The Seaweed Bath Co. Review - Green Mama Goodies Giveaway Event - Day 5

            Welcome to day 5 of the Green Mama Goodies giveaway event! All week long I’ve been sharing reviews of some great, all-natural products with mom in mind. In case you missed out on the previous days, be sure to check them out by following the links at the bottom of this page after you have read today’s post!

            Do you suffer from eczema or psoriasis? Hate using a bunch of prescription creams full of chemicals? If so, I’d like to introduce you to The Seaweed Bath Co.! Founder Adam Grossman has dealt with the side effects of psoriasis first hand for years. You can read the full story behind how The Seaweed Bath Co. came about HERE. Long story short, though, once he found out what worked for him, he wanted to share it with other sufferers of dry, itchy, red, scaly skin and that’s how The Seaweed Bath Co. came to fruition!

            The folks at The Seaweed Bath Co. were generous enough to not only let me try their Wildly Natural Seaweed Soothing Body Wash, but one of their new Wildly Natural Seaweed Detox Cellulite Soap bars! As I’m sure you can guess, each product contains certain types of seaweed, as do the rest of the products available on their website. What’s the deal with seaweed? Certain varieties of seaweed show promising results soothing red, irritated skin. What better way to naturally help sufferers of psoriasis, eczema, and other skin irritations?

            Before I go on, I feel like I should mention that I do not have psoriasis or eczema, therefore I cannot attest personally to the effectiveness of this body wash for helping with those conditions. However, as you may have read in one of my other reviews, I did get a small sunburn several weeks ago and my shoulders have been dry and itchy ever since. I have noticed that when I use this body wash daily, they don’t itch nearly as bad. In fact, it usually doesn’t start bothering me again until right before bed.

            Now, I know this giveaway event is supposed to be for the ladies, but let’s face it: guys steal/use our stuff sometimes whether they want to admit it or not. My husband has been using The Seaweed Bath Co. body wash as well and has said he “loves that stuff.” He works for maintenance in the national park here and gets pretty sweaty and gross at work. He told me that when he uses the body wash, he still gets stinky but doesn’t feel grungy and still feels somewhat clean.

            My husband is like me and is pretty no frills. He’s been using the body wash for his hair as well. (Does anyone else’s husband do this?) He has problems with flakiness and says that his hair is flake free now!

            What makes it even funnier to me that my husband likes this body wash so well is that I received the lavender scented one to try. (Real manly, right?) It does smell amazing, though. I can still smell it for several hours after I shower. It also comes in unscented, citrus, and eucalyptus & peppermint.

            Here’s a sad little tidbit of information for you: Did you know that 8 out of 10 women have at least some cellulite? Even with exercise and eating properly, you are still likely to have some so, why not at least use something that will help make it less visible? The Seaweed Bath Co.’s new Detox Cellulite Soap is here to help!

            First of all, it smells fantastic! Like, “good enough to eat” fantastic. Two of the main ingredients are organic coffee and cinnamon, so you can imagine!

            Other than smelling awesome, it really seems to be helping with the whole cellulite business. Aside from lathering it up with a rag and using it all over, I’ve been scrubbing it directly on certain “problem areas”. (Can’t hurt, right?) My skin feels smoother and tighter there, for lack of a better way to put it.

            Since this is not your average soap and contains some darker colored ingredients, don’t be alarmed when the runoff from your soap bar is dark. Don’t worry. It washes right off and doesn’t stain.

            If you would like to read more about the benefits of this soap and its natural ingredients, click HERE. Also be sure to visit their main page to see what other great products they offer HERE.

            This wraps up the reviews portion of the Green Mama Goodies giveaway event. Be sure to visit us again tomorrow and enter for your chance to win a 12 oz. bottle of The Seaweed Co.’s Lavender scented Soothing Body Wash along with other great prizes!

Day 1 - Bee Naturals
Day 2 - Lips N Lotions
Day 3 - Truly's 
Day 4 - Molly Muriel

Molly Muriel Review - Green Mama Goodies Giveaway Event - Day 4

            Welcome to day 4 of the Green Mama Goodies giveaway event! For the last four days I have been sharing with you reviews of awesome natural bath and body products for mom. If you’re just joining us, please visit the other pages at the bottom of this post to catch up on the previous reviews. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the week for your chance to win many of the great products you see! 

            Have you guys heard of shampoo bars? These, like amber teething necklaces, are something I came across recently, but have fallen absolutely in love with!

            Molly Muriel was generous enough to let me try out a “Meadow Fresh” shampoo bar recently. However, I first had the chance to sample one of their amazing shampoo bars, the “Soft as Silk”, that I received in one of my Conscious Boxes. Let me tell you, it is not often I instantly fall in love with something. (I didn’t even like my husband that much when I first met him. Lol)

            Ever since I first heard about shampoo bars, I wanted to try one. I have been wanting to make the switch to a more natural product for my hair for several months now, especially after the not so great outcome from trying my own “shampoo”. (Who wants greasy looking hair? Blegh!) With Molly Muriel shampoo bars, you don’t have to worry about your hair looking greasy OR getting dried out!

