To help you gear up for the week, Hawaii Moms.com every Monday runs a new calendar of family-friendly events. You'll also find parenting news, adorable birth announcements, the Ask the Experts Q&A for your tough problems, and much more. Best of all, you can talk story with other mothers in our forum. One mom recently wrote: "In today's society, the word 'adoption' is synonymous with 'Angelina Jolie,' and even what seems to be a recent Hollywood surge in adoption. Personally, I think Angelina is a little kooky, but I love what she's doing. ... And why is she getting so much negative press for being the working mom while Brad chills with the kids?!"

— Connor Cross, in the Adoption forum

SAVE THE PLANET

PUT BABY TO SLEEP ON ORGANIC MATTRESS

New parents might want to spring for a natural mattress made of certified organic materials — the least-expensive we've seen online run about $199 — then protect it with a natural rubber moisture barrier. A natural latex called Talalay (a crib mattress pad of the stuff runs about $40, also online, check for it by using your favorite search engine) has been found not to cause allergic reactions, according to "Organic Baby: Simple Steps for Healthy Living," by Kimberly Rider.

FINAL WORD

"Eight years ago, we'd have to really admit that, yes, you can pay up to 20 percent more (for green products), on average. Now, the demand has caught up. They're not boutique products anymore. They're right around 5 percent more or not even more."

Robyn Griggs Lawrence | Editor of Natural Home magazine