Our Favorite Bath Products

When I began changing things in our home to a healthier lifestyle, we focused on food first.  Bath products and things that we put on our skin came a close second.  As I read about and researched the various ingredients in my bath products, I realized how important it was to choose natural, safer products.  We now make it a high priority to read ingredients and make the best choices we can find.  Here is a little peek at some of our current favorites:

shampoo: 

Hugo Naturals Vanilla and Sweet Orange works well and smells great!  (Amazon has a good price.)

conditioner: 

Julia and I both use coconut oil as a leave in conditioner for our curly hair.  The others in the family do not use conditioner.

shaving gel:

I use body wash as shaving gel now.  For years I would get very itchy legs after shaving, lotion afterwards barely even helped.  I was surprised that once I switched to using a non-toxic body wash to shave with, the itchiness was gone.

body wash: 

I love using Earth Mama Angel Baby Happy Mama Hand to Toe Wash.  The kids are finishing up a bottle of California Baby body wash and will switch to Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Non Scents Hand to Toe Wash.  (California Baby recently changed their product formulation and I'm not a big fan of it anymore.  Earth Mama Angel Baby is all rated zero in the EWG Skin Deep database.)  

We also really like Apple Valley Natural Soap.  It is a nice, non-drying, lotiony feeling soap.

diaper rash cream: 

Rash cream from Hard Lotion is safe for cloth diapers and works wonderfully.  It contains zinc and coats the skin much better than other oily creams we've tried.

lotion: 

Coconut oil is a great all-over lotion, it works well on my legs after shaving.

Hard Lotion bars are the best ever for dry skin.  Lucy gets red, dry hands and uses this.

This whipped body butter is what we use on the girls after bath time.  It has been great for dry winter skin.

I've also been loving Earth Mama Angel Baby natural stretch oil for my pregnant belly.

chapstick:

Badger Vanilla Madagascar lip balm is the best ever!  It is soft and creamy and smells delicious.

toothpaste:

Ross uses Tom's of Maine flouride free.  The girls use Branam xylitol toothpaste, and I have a tube of Miessence toothpaste that I like.

deodorant:

I use Alba Botanica, but don't love it.  Miessence has worked well in the past, I need to get some more.  Ross uses Arm and Hammer unscented because we can't find a good all natural deodorant that is reliable.

make-up:
I usually do not wear any make-up, but when I do its Vapor Organic.

sunscreen: 

We've used Badger sunscreen for several years now and really like it.

hand sanitizer:
I carry Cleanwell's orange vanilla hand sanitizer spray in my diaper bag and love it.

Am I forgetting anything?  Let me know and I'll add it to the list.  What are your favorites?

Eye Doctor

I almost missed the fact that my daughter was going blind in one eye.


Neither my husband or myself wear glasses, so going to the eye doctor was never something that crossed my mind.  Of course I take my kids to the dentist, but I didn't realize that they needed a regular checkup with an eye doctor too.


One day Lucy happened to mention to me that if she covered up one eye, it was blurry to see out of the other eye.  When she said that, I immediately had flashbacks to her struggling with the eye exam at the pediatrician's office several years ago.  We thought she just didn't want to do it, never realizing that she couldn't.  We had all chalked it up to a moody three year old at the time.


I made Lucy an appointment with an eye doctor and anxiously waited the two weeks until they could get us in.  I casually asked Lucy several days later how her eyesight was, thinking maybe it was a blurry eye related to a cold or allergies or something.  She confidently assured me, "No mom, it's always like that.". I knew our appointment was not going to go well.


When the day finally came, both Lucy and Julia had check-ups.  In the doctor's office I saw a sign noting that alll children should have a full eye exam at age three.  No one had ever told me that!  The eye doctor mentioned it as well, saying that even the school or pediatrician eye exams cannot catch everything and it's best to bring them in for an exam.


So... Julia did great.  Lucy did great... with her right eye.  With her left eye, I watched her fail each letter as the doctor made them continually bigger.  I think she was able to see the largest "E", but nothing else.  My heart sank.  It was hard to watch.


Lucy's doctor was very kind and explained in simple terms that basically her left eye needs a strong prescription, and always has.  Because that eye is blurry, her brain has been ignoring it.  We never noticed issues with Lucy's eyes.  She reads very well.  She notices things far away and sees details.  She did not have any tell tale signs.  Her doctor said that because so many brain connections are made at this young age, if we had waited just a few more years to bring her in, it would be harder or impossible to get her brain to use that eye.  She could have eventually been declared legally blind on one side.


Lucy has what is called amblyopia, or lazy eye.  Her eye does not stray, it looks completely normal - her brain just does not use that eye well because of it needing the prescription.  Glasses will correct the vision, and then we will need to patch her "good" eye, to encourage her brain to use the newly fixed eye.

