November 11, 2008
· Filed under Etsy, Etsy Shops, Everyday Stuff, Great Gifts
And soft, and plush, and organic! The Etsy shop Sk Naturals sells (among other things) organic cotton toddler pillows! Good for toddler to age 4 or so, (“so” meaning it makes a great naptime adult pillow too!) the pillow features a soft flannel outside, and organic cotton stuffing inside. The flannel is organic cotton also, so you know your precious ones pillow is pesticide free inside and out!
When ours arrived Blu instantly was feeling snuggly and made it clear how much he enjoyed it. He loves having his own personal pillow (and knowing it’s organic makes me feel better about it too.) It is just so well sized for him, at 12×16 inches, that he just loves to use it. It has it’s place on our big bed right between mommy and daddy’s pillows, and he knows that is HIS spot.
Only when I recently purchased new, non-organic, pillows for my husband and I did I realize how important organic pillows can be. The new pillows had an obvious out-gasing when I removed the plastic it came it. It really made me glad to know that at least Blu wasn’t sucking in those chemicals in his pillow!
I was really pretty impressed with the pillow. The only downside I found was that it got flat rather quickly. It’s almost a pancake already (after just a few months) but Blu doesn’t seem to mind. It’s very likely that a good cleaning will remedy that.
I absolutely HAVE to mention though the absolutely safety and diligence you need when giving your young child a pillow! Please do not give any pillow (organic or otherwise) to an infant! It is very very unsafe to give any pillow to very young children. Please please do practice extreme caution.
When you do truly feel your older toddler is ready for a pillow though I can’t recommend this one enough. They are available at SK Naturals, for $25 plus shipping. The good news also is that when the child feels they have outgrown the size, it is the perfect size for travel or sitting on to watch TV! Care instructions are on the site, which reminds me his probably needs an airing out.
October 21, 2008
· Filed under Baby, Body Products, Etsy, Etsy Shops, Everyday Stuff
Let’s face it you use a lot of boo boo remedies. I found one recently that is natural and vegan! She uses essential oils and butters (as in Shea, not baking) to create a very smooth rich cream. The cream works AMAZINGLY well! The day it arrived a neighbor came to visit and said a bug had bitten her on the way over. After watching her scratch I told her to try it. After just a few minutes the itch was gone and she was
amazed!
The stuff is really amazing. Unlike a lot of creams that contain butter this ones stays creamy in the jar, where many others get thick and melt with your body temperature. This causes a cream that is easier to use. When it comes to how well it works I was REALLY impressed. Rashes, bug bites, cuts, scrapes, it worked wonderfully on them all.
There is one downside. Sometimes natural scents, well they just don’t smell very good. This cream is full of strong scents like Tea Tree and Neem, which work amazingly, but smell kinda yucky. You will notice the scent. The good news is that after you apply it the scents doesn’t seem to linger, so you don’t walk around smelling stinky. It works so well it’s worth the initial odor though! One benefit to this is that unlike the good smelling creams kids don’t want to waste it just to smell good. My son applies creams and lotions ALL the time just because they smell pretty, but this one is reserved for real boo boos.
You can grab yours in three different sizes from Terra Scents . The price varies, obviously, by the size you choose and may seem expensive when compared to mass produced tubes of goo. They are reasonable for a natural product though, and work better than that tube of goo could even dream.
October 8, 2008
· Filed under Etsy, Etsy Shops, Everyday Stuff, For Mom, Great Gifts
Sorry I couldn’t resist that phrase when talking about PurrPrints, an Etsy shop that focuses on our furry mini masters. I received some prints and they were fab! Cute, and just the right touch for a little nook or blank wall space. The service was good, and the owner is super nice. Since then though I have fallen head over heels with her jewelry! She has several great prints, note cards, and even a purse in her shop, but you just can’t overlook 
the pendants.
