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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

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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*:

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Last Minute Beauty Gifts for the Naturalista + Giveaway

Leclisse-natural-makeup-holiday-gifts

As you can tell by the name of this blog, I’m pretty obsessed with all things organic beauty.  “Natural” and “organic” used to be synonymous with “ineffective” when it came to many makeup and beauty products back in the day.. not so anymore.  There are SO many amazing natural beauty products out there that not only work, but work wonders on your skin!

I believe anything we put on our skin should not only make it look better, but also make it healthier, so I get really pumped about natural makeup that promises and delivers just that. L’eclisse creates super high quality cosmetics using the finest minerals that are actually healthy for your skin.  Free of synthetic perfumes, dyes, fillers, or chemicals, the ingredients in their makeup work to soothe sensitive skin, heal and protect from environmental irritants, and hydrate without clogging pores.

If you have a natural beauty on your gift list, L’eclisse has you covered with their awesome holiday gift sets.  Easy peasy last minute gifts for a glowing goddess.

The Holiday Glow Gift Set ($59.99) includes:

  • The Pressed Mineral Blush is silky smooth, and is formulated without talc or fillers, and is loaded with skin protecting grapeseed oil and sunflower seed oil, as well as skin perfecting rosemary.  It comes in three flattering hues that provide beautiful, sheer coverage for just the right amount of glow.
  • The Blush Brush which is vegan, cruelty-free, and made from high quality hypoallergenic fibers for a soft and smooth application.
  • The Natural Lip Gloss made from lip beautifying organic, antioxidant-rich ingredients like coconut oil, carrot powder, rosemary and citrus extracts that heal, protect, and hydrate lips with the most beautiful shimmering shades.

The Mistletoe Kiss Stocking Stuffer ($39.99) features:

  • Three of the Natural Lip Glosses in three beautiful, universally flattering shades that look good with any complexion

Enter to win a Holiday Glow Gift Set!

L’eclisse Holiday Glow Gift Set Giveaway

Nourish Your Skin with Nourish Organic + Mega Giveaway!

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The biggest complaint I hear from my readers about switching over to healthier, natural products is the cost.  I get it! Sometimes you have other things to spend that money on, and your beauty products just aren’t that high a priority.  So I get really excited when I discover effective, organic beauty products that are also affordable and accessible.

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Powerful Botanical Skincare for Nourished Skin

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Grateful Body | The Organic Beauty Blog

It’s a pretty powerful thing when you encounter a beauty line that you are just drawn to, top to bottom.  One that you feel great about using and are compelled to share with your friends.  That’s how I feel about Grateful Body.  From the beautiful packaging, to the story behind the brand, to the ingredient list that reads like a who’s who of organic beauty — this line is for real.

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Sensitive skin? This line is your savior!

Block Island Organics

Super sensitive skin can be a real downer. It seems like everything from a scented lotion to the tiniest drop of an abrasive ingredient can set your skin on a downward spiral of redness, breakouts, and bumps.  Finding pure, organic, unscented skincare that is actually effective for slowing the signs of aging, protecting skin, and balancing skin can seem downright impossible.. Well fret no more!

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What to Look for in Natural Skincare

The world of natural skincare and beauty is definitely having its moment, but just because something claims “organic” or “natural” on the label, doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Just like with everything we put in our mouths, we have to be super conscious of the ingredients we are putting on our skin.  Check out the awesome infographic below to help you know exactly what to include and avoid to be truly naturally beautiful.

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Spring Break Travel Essentials

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: traveling is no excuse to get off your heathy routine, overindulge, and throw your body off track.  If you feel like you need a detox after you return, you know something is up!

We got back from our baby moon in Mexico the other day, and I knew I had to share some of the goodies that helped make the trip super awesome (and a whole lot healthier) — as well as a few that I totally spaced on (and paid the price!).  From looking radiant and gorgeous, to staying healthy and balanced, these spring break essentials will change the way you travel.

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Give your skin a dose of healing energy!

Give your skin a dose of healing energy! | The Organic Beauty Blog

The healing and balancing power of gemstones and crystals has long been a part of holistic and alternative practices.  From placing them on specific parts of the body, to using them as meditative tools, to more esoteric practices, gemstones are rife with potent spiritual and healing energy.  So we got really excited to see that this energy is being harnessed into wonderful holistic, organic skincare products by Gemstone Organic!

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Sulfate-Free Argan Oil Haircare

Maple Holistics on The Organic Beauty

“Oh my god, Natasha, enough with the argan oil!”

Yes, yes, I hear you.. But when you find a beauty ingredient that is truly obsession worthy, it’s hard to shut up about it!  We’ve been bringing you our favorite argan oil products for a few months now, but this is totally new: argan oil-based shampoo and conditioner!

We’ve long been on the sulfate-free bandwagon for haircare.  I don’t remember the last time I used a shampoo that actually lathered.  (Lathering is for sissies!)  So we’re super excited to find natural, sulfate-free haircare products that feature our number one favorite beauty ingredient.

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