Monkey Farts...for the bath....who knew

Out and about the other day on the web and I came across a product that would make any bath fun. I have not personally used this product, but plan on having my son test it out very son. The product is called Carvel County Crayon Soup. The soup does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate(SLS) (learn more about SLS here)  The Monkey Farts scent is a combination of bananas, bubblegum, kiwi and strawberries. You can find this and all sorts of other fun products at Everything Eco or click here. 

This company is out of Canada and they only provide products from retailers that produce products that do not harm the environment. They include organic items that are from the best resources and even many recycled products. Their items are unique and make perfect gifts.

Enjoy your Monkey Farts and whatever else you find!!

Some cute things at Zulily! Current Sales end June 29th!

If you want a great deal you better act fast. Zulily is offering some very cute items! You have to become a member to access the sales. Check out some of the items which are 50% off or more!  Disclaimer, just because I show them on here, does not mean your size will be available once you log in. Act fast, the current cute sales are ending June 29th. Click here to go to sales.

Bees and Dragons Boys $24.99 (originally $42.00)

Express Arts Monkey Polka Dot Body Suit  $17.99 (originally $30)

Jen Jen Sundress $27.99 (originally $52.00)

"Honey, stay with Mommy/Daddy"

How many times have you said it? How many times have you contemplated taking your 2 year old out with your 9 month old, but he/she is the type to stay in the double stroller? Well bring on a simple solution. My oldest sister loves it and for the price you should get one and give to someone having their 2nd child. What is the solution(s)?

The product my older sister loves is called the Tag*a*Long. This product is perfectly priced and the best solution to the straggling toddlers.This little product will give your little one a sense of independence as they can claim their own spot, during your outings. Use with a shopping cart, too. It attaches without tools! You can clean it with either soap and water, or my favorite vinegar and water.

                                                                                                                                                                                       Looking for a different option, take a look at the Stroller Strap. This strap easily adjustable padded wrist loop, adjustable to 20" long. You can also attach to stroller, shopping cart or even belt loop. 

Great price too! 

 

There is WHAT in sunscreen?

Here is a post for all those out there that either don’t know what is in your sunscreen or you are sitting there scratching your head wondering which sunscreen is best for you and your children. Get ready to click, take notes even. There is a lot of information on this so I am going to summarize it the best way a sister can, with the facts…….just the facts.

              My hope is that you do a little clicking and make an educated decision based on the information provided. At the bottom of this post will be links to my recommended sunscreen and the best places to purchase them. You might be surprised it will not be Target or Baby R Us. 

               If you don’t know you should,  in a lot of the sunscreens on the market (children’s and adult) there are hazardous chemicals that penetrate the skin, which is our largest organ.   First off, bookmark this site Environmental Working Group (EWG), they have recently placed their 4th Annual “Best Sunscreen Guide” up. You can gather all the information you need to make an educated decision. They recommended only 39 sunscreens, which is 8% of the 500 beach and sport sunscreens. They looked at 1,400 products with SPF. This list includes beach and sport lotions, sprays and creams as well as moisturizers, make-up and lip balms.

                Take a look at the left hand side of the web site at “Sunscreen Exposed.” You will also find a place to search for your sunscreen and see what types of ingredients are in it. EWG rates the ingredients as follows 0-2 as “recommended”, 3-6 “caution” and 7-10 “avoid.” EWG does a great job at putting the facts out there with information that can help you determine what fits your family.

                Take some notes or put this in your memory banks. EWG has a list of ingredients to AVOID. From what I read, sunscreen makers offer mineral and non-mineral formulations as well as products that have both in them.  The below list are the top ingredients that you should watch out for.

Click here to read the article and the reasons why these ingredients need to be avoided.

Benzophenone-3 (Oxybenzone) EWG recommends avoiding using on Children due to penetration and toxicity concerns.

4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor (4MBC)- strong evidence of hormone disruption

3-Benzylidene Camphor

Octylmethoxycinnarnate (OMC)

So what are my picks? I love California Baby. This product comes in a Stick which is great for application on the face as well as a lotion and with Citronella. This products rated very low (which is good) for its ingredients. Nothing scored over a 2. Where can you get California Baby products?  Diapers.com, Amazon,  Target or their website. You can click to Diapers.com and Amazon (click to the left) straight from Helpful Sister.

