Reduce your pool footprint: use reusable swim diapers!

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Hiya dear friends!

How are ya?

It’s been a whirlwind of busy around here but happy Thursday to ya!!

Were still experiencing triple digit temps and have been cooling off in the kiddie pool as you may have already noticed. hee, hee!

This post may be a little late but for us Summer isn’t over JUST yet. Besides, swim lessons start in just a couple weeks!!

Back up three years ago, when Tristan started swim lessons…

…as a green mama, I’d already thought about the reprecussions of using disposable diapers such as chlorine bleach used to dye the diapers (toxin), absorbent gels (toxin) plastic and human waste (#1 & #2) being thrown into landfills etc.  SO  after learning such repercussions we  turned to cloth diapers as an eco solution to help minimize our worry…

From CleanAir.org…

Diapers: An average child will use between 8,000 -10,000 disposable diapers ($2,000 worth) before being potty trained. Each year, parents and babysitters dispose of about 18 billion of these items. In the United States alone these single-use items consume nearly 100,000 tons of plastic and 800,000 tons of tree pulp. We will pay an average of $350 million annually to deal with their disposal and, to top it off, these diapers will still be in the landfill 300 years from now. Americans throw away 570 diapers per second. That’s 49 million diapers per day.

Holy dirty diapers, eco mama’s & papa’s …

…but then swim lessons … was there a waterproof diaper??

Come to find out … there are many solutions and making a decision wasn’t easy. As a first time mom, I had no idea what to expect with cloth. I was just going with my gut and doing what I thought was best for my son Tristan (the eco tot) and for the Earth.

When I finally made a choice of the i play swim diapers …  I loved the fact that my son could wear a cloth swim diaper that was made for water play & swimming without harming the planet. No worries of disposable plastic crud up against his skin either. These could be tossed right into the laundry to be washed over & over again. Plus, i play “swim dipes” are highly fashionable and spark up a conversation in an instant. 

Clark wearing i play swim shorts & a UV shirt! Natural born swimmer

This year we went to the local chlorine water park in town (our first visit) and the personnel were impressed by our swim dipes.

Upon entering the park we were handed a note which mentioned only “plastic diapers” are allowed on infants.

Usually it’s quite the contrary. When we signed the eco tot up for swim lessons the local pools policy was fitted cloth swim diapers only.

Nothing with absorbent  gels inside that can weigh baby down after being in the pool for awhile.

So, when we read the note we were a little surprised. The note almost made it seem like babies had to be in plastic diapers only because at some point it read ” approved plastic diapers” –  I had the paper note saved somewhere but couldn’t find it for this post… lame!

Anyway, we’d ended up going into guest services just to be sure are swim diapers were allowed and low and behold our swim diapers were approved. The women working in guest services actually commented on how nice and comfy they looked on Clark and said she didn’t even know they existed.

It was a great feeling knowing it was one less PLASTIC diaper going into the trash after a day of fun….hooray!

We’ve even traveled with the i play swim dipes to Hawaii and on camping trips-  so far, we’ve have had no problems with em’… loved the way they look on … love they way they hold up just like a “sposie”…& FTR, no problems in the poopsies department YET!

*holding my breath

I highly recommend i play swim diapers for your green/eco needs.

No, I’m not being paid to make the last statement.

These are my honest feelings about the swim diapers- figured; I’d put that out there, just in case some of you were curious. 

Imse Wimse- eh!

We also have a pair of the Imse Wimse; BUT they’re much, much thinner and not worth the investment in my leettle opinion. They have two side snaps at the hip which I didn’t find easy to take off (or put on) a wiggly tot and the fit was a little funky in the private area… a little to airy fresh for me.

Wasn’t comfortable with these in case of acccidentes!  The i play swim diapers by far exceeded my expectations PLUS they’ve held up for Baby Clark our 16 month old! We have 2 pairs of the i play swim diapers and 2 pairs of shorts with matching UV shirts. Love em, love em’ love em!

Our i play dipes & shorts still look new which is an added bonus! YAY! for swim dipes an eco friendly alternative to plastic/sposies…ugh!

