Mar
14
Filed Under: Green Mama, Safe Mama Tips • 2 Comments
My green friends will all nod in agreement that making your own home cleaning products is a cinch… it’s just a matter of having a few items on hand. There are literally thousands of uses for the basics and it’s a worthy investment for those on any kind of a budget because a little will go a long way. Instead of buying expensive hand soaps (that may or may not contain chemicals or contaminants) you can easily whip up your own. Picture spending $6 on a hand soap at Whole Foods and then picture spending about that same amount of money on a few key ingredients that will keep your hand soap dispenser filled for months on end (instead of a few weeks).
This morning I whipped up some Lavender and Sweet Orange hand soap in less than 30 seconds and here’s how to do it. You will need liquid Castille Soap . For this I used Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Pure-Castille Soap which you can buy at Target, Whole Foods, health stores, or online. Target carries tiny 1 ounce bottles, or you can purchase the bigger bottles (I recommend getting the Unscented Castille Soap if you go that route).
Essential Oil – You will also need Sweet Orange essential oil for this particular recipe but just about any essential oil will do, especially if you are using unscented castille soap…. just think of the possible scents you can concoct. You can pick up essential oils at health food stores and online. What’s great is a few drops go a long way so it lasts forever and has many many uses. Other oils I keep handy for DIY recipes include Clary Sage and Tea Tree (have antiseptic and antibacterial qualities), and Lavender.
Water – distilled water seems to be best for this kind of thing but I just use filtered water because hello, I have 2 kids, I don’t have time to distill water, and I would rather not buy it and waste more packaging. I’m just washing my hands not performing surgery.
Foamer Pump – You can easily re-purpose foamer pumps from old hand soaps or you can buy them. I haven’t had a foamer soap in my house in a long time (I said goodbye to dial ages ago) so I bought a 3 pack from Bubble & Bee last time I bought shower gel. You can also buy on Amazon. I hate to buy extra plastic but these get used over and over and it eliminates the need to buy more stuff. You can make any number of things to use in foamer pumps like body wash, shampoo, etc.
Do It Yourself:
- 6 ounces water
- 1 Tsp – Tablespoon Lavender Castille Soap (you can adjust this amount to how much soapiness you prefer)
- 8-10 drops of sweet orange essential oil
- Shake gently, the end. (You’ll want to give the bottle a brief shake before each use to remix the oils evenly… nothing crazy just a one, two shake will do it)
This is gentle on skin and smells really fresh. I keep this near the sink in the kitchen… I like orange and citrus scents in the kitchen which is great for after handling fragrant food like garlic or onions. It’s super gentle too which is key for those of us washing their hands all day long. Between diaper changes, nose wiping and cooking I wash my hands 57 times a day. Hi sandpaper hands.
This is just one of a zillion possible combination that can be achieved. Earth friendly, bio-gradable, chemical free, gentle and safe for everyone. Happy Sunday everyone
Related articles:
- Safe Bottle Soap: BabyGanics Foaming Dish Soap
- Do Lavender & Tea Tree Oils Mimic Hormones?
- All Natural Hand Wash: For My Kids
Mar
12
Filed Under: Toy Safety • 3 Comments
My husband sent me an email the other day about a settlement regarding some Fisher-Price and Mattel toys that were recalled due to high lead content. A lot of these toys are smaller sets that are more for older kids, ones who should know better than to put them in their mouths. But because we realize that a lot of families have older kids and younger kids at the same time, you never want to find out that any of your toys had high contents (or any contents for that matter) of lead. There are also a few toys for babies and younger toddlers on this list as well. You can access the entire pdf copy of the list at the Mattel Settlement website. It gives you all of the instructions you need to take the proper action if any toys you have are on this list.
