The Itsabelly Blog

Give the Gift of Reading - Check out The Gifted Grasshopper

When I first found The Gifted Grasshopper I was impressed with the organization of their website and totally enamored by their product.  I love books and I especially love books that make my little one's face glow after she flips through the pages and points to the pictures. 

The Gifted Grasshopper is a perfect way to send that special gift of reading to a child if you're a parent, grandparent, relative or friend looking for something educational.  The books can be gift wrapped with a cute stuffed grasshopper and placed in a re-usable book bag for your child to carry his favorite books in.  You can find books for baby through third grade from a hand picked selection of wonderful children's literature.  Customized book bags, gift certificates and even party favor gift bags starting at $7.99 are available.  Gifts under $30 may also fit your needs.  This company was created by two former first grade teachers so you know they'll have your little one's interests at heart!  The Gifted Grasshopper definitely gets a thumbs up from Itsabelly!

Our Special Announcement to Honor Earth Day!

             

Itsabelly's Guide to Going Green with Baby is the first book to provide a simple resource for evaluating eco-friendly baby gear and to learn more about organic and natural family living. We offer mom-tested product reviews and tips to raising a healthy baby and creating a happy planet. The founders of Under the Nile, gDiapers, TheSoftLanding.com and Earth Mama Angel Baby provide insight on why choosing organic and natural baby products is important to creating a healthier lifestyle. Going Green with Baby features personal product recommendations from eco-minded moms Jennifer Lo Prete and Melissa Moog. Jennifer is a writer and mother of two that has long practiced green living. Melissa is mom to a toddler, writer and the founder of Itsabelly Baby Concierge, a premier baby planning agency that specializes in going green with baby.

Going Green with Baby will be released in the Summer of 2008. To pre-order your copy, please send us an email to info@itsa-belly.com or call us at (503)799-5719 with your name and contact information. We will contact you when the book is available for purchase. Wholesale inquiries are also welcome.

A Peek Inside...

• Plan your baby registry with the best mom-tested reviews of over 300 eco-friendly baby products. We cover all your baby’s needs from slings to strollers, non-toxic bottles to safe skin care products, organic baby clothes to eco-friendly diapers and sustainable nursery furniture.
           
• Learn why going green with baby is important for a healthy baby and happy planet. Our panel of eco experts weighs in on the importance of organic apparel, sustainable wood, non-toxic feeding products and natural skin care products.
           
• Discover our simple eco-mom tips to raising a healthy baby and protecting our planet.
           
• Decipher the meaning and standards behind eco-labels. What does organic mean anyway? We make your trip to the store easier with a useful guide to common eco-labels and organic certification standards.
           
• Gain valuable tips on going green on a budget. From our own experience, it may not be financially feasible to turn your household completely organic. We give you tips on how you can make green choices that are right for your family.

      

Do You Want to Glow?

I really enjoy finding other mom entrepreneurs who have used their skills and talents to create a business that they are truly passionate about.  Glow Mama is a perfect example of this!  I was introduced to Glow and discovered a refreshing way to hydrate rather than drinking my boring old water. 

Lucy Leahy has created a beverage made with natural ingredients that is flush with the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients for moms.  In addition, she has a company brand that I thought was hip, sophisticated and fun.  What I thought was especially important was that Lucy's company has chosen an eco-friendly path by using plastic bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) which are easy to recycle.  Glow Mama’s labels are printed with soy based inks and all of their marketing materials are printed on 100% post consumer waste materials with soy inks.  Go "green" Glow!!!!
 
What I loved most about Glow Mama was that it's main ingredient is Kiwi which was given the grand title of “the most nutrient dense fruit in the world” in a recent study by Dr Lachance of Rutgers University. One tiny kiwi packs twice the vitamin C of an orange, twice the vitamin E of an avocado and 20% more potassium than a banana.  It has more fiber than a serving of bran flakes and is a good source of calcium, iron and folic acid.
 
So, if you're eating and drinking for two these days (or running after your toddler like me) give Glow Mama a try because it will only do your body (& baby's) good!  Oh, and it's only 70 calories per bottle, yeah!

Ingredients:

Filtered water,kiwi juice concentrate, white grape juice concentrate, cane juice concentrate, dietary fiber, calcium lactate, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), niacinamide (Vitamin B3), ferrous fumarate (iron), pyridoxine hydrochoride (Vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), folic acid

Luna Lullaby's Bosom Baby...Could it Be Your Breast Friend?

Luna Lullaby was kind enough to send me their Bosom Baby Organic Breast Feeding Pillow for review.  I really liked the fact that it's a large pillow that could form to the shape of your body as needed.  The organic materials were of course a definite plus and because the pillow is large in size moms can use it to feed twin babies.  It also acts as a great sleeping pillow!  I know that my pillow definitely became my best friend when I cuddled up with it at night after a long day with baby. 

