The Itsabelly Blog

Baby Skincare, Breastfeeding & Going Green with Baby...New Itsabelly Blog Posts

Check out our latest blog posts below:

Don't Touch My Baby With That! (What to Avoid in Baby Skincare)

Breastfeeding Cover Up (The Must-Have Item for Breastfeeding)

How to Throw a Green Baby Shower

Stroller Rain Cover - PVC, Chlorine & Phthalate Free Made by Orbit, Yippee!

Here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest we love the rain so we go out even if it means we get a little wet. But when strolling around with our babies it's great when we don't have to worry about them getting sopping wet especially with a good stroller rain cover that's NON-TOXIC. I know I don't want my baby enclosed in a tight space with toxic chemicals in her breathing space and I'm sure you feel the same way!  I was curious to know if a PVC free rain cover existed and thought this would be an important add to our Green with Baby Guide for version 2.0. Low and behold Trying to Be Greener produced the goods!

The good news is that Kirstin from the oh-so informative blog titled Trying to Be Greener burned the midnight oil and found a PVC free rain cover for strollers - yippee! This product was challenging to find but she did the research and has generously shared the information with us in her post: PVC Free Stroller Rain Cover

Note that Orbit's stroller cover is:

PVC-free

chlorine-free

phthalate-free 

You must check out Kristin's blog entry (PVC Free Stroller Rain Cover) for more detail regarding which strollers it fits, where to get it and how much it costs.

Thanks Kirstin for your thorough research to help parents everywhere!

Showtime in Toronto

Rishma Lalani, Itsabelly Toronto

Fall is my favorite season, the beauty of the changing colours of the trees and leaves falling are incredibly picturesque.  No longer are we battling with the summer humidity and it is the calm before the winter storm.  The other great thing about fall in Toronto…it’s filled with great trade shows for families! 

While I wish I could share with you all the amazing details of products, services, and people I have met over the last couple of weeks there simply isn’t enough time (or space) to do so.  I’ve done my best to provide you with some key highlights below.

Healthy Kids Expo – October 24th – 26th
Living a healthier lifestyle has become a topic of interest for most of us these days. Torontonians are fortunate enough to be home to the Healthy Kids Expo  intended to educate and showcase products and services targeting important health and environmental issues.  Kudos to Holistic World for securing Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of Second Opinion with Dr. Oz and The Oprah Winfrey Show’s regular contributor, as the celebrity headline speaker for the event sharing his tips!  There was something for everyone at the show including plenty of play areas for kids, informative seminars, demonstrations and great organic food samples.

Mark your calendars…the next show will be October 3-4th 2009 at the Direct Energy Centre!

Today’s Parent Babytime Show – November 7-9th
Held twice a year in Toronto, this is the ultimate event for pregnancy, birth, baby, and toddler.  There are over 200 exhibitors including manufacturers such as Stokke, Quinny, Peg Perego, Playtex.  Here are a few special mentions Itsabelly is excited to share with you.

M Coat

This innovative product by Canadian Spirit Downwear is a transitional jacket that takes you from a fashionable Maternity coat; to a hip Mama coat; and back to a regular fitting Myself coat.  Made in Canada and insulated with Pure Canadian Down this is sure to be a must have on many mom-to-be wish lists!

Grobag® First Bedding set    
 
For those toddlers who don’t like blankets and have outgrown their sleep sacks, grobag®  has a perfect solution – their first duvet bedding set.  With an integrated duvet cover, pillowcase, and fitted sheet, the bedding stays in place.  Unfortunately the organic option is not yet available. 

Clek™

Clek booster seats offer the ease and safety of the Latch system.  Coming soon is the new oobr removable full back booster that grows easily with your child.   It has a wider seat base, reclines up to 12 degrees and has the Elemental Safety System.  For the fashionista mommy there are even 2 designs by Paul Frank!

