The owners of The Tickle Trunk have been working on perfecting an elusive and incredibly designed product since their store first opened – a stainless steel popsicle mold.  I’ve spoken with owner Carolyn regularly for almost a year and not a conversation has gone by without her mentioning with so much excitement about these popsicle molds. Well I have one of these amazing trays in my freezer, as they have just arrived and are in-stock at the Tickle Trunk and they live up to every one of my expectations. This might be one of the last places you’ve been trying to source a BPA-free or plastic-free solution in your freezer. Since the hormone disruptor BPA first gained media attention 2 years ago, most parents have been wary of plastic materials being used for freezing or heating food/liquid. I’ve never made my own popsicles because the plastic alternatives on the market always turned me off. The Tickle Trunk has not only designed a product that will last a life time because the design and quality are amazing, but is a pioneer in the process of bringing safe products to the fingertips of parents looking for stainless steel alternatives.

The popsicle mold arrives with several pieces and includes: 6 large stainless steel popsicle molds, 1 metal tray to hold the molds, disposable wooden popsicle sticks, silicone parts to hold the stick in place and stainless steel discs.  The steel is high quality 18/8 grade making it dishwasher friendly and easy to clean.  The molds are free-floating so that you can remove or re-fill one at a time.  The silicone rings were designed with this material so that the popsicle stick glides into the mold easily and stays where it’s supposed to be placed. The discs that hold the stick and measure the size of your popsicle have a beautiful sun burst design that is kid friendly and very attractive for adults.

The minute this popsicle mold arrived in my home, I was so excited to try making my own popsicles for the first time with my kids. I’ve since researched nutritious recipes that you can use to improve the popsicle, but I’m pleased with how easy the process was. You can tell this product has been tested, re-tested, designed, and perfected by a mom. Small details like using the removable silicone rings to adjust to the different sized sticks a consumer would use – to the tray design that keeps the molds perfectly still while freezing. When the popsicle is frozen and ready to be removed from the mold, you simply warm it in your hand and it releases very smoothly ~ ready for that excited child or adult to enjoy. Talk about the w-o-w factor and there’s nothing else like it on the market.

Mommy Footprint is so excited to offer our first contest of the year!  The process will go a little differently from previous ones – we will track contest entries via our Fan page on Facebook.  The lucky winner will receive a stainless steel popsicle mold from The Tickle Trunk. Enter to win by becoming a Mommy Footprint Fan here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Footprint/261832505845, then click over to The Tickle Trunk site and tell me what your favorite Tickle Trunk product is on their site by posting on the Mommy Footprint fan page wall. If you don’t have a Facebook account and would like to enter, you can use our traditional method of entering a contest by using the referral form http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/  I thought it would be fun to try something new with this awesome contest.  I’m loving my popsicle mold and wish you all luck with winning. Contest is open to all residents in North America and will close on March 19th.  If you are currently a member of the Mommy Footprint fan page, simply post your favorite Tickle Trunk product to the fan page wall to be entered into the contest.

Thanks again to The Tickle Trunk for sticking with the journey of creating this safe product that is such an incredible investment for any home. Popsicle molds are currently available through The Tickle Trunk and Green Planet Parties.

For recipes for making popsicles a healthier treat – check out these articles:

Hello, Summer: All-natural popsicles from scratch

All Natural Watermelon Popsicles

32 Unique Homemade Popsicle Recipes & Ideas

This year, shopping for back-to-school lunchtime items includes a much larger selection of stainless steel products. It’s no wonder with reports of plastic bottles that are branded ‘BPA-free” being tested and the results finding BPA still leaching and now the company SIGG announcing (in a very confusing bulletin from their CEO) bottles produced prior to August 2008 may leach BPA from the lining of their aluminum bottles. **  For parents and consumers, stainless steel options just keep looking better and better. Not only do stainless steel water bottles and lunch containers not require epoxy lining because it’s safe to have stainless steel directly touch your food and water, but they are easy to maintain, dishwasher safe, and if your purchase products in the 201 and 304 grades, they will last a very long time.

