Review of diaper cover by Sew Littles, handmade in Sacramento, CA. She also makes bibs & burp cloths and sets containing all 3 items, and is willing to do custom orders as well. I was sent the cover in the photo, which is called Blue Chevron, in a medium. As Baby Girl was 10# 2 oz. at birth I’m glad she didn’t send a small as it wouldn’t have fit very long. In general I’m a huge fan of one-size diapers as they last through the entire diapering needs of your child. What I don’t like is that they can be incredibly bulky, especially during infancy. This is the only fitted/sized diaper I own and I do have to say, it’s incredibly trim! Baby Girl is 4 ½ months now, and ~17#, and this diaper fits her perfectly. The nice thing is I have plenty of extra inserts for my other diapers, so as long as the cover doesn’t get soiled I can just switch out the insert & reuse the cover until it gets wet or pooed on. I just don’t like the idea of having to own several different sized diapers to get through the 1st few years.
About the diapers she makes: “Our diaper covers are made with a cotton “shell” and a breathable waterproof PUL lining. They are made with 12 snaps and elastic around the back to ensure a good fit that will outlast a lot of your baby’s clothes!” I know many of you aren’t fans of PUL, and that’s OK. There are plenty of options out there to meet everyone’s needs! At $15/cover, I think these are a great deal! She has several adorable prints to choose from, and as I mentioned will do custom orders.
Check out her work, and be sure to like her Facebook page for future promotions & coupons!
A bit of good, encouraging news I think we all could use! “If the market is any indication, a look at the share price and escalating growth of Annie’s versus the collapsing growth of Kellogg’s tells a story about our food supply that no marketing campaign can. In the last year, due to soaring consumer demand for products free from artificial ingredients, Annie’s growth has exploded. Annie’s most recent quarter saw $57.9 million in net sales, representing a year over year increase of 24%. Earnings per share were up 19.1% and consumption up 22%. Annie’s, which produces real food with real ingredients, also just made a $6 million plant acquisition to expand capacity.” Link to full text: http://organicconnectmag.com/gmo-non-gmo-tale-two-stocks/#.UpDoeNiA3cm
Review of Seven Acre Toys, handmade in Providence, Rhode Island. Seven Acre Toys is making great quality wooden toys, including: Rattles, Blocks, Pull Toys, Mobiles, Teethers, Developmental Products, and MORE!! From their website: “By using all natural materials we ensure that our toys are free from hazardous chemicals. All of our toys are made by us, start to finish, and are quality checked at every step. We want to make better wooden toys. That means better design, better materials, and more attention to detail. Our toys are made to promote creativity and imagination in an unconstrained and open way.”
They sent me a Star Stacker, one of their best sellers, which uses a gorgeous combination of Maple & Walnut. They don’t know this, but star items have special meaning to use as my son’s name is Orion, so we love connecting him with anything celestial 🙂 I tried to take a picture of the largest star to show you how beautiful the grains of black walnut are, but my camera takes horrible close-ups & the photo doesn’t do it justice at all, but this is an absolutely gorgeous toy. It has been sanded so incredibly smooth, you definitely don’t have to worry about a splinter. My son is 2 ½, and he has enjoyed using it to stack & un-stack. He’s still working on grasping largest to smallest, but this kind of toy will definitely help him work on that concept. I’m very excited to have this as part of our toy collection, and know baby girl will get lots of use out of it when her big brother outgrows it. That’s one great thing about wooden toys, they are so durable & can be passed from child to child, and to another family even, when we’re done with them. About the material used: “We use only certified sustainable harvested hardwoods, which are sanded super smooth. We use our own food safe/ baby safe blend of beeswax and mineral oil to finish our products, so they are safe to put in the mouth (because we all know that’s where it’s headed anyway).” I really love this gorgeous, simple, safe, handmade toy, and can see why it’s a best seller for them! http://sevenacretoys.com/product/star-stacker/star-stacker-maplewalnut/#!prettyPhoto
