Life in my garden

I believe in compost.

I love when organic material doesn't end up in the trash can and ultimately a landfill. I'd rather it rot right in my own backyard.
My worm bin holds a coveted spot -- right next to the kitchen door.
Beautiful colors.


Green parsley stems, bois du rose onion skins, black coffee grounds, brown egg shells, and touches of red radish.
Next... those wiggle worms that do the dirty work and setting up a new worm bin!

Sincerely,

Jessica

Natural Habits That Heal Dry Skin

Daily cleansing and moisturizing is an essential part of caring for your skin and your child’s. But for those who suffer from extremely dry skin or eczema, a relaxing bath or a soothing warm shower can turn into a dry and itchy affair.

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a common skin condition marked by itching, redness and scaly patches. It is very common in babies, usually appearing on the face, chest, back, arms or legs during the first 6 months and can last throughout childhood. Unfortunately, many children will outgrow eczema only to have it reappear in adulthood. The condition can be difficult to deal with, but you may be surprised at how many treatment options you have. And by making just a few simple lifestyle changes, you can get back on the path to baby soft skin.

Check your water: Bathing in chlorinated tap water strips the skin of its natural oils and can cause itching and scaling—not what you want when you’re already battling dry skin. Using a shower filter to remove chlorine can be helpful in preventing further irritation.

Beat the heat: Keep your thermostat on the cool side, which will save energy as well as your skin; high indoor heat saps moisture from the air. And lower the temperature of your bath water as eczema has a tendency to flare up as the temperature rises.

Choose gentle cleansers: Harsh cleansers strip skin of its natural oils, leaving it unprotected from the elements and more susceptible to irritants and dryness. Instead suds up with a non-sulfate cleanser, preferably one made with without allergy triggering synthetic fragrances.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize: When your child steps out of the shower or tub, don’t towel off those magical moisturizing water droplets! Trap them next to the skin with lotion, a super rich cream, or hi-oleic vegetable oil.

Watch what you eat: Since eczema is caused by a reaction in the immune system, certain foods—especially tropical fruits such as mangos and pineapples—can cause flair-ups. Check with your doctor or dermatologist first and then try an elimination diet to pinpoint the culprit.

Know the secret ingredient: Calendula! This wonder flower is helpful in treating a whole host of skin issues, including eczema, rosacea, sunburn and just plain old dry skin. Try growing the easy annual flower in your garden and using the flowers to make a homemade tea for the bath. Here’s how: Put 5 or 6 flower tops in a muslin tea bag and drop into a tea cup; fill the cup with hot water and let steep for 20 minutes. Then simply pour the tea into a temperate bath.

Mother Nature: 1, Hydrocortisone: 0!

All My Best,

Jessica

California Baby Hair Care: Not Just for Kids

Hello California Baby Fans

Although California Baby products are used and promoted for use by sensitive adults, they are designed for babies and kids. Usually little ones have baby fine hair and do not use styling aids like gel, hairspray, etc. Their hair care needs are a little different than an adult’s.

Nevertheless, California Baby washes and conditioners work great on adult hair because they are non-stripping, which means your own natural oils that add softness and shine are left intact, and hair coloring treatments lasts longer.

Here are a few CB hair washing and conditioning tips

• Wash your hair once—but let it sit for at 30-60 seconds to do its job
• Start the cleansing at the temples, front and back of scalp, which are the oiliest parts
• Move to the ends of the hair, which tend to be the driest, and to keep your ends in tip top shape and extend your next hair trim, don’t concentrate or start your washing at the ends
• By now we know that bubbling isn’t where the cleaning happens, so avoid trying to ‘foam up,’ instead make sure the product is evenly distributed—if it makes contact, it’s working to break the surface tension of oil and water—releasing it from your hair
• California Baby hair conditioners are lightweight by design—giving you the option to leave it in for extra conditioning (great for curly hair) or do a quick rinse for finer hair

Adults should only be using a half-dollar sized amount of product at each wash (and a dime or quarter sized for kids). Give my technique a try, it works for me—I hope it works for you too!

Jessica

Earth Day = Spring Cleaning

It's Earth Day, which means you'll probably be reading about simple ways to "go green" all afternoon. It's true that the small changes we make can have a big impact on the health of our planet. For example, take shorter showers to conserve water, eat local and organic to reduce our use of oil and pesticides, wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot to save energy. All of these things are important and make an impact. I try to do all these (and more) year round.

I'm not a collector at heart, but there are some things I can't simply toss in the trash. Cork from wine and champagne bottles are, or should I say were, my ongoing pet project. I had corks piling up in ice buckets, boxes and bags, "Oh! Don't throw that away, I'm going to do something with it," was my often repeated mumble. My family, knowing that once I get something into my head, knows its not going to go away and shrewdly decided to let the topic pass.

You might have heard something about the (beautiful!) cork flooring we installed last year in our eco-showroom at California Baby headquarters in Los Angeles.

