Battle of the Baby Bath

I’ll admit it; my kids are cute… despite their splotchy red skin.  Welts, rashes, patches, and bumps are no strangers to us but I was determined to figure out why.  After being tested for allergies, and concluding that the problem was superficial, we began our hunt for the perfect baby bath to help protect and soothe my babies’ beautiful bums (and other parts, of course)!  It had to be gentle, effective, and smell good.  I wanted it to be easy to use, locally available, and fun for the kids.  That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?  I was about to find out.  And being the altruistic, super fine person that I am, I decided to share my results with you.  I tried out a veritable plethora of products and have outlined the four finalists below.

Baby Wash	Method Baby Squeaky Green Hair + Body Wash	Earth Mama Angel Baby Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash	Nature’s Baby Organics Shampoo & Body Wash	California Baby Calming Shampoo & Bodywash
Smell	Made with rick milk and mallow, this smells sooo good you may just want to eat your kids.	Its super delicious creamsicle scent makes your kids and the whole bathroom smell great.	Claims to be vanilla tangerine but smells, well, gross.	Scented with French lavender essential oils, this product smells good, but is a little overpowering.
Gentleness	Free of numbing agents, phthalates, and parabens.  This formula is tear free, hypo-allergenic and 99% natural.	No SLS, parabens,         artificial fragrances or dyes.  This certified vegan formula is toxin-free, cruelty-free, and has no phthalates.	100% vegan and hypoallergenic, this wash is also paraben, SLS, and propylene glycol free.  Contains no phthalates and is a part of the campaign for safe cosmetics.	Its no-tear formula has no SLS, DEA, or numbing agents.  It contains no nut oils, gluten, soy, oat, or dairy and is pH balanced.
Good to Know	Has a great, creamy lather and comes complete with a reusable washing cup!	Fantastic foaming pump makes a little go a long way.  Can pick up or deliver within London, ON.	This product was very difficult to lather and bubbles dissipated quickly.	A little goes a long way – super easy to lather up baby.
Cost (approx)	$7 for 8oz	$16 for 5.3oz	$11 for 8oz	$13 for 8.5oz
Find it!	Method	MamaAssist	Nature’s Baby Products	California Baby

 

Playing in the tub was fun but finding suitable products was difficult.  Picking a favourite was even harder.  But being clear headed and committed, I persevered and have declared a winner of my personal battle of the baby bath:  Earth Mama Angel Baby Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash.  The smell is divine (no pun intended) and the foaming pump is something I can no longer live without.  You can easily purchase this product online or can find it locally at MamaAssist London.  The one drawback is that the formula is not tear-free… but I found this out while using it for myself as a very effective eye makeup remover!   So for any kids with sensitive skin, or any parent who just wants to share in some foamy fun, pick up some Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash and get a-pumping!

WIN IT: Win A Little Something for Baby’s Suitcase (which contains Earth Mama Angel Baby products) from MamaAassist London.   Send an email to contests@wundermums.com with “MAMAASSIST” in the subject line and the answer to this question: How much is the Getting Labour Started Session?   We’ll pick one winner at random. Contest closes October 3rd, 2008. Good Luck! 

Reviewed by Melanie Morgan for Wundermums.  All rights reserved.

Tupperware FridgeSmarts

I love fruit.  I kinda like veggies.  But what I really don’t like is overripe, mushy, gross produce.  I tend to purchase my fruits and vegetable at over-priced yet beautiful markets because, well, the food just looks better.  I take it home, clean it up and put it in the fridge.  Then I tend to forget about it.  That is until being introduced to the Tupperware FridgeSmart containers.  Previously, I would end up throwing out a ton of food at the end of each week, promising my husband that I will not do that next week… again… for sure this time.  Needless to say I wasted a ton of money and well… food.   Not something I am proud of but I would wager a bet that I am not the only one guilty of it either.

A friend of mine invited me to a Tupperware party where I held those FridgeSmart containers in my hands for the first time.  They look like simple Tupperware containers but claim to keep fruits and veggies fresh for up to three weeks!  Yeah right. Apparently the unique design allows air to circulate around your produce and act like those little sprinkler systems all our children freak over in the supermarket.  There is a different vent combination for each fruit and vegetable and all of these are listed directly on the side of the container.  The confident little containers have won the Good Housekeeping award in the past but the true test (in my humble opinion) is whether or not they can impress me.  I’m sure I’m a much better judge than Good Housekeeping!

So I ordered a bunch (go big or go home, I say) and waited for them to arrive.  I was pleasantly surprised by the pretty colours they come in (‘cause we all know how important pretty is inside your fridge) and I was eager to put them to the test.  I washed everything up and put it in the fridge.  I was so excited that I didn’t even forget to eat the fruit that week!  Eventually the novelty wore off, I forgot to go in, and at the end of the week my food was still fresh.  Not just passable, but actually really fresh (even the strawberries)!  I saved money by not tossing out a ton of food.  I saved time and money on gas, not having to drive out to the market again.  And… I kept my promise to my husband!

I have since recommended Tupperware FridgeSmart containers to a plethora of people and none have been disappointed so far.  The only negative I’ve heard is that they don’t save baby carrots… but really, what can save baby carrots?!?  So go ahead and throw yourself a little party of the Tupperware variety (it’s back in style, don’t ya know) and buy yourself some FridgeSmarts.  They’re BPA free, have a lifetime warranty, and you’ll save yourself a wad of cash.  Don’t worry; I’m sure I can come up with a few things for you to spend it on!    

WIN IT: Win your very own Tupperware FridgeSmart container.   Send an email to contests@wundermums.com with “TUPPERWARE” in the subject line and the answer to this question: How much is a 3 piece set of FridgeSmart containers?   We’ll pick one winner at random. Contest closes September 19^th, 2008. Good Luck! 

Reviewed by Melanie Morgan for Wundermums.  All rights reserved.