In these cases, donated breastmilk improves the health outcome for the baby and is the preferred option over formula.

I have been lucky enough to be accepted as a breastmilk donor for our local hospital, so most days I pump a bottle full and stash in the freezer ready to take batches up to the RD&E.

The milk will be used to give feeds to sick and premature babies in the NNU, rather than supplement with artificial formula, until such time as the mother is able to nurse her baby herself.

I consider myself to be very fortunate as I have a good supply and, following some initial difficulties, find breastfeeding my children to be very easy and rewarding.

This is my way of showing my gratitude and of helping out other families in their time of need.

If you would like to find out more about breastmilk donation in the UK, you can visit

UKAMB

Informal milk sharing arrangements can also be arranged, see:

Human Milk for Human Babies

7 Gifts – Health – The gift of donated breastmilk is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Another Great Reason to Breastfeed
2. Breastmilk Storage Bottles, reduced
3. Using an electric breast pump allowed me to continue breastfeeding

The problem I have with NY Resolutions is that they are always focused on you as a person, a promise to be a better person, to miraculously change who you are, as if making one simple promise is all it takes to become the mythical being you have always wanted to be.

This year I am going to take my cue from The Eden Project (followers of Exeter Baby Activities will already know about our fab family day out there yesterday) and adapt their Seven Gifts and Wishes.

So my New Year’s Resolution is to share one of these each day and keep a blog diary each week to see how I am doing.

The Seven Gifts and Wishes are:

The Planet

Music

Love and Friendship

Laughter

Hope

Time

Health and Wellbeing

I love this idea from the Eden Project – I can see that some of them are going to be hard to do on a regular basis but they will encourage me to give back some of my time and energy, to focus outwards rather than purely inwards.

I don’t have any specific promises to make on these at the moment but it should make for an interesting year!

New Year Resolutions is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Christmas Stocking Fillers
2. Natural Nursery Nominated for an Award
3. Award Nomination

BabyLegs

BabyLegsare multi-use legwarmers for babies.  They can be used in lots of ways to protect your baby from the cold or the sun, provide cushioning for crawling babies and make a great fashion statement.

BabyLegs are available in a range of great colours and patterns to suit both boys and girls.

They are one size and will fit from newborn to around 5 years or older. £5.99

Hedgehog Design Long Sleeved Bodysuit, Green Baby

Baby bodysuit in 100% Fair Trade organic cotton with long sleeves and hedgehog print.

This baby vest has nickel free poppers to the crotch (no irritation for delicate skin) and an envelop neck that opens wide for babies who don’t like things being pulled over their heads. In sizes from 0-3 months to 12-18 months. £4.99

PVC-Free Bib – Shortsleeved

Baby bib with short sleeves made from PVC-free, 100% polyester fabric that contains no harmful phthalates, vinyl or latex.

Generously sized, they will fit from around 6 months, all the way through to 2 years old, meaning you will get great value for money. Unlike some cheaper bibs, these really do last and last and as they are not plastic based they will not crack or split. £5.99

Ice Bite Teething Ring, Sophie the Giraffe

Teething toy with 2 textured rings that can be cooled in the fridge to soothe sore gums.  Featuring iconic Sophie the Giraffe design.

This easy to grasp toy has 2 rings that are filled with a liquid that can be chilled in the fridge before giving to baby – the cold will help ease the pain of teething. £5.24

Wooden Baby Rattle, Geo

Wooden rattle in assorted geometric designs with smiling faces and tinkling bell.

The wood is lovely an smooth and tactile and the holes in the sides help exploring fingers grasp, shake and explore. The rattle will tinkle when shaken, developing an awareness of cause and effect as well as giving immediate pleasure.

Safe from birth but most suitable from 3 months up. £2.99

Presents for Babies and Children under £10 (including postage) is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Books for children for under £5 including postage!
2. Breast milk protects babies
3. BabyLegs – Product Review

All you have to do is visit www.naturalnursery.co.uk and leave a review for one of our products.