HiLo Chair

  

This sleek, modern chair is the brainchild of Age Design  based out of Montreal.  It is a one piece molded plastic seat, with wooden legs, attached by a two-button aluminum adjustment mechanism.  The chair also easily swivels from high chair to an under table kids chair. A great chair to grow with your child with a modern look.

Of the many speakers and seminars available I’d like to make a few quick mentions.  Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, wife of Justin Trudeau and mom-to-be for the 2nd time.  Sophie associates herself with many causes including a variety of women’s issues (having dealt with image issues herself) she was able to sincerely connect with her audience and communicate the power and value of a mother.  Equally informative to hear was Ann Douglas  one of Canada’s leading parenting experts, the award winning author of The Mother of All Books series.

I was also lucky and got to attend one of the VIP (very important parent) parties hosted by Yummy Mummy  Founder Erica Ehm, Wee Welcome Founder Maureen Dennis and urbanmoms.ca .  These women provide confidence, support and inspiration for all mothers to continue to be strong, attractive, well-informed women.
 
The Spring Show will be held April 3-5th 2009 at the International Centre.  Tip – print out an exhibitor/speaker list and highlight the ones you definitely want to visit/attend because it is so easy to get caught up in “window shopping” and the day may be over before you know it.  Didn’t get a chance to cover it all in one day?  Stop at the information booth to get a voucher to come back for the entire weekend without paying another entrance fee!

Coming up…

The Mompreneur Show – November 16th
This bi-annual event showcases products and services for all women, moms and entrepreneurs. From jewelry and fashion to trendy baby products, there is sure to be something for everyone attending.  The venue at The Distillery District is stroller accessible so it’s be the perfect outing for you to keep busy and out of the cold (ok and do some shopping too…it is for women after all and that’s what we do best!)

Whole Life Expo – November 14-16th
Looking for information on natural health, alternative medicine and eco-friendly lifestyles?  Come out to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend and you’ll have access to view over 60 speakers and 200 exhibitors showcasing their products and services!
 
Itsabelly is happy to be in the great city of Toronto keeping you connected with the products, services, and resources that help educate and promote healthy living! 

We've Given Birth to our Latest Baby - Itsabelly's Guide to Going Green with Baby has ARRIVED!

Very exciting news, one year in the making and our book has finally arrived! Itsabelly is the first and only baby planner business certified green by Co-op America and we're proud of it!  Itsabelly's Guide to Going Green with Baby is here, yay!  The price is $17.95 and wholesale orders are available for those of you wanting to order for your on-line boutique or store front.  Please contact us at: info@itsa-belly.com or call us on our toll free phone # at 877-280-9540 for more information.

Our guide will make a perfect holiday gift for your pregnant sister or friend.  It is also a great gift for new parents.  Order your copy now - it is the first of its kind complete green baby registry guide and we're so thrilled to share such valuable knowledge with you.  We're spreading the news on how to choose non-toxic products for your baby and you while protecting mother earth!

Advanced praise from Christopher Gavigan of Healthy Child Healthy World and content provided by Alicia Voorhies of The Soft Landing as well as many great green advocates makes this book a must-have for parents everywhere!

The First Annual Baby Purity Mother’s Conference in Vancouver

By Farhana Kassam, Itsabelly Vancouver

First and foremost, my sincere apologies for taking so long to get this up. I know I don’t have to explain it to all you moms out there! Things have been crazy! But they always are so I write this as my husband puts my daughter to sleep….

The first annual Baby Purity Conference was well worth the visit. The venue was great being right in the heart of downtown Vancouver at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel. Quality and respect for all her guests was obviously top of mind to Sydney Carlaw, owner of Baby Purity  as she was planning the event! Hats off Sydney, goal achieved! The grab bags alone were impressive enough packed with incredible products and loads of information to get any mom started on the way to healthier baby product choices.

