Eco and Parenting Blog

We are delighted to announce that following the fantastic success of the recent introduction of the new Charlie Bears Little Organics "Baby Safe" Collection, we have added some new characters and sizes to our range of these toys.

In addition to Larlie Bear, Poppa Dog, Fifi Bunny and Marley Mouse, we now also have sleepy Barley Lamb (shown above) and cheeky MeMe Monkey!  We also have an additional smaller size option (approximately 20cm) for these popular toys.  This baby version of each character is ideally sized as a little companion, in pushchairs or car seats.  With larger 30cm and the really cuddly, generously sized 40cm versions, there are ideal sizes for babies and children of all ages.  

All the toys, in every size, in this range are suitable from birth onwards, but the medium and large versions are great for toddlers or older children for whom it's sometimes a bit more challening to find larger organic toys.

If you're a fan of the Charlie Bears Little Organics range, do keep revisiting our site as Charlie Bears are planning to add more new characters to this collection for release later in the year.

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Many of us have been enjoying beautiful sunny days lately and with the school summer holidays now well underway, it really is the season for days out and picnics!  If, like me though, you hate all the waste that comes with wrapping a whole family's sandwiches, snacks and goodies for a day out, there are some fantastic solutions available.  They're safer, more environmentally-responsible and, in the long term, cheaper too than the throwaway materials we might typically use.

Public awareness is certainly growing regarding highly undesirable substances such as BPA, PVC and phthalates, to name a few, being commonly used in food coverings and food storage containers.  These are capable of leaching toxic and harmful chemicals into our food and parents in particular are increasingly looking for non-toxic alternatives for their children's lunchboxes and picnics. 

It's really quite a minefield though, trying to establish what does and what doesn't contain any of the wide range of nasties, but the founders of My Friendly Lunchbox and Ecoboodles, have eliminated all the guesswork for you.  We love both of these companies, which only sell non-toxic products which are free of BPA, PVC, phthalates and lead.  We found My Friendly Lunchbox first and have found many other uses for their non-toxic, easily washable and recycled sandwich wrappers which are also very handy for covering bowls of food or for wrapping leftovers before putting them in the fridge (we find that elastic bands work a treat in keeping the circular wraps in place over bowls of food).  They have a good range of plastic and cloth sandwich wrappers and even some matching non-toxic ice packs, in addition to many other eco-friendly goodies, such as BPA-free food storage containers and shaped sandwich or biscuit cutters.

More recently, we were absolutely delighted to stumble upon the wonderful Ecoboodle organic cotton sandwich wrappers.  These really are fabulous for wrapping your sandwiches and your children will probably feel as though they're opening a little present when they open your picnic sandwiches!  These wraps are soft and pliable and are capable of holding several small rolls each, with a food-grade non-toxic lining to keep messy sandwich fillings from leaking or staining the outer certified organic cotton fabric.  They're extremely easy to wash by hand but they can also go in the washing machine, up to 30°C - although they're not suitable for the tumble dryer because of the lining.  We never seem to have enough of these in our house, so do think about buying several at a time to get the multi-buy discounts which represent amazing value for money.  As far as we know, these are the only organic cotton sandwich wraps available in the UK and they're perfectly shaped to make the neatest, non-bulky, picnic parcels!  

Our youngest children are usually really hungry when they come out of school/nursery and on the days that our eldest needs picking up from school too, there's at least a half hour wait for her school day to end.  The little ones can't wait that long for something to eat if they're hungry, so the sandwich wrappers are great for quickly and conveniently transporting some healthy snacks in the car and they act as a mat too, saving the car's upholstery from at least some of the crumbs!

I've focused here mainly on these websites' sandwich wrappers because I'm such a huge fan of these, but My Friendly Lunchbox and Ecoboodles non-leaching ranges include stainless steel water bottles, attractive lunchbags, lunchbag sets and more!  The earlier you switch to these non-toxic and waste-free lunchbox products, the sooner they'll pay for themselves and, more importantly, your family won't be paying the price of toxic chemicals silently contaminating their food.  

