Tired of Sellouts

One of my favorite bloggers, Food Babe, posted this chart yesterday from Cornucopia.

It is a chart of the big corporations that now own smaller organic and “natural” companies. Why is this a bad thing? Because these evil big corporations have ruined once pure companies and are perpetual greenwashers tainting food with GMOS, pesticides, insecticides, fake foods, and selling them as natural, healthy, and safe. Yes, this is a touchy subject for me. Life is too short to have to research every company/food that’s out there to figure out if it’s safe or not. I know I don’t want my family eating GMOs, tons of sugar, and other unhealthy chemical laden food, so I read about products. But I feel that I shouldn’t have to and it’s these greedy corporations that have made food unsafe. *If you are concerned about GMOs, check out this post I wrote last year about the GMO food corporation chain.

So back to the poster above. One big example of a sellout- Kashi.  Kellog bought Kashi and now uses 100% GMO soy in their foods and claims there isn’t enough organic soy around to supply their demand. But in 2-3 years there will be… hmmm I call bs. Do you think an independently owned company would knowingly allow GMO ingredients in their natural “healthy” foods they’ve put their heart and souls into? Probably not. But when a greedy corporation has their hands in things, it’s their call. Besides the nasty GMOs, there are also the 8+ varieties of pesticides that were found in the berries in Kashi’s cereals.

Another example is Dean owns Horizon. Horizon uses ultra high pasteurization in most of their milk since that gives the milk a longer shelf life. This process kills the micro life that exists within milk which is needed in order to properly digest and absorb the nutrients in it. Without the necessary enzymes, the body is unable to digest the casein proteins in milk. Look for the UHP label on the milk to avoid. Horizon has also been accused in the past of not using organic cows on their farms.

Naked Juice was sold to Pepsi. They are being sued for labeling their juice GMO free when indeed there are GMO ingredients in the juice. Some other sellout brands that use GMOs, pesticides, and other harmful ingredients are: BearNaked, Mother’s, Barbara’s, 365, Nutricious Living, Odwalla, Cascadian Farms, Burts Bees… the list goes on, but those bother me the most.

Some of my favorite GMO free brands are: Organic Valley, Applegate Farms, Nature’s Path, Bobs Red Mill, and Stonyfield. Yes, I know Stonyfield sold out- but at least their product hasn’t been compromised and they stand with Just Label It.

I do understand that most small companies that sellout want to see their products make it big because they believe in them. But some sellout because they got greedy. Sometimes it’s just better to keep it local, keep it pure, keep it organic, keep it real food, and don’t sellout. Support your local farmers and independently owned companies. We all deserve to eat real foods that won’t cause us to get sick in the long run!

 

 
*This post is inspired by the novel Julia’s Child: A Novel by Sarah Pinneo. Worried about what her kids eat, Julia Bailey starts a prepared organic toddler meals business. With names like Gentil Lentil, can Julia balance work and family and still save the world? Join From Left to Write on May 24 as we discuss Julia’s Child. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

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Spit That Out!

I finished reading Paige Wolf’s, Spit That Out!: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt, over the weekend and I highly recommend checking it out. Spit That Out! did an amazing job of informing the reader about the dangers of certain products while incorporating facts, personal stories, humor, and other eco-moms point of views, all while making you feel less overwhelmed about the decisions you are making.

My absolute favorite part of Spit That Out! is the dialogue from different people about how they handle certain environmental situations. You hear from the greenest of greenies to the quasi-slacker greenies in each chapter. This is great for the parents who are intimidated about making the first move or the over achieving greenies (that’s how I feel…) who need to know it’s ok to not do it all. You will learn about healthy meals, shopping, diapers, cleaners, natural remedies, TV viewing, not getting family support, and more! After each chapter, Paige gives Green Mom Sanity Tips to sum up the lessons learned. My favorite was from the natural remedies chapter:

  • “Natural does not equal safe. Remember, tobacco and cocaine are essentially just plants. 
  • Think of concentrated oils like tequila. You know what happened the last time you drank that straight. Follow the instructions for dilution.”

