Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Earth Mama Angel Baby Announces All Products Score Zero on Skin Deep Rating

EARTH MAMA ANGEL BABY ANNOUNCES SKIN DEEP RATING
OF ALL PRODUCTS IS NOW ZERO



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June 23, 2009 - Clackamas, OR - As women become more concerned about the ingredients in the personal care products they use while pregnant, and on their children, Earth Mama Angel Baby has set a new standard for truly toxin-free, natural products. All Earth Mama Angel Baby products are now rated a "zero" on the Skin Deep database (www.cosmeticdatabase.com), a guide to cosmetics and personal care products from the Environmental Working Group. (Earth Mama Angel Baby's USDA Certified 100% Organic line of teas is not listed in the Skin Deep database, which is only for personal care items. The teas are regulated by the USDA.)



"We know of no other company that manufactures products for pregnancy or baby care with an entire product line rated a zero," said Melinda Olson, CEO and Founder of Earth Mama Angel Baby. "We continually source new raw materials and work on formulations of products that can replace current ingredients with newer, safer ingredients as they become available," she added.



Olson explains that science and chemistry have only begun to catch up with the demand for toxin-free products. Because ingredients that preserve and emulsify the products are necessary to prevent bacteria and mold growth, finding safe, organic raw materials that solve these issues is a constant challenge.



"Preserving products for shelf-life is obviously necessary, and we are not satisfied unless the chemistry used is as safe as possible," she explains. "In some cases, certified organic ingredients are just not available, so we change our formulations as they become available, or as better alternatives are found."



"I'm proud to have come this far," said Olson. "It has been a long process, but we will continue to keep sourcing and working with the best new materials available, and our goal is a 100% certified organic product line, certified to the highest standard now available, the USDA NOP."



Earth Mama Angel Baby is currently working in tandem with the Organic Trade Association and the American Herbal Products Association to create a version of the NOP standards appropriate for personal care products. The USDA NOP was developed to certify organic food, making some personal care products impossible to certify with this standard.



A Gold Member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and one of the earliest signers, Earth Mama Angel Baby is fully compliant with all phases of the compact, which include registration of all applicable products in the Skin Deep database with detailed ingredient information.  Users who search the database can find independent ratings on the ingredients used in products of both compact signers and non-signers as well as see the status of companies as compliant or non-compliant with the Campaign's standards.



To use the database, simply go to www.cosmeticdatabase.com and type in the type of product you wish to search, or a company name. Searches and information are free.



About Earth Mama Angel Baby®:



Earth Mama Angel Baby was founded by nurse, herbalist, and concerned mother Melinda Olson. Her mission is to treat the common symptoms of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and baby care with pure, safe herbal remedies. Her knowledge of traditional herb medicine combines with evidence based research to help soothe and comfort mamas and babies naturally. All Earth Mama Angel Baby® products and teas are formulated without harsh chemicals, toxins or preservatives, and have the best safety ratings in the exceptional Skin Deep toxicity database. Proudly pure, Earth Mama Angel Baby® products are made only with worry-free ingredients: no 1,4-Dioxane, formaldehyde, phthalates, or toxins of any kind. That's Mama's PromiseTM.



Contact: Sheri Wallace, prmama@earthmamaangelbaby.com for interviews, photos or samples.



9866 SE Empire Court


Clackamas, OR 97015


503-607-0607


www.EarthMamaAngelBaby.com


www.BabyLossComfort.com

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Toothfairy pillows from Skiptomylue

I am really excited about one of my newest purchases that I just received in the mail yesterday!



I bought these adorable toothfairy pillows - shaped like a tooth and have a tooth pocket in the back - from a new etsy store called "Skiptomylue".



The pictures really don't do them justice but you still get an idea of how cute they are. I knew that K-man would love the baseball pillow and the owner, Danielle Lue, let me pick out the fabric for V-girl's pillow.



No more plastic ziplock bags for my kids, they now have a special pillow! I wonder if that will impress the tooth fairy? I think it is a pretty good possibility!



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There are a lot of other great items in her shop, like these adorable bibs and burpies:



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Only 1.5 weeks more and I find out what we are having! These are already on my list!



Thanks Danielle, I love my pillows! http://www.skiptomylue.etsy.com

Thursday, June 11, 2009

City of Ember



Sadly, I can not take credit for the great treat idea I used for City of Ember. All credit goes to Heather Ann Melzer.