Upon arrival, there was plenty of time to mix and mingle and check out the booths that were set up in the anteroom - very trade-show like. All the vendors present were promoting organic products for baby and home. It was really nice to see that there are so many locals businesses really taking an interest in our children and their health and well-being. I applaud Sydney for her resourcefulness in contacting so many diverse companies. My only “regret” was that Crocodile Baby, the retailer I really wanted to connect with, was nowhere to be found… The tradeshow set-up was a really great way to collect useful information, samples and in quite a few cases, knowledge about new products and services available to Vancouver moms. My only suggestion would have been to provide some kind of light breakfast or on-going snacks, especially for the nursing moms out there who likely get pretty hungry throughout the day. Smoothies at lunch though - nice touch! New moms attended in great number with some VERY well-behaved children I might add! Good for you all for getting out and getting informed!

The speakers were all very well versed in their subject matters. The presentation by Lisa Frack was my favourite. She spoke to the audience like we were friends, very personable and sincere. The video she showed was a real eye opener… actually it was pretty scary. The film outlined a study that was done on 10 random blood samples for toxins found in the blood stream. As the movie went on, the sheer number of toxins being found were overwhelming and very commonly found in everyday products and foods. To discover that the tests had been performed on fetal cord blood nearly knocked me out of my seat! Never have I been more convinced of the importance of services like those which Itsabelly provides as well as those provided by companies like Baby Purity, who work so hard to help expecting parents and concerned parents be well informed about making healthy choices for their families.

The Mother’s Conference is intended to be an annual event.  I for one highly recommend that all concerned parents, parents-to-be and citizens who want to be more informed about healthy choices, look out for the event and attend in great number. Updates will be available on Baby Purity and I will be sure to keep you all posted right here so make sure you keep checking in!

Itsabelly to attend Baby Purity Mother’s Conference October 25th in Vancouver, Canada

By Farhana Kassam, Owner, Itsabelly Vancouver

 
I was skimming through one of the dozen or so mommy-newsletters I subscribe to by email this week when I noticed a “mommy” conference mentioned in one of the sidebars. As a mom-in-training (a permanent state in my mind), any thing that might help me gain a little more insight into my daughter and how to make her life better is always something I welcome. I clicked on the link and found, to my surprise, that the conference was happening in Downtown Vancouver, a 10 minute walk from my home! That never happens! Everything is always in suburbia – ok interest peaked, so what was it all about?

It turns out the conference is being hosted by a company called BabyPurity.com, an on-line resource for parents that specializes in advice and recommendations of natural choices for children’s healthcare. With all the crazy drugs and ointments out there, I for one was already interested in seeing more about what this event would hold as far as ways around all the “western” medical solutions to children’s ailments. As much as I believe that there is a place for western medicine, I prefer to do my own research to see if there is a more natural solution to care for my child when possible. The list of speakers seemed promising with experts on child health and safety as well as Nutrition experts, but what really caught my attention was the list of sponsors. That was really all the credibility I thought this event needed to get me to show up! With partners like Earth’s Best and Seventh Generation, in addition to local companies I know and totally respect like Crocodile Baby, I signed up to attend immediately!

The event is being held this Saturday October 25^th at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel in beautiful downtown

Vancouver

from 9 am to 5 pm. Itsabelly will have promotional material in all the Grab Bags and I will be attending the event. Please register at Baby Purity Conference  if this sounds interesting or if you just want to meet me to discuss Itsabelly’s baby planning services face to face. For any of you health-care concerned parents out there, wherever you may be geographically, check out Baby Purity's website. It seems like a great resource, already a favourite bookmarked on my internet browser! I will be blogging again after the event to let you all know how it turned out so stay tuned!

Itsabelly's Fave Picks from ABC Kids Expo 2008

Itsabelly and The National Baby Planner Association (NBPA) wanted to share our fave picks from ABC Kids Expo in Vegas, 2008.  We chose products that we thought were truly innovative, provided a great value and benefit to new parents and also had a true "green" philosophy in mind.  We were able to personally talk to some of the company founders so we definitely got the inside scoop!  Please note there were thousands of products in this 75,000 sq foot space at the show so we're giving you just a glimpse but a great glimpse!!

