The Soft Landing Blog

Stainless Steel Thermos Coffee Mug Review

Posted on February 28, 2009 by softlanding

I dare you to try and wrestle his coffee mug away

I was working on a schedule for upcoming product reviews when my brother-in-law walked into our warehouse with his beloved Thermos mug. Thinking back, I realized that I hadn’t seen him without it lately! Well, that made my choice of which review to do next an easy one.

Jason and I both agree that no one does it like Thermos when it comes to insulated coffee mugs. He’s one of those people that likes to have a cup of coffee available all day. He described feeling amazed the first time he used one.

I leave the house in the morning with a full cup in my Thermos and sip on it until I get to work, leaving the rest for my drive home in the afternoon. When I return to my truck, the coffee is still warm. This is so amazing because we live in the Midwest and it gets very cold here in the winter – but the temperatures are no challenge for this cup.

The other features I like about the Thermos Grande Tumbler is its large 18oz size and heavy-duty construction. It has a flip top drink cover that secures nicely and it also fits in my truck’s cup holder, so I don’t have to worry about it spilling.

I don’t think I’ll be looking for a new insulated coffee cup anytime soon.

Give it up and go get your own

The stainless steel Thermos Grande Coffee Tumbler is made from BPA, PVC and phthalate-free materials. Double-walled insulation keeps coffee and tea warm for up to six hours and the lid screws on for spill-proof traveling.

Features:

TherMax® double wall vacuum insulation locks in temperature to preserve flavor and freshness
Unbreakable 18/8 stainless steel interior and exterior withstand the demands of everyday use
Spill-resistant flip-top drink lid makes it easy to enjoy your beverage anywhere
Slim body with silicone rubber grip is comfortable to hold and fits most automobile drink holders
Tumbler stays cool to the touch with hot liquids and is condensation-free with cold
Dimensions: 3.6″ L x 8.9″ H x 3.6″ W
Holds 18 oz

Filed under: Eating Gear for Parents, Reusable Bottles for Adults, Stainless Steel | Tagged: PVC Free, BPA Free, Phthalate Free, Thermos, Stainless Steel, Coffee Mug, Tumbler, Vacuum Insulated | 2 Comments »

Don’t Worry, We’ve Got You Covered

Posted on February 23, 2009 by softlanding

We've been playing with our bottle covers again . . .

Protective covers for bottles and sippy cups are spawning across the country in new shapes and forms. Well, you know what that means – another opportunity to play mix and match – just like we did with our bottles and nipples. It’s one of those obsessive little perks we enjoy thanks to our business

So which cover fits what bottle? We’ve found quite a few surprising combinations!

Momo Neoprene Huggers ROCK! They’re really stretchy and fit SO many different bottles. They function not only to protect the bottle, but also to insulate drinks and protect little hands from cold drinks:

Standard large fits: Momo 8oz standard glass, Momo 9oz wide neck borosilicate glass, Dr. Brown’s 7.5oz glass, Dr. Brown’s 8oz polypropylene, Evenflo 8oz glass and plastic, Nurture Pure 8oz glass, Lamby 8oz glass, Medela 8oz glass and plastic – and almost any standard neck bottle with a basic straight body. They also fit other great products like the Foogo Straw Bottle, FUNtainer Straw Bottle and Thinksport 12oz bottle to protect it from dings.
Wide neck large fits: Momo 9oz plastic, Avent 9oz, Green to Grow 9oz wide neck, Klean Kanteen 12oz sippy (with about a 1/4″ to spare above the bend inward for the neck of the bottle). They also fit 8oz wide mouth canning/mason jars.
Wide neck small fits: Momo 6oz plastic, Green to Grow 5oz, and wide mouth 4oz canning/mason jars.

Universal Siliskins are another very cool invention. We had the best time trying them on everything in sight!

