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Healthy home guru Mary Cordaro shares an article she wrote with us about how to fulfill that “nesting” instinct while you’re pregnant without exposing your little one to the toxic chemicals that often come with redecorating or remodeling projects. Check it out:

Nesting

 
That Nesting Instinct
By Mary Cordaro

If you’re pregnant or just had your baby, the natural instinct to nest may be tugging at you. You want your home and nursery to be just right for your new baby. Unfortunately, those well-intentioned changes to the home, from painting a room to a full remodel are usually anything but natural. I’d like to suggest you don’t start your house and nursery projects while you’re pregnant or with a newborn.

The reason is simple: the fetus and newborn are sensitive at levels well below what an adult might tolerate. They are extremely vulnerable to toxic chemicals and other contaminants. If you’re familiar with EWG’s Baby Body Burden study, maybe you already know that cord blood contains almost 300 highly toxic chemicals, proving that whatever the mother ingests, inhales and absorbs is passed on to the baby.

Green products and materials are not necessarily non-toxic, and even the least toxic versions, newly installed, are usually too toxic for the developing fetus and newborn until all odors have completely dissipated. It doesn’t matter if they come with green certifications. Certifications still aren’t good enough, as their standards are limited in scope and are certainly not developed specifically for the newborn or fetus.

Instead, focus on making the house healthier. Put off as much as you can for a few years and make as few changes as possible that are not directly related to health. When your child is older, and past the most critical time in his or her development, you can undertake your safe, non-toxic projects (including precautions for exposures to new, outgassing materials and construction dust).

Here are some tips for healthy home nesting:

  1. Less is more: If you must paint or make even small changes, do not inhale outgassing from new materials, no matter how  “green” and “non toxic” they claim to be. Leave while the work is being done and re-enter the house only when ALL odors have dissipated 100%.
  2. Replace all toxic household, cleaning and personal products with non-toxic products.
  3. Check your home for sources of moisture: Whether or not you react to mold, mold is toxic, period, particularly for the developing fetus and newborn. For starters, follow these steps outlined by the EPA.
  4. If you suspect or smell mold, get a mold inspection: Hire an IAQA certified, independent mold inspector to survey your home. (Don’t hire a mold remediation company for the inspection.)
  5. Reduce EMFs: There are many preventive steps you can take at no cost. Learn about them for free on my website and blog.
  6. Caution, carpet removal is toxic: Removing carpet stirs up high levels of toxic chemical-laden dust and microscopic particulates, which pollute the entire house. Remove carpet under airtight containment, and then deep clean the room afterwards. A mold remediation company can most safely remove it and deep clean for you.

Pregnancy Awareness

Thanks, Mary! If you live in LA, you can learn from Mary live at the Pregnancy Awareness Month event on May 6th at the Skirball Center (see flyer above for details).

PS - My fave nursery option is no nursery. We've never had one. Basically, we made what we already have work for us. Great reads more for inspiration about nighttime parenting are Good Nights by pediatrician of 30 years Dr. Jay Gordon and Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep by pediatrician Dr. William Sears.

How have you kind lifers fulfilled your nesting instinct without exposing your kids to chemicals?

More healthy home info from Mary Cordaro...
Water Quality and Your Health
Healthy Home Guru
Facts About Fluoride

Photo Credit: Pregnancy Awareness

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Good tips! I think a lot of people do not realize how much more sensitive developing fetuses and babies are to everyday chemicals.

I have known many Moms to use bleach and many other toxic cleaning products while they are pregnant and after they are pregnant, thinking that cleaning is good. I have been using and recommending products made with tea tree oil, lemon and other natural cleaning ingredients for 20 years from a company based in Idaho. All the products from Walmart come from China. Also Johnson and Johnson, Baby Magic contain formaldahyde, dioxene and other chemicals. This company out of Idaho Falls has baby care products made with natural ingrediints, no chemicals and the same ph as water. I have a website www.totalwellness.healthyhometour.com if any of you moms out there are interested, one of the doctors I work with has written a book about chemicals being in everything. Dr. Joyce Woods wrote her thesis on how these chemicals are absorbed into the baby and more than 300 chemicals are born with the baby breaking down their immune system so they can get cancer. There is also a website with a DVD called "Toxic Brew" from www.rmbarry.com. This chemist walks down the aisle of the grocery store with a Canadian reporter picking up everyday products and talks about what is in products you THINK are safe and they are not.

The laws here in the U.S. have not been updated since 1940 so companies like Procter and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson and Colgate Palmolive are not forced to change their formulas. Lysol, Clorox wipes, bleach, 409, Mr. Clean eraser, etc. are so toxic for our babies. Hope you check this all out.

