Reusable Nursing Pads

While nursing my daughter, over 3 years ago, I burned through disposable nursing pads.  I felt like I was constantly running to the store for another box and at $7-9 per box, I was burning through money, too.

Since then I’ve become more eco conscious and realized that reusable nursing pads would not only be more eco-friendly but more cost conscious, as well.  There are several types of reusable nursing pads – find one that works for you!

Reusable Cloth Nursing Pads – You can find cloth nursing pads made out of cotton, organic cotton, bambooand several other fabrics.  They come in plain jane white or fun and funky colors.  You can even make  your own.  I’m using cotton ones that absorb well and are easy to throw in any load of laundry.  One of things I hated about disposable pads was that they would stick to my damp nipple – making it painful to peel off, particularly in the first couple weeks of nursing.  The cotton pads absorb moisture well so I haven’t experienced this problem. 

Lilypadz- When you’re nursing, you can’t always wear swim suits, sports bras or workout shirts without showing a little bit more than you want to (you know what I’m talking about).   You can also sometimes see cloth nursing pads as they can add a lot of bulk to your bra.  Lilypadz have totally changed all that. They are made of silicone and have a ”stickiness” to them so you stick them to your breast creating a tight fit protecting you from leaking.  They are super thin and you can’t see them under your clothing, allowing you to wear tightly fitted clothing, go swimming or go braless. My only recommendation is not to use them the first couple weeks and/or months while your milk supply is stabilizing because if  you are leaking a lot, they won’t keep it in. Every nursing mom needs these and they would make a great gift.

Milkies- I cringe when I leak because breastmilk is like liquid gold. Milkies was created exactly to fix this issue – they save your milk when you letdown.  You put it in your bra on the side you are not nursing on and it collects the milk when you letdown.  I haven’t used them yet but from what I read it can be several ounces.  I can’t even believe that I’m losing ounces every time I nurse.   That means if I’m nursing 6-8 times a day, I could be losing 2 or 3 bottles worth of milk, per day.  These would be particularly helpful during the first several weeks and months of nursing when your milk supply isn’t stabilized.  I wish I had these 3 months ago!  If you’ve used Milkies I’d love to hear about your experience!

Mattel and Fisher Price Toy Recall and Settlement

I rely on SafeMama for toy recall information and over the weekend, they reported on the Mattel and Fisher Price toy recall and settlement.  So, I headed on over to see if any our toys were in the recall and sure enough, on page 21 (of 51 pages) were a set of Dora figurines we had sitting in the toybox right in front of us. Fortunately, I combed through the rest of the 51 pages of recalled toys and didn’t see anything else ( yet ). 

It’s so frustrating to find one set of toys on the list knowing that there are likely other toys in our house with lead – we just haven’t found out yet. While we would rather have a few high quality toys over a large quantity of cheaply made, potentially toxic toys, with birthdays and holidays, they are bound to come in the house.

WHAT TO DO:

1.  Look through the list of recalled toys.

2.  Submit a form on the Mattel website – they will email you a brochure to help you identify toys in the recall and a pre-paid return label to send back any affected toys.  If your product is affected, you will get a voucher for the retail price good for any Mattel or Fisher Price toy ( do we really want more toys from this company?)

3.  Buy toys from manufacturers of high quality, non-toxic toys like Green Toys, Haba, Kidkraft, or Sprig Toys.

Reusable Baking Cups

We have the best cake decorating shop near our house and I love to go there and pick out the cutest paper liners for cupcakes and muffins.  They have something for every party, holiday, or latest whim.  I love polka dots and tonight we had corn muffins in purple polka dot liners. I can’t help myself.

On that note….it’s time to find some reusable liners – not only saving trees but saving money, too.  Sure, there will be occasions that I will still use the adorable paper liners but for cooking at home, it’s make more sense to use reusable baking cups – wash and use again.  These are also great to use to hold snacks or treats.

All of these are made with food-grade silicone and are oven, microwave and dishwasher safe – try putting them in the dishwasher or silverware basket.

