Ecocentric Mom: March “Baby” Discovery Box Review

In case you missed my last post, Ecocentric Mom is a fun and smart way to discover non-toxic, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free products from ethical, sustainable and honest companies.

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Each monthly box is packed with an assortment of hand-selected goodies and is delivered right to your door in chic, eco-friendly packaging. Members can choose between three Discovery Boxes for Mom, Mom-to-Be, or Baby, and also includes exclusive product discounts and monthly giveaways!

Here are just a few standouts from the March “Baby” Discovery Box:

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Ecocentric Mom March “Baby” Discovery Box

Living Green Baby Natural Bamboo Lux Wipes. These are hands down the softest, plushest wipes I have felt. I’ve used really nice hemp and cotton wipes before but they were not nearly as luxurious as these. One layer is made of buttery soft bamboo velour and the other is a sturdy layer of bamboo fleece. If only they made baby blankets out of the same material… or baby bath robes. *hint hint*

IMG_2668Bamboo is very absorbent making these a great choice for overnight diapering and heavy wetters. Even if you don’t cloth diaper or choose to use disposable wipes, the uses for reusable wipes are endless – to softly remove make-up, to gently clean your baby or toddlers face after a messy meal, to wipe runny noses, to use as a warm compress, washcloth, burp cloth… the list goes on!

Episencial Sunny Sunscreen SPF 35. I’m already a fan of the entire Episencial line (I use the Snuggly lotion on myself) so I was jazzed to receive this sunscreen in the baby box. Before I get to why I like this particular product, this company has some impressive accolades worth noting.

Screen Shot 2013-03-28 at 10.42.54 PMThis is a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects the skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays. I like it because it’s lightweight, easy to apply, non-greasy yet moisturizing, gentle on sensitive skin, and doesn’t leave an icky white residue behind. It’s also water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Unlike harmful ingredients in chemical sunscreens that get absorbed into the skin, the active ingredients in this sunscreen, zinc and titanium, sit on the surface of the skin reflecting the suns rays. It also contains aloe and green tea extract to help keep skin cool and protected from infrared damage.

Waxelene The Petroleum Jelly Alternative. Hands down, this is one of the best products I’ve discovered in a while (thank you Ecocentric Mom!) If you haven’t already heard of Waxelene, get excited! You can use it for all the same things you would use petroleum jelly for (soothing and moisturizing dry or chapped skin, removing eye make-up, skin rashes on baby’s bum… the uses are endless) except it has NO petroleum, hydrogenated oils or other nasty chemicals. They use a patent-pending aeration process to create a silky smooth, non-greasy blend of 100% natural beeswax and certified organic and non-GMO soybean, rosemary and vitamin E oils that won’t clog pores. Plus, it comes in eco-friendly packaging and is made in a wind-powered facility. Love.

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Squishy Snack Pak. Well, someone beat me to it. A couple of years ago, I thought of inventing something just like this and here it is! These reusable food containers have resealable bottoms so you can fill it with homemade baby and toddler foods and purees. The packaging is BPA-free, features a choke-free lid and is super convenient and great for on-the-go. I also like it for that transition period when little ones can’t use utensils just yet but want to eat “by myself.” I have a feeling we will see these everywhere very soon. The Mompreneur behind this should go on Shark Tank… I can see these everywhere.

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Well there you have it. I had a blast going through the Baby Discovery Box! This month’s box contains lots of high-quality goodies and coupons and costs just $17. Stay tuned for more great finds from next month’s Ecocentric Mom Discovery Box or sign up to receive your own!

Ecocentric Mom: Healthy Products for Mom & Baby + Special Offer!

I am excited to announce that Natureal Mom is an official Ecocentric Mom blogger team member!

Ecocentric Mom is a fun and smart way to discover non-toxic, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free products from ethical, sustainable and honest companies. Each monthly box is packed with an assortment of hand-selected goodies and is delivered right to your door in chic, eco-friendly packaging. Members can choose between three Discovery Boxes for Mom, Mom-to-Be, or Baby and also receive exclusive product discounts and monthly giveaways!

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As you know, I am passionate about non-toxic and eco-friendly living. It can be overwhelming, expensive, and downright exhausting decoding labels and navigating through the greenwash to find high quality products that are truly natural, healthy and effective. Ecocentric Mom takes the time, money and guesswork out of researching products, brands and ingredients so you can discover and try different products that are safe for you and your family.

To celebrate my new venture with Ecocentric Mom, I am offering Natureal Mom readers a 10% discount on any subscription plan you choose. Just be sure to sign up here and enter code ECOMOM10 at checkout ♥

Your Own Song

A woman in my local Holistic Mom’s Network chapter shared a beautiful story about how a certain African tribe comes together and uses song to remind us of who we really are. Touching my heart with inspiring words of wisdom, I share this story with you.

There is a tribe in Africa where the birth date of a child is not counted on the day of his birth or when he was conceived, but on the day he was a thought in his mother’s mind.

She would go out into the wilderness and sit under a tree and listen until she heard the song of the child, for every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique purpose. She would then return to the tribe and teach it to the midwives and older women in the village who would also sing the child’s song.

When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child’s song to him or her. Later, when the child enters education, the village gathers and chants the child’s song. When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the union hears their song. Finally, when the his or her soul is about to pass from this world, the community gathers again, just as they did at his or her birth, to sing the soul into the next life.

There is one other occasion upon which the village would sing to the child. If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or aberrant act, the individual is called to the center of the village and the people in the community form a circle around him or her and sing the song.

The tribe recognizes that the correction for negative behavior is not punishment, but rather love and the remembrance of identity. When you recognize your own song, you have no desire to do anything that would hurt yourself or another.

We all have times in our life when we get off course and lose sight of who we are.  The essence of who we truly are is often hidden by our perceived limitations, mistakes, insecurities and fears. We all have a unique melody that we came into this world to express, and when we’ve forgotten the words to our song, our friends, family and community are there to sing it back to us!

 

Mother’s Day Poem

Image © Natureal Mom & Christina Dely Photography

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as
living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the
infinite, and He bends you with His might that
His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the Archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He
Loves also the bow that is stable.

On Children, from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
First published in 1923

This poem has many profound messages and is a reminder that our children are who they are – their own unique seeds that already contain everything within them to thrive. As parents, it is our role to nourish their environment so that they can sprout, unfold and grow into their fullest potential and uncover their own special purpose.

Maternity photograph taken by Christina Dely Photography at the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden