Category Archives: Recommendations

Giveaways, Products, Recommendations, Resources, Websites

EcoMom Review and Giveaway!

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Since becoming pregnant I discovered that wanting what’s best for my child and thereby strictly buying natural skincare, organic clothing and safe toys is definitely an expensive venture. In this world of big box stores it’s tempting to throw in the towel and just go conventional. Do you feel the same way?

Great news- you don’t have to! There is an e-commerce store that is the answer to all of our econo-woes. Eco-friendly Baby Products – EcoMom. This fabulous site is one-stop-shop for all things healthy and green, and offers everything from natural make-up and skincare to baby food, organic clothing and safe toys: It truly is what we’ve been waiting for. A place where we can find products during pregnancy and keep going back even after the toddler days are over, because they have products for school aged children too. The best part is that we don’t have to do our own research for the safety or true “green-ness” of anything they offer- all of their products go through a rigorous evaluation that is based on criteria they developed in conjunction with Healthy Child Healthy World.  EcoMom has also added to that criteria to take into consideration usefulness and price.

I encourage you to check it out!  Between now and June 30, 2010, they are offering Integrative Mom readers a 15% discount off of your first order- use discount code SBBL320 at checkout.  They also have a new program called EcoPass which is a $99 annual membership, which provides a 15% discount aon every order, as well as free shipping without the usual $75 minimum requirement.

EcoMom recently sent me a few items to review, and to give you an idea of the range of products on their site, these items made a recent visit to the playground complete.

What do we usually take when we venture to play?
Water, snacks and toys.  EcoMom sent me a Green Toys Recycle Truck, a Ecousable Stainless Steel Water Bottle, and $20 worth of organic baby food and snacks from Plum Baby and Revolution foods.

I have had a stainless steel water bottle for my son since he was 6 months old, but he’s never been that excited by the plain solid color of it and I think it might be too heavy for him. When he saw the Dino Water Bottle sitting on the table, he ran up to it saying his name over and over again desperately trying to reach it. He loves the bright orange and colorful dinos, and after I filled it with water he was so pleased and happily sipped away. It also has a hook so I can conveniently clip it to the diaper bag, and seems lighter than the other one he has. This is definitely our new favorite.

As for the green recycle truck, I can’t say enough good things about it. (I never imagined I’d get as excited as I do about toys for boys!) It feels sturdy, and proved to be as it held up when my son tried to ride around on it. I feel good knowing it’s made from recycled milk jugs, and it doesn’t look cheap, like most plastic toys do. He LOVES sorting all kinds of things in the 6 different recycling slots, and I know this is planting seeds for his green future. (He already helps his Dad bag up the recycling every night and puts it outside for the trash man to collect- playing with the truck reinforces this!)

The food and snacks are great- I  previously reviewed Plum Organics here.

GIVEAWAY!

I’m excited to announce that EcoMom has offered 2 giveaways to lucky readers of Integrative Mom.

One winner will receive the Recycle Truck and Ecousable Water Bottle, and one will receive $20 worth of baby food from Plum Organics and Revolution Foods!

HOW TO ENTER:

Simply leave a comment on this post!

For additional entries, do any of the following and then come back to this post and leave a comment telling me you did:

Just remember to come back and leave a separate comment for each one you do, and each comment will count as an entry. This giveaway is open to US shipping addresses and will close on Friday, June 4th. Random.org will choose the winners, and I will announce them on Saturday, June 5th.

Good luck, and tell your friends by using the Share This tab below!

Prevention, Products, Recommendations

Mother’s Day Gift Idea

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You might want to pass this post along to the one who will be buying you a gift…I’ve decided all moms, especially ones with newborns, need a Kindle- the Amazon book reader.

There are 2 main reasons for this:

1. When my new baby napped in my arms is when I finally had the time to read The Baby Book and The No Cry Sleep Solution, and all the rest of my untouched books on my nightstand…but after I figured out how to balance those huge books on my lap without disturbing baby,  inevitably the minute I would turn the page the crackling noise of the paper would wake him.  How was I ever going to learn how to put him down to sleep if I couldn’t get past the first page of the book without waking him? Even when I discovered the quietest way to turn the page, the awkward way I had to position my arms and crane my neck left me uncomfortable and hardly able to focus on my reading material. The Kindle changed things- the pages turn with the silent press of a button, and it weighs next to nothing. (Also a plus, since you can throw it in your diaper bag without taking up precious space.)

2. It holds over a thousand books. This is important because as you’ll soon see your bookshelf will be completely taken over and crowded out by copies of Happy Baby: 123, Dinosaur Roar, etc etc etc…so you’ll have no room for books of your own- problem solved with your new digital book!

You can also adjust the font size if you’re reading in a dimly lit room- key during naptime…

I was a reluctant convert, because I LOVE books so much, specifically the physicality of them. I thought a digital reader would somehow take away the magic…but there were books I wanted to read, and it doesn’t matter how much I love them if I never have a chance to read! My husband, knowing I was on the fence about it, bought me a Kindle as a gift so I had to try it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, how “real book” it seemed, and how much reading I actually got to do!

You can also subscribe to the Integrative Mom blog on your Kindle, and every time I post something new, you can read it there!

Products, Recommendations

Sprout Organic Baby Food

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Has your baby tried Sprout Organic Baby Food?  If not, he should.  This might very well be the best tasting baby food on the market.  (Yes, I try them all personally to taste what baby is eating!)  My son, who never really likes any commercially prepared baby food, loves Sprout.  This is the only kind he will actually finish a whole serving of, then ask for more.

Sprout comes in many exciting flavor combinations created by celebrity chef Tyler Florence.  Our favorites are: Peach Rice Pudding, Pasta with Lentil Bolognese, Roasted Pears & Apricots, and Baked Sweet Potatoes & White Bean.

Baby loves Sprout, it’s made of a variety of healthy foods, and it’s 100% organic!  What more could you ask for?