Grocery Bag Redux

I fought back an SUV for a parking spot, unloaded the stroller, locked the car seat into place, locked the car and headed toward the front door when -- damn! I forgot my reusable grocery bags in the backseat. For a moment I thought about just picking up five more never-degradable shopping bags at the checkout rather than turning around, but ultimately the guilt made me retreat and retrieve the eco-friendly shopping bags.

While shopping in California last month, I was shocked by the number of people using reusable shopping bags at Trader Joe's and beyond. At home in Connecticut, I'm equally shocked by the fact that I'm the only one at the grocery store NOT using plastic.

Should the government step in and outlaw plastic? I would personally prefer that Stop & Shop and A & P and Big Y simply chose to encourage more ecological choices by selling reusable bags in the checkout line and even charging customers for each plastic bag they use -- a financial incentive for making a smart ecological decision.

So, what do you think about a line of Babies 4 Peace shopping bags? I would certainly never forget a B4P bag in the back seat!

Eco-Friendly Families Unite!

I was reading a very provocative and poignant New Yorker article today about big and small ways to reduce carbon footprints when my mind began wandering and wondering: Is it possible to raise a carbon-neutral baby?

I realize that this question sound ridiculously Western and spoiled. Giving birth to and raising a child are perhaps the second and third most natural human acts imaginable (I think we all know what Number One is). Women through time and all over the planet today are able to grow their babies into small people without adversely impacting the planet, I'm sure. But can we? Could I?

Carbon neutrality would mean no diapers, no pre-packaged baby food, probably no plastic bottles or rubber pacifiers or bleached cotton onesies or big, jangly, Made-in-China Jumperoos, either. Ironically, of course, none of these things really matter to our babies. Their 'must-haves' are all incredibly Earth-friendly: milk, love and the occasional burp.

It's the parents (myself included) who rely on so many of these non-biodegradable, shipped-from-overseas, sweatshop-promoting gadgets and gizmos. We say we couldn't live without them, but I wonder if that's actually true. Perhaps I should read The Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ways to Simplify Your Life and then get back to you...

Local Support for Organic Babies!

Last week, Babies 4 Peace was featured in our local, hometown newspaper: The Thames River Times, which applauded us for "a strong sense for responsible business and an eye toward the future." The article features some pretty darn adorable photos of B4P spokesbaby MacKinlay James, and helped to spread the word a bit in our community.

Also last week we got picked up for local distribution at the Puritan and Genesta store in Mystic. We are thrilled to be reaching more and more people with our edgy, unique organic baby clothes.

An Organic Baby Clothes Company

Hello, world!

Here at Babies 4 Peace, we are starting this blog to document our company growth and to highlight other companies and individuals who share our passion and mission for responsible, eco-friendly business that benefits more than our bottom line. If you have something to share, please email us at babies4peace@gmail.com