Trees and Tots

life is precious ~ sustain it

Where it all started:

I became aware of the harmful toxins in all the things around us when I was pregnant with our twins. I was reading as much information as possible to make to the best choices for a safe arrival of two healthy babies. When I was researching, I was learning some very scary facts. I bought a lot of books to read by different agencies, doctors, professionals and environmentalists. They were all saying the same thing. At this point I realized we as a family needed to change a great deal of things about how we were living. So many things in our own home and even in our bedroom that I just assumed were good for us because I purchased it in a store; were indeed all quite harmful to our health. I learned to be more aware of our surroundings and how it affects us.

If we spend 1/3 of our lives in bed, I thought this would be a really good spot to change and make safe/non-toxic for my family. Anything that our skin absorbs such as hand lotion, body wash, shampoo, etc. we switched to organic products with no strong harmful chemicals. I realized our dish soap, laundry soap and household cleaners were harmful to us and the environment. Most of the toys our children play with were unsafe and are coated in toxic paints; especially for the little ones who put everything in their mouths. Our clothes which are constantly against our bodies are filled with hundreds of chemicals that readily absorb into our skin so we are now all wearing organic clothing. We also tossed the plastic dishes and bowls and they were replaced with glass storage dishes and stainless steel bowls. Lastly what goes into our bodies is just as important as what goes on, touches or is absorbed by our exterior. Eating organic meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables will drastically make you feel better, have more energy and build a healthy strong immune system.

Turning to organic products has changed my family's life for the better. We are trying one step at a time to live a healthy and eco-conscious lifestyle. It just feels good to do our little part, keep our family healthy and protect the environment. I just love my children way too much to not care for their health, safety and well being! I want to share these beautiful, oh so soft, pure and safe products with our customers to relish as we do. Enjoy and take care! This is how Trees and Tots came about.

We are caring for the trees and the tots in the world.

Tracy Weaver
Founder - Trees and Tots

Organic Lifestyle

Leading an organic lifestyle used to be seen as synonymous with lentil diets and flower power. Gradually over the last few years the organic movement has moved in from the fringes to be a widely accepted, if not followed, lifestyle choice. There are many degrees of leading an organic lifestyle and all of them are good. Some choose to limit their involvement to buying organic food for their children others may be planning to build a completely eco-friendly house and never use anything that contains preservatives, GM or other suspect ingredients. Any move towards an organic lifestyle is a positive move that will benefit you and the world around you. As with all of our sections we've added some links below to help you reach whatever level you are comfortable with.

Recycle and Reuse!

We here at Trees and Tots are committed to the health and well being of you and your family as well as the environment. We use only recycled paper for our letterhead, receipts, thank you notes and tissue paper for wrapping orders. Our pens are all biodegradable corn pens made out of cornstarch and our ribbon is either organic cotton or organic hemp. We do our best to reuse boxes for sending out our orders to you also. If your items do not arrive in a brand new fancy box, we apologize but it is all in the name of preserving Mother Earth. I am sure you can appreciate all of this and maybe even do the same in your own lives.

Organic Food - fact vs. fiction

Surprisingly, there is opposition to the growing organic movement. Look carefully at each instance, however, and you will probably find someone who has a vested interest in undermining the growth of public interest in organic produce. In the battle of the so-called experts how do you know who is right, or who is telling the truth? In an attempt to dispel some of the myths, here are a few of the most frequently asked questions. Are organically grown foods more susceptible to microscopic pathogens? No, there is no scientific evidence to show that organic food is any more susceptible than conventional food to any form of microscopic pathogen. However, everyone should practice good hygiene when handling, preparing, cooking or storing food. Some basic tips are:

Does organic food cost more than conventional food? There is not a straight yes or no answer to this question. Organic food prices depend on the costs of all the elements that contribute to the end product: growing, harvesting, processing, transport, packaging and storage, to name a few. Organic producers have to meet stricter regulations all through the process, and this makes the process more expensive in terms of manpower. However, if the indirect costs of conventional farming were included in conventional food prices (clean-up of polluted water, garbage pick-up and processing, landfill and waste reclamation, environmental protection activities, health care costs), organic foods would probably be considerably cheaper than conventional foods. Finally, demand for organic produce is high in proportion to the levels of supply, and this may also contribute to higher prices. However, the number of suppliers is increasing all the time, and this will help to bring down prices. Does organic farming produce less than conventional farming? Numerous studies have been conducted that demonstrate organic farming to be every bit as productive as conventional farming. The use of pesticides does not guarantee higher crop yields. Which food safety processes are allowed in organic production? Organic food is allowed to be pasteurized but irradiation is not permitted. Why is organic food not allowed to be irradiated? Ionizing radiation has been used to prolong the "shelf-life" of a wide variety of foodstuffs, but in recent years increasing numbers of people have questioned whether this is good practice.