I really love the humor integrated with the facts. The less in your face method seems much more appealing rather than the cramming it down your throat method. It’s great how Paige allows the reader to make their own decisions while presenting all of the facts so no parent will feel obligated to change their whole world. Though, her backed up facts and personal stories will make any beginner want to change certain aspects of their life asap!

I also love how the book teaches you so much without you ever knowing you are learning something. Sometimes when you read a green parenting book you feel like you need a chemistry degree to understand half of it. Science was never my strong suit, but after 3 years of research, I’m starting to catch on. But for new parents who barely have the time to bathe let alone read a book, Spit That Out! is the perfect easy read. It is 140 pages of conversations with friends who understand you want a happy healthy baby.

I highly recommend Spit That Out! as a baby shower gift, for new parents, or for the stressed out eco mom who needs reassurance she is doing the best that she can.

You can get Spit That Out! online at Amazon for $13.95.

Oral Care for Kiddos

A few weeks ago I read an article about children being put under to have tooth work done and I was blown away. And when I say children, I mean kids as young as 2 years old! The article stated that dentists are saying they are seeing 6-10 cavities at a time, so they are having to use general anesthesia to perform the extensive dental work. 

E was put under 2 years ago when she had her tonsils removed and her lymph nodes extracted (for further testing) to treat her PFAPA. The first time she was put under was for scans to figure out what was going on with her. The second time was for the surgery and she didn’t want to wake up. After being in the ICU for several hours, she finally woke up vomiting and had to stay the night for observation. It was super scary! There are numerous complications that can arise while a child is under anesthesia. Being put under for dental work seems dangerous to me.  

I know there are exceptions, and I completely understand if it is medically necessary to be put under. But I have to wonder why are children as young as 2 getting so many cavities? Evidence is pointing to sugary drinks (juice, soda, flavored water), sugary snacks, and candy. High amounts of sugar are turning up in every fruit snack or snack food geared towards toddlers. Even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can have up to 20+ grams of sugar. So if you look at the amount of sugar in each meal, paired with juice drinks and desserts or candy treats- it’s no wonder so many children are having teeth issues. It is also said by most dentists that children under 10 years old do not properly brush.

So what are parents supposed to do?

  • Only serve your children water or milk for starters. I will give E OJ when she is getting sick, but other than that, we skip store bought juice. If your child refuses water, add 2 tbs of juice to flavor it until they get used to it. Skip all soda’s (even diet) since they are highly acidic. 
  • Skip candy. It’s ok to have treats every once in a while, but skip the super sugary ones. We get 100% organic juice suckers instead of the dyed syrupy junk. Also, offer fruits as treats instead of imitation fruits. We also make ice pops out of fruit and yogurt and my kiddo can’t taste the difference! 
  • Read labels before purchasing snacks/meals so you know how much sugar is in each food. Try to limit each meal to 5-10 grams of sugar. 10 grams is on the high end… You can also put sticky notes on the packages for quick looks so you can add the grams quickly when preparing/packing a meal. 
  • Have your child brush their teeth after each meal, especially after eating sugary or acid foods. Don’t EVER skip brushes!! E has sensory processing disorder and didn’t like her teeth brushed at first. But we talked about cavities and what would happen if we didn’t brush well. It’s ok to instill fear into your child so they want to care for their teeth! 😉 But also make brushing fun! (you can also add stickers to a chart for every time they brush their teeth on their own and they get a special treat for getting X stickers a week/month)
  • Let your child brush then go back and give the final brush. I let E brush her teeth, but I then do the last brush to make sure everything is off. If I’m not around, she knows to do the scrape test. The scrape test is to rub/scratch your clean fingernail on your teeth to see if you can scrape anything off. 
  • Let your child pick their own tooth brush. We love Preserve toothbrushes and all of the fun colors they come in. They are made out of recycled #5 plastic and are BPA free. Be sure to check what kind of plastic you brush is made out of. E decided she wanted a large toothbrush like ours, so I let her pick it out and made sure we went with a soft brush. 
  • Use safe toothpastes not loaded with dyes, parabens, fluoride, and unknown flavors. We have alternated between Weleda Children’s Gel and Branam All Natural Tooth Gel. I’m curious to see more research done on toxic chemicals in toothpaste and if they cause tooth decay or decalcification! 
Make sure you check with your city to see if fluoride is in your water. You don’t want to give older children fluoride toothpaste on top of fluorinated water. Fluoride can be highly toxic. An excess can lead to mottled, chalky white spots on the teeth. Other health risks include weight loss, brittle bones, anemia and weakness.