Leave a comment on this post letting us know what you have reviewed to enter and to get an extra entryemail us a photo of you using the product to stars@naturalnursery.co.uk (with  Star Reviews in the title)

Everyone who enters will get a 10% discount code to use at the Natural Nursery and one lucky winner, drawn at random after the 1st Dec 2011 will be the Featured Star and they will win a goodie bag from www.naturalnursery.co.uk!

Entries from Europe only please and if you send us a photo you are giving us permission to use it on the Natural Nursery websites.

The winner this time was Ciara Goodwin who has been emailed.

Natural Nursery Product Review Stars – win a goodie bag! (ends 1st Dec 2011) is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Natural Nursery Happy Baby Stars – win a goodie bag (ends 15th Dec 2011)
2. Natural Nursery Sling Stars – win a goodie bag (ends 29th Dec 2011)
3. The Natural Nursery Happy Baby Star for December 2011 is Zachary!

The Geo is a wooden rattle in assorted geometric designs with smiling faces and tinkling bell.

The wood is lovely,  smooth and tactile and the holes in the sides help exploring fingers grasp, shake and explore.

The rattle will tinkle when shaken, developing an awareness of cause and effect as well as giving immediate pleasure.

Safe from birth but most suitable from 3 months up.

These rattles are made from wood from renewable sources to strict ethical standards.

Natural Nursery customer Eilis said they are the ‘best rattle I’ve bought – nice bell sound and good size for little hands.’  She gave them 5 out of 5!

The Natural Nursery has a very well thought out selection of toys suitable from birth, chosen for their ethical and environmentally friendly credentials and the amount of play a baby can get out of them.

Geo Wooden Baby Rattle Review – “Lovely Rattle” is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Customer Product Review – Dazzle Rattle, Wooden Baby Toy
2. Fluffy Friday Giveaway – Win a Wooden Teether – ends 18th Aug 2011
3. Wooden Baby Play Gyms

Real Rubbish Reduction

Real Easy to Use

• By the time your baby is potty trained, you are likely to have gone through 5,000 nappy changes.
• Real nappies are an easy to use, practical alternative to disposables.
• With modern nappies there isn’t a pin in sight.
• They come in lots of modern and funky styles that fasten easily with poppers, Velcro or nifty little plastic grips so the nappy fits your baby snugly.
• A liner goes inside the nappy to keep your baby dry and to catch the solids.
• To prevent leaks most real nappies are covered with a breathable waterproof cover available in colourful designs.

Real Savings

• The total cost of using real nappies can be less than half that of using disposables.
• Costs can be as little as £1 per week including the price of detergents and energy.
• No need to soak or pre-wash, just wash at 40⁰ or 60⁰C

Real Nappy Support

• You order a minimum of £30 worth of nappies before discount and not including any other sundry products
• The nappies are for a child under the age of 12 months
• You can only make one claim per child through the Sheffield Real Nappy Network
• You live in the Sheffield area and are liable for Council Tax to us.

Contact

£10 Cashback for Real Nappies in Sheffield is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Leicestershire Real Nappy Network – Cashback and Lending Kit
2. Suffolk Real Nappy Network Trial Kits to Hire
3. Wolverhampton parents get £30 off real nappies.

Every day in the UK 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away.

There is an alternative available real nappies are reusable, washable nappies and a practical alternative to disposables. They are easy and cheap to use and help reduce rubbish going into landfill.

Leeds City Council has run a real nappy incentive scheme for a number of years to encourage and support families in Leeds who want to save some money and the environment.  Since the scheme started the families have saved nearly 700 tonnes of landfill waste.

What is the real nappy incentive scheme?

Parents can either get a free trial pack or £30 cash back when they spend £50 on real nappies.

Trial packs
These are a good way to try the system, especially if it’s your first baby or if you don’t know much about the real nappy system.

The trial pack includes:

• 1 Bum Genius v3 nappy
• 1 Pop-in nappy
• 10 x disposable paper liners
• Instructions and a list of suppliers

These are shaped nappies which can be adjusted to fit as your baby grows.

Cash back
The cash back option is good if you have already decided to use real nappies. Leeds City Council is offering £30 cash back on purchases over £50 from any supplier. This option does not include nappy accessories and proof of purchase will be required to claim the cash back.

This option allows you to:

• Choose your own style of nappy
• Use a nappy laundering service (see suppliers list)

Am I eligible for the real nappy incentive?

• The child’s parents or guardian must be a resident within Leeds City Council boundary.
• The child must be under 12 months old or the expectant mother in receipt of a Mat B1 form.
• To apply for a trial pack or cash back please download a claim form and return to the address listed below with the relevant documentation as indicated on the claim form.
• One trial pack or cash back is available per child.

Real Nappy Incentive Scheme
Environmental Services Communications Team
Knowsthorpe Gate
Cross Green
Leeds
LS9 0NP

Families taking part in the incentive scheme will also be asked to complete a feedback form to help us assess the success of the scheme.

Please note the scheme is subject to availability.

For more information about washable nappies please visit the Natural Nursery Advice and Information Page

Free Real Nappy Trial Pack or £30 Cash for Leeds Parents is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Leeds Real Nappy Incentive – Cash Back or Trial Pack
2. Darlington Real Nappy Incentive Scheme
3. Telford & Wrekin Real Nappy Scheme

Organic Wrap Baby Body Review – “Gorgeous” is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Mitty James Organic Beach Robes
2. Customer Product Review – Organic Cotton Kimono Body 2 Pack, Frugi
3. Customer Product Review – Organic Cotton Washable Baby Wipes

Parents can either get a free trial pack or £30 cash back when they spend £50 on real nappies.

Trial packs
These are a good way to try the system, especially if it’s your first baby or if you don’t know much about the real nappy system.

The trial pack includes:

• 1 Bum Genius v3 nappy
• 1 Pop-in nappy
• 10 x disposable paper liners
• Instructions and a list of suppliers

These are shaped nappies which can be adjusted to fit as your baby grows.

Cash back
The cash back option is good if you have already decided to use real nappies. Leeds City Council is offering £30 cash back on purchases over £50 from any supplier. This option does not include nappy accessories and proof of purchase will be required to claim the cash back.

This option allows you to:

• Choose your own style of nappy
• Use a nappy laundering service (see suppliers list)

Am I eligible for the real nappy incentive?

• The child’s parents or guardian must be a resident within Leeds City Council boundary.
• The child must be under 12 months old or the expectant mother in receipt of a Mat B1 form.
• To apply for a trial pack or cash back please download a claim form and return to the address listed below with the relevant documentation as indicated on the claim form.
• One trial pack or cash back is available per child.

Real Nappy Incentive Scheme
Environmental Services Communications Team
Knowsthorpe Gate
Cross Green
Leeds
LS9 0NP

Families taking part in the incentive scheme will also be asked to complete a feedback form to help us assess the success of the scheme.

Please note the scheme is subject to availability.
If you require additional information please telephone 0113 395 0778 or email info.recycling@leeds.gov.uk.
www.leeds.gov.uk/Environment_and_planning/Recycling_rubbish_and_waste/Recycling__information_and_advice/Real_nappy_scheme.aspx

For more information and advice about cloth nappies and to see the different types available please visit www.naturalnursery.co.uk.

The Natural Nursery is compiling a list of nappy incentives and is on the look out for more so please let us know if there are any in your area we have missed – www.naturalnursery.co.uk/real-nappy-incentive-schemes.html

Leeds Real Nappy Incentive – Cash Back or Trial Pack is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Free Real Nappy Trial Pack or £30 Cash for Leeds Parents
2. Darlington Real Nappy Incentive Scheme
3. Real Nappy Incentive Schemes for London

The kits contain a range of nappies that have been chosen by local sellers as being the best on the market. You can hire a kit for free for two weeks, all we ask is that you provide them with a cheque for £100 as a deposit. This cheque will not be cashed, and will be returned to you when you return the kit to our volunteer.

The kit comes with information cards about each nappy and how to use them. There are also contact details and product listings for all the local sellers, who are members of the Alliance, and can offer you lots of advice and support as well.

