Sweet Cribs

If I have a 3rd baby, I'm going to be really tempted by all of the cute mod cribs out there these days, even though we already have a suitable used one.
Repleate with teeth marks.
This is one of my favorites:
At over $1,000, it is waaaay out of my price range, but adorable, yes?

Sigh. Those Scandinavian designers and their simplistic yet expensive pieces get me every time.

Go Natural Baby Giveaway

Win over $400 worth of eco-friendly products for your baby! Go Natural Baby has partnered with some great companies to offer one lucky winner some fabulous eco-friendly products.

One lucky winner will receive:

• Go Natural Baby’s organic cotton kimono set, matching blanket, and washcloth set. (winner’s choice of size and color)

I think Deeds looks adorable in his Zah Organics ™ Signature Kimono from Go Natural Baby (the very outfit you could win!)! Jojo is wearing a cute and comfy Hawthorne T-Shirt and a pair of Coco Pants from Zah Organics. I love my snuggly organic babies!

Also included in the prize is:

• 3 pairs of Isabooties


• An activity gym from Cariboo.


• One Belle Baby Carrier from their organic/hemp line.

To enter, just fill out the form! Enter Here!

Hurry! This contest ends November 11, 2008. Valid for shipping addresses in the United States.

Organic Baby Stuff SALE ALERT!

Today is an exciting day at one of my favorite organic baby and children's clothes stores, Go Natural Baby!

Firstly, I have my very own guest post on the Go Natural Baby Blog! Go check it out, and maybe even leave a comment or "digg it" to make it seem like I have fans *wink*.


Also, there is a HUGE BLOWOUT SALE staring today, with 40-50% off of organic baby bedding, blankets, some clothing items, and dolls!
Personally I'm drooling over this adorable Organic Cotton Baby Doll by Sckoon, which is now only $6.00!!!

Go shopping to your heart's content using coupon code: joy at checkout (stock up for Christmas and future baby showers!) Be sure to save me one of those dolls though...

Also on sale are these amazing fair-trade baskets, hand-woven in the historical town of Bolgatanga, Ghana in West Africa.

The Gathering Basket, pictured with Deeds, is now only $15! These baskets are truly works of art. You can feel the quality as soon as you wrap your fingers around the leather handle.

The pail shaped basket is also on my list; at only $13.20 I cannot pass this up!

I saw baskets similar to this at Whole Foods Market one time for about $40!

Jojo wanted one then, but I said "DON"T TOUCH THAT!" (I'm always afraid that high prices might be contagious; I can hardly shop there without hyperventilating). Now he has one from Go Natural Baby, so he shouldn't be traumatized.

Besides the attractive design, this basket is woven of soft elephant grass fibers. The handle is wrapped in hand-tanned leather. It smells like an open field on a breezy spring day. It is a piece of art!
Sometimes my desire for a good bargain meets conflict with my desire for high quality, eco-friendly, and socially conscious products. Things like this beautiful basket push me closer to the good.

At Go Natural Baby's online store you can find Fair Trade and organic cotton clothes for babies and children up to 4T.

This mama-owned company is “bringing the richness of organic cotton and the values of fair trade into the lives of our children”. What a worthy goal!

Amber Teething Jewlery

A few months ago I saw something in an online store called an "amber teething necklace." I wasn't familiar with the many virtues of amber jewelry, but I was still intrigued.

They are made of Baltic amber beads that when placed against the skin and allowed to warm up release natural oils that are supposed to help soothe the teething pain.

Wearing Baltic amber close to the skin is a traditional European remedy for baby teething. A natural analgesic, amber will help calm a baby without resorting to drugs. Used for centuries in Europe, amber's natural anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties are perfect to soothe teething babies. Amber is fossilized resin, which warms against the skin, releasing it's therapeutic properties safely and naturally.

Personally, I have never tried it on myself or my children, but I am very interested. I thought you guys might like to know that Ohana Mama is having a giveaway for an Amber teething necklace from Inspired by Finn.

I would love to hear from anyone who has used Amber to ease teething pain!