On Thursday 30^th June, 2011, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) have voted for strike action to commence to protest about changes to their pensions. Is your child in a school where the strikes will be taking place? If so, you’ll no doubt be wondering how you can keep your children entertained while they’re out of school.

Moneysupermarket.com have been working hard to ensure that parents and children who are affected by the strike have plenty of options to keep themselves entertained, without breaking the bank. They’ve secured discounts with the best theme parks, zoos, safari parks and famous attractions to make your day a little cheaper.

IT'S RECYCLE WEEK!  Most of us are getting much better now at reducing the number of plastic bags we use when we're out shopping (if we've not left our re-useable shopping bags in the car or at home, that is)!  We know plastic bags and other plastic debris is bad for the environment but sometimes we have to see visual evidence to make us really understand the scale of the problem and to care enough to do something positive.

Vast areas of polluted oceans are commonly referred to as "plastic soup" and although you might think that it's largely distant oceans which are affected, that's not the case according to National Geographic magazine.  In one of their reports on this subject, they explain that this is a universal problem, just to varying degrees, although heavy littering and consequential pollution tends to be at its worst where ocean currents meet.  The fact that you can't see floating plastic islands doesn't mean that contamination from plastic and other litter isn't there, or that it's diluted enough to be harmless. 

Some plastics actually break down relatively quickly in seawater but that's not good news either!  That's because in doing so, plastic-derived toxic chemicals such as styrene trimer, a suspected carcinogen and Bisphenol A (BPA) are leached into the sea waters, indiscriminately contaminating every level of the oceanic food chain – and eventually coming full circle back us via the seafood we eat.  

Plastic bags are hazardous to birds and sea creatures which are known to swallow plastic bags, mistaking them for jelly fish and large numbers of plastic bottle caps are also ingested by birds and sealife.  Even the smallest fish are swallowing smaller or broken down plastic components.  This plastic pollution video gives a hard-hitting insight of the havoc that plastic pollution is wreaking with the environment and wildlife.

It's by no means solely plastic which is polluting the world's oceans, but given the enormous scale of plastic packaging, it's important to look for ways to tackle the problem.  There are, of course, the well-known strategies of trying to buy food which is not packaged in plastic but that is far easier said than done and most of us do also try to do our bit to recycle as much as we can! 

However, some councils don't recycle plastic at all, despite it making up the bulk of our packaging waste.  If this is the case with your council, help may be at hand – you might have a local private waste management company which takes a wide range of waste materials for recycling.  (Don't rely on asking councils if companies like this exist near you as some local authorities won't direct you to them!)

Our local waste management company accepts the following materials from both domestic consumers and local businesses:

•        Soft plastic (such as carrier bags and plastic wrappers);
•        Firmer plastic, used for most food packaging and plastic bottles;
•        Hard plastic*, the type used on many plastic toys
•        Old CDs or DVDs
•        Glass
•        Metal
•        Card and paper
•        Clothes hangers
•        Electrical appliances
•        Fabric

* This type of hard plastic takes 50,000 years to biodegrade so recycling is by far the best option for broken or unwanted toys, if you can find somewhere locally to you offering this facility.  (Just remember to remove any batteries!)

We just have to rinse dirty packaging and separate it into a few different types, but that's very easy to do and is really no great inconvenience when you get into the habit of it.  As waste management companies such as this are paid by weight for the waste they sell on for recycling, you know that what you're taking there really will be recycled and none will be secretly dumped in landfill sites.  

Don't forget that you can also recycle most of your soft plastic (there's so much of it in food packaging as well as plastic carriers) very conveniently at most supermarkets now too.  Also, try to give back hangers when you buy new clothes unless you really need them – that way, they'll be reused or recycled.  Remember that new and broken hangers can also be disposed of in to supermarkets' hanger recycling bins, rather than throwing them out with your normal rubbish. 

