Green Salve: by Motherlove (soothe insect bites and rashes with organic ingredients)

You've got to love a company with the name Motherlove.  Really.  We all need motherlove-- as children, as mothers, as women.  Beyond that, you'll find more to love.  Motherlove is dedicated to consistent quality to craft  the finest, purest products, and using certified organic ingredients designed to nurture, soothe and heal women on their all-important journey of nurturing life.

Add to that:  All their office supplies and packaging are made from recycled materials (as is all company literature), they manufacture using wind credits, none of their products are ever tested on animals and are completely cruelty free.

Motherlove also believes in supporting the social environment with their Nurturing Life Foundation, which promotes breastfeeding and supports mothers-in-need nationwide. Over 10% of all Motherlove Herbal Company’s profits are donated to organizations that truly help nurture life, like The Maternal Wellness Center, Realities for Children and The Mountain Park Environmental Center.

Love it.  And I had the pleasure of sampling their Green Salve.  It came to me at the waning days of summer, when my youngest was covered in bug bites-- from head to toe.  Seems that bugs like her more than the rest of us.  We won't even notice any bugs, and she is full of bites.  It is so sad!

This little girl has lots of experience with creams.  She has awful eczema that crops up often, and we are always searching for ways to tame her painful, dry and cracked patches. So she was a bit skeptical about this salve.  My girl will scream enough to rattle your eardrums if any cream or salve stings.

Thankfully, Motherlove's Green Salve did not sting my sweet girl.  In fact, I gave it to her to self apply, because it contains no offensive ingredients-- only olive oil, beeswax, comfrey, plantain, marshmallow root, and calendula to be exact.  It calmed her bites, and she didn't' howl, which is always good!

The Green Salve also quickly and effectively takes the pain and itch out of bee stings and poison ivy. It soothes and softens rashes, alleviates chapped, irritated skin, and even eases the discomforts of eczema. It heals wounds with minimal or no scarring.

I'll put it to the test with her awful eczema as soon as I see a flare up. I know at least that it won't sting.

Motherlove has MUCH more to offer-- such as pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and baby products to help women in every stage.  I wish I would have known about Motherlove when I was pregnant, birthing and taking care of a newborn.  They have much to offer, and I think it speaks bounds that they offer so many safe and healthy products for expecting and new mamas, who need all the support they can get!

Thanks to Motherlove for providing safe products for mothers and babies everywhere, and for the chance to review the Green Salve.

*FCC guidelines:  I did receive a sample of Green Salve to review. I was NOT paid for this review.  It is a reflection of my independent experience.  

New Posts on Non-Toxic Nest: C-Sections and New Baby Gifts

Here are two recent post from my blog over at the safe and eco-shopping site, MightyNest.  The first is a new study about increasing c-section rates in the U.S.  The study shows a link between induction and c-sections, and how having one c-section increased the likelihood of repeated c-sections.  Any expecting mom or one interested in maternal health would find this interesting-- and helpful to know as you are making a birth plan and working with midwives or your doctors.

And if you are looking for sweet, safe, and eco new baby gift, check out this post about a Under the Nile Organic Gift Basket.  

Happy Labor Day weekend!

ADHD Over-diagnosed, A New Study Says

I read this story with great interest as a teacher and parent. A new study is linking the attention problems often associated with ADHD with the age of a student.

According to the article:

"Elder found that how old a child is relative to peers in the same class also affects teacher perception of ADHD symptoms. In other words, teachers tended to perceive ADHD symptoms more in younger kids than older kids, even in the same grade. Younger children were also more likely to take stimulant medication for ADHD. The study authors suggest that children who are young for their grade may get an inappropriate diagnosis because teachers mistake their immaturity for ADHD."

The article also points the costs of a diagnosis of ADHD, both in side effects for the child and challenges for a family. I reviewed this movie last year which made me think very carefully about the over-medication of our children and the intention of the mega pharmaceutical companies. 

I hope this is read widely, and that parents, teachers and doctors can work together to limit the costly (in so many ways) mis-diagnosis of ADHD.  

image:  by mrcharly on Flickr under Creative Commons

No Farmers Market? Don't Worry, You can Still get Wholesome Produce Wherever You Live

(Here's a guest post about finding local foods.  Enjoy!)

The biggest benefit of living in a food conscious area is the over abundance of farmers markets. There, you can find a range of the most exotic foods, all home grown, organically produced, and completely wholesome and healthy. But if you don't live in an area where you have the opportunity and privilege of venturing to the local farmers market to pick up your usual produce, never fear. There are simple and affordable ways and means of finding and stocking up your fridge full of good, wholesome produce.

The easiest and most convenient way of getting a hold of those wholesome fruits and veggies is by taking a trip down to the local mom and pop grocery store. Usually, the produce you will find there will be locally grown in co-ops or even from the market owner's own backyard. This produce might look a little different than the produce you'd find at your neighborhood Ralphs, but that's because home growers don't use the same chemicals and pesticides in the production of their produce that can often alter the physical appearance of the fruits and vegetables.

You can also hit up the local ethnic market, maybe the Asian market down the street or the Mediterranean market around the corner. Most people walk passed these markets assuming there is nothing inside that they would commonly buy or use. However, these mom and pop ethnic markets are chalk full of gems. They have got the usual produce that you are used to using in your meals, for a far cheaper price, and while walking through the aisles of the produce section you might just find something new to use to spruce up your daily menu.

Try starting up your garden at home. Most of us might not have ideal locations to grown a full garden with ample sunlight at home. But veggies like peas, radishes, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, and collard greens can all be grown at home with minimal effort and even in the most shady of places. Not only will this prove to be much cheaper in the long run, the only expense is really the initial purchase of the seeds needed to grow the plants you choose to grow, but it will keep you stocked on the veggies you need daily without having to inconvenience yourself by going out and searching for the local market that has them cheaper than any other neighborhood grocery store. You'll have the sense of satisfaction when it comes to harvest time, and you'll be able to eat easier knowing exactly where your produce came from and what was used to help them grow.

Worse comes to worst, though, and none of these options work for you, you can always head to your usual grocery store and search out the organic produce section. Most chain grocery stores these days have portion of their produce aisles sectioned off for their organic produce, and this type of produce is typically much more wholesome than the conventionally grown and harvested fruits and veggies. Prices for the organic produce are comparable to that of the non-organic produce, but are free from pesticide chemicals and synthetic nutrients.

Dana Livingston is a writer for a culinary school website where you can browse schools and the latest trends in the culinary arena.