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BabyBam Collection
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Monster Spray the Eco Friendly Way
July 29, 2009So my six year old has been afraid of monsters since he was 3...at the time I remembered reading somewhere to put some water in a spray bottle and call it "monster Juice"...so I did.....I decorated the bottle with a big ol scarey monster and put a circle with a line through it and proudly presented it to my son. Well, it did the trick! We sprayed the anti monster juice every night and viola! no more monster jitters....he is now 6 and while we don't use the spray every night, he still asks for it on occasion. So when I ran across this article on Green Diva Mom I had to smile.....while I wasn't as savvy with my monster juice with my 6 year old at the time, I am keeping this bookmarked for when my second son who is now 3 yrs old asks for the "Monster Juice"
Enjoy!
Posted by Danielle Downs on Jun.03, 2009
The best instrument in a Green Diva Mom toolbox is a schedule. Having a set bedtime with a routine the whole family participates in is the best assurance of an uneventful night. But, even the best schedules are interrupted by life.
No matter what ages the children or grown-ups in your household are, everyone has a rough night every now and then. Getting the frightened dreamer back to sleep is goal number one for a happy morning. Here are some tips and tricks for navigating back to dreamland. Sleeplessness is often caused by anxiety. Simply talking to your child about ideas he or she had about the day, what was learned in school, or interactions with friends and siblings can set the stage for your child to express the causes of anxiety and deal with them before sleep is interrupted. Bedtime talks and story-telling provide a relaxed environment for your child to release worries.
If your family consumes dairy products, tryptophan in milk can help induce sleepiness. If your child tries to delay the bedtime routine with, “But I’m hungry,” a glass of milk is a perfect solution.
Melatonin supplements should not be used for children unless under the careful supervision of a specialist. This naturally occurring biochemical can spur extremely vivid dreams. Supplements that react in the brain are not recommended for children.
Aromatherapy is perfect for children. It may even help ease the family dog’s restlessness. Making an aromatic therapy with your children is a great way to make the “cure” more potent. Chances are they will be so proud of the creation of the monster spray, they’ll be ready to jump in bed to show you just how well the magic potion worked.
Monster Spray
12 ounces water, filtered is always best (monsters hate getting wet)
1 one-inch strip of lemon peel
2 tablespoons chamomile flowers
1 teaspoon marjoram
Bring to a simmer covered for 5 minutes. Let stand covered to cool. This can cool on the stove over night to banish monsters from the whole house.
Strain the liquid and pour into a 16 oz spray bottle. Wash and re-use a veggie wash or other non-toxic cleaning product bottle to be extra green! Make sure to wash it very very well.
Drop in
½ ounce lavender oil
¼ ounce bergamot oil
3 drops natural liquid soap (Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby soap works well)
Tighten cap and shake well. Monsters will run at the sound of the shaking. Spray in closets, on bedding, under beds, on pillow cases, or any surface that needs protection. This spray is also extremely effective for pets afraid of thunder storms.
Biochemic Phosphates
These tablets are made from a blend of mineral salts, also called cell salts. The tablets can be purchased at most natural products stores. The blends vary by manufacturer but most contain a combination of calcium phosphate, iron phosphate, potassium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, and phosphate of soda. This remedy is not homeopathic because it does not rely on the “like cures like” philosophy. Instead, these salts act with inorganic salts naturally occurring in the body to stimulate a nervous response. Biochemic Phosphates are ideal for nervous exhaustion, insomnia, anxiety, and nervous conditions of all sorts. -
Overhaul!!!
May 19, 2009I am soo excited! My blog is getting redisigned!! I really dislike the stuffy old man feel of this blog that is supposed to be green, baby, cute, chic, etc...and it shows because I never update!! I am also going to branch out and some of my posts will be about various baby, kid, mom issues!! Yippeee!!! Stay tuned as we revamp, restyle and recreate the blog!!!
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Got the sniffles? Kids Sick?
February 24, 2009It is that time of year again when the colds, flu, and runny noses are in full force! We go through tissues in my house like crazy...I think I keep a box in every room so I never have to travel far to wipe a nose! Did you know there are recycled tissues out there you can use...yes, they are not quite as soft but if every U.S. household opted for a box of 100% recycled tissue instead of a box of virgin-fiber tissues, we'd conserve 163,000 trees! Okay that's a lot of trees for one box think of how many trees would thank us for all the boxes we go through each winter! Also most tissue paper's bleached with chlorine, which can combine with chems and gases in nature to form harmful toxins, so look for chlorine-free or oxygen-bleached.
Ideal Bite has done a great tissue test and come up with the winners of the best recycled tissues! Be sure to stop by their site to find the winners.