Her images range from simple cat doodles, like the Floppy Cat aceo, to complex cats filled with designs, like her Ocean Cat, and even to colorful prints, like one of my personal favorites Genie Cat. For the jewelry, usually she shrinks down one of her great prints and applies it to a pendant, but she recently added these amazing cut glass cats too!
One thing I did notice is that some of her prints, the ones with more muted colors, tend to look a bit dull. But I think the glass of a nice frame would remedy that. I think all the prints are purrfect for a small nook, sit one on a shelf, or fill that one empty piece of wall. I decided to hang one somewhere unexpected, a small corner in my hallway. The price have a good range, about $10 or more for a print, and $15 or more for jewelry. She also has ACEOS for $4.50. Just remember ACEOS are tiny! Just the size of a baseball card, but for 25 cents she’ll make it a magnet!
One super cool thing too is that she is environmentally friendly and ships using recycled materials. Your package will arrive unbent, and well packaged, but the reused materials may not be as pretty as the wasteful stuff some companies use.
Be sure to check her out, the items are great if you are a cat lover, but Christmas is around the corner (eek!) and they make great gifts too!
UPDATE- In the comments the store owner has said that she changed her printing process on some prints so that the color pop more then the one I received. So while the muted color wasn’t a bad thing it is gone now!
September 25, 2008
· Filed under Baby, Etsy, Etsy Shops, Everyday Stuff, For Mom, Great Gifts
Chances are if you have a little girl you have. If you have a little boy then maybe you haven’t, but you should, they make great gifts! One Bowtique I discovered is MommyLyssa on Etsy has Riley’s Bowtique which is home to dozens of hair bows and clips. A perfect compliment to all those cute outfits out there! 
She offers several styles and has everything from alligator clip barrettes, to basic bows to dragonfly shaped bows! The designs are really cute, and well made. The best part is that she offers a variety of ways to attach the bow. Unlike many places that only offer one style of barrette, after you pick a style she can put it on an elastic, clip, barrette, or more so that you KNOW you can use it when it arrives!
The quality is really good. I really liked the barrette I got, which I confess was for me. My lovely niece is as bald as can be! I was really happy with everything. The service was good. The turn around time was fast. Shipping is reasonable. Prices vary by style with a pair of plain alligator clips costing just $1.50, and more detailed bows can be as high as $5.50. The owner Alyssa is very professional, and while the results are amazingly professional you’re really supporting another mom and buying a handcrafted bow!
Next time you’re looking for the perfect finishing touch for your daughters outfit, or want a gift check out Ryley’s Bowtique! I think you’ll like it!
September 19, 2008
· Filed under Baby, Etsy, Etsy Shops, Everyday Stuff, Great Gifts
You’ll love this shop, Lil Baby Thangs, where she designs bootie patterns to fit preemies to 12 months old. I intend to make several pairs for a childhood friends new preemie (born at just 29 weeks!) 
Now for the Nitty Gritty, I haven’t been able to try the patterns. My sewing machine has been on the fritz and in and out of the repair shop. So I can’t speak personally about putting them together (yet) what I can say is that the finished items in the photograph look great. The pattern is detailed and well thought out. The instructions are thorough and well written. I think the patterns themselves are pretty great.
The price doesn’t compare with major pattern companies, but good independent patterns never do. The patterns aren’t expensive, just $5-7 a piece, or get five styles for $15. Not to shabby really when you consider each pattern comes in five sizes!
I think they are really awesome actually. If your life has been touched by a preemie, or even if you just feel generous make some. Preemies in the NICU always need special things to help keep them warm, and booties take just scraps of fabric. So check out Lil baby Thangs, and sew some booties for a lucky baby!
When ours arrived Blu instantly was feeling snuggly and made it clear how much he enjoyed it. He loves having his own personal pillow (and knowing it’s organic makes me feel better about it too.) It is just so well sized for him, at 12×16 inches, that he just loves to use it. It has it’s place on our big bed right between mommy and daddy’s pillows, and he knows that is HIS spot.
