Eco-Friendly Mama: Safe product recommendations with a focus on organic and Made in USA!

Review of the Puzzle People, handmade in Philo CA. From their website: “Puzzle People have been making wooden puzzles since 1972. Located in Northern California , the Puzzle People use baby safe materials and finishes on all puzzles. We are known for high quality educational wooden map puzzles and a variety of personalized name puzzles, as well as for award winning puzzles of endangered animals.

One of the main reasons I started this page was to find alternatives to the Melissa & Doug wooden toys made in China I was seeing everywhere, puzzles being one of their very popular offerings. The Puzzle People was one of the only non-jigsaw options I found so I put them on my Made in the USA toy list (https://www.facebook.com/notes/eco-friendly-babyfamily-products-made-in-the-usa/awesome-battery-free-safe-toys-made-in-the-usa-list/488605551155090). My sister bought my babe a personalized name puzzle for his 1^st birthday. It sat on a shelf looking beautiful for at least 8 months as it was too advanced for him & I was worried about him losing pieces before he was ready to play with it. Then one day when he was about 20 months old I brought it down for him to try out. He (and I) have been puzzle lovers ever since! We currently own 4 puzzles from them including the one in the photo which they sent for our new baby girl, and will continue to purchase one every time I can come up with an excuse to buy one J

When I asked my page about ideas to help my toddler welcome our new baby, many suggested that I get a gift to give big brother from his new sister. So I thought “great, I can buy him another puzzle”. I ordered the number puzzle, which also has the names of the numbers written in English & Spanish underneath as well as a series of little dots (like on dice) to represent the numbers. My due date was getting close & I still hadn’t received it, so I gave Pat a call to ask if it would be arriving soon. She informed me they were having trouble with their computer server, and my order had been delayed but they would get it out immediately. I mentioned the reason I was ordering the puzzle, and also my page, and she told me to let her know when the new baby arrived & what we named him/her & she would make a name puzzle for the new arrival. As my baby girl waited until 8 days past our due date, the number puzzle gift for big brother made it on time! Then I let her know that Althea had arrived and they sent me the one in the photo as a gift. I absolutely LOVE that they sent the “scrap” which is a by-product of Althea’s name puzzle, with a note that suggests it could be used as a picture frame. I will certainly do that, or something creative with it. I also really enjoyed the handwritten note on the little heart piece welcoming Althea & congratulating our entire family on her arrival!

They use non-toxic water based paints & finishes for all of their puzzles. The colors are very vibrant, and these puzzles hold up AMAZINGLY well. My son’s name puzzle has been around the longest, and has  been played with over, and over, and over & there are barely any chips or dings from the wood or paint. There is nothing he owns that he plays with more than these puzzles (and the lacing puzzle we own from Smiling Tree Toys, our other favorite puzzle). About the birch plywood used, or more importantly, the glue that holds it together: “The adhesives used in plywood have become a point of concern. Both urea formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde are carcinogenic in very high concentrations. As a result, many manufacturers are turning to low formaldehyde-emitting glue systems, denoted by an “E” rating (“E” 0 possessing the lowest formaldehyde emissions”. Plywood produced to “E0” has effectively zero formaldehyde emissions.” They sent me a copy of their MSDS sheet (https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=47df4bcb4f&view=att&th=140a3364eea7bf80&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P__-hj0ySDKPpqTwRrBtXU1&sadet=1377187357478&sads=7lcLPknf_PwUe9gUuRrR4pLEuMo), which states that tested panels “have emitted at levels within the generally accepted E-0 European standard”, the toughest standards that exist. And, as the make their puzzles in the state of CA, they must comply with the strictest standards in our country.

Categories of puzzles, with several options in each category: map, name, animal, educational, preschool, toddler. The least expensive puzzles cost $14, and the most expensive one I saw was $75. Even the simplest ones with 5-7 pieces will still provide hours of entertainment for your little one. I seriously wish we could own one of each, and get rid of the rest of the toys in our house- I love these puzzles that much! My husband has come up with a creative idea to keep our son engaged—he started turning the puzzles upside down when he presents them to my son, adding an extra challenge! And, even the simplest puzzle becomes challenging again if my son doesn’t play with it for a week or so. They really, really keep him engaged. I also love that they offer “Paint-A-Puzzle” options, which include 25 pieces that you & your kids can paint yourself- how fun for the older kids, and most of them are only $15, with a couple running $30 (http://www.puzzlepeople.com/blue/blue.html)!!! I feel the prices are very reasonable for these puzzles, considering what goes into making them, how much enjoyment your child(ren) will get out of them, and the fact that they can be passed down or even resold (we’ve only lost 1 piece so far- I know it’s in the upstairs of our house somewhere)…

