allergies and congestion

Janae has had chronic sinus infections for oh...about a year.  Her symptoms?  Yellow snot, headaches, and severe congestion.  Her pediatrician has been treating it with antibiotic which clears the issue but the infection pays a visit 2 months later.  So she had an allergy back prick test.  The cause?  Dust mites and grass.  We have now encased her pillows and mattress, kicked up the air purifier, dutifully vacuum her room twice a week and wash her bed linen once a week in hot water.  And she does a daily sinus rinse (nasal irrigation) and a prescribed steroid nose spray - fluticasone. It's working. Want a homeopathic sinus recipe? Just mix iodine-free salt, baking soda and water. Allergy Buster is a homeopathic nose spray option. And instead of the antibiotic, I now give her the allergy tablet cetirizine when her symptoms flair. Allergy shots are another option if your kids can deal.  There are side effects to everything, so do your research.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Belle has been fighting a cold off and on for a few weeks.  So I tried some ACV.  Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar has some natural bacteria-fighting agents containing stuff like potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, iron, etc.  Feel a cold coming? Mix 2 teaspoons of ACV into a cup of water and chug several times a day. I also threw some carrot juice to mask the taste but you could also add honey. The vinegar will help rebalance the body's acid level. Chest cold?  An old school home remedy touts soaking a piece of brown paper in vinegar then sprinkling one side of it with black pepper. Place the peppered side of the paper on the chest, cover with a towel, and relax for 20 minutes. For better results, purchase the organic ACV or make your own with this recipe.   Here's more interesting things you can do with ACV.  

mommy i can't breathe

Janae has had 5 sinus infections and nose bleeds over the past year. Ridiculous. Her symptoms: headaches, stuffy nose and when her nose does drain, it's a fabulous yellow and pea-green color. The band-aid fix was amoxicillin (the stinky pink antibiotic) and when that stopped working, her pediatrician (at my request) put her on a stronger antibiotic. We also tried a sinus rinse for kids, claritin, benadryl, and natural allergy tablets. Nothing worked My poor little girl. So I took her to a Ear Nose and Throat Specialist last week and she prescribed a nose spray with antibiotics to clear her passages and a cream to rub inside her nose to take away the dryness and impending nose bleeds. The verdict - she can breathe! And she likes squirting her nose with spray and most of all sticking her finger up her nose with the ointment.

Peeing at Daycare - Kid Tips

I thought I would never say this but I am still potty training. Sigh. Daycare and mommie separation have regressed my little Belle to wetting her undies. Frequently. She holds her pee and waits until the last moment to go. Most times she makes it. So to assist her in falling in love with the toilet again, I have introduced a bathroom bunny that she fondly named Mommie. She takes Mommie with her every time she goes potty. This worked for five days but quickly lost it's luster. So today we went shopping. I let her pick out an electronic princess game. Here are the rules: She can only play with this toy at daycare and in the ladies room. Let's see if this works. Here are some eco-friendly potty training products. Por favor share your potty training tips in the comments section.

VaniDream

If you are looking for the miracle cream. Stop here. Vanicream skin cream takes that annoying eczema itch away, redness, and dry skin. I use it on Belle twice a day: right after bath time and before I put on her clothes. It boasts no common chemical irritants like parabens, fragrances, dyes, lanolin, etc. The moisturizing cream is very thick and the lite lotion is great for the face. I scrapped using DOVE and Ivory and now use the Vanicream cleansing bar on my face and in the shower. The soap has helped the maddening dry skin and itching subside. You can buy online @ www.psico.com. at Walgreen's or contact them for a list of stores. Just dreamy. Really.

A Pink House

"So I hear you have a pink house?" the nurse asked laughing. "Apparently," I replied not too happy. A pink painted house (see pic) would have been Janae's dream come true. But instead it was my living summer heatwave nightmare: both girls with pink eye on the hottest day of the year. Lucky mama. Pink eye is contagious so if you see some yellow discharge or your kid wakes up with yellow crusted eyelashes or they keep rubbing their eye or hey, they just have a red eye. Welcome to the club. The doctor prescribed a 5 day dose of antibiotic eye drops which cleared up the symptoms in 24 hours. Here is an herbal remedy, some home remedies and some doctor recommended ones. If your house is pink, wash down all door knobs and frequently used toys, change all the bathroom towels and bedding, and keep washing everybody's hands. Hourly.

eco-swimming

Be honest. Are you still throwing diapers on your kid and dipping them in the pool? My hand is up but I'm stopping. Really. There are eco-friendly alternatives to the non-disposable, land filled, soggy swim disposable diaper. Kushies makes a very hip option - an environmentally sound waterproof, washable, terry-cloth lined wrap style diaper. Love it. I actually have one of these and forget to use it. That was until my sis-in-law told me her son Asher is in a chlorine free swim class (very cool) and she just bought one similar to the picture. If your wee-one goes wee wee or #2 in the pool, it won't pollute the water. Surfs up. Now if only I could get Belle potty trained...

