Product Review: Squooshi February 18, 2013 15:49

I haven’t gotten this excited about a new product since we dreamed up the SlumberSling. Squooshi is my new favorite thing for so many reasons – which is why we’re now carrying them on the site, and including them in one of the few product reviews we do here on our blog.

I’ve always been frustrated with finding healthy, affordable on-the-go snacks for my kids. String cheese, apples, fruit leather and homemade fruit/nut bars tend to be my standard choices, but none of those are typically filling enough to make a full snack for my big eaters. Reusable sandwich and snack bags started to make packing snacks a little easier, but I still feel like I’m always lugging around 10 pounds of food everywhere we go.  

My kids love the food pouches and applesauce pouches from the grocery store. The problem is they are not cost effective, and every snack just creates more trash for the landfills. This is where Squooshi comes in and saves the day.

According to the Squooshi founder, over 2 billion single use food pouches end up in landfills every year. So, facing the same snack challenges most moms are familiar with, she was inspired to create an affordable, reusable version.

Some of Squooshi’s awesome features: BPA-free, Phthalate-free, PVC-free, and Lead-free, money saving (pre-filled pouches cost $1.50-$2.25 each), save energy (pre-packaged food travels over 1,200 miles before it reaches you), less mess and less for mom to tote around in her bag.

Here are a few snack ideas I’ve used in our Squooshi pouches.

·      Strawberry-banana puree

·      Green smoothies (which can be frozen in batches)

·      Applesauce

·      Plain yogurt (SO much better than the sugary, artificial Go-Gurts)

·      Mashed avocado

·      Peanut butter, cooked oatmeal and banana mush 

·      Hummus to squeeze on crackers packed in a reusable snack bag

I think you’ll love Squooshi as much as I do! And please share your favorite Squooshi recipes with us on Facebook!

-Ashley

Book Review: Spit That Out November 20, 2012 15:20

I may be an extreme case, but parenthood brings some level of neurosis for most moms and dads. Combine that with information overload, and you end up with a lot of confusion, worry and agonizing over every decision from vaccines, nutrition, and diapering to TV watching, discipline and the dangers of plastic toys.

This neurosis, and a deep passion for raising her baby green is what led Paige Wolf to write Spit That Out: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt. The book addresses some of the most pressing issues concerning parents in today’s society, offering objective, humorous insights and tips for navigating the waters of environmentally responsible living and parenting.

Paige’s book is a quick and informative read. Some of the topics that stood out to me as those not often covered by other books in this genre include shopping for eco-conscious clothing, understanding natural remedies, how screen time fits into a green home, and dealing with gifts that don’t meet the parents’ eco standards.

Spit That Out debunks common myths and includes a ton of ‘sanity tips’ sidebars that break down the information to the simplest terms and provide an easy way to check back to the book again and again for reminders on important takeaways. It also makes a point to share money saving tips in nearly every chapter to help parents find ways to be eco-friendly and budget-friendly at the same time. Best of all, there are dozens of quotes and testaments from real moms throughout, which gives the reader a sense of community, camaraderie and support in the challenge of decision-making on these important issues.

If you are troubled by information overload or unsure of where to start in raising an environmentally conscious family, pick up a copy of Spit that Out (we sell it in the ‘gear’ and ‘mommy’ sections of the site). You’ll get through the book in a few days, and will put it down feeling at ease and on a good footing to move forward making the right green choices for your family. 

-Ashley

Mom of the Month: Lisa Leake of 100 Days of Real Food November 13, 2012 15:51

Feeding your kids = a lot of work. Feeding your kids a healthy diet (and keeping it affordable!) =  a full time job. Feeding your kids exclusively a diet of whole foods and eliminating processed junk completely = seemingly impossible.

Lisa Leake, a mom of two and the highly followed blogger of 100 Days of Real Food, did what most families consider unattainable. On a quest to a healthier family, in 2010 Lisa and her family set out to completely eliminate highly processed foods, including all white flour and refined sugar, from their diet for 100 days. At the time when the family embarked on this pledge, Lisa had no prior knowledge of whole food nutrition and claims she had never before read an ingredient label, nor did she know there was anything wrong with that. Her children were ages 3 and 5 years at the time – which she points to as a testament that any family can change their eating habits to include only ‘real’ foods.

Lisa blogged through the entire process, documenting what the family was eating and the challenges they faced through the first 100 days. Throughout, her family maintained the pledge amidst birthday parties, travel, restaurant meals and school lunches. As a mom who shares Lisa’s passion for nutrition, I know how difficult and time consuming it can be to feed your family well for every meal, every day.

After successfully completing the first 100 days, the Leake family took on another 100-day challenge of real food on a budget, wherein they spent only $125 per week on food. For families who think they can’t afford to eat well, this is a great inspiration, and Lisa details on her blog dozens of tips for how to make a budget work for a real food diet.

