My Organic Baby Mattress

I forgot to finish my organic mattress series and explain what I did find in the end of all my searching for a safe and organic mattress. Oops! 

I am not endorsing exclusively any of the following (and have not been paid by any company), but these are the purchases we ended up making when trying to find safe organic alternatives for our baby's crib.

My Organic Baby Mattress

After a long online search for a safe, organic and non chemical mattress, I decided on buying one from Ecobaby. Their mattress is made with a soft organic cotton ticking (outside fabric), lovely! and filled with organic wool batting, which is Naturally fire retardant, no chemicals here!) with spring coils. I also opted for the toddler clip edging, which allows my baby to use it into his toddler to child years, nice! And a bonus is that they are made right here in the U.S.!

This is the exact one I purchased-
The Apollo 260 coil crib with clips

I didn't order directly from them, but now I would encourage anyone to do so, as I had quite a delay from the web company I did order from. The mattresses are shipped directly from the Pure Rest/ Eco Baby company. (They were very nice when I contacted them regarding the other company I dealt with, I won't mention names..)

Waterproof Mattress Covers..I mean Wool Puddle Pads

 

After we received the mattress I started looking into waterproofing alternatives to those plastic lined covers, yuck! Even some of the companies said organic cotton covers but lined them in plastic, what's the point!? Luckily,  I found a wool puddle pad alternative for waterproofing! Yeah!  It's basically a nice felted piece of wool that you lay on top of the mattress and under the sheet. It works great and no chemicals or plastic coatings!

I purchased one on Etsy, but there are many companies that sell others online, although Etsy had the best price, I'd say (: The one I purchased was the exact size of the mattress. You can also get smaller sizes to use for changing areas, under car seats and other areas you may need them,. They are easily washed with a wool wash that you can find many places online. ( I also use it for his wool diaper covers)

Here are some examples of various wool puddle pads for sale on Etsy.

Organic Cotton Sheets

You can also find organic cotton sheets on many websites, I ended up buying some velour knit (so soft!) and 2 flannel sheets to interchange. I have found I change them more often when he is drool/teething and less when not, so I'd recommend having 3 sheets. That way you can wash and change easily.

I ended up purchasing some on Diapers.com. You can also find handmade ones on Etsy.com.

Overall

The search was frustrating but I now feel confident, as my little 10 month old sleeps with his face smushed on the natural mattress every night, that he's not breathing in any chemicals, sucking on flame retardants or laying on plastic. Yes they are more expensive than plastic mattresses and we had to save to get these items, we basically didn't splurge on anything but his mattress. It was a hard decision to do it, but it was definitely worth it.

All of these items are safe and of heirloom quality that can be passed down or reused for a nice daybed after your child is bigger or resold very easily. It's a great purchase for your child's health and well being and we are very happy with our purchase.

I hope my journey can help you in your decision to buy organic for your baby's crib!

What's in your canned goods?

Since I've had a baby, my husband and I have been learning all about what's in everything and we've found some surprising and disturbing issues especially with food. One in particular is with BPA, or Bisphenol A. You may know it from hearing about Baby bottle issues with BPA. Now every bottle is labelled BPA free, and that's a great thing. What you may not know is that BPA is still used and widely in many products.

BPA is controversial because it mimics hormone-like properties when used, affecting the endocrine system. It can also affect neurological, thyroid, heart issues and possibly be linked to cancer . Take a look at the FDAs page on public health effects of BPA.... And some how it is still used in polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins used in almost all can linings and has been found in some paper products you may use. that's pretty frightening!

Wikipedia has an amazing in depth look into BPA, please take a look to understand the history and a more well rounded idea of what it can cause.

So you figure since it has been shown to cause issues, it shouldn't be used right? Especially if you are a breastfeeding woman eating canned goods, you can transfer it to your infant, who is most at risk for hormonal issues with this chemical. Baby bottles aren't the only container to change...

 

What is shocking, is that most companies have not tried to stop using BPA in their canned linings..well no one advertising themselves as BPA-free except ONE, who uses a vegetable based enamel material to safely line their cans, Eden Foods! You can read more about how they came to that decision and why on their website. If this concerns you at all, please support them in their thoughtful change and purchase their canned goods instead.

