BPA-Free: Pura Stainless Steel Sippy Baby Bottles

If I had a baby and needed a baby bottle, this is the one I would get. Made of stainless steel, this unbreakable bottle works with nipples and spouts from your favorite companies. Pura Kiki Sippy Bottle Stainless Steel comes in many colors, but they also make colorful silicon sleeves.

Pura Kiki stainless steel bottles are the safe and environmentally conscious choice for your baby. Why? Pura Kiki bottles and collars are crafted from high-grade stainless steel (304), are BPA-free, naturally anti-bacterial, lightweight, durable, and will not leach anything into your child's milk, water or juice. Pura stainless was created with a simple vision: to make a difference by responsibly manufacturing a safe and durable alternative to plastic infant bottles and toddler sippy cups. We bring a strong spirit of environmentalism and innovation to our products. We strive to eliminate plastic waste, fund progressive environmental concerns with our Green15TM program, and develop compelling new products that help make life safe and fun. Pura stainless is proud to have been selected as one of the Top 50 small companies for 2009.

Features include:

•Smart: includes a Pura silicone no-spill sip spout, plastic and BPA free
•Compatible with the Avent Sport Spout (fast flow) and Nuk Latex Spout
•Compatible with nipples from Pura, Born Free, Dr. Brown?s, and Think Baby
•Functional: includes internal volume markings and silicone travel cover
•6 months and older

I really like these bottles and am pleased to see there are more choices for families avoiding plastic. I also am impressed that the packaging is PVC free. This bottle is "responsibly made in China".

Disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.

Really Natural Baby: BPA-Free Lifefactory Multi-Sensory Silicone Teether

Lifefactory makes one of our favorite glass reusable drinking bottles. The company hasn't left baby out with their cool products! The Lifefactory Multi Sensory Silicone Teether is made in Wisconsin of medical grade silicone. Silicone is non-toxic, so safer than many plastic teethers on the market.

Multi-sensory, medical-grade silicone teethers are designed to develop oral motor skills. Teethers can be refrigerated or frozen to soothe gums.
Lifefactory's products are bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalate, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) free.

Personally, I preferred my babies chew on something natural when teething. We found the Under the Nile Organic Cotton Veggies in a Crate to be perfect, but I do think the Lifefactory teether may offer a little bit more satisfaction for little mouths.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

Medela Breastmilk Labeling & Storage Makes Pumping Organization Easy

Medela Breastmilk Storage System is essential if you are a busy mother needing to pump.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS
Makes it easy to protect, organize and locate breastmilk bottles in fridge or freezer.
Holds up to 6 Medela breastmilk bottles.
Lids are compatible with all Medela polypropylene breastmilk bottles.
Also compatible with Medela Pump & Save breastmilk bags (sold seperately).
WHAT'S INCLUDED
1 tray
2 labeling lids
2 - 5 oz breastmilk bottles

This system helps you organize your breastmilk to ensure freshness and eliminate waste. Additional Medela Fresh Breast Milk Labeling Lids are helpful too, as they easily indicate the day of the week and am, pm, or midday with a twist of the lid.  Of course, all of these products are BPA-free. 

I did pump for about two weeks when my son had surgery. A storage system like this would have been very useful, especially when other people, like family and nurses, were feeding him.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

The Best Breast Pump: Medela Pump In Style Advanced

We all know breast is best for baby, and thankfully companies like Medela have made it easier for moms to fill their baby's nourishment needs without being in their constant presence. From working moms to stay-at-home moms, a breast pump makes life more convenient.

With my first child, I had a hand style breast pump that was very inefficient and awkward to use. Even though we were together 99% of the time, I found a pump necessary when she fell ill and couldn't/wouldn't nurse. It was also convenient for when I needed to leave home to run a few errands sans baby in order that others could feed her without resorting to formula.

My second child was born with a congenital heart defect. After open heart surgery, breast pumping was a necessity to meet his needs in this fragile state. It made me feel good that I was helping him heal by pumping, and without Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump, there's no way I could have pumped round the clock for two weeks straight.

Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump with On the Go Tote:

Product Features

• Daily use double pump electric New bag style with extra storage
• Adjustable speed/vacuum dial lets mom choose her most comfortable setting.
• Removable PVC-free cooler bag with contoured ice pack keeps milk cool for up to 12 hours.
• Battery pack lets mom pump anywhere, anytime. (Optional 9V vehicle lighter adapter available).
• More milk in less time with 2-Phase Expression technology when pumping at Maximum Comfort Vacuum.