REGULAR:

Wilton Ultra-Flex Silicone Non-Stick Reusable Baking Cups - Red, blue and green, set of 12.   $7.99

Crate and Barrel Silicone Baking Cups – Clear, set of 12.  $9.95

Wilton Bear Silicone Cups - Light and dark brown bear shaped liners, set of 12. $9.99

Wilton Flower Silicone Cups - Pink and yellow flower shaped liners, set of 12. $10.99

Williams-Sonoma Silicups – Pastel pink, lavender, yellow and blue liners, set of 12. $24.00

Create N Celebrate Silicone Bug Shaped Fun Cups - Set of 4. $9.95

MINI:

Kitchen Collection Mini Silicone Baking Cups – Heart, star, egg, diamond, round and square, set of 24.  $5.99

Wilton Mini Heart Silicone Baking Cups - Red and pink hearts, set of 12. $15.56

Kitchen Supply Mini Muffin Silicone Baking Cups – Assorted colors, set of 12. $15.99

Williams-Sonoma Mini Pastel Silicups – Pastel pink, lavender, yellow and blue liners, set of 12. $24.00

JUMBO:

Large Silicone Pans - Assorted colors, set of 6. $12.95

High Protein Greek Yogurt

My husband recently turned me on to greek yogurt – it has a creamy and thick consistency and I love it!  One of the best things about greek yogurt is that it is high in protein.  Typical yogurt has 2 – 6 grams of protein while greek yogurt has 14 - 24 grams per serving.

Greek yogurt is a little more expensive than traditional varieties so use a coupon to try it out!  When you look for a brand to try, look for one that doesn’t have added sugar ( the only sugar in the yogurt is the lactose naturally occurring in milk ) and the milk used is rBST free (hormone free).  There are also a lot of fat free versions that are made without aspartame – we typically steer clear of fat-free versions because they contain fake sugar, like aspartame, and I’m not convinced it’s good for our bodies (or even safe).  There are organic versions, as well.

Some brands to check out:

• Chobani Greek Yogurt coupon
• FAGE Greek Yogurt coupon
• Yoplait Greek Yogurt coupon (just came out, we haven’t tried it yet)
• Oikos Greek Yogurtby Stonyfield coupon  (blueberry is the best)
• Trader Joe’s Greek Yogurt ( we love the vanilla version )

If you’re a DIY kind of cook, you can even make your own greek yogurt!

Eco Mist Solutions

Several months ago, I read about Eco Mist Solutions but it had not yet been released in to the U.S. for sale.  They have a line of home products, professional products, and industrial products that are non-toxic and eco-friendly.  What I particularly was interested in was their non-traditional cleaning products – those that typically don’t come in ‘non-toxic’ versions like patio furniture cleaner, deck wash, BBQ grill cleaner, and LCD cleaner. 

Fortunately, I was able to get a couple bottles to test out while I was waiting and I’m happy to say that I really like the two products I’ve used:

Eco Mist Solutions LCD Plasma Cleaner - we have both LCD and plasma screens in our house and this worked on all of them.  It doesn’t streak and is odorless – I prefer odorless cleaning products.  It’s made with sugarcane, coconut extract and non-chlorinated water so it’s non-toxic and safe.

Eco Mist Solutions Granite and Counter - this is one of my favorite cleaning products in the house.  We have black, speckled granite counter tops in our kitchen and they show EVERYTHING ( my advice: don’t get black granite counter tops ).  I use a general cleaner every day in the kitchen and it always shows streaking.  Every couple days, I get out this Granite Cleaner and wipe down all the counter tops and there are NO streaks – they come out nice and shiny.  It’s made with non-chlorinated water, corn, tree sap, coconut extract and sugarcane.  Like all Eco Mist Solutions products, it’s scent free and non-toxic.

NOTE: The U.S. distributor does not carry the Granite and Counter cleaner but suggests: “using the All Purpose Cleaner would be a great substitute for cleaning granite top surfaces because it’s a multi-purpose cleaner for all surfaces such as – kitchens, bathrooms, appliances, fixtures, walls, floors and more.  Please ensure that it is sprayed lightly and wiped off with a damp cloth.”

WHERE TO BUY: In Canada, you can pick up Eco Mist products at Home Depot.  In the U.S., DewItGreen is the distributor.

WIN IT!  DewItGreen is generously giving 3 readers any 3 Eco Mist Solutions cleaning products they choose!

