Decmber 2015 we were blessed with a brand new bundle of joy and our family couldn’t be happier! Our sweet little daughter has brought us tons of smiles and loads of laughter over the past 12 months, and along with filling our hearts with love, she has filled our house with lots of baby stuff!!

I’m very excited to share my very favorite ‘baby finds’ from my daughter’s 1st year! I have come across some fabulous vegan, hand made and eco-friendly products & companies that really stand out. And I only recommend products that I absolutely LOVE! So please feel confident supporting these companies and buying these items for your little nuggets! 

Let’s start with diapers! You know that you will need them, that’s a given. But the thought of throwing away dozens of diapers each week is kind of tough for me to deal with. Each year parents throw away 20 billion diapers. yep, 20 billion. that’s enough diapers to circle the globe 90 times. And guess how many years it takes for the average diaper to decompose? Um, 500 years! Is that crazy or what?

Disposable diapers are also very expensive, costing between $1400 and $2500 over 21/2 years. You can plan to spend between $300-$500 on reusable diapers.

My top pick for reusable diapers are Charlie Banana‘s 2 in 1 hybrid cloth diapers! They are free from yucky irritants and chemicals, they’re super comfortable and ridiculously adorable. But do they prevent leakage and actually work? Yes, these diapers are the cats meow and I am so very grateful to have discovered them.

The price of a 6 pack of Charlie Banana’s ranges from $120 to $140 for the organic ones. I opted for the organic version.

If you are new to cloth diapering, please don’t be nervous! This was my first time too and I caught on quickly. You will find step by step help on the Charlie Banana website and there are even youtube pages devoted to cloth diaper support.

I recommend a charlie Banana waterproof hanging diaper pail. This is where you will want to store all of your soiled diapers until you’re ready to wash them. They even sell a waterproof tote bag for holding dirty diapers on the go.

Aside from making amazing reusable diapers and accessories, Charlie Banana is a top notch company when it comes to paying it forward.

Some of the places they support include:

Operation Smile, an international medical charity providing free reconstructive surgeries to children suffering from cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities.

Project Child Save, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing kidnapping and child abductions.

Healthy Child Healthy World, an organization creating healthier environments for children.

Climate Action, a social enterprise which supports sustainable low carbon, and socially responsible consumer choices.

Please stop by CharlieBanana.com and also check them out on Facebook and Instagram.

If you are concerned about the yucky chemicals that may be lurking in your baby’s clothing (and you should be), you may want to opt for organic outfits. I have come across a fabulous company that was created by a fellow mom, Monica Royer. She wanted to make better clothes, with better fabrics, and I am so grateful that she did!

 Monica + Andy makes baby clothes and blankets that are certified organic, free of lead, phthalate and flame retardants. So you can feel confident that your little dumpling is not being wrapped in toxins. They offer sizes newborn through 5T.

Monica + Andy sells newborn footie pajamas, bodysuits, onesies, shirts, pants, blankets, cuddle boxes and the prettiest dresses that you have ever seen. In fact, I had my daughter’s 6 month portrait taken in a mint green ‘Little Belle Tulle Dress’. It was comfortable, breathable and oh so gorgeous!  Stop by their website to see the beautiful organic dresses, you will want to order one in every color! 

Follow Monica + Andy on Facebook & Instagram.

Aside from organic dresses, every baby girl needs some sassy bows! I’ve spent quite a bit of time and money trying to find bows that are comfortable, beautiful and of good quality. Most bows I’ve found are too tight and fall apart. Luckily I stumbled upon a bow maker on Etsy who makes the greatest bow headbands on earth. The business is called ‘Your Final Touch’, and the owner is a stay at home mom with a passion for handmade creations.

Claudia creates hair accessories and clothing using amazing workmanship and quality. Her bows come in dozens of colors, and if you are like me, you will order again & again. Please show your support for this small business and Claudia’s handmade accessories! And her prices are incredibly affordable, so you can buy a variety of colors & styles! 

Check out Your Final Touch On Etsy

My daughter wore bows from ‘Your Final Touch’ for her 6 month and 1 year portraits.

I’m very excited to share a new, completely Vegan baby and toddler shoe company called ‘Baby N’Anya’. This 100% cruelty free company believes that babies should enjoy the comfort and support of soft sole shoes as they begin to walk. They also believe that animals should not have to die in order to create amazing shoes. Bravo! 

I can’t tell you how much I adore these shoes… but I’ll try! They are comfortable and don’t leave a red ring around my baby’s ankle. They are soft, adorable, and not leather! Baby N’Anya is a company that you WANT to support whole heartedly. There are many shoe companies that offer vegan options, but very few that do not exploit animals at all. 

My daughter has 2 pairs of Baby N’Anya shoes and I’ve received no less than a dozen compliments since she started wearing them. I highly recommend buying at pair or two! Stop by their website right now, they are offering 20% off for a limited time!

Also Check out Baby N’Anya on Facebook & Instagram

Last spring my daughter began eating solid baby food. I pride myself in homemaking most of what she eats, but when we’re on the go there is nothing easier than a baby squeeze pouch. With so many baby food pouches on the market, its not easy to know which ones are the best. I have done quite a bit of research and narrowed it down to what I feel are the best two baby food brands on the market. 

Ella’s Kitchen offers delicious baby food that my little munchkin loves. It’s USDA organic and free of GMO’s, additives, added salt & sugars. At the moment our favorite snack when we’re on the road are Ella’s Kitchen Nibbly Fingers. The ingredients include organic whole grain oats, organic malt extract, organic raisins, organic dried apples, organic dried pears, and organic dried strawberries. Delicious and healthy!

Check Out Ella’s Kitchen on Facebook & Instagram.

Once Upon A Farm baby food was created by a busy mom who wanted high quality, fresh, local, organic food for her child without having to spend all her time in the kitchen. Cassandra was unhappy with most of the baby food found on store shelves and felt that her daughter deserved better.

Once Upon A Farm makes their food using HPP or High Pressure Pascalization and sources local, organic, non-GMO ingredients from farmers that they know and trust. There are never added preservatives or sugars.

My daughter goes crazy for the mango pouch! It’s her absolute favorite! 

You can find Once Upon A Farm on Facebook & Instagram.

 

I hope you check out some of my favorite baby products and companies! Do you know of a fabulous product that is vegan, eco-friendly or handmade? Let me know about it!