Mommy Must have Monday! Baby Throne!

Ok so my gorgeous Sweetpea has hit the 6 month mark, sniff, sniff! She has been growing so beautifully and really is such a joy! She is still doing EC (Elimination Communication) and is quite the star. A few months back we got the BABY THRONE and oh my goodness... every EC mamma and baby should have one! We love ours for so many reasons which I will share after some cutie pics (to this mamma anyway!).

First time on my throne, see my smile? A few seconds later.....a wee!!

Can you tell I like the independence? Now mommy can sit in front of me and I can look at a book or my mommy's face! This is the Intermediate stage and we used this stage for only a few days just to get Sweetpea used to the shape of the seat then we moved onto.....

The loo! Yes my then 4 month old on the toilet by herself! Now having said that, NEVER  leave your baby alone in the bathroom on the THRONE! Use the few minutes to sing a song, read a little board book or show off your funny faces!

This has become a huge tool in our EC journey. Every morning when I wake up we go to the kiddies bathroom and I slip off her night nappy and she sits on her throne. It only takes a few seconds and she makes her no 1. With a song or some chatting to get some smiles then follows no 2! Now for my "little" list on why we love it:

• The Beginner Baby Throne: The first stage or when your baba is very small and can hold his/her head up comfortably. Sweetpea was 4 months old. Wearing her nappy,  bottom is close to the bottom of the base and there is no hole to worry about.
• The Intermediate Baby Throne: The base is turned up the other way and the floor of the base is farther away from baba's bottom. With no nappy on she can feel the air on her bottom and can get used to it.  Sweetpea was 4 months old when I tried this and loved it.
• The Advanced Baby Throne: Used without the base and is simply placed on top of the toilet. Toddlers can also use these gentle and progressive stages to get onto the advanced stage quickly without getting a fright!
• Can be used by physically handicapped children too as the seat gives great support.
• It was made by a mamma for her son so she knows what was needed!
• Its ubber soft and comfy
• It's recyclable BONUS!
• 60% LESS nappies used, so huge saving if you are using disposables so GREENER and saves you money and time!
• can last from 4 months+ till about 20 kg (+/- 4 to 5kg's) so worth every cent spent in my opinion (for what it's worth).

So worth checking their site out! 

BABY THRONE

You will be seeing more of this throne in our EC UPDATES, hope you don't mind this mamma's potty mouth!

Tranquil Body Treats!

Mmmmm looks yummy right?! Well it is! For a change there is something on review for a natural mamma! Goodness knows I LOOOOOVE to have a long, warm, candlelight bath! Don't get them too often, its more like a quick shower but Mr Moviemaker does like to surprise me now and again with a bubbling candlelight bath when all the kiddo's are sleeping! He keeps an ear on them while I soak up the smells!

TRANQUIL BODY TREATS sent us two of their gorgeous products from their really extensive range!

I received their LIME bath sherbet... utter goodness!! All the fizziness does really work for relieving tired, aching muscles. They use essential oils to fragrance their products so no nasties here. Some bath salts I've used before don't really release a fragrance and always stay at the bottom of the bath. Not this one!

Next up Sweetpea got to try out their Baby body mousse.  When I first opened the tub I thought the LAVENDER was quite strong but because it was all natural I didn't mind giving it a go! I gave little miss a massage with it after bath time and it really absorbed well leaving no stickiness and the faint smell of lavender was really soothing. She slept beautifully (she always has) but this time she hardly bugged. I was worried it would be too strong when we received it but it really isn't and when she woke the next morning she still had this lovely baby/lavender wiff about her that any mamma will cherish.

They have a huge line available with a product line for everyone in the family:

• Accessories
• Bath Products
• Body Products
• Essential, Massage & Carrier Oils
• Facial & Anti-Age
• Gentleman
• Kids Range
• Manicure and Pedicure
• Mom2Be and Baby
• Soy wax candles
• Eczema and Anti Chafe

I know, right?! So much to choose from and try! Itching to try out their soy candles, so much healthier than burning the candles you buy at an average store.

Give them a peek, you won't be sorry! 

