New York City has many wonderful resources and stores for the family and earth conscious parent. Here are my picks for the top 5 NYC go to resources for within the 5 boroughs:

Best New Life Style Store: Caribou Baby

This go to spot, located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn offers not only, food, diapers, clothing and skincare products for baby and mom, but Caribou Baby also offers an array of birth preparation and parenting classes and workshops.

Best Cloth Diapering Resource: Doable Diapers

Regardless of which borough you live in, Doable Diapers’ online store helps to make cloth diapering much easier for you. From newborn to beyond, they carry an array of products and accessories. They have you covered.

Best Breastfeeding Resource: YummyMummy

YummyMummy… I love that name. I love that this store embraces, celebrates and encourages breastfeeding. Whether you are in need of breastfeeding classes, breast pump rentals, nipple butter or an easy access shirt, this UES gem is a go to resource. Delivery is available in Manhattan.

Best Fresh Baby Food Resource: Petit Organics

After 6-8months of exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding, baby is ready for solid foods. Parents want to give their baby the healthiest nutritious food they can provide. Though my pick for best local baby food resource is not in everyone’s price range, the concept behind the company and their offering is pretty awesome, especially for on-the-go parents. I also want to put out there that as opposed to asking for a lot of clothes or toys at a baby shower ask for friends and family to donate for a fresh food fund for when baby is ready. Petit Organics delivers 100% organic, fresh , vegan, wheat-free and non GMO prepared food to the Manhattan area and has a pick location in Park Slope.

Best Parent & Baby Activity: Karma Kids Yoga

Bonding with baby is one of the most important and fun aspects of motherhood and fatherhood. Mom/Dad & Baby Yoga at Karma Kids is a wonderful way to connect with baby as well as giving your body a little restorative love. They also have story time as well! I am definitely an advocate for creating a tradition of storytelling in the family

I just discovered the baby carrier brand, Boba, who is based out of Boulder, Colorado. What struck me most about Boba, aside from their passion to provide the means for parent to raise confident, joyful, compassionate children, is their attention to ergonomics. The parents and founders of Boba choose to run their green business in their hometown of Boulder with the help of local mountaineering professionals. Together, Boba manufactures ergonomically correct well-designed handmade carriers for toddlers 15lbs to 45lbs.

To enable a healthy sitting position for child, the carriers were design with foot straps. These straps help to anchor the toddler’s weight and alignment while it is being carried. Ultimately, the toddler is guided into a natural position, which naturally tilts the pelvis, fills out the hip sockets, and aligns the spine.

Here are more of its benefits:

*the more leg support the less pressure absorbed by the spine
*takes the pressure off of the hamstrings
*reduces the leg dangle
*gives feet a place to rest
*ensures complete blood flow throughout legs
*no pinching of the major nerve behind the thigh
*envelops the whole back while securing your toddler
*gives them the option to put arms in or out
*pulls them closer to you
*prevents the “leaning away from you” feeling
*reduces shoulder strap pressure
*allows you to stand straight as you should
*brings your center of gravity toward your body

The organic Boba carriers are made with 100% soft brushed GOTS certified organic cotton straps and trim, 100% certified organic cotton canvas panel and consist of no buttons or snaps for added soft comfort. The organic carriers range from $118- $125 and you can purchase them online or at your local retailer.

Boba 2G on the Today Show from Brad Young on Vimeo.

In addition to having a wonderful product collection, Boba’s parent company, Nap, Inc. has strong CSR virtues. Management commits to using bicycles for at least 50% of their local transportation needs, the company uses only virtual business cards, packaging supplies are either recycled or donated for re-use and the company supports several organizations.

I just came across this tech fab company, Belly Armor. Created to protect children in the womb and newborn children against the risks of everyday radiation, the Belly Armor product line integrates a RadiaShield® lining within its blankets and t-shirts. This technology shields 99.9% of incoming radiation from penetrating the womb and it has been verified by an independent FCC-certified laboratory testing report.

The World Health Organization, the European Commission, FCC, and the Environmental Working Group— have found strong enough evidence of potential risks from radiation exposure to recommend precautionary measures. Research has shown several potential health hazards during pregnancy from radiation, include birth defects and genetic disruptions, miscarriages, autism, childhood leukemia, and cancer. It is highly recommended to take more precaution around such radiation emitters in general, but especially if you are carrying a baby.

“It is essential that exposure limits be implemented in order to protect against the established adverse effects of exposure to ELF electric and magnetic fields.”
World Health Organization’s Environmental Health Criteria 238: Extremely Low Frequency Fields

Aside from being machine washable (air dry only), the Belly Armor products are ideal for both home and the office. They are a must for an expectant mother or new parent. Quite frankly, I think this product can me a staple to help protect and sustain both female and male reproductive areas in general. Non-ionizing radiation, the type Belly Armor shields, is prevalent in our daily lives and is emitted by cell phones, PDAs, laptops / computers, mp3 players / portable media devices, televisions, and power lines.

“Results of epidemiologic studies to date give no consistent or convincing evidence of a causal relation between exposure from radio frequency fields (RFs) and any adverse health effect. On the other hand, these studies have too many deficiencies to rule out an association. Despite the ubiquity of new technologies using radio frequency fields, little is known about population exposure from RF sources, and even less about the relative importance of different sources.”
International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection literature review

The Belly Armor factories adhere to GMP standards (Good Manufacturing Practices) and their packaging is made with recycled paper. Also included in their CSR structure, a portion of all Belly Armor proceeds goes towards programs for promoting women’s pre-natal health. Prices range from $59-$109 and are a available to purchase online or at participating retailers.

