v 4 issue 44: Creepy Crawlers

The weather is warm and the bugs have come out to play. This issue contains fun products that celebrate your child's fascination with creepy crawlers.

Cover by Kristin Rachelle










1 Flutterly soft, 100% organic cotton is printed with 3 dragonfly silhouettes breezing by shaded geometric shapes. Just one of 4 birds and bugs in flight @ the Earthy Beginnings Nature Collection. Enter code: TTW10 for 10% off your total purchase.

2 Buzzy the Bug is one of the 9 newly introduced Joobles you can find @ fairindigo.com. Made in the rural areas of Peru as part of a family run business, this 11" critter is stacked with organic cotton, eco-friendliness and fair trade...but no stingers!

3 Dirty helmet got you down? Lady Luck, the thoughtful helmet cover from Tail Wags, will instantaneously turn a helmet from dirty to dandy. Tot, tyke, or old enough to ride a bike...they've got your cover. Enter code: tottrends for 10% your purchase thru 6/30/09.

4 Bring the butterflies to camp and stick them on friends, belongings, & counselors. Stuck On You has oodles of specialty and personalized stickers so you can label, label, label! Aaah...organization. Enter code: VIPBLOGGER for 10% off your total purchase.

5 Get your bug on. Or rather, get on your bug! With caster wheels, Wheely Bugs have the ability to move smoothly in all directions. Babies can push, tots can glide, and big kids can ride...and spin...and glide for hours of action-packed fun. fatbraintoys.com.

6 Flick a little ladybug luck onto the bouncy belly of your tot! Collette Kids offers cute & kooky unisex designs both girls and boys will love. Organic cotton & hand-printed. Enter code: TTW10 for a 10% total purchase. Exp. 7/15/09.

7 Robeez Tredz, the sturdy version of our footish favorites, provide water-resistant soles while maintaining comfort & style. The fuchsia & green of a Gerber daisy perfectly accents the white background of these T-strap dragonfly shoes. Healthy feet will love them!

8 Calyx the Caterpillar is not your ordinary wormlike larva. Coming from a place like zoobies.com makes you soft, cuddly, and useful. Calyx will go on to change into a pillow or blanket...and can turn back into a furry friend.


Outdoor Safety Tip:
Helmet Safety- Kids should take advantage of the summer months to be active. Riding tricycles and bikes is as much a part of summer as ice cream and running through the sprinkler. It’s our responsibility as parents to protect our children from unnecessary injury.

Biking is lots of fun but it can be risky without a safety helmet, particularly for children under three years of age. Babies are born with soft skulls to facilitate the birth process and allow their brains to grow, but this means their heads are especially susceptible to harm. The “soft spot” usually disappears around 2 years of age but children can still sustain a head injury even from a relatively minor fall if they are not wearing a proper safety helmet. In most states and in Canada, children are required by law to wear safety helmets while riding tricycles and bicycles. Helmet use is also mandatory for children riding in a bike carrier on the back of an adult bike, as well as riding in a “Chariot” pulled by a bike.

Make sure your child's bike and safety helmet are the right size. A child must be able to straddle the bike with both feet on the ground. The fit of the safety helmet is equally important. When choosing a helmet, your child should try on several helmets carefully. Level the helmet over your child's forehead and adjust the chinstrap to fit snugly and comfortably. It should protect the forehead without slipping forward or backward and it should not move unless the scalp moves. A trained salesperson will help you ensure the fit is right.

Today, there are several manufacturers producing helmets that are adjustable in size, enabling it to grow with your child and still provide a comfortable and proper fit.

Insist your child always wears a helmet when riding – and that he or she buckles it up. It goes without saying that parents must set an example by always wearing their helmets when cycling. Remember, a helmet only works when you wear it!

Written by Karyn Climans


Clean Water Action’s Safe Cosmetics Campaign Update:
Since the release of the “No More Toxic Tub” report in March, Clean Water Action and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics have been very busy making progress toward better protecting our health.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was so outraged after reading the report, she introduced a bill to have the FDA regulate bath and body products made for children. While this is a great first step, we are still working hard for a much broader bill to do a complete overhaul of the way the FDA regulates the cosmetics industry. People of all ages need safe, toxic-free bath and beauty products. You can sign our petition in support for strong FDA oversight here.

Most recently, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Clean Water Action and other partner organizations sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson, asking that they remove 1,4 dioxane and any preservatives that release formaldehyde. This letter represented the voices over more than 1.7 million people across the country. While no change has been made yet by the company, Johnson & Johnson continues to feel pressure and hear from a growing public demand to remove these dangerous chemicals from their products.

Another harmful chemical that has been getting a lot of attention recently is Bisphenol A, or BPA. This plasticizer is found in baby bottles, sippy cups, re-usable water bottles, the lining of food cans, and other food containers. Bisphenol A harms reproductive and developmental health, even at low level exposure. Children and fetuses are at greatest risk because exposure can occur during critical times in development, resulting in life long adverse health impacts.

Just in the last month, Clean Water Action helped win legislation in Minnesota and Connecticut, which became the first states to ban the chemical. Other cities and states are working on similar bills. There is also a federal bill, sponsored by Edward Markey (D-MA), to ban BPA from all food and beverage containers currently being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Want to make your voice heard on protecting our families from toxics? Check out Clean Water Action's “Take Action Center” for more information about all our campaigns for healthy, safer families and communities.

Sarah Holzgraf
Clean Water Action
(603) 622-8151
sholzgraf@cleanwater.org