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Boho 1st Birthday Inspiration

Minted-Boho-Floral-1st-Birthday

Well our little butterbean is 11 months, which means the count down to her first birthday has officially begun!

We’ve been knee-deep in party planning, and I have to say, I think throwing kids’ parties is going to be an unexpected perk of this whole motherhood thing.

The theme we’re going with is sort of a boho floral, which will go perfectly with our party location at a park in the Santa Monica mountains.  I’m picturing wildflower crowns, dreamcatchers, a teepee, and a beautiful naked cake (gluten-free and vegan of course) topped with pale pink blossoms.

We’re collaborating with Minted on this lovely little shindig, and I am so beyond in love with all their adorable kids’ party invites and party decorations!

I can’t wait to put the whole thing together and share the photos from the big day!

In case you’re planning your own shindig.. Minted has a sweet 4th of July sale going on that ends today!!

ENJOY 15% OFF MINTED WEDDING AND BABY+KIDS ORDERS. USE CODE: JULY4, EXP 7/5

INSPIRATIONS:

Teepee: Etsy  |  Invitation and paper goods: Minted  |  Birthday Balloon: Etsy  |  Boho Romper: Etsy  |  Flower Crown (similar): Etsy  |  Baby Moccasins:  Freshly Picked  |  Dreamcatchers (similar): Etsy

A Non-Toxic Safe Space for Baby

Safe Non-Toxic Play Space for Baby | The Organic Beauty

When little M became mobile, we realized that our sweet, simple little play mat set up just wouldn’t be enough to keep her entertained and help her develop, all while staying safe.  I knew I wasn’t a fan of playpens, and our open floor plan just doesn’t lend itself well to creating a separate space for her, so we needed to get creative! We had the whole downstairs of our house baby-proofed, so that M could crawl around to her heart’s content, without my hovering over her all the time, and then we set out to create a safe play space for her that was functional and non-toxic, while still blending in with our modern and minimal decor (no small feat, if you’re familiar with the options out there!).

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How to Naturally Treat and Prevent Diaper Rash

naturally-treat-diaper-rash

A mom friend was telling me today about the turmoil of diaper rash, and she was shocked to discover that we’ve never had a bout of it.  As luck would have it, literally THE DAY I STARTED WRITING THIS ARTICLE, we had our first incident!!  And it was all because I got lazy and broke rule number 1 below.  But, this was actually a blessing in disguise, as I now actually have personal experience with the beast that is diaper rash, and can even further attest to the effectiveness of the remedies in this article!

There are a bunch of factors that play into diaper rash, but let me be the first to tell you, it’s not just another icky inevitability of babyhood. You can totally prevent diaper rash by taking a few, simple steps.

So what causes those rashy bums?  These are the main perpetrators:

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How this nutritionist feeds her baby

Nutritionist Feeds Her Baby

As a holistic nutritionist, I put a lot of thought into what and how I want to feed my baby. Her first foods and the way she is fed set her up for a lifetime of healthy eating and a happy relationship with food.

I did a bunch of research before I settled on baby-led weaning and a very specific set of first foods for my little one. Check out this video where I discuss what I love about baby-led weaning, what foods I feed my little one, and how I’m setting her up for a lifetime of happy, healthy eating!

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4Moms bounceRoo Giveaway!

bounceRoo Giveaway!

Little 2 month old M loving the bounceRoo!

Ok you guys, here it is.. our last big giveaway to celebrate 2016! This has been such a banner year, both personally and professionally — with the birth of little M, a huge growth in readership on the blog, and features in all kinds of publications.  Super exciting stuff, and so much of it is due in no small part to you beautiful organic beauties reading the blog and showing your support.  (The birth of M we accomplished all by ourselves thankyouverymuch ; )  It’s also been really fun seeing so many mamas and mamas-to-be coming out of the woodwork, and it’s been awesome to be able to support this subsection of our readership with our exclusive guides to natural, holistic parenting tips and tools.

