Thursday 27 December 2018

The Holidays Are Over. Now What? Getting Your Child Over the Post-Holiday Blues

One hour after opening presents this Christmas, my youngest child, Evan, put down his newly unwrapped 3DS game, sat back on his heels, and hung his head in classic hangdog Evan fashion. (He's a little drama king. We just love him. Evan is pure entertainment, all the time. But I admit I really feel for the little guy at times like this.)

“What's the matter, Ev?” I asked, kneeling next to him and cozying up confidentially.

“Christmas is over now,” my seven-year-old sighed. “And it just gives me a sad feeling.”

Hashtag HeartMelt.

“Let's talk about it,” I said. “What parts make you sad?”

The Holidays Are Over. Now What?: Getting Your Child Over the Post-Holiday Blues

He looked around the room, obviously seeking some answer. He hadn't considered the “why,” just the feeling. “We have to take down the tree,” he said at last.

“We can leave the tree up for at least two more weeks,” I promised him. “We always do. And do you know what? Christmas isn't ever really over. We have our toys, we have all the food. We have the songs. We have each other.”

He half-smiled, wanting to make me feel I'd said the right thing (he's a sensitive and caring dude). But something was obviously still missing.

“We're still on vacation, aren't we?” I asked. He nodded solemnly. “Well then...let's keep on partying! 'Christmas' isn't really over until New Year's Eve. People are still in a party mood. Let's do a bunch of fun things this week.”

He brightened. At least some sort of celebration would continue. And I knew I had something.

What I discovered that holiday week was that an easy letdown from the spinning-out-of-control frenzy of Christmas truly helped. Here are some of the activates we came up with to help segue from “frenetic jolly-good fun” to “business as usual” for the new year.

Make Holiday Card Puzzles

This was SO much fun...and so easy. We coated the prettiest/coolest/funniest holiday cards we'd received with Mod Podge, allowed each side to dry completely, then cut the cards into crazy shapes. Each “puzzle” went into its own Ziploc bag. Voila – puzzles that carried on the Christmas spirit!

Revisit Those Christmas Lights

The four of us – my wife, the two kids and I – went on a nice long car ride the night after Christmas to look at all the Christmas lights. Most people seemed to have their lights on; enough that it was really fun, and really magical. Before our holiday lights tour, we stopped at Starbucks and ordered cocoa for all, with whipped cream, of course (“child” temperature for the kids). We drove for almost two hours, sipping our holiday drinks and pointing out the most amazing decorations. So fun.

Plan New Year's Eve

Our local store was selling cheap holiday poppers – and tons and tons (aaaaaaaaaaaaand TONS) of festive baked goods and yes, drinks. My kids are still too young to stay up until midnight, but we went shopping for a mini New Year's Eve party to be held after dinner on the 31st. We picked up the poppers, gold and silver-sprinkle cupcakes and sparkling cider. We DVRd a few really fun child-friendly movies. This activity took up two days with fun: the planning/shopping, and New Year's Eve itself.

Have a Holiday Toy Playdate

A few of my sons' friends took off for parts festive (or in some cases, warmer) for Winter Break, but others stayed local. We invited three friends for a holiday toy playdate. Each child brought his or her favorite toy gift and shared around. The kids had a fantastic time oohing and ahing over one another's gifts and trying them out. (NOTE: Whenever you arrange a playdate, make sure you know each child's potential sensitivities. We had a child who could not have nuts and another who reacted badly to certain synthetic materials. Since this was a sleepover, we made sure to serve appropriate food and have natural bedding ready for our “sensitivity” kids.)

Play WITH Your Child

And speaking of toys, how about getting down on the floor and playing with your child? I recall many Christmases as a youngster, playing alone with my gifts while my parents chilled out. While I can't blame them (and didn't then), I found that acting childlike and challenging the kids to a round of Super Mario Monopoly really put a smile on my guys' faces and extended their enjoyment, bigtime. (By the way...I didn't win. AND I had a great time.)

Life Goes On

“It's all over” seemed to be Evan's lament, and it's many other people's letdown as far as I have seen from family, friends and my own experience. No, it isn't all over! A new year is dawning. More holidays are coming (my kids brightened at the thought of Valentine's Day candy and cards). Events are probably planned – Grandma's big birthday bash, little league, the school spelling bee, spring clothes shopping. Remind your child that there is ALWAYS more fun to come – today, tomorrow and all the year through.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: The Holidays Are Over. Now What? Getting Your Child Over the Post-Holiday Blues

Wednesday 19 December 2018

An Old Fashioned Christmas

An Electronics-Free Christmas? We Did (And We Survived)

Around here, we’re an organic, granola-crunchy, natural bedding-sleeping, plastic-free (okay, plastic-reduced…this keyboard I’m typing on has outed me there all by itself) family.

And honestly, I’m proud of us for this. It has taken a long time, a lot of research, and tons of substitutions (and trial and error) to get to the point where I can legitimately say my family lives as natural a lifestyle as possible, within the limits that the modern world imposes.

An Old Fashioned Christmas

Through the years, when it comes to the natural life, Christmas has been our final frontier. What can be more glittery, more plastic-y, more brightly lit and more deliciously, deck-the-hallsy faux than Christmas? Not in spirit, of course. (That’s a personal matter, and can be a very meaningful and deep one.) Rather, I’m talking about its materialistic practicalities.

Because yes, “natural” or no, like so many other families, we absolutely love all the trimmings of the season, right down to tinsel (yikes!), non-LED lights (come on, we HAVE to buy new lights?), plastic-wrapped candy canes, DVDs (and “24 Hours of a Christmas Story, of course”), made in who-knows-where Elf on the Shelf…the list goes on.

You can see how such a schism was bound to make me, Granola Mommy, feel a bit, well, hypocritical. So last year, I decided we would have a true old-fashioned Christmas…with NO electronics.

(Pausing for a moment of silence here. I know, I know. Hang in there, it’s not all bad, I swear.)

Granted, depending upon just where you go with “old-fashioned,” one could be talking about lead tinsel, non-child-friendly paints and plastic everything…even when one goes quite some way back in time. So we went way-er back than that (is way-er a word?) and decided to shoot for a Victorian (or even pre-) holiday.

