Female Circumcision Banned

This is a really big problem that many foreign countries face- and a very controversial one, as many like to relate female mutilation to male circumcision. Uganda is one of the many countries that for years has been been performing female circumcision for culture and religious purposes. It is also believed that performing this irreversible procedure would help to reduce the spread of HIV. Unfortunately, they were doing this with no real scientific proof that it would help the problem and the research that has been done is proving opposite. Female circumcision actually increases the spread of HIV, as well as, infant and maternal mortality rates.

Last week, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni spoke to a group in Eastern Uganda and told them that female circumcision will now be outlawed in Uganda! HUGE, HUGE, HUGE battle won in this country! Hopefully the other many nations performing this ritual will follow suit. The United Nations has estimated that between 100 to 140 million women have been victims of this procedure.

Above is a picture of a woman who performs these procedures in Uganda and the knife that is used. Can you imagine if your doctor came at you with a knife that looked like THAT? Yikes.

Erbaorganics Winner!!

Congratulations to the winner of the Erbaorganics Baby Value Pack! We hope your baby enjoys it!

Shellie H.

A very special thank you to Erbaorganics for providing us with a great giveaway and fantastic products to review!

Erbaorganics for Mommy & Baby

Have you heard of Erbaorganics? Let me tell you a little about this all natural company. Erbaorganics makes eco-friendly skincare products for both, baby and mommy! Their promise? To use all natural ingredients. By doing so Erbaorganics is keeping your growing belly & baby safe and healthy. Erbaorganics products are free of parabens, SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate), pesticides, and animal cruelty. Intrigued yet? Because you should be! Check out a few of my favorite maternity skincare products by Erbaorganics!

I've already been taking advantage of the Mommy-to-be Massage Oil and begging my hunky hubby for massages! Certified 100% organic rosemary, lavender and geranium combines for the silkiest, yummiest smelling massage you've ever had! The oil consistency is fantastic! A little goes a long way and the blend of aromas are so soothing and comforting. The perfect end to a busy day of chasing my 3 boys around and constantly growing a new babe! I'm now carrying this massage oil in my doula "bag of tricks" as well so that my clients in labor can experience this awesome and SAFE blend of oils! So safe Erbaorganics recommends putting it in your hospital bag for your provider to use during labor for perinatal massages!

$12 per 4 oz.

Next up is the Mommy-to-be Foot & Leg Refresher. My first impression wasn't an immediate love but it only took about 2 minutes to change my mind. One of the main ingredients in the Foot & Leg Refresher is aloe, if you've ever used an aloe product then you're familiar with the short term sticky factor but you should also be familiar with the soothing benefits of aloe. I love that I can use this without bugging my husband. I've been pampering my flip flop feet before bed each night and I've yet to be disappointed! The peppermint feels instantly cool and tingly. I can't wait until I start to experience swelling and late pregnancy aches to really put the Foot & Leg Refresher to the test... wait, did I really just say that I can't wait to be swelling? That should tell you how great this product works! The only thing that would make me love this product more is if they were able to make it 100% certified organic instead of 85%. The organic troubling ingredients: glycerin*, polyglyceryl-3 laurate*, carageenan* (seaweed extract, if I'm correct), and lactic acid*, not the end of the world but why it's not 100% organic. *** The glycerin is vegetarian & kosher, the polyglycerl-3 is coconut derived and scores zero with the skin deep database, carageenan is indeed a seaweed extract and is under current review for organic classification, lactic acid can be derived from alfalfa and this source will also be under review for organic status. These are all safe ingredients, they just can't currently be classified as organic. $15 per 4 oz.

Last but certainly not least if you're a bath lover, the Mommy-to-be Organic Milk & Oat Bath. This milk & oat bath makes me want to demolish our bathroom so I can have a giant claw foot bath tub installed! I got annihilated by mosquitoes in our backyard and the Milk & Oat Bath by Erbaorganics was a lifesaver. The combinations of lavender, cedarwood, lemon, oats and milk were the magic potion I needed to stop the itching! I've already told my husband's grandmother that we (the kids and I) will be coming over to take advantage of playing with "Gma" and her big garden tub during this pregnancy and my Milk & Oat bath will be in tote for sure! Take a deep breath and really relax because this product is 99% organic and 100% relaxing. $24 per 18 oz.

Since not everyone reading this blog is expecting a baby, Erbaorganics has provided us with an awesome giveaway that anyone can use! Use it for your soon-to-be baby, current baby, or surprise a friend with a great gift! Check out what's up for grabs from Erbaorganics and then complete the form below for a chance to win it!

Erbaorganics NEW Baby Value PackRetail Value: $32.99

Set includes Diaper Cream, Baby Oil and Baby Lotion

Just like the other Erbaorganic products you'll find that the Baby Value Pack is free of all the dangerous "eww" factors (harmful parabens, pesticides, SLS's, and artificial colorings). You can grab this set and other Erbaorganics products at BabiesRus. Add it to your baby registry! CORRECTION!!! THE GIVEAWAY ENDS ON FRIDAY 07/03/09 at 11:59pm EST!

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED! THANK YOU FOR ENTERING.

Preggie Pops & Drops WINNER!!!

Congratulations Kristen C., you're the winner! Look for an email from us. Hope enjoy the Preggie pops & drops.

Special thanks to Three Lollies for providing this giveaway!

I'm Firing Morning Sickness & So Can You! (giveaway)

That's right, I'm firing whoever coined the term "morning" sickness. What a joke. It must have been a doctor who had never experienced mid-day and midnight sickness because if it was a mother she would have named it something more witty that wasn't specific to a certain time of the day!

This pregnancy has been a lot different than my previous two. My sister swears it's because each pregnancy gets progressively worse. Maybe because you're chasing other little monsters around? Maybe because your body knows what to do and how to do it faster? I'm really not sure but this baby has sent me praying to porcelain gods more times than I care to remember.

I'm feeling so much better now (knock on wood) but there's one product that I wouldn't have left my house without 2 weeks ago. ThreeLollies, Preggie Pops and Preggie Pop Drops!!! More specifically the sour raspberry and green apple flavors. I have no idea what the exact magic ingredient in Preggie Pops is but something in them really kicks the "icks"! There were a few flavors in the variety box that had the opposite affect but ya know, when you're pregnant what doesn't?

A little about these infamous drops and pops: The drops and pops contain specific essential oils to calm nausea. They are doctor recommended, drug free, and contain all natural ingredients! You can eat as many of these in one day as you'd like (or should I say need) and they are 100% safe. 3 pieces are 65 calories, 12g sugars and 16g of carbs.

On to the best part, we're giving them away! Complete the form below for a chance to win one box of Preggie Pop Drops and one box of Preggie Pops!

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED!