charley star photo

style-y baby

i'm loving this organic line of kids clothing by Kice Kice

...these bubble dresses by Makie (store at 109 Thompson Street, NYC)

...and these fair trade cotton tennies by veja.

shop online at nonchalant mom.

xxo

charley*star baby

been working on the new line of baby cards:

and did a custom set for baby dane.  and satine of course...

cards will be up in the store soon. now, gotta get on that website. yowza. 
takes a lot of satine naptimes to get everything done! :)

xxo
   

A COUPLA THINGS BEFORE I GO...

been running around all day like crazy, trying to get ready for our trip to chicago (well, ok, an hour outside), but i just had to tuck into the Martin Schoeller show at Ace Gallery because it closes today. glad i did... wow. amazing portraiture.

Masino, 2005
Martin Schoeller

also, been loving -- !--  my new SPORKS. made by bambu of bamboo, they're perfect for adults or babies -- no plastic leaching, perfect size for their little hands, and great for traveling.  and picnics.  but i've been using them even for regular meals.  they feel great, and i think i particularly like them 'cause they remind me of those little ice cream sticks you used to get as a kid with those tiny vanilla ice cream servings.  plus, they're eco-friendly, reusable (at least for a few times) and after disposal, they bio-degrade in 4-6 months.  i'm tossing a few in the bag for satine for our trip.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

so as i said today was kinda busy, and i needed a quick meal for me + satine.

Usually in our house, N used to be the "every day" cook, and I was the "special occasion so i want to try a really grand, really great new recipe" cook.  but of course, now that i'm a mom, and N works most nights, i've (gladly) had to up my practice in the kitchen. so i've been loving discovering new recipes, reading cookbooks, trying new things.  the other night i made this delicious Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad.  (Thanks Orangette!)  which was just stunning. 

For a shortcut on her recipe though-- because really, what mom has the time to peel and cube butternut squash?-- i bought the butternut squash in the pre-peeled and cubed convenience bags.  so tonight i'm looking in the fridge, and see that i've got a couple bags of butternut squash left over.   perfect.  So tonight i decided to modify the recipe even more. this time i skipped the chickpea/tahini thing and just tossed it with the allspice and garlic. baked it. when it was done, i sprinkled some fresh parrmesan cheese on top and a dollop of the pumpkin butter that i got at Underwood Farms the other week.   yum!   satine loved it too -- the parmesan cheese helped seal the deal. so for any moms out there looking for an easy recipe, this is it! (though i skipped the pumpkin butter when serving the munchkin).

enjoy!  i'll be offline for a few days so have a good week everyone!

xxo

SAFETY IS SO CUTE

There has been a string of reports lately about the dangers of plastic leaching into our foods.  Apparently some of you  (ahem... cough... hubby) missed the memo and are still nuking plastics in the microwave.  or think baby bottles are the only thing you should be worried about. think again. Rubber ducks, teething rings, plastic books, you name it. if it's plastic, its at risk for having BPA and or phthalates.  BPA is one of the highest-volume chemicals in the world and if you're living and breathing, you're probably already walking around with some of it in your body. It has been linked to female reproductive-tract disorders, early-stage prostate and breast cancer and decreased sperm counts in animals exposed to low doses.  Read more here.

What about my water bottle? Tupperware?  well i myself had forgotten which numbers are "safe" so i had to look it up again.  basically, stay away from #3.  supposedly, #1, #2, #4, and #5 plastics are the best choice.  more doom and gloom about how the gov't, toy, & chemical co's are watching out for us here. but kudos to the city of San Fransciso who was the first city in the nation to ban the sale of baby products containing phthalates and bisphenol A back in 2006. Why isn't every city doing this??? I'm going to try to do a little research about L.A., but if anyone knows anything feel free to comment.

but i digress.  the GOOD NEWS is that concerned parents now have great-- and STYLISH -- choices for liquid-delivery vessels (no, not your boob, Moms) for their babies.  take a look at this:

weego bottle

ok seriously.  how cute is this?  the folks at BabyLife (love them!) have given us a really cute and SAFE option for feeding our munchkins -- the weego.  And because it's made of glass instead of plastic, you no longer need to ask your lil bunchkin, "hey... like a little Bisphenol A with that milk?"  The non-toxic, plastic-free sleeve acts as a protective bumper for the glass, and the plastic pieces (ring, plug, cap) are all bisphenol A, phthalate, PVC and polycarbonate-free.  Nice going BabyLife. (bad news: not yet available in stores. website says "coming soon.")

the folks at BornFree are making a range of BPA-free bottles and sippy cups.

and SIGG has eco-friendly, reusable (Americans add 30 million plastic water bottles to the landfill... everyday. nice.) water bottles made from aluminum and a 100% leach-proof liner inside.



drink up, kiddies!

xxo