            Molly Muriel only uses natural ingredients; therefore you don’t have to worry about the good oils being stripped from your hair like other shampoos can do, leaving your hair greasy looking or dry. Speaking of ingredients, when companies claim their products are “natural”, that’s usually the first thing I look for: A) Is their list of ingredients for products easy to find? and B) Are they REALLY natural ingredients? I can put a big check mark next to both of those factors for Molly Muriel!

            I won’t list all of the ingredients here for each shampoo bar (you can find them HERE and HERE if you’re interested), but the murumuru butter in the “Soft as Silk” one makes your hair feel sooo nice! I was afraid I would still need to condition my hair somehow because I’ve always relied on conditioner to keep my thick hair from being a tangled mess when I get out of the shower. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the shampoo bars conditions as well! The added bonus of this, of course, is less money spent on products I don’t need and less time in the shower, which also saves money in a round-about sort of way!

            I never thought I would so excited about shampoo in my life as I was when I received my Meadow Fresh bar in the mail. It is just as delicious smelling and wonderful as the Soft as Silk. Although half of the ingredients are different from one another, this one left my hair as squeaky clean, good smelling, soft, and shiny as the other one. My husband even noticed that it makes my hair less frizzy. (Which really helps in this humidity!)
             I have noticed that the Meadow Fresh one works almost a little TOO well. I have pretty regular hair as far as it not being greasy or dry. I would recommend this one for people who have hair on the more oily side.
             I was also really surprised (and impressed) by how well these bars lather up. Yes, I am one of those people who doesn’t feel like their hair is clean unless the shampoo lathers up a bunch. I could have squeaky clean hair afterwards, but if something didn’t lather up, I wouldn’t FEEL like it was clean. (Although my hair DOES feel squeaky clean when I’m rinsing the soap out.) So the whole sudsy factor was important to me.

            Molly Muriel’s shampoo bars also last a lot longer than you might think. Like I said, they lather up REALLY well. As the old saying goes, a little goes a long way!

            Another great thing about Molly Muriel shampoo bars is that the scents are nice and gender neutral. They are earthy, but pleasant smelling; appealing to both men and women. Personally, I like scents like these that are more “herby” than floral.

            The only con I can find about these shampoo bars (I wouldn’t even call it that, really) is that it feels kind of weird rubbing a bar of soap in your hair at first. I’m not a fan of bar soap and the only time I have used it since I was a little kid is probably at hotels as hand soap. Needless to say, I’m not used to having any kind of bar soap around, so it’s especially weird rubbing it all over my head.
            Like I said, I love everything about these shampoo bars and fully intend on using these from now on. No more sodium laureth sulfate for me, thank you. If you would like to purchase your own shampoo bar, please visit Molly Muriel’s website HERE. She also sells regular bar soap, lotions, essential oils, and candles so be sure to check it out! There is something for everyone. We received a sample of the “Volcanic Bliss” bar soap with our shampoo bar sample and my husband loved it!

Don’t forget to check back later this week as we will be giving away some Molly Muriel shampoo bars, along with other great natural prizes, in the Green Mama Goodies giveaway event!

As an added bonus, I was able to try out one of Molly Muriel’s new lip therapy balms in Clementine. These will also be available in mint, lavender mint, and natural. They are 100% vegan, cruelty free, and will be available very soon!

           To be honest, I hardly ever use lip balm of any kind, but I have found myself using Molly Muriel’s several times throughout the day. Not because it wears off quickly, but because it tastes so dang good! It goes on easily and isn’t grainy like some natural lip balms out there. It’s very moisturizing as well and would be great for people who get dry, chapped lips easily or live in dry climates.

Day 1 - Bee Naturals
Day 2 - Lips N Lotions
Day 3 - Truly's

Truly's Natural Deodorant Review - Green Mama Goodies Giveaway Event - Day 3

            Welcome to day 3 of the Green Mama Goodies giveaway event. In case you’re just tuning in, all week long I will be sharing reviews of quality, all-natural products geared towards the ladies with a giveaway including most of the products from my reviews at the end!

            Today we’re going to talk about stinky armpits. Ha ha! Ok, not really, but kind of. Have you ever tried a natural deodorant? I’m always looking for everyday/hygiene type products that I can replace with more natural alternatives. I experimented with making my own deodorant several months ago. It smelled fantastic and worked ok, but I made the mistake of putting it in an old, store bought deodorant/antiperspirant tube and it ended up solidifying TOO much. Oops.

            I’ve also purchased and tried some other natural deodorants and had less than thrilling results. Recently I had the opportunity to sample Truly’s Natural Deodorant and can’t say enough good things about it! (That is your “I’m getting ready to gush over something” warning.)

            First of all, Truly’s truly is all-natural. As some of you may have read on other posts, I get irritated and suspicious if I can’t easily find a product’s ingredients list. This is one of the many reasons I like Truly’s: they are very transparent when it comes to this. Their ingredients are listed right on the product page. I’ve always been of the mindset that simple is better too. Their deodorant literally only has 4 ingredients in it: baking soda, beeswax, organic coconut oil, and powdered sugar. That’s it! It’s not even artificially scented!