7 ways to make your home a healthy one

Many of the common, everyday chemicals in your home can contribute to not only harming the environment but your health as well. Symptoms such as headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances, anxiety, depression, nervousness, fatigue, irritability, inability to concentrate, hyperactivity, joint and muscle pain and many more can be the result of these chemicals.

Here are 7 steps that will make your home a safe and healthy one:

Use non-toxic and natural household cleaning products.
Most everyday cleaning products are very harmful to your health. Baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, lemon and vinegar are great alternatives and can be used for just about anything. When looking at residential or commercial cleaning products find ones that are free of phosphates, petroleum solvents, NTA, ETDA, caustics, dyes, perfumes, NPE's and other endocrine disrupters, pH extremes, toxic preservatives and carcinogens. Do not confuse non-scented with unscented, unscented products usually have an additive to mask the scent while non scented have no scent added.

Wear only natural fiber clothing and organic clothes, if possible.
Synthetic fibers and non-organics are treated with high levels of formaldehyde and even petroleum. Billions of dollars are spent on pesticides for cotton fields each year worldwide, with over 600,000 tons of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on U.S. cotton fields alone.

Throw away your perfume and cologne.
They contain chemicals contributing to asthma, central nervous system disorders, immune dysfunction and a variety of other health problems.

Use natural unscented laundry soap and fabric softener.
They also contain chemicals contributing to asthma, central nervous system disorders, immune dysfunction, etc.

Use a garden shredder to make some natural for your garden easily. Shredding and chipping tree branches and other prunings is a amazing way to decrease garden waste and dispose of it either by then composing or throwing the chippings in the tip. A good model is the bosch axt 25 tc, a turbine technology shredder for a better efficiency.

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Don't use air fresheners.
Just like cologne and laundry products, they contain chemicals that contribute to immune dysfunction and central nervous system disorders.

Use non-toxic and all-natural personal health care products.
Shampoos, makeup, body soap, deodorant, feminine napkins, tampons, etc., usually contain many of the same harmful chemicals mentioned above in colognes and laundry.

Don't use bleach or chlorinated household products such as paper towels, toilet paper, coffee filters, etc. Scientific studies have linked chlorine and chlorination by-products to cancer of the bladder, liver, rectum and colon as well as heart disease, arteriosclerosis, anemia, high blood pressure and allergic reactions. Chlorine is a highly toxic substance at high concentrations.

It is still difficult to quantify the effects that these known toxins are having on our health but as the saying goes, better safe than sorry. Making changes to our everyday behaviour now will pay dividends in the long run.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Stainless steel water bottles have become a popular phenomenon with the plastic water bottle scare last year. Over the year we have heard many different opinions and points about plastic and its safety.

Here are some helpful hints to advise you in understanding the in’s and out’s of water bottles. The one fact about plastic water bottles I think that is most agreed upon is that one time use water bottles are just that. Use them one time and then recycle them. Usually the water bought in these bottles that you buy in your local grocery store or pharmacy are just filled with free tap water or spring water from a hole in the ground. The one time use plastic water bottle industry is very sneaky, deceptive and extremely wealthy. They are playing off of our fears of contaminated water. So many times water sitting in a plastic water bottle would cause a boiled water advisory if that same water came out of your tap. Most times the safest water comes right out of our own taps in our kitchens. So many times we trying to save the fast filling landfill crisis and preserve our planet by reusing our water bottles but with this situation it is at the risk of our own health.

