What to pack for the Hospital When Having a Baby

As I pack for the hospital today, i realized that it might help to share my list with you. I am scheduled for a c-section tomorrow and this is my second baby so it’s not too difficult to figure out what i need. For those first time moms out there, my list may help.

1 pack of newborn diapers (i like to take my own as the hospital provides regular diapers that aren’t eco-friendly or plastic free)

1 pack of baby wipes (i like to take my own as the hospital provides regular diapers that aren’t eco-friendly or plastic free)

1 newborn sleeper

2 swaddling blankets

1 newborn outfit to bring baby home in

1 hat

1 pair of socks

1 pair of baby mittens

2 burp pads or towels

1 pack of disposable wash cloths

1 pack of nursing pads

1 or 2 nursing bras

1 travel pack of bath & body essentials for you

toothpaste & toothbrush

deodorant

lip balm

1 travel pack of baby bath & body essentials

3 pairs of c-section underwear or regular underwear

1 nipple butter

1 c-section salve if you are have a c-section

1 earth mama bottom balm or bottom spray  if you are having a normal vaginal delivery

breast pump (if you already own one). The hospital will have one you can use if you don’t own one.

baby formula. It usually takes 3 days to get your milk to come in and so you may want to supplement with formula. The hospital will have baby formula, however if you prefer a certain brand take it with you.

2 or 3 small baby bottles

1 bum bum balm or bum spray or travel sized diaper kit

diaper bag to fit all these in

1 night gown/pyjamas/lougewear (to wear while you are in the hospital to be comfortable)

1 pair of clothes (to come home in)

1 pack of menstrual pads

1 belly bandit

1 package of milkmaid tea to help with milk production

Don’t forget to install the car seat and have it ready for inspection at the hospital. They will not let you take baby home without looking at the car seat first.

What is Propylene Glycol?

If you are used to reading product labels and ingredient lists like me, you will notice that Propylene Glycol appears quite a bit from everything from shampoo to food items. I recently saw it as an ingredient in fruit roll ups.  So what exactly is Propylene Glycol and is it good for us? “When listed in food products, it is is a form of mineral oil, an alcohol produced by fermentation of yeast and carbohydrates. This gives it the designation of carbohydrate when used in foods. It is commonly used as a solvent in oral, topical and injectable drug products as well as in foods.” This doesn’t sound good to me, so it is safe? “The FDA includes Pharmaceutical grade PG on its Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list. The World Health Organization also considers it as safe for use.” This safety rating has been debated over as the concentration of Propylene Glycol varies from product to product. It seems that formulations of Propylene Glycol that are less than 50% concentrate are safe for use, however it was also found that Propylene Glycol provoked allergic reactions in patients with eczema and other skin allergies, even in formulations of much less than 50%.

In order to be on the safe side, my recommendation would be to avoid products containing Propylene Glycol as there has been documented toxic effects after repeated small doses of propylene glycol were ingested or repeatedly applied to the skin. In Europe where authorities are more cautious about what is allowed in foods and cosmetics, it is limited to non-food uses.

For baby bath & body products that don’t contain Propylene Gycol go to: http://www.organicallyhatched.com/natural_organic_baby_skin_care_bath_products_s/3.htm

For Natural bath & body products that don’t contain Propylene Gycol go to: http://www.organicallyhatched.com/Bath_and_Body_s/222.htm

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

Top Rated Sunscreens According to the EWG

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzed more than 600 beach and sport sunscreens and found that they could only recommend one in five sunscreens for this summer! The rest either don’t protect enough or contain hazardous ingredients that don’t belong on your skin. That being said, when you look at their Top Rated Sunscreen list, the sunscreens we offer are listed. The Badger line of sunscreens is on that list as well as Think Sport and Think Baby Sunscreen. Also the Keys Sunscreen we offer has a 1 rating just the same as these other brands. This is good news for us since it confirms that we picked the best sunscreens to offer our customers.

For more information visit the EWG’s Sunscreen Guide.

