Win a Breastfeeding Essentials Bundle from Earth Mama Angel Baby

Welcome to the Honor the Earth Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and Brittleby’s Corner through the Green Moms Network! This April we want to help you Honor the Earth in celebration of Earth Day by giving you the opportunity to win some amazing eco-friendly prizes. 

After entering my giveaway, be sure to hop around and enter all of the other giveaways listed on the linky at the bottom of this post for your chance to win great eco-friendly gear!

When I started thinking about what to give away that would honor the earth, I couldn't help thinking about the way GMOs are destroying it. I often write about how GMOs are affecting our food supply, but today I wanted to share another concern I have: GMOs in our personal care products. It's something we don't think about a lot, right? But if there are food byproducts (like oils, etc.) in our personal care products, naturally, there is some danger of them being contaminated by genetically modified organisms. UNLESS we stick to organics, in which case they are GMO-free.

I know a lot of you are nursing moms. Have you ever thought about that nipple cream you're using? Unless it's labeled organic or non-GMO, chances are, you're breastfed baby is ingesting some nasty genetically engineered substances. Yck!

With all this in mind, naturally I thought of Earth Mama Angel Baby. And why not? When they say "zero toxins," they mean zero toxins. Let's take a look at their Natural Nipple Butter. This was the first lanolin free, Non-GMO Project Verified nipple cream on the market. Keep in mind that what goes on your skin ends up being absorbed by your skin and makes its way into your system. That's why I'm adamant about the skincare products I endorse.

By now, you're probably aware that GMO crops are Roundup Ready. What does that mean? It means they have built-in herbicides. Despite Monsanto's claims that this is safe for consumption, there are many experts who disagree. There is growing concern that glyphosate poses a grave danger to both animals and humans... not to mention what it's doing to the earth. It's almost unthinkable that even natural, holistic moms are introducing glyphosate into the bodies of their newborns through their breast milk, through no fault of their own.

Lanolin is another concern, as it comes from sheep sebaceous glands and can cause sensitivity in both mamas and babies. Since sheep are constantly treated with pesticides to ward off mites and parasites, the lanolin is tainted. Plus (as if you need any more motivation to steer clear of it), commercially processed lanolin comes from chemically scoured wool. Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals. Come to Mama, Baby, and sup on a chemical cocktail. No. No. No. 

Earth Mama's Natural Nipple Butter is carefully formulated and certified by Oregon Tilth and, like I said, is Non-GMO Project Verified. Now let's say it again, "Come to Mama, Baby." Yes. Yes. Yes. 



While they are striving to have all their products certified Non-GMO Project Verified, the facts are that the certification process is complex and expensive. Eventually, all EMAB products will bear the seal, but not until "FoodChain Global Advisors scrutinize every Earth Mama ingredient, from soil to seed, to plant." [from EMAB blog]

While anything that is Certified Organic is free from GMOs, the Non-GMO Project's Product Verification Program provides additional peace of mind. 

The mamas at EMAB provide a good answer to the question: What is a GMO? Here is some of what they say:

A GMO is a genetically modified organism, or basically any plant or animal whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques... Unlike with traditional crossbreeding, GMOs could not occur naturally. 

Crops that are most likely to be genetically modified are: Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Papaya, Soy, Sugar Beets, Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash. And here are some common ingredients derived from those crops: Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Socium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings ("natural" and "artificial"), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products.

So, breastfeeding mamas, take heart. You can trust the products for you, and for your babies, from the caring folks at Earth Mama Angel Baby. And they've graciously offered to give away a Breastfeeding Essentials Bundle, valued at over $35, to one lucky winner in the U.S. 

Mama's Breastfeeding Essentials Bundle includes:

• Organic Milkmaid Tea 1 box
• Natural Nipple Butter 2 fl. oz.
• Booby Tubes® 1 pair

Just enter below. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond before an alternate winner is chosen via Random.org.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Disclosure: This contest will run through April 22, 2015 at 8:59 pm PST (11:59 pm EST). The winner will be chosen the following day and announced on Green Grandma. No purchase necessary. US entries only. Must be 18 years or older to win. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to this blog and not to Facebook. Please note that Happy Mothering, Brittleby's Corner, the Green Moms Network and the Honor the Earth event bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. We will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify the blog you won a prize from within 4-6 weeks for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.

 

Honoring the Earth -- how my family is making a difference

 

Welcome to the April 2014 Natural Living Blog Carnival: Honor the Earth.  

