Sew Amelie Diaper Bag Giveaway

Hosted By: Faith Filled Footsteps

 To say that I am a bag addict I guess would be an understatement! I love bags and now that I only carry a diaper bag this addiction has carried over to my diaper bag! I am always looking for a new bag that I can use as a diaper bag.

I, too, have a bag obsession. I love all of the pockets and room on the inside of these bags! Anyone who has to carry a diaper bag will know that pockets are a must have!

Let me introduce you to my new favorite bag! Sew Amelie is a super chic, super cute company that makes these wonderful diaper bags. Each bag is handmade and lovingly designed by shop owner Holly. I know that my bag lovers out there are going to go nuts over these bags. Let me show you how cute the bag we got to try out is!

I love the colors of this bag. I have never been a pink sort of girl so this bag with the greens and blues and grays really speaks to me! I love the floral print and the gray lining! It is just a wonderful addition to my bag collection and one that I love to use!

As you can see this bag as room to spare! I love all the interior pockets (I am a pocket girl!)

This bag is definitely my new favorite go to bag for fall!

Now I know you are all waiting to see what we are offering my wonderful readers. Well it is another custom Sew Amelie chic bag!

This wonderful ruffle bag will grace the shoulder of one of my lucky readers. I love the ruffles on this bag, simple with just a little touch of girly!

Now I know you are going to love this bag but just in case you are not patient you can head on over to Sew Amelie and find the perfect bag for you! Don't forget to enter the entry form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Giveaway will run from September 5, 2013 and close late on the evening of September19, 2013. The winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter. The winner will be announced both on the Rafflecopter as well as Faith Filled Footsteps Facebook. Faith Filled Footsteps and Getting Green with Baby 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. US Only.

Wordless Wednesday

Can you see him?

DIY Wednesday: Homemade Butter!

            To be fair and upfront, I didn’t make this, my husband did. I sure as heck enjoyed being the taste tester, though! I don’t typically like using “real” butter for hardly anything except baking. I’m a margarine person (gross, right?). Needless to say, I was iffy about trying this out. (Especially since poor hubby’s food escapades usually don’t turn out how he would like.) Plus, it is a sweet butter, but I was intrigued so I finally gave it a try. Let me tell you, this was THE best butter I have ever had! It tastes SO GOOD. I hope he starts making it all the time!

What You’ll Need:

-heavy cream

-food processor or blender

-ice cold water

-dishtowel (optional)

-salt (optional)

1)     Pour heavy cream into blender or food processor.

2)     Blend until you see chunks of butter. (Usually around 5 minutes.) You will see the butter start to form and clump up. That’s when you need to stop.

Goes from this...

to this very quickly!

3)     Let it sit and “rest” for a couple of minutes.

4)     Gather the butter up and squeeze out all of the buttermilk. (This is where a dishtowel may come in handy by placing the butter inside of it and wringing it to get the buttermilk out.) Yes, you can save the buttermilk to use as well! This is a 2-for-1 deal!

5)     Next put ice cold water (about the same amount as the buttermilk you squeezed out or more) along with the butter back in the blender.

6)     Pulse your blender or food processor for 1 to 2 minutes. This is rinsing the butter, which helps the butter last a LOT longer instead of going rancid in just a few days.

7)     Again (using a dishtowel if you like), squeeze out as much liquid as you can and discard of it.

8)     If you would like to add salt, either do this while you’re squeezing the excess liquid out (just helps to work it in better while you’re doing this) or afterwards.

9)     Voila! You just made your own butter! Don’t forget to refrigerate and enjoy!

Included this for a size comparison.

            It may seem a little complicated at first, but it’s really not that bad and doesn’t take all that long. Nothing beats the taste. Seriously. Try it at least once. ; )

Petunia Pickle Bottom "Beginnings Baby Record Book" Giveaway

Welcome to the Petunia Pickle Bottom Giveaway!  

Getting Green with Baby and Everything Mommyhood has teamed up with a small group of bloggers to offer our readers a SPECIAL giveaway for a brand new product from Petunia Pickle Bottom's 2013 Fall Collection!

I don't know about you guys, but I always like to make sure I write down my daughter's "stats" whenever she has a check-up so I can be sure to write it down in the baby book when we get home. These would be SO much easier to remember to take along instead of a piece of paper. Plus, you can just keep it in the record book along with other keepsakes!