TRANQUIL BODY TREATS

Not so wordless wednesday!

Yes I know it's technically meant to be a wordless wednesday but the last few days had me thinking hugely about moments... 

As a homeschooling mom of 4 my life can get pretty hectic and busy. My munchkins are mostly with me all day and we do school, make meals, clean, do washing, do dishes, change diapers etc etc etc. The list goes on and on and sometimes I wonder how I can do it all. Having said that the last few days of news bulletins and all that unfolded in Connecticut had me thinking... what are the moments we have with our children?  If I had sent my kiddies to school that day and we had harsh words about either of them fighting with each other or toys lying on the floor or breakfast bowls still on the table and something happened to them, that would have been my last moment with them. If that was the case I would've wanted them to rather have had a smiling face, a tight squeeze an " I LOVE U, you are great" moment instead.

We never know when is our last day here or that of our children. We need to treasure our moments with them and handle the day with love and grace for each other. Not be so quick to react in harshness but remember that they are learning and training to be adults. They are allowed to spill milk, don't shout just show them how to clean it up and don't forget the " you did a great job at wiping up the milk". I'm still trying to master this myself but when I look at these faces I know I want them to know I love them unconditionally and that no matter what their age and how big or small their own families become one day, they can call on us! 

Sweetpea's little black number! Cherub tree nappies

Ok so you've been reading my blog for a while now (thank you to those that keep coming back!) and you are getting to know me pretty well. So what's one of my favourite colours?

 BLACK!

 No I'm not Goth I just like a pretty black dress or some gorgeous black heels (neither of which I have in my wardrobe at the moment! lol). So when Cherubtree let me know that they are sending Sweetpea their Midnight Black  to review I was really excited! Sweetpea's first little black number! Now let me tell you that this nappy doesn't dissappoint! It's not only gorgeous on the outside but really feels soft on the inside too! 

Great fit around the legs and it doesn't leave marks!

Sweetpea is wearing it on the 2nd rise setting and I think she will wear it like this for a while. She'll get a lot of use on this nappy.

This is a super trim nappy! We've used it for night time use with the 2 inserts provided with no leaks!

Why we looooooove this nappy:

• Each Cherub Tree OSFA nappy comes with a waterproof cover (9 colours for you to choose from) and two inserts. 
• 4-layer Microfibre insert 3-layer hemp/cotton insert 
• Microfibre is a fantastic material. It absorbs liquid fast, and helps draw moisture through the lining of the nappy into itself (helps keep your baby’s bottom dry). But the downside to microfibre is that while it holds a lot of fluid – it tends to work like a sponge: when it gets too full, fluid can be squeezed out. So, if your baby is sitting or lying down for long periods of time, the insert can get full and then fluid can be "squished" out and cause leaks. That's where the hemp insert comes in!
• Hemp is a natural fibre which also has amazing absorbency qualities. Hemp can hold about as much liquid as microfibre, however it holds it differently within its fibres and it doesn’t squeeze out like microfibre. The downside to hemp is that when it gets wet it tends to get quite firm – so a nappy with just hemp inserts in it can become a little hard and uncomfortable on your baby when it's full. We have chosen to mix the inserts and materials to provide a nappy with the best of both! The microfibre sits on top of the hemp – so it draws moisture quickly away from your baby’s bottom. Once that insert is full – the hemp insert underneath will take the overflow, preventing unnecessary leaks. Because you have mostly microfibre in the nappy, it remains soft and comfortable between your baby’s legs (unlike a nappy full of hemp). So the combination Cherubtree has chosen ensures you get maximum absorbency as well as an incredibly trim fitting nappy.

These are their gorgeous colours! That pink is so yummy!

Please check out their awesome site:

CHERUBTREE

Wordless wednesday!

Always something special about a boy with his balloon!

The new member!

So we had plans of doing an "Ice cream parlour" party 50's style for Princess this year but she decided to opt out of a party and get a bigger gift.

After an hour long family meeting and discussing responsibility Mr Movie Maker decided that he thinks    Princess is ready! So started our hunt for the perfect addition to our family!

We found her!

Meet Makenna!

