I also found some good information about ear infections in the book How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, which was written by a doctor and actually recommended to me by my son’s doctor. If I remember correctly, the book mentions how most ear infections heal on their own and antibiotics actually provide little to no benefit. The book helped me many times when I started to wonder about a medical condition.

Again, I should remind you to read my disclaimer. I am not a medical doctor and you should always consult your physician for medical advice and opinions before you try any of these ideas.

With that said, here are some tips and natural remedies for ear infections:

• Similasan Earache Relief Drops – I’ve used these for my son and they seem to work great.
• Put 1-2 drops (no more than 2) of Lavender Essential oil into a humidifier and let it run overnight in the child’s room. (Make sure it’s essential oil.)
• Put oxygen water drops into ears.
• Put drops of garlic oil into ears. (It fights the infection.)
• Put drops of colloidal silver into the ear to reduce swelling and relive pain (usually within an hour).
• Put drops of white vinegar into the ears.
• Put drops of hydrogen peroxide into the ears.
• Put drops of breastmilk into the ears.
• Don’t drink cow’s milk.
• Get adjusted every other week by chiropractor (helps with draining).
• Put white willow bark drops into the ears. (It is a natural pain killer.)

-Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton crops as the most dangerous; they are cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin – and they are probable carcinogens.
• As cotton becomes clothing, it is exposed to more toxic chemicals – silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde.

When it’s been time to purchase new cloth items for our family we’ve been trying to buy items made from organic cotton, especially bedding. With your face and body touching those sheets for many hours a day, it seems logical to want the purest cotton. And with the green movement becoming more mainstream, it’s becoming easier to find organic cotton items. We purchased organic cotton sheets for our bed from Macy’s online. (I’ve since seen cheaper ones at WalMart.)

Then came time to buy a few things for our son. He needed a toddler pillow, nap mat for school, and a blanket. I was happy with the products I found – and even happier when I saw how much more available (and cheaper) organic cotton items for babies and kids are.

Here are a few ways you can green your child’s sleep:

Toddler Pillow and Pillow Case

There were several online stores that had organic toddler pillows (small pillows or travel pillows), including Amazon.com and kidbean.com. But I ended up getting our son’s pillow and pillow case from a seller (SK Naturals) on Etsy.com, a great place to buy and sell handmade items.

Nap Mat

Our son needed a nap mat for his preschool and we didn’t want the plastic ones that are so common. I looked all over and besides buying the materials and making it myself, the only organic one I found was also on Etsy. I love that site! The seller I purchased from is baby momo and here is the organic nap mat. And I just saw another vendor on Etsy have an organic nap mat as well. If there is demand, they will make it!

our son posing for me on his new organic nap mat

Crib Sheets

Organic cotton crib sheets are more available now than ever. When my son was born almost 2.5 years ago, I don’t remember seeing many organic cotton choices. Just last week I went into my local Babies R Us store and saw a whole section (albeit in the back of the store) for organic bedding items, such as crib sheets, blankets, changing pads, etc. I thought that was great! And they were a great price, too. Of course, you can find many organic crib sheets (at varying prices) on Amazon.com and Pottery Barn Kids has more to choose from as well. Target has organic crib sheets as well as crib sets.

Mattress

Many parents want to know why you should buy an organic crib mattress. They wonder if it’s worth the extra money. According to Absolutely Organic Baby, the mattress layer just under the top vinyl layer in most regular (not organic) mattresses contains a fire blocker.

That fire blocker is actually 7.5% boric acid, which is used for killing roaches, and 2.4 % antimony, which is most similar to arsenic. In Europe, researchers have found that antimony actually leaches through the vinyl and can be absorbed by a baby’s body. They have directly related high antimony levels to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The price of organic cotton crib mattresses has gone down a bit and they seem to be more available in more places. Amazon.com has a great selection and you can also find a few at Babies R Us. If you do a search online you can also find stores like The Organic Mattress Store, Savvy Rest, The Organic Mattress,

And don’t forget organic mattresses in other sizes, like twin and bassinet.

Stuffed Animals and Lovies

Don’t forget those blanket lovies and stuffed animals that become your child’s security item. They chew on them and snuggle with them and they spend many hours next to their faces. It makes sense to have some organic options.

MiYim has a good assortment of organic stuffed animals, lovies, rattles, and other toys. Under the Nile is another good brand, too.

