I recently tested some of the EPIC (Environmental Products for Important Causes) product line sold at BuyGreen.com and of course, I was impressed. It's nice to be able to breathe and not choke after I spray some all-purpose cleaner on my counters and not feel like my skin is suffering because of toxic ingredients when I wash my hands. The EPIC hand soap contains no petroleum solvents, no dyes and no respiratory or skin irritants. Hey, the way I see it, we have to start somewhere and if that means using eco-friendly soap and cleaning products, then have at it my friends!
You should also be aware that 100% of EPIC's after-tax profit is donated to environmental conservation, education, and research.
What is also lovely about BuyGreen is that they offer a breakdown on the products that they carry. Check out their standards for the EPIC Glass and Mirror Cleaner. I really like it that they offer this extra detailed information.
BuyGreen is all about making friends with mother nature and our beautiful planet.Our mission at BuyGreen is to become your most trusted source for green products, offering the widest variety of quality products, the best information for consumers, and the most enjoyable shopping experience.
You will find more than just cleaning products at BuyGreen. You're going to find green living items from clothing to office supplies to tech gadget accessories.
*Laura recently reviewed Isabella's Dream, the I Dream Baby products which are also available from BuyGreen.
If you're "going green", then we highly recommend you bookmarking BuyGreen.com and visiting frequently.
Every winter, I have to prepare myself for the worst skin. I suffer from dry, cracked hands and what my husband refers to as "alligator feet". The chapped hands are the worst though. I wash my hands quite a bit during the day, especially with a toddler running around the house. I'm a freak of nature, I always want to make sure my hands are clean. The results of my squeaky clean hands (and lack of fluid intake) is severe dryness. I generally swear by Avon's Moisture Therapy Intensive Hand Cream but I just ran out. Luckily, I just received Gloves in a Bottle. You may have heard of this product recently around the blogosphere, as many have blogged about it. So far, the skin protector has been working really well.
I can tell it lasts for hours because I generally put it on before bed and when I wake up and wash my hands, I can still feel it protecting.
It's a silky lotion, not super thick. After it is massaged into your skin, the area feels smooth. Not necessarily greasy, but you can definitely tell that you have lotion on. I don't really mind this but some people might. After a few minutes or so, that lotiony feeling goes away but your skin is still protected.
Overall, I really like the product. A little goes a long way, so this 8 fl. oz. bottle should last me throughout the chapping season. For me, the true test will be in the dead of winter, which is fast approaching.
You can purchase Gloves in a Bottle by the bottle in the 8 fl. oz. size (retail $12.95). The product also comes in a smaller, more travel-friendly size, 2 fl. oz. I only see prices per 1/2 case or more for the smaller size, so I'm not sure if you can actually order the smaller size per the bottle. Seems like the company gears this product more toward people or businesses who would like to order in bigger quantities.
Gloves in a Bottle can also be found in select pharmacies around the world.
Months upon months ago, Laura and I were asked to try out Skin MD Natural. We've taken our time testing out the product and have found that it really DOES make a difference in the condition of your skin.
To be honest with you, I get a little tired of all of the fruity-tootie fragrance lotions out there. I have to wonder really what are they doing for my skin? Obviously, there are chemicals in these lotions that can't be THAT good for my skin, right? Sometimes, I just want to get back to the basics and use a product that might not have pretty packaging but one that I know my skin is going to benefit from.
Several reasons why we like Skin MD Natural so much:
• No animal products or testing
• Dermatology tested
• Fragrance and colorant free
• Hypoallergenic
• Paraben free
• Non-comedogenic
Skin MD Natural is over 93% "natural". If you are looking for more information on the ingredients contained in this product, click HERE.
A 4 oz. bottle of Skin MD will run you about $25/bottle. That's enough for roughly 1-2 months of daily use. Girlfriend, you can even buy it by the GALLON. I'll let you check out the price on that one yourself. Hey, maybe you work in an office and you think your coworkers would benefit from this product. The company also offers these sample packets for $2.00/2 packets.
This product has been VERY GOOD to my skin. I can hear it cheering right now. In the past, I have been known to have some severely dry and itchy skin. I can vouch that Skin MD has helped out quite a bit in that department. There is a lot of useful information on their website, so stop by and check it out if you have a chance.
CHECK IT OUT!
The folks at Skin MD online would like to offer MTW readers a discount on orders placed through their website. Receive $5 off your order when you enter the word "garden" in the gift certificate code box.
I wish I had known about ReliaDose® last year when Hailey had her bouts of Rotavirus. Using this handy product would have been so easy and we could have been sure she was getting the correct dosage. However, I'm glad I know about it now for the next time around.
THE FACTS:
ReliaDose® is a medicine delivery system that was invented by a mom when she had her own problems administering medicine to her infant son. The "system" is a 5 ml dosing syringe inside of a 2 oz. bottle. The patented dual-chamber nipple keeps the medicine from mixing with the preferred drink, therefore masking the taste and ensuring that your baby is getting the precise dosage. ReliaDose® is meant to be used with babies from 0-18 mos. Check with your Pediatrician and/or Pharmacist to be sure the particular medication you would like to use with the system is one that can be mixed with certain liquids.
The ReliaDose® system is available for purchase for $11.95 HERE. It is also available at THESE retailers/wholesalers/online.
Click HERE to view the coupon for a FREE accessory pack after purchasing this fabulous invention.