A few family members sent her money for her birthday and we added the difference and she got a Springer/Cokerspaniel mix = Sprocker Spaniel!

She's fitted right in and her favourite spot is under the jumpy licking baby toes much to Sweetpea's delight!

She has brought the munchkins much JOY and they LOVE her dearly! Of course she is a natural pup  so we will be reviewing natural pet products for her too!

Fluffy Friday! FANCYPANTS

Fancy, fancy, fancy! That's all I can say about these gorgeous bits of fluff! So they have a huge amount of  bonus features which I will detail in a minute but my all time favourite bit (other than the rainbow of colours!) is that you just throw it in the wash and the insert just agitates out while the load is going! Yip you said it.....FANCY!

Sweetpea loving her Fancypants! Of course with her Natursutten paci  too, read review  here

What we love about our FANCYPANTS:

• Affordable

Disposable Nappy Cost Calculation

Size          Time in size          Changes / day          # of nappies          Average cost          Total cost

---

 1                12 weeks                        12                       1,008                        R1.88                  R1,895

 2                12 weeks                        10                          840                        R2.05                  R1,722

 3                12 weeks                          8                          672                        R2.37                  R1,593

 4                16 weeks                          6                          672                        R2.88                  R1,935

 5                24 weeks                          6                       1,008                        R2.95                  R2,974

 6                28 weeks                          6                       1,176                        R4.22                  R4,963

---

Total Cost                                                                                                                              R15,082

---

If you purchase 20 reusable nappies (at a cost of R3,200) you would save over R10,000!

• Easy to use just stuff the insert in the pocket and you ready to go 
• Gorgeous colours 10 in total
• Super slim 
• Durable they have strong snaps and a really durable PUL outer and the inserts can withstand tumble drying 
• Easy to wash my favourite feature by far! The insert wiggles out all on it's own. Ours is always in the wash as we use it quite often as a night nappy and it ALWAYS comes out on it's own!

Need I say more.... Cuteness factor! It's double stuffed here for night time use.

This is what they said about their nappy:

Fancypants reusable cloth nappies are made with a soft stylish waterproof outer fabric, lined with a plush 70% bamboo / 30% organic cotton material and come with two highly absorbent microfibre inserts.

Our environmentally friendly reusable cloth nappies result in less non biodegradable waste in landfills. Unlike disposables, Fancypants nappies contain no harmful absorbency chemicals and are lined with a bamboo/cotton blend so that only natural materials touch baby’s delicate skin. This means they are comfortable AND healthy for your baby.

The all-in-one design is easy to use as there are no separate covers or pull ups, so changing your baby is fast and easy! 

Fancypants reusable cloth diapers are fully adjustable, fitting most babies from birth to potty training – saving you thousands of rand.

Love that they decided to put the tag on the back. No scratching baby plus everyone can see where they are from!

We've used this nappy over and over and it looks exactly the same as the day we received it! It "suns" beautifully leaving no stains and truly is an easy fit, even daddy can do this diaper change!

I'm in love with the Lollipop and Chocolate ones! Ai the choices...

 If you want to check out this fluffy goodness head over to:

FANCY PANTS PRODUCTS

Wordless Wednesday!

LOVE!

NO BPA here! Green.Kid Stainless steel bottle!

Yip that's DEFINITELY true in this house! It's kinda funny how you change when you become a mom! I had this weird obsession with plastic containers before I had kids and now I'm really fussy about a little number under the lid or on the bottom of every bottle, cup, plate or cosmetic container! YIKES!

It's impossible to know all the damage that BPA and toxic plastic has on your little ones and not do anything about it! In all honesty I'm now dumping all the so called "safe" plastic for stainless steel or glass.

Having said that though......How practical is a glass sippy cup or bottle? I think not! That's why I LOOOOOOVE this next company!

This is the gorgeous lime coloured bottle from Green.Kid!