Laundry Detergent

Now that you’ve purchased organic cotton bedding items, don’t forget to wash them with eco-friendly options! Amazon.com has many organic laundry detergent options. We use soap nuts, which is a super eco-friendly option, and great for those with skin sensitivities like eczema (like me and my son).

Please leave a comment and share your good finds for greening your child’s sleep! Sweet dreams!

-Wendy – ParentingTips365.com

Activity Books

Here are a list of some books that contain several different types of activities, from mini-mysteries, mazes, and crossword puzzles to coloring pages, connect-the-dot, jokes, and car bingo:

• Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games and Activities
• Best Travel Activity Book Ever
• Are We There Yet?
• The Everything Kids’ Travel Activity Book

Free Games

Here are some common car games that don’t require anything but players!

• License plate game: See how many states’ license plates from you can find on your trip.
• ABC game, take 1: Starting with the letter “A”, look around and find a letter on a sign, truck, building, or license plate, say the letter (and where you saw it) and then move on to the next letter. The first one to get to the letter “Z” is the winner!
• ABC game, take 2: My family still plays this game in the car! Someone thinks of a topic (like names of cities, countries, types of fruit, animals, movies, TV shows, celebrities, etc). The first person to start has to name something corresponding to the topic starting with ‘A’, the next person gets the next letter of the alphabet, and so on around and around the car. If it’s your turn and you can’t think of anything for your letter, you are out. If you get to ‘Z’ and play is still going, go back to ‘A’ and keep going – but no repeats are allowed. Play continues until there is one person left – the winner! (My sisters and I are huge fans of the TV show Friends and so one time our topic was “anything related to Friends”!)
• I Spy: One person picks an object they can see either in the car or along the road. They give others a clue such as, “I spy with my little eye… something blue.” The person keeps giving more clues until they can guess what it is.
• 20 Questions: One person thinks of something and the other person gets to ask 20 yes/no questions to try to figure it out.
• Fortunately-Unfortunately: Neat game described in full on Momsminivan.com. (Scroll down 2/3 of the page.)

Travel Games

Here are some of your favorite games that come in a travel size:

• Memory
• Hangman
• Bingo
• I Spy Memory Game
• Connect Four
• Battleship
• Perfection
• Sorry
• Candy Land
• Trouble
• Guess Who?
• Bingo

Card Games

Here are various card games:

• Scavenger Hunt For Kids – Travel Game
• Rubberneckers: Everyone’s Favorite Travel Game
• Rubberneckers Jr: Fun for Backseat Travelers
• For the Car Brain Quest Card Deck
• Zobmondo!! Would You Rather…?
• Namits Travel Game
• Regular deck of cards
• Card games (such as Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Slap Jack)
• Wiz Kidz (from Discovery Toys): I had this game when I was younger. It features two stacks of cards, letter cards and answer cards. You draw one card from each pile and find a corresponding answer. For example, if you draw a “P” and “Something cold” you need to think of something cold that starts with a ‘p’ (maybe popsicle).

Books

Here are many types of books to keep kids entertained:

• Puzzle, Sudoku, or maze books
• New paperback books to read
• Magnet books (like this Tree Fort one or this Fire Station one)
• Hidden picture books
• Picture puzzle book or Picture Puzzles
• Sticker books
• Mad Libs
• Kumon workbooks
• Kids Travel: A Backseat Survival Kit

Creative Activities

Here are a few creative activities suitable for travel:

• Pipe cleaners (how to make pipe cleaner creatures)
• Play Doh, silly putty, or Crayola Model Magic (bring cookie cutters for added fun)
• Wikki Stix (similar to pipe cleaners but are made of wax so they stick to surfaces)
• Sticky mosaics
• Peel and stick by number
• Lacing cards (while the wooden ones are sturdier, it might be a good idea to bring the cardboard ones on a trip as they are lighter)
• Origami book and paper
• Rub on transfers (and something to rub them onto)
• Fashion Designer plates
• Twirled Paper
• Make a Cootie catcher

Small Toys

Here is a list of small toys your kids might have that would be easy to bring along:

• Cars
• Rubik’s Cube
• I spy bags (found on etsy)
• Finger puppets
• Colorforms (I wonder if they stick to airplane or car windows?)
• Magnetic paper dolls
• Magnetic puzzles

Drawing and Coloring

Here are some travel-friendly items for drawing and coloring:

• Crayola Color Wonder markers and paper
• Crayola Color Wonder fingerpaint
• New coloring books
• New crayons
• Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center
• Travel Etch-A-Sketch
• Magna Doodle
• SpinDoodles
• Scratch and Sketch books