Bosom Baby creates the perfect position for mothers to raise baby up to breast level, making the latch-on process easier. The unique V-shape also makes a cozy, comfortable maternity sleeping pillow.  The pillow cover design does not utilize zippers or velcro. Instead it is a fold-over design that helps keep the inner-cushion secure and in place. 

The organic flannel pillow comes in an oatmeal and light pink color.  It sells for $58 on Luna Lullaby's site and they offer covers  (no organic covers at this time) at $34.

Here are some facts about Bosom Baby pillows:

*Helps properly position baby for any breastfeeding hold
*Size and shape supports elbows and shoulders
*Fits every waistline
*Great maternity sleeping pillow
*Removable washable covers
*Good for twins
*Good for tummy time
*Helps in handling and holding baby
*Soft, luxurious covers

Happy Mama and a Great Green Company!

In honor of celebrating Mother's Day Itsabelly is giving away Earth Mama Angel Baby's "I Love My Mama" gift set (to enter contest see below).  Earth Mama Angel Baby is a genuine "green" company which produces the only line of 100% natural skin and body care products to support the ENTIRE birth process: pregnancy, labor, postpartum and c-section recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and even the loss of a baby.

It's no secret that I love Earth Mama Angel Baby's products since I use them on my baby and myself!  So, I decided to get the inside scoop directly from the woman and pioneer who started it all.  I was able to visit with Melinda Olson (founder) and she gave me a tour of her wonderful company.  I was impressed by Melinda's deep passion to protect our babies and mamas with her creation of pure and safe products.  Melinda has been creating Earth Mama Angel Baby's products since 2002 where she started out of her home.  She is one of the FIRST companies to exclude the use of phthalates and parabens for several years now (way before the recent media hype on toxins).  Her company continues to create positive waves across the country as families come to Earth Mama Angel Baby for phthalate and paraben free products.  Not to mention all the employees I've met and talked on the phone with are every bit as warm and kind as Melinda herself!

Earth Mama Angel Baby uses the highest quality oils and QAI certified organic herbs. Their products are cruelty-free, certified vegan, kosher, and 100% toxin-free - that means NO phthalates, parabens, SLS, artificial preservatives, fragrances or dyes.  In fact, Melinda has created an invaluable resource with her "reading room" materials on various toxins like phthalates to help educate parents, see information here.  The company also honors the earth by using only eco-friendly recyclable or reused/resuseable packaging and packing materials.  Earth Mama Angel Baby is even the proud recipient of the BRAG (Business Recycling Award Group) for their green practices.

The "I Love My Mama" gift set was specially designed to pamper mamas, so it's perfect for that special person on your Mother's Day list, birthday or just because you love them.  The gift includes Happy Feet soothing organic foot soak, Mint Herbal Lip Balm, Happy Mama Spray to ease both morning yuckies when pregnant and the downs after baby is here, Earth Mama Body Butter for healthier happier skin and Natural Nipple Butter, all packaged in a reusable pink organza bag.  The set is an almost $50 value.

To win all you have to do is sign up for our blog through Feedblitz located in the top right-hand corner of our blog, sign up for our newsletter as seen on the bottom of our home page here or leave a comment on this entry.  So, you can enter your name up to 3 times maximum if you'd like to!  The contest starts today April 19th and ends May 7th just in time for Mother's Day. 

What are you waiting for?  Treat yourself or a mama you know.  Sign up to WIN!

A Cheat Sheet to a Good Night’s Sleep for Baby

By April Beach, Founder & Consultant of Sweet Pea Baby Planners, www.sweetpeababyplanners.com

Your new baby has arrived, and with her the endless question, “How’s she sleeping?”   Even if your answer is “great”, you soon learn that all newborns sleep well, and this time has passed.   After questioning friends and attempting to read numerous novels on sleep approaches, you realize you’ve dozed off into one of those informative pages at lunch time, and you’re too exhausted to find a cure. 
Before reading, trying, and failing at the next sleep solution, consider this; you will not find sleep success until you adopt an approach that matches your family’s unique lifestyle and individual personalities.  Try writing down what sleep success look likes to you.  What are your goals?  For some it may be a complete night sleep, while others may choose to keep a nightly breastfeeding session, and still others like the idea of a family bed.    Consider whether you would honestly be comfortable letting your baby cry, and if so for how long.  Are you desiring a fast change or are you willing to invest a few weeks in the process. Talk with your partner, compare concerns and goals, and create a united front.   Consistency, patience and unity are the keys to your success.   Finally, hold yourself accountable.  Arrange to call a friend the following morning and share how the coaching went for the previous night.   Be honest about the ways you succeeded, as well as the areas in which you struggled.   Reassess and continue on.

A cheat sheet to finding your approach:

- If you’re looking for a consistent daily routine, set nap and feeding times, and don’t mind some crying, these two approaches do a great job at ensuring a full night’s sleep.     “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by  Marc Weissbluth, M.D.  And “Baby Wise” by Robert Bucknam,  M.D.

- If you want to continue night nursing in or out of a family bed, you don’t want to let your child cry,  and you still seek a good night’s sleep, try “The No -Cry Sleep Solution” by Elizabeth Pantley www.pantley.com

- If want your baby sleeping in her own bed, can’t handle the crying, and are willing to invest a few weeks in the process, try “Good Night, Sleep Tight” by Kim West, licensed  practicing child therapist  www.sleeplady.com

- If you don’t mind lots of crying and want a quick solution, and if your baby is over one and you have allowed poor associations to interfere with healthy sleep, try “Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems”  by Richard Ferber, M.D.  www.childrenshospital.org/views/june06/sleep.html

Consult with your child’s Pediatrician before beginning any sleep coaching to rule out illness, injury or medical conditions that can interfere with normal healthy sleep. 

Love at First Flush :)

Last Friday, I had an opportunity to meet with gDiapers and their VP of Marketing (Kate) at their headquarters here in Portland.  It was such a neat experience for me because I've followed gDiapers story since I moved here and have now become a fan of their product.  Isabella is just starting to use them now and also on the verge of being potty trained (that's a whole separate blog entry).

gDiapers headquarters is in a huge Victorian home on a corner lot near our famous "Trendy Third" (23rd street) and totally inconspicuous.  Not even a company sign infront to be found.  I really got the feeling of being at the grass roots level of the company because it wasn't at all what your typical "corporate" headquarters office feels like.  I should know  because I used to work at Intel (hundreds of grey colored cubes in a sterile environment).

While I was there I very briefly met with Jason Graham-Nye, the founder and  shook his hand politely :)  He's an Aussie so he had a nice accent and was pretty tall.  All I know of him is from his "about" page and what I've read on his blog.  I think what he and his wife have done with their company has been amazing and inspiring!  I like to give props to entrepreneurs who work hard to get their business off the ground and have become successful because as a new entrepreneur myself it is darn hard work!!!!!

And did you know that...

*50 million disposable diapers go into landfills every day in the US, where they sit for up to 500 years.

*Disposable diapers are made of petroleum based plastic, which is why they don’t break down.  It’s also the reason diaper rash is so common.  Diaper rash is caused by moisture trapped by heat. Disposables are ultra absorbent, but they don’t breathe.

Here's what I know about gDiapers so far and I'll have to post about my personal experience using them with Isabella later...

Overview of gDiapers

*gDiapers are the best of cloth and disposable in an earth-friendly hybrid diaper

*gDiapers consist of a reusable, cloth outer pant—a little g— and a plastic-free refill that you can flush, compost or toss

*gDiapers break down in about 3 months as opposed to plastic disposable diapers that take up to 500 years

*gDiapers are breathable, just like sports clothing, so babies stay dry and are far less likely to get diaper rash

a few key points comparing gDiapers to cloth

*gDiapers are more convenient than cloth and require much less washing, therefore less energy

*They’re also more absorbent than cloth and there’s less mess

*gDiapers are breathable, just like sports clothing, which means less diaper rash

*And they’re really cute!

compared to disposables

*gDiapers are radically better for the environment than traditional disposable diapers

*gDiapers are cradle to cradle certified which means that everything that goes into a gDiapers refill is reabsorbed by the planet in a neutral or helpful way

*gDiapers are plastic-free, so the break down in about 3 months instead of 500 years

*gDiapers can be flushed, so they don’t have to go into the landfill (they can also be home composted - wet ones only)

*gDiapers flushable refills contain :no plastic, no elemental chlorine, no perfumes, no inks or dyes, no latex, no guilt

If you use or have used gDiapers please comment here with your feedback and also be entered in our drawing to win Earth Mama Angel Baby's Organic I Love My Mama Gift Basket AND Organic Angel Baby Shampoo (perfect for Mother's Day) value over $50!

We passed the test - the FIRST green baby planning business!

Just a quick announcement to let you know we're so excited to share with the world that Itsabelly was approved by Co-op America for their green seal of approval!  This means we're listed as a socially and environmentally responsible, green company.  Co-op America's list of businesses adopt principles, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, their employees,communities, and the environment.  We are PROUD to be a member of this community!

We applied for Co-op America's seal in December 2007 and received the approval last month.  It was 3 months of a long wait! The application process was tedious and there were some really tough questions we had to answer.  Goes to show you that Co-op America is serious about who they give their seal to and they are a totally professional organization with the highest standards.

We are THE FIRST and only baby planning business to have this green seal of approval.  So, with that said we are tooting our own horn, hooray!!!!