The process involved getting lots of online votes, something Lovey’s supporters did so well, owner Marcie Weinstein -Smith got a message from Small Business BC telling her she was getting lots of votes!

That got Lovey’s to the Top 10. Exciting moment, but it wasn’t over yet. Lovey’s submitted a business summary that convinced the first round of judges to move the company up to Top 5. As a Top 5 finalist, owner Marcie Weinstein -Smith had to give a presentation to a panel of five judges on the viability and growth projections of the company. Did you know Lovey’s grew over 100% last year? Pretty awesome statistic for such a new company, with such a great idea.

The judges LOVED the Tushi Stick and all natural formulas that Marcie makes, in conjunction with a chemist. In addition, three newspapers picked up the story, including Business in Vancouver, which featured Marcie and another business owner in a full length article.

However, there could only be one winner, and while we dressed up, schmoozed and drank wine with other business owners at the Award Ceremony, in the end another company won the award for the Best Concept Category.

Oh, and did we mention that Marcie went up to retired professional hockey player and former Vancouver Canuck, Trevor Linden (speaker at the event), and tried to sell him her new anti-chafing stick, the ChafeGuard? We even got a photo of it! You should get in touch with Trevor Linden and tell him you want to see the ChafeGuard in his gyms! And after Marcie met the MC of the event, Aaron McArthur, Global TV news anchor, she agreed to donate Lovey’s products for a charity near and dear to his heart, the Children’s Organ Transplant Society. This charity helps families cope with some of the challenges they deal with life after a transplant.

So now we can say that Lovey’s reached for the moon, landed among the stars, but is still heading towards the moon. We’re confident we’ll make it there!

In the mean time, we can boast about being a Top 5 finalist – it’s a big accomplishment, and took a lot of work!

See our gallery below! Click on a thumbnail to enlarge the photos!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your business, Busy Bump Maternity Services and why you started it.

I’m a mom of two. I have a six year old step son and an 11 month old daughter. Busy Bump Maternity Services is a baby planning service for new and expectant moms. We help moms get organized for the baby’s arrival by helping with registries, nursery design, shopping car seats & strollers as well as educating moms on newborn essentials like diapering, swaddling and bathing a baby.

The idea for Busy Bump Maternity Services was “conceived” during my pregnancy and grew into a small business in the beginning of my maternity leave. I wanted to provide other moms with services I would have loved to have during my pregnancy and post-partum as well. Before I had my daughter I was a busy working professional who worked 40+ hours a week, while trying to balance work, friends and family. Between running my step-son to soccer or kindergarten, meetings with clients, making dinner and trying to go to the gym or a date night with my husband, it was hard to find time to read all the baby books and look online for all the information I knew I would need as a new mom. I truly have found my passion helping expectant couples prepare for their baby’s arrival and I love being able to help take away the stress and anxiety that comes along with becoming new parents.

Is it a concierge service? I saw a TV show that had a concierge shopping for upper east side New York moms to be. How is your service the same or different?

I do offer a concierge service/personal shopping at our hourly rate however many clients choose a package or combine a few of the a la carte services I provide. My job is similar to the TV show, “Pregnant in Heels” in the sense that I do help many expectant moms with similar tasks like shopping for strollers, baby proofing or coaching on newborn basics but Rosie Pope is catering to some pretty wealthy woman who are a little on the extreme side. None of my clients have ever asked me to do some of the crazy things you see her doing on the show!

Can you tell us about the workshops you are doing and what kinds of topics you will cover?

I am so excited to start the workshops and connect with more new and expectant moms in the lower mainland. The goal of the workshops is to educate new and expectant parents on topics beyond what they are hearing in their prenatal classes, which mainly focus on the birth. Not to put down what people hear from prenatal classes as that is valuable information but parenting is much more than the birth and there are many other parenting topics that expectant couples are interested in and want information on. In the workshops, we will be talking about sleep patterns in babies, breastfeeding basics and tips for success, decorating your nursery, exercise during pregnancy and finding humour in parenting/being a new parent. There will also be more topic focused workshops like Health & Wellness and Returning to Work. We plan to offer the workshops at locations across the lower mainland and throughout the year. Our first workshop on “Newborn Essentials” is February 8th at Kinder Café in Coquitlam from 6:30-8:30pm and our Health & Wellness workshop will be February 29th at Roundhouse in Vancouver from 5:30pm – 7pm.