The kits are available to anyone in North Somerset, and are currently being administered by Emma in Banwell. If you would like a kit you can contact emma@northsomersetnappies.org.uk to arrange a booking.

Please visit the North Somerset website for more information – www.n-somerset.gov.uk/Environment/Recycling+and+waste/Real+nappies/Hire+Kits.htm

Not in North Somerset but interested in saving money by using cloth nappies? The Natural Nursery is busy compiling a list of reusable nappy incentives so please let us know if there are any we have not found yet.

For more information about reusable nappies please visit the Advice and Information page on www.naturalnursery.co.uk and to see the range of beautiful cloth nappies check out the Reusable Nappy section in the shop.

Try Reusable Nappies for Free in North Somerset is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Suffolk Real Nappy Network Trial Kits to Hire
2. Free Real Nappy Information Pack from Surrey Waste Partnership
3. Leicestershire Real Nappy Network – Cashback and Lending Kit

To receive this great discount you must:

• You must be a resident of Bristol
• Make only one application per child
• Your baby must be less than 12 months old when purchasing
• You must spend £50 or more in a single transaction
• You must send a copy of your MAT B1 or baby’s birth certificate with your application form.
• Use your voucher with one of the retailers signed up to accept the voucher.

To apply for your £30 off today please download and complete the Bristol City Council voucher application form.

Here at the Natural Nursery we are busy compiling a list of Nappy Incentive Schemes so if you know of any that we have not listed please let us know.

If you want to find out more about reusable nappies there is a lot of useful information here www.naturalnursery.co.uk/reusable-nappies-advice.html and you can see the range of beautiful cloth nappies in the Natural Nursery Shop.

Bristol City Council Real Nappy Incentive Scheme is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Leeds Real Nappy Incentive – Cash Back or Trial Pack
2. Darlington Real Nappy Incentive Scheme
3. Oldham Council – Real Nappy Incentives

Rather than being full of formula samples, conventional nappies and chemical laden toiletries, they can contain:

• breastpads
• soap nuts
• eco-washing powder
• chocolate
• morning sickness remedies
• vitamins
• natural toiletiry samples
• special offers from ethical companies

Mama Packs are now available from The Natural Nursery – the packs themselves are free but there is a £3.50 delivery fee due to their weight.

But if your order is over £50, the delivery free is waived, meaning you get your pack for FREE!.

You can order any products that you like, including washable nappies, slings or organic baby clothes, and add a Mama Pack to your order FREE!

Mama Packs Now Available at The Natural Nursery is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Customer Testimonials
2. Special offers for breastfeeding mothers: breast pump accessories
3. FREE UK First Class Post on all Orders

Well what can I say? These are great fitting and really easy to use. You fold the insert bit (front for boys, or the middle for girls) and pop it on, its aplix fastening so dead easy for Dads, Grandparents and friends to use! Once it’s on you need a waterproof PUL, Fleece or Wool cover.

We use Wool/Fleece over our cloth nappies as they let the nappy ‘breathe’ so it lasts us longer! Bamboo is more absorbent than cotton and has antibacterial properties though I have found it does take longer to dry.

I can see this nappy lasting quite a long time, we only have a few in our stash as we have a variety of everything but they are a winner in this household! They are less than £10 a nappy and most councils offer a reusable nappy incentive so if you are lucky you can get a few and it won’t even cost you a penny!

Remember to go onto our website to see all of the Tot Bots range we have to offer

Customer Review – Totsbots Bamboozle Size 2 is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Wool Wraps for Cloth Nappies – Customer Review
2. “Easy to care for” Organic Wool Nappy Wrap gets top marks
3. Organic Knitted Tie-on Nappy, Disana Review – “Super Value”

• Summer Hats for boys and girls,
• UV suits and sunscreen to protect their delicate skin from the sun,
• Swim nappies for the pool or the beach,
• And towels robes and rompers to keep them warm when they leave the water.