I absolutely loved browsing their photo tour tab. I learned that their puzzles are made of bird, which is fast-growing, non-endangered, and white which helps the colors show up very nicely. I highly encourage you to browse this album & see photos of how they make the puzzles, including their giant silk-screen machine they use to imprint some of the images. Viewing this album helped me realize how much work goes into these works of art (as I believe each & every one is): http://www.puzzlepeople.com/black/VT1.html

During the months of November and December, please allow us up to 3 weeks to make your puzzle. I will certainly be ordering these puzzles for both my kids for Holidays & Birthdays for years to come.

Website: http://www.puzzlepeople.com/

This may be a 1^st for a review I’ve done, can you believe they don’t have a FB page?!

The subject of Norwex cloths have come up several times on my page & many have chimed in with such statements: “they make their products in China”. That is true for the most part, but they do make their dish cloths here in the US so I agreed to do a review on that specific product. Their headquarters are in Norway, with their North American headquarters in Canada. Generally I like to support only companies making their products here, with their headquarters here also. But as several have pointed out before, the Norwex line is sold by many Work-At-Home Moms here in the US, so you are helping generate a bit of income for a couple of people here in the US by purchasing one of these dish cloths.

The cloth is $6.99, and here is a description of it from the Norwex website (link to the product: http://norwex.newgreencleaningsupplies.com/kitchens/white-netted-dish-cloth). “The Norwex Dish Cloth is a loosely woven white nylon netted cloth. It dries quickly and will not absorb grease or odor and is an indispensable tool for cleaning dishes in the sink! It does a great job of cleaning everything and anything from plates and bowls to stuck-on food in pots, pans and casserole dishes, and it doesn’t scratch. Even better, because it’s so “holey”, this cloth can just be rinsed through with a little soap and water and left to sit in your sink for quite a while before washing. When you do need to wash it, you can put it straight into the washer and dryer using any laundry soap you like.

• Great for removing flour dough, etc. from counter tops      after baking
• Removes sticky or stubborn substances off counters
• Scrub off soap scum from shower stalls
• Take off bugs and paint from windows
• Cleaning vegetables from your garden
• Removing soap film that builds up on the bottom of dishwasher      doors

The cloth was quite large so I cut it into 4 pieces. As described, it does a great job with anything in your sink. I’ve even used it on my cast iron pans to remove crusted on eggs & more. I love seeing that made in the USA tag, I love that it is reusable for a long period of time, and I love that it doesn’t retain much moisture at all & end up smelling like a stinky sponge (which I ditched long ago for a simple wash cloth).

Amanda, the consultant who sent the dish cloth to me had this to say about other products made in the USA by Norwex: “I have found 7 other products that made in the US and 1 that is “produced” in the US. Unfortunately, there is no list for me to go off of on my site or the in the catalog, so I am reading labels from my personal collection which does not encompass the entire product line. However, here is the list: Descaler (an enzyme replacement for CLR), Mattress Cleaner, Oven & Grill Cleaner, Laundry Pre-Wash, Refresh Odor Neutralizer (comparable to Febreeze, but chemical-free) Drain Care, Kid’s All Natural Bubble Bath, and (My favorite!) Timeless Lip Balm (which won’t melt in the car and is gluten-free).” Unfortunately, I have Norwex on my “Greenwashers” list, as they don’t fully disclose ingredients in their cleaning supplies, and every label I’ve viewed from their personal care line has ingredients of concern. Here’s a link to their catalog if you’d like to take a look for yourself: http://media.norwexcs.com/Product-Manual-2,0.pdf

If you don’t have a friend or family member selling Norwex, here is a link to Amanda’s site (the very nice consultant who contacted me, sent the dish cloth, and answered any questions I had): www.amandagonzalez.norwex.biz

Review of Greenshield Organic products made by Greenology Product, Inc based in Raleigh, NC. As always expectations, water types, severity of dirtiness, etc. differ—these are my experiences with these products. GreenShield offers a line of USDA certified detergents & cleaners containing all of the basics you could need for your home. They do not test their products on animals, unless you consider this tidbit that I learned about their origins: “Our chemistry can trace its origins to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. Sea Otters, Harbor Seals, Birds & other Wild Life were cleaned with our safe, oil removing chemistries. Motivated by those brief moments of ecological success, today, we are an even more determined company, focused on raising the bar of standards in our industry.”