Educational Activities

Here are a few educational activities:

• Kumon workbooks
• Brain Quest Cards
• Learning wrap ups

Personal Comforts

Don’t forget your child’s personal comforts:

• Favorite stuffed animal or blankie
• Music player (MP3 player or iPOD type device with headphones) Disney Mix Sticks is one brand

Accessories

Here are a few other things you might want to consider bringing:

• Travel Tray
• Travel Pal
• SippiGrip

Tips

• Use pencil bag or box to store crayons and markers to keep them from going everywhere.
• Bring triangular crayons as they can lay flat on a tray and not roll around like regular crayons.
• Give each child their own suitcase (on wheels) that they are responsible for packing and carrying.
• Check their toys and veto anything that may annoy yourself or other passengers.
• Find inexpensive items at the dollor store or Target’s dollar spot (post it notes, calculators, etc. can be great fun).
• Bring out a “new” item every half hour or so to keep things interesting.

Other Sources

Here are some other places for you to find travel tips and information:

• Mom’s Minivan: Neat site filled with printable car games, ideas for toddlers and babies, and articles.
• Family Fun
• Activities for Kids

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

I’ve done some searching and found some great ideas that not only work in the summertime, but anytime your kids are bored. I’ve grouped the ideas by inside ideas and outside ideas, creative, crafty, and educational ideas, as well as ideas for groups of people.

Boredom Buster Can

I’ve seen several variations of this idea, which involves writing activities on pieces of paper and then putting them into a can, box, jar, or something. When the child complains of being bored, suggest they go pull an idea out of the can. Ideas written neatly on paper and put into an attractive container might have better odds of working – rather than mom or dad just spouting ideas off the top of their heads. This lets the kids be in control (reaching in and choosing an idea).

This idea is meant for fun activities that are non-TV related and it can work for any age; simply write age-appropriate activities on the pieces of paper. Be sure that each child has his or her own jar, with activities for their age, interests, and toys.

For an example of what you can do, check out the can Shannon over at Of Cabbages and Kings made for her daughter. Using a new paint can, which you can purchase from Home Depot or Lowe’s for about $2, and her own scrapbooking supplies, she and her daughter worked together to create this idea can. Having your child involved in this process might help create “buy in” – and is a great activity itself!

Another idea I’ve seen is to simply decorate a shoe box with some wrapping paper and anything else that might be interesting to your child.

Ideas From Their Own Toys

To find some ideas for your child, go through their toys and think of the things they like to play with – and start there.

• Build something with your Legos, blocks, etc.
• Create roads for your cars and trucks using (blocks, cards, etc.)
• Play with your Barbies, ponies, Strawberry Shortcake, dinosaurs, cars, trains, etc.
• Have a tea party
• Cook in the Easy Bake Oven
• Play with Playdoh
• Make a Lite Brite picture
• Play with your construction kit
• Play school with your animals
• Build something with your gears
• Play house with your dolls
• Play a board game
• Play cards
• Do a puzzle
• Do Mad Libs

Arts and Crafts

Here are a few crafty ideas:

• Make sock puppets. Glue or sew on fabric, felt, hair, buttons, sequins, and other materials to finish your puppet. Then have your own puppet show.
• Draw a picture
• Create something with pipe cleaners (try creating animals using clean shampoo, dish soap, chocolate syrup containers)
• Cross stitch and finger knit
• Make a birthday card
• Draw on your chalkboard
• Make something with stickers
• Paint a picture
• Play with craft sticks
• Make a collage. Use pictures cut out of magazines, brightly colored swatches of paper and fabric, and objects from around the house such as popsicle sticks, feathers, wallpaper remnants, ad flyers, old sewing patterns, and miscellaneous kid-friendly treasures.
• Make some bracelets and necklaces with string and beads
• Make a latch hook kit
• Origami
• Make your own jigsaw puzzle out of a thick piece of cardboard. Or buy a pre-cut jigsaw puzzle kit at your local craft store. You can also find puzzle template online that turn your photos into puzzles.
• Make Sun Prints. Cut shapes from paper, spread restickable glue on the back of the shapes, and then stick them to construction paper. Tape the paper to a sunny window, facing out, and leave for at least a week (longer for higher contrast), and then peel off cutouts.
• Create swirly stones (all you need are rocks, crayons, and adult assistance)
• Make face masks out of paper plates

Creative

Here are some creative ideas:

