Nothing is worse than having a little one who doesn’t feel well. One of the most common ailments for children is an earache. Children are more vulnerable to developing middle ear infections because their Eustachian tubes are shorter and more horizontal. We have all been there — your child wakes up in the middle of the night, crying that their ear hurts — it’s heartbreaking. It is guaranteed that if your child has an earache or infection that you can expect a child who is uncomfortable, tired and cranky to say the least. Trying to soothe a child with an ear infection isn’t fun and alleviating the pain that your child is feeling will definitely be at the top of your list. While it can seem tempting to get an antibiotic prescription from your doctor, antibiotics are over-prescribed, they can have adverse side effects and they aren’t always necessary.
The fact of the matter is, most ear infections will clear up on their own. We recommend that you consult your naturopathic doctor to determine whether the infection is viral or bacterial. Then, decide which all-natural remedy to utilize to make your child feel better quickly. You will feel good knowing that you are using common natural household ingredients to alleviate your child’s ear infection. Jump over to Inhabitots for 6 all-natural ways to alleviate a child’s ear infection so your child will start to feel relief.
It’s blackberry time! Blackberries are in season and these little blackish powerhouses are packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. Blackberries are super yummy are easy to grab for on the go. If you haven’t added blackberries to your daily menu, I suggest adding these little gems to your salads, yogurt, smoothies, and muffins.
What is your favorite way to add blackberries to the menu?
With our busy lives, it can be tough to make sure you and your family are getting enough exercise. It’s even harder if you don’t enjoy exercising or have a family member that fights you on it. We all know how important exercise is to our health and well-being. It is a necessary healthy activity that only makes you look and feel better! Read on for my 7 favorite, simple ways to get more exercise into your day and stick with it. I guarantee you will enjoy the results – once you get started.
#1: Schedule It Just like anything else, I am more apt to get my workout done if it is on my schedule. I actually mark it in my online calendar and even have an alert that pops up a few minutes before my scheduled time – giving me a few extra minutes to grab my workout shoes. This is hands down, the best way that I have found to get it done every day. (That and I schedule it early!)
#2: Skip the Car It is just so easy to jump in the car to run the kids to the swimming pool or to pick up a few groceries. However, it is much more eco-friendly if you walk or bike to your destination – and you get your exercise too. I try to get out every day to do some type of errand outside – I like to jump on my bike and load my basket up with groceries or library books.
#3: Make it Fun The mister will not do anything that even remotely resembles exercise – however, if it is packaged in a fun activity, he is there. This is why my family does a lot of biking, walking, paddleboarding, sailing, snorkeling, swimming and hiking – these activities offer a ton of exercise but are so much fun you never think of it as such.
#5: Go the Distance I am sure you have heard this one before – take the stairs, or park far away from your destination and hoof it. If I am going to do some shopping or running a lot of errands in one particular area, Eben and I will park the car in a central location and then walk to all of the different locations. We get a lot of extra exercise in and it also gives us alone time to talk.
#6: Make it a Family Affair My family has been trying to get more exercise in, especially after dinnertime. We have been taking Noodles our Pug on brisk walks around the lake in our neighborhood. The loop is 1 mile long and if we make it a couple of times, we really feel like we are all getting a little extra workout in. Plus, it is great for a Pug who loves to spend the majority of her life snuggled up on my sofa.
#7: Get Up As a blogger and virtual assistant, I spend the majority of my day at my desk. If you are like me, try standing while you work or take small standing breaks whenever possible. My favorite is BreakTimeApp. Not only is standing up and moving good exercise, it is super important to your health and is great for getting a new, fresh perspective when you come back to work.
What is your favorite way to sneak more exercise into your day?
Did you know that in the U.S. alone, 50 million disposable diapers are used a day. A DAY! Disposable diapers take 200-500 years to decompose and are the 3rd largest contributor to landfill waste. It takes 3.5 times more energy to make disposable diapers than it does to use reusable ones. Ugh! No worries though, there are green alternatives out there, here are some to get you started.
#1: Reusable Diapers: If you can, choose organic cotton, bamboo or hemp reusable diapers. You can either wash them yourself at home (this is the least expensive green diaper option in the long run) or choose a diaper service that will pick up the soiled diapers and leave you with fresh ones. Bamboo and hemp are naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic and bamboo absorbs 60% more moisture than cotton and dries twice as fast. Hemp improves in absorbency and softens after washing.
#2: Biodegradable Diapers: You can also choose a biodegradable diaper. However, these diapers are only compostable in an earthworm bin. You could also try a flushable diaper such as . These cloth diapers have a special insert that is both biodegradable and you can flush them down the potty.
Are you looking for a great alternative to those wasteful baby wipes? Here is a natural recipe for a great baby bum cleanser that will eliminate your need for baby wipes. What you will need:
2 organic chamomile tea bags
1 tbsp hemp oil
reusable cloths
Directions: Steep 2 organic chamomile tea bags for 15 minutes, add 1 tbsp hemp oil and whisk well. Add to a clean reusable spray pump bottle. Shake well. At diaper change time, spritz cleanser onto a clean washable cloth and clean baby’s bottom. Keep refrigerated when not in use. What type of diaper do you use on your baby? Would you try homemade baby wipes? photo credit
I use to have the hardest time falling asleep at night – and then, when I did fall asleep I would toss and turn all night long, only to wake up the next day feeling anything but rested. Have you had a restless night or two this week? After a few-too-many sleepless nights, I tried a few techniques and am happy to say that I have been sleeping much better. Here are my 5 favorite steps to a better night’s sleep, try these tonight and see if you sleep like a baby.
#1: Keep a Bedtime Schedule This seems to be at the top of my list – if I stay up too late, I simply do not fall asleep quickly and wake up over and over again. I also tend to feel less rested if I sleep in too late, so I also set an alarm in the morning and get up when it goes off. Between going to bed and getting up at the same time and always getting 8 hours of sleep, I have been feeling more rested.
#2: Make it Cool It’s summertime, which means that I tend to get hot during the night. Our new bedroom has a ceiling fan that we have been flipping on every night. It is perfect for cooling down the room and we don’t need to run the air conditioner on full blast all night long.We also switch out our bedding in the summer with a lightweight duvet – it helps to keep us cool during the night.
#3: Make it Dark Something as simple as the low glow of any electronics will make it impossible for me to sleep at night. Before climbing into bed, we make sure that everything is turned off, the blinds and curtains are tightly closed and an electronic lights are covered up.
#4: Don’t Eat Before You Sleep I try not to eat anything within a few hours of bedtime – if I do, I can feel my stomach working overtime and it makes it hard for me to fall asleep. Plus, crumbs in the bed would drive me crazy.
#5: Pillows, Pillows, Pillows In order to get a good night’s rest, I absolutely need to have a comfy pillow or three. I am a stomach-side sleeper that must have a pillow under my head, left leg and belly. Seriously, when I sleep somewhere else I don’t have access to three pillows, it’s a deal breaker – I can’t sleep.
#6: Comfy Organic Sheets Nothing is worse than scratchy sheets – especially if you sleep all-natural! I highly recommend investing in a great set or two of high quality organic sheets. Sheets that are comfortable make falling asleep that much easier. #7: Get it On It’s true – sex is good for sleepy time. It relaxes your entire body, releases tons of brain chemicals and laying in your partners arms is just too comfy to move away from. I say go with it and get some sleep.
What tricks do you use to get a good night’s sleep?
