As parents, we want to teach these values to our children but are often so busy with daily life that finding time for it remains low on a priority list and often doesn’t happen. We also desire deeper connections, perhaps spiritual connections, with our family and that also can get put on the back burner.

Are you needing a little nudge in the right direction? I was in the same boat as you – until recently.

Soul to Soul Parenting

For awhile I’ve  been wanting to do *something* to create deeper bonds within my family, but I felt overwhelmed and didn’t know how to go about it. Out of the blue, I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the book Soul to Soul Parenting: A Guide to Raising a Spiritually Conscious Family by Annie Burnside. This was the sign I needed. After reading the book I came away not only motivated to start creating deeper connections with my family, but armed with some solid ideas, tools, and skills.

What is “Soul to Soul” Parenting?

Annie encourages us to interact with everyone (including our children) “soul to soul” instead of “role to role”. For example:

• Instead of “parent to child”, it’s “soul to soul”
• Instead of “teacher to student”, it’s “soul to soul”
• Instead of “doctor to patient”, it’s “soul to soul”

By seeing others as souls first the nature of your interaction changes, becoming more loving, compassionate, and joyful. To me, the concept of “soul to soul” reminds me of namaste: ‘the light in me sees the light in you’.

What is a “Spiritually Conscious” Family?

According to the book, a spiritually conscious family is not a perfect one but rather a wide-awake family; one that is fully aware of each individual’s capacity to shape their reality.

OK, but what does that mean?

To me, being ‘conscious’ in daily life means not going about our lives on auto pilot. When situations occur, if you are conscious/present/mindful you will react with some thought and purpose, keeping the concept of “soul to soul” in the forefront and choosing your actions accordingly – instead going with an automatic reaction without thought.

Conscious parenting involves bringing your children to a deeper understanding of large universal concepts such as self-love, true joy, authenticity, free will, and compassion.

No matter your family’s current religious affiliation, Soul to Soul Parenting hopes to model what it means to live mindfully and consciously in a hectic world. Annie provides many ways to incorporate spirituality into family life, so that we can start to see beyond appearances and words and truly acknowledge another’s validity. What a great way to see our children – and how great to start teaching them at a young age to see others this way as well.

What’s Inside the Book?

Soul to Soul Parenting encourages us, as parents, to take ownership and become the spiritual leaders of our family. Using principles learned from her own journey of self discovery, her family, and her professional experience providing spiritual insight and support, Annie provides the following techniques in her book:

• Soul to Soul Parenting Vehicles: Used to integrate spirituality into daily family life, there are 22 Parenting Vehicles listed for you to reshape and use how you choose in order to invite a new awareness into your family’s life. A few of the vehicles are: family discussions, visual cues, family rituals, intuitive-gratitude journal, meditation, exploring music, art, books, showing your spirit, and utilizing nature.

• Soul to Soul Parenting Spiritual Themes: There are 15 Spiritual Themes which are meant to broaden perspectives so that life can be viewed from multiple angles, allowing the interconnectedness of all things to be felt and observed. A few of the themes are: connectedness and boundaries, presence and openness, authenticity and joy, forgiveness, self-love, truth and perception, gratitude and appreciation, and trust and faith.

After each Spiritual Theme there are some tools for integrating it into your family, such as:

• parent contemplation questions
• specific activities
• a list of related books for all ages (picture books, chapter books, and adult books)
• a list of related movies
• a list of related songs

To get a greater sense of the book, watch this short two minute trailer featuring author Annie Burnside discussing what the book is about:

If you can’t view the video, click here.

I also encourage you to visit her website www.annieburnside.com where you will find some great information such as another description of the book, family discussion topics, and many of her published articles.

My Thoughts

This book came into my life at the right time. Its messages were just what I wanted to hear and were written in my kind of language. While initially expecting it to be strictly geared towards how to impart this wisdom to children, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that a lot of the book was teaching me these concepts. After all, I will need to know about these ideas if I want to share them with my family. She explains each concept in depth, and then shares ways to teach it to your children.

I really loved the reminders to live with authenticity and joy. I think that’s what I need most in my life right now – to crank up the JOY! And not that I needed it, but I feel Annie gave me permission to do just that. What a great new way to see my life!

As a Unitarian Universalist, I was thrilled with how much this book spoke my language of the interconnectedness of all things and acceptance of everyone’s own spiritual journey. And I know that other Unitarian Universalist parents out there would feel the same way.