Thankfully, her doctor is confident that Lucy is young enough and can regain full use of both eyes. We received a prescription for glasses and waited the two weeks for them to arrive.  (Pinky purple with flowers on the side, she's absolutely adorable in them!). After four weeks of wearing the glasses, we returned for an exam today.  


As her doctor expected, Lucy still cannot see well out of her left eye.  We have seen no noticeable difference and she continues to say that one side is blurry, seeing only the biggest "E" again.  The glasses have corrected her vision, but now we need to teach her brain to use that eye again.  She will be wearing a patch for three hours every day.  We go back in six weeks for a check-up.  

Today was rough wearing the patch.  She cried and I felt terrible.  Tonight I found some cute patches online that I ordered her along with tiny glasses for her doll and a fun rewards chart.  I'll keep you posted on how she does.

Please take your children for an eye check-up.  Even if they can see perfectly.  It's something we will routinely do now and I wish I had known earlier, so I'm sharing our story with you.

Moom Organic Hair Removal

[insert photo here]

Sorry, this post is not going to contain pictures of my hairy legs. I tried taking one and it didn't turn out so I'll spare you. ;) In the past I've tried all kinds of things to remove unwanted hairs - shaving (of course), waxing (ouch, and yucky chemicals), an epilator (serious. torture. device.), shave minimizing lotion (more chemicals), and hair removal cream (awful stuff). Now that I'm a crunchy granola hippy mom I figured I would have to shave the old fashioned way with a bar of soap since even shaving cream has toxins in it.

Actually, I've been using my body wash as shaving gel and it works great. I used to have insanely itchy legs every time I got out of the shower after shaving but its so much better since switching from shaving cream to body wash. (Tom's of Maine) I was quite surprised.

I was even more surprised to come across Moom Organic Hair Removal Kits. The ingredients are totally natural, organic, and harmless: sugar, water, chamomile, lemon juice, and lavender! Since I hate shaving I decided to give this a try. Moom sent me a kit to try and one to give away. Could this work as well as waxing? With no toxic ingredients?

I had a few minutes to try this while Esther was sleeping in her swing. I had two helpers: "Mom, what are you doing?" "I wish I could do that when I get bigger." Ok, it kind of hurts though. "Oh, you'll probably have to take care of me then." Ok, Julia.

Despite the interruptions, it was easy enough to do. Heat the jar - yes I used the microwave, I couldn't spare any precious moments waiting for water to heat up. Spread the sugar solution on and use the provided cloth strips to quickly remove the sugar and unwanted hairs. I am not a pro yet so I did have to shave afterwards too, but the kit worked wonderfully. The sugar solution comes off easily with warm water, much easier then trying to rub off sticky leftover wax.

I used about half the jar, but wasn't completely thorough, so maybe someone else would use a whole jar? Most importantly, my skin is nice and soft and didn't flare up after using this. I put a generous amount of coconut oil on when I was done and let it soak in. Nice soft summer-shorts-ready legs! I'll definitey be using this again.

Want to give it a try? Leave a comment on this post and let me know one shaving product you've tried that you're ready to ditch. Be sure to leave your email address or have it enabled on your blogger profile. If you follow my blog/ and or are email subscribed, you get extra entries, just leave comments letting me know. (For a total of two possible extra entries.) I'll close this on June 9th at midnight. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to check back soon for more fun summer reviews and giveaways.

*Giveaway now closed.  Congrats Bethany!*

Children's Medicine Recall

McNeil Products is recalling ALL LOTS that have not yet expired of certain children's medications including Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benedryl.

Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.

Ugh, this just illustrates why I refuse to use the stuff unless absolutely necessary. I can't even keep track anymore of how many times Tylenol has been recalled. Please check your medicine cabinets. For ideas on natural remedies check out my list here.

NYTimes article on the topic

Sickies

We are all a bunch of sickies around here. ...I'm not sure where that word came from, its what Ross calls me or the kids when we are sick. "Hi, Sicky" "How are you feeling, Sicky?" etc. Do you call people sickies when they are sick? Anyway, it reminded me of some posts you might find helpful if you happen to be a sicky or have sickies at your house.

Making Chicken Stock and Chicken Soup - I pulled a jar of stock from the freezer and whipped up a batch of this easy healthy chicken soup for us all to enjoy yesterday.

Tips for Serving Soup to Kids - If you have little ones who like soup, definitely check out this post with ideas for making it less messy to eat!

Sickness Protocol - I typed up a list of some of the natural remedies and things we do when someone is sick. Its helpful to have on hand so that I'm sure to remember everything.

I hope you don't have any sickies at your house. If you do, hang in there, spring is just around the corner! I can hear birds chirping outside and we've had a few robin sightings. :)

Chicks-n-chickens DVD Giveaway

Every new mom wants to get back in shape and what better way to do that than with baby in arms? If you've ever put on an exercise DVD only to have your baby wake up and need to be held, you'll appreciate this one made with babies in mind. Chicks-n-chickens Lullaby Exercises is a group of moms wearing their babies while working out to fun music. I had a chance to review this fun DVD/CD and even have one to give away.