Stainless steel water bottles are perfect healthy solution to the landfills overflowing and the plastic water bottles leaching harmful toxins in your drinking water. I am not suggesting you to leave water or any other drinks in a container for days on end. Stainless steel water bottles are sleek looking, non leaching and very safe to drink from. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. With stainless steel water bottles you have to be make sure the paint used for the print or design is safe, low impact and non-toxic. Some companies take great care in choosing their paints and others do it for the cheapest price. There are some very large water bottle companies that use aluminum to make their bottles and others that have liners in them that they are not willing to divulge the details about. Red flag! If they are not proudly explaining what their bottles are made of, I would be skeptical. We still buy these water bottles by the millions because they are adorable and/or our children like the print on them. Hopefully you buy your next water bottle for its safe characteristics not because it‘s pretty colours, patterns and designs on the outside of the bottle. Make sure the stainless steel water bottles you purchase is solid stainless steel with no alloys, fillers or liners. Also be careful and check out the part that your mouth goes on when you drink out of your bottle. Some bottles have a cheap leachable plastic lid. If you are buying a water bottle for your health and safety then buy one that you drink from the solid stainless steel bottle itself and has a strong non leaching plastic lid.

Be careful and research stainless steel water bottles before making a purchase. Do not believe everything you read. More times than not it is the companies selling the water bottles that is filling your heads with untruths about their bottles and how wonderful they are. There are so many different kinds of bottles and name brands, that it is overwhelming for the average consumer to make a wise water bottle purchase. High quality solid stainless steel water bottles are virtually indestructible, leak proof, toxin free and non-leaching. They are rust resistant and stain resistant. The stainless steel water bottles are very easy to clean also. These bottles are dishwasher safe but to extend their life you can wash with hot soapy water or with white vinegar and baking soda. The Canadian Bottled Water Association advises against reusing containers and plastic bottles altogether. They feel we are unable to properly sterilize the bottles at home enough to be safe to reuse. It is a catch twenty two because when we try and clean the plastic water bottles we are also breaking down the plastic which helps it to leach.

How we hydrate ourselves is an important matter and needs to be taken seriously. Your health is your number one wealth so take care of it and drink responsibly. Buy one of the Trees and Tots solid stainless steel water bottles and keep you and your family safely hydrated. Our stainless steel water bottles are made of 304 food grade solid stainless steel with no aluminum, alloys, fillers, or liners in them. You drink right from the bottle and do not touch your mouth on any plastic at all. Our stainless steel water bottles are also proudly made in Canada. Happy Drinking!

Organic Kids Clothing

Just because your baby isn’t a baby anymore does not mean you should stop buying organic kids clothing. They are getting bigger and they are getting older but they certainly aren’t any less precious. Children will have less skin irritations and conditions such as eczema. Their skin is still sensitive and may react to the harsh chemicals found in traditional clothing. There are other benefits to dressing your little rascal in organic kids clothing also. If we look at the bigger picture, you would also be doing to the environment a favour also because it is a much gentler type of farming and manufacturers. Choosing apparel for your young ones that is organic kids clothing has many good health benefits, easy on the planet and helps preserve the future.

Organic kids clothing is very contemporary, comfortable and easy to wear. They are also child friendly, stylish and practical. Oh, I also forgot that first and for most they are safe and chemical free. What more could you ask for in your kids attire? Even the boys clothes have came along way; your little man will look so dapper dressed in his organic kids clothing. There are also matching accessories that you can get to go with their outfits. This extends from socks, mittens, hats, scarves, hair bands to bags. The folks who create these beautiful clothing lines not only care about the environment but understand the current trends and truly know what is best for your children. Today there are more choices in organic kids clothing which makes it is easier to continue dressing your tot in clothing that is best for their health.

You will have peace of mind knowing your child’s skin can breathe, is not covered with chemicals constantly and you are giving your child the best start to their lives. This accompanied by certified organic bedding, natural cleaners and body care products used in the home and eating organic healthy food are great choices for your child to grow up healthy and flourish. This will become a lifestyle. My children always pick the organic clothing over traditional clothing without being prompted or knowing the difference in clothes when given the choice. Even our children know what is best for them and what feels best on them. Buying organic kids clothing is a very clever choice for your next purchase. The clothes fit well and usually runs a little big so they are nice and roomy, which means they will not be too small in a couple of months. Buying organic kids clothing is a great gift that truly says you care. Our organic kids clothing line will continue to broaden as we find superior outfits to accommodate your needs. We can assure you that Trees and Tots will only carry the most pristine charming organic kids clothing on the market.

