Why We Love PlanToys
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
As the store’s buyer, it’s my responsibility to maintain the integrity we’ve established over the past few years. Since opening our doors, customers have trusted us that the products we sell and brands we promote are good for their homes and the earth. Before we bring in a new product, I have to learn just how “eco” it really is. If it’s not made in America, I need to know that the manufacturer treats its employees as ethically as it treats the planet. Upholding those standards is a challenge, but it happens easily with one of our most trusted brands. We’ve carried PlanToys since our beginning, and we’ll probably carry them forever because they’re such an upstanding business.
Thousands of companies have begun to implement practices that combat deforestation. Many have switched to using recycled paper; some have transferred all of their information onto a digital platform. That’s all great, but it doesn’t address all of the problems related to conservation, because lumberyards and paper mills aren’t the only culprits. Rubber manufacturers just use rubber trees for a few years. Once they stop producing latex, they’re burned—not even turned into magazines or IKEA chairs. Hearing that inspired the founder of PlanToys to make a difference. He built factories in Thailand that rescued the trees from destruction by transforming them into toys. That’s eco in itself, but the company continues to innovate its manufacturing and shipping methods to leave as minimal a carbon footprint as possible.
When I browse through distributor’s sites and online catalogs, it’s clear what companies truly care about the earth and which ones just use the word “green” to boost their sales. I’ve never had any sense from PlanToys that they’re just in this for the money. The company wins awards for treating its employees so well; the production plants are always looking for new renewable energy sources; and every toy is ensured to contain no dangerous or toxic components. Aside from all that, PlanToys just makes great products. Parents love them because they promote creative and mental development, and kids love them because they’re rugged, cute, and fun. We have a lot of things in our store that I consider great products, but our wooden toys from Thailand are some of the best.
-posted by Rieke
A New Year for Going Green
Friday, January 13th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
January seems to be the time of grand resolutions: to lose weight, to spend more time with family, to travel to exotic lands, to read more of the classics. It’s a month of good intentions, but for most of us the resolutions don’t last far into February. Books accumulate dust; gym memberships go unused; and the costs of an international plane ticket deter us from disrupting our old routines. We’re a fickle race. The start of a new year serves as an opportunity to make great change, but after the novelty of personal commitment wears off, we often return to our old ways of doing things.
I say all of that, because I also fall into this pattern of behavior. The start of a new year makes me consider the intention of my store: what it truly means to go green, and if I am really doing it. When we began back in 2008, the vision was to create a place where parents could buy safe products that left a more positive impact on our planet. The longer we’ve been in business, though, the more I realize how challenging that simple intention can be. Green baby products aren’t always easy to find; green business practices aren’t always viable against corporate giants; and everyone has a different opinion of what it really means to be green. We’re still striving to find a balance in all of that, and as we begin our fourth year of business, hopefully Eco Baby Gear has become a place that’s good for families and for the earth.
It isn’t easy, but real resolutions never are. Going green isn’t always just a marketing ploy, just a niche to stay afloat in the economy. I opened one of Portland’s first organic restaurants 40 years ago, which should count for something. My employees have a real passion for the earth, and they want to provide good, safe, and sustainable products to parents in our city and nation. They’ve become a part of this business because they care about the environment; most of our customers enter our store because they do too. From wildlife conservation to global warning, everyone has a different motivation for going green, but hopefully everyone can find something they support among all of the products in our store.
-posted by Diana
Holidays at a Local Baby Store
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
My first stint in retail was around this time, seven years ago. For liability purposes, I can’t write out the name of the place I worked, but I’ll tell you it’s red and horrible and rhymes with Shmarget. The job lasted two and a half months, more than long enough to make me hate the Corporate World, almost long enough to make me hate the holidays. Contrary to what our peppy commercials implied, the season seemed to mean nothing more than fake garland, tense mothers, and greed. When my family exchanged gifts at home, I knew the origins of those DVD collections and Ferrero Rocher boxes. They became like conflict diamonds: appearing flawless and beautiful, but I could see my sweat and misery all over them.
