Category Archives: Products

Ask Holly: What is the Best Organic Crib or Toddler Mattress?

Hello,
I am ready to move my baby from her bassinet into a crib and I want to buy the best (but affordable) organic mattress. I know you do a lot of research before you purchase anything- do you have any suggestions?

Benji R.
Los Angeles, CA

Hi Benji!
I am always so amazed at how often a question will pop into my inbox about something I have very recently researched to death and made a decision about.

Just last week we bought a new mattress for our 2 and a half year old who has slept with us up until now. We decided not to buy a crib because we knew we wouldn’t use it, but we did have a Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper which I highly recommend.

He reached a point where it just seemed clear that he wanted his own sleeping space, but not necessarily in his own room. Combined with the fact that we will soon have a newborn in our bed, we knew it was time to get him his own mattress.

You’re right- I did tons and tons of research, discovered that there are even more green-washers out there now than there were three years ago when I was looking for an organic mattress for our Co-Sleeper . Disheartening, yes, but once again this gives me the opportunity to “vote with my dollar.”

I found a great mattress, and it is the only one endorsed by Healthy Child, Healthy World.

Naturepedic Dual Firmness Organic Cotton Classic Crib/Toddler Mattress – Seamless

It’s made in the USA and doesn’t contain cancer causing fire retardants or other toxic chemicals. It also has a firm side for the crib, a softer side for your toddler and fits both crib and toddler beds.

So one could potentially get 4-5 years out of this mattress. Considering your child will spend 10-14 hours a day on this, while NOT breathing in an harmful substances, I find the $300 price tag to be quite a bargain.

My child’s health is worth any amount of money I have.

Products, Recommendations

PVC and Phthalate Free Rainboots

Holly 2 Comments

Something that really bothers me is the smell of off-gassing from all things plastic. And it should- that smell means harmful chemicals are in the air we are breathing. Nasty, cancer causing, hormone disrupting chemicals.

When I was recently shopping for rainboots for my toddler, the thought didn’t even occur to me that I could find galoshes that were made free of PVC, BPA and phthalates- the three biggest offenders in plastic.

So imagine my surprise when I found some simple, soft, comfortable rain boots for my son with a label that read, “PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC) is a hard plastic that requires harsh chemical softeners for use in products like raincoats. In 2003 we discovered that these softeners, called phthalates, were shown to disrupt reproductive functions and cause other developmental problems, so all of our products are PVC-free, including our raincoats, rain ponchos, rain boots, umbrellas and other items. We use no PVC, phthalates, BPA or any other known toxin in any of our products.”

and also: “MADE IN THE USA”

Yippee!!! He was so happy to be able to splash and jump in every puddle he saw, no matter how big or how tiny.

Aaah the little things in life. Non-toxic rain boots and a happy child singing in the rain.

Products, Recommendations, Travel

Traveling Veggies

Holly Leave a comment

I just returned home from a three week trip, and as we all know, traveling with a toddler can be a challenge. I’ve posted tips and tricks for traveling before, but this time I realized one of the hardest parts of being on the road is getting fresh vegetables in my toddler’s diet.

Out of our normal routine, it was difficult to find the kinds he likes at restaurants steamed to perfection or not doused in salt and who knows what else. I also had access to a kitchen, but we were so “on-the-go” that trying to prepare his food while managing him seemed daunting.

He also decided on this trip that he looooooves chocolate milk, and was asking for it non stop.

I found the perfect solution to both problems! Enter Amazing Grass .

From their website:
Amazing Grass produces premium quality, organic Green SuperFoods for the entire family. Amazing Grass products provide essential fruit and vegetable nutrition the way Mother Nature intended…organic, raw and delicious. Amazing Grass products are gluten free, vegan and rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. With several great flavor options to choose from, Amazing Grass makes it easier for our customers to reach their daily quota of 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables.

I bought him the Kidz Superfood Chocolate Flavor and he LOVED it. I served it to him in the morning (just add water or milk to a scoop of it!) and relaxed the rest of the day if his diet was less than stellar. No kitchen or special utensils necessary- just a cup (with a lid and straw) and water! It also come in convenient travel packets.

I love these kind of breakthroughs!

And this is how we kept him happy on our flight home:

It’s all about balance!

Products, Websites

Tea Collection

Holly Leave a comment

My favorite baby and toddler clothing is from Tea Collection. Ever since I received the first kimono style onesie for my newborn, I’ve been hooked.

And the article of clothing that gets the most compliments my son wears are these very handsome pin striped pants. He wears them all the time, and they are super soft and comfortable.

Lately I’ve gotten more inquiries than normal, so I wanted to let you all know Tea Collection is offering free shipping on Thursday and Friday!

Happy Shopping!

Products, Reviews

Wrap-N-Mat

Holly 1 Comment

Back to school time! Unless your child goes to one of those schools with the amazing school lunch program, he’ll be better off with a homemade lunch from you. There is a lot of waste to be made with all of those plastic baggies, but there is a solution!

I recently received a Wrap-N-Mat sandwich wrap and snack pouch and they are such great products!

My son is not in school yet, but we still have picnics in the park and lunch on-the-go, and these mats are great. They wrap up the food nicely, and also serve as a place mat (with fun designs your child will love!) while you’re eating.

From the website:
“The environmentally-friendly re-usable Wraps and Pouches also serve as a place mat providing a clean eating surface anywhere!

The WRAP-N-MAT® Wraps and Snack Pouches were developed and patented with a plastic liner that cleans up completely without any fabric weave or pores that can harvest bacteria.

Unlike a bag, our WRAP-N-MAT® Wraps and Snack Pouches do not need to be inverted to be cleaned but rather lay flat to clean easily.
Say good-bye to wasteful plastic sandwich bags and hello to saving money and the planet.”

For more information, please visit Wrap-N-Mat.

Think about all of the plastic you can avoid by using these pouches!