We hope you enjoyed our Coffee with bāeo LIVE featuring Renée Felice Smith & Christopher Gabriel, authors of @hugoandtheimpossiblething.
Learn more about their book here.
Order your signed copy here.
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@taylorttran and said "she is one of the most amazing pediatrician and person I know. She cared for all her little patients like they are her own."
Who is in your family and what are your little ones ages?
My husband and I are both physicians. The little ones are Audrey 7, Evie 5, Jake 3.
Where are you from?
We live in Orange County, CA
Your friend Lihn mentioned that you are a pediatrician. How have things been for you in your role as a doctor during this time?
Its definitely been an unprecedented time for all of us in healthcare right now. Fortunately, Southern California has fared better than other parts of the country. My heart goes out to colleagues in other parts of the nation like NYC. My work has been pretty challenging the past 6 weeks - there are constant changes in the way we operate at the hospital and office level to ensure that we are prepared for any possible surges and to ensure that our patients and staff remain safe and healthy. I would have to admit that a lot of us in medicine have had moments of fear and concern during this time - my husband and I come home and decontaminate and don't allow the kids to touch us until we strip down and shower! However, covid-19 has really brought out the comraderie of our healthcare team and that extends from the top medical directors/physicians to nurses, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, and environmental services personnel - this teamwork is what I am truly grateful for.
The number one question lately - What are you doing to keep your kids entertained during social isolation?
Luckily with three kiddos, they will always have someone to play with. My kids have definitely bonded more during this time. Aside from our daily struggles with distance learning assignments (teachers are saints!), my kids spend a lot of time swimming, scootering in our backyard, doing online art sessions. We just bought a mini bounce house that is due to arrive this week so hoping that will help occupy their time and keep them physically active.
Do you have a piece of advice to share with other mothers out there who might be struggling?
If there is any mama out there struggling, I want them to know that they are not alone. Motherhood is hard, it takes a village! It makes it even more difficult now with social distancing when you don't have all the support from family and friends that you normally would have. These are truly crazy times we are living in!
If there is anyone struggling, I would ask them to reach out to someone! I hope they know that they can call their pediatricians/physicians/therapists (most are still available by telehealth), zoom a friend, or join a mommy group. Some of my closest friends are moms that I formed a bond with from online mommy groups! Sometimes just venting or laughing about how ridiculous the day was helps! I would want them to know that they are not alone and we can get through this together!
]]>For the whole month of April we will have a family of the week every week! We would love for you to nominate a family and share a little story about them, why you love them, are grateful for them, why they are important to you and we will send them a set of bāeo goodies. For this month as we stay home let’s send out some positivity and use this time to tell those around us that we appreciate them and that we care.
Last week @ashleejones_519 nominated her friend @bugandlilmans_mom2620 Susan: “37 weeks pregnant and has been sewing masks for medical professionals and frontline workers.”
We chatted with Susan to hear more about the work she has been doing and how she keeps her little ones entertained at home.
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"Happy April everyone! For the whole month of April we will have a family of the week every week! We would love for you to nominate a family and share a little story about them, why you love them, are grateful for them, why they are important to you and we will send them a set of bāeo goodies. For this month as we stay home let’s send out some positivity and use this time to tell those around us that we appreciate them and that we care.
Send some #baeolove and tag your favorite families below. We will let the winners know every week and do a little post about them! Xoxoxo #baeofamilyoftheweek "
One of our very first responses came from: @jennykhalemapursuit
"I nominate @jodileaa. Her family just moved from Dubai to Nashville a couple of weeks ago during all of the craziness that the world is going through. She has a toddler and newborn and loves natural products. I appreciate all of the positive vibes her and her family send to the people they are around. Their flexibility and adaptability in their current situation of trying to settle down in an unpredictable situation is admirable."
Since then we have had an amazing outpouring of support and admiration for families all over the US! We will continue to gift families throughout April and hope to spread some joy during this time.
We interviewed Jodi from last weeks family of the week and here is what she had to say.
Who is in your family and what are your little ones ages?
My name is Jodi. My husband’s name is David. We have been married for 5years.
We have a daughter named Claire, she is 2 years old and our son, Henry was born this past December, so he is 4 months old.
Where are you from?
I was born in Montana. My husband is from Atlanta GA. We both just spent the last 6 years living abroad in Dubai United Arab Emirates.
We loved hearing your friend Jenny talk about your family and the massive move you made during a very critical time in the world.
What was that like for you?
