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Closer to Nature – Moon Corner

Yesterday, I had to go and pay a cheque into the bank and as it’s only a ten minute walk and it was a nice day, I took a wander during my lunch hour. On my way, I spotted this little mosaic which was pretty run down and overgrown, but striking nonetheless. I loved the way that it looked as though the earth was reclaiming it again and there was something a bit spiritual about it, especially as I noticed it was called ‘Moon Corner’.

I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed it before and was excited to tell Husband about it when I got home. I barely got the word ‘mosaic’ out before he said “Yeah, that’s Moon Corner, it’s been there for years”. I did a quick Google search and didn’t come up with much info about it, other than one piece which said it had been made in collaboration with the Zimbabwean community, but I don’t know how true that is.

So, for my first ‘Closer to Nature’ in AGES, I give you Moon Corner, which may not be a natural occurrence but it certainly looks like nature is taking over once more.

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So. I’ve shown you mine. Now it’s your turn to show me yours!

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Jackson Reece Review

By Mum's the Word on September 2, 2011 in Review

Husband and I have always been pretty careful about what we use on Sausage’s skin as she’s quite a sensitive soul and her beautiful pale skin is often brought out in red rashes, just from brushing past the slightest thing. Even though she’s well out of nappies, we still have baby wipes around the house for wiping hands and faces, and of course now she’s toilet trained, moist toilet wipes are also a must to stop her from getting a sore little bottom!

When Jackson Reece asked us if we’d like to try out their range of baby wipes, I was nervous until I read their website which says:

Our wipes do not contain any of the following:

Alcohol
Parabens
SodiumLauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Lanolin
Phthalates
(MIT) Methylisothiazolinone
Triclosan
Propylene glycol
Petro Chemicals
Benzoates
Phenoxyethanol

If that wasn’t enough to convince us that they were great for Sausage, it also says:

Certified Organic Aloe Vera naturally hydrating, healing & cooling.
Certified Organic Tea Tree Oil, naturally antibacterial.
Certified Organic Lavender Essential Oil, soothing and calming.
Bio-degradable wipes made from wood pulp which is a sustainable resource.
Compostable wipes which will degrade in twelve weeks in aerobic conditions and are registered by DIN CERTCO in Europe as compostable.
Cloth is made from nature and will degrade by nature
Our cloth is not chlorine bleached
Contains High Purity Water
Wipes are suitable for sensitive skins.
Wipes are really moist.
Are manufactured in the UK thereby reducing our carbon footprint.
Formula is not tested on animals.
Formula has a balanced ph.
Dermatologically and hypoallergenic approved.
We have disclosed the function and use of each ingredient on our packets so that parents can easily understand our formula. This is our open and honest approach to better care for babies & the environment.
A refreshing scent.
Do not leave hands sticky.
Degradable packaging that will degrade in a landfill site more quickly than regular baby wipe packaging.
Formula uses renewable natural plant resources derived from a unique vegetable based preservative system which is suitable for vegans.

Jackson Reece have also won a slew of awards from a series of big hitters in the baby world

So, what did we actually think of the wipes? Well, we were sent a selection including the Soothing Herbal baby wipes, the Unscented Herbal baby wipes and the natural flushable wipes. Sausage’s skin responded well to both lots of baby wipes, even the scented ones, whereas in the past we’ve struggled with scented products. The scent in the wipes is very natural and fresh, totally unlike any other baby product we’ve ever used actually, and made a very refreshing change from the usually highly scented, slightly talc-y smelling wipes. The wipes themselves were made from a brilliant material which meant that one wipe was enough for face and hands, rather than needing a whole bunch, as you so often do with the cheaper makes.

The toilet wipes were a godsend, the packet was small enough to slip into a handbag for trips into town where the loos inevitably have scratchy, horrible paper and knowing that I could flush them without pangs to the environmental conscience was a great aspect too. As a fairly fussy consumer, and an even fussier Mum, I feel like I can recommend these products to anyone without the slightest hesitation and Jackson Reece has actually taken the place of preferred brand in the Mum’s the Word household.

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Earth Friendly Kids – A Review

By Mum's the Word on June 29, 2011 in Parenting, Review

I’ve become a bit more fussy about doing reviews on my blog lately, only taking products which interest me, and I’ve also made a point of spending time actually using the product before I write about it. Yes, I love getting free stuff and trying new things, but if I’m going to recommend something, I want to be able to do it with at least a shred of integrity.

A few months ago, Sausage was sent the whole range of Earth Friendly Kids toiletries in Zingy Citrus, and I really do think it’s important to use these things for a period of time before making a decision about them, especially when it affects our kids. So we’ve faithfully used the range and the verdict is in! We were sent a bodywash and shampoo, hand soap , moisturiser and bubblebath, which all have a wonderfully zingy smell (just like it says on the bottle!). One thing you should know about my kid, if you don’t already, is that she has very thick, very curly and very unruly hair. You can get lost in that hair, and I’ve found the occasional Subbuteo man nestling at the back. Not every shampoo will cut it with Sausage’s hair and we need something with a pretty heavy-duty foaming action to get through the mass of curls. The Earth Friendly Kids Bodywash and Shampoo did us proud! It dealt with Sausages hair wonderfully and her hair didn’t dry out, like it does with Johnsons Baby Shampoo. The handwash has been a particular favourite as it comes in a handy pump, which has been invaluable for us now that Sausage is using the toilet.

The bubblebath is very watery when you pour it out and you’ll think that it won’t give a very good lather, but it really does and it doesn’t disappear after five seconds like many bubblebaths, it’s foamy and rich and again, smells fantastic. The moisturiser is creamy and easy to apply, it soaks in well and doesn’t feel at all greasy. Another really important thing for you to know is that Sausage has very sensitive skin. Using anything vaguely harsh on her skin will bring her out in a red, pimply, dry rash which can last for days, and that even extends to being caused by certain ‘sensitive’ brands of baby wipes. The whole range of Earth Friendly Kids products has been very kind to her skin and we’ve seen no sign of irritation or redness since using them.

So, we’ve been pretty chuffed with the range and though things couldn’t get any better.

Then, we were sent the other scent in the range, Minty Lavender. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the Minty Lavender range is the single nicest smelling children’s toiletry we have EVER used. Seriously. It’s that nice that Husband and I have been using it too! Husband shaves his head and has been using the moisturiser after shaving as it feels and smells so amazing, I adore the handwash as it makes my hands smell incredible every time I use it, and Sausage just loves it all. You wouldn’t think that a combo of mint and lavender would smell so good, but it really does smell good enough to eat!

The earth friendly kids products all promise to be:

mild & gentle
natural ingredients
appealing to kids
no artificial colouring
no testing on animals

Best of all, they’re affordable too, ranging from £2.49 up to £4.99. If you want to see the range for yourself, you can have a look at their website and their Facebook page. We’ll definitely be buying more when this lot runs out, once you’ve had Minty Lavender, everything else pales into insignificance!