Adiri Natural Nurser

My baby is VERY happy, because today we started using Adiri Natural Nurser Baby Bottles. We still nurse, but increasingly there have been times that we need to be apart for short periods, including when I am at work part-time. When I am away from him, I don't want him to be entirely dependent on my return to give him nourishment. I snack between meals a lot myself!

What is good about Adiri?

• 100% polycarbonate-free and BPA-free
• beautiful design
• easy to fill and prepare for use
• includes cover to protect nipple from dirt and germs
• dishwasher safe
• Adiri bottles are shaped like a mother's breast!

My son adores using Adiri bottles. I was so excited to try them that I gave him a bottle of water. He started to drink it and then stopped and smiled at me! He happily began to "milk" the bottle with his hands while he continued to "nurse" on the Adiri.

I have often wondered why baby bottles to not resemble an actual breast in any way. Do a lot of people have 2-inch long nipples shaped like pencils? (that was a rhetorical question; no show of hands, please). An Adiri bottle would make the transitions between breast and bottle feeding seamless and interchangeable. It's revolutionary.

My Little Organic Cotton Model

I need to post these fresh-off-the-memory card pictures that I took today of the debut of baby D's new organic terry cotton clothes from Go Natural Baby's Zah Collection!
Am I the only one who thinks everyone looks great in a kimono top?
If I had a girl I would want her to wear this: It's the Keiko dress. Presently I have two boys and zero girl children, so I will have to be satisfied with kimono shirts instead of cutie-pie dresses.

Baby D was a little unsure about touching the sand. This is our 4th day at the beach! I guess he just needs more time to wrap his little baby mind around the "sand" concept.
He was, however interested in playing with his fair trade Gathering Basket. I love this basket. The fibers are soft and it even has the wonderful smell of sun-dried elephant grass.
Don't worry, we didn't pick the sea oats! We just had lots of fun exploring and enjoying a fun morning in the sand!
We are fortunate to be staying in a place with access to a more natural section of the beach. It is in between two large, protected areas. We are seeing lots of gulls and crabs and not a lot of people or rubbish!

Best Stroller Ever!

Going green does NOT mean sacrificing quality. In fact, I find the opposite to be true. The things that I purchase as an environmentally conscious consumer have thus far been more enjoyable to use than things that I can run to the nearest box store to buy.
One of my favorite Earth-friendly baby products that I use is our BabyPlanet Solo Deluxe stroller.
Yes, my boy rides around in this pink stroller (actually it is "mocha") but it is too comfy for either of us to care! In fact, my preschooler (also a boy) has asked to ride in it a few times, and he likes it just as much!

Check out some of my favorite features:

• Lightweight aluminum frame
• "Ultra-Compact" fold
• Lumbar support pads and pillow
• Canopy lowers as a sun shade
• "Peek-A-Boo" window in canopy
• Adjustable leg support
• Telescoping, angled "Ergo-Fit" handles
• 2-position adult cup holder
• Removable, opening napper bar
• Children up to 55lbs; 65lbs max weight

This has the smooth ride of one of those big travel systems, but it folds compactly like an umbrella stroller. This has been such a step up from our old Evenflo stroller.
My favorite parent feature is the handles can adjust so that a taller person (like myself) doesn't have to hunch their shoulders down in order to push the stroller. My back loves it!
What makes this stroller environmentally friendly? BabyPlanet makes strollers that are safe and durable, and they also have a recycling program for used BabyPlanet strollers.
Recently, BabyPlanet has released an Endangered Species Line. BabyPlanet donates $5 to the Wildlife Conservation Society for every stroller sold. What an easy way to get a great stroller and support a worthy cause at the same time!

Dangers of #7 Plastics: BPA

Number 7 plastics are categorized as "miscellaneous". They could be a mix of two or more of any of the other plastics categories. Some #7 plastics are made with polyactide, which is derived from plants and is very green, compostable, and safe.
Polycarbonate, which contains bisphenol A, or BPA, can also be in this category. Polycarbonate has been shown to leach "hormone disrupters", which has caused parents to question why polycarbonate is used to make cups and bottles, and food containers for children. Bisphenol A is also used to coat the inside of metal food cans, and can be present in the metal lids of glass baby food jars.
BPA has been shown to have the same effects as estrogen in the human body. Many people are exposed to BPA every day. A study by the Center for Disease Control detected BPA in the urine of 95% of the adults sampled.
Various studies have found that BPA can:

• stimulate growth of prostate cancer cells
• cause breast tissue changes similar to early stage breast cancer
• cause ovarian dysfunction
• cause miscarriage
• cause genetic damage when exposed early in life
• cause early onset puberty
• cause changes in hormones, like decreased testosterone
• decrease sperm production
• increase prostate size
• alter immune function
• cause behavioral effects like hyperactivity, aggressiveness, and learning impairment.

The confusing aspect of this is that not all #7 plastics are harmful, but maufacturers are not required to label whether their product contains BPA or not. The consumer must do his or her own research before buying something that might contain BPA.

According to this study by Environmental Working Group, BPA is present the containers and cans of these infant formulas,

I took the step and cleaned out my kids' bottle/sippy cup collection. Besides checking the bottoms of the cups for the plastics number (I found 2 that were marked #3! PVC!) I used many internet articles and blogs for information:

Safe Mama has a BPA free Bottle and Sippy Cup Cheat Sheet that is worth a look. There is also a BPA Free Pacifier and Teether Cheat Sheet.

Z Recommends has compiled a great resource, checking the safety of many MANY different sippy cups and baby bottles. Z Recommends created this printable BPA wallet card for quick reference. Here is the Z Recommends BPA in Pacifiers article. I'm throwing out the AVENT paci! If you are new to the BPA issue, check out Z Recommends: Catching Up on BPA to get yourself up to speed. Z Recommends: National Toxicology Program Concurs "Some Concern" with BPA Exposure.

The Soft Landing has compiled a comprehensive list about Nuby products. Many Nuby products are BPA free. There are many companies who offer BPA free baby bottles and training cups/sippy cups, but Nuby are inexpensive and widely available to big box stores if you need a quick fix. The Soft Landing has other great information on a variety of children's products:

• The Soft Landing's Safer Kids Cup and Dish Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Pacifier Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Sippy Cup Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Baby Bottle Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Bath Toy Guide
• The Soft Landing's Safer Teether Guide
• The Soft Landing's BPA Free Sassy Product Guide

Nature Mom's blog has recommendations for BPA Free Pacifiers and Teethers as well as an actual review of BPA Free Sippy Cups.

An informative printable (pdf) guide to plastics can be found here:
Smart Plastics Guide for parents and children

Infant Potty Training

Cloth diapering is good for the environment, of course, but how about going for broke and using NO diapers?

The year before I got pregnant, we lived in China. In China, many babies don't wear diapers. They wear special pants with no butt or crotch.

"But, don't they pee and poo everywhere?" you might say. That is what I thought too, until I saw the magic of "ba"-ing.
"Ba" is the Chinese word that is used to describe an amazing potty training technique that begins soon after birth. The baby his held in a certain position and the caretaker makes a sound, such as "pss pss pss" to get the baby to pee on command. Actually usually in China the signal is a low whistling sound. The child begins to associate the sound and the position with voiding, so they get trained to try to "go" whenever the caretaker holds them like that.
I was pretty impressed by this, so I started researching for literature in English to explain this technique to me better. I found a book called "Infant Potty Training" and ordered it off Amazon.com. I tried to look on line using search terms I discovered such as "elimination communication" or "EC", but I didn't find much free information other than personal testimonials.
Well, when Jonas got to be about 4 months old, I started holding him over a little baby bjorn potty (recommended for infants because of it's small size) every time he nursed (because he pretty much always pooped while nursing at that age).
A lot of times at home during the day I would just lay him on a pile of cloth diapers on the floor (we had wood floors) and just let him pee without wearing a diaper. The potty became part of our morning routine, when he would wakeup for the day I would always nurse him on the potty, or when he could sit up I would let him play sitting on the potty until he pooped. I never forced him to sit there if he stiffened his legs to resist. If he was ready to get up, that was fine, even if he hadn't "gone" yet.
I don't know when it started but I have a memory of him being about 15 months old and walking on his own to get a little potty seat to place on top of the big potty in a hotel we were staying in so he could go poo. Eventually looking at board books was part of his potty routine as well.
Meanwhile we were also getting him to pee every now and then using the signal sound and position, but I'll admit we are kind of lazy with it and he did wear diapers most of the day.
Before long he was pooping in the toilet 9 times out of 10.
I would say once he started walking, he pretty much always pooped in the potty, with me reminding him.
and every time we did the pee signal thing with him, he would actually go. It was just a matter of being extremely vigilant and making sure not to allow too much time to pass to where he would wet himself (it is easy to forget to stop playing and go potty when you are a busy little guy). Most days, I was not up to the challenge to go diaper-less for more than a few hours, but it was a fun party trick. He is a boy so he enjoyed peeing outside and I would say he was completely day trained by 24 months. I never pushed him, he just suddenly "got it". We did use diapers regularly and I didn't spend a lot of time trying to "catch" the pee. Just a few times a day. He peed like every 20 minutes so it didn't seem worth it to try to get them all.
I think EC is a great thing. A lot of my friends have 3 year olds and older who refuse to poop in the potty. For some reason non-EC kids have difficulty wanting to poo in the potty, which always came naturally with my son and EC. It also saved a lot of gross scrubbing poo out of cloth diapers. I am proud of him. Now he is 3 1/2 and has even stopped wetting at night.
I have started infant potty training with my new baby now, and he is responding positively as well.
So, that is my story with the infant potty training. I don't tell many people because I figure some people will have a critical opinion and think I am weird. But all I can say is, it works.
I think my approach was rather lax, and there was even a period of a few months when we were using disposables quite a lot. I don't regret doing EC, and I don't know if being more consistent would have led to an earlier "graduation" or not. I'm happy with the results I got. Especially when I see other toddlers hiding in the corner to poop in their pants. Eww!