*This is a special post for Healthy Child Healthy World.

The Honest Co. Giveaway

I was super stoked to finally get to try out The Honest Co.! If you haven’t heard of them yet, Jessica Alba (eco-mom and actress) and Christopher Gavigan (eco-dad and former CEO Healthy Child) teamed up to create safe, non-toxic products for families and homes. They make essential products like biodegradable plant based diapers, biodegradable wipes, hair care for the whole family, lotion, healing balm, bubble bath, laundry detergent, multi-surface cleaner, and so much more!


But, The Honest Co. is more than just a fabulous eco-store, it’s a monthly club that will save you lots of money! Here is how it works. You first sign up for a free trial and only have to pay the shipping. You will get either trial sizes of the Family Essentials Bundle or samples from the Diaper Bundle. Then after that, if you choose to continue, you will get your chosen bundle sent to you each month. If you sign up for the Diaper Bundle, $79.95, you get a month’s worth of diapers and wipes.

 If you sign up for the Family Essentials Bundle, $35.95, after the first month you get to choose which 5 products you need for the month. The first month comes with shampoo, body lotion, hand soap, healing balm, and laundry detergent.

I was sent some fun things to review and I’m in love! My absolute favorite is the Multi-surface Cleaner. Before I get into all of the reasons why, check out this before and after picture of our glass patio table. It hadn’t been cleaned in a year and was caked with dirt, pollen, and grime.

Ingredients: Purified water, grapefruit oil, and 100% biodegradable anionic coconut kernel-oil based surfactant.


I was amazed at how well the Multi-surface Cleaner worked with so little effort! So I went on a cleaning spree to see what else it could do. It cleaned wood, carpet, glass, laminate, and even tvs! E had left a purple soy crayon on the floor and our dog chewed it up and left a purple mess on the carpet. I used the spray and it completely took the stain out! I love how I can clean my coffee table with the same rag and cleaner and not have to worry about the glass streaking or the wood getting sticky!! The best part is that the Multi-surface Cleaner is Honestly FREE of: ammonia, SLS/SLES, synthetic perfume, glycol, dyes, phosphates, 1,4-dioxane, chlorine, bleach, DEA, formaldehyde, petrochemicals, and caustics! 


E’s favorite product is their Bubble Bath. She has super sensitive skin and breaks out very easily. So we have to be careful what goes on her skin. Luckily, no break outs with the Honest Bubble Bath and lots of sudsy fun! 

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice* ( Aloe Vera ), Organic Calendula Officinalis* ( Calendula ), Organic Anthemis Nobilis* ( Chamomile ), Organic Chamomilla Recutita* ( Matricaria ), Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate (and) Lauryl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Organic Citrus Reticulata* (Tangerine) Peel Oil, and Capryloyl Glycine *certified organic ingredient
Honestly FREE of: SLS, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances & dyes, formaldehyde, petrochemicals & common allergens!


I tried the Shampoo & Body Wash and Conditioner on myself to see how it would work on adult hair and I’m very impressed. I really like the conditioner! It makes dry hair silky smooth and doesn’t make it greasy. It also worked great on E’s tangles! The Shampoo & Body Wash‘s ingredients are so mild that they are naturally tear-free. They both are Honestly FREE of: SLS, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances & dyes, formaldehyde, petrochemicals & common allergens!


We also got to try the biodegradable Honest Wipes which are also great for cleaning off messy faces and sticky hands! Their Lotion is made with calendula which super soothing for dry and sensitive skin. The organic Healing Balm is great not only for diaper rashes but for cuts, rashes, scrapes, razor burn, dry skin, and more! It worked wonders on my pampas grass burn this weekend. And we got to try their Laundry Detergent which has a really pleasant aroma and cleans stains really well. 


