Along with Sassy in 2008, we learned the hard way that polypropylene (#5) products that are tinted with color can contain small amounts of BPA.  Sassy took the issue seriously and worked hard to make sure their whole new line of feeding gear for 2010 is BPA-free.

We’ve had the opportunity to test out some of their newly redesigned bowls, divided plates and spoons.  They’ve done a great job and we’re excited to offer them at The Soft Landing soon!  For now you can check out the full array on Sassy’s website here.

You’ll notice right away that the new products carry a “BPA-free” label, affording customers confidence in the materials used.  Also, all of the baby dishes are PVC and phthalate-free too (but this is normal for feeding gear, as these ingredients are not normally used anyway).

P.S.  We’ve been working with Sassy’s Q.A. Department to gather a wonderfully long list of their new PVC-free bath toys, so watch for that soon

Bloggers everywhere are singing the praises of the BPA-free Soda Stream and how it makes the perfect alternative to other more toxic soda containers.  But is that really the case?

My Investigation

I started the ball rolling with a call to the manufacturer.  Their products are clearly labeled as BPA-free, which is usually a good indicator that we’re dealing with a company who is careful to make sure they really are. I asked them to confirm it anyway and I also asked them specifically what plastics were used in their bottles and casing.   I received an immediate response stating that indeed the bottles were BPA-free but they would have to get back to me on the other plastics used.

In the meantime, they really wanted to send me a Soda Stream to try out for myself.  I agreed and had the Pure model with every soda flavor under sun in my hands in a couple of days.

My Experience

Of course the excitement in our household was flowing as my kids and I unloaded the box (they don’t get to drink much soda).  As you know, the most important aspect of the system are the bottles that house the soda after it’s been made.  And even though the carbonating bottles felt about 3 times thicker than normal, I knew we were dealing with PET (#1) plastic based on the instructions included:

• Do not place in the dishwasher; hand wash only
• May be used for up to three years

Hmmm, so the bottles are made from the same plastic as 2 liter soda bottles and disposable water bottles – all of which we’ve recommended NOT reusing.  Remember how heat and detergents break down this plastic quickly?  And then there’s also the other possibility we discussed recently of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC’s) leaching from PET plastic too.

My Discussions with the Company

Soda Stream provided some refreshingly straightforward answers.  Here are their responses:

Q: The grey bottle caps appear to be made from ABS, is that what they are?

A: The grey bottle caps are indeed made of food contact approved ABS.

Q: Is any PVC used?  If not, what is the casing made from?

A: There is absolutely NO  PVC plastic present in any of our machines or bottle parts.   While we are at it, it’s an opportunity to mention that we also don’t have any parts made of PC (Polycarbonate) in our machines and bottles.  Machine plastic parts are made of 2 plastic types:

a) ABS, used mainly for outer machine parts and caps, and

b) POM acetal, used mainly for water and CO2 gas contact, internal machine parts.

Q: I’m assuming the soda bottles are made from PET plastic.  This plastic is known to break down quickly under heat and detergents, so we don’t recommend for reuse.  I’d love to know if you’re considering an alternative plastic (like PP or PP combined with PE) in the future?

A: Regarding PET bottles leaching in prolonged use:   our bottles are 100% safe, as long as all instructions are adhered to, i.e. not using a scratched or hazed or deformed bottle, not exposing the bottle to heat, not freezing the bottle, not using the bottle if it changed the way it looks, changed clarity, beyond the Use-By-Date,etc, etc.  One suggestion might be to carbonate in the plastic bottles and transfer to the glass carafes for storage/serving…

My Conclusions

Although it may sound as if I wouldn’t recommend the SodaStream at this point, I’ve actually found many positive reasons to invest in one for your family.

Pros:

1. SodaStream has everything right on the safer plastic front, with the exception of their PET bottles.
2. They offer glass carafes as an alternative to the plastic bottles.  The Penguin is the only model that includes a glass carafe that can be used to carbonate.  The others require carbonating in PET, then switching to a different container.
3. It’s a great way to reduce exposure to BPA-lined soda cans.
4. By reusing bottles, the amount of waste created by buying soda and seltzer bottles is reduced.
5. They offer a recycling program for the carbonator cylinders.
6. Unsweetened flavor essences are a great option for making your own flavored seltzer.
7. The flavors really are amazing!  My kids are madly in love with the whole process of making their own soda.  We actually conducted a blind taste test with our friends and neighbors using the orange flavor and time after time they choose SodaStream’s soda over Orange Crush!