The other one I have recommend, but have not tried, is All Terrain. They offer Aquasport Performance, Terrasport and Kidsport Sunscreens, all at 30 spf. You can also purchase this on Amazon, click to the left.

For the complete list of EWG recommended sunscreens please click here. 

Happy Sunshine, happy skin, sounds like a great Summer 2010.

Happy Blankie Giveaway...This would be fun to win!!

Have you heard of Happy Blankie? I just heard about them today and I am loving them. What a great concept and did you know it was created by a 7 year old?  What is so wonderful about this company, created by a 7 year old, is that EVERY blanket purchased they give away a blanket to a child in need and YOU get to decide who gets it. These blankets combine every child love for stuff animals with their love of a soft cozy blanket.

 Why not enter to win this blanket? Why not purchase a few! Happy Blankie says "Smile On." Do you have a smile on your face right now? Well, what is stopping you? Mommy PR, click here,  who is having a Happy Blankie contest, which end June 29th! So get your entries in. Or just go visit Happy Blankie here, and see the very cute designs and get one or a few for yourself. What a great idea and what an impact this young man is making at such a young age. Just a little reminder to me and you that you can do, be, have whatever you desire. As Happy Blankie says "Smile On!"

Deal of the Day Extended for Saturday: Green Nursery.... ERGO BABY CARRIERS

I have been torn between purchasing the Ergo and now The Green Nursery is helping with a 10% discount, Ends SAT June 19th!!  Plus FREE Shipping (over $75). In honor of Father's Day, enter 'Dad'. Today only Moms and Dads!! Click here to start your search and find.

If you are wondering what to put your little one in the Ergo is a great choice. I have heard nothing but great things about them, however I personally have not been able to try them out. Here are just a few facts:

• Waist belt extends an additional 5 inches from 30 inches to a maximum of 48 inches
  
• Shoulder straps extend an additional 4 inches compared to our standard carrier
  
• Body of carrier is 35% cotton and 65% polyester
  
• 400 threads per inch cotton poplin lining and hood
  
• One inch, high density foam in shoulder straps
  
• Quarter inch high density neoprene foam in waist belt
  
• High Quality buckles tested by SGS
  
• Sleeping hood adjusts in length to growth of baby
  
• Reinforcement stitching used at all fabric intersections
  
• Interior rip-stop reinforcements at critical intersections
  
• High quality black webbing
  
• Machine washable, gentle cycle

My Best Birth site doing Little Twig Giveaway plus a huge discount!!

One of my favorite sites for pregnancy is at it again. Ever heard of Little Twig baby products? Click here to go to My Best Birth site and to learn how you could 30% off your next purchase. They are also doing a giveaway that ends June 30th. Simple to enter, just email them your contact info. Check it out and good luck. If you win, let me know!!!!

Eco Phone Home!

Great little gift for your little one. Under $10....buy a few and pass them out when your friends have babies.

Peddle Peddle....with your child

Well I was out looking around today and found a pretty neat product. It is called iBert Safe-t-Seat. 

This seat is different from what I have seen before, since your child sits behind the handle bars, normally. What a concept? Will it fit your child?It is designed for children age 4 and under. The minimum age is 12 months as the child needs to be able to sit up well and hold the weight of a helmet on his/her head. The maximum height of the child that can use the safe-T-seat is 42 inches. Kids much taller than that will be uncomfortable. The recommended max weight is 38 lbs. Above 38 lbs and the maneuverability of the bike may be affected. 

The cost is around $95 with $15 plus for shipping.

Check out the site here and decide for yourself if you want to get one! If you do get one, let me know your thoughts. They have received great reviews from what I have seen and kids look gosh darn cute out for rides. You can even check their site and see if it is sold in your area.

Baby Steals Reaches 50,000+ fans! Win Aden + Anais Products

One of my most favorite places to find amazing deals has reached 50,000+ fans on Facebook...Baby Steals.com! 

To celebrate they are giving away one of each of Aden +Anais Products, but you have to enter by June 18th (friday) It is easy to enter too!!! Here are just a few samples of Aden + Anais products. Read more to get the link to enter!!!