Petunia Pickle Bottom is a high end, sophisticated brand, made for the modern mom on the go. They started off just making diaper bags, but have evolved into a well known brand with diaper bags, handbags, train cases, phone cases, travel cases, baby carriers, and much more. Petunia Pickle Bottom makes mom stylish, chic, and modern without the stereotypical "mom" look.

Petunia Pickle Bottom just released their 2013 Fall Collection. One of their brand new items is the Beginnings Baby Record Book for you to keep track of baby appointments, statistics, vital records, milestones, emergency contacts, and notes. This is the perfect size to keep with you at all times and to keep track of everything all in one place. There are several different pockets and sections to keep you organized.

Check out Everything Mommyhood's Beginnings Baby Record Book Review for more in depth information about this NEWLY RELEASED Petunia Pickle Bottom exclusive!

Now for the giveaway! One lucky reader will win a Petunia Pickle Bottom Beginnings Baby Record Book valued at $64, in their choice of print. US Residents only, 18 and up All winning entries will be verified. Winner will be picked randomly via the Giveaway Tools entry form, and will be emailed. They will have 48 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is chosen. Giveaway begins 9/4/2013 at 12am EST and ends 9/18/2013 at 11:59pm EST.

Entry-Form

Disclosure: Getting Green with Baby and Everything Mommyhood is not responsible for prize shipment, as this is a sponsored prize from Petunia Pickle Bottom. We were not compensated in any way for promotion of this giveaway. Everything Mommyhood received the above mentioned item, in exchange for an honest review. Our opinions are not influenced in any way. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway. If you have any questions please contact the host of this giveaway.

General Life Update

            I like staying on a personal basis with you guys and feel like I haven’t really written anything “personal” lately. Well, other than my adventures in babysitting. ; ) So, here’s an update on what’s been going on behind the scenes!

            Most recently and with the long weekend, I finally got around to experimenting/making samples of some bath and body products I want to try to sell sometime in the near future. I have to say, I was really disappointed that my diaper rash cream and eye cream didn’t set right. I attempted to fix them the day after I originally made them and the eye cream still kept separating and the rash cream still wouldn’t completely “solidify.” It wasn’t until my husband asked if the coconut oil ever reset (We had been keeping it in the warmest room in the house next to a window, like dumb butts.) that I realized what the problem was. -_- Lesson learned. We also learned the important lesson not to put fluid substances in the cheap little tins from Michael’s.

            On the bright side, my fizzy bath bombs turned out fantastic! Hubby even tried one last night and approved. Lol I just tried one out myself and they’re pretty fabulous, if I do say so myself! I’m also mostly pleased with my foot scrub. I’ve not used it on my feet yet, but it made my hands nice and smooth when I was rinsing it off!

            On a much less fun note (avert your eyes now if talking about “Aunt Flo” freaks you out), I’ve been having issues with my not so monthly visitor again. While I will admit it’s nice not having to deal with it every month, I know it’s not healthy and needs to be “fixed.” However, being the stubborn person that I am, especially when it comes to going to the doctor, I’m trying to “fix” it myself. Usually my “Aunt Flo regulating tea” works relatively quickly to get things going, but I have drank a cup once a day for 7 out of the last 8 days and still nothing. And NO, I’m NOT pregnant! Bite your tongue if that thought even crossed your mind! Lol

            So, I’m trying to decide whether to wait until my yearly appointment at the gyno, which is in November, or schedule one now. * sigh * It isn’t the first time it’s been messed up since I had Myka and certainly not since before I had her. I just wish I knew what the issue is, especially since I don’t want it to take us over 3 years to get pregnant the next time!

            Finally, not that I was happy with my weight by any means before, but I’ve decided recently that I’m REALLY tired of being overweight. I have plenty of reasons or motivation to get in better shape. My problem is willpower. It doesn’t help that I’m one of those people who “craves” junk food and sweets even more when I’m attempting to eat healthier. I know it’s a mental thing, but it’s still hard. I’m going to try to get into the whole Weight Watchers points thing. My husband said he lost like 65 pounds when he did it before we met! I’d love to try Nutrisystem since I know several people who have done really well with it. It’s all about making better choices at the store, I know, it just takes work! I’ll also be glad when cooler weather gets here so I can get out of this damn house more too! 