Before all of this lead and BPA stuff became such a hot topic, I was such a HUGE fan of Fisher-Price toys. We had tons of the brightly colored plastic littering nearly every square inch of our family room and play room. But when they started to treat their customers as if we were naive and acting super secretive about the materials they used, I’ve stood my ground on not buying anything from Fisher-Price. I have to tell you, it’s been hard. Their products make up the majority of the conventional toy market and they’re so visually appealing to kids, just sitting there on the shelves. My mother has been the one to cave and buy some stuff for the kids, against my wishes, and my son LOVES Matchbox and Hot Wheels like every other 3 year old boy. They make their way into our home from relatives. But I have firmly stood my ground about giving them any of my hard earned money. And until they start treating their customers with respect and stop playing the innocent victim in regards to lead in their toys, I refuse to buy anything Fisher-Price for my kids.
Related articles:
- Safe Mama: Boycotting Fisher Price
- Lawmakers Consider Law to Limit Lead
- Laugh & Learn Kitchen Toys Recalled
Mar
9
Filed Under: Bisphenol-A, Food Safety • 8 Comments
My husband came home from a grocery shopping trip not long ago and he had a look of total excitement and triumph on his face. “Look what I found!” he said as he handed me a whipped cream can looking item. It was the new Batter Blaster that I keep hearing about. At first glance I thought “What a cool idea!” and truthfully, it is a pretty cool concept. Organic batter in a can? Yes please! But of course, the SafeMama in me wasn’t totally convinced that the can that held this precious certified organic product was BPA free. So I set out to find the answer.
I checked their website first and while their product information tells us the can is totally recyclable (although I’m told you have to check with your local recycling center to see whether you can actually recycle it on your area) but there was no mention of BPA. This always is a red flag for me. Typically, companies who offer organic food or safer products have a BPA free logo or address it in their FAQ’s because who wouldn’t want to leverage that angle? Its marketing…. if its BPA Free (by accident or otherwise) you want people to know. Since it was missing from an easy access place like their company website I had a feeling I wasnt going to be pleasantly surprised.
However, I did speak to a company representative and my question “Does the can contain BPA?” was answered. The answer? Yes, and No.
According to Batter Blaster, the cans they were using did contain BPA in the epoxy lining of the metal interior. No surprise there. Of course they assured me it was within FDA regulation limits and was well below the allowable BPA content. You know that isn’t good enough for SafeMama. BPA Free or I don’t buy it. BUT, Batter Blaster recently changed their cans to a BPA Free one. So all the new Batter Blaster’s coming into stores are in the new BPA Free steel cans. Hooray! But hold on a minute…
My next question was “Ok so are there still cans in stores right now in the old BPA containing packaging?“ The answer that I concluded from our conversation was Yes. Batter Blaster rolled out their new BPA Free packaging but they are still selling the older style cans (I can assume until they run out of it). I asked how I would be able to tell the difference and Batter Blaster told me that the older cans look like the ones featured on their website (See the homepage).

- The old package/can has a “lip” or a “rim” near the top (See inset). The newer packaging does not and appears more streamlined.
- Batter Blaster told me that the cans only have a shelf life of a few months so anything marked with an expiration date of April 2010 or later would be in the new BPA Free packaging.
So I pulled out the can my husband brought home and flipped it over. April 2010. But it was in an old style can with the rim she described. So perhaps a better gauge will be the new style of packaging (which I cannot find a photo of but will post if I see one).
Right now the Batter Blasters in my local store all have the BPA style packaging so I can only assume that these have not been sold out enough to warrant ordering in the new packaged cans yet, despite the April 2010 expiration dates. So I may wait a while before I purchase it again.
Update: Here is a photo of what the new BPA Free packaging looks like:

Thanks Schmedley for pointing me to it.
Related articles:
- Gerber Packaging BPA Free
- Dear SafeMama: Yo Baby Organic Yogurt and Polystyrene
- Consumer Beware: Get your BPA Information from the Source
Mar
8
Filed Under: Food Safety, Giveaways Coupons, product finds • 169 Comments
I know many of you are really itching for Spring and Summer to arrive despite the weather we’ve all been having. (Even in Florida its been in the 40’s – not ice pop weather!) I was going to hold off until a more appropriate time to post this but it’s just too good! A while ago I did a Summer Series on Safer Ice Pop Molds. Despite finding bevy of great options I had said my dream ice pop maker would be stainless steel yet I never found any.
