Check out our blogs for great advice and information from the people who know best, whether it's our network of experts or our very own team.
August 26, 2010
My family and I just got back from some restful time in the mountains (my son fishing above). It proved to me all over again the power of teaching children an appreciation of the outdoors from a young age.
Our attention is now, slowly, turning to back to school.
I came across this just released safer & healthier ‘back to school’ guide and thought this community would find it helpful. It includes quick & easy information on art supplies, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc.
July 28, 2010
My family and I are going out west for some family vacation time…..some hiking, fishing, first camping experience with my son (3.5 years) and general down time outdoors.
I am going to press pause briefly on the blog for that time but I thought I would outline the topics I have covered in the past few months…with some quick reference links.
Have a great rest of your summer!
Greening your nursery basics
- What it means to have a ‘green’ nursery
- indoor air quality
- quick steps guide
- water filtration
- household dust & indoor air quality
- Understanding what “organic” means in the home
- keeping toxic materials out
Non profit resources
- Q Collection Junior’s favorite non profits
- the ultimate healthy sunscreen guide
- how to green your child’s school
- guide to healthy toys
- Environmental Working Group (EWG)
Green Nursery interviews
- Mary T Johnson (my wife)
- Ken Cook, co-founder, Environmental Working Group: Part One ; Part Two
- Dr Aaron Bernstein, Pediatrician, Part One ; Part Two
- Michael Green, founder, Center for Environmental Health
- Aliza Pressman, co-founder, The Seedlings Group
- mattresses: the good, the bad and the ugly
- the hardest item to find: rugs
- thoughts from a green nursery renovation
Q Collection Junior’s leadership
July 15, 2010
Our friends at Environmental Working Group (EWG) know their stuff. When it comes to recommending the healthiest and most environmentally-safe options, their work is 2nd to none. We consider it the highest compliment that they say “you could (almost) eat” Q Collection Junior’s furniture. So, here we are, tooting our own horns…
Read their whole post on Q Collection Junior here:
http://www.enviroblog.org/2010/06/you-could-eat-this-furniture.html
The quote we’re probably most proud of at Q Collection Junior comes from EWG…and its founder, Ken Cook:
I don’t know of any other furniture company that is trying to do anything close to what Jesse is doing at Q Collection when it comes to environmental sustainability and health.
Beyond their kind words about our company, we love EWG for their ‘green living’ tips…they’re our favorite resource. They are tried and trusted and their guides are invaluable (e.g. cosmetics, sunscreen, etc). See previous post mentions here and here and our interview with EWG founder Ken Cook here.
A good one we haven’t linked to yet: ‘Healthy Home Tips’. It allows you to look through your house for common harmful chemicals and choose safer alternatives. The PDF checklist can be found here. http://www.ewg.org/files/ewg-hht-checkilist.pdf
July 6, 2010
There is a ton of confusion right now on what is and isn’t legitimately organic.
Q Collection Junior relies on the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) to inspect and certify that all of cotton we use on our bedding collection (viewable here through Giggle) is in fact 100% certified. There are many examples out there of companies overstepping – either claiming to have an organic product but with no certification to back it up or labeling it as organic but still using materials that aren’t organic (like polyfill in bumpers).
Food has the USDA National Organic Program monitoring claims and enforcing guidelines. No such body or mechanism exists for children’s products, personal care, cosmetics, clothing, etc. Whole Foods made a statement on their blog last week that got attention. Starting next June, all non food items sold there must include third party certification. A step in the right direction for sure.
Here is a link to that post: http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/06/organic-labeling-for-body-care/
June 29, 2010
A few weeks ago I wrote about my family’s misadventures trying to find a simple ‘green’ rug for the room our kids will soon share (link to previous post on this topic here).
Rugs and carpets seem to be the trickiest item to find when your goal is greener and healthier. It seems simple enough: something good looking that doesn’t use any chemical treatments (stains, flame retardants, etc) and is made of decent materials (no PVC plastic, etc).
Natural Home Magazine’s current issue (June/July) has a few resources. As I learned in my search, it’s worth asking a few questions to be sure these aren’t treated with chemicals we don’t want around our kids (several times a sales person said one thing and the company said something different). Ask specifically about flame retardants, stain repellents, and materials. Stick with natural fibers (cotton & wool) without PVC backing. Please post a comment if you have a question.
- Earth Weave (wool): www.earthweave.com
- Flor (recycled carpet tiles): www.flor.com
- Nature’s Carpet (wool): www.naturescarpet.com
- Garuda Woven Art (cotton & wool): www.garudawovenart.com
June 21, 2010
Aliza Pressman is the co-founder of The Seedlings Group – a team of child development experts that help “navigate the challenges of raising a happy, healthy baby”. Aliza and her husband Jeff have two daughters – 3.5 and 6 months.
Jesse: In creating the nursery in your home, where did the goal of creating a healthier / greener nursery rank for you?
