Beth Shea

Beth is the writer and founder of Petite Planet, a blog which focuses on eco-friendly living for families and informs parents of the best “green” choices for their babies and our planet. The birth of her daughter was her inspiration to take baby steps toward changing the world and preserving it for future generations. A former travel and spa writer, Beth swapped airline miles and body wraps for long stroller walks and quick showers. She is living her dream by being a mother and freelance writer. Follow Beth on Twitter @PetitePlanet
Beth Shea

Girls Can Channel Their Inner Mermaid with MerFins

by Beth Shea, 05/10/12

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Heartfelt Mother’s Day Gifts & Ways to Celebrate Mom

by Beth Shea, 05/08/12

mother's day gifts, mother's day family activities, eco-friendly mother's day. green mother's day, homemade mother's day gifts, eco DIY mother's day gifts

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and we have plenty of fun ways to celebrate and show appreciation for wondrous moms — from engaging family activities to homemade gifts, treasured surprises and some very unique jewelry. For the moms who always put others first, here are 6 Mother’s Day gifts that give back — from coffee and sunglasses to shoes and jewelry. If there’s a green mama with a deep affinity for Mother Nature on your list, peruse these 6 eco-friendly Mother’s Day gift ideas to make her heart content, and then wow her with one of these 7 ways to have a green Mother’s Day. Add to the day’s delight factor by treating mom to a simple Mother’s Day surprise. Here are 7 great ideas from gifting her with a photo gallery to giving her a much needed break! For a sweet last minute gift, try your green thumb at making this recycled miniature greenhouse for mom to marvel over. Or show you’ve got a real soft spot for mom by giving her an adorable personalized family pillow. You can’t go wrong with jewelry, especially when it’s as gorgeous as these custom designed charm necklaces from Heart and Stone. For moms who really want to make a bold fashion statement, designer Kim Kovel recycles baby’s teeth into earrings and necklaces!

Attachment Parenting 101

by Beth Shea, 05/04/12

attachment parenting, mayim bialik, pros and cons of attachment parenting, babywearing, breastfeeding, cosleeping

While the concept of attachment parenting dates back to ancient times, and is considered the norm in most countries today, Dr. Bill Sears only coined the term “attachment parenting” relatively recently in the United States, in the 1980′s. In America, the child-led approach to parenting is still highly regarded as an alternative form of raising a child, and adheres to practices including babywearing, co-sleeping, breastfeeding on demand and extended nursing, gentle discipline and natural birth. We’ve covered all of these topics and more on Inhabitots, as many of the writers and editors on our team practice attachment parenting with our own children. Even if full-throttle attachment parenting isn’t your style, many moms and dads choose to do some, if not all of the practices on which the philosophy is based — simply by following their own instincts to bond with and do what’s best for their baby. Wearing your infant is a wonderful way to keep him secure and safe. Read about the art of babywearing, and safety guidelines for properly wearing your baby. Sleeping with your baby is another great way to make baby feel secure, one, which studies have proven, is healthy and reduces a child’s stress. If you’re interested in learning more about AP, read our book review of Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik, and then check out our Q&A about attachment parenting with the actress, mom and neuroscientist. We’ve also featured books wherein the authors are completely against the concept of AP, and go as far as saying it imprisons mothers, and that it’s an anti-feminist approach to bringing up baby — because of course, there are always two sides to every coin.

Quick Tips on Safeguarding Your Home & Baby’s Nursery from Toxins

by Beth Shea, 04/27/12

green baby's nursery, how to make homemade cleaning supplies, green baby, eco baby, green spring cleaning, nontoxic home cleaning, use houseplants as air purifiers, avoid toxins in baby's nursery

Have you been bitten by the spring cleaning bug? Or does your pregnancy induced nesting instinct have you tidying every nook and cranny in your home? We’re scratching beneath the surface to expose some little known, yet vital information on keeping your abode not only clean, but free from toxins and harmful chemicals. Take a deep breath, then read about these 6 scary home air pollutants to avoid. Designing baby’s nursery is a blast, but it’s equally important to make it safe and eco-friendly. Here are 5 ways to green your baby’s nursery. Continue the theme throughout your entire house by reading these 5 ways to green your home for baby’s arrival. Do you happen to know the deadliest home hazard? Learn all about how to protect your family against radon, here. Educate yourself with regard to toxic flame retardants, which are found in many baby products, because new research suggests that flame retardants may actually cause deadlier fires. And you may not want to kick up your heels on stuffed furniture –which may lead to high PBDE levels in pregnant women. On a lighter note, spend an afternoon creating your own kid-safe, homemade green cleaning supplies — which will save you money while keeping your home chemical free. Then learn how to green your baby’s nursery by incorporating certain house plants, and invest in a great air purifier. Then take a much deserved break!

Inhabitots Roundup: Safe Sleep Essentials for Babies

Inhabitots Roundup: Safe Sleep Essentials for Babies

Sleeping Newborn - Image from Shutterstock

Unless you’re one of the lucky ones whose baby has always been a great sleeper, you probably spend a great deal of time trying to establish and maintain consistent sleep routines for your little one. We certainly don’t know the magical equation to achieving the Holy Grail of parenting — a full night’s sleep — but here are some tips on making baby’s sleep environment healthy and conducive to getting lots of shut-eye.

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Inhabitots Roundup: Green Beauty and Skin Care Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Inhabitots Roundup: Green Beauty and Skin Care Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy gives moms-to-be that proverbial natural “glow,”and even though being a  new mom can be exhausting, women look radiant postpartum as well. In addition to the natural beauty that goes hand in hand with motherhood, there are several other things you can do as a pregnant or breastfeeding mama to green your make-up and …

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Inhabitots Roundup: Toxins To Avoid During Pregnancy & Beyond

Inhabitots Roundup: Toxins To Avoid During Pregnancy & Beyond

It’s the good news and the bad news – in today’s day and age we know so much about how babies in utero are affected by their mother’s exposure to chemicals and toxins. While no woman wants to spend this joyful time in her life worrying herself sick, knowledge is power, and it’s both empowering and beneficial that women can arm themselves with cutting edge …

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Artist Dietrich Wegner’s Logo Tattooed Babies Are Full of Messages

Artist Dietrich Wegner’s Logo Tattooed Babies Are Full of Messages

Before you get so squeamish about the medium that you miss the message behind these provocative images, all of the tattoos on the babies in artist Dietrich Wegner's photographs were digitally added using Photoshop. But even though the babies weren't temporarily tattooed or drawn on to produce Wegner's artwork, isn't the final result still unsettling in the sense that the logos are emblazoned across and embedded into them, nonetheless? In modern-day society and culture, it's almost impossible to avoid the inundation of these brands in our everyday lives. Wegner entitled this series of photographs, Cumulous Brand, and of it he states, "Every society accumulates contradictions amidst their ideals...  Cumulous Brand is a meditation on how our identities evolve and how we declare them."

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Inhabitots Roundup: Easter Fun for Little Ones!

Inhabitots Roundup: Easter Fun for Little Ones!

Easter is just around the corner, and our basket is brimming with eco-friendly goodies and …

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Eco-Friendly Wall Decals from weeDECOR Bring Rooms to Life

Eco-Friendly Wall Decals from weeDECOR Bring Rooms to Life

"If these walls could talk." When decorated with weeDECOR's wall decals, they'll speak volumes. The delightful collection includes whimsical and thematic decor in a wide-variety of hues to suit every kid's taste. Babies, boys' and girls' rooms will come to life with these savvy stick-ons that look more like painted murals once applied to the wall. From nature to planes, cars, sailboats, hot air balloons and trucks and from under the sea to the jungle, there's plenty to choose from to personalize your child's special space. You can also add their name to a wall decal to make it truly unique.

