With a full line of body care products for pregnancy, labor, post-partum, and breastfeeding, Earth Mama Angel Baby has new and expecting moms covered in organic goodness.  The line was created by moms who view pregnancy the way our foremothers did, as a phenomenal natural process to be honored accordingly.  Their offerings feature eco-friendly packaging and 100% natural, vegan ingredients for lotions, potions, sprays, and oils you can feel good about.  We’re big fans of their Mama-to-Be Tea Sampler, which makes a cool, unexpected shower gift.  Learn more at earthmamangelbaby.com.

Marygrace, KIWI intern

It’s time again for another round-up of the best of the mom blogosphere!  Here’s what’s going on…

• Hopping on board the backyard vegetable garden train this spring?  Nature Moms reviews garden tool sets and gear for your little farmers-in-training.
• To school or not to school?  Read about Mama-Om’s journey on her family’s decision to send their son to school or stick to unschooling at home.
• Green Baby Guide puts the bokashi bin, an indoor composting system from Japan.
• Forget balance.  Instead, Healthy Green Moms says we should be seeking harmony.
• The Soft Landing Blog covers possible legislation for federal ban of BPA in children’s food containers.  Yes!

What’s happening on your blog?  We want to know!

Marygrace, KIWI intern

If the name Pure and Little doesn’t give you enough warm fuzzies, try their logo on for size: Organic. Baby. Love.  Ahhh!  I’m sold.  The company offers organic baby clothing, bedding, and accessories like bath products, books and music, and plenty of plush toys.  Spring and summer babies can keep comfortable in Pure and Little’s organic cotton onesies (we love the peace out natural), while fall and winter babies will stay toasty with a unisex kimono jacket.  But my very favorite?  The Baby Fred monkey plush.  He just looks so happy!  More at pureandlittle.com.

Marygrace, KIWI intern

If a Prius is beyond your budget right now, try a new kind of hybrid: gDiapers.  Perfect for the eco-conscious mom-to-be who isn’t quite ready to embrace cloth diapers full on, gDiapers are made of a washable cotton outer with a disposable, plastic-free liner that can be flushed down the toilet, composted, or tossed in the trash (they decompose in about 90 days.)  A starter kit is available at gDiapers.com, or try their gBaby Shower Gift, featuring the starter kit, an extra cloth outer, and a case of flushable refills.  Oh, and the “g”?  It stands for green!

Marygrace, KIWI intern

Traditional Medicinals, a tea company featuring all-natural, herbal brews, helps new moms and moms-to-be achieve health and balance.  Their organic Pregnancy Tea combines a blend of herbs like alfalfa and spearmint used by women for centuries to nourish the womb and prepare it for childbirth.  Breastfeeding mothers can benefit from Organic Mother’s Milk, made of anise, fennel, and coriander.  And all women will get a boost from Women’s Liberty, which promotes healthy hormonal balance according to Chinese medicinal practices.  Learn about all their teas at traditionalmedicinals.com.

Marygrace, KIWI intern

It’s no secret that the healthiest, most delicious foods come from natural sources. Organic Valley’s milk, cheese, eggs, and meats are raised without antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides for authentic food that truly nourishes. A family farm co-op, Organic Valley aims for continual improvement and transparency, making their products food you can really feel good about. Coupon lovers click here.

–Marygrace, KIWI intern and lover of all things natural

Sweet Pea Products knows sensitive skin.  Created by a certified infant massage instructor who was dissatisfied with the lack of natural baby massage oils, all items with the Sweet Pea name are 100% natural and fragrance free.  With a collection of unique baby products including serenity balm, lavender and tea tree soap, and herbal tub teas, Sweet Pea will calm your child’s skin while giving you a piece of mind.  Enjoy a 20% discount with coupon code KIWI.

– Marygrace, KIWI intern and lover of lavender

It’s easy to say no to preservatives and additives with Tastybaby’s organic frozen baby food. They might be serious about nutrition, but with flavor names like “Corn in the USA” and “Peas on Earth,” TastyBaby knows how to have fun.  What’s more, all the food is gluten-free, and is packaged in reusable, BPA-free cups.  Getting a stamp of approval from eco-conscious moms like Cindy Crawford, Ali Landry, and Lisa Loeb, try a Tastybaby gift basket for a great shower gift!

– Marygrace, KIWI intern and fan of eco-consious moms

Earth’s Best’s new diapers are chlorine-free and contain corn- and wheat-absorbent materials.  Made with annually-renewable resources to reduce petrochemicals, they pair perfectly with Earth’s Best durable, chlorine-free wipes, which are all-natural and contain soothing vitamin E and aloe.  Soft and gentle, they’re perfect for stashing in your diaper bag to double as on-the-go hand and face wipes.