MY OPINION:
I received my ReliaDose as a gift in my swag bag from the Chicago Moms Blog. Although I haven't tested it on a baby yet, my thoughts are that it is most likely going to do what it is meant to do, administer medicine. If you were to ask about the control of the flow of medicine into the child, my thoughts are that with the baby's natural sucking instinct, he or she is going to get about an equal amount of medicine and liquid per suck. The purpose of the system is to get all of the medicine into the child, so I don't think the flow control is really an issue. Would the baby be distracted by the structure inside of the nipple? The structure in the nipple is as flexible as the nipple itself, so I don't think the child would be distracted by that at all. If anything, the shape might be the only issue, if your baby is used to a certain shape of nipple. From what I can see, if you were holding your baby the way you normally would to feed using a bottle, coming straight at the child, he or she wouldn't think anything of it. Judging by the way my child was between the ages of 14 and 18 mos., I think there might have been a bit of a distraction because she wanted to hold her own bottles.
Hopefully my opinion counts for something if you are considering purchasing one of these bottles. I personally think it's a unique invention and worth giving a shot if your child puts up a fight. It's all about trial and error when you're a parent, isn't it? Anything that might make our job a little easier is fine by me.
Peeps are talkin':
Read what Daddytypes SAID and what Mom Gadget SAID about ReliaDose®
VedaPure and it's lines, VedaBaby, VedaMama, and VedaDude are the creation of Natalie Geary, MD, who's goal is to bring you the most safe and effective skincare for your whole family!
VedaPure offers products for your little one that will freshen, soothe, cool, calm, heal and more. Noel received the Soothe, Cool, and Butt Plus. The Soothe is so silky! I couldn't believe how soft his skin felt afterward! The VedaCool was nice after a hot afternoon at the park, and the Butt Plus is, without a doubt, the best diaper cream I have used to date.
VedaMama has products to make you purified, nurtured, and even scrumptious! This mama received the Supple, which will hopefully save my tummy from stretch marks during this pregnancy. I was also invited to try Purify, which smells amazing and feels so refreshing.
The best thing about VedaPure is that you need not worry about using something on yourself or your child that has anything but all natural-ingredients. I would be in heaven if I could afford to exclusively buy VedaPure!
My hubby just came by and planted one on me and told me how "soft" my lips feel. To his compliment I replied, "All the better to kiss you with, my dear". Now I can see where BABYBEARSHOP came up with the tag line for their irresistible "All the Better to Kiss You With" lip balms.
These certified organic lip balms come in three lovely scents; Peppermint, Chai Mandarin and Lavender Vanilla. Let me just tell you...these are some fabulously natural lip balms! I can't decide which one is my favorite so I'm just going to tell you that all three of them are. Each flavor comes in a recyclable vintage tin, perfect for your pocket.
Diana Lussenden Stewart, founder of BABYBEARSHOP has quite a story to share about the birth of her company, which was born primarily due to her daughter's extremely allergic skin. We admire people like her for doing such in-depth research and creating smart products for all of us to use. Diana, you are a VERY UNIQUE MUM, indeed! Thank you for helping us all become aware of products on the market that we use on our skin. You can read more about Diana's story HERE.
BABYBEARSHOP has their own signature stretchmark oil (that has many more uses), "mama belly oil", as well as their own shea butter baby creme, "cheeky baby butter". Check out their organic gift sets, an absolutely fantastic idea for that new mom! There are seven unique sets to choose from.
You can also check out the BABYBEARSHOP blog HERE.
It seems like my 16 1/2 month old never catches a break when it comes to teething. One pops in and another is tagging along shortly behind. The poor kid is always irritable and that makes for an irritable mommy.
Ever since she was a tiny tot, we have been giving her Hyland's Teething Tablets.
They are homeopathic which, in a nutshell, means they are "natural". I can't say these tablets were the answer to all of our irritability prayers but they seemed to offer a little bit of relief for her from about 3 months to about 11 months. After that, we've generally just used Baby Orajel or good old Infant Tylenol. I have to say, I'd rather stick with the natural route but in times of extreme crankiness, I must go with what I know works for at least 4-6 hours.
I just discovered that Hyland's makes an array of different homeopathic products, not just for children but for adults as well. I think I may stroll on over to the local pharmacy and pick me up a little "pick me up".
You can pick up Hyland's Teething Tablets at your local pharmacy from anywhere between $4 and $6. I've even seen them sold online at amazon.com for under $4.
So, I probably wouldn't rely fully on the teething tabs at this point. I will plan on giving them another go but it seems like she's cutting some pretty painful ones right now and not much is going to ease the pain but a lot of patience and TLC.
Growing up, my mother always made a dentist appointment for me every six months. Thank goodness for that! However, I have always had problems with my teeth. For as long as I can remember, I have had cavities and had to get fillings. As an adult, I've had three wisdom teeth removed (so far). I have slacked a little on going to the dentist now that I'm on my own but I am trying harder to get back there every six months. It's harder now with our ever-changing insurance plans. I just paid a visit to my dentist last night. I have THREE cavities, two of which need root canals. YUCK! As I laid there, listening to the sweet sound of the drill, I thought of Hailey. My little toddler who is bound to have bad teeth because of her parents. I haven't been great with brushing her teeth yet but I am going to make a pact with myself that those pearly white babies will be brushed every night from now on. I don't want her to have to suffer through mouth pain like we have.
Currently, we're using the Crest toddler toothbrush below. Seems to work great for her. It's small enough for her mouth and has Elmo on it, one of her favorite characters.
We're using the Grins & Giggles Tooth and Gum Cleanser as well. She doesn't mind the taste of it at all.
So, what are you waiting for? Starting early is the best practice. Show you're little ones that it's important to brush everyday!