My Mama's Love

Archive for the ‘Companies I love’ Category

“Swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween annually would reduce the landfill waste by 6250 tons, equal to the weight of 2500 midsize cars.”

Find out how to get involved, join a swap, or why you should be swapping here.

In 2006 one supermama, Corey Colwell-Lipson, (story here) got a brilliant idea which turned into a movement by 2010. By 2010 Corey’s idea had replaced one million pieces of candy with healthier and more sustainable treat options at events all across the U.S. Yay! Corey. It’s no wonder she is being nominated as one of the Most Awesome Mom Run Businesses of 2011 (please vote for her here).

My Mama’s Love would like to do something to say thank you to Corey, her idea, and her movement. We have comitted to donate 10% of all sales from now until October 31st to her non-profit Ecomom alliance. I challenge all other eco-friendly businesses to do something similar. Let’s stand behind this mama’s exhaustive effort to “think outside the conventional candy-box.” (her words) and raise our children to think outside it too.

If you’re having a hard time imagining an alternative to candy, let me help you. First, be sure to check out all the ideas offered on Green Halloween’s site. Second, if you want to give something that your neighborhood kids have not received before, but will love, consider our all-natural, organic, eco-friendly and eco-conscious Fixx-My-Lips. Normally I sell each container for $5.00, but in the spirit of helping spread the goodness of Green Halloween, I am taking a loss on this item when it’s purchased in bulk with the intention of handing out to trick-or-treaters. My way of helping you think outside of that “Conventional Candy-Box”. This offer is good through October 25th, but I suggest ordering by October 10th to insure Halloween deliver.

This deal is good on orange and peppermint flavor only, not vanilla-mint. A tin of 0.50 ounce Fixx My Lips is equivalent to 3 roll-up tubes of  lip balm—in other words, it will last and last and last. Purchase 10 for $20.00, 20 for $35.00 or 30 for $45.00 here.  (Ordering on this one is a little tricky, just be sure to select the quantity from the top drop-down menu and the flavor from the second drop-down menu.)  

NuLife Foods is the first company that has contacted me to review their products. After agreeing to receive a box of samples from them, I was burning with remorse and dread. How would I come up with nice words for bland, boring, edible (but not tasty) and cardboard-like—which had been our experience with gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free foods thus far.

With very few exceptions, we don’t actually look forward to eating gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free foods—we simply eat them because it makes us feel a little more “normal” to be privy to enjoying (relatively speaking) breads and pastries—like everyone else.  I am THRILLED to admit I was more than surprised—I was seriously blown away—by NuLife’s foods.

Instead of using my own words, I decided to put the pressure on my 5 year old daughter, since she has no problem saying “ick, gross, yuck, disgusting and blah”…but to my amazement, she didn’t use any of those words, nor did anything get spat out.  See for yourself:

All of NuLife Foods’ products are gluten, casein, soy, preservative and msg free. They are also free of anything artificial. You can shop using a tool to omit other allergens, such as eggs, nuts or fish.  Yay!

NuLife is a relatively new company and not yet available in stores, so all ordering must be done online. I highly encourage you to at least try the trial pack, which is a steal at $10.00 right now. If you’re not hooked, I’d like to know where YOU shop!

Use discount code: MAMASLOVE10 for 10% off your first order. 

I recently sent a box of products and lengthy thank-you letter to Mothering Magazine. I thought I’d share with you why Mothering is so special to me.

When I first had my daughter, I had it all planned out. I knew exactly how things would look–I read about it! She’d sleep through the night at 3 months, she’d nurse on schedule, she’d sleep in her own bed. I was going to be in complete control. Of course, I would have my pre-baby body back by 3 months too, but that’s off-topic.

Well, along came baby and boom, crash, errrrrr! Hmm, she has a mind of her own. Not sure I remember reading about that! Now what? I was letting her sleep with me. I was nursing non-stop and on-demand, I was holding her all the time. OH NO, I was spoiling her! But if I didn’t she’d cry, she wouldn’t sleep and she seemed to need to nurse non-stop. I felt like a failure! I felt scared! I was ruining my baby!

At an appointment to see a lactation consultant, after a long sob in the bathroom, I discovered a Mothering magazine. Some angel had donated them to the clinic. I grabbed one, and being the overachieving parent I desired to be, I read everything on parenting I could get my hands on. I devoured it. Slowly, but surely, like being hit by a train going in slow-motion, it dawned on me … there are OTHERS like me out there! They have a name for what I’m doing, it’s called attachment parenting. It’s called co-sleeping, it’s called trusting yourself and your child. You mean, I’m not crazy? You mean, I’m not alone? You mean, nobody is going to call CPS on me for letting my baby sleep with me. WHAT? I love you!

I quickly ordered a subscription and pretty much every back issue I could get my hands on. Suddenly, my instincts had a voice. My gut felt freed. The knots were gone! It felt amazing! While what I was doing felt right, it went against every “professional” opinion I’d ever read about. I just assumed I was wrong!

Since that day, I’ve felt confident, assured and safe to be the parent that I am meant to be. I feel right listening to my daughter and to my heart. It is to date the most life-changing thing that has happened to me. I am so grateful to Mothering magazine for their dedication to journalism, parenting and supporting moms.

http://www.mothering.com