Wide neck large fits: Born Free 9oz glass, Nuk Wideneck 240ml glass, Foogo Straw Bottle, FUNtainer Straw Bottle. They also fit one of our favorite novelty coffee cups – the I am Not a Paper Cup. The Siliskin not only protects the ceramic cup from bumps and drops, but also give it the ultimate grip!
Wide neck small fits: Born Free 5oz glass, Nuk wide neck 120ml glass bottle, 12oz Kleen Kanteen (rides kind of low, but definitely works). They also fit 4oz wide mouth canning/mason jars for the perfect kid-proof cup!
Standard large fits: Evenflo 8oz glass, Dr. Browns 7oz glass, Medela 8oz glass, Momo 8oz and 9oz quartz glass (not the borosilicate 9oz bottles), Lamby 8oz glass, Pigeon 4oz glass, Nurture Pure 8oz glass.
Standard small fits: Evenflo 4oz glass, Dr. Browns 3.5oz glass, Momo 4oz glass bottle (not hourglass), Nuture Pure 4oz glass, Pigeon 8oz glass, Lamby 4oz glass.

The Green Sprouts neoprene bottle cover not only protects and insulates – it also adds handles where there aren’t any. We’ve been searching for handles to fit the Klean Kanteen 12oz sippy for over 2 years and have never been successful – until now!

The Green Sprouts cover by iPlay fits the Green Sprouts stainless steel drink bottle and the 12oz Klean Kanteen.

And never fear – we’ll keep updating our list as we continue our experimentation!

Filed under: Bottle Covers, Glass, Neoprene, Safer Baby Bottles, Safer Sippy Cups, Silicone, Stainless Steel, TPR (Thermoplasticzed Rubber) | Tagged: Momo Hugger, Protective Bottle Covers, Neoprene Covers, Green Sprouts, Siliskin Universal Silicone Covers | 7 Comments »

Ping.fm and Our Apologies

Posted on February 18, 2009 by softlanding

We wanted to take a second to apologize for our last few annoying blog posts! They were mistakenly posted via Ping.fm, but our settings have been corrected now. It wasn’t our intention to barrage you with our Twitter ramblings!

Back to our regularly scheduled blogging

Filed under: Buzz | Tagged: Accidental Twitters, Apologies, Ping.fm | Leave a Comment »

Giveaways and Intro: Organic Baby Products 101

Posted on February 16, 2009 by softlanding

Any parent who has experienced the frustration of searching for non-toxic baby products understands how difficult it can be to decipher between all of the brands. Never fear! Organic Baby Products 101 is here to answer those nagging questions for you:

What materials are safe to use with babies?
Is the product really safe or does the manufacturer just use the words “organic, safe, non-toxic and eco-friendly” solely for marketing purposes?
Which companies are trustworthy and back up their products?
Which products really get the job done and are worth the money in the long run?

Organic Baby Products 101 is the brainchild of two of our favorite blogging Moms: Sommer from Green and Clean Mom, and Monica from Healthy Green Moms. Monica describes how the idea was born:

As a new mom, I spent much of my (limited) free time searching for as many alternative products as possible because I wanted to reduce my daughters exposure to environmental toxins. I quickly became frustrated at how time consuming it was to find a good variety of organic baby options or a wide selection of online baby boutiques to choose from. They were out there, but the nature of Google searches kept yielding me the same results from the same stores. I also noticed that eco baby categories are an after thought for many mom and baby sites so there isn’t the same commitment to provide continuous resources for eco-minded parents.

We’re excited to be able to support Organic Baby Products 101, and we’ve partnered with them to provide some exciting giveaways for the launch. Visit their website by Feb. 18, 2009 for a chance to win two of our newest Go BPA Free Sampler Kits!

Go BPA Free Organic Wood Teether Sampler

Go BPA Free Stainless Steel Sippy Sampler

P.S. We haven’t officially introduced our new blog Seriously Spoiled quite yet, but wanted to let you know that we’re giving away four Sam and Bellie PVC-free Placemats equipped with a reversible chalkmat. Hop over and enter by Feb. 23, 2009!

