California Baby


As a green mama, it is important that anything I put on baby's skin is made of natural ingredients. There are too many products that have been deemed safe one year, only to be recalled in the future as more research is done. While natural products have been known to cause problems, I feel much more secure using essential oils and herbs to treat my families health needs before reaching for "drugs." I also strongly believe that an ounce of prevention can go a long way! That said I have been searching for effective, natural baby products. I found exactly what I was looking for and more!
I love California Baby products. I cannot say enough about them. I discovered Cal Baby products when my baby was about a month old. At the time, he did not experience any maladies, but several moms told me what was coming. Having sensitive, allergy prone skin, I began searching for anything that would combat the cradle cap, diaper rash, thrush, and heat rash that would soon crop up. Having heard of the wonders of tea tree oil, I have always wanted to try it out. I purchased the California Baby Tea Tree and Lavender Baby wash and the Calendula cream. The company I purchased these from was running a promo and sent me the calming cream as a free gift.
The baby wash has done far more than I ever expected. My son has been rash free since we began using it. We have started using a tsp of the wash to make a cloth wipe solution. I use the wash as a face scrub and have noticed an improvement in the condition of my skin! The calendula cream is a great natural first aid cream. We use it on baby's bottom if he has minor irritation (this happens if he poops at night) and by the next diaper change he is good as new. It also works well on minor cuts and scrapes. Plus in a moment of desperation we discovered that it does ease hemorrhoids. The calming cream makes a great lotion for after bath. We put it on baby right before bed. We have been so pleased, that we have since gone through three bottles of baby wash and 1 bottle of calming cream.
If you are able to, check out these skin care products. I have found California Baby products in both of the major grocery chains near our home. They are also available online. Or check out there site! You won't be disappointed.
http://www.californiababy.com/index.html

The CSA - healthy inexpensive produce...

Working full time and trying to cook healthy meals can be a daunting task. When you consider the costs of fresh produce, organic meats and dairy, and natural ingredients, healthy cooking on a budget can seem impossible. However, it can be done. The way that I get all of my healthy produce is through our local CSA (community supported agriculture) program. For approximately $20 a week, we receive a large box of organic vegetables. There are enough vegetables and variety to feed an average family of four.
At first I was skeptical. We had to pay for the full season ahead of time. The list of produce available contained items that I had never before heard of, let alone eaten. Not too mention that we could not pick out which vegetables we wanted. Each week we would be at the mercy of the farmer and mother nature as to which vegetables (or fruits) made it into our box. Still, $20 a week for fresh produce was significantly less than I was already spending. So, I decided to try it out.
The first week was like Christmas. I couldn't wait to go pick it up to see what was inside. Our box contained eight varieties of veggies. Some tomatoes, eggplant, greens, herbs, summer squashes, salad greens, and more. I immediately got on the net and looked up recipes for cooking greens. I found a great recipe that both my husband and step-son ate without much argument or fuss. As the summer went on, we had plenty of great fresh veggies to eat and tons of extras.
The benefits to CSA's are enormous. By joining a local farm and pledging to support them for a season, you are investing in your community. By purchasing local produce, you are helping to reduce the costs of emissions, etc for bringing produce from faraway to your grocery store. One of the biggest benefits is member only pricing. The produce you receive can range anywhere from $25-45 dollars if purchased in separate quantities at the grocery store. If you are lucky enough to find an organic farm in your area, you are supporting and encouraging earth-friendly agricultural practices. The added benefit to the working mama is simplified shopping. It takes 2 minutes to get my box of produce into my car and the pickup site is near my office.

So, try it out! You may be very surprised and impressed by the benefits of joining and supporting your local CSA!

For resources to find a CSA in your area, check out the following sites:

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php
http://www.eatlocal.net/

Greetings

Welcome to the Green Working Mama!

It can be done. There are many ways to be thrifty, environmentally conscious, and time savvy, while working 40+ hours per week. I am not the greenest mom. I am not the career-driven mom. I am the average mom, who is balancing, motherhood, job, grad school, and marriage. My desire to be eco-friendly comes from my desire to have a healthy planet for my children and grandchildren. While there are extremists and die-hard "greenies" out there, there are a lot more everyday people. If we can all spend a few extra moments each day checking product labels, etc, we can make a difference.

Each week, I intend to post an entry (or 10) about products I've used, tips I've gained, and things I've learned about raising a healthy baby, while minimizing our environmental and global impact. I hope that the knowledge that I have gained can bring you help, support, or a laugh. Enjoy!