Baby planning overwhelm. It’s a thing. If you’re planning your nursery or your baby registry, it’s super easy to get sucked into the convenience trap of bulk-buying at a big box store and settling for less. If your goal is to support small brands and conscious companies, but are feeling overwhelmed with doing the research, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a roundup of five ethical baby brands that you need to know about. From teethers to toys, these are some of my favorite ethical brands for new moms, and better yet, these products also make a natural and non-toxic addition to your nursery. 

If you’re looking for …

Dolls: Cuddle + Kind

Photo: @homeoftheharveys

Cuddle+Kind dolls make the best company in your baby’s crib. Every single doll is ethically produced in Peru with premium natural cotton, making them safe for littles to hug all night long. Plus, artisans receive a fair trade income, and for each doll purchased, cuddle+kind gives 10 meals to children in need across 66 countries. 

Furniture: Kalon Studios

Photo: @lindseytrapp_

If you’re looking for simple, ethically made furniture for your newborn’s nursery, Kalon makes the most beautiful pieces. From cribs to dressers, everything is made in the United States with natural materials, including sustainably harvested wood, latex derived from rubber trees, and coconut fiber from recycled coconut husks.

Kalon is currently donating 100% of profits to Médecins Sans Frontières, an organization working toward addressing the impact COVID-19 has had on refugee camps, homeless people in conflict areas, and other vulnerable populations. 

Moses Baskets: Plum + Sparrow

Moses baskets are all the rage right now and there’s a good reason for it. They’re a beautiful, portable, and snug little spot for your newborn that won’t create an eyesore in your living room.  Plum + Sparrow baskets are hand-woven with elephant grass and hand-dyed in Africa, and the weavers receive 10% back on every purchase, as well as fair pay and healthcare and schooling for their families. 

Toys: Tender Leaf Toys

For little ones whose motor skills are out in full force, Tender Leaf Toys crafts handmade wooden toys perfect for safe play. You can select from puzzles to dollhouses to toy kitchens, all made responsibly in Indonesia from eco-friendly rubberwood trees, and for every tree cut down to make their products, another one is planted in its place.

Teethers: Pretty Please Teethers

Your babe will be teething before you know it, so be prepared for the myriad of gross things that they will put in their mouth. Best to have some safe alternatives handy, and we love these teethers because they’re made from ultra safe materials and pretty to boot. Pretty Please Teethers is a Black-owned company that makes colorful, minimalist teethers here in the United States with 100% non-toxic silicone and natural beechwood treated with coconut oil and a beeswax blend. Sore and achy gums, begone.

And of course, if you’re shopping for bedding, check out our collection of Fair Trade, certified organic crib sheets. Our sheets are hand-printed with love using the traditional Indian wooden block printing technique, and we’re giving back by planting one tree for every purchase.

For Earth Day 2020, Kindred will be honoring our planet by donating 100% of profits on orders made for 3 days only: April 22, April 23, and April 24th. While there are many exceptional organizations to donate to, I made the decision to select one that is local to my region and is fighting for an urgent cause near and dear to my heart: protecting orca whales here in the Pacific Northwest.

While orca whales live all over the world, the southern resident orca population make their home in the waters of the Puget Sound in the summer (their entire feeding ground spans from Vancouver Island, Canada to Monterey, CA). They feed almost exclusively on Chinook salmon, iconic in the Pacific Northwest, but a quickly vanishing resource. Heartbreakingly, the orcas' dependence on salmon means this population of orcas is critically endangered: scientists believe them to be starving. Their plight from historically low salmon runs is compounded by toxic pollution and climate change.  Two years ago, the southern resident orcas made international news when scientists tracked a mother orca carrying her dead calf with her for 17 days. It terrifies me to know that there is a chance these incredible whales may gone within my lifetime. 

Wild Orca is 501(c)(3) that is fighting for the orcas by advocating for policy solutions ranging from dam removal to improved salmon fishery management to help the population rebuild.  I'm grateful for all that they are doing and look forward to supporting them this Earth Day and in the future. Their website has a wealth of information about the orcas and the challenges they are facing, including some that might surprise you (as they did me). They also have links to various petitions and political actions you can take, so I encourage you to check them out and get involved!

xoxo

Hope

I'm nerdily excited to share my resolutions for 2020 which all center around how I can reduce our household’s footprint and create an intentional, sustainable home. 

Going zero-waste is super intimidating for me. As anyone with babies or young kids knows, life, work, and taking care of other humans is madness and you’re doing your best to survive. Despite that, I know there are some easy steps I can take to reduce waste in my house that we aren’t doing simply out of habit. So, I’m going to approach this incrementally, and start with a few changes I can make that I know will have a big impact. Here are the 2020 resolutions, in order of easiest to hardest. Below this list, I am sharing some of my favorite green household products and steps that we’re already taking, so if you’re new to greening your home, be sure to check out those recommendations too.

