Polliwogged || Category || Organic || P5

Safe and sugar free baby finger foods

We’re delving into the world of finger foods here at my house lately. Because my baby has a very obvious, and already very frustrating sweet tooth, my husband and I are desperate for finger foods that are sugar-free.

First off, bring on the Cheerios! Once we got past that obvious idea, we had to get creative. The Gerber Puffs are tempting, but they are not cheap and they have a fair amount of sugar in them. Here are some other options we’ve come up with:

Adult unsalted, unflavored rice cakes broken into roughly 1/8 pie wedges. My son adores these.

Whole wheat pasta that has been diced into tiny bits, or run through our new totally awesome ricer. [Seconded. A great tool for babyhood and beyond. - Ed.]

Unsalted saltines. I know, it's an oxymoron. But they exist, and my kid loves them.

Kamut Puffs. Nature’s Path makes a line of four types of organic puffed grain cereals. I intend to try out all four (Kamut, Corn, Millet, and Rice). Right now we are doing Kamut, and the kid digs them. Ounce for ounce, they are an inexpensive puffed snack.

Firm, yet cooked, veggies that can run through the ricer. This means stuff like steamed sweet potato and steamed carrots.

Cooked peas that have been mashed flat with a fork. [Or squished through a ricer. Sorry. - Ed.]

Cottage cheese. Apparently, this is not only delicious, but also good for your scalp. Or so it would seem by the way my son likes to eat it.

Thin whole wheat bagel slices, lightly toasted.

What healthy finger foods have you discovered for your baby? - Leigh G.

Photo by yogi, shared via Flickr.

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A very convincing cloth diaper

Hello, my name is Emily and I am a disposable diaper user. The thought of all the washing and mess combined with my admittedly outdated images of unsightly diaper covers have kept me from even considering using cloth diapers. But that may soon change because I’ve just discovered the Organic One-size Cloth Diaper by bumGenius. I agree, what took me so long?

bumGenius Organic One-Size Cloth Diapers is the first in its industry to offer a 100% organic cotton cloth diaper with tabs that stretch for a more snug fit. These stretchy tabs combined with simple hook and loop fasteners make cloth diapering as easy as disposable. And if you’re resistant to cloth diapers like me, bumGenius’ new "no-stuff" system (available only in the Organic One-Size version) is a great way to ease into a change from disposable diapers. Just diaper your baby, wash, dry and repeat. That’s it - and no cover required!

The Organic One-size Cloth Diapers from bumGenius are available in five colors and are designed to fit most babies weighing between 7 and 35 pounds. You can make the transition to organic cloth diapers by purchasing one for around $25 from Cotton Babies. - Emily H.

A balm for what ails baby

Though I have long been a Eucerin fan when it comes to soothing my baby’s dry, sensitive skin, I am learning that may not be the best option for her. Looking for something more organic and natural, I found Sweet Beauty Baby Balm. After reading its list of ingredients I’m anxious to try it!

Sweet Beauty Baby Balm soothes your baby’s dry, irritated skin with organic cocoa butter, a variety of natural oils and butters, and gentle extracts. This balm helps moisturize the skin and prevent future dryness and irritation. Plus it penetrates quickly into the skin, which is perfect for little ones who won’t hold still!

The list of ingredients is impressive--and yummy. Along with chamomile, zinc oxide and Vitamin E T-50, you’ll find cocoa butter, sweet cherry oil and extracts of marshmallow and raspberry. You can use Sweet Beauty Baby Balm on everything from parched lips to irritated bottoms - and that goes for adults too! You can purchase a jar of Sweet Beauty Baby Balm for $17 from SweetBeautySpa.com. - Emily H.

Sweet Beauty Baby Balm

Monkey see, monkey buy!

Organic clothing for infants used to be hard to find, and even now it takes a little searching to find clothing that is not only organic but stylish as well. When I saw eight3one’s Tot Couture line I knew I had to share it with you.

Tot Couture is a small collection of infant onesies and accessories made from certified organic cotton and certified fair trade. Available in 3-6 and 6-12 month sizes, the designs are simple and sweet and I absolutely love the bright yet rich colors used for the animals. (The Birdie and Monkey See are my favorites!) With the coordinating cap and contrast-stitch pants, you can deck your baby out in full organic gear. He’ll be making a fashion statement while you'll be supporting fair trade. Win/win!

If you like tees that have more of an urban feel, you’ll love eight3one’s original line of onesies and tees; though not organic, they are made from 100% cotton and are sweatshop-free. You can purchase your favorite Tot Couture tee for around $26 from Amazon.com. - Emily H.

Monkey See onesie from eight3one

Happy Lion: Worry-free play for babies

Simply by playing together, parents can help babies work toward reaching important first year milestones like holding their heads up, reaching for objects, and rolling over. Babies' first toys should be beautiful, soft, and most of all safe.

Sckoon is a fantastic company that sells products made with 100% organic cotton that are manufactured under 100% fair trade conditions. I am in love with their Happy Lion toy. Not only is it adorable and safe for baby, it is also easy to care for. Just throw it in the washing machine, and it actually gets softer with each wash! Sounds like a fair deal for moms, too.

You can find the Happy Lion and other Sckoon toys for babies on Amazon.com. - Sara I.

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