Mindful Momma

Honest Products from The Honest Company {+ a Giveaway!}

I'm not much of a celebrity groupie but I have to admit I'm pretty impressed with Jessica Alba. Last spring, she used her star power to rally for stronger Federal chemical laws on Capitol Hill. Now she is busy helping to run a new natural product company called The Honest Company.

The Honest Company offers an eco-friendly line of family essentials (diapers and wipes, bath and body care, and household cleaners) sold exclusively through their website, Honest.com. In a nutshell, here's what they are all about:

"Savvy style, sustainability, and extraordinary service & convenience all wrapped in a passion for social goodness, tied with a bow of integrity and sprinkled with a little cheeky fun."

Eco Strengths

The goal of The Honest Company is to deliver products that are as non-toxic, healthy and earth-friendly as possible while being effective, beautiful and fun at the same time. Check out their list of health and sustainability standards - it is quite impressive.

• Bath products are free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate, artificial fragrances and many other yucky chemicals.
• Diapers are made with sustainable, plant-based materials and are chlorine-free.
• Cleaning products are biodegradable and free of common chemicals like 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde.
• Full ingredient list is available on website and product packaging.
• Charitable partnerships including Baby2Baby.org means the company is giving back to people and the planet.

What I appreciate about The Honest Company is that the are honestly trying to do better. Not only better than other companies, but they strive to make their business better and better each day.

Fav Products

Honest Hand Soap - I'm not a fan of highly fragranced hand soaps. This one has just a touch of yummy citrus scent. Plus the adorable bottle looks sweet on my bathroom counter.

Honest Lotion - A lightweight but rich lotion - a style that I love. It's fragrance-free, which is exactly what you'd want for baby. If it came in a citrus version like the hand soap, I'd be in heaven!

Honest Laundry Detergent - I only had a small sample to try (1 load) but it did a fine job on our dirty clothes. The product fragrance and dye free, making it suitable for babies, delicates and the whole family.

Honest Shampoo & Body Wash - I love multitasking beauty products and this one certainly delivers! It's super mild and safe for color-treated hair. And the vanilla tangerine scent is divine!

Second Thoughts

Up until now, the company business model has been to sell products in bundle only. However,they have listened closely to customer requests and will be offering the purchase of individual products in just a couple of weeks!

The hand wash contains two preservatives that are a bit controversial - Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Phenoxyethanol. It is my understanding that these preservatives are considerably safer than parabens and other popular preservatives but if you are uncomfortable with them you may want to skip this product. Meanwhile, the company is already working on reformulating the product. (see what I mean about working to do better?)

Giveaway!

Wouldn't you love to try some products from The Honest Company? I've got a Family Essentials Bundle to give away to one lucky Mindful Momma reader!

Win a one-month supply of non-toxic body care and household cleaning products for your entire family. Package includes Honest Shampoo, Body Lotion, Hand Soap, Healing Balm, and Laundry Detergent. ($35.95 value). Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Good Luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Favorite Multi-Tasking Beauty Products

Multitasking. We all do it, for many different reasons. Here's a reason you might not have thought about: using products that have multiple purposes is better for the planet! It means you are buying less and reducing waste, two very important aspects of lowering your environmental footprint.

The beauty aisle is a great place to look for multitasking products. Next time you are shopping for personal care or cosmetics, look for a power product that can do the job of 2 or 3 individual products. Here are some of my personal faves:

Revolution Organics Beauty Balm

• This all-in-one beauty balm gives cheeks, lips, eyes and decolletage a healthy glow
• 100% natural, made with 85% certified organic ingredients
• Hydrating formula contains organic olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter and more
• Mineral-based pigments for natural color
• Buy it!

True North Organic Body Butter

• Softens skin from head to toe
• Reduces frizz and adds shine to hair
• Great deep conditioning treatment for hair
• 100% USDA organic
• A whipped blend of shea butter, coconut and other moisturizing oils
• Wonderful natural scents
• Buy it!

J.R. Watkins Soothing Baby Balm

• Not just for babies!
• Use as a boo-boo healer, a lip balm or a hand softener
• 100% natural ingredients including extra virgin olive oil and soothing camomile and calendula extracts
• Fragrance free
• Convenient stick makes it easy to take on-the-go
• Buy it!

Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer

• Daily moisturizer with full spectrum, SPF 15 sun protection
• Made with at least 85% certified organic ingredients
• Organic fruit juice base is loaded with antioxidants, and phytonutrients for age-defying benefits
• Buy it!

What are your favorite multitasking beauty products?