The EWG cleaning database rates 16 of their products at an A (10/14) or B (4/14): (http://www.ewg.org/guides/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=GreenShield&page=1&per_page=15&x=0&y=0) which is what originally brought this company to my attention (searching the products that scored an A with EWG). I’ve had them on my ‘Approved’ list for quite some time, but have never seen their products on the shelves of the stores I shop in, or heard from many of you on this page who’ve tried them so I was very happy when they agreed to send me a few products to sample to get a feel for the line.

I have to tell you that it was a very pleasant experience opening the box, lifting out the products and seeing that USDA certified stamp. I’m a huge fan or certified products, why? This statement found on their website sums it up perfectly: “Natural is a term which is NOT regulated and has begun to lose some of its resonance with consumers. “Natural” is not equated with any government standards like ORGANIC is on food, crops & food processing products with the USDA. “Natural” is important, but not as impactful as ORGANIC.  There is no mistaking what ORGANIC means.  To be certified organic by the USDA, it means our ingredient contents meet the NOP (National Organic Program) standards for 95% or higher Organic ingredient content (the same as Organic Milk or Organic Produce). Along with being USDA Certified Organic, we disclose every ingredient on every label. We promise to use Zero GMOs, Zero Synthetic Preservatives and Zero Harsh Chemicals when producing GreenShield Organic cleaning products.” For more on the topic of natural & organic terminology here is a link to an excellent article written recently by Jolene (my co-admin): https://www.facebook.com/notes/eco-friendly-babyfamily-products-made-in-the-usa/discovering-the-truth-behind-that-natural-label/704019859613657

They sent me a baby version of their laundry detergent, a toilet bowl cleaner (one of their top-sellers), and an all-purpose cleaner. Here are the ingredients, prices, and my experiences with the products sent:

Baby laundry detergent (free & clear)- $9.99 50 oz. (32 loads in regular  washer) or $14.99 100 oz. Ingredients: Water, Cocos Nucifera (Saponified Organic Coconut Oil), Sapindus Mukorossi (Organic Soap Nuts), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder (Organic Aloe Vera), Glycerin (Organic), Sea Salt, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum (Organic Guar Gum), Acacia Senegal Gum (Organic Acacia Gum), Xanthan Gum, Quillaja Saponaria (Organic Soap Bark). I’m a huge lover of soap nuts, which are my normal laundry detergent, and as it turns out soap nuts are the 2^nd ingredient in this detergent. I feel they cleaned my clothes on a very comparable level to what I’m used to with soap nuts. I’ve mainly used this detergent on my cloth diapers, and they came out clean and soft. I have also done several loads of regular laundry to put it to the test. Overall I’m totally satisfied with the job it has done on all loads. I have had a couple of newborn onesies which have been soiled from poo going up the front or back of the diaper. I did not pretreat and they sat for around 24 hours or so before being washed, and neither came out clean. I sprayed them down with my Dr. Bronners & peroxide stain remover & they both came out cleaner the 2^nd time around, although you can still see a bit of the stain (stain remover recipe: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=702811769734466&set=pb.397517646930548.-2207520000.1376250015.&type=3&theater)

All-purpose cleaner- 32 oz $4.99. Ingredients: Organic Citric Acid, L-Malic Acid, Organic Soybean Oil, Organic Lemon Extract, Organic Acetic Acid, Organic Soap Bark, Organic Glycerin, Water. My experience with this product is exactly as described in their FAQ: their products are meant for everyday use. If you have lots & lots of caked on grease & grime you are not going to get the results you would with a harsh, traditional cleaner.  I first used it on my stovetop which I’m not good about cleaning on a regular basis, so it was very dirty & greasy. I let it soak for 20 minutes or so, and can say it did an OK job. Mainly I needed a lot of “elbow grease” and several rounds of spraying to get it decently clean. But, I don’t blame the cleaner for not doing a good job, I blame my lack of staying on top of it, and now that I’ve got it relatively clean I’ve been spraying it down more regularly & feel it does a decent job. It says on the label (most of the labels) that it fights odor causing bacteria, but not food borne bacteria so you should “clean contact area after each use”. So I follow-up with my normal go-to all-purpose cleaner which is vinegar soaked in orange peels for a final wipe down (here’s my “recipe”: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=494009793947999&set=a.494009763948002.128085.397517646930548&type=3&theater).

Toilet bowl cleaner- 24 oz. $4.99 Ingredients: Distilled water, organic citric acid, organic acetic acid, lactic acid, organic guar gum, organic acacia gum, xanthan gum, organic glycerin, organic fragrance.

As with the All-Purpose cleaner, you can’t expect it to work as well as something harsh like The Works, but it does work. It is septic system safe. It didn’t remove my hard water stains from the toilet, but they’ve been there a long time since I haven’t used a store-bought toilet bowl cleaner in years as I normally use my orange peel infused vinegar to do all my cleaning. I feel both the All-purpose and Toilet Bowl Cleaner by Green Shield worked as effectively as the vinegar. So why not just use vinegar then? Many have expressed their dislike of vinegar, even after soaking it in orange peels, so this would be a great alternative for that crowd. I feel these products are very reasonably priced, shipping it reasonable as long as you’re not ordering 1 item (which I never recommend), and I absolutely LOVE that this company has taken the steps to be USDA certified organic.

The one & only thing I take issue with is their statement that they “disclose every ingredient on every label” (from their ‘Why Us’ tab on their website). When browsing through their scent options I noticed scents such as ‘Magnolia & Poppy’ which caught my attention as they didn’t seem like scents I’ve seen before as essential oil fragrances, so I asked the company for more information which led to a series of questions & answers which you can read all about in the following thread. The labels list ‘organic fragrance’ and I was told they don’t list all components of those fragrance blends because it would be too long to list on the label. I feel this contradicts their statement of full disclosure on every label… https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=697309680284675&id=397517646930548https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=697309680284675&id=397517646930548

Other products include: automatic dish detergent, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, kitchen cleaner, carpet spot cleaner, surface wipes. They also have a ‘Commercial Products’ category, where they offer all of their products in a 5 gallon cardboard box for a reasonable price.

They told me they’re working on a regular dish soap for hand washing as well!

$9.99 shipping on all orders. They have a coupon category (currently offering a $1.00 off coupon). As always, I love hearing from those of you who’ve used these products. My opinion is just one…

Website: http://www.greenshieldorganic.com/

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/GreenologyProducts

Review of Earth Paints, a family-run business based in Oregon. I have had Earth Paints on my Made in the USA list under art supplies since learning about them some time ago, but had not personally tried the paints so was very excited to receive a sampling of them for this review! About the family behind Earth Paints, from their website: “Artist and mother, Leah Fanning Mebane & her husband, Drew, work from home creating small batches of high quality, natural, sustainable paint (no child labor involved!) We create our paints in basically the same way our cave-dwelling ancestors did 100,000 years ago, and most cultures around the world and throughout the centuries have (with the help of a few modern gadgets). We enjoy carrying on this ancient tradition and sharing non-toxic, natural paint with the world. We create Earth Paints using eco-friendly, natural pigments, millions of years in the making. Harvested from the earth, the naturally colored clay is dried, crushed and sifted into pure pigments. The vibrancy and luminosity of these natural paints are unsurpassed for creating deeply saturated colors. We offer both our professional, eco-friendly Earth Oil Paint Kit for artists and water soluble Children’s Earth Paint Kits. A professional toxicologist tested every pigment for toxicity. We mix the pigments with organic milk protein to create a paint that is water-soluble and creamy”.

This business, like all businesses these days, gets tons of requests from bloggers such as myself for samples of their products. They agreed to send a partial kit for me to get an idea of the quality of their product. I was sent a red, yellow & blue sample, the whole kit contains orange, green & brown in addition to the colors I was sent. The kits are available in 2 sizes: Petite which will yield 11 ounces of paint when mixed ($19.95), or the larger kit which will yield 96 ounces of paint when mixed ($29.95). Refills & bulk amounts are also available, something I always like to see offered! They also offer an egg- dyeing kit, an eco gesso kit and face & body paint kit.