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Natural Living Blog Carnival hosted by Happy Mothering and Crunchy Farm Baby through the Green Moms Network. This month, our members are talking about how they honor the Earth year round. Stop by all of the posts to get ideas on how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. 


How does my family honor the earth?

I pondered the question for awhile and kept coming up with an alternate question: 

How does my family not honor the earth?

Grandson rocking the cloth right away!

* Cloth diapering. When it comes to living earth-friendly lives, it's not like we're perfect or anything. Far from it. But I'm proud to say we're doing our part, starting with what we put on our babies' bums. I'm delighted my daughters decided to cloth diaper my grandbabies right from the start. They're honoring the earth by not dumping countless disposal diapers into the landfill.

 

Jess breastfeeding at a Pittsburgh Pirate game

* Breastfeeding is another way we've honored not only our babies, but the earth as well. After all, there is no production impact on the environment when it comes to breastfeeding. It was my only choice when I had babies, and it was/is their own choice as well. 

Of course, it goes beyond what we do for our babies. Some of the changes we've made are doable for everyone who is reading this.

* Reusable bags. There is no reason . . . NONE . . . for you to continue using plastic bags at the store. The choices in reusable bags are vast, and include many that fold up or roll up and slip easily into a purse or pocket so they are readily and always available.

But I need plastic bags at home for things like cat litter and trash, etc.

I hear you. We use plastic bags for those purposes as well. But we just get them from others who, for one reason or another, continue to acquire vast amounts of plastic bags every week. They gladly give some to us, just to get them out of their own homes. I'm sure you can find others who will accommodate you as well.

I admit it took me awhile to get into the habit of always having reusable bags with me, but habits are like that. They take time to develop. This is a habit that is well worth it.

* Forsaking disposable products. Other than toilet paper, for the most part, our home is free of products like napkins and paper plates. We do have a roll of paper towels stashed under our sink, which is only used for the occasional massive amounts of puke one of our cats manages to deposit on the floor for us. Other than that, we use, and reuse, rags. There's no reason to waste paper towels to clean up average messes and spills. None.

Same with paper/plastic plates. We have a set of splattered metal dishes which is perfect for dining out on the patio. Why would we use something that would just be thrown away after one meal? It makes no sense.

Paper napkins are also a ridiculous waste. I don't even even use them for parties or showers. For the last couple baby showers, my daughters made cute napkins out of receiving blankets we picked up at garage sales for next to nothing, or out of soft fabric they bought. After the showers, the napkins became cloth wipes for the babies delicate behinds. Perfect. 

I must confess, between the homemade ones, inherited ones, gifted ones, and ones I bought, I probably have close to 100 cloth napkins. That keeps us covered when it comes to wiping our hands during a meal . . . even when we're feeding a crowd. 

* Reusable bottles and cups. As much as possible, I do not use Styrofoam or paper cups or plastic bottles. Of course, sometimes I must, but I try to remember to carry my own cups or bottles with me to functions so I don't contribute to the ongoing landfill crisis that is growing with every Starbucks cup that is tossed in the trash.

What's not to love about Earth Mama Angel Baby?

* Personal care products. We're all doing our part here by reducing the amount of toxic personal care products we use. From conventional shampoos to colognes to hair dyes to body lotions, we try to make the best choices possible for both our health and the environment. It takes some research, but it's so worth the effort.

* Household products. Again, it's about choices, and we try our best to keep harmful chemicals out of our kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
 
* Lawn and garden.  I look out my window and see the lush green lawns starting to appear in my neighborhood and I'm struck with a bit of envy. But only for a moment, as I realize the environmental cost of that lushness. We opt to keep products like RoundUp off our properties and cringe as we see it being applied to yards so close to ours. 

We choose plants for our gardens free of neonicotinoids. The last thing I want to do is to be responsible for the killing off of even more bees. This is important folks, and I implore you to not buy plants from Lowe's or Home Depot until they agree to stop using this toxic pesticide. Ask your local gardening centers if their plants are free of it. It's that important.


Obviously, I've given you quite of lot of ways to Honor the Earth. I believe in leading by example, so these are things I am doing . . . except the breastfeeding part. I will say I'm not currently engaging in that!

I'd love to hear that you've committed to one or more of these suggestions. What changes are you willing to make to celebrate Earth Day 2014?



Visit Happy Mothering and Crunchy Farm Baby to learn more about participating in next month’s Natural Living Blog Carnival! Please take some time to enjoy the posts our other carnival participants have contributed: