We wrote about making your own organic baby food in the Eco-nomical Baby Guide. Most DIY baby food enthusiasts know about Super Baby Food, which Joy reviewed once upon a time. Do you have a favorite baby food book—or do you rely on the Internet for recipes? Or do you just wing it? (After all, pureeing yams is not exactly a complicated culinary skill to master.)

Speaking of baby food recipe books—we’re giving away Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby & Toddler. Go to our giveaway post, comment on it, and you’re entered to win!

I had it all planned out: I’d buy high quality baby gear, treat everything like a museum piece, then sell it back for top dollar a few years later. In our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide, we advocate this approach. “An heirloom toy will be used by generations of babies because of the quality of its construction and workmanship,” we say. Then we remind you of the resale value of all your top-notch baby doodads.

The Maclaren stroller–good for resale?

Now that my daughter is four and a half, I am sure you are all wondering just how this little plan paid off. Well, the theory was sound. But years out of babyhood, and I’ve still neglected to make so much as a dime on my so-called “quality baby gear.” What happened to those good intentions?

• I locked my beloved stash of cloth diapers in a fireproof vault—these things are like GOLD in the current economy. Why, a Chinese prefold costs as little as $1.25 new and has the amazing resale value of $1. We’re talking about used diapers, mind you! Mere rags! I could fund Audrey’s college education if I put these things in a high-earning money market account today. What happened? I lent them out to friends. I’m looking into a tax deduction for 2010.
  
• After searching all over Craigslist without any luck, we coughed up $170 for a dresser/changing table at IKEA. What happened? It literally fell apart (as in, several pieces) within years. I guess that’s what I get for not following my own advice. Of course, back in 2006, I hadn’t advised myself that yet.
• The Maclaren Triumph stroller did feel like a splurge. At the time it cost $119. A cheap umbrella stroller can be found for $10, but I just knew I’d get a lot of use out of the Triumph. What happened? Four years later, I’m still pushing my daughter around in the stroller. At this rate, I’m really not sure I’d be able to sell it for much, even if I did want to get rid of it. It works just as well as it ever did, but it really looks as though it’s had a tough life. At least I got my money’s worth out of that “heirloom purchase!”

Have you had better luck reselling your baby gear? Tell us all about it!

You may be surprised to hear that we at the Green Baby Guide have a lot in common with the actress Katherine Heigl. You know her for her stint as a doctor on Gray’s Anatomy and her numerous film roles. She is a glamorous movie star, and we are glamorous authors of The Eco-nomical Baby Guide. You can see how we feel a special kinship to her. This bond was reinforced when we learned that she is a green mom, too! Check out this picture of her along with her husband and daughter, Naleigh:

Note that Naleigh is drinking from a BornFree bottle. BornFree offers a BPA-free plastic bottle that is safe for your baby and better for the environment, as it is recyclable. (Check out their recycling facts for more information.)

Do you want to be just like Katherine, too? Here is your chance to win a BornFree Twist’n'Pop straw cup–a 14 oz. toddler cup with a pop-up silicone straw. (Next step, stardom!) It’s  It’s BPA-free and dishwasher safe.

You can enter up to three times! Just post a comment for each entry by Monday, October 18th.

Three Ways to Enter the BornFree Straw Cup Giveaway:

1. Simply post a comment

2. Like us on Facebook (then tell us you did it in the comments)

3. Spread the news about the giveaway! Email someone, post it on Facebook, tweet it, blog it, or send someone a message about it via carrier pigeon. (And again, don’t forget to tell us all about it in the comments!)

Good luck!

We are all perfect before our babies arrive. We do the newborn rearing research and survey our fellow moms. Before the shock of sleep loss, before the hormones surge, and before the poopy diapers pile up, we have it all figured out.

If you read our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide: Down-to-Earth Ways for Parents to Save Money and the Planet, you know that we try to prepare you with our humble input, but also assure you that progress is far more important than perfection. We are so hard on ourselves as new parents when exhaustion seems to exacerbate our insecurities.  (Example of ridiculous self-judement:  I once cut my baby’s finger instead of his nail.  A full teaspoon of crimson blood leaked out of his tiny wound. I wept heartily and earnestly questioned my ability to parent.  No joke.)

With stakes this high, going green as parents can become one more area where we can fall short.  A woman in my friend’s yoga class cried hysterically because she felt bad about using bleach on her cloth diapers.  Her logic? Since chlorine is toxic to the environment, she had killed some penguins while giving her child cancer.  Again, it’s bizarre logic but the cocktail of fatigue and perfectionism (green or otherwise)  never turns out well.