She's got curls curls curls

Janae's curly hair type is 3c. The best way to care for her mane is to wash with shampoo with no sodium lauryl sulfate or I co-wash with a conditioner, detangle with a wide tooth comb while hair is wet, use a handful of Pantene's Relaxed and Natural Conditioner (high in moisture), and then Kinky Curly Curling Custard (think natural gel snot). This double threat combo will yield elongated, defined and moisturized curls. All hair is different but if your kiddies have curly hair, check out this site where I have gleaned most of my hair wisdom. To keep her fun locks from matting I pull it back at night into a high ponytail or I make two braids and add more conditioner. In the A.M. I usually spritz it with water and then do the conditioner and curling custard. Pass this tip on to all your mommy friends with curly haired babes.

Potty Breaks

So I woke up Monday morning. Nothing unusual about the day at 8am. Belle had a dry diaper so I put her on the the potty, she went and it clicked. I said to myself, "This is the day. I am going to potty train her." What came over me? I don't know. I have been encouraging her to sit on the potty for awhile. I have read the guide to potty training in three days. Not for me as I can't stay home three days straight with my wee ones, drag a potty chair in the kitchen and force the unnatural consumption of water and juice for 72 hours. I WILL go nuts. But here's my 7 potty training tips. 1. Buy 5 pairs of potty training pants. Eco-friendly ones are great. 2. Set your timer or cell phone to go off every hour for pee pee time. 3. Before you go out or they go to bed (which I did and learned) have them go potty right before. 4. Offer a favorite treat each time they wee (Belle gets 2 olives for pee and 4 for poo's) and clap madly with joy when they deliver. 5. Have them sleep wearing undies, diaper or pull ups and wake them up in the middle of the night for pee time and a treat. 6. Take extra sets of their clothes with you everywhere. 7. Be patient. Don't give up. Did I say be patient? Sigh.

Move that body!

Just 30-60 minutes a day. I take the girls to the park or somewhere to get some EXERCISE every day. Living in Washington State with the most finicky weather doesn't help. To keep it exciting for me, we go to a new park each time or a new play area. I always pack a lunch and after they play for awhile, we eat at the picnic table and then they play some more. The girls play so much, that the afternoon doze off hits them when they get strapped in their car seats. If the oldest Janae won't sleep, I inform her that it's officially quiet time. No talking. As you may know, kid's who exercise have stronger bones, lower blood pressure an are less likely to be overweight. Here's more info on the kiddie movement.

Accidents Happen

My two year Little Belle was jumping on the bed with her big sister, fell off, and hit her head on the dresser. Lots of crying. I was in the kitchen and went to check on her. Blood. I tried not to scream. Poor baby. I began applying pressure to the cut, but it was pretty deep so I took her to a reputable urgent care because the visit is cheaper and faster than ER. They were able to put a clear glue on the cut instead of stitches. If your child bumps their head, look for signs of lack of consciousness, vomiting, and confusion. Kid proof your house with these safety tips.

California Dreamin'

I love California. Well I love the sun. So anywhere boasting 70-80 degree weather for the most of the year is my friend. There's a eco-friendly line my sister-in-law introduced to me called California Baby. With a name like that, I had to try. The good thing is their products are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate free and there are plenty of fragrance free items. I bought the Super Sensitive Bubble Bath at Target, the girls LOVE the bubbles and Belle's eczema has subsided. It also comes with a bubble wand so the wee ones can blow bubbles which apparently keep the bath water warm 15 minutes longer. Organize your bathtub toys with this inexpensive storage unit.

Easy like Sunday Morning

I'm at home with the kids while looking for a new job and it seems getting out of the house each day has become grueling, tiresome, and frustrating. I have been chatting with other stay at home mommies and have come up with my top seven list of things to do to keep organized, sane and moving efficiently throughout the day. Of course if you work, just apply this to your weekend fun. Here it goes...
1. Lay out clothes for the next day the night before
2. Bathe kids at night
3. If you will be out during lunch, pack some sandwiches and fruit for the ride
4. Dress your sleepy child just when they wake up - less fighting over outfits
5. Demand a 1-2 hour quiet time with the choice of napping, reading or playing quietly
6. Go to the park, for a walk or let them play in the backyard every day
7. Arrange play dates once a week
Here's a good article on creative lunches for kids. Now get some rest.

poopy shoes

Little Belle stepped in dog poo the other day. I found this out when I picked her up to place her in her car seat. The stench was like a bad child hood flashback and a raging wave of nausea hit me. The lazy in me wanted to throw the shoe in the garbage and walk away. But I had paid too much for these cute knock off baby Ugss. Hold your breath and wash off the poo right away if you can with paper towels, newspapers and water. I waited to long and it dried up. Next step is to clean off the pop by using an old toothbrush with baking soda, some dish soap and have at it. The baking soda also will remove the stench. Or you can create an eco-friendly baking soda paste (just add water), let it dry and then rinse off. Watch your step.