– Marygrace, KIWI intern and trying to be reliant on renewable resources

Sock seams making your child scream? Made with a polyester and lycra blend, SmartKnitKIDS socks are seam-free and comfy as can be.  They’re available in white, pink, purple, navy and black, and come in a variety of sizes for kids of all ages.  Check them out at therawear.com and use coupon code KIWI for 10% off at checkout.

– Marygrace, KIWI intern and seam-free friendly

Feel the difference of natural with Noli n Nali skincare line, available for both mom and child.  Certified organic, these eco-friendly products nourish the body from the outside in with ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and calendula.  Think soothing belly butter and nipple salve for moms, and gentle shampoo, bubble bath, and detangler for little ones.  Use coupon code KIWI for 25% off your purchase.

– Marygrace, KIWI intern and lover of body nourishment

Helping build healthy bones by aiding in calcium absorption, vitamin D is an important nutrient that’s often hard to find in foods.  Baby Ddrops are an easy way to provide your child with the daily recommended amount of vitamin D, minus the unpleasant taste or clumsy droppers that often accompany supplements. The unique bottle dispenses 400 IU of vitamin D in one easy drop, which can be used while breastfeeding, on baby’s pacifier, or mixed into a child’s food or drink.  For $2.00 your next purchase, call 888-234-5656 and mention code KIWI!

– Marygrace, KIWI intern and promoter of vitamin D 

Check out the Lil Diaper Depot for a great selection of eco-conscious products. You can ditch disposables for good with their organic cloth diapers, or swaddle baby in an eco-fleece baby blanket made from recycled soda bottles. The company caters to moms, too, with super-soft, organic nursing pads, extra-comfy body pillows, and stylish diaper totes. Pick up a gift certificate for an upcoming baby shower, or register for your own. Receive 10% off your first order with promo code KIWI9 before 2/28/09.

–Marygrace, KIWI intern and lover of eco-conscious proudcts

Calling all sensitive skin types! We’ve teamed up with Lavera Organic to give KIWI readers 10% off on a soothing slew natural and organic skincare products (use promo code Kiwi09 at checkout). Lavera’s Mom and Baby Set pampers mom with a wild rose facial mask and moisturizer and keeps baby’s delicate hair and skin soft with almond shampoo and cream. Offering protection from harmful ingredients while creating effective products for allergy-prone and sensitive skin types, Lavera’s skincare line is a goldmine of green baby shower gifts.

–Marygrace, KIWI intern and lover of organic skin care

Your baby can stay warm in the cold with this adorable 100% organic cotton baby cap. Sold individually or in sets, it makes a naturally wonderful gift. Cute and comfy, these caps are a must have. For only $6 your baby can rock this hat in natural or brown. Receive 20% off when you type KIWI20 at checkout! Get it now at Wee BE Organic Baby Cap.

– Brittany, KIWI intern and green enthusiast

By now, we’re all plenty familiar with the fact that many types of reusable, plastic bottles are unsafe-full of toxic phthalates and BPAs, drinking from these bottles can do serious harm to your body. Imagine, then, the impact such chemicals could potentially have on babies that drink from plastic bottles on a regular basis. With smaller bodies and rapidly developing systems, they’re left extra vulnerable to these dangers.

Enter Green to Grow’s collection of non-toxic bottles and nipples. Their BPA- and phthalate-free bottles ($9.99-$10.99) are made from 100% recyclable PES, an alternative plastic that’s safe for babies and the environment. Contrary to traditional, rubber counterparts, their nipples are made from heat-resistant silicone without any harmful nitrosamines ($5.49). And if Green to Grow hasn’t already made your life a little easier by providing a sound piece of mind, their products are completely dishwasher safe. Talk about milking a good thing!

Visit greentogrow.com for more.

January 19 is the day this year that we celebrate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;  a man who changed the world. Who knows where we would be without this hero who put his life on the line so that people would  “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”?

I wonder if Dr. King’s parents, while he was growing up, ever realized how great their son would be. What did Alberta and Martin Luther King, Sr. do to create such an incredible child? What values, what inspiration did they give him? Did they know that he would improve the lives of countless people and change the face of our world? Did Barack Obama’s mother know as she held her beautiful baby in her arms that he would someday become President; that the hope of a nation would rest on her angel’s shoulders? Do any of us know what greatness lies in our children?

