This year I am purchasing most of our gifts from small family businesses. I think after all they have been through this year, it’s more important than ever. All of the 15 companies featured in this post are just that and they are offering you some really great discounts to boot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Primary (my…
How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally
When my oldest son was two, it was clear, after going to a couple of birthday parties, that he could not tolerate food dye. Now he is 12 and on the occasion that he goes somewhere and sneaks a skittle or intakes it unknowingly, the effects torture him (and us) for days. The effect of…
Non-Toxic Face Paint With Natural Ingredients
Halloween is just around the corner and so far, we have a potential Batman, Wonder Woman and a possible panther. My kids love to play dress-up year-round and are often making their unique pretend identity using anything they can find and adding to it by painting their own faces. Like anything else, before purchasing the…
Moms Find Lead in Green Sprouts Products; Company Threatens Them
This past January (2017), Tamara Rubin, a mother, blogger, and an expert in lead testing, was hired by ‘Shannon,’ blogger of the Natural Baby Mama, to test sippy cups and baby bottles for lead. Among those that came up positive for lead, is a bottle by Green Sprouts. Tamara Rubin sent her findings straight to iPlay, the parent company of Green…
Lead In Stainless Steel Water Bottles
Lead In Stainless Steel Water Bottles Last week, Shannon, of the Natural Baby Mama, shared her post with me about toxic levels of lead in stainless steel water bottles. In this piece, Shannon reveals that she hired Tamara Rubin to test water bottles (along with other items) that she had in her home, for lead. I…
Crib Mattresses and Your Baby: What You Need to Know Now
One of the first purchases you’ll make for your infant is that of a mattress. Though you may choose to co-sleep (we did), eventually you’ll make the switch to a toddler bed. Let’s break it down (Why You Need to Do Your Mattress Research) The traditional mattress is covered with chemical flame retardants. Flame retardants…
Protecting Your Baby from SIDS
The American Academy of Pediatrics just announced new sleep recommendations in efforts to save babies from dying of SIDS, yet the real dangers still haven’t been addressed. Skin to Skin and Co-Sleeping I applaud the AAP for including new evidence that supports skin-to-skin care for newborn infants. The addition of suggesting that a baby should sleep…
Comparing ‘Natural’ Sunscreens
My three children (ages 5, 3 and 1) are fair skinned, with blond hair, blue eyes and a lot of Irish blood. Yet, despite this, I do not cover my kids in sunscreen every time they go outside. On the contrary, when they are outside to play, be it in the backyard or at the beach, they are without sunscreen…
Not All Organic Mattresses Are Created Equal
What to Know Before Buying an Organic Mattress I’ve been doing a lot of research into mattresses lately, and the one thing I have come to learn is that not all organic mattresses are the same! I became educated about the chemical flame retardants used in mattresses 11 years ago, when shopping around for a…
Your Mattress Matters
Know What You Are Sleeping On You spend many of your waking hours each day making sure that you keep your family safe from harmful chemicals in your immediate environment, be it in cleaning products, on food, or in the air that you breathe. Yet, many people never stop to think about the ones that…