Christmas Present Ideas

It's only a week away, so here's some last minute ideas for Christmas presents at Nature Bub

For boys....

and girls....

New From Elk & Ina

I have been busy sewing new 'Elk & Ina' products for our christmas markets.
We will be at Northey Street organic markets this Sunday morning and Tuesday evening at the Southbank Christmas markets. PLease come and see us if you are in the area.

Here's a little peak at my new creations.....

Skin Care For Sensitive Babies

Babies have a tendency to get rashes or skin irritations because they have such fine, delicate skin. Wet or soiled nappies often cause quite red patches which can be painful for a little baby. It is best if medical cortisone-based creams can be avoided, as though they may appear to work in the short term, they can have bad long-term affects on a baby's skin and health.
We really don't want to expose a little baby's body to toxic chemicals. Organic skin care products are completely chemical-free and safe for your infant. Using all-natural skin care products will reduce the risk of rashes and protect baby's health. Also, using organic cotton nappies will provide added protection from chemicals affecting baby's skin.
For a range of baby organic skin care products visit http://www.naturebub.com/skincare. There is a lovely gentle and safe gel to cleanse and soothe baby's bottom, a soothing barrier balm that repels moisture, protects sensitive skin and helps irritated skin to heal, an extra gentle baby cream wash, a baby bottom mist spray to soothe and cleanse, and other useful skin products. All are free of synthetic detergents and chemicals.

Northey Street Organic Markets

We had a lovely time in the sun yesterday at Northey Street organic markets.

There was delicious food and drink and lots of lovely people.

Here's a couple of snaps from the day..

Nature Bub At The Markets

This Sunday and every Sunday up to Christmas, (weather being kind), we will be having a stall at Northey Street Organic Markets in Windsor, Brisbane. We are looking forward to getting our lovely little products out there for people to be able to see and touch, rather than just looking at pictures on the computer. There are such a lovely variety of stalls at Northey St Markets, heaps of organic fruit and vegies, yummy organic ice blocks, massage, books, organic t-shirts, little cafes with delicious food to eat and much more. We'd love to see you there!

Northey St Market is on every Sunday from 6 - 10 am.

Introducing Elk & Ina - Eco Threads For Kids

I have been busy creating a new line of eco friendly clothing for children age 2-6, Elk and Ina.

Each piece is a one off creation handmade in my little sewing studio using organic jersey fabric and vintage Kimono silk.

I will be adding new creations every few weeks.

For now, it is only available at Nature Bub. So stop by and have a little look, I 'd love to hear your thoughts.

Spring Lovelies For Your Babies

Now that it's getting warmer it's time to find lovely soft pyjamas and day suits that are more suitable for the marner months.

We have gorgeous, soft, pure one-piece kimono suits and singlet suits from "Pure Baby". We also have sweet little kimono's from "Lapsaky", and so much more. Come and visit us to find the perfect gift for the little babies in your life.

Delicious Healthy Snacks for Kids

I was trying to find something for my little girl to have for morning tea yesterday and the cupboard was pretty much bare. I did find some popping corn there though, so I made her some. She asked for it to be sweet so I tried using Agave Nectar as it is healthier than sugar....
I'm happy to say it turned out deliciously, unlike some of my other kitchen experiments.

Here's the recipe..

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup popping corn
2 TBSP Butter (organic)
2 TBSP Agave nectar

Warm oil in stainless steel pan. (Non stick pans are Toxic)
Add corn an then cover it and gently shake the pan continuously until corn is finished popping.
Pour corn into a bowl, add the butter and syrup to the pan, stir. When melted pour over popped corn and stir through til it's all covered.

Yummy!

If you are interested in finding out more about the benefits of agave nectar there are plenty of website with info, here's one HERE.

Things Are Warming Up!

The warmer weather is on its way and we have some lovely little Lapsaky vintage style rompers to keep bubba cool. Made with organic cotton jersey you can be sure that your baby is wearing pure, natural clothing that won't harm him/her in any way.

Snaps off at the front for easy on/off and has 3 snaps at the back to allow for an extra size or 2 of growth.

MIA but Back again

Yes, I've been missing in action lately. My blog posts are proof of that. There is a good reason though.
I have decided to create my own line of organic kids clothing, "ELK- Eco Threads For Kids", size 2-6. They will be available only through Nature Bub. Each piece is lovingly handmade and unique. Keep a lookout for a sneak peak into my new designs here soon...

Lovely New Stock From Sckoon

We are delighted to add some lovely new goodies to our collection from Sckoon.

Some lovely little booties and new t-shirt designs for baby and toddlers.

Here's a little taste....

All of these are now available at Nature Bub.