Sourcing and testing back-to-school lunch box products is very exciting for me at Mommy Footprint. Sometimes a product comes along that I can’t live without as a parent and they are a great fit with practical items at Green Planet Parties. Both my business partner Suzanne and I have a strong focus on products that not only are helpful to improve the conditions of our environment, but are safe for children. This September, Green Planet Parties has you covered with greener birthday parties and a greener start back-to-school.  We are proud to now carry 2 and 3 tiered stainless steel tiffin lunchboxes. These have been used in Asia and India for years and are gaining in popularity in North America. There is a shortage of these lunch systems in North America with this particular stainless steel grade (304) and the design cannot be beat.  Check out this product shot and read more…

My oldest son has loved using the 2-tier tiffin for over a year and and I’m excited to send him back-to-school using a 3-tier tiffin since he’s at school all day.  The boxes easily stack on top of each other and a very large bonus for me is only worrying about 1 lid for the top. There is a side latch with buckle to attach but it’s easy for kids and it’s very reminiscent of camping equipment we used as kids. All children love the latch because it’s fun to use. Moms can also be sneaky by strategically placing whatever item they want eaten first in the top container as it’s the first thing kids see after removing the lid.  I wonder if my kids have caught on that I’m doing this as their fruit and veggies are always in the top box.  Although the boxes are round, you can easily fit a child’s sandwich inside a single container. My GPP partner and I are thrilled to offer these to parents looking for safe and litterless lunch solutions with kids going back to school this September. Teachers, schools and children appreciate alternatives that help reduce waste and promote healthier eating.  

Green Planet Parties also loves stainless steel water bottles, but knows that children often loose or misplace these bottles. If your little angel is misplacing or hard on their water bottles, you might not want to pay top dollar for expensive bottles, so we added Water Geeks to our site to compliment the 304 stainless steel BILT bottles. Our Water Geek water bottles hold 12 oz and the BILT bottles hold 16 oz which is perfect for full day school aged children.

Like all parents, myself and the other ‘Suzanne’ of Green Planet Parties are concerned with finding safe solutions. It’s very rewarding to find products that work so well with our 6 kids (or should I call them guinea pigs) and share these products with other parents looking for practical, non-toxic and effective litterless lunchtime solutions.

** If you are worried about the SIGG water bottle you are using, check this picture on the SIGG website that diplays the old lining they were using on the inside of water bottles (that may leach BPA) and the new lining that is safe. Apparently SIGG’s customer service turn around time with emails is quick and they will replace old bottles. I personally would ask for a refund and not continue to support a company that made lots of money from concerned parents when BPA leaching from plastic water bottles first became public. The whole thing is very deceptive and company integrity is important to me as a consumer and parent.

One of my favorite stainless steel water bottles just got better!  Most families have one person that drinks nothing but water and large quantities of it.  My oldest son is that person and has very high standards with water bottles. He’s been testing the new Klean Kanteen sports top version 2.0 all summer and here is his expert summary, and only the way a 7 year boy could describe it.  “Mom! This water bottle is like a Ninja…in a good way!”  The ’sneak attack’ of how much quicker the water comes from this new version of the sports cap got him so excited and I just loved his reaction. 

For those that truly appreciate the quality and safety that comes with drinking water from a Klean Kanteen bottle, you’ll love the new experience of this sports cap.  The first version would allow water to trickle out and adults or children had to work at getting the water out.  With version 2.0 the water flows easily – hence my son’s reference to ‘ninja’. He can finish his entire 18 oz Klean Kanteen bottle in one sitting and I love how much water he’s getting simply from changing the sports cap on his bottle. This is an easy and inexpensive way to jazz up an old favorite. For those looking for these new sports caps or a full spectrum of Klean Kanteen bottles, check-out the online store H20×2, dedicated to providing wonderful alternatives to disposable water bottles.  They have a large variety of accessories, Klean Kanteen bottle colors, sizes and I love their option to personalize for back-to-school! 

