As parents become increasingly aware of all the potentially toxic products that are marketed to kids it only makes sense that some concerned parents would open stores to provide us with safe alternatives. One of those stores that I really like is Non Toxic Tots. And it just so happens that I have known the owner (online) for a couple years now and she and her store are pretty awesome. I think I first met her via a cloth diapering community and a co-op she ran helping me to get natural goods at low prices. Even then she was helping other moms to have access to safer, more natural, and eco friendly products. I not only LOVE the idea of buying the safest and healthiest gear for my kids I love the idea of supporting other families with my purchasing dollars.

Non Toxic Tots has a little bit of everything…clothing, natural toys, soft sole shoes, soaps, and healthy feeding gear for kids including Klean Kanteens and Camden Rose wooden bowls. The bowls for instance are crafted from American Black Cherry and sealed with beeswax.  They are designed, manufactured and packaged in the USA and then of course sold by a mom in New Jersey.

Also make sure to check out her blog at Mama K in NJ.

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No doubt we would all dress ourselves and our kids in organic and natural threads if we could…but for many this is still a not so attainable goal right now. Organic duds cost more and they aren’t readily available in the stores we usually shop in. But for those that splurge occasionally and get organic clothes I recently come across two really cool companies that make adorable, organic gear for kids.

The first is Green Apple Baby. Not only do they sell gorgeous 100% organic tees with a natural cotton/green apple print color scheme that I love…they adorn their tees with messages of love and inspiration. They are for conscious parents that want to send a positive and earth friendly message. They use water based inks and they are grown and sewn in the good ol USA. Seeing the tiny baby clothes from Green Apple Baby really made me heartsick for another youngin. Like any other mom I suppose, I was enthralled with cute baby clothes but add organic, natural, earth friendly fibers and the wow factor is even greater.

I have a Green Apple Baby tee to giveaway, size 6-12 months. It says “I am a Genius” in green water based ink and it has their signature apple on it. It is perfect for baby boys and baby girls and has a lap shoulder neckline for easy dressing. It is made of soft, jersey knit and 100% organic cotton.

Another great company is Cool Green Attitudes. This company is great for older kids and they make a really great line of “cool” kids clothing with great messages of self worth. Not only are they organic cotton they have really neat messages like “I am Unique”, “I am Kind & Caring”, “I am Intelligent”, and “I Am Fair and Honest”. Just like adults do, children can suffer from negative thoughts about themselves, by accepting the negative opinions, fears and superstitions of others around them. These shirts are organic cotton Confidence t shirts, to encourage and enable children to affirm a positive sense of self and attitude.

They come in white, pink, and blue and they all have the Cool Green Attitudes signature green guy on them…”Buddy” The Organic Cotton Bud Man.

To give away I have a size 18 months, white tee that says “I am Infinate Potential”. I also have a pink 2T tee that says “I am Creative”.

Winners are

#10 Thea
#19 Karen
#58 Sap

When you made the decision to go green in your home and life wouldn’t it have been super helpful to have someone guide you step by step and tell you what you needed to do conserve energy, use less toxic products, and conserve for the sake of the planet? I think it would be awesome if you could just wish up a little green fairy to sprinkle your home with green fairy dust…easy peasy. But alas I don’t know any fairies…bummer.

The next best thing would have to be Green Irene, a trained and certified Eco-Consultant that will help you IMPLEMENT “green” solutions in your home immediately. No wondering if you are doing the right things or falling victim to greenwashing…they take the guesswork out of the process. They offer a green home makeover service that walks you through your home and step by step shows you how to conserve water, save energy, improve indoor air quality, recycle, and so much more. They also offer products or kits that get you started quickly. The $133 Water Conservation Kit for instance can ultimately save you over $4,200 in the next seven years while reducing your family’s Carbon Footprint. Their EZ Bulb SwapOut service will outfit your home with all new light bulbs of various kinds (like CFLs or LEDs) and you get to see what they look like before you commit.

Many want to do that right? We just may not know how to start or where to begin…Green Irene is a great option. You just contact them and they will set you up with a local consultant. I think it would be cool to give them a call just so I can see how I am doing. And if you are a green expert already you can also become an eco consultant for them after going through training. That would be a fun job. 

Fortunately for me we don’t have any family members that suffer from eczema but I certainly sympathize with those that do. It is basically is an allergic condition that affects the skin and can cause redness, skin edema (swelling), itching and dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. I can only imagine how awful it would be to have this or to have children plagued by it. I imagine that those parents try a range of different products to give their little ones relief and I also imagine that most of them do not have very safe or natural ingredients. Chemical ingredients could just further irritate the skin too. That is why I think parents might want to give exederm a try.

Exederm is made by a company that believes people with sensitive skin need products with less irritants… harsh chemicals, unnecessary additives and unproven herbal ingredients. Their product ingredient list has many highlights:

No Fragrance
No Color or Dyes
No Parabens
No Lanolin
No Sodium Laureth Sulfate
No Propylene Glycol
No Formaldehyde
No Phthalates

Wohoo! Their system revolves around 3 different products… the exederm flare control cream, intensive moisture cream, and the cleansing wash for sensitive skin. If you click on the link above you will see how their product ingredients compare to all the other leading eczema products.

So ready to give exederm a try? Also here is a coupon code for $5.00 off at exederm.com “Naturemoms1″.

Enjoy!
 

I am sure you have heard the buzz recently about over the counter medicines for kids. I have avoided them like the plague for several years but it seems more and more doctors, drug companies, and family groups are getting hip to this danger and they are urging the FDA to ban over the counter medicines for kids 4-6 and under…some groups want it to be 12 and under. My personal opinion is that these medications are just chemical cocktails that suppress symptoms or mask them. They have no healing values whatsoever. They “may” help to ease the symptoms of illness that make us uncomfortable but that does not outweigh the dangers in giving our kids nasty chemicals at a time when they are already weak and sick. I think these pharma medicines are just bad news and need to go away.

On the flip side there are numerous natural remedies that can help our little ones feel better when they are sick. I wrote about some of these here and here. I swear by Sambucol too.

Now there is a new option for parents…Sinupret Natural Sinus, Respiratory and Immune Support from Bionorica. It is a special blend of European Elder, Common Sorrel, Cowslip, European Vervain and Gentian that been used in European countries for decades and is just now becoming available to moms in the US. It has been the #1 most widely recommended, scientifically tested nasal and sinus support formula in Germany for children for more than 70 years. It provides sinus support and immune support as well. Incredibly they claim that there has never been one serious side effect reported from Sinupret for Kids and it’s efficacy is so well-documented that it is the most prescribed product by pediatricians in Europe. Our own Dr. Bob Sears recommends it and gives it to his own kids.

It is made with natural and safe ingredients, it has no stimulants, caffeine, ephedra or pseudoephedrine, and no history of dangerous side effects. It is recommended for children ages 2 and older and it is also available in adult strength as Sinupret Plus.

I recently got some of both to try but haven’t gotten to yet. I don’t think any of my kids have been sick in over a year. Perhaps this winter we will have the opportunity to check them out. I got the children’s formula and the adult formula in an adorable canvas, zippered bag that came with a coloring book and children’s binoculars. And thanks to the lovely people behind Sinupret I have some to give away! I have 10 super nice canvas bags with one sample size of Sinupret for Kids, one for adults, a coloring book and kids binoculars.

According to random.org the winners are:

10     84
57     53
12     31
38     92
6       39

Congrats!!!