So next time you grab that tissue to wipe a nose, hopefully the trees will be thanking you... -
Save Money Stay Chic
January 9, 2009So I found this great blog and while it encompasses a little of everything not just eco-friendly I thought it was fabulous...many of us have tightened our wallets this year and some since starting families and want to know where to find good deals...well look no further. Check out Thrify and Chic Mom for all the best deals
I promise these deals are great and you will still look and feel wonderful with them! -
Savor the Success
January 6, 2009
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Holidays and the Environment
November 19, 2008SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Did you know that between November and January of every year, the US puts 25 million extra pounds of garbage into landfills nationwide? In that extra weight you can find 38,000 miles of ribbon alone - enough material to extend around the planet. You will also find the majority of the 28 billion pounds of edible food thrown out annually.
Source: Ohio EPA and California Integrated Waste Management Board
Please please please, try to use newspapers or recycled wrapping paper and make sure to put all of yours in the recycle bin NOT the trash bin!! -
Green Baby Giggles
November 18, 2008We often get requests from blogs to review our products...some are baby specific, some are all things kids, some are great mommy finds....Green Baby Giggles is all things "green" and eco-friendly for baby! It is a wonderful site with great resources for those of you with little ones at home that are looking for healthy alternatives to the common brands!
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Save some Gas this Halloween
October 21, 2008I know, I know, it's cold, dark, can be a long drawn out affair and is so much easier by car, but really why not try to save some gas this year and walk with your little trick or treaters?!?
Besides it's fun to hear what the neighbors think of their costumes not to mention see their little faces light up as the candy is dumped into their bags!
Oh, and the extra calories you'll burn will help offset those little pieces of goodies you steal from the trick or treat stash!!
So bundle up, or dress up for that matter and walk this halloween! -
Autumn Leaves
October 14, 2008Please, please don't burn your leaves. I know many of you want your yard to look nice an neat, but there are other alternatives to burning.
You should know that because of the moisture that is usually trapped within leaves, they tend to burn slowly and thus generate large amounts of airborne particulates—fine bits of dust, soot and other solid materials. According to Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources, these particulates can reach deep into lung tissue and cause coughing, wheezing, chest pain, shortness of breath and sometimes long-term respiratory problems. Leaf smoke may also contain hazardous chemicals such as carbon monoxide, which can bind with hemoglobin in the bloodstream and reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood and lungs. Another noxious chemical commonly present in leaf smoke is benzo(a)pyrene, which has been shown to cause cancer in animals and is believed to be a major factor in lung cancer caused by cigarette smoke. And while breathing in leaf smoke can irritate the eyes, nose and throat of healthy adults, it can really wreak havoc on small children, the elderly and people with asthma or other lung or heart diseases.
So why not try mulching them instead:
Another option is to shred leaves for use as mulch for your lawn or to help protect garden and landscape plants. Lerner suggests adding no more than a two-to-three-inch layer of leaves around actively growing plants, chopping or shredding the leaves first so they don’t matt down and prevent air from reaching roots.
As to using leaves as mulch for your lawn, it is just a simple matter of mowing right over the leaves with the lawnmower and leaving them there. As with leaves used for garden mulch, this will provide many benefits, including weed suppression, moisture conservation and moderation of soil temperature.
And for that matter, add some laughter to your family time and rake them into a big pile and jump away!! -
Fair Trade and Halloween
October 10, 2008Want to give out more this halloween besides candy? How about knowlegde! The Global Exchange Fair Trade online store is suggesting a Reverse Trick to Treat to help the crisis the Cocoa Farmers face! You can visit their site to download flyers to put in trick or treat bags, order fair trade chocolates to hand out, or even order the Fair Trade Halloween Kit!
Maybe at least one parent checking their child's bag for suspicious treats will become enlightened!! -
An eco-friendly day at the beach
July 18, 2008With summer upon us and the heat slowly climbing, many families are headed to the beach .If you are feeling guilty about the plastic toys you usually tote along then, Green Toys has some awesome eco-frienldy alternatives. Their toys are "Made in the USA from 100% recycled milk jugs, contain no BPA or Phthalates, and are way good for the earth!" They have a darling 4 piece Sand Play Set that is ideal for your lazy hazy summer beach days!!
Now if we could just figure out how to get there witout burning all that gas! -
Ways to Beat the Summer Heat and save on energy
July 8, 2008The Co-Op of America is a wonderful resource for those of us wanting to help Mother Earth....they have great information! For example, I just received their newsletter, titled, 22 Steps Toward Energy Efficiency! WOW!! 22 STEPS!! This is great if you are not sure where to begin or what helps the most.
According to their site:
Here's how to save energy and money. Go for a big, but doable goal – 10% energy saved per year over the next five years – 50% in five years!
For the average household, 10% per year energy savings is only about 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of energy/year. Here's how doable that is:
Many families could achieve the first 1,000 kwh/year of savings by washing clothes in cold water (770 kwh/yr); placing several major electronics, such as video and stereo systems, on a surge protector that can be switched off (47kwh/year); and brushing of their refrigerator's condenser coils twice a year (392 kwh/year).
