It's time for another exciting MommyCon weekend. This week they will be in Newport Beach, California celebrating with a Halloween flare! If you're in the area and are pregnant, have babies, or even toddlers....you should consider going to MommyCon. MommyCon is a full day of workshops to help parents learn some valuable tips to help make parenting a little bit easier, and much more fun. During the day you can attend workshop sessions on cloth diapering, breastfeeding, sleep consultations, babywearing, car seat safety and more. Dr Alan Green will be there to help you navigate your way through the tricky toddler years when your child may not want to eat what you are eating. Jamie (The Baby Guy NYC) will help you find the right baby gear during; Don't Buy Things That Suck and will be in charge of some of the giveaways at the end. Did I mention the giveaways?? With your general admission ticket (only $40) you'll be entered to win giveaways (valued at over $10,000 total) and ... [ Read More ]
Fluffin’ Awesome Baby Shower Roundup
Thank you so much for joining us this week (or for finding us at a later date) for a fun filled week of Fluffin' Awesome Baby Shower decor, gifts and games! The six of us have spent over 3 months planning this event and I'm just amazed at all the adorable center pieces, cloth diaper cakes, diaper cupcakes, and hilarious games that we have compiled! We encourage you to take these ideas, make them your own, or give them as gifts. We thank you in advance for sharing our ideas with your friends via Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you missed any of the posts this week, here is a summary of some of my personal favorites. If you click on any of the photos in the slideshow it will take you to the blog post with directions on how to create your own! Most of the products featured in these decorations and tutorials were inspired by the sponsors of this event. Without their help, these projects would not have been possible. Please thank them with your "Likes," follows, shares, ... [ Read More ]
Top Baby Shower Gift Ideas for Eco-Friendly Parents
As we wind down the Fluffin' Awesome Baby Shower event I wanted to take a minute and share with you some of my favorite eco-friendly baby shower gift ideas from our sponsors. Flip through the slideshow below; each one is clickable and will take you to a store where you can find them (affiliate links have been used for some products). Don’t forget to enter the Fluffin’ Awesome Baby Shower Giveaway, August 4-8th (2014) with over $2000 worth of cloth diaper prizes. About the Fluffin’ Awesome prizes! There is over $2,000 worth of prizes and over 60+ winners!! That’s right, 60 lucky readers will win one of these great prize packages. Prizes include: a SoftBums Summer Splash Bundle, Smart Bottoms Prize Pack, Spray Pal, Lillebaby Complete Organic baby carrier (from Green Child Magazine), $50 Gift Certificate to Kelly’s Closet, Project Pomona cloth diaper jeans,Tiny Tush diapers, Healing Hazel necklaces, Earth Mama Angel Baby essentials,EcoNuts cloth diaper washing bundle, Grandma ... [ Read More ]
Angelic Baby Shower Gifts for Mom & Baby
Ask my friends, I don't do traditional baby shower gifts. I rarely even look at someone's baby registry because I know exactly the types of items that the new mom will swoon over. Even if they are not planning on using cloth diapers, I usually give them just a little touch of cloth in their gift. I always give them a copy of Changing Diapers book by Kelly Wels and I usually highlight a few of my favorite sections. With the book I usually try to give them just one cloth diaper so they can touch it, feel it, and maybe even use it for one of their new baby photos (because they are just so much cuter in pictures than disposables). Yes, I have friends who have never used their cloth diaper, but I hope that it will find it's way to a mom who will show it some love. Next up, I like to shower the new mom with some angelic gifts from Earth Mama Angel Baby. Most people forget to give the mom things that are just for her and her changing body. Regardless of if the mom is having a ... [ Read More ]
Win a 3-Day Ticket to Camp MommyCon in Denver
About 11 years ago my husband and I (and our baking baby boy) took a trip to Winter Park, CO just outside of Denver. It was at the end of ski season and the slopes were closed. Since I was baking a baby boy I wouldn't have been able to ski anyways. It did snow while we were there and I'm dying to make a return trip to Denver and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately it won't be to attend the 3-Day Camp MommyCon, June 20-22nd because my son will be earning his first degree black belt that weekend (seriously proud mommy moment here). Just because I can't go doesn't mean that you can't!! The MommyCon team is giving away a 3 day pass to a lucky reader!! Camp MommyCon has 3 jam packed days full of parenting sessions that will knock your socks off. They will have sessions on babywearing, doulas, essential oils, sex after baby, cloth diapering, car seat safety, yoga, homeschool, and so much more! They are ending each day with s'mores, campfire songs, and movie nights. If you ... [ Read More ]