What Age to Start?

After reading the book and getting fired up to start this new spiritual journey, I became confused about how to start with my own family. My son is only 4 years old and I didn’t really know how to even begin to talk about some of the themes mentioned in the book. I asked Annie for some advice and she was kind enough to share even more pearls of wisdom – and I want to share some of that with you as well.

Any age is fine to start. With young children, Annie suggests using picture books and kid’s songs a lot by sharing together during family discussion and choosing one theme. Keep in mind that at this age discussions might be only three minutes long. Also, visual cues can be started very early; for example a cute note that says “I Love Myself” on a closet door.

Annie reminded me that in the beginning a big part of this journey is simply making time together for this purpose a priority. Eventually you just begin infusing a little bit here and there as the whole family becomes comfortable with the language. The biggest step is the parents making a conscious choice to engage in personal growth and spiritual development and then it evolves rather naturally for the whole family in tandem.

Non-Denominational

Soul to Soul Parenting is not designed for one specific religious group. While the spiritual themes are non-denominational, some of them might not resonate with certain religious groups. With all the themes, Annie encourages you to explore the ones that fit your family’s evolving spirituality. I think the themes and the overall message of the book can be applied in any family of any faith tradition, adapting them to your specific beliefs if necessary.

Who Would Most Benefit From Soul to Soul Parenting?

• Parents wanting to create deeper family bonds
• Parents who want ideas for teaching these themes to their children
• Parents with a world view who want guidance as they create spiritual connections with their family

Where to Buy the Book?

You can find Soul to Soul Parenting on Amazon.com. I’ve also added it to my Amazon.com store in the ‘Books for Parents’ category.

Annie Burnside, M.Ed., is a soul nurturer, author, public speaker, and teacher specializing in conscious relationships and spiritual development. She also writes a family consciousness column for Evolving Your Spirit Magazine and blogs for the Chicago Tribune Media Company under Soul to Soul Perspective: A Little Bit of Soul Goes a Long Way. Annie also hosts a radio show for the “I’m Thankful Network.” She received her Masters degree in Education from DePaul University and lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and three children. www.annieburnside.com

[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author. With that being said, the comments and opinions above are purely my own.]

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Are you looking for some quality videos for your kids when you are stuck inside due to weather (be it extreme heat of the summer, like here in Texas right now, or the bitter cold of deep winter)? I wanted to share a couple videos I like that I feel bring a little more exposure to other areas of life, sort of expanding my son’s horizons so to speak.

Classical Baby: The Poetry Show

Since we don’t have cable or satellite, I wasn’t even aware of the Classical Baby shows on HBO until one day when I saw the Classical Baby: The Poetry Show video at our local library. I decided to check it out for our then 2 year old son.

The Poetry Show is a compilation of favorite poems from William Shakespeare, Robert Louis Stevenson, John Keats, Robert Frost, Woodie Guthrie, Gertrude Stein, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Langston Hughes. Most of the poems are recited by famous personalities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Susan Sarandon, Andy Garcia, John Lithgow, and others; William Carlos Williams reads his own poem “This is Just to Say”. Adding to the greatness is colorful animation and music as well as footage of real elementary age children discussing poetry. I was amazed by these children and the depth of their thoughts!

Not being a big poetry fan myself, I was curious what the show would be like for our young son. I was pleasantly surprised when he was GLUED to it and absolutely loved it! After watching it several times, he could almost recite the entire poem “Grassy Grass Grass” by Woodie Guthrie (which happened to be my favorite one on the show). He loved it when he was 2 and he still likes watching it now (he’s 4).

This is definitely a recommended video to introduce your child to the world of poetry and all it offers. I know if left to me, my son would not have had this preliminary knowledge about poetry. And I have to admit that I developed a new respect and appreciation for poetry and I really liked all of it! If poetry was presented this way when I was in school, I might have had a different appreciation for it all my life.

My only complaint is that I wish the video were longer, or that they made more volumes of “Poetry Shows” featuring more poems and poets.

Although I have not seem them, there are other videos in the series: Classical Baby 3-Pack – Music, Art & Dance.

• The Music Show features an animal orchestra playing Tchaikovsky, Bach, Mozart and Copland, plus many other great classical composers.
• The Art Show features some of the world’s greatest works of art accompanied by some great classical music. The exhibit features works by Monet, Degas, Pollock, Van Gogh, plus many other masterpieces.
• The Dance Show features animals dancers showing impressive moves inspired by George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Pilobolus, plus many other great choreographers.