Want to know how we did it…and laughed about it (and in the end, decided to make it an annual tradition)? Curious about trying it yourself? Here’s how to have your very own old-fashioned, au naturel Yuletide. Hint: it’s not all twigs and berries (though they’re there too ) and it definitely won’t be perfect, but it WILL be fun. That much I promise you…and it’s my gift to you.

1. Douse the Lights

That’s right. All of them. Just for the day and night, mind you. Yes, you CAN live without electronics. We did it, and we only considered Xanax a few times. (Maybe a few dozen?) You can do it too!

Christmas is all about candlelight…especially a Victorian or heck, a Renaissance Christmas. Of course, if you’re concerned about fire, you can cheat and get battery-operated flameless candles. (I’ll give you a pass on that one.) We went halfsies: for candles closer to small(ish) hands (our littlest was five), we used the battery type, and for the rest, we used the real deal – beeswax, in fire-safe dishes and well away from décor.

I know, I know…it’s sad to see an unlit Christmas tree. One thing I will NOT recommend to you is a traditional Swedish tree decked with, literally, candles. This is intended to be an old-fashioned Christmas, not a fire department one. Emergency response personnel have families too…spare everyone and skip the (literally) lit tree, just for this one night.

2. Bake Up a Storm

I’m a scary baker. I’ll admit it. (Hey…weren’t we just talking about the fire department a minute ago? Hashtag coincidence.)

But because I have taken us back to basics, I’ve had to learn to cook. For our traditional, unplugged Christmas, I didn’t use any ingredients I couldn’t spell.

It’s easy to make anything delicious without adding anything weird to the mix. Trust me. A little organic cane sugar, something flour-ish (we used rice, tapioca and potato flours as we’re gluten-free) and you can make anything taste good…well, except the turkey.

I forced my kids to help, but despite themselves, they loved it. Pull your little ones in, and any friends you can gather. If you have an electronic stove, okay, that’s a cheat too…so do your “big baking” the day before, and be set with wonderful cookies, pies and other goodies on the Big Day.

3. Make Your Own Décor

You may not be the Pinterest queen (goodness knows I’m not), but you CAN make adorable Christmas décor.

Ever seen a movie or read a book that described the family making tree garland out of popcorn and cranberries? Yes, that can really be done. Take my advice, though, and use thimbles. Just…trust me on this one. Then sit everyone in a row with a heavy thread, needle and lots of popcorn…and start threadin’.

This takes forever. For. Ev. Er. But wow, is it fun to think of things to talk and laugh about…and get back to family basics with.

More do-it-yourself décor: pine cones and berries on the table; cardboard cutouts of reindeer, stars, trees, gifts and Santa; snowflakes cut out of organic coffee filters (fold the filter four times and cut small semi-circles and triangles, then open back up); and grapevine wreaths stuffed with bits of pine twigs, dried fruit, and dried flowers.

4. Learn to Sing

I love to sing, and I’m not terrible. But how many families sit around and sing for their entertainment nowadays? We did, and after a few uncomfortable glares at Mom’s tremolo (don’t judge), my children, wife, in-laws and I were trilling up a storm in no time.

What do you do without electronics? Well, what did people do BEFORE electronics? Putting aside more unsavory possibilities, like competitive rock-throwing or stall-mucking, I’m going with: they sang. Remember Pa from Little House on the Prairie, getting his family to sing and toe-tap to his fiddle playing? Yeah, it’s like that. And yes. It IS fun. Try it.

5. Play a Game

There are all sorts of non-electronic games you can play to make the evening fun (or, as my 13-year-old said, “Less skull-crushingly boring.” Isn’t he great? I just love that little dude…hyperbole for the win).

Remember charades? Jokes? Twenty Questions? Those and more are all games that would have been played in days of old. You don’t have to play a Victorian game…just play a game. One that doesn’t involve any buttons, except the ones of Dad’s you’ll push by making a bald joke or slipping a swear word into your turn at charades.

It’s amazing how close a family can get from playing a silly game and laughing about it…and being competitive about it…and losing but not caring because the win was just so darned clever. Depending on your age, you probably played games with your family. Remember the fun? It’s still there…bring it back. Don’t remember the fun? (Oh you Millennials…) Start fun of your own. Make up your own game and make it a tradition.

However you celebrate Christmas, enjoy…and have a happy (and natural!) New Year!

Your Home.Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: An Old Fashioned Christmas

Thursday 29 November 2018

Organize Your Holidays: The “Holiday Calendar” Method

Know what was on my Christmas list this year?

I wanted the gift of organization.

We all know that one person who’s ultra-organized…who has his Christmas shopping done in August, who has never forgotten a birthday or anniversary (I forget them even WITH my phone alerts!), whose children’s birthday parties always come off without a hitch and with no forgotten balloons, forgotten cake or forgotten birthday child (that last one wasn’t autobiographical, I swear…Okay, okay, so…don’t judge).

Organize Your Holidays (Really!): The “Holiday Calendar” Method

And I wanted to be that organized person. For just one year. So this holiday season, I gave myself the gift of organization. At first, it was a lot of tentative feeling around for what might work best, but amazingly, things did come together. In the end, it all it took was some pre-planning and a GREAT calendar. (And psst…a bit of help from a family of elves, but you can do all this even without special help, I promise. If you’re worried, see #5 below.)

I was so thrilled with this self-gift that I thought I’d pass it on. Here’s how to have a happy, stress-free and above all, organized holiday season. Enjoy!

1. Make a Calendar

It sounds so simple…maybe too simple. And anyway, perhaps you’re the type of person who hates marking things off this way and being confined to a schedule. I get that; I do. I’m not in love with the idea of being confined to dates and times either. I’ve always been a “go with the flow” kind of girl.

But do it. Trust me on this one. And have your calendar be separate from your phone. Why? Because if you’re like me, once you close out the phone alert, it’s gone from your mind in 3…2…soccerpracticelaundrywritethatarticlethats’dueohmygoodnessIforgotMom’sbirthday. Gone. Gone gone gone.

Don’t let it be gone. Make a calendar. Keep it on your desktop or laptop, wherever you check in often (even better: wherever you check in CONSTANTLY).

