Free Mozart Music Downloads for Babies and Toddlers

Image by SantaRosa OLD SKOOL

The good people over at Munchkin.com have generously put together free Mozart Musical Soup downloads for all of us.

You can either download the entire albums (Wombsong Collection and Mozart for Toddlers) or you can choose individual songs.  They also have the songs broken out by: Wake Up, Play Time and Sleepy Time.

No sign up is required, simply visit the Munchkin website and click on the links to download!

The Mother List Turns 1!

Image by Bob Jagendorf

I can’t believe The Mother List has reached its first year anniversary!

When I decided to start The Mother List, I could have never guessed where it would take me.  But through this simple service, I have met countless amazing people and built lifetime friendships.

And the timing is perfect for our anniversary.  As The Mother List was created to encourage reusing, recycling, and everything green, I am exciting to share that over the next few weeks, in celebration of Earth Day, April 22nd, we will be focusing on greening your home, your activities and your life.

Stay tuned for incredible resources, product features and ways to educate your children on being green!

Thank you for your continued support,

Whitney

Anna Sova Food Paint – Safe Household Paints

As we prep for Earth Day, I had to share one of my favorite companies, Anna Sova.  The home of organic and eco-friendly textiles and Anna Sova Food Paint.

Anna Sova Food Paint is something every parent should know about.  The paint is produced using up to 94% food ingredients and has zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds – trust me, those are bad).  They are the perfect solution for painting a nursery, painting anything while pregnant, or for those with asthma or allergies.  If I had my way, your entire house would be painted with zero VOC paint, as well as every other house out there.

Think your color choices will be limited? Think again – Anna Sova offers every color you can imagine and can also make custom tints and bases.

Good news: Use promo code April10 and receive 10% off AND free shipping on any paint order!

I am also the proud owner of Anna Sova 900 GSM Organic Cotton Spa Towels – which happen to be on sale right now. I have to tell you, I bought these towels 3+ years ago and have found them to hold up much better than any other towels I have owned.  They are ultra plush and . . . organic!  If you hurry, they are offering free monogramming through April 1o.

The Mother List: Foods with the Least Pesticides

Image by Svadilfari

Yesterday we covered the Top Foods to Buy Organic.  Today, we will cover the list of foods that have the least amount of pesticides.  Although, I can’t stress enough how important it is to support organic farming and therefore think we should all try to buy organic foods whenever possible.  But, when you are in a pinch, and you don’t have an organic option, here is a list of the foods you should purchase.

The Mother List: Top Foods with the Least Pesticides

1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet Corn – but be aware of those GMOs!
4. Pineapple
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Eggplant
8. Broccoli
9. Sweet Potato
10. Tomato
11. Mango
12. Watermelon
13. Kiwi
14. Cabbage
15. Papaya!

A few of these were surprising to me.  Tomatoes were a bit of a relief as they used to be considered one of the worst.  I was also very happy about the broccoli as we often order it at restaurants.  Happy shopping!

The Mother List: Top Foods to Buy Organic

Image by Secret Tenerife

It happens to me all the time: I’m at a grocery store and wondering what foods and produce I really MUST buy organic (even though, frankly, I try to buy everything organic, sometimes you just don’t have the option).  I used to carry around a list that I lost a long time ago, so I have since been relying on my not-so-reliable memory to guide me through.  Well, it’s time we cleared that list up.

1. Milk and Diary.  There is simply no way around this one.
2. Meat and Eggs
3. Strawberries and Raspberries
4. Apples
5. Peaches/Nectarines
6. Bell Peppers
7. Celery
8. Grapes
9. Leafy greens
10. Cherries
11. Pears
12. Coffee

Tomorrow: Foods that contain the LEAST amount of pesticides.

Bruz Wear – A Company I Adore

I have been so fortunate since I started The Mother List to meet great women-owned companies, and in particular, those geared to moms!  Every once in a while, I come across a company that I get so excited about – I just have to share it.  And that is how I feel about Bruz Wear – the maker of pants with “padded knees for every little explorer”.  As a mother to a VERY active little boy and an aunt to four more energetic kids, I see these pants (and now shorts!) as a necessity for ALL active kids.  Starting with crawling, then stumbling, then running and tripping – these pants are knee-savers and sometimes, even lifesavers!

I have to share Kathryn Ames incredible story of how she started Bruz Wear:

When my son Nicholas was born he was diagnosed with a severe bleeding disorder called hemophilia. Crawling was the first developmental milestone where he really struggled. He had many painful bruises that resulted in him not wanting to crawl and explore. We found many different types of knee pads but nothing worked very well and nothing seemed very comfortable.

Making pants with knee pads sewn-in seemed like an obvious solution but we found nothing to our liking on the market. After many samples we found a look and feel that we knew would appeal to all children, with and without hemophilia. In the planning of the business we also knew that by selling to the masses we would put ourselves in a better position to give back to the bleeding disorder community.

We have been in business now for 3 years and have a product that people shop for in multiples and come back for more. We often say about our pants- “People either get it or they don’t”. The best thing about where we are now with our business is that our growth has been slow but steady and we have an awesome fan base around the country and the world.

I can say with confidence that with each sale we are able educate and advocate for people with hemophilia. We also feel good about the quality of our pants, the fact that they are not only made in the USA but made in Colorado, and we are so thrilled to see the growth of our product line. Right now we have Crawling, Stumbling, and Cruising Pants in sizes 9mo to 6, we just launched Bruz Wear Board Shorts, and we are now working on Bruz Wear Snow Pants. Our cool look and functionality makes sense to many people who want to shop smart.

Are you as psyched as I am for the Snow Pants?  Awesome!  Perfect for little aspiring snowboarders, enthusiastic snowman-builders, etc!

National Child Passenger Safety Week – Get Your Car Seat Checked!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of National Child Passenger Safety Week.

Considering 3 out of 4 parents do not install safety seats correctly, why not take advantage of th free seat checks in your area?  For a list of inspection events in your area, check here.  If you are unable to take advantage of tomorrow’s events, you can use the same site to find locations and schedule a check.  Many local fire stations will inspect carseats for free.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Mother List has Launched!

We are so excited that The Mother List has had such a successful launch!  Over 100,000 hits!  We hope we have brought a very useful tool to all families out there – a community where families (moms, moms2B, dads and grandparents) can find the items they need and get rid of the items they no longer need.  We wanted to remove the anonymity from the listing process and have a place where everyone can list anything related to Baby, Kids, Toys, Maternity and things for Mom.  We wanted a place where people can connect and help each other get the things they need.  

In the current economy & environment, we had the realization that everything we buy for our children (and ourselves) does not always need to be new.  Just how long does that brand new shirt you bought for your toddler stay looking new?  Do those plastic and wood toys go bad?  Just one good washing and almost everything is reusable.  Let’s work together to reduce and reuse as much as possible.  

However, we have also created a space for small businesses to reach more people. Have something you want to sell? Please feel free to list it on The Mother List!  Some of the areas in particular, do not lend themselves well to the idea of reusing and recycling, such as Beauty, Party Supplies, Cleaning Supplies, etc.  The Mother List is a national site, so your products will be seen all over the country.  

 

Please enjoy!

 

~Whitney