What pieces of advice do you have for a new mom or a mom-to-be?

#1 – Trust yourself and your instincts. When I was pregnant and also a new mom, everybody wanted to offer their two cents of advice. It gets overwhelming! Don’t get intimidated by people telling you what to do or that you’re doing something wrong. If it doesn’t feel right or comfortable for you, you most likely feel that way for a reason.

#2 – New moms need as much rest as possible. You hear it all the time but sleep/rest while the baby is sleeping. Spend less time worrying about cleaning the house or preparing dinner. Many new moms expect they can still do it all (with only 2 hours of solid sleep) and then feel defeated if they didn’t get to have a shower or get a load of laundry in. While you are pregnant, make some easy meals like spaghetti or casseroles which you can keep in your freezer and pop in the oven for dinner. Also, accept any help that is offered from family or friends and if you are feeling overwhelmed don’t feel guilty asking for help.

#3 – Join a mom group, group fitness for new moms or some sort of activity in your community where you can get out of the house for a few hours with the baby but can spend some time with other moms. It’s important for your mental & emotional health to get out of the house and interact with other people (who do more than cry & poop all day). Being around other moms who are sharing in your experiences is a great way to get support and just go have a good laugh about some funny moments from your day.

Click on the logo below to get to the Busy Bump Web site!

The kitchen is germ central.  A U.S. firm, NSF International, studied 22 families and swabbed all kinds of equipment and items for bacteria – from the pet dish to iPods.  The firm was looking for coliform bacteria (a sign of fecal contamination – YUCK!!), Staphylococcus bacteria (which like coliform, can cause vomiting and diarrhea) and yeast and mold (which can trigger allergic reactions).  The kitchen was the biggest culprit! We need to be more mindful if we have babies, small children and the elderly or people in your household whose immune system is compromised by other diseases. This group is more vulnerable than the average healthy people.

It’s impossible to control all bacteria.  Bacteria are everywhere and our bodies need to be exposed to some to help it learn how to fight invaders.  But too much of anything is a bad thing – I hear my mother’s words “everything in moderation”!  We all know that washing our hands thoroughly for 20 seconds (or as long as it takes to sing the birthday song) will help us to ward off illness.  But what else can we do?

1.  Sponges – are dirty and tough to keep clean. The NSF study found that 77% of sponges and dishcloths contained coliform, 86% had yeast and mold and 18% had Staph bacteria.  Food bacteria build up with food residues. And sponges have many nooks and holes in which bacteria can multiply.

What to do: I thought that rinsing a sponge or dishcloth out was enough.  Not so.  Try microwaving your sponge for one minute in the microwave.  That kills a significant portion of the bacteria.  The NSF ran them through the dishwasher in their tests and that killed almost as many bugs as microwaving it for one minute.  Be sure you don’t put sponges that contain any metal in the microwave and be sure that the sponge is wet so it doesn’t catch fire.  I also use a clean dishcloth or sponge everyday.

2. Kitchen Countertops – the NSF found that 32% of kitchen countertops were contaminated with coliform bacteria and 18% had mold and yeast.  We use our hands on countertops all the time and then we often wipe them with dirty sponges or dishcloths.

What to do: Soap and water cleaning of your kitchen surfaces is suitable for most average healthy people.  Soap or detergent and water cleaning physically removes dirt and germs from surfaces – it doesn’t kill them all – but it lowers their numbers and thus the risk of spreading infection. Disinfectants aren’t really necessary typically.  Apparently it’s more important to keep things clean than disinfected as cleaning removes 99% of the microorganisms and disinfectants don’t work unless the surface is cleaned first anyway!  Furthermore, products like Lysol, Pinesol and Clorox don’t kill viruses, parasites or all bacteria.  The only way you can get rid of viruses and parasites is to wash them away with soap and water.  Note though, that if you leave with immuno-compromised people, you might want to make soap and water cleaning first, with disinfectant cleaning afterward for your countertops and sinks.

