In the modern era of toxic chemicals in baby products and the threat of carcinogens everywhere, many parents are concerned about the potential dangers lurking in common, everyday items. Even superstar mom Kelly Preston has joined forces with the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition to start her own crusade against chemicals that are harmful to children’s health after her own child (with husband John Travolta) was put into the hospital with Kawasaki’s syndrome–an unfortunate illness brought on by fumes let off from the family’s new carpet. You can read all about it on Celebrity Parents, a great site that also links to other sites that list the safe products Kelly and John now use in their home.

All parents want to keep their kids safe, so why not follow in Kelly’s footsteps? If you are looking for a way to provide your family with a safer environment, check out sites like Amenity, which offers gorgeous, organic home furnishings for eco-educated parents. In addition to furniture, sites like Nimli also feature clothing, beauty supplies, accessories, jewelry and more.

You can also look for great resources like the San Francisco Bay’s Natural Resources, a pregnancy, childbirth and early resource center that offers classes, support and an eco-conscious store for expectant couples and new parents. If you have any great, eco-friendly tips for parents, please post them to help our readers keep their families healthy, happy and a little greener!

Feel good about your purchases this month with these fun finds!

As you may already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a great time to purchase gorgeous products in pink to help support the cause.

KitchenAid is known for their mixers and this one in pink, from Amazon.com, is twice as nice. For every purchase, $50 is donated to Komen Foundation.

This super glossy lip shine with SPF 15 is unbelievably priced at $1. Buy it in Pink Kiss during October and elf, known for their inexpensive and cool beauty products, will donate 100% of the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

How fun would it be to have a pink TV? This one from Favi Entertainment comes with a DVD, is pretty in pink and helps the breast cancer awareness program.

Ever wanted to test drive a BMW? It may seem like a dream come true, but during BMW’s Ultimate Drive, the company will donate $1 for every mile you test drive to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Have fun shopping in pink this month!

Many parents have heard of the importance of buying “BPA-free” products for themselves and their families, but hardly anyone can tell you what this little environmentally safe buzz word actually means. BPA actually stands for Bisphenol A, a “hormone-disrupting chemical considered to be potentially harmful to human health and the environment,” according to BisphenolAFree.org.

The problem with BPA is that it is found in a TON of plastic products, which means that every scratch or other signs of wear and tear can lead to amounts of BPA leaking into your baby’s milk, your toddler’s apple juice or your own water bottle.

Avoiding BPA is a good idea for the health of your family AND the environment, so check out Safe Mama’s quick list of BPA-free baby bottles and sippy cups before your next shopping trip. Keep an eye out for other retailers who sell BPA-free items, like REI and Diapers Etc. As the popularity of BPA-free products grows, we are sure to see even safer and chicer items on the market like these!

Fridays are for fun times dreaming about the weekend! So let’s get you started with these unusual finds on the Internet.

1. These colorful and unusually shaped products are called, “Whizz Kid Weeblock” and are from Bel Bambini. Can you figure out what they’re for? Yes, if you have a baby boy these washable cups keep you from getting wet during diaper changing.

2. This looks like your ordinary coffee paper cup so you’ll do a double take when you find out it’s “Not a Paper Cup.” From Paper Source, it is a porcelain cup that’ll let you grab your nonfat decaf coffee without wasting cup after cup.

3. This will keep you entertained throughout the day. Another funny find from Paper Source, it’s a magnetic tape dispenser that keeps your business cards, pencils and paper clips all together.

4. Imagine brushing with flavors like Bitter Chocolate, Lemon Tea or Cola? How about using a Sweet Potato or Blueberry mouthwash? Made in Japan, these breath palettes are an unusual combination of sweet flavors with toothpaste and mouthwash.

I was going through my old magazines the other day in the hopes of decluttering my place when I came across a page with an adorable charm necklace from a website called Cocoa Crayon. Created by Lisa Moss, it’s a New York company that advertises “great stuff for kids and really hip grown-ups.” The site has adorable things including a sweet necklace with charms like a rubber duck and pacifier you can add on. You can shop by brand, and the items are gift wrapped for free. Another exciting thing is that they offer products by Dwell–our fabulous new Tiny Prints designer! Check it out. I had such a great time checking out their site, I might just have to get a few gifts for my mom, my friend’s baby and maybe me.

Photo from Cocoa Crayon