I like to make my calendars in an Excel spreadsheet because I can do my months by tab. Use the system that’s right for you (and can all be accessed from one place, let me repeat, ONE PLACE…being scattered is the exact opposite of what we’re going for here).

2. Start it Early

I know people who start organizing their holidays the summer before. (Actually, it’s not all that rare.) I didn’t. I started my calendar in September. I thought three months would be fine for my family and friends, and for my personality. I realized if I set up TOO many things to do, I’d (whoops) “lose” the calendar somewhere along the way out of sheer frustration.

So three months it was – actually, a little over three and a half, since I started my scheduling for Sept. 1 and ended it the week before Christmas.

3. Think (Really Think) About What You Want for Your Holidays

Ready to make your calendar entries?

Wait.

And think.

Yes, REALLY think about what you ultimately want for your and your family’s holiday. What’s most important? Choosing the perfect, personalized gifts (or perhaps making them)? Holiday songs? The food? Décor?

Whatever is the single, repeating element to your “holiday wants,” that’s what to focus on and the final point you’ll want to reach by the date of the holiday. It could be one specific thing – say, holiday music – or it might be broader, such as “the big dinner” which will then encompass loads of other elements. Whatever it is, that’s going to be your visual. (For me, it was Christmas dinner. We celebrate Hanukah too, but Christmas was the dinner I was hosting. I envisioned warmth, satisfaction, laughter, and song along with the dinner.)

If your calendar is manual, draw a little image of that final goal on the date with “SUCCESS!” or another encouraging word over it. If you are using a spreadsheet or a document, import an image or simply write a word that has meaning for you along with that final goal. Each activity leading up to the holiday will have that goal as the end point, and all your choices will then be connected to it. It’s amazing how this one simple step will give you a guiding light for ALL your holiday organization.

4. Start Choosing REASONABLE Date Goals

Now that you know where you want to get, you’ll also have a better idea of WHAT you want to get, and to plan. You may have some shopping to do, or some cooking, decorating, planning, or all of these.

Start jotting goals on your calendar. I always tell myself I’ll “start wrapping presents earlier.” This year, I listed WRAP PRESENTS over five consecutive days ending two weeks before Christmas evening. And I stuck to it. When Day One came, I was just getting over a cold and was feeling quite “meh” indeed. I was tempted to forget (oops) about Gift Wrapping Day One, but realized I was sitting on my couch streaming movies anyway – was it really such a reach to sit on the floor instead, watch Netflix and wrap? No. Barring something pretty extreme, stick with your calendar.

A few items you may wish to include and put one or more dates down for, depending upon what your goals and traditions are:

• Buy/make holiday cards

• Put up holiday lights and holiday décor (I had two dates for this: indoors and outdoors)

• Send holiday cards

• Rearrange guest room and bring in extra bed for guest(s)

• Comb Pinterest for cookie recipes

• Bake and freeze cookies

• Watch favorite holiday movies (this was on my list; it always gets me in the mood. I had six movies over six nights)

• Shop for holiday clothes: myself and kids

• Shopping dates (or online buy-by dates)

• Shop for holiday dinner ingredients

…You get the idea.

5. DON’T Buy Boxes (Yet)

What about physical organization? When we talk about “organization,” that’s usually what we mean. I left this for later because my focus was on doing, but I did have things I needed to buy, including décor. I was inspired during the early phase of this organization project and was tempted to buy ornament boxes (until that time, I had them in tissue paper-separated jumbles), a “tree bag” and more.

You’re probably tempted to buy lots of organizing “stuff” too. Wait! You think you know what you need, but some items that will need to be put away later seem to “grow” (I have THAT many holiday village figurines? In how many set sizes?) or shrink (I thought I’d need the jumbo size box; now it seems empty and I’m stuffing the spare air with wadded magazine pages).

So wait. Until when, you ask? Call me crazy…but wait until the week after the holiday. This method was way less of a madhouse than I thought it would be. Apparently, people really are all shopped out after Christmas (I wouldn’t have known, never having really done any shopping during that exhausted but happy “downtime” week). AND stores are more than a little anxious to unload their stock, so you’ll get amazing deals.

But best of all, you’ll have everything out and will actually know what you need. Go minimal and if you need more, go out once more.

6. If You Can – Delegate

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially if you’re hosting the holiday. Get your family and friends in on the fun. Offer a fun lunch out post-holidays in exchange for a little elbow grease now.

All the organization in the world will come unraveled if you simply don’t have time to execute your own plan. A little help can go a LONG way to make your season brighter, and less stressful.

That’s it! It’s so easy to pull things together for a great holiday if you’re thinking ahead, and outlining exactly what you need to do. Nobody wants to be grumpy for Christmas because she’s exhausted (something that happened to me too many holidays in a row). Take the time ahead of time to get it all together, formulate a plan…and make things wonderfully, magically easy this year.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: Organize Your Holidays: The “Holiday Calendar” Method

Thursday 1 March 2018

What Happens to Your Pillow After 12 Months?

Eew! Dust mites are just one of a whole host (see what we did there?) of critters that are feeding right under your nose. But that's not all...read on.

How long has it been since you changed your pillow?

Be honest (and we will too). Six months? A year? Longer?

Most people don't think about changing their pillows until the dirt and lumpiness factors, even with repeated washings, make the pillow all but unusable. But there are reasons to change your pillows regularly. Here's the (occasionally gross) truth about your pillow and what happens to it over time. 

What Happens to Your Pillow After 12 Months?

Dirt and Oils

Over time, even with regular washings, dirt and oil from your face and hair can build up inside your pillow. For some people, this means a tendency toward acne and greasy hair. It can also be what's causing that smell you just can't seem to get rid of inside your pillow.

Parasites

What's eating you? A lot, especially at night. Dust mites live in pillow crevices, feeding from your and the room's leavings (they seem particularly attracted to shed human skin cells). Unfortunately, they can trigger issues such as asthma in susceptible individuals.

Fungi

Fungi love damp areas, and even in a cool room, your face may sweat at night into your pillow. Over the course of six months to a year, ample opportunity has been given for tiny spores to take root inside your pillow and make a home there.

