Sep

30

Wean Green Glass Cubes & Reno Rose Pirose Nursing Scarf Giveaway

Filed Under Food Safety, Giveaways Coupons | 97 Comments

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    I’ve had the pleasure of working with The Glass Baby Bottle for some time now and I really enjoy them and their online store.  They have such a wonderful selection of products and are always finding new things to help us all operate in our lives without so many toxins.  So while this may seem like an odd pairing of items for a giveaway, they are quite fitting to a specific time in your life when you are progressing from a nursing mom to starting baby on solid foods.  The Glass Baby Bottle has offered to give away one of each of the following items to a SafeMama reader.

    First up is a fabulous nursing scarf by Reno Rose.  While nursing both of my own children I used the help of a nursing cover.  And while it worked well for me it was often a bit of a pain to dig it out and position it right, especially as my son’s got bigger and more tricky to maneuver.  This nursing scarf is a little more practical and stylish.  You wear it more or less as a part of your ensemble, in any number of fashionable ways.  When it’s time to feed baby you simply reposition it for privacy.  They are made with a lightweight fabric to allow for breathability.  If you don’t want to wear it, it’s compact enough to be rolled up and stored in your purse or diaper bag for feedings.

    Once you have the breastfeeding down it’s seems it is already time to start baby food.  Whether you are more of a “baby led” style mom or a “make your own purees” kind of mom, either way -  you’ll want to start storing the food your new baby is going to be eating.  If you go through any lengths of making baby food, you don’t want to then stick it in a container that cold potentially leach toxins into the food.  This is where Wean Green Glass Wean Cubes come in handy!

    Each set of Wean Green Glass Wean Cubes come with 4 glass cubes that seal air tight and leak-proof with  BPA / PVC / Phthalate free lids with a silicone seal.  Glass is one of the best ways to store food.  There is no risk of plastic leaching and they don’t stain.  With glass you can move it from the refrigerator or freezer to the microwave or stove top (I thaw baby food in hot or warm water surrounding the container or with a small stainless melting pot).  They are durable and marked with measurements so you can portion what you need up to 4 ounces. The glass is recyclable and I think they’re pretty cute!

    You can find both products a The Glass Baby Bottle!

    Win It!

    The Glass Baby Bottle is giving away a 4 Pack of Wean Green Glass Wean Cubes in Blueberry AND a Reno Rose Nursing Scarf in the Ramon pattern to one SafeMama reader.

    To Enter the Giveaway (Required):

    Visit The Glass Baby Bottle and check out their selection of other products… they have a ton of great stuff (eco-friendly safe art supplies, organic crib bedding, blankets, cloth diapers, etc) Leave a comment here letting me know which other item they carry you’d love to check out!

    For Extra Entries:(You must leave a comment for each extra entry for them to count):

    • Subscribe to SafeMama.com via RSS reader
    • Subscribe to SafeMama.com via feedburner email
    • Share this giveaway on Facebook (leave the link)
    • Fan/Like  SafeMama on Facebook (First name, Last initial please)
    • Fan/Like  TheGlassBabyBottle on Facebook (First name, Last initial please)
    • Follow @glassbabybottle on Twitter (Twitter name please)
    • Follow @SafeMama on Twitter (Twitter name please)
    • Tweet this giveaway (CAN BE RETWEETED ONCE A DAY – Just leave the link to the tweet itself each day in the comments):  #WIN Wean Green Glass Cubes & a Reno Rose Nursing Scarf from @SafeMama #giveaway ends 10/8 http://tinyurl.com/32yr2m8

    One winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Giveaway open to US residents. Entries will be accepted until October 8, 2010 at midnight EST. Good Luck :D

    Congratulations commenter #96 Lesley!

    Sep

    21

    Stroller Safety Tips and Resources

    Filed Under Safe Mama Tips | 4 Comments

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      I was out with my family and I witnessed a woman pushing a stroller which then tipped backwards completely falling to the ground, with a child inside of it.  Luckily for them, the child was not hurt badly but it got me thinking.  We put a lot of time into thinking about what products are the safest for our kids, but when it comes down to it, some of the most mundane things in life can be just as dangerous.

      You would never think of a stroller as being a safety hazard but if used improperly it can certainly be a threat.  There is also the issue of stroller recalls.  You might remember a recall of Maclaren strollers not long ago that mentioned the hinges of the stroller having the possibility of severing fingers. They have of course, since then, provided a fix and have redesigned that portion of their strollers but I still see the recalled versions out and about.  Here is a list of standard stroller safety tips to keep in mind when both purchasing a stroller and when using your current one…. there are a lot of things to keep in mind but this is a few basics:

      • Don’t hang or overload strollers with diaper bags and shopping bags. As I mentioned above, the stroller can tip backwards and cause injury to your child.  Use the basket area underneath the stroller.  When shopping for a stroller, choose one that offers a larger under storage area that is accessible. If you’re using an umbrella style stroller, avoid hanging heavy bags from it.  There are those mommy helper clips for hanging bags on your stroller – I think they’re a bad idea and encourage you to overload your stroller with stuff.  Save those for the grocery cart.
      • Use the straps and and buckles as intended and make sure the child is the appropriate weight for the stroller.
      • When folding or unfolding your stroller, do so without your kids nearby so you can avoid pinched fingers or hands. I’ve pinched my own hand trying to fold up strollers so imagine what it would do to a tiny one.
      • Never leave a child unattended in any stroller, even if sleeping.  Kids can get antsy and try to climb out or unbuckle themselves when you aren’t looking, resulting in falls and injuries.
      • Double strollers: whether they are a stacked type or a side by side – be careful when there is only one child in them.  They can become unbalanced and tip.
      • Keep up on childrens product recalls and return the warranty card your stroller comes with so you will be notified in the event of a recall.  People often toss this information out.  Send them in!

      It seems silly and obvious but after witnessing that child’s stroller tip backwards I thought it would be nice to remind people that strollers can be dangerous if not properly used.

      Resources for stroller safety and stroller buying tips:

      March Of Dimes Stroller Safety for Baby “Always use the parking brake when the stroller is stopped.”

      ConsumerReports.org “Don’t jog with a stroller that’s not a jogging stroller or an all-terrain stroller not recommended for jogging.”

      Dr Spock Practical Stroller Safety Tips “Never leave your child in the stroller behind a parked car. The reason is obvious if you stop to think about it. Always keep your child’s stroller right next to you while you’re getting out your keys and unlocking the car door, and buckle her into her car seat before dealing with groceries, packages, etc.”

      Parenting Ideas Stroller Safety Tips “Check your stroller to make sure it is completely opened and in the locked position before putting your child in it. A good habit to get into is pushing down on the seat with your hand to make sure it safe for your child.”

      Sep

      14

      Baby Proofing with Rhoost (Giveaway)

      Filed Under Giveaways Coupons, Healthy Home, Product Reviews, PVC Free | 55 Comments

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        I baby proofed my home with my first son and never had too much trouble with him getting into dangerous places.  He was content enough to hurt himself on the plain old driveway more than anything else.  With my second however, it’s a totally different story.  He gets into everything, touches everything and pays attention to what my first child never bothered with, like light sockets, wires, cabinets and child locks.  He actually figured out how to wedge his chubby little hand through a child-locked cabinet under the sink and pull out the one small bottle of cleaner that would fit through the hole. He’s like a baby magician.

        So when I discovered his admiration for adventure I baby proofed the house as well as I possibly could.  Even f it meant using packing tape and bubble wrap. I learned about Rhoost a while ago and then they were one of our great sponsors at the Green Soiree in August. Rhoost is a really innovative company who has finally incorporated style into baby proofing materials. Gone are the days of big ugly cabinet locks.  We now don’t have to look like a day care center in here… instead we can be child proofed and maintain the look of a adult stylish home (well aside from the toys all over the place).

        One area that always worried me is our TV cabinet. It’s one of those double door things that fold back to reveal the TV.  Only the doors don’t push all the way inside the cabinet (probably because we bought it cheap and that’s the consequence).  This causes a sharp door corner to jut out in a prime location that the kids always seem to be within head smacking distance.  When my oldest was little I bought these big ugly foam corner protectors and stuck them on.  Of course, you know this story, they got pulled off and then the sticky part got less sticky and they never stayed on.

        When daredevil #2 was born I pulled those same corner protectors out and well, this is what they looked like after the kids pulled them off and the tape and then I went bezerk:

        Before: Notice the multiple layers of packing tape since one layer was peeled off by the baby.

