ECO baby + kids

The Tripp Trapp Highchair from Stokke is truly the most remarkable highchair on the market with its sleek design and enduring functionality. We were first introduced to this chair shortly after opening Lundeby’s Eco Baby (now eco baby + kids) and it was love at first sight. With that being said, anytime you see a promotion on these highchairs it should not be passed. Currently when you purchase a Tripp Trapp, baby seat, and or cushion at eco baby + kids (through the website or our store in Tulsa, Oklahoma) you receive a table top, a $90.00 retail value, FREE!

We loved this chair so much that it actually prompted us to move our shop, as we did not have enough floor space to properly display this work of art. Aside from the fact that this highchair will look beautiful in your home, the Tripp Trapp Highchair will seat a child 6 months of age to an adult weighing 300lbs and all the stages in between! The Stokke Tripp Trapp retails for $249.00 and we admit that it is not the least expensive chair on the market. However, it is the most valuable chair on the market. We have had several people say they considered the Tripp Trapp but thought it to be a little pricey, but now after buying highchair(s) and booster seats they have spent just as much if not more and don’t have anything that is worth passing on or saving.

Sure it is a great looking highchair, but I have to have more than that to sell me on a product… We love form, but it MUST follow function. When researching the Tripp Trapp I found multiple reviews of people using this highchair for their children and now for their grandchildren. Then I began asking customers about their thoughts on highchairs, the Tripp Trapp Highchair received glowing reviews and was the only highchair ever mentioned that people were still using for their 8 year olds.

One area that people consistently ask about is the tray… or lack thereof. Stokke, a Norwegian company, has throughout their products an element of bonding and feel the child should be up at the table with the family which is why they omit the attached tray that separates the child from the family table. Little ones can be a little clumsy and messy, to say the least, which is why Stokke developed the Table Top which is an acrylic tray with a lip to go on the table so that when items are tipped and spilled they stay on the tray and protect your table. Another great feature of the Table Top is that it comes with 6 patterns that fit between two acrylic layers. Recognizing that this tray is ideal for not only food but

crafts and educational activities Stokke developed some wonderful templates for you to use. Of course, you and your child can also create your own.

Now you can get a Table Top FREE! From November 1st, 20o9 to December 31st, 2009 when you purchase TRIPP TRAPP® from STOKKE® Highchair and Baby rail and or cushion at eco baby + kids you will receive a Stokke Table Top FREE (a $90.00 retail value). To take part in this promotion you can order through our website (www.ecobabyandkids.com) or come to our physical location located at 3516 South Peoria, Avenue in the heart of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Brookside District.

If you do not know Nui Organics, you do not know luxury. Nui Organics makes all of their products from the world’s finest organic merino wool from New Zealand. The craftsmanship of these pieces is impeccable. Nothing short of delicious, there truly is nothing as wonderful to wrap around your little bundle of joy. Not only is Nui wool completely pure and silky, but Nui does not use dyes rather they rely on natural variations in sheep wool. Wool has many wonderful properties that makes it the perfect fiber for babies. First, wool is temperature regulating; breathable yet insulating so baby will stay cozy warm without over-heating. Wool is also naturally antibacterial and resistant to dust mites as dust mites require moisture to thrive and wool dries too quickly. If your thought of wool is itchy and scratchy, you have not felt a premium quality wool.

A few years back I thought I was allergic to wool, then I started hiking and purchased some Patagonia and Smart Wool merino wool undergarments. I could not believe how much I loved these pieces, I began to wear them not only for hiking, but all throughout the fall and winter. The amazing thing was that my wool leggings and undershirt kept me warm, but not too stuffy even in 85 degree weather. If you have been hiking then you know you can start the hike in 45 degrees and below and end up finishing in 85 degrees and above. Needless to say there is some perspiration, yet another reason I fell in love with good quality wool… not only did it dry quickly, but after airing out a bit the odor was completely gone!

Fast forward a few years to my learning of the natural baby products world and it was not a far leap for me for merino wool diaper covers, wool puddle pads, and merino wool blankets. If you have yet to be introduced to a truly good quality merino wool I recommend you try some Patagonia or Smart Wool for yourself or just stop by ECO and feel the loveliness of Nui Organic Merino Blankets and you will see why this fiber is the perfect fiber to welcome your little one to the world.

We are happy to introduce Purebaby, a charming organic line from Australia. Purebaby adds to ECO baby + kids  a modern update to the classic baby element. Ultra soft and incredibly adorable, this is a clothing line you must check out! Purebaby is the leading baby and toddler organic clothing line in Australia and is just beginning to pop up in the US. Again we are proud to be the only baby store in Tulsa… and Oklahoma to carry this delicious line. Purebaby meets our standards at ECO baby + kids with 100% GOTS certified Organic Cotton, low impact dyes, and fair trade labor. And wait until you see what they have coming for spring… oh, I am in love!

The Purebaby vision is to create fashionable baby wear whilst never compromising on social responsibility, and to always use beautiful, pure organic cotton to look after and care for babies.

