Guest Post at Simple Organic

 

Today I have a guest post up at Simple Organic. I was honored to be asked to write a guest post by their editor Nicole while she is at home snuggling her precious newborn.  I've been a huge fan of the site for a long time.  In fact all of the Simple Mom sites are wonderful.  

I chose to write about how to make an herbal infused oil because it was the first skin care product I ever made and has since been my favorite.  I use my oil from head to toe daily even on my face as my sole moisturizer.  It's incredible as a bath oil or a belly rub too.  I swear I could drink the stuff!  You can check out the post here.  I hope you enjoy it and have a lovely weekend!

Guest Post by Pink Sugar Bowl: How To Preserve Fresh Berries

Hi Friends!  I have a guest post for you today from Deena of  Pink Sugar Bowl.  She has a true talent when it comes to baking and whips up the most amazing goodies like my favorite, her pumpkin whoopie pies.  They are out of this world!  She uses as many locally sourced ingredients a she can, has a heart for giving back to charities and has been a true asset to our local farmers market.  Here is a post Deena has graciously shared on how to successfully preserve fresh berries.... 

It's summertime! And that means an abundance of fresh, locally grown berries! If you have ever purchased berries only to find them covered in white fuzzy mold a few days later, here are some techniques guaranteed to work!

To prepare fresh berries, that will be eaten within a week, start by sorting through whole berries and destem (blueberries). Fill a large bowl with three cups water and one cup white vinegar. Wash berries in this solution and then drain in a colander. Rinse under running water. While berries are draining in the colander line a salad spinner with paper towels, or a flour sack towel folded over a few times to fit within the bowl. Spin gently until completely dry. Store in a towel lined (paper or cotton) container with a loose fitting lid. Why vinegar? The solution destroys bacteria and mold spores, extending the life of the berries. If you plan to eat them within a couple days this process is not necessary.

When freezing berries I do the same process then place in a plastic bag, remove the air and freeze flat on a baking sheet. Once thoroughly frozen they can be removed and stacked atop one another on a freezer shelf. If not thoroughly dried ice crystals will form on the berries, so for those of you not comfortable with that method here are two other proven ways to freeze fresh berries.

First you need to prep the fruit you are freezing, wash and dry as instructed above. Strawberries need hulled and cut in half other berries picked over, stems removed. Once dried you can pack them one of two ways, a syrup pack or a sugar pack. It's been found that a syrup pack preserves the vibrant colors of raspberries and strawberries, but I have found plain freezing as I typically do retains color, maybe not as vibrant but I like not having the added sugar. 

Sugar Pack - toss two cups of fruit with 1 1/4 cups sugar (all berries; except blueberries they only need about 1/3 cup sugar). Spoon two cups into a quart sized bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal. Lay flat to freeze until solid (about 24 hours).

Syrup Pack - Heat three cups of sugar and four cups of water in a saucepan over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Cool to room temp. Place two cups berries into a quart size bag and add two cups syrup (or enough to just cover the fruit). Seal and lay flat to freeze. 

Here are some great resources for nutritional information, recipes and farms local to Middle TN.

Franklin Farmer's Market - Visit Kelley's Berry Farm, Delvin Farms and Blue Honey Farms for some of the best local berries around!

Spring Hill Farmer's Market - We will be setting up each week next to the Tennessee Children's Home Garden and Ferguson Hall. With Live music, family fun, and good home grown food to eat, this is sure to be a community event that you won't want to miss. Every Saturday, May thru October 3:30 until 6:00 pm. Please use Ferguson Drive and park behind the Ferguson Hall. This is a non-profit event to support the children's home and their service 

Thompsons Station Farmer's Market - 4691 Columbia Pike, Thompson's Station, TN every Wednesday 2:00 - 6:00 pm
Pantall Fruit Farm - Pick your own!
2781 Carter's Creek Station Rd., Columbia, TN 38401 
Phone 931-486-2754 
Hours Mon - Sat: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Dr. Josh AxAlmond Blueberry Cereal - this stuff is AMAZING! And faster to make than pouring a bowl of boxed cereal! Use whatever berries you have on hand or in season! 
Dr. Josh Axe Berrie Smoothie - kids love this!

*For all of you local readers out there Deena is having a great giveaway right now for a jar of her homemade organic strawberry jam (made with local Kelly's Farm strawberries and organic sucanat).  To enter follow her blog and leave a comment that you did so and/or share the blog post on your Facebook page, blog, twitter, etc. leaving a comment for each one.  Winner will be announced on Monday June 6th and must be able to pick up the prize within a week.

keep your eye out!

