Time for the March instalment of my finds post. It is a monthly wrap up of fantastic finds I have found in terms of online products, post to read and podcasts to listen to. This month there is a little bit of a baby theme to things!
March product finds
I came across Pure Bundle on Instagram and instantly loved the concept. Pure Bundle curate bundles of “like new” branded baby clothes you can purchase online and have delivered to your door. Buying pre-loved is a sustainable way to by clothes for your baby. It gives clothes a longer life, preventing the staggering resources required to manufacture new clothes. And as noted on the Pure Bundle website it also prevents clothes going to landfill. War on Waste reported 6,000 kilograms of clothing ends up in landfill in Australia every 10 minutes.
I think this is such a great idea, babies grow so fast in the first 12 months and often only wear clothes a few times, so as a mum to be buying second hand is so much cheaper and buying by the bundle method is super convenient. If you don’t have a little one currently yourself, this would make an excellent group present for a mum to be.
If you have an 18 month or older and live in Sydney you can clean out your babies wardrobe and earn some cash. You can fill out a form on the Pure Bundle website and then place items that meet their quality and condition criteria into clean bags or boxes you have in your home and they will contact you within 24 hours to arrange pickup (Sydney only). In return you will receive 30% of the resale value of any items sold on a monthly basis, as either (1) a payment via bank transfer (2) Pure Bundle store credit or (3) a donation made to a children’s charity on your behalf.
A long time reader of the blog has created a super useful guide to help parents navigate the world of paid parental leave. Paid parental leave was not in existence when I had my babies, but I hear from other parents that it can be confusing. Lisa has created a comprehensive guide for new and expecting parents looking to fully understand and apply for Paid Parental Leave.
The downloadable e-book includes step by step instructions how to apply online using myGov, helps parents understand what they need to do to receive it and points out all of the subtle rules that if not followed can actually cancel out your payments altogether.
Lisa’s goal is that parents won’t have to contact Centrelink to ask questions as all the information is easily found in the eBook. You can find the more information and purchase the e-book ($17) here.
Boody Baby is an adorable collection of practical baby clothing essentials designed in Australia and made from organic bamboo. I have a number of Boody products myself and can attest to how the stretchy fit of the bamboo fabric is super comfortable and will be kind to your baby’s delicate skin.
I used and adored the ecostore baby range with my kids. A personal fave being the sleepy time bath solution, it smells divine and I still buy it! The kids and I will use in our baths at the end of hectic days to help us relax and get ready for sleep.
ecostore products are made in New Zealand and are GE free, Certified Cruelty free, Gluten free, Vegan, Septic tank & Grey water compatible, Greenpalm certified, Enviro-Mark Diamond Certified, Recyclable packaging, Certified Carbon Neutral.
Lifefactory Glass Baby Bottle Starter Set 4pk – these bottles are BPA and BPS free and made from durable and high quality thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass. The starter set includes a combination of bottle sizes and nipple flow rates, this baby bottle starter set allows you to cater to your baby’s feeding needs. The perfect collection of must-haves for your baby’s first year, or a great eco-friendly baby shower gift.
Glasslock 5 Piece Baby Set 210ml – I love glass containers and this Glasslock set is specifically designed for little ones. They are airtight and leak proof and are also stain proof and odour free. They are microwave, fridge and freezer safe and won’t leach harmful chemicals.This set also features a silicone spoon, which is gentle on babies’ gums.
Pebble Crochet Sleepy Bunny – not only is this sleep toy super cute, but it helps support rural women and their families in Bangladesh. The toy is handmade from crocheted cotton and it makes for great play and relaxation. Pebble is a Fair Trade, non-for-profit organisation, committed to providing fair and flexible employment in rural areas.
March recommended posts
Excess Toys May Cause Decision Fatigue in Childhood – when the kids were little I was always a fan of less is more for the kids. You can see the toy rotation set up we used to go with here. I share this post because I think sometimes as parents we worry if our kids don’t have the latest and greatest toy. This post will make you realise, that it is better for kids to have less.
Research has shown us that having too many toys reduces creativity and negatively impacts a child’s ability to focus.
Helping our kids thrive in a screen filled world – Martine has such a solid common sense approach to kids and the digital world.
Remember that you are still the parent and you must play the role of helping our kids manage their screentime as they grow. They will face some pretty compelling reasons to stay playing with a device, so as parents we need to help them with that. We need to recognise that whilst we too may find it difficult to manage our screentime habits, we therefore certainly cannot afford to expect our kids to be able to adequately mange theirs without our input.
March recommended podcasts
Straight and Curly – checking in episodes – a lot has happened to hosts Kelly and Carly in the last few months. Kelly lost her beloved husband Ant in a freak accident and Carly has had a baby and moved to the country. Even if you have never listened to an episode of Straight and Curly, I can highly recommend listening to these episodes. In the episode checking in with Kelly, what Kelly shares gives great insight to how you can help when those around you are experiencing significant grief. In the episode with Carly you get insights in how to help a new mum.
Closing the Critical Thinking Gap with Colin Seale – one of the reasons I love the Psychology Podcast is that it introduces me to people who otherwise would never have come across my radar. This interview with Colin Seale is quite inspiring. He born and raised in Brooklyn, New York to a single mother and an incarcerated father. In first grade he lived in a one bedroom apartment with nine people, but says this was actually a good experience for him and he encourages educators who are working with children of similar situations to reframe how they think about it for example “what are the ways that this is actually setting them up for amazing levels of success for the future?”.
Seale founded thinkLaw, an award-winning organization to help educators leverage inquiry-based instructional strategies to close the critical thinking gap and ensure they teach and REACH all students, regardless of race, zipcode or what side of the poverty line they are born into.
If you have found something you love in March, please share, I would love to hear about it!
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