Filed under: Baby Teethers, Buzz, PVC Free Toys, Safer Sippy Cups | Tagged: Stainless Steel Sippy, Giveaway, Go BPA Free Sampler Kits, Organic Baby Products 101, Green and Clean Mom, Healthy Green Moms, Seriously Spoiled, Organic Wood Teether | 4 Comments »

A Special Valentine’s Day Thank You

Posted on February 14, 2009 by softlanding

baby-with-heart There couldn’t be a more perfect day to express our heart felt appreciation for you! The Soft Landing Sisters want you to know that your passion makes our work easy and our lives brighter.

We thrive on the camaraderie born out of a common goal to protect our children’s health. We feel like we’re meeting an old friend to talk over coffee each time we answer your phone call or email.

We want to say a special thank you to all of our fellow bloggers, facebookers and twitterers who share their link love with us. We would truly be nowhere without you.

And for our loyal customers, we’d like to offer you a Valentine’s Day Special of 15% off all orders placed by Feb. 21, 2009. Just enter the code “valentines09″ at checkout

Filed under: Buzz | Tagged: Valentines Day Special | 1 Comment »

Win One of Two Green to Grow Welcome Home Sets

Posted on February 9, 2009 by softlanding

We have our Winners! (see below)

Green to Grow has remained one of our favorite non-toxic baby bottle companies throughout the many new additions to the market – and thanks to them, we have a fantastic giveaway for you!

Green to Grow bottles have a track record of durability, high quality and straightforward design. Not to mention, the company behind the bottle consists of real parents on a mission to provide great health to babies.

Welcome Home Set - Regular Neck ($55)

Green to Grow’s Regular Neck Welcome Home Set includes:

Two 5 oz BPA-free baby bottles
Two 10 oz BPA-free baby bottles
All bottles come with Beginner nipples, 0 – 3 months
One package of Intermediate nipples (3 nipples per pack, 3 – 6 months)
One package of Expert nipples (3 nipples per pack, 6+ months)
Super soft, organic cotton baby cloth, good for burps, slurps, baths, and splashes!

Welcome Home Set - Wide Neck ($55)

Green to Grow’s Wide Neck Welcome Home Set includes:

Two 5 oz wide neck BPA-free baby bottles
Two 10 oz wide neck BPA-free baby bottles
All bottles come with Beginner nipples, 0 – 3 months
One package of Intermediate nipples (3 nipples per pack, 3 – 6 months)
One package of Expert nipples (3 nipples per pack, 6+ months)
Super soft, organic cotton baby cloth, good for burps, slurps, baths, and splashes!

It’s easy to enter: (contest has ended)

Leave a comment on this blog post by Feb. 15, 2008 at midnight PST.
For extra entries: 1) blog about our contest and provide the link in a separate comment, 2) follow us on Twitter and leave your Twitter name in a separate comment.
Two winners will be chosen using a random integer generator and notified via email.
Prize value $55.00 + free shipping.
Open to U.S. residents.
See our Privacy Policy here.

Congratulations to our winners: Natalie (neastham@olinet.com) and Caylan (caylan24@hotmail.com)!

As Seen on Ecobunga

Filed under: Giveaways, PES (Polyethersulfone), Safer Baby Bottles | Tagged: BPA Free, Giveaway, Baby Bottles, Green to Grow, Welcome Home Sets | 233 Comments »

Which Prepared Baby Food Containers are BPA Free?

Posted on February 2, 2009 by softlanding

BPA-free Plum Organics Baby Food

UPDATED 2/3/09

Concern about the harmful affects of bisphenol-a (BPA) in polycarbonate plastic baby feeding gear is spreading quickly. Unfortunately, BPA is also commonly found in epoxy resins used for protective linings in canned food, ready-to-feed infant formula and metal lids of baby food jars. A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found such widespread exposure to BPA may result in levels of up to 11 times higher in infants than in adults. Research has suggested that young children are more susceptible to the harmful affects of environmental toxins and scientists are calling for more sensitive testing methods to determine what a safe level would be, specifically for children. And to top it all off, a recent UK study raised the concern that BPA may remain in the body longer than previously suspected.

