Our store in Valley Junction will be closed on April 4th, Easter Sunday. We will re-open on Monday at 10a.m. As always you can shop online.

{Photo by StSaling on flickr}

We’ve also put together a collection of Easter basket goodies. A few goodies are marked down too! Don’t miss this great deal on the funny Easter Benny Bunny.

Also check out wonderful Easter gift ideas from the fabulous ladies at Cool Mom Picks!

Happy Easter!

The Natural Living Expo is this weekend. Here’s a really good reason to go: an enormous prize package from KangarooBoo valued at $465! You could win the Dream Kitchen for your little budding chef!

The entire Plan Toys kitchen collection is made of natural, chemical free, recycled rubberwood, and non-toxic water based dye!

Prize Package:

* A Plan Toys Kitchen Set
* Complete with Baking Utensils
* Cooking Utensils
* and Assorted Fruits and Vegetables.
* Also included is a Plan Toys Dishwasher to clean up the mess after a delicious meal!

All you have to do is stop by the survey table at the Expo and enter the drawing to win!

After you enter the drawing, do stop by our booth for more surprises.

The Expo is at the Polk County Convention Complex (501 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA) on Saturday, March 27 from 10–6 and Sunday, March 28 from 11–4. Parking and admission are FREE!

The 5th annual Natural Living Expo in downtown Des Moines is this weekend (March 27 & 28).

Mark your calendars, plan the carpools and grab your reusable tote for a weekend that celebrates all the aspects of natural living! We will be there. Do come say hi!

There will be over 150 vendors showcasing their products and services for natural and green living.

There will also be entertainment on the stage, fresh, organic food from the Organic Valley Cafe. And for the kids, an entire area with storytelling, art and activities like hula-hooping and yo-yos.

Find the Expo at the Polk County Convention Complex (501 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA) on Saturday, March 27 from 10–6 and Sunday, March 28 from 11–4. Parking and admission are FREE!

A little over a week ago the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) issued an advisory to parents and caregivers about the risk of suffocation for babies under 4 months, but did not mention any manufacturers specifically.

Today, the CSPC and Health Canada, in cooperation with Infantino LLC, announced a recall of 1 million baby slings in the U.S. and 15,000 in Canada.

Read the Infantino Safety Recall here.

{via Chicago Tribune}

For more information about baby sling safety we highly recommend the article Potential Dangers of Bag Slings (a bit dated but very detailed) and the Facebook group, Baby Wearing Safety

A few days ago the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released an advisory to parents to be careful when using slings for babies 4 months and under.

Here’s a brief summary of the release:

• At least 14 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers, including three in 2009.
• Slings were recently added to the list of durable infant products that require a mandatory standard.
• Make sure the infant’s face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling’s wearer.

Read the full release here.

We also highly recommend the following for more information about baby sling safety:

• Potential Dangers of Bag Slings – Very detailed article about the possible dangers of bag-style slings.
• Not All Slings Are Created Equally – Baby sling & carrier manufacturers speak out on baby sling safety warning and Associated Press article.
• Babywearing Safety on Facebook – A facebook page that provides information on sling and carrier safety. A good place for further discussions.

UPDATE (March 22nd): We just found this Mothering Magazine’s Respond to CSPC Sling Warning – “Babywearing is safe, but some slings and positions are not. While baby carriers are as old as civilization, modern babywearing has exploded in the last four years. ..” Read the entire article here.

It’s Dr. Seuss’s Birthday today. It’s also Read Across America day where all across the country, students and their teachers are wearing red-and-white hats and reading.

So don’t forget to grab your hat and read with the cat!

And if you don’t have a hat, you can always make your own with felt or paper.

{photo via flickr}