Belly Bug

My little Belle got the stomach flu. For a glorious week. All of sudden signs - vomiting, dry heaving, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and fever. Watch out it's contagious. My three old caught it and combined with the tonsillectomy it was not so good. My hubby caught it and a host of other friends and relatives who had the pleasure of being around us. True to being a mom, I managed to avoid the bug. My tips - take your vitamins, mix and sip on Airborne, keep washing your hands, do not share drinks or food, clorox down your counters, door knobs, faucets, and toilets. Feed the sick: water, broths, bread, bananas, pasta, Gatorade, crackers, and sugar free Popsicles. Do not serve (I learned) peaches, grapes, apples (if vomiting), fruit juice, or dairy. Keep it bland and un-sexy. Let the flu ride it's course by sleeping as much as possible and avoid taking any anti-diarrhea medicine. Bien Suerte.

Say Ahhhh...

Snoring. Always tired. Sore throats. Ear infections. Sleep apnea. All signs your kid may need a tonsillectomy. Janae, my energetic three year old had her tonsils and adenoids taken out last Saturday. I couldn't of read enough blogs and articles to be prepared for what happened to her. She just wasn't herself for the first three days. My tips if your wee one gets them removed...talk about what will happen, there will be some pain, they can eat Popsicles and drink juice all the time. After the surgery your baby will return tired, cranky, filled with pain and whining. Get ready. Pamper them, cuddle, kiss and tell them how brave they are. Then keep the liquids going. The throat needs to stay wet otherwise it could bleed. Once home we battled it out about this time and time again and threatened a trip back to the hospital if water was not consumed. Here is a blog site and another site that helped me prepare. Foods to keep on hand - applesauce, jello, soup, gatorade, and oatmeal. So she could feel better, Janae did request a return to get her tonsils hours after the surgery. And stay on top of the meds for pain. Good luck.

Silly Teeth

Tom's of Maine has a silly strawberry Children's toothpaste. I saw it and bought it. My daughters now REALLY enjoy brushing their teeth. There was joy before when we received a free tube of Crest's kiddie glitter blue toothpaste but now...forget it. I get squeals of delight when I announce it's time to brush. If you didn't know, Tom's of Maine creates natural, sustainable and responsible health care products. And hey, get the most from your toothpaste with this reusable handy squeeze it tool. Happy brushing.

Rub a dub dub

Vicks Vapor Rub on the feet with some socks is the new miracle rub cough cure in my casa. Snopes says it's undetermined so the discussion is still up for debate. But I use the Vicks Baby Rub on my little 20 month old Belle. This one doesn't contain camphor or menthol like the adult version but the ingredients that do work are the aloe extract, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil and rosemary oil. It's also been known cure toe nail fungus, relieve the pain of tennis elbow and block bad odors. Herbal Medi Care has a natural chest rubs with no chemicals. Happy rubbing.

eh...eh...eh...

Janae has a cough. That won't stop. She coughs and coughs...she wakes herself up from sleeping and then can't get back to sleep. It's a dry cough, she has the sniffles. I feel so sorry for her. I went online and found some home remedies...honey, honey with grape juice, honey with water, cough drops. The honey worked wonders and then I also added in some good old fashioned grape cough syrup. I looked for a homeopathic version at the drug store but no luck Vaporizers are another good thing to use. If anyone has any suggestions, do share. Check this site for other ideas.

I go potty

My little Belle woke up with a dry diaper this morning so I rushed her to the potty chair and she tinkled twice. Lately I have been throwing her on the potty before I dip her in the bathtub and when she wrinkles her brow because a numero dos is arriving. She seems to get it. I say "Belle do you have to go pee pee?"She answers then beelines to the bathroom. Most important tip I can provide in this training is be willing to drop what you are doing and unfasten the diaper for a quick try. Also make a routine of when you place them on potty and stick to it. Finally if a slightly older sibling or cousin is present, let them go potty on the big toilet and let your little one watch. Treats work too, so every time they take a spin at it and produce, reward with cheers and a little piece of organic candy. Here is an eco-friendly potty chair and other tips.