The invention of the baby shower gift registry has made gift-giving an easy but sometimes thoughtless process. Here are some ideas to bring a little more green to your gift-giving. I don’t advocate giving a green gift if it’s something they aren’t going to use or just for the sake of it being “green.” Sometimes it is best to stick to the registry, especially if you don’t know the person well. But if you have a bit of freedom, here are some gift ideas that you might consider.

Diapers are always an appreciated gift. They’re expensive and much needed. If the person you are shopping for is interested in or has decided to do cloth diapers, a great gift would be a gift certificate to a diaper service - it offers someone a way to ease into the world of cloth diapers. If the parents-to-be are planning on using disposables, purchase Seventh Generation diapers and wipes, one of the greenest options out there in the disposable diaper market.

Put together a green toiletries kit. Fill a basket with baby shampoo, soap and lotion from California Baby. Also include an organic wash cloth and towel. You can check the ZRecs Guide for other baby care products that are free of harmful chemicals.

If the mother-to-be has an interest in breastfeeding, create a breastfeeding support kit which could include items such as your favorite breastfeeding book, milk storage bags (if they are going to pump), lanolin cream, and a nursing shawl or Hooter Hider. Breastfeeding is the greenest way to feed your little one, it’s a local food source for your baby!

I know that one of the last things that seem to get done when you have a baby is housekeeping. When you are sleep-deprived, the little energy you do have goes towards your baby and just surviving day to day life. The house doesn’t have to be clean in order to survive, but it would sure make your day more pleasant and easier to deal with. Why not pay for some post-natal housekeeping by a service that uses non-toxic chemicals? Maid Brigade is one company that provides green housekeeping services. Another gift idea is to offer your own elbow grease. Bring green cleaning supplies if they don’t have them and when you have finished, leave the supplies there for them to use.

Buy local and handmade items. A great place to do this is at my favorite handmade site, Etsy, an online marketplace for crafters. You can find a great selection of baby items such as handmade bibs and blankets, wooden toys, and onesies. One of the many great features of this website is that you can search for sellers by location, enabling you to support local crafters.

If the baby shower is for someone who is not a first-time mom, they may already have enough stuff - the last thing they really want is more baby stuff taking up room in their home. There are a lot of great ideas, including the housekeeping gift that I mentioned above, that would be very appreciated but don’t contribute to the accumulation of unwanted stuff. It’s hard to find a women who wouldn’t be excited about a gift card to a spa for a pregnancy massage, or a post-pregnancy spa trip. How about offering to babysit their other kid(s) on several occasions? Make a gift certificate book that has coupons they can redeem for you to run errands for them such as grocery shopping, getting the oil changed on their car or picking up some more diapers and wipes.

Do you have any green baby shower gift ideas? Have you been given any green gifts that you have really appreciated?

You might be aware of the controversy around the widespread use of antibacterial soaps and the concern that they may create drug-resistant strains of bacteria. More recent research is also suggesting thattriclocarban, a common additive in many antibacterial soaps and deodorants, has an unusual effect on hormones. This chemical is considered to be one of the suspected "endocrine disruptors" that may interfere with human sex hormones and reproductive development, causing reduced fertility, early puberty and increases in breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.

Another chemical under scrutiny is triclosan, also found in some antibacterial soaps. While it is thought to be safe for most people, research suggests that it might cause subtle harm to humans in critical developmental stages including in utero, early childhood and adolescence. It has been named as a target for further research into the environmental contributors to autism.

Manufacturers of antibacterial soap products, of course, claim that their products are safe and have been thoroughly tested for human use.

Studies show that these chemicals are being dumped into the environment at an alarming rate, with more than one million pounds of triclosan and triclocarban coming from use in America alone. And with a recent CDC study detecting triclosan in the urine of 75% of Americans aged 6 and older, we can't deny that these chemicals are entering our bodies.

In my household, we have stopped using all antibacterial products. I have found a natural product that fights germs and bacteria and does not contain any potentially dangerous chemicals. CleanWell is made with "Igenium," a plant-based essential oil formula that claims to kill 99.99% of germs, including MRSA (staph), E.coli and salmonella on contact.

The CleanWell story is touching. The product was developed by a family with a child who has a rare disease that causes severe immunodeficiency. Since his immune system only functions at about 10%, they needed to protect Conor from exposure to germs but did not want to expose his fragile system to harsh chemicals. After eight years of research and development, they patented the CleanWell with Igenium formula.

CleanWell products are environmentally sound. Being plant-based, they are alcohol-free, chemical-free and 100% biodegradable. They are also certified cruelty-free and never tested on animals. There is also no ingestion risk for children.

CleanWell offers hand sanitizing sprays in several sizes, hand sanitizing wipes and pump soap bottles in lovely scents. You can order online or locate a store on their Web site.

Writing recently about my Year of Cloth Diapering, I mentioned a diaper sprayer I've come to see as an essential cloth diapering aid that has come in handy in a number of other situations.

Happy Heiny’s diaper sprayer is plastic with solid brass connectors to attach is to your toilet’s plumbing. The installation requires no tools and was easy for me to figure out with no plumbing experience. (The main problem we have had is a slight leak once in awhile so we’ve resorted to leaving a small towel on the floor underneath it.) There are a couple of similar sprayers on the market - bumGenius sells one that claims to come with "anti-drip technology" - as well as ones marketed as bidets that may function similarly.

When using the sprayer, you take the sprayer head out of the holder, turn the valve, and press the button on the handle. The valve can be adjusted to change the pressure of the water coming out of the sprayer. I was surprised at how high the pressure of the water was coming out of the sprayer. This high pressure does wonders in spraying out dirty diapers. It can also create a mess, but with a little practice, the right angle and getting used to the high pressure, you shouldn’t have any problems. Although it is called a diaper sprayer, I’ve discovered a multitude of uses for this handy piece of plumbing:

• It works great for rinsing out soiled clothing from a blow-out diaper.


• When I recently stepped on a little present left by a neighborhood dog, I was able to use the sprayer to rinse of the sole of my shoe.


• The lower pressure setting of the sprayer is great for personal hygiene after childbirth or as a bidet.


• During the potty-training years, the sprayer will be perfect for rinsing out the potty.


• The hose is a substantial six feet long. Depending on where your bathtub is located, you could use the sprayer when cleaning your bath tub or shower stall.

You can purchase the Mini-Shower Diaper Sprayer at Amazon.com for about $45. For me, it was well worth the investment.

Does anyone else out there use one of these? If so, tell us about it! I'd be especially curious to hear if anyone had experience with bumGenius' "anti-drip" model.