• Make up a play
• Listen to music & dance
• Make a tent
• Make a book
• Design your own board game
• Make up a song
• Play dress up
• Have a scavenger hunt
• Make a map of your house, your backyard, or your neighborhood
• Play architect.  Turn an old shoe box into a miniature dream home (the lid makes an ideal ‘roof’).
• Make your own musical instruments.  An old coffee tin makes an ideal drum, provided you file off any rough edges and glue the lid on tightly. An unsharpened pencil with an eraser on the end makes a great drumstick!
• Organize a treasure hunt, complete with treasure map
• Take photos, download to computer, and make up story
• Create a newsletter or newspaper about your family and life and write articles for it
• Play ‘museum’ by displaying their favorite collections—miniature cars, rocks, seashells, vacation memorabilia, etc. Have them label all items and write a description of the item and set it up on display. When complete, your child can invite friends, neighbors, and relatives to tour the museum.
• Mold a sheet or two of aluminum foil into whatever they want (try a mask, jewelry, animals, or anything else you can think of)
• Build a fort. Add a challenge to build the biggest one, one with only one entrance, the darkest fort, or using only what they can find in their bedrooms. Or, you can provide several blankets and have them make a family room fort using the furniture cushions.
• Build something with toothpicks and miniature marshmallows
• Make a city using discarded cereal boxes, paper, glue stick and markers

Educational

Here are a few ideas to keep the mind sharp:

• Read a book
• Practice spelling words
• Practice math facts
• Practice handwriting
• Work on a workbook
• Write a letter to a friend or family member
• Make a chart or graph to find out something
• Show younger siblings how to do something (colors, numbers, words etc.)
• Do your Brain Quest
• Read book aloud to mom
• Write a story about a fun place you’ve visited

Exercise

• Jump rope
• Practice dance
• Ride your bike
• Take a walk
• Play hopscotch
• Hula hoop
• Practice throwing a ball up and catching it
• Practice t-ball, soccer kicks, etc.
• Make an obstacle course. Time yourself and friends.

Other

• Sort through your toys to donate some to children without toys
• Work on tying knots, braiding, shoe lacing
• Bake cookies
• Plan and serve a meal
• Look at things with a magnifying glass
• Make sock beanbags then toss into a bucket or laundry basket
• Play with flashlights (maybe make shadow creatures)
• Make fossils: Press an object (e.g. a shell with ridges) into a piece of clay and then spoon plaster of paris on top of the clay mould. Once the plaster of paris is fully hardened, simply peel away the clay to reveal the fossil.
• Vinegar water spray bottles: This idea is especially good for younger kids. Give them their own spray bottle filled with a weak vinegar water solution (safe for kids and most household surfaces) and a rag. It might be a good idea to make a rule or two, though (one spray, then wipe-otherwise, the kids would be happy to just spray and spray).
• Show your kids how to write “backwards” messages by printing letters and words backwards so that the messages can be read when they’re held up to a mirror. Older kids will find the activity more challenging if they try using handwriting rather than printing.
• Memory box: Put several objects (toys) in a box. One person closes his eyes while the other removes an object and hides it behind his back. The 1st person then tries to remember what was in the box and guess what was taken out.

Outdoor Ideas

• Draw outside with chalk
• Blow bubbles
• Play with the sand table
• Go to the park
• Have a picnic
• Have a scavenger hunt
• Look at things with a magnifying glass.
• Paint with water (water, paint brushes, and a fence)
• Drawing with chalk on the fence
• Help with the gardening
• Play with sand and water table
• Dump buckets of ice in yard and scoop it with shovels
• Decorate clay flowerpots
• Bathe your dolls or trucks (fill a bucket outside with soapy water and give Barbies or other water tolerant toys a “bath”)
• Have a picnic lunch under a tree in the backyard
• Wash the car and have some water fun
• Run through sprinkler (or other water fun)
• Catch some bugs, perhaps have a bug race (who has the fastest roly-poly or caterpiller?)
• Paint outside: Posterboard or cardboard works best, but you can also tape paper down on the sidewalk or you can even fasten an old sheet or piece of canvas on the wall for your kids to paint on. Bring out standard paint brushes, or to add even more interest, have your kids find some nature items with which to paint. Children can dip sticks or small branches into the paint, or they can try using a sturdy leaf or a piece of mulch–whatever they can find nearby.

