A trip to McSmith's Organic Farm

I always love visiting new markets and farms in the area. Recently I took a jaunt out to McSmith's Organic Farm, just south of London. (Yup, I just said "jaunt" - I really am a mother now). I have always been meaning to go but just never got around to it. You know how it goes.

My baby does eat meat but it's important to me that she eats only organic meat. There will be no Fresh Co. specials for her! 

We picked up some large organic eggs for $5/dozen and a couple packages of organic lean ground beef at $5.00/lb. McSmith's advertise that they provide affordable organic for families, and I would say that's true. I was happy with my bill.

McSmith's Organic Farm is located at 42828 Shorlea Line in St.Thomas.

Which local markets do you like to go to?

Making Mommy Connections

I never thought that I would be one of those moms that would be hauling their baby off to playgroups, swimming lessons and story time at the library. It's really quite shocking that I now do all of those things and actually enjoy them. It's for my baby but also for my sanity, let's be honest here.

We signed up for a 10 week playgroup where we had discussions, play time, songs...and free muffins. We meet other moms for walks in the park and play dates. We took a 4 week Infant Massage class at Childreach. We took swimming lessons at South London Community Pool. And we took a Mommy Connections class.
     

We signed up for the 8 week Mommy Connections Mom & Baby class. Our classes were held at the Combine Centre in London. Besides swimming lessons, this is the only activity that I have paid for! It was well worth it.

The great thing about the Mom & Baby class was that you got a little taste of everything. Each 90 minute class featured two speakers/guests. Half of the class would be an activity (eg: yoga, infant massage, dancing) and the other half would be educational (eg: oral health, cloth diapers, baby carriers). Unfortunately I was away on holidays so I missed a few classes, including the day everyone got their pictures taken.

If you are a new mom and looking for a way to get out and meet other moms, then I definitely recommend the class.

Mommy Connections London
mommyconnections.ca
Facebook - facebook.com/MommyConnectionsLondon
Twitter - @MommyConnectLDN

Homemade is best

Homemade baby food is more nutritious and more economical than store bought food. In order to achieve a long shelf life the foods are heated to very high temperatures to sterilize them, which kills vitamins and nutrients.

Hannah started on solids about a month ago. The first food I attempted to make was rice cereal. It did NOT go well, let me tell you. The recipe seemed simple enough - grind up some brown rice, cook in water, and puree with breast milk or formula. Well the rice to water ratio in the recipe book I have was not even close to correct, so I ruined my first two batches. So now my man is in charge of making all of the cereals.

It's so easy (with the exception of cereals, as noted above) to make your own baby food and really doesn't take much time at all. I make food in large batches and freeze so I am not spending a lot of time in the kitchen each day preparing food.  Much to my chagrin, we are using our Baby Bullett!

I am also purchasing organic meat for my girl. There has been some debate in our house if Hannah should eat meat at all, as I am vegetarian. Since she will be eating some meat, I don't want that meat to be injected with hormones and who knows what else!

Measure 1 cup of long grain brown rice

Use milling attachment on Baby Bullet (if you have one)

Cook ground brown rice in water until done, and then transfer puree to blender. Whirl until smooth while adding breast milk or formula.

Freeze in ice cube or silicone trays and then transfer to storage bags or glass containers

The Cost of Homemade

Chicken

Where to buy: I bought boneless skinless chicken breasts from Field Gate Organics in Covent Garden Market
Cost: $13.95 (2 Breasts - $5.58 & $8.37)
Yield: 9 servings (current serving size is 2 tablespoons)
Cost Per Serving: $1.55

Brown Rice

Where to buy: I bought NuPak Long Grain Brown Rice at Fresh Co.
Cost: $1.97/900g (equal to about 3.5 cups)
Yield: 1 cup of rice yields 19 serving (current serving size is 2 tablespoons)
Cost Per Serving: 1 cup of rice costs about $0.57. That means each serving is $0.03.

Do you make some or all of your own baby food?

Sunscreen & DIY Bug Spray

There have been a lot of articles on the dangers of most popular sunscreens. They might not be providing the protection that they should and actually might increase children's chances of getting some cancers. It was important to me that I purchase a sunscreen that is made in Canada, is chemical free and fragrance free.

I am using the following sunscreens this summer:

Green Beaver Kids Sunscreen SPF 30
Price: $18.95/90 mL
Where to Buy: I purchased at S&H Health Food Store in WhiteOaks Mall

Belly Buttons & Babies Sunscreen SPF 30
Price: $24.95/250 mL
Where to Buy: I received a small sample of this sunscreen in my Little Eco Footprint June box. You can purchase this product on the Belly Buttons & Babies website.

On The Environmental Working Group website, both Green Beaver and Belly Buttons & Babies Suncreen received a score of 0-1, which is low hazard. 

DIY Bug Spray

I want to try making my own bug spray. Here is the recipe that I am going to try.
(Source: The Healthy Chickadee)

Ingredients:

• pure witch hazel
• distilled water
• essential oils
  
  Combine 4 oz. of witch hazel in an empty spray bottle. Add 20 drops of essential oils. Fill the bottle with distilled water.
  