Of course, for regular water play the boys always run bare skivvies but for public places they’re a great solution.

Another reason I chose i play swim diapers is for all their wonderful fun prints. I’m mean seriously? Who doesn’t want their baby lookin’ somewhat stylish?!

Their stylish & NON TOXIC…that’s right… the outer shell of the i-play l is PVC & PHTHALATE FREE!

Reduce your pool footprint – GO reusable!

wOOt!

Non Toxic Garden Pest Control: Homemade Bug Spray!

Hiya, happy people!

So—> yesterday,  there was mention of bugs in the front yard garden…

well– last night, the hubz and I came up with a concotion that were hoping combats the “little black bugs” .

Basically, these bugs appear to be sucking out the chlorophyll in the plant by attacking the leaves.

These nasty buggers initially started in on the watermelon, which resulted in a melon loss

The entire watermelon plant crippled over and is not happy.

It looks very  unhealthy at this point and has infected the other plants. Grr!

Such as my beautiful cuke plant that is healthy and covered in yellow blossoms.

So far, we managed to get one cuke out it but they’re are two others which started to grow but now seem to be stunted from the buggy effect.

Double grr!

Our pumpkin plants are starting too look unhappy as well. Aye carumba… the joys of gardening… you LIVE & LEARN.

Over the years we haven’t really dealt much with bug infestations but have had some aphid issues and maybe a few worms too. We done lot’s of reading on how to get rid of pests naturally and have put together a few different methods.

Bugs definitely don’t like heat from peppers and one year (2009) we made a batch of pepper spray using the green peppers we grew in our garden. It worked wonderfully.

All we did was cut up some peppers and placed them into water and let it sit for a couple days or so before we used it.

Now it’s sat for 2 yrs. and the smell of peppers is SUPER strong. I don’t think any bug will live through a spray of it. hee, hee! Bye–bye, you hungry bugs!

Anyhoo- I didn’t actually find our homemade pepper spray till after we concocted a new spray (of course).

Non Toxic Garden BUG Control Spray

In a 12 oz bottle mix the following:

- 1 tbsp of vinegar

- 1 tbsp of oil (any kind- & pretend it’s pictured;)

- 3-4 drops of peppermint oil

- 3-4 squirts of dish soap (we used Mrs. Meyers)

-  2 cut up peppers… any HOT pepper will do!

Next, fill bottle/sprayer up with water & it’s ready for use!

** Remember to label your bottle and keep out of reach from children.

Simple. Easy & Effective.

No nasty chemicals involved… all natural & organic, baby!!!

Most of the ingredients can be found in under your kitchen sink.

Safe to use around children too!

We like to use our homemade garden bug control spray in the early AM’s or late PM’s of the day.

Spraying in direct sunlight/heat could damage your garden plants so just be aware.

I’ll definitely keep you posted on our bug sitch…

…keeping my fingers crossed the plants live through it.

(there is some new life on the watermelon, so we’ll see- maybe it’s not toast afterall;)

Have you had any problems with bugs in your garden this year?!

If so, what have you done to combat them naturally?

What natural solutions do you know of?

click on pic for a larger view!

Don’t Forget: Green Your Sunscreen TOO!

Hola!

It was such a scorcher here today… temp was 105+!! It’s  HOT, hot HOT!  Fortunately, for us, we have some close friends that allow us to use their pool. In fact, they live just next door to hubby’s parents house. The open invitation was calling my name today. I couldn’t resist taking a dip it just sounded like the perfect thing to do after reading the forecast for the day.

ay carumba, wait… ay caliente!

sheesh!

In summer spirit, I made whipped up some banana fro-yo which we ate for lunch because who doesn’t eat ice cream as a meal during the dead of summer? Ice scream you scream… we all scream for ice cream… yeah baby! now were talking!

After much needed naps the eco tot, Tristan, asked to go swimming again.

I couldn’t say NO… it was too HOT and besides that I wanted the FUN in the SUN to continue. Why not?

enjoying our Coconut Bliss: Mint Galatica on a Gluten Free cone!

We not only hit the kiddie pool once today but TWICE!!