Cons

1. SodaStream doesn’t seem to have plans for changing from PET to a more stable, truly reusable plastic so I recommend you choose to use their glass bottles instead.  If you’ve already purchased the system with PET bottles, I think it would be a good idea to follow their suggestion to carbonate the soda in their bottles and then transfer it to a different container for storage.
2. Take their cleaning instructions very seriously and hand wash only with warm (not hot) water and a mild detergent if necessary.  My husband accidentally put ours in the dishwasher last week and the bottles warped into a shape like you’ve never seen.  Needless to say, after one round in the dishwasher, the bottles are no longer usable.

I heard talk of a new SodaStream model called the Crystal which includes only glass carafes and looks really sleek.  When I contacted the company last week, I learned that they aren’t yet available in the U.S.  You can bet I’ll be keeping my eyes open for that one to arrive.

The final change that would make the SodaStream perfect in my opinion, is the addition of a calorie-free soda mix made with natural sweeteners instead of chemical-based artificial ones.

Teaching toddlers to enjoy brushing their teeth is important and MAM helps us get it right the first time. Their Teach Me Toothbrush Set offers specially designed toothbrushes for both parent and child. This way, opinionated toddlers get to have some control, ensuring toothbrushing without fits and fights!

Our Favorite Features:

• The long handled brush is designed for parents and baby to brush at the same time in order to teach baby proper brushing technique.
• The short handled brush is perfect for baby.
• The rubbery grip as soft and works great as a teether too.
• Recommended for babies and toddlers ages 6+ months.
• No crazy chemicals to worry about.
• Made in Germany.

And Now for the Giveaway

It’s time for more Twitter Tuesday fun!  Today we’re giving away a MAM Teach Me Toothbrush Set to one lucky winner via a live giveaway on Twitter at 3pm EST and another via 2nd Chance Drawing here on our blog.

How to enter our live giveaway via Twitter (#TuesGiveaway)

1. Follow us on Twitter @thesoftlanding
2. We’ll send out a contest announcement on Twitter at 3pm EST, and you’ll be entered automatically when you copy/paste that announcement and re-tweet it.  Our tweet will look something like this:  “RT to WIN: @thesoftlanding is giving away XYZ to the 50th person to tweet this!” (the tweet will be sent out right at 3pm EST and will not look exactly like this one – so be watching on Twitter)
3. The lucky tweet(s) will win!  We’ll notify everyone by tweeting the winner(s) Twitter ID when the contest ends.  Please check our profile page at http://www.twitter.com/thesoftlanding.com for updates
4. The winner(s) will contact us at info@thesoftlanding.com with their full name and shipping address to claim their prize
5. If you’ve won in the last 30 days, you will not be eligible to win today

How to Enter the Blog Contest

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to our Twitter Tuesday Giveaway today, because you can enter here on our blog too for a chance to win another MAM Teach Me Toothbrush Set!  Simply leave a comment right here on this blog post by midnight tomorrow February 3, 2010.  One entry per person. Open to all blog readers worldwide!

See our Privacy Policy here

It’s seems like a full time job to keep your family safe sometimes.  As our family team has spent years researching toxic plastic alternatives, we’ve learned the ins and outs of getting to the heart of the matter quickly.  We’ve made costly mistakes, wasted many hours asking the wrong questions, and listened to lines of bologna like you’ve never imagined.

We’ve been asked by thousands of parents to teach them how to do their own research.  Now we’ve condensed the most important aspects of getting the job done right into a free 5 Step Mini Course so you can become the Non-toxic Ninja Researcher you’ve always dreamed of being!

What You’ll Learn

• What you’re looking for and why
• How to decipher labels and identify common uses for different types of plastics
• Tips on minimizing your overall exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals
• Why some plastics are inherently toxic
• Doing your own detective work

Enter your name and email address in the form at the upper right side of our website to get started with your five daily email mini course.

Not only are many of the balls made from PVC, but all inflatable ball pit toys we researched are made from PVC too.  Our kids are seriously surrounded by it!

Today at the last minute before publishing our guide, we found a gold mine!  We confirmed that Tinker Tots.com carries only PVC-free ball pit balls!  And to top it off, they take care of the secondary worry by offering many non-inflatable ball pits too.  Now that’s our kind of store

PVC-free Ball Pits and Balls

TinkerTots.com has several tent-like ball pits like this one, which is the Playhut Magic Ball Zone.  The tent is made from polyester with nylon bindings, mesh, polyethylene floor and comes with 100 3″ polyethylene balls.  They also sell Crush Proof Commercial Color Balls and Commercial Clear Balls separately.

We spoke the makers of the Giga Tent Ball Pit Playhouse and confirmed that the tent itself is made with durable polyester walls and a polyethylene floor and it comes with 36 polyethylene balls.  You can purchase it from MyChildPlayhouses.com.

BallPoolBalls.com sells 3″ balls made from polyethylene in many different colors and quantities.

As always, we’ll continue to add more safe alternatives as we locate them.

Oh yeah – you read it right – we’re giving away a new Beaba feeding dish sampler for toddlers!  We were already impressed Beaba’s Multiportion Silicone Freezer Trays and Babycook, so when we first saw the new feeding gear last year at the ABC Kids Expo we were seriously excited!  And you’ll only find the sampler at The Soft Landing – that way you can give it all a try before buying full sets.

All dishes have a colorful European flair with an ergonomic shaping that screams to be used by kids who learning to self feed.  They are designed with a wide base and non-slip grip to keep things where they should be and prevent spills.  Beaba also offers two utensil styles and even has food to go covered with their Lunchbox.

The Beaba Feeding Set includes:

• One open Cup with non-slip, wide bottom to help stabilize the glass; 3″ in diameter x 2 ½” H
• One Soft Bowl with slip-resistant base stack for easy storage; 5 ½” in diameter x 2″ H
• One Soft Plate with slip-resistant base stack for easy storage; 9 ½” in diameter x 1″ H

And Now for the Giveaway

It’s time for more Twitter Tuesday fun!  Today we’re giving away a Beaba Feeding Gear Set to one lucky winner via a live giveaway on Twitter at 3pm EST and another via 2nd Chance Drawing here on our blog.

How to enter our live giveaway via Twitter (#TuesGiveaway)

1. Follow us on Twitter @thesoftlanding
2. We’ll send out a contest announcement on Twitter at 3pm EST, and you’ll be entered automatically when you copy/paste that announcement and re-tweet it.  Our tweet will look something like this:  “RT to WIN: @thesoftlanding is giving away XYZ to the 50th person to tweet this!” (the tweet will be sent out right at 3pm EST and will not look exactly like this one – so be watching on Twitter)
3. The lucky tweet(s) will win!  We’ll notify everyone by tweeting the winner(s) Twitter ID when the contest ends.  Please check our profile page at http://www.twitter.com/thesoftlanding.com for updates
4. The winner(s) will contact us at info@thesoftlanding.com with their full name and shipping address to claim their prize
5. If you’ve won in the last 30 days, you will not be eligible to win today

How to Enter the Blog Contest

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to our Twitter Tuesday Giveaway today, because you can enter here on our blog too for a chance to win another Beaba Feeding Gear Set!  Simply leave a comment right here on this blog post by midnight tomorrow January 20, 2010.  One entry per person. Open to all blog readers worldwide!

See our Privacy Policy here

So I sat down early the last several mornings with my cuddly little puppy while the kids were sound asleep and dove into the book with great anticipation.  I finished it today and found that I walked away a sense of freedom.  I also decided that the word “book” doesn’t even come close to describing Micaela’s work.

• It’s a guide – a compass in a blinding storm.  If you need help wading through the plethora of green (including those things that look green but aren’t), don’t go without your compass.  Trust me, you’ll get lost out there because the sheer amount of information can be paralyzing.
• It’s an organizational tool – Micaela has clearly been living a truly practical green life.  She knows what to focus on and what to let go.  She helps prioritize changes that are truly necessary to provide a healthy home without going overboard.  The overarching principle throughout is a game plan that allows you to focus on going organic with the foods/products you use the most.
• It’s a DIY playbook – are you ready to get crafty and tackle some of your own projects?  You’ll have the chance to test your skills in creating facial moisturizers, deodorizers, cleaning supplies and more from scratch.
• It’s a money saver – making the switch to green doesn’t have to put you in a precarious financial position.  Not only does Micaela help you choose products wisely, she also clues you into those situations when you just don’t need to buy at all.

I also enjoyed the layout of the book.  It’s pleasing, easy to navigate and very motivating with steps to accomplishment broken down into organized sections.  I love that you can jump in anywhere and learn more about specific areas that mean the most to you.  Micaela covers all the major areas of life, leaving little gems for you to find throughout.  And to top it all off, she makes herself available to you at every turn, so don’t hesitate to drop her a note at her blog, Twitter and Facebook.

You can grab a copy of Practically Green at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Borders.

Note:  I received a free copy for review – you ROCK, Micaela!

Charlotte Brody, the National Field Director of the Coalition, explains the foundational goals of TCSA reform, why it’s necessary and how it will eventually lay the burden of chemical safety at the industry’s feet:

The report shows how new scientific evidence is linking the increase in some cancers, learning and developmental disabilities, reproductive problems, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease and asthma and other diseases and disorders to chemicals. And it makes the case for chemical policy reform as a different kind of health care reform, with the potential to save the American people an estimated $5 billion every year in health care costs when it is fully implemented.