Activities with Friends

Here are some activities that are fun to do with a group of friends:

• Wheelbarrow race, three-legged race, or sack race
• Bean bag toss game (or the Toss Across game). My dad actually made one that’s similar to this.
• Play croquet
• Play Frisbee, or make your own Frisbee golf (or disc golf) course at home
• Play colored eggs (this was a favorite of mine when I was little)
• Play kick the can (another neighborhood favorite when I was younger)
• Play freeze tag (yet another favorite of mine)
• Organize a treasure hunt, complete with treasure map
• Play kick ball, dodge ball, baseball, softball
• Play BlongoBall
• Play a game of road hockey using pool noodles and a beach ball

Advanced Planning Activities

Here are a few activities that require more advanced planning or could be ongoing throughout the summer, like creating a garden and having a reading contest.

Other Resources

Here are a few sites that have many, many more ideas!

• Family Fun
• Homeschool Creations
• Creative Kids at Home
• ABC and 123
• Totally Tots
• No Time for Flash Cards
• Preschool Playbook
• Toddler Toddler

And don’t forget an article I wrote about Indoor Activities for Toddlers.

Here are some books:

• The Toddler’s Busy Book
• Preschooler’s Busy Book
• The Little Hands Big Fun Craft Book
• 501 Tv-free Activities For Kids
• The 2,000 Best Games and Activities

I hope this helps you and your family escape the boredoms!

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

Last year I shared some recipes for homemade popsicles. I’ve done some more searching for healthy recipes, as I’ve yet to create any of my own. Enjoy these recipes!

Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies

I really like the idea of making regular smoothies and putting them into popsicle molds. At NatureMoms.com, the author found a way to put kale and spinach into popsicles – and her kids ask for them that way! Here are a few recipes from her blog:

Almond-Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds

3 just ripe bananas

2 tsp raw honey

3 cups water

Blend up the almonds and the water to make almond milk. Strain the milk through a nut milk bag. Blend the almond milk together with the rest of the ingredients and either drink or pour into popsicle molds. Enjoy!

Green Pineapple Paradise

Ingredients:

1/4 fresh pineapple, chopped

3 large Kale leaves

1 ripe banana

3 fresh mint leaves

2 to 4 cups water

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth and either drink or pour into popsicle molds. Enjoy!

Spinach Recipes

For her spinach smoothie, she mixed strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries with 1-2 tablespoons of raw agave nectar, and then added a cup of freshly juiced orange juice and a big handful of baby spinach.

Here is another spinach popsicle recipe, found on Eco Child’s Play.

With Yogurt: 1/4 cup cooked organic frozen spinach (to make the spinach texture smoother), half a cup each of organic frozen mangoes, organic frozen strawberries, and 1/4 cup organic frozen blueberries with 1/4 c vanilla nonfat yogurt, 1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt and an organic banana. If you need more liquid, add some orange or apple juice.

Green Pop: One orange, one banana, one fresh pineapple spear, a handful or two of fresh spinach, one cup of ice, two or three cups of water, and one measure of stevia.

Red Pop: One pineapple spear, one apple, three carrots, three celery stalks, one beet peeled and topped,  one cup of ice, two or three cups of water, and one measure of stevia.

From Carrot Juice to Rootbeer Tea to Fudge Pops

I found a great list of 32 popsicle recipes and ideas from one of my favorite sites, TreeHuggingFamily.com. So many of them look good to me, but the ones I may try first are the ones with pineapple, or carrot juice, or apricots, or honeydew. The rootbeer green tea one is interesting to me, too.

Other Additions

There are other nutritious items that can be added to the popsicles:

• Spoonful of spirulina, or other blue-green algae
• Shot of heat grass juice
• Protein powder
• Alfalfa or other sprouts
• Mint, cinnamon, anise, or other herbs/spices (we try to use turmeric; I wonder how that would be)

When considering the distance food travels to you (bananas, pineapple, etc.) many people want to eat local. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind if your goal is to eat locally grown food as much as possible:

• Use yogurt instead of banana
• Honey (rather than agave), unless agave is local for you
• Apples, peaches, pears, nectarines, or any other local fruit instead of pineapple, unless pineapple is local for you

Other sweeteners, if needed:

• Honey
• Stevia

Don’t forget these foods:

• Grapes
• Peas or other legumes
• Celery

Non Toxic, BPA Free Popsicle Molds

It is also important to make your popsicles in a BPA free popsicle mold. I have found a few these by Tovolo: Yellow Groovy, Green Shooting Star, and Blue Rocket.

What healthy recipes do you enjoy? If you try any of these, let us know! Stay cool!