            Truly’s Natural Deodorant truly does work all day too. (I promise I’m done with the “truly” puns…maybe.) I have had issues with this with other natural deodorants. While it had a nice earthy scent to it, I would have to reapply throughout the day at least once, even if I hadn’t done anything physically demanding. Even if it lasted the entire day, it did so barely. I don’t have to worry about that with Truly’s. Arkansas summers are brutal. It is crazy humid here. I have been outside and gotten sweaty and I’m still not stinky at the end of the day with this deodorant.

            I’ve also noticed that my armpits don’t get irritated with Truly’s like they sometimes did with other brands and my homemade deodorant. If this does happen to you, though, Truly’s recommends on their FAQ page to be sure to change razors. (Though this isn’t a common occurrence by any means.) Be sure to check out other helpful info they have on that page HERE.

            Keep in mind that Truly’s is a DEODORANT, not an antiperspirant. Sweating is actually a good thing for your body as it gets rid of toxins and regulates body temperature. Plus, have you ever gotten clogged pores in your armpits from mainstream antiperspirants? Ouch. You will still sweat with Truly’s, but you won’t stink from it!

            I will be totally honest with you and admit that I didn’t care for the scent at first. I know what you’re thinking. “I thought you said it wasn’t scented?” It isn’t, but the coconut oil makes it smell like, you guessed it, coconut. I can’t stand coconut anything, scent or food-wise. So, with that being said, I’m not really sure what I expected. However, the scent has grown on me significantly. I don’t even think about it any more and I’ve been using it for over a week. So if you’re like me and don’t like coconut scented products, please don’t let that deter you.

            A few other things I like about Truly’s is that it is affordable, will last you awhile, and is kid-friendly! A 2 ounce container costs $7.99, but keep in mind that it will last you just as long as regular store bought deodorant, probably longer. It only takes a tiny pea-sized dollop under each arm. It is also kid and sensitive skin friendly since it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals and is unscented, which can sometimes cause reactions in people.

Nice and creamy so it spreads and rubs in easily!

            If you would like to try Truly’s Natural Deodorant out for yourself, be sure to visit their website HERE. Don’t forget to come back at the end of the week as well for your chance to win some Truly’s deodorant and other great prizes in the Green Mama Goodies giveaway!

Day 1 - Bee Naturals
Day 2 - Lips N Lotions

DIY Wednesday: Baby Wipe Tub Toy

            I’m sure a lot of you guys have seen these, but since I was already making it, I thought I would share with you how I went about making mine and how easy it really is! It literally takes about 5-10 minutes. You could actually put this together in less time if you use scrap pieces of cloth, rags, etc. I just wanted to put some unused baby blankets to use! The hardest part is folding the cloth so that it comes out like baby wipes do! (For me, at least.)

What you’ll need:

-empty, wiped out, baby wipe tub

-old/unused receiving blanket(s)

-scissors

1)     Using the tub as a guide for size, measure out the width you want your pieces. (You should end up with about 4 pieces like I did.) I made mine slightly smaller than the tub so that they would fit in it nice and neat.

2)     Cut each piece to the middle of the blanket.

3)     Cut along the top edge of each piece.

4)     Using the picture below as a guide, lay your pieces out to where one is laying halfway on top of the previous one.

5)     Beginning with the end you started from, fold the first piece over like shown in the pictures below. (Sorry. I’m a visual person and from here on it’s just easier for me to explain with the pics.)

6)     Slide your hand underneath this folded part and fold it over on top again about the same length. Keep doing this until you reach the other end of your cloth. This doesn’t have to be perfect or exactly the same length, so long as they are all folded up inside one another to where when baby pulls out one the next one will pop out on its own, like baby wipes.

7)     Turn your stack over to where the fun, colorful, printed, side is facing up and place it in the container.

 

8)     Pop the first piece up through the hole and you’re done!

Side Notes:

-This project is great because nothing about it really needs to be perfect!

-If you have older children as well, it might be fun to let them decorate the outside of the tub.

-You may want to put some kind of anchor/weight in the bottom of the tub so children have an easier time pulling the cloth out.

-This is a great toy for baby to work on hand/eye coordination, fine motor skills, problem solving, and also sensory learning! 

Lips N Lotions Review - Green Mama Goodies Giveaway Event - Day 2

            Welcome to day 2 of the Green Mama Goodies giveaway event! In case you’re just now joining us, all week long I am sharing reviews of awesome all-natural products geared towards the ladies! Be sure to check back for new products every day. We are wrapping up at the end of the week with a giveaway that will include many of the items you’ll see in the reviews, so don’t miss out on that!

            Today we’re spotlighting Lips N Lotions, a lovely Etsy business that specializes in, you guessed it, lip balms and lotions! She sells a variety of fun flavors and scents, many of which you won’t find other places. Both her lotion bars and lip balms are handmade with natural ingredients, which include beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, and more. Lips N Lotions was kind enough to let me try out one of each. With all of the unique flavors and scents to choose from, it wasn’t easy to pick just one!