Lowering our children’s exposure to environmental toxins is a necessity, but avoiding BPA can be difficult because it lurks in so many unsuspecting products. We have to wonder where it will show up next when the chemical industry is pumping out more than 7 billion pounds of the stuff per year.

We’ve started the search for BPA-free baby food containers to help you out. If you need information on baby formula, please review the Environmental Working Group’s helpful list here.

Commercially Prepared Baby Food in BPA-free Containers

Sprout Baby (brand new – just announced by Healthy Child 2/3/09)
Yummy Spoonfuls
Happy Baby
Plum Organics
Homemade Baby
Tasty Baby
Fifi Bear’s
Maddy’s Organic Meals
Parent’s Choice (they don’t make baby food in glass jars)
Gerber (all baby food products except glass baby food jars are BPA-free)
Beechnut (plastic containers used for juices, Stage 2 fruits, Good Morning, Good Evening and DHA plus+ juices are BPA-free; glass baby food jars do contain BPA)

Baby Food Containers using BPA

Earth’s Best (they told us that BPA is used in minute amounts in the glass jar lids, but that independent testing showed no BPA contamination in the baby food. Use your own discretion here)
Beechnut (they told us that their glass baby food jars contain trace amounts of BPA)
Gerber (glass baby food jars only)
Nature’s Goodness

We’ve tried to to contact Heinz repeatedly but we haven’t received an answer yet.

Have we missed any BPA-free brands that you know of? If so, leave a comment and let us know

We do recommend making your own baby food if possible and storing it in reusable non-toxic containers such as Baby Cubes, Fresh Baby Trays or glass storage dishes.

Filed under: Baby Food | Tagged: Baby Food Glass Jars, BPA Free Baby Food Containers, BPA in Epoxy Lining, Environmental Health Perspectives, EWG, Infant Formula | 27 Comments »

BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free Dog Toy Buying Guide

Posted on January 29, 2009 by softlanding

We’ve been around the block in researching safer eating gear, teethers, pacifiers and even bath toys for the whole family. But what about that other special member of the family? Recently we began hearing from readers who were having a difficult time locating non-toxic products for their pets, so we decided to tackle this new challenge.

For us personally, we worry more about having PVC, phthalate and lead-free pet products in our homes. As we’ve mentioned before, PVC’s entire life cycle – from production through use and disposal – has a negative impact on human health and the environment. We’re already exposed to enough lead in soil, cosmetics and children’s toys, and whether we like or not, our children play with the dogs toys . . .

Planet Dog

Planet Dog Orbee Tuff toys are made from non-toxic Thermo Plastic Elastomer (TPR) and are made in the USA. All products are tested for lead safety and are fully recyclable. We’re still waiting to hear confirmation on whether the squeakers used in the plush toys are phthalate-free.

Orbee Tuff Balls

Orbee Tuff Woof and Fetch Balls

West Paw Design

West Paw Design really impressed us with their immediate response to our inquiry: “All of our products BPA, PVC and phthalate-free. We have also just been Oko-Tex certified safe – right down to the tinkle bell and squeakers!” West Paw Design offers a great line of products from tough Zogoflex Chew Toys (which are fully recyclable) to plush tug toys and beds/mats.

Salsa Dog Tug Toy

Zogoflex Tux Treat Ball

Eco Bones

Jolly Pets

Jolly Pets has a fantastic list of non-toxic toys. The following products are BPA, PVC and phthalate-free: Tug n Toss, Romp n Roll, Bounce and play, Push n play, Teaser ball, Jolly Fun balls, Jolly Critters, Floating toys, Monster mouth and Hedge Hog. They also do third party testing for lead safety.