In that stack of books that sit next to your nightstand, we hope The Eco-nomical Baby Guide can bring you some solace and sanity. To be a good green parent you don’t need thousands of dollars of high-end organic baby gear or a complete commitment to home blended baby food made from homegrown kale.

You just need to trust that you can do this.  That secondhand gear is just as green.  That less is more.  That you will fail, and that afterwards, you will keep working on it.  Progress, not perfection.  It’s not a bad saying for going green, for being a parent, and for using on that baby someday.

Are you tired of keeping up with the never-ending hunger of pregnancy or breastfeeding?  Are blood sugar spikes exhausting you beyond the usual pregnancy fatigue or sleeplessness of early motherhood? Having just a few substantial foods on hand will help you fight that exhaustion while healthily nourishing your body and your baby.

1. Nuts and nut butters are packed with protein, flavor, and healthy monounsaturated fats.  Along with the impressive list of nutrients nuts provide, you’ll get fiber as well.  Of course, if you can swing the higher prices eating organic nuts and nut butters is preferable.  There is some nut consumption controversy for pregnant and nursing women, but we happily munched on handfuls of these little healthy gems during our pregnancies with no negative outcomes for our kids.
2. Oils can be drizzled on salads or steamed vegetables and will keep you fuller longer, while supplying valuable calories that you need to build a baby or produce breastmilk.  Again, remember that monounsaturated fats are your friends!
3. Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and gorgeous flavor and yet is low in saturated fats.  It’ll make you feel sinful and indulgent while being actually rather healthful.  My favorite is a handful of dark chocolate chips mixed with chopped almonds or shelled pistachios.  Bliss!  For a more exotic experience, try Green and Black’s Organic Maya Gold Dark Chocolate with Orange and Spices. Nursing mothers may have heard that chocolate contributes to colic, but dark chocolate is better than milk or white chocolate which contain far more milk products.
4. Rich, buttery avocados are an indulgence that aren’t always planet friendly, but are packed in healthy fat.  Unless you live in California, these little gems have to be shipped in from miles around, but I have to confess that I regularly purchase them for their gooey green scrumptiousness.  (I try to make up for it by eating less meat and buying organic and local when possible)
5. Cheeses, especially those that are a bit lower in saturated fats, are a simple handheld snack that satiates without having to be prepared.

So where did most of the items on this list come from? The Flat Belly Diet.  (Read about my Flat Belly Diet success, which has continued for two months now!)  I would NEVER suggest that you should try to lose weight during pregnancy or breastfeeding, but I’ve found that incorporating monounsaturated fats into our diet has been tremendously helpful for our family. What were your favorite snacks during pregnancy and breastfeeding?  Do you remember that insatiable hunger?

In a perfect world, every one of us would whirl up our own sweet potato purees for baby at all times.  Some of you live in that reality and I salute you!  Since I was working nearly full time while raising my babies, I lived in the land of sleep loss and basic survival and sometimes purchased a little sanity in the form of prepared baby food.

If you do buy baby food for traveling or just to save time, what does your child prefer?  My babies enjoyed Earth’s Best Baby Food and I loved that I could buy them in affordable cases from Costco or individually from Target. I also had hearty approval from my child for Happy Baby Organic Baby Food but I can’t speak to some of the other brands on the market like Plum Organics Baby Food, Sprout Organic Baby Food, or Peter Rabbit Organics.

No matter what we may be able to recommend, the true seal of approval comes from those tiny taste testers.  What does you baby prefer?  If you want tips for making your own purees, check here. (And don’t forget that our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide, is packed with tips for saving on baby food and recipes for making your own!)

This is the first September in thirteen years that I am not heading back to school as an educator.  Last week I trekked out to my teaching grounds just in time to see the school buses pulling up out front. Nervous adolescents were trying to contain themselves while the teachers still sported relaxed summer smiles.

What was I doing? Floating above the ground with sheer bliss. My baby anchored me a bit by riding on one hip while my son pulled along on the other side, but I am so happy to be weighted down by these intriguing little people this year.

I greeted my colleagues and cheered them forward into the fray and then drove off to the park for a morning of sandcastles and swinging.

How did we achieve this miracle of being home with kids? Frugality! Living lightly and saving heaps has helped us prepare for this year. Everything we describe in The Eco-nomical Baby Guide that saved us thousands of dollars in the last four years has finally brought us to this point.

Is it easy? Not one bit. I rarely experience silence, rest, or an empty lap, but I am so grateful for the chance to get in on these valuable years with my kids.  I know that staying at home isn’t enjoyable for everyone.  We’re all built differently as moms, but for me, it is a dream come true.