Sckoon Organics

There are some wonderful companies around these days that are using a more environmentally friendly approach to the production of their products. One company that is doing a great job at creating gorgeous, unique and ethical baby and toddler clothing is Sckoon.
The products are designed in Soho, New York and then they are manufactured in environmentally conscious Fair Trade factories in India, Egypt and Japan. They are certified by Demeter and AGRECO.
"It is Sckoon's mission to provide the best qualtiy organic cotton products with high style..."

We are proud to be able to offer some absolutely lovely Sckoon products at Nature Bub.

SALE SALE SALE

Yes, for the month of July all of our singlets and t-shirts are 15%off. This includes sweet products such as Pure Baby singlets, Lapsaky animal shirts, lovley Ella-Flip and favourites from Sckoon, plus many more lovelies.

www.naturebub.com/shirts

Growing Up Green

Every now and then I come across some really wonderful blogs full of useful information and ideas for leading a more environmentally friendly way of life. My latest favourite is the blog 'Growing Up Green' which is a 'one-stop shopping blog that features cool, modern, eco products for kids'. It is a wonderful blog to visit if you are looking for some original ideas in eco living to kids.

Nature Bub Launch

We had a lovely time at our launch morning tea. There were lots of delicious organic treats to eat, as well as organic tea, coffee and wine. We had all of our stock on display for viewing as well.

Thankyou to all of our wonderful supporters!

Delicious Gluten Free Cake

I made the most delicious gluten free cake for my partner's birthday the other day.
Ususally I am a throw-it-all-in-and-see-what-happens kind of cook, which means a lot of my recipes turn out rock hard or too crumbly or just a bit tasteless, however, when it comes to my family's birthday cakes I alway make myself follow the recipe.
I found this delicious recipe for a gluten free orange cake made on almond meal. It was moist and very tasty and very very simple to make. I would recommend using organic oranges as you use the entire orange.

2 navel oranges
5 eggs
250g almond meal
250g raw sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Boil the oranges in enough water that they are submerged for 1 hour.
After that, blend them up into a puree skins and all.
In another bowl blend sugar and eggs until they start to thicken up a bit, the add cooled orange puree. After that mix in the almond meal and the sugar and baking powder.

Put it all in a baking pan and bake for 1 hour on about 180 degrees.

It looked like it wasn't cooked in the centre when I took it out but after leaving it to stand in the tin for half an hour or so it was fine.

I sprinkled a bit of icing sugar over the top just to make it look a bit pretty.

mmmmm...I think I'll have to make another one!

Lovely Keepsakes

I just stumbled upon a lovely little webiste called Kids With Crayons.

They make your childs little drawings into special momentos that last, and they look gorgeous as well. You can have your childs artwork made into a magnet, badge, framed picture and lots of other lovely ideas.

A perfect pressie for Grandparents or just something sweet for yourself.

Pure Baby @ Nature Bub!

We are very excited to be stocking some gorgeous baby clothing from Pure Baby. We have added some lovely soft organic clothing to our range for baby boys and girls, just in time for winter.

Including sleepsuits, one piece grow suits, lovely long sleeve henley shirts, trackies, leggings and more.

Come and visit us at Nature Bub and check out our lovely new stock.

Natural Protection From Nappy Rash

You may be looking for something safe and gentle to protect your baby’s skin from nappy rash and redness. A baby’s skin is very sensitive and sometimes, especially where it is in contact with a wet nappy, can get irritated, chafed, sore and red. Many baby skin care products on the market contain mineral oils and synthetic chemicals. Mineral oils clog the pores and interfere with the skins ability to eliminate toxins. Mineral oils may also be absorbed into the body through the skin and hinder the absorption of dietary minerals by competing with minerals supplied in the infant’s milk and food. This can cause deficiencies in essential minerals needed by your baby. Chemicals absorbed through the skin have adverse affects on the health of the infant. You really do not want your infant to develop baby eczema, as the common medical treatment is cortisone cream, which may have long-lasting bad affects on the health of your baby. So it is wise to find safe and gentle baby products that are all natural and do not contain mineral oils or toxic chemicals. Nappies made with organically produced materials will reduce the problem of nappy rash, but due to the constant moisture in the nappy area, if there is redness and chafing it would be beneficial to use a protective barrier cream.

NatureBub has a natural organic baby lotion that will protect baby’s most delicate skin, gentle enough for newborns. For extra protection when there is redness and chafing, the all natural baby barrier balm provides protection from moisture, soothes irritated skin and calms redness.For a range of toxic free, organic natural baby care products visit http://www.naturebub.com/skincare.

Yummy Afternoon Tea Snack

My daughter and I have been enjoying making yummy organic pikelets lately for her afternoon tea. They are so quick to make and so tasty!

Mix:
1 Cup organic wholemeal self-raising flour
1 Tablespoon organic raw sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup of organic milk

Mix it all up with a spoon and pour it into the frying pan that's been greased with melted butter.
Wait until there are little bubbles in the pikelets and then flip them.

For something different you can add passionfruit or blended banana for a different spin.

Organic Toys For Babies

We know that babies love to put things in their mouth whether it is a teething toy, a rattle, a cuddly toy or just bedding and clothing. Therefore it would be nice to know for certain that what they are sucking on will not harm them in any way. I have tried several times to purchase non-toxic baby toys in department stores and toy shops, and I have come away empty handed. The products are nearly all made in China (even if imported from elsewhere) and there is no assurance on the product packaging that the products do not contain any toxic ingredients or toxic paint.
I’m sure some would be safe but there is no way of knowing.
We have just added a couple of cute little new plush baby toys to our collection of organic baby products at http://www.naturebub.com/.
They are 100% organic, inside and out!

No Sugar, So Why So Sweet?

Yesterday I dropped my partner and daughter off at the airport for a little holiday at Great-Nanas. On my way home it happened to be the same time when all the school kids are walking to school. Being rush hour I was stranded at an intersection for quite some time while lots of little groups of high school kids walked past me on their way to school. What really suprised me was that every single one of them was holding some type of soft drink mostly in a 1.25L container, or energy drinks. I couldn't believe that this is the way kids are starting their day at school.

Today as I was walking my little baby around the park I spotted a bus with a huge can of softdrink on it with the words no sugar, and I thought hmmmm......

So what do they use if they aren't using sugar? Honey, stevia, rapadura??
No, try Aspartame and/or Acesulfame Potassium (K). These little ingredients are actually chemicals that are incredibly sweet to the taste buds but also very toxic to the body.
Studies have shown that Aspartame (also known as Equal, NutraSweet and a variety of other names) may cause a number of very concerning problems including: Birth Defects , Cancer (Brain Cancer), Diabetes , Emotional Disorders and Epilepsy/Seizures.

People are generally using "diet" products such as diet soft drinks, artificial sweeteners in their tea/coffee etc. in an effort to lose weight. With so many diet options on the market out there it makes you wonder why obesity is only becoming a larger problem.
This little blurb from Health For You explains why that could be:
Aspartame breaks down into three components: 1. Methanol. This is poisonous alcohol. In the body, methanol breaks down into formaldehyde, which is a poison. 2. Phenylalanine. This decreases the amount serotonin in your brain, which leads to mood swings (depressions) and an increased appetite! That is why aspartame is one of the main causes for the current obesity epidemic. 3. Aspartic acid. This is a neurological toxin comparable to MSG.

It makes me worry for the future health of all those children who are consuming these artificial ingredients every morning on their way to school.

I suggest googling this is you are interested in finding out more on this topic, as there is too much information for me to get onto my little blog.

Sophie The Giraffe

I haven't bought many toys for my baby, but there is one toy which I recommend to any new parents... Sophie the Giraffe, she is French and has been made since the mid 1900's.

Lylah has enjoyed chewing, sucking, bending and squishing Sophie since she was about 2 months old. Now that she is 7 months old, Sophie still seems to be the favourite.

The beauty of little Sophie is that she is free from all the nasty ingredients that seem to afflict so many of the baby products on the market as she is made out of 100% natural rubber. She is the perfect shape for tiny hands to hold as well.

She has helped me out so many times over the last few months, and now that Lylah's teeth are on their way, I'm sure she will continue to be a wonderful companion in the months ahead.

http://www.sophiethegiraffe.com.au/order.html?gclid=CJ6ZmoCYnqECFQaubwodNkUSvw

The Nappies For Me

Ok, maybe not for me (thank goodness), but for my baby. In my decision making, I always think of the health and environmental impact before making a choice. The good old nappy saga has been going on for decades now. Cloth or disposable?

Well, with my first baby I used cloth at home and Naturebaby Care nappies when we went out, and at night. This worked for me, as I didn't mind doing the washing (with natural detergents), and I was happy to be using a disposable nappy that was much safer both for my baby and our Earth.

Six years later, and hooray, there are even more great products out there to try. I've discovered Moltex Eco nappies which are made in Holland I believe. They are the most environmentally friendly nappy available in Australia and have recieved awards for this reason. They are actually compostable and break down in 8-10 weeks, while all the other millions of conventional disposable nappies from the last 50 years are still very much in tact in land fill. This alone is enough to make me a happy mama.

There are also health benefits for my baby as well. Moltex nappies contain no perfumes, lotions, antioxidants, TBT, chlorine or latex all of which to me, are toxins on my little baby's beautiful skin.

I noticed a couple of consumer reviews of these nappies, all positively glowing. A couple of mothers even said that their babies nappy rash disappeared when they switched to Moltex.

