January 31st, 2009 | Safety | No Comments |
The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has delayed the enaction of the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) law for a year – which includes a stay of enforcement from certain testing by manufacturers of products for children under 12. Though the CPSC is “cautioning” those manufacturers and handmade product makers to be aware of whether their products contain lead, they are just guidelines. Enforcement will not occur for at least a year. There are some exceptions to this stay – such as paint, pacifier and crib manufacturers still need to comply with the restrictions on lead content in their products. This stay will give the CPSC time to refine and consider the details of this law and the implications on small business owners at the same time make all manufacturers and producers aware of the pending restrictions on their products and hopefully move rapid change towards safer products for our children.
January 25th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments |
I’ve been getting questions as to what a baby planner does and whether a baby planner is necessary, especially in these economic times. A baby planner is to an expecting couple what a wedding planner is to an engaged couple. I was glad I had a wedding planner so that I didn’t have to think about setting up the slideshow, tipping the photographer, feeding the vendors, or putting out all the placecards before the start of the wedding.
A baby planner prepares the family-to-be with setting up the nursery, finding eco-friendly products, registering for the shower, planning your shower, etc. If you are working, it can be a stress reliever to have someone else take care of these things for you with your full input, of course. We can be as involved as you like us to be and if it’s a small task as finding a great maternity photographer or nursery painter, we can do that as well.
(Bliss Nine works in San Diego, Orange County and can work with you over the phone or internet)
January 24th, 2009 | products | No Comments |
So since it’s cold season and people are catching various viruses left and right, I wanted to remind parents-to-be that a cool mist humidifier is a must have for the stuffy nosed infant. Humidifiers also help with dry skin. San Diego had a recent run of the dry Santa Ana winds and the humidifier can be helpful in alleviating dry skin on babies. This is a great product to register for and don’t forget to register for at least two filters, since the model may change and you are not going to want to go out and hunt for the right filter. Read your manufacturer instructions to see how often they recommend changing the filter. Prices vary, as well as the scope and strength of the humidifier spray. More expensive humidifiers will tell you what the humidity level is in the room and it will humidify the room to the desired set level. Once it reaches that level, the humidifier shuts off until the humidity level drops below the set level and then turns itself back on. Great feature to have so you don’t have to turn it off and on manually each time.
Though most humidifiers aren’t the most attractive pieces in the nursery, above is a pic of some of the Crane humidifiers. At about $35 a piece (depending where you buy it), buy more than one and put them in different rooms. It may not come with some fancy gadgets but if want something fun and cheap, they come in all different shapes and characters. Love the pig and frog ones!
TIP: Place a clear plastic pan, such as those placed under plants, in the chance that your humidifier springs a leak. This will keep your wood floors, carpets or tables from possibly ugly and expensive damage.
January 18th, 2009 | products | No Comments |
My cousin gave me a pack of Boogie Wipes she got through a press package at work. Since she doesn’t have kids she gifted these to me and my first thought was “Really? Come on, now they makes special wipes for runny noses? What’s wrong with a tissue paper or a baby wipe?” Well..2 months later when my baby came down with his first cold, I cracked open the wipes and take back my doubts. They are extremely soft and moisturizing with vitamin E and chamomile. The company website boasts its moisturizing and soothing properties as well as mucus dissolving saline. I love how it’s phalate and paraben and alcohol free. I came down with the cold at the same time and tried one of the wipes…they do work well. With a runny nose though, they are a little bit too “wet”, so you may need to clean up after with a dry tissue. For dry noses, they do what they say they do. If you go on their website, you can print out a $1 off coupon and try these yourselves.
January 15th, 2009 | Safety, recalls | 1 Comment |
Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled the Fisher Price Simplicity Portable Playard due to hazards caused by the possibility of one of the rails collapsing which could entrap a child/infant. The recalled products were sold between January 2007 and January 2009. Stop using the playards! And call Fisher Price for more information at (800) 432-5437.
January 10th, 2009 | decorating | No Comments |
Ok, so it sounds like a bad nightmare where you are scraping off your kid’s scratch n’ sniff stickers off your new cabinets before it gets any worse. But No! Modern Wall Graphics makes the best wall stickers utilizing modern designs and fun shapes. You don’t have to worry about installing difficult wallpaper or spending your time and effort on painting and then repainting. Stick ‘em on and take ‘em off whenever you’d like. They are beautiful and you can place them anywhere to create beautiful designs. I wish I knew of this site before I decorated my nursery. I saw some graphic decals at the Museum of Contemporary Art but their 3 choices just didn’t fit what I was looking for. This site is packed with choices and some views of the decals in rooms and on the walls to give you an idea of what it would look like. If you don’t have the artistic hand or you can’t afford an artist to paint the designs by hand, this is the next best thing.
Happy decorating! It’s a new year! Try something new in your home or something that doesn’t release toxic fumes in your baby’s nursery. After all, you can always change it if you don’t like it.
January 6th, 2009 | Celebrities | No Comments |
She has the Orbit Baby Stroller (Infant System) in Mocha. And if you haven’t noticed she has lost all her post-pregnancy weight!!! Hate her!
Looking Good with Her Orbit Baby Stroller...
January 2nd, 2009 | Safety | No Comments |
February 10th will be soon upon us. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) imposes new restrictions on lead levels in children’s products, beginning February 10, 2009. Furthermore, beginning August 14, 2009, the CPSIA lowers the existing restrictions on lead in paint, articles intended for children bearing lead paint and furniture bearing lead paint. The California Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a statement stating that the lead and lead in paint provisions are “retroactive,” and apply to products “offered for sale” on February 10, 2009 (for lead limits) and August 14, 2009 (for lead in paint limits), regardless of when the product was manufactured. Therefore, all children’s products offered for sale on February 10, 2009 must meet the new lead content limits. Items not meeting the new limits must be removed from the shelf on this date. The CPSC is considering exempting clothing and toys made of natural materials such as wool or wood. The CPSC is in charge of enforcing this law. Some stores are unaware that the law is changing – so it will be up to you or your Bliss Nine baby planner to help you investigate whether a product has met the standard to comply with this law.
We feel for the retailers of children’s products as it will likely be a financial setback for those unsold items and handmade toys. However, this law is for the health of our children and hopefully this will lead to the future production of safer products for our children and their health. We hope the law will be refined in the future to consider the handmade toys and products and the types of materials used in these products which may not need to be tested. In the meantime, it is a good step towards doing the right thing. The LA Times reported that last year a child in Minnesota died after he swallowed a lead charm off his sneaker.
January 1st, 2009 | products | No Comments |
Boon Flair High Chair - Love This!
Though we have a Fisher Price Aquarium High Chair, which is also a wonderful product, we had to give that chair to my mother, who babysits our baby a lot during the week. So in need of our own chair, I purchased the Boon Flair High Chair, which is such a great product! And no, I am not getting paid to post this 
. Not only does it look great, but it rolls around from one place to another with ease. The brake at the bottom keeps it from rolling, should you so choose. It comes with two plastic trays which attaches to the main tray and easily fits in the dishwasher or your sink. The five point harness and the t-bar below keeps your kid in safe and secure while he/she squirms and plays. The weight limit is up to 50 pounds, which could easily fit your 4-5 year old, so this chair can last a while! The Boon Inc. website states that the chair is PVC free, Phthalate free, and PVC free.
Like Bliss Nine, 10% of Boon’s profits are donated to children’s charities. That is a plus for us!
