Organically Growing

The offical blog of HappyGreenBaby.com

Why Choose Organic Cotton Crib Bedding? September 21, 2008

Filed under: Eco-Friendly Fabrics, Green Nursery — happygreenbaby @ 8:13 am
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With baby crashing out 16-17 hours a day, she’s going to be spending a lot of time in her bed. That’s why it’s especially important to create a pure and healthy environment for her to catch some ZZZs.

Did you know that conventionally grown cotton accounts for 25% of the pesticides used worldwide? Often times, cotton is treated with formaldehyde and toxic dyes … all things I’m not too excited about wrapping baby up in each night.

I think it’s a no-brainer to choose organic cotton (or eco-friendly bamboo, which is typically not treated with chemicals) for baby’s crib sheets.

Silky soft and free of toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, organic sheets are also free of harsh bleaches and dyes – making them the perfect place for baby to rest her sensitive skin. And going organic for bedding doesn’t mean you have to choose blah neutrals, take a peek at our assortment of colorful organic crib sets and sheets.

 

New Organic Cotton Blirt Shirts Say It Like It Is! September 16, 2008

Filed under: Baby Clothes, Eco-Friendly Fabrics — happygreenbaby @ 2:06 am

These adorable new shirts by Blirt, feature funky cartoon characters depicting MotorMouth, No Shrinking Violet and A Good Egg. Super cute messages for your own little one!

Made of 100% organic cotton, these funky shirts are cute and eco-friendly. Check them out on HappyGreenBaby.com, now in sizes 6-12m and 12-18m for just $30 each.

Blirt Organic Cotton "No Shrinking Violet" Shirt

Blirt Organic Cotton

 

My New Fertility BFF September 13, 2008

Filed under: organic pregnancy — happygreenbaby @ 10:15 am
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For the last four months I have been religiously popping my three FertilAid pills a day in hope that my kerwacky cycles would level out and we would magically conceive (like all those online testimonies indicated). I even got Marc to start taking FertilAid for Men (why should I have all the fun?).

Despite my best efforts to calculate ovulation with my handy day timer, we have yet to hit the magic day. Now, I know a four months isn’t a very long time to be trying, but I’m starting to get a little frustrated at my lack of organization. Enter again the handy advice of my friend Molly (see previous post about how I came to acquire the FertilAid supplement), who showed me the website, www.FertilityFriend.com.

This handy charting website lets you enter your daily BBT and other “signs of ovulation” (there’s a 20-part email series that explains how it all works). Through the magic of technology, the calendar will show your forecasted fertile days, day of actual ovulation and a bunch of other stuff.

Not only does it keep you crazy organized (you’ll be able to pinpoint your exact day of conception for the docs, when that day comes) but its given me a strong a sense of control … something that is kind of lacking in this whole conception thing for me.

 

To the Core of the Matter September 11, 2008

Filed under: Fitness — happygreenbaby @ 10:22 am
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A couple years ago I met with a trainer at my gym to get a weight workout put together. About half of said workout consisted of core exercises. I rarely did them. It took too much time!

Recently, I started going to a 30 minute Core class at the gym and was feeling pretty rock solid. Then, we decided to get on this baby-making train and I figured the one exercise I could slack on without guilt would be abs. I mean, they’re going to get all stretched out and huge anyway, right?

You can imagine how crushed I felt when I came across a certain paragraph in The Organic Pregnancy that touted the benefits of strong abdomen muscles in supporting the baby and helping in a comfortable delivery.

Damn. I guess it’s back to the 11:15 core class on MWF.

 

Pre-Baby Weight September 9, 2008

Filed under: Fitness — happygreenbaby @ 9:16 am
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I’m a big fan of celebrity news. Whether or not I can get my hands on the latest issue of US Weekly, In Touch or OK! at the gym will dictate how long I stay planted on a stationary bike. Along with all the baby bump chatter and crazy celeb baby names, there is invariably an article about some starlet’s breezy track back to their pre-baby weight in a matter of months. Even my friends like to talk about being back at their “pre-baby weight” not long after their little bundle of joy arrives.

In fact, just this morning I was sweating it out on the elliptical at the gym (in an attempt to assuage my guilt from pizza and the Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie I couldn’t resist while babysitting the neices last night) and the cover story on Health magazine was all about getting back in shape after pregnancy.

But it gets me to thinking … what about those of us who aren’t at a pre-baby weight we want to get back to? Will there be a day when I’m psyched to be 140 lbs. (like I am now)? While I’m definitely not too concerned about losing an extra 5lbs. before I get pregnant (I might never get there!), I am absolutely focused on staying active and fit.

Everything I read says being in good shape BEFORE getting pregnant (in addition to staying active during pregnancy) will help me to have a happier, more comfortable pregnancy (and birth) – I’m all for that!  I also know that once I get preggo, I won’t be running any more half marathons or sweating it out in spin class … so I’m getting my burn in now. And maybe I’ll be at a pre-pregnancy fitness level I can aspire to instead.

 

Good-bye Sashimi? September 6, 2008

Filed under: Organic Food & Cooking, Pregnancy Nutrition — happygreenbaby @ 1:58 pm

A question I have been wrestling with as of late: Should I be readying my womb for an impending pregnancy and shun alchocol, soft cheeses, sushi and other preggo-no-nos … Or should I be spending this pre-pregnancy time basking in the enjoyment of magaritas, lattes and brie, knowing that I will have 9+ months of going without (eventually)?

According to The Complete Organic Pregnancy, the authors recommend gorging on the aforementioned foods I will need to avoid later (hoorah!). But they also suggest that I should give up coffee and wine (gasp!) in advance, since they are two of the harder things to give up.  

I think there is a happy medium. I’ve already switched to decaf coffee – I just drink for the way it expertly pairs my peanut butter and honey on toast breakfast. And as for the booze … I think as long as I’m imbibing responsibly and when I know I’m not preggers – we’re all good. Feta cheese, here I come!

 

A Note on Choosing Decaf Coffee Beans September 3, 2008

Filed under: Organic Food & Cooking, Pregnancy Nutrition — happygreenbaby @ 10:54 am
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So this is an interesting fact.  When selecting your favorite variety of bean, be sure to choose a decaf that is Swiss Water Processed (SWP). Apparently, decaffeinating coffee through traditional methods involves rinsing beans in a chemical solvent – which doesn’t seem like a good thing when it comes to our organic, green-living lives.

Alternatively, SWP coffee beans are soaked in hot water to remove the caffeine. A much cleaner, green way of getting the morning cup, I think.

 

The Decaf Experiment September 2, 2008

Filed under: Pregnancy Nutrition — happygreenbaby @ 9:54 am
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Unbanieknownst to me, the groggy husband started his own decaf experiment over the weekend while I was away.

Last week, I picked up a bag of Decaf SWP Organic, Fair Trade beans from Sunflower Market and stashed them in the freezer, intending to put the beans in a jar on the counter, so the aforementioned spouse would be none the wiser.

The regular beans ran out over the weekend and Marc started dipping into the decaf beans … apparently without noticing. The decaf bag is clearly marked DECAF and is orange in color (the usual kind we buy comes in a green bag). Despite his non-noticing or complaining, I decided to play it safe and stash be rid of the bag and its blatant labeling.

So far so good. The coffee is tasty and I haven’t had to relinquish my coffee-making duty. Yet.