Lumpiness and Loss of Support

On the less disgusting side, pillows tend to go out of shape over a number of months. Memory foam helps delay this, but may contain or have been processed with chemicals that are harmful for you to come into contact with and to breathe in the residue of.

What Can You Do About It?

1. Try to buy pillows that contain materials that are microbe and fungi-resistant. Natural fibers can accomplish this, so don't jump to chemically-treated options; check out what you can find in the way of bacteria-resistant, hypoallergenic wool, for example.

2. Make sure the pillow covers you choose are also non chemically-treated/produced options, and be sure to wash them regularly and change twice during the week.

3. Re-fluff your pillows before sleeping on them at night, and turn over each night so your pillow pulling equal duty from both sides rather than sinking in slowly over time in one spot.

4. Vacuum your carpet and other bedroom upholstery regularly to keep the dust mite population down over the entire area.

5. Clean your pillow per the manufacturer's instructions. If chemical cleaning methods are recommended, however, substitute an organic/non-irritating cleaning solution instead.

6. Replace your pillow every six months so you have a fresh start with a clean, allergen- and mite-free rest on a regular basis.



Source URL: What Happens to Your Pillow After 12 Months?

Sunday 25 February 2018

An Organic Pregnancy...and Mom's Pretty Friggin' Good Advice

When I was pregnant with my first child, I sat in my mother's kitchen one day, sharing. (She sipped coffee; I drank water.)

I remember opening with, “I'm doing something you might find a little weird, but bear with me. I'm aiming for an organic pregnancy.”

My mother sat across from me with that “She's about to come out with something adorable” look that drives me mad and said, “Organic? Tell me all about it.”

An Organic Pregnancy...and Mom's Pretty Friggin' Good Advice

I pulled myself up straighter and informed her that it might be hard for her to understand, since in her day (she was pregnant with me in the 80s), women smoked during pregnancy, colored their hair with ammonia and took whatever medications the doctor said would be “good for them,” but as for me, I intended to have as natural a pregnancy as possible.

Her smile widened. She didn't interrupt.

I then gave her the anthropological low-down (thank you, Professor Cratz). In pre-industrialized societies, women ate unaltered foods, slept when tired, were active when needed (even if that meant all day), slept outdoors in good weather and never took a prenatal vitamin. And their children were healthy.

“You spoke to these women?” Mom inquired, innocently.

I stiffened. “There's lots of evidence, Mom. Anyway...”

“You're aware that hunter-gatherer societies drank boozy milk, took hallucinogenics and died a lot, right?” Mom added.

I looked at her with irritation...but perhaps a little respect, too. (Shh. I hate to admit when I'm being pwned). “Look, Mom, the take-home message is...”

“I get it.” Mothers are allowed to interrupt. It's not FUN when they do, but it's allowed. “You may be forgetting that I went to school too, hon. And even if I hadn't, I do have eyes. I know most of what we eat and live in and breathe is artificial. I get that. AND I'm fully aware that we did ridiculous, dangerous stuff 30 years ago. And by the way, during my pregnancy with you, I drank wheatgrass juice. For nine and a half months.”

I couldn't help it...my lip curled. (Just a little.) “Wheatgrass? You did?” My mother drank wheatgrass? My Hostess cupcakes-eating (she peels the icing off in a slab to eat first), bad sleeping habit afflicted, HRT-taking (I can't seem to talk her out of that) mom?

I listened closer. This was something I really had to hear.

“Yup. And I did yoga and I worked out with Kathy Smith. On VHS. Oh,” her eyes looked off in the distance, remembering: “and I slept on a futon.”

“Why a futon?” I don't know why that's what grabbed me, though I admit that later, the VHS reference made me laugh a little to myself. I'm such a superior goon, shame on me.

“Oh, I don't remember. Something about firm support but a degree of yield and unbleached wool weave and something-or-other-blah-blah.”

“Well...wow, Mom. This is a side of you I never knew.” I was still trying to picture my mom on a futon.

“And you were healthy,” Mom went on. “But I don't know if it was because of the wheatgrass and the futon. It could have been sheer luck. It could have been some other thing I did, or didn't do. It could have been genetics. It could have been a good egg. I don't know. I'll never know. Mostly, I think I just got lucky.” She reached for my hand and cuddled it in hers with one soft rap on the table as she's done for as long as I can remember. “I feel luckier more than ever to have such a smart daughter today.”

“Oh...blah,” I burbled, horrified and delighted.

“It's true. And do you know what? Here's the one thing I really did learn during my pregnancy with you. A woman should use her own common sense. A woman should do what she feels is right. We DO have the know-how. It's in there. Did you know Gramma was offered Thalydomide with Aunt Trisha?”

Oh my God. “She was?” Aunt Tricia is my mother's older sister. Mom was a “surprise” baby; Tricia had been 16 when Mom was born. I knew Gramma had smoked while pregnant with Mom but I hadn't considered late-50s pregnancies and their implications. This was all news to me.

“Oh, absolutely. She threw up three times a day with Trish and got down to 98 pounds. She thought she was going to die. Thalydomide was the answer, according to her doctor. Mom said no.”

“Why? I mean, thank God....but why?”

Mom shook her head. “She could never say. It was just a feeling. Mostly, she just felt it was common sense that the fewer drugs a woman took during a pregnancy, the better. She bucked the trends and she was a warrior even then.” She grinned. “Just like you.”

Maybe. But I wasn't so sure I couldn't have been talked into a dangerous drug in those days, in the face of puking my guts up and getting down to a middle-schooler's weight. I squirmed a little.

“Anyway,” Mom said, “if you want my advice, which I KNOW you don't...” (I made a face at her.) “...just go with your gut. You'll never know until much later what really was good for your baby and what was bad for him. I'm not just talking pills here. I'm talking anything. Essential oils, prenantal vitamins, different yoga moves, whatever. All you'll really know is that you kept the fake crap down to a minimum, used your head, went with your gut and that was the best you can do.”

My heart sank. “That's it?

That's all the wisdom there is?” “That's all the wisdom there EVER was,” Mom smiled. “And, know what? It's pretty friggin' good advice.”

It was. Whether through luck, genetics, or lack of wheat grass juice, my baby was born very healthy indeed. And interestingly, Mom had pegged it, though subtly, in our eye-opening conversation. My baby had indeed been a “him.”