Many families could get another 1,000 kwh/year reduction by replacing half of their incandescent lighting with compact fluorescents (440kwh/year), letting the dishes in the dishwasher air dry (404kwh/year), and enabling the "sleep" function on their computer and printer to go on after five minutes of non-use (259kwh/year).
If you would like to know all 22 steps to make this happen, follow this link! -
Checklist for "greening" your baby
June 24, 2008As I mentioned the website Simple Steps is a great resource for starting small in the life of being green. From their site here is a checklist of some things to think about before baby makes his/her grand apperance!
SLEEPING:
make sure you have the following:
crib
mattress
2+ fitted and flat sheets
2+ crib blankets
room thermometer
and here is a TIP:
Crib mattresses made from
natural materials offer a healthy
and safer start for your baby.
Many conventional mattresses today
use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as the
mattress cover and polyurethane
foam treated with flame retardants as
the filling material. These materials
have been shown to release harmful
chemicals such as pthalates, which
interfere with testosterone and
can cause abnormalities in male
reproductive development. So choose
a crib and a crib mattress made from
all natural materials.
FEEDING:
6-8 glass or plastic bottles
diaper bag
nursing bras
breast pump and pads if
breastfeeding
TIP:
Clear plastic baby bottles
are usually made from
polycarbonate, a plastic that
can leach a dangerous toxic called
bisphenol-A into the liquids in the
bottle when heated, particularly from
older, worn or scratched bottles.
Bisphenol-A is a suspected endocrine
disruptor that can interfere with the
development of your baby. To protect
your baby from this environmental
health hazard, choose baby bottles
and spill-proof cups made of glass
or polyethylene (#1, #2, #4 recycling
symbols) or polypropylene (#5). -
Wishing upon a star.......
June 19, 2008Since I have two boys, I am always wishing for a little girl....therefore I seem to be drawn to little girl items...a friend of mine, makes the most darling baby jewelery...her company Baby Emi is featured in the same Jewels and Pinstripes Celebrity Baby Bags that BabyBam Collection can be found in! She has so many amazing designs, I just couldn't choose.....probably a good thing I have boys, or not, because she also has the most wonderful precious metals collection...if I never get my girl, at least I know my wish for one of these simply wonderful necklaces will come true! Do stop by her site.......you'll fall in love!
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Green Washing
June 16, 2008So it seems with all the new talk of green, a lot of people are getting confused. As if there is not enough to think about these days!! To help you understand and find a place to begin, after all, there are so many green options today, check out the website Simple Steps....which is just that, simple steps to a greener, and less confusing life!!
Enjoy, -
Great Green Father's Day Gifts
June 4, 2008Every year I struggled with gift ideas for my dad, and now I am struggling for gift ideas for my dad and my husband! Two men who seem to have everything......
Here are some "green" ideas for those of you who are struggling like me:
For the dad who likes to grill and watch football: Check out grassfed beef burgers, which are lower in saturated fats, and because they're organic too there's no risk of mad cow disease from conventional feed. Look for them at www.diamondorganics.com And for an organic beer, check out St. Peter's English Ale or Old Style Porter, Butte Creek Organic IPA, or Samuel Smith Organic Lager from Portland, Oregon's Belmont Station www.belmont-station.com
For the Golfer in your life: Eco Golf Balls....not too worry if you are always hitting the water instead of the green www.ecogolfballs.com and tee off using Eco Tee at www.ecogolf.com
And for the computer gadget lover in your life: A solar-powered charger for all your on-the-go gadgets. It’s called the Solio, it can plug into practically anything that needs charging and well, how much more do you need to know?
And for the workaholic: Check out Pristine Planet for everything from hemp wallets and ties to eco-friendly shaving sets!
And of course there is nothing wrong with breakfast in bed! (Just remember to compost all the leftovers!) -
Good Earth Friendly Books
May 22, 2008I LOVE to read....give me a good book and you won't hear a peep out of me for hours! Therefore, I feel it is essential to read to our children especially in today's I want it now, rush, rush society! Here are two good books with an eco-friendly theme. These books are appropriate for ages K-3!
ADVENTURES OF RILEY--DOLPHINS IN DANGER
by Amanda Lumry
Join Riley as he and his family take a trip to the South Pacific island of Moorea. Once there, they meet Dr. Poole, a marine biologist. Together they set out to help free the dolphins who are trapped in one of the island's lagoons.
THE LORAX
by Dr. Suess
Whatever is a Lorax? The Lorax is one who speaks for the trees and he is determined to try and stop the Oncler from cutting down all the Truffals trees. There are a few books that capture the importance of protecting the world's precious resources-an all-time classic children's book. -
Green Baby Expo
May 18, 2008
For all of your earth conscious mom's who live in California, put the Green Baby Expo on your calenders for June 21, 2008! This event is a must for all of you looking for everything GREEN for your baby or soon to be grandbaby, niece or nephew! Not only will they have many exhibitors, but lots of fun activites as well such as, face painting, balloon animals, and fashion shows. It should be an all around fun day in Chico!
P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for our line at the show! -
Diapers, Diapers, Diapers
May 15, 2008So you've gotten the positive EPT, you've made your first doctor appointment, you've decided upon an eco-friendly nursery, and you've decided to use eco-friendly diapers...WHEW!! That was alot, well you thought that was alot until you started researching and found out there are a TON of options! If you live in the Boston area, help is here!
There is a wonderful new company, Diaper Lab, that is taking out the worry and stress for new mom's when it comes to eco-friendly diapering. According to their site, "Diaper Lab specializes in cloth diapering, environmentally friendly diaper bags, and organic infant clothing. Our principal focus is to help Boston-area families make informed choices when choosing a diapering solution for their baby. Through a one-on-one consultation, we provide you local access to a wide variety of cloth diapering products. The cloth diapering solution you choose should fit your baby and your lifestyle!"
And if you live further away, not to worry, Diaper Lab is opening an online store for convient shopping and has an great page full of cloth diapering information!!
Ahhh, the resources mom's have today!! -
Angelic Indulgence website
May 13, 2008Through launching my business I have met many like minded people, some of whom have given BabyBam Collection glowing reviews! They too have wonderful site and very informative articles which I feel we all can learn something from. Anglea, who reviewed my products for TBS A Movie and a Makeover, has been writing wellness articles for years and she now has her own site, Angelic Indulgence, loaded with top notch information! Please make sure you stop by and read some of her words of wisdom!
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Picnic Perfect Plastics
May 12, 2008Ahh, it's getting to be picnic weather! Some of you may even have gone on a picnic for Mother's Day. You remembered the sun screen, insect spray and food, but did you remember the plastics that are better for your heatlh and environment?
The Green Guide recommends choosing better plastics this way:
Check recycling codes on the bottoms of containers.
WORST
#3 Vinyl or PVC which releases carcinogenic dioxins into the environment and can leach hormone disrupting phthalate plasticizers.
#6 PS used in coffee cups and take-out containers, can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen.
Under BETTER you will find, #1, and #7
And for the BEST choice, platics that have NOT BEEN shown to leach carcinogens or endocrine disrupters:
#2 HDPE durable and widely recyclable
#4 LDPE used in some food wraps and sandwich bags
#5 PP is popular in reusable containers, though not frequently recycled
Other things to remember:
Avoid leaving water in any plastic bottle in the heat
Hand wash reusable bottles gently
Don't reuse PET bottles
Fill reusable bottles with your own tap water, filtered if necessary
Keep in mind every little bit helps and try not to feel overwhelmed, after all a picnic is supposed to be fun!! -
BPA Frenzy
May 8, 2008So if you've had any time between changing diapers and feeding to watch the news or read the paper you know that the WSJ reported that that the US Congress requested the FDA to reconsider their position on BPA and the Canadian Government became the first country to ban BPA from use in baby bottles.
Some manufacturer's like Playtex are trying to inform consumers and even giving away BPA-Free bottles!
And if you don't want to wait for a free bottle, please remember companies like Born-Free and Boon were way ahead of the game and already have BPA-Free bottles available for purchase!! -
BabyBam Collection in Celebrity Gift Bags
May 1, 2008
We have been very busy here at BabyBam Collection and have some exciting things going on. Recently we were selected to be included in Jewels and Pinstripes Celebrity BUMP and Baby Bags! This is very thrilling for us as we are able to get our bamboo baby clothing directly into the hands of celebrity moms!
Jewels and Pinstripes are very well known for their awesome celebrity bags and have been featured in People, US Weekley and Parenting Magazine to name a few!
So keep your eyes peeled for a celebrity baby all decked out in BabyBam Collection! -
Eco-Friendly Teething
March 30, 2008So I'm past the infant teething.....the bouts of crying and long nights and into the toddler teething....the bouts of crying and long nights! LOL!!
Did you know that while many teethers found at stores are labled non-toxic, they actually have not been proven safe! For a safe, homemade alternative, you can take an eco-friendly washcloth, our bamboo one is ideal, wet it and then freeze it. After it is frozen let baby suck on it. The colness numbs the pain and it provides just the right amount of pressure..ah, relief!
For those of you who are shopping for gifts, check out Ecotoytown's Organic Cotton teethers! -
Born Green Giveaway
March 27, 2008If you love our products, and would like a chance to win them, please check out Baby Buy Products: Born Green Giveaway They are giving away some AWESOME green items! But hurry the entry deadline is March 28th!!