Wendy – Parenting Tips 365

The Milk-Saver

When breastfeeding a baby, especially during the early days, many moms experience leaking from the opposite breast baby is on. Many times they use a towel to soak up the breastmilk as it pours out. But those of us who nursed know hat breastmilk is like liquid gold, every drop, every ounce is to be treasured!

Apparently so did the folks over at Mymilkies.com. They have a product called The Milk-Saver, which actually provides a way to save that milk for future use! The milk-saver collects the breast milk that is leaked out when your milk lets down. You can store this milk and save it for any time you need it.

You can find Milk-Savers by the Store Locator tab on their website, or at Amazon.com.

Milk Bands

Nursing moms all have their own ways of remembering which side is next to start nursing on, but I’ve come across a great new gadget to help you! Milk Bands look similar to those “Livestrong” bracelets popularized by Lance Armstrong. One side says “Left” and the other side says “Right”. Just flip the bracelet inside out when you start to nurse so you always know which side is next. They also have time measuring sliders that can track how long your baby nursed!

You can purchase Milk Bands on their website, or at Amazon.com.

ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer

The Itzbeen Baby Care Timer has four timers that count up with the touch of a button. The four timers count how long it’s been since the last changing, feeding, sleep or awake, and other (medication, exercise, etc.) There is even a switch to flip back and forth to help moms rmeember which side to start nursing on. The timers are available in three colors: blue, green, and pink.

You can find the Itzbeen timer by the Store Locator tab on their website, or at Amazon.com.

Has anyone used any of these products? If so, leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Wendy - Parenting Tips 365

Over the past few years, we’ve done lots of learning about real health and wellness and have changed our diet accordingly. The important thing to note is that we made gradual changes over the years. The information you are about to see in these healthy food guides may seem drastic and require a complete food overhaul and way of life change for you and your family. But it’s important to not get frustrated and to try to change one thing at a time until you are truly eating healthy.

I’ve come across several guides and guidelines for healthy eating from my favorite sources on natural health and wellness. I would say that all of these are better than the USDA’s food guide pyramid, although there are probably a few items in each list that I might change. I’m not an expert, mind you. I just like to do research and know more about the food I eat – since I know that the food I eat is one of the most important things to my health and wellness.

Honest Food Guide

The Honest Food Guide provides the truth about which foods to consume and which foods to avoid and includes information like:

* Which common food ingredients promote diabetes
* Which foods promote mental disorders and depression
* How to avoid hydrogenated oils
* Which grocery products and foods promote outstanding health
* Why high-sodium snacks are harmful to your health
* Where to find healthy protein
* Mineral-rich supplements to add to your diet
* How MSG interferes with body function and appetite control
* What foods to add to your diet for a strong immune system
* Why breakfast cereals are often health saboteurs
* How to ensure you’re getting enough healthy oils
* Why sunlight is vital for good health
* Key nutrients for good health
* How to select vegetables with a variety of nutrients
* Healing superfoods
* How to achieve clear, smooth skin
* Which carbs to eat and which to avoid

You can download a free copy (PDF) from the website HonestFoodGuide.org.

Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Dr. Andrew Weil is the founder of the Foundation for Integrative Medicine in Tuscon Arizona and has authored many books about health and wellness. He created an anti-inflammatory food pyramid to help people select food for optimum health. From his website:

Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age.

Weston A. Price Dietary Guidelines

The Weston A. Price website provides a list of dietary guidelines that starts with “Eat whole, natural foods” and ends with “Practice forgiveness” – with a lot of other great information in between. They also have a list of Dietary Dangers that’s important to read as well.

If you want more interesting information, they also have an article on Characteristics of Traditional Diets and What’s Wrong with “Politically Correct” Nutrition? and an entire section on Children’s Health.

Dr. Mercola and Nutritional Typing

Dr. Mercola recommends the Metabolic Typing Diet, by one of the pioneers of metabolic typing, William Wolcott. Nutritional Typing is eating right for YOUR unique nutritional type and that everyone’s needs are different. From his website:

Remember that you should feel terrific one hour after you eat. If you are still having food cravings or your energy level is lower, these are giant clues that you are likely not eating appropriately for your Nutritional Type™.

I hope these healthy food guidelines have provided some information to you about truly healthy foods. Remember to make your changes slowly so you don’t get overwhelmed. Let me know what you think!

