The Honest Company

You haven't seen my face light up until you've seen a courier truck pull up to my house with a big blue box (and I know it's the Honest Company.) Okay, maybe you have if you've ever watched the Leafs win with me, or offered me a mug of chai.

It must have been over two years ago, maybe two and a half, that I got wind of a new venture Jessica Alba (yes, the celebrity) was beginning. She was already quite active in our little "eco-friendly moms" community, and with her talent and prominent position she was able to start her own line of diapers and wipes free of nasty chemicals and toxins. Along with the co-founder, Chris, the ensured that every product was kid-friendly and planet-friendly, but also affordable and super cute in design. As the company has grown (to training pants, cleaning products, beauty products and natural supplements) they have stayed committed to Earth-saving initiatives like recycling and ethical sourcing as well as philanthropic venues like donation to charity.

Oh and did I mention you can get their products for free?

Go to THIS LINK right now and you can have your first box sent to you at no charge (just shipping - it's like $6...) After that you'll be hooked. You can either choose a few things that you need or get bundles so that fresh new packs of diapers and wipes, and/or cleaning products, will arrive at your door monthly. (You can share in my joy of the big blue box.)

Here's a sampling of what we enjoyed this week. From left to right:

We use the Stain Remover spray both for clothes (hello, four month old baby...) and around the house (yes, our hockey games in the basement often lead to bleeding...) and it removes the stain and the odour. Love it. It's nice to have something safe for furniture and fabric that's effective and non-toxic. How gross is it to spray chemicals on your couch and then never wash them off? That stays here and you inhale it for weeks after. No fun.

The 4-in-1 laundry pods just go straight into the main "drum" of the washer and smell so good. We don't use any bleach or softener in addition to them. And we have pitch-white sheets on our bed so...

A little sampler pack there - some body wash, hand soap, moisturizer, all purpose spray and healing balm. These are amazing to throw in a purse.

We also got a pack of travel wipes.

Lastly, some cute size 2 diapers for Dakota and Oliver's first pack of training pants. He uses the toilet now like a champ but I still get nervous when he's in the car seat, in church, etc. He are easy up, easy down like underwear. He loves them.

Here's my big boy's booty all decked out in robots and fire trucks.

Here's my dolly's flower print diapers. My favourite are the cherries - I can't even bear to let her wear them!

For more info click the icon below.

What to Pack for a Natural Hospital Birth

Packing a hospital bag for birth can actually be super fun because it makes you realized that THIS IS HAPPENING. Even if you're planning a home birth it's good to have one of these on the ready. My bag is super no-frills because I know if there's anything extra I need or if something goes awry, someone will be able to pop over to my house and pick it up. The joys of living five minutes from my city's birthing hospital.

If you already know that you'll be in hospital for an extended stay, throw in more clothes, any hair and makeup stuff you might need, and a few sanitary pads.

1. Stuff for mama

I already know I'll have my phone on me no matter where we are. Just a given. Heck, I bring my phone in the bathroom with me when I shower. (You know, just in case there's a break in and I need to call 9-1-1 from the locked room!) This means I have insta-access to anyone I want to text, and some music. I suppose headphones would be a good idea, but hey - if you don't want to listen to my house, get out of my birthing room. I pack a tank top because I want to be comfortable but covered up enough that I can share my photos with my male friends. I choose one that can get a little wet if I don't pull it up high enough in the tub. I also pack shorts for if I decide to go for a little walk, or for if my dad decides to come say hi in the birthing room and I don't want to be butt-naked. The new undies, tights and sweater are for after, once I've showered and am ready to go home.

2. Stuff for babe

I'll have to go through the things I've saved of Oliver's and pick a suitable newborn outfit to bring along. Sorry babe - you'll be wearing a lot of hand-me-downs. I will also pack a hat. We'll need a thin blanket for swaddling and a thick warm one for placing over baby in the car seat between the hospital and the warm car. And of course a little pouch of newborn diapers and wipes.