The workout is easy to follow along with. Darcy teaches some country dancing type steps and makes it fun to move. The DVD starts out with a "groove" section and end with a "sleep" section of slow songs. All of the exercises can be done with your baby in a carrier or in your arms. If your baby falls asleep, you'll want to turn the dvd off before the end because when the credits roll upbeat music comes on a bit suddenly. Once you've learned the movements you can just put on the music CD and exercise anywhere you are.

Working out along with other moms and babies creates a fun sort of connection. The atmosphere on the DVD is relaxed and fun (maybe a little too relaxed? There is a baby crying through an entire song which is rather unnerving.) The moms are all cute and the set design is great. Check out their website to see a video clip. Lucy and Julia had fun dancing to the music and enjoyed watching the babies. Evidently Julia was paying attention because when I was putting on the DVD for a second time she said "Are they going to shovel?" Lucy explained that she meant "shuffle" and we all laughed.

I only did a few of the songs along with the DVD before tiring out (and this is not a hard workout). I definitely need to put this on regularly! I'm glad to have this fun easy way to get some exercise, especially since its hard to get outside in the Michigan winter. Exercise will not only help me get in shape but also lift my spirits and mood too. Props to mom Darcy Novo Albrecht for running with her idea and making a fun dvd!

Would you like a Chicks-n-chickens DVD/CD of your own? I'm going to run this giveaway a bit differently. I'd love to hear your creative ideas, questions, and suggestions for getting exercise while caring for a baby. Lets discuss this in the comments below. Any comment you leave is an entry to the giveaway and you can comment as much as you'd like as long as it makes sense and is part of the discussion. If there are already comments you'll want to read those before jumping in. Be sure to include your email address in one of your comments so that I can contact you. Check the button to have follow up comments emailed to you so that you can come back to this discussion again. I'll close the giveaway on March 20th at midnight. Lets get the discussion started...

*This giveaway is closed. Random.org chose comment#6, Wendi!*

Its All So Important

It was September 2004, we had just confirmed at the doctor's office that we were indeed pregnant with our first baby. I called my parents in Texas and told them the news and then we headed over to Ross' parents house in town to tell them in person. Backing up a bit...

The summer before, when we had gotten our Chocolate Lab puppy, Leia, we brought her over to Ross' parents house in a cardboard box. We handed them the box with Leia inside and some towels that she was wrapped up in. They didn't know that we were getting the puppy and were surprised and loved her right away. "Grandpa" pulled out his camera and they called her their "grand-dog". They had a Black Lab as their first "child" too. Yes, it was a bit silly, but that's the back story to this.

So, a year later... we decided to wrap the pregnancy test in some towels and put it in a big box. I added a jar of applesauce for some weight. When we arrived, we handed Ross' parents the box and said "You're going to be Grandparents again." It took them several minutes of searching the box looking for another puppy until Ross' sister pulled out the pregnancy test and started hugging us. His mom realized the news soon after that, and I think his dad was still looking for the puppy for another minute. Once everyone calmed down and stopped hugging us, we decided to go out to eat for dinner and then shopping at Target for a couple of baby things to celebrate.

We chose a pacifier and a little stuffed duck, and were wandering around. I picked up the book "Consumer Reports Best Baby Products" and was paging through it. I started reading the section about pacifiers and how latex was not a good idea because of possible latex allergies and a few other reasons they gave. Silicone was a better choice. I looked down at the cart - the pacifier was latex! I was horrified, and immediately told Ross that we had to go completely across the store back to the baby section and find a different pacifier. I think at that point he thought I was a bit insane, but went along with it.

I was shocked. I never knew that there could be a "wrong" type of pacifier. It was all so important though. I was responsible for this little being and everything in its world depended on me and my decision making. From that moment on I became obsessed with researching the best baby product choices for my new little one. I spent hours reading reviews and thinking about the pros and cons of different options. Honestly, I still do.

I've learned a lot since then about product safety, toxins, and more. I not only read reviews, but research the product from a few more angles now. I enjoy sharing what I'm learning on my blog, whether its a product review or something like how to use a cloth diaper. Being pregnant with my third baby, I haven't had to do quite as much research this time around, but I did still have a list of things I wanted or needed. Of course each item had to be thoroughly thought through.

I am going to be doing a series of baby product reviews this coming month. Each of the items that I'm reviewing are things I personally chose to use with this new baby. Most of the companies are offering a giveaway item or a discount code to my readers as well. I hope you enjoy this series and find it helpful. I'm sure you'll get to see lots of cute photos of my new little one trying out the products as we go. Let me know if you have questions or thoughts about the different items, and be sure to enter the giveaways!

Introducing: Sing Song Yoga

Sing Song Yoga is a unique program that uses songs to teach yoga poses to children. Deb Weiss-Gelmi, the developer and teacher of this program, is a friend of mine! She is a school teacher and has been practicing yoga since 2001. Her daughter Lia is a year older than Lucy and we've had many playdates together. I was so excited for Deb when she decided to have this dvd made, and I think the results are fantastic! My husband Ross just graduated from film school in August and was involved in making this dvd also. Lucy and Julia were so excited to watch a movie that their Daddy helped make, see Deb teaching yoga, and look for their friend Lia on the dvd.

In the past I had done some searching for a good kids yoga dvd and wasn't really impressed with the ones that I saw. I read reviews on amazon and checked out several dvds from the library looking for something to use with Lucy and Julia. Including movement in our homeschooling days is important, especially in the winter when we don't get out to play as much. I had sort of given up my search, not finding anything that I was interested in. Sing Song Yoga is definitely what I was looking for!

Sing Song Yoga uses songs to describe how to do each yoga pose, with the words appearing on the bottom of the screen. Deb demonstrates how to do each pose while she is singing, along with children who do the poses also. Deb is great at gently giving directions when needed and even says a couple of times "If you fall out of this pose, its okay!" The dvd moved quickly enough to keep my girls interested, yet also gave enough time for them to try the movements. There are a variety of fun poses - a frog that leaps up into the air, a donkey that kicks, and many more. Easy as well as challenging poses are included and sometimes the children show different ways of doing the same pose so that you can do them whichever way you choose.

I like that the dvd gives the option of playing all of the poses or selecting just standing, sitting, or floor poses. I couldn't do much of the yoga being as hugely pregnant as I am, but eventually this will be great for me to do along with the girls. Its easy enough for them to follow along with, but I think I would also feel pretty stretched and challenged. Lucy loves ballet and practicing this yoga dvd will be a huge help at improving her balance, flexibility, and coordination. Julia (age 2) enjoyed watching and trying a few things, it will be interesting to see if she actually learns how to do the poses after a while. The songs are simple and catchy, so we could even sing them on our own whenever we wanted to do some stretching.

Deb gave us this dvd to review, and is also giving away a dvd to one of my readers! Check out the Sing Song Yoga website for information on how yoga is great for the brain, see a clip of the dvd, and more. You can also order the dvd right from her website. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post being sure to include your email address. For an extra entry you can leave another comment letting me know that you are a follower of my blog. The giveaway will close on January 30th at midnight.

I'm proud of you Deb, and think you did an amazing job! Thanks for sharing Sing Song Yoga with us!

**Thanks for your interest. The giveaway is now closed and a winner has been contacted.**

Chlorine Shower Filter

Back when we bought our Berkey water filter, we also got a chlorine shower filter. We weren't able to put it up right away, but with all my nesting and "to do" lists in preparation for the baby coming, it is finally up. Installation was easy enough. The only slight drawback is that we had a detachable hand held shower head and it didn't work with this filter. It was also a low flow shower head to conserve water, whereas this one is not. Otherwise the shower filter works great and we can tell a difference in the water. The chlorine smell is gone, and although it hasn't been up very long, I think it may be helping our skin not to be so dry.

I decided that we needed a chlorine shower filter after all of my research on water filtration. You can read the What's In My Water series part 1, part 2, and part 3 for more information. Chlorine is added to water in order to clean it, but is actually a toxic chemical. While I'm thankful for chlorine and its role in preventing diseases and providing clean water, I do think its worth removing the chlorine before drinking or showering with the water. You can receive 6 to 100 times more chlorine by breathing the air around a shower or bath than by drinking the water. Big Berkey Water Filters has an informative article here on their blog about chlorine.

The shower filter lasts about a year and removes or reduces chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, microorganisms, scale and water soluble heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and iron. It also kills bacteria and inhibits the growth of mold, algae, and fungi. In an enclosed area like a shower, the chlorine in water can vaporize and be inhaled. The shower filter works by converting chlorine into a water soluble chloride. The chloride behaves differently than chlorine in that it cannot evaporate or be absorbed by the skin. More is explained about the process here.

I highly recommend Big Berkey Water Filters - they have great customer service. The first shower filter that we received ended up leaking from the silver band once we put it up. After an email to Big Berkey Water Filters about the problem, I had a new shower filter shipped to me right away along with a postage paid label to return the old one. If you're interested in purchasing a shower filter or Berkey water filtration system, we have a code good for 5% off of your order "oneword5".

Toxins In Toys

Two years ago in November, I wrote an article and posted it to my blog. It was the very first post and the reason I created this blog. Its called "Article on Toys, Lead, and Plastics" and you can find it here. I had been reading different things on the internet and kept coming across terms - BPA, phthalates, lead, and more - and was getting confused as to what all of the issues were, what was safe, and what was not. I knew that there were things in my home that could be unsafe, but couldn't figure out where to start looking for them.

One day I had a friend over visiting and she asked me if I had done anything about making changes in my home. I replied with "No, I haven't. Its all too confusing, have you?" She responded that yes, they had made some changes as far as buying safer pots and pans and eliminating some plastics from kitchen use. This inspired me to sit down and begin to figure it all out. I thought, "If she thinks this is important enough to try and figure it out and make her home safer for her family... I should too!" The article I posted back then was the beginning of our family's journey towards a safer healthier home. (Its not perfect, I misspelled phthalates in the whole article, and have learned even more about the issues since then, but it was a start and probably still worth your time to read.)

We've come a long way these past two years and have slowly made numerous changes in our home. I've become much more aware of toxins and where they hide and have been working on eliminating them. We are picky about toys and items that come into our home and try to make wise choices. I still feel overwhelmed at times and don't know how to completely eliminate certain things or am limited by cost. (I can't afford a brand new organic mattress, only organic clothing and all organic food for example.) Many of the changes I've made in our home and the research I've done, I post about here on my blog: the water filtration series, information about cloth training pants, staying healthy during pregnancy, product reviews and more.

Why do I do this? My kids. I absolutely love being a mom and am passionate about making my home as safe as I possibly can for my family. I can't change everything all at once, but I can keep learning, keep researching, keep trying and creating a safer healthier home in the process. Although there are some things that are out of my control, there are many things that I can change and steps I can take.

This month I'm going to be focusing my blogging on some of the potential toxins that can be found in toys and how this affects choices our family makes. We'll talk about lead, where it can be found, what phthalates are, and more. I will also be posting some reviews of natural toy companies throughout the month along with some giveaways and discount codes. Keep reading... hopefully some of it is helpful to you. Feel free to ask questions as we go and I will do my best to share with you what I've learned.

What's In My Water? Part 3

(read "What's In My Water?" Part 1 and Part 2)

In my posts "What's In My Water?", I talked about research I've done and why we chose the Berkey water filtration system. In this post I'll talk a bit about our experience with the Berkey in our home. After deciding that a Berkey system was the best option for us, I contacted Big Berkey Water Filters who agreed to send us a system for half price in exchange for a review. I had done plenty of research and had already chosen this system before being given the opportunity to review it. Remember too that from my calculations in Part 2, Berkey is actually cheaper per gallon than even a Pur or Brita system which many people have. Big Berkey Water Filters is offering my readers a discount code, free shipping, and a free item with purchase, so keep reading...

We set up the Berkey system on a day when Ross was here to help me figure out putting it together. I was a bit intimidated at first with trying to get it all set up correctly, but it wasn't hard. It took a while because we were careful to follow the instructions and be sure we were doing it right, but there wasn't anything difficult to understand. The filters have to be primed initially, and there are clear directions with photos on how to do this (here). We only have one place in the kitchen to place the Berkey because our cupboards all get in the way, but it has worked out fine. The system is tall, but overall doesn't take up too much space. The first week we had the Berkey set up, it started to leak from around the spout. We took it apart and tightened the washers and it hasn't leaked again.

The water does taste slightly different than our PUR pitcher water, but not bad. After a day we were all used to the new taste. Lucy and Julia both drink water all the time and never said anything about the water taste. Ross said that it reminded him of fresh spring water from his grandparents' cottage when he was little. At times when I'm filling up the Berkey I can smell the chlorine in the tap water and I'm so glad that we aren't drinking it any more.

There is a bit of a learning curve with figuring out how often to refill the system. I lifted the top half of the Berkey off a few times to see how much water was left, but for the most part I can tell when I need to fill it based on how much water we've used (if I've filled a big pot for cooking or something). The flow from the spout also gets weaker when there is less water in the system and is stronger when its full. The water takes quite a while to filter (which is a good thing, it gets more contaminants out the longer the water is filtered), so keeping track of when it needs more is important. We chose the Royal Berkey and it seems to be a good size for our family. If we need faster filtration as our family grows, we can always add two more of the filtration elements to our system.

We keep a pitcher on the counter that we use to refill the Berkey and another in the fridge with filtered water in it to drink. The pitcher I have in the fridge is a Lock and Lock brand plastic container with a lid. Although I would prefer to have glass, the pitchers I saw were heavy and I couldn't find one with a lid. This set-up seems to work well for us.

As far as other family member's reactions - well, Julia likes to put her face on the Berkey and look at her reflection, leaving fingerprints all over it. The fish thought there was another fish in the household and I had to move him away from the Berkey before he got too upset. Lucy and Julia were both excited about our new filter and couldn't wait to show it off to Grandma. I'm sort of waiting for Julia (age 2) to try filling her own cup or something and create a big flood with it. She hasn't tried yet thankfully.