This is SO imporant- I never had a mold test done on my home, and was not notified that there had been water damage. From the 3rd day of bringing my precious little baby home, he had to have nebulizers around the clock. He got more and more sick, and none of the allergy or gastro tests came back positive. At 8mos old he stopped gaining weight and his diarrhea and vomitting got so profuse that we were worried about hydration. Soon my daughter and I got sick, and we evacuated our unit for a week, fearing it was radiation. On a hunch, I did some tests that I got at Home Depot on the water, air, and radiation, and within 2hrs our airborn mold test came back covered in mold. I soon lost my sense of taste in the process of trying to relocate, and now we are displaced from our home, moving into a flat in 2wks.

Very few people relize how many extremely toxic chemicals they use on a daily basis. From laundry detergent, hair shampoos to deodorants, they all contain known human carcinogens. I buy all my products from a company that make only totally non toxic products. Not only are all their products totally non toxic but they work amazingly well and actually cost less than the toxic stuff. I love all their products Go to www.greenvirginproducts.com and check it out. Even if you don't buy from them you will learn a lot about toxic chemicals.

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lil kind life: 10 ways to help your kids go green
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Apr 25, 2012


Green


Your child is never too young to do their part in helping the environment, so it’s important to teach your little ones to go green from the start.

  1. Teach him/her to turn off the lights.
  2. Remind little ones to turn off the water when brushing their teeth.
  3. Spend time with your children playing outside and away from electronic devices that use/waste energy.
  4. Buy eco-friendly toys and products for your children.
  5. Buy in bulk. Instead of buying “snack packs” buy in bulk and then divide into individual servings using reusable containers.
  6. Recycle toys and electronics. Show your children how to properly recycle batteries and electronics so that they don’t end up in landfills.
  7. Teach your children how to cook and where food comes from.
  8. Carpool to school.
  9. Let the kids sort the recycling.
  10. Donate gently used toys and clothing to others who can use them instead of throwing them away.

What are some other fun, energy-efficient activities you can do with your little ones?

For eco tips...

Lil Kind Life: Last Night I Swam with a Mermaid
Kind Classics: Easy Ways to Conserve Water
Kind Classics: Calculate Your Carbon Footprint
Kind Classics: Electronic Waste Recycling

Photo Credit: Kids Gone Raw

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lil kind life: last night i swam with a mermaid
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Apr 24, 2012


I wanted to share my friend Kimberly Muller’s beautiful book with you. It’s called Last Night I Swam With A Mermaid, and it’s all about fun ways for kids to recycle, conserve water, and live green lives in general. I think what's cool about this book is that I loved reading it..so its just as fun for the parent. And the images are mesmerizing!

mermaid
 
Here’s a little video trailer for the book.




Check out the website if you want to see more amazing pictures: Last Night I Swam With A Mermaid.
 
What other books to you recommend for teaching children about conservation and living greener lives?

For more kind books...

Diaper Free by Ingrid Bauer
Your Vegetarian Pregnancy by Dr. Holly Roberts
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Girls Gone Green by Lynn Hirshfield

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bear on the set of suburgatory
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Apr 11, 2012


Of course, Bear joined mama every day on the set of "Suburgatory" with dad. Here he is listening to us filming through the headphones. This photo was taken on the first day on set, while I was shooting the final scene of my first "Surburgatory" episode with Jeremy Sisto at the farmers market!

bear

bear
These were taken about three months ago, so Bear is about 8 months in these pics.

Have you been watching this season? My first episode on "Suburgatory" --"Entering Eden"-- airs April 18th!

What do you think of "Suburgatory" so far this season?

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mayim bialik la times article
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Apr 4, 2012


beyond the sling

Check out this very interesting and easy to read LA Times article about Mayim Bialik’s new book “Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way." Amen! I thought her response about feminism and parenting was really interesting. I love in her book how she talks about toddlers..how to deal with sharing , and saying instead of no….not for baby.

What do you think about what Mayim has to say and her ideas about feminism and parenting?

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Photo Credit: Scribd

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home video: breakfast with baby bear
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Mar 23, 2012


alicia and bearPin It

I just had a delicious breakfast of miso soup, collards and radish steamed and drizzled with flax oil, cast iron mochi with nori wrapped outside, and some grated daikon. Yum! I fed Bear the mochi and a tiny bit of veggies from the soup…from my mouth to his. It’s his favorite...and mine. He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I’m eating. This video was taken about a month or 2 ago when he was a bit wobbly. Now he is grabbing my mouth to get the food!

Here's a little video:


What's your favorite breakfast food?

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mama & baby workouts
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Mar 23, 2012


Mommy and me workouts are a great way to stay fit and spend time with your baby. There are tons of ideas online for how to workout with your baby…everything from Pilates workouts, to hiking while carrying your little one in a sling. Many yoga studios also offer mommy and me classes – check out what’s available in your area, and take a look at my friend Desi Bartlett's guest blog about mommy and me yoga. It’s a great way to get a workout, spend time with the little one, and meet other new moms going through a lot of the same things you’re going through.
 
Here are a few more mama & baby workout ideas from YouTube. This video made me smile all the way through. What a beautiful woman and her baby…so sweet.


 
What are your favorite mama & baby workout ideas? Do you know of any great classes? Share links in the comments below.

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a must have for mamas
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Mar 14, 2012


On a trip to the city to see a friend’s play, my husband and I forgot our little black diaper bag in a taxicab (oops!).
 
On my quest - to buy new stuff, I didn’t get anything except for this treasure I stumbled upon. It’s made of plastic (boo! hiss!) and it’s not made of recycled materials (even worse!) but it has one amazing redeeming feature – it saves your milk!
 
Let me back up for a moment and explain: when I first had Bear, it took a few times of baby being wet for me to realize that my boobs were leaking - that clued me in, along with the ants who moved into my house to drink my fabulous vegan milk. Anywho, I asked a friend what to do. She said, “stuff your bra with a big sock.” That worked for the first eight weeks when I didn’t leave the house, but once I was out and about, I needed a better solution.
 
This milk saver was the answer! While you feed your baby, it collects milk from your other boob. Now, instead of soaking it up with a sock, I save the extra milk. Sometimes I save an ounce at a time, maybe more.
 
milk saver
 
I use it facing this way. The nipple goes inside the hole and milk collects in the bottom so you can save it. I put it inside my nursing bra to hold it in place. Just make sure to give it a cleaning a couple times a week. It’s been a Godsend up until now.
 
It’s so helpful, because I’m with the baby all the time, so sometimes I forget to pump. Now, for times when my husband is withBear and needs milk, he can just use the milk I saved. All those little drops add up! I love it, and I use my milk saver everyday, many times a day. The only problem is that I’m a klutz, and sometimes I forget to take out the milk saver before I bend down…then I spill my precious milk everywhere. Makes me so mad every time…but then I smile.
 
Anywho, I love to avoid waste wherever possible, so this milk saver has been a treasure for me. Plus, it keeps my bra dry and my (or my husband’s) socks clean!
 
All you kind mamas, is there a gadget you can’t live without? Share what it is and why you love it in the comments below!

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my husband on being a dad
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Mar 12, 2012


dad
This is something my husband Christopher wrote a few months ago when we were living in Brooklyn and I was shooting Gods Behaving Badly. This photo is a paparazzi shot from around that time, when Bear was between 2-5 months old. Bear is 10 months now – I will share more current pictures soon, but I wanted to share this one since it is from around the time that Christopher wrote this – he wrote it, then I forgot to post it, so it’s a little late, but I hope you enjoy it:

Wow, do I love being a father. Seeing my boy smile, play, and laugh is just the greatest thing in the world. From the moment we wake up, it is just a joy. I love hearing sounds from the other room when Bear and Alicia are hanging out. They talk to each other even though Bear is only four months old. Bear loves me, but he really loves Alicia. They have a crazy special thing. They flirt with each other like crazy.

When my head hits the pillow at night, I’m usually exhausted. I love that feeling - to be exhausted over something you love to do is one of the great feelings in life.

Our boy is a traveling man. He does not like to be still. He wants me to keep movin’ and see the world. When Alicia is working, he loves going with her to the hair and makeup trailer, because of all the lights, noise, mirrors, and the funny makeup artist. He is fascinated by TV when it is on, but Alicia just put the kibosh on him watching the tube.

I can’t wait to start playing sports and games with him. I can't wait to teach Bear all kinds of things...but in the end, he is gonna have to beat me fair and square at whatever it is (jk). I can’t wait to bore him with my stories of how daddy used to be in a band. I am going to constantly grope his mother.

I really do just love it. When I carry him around, I feel so grounded and wonderful. I love taking him places with me. Going to breakfast with my boy is the best.

Babies are the true miracle of miracles.

***

I am one lucky mama! Do you have any cute daddy stories to share?

Photo Credit: GossipRocks

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cute kids clothes
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 5, 2012

bluebird

Bear needed a few warm clothes for winter, so I went to Bluebird, a kids resale store on Larchmont in LA. It’s a super cute place, and everything I got was used. They also buy your stuff, just like Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads Trading Company, but for kids.
 
Besides a hat, this was the first batch of clothes I’ve bought for Bear. The rest have been hand-me-downs from friends.
 
Where do you get your kids clothes?

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