Wendy - Parenting Tips 365

I’ve done some searching and have heard from teachers themselves regarding which gifts have been their favorite and most useful. The vast majority say gift cards, especially if to a store or restaurant they frequent, are the most useful (and probably most preferred) gift. While teachers appreciate the thought behind any gift, most agree that little trinkets that sit on their desk aren’t very practical or useful. (That means you might want to re-think that “World’s Best Teacher” coffee mug.)

With those thoughts out of the way, here are a few more gift ideas I came across. Maybe something on this list will help you decide on a gift for your child’s teachers:

• Basket of baked goods, especially if the child helped make them (cookies, pumpkin bread, etc.)
• Cute terra cotta pot and some seeds to plant, or perhaps this “forget-me-not pot” idea. You could also choose a flowering plant that can be planted in the ground, such as an impatiens or begonia (easy to grow) and just wrap the pot from the nursery in paper with a ribbon around it and some handwritten gardening instructions on a snazzy tag. You could also put a handprint of your child on it for personalization.
• Cookie mix in a decorated jar
• Make a fabric book cover, and put it on a classic novel and include a gift card to Barnes and Noble or Half Price Books (or buy one on Etsy).
  
• Photo album of all the kids in class, as a group gift (this would require advance planning to take pictures of the teacher interacting with all the kids during some of the moms’ visits to the classroom)

Ideas for Special Area Teachers

I know it may seem overwhelming but if you can, it’s nice to remember the special area teachers (PE coach, PE assistant, librarian, library assistant, music, art, computer teachers) as well with a token of your appreciation. These ideas can be smaller variations of the ideas above.

• $5 gift cards to Starbucks (or other store)
• Mini loaves of pumpkin bread
• Some home-made cookies in a decorative bag

Group Gifts

I have heard the idea to organize a donation to get the teacher one big gift card from the entire class. You can contact the other parents, or maybe the ‘room mom’ could send a letter home with the kids, and everyone who wants to participate can pool their money.

This idea also works for the special area teachers. Parents could donate a couple dollars for each special area teacher or teacher’s assistant. Pooled together, it can be a nice gift card.

Taking the idea for the flower pot above, in addition to a group gift card you could get a nice plant and have all the kids’ hand prints and/or names on the pot along with the school year.

Gift Card or Cash?

Why give a gift card; why not just a nice fat check? One teacher I came across explained the best gift she received as a teacher. At the end of the year, all the parents contributed some cash and a couple of the moms came to school and presented her with flowers, a card, a check, and a speech about how great the year was and how much they appreciated her efforts. The public speech of thanks was very meaningful to her and the cash was a nice way to start summer. That does take some cooperation and organization, but it’s a wonderfully thoughtful idea.

Another caution about giving gift cards; if you give gift cards that are not useful for the teacher, they may sit around for years – unused. That’s why many people suggest giving gift cards for Target, or another common store. Visa gift cards are another option, as well. If you can find out which stores your child’s teacher likes shopping at, that would be perfect! (And yet another vote for cash.)

Crafty Ideas

Even though I warned about getting the teacher “stuff” that may or may not be useful, I couldn’t resist including these links to some pretty amazing teacher gifts ideas. If you are the crafty type, maybe something at Tip Junkie will be just the thing:

• Teacher gifts
• Gift ideas

What NOT to Give

Gift cards to teacher stores might seem fitting, but it’s not really a gift for the teacher if it can only go back into the classroom. Also, teachers probably have enough bath beads, perfume, cologne, bubble bath, wallets, handkerchiefs, notepads, desk calendars, coffee mugs, and salt and pepper shakers. And you can forget the APPLE items, too.

The Most Simple Gift

Don’t forget the most important part of the gift – the thank you note. Even if you can’t give a gift, a heartfelt thank you note would be very much appreciated. The note can be from the parent or the child. (Since my son is only two, I plan to write the thank you notes from his viewpoint.) If you can include a specific example in the thank you note, it makes it more meaningful.

The key to gift giving for teachers at the end of the year is to make it personal. The gift doesn’t need to big and flashy or expensive; just something that comes from your heart.

Wendy - Parenting Tips 365

I came across a great personal identification product called Who’s Shoes ID.  (Grammatically speaking, it should be “Whose Shoes”. Unless they are trying to incorporate the owl. But I digress.) Who’s Shoes ID are tags that attach to your child’s shoe (by velcro through the shoelaces) and contain space to write important information to help in finding a lost child.

These personal identification tags are also great for:

• Medical emergencies
• Missing or abducted children
• Elderly, Alzheimers sufferers, or others with special needs
• Joggers

They are also great for:

• School
• Daycare
• Family trips
• Grandparents
• Everyday

Think about this fact from their website: 98% of children never carry personal identification while the majority of pets do. That statement really got to me; I want my child to have the same protection many pets do.

