Baby is my Co-Pilot

If you are a family that likes to bike, then you have to check out the iBert for your little nugget! We recently purchased one of these green gadgets and our little guy can't get enough of our biking adventures!

As the driver of the bike that my little is riding on I have to say that I love this seat. It has a much better center of gravity than a rear attached seat and I totally feel that he is safe and that I am in control. He also loves the view and we can talk and share the scenery during our trek.

They cost around $90 and worth every penny!

Here is what iBert has to say about their awesome baby bike seats.

"What's So Great About the iBert safe-T-seat?

*It's better than trailers
*Interaction with your child
*Child has a better view
*No dirt, dust, rocks or water thrown in child's face
*Better center of gravity
*Smaller and easier to attach
*Less expensive
*It's better than rear-mounted seats
*Interaction with your child
*Child has a better view
*Easier/safer loading and unloading of your child
*Easy to install
*Doesn't sit so low that your knees hit while pedaling
*Made in the USA"

So if you are in the market for a child's bike seat, check out the iBert! It's pretty rad.

Super Cute Reusable Snack Bags!

Kids and their love for snacking go hand in hand... or shall we say hand in mouth! All this munching typically requires a ton of plastic snack baggies or quite a few bulky containers. Ditch the plastic and the disposables for true snack-time ease with a flair; and choose a better, eco-friendly choice, such as the personalized reusable cloth and nylon lined snack bags from bleuroo.etsy.com.

We ordered about 10 of them in different sizes. Sandwich size and small cracker snack size. They are absolutely perfect! Here is what Bleuroo says about their reusable baggies "The outer shell is 100% unbleached cotton; the inner liner is water and stain resistant nylon, no icky plastics touching and leaking bad things into your food. The bag closes securely with Velcro. For most snacks all you need to do is shake out the crumbs and you're good to go! For especially wet or sticky snacks you can just throw the bag in the washer and hang to dry. Side seams are double stitched for extra durability."

The super cool thing about these snack bags, besides the obvious eco-friendly benefits, is that they come hand embroidered in the color of your choice with whatever saying your heart desires for free. You can get creative and put your little sprouts name on them, the contents of what each bag may be holding, or just fun little words for each baggie.

So check out these innovative and reusable sandwich/snack baggies which diverts waste from our landfills while saving you money in the long run.

Family Tea

I love rituals... from lighting candles before bed to anointing myself with my favorite essential oil in the morning. Rituals for me are very grounding. I wanted to take time during our busy day to hold space for my little sprout and me, to have time to connect with each other in ritual.

So we have started a "Family Tea" time. When daddy is home he joins in as well. It starts at 3:30pm because that is usually the time when we have a breath in our rhythm of the day. My little guy loves it! I purchased his own wooden cup and saucer. He loves to watch the kettle sing and I pour him a cup just like mine with a tad of soy milk to cool it down for him. It is so sweet to watch how he mocks us. He holds his tea cup and slurps and then says "Ahhhhhh". Then usually sticks his fingers in the rest and dumps it onto the floor, but hey it's all about the sensory experience at this age. I have also put him in his high chair for tea time to contain the pouring. Most of the time we just let him loose and he is actually getting better at drinking the tea instead of playing with it.

So let me give ya the low down on my favorite kiddo tea time accessories.
The picture above are of the beautiful wooden cup and saucer that we bought for him. Click on the highlighted link above. We also got him some beautiful wooden spoons which he now prefers to eat with over plastic.

Oh and last but not least my all time favorite tea!! Organic African Nectar by Mighty Leaf. This tea is amazing. It's Organic African rooibos meets yummy tropical fruit and blossoms.

So what are some rituals that you have with your babe and family? I would love to hear.

Will The REAL Mother Goose Please Stand Up...

I have been searching for the original Volland edition of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. There is just something about reading Mother Goose in all her historic authenticity and oral tradition before society undoubtedly changed her through the years. It has all the old favorites and many that you've never heard. Be warned these rhymes are sometimes violent and reflective of a rougher time. I like to pick and choose which ones I am going to read an recite to my little guy. He loves them and we incorporate them into our everyday play and activities! The illustrations are also beautiful. If you can get your hands on one grab it!

Essential Oil Remedies for Your Babe!

Understanding the powerful uses of essential oils has been a long time passion of mine. I have discovered their many therapeutic uses long before my little guy was born and now I am finding ways to incorporate their benefits into remedies for times when he may have a stuffy nose, sleepless night, or an upset tummy.

The ways that I utilize essential oils for my little sprout are by diffusing them in his room, mixing them with a carrier oil
for a massage, applying them to a wash cloth for teething and mixing them with his bubble bath.

If I had to pick just three essential oils to have on hand for little ones then I would recommend having Lavender, Roman Chamomile and Eucalyptus Smithii.

Here are some of my favorite essential oil remedies for children:

*Pure organic lavender

Research has confirmed that lavender produces slight calming, soothing, and sedative effects when its scent is inhaled.

To soothe an upset baby put 1 drop Lavender on your shoulder or nursing pillow and rock or nurse the baby to sleep while the baby's head rests on your shoulder or pillow. You could also put a drop of oil on a tissue and place it into their crib or your pillow (if you are a co-sleeping family).

Lavender is an awesome oil to use for a soothing baby hand and foot rub. Use 3 drops of essential oils per Tablespoon of base oil. Choose Sweet Almond, Apricot Kernel or any other unscented carrier oil.

*Roman Chamomile
Chamomile essential oil can effectively minimize irritability and nervousness in many children. Chamomile, Mandarin, Lavender oil and Vanilla oil are the four primary essential oils for this purpose. It has been used for centuries to calm crying children, soothe stomachaches and relieve teething pain. Chamomile Oil can also help combat depression, insomnia and stress. The oil is also noted to neutralize allergies, cleanse the blood and support the liver in releasing toxins.

To relieve teething pain in children use 1 drop Roman Chamomile oil on a washcloth wrapped ice cube.

I also diffuse Roman Chamomile in his room for its calming effect.

*Eucalyptus Smithii is the only Eucalyptus essential oil that should be used on children. Eucalyptus Globulus (check the bottle before you buy) which is the most common is usually rectified and is not suitable for children. A top note in aromatherapy, this oil is said to be helpful for chest infections, to facilitate breathing. It is also an effective analgesic.

The way I use this oil is to diffuse it in my little guys room when he has a cold or congestion from allergies. At the first sign of a stuffy nose place 1 drop of Eucalyptus Smithii on the corner of your pillow or on your babies crib sheet. This can sometimes even stop a cold from coming on. Do not use Eucalyptus on babies younger than 2 months.

When my little guy is congested with allergies I drop 4-6 drops of Eucalyptus Smithii onto the shower floor, wait for the steam and then take him in the shower with me to help relieve his congestion. This is usually/*always* accompanied by a rendition of "Baby Beluga". When we are done he is happy and relaxed with clear sinuses.

*Most digestive woes are helped by a simple tummy massage.

Tummy-Rub Oil
2 drops Roman chamomile
1 drop fennel
2 drops dill
1 drop melissa
1 ounce carrier oil
Mix together and massage the tummy gently

For more detailed information on using essential oils with babies and children the book Aromatherapy for Mother and Baby By Allison England, R.N. is a great resource to check out!


Please Note:
Children respond very well to LOW Dosages of essential oils .
Never use straight essential oil on a babies/child's skin. It is far to concentrated and can cause a reaction. A little goes a long way. A guideline when applying essential oils to children's skin is to use one-third to one-half the adult dose, or a 1-percent dilution (five or six drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil.)

The Learning Tower

Some of you seasoned mama's already know of this amazing piece of kids furniture called The Learning Tower. Check out their website!

It is designed to let your little ones get hands on with projects in the kitchen while keeping them safe. They run from $185-$200 depending on the type of wood you choose. Recommended age is 18 months-6years so if you fork out the dough for one of these towers you know that you will be able to use it for years. It can also be transformed into a puppet show stage or whatever else your imaginative little one decides.

We recently scored a Learning Tower off of Craigslist for 1/2 the price. My little guy loves it! I thought he would be to young for it, being that he is only 13 months, but that is not the case. He loves standing on it while helping me make bread, washing dishes or just clanging a few measuring cups together. He can climb in it on his own (yes scary so make sure you have your counters clear of knifes and breakables) and feels pretty proud of himself to be up on adult level.

So if you come across one of these sweet towers at a garage sale or on craigslist, snag it! You will be amazed at how much use your little one gets out of it and the confidence they will develop while using it.

befreebaby

Welcome to my blog about life with my little sprout. I love to share the great information that I gather about mindful/natural/Waldorf/cooking/unconditional parenting! It gets me excited like I never knew was possible. Starting a blog for me has always been an daunting and intimidating project. I hate to proof read, am a horrid speller and sometimes can't seem to get my thoughts out correctly. Um, yeah what the heck am I doing here :). I felt that I would have to make every post grammatically perfect before I could post it for the world to see.. thus, taking way to much time that I do not have. So I have decided to let it go and not let my fear of perfection get in my way... so what you see is what you get :) hopefully it will be information that you find helpful. I have always felt that parenting is all about taking the info that works for you and leaving the notions or ideas that do not fit your parenting intuition at the door. Even if it may be your pediatrician or other supposed expert telling you how you should parent. We all do things so differently. This is a peak into my journey...

*lindy