Wooden It Be Nice?

Until we had a child, we couldn't truly understand what all the fuss was about during the massive recall of toys from China caused by lead in the paint. Of course, we knew that lead paint was bad. Everyone knows that. What we didn't know, however, is the extent to which babies put things in their mouths. And when we say things, we mean everything — dog's tail? Yum. Fleece blanket? Delicious. Remote control? Snack-tastic.

So we're a little more cautious these days about what we buy and how we clean the house. (Unfortunately, we're still trying to figure out the dog's tail situation). The housecleaning part is easy — we use all natural products, for the most part (thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Suz of Well to Do for giving me a bunch of Shaklee cleaners as a mom-to-be present!) But the toys part is a little more difficult.

Thankfully, there are people like T.J. and Melody Vinci of Palermo, who make gorgeous hardwood playthings finished with beeswax and jojoba oil — no nasty toxins here. We discovered their company, Finns and Flowers, at the Common Ground Fair. Finns and Flowers was inspired by the Vincis' three children (who, we're guessing, also put everything in their mouths). We're big fans of the stacker (pictured above) and the teether, but there are also building blocks, felted balls and magic wands for the aspiring Harry or Hermione.

Not only are they safe and sustainable, but all of the wood comes from small Maine sawmills and landowners.

In other words, you can feel good about wood.

For more information, visit Finns and Flowers' Etsy shop.

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