Lotion Bar

            I had only heard of lotion bars once before coming across them on Lips N Lotions. I had been looking up natural homemade sunscreen recipes and came across one in bar form and thought, “Huh. That’s an interesting idea, but how the heck is it going to work?” So, when I saw that all of Lips N Lotions’ ones were bars, I was intrigued.

            According to her directions, you are supposed to rub the lotion bar between your hands so that the friction causes some to melt off. To be honest, I’ve only followed the directions a few times when using it. When I did I just rubbed it into my hands and it felt amazing! The rare times I do use lotion I usually wash my hands off immediately because I hate having that greasy feeling like most lotions leave. However, these lotion bars don’t do that! It left my hands feeling super soft and smooth with no tackiness.

               Near the end of July, I got just enough of a sunburn to where it peeled some. However, the night we got home from going to the beach, my shoulders were already itching like made! I’ve been making, er, I mean asking my husband nicely to rub some of my lotion bar on my shoulders almost every night since it started itching and it makes it feel so much better! I can definitely attest to it working on dry skin.

            I almost forgot to mention what scent I went with! I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a prude when it comes to Victoria’s Secret, but I absolutely LOVE their body spray scents. Moral of the story: When I saw that Lips N Lotions had a bar that was scented like Love Spell, I went a little nuts. It literally smells JUST LIKE IT. It’s like heaven in lotion bar form. Lips N Lotions also has other great scents such as lavender, eucalyptus, monkey farts, and bamboo sugar cane.

Lip Balm

            While we’re still talking about scents and flavors, I had a really hard time choosing which lip balm I would like to try, as I mentioned. Lips N Lotions has so many unique ones to choose from, including mojito, pizza, bacon, and even absinthe! If you’re not feeling very adventurous, she has the good ole classics available too, such as lavender vanilla, French vanilla, and blue raspberry. I ended up going with a fun French toast flavor. (Who doesn’t like French toast, right?) It took a few applications to really start getting the flavor, but most lip balms seem to be that way.

Yummy!

            For some reason, this lip balm feels a little grainy when you’re putting it on, but is nice and smooth on your lips. It seems to last quite awhile too. I’m guessing that has a lot to do with the beeswax at work. ;) This lip balm leaves my lips nice and soft as well.

            To check out all of the unique and fun lotion bars and lip balms Lips N Lotions has to offer, click HERE. We will be giving away a like Love Spell lotion bar and French toast flavored lip balm in the Green Mama Goodies giveaway along with other great prizes at the end of the week!

Day 1 - Bee Naturals

Feeding Time is NOT my Friend!

        Does anyone else absolutely dread feeding their child? Not that I don't want her to eat or starve or anything, but I have gotten to the point where I seriously dread the act of having to feed Myka.
        She's not really a picky eater. She's still eating purees, despite trying to get her to eat cut up fruit and even chunkier purees. She's just not having it, which is fine, I guess. She's still young. The problem is she gets SO distracted when I feed her.
        Why the emphasis on "I"? Because my husband can feed her in 5 minutes or less. If it's me, you can expect it to last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, or more, sometimes. I don't get it. I try to feed her like daddy does and she's still looking around, playing with her hands, trying to grab the burp cloth from the back of the chair, etc. etc. Just generally not paying attention...even if she LIKES what I am feeding her! I try to eliminate any distractions I can think of too.
        I'm the one who feeds her 95% of the time, so it's really frustrating to me. I don't know why, but it is. Do I just need to chill out? Probably. Maybe she's, unfortunately, like me and a slow eater. I'm just hoping this isn't the beginning of a super irritating routine at every meal from now until she's older.
        Do any of you have "distracted eaters"? Have you found any tricks that seem to help?

Bee Naturals Review - Green Mama Goodies Giveaway Event - Day 1

            Today marks the first day of the Green Mama Goodies giveaway event. For the next 6 days I will be sharing reviews with you of great natural bath and body products…geared towards mom! (Ok, so all of you ladies without children will enjoy these too.) Be sure to check back every day, as we’ll have a different company and products featured along with a giveaway prize pack with goodies from each at the end!

            We’re kicking off today with Bee Naturals, a company based in downtown Clarksville, MO. It was originated by Barbara Chapuis, an RN, who created Skin Crème Bars to heal her dry, cracked hands. After the success of these, she went on to create even more natural products, including an entire skin cleanser line, baby products, lip balm, hand sanitizers, and much more. Now, Bee Naturals also has Beehive Inn, which is located above their retail shop, if you’re looking to relax for a weekend or longer.

            The Bee Naturals folks were generous enough to let me try their Queen Bee Liquid Honey Skin Cleanser and Aromatherapy Foaming Hand Wash. First of all, I love that the ingredients for each product are easy to find. Like I’ve said before, it tends to raise a red flag with me when it is hard to find these. Speaking of ingredients, all of them used in Bee Naturals products truly are all-natural. There are no unnecessary “extras” or “fillers”, which I love!

