[ This is one in a series of posts by Susan Maphis covering the impact of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade and sign up for her CPSIA Alerts Mailing List ]

The CPSIA has voted to make fabric and yarn exempt from testing and certification requirements for children’s products under the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). However, because fasteners on children’s clothing, such as snaps, zippers, and buttons, will still need to be tested for lead, which means that the final garment as a whole is still required to be tested under the act.

The CPSIA released a statement about this decision, saying, “After reviewing and verifying this test data, the staff was able to determine that most textile products are manufactured using processes that do not introduce lead or result in an end product that would exceed the CPSIA’s lead limits.”

Some children’s handcrafters are excited about this ruling. Jennifer Cirka of etsy shop Jaybird Designs says she is happy to be able to make children’s products again, “as long as I don’t add zippers, buttons, snaps, and such.” Time will tell if this new ruling will really make a difference for manufacturers of children’s products.

[ For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade]

Becoming a Baby:How Your Baby Grows from Day-to-Day by William F. Supple Jr. is my all time favorite pregnancy book.  When you are expecting, you want constant updates about what is going on in there.  If you are like me, you have a hard time with books that only give you an update month-by-month.  Even the week-by-week is hard for me.  This great little book gives you something new to read every day, and it is full of photographs to help you understand your little one’s development.  I’m enjoying it even though this is my third pregnancy (although I’m missing a lot more days than I used to).  I would highly recommend this book to every expectant family.

You can purchase a copy of this great pregnancy resource on sale for $14.36 at Amazon.com.

You just have to look at these Beanstax by Zolo and your want to squish and toss and make your own creations. That’s what these adorable shapes are for. Your little one can create his/her own characters by simply stacking the different shapes into their own creations.

The set contains 12 softly touchable shapes and comes in its own reusable carrying case. It makes a great early learning gift for baby’s shower or for the holidays. Visit zolo.com to view this item, priced at $36.

I know this Wimmer-Ferguson Infant Stim Mobile by Manhattan Toy looks a little odd and modern, but there is a reason to it all. Vivid color and bold black and white provides baby with simple to complex images to stimulate early visual activity and pre-reaching movement.

It is reported that an estimated 85% of learning is visual.  The importance of stimulating early visual activity goes beyond just beyond stimulating a child’s interest — it affects all the body systems.

Visit  geniusbabies.com to view this item, which is priced at $24.95.

Something of a puzzle, which I know appeals to my son, the triangle patterned “Trix” toy by Haba is a mind stimulator. I like that it’s brightly colored, made from natural products (hardwood), and something mom or dad can play along with as well (without getting too bored.)

It’s simple, which some parents appreciate, choosing natural and less stimulating toys for their little ones, and it’s not overly pricey. At $5.95, you can’t really lose.

I found it at BekahKates.com and think it’s a toy worth adding to the play room.