
Summer! The pace slows, relaxation begins and even parents get to act a little loosey goosey. But before moms and dads kick off their flip-flops, a reality check: There's plenty of seasonal gear that should be avoided, or at least carefully purchased (or borrowed or Freecycled), to ensure their kids' fun will be of the least-toxic variety.Read the rest here
It seems as though every accessory involved with beating the heat is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or vinyl): kiddie pools, water wings, slip-n-slides, even garden hoses. Avoiding this most poisonous of plastics is always a good idea, not just for health reasons (soft vinyl products are often made with hormone disrupting phthalates and may contain lead) but also for environmental reasons (producing vinyl releases hazardous chemicals that build up in the fatty tissue of fish and other animals).
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This post was written by Stefanie.






















August 6th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Wow... i had no clue such plastics could be that dangerous! Thanks for the heads up!
Quote This CommentAugust 6th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I love your site! Great articles - especially enjoyed this one - PVC is one of my pet peeves....
have bookmarked so I can peruse more later! Best Wishes to you!
Elisa
Quote This CommentPS: I added you to our blogroll at
http://notjustpretty.wordpress.com
August 7th, 2008 at 3:56 am
I didn't know this! Always great to learn something new.
Quote This CommentAugust 7th, 2008 at 5:48 am
I am wondering that what we have other than PVC to use then? I think all that stuff is only available in PVC only so what to use then or we should leave that activities? I shall like to have some information on alternatives.
Quote This CommentAugust 7th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Wow -- I had no idea. Very interesting post!
Quote This CommentAugust 7th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Stefanie
Thanks for sharing this. We just returned from Ocean City, NJ and I never realized the amount of vinyl on the beach until you pointed it out.
Quote This CommentAugust 7th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Thank you for all the comments. I was surprised to learn exactly how dangerous pool toys can be, also. I knew PVC was dangerous, but was unaware that it was as dangerous as this article tells us.
Glyconutrients, the article I linked to gives you some alternatives, check it out.
Quote This CommentAugust 7th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Oh, and thank you, Elisa, for adding the site to your blogroll!
Quote This CommentAugust 11th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Summer is the best time of the year and a lot of things you can buy may be bad for the environment.. thats why I love your site.. it helps me make wise decisions!
Quote This CommentAugust 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Free Stuff Online said:
Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad the site helps.
Quote This CommentAugust 14th, 2008 at 4:35 am
Thanks for sharing hazardous toys and their material. Another thanks for sharing alternatives as well. I think there is nothing wrong to spend something extra for safety purposes.
Quote This CommentAugust 15th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
wii fit, I agree, and that is why I shared this article.
Quote This CommentAugust 24th, 2008 at 2:14 am
We always don't hesitate to spend extra for ourselves and I think we should avoid PVC material. May be new technologies are changing minds,I shall quote "Hybrid cars" here.
Quote This CommentAugust 24th, 2008 at 5:16 am
It was very difficult to leave all those conventional stuff to adopt new age stuffs but internet makes it easy to make a right choice. Reviews about products can make our life far easy, safe and comfortable.
Quote This CommentAugust 28th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
adhs, I use the internet to look up reviews for pretty much everything before I buy. It has saved me a lot of money and frustration.
Quote This CommentSeptember 17th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I have to agree, the internet makes all my choices so much easier and more informed. Last week was my nephew's 3rd birthday and, someone bought him this plastic row boat.
Quote This CommentI took it home with me and went and bought him a replacement gift, much better!
September 19th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Toys, gotta love the internet
Quote This CommentSeptember 26th, 2008 at 1:39 am
I love going to the internet in finding toys for kids, your post is a big help. I didn't know that that pool toys can be dangerous. But I think it will always depends on how it is used. I am planning to buy a pool toy as a gift, but I will remind them that they will have to use it only indoors, so that it will not be subject to heat.
Quote This CommentOctober 3rd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Bouncer, good luck getting them to play with it only indoors
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