YogaKids Ages 3-6 (Vol. 2 ABCs)

Having heard great things about this video and wanting to bring some form of exercise to our son, I bought this Yoga Kids video a few years ago.

The video features the instructor, Marsha Wenig, and a group of children outside in various scenic locations with their yoga mats. Starting with the letter ‘A’, a topic is introduced (often with additional information) and then the related pose is demonstrated and performed. You get to see the instructor do the pose as well as the children. For example, A is Alligator and there is a very brief intro showing an alligator followed by instructions and demonstration on how to do the “alligator” pose.

The instructor’s voice is very calm and soothing and her manner of speaking to the children is perfect (she does not “talk down” to them). The overall vibe is very positive throughout the video, as would be expected in a yoga video. The pace is just right, the poses are child-friendly (of course) and creative and vary between standing, sitting, and laying down poses. My son is all about cars so he loves the “D” move: driving! I was super impressed by the entire video.

My son was not quite 3 when we first tried this and he didn’t take to it right away. So I put it away for a few months and tried it later. He enjoyed it and got maybe halfway through it before his short attention span overcame him. Now that he’s older he can make it even farther through the video. He likes it and attempts most of the moves. We do it together and that makes it more fun for him – and great for me, too!

Depending on your child, they may not be ready for this right at age 3, or they may be ready at age 2 – you never know! Keep trying and I’m sure you will one day find them loving this, too! What a great family activity for promoting exercise.

Although we only have Volume 2 (ABCs) here are all the videos in the series:

• Yoga Kids: For Ages 3-6
• Yoga Kids, Vol. 2: ABC’s for Ages 3-6
• YogaKids, Vol. 3: Silly to Calm

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What other videos do you like that would “expand horizons”? Leave a comment and share!

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Well look no further; I’ve found a couple books that will provide great information to your older child about home birth, breastfeeding, baby wearing, and co-sleeping.

Welcome With Love

Welcome With Love by Jenni Overend and Julie Vivas tells the story of a family on birthing day, awaiting the home birth of their newest member. This book will be a welcome addition to read to your older children to prepare them for the sights and words that accompany a home birth.

Included throughout the story are many aspects of birth that are common with home birth and that are probably not shown in books depicting birth in a hospital.

• What you might see during labor (mom going for a walk to help labor along, mom leaning on dad during labor)
• What you might hear during labor (mom making loud noises every few minutes)
• A midwife comes to the house to assist the birth
• Mention of items that midwife brings (oxygen in case it’s needed)
• Illustration of birth scene which involves nude mother standing and leaning on dad, baby’s head emerging from mom with midwife ready to receive the baby, other children looking on behind midwife
• Illustration of mom on knees (nude) holding baby, umbilical cord still attached and placenta not delivered
• Illustration and discussion of breastfeeding
• Whole family co-sleeping by fire

What Baby Needs

What Baby Needs by William Sears, M.D., Martha Sear, R.N., and Christie Watts Kelly shares information meant for older siblings about what the new baby will need when they arrive, which are the same things that child needed as a baby. The book provides a page of notes at the beginning for parents and caregivers which I found very helpful. One helpful tip was to refer to the child as the “older brother/sister” instead of “big brother/sister”.

The book also has a page at the end of the book that contains information about attachment parenting as well as several resources (websites and books).

Here’s how the book shares the “Five Baby Bs” of attachment parenting tools:

• Birth bonding: Skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding are mentioned as well as illustrated.
• Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding is mentioned as the way babies eat and is shown with a lovely illustration. They also mention baby getting mommy’s milk from a bottle if mommy is away.
• Baby wearing: Also discussed is how babies need to be held and one way is by using a baby carrier. There are three illustrations showing baby wearing and two of them show the dad wearing the baby!
• Be flexible with sleeping arrangements: The book illustrates a baby sleeping in a co-sleeper near the bed because they need to be close to Mommy’s heartbeat.
• Belief in value of crying: A baby’s language is crying and it’s mentioned how important it is to respond quickly to a baby’s cries.

The book also has small boxes on some pages that share ways for the older child to become involved and help or that help the older child bond with the baby.