I had the best intentions of showing you this bottle in the hands of all 4 my munchkins as it really is pretty versatile and can go from their early baby days through toddlerhood and onto early "kiddihood"( yip I make words up like that ALL the time!). Little Man was having none of that! He saw me open the box, he commented on the green colour and that was that, it was his! He has a straw stainless steel bottle for water or diluted juice (which happens on friday's at our home) and then his Green.Kid sippy for a few sips of milk before bed however let me just say that this sippy (we've been using it with the toddler spout) has had a couple of trips up to the treehouse and back down again with only a few little dents but no paint chips!

What we love about our bottle:

• No BPA
• 100% Plastic free
• Pthalate free
• Lead free
• Unbreakable compared to glass 
• Super cute colours
• Paint doesn't chip off
• Comes with an infant teat and a toddler spout
• Fits most wide neck teats on the market (I tried it with a NUK, Avent, Pigeon)

Sweetpea will be getting her own small pink (of course!) to give coconut water and milk a try soon!

Internal bottle measurements.

And of course the colours!

PLEASE check out their site, you won't be sorry you made a healthy choice for your munchkins!

greenkid

Friendly Disposables from Eco Bambino!

So everyone knows how much this Mamma LOOOOOOVES her Sweetpea's fluffy butt but granted not every mamma feels the same (can't imagine why! lol). That's where ECO BAMBINO steps in! I am really grateful for a company like this that sells baby and earth friendly disposable nappies! We've tested the Moltex nappies on both Sweetpea and Little Man and they are as good as any disposable available in the stores on the absorbent side but WAY better and healthier for your baba and the earth!

This is what they had to say about them:

No perfumes, synthetic lotions, antioxidants, TBT, chlorine or latex (much better for sensitive skin). TBT (tributyl tin) is a harmful environmental pollutant. It has a hormone like effect and even the smallest concentrations of TBT can harm people's immune system and impair their hormonal system.  (TCF).  Tea leaf extract is used to reduce odour & irritation.Moltex Eco Nappies use pure natural green tea leaf to help minimise odour, which has also proven very effective in protecting against fungi, viruses and yeast, which can cause nappy rash. It naturally contains cell constructing substances such as vitamins A, B and C which are essential for cell metabolism.  100% degradable packaging and outer nappy lining.  Packaging used for Moltex’s Eco Nappies is made using 100% degradable maize starch and has perforations for easy re-use as a compost or bin bag. The 100% degradable outer lining of the nappy is permeable for air and vapours, enabling comfortable wear. Moltex Eco Nappies are compostable.  Conventional disposable nappies make an alarming contribution to landfill in Australia.  Moltex Eco Nappies can be added to compost sites instead of to landfill.  Most of the nappy will break down and makes excellent compost for a wormery.  The minimal amount of super absorbent material used in the nappy (polyacrylite) gives excellent water retention to the compost and is widely used as a soil wetter, which is especially relevant to our Australian climate. Quality-made and tested in Germany. Moltex nappies are made in Germany under fair industrial relations and rigorously enforced environmental policies.

I really enjoyed using these and will definitely look at getting them for when we go camping etc! We had no leaks  and no rashes!

PURCHASE THEM HERE!

Teething Troubles!

Ok so Sweetpea has started teething! YIKES! Now when I say teething I don't mean they've actually popped out but she has definitely started chomping on fingers, Sophie her Giraffe, fingers, her Hevea and Natursutten paci's, fingers, fingers and more fingers!

Thankfully she isn't irritable or in pain just itchy I think. We started using Amber beads for Little Man when he was 3 months old and although I've read all the Science behind it I never quite believed it till the 3 times we left it off! Let's just say I believe it now!

All 4 munchkins now own their own string of Baltic Amber Beads and they work!

Little Man and his beads! Love the Surfer look!

What really helps sooth and assists in the sleeplessness that sometimes accompanies teething is Sister Lillian's Chamomilla. This is vital for Sweetpea and the last few days I've been giving it to her a few times a day and I think it's why she has done so well. This is what Sister Lillian says about it:

Sister Lilian Chamomilla D6 is a homeopathic complementary medicine which assists in strengthening the constitution of babies and children prone to colic, frequent crying, teething troubles, ear infections, irritable digestive tracts and tantrums.

Like I've said before. WE LOVE SISTER LILLIAN REMEDIES!