By now, it can safely be assumed that I LOVE cork floors, which is why I envisioned my used beverage corks being recycled into soft and comfy eco-friendly flooring. The cork we chose for our showroom is harvested from the cork tree by stripping the outer bark, which is done without harming the tree, so it's a wonderfully sustainable material. The process of turning the bark into cork for flooring is also very green and low-impact. Cork pieces are cured, boiled and then pressed and even scraps from this process can be collected and reused so there's very little waste.

Not planning on getting new flooring anytime soon? Well, you can still make a difference and do what I did: recycle your wine bottle corks by sending them to The Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, which runs Cork ReHarvest, a recycling program that saves wine corks from the landfill and sends them to businesses that repurpose them into things like cork flooring. Visit www.corkforest.org for more information about how to recycle your corks.

Take a Hike

Seeing the world through your child’s eyes is just one of the joys of being a parent. What better way is there to introduce them to the wonders of their world than to take them into the outdoors on a hike? Communing with nature by hitting the hiking trails is a great way to spend some quality time together as a family while teaching little ones about nature. Whether your brood is big or small, walking or crawling, hiking with kids can be safe and easy. Of course the wilderness does pose some risks—think sunburns, bug bites and stings, scrapes and scratches, exhaustion, and dehydration—but most can be avoided or easily treated with a little advance planning and know-how. These tips will help keep your family happy and healthy while on the trail.

Take Short Trips: Excursions with kids must be kept short. To build their endurance and condition their little bodies for hikes, start out with no more than a one-mile trip, then slowly build up to a distance that fits your family’s fitness levels.

Be Flexible: Kids are curious, which means they’re going to want to stop often and check out the scenery, so plan to have plenty of time to complete your hike. And remember, you’re going to be moving even more slowly now that you’re carrying extra gear and supplies, and possibly a child.

Stay Safe in the Sun: Sunscreen is a must any time you’re outdoors, even when you’re hiking under a canopy of shady trees. Choose a protection level of SPF 30+ and for ease of use, try a stick because they’re super easy to apply to little faces. Opt for a fragrance-free version, which is great for hikes because there’s no scent to attract bugs. Reapply sunscreen every half hour whether it is needed or not, as little ones can’t always communicate with you when they’re feeling sunburned.

Beat Bug Bites: Your kids will love checking out spider webs and getting up close and personal with a variety of creepy crawlers, but what bites bugs leave behind—not so much. Buy a DEET free bug repellent as this chemical can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people; instead try a natural bug repellent that is based on natural plant oils such as citronella to fight off ticks, mosquitoes, fleas and biting flies.

Dress in Layers: Your child is dressed for adventure, be sure they are wearing a minimum of three layers. Hypothermia can happen even on a summer day.

Stay Hydrated: One quart of water every two hours is a good rule of thumb—more in extreme hot, cold or high altitude.

Most importantly: Have fun!

All My Best,

Jessica

Juicing! My First Step On The Natural And Organic Path

I've been juicing everyday for over 20 years. In fact, it was one of the first natural and organic 'lifestyle' changes I made in preparation for pregnancy.

Juicing takes some advance planning, but not much.
Here's How I Do It:

1. Rely on frozen fruit as the staple in your juicing program - buying in bulk if possible. Organic is important here - especially if you are using strawberries (rank high in pesticide residue).
2. Add seasonal fruit to mix it up
3. Use fresh squeezed orange juice if possible - important to note: to conserve on orange juice 'cut it' with water by half.
4. I like the combination of strawberries (for sweetness), blueberries (sweet and mineral-y taste, balances the blend) and cranberries (kind of bitter, use less of this).

All the fruit goes into the blender; cover with liquids (half water/half fresh orange juice); puree. Add water to thin as needed.

Tip: Drink slowly allowing the juice to mix with the enzymes in your mouth, fruit does not make a stop in the stomach, it goes straight to the intestines to be absorbed.

A fruit smoothie gets me started every morning. If I'm really good, I will follow this with a veggie juice (more on this next blog).
I noticed:

• Juicing helps cut down on sweet tooth cravings
• Helps shed a few unwanted pounds
• Provides balanced energy--no energy crashes that come from refined sugar highs
• Quenches thirst

Give it a try! Juicing takes a just a little bit of effort to get started, but once you get into the grove, it's super easy.

Ways to care for your baby's skin if they have extremely dry skin or eczema.

First
Stop all skin care product use and go back to the basics.
Always patch test any new product; wait 24 hours and observe the area looking for any change before using.

Keep it Simple
I recommend going fragrance free for a while. Cleanse with our Super Sensitive, no fragrance, shampoo & bodywash (now also available in a 19 oz bottle!) head-to-toe. Follow with California Baby Super Sensitive, no fragrance, Everyday Lotion to soothe and moisturize.

Bring ‘Em On!
Choose between either beloved California Baby “magic cream” moisturizers:
• Calendula Cream (now also available in a 4 oz jar!)
• Botanical Moisturizing Cream.

Mist = No Rubbing = No Irritation
For a very gentle moisturizing alternative, mist our Soothing & Healing Spray all over the body. The thin layer of emollients will air dry avoiding the need to rub already irritated skin. To cool hot skin, put the bottle in the fridge for about 10 minutes to chill and then spray.

All my best,

Jessica