Here is a nourishing and refreshing smoothy recipe from the ladies over at Mamatini.

Ingredients:

8 ounces Mamatini
1 cup of your favorite frozen fruit – blueberries, strawberries, pineapple
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 tsp/packet of your favorite natural sweetener
Optional Scoop of Green Vibrance Superfood Powder

Place ingredients in a high powered blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into a tall glass with straw and enjoy!

Mamatini was specially designed to help expectant and new mothers absorb and retain the minerals their body needs to have a more energetic and healthy start to motherhood while providing baby with the nutritional building blocks he or she needs to grow. In addition, Mamatini helps increase milk supply in mothers and aides to relieve baby’s colic symptoms. Click here to meet my write up on the brand from earlier in the year.

I have just recently come across this delightful California based on-line store named Sprout Baby. It is a one-stop URL destination for all thing eco-friendly baby, parents and home. Next time you are shopping for yourself, friends or families, add this site to your bookmark of favorites.

SproutBaby also features a new EcoPass ($99.00) that grants customers:

• Free Shipping on every order
• 15% savings on every product we sell
• Advance looks at new products.
• Exclusive offers and promotions.

Click on the images below to read more about a few of my favorite products from the site

Grass Countertop Drying Rack $19.99

Organic Diaper Clutch $62.00

Sweet Knee Bun Glaze $9.95

Boon Mini Bath Goods $10.99

Sprout Foods Variety 12-Pack for Babies Seven Months and Older $15.49

The team over at Plum organics have just added to their garden of delicious and healthy foods for your growing tot. Simply named “Just”, the product line is a offering of single fruits which are Non-GMO & USDA-certified organic, gently cooked and pureed. The fruit is then packaged in a BPA-free, lightweight pouch that pours easily onto a spoon for a mess-free eating experience. This method is designed for the reduction of food waste and eliminates the need for double dipping

The options include JUST Apples, JUST Peaches, JUST Pears, JUST Bananas, JUST Prunes and JUST Mangos. They are portable, convenient and durable for whenever you are on the go or don’t have time to prepare.

The “JUST” line is exclusively available at Babies R Us/Toys R Us at the suggested retail price of $1.19 – $1.29 for a 3.17oz. Single pouch and $7.19 – $7.29 for a single variety 6-count box. Soon, Plum will be extending its distribution to Buy Buy Baby, HEB, Food Lion, and online at Target.com, Diapers.com, and Drugstore.com.

FOR NORMAL SKIN AND/OR ACNE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

NOVENA ORGANIC FRUIT FACE WASH

$32.00

This citrus fruit cocktail in a bottle thoroughly cleanses your skin while leaving your skin fresh and vibrant. Novena Organic Fruit Face Wash is a blend of citrus and berry extracts, oils such as tea tree, rosehip and organic olive oil, and aloe juice. Its a pregnancy skin care favorite. This paired with Novena’s Organic Citrus Blemish Lotion is exceptionally favorable for those mothers-to-be who are experiencing a case of pregnancy acne. Acne is a common and pesky side effect for some women during their pregnancy. Yet, most acne treatments contain chemicals which can potentially have adverse effects to a baby. Fortunately now, mothers-to-be can now be thankful for Novena Maternity.

Some Great Stats:
100% vegan, free priority mail shipping, dissolves makeup effortlessly

FOR NORMAL TO OILY SKIN

ACTIVE ORGANIC MILK FOREST PURIFIER

$32.00

Though Red Flower is not branded as a strictly pregnancy skin care line, its products purity are safe and gentle for anyone. The active organic milk forest purifier is high in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, vitamins a, b12 and d to strengthen and stimulate vitality leaving a more supple skin tone. The creamy rejuvenating purifier helps to reduce toxicity in the skin while increasing cellular turnover. It is rich with vitamin c, cloudberries, evergreens, herbs, and potent energizing extracts to deliver intense anti-oxidants, nature’s most powerful arctic berries.

Some Great Stats:
one hundred percent botanical, free of all synthetics, parabens, dyes, petrochemicals and sulfates, made with certified organic ingredients, contains the spirit of life, packaged in 77% post consumer recycled paper and printed at a 100% wind powered plant.

10 years ago, when I first started design school, there were two things that never crossed my mind. One, I would eventually become a doula and a designer and two; one of my design idols Karim Rashid would design baby bottles. People, anything and everything is possible.

The world’s leading industrial designer, Karim Rashid has partnered up with the team at iiamo, founded by Rasmus Schmiegelow and Nikolaj Leonhard-Hjorth, to design a new self-warming feeding bottle. Based in Denmark, iiamo’s product, iiamo go, is the only feeding bottle in the world which will warm up 180 ml milk to the recommended 37°C (body temperature) in only about 4 minutes – without the use of electricity. No power, no cord, no limitations. It’s secret element, the iiamo warm, contains only salt (CaCl2) and water and causes a natural heating reaction.

All iiamo products are without BPA, parabens, phthalates, perfume and other harmful substances. As where as I believe the concept of this bottle is so close to being a brilliant design, I do hope that the iiamo team arrives at a reusable version of the iiamo warm. The disposable warmers are only good for a one time use. Perhaps, if the warmer evolves to incorporate cradle-to-cradle principles, and then one can just toss the warmer into one’s garden, this will truly be a phenomenal design.

The founders at iiamo have great intentions as they are both parents as well. They adapted the philosophy into their design practice “happy mom = happy baby”. “They discovered that it is important – really important – to have a Life After Birth.” I will be checking in on this new company often.

$50 for the bottle $12 for the warming cartridges(six a pack)