My Mighty Nest

As many of you all know this past year our family has been on a journey of transformation. Not only has it been familial (how we parent and school our children), spiritual (centering our daily lives on our God), but material as well. Part of that material transformation has required us to be more conscious and better stewards about the items we bring into our home as well as the ones we currently have (especially when they involve our children) This means that all of our toys and child feeding gear has gone under the microscope. While I try my best to not be an alarmist, it really is quite disturbing the amount of chemicals that go into any of the products that we use in our homes. Even more alarming is that many of those chemicals are or are suspected to be harmful. 

I will never forget in 2007 and 2008, when I my daughter was one year old, discovering that every single bottle that we used had BPA in it. Every single one. At the time, I had no idea what BPA was or what its effects were (and I was a junior in college so not being educated wasn't an issue). All I knew was that my brilliant environmental engineer sister-in-law told me to toss them so they must be bad. 

When Jonas came along in 2010 I still was not really on the bandwagon. I knew BPA was a no-no but everything else seemed fine. I mean it should be illegal to put harmful chemicals into products that our children use... right? Its the USA for crying out loud, not China! Well once again I was wrong. So after more recommendations from the brilliant sister in law and doing some hunting on my own, I learned what products are safe and responsible on the market. 

But the story doesn't end here...! 

Sadly I had a hard time finding a site or store for that matter which carried the safer products. In addition, I was quite put off and disillusioned by most stores whom carried suspicious products now and in the past. It was pretty obvious to me that they really did not have our kids' best interest at heart. Then enters the Mighty Nest. 

When I first found their site I was in heaven. Seriously. They had all the safe and cool kid products that I was looking for... in one place. They also carried kitchenware, clothes, and toys! However what I love the most about them are the information and reviews that they provide on every item. No more searching and calling companies to see where they manufactured their product, or what is in it- the Mighty Nest puts it all right out there for you. Total disclosure and no hiding. 

So by this point you might be asking yourself, are they paying me to say this about them? NOPE! I just love them and I want to share them with you so that you do not have to pull your hair out when looking for a good place to buy safe products. Plus to top it off, I also just won a Kinderville set in a contest. Before I entered the contest I had already ordered from them twice (Lifefactory and Klean Kanteen sippy cups), so this new free stuff was just a lucky accident and tremendously helpful since it was free (and we all know that sadly safe products tend to cost more- its worth it). 

So here is my unsolicited review of the goodies I received. I plan on ordering more Kinderville sets as well because they are so wonderful and my kids adore them! 

When I first saw the new Kinderville products I was a bit suspicious. I have been against all plastics when it comes to my kids since I had been burned by them in the past. But upon taking a closer look, all of Kinderville's products are silicone! Silicone is a great substitute to plastics and they are BPA, phalate, and lead free. In addition the added benefit of silicone is they they cannot break (like glass) or dent (like stainless steel). Plus they are very easy to clean and the kids think they're fun because of the nice colors. If you were addicted like I was to the cute melamine divided kids plates, then these are a safer and cute alternative. 

By far my three favorite items (while I love them all) are the Bigger Bites Silicone Storage Jars, the Little Bites Silicone Freezer Trays, and the Ice Pop mold. 

The storage jar is fabulous for snacks. What I love it is that Deirdre and Jonas can remove the top too. Plus there are no leaks and the jar is insulated. For our picnic I steamed veggies and put the in the jar to take with us and 40 minutes later they were still warm- an added benefit! 

The freezer tray would be great for making and freezing our homemade baby food, if we still did that! So I have been using it a  mini snack tray for Jonas. He loves it and since it comes with a lid, whatever he has left over I and slip back into the refrigerator and get it out later for a snack. Plus since it is deeper, it is harder for food to spill out! 

By far Deirdre's favorite is the ice pop mold (no pictures yet sorry). The first night we had it I made a pop for teething baby Jonas and it was a life saver!!! The mold has a lid and it does not leak as all. It took about 90 minutes for the pop to freeze solid. Plus the shape of the mold is the real winner. Since it has a funnel shape, kids can push the pop up by themselves and the  juice doesn't slip all over them- seriously! This has been a struggle for us- with many stained clothes, and now we have found the the perfect mold and pop! It makes for a special summer treat and activity to make your own pops with your kids and have them experiment with fruits and flavors. So far our favorite is peach lemonade! 

So all in all, we love the set. I have no complaints, and trust me I am hard to please. If you are in need to some great and SAFE kid kitchenware, give kinderville a try from the Mighty Nest. They have a GREAT return policy, so if you are not a fan you can get a refund, which makes me even more convinced that they care. Also their blog is a great resource on healthy living and consumer safety. I read it weekly and I am amazed at how much I have learned, like that BPA is linked to male infertility- eek! 

At any rate good night my friends. Enjoy the photos of our fun picnic by the lake and give your kiddos (big and small) an extra hug today. We are so blessed to have them.