The last few years have been super exciting in the world of natural beauty. Not only are major retailers like Amazon, Sephora, and Target carrying many organic beauty products side by side with beauty industry mainstays, but the last few years have also brought on a whole new crop of online natural beauty retailers only carrying products that meet a strict set of guidelines regarding ingredients and quality. Whereas I used to have to scrupulously read every single ingredient in reportedly natural products at major retailers, now I can pretty much completely trust that if a product is stocked in one of these online one-stop natural beauty shops, they meet my high standards of safety.
I’ve been using several products from each of these awesome online shops for the better part of a year now, and love the brands they carry, their great mission statements, and their commitment to quality, safe, organic beauty.
Little M just turned 10 months, and as her 1st birthday approaches, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the past several months and my introduction to motherhood. Things are much easier now. That anxiety around doing things “right,” not irrevocably screwing up this tiny creature in my charge — stressing over her sleep and how much she’s eating, over which cup to get her that will promote development and not give her speech issues or expose her to dreaded mold — all these fears seem a distant memory. I finally feel like I know what I’m doing, like I’ve got this motherhood thing down. I know full well that this feeling is temporary; that as we barrel towards toddlerhood, we’ll be met with a whole new set of anxieties and uncertainties. But for now, I’m enjoying this calm and confidence. I am so in love with this creature and with being a mom, and can honestly say that this past 10 months have been among the most fun and fulfilling times of my life. 