What I personally really loved was that there was no mention of feeding the baby formula at all! This was important to me since we exclusively breastfeed and I wanted a book that exclusively shows breastfeeding/breast milk. As you know, this is hard to find in most baby books. (In the notes section at the beginning of the book the author encourages you to change the text to fit the choices you make in your family.)

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What home birth, natural birth, breastfeeding, baby wearing, co sleeping books have you found? Please leave a comment and share with us!

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• eating healthy
• simple meals
• variety
• quick meals
• accessible ingredients

I’m excited to share a cookbook with you that covers all those aspects! Even if you aren’t a “full-time vegetarian”, you  may be interested in eating this way now and then. This book can be great for everyone!

The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes

The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes contains varied and delicious recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less! Author Marie-Claude Morin is a well-known redio personality, recipe developer, and bestselling cookbook author.

What’s In The Book?

The introduction provides tips for using the recipes, as well as a list of pantry essentials. The 150 recipes are divided into the following categories:

• Appetizers
• Soups
• Salads
• Main Dishes
• Sides
• Desserts

Tempt Your Palate

Among the recipes are classics as well as new and interesting combinations. Here are just a few of the recipes included:

• Bean Dip
• Feta Cheese Bites
• Wild Rice Salad
• Tabbouleh
• Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
• Spinach Quiche
• Pesto Pizza
• Vegetable Curry
• Mini Lasagnas
• Three-Bean Omelet
• Veggie Burger
• Ricotta Coconut Cake

My Thoughts

This is a great book to have for not only vegetarians but for those of us who like to have a meatless meal now and then. While it says 30-minute meals, the first time I made a meal it took  me longer than that. I should also point out that it usually takes me longer to make a new meal the first time. The second time I made the same meal it was much closer to 30 minutes, as long as you multi-tasked the steps appropriately. Here are a few other things I liked:

• Color Photos: There are several gorgeous color photos of some amazing recipes!
• Healthy: I was impressed by the author’s dedication to using real ingredients.
• Two units of measure: For each recipe, the measurements are in English units and metric.

Where to Buy

You can find The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes on Amazon.com. I’ve also added it to my Amazon.com store in the ‘Books for Parents’ category.

As a bonus, I can share with you a recipe from the book!

Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni

Don’t have much time? This recipe takes just a few steps.

Makes 8 small cannelloni

Preparation:

• Preheat broiler
• 8-inch (20 cm) square glass baking dish, greased

Ingredients:

• 4 spinach lasagna noodles (see Tip,below)

Filling:

• 1 tsp olive oil (5 mL)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped (750 mL)
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (125 mL)

Béchamel:

• 2 tbsp butter (30 mL)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (30 mL)
• 1 1/4 cups milk (300 mL)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded Emmental cheese (250 mL)
• Paprika

Directions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until tender but firm. Drain and rinse under hot water. Drain well and cut crosswise in half.
2. Filling: In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic and onion for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in spinach until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta.
3. Spoon filling equally onto one end of each piece of lasagna, roll up and place in a baking dish, seam side down.
4. Béchamel: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour and sauté for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk and bring to a simmer,, whisking constantly. Simmer, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Pour béchamel evenly over cannelloni. Top with cheese and a little paprika. Broil about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Tip: The flat lasagna noodles without curly edges work best for this recipe.

Variation:

Spinach, Roasted Pepper, and Basil Cannelloni: Reduce the spinach to 2 cups (500 mL) and add 1 roasted red bell pepper, finely chopped, with the ricotta. Stir 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped fresh basil into the béchamel with the salt and pepper.

MamaWendy’s Note:

In case you don’t know what Emmental cheese is (like I didn’t) it’s a type of Swiss cheese.

Excerpted from The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes by Marie-Claude Morin. Photographs copyright © 2009 Headlight, Text © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher Robert Rose Inc. With that being said, the comments and opinions above are purely my own.]

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In my recent article on the new 2011 Sunscreen Recommendations from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), I mentioned that I chose to buy Loving Naturals sunscreen. I thought I would let you know what I think of it, in case you are wanting sunscreen recommendations.