The other important thing I learned was that for a disinfectant to work, it has to sit on the surface for several minutes in order to be effective.  The NSF’s testing noted that Lysol Disinfectant All-Purpose Cleaner or the liquid Clorox Disinfecting Wipes required 10 minutes to be effective.  The cost effective disinfecting solution that Health Canada suggests is a bleach solution of 3 cups of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of bleach.  I use the non-chlorine bleach by Seventh Generation.  And the right way to do it is to apparently flood your countertop with the solution and then let it sit for a few minutes, then pat with clean, dry paper towels and then allow it air dry.  Solutions made with vinegar and baking soda are not strong enough to disinfect, according to the University of North California.  The university did a study and found that “vinegar had little effect on the common food bug Staphylococcus aureus, while baking soda was no match for E. coli”.

3. Sinks – another place that dirt and food particles gather is in the sink drain and disposal.  It’s like a perfect storm of bacterial growth.  You can find things like Listeria and maybe even Salmonella – like from when you rinse off your poultry.  I had never thought about that before.

What to do: Sanitize your drain from time to time by mixing up a homemade solution of 3 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of bleach and pour it down your drains and disposal.

4. Cutting Boards – I learned that the most important thing about a cutting board is the integrity of its surface.  Cuts and slices into wood or plastic boards can harbor bacterium and it can become difficult to get into all the little nooks and crannies.  Wood has an advantage over plastic in that the wood can absorb bacteria from food into the interior of the wood and there the bugs will slowly die.

What to do: Clean your cutting boards with warm, soapy water.  I run my plastic ones through the dishwasher.  And wooden boards that will fit into your microwave can be disinfected in the microwave (warning: do not overheat your wooden board).

5. Refrigerators – Cold temperatures keep bacteria at bay but I learned a few specifics that I didn’t know before.  I bought a refrigerator thermometer to make sure that the temperature stays at 4 degrees Celsius or below.

What to do: Buy yourself a fridge thermometer.  You can find them at most kitchen stores and they are an inexpensive investment in the well being of you and your family. Although uncommon, Listeria is one concern that can be deadly.  Keeping your food safe is critical. To check your temperature the first time, the thermometer must have been in the fridge for 5 – 8 hours.  Eyeing your food or using the sniff test is not sufficient to determine if it’s bacteria laden.

The other thing to help keep food cold is to keep items in your fridge well spaced.  I am guilty of this one.  The cold needs room to circulate around the food items and keeps it cold more efficiently when it has breathing room.

An important note: I live in an area of BC that is quite prone to power outages in the winter due to several tall trees in the area.  When the power goes out, I have learned to keep the freezer and fridge doors closed as much as possible.  That keeps the cold air in.  Refrigerated perishables like milk, meat or leftover and deli foods should be thrown out after 4 hours without power.  For more information on food safety, checkout foodsafety.gc.ca

6.  Dishwasher – I began to really inspect my dishwasher and I have to admit, I was shocked.  I found that black dirt was building up around the seal and in cracks and crevices.  The food residues I began to notice here and there too were surprising.  Even though the heat of the washer and the soap do a very effective job of cleaning the dishes, you still need to pay attention to this accumulation.

What to do: If people in your house are immune compromised, wash everything in the dishwasher on the hottest setting and use the heat dry option.  Rinse your dishes soon after eating and before putting them in the dishwasher (my husband won’t like that part!!).  If the food begins to dry on your dishes, not only is it harder to get it off your dishes, it begins the process of growing bacteria and the harder it will be to clean the bacteria off.

And it’s important to clean the inside of your dishwasher – something I now do regularly.  I know, I know – like you needed one more thing to do!  Clean the rubber seals regularly with a disinfectant or bleach solution. The black I was seeing could actually have been black yeast.  “An international team of researchers sampled 189 private homes in 101 cities on six continents.  They found two nasty species of black yeast along the rubber seals of the doors in 56 % of the dishwashers they examined.  Black yeast are resistant to high temperatures and detergents.  The yeast can cause diseases like mycetoma, a rare skin infection.  They can also colonize the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, leading to respiratory infections.”