Regarding our experience with Big Berkey Water Filters, they've been great. They are wonderful at responding to my emails and shipped the Berkey to me quickly. I felt like their website was very informative and their blog is continually updated with relevant articles. We received a sport water filtration bottle instead of the shower filter we had ordered. They let me keep the sport bottle and shipped the shower filter out right away. Big Berkey Water Filters offers free shipping, a free gift with purchase, and no sales tax. Use the code "oneword5" to receive 5% off of your order as well!

We ordered the shower filter after reading about how chlorine evaporates in the shower and can be inhaled. You can receive 6 to 100 times more chlorine by breathing the air around a shower or bath than by drinking the water. I'll be posting a review of the shower filter eventually. The other item we chose to add to our order was the PF-2 Arsenic and Fluoride filters to add to the Berkey system, which you can read more about here. You can also read more about fluoride on the Big Berkey Water Filters blog.

There you have it - all the information you ever wanted to know about water filtration and our new system. If you have any questions feel free to ask here or email Dan at Big Berkey Water Filters. Several of you have commented that you enjoyed the previous posts in this series; I hope this is helpful to you as well.

Healthy Pregnancy

Its hard to believe, but I'm already to the half-way mark of this pregnancy. Today is officially twenty weeks! I'm feeling great, over most of the first trimester nausea, and am really working on maintaining a healthy pregnancy. I absolutely love having a midwife this time around and her overall focus on nutrition and health. After my last appointment I decided to type up a little reminder note for myself of all of the things I need to be doing daily to stay healthy. I laminated them on top of some cute paper and stuck them in places where I will see them constantly.

Here is what I included:

- prenatal vitamins: I take Rainbow Light prenatals. My one complaint is that they are huge and get stuck in my throat or feel scratchy going down. I chose them because they are all natural and are made from whole foods (as opposed to synthetic vitamins). I did just see on their website that they have a prenatal petite that looks like its three smaller pills, I'll have to check into that.

- DHA pills: I am taking Nordic Naturals DHA upon my midwife's recommendation. She said that these aren't fishy tasting and are a great high quality. I'll admit that I've only started taking them recently, but they didn't taste fishy to me. The pills are also small enough for me to swallow without a problem. (I was pleasantly surprised, I thought they'd be huge.) I've read a bit about fish oil helping with mood swings especially after the baby arrives, so I'm interested to see if these make a difference.

- Red Raspberry Leaf tea: I'm drinking one cup per day of this tea, infused for two hours. I don't like tea in general, but I add lemon and honey to this and drink it cold so its not too bad. Red Raspberry Leaf tea has many nutrients in it that are wonderful for pregnancy. Its been called the pregnancy tea for many generations. Helping to stop bleeding after birth, organizing contractions and making them effective, promoting muscle tone and healthy organs, and imparting calcium and magnesium are just a few of the benefits.

- drink plenty of water: My midwife reminded me to keep drinking water all throughout the day in order to stay hydrated and healthy. Dehydration can lead to early contractions and even nausea. I am constantly pouring myself a glass of water!

- eat lots of fruits and veggies: I'm loving being pregnant in the summer when we have so many fresh fruits and veggies available at the farmers' market here. The girls and I love snacking on fresh fruit and we have plenty of veggies to eat as well, thanks to our CSA. If I haven't had enough fruit on a given day, a good way to get some in is to make a quick smoothie with fruit from the freezer.

- yoga/ exercise: After watching several yoga, pilates, and exercise dvds I finally found one that I like. It has a workout that is easy to follow, but still gives a good stretch. The voice-over on the dvd tells you when to switch positions in a timely manner and I also like how the instructor tells you the benefits of certain stretches (this helps with digestion, this tones a certain muscle, etc). I also like that the dvd has a gentle relaxation section so that if I don't manage to fit in my yoga time during the day, I can still do it after the girls are in bed without waking myself up too much.

- Kegel exercises: With our second daughter, we took Bradley method courses and they really emphasized doing Kegel exercises throughout your pregnancy. I need to remember to do these and prepare my muscles for giving birth.

Note: none of the products mentioned in this post are for official product review, I'm just sharing what works for me. Thanks for stopping by!

(I did make too many of my little reminder cards, so if anyone wants one, leave a comment and I'll choose a winner in a week - Sept 2 at midnight.)

Ear Infection

We recently made it through an ear infection without antibiotics!  Lucy had a cold for a week or so and then developed a fever and told me that her ear hurt.  Ear infections often develop at the tail end of a cold, as the mucous just isn't draining out enough and becomes infected.  This is one reason that during a cold we really focus on steam treatments and nasal aspirators to get that junk out.  Because she was able to tell me that her ear hurt I was pretty sure it was infected.  