I really, really like their teethers, and my baby girl is enjoying the one they sent very much! Althea will be 4 months old tomorrow, and all of the sudden wants to put everything in her mouth. She seems to really enjoy soft things, and will put any cloth she can get into her mouth. I like the combination of both hard & soft that this teether offers, and often catch her putting the wood part in her mouth too. The cloth portion can be frozen for those that like cold things to chew on (something my son never cared for, but maybe Althea will).It’s contoured so she can grip it easily with her adorable little baby hands. You can choose from a variety of woods, and shapes, and all cotton is organic, unbleached & un-dyed. I asked why some cotton is brown, and some white, and learned this: “different species of organic cottons grow in different colors; it has to do with the natural wax resins in the plant.” They selected different colors to add variety & compliment the wood used. http://sevenacretoys.com/product/2-in-1-teething-ring/2-in-1-teething-ring-cherry/
Rattles are what they started their business with, so they are near & dear to the owners. I really appreciate the beautiful simplicity of their rattles and they offer many to choose from. They sent me a Ginkgo leaf rattle in Maple. It’s easy to grip, super smooth, and you have to look very hard to even find the crease where they cut it to put the beads in. It makes a very delicate, peaceful sound when rattled, and of course doubles as a teether also. Althea is still a bit young for larger chunks of wood. She’s been OK with the smaller wood like what the teether has, but I’ve let her play with the rattle a few times, and she gets really excited and has bonked herself in the mouth a couple times. That’s the only safety concern with wood, so I’m waiting until she’s a little bigger to give her this adorable rattle to keep her entertained. withhttp://sevenacretoys.com/product/ginkgo-leaf-rattle/ginkgo-leaf-rattle-maple/
Info about their mineral oil finish: “We researched many different plant based oils, but were never happy with any of them. Our biggest problem with the plant oils is that all of them have the potential to go rancid- especially when heated, which we have to do to incorporate it into the wax. And since we cannot guarantee how long a tin of it might sit on a customer’s shelf in between uses, it was a risk we didn’t want to take. The mineral oil that we use is food grade light mineral oil, a higher quality than many baby oils on the market. The purpose of the oil in our polish is basically just to thin the bee’s wax to a consistency that can be applied to the wood more easily, the 2 waxes (bee’s wax and carnuba wax) are what do the heavy lifting. Our recipe is based on a traditional salad bowl/cutting board polish that has been a staple of woodturners for decades. For those who are vegan or would like to paint or apply their own finish, all of our products are available without our wax finish upon request.” NOTE: Mineral oil contains petroleum (which yes, is a natural substance, but many like to avoid it), so if that makes you uncomfortable, order it unfinished & use whatever you’d like!
They have very generously created the coupon code “ecobaby” that will give you 10% off your total purchase. This code is good the remainder of this year. I hope you’ll take advantage of this code and include Seven Acre Toys as part of your Holiday shopping this year. Please feel free to share the code with friends/family who are looking for great quality wooden toys as well!
UPDATED 2/9/2024 (a decade+ after I initially shared this!):
The following statements are my opinion…
More on Melaleuca, and why you couldn’t PAY me to use any of their products. In my opinion, they are the very definition of Greenwashing.
WHAT IS GREENWASHING?? (from Wikipedia): “An example of greenwashing occurs when an organization spends significantly more resources on advertising being “green” than on environmentally sound practices.[4] Greenwashing can range from changing the name or label of a product to evoke the natural environment (for example on a product containing harmful chemicals)…” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing
If you go to their website, you see a green forest in the background. Their symbol is a green leaf. They’re pitching their products to the green/natural/organic crowd. BUT their products are no better than conventional lines on the market, there are tons & tons of product lines with much safer ingredient labels. I know this is shocking info to some, but this is a perfect example of not being able to trust what any company tells you, you have to read the ingredient labels, which speak (very clearly) for themselves!!