It was very difficult for multiple reasons. Mostly because it marked the end of an era. Both of our children were born there and we made some lifelong friends and shared some wonderful memories so it was sad to leave and difficult to part with our loved ones. We decided to leave all of our belongings behind as well and I tend to be a bit sentimental so deciding what we couldn’t live without was difficult. We had always planned on returning home to the United States and originally planned to do so in April, but as we watched the health crisis span out from China, we decided we better pack up and leave sooner or risk possibly having to stay put indefinitely (which we see is the case now) Relocating across the world with 2 small infants in the midst of a global pandemic was no small feat!
The number one question lately - What are you doing to keep your kids entertained during social isolation?
Fortunately we moved into a beautiful, spacious home with a fenced in backyard. We have been spending copious amounts of time outside. Playing games, having picnics etc. My husband ordered a Tball set for Claire online as well as a Corn Hole game set which we have truly been enjoying. We also have nature treasure hunts, do arts and crafts and take long walks in the mornings.
Do you have a piece of advice to share with other mothers out there who might be struggling?
Well, I can say that this quarantine has forced me to be a bit more introspective. It has also brought up some fear for me, centered around uncertainty and the grocery store “situation” has had me concerned about scarcity and thinking of others who might not have as many resources.
It also has me analyzing how I deal with adversity in the present moment. I’m taking each challenge as it arises and remembering to remain centered in the here and now. What do I have control over? How can I make my situation better for myself (self care) and my family? How I am deciding to show up emotionally for my loved ones? I have kept myself happy by forcing myself to move for at least 20 minutes a day and preparing home cooked dinners each night. Meditation and prayer are also helping me stay grounded and release fear. Also this time has inspired me to reach out to friends and family members far more than I normally would. Checking in with loved ones has really brightened my outlook and assuaged my concerns.
Thank you to Jodi and Jenny we look forward to hearing from more of you.
Much love - Team bāeo
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#friendsofbaeo
We are in a very different time currently than when we filmed this coffee with bāeo. When we filmed this episode California was in a different state of emergency and panic as the fires were raging and felt endless. We reached out to Aida Garcia-Toledo, sustainability expert and owner of nontoxicmunchkin.com to give us some practical changes for our home that we can do to make a difference. Honoring Earth month we wanted to provide our community with some amazing and easy tools for keeping your footprint small and teaching your family ways to help take care of our planet. Sending love to each and every one of you.
You can check out Non Toxic Munchkin here
Follow @nontoxicmunchkin
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Follow Bayouwithlove
Check out Bayouwithlove website
]]>Today we sit down with Jill to talk about one of the biggest topics that comes up in motherhood: SLEEP! Jill breaks it down for us and talks about her new groundbreaking program that you can use on your phone called Dream Lab (see below).
Dream Lab is a groundbreaking digital program that guides you through a detailed assessment of your baby and delivers a customized sleep plan to get your baby to sleep through the night in 7 days or less.
Once you start the sleep training process, Dream Lab auto calculates your scheduled nap times and bedtimes and coaches you through the process, minute by minute, day by day. It is world class sleep coaching in the palm of your hand!
You can find Dream Lab Here
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Today we sit down with actress and mama of two Emilie de Ravin.
Thank you! Feel free to send us questions on our DM, IG post or right here in the comments. xo
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True or False: If its sold in stores in the is it must be safe
False: Personal care products, that we use on our bodies, cleaning and home products that we are exposed to every single day do not have to be tested for safety by anyone and can thus skip right onto supermarket shelves. In fact, 80% of the chemicals in personal care products have never been tested for safety. Essentially, our families are thus guinea pigs in a long term experiment for these corporations.
Until laws in the US change, it is up to you as a household head to do your research and determine what is safe and what could potentially expose your children to harmful chemicals.
Remember: using any given store bought product with any given chemical once or twice will probably not harm you ... however when we talk about non-toxic living what can harm you is the cumulative effect of many different chemicals (from different daily use products like your shampoo, moisturizer, makeup, bath gel, home fragrance, bathroom cleaner, dry cleaned clothing etc) being used every single day over many years.
True or False: If a product claims to be "all natural" or "green" or "pure" or "safe for babies sensitive skin" and even "organic" it is the same as non-toxic and must be safe to use.
False: This is called greenwashing. Terms like natural, pure, hypoallergenic, botanical, and green are unregulated and sadly don’t mean anything. It is the company trying to give off an image of being environmentally responsible, while still including a long list of potentially harmful chemicals in their products. Unfortunately, it works like a charm since many well meaning consumers purchase these products thinking that they are buying products that are better for their families and for the environment.
How can you as a consumer, avoid being greenwashed?
1. Avoid products labeled "caution," "warning," "danger" and "poison," all of which indicate the item is hazardous to you and the environment.
2. Look for independent reputable third party verifications: Look for labels from groups like Forest Stewardship Council, Energy Star and the U.S. Department of Agriculture certified organic labels.
