Here is William’s first day of school photo.  Doesn’t he look proud?  Mostly, he was excited to carry his lunch.

William and Darling Fergus each have a “lunchbug” by Mimi the Sardine.  These spill-resistant, machine-washable bags are made from organic cotton and coated with acrylic (as opposed to PVC, which is bad stuff).

Unfortunately, Mimi the Sardine is discontinuing its line of children’s products. Remaining items are on sale here.  Check out the cute kids’ table cloths and the Mimi Home line.

Lead poisoning is caused by acute exposure at high concentrations, like when a child eats paint chips. But “even though the average concentration of lead in the American bloodstream has dropped by a factor of 10 since the late 1970s, the levels are still two orders of magnitude higher than natural human levels, which have been determined by studying skeletal remains of native Americans dating to before the industrial revolution.”

Recent data demonstrates that health complications from lead arise even at low exposures, prompting scientists to advise the EPA and health departments to lower the concentration deemed acceptable in the bloodstream.

Lead exposure is linked to impaired cognition, lower academic test scores, psychiatric disorders, hypertension, and arrhythmia. It is also implicated in dementia in the elderly (aging bones release lead along with calcium).

Lead exposure costs the U.S. about $209 billion a year.

How to reduce your family’s exposure to lead:

• Leave shoes at the door. There’s lead in the dirt that shoes track in.

• Vacuum regularly. Lead accumulates in house dust from chipped paint and other sources.

• Wash hands often (not just before meals) to reduce ingestion. This is particularly important for small children who play on the floor.

• If your house was built before 1978, test paint chips for lead. You can buy home test kits from Amazon or your local hardware store. Make sure your children can’t reach any areas of chipping paint.

• Test your home for lead before remodeling.

Take it further:

• Ask your school board and your parks department whether playground soil has been tested for lead contamination. (A number of New Orleans’ public playgrounds recently went through lead remediation when their soil was found to be contaminated).

• Test the soil in your yard.

Read more about lead testing and protecting your family here.

Keeping the bathroom non-toxic for our bathing cuties.

Darling Fergus is a water baby.  He loves baths and likes to be splashed, and he doesn’t put up a fight when Sweet William pours water over his head.  Fergus also loves to drink water out of the tub and stick his hands in the toilet — two more good reasons to clean the bathroom with non-toxic products.

TUB.  Mix a scoop of baking soda with a few drops of unscented liquid castile soap in a jar or in the palm of your hand.  Apply the paste to the dirt rings and scrub with a damp sponge.  Rinse with water.

TILE, TUB and BATH FIXTURES.  Mix 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in a spray bottle.  Add a few drops of unscented liquid castile soap.  This all-purpose cleaner disinfects and dries without streaking.

TOILET.  Sprinkle the bowl with baking soda and scrub.  Clean the outside of the toilet with your vinegar/water/soap mix.

SINK and COUNTER.  Grab that bottle of vinegar/water/soap. Use the baking soda/soap scrub on stains or tough dirt.

FLOOR.  Am I starting to sound redundant?  Fill your bucket with warm water, a few drops of soap, and vinegar.  Use rags that you can machine wash.  Rinse well.

MIRRORS.  Once more, grab your vinegar/water/soap spray bottle.

If ever your baking soda scrub isn’t up to the task, try Bon Ami (I sometimes use it in toilets that Fergus can’t get to).  It’s much safer than a product like Comet, which identifies only 1.2% of its ingredients.  Still, Bon Ami isn’t edible like baking soda is, so be sure to rinse well and keep it out of the reach of children.

Never, NEVER use chlorine bleach.  It irritates the mouth, eyes, lungs, and skin and is especially bad for people with asthma.  Furthermore, the manufacturing of bleach releases cancer-causing toxins into the environment.  There’s simply no need to use it, as vinegar and hydrogen peroxide disinfect and whiten just as well.

To sum up, here’s your shopping list for a sparkling bathroom:

Vinegar
Liquid castile soap
baking soda
Bon Ami
a spray bottle

The boys also made adorable cards out of construction paper and homemade paste. See pictures and read about our non-toxic art project at Natural Kidz.