Keep your eye out on how you can get your hands on one of these organic herbal bath tea sets which aren't even available for retail in the shop! They come 6 to a bag and are full of organic calendula and chamomile flowers and are topped off with organic lavender oil.  The calendula, chamomile and lavender are incredibly calming, soothing and anti-inflammatory while encouraging wound healing and protecting against bacterial invasion of the skin.
For best results brew the tea bag in half a quart of water and allow to steep for 7-10 minutes.  Once the water has cooled add to a shallow bath.  optional: Adding a capful or two of our organic lavender oil in the water really makes it a decadent treatment for nourishing your baby's skin.  I'll be posting on Facebook and Twitter very soon on how you can get your free set so be sure to follow us there!

Weekend Giveaway!

Hi friends!  I realized that I haven't hosted a giveaway on my blog in awhile so today I am going to rectify that!  From now through midnight on Sunday you can enter to win a organic baby balm of your choice!  To enter tell me in the comments which you'd like to have our coconut balm, lavender balm or our eucalyptus chest rub.  For two extra entries follow us and repost this giveaway on Facebook and Twitter. Winner will be announced Monday morning.  Have a great weekend!

***giveaway closed Sara from Live2Love is our winner!***

New Website!

I'm so excited to announce our new revamped website! Same address www.nourishbabyorganics.com but a updated fresh look.  I spent many many hours on it and had some fun learning about coding along the way...I'm becoming quite the computer whiz. I hope you all like it and find it to be user friendly!

One thing that's new on our website are gift bags.  They are eco-friendly all natural organza bags that are handmade by artisans from remote villages around the world.  They are included in our organic lavender gift set but you can now add one to your order for any of our products except our refill washes.  These are great for baby showers!

Indie Business {getting my school on}

I never did graduate with a business degree like I had planned on years ago.  I got to accounting and dropped out. I don't regret that though.  I chose instead to focus on my career as an Aesthetician which turned out to be a great decision for me personally and as a result I've had a wonderful career in the skin care industry for the last decade.  I also love the path that it's put me on with launching my skin care line, Nourish Baby Organics.

This is a very exciting time for me but also overwhelming at moments because of my lack of experience in running a small business so I was thrilled when I found out about Indie Business which is a six week course geared toward small independent businesses specializing in handmade products.  The course outline is pretty incredible.  It covers topics like being debt free, wholesale distribution, photography, networking and balancing work and family. I can't wait to get started and I hope that you will notice some big improvements around here because of it!

skin care spotlight {organic washes}

eenie meenie miney moe....

I get lots of emails and questions on which wash is best for infants, dry skin, eczema etc. so let me break it down in case you are also wondering. The line consists of three washes, Organic Lavender, Organic Coconut and Organic Sweet Orange.  The consistency of the Coconut Wash differs from the Lavender and Sweet Orange because more olive and coconut oil are added to it to make it more moisturizing.  You might even  notice some of the coconut oil that settles on the top.  That is perfectly normal and the nature of coconut oil.  You can just give it a quick shake to remix it.  This is the one that I recommend for someone who is battling a skin condition like eczema, psoriasis or just has extremely dry skin.  You will notice that once the wash is rinsed off a thin layer of oil remains on the skin but is in no way greasy.

If you are looking for something gentle that washes off clean and might even want to use as a shampoo then opt for the Lavender or Sweet Orange.  These two are identical except for the scent. That's where personal preference comes in. I keep the Sweet Orange at my sink as a hand wash and for my face at night but then use the Coconut in the shower because I like that extra oil for my body.

With all three of our washes no harsh detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate or chemical preservatives are used.  The soap is made through a process called saponification which converts oil into soap.  The organic oils that are converted are coconut, olive and jojoba.  To preserve the washes naturally organic rosemary extract is added.  This gives them a shelf life of at least two years.  You won't find any fragrance in our washes either.  Their incredible scents come straight from nature.  No matter which one you choose you can't go wrong.  I constantly have a new favorite depending on what kind of mood I'm in.

{newest retailers}

I'm so happy to be starting 2011 off with two new exciting retailers...Whole Foods Cool Springs & Slo Wellness Center. Here are some of the details!

