Product Review: Ecostore USA Bath Products

I recently got a chance to try some new-to-the-US bath products and wanted to share my thoughts here for anyone else looking for something eco-friendly, animal-friendly, and chemical-free.  Ecostore USA makes bath and body products for babies, adults, and pets, as well as household cleaning agents.  They got their start in New Zealand 20 years ago and are now entering the US market through internet orders and Meijer stores.

For Jack I got the Baby Shampoo and Baby Body Wash.  I’ve been searching for some bath products that would work with his dry, sensitive skin.  Even at almost 3 he still has issues with “cradle cap.”  Luckily he has a ton of hair to cover it up but we have tried Johnson & Johnson, Method, and DHC products and none of them has made an impact on his scalp.  We tried the Ecostore baby shampoo this weekend and I totally fell in love.  It was extremely easy to rinse out (which is awesome because Jack has absolutely no patience for having his head rinsed) because it it not overly sudsy and sticky.  His fine hair was soft and shiny when it dried and there was a huge improvement in the dryness of his scalp.

I also got the Manuka Sandalwood Shampoo, which is marketed as helpful for dry, flakey scalps.  David and I both have dry skin issues and have difficulty finding products that don’t strip our natural oils or cause the opposite problem – greasy hair – so in my neverending pursuit to find a product that is just right, I decided to try this one.  Again, I totally love this product.  It doesn’t dry out my hair or cause crazy amounts of frizz (yet there is still body!) after using the shampoo.  The smell is divine and great for both genders.  I like the fact that a little bit goes a long way and the shampoo suds up, unlike some other organic products that I have used.  Even with the suds, it is not difficult to rinse out.

And now it’s contest time!  If you would like to win a $25 gift certificate to the Ecostore website, please leave a comment by Friday, April 17, and I will pick a name at random!

Also of note: Ecostore is offering free shipping on all orders over $25 for the month of April in celebration of earth month.

A Plethora of Topics Contained Herein

I’ve been a dreadful blogger and for that, I offer sincere apology.  I will try to be better!

Here’s the lowdown on what’s been going on…

Joe started his new job but still had to finish off part of the season at his old job.  He is now on his twelfth straight day of work (with 3 more days to go).  The commute to the new job is 1.5 each way.  Luckily, he totally loves his new job!  Aside from that, our apartment is a mess and we get about 20 minutes each day to talk to one another.  I have to leave early for work in the morning, and he gets home late.  We are tired as all hell.

Jack had a pediatric check up.  He now weighs 27 lbs 6 oz and measures 33.5 in.  He’s a little on the short side but perfectly healthy.  Oh, and his head is huge just like his daddy’s.

Jack and I have had a cold.  I lost most of my voice yesterday and am still recovering.  At least I don’t have snot interwoven with my hair like my son.

I read the book Happiest Toddler on the Block.  It was fantastic and I have started using some of the “toddlerese” techniques when Jack throws a huge fit.  It helps much more than I expected (also kind of annoying: caveman speak resulted in giving Jack the keys to the kingdom.  He is now VERY fond of the phrase “I don’t like it!”  I suppose it’s better than screaming.).  One of the things Dr. Karp recommends is to gossip with your child’s toys to persuade them to do something (because everyone is more attentive when the suddenly hear whispering).  It was hilarious to see Jack’s reaction when I started talking to his previously-unnoticed Ugly Doll who we call Monster.  Now he will not let that thing out of his sight!  Jack has starting talking for the monster in a gravelly voice; he doesn’t realize the monster isn’t supposed to call Joe “Daddy.”  We are constantly saying, “Yes, I like monsters.”

I updated Jack’s shutterfly albums with our pictures from Maryland.

I saw Sex & The City and loved it!  I’ve heard others who were disappointed but I think they failed to drink a cosmo beforehand.

We received the Sumbuns pocket diapers (one velcro, one snap) that I wrote about a few weeks ago.  I love the size and fit and they are damned cute.  My only beef is that the slit for the insert is located at the front of the diaper and the fleece overlaps, which makes it a little difficult to shake the insert out when wet.  On diapers with the slit to the rear, I can usually find a dry spot at the end of the insert to manually pull it out if necessary without getting my fingers soaked with urine.  Not so when the slit is in the front.  If that doesn’t bother you, I have no other complaints and may even buy more because the fit is so good!

