Ivey might no longer need to eat baby food but that doesn’t seem to stop her from eating her favorite items from Ella’s Kitchen.

For example, last night while we were hanging out with our neighbors, one of the kids happened to leave their sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apple, blueberries briefly unattended – next thing I knew Ivey was helping herself to it (see picture above).

Recently they added a few new favors to their assortment and they were kind enough to send us samples of the following:

• Spinach, Apples and Rutabaga
• Butternut Squash, Carrots, Apples, and Prunes
• The Green One
• The Purple One

There is just something about the quality of the ingredients and the convenience of the packaging that makes Ella’s Kitchen something both Ivey and I can agree on. They taste so great that I find myself eating them as well. They are the perfect dose of healthy organic fruits and veggies! The packaging is perfect for when you running out the door plus they are MUCH better for you than a nasty V8.

On a recent trip to Bolinas I stopped into Judith’s Herbals and purchased the following products:

• Jojoba Hair Conditioning Oil
• Organic Avocado Oil
• Morningdew Moisturizer
• Golden Seal & Myrrh Mouthwash

These products are great but what I fell in love with was the packaging. I am a total sucker for beautiful blue glass bottles and old school labels. Not only does colored glass block UV rays, which helps increase the product’s shelf life, but they can be redeemed at Judith’s when you are done with them. Organic ingredients, Glass containers and bottle deposits might seem right out of the 1920’s but these three things makes Judith’s Herbals an amazing eco-friendly find, even more so if you are willing to ride your bike from San Francisco to buy them.

I started writing about beauty products as a way to keep you, your baby and the environment safe, healthy and feeling your best – and in realizing how fulfilled I’ve felt from doing so, I’ve decided to start a new program! In weeding through the marketing scams and the over-hyped, over-priced products for my own family, I’ve become so unbelievably passionate about avoiding as many toxic ingredients in my skin care routine as possible, and I am excited to share this new-found knowledge with others (namely my readers, like you!)

Recently my friend Stacy, asked advice on her “cupcake” lotion. She paid too much for the scent and the brand name, especially considering the low quality and harmful substances that it’s made of. As she read me the ingredients I nearly fell to the floor! I found myself running to my repertoire of product research and prescribed an entire new moisturizing routine.

So this is where the new program comes in. I would LOVE for you to send me your routine (products you use and love, or use and hate). I will look beyond the label and do some research. I will see if you’re doing yourself help or harm and then, I will “prescribe” a personalized solution that is better for you and the environment than your current product.

For the second part of this idea, bring in OpenSky. I’ve always wanted my own boutique so I can be around the products I love – all day long. When I was approached by OpenSky to have my own shop online, I was floored! Now I can have my own personal space, to sell my own personal favorite things to my own personal favorite readers (that’s you.. again).

So here is the challenge:

Step 1: Go get your “favorite” product.  Look at the full list of ingredient in your skin care product and see if it contains any of the following…

1. Parabens
2. Formaldehyde (often listed as 2-bromo-2nitropropane-1, 3-diol, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantion, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15)
3. Phthalates (not listed on the label. Look for the word “fragrance” or if the product specific says “phthalate-free”)
4. Diethanolamne (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA)
5. Diazolidinya Urea and Imidazolidinyl Urea
6. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth sulfate; Ammonium Laureth Sulphate
7. Propylene Glycol
8. PVP/VA copolymer
9. Nanoparticles
10. Synthetic Fragrance

Step 2: Now that you are aware of all the ingredients in your product make a conscience decision if you are willing to replace it with a healthier solution.

Step 3: In the comments of this post leave the following:

• Name of your current product
• A URL where I can find the product
• Describe what you like about the product (i.e. smell, feel, results, etc.)

Once you submit your product you will receive an email from me letting you know I am on the case. I will then post the solution to my blog and email you the link. It’ll be so fun for all of us!

The FDA regulates what we put in our mouths but what about ingredients we absorb through our skin? Studies have found evidence that babies may be absorbing chemicals such as phthalates (pronounced THA-lates) through their shampoo, lotion and powder. To make matters worse legally these ingredients don’t even have to appear on the label!

This why my new favorite baby shower gift is this Organic Baby Care Set from Sweet P’s.

I know Paula Morris, the creator of Sweet P’s, puts love and attention into every single one of her organic products. With Paula as the creator, I never have to worry about her ingredients being unsafe. This is why I not only use these products but I proudly give them to my girlfriends.

This Organic Baby Care Set comes packaged in two 100% Cotton Muslin Bags (one set is the baby’s home bag & the other set is the baby’s on the go bag) and includes the following items:

1. JojoBaby Oil-100% Certified 4oz Jojoba Oil
2. Baby Bottom Butter-one 2 oz Home jar & one 2 oz Travel tin
3. Cloud No Talc Baby Powder-5 oz shaker plus mini travel
4. Head to Toe Cleansing Bubbles-4oz

So I ask you, what type of products are you willing to use on your baby?

I used to be a big fan of a specific product called One Minute Manicure. It lived up to its name by literally giving me a naturally looking manicure in one minute. So why am I no longer a fan? I realized that this natural looking product was actually full of nasty toxic parabens such as isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, and butylparaben which aren’t good for me or our environment.