Which means we had to prepare for the blister of  a SUN…

& put on the above brand name sunscreen (Cali Baby)!

Smile! 

We no longer use Kiss My Ass Face  brand, as it is, rated 5-6 on the Skin Deep Database.

gick! The Soleo Organics sunscreen (not pictured) arrived at hubby’s parents… my mother in law, mentioned, she had ordered a SAFER sunscreen…

so, I gave it a whirl.

VERDICT: I liked the Soleo sunscreen overall because it was easier to apply & rubber in a bit better than the California Baby. Both the CA Baby & Soleo are unscented.  The Kiss My Face products are from 2 summers ago … after finding out what I thought was considered natural is actually harming they moved to the back of the bathroom shelf.

Some sunscreens contain harmful chemicals which are damaging to our bodies, especially developing ones!

Have you looked up how toxic your sunscreen could be, lately?

We had thunder and lightening this evening and some rain… it was a RAD show.

What’s the weather been like in your neck of the woods?

Dry Skin Salve, Recipe: Treat Flare Up’s Naturally

Hi there, dear readers!

How are ya?

So far so good here. Thank goodness!

I know, I’ve mentioned it this on the blog before but our three year old, Tristan, (the eco tot) has dry skin. We aren’t sure if it’s related to food or whether it’s just dry skin – eczema. We’ve dealt with this since he was 3 months old.  Dry skin issues seem to run on both sides so it would make sense, he may have a sensitivity. Though, I’ve done lot’s of research and found out that excemza/dry skin can be food related. According to the Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child book  foods such as dairy, wheat, eggs, chocolate can all aggravate dry skin and cause flare ups.

Flare ups are when the skin becomes irritated, red and inflamed. We’ve noticed lately that when Tristan has these foods mentioned above he  get’s flare ups. We haven’t quite figured out the culprit…leaning more towards wheat/dairy. In any case, we’ve been TRYING to do an elimination test but other factors and such have prevented us from really going through with it. It can get pretty tricky, especially since wheat. dairy and eggs seem to be in everything.

Once we realized he had dry skin, we’ve done everything possible to help it. We try to go the natural route as much as possible rather than rub him down with creams that are filled with toxic substances. These products may help temporarily but in the long run I’m not comfortable using them knowing their effects.  Not cool and so, so, important to me since our skin is the largest organ!

I know, it’s been awhile since I’ve written about his dry skin issues but our we always try to make sure there’s ground oatmeal in his bath along with soaps that fragrance and JUNK FREE. The milled oatmeal helps the itch and soothes the skin. We religiously rub him down with a 50/50 mix of coconut oil and EVOO but have recently switched to the Calendula oil I made him, which seems to have it’s place but is not getting rid of the problem. Going the natural route can be a science experiment but I truly enjoy figuring out these processes and coming up with a safe and effective solution …an all natural one!

Before, I get to riled up about this subject on this beautiful EARLY Thursday AM.

I’ll leave you with the recipe I came up with.

Dry Skin Salve

What you’ll need:

Infused oil; I used a homemade oil, I made from the Calendula flowers in our garden

Grated beeswax; local if possible!

Calendula petals from 2 flowers

Milled oatmeal (put rolled oats into your blender and whirl away-simple!)

Measuring cups

Plate

A double boiler

(Or med. size pot filled a quarter of the way- set a fitted glass bowl )

Short wide mouth jar

Directions:

Gather your materials and assemble your equipment. Note ratio: four parts oil to one part beeswax! Next, pour oil into top of double boiler/glass bowl set over hot not simmering – water and heat just until warm. Slowly add most of the grated beeswax and stir until melted then add in additional two ingredients. When you’ve added most of the beeswax, drop a spoonful of the mixture onto a plate and let cool to room temperature. It should be soft enough to scoop from a jar but frim enough to hold together well.  It it’s too runny, continue to add beeswax until it reaches the desired consistency. Remove from the heat. If desired, add 5 to 20 drops of essential oil.

Now carefully pour the hot liquid into jars and cover with lids. Label the jars with the date and contents and store them in a cool, dark place away from all light. If carefully stored, the salve will keep for at least a year.