Note, at the time of my most recent update (2024), I cannot get most of the ingredient tabs to open. If the following label is no longer correct, I’d be happy to update it. Also, when I scroll through the pics on each product, I notice the ingredients pic from the label is the very last picture shown, only visible if I tab through 5 other pics of the product first. It’s been my experience in my decade+ of looking at product offerings that companies who are proud of their ingredients showcase them front & center. They make them easy to access. Not bury them. So this speaks volumes to me right off the bat.
Here’s my entry for them on my Greenwashers list: One of the worst of all greenwashers! Next to Arbonne, the worst ingredients I’ve seen in a baby line marketed as safe. I truly despise the misleading that this company is doing! The following ingredients from their Koala Pals baby shampoo/wash is nothing short of horrendous (note, at time up recent update, I can not get most of the ingredient tabs to open. If this label is no longer correct, I’d be happy to update it. Also, when I scroll through the pics on each product, I notice the ingredients pic from the label is the very last picture shown, only visible if I tab through) You couldn’t pay me to use this on my family, I’m not joking. Rest of the labels I’ve viewed are more of the same: “Aqua (water/Eau), Sodium trideceth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, PEG-150 Distearate, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, d-a-Tocopheryl Acetate (Natural Vitamin E), Avena Sativa (Oat) Extract, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Amylcinnamyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methypropional, Hexl Cinnamal, Linallol.
Is it possible they make one or 2 saferER products (than big box, mainstream brands)– of course. BUT, any company that would offer this as a baby wash, what should be their mildest formula, is not a company I would trust to make anything safe. I didn’t see a single product I would ever use nor recommend. Cleaning product labels are extremely vague, which many cleaning labels are. Things such as non-ionic surfactants, buffering agents, non-disclosed preservatives, doesn’t disclose what IS actually in there, which is very important to know.. I see a statement *contains fragrance allergens* on some cleaning products. Can tell very little about what they actually do contain by their cleaning product labels…
Is EWG and end all & be all for ingredient safety? Absolutely not. But it’s a good starting point. I highly encourage every, single one of you who read this and don’t want to take my word for any of this to do your own research using whatever sites you trust. I always Google: concerns with X ingredient in personal care products, to see what concerns are raised by various sites.
That’s my opinion, and what you came here to read. If you’re not into organic living whatsoever, this brand could be fine for you. But if they reeled you in due to their statement that they’re “the Wellness Company”, if you were lured by their green leaf, and lush meadows, thus believing they are at all offering organic/natural goodness, you’ve definitely been fooled. I don’t see a single organic ingredient in the entire line.
Any brand from even my So-So List is offering healthier options, and no membership! If you want to continue giving this brand your money, believe me, I won’t lose sleep at night over it. No need to write me and tell me I don’t know anything either, it’s okay, you can believe in these products all you want. Sharing this info for those with an open mind. Which many, many of you do have!
And on my website you’ll also find a ton of other resources, from Ingredients to Avoid (a work in progress, like everything else) to TONS of made in USA resources. Happy clicking!
Review of a 100% cotton, reusable Swiffer pad sent to me by TheWashclothShop, handmade in Greenville, NC. Go take a look at Anne’s Etsy shop & I’m sure you’ll agree with me- her products are GORGEOUS!! When I received my Swiffer pad I was hesitant to use it to mop my dirty floors! She makes beautiful washcloths, dishcloths & Swiffer pads. I bought a Swiffer several years ago, and it has been sitti…ng in my utility room ever since, not being used as I didn’t care to keep buying disposable pads for it. I’d thought about tossing it in the garbage several times, but thankfully didn’t get around to it. When Anne asked if she could send me some dishcloths to review I declined because I have a huge stack of them as a local lady knits them & donates them to my food co-op. They hand them out free with a $20 purchase, which I do almost daily, so I’ve quit accepting the free cloths as I have so many. However, browsing through Anne’s dish & washcloths makes me want more, as they’re just gorgeous! I always like to highlight unique items people are making, and when I saw the Swiffer pads I thought it may interest several of you also. Anything we can replace a disposable product with, in favor or a reusable one, is a huge change for the better. I love the Swiffer because it can get underneath some hard to reach places in my house that I’ve neglected for a long time. It can also be used dry to dust and remove cobwebs from high places. Her prices are very reasonable, with the Swiffer pads costing only $4.50, or a set of 2 dishcloths are only $5.00! She uses 100% cotton. You can flip the Swiffer pad inside-out to use that side before tossing it in your washer & dryer to clean & reuse.
