Kayte Langner just wanted to buy some diapers. She drove from her home in St. Joseph out to a “green” baby store in Overland Park, Kan., hoping to purchase some of new cloth alternatives to disposables. Her son had problems with allergies and she was hoping this would be the answer. But the trip came up short.
“I was waiting for an answer to a question for an hour before the shop owner even acknowledged me,” she remembers.
Her friend and fellow mother, Audrey Turley, who came with her, was equally frustrated over the long drive and lack of customer service. But the frustration became an epiphany.
“We realized there was nowhere local that served our purposes,” Ms. Turley says. “I decided that someone needed to fill that gap.”
That someone was her. So she started her own diaper alternative called Bumper Covers LLC, and Ms. Langner, a parent educator with the Parents as Teachers program, began the search for more green parent options available locally. The result was a “Go Green” parenting fair, where parents could learn more about what products are available.
Bumper Covers LLC
There’s no dispute that conventional disposable diapers are a problem for the environment. Some estimate they are the third-largest contributor to landfills and are only used by 5 percent of the population. Mrs. Audrey is now an independent distributor for Apple Cheeks and gDiapers, which she feels are the best brands of the two current styles available now that offer an alternative to disposable and the traditional cloth diapers grandma used. She found they were not only better for the environment and baby, but fit better, too.
“I had more blow-outs, poop-out-the-back, change-the-outfits in the time he was in disposables than the whole year he was in cloth,“ Ms. Turley says.
These new cloth diapers snap together easily and both brands have a natural fiber insert that is very absorbent. And the diaper cleans easily with two rinses and a good detergent, she says, such as Charlie’s soap (she sells that, too). They clean up like new, which is the other advantage of cloth. The resale value is high, so you can sell them when you are done.
Learn more on her Bumper Covers LLC Facebook page or e-mail clothbumpercovers@gmail.com. You can also read about them on applecheeks.com and gDiapers.com.
Breast-feeding
If you want to something good for your baby and good for the environment, you can’t do better than breast milk. Read all of the advantages at http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/mbr.htm. The best part is, it’s free. Formula costs in the neighborhood of $2,000 a year.
“It’s a no-brainer,” says Marileen Kastl, a nurse and international board certified lactation consultant at Heartland Health. “There’s no processing, no packaging, no transportation, no waste in landfills. And it’s the best food for babies, just like all the other mammals in the world.”
It can be difficult for the working mom, however, and it takes practice by both mom and baby. But for most women, it is doable, she says.
For help, a Breastfeeding Support Group is held every Monday evening from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Heartland Regional Medical Center. Breast-feeding mothers and their babies are welcome as well as expectant mothers who are considering breast-feeding. Private lactation consultations are available for a $30 fee. For more information, call 271-7984.
Green toys
You won’t find any of the “hot” toys for Christmas at PBE’s Toys and Dolls in St. Joseph. That’s because none of them use batteries, says owner Pam Houp. But that’s OK, because toys at her store will stand the test of time and save the landfill and parents’ pocketbooks from buying all the batteries. The American Speciality Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), of which she is a member, has its own 2011 Best Toys list. (www.AFTRA.com)
“We vote on what we feel are the best toys for kids each year,” she says. “And it’s nothing like what they see on TV.”
Green Toys is one line she recommends for environmentally conscious parents. All of their things are made from recycled milk jugs.
The company started out with a truck and then made dishes, she says. This year they expanded into play food. For older children she suggests green science kits by Magic School Bus to help learn about being green. PBE’s Toys and Dolls is located at 2241 N. Belt Highway. Call 390-9400 for more information.
The library
Getting books at the public library is another no-brainer, says Dee Zvolanek, St. Joseph Library, Downtown branch children’s manager.
“Sometimes I think we are the best-kept secret,” she says.
They have all kinds of books for everyone from babies (thick picture books) to teenagers and adults. And they keep up with what’s popular. For example, for the new “Hunger Games” movie expected to be released on March 23, she ordered more “Hunger Games” paperback books to make sure they have enough. The library has lists of favorites for all ages and genders, too. And it’s all free.
More options
Goode Food Delivered — Organic-practice, locally grown food from a farm in Wathena, Kan., at reasonable prices. To order or for more information, e-mail goodefood2you@gmail.com or look at the Facebook page “Goode Acres.”
Green Family Chiropractic — Dr. Crystal Green offers alternatives to traditional medicines to make your child feel better, from homeopathic cold remedies to body adjustments. Her office is at 1338 N. Belt Highway or visit www.greenchirofamily.com.
Thirty One Gifts — Independent Consultants Christian Hartman and Alicia Bryan of Thirty One Gifts have an eco-friendly bag for every occasion to help keep you organized. Check them out at www.mythirtyone.com/chartman and mythirtyone.com/ABryan.
Arbonne International — Natural skin care, makeup, weight loss, baby care, aromatherapy and anti-aging products. Call consultants Kaa McGhee at (660) 868-2546 or Megan Curtis at (660) 605-2321.
Sylvia Anderson can be reached at sylvia.anderson@newspressnow.com.