other Infant Potty Training sites:
Diaper Free Baby
Kelly Mom
Laurie Boucke

Green Baby Wipes

Anyone who has been around babies can testify to their constant need of wiping. Various parts of baby anatomy need wiping multiple times a day. Not only tushies, but also noses, mouths, and hands.
When my first child was born, we lived in a faraway country where baby wipes were imported and therefore very expensive. We were already cloth diapering, but I didn't know anything about cloth wipes.
My strategy at the time was to mix my own wipes solution.
My recipe was:
2 TBSP baby wash
2 TBSP baby oil
an unmeasured amount of water; probably about 3 cups.

I would put the baby wash and baby oil into a spray bottle and then fill it up with water. When I changed my son's diaper, I would spray his bottom with the solution (it was kind of fun, and I think he liked it!) and then wipe it off with tissues or toilet paper. The tissue or T.P. would be flushed down the potty along with the solid waste from the cloth diaper. I had heard of people using paper towels to make homemade wipes, but paper towels were not readily available to me. They would definitely be more expensive than tissues!

This method was very easy and inexpensive. Luckily my son didn't have skin sensitivities and we never had problems with my homemade wipe-spray.

Three years later, my second child was born and I was educated about cloth wipes. Baby #2 DOES have very sensitive skin and can't be experimented upon very easily. I did have to get over a mental hurdle to begin using the cloth wipes. For some reason in my mind, cloth wipes are yuckier than cloth diapers. But in reality they aren't bad at all. The diaper can get tons of poo in it, but the wipe just gets a small amount. It is easy to wash the cloth wipes along with your load of cloth diapers.
He uses Cotton Babies Flannel Baby Wipes (100% Unbleached Cotton Designed by a mom and made in the U.S.A.) along with Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion in a spray bottle. The flannel wipes are so soft; I also use them to wipe little noses. And some times even my big nose.

For other possible cloth wipe tips, check out Frugal Baby Tips!

