Picky eaters run in my family. That’s my way of saying, I’m a very picky eater. 😉 It’s not so much the taste, but the texture of the foods that I can’t eat. I found out that there is an actual disorder for texture issues, which makes me feel a little bit better knowing I’m not that weird. I do try numerous new foods in hopes this will change, but very rarely can I stomach what I try. From experience, the worst thing you can do to your child is force them to eat something they don’t want to eat. This makes food a negative thing, when it shouldn’t be. Yes, it would be great if your child finished their veggies asking for a second helping. But in reality, their taste buds are different and most veggies taste bitter to them. I was overjoyed when Ella favored spinach as an infant and loved eating her broccoli as a toddler. Well, those days have come and gone. The last time I gave her broccoli she threw it and said she wasn’t going to eat a tree. I empathized because I wouldn’t eat it either. But that doesn’t mean I will give up trying to get her to eat her veggies.

Luckily there are great ways to sneak in the nutrients your child needs. If you don’t have the time to be a chef and create sneaky foods, there is an amazing brand called HAPPYFAMILY that is safe and healthy for your child! Since Ella was born, I’ve cooked dinner from scratch every night. I gave up processed foods and didn’t want my daughter to eat junk. I refuse to use a microwave for anything. So when it comes to quick meals, I’ve been at a loss. That is until we got to try HappyBites.

We were sent a Breakfast Pocket, Chicken Bites, Fish Bites, Mac + Cheese, Salmon Stix, and Veggie Tots to review and I’m truly impressed. Ella has loved the Mac+Cheese, Salmon Sticks, Breakfast Pocket and Fish Bites. I guess the Chicken and Veggie tots didn’t fool her. But she also has issues with some meats. The Mac+Cheese is loaded with organic butternut squash, chick peas, cauliflower and of course pasta shells. What I love about it is that it’s a circle, held together by organic panko (my favorite breading!) and can be held or cut up. Both fish items don’t look like normal fish products. Ella has only had fish sticks once and was partial to them. So I was really happy when she enjoyed them both.

Each HappyBite meal is packed with USDA organic ingredients such as cauliflower, chick peas, butternut squash, red peppers, onions, carrots, beans and more. There are no preservatives, pesticides, genetic modification, chemical fertilizers, and no other yucky stuff in HAPPYFAMILY products. They are allergy friendly and every product has a label with allergy information. Plus, every package is BPA free! HAPPYFAMILY also makes other amazing organic foods for all ages. They even have HappyBellies which include DHA + probiotic cereals and HappyMelts which are yogurt snacks for babies and toddlers.

You might have seen HappyBaby products at your local market. They are frozen baby meals and the closest thing to homemade baby food other than making it yourself! They have 8 different packages of 15 delicious varieties, including meat, grains, fruit and vegetables in three stages for developing eaters. And they have added DHA to the later stage meals. We were given a coupon to try a box and I got Ella the sweet potato and pear. She loved both! The food pops out and you can either heat or let defrost. I served the pear still frozen and Ella thought it was ice cream. If you have a picky eater, these are great to add to homemade baked goods.

Another HappyBaby product we’ve loved for a while is their HappyPuffs! Puffs are a great low-fat snack for any age with only 25 calories per 75 puffs. They were Ella’s first solid snack since they melt and she still eats them every day. The cool thing about HappyPuffs is that they are 100% organic and don’t have the added sugar like other brands. They also have Organic Green Puffs that is made with brown rice, spinach, collar greens, kale and apple juice. A great sneaky snack to get those added vitamins. They also have puffs in apple and banana.

The Giveaway: HAPPYFAMILY would like to give 1 LUCKY winner- 2 free trials for each of their products: HAPPYBABY, HAPPYBELLIES, HAPPYBABYPUFFS, HAPPYBITES
2 free trial coupons for YoBaby Meals
1 FAQ on Probiiotics & DHA
1 Nutrition Guide co-authored by Dr. Sears
1 Eric Carle Growth Chart
1 HAPPYFAMILY Recipes
Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST November 3, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is only open to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries)
@Mkokopelli enter to win a huge gift set of HAPPYFAMILY brand organic baby and toddler foods http://ow.ly/vPlY
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Become a fan of HAPPYFAMILY on Facebook or Follow on Twitter
7. Tell me something you learned on the HAPPYFAMILY website
8. Grab my Eating Healthy Week Button and post on your blog or FB page

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!
When becoming Eco-friendly/organic it’s easy to overlook things to switch. There are so many toxic products and trying to keep up with everything sometimes gives me a headache! When Aunt Flow came to visit me last month, it hit me that the products I was using probably weren’t so safe. I started doing some research and wasn’t too happy. A lot of feminine products contain dioxins, chlorine and synthetic fibers. The chlorine bleaching process isn’t that safe and dioxin is a by-product of the process. Dioxin can stay within the fluff fibers of feminine products that come into contact with the most sensitive part of your body, and can lead to prolonged exposure to the toxic carcinogen- which is cancer causing. I wasn’t able to find info about tampon plastic applicators, so who knows if they are BPA free.