I won't lie. I DID attempt an organic pregnancy – and I did a pretty kick-A job of it, if I do say so myself. (Maybe I'll tell you about it some time.) I still believe in going as natural as possible, not just during pregnancy but in one's entire life and as much of your environment as you possibly can – eating and drinking, sleeping, working, surround yourself with as few chemical, treated, and/or synthetic items as you can.

Other than that, keep the fake stuff down to a minimum, use your head, and go with your gut.

It's pretty friggin' good advice.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: An Organic Pregnancy...and Mom's Pretty Friggin' Good Advice

Thursday 22 February 2018

Preventing Asthma and Respiratory Problems Using a Green Bedroom

Full disclosure:

I love my green bedroom.

And so do my sinuses. I know, I know…what do sinuses have to do with asthma? Or with the color green, for that matter?

Actually, these all have quite a bit in common – or they did for me. Because what I discovered through trial, error, morning headaches and a lot of maddeningly mysterious sniffling – and a good dose of desperation -- was that making my bedroom as green (natural/organic) as possible made not only my chronic sinusitis but a number of other conditions simply disappear.

Preventing Asthma and Respiratory Problems Using a "Green" Bedroom

A Little Disclaimer

First of all, I’m not a physician. I’m a wife, mother, parent, hiker, dreamer and writer, who just happens to have discovered his personal treasure trove of wellness in going natural. Where? Well, everywhere. It started with organic foods (then, growing my own garden). Next, chemical cleaners went out. Yet I was still suffering with respiratory issues, sinusitis, and eventually, what my doctor could only describe as asthma, though she too was a bit puzzled.

“We don’t know what else to call it,” the doctor told me as I sat miserably on the exam table (good grief, why are these always SO cold?), “but the wheezing and shortness of breath aren’t an issue with a disease or scarring in your lungs that we can see, your heart is fine, you’re not currently sick with a virus, so we’ll just say asthma.”

Great. Now what?

“For now, an inhaler. If necessary, we’ll move on to steroids,” Doc told me, almost casually (yikes!). “But let’s not jump the gun on that yet.”

I was floored.

Steroids?

Not that they don’t have their place, but I have to be honest: I’ve heard a lot of very, very non-happy experiences with steroids. These weren’t for me.

I couldn’t be asthmatic…could I? How could it come on in adulthood? Couldn’t there be another answer?

Don’t Worry…This Isn’t an Infomercial

There was another answer, for both me and my family. Fear not: I won’t be trying to sell you anything unless trying to sell you on the idea of greening up your bedroom counts.

Now mind you, I’m not advising ignoring your doctor’s orders. (For the record, I did try the inhaler.)

But I do want to share with you what ultimately worked for me. Your mileage may vary.

With that said, here are the changes I made. Give them a try and see whether you feel better. I’m willing to bet that at the very least, they’ll increase your comfort level and may even benefit your overall sleep and health.

Electronics Begone!

Believe it or not, electronics really do emit radiation. That’s not a myth. Generally, this is in small doses, and removing the issue might not directly impact your respiratory health, but I found removing as many electronics as possible (yes, even my phone – gasp!) helped me to sleep better, sleep deeper and this seemed to translate into better health over time.

Forget Fragrances

The ONLY fragrances I keep in my bedroom nowadays are petals from flowers I show no allergic reaction to, or herbs grown naturally in my own garden. Even “natural” fragrances, if canned in a spray form, will dissipate into the air in a way that could irritate your mucous linings and make asthma and other conditions more pronounced.

As for candles, it’s the same principle, but with smoke. Smoke is smoke is smoke, as they say (do they say that? Well, I’m saying it). Even the smoke of a soy candle rolled gently on the thighs of mermaids and sprinkled with their tears (that might be slightly facetious) is still smoke, and smoke of any kind can negatively impact a respiratory condition. So skip the candles, or if you want them for their fragrance alone without burning, make sure they ARE all-natural, including the fragrance itself.

Clean Up

Clean your bedroom thoroughly and regularly, but ditch the chemical cleaners. Sprays in particular can be a problem, even if they’re low on lab-created chemicals or are touted as natural/organic, as you are still spraying particles into the air.

Instead, wet a rag with water to clean up dust (and DO clean it up – dust is a gigantic respiratory system offender), vacuum and then change the bag immediately (or empty the canister), and wash bedding regularly.

Get to Bed

And speaking of bedding: many commercially produced sheets, comforters and mattresses contain chemicals such as flame retardants or stain shields. These don’t HAVE to be artificial, but due to costs and ease of use, generally, they are. Switch to organic bedding (cotton; linen; wool; hemp; silk) and wash regularly, as dust mites love to cuddle into any bedding, synthetic or not.

Air Things Out

If you live in a low-pollution area, you’re not allergic to what’s currently blooming outside, and the weather is nice, open the windows once a week and allow air to circulate on through. Make sure you keep the door to your bedroom open and another door in the house or apartment, ideally across or diagonally from the bedroom door, open as well.

If you simply can’t do this, consider a great air purifier. READ REVIEWS (I can’t stress this enough), get one with a guarantee/warranty and follow all instructions for REGULARLY cleaning it and changing the filter.

Try these fixes and see whether your respiratory system is happier. For us – my entire family saw improvement, not just with respiratory issues but with skin itchiness and hives (my son), general aches and pains (my husband) and better sleep overall.

Have a good (and natural) night tonight…and every night.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: Preventing Asthma and Respiratory Problems Using a Green Bedroom

Sunday 18 February 2018

How Using Organic Bedding Can Improve Your Child's Sleep Quality

When it comes to total relaxation and comfort, few images compare to that of a sleeping child.

Yet so many children struggle with bedtime and a night of uninterrupted sleep. Though as adults we believe closing our eyes is all it should take, falling, and staying, asleep is actually a rather complex mechanism, especially for small children. There can be a number of reasons, including excess stimulation during the day, night fears, illness, a reaction to a specific food or anxiety about the next day of school or daycare. But one BIG reason can be – surprise! – your child’s bedding.

