My friend
April asked if I would give her some information on baby things we use in this "anti-plastic, anti-chemical" world we now live in.
So this post is for her and anyone else interested in greening up their life!
When my first three were born, I was not as aware of natural parenting. Yes, I did
nurse all three, carry them everywhere in a
sling, and make all my own
baby food. But I didn't know about harmful chemicals and things like the dangers of video games and too much t.v..
So this time around, I am doing things quite differently. And so far I really like it.
For example, we only use
Evenflo classic glass bottles when the baby takes a bottle. You can order them from
Babies R Us and other websites. He has never used a plastic bottle with
BPA because all the dangers of this type of plastic is not known. I'd rather err on the side of caution.
My other children also eat only on glass plates, mainly because if we use the microwave, it is on glass only -
and only glass.
The baby is still nursing even though I weaned my other three at one year. The reason is because some research is being done in Europe that suggests that the closer you breast feed to two years, the health benefits are exponential.
I have read a lot about the amount of chlorine in disposable diapers. I have tried using chlorine free like
Seventh Generation, but have found that they leak. I have also looked into ordering cloth diapers from
here. But in the end, I am still using pampers.
At the grocery store, I only buy organic if I have a choice.
Especially for meat and dairy. We don't eat much meat, by the way. Bo Peep went four years without touching anything carnivorous. She just didn't like the thought of killing animals. We eat mainly vegetables, fruits, pastas and soups. And
hummus, of course.
I also make Little Boy Blue's
baby food. His favorites are butternut squash, red bell pepper puree, and cauliflower. It is so easy to make and I store it in the freezer. For the diaper bag I buy organic, glass jar baby food called
Earth's Best and a new brand that I am totally in love with called
Sprout by top chef Tyler Florence. It is pricey, but so delicious I am tempted to eat it. How many baby foods can you say that about?
I clean the house with cleaners that contain no harsh chemicals. I started before the baby was born because I didn't want him inhaling all those fumes as a newborn. I use
Seventh Generation and
Method brands. You can find both at Target. And I use fragrance and dye free
Seventh Generation laundry detergent for all of our clothes.
And when I shop, I bring my own recyclable cloth bags. I am trying to set an example for the kids to take responsibility for this one and only Earth God has given us.
I could talk forever about mothering and water filters and gluten free diets.
But if you have any questions you are wondering about, ask away. I will answer them in my next post. (Just so you are not inclined to nominate me for any mothering awards, I'll let you know the baby is currently sucking on wipes he found and is trying to bite me for taking them away. Oh well.)(and there are 17 links in this post. That should be a record!)