Well thanks to a reader tip that dream is now a reality. The Tickle Trunk, where I discovered stainless steel ice cube trays, finally has stainless steel ice pop molds for sale for $35.00. It’s a great design too. The set comes with a stand and 6 round ice pop molds… so you can takeout one single ice pop and then refill as needed. The lid or “base” of the ice pop where the stick goes through has a silicone ring to help keep the sticks in place nice and straight.
So there you go.. stainless steel, BPA, PVC and phthalate free ice pops! Woo! Pick these up at The Tickle Trunk.
WIN IT!
The Tickle Trunk is giving away a stainless steel popsicle mold set to one lucky reader!
To Enter (Required):
Visit The Tickle Trunk and check out what they have. Leave a comment here telling us what other product(s) they carry that would interest you the most.
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One winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Giveaway open to US residents. Entries will be accepted until March 24, 2010 at midnight PST. Good Luck ![]()
Related articles:
- SafeMama Review: LunchBots Stainless Steel Lunch Containers
- SafeMama Review: Stainless Steel Lunch Box
- Summer Series! Safer Ice Pop Molds
Mar
5
Filed Under: Website News • 1 Comment
I’ve been doing some overhauling and surveying and listening to SafeMama readers lately. I also like doing reviews and giveaways of products that benefit our cause. But sometimes it can get in the way of the real information of what SafeMama is all about. So I went ahead and created a separate space to house reviews and giveaways for us! Introducing MommyLikes.com. Mommy Likes will be a space for eco-friendly (and safe) giveaways which we can expand to other areas of products – without cluttering up SafeMama with reviews an contests. I will still do reviews and giveaways here too, but only when the product really benefits our mission and our readers (cool stuff and relevant stuff). Mommy Likes is a place for you to hear about new products and try to win them! There is no limit on how many giveaways you can enter or win so go on and enjoy it!
Right now we have a great giveaway from MamaBears.com – You can win a silicone Kind Sign for your baby carrier or stroller! We also have a Boon Squirt giveaway going on and I will be posting a great Episencial Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath giveaway from SproutBaby.com this afternoon.
So please subscribe to Mommy Likes, Follow Mommy Likes on Twitter or grab our button… visit often for lots of great giveaways coming soon!
Related articles:
- Teething Bling: Safe for baby, stylish for mommy!
- Found: Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds (Giveaway!)
- Suggestion Box: Help SafeMama Help You
Mar
3
Filed Under: PVC Free, Toy Safety • 17 Comments
I’ve been watching this weeks series of “expose” reports concerning Hidden Filth on the Today Show this week. Today they discussed the filth lurking in children’s bath toys. My purpose for reporting it is two fold. First, I knew bath toys could harbor mold which is why I try to air dry the kids toys each night. However I was nicely ignorant to just how gross they could possibly be. A group of mothers surrendered their kids bath toys to the Today Show for testing and what they found was frightening. Fecal matter (alarming levels), staph and e. coli bacteria in just about every single toy. The worst offenders were bath squirties or toys with holes that allow water to get trapped inside. If you watch the report, the scientist splits open a toy shark to reveal a hot bed of black bacteria and mold.
How does it get there?
The bath water you bathed the child in has become a “bacteria soup” they called it which the toys marinate in. Additionally, since the tub is usually situated near the toilet, flushing can spread germs, bacterial and fecal matter as far as 20 feet. (I don’t even want to think about what that’s doing to toothbrushes).
What do I do?
- Air dry bath toys after each use, preferably somewhere away from the family toilet. A closet would be a good spot.
- Periodically run them through the dishwasher or hand wash them with soap and clean water (not bath water)
- Avoid toys with holes in them (like bath squirties) and if you do have bath squirties beware that they can be gross inside. In the past I have held them up to a light to see if anything was growing in there but when in doubt, chuck them or recycle.
About Bath Squirties and Bath Toys
During the report, they showed kids in the tub gnawing on bath squirties and toys that were all clearly made of PVC which is a really toxic type of plastic. It pained me! To me that’s worse than some exposure to e. coli. The reporter also replaced the confiscated bath toys with a big PVC duckie. PVC can and often contains Phthalates (which softens the plastic to make it squishy), and chlorine.. not to mention the incredible strain on the environment it causes to create it. You know that “shower curtain smell”? That’s you inhaling the off gassing plastic and phthalates.