  The Healthy Chickadee says the following herbs naturally repel bugs: Citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus, Cinnacmon, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Clove, Lavender, Cedar, Geranium, Basil, Catnip. The more essential oils you use, the more effective the bug spray.

Baby Food Storage - Silicone, Plastic or Glass?

My little one will soon be six months old so it's time to start thinking about starting her on solids. We received a Baby Bullet as a gift. I thought all I needed to do was go out and buy plastic ice cube trays for freezing food and I would be all set. 

You can buy ice cube trays that are BPA free, but is that good enough? When I was looking into plastic vs. glass bottles, I read that even BPA free plastic bottles can still have some chemicals that leach into the milk/formula.

What IS the Baby Bullet made of? Is it safe for baby food prep? What about silicone? Is silicone safe for babies? So many questions.

Alicia from The Soft Landing contacted Baby Bullet and asked:
"What Type of Plastic is the BPA-free Baby Bullet Made From?"

Response: "The Baby Bullet food contact plastic (blending cups, storage cups and Batch Bowl) is made of BPA-fee AS (Acrylonitrile Styrene). Other parts of the unit are made from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PP (Polypropylene), and the Batch Tray is made of silicone. Only the motor housing is made of PC (Polycarbonate) which is not a food contact item). All materials above are BPA-free except but the PC (Polycarbonate) Motor Housing."(Source: The Soft Landing)

I didn't find anything saying that Acrylonitrile Styrene will seriously harm you, but I did read that research on risks associated with AS is ongoing. As I mentioned above, most plastics release chemicals so I simply don't trust that any plastic is safe.

I found an interesting article on silicone. You can read it on the Safbaby website. It sounds like silicone is a safer alternative than plastic, but how safe is it? Am I just thinking too much about this? I feel like after all my googling I don't really have a solid answer.

Glass is still the most eco friendly option. It is reusable, recyclable and made from natural raw materials. Yes, it is more expensive than plastic. I am sure it is more difficult to get frozen food out of a glass container as well. My mom suggested small glass canning jars as an alternative to plastic ice cube trays which I think is a great idea. It's almost important to make sure glass containers are freezer safe.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this or if you have read any good articles on plastic, silicone or glass food storage. What do you use for your baby food storage?

Organic Mattress Covers

My girls crib - soybean mattress & organic cotton sheets

My brother and his lovely lady have a baby on the way. He has actually been reading my blog posts and asking some questions about which products I purchased. I decided to write a follow up on my post from July about Organic Baby Cribs. You can read the post here.

I didn't end up purchasing a mattress from any of the suppliers that I listed in the post. I found a local store, Tummies to Tots, that carried a soybean mattress. I think I paid around $170.

My baby is still sleeping in the bassinet, so I haven't been in a rush to buy a mattress cover. I decided to see what canadian retailers had to offer in the way off mattress protectors.

Many synthetic and plastic mattress covers contain chemicals that are not healthy for anyone. A vinyl cover is not a safe choice. Polyethylene is the safest plastic available. You can read more about preventing toxic off-gassing when you can't afford to buy an organic mattress here.

Canadian Suppliers:

Lusso Baby - Vancouver, BC
Baby Natura Organic Baby Crib Mattress Pad
Price: $99.99
http://www.lussobaby.ca/Baby-Natura-Organic-Crib-Mattress-Pad-BM98971.htm#sthash.RRfjZje5.dpbs

Lil Helper - Toronto, ON
Bamboo Mattress Protector
Price: $69.00
http://www.lilhelper.ca/organic-bamboo-crib-mattress-protector-made-in-canda-toronto-crib-mattress-protector/

Dormio Organic Beds - Mississauga, ON
Organic Cotton Crib Mattress Pad
Price: $113.00
http://dormio.ca/displayproduct.asp?pID=259&catid=5

I am going to be ordering the Bamboo Mattress Protector. The price is right, shipping is free, the item is made in Canada. Most importantly, it's safe for my baby.

Cleaning, Grandma Style

It's spring cleaning season. Maybe it's time to think about what you are using to clean your house.  Commercial cleaning products can not only be costly, but also bad for your health and the environment.

My grandma used to use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide as an antibacterial cleaner. Vinegar and water to clean glass. I think she was on to something. It's time we all went back to cleaning grandma style! I am not sure when we became so lazy as a society that we buy products like Lysol Wipes and Swiffer Wet Jets.
 
All it takes is a few safe and simple ingredients to clean your house. Here a couple of recipes that I use:

Vinegar & Hydrogen Peroxide.

Antibacterial Cleaner
Fill one spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide. Fill another bottle with vinegar. Don't ever mix the two in the same bottle!

Glass Cleaner
Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Wipe with newspaper.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Place 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup borax, and 1 cup vinegar in toilet bowl. Mix with bowl brush and let sit for about 30 minutes before scrubbing.

You can also find some great green cleaning recipes on the David Suzuki website.

Happy (chemical free) cleaning!