Is it working?

So far the salve seems to be helping the eco tot out a lot. It helps stop the itching and soothes the skin plus the beeswax provides a nice shield through out the day. It’s only been about 2 weeks, so, it’s still pretty early, I’d say. I’d show you pictures of a before and after of the flare up’s but the area that’s most affected are his poor little bunzola’s!! LOL!

The back of his neck bothers him the most but when the homemade salve is applied we notice the itching subsides as well as the redness. I really like the feel and smell of this salve and the first day we rubbed it on the the eco tot said “this stuff feels GOOD.” That made me super happy.

I thought about adding in an essential oil… an anti -fungal &  antibacterial one …like clove or tea-tree but decided I would leave it fragrance free the first go. Eczema is related to fungus like thrush and other yeast causing issues. So, if your little one, suffers from dry itchy skin; you may want to considering cutting out foods that feed yeast.

As far as, dairy, wheat and eggs go… we’ve been on and off the elimination test… mostly due to outside influences BUT we have been paying attention a lot  more, if nothing else. This past week, we’ve really buckled down and hope to get the rest of our family on board with this issue so that we can get to the core of the problem.

Anywho, the boys are up from the naps. If you make this, come back and let me know, how you did.

Would love to hear about your experience.

Oh, and I love putting some of the homemade salve on my lips too- (stay tuned for a beeswax lip balm recipe, next!!!)

What have you been up to? Do you have experience making your own homemade salves or oils?

Spill… enquiring minds want to know. haha!!  

{Giveaway} Win a $25 Gift Certificate to The Soft Landing!!!

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED**

Hola mi amigos and amigas!

How are ya?

Earth Month has just about come to an end and we are now basking in the Earth Day afterglow.  What better way to end the last couple days of  giving many props to Mother Nature with a giveaway!

Living ‘ la vida verde’ ( the green life) can be tough at times… especially when you’re making decisions for your little ones. With all the BPA scares and other toxic chemicals being dumped into plastics it’s no wonder there is online specialty stores like The Soft Landing that carry safer options for your tots AND for YOU.

When I first started learning about ” BPA, PVC phthalate & lead free” toys and such, I scoured the net looking for baby items that did not have such toxic backlashes. It turns out it was considered to be “green” because most items I found were made from natural elements. In the case of pesky plastic, though, it was much tougher to find alternatives. When I finally came across The Soft Landing I was in BPA/PCV FREE  etc. heaven. Everything I needed all in one place! I was thrilled and tickled all at the same time.

When twitter came along, I immediately started following The Soft Landing to get their latest updates. After time, I’ve become good friends with the owner, Alicia Voorhies. It is such a pleasure to know her and support her online business.

The Soft Landing Store is the first of its kind, offering over 45 brands of 100% BPA, PVC and Phthalate-free products in one convenient place. Our goal is to take the headache out of making the switch to safer eating gear for busy parents.

Alicia’s store certainly took my headache away, that’s for sure!

AND… if you’ve had you’re doubts lately but aren’t sure what the alternatives are…

Let’s take another headache away, shall we!

Alicia has generously donated a $25.00 gift certificate to her store!!!

HOW TO WIN:

visit The Soft Landing and tell me what you’d be interested in!

:: Extra Entries ::

please leave a separate comment for each…

* tweet about this giveaway;

* follow this blog on Google Friend Connect;

* subscribe to this blog;

Giveaway ends, Friday, May 7, 2010!

Winner will be announced the following day.

Good luck, friends!

Lastly, as Alicia points out…  “You shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to choose safer dishes and toys for your family.”

Love it!

Have a great day.

update:

Sorry for the delay… we’ve been battling the sniffles!

Samantha (samnicole), you won the $25 gift certificate to The Soft Landing!

winner’s  response to the giveaway question:

“I’d get some water bottles for sure! Stainless steel Nathan or the Camelbacks that are insulated!”

Congratulations, Samantha!

Look for an email from RYD.

Thanks to all who entered! Look for another fabulous giveaway this week!

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