Aromatherapy Foaming Hand Wash

            Generally, I don’t care much for foaming hand soaps; at least the kind you find in many public restrooms. I don’t know about you, but I usually don’t feel like my hands get all that clean after using them. However, I think Bee Naturals foaming hand soap is the first one of its kind that I actually DO feel like my hands are clean afterwards.

We are also still in the diaper stage with our daughter, so, as you can probably guess, I wash my hands about 50 times a day. I have been happy to find that this hand wash does not dry my hands out like some do. This will be especially nice in the winter as my hands seem to typically get dry and cracked like many people’s do during that time of year.

Last, I also like that the scent is subtle and gender neutral. If you have men in the house, they can rest assured they won’t smell all flowery and fufu after using this.

Queen Bee Liquid Honey Skin Cleanser

            Not that I don’t like the hand wash, but I really can’t say enough good things about Bee Naturals skin cleanser. I have had problems with oily skin and acne since I was in high school (probably earlier than that, even) and have tried plenty of different washes, astringents, topical creams, etc. So, not that you have to take my word for it, but when I speak highly of any product regarding acne or face wash, you know it’s good!

            At first I was a little leery about its lathering ability. When you first shake the bottle and squirt some into your hand, you might be thinking, “How is this going to lather up?” since it is thin, not creamy, like a lot of face cleansers. It actually lathers up quite a bit, though! It feels like it lathers up even more as you’re rubbing it on your face too. As you’re rinsing it off, it even literally leaves your face squeaky clean! 

            Like I said, I have had oily skin since my teenage years. (I’m 26 now. Shouldn’t I NOT being having skin problems any more?!) Most of the time I apply oil-free moisturizer after washing my face. (No matter what I use.) I’ve always heard that even if you have oily skin, you should still apply an oil-free moisturizer so your skin doesn’t try to overproduce oil or whatever. For whatever reason, I haven’t been doing this after using the Queen Bee cleanser. Much to my pleasant surprise, my face hasn’t been nearly as oily as it normally is, especially for it being summer when my face normally feels even worse! The extra plus of this is that it saves me a little bit of time in the morning. I’m a very “basics” type of person when it comes to my morning routine and I need all the extra time I can get since I have to worry about getting another person dressed and ready now.

            On top of the Queen Bee Skin Cleanser helping my skin be less oily, it really seems to be improving my overall skin tone. Not that I would go as far as saying it was splotchy before, but it seems a lot more even now. I’ve noticed that it’s also been helping to clear up even my hard to get rid of, pre-existing zits and trouble areas. A lot can be said of the healing properties of honey!  

            Bee Naturals also sells a line of skin care products just for men, troubled skin, and anti-aging, along with shampoo bars, mouth wash, sugar scrubs, and SO much more! Be sure to visit their website HERE to check out all of their great products AND how to receive a 10% discount on your order!

            Don’t forget to come back at the end of the week for your chance to win a Bee Naturals Aromatherapy Foaming Hand Wash, Queen Bee Liquid Honey Skin Cleanser, and other great prizes in the Green Mama Goodies giveaway!

Living in a Chemical World

            It probably goes without saying that I’m not a big fan of chemicals. Then again, most people when asked wouldn’t outright say, “Yah, I LOVE chemicals!” Yet many people use chemical laden products daily without ever realizing what’s in them or how harmful they can be.

            Now, before you go claiming that I’m a hypocrite or something along those lines by saying, “I bet the products you use and food you eat etc. aren’t completely chemical free.” You’re right. They’re not. However, I do make a conscious effort to find items that are at least BETTER for you than some. (Hence part of the reason for creating this blog.) Ignorance is not always bliss and all I’m saying is that I wish more people would take the time to read labels carefully. For example, the person who gave me the push to finally write this post…

            The woman I babysit for is a really nice, well meaning, educated woman. I am not trying to bash her by any means. I really do like her. However, something struck me as a little “silly” that she said the other day.

            Just my luck, a termite company came to their house while I was babysitting the other day. The man told me they were there to treat termites and that it was already paid for. Since my “employer” is a teacher, I couldn’t exactly call her up and let her know/double check that they were indeed supposed to be there. I have no idea what her husband’s work environment is like, so I didn’t even bother trying to call him either.

            Anyhow, I sent her a text saying that I hoped she was expecting termite people. It was paid for, after all, so I assumed they had it set up when they bought their house a couple of months ago. Fast forward to the next morning and, while she wasn’t mad at me, she told me by the time she got home that they had already treated the front of the house, but she made them stop and not complete the back. Why? Because she was worried about the chemicals and the baby.

            Ok. Again, I’m not a fan of chemicals…but I’m also not a fan of having my house eaten from the inside out by miniature beavers. Plus, what are the chances that he is going to come in direct or even indirect contact with the termite treatment? Extremely minimal, I’m guessing. What gets me is that she was worried enough about that to make them stop before they were finished, but she uses disposable diapers, store bought baby wipes, feeds him Gerber baby food, and uses *shudder* Johnson’s baby wash.