Why You Shouldn't Wash Your Baby Every Night

            Did you know that it can actually be detrimental to your baby to bathe them every night or even every other night? Now when I say “bathe”, I’m talking about full on soap and/or shampoo, not just water. If you are just giving them a quick rinse down, whether it be a sponge bath, a once over with a wet rag, or even just a quick “wash” in the tub or sink with just water, that is totally fine. Also, when I use the term “baby” I am talking about children under the age of one in general.

            Why can it potentially be harmful? Let’s think about it for a second. Tying this in to my “Living in a Chemical World” post, many of the mainstream baby washes and shampoos on the market are not as gentle as their companies would like you to think they are. Many of them are full of unnecessary chemicals that you probably wouldn’t want to use on yourself if you knew what they were, let alone your little one! Am I trying to scare you or freak you out? Maybe a little bit, but mostly I’m just trying to help people become more aware of what they are putting on their families’ bodies.

            Anyhow, baby washes, shampoos, and lotions can actually dry baby’s skin out if used too often. Totally opposite effect of what we’re going for, right? Too much washing can also rid baby’s skin of good bacteria, which could cause them to become more susceptible to infections. Remember, skin is the largest organ of the body and needs to be taken care of and healthy too! You can read more about the science behind this HERE.

            So, how often IS it ok to wash your baby? An article from healthychildren.org states that “frequent full body washes” aren’t really necessary until your child starts getting TRULY dirty, such as when they start crawling and getting messy from feeding themselves. The “Baby Bath Basics: A Parents’ Guide” page on the Mayo Clinic site states that “bathing your baby more than several times a week can dry out his or her skin.” (In reference to newborns, but still.)

            Is it ok to still use washes on your babies? Of course, but truly, it is not necessary EVERY time until they start getting more mobile. (aka Into anything and everything gross imaginable!) Also, if you are able, try to find a mild soap, such as liquid castile soap.

Personally, we didn’t even give Myka a “real bath” until she was at least 3 weeks old. (Mostly because her cord stump took FOR-EV-ER to fall off.) Even then, we usually just gave her a quick wipe with a warm, wet rag if she was starting to get “dirty”, especially in the dreaded neck region. For the first several months we only bathed her once a week. I can’t remember exactly how old she was when we started doing it twice a week. I’m guessing around 4 months or so and we’ve only been doing baths that often until recently. Between her crawling, getting a little messy while eating, and the walks we go on some days, we’re trying to make a point to give her 3 baths a week now.

            What are your thoughts on the matter? How often do you give your kids baths? 

Bee Naturals Review - Part 2

            You may recall I previously did a review of some Bee Naturals products for the GreenMama Goodies giveaway. They were also generous enough to let us try some of their Cuticle and Nail Oil, Baby Wash, AND Baby Balm. Here are my thoughts on each…

Baby Balm

            My favorite thing about all of the Bee Naturals products is that they don’t use unnecessary ingredients in their products. Which is precisely why I love their baby line products! The Baby Balm contains lots of soothing, moisturizing ingredients, such as shea butter, jojoba oil, and vitamin E. No need to worry about using harsh chemicals on baby’s skin!

            This balm, as stated on their website, is great for “chapped skin, diaper rash, and other minor skin irritations.” As you can probably guess, we’ve been using it mainly for diaper rash. I challenge anyone who thinks that only chemical laden products can clear up diaper rash try this out! We have some prescription ointment leftover from when Myka was only a few weeks old and had a really bad diaper rash (Big surprise: We were still using disposables and store bought wipes at the time!) and I have to say, Bee Naturals Baby Balm works just as well in helping clear those rashes up! I feel a lot more comfortable using this on her as well since it’s comprised of only natural ingredients, as I mentioned.

            As an added bonus, it has a lovely scent as well. The sweet orange and lavender essential oils really go great together! (Plus I like that it’s not scented with artificial perfumes. ;) ) The consistency may seem a little hard at first because of the beeswax, but once you get it started off the top it is nice and smooth.

Baby Wash

            You may have also recently seen my post “Living in a Chemical World” where I talk about how we need to be more aware of product ingredients and compared several common baby washes on the EWG’s “Skin Deep” database. I have more baby washes lying around the house than I care to admit, but Bee Naturals Baby Wash has become my number one, go to choice. Not even taking into account WHAT the ingredients are (which are still good ones), the wash contains about ¼ the amount of “stuff” that all of the other washes in my house contain. Less is more, ya know?