Tomorrow I start taking orders for the 2nd ever Eco-friendly USA Buying Club. Several people tried to claim the wooden teething rings from H3idiho Designs yesterday– you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to officially lay claim from them. Her jewelry, etc are the only products in limited quantities, so potentially you’ll want to claim one tomorrow if you really want one. There are new vendors, new deals, and new samples available since the Sep. order. Check out the note below for all details. Also important to note is the fact that we won’t be doing another order until February, so plan accordingly. And, please help me spread the word by sharing this info with friends, family, co-workers, etc….
Review of Simply Gum, handcrafted in New York City. A little over a week ago someone shared a blog post with me revealing the fact that Glee Gum & all other “natural” gums in the US contain polyvinyl acetate in their base. They can get away with calling it natural as the base is not digested, the digestible ingredients are natural. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be chewing on a piece of plastic, even if it does taste good for a few minutes (blog post here: http://themindfulhome.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-truth-about-glee-gum-made-with.html).
The AWESOME news is, within 2 hours of sharing that post, I had a message in my inbox from the CEO of the newly released Simply Gum, who is a huge fan of my page! Info she gave me about their brand new product: “we’re the ONLY 100% Natural gum in the US. We use only 6 ingredients and we list each of them on our label. We’re completely transparent and we don’t hide behind the term ‘gum base.’ We decided to create this product after seeing how all other gum companies don’t even tell consumers what’s truly in the product – gum base contains over 80 synthetic ingredients – many of which are potential toxins.” The 6 ingredients are: organic dried cane juice, all natural chicle, organic vegetable glycerin, all natural cinnamon flavor, organic sunflower lechitin, organic rice flour. That’s it!
I asked for a sample, which I received yesterday & I can tell you it’s a very unique gum indeed. The packaging is fabulous: simple, but charming. The gum itself does have a natural look. The closest thing I can compare it too is a chunk of amber resin that I’ve used in the past as a natural perfume, which kind of looks like a brown rock. My toddler is in love with gum, and when he 1st saw this gum he was not impressed, saying “no Mama, I don’t like it”, as it didn’t look like any gum he’s ever seen. Dada & I popped a piece in & started enjoying it immediately so he gave it a try too, and we all really like it. It has a mild, not spicy, cinnamon flavor & I really enjoyed the texture as well. The flavor lasted longer than what I’m used to with Glee, which loses its flavor almost immediately. I chewed mine for probably 20 minutes. Then, I went to the bathroom & came out to find my toddler under the table with the pack of gum. I asked him for it & he handed me an empty pack—he had the entire remainder of the pack (10/12 pieces) in his mouth at once. It was this huge ball (for a toddler). So, I guess you can say he likes it. I was immediately sad that it was gone, as I wanted more. I took several photos before it disappeared, but none turned out with my lousy camera- I really wanted to show you what it looked like! I’m so excited to be among the 1st in the country to try this gum. It is available in select Whole Foods, online through their website, and I’m proud to say it’ll be available through the Buying Club as well, for $2.99/pack of 12 pieces. If you enjoy gum, I think you should give this a try, and support the only TRULY natural gum on the market (to my knowledge). Also, it’d make a great stocking stuffer/gift for the gum lovers in your life! I can’t wait to stock up on it myself (and keep it hidden from my toddler).
Has anyone seen it in their Whole Foods and/or tried it?