I have some homeopathic earache drops that I put in the ear she was complaining about.  You can also get garlic-mullein oil at the health food store and use that.  I already had the earache drops or I may have tried making a garlic oil on my own.  The book Naturally Healthy Babies and Children is a reference book I keep on my shelf and gives directions for this.  As the book suggested, we also put a warm water bottle on her ear for 10 minutes or so and it did seem to help relieve the pain.  I had her lay on her side and watch a Dora episode while the medicine was soaking in.

I have an earscope and reference book that I purchased a while back and have been learning to use.  I was able to look in Lucy's ear and see that it was red and inflamed.  Because I'm not an expert, I took her to the Dr just to see how bad it was.  I was headed out of town the next day and Lucy was going to be staying home with Daddy, so he wanted me to take her in just for a check.  The Dr agreed that she had an ear infection but that it wasn't horrible.  She started to prescribe antibiotics, but I told her if it wasn't the worst ear infection she'd ever seen, we'd like to hold off on the meds and just see how it resolves itself.  The Dr agreed to that and said that in a day or so if I felt she wasn't improving I could just call in and they would prescribe something.  In one or two days, she was fine and back to normal.  About a week later she told me that her ear didn't feel funny any more, so I'm sure it took a while to drain.

New research says that 80% of ear infections resolve within four to seven days on their own without antibiotics.  If we had chosen the antibiotics right away, Lucy would not have recovered any faster and she would have been on medication for a week or more.  Antibiotics upset her tummy and can take quite some time to recover from.  I feel that we were cautious, but I'm glad we trusted her body and took the approach that we did.  

Garlic and a Giveaway!

***Giveaway is now closed.  Thank you for all the comments!***

Comment # 8 was chosen by random.org and the winner has been contacted.

Garlic is a wonderful health booster.  It is in the same family as onions and similarly helps prevent heart disease and cancer.  Garlic is also antibacterial; it has been used to treat a number of problems including gangrene infections and even the common cold.  Garlic contains manganese, selenium and vitamins B6 and C.  When crushed, garlic yields allicin, a powerful antibiotic and anti-fungal compound.  

Garlic should be plump and dry, not shriveled or soft.  Although it looks tempting, the bigger "elephant garlic" is not as potent or flavorful.   Some say that organic garlic may have more of the health benefits so I choose organic when available at my grocery store.  Garlic should be stored in a cool dark place with some air circulation.  I have a garlic keeper that stays in my cupboard and works well for this.  

Allow garlic to sit for several minutes after crushing, and before cooking, for maximum health benefits.  If we are using garlic to treat cold symptoms I crush the garlic and then mix it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to make a dipping sauce for bread.  Lucy enjoys eating this and even asks for it.  Raw garlic seems to have the most health benefits, but we add it to many soups and cooked dishes as well.  Find lots more garlic info here.

OXO recently sent me their garlic peeler to try, and I'm hooked!  I love little inventions like this that make healthy cooking easier.  I much prefer using fresh garlic rather than dried garlic powder or minced garlic, but I don't like peeling the cloves and smelling like garlic all day.  With this handy invention, you just place the cloves inside, press down, and roll the peeler back and forth.  The garlic comes out ready to be used, the peels stay inside, and your hands stay clean.  Rinse the garlic peeler and its clean and ready to put away in its little vented case.  The case is made of polypropylene (safe plastic) and the peeler is silicone.  

Let me show you how this works:

Here are my unsuspecting little cloves, ready to go into the garlic peeler.

Squish and roll.

Because the peeler is clear, you can see inside to be sure that your garlic is fully peeled and ready to use.  As you can see, the garlic peel stays inside and you can dump out the clove.  Rinse the peeler to clean it.  

Here is my freshly crushed garlic waiting to be put in my Chicken Tortilla Soup, and my garlic peeler, rinsed and in the box ready for next time.  

Would you like to win one of these?  OXO is giving a garlic peeler away to one of my lucky readers!  Leave a comment and let me know your favorite way to use fresh garlic.  I'll close the giveaway in a week and choose a winner.  (Giveaway ends May 21, midnight.)  Please be sure that you leave your email address IN your post - when you log on to post, even though you enter your email address, I do not have access to that.  You need to write your email address in your post, or be sure that your blogger profile has email enabled so that I can contact you.  Thanks for stopping by!  It works for me.  :) **Giveaway now closed.  Thank you.**

Giveaway- Sinupret for Kids

**GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED**

I've used random.org to choose 15 winners whom I've emailed.  (Jenell, Lucy, Rachel, Robyn, Megen, ladyvenora, Teri, Jenni, Kori, Marie, Sara, Ebie, Amanda, Rebecca, Lisa)  Please respond within 24 hours with your name and address or alternate winners will be chosen.  Thanks for participating!

Did you know that the FDA no longer recommends giving over the counter cough and cold medications to children under the age of 4, and they are even considering upping that recommendation to age 12?  This can leave a parent feeling a bit helpless.  In my "sickness protocol" post I talked about some things you can do to support a sick child's immune system including serving chicken soup, steam treatments, vitamins, and more.  Another option for supporting healthy sinus, respiratory and immune function is Sinupret.  I've not personally tried this yet but feel good about recommending it based on what I've read about the company, the ingredients, and the fact that Dr Bob Sears and Dr Jay Gordon both recommend it.  

 

Sinupret for Kids contacted me and offered give away packs to 15 of my lucky readers!  *Giveaway ends April 28th at 11:59pm*

Each Giveaway Pack Includes: 

• A copy of Dr. Bob Sears bestselling book The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood
• A sample of Sinupret
• Yellow children's binoculars
• Sinupret for Kids Activity Books
• Sinupret for Kids Stickers
• Mini Plush Bear 

So what is Sinupret?  Sinupret is a natural remedy that has been used in Germany for over 30 years and is now available in the US.  It consists of a blend of European Elder, Sorrel, Cowslip, European Vervain and Gentian and promotes healthy drainage in the upper respiratory tract, improves airflow in the nose and supports healthy mucous clearance from the nose and sinuses. In addition to supporting sinus and respiratory functions, it also supports the immune system.   For more information about Sinupret click here.  

I'm excited to host this giveaway as I posted recently about Dr Sears book and how helpful it was to getting our family started eating healthier.  I'm thrilled to be giving away 15 copies of this book along with the Sinupret samples.  To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post including your email address.  15 winners will be chosen and Sinupret will ship your winning package directly to you!  While you're here, browse my blog and let me know if you find any of it helpful and thanks for visiting.

My own sample package is on its way to me in the mail but I wanted to get this post up and let you know about the giveaway as soon as I could!  We have a round of sickness going through our house right now so if it arrives soon I'll put the Sinupret to work and let you know how it goes.  If you're looking for more information, here is an article by Dr Sears on staying healthy through the winter, and another Dr Sears in depth article on coughs and colds and what to do.  

Oh, and stay tuned, I have another giveaway up my sleeve already...

Sickness Protocol

Around here, if someone starts getting sick we have a few things that we immediately resort to in order to keep ourselves healthy and boost our immune systems.  I recently typed this out to keep in my home organization binder so I can use it as an easy reference tool.  I feel much better doing these things rather than dosing my girls up on medicines that mask symptoms or antibiotics that upset their stomachs.  Quickly resorting to Tylenol and antibiotics takes away the body's chance to strengthen itself and fight the sickness.  Lots of rest and love, along with supporting the body's natural defense systems in these simple ways, is what we rely on to pull us through.  Of course there is also the importance of good everyday nutrition so that our bodies are able to fight off a bug when it hits.  (Don't hesitate to give your doctor a call if you feel that you  or your child is seriously ill or dehydrated!)

Sickness Protocol

lots of fluids-

water

orange juice

make smoothies

make juice popsicles

get out straws or special cups, anything that will encourage drinking more

serve strictly healthy foods-

no sugar or desserts

make chicken soup with stock and lots of garlic

fresh bread with dipping sauce (minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil)

vitamins-

take multi-vitamins (prenatals for mom, multi for dad)

Echinacea for mom and dad - 3xs a day

Sambucol for the girls - 2xs a day

Vitamin C- high doses several times a day-

Airborne for dad- 3xs a day

chewable tablets for the girls and mom

precautions-

wash hands often

wash bed sheets and hand towels

clean surfaces and doorknobs

for a cough-

steam treatments in bathroom, clapping chest and back to loosen mucous

spoonful of honey at night

Vicks Baby rub at night

for a runny nose-

saline solution and nasal aspirators often throughout the day

Boiron cold care kit includes tablets for fever, runny nose, and thick nasal discharge

fevers- 

I do not treat a fever unless its during the night and the child is too restless.

belladonna homeopathic remedy (try this first before Tylenol)

upset tummy, diarrhea, or antibiotics-

probiotics powder for the girls and pills for mom and dad (these are refrigerated)- once or twice a day for two weeks

bumps and bruises-

arnica tablets for a serious bruise or fall

arnica massage oil for backaches or bruises

calendula ointment for scrapes

earaches-

breastmilk in the ear

earache drops 

use earscope to check ears

teething-

amber teething necklace

Hyland's teething tablets

references-

Check askdrsears.com for more specific information on dehydration, etc.

We also have the book Naturally Healthy Babies and Children that we reference when needed.

I feel like I don't have a great teething remedy, my girls don't respond much to the Hyland's tablets.  They also struggle with sleeping through the night when they are little.  I'm currently trying a calcium/ magnesium supplement before bed to see if it helps them.  Any other ideas?