Choosing the best Easter Chocolate

There are a lot of chocolates out there right now for Easter, but not all are healthy or good for you or your children for that matter. It’s important to read the ingredient/nutritional labels to choose the best ones. A lot of the common chocolate have ingredients like fructose/glucose, modified milk ingredients, polyglcerol polyricinoleate, artificial flavor and modified palm oil. None of these  ingredients are good for you and you will not find these types of ingredients in quality chocolate. We carry organic Easter Chocolate and the first ingredient is organic chocolate, made from organic sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa power. Pure and simple ingredients that you recognize are a good test to whether it is quality chocolate. The higher the cocoa butter content the higher the quality so always look for cocoa butter to be listed as the first or second ingredient. Avoid anything with chemicals that you cannot pronounce or don’t understand. It’s great to enjoy a little chocolate now and then, especially for  Easter however it’s important to read labels and pick the best quality of chocolate!

Love this natural exfoliant!

I have recently started using the Gaia Body Care Skin Care Facial Exfoliant and just love it! Not only is it natural, it works so well. Your skin has a polish and glow to it after using it. It’s gentle for everyday use and made from super-fine crushed walnut shells to stimulate the skin’s surface without scratching.

The anti-oxidant properties of organic gingko biloba and organic ginseng help to improve skin tone and texture. Enriched with the organic oils of avocado, evening primrose and wheat germ to provide essential fatty acids to nourish and moisturise, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Also added, is the pure essential oil blend of organic sandalwood, bergamot, geranium and lavender known for their beneficial skin care properties, which creates the perfect revitalising day spa aroma, while organic chamomile leaves your skin feeling calm and soothed.

The best part is that it is free of all the nasty chemicals you would likely find in most facial exfoliants. It does not contain soap, sulphates, petrochemicals and cleanses without dryness. It also contains the nourishing organic oils of avocado, evening primrose and wheat germ for refreshed healthy-looking skin.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, this would make a great gift for her. You can customize your own mother’s day gift basket and include this exfoliant with some other bath and body favourites.

Great Travel Tooth Brushing Kit!

How many times have you been out with your kids and they fall asleep in the car before get home? My biggest worry is brushing their teeth before they fall asleep and the new smile buddy, oral care kit makes it very easy to get this done. It used to be cumbersome carrying a regular size toothbrush and toothpaste with me all the time. Now I don’t have to worry with the smile buddy. It’s compact, designed for travel and makes brushing teething fun. On our recent trip to Hawaii, we got to try it out and it was perfect for the plane ride. Our little guy fell asleep at his regular bedtime on the plane and I was able to brush his teeth before he did. It includes a kid friendly suction cup toothbrush, a small tube of Crest toothpaste with fluoride, 12 Dentek fun flossers, 2-3 minute kid-friendly brushing sand timer and 8 kid friendly fun stickers. All this in a reusable & recyclable carry anywhere case. What more can you ask for? My 4 year old son loved the kit. He thought the sand timer, flossers and stickers were so much fun! So much so that he would remind me when it was his brush time which was a wonderful surprise. I usually have to chase him down at home to get his teeth brushing done. The Smile buddy has definitely made my life easier as a parent and for that i say – Thank you! to the makers behind this great travel tooth brushing kit!

Remedy for dry hands

For the last week, my hands feel like sandpaper…literally! I didn’t know why all of a sudden, but my husband said that his hands felt the same and my mom agreed that her hands felt dry too.

It’s probably the sudden cold weather here in BC that we’ve been experiencing and so i tried some argan oil on my hands and then tried some thick Crabtree and Evelyn cream but that didn’t work too well. I reached out for the All Things Jill Grapefruit and Ginger Hand and Body cream and voila! the dry hands have disappeared after just a couple of uses. Who would have guessed that such a light weight lotion would have done the trick? We always think that we need to go for the thickest, heaviest cream when combating dryness but reality is that it’s what in the cream that does the trick.

