I’ve lost more than a little sleep knowing that I’ve commited the ultimate BPA leaching sin….the fact I’ve heated milk in plastic, in a microwave, everyday for the last 5 years.   Nothing like the never-ending cycle of  ‘parent’s guilt’.  All my kids love heated milk in the morning and before bed,  so eliminating plastics from their milk sippies was going to be harder than the water bottles.  The boys were nursed, then weaned to a cup just after turning 1 and I’ve heated their milk in plastic Gerber cups ever since. Yikes! Reheating liquid or food in plastic is the worst cause of BPA leaching so I know I’ve got some more changes to make!  We’ve always used Gerber ‘Fun Grips Color Change Spill Proof Cups’ so I called Gerber and they confirmed that style are BPA free,  but they’ve never recommended heating liquid in the container.  Thanks for letting me know this 5 years later guys!   I’m interested to know if that is stamped on their cardboard when you purchase the product…because until the BPA stuff became news, I had no idea you shouldn’t heat liquid or food in plastics.   That phone call made me feel better at some level, so  I decided to keep their Gerber sippies for milk for the short-term.  I have to say I don’t believe what the big names are saying about BPA in their products….it has taken some companies so long to react that unless the cups are made from a substance other than plastic (stainless steel, etc.) or the packaging is marked ‘BPA Free’ I don’t have faith. **Anyone have an alternative to plastic for kids that like milk heated?**   Although my Klean Kanteen bottles have just arrived, I don’t think the kids would enjoy a heated beverage in stainless steel every morning.

Can I mention that I LOVE my Klean Kanteen bottles?   They are gorgeous to the eye and their weight is very light.   My 6 year old would be able to use my 27 oz without any problems.  Any of the cons I listed in a previous article with my Thermos bottles are non existent with Klean Kanteen.   Their customer service is awesome,  you can purchase 100% stainless steel loop caps if you want to completely eliminate plastic, and they are very light for kids and toddlers to handle.   Oh yes, and something I didn’t know that was so important in my life…they can go in the dishwasher!   The tops and the bottles are dishwasher safe except the stainless poly loop caps.   I’m very happy with this brand and their products ranging from the sippy cups with avent tops for toddlers….to 18 oz, 27 oz, and 40 oz bottles for bigger kids/adults.

The dangers of  BPA leaching from plastics came to my attention a few months ago.  I immediately emailed my greenest friend Suzanne and got the scoop on stainless steel water bottles for the kids.   She educated me in the world of stainless steel and I found the Thermos ‘FUNtainers” and Klean Kanteens were the front runners for my family.  I found my Thermos stainless steel FUNtainers at London Drugs and immediately threw out all plastic water sippies.  The kids love their Thermos bottles (the commercial prints on the bottles make your kids want to use them) so I have no regrets with the purchase, but this company makes it tough for Canadians to totally embrace them.   The replacement straws that you need are tough (if not impossible) to find in Canada making this $18 purchase an item that has a shelf life.  You can order these cups online via the Thermos web site, but my two friends that did this got dinged with so many duty and ’service’ charges once they arrived, it was ridiculous.   **If you can have them shipped somewhere in the States and order replacement straws at the same time this would be a great idea.**   Three other cons I can think of with these bottles are they are heavy, they utilize 2 plastic pieces (aren’t we trying to get away from all plastic here?), and a  biggie for me…if you have any problems with your order, their customer service is terrible.  You honestly feel like your banging your head against cement trying to get assistance via their email customer service or the phone number that’s listed on the web site.   But if you can overlook these negatives, you can’t beat the kid friendly designs these bottles have…it’s hard to beat having Batman or a Princess on your water bottle if you’re a kid.

I have to laugh at the latest trend of ‘baby wearing’. That was a requirement when I left my house because my stroller wouldn’t accommodate 4 kids.  I always had one of my twins in a Baby Bjorn and they loved it.   It was precious 1-1 time shared with whoever was lucky enough (or fussy enough) to wind up being ‘worn’.

Now that my kids are older, I have to admit I miss ‘wearing’ them. For awhile now I’ve been thinking of getting a tattoo….something that represents all 4 and the love I have for them. I saw a woman with cascading butterflies coming over her shoulder and thought it would be wonderful to have 5 with the first letter of each of their names (my hubby included).

If I could have Kat Von D from LA Ink magically appear in my house, I would get a portrait of the kids….she is amazing! But, since the chances of Ray sending me on an all expense paid trip to LA to seek her out are slim (less than slim) it’s going to involve some thought, money, and time to have my kids forever placed on my body. My goal is to have the design decided by my 40th Birthday.

I’ve recently seen another option to ‘baby wearing’ that appeals to me. Having a hand made, custom piece of jewelry with your kids’ names or family expressions printed to keep them close. I have seen necklaces by a local Port Moody artist, Jane Eskuri, and the mommies that own their ‘family jewelry’ are thrilled with her work.  She has a Name Tag Necklace that is hand stamped with your loved ones names…a very sweet way to represent your family. 

Another artist I’m a fan of lists her jewelry on Etsy! It’s like an eBay for all things handmade and is very cool if you haven’t toured around the site. Her virtual store name is Expressions by Erica Jewlery Design and the stuff is adorable. Lots of designs to choose from and custom pieces are welcomed.

The below pictures are from Erica’s site and shows the unique charms that can be added to any piece displaying your kid’s names.

Every aspect of a traditional kids party involves excessive waste. From paper invitations, decorations (plates, napkins, cups, etc.), presents, goodie bags…..I could go on! Times are changing and parents are looking to reduce, re-use and recycle even at their kid’s parties. When explained to children at the right age, you can give them a valuable education regarding helping our planet and the benefits of helping a social cause.

My son’s 6th birthday is approaching and we are trying to make it as green as possible…I’ve listed some tips that we’ll be following to create a fun, eco party!

Evite www.evite.com invitations to reduce paper.

Minimal decorations….we are having a ‘Superman’ theme, but my big boy has agreed that only 1 decoration on the wall is ok. We’ll later post it in the toy room or his room so it gets some use.

I usually buy matching themed napkins, cake/food plates, table cloth, cups and goodie bags. This will all be eliminated and we’ll use what the facility provides and bring re-usable cake plates.

I won’t be making my own cake, but doing this helps reduce the waste of plastic packaging from a ’store bought’ cake.

The goodie bags are wood planter boxes that a local carpenter created. They will come unassembled, with instructions on how to assemble, nails, a bag of soil, and a bag of seeds. I’ve always loved the gardening theme for give aways because it gives kids a lasting project and gets them outside in the fresh air.

Presents….hmmm now here comes the tough one.
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Health Canada is first in the world to declare BPA dangerous - making environmental and health history.  What a great move for Canada, as this is the first step towards a ban and this classification could pave the way for BPA to be listed as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This would allow our health minister to issue measures for its use. Other countries have been buying into the industry defending that BPA is harmless.  By Canada being the first country to issue such a warning, it will pressure other major regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and its counterpart in the European Union to study again their approval on the use of BPA.

Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defense, explained to Globe and Mail that, “Bisphenol A is in every Canadian home. It threatens the health of every Canadian. Moving against it would be a hugely significant victory for public health and the environment.”

Bisphenol A is a “hormonally active chemical” found in almost all plastics and in metal can liners, where it can leach into foods and beverages. Industry maintains that BPA is safe at small concentrations, but concerns about its impact on human health continue to grow. Some experts say it mimics naturally occuring estrogen and according to the 2006 National Geographic Green Guide, animal studies indicate that BPA may cause infertility, cancers, and hyperactivity.

Health Canada’s decision on bisphenol A is slated to be released tomorrow.