My dryer has balls, does yours?

What’s so special about a dryer with balls?  Adding 4-6 wool dryer balls to your laundry load can significantly shorten drying time, cut down on static cling, reduce wrinkles and soften your clothes.  In turn, you will save money on fabric softener, dryer sheets and hopefully, your utility bill!

How do the balls work?  During the drying cycle, the wool dryer balls bounce around and separate clothing so warm air can circulate more efficiently, which speeds up drying time.  As the wool fibers rub against the clothing, it softens the fabric and reduces static cling and wrinkles.  Wool also has the unique ability of absorbing toxins like formaldehyde, which is commonly found in brand new clothing.

Do the balls smell?  The wool dryer balls that we have don’t have a scent to them, however you can easily add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil if you enjoy scented laundry.

How long do the balls last?  The wool dryer balls are simply made of felted wool and nothing happens to them during each drying cycle.  You may notice some wear and tear or shrinkage, but it’s safe to say that your balls will last you for several years.

How much do the balls cost?  Wool dryer balls cost between $6-8 per ball.  This may seem expensive for a ball of wool, but if you think of how much money it will save you in the long run by not needing to buy fabric softener or dryer sheets ever again, a small investment of $24-36 on a couple sets of balls that will last for years, really isn’t a bad deal at all.  You’re also reducing your chemical exposure and preventing toxic build-up in your dryer.

Save money and energy and get your some balls for your dryer!

http://www.shop.wildorchidbaby.com/Wool-Dryer-Balls-010123.htm

 

Amber Teething Necklace?

What’s it like having a teething baby?  For many, it’s miserable.  Drooling, red cheeks, upset stomach, sore gums and endless fussiness.  There are countless remedies to soothe your irritable baby – cold facecloths, teething rings, topical numbing gels, infant pain relievers, teething tablets, etc.  If you’re at your wits end, why not try an amber teething necklace?  No artificial dyes, non-invasive and no side effects.

The baby doesn’t actually chew on the necklace itself, he wears it.  True amber isn’t a stone, it’s a fossilized resin that contains succinic acid – a powerful antioxidant that relieves pain, reduces stress and boosts the immune system.  When the necklace is worn, the beads are warmed by the body, releasing its powerful natural oils, which are absorbed through the skin and circulated throughout the body.

Amber teething necklaces have been used for centuries in Baltic countries, where the most effective form of amber originates.  It has the highest concentration of succinic acid.  I did a lot of research on amber teething necklaces and found www.amberteethingnecklace.org to be very informative.  They recommend the following when selecting an amber teething necklace:

1.)    The highest content of succinic acid is found in the external layer of resign so look for a necklace with raw amber beads that have not been highly polished.

2.)    Lighter shades of amber are also said to contain higher levels of succinic acid.

3.)    For safety reasons, choose a necklace that has knots in between each bead.  This way, if the necklace breaks, all of the beads won’t go flying everywhere.

4.)    For babies 2 and under, necklace length should be about 12” so it doesn’t fall below the shirt collar and stays in contact with the skin.

Looking to try a raw Baltic Amber Teething necklace?  We have plenty in stock at Wild Orchid Baby! $15.95

http://www.shop.wildorchidbaby.com/Raw-Baltic-Amber-Teething-Necklace-401123.htm

Citrus Lane Review

Citrus Lane was started by a mom who wanted to provide parents with a care package each month to help them on their parenting journey.  Each product is reviewed and recommended by Citrus Lane’s advisory board and each monthly package is tailored to fit your child’s needs based on their age and costs $25.  We received “Animal Parade” for my two year old daughter, Olivia.

It included:

Green Sprouts Aqua Bottle, Green Sprouts Cool Calm Press, Begin Again Animal Buddy Blocks & Dolphin Organics Lotion

I left the unopened box at my store and presented it to my daughter the next day when she came to work with me.  I asked her to tell me what each item was in the box.  She said “A blue juice. Squishy turtle. Fishy lotion. Monkey blocks.”

“Blue Juice” (Green Sprouts Aqua Bottle)  I really liked this sippy cup.  The top can be opened and closed to prevent spilling and Olivia is able to open and close it herself.  It’s also BPA-free and dishwasher safe.  Olivia thinks of it as a top rate sippy cup too.  It’s right up there with Car Juice, Elmo Juice, Princess Juice and Ball Juice (my mother in law bought her a sippy cup with a soccer ball on it, hence the unappealing name Olivia has given it, Ball Juice.)

“Squishy Turtle” (Green Sprouts Cool Calm Press)  Olivia didn’t understand how this was to be used at first, but I put it in the fridge to give her the full effect.  I told her it was for boo boos and she excitedly put it on her doll’s head for comfort.  Later on that week Olivia hit her head at my mom’s house and got a pretty good bump from it.  Her inconsolable tears quickly stopped when I reminded her we had that squishy turtle to help her boo boo feel better.  I have a feeling this is going to come in handy quite often!

“Fishy Lotion” (Dolphin Organics Lotion)  Olivia absolutely loves putting lotion on her hands, face, legs – everywhere!  She loved the pictures of fish and dolphins on the label and I was thrilled to see that it’s rated a 1 on the Cosmetic Database – no parabens, synthetic fragrances or petroleum derived ingredients.  I have to admit, I kept this at work and I’ve been using it as hand lotion.  I love how it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy residue.

“Monkey Blocks” (Begin Again Animal Buddy Blocks)  These blocks are really fun!  Each side has an animal part on it.  I asked Olivia to find all the zebra sides and she delighted at the challenge.  She wasn’t quite able to replicate the animal in the correct order, but had a great time matching the different pieces of each animal.  And when I stacked them on top of the wooden crate they came in, she excitedly yelled “It’s a monkey house!”  A great toy you can take anywhere that teaches your toddler about animals, shapes, colors and puzzles.  This was by far Olivia’s favorite item that came in the Citrus Lane box.

We really enjoyed this care package and we’re eager to see what next month’s will hold.  Would you like to receive a monthly package from Citrus Lane?  Go to https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/citrus.lane and save $10!

Parenting Resolutions?

We’re all familiar with New Year’s Resolutions – a promise we make to ourselves at the start of a new year.  We say “This year is going to be different.  I’m going to quit smoking.” or “I’m going to lose 20lbs.”  But what about parenting resolutions?  Can we make new parenting resolutions after each new addition to the family?  We’re expecting our second child this summer and I’ve made some promises to myself to do a few things a little bit differently.

Olivia – I hope you’re not offended, but you are and will continue to be my “learner baby.”  I’ve never raised a child before so I might some mistakes on you and learn from them by the time your sibling arrives.  In fact I already have.

Here are my Parenting Resolutions for baby #2:

1.) I’m going to use cloth diapers…because the more laundry, the better!  Ok, not really.  But I know a lot more now than I did 2 years ago.  I know that disposable diapers are made of plastic, bleached with chlorine and expose my precious little infant to 1,4 dioxane and phthalates…among other toxic substances.  I just don’t feel right about exposing my children to harmful chemicals if I can avoid it.  So that’s why I’m going to try cloth diapering.  I’m realistic though…and as a working mom, I’ll also have a supply of plastic-free, chlorine-free Naty diapers on hand.

2.) I will never rely on a thermos of hot water to warm a bottle again!  Like most breastfed babies, when Olivia was fed a bottle, it had to be the perfect temperature.  Warming a bottle using this technique takes quite a few minutes.  A few minutes of listening to a screaming hungry baby feels like an eternity, and it’s heart wrenching.  I’m sorry Olivia.  I just didn’t know about the magical Self Warming Yoomi bottle when you were an infant.  It instantly warms expressed breast milk or formula to the perfect temperature in just sixty seconds.

3.) I’m going to wear this baby.  I held Olivia all the time and quickly learned how to do pretty much everything one handed.  That of course came with its own set of risks, however.  I almost dropped Olivia ALL the time.  ALMOST though.  I never actually dropped my baby.  So this time around I will have my Baby K’tan carrier to the rescue!

Well Olivia, as my first child, you may have suffered the brunt of parenting inexperience, but your beautiful shining face is proof that we must have done something right.  When you say “I’m sorry” to the cat when you accidentally bump her, I see empathy.  When your little face lights up and you say “thank you” without prompting, I see your genuine appreciation.  And when you giggle and say “you’re welcome” after you pass gas instead of ‘excuse me’, I see your sense of humor and I could not be prouder!

So I may have learned some tips along the way to help make things a little safer and easier with baby number two, but nothing could ever replace the feeling of unconditional love I experienced for the first time with my first born.

www.shop.wildorchidbaby.com

So, how’s the potty training going?

So, how’s the potty training going?  I get asked this question all the time.  Many days I proudly proclaim “It’s going well!  Olivia did pee pee on the potty this morning and wore her big girl undies without any accidents!”  Other days it’s more of a “Well you know, potty training is sometimes a ‘one step forward, two steps back’ kind of thing.”  These are the days when we have accidents in the big girl undies…or she flat out refuses to use the potty at all.

I’m trying really hard to be patient and gentle and encouraging.  Olivia’s a very smart two year old and is definitely ready to be embarking on this potty training journey, but she’s also stubborn.  I know exactly where she gets it from…she get it from her mama.