 

(Full Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products in exchange for my honest opinion.)

New Sponsor: Heritage Botanicals {+ a Giveaway!}

 

Please help me give a green & healthy welcome to my newest blog sponsor, Heritage Botanicals!

 

About Heritage Botanicals

Do you love handmade beauty products but don't have the time to make them yourself? Do you prefer to support small, family-run businesses instead of enormous companies? Then Heritage Botanicals might be exactly what you are looking for!

This tiny little company was started by two sisters who wanted to care for their babies skin without chemicals. After a bit of research, they developed a line of balms and skin creams for babies made with 100% natural ingredients and completely free of preservatives. They eventually branched out into natural beauty products for women and men as well.

Favorite Products

I had the opportunity to sample a few of the baby products and there isn't one I wouldn't recommend:

Calendula Baby Balm - A super-rich blend of oils and botanicals formulated to soothe and prevent diaper rash - but there's no reason not to use it on yourself!

Sleepy Baby Moisturizing Cream - An all-purpose body cream scented with calming lavender essential oil.

Aromatherapy Balm - A menthol-based balm to relieve nasal and chest congestion. It's a healthier alternative to Vicks Vapor-Rub.

Rose-Tint Lip Balm - A mix of organic cocoa butter and organic oils, lightly colored with alkanet root.

Note: Because Heritage Botanicals products contain no preservatives, they should be stored in a cool, dry location and used up within about 1 year.

The Giveaway!

Heritage Botanicals is giving away a Baby Sampler gift set including 2-oz sizes of the Calendula Baby Balm, Sleepy Baby Moisturizing Cream and Satin Baby Skin Cream plus a lip balm. (Retail value $29.99). Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

 

Easy Eco-Tip: Turn Diapers into Dusters

Calling all cloth diaper users! What do you do with your prefold cloth diapers when the baby stage is over? You could pass them on to another parent of course. But if you still have some laying around in your cupboard somewhere, I suggest pulling them out and repurposing them as dusting cloths. That's what I do!

Most cloth prefolds are 100% cotton (although some are bamboo) and are super-absorbent and perfect for dusting. Other reusable dusting cloth ideas include:

• Bath towels that are too shabby for the bathroom
• Dish towels that are stained or otherwise unworthy of display in your kitchen
• Old cotton t-shirts cut up into smaller pieces (approximately 10 x 12 works well)

Instead of the ubiquitous yellow can of dusting spray, try an eco-friendly furniture polish or make your own homemade Lemon Olive Oil Furniture Polish.

Looking for more Easy Eco-Tips?

Buy Soap without the Box

Give Sponges One Last Dirty Job

Buy Meat from the Butcher

(image credit: hannah8ball via flickr)

Dolphin Organics Baby Products are Naturally Simple

 

The parents who launched Dolphin Organics were tired of hearing the same complaint over and over: that many natural and organic brands just couldn't be trusted not to include artificial and potentially toxic ingredients in their products. So when they developed a line of personal care products for babies and kids, they made it simple to tell exactly what was in the products. Check out the easy to read ingredient list (note - there's nothing in the artificial column):

 

 Eco Strengths

• Products score 0-1 on the Skin Deep cosmetics database (very low hazard)
• The Quality Insurance International seal certifies that all organic ingredients are truly organic
• The NSF Made with Organic seal assures products contain at least 70% certified organic content
• A trusted partner of Healthy Child Healthy World
• Packaging made with post-consumer recycled material

Second Thoughts?

I found the Baby Bubble Bath to be on the thin side and it was easy for me to squirt in more than was needed. Since prices are higher than what you'll pay for drug store bubble bath ($12.99 for a 12-oz bottle), I didn't want to waste a drop.

Favorite Products

My boys aren't babies anymore but the Baby Shampoo and Body Wash works great for their hair. I love that it's tear-free and it just takes a dollop to get a head full of lather!

Sale!

Dolphin Organics Baby Lotion is on sale for $9.99 for the month of January. Shipping is free on orders over $50. You can find Dolphin Organics online or at specialty stores around the country.

Have you tried Dolphin Organics?

(Full Disclosure: I was sent free samples of Dolphin Organics Bubble Bath and Baby Shampoo in exchange for my honest opinion.)

 

Daily Deal and Giveaway: My Mama's Love Skin Remedies from Lullaby Organics

Got kids? Then you've got boo-boos, itchies and chapped skin, no doubt! Instead of treating them with conventional petroleum based, artificially fragranced products, wouldn't you rather use something natural and non-toxic? 

