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September 2017

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In this review, Jonah tries out Weleda Baby Calendula Calming Bath to help heal his nappy rash and relax him ready for a good night’s sleep. Not to be confused with Weleda Calendula Cream Bath. Backstory: after being nappy rash free for fifteen months, Jonah has had quite bad nappy rash these last few days. The problem lies with teething. His nappies have become very runny, and he’s going frequently. A couple of times this week Jonah sat in a dirty nappy, because I hadn’t immediately noticed he’d gone. So I’ve been looking for ways to help Jonah’s skin heal and recover. We’ve forgone our usual natural bubble bath and opted for something milder and with active benefits – Weleda Baby Calendula Calming Bath. We’re big fans of Weleda Calendula baby products. We use the nappy cream and the body wash and shampoo, and we love them both, so I have high…

This post will help you put together a handy toddler first aid kit. Mobile babies and toddlers get in so many scrapes don’t they? Many of these ouchies are treatable at home with lots of cuddles and a few choice first aid kit items. When Jonah started to walk at 13 months, we realised we needed a first aid kit to treat his minor bumps and scrapes. We didn’t want to buy a first aid kit off the shelf, because we wanted more than just practical items like plasters, bandages, and dressings. We also wanted toddler-friendly and natural remedies that would ease common complaints and support Jonah’s body to heal itself. My husband and I aren’t very physical people, so we don’t get injured that often. And luckily, we don’t tend to get poorly much – apart from when Jonah brings the lurgies back from play group. Reflecting this, our…

Which meat eater doesn’t love a traditional Sunday roast chicken with all the trimmings? If you’re following baby led weaning, or feeding a toddler, they will enjoy this staple family meal too. A traditional accompaniment to classic roast chicken is a delicious chicken gravy. So good – Sunday dinners wouldn’t be the same without it. So here is my recipe for no added salt chicken gravy, suitable for babies. Most traditional gravies are too salty for babies and toddlers – Bisto Gravy Granules have 14g salt per 100g! The government recommendation for babies under 1 year is 1g of salt, rising to 2g for 1 year plus. Anything with more than 1.5g salt per 100g is considered to have a high salt content and will be unsuitable for babies and toddlers. But I wouldn’t have Jonah missing out at our Sunday meal time! So I created a quick and easy chicken…

In this post, I review Lavera Basis Sensitiv Roll On Deodorant. These days, I’m able to forgo deodorant far more frequently. Despite being a healthy beauty product advocate, I try to minimise my use of personal care products as much as I can. Some days it just doesn’t matter if I’m not as fresh as a daisy. Jonah doesn’t care! However when I do wear deodorant I’m pretty picky about what goes on my pits. I’ve written previously about the aluminium in antiperspirant debate, and I still choose not to use aluminium salts on my skin. Not just because of aluminium controversy, but because I don’t want to suppress my skin’s sweating, or reduce the number of good bacteria in my underarms. I’m a big fan of Lavera Basis Sensitiv deodorants which contain no aluminium salts or alcohol. The deodorants are certified by NaTrue and are suitable for use during…

Woke up this morning with a lovely comment in my inbox – I was thrilled to discover I’ve been nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award. Massive thanks to Marie at My So Called Crunchy Life for nominating me! Marie’s blog is close to my heart, as it talks about subjects like breastfeeding, and living a healthy lifestyle with your littles. You can read her acceptance post there. It’s so nice when a fellow member of the blogging community recognises your efforts in producing blog content – so big virtual hugs to you, Marie! Accepting the award requires answering some questions that will help support fellow bloggers at the start of their blogging careers: Why did I start blogging? Natural skincare is my passion. I want to help parents find healthy alternatives to the products they find in chemists and supermarkets. I love to diary my life with photos and writing, and my…

As the nights start to draw in, I’m starting to think about a healthy scented candle. Home fragrancing is possible in a myriad of ways, but nothing beats a candle for both ambience and fragrance. I absolutely adore candles. I unashamedly love browsing candle displays in shops. Who can resist having a sniff of candles with such enticing names, like “fluffy towels”, “bourbon wood barrels”, and “aloe water”, just to see if they smell as good as they sound? Me and candles, we have a long history together. I enjoyed my first visit to a candle factory aged 7 years old, where I dipped my first candle at Cheshire Workshops. Dabbling in candle making at home for the last decade or so, I started by buying all the kit – paraffin wax pellets, stearic acid, artificial fragrance, and colouring. The dangers of paraffin wax candles When the health risks of…

Want to know one of my desert island natural beauty products? Green People Gentle Cleanse and Makeup Remover! I’ve never found a better product at removing eye liner and mineral makeup than this. Using it is a self-care ritual that makes daily cleansing a pleasure. I have used it for many years and wouldn’t change it for another cleanser. It’s creamy, it’s comforting, and it’s expensive. But it’s totally worth it! If I’ve been wearing makeup, then I’ll double cleanse with this and the equally fantastic Green People Foaming Face Wash. If I’ve not been wearing makeup, then I’ll just use foaming face wash or water, since I only like to use the bare minimum amount of product possible. In the morning, I finish my cleansing routine with Green People Day Solution moisturiser. The cleanser removes eye makeup without irritation. It comes in a handy pump dispenser which I love, as…