Most days, she wakes up in the morning with a dry diaper so I put her right on the potty and she goes!  And I couldn’t be happier!  She proudly asks to wear her big girl undies and I let her.  I remind her often to tell Mummy if she needs to use the potty because we don’t want to pee pee or poopy in our big girl undies.  I also take her to the potty frequently and encourage her to try to go.  But depending on her mood, this sometimes pisses her off.  This is where the stubborn comes into play.  She will go 3 hours wearing her undies without peeing or pooping.  Usually by this time we need to leave the house for something and I put her in a diaper to avoid an accident in her car seat.  She then immediately pees in it, takes it off, hands it to me and says “Here Mumma I peed in this.”  This is when I take a deep breath and remember that I need to stay patient and gentle and encouraging.  Maybe it’s time for a potty training time out so we can all refocus.

And just when I feel as though I’ve had enough potty training drama for the week and I’m ready to take a break and resume it in a few days, I’ll get a call from Olivia’s daycare – a proud message from her babysitter Mary saying “I just wanted to let you know that Olivia peed on the potty like a big girl and hasn’t wet any diapers yet today!”  And just like that, it’s game on with the potty training!

But what happened today completely shocked me.  It came without warning.  Well, here it goes…

I had just stepped out of the shower and found Olivia’s clothing strewn about the hallway floor.  My butt naked child then came trotting over singing “Poopy pooopy poopy poooopy!”  I knew right then and there what kind of situation I was dealing with.  And the evidence was smeared on her leg.

I cleaned up my daughter and dressed her in a diaper.  “Can you please tell Mommy where you did poopies?”  She led me into the living room and pointed to a tiny little plop of poop on the hardwood floor.  I quickly cleaned it up and thought “That really wasn’t bad at all.”  I was expecting a disaster – an all over the carpet and couch poop catastrophe, but it was just one tiny plop on a hard surface.  Phew!

I then went to my bedroom to finish getting dressed.  Olivia came prancing in and said “Mummy I poopy on stickers too.”

“Wait, what?  Show Mummy.”  She grabbed my hand and led me into the dining room.  I was speechless.  My sweet little lady pooped a giant log on a sheet of stickers.  At least this made for easy clean up.  So anyone who’s wondering how the potty training is going can read this blog and form their own opinion.

I peed on baking soda and it did not fizzle…

I peed on baking soda this morning and it didn’t fizzle.  What does that even mean?  Let’s rewind a couple months…

November 2012 was one of the most exciting months of my life!  I was approved for a business loan, signed the lease for my store and found out I was pregnant with our second child.  December 2012 quickly became the most hectic month of my life preparing for the holidays, renovating and setting up the store and eagerly awaiting my first doctor’s appointment to confirm the heartbeat.  I braced myself as I lay on the ultrasound table.  I had miscarried before and I was dreading having to go through that again.

“And that right there is your baby.  Heart rate looks great!”  I didn’t feel like I was out of the woods yet, but I breathed a sigh of relief and shared the happy news with my husband and close friends.  And now that I’ve entered my second trimester, I’m ready to share this exciting news with you! 

So why did I pee on baking soda?  A friend of mine told me about this Old Wive’s Tale.  Put a spoonful of baking soda in a paper cup and pee on it.  If it fizzles, that means it’s a boy and if it doesn’t, that means it’s a girl.  Supposedly boys make your urine more acidic.  Well mine didn’t fizzle…so does that mean it’s going to be another girl?  We’ll have to wait and see

Expecting in Worcester, MA area?

Hello everyone!  I haven’t written a blog in quite a while!  We’ve spent the last couple of months planning for our store opening in Worcester, MA!  If you live in the area, please stop by and check out our store!

Wild Orchid Baby

490 Shrewsbury St.

Worcester, MA 01604

Expecting?  Register on our website to receive a postcard for a free gift to be redeemed at our store!

Your Deodorant is SCARY

Most of  us use some form of antiperspirant/deodorant every single day.  Antiperspirants block sweat from escaping through our underarms and we love them for this – no one wants to be the stinky girl.  But sweating is actually a good thing because it’s our body’s natural way of releasing toxins.  Blocking this process holds evil toxins captive in our bodies.  It leaves our body more prone to infection and affects our pH balance.  But if we sweat, we’ll stink, right?  No, sweat isn’t the stink.  The process of bacteria breaking down the sweat is what stinks.

Most antiperspirant/deodorants on the market include active ingredients such as aluminum and triclosan.  Aluminum forms a temporary plug within the sweat duct that stops the flow of sweat to the skin’s surface.  Triclosan is an antibacterial agent used to prevent indigenous bacteria from thriving on your armpit.  Together, these ingredients form a fail-safe system to keep us from stinking.  But at what cost?

Aluminum has been shown to cause DNA mutation and may contribute to the development of breast cancer according to the National Cancer Institute.  Triclosan is a hormone disruptor capable of changing the sex of fish.  The FDA doesn’t have sufficient evidence to prove that triclosan is hazardous to humans, but they’ve admitted concern and it’s currently under review.

