It was when I bought my son’s Britax Marathon Car Seat that I first noticed Britax replacement seat covers. I remember thinking, “why on Earth would I ever buy one of those replacements?”

Well, it's pretty darn apparent to me now. Obviously, Britax must have had the toddler boy in mind when it created the line of replacement seat covers and accessories. Numerous exploded sippy cups, leaky juice boxes, and crumbled goldfish later, the car seat looks a little grungy, to say the least.

I’ve thought about washing the cover. The car seat manual advises hand washing, but I’m not so sure my hands could work enough magic to restore that cover to anywhere near its original appearance. While I know some parents disregard the hand wash recommendation and throw the cover directly into the washing machine, I’m not even sure my machine would have the muscle to rid that cover of the messy, sticky, gooey, caked on ick. This is exactly WHY replacement covers exist. Well, one of the reasons.

Britax replacement covers also allow you to change the appearance of your child’s car seat, whether it’s to better match your vehicle or simply to infuse a little excitement into your child’s ride. Cowmooflauge ranks at the top of my list for cool car seat looks. The variety in Britax covers is also a nice perk for parents who have multiples and want to give each child his or her “own” space, identified by a unique cover.

Optional replacement covers are just one more reason to outfit your vehicle with a Britax car seat–as if you really need another reason, given that Britax leads the pack when it comes to safety.

Oh, in case you had any doubts about my decision, I’m going with Cowmooflauge.

Do you have any tips for keeping the new seat cover clean?

Not long ago, I posted ideas for meeting new mom friends. A mother can never have too many friends. Creating new friendships or nurturing old friendships is not always easy–and often, there’s just not a lot of extra time in the day to do so.

But, thanks to the Internet, new friendships can be forged from the sofa– even from your mobile phone. Not sure where to go online to find other moms? Check out one work at home mommy blogger’s Ultimate Guide to Finding Moms Online

What are your top mom-friendly online sites?

Hey, Moms and Dads (and grandparents, too), it may be easy to come up with reasons not to “green diaper” your baby, but this YouTube video (thanks WTAE-TV Pittsburgh) may get you pumped to try your hand at it.  

Did you know that alternatives to disposable diapers can actually save you money? Maybe even lots of money over the years. Did you know that YOU single-handedly can make a dent in saving the Earth (and precious resources) for future generations by incorporating green diapering into your active lifestyle–even opting for cloth or green alternatives occasionally can make a big difference!

On your mark. Get ready. Get set. Go get eco-friendly diapering inspired!

Calling all Moms and Dads: How do you get out the door on weekday mornings with your children? Countless parents struggle with getting out the door each morning and getting to school, daycare or work on time.

What are your secrets? Do you lay out your children’s outfits the night before? Do you shave seconds off each morning by using an easy-to-buckle car seat? Do you pump while putting on your makeup?

Please, do tell. Parents everywhere will thank you.

Stonyfield Farm (my kids’ favorite organic yogurt company–we go through a six-pack just about every two days), makers of YoBaby and YoKids yogurt has introduced this month YoMommy yogurt.  This yogurt sounds like the ultimate in nutrition for pregnant moms.  Yogurt is already a superfood, but YoMommy contains added Folic Acid, DHA, and vitamin D for mom and baby.

If you haven’t yet seen YoMommy on your grocery store shelves, hopefully it will be there soon (or make a request for your store to carry it).  Word has it that the yogurt is just now hitting store shelves.

Remember, pregnancy is a time to take care of yourself (along with baby).  Eat well.  Rest when possible.  Find joy in the moments of pregnancy.  You deserve it, Mommy!

Have you ever recognized a woman carrying the bag on her shoulder?  The tell-tale sign that she pumps breast milk.  Pumping milk is matter of necessity for women who choose to continue to breastfeed while away from their babies.  Although the pump is often associated with the 9-5 working mother, it’s a common gadget on a new mom’s checklist of baby-related gear. 

Just as the decision to breastfeed is deeply personal, so is the decision to pump.  These decisions can be riddled with anxiety.  Blogger Jennifer Lance explains that for some women, breastfeeding can create such a high degree of anxiety that they opt to feed their newborns exclusively pumped breast milk.  For some, the decision to pump has to do with support–or lack of support.  For others, the decision to exclusively pump resolves the tug-of-war between wanting to provide a newborn with milk and the psychological hurdles of breastfeeding.  Though exclusive pumping–and pumping in general–can have its own challenges, who would have thought that a pump lurking in the bag could be so empowering?

For breastfeeding support or to read more about breastfeeding, check out La Leche League and BreastFeeding.com.  

Has the pump empowered you?  