Each Purebaby piece is soft and comfortable - easy to wear , beautifully designed and beautifully organic.

100% GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton

Products from Purebaby have been aproved by MADE-BY, assuring consumers that this brand produces products with respect for people and the planet

When our previous organic prefold supplier stopped making prefold diapers, we jumped into the cloth diapering circles and came out with Bummis Organic Cotton Prefolds! We are truly excited to introduce you to this wonderful, affordable organic product. Made from 100% certified organic cotton twill. They are unbleached and incredibly soft… and the more you wash them the softer they become.

Bummis Organic Prefolds are 4X8X4 ply and come in 2 sizes:

• Infant  7-20 lbs
• Baby  15-40 lbs

On top of their environmenatlly conscious nature, Bummis is also working with their supplier on obtaining SA 8000 certification in social accountability.

Save money, reduce garbage, reduce pesticides, and make your baby healthy with Bummis Organic Cotton prefold diapers!

Scout is a relatively new entrant to the organic cotton baby and kids clothing world and we are happy to be the only baby and kids store in Tulsa, make that Oklahoma, who carries them. Fall 09 debuts their 5th collection of fresh organic fairtrade design. There is so much we love about Scout! First that they are original in their design, when you see a Scout dress, tee, or hoodie you will know it. They are so very artful and imaginative with the most spectacular color pallets… they are truly doing something a little different. Babies and kids can be rough on clothes, a well know fact to the design duo at Scout, thus, incorporated into their design is a kid friendly durability.

And now a bit from behind the scenes. The dyes Scout uses for its organic cotton baby and kids clothing are low impact dyes…  meaning that they are free from heavy metals and formaldehyde almost always used in the conventional dying process. The factory they use in India is certified by an independent third party to be fair labor. Scout baby and kids clothes are made with ultra soft 100% GOTS certified organic cotton.

Did you know that conventional cotton crops account for 25% of the worlds pesticides? Maybe you are just becoming aware of chemicals, our exposure, and our kids exposure. If we just replace conventional cotton with organic cotton there would be a multi billion reduction in the amount of chemicals being released into our environments. Maybe you don’t live near a cotton crop, but there are many families and children who do and I for one don’t want to be responsible for the numerous adverse health effects that inflict those living near or working on conventional cotton farms. Many pesticides are know carcinogens and neurotoxins, according to the World Health Organization 100’s of thousands of people each year are hospitalized with pesticide poisoning and 1000’s die. For those who do not die, persistent symptoms of a pesticide poisoning can range from mild nerve loss to severe mental impairment to cancer. Those most at risk are pregnant women and young children. In 2007 a study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives showed a correlation between maternal proximity to conventional agricultural farms while pregnant and autism; basically the closer a mother lived to one of these farms the greater the likelihood that they would have a child diagnosed with autism.

When you buy organic whether it be cotton, soybeans, apples, or grapes you are supporting a cleaner world for your family and countless others across the globe.

Other stores in Tulsa began to carry bamboo almost immediately. We at eco baby + kids, however, had some reservations due to the chemicals used to turn the bamboo into a spin-able fiber. After some time and research we have come to the conclusion that a few companies are acting responsibly using technology that allows for the capture and recycling these caustic chemicals.

One of those companies is Kicky Pants, a wonderfully soft line of ecologically responsible clothing for babies and toddlers.  Another concern associated with bamboo is that it all, basically, comes from China and that brings forth issues of unfair labor. But again we did our vetting and found Kicky Pants founder, a student of the environmental sciences, to be very on top of only using factories that treat their employees well and with dignity.

With that we welcome another material and line to our growing selection of eco friendly options for babies and young children in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area and online.

Eco baby + kids carries Kicky Pants ultra soft, silky and very cute footies, jumpers, onesies, tops, pants, and outfits. We are absolutely in love with their sweet designs and soft fabric. Come by and feel them for yourself!

A recent study published by Health Canada shows BPA leaching from many mainstream brands that are labeling their products as “BPA-free”. Over the past couple of years parents have become increasingly aware of the endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol-a (BPA) and have increasing sought out BPA-free products.

While the concentrations were low and present after exposure to high heat, this study outlines why we choose to only carry a few select products that have undergone independent testing rather than offer a whole range of items which may be of some concern. This is also one of the reasons we recommend glass and sanitary grade stainless steel that has been tested for impurities above plastic. Avoiding BPA and other endocrine disruptors is especially important for expectant moms and young children who are much more vulnerable to the toxic effects from chemicals. Keep in mind that the raw ingredients in plastic (including polyester) is oil and natural gas with some other chemicals added to give rigidity, flexibility, and softness… not really what I want to be drinking out of.

http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/challenge-defi/study_babybottles-etude_bebe_e.html#tab1

With my introduction to the wolrd of autism a few years back came a slurry of rather disturbing information. First is the extreme rise over the past 30 years, then the attempt to find causation and treatments. From 1993 to 2003 autism diagnoses increased 800%. The million, make that billion, dollar question: “what is causing this increase?”. While much is disagreed upon in the autism community one theory leads the way and that is that autism is like cancer. That is a genetic predisposition component and environmental triggers that can result in something along the pervasive developmental disorder continuum.