All you have to do is go to this link here, say what you love about their facebook page and that is it. Not a fan? What are you waiting for? Babysteals.com has a brother and a sister site too. One is called Kidsteals.com and Scrapbooksteals.com. Every day each site offers an item at a very steep discount. Once the product is gone, the sale is over. Great place to find gifts for friends, family and even yourself. Now get out there and become a fan. It is fun to save, isn't it?

Skinny waisted kids, big waisted pants...Solution Dapper Snapper

I have not yet come across this issue but I do have a sister who seems to have a hard time finding pants that fit my skinny nephew. It seems this solution might do the trick. Found this great item on one of my favorite blogs Eco.Logical.Mom and had to re-post. What a great idea for those parents who has kids that have skinny waists. Some have said it is been a life saver. 

Click the link to Amazon on side and get yours. Write me back and let me know what you think?

Deal of the day: Green Nursery....Get your toys and save!!!

Tuesdays Deal of the day!!! Toys Toys Toys!!

Tuesday's 'Deal of the Day' - Spend $50 on already discounted Plan Toys and get an additional $10 Off!! Use Coupon 'plan-10' after adding the correct amount to cart. Today only! Click here to start your shopping experience.

 

Don't leave behind your style! Get 20% off your order...that always helps

              As parents, do you sometimes feel that you have to leave behind your style when it comes to baby items like, nursing covers, car seat covers, even nursing pads. Then there is being eco-friendly with all the choices out there. So much to consider when a parent, but I found a site that I am loving. Itzy Ritzy is a great spot to find everything from nursing covers, car seat/ toddler covers, stroller covers, wet bags and much more. They have a great selection of very hip and stylish fabric, too. 

               Want me to keep going? Well, they also have a cool product called Baby Bamboo which is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and deodorizing. Bamboo needs no harsh chemicals that can irritate tender skin .Bamboo fabric even has an inherent UV protection factor. They have so many items using this product. You might just have to get one of everything.

        Check them out. First go to Cool Mom Picks TODAY, click here. They are having a great little giveaway on one of their products, the Snack Happened Reusable Snack Bag. These little guys are washable, eco-friendly and stylish. Great for your little ones to get in out of too since they are made withe a lead free zipper. How could you not try them? Did you know you can get 20% off your order?  Get the code at Cool Mom Picks, plus the link to their site! 

Tuesday must be TOY Day!!!!

If you have babies, tots or children then you must have toys. You might have toys in your bedroom, your kitchen, under things, on top of things. What do you do with all these toys? How do you store them and be kind to the environment while not having the smell of toxins fill the air? 

Here is the answer! FranklinGoose.com offers some pretty neat storage boxes called Way Basics Eco Friendly Storage Cube. First off, I saw a great review on Cool Mom Picks which said they are easy to assemble, no tools actually, so you and your kids can take part and building these. They are made from recycled paper but are stronger and durable. You can even use them as a step stool. They come in all sorts of colors and are such a great price, $20 a cube!! How do you find them? Click the banner above for Franklin Goose then search for "Way Basics Eco Friendly Storage Cube"

                                                                                                                                                                      Now that you have your storage taken care of. You might need some more toys. How about this for ages 3-8? It is called the Balancing Cactus. This little toy challenges your toddler and develops planning and imagination. It also is fun and a great way to develop math and analytical skills. Your little one can make this a game with others or just sit and have some time by themselves. Click the link below to purchase or to learn more.

I won I won!!!

The amount of times I have won anything can be counted on maybe one hand. It seems that my Irish luck was with me since The Green Nursery picked me as the lucky winner of $50 to use at their site. What did I have to do win this? Well, they had a contest to get to certain number of fans on their Facebook page. They then picked a random lucky winner, and my name came up. Join them on Facebook and find out what they are up too. Check back here daily too, since I post their daily deals!!!

I can not wait to get online and start to look for my items. What can you get on this site? Gift Cards, create a wish list, even a registry for you new bundle. They have all the best organic toys, a staggering selection of cloth diapers, feeding and even the Skuut Balance Bike, plus free shipping over $75!