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Inhabitots Roundup: Celebrate Spring by Gardening With Your Kids

Inhabitots Roundup: Celebrate Spring by Gardening With Your Kids

Spring is officially here! Celebrate the blooming season by planting a garden with your kids. The whole family can get in on the fun, from tiny tots to moms and dads with these 7 steps to …

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If Mom Had 3 Minutes: Share Your Mom Tips For An E-Book and Get a Coupon!

If Mom Had 3 Minutes: Share Your Mom Tips For An E-Book and Get a Coupon!

a chipper multitasking spider mom – image from Shutterstock.

As all the moms out there will know, with motherhood comes an endless stream of to-do lists, and with that new challenge – the ability to become a jedi master of multi-tasking. Nobody knows how to multi-task like the mother of young kids, and in that spirit of sharing the mom-wisdom, Inhabitots is partnering with Clorox in a project to help moms share their time-saving tips with one another. Clorox is working with author Karen Kauffman Orloff, writer of the children’s book If Mom Had Three Arms, to compile an e-book of moms’ time-saving tips. If you have any great multi-tasking tips, send ‘em on over here for your chance to be included in the book (you’ll also score a 50¢ Clorox coupon). Simply visit the Clorox Facebook fan page to share your mom-wisdom on the If Mom Had Three Minutes tab.

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Inhabitots Roundup: St. Patrick’s Day Fun for Kids – Crafts, Recipes And Fashion

Inhabitots Roundup: St. Patrick’s Day Fun for Kids – Crafts, Recipes And Fashion

St. Patrick’s Day is this Saturday, and we’ve got plenty of fun ways to commemorate the holiday with your kids. If …

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Bedtime Stories Bed by Ridder & Clown Combines Fairytales and Sweet Slumber

Bedtime Stories Bed by Ridder & Clown Combines Fairytales and Sweet Slumber

One of the biggest perks of being a parent is that you get to be a kid all over again while raising your own little one. Bedtime Stories is a cool, interactive storytelling backdrop that doubles as a child's bed. Sign us up for a sweet fairytale session, because this is exactly the kind of creative architecture that's right up our alley. According to designers Ridder & Clown, "The idea was to design a bed for children between the ages of four and twelve, that makes a connection with a random bedtime story. Together with the fantasy of the child the bed will be whatever the story tells."

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Inhabitots Roundup: The Case for Co-Sleeping

Inhabitots Roundup: The Case for Co-Sleeping

Few things confound parents more than the issue of sleep. Crib or co-sleep? Cry it out or tend to every whimper? Sleeping through the night, yet? There’s no one-size-fits-all remedy for families, but co-sleeping is an age-old custom that has served many parents and babies well. The many benefits of co-sleeping …

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Threadfollower Eco-Friendly Hand-Stitching Project Kits Offer Back-to-Basics Fun for Kids

Threadfollower Eco-Friendly Hand-Stitching Project Kits Offer Back-to-Basics Fun for Kids

Kids are working a lot with their hands these days, but mainly, that's due to the fact that they're swiping an iPhone, tapping an iPad, texting their buddies or playing video games. Encourage your children to get back to the basics with some good, old-fashioned hand-stitching by equipping them with a darling, all-inclusive project kit from Threadfollower.

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Stone Soup Garden Kit Encourages Kids to Dig into Nature

Stone Soup Garden Kit Encourages Kids to Dig into Nature

Spring is just around the corner, and what better way to ring in the season than by watching your garden grow? This sweet Stone Soup Garden Kit will encourage kids to get out into nature, literally connect with the earth, and eat the veggies that are the fruits …

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Wee Gallery’s Organic Cotton Soft Books Stimulate Visual Development in Infants

Wee Gallery’s Organic Cotton Soft Books Stimulate Visual Development in Infants

Wee Gallery, best known for their gorgeous black and white graphics which have been pleasing eye candy to many a happy babe via their mobiles and art cards, is now treating tiny ones to a more tactile experience by way of their organic cotton soft books. Based on themes of jungle, garden and animals, each book is handmade with GOTS certified, hand-loomed organic cotton, and hand-embroidered in India -- and no two are alike.

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LOTS MORE GREAT GREEN DESIGN STORIES HERE... KEEP READING!