While shopping for Christmas presents, it is sometimes hard to be mindful of “green” issues. This usually due to a lack of time to do some proper research, so we often decide on toys that have been advertised on television and are far from being environmentally safe. Many toys are often made in foreign factories with little concern for fair working conditions. Additionally, the dyes, fabrics and materials they use to make these baby toys are often not tested to make sure they are appropriate for their sensitive skins. Reasons why these types of mainstream toys are so much cheaper.

As consumers and caring parents, we should always be mindful of our kids’ health and the impact to our environment. At NewBornMom we understand the importance of ‘Green Living’, and are doing our bit to pass on this knowledge to our customers. This way they can make well-informed choices when shopping for their new bundles of joy, and their entire families alike.

We have picked five of our favorite eco items in our store, and want to share with you why we believe these are some great choices for baby this Christmas.

Our first choice is the Svan Scooter. This is sure to please any child. This ride-on wooden toy provides a safe and sturdy seat for children 12 months and over. Children push the scooter along with their feet helping them to develop a sense of balance, physical fitness, and coordination. It’s made with responsibly harvested birch wood, and stained with lead-free dyes.

Our second choice is the Organic Baby Blocks. This set of three gorgeous patchwork blocks is made from fabric scraps leftover from organic bedding production. They are stuffed with fluffy organic cotton, come packaged in a neatly stacked pyramid and tied with a natural twill tape bow. They are made with 100% certified organic cotton fabric and filling, dyed with non-toxic, heavy metal and formaldehyde-free dyes.

As our third choice, we have picked the Organic Recycle Spare Kit. This is a clever and stylish evolution of the "emergency" spare outfit. Pre-packed in a chic travel case, and designed to simplify on-the-go leaks and spills - a must-have essential for every diaper bag! The set comes with one organic cotton long-sleeve tee, an organic cotton matching pant, a reusable organic cotton canvas travel case: all made with 100% certified organic cotton, dyed using low-impact dyes, and manufactured in the strict care of a fair trade environment.

With today’s credit crunch what better gift than a Wooden Elephant Bank to encourage kids the benefits of saving money. Made with carefully-selected timber from FCS*-certified wood lots and packaged in sustainable, biodegradable and recyclable sources, the natural wooden money box is a wonderful decorative and useful keepsake gift, and our fourth choice.