JANUARY specials

First, DOUBLE hostess half priced rewards. Applies to Rewards Value total of party sales.

And Clearance sale:
https://www.naturalfamilyboutique.com/Shop/NFBClearance.aspx
Discontinued items, like my beloved Podegi! Snap 'em up while they're still available!

All Natural Sunscreen

All-Natural Sunscreen
Thank you to Leslye, mother of 4yo Miguel. Leslye gets free S&H on her next order!
I love NFB's All Natural Sunscreen. It is easy to spread (no nasty
white streaks), it doesn't make your eyes water, and it has a really lovely and light herbal fragrance, in contrast to other sunscreens that make you smell like, well, sunscreen. My son has eczema and I found that other sunscreens tended to irritate his skin, but not NFB's. I myself put it on exposed areas every morning after I shower, no other moisturizer is needed, and I have dry skin! All this and it's paraben-free! -- Leslye

Earth Day

Thanks to those who stopped by on Earth Day! I was hoarse by day's end after talking to so many people. It was a great opportunity to dispel some cloth diapering myths and show off new diapering innovations.

Special thanks to Mary and Valeri for helping me at my booth. I needed it, as the wind was really kicking up by then. They both received a free Fuzzi Bunz diaper for their help.

Podegi Love

I used a padded ring sling with my first daughter. It was a gift and it served me well. With my second, I opted for a wrap sling (like the Moby Wrap or EllaRoo Wrap). I wanted something that would distribute the baby's weight over both shoulders and hips. As most of you know, I LOVE the Moby. It is so versatile and I still use it with my two year old when I want a hip carry. But I've recently discovered the korean-style Podegi.

You should also discover the Podegi if:
you have an older/bigger baby or toddler who needs to be held often.
you're pregnant and still like/need to wear a baby. The Podegi can tie over your "bump."
you have shoulder trouble (the wide version has a shoulder-free traditional carry option).
your baby always needs you when you're wanting to cook, clean, etc.

I couldn't have discovered it at a better time. I never thought I'd be wearing a two year old. My oldest was done with the sling as soon as she was able to walk. My youngest, though, needs to be carried every day, around the time I'm making dinner. "Up, up!" I hear. The hip carry wasn't working when I was trying to cut tomatoes for the salad. And she was finally too big for the back carry in the Moby. The Podegi answered my prayers!

I have the narrow style and put her on my back to get work done, when grocery shopping and running errands. And sometimes when she just asks for it. The weight is mostly on my hips, as I carry her in the piggy-back style position. She was recently sick aknd I wore her on my front, as well. We both were quite content.

If you are a Moby wearer, this should be an easy transition for you. It has long straps, but thinner than the Moby's. On my third try I had it down. I use the narrow style, good for toddlers and summer time (less material covering baby's legs). The wide style is great for all babies and for a mom with shoulder trouble, as she can wear it wrapped around her chest and not put weight on her shoulders.

And, as always, any of you who venture into Podegi territory will not venture alone. I will be there to help. If at $69 the Podegi is currently out of your budget, don't forget with just $100 in collective party sales, you can get it at half price!
(Quick! There are a few wide style podegi's in the clearance sale. Get one now!)

 

A Cleaning Spray your kids can Use

NFB's Clean Home Spray
If you know me, you know I'm not what you'd call an obsessive cleaner. Part of that is that most cleaners scare me. I'm definitely afraid of bleach! I have always used homemade concoctions with either baking soda and Dr. Bronner's or vinegar and tea tree oil. They work fine, especially with some elbow grease behind them. And the smell of vinegar never bothered me much.

Well, lately my kitchen is cleaner because it's a wee bit more fun to clean. I have been using the Lavendar & Tea Tree Clean Home Spray and have been very impressed. First, I used it on tough counter spots the plain sponge didn't tackle solo. Then, I tried it on the range fan. You know gunky and gross that gets? Well, this stuff took it right off with no effort. And the resulting smell is fantastic.

And this morning, I had my four-year old help me clean! I have never, ever been comfortable letting her clean with anything except water! But today she felt "big" using the spray bottle to clean and I got help with the cleaning. My friend Vali says something like, "I'm the kind of person who would rather my kids eat off a dirty floor than one I just cleaned with floor cleaner." This is how I am, as well. But now I use Clean Home on my floor and feel good about it.

Technical info on Clean Home: Our Household products are non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, free of volatile organic chemicals, biodegradable, user friendly, not tested on animals, and contain all cruelty free ingredients. Our products contain: no dyes, no fragrance, no petroleum, no optical brighteners, no phosphates, no SLS, no chlorine, no NTA or EDTA, no ammonia, no aromatic hydrocarbons, no formaldehyde, no kerosene, no NPE's, no ethyl cellosolve, no masking agents and no fillers. The products are non-flammable, non-corrosive, pH balanced, are not considered household hazardous waste and non-caustic.

While we are not required to disclose our ingredients, we do want you to be aware of the ingredients that we used to create this safe and effective product line. We use a mildly acidic vinegar which is a diluted solution of acetic acid (CH3COOH), Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) in solution, Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3) in solution, Boric Acid (H3BO3) in solution, Denatured Alcohol (C2H6O), Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), Sodium Chloride (NaCl), Magnesium Sulfate (MsSO4) and other food based ingredients such as crème of tartar and aloe vera along with a coconut based surfactant.

Great Movie reviews to read before taking kids to movies

http://www.screenit.com/search_movies.html
I've had this bookmarked for awhile, but so far we've only watched movies at home with my girls and usually have already seen them or know they're "safe." Like Veggie Tales. I pretty much know those will be OK for them.

But this weekend we thought we'd venture into new territory. For the first time ever, we took a family trip to the movie theater! We saw Curious George and I checked out the review on this site and it was right on. It outlines things like:
bad language
sex
violence
bad attitudes
scary music (a big deal that we tend to forget)
jumping
tobacco and alcohol usage

I think the review caught more than I even saw. Based on the review we decided it would be a good movie for our girls and it was.

Ideally, parents would be able to see the movie first. But at over $9 a pop for a ticket, that can add up. This site is an invaluable tool for those wanting to take a trip to see a new movie.

Welcome to Natural Family Favorites

Most people in Albuquerque's parenting community know me as "The Diaper Lady" or "The Signing Lady." And sometimes "The Sling Lady." I love all those titles. So welcome from the Diaper/Singing/Sling lady. I hope to use this tool to share tips, wisdom, encouragement and more, all in conjunction with my various businesses:
http://www.naturalfamilyfavorites.com
http://www.sign2speak.com