Why I Purchased It: Great Ingredients

I chose it  based simply on the great list of ingredients. Hint: Even though the EWG provides a great list of sunscreens, I think you should still look at the list of ingredients. Some of them still contained too many chemicals for me. Loving Naturals sunscreen had a great list of basic ingredients:

• Non-Nano Particle Zinc Oxide (24.8%) (Active Ingredient)
• Grape Seed Oil
• Organic Sunflower Oil
• Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides (derived from Coconut Oil)
• Soy Wax (Non-GMO)
• Organic Sesame Oil
• Organic Plum Kernel Oil
• Candelilla Wax
• Organic Cocoa  Butter (Fair Trade)
• Organic Hemp Seed Oil
• Organic Macadamia Nut Oil
• Organic Cocoa  (Fair Trade)
• Organic Green Tea
• Salt
• Water

What Else is Cool About It?

Loving Naturals sunscreen is SPF 30 and blocks both UVA and UVB rays. In addition to those standard sunscreen qualities, Loving Naturals sunscreen is also Certified Organic, Cruelty Free, and Vegan.

The bottle also contains a “born on” date and an “expires on” date. On my bottle those dates are 18 months apart.

Application

Loving Naturals sunscreen has a thin consistency and a little bit does go a long way! Start with a little bit at a time, especially if you want to avoid the white skin tinting. Yes, it does leave a white tint, but you may be able to eliminate most of it if you work at rubbing it in. I think that’s pretty common with natural sunscreens and nothing that really bothers me. Despite all the oils it contains, it is not greasy. It is also not smelly. Also, be sure to shake the bottle well before each application.

If you do want to avoid the white skin tint, Loving Naturals now makes CLEAR sunscreens (although I have not tried them).

But Does it Work?

Loving Naturals sunscreen worked great for us! I put some on my 4 year old son’s face and arms as we were playing on the beach in April. After 2-3 hours there was absolutely no pink at all on him. I was very happy with the results.

What About the Water?

Loving Naturals sunscreen states on the front of the bottle that it is water resistant (not waterproof). Even though we have not used it in water situations, I would be cautious about water use and reapply often. It also states that it retains SPF after 40 minutes in water and to reapply after swimming, sweating, or after 1-2 hours.

More Information

For more information about Loving Naturals sunscreen, visit their website: LovingNaturals.com

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I’ve had a hard time in the past trying to find a pair of active wear-type shoes that are easy to put on, comfortable, look nice, and go with everything – until now. Three months ago I found and purchased my first pair of kigo curv shoes (lower case intentional); they are perfect for me! While they seem to be even more perfect for those who REALLY like outdoor adventure such as hiking, canoeing, and running, I am a simple (pregnant) mom who has found these shoes to be essential to my wardrobe.

In a testament to how much I love them, I even have nice “kigo curv” tan lines on my feet, since these are the only shoes I have been wearing since I bought them over 3 months ago! Are you curious about them? Read on!

Flat Shoe – Better Posture

By being as close to barefoot as possible we can maintain the best posture, which is important any time but especially during pregnancy. A flat shoe promotes a more natural body position/alignment, similar to being barefoot. Any amount of heel lift can throw off posture. To illustrate this point, I want to share with you an entertaining video made by Patton Gleason of the Natural Running Store. (And if you don’t think a video about flat shoes and posture can be entertaining, then you’ve never witnessed the skills of Mr. Gleason!)

If you can’t see this video, click here.

Comfort

Looking at the simple, flat styling of the kigo curv you might wonder about their comfort – especially if you are used to thick shoes with lots of padding. But the moment I put them on I could feel their natural comfort. They have a removable insole that provides enough cushion while maintaining their flat profile. Adding to their comfort is the super flexible and thin (1.5mm) rubber outsole.

The more you wear them the more they seem to mold to your foot, almost like a second skin, creating a shoe that is just for you.

Styling

With a Mary-Jane style, the kigo curv is designed especially for women. I think they look great; a bit outdoorsy wilderness and city casual all in one. I have received several compliments on them and am happy to recommend them to others looking for this type of shoe.

They come in six color combinations. Being so practical, I chose the grey with white stitch so that I can wear them with anything – and I do! I wear them with shorts, skirts, crop pants, and jeans.

Fit

The kigo curv does run small. On the company website, they even recommend you select a pair that is ½ to 1 full size larger than your normal shoe size. I typically wear a size 7 in every pair of shoes I own, but I did end up purchasing a size 8 in this shoe (they do not make half sizes). Find the right size for your foot and you will be a happy camper!