My son has really, really enjoyed these paints, and so have I as I have no concerns over their safety! 1st, mixing them up has been great fun. I use a 4 oz. glass Mason jar for each color, which is convenient for when we’re done as they have lids for refrigerating leftovers until the next use. I get out ~1 TBSP of powder, hand it to him & let him dump it in the glass jar. Then I get out a shot glass & fill it full of water & hand that to him to dump in, and then hand him a paint brush for each color & let him mix them up. He really loves the process of making the paints, and I love that it engages him, and he learns that not everything comes ready-to-go in a plastic tub from the store. And of course he really enjoys painting. The project he’s enjoyed the most was when I let him dip his hands & feet in for prints, as you can see in the photo. The colors are very earthy, and dry very similar to the color they are when wet, dulling maybe just a little. And of course you can water them down more or less depending on your preferences. The hand/foot prints were from a different batch that was more watered down than the brilliant artwork above in the attached photo. The blue is extremely vibrant & impresses me every time I see it, it’s my favorite! Here’s info from their website on how they acquire this blue color:
Where do you find the blue earth?

•The blue earth is the only color that has been tampered with to get this vibrant color. It is made of 90% earthen clay with 10% mineral added and then heated in the oven. Throughout history, blues in nature were very rare and usually made with precious stones like Lapis Lazuli. These stones are now unsustainably harvested in Afghanistan so we’ve found this alternative.

Their website is full of great information, I really enjoyed reading the following facts: “We are proud that our Earth Paints are one of the safest paint products on the market. They are safe for you, your child, and the planet. They are handcrafted, and because of their undiluted purity, these paints have a time-tested durability of thousands of years. Of the many benefits, here are a few….

•Archival: Pure pigments are the most permanent of all pigments, lasting thousands of years.
•Superior Quality: There are no added fillers or stabilizers (to increase shelf life). This increases paint intensity and allows the refraction of light to bounce off of pigment particles. Color mixing is also greatly improved without additives.
•Vibrancy: The pigment particles are larger and more irregular (than synthetic pigments), which allows for more light to pass through the pigment particles and creates a paint that has a higher refraction-vibrancy.
•Non-toxic and natural: Truly certified non-toxic and earth friendly paint for you and your child (no need to ventilate studio).
•Durable: Not affected by sunlight, temperature or humidity.
•You don’t have to worry about harming yourself, your family, and the environment in order to create your art.
•No more off-gassing paintings in your studio or home.
•The risk of acute/chronic diseases from heavy metal toxins is eliminated.
•You can safely dispose of rags and excess paint in the trash and flush wash-water down the drain.
•The ONLY type of pigment that is completely unaffected by UV rays (commonly used to protect metal & wood).
•Made in the USA by a small, family-owned business.
•Connection with nature and the earth beneath our feet: Children are always shocked to learn that they’re actually painting with “dirt.”
•Earth Paints were developed primarily with safety, sustainability, and quality in mind. Using natural earth pigments, our paints are safe, certified non-toxic, and organic. They have been tested by government approved toxicologists and are 100% non-toxic. But no matter how tantalizing they seem, we still do not recommend ingesting them and please avoid inhaling the dust.
•For the children’s kit, it’s best to use the paint mixture promptly after mixing or refrigerate it because the milk in the paint will spoil after a few days if left out. Refrigerate them in a closed container and they will last as long as milk lasts (1-2 weeks). Wash hands after use.
•* Note Possible Allergen: Children’s Paints contain organic milk protein (from happy, local, organic cow dairy)
•*Paints are safe to wash down the sink.
•* Conforms to ASTMD-4236
•If you’ve used toxic paints for years, here are some easy ways to detox those nasty chemicals.

Did you know………
•Arts and crafts products do not usually list ingredients. Consumers rely upon “non-toxic” certification, believing that their art materials have undergone sufficient testing to ensure the products they use are safe. Don’t let these labels fool you.
•Art pigments (colors) are commonly made from petrochemicals, and the actual hazards of these materials are not always known. In the US, synthetic pigments that have never been tested for toxicity can be labeled “non-toxic.” The rationale? There is no data to prove otherwise.
•Arts and crafts paints are exempt from consumer paint lead laws, and often contain lead, cadmium, and a host of toxic ingredients like formaldehyde (a carcinogen), one of the most common paint preservatives. Be careful what you paint with or give your child to paint with.”

I am very grateful that Leah agreed to send me a sampling of these wonderful paints! I learned a lot about natural pigments, and appreciate all the additional info they provide on their website about paints in general. I think these paints would make any child a very happy artist, and would be a fabulous birthday or other gift idea. I will definitely be buying my son a full kit of colors once we use up these samples.

For more information, including a photo gallery, please visit their website & ‘like’ their Facebook page:
http://www.naturalearthpaint.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EarthPaints