Seven years after Shmarget, again in retail, working the holidays at a local baby store couldn’t feel more different. We’ve been busy, but gone are the furious customers, overbearing materialism, and fellow employees that look liable to burn the store down when their shift ends. Instead, the people who come into our store exude the joy that’s supposed to define this holiday season. I don’t know if it’s because we’re a local baby store, or because we only sell products that are good for children. Either way, it’s refreshing to work at a place where giving gifts is a happy thing, where families seem to genuinely care about each other.
Because we’re so busy, I knew this post couldn’t be too long. Throughout the week, Eco Baby Gear has been full of fathers, grandparents, and aunts who want to buy safe and sustainable gifts for the littlest ones in their lives. Whatever your beliefs or traditions, I believe that mentality is a fine way to observe the holidays. I’ve at least been blessed by it, and I’m grateful to work at a local baby store that helps foster such joy and peace.
-posted by Mick
Baby Moby Wrap vs. Masculinity
Thursday, December 15th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Rubgy Players
I’ve never considered myself the manliest of men. Years out of college, I still can’t grow a beard, I could count on three fingers the number of NFL games I’ve watched from start to finish, and if deposited in the wilderness with just a pocketknife and stick of flint I would quickly if not immediately die. I didn’t learn much about gender roles until college, but when I did, I agreed with feminists that people shouldn’t be forced into societal constraints. All that said, I still value my own masculinity. I love camping, tinkering with my motorcycle, and drinking cheap American lager as well as any woodsman, and I’d still be obnoxiously fidgety if I had to sit through The Nutcracker. I might not be the hairiest and most competitive guy in the world, but I’m still a guy, so like most guys I was a bit skeptical of the baby Moby wrap.
My third day at this store, I learned about carriers. This entailed listening to our genius buyer Rieke about fabrics and buckles, and then using each one to strap a teddy bear to my chest. I looked like a fool but didn’t feel as though my manhood had been threatened till we reached the baby Moby wrap at the end. On its own, the Moby is nothing more than a very revealing sari, and as Rieke helped twist the fabric around me, Bollywood actresses began dancing through my mind. I understood that it was comfortable, light, and practical, but deep down I decided I would never, never wear one.
Like Mr. Walt Whitman, I contradict myself quite a bit. I rescind even my most adamant opinions, and in the month since I tried on the baby Moby wrap I’ve decided it might not be the least masculine of baby products. We’ve had a lot of dads walk into the store using a Moby proudly, and I’ve learned more about how closely a parent and baby can connect with these wraps.
On account of the womb, mothers and babies bond for nine months, but the most dads usually get is a game of catch in the front yard. Moby wraps correct that, giving babies the opportunity to be tucked up against their fathers on a daily basis. I love that idea, and I want to be that kind of dad when I do have kids one day. I can’t imagine Bruce Willis pulling off a Moby in Die Hard, but masculinity is about more than guns, sweat, and white tank tops. I think fatherhood is inherently masculine. Even if it looks a bit like an Indian dress, the Moby gives men the opportunity to be even better fathers, which I think is a masculine thing.
-Posted by Mick
Are Babies Safe without Non-Toxic Toys?
Thursday, December 8th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
I was born, raised, and fully indoctrinated in Texas. Growing up I heard many, many political things, but environmentalism wasn’t a cause my parents considered worthwhile. My father once drove past a group of PETA protesters, stopped to buy a hamburger at McDonald’s, and then returned to eat it in front of them. Because she overheard a woman at a restaurant requesting no MSG, my mother loudly told our waitress to give her extra MSG. If they heard an environmentalist railing against non-toxic toys, my parents, I’m sure, would’ve bought me the most toxic toys just out of spite.
Purposefully or not, I’ve since learned I did grow up around some very toxic toys, and plates, and carriers. The duck I bathed with was a little yellow poison factory; the legs of plastic dinosaurs my dogs kept eating couldn’t have been much better. Yet here I am, typing away in a store empty of all toxic plastics, notably healthy and notably without an extra arm. So it’s normal to wonder: did my toxic childhood even matter? Should I fork over an extra buck someday to “protect” my kids from what seems like non-dangerous products?