Also, on diapers.  Jack is outgrowing the “one-size” BumGenius and Haute Pockets diapers.  He is literally bursting out of the Haute Pockets, and the BG’s are leaving red marks on his hips.  I am thinking about replacing all of our BG’s and HP’s with Happy Heinies one-size diapers because I love them so!  I don’t mind buying one-size diapers this late in the game because we can either save them for the next kiddo or sell them to one of the many people I know who are going to have a baby in the coming year.

Oh!  Potty training.  Jack has started throwing fits when we take off or put on a diaper.  Methinks he is approaching potty-readiness.  Of course, he won’t even look at the potty but still!  I ordered potty books for him and we are going to start slowly.  If he didn’t hate being naked, I would probably try the naked time technique but alas, the boy is modest.  I don’t mind that, to be honest.

I still dislike my haircut.

See you soon!

More Pocket Diaper Reviews

Sick of trying to stretch the baby prefolds fit Jack, we finally sold them off and I bought some more pocket diapers to compensate.  We could have gotten by if we were more inclined to use the next size up of prefolds (I think we have toddler size??) but they are HUGE and we hate them.

I am still in love with Fuzzi Bunz, but I didn’t feel like spending $18 on a sized diaper and I have been wondering if there’s something out there I’m missing…  I still like the BumGenius diapers quite a bit, but they are actually getting a little snug on Jack, so I didn’t want to invest in more in case he really does grow out of them.  I am comfortable enough with cloth diapering, and I trust Nicki’s Diapers (home of free shipping and inserts for all pocket diapers) enough, that I didn’t read reviews on these diapers before purchasing - just took the plunge and hoped for the best!

I bought:

• 2 Haute Pockets One-Size Diapers (on sale for $14) – one snap, one velcro
• 1 Happy Heinies One-Size Diaper ($19)
• 1 Large DryBees ($16)
• 1 Imse Vimse potty training diaper (yet to be used, bought due to wishful thinking)

I like the color options on the Haute Pockets, and the fit is great.  I don’t like is that the open portion for the insert doesn’t lay flat or overlap to completely cover the insert.  It doesn’t seem to bug Jack and the diapers haven’t leaked (although this might be an issue for babies spending most of their time laying down).  I tend to use our BG at night because Jack would unlatch the velcro when awake, but the Haute Pockets have much stronger velcro to prevent toddler’s from stripping.  I am not sure if they would work for overnight as the ones I bought have “breathable” PUL, and frankly I’m a little afraid to try…

The Happy Heinies diaper is great!  I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it since Jack is so keen on undoing velcro, but this is strong stuff.  I love the trim fit and the cow print we got is so adorable!  I would definitely recommend these, and will stock up more with a second baby.

DryBees – my new favorite diaper of the sized variety.  These suckers can hold a TON of pee, there is a huge variety of cute colors and patterns, and the velcro is super strong.  Bonus: the fleece is the softest and thickest I’ve ever felt, and the diaper is constructed so that only fleece touch’s the baby’s skin.  I LOVE this diaper.

I am still awaiting an order of Sunbums (including one with sock monkeys on it!) from a sale I took advantage of, so that review is pending.

Rockabye: From Wild to Child (& giveaway)

I attended a book reading last night at A Great Good Place for Books in Oakland.  One of my favorite blog writers, Rebecca Woolf of Girl’s Gone Child and Babble.com’s Straight From the Bottle, has released her first book entitled Rockabye: From Wild to Child.  I devoured the first few chapters yesterday before attending the reading, and I was completely engrossed.

Even though her story is different from mine, as all aspects of my pregnancy were planned out way ahead of time, her story resonates with me.  She describes so well the feelings of a woman who abruptly switches gears in her life and questions her identity as she transitions to the role of mother.  Planned pregnancy or not, parenthood feels like the first time you are thrown into a pool when you don’t know how to swim – you have to act on instinct and do your damnest to stay afloat as the water tries to suck you down.  Surviving is more important in the moment than doing a perfect job!

