Bubble and Bee, Earthpaste, Toddler Bedding and Other updates!!

I have been really bad about posting.  So bad, that when I read my old posts, I can see how rushed and not very thorough they are.  So I wanted to take a moment to share a few more of our favorite products and some updates!

My little guy is now 2 1/2 years old.  It's amazing how time flies.  And we keep evolving.  A very long while ago, I wrote a  3 part post on strollers.  I'm happy to report that our little guy chose his very own Maclaren Volo and that's been going strong for a while.  Our PVC free rain cover from Bumbleride is still in use but it's starting to tear a bit.  I love it but I wish it was slightly longer and a bit more durable for NYC parents.

Teeth brushing is a very enjoyable experience for our boy with Earthpaste's Lemon Twist.  It's made from Redmond clay, real salt and essential oils.  We are coming up on having to go to the pediatric dentist time so I'm a bit anxious to see what the Doc says and also really scared of having the dreaded fluoride discussion.

Mr. Husband and I are very much less stinky with Bubble and Bee's cream deodorants.  I adore Bubble and Bee.  Their products are fantastic and they do a ton of chemical research.  Stop by, get a deodorant or two and read about their chemical of the day.   They also sell Earthpaste, so huge plus. An even huger plus is that if your deodorant doesn't work for you, they will send you a free replacement of a different version of which they have many - sticks, creams and sprays!  Mr. Husband alternates between cream and spray depending on how rushed he is.

Our little one has also moved up into his very own toddler bed (aka converted crib)!! We never used blankets before, so this one was a bit tricky.  We ended up getting a set on super duper sale on Amazon and he is now sleeping with a super soft set of Summer Infant organic sheets and comforter for only $50.  It matches his room, he loves the look and feel.  The only downfall is, we never used a pillow before, so started out with the Naturepedic toddler pillow (with it's hefty price tag). The set only comes with a standard pillowcase.  I may take it to my sewing machine for a bit of trimming but in the meantime, I made him one pillowcase out of cotton flannel and am planning on making two more with cute organic cotton fabrics I got from Etsy (also on sale)!

Mr. Husband and I are also contemplating our own online store in which we will sell the products we've road-tested love and thoroughly endorse.  More on that one later!

The worst winter and the inevitable need of medicine

If you're having a winter like ours, then your home must be filled with germs.  We've had viruses with fever, strep throat, ear infections, bad colds, persistent sore throats, etc. Years ago, when I ingested cough medicine but the cup load, I never thought about what was in these liquid solutions or what was in those little pills.

Flashforward to today.  When raw red onions in your socks don't bring down your or your child's fever, what to do?  Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen... have you ever looked at the ingredients? Here is an example:

Anhydrous citric acid, butylparaben, D&C Red no.33, FD&C Blue no.1, flavor, glycerin, high fructose corn syrup, microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose sodium, propylene glycol, purified water, sodium benzoate, sorbitol solution, xanthan gum.

Not pretty, is it? And these are the inactive ingredients... on top of the medicine.

Or how about those little tablets:

acetylated monoglycerides, colloidal silicon dioxide, corn starch, croscarmellose sodium, methylparaben, microcrystalline cellulose, pharmaceutical glaze, pharmaceutical ink, povidone, pregelatinized starch, propylparaben, sodium benzoate, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearic acid, sucrose, synthetic iron oxide, titanium dioxide, white wax

Glazes, inks, preservatives (something has to make them last on the shelf that long), colors, flavors, corn syrup, sorbitol, propylene glycol, etc etc.... 

This winter I had gotten stuck on a slew of antibiotics and my almost 2 year old had his first one, for an ear infection.  For me, it was eight days of fever with strep throat.  I tried ingesting honey with raw garlic and cayenne... I just couldn't do it. 

If I could find a way to break out of the medicine world, I would!  For now, I'm grateful that we only need this stuff once in a blue moon.  And we are taking our probiotics religiously.  I'm still baffled over the famous doctor line "it's perfectly safe" and how we all just seem to believe that.

Spring, you cannot come fast enough!