I started looking at my alternatives and I’m still not too sure about reusable pads or cups- I’m kind of grossed out by them. Then I found a great safe company called Maxim. They sell 100% organic cotton tampons with applicators in Regular and Super sizes, without applicators in both sizes and Super Plus, organic and natural pantiliners, natural sanitary pads and maternity pads, and organic cotton balls. All of Maxim’s feminine products have no carcinogens, they are synthetic and wood fluff pulp free, hypoallergenic and come with Eco-friendly biodegradable applicators. I was sent 2 types of tampons, pantiliners and cotton balls to review. They worked just as well as all of the other feminine hygiene products I’ve used in the past, but I liked them better knowing what I was using wasn’t toxic. For a heavier flow, I recommend using a pantiliner with a tampon. I have been really happy with the products and plan to continue to use them! If you are still unsure, you can always get a free trial by registering here.

The Discount: You can get 10% off Maxim products until 11/30 by entering MKOKOPELLI at the checkout at Maxim’s sister company www.organicpeak.com

The Giveaway: Maxim would like to give 1 lucky reader a box of tampons, sanitary pads, box of pantiliners and a pack of cotton puffs. BODY,.aolmailheader {font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:Arial;} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST November 2, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries)
@Mkokopelli win organic feminine products set by Maxim! Ends 11/2 http://ow.ly/v7rn
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Tell me something else you learned about Maxim on their site
7. Join Maxim’s group on Facebook or follow on Twitter
8. Tell me an ingredient you found on one of your products that shocked you- for details read this post
9. Grab the Eco-Personal Care Button and post on your blog or FB page!


*New disclaimer- I was sent Maxim feminine products for free to test. This is no way changed my opinion on their products. These are only my results, opinions and thoughts.

A while back I had someone ask me about reusable diapers. I didn’t know much about them, so I did some research. I had debated using them before Ella was born and if I had read all of the facts back then, I would have chosen differently. First of all you will spend $1,000-$2,000 less on reusable diapers compared to disposable. That fact alone would have changed my mind! Then there are quite a few toxic chemicals found in most disposable diapers like dioxin- a carcinogen by-product made from the bleaching process, TBT- a toxic pollutant, and sodium polyacrylate- the gel stuff that was taken out of tampons because of causing TSS. Another fact is that 92% of disposable diapers end up in landfills. That means over 20 billion diapers are tossed in landfills every year!! And disposable diapers aren’t so decomposable! It is not known how long it will take for them to decompose, but it is estimated that it will take over 200 years.

So I did some looking around at reusable diapers and found some that I would have chosen if Ella were still in diapers. They are called Gro Baby and can be found at ecopiggy. They fit most babies 8-35 lbs.The soaker pads are made with organic cotton and the shell is waterproof. The cool thing about the diapers are that they grow with your baby!! So that means you don’t have to go out and buy any new diapers for different sizes! The shell is designed to be used with multiple diaper changes, usually 2-4 are needed throughout the day. You just snap a new soaker pad in when the old one is wet. They also make a bumper pad for overnight or long car trips. Since I didn’t get to try them, I asked ecopiggy to send me some me some reviews. Here are what 2 customers are saying:
“We love how the diapers grow with our child. The snap-in soaker pad makes for easy washing. …and the fabric is SO SOFT against her sensitive skin.” – Nicola Shaddon

“These diapers are great!” – Arianne Foulks

You can get the Gro Baby diaper set for $24.95 that includes 1 shell, 1 soaker and 1 bumper.

ecopiggy also carries Eco-friendly nursery items, toys, feeding, clothes, wellness, stuff for ma & pa and more! ecopiggy is run by a mom and her daughter. They believe that, “All children deserve to have the wonderful experience of super-soft organic cotton against their skin and nontoxic products near their sweet little mouths, and ecopiggy is dedicated to creating a business form that gives more than it takes… just like a loving parent.”

The Giveaway: ecopiggy would like to give 1 lucky reader a $50 Gift Certificate to their store!! Though, this does not include shipping.

Rules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST November 2, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to everyone!

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries)
@Mkokopelli win a $50 GC to ecopiggy! Ends 11/02 http://ow.ly/v78q
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Sign up for ecopiggy’s newsletter
7. Add ecopiggy as a friend on Facebook
8. Tell me an ingredient you found on one of your products that shocked you- for details read this post
9. Grab the Eco-Personal Care Button and post on your blog or FB page!

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that entered!
This week has been all about adult personal care and you know I can’t leave out the little ones! Do you ever find a company that totally meshes with your beliefs? That’s what happened when I came across Earth Mama Angel Baby– thanks to The Soft Landing’s Blog. If you need answers to questions about dangerous and safe products, pregnancy, postpartum, remedies, child birth, breastfeeding, infant safety and even dealing with loss of a baby- Earth Mama’s Reading Room is the place to go. But that’s not the half of it! Earth Mama Angel Baby sells AMAZING pregnancy, labor, postpartum, breastfeeding, baby loss comfort, and Angel baby products.

As I was working with Earth Mama about their review, they fed me tons of useful information to use! They also told me about Skin Deep and challenged me to search my products. Skin Deep and Safe Cosmetics is pretty much the reason why my family switched to organic products. We had already made the food switch and I didn’t even think about other products until I came across their sites. I looked up some ingredients and about lost it! But, since I’ve switched our products- I have blindly trusted the “organic” labels on our personal care items and haven’t done any searches lately.

After my findings, I’m appalled. Luckily, Ella’s products have come back pretty safe. But mine, not so much. Just because a label says, “certified organic ingredients” doesn’t mean all of the ingredients are organic and safe. I found out a “organic” shampoo and “organic” facial cleanser I had been using both had moderate and high levels of hazards. So from now on I will be reading all labels and searching ingredients before making a purchase. Here are a few ingredients to avoid when looking at labels: anything that begins with methyl-, butyl-, ethyl- and proply-, parabens, methylisothiazolinone, triclosan, boric acid, sodium borate, phenoxyethanol, diazolidinyl urea, Quaternium 15, cocomidopropyl betaine, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamide DEA, TEA (Triethanolamine), 1,4 Dioxane, and ceteareth-12 alcohol. Do those all sound confusing and something you won’t remember? You can print a Child’s Safety Guide to Personal Products from the Cosmetic Database to take with you shopping.

Or better yet, you can go to Earth Mama Angel Baby and get all of your baby’s needs! They all have a safety rating of 0!!! Not only are their products safe for mama’s and their baby’s, Earth Mama are environmentally friendly. All of their bottles are BPA free and made with PET plastics- which are recyclable. The bottles are also colored to keep out harmful UV rays. Their office is very Eco-friendly and they even reuse shipping boxes, peanuts and bubble wrap.

I was sent the Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash for Ella to review and I am hooked. What I love about the shampoo, besides the redolent aroma, is that is it a foam instead of liquid. This has allowed me to use the correct amount, instead of over pouring- which will make the product last longer. I also love how I can see the lather going on to Ella’s hair, so I know which spots I’ve gotten. Did you know that most shampoo’s lather because they are made with detergents instead of soap? You will find synthetic surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate combined with other foaming agents like cocamide DEA, MEA or TEA. Once the synthetic surfactants and other agents are rubbed together, they form a lather. Usually detergents need a preservative to keep mold and bacteria growth, but pure soap has a high enough PH to deter the growth. Angel Baby Shampoo is a real gentle castile soap, so no harsh surfactants are added! As you’ve seen in pictures, Ella has long beautiful hair. It tangles easily, so finding the right shampoo is important. Angel Baby Shampoo has left her hair feeling silky smooth with no tangles. Did I mention how wonderful it smells?? It is made with Saponified oils of Cocos nucifera (organic coconut) oil, Olea europaea (organic olive) oil, Butyrospermun parkii (organic shea) butter, kosher vegetable glycerin, Aloe barbadensis (organic aloe) leaf juice, Vanilla planifolia (organic vanilla) bean extract, Citrus sinensis (orange) oil, and tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Talking about smells, Earth Mama Angel Baby also sent me their Happy Mama Spray to try. The Happy Mama Spray is aromatherapy bliss in a bottle. It is made for pregnant women to help with nausea, but is great for anyone needing a lift. Since we are still in terrible 2 territory, I was really anxious to test out this product. Spending 24 hours a day, attached at the hip with Ella is stressful and by 5 p.m. I’m ready to give her away. I wouldn’t… but it has crossed my mind. 😉 With 1 spritz, the aroma is intoxicating. I can’t explain how it soothes your spirits, but it does. I don’t know much about aromatherapy, but I do know that smells can affect your mood. Think about when you walk into a house where cookies have just been baked… makes you feel all warm inside. You will smell lime, ginger, tangerine, orange, ylang ylang and more when you spritz your Happy Mama Spray on your wrists, body or all over the room. It is a 4 oz. bottle and fits perfectly in your purse. So if you are out in public and your child decides to throw a tantrum, spray a little between you both and see the results!

I will be back with more from Earth Mama Angel Baby. There are so many great things about their website and products that I want to tell you about! But for now, check out their amazing site!

The Giveaway: Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics would like to give 1 lucky ready a Angel Baby Shampoo and Body WashRules: You have until 11:59 p.m. EST October 30, 2009 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced after they respond to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. You must leave your email address! This contest is open to the US

2. Become a fan of Mkokopelli on FB, Mkokopelli on Twitter, or Follow my blog
3. Subscribe to my blog by email (on the right sidebar) You must verify and be active at the time of the giveaway- those who are unverified will become disqualified
4. Blog, Tweet or send a message on FB and leave a link here (3 extra entries)
@Mkokopelli win Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash! Ends 10/30 http://ow.ly/uVip
5. Enter another giveaway I have going on and tell me which one or leave a comment on a non-giveaway post (1 extra entry total)
6. Sign up for the Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics Newsletter
7. Tell me a product you’d love to try from Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics
8. Tell me an ingredient you found on one of your products that shocked you- for details read this post
9. Grab the Eco-Personal Care Button and post on your blog or FB page!


*New disclaimer- I was sent Earth Mama Angel Baby products for free to test. This is no way changed my opinion on their products. These are only my results, opinions and thoughts.