My Mama's Love is a Mom-run company making gentle and effective skin care and remedies made from natural ingredients like beeswax, olive oil and vegetable glycerin and healing, organic botanicals. I had a chance to try out the products in the Nature's Remedies Gift Set kit so I can attest to how wonderful they are! Here's what you will find in the set:

Kiss My Boo-Boo - Keep this twist-up tube of salve in your purse or diaper bag so it's handy for all those little scrapes, cuts, scratches & bug bites that come along in a typical day out with the kids.

Complete Skin Ailment Curative - An herbal salve perfect for diaper rash, eczema, bug bites, dry skin and more! Made with organic olive oil, beeswax, organic licorice and organic myrrh.

Mama Nose Best - An all natural alternative to petroleum based decongestant creams. Otherwise known as "Vicks without the ick"!!

The Daily Deal

As part of the Lullaby Organics 12 Days of Holi-Daily Deals, you can get this special deal for today only:

    40% off the Nature's Remedies Gift Set

   30% off all other My Mama's Love products

Be sure to check out the rest of the 12 Days of Holi-Daily Deals and Giveaways - I bet you'll find something you like!

• Each day for 12 days, starting Friday, 11/25, and running thru Tuesday, 12/6, a different eco-fabulous blogger (or sometimes two or three!) will post a review and giveaway from Lullaby Organics.
• In each day’s post, the blogger of the day will "REVEAL THE DEAL" for that day.
• Each deal might be on a single item or a collection of items, but when the deal of the day is sold out, that daily deal is over and there will be a different deal the next day! 

The Giveaway

I'm excited to have the chance to give away a Nature's Remedies Gift Set to one lucky Mindful Momma reader! For a chance to win, please visit the Lullaby Organics website and let us know what products catch your eye. For additional entries you may do the following:

• Share the giveaway on Facebook
• Tweet about the giveaway using @MindfulMomma and @lullabyorganics in the tweet. (sample tweet: Win a #green gift set from @lullabyorganics on the @MindfulMomma blog! http://ht.ly/7NBLk Pls RT!
• Subscribe to Mindful Momma via RSS feed or email
• Like my Mindful Momma Facebook Page
• Like Lullaby Organics on Facebook
• Action entry: The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 needs your support! Our current chemical safety laws (enacted in 1976) are severely out-of-date and leaving parents without the tools and information we need to protect our families. Please ask your representative to support this legislation so chemical companies will be responsible for proving their compounds are safe BEFORE they can be used in products we buy for our families, schools and workplaces!

That's 7 entries per person (please leave a separate comment for each thing you do). Winners must have a U.S. shipping address. The giveaway will be open through midnight CST on Saturday, December 10th.

Good luck and may your skin be nourished, soft and healthy!

(Full disclosure: I was given a free gift set to review in exchange for my honest opinion and participation in the 12 Days of Holi-Daily Deals promotion with Lullaby Organics.)

The winner is Darcy! Congrats and enjoy your gift set!

New Sponsor: Eco Chic Baby

Now that the holiday shopping season is really ramping up, I thought it would be a great time to introduce my new sponsor: Eco Chic Baby! Eco Chic Baby is a modern family boutique with a retail location in California as well as a lovely hand-picked selection of eco-friendly and handmade products for babies and families online.

Just look at this pretty dress from Swanky Baby Vintage!

If I were a new Mom again, I'd love one of these Reese Li diaper bags. Heck, I'd like one any time!

Goodbyn lunchboxes are great for lunch-packing school kids:

And what child wouldn't love a toy truck or set of play dishes made from recycled plastic from Green Toys?

Eco Chic Baby also stocks baby carriers, strollers, safe baby bottles and natural rubber teethers and more! To make your holiday shopping one little bit easier, Eco Chic Baby is offering FREE SHIPPING to all Mindful Momma readers using the code Mindful Momma at checkout!! If you'd rather skip the Black Friday madness and shop online, check out Eco Chic Baby!

Green Discoveries

Do you have big plans for the weekend? My just-turned 7 year old is having a "hatchday" party at our local Raptor Center. I love that he is into animals and nature! Instead of goodie bags filled with cheap, plastic junk we bought each child a wooden build-it-yourself animal kit. They are inexpensive at the craft stores.

Here are a few things for your weekend reading pleasure...

Toxins in the News

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but now there's even more reason to avoid toxic BPA in products and food. BPA exposure during pregnancy has been linked to anxious, depressive and hyperactive behaviors in girls.  

Halloween Craft

Avoid PVC-laden face paints by whipping up your own non-toxic face paint using this handy tutorial by Jennie from Sweet Greens - posted on Inhabitots.