Besides cans, BPA is also found in register receipts or thermal point of sale receipts, carbonless copy paper, and can be found on bills of money, since so many of us save receipts in wallets and the BPA residue can get on the bills. Recycled paper such as toilet paper also have traces of BPA, since receipt paper is used when the recycling process is done. BPA is also being found in wastewater, due to the traces in toilet paper leaching into the water supply.

I don't know what the answer is to the toilet paper issue, unfortunately we all use it and it seems until the recycling of these BPA paper products is dealt with, we will continue to add more of this disrupting chemical into our environment. Atleast as consumers, we can support companies like Eden, like these few other organic companies , and demand change from others who still use BPA lined cans, it seems like it's crazy for a company especially selling organic food to use BPA lined cans!

Thanks for reading my rant..until the next (:

Handmade Nursery- Cicrafts

I absolutely love these handmade crochet balls and frisbee!

They were hand crocheted by Ilene of Cicrafts on Etsy.com. the bright colors are absolutely adorable! I love the bright stripes and super soft yarn. 

The small ball is big enough for my 9 month old to grasp and roll. He loves to squish it and hold. 

The large one is a great size to play catch when he is older, but for now, we roll and snuggle it to his belly during play, which always gets him to giggle. the frisbee is a great small pillow for him to roll over and rest his head on for now. I'm sure we'll be throwing it around soon enough!

Take a look at her shop. Her handmade items are super affordable and very cute. She also makes other items like blankets, dresses and animals. These balls are a definite perfect gift for a new mommy or daddy. I really love them and can see me ordering more for my son!

Support handmade (:

My morning reads

I came across a great website, full of inspiring and interesting posts. Since I've joined their Free subscription, I've been reading them every morning, and I love the stories and lessons they are sharing. It's called The Tiny Buddha.

It's also has become a book..Every day, I am emailed 2 posts, each written by various people talking about various things, but each sharing daily wisdom, like "Less is More", "Letting Go" or "Tips to achieve your Dreams". You can choose to get news feeds daily or weekly when you sign up. The posts are very thought provoking, inspiring and helpful. They can remind us to take time for ourselves and breathe for a moment.

I've shared the site with others close to me and wanted to share with you. It's a great news feed to start your day..Take a look at The Tiny Buddha. It'll cheer up your day,Guaranteed! (:

Doll New Re-Designs

I am happy to say I am now a proud mommy of a sweet little boy! 8 months and counting, I am slowly learning about all things mommy. Since then I've had to learn to streamline and reorganize my time, or lack there of! HA!










And made time to redesign my large plush, something I've been meaning to do for the past year.

The new large plush dolls are the same great size and have the same bright, fun colorations. There is now less stitching on the arms and legs, making them more durable for your little ones!

Do you Pinterest?

Lately I've been exploring Pinterest, the new site that acts like an online bulletin board. It's a great resource for inspiration, ideas and just all around visual candy. It's free to sign up and easy to maneuver. Here's a small screen shot of my profile...

You can create boards any way you'd like to divide your "pins" or links to various pictures and websites. I love all the DIY and craft ideas everyone has found and shared! You can also find your own websites or posts in cyberspace and "pin" them to Pinterest so you can share them with others. Check it out! and if you are browsing, some check out my pins (:

Etsy Earth Spring Time Finds!

'Fresh Spring Green Finds from Etsyearthteam' by ecoleeko

Lovely Spring time green gift ideas all from the etsyearthteam members! You can almost smell the lilac, peony and rose..Yummy.

Herbal Powder Remedy Ki... wortsandcunnin... $12.00	Recycled Mini Jotter in... NaturesCubbyho... $12.00	Organic Large Bowl in D... EcoChicHandKni... $16.00
Purple Felted Wool iPad... NeedlesAndKims $35.00	Elegant Leaves - Organi... EarthenKnit $15.00	Siddhartha Pants in 100... Gratefulthread... $162.00
Eco-Friendly Household ... mrsjonessoapbo... $32.00	Lip Lover Trio Super He... SimpleOrganicB... $9.50	Hooded Towel in Blue (o... purepixie $80.00
SALE - Hand Woven Plai... ObeliskFiberAr... $68.00	THE COLOR OLIVE- Organi... LookForFiddleh... $30.00	Ultimate Gift Box - Soa... belleterre $30.00
30% OFF SALE: Pretty Pi... herbanlifestyl... $14.00	2011 Bronze Fennel Seed... FrogPondGarden... $2.50	Winter Circle Skirt for... SoulRole $80.00
Organic Lavender Deligh... herbolution $4.50

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.