I encourage you to read all the great information on their website, including the following:

• Top Ten Travel Safety Tips
• Safety Quiz and Tips
• Lost Child and Medical Emergency Statistics

I recently ordered some and here is a picture of one of them on my son’s shoe:

Enjoy my big list of books that love the earth!

Earth Is Our Home

• Our Big Home celebrates the interconnectedness of all living things; it shares the important environmental message that we not only share this planet with all the people but also with the plants and animals.
• I Love Our Earth features a poem that celebrates nature and complements photographs of people and places around the world, which reflects our shared connection with the planet.
• The Whole Green World is the story of a little girl who goes off into the world to plant seeds. She spreads happiness as she goes and is surrounded by the flowers and trees that make the “whole round world”.
• The Earth and I is the simple story of a boy and his interactions with his special “friend”, the Earth. One example is: “I help her to grow. She helps me to grow”, which accompanies pictures of the boy tilling soil, then eating food.

Earth Day Books

Here are a few books with an Earth day theme:

• It’s Earth Day! (Little Critter) is about Little Critter learning about climate changes and then wanting to do something to slow down global warming; he learns to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
• Earth Day-Hooray! combines math ideas with Earth Day and recycling as the students try to collect 5,000 aluminum cans to raise money to buy flowers for their park.
• Earth Day Birthday is written to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”; it celebrates Earth Day and 12 different creatures that inhabit the planet (e.g., eleven seals a-swimming). It also provides a brief history of Earth Day, ideas for gifts that children could give the Earth (e.g., plant a tree), and the lyrics and music.

Little Green Books

Little Green Books are produced by Simon and Schuster. Their slogan is “Green books for Green readers”. Not only do the books have green themes and stories, the manufacturing of these books is environmentally friendly. The books are printed on recycled materials with vegetable or soy inks and most books are Forest Stewardship Council certified (responsible use of forest resources). The SimonLittleGreen.com website has great “green” tips as well. Here are some of the books in the “Little Green Books line:

• The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling is the diary of a plastic bottle as it goes on a journey from the refinery plant, to the manufacturing line, to the store shelf, to a garbage can, and finally to a recycling plant where it emerges into it’s new life…as a fleece jacket!
• Easy to Be Green: Simple Activities You Can Do to Save the Earth is filled with cool coloring pages, Earth-saving tips, fun facts, and easy activities kids can do to help the environment.
• My First Garden follows a mother and daughter as they dig up soil, plant a flower bed, and water the seeds to make their very first garden. Together they watch the colorful vegetables grow!
• I Can Save the Earth tells the story of Max the Monster, who is an environmental nightmare. His excessive ways finally cause the power to go out, which forces him to go outside where he discovers the big world and all the ways he can help the environment. I found an interview with the author, Alison Inches.
• Little Monkey and his friend Little Panda spend their day eating their favorite foods and playing together! It is a supersoft fleece cloth book that’s made out of cotton and recycled Polartec® fleece.
• Little Panda his friend Little Monkey spend their day eating their favorite foods and playing together. It is also made out of cotton and recycled Polartec® fleece.
• The Polar Bears’ Home: A Story About Global Warming is an 8 x 8 storybook that shows how global warming affects two baby polar bear cubs and their family. It includes tips for kids on what they can do to help slow down global warming.

Why Should I Books

Why Should I books present brief, entertaining stories that answer children’s questions and feature amusing color illustrations on every page. A note at the back of each book is for parents and teachers, suggesting ways to use these books most effectively. Books in the series are:

• Why Should I Recycle?
• Why Should I Protect Nature?
• Why Should I Save Energy?
• Why Should I Save Water?

Kids’ Involvement Books

Here are a few books that have activities kids can do to help save the earth.

• Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids discusses how to recycle to cut down on the need for landfills. The author talks about paper, plastic, glass, cans, and polystyrene as well as mentioning the ozone layer and facts about garbage.
• 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth shows children how specific elements of their environment-like a light switch or a toilet-are connected to the rest of the world. Practical tips show kids how they can conserve energy, recycle waste, and take on important environmental projects.
• Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment is filled with ideas for arts and crafts projects, experiments, and experiences that encourage children to enjoy and heal the environment. Topics discussed include acid rain, endangered wildlife, pesticides, energy, recycling, pollution, landfills, rain forests, water conservation, and related topics.