            Before I get to my point, I also noticed something that I thought was hilarious on some of the Gerber food the other day. I can’t remember exactly which flavor it was, I know it was a fruit, probably pears or apples, but it was one of their “All Natural” ones. I looked at the package for funsies to see how “natural” it really was and in tiny print underneath the “All Natural” label read “*Except abscorbic acid and citric acid”. Ha. Ok. You’ve got my interest. So I looked on the back at the ingredients list. There were 4 ingredients. Whatever fruit it was, the fruit juice, and you guessed it, abscorbic and citric acid. So let me get this straight. It’s “All Natural”…except for half of the ingredients? Furthermore, last time I checked you can find good abscorbic and citric acid in nature.

            As I implied, I’ve been meaning to write this post for awhile. On top of the above mentioned things, I decided to do a little online research experiment on EWG’sSkin Deep Cosmetics Database with the baby washes/shampoos I happen to have laying around. On this page, you can look up ratings for over 64,000 cosmetic products, including baby items, sunscreens, makeup, and much more. In a nutshell, their product ratings are based on how many and how harmful ingredients are that are in each product. Scores range from 0-2 (low hazard), 3-6 (moderate hazard), and 7-10 (high hazard). You can find out more information HERE on how their system works and the methodology that they use.

            Utilizing their website, I have listed below ratings for some common baby washes/shampoos and ones, like I said, I have laying around not being used. Some of them may surprise you and one of them certainly surprised me!

-Earth’s Best Sensitive Skin Shampoo & Body Wash, Fragrance Free: 2

-pHisoderm Tear Free Cream Wash: 5

-Nature’s Baby Organics Shampoo & Body Wash, Vanilla Tangerine: 1

-Aquaphor Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo: 2

-Johnson’s Baby Head-to-Toe Baby Wash: 4

-Johnson’s Baby No More Tears Shampoo, Original Formula: 4

-Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo: 4 (I found this one odd because all of their other baby wash products were rated 1’s and 2’s.)

            There is also a specific “Babies & Moms” tab near the top where you can look up what the best rated products are in different categories, such as baby soaps, wipes, lotion, etc. Just for fun, here are the top 5 rated baby soaps (which are all rated 0):

-Adorable Baby 100% Natural Baby Body Wash

-Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Castile Baby Soap

-Opas Soap Baby & Me

-AlphaZelle LLC Aloe Baby Bar Soap

-Baby Hugo Naturals Chamomile & Vanilla Handcrafted Soap

            Like I said, sorry if this came off a little too preachy and no, I don’t expect ANY of us to live completely chemical free lives, but I hope in writing this that more of us will become more aware of what we’re really buying. Who knows? Maybe you’ll turn into a “label checker” like me. ;) 

DIY Wednesday: Shaker Toy

            I wasn’t really sure what to call this, and I know I’m not the first to make one, but shaker toy it is! This is yet another way of reusing an old container and making something useful out of it. It’s super easy. It will take you about 5 minutes, if that, and it’s a simple, fun toy for baby to play with.

What you’ll need:

-old container: you choose the size

-beans, rice, other objects that are noisy inside a can and that you won’t mind permanently gluing inside of it ;)

-hot glue gun or really sturdy tape

1)     Pick a container suitable for a young baby or toddler to play with. (In other words, you’re probably not going to want to choose a glass one!) I used an old formula can.

2)     You don’t have to, but you can peel the outside label off and decorate it first if you want. I was being lazy and just peeled the label off.

3)     Pick your noise maker of choice. As you can see, we have an overabundance of rice and beans in our cabinet, so I decided to go with some pinto beans. I’m not a huge fan of beans, except for black ones, so I have no intentions of eating the pinto ones any time soon. ;)

4)     Put in your beans, rice, etc. in the container. You don’t need much.

5)     Put some hot glue around the inside edge of the lid. Yes, if you’re using a plastic lid it will warp it some.

      6)   Secure the lid on top. Wait for the glue to set/cool off and ta da! Easy shaker toy!

UPDATE: For good reason, some of you were concerned about how secure the lid is. I just thought I'd let you all know that while my 1 year old daughter has yet to pull it off, my 4 year old niece did it fairly easily last night, BUT she was trying to.

Pink Lemonade Shop $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway

Since we were young women we have had to endure a monthly visit from "Aunt flow", and lets face it, Aunt Flow can be a real downer. She makes us tired, grumpy, irritable, bloated, and she also makes us want to consume every piece of food that we come across. She is just as unpleasant and unavoidable as her "supplies" are. Buying tampons and pads not only adds an extra cost to your monthly budget, but they're just plain uncomfortable! That's why I'm here today to help encourage you to make the switch to cloth menstrual pads (mama cloth)...with an awesome giveaway!

Welcome to Pink Lemonade Shop $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway!

Hosted by Mommys Craft Obsession

Sponsored by Pink Lemonade Shop

There are so many great things about mama cloth! 1) It's way softer than those scratchy, disposable ones from the store. 2) They're reusable! 3) They will last for years if taken care of properly. 4) No more wasting money each month on the disposable kind!