Aliza: Like all parents, I am very committed to trying to provide the best, safest, healthiest choices for my children. I would say I fall somewhere in the middle.
Jesse: Assuming it was a consideration, what were your main reasons for this?
Aliza: Considering that in the first year of life a baby sleeps between 12-18 hours per day, my main consideration is providing her with good indoor air quality. We were focused on the mattress, toys and crib. I like knowing that when she decides to chew her crib or eat her toys that I can relax and let her because I know she is safe.
Jesse: What were the easiest & hardest aspects of creating a healthier / greener nursery?
Aliza: A rug or carpet is the one thing that is still just so difficult to do properly. I want a plush cozy room for a crawling baby but I also don’t’ want all of the off-gassing, glues and dust. In the end I chose a natural wool area rug.
Jesse: What is your child’s favorite aspect of their nursery?
Aliza: She has a shatter proof mirror along the bottom of the wall and she loves staring at herself!
Jesse: What resources did you rely on in creating a healthier/greener nursery?
Aliza: I feel very lucky when I am overwhelmed that I can reach out to people who know their stuff, including:
- MT Sinai’s Children’s Environmental Health Center run by Dr Phil Landrigan (previous post discussing his work can be found here)
- My friend Lexy Zissu can green-proof for you if you feel overwhelmed (link to her site and information is here)
Jesse: What advice would you give a family just starting the nursery planning process?
Aliza: Try not to feel overwhelmed by the fears and enjoy the fact that you are making a cozy room for your beautiful baby. We do the best we can. Of course we can’t do everything. We use no or low VOC paints, natural fabrics, an organic mattress and sustainable / healthy furniture. Those things are easy to access and made beautifully.
Jesse: My wife & I are both customers and supporters of The Seedlings Group. Any chance you’d give our readers some free nursery layout advice?!
Aliza: Consider making a cozy corner with a very low magazine rack, book shelf or book bin, some furry friends and a cozy toddler chair to hang out to start to love of reading. Resist getting everything at once. You will change your mind about what you need throughout your baby’s development.
When you consider decorating your nursery, remember that babies are on the floor a lot! Put things for her to look at closer to the ground rather than thinking about things that are appealing to the adult eye. That also means things on the floor are going to go in your baby’s mouth!
June 14, 2010
We all see examples every day of greenwashing – companies overstating the environmental and health benefits of their products. I saw one particularly bad example last week on the topic of eating local.
What does local production and material sourcing mean to you? To us at Q Collection Junior, it means the goal of sourcing our wood from within 150 miles of our production (all of which is here in the US). That is local.
A well-known seafood restaurant in Florida uses the term “local” in a very different way. They’ve been luring customers in for the “belly buster’ fish sandwich by claiming to serve fresh seafood “from our docks.” The image is clear – a boat pulling up at their docks with fish just caught off the coast of Florida. But the reality isn’t nearly that simple. Turns out, the fish is a variety of catfish that traveled all the way from Vietnam. Not local.
When questioned, the restaurant manager said he was comfortable using the ‘local” label because the distributor who sold him the fish “was just down the road”….?!
With tricky marketing like this, it’s tough to know which companies are telling the truth and which are stretching the truth, or greenwashing. Asking a few questions is a great start. If you see the term ‘local’, simply ask:
v Where is it made?
v Where are the materials (fish in your sandwich, wood in your furniture, etc) from?
June 7, 2010
At Q Collection Junior, we don’t use plastic in our products or packaging. We prefer natural, biodegradable alternatives. Our work is all about the environment & health…so naturally, we’re concerned about the impact of plastics on both.
Lots of stories have appeared in the past 2 weeks about potential health concerns with plastics (no doubt causing some parents to worry).
Here are a few articles and resources that have been helpful in sorting through the discussion:
Want more resources? Please just email us at info@qcollectionjunior.com
May 31, 2010
7th Generation, the company focused on creating greener and healthier cleaning products, is currently running a contest that will give away $5,000 towards a “green home makeover”.
They are looking for a “real life Mother Nature” who has inspired others to protect the planet.
You can enter by following this link to the registration page.
May 27, 2010
At Q Collection Junior, we’re always thinking about how the products out there for children impact their health and the health of our environment.
Getting out of the nursery & into the sun for a moment, I wanted to draw your attention to a great resource as summer begins: Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s 4th annual sunscreen report is out.
They reviewed an additional 500 brands, screening for effectiveness, problematic materials, etc. Ultimately they only recommend 39 products, or 8% of what they’ve reviewed.
On their site (links below), you can search by the “greenest” options or enter what you typically use and see how it ranks.
Quick points:
To view the full report: http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen
The Hall of Shame (worst offenders): http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/buyer-beware/
Jesse Johnson is the co-founder of Q Collection & Q Collection Junior – leaders in designing adult and children’s furniture and textiles that are PEOPLE SAFE and PLANET SAFE... Bio »