Instead of choosing toxic PVC bath squirties and ducks, I recommend the Boon Bath Toys that are just as good, if not way cooler and more fun:
Boon Odd Ducks – They come in 4 shapes and fun colors, are PVC Free and have no holes where water can get trapped inside (I like Squish.. he’s cute, but we also have Bob and Slim who make a regular appearance in our tub)

Boon Scrubble Interchangeable Bath Toy Scrub Set – These squirties all come apart and you can run them through the dishwasher… they’re PVC free and my kids love them. Boon also makes a ring toss called Boon Splat Floating Ring Toy
and a Water Bugs Floating Toys
set that are good fun. We have all of those too, haha!
There are other PVC free bath toys but many have holes in them, making cleaning tough to do, or are made from a badly off-gassing foam (think foam letters) so I really prefer the Boon Toys over many others (so do my kids). If you have any PVC free bath toys you love that are not Boon, please let me know about them in the comments!
Note: Boon did not pay me to say this… I purchased all my Boon bath toys from The Soft Landing and genuinely like them!
Related articles:
Mar
3
Filed Under: Eco-Mama, Giveaways Coupons, Product Reviews • 74 Comments
I had the distinct pleasure to have been able to try out two different types of eco-friendly “disposable” diapers over the last week. A great company, Better Baby Bums, which was founded by two mothers who were passionate about finding safer and more earth friendly ways of caring for their children. They opened Better Baby Bums to sell all the products that they discovered. From diapers to bottles and baby toys, they offer a nice selection of unique products.
The first brand of diapers were the Bambo Nature brand which is produced in Denmark (I couldn’t find any English on the packaging!) The core of the diaper is made with corn starch (instead of that weird chemical gel stuff) and completely biodegradable. These have a very “Pampers” appeal to them with cute little pink bunnies on the waist and have cinched leg seams so prevent leaks. They also feature a watermark on the front so you can see when the diaper has been soiled. These fit my 7 month old great and we had zero leaks.. and believe me, my kid can leak through a diaper faster than a speeding bullet. Never had such a leaky child! These diapers are also chlorine free and they use an oxygen delignification process in combination with hydrogen peroxide or ozone to whiten it. No more brown diapers! For those who are attached to their old Pampers diapers this would be a great alternative – they’re very comparable and work just as well, only better because they aren’t going to petrify in a landfill.
The second brand we tried out were 100% compostable diapers made by Broody Chick. I think these are so cool. Instead of waiting for a diaper to biodegrade, these you can put right into your compost pile. These are free of plastic and chlorine and use a plant based gel in the absorbent core. I really really loved these diapers and not just for their eco-friendly features. They fit my baby great and I was really surprised at the softness -which is my peeve with most diapers. They’re soft, they fit great and we had no leaks. Not one. I also really loved that they were plain. Does every diaper on the market need some ridiculous cartoon character on it? Your kids are peeing in them not playing with them! Yay for plain diapers! Everything about Broody Chick Diapers is eco-friendly… from the recycled box, to the compostable bag they come wrapped in.
Get Your Own: Want to try them yourself? You should! Better baby Bums is offering our readers 20% Off their next purchase! Just use the code “greenbum” when you check out. They also offer free shipping on orders over $49.99 PLUS a FREE water bottle on orders over $10!
Win!
Better Baby Bums is offering one of our readers a chance to win a $50 Gift Card to shop in their online store! So cool!
Here’s how to enter:
Visit BetterBabyBums.com and tell us in a comment on this entry what products you would love to try. (required)
For Extra Entries (You must leave a comment for each extra entry for them to count):
- Subscribe to SafeMama.com via RSS reader
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- Blog about this giveaway and leave us the link
- Share this giveaway on Facebook
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- ReTweet this giveaway: RT @safemama WIN A $50 GIFT CARD from Better Baby Bums! #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/yll8tzr
- RSVP for the #ecowed Twitter Party (March 10th)
One winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Giveaway open to US & Canadian residents. Entries will be accepted until March 10, 2010 at midnight PST. Good Luck ![]()
This product review was done in collaboration with Mommy Go Green Blog Tours. I was not compensated for this review aside from the samples provided by Better Baby Bums.