10 “Green” Things Every Baby Registry Should Include
About a month ago I shared my tips for the 10 Things You Can Leave OFF Your Baby Registry. While I did give some recommendations for items to replace those 10 items, I was asked to share some additional tips. My best tip is that babies don't need a lot of stuff. What a baby needs is lots of love and a few essential items. 1. Non-toxic toys and gear. Regardless of what items you place on your list, keep in mind that many popular baby items are made from plastic, or contain potentially toxic chemicals like PVC, phthalates, or lead. While they may be very popular items that are sold in stores all around the world, it doesn't mean that they are "green" or safe for your baby. Be sure to check the labels and look for the following terms or phrases: PVC-free, phthalate-free, lead-free, organic, BPA-free, and formaldehyde-free. 2. Eco-friendly laundry detergent. I'm not talking about Dreft either! There is a difference between gentle detergent and an eco-friendly detergent that ... [ Read More ]
10 Things You Can Leave Off Your Baby Registry
I have a few friends who are pregnant and I'm trying really hard not to be too pushy on what they buy for their babies. I was looking over the baby gift registry for one of the girls at BabiesRUs and attempted to give her my recommendations (again, without being pushy). After glancing at the must-have list that BabiesRUs provides new parents I decided it was time to make my own list of must-NOT baby registry items. 10 Things You Can Leave OFF Your Baby Registry Disposable diapers. What? Don't babies need diapers? Yes, but did you know that disposable diapers are full of toxins and chemicals? Your baby is going to be in diapers almost 24 hrs a day for the first 2-4 years of their life. Modern cloth diapers have come a long way since we were kids. They come in fun colors and prints and are just as easy to use as disposable diapers. What about the poop? As a parent I promise you that you will touch poop - even with disposable diapers. Put the poop where it belongs - ... [ Read More ]
#MyGreenBaby – Meet the Sponsors
Meet the Sponsors! Are you coming to Tuesday nights #MyGreenBaby shower on Twitter? We are blessed with some amazing sponsors and I wanted to take a few moments to tell you a little bit about each one. itti bitti is an Australian line of cloth diapers that made it's way to the US about 2 years ago. itti bitti was designed by the talented Sue McLachlan and feature the super luxurious and soft minkee exterior. The absorbent material is a natural bamboo blend that provides a super trim fit on your baby. Find itti bitti diapers in the US at Kelly's Closet and many other retailers. Thirsties is a cloth diaper brand from Loveland, Colorado. This family run business is quickly becoming a favorite of cloth diapering parents with dual sized diaper covers, pocket diapers, all-in-one diapers, and accessories. Thirties are both environmentally friendly and economically friendly. You can find Thirsties at your favorite cloth diaper retailer. SoftBums is another cloth diaper brand ... [ Read More ]
On Breastfeeding, Attachment Parenting, and Judgement
Attachment parenting. Extreme parenting. Extended breastfeeding. Babywearing. Cosleeping. Cloth Diapering. What do you think of when you hear those words or phrases? Do you hear positive words or negative phrases? It all depends on how you parent I suppose. I will tell you both sides of my story. Child #1 - Parenting Age - 29: When my son was born I still considered myself a fairly young parent even though I know I was older than most of you when you had your first child. I lived in a rural town and didn't have a lot of friends with children. I knew from the beginning of my pregnancy that I wanted to 'try' to breastfeed my son for at least the first few months. I was working full time and had no friends or family who I knew that breastfed. My OBGYNs office didn't provide me with any guidance on whether to breastfeed or offer my child formula but they did give me free samples of formula. In the hospital I struggled with breastfeeding but the lactation specialist and ... [ Read More ]
My Favorite Sponsors & Companies on Pinterest
Are your favorite companies on Pinterest yet? Pinterest is quickly becoming a favorite hangout for companies. Retailers and manufacturers are realizing that Pinterest is one of the hottest social media pages and it's bringing in lots of traffic to their websites and some very nice brand awareness. Here are just a few of my favorite companies who have joined Pinterest: DiaperShops.com - Sharing cloth diaper tips, laundry organization, and great cloth diapering baby pictures. They've even shared tips on how to replace the elastic in FuzziBunz. Source: blog.diapershops.com via DiaperShops on Pinterest Cotton Babies - I love their Take a Look in the Mirror board which features my favorite colors. Source: online-jewelry-review.toptenreviews.com via Cotton on Pinterest Earth Mama Angel Baby - Take a look around their boards for some herbal remedies, beautiful breastfeeding photos, and more natural goodness. Source: ... [ Read More ]