Lisa’s blog has evolved since those first challenges, and is now a rich resource of information for readers from across the spectrum of food consumption – whether you are a die hard fast foodie looking for education about food or you already know all the ropes of whole food eating, you will find value in Lisa’s blog. She has hundreds of recipes, a list of kitchen essentials, ‘rules’ for anyone ready to take on the 100-day challenge, 14 mini-pledges for those looking for a slower transition away from processed foods, and new content every week with information, interviews and tips for healthier eating.  

So our hats are off to Lisa! We love your blog, and are so happy there’s someone out there taking such a firm stance on improving the way families approach nutrition. Take a moment to read her blog and tell us what you think!

-Ashley

A Dozen Must-Read Books for Expectant/New Parents November 9, 2012 15:48

I am a bookworm, and ever since I entered expectant motherhood five years ago, I have not been able to get enough of books about pregnancy, babies, parenting and child development. I’ve read dozens of books and am always looking for the next best insights. Since there was no way I could limit this list to just 10, I decided to give you a dozen. 

Some of these books have fundamentally changed the way I approach parenting (like Mary Sheedy Kurcinka’s spirited child book, John Gottman's emotion coaching book, and Elizabeth Pantley’s no-cry sleep book), and I hope you enjoy reading at least one of the books on this list! They are in no particular ranking…

1.     What to Expect When You’re Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel, or some other week-by-week pregnancy book

2.     Raising Baby Green, by Alan Greene, M.D.

3.     Birthing from Within, by Pam England and Rob Horowitz

4.     Spiritual Midwifery, by Ina May Gaskin

5.     Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yaron

6.     The Baby Book, by William Sears, M.D.

7.     The No-Cry Sleep Solution, by Elizabeth Pantley (there is also a second version geared toward children ages 1-6 years)

8.     The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvey Karp, M.D.

9.     The Holistic Pediatrician, by Kathi Kemper

10. The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, by Robert Sears, M.D.

11. Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive and Persistent, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

12. Magic Trees of the Mind: How to Nurture Your Child’s Intelligence, Creativity and Healthy Emotions from Birth Through Adolescence, by Marian Diamond and Janet Hopson

And, a bonus book, just because I couldn’t leave it out: Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child, The Heart of Parenting, by Ph.D. John Gottman. I bought two copies of this book because I loved it so much we needed an extra copy.  

-Ashley

Launch News Release October 8, 2012 14:54

Site Makes ‘Green’ Products More Accessible for Moms, Babes and Toddlers and Introduces Lovingly Recycled™ Fashion

SEATTLE—October 8, 2012—Ash & Alys Babes today announced the launch of its online boutique (www.ashandalysbabes.com), providing natural products for moms, babes and toddlers and introduced its Lovingly Recycled shop for gently used children’s clothing. Following its commitment to playing a part in the movement toward a more sustainable society, Ash & Alys Babes created this boutique to make natural options more accessible to families, while providing an enjoyable online shopping experience.

Today’s environment is rampant with harmful impurities, as well as an abundance of conflicting information that can be confusing for parents. As awareness grows about the importance of raising babies green, parents are seeking out natural products that will help them protect their children from toxins and chemicals. Drawing on personal experience as a mom, co-founder Ashley Allman aimed to provide a single online shopping destination that offered exclusively the best natural products available, making it easy for eco-conscious parents to find exactly what they need for their babies and toddlers.  

In addition to the popular eco products sold on the site, Ash & Alys Babes launched Lovingly Recycled, providing an online shop for buying and selling gently used children’s clothing. Consignment shopping has become increasingly popular among families, as children’s fashion can be expensive, and has a short shelf life as children grow. However, parents are busier than ever, giving them little time to do all of their shopping in brick and mortar stores. Lovingly Recycled provides an alternative for when parents need to rely on the convenience of online shopping, but still want the option of purchasing used clothing for their babies and children. Lovingly Recycled only re-sells premium brand clothing that is like new.

Ash & Alys Babes is also the creator of the SlumberSling® the one-of-a-kind car seat headrest that provides head and neck support for toddlers napping on the go. In succession with the launch of the online boutique, the company has launched Twosie™, its line of organic cotton bodysuits that have a charitable purpose. For every Twosie item sold, Ash & Alys Babes donates $2 to its fund benefitting charities that serve children and environmental conservation.

“For us, this site is much more than an online store, more than a convenient place for buying natural products,” said co-founder and CEO Alyssa Wolfe. “We see ourselves as part of a bigger movement wherein consumers have the power to vote with their dollar for more sustainable and safe products, and make green mainstream. Our site and products are aimed at making sustainability accessible for new families. Babes are born pure, and we believe in keeping them that way.”

About Ash & Alys Babes

Ash & Alys Babes was founded in 2010, subsequent with the launch of its flagship product, the SlumberSling, for dreamy car rides®. The company launched its online boutique at www.ashandalysbabes.com, as well as its Lovingly Recycled online shop and Twosie line in 2012. The company has a strong philanthropic foundation, and supports causes that benefit children’s well being and environmental conservation.

Contact

Ashley Allman

pr@ashandalysbabes.com