You can purchase or view her range here:

http://sisterlilianremedies.co.za/

Wordless Wednesday!

Little Man is turning into quite the Master Chef! Just about everyday he helps me with our meals!

A little squeeze of this! Finito!

Gem Gem Box! Wooohooo!

I LOOOOOOOVE surprises! Good one's of course! So I was really excited when GemGem Box let me know they were sending me one of their monthly boxes! Wooohooo!  The wait was pretty exciting as I had more or less an idea when their boxes went out so I just kept watching my post box! Yippee it finally arrived!

Oooooh what's in here?

I think it's an awesome concept! As a new mamma it can be quite mind blowing to see the amount of products available on the market for babies! Making a choice can sometimes be difficult so a monthly box with samples of new or existing products to test is a great idea!

With my GemGem beanie that came in my surprise box!

These boxes are crammed full of products, samples, discount vouchers, magazines and occasionally even a clothing item.

We received:

1. 2 Purity Gold 3rd stage foods
2. Babaderm samples
3. Johnson and Johnson sample
4. Vaseline handbag sized cream
5. Hipp Organic Porridge ( my fav of course!)
6. Your Family Magazine
7. GemGem beanie (Sweetpea's favourite I think!)
8. Discount vouchers

Yikes there's a lot of stuff in here!

This is a really special gift idea for a mom to be for her shower or even as a surprise to arrive a couple of weeks after the baby has arrived!

Their site is also so informative for mommies and creates a community of ladies surrounding each other in every aspect or stage of motherhood from pregnancy to toddlerhood!

http://www.gemgem.co.za/

I would love to see more natural products appear in these boxes or maybe even a GemGem Natural Box!

Keep your eyes peeled as there will be a competition running soon where you can win your very own surprise package from GemGem!

Did I mention that Princess our 7 year old has taken over the box as her little treasure chest of gems?!

Fluffy Friday! Eco Nappy Solutions!

Hi my name is Shay and I'm a CLOTH DIAPER ADDICT! There I've said it! I LOOOOOVE cloth nappies and this next brand might be one (there are many) of the reasons why!

How gorgeous is this fluffy,starry butt! It's double stuffed here as she just woke up from her night time sleep, NO LEAKS!

Right, now let me tell you, this nappy is not only gorgeous to look at but it's super efficient too! Here are a few of my favourite features:

• It's bamboo which is really absorbent and has anti-bacterial properties
• The outer material is 100% polyester PUL which is waterproof (and of course has the gorgeous prints!)
• The inner is a breathable 100% micro fibre polar fleece blend
• The polar fleece draws moisture away from their little tooshies keeping them feeling dry!
• It's a snap nappy (which are slowly becoming my favourite over hook and loop!)

• There are 2 types of inserts available
• White insert is a bleached 5 layer bamboo insert that is super soft (mine got a few explosions to test it and I must say they had no stains after a good "sunning session" outside)
• Charcoal insert is also 5 layers of unbleached bamboo material and is slightly more absorbent than the white.
• I like both inserts for different reasons but the charcoal is still tops as it's super soft and never stains! Woooohoooo!
• It's a pocket nappy so the insert slides in between the fleece and PUL layer but you can just put the insert on top too
• There are 3x3 rows of snaps that allow you to adjust as you need for your baba which means this nappy will last from newborn till potty trained
• They have hip snaps so no wing droop, yippee!
• They come in a range of patterns

Like this one! How cute is this?!

Until this review I had never tried an ECO NAPPY SOLUTIONS diaper but I am in love! This nappy fits our Sweetpea and Little Man beautifully (not that he wears this purple beauty often, just tried it on for fit!) and is a trim fit too! Will definitely be adding more of these to our cloth stash!

If you would like to see more of their range:

http://www.econappysolutions.co.za/home

This is the fit on Sweetpea! She is 5 months old and it's on the 2nd last row of snaps  on the rise so she should have a lot of use of this nappy!

This company has great zippered wetbags and  really soft, biodegradable liners too! We'll be reviewing them soon!