I know what you’re thinking.  You don’t want to increase your risk of breast cancer or potentially become a hermaphrodite, but you certainly don’t want to be the stinky girl.  I totally agree.  For the last few months, I’ve been using my toxic Degree antiperspirant/deodorant sparingly – only on big nights out or doing physical activity.

But Friday, I received a natural deodorant that has changed my life.  I was a skeptic at first.  I read about unbelievable claims that it eliminated body odor from 100% of testers; that it smelled amazing like mint chocolate chip ice cream; that it effectively prevented body odor without any toxic ingredients; and that it cost $13.  I reluctantly spent 4 times more than I usually do on deodorant because I just had to try it.  I’m so glad I did because I’m never going back.

It worked.  Even though it did not prevent me from sweating, I did not stink.  And it really does smell like minty deliciousness.  But best of all, I can pronounce each ingredient – organic coconut oil, organic beeswax, organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter, aluminum free baking soda, organic arrowroot powder, organic tea tree essential oil and organic peppermint essential oil.  It’s non-toxic and it really works – I honestly was not expecting to be blown away by an organic deodorant, but I was.

If you’re going to pay a price for modern conveniences such as deodorant, wouldn’t you rather dish out $13 every few months than pay with your health?

http://www.shop.wildorchidbaby.com/Organic-Dodorant-60015.htm

Toddler Translations

I used to wake up to an alarm each morning, but now I wake up to the words, “Mumma.  Help.  Mumma.  Mumma.  Help. Peeeeeeeeeez!”  Don’t worry, she’s no damsel in distress.  She’s asking me to get my butt out of bed and help her out of her crib.  If teaching her to ask for help keeps her from attempting to climb out, then I did something right!

“Bider. Bider Mumma.  See?”  Olivia and the cat are both staring at the ground.  What the heck does ‘bider’ mean?  I get a little closer…ahhh it’s a spider!!!  Olivia puts her fingers together and sings “Itsy bitsy bider…”

“O’s Mumma?  O’s?  Peez???”  The first time Olivia and I colored, I wrote her name across the top of the paper and said ‘O is for Olivia.’  Crayons are now called O’s.

“Numma Numma?  Numma Numma?  NUMMA NUMMA!” It gets louder and louder until I feed her.  It’s always a good idea to start lunch before the chanting starts.

“Side? Side Mumma?”  Yes Olivia we can go outside.  What do you say? “Sorry?  Peez?”  She learned at an early age to always CYA (cover your ass).

“Creen?  Creen Mumma?”  She immediately drops to the floor and holds her arms and legs straight out waiting for me to slather her in sunscreen – she knows the routine.

I love you Baby.  Do you love Mumma? “Hi.”  The first few times she said ‘hi’ instead of ‘yes’ I corrected her.  Then I learned that ‘hi’ means ‘yes’ in Japanese.  Who am I to discourage her from learning a second language?  Rock on Olivia!!

How Toxic is Your Nail Polish?

We all know there’s nothing natural about our nail polish.  The fumes, the colors, quick-drying capabilities – these are all made possible by harmful chemicals.  Three of the worst offenders include formaldehyde (used as a preservative and nail hardener), toluene (solvent that maintains liquid base) and dibutyl phthalate (plastisizer to prevent cracking).  Nail polish is essentially an acrylic paint we apply to our nails.  Unfortunately, these chemicals are also absorbed into our bodies.  Many city waste programs consider nail polish to be hazardous waste – placed in the same category as car batteries and insecticide.

Some companies have opted to remove all 3 of the toxic ingredients listed above and proudly call themselves “three free”.  But removing formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate doesn’t leave a harmless bottle of nail polish.  A quick search of these companies (Sally Hanson, OPI & Orly) on the Cosmetic Database revealed more toxic ingredients that have yet to be phased out of their formulas.  For instance, ferric ammonium ferrocyanide is an inorganic cyanide that’s used in cosmetics to produce a blue coloring.  The chemical dictionary says to “avoid direct physical content…Handling should occur in a chemical fume hood.”  I have never been offered a chemical fume hood while getting a manicure…have you?

So why do we apply this toxic substance to our fingers and toes on a regular basis?  Because we like having pretty fingers and toes!  We don’t want to apply poison directly to our nails, but is the only safe alternative to go bare?  No!!

Thankfully, we found safe, non-toxic nail care products from Keeki Pure&Simple!  I gave myself my first non-toxic manicure last Thursday night and I am in LOVE!!  My nails are vibrant, smooth and shiny – no air bubbles, no toxic fumes, just beautiful nails!  I even painted my 22 month old’s fingers and toes because I know I can trust these products – they were developed and tested by a mother.

And I feel good knowing that enjoying this luxury is not contributing to hazrdous waste – all of their formulas are water-based and biodegradable.

Go ahead and pamper yourself – only $9.99 a bottle at www.shop.wildorchidbaby.com