Whether your anticipating your first day at a new college or a mama who is mentally preparing for the school year ahead, it is likely the idea may have you a little (or a lot) anxious.  Something that helps me, each and every day is my aromatherapy diffuser which can usually be found humming quietly in my office.  I use various essential oils depending on whether I need to focus, stay alert or calm my nerves.  I usually have this cool little device running all day long when I’m in the office (sits right on my desk). It’s about 8 inches tall and disperses essential oils without the use of heat, but rather by fan and with the right essential oil sprinkled on the cartridge, it will make your whole room smell delicious. You’ll feel a cool & quiet breeze when it’s on.  I received this as a birthday gift and I love it. I diffuse some of my favorite organic essential oils in it.  This is a very cool desktop or tabletop tool, makes a great gift for the health or planet conscious and a safe alternative to synthetically fragranced room fresheners. 

Here are some of my favorite essential oils and ideas for usage:  

To stay alert during or after an all-nighter: peppermint.

To calm thy nerves: lavender. 

Anytime you need to go to your “happy place”: sweet orange.

Great for a stuffy (and/or smelly) dorm room: lemon.   

I’ve yet to discover another company that makes entirely pure products to support the entire birth process: pregnancy, labor, postpartum and c-section recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and even loss of a baby.  Using the highest quality oils and certified organic herbs, these products are cruelty free, Certified Vegan & Kosher and 100% toxin free.  Earth Mama Angel Baby is a company dedicated to supporting moms and babies naturally creating completely pure organic products.  And you won’t find any phthalates, parabens, SLS, artificial preservatives, fragrances or dyes in any of them.  Feel good knowing you and your baby are using completely safe products with Earth Mama Angel Baby!  Here’s just a sampling of what they have to offer:

Pregnancy:

Happy Mama Spray

Anti-Stretchmark Oil

Heartburn Tea

Pregnancy Pampering Kit

Body Butter

C-Section Recovery:

C-Section Recovery Kit

After Delivery Recovery:

Sore Bottom Balm for Mama

Post Postpartum Bath Herbs

New Mama Bottom Spray

New Baby Care:

Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash

Angel Baby Lotion

Baby Bottom Balm

Related Post: BABYBEARSHOP for Organic Mamas & Babies

BABYBEARSHOP products were born out of necessity by a mother who could not find any product on the market that her allergic daughter could tolerate. She took matters into her own hands, literally, and now her products are gracing the bods of babes and mamas all over the world!

The Cheeky Baby Butter is an organic shea butter creme which is specially designed to protect and heal the most sensitive of baby bums although the list of uses doesn’t stop there!  It can be used anywhere on anyone who needs a little TLC on their skin (I personally love it for a hand cream). Chamomile, mandarin and lavender essential oils give the Cheeky Baby Butter a sweet, subtle smell that will make any baby smell delicious!

The Mama Belly Oil is a a fantastic way to make that mama-to-be feel pampered. It can be used daily to rub on a growing belly or for massaging those tired feet after carrying around another little human all day. It can also be used in the bath or for a calming baby massage.

These two products are perfect for mamas who want to know that what they are putting on themselves and their babies are absolutely pure - which means absolutely organic. BABYBEARSHOP products are 99% organic and 100% naturally derived and they are also 100% luxurious.

What an amazingly pampering gift for yourself or for that mama in your life!  Everyone who tries these products absolutely LOVES them!!!

 Related Post: Industrial Chemicals Found In Unborn Babies & Infants

Did you know that skin is the thinnest and most absorbent from 0 to 3 years of age?  Did you know that studies have found toxins in umbilical cords and in the urine of infants?  This means that while you are being conscious of what food you eat while pregnant to provide your unborn baby with as much nutrition as possible, it’s important to be aware of what you put on your body (i.e. lotions, shampoos, body wash).  60% of what we put on our bodies is absorbed and has shown to make it’s way to the precious little one growing inside your belly.  So what’s a Mama to do? 

1). Read labels.  If you can’t pronounce it, be weary of it and investigate further. 

2). Stay away from products with “fragrance” or “perfume”.  If it’s listed as “fragrance” it’s usually a synthetic concoction and their are no regulations in place for “fragrance”.  It’s considered a propriety ingredient so companies can list it on their labels and not have to give away their secret formula to competitors, but as consumers there is no way to know all the chemicals that go into it.  Synthetic fragrance can contain toxic “phthalates”. 

3). Avoid parabens, which are hormone disrupters.  Different types include: methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, benzylparaben, isobutylparaben, and propylparaben.

4). Skip the synthetic colors (FD&C and Lake colors) as they can contain some pretty nasty ingredients including coal tar, lead acetate (toxic to the nervous system), petroleum and more.   These are typically found in cosmetics, body wash, shampoo, soap, shower gels, etc. 

 5). Look up products on the Skin Deep database. 

 6). Stay tuned to this week as I’ll be sharing with you some amazing products for Mama & Baby that are totally pure, non-toxic and eco-friendly.  

 Related Post: Every New Parent Could Use A Laugh!  A Perfect Baby Shower Gift

 Image credit: www.parris-studios.com

Effective August 1st, the majority of Badger products will bear the USDA Certified Organic seal.  They have been selling totally pure body products for more than a decade, but now they have made it official.  They offer a vast assortment of mostly balms but also offer body lotions, oil and bar soaps as well.  You may have seen their adorable tins or tubes featuring storybook scenes in your local store, but if not you can check them out here.  Featured in glossies such VOGUE, Esquire, Runner’s World & Vegetarian Times, these products are ultra effective and totally safe.  They make a balm for almost every imaginable need.  Here’s a glimpse of their collection:  

-Beauty Balms for Beautiful Beings: includes Evolving Body Balm, Foot Balm & Cuticle Care.