Pink Lemonade Shop is owned and operated by Sue, a mother of four who has a passion for making gorgeous and quality mama cloth. She believes in providing her customers with only the best fabrics and the most friendly customer service. Sue describes herself as a bit of a "fabric snob" and only uses the best to create her beautiful cloth menstrual pads. From minky to velour, let Pink Lemonade Shop give you the comfort you deserve during your time of the month!

Check out Pink Lemonade Shop and see what Sue has to offer!! 

Good Luck!

Entry-Form

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of September 2nd. The winner will be chosen at random through Giveaway Tools. The winner will be announced both on Giveaway Tools form as well as notified by email and announced on Mommys Craft Obsession’s Facebook. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Pink Lemonade Shop, Mommys Craft Obsession and other participating bloggers are not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. Giveaway is open Worldwide.

Teton Sports Sleeping Bag Giveaway

Sponsored by 

Teton Sports

Hosted by 

NYSavingSpecials

Co-Hosted by

Simply Sherryl and Barbara's Beat

One lucky winner will win a 

Celsius Regular - 18C/0 F Sleeping Bag

I just love getting outdoors and nothing is better than camping! I don't know about you, but it is finally cooling down enough in my neck of the woods to where camping wouldn't be completely miserable because of the heat! Fall will be here before we know it. What better time to win a new sleeping bag to keep you warm and toasty on those chilly nights!

Details

Dates:  August 19 to September 13

US residents only

We appreciate the support of our sponsor, please show your support by following them on their social medias pages.

All entries are optional

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer:  Getting Green with Baby is not responsible for the awarding of the prize.  Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment.  If you have any question about this giveaway, please email the host at nysavingspecials@gmail.com

Svan Signet High Chair Giveaway

Viva Veltoro and Thrifty Nifty Mommy have hit some blogging milestones!  

To celebrate Viva Veltoro reaching 10,000 Facebook followers and Thrifty Nifty Mommy 

reaching 25,000 Facebook followers, they're doing what they do best - hosting a great giveaway event!

They're going to be featuring 10 days of giveaways so make sure to check them out.

First in the lineup of 10 days of giveaways is a Svan Signet Complete High Chair! 

The Signet Complete High Chair makes mealtime easy and enjoyable for baby and parent alike. Signet seats little ones as young as six months up to the table for enjoyable interaction with the rest of the family, turning mealtime into family time!

This award-winning, beautiful Scandinavian-designed bentwood high chair grows with your child from infant to young adult.  Starting as a traditional high chair, the Signet Complete High Chair can function safely with or without the tray to seat infants at the table. The safety guard can later be removed to allow preschoolers and toddlers to step up into the chair on their own. Once a child outgrows both high chair configurations, the Signet converts into a full-size chair for teens and adults.

With maximum adjustability and a five-point safety harness, the Signet Chair allows for supportive, safe and comfortable seating at any age. The chair’s seat height and depth fully adjust to provide optimum torso and leg support while its fully adjustable footrest allows for ergonomic seating. For added safety, the chair comes with a five-point harness, helping to keep active children safely seated even during those restless moments at meal time.

The Signet Complete High Chair comes with a removable tray that conveniently stores on the back of the chair and a dishwasher-safe, BPA and phthalate-free plastic tray cover. It boasts a small footprint and portability, in addition to a user-friendly design that allows for easy assembly and adjustment.

photos adapted from Svan.com

Made of sustainable wood, the Signet is available in a wide variety of lead-free finishes. The epitome of true Scandinavian style, the sleek lines of this high chair complement any décor making it a perfect fit for any home.  Recommended retail value is $249.95

One lucky person is going to WIN a Svan Signet Complete High Chair!

Connect: You can connect with Svan on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Pinterest.

Buy it: You can purchase the Svan Signet Complete High Chair on the Svan website.

Open to the US only.  Ends 9/9/13 at 11:59 PM EST.

Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below.  Good Luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for hosting this giveaway.  The participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment.  

Entry-Form

Myka's Birth Story

            In case you don’t follow me on Facebook, I’ve been doing a fun little “Random Daily Question” on there for the past few weeks. It’s just a fun way to interact with you guys and get to know you better. Anyways, today’s question was, “If you are still planning on having more children, what, if anything, would you do differently with future children than your current ones?” I had intended on getting answers on how people might discipline their kids differently, interacting with them more, that sort of thing. Instead, it turned into a discussion mostly on how we would want to do our labor and deliveries differently, which is totally fine! I actually found it way more interesting than what I had planned. Plus, it was my fault for not wording it very well. ; )

            With all of that being said, I felt like it was finally time for me to share my birth experience with my daughter. I don’t know why, but I always enjoy reading other people’s and was obsessed with “A Baby Story” on TLC way before I even had my own baby. So grab some popcorn and gather ‘round for the tale on how I became a giant hypocrite.