          For fun to my readers, check out their site (The Green Nursery) and then come back and comment on your favorite item. Maybe I use my 50$ towards your choice and then give it away, here on my blog. You just never know! Don't wait to long to search, look for my selection by the end of June. 

Thanks to The Green Nursery for making my week, even year. Congrats on your success and looking forward to picking my loot.

The Helpful Sister

Great deals to stretch that hard earned dollar!!

Who says organic baby clothing is expensive. Stretch your dollar with these cute body suits. Click the link to your left to view more. So cute, so soft and so good for your baby!

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Co- Sleeper on sale at Green Nursery (15%) Use code "arms-reach" Plus get free shipping.

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 (sign up required to access sale)

 Reversible blue & yellow skirt is $31.99 on sale from  $60.00! 

plus some other very cute girl clothes 50% off. Sales only last for a few days, while supplies last. 

Check it out here

Father's Day Grill Deal & Cloth Diaper Accessory discount

Got a grill master in your house? Then update his current set or get him these accessories at a 20% discount. Click link here to get code and find out where you might be able to get these.

Just a few more hours to save 10% off cloth diapers accessories. Use code SAVEDA when you check out. Diaper Junction has a sale until Midnight tonight (6/6/10). Get your accessories for your little one and save a little doing it. Click here to go to site.

New Hells Bells Sale Posted

Always check Hells Bells Sales and Off Topic Sales. New Posts weekly.

Aahhh Overwhelmed by all the eco-friendly, organic baby products out there?

Start here...

        With so many products out there how does a parent decide what to purchase for their baby when it comes to Organic, Eco- Friendly? As parents it is up to us to care for our child since they can not do it themselves. Parents want to do what is best for them, right? Well, maybe this short video from ABC News,  will help lead you in the right direction. 

          Dr.Alan Greene goes through the biggest things to look for and what products and brands to purchase. I highly recommend the book, Raising Baby Green, they discuss as well. There are so many things that a baby can ingest through their mouths, skin and nose so learn what things to watch out for but also what to put on your registry or "must have" list.

Click here to go to video

Teething Baby? 25% off teething solutions at The Green Nursery

Have a teething baby at home, or have a friend who might have one. Get some great teething solutions TODAY ONLY at The Green Nursery! Take 25% when you use code swollen-gums. Click here to go to page.

Hey! Busy Moms and Dads.....Best Do Ahead Breakfasts!

You have the time, come on you have the time. There are 24 hours in this day so I would think you busy Moms and Dads out there could find the time to do some baking and cooking for breakfast. I would have to say the best thing I did was have my 100% satisfaction guarantee, Weyler Family Buttermilk Pancakes made into a mix. I make a huge batch of dry ingredients then just add the wet, whenever our taste buds start jumping for some of these yummy goodies. Plus, I always make more than we can devour, put the leftovers in a Ziploc bag, then freezer. All is left is to get out the toaster and pure 100% maple syrup when we need a quick breakfast. Want the recipe, just ask for it helpfulsister@gmail.com. 

In the mean time, I came across a great article on how to do some Do-Ahead Breakfast ideas. Get your notepad out, check your pantry then start making some of these ideas habits. You will find your time spent more with your family, kids and friends, which is time spent to the fullest. 

Enjoy. Click here!

Plastic Toys that are BETTER than.....

Click here to read more. You can even get these toys at Target!!! Perfect for a gift or for your registry.

Banana for a splinter...alternative herbal remedies for Babies & Kids

Here is a great article on one of my favorite sites, Safbaby.com. 

Time to get comfortable using alternative methods to help you Baby or Child when they are in discomfort. Wouldn't it be nice to have your own alternative medicine cabinet? I know my husband and I have really come to like Chamomile. We also found some great salve called Healing Salve (Herbally Grounded, Las Vegas) which has Plantain, Comfrey, Olive Oil and Bees Wax. No worries if your little one ingests a little either. We use this salve on diaper rashes, scratches, even when we have a "boo boo."

For all you out there who would like to have more an alternative approach to helping your child through a stuffy nose, colic, teething and even getting a splinter out, here is a great article with a great book recommendation for you and your babysitter!  Click here