Since food is scarce in the City of Ember, they eat out of the cans the food comes in.  Since kids are rarely excited about green beans, I emptied out the cans and filled them with ice cream sundaes.



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The treats were a big hit!  I think Mike and I liked the movie more than the kids but they still seemed to enjoy it.  I am not sure if they were a little young or if maybe they just prefer gross, gas humor. :)



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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Bedtime Stories Movie Night

Although we saw Bedtime Stories in the theater, the kids wanted to do a movie night at home. It was kind of an impromptu decision - we were sitting there Monday (Memorial Day) evening and K-man said, "I thought we were going to do a movie night". We made a mad dash to the video store and the convenience store and were lucky that I was able to find treats.



Based on this scene, we knew that gumballs were a must!





Luckily, I was also able to find "s'more" moon pies to go along with the scene where they camp out on the balcony and make s'mores.



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Thursday, May 28, 2009

New Choices for Glass Baby Bottles

Glass baby bottles are making a big comeback.  They are the safest option for your baby as they do not contain chemicals (no BPA or any other dangerous chemicals that have been or are yet to be discovered).  Glass bottles are easy to clean and sterilize.  They retain their heat longer than plastic and last longer. And if that wasn't enough, glass bottles are environmentally friendly and can be recycled.



The biggest complaint about glass bottles is that they are heavy and are breakable. Which is true, but glass bottles have come a long way.  All of the glass baby bottle options below come with a protective sleeve.  Most of the sleeves are silicone (1 is thermal) and all of the sleeves help protect your baby, the bottle and your floors.



Here are some different choices for Glass bottles:



bornfree



BornFree Glass Bottles come in 5 oz and 9oz sizes and offer a silicone sleeve.  According to their website, "with the new innovative air vent that helps eliminate colic symptoms". These are the same great bottles BornFree has been known for making for years but now in glass.



weego



Wee*go Glass Baby Bottles are 9 oz bottles that come in the colors seen above. They offer a silicone sleeve and all parts of the bottle are "food grade, FDA approved and recyclable."



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Munchkin: Mighty Grip Glass Bottles are available in 4 oz or 8 oz sizes and in pink, green or blue.  According to the Munchkin website, "made with sturdy, natural glass for worry-free feeding, Munchkin's bottles include sleek lines, easy-to-grip sides and a vented nipple system that helps prevent gas and colic."  The silcone sleeves are sold separately and also available on the Munchkin website.



evenflow



Evenflow Glass Baby Bottles available in 4 oz and 8 oz size and in a variety of colors. Another bottle standard that has been proven for years but now available in glass!



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Sweet Pea Glass Baby Bottles are offered in 5 oz and9 oz with a variety of colored covers.  Both safe and stylish!



siliskin



Skiliskin Glass Baby Bottles an 8oz bottle available in aqua, pink, gray and white.



coddletime



Coddletime Borosilicate Glass Baby Bottles are available in 9 oz and come green or oranage. "Our signature nipple is wide, soft, stretchy, and easier for baby to latch onto. It mimics breastfeeding action, and prevents nipple confusions".



momo



Momo Glass (quartz) Baby Bottles are available in 4 oz, 5 oz and 8 oz sizes.  With every 3 pack of bottles you buy, you get one thermal cover.



Medela also offers a version of their baby bottle in glass. Unfortunately though, for now, they do not offer any type of protective sleeve.



For more information on the chemicals found in many plastic baby bottles, check out this report.



Although I plan on breastfeeding my babies there are times when breastfeeding is not an option.  It is so nice that there are such great choices out there now.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Star Wars, Episode II and III

We have had 2 Star Wars movie nights recently as we make our way through the 6 part series.


As I predicted, it has been a little tough coming up with new Star Wars themed treats each time. Since I have been slacking a little, especially on Episode III, I am going to need some really fantastic ideas to finish the series.


For Episode II, I bought both the kids lightsabers at Wal-mart for $5 each. They had a lot of fun playing and fighting with them.



















For Treats, I found Star Wars Pez dispensers at the Dollar Tree. Of course, Pez are always a big hit. Even Mike and I enjoyed eating them!