You can enter to win in any of the following ways:

• Leave a comment telling us what Eco Mist Solutions products you want to try out!
• Follow us on twitter @mommygoesgreen.
• Retweet this contest.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

Leave your comment by Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. Contest open to all U.S. residents, ages 18+. We will choose 3 winners, at random, and notify them by email. Privacy Policy.

Eco-Friendly Children’s Wall Decor

 Joo Joo Baby- created on non-toxic EVA foam, this modern take on children’s decor features over 400 designs. They are removable so there is no damage on your walls and you can move them around the room as needed.  The personalized panels allow you to add an image or your child’s name.   They come in 2 sizes: 8.5 inches and 10.5 inches ranging from $18 – $22.50 apiece.  If you don’t have the time or creativity to put together your own design, you can pick from a collection of packages, all pre-selected to go together.

Mae Gallery – most wall decals are made from vinyl (the “poison plastic”) so I was excited to stumble upon these vinyl-free decals.  They are made of adhesive fabric and are completely removable and reusable (again, unlike most vinyl wall decals).   They are even washable – perfect for when your little ones decide to ‘enhance’ them with their favorite crayon! 

Children Inspire Design – I just can’t pick my favorite item, there are so many cute posters, wall cards and art.  I can see these numbered wall cards in French in my play room or this world map posterin my son’s room – all printed on 100% recycled cardstock. The prints and canvases are printed on 100% paper printed with soy ink.

Zoe B Organic – these great biodegradeable chalkboard stickersthat are made with a bioplymer derived from potato starch, a 100% bio-degradable plastic. You can compost them to return nutrients to the soil, or put them in the trash knowing that in about 6 months, 90% of the material will have biodegraded (unlike vinyl stickers). The inks and glue are also eco-friendly.

Olli and Lime – modern alphabet and number wall art looks great framed and comes in several different color palettes.  They are printed on 100% recycled paper.  They also have these in wall murals- large scale versions of the wall prints and tailored to fit your space.  I would love this in my play room!  They are made with Wallsmart paper, it’s washable and VINYL-FREE.

Organic Snacks for Kids

My daughter is a snacker – we always have to make sure to have them on hand, particularly on the go.  They are a great way to keep her energy up and an occasional great bribe.  Lately, I’ve seen snack-size organic snacks popping up at local coffee shops, like Starbucks, and packaged in multi-package containers at Costco.  While I traditionally like to buy in bulk and then pass them out in reusuable snack bags or containers, sometimes picking up snack-sized packs is what the situation calls for.

Here are several organic snacks my family has tried out and given the thumbs up:

Peeled Snacks- The snack bags are 110 – 150 calories per bag.  They have both an organic or 100% natural line – the organic line contains organic dried fruit ONLY – no added sugars, coloring or preservatives.  There are 5 organic flavors like Mango, Banana or Apricot. You can buy them online or in local Starbucks, Whole Foods or Nordstrom. One thing I don’t like about snack-sized packaging is that it typically cannot be recycled at the curb but Peeled Snacks will take all of their bags back for recycling – you just have to mail them back.

Funky Monkey Snacks - The snack bags have 1 serving of fruit and 50 calories or less per bag.  They contain organic dried fruit ONLY – no added sugars, coloring or preservatives.  I assume these are great because I never got to try them!  My husband and daughter ripped through several bags over a long road trip.   There are 7 flavors like Banana & Cinnamon or Pineapple & Lime Juice. You can buy them online at Amazon.com or in local Targets, Whole Foods or Kroger.

Annie’s Homegrown - Annie’s has a host of organic snacks including BunnyFruit snacks, CheddarBunnies, ClassicsCrackers, and SnackMix. Fruit snacks – the gummy kind – are my daughter’s favorite treat.  Most of them are made with high fructose corn syrup and a lot of other junk.  BunnyFruit still has syrups and sugars (organic cane sugar and organic tapioca syrup) but it also is made with real fruit juice and no artificial colors – so for an occasional fruit snack treat, it’s a better choice than conventional brands.  Organic CheddarBunnies are a great alternative to traditional “fishy crackers”, they are made with organic wheat flour and organic cheese – no sugar added.  Our Costco sells a pack of Annie’s snack-sized treats that is perfect for things like birthday party or classroom snacks.  You can also find them at Starbucks and at over 10,000 other stores.