Review of Molly’s Suds powdered laundry detergent, made in St. Petersburg, Florida. Molly’s Suds has been on my safe list for some time after Monica shared her great product info with me as I was forming my “safe/approved” list. She/many of you know I love soap nuts (EcoNuts specifically), but I wanted to round out my safe list with both a liquid (MamaSuds) & powdered detergent so there’s something for everyone. I’m very happy she sent along a 70-load sample along with the box of goodies you all ordered through the Sep. Buying Club order, so I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now. I can say that it completely lives up to my expectations & the peppermint essential oil leaves a faint but pleasant fresh smell. Many using soap nuts have commented at the less than fresh smell left on their clothes, although many of us don’t want our clothes to smell like anything. That being said, I haven’t used conventional laundry products for a few years now & don’t expect my clothes to be sparkling clean. With any natural laundry detergent your best results will come if you don’t let stains set in to begin with. I didn’t put this to any red wine stain test or anything, just have been using it on our normal, everyday laundry and am completely satisfied with the results. The cloth diaper powder is a new product. The standard laundry powder can be used on cloth diapers but does contain the peppermint essential oil which can void some diaper warranties, which is one reason Monica developed a specific laundry powder just for cloth diapers. I stuck with using my soap nuts for my cloth diapers, as I was a bit weary of using the peppermint oil.
Here are the details of Molly’s Suds:
Laundry powder ingredients: Proprietary blend of sodium carbonate from the Green River Basin in Wyoming, sodium bicarbonate, epsom salt (epsomite) and sea salt. While there are no perfumes, which are neurotoxic and petroleum based, there is a very minimal amount of organic peppermint essential oil. Additional info from Monica: ”Another note for you about our Laundry Powder is that our sodium carbonate is NOT super washing soda… It’s mined from the Green River Basin and crushed, packaged and shipped to us. Most detergents in the industry use the solvay synthetic and processed from ash (hense soda ash) and it’s not natural. We use food grade, aluminum free sodium bicarbonate safe for use in organic formulations and food. We use only corn and gluten free sea salt without the use of separators, fillers and anti-caking agents, it’s more pure than table salt, crazy what they put in table salt. Our Epsom salt is pharmaceutical grade and pure. Also zero anti caking agents, free flowing additives or conditioners- found in most all Epsom salts. None of our ingredients are of animal origin. No melamine- also common in “homemade” packaged laundry powders. It’s very pure, and while I know it’s not soap nuts it’s a fabulous alternative and more pure and primal than homemade detergent people make that has so many hidden ingredients they aren’t aware of.” Ingredients are from USA and the molding for the bottles and scoops are all done in USA as well but she can’t guarantee that the raw material is from USA.
You can purchase a 1-2 load sample for $2.75 if you’d like to give it a try before committing to the 70 or 128-load bag. Also available is a cloth diaper powder, dog shampoo, All-sport wash, wool dryer balls & a starter pack with a combo of these—check it out:
Glee Gum lovers, you’re not going to be happy about what I have to tell you… Thanks to Amy, a wise-Mama on the page with her own blog, it was revealed what the base of their gum is: Polyvinyl Acetate. I just bought Glee Gum for my son for the 1st time a month or so ago, as I saw it at my food co-op, saw all the great things it doesn’t contain which are clearly labeled on the package: No artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners (no aspartame). Non-GMO Project Verified, made from sustainably harvested rainforest chicle. Sounds good, right?
A couple of reminders come out of this: 1: Just because it’s on the shelves of your food co-op (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s) DOESN’T mean it’s great. 2: Companies are great at telling you what their products DON’T contain, while leaving out which less than desirable ingredients they do contain. When I asked on Glee’s FB wall if their gum still contains this ingredient here was their response: “Our current gum base formula is confidential– but we CAN tell you that we have an exciting new formula coming later this year!”
Eco-Friendly Mama: Safe product recommendations with a focus on organic and Made in USA! 