I hope these tips were as helpful to you as I have found them to be.

Until next time….

After investigating three cases of seizures in children, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a warning in 2008 to keep all camphor products away from children, as they can be poisonous when ingested. Nor should you use camphor if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

According to the Journal of Emergency Medicine, “Serious pediatric toxicity resulting from exposure to small amounts of camphor-containing products has long been a problem. Despite the FDA changes, camphor remains commonly available in many nonprescription vaporized or topical “cold” medications, topical musculoskeletal anesthetic “rubs” and “cold sore” preparations, though its efficacy is largely unproven. Data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers demonstrate that camphor continues to be a common source of pediatric exposures. A review of the literature reveals persistent reports of toxicity resulting from exposure to relatively small amounts. In the pediatric population, exposure to as little as 500 mg is cited as a cause of mortality. More commonly, 750 to 1000 mg is associated with the development of seizures and death. Currently available products with 10% camphor contain 500 mg in 5 ml. It is concluded that small doses are dangerous. In children less than 6 years of age, exposure to 500 mg or more requires rapid triage to the closest health care facility.”

To set the record straight regarding what I had heard about Vicks VapoRub and other cold and chest rubs/ointments with Camphor and other essential oils, I decided to talk with veteran Aromatherapist and Registered Nurse, Pat Antoniak of Natural Comfort Wellness Centre. Pat has developed and taught the Aromatherapy Practitioner Program for Langara College, Vancouver, BC. She teaches Advanced and Interest Courses for aromatherapists and a founding member and past-president of the BC Alliance Of Aromatherapy, past board member of the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists and currently holds an editorial board position with the International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy.

When I queried her about the good old-fashioned VICKS VapoRub our parents used on us as children, here is what she had to say:

“The original rub formulas used complete essential oils in their formulations.  When used in their completeness, the aroma molecule has checks and balances to help modify adverse effects.  It doesn’t necessarily remove the problems completely, but it often makes things safer to use.  At some point, the company began creating the camphor and menthol molecules in a lab, to use in their formulations, as it was cheaper to produce and the variability of natural ingredients could be avoided.  Now, without all the natural checks and balances, people still used the products in the ways they were accustomed to, but there was an increase in toxicity reactions in babies and toddlers being noted.  Eventually, the FDA required all products having camphor and menthol in their formulations to have a caution on their label. Canada followed suit a few years later.  It is interesting that even today, people don’t read the label for commercial colds/flu products, and they assume it is the same formulation they had when they were children.

As aromatherapists, we are aware that there are many essential oils with naturally occurring camphor and menthol molecules.  We look at the aromachemistry of oil and particularly the concentrations of phenols, phenolmethylethers (PMEs) and ketones in any essential oils being considered for high-risk clients; this includes the very young and very old.  Not only does it matter what the essential oil is, but how it is being used.  For the most part, an air diffusion in a room for colds will not display the same problems as a product used directly on the skin (this includes creams, ointments, baths and steam inhalations), as the concentration of essential oil will be very low.  However, most people leave the air diffusion going all day/night – this can lead to over-exposure.  Very young livers and kidneys are not yet equipped to deal with metabolizing such concentrations.  We follow the recommendations of Health Canada and FDA – no essential oils with camphor or menthol used in products until over at least 2 years of age.

Some essential oils to be avoided or used with great caution under the care of a qualified Registered Aromatherapist for infants and young children include, but are not limited to:

·         Eucalyptus (some cultivars are considered safe for babies, but these are not usually available in retail settings because of their price)

·         Rosemary

·         Camphor wood

·         Sweet Marjoram

·         Peppermint

·         Spearmint

·         Clove

·         Cinnamon

·         Sweet Basil

·         Oregano

·         Sweet Thyme

Another note is that some labels will say Oil of Eucalyptus – this is not necessarily Essential Oil of Eucalyptus”. So it is a buyer beware situation.

