Eco Chic Baby

The other day I was searching around for an eco-minded baby shop in my area and stumbled across THIS little gem: Eco Chic Baby. I am always on the prowl for quality baby and kid products that are unique, eco-friendly and affordable. Why not just hit up the local Babies 'R Us you ask? I hate to break it to you if you haven't discovered this for yourself already: Babies 'R Us is more about quantity over quality. They'll carry that snazzy looking umbrella stroller that will fall apart on you 6 months later while trudging through Disneyland with a 25 lb. toddler that you now have to carry because they are tired of walking. Oh my goodness. Bet you haven't heard of too many City Mini strollers falling apart now have you? Oh and how about getting a Boba carrier for those places where strollers aren't an option like a hike by the ocean? These carriers will take baby from birth all the way through 45 lbs. or so unlike the few options at most chain baby stores which only hold babies up to 6 months. It's all about withstanding the test of time people, and that's exactly why I've found throughout my momma journey that it's really all about the off the beaten path companies like Eco Chic Baby that get me excited!

 The Eco Chic Baby store is located at 318 Main Street in downtown Vacaville and also has an awesome online store for those of us who are married to our couch lately... They also have a great variety of my favorite cloth diapers such as Bum Genius, Gro Via, Blueberry and Rockin Green laundry soap- (Bet you've never tried an all natural laundry soap that comes in scents like Smashing Watermelons have you? Well get on it! It's AMAZING stuff!)

They also carry green toys, shoes, clothes, Reese Li diaper bags and bento- style lunch boxes oh my! And get this: the store actually hosts classes such as various childbirth and pregnancy courses, newborn care and breastfeeding, prenatal and post-partum yoga, cloth diapering 101, baby wearing, baby signs, tummy time, baby-food making, and a few free groups like breastfeeding support, story time, clothing exchanges, mommy and me play date. They also show documentaries such as Vaccine Nation and The Business of Being Born and then afterwards there is a certified Midwife available for Q & A time! There's also a Maternity and Baby fashion show- (sign Aiden up!)... it just keeps on getting better! I absolutely LOVE it! If there was an organic cafe inside one could almost LIVE at this store. I will definitely be venturing out to Vacaville more often now that I know this awesome store exists! Nothing but the best for my baby!

Natural Parenting Children's Books

I had no idea there was even such a thing until I read an article on the Mothering website about children's books geared towards the granola-eating-baby-wearing-extended breastfeeding alternative parenting practices. I paged through some of the books online and decided they were a nifty idea! I would love my son to see how natural breastfeeding is and learn about all the different animals and how they nurse. So I purchased a copy of Mama's Milk and he loves it!
See?

The book tells a story of babies and animals nursing highlighting all the different places they can be found nursing like in a tree, underwater, in a burrow, in the grass, at the park, and so on. I particularly like the image of the woman nursing in the park without a nursing cover embracing the idea that nursing is a normal and natural thing which need not be covered up if mama so desires. Hopefully with more mama's nursing in public and through books like these, our culturally-backwards idea that babies should stop nursing at 6 months will be re-examined in the near future.

 

Another one of our favorites is called, Little Helpers which is all about what even the smallest little child can do in their part of being a good steward of the earth. Genesis 1:28, 9:1

"When I use a cloth grocery bag instead of paper, there are more trees for the bears to climb." It's short, sweet and has simple ideas for teaching kids to take care of the earth. The book itself is also made of 98% recycled materials and uses only eco-friendly inks! 

Our last crunchy-lifestyle book, (for now!) is called, A Ride on Mother's Back: A Day of Baby Carrying Around the World. This timeless and beautifully illustrated book explores the different ways in which people from a variety of cultures carry their young ones and describes what the children see and learn as they are carried. Babies in this book are depicted as a sweet part of daily life and chores, not separate from it. There is a map of the world which shows the approximate locations of all the characters in the book and a bonus section in the back of the book providing additional details about the people and their different ways of life. 

It has been nice to add a few books to our collection that embrace the parenting styles I have adopted and sharing their values with my son who may one day be a father himself. 

Baby Wearing

Aiden loves his slingling! A friend recommended I get one and I wasn't sure if I'd use it very much but we sure do! www.slinglings.com These are great because there are a number of different positions for baby to be worn and can be used for children up to 35 lbs! They are great for soothing fussy babies, promoting parent-child bonding, discreet breastfeeding, and there are about 10 different sizes so that you get a comfortable fit! They also have a variety of fabrics to choose from and even some foo-foo designer styles for the fashionista mama! :)
The best thing about baby wearing is that it satisfies baby's need to be close to mama and allows you to get things done at the same time! There have been studies done which conclude that babies worn rather than always put in baby carriers and strollers tend to be more calm, secure and happy babies overall. They enter this state of alertness called,"quiet alertness," which means they feel confidant being close to mom or dad so they are able to take in and learn more from their surroundings. Makes sense.

Another good option is the classic Baby Bijorn. Going on a quick trip to the store? "Let's bijorn him," my husband says. This front carrier can be worn with baby facing you, (mainly for sleeping newborns) or when they are able to hold their head well, facing outward. It's very easy to put on and feels very secure as well.
And as of this month, (April 2010) I have discovered the Ergo Baby Carrier which if I would have known what an awesome carrier this is, I would have probably bypassed my two former picks and just gone straight to this one! One day while at a friend's house, I tried on her Ergo with Aiden in it and was amazed at how light he felt in this carrier. I had stopped using the Bijorn because he was now too big for it and when I put him in the hip carry in the Slingling, it wasn't as secure as I would have liked. Slingling was still useable, but not ideal for long amounts of time. The Ergo however, holds baby very securely on your front or on your back. I was amazed at how light my now 23 lb. baby felt! It is also very easy to use unlike some others that I've tried which require an instructional video before you even put it on! With the Ergo, I just took it out of the box and put it on with ease as soon as it arrived on my doorstep. :) Aiden was thrilled to be able to be worn again after a period of a few months where this was impossible having grown out of the other options. One more great aspect of this carrier is that it supports a natural sitting position for babies, eliminating compression of the spine and hips that can be caused by unsupported suspension. With many of the other carriers on the market, baby hangs from their crotch which can cause poor ergonomics later on. The Ergo also balances the weight to the parents' hips and shoulders and alleviates much of the potential physical stress for the parent. Go get one, it is soooooo worth it to be able to hold baby close to you while you still can!

Ergo at Apple Hill