New Blog Discovery

If you like to craft (or just drool over cool crafts), I think you'll love The Crafty Nest. She's got some fun Halloween craft ideas and a weekly Do Something Crafty Friday link-up. I just linked my felted sweater coasters craft up there!

Post on the Clear Conscience Blog

I've got a new post up on the Clear Conscience blog published by J.R. Watkins Naturals. It's all about ways for reducing waste at home. Try some of the tips and see how low your garbage can go!

Giveaway!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a free Lifefactory glass bottle. It's an awesome gift from my new blog sponsor - Essential Safe Products!

Hope you have a green & healthy weekend!

{image credit: Pampered Delights via flickr using Creative Commons}

Eat Non-Toxic: A New eBook by Katy Farber of Non-Toxic Kids

If you have kids in your life, I'm sure you will agree that nothing is more important than the health of those special little humans! And what impacts health more than the food they eat every day? Yet so many of the food choices we are faced with are less than healthy. Cheetos anyone?

Fortunately for us, Katy Farber, author of the popular blog Non-Toxic Kids has whipped up a delicious little eBook that's all about feeding kids a greener, healthier, non-toxic diet. It's called Eat Non-Toxic: A Manual for Busy Parents.

This handy eBook covers the gamut - from breastfeeding to school lunches and everything in between. Here's a sneak peek at what you will find inside:

• Learn why it's important to avoid toxic chemicals in food and products used to cook, store and carry food.
• Find out where unwanted chemicals lurk - they hide in some surprising places - and how to avoid them.
• Discover how to get more healthy, organic, real foods into your family's diet.
• Tips for better, safer products for feeding your family.
• Tired Parent Cliff Notes - for the quick scoop on best practices for non-toxic eating.

Katy was even kind enough to mention my book as a good resource for healthy, homemade snacks. Thank you Katy!!

BUY IT!

Eat Non-Toxic is on sale for 25% off of the $9.99 price through Friday of this week (October 28th). Download a copy today!

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of Eat Non-Toxic in exchange for my honest opinion. There are affiliate links in this post. If you make a purchase, I will get a small percentage of the proceeds. Thank you!)

An Historic Trip to J.R. Watkins Naturals

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the headquarters of the J.R. Watkins Naturals Company in Winona, Minnesota. They invited me and four other bloggers to spend a couple days getting to know the products and the history of the company. Believe me, there was a lot to learn because this company has been around for over 140 years!

With my first step into the historic company administration building, I knew this was going to be a memorable trip. Built in 1912 by Prairie School architect George Washington Maher, the building is beyond gorgeous.


Even more amazing is that the company's original factory buildings are connected to the office building and are still in use to this day! The factory tour was a special treat for me because I am a total factory geek - I LOVE seeing how things are made!

The Watkins factory is unique because it is on multiple levels rather than all one level as most modern factories. This allows them to use sustainable, gravity-fed filling processes. Products get mixed on one level, then fed downstairs through big pipes and into the fill machines. We happened to be there when the Tub & Tile Cleaner was being filled.

After the tour, we sat down with company president, Mark Jacobs and other Watkins executives to chat products. We asked some tough questions about ingredients and the use of the term natural in personal care and home products. I was happy to learn that the company is truly dedicated to living up to the natural designation on their famous apothecary-style labels. In the last couple years many products have been reformulated and they have been working to get the Natural Products Association Certified seal on the majority of their personal care and home care products. (I'll be writing more about this topic soon - there is a lot to know!)

We also got to hang out in the company test kitchen and sample new products, like this brand new baby line that will be hitting stores in December:

No blogger trip would be complete without some wining and dining (or so I am told - this was my first blogger trip!) and the J.R. Watkins team did a fabulous job of making that happen. We stayed in the historic Alexander Mansion where we were treated to a bag of Watkins goodies and chocolate & Bailey's at bedtime.

Last but not least - what a treat to spend time with these wonderful bloggers: (from left to right) - Jodi from Mom's Favorite Stuff, Kiersten from The Type A Housewife, Jennifer from Savoring the Thyme and Lori from Groovy Green Livin (I'm the tall one, second from the right). 

I'm looking forward to sharing more about J.R. Watkins Naturals - it's a really cool company and there is a lot to share!

Have you ever tried J.R. Watkins Naturals products? What's your favorite?

Image credit for top photo of Watkins building - Jodi Grundig of Mom's Favorite Stuff.

(Full Disclosure: The J.R. Watkins company paid for this trip in exchange for my honest opinion.  I was not compensated in any other way.)