Easy Use / Easy Care

The kigo curv is easy to put on and take off, thanks to a fixed webbing loop on the heel. The shoe is also water and stain resistant (EPA approved) and the EVA insole is removable and anti-microbial. For as much as I wear them, I really haven’t noticed any extreme dirtiness. Looking at the pictures I’ve shared, you can see what they look like after three months of wear. You could just use a wet cloth to wipe them down.

Non-Slip Grip

Nobody wants a slippery shoe, especially pregnant women! The kigo curv’s rubber outsole has non-slip grooving as well as a protective rubber toe cap. This is especially nice when having to make a quick dart after your toddler or walking on wet surfaces.

Eco-Friendly

To me, the icing on the cake for the kigo curv is knowing that the company is eco-friendly. Their shoes feature post-consumer composition, including water-based adhesives, recycled nylon lining, and non-toxic dyes. They also have CYCLEPET uppers, which means plastic jugs are cleaned, broken down, and woven into strong, soft fabric. How cool is that!

For packaging, there is only minimal tissue and a downsized recycled box; only what is necessary to protect your new shoes.

Price

The kigo curv shoes retail for around $70, which is reasonable considering you may need just this one pair of shoes! If you check out the Natural Running Store (below) they do have periodic discounts.

Where to Purchase

I bought my kigo curvs from the Natural Running Store. They provide fast shipping and great customer service. If you “Like” them on Facebook, you can find out about special discounts that are offered periodically.

Summary

Whether you are a true outdoor adventurer loving to hike, climb, and paddle your way through challenges to reach great happiness, or a mommy adventurer tackling those day-to-day challenges that test your skills and also bring great happiness, you can appreciate these shoes. In fact, you will forget about these shoes once they are on. And isn’t that the point? You shouldn’t be worrying about how your shoes will handle your adventures, you should be ENJOYING your adventures to the fullest!

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Worst eczema flare up: photo taken 4/8/09

California Baby® Calendula Cream to the Rescue

My husband went to Whole Foods to find something else that might work for our son. The employee working in the body section suggested California Baby Calendula Cream, saying it was great for skin. After verifying that the ingredients list was good, he brought it home.

We put some on our son’s cheeks and the very next day I noticed improvement – I was shocked! We kept using it and it just kept getting better and better – way faster than I ever imagined! Check out this photo taken just five days after the one above.

Photo taken 4/13/09, just 5 days after applying California Baby Calendula cream

You can still see some light red patches but it is a drastic improvement, especially in such a short time.

We kept using it and I don’t know exactly when it disappeared, but I found this photo taken a few weeks later that shows it’s all gone.

Photo taken 5/1/09: No more eczema

Needless to say we were beyond thrilled with the results! And know what else? He never again had an eczema flare up on his cheeks. Amazing!

Why California Baby® Calendula Cream Is So Awesome

• Great Ingredients: California Baby Calendula Cream contains the active ingredient Calendula, which has been used to heal the skin for centuries. The other ingredients are great, too. In fact, California Baby Calendula Cream gets a rating of 1 on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Cosmetics Database. You’ve heard me talk about this rating before and a rating of 1 is great (it means it has a low hazard).

• Versatile: It is safe enough to use on a baby, but effective enough for adults to use, also. (It makes a great face cream for moms and dads.)

• Eco-Friendly Company: I love the company’s eco-friendly position. From minimal packaging, to easy plastic to recycle, to recycled paper and soy inks for product info tags and literature, to their eco-friendly showroom.
  

• Other uses: In addition to eczema, California Baby Calendula Cream can also be used for perioral dermatitis and other skin sensitivities, including the diaper area for simple rashes. It can also be used on cuts and scrapes and cradle cap.

• Reasonably Priced: While some might initially balk at the price, I assure you it’s cheap in the long run. A little goes a long way; our jar lasted quite awhile. And I am guessing it’s cheaper than any prescription ointment – and less toxic, too. You can’t put a price on that!

I have recommended California Baby Calendula Cream to other mom friends when they talk about their child’s problems with eczema. They have all reported back to me that it has worked great (and fast) for them as well!

Where to Buy California Baby® Calendula Cream

You can find California Baby Calendula Cream in stores like Whole Foods, Target, and Babies R Us, and online at Amazon.com. (I’ve also added it to my Amazon store.) Remember, if you purchase through my Amazon.com links, it will help support my efforts here at Parentingtips365.com.

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What About Cost?