        Then I got some Rhoost samples in the mail including their corner protector Edge. The beauty of Edge is that it will fit on just about every exposed corner you might have.  Of course it’ll fit on table corners and whatnot but as evidence of my obscure cabinet corner problem, it worked perfectly there too.  Here is my hideous cabinet corner after meeting Rhoost’s Edge:

        After: Ahhhh Much better after Rhoost's Edge corner protector.

        Rhoosts products are made with BPA / PVC / Phthalate free materials (and they’re recyclable!).  In addition to their really useful Edge piece they offer a cabinet lock called Sling.  Here is my personal before and after … you can see how little you even notice it:

        Before Rhoost Sling

        Ahhhh After Rhoost Sling

        Get Rhoost!

        You can purchase any of their great products, including their new Rhoost DECOY Outlet Covers right on their website Rhoost.com.  Use code “GREEN10″ for 10% off at Rhoost.com until 12/31/10 (Coupon is working now! )

        Win It!

        I’m giving away a pack of 4 Rhoost EDGE Table Corner Protectors to TWO SafeMama readers.

        To Enter the Giveaway (Required):

        Visit Rhoost and check out their selection of products… Leave a comment here telling me how a Rhoost product would solve a particularly ugly child proofing system you have in place now.

        For Extra Entries:(You must leave a comment for each extra entry for them to count):

        • Subscribe to SafeMama.com via feedburner email
        • Share this giveaway on Facebook (first name and last initial)
        • Fan/Like  SafeMama on Facebook (first name and last initial)
        • Fan/Like  Rhoost on Facebook
        • Follow @rhoosting on Twitter
        • Follow @SafeMama on Twitter
        • Tweet this giveaway (CAN BE RETWEETED ONCE A DAY – Just leave the link to the tweet itself each day in the comments):  #WIN a 4-Pack of Rhoost Edge corner protectors from @SafeMama #giveaway ends 9/22 http://tinyurl.com/349crh6

        Two winners will be selected at random using Random.org. Giveaway open to US residents. Entries will be accepted until September 22, 2010 at midnight EST. Good Luck :D

        Congratulations to commenters #55 Cathy and #10 Amber for winning the Rhoost Edge giveaway.  Thanks everyone who entered!

        Sep

        4

        Maclaren Beginning Skin Care for Mom & Baby

        Filed Under Product Reviews, Skin Care | Comments Off

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          I’m sure you recognize Maclaren from their popular strollers.  That’s how I know them… so when they contacted me about their new line of natural skin care for pregnant moms and babies I was really intrigued.  Maclaren sent me their entire line, called Maclaren Beginning, to check out and wow was I ever impressed with these great products.

          First, I have to say that the entire line looks and feels very elegant and much like a pampering experience.  One of my favorite items is the Nurturing Bath Milk for mom and Calming Bath Milk for baby.  They made up of Certified Organic essential oils and come in a special coated glass bottle.  The bottles feel soft and are thus shatter resistant (it won’t shatter all over the place).  What is really nice is it looks like a massage oil but when you pour a few cap fulls into the bath it turns a milky white color. The scents are subtle and calming and a small bit goes a long way.

          I was also really taken by their Supporting Belly Balm.  Typically, belly balms are really oily or sticky which I guess aides in providing moisture to the skin to stay supple and flexible for the changes it is going through during pregnancy.  The Maclaren Supporting Belly Balm is made with essential oils, shea butter and rosehip to help prevent stretchmarks.  It comes in a little pot with the most fabulous tiny wooden spoon.  It goes on like whipped butter and absorbs immediately so you’re not sticking to your clothes (which was a huge peeve of mine with belly oils). I’m not pregnant anymore but I started using it anyway on my hands and elbows – I love it that much!  And no strong scent… its very light and airy.

          One other product I wanted to highlight is the Protecting Nappy Change Balm.  For one, it comes in a massive 8.4 oz tube – I don’t think you would ever need to reorder it.   It’s goes on much like a thick lotion and is zinc free so it would be perfect for cloth diaperers.  It’s virtually unscented and for $12 it would last a lifetime. I haven’t even put a dent in the tube I have here.