That’s what my older sister, clone of my parents, has asked. She’s yet to die from pesticide-covered strawberries, so why not keep eating them? When we’re talking about ingesting aphid poison, that carelessness seems more absurd, but the argument’s the same about non-toxic toys. Yes, most of us grew up around things that exude BPA and formaldehyde, and so did most of our parents, and grandparents, and Americans still have a famously high life expectancy. But as I’ve worked here, I’ve learned that manufacturing practices have only worsened since I was a kid: to save money, materials have only become more dangerous. A lot of babies will probably still grow up okay, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care.
Just because the chemicals on one strawberry won’t kill us doesn’t mean it won’t hurt us, now or in the long run. Poison has a habit of accumulating over time. My parents can point to scores of elderly people who got along just fine without non-toxic toys, but studies and doctors can point to scores more with life-threatening illnesses linked to household toxins. With developing organs and a habit of eating anything that fits in their mouths, every authority agrees that babies are the most vulnerable. The toys and products I grew up with are a danger, even if they’re not a guaranteed death sentence. I’m not going to rail against my parents for exposing me to toxic plastics, but I plan to keep my kids away from them, whenever possible.
-posted by Mick
Why a Green Baby Store?
Thursday, December 1st, 2011 | about the store | No Comments
If you’re on this site, and reading this blog, you’ve probably already answered this question for yourself. It didn’t take Al Gore or The Day After Tomorrow to convince everyone that environmentalism was a valid concern. A lot of us already knew that, and when even luxury car companies have emerged that only sell green vehicles (Google the Fisker Karma; or just trust me: it’s gorgeous), it seems like most of the world is catching on. With hippies and the 1% on board, babies were the next demographic to go green, which explains this store.
My boss, Diana Moore, has been a baby guru for decades. When she’s not traveling to China or Kentucky as an infant massage instructor, I’ll try to get her to write on here to prove it. She’s devoted her whole life to the development and health of babies, and a long time ago she realized those factors correlated with the bottles they drank out of, the cribs they slept in. We’re living in a world where most of our food has been genetically modified, where toxic chemicals are paradoxically called “disinfectants,” and where our furniture is being built from the last remnants of earth’s rainforests. Environmentally, the future isn’t too bright. But that future belongs to our children, which is why it’s more important than ever to go green for your baby.
I’m new to Eco Baby Gear, and I tend to spend more time up at the front learning about products than typing away at a computer, but I believe this store is important enough to blog about. As the only green baby store even in Portland, it’s one of the few of its kind in this country. Heck, in this world. It’s a little boutique committed to safe, natural, and organic products for infants, but it has the potential to hugely impact this earth. Everyone who works here is more informed than I am, but I’m getting there, and I’m proud to work for a business that knows and cares so much about our planet. That’s critical to the health of babies, and it’s critical to the future of our world, and even if I wasn’t an employee, I’d consider that admirable.
-posted by Mick
2011 Class & Events Calendar
Saturday, January 1st, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off
Classroom Info & Rental Rates
Rent Eco Baby Gear's Classroom - See Below For Rates & Info
*Our Classroom is located @ 2122 SE Division Street : Portland, OR : 97202
We have a beautiful rental space perfectly suited to your activity! Our space is available for classes/events centered around families & wellness (i.e. yoga, massage, birthday parties (0-3), baby showers, music and more).
Space, Size, & Location
Dimensions: 17×30 feet
Accommodate 16 to 30 people depending on the nature of the activity.
Our classroom features natural lighting from our 9×9 foot skylight. Located close in SE Portland, Oregon.
Classroom Rates Include:
• TABLES & CHAIRS
• YOGA MATS
• BACK-JACK CHAIRS
• SURROUND SOUND STEREO SYSTEM
• PROJECTION VIDEO/VHS/DVD SYSTEM
• WIFI-ACCESS
Please note that pricing is determined upon hours of use, full day rental, and subsequent daily workshops. Prices are subject to change without notice, please call for current class information or to inquire about room availability. 503-233-4167 / 503-253-8482
Hourly Rates:
Weekdays (Mon-Fri) - $28/hr (9am - 6pm)
Weekends (Sat-Sun) - $32/hr (9am - 6pm)
*Inquire about special rates for yoga, fitness and dance classes.