That’s right: believe it or not, what your child sleeps on (and what’s cuddled under her face) can be triggers that keep her from getting the rest that she needs.

How Using Organic Bedding Can Improve Your Child's Sleep Quality

 

A Lesson Learned…and What My Family Did About It

We learned this lesson the hard way. Our first child was easy as regards bedtime. But our younger son tossed, turned, and complained in the morning of a scratchy throat and headache more mornings than not, and over time things only seemed to be getting worse.

It took quite some time, and a lot of worry on our parts, to get the news from the doctor that our child was suffering from a number of allergies, including a possible sensitivity to the flame retardant in his synthetic-weave bedding and the foam in his pillow.

When we switched to organic bedding, the difference was (you’ll have to forgive me here) night and day. After a few tired mornings of “There’s no change – this just isn’t working,” our son fell asleep one night almost immediately and woke in the morning more cheerful than we’d seen him in a long time.

We made other changes to accommodate our son’s allergy issues, but if you suspect your child is reacting badly to her bedding and have taken her for a thorough checkup and testing to rule other possibilities out, it may be time to make a change to all-organic.

What’s “Organic,” Anyway?

Different manufacturers of different items, including textiles, food, household and industrial products, have different definitions of “organic,” and laws about labeling something organic can be a bit tricky.

Suffice to say that when we refer to organic bedding, we’re talking about natural materials v. synthetic, processed with as few non-natural methods as possible.

When it comes to bedding, these may include:

• Sheep’s wool

• Cotton

• Linen

• Natural rubber (in mattresses) (be careful here – processing for “natural” rubber can be very unnatural indeed!)

By comparison, less natural bedding materials may include:

• Nylon

• Polyester

• Synthetic rubber

• Synthetic foams

• Additives, such as some chemical flame retardants

How You Can Switch Over to Natural Bedding For a Better Night’s Sleep

A few things about your child’s bed may be hard to fix, such as finding a mattress with no chemical additives and no chemicals used in its production.

On the other hand, depending upon the child, only a few changes may need to be made. That’s up to you, your child’s pediatrician, and your child’s health, reactions and sleep quality to determine.

In the meantime, a few easy fixes to try include:

• Switching over to a natural-materials pillow (Note: NEVER allow a child under the age of 24 months to sleep with a pillow)

• Using a natural-materials pillow cover

• Buying a new mattress (NEVER accept a used mattress as a gift or purchase a used mattress for your child) with as little synthetic material and additives as possible

• Using cotton or linen bed sheets

• Buying organic mattress pads and mattress protector (if your child still has “accidents” at bedtime)

• Laundering ALL your child’s bedding regularly (dust mites and other harmful critters like dirty bedding and can cause respiratory and skin irritation in your child)

See Your Child’s Pediatrician First

It bears repeating: Always take your child to the pediatrician for any issue such as a sleep problem. There could be a treatable but serious issue that needs to be addressed.

Once that’s ruled out, making the simple changes above might just make the difference between a daily nightmare, and peaceful nights.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: How Using Organic Bedding Can Improve Your Child's Sleep Quality

Thursday 15 February 2018

Loving Your Post-Pregnancy Body

Upon the birth of my first child, I thought I was prepared for everything: sleepless nights, colic (escaped that – small favors and so on), diapers, even the possibility of postpartum depression.

What I wasn’t prepared for was my body.

It wasn’t just the way my post-pregnancy frame looked. It was how it felt. Everything was…gloopy. (Is gloopy a word?) Everything flopped. Skin rubbed against skin and was prickly and itchy. My breasts were…well, never mind.

Loving (Yes, Really!) Your Post-Pregnancy Body

NOTHING seemed to have been put back into the original places or at least the same basic form that they had been before that second line appeared on the stick.

And what about all that other stuff nobody really tells you about? Or perhaps I read about it and simply refused to acknowledge that any of it could ever be me. Not I…not the woman who gently rubbed shea butter on every square inch of skin for nine and a half long months. Not Miss Antioxidant-Rich Fruits Eater. Not the Pilates princess.

Well…yes me, actually. I was in for some, er, surprises. This just in from Nightmare Land: your pubes really CAN sweat, if there’s enough loose…stuff hanging toward them. (Ugh!) There is such a thing as stretch marks on calves.And as for my waist, it took a left at First Trimester and hasn’t been heard from since; I suspect it took off to Vegas to start an entirely new life in some fantasy land where bodies keep looking 17 forever. (Where do I sign?)

It sounds funny reading all this; it’s not as humorous when you feel like you’re not only no longer you on the inside – a transition you at least half-expected and probably to a degree, wanted – but your outside looks like, well, your mom’s. And while Mom is a lovely person, she just isn’t, at least in your opinion, the vibrant, dare I say sexual diva you fancied yourself to be prior to pregnancy. You always wanted to be like her, not look like her.

Take heart. Odds are, Mom has secrets she’ll never tell you. Somebody probably still does find her sexy…but most of all, over time, if she’s like a lucky percentage of women, she has discovered that SHE still finds herself and, yes, her forever-changed body sexy too. It’s not magic or even some trauma-induced self-delusion. Here’s how YOU can do it.

1. Touch yourself. Okay, I’m not getting dirty here. I mean, stop avoiding handling your tummy, putting on body cream, or washing in the luxurious way you used to. So you’re not some tight little teenybopper. You’re still worth touching. But you won’t believe that (no matter how much your husband or SO insists) unless you send yourself the subconscious message that your body, ALL of your body is worthy of attention. So do that. Pay attention to your whole body. Go back to your skin lotion, go back to slow, relaxing showers. Spritz your sexiest body spray. Touch yourself like you’re worth touching.

2. DON’T look on your stretch marks as “battle scars.” Is it just me? I’ve always hated that phrase. Neither “battle” nor “scar” is anything I want to associate with what is supposed to be one of the happiest times of my life. Look instead at these for what they are. Stretch marks. Normal. Natural. And you know who else has them? A percentage of post-pubescent teenage girls. Body builders. Beautiful people. You have them too and that’s okay.