It is possible to drastically reduce your waste and help to resolve the problems of pollution caused by litter – it may just mean tweaking your routine a little here and there to make a significant difference.

Look out for a coming feature about safe and eco-friendly BPA-free re-usable sandwich wrappers, lunchboxes and sports water bottles to help you save on waste without using toxic plastics! 

We are delighted to report that we have today lowered the price of all of the organic cotton fleece toys in our Charlie Bears Little Organics range!  The price of each of the 30cm and 40cm characters have now been lowered by £5 with the medium toys now costing £20 and the large ones now at £25.  

Although these toys have only recently been introduced to our range, we have already sold out of the medium Larlie Bear but the large Larlie Bear represents great value for money offering much larger cuddles!

If you've been waiting for this lovely soft brushed organic cotton Under the Nile giraffe to come back into stock, new stock has now arrived!  These lovely 100% organic cotton baby toys, inside and out, make affordable and adorable newborn baby gifts, for little boys and girls alike.

With Mother's Day fast approaching and with finances being especially tight for so many families, we're delighted to feature this guest post from Moneysupermarket.com, offering gift ideas and discount voucher codes to make this special day for mothers a little more affordable.

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to show your mum just how much you care, and that usually involves spoiling her silly and showering her with gifts. Not that we mind, she’s worth it, but a little helping hand with the cost of Mother’s Day wouldn’t go a miss.  This article concentrates on the most popular gifts for Mother’s Day and where to get them for less…

Eating Out

Enjoying a meal out will be one of the most popular activities for families on Mother’s Day as it eliminates the stress of cooking yourself and creates a real sense of occasion. Sometimes a meal out at a restaurant on Mother’s Day can be quite expensive because the demand is really high. You can save money by using a discount voucher or by going somewhere which are promoting a set menu at a set price, so you can plan how much it will approximately cost. Here are a few of the best deals on the market so far…

-Zizzi are offering 3 courses for a set price of £17.95 per head. Always be armed with a Zizzi voucher before you leave the house to make sure you’re getting the most out of your money.

-Mums eat free this Mother’s Day at Ask Restaurant which should help you on your way to saving a few pounds off your food bill.

-The Slug and Lettuce also have a 3 course menu for £12 per person, which is exceptional value. They also do a good range of cocktails and champagne if your mum enjoys a tipple.

Flowers

Flowers are the classic Mother’s Day gift, but the problem is that in the days leading up to the event flower shops lay bare because of the popularity of giving flowers as a present. Make sure you order your flowers in advance. You can do this online with companies like Interflora. You can choose an Interflora voucher code on moneysupermarket.com to help with the cost. Alternative companies include iFlorist and Flowers Direct, who will be sure to keep competitive and offer some discounts around this time.

Spa Treatments

A spa treatment can do wonders for your sense of self; they relax you, make you feel pampered and are a great way to escape from the mundane patterns of everyday life; which is why a spa day/treatment makes a great gift for Mother’s Day. Spa treatments can be expensive, but with money off voucher you could really treat your mum this Mother’s Day without the associated expense. Dove’s Spa’s are offering 20% off spa treatments at their branches across the UK, which is a great opportunity for you and mum to get some much needed R & R together. If your mum would rather pamper herself at home, why not buy her some fabulous products for home manicures and facials? FeelUnique.com has 10% off at the moment, where you can buy a range of hair, face and beauty products for less. If she’d like a haircut you could treat her to a cut at Regis Salons or Headmasters; both are offering 25% off with printable vouchers.

Whatever you choose to do on Mother’s Day, make sure you spoil your mum rotten and turn it into an occasion; she’s worth it!
Written by Rachael from the Vouchers team at moneysupermarket.com

This adorable My First Toy giraffe by Nature's Purest has now come back into stock.  

This lovely character from the Sleepy Safari range (other My First Toy safari animals in this range are the elephant or lion) is one of our customers' most popular choices of baby toys as a gift for newborns.  So if you've been waiting for these to become available, we're now able to meet orders for these again.