Full Day Rates:
Weekdays (Mon-Fri) - $165 (9am-6pm)
Weekends (Fri-Sun) - $190 (9am-6pm)
*If you need other hours arranged to accommodate your schedule please call.
"Click Here to Learn More About Infant Massage"
Eco Baby Gear - Traveling to 2010 ABC Kids Expo
Saturday, October 9th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Well, we are excited to be traveling to the 8th annual 2010 ABC Kids Expo - October 10 - 13, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada this upcoming weekend. This expo show is amazing and should be the best year ever! Every year more and more new eco, organic and natural baby vendors appear.
Eco Baby Gear - Portland, Oregon is excited to find some the the best new products for 2011. Just to give you an idea of what the expo show is like, imagine what three to four football fields look like in a row, then double that with a layer above one another. This expo is big, and when you are done going up and down every isle you will have walked about a half of marathon. It will be exciting to see all the new products for parents and babies on the market and also finding new products to bring into our store that a lot of parents have been requesting.
So only one day left and we can’t wait to see all the new products for 2011 and bring them in the store for you. We will try to post daily expo show photos on our facebook page so follow us there!!! @ Eco Baby Gear
In the meantime if you have any hard-to-find-item requests, let us know so we can try and find them for you. I am sure we are going to see a lot of amazing, strange and great new products for 2011 and connect with many new / existing friends from the baby world. Can’t wait to experience it all!
phil&teds Brand New Explorer Buggy!
Friday, September 3rd, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
phil&teds Explorer stroller buggy w/doubles kit @ EcoBabyGear.com
We just got our second shipment of phil&teds Explorer’s in! These are one of the hottest buggies on the market right now. phil&teds took the old sport buggy and made it even better. One stroller that starts with your first child, then as your family expands add the second double seat kit. The phil&teds Explore is easy to stroll, easy to fold, follow the sun hood shade canopy, air-filled tires, adjustable multi-position reclining seat, plus more… Click for more details… Come check and test it out in our store!
Relax Infant With Spa Baby Massage
Friday, September 11th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Video by:
KPTV FOX 12 Portland, OR
Aug. 26, 2009. 05:36 AM EST
Upcoming Events
- February 8, 2012
- Mr Ben Live MusicMr Ben Live MusicTime: 10:00 am
Due to popular demand, Mr. Ben is going to start playing live shows at Eco Baby Gear!
"Mr. Ben plays live music for kids and families in and around Portland, OR. His shows are the perfect blend of entertainment and education. Your child can participate as much or as little as they choose -- they are free to explore new musical ideas and concepts at their own pace and in their own way.
So when you come to a Mr. Ben show, you can feel good about the fact that you are taking an active role in your child’s cognitive development, laying the foundation for their musical education, and helping to dispel the myth that only some people have musical potential. Who knew you could do all that just by attending a live children's music show?"
What: Mr. Ben Live Show
at 10:00 am
When: Wednesdays @ 10:00am
Where: Eco Baby Gear
Cost: $5.00 per family or $3.00 per person - Family Spanish Language ClassFamily Spanish Language ClassTime: 5:15 pm
Family Spanish Language in Play Class, Children 2-5years
Wednesdays @ 5:15pm, January 11-February 15, 2012 (no class February 1), $98 Offered by Portland Early Learning Project: Immersion lessons where you learn alongside your child! Songs, games, and lots of movement make these classes fun & engaging for the whole family. Handouts with vocabulary, practice phrases, and grammar tidbits are provided.
Who: Portland Early Learning Project
What: Family Spanish Language in Play Class, ages 2-5
When: January 11- February 15, 2012
Time: 5:15pm-6pmTo register please contact Portland Early Learning directly or click here
at 5:15 pm
Cost: $98 for series of 6 classes
- Mr Ben Live Music
- February 9, 2012