-Outdoor Gift Kit: 2 soap bars, Healing Hands Balm, Bali Balm, Anti-Bug Balm & SPF 15 Lip Balm.

-SPF 30 Sunscreen: Rated in the Top 5 Safest Sunscreens for ‘08 by Environmental Working Group.

-Bali Balm: Soothing After Sun Care

-Sleep Balm: A Calming Sleep Enhancer

Moms are busy and while wanting to keep their family safe and healthy, they might not always have the time to investigate each and every product.  And it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what should be focused on since there are so many opinions about what is safe & important for you to focus on as a mother.  The bottom line is, you want the absolute best for your family.  Keep in mind that any steps in the right direction is a good thing and try not to get too overwhelmed about what you’re not doing or what you could do better.  If you have just one minute to spare (maybe while the kids are napping), watch one Mom who found some great “green” finds for her little ones and I’ll show you where to find them below! 

1). Bath Ball Faucet Filter: Hang this from your faucet at bathtime, to reduce chlorine in your water by 95%.     

2). Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild Liquid Soap: Dr. Bronner’s has been creating totally safe & completely pure soaps for the past 60 years.  They are both USDA certified and Fair Trade certified.  Their liquid soaps are very concentrated, so they’ll last you a long time.  

 3). Under The Nile Organic Cotton Hooded Towel and Frog Washcloth puppet: One of the great organic cotton baby lines, they are Demeter certified (one of the highest level of biodynamic certifications; a step above organic) and USDA Certified Organic.  And the dyes they use are also certified organic.  Be assured this company has your baby’s safety and comfort in mind.

4). Under The Nile Fitted Crib Sheet: Rest easy knowing your baby is sleeping on totally pure bedding. 

 5). thinkbaby Bottles: According to Toxic Nation, BPA (Bisphenol A) is a hormone disruptor. Studies have linked low-dose BPA exposure with such effects as: permanent changes to genital tract; increase prostate weight; decline in testosterone; breast cells predisposed to cancer; prostate cells more sensitive to hormones and cancer; and hyperactivity.   Canada became the first country to officially ban the chemical from baby bottles.   California recently passed a bill to ban the substance (click here for more info).  Big companies like Nalgene, Wal-Mart, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Playtex have said they will no longer make or sell BPA-containing products. 

Rather than giving your baby a big clunky stuffed animal, give him or her something small and manageable. This little Carrot Teether from Under the Nile is just too funny. Perfectly festive for Easter, it’s also great if your baby’s pesky first teeth are coming in.

Not all teething toys, however, are safe for little mouths. Soft plastic and vinyl baby toys can contain harmful toxins and chemical compounds, such as PVC and phthalates esters. Persistent toy chewing and gnawing can cause the toxins to end up in an infant’s blood stream and eventually their liver, kidneys, lungs and budding reproductive system.

Considering babies love to teethe—everything from toys to toes end up in a baby’s mouth—why not give them something safe to gnaw on? Best of all, your baby will feel part of the festivities with this little carrot in it’s mouth.

This March 23rd, millions of children around the world will wake to find colorful baskets of teeth-rotting confections by their beds. Chocolate eggs, peeps, lollipops, pecan nougat, jellybeans even Smucker’s puckers are just a few Easter favorites.

Parents, educators, doctors and dentists generally agree that sugary candies are anything but good for the growing child. Cavities, hyperactivity (as blood glucose levels fall, a compensatory release of adrenaline occurs) and childhood obesity are just a few of the problems associated with sugar. Plus, as mentioned in the blog above, the majority of cheap children’s chocolate comes from environmentally destructive cocoa farms.

This Easter, of course shower your children with lots of lovely (and hopefully organic and fair trade) candy, but don’t give the kids a lifetime supply. Too much could make them unbearably hyper Easter morning—and who needs that? Worse, you may hurt their little snappers. Rather than loading up on candy, fill the basket with a plush bunny stuffed animal (I like from Under the Nile). Then sprinkle smaller sweets around the bunny. This way you’ll avoid your child’s toothache and your headache!

Easter isn’t Easter without chocolate (yes, I’m an addict).
Delicious Easter chocolate comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether in the form of a mini-egg, hollowed out bunny or pastel-colored bon bon there’s plenty to choose from. Just make sure you indulge responsibly.

As most of us know, chocolate comes from the cocoa bean, a crop harvested in some of the most economically and environmentally disadvantaged parts of the third world. Many cocoa plantation regions lack child labor laws and reliable environmental policy.

This Easter, nix those awful waxy chocolate eggs. Instead, surprise the kids with an Easter egg hunt choc-full of delicious and responsibly harvested chocolates. By opting for organic and/or fair trade certified chocolates you’ll be supporting farms that treat their workers and the planet well.

Hop to! Easter arrives early this year (March 23) and as we all know it’s never too early to start preparing. If you celebrate the holiday consider greener, yet equally festive, options such as Organic Calla Lillies, Organic Cotton Bunny Stuffed Animals, Domestic or Local Wines.

Of course, much about Easter has become commercialized, mass produced and therefore rough on the environment. It is important to remember Easter’s original message and spirit. That being said, however, one shouldn’t feel quilted into a sparse, if not disheartening, observance.

As some items (chocolate, chocolate, wine, chocolate) are necessity, it’s best to partake, but keep it simple. For requirements (eggs, for example) support organic and local farms, rather than mass-produced agri-factories. For toys and Easter bunny stuffed animals source from responsible companies that use organic cottons and natural dyes. Choose chocolate candies that are organic, fair trade, and not wrapped in thick plastic eggs.

Stay tuned for all the Easter eco-alternatives. More tomorrow.