Non-Toxic Children's Art Supplies

Wouldn't it be nice to know exactly what was in your child's art supplies since, just like most everything else your child touches, some (if not most) ends up in their mouth?

For a while I thought I was doing a good job in finding and making available non-toxic choices, especially when the packaging states that the materials are as such. Yet, just like with food, if the ingredients aren't listed, how sure can I be that they are safe, toxic-free?

I went searching for some artistic mediums for my budding artists that I could be sure were safe. It took a lot of looking, but I finally found one that I love and can see the ingredients list.

Clementine Art Supplies, of Boulder, Colorado (I love that town!) is an all natural, certified non-toxic, environmentally friendly. They have a full line of natural paint, glue, crayons, markers, and modeling clay.

Which is great! My kids are begging for some clay to get their hands on. There is also a gift set that is perfect for any child, which is double-great, since I have some birthdays parties coming up :)

What favorite all natural, non-toxic art supplies do you use and love?

:)

Read Your Labels! What to Ingredients to Avoid

If most of your time shopping is spent reading labels, you're not alone. More and more moms are wising up and informing themselves about the beneficial and harmful effects ingredients in everyday products have on their families.

You do your homework. You read your labels. But do you know which ones you should be avoiding and why?

Pull out some of the things you already own at home: shampoo, sunscreen, toothpaste, hand soap... You've checked them before, but check them again. You might need to rethink your choices and find more healthy alternatives for you and your family.

Here are some of the worst offenders in ingredients, along with what they may be doing to you and your family:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - skin irritant with mutagenic effects
  
  
• Parabens - causes breast cancer
  
  
• Propylene Glycol - alters skin structure for other chemicals
  
  
• Phthalates (aka: fragrance) - disrupts hormones; decreases sperm mobility; genital abnormalities in baby boys; linked to asthma and allergies
  
  
• Petrolatum (aka: mineral oil, Vaseline) - banned in Europe, linked to breast cancer
  
  
• Cocomide DEA/Lauramid DEA - human immune system toxicant
  
  
• Diazolidinyl Urea - human carcinogen and nasopharyngeal cancer
  
  
• Butyl Acetate - skin, eye, and lung irritant
  
  
• Butylated Hydroxytoluene - human immune system toxicant and neurotoxin
  
  
• Ethyl Acetate - linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive deformities; skin, eyes, and lung irritant
  

This short list, borrowed from the Environmental Working Group, is just the tip of the iceberg. To learn more about all the dangerous chemicals found in our everyday products - and why we should be avoiding them - go to www.ewg.org today.