All Things Jill Hand and Body Cream is made with coconut oil and i think this is what makes the difference. It’s made in Canada with natural, paraben free ingredients and comes in several delicious smelling scents! It’s a little bit of heaven and perfect for this dry, cold weather. I slipped a small travel sized bottle in my husbands bag and gave my mom some as well.

For really chapped hands the All Things Jill Hard Working Hand Salve is fantastic! Use it at bedtime and wake up with baby soft hands. A little goes a long way. Made with olive oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, shea butter, calendula petals, vitamin E oil, beeswax, essential oils of lavender & patchoul. It also comes in a travel size, which makes it easy to slip in your bag.

All Things Jill also makes great lip balm in case you’ve also been experiencing dry, chapped lips. Again these come in some delicious flavours and are made from natural, paraben free ingredients such as Alberta beeswax & Vitamin E.  Also includes titanium dioxide for sun protection.

So bring on the cold! I’m ready and armed with the best remedies for dryness!

Do plastic straws contain BPA?

I have been using straws to sip my hot (black) tea for many years now, as i’m addicted to tea and usually have 3 to 4 cups a day. Because i drink so many cups, my teeth tend to get stained easily, until i discovered that if i was to sip my tea with a straw, the staining doesn’t occur as much. In any case, a friend was over on the weekend and noticed the straw in my tea cup and was shocked that i used a plastic straw in my hot tea. He was concerned about the potential of BPA being leeched out from the straw into my hot tea, which brought up a good question. Do plastic straws contain BPA? I went online to find that most straws are made from Polyproylene (#5) which according to Safe Mama is a BPA free plastic. So i was relieved and also called the straw manufacturer to confirm that the straws i use are in fact made from Polyproylene (#5) and they confirmed that they were. So for those parents who were curious or cautious about the use of plastic straws, it’s good to know that Polyproylene is a considered a safe plastic. For those parents who would like to stay clear of all plastics, we do carry some great silicone straws designed for the Iplay Aqua Bottles but they could be used everyday in a regular glass or cup too. These silicone straws are dishwasher safe in the top rack and a great eco-friendly alternative to plastic straws.

Yucky Ingredients in Most Halloween Candy

 

Yummy Earth Ingredients

 

 

Yummy Earth Lollipops

 

Look at ingredient labels on most of the halloween candy in the store and you’ll find the following ingredients: glucose/fructose, corn syrup, not to mention some other ingredients that i can’t even pronounce.

Because of this fact, last year,  i was left giving out play cards, pencils and notepads, but i agree with my husband that halloween is all about edible treats and candy, so after searching high and low for candy that i would feel good about handing out, i found Yummy Earth lollipops and drops that are certified organic and kosher. There are no added chemicals, artificial flavors or corn syrup. Best of all, they are delicious and come in 8 assorted flavors. The family sized bags are perfect for halloween as they contain about 60 lollipops and 150 drops.  Yummy Earth pops and drops are also nut-free, kosher and certified organic. Looking at the ingredient list, you will notice that they have organic evaporated cane juice and natural flavors.

I’m quite happy with my find for halloween and i will actually feel good about handing these out this halloween.

Great natural deodorant that works!

Every since my mom underwent treatment for breast cancer, i have been very aware of environmental toxins that exist and specifically toxins that are part of the products we use on our bodies, face and hair. Antiperspirant is one of these products that is laden with chemicals. Specifically aluminum and petroleum which have been linked to alzheimer’s and breast cancer. My search for a chemical free, natural under arm deodorant has been trying. A lot of natural deodorants don’t keep you dry for very long. I needed a deodorant that worked like an antiperspirant without the chemicals. I searched high and low, until i found Soapwalla deodorant cream. It’s completely natural made from superfine vegetable powders, clays, and lavender, peppermint and tea tree essential oils to absorb moisture, inhibit bacteria, and ensure a long-lasting and highly effective experience.  Once you put it on in the morning you are good to go all day. As a mom, i have a busy day with lots to do and the last thing i need, is to worry about deodorant! So i am really happy i have found this product. It’s scent is gender neutral, so it would work well for guys too!