As parents, we all think our children are special. We love them with a biased heart.  However, the lesson of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama is that our children truly are the future of the world. This realization makes our job even more critical—raising our children with a social and environmental conscious can actually make a difference.

Let’s take these next few amazing days, the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States, to see that the potential is there for our children to make the world a better place. We are raising the next scientists, politicians, philanthropists, explorers, nutrition experts, artists, computer geniuses and more.

So, as you kiss your children goodnight on the 19th, on this crossover between two historical days, feel the power that is yours and theirs.  Infused with love and wrapped in your commitment, anything is possible.

—Maxine Wolf, CEO & Publisher, KIWI Magazine

My neighbor just had a baby boy. Infants and their security blankets are like peanut butter and jelly…they go perfectly together. I found a soft security blanket with assorted tags adorning all four sides called Little Taggies Naturals. These blankets are made with 100% certified organically grown cotton fibers, pure silk ribbons and safe dyes. For $28.95, you can buy one too at taggies.com or your local specialty gift shop.

- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families

I love buying baby clothes. When I was younger, I remember going shopping with my mom and my best friend. While my mom was busy looking for clothes, my bf and I pretended to shop for baby clothes. Now, my friends are having kids and I can actually buy clothes for real babies. My new favorite line is Organically Grown. It is affordable 100% pure organic cotton baby wear. How affordable? $22-$38 at Macy’s and Gottschalks!

- Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families

In the beginning, it was so easy to go to the movies with Sylvie. We hit the theater at 11 a.m. (“Devil Wears Prada” or “Matchpoint,” anyone?) and she nursed in the dark on and off. I became increasingly proud of my status of nursing mom, and in a shameful moment, I told off a woman in a Cosi sandwich shop who tried to get my friend to abandon the upholstered chair she had marked off with a paper bag and newspaper (looked like trash to us!). My friend needed to nurse and was going a little nutty herself, and I was irate. It was an ugly scene. I am not proud. I thought womankind had taken two steps back because this woman was not being supportive of my friend’s need to breastfeed. If she’s reading this, I am sorry! Blame it on the hormones!

-Audra Hughes

By the time I left the hospital, baby Sylvie had bit my nipple and swallowed part of it. It was bleeding and raw. We both had yeast infections, which my doctor didn’t treat so the pain grew more and more intense. Not only was I angry at my doctor for not knowing anything about breastfeeding, angry at the hospital lactation consultant for pushing her social agenda of “keep breastfeeding no matter what,” but I was also angry at my girlfriends who never told me how difficult and painful it was. I was terrified of my sweet little baby every time she had to eat. So instead of being happy and elated, I felt angry, stupid, scared and alone. Great.. But I was not giving up!

After breast infections, house calls from the amazing boob doctor Dr. Mona Gabbay and the illustrious Susan Berger, emailing photographs of my breasts to them both, weekly breastfeeding support group meetings at Real Birth, begging and paying our post-partum doula Tara Brooke to sleep over, having my dear husband latch Sylvie onto me (which was like waiting for the perfect wave), banning my unsupportive mother from coming over for weeks, and even pumping for two weeks to get of the mental hang-ups I had created, at exactly eight weeks and one day, it stopped hurting. And we got into a rhythm. And no formula! I won! But don’t get me wrong—this was my Olympic Event and no one else’s.

I learned that women don’t tell their pregnant friends how hard it is because they don’t want them to stop trying, give up or be scared. It’s like a gang initiation rite. I now give the Sears “Breastfeeding Book” at any and all baby showers. New moms look at it with an “oh….” and soon-to-be grandmothers look at it equally suspiciously, hoping for cute Baby Gap outfits. But a month after the babies are born, they’re all grateful!

I am sure some of you have received the latest issue of KIWI. For our January/February issue, KIWI had a special “delivery.” (Ignore the lame pun!) We rounded up some wonderful gift ideas for parents-to-be in our “Oh, Baby!” green baby shower feature. Obviously, we can’t mention everything in the magazine, but luckily for us, we have KiwiLog and everything we wanted to include… we now can. Hooray!

Our first in our blog series on baby shower gifts is the Chubby Bunny and Snuggle Blanket sold by Happy Healthy Baby. Both pieces, the bunny and the blanket, are 100% organic cotton and dyed with metal free dyes. The doll is 7″and the blanket is 29″ X 29″. If you are searching for the perfect snuggle buddy for your baby or a friend’s baby, this bunny and blanket duo should fit the bill. And look how cute!

Available at Happy Healthy Baby, $36.