Do you hate the rain as much as I do?  Like it or not, we in the province of British Columbia have to face the music - the winter rain is coming.  So why not make those dreary days brighter with some adorable, shiny, waterproof rain wear for our little ones?  I see so many fun and fabulous shiny raincoats and boots – so much to choose from. Hmmm… what to choose!!

It didn’t take long to end my shopping fun when I suddenly realized that all those fashionably fun slickers were made of PVC.  UGH! PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride (#3 recycling designation) and the material is used in everything from pacifiers and water bottles to toys, back packs, shower curtains, vinyl flooring and, you guessed it, that kiddie rain coat you’ve been eyeing.  This beloved material is a known carcinogen (cancer causing) that releases vapors (off-gassing) that can be inhaled by your sweetie.  Another reason for concern with PVC is that toys made of it may also contain lead (sometimes used to stabilize the plastic).  When your baby puts that toy in his mouth or when baby licks his/her hands after playing with it, they can be exposed to lead.  Goodness, can we catch a break here?  As if we parents didn’t have enough to worry about.

So what can you do?  How can you avoid PVC?  Here’s our list of what to watch out for:

• Look for the #3 recycling logo or the letters PVC on packaging
• Look for Phthalate Free on packaging
• Back away from the toy that has that funky new shower curtain smell
• Choose clear silicone pacifiers (over the yellow rubber ones)
• Avoid giving baby your keys.  Most brass keys contain lead.  Ask your kids to wash their hands after handling your keys
• As beautiful as vintage toys are, they are likely to contain lead so better to avoid them
• Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission site for toy recalls at www.cpsc.gov and sign up to receive the Health Canada toy recall notices
• Buy a home lead testing kit if you have concerns about anything in your home that may contain lead
• Choose rain gear that is PVC Free.  Checkout www.Puddlegear.com for environmentally friendly and kid safe rain gear.  It’s PVC Free Abeko rain gear, sold by Puddlegear, is polyurethane coated stretch fabric and it meets the Okeo-Tex standard (a process and standard that tests for over one hundred harmful substances).

 A few other things you might want know.  There are over 80,000 of these chemicals widely used in North America and only a few hundred have been tested for toxicity.  According to the David Suzuki Foundation, “we and our loved ones are part of a human experiment.  These dangerous and untested chemicals, like flame retardants are used in furniture, textiles and even electronics.  ONLY 5 have BEEN BANNED.  Known cancer-causing chemicals are still allowed to be used in items we use everyday.  European countries restrict many of these chemicals because they are linked to serious health issues like asthma, allergies, hormone disruption and migraines.  The toxic chemicals are dangerous to you and your family, and to our plants and wildlife.”  So what else can you do to help remove these chemicals from our household and personal health products?  What can we do to keep dangerous chemicals out of our water, soil and air?   Today I made a donation to The David Suzuki Foundation to help them put pressure on our government to make it safer for all of us.  I invite you to join me and do the same, if you can.  Even a few dollars makes a difference to their cause – a cause that affects us all.  www.davidsuzuki.org.

But that’s not all. Many traditional face paints also contain nickel, cobalt and chromium, which can leave your child’s skin permanently sensitive and prone to dermatitis.

But that’s ok, you’ll just be sure to read the labels next time, right? WRONG.

The companies making face paints are not listing these harmful chemicals in their ingredients. Even the Snazaroo Face Paint, which claims to be free of toxins, contained scary amounts of lead, nickel and cobalt.  This is just shows how important it is for the Safe Cosmetics Act to finally get approved for updating in the House of Commons.

In 2009 as well, the Fun Express water-based face paints were recalled because of microbial contamination. Kids suffered from itchiness, rash and burning after using the product.

As an anti-green washing mom and company owner, I suggest going homemade with natural Halloween face paints this year.

It’s super easy to do so too.

First you’ll need some natural food colouring. You can get these in the health food store, or you can make them with spices or ingredients in your own kitchen. We’ve all gotten yellow stains of turmeric on our fingers when making curry, so finding strong food-based colours will be easy for a mom who likes to cook!