And now that I am home, I have far more time to embrace frugality and green living even more fully. We are regulars at our local goodwill, frequently shop at garage sales, and eat more home baked meals than ever before. It’s great for our kids, great for our family, and pretty fabulous for the planet as well. Yahoo! Free at last!

Are there baby carriers that can last for months (or even years) and make it through several children?  We spent our time searching for the most flexible, and most durable products and came up with the following list.  If these seem a bit spendy, remember that you can always search for them used.  Our book, The Economical Baby Guide, has the inside scoop on finding quality secondhand gear and an index of green products for a range of budgets.

The Ergo Carrier tops our list, partly because as the name implies, it’s a comfortable carrier that helps you manage baby wearing without back pain.  Since it can carry infants from a few months old through the first few years of their life and be worn both on the front and the back, it will be worth the investment. Young babies can nurse while in the carrier and with the hood flap down, it’s very discrete. There’s also a handy zippered pocket to carry keys and baby paraphernalia.

The Scootababy Baby Carrier can tote infants from five months to three years old and will also transition from front to back with baby’s weight centered on your hip.  It’s gotten rave reviews for comfort the ease with which you can strap baby in.  The waist belt is padded with a stretchy shoulder panel that helps to support the child.

The Moby Wrap and Maya Wrap are far less expensive than the previous carriers, but will require a bit more adjustment than the other two carriers.  The Maya Wrap is a ring sling that will allow you to cinch your baby into place on your chest or hip.  It comes with a DVD to help you learn the multiple ways it can be adjusted and also has a built in pocket for keys or diapers.

Moby Wraps can accommodate tiny premies up to 35 pound children.  The thick fabric allows you to wear your child close to your body in a variety of positions on the front, side or back.  It does require you to do a bit of fabric origami, but doesn’t have a single fastener or clip.

What is your favorite baby wearing device?  For those of us who wore our babies for months and years on end, I know our product loyalty runs deep.  Of course, our children also have to be a part of our shopping decision.  Did you choose a sling or carrier that your infant refused?  Did you wait to buy until your baby arrived and could help you chose the right one?

Want to think outside of the plastic tray?  Take a look at these beautifully crafted high chairs that will grow right along with your baby.   For inspiration, most of these pieces come from Scandinavian companies that consider comfort, flexibility, and function.  This month we’re examining heirloom green products that will last for generations, and these high chairs have both the style and durability to easily fit in that category.

The Svan Convertible High Chair, crafted from Birchwood, will last your child from six months until adulthood.  It’s light, stable, and secure.  Your child can sit with the wooden tray or just pull up to the table with the other adults.  It doesn’t fold, but it is compact, light, and looks like real furniture instead of baby gear.

Designed with growth in mind, The Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair is fully adjustable, and looks more like a child’s chair than a high chair.  It doesn’t have a tray, but it’s simple design allows for the child to pull up to the table and eat just like the grown ups.  The bottom step allows for older babies and toddlers to climb into their chairs themselves while babies can be strapped in with the harness.

The simply designed Keekaroo is very similar to the Stokke in design, but costs quite a bit less.  Although the base model doesn’t include a tray, you can order one separately.  The sturdy frame can accommodate up to 250 pounds, making it possible to use through the teenage years.

If you’re considering the long term function of all that baby gear, these chairs cost about as much or a bit more than a kitchen chair and will provide far more flexibility and resale value.  Do you have a favorite adjustable high chair that we failed to mention?  Do you own one of these?  Have you avoided high chairs altogether? If you’re looking for a wider range of product recommendations, check out our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide for an index of green products at every price point—plus tips on how to get the best deals on high quality used baby gear.

Although I adore secondhand gear, I know that buying heirloom items is a gloriously green option too. Generations of babies can use products that emphasize flexibility, great design, and craftsmanship.  This month stay tuned for updates on green splurge products in every category. What are the most amazing high chairs, car seats, bike carriers, slings, strollers, and other items that are worth the investment?

I’ll be scouring the internet for products that last, not just for multiple children but for many years of your child’s life. After using them for all your children, they should retain a strong resale value. Although I will be especially focusing on high end gear, you can refer to the extensive list of green products in our book, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide for recommendations that fit with varying budgets.

What if you can’t even imagine spending a few hundred bucks on a single item but are picky about having the very best for baby? The key is to search resale shops and online sites for gently used versions our recommended products. You’ll get them for 50-90% off by buying secondhand and be able to resell them for about the same price that you bought them.

Still, if you want to splurge on baby, or have family members who are itching to shell out some dough for your little one, stay tuned for our reviews in upcoming posts!