It’s already the end of another month. April was a month of chocolate, family fun, holidays and Anzac marches.

Here are some of my favourite things from this month and a round up of the best bargains out there!

♥ This month I discovered funky online store Lovage (totally love the name too!)

Lovage is an online boutique that sells premium quality natural/organic cosmetics. Their tagline is ‘beauty sans la beast’ ! The girls at Lovage want to provide community members with toxic-free beauty products that actually deliver on the skincare goodness promise.

With top brands like Vanessa Megan, Ere Perez, Evohe and Laviol, Lovage covers all beauty needs from skincare, bodycare, haircare and makeup. You can also get free shipping on orders over $150. It’s pretty much a one-stop natural beauty shop!

While you are there, check out the blog with some interesting articles on natural beauty.

The lovely Heidi from Lovage is offering all of you an exclusive deal! Receive 10% off on your purchase if you spend $50 or more at Lovage. Just use the code NNAM10. Offer expires June 1, 2014.

♥ The sneak peek for the new movie, Overfed and Undernourished came out and it resonated with me. Actually, it made me sad but hopeful all at the same time. Watch it here and tell me what you think. I am so looking forward to this movie being out and spreading the word on healthy living!

♥ My new favourite cookbook – My Darling Lemon Thyme by chef, mum and blogger, Emma Galloway. I made her Pecan Maple Tart for Easter and it was divine. Emma’s recipes are gluten free, vegetarian and real, whole foods all the way. There are so many recipes I want to make, I don’t know where to begin. Loving it, big time (and yes, I do sing ‘my darling clementine’ every time I get the book out!) You can get it online with free shipping.

♥ Melissa at Frugal and Thriving has my favourite blog post this month. It’s 10 ways to ditch disposables in the kitchen. I particularly love this idea of knitting kitchen cloths. They really do work well!

♥ Actually, I had two favourite blog posts this month. Kirri White Coaching has this awesome post about giving yourself permission to feel lost while you are finding yourself. Kirri has such a great understanding of women and practical advice to help navigate life.

♥ What do you do with your old yoga mat when it gets worse for wear? You don’t throw it away! LovEarth Yoga mats gives us some ideas on how we can reincarnate it!! Very cool. I would have never thought of doing this.

♥ I got another delivery from the lovely ladies at TOM Organic this month. This is the only brand I use now. They are an Aussie company and use only certified organic cotton. As the TOM team so eloquently put it – no more chemical and bleaches near your lady bits! They have recently also released their maternity and pad range.

You *can* now get the range from Woolworths for convenience, but if you want to avoid the supermarkets and get bulk prices, go straight to their online store. The lovely Aimee has a special deal just for you! Get a massive 20% off any purchase from their online store! Just use the code: NATMUM. Ends May 31st.

♥ The lovely Aaron and Phoebe at Happy Skincare are giving away a Sweet Dreams Foot Softening Treatment with their 3 Step System. Hurry ends May 11. A perfect Mother’s Day gift!

♥ Sarah at the Raw Food Store has a great special on the Southern Cross pottery water filters this week. As well as filtering out a lot of nasties, these ones also filter out fluroide.

♥ Happy Tummies has a special on food pouches. Get 10 for $9.95.

♥ Yard Games are having a massive sale with up to 80% off! They stock a great range of outdoor, backyard and educational games for kids.

♥ There are also a heap of great deals and discount codes on my Mother’s Day Gift Guide post. Hurry, they are only for a short time and exclusive to NNAM readers!!

What took your fancy this month? Anything exciting we should know about?

*Some of this post is sponsored*

Is your pillow harming your health?

If you are getting your eight hours of sleep a night, then you spend about one third of your life sleeping.

Snuggled up on our pillows, dreaming…… breathing………….. in….. what?

Have you ever really thought about what you are inhaling, night after night?

What about fungi or mould, dust mites, flame retardants, formaldehyde, polyester, acetate and antimicrobial compounds such as Microbian or Allerban? Of course there is also sweat, drool and skin flakes to consider too!

“From memory loss to headaches, depressions to itchy eyes, an array of health problems can arise from exposure to seemingly innocent bedroom objects. Most mattresses and pillows, for example, are filled with chemical-drenched synthetic fibers such as polyurethane foam that release chemicals into the air for years; these airborne toxins can cause headaches and nausea, and even lead to multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), a condition that stems from exposure to toxic chemicals and results in a myriad of crippling symptoms. Microscopic dust mites (and their allergenic fecal matter) frequently infest mattresses, pillows, and carpeting, leading to respiratory problems including coughing and sinus congestion.” Tina Spangler, Natural Health Magazine.

Now, of course I take everything I read on the internet with a grain of salt, but these testimonials really gave me food for thought! My daughter was sleeping on an ‘egg crate’ foam mattress topper and a memory foam pillow. Her health improved when we got rid of the mattress topper and got her onto a new pillow! I couldn’t believe it took me so long to work out.

We swapped our pillows over to biodynamic wool pillows, dust mite protectors and organic cotton pillowcases. I sourced ours from Blessed Earth, here in Queensland. It wasn’t cheap, but I literally sleep better at night! Not only because of the better sleep quality, but just knowing that I am not breathing in nasty chemicals. I also like Blessed Earth because they are fair-trade, local and truly organic.

Wool is naturally mould, mildew, dust mite and fire-resistant. “Wool can absorb bodily moisture up to 30% of it’s own weight and dissipate it naturally into the atmosphere.” Blessed Earth. It also is biodegradable and can go on the compost!

Nicole Bjisma, author of Healthy Home, Healthy Family, says natural latex pillows are also a healthy alternative option. Natural latex has antimicrobial properties that resist dust mites and other allergens as well as being mold and mildew resistant.

Organic cotton pillows are another great option you can get here. They are Australian made, chemical free, with totally organic filling and perfect for allergy sufferers and chemically sensitive people.

Bamboo, down, kapok and buckwheat or millet hulls are other natural alternatives for pillows, but you need to investigate to make sure they are processed without chemicals.

You should also air your pillow regularly out in the sunshine and replace it every few years.

It is really worth checking out what is available and considering the effect that your pillow might be having on your health.

How does your pillow shape up?