I can't say that I enjoyed pumping, but at least the Pump In Style is efficient and painless. I became quite used to the sound, and it gave me some comfort during a very stressful time in my motherhood.

BPA-Free Medela Breastmilk Labeling and Storage System

Medela makes the best breast pumps, and even stay-at-home moms sometimes need to pump. Medela Breastmilk Labeling & Storage System makes it easy and safe to store breast milk:

A new Breastmilk Labeling and Storage System -- one that helps parents and caregivers track, label and organize breastmilk bottles in the refrigerator or freezer -- is now available from Medela.

The all-in-one system includes one organizer tray, two labeling lids and two 5-ounce breastmilk bottles. The organizer tray provides dedicated space to protect up to six breastmilk bottles or storage bags, and keeps them organized and upright in the refrigerator or freezer. It also features a convenient handle that allows parents and caregivers to easily move the tray around or remove it for cleaning.

To help parents identify the freshest breastmilk and avoid waste, clearly marked "in" and "out" arrows identify which breastmilk bottle is "next in line" for a feeding. Twist-and-lock labeling lids -- also available separately in a pack of six -- allow parents to select a day of the week and time of day (a.m., p.m. or midday) to track when milk was pumped, or a "feed by" day for other caregivers.

I spent two weeks pumping round the clock when my son required open heart surgery as a baby. Although I did not enjoy pumping, I can see how this storage system would be very useful for long-term storage. It would have been really helpful for the nurses in the NICU too in helping care for my baby.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

Eco Luxury for Baby by Apple Park

If ever there was a portion of our population that needed and deserved eco-friendly products, it's the babies. Apple Park understands that by producing original products made from "organic, sustainable and recycled materials". We were sent two samples of these beautiful baby products that are truly luxurious:

Apple Park Deluxe Crib Blanket:

Luxurious, sensual and completely natural, these 100% organic cotton blankets trimmed with natural silk, are perfect for the crib or anytime.

Apple Park Apple Seed Rattle:

Leaf: natural silk and hemp blend
Apple: 100% organic cotton
Filling: sustainable corn fiber, 100% organic cotton fiber and recycled non-toxic plastic rattle
Mini Apple Box: 100% recycled paper printed with soy ink and finished with a grosgrain ribbon handle

The crib blanket is expensive, but sustainability does come at a cost and the rattle is quite affordable. I also like how the company includes and considers the packaging in their product descriptions. That is unusual and packaging is truly a part of an item's sustainability factor. Apple Park products are manufactured in their own certified organic factory in China.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

The Best Natural Baby and Kids Shampoo and Soap: California Baby

I've been using California Baby Calming Baby Shampoo and Body Wash for six years now ever since I discovered my son was sensitive to sodium lauryl sulfate. California Baby is the gentlest product for your little one's skin, and even my eight-year-old daughter still uses this soap and my son's eczema has never returned since we made the switch.

Benefits & Features:

• Contains organic and sustainably grown ingredients
• Cleansing agent: 100% Decyl polyglucose
• No Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, DEA, or numbing agents
• No tears, non-irritating, non-stripping formula
• Safe and gentle
• Two products in one--use head to toe. May be used for hair, face and body
• Great for babies, kids, or adults with chemically sensitive skin
• Will not irritate eczema or cradle cap; reports of healing even stubborn cases

This is a product I highly recommend for all of your family members!

Chemical-Free, Fragrance-Free Hair Gel for Babies and Kids

This may seem like an odd product, but Le Baby has created a chemical-free, fragrance-free hair gel for babies and kids. I call this product odd, because you may wonder why babies need hair gel. I have seen many parents spike little boy's hair into mohawks, and I needed hair gel to tame my daughter's locks into a bun when she took ballet (we used Jason Natural Products Hi-Shine Styling Gel). Even so, I don't really think this is a product you need.

Tami Dimmerman, creator of Le Baby, searched for a product that would tame and style her daughter Chloe's fly-away hair without aggravating her eczema or irritating her sensitive skin. She hoped to find a safe, gentle and effective gel without harsh chemicals or potentially harmful ingredients. Unwilling to settle for what was in the marketplace, Tami spent months experimenting with different all-natural formulas until, through animal-free testing, she found the perfect combination.

I also question the chemical-free claim when the listed ingredients include sodium benzoate and disodium EDTA, for example. Just because an ingredient is derived from a natural ingredient does not make a product chemical-free.

Green Cleaning: New Earth Friendly Products

Earth Friendly Products was one of the first natural cleaning companies I discovered before going green was in vogue.