           Besides the super cute honey bear bottle it comes in, it works really well too! It does take a little getting used to at first (for us, at least) because it is not creamy like most body washes on the market, for big or small people. It’s like the facial cleanser in that it needs to be shaken up first. As long as you remember to do that, it lathers up just fine!

           It may not have the stereotypical “Johnson’s baby smell”, but I think it leaves Myka smelling nice. It’s not overwhelming and is more of a clean, natural scent. Despite the 50 million other baby washes we have, I definitely plan on buying this from now on.

Cuticle and Nail Oil

            To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I used cuticle & nail oil or anything similar. My guess is probably middle or high school when I was still into doing my nails and pedicures AND had time for it! Ha! This oil is nice, though, and smells great! You can definitely smell the lemon and tea tree essential oils in it. In case you haven’t noticed, I pretty much love anything with tea tree oil in it!

            I also like this product because a little goes a VERY long way! Even getting a lot of the excess off I still end up using too much most of the time. Not that that’s a bad thing, though, since it rubs in. : )

           This would be a great oil to use before you do a home manicure or pedicure. It leaves your cuticles nice and soft and your nails smooth.

            Bee Naturals also has a skin care line for men, a full line of baby essentials, as I mentioned, mouth wash, gift sets, and much more. The best part is their products come at an affordable price! If you would like to purchase any of these products for yourself or peruse their other great items, please visit their website HERE. 

Green Mama Goodies Giveaway

With the back-to-school shopping complete and the kids back in school, why not treat yourself to some goodies?

Today marks the first day of the Green Mama Goodies giveaway! I’d like to give a big thank you to all of the great sponsors for making this giveaway possible, my lovely co-host at FaithFilled Footsteps, and all the wonderful promoting bloggers!

All week long GettingGreen with Baby has been bringing readers reviews of great, natural bath and body products geared towards mom. If you would like to read the reviews, please follow the links below.

Bee Naturals

Lips N Lotions

Truly’s

Molly Muriel

The Seaweed BathCo.

The Green Mama Goodies giveaway prize package includes the following items:

-Aromatherapy Foaming Hand Wash & Queen Bee Liquid Honey Skin Cleanser from Bee Naturals

-1 Beeswax Lotion Bar & 1 Beeswax Lip Balm from Lips N Lotions (Winner chooses scent/flavor!)

-2 oz. Container of Truly’s Natural Deodorant from Truly’s Natural Products

-Two Shampoo Bars from Molly Muriel

-12 oz. Bottle of Wildly Natural Seaweed Body Wash in Lavender from The Seaweed Bath Co.

One lucky reader will win the entire package listed above! For your chance to win, please enter the Giveaway Tools form below! Only your e-mail address is mandatory (to contact you if you win), but keep in mind that the more times you enter, the better your chances are of winning! Good luck!

Entry-Form

Getting Green with Baby nor any of the promoting blogs were compensated monetarily for participation in this giveaway. Furthermore, they are also not responsible for prize shipment: that belongs to the sponsors. (Excluding Bee Naturals.) This giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. All opinions expressed here are original and may differ from your own. If you have any questions or concerns about this giveaway, please contact Alicia at Getting Green with Baby at Alicia Owen 6814 at yahoo dot com.

Fall Fluff Giveaway

Welcome to the Fall Fluff Giveaway hosted by The Parenting Patch and co-hosted by Cloth Diaper Addicts, Going Green with the Grizls, Viva Veltoro, Zephyr Hill, and The Anti-June Cleaver. 

 James and Heather, a husband and wife team, launched The Parenting Patch: Where Parents Grow on September 15, 2011. In honor of the second anniversary of the blog and website, The Parenting Patch is giving away a $75 gift certificate to Nicki's Diapers (of which The Parenting Patch is a proud affiliate). 

 The Fall Fluff Giveaway continues until September 15, 2013 and is open to legal residents of the United States of America and Canada. To enter to win the Fall Fluff Giveaway, simply use the following Rafflecoptor form. The first entry is free. All other entries are optional; however, the more entries you have, the better your chances of winning. Here is to another great blogging year! 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway 

The Fall Fluff Giveaway is restricted to legal residents of the United States of America and Canada. The Fall Fluff Giveaway ends at midnight EST on September 15, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter. The winner will be sent an email and will have forty-eight hours to respond. If no response is received within forty-eight hours, another winner will be chosen. Getting Green with Baby is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

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