• Travel light and leave the buggy at home with the Ergo baby carrier.
• Keep the germs at bay with a hand sanitiser and some baby wipes.
• Entertain the kids in the car with the Let’s Go Travelling Book and CD.
• Easy picnics and snacks with some BPA-free bowls.
• Avoid loosing anything with a roomy beach bag.
• Help keep your baby cool in the car with a lambskin car seat cover.

Natural Nursery News: Is your family ready for summer? is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Summer is on the way, are your children ready?
2. ‘Fab’ Lambskins at the Natural Nursery
3. Sale now on at The Natural Nursery

Lacing Game Stocking Filler

This time, a lovely, long lasting stocking filler for under £1!

Thread Friends Lacing Game, 97p, suitable for age 4 years and up

Lacing games are a great way of developing fine motor skills and this one has the added fun of dressing and undressing a little creature. The aim of the game is to help the little wooden animal get dressed in their felt clothes and requires more concentration and dexterity than many other lacing games.

Once the animal has been dressed, they can be used as part of an imaginative play game.
<

Ethical Christmas Shopping Guide, Day 3 is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Christmas Shopping – Early Bird Discounts
2. Arabella Miller Tops, Half Price
3. What’s Rubbish Game, 20% off

Sophie the Giraffe

You can read our full Christmas Shopping Guide on our site, but today’s suggestion is a lovely gift for a new baby:

Sophie the Giraffe - £12.99, suitable for use from birth

Sophie is a classic French baby teething toy that has been loved by generations of European babies.  She is made from 100% natural rubber and food grade paint.  She is soft and gentle to the touch, has a squeaker inside that makes a laughing sound when squeezed and she feels wonderful on teething gums.

A very loveable creature, she will become a firm friend and will be a long lasting and thoughtful Christmas present for a young baby.

Christmas Shopping Guide is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Ethical Christmas Shopping Guide, Day 3
2. Junk-free Advent calendars and Christmas stockings at Natural Nursery
3. Christmas Gift Wrap

The Mother Magazine

I discovered The Mother magazine after my little girl was born and read it cover to cover without stopping. I was amazed by the thought-provoking views on pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding, education, home-education, vaccination…

In a world where so many things make us doubt our skills as mothers and parents, where we are supposed to listen to so-called experts, supported by studies which often contradict each other, The Mother magazine brings a refreshing view: trust your instinct as a woman, as a mother, as a parent… Trust that we can follow our instinct to birth our children freely, to breastfeed them as long as they need it, that home education is a real option, that natural parenting and organic living aren’t just dreams …

Each editorial, article, story, recipe pushed me to challenge my preconceived ideas, to think things through for my children and my family. I don’t live by everything the Mother Magazine advocates. My children were born at home and breastfed until they gave up when they were ready, they were carried about in baby slings. Now they are in school, we aren’t vegetarians but what I love about The Mother magazine is being challenged to think more about our choices and to know that there are alternatives that I might want to explore at some point.

The Mother Magazine is in danger of closing, get your subscription now! If you are a business, consider advertising as well, their readers are loyal customers.

Support The Mother magazine is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Exeter Steiner School Open Day
2. Green Parent Magazine
3. Mothering the mother, the doula support during childbirth

This would be a great chance to stock up on new baby or birthday pressies for the next few months, or to put away for Christmas.

SHOO SHOO LEATHER BABY SHOES, reduced to half price. Boys and girls styles but only a few left in each size. These are fabby shoes and they are the ones that we used with E when she was little.

*************

HAMA BEADS, Midi Size, Blister Kits, all reduced to half price. Includes some Disney range, Safari Animals and some more generic kits, such as hearts and flowers. Suitable really for age 5 years and above as they are the midi size.

Hama Beading Craft kits are really, really good fun. E loves them and they are a fav pressie to give for birthdays.

**************

My First Hama Kits – suitable for age 3 years and above: Maxi Size. Half price kits, now reduced to £3.75. Teddy and Whale available.

*************

Hama Midi Craft Kits, now half price at £3.48. Suitable for age 5 years and above. Choose from Dolphin mobile, teddy/rabbit and Wild Animals.