The Honest Co. promises to deliver honesty, social goodness, peace of mind, delightful design, and lots of support! If you have a minute to play around on their site, they have some amazing resources- especially the Learn What’s Inside page!


Giveaway: Win your choice of The Honest Co. Family Essentials Bundle or a Diaper Bundle!! Ends 5/11. Click read more to get taken to the Rafflecopter entry form.

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Naturally Fun Parties for Kids- Giveaway

This past weekend I realized even more that E is truly my mini me. I have a passion for planning parties. When I was 8, I planned a surprise birthday party for my mom- fully catered with 15 of her friends in a tiny apartment. How she didn’t find out, I still have no clue. This weekend was my birthday and E did everything that she could to make it perfect. The kiddo planned how she wanted to decorate, what gifts I should get, and even made the cake. So when the new book Naturally Fun Parties for Kids arrived, I knew we both were going to have a blast planning our next party!

Anni Daulter has done it yet again with her gorgeous book that she co-authored with Heather Fontenot, photographed by Tnah & Mario Di Donato. Each chapter in Naturally Fun Parties for Kids is dedicated to a new season with 3 different parties. Each party comes with complete plans that include step by step instructions, invite ideas, menus, decor ideas, activities, recipes, and more! The unique part of the book is that each party incorporates nature in some aspect. Instead of spending money on streamers and disposable junk, Anni suggests using nature’s backdrop to set the scene.

Did I mention that every page is beautifully photographed? It is a work of art itself! Each party includes 13+ photo’s detailing everything from the setup, activities, menu, and more. Each party is suitable for children ages 5-13, though some of the parties would work for slightly younger and older kiddos. Some party themes are: Pancake PJ party, Strawberry Picking and Jam party, Upcycle Art party, Community Cooking party, and Knights and Dragon Quest party.

E and I are right now deciding between the Forest Faerie Dress Up and the Natural Spa Party- which both can be enjoyed by children and adults. 🙂 The Faerie party consists of making felted wands, building faerie houses, dressing up, and devouring Sweet & Savory Cheese Panini’s with Maple Bacon, Cheesy Faerie Wands and Olive Bar with Chocolate Rasins, and Heart Shaped Cherry-Strawberry Pie Pops and Mini Pies. Here are some pictures from the book:

The Natural Spa party includes chocolate facials, banana avocado face masks, grapefruit sugar rubs, lavender and rose petal foot soaks, apricot brown sugar scrub, and rosemary and mint sea salt bath mix. The menu includes Black Bean, Corn, and Cheese Quesadillas with Blue Corn Chips, Sweet and Savory Strawberry Apricot Tarts, and Italian Ices with Lemon-Vanilla Pizzelles. 

You can get Naturally Fun Parties for Kids for $18.95 at RSVP.com or on Amazon.com.

Anni Daulter is also the author of Ice Pop Joy, The Organic Family Cookbook, Organically Raised, and Sacred Pregnancy. 

Giveaway: Win your own copy of Naturally Fun Parties for Kids
Click Read More to see the Rafflecopter entry form


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Exciting News

No, I haven’t dropped off the face of the planet again. 🙂 Though, it kind of feels like it. I’m trying to find my groove cause some exciting things happened a few weeks ago. I am now a blogger for Inhabitots!

If you aren’t familiar with Inhabitots, check them out. They are an amazing sustainable design blog geared towards baby/kids/parenting with lots of DIY posts, recycled art how-to’s, eco news, great products reviews, health tips, and more! Inhabitots is part of Inhabitat and Ecouterre.

I will repost some of my articles on Facebook, but be sure to sign up for their newsletter so you don’t miss out!!

XOXO Michelle

Enjoy Every Moment- Inspired by Signs of Life

I think it’s important to have wakening moments that remind us to be grateful for what we have because it all could be gone in a minute or it could have never happened at all.

My Left to Write book club book this month was Signs of Life by Natalie Taylor. In short, the book is memoir about a young women whose husband dies tragically when she is 5 months pregnant. It is about her journey through grief and being a single mom.