Micralite Toro Stroller

Scandinavian Child distributes the Micralite (and many other great products like Cariboo) - this stroller has an easy folding design, can fully recline or move to sit a child upright and can be stored upright!  You can also convert it to a newborn system with a bassinet - so cool! It is a lightweight stroller at 18 lbs and it fits children up to 40 lbs. When I pushed this stroller around it was truly a smooth ride. The first photo is of Brenda Berg (founder of Scandinavian Child) who was kind enough to walk us through the product line.

Beaba Babycook

Itsabelly LOVES this kitchen gadget - This compact countertop appliance multitasks as a steamer, blender, warmer and defroster to prepare fresh, healthy meals for baby. It starts by steam cooking vegetables, fruits, meat and fish in less than 15 minutes, preserving their vitamins and flavors, then purees or blends them to the desired consistency. You can also use it to quickly reheat or defrost precooked foods..  It won the JPMA award at ABC Kids Expo.  The only thing it can't do is feed your baby!  Scandinavian Child will be distributing this product soon. Babycook is currently sold at Williams Sonoma.

Eden Convertible Bassinet

Baby Planet has created a great bassinet which also converts into a child chair, truly innovative.  You get two products in one!  It also has soothing vibration and music to help calm your little one. The company has a great recycling program - genuinely eco-friendly to boot!  Eden Bassinet also won a JPMA award at the ABC Kids Expo.

Think Baby Bottles

 

Kevin Brodwick (founder) at Think Baby really knows what he's talking about when it comes to creating non-toxic feeding gear.  He used to work at a laboratory funded by The National Institute of Health so his passion for research shows in his products!  Think Baby's products are BPA-free, phthalate and lead free! Think Baby bottles have a patented venting system and they offer soft nipples for easy transition from breast to bottle as needed. Think Baby also makes BPA-free Sport Water Bottles for adults!

Special Mentions

Here is a fave list from baby planner Shannon Choe of Premier Baby Concierge who also attended the ABC Kids Expo with The National Baby Planner Association (NBPA):

Upspring Baby - Creator of Milkscreen (a home test for alcohol in breast milk)

My Little Seat - A convenient way to have baby sit with you at the table when you don't have a high chair around.

Itsabelly Visits the ABC Kids Expo in Vegas

Itsabelly visited the ABC tradeshow in Vegas from September 8th-10th and it was a blast! This tradeshow is the primary event for the juvenile products industry and the one must-see event if you're involved in the baby industry.

We didn't get to see everyone we wanted to in the limited time we had but we enjoyed the wonderful connections we made.  With the soon-to-be release of our Green Baby Guide book we focused on spreading the word about our launch.  Our time was also spent finding out what new green baby products were being featured. Above you'll see our picture with Pete Myers, founder of Baby Planet next to his award winning Eden Convertible Bassinet which turns into a baby seat, very cool!

From Boon, Think Baby, Under the Nile, Sage Creek Naturals to our favorite eco friendly company Baby Planet the floor was buzzing with the hottest baby products on the market! You definitely need a week to see everything - it was HUGE!! We spent some quality time with the founders and designers of companies like Scandinavian Child who distributes the Cariboo, Lillebaby and the Beaba line just to name a few.  We loved the Beaba Babyfood Maker and will do an in depth review later of this product amongst others!

There was a little bit of celebrity mixed in with our trip as well. We met with the beautiful Allison Sweeney from Days of Our Lives and Host of The Biggest Loser. She was promoting Thermos products and their Hydrationforall.com. THE major highlight was connecting with Christopher Gavigan of Healthy Child, Healthy World (see us with him in the 2nd pic above - left to right is Kevin (founder of Think Baby), Jil, Christopher, Alicia and myself)!  Christopher was so down to earth and was really interested in Itsabelly's green focus on providing the best for baby.  His book Healthy Child Healthy World is in the top seller list on Amazon and not to mention Meryl Streep wrote the forward for his book - exciting stuff! Special thanks to Alicia over at The Soft Landing (our fave non-toxic feeding store) for being our fabulous cheerleader!
We'll share more in upcoming posts.  Can't wait to tell you more detail about which products and companies made our fave list!