3. Choose fewer ingredients: Choose whole foods and produce over processed foods. Vinegar and water to clean over antibacterial products with a long list of dubious ingredients, maybe coconut oil over a store bought fruity smelling hand cream
True or False: If the company has a foundation that helps raise money for breast cancer their products definitely would not have chemicals linked to breast cancer
False: This is perhaps one of the most hypocritical of all situations. The reality is that many of the U.S.'s biggest beauty companies use ingredients that are known to be harmful and linked to breast cancer and then set up foundations and charities to support breast, cervical and ovarian cancer research.
The most common chemical used in these beauty products are preservatives called parabens (indicated by any word that ends in paraben, like methylparaben, propylparaben) which have actually been found in biopsies of breast cancer tumors at levels that are similar to their concentrations used in personal care products.
Even 'paraben free' products are suspect since we don't necessarily know what replacement chemicals are being used. Basically, if a product promises to be preservative-free, and it doesn’t require refrigeration or immediate use, you should suspect potentially harmful chemicals being used.
Additionally everything from plastic water bottles to artificial fragrances- which all contain phthalates which are also known endocrine disruptors that mimic estrogen- often use the pink ribbon to sell their products.
True or False: Eating organic is enough
While I always encourage small changes that make a big impact in your daily routine - like eating organic- and encourage people to take baby steps to avoid getting overwhelmed by a quick and total non-toxic living overhaul, the reality is that just making one change is not enough to really limit your total chemical exposure. It is a great start, but if you want to really make a difference in your health you have to do more.
You’d be shocked at the amount of chemicals that are used in the products we use everyday—in our homes and on our bodies— chemicals that have never been tested for safety on adults nor children (ie: of the over 87,000 chemicals approved in the US for daily use, only a little over 200 have ever been tested by the government for safety. Another interesting fact: the EU has banned over 1,100 chemicals from personal care products, but the US has only banned about 13.....). Start with clean eating but also consider switching your cleaning, some kitchen and personal care products too.
True or False: If a company says a chemical is safe under a certain limit/ amount it must be safe to use on my kids
False: it is unethical to test chemicals on babies .... so no scientific study will know what effects a certain chemical could have on a baby or a fetus. The reality is that fetuses and babies are tiny in size and are undergoing massive development when compared to adults. Adults are much bigger in size. A chemical will thus affect a a developing baby or young baby much more than it will an adult. This is why when you are pregnant or have a young baby at home you should be extra cautious about the chemicals you are exposed to on a daily basis.
Also, these safety claims never take into consideration the potential cumulative effects of using that chemical, mixed with many other chemicals from other daily use products, for years even decades.
True or False: If a product says it is unscented it must not have endocrine disrupting fragrance chemicals and be safe to use
False: unscented is not the same as fragrance free. There are probably chemicals being used to make the product unscented! In the US, companies are not required to disclose the chemicals they use in a fragrance but it is not unusual for dozens of potentially toxic chemicals to be used to achieve any given fragrance. Among them, endocrine disrupting phthalates, which cause the fragrance (or unscented fragrance) to stick to your skin or the product.
Opt for 'fragrance free', make sure the word 'perfum' nor 'fragrance' appears in the ingredient list and if the product has a smell make sure it comes from organic pure essential oils and not synthetic chemicals.
True or False: BPA free products are safe
False: BPA is a very well known endocrine disrupting chemical linked to obesity. diabetes, problems with fertility and reproductive organs, susceptibility to various cancers and cognitive/behavioral deficits like ADHD.
It is used to harden plastics and, while it is rarely found in baby bottles, sippy cups and water bottles anymore, is still found in medical devices, compact discs, dental sealants, water bottles, the lining of canned foods and drinks, store receipts and many other products. plastics marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.
Most parents today know to choose items labelled "BPA free" but, unfortunately this is not necessarily a safer solution since the main chemical used today to replace BPA , BPS, is showing signs of being just as bad as BPA.
The best solution will be to avoid plastics and opt for stainless steel, glass, paper, bamboo, wood or silicon, especially with products related to food intake or used by infants.
Aida Garcia-Toledo is the founder of Non-Toxic Munchkin, a community of parents and caregivers looking for a healthier life for their families. Non-Toxic Munchkin has become a trusted destination for those wanting to make the transition to a healthier and less chemically dependent life, offering the newest research, tips, product reviews and – always- support and encouragement.
Aida works directly with families in the LA area, companies throughout the US and countless parents worldwide through her blog, social media and consulting company.
“It is not a diet. It is not a detox. It is a new way of life.”
You can connect with Aida at:
Instagram: @nontoxicmunchkin
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nontoxicmunchkin/
website: www.nontoxicmunchkin.com