In late fall, news hit that cough medicines could pose dangers to young children.  Recently, the FDA has warned against the use of cough and cold products in children under 2 years of age unless given specific directions to do so by a doctor.

Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (”CDC”) released findings of its study of cough and cold medicines, finding that ”Cough and cold medicines send about 7,000 children to hospital emergency rooms each year.”  The study reiterates and expands upon previous warnings. 

For more information about this new study, head on over to the CDC’s website.

Whenever I smell Ivory soap or Johnson’s baby soap, I’m immediately brought back to my childhood.  Those soaps went together with bath time as much as the bath water.  As much as a love those product scents, times have changed.  Bathtime in my household also includes a selection of organic baby bath products.  I’m a fan of Mustela and California Baby products. 

Mustela makes a complete line of hypoallergenic baby products, including shampoo that is safe for even the youngest skin.  What I like about Mustela is the manufacturer’s keen attention to quality and safety standards and cosmetic vigiliance monitoring.  With recent news of lead in cosmetics like lipstick, the last thing I want to worry about is exposing my children to potentially harmful chemicals or hazards in shampoo.       

California Baby offers a wonderful selection of baby shampoo and bath products, all of which are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or DEA free, pure, and guaranteed free of pesticides or synthetic additives.  Shampoo evens comes in scented (like yummy lavendar) or scent-free options.   

Moms today are starting to take a close look at the ingredients in baby products, preferring natural and organic ingredients over difficult to pronounce, harsh lab created chemicals.  That’s a huge change from the days of my own childhood.  Knowing that I’m doing everything I can to limit my children’s exposure to chemicals is incredibly important–after all, I’m hoping that my own children will live long enough to tell their great-grandchildren all about the shampoos they used in childhood!

Let’s make a project!  Without fail, that’s my preschooler’s predictable response to the question, ”so, what do you want to do today?”  Give her paper, scissors, glue, and crayons, and she’s one happy crafty camper.  She made the most adorable tissue art flower poster today, using green ric-rac for a flower stem, a button for the flower center, and scrunched up tissue paper for petals, thanks to ALEX art supplies.  If you aren’t familiar with ALEX products, you don’t know what you’re missing!  ALEX makes quality art supplies and kid pleasing games, like the cool and sturdy Jungle Bean Bag Toss.  I find it hard to resist buying ALEX.  I even gravitate to ALEX products when I need affordable, guaranteed to please gifts.

When it comes to art supplies for kids, safety is key, especially in this age of recalls.  Recently, I happened to stumble upon a blogger’s post about safe craft supplies for children.  Who knew that Wikki sticks are made in the U.S. and out of food grade wax?  Thanks for that tidbit Mamanista!

Knowing craft supplies are safe for my preschooler is important to me.  While I’m not so much worried about intentional consumption, like eating a crayon or licking glue, I am concerned about what she may touch and unintentionally ingest.  Remember the huge 2003 lead-laced sidewalk chalk recall, not to mention the wave of recent recalls? 

Children can ingest lead by coming into contact with products containing lead–i.e. touching the products.  The ingestion of lead is linked to behavioral problems, potentially dangerous blood levels, and learning disabilities, among other medical issues.  To learn more about product safety, check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website.

Obviously, the use of safe art supplies is crucial for making project time safe.  Good hand washing as part of clean-up time is also part of the equation, if anything, as a just-in-case precaution–but, then again, if you want to rid those sticky hands of glue, you’re probably planning to hit the sink anyway!

Do you have a tip to share for making project time safer?  

If you’re a parent interested in green parenting and sustainable living, there is ONE magazine you want to find in your mailbox each month.  It’s KIWI Magazine!   

KIWI magazine offers thoughtful and practical articles on family wellness, like articles on affordable organic shopping, as well as cutting-edge information on environmental issues of interest to parents.  KIWI is all about discovering ways to grow children in harmony with the planet.  I like to think of KIWI as the hip, green alternative to popular magazines like Parenting or Parents.  It’s all about “Growing families the natural and organic way.”    

Thanks to KIWI’s CEO/Founder, Maxine Wolf, you have a chance to win a one year subscription to KIWI!  Does that sound incredibly cool or what?  All you have to do is tell me why you would like to win a subscription to KIWI!  Just leave a comment or email me at babyearthblog (at) gmail (dot) com.  To be eligible to win, you must have a U.S. mailing address.  One winner will be chosen randomly on February 8, 2008.  The winner’s name will be announced on the blog.

Winner or not, be sure to visit KIWI’s easy to navigate and comprehensive website for great recipe ideas, eco-craft ideas, contests, and podcasts.  While you’re there, don’t miss KIWI’s blog, which offers natural living tips and expert parenting advice!

Good luck!