November 3, 2009

Did you know that only 200 of the 80,000 chemicals developed for use in household products are tested by the Environmental Protection Agency? Pretty scary stuff! That’s why Seventh Generation (maker of green home and personal care products) and the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition are spearheading the Million Baby Crawl, a virtual march on Washington to encourage Congress to reform the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act.

You and your family can take action by joining the crawl: just visit seventhgeneration.com/million-baby-crawl and create a virtual crawler that will act as your signature on this important petition. You’ll be part of presenting the Kids Safe Chemical Act, which would require manufacturers to prove the safety of a chemical before it’s used in their product. To learn more, visit seventhgeneration.com.

- Stephanie Eckelkamp

- Marygrace Taylor

• Composting Have your kid help you smash the pumpkin into small pieces, then put it in your yard and cover it with a pile of leaves or place it in your compost bin.
• Seed-saving If you didn’t already when carving, scoop out your pumpkin’s seeds. Wash and dry them, then save for planting in the spring.
• Burying Break the pumpkin into small pieces, then bury it in dirt to enrich the soil.

- M.T.

As the weather cools down, make sure you’re keeping your baby nice and toasty—infants have a hard time regulating their own body heat. Since they lose most of that heat through the tops of their heads, opt for an eco-friendly hat to keep them warm. Patagonia’s baby shelled hat is made from recycled polyester and the ear flaps are sure to keep your little one safe and secure from any chilly drafts. (patagonia.com, $35)

- Ashley Venable