Organic Baby Clothing

Organic baby clothing should be such an important part of your baby’s wardrobe. A newborn and/or baby have such delicate, thin and sensitive skin. The hoards of chemicals found in regular clothing just penetrate your baby’s skin. There has even been talk of the chemicals in baby clothing and bedding linked to SIDS. They are thinking that the harsh chemicals are so strong that the baby has a hard time breathing and suffocates. Also any baby that has one of the gamut of skin conditions out there would also benefit by wearing organic baby clothing. Their skin disorder may even improve or disappear if they are solely wearing organic baby clothing because there are no chemicals in them at all to irritate their skin.

If you choose organic baby clothing for your precious new package, you will be making a great choice and your baby will thank you. Organic baby clothing is the softest and safest thing you could put against your baby’s skin, well besides organic baby blankets. The peace of mind you will get from knowing your baby is not lathed in chemicals while playing, eating, sleeping or cuddling you is well worth it. Organic baby clothing is gentle, pure and smells so good in its natural state. You can find the most adorable stylish organic baby clothing today to dress your baby in. Our organic baby clothing is made of the highest quality and is the trendiest most comfortable clothing I could find on the market. It is designed in the United Kingdom and made in India which is one the largest countries in growing organic cotton. We are also in the process of looking at carrying some organic baby clothing that is made in Canada with love in the very near future. Our entire line of organic baby clothing is 100% certified with absolutely no chemicals, pesticides and harsh additives in them.

Buyer beware when it comes to purchasing organic baby clothing. Not all organic baby clothing is 100% certified by a credited agency. If the clothing is not 100% certified organic cotton it could still and probably does contain some type of harsh chemicals that regular clothes do. An exception to this would be clothes made with a combination of cotton and bamboo which is a natural anti-bacterial sustainable fibre in itself. Clothing made out of hemp or any other naturally grown material without the use of any chemicals or pesticides would be equally as good for you or child to wear. Organic baby clothing is being made all over the world but India, Turkey and Peru have dominated this area of making great quality safe products for many years. Organic farming is a common practice in these countries because their health and the environment is important to them. It is slowly catching on in here in the western world. We still have a long way to go for organic baby clothing to be a commonality in Canada. We at Trees and Tots are doing our part to change this and bring great quality organic baby clothing to you so that you are able dress your beautiful baby in adorable, comfortable and safe clothes. Check out our organic baby clothing and I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

Glass Baby Bottles

Baby bottles are an important part of your baby’s early life. Even if your baby is nursed, you probably will use a bottle for water, juices or some of you feed with a bottle when you are away from home. Choosing the right bottle is an important matter. You need to take into consideration what it is made of, what type of nipple is in the bottle and know if there are any harmful toxins in any part of the bottle that could leach out into your baby. This product goes directly in your baby’s mouth after warming it and this is what causes the leaching of certain plastic baby bottles. For this reason, glass baby bottles are your best and safest choice for your precious baby.

Glass baby bottles have been around for more than one hundred years and went through many transformations to what they are today. The first glass nursing bottle was patented in 1841 in the U.S. It was superimposed on the Mother’s breast to deceive the baby into thinking it was the Mother. The nipples at this time were made of metal. Not exactly as warm, soft and comforting as a Mother’s breast. They changed the shape of the bottle to a glass tube stick and the nipples went to pure rubber which was very smelly in the early 1900’s. By the end of World War 11 the U.S. Patent Office had issued over 230 patents for nursing baby bottles. There were many different sizes and shapes that these bottles came in. Only larger bottles were used until the 1900’s and then smaller bottles came to be. The baby bottles were usually clear or light green glass. Nipples eventually were made of silicone which is now proven much safer than rubber and the safest nipple used to date.

Glass baby bottles have been around for over one hundred years. Then we got away from them as our main type of bottle when plastic became the greatest product on earth. Well we thought so at the time and are now realizing after years of research that has concluded that plastic can be very harmful to us. Leaching plastic baby bottles and sippy cups has pushed us back to using the safer choice, glass baby bottles. The dangers of glass baby bottles breaking and causing injury to the baby was the reason for us to turn to plastic bottles. Today we have combated this dilemma by creating wonderful trendy sleeves to go over the glass baby bottles. This protects the glass baby bottles from cracking, shattering or breaking to cause harm.