To celebrate this awesome year and you awesome readers (particularly the ones with bebes) we are giving away a 4Moms bounceRoo bouncer!  For you new mamas, having a great bouncer is so super crucial to maintaining your sanity — being able to shower, make a cup of tea, and put your little one down once in a while… not to mention naps!!  We’ve been lucky enough to test a bunch of bouncers throughout little M’s infancy, and the 4Moms ones have definitely topped out our list!

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Holistic New Baby Essentials + Giveaways!

Ok guys, we’ve gotten through the essentials for first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, natural birth and now… your natural new baby essentials!!

I cannot overstate the importance of utmost absolute vigilance when selecting the products you use on and around your baby.  This guide has products I have used and loved with my own baby, as well as a couple of vetted items that I didn’t get much use out of, but come highly recommended by my mommy community.

In general, there are a few things to keep in mind when selecting products for baby: safety, purity, and intention.  Little babies are so sensitive to their environment, and the choices we make in the first months of their lives set them up for a healthy and happy childhood and rest of their lives.  Choose the easy, cheap, unresearched route, and your child will likely battle issues like hormonal imbalance, allergies and asthma, behavioral issues and ADD, and even more serious long-term effects.  Maybe a few items are a little more expensive than their drugstore or box store counterparts, but when it comes to your little one, it is soooo worth it.  If budget is a concern, skip a few weekly trips to Starbucks and you will more than make up for the difference in cost.

In general, here are the rules I follow when choosing products for my baby:

  • EVERYTHING must be BPA, SLS, phthalate, and paraben-free
  • Wood or glass over plastic
  • Organic or bamboo fibers whenever possible
  • Simple items with developmental value over battery-powered products that make noise or blink lights

holistic-new-baby-essentials

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What to Pack for Your Natural Birth

As I learned from my somewhat unexpected birth experience (which you can read all about here), the key to a more pleasant and confident birth experience is to be prepared for what may come. We were planning on a birth center birth, and were adamantly against the hospital. As it turned out, we had a bit of both.. What both experiences had in common was our desire for a natural birth, and in retrospect, I am so grateful that we thought to pack the tools necessary for the birth we wanted, both at a birth center, and at the hospital.  I did plenty of research to make sure everything I brough with me was as natural, healthy, and safe as possible, both for myself and for my new baby! Here are your must-have’s for your natural birth, wherever it may be*:

what-to-pack-for-natural-birth

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Freshly Picked Giveaway – A Stylish Baby Must-Have

I’m not gonna lie, dressing a baby is pretty much the most fun thing in world. And when that baby is a little adorable chunk monster with pudgy little legs, that pleasure is amplified.

I’ll admit, I had a Pinterest board and Instagram feed teeming with adorable baby style loooooong before I had little M, like, embarrassingly long.  And Freshly Picked Moccasins have been topping out my must have baby items for quite some time.  These little puppies are durable, made of high quality leather and non-toxic materials, and most importantly, stay on little tiny chubby feet!

Freshly Picked Giveaway | The Organic Beauty Blog

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Miraculous Lactation Smoothie

Miraculous-Lactation-Smoothie

When you’re a breastfeeding mom, your supply can become a bit of an obsession. So many things can impact it, and when your baby is 100% dependent on that liquid gold for nourishment, it can definitely send you into a panic when your supply takes a hit. I got sick with the flu a month ago, and my supply dwindled to scary levels. Thankfully I had a nice supply of frozen milk to get us through the rough patch, but it was still harrowing.

To get my supply back up, and to keep it flowing, I take Motherlove More Milk Blend, Shatavari, and Malunggay, and I drink this smoothie at least 4 times a week.  You guys, this stuff is no joke. After a week of taking the supplements 3 times a day and drinking this smoothie, I was pumping 5 oz. per breast, which is crazy for having a 3 month old. I actually cut back the supplements to even things out, but still drink the smoothie regularly.

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More big news!!

The-OB-baby

Ahhhh! I know, right??

This has been such an exciting and illuminating time for me — adapting to an insane amount of changes in my body and how I need to eat, and finding a wellspring of flexibility to give myself space and time for rest, relaxation, even the occasional nap!  (Turns out babies grow best when mama is nourished, chill, and well-rested.. who would’ve thought?!)

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