Luckily I have found something the works even better. Not only does this combination of products provide a better result but because these products are organic they are free of nasty toxins.

Step 1: Grab a small dollop of this Organic Brown Sugar Scrub and rub it into your DRY hands while holding them over the sink. Don’t forget to pay extra attention to your cuticles!

Step 2: Rinse your hands with water and pat dry with a towel.

Step 3: Since hands often age faster than the other parts of your body; apply a dime size amount of Organic Jojoba Sun Block. This will provide you the sun protection you need to keep your hand looking young and healthy.

Additional Tip: One of my favorite things about Sweet P’s products is how multi-purpose they are which means you can easily repeat the above steps on your feet, face and rest of your body. I guarantee you will be impressed with how soft your skin feels.

And don’t forget, I am running an awesome Earth Day Promotion this week you can read the details here.

REASON 1 – A FREE GIFT
Purchase any product this week from my OpenSky Store and receive a FREE STORYBOOK full of fabulous earth friendly tips. This digital storybook was authored by myself as well as other Earth Friendly OpenSky Shopkeepers and is our special gift to you. We hope you enjoy it.

REASON 2 – SOMETHING WORTH WINNING
Purchase any product this week from my OpenSky Store and you will also be automatically entered in a chance to win a FREE BEAUTY PACKAGE from one of my favorite Earth-Friendly suppliers, Sweet P’s. This package includes Organic SunBlock, Hand & Body Wash, Therapeutic Bath Salts, Organic Hand & Body Lotion and Hand & Body Whip flavored in your favorite scent.

REASON 3 – A GOOD CAUSE
Also, this week 15% of ALL OpenSky’s profits will be donated to Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting water from polluters.

REASON 4 – IT IS GOOD FOR YOU
Earth Day is not only about saving the Earth for future generations it is about improving your overall health and the health of your family. Did you know that the use of common personal-care products expose the average American to more than one-hundred different chemicals each day, most of which are toxic? So why not “green” your family’s personal hygiene buy picking up a few  organic beauty products? Do you really want to wash your baby in nasty chemicals like propylene glycol?

Not sure where to start? Here are three simple suggestions:

• This shampoo is not only perfect for the whole family but is also works great as a body wash. It is not technically  “tear-free” but we have not had any issues when we wash our baby with this product.
• This Organic Jojoba Sunscreen is fragrance free and completely safe for the whole family
• Organic Jojoba oil is a great multi-use product. I use it to wash my face. We use it to give our baby her infant massages and my husband uses it instead of body lotion.

Still not sure which products are right for your family? Drop an email to kelly.tirman[at]yahoo.com and I will help find you a great product.

Until this past trip to Arizona for Spring Training I had been making all of Ivey’s baby food. This has not only saved us money but it allowed me control over the quality of ingredients. I have been dabbling with an organic diet for the last 10 years but it took the birth of my daughter to make it a family habit.

This trip was our first since Ivey started on solids and I had been struggling with how to transport homemade baby food through the heat in Arizona without it spoiling. Lucking during the planning process I was contacted by Ella’s Kitchen and asked to try their organic baby food products. This felt like kismet so I took them up on their offer.

Ella’s Kitchen organic baby food has no added sugar, salt or even water to dilute its goodness. It does not contain any preservatives or thickeners. It purely 100% yummy USDA organic fruits and vegetables with a little organic lemon juice to maintain its freshness. I tried it myself and I think it tastes great both warm or cold. The resealable pouch makes it easy to use while out and about and instead of pouring it in a bowl you can just squeeze a little directly on a spoon for easy feeding.

Bottom line: I am not only impressed with the quality of the ingredients but the cleaver packaging is extremely travel friendly. I will be continuing to purchase and use Ella’s Kitchen as a healthy option for times when homemade baby food just isn’t possible.

Special Coupon: 20% off from February 2nd to the 14th when you purchase this product from my OpenSky Store. Click here for more information.

This is my all time favorite Organic Essence product for the following reasons:

1. High quality cold-pressed, organic, pure shea butter that is truly a multi-purpose beauty staple (note: watch the video below to find out how I use it)
2. It is natural and “baby safe” since no solvents or chemicals are used in its production.
3. A biodegradable jar that functions just as well as glass or plastic, but will break-down via home composting.
4. Fairly traded – by purchasing this product you are helping support 600 women in Ghana.

Still not sold on how great this product is? One of my fellow OpenSky shopkeepers, Truth in Aging, wrote an amazing review of this product which you can read here. This gal knows her stuff!

This Shea Cream is a powerful moisturizer that really combats dry and stressed skin. Because of its high shea butter content a little goes a long way. Great as a massage cream, all over body moisturizer or even a make up remover. Available in refreshing and relaxing scents: Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemongrass Mint and Vanilla Orange. Since it is USDA Certified Organic there are no parabens, fragrances, or petrochemicals.

And the best part…
A biodegradable jar that functions just as well as glass or plastic, but will break-down without a trace.

Full Discloser: Organic Essence was kind enough to provide me samples of three of their shea creams for testing purposes but I continue to use (and purchase) these product because I love them.