Spring officially arrives in the Northern Hemisphere this Saturday and according to the lexicon of Disney, this means many little bundles of joy are headed our way. Inevitably around this time of year, you will receive a letter, email, Facebook message or even a Twitter announcing to the world that your friend, family member or some long lost acquaintance has just welcomed a new little person into the world.
Now etiquette or social pressure has most of us, at minimum, out buying a card or sending a virtual gift to the new parents and congratulating them and wishing them luck. Many of us actually feel obliged to purchase a gift and send it along in the mail or have it on hand for when we first see mom and baby together – whether at a formal baby shower or over a cup of tea once the pair are out and about and making social calls.
Here is where all of us feel the pressure, close friends or even acquaintances can go through the same dilemma and anxiety around the question “what do you get for the new baby?”. An adorable outfit (uh-oh, what size?), a standard gift card from the go to baby locations (Babies R Us? BabyGap? Old Navy?). What if this is their second or third child, do they need anything? I am an eco-junky but what if this family is not, I don’t want to come across as preachy right?
The problem with gifting for babies, is we want the gift to represent who we are and hopefully be something Mom and the little tyke will use versus storing in some forgotten drawer. Well, as a mom of 2 little tykes, I have stumbled across a full proof gift that can come from anyone and leave a new mother (or second and third time mom), loving the gift and appreciating your savvy find.
More and more we are hearing of moms making the choice to go back to”green” basics when it comes to their kids. The trend is to start being greener when you become responsible for the next generation. The following phrases are being heard more often in conversations about kids: home birth, organic baby food, cloth diapers, and soy/bamboo clothing for tots. In response many boutiques are catering to these choices and offer great gift ideas. Check out Baby on the Hip in Toronto’s Queen East and an example of a great boutique that has an outstanding website that you can order from. Though a cute store it still does not answer the question what to get.
Enter The Matter Company. Not just any natural skincare company but a Canadian skincare company that uses phytotherapy principles woven with traditional herbalism to create their botanical formulations in each of their products (Physotherapy – the study of the use of extracts from natural origins as medicines or health-promoting agents). The company is based in Toronto and you can find their products at the upcoming One of a Kind Show (March 31st to April 4th) or at many green baby boutiques or natural health stores including Grassroots and Noah’s Natural Foods.
Over the past 9 years this company has been and continues to be committed to the environment and the connection we have to all living things. What is great about this company is that they are green not consciously but it is just part of their core values of who they are, it is just natural. They don’t need a “high-five” for their green methods or choice of natural ingredients, it is just the obvious choice to them. It is so genuine.
The beauty of the 4 lines produced by The Matter Company is there is something for everyone. Mom can get forgotten when the new little bean arrives. Gifts abound by the truckload for a baby and many can forget or just not know what to get a mom who has just given birth (you don’t want to offend her by getting her something called “belly jelly” I am a mom myself and feel awkward when opening something like this). The Matter Company’s products solve this with the following collections: Outdoors, Mom & Baby, Blush and Butterfly Weed Herbals. Each collection is made with all natural ingredients (honestly their ingredient list brings to mind the image of a garden paradise -potentially Eden itself) , and with no harsh chemical preservatives or things you can’t pronounce.
Where to start? Check out the baby items (though there are mom items, like a belly jelly and herbal soaks for tired legs and post birth soreness these are things that maybe close friends can get for her – and for those of you who are the close friends these soaks and creams smell divine for our new mom who will be sensitive to smell post-delivery). The baby item that all moms need is the Nappy Ointment. With one of the main ingredients being Calendula, a herb noted for its healing qualities, this nappy ointment will cure any diaper rash. In fact, it will cure most cuts and rashes anywhere. I have now started carrying it as part of my “mom bag”. It is great at the park and works in place of hydrogen peroxide or Polysporin for scrapes. Yes, it works on adults too and is not greasy but light and easy to apply and washes off with water versus other oil based ointments that you need paint thinner to remove the residue. Pair this up with the Baby Body Foam for their bath and you have taken care of baby. The bath foam smells fresh and clean and is easy on baby’s skin. I have tried Aveeno, Burt’s Bee’s and Little Twig and I will pass over all of them for this product. It is the best and most calming bath time soap I have found for my kids that does not dry out their tender skin.
Now finish strong and throw something in for Mom. Yes the Body Shop offers strong lotions and a variety of scents that could be given as a gift for a mom. But none of them compare to the Blush Collection from The Matter Company. Pick up the “purse” for mom that includes, a candle, body scrub and body butter of the scent. It is the most delightful scent and makes a mom feel girly and youthful despite sleepless nights.
So now you are set, look forward to that next birth announcement to hitting your inbox!
