Tag Archives: natural

The Nook Pebble Mattress – a real review from a real mom

True story: I spent $550 on a mattress for my infant son.  Based on that, you may imagine that I dropped some serious coin into his nursery, creating a space that looks right off the page of the best baby … Continue reading

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Stop drinking that! A Thirsty Nation’s Dilemma

Several weeks ago, when I voiced my misgivings about what a pregnant woman with a voracious thirst should drink, it paved the way for much larger questions that touches all of our lives, preggo or no: “Wait, what ARE we … Continue reading

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Absence of process

In so very many ways, we are living far different lives than our ancestors did. The division is even palpable going back only 100 years; in terms of human history, this is only a flash in the pan, but one … Continue reading

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CIE Holiday Shopping Guide

News recently broke (and unbroke) about the unsafe levels of the toxic compound antimony on this Holiday season’s hottest new toy, Zhu Zhu Pets.  Until then, it seemed like a great gift for the times: inexpensive, simple, and oh so … Continue reading

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Diapers: Cloth or Disposable?

When I was expecting the Little One, I dreaded this question.  For me, it was like the “paper or plastic” question that you feel like you never really have all of the information necessary to make an informed decision (and … Continue reading

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9 Little Known Toxic Ingredients that Could Affect Your Pregnancy (and what to do to avoid them)

I blame the pregnancy message boards.  At the outset of my first pregnancy, I was blissfully oblivious to the potential hazards of shampoo.   Then, the posting was clicked: “Shampoo?“, then, the link followed: “Pregnancy Alert: Shampoo Ingredient Could Damage Developing … Continue reading

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Morning Sickness: A Rant

I try to make healthy, balanced and sustainable food choices. That is always my goal in shopping and cooking and selecting restaurants. And one would think, wouldn’t one, that during pregnancy, this goal would only be that much more important? One would. Think. Continue reading

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Pregnancy: a new category at CIE

Most newly pregnant women are pummelled with the basic information on what to avoid during pregnancy, and in most cases, these things were no surprise: raw/undercooked meat, smoking, illicit drugs, unpasteurized cheese, cat litter……….but aside from the pamphlet list that you get from the doctor, there are actually very many more products and drugs and airborne things to know about; something that I learned slowly over the course of the nine months before the Little One’s birth. Continue reading

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Dishwashing, phosphate-free

Those of you that have dishwashers have probably settled into a comfortable routine with the detergent of your choice, but if that comfortable routine involves a detergent that contains phosphates, I’m afraid a change is due. The market is already littered with a handful of phosphate-free detergents, and as I’ve tried many of them over the course of the last year or two (with a little nudge from my very eco-wise mom), I offer my experiences and my favorite pick from among them.
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