Tug-n-Toss Balls

Jolly Critters

Premier Pets

Premier Pets confirmed that their entire Busy Buddy line is made with non-toxic materials. All products including cloth/plush products are tested for lead safety.

Busy Buddy Bouncy Bones

Busy Buddy Twist-n-Treat

Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude

Chewber Inc.

We had the best time talking to Katherine, founder of Chewber Inc! She started her business as a WAHM over ten years ago, and carefully chose non-toxic materials for her fantastic dog toys. All Chewber products are made from natural rubber right here in the USA.

Tug-n-Toss Chewber

We were pleasantly surprised at the warm responses we received from pet gear manufacturers. They expressed great excitement at being included in our Guide as providers of eco-friendly, non-toxic dog toys for our furry four-legged friends!

As always, this Guide will be a work-in-progress, so check back often for new additions.

>> CHECK out our new Non-toxic Pet Gear section at The Soft Landing store!

Filed under: Pet Gear | Tagged: Busy Buddy, Chewber, Jolly Pets, Orbee Tuff, Planet Dog, Premier Pet, West Paw Design, Zogoflex | 1 Comment »

Un-toxic Babies Photo Contest Winners for November & December 2008

Posted on January 26, 2009 by softlanding

We had the best time choosing four adorable winners of our Un-toxic Babies Contest! Just take a look at these Cuties

November 2008 Winner

November 2008 Winner

December 2008 Winner

Enter our monthly contest by submitting your photos to the Un-toxic Babies Flickr Group. Winners will receive a $35 Gift Certificate to The Soft Landing.

Take a look at our last round of winners here.

Filed under: Giveaways, Un-toxic Babies | Tagged: PVC Free, BPA Free, Un-toxic Babies, Healthy Kids, Feeding Gear | Leave a Comment »

Fast Company on BPA: Seeds of Doubt Falsely Planted with Big Tobacco Tactics

Posted on January 23, 2009 by softlanding

Photograph by Nigel Cox of Fast Company

It was amazing to read Dave Case’s well-written article The Real Story Behind Bisphenol-a. The opening tag line alone casts a spotlight of dismay across what I’ve called the Bisphenol-a Debate:

How a handful of consultants used Big Tobacco’s tactics to sow doubt about science and hold off regulation of BPA, a chemical in hundreds of products that could be harming an entire generation.

Wow. After years of following this ugly controversy, it was nothing less than a relief to see the under belly of the beast laid bare. Mr. Case takes an issue complicated by contrary voices, conflicts of interest and billions of dollars, and presents it in a straight forward, common sense manner for all to see.

I found it intriguing to see the author’s take on how the government might react to the growing evidence of harm caused by BPA:

You might expect the government to start controlling the use of BPA, but the track record suggests otherwise. The United States has a long tradition of keeping harmful substances — lead, DDT, tobacco, PCBs — on the market for decades after scientists find adverse effects.

What are we to do in the meantime? Mr. Case suggests that we only have two options:

Trust that the chemical industry has our best interests at heart
Take precautions: in its report, the NIH’s National Toxicology Program advised “concerned parents” to reduce their use of canned foods; use BPA-free baby bottles; and opt for glass, porcelain, or stainless-steel containers, particularly for hot foods and liquids.

In the closing paragraph of the article, we’re left with stunning insight into the scientific community’s thoughts concerning the NIH statement:

Independent scientists applauded, though many of them contend that the advice should have been even more strongly worded — and would have been, were the agency not constrained by the industry-funded science.

As the battle between the multi-billion dollar chemical industry and health advocates calling for regulation rages on, parents are left to educate themselves. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to invest some time in reading the full article.

>> READ an easy to understand synopsis of the article written by Janelle of Healthy Child Healthy World HERE.

Filed under: Bisphenol-a (BPA), Buzz, Toxic Chemical Research | Tagged: Bisphenol-a, BPA, Dave Case, Fast Company, FDA, NIH, Plastics Industry Funded Studies, Toxic Plastic | 3 Comments »