Check out what's new!

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Are you looking for a glider chair—whether for a baby on the way, or for just a comfy chair to relax in? 

A glider chair can be a lovely addition to a nursery as parents and caregivers feed, read, and sing to the baby. Even if you're not expecting a baby, a glider chair can be an embraced presence in a family room or bedroom for watching TV or reading.

Regardless, when shopping for a glider chair, you should look for a ...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Dinner plates are often made of glass or ceramic. For children, however, these materials can be dangerous: One swipe of the arm, and their plate is on the floor, accompanied by a heap of food and a pile of broken glass or ceramic. That’s why children are often given plastic plates.

For children, durability and safety of dinner plates are important considerations. However, whether children's dinner plates may contaminate food...

 by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Lead is a toxic metal commonly found in rocks and soil. It cannot be seen, smelt or tasted. (1) While phased out of some products in the 1970’s, lead is still found in many homes today. Including in glazes on tubs.

Studies pursued by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board found lead glaze on 75% of tubs tested in homes built before 1978 (those enrolled in the lead hazard reduction program). Of those tubs, 40%...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Who would ever think that rugs designed for nurseries could pollute our indoor environment? I certainly didn't know to be thoughtful about how my nursery rug may affect my infant's indoor air quality. But it does.

Below is a summary from the book A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures by Sophia Ruan Gushee. It can be used as guidelines for choosing a nontoxic nursery rug.

Can nursery rugs...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Ceramic-coated versus Teflon cookware: Which one is healthier? Below are key pros and cons of ceramic-coated cookware versus Teflon-coated cookware.

Ceramic versus Teflon cookware

Teflon

Teflon has been made with chemicals in the perfluorochemicals (PFC) family. These chemicals may leach into food during cooking; and they may contribute to liver, pancreatic, testicular, and breast cancer, thyroid issues, birth defects, and...

by Angela Cummings and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Ceramic is generally considered among the healthiest materials used throughout the home, from cozy warm mugs to tiled flooring.

“Ceramic” is a material made from clay that has been heated. It is a category that includes pottery, earthenware, terracotta, stoneware, porcelain, fine china, bone china, paper clay, etc. as subcategories. The names indicate different materials used to make the ceramic.

I've always been...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Summer is wrapping up and parents are entering back-to-school mode, making it a great time to stock up on food storage containers.

Whether it’s for packing school lunches, or preparing meals in advance, food storage containers are convenient for storing and transporting food. While plastic containers are the most popular type, there are great, nontoxic options to consider. Nontoxic food containers can also offer convenience with far...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

Chemicals found in standard cutting boards may off-gass volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air and leach into food and beverages. To minimze these exposures, choose a nontoxic cutting board.

Components of a nontoxic cutting board

Nontoxic cutting boards are made of solid hardwood, nontoxic glues, and nontoxic finishes. Some cutting boards come with a conditioner that can be toxic so look for one that is conditioned...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

We live in a society that serves instant gratification: dinners come pre-packaged or are delivered soon after our orders; we send and receive messages instantly; payment transactions are paid within minutes; and entertainment has never before been more abundant and accessible. There is no more waiting for the newest movie to hit the local theatre. Often, it’s one online click away. 

Nowadays, we...

by editorial team and Sophia Ruan Gushée

A modern challenge for parents is protecting their children’s privacy online—both a child’s online reputation, and information that companies can collect about children during online interactions.

Although the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) put parents in charge of information collected about their children online, today’s digital world has advanced...