

I’d have to see them and hold them to understand exactly how they work (you can see videos of them “in action” here). Somehow the idea of one piece of…stuff that you insert with cardboard doesn’t seem sufficient. But with the amount of research and development that goes into this sorta stuff, I can’t see them bringing them to market if they didn’t somehow work…

I’m a bit of a clean freak when it comes to diaper changes, though, and always use wipes even with a pee. Obviously these wouldn’t work for a poop either. And really, disposable diapers are so ridiculously absorbent, I dunno when this would ever be needed.

I’m not sure I’d spend the money, either: $4 for four diapers and slip-ins, or $11 for 16 — pricey!

I do, however, like the idea of not needing a change table. And we all know what happened that one time…

Thoughts?

(Thanks to reader Sarah for sending this in — especially because she uses cloth diapers…)

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.

The Consumer Product Safety people are recalling these cute animal head blankets by Lil Snugglers because…

…are you ready for the potentially deadly risk?…

…the satin edging can come off, potentially strangling a child.

*sigh*

I think the Safety Police have inhaled too many fumes from testing flammable lingerie.

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!

Is your head spinning with trying to figure out this bisephenol-A information? Wondering what bottles, sippy cups and water jugs are safe?

From what I’ve read, polycarbonate bottles are labeled with a 7 on the bottom, for other plastics. Unfortunately, some BPA-free plastics (such as single-use beverage bottles) are also labeled 7, so it can be confusing. But at least this is a guide.

Here are some excellent resources for making sense of it all:

Z Recommends: The Z Report on BPA in children’s feeding products, third edition — I cannot recommend this site enough. This guy has interviewed almost every major baby product manufacturer and ranked them, creating a massive, comprehensive list of safe (and not safe) products. Truly the best resource on the Internet, which is why so many people have linked to it.

Plastic labeling — wondering what each little number on the bottom of plastic means? Here’s a fabulous list.

Rubbermaid BPA list — now here’s a wonderful thing to see. Rubbermaid has a list of ALL it’s products (with photos, for handy reference) and whether they do or do not contain BPA. If only all corporations did this.

Playtex BPA list — just got this via email from Playtex yesterday, a pdf of all their products, too. They’re also offering free samples of their BPA-free Nurser Drop-in system. Keep in mind that the bottles themselves contain BPA (although the food does not touch them, it does not help the process) and this creates a lot of garbage.

CBC News in-depth on BSA — richly detailed.

I was at Once Upon a Child in Ajax today, and they are back-ordered on all their stainless steel sippy cups until the end of May. Has anyone found them in Durham?

If you ever needed a(nother) reason to stop using and throw out your hard plastic/polycarbonate sippy cups, baby and drinking bottles, you have it now: Health Canada on Friday OFFICIALLY labeled bisephenol A dangerous.

Hooray! This is huge, huge, huge. Canada is the first country in the world to take this drastic step. I am so proud to be a Canadian today.

I actually did not know that retailers other than Mountain Equipment Co-op had pulled polycarbonate bottles from its shelves, but it turns out there are an impressive list of powerhouse organizations who have banned BPA products, including Sears, Shoppers Drug Mart and Canadian Tire (interestingly, CT was advertising some hard plastic water bottles on sale in this week’s flyer. Interesting to see if they are still in stores).

In case you were looking for more to worry about, my sister-in-law (hi Jenni!) shared this scary story about high levels of BPA in canned foods such as infant formula, chicken soup and ravioli. Many cans have a liner made of BPA, and the study found being exposed to it this way is even more dangerous than through bottles.

Seriously, just when you think you’ve conquered one, there is another to contend with. We don’t eat a ton of canned foods, but beans in tomato sauce and soups are consumed at Chez McDougall-Foster weekly.

*sigh* Now what?

…now there’s a book to help you explain it to your child!

In the book My Beautiful Mommy (due out, sadly, on Mother’s Day), a woman undergoes a nose job and tummy tuck and — voila! — ends up “even more” beautiful than before.

Please. gag. me.

Good thing the book is written in a “friendly, non-threatening” way.

Did you know there’s something called a Mom Makeover for women who’ve had kids? It’s a tummy tuck-breast implant combo. Sort of defeats the purpose of beautiful sites like this, doesn’t it?

The CBC is reporting Health Canada will label bisephenol A “a dangerous substance,” making it the first regulatory body in the world to do so.

BPA is used to make hard plastics, including baby bottles, toys and food containers. Recent studies link it to breast cancer, obesity, infertility and insulin-resistance.

Here are my favourite links about it, from the February Durham Region Baby newsletter: CBC in-depth,  Z Recommends report on bisephenol A in bottles and in sippy cups, and the Centre for Environmental Health, Environment and Justice on Baby’s Toxic Bottle.

This development is huge. It means companies that make products with the compound will finally be forced to admit it’s dangerous, and start making safe alternatives.

Stay tuned!

p.s. — we lost our beloved SIGG bottle, and are currently using the Thermos Foogo. It’s an excellent sippy; I’ll do a review soon. 

We got us some potentially poisonous pears, people!

(I worked hard on that.)

President’s Choice and Beech Nut are recalling their respective toddler pear juices from concentrate, as they may be tainted with arsenic.

Get all the info here, or call Loblaws Customer Relations at 1-888-495-5111, or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735.

Two things strike me as unusual here…

First, why is one juice labeled as organic and one not? Is the PC juice really organic? Or are they just processed in the same plant?

Second, how does arsenic maybe get into toddler pear juice? Did some psycho worker just happen to sprinkle some in a giant vat? Is it used in production somewhere? Why was it even in the plant?

So many questions surround the poisonous pears.