3. Practical items

First and foremost, the only item that you will require if you want to take your baby home: a newborn car seat. I arrived at the hospital, for Oliver's birth, without it installed, so my dad and Cal's dad had the daunting task of doing that and they still laugh about it. Of course the most important item of all: your health insurance card! I have my number memorized in case I ever forget at appointments but likely in the moment my memory will be playing second fiddle to my birth-focus. I'll also bring a copy of my birth wish list - it's not too extensive this time but worth having around. Iphone photos are great but I'm definitely going to pack my digital camera for higher quality images and some video. Now I just need to make sure I charge it! Lastly, a stash of easy snacks and drinks.
I recommend:

• a tetra pack of coconut water (or a glass jar of homemade Labourade, see recipe)
• whole grain granola/ trail mix bars
• a pouch of all-natural fruit snacks (like the ones at Starbucks)
• brown rice crackers
• fruit leather
• kale chips
• unsweetened applesauce
• homemade all-natural sports "gel" (blend a few dates with agave nectar, sea salt and lemon zest!)
  
   

And that's that! Throw it all in a bag and let your partner or doula know where to find it when the time comes.

4 dates (I used dried dates, soaked for a few hours)
1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1 Tbsp lime zest
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dulse (I skipped this, since I didn’t have it)
Sea salt to taste
- See more at: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/thrive-energy-gel-recipe/#sthash.HRafLo6b.dpuf

My Toilet Training Tricks

Oh -- is this my first blog title with an alliteration? I must tell you, I'm totally tickled by the thought of it!

Here is the disclaimer: I write this post on "toilet training tricks" as a mom whose only son is still in diapers. So... I'm not an expert. But consider this: Oliver (age 1) knows when he needs to go to the bathroom, tells me, then uses it. Sometimes he's late or he is busy and then tells me after that he needs a new diaper, but... pretty good right? Some of his favourite words are "poop", "pee-pee", "potty" and "bum". He also adores waving good-bye to his pee and poo.

So my tips are these:

1. Figure out a spoken word, or a sign, for when your child pees and poops. They need to be able to notify you that it's time to go. They can't learn this early to go to the toilet and pull their own pants and diaper down.

2. Give them a non-candy reward. I absolutely refuse to go the way of Smarties for Oliver's toilet journey. We use 2 rewards: He gets to flush the toilet after (SO! FUN!) and he can call a family member, or tell someone who is at the house in person, that he pooped or peed. He loves this. We get my dad on speaker phone and he's like "BAPA! PEEPEE!" squealing and smiling like, well, a kid in a candy store.

And the final, and most important trick,

3. Make sure they can feel that they're wet/dirty. Modern disposable diapers pull all the wetness away from your child's skin so they aren't uncomfortable or at risk of a rash, however when you're beginning the toilet journey they are ready to feel that something yucky is in their diaper. We use Kushie's Organic flat diapers, which we fold ourselves and pin with a "Snappi". Snappis are amazing, it's like a pin without a pin -- you just clip it to one side, the other side, and then the bottom, and your flat cloth diaper will stay on. Ours is pretty thin so Ollie can feel it right away. We take care of the cloth diaper, sit him on the toilet, and get him to try again. If he goes, he flushes and is happy. If not, we simply leave and that's okay. Then we put on a fresh diaper. People typically use these thin flats with a cover, but if we're just playing in the backyard, he wears only that. I wouldn't recommend it for overnight.

Here's a video I made about how to use a cloth diaper with a Snappi:

Say No to Disposables!

Isn't it hilarious how many things are disposable now-a-days? Like somehow we think using something once immediately destines it for a landfill, and pronto! There are so many products that we can choose a reusable option beyond cloth diapers and diva cups.

Paper towel - For goodness sakes use a dish cloth. Someone needs to confirm for me that I'm using the correct term there because in my Euro-mennonite upbringing we used the german word - a "lapin". However you label it, this handy piece of cloth can wipe up messes in a snap, and *news flash* it's only a bacteria magnet if you let it be. Soak it in hot water, use some vinegar, run it through the laundry or dishwasher, or even microwave it for 30 seconds to get rid of microbes. And did you know you can knit/crochet a dish cloth?