**************

Hama Midi Bead small kits, were £2.50, now £1.25 so a great price for a stocking filler. Kits include a shaped board (choose from square, circle, star, heart etc), 400 beads plus ironing paper so they are a great introduction to the world of Hama.

**************

Phew – the last of the Hama – all at up to 50% off – packs of Hama beads and single white peg boards. Lots to choose from.

PLEASE NOTE, NONE OF THE HAMA WILL BE RESTOCKED SO YOU WILL NEED TO BE QUICK IF YOU WANT TO GRAB A BARGAIN.

*************

ORGANIC BABY SLEEPSUITS/ROMPERS from Green Baby reduced to half price. Available in star pattern in navy or purple, veggie print or bright stripes.

Also in farmprint design, again in organic cotton.

These are really soft, wash very well and are a wonderful new baby pressie.

***************

Organic cotton outfit – trousers and shirt in farmprint design, reduced to £8.99.

****************

Footed trousers - these are like tights for boys and are fab in the winter as you don’t need socks! Reduced to £5.24

Huge Clearance Sale Now Started is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Clearance Sale
2. Arabella Miller Tops, Half Price
3. Sling Sale

You can buy your cookbook direct from the Exeter Steiner School itself or from our website.  Please note that all proceeds from the sale of the cook book will go direct to the school.

Exeter Steiner School Cookbook Now Available is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Chocolate Beetroot Cake Recipe (From the Steiner Cookbook)
2. Fluffy Friday Comp – win a Veggie Cookbook ends 16th June 2011
3. Exeter Steiner School Events

A Rocket Garden is a box jam-packed with organic baby plants packed in golden straw ready to be planted out in your garden, terrace or window sill.

Each garden full of plants chosen with care – from the organic children’s garden specially selected to appeal to children to the patio garden of plants suitable for families that don’t have space for a vegetable patch.

The plants are grown in unheated greenhouses in Cornwall and are certified by Soil Association, meaning you get healthy, hardy plants and yummy vegetables to eat straight from the garden.

These instant gardens are fantastic to grow with children – they can see the results straight away and get to eat fresh food straight off the plant.

We have had great success with these gardens – we have been regularly cropping all through the winter, have been able to give huge baskets of fresh produce away to friends and the chickens have been eating greens to their hearts content.

Grow your own organic vegetables is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Grow Your Own Veggies on Someone Else’s Land
2. Free Green colouring book pages to print and colour
3. Organic baby products: 3 brands with a proven track record

One of these ways is to keep a very close eye on our packaging and the way we send parcels out to our customers.

We appreciate that you want your goods to arrive in a beautiful condition (we want that too) but on the other hand, you don’t want vast quantities of packaging to clog up your bin and then your local land fill site.

That is why we reuse as much packaging as we can – lots of our parcels go out in reused boxes and we reuse any packing materials our delieveries come in.

When we have to buy new packing materials, we try to make them as environmentally friendly as possible.  We use bio-degradable bubble wrap and recycled cardboard to parcel up delicate items, our mailing sacks are made out of recycled or biodegradable plastics and the paper we print our delivery notes on is made from trees from sustainable forests and is 100% biodegradable – even the glue that sticks the label on the front of the parcel!

So does this all cost The Natural Nursery more?  Well, yes it does.  We charge what we think are fair postage and packing costs and absorb the extra ourselves.

We want you to get your goodies in perfect condition but we don’t want that to have a negative impact on the enviroment, so we are happy to pay a little bit extra to make this happen.

Packaging is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Things to do with the kids: a recycled hobby horse
2. Customer Testimonials
3. Customer review, we love your natural baby products

These are to be launched soon, so we will let you know as soon as we have any more news for you.  But be ready to be quick of the mark – if it is anything like the introduction of the original Bamboozle, stocks are likely to fly.

Tots Bots Nappies is a post from: Natural Nursery Blog

Related eco parenting posts:

1. Customer Review – Tots Bots Cotton Nappy
2. Reusable nappies are now just as easy as a disposable nappies!
3. Customer Review – Totsbots Bamboozle Size 2