The glass baby bottles are a bit heavier than the standard plastic bottles. When the baby is younger you will have to hold the bottle for the baby until they are older and able to easily do it themselves. Gradually let your baby hold the bottle for a minute longer at a time and let your baby be the tell tale if their arms are getting tired. Glass baby bottles today come in different sizes and patterns with a variety of nipple choices also. The convenience of glass baby bottles being totally washable and dishwasher safe is a bonus. The harsh high temperature of dishwashers does not break down or weaken the glass the same as plastic and no chemicals or toxins leach into your baby’s milk, juice or water in the bottle. Glass baby bottles have different size nipples to grow with your baby or change as you wish. The lids snap down on them to prevent leaking and have stylish bottle sleeves to protect glass baby bottles from breaking which keeps your baby safe. Bottles fit in bottle holders, diaper bags and cup holders so they are easy to keep with you and upright for a quick grab when you need them. You can have peace of mind knowing that no harmful toxins are leaching out of glass baby bottles. Glass baby bottles can also be passed on and reused by another baby if brand new nipples are put in them. Trees and Tots carries very high quality glass baby bottles in two sizes and also have the colourful sleeves to cover the larger bottles for protection. Our glass baby bottles have been tested and free of bisphenol, phthalates, chemicals, allergens, PC & PVC’s and meet the safety standards in America and Europe.

Natural Candles

Natural candles are just that, made out of something natural. When candles were first developed it was for the purpose of light. Candles have went through many changes over the years and come in every different colour, size, shape and scent. Hundreds of years ago when candles came to be as a light source, they were made out all natural materials and then they became more of a decoration for every room in our house and were made out of several kinds of synthetic materials. These unsafe products that make up these candles are cheap to produce in large quantities but is at the expense of our health. We are now realizing that the candles we have throughout our homes and are burning at every opportunity possible was actually harming us and filling our homes with a film and several wicked toxins.

When candles were first created, they were made out of natural materials made from nature, such as beeswax. There were no big factories to produce them so they were all handmade and used for personal use. Once the phenomenon caught on and people realized there was an interest and they could make money selling them, they became even more popular. The demands were so great and they could not keep up to making natural candles by hand so they started manufacturing them. Something else that changed was what the candles were made of. They wanted to make the candles as fast and as cheap as possible so they began to try other ingredients to make the candles out of recently. They began to make these candles out of the sludge at the bottom of crude oil barrels which is greyish black right out of the barrel. The process to make these the candles you see in the stores quite extensive. They are bleached, textured, coloured and scented with carcinogenic chemicals to cover up their vulgar smell. These carcinogens fill the room and air we breathe with toxins that also coat the furniture, walls and our lungs when burned. Paraffin has not been used to make candles for that many years. Natural candles were made for many hundreds of years before we changed to making them out of synthetic materials that are not good for our health. They were making natural candles and then went to imitation candles to save money and make them in mass quantities by machines. Tallow is another substance that imitation candles were made of and that is simply animal fat.

The American Lung Association has been warning consumers about burning paraffin candles and the damage of unhealthy air quality they cause. The soot particles have also cost thousands of dollars of damage to homes that they are burned in by sticking to the furniture, rugs, walls and getting in the duct work. Burning natural candles like beeswax does just the opposite and cleans the air while burning. The beeswax creates negative ions, which captures and neutralizes odors, molds, dust, bacteria and other toxins lingering in your home. If you have allergies, you may find that burning a beeswax natural candle thirty minutes before going to bed will produce a more restful sleep for you. The wick is also a very important part of a quality candle. It should be 100% cotton and be self trimming. Natural candles are very clean burning and are long lasting with a soft quiet light. Natural candles also have the most sensual, wondrous pure smell. Most candles on the market today are machine made and mass produced in factories with only synthetic materials and synthetic scents added to them to cover up the awful smell. The best quality candles are handmade and poured natural candles that are 100% pure and a natural cotton wick hand set in the centre. Using what nature offers always produces the best quality and safest products. Natural candles are beautiful, smell spectacular and clean the air in your home. Keep it simple - keep it real.