Who’s Covering Your Bellie?

By Rishma Lalani, Itsabelly Toronto

When she’s not pulling her top up showing the world her “beep beep” otherwise known as her belly button, I do my best to keep my daughter’s parts covered!  One of my favorite items of to do so with is definitely her Booda Bellie onesies.  I bought a few from their “Comfy Collection” and have been so happy with the purchase.  They are incredibly soft, wash extremely well, and the best part…the garments are knit, finished, dyed (low-impact, eco-friendly inks) and sewn in Canada!

Booda Bellie makes baby clothes that Canadians can feel good about buying, because bamboo and certified organic cotton produce fewer environmental impacts.  Their new line of fashion-forward and eco-friendly baby clothes features Canadian-made bamboo and certified organic cotton fabrics. These natural fabrics produces soft, breathable, and hypoallergenic clothing that is great for baby’s sensitive skin

Their collection consists of onesies, tees and blankets available in two collections.  The Earth Collection garments are made of 100% certified organic cotton.  The Comfy Collection garments are made of a blend of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton.  Products are available online  at Booda Bellie, various retail locations and trade shows.

As a testament to the quality and value of their clothing line, Booda Bellie was also recently approved by the PTPA!

Something to Bite On!

I saw this post today on a great networking site I belong to called "Works For Me" which is based in the Bay Area.  So, I thought I would throw out a little plug for Grandmother's out there who make wonderful organic homemade products. Maureen Earl makes an organic homemade teething biscuit called "Nonnas Organic Teething Rusks". She uses only wholesome ingredients, no refined flour and no
preservatives. She bakes them until they are hard enough to not crumble when chewed, and she makes them long and sturdy enough to be safely handled by the baby.

If Isabella was still in her teething stage I would definitely have her try these teething biscuits. They come in wonderful flavors like Banana/pear, Cheese, Carrot/apple, Raspberry and soon Sun Dried Tomato.

Maureen states:
"One of the advantages of these rusks is that the longer you keep them, the harder they get. They can also be frozen. If dropped they can be wiped or lightly rinsed and dried. 

To Order Contact: Maureen Earl moish@comcast.net

More Info on the Rusks from Her Daughter:

My mother makes incredible organic teething biscuits, in case any of you want to order them. My 9 month old son absolutely loves them. There is no sugar and she only uses the best ingredients. They also dont break apart or melt (hence, no mess). They are a mother's blessing because they keep my son occupied and seem to really help his teething pain. Below is the information. If you are interested,
you can contact my mother directly (her email is listed below)

Organic Homemade Teething Rusks

Rusks are hard dry biscuits, sometimes twice baked, for babies who are teething. Commonly used in Europe, they are a far safer alternative to crumbly or soft cookies, and provide chewing satisfaction for the baby who is getting his first teeth.

Many years ago when my children were teething, I started making them sugarless teething rusks (biscuits). Today I make them for their children. Using only wholesome ingredients, no refined flour and no preservatives, I bake them until they are hard enough to not crumble when chewed, and I make them long and sturdy enough to be safely handled by the baby. One rusk can easily last several days --
depending on how hard the baby chews. One dozen will last for more than a month.

One of the advantages of these rusks is that the longer you keep them, the harder they get. They can also be frozen. If dropped they can be wiped or lightly rinsed and dried.

Right now I offer them in four flavors: banana pear, cheese, carrot apple, raspberry.

Banana/pear - $16.65 doz
Cheese - $17.65 doz
Carrot/apple - $16 65 doz
Raspberry - $17.00 doz (contains small amount of sugar)

Soon I will have sundried tomato rusks available as well.

I can supply you with names of mothers who are using these rusks so that you can find out what they are saying about Nonna's Organic Teething Rusks.