We are now at both Nashville locations of Whole Foods, Green Hills and Franklin. I dropped off a fresh order last week of our our washes, balms and oil in Organic Lavender and Organic Coconut so be sure to look for them when you are there next. I'm thrilled to have the line at the Franklin store and once this baby comes and life returns to normal, if there is such a thing, I will be in the store for demos and to chat about the products.  I look forward to seeing some of you there!

Slo Wellness Center is located in San Luis Obispo along the central coast of California.  They offer everything from Chiropractic care to nutritional recommendations.  When I spoke with Dr. Molly Stevens about their practice and her interest in bringing in our skin care line here is what she said, " My main patient is womens health and children.  I do a lot of hormone, adrenal, thyroid work as well as nutrition for pediatric patients.  When I work with women on cleaning up their homes, we start with body products (b/c of how many hormone disrupters there are in most products).  I also encourage women to seek the same for their infants and children." 


I'm honored to have Nourish Baby Organics be apart of their incredible center and we are already flying off their shelves!  I only wish I lived closer so I could be a client too!

{blog love}

I sponsor some fabulous blogs...not to brag but I do so yes maybe I'll brag on them just a bit.  I'm thrilled for the opportunity to support such fun, creative and positive ladies and thankful for their help in spreading the word about my business.  The communities they've built from their blogs are amazing.  I've been so blessed to meet and connect with so many of their readers. 
When deciding on someone to sponsor I first think would I want to go out to lunch with them?  I have to enjoy them and their blog to advertise on it. And all these blogs definitely make the cut!  If you get a chance you should really check them out.  Just click on their buttons...

Also check out Simple Organic, this is our first month with them and I love them already! We have a great giveaway coming up too so stay posted!

skin care spotlight {organic lavender oil}

Our Organic Lavender Oil was the first product in the line and is still one of my very favorites.  It is also one of the most requested.   I infuse the oil with organic calendula and chamomile which  is quite a process to get all those wonderful herbal properties out of the herbs and into the oil but the result is so worth it!


Calendula and chamomile flowers are anti-inflammatory, naturally anti-bacterial and help with wound healing not to mention how lovely they both smell!  The organic lavender essential oil that is added is anti-inflammatory as well.   The oils that are chosen, olive, pumpkin seed and sunflower, are all high in omega fatty acids and vitamins.  The pumpkin seed oil in particular is abundant in zinc which is great for stretching skin during pregnancy.


With a little less then 3 weeks left in my pregnancy this oil is my best friend.  I use it everywhere..on my face and multiple times a day on my belly.  It is wonderful in the bath water and even as a shave oil.  It comes in two different sizes, 4 or 8 oz bottles and makes a great baby shower gift because the new mom can start using it on herself even before the baby comes!

{eczema}

This week I did an interview on Gussy Sews along with a giveaway.  In the interview Gussy asked me why I started my skin care line, nourish baby organics.  My story of my son's eczema being the driving force behind the line sparked a lot of emails from moms whose children are also suffering from skin conditions.  My heart goes out to these women and children.  Eczema is a word that I have become way far too familiar with and have learned to loathe.  
For many this is not a condition that can be magically cured simply by switching a product unless the eczema is triggered by a preservative or ingredient in the skin care currently being used.  In fact I have a huge problem with companies who say their product will cure it.  To me they are playing on peoples' emotions.  I will never claim that my skin care line can cure eczema.  I will only say that for most people it claims the side effects of eczema. 
I do want to point out the complexity of eczema.  My son who has suffered since he was an infant from eczema still has it.  It's about 90% under control because we were able to target his food allergies and he has outgrown most of them but now we are dealing with environmental allergies. 
Because he is so allergy prone he can breakout from being outside when the pollen count is too high (which in Tennessee that's just about all the time) or when he gets too hot.  If he rolls around on the carpet with shorts on his skin gets irritated or if he goes to a swimming pool he immediately reacts to the chlorine.  These are issues that go beyond  our skin care routine but I am able to soothe the reactions with the products that I use on him.
I'm writing this because I want parents to a have realistic approach in treating their children's skin. I would never want anyone to have a false sense of hope when using our products.  I have parents who write in and say that their child's skin has been completely changed but then I know there are some that have not seen that dramatic of a result.  In those cases I encourage parents to explore the reasons why their child has eczema.  Could it maybe be due to a hidden allergy? Skin is our largest organ and a direct reflection of what is going on internally.  I'm curious by nature so I always want to ask why something is occurring not just what can I do to stop it.