I love Rebecca’s depiction of her relationship with her husband, as well.  At the reading last night she described how difficult it was to remember why she fell in love with her husband amid the chaos of new parenthood.  I doubt anyone is able to anticipate how their relationship with their partner will change when the family expands, and I share her amazement over the enduring marriages of her parents and grandparents.  I have found it difficult at times to push aside the mama bear and remember that my husband is on my team – that it is not all up to me to protect and nourish our son.

I highly recommend this book (and Rebecca’s blog) to any new parent, but especially those out there who struggle with the new identity that comes along with motherhood.  I think there is something in this book for all of us parents, not the least of which is a feeling that we aren’t alone in the struggles and celebrations that come along with creating life.

Rebecca was completely charming and absolutely delightful to meet.  I personally love how much she curses, and laughed heartily when she explained that her son’s limited vocabulary is heavily laden with curse words.  Maybe it’s a California girl thing, maybe it’s a young mom thing, or maybe it’s just our stubborn refusal to give our pre-baby selves up completely.  Whatever it is, I love it.  I will cherish my signed copy of her book, in which she wrote:

Ewok Mama, you are wild and wonderful and rockin’!!  All my love to you and kisses for Jack.  Love always, Rebecca

Rebecca Woolf is currently touring the west coast to promote her book; see her schedule here.  For you local bay area folks, you can see her in San Francisco tonight at 7:30pm!

Contest time!  Leave a comment to tell me a little something about your transition to motherhood (or planned transition!) and win a free copy of the book!  (Winner will be chosen at random.  Contest ends 4/30/08.)

The info that saved me

With the new babies popping up all around me, I figured I’d compose a link list of information that has saved me time and again.  Perhaps y’all will learn something new, or add some of your own!

Ask Moxie, for her wonderful, practicul parenting advice, particularly her post about sleep and her series on preventing post-partum depression.

Wonder Weeks because it helps to know when to expect a cranky baby and that it is totally normal.

The Car Seat Lady, who explains everything you need to know to make sure your baby is safe while traveling in a car, and Car-Safety.org which gives you benefit analyses of all the different carseat types, although I wish both would also provide information on the dangers of seats with overhead shields (which I am always shocked to see in use).

Breastfeeding as Baby Grows, an incredibly informative article on what to expect as your child ages (and when to expect any annoying behavior to end!).

Karen’s Cloth Diapering Site, with useful information about cloth diaper types, tutorials on folding prefolds, and information on nighttime diapering.

Kellymom.com, the most amazing breastfeeding website ever!  I have often referred to her information on growth spurts, comfort nursing, how to tell if baby is getting enough to eat by breast, information on feeding expressed breastmilk (because many people are feeding too much!), what to do for low milk supply for pumping moms, and introducing solids to babies.  There is so much more information contained in the site but these are the articles I have gone back to again and again.

The ivillage Breastfeeding/Lactation Consultant message board.  If you’ve been reading my site long, you know of the many issues I’ve had throughout my breastfeeding stint.  I absolutely would not have gotten through it without the ladies on this board.

The ivillage Pregnant after a Loss message board.  Being pregnant after a loss of a child can be stressful.  I found it comforting to be surrounded by women who shared my worries and celebrated the invisible milestones along with me.

Ask Dr. Sears, which is where I turn when I have questions about illness because I know I’ll get a straight answer without alarmist information.  I don’t always agree with the mindset of the Sears’ but I do trust them.

A book about love

I was sent an advanced reading copy of the book I Love You More, written by Laura Duksta and illustrated by Karen Keesler (together nicknamed “Hippie and the Bald Chick“).  The book is a picture book with a great story about the love between a mom and her son.  One part of the story starts in the front of the book and the other can be read when you flip the book over.  They meet in the middle with the beautiful sentiment, “I love you more….”

Jack and I did our duty and sat down to read the book together as soon as I opened the package.  We both really enjoyed it!  It is written with subtle rhyme and the illustrations are vibrant and gorgeous.  I love the fact that Jack and I now have a book to read that is just about us – a mom and her little boy (although wouldn’t it be great if they made multiple versions for all types of parents and children? hint hint!).

This would be an awesome holiday buy for new parents, as well!