PVC-Free Rain Gear @ Bootyland

It’s that time of year again in Seattle – rainy season. The weather is turning colder and the clouds are back, but the kids still need to go outside and play. We’ve got great options to keep your little ones safe and dry while they have fun splashing in the puddles.

Puddlegear by Abeko is made of a soft, light, tear-resistant fabric called Atek. Atek is a polyurethane-coated stretch fabric that is wind and watertight. It is PVC free and is certified by Oxo-Tex to be free of 100 harmful chemicals. It is light, comfortable and flexible so it’s great for active kids, and it’s easy to launder which is nice for parents.

Why PVC Free?

Lots of kids’ rain gear is made from PVC, so what’s the big deal?

According to the Center for Health Environment and Justice,

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic, commonly referred to as vinyl, is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created.  PVC is dangerous to human health and the environment throughout its entire life cycle, at the factory, in our homes, and in the trash.

Our bodies are contaminated with poisonous chemicals released during the PVC lifecycle, such as mercury, dioxins, and phthalates, which may pose irreversible life-long health threats.  When produced or burned, PVC plastic releases dioxins, a group of the most potent synthetic chemicals ever tested, which can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems.

PVC is also full of toxic additives that off-gas or leach out of products. These additives are harmful to our health and they also make it nearly impossible to recycle most PVC products.

Puddlegear by Abeko is a safe alternative to raincoats and pants made from PVC. We have raincoats and pants available now in select colors and sizes, and we are able to special order other colors, sizes and styles as well.

Adorable Alpaca Hand Puppets

If you’ve ever been in Bootyland, you’re probably familiar with the rack of sweet little alpaca wool finger puppets that lives near the cash register. These puppets are so cute and so soft – they’re practically irresistible. Our customers love to play with them while we ring up their purchases…and I’m not talking about the kids.

Now finger puppets are great fun, but sometimes you just gotta have a hand puppet for your puppetry needs. So I’m excited to tell you that we now have four different hand puppets available in the same soft alpaca wool.

Just like the finger puppets, these hand puppets are hand knit by women in the Andes of Peru in an artisan workshop that follows fair trade practices. The yarn is hand spun from organic raw alpaca and is machine washable.

The four hand puppets available are:  Zebra, Dog, Giraffe and Rabbit and they retail for $20.00. They meet or exceed ASTM safety regulations and are for ages 2 and up.

Natural Rubber Baby Teether – Sophie the Giraffe

Sophie the Giraffe

Good news for Seattle’s cranky babies; Bootyland just got in a shipment of Sophie the Giraffe baby teethers.

Sophie is made of 100% natural rubber and colored with food paint, so she is completely safe for babies to chew. She’s soft, light and pliable and shaped just right for little hands to grab – and she gives a cute little squeak when you squeeze her head or belly. Her horns and ears provide the perfect texture to soothe sore, teething gums. Plus, she’s so adorable that she’s sure to be a favorite toy.

French toy company Vulli has been producing Sophie the Giraffe for 46 years. She is made of rubber from the Hevea Tree and is free of BPA and phthalates. Sophie is safe for newborns and older, and is available at Bootyland or on our website: Bootylandkids.com