I would guess that most parents who choose disposable diapers choose a brand mainly for cost and therefore choose a mainstream disposable brand. Whether parents aren’t sold on the merits of a natural disposable diaper or the presumed higher cost keeps them away, Seventh Generation diapers are probably not found in the majority of households with babies.

But if cost has kept you away in the past, I have found a way to save big money on Seventh Generation Diapers and wanted to share it with you.

How To Get Discount on Seventh Generation Diapers

The popularity of Seventh Generation diapers is increasing; I have seen them available in more and more locations, from Target stores to those small natural sections of grocery stores. But if that is where you buy your Seventh Generation diapers, you are paying too much! I have seen packages range in price from $12/pack up to $17/pack, depending on the store.

Here’s how to get them cheaper:

1. Buy them by the case (four packs) on Amazon.com. Just by doing that the price drops to $10/pack ($39.99/case).
2. Sign up for Amazon.com’s Subscribe and Save. By having a case automatically ordered every so often (you choose the frequency) you save 15%, bringing the price down to $8.50/pack ($33.99/case).
3. Sign up for Amazon Mom. With this free membership you save another 15%, bringing the price down to $7/pack ($27.99/case).

Bonus: There is free shipping for Subscribe and Save!

Let’s do the math:

We just went from $12/pack to $7/pack, for a savings of 42%! (If you currently pay $17/pack, you can save 59%!) Don’t you just love Amazon.com!

I grabbed some quick numbers from Target.com to compare size 4 diapers:

• Luvs case of 96 diapers for $16.99=$0.18/diaper
• Seventh Generation case of 120 diapers for $27.99=$0.23/diaper
• Pampers pack of 27 diapers for $8.99=$0.33/diaper
• Huggies case of 108 diapers for $36.99=$0.34/diaper

As you can see, this discounted rate is even better than most mainstream diapers!

My Thoughts

I have been getting our diapers at this discounted rate for quite awhile now and it’s been great! Now that my son is potty trained during the day we don’t need as many diapers, so I changed the frequency of delivery. Even if the frequency isn’t exactly right, you can order more anytime and update the next shipment. It’s so easy! And I usually get my diapers in a few days.

How To Purchase

Simply click on Seventh Generation Diapers to take you to the Amazon.com product page. Seventh Generation Diapers are also listed in my Amazon.com store in the ‘Diapering’ category.

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In fact, a couple of my natural health doctors have said that most people have gluten sensitivities, some worse than others. I think I have a slight gluten sensitivity; I tend to get extremely sleepy a few hours after eating bread. I am actually in the middle of a little test of my own. I decided to go two weeks gluten-free and see if I noticed anything. The two times that I forgot and ate something with gluten, I was extremely tired a few hours later. Hmmm…

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks itself when triggered by gluten, a portion of the protein present in grains. This attack by the immune system on the intestines causes damage which leads to malabsorption of nutrients, many gastrointestinal problems, and possibly many other symptoms that may be associated with other diseases.

Help! How Do I Start a Gluten-Free Diet?

Even though many health-conscious people are choosing to follow a gluten-free diet for the health benefits, for those with celiac disease it’s not just an option; following a strict gluten-free diet is the only way to manage the disease. Depending on your current dietary habits, adopting a gluten-free diet can be challenging to follow. Thankfully there is a great book that can help you.

Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide

The Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide, written by Alexandra Anca, MHSc, RD and Theresa Santandrea-Cull, actually seems like four books in one: celiac information, gluten-free diet information, nutrition guide, and cookbook.

Celiac Information

The Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide provides the latest information on celiac disease including causes and symptoms, how it is diagnosed, associated conditions, and what effect the disease has on an individual’s quality of life. It also contains many helpful diagrams to help illustrate the information.

Gluten-Free Diet information

The Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide provides guidance on how to:

• Shop for gluten-free groceries: Goes through each aisle of the grocery store and lists items that you can enjoy, items you should suspect, and items to avoid.
• Gluten-proof the kitchen: Learn what to keep, what to toss, and considerations for appliances and baking equipment.
• Cook and bake with a variety of gluten-free grains: The nutritional benefits, culinary profiles, and general cooking instructions for gluten-free grains and seeds are provided. Breads and others yummy foods can still be a part of your diet if you know which GF grains to use.

Nutrition Guide

The Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide provides information for managing and overcoming nutritional deficiencies, which is common for someone with celiac disease. The information about vitamins and minerals is great for everyone to know since it discusses recommended daily intake and content in certain foods.