The trend of stainless steel for transporting water continues to be a ‘must have’ product for 2009 back-to-school children.  In my mind, stainless steel is easiest to maintain, keeps water extra cool, kids love using stainless steel bottles, and most importantly, parents have peace of mind.  Recently, articles have surfaced that Heath Canada scientists found BPA leaching from plastic baby bottles that were packaged and marketed as “BPA-free”. I would think the same could be argued that plastic sport or drinking bottles marked BPA-free could be doing the same thing.  Based on everything I have learned in 2 years about plastic touching my food and water – I keep sourcing plastic alternatives and love my stainless steel products more and more.

One tip about the Klean Kanteen sports caps; if you are sending kids to school and the bottle will be rolling about loose in a back-pack, stick with sports cap version 1.0.  If your child’s back-pack has a side pocket and the bottle remains upright in transport, then on your child’s desk at school, try out version 2.0.  It is something new for your child and they’ll enjoy the ’silent sneak attack’ of their fun ninja bottle.

Have you heard the buzz about the book called Slow Death By Rubber Duck?  The two authors are leading environmentalists in Canada, Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, and by using their own bodies conduct a 4 day experiment to document how using everyday products known to contain BPA, Phthalates, Teflon, (to name only a few!) and what the effects in their system will be. The experiment could be compared to the Supersize Me documentary, but these results are more shocking because most people know that eating nothing but McDonald’s food is really bad for you.  The results from Slow Death By Rubber Duck might shock you, but because so many of these products are used in the food and products we are in direct contact with, it’s better to learn how to eliminate these chemicals that enter your children and family’s bodies. For example, did you know that newspaper ink contains high enough levels of BPA that can absorb through your skin?  I was surprised by this and many more sources the authors uncover.

Rick and Bruce tested the levels of these 7 chemicals from their experiment: Phthalates, Teflon, Flame Retardants, Mercury, Triclosan (antibacterial), Pesticides, and BPA.  First they attempt to detox their bodies fully from these chemicals, test/document the levels in their blood and urine, then expose themselves to these chemicals through everyday products and food that are known to have high content.  Then they re-test their blood and urine and publish the results. The most shocking part of the experiment for me was not only the high levels in specific chemicals, but also the realization that trying to eliminate levels of chemicals like BPA and Phthalates is impossible. Rick would know better than anyone else (he’s the Executive Director of Environmental Defense for Canada) what to avoid and he consulted with scientists that have been studying these chemicals for years. He could only get the levels of these chemicals low but not at zero because he realized for example if he’s trying to avoid all phthalates though personal care products, the chemical might wind up in milk he drinks because a farmer might use soft tubing containing this chemical to remove milk from a cow. Tracking this and proving it back to the dairy supplier would be impossible. Thinking that your coffee is okay to drink but then realizing the coffee shop selling it has parts of their coffee machine made with polycarbonate plastic – now the coffee contains BPA.  Really, until our Government steps in and bans and controls these chemicals we are faced with a long road with our health chemically polluted. 

 
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I’ve had an epiphany of sorts over the last few months at Mommy Footprint. The last time I experienced this, I was listening to a dietitian named Jen talk ~ things started clicking together and I made changes. My sudden insight of late comes after many hours reading what the experts at EWG have to say, watching the Disappearing Male documentary, and getting many opinions from moms I trust that are focused on non-toxic households. It’s a feeling that actually saddens me because anyone that knows me is aware I love toys. Not at a normal level ~ I enjoy buying them more than my kids enjoy receiving them. I really thought this made me a good mom.

When my Mommy Footprint journey began, many things changed in our household. I began to experience a new awakening of the environment and also an understanding that I need to check products for myself before trusting that big name companies were watching out for my children. Because of financial reasons and having a house that is filled with too much ’stuff’ I’ve been scaling back for the better part of 11 months and feel quite ashamed of my access in the last 6 years of being a parent. I’ve also realized that many things in my house are indeed toxic; cleaning supplies, personal care products, and toys. My focus with this article is toys and the important lesson for consumers that purchase toys for small children.

