The Nest

Starting Solids Without the Stress

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:06:23 GMT

Starting solids can come with a surprising amount of pressure.

When to start. What foods to offer. How much is enough. What about allergens? Choking? Textures? What if your baby spits everything out?

And somewhere along the way, something that should be a new little adventure can start feeling like a test you’re supposed to pass.

The truth is, starting solids is a learning process for both you and your baby.

Think beyond the spoon

Early feeding is not just about getting food into your baby’s belly.

It’s also about learning to:

Explore different textures and tastes
Bring food to their mouth
Practice chewing and moving food around
Learn to sit and participate during meals
Build positive experiences around food

Some meals will be messy. Some foods will end up on the floor. Some days your baby may eat enthusiastically, and other days they may barely touch anything.

That’s all part of learning.

You don’t need a perfect feeding plan

It can be tempting to save every feeding schedule, buy every gadget, and follow every “first foods” list online.

But your baby is not a checklist.

Start with developmentally appropriate foods and textures, introduce foods thoughtfully, and pay attention to your baby’s cues. When you have questions about feeding skills, allergies, choking, or your baby’s individual needs, getting guidance from a qualified professional can make the process feel much less overwhelming.

And sometimes, having someone answer your very specific “Is this normal?” question is exactly what you need.

Starting Solids Workshop at Little Sprouts

If you’re in the beginning stages of introducing solids, we’re bringing the conversation offline.

Join Lauren Remondino, feeding therapist, for a practical morning of feeding tips, developmental guidance, and open Q&A.

Little ones can play while you get your questions answered.

Thursday, October 8
9:30–11:30 AM
Little Sprouts

In partnership with Bébé Foodie + Nest Earth.

Under 6 months free, 6-12 months half off, and a discounted sibling rate. Your admission covers full-day access to the play space

And We’re Bringing a Little Extra for Our Nest

Every family who registers for the workshop will receive:

Free access to The Nest
Join our community for practical low-tox living, expert insights, trusted recommendations, and support for your family.

12.5% OFF an annual paid membership
A little thank-you for joining us and an easy way to stay connected beyond the workshop.

Plus, enter the raffle!
2 winners will each receive:

A $50 Little Sprouts gift card
A 1-year Bébé Foodie membership
An Opinel utensil set
A Little Sprouts tote
A FREE year of The Nest paid membership

So you’re not just leaving with answers from the workshop. You’ll also have ongoing resources and community to lean on as your family grows.

Spots are limited, so if you’re navigating the starting-solids stage right now, this is a great opportunity to bring your questions.

👉 Register through this link

And if you’re not quite there yet, save this for later. Your starting-solids season will come sooner than you think.

One Bottle, So Many Jobs

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 22:01:34 GMT

One of our favorite simple swaps? White vinegar.

It’s inexpensive, easy to find, and can handle quite a few everyday cleaning jobs around the home.

Think of it as your one-bottle cleaning staple.

Kitchen cleaner

Mix diluted white vinegar with water in a spray bottle for everyday cleaning on appropriate sealed surfaces.

It’s great for wiping away everyday gri…

Back to School, A Little More Simply

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:16:16 GMT

Back-to-school season can feel like a giant shopping list.

New shoes. New clothes. School supplies. Lunch containers. Water bottles. Snacks. Cleaning products. And somehow, every year, there seems to be something else we’re told our kids need.

But before you buy everything new, take a breath.

A lower-tox, more intentional back-to-school routine doesn’t hav…

Back-to-School Prep Starts Before the First Bell

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:00:43 GMT

One moment you’re enjoying slower mornings, and the next you’re packing lunches, searching for missing socks, and trying to get everyone out the door on time.

A little preparation ahead of time can help make the transition feel smoother for the whole family. Here are a few simple ways to get started:

Create a simple morning routine

Children thrive with con…

Simple Kitchen Swaps That Make a Big Difference

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:00:44 GMT

The kitchen is one of the easiest places to start when creating a more mindful home.

It is where we cook, store food, clean, and gather every day, which means the choices we make here can have a bigger impact than we often realize.

But creating a lower-tox, more sustainable kitchen does not mean replacing everything overnight. The most meaningful swaps ar…

The One Place I Try Not to Leave Plastic

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 21:01:06 GMT

The One Place I Try Not to Leave Plastic

Have you ever come back to your car on a hot summer day and reached for your water bottle?

I used to do it without thinking.

Now, I pause.

Cars can heat up quickly, even on days that don’t feel particularly hot. That heat doesn’t just make your steering wheel uncomfortable. It also affects the things we leave inside.

…

The Truth About Bug Spray Isn’t as Simple as You Think

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:00:50 GMT

Summer brings longer days, backyard dinners, family hikes… and plenty of mosquitoes.

If you’ve ever stood in the bug spray aisle wondering which bottle to grab, you’re not alone.