Razors - Your legs may be important to you (hey I love me a good leg) but they don't merit a new hunk of plastic every 2 weeks. Purchasing a permanent shaver with a replaceable head is a great option - or go gentleman style and use a straight edge blade. (Replaceable heads on permanent handles are a great choice - see my post on Radius Toothbrushes!)

Styrofoam cups at parties - I do declare: your party guests can be trusted with glass drinking cups and ceramic coffee mugs. If they can't, pick some up at the dollar store and you can feel better about the ones that don't make it. And as for the dishes, isn't there always that sweet friend that asks if they can help clean up? If there isn't, get the dishwasher rippin' or fill a sink up gosh-darnit. Styrofoam is the worst!

Facial cleansing cloths, take out containers, grocery bags. I rest my case!

What disposable things do you choose reusable for?

Pregnancy Series: Diapers

Yesterday I had a baby shower and was overwhelmed by the amazing gifts. I always laugh at how some gifts make you so excited about your little one on the way (like the adjustable baby bath tub my sisters bought me) and how other gifts, although so welcomed and needed, scare the jeepers out of you (like bum wipes). There is just naturally a feeling of panic that comes over me - and likely most first time mom to be's - at the thought of diapering.

There are many options when it comes to diapering. We are so lucky compared to how things were when I was a newborn, and even more so compared to when my mom was a newborn. Here are some choices I've learned about:

1. The Diaper Free Baby
This is a pretty revolutionary idea that is actually a very old idea which involves studying your child's behaviour to understand when they need to eliminate. Then you bring them to a baby potty at the correct times, teaching them to use a toilet from a very early age. It's something that's a little too involved for me which a first baby, unless Calvin was really into the idea (I doubt it). I'd be very impressed by any mommas trying this and would love to hear about it more.

2. Disposable diapers
This category usually brings to mind Huggies and Pampers, and though they now undoubtedly offer eco-friendly options, there are other companies who truly care about the environment and your natural baby's health and have been producing eco-friendlier options, all along, exclusively. The diaper I'd recommend is sold at Quarter Master and is called Seventh Generation. These are chlorine-free and free of other yucky chemicals and are available in all sizes. I plan to keep some of these on hand for night time, traveling and when others are baby sitting.

3. Hybrids
There is also a brand called gDiapers making a reusable, cloth outer-diaper with disposable eco-friendly inner liners. The benefit of this is clear: fewer trips to the laundry room (if the outer portion is still clean you can continue using it with a fresh liner) and all the convenience of simply chucking the soiled part of your baby's diaper. This would be a good fit for a mom transitioning to reusables.

4. Cloth Diapers
Cloth diapers have been the go-to system for many years and in a way I wish things had never changed. Back then, women used huge rectangular or square pieces of thin cloth to fold up these origami-like diapers for their babies to wear - sometimes using differing folding methods based on where the most coverage would be needed (middle for girls, front for boys). I can say I'm a pretty mean old-style cloth diaper folder, but the thought of doing this how-many-times a day (wait - don't tell me how many) is disenchanting. Now-a-days there are easier options. Some companies like Bummis and bumGenius are making gorgeous and easy cloth diapers that feature a stylish outer piece with a simple foldable insert that can also be customized for gender. Most of these diapers are conveniently one-size-fits-all, with snaps or velcro helping you go from newborn to toddler. Keep in mind snaps wash nicely and last a long time but velcro offers unlimited size options.


*If you think the idea of scraping off poop (that could be anywhere from liquid to rock solid) into the toilet and then washing the diapers is gross consider a cloth diapering service. Try http://www.cheerfulcheeks.com/ For a reasonable flat rate they will supply you with unlimited diapers and wipes and all you need to do is leave the soiled ones on your porch once a week in a bag, and they'll replace that bag with fresh ones. If you can handle the smell of baby poop for up to seven days, or have a nice expensive diaper bin for storage, it would be the easiest way to go!

5. Bamboo Diapers
Lastly, another reusables option. I was told that bamboo-based diapers better absorb liquids away from your child's body so that there is less risk of rash. I really hope to get some of these soon!

No matter what remember that what's best for the planet is most likely what's best for our baby so if you have the time and patience make an eco-friendly choice when it comes to diapering.