What are these environmental triggers? With cancer we know of many carcinogens, with autism it seems fitting to look at known neurotoxins: mercury, lead, various pesticides, endocrine disruptors, and the like. The science and research is still very young (and underfunded) which leaves many unknowns.

If you spend enough time in the research and looking at the numbers it can be a really frightening scenario especially for those about to start a family. The choices that a parent has to make seem to be getting more and more difficult maneuvering through baby bottles, crib mattresses, vaccines, food, personal care products, toys, and even the clothes we bring them home in. While it can be a little startling at first, we as a society have left things unchecked for too long and a little forethought is worth a lifetime of health.

About a month ago I ran into this article on endocrine disrupting chemicals (e.,g. BPA) by Dr. Harvey Karp which draws some conclusions as to their possible roles in autism.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harvey-karp/cracking-the-autism-riddl_b_221202.html

Get your furnished Green Dollhouse today at ECO baby +kids for the low price of $205.00

ECO baby + kids

www.ecobabyandkids.com

3516 South Peoria Avenue

Tulsa, Oklahoma

918.398.8575

I am now back to eating solid foods. Wednesday evening, the 8th of July after 10 days of lemonade, I broke the fast with some fresh juice prepared with a juicer: apple, kale, and celery. After your body has not been digesting for a while it takes some conditioning for it to get back in gear and if one were to throw some whole foods straight in they would feel the pain. Even easing into it with juice I had some pains, actually beginning to eat again was the most painful part this time around.

Days 8,9 & 10 were not that notable I still had plenty of energy, was not hungry and felt really well. I was, however, incredibly bored with the lemonade. I began scouring my various detox books for recipes, reading the recipes and planning for eating helped me stay the course towards the light I could see at the end of the tunnel.

For about a day you should consume juices, then for another day eat only steamed or sauted veggies. As you begin to introduce foods go slow and relish in the flavors that are bursting in your mouth. This has got to be one of my favorite results: a bunch of Kale sauteed with garlic and a touch of salt and pepper was so wonderful and satisfying that I had to eat it three meals in a row. Now I LOVE veggies, but not as much as sweets; post cleanse I would rather have the veggies, the flavor is that good. Then on day three start introducing some cooked gluten-free grains (e.g., amaranth, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, and millet) and legumes (e.g., beans & lentils)… initially stay away from peanuts. On day four introduce other proteins.

For myself, the Master Cleanse has been a wonderful reset to my body and mind. I have never been officially diagnosed, but I am fairly certain that I have some candida overgrowth in my intestines. Candid is a yeast that naturally occurs in the body that can become pathogenic through improper diet, over use of antibiotics, and other lifestyle factors. While my core diet has been very healthy for a few years now, I still over indulge on sweets that directly feed candida. I have not taken antibiotics in 8 years now; however, I pretty much took them like a nutritional supplement when I was younger. And I have to admit that my diet through my teens and early 20s was far from ideal. Which puts me at a point where I have imbalance in intestinal flora which is not really getting worse, but could definitely use an overhaul.

As I mentioned sugar directly feeds yeast and the Master Cleanse calls for maple syrup to give your body the needed glucose to produce energy, without the sugar your body will feed off body muscle sooner. I chose to go ahead and feed the yeast a little over loosing too much muscle mass. There are many that say to steer away from the Master cleanse if you have candida overgrowth; for me I needed the mental reset to become willing to submit to a candida healing diet a low carb diet which omits sugars (even fruit sugar to begin with). Post fast, I have become obsessed with seeking and trying new yummy healthful recipes. Over the past week I have made almond milk, yogurt cheese, seaweed and veggie salad, chickpea fiesta salad, cabbage stir fry, steamed garlic kale and kombu, carob almond milk flax and a touch of stevia smoothies, and ginger spritzer just to name a few. Once you start looking there are so many wonderful resources: raw foods recipes, vegan recipes, detox recipes, gluten-free recipes, teff recipes… it just goes on and on. Today I am venturing into the world of Chia… you know, the seed that grows the pets! Turns out it is pretty nutritious as well as a fast grower.

On top of my new view of food as something to heal my body I have also incorporated some exercise into my daily routine. While over the past several years I have become more and more natural, and subsequently more and more healthy, I have had some hormonal issues that have required the use of antidepressants. The research on pregnancy and antidepressants is so inconclusive that I would not want to risk it… enter another motivating factor for the Master Cleanse. I stopped taking my antidepressant for the fast and have been incorporating 2 daily walks on top of nutritional supplementation and deep breathing exercises and so far I feel better than I have in years. They key to stress reduction: a well balanced nutritional diet that you are not allergic to, daily exercise, meditation and spiritual enrichment.

More blogs to follow as I continue on my wellness path and prepare and train for pregnancy .