3. Take your breasts back. Sometimes. If you’re breastfeeding, you probably feel like your breasts don’t even belong to you anymore. Sadly, this could mean that at night when Hubby wants his turn, you’re all tapped out (ha, see what I did there?) and you just can’t bear another touch. Plus, you look down at your former funbags which now pretty much just look like…bags. STOP RIGHT THERE. Your breasts are still lovely. I promise you. Even with the stretch marks. Even with the loss of volume. And guess what – they’re still yours. Reclaim them by getting a beautiful supportive bra – spend the extra cash, this crucial time is worth it. And when you’re all touched out, you are. Period. While in a positive frame of mind, have a talk with the hubby about this, and also remember that breastfeeding isn’t forever and that you will to an extent bounce back in this area just as with others.

4. Stop yelling at your body for not being supermodel material. Come on, nobody likes to see a grown panniculus* cry. (*You know…that hanging…stuff that used to be held up right around your bellybutton.) And here’s a secret: even Gisele probably cries in secret sometimes as she looks down at her nude glory. Stop the negative self-talk. “Fatty,” “ALL this loose stuff, gross!” and just plain “ugh” aren’t helping you. At all. Be gentle. Your self-talk should be just how you’d talk to a friend…and you’d never say these things to a friend.

5. Cuddle your beautiful body. Wear soft, silky, lovely clothing when you can. I get that you can’t go the dry-clean only or Prada route with baby barf on your shoulder, but you CAN find fun, soft, rewarding materials and styles. This goes for whatever you surround yourself with, too. Change up your bedding for something super-pretty and lovely-feeling. Add cuddly throw pillows to your bed and your couch and sink right in with a good book.

6. Nobody (and no body) can heal without rest. Believe it or not, some of the damage you’re seeing now – or for a lucky percentage, most of it – WILL bounce back over time, at least to an extent. But you can’t heal properly unless you’re rested. This goes for skin as much as for any other part of the body, so find a way. If you can afford it, hire a sitter once a week to simply nap or just sit and read. (I check out the local high schools and junior colleges for this.) Trade off with the hubby or with another parent. But do get your rest. You and your body both need it.

Remember: Not all of the changes you see immediately post-baby are permanent; they’ll improve over time. But in other ways it’s true that your body will never be the same. Know what, though? Your body is still a part of you. Take wonderful care of it. It’s the only body you have – and it IS beautiful.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: Loving Your Post-Pregnancy Body

Sunday 11 February 2018

What I Learned With a 20-Year Gap Between Pregnancies

Yep, you read that right.

TWENTY years between pregnancies (nodding).

What I Learned With a 20-Year Gap Between Pregnancies

And it's not like I'm all that unusual. In my many travels – both online and analog – I have met women with a decade-long gap between pregnancies, or two...and one woman even had a 22-year-old, a grandchild, and a baby bump due to be finished cooking in six weeks.

But on the whole, most of the time when I tell people I have children a generation apart, I get that raised-eyebrow look...and a lot of questions.

I admit it was quite a journey to be pregnant the first time to the tune of A Flock of Seagulls, and the second time watching those tunes on Youtube as “retro” or “oldschool.”

But honestly? I wouldn't change a thing. I knew when I was ready for my first child. And I knew when I was ready for my second. Today, we have such choices, still often with raised eyebrows but with acceptance of offshoots of the traditional nuclear family trajectory growing every day.

At the same time, I did encounter a few bumps – see what I did there? – along the way. Here's what happened, how I screwed up occasionally, and what I learned during this fascinating and very rewarding experience – in comparison format, just for fun! (P.s. Don't judge – and do it your way. I promise I won't say a thing.)

Last Time: I was naturally peppy, energetic and got in lots of walking, at least once I got past the “I could nap while driving” stage).

This Time: I had to push myself...but I found energy in there somewhere and expressed it, and yes, I felt every bit as healthy in the long run as I had two decades earlier.

Last Time: I listened with open-childlike-eyed, eager interest to the advice of those who had done all this before me, and had knowledge I did not yet myself possess. They had earned my attention and I owed them at least taking a stab at what they were advising.

This Time: I told everyone to blow me and did what I felt was right.

Last Time: I “fed my cravings” (and gained 70 lbs.).

This Time: I watched what I ate. And gained 70 lbs. (Oops.)

Last Time: I lost my courage in the hospital and allowed unmoderated (full-dosage) Pitocin to ravage my uterus and my morale.

This Time: I avoided the whole Pit thing by waiting until I was 8.5 centimeters dilated to go to the hospital, then begged for drugs at the last minute (nope, I didn't get them...and I don't regret it).

Last Time: I didn't smoke, and sat at least a few feet away from smokers.

This Time: Left the building if I detected smoke in any form. Yep. I was THAT pregnant lady. The annoying one. And I don't regret this either.

Last Time: I whined about “horse pills” (prenatal vitamins). I whined about having to work during pregnancy. I whined about how nobody truly appreciated what I was going through.

This Time: I whined a little less on the outside and had my own pity-parties in private. Yup...you'll need them. Guaranteed. And then you'll pick yourself up, and you'll move on.

Last Time: I was frightened of, and disappointed by, aches and pains – none of which I was supposed to possess, being an evolved woman who “didn't treat pregnancy as an illness.”

This Time: I treated pregnancy as an illness. Feet up, get me ice cream, have a nice day. (Sue me.)

Last Time: I read constantly about all things pregnancy and delivery.

This time: I read constantly about all things pregnancy and delivery, but I Googled all that stuff too.

Last Time: I worried about stretch marks.

This Time: I worried about age spots.

Last Time: It was funny...and worrisome...and creative...and beautiful.

This Time: It was funny...and worrisome...and creative...and beautiful.

And Now, For Something a Bit More Practical

With all that duly noted, there are a few things you may encounter with a longer pregnancy gap. Yes, there are real concerns (and they’re not always as saucy and hilarious as the above).

1. People may stare. Particularly if you (gasp!) look your age, you may get questions and even, occasionally, passive-aggressive style critiques. (What I encountered most was a wide-eyed “You’re so brave to put a child into this world knowing the risks to children born to older mothers!”) Have faith that this mindset is changing, albeit slowly. Be a part of the re-education of society in this regard. “Actually, I’m 47. And I’m THRILLED to be having a new little one.” Add “I did some research and the risks are actually lower than X in the general population.” Act natural and within your own comfort level, answer questions. Nothing ever changes for the better until people SEE the positive results of that change.

