Preparing for baby boy: ethical clothing.

At 26 weeks, with only 14 weeks left to go, I am starting to actually consider what on earth I need to buy for baby bump.  With essentials such as car seats and cots, clothing kinda fell off my radar.  I mean in general I don't buy many clothes - don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for a new dress, but with limited funds and a dislike of high-street ethics, new clothes are a rarity in this household.  However I fully accept that baby boy will need to be clothed!

(As I am typing this, baby boy is wriggling and kicking away, I like to think his ears are burning).

Currently I plan primarily to buy second hand for baby boy.  Local charity shops always seem to have boxes filled with baby clothes and eBay has huge volumes of second hand clothing sold in 'bumper packs'.   Reusing is always better than buying new, especially for babies as they get such little wear of clothing before they outgrow it.  However I am secretly hoping to buy baby boy maybe just one or two little things, just for him.  Whatahippocriteright?  
So below are my favourite pieces of ethical and endearing (no-tacky slogans or cartoon monkeys for this boy) clothes for a baby boy.

1. Sture and Lisa foxes body from Love It, Love It, Love It

2. Bobby Knitted Jumper from Tootsa MacGinty  (I love this brand as almost all their clothes are designed to be unisex - no sparkly princesses or sludgy boy colours)

3. Buzzy Bee Gown from Frugi

4. Sandy Bay popover jacket also from Tootsa MacGinty

5. Bear Naked onesie from Hatley Store (just omgosh adorable)

6. Ivor Spider boys tights from Slugs and Snails (tights for boys are a genius idea, I also love love the ghosts print)

7. Stegasaurus Playsuit from IndiaCoco

8. Aubrey All Over Sweatshirt also from, you guessed it, Tootsa MacGinty

And if the highstreet is still your preferred shopping place, I have included is ethical consumer's guide to ethical childrens' clothes on the highstreet.

Other links (for UK shoppers) include:

• Moral Fibres - ethical kids clothing round up
• The Guardian - Top 10 ethical places to shop for children's clothes
• The Ecologist - Five of the best eco-friendly fashion brands for kids

If you know of any others, please let me know! 

Conscientious Consumerism: starting on clothing.

Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Carrying on with conscious consumerism I thought better make a start at some point on the epic topic that is clothing.  This is such a huge area that it is difficult to even know where to begin.

About two years ago, issues associated with shopping on the high street started to reach my ears.
About 18 months ago I tried to make high street purchases only half of my purchases.
For the last six months, apart from a packet of tights, I have not once shopped for clothing on the high street!

It has been a slow transition but I am figuring out how to survive without trips to town. I have honestly never been a big shopper and I have never quite understood the nation's desire to shop as a weekend past time, but I am a sucker for a pretty dress and sparkly jewelry.  Plus, y'know, the benefit of internet shopping is a) not getting stuck in the rain/queues and b) getting stuff in the post!

So to ease into this topic easy-like, I have started with my personal ethical clothing wish list.  These items have been picked from Rapanui Clothing (eco brand, uses renewable energy and all clothing items are fully traceable), Finisterre UK (another traceable, sustainable and local - to the UK - clothing brand) and People Tree (for sustainable and fairtrade fashion).  There are so many other small, eco-fashion labels I would love to include but these'll do for starters!


And, something I am struggling with as a keen knitter is where to buy wool?  I am asking for your advice - if you know of good, animal friendly wool brands, please link me in the comments below.  Please.

In case you were curious this video (narrated by Pink) addresses the wool trade.  Just to warn you, the video is not easy watching and it is graphic.  Seriously, if you are easily upset then just don't watch this.


And finally, for you UK shoppers - I have copied this table from the Ethical Consumer group.  I am fully aware that a lot of the time it is not possible to avoid the high street, so this details (20 being the best score and 0 being the lowest) the score given to each high street shop by the Ethical Consumer group on the basis of animal rights, people rights, environmental facts and political factors.  A pretty neat summary!  I think it is at least important to know what it is you are buying into.

Consciously Consuming: nail biting facts.