Our family began by making cleaners for industrial use before Corvettes had fins. When your grandmother was wearing a poodle skirt and drinking a float at the soda fountain, we were earning our first patents

Decades later, when Jimi Hendrix turned rock upside down and played guitar with his teeth, we started our own quiet rebellion. We decided: only cleaners that were plant-based. Only paper that was recycled. Only products not tested on animals, period.

Does it sound boring to say we're family owned and operated? Because what it means to us is that it's personal. We've been around, well - seems like forever. We know how to make cleaners that CLEAN, paper goods that work (with 80% post-consumer content, and that's good,) detergents that won't harm a fiber of your clothing, and a phosphate-free auto dish soap that won't etch anything. Ever.

Earth Friendly Products has introduced three new products we have tried:
Baby Liquid Laundry Soap, Organic Chamomile & Lavender:

Our new Baby Laundry Soap is a hypo-allergenic, everyday laundry soap containing only the highest quality ingredients. Gentle enough for baby's sensitive skin, Baby Laundry Soap rinses thoroughly, leaving baby's laundry clean and soft. As always, it is plant-based, non-toxic, and environmentally responsible. Baby Laundry Soap employs soothing chamomile and lavender essential oils, and is suitable for hand-washing wools, silks, and other fine washables.

Fruit and Vegetable Wash:

Helps remove pesticides, chemical, heavy metals, dirt, wax and bacteria from the surface of fruits and vegetables. Fruit & Vegetable Wash is tasteless and rinses away clean. Beacuse natural ingredients are used, color and body may vary.

DuoDish:

DuoDish™ is a revolutionary breakthrough in dishwashing. For the first time ever, you can handle your dishwashing needs with one detergent - DuoDish™. Have a few dishes to clean? Just hand wash to avoid waste. Is your sink cluttered? Use that same liquid for a full automatic machine load. Say bye, bye to etched dishes, glassware and utensils and hello to clean and clear dishwashing results with DuoDish™ Enjoy another "first" by Earth Friendly Products.

I love the baby liquid laundry soap, and I don't think it has to be just for babies! The use of organic essential oils is a bonus and a first that I do not recall encountering in laundry products. I don't use vegetable and fruit washes. I think that water and a little dish soap is all you need, but I don't even use soap usually, just a rinse in water. Of course, I only buy and grow organic produce, but I have never thought of the need to also remove bacteria when washing fruits and vegetables. The DuoDish is a great idea eliminating the need for two soap products in the kitchen. It also contains organic essential oils.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

Really Natural Books: The Earth's Best Story: A Bittersweet Tale of Twin Brothers Who Sparked an Organic Revolution

When I wasn't making my own baby food, I served my children Earth's Best organic baby food. The Earth's Best Story: A Bittersweet Tale of Twin Brothers Who Sparked an Organic Revolution is the story behind the company that feeds so many babies.

On the face of it, our story is the tale of a journey to launch the first organic baby-food company in the United States. While of course true, our inspiration soared beyond baby food to a grander, multidimensional imagining, an imagining where the face of agriculture was transformed and the chemically dependent agribusiness paradigm was reduced in its prominence.

We envisioned a world where organic foods would become dominant, with an organic avenue right through the mainstream food thoroughfare. And in our dreams organic baby food would be a catalyst for that paradigm shift: a shift that would support and protect our fragile ecosystems, safeguard farm workers and their families, and walk the talk about doing right by those who are most vulnerable and precious to us?our children.

Truly, these twin brothers are brilliant! Many people I know, including family members, only began their journey into organic food (which eventually leads to a greener lifestyle in general) when their first child was born. After feeding this pure little being the best food on earth (breastmilk) parents approach chemically-grown solid food with hesitation and trepidation. Earth's Best, found in almost every grocery store in America, offers an affordable, organic option. Thanks to the Koss brothers, an organic revolution really did begin with the babies!

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

BPA Free Baby: Plastic Bottles and Pacifiers by BornFree

BornFree was one of the first companies to offer BPA-free baby products when news broke about this hazardous chemical. Not only are their products free from BPA, they are also free from PVC and phthalates. Two of our favorite BPA-free BornFree products are:

• BornFree 9-Ounce Wide Neck BornFree Bottles


• Born Free Pacifier

Babies need to be protected from chemicals; we all do:

Exposure to Bisphenol A is Widespread

• Bisphenol A is most commonly used to make clear polycarbonate plastic for consumer products, such as baby bottles. Through use, this plastic breaks down and leaches bisphenol A into liquids and food to which it comes into contact.


• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found bisphenol A in the urine of over 95% of people they tested.


• Alarmingly, the median level of bi-sphenol A in humans is higher than the level that causes adverse effects in animal studies.