2. You may feel differently from the last time. I touched on this above, but moms, the struggle is real, at least for some of us. I was completely shocked that I wasn’t bounding out of bed in the mornings the second time around (I asked my husband if we could by one of those harnesses they used to lift whales from the ocean for this very purpose). I was also pretty darned surprised by the appearance of morning sickness; never expected that. Each pregnancy can be different no matter how large or small a gap there is between them, but unless you got started on your family very young, you may feel more tired and struggle with more issues physically this time around. Know this in advance and plan for rest time – and do ask for help from loved ones.

3. The “treatment” of pregnancy may have changed since the last time – actually, let’s change that to: it’s probably changed. We learn more about pregnancy and childbirth every day. Science changes constantly on the subject. So does the type of support we get. Take advantage of a great, supportive online or realtime meetup community), stay informed and read, read, read.

4. You’re allowed to be sexy this time. This is an evolution, so perhaps you were allowed to be sexy last time, too. I wasn’t. Giant voluminous Peter Pan-collar stuff was still in for pregnancies when I had my first little one. Next time around, women were showing off baby bumps like crazy, revealing a little cleavage, and just generally reveling. Go for it!

5. Eat well; sleep well. Whether or not you felt like Wonder Woman the first time around, this is your second pregnancy, and a surprising number of women start off subsequent pregnancies depleted in various areas. Take care of yourself – not just for your baby and your other child, but for you. Most of all, enjoy the process. Whether you feel like garbage, like a queen, or somewhere in between, remember each moment. Journal; take pics. Start a pregnancy blog. Be in the process as much as you can so you can look back and, yes…perhaps even consider going for Round Three.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: What I Learned With a 20-Year Gap Between Pregnancies

Thursday 8 February 2018

When Your Child Feels Left Out: Special Needs in the Real World

“How was the party?” I asked, ready to hear Tales of Wonder and Excitement (not to mention sugar) from my then eight-year-old son, Jaxon.

“It was all right.” Jax dropped his goody bag down on the kitchen counter and turned for his room. “I probably can't eat any of that,” he said matter-of-factly over his shoulder.

“Wait, wait.” Jax stopped and listened obediently for whatever I was about to say, but his eyes looked...so sad. I had never seen him look quite like that. “Did...did you have fun?” I asked lamely.

Jax shrugged.

“Well, you must have done something at the party,” I encouraged. “Did you play any games?”

“They did something with donuts,” he said. “You had to try to grab them with your mouth or whatever. I couldn't do it. Gluten.”

Oh, so that was it. And honestly, how hadn't I known this would eventually happen? The awareness. The “I'm different” realization.

I'd sent Jax with his usual little package of gluten-free “treats,” using recipes that were always a work in progress to get them to taste like “real” food (as Jax was beginning, worryingly, to say). And I'd expected it to be enough. It had been, when he was little.

But now something else had very obviously entered the picture.

Jaxon was finally realizing he was different. And that was hard to swallow.

When Your Child Feels Left Out: Special Needs in the Real World

Special Kids, Special Needs

Naturally, every kid is special. But when additional concerns enter the picture – such as a developmental disability, environmental or food allergy, neuro condition, or physical issue – kids can feel isolated, and misunderstood.

I'll level with you: I learned this more by talking with other moms than I ever did on the internet, in books, or even through my children's pediatrician. The reason? Words are one thing. When you're living the life, it's real. When it's your child, the rubber has hit the road...and you, Mom, Dad or caregiver, need to do something about it.

Perhaps you're a parent just like me, and like so many other families out there who have additional concerns, or potentially dangerous issues, such as, in our case, Celiac disease, an autoimmune reaction to certain proteins (particularly gluten) which can result over time in damage to the gut.

It's serious stuff, but let's face it: ANY child who is treated “differently” due to a similar concern is experiencing something serious...and eventually, she's going to know. It will go beyond “I can't eat that” sassily and naturally stated on the playground to “Why am I different?” at some point.

I believe it does for all of us families with children of additional needs or concerns.

What then?

There's Hope

There are things you can do for, and say to, your child which go beyond the pat and rarely listened-to “you should be grateful...” that we were (pardon me) fed by our parents. (There's room for that too, but you need to make it realistic...we'll get to that in a moment.)

I'm not a child development expert, so do ask your pediatrician before making dramatic changes to your child's lifestyle, and if you are concerned about possible psychological ramifications of her experience with her needs, please consult a professional.

Please note: your child is not my child. She has her own personality, and her own set of actions or comments that will resonate with her. Be sensitive to your child's uniqueness and gear the following to what you feel will work best for her, and for your whole family.

So...let's get down to it, shall we? Let's make things better for our children...one party or playdate at a time.

Arrive Prepared

There are so many appropriate opportunities to teach your child not to treat herself as “different” from anyone else; to have her “learn to deal” with her differences with grace and a pert shrug of her shoulders. They probably come up frequently. And they're wonderful learning times.

In my opinion, at a party trying to make new friends at the park isn't necessarily one of those times.

Oh, it's certain that depending upon your child's needs, the subject could come up among his new friends. And she may be happy to answer questions. And that's fine. But overall, when it comes to a just-for-fun activity, make things as easy as possible for your child to get right into the middle of the fun.

For my family, that means packing tons of goodies Jax can eat and drink. For the next parent, it could mean having an inhaler or Epipen readily available, bringing a lightweight sling seat for maximum mobility, scouting out a quiet cool-down place at the locale ahead of time or some other resource (or resources).

You may be used to lugging around tons of equipment already. If you are, you're probably rolling your eyes at this suggestion. Again, the point here is to make this preparation as EASY AND UNOBTRUSIVE as possible. Don't call your child out (“Are you suuuuuuure you don't want some gluten-free muffins?” “Sammy, are you in the Blue Zone?”) or make him stand out, but do be ready with your easiest possible, least disruptive hacks for his abilities.

Then let him get right into the fun.

Host Party of Your Own

Your child is probably used to going to parties where she has to make accommodations in order to be able to participate.

Here's a novel idea: why not host a party that already has accommodations?

We had an entirely GF party for Jax