Then you’ll need a natural unscented lotion (go for something thick), a fluoride-free toothpaste or a thick cocoa butter as your base.  You’ll be mixing the following ingredients with this base as needed (usually only a small amount):

Raspberries, blackberries beets for pink

Cocoa for brown

Spirulina for green

Tumeric for yellow

Tamarind for purple

Sugar and flower for white

Remember to make sure your child won’t get an allergic reaction to these spices first! Test your recipe on a small patch. Remember that things like minty toothpaste will tingle on the face, and some kids may not like that feeling.

Finally, let us know how it went for you!

References:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091028/Toxic-chemicals-in-face-paints-can-cause-skin-sensitization-and-contact-dermatitis.aspx

http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=233#halloween

“In July and August of 2007, EWG surveyed more than 3,300 parents to find out what shampoos, lotions, bath soaps and other personal care products their children use. Based on the specific products named by these parents, we found that children are exposed to an average of 61 different chemical ingredients every day, many of which have not been found safe for children by the government or the cosmetic industry’s expert safety panel. Due to gaping loopholes in federal law, cosmetics companies can put almost any ingredient they choose into their products, with no requirement to safety test. Companies can also claim that their products are gentle and natural even when they contain artificial chemical ingredients or harsh skin irritants.

Exposures to harmful chemicals during childhood pose concern because children are more vulnerable to chemicals than are adults. Children are like sponges for chemicals. Their skin is 30 percent thinner than an adults’ and can absorb greater amounts of chemicals from the skin surface. They breathe in more air (and air contaminants) relative to their weight than adults, and the blood-brain barrier that helps block chemicals from penetrating brain tissue is not fully formed until a baby reaches six months of age. Parents must be particularly careful to choose safe products for their children.”

The bottom line: Be cautious about the products you choose for your family.  Print out our blog article on Ingredients to Avoid for your Baby. Join our newsletter to keep you posted on news and discussions that will help you to keep your babies safe.  And let’s hope that North American legislation soon takes the route of the European standards for personal care products.  The Europeans are miles ahead of us in banning unsafe chemicals and have admirably stringent standards!

This year alone, I have lost two friends to Cancer – one in his 50′s and one in her 40′s. Yesterday I heard the story of a 23 year old who died from a brain tumor.  His father worked for a large, well known chemical company.  His dad use to bring home bags of the chemicals he sold to make deliveries to his customers.  The kids use to play in the area where they were stored.

The Safe Cosmetics Act is in the House!!!  This is great news!  Although it’s in front of the U.S. House, I am confident that what happens in the U.S. will be good for Canada as well.   It’s critical that the regulations change to prevent the increased links to cancer and other diseases.

Here is the news (from CHEJ, Center for Health, Environment & Justice)

Safe Cosmetics Act in the House

On June 24th, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 was introduced in the House of Representatives. If passed this bill will give the FDA the authority to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful substances like lead, 1,4-dioxane and chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental issues.

Because federal safety regulations for cosmetics haven’t been updated since 1938, cosmetic companies can use virtually any ingredient, even toxic chemicals. The average American uses about 10 personal care products a day, including shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, aftershave, etc, and is therefore exposed to more than 100 of these potentially dangerous chemicals every day.

The new legislation would:
Phase-out of ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects and developmental harm;
Create a health-based safety standard that includes protections for children, the elderly, workers, and other vulnerable populations;
Require full ingredient disclosure on product labels and company websites;
Give workers access to information about unsafe chemicals in personal care products;
Required data-sharing to avoid duplicative testing and encourage the development of alternatives to animal testing;
Give adequate funding to the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors.

When I bought my child’s car seat, I reserached it at HealthyStuff.org.  Some people may have thought I was a little over the top – “it’s just a car seat”.  Well, read on to learn more about what is in everyday products we use and buy that are affecting our health and that of our children.  Let’s keep learning the realities of our environments so we know what to vote against.  If we do not hold our politicians feet to the fire to change the regulations, who will? Let your MP know how you feel!

The following information is compliments of: