review: naturepedic and sk naturals

For over a year now, Baby S has slept in my bed. Cuddled up next to me throughout the night.. although lately, more often than not, I wake up with a foot in my face.

The time has come. Time to talk about moving her to her own bed. Don't get me wrong- I have loved this year of co-sleeping. As I have said many times, breastfeeding + co-sleeping = best friends (check out my tips for co-sleeping with a newborn). Co-sleeping puts you in the perfect position to sleep and feed through the night. This would have been a much more tiring year without it.

But all good things must come to an end. Truth be told, Baby S is still nursing quite a bit throughout the night, so I'm not totally ready to give it up. But Daddy is starting to push it more, so I am opening up to the discussion. We are moving in May, so Toddler B will be moving to a toddler bed in her own room, and crib space will be opening up. Like I said, I am opening myself up to the discussion, but no promises have been made.

In any case, we can start making preparations. Part of our plans involve finding some bedding for her. She loves to lay on our pillows, so I wanted to get her a toddler pillow of her own. And because we are sensitive to toxic chemicals being inhaled by our children, I wanted it to be a safe choice.

Naturepedic sent us their Organic Cotton/ PLA toddler pillow to review. At 14" x 20", it's the perfect size for our crib. The outside surface is a 550 thread count organic cotton that's impenetrable by dust mites and other allergens, and is filled with plant-based PLA fiber. And unlike many companies these days who rely on labor from China or other parts of the world, Naturepedic products are made in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

The first word that came to my mind when I took this pillow out of the box was "cloud". Puffy and inviting, it's the perfect size for hugging at night. Baby S loves it- fun to hug and throw as well as lay her head and body on. However, it is a little too firm for Toddler B- she likes a softer pillow. Keep your child's preferences in mind when considering this product. All in all, this is a perfect pillow for Baby S, and I rest easy knowing that she is not breathing in harmful chemicals as she sleeps.

Of course, with a pillow, you need a pillowcase. And what's the point of buying an organic pillow if you cover it up with a toxic fabric? For this, I turned to SK Naturals, an Etsy shop based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. They offer a wide range of organic bedding and baby products in a fun variety of fabrics and designs. 

For our pillow, they sent us a cute brown pillowcase with teal circles- a fun design that both the babies loved. The 100% organic cotton fabric was made in India out of non-GMO cotton seeds grown without the use of herbicides, pesticides and insecticides and printed with low-impact, AZO-free dyes. 

This fabric for the pillowcase is crisp and a little stiff- fine for us, since that is what I prefer. They also sent samples of another fabric that they use from Harmony Art which is a sateen and has a softer feel. This fabric was more to Toddler B's liking, as she prefers softer sheets. Again, it is important to consider your child's preferences when making these purchases. Luckily, SK Naturals has something for everyone's taste!

So here we are. We have the pillow and crib space opening up soon. Now we just have to make plans for the transition... and I think I'll start making those plans in May.

I received the products reviewed in this article in exchange for a review on this blog. The opinions, however, are all mine.