          The Maclaren Beginning line has a large range of products including gift sets.  The baby items include the Protecting Nappy Change Balm, Calming Bath Milk, Absorbing Dusting Powder, Cocooning Massage Oil, Comforting Room Mist and Soothing Delicate Soap (which really is delicate and moisturizing).  The line for mommies includes candles, 3 essential oils, a Balancing Facial Mist (great after a work out), Alleviating Leg Lotion and a Connecting Massage Oil.

          These are really nice products that would be perfect as a gift for a baby shower or just for a friend, since they have such a pretty and delicate feeling, like a special treat for mom and baby.  They providing perfect gift sets on their website for mom to-be and baby. I have to note that these are not chemical free products (some are close like the oils and milks) but they do contain a couple things here and there.  They do make our Skin Care Cheat Sheet and provide ingredients lists on their website.  The line is however free of the biggies like parabens, phthalates, PEG’s, and propylene glycols.

          Get It: You can get the entire Maclaren Beginning line on their website but it’s also available through Diapers.com, Drugstore.com and some independent retailers.

          Sep

          2

          Cup Training with Tilty: Review & Giveaway

          Filed Under Food Safety, Giveaways Coupons, Product Reviews | 121 Comments

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            Tilty has a molded inner wall to help make drinking easier

            If you saw my kids cup/dish cabinet you would laugh because it’s a serious illness with me.  But when something I haven’t seen or tried before comes on the market I just can’t resist trying it out.  In the name of science of course.  So when I stumbled on Tilty cups a while ago I was really intrigued.

            Tilty is basically a sippy cup that is designed to make drinking easier for the child. Typical sippy cups require that your baby tilt their head back to drink.  Whereas the Tilty is designed with an extra inner wall to push the liquid forward so that they can drink from the cup without all that head tilting and neck bending.  It may help transition them from sippy cup to grown up style cups easier since they don’t expect to have to do all tat head tilting.

            The new versions of the Tilty have different lids/spouts including one for thicker liquids like yogurt or smoothies and a Travel Lid for storing liquids or snacks on the go.  Tilty is not a spill proof sippy cup and not intended to be one so it’s not meant to be dragged all over the house.  Which is why I like it… it gives kids a cup to use at the table so it encourages them to drink properly now and when they get older.

            My Youngest was able to drink from a Tilty as early as 6 Months

            Tilty’s are made with Polypropylene (#5) plastic and are of course BPA, Phthalate, and PVC free and is safe for the dishwasher.  The cups are also dye-free (except the colored lids).  My only peeve with this cup is the inability to neatly stack them in a cabinet but there are no valves or extra parts to wash – just the cup and the lid so that kind of makes up for it.  Another bonus is that they’re affordable. Have you seen the prices of some sippy cups these days? Sheesh!  Tilty’s come in a 2 Pack for less than $7.  My 6 month old was able to use it and still does with much more ease than many sippy cups so I’ve given it a permanent spot in the cabinet.

            Get It: You can pick up Tilty Cups and Lids from The Glass Baby Bottle!

            Win It!

            The Glass Baby Bottle is giving away a Clear 2-Pack of Tilty Cups AND 2-packs of the new lids to one lucky SafeMama reader!

            To Enter the Giveaway (Required):

            Visit The Glass Baby Bottle and check out their selection of other products… they have a ton of great stuff (eco-friendly safe art supplies, organic crib bedding, blankets, cloth diapers, etc) Leave a comment here letting me know which other item they carry you’d love to check out!

            For Extra Entries:(You must leave a comment for each extra entry for them to count):

            • Subscribe to SafeMama.com via RSS reader
            • Subscribe to SafeMama.com via feedburner email
            • Share this giveaway on Facebook (leave the link)
            • Fan/Like  SafeMama on Facebook
            • Fan/Like  TheGlassBabyBottle on Facebook
            • Follow @glassbabybottle on Twitter
            • Follow @SafeMama on Twitter
            • Tweet this giveaway (CAN BE RETWEETED ONCE A DAY – Just leave the link to the tweet itself each day in the comments):  #WIN a Tilty Sippy Cup 2-Pack from @SafeMama #giveaway ends 9/13 http://tinyurl.com/32lzkly

            One winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Giveaway open to US residents. Entries will be accepted until September 13, 2010 at midnight EST. Good Luck :D

            Congratulations to Cathy commenter #115!  Thanks everyone who entered and thank you The Glass Baby Bottle for the fabulous giveaway!

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