Between words like DEET, picaridin, natural, and plant-based, it’s easy to feel like you need a chemistry degree just to protect your family.

The good news?

You don’t need to memor…

Before Summer Slips Away

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 21:01:17 GMT

The days are still warm, but routines are starting to return. School is around the corner, calendars begin to fill, and suddenly it feels like summer is slipping away.

If you’re feeling like it went by too quickly, you’re not alone.

But here’s something worth remembering:

Your children won’t remember whether you crossed everything off the summer bucket lis…

The Summer Sun Isn’t the Enemy

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 19:20:56 GMT

The first summer after becoming a mom, I packed everything.

The sunscreen. The hats. The water bottles. Snacks. A change of clothes. More snacks than we could possibly eat.

I wanted to be prepared.

But if I’m honest, I wasn’t just packing a beach bag. I was carrying the pressure of trying to make every “right” decision.

Should I use mineral sunscreen?
Is thi…

Tell Us Who You Are

Gabriela (Gabi) Fiorentino — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:22:00 GMT

Now that we’re all settled into our new home, let’s do the thing every good community does first: introduce ourselves.

Whether you’ve been with Nest Earth for years or you just found us, we want to know you. Drop a comment below and tell us:

Your name and where you’re roughly based
Who you’re raising (ages, no names needed)
One low-tox swap you’re proud of,…

The Conversation Lives Here

Gabriela (Gabi) Fiorentino — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 23:31:14 GMT

This is where Nest Earth actually comes alive, not in polished posts, but in the day-to-day back-and-forth between real parents figuring it out together. We’ve got three running every week, and you’re invited to all of them:

Ask the Nest — Wednesdays Your space to ask anything, no question too small. The stuff you’d normally Google at 2am. Jump in here.

W…

Coming Soon to the Experts Library

Gabriela (Gabi) Fiorentino — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:02:05 GMT

One of the things we’re most excited about in our new home: the Experts Library.

Here’s the idea. Every few weeks, we sit down with a vetted expert for an in-depth conversation on something parents actually wrestle with. No fl…

We've Moved! Welcome to the New Nest Earth

Gabriela (Gabi) Fiorentino — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:01:57 GMT

Big news: Nest Earth has a new home. 🪺

We’ve moved our community here to Substack, and I want to walk you through exactly what’s changing, why, and what happens next.

The short version: everything you loved is still here, it’s just easier to find and easier to keep up with.

Events at Nest Earth

Gabriela (Gabi) Fiorentino — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:52:55 GMT

Community happens in real life too. Here’s how events work at Nest Earth.

📅 See what’s coming up Our full events calendar lives on the website. Bookmark it and check back, this is where every local meetup, virtual gathering, and expert session gets posted. → See the calendar

🔔 How you’ll hear about events Before each event, we’ll post a short reminder h…

Get Involved with Nest Earth

Gabriela (Gabi) Fiorentino — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:50:43 GMT

This community runs on you. Whether you want to host something, suggest a resource, or put a fellow member in the spotlight, here's how to raise your hand.

🎤 Host a local event Want to gather Nest Earth members near you? Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll help make it happen.

📚 Request a resource Looking for a guide, master list, or topic we haven’…

Start Here: Welcome to Nest Earth

Gabriela (Gabi) Fiorentino — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:44:32 GMT

Welcome to Nest Earth. If you’re new here (or just moved over with us from Circle), this post is your map.

Nest Earth is a community for parents raising kids with less tox and more intention. No judgment, no overwhelm, just vetted info and people who get it.

Here’s how to find your way around:

🪺 Community — Our weekly chat threads are where the conversati…

On the brands I actually trust

Sat, 30 May 2026 21:42:54 GMT

I get asked this all the time. “Gabi, who do you actually buy from?”
The list is short. Shorter than people expect. Because the bar I hold for myself is higher than the bar most marketers want me to have.

It was not always like that.

There was a time when I tried more, tested more, believed more of what I was told. But somewhere along the way, after enough…

On being the one who reads the labels

Kali Kirkland — Sun, 24 May 2026 21:19:46 GMT

I don’t think I was prepared for how often I would be the one reading the labels. In my house, in my marriage, in my friend group, somewhere along the way I became the one who flipped products over before they went in the cart, who looked up brands at 11 p.m., who knew which cleaning supply was a problem and which one was probably fine. I didn’t sign up…

On being the one who reads the labels

Sun, 17 May 2026 21:00:50 GMT

The only thing I knew at 2 a.m.

Sat, 09 May 2026 14:37:36 GMT

There is a particular kind of loneliness that lives at 2 a.m. with a newborn.

You are awake. The world is asleep. Your body has done something unfathomable. And you are reading the back of a baby bottle, trying to figure out if anything you’ve bought for this small person is actually safe.

I remember the exact night.

The kitchen light was the only thing on…