2020 Resolutions

1. Stop using paper towels for every-day wipe downs and cleaning. I’m purchasing a couple of these puppies instead that we can toss in the wash. (PRO TIP: Old cloth diapers are also amazing cleaning rags and we use them on the regular to mop up spills because they are so absorbent.)
2. Save my coffee grounds for the garden. We already do curbside compost pick-up, but I want to start separating the grounds and create a system saving them to nourish the garden instead of buying plastic bags of compost. They don’t stink like other food waste. At least that’s my theory. Stay tuned. 
3. Buy from the bulk aisle more often, and, here’s the kicker-- bring my own containers.   Guys, this really should be a no brainer for us. We regularly shop at a health food store that offers lots of good bulk options some of which would allow us to reduce other food packaging waste. Fig bars, pastas, legumes, dried fruit, candy, it’s all in the bulk aisle! But getting in the habit of bringing my own jars and containers requires some planning ahead and building up a little stash of extra containers to grab when I need them. So, I’m going to do that. If you aren’t sure how it would work to use your own container at the store, here’s a good article on what to do. 
4. Stop buying food that comes in unrecyclable plastic clamshells. That includes the pre-washed salad and spinach greens (this is a total time-saver that I’m going to have to work hard to part with, but, hello, slow-living). And, take-out food. I’m going to begin asking restaurants if I can bring my own reusable container for food pick up. This also requires a bit more planning and yeah it’s weird. But words cannot describe my hate for plastic clamshells. Like, I loath them and their no good, unrecyclable, crackly, landfill space-sucking faces. And I will be the weird hippy who brings my own Tupperware into the Thai restaurant. Watch me.
5. Install rain barrels. Last, and hardest in terms of cost, but definitely not least. In the PNW where we get bucket loads of rain for half the year, it’s really an obvious choice to reduce water usage for our landscaping. I’m hopeful it will save us money over the summer when we need to be watering the garden every day. (Little known fact: Portland goes for months without rain in the summer).

I didn’t create a specific resolution for this, but generally, I’m also going to be more intentional about moving away from plastic items when we need to purchase new household things. Helen Milan is a beautiful shop that has some great natural and plastic-free items for home and baby.

What We’re Already Doing and Green Products I Recommend

• Composting (and recycling duh)
• Using reusable Stashers instead of sandwich ziplocks
• Using beeswax food covers instead of sandwich bags or plastic wrap
• Using reusable produce bags instead of plastic bags at the grocery store
• Using 100% earth-friendly, non-toxic biodegradable cleaning products:
  • Favorite laundry: Biokleen sport detergent and oxygen bleach powder
  • Favorite all purpose cleaner: Mrs. Meyers concentrated multi-purpose cleaner in Basil
  • Favorite bathroom cleaner: Biokleen bathroom enzyme cleaner
• Swapping out plastic sponges for cellulose sponges that biodegrade
• Opting in to 100% wind power through our electric company (To be fully transparent, this costs us a few extra dollars per month, which I am happy to pay for considering the climate change emergency). 

FYI, none of the above products are affiliate links. They are just the products that I use and that I love and feel great about recommending to you. I feel like we’re off to a great start, 2020! I hope you get some good ideas from my little list and would love to hear yours!  

xoxo

Hope

This Christmas, I decided to embrace my inner crunchiness. In prepping for this special time of year, I wanted to put together something meaningful, spiritual and fun for my kids that we can do each year as a family that's not centered around a religious holiday or Santa Claus. After doing some research about how the Solstice has been celebrated by cultures all over the word for centuries, I created some simple, children-focused rituals that celebrate Yuletide, honor the natural rhythms of nature, and remind us of our connectedness to Earth and each other. I hope it becomes a tradition for us every year. Enjoy, and feel free to use and customize for your family and what rings true to you! Peace and Love, Hope

What's Needed

Candles, bells for each person or child, paper and pens, two bowls or boxes, and a special treat to enjoy.

Winter Solstice Celebration

Open with a reading about the Solstice and take part in bell-ringing. Ask kids to listen for the words, "Welcome, Sun!" or, "Thank you, Moon!" and ring their bells each time they hear them. Here's ours:

Today we gather to celebrate the Winter Solstice, also known as Yuletide, to welcome the return of the light and longer days!

The Solstice represents the shortest day, the longest night, and the birth of a new cosmic year. Some ancient cultures used the Solstice to celebrate the power of the Moon. Thank you Moon! (Ring bells) And, they liked to believe that on this day, the Moon gives birth to the Sun. Welcome, Sun!  (Ring bells)

Today we honor the Solstice and its darkness as a time of rest and rejuvenation for Mother Earth and all of her beings as she prepares for rebirth in the spring.  We celebrate that each day forward from this point, the sun lingers longer, bringing with it renewal, warmth, brightness, and the promise of new growth and love. Welcome, Sun! (Ring bells) 

On this longest night, we gather within the warm shelter of our home to be merry and give thanks for this opportunity of renewal. Thank you, Moon! (ring bells)

Burning Ceremony (If kids are old enough)

Prior to the ceremony, give each person two small pieces of paper. On one piece, write down what you want to let go of. On the other piece, write an intention or personal goal for the new year.  Adults can help children write theirs. Each person can hold a candle.

(Set down bells and pick-up candles). Let’s start the burning ceremony. To let go of the things that no longer serve us, we light each piece of our “let go papers” with our candles and place them in the Yule Bowl. 

Next, we honor this time of renewal to set intentions for what to welcome in the coming year.  Place your “intention papers” in the Yule Box.

Unity Ceremony 

(Set down candles and pick-up bells again). We celebrate the Solstice as a reminder of our unity with all people, places, and animals in this world, and the Earth itself, by ringing our bells toward the four directional compass points: North, East, South and West. (ring bells in each direction).

We honor our place in a connected universe by ringing our bells upward toward the cosmos; downward toward the earth; and center, toward our own inner being and our divine spirit. (ring bells in each direction).

Food ceremony

After you do the rituals, enjoy a special meal or dessert that you make each year.

I encourage you to add or subtract rituals that you want to incorporate for yourself and your family, Have fun!

You might have noticed that a lot of the most Pinterest-worthy nurseries these days have one thing in common: they look just like the bedroom you’d love to have. Go ahead and make it a room that you’ll love— after all, you and your babe will probably be spending some pretty serious QT in here.  

1. Go neutral 

There’s lots of ways to do this right. Even if you want to have a colorful nursery (we love a pop of bold color!) you can anchor the space in neutral or monochrome hues. Using pinks, blues, greens and reds in significant quantities can make the nursery feel outdated or busy. Save those for the details instead.

2. Have fun with artwork 

The nursery is your place to experiment with fun and whimsical artwork that you might not choose for other rooms in your home. Don’t restrict your choices to art that is specifically geared toward babies. The sky’s the limit – choose something you love to look at, and your baby will love it too. 

3. Incorporate unique details

Choose accessories with a story. Maybe it’s something inspired by your love of traveling, the great outdoors, a special heirloom or vintage piece. Hand woven baskets are a beautiful and functional solution for toy storage and handmade pillows or textiles add a splash of color and whimsy without being too childish. Thoughtful details will help you tie the nursery in with the rest of your home, and are much easier to transition as baby grows.  Shop our collection of Indian hand-block printed crib sheets.

Want more ideas?

We’ve rounded up some great looks on Pinterest and Instagram – follow along for never-ending inspo for designing your own unique space!

Want the best choice for your baby and the planet? Choose organic.

Read on to get all your burning questions about organic cotton answered, and learn about Kindred’s commitment to always offer Moms bedding made with organic cotton that’s certified by the most stringent global standard. We got you, Mama.

Why is organic cotton better for the environment?

Organic cotton crops use an estimated 71% less water and 62% less energy than conventionally grown cotton. The ethical fashion movement has helped increase awareness of the sheer tonnage of cotton grown and processed for clothes, and it’s time that we apply that consciousness to the home textile industry too, which uses about 35% of the world’s cotton. The massive amount of cotton we use for apparel and home textiles requires significant resources. By choosing organic, we can reduce the climate-change-causing greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy used in production— and save water. Organic crops are able to achieve these benefits from strong and healthy soil. By using crop rotation, organic farmers utilize the natural organic compounds in the soil, resulting in less fertilizer and less irrigation.

But there’s more. Conventionally grown cotton uses harmful chemicals that have a severe impact on both human health and the environment. Many insecticides and pesticides used to grow cotton are known carcinogens. Each year, farmers, cotton pickers, and manufacturing plant workers get sick and even die from harvesting and processing chemical-laden crops, including, tragically, infant illnesses from breast milk contamination. Symptoms among cotton harvesters that demonstrate impairment of the nervous system include delayed puberty, blood abnormalities, and acute symptoms such as respiratory problems, dizziness, nausea, and convulsions. What’s more is that neurological impairment is not just affecting a select few. A recent study found that a staggering 42% of non-organic cotton crop farmers reported symptoms of pesticide poisoning in 2017.

Beyond the overwhelmingly dangerous human health impacts, chemicals sprayed on crops affect entire ecosystems and poison lakes, rivers, and waterways by way of dangerous run-off. Conservationists estimate that pesticides were responsible for 67 million bird deaths by the year 2012, which has since grown – the recent New York Time’s article on the harrowing decline of bird populations (scientists say there are an estimated 3 billion fewer birds in North America now compared to 50 years ago), attributed pesticides as a significant culprit.

Organic cotton is grown without the use of poisonous chemicals.

(By the way, if you’re concerned about the bird emergency, which you should be, consider cutting pesticides and weed killer out of your lawn care routine and start incorporating more organic food. Even small steps can help. But for now, back to textiles).

What does GOTS-certified mean?

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the leading international standard for processing organic textiles. It includes strict ecological and social criteria, and in order to receive the GOTS label, producers require independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. Below is some more information about why the GOTS standard is the “gold standard” for textile manufacturing, and why it’s important to consider this label when shopping for organic products. (Not all textiles labeled “organic” mean that they are GOTS-certified!)

The lifecycle lens that GOTS-certification uses is critically important because it covers all steps of the process from harvest to manufacturing. It works like this: in order for any product to earn GOTS-certification, cotton famers who harvested the fiber must be certified according to their own recognized, national organic label (i.e., USDA Organic). Next, organizations and facilities involved in post-harvest all the way up to manufacturing must undergo annual site inspections for quality assurance. The production process must adhere to strict standards surrounding chemical usage, as well as sustainability and social benchmarks. For example, in order for a cotton textile to be GOTS-certified, it can’t just be organically grown. It must also be produced without any chlorine bleach, Azo dyes (which contain carcinogenic compounds), harmful solvents, toxic heavy metals, or formaldehyde, among other restrictions. Further, processing facilities are required to have policies and targets surrounding wastewater discharge levels and responsible methods of discharge. On top of these strict environmental requirements, there are social criteria that must be adhered to as well. Learn more.

Quite simply, GOTS is currently the best standard there is, and if a product is claiming it’s made with organic cotton but doesn’t specify the GOTS-certification, you may want to consider asking the maker a bit more about the certification process.

Is organic cotton better for baby’s skin?

Yes. Many studies have shown that chemical residue from non-organically processed cotton can become trapped in the processed fibers and woven threads.

Some babies with very sensitive skin can experience rashes, but there are other health impacts from using non-organic bedding and clothes too, such as headaches or dizziness. Given that new babies can sleep upwards of 18 hours a day, it’s crucial that they are sleeping on organic mattresses, organic crib sheets, and other bedding that does not contain chemical residue that might irritate the skin, or worse, be absorbed into the nervous system through the skin over time.

Moms should feel good about what they're buying.

It’s for all of these reasons that I made the decision to always use GOTS-certified organic cotton for all of Kindred’s crib sheets and bedding, without exception. This decision goes beyond just making sustainable choices for today. Choosing organic means we’re doing our part to create a healthy and abundant planet for our children, because, after all, they will inherit what we leave behind. I’m a Mom too. And I know how important it is to feel confident that I am giving my babies the best start I can, and feel good about making responsible choices for the planet. 

Shop our collections now.

Wow, baby registries have come a long way. It used to be that we expecting Moms were limited to registering with a few big box companies to cover the basics, and those companies sold limited brands. 

Enter Amazon’s Universal Registry and BabyList (founded by amazing Mom entrepreneur Natalie Gordon!)  Hooray for choice. These registries are now making it easy for moms to curate a collection of favorite products or services from all over the internet-of-things, including small independent brands. In my book, this is nothing but a huge win for the conscious consumer movement and small businesses like Kindred that are making responsibly-made, sustainable, and organic baby products that aren’t sold at major retailers. 

If you want to add one of Kindred’s organic crib sheets to your baby registry, I would suggest using either BabyList or Amazon’s Universal registry.   

BabyList:

Visit the BabyList site to simply add a button to your browser’s bookmarks bar. Once that’s done and you’ve signed up for a BabyList account, come back to Kindred, find your fav organic crib sheet in your fav color, and just click the BabyList button that you’ve saved to your bar.

Amazon:

Go to this site to install Amazon Assistant, which works pretty much the same way.  You can install the Assistant for different broswers, then come on back over to Kindred and pick your sheet. 

Whichever option you choose, building a customized registry with your hand-selected products for your family and friends to choose from all in one place is pretty frickin’ awesome.

If you’re waiting to learn the gender of your baby, you can still add stuff to the registry in advance. Kindred’s prints in light gray, black and white, and mustard gold are solid gender neutral crib sheet choices. We got you, mama. 

Happy registering!