Peter Rabbit Organics – A reader turned me on to these – thank you Sabrina!  They are fruit pouches made from 100% organic fruit ( no added sugar and preservatives) and use only certified organic suppliers, and local ones, when they can.  I love the pouches these are in, they are ’drinkable’ and would be great for older infants learning to eat solid foods and drinking from a straw.  My 3 year old sucked this down and told me it tasted like “fruity applesauce”.  They come in 3 flavors like Strawberry & Banana, Apple & Grape, and Mango & Banana & Orange.  I found them at Starbucks but they are also available online, at BuyBuy Baby and other retailers.

Recycle Old Denim at the Gap and Get 30% Off a New Pair

As part of the Cotton From Blue to Green program, Gap is giving you a 30% discount off any new denim purchase.  Starting TODAY, March 5 through March 15, when you take ANY piece of denim to a Gap, babyGap or GapKids store, you’ll receive the discount.  Old denim will be converted into insulation and then donated to communities in need.  Over the past 5 years of the program, enough insulation has been donated for over 540 homes.

I’ve been cleaning out my closet this week and this is the perfect opportunity to trade in some old jeans for a sorely needed new pair!

ECHOage – An Alternative to Traditional Gift Giving

Children’s birthdays can get overwhelming with too many gifts – ECHOage is a great alternative to traditional gift giving. It’s is a charity-driven, online birthday party service where children learn the value of giving and receiving while celebrating.

Step #1. Choose an invitation, select a charity and invite your guests.  Charities include both U.S. and Canadian organizations such as Healthy Child, Healthy World, Autism Speaks, Reading Is Fundamental, WWF and Free the Children.

Step #2. Guests RSVP and contribute online and you get to watch the giving grow on your ECHOage Tracker.

Step #3. When your party is over, ECHOage will send half of the money collected to buy a dream gift for your child and the other half to the charity your child has chosen.

This is a great way for the birthday child to learn how to not only receive gifts but to give them, too.  It’s also the perfect opportunity to talk with your children about charity work and to let them choose which cause to donate their gift money to.

Eco Easter Basket Giveaway from Stubby Pencil Studio

Stubby Pencil Studio is one of our favorite resources for unique, eco-friendly gifts for children.  It’s also a great place to pick up quality choices for your Easter baskets.  Here are a few fun finds:

Washable Markers – I know Kate, the owner of Stubby Pencil Studio, has searched high and low for eco-friendly markers.  So far, these are the best she’s found.  They are non-toxic, made in the USA, and manufactured with 25% recycled plastic.

Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops – we tried these out months ago and totally agree, they are YUMMY!

Sparkle Star Crayons – These multi-colored, star shaped crayons are made from 100% recycled crayons. 

Wooden Bead Necklace – I’m always leary of buying cheap jewelry for my daughter as it’s often found to be tainted with lead.  This wooden necklace relieves my fears as it’s painted with non-toxic nitro-cellulose paint tested and found to be safe for children and non-polluting in natural water sources.

Envirosax Animal Planet Bird – I love Envirosax and this bird bag for kids is adorable!  It would make a great reusable Easter basket.

Wooden Harmonica – every child loves playing the harmonica.  This wooden one is painted with non-toxic nitro-cellulose paint tested and found to be safe for children and non-polluting in natural water sources.

WIN IT!

CONTEST CLOSED – Congratulations to the winner, Lori from Massachusetts!

1 lucky winner will get an Eco Easter Basket from Stubby Pencil Studio with over $60 worth of fun finds:

• Reusable rattan basket
• 6×9 Frogs Ecojot Sketchbook
• E-color-gy Washable markers
• Forest Choice Color Pencils
• 4 recycled cedar Pencils
• Soy Crayons
• Mary’s Softdough Rainbow Tub
• Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops
• Wooden Wind-up Bunny
• Wooden Dragonfly Spinner
• Pack of Color ‘n Kids Easter cards

You can enter to win in any of the following ways:

• Leave a comment telling us what your favorite Stubby Pencil Studio product is!
• Follow us on twitter @mommygoesgreen.
• Retweet this contest.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

Leave your comment by Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. Contest open to all U.S. and Canadian residents, ages 18+. We will choose 1 winner, at random, and notify them by email. Privacy Policy.