Bambù e Bambinos

As a proud member of the Facebook nation, I've noticed that it has really intuitive ad software. I've been sucked in by the "Are you 29? Get your free pair of Uggs here!" more than once...fool me twice I guess, right?

When I saw the ad for Bamboo Style Shop in my sidebar, I was surprised as I'd only talked about bamboo in some of my wall comments to other friends, and before I knew it I'd clicked the link and had a screen filled with images of a For C's shower, I got a bamboo bib that is so soft, and then I had the fortune of testing a bamboo baby blanket that was edged in 100% silk (but then I left it at the Y childwatch and it's irresistible softness was appreciated so much by another parent that they failed to put it back down when they picked it up to feel.)

Although the site for Bamboo Style Shop was not yet live, I was able to see some of their products, including serving dishes, lounge pants for women and a bunch of baby gear. Launched by Jack Carter, a self-proclaimed 'eco-nerd', Bamboo Style Shop is based in a small Maryland community, with a mission to provide products that are socially responsible and eco-friendly, without losing any of the luxury.

This whole going green business has been quite a journey for me, because I felt like you had to sacrifice comfort or quality in order to be a good steward, with a lot of the older eco-friendly stuff. When I really started looking at things like cloth diapering and ways to reduce or reuse, I'm slowly but surely putting up the white flag and trying to change my ways...well over half of my garbage gets recycled now (can you believe it, Les?!)

Many manufacturers are creating products made of bamboo, but BSS will be the first bamboo department store selling everything from purses and plates to baby blankets. They are also committed to selling American-made products whenever possible, which is nice to know in the current economic climate. They are proud to offer items from several manufacturers located here in the United States, specifically Pennsylvania, South Carolina, California, and Hawaii, stating "These are 21st Century, green collar manufacturing jobs and BSS is proud to support them." American made items are clearly labeled as such in the product description.

I've been filling out my 'Dream Home Journal' in preparation for the day when I'll finally be a home owner and can pick the details that I want. A friend of mine has bamboo floors and they're beautiful, so that went right in the book.

Bamboo is still fairly expensive compared to it's cotton counterpart, but hopefully a continued demand will lead to greater affordability, as it's a great option for both comfort and conscience.

Some of the benefits of bamboo are that one acre of bamboo yields ten times more fabric than one-acre of cotton! Bamboo has natural UV protection, blocking 98% of the sun's harmful rays. It's breathable, helping you stay 2-3° warmer when it's cold and cooler when it's warm. It also absorbs and wicks away moisture up to four times faster than cotton, it's anti-static, wrinkle resistant, hypo-allergenic, antimicrobial, strong and durable, making it ideal for baby items that you'll wash again and again...and again. Some more. (Actually, the Two-at-once socks are with a bamboo-wool blend yarn.)

Mr. Carter got back to me right away after I told him I'd be interested in posting about his shop; a personal email with lots of information both about both his shop and about bamboo in general. I hope that he's successful and helps you get all your bamboo dreams wrapped up in a pretty little bow...well, not literally, as a part of their eco-conscious business practice is reducing packaging...so maybe wrapped up in a pretty little recycled shipping envelope.

Click over to Bamboo Style Shop and get on the newsletter so you can be kept up to date when the shop opens!