Organic herbal baby wipes!

Ever found yourself annoyed by the perfumy-ness of your baby's diaper wipes? Bothered by how many of those things you throw away a day? Well, look what I found for you!!
Jackson Reece Herbal Baby Wipes are made with a unique herbal formula to soothe and protect against common skin irritations such as diaper rash and eczema,  and contain none of the harsh ingredients that can potentially damage delicate skin.
The cloths contain no bleach, and use Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Tea Tree Oil, and Organic Lavender Oil. They are bio-degradable and compostable with degradable packaging that will degrade in a landfill site more quickly than regular baby wipe packaging.
These awesome wipes were created by two parents when their son was born and he developed baby eczema. They discovered that the alcohol present in many baby wipes compounded the condition. There were no natural, alcohol free wipes on the market, so they developed one!
Made in the UK, where the company is run, they are now available to us here in the U.S. at Diapers.com $3.99 for a 72 ct pack

Diversity from the very start!

Have a future world traveler? A nursery with an international feel? Just want to  start your babe on a path of cultural awareness and tolerance? What a great way to plant some seeds of diversity!  The Children of the World Mobile is a gorgeous handmade wood mobile for your little one's room, hand painted with extraordinary detail by artisans in Sri Lanka. It features beautiful children in costumes representing cultures around the world. It is Fair Trade, and helps fund community development projects. The Sarvodaya movement in Sri Lanka was founded in 1958, based on the Gandhian principles of non-violence, truth, and self-denial. The goal was to promote harmony among the various ethnic groups in Sri Lanka by sponsoring community development projects and training youth in non-violent and conflict resolution skills. $22.99 at Ecoexpress.com Tested Lead-Free. Size: 27 in. long.

Let's foster a love of world peace!

Gorgeous Henna on your pregnant belly!

Ok, so you're knocked up, and your belly is getting huge! Why not use that growing expanse for more than a newly found plate rest (those cookies are so much more conveniently closer to your mouth), and treat it as a canvas for ART?
A gorgeous way to do this is henna. The process of painting on skin with ground up, dried henna leaves from the henna plant (lawsonia inermis).
Lernie Beuler is a henna artist here in Southern California, and has adorned many a baby belly with her beautiful designs.

She will come to your party or shower, or you can travel to her at her studio. She will bring you a book of designs to choose from, or if you have a pattern you love, show her, and she'll work from that!
The henna Lernie uses  is all-natural, that is mixed with either strongly brewed tea or lemon juice, essential oils (usual lavender, tea tree and/or eucalyptus oil), and molasses. YUM!
The henna is then painted on somewhat like cake icing or puffy paint. The paste is left on for a minimum of 2 hrs, if not all day. The longer it's left on, even after drying, the better. Paste can be kept on by dabbing a little lemon juice on top of the pattern. Once the henna is ready to be flaked off, the stain beneath will be a bright orange color that will deepen into a reddish brown to burgundy brown color within 24-48 hrs.

It's a unique way to celebrate at a baby shower, a maternity photo session, or just get for your own enjoyment!
$75 for private appointments at her place. $100 per hour for parties/ baby showers, with a minimum of 2 hrs. * Depending on location, there may be a $30 travel fee.
Outside of LA? Check here for a hena artist near you! xo

Hot nursing turtleneck for cold weather!

Yummy Fall is in full effect and Winter's on the way, which means for most of the country, it's getting chilly! I have found the perfect thing for all of you nursing Mamas who whip it out in any weather! The Ultra chic ORGANIC Nursing Turtleneck by Momzelle. This to me, is an absolute wardrobe necessity! Long and slim, it is designed to flatter your postpartum figure and make you look sleek and feel comfortable. (the black does wonders for this as well...) It is designed with universal breast openings to ensure discreet and comfortable nursing, simply lift up and nurse. Oh, and you heard me say it was Organic, right? Sweet! Pair it with some leggings and boots for hip and stylish comfort. That's my favorite kind!
$49.00 Buy it here!

Skinny jeans + maternity jeans = HOT!

When you're preggo, Jeans are one of the biggest challenges... You try to get the most mileage out of your regular jeans (belly bands & the trusty rubber band trick), but ultimately, you must embark on the dreaded Maternity Jean search! So let me start your search off right! The Maternal America Skinny Leg Maternity Jeans in Dark Blue are super hot! These are the perfect jeans to get you through your pregnancy in style. They are so comfortable, you won't believe they're maternity jeans, with a soft underbelly fit waistband that can be worn from the beginning to the end of your pregnancy and beyond. Pair them with heels, boots, flats and your favorite tee or sweater. Rock that belly, ladies! (Maternal America recommends ordering your pre-pregnancy size for first trimester. Order one size up for others.) $98 at Trendy Tummy Maternity.

October book review. The Peace Book delivers!

I have decided to start a monthly book recommendation/review! I am a big fan of the Public Library (we are SO lucky to have a preciously awesome children's Librarian called Miss Hillary), and have found some great books I thought I'd share with you.
I am also a big fan of Peace! The concept of peace, though can be a difficult one to understand, or impart to a 2 year old.
To help, here is my book for this month; yummy, crisp, October...
The Peace Book by Todd Parr.
Each simple, brightly colored page features a different definition of peace. Some are: offering a hug to a friend, keeping the streets clean, learning other languages, and everyone having a home (that one made me teary the first time we read it!). Illustrated with a multicultural mix of blue, green, brown, yellow, and purple faces, and the closing message of "Peace is being who you are", kids of all ages will take something from it,and you will too!
$6.99-$9.99 Look for it at your own local Library, or buy it on Amazon. PEACE!

Wear your baby and enjoy hands free motherhood. At least for a little while!

Baby wearing is and has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. Wearing your baby is the action of the definition of human bonding. It reduces crying and colic, enhances learning and bonding; and best of all allows you to carry your baby hands free! I wore my little bird in a wrap sling for about 7 months straight, while working, shopping, hiking and traveling. Pretty much until he was too big to just pop in and go. (darn it, how they grow!) It was great for nursing and napping without having to stop what I was doing, and it was so comfortable and secure, I felt like I could run a marathon with it on.(if only I could actually RUN a marathon...)It's great for Dads, Grandparents, and caregivers too! Ok-So here are the goods! The Organic wrap from Sleepy Wrap. The key to a great wrap sling is the stretchiness. When it has a good amount of give to the fabric, you can put it in tightly, put the baby in, keeping them securely bundled up right next to your heart!
It may seem a bit daunting at first to look at roughly 5 yards of fabric and ponder how to put it on, but this yummy wrap comes with detailed instructions for how to put it on, and several different carrying positions. When all else fails, you can always go to Youtube for video instructions by searching for "wrap sling". The Pump Station even gives free, weekly sling clinics! (they rule!) *A trick the lovely ladies at the Hollywood Pump Station told me; once you get the sling on, just leave it on. Put the baby in and take them out as you need, but then you don't need to worry about taking it off and putting it back on continuously. Don't worry though, after a few times, you'll be a pro, and you'll be slinging (couldn't resist!) it's praises! Only $59.95 for all of this Orgainc goodness, and it comes in Natural, Khaki, or Black (my personal fave-goes with everything) Buy it here!
Sleepy Wrap's tag line is "The best place after the womb" I couldn't agree more!
This company walks the walk too. They generously support and donate to not for profit organizations around the country and France, such as La Leche League and WIC programs (Women Infant Children). Inspiring!