Natursutten Pacifier

Okay so let me be honest..... Although a lot of the goodies we review are mainly for Sweetpea and the munchkins I really LOVE a lot of the products and have a huge "mommy must have list". However this next awesome product has got to be Sweetpea's all time favourite (next to Lily her bunny!)

Oh how she loooooves it!

It's her Natursutten Paci! Man oh man does she adore this dummy! We switched her to natural dummies pretty early on and we haven't been sorry at all! Not only are they healthier for your baba but they are also sustainably produced.

What we love about this paci:

NATURSUTTEN pacifiers – made from 100% natural rubber 

With NATURSUTTEN pacifiers, you avoid:

• Allergy causing substances*
• Artificial color

• Cancer causing substances
• Hormone disturbing substances
• Chemical softeners
• Parabens, PVC, BPA and phthalates

*The protein that on rare occasions can provoke a latex allergy is eliminated during production.

NATURSUTTEN is made from pure natural rubber from the tree Hevea brasiliensis using ecologically sustainable production methods.

The design, the company and the idea is Danish and the product manufactured exclusively in Italy.

NATURSUTTEN is sold only by EcoBaby in Denmark, through Öko Afrika in South Africa and other selected distributors around the world.

All NATURSUTTEN pacifiers are certified to conform to the European Union (EU) directive concerned with safety, health and environment. (Pacifier Safety requirements by European standard EN 1400).

They come in orthodontic or round teats and with a round or butterfly shield. We have the orthodontic butterfly!

They are designed to look and feel like something a mommy owns...

They are a natural product so can come in different shades and may change colour slightly over time!

You can purchase your Nat paci over at:

http://www.okoafrika.co.za/

And you can find them on facebook!

Lily 'n Jack!

Ok so anyone who knows my dear Sweetpea knows she loves to cuddle. Yeah I know, lucky Mamma to have a baby who is soooo snuggly. She loves to sleep with a muslin cloth next to her face so when we received this gorgeous little bunny from Lily 'n Jack I knew she was going to love it!

She has really taken to her bunny infact all my girls thought this little bunny was too precious. We've named her Lily.

We have a few pics with Sweetpea and her little Lily and she will always be part of my fondest memories when I look back one day over our little girls life. She'll be going in her memory box for her to open when she's older...

Lily is really well made and has been through the wash a few times already and looks as good as she did the day she arrived at our home. Not only are these bunnies gorgeous, well made and super comforting for our precious ones but this comapny has awesome service. Due to the strike our first bunny got lost in the post and Lily 'n Jack immediately sent Sweetpea another! This was one impressed Mamma!

I think every baba should have their own bunny with silky soft ears to cuddle and sooth.

You can find this awesome company on Facebook or at:

http://www.lilynjack.co.za/

Wordless wednesday!

On a "daddy date"! My two boys!

Princess on her "daddy date"!

All the munchkins get to have time alone with daddy. Miss Sunshine doesn't like going on a date with daddy without me, I guess she prefers it when we are all together!

Fluffy Friday! Bum Genius Detergent

Ok so we've mentioned a few different brands of cloth nappies and have a whole lot more coming soon but I know you must be wondering about the WASHING part of it.

Well I'm here to tell you that it's not as hard as you might think. It's actually pretty simple. Make a routine of it and you will never go wrong!

There are many detergents that you can use as long as you use half of what they recommend on the box or bottle and that you stay far away from fabric softner. Softner stays on the fabric and coats it which then repells any liquid which = a leaking nappy = miserable baby and unhappy mamma.

We will be chatting different ways and products to use when taking care of your cloth. Lately we've been using BUMGENIUS DIAPER DETERGENT and it's working pretty well.

It is free of dyes, optical brighteners, fragrances, enzymes and phosphates. There are 66 loads (based on front loader usage) per box and the scoop has been specially designed for cloth diapers. The product is packaged in an award-winning, environmentally certified box. It is certified for use in HE washers. It is approved for use with bumGenius diapers.

I do a wash with this and then do another rinse with either vinegar or bicarb to make sure all the detergent has rinsed off and won't result in build up.

You can purchase yours at:

http://therealnappycompany.co.za/

We'll be reviewing more detergents soon.