Check out what other Mama’s had to say about Bambo Nature and Broody Chick Diapers from Better Baby Bums:
Related articles:
- SafeMama Review: Nature’s Babycare diapers
- Review: Little g flushable diapers
- Review & Giveaway: Dimpleskins Naturals Bum Bum Balm Diapering Salve
Mar
2
Filed Under: Giveaways Coupons, Healthy Home, Product Reviews • Comment
I’ve spent a lot of time shopping online for safer products and there are lots to choose from right now. I’ve been working with the lovely people at MightyNest.com recently and their website and store has some great information and products. What makes them different is the one-stop-shopping aspect. You can learn about the dangers of plastics and chemicals like phthalates, dangers found in mattresses and beauty products, and a realm of other health topics. Once you have a grasp, you can then hop over to their online store and shop for the very products that help you avoid those dangers. Baby care, toys, clothing, mattresses and even air purifiers. No more shopping from site to site… you can get them all in one place. They also feature some great blogs, one of which is run by one of our favorite people Katy Farber from Non Toxic Kids.
MightyNest sent me a sampling of products from their online store to check out and review. Here’s what I thought of them!
Wee·go Glass Bottles – I nurse, but I also pump and let Daddy feed my little one while I get the big kid to bed. This time around I switched to glass bottles. I was tentative about using them, for fear of dropping and breaking them. This is not a problem with the Wee·go glass bottles. We put it to a crash test and were so confident it wouldn’t break we did a bag-less drop test right in my kitchen. They come in 4oz and 90z sizes and are fitted with a silicone sleeve to protect it from breaking. What’s great about glass bottles is you can heat liquids in them (holy convenient) and are totally dishwasher safe. No “top rack only” worries. These come in an array of hip colors too. Safe and stylish!
Wee go Glass Bottle Crash Test (Don’t worry, kids were far away and have been given the “don’t try this yourself” lecture)
MiYim Organic Chicken Rattle – Ok how cute is this? I had seen these in a gift shop ages ago and remember commenting on how nice they were. And they are! These organic cotton baby toys are soft and really well made. They take a beating and still look great after baby has chewed on them, thrown them across the room or even been stolen by your little dog. MiYim toys are made with 100% organic cotton materials so when little Sally is gnawing on them you have peace of mind… MiYim uses non-toxic & chemical free coloring with a low eco impact dye process.
Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash – Ok confession time. Earth Mama Angel Baby is one of our top choices in baby care and I have never ordered the baby shampoo. Not for any particular reason other than I never got around to it. MightyNest sent us a bottle of it and I am seriously a total convert. For one, there is no strong scent which can be evident with other natural brands. Secondly, this pure concoction comes in a foamer bottle so you can wash baby easily and you can stretch your dollar because a little now goes a long way. It cleans great and baby looks all cute and fluffy after. I love how pure the ingredients are and I trust Earth Mama Angel Baby 100% to provide the safest baby care products.
Chapter One Organics Organic Cotton Bib – I have a couple of organic cotton bibs, which I got prior to this one. They don’t compare well. We received the Groovy Ocean bib. It is super soft, has really subtle nice colors and covers a large area of baby’s chest, which has come in handy thanks to Droolfest 2010. I use this bib a lot to keep his shirt dry and I could use it for when he’s eating but I just like it too much to see it get stained by sweet potatoes and carrots. I’ve washed it 100 times and it has kept its shape (A big bib peeve of mine), is still soft and still looks fabulous. These bibs are also made in the USA!
Chan Pie Non Natural Rubber Teether – We’ve been using this teether for a while. I love it because it’s made with natural rubber (in the French Alps…ooh la la!) so it’s BPA, PVC, Lead and Phthalate free. They are cute and charming while being soft and squishy enough for baby to chew on safely. It has a funny squeak which my baby thinks is pretty funny. The paints are all food-grade and non-toxic. Next to Sophie the Giraffe which is also made by Vulli, he’s got a wider size so you don’t worry about parts of it getting stuck in baby’s mouth.
CHECK THEM OUT: You can find these and tons of other great safe products in MightyNest.com. Use coupon code “Safe10” to receive 10% off your order! Thanks MightyNest for doing this review with us!
Related articles:
- Review: Wee·Go bottle.
- Awesome Holiday Giveaway from MightyNest.com
- SafeMama & The Soft Landing Holiday Giveaway
Mar
1
Filed Under: Car Safety, Product Reviews • Comment

I had the pleasure of receiving a Britax Roundabout 50 to check out after a heart clutching story broke on the news. An Elm Grove, Wisconsin mother was trapped in front of an oncoming train with her child seated in the back, in a Britax Roundabout. The father, following behind in a separate car rushed to her aide and while they managed to free the mother, the boy was still in the car when struck by the oncoming train. That boy, and his Roundabout 50 were unharmed.
I’ve always been an advocate of car seat safety and the importance of having your seats checked to ensure they are installed properly. But I have to wonder how much of it was the installation, and how much of it was the seat? The Britax Roundabout 50 features Britax’s Side Impact Protection which distributes crash forces, contains the head and body, and shields the child from possible vehicle intrusions during a crash.
It also feature’s their 5 point harness system which secures the child at the strongest parts of the body… much like race car drivers! this is one of their smaller contoured convertible car seats which can accommodate an infant as small as 5 lbs up to 50lbs. Because of the smaller base this seat can fit in most vehicles wonderfully compared to others. I’ve had this problem with some of the other seats we’ve tested in our Honda Pilot, where the base is so big that it creates less leg room for the child and for the driver. The Roundabout 50 eliminates that problem. My son was very comfortable in this seat. And knowing that it helped save a boy from a train impact doesn’t hurt!
Britax has a great reputation and for good reason… they rate well in Consumer Reports and have been proactive with regard to recalls, while continuing to improve the safety of their seats with research. But with any car seat, it’s crucial to have it properly installed or else all those great safety features are useless. Look for your local Child Safety Seat Inspector on SeatCheck.org or at USA.SafeKids.org.
GET IT: You can purchase this or any Britax car seats at Babies R Us or Amazon.com
Related articles:
- Review: The New Britax Advocate CS
- Booster Seat Safety and the Britax Parkway SG
- Review: Britax Chaperone Travel System
Feb
25
Filed Under: Product Reviews, product finds • 8 Comments
I don’t know about you, but with this winter being particularly harsh and full of snow snow and more snow, I do miss a good hearty soup. Because cans are lined with BPA, soup has been ousted from our house, that is until now. My husband went grocery shopping last night and brought home some Dr. McDougall’s ready to serve soup, in cartons. He noticed that they were in BPA free containers, which is why he picked them up (my husband, he is catching on. Smart man, that one). Most of the soups that come freeze dried in the cups, I don’t know if you’ve tried them, but yuck. They lack in flavor, and are just not the same. Of course, you could just make up a large batch of your favorite soup and freeze it, but if you’re pressed for time, or you don’t feel like making every single type of soup in existence to keep on hand, this is a really good alternative, and the taste, according to him, is pretty good.
On top of the containers being BPA free, the soup is All Natural, unlike the preservative laden canned counter parts, and the containers are a nice size. You could easily get 2-3 bowls of soup out of one container. I’m glad that he spotted it when he did, because it looks as if winter is going to be here forever, and I am freezing! Good Job, Mr. SafeMama!
Get it: You may be able to find the new cartons in your local grocery store , or you can order it by the case directly from their website. (tip: ask a friend if they want to split the cost with you so that you don’t have too much, and it’ll cut your cost as well).
Related articles:
- SafeMama Review: Good Grips POP Containers
- SafeMama Review: LunchBots Stainless Steel Lunch Containers
- IKEA Kids rainbow cups & utensils BPA Free

