Meaningful TSCA reform will give EPA the authority to ask chemical manufacturers the right questions: What is the evidence that this chemical is safe? If there is evidence that a chemical is hurting the health of people and the environment, where are these exposures coming from? Are some people being more harmed than others and how do we protect the more vulnerable? Do we need to use this chemical or are there safer alternatives? Is this chemical so dangerous that its use need to be restricted or banned?

We need to ask Congress to stand up for our health and stand up to the lobbyists for the chemical industry.  Take a minute now to write to your member of Congress!

>> Download the full report here.

We’ve been anxiously waiting for The Baby Dipper Bowl to hit the market and it’s finally here!  Another amazing mom-invented product, this unique triangular bowl is designed to make self-feeding easier for little ones.   The sloped sides and curved utensils are perfect children with special needs as well.

Our Favorite Features

• The triangle shape allows for one-handed feeding by providing three places to “corner” the food in
• The contoured interior helps food to fall into spoon
• Spoon fits in lower corner of bowl
• Non slip base helps prevent from sliding

Check Out a Quick Demo Video

And Now for the Giveaway

It’s time for more Twitter Tuesday fun!  Today we’re giving away a Baby Dipper Bowl to one lucky winner via a live giveaway on Twitter at 3pm EST and another via 2nd Chance Drawing here on our blog.

How to enter our live giveaway via Twitter (#TuesGiveaway)

1. Follow us on Twitter @thesoftlanding
2. We’ll send out a contest announcement on Twitter at 3pm EST, and you’ll be entered automatically when you copy/paste that announcement and re-tweet it.  Our tweet will look something like this:  “RT to WIN: @thesoftlanding is giving away XYZ to the 50th person to tweet this!” (the tweet will be sent out right at 3pm EST and will not look exactly like this one – so be watching on Twitter)
3. The lucky tweet(s) will win!  We’ll notify everyone by tweeting the winner(s) Twitter ID when the contest ends.  Please check our profile page at http://www.twitter.com/thesoftlanding.com for updates
4. The winner(s) will contact us at info@thesoftlanding.com with their full name and shipping address to claim their prize
5. If you’ve won in the last 30 days, you will not be eligible to win today

How to Enter the Blog Contest

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to our Twitter Tuesday Giveaway today, because you can enter here on our blog too for a chance to win another Baby Dipper Bowl!  Simply leave a comment right here on this blog post by midnight tomorrow January 20, 2010.  One entry per person. Open to all blog readers worldwide!

See our Privacy Policy here

I was SO excited to hear about the FDA’s recent change in stance on BPA – until I heard the whole story . . .

After delaying its decision three times, the FDA finally agreed that there is some concern about BPA and then issued a warning about its damaging effects.

I did a happy dance.

Then I read the FDA’s strange sideways talk they called a “plan of action” and it reminded me a lot of a used car salesman:

1. FDA is taking reasonable steps to reduce human exposure to BPA in the food supply – - but the FDA is “not recommending that families change the use of infant formula or foods, as the benefit of a stable source of good nutrition outweighs the potential risk from BPA exposure.”
2. FDA is supporting a shift to a more robust regulatory framework for oversight of BPA – - but they won’t be able to impose a ban or any strict regulations because:  “Current BPA food contact uses were approved under food additive regulations issued more than 40 years ago.  This regulatory structure limits the oversight and flexibility of FDA.  Furthermore, if FDA were to decide to revoke one or more approved uses, FDA would need to undertake what could be a lengthy process of rulemaking to accomplish this goal.”
3. FDA is seeking further public comment and external input on the science surrounding BPA – - even though the FDA agrees that recent studies provide reason for some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children, they also believe that “substantial uncertainties with respect to the overall interpretation of these studies and their potential implications for human health effects of BPA exposure.”

In other words, the FDA will continue to ride the fence.  They gave a little pat on the head to the environmental groups and scientists who are convinced of BPA’s dangers, then turned around and told the chemical industry they agree that there just isn’t enough research to support more than just “some concern” – - so go ahead and continue using BPA at your discretion, just being sure to keep looking for other alternatives.

Dang, we didn’t even get a requirement for product labeling out of this whole thing.  So how are parents supposed to avoid BPA?

Oh well, I guess I’ll stop ranting and get back to what we were doing before – working endless hours to confirm which hidden toxic chemicals are lurking in our everyday household products.  Sheesh.

>> Be sure to check out this article for more interesting reading on an informal bit of research done by the Early Show and Dr. Fred Vom Saal.

>> Download our free ebook for tips on avoiding BPA in food contact items and toys made to be mouthed by children.