Do you and your kiddos like to bake? What are your favorite Valentine treats?

In the meantime, here’s an update on how we pass our time when we’re not unpacking boxes, organizing drawers, or supervising construction. Mardi Gras and warm weather offer a pleasant distraction.

Darling Fergus meets the sledgehammer.

Sweet William discovers the joys of a backyard.

Vegan King Cake from Whole Foods — allergen-free and Fergus-friendly! The plastic baby was left to the side, so we didn’t worry about the boys eating it.

Darling Fergus took his first steps a few days ago.

Making valentines with homemade, non-toxic paste (4 parts water, 1 part flour, warmed on the stove and stirred to desired consistency).

Darling Fergus and Mama at our family’s first Mardi Gras parade.

Sweet William and Daddy inspect the loot they caught from Krewe of Thoth. (Note spears.)

Beads are fun, but not healthy. Sweet William kept the frisbees and cups for outdoor play, but the beads and stuffed toys don’t make it home. They smell of plastic and solvents.

Related: How to properly wash your hands (with plain old soap).

California plans to alter rules on flame retardants (Chicago Tribune, 2/9/13) The move could benefit consumers nationwide, lessening exposure to toxic flame retardant chemicals.

Dolce & Gabbana, for babies.

Stefano Gabbana announced via Instagram that Dolce & Gabbana will release a perfume “per i bambini” — for babies.

I think I just heard you say, “Ewwww! Seriously?”

Let’s skip past the discussion of why anyone would mask her baby’s delicious, natural smell. Instead, let’s review why perfumes and scented products are bad for babies.

Synthetic fragrances, identified on product labels as “parfum,” “perfume,” “natural fragrance,” or “fragrance,” contain phthalates. Phthalates are a group of industrial chemicals that are used in the production of plastic, solvents, and cosmetics. They are endocrine disruptors, known to cause a broad range of birth defects and lifelong reproductive impairment in male laboratory animals. Baby boys and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the hormone-disrupting effects of phthalates. 84% of the U.S. population is contaminated with at least six different phthalates at any given time. (Read more at Environmental Working Group.)

Synthetic scents also have immediate effects. I know firsthand that perfumes trigger asthma and allergies, having sniffled and wheezed in their presence since I was a child. Contact dermatitis can occur on the skin where perfume or scented products are applied. Some scientists believe that overexposure to fragrance is a cause of the increased prevalence of allergies in children.

How can you lessen your baby’s exposure to phthalates?

• Use unscented baby products. Sweet William and Darling Fergus use Dr. Bronner’s unscented liquid castile soap for hands, body, and shampoo. Having tested a number of diaper creams, we’ve had the greatest success with Triple Paste ointment.

• Use unscented personal care products for yourself, too. You’ve noticed that perfume-wearers transfer their scent onto your babies, right? Ask your babysitters to avoid scented products on days they take care of your little ones. Pregnant women should be especially careful about avoiding scents, as phthalates cross the placenta.

• Replace your scented cleaning products. The next time you buy laundry detergent, make it fragrance-free. We like Green Shield Organic Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear.

• Never use air fresheners — not in the car, not in the bathroom, not anywhere in the house. They only mask smells, unnecessarily exposing your family to hazardous chemicals.

California intends to declare BPA a reproductive hazard (Environmental Health News, 1/25/13) Under Prop. 65, items containing high levels of BPA would require warning signs. California based the proposal on “clear evidence of adverse developmental effects in laboratory animals,” but “the acceptable level proposed by state health officials is high, so no warning signs are expected.”

Sweet William wishes you
Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m just a little overwhelmed by the work crews passing through my home, so I’m going to focus on one tip guaranteed to make your Thanksgiving a little happier.

When you warm those tasty leftovers, don’t use plastic in the microwave.

Dr. Philip Landrigan of Mt. Sinai Medical Center, along with numerous scientists and health experts, warns that microwave energy drives harmful chemicals from plastic into the food. That’s bad for babies, but also for mamas and daddies. Avoid the problem by never using plastic containers or plastic wrap in the microwave.