Hanami

Take time to smell the roses...and the cherry blossoms, hyacinths, lily of the valley, lilacs...as you would in the art of Hanami or blossom viewing.

according to SOMA mag, in a memorable article written by Douglas Hargrave "Japan is known for its distinct seasons: lush, humid summers, drastically beautiful autumn, and cold, snowy winters. And when springtime arrives, the defining seasonal aspect in Japan is the cherry blossoms. Hanami, or blossom viewing, is a tradition in Japan that dates back over 1,200 years....Family, friends, coworkers or couples gather in a public area surrounded by dozens of well-tended trees in full bloom. Sitting on mats or on the grass, the talk, share food brought from home or bought locally, admire the blossoms, and usually drink plenty of sake, sometimes well into the evening...The transient, ungraspable nature of the cherry blossom strikes at the Buddhist core of Japanese culture. Life, youth and beauty are taken from us so quickly and irrevocably, yet we pass our days in a flurry of appointments, commutes and telephone calls. Sometimes it's just good to just sit back and enjoy the flowers."

Almost daily I walk with Rowan around my yard and talk to her about the flowers, shrubs and trees growing and blooming (her grandad likes to this with her too). She is only 5 months old, but as soon as she and I walk outside into the fresh air she relaxes and enjoys the moment with me.

I think babies are born with the spirit of Hanami. And I am so glad that the birth of my daughter has renewed my own sense of childhhood and what really matters.

Life is short. Remember to stop and smell the roses.

Plastic baby bottle warning

check out this info:
http://green.yahoo.com/news/nm/20080415/sc_nm/plastic_bottles_dc.html

Baby Bottles, Better Safe than Sorry

Lately there is a great deal of controversy over the use of Bisphenol A and Phthalate in baby products, particularly baby bottles.

Bisphenol A (or "BPA") is used in most common and popular plastic baby bottles. BPA exposure has been linked to hormone disrupting effects including lowered sperm count and infertile sperm, development of human cancer cells and production of precursors to breast cancer and developmental toxicity. BPA is known to leach from plastic with exposure to heat (while cleaning bottles, warming milk, etc).

Phthalate is a plasticizer added to a wide variety of common products, including baby bottles, lotions, powders, shampoos, and items with fragrance. Some phthalates are endocrine disruptors and can precipitate asthma, respiratory problems, rhinits and eczema, premature breast development in girls and poor semen quality in boys. The best thing to do for yourself and baby is to limit exposure to products containing phthalate (which does not always have to be listed as part of the ingredients). When in doubt, stay away from products with fragrance.

If you get people around you talking about this issue some will just brush this information aside and figure, "it didn't hurt me, it didn't hurt my parents... or "my baby is fine so far." However, the latest information from a predominent cancer society informs us that 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 2 men and 3 out of 4 families will be affected by cancer. And the last I checked, 1 out 8 women will develop breast cancer.

It makes sense to me to avoid BPA and Phthalate because collectively they have many adverse side effects (cancer and hormone disruption included).

How many times do parents wash their hands daily to avoid exposing their children to germs but don't know that something as innocent as feeding their baby a bottle can be doing so much more damage than germ exposure ?

I believe we should ere on the side of caution for the sake of our babies and children.

Please buy baby bottles and sippy-cups, like those made by GreenToGrow and Born Free, that are free from BPA and Phthalate. They are relatively well priced (just a few dollars more) and in the end, peace of mind is priceless.

to be or not to be green

I will be the first person to tell you that I don't know everything about being green. But I would like to say is this, the process is an evolution. You don't have to stop what you are doing and change everything all at once. My daughter is almost 5 months old and I have just, today, switched to chlorine-free diapers and wipes. I am super happy to make the switch after learning that most non-cloth diapers emit dioxin which is known to be cancer causing. Switching to chlorine-free diapers not only helps your little one but also reduces the amount of dioxin in our overall environment (affecting people of all ages) So, it is up to you to decide to be or not to be green but as far as I'm concerned the shades in the middle are a step in the right direction.

why baby La Rue

After the recent birth of my daughter Rowan I became inspired to create baby La Rue. When I started to buy all the baby things we needed for Rowan I realized that there is a lot out there for babies, but not all of it is safe. In today's world of exposure to chemicals and toxins we are not as healthy as we once were when we lived more naturally. I believe it is important to do the best we can for our kids, through the products we put on them (their clothing, bath and body products) to what we put in them (safe milk from bottles that are bpa-free and phtalate-free) to what we give them (toys and teethers that are natural and toxin-free). It is time for us all to start taking responsibility for saving mother nature through supporting ethical and sustainable products. My daughter has given me a renewed sense of purpose and I want to help our children have a brighter, hea lthier, greener future~and be stylish while doing it.

I have carefully selected the products carried on my site and Rowan uses them all. I have even adopted the baby bath and body products by Little Twig for my own use. I am constantly on the lookout for new products to add to the site, they must be earth friendly, fashionable and affordable. I am using recycled and eco-friendly shipping materials and do my best to reduce any needless waste. I welcome any suggestions or comments and hope you enjoy the site.

I thank you for your support and would love for you to pass the word on that baby La Rue has launched

much love~
kira
owner and founder of baby La Rue
www.shopbabylarue.com