They are more expensive, which can be hard some weeks for me, and if that is the case I will buy a packet to use at night (lasts 40 nights so $1/night), and then I buy the Naturebaby Care for during the day, as they are much cheaper.

I also LOVE my little Baby Bee-hinds cloth nappies. They are sooo soft and really absorbant. I definitely recommend them as the best pre-made cloth nappy I have tried.

I just think it's sad more people don't think outside the square and discover alternatives that are going to help make the world more habitable for their grand-children.

Wedding Footprints

Lots of my friends seem to be getting married lately and it's made me wonder what sort of footprint weddings leave on the Earth. Is it something we should be looking at trying to make more eco friendly? If there are 100000 weddings a year in Australia alone it will definitley impact on the environment.

Here are some things we can do to lessen the damage...

Instead of buying a new dress where the fabric will have been sprayed with pesticides in the growing and many other chemicals in the production, how about borrowing one, have one made with organic fabics, buy an eco wedding dress (there are some beautiful websites selling them now) or have a vintage/secondhand one altered to fit you.

Something else for the bride-to-be to think about is hair and make-up. There are people out there that specialise in organic make-up and hair products to make you look so very lovely.

Many people will have a little gift for the guests on the table at the reception, a lovely idea is to give them each a little seedling of a plant. Celebrate with seedlings has a lovely selection of seedlings on offer, wrapped up pretty with a ribbon and fabric.

Do people still use confetti?? Well if you're into that, there is now a water soluble one available that is made out of rice. Beeswax candles are carbon neutral and non toxic. There are also places that will create invitations on recycled paper.

How about food? Mmmm, organic food and drinks are a lovely touch to any function.

And how shall we get to the wedding?? Maybe by horse drawn cart... or eco limosine. Otherwise you can always offset your emissions with Green Fleet.

There seem to be so many options out there now, I've only just scratched the surface., which is wonderful news for all those loved-up eco chicks out there!

Back To School Lunches

My little girl is back to school tomorrow, so we decided to make some easy-peasy and delicious banana bread for her to take for morning tea.
It's a wonderful way to use up those banana's that get too soft to eat...
Being one of the creators of Nature Bub , I also love to eat organic food too, so most of these ingredients are organic in my cupboard.

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 mashed up bananas
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs (organic & free range)
1 tsp soda
4 TBS buttermilk
pinch of salt

Cream butter and sugar, then add bananas. Stir in eggs.
Put the soda into the buttermilk.
Slowly stir in flour and salt and then add the buttermilk.
Bake for about an hour in oven at 175 degrees.

Sunny Mummies

Lots of lovely women find themselves feeling so many different emotions when they become mothers, and some of these feelings aren't so sweet. I came across this gorgeous blog and website today called Sunny Mummy which is a wonderful pick-me-up for all the mummies out there that need some light in their life. The blog posts are so well written and positive, it's given me a nice warm fuzzy feeling to carry for the rest of the day.

http://www.sunnymummy.com.au/index.html

Nourishing Your Friendly Bacteria

If you or your children suffer from allergies such as sinusitis, eczema, asthma, or food allergies you may find that using a probiotic in the diet may help the immune system. Gut bacteria influence immune function and may play a role in preventing or predisposing to allergic reactions.
Probiotics have been shown to reduce the severity of dermatitis in infants and children. And who wants to expose their child to the alternative treatment, steroid drugs and creams, which mask symptoms without curing the underlying problem.
Miessence In-Liven contains the full spectrum of Lactobacillus (friendly) bacteria, produced from fruit and vegetables. It contains enzymes, vital amino acids and a broad spectrum of essential nutrients. You can add it to fruit juice or a smoothy, or sprinkle it on food. In-Liven is also a valuable superfood for health maintenance. You may want to seek professional advice for a young child or infant as there may be an alternative probiotic more suitable for them.
http://www.miessentialorganic.com/healthcare has a lovely range of pure health and skin care products available.

http://www.naturebub.com/

Lovely Lunches

I love it when I come across really great products for my family.
A few weeks ago, my mum bought my daughter a lunchbox made from Biome called 'Lunchbots'. They are 100% food grade stainless steel and seem to be making my mornings much easier when making school lunches. I'm not quite sure why it seems easier, but I feel like I am making her a much more nourishing morning tea since I have been using it.
We have a yellow one called "Pico" which has two seperate compartments which I fill with lovely healthy snacks for morning tea, such as organic ham, cheese, hummous, and vege sticks or fruit.
It's wonderful because I know I am looking after my childs health by giving her lunch in a container with toxins that may leach out into her food, and helping to reduce the mass landfill of plastics which break down so slowly they may still be completely whole when my grandchildren are born.
I will definitely be buying a couple more of these!

http://www.lunchbots.com/product.html
http://www.biome.com.au/shop_index.php?cPath=274_371
http://www.naturebub.com/