With my first child, I never used a pacifier and only used a bottle to try to feed her water when she was older. My son had health problems that required a bottle and pacifier while he was in the hospital recovering from open heart surgery, and unfortunately the hospital did not have BPA-free bottles or pacifiers. After his release, he was back to the breast only for his nourishment and comfort.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

Organic Crib Mattresses and Bedding by Natural Mat

When I became pregnant with my first child over eight years ago, I searched high and low for a natural mattress. I feared flame retardants, and even though I planned to cosleep, I needed a crib for naps. Natural Mat makes organic, natural bedding and mattresses for cribs I wish would have been available back then.

• Natural Mat Coco Mat:

The Coco Mat is the most breathable and natural organic crib mattress. It is filled with coir from the only certified organic coir plantation in the world. Coir is made from coconut husks which are coated in natural latex to make a supportive and breathable fibrous layer. The coir is then wrapped in our unique lambswool which is bathed in a mixture made from extracts of lavender, lemon and eucalyptus making it completely anti-dust mite as well as maintaining the excellant [sic] thermal insulating properties of natural wool.

• Natural Mat Organic Cotton Percale Fitted Sheet:

Our organic cotton crib sheets are made from crisp 100% cotton percale.

The are unbleached and undyed. They are machine washable and dryable.

Both of these products are truly wonderful and every baby deserves such natural goodness for their restful times. It's worth the expense, considering how much time an infant spends sleeping. The quality of Natural Mat products is high, so you will be sure to use these products for several children and pass on to your friends.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.

BPA-Free Silicone "Skinned" Glass Makes Little Kids Feel Big

Glass is truly the safest material to drink from, but often parents are worried young children will break glass and be injured. Silikids has a solution with its food grade silicone-sleeved glass cup for young children. Silikids Siliskin Glass provides a non-slip surface for little hands to grasp and feel like big kids drinking out of a real glass.

The Siliskin Glass is a clean alternative to plastic drink-ware. For toddlers who want to drink from a "big kid" cup. Silikids makes this easy to do with a small BPA free silicone covered glass. This Siliskin glass helps prevent slipping and adds extra protection to the glass inside. Glass is the cleanest option for drinking and it lasts because it's reusable, and recyclable. The Siliskin is hypo- allergenic, has no open pores to harbor bacteria and is dishwasher safe. Two simple ideas have come together to make the perfect drink ware better for your family and the environment.

Even though there are a lot of BPA-free plastic cup products on the market, I still feel safest with real glass, and I don't have to worry about placing them in the dishwasher.

Silikids also makes Silibibs. These bibs are easy to put on and easy to clean. They are even safe for the dishwasher. I personally prefer cloth bibs, but many parents prefer silicone for the ease of cleaning.

If you visit www.silikids.com, you can use the discount code OHBABY to receive a 15% off any order through 12/31/2009

Disclosure: I was sent a free sample of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative

Safely Relieve Common Pregnancy Skin Problems of Acne and Itchy Skin with Belli Pregnancy

Two problems I remember being plagued by during both of my pregnancies was acne caused by hormonal changes and itchy skin caused by the big belly stretch. Belli Pregnancy has safe solutions to these problems.

• BELLI Acne Clearing Facial Wash: This product uses lactic acid to treat blemished skin, as well as cucumber and green tea. This is not a soapy wash, but a smooth, lemony scented cleansing wash. It is important to note that most acne treatments are not recommended during pregnancy, except for Belli's product.

• BELLI All Day Moisture Body Lotion: This is a wonderful lotion that uses lemon oil, chamomile, and shea butter to provide lasting relief for itchy skin. When I was pregnant, I was plagued with an itchy back from my growing, stretching skin, and no lotion could provide relief. I am not pregnant now, but this lotion did a wonderful job on my dry fall/winter hands. This product received a score of three out of ten for toxicity by the Environmental Working Group.

Belli Pregnancy is safe during those pregnancy months because:

Belli Pregnancy has set a higher standard for prenatal safety, as the only skin care line in the world that is teratology screened. We search through over 16 million medical research articles in over 5000 international journals, and use this information to exclude ingredients with even remote links to birth defects or other problems with pregnancy. Belli Motherhood is LactMed screened to avoid ingredients linked to harmful effects during breastfeeding. Belli Baby is screened for xenoestrogens--chemicals which can act like hormones that interfere with normal development of the reproductive system.

Of course, you don't have to be pregnant to enjoy these products.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of the above products in order to write an authentic review. I did not guarantee a positive or negative review in exchange for the samples.