I thought it was neat that there were three food guides mentioned: the USDA MyPyramid food guide (which I’m not too fond of), Canada’s Food Guide, and Canada’s Vegetarian Food Guide (both issued by Health Canada). I admit that I haven’t seen Canada’s food guides before; I love that they have one for vegetarians!

30 day Gluten-Free Meal Plan

The Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide provides a 30-day meal plan to help get you started. The meal plan not only provides meal and snack recipes but also a corresponding daily nutritional analysis (calories, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, fat, folate, iron, and calcium).

Over 100 Healthy Gluten-Free Recipes

Recipes include breakfasts, breads and muffins, soups, salads, pizza, pasta, meat, poultry, vegetarian, and vegan entrees and desserts. Some of the recipes included are:

• Crepes with Fruit Filling
• Strawberry Almond Muffins
• Brown Sandwich Bread
• Chicken, Cranberry, and Mango Salad
• Turkey Sausage with Lima Bean Medley (with broccoli)
• Egg Salad Roll-Ups
• Pizza Crust
• Pasta Carbonara
• Quinoa Cashew Oven Pilaf
• Swiss Chard and Potato Salad
• Easy Peasy Cupcakes (and Easy Peasy Icing)
• Chocolate Chip Brownies

I really liked that the recipes have simple, real ingredients. For example, in addition to using many vegetables and other real foods, they call for ingredients such as butter (not margarine), raw cane sugar, grapeseed oil, etc.

The only thing I would change about the book is that there are no pictures for the recipes. It’s always nice to have a few pictures to look at; it helps me choose a recipe and it helps me see what it should look like when it’s done.

My Thoughts

I was thoroughly impressed when I received the book; there is just so much good information in it! I know it will be helpful to anyone interested in following a gluten-free diet. Whether you have celiac disease and need to follow a gluten-free diet or you simply want to follow a gluten-free diet for the health benefits, the Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide would be a great book for you. You can find it in my Amazon.com store in the ‘Books for Parents’ category.

[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher Robert Rose Inc.  With that being said, the comments and opinions above are purely my own.]

Book cover image excerpted from Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide by Alexandra Anca and Theresa Santandrea-Cull. Copyright © 2010 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

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You have probably heard that plastics contain dangerous chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which mimic hormones in your body. They have been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Hopefully you’ve taken steps to avoid BPA, like using only stainless steel drinking bottles or glass food storage containers.

But did you know that there is BPA in the lining of food and beverage cans as well? Yes, it’s true. The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A. Canned tomatoes are likely to have even higher levels of BPA; the high acidity of tomatoes causes more BPA to leach into food.

Can-Free Tomato Solution? Pomi Tomatoes in a Box are BPA Free

Thankfully there is an easy way to avoid BPA from canned tomatoes: Pomi tomatoes come in a BPA-free box!

Pomi tomatoes come straight from Italy and they contain one ingredient: tomatoes. Italy’s standards for tomatoes and farming all fresh produce are much stricter than here in the U.S. Here are some more great reasons to choose Pomi tomatoes:

Why Pomi Tomatoes are a Great Choice

• All natural: The only ingredient is tomatoes!
• Pesticide free: Pomi grows their tomatoes without pesticides; many consider it to be an organic product because of this.
• Non-GMO
• Grown in accordance to the EU’s regulations for eco-sustainable agriculture
• Packaging is recyclable and BPA free
• No preservatives, water, artificial flavor, additives, or citric acid
• Low in sodium

You can read more by going to www.pomionline.it and clicking on the British flag at the bottom.

My Thoughts

When I first opened the box, all I could smell was fresh tomatoes! If I didn’t know any better, I would have said they were straight from the garden. Seriously, they smelled that great. And when I used them in a meal, they tasted as good as the tomatoes my mom canned from her garden! I was very impressed!

Where to Buy Pomi Tomatoes

I have seen Pomi tomatoes in my local Whole Foods. But if you aren’t fortunate enough to have a store that carries Pomi tomatoes, you can always find them on my favorite online store: Amazon.com!

Go to Amazon.com now and buy Pomi’s Strained Tomatoes and Chopped Tomatoes. You will have peace of mind from buying a safe tomato product and you will be very happy with the taste! Enjoy!

[Disclosure: I received some samples of Pomi tomatoes from the marketing firm Think Cannon.  With that being said, the comments and opinions above are purely my own.]

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