Are you pregnant or know someone who is? I've got some tips for putting together an eco friendly baby nursery over at Zenoobi. I'll be writing a monthly blog post for them so check it out if you have a chance! And while you're there, check out their web store too. Zenoobi is a great resource for eco friendly baby furniture, gear and clothing!
Continue reading "Eco Friendly Nursery, Detox Diet and Eco Craft of the Week" »
Dolphin Organics is one of my preferred brands for kids personal care products so I was thrilled when they decided to become an advertising sponsor of Mindful Momma! If you are not familiar with the brand, read what I had to say in a past blog post about Dolphin Organics. In a nutshell they are a safe and effective brand from a neat little parent-run business that you can totally trust!
Dolphin Organics has put together some really cute gift sets for the holiday season. The set shown at the top of the post includes full sized bottles of the tear-free Baby Shampoo & Body Wash, Conditioner, Bubble Bath, Hypoallergenic Lotion and the SPF32 mineral sunscreen. Get it in the Simply Citrus fragrance or in Fragrance Free if you prefer. The set also comes in the Norfolk Lavendar scent without the conditioner.
Dolphin Organics also has a new line aimed at teens called Do Naturals. Choose from the basic Do Naturals gift set with 5 products including the Just Berry Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Moisturizer and Detangler.
Or go all out with the Do Naturals Diva Set that also includes a reusable drink tumbler and tote bag. An awesome gift for a teen girl, don't you think?
Dolphin Organics is offering a $50 gift card to one lucky Mindful Momma reader! Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. The giveaway will run through midnight on Thursday, December 20th, 2012. Good luck!
Want to place an order? Use code MMFIVE for $5 off your order of any size.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Disclosure: Dolphin Organics is a paid advertiser on Mindful Momma.)
Just in the nick of time for the holiday season, I'd like to introduce you to my newest blog sponsor: Zenoobi!
Zenoobi (zen you be) is an eco web-store started by two families with young kids who wanted to offer a range of natural, organic, and eco-friendly products all under one roof. So they rounded up the highest quality, stylish, environmentally and socially sustainable products they could find and started up a website.
Their carefully culled collection contains all types of products from clothing to body care to furniture and home decor. The company stands behind their eco-values by being a member of 1% for the Planet (donating 1% of sales to a network of approved environmental organizations) and partnering with American Forests to plant a tree for every sale.
What I appreciate most is that they sell some unique brands that I haven't seen anywhere else. Like these beautiful organic cotton pillows from ferm LIVING:
Adorable recycled wood push toys from Manny & Simon:
The sweetest organic cotton kids shirts from Zebi:
and these cute but practical stainless steel snack cups from Eco Vessel:
Plus they sell plenty of well known eco-brands like Think Baby, Kate Quinn Organics, Bambu, Earth Mama Angel Baby, Preserve and more...
To help launch their business, Zenoobi has offered to give one lucky Mindful Momma reader a $50 gift card to use for anything on their website! I personally would put it toward one of the ferm LIVING pillows. What would you choose? Let me know in the comments and use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. The giveaway will go through midnight on Wednesday, December 5th, 2012. Thanks and good luck!
(Disclosure: Zenoobi is a paid advertiser on Mindful Momma.)
Please help welcome my newest blog sponsor, MightyNest!
MightyNest was started by a husband and wife who wanted to provide a one-stop website where people can go to research and shop for green & healthy products in between diaper changes or whenever they can sneak it in. From non-toxic cookware to organic skincare to reusable lunch gear and safe art supplies, MightyNest offers 800+ products for better living. Better yet, they have a website full of well researched resources and a really great blog to help you make the right choices for your family.
As an introduction to their web store and product lines, MightyNest sent me a beautiful cast iron wok by Lodge to test out. Finally - the excuse I needed to be done with the non-stick wok that I still used occasionally for stir-frys! Lodge cast iron products come pre-seasoned so there was no fuss involved with using it immediately. I love that this wok is nice and wide (14") and heats evenly throughout. It is perfect for fried rice - one of our family dinner staples! Check the website for more cast iron options as well as other high-quality, non-toxic cookware and bakeware.
There's a brand new offering on MightyNest that you need to know about! MightyPacks are a subscription-based service, shipping out household essentials every 4 to 8 weeks, so you get you what you need without the hassle of going to the store. Currently there are 3 types of MightyPacks to choose from: Clean Kitchen, Healthy Bath or MightyPack of the Month (a curated mix of 4-6 products each month). The cool part is that after the 1st month, you can customize your MightyPack to meet your needs. And you can cancel at any time. I just placed an order for a Clean Kitchen pack myself! As a little incentive to get you started, MightyNest is offering a special offer code for 50% off your first MightyPack. Use code MINDFUL50 at checkout (offer good through Thursday, June 14th, 2012)
To help your family create a healthier home, MightyNest is offering a $75 gift certificate toward any purchase! For a chance to win, use the Rafflecopter form below to let us know what wonderful products you would purchase with your gift certificate.
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."
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.
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.
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!
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?)
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!
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:
What are your favorite multitasking beauty products?
(Full Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products in exchange for my honest opinion.)
Please help me give a green & healthy welcome to my newest blog sponsor, 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.
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.
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.
Continue reading "New Sponsor: Heritage Botanicals {+ a Giveaway!}" »
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:
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.
Give Sponges One Last Dirty Job
(image credit: hannah8ball via flickr)
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):
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 (and you really don't need much). 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.
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!
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.)
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"!!
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!
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:
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!