For Star Wars, Episode III, I was even more unimaginative. I still wanted to use the cupcakes from Babycakes Online that were left over from our Baby on Board movie night. So to make them work, I bought Star Wars yo-yos and stickers at Party World. I put the stickers on the plastic cupcake cups and the yo-yos on top. Luckily the kids didn't seem to mind the pink and blue frosting and the yo-yos were a big hit!




I think we might take a break from Star Wars for the next couple of movie nights. The kids have some other movies that are coming out that they really want to see. I still have Episodes IV, V and VI to go (the original movies). Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Is your sunscreen safe?

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"May the sun shine all day long, everything go right and nothing  wrong. May those you love bring love back to you, and may all the wishes you wish come true!" ~ Irish Blessing



It is that time of year again - when we can enjoy the sunny outdoors!  But we have to be careful or those fun, sunny activities are followed by painful, dangerous sunburns.



But what is just as bad?  Many of the sunscreens on the market!  According to Natural News, new studies say that 84% of sunscreens on the market are harmful to us.  Many contain inadequate protection, ingredients that break down in the sun, or even chemicals that are harmful to us and are known to cause cancer.



Don't fret though! SkinDeep.com has come to your rescue and rated (from 0-10, low hazard-> high hazard) 1,095 common, and not so common, sunscreens to help you pick what is best for you and your family.



Top 10 products (limited to one product per brand)



Soleo/Atlantis Resort Organic chemical free sunscreen SPF 30+



Keys Soap Solar Rx Cosmetic Sunblock, SPF 30



California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+



Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30



Purple Prairie Botanicals Sun Stick spf 30



Marie Veronique Organics Creme de Jour Tinted, SPF 30 (light face screen made with non-micronized zinc oxide)



Devita International solar protective moisturizer 30



Lavera Sunscreen Neutral, SPF 40



Corrective Skin Care Anti-oxidant sunscreen non water proof UVA & UVB protective SPF 30



UV Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+



Here are some that might be easier to find -although they don't all have quite as good as rating.



Recommended products from popular brands




Blue Lizard Australian Suncream Lotion, Sensitive, SPF 30



Blue Lizard Australian Suncream Lotion, Baby, SPF 30+



Blue Lizard Australian Suncream Lotion, Face, SPF 30+



California Baby Sunscreen Lotion No Fragrance, SPF 30+



California Baby Sunscreen Lotion Natural Bug Blend, SPF 30+



California Baby Sunscreen Lotion Everyday/year-Round, SPF 30+



California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+



California Baby Sunblock Stick Everyday/year-Round, SPF 30+



CVS Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide, SPF 45+



Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrellas Mineral Based Physical Sunblock, SPF 30+



Kiss My Face Face Factor Paraben Free, SPF 30



Kiss My Face 100% Paraben Free Sunscreen with Oat Protein, SPF 30



Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion, SPF 30



Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer, Sensitive Skin, SPF 30



Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer, SPF 30



Skinceuticals Physical UV Defense, SPF 30



Solar Sense Clear Zinc, for Face, SPF 45



Walgreens Sunblock with Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose & Ears, SPF 45+




And just as important, here is a list of major brands that have no recommended sunscreens.  All of these are rated a 3-6, moderate hazard or worse:




Aubrey Organics (6), Avalon Natural Products (8), Aveeno (21), Banana Boat (41), Biore (1), Biotherm (11), Bull Frog (9), Burt's Bees (2), Cetaphil (2), Clean & Clear (2), Coppertone (41), Cover Girl (4), Dove (4), Dr. Scholl's (2), Elizabeth Arden (12), Eucerin (5), Garnier (3), Gillette (1), Hawaiian Tropic (10), Jergens (2), Juvena (2), La Roche-Posay (5), Lancome (28), LORAC (5), Lubriderm (1), Maybelline (1), Murad (9), Nature's Gate (7), Nivea (4), Paradise Gold (4), Phisoderm (2), Pond's (2), Purpose (2), RoC (6), Skin Simple (1), Target (.method) (1), The Body Shop (3), Vichy (2), Zia Natural Skincare (3)




To check out the full report or to look sunscreens up individually go here.



On a personal note, I have used Badger sunscreen with good results.  This year I plan on trying California Baby sunscreen.  I like all of their other products so much that I want to give their sunscreen a try as well.



Have you tried a sunscreen that is rated as low hazard?  I would love to hear your reviews!