My Cloth Diapering Journey

I started cloth diapering when my first child was seven weeks old. I did it out of necessity, because we were living in another country where disposable diapers were difficult to find and exorbitantly expensive.
I had no diapering experience of any kind. My only tools were internet research and my own mother. I coveted the nice "all-in-one" cloth diapers, but eventually settled on prefolds, because cost was a factor.
Pre-folds are the cheapest cloth diapering option (aside from making cloth diapers yourself out of old t-shirts and towels). I was confused for a while as to what to call these diapers, because I thought a "pre-fold" must be something else. These aren't folded. They are flat rectangles. But I guess "pre-fold" means that YOU fold them yourself before you put them on the baby. Shouldn't they be called "self-fold"?
We bought a bunch of pre-folds (maybe around 20 to 25), along with five Bummis Whisper wraps in size Medium. I was also afraid to use pins so we got three special diaper fasteners made by Snappi. I also tried to be domestic and sew a huge velcro belt for fastening the diapers, but I don't actually know how to sew, even though I wish I did. So a Snappi was definitely my best bet. I found the pre-folds easy to use and take care of. I used the "wet pail method". I washed one load of diapers every two days and dried them on a clothes line. I had to experiment with ways to get stains out of the diapers without using bleach, which causes the fibers to become thinner and less absorbent. I used Oxyclean and white bar soap for the stains, and baking soda and vinegar for the smell.
My husband had no problem diapering our son with the pre-folds as well. I did feel that they weren't very practical for days when we were running a lot of errands, or when we went on trips. On those occasions we used disposable diapers.
Another downside was that the pre-folds were very bulky and made my baby look like he had a HUGE booty! I didn't really mind the look of a big booty, but it did make it hard to wear certain cute baby outfits. Usually he had to wear larger sized clothing instead of his "true" size, because of the extra diaper bulk.
Those pre folds and five diaper covers got us all the way through to when my son self potty trained on his second birthday. He continued to sleep in a cloth diaper at night (just in case) for another year.
When our second baby came along, a wonderful friend gave us a big supply of used Fuzzi Bunz. Fuzzi Bunz are pocket diapers, which means you have a small absorbent piece of material that fits inside of a diaper-shaped "envelope". I was excited about using these, thinking they were a step up from pre-folds. They were less bulky than the pre-folds, and easier to take in a diaper bag, but the care and maintenance was about the same. Fuzzi Bunz have snap fasteners which, in my experience, are complicated for caregivers who aren't the primary diaper changer in the relationship. I read lots of testimonials about how Fuzzi Bunz never leak, but personally I had a big problem with leakage (even with a diaper doubler). Another downside is that Fuzzi Bunz come in specific sizes, so that theoretically you might have to buy an entire supply of diapers in more than one size. Instead of buying 15 diapers and being done with it, you would have to buy 15 size small + 15 size medium +15 size large = three times the money!
I do have a friend who swears by Fuzzi Bunz, but they didn't work for my child.
Eventually I was able to get a great supply of BumGenius diapers. I bought several of them on clearance at Cotton Babies. I wanted to try them initially because they are One Size! One diaper can fit babies from 7 pounds to 35 pounds. Note: my 3 1/2 year old weighs 32 pounds. You could potentially get A LOT of mileage out of these diapers. I have 15 of these and use about 7 per day on my 7-month-old.
I like BumGenius diapers because they are used in the same way as disposables, thereby making me confident to let babysitters and relatives handle them when they care for my baby. They have velcro tabs which fasten in the same way as disposables. BumGenius are pocket diapers, and I "put them together" and stack them in our diaper stacker. For outings, I carry along a Bummis Diaper tote, size small. This gives me a place to put the wet or dirty diaper while we are out and about. The Diaper totes are good about controlling odor, so I have no worries!
So far, BumGenius have served well as an overnight diaper as well. I use two diaper inserts at night and have had very few leaks. In fact, I have had more night time leaks with disposable diapers.
To launder my BumGenius diapers, I use the dry pail method. I wash them using Charlie's Soap and add vinegar to the rinse cycle to neutralize urine odors. I hang the covers to dry. I put the inserts in the dryer with some Dryer Balls instead of fabric softener. Try Nellie's Dryer Balls. Fabric softener is a no-no for cloth diapers, because it creates a waxy build-up on the fabric that impedes absorbency. Now I use Dryer Balls on all of my laundry that goes in the Dryer. They are great if you have a family member who is sensitive to perfumes (like my eczema child!).
I love my cloth diapers, and I look forward to using them on my future children, as well as passing them on to friends when my diapering days are over!

Cloth Diapering Resources:
Journey WIF Nappy
Cotton Babies
Diapers Etc.
Diaper Pin
Green Mountain Diapers
Jardine Diapers
The Diaper Jungle
The Cloth Diaper Whisperer