There are several moments throughout the book that Natalie talks about being in the moment and being happy with what you have. So many of us get caught up in life and forget about the important things and how lucky we are. Before Natalie gives birth she has a moment, “As I go through my hospital bag over and over again, I think about how not every woman in this world gets to pack her hospital bag in preparation for childbirth. Not every woman gets to watch her body transform over the course of forty weeks an create new life. I remind myself not to overlook that fact.”

Those lines really stuck out for me. I’ve had 6 miscarriages over the past 10 years. It’s fair to say that E is truly my miracle baby. As much as I wish I relished this fact and felt like the luckiest mom ever, the past year (or 3) has been really hard since she was diagnosed with PDD. It seems her meltdowns have gotten worse when things don’t go the way she has them in her mind. Which usually leads to me melting down with her. We’ve been going to therapy to work on how to cope, but it’s hard because she’s so bright and gets it… until she’s in the moment of a meltdown.

But over the past several weeks, since I began reading Signs of Life, I’ve been reminded she is all that I have ever wanted. I need to cherish every second of her life, every good and bad moment of parenthood because there are so many out there who don’t get to experience this. Sure, she’s not perfect and has quirks and loud fits which can be embarrassing- especially in stores or at restaurants- but I love every bit of her. Maybe I shouldn’t say embarrassing- but the stares from other people who don’t understand what is going on always shakes me up.

Being in the moment and thinking about how lucky I am has helped me work through the meltdowns instead of getting tense. Sometimes, we just need that reminder that everyone has something and we should be lucky for what we have.

*During the fifth month of pregnancy with her first child, Natalie Taylor was devastated by the sudden death of her husband. Her journey with grief is chronicled in the memoir Signs of Life. Join From Left to Write on March 29 as we discuss Signs of Life by Natalie Taylor. As a member of From Left to Write, I received a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.


Nohi Kids Giveaway

Nohi Kids just released their new Spring line and they are super cute!! If you haven’t heard about Nohi Kids, there were recently nominated for a Crisbie Award for the Up and Coming Brand to Watch! They announce the winners on April 2. Good luck Nohi Kids!!

Nohi Kids has adorable eco-clothes for infants-7/8 yrs. Their clothes are made out of a organic cotton bamboo blend, with a touch of lycra. E breaks out in hives when wearing clothing with high levels of lycra, and Nohi Kids doesn’t bother her at all.  The graphics are printed with a water based dye.

Nohi Kids sent us the girls Flock dress in the 7/8 size.

I’m not a pattern girl and I typically avoid buying something that is as busy as the Flock dress. In other words, I wouldn’t have chosen this dress if I was shopping online. But check this out:
I absolutely love this dress!! It looks great on E and even matches her Nohi Kids pants from the Fall. The fabric is super soft and stretchy. It washes very well, with no shrinking or fading. The dress fits right above E’s knee’s which is very true to size. I so love the sash! I think this is going to be her Easter dress. 🙂 
The birds are very vibrant and I love how they pop against E’s pale skin- yes, I’m loving the pattern. It really doesn’t look too busy in person. The dress can grow with your child and turn into a tunic next year. I’m so glad that Nohi Kids chose to send us this dress- it’s great when you love something out of your norm. 
If it’s still chilly where you are (we are in the upper 80’s already- UGH!) you can wear the dress with a cardigan or long sleeve shirt underneath. I think we will do that in the fall with a turtle neck. 
Nohi Kids also has adorable tee’s, bodysuits, leggings, and more for boys and girls. I can’t wait to see what they have in store next… they haven’t disappointed yet!! 
Giveaway: Enter to win a Nohi Kids Tee or Bodysuit– winner’s choice! Ends 4/15
Click Read More to be taken to the Rafflecopter. 


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Ice Pop Recipe

We make homemade ice pops every Sunday for the week. I thought I’d share one of our favorite new recipes 🙂

You will need:
1/2 cup organic strawberries
Blend together, pour into ice pop molds, freeze, and enjoy!!
Another yummy yogurt treat is:
Dip strawberries in Stonyfield Greek Chocolate or Caramel and freeze for 20 minutes! Don’t leave them in longer than an hour or they will freeze too much. 🙂 
What is your favorite ice pop flavor?