{And yes that's my adorable little muse pictured above in the bathtub...I just couldn't stand to publish a post without a picture!}

be in the know...

Do you follow us on facebook and twitter?  If you don't you might miss out on some great giveaways and discounts being offered from our shop.  Like the fabulous one going on right now over at Gussy Sews !  
There will be plenty more to come in the future so make sure to connect with us on our facebook page or twitter because that is where you can find out about them!

skin care spotlight {organic eucalyptus chest rub}

Does someone you know and love have the sniffles this holiday season? If so try our Organic Eucalyptus Chest Rub containing organic oils of eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint. Eucalyptus is one of the oldest natural remedies used for sinus congestion and colds along with peppermint which breaks up mucus.  Lavender is added to help with inflammation and for it's germ fighting abilities. Just gently massage 1/4 tsp onto their congested chest as often as needed for relief. 

{free shipping}

Let's be honest shipping is a drag.  I love it when I can get a deal like free shipping so I thought I would give you exactly what I'd want!  I wish I could give it to you all year long but unfortunately all good things must come to an end so make sure you take advantage while it's here!  

*no code necessary or order minimum, free shipping is automatic at checkout

skin care spotlight {organic coconut balm}

I'm going to start highlighting some of my favorite products from my shop and I thought I'd start with my organic coconut balm. I can hardly keep it stocked because it's so popular!  I use this balm all over...on my baby's bottom, feet and face.  I always have some handy!
People go crazy for it's natural coconut smell that comes from the meat of coconuts.  Each ingredient in the balm has been thoughtfully selected.  The beeswax and shea butter base leave a protective layer on the skin to help retain moisture.  The coconut oil has herbs of plantain and chickweed baked into it.  Their nourishing properties have been extracted and infused into the oil.  The herbs help with everything from itching to tissue repair.  Plantain leaves are commonly used to soothe eczema and poison ivy too.
All ingredients are certified organic except for the touch of vitamin e oil which can not be found in an organic form.  The vitamin e used is however the purest form available because it is kosher, fair trade and non-GMO.  This allows the shelf  life to be extended to 2 years plus it aids in moisturizing.

{pretty little buttons}

Hi friends!  I wanted to point out the new blog button and shop button on our sidebar. I'm in love with the little nest!  Isn't it sweet?! It makes me very happy.
These pretty little buttons are available for you to take and post on your blog!.  So if you love us and want to share us with your readers we would be so honored!  All you have to do is highlight the code in the box below the button and right click copy.  If you are on blogger go to design then add a gadget.  Click on HTML/Java Script, paste the code in the box and hit save.  The button should now appear on your blog!  Enjoy and  thanks for spreading the word!

relaunch {phase 1}

We are in the middle of relaunching our line, Nourish Baby Organics, with a whole new fresh look and I'm so excited for you to see everything come together over the next week or so!  I have been working with a great local design company called Uber D+M.  Their vision for Nourish Baby Organics has blown me away! I know you all are going to love it!
I'm beginning to implement phase 1 of the transition which is our blog, store's website and etsy site so pardon our mess for a bit.  Phase 2 is our label redesign.  Freshly printed labels with the new look are on their way!  Along with our design relaunch we will also be debuting our new Organic Sweet Orange Wash! Stay tuned for updates!

African Shea Butter

African women have been using shea butter for centuries and it is quickly becoming my favorite ingredient to work with. It will soon be added to our organic coconut balms and organic lavender balms because it is so moisturizing and healing.  The shea butter we use is unrefined, organic and is sourced from the Savannahs of Africa.  Because it's unrefined it is still rich in vitamins and healing properties making it ideal for eczema, stretch marks, diaper rash and even bug bites.
When you buy shea butter just make sure that it is unrefined!  When it's refined they strip it of carotene and alantoin among other healing anti-inflammatory properties so be sure to check that you are getting the good stuff!

We're stocked up on Organic Lavender Washes and Organic Coconut Washes in both 8 oz and 32 oz sizes! Don't be shy...I know you want one!

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! We had a busy weekend between parades, parties and the lake! So much fun but exhausting!  We also sold out of  our baby wash but will be restocked by next week so don't worry!  There must be alot of babies in need of bathes this summer, including mine! I'll keep you posted but be sure to friend us on facebook so you can get all the latest updates on what we're up to!