A while back, whilst procrastinating, I was reading Bekah's blog (I love her writing) when the linkwithin widget thing showed a post called Clean Beauty: Nail Polish.  Until I read this I had never considered what went into nail polish, naively I think I assume that anything sold in Boots or Superdrug has to be AOK.  I suppose denial may have also been a factor, I am a sucker for a bit of glittery nail varnish - I have been known to put the stuff on in cafes because I have been too excited to wait to get home.

So after reading Bekah's post, I had to do some googling of my own.  (Although I link to articles below, I have not linked to the same ones as Bekah as I really feel you should stop by and read her post as well).

The main message is this: there are a top-trio of unpleasant toxins in nail varnish:
            
                           Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde and Toluene

DBP, for example, is used to stop your nail varnish becoming brittle (and are also used as fragrance ingredients which apparently are not required to be included on the label).  According to the David Suzuki foundation:

"The European Union classifies DBP as a suspected endocrine disruptor on the basis of evidence that it interferes with hormone function, and as toxic to reproduction on the basis that it may cause harm to the unborn child and impair fertility. As well, Health Canada notes evidence suggesting that exposure to phthalates may cause health effects such as liver and kidney failure in young children when products containing phthalates are sucked or chewed for extended periods."

which, as a chronic nail biter, is clearly a little disturbing.  
Another article posted by Conscious Community discusses Alternatives to Toxic Nail Polish and adds:

"Interestingly,  many of the nail polish brands which claim to be “safe” do not contain the top 3 toxins, but still contain acetates which are are classed as neurotoxins and definitely to be avoided."

As a result, last week I packed up all my beautiful colours, so lovingly curated and adored, and removed their toxicity from my life.  It was a little sad.  However they are being replaced with a single colour from Scotch Naturals nail varnish which is apparently the alternative and -

'"3 Free” as well free of ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, nitrocellulose, acetone, and heavy metals (...) truly non-toxic.'

I suppose for avoiding a slow poisoning by neurotoxins, having less varied nails is probably a small price to pay.




PS: My googling also uncovered a printable by Gill Deacon which folds to fit in your wallet and includes a list of Best Brands with regards to cosmetics as well as a long list of Toxins to Avoid that are commonly found in cosmetics - the perfect reference for when out and about.

Consciously consuming: the terrible tooth of toothbrushes.

Right, I am back for realz now!  Please forgive me for the terrible blog title, it tickled me. 
I have had a good week of thinking, the responses from you guys to this post on consumerism really helped me figure out what it was I was missing from this space (and if you didn't read the comments, I'd advise it, they said so much more than I had ever hoped the post could)!  So thank you all.  For me living conscientiously is a significant aspect of my daily life, I try to treat each decision I make, however small, as momentous.  So this is really something I hope to write about more, conscientious consumerism.  

Recently I made the resolution to change my buying habits.  As things run out, break, get lost, whatever, they will be replaced with the most conscientious version I can discover.  I struck on this idea over Christmas when I looked at my toothbrush.  My snazzy purple toothbrush with the comfy rubber grip and the flexi-head is only two months old and is already well en route to needing replacing.  That means every 3ish months in this house James and I throw away a hunk of plastic that will never biodegrade and will continue to clutter up some space on this earth for longer that I could dream to!  Not to mention all the cool bubble packaging that simply gets binned with no pomp or ceremony.

So there I am, stood in my pyjamas in the bathroom, my mouth filled with toothpaste, staring at the purple monstrosity that will no doubt outlive me, having this enormous moment of clarity, when James comes in and raises an eyebrow at me before picking up his toothbrush and mimicking my concerned expression -  'Yeah, I guess they do need replacing soon, huh?'.

Urgh.  Too true.

So a brief google and browse later (still with toothpaste in mouth) I found the answer to my new problem.  These toothbrushes are bamboo, they are 100% biodegradable and environmentally sustainable and are packaged in recyclable packaging.
I don't know about elsewhere in the world but in the UK you can even subscribe through Amazon and get them delivered to your home on a discounted (a whole snazzy 10%) subscription, as frequently as you would like a new toothbrush.



(I thought about posting a photo of mine, but then thought - heck, perhaps you don't need to see something that has been scrubbing about in my mouth....)
So change a really little something today.  Buy a sustainable toothbrush!  And then compost it :)