           

            Before I was even pregnant, I swore up and down I wanted to have as natural a birth as possible. No inductions, no epidurals, no c-sections. My husband and I even looked into and seriously considered having a home birth. To this day I still wish I would have had one. But I didn’t and I’ll get to that. However, I did end up getting the above 3 things.

            John and I thought long and hard about the whole induction business especially when I got up to the last couple of weeks of being pregnant. I really didn’t want to do it, but gave in when I hadn’t made ANY progress as far as dilation and all that since 37 weeks. I realize that’s pretty common, especially with first babies, but I had a feeling she wasn’t going to come out any time soon. I had read there are risks involved if you let your baby stay in there too far past your due date too. (I know, I know. There are risks with everything, right?! :P) Plus I worry too much for my own good a lot of times and had that “What if?” scenario playing in the back of my mind. By God it had taken us this long to get pregnant, I wasn’t going to risk anything!

I think this was the day before I was induced.

            So, we went in at 8pm on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 to be induced. (Those of you who have been induced, how weird is it to go up to a counter and basically say, “Hi! I’m here to have a baby!”?) My first nurse was really nice, but she “forgot” to tell me not to get up and use the bathroom for at least half an hour after they stick that pill in your nether regions to start dilating you. I’m sure you can guess what I did. I had a feeling you probably weren’t supposed to get up, but the nurse would have told me if I weren’t, right? - _- Then you have to wait 6 hours after the first one before they put another one in. Double unamused face.

I got one, ONE hour of sleep that night! Besides nerves, it's damn near impossible to get comfortable with 50 billion wires hanging off of you.

            Fast forward to 4am and they stick the second weird pill thing in. By the time the doctor comes to break my water at 7am, I am finally starting to feel some slight contractions, like uncomfortable period side effects, but nothing major. Anyhow, personally, I think having your water break is just about the single most weird feeling in the world. You always hear about how “it’s like you’re peeing your pants”. Bullshit. More like if you were a horse peeing your pants…and you keep on peeing periodically for awhile after the initial tidal wave.

            Moving on from that lovely visual, my labor progressed really fast after that. Which at the time I thought was great because 1) Who wants to be in labor for a long time? And 2) I had read that it can be really slow going sometimes with inductions. If memory serves me correctly, I was dilated to 7/8 by around 11am, at which point I caved and got the evil epidural. I had tried to do the IV drugs, but didn’t really like the possible side effects to baby and the fact that you could only get them ever so often. They just weren’t going to cut it with my labor moving as fast as it was.

            I know what you’re thinking and I STILL ask myself the same thing: Why did you even get it if you were already that far? That’s a good question that I don’t really have an answer to other than I didn’t think I could handle any more at the time. I soooo wish I hadn’t gotten it, though. As if pushing while lying on your back (SO unnatural and uncomfortable!) wasn’t bad enough, dry heaving while doing so is even more fun. I think it was mostly from the fact that I begged the nurse to turn the epidural stuff up because it wasn’t doing anything for the first half hour. So yah, my own fault, I guess.

            I started pushing around noon and continued on through the afternoon until around 3/3:30 when the doctor came back to check on me. (She had checked on me more times than that, just to clarify.) I was pooped out, this obviously wasn’t going anywhere, my daughter’s had was stuck/coming down at a weird angle, and my cervix kept pointing the wrong direction. So I gave in AGAIN and decided to have a c-section.

            The actual surgery part went pretty well…I felt sorry for my doctor, though. I have really hard to find veins, evidently, and I swear I could feel when whatever crap they were pumping in there went into my veins because that shit hurt! I kept saying “ow” and freaking her out, though. Oops. Sorry lady. Least of my concerns right now. I’ll let you know if you’re actually hurting me down yonder when I’m NOT trying to fight back more nausea.

            Lo and behold, after less than 24 hours after the whole ordeal started, Myka was born at 4:03pm on October 11, 2012 weighing 7lbs. 3 oz. and 19 ½ inches long. Was she healthy? Yes. Am I happy nothing was wrong with her? Of course! Would I go back and do it again the way I had really wanted to? Absolutely.

            As usual, I should have listened to my instincts and just done it the way I had wanted instead of turning myself into a giant hypocrite. Yes, it’s been 10 months since she’s been born and I still regret doing it the way I did. I think it would have worked out if I had been able to get into a position that “felt right”. (I forgot to mention I kept wanting to sit up and they kept making me lay back because supposedly the baby’s heart rate kept dropping or increasing when I did that. I’ve done research. I’ve read that that’s normal. But hey, I don’t work in the medical field.)

            Up until a few days ago, I had at least been holding on to the fact that my daughter had a large head at birth. I could at least use that as an excuse for “having” to have a c-section, right? Nope. I can’t even remember what prompted me to look it up, but I finally found the average head circumference of newborns the other day. Myka did have a large head compared to the average…for girls. It was even slightly larger than the average for boys, from what I saw, but still.           

            Maybe next time things will be different. I hate the thought of another c-section, let alone a scheduled one. Regardless, though, I couldn’t be happier with how happy, healthy, and smart Myka has turned out to be. : )