There is so much confusion with the terms PVC, phthalates, plasticizers, types of plastic, etc., it still has me scratching my head at times. There are a few things I’ve learned and it would have altered the course of my parenting had I known that most soft plastic toys are toxic. If you knew that a child simply mouthing a PVC plastic toy could be compared to a child sucking chemicals from a sponge wouldn’t you call poison control and find out what the effects were? Well the European Union really had a grasp of this problem back in the 1990’s and banned a lot of products that continue to be sold in Canada and the US ~ why? In 1997 Austria, France, Greece, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden all banned phthalates (one of the most common chemicals used to make plastic soft) from being used in toys.  Why is North America so much slower to react? 

PVC is one of the most widely used forms of plastic, but it’s known as a human carcinogen. What would possess a toy manufacturer to use it in toys? We know that during the processing of PVC, dioxins, one of the most toxic chemicals known are created and released. Over the course of it’s lifetime, PVC plastic leaks harmful additives and because it’s not recyclable, PVC ends up being burned or sits in a landfill. Burning this plastic is very harmful because dioxins are further released (air pollution), so it most likely ends up sitting in the landfill where it further pollutes our soil. 

So I’ve written about soft plastic toys previously because my children have all mouthed and bathed with soft plastic toys their entire lives. What do I know about these toys to date? The chemicals used to make these toys soft pose potential health problems with mainly reproduction and cancer. That’s not a good feeling. I’ve spoken with toy manufacturers and taking the first step would be researching toys that are ‘phthalate free’. But ~ I would go one step further and purchase PVC free toys. If you are purchasing a tubby toy or teething toy, there should not be PVC plastic anywhere near it. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at sites for non-toxic bath toys (because all my children love playing in the tub) and in all my research, I’ve managed to find only 2 brands/products I would feel 100% comfortable with: Green Toys and Boon. Many new parents know of Boon because of their selection of safe food products for children. They have some great products specifically for the tub and they are BPA, Phthalate, and PVC free. How great to know without a doubt, your child is free to teeth, mouth, bath, play with these products. Hats off to Raspberry Kids for sourcing this great product line. It’s where I’ll be sourcing my new tubby toys and being a Canadian online store that ships everywhere, I encourage North American parents to support this non-toxic sourcing.

Another product line I’ve talked about in the past that has been a savior with my kids is Green Toys. I can’t tell you the peace of mind I have when I watch my twins (every night) have a tea party with their Green Toys tea set. Made from recycled Becel containers, I’ve been able to rest assured that chemicals aren’t leeching from the cups, spoons, saucers, and tea pot they play with every night. My best purchase to date for my girls and they’ve just turned three!

I’ve struggled of late with plastic. You think you’ve got your mind wrapped around BPA, phthalates, PVC. etc., then something new comes along and it’s overwhelming. I wish I could zap myself back in time and change many things with my children. Understanding more about toxic products would have really helped me. I’m trying not to be really angry when I read articles published by Greenpeace about the danger of PVC and toys back in 1999. I join their fight against toxic, environmentally destructive, and dangerous toys 10 years later, where I feel like nothing has really changed. I’ve even learned that PVC hard plastic exists with many toys and wonder if Barbie is still made from PVC, like the Greenpeace website confirms. She turned 50 this year ~ I wonder if the manufactures know that there are now alternatives to traditional plastic, like corn or natural rubber. 

** Side note to this article ** I did call the Vancouver Aquarium because I wanted to know how their soft PVC plastic toys were produced because of my concerns about phthalates and toxic tubby toys. The manager told me that as of Sept/08, they confirmed that their soft plastic toys were made phthalate free. This made me feel better until my friend posed the question ~ what chemical plasticizers did they use to get the PVC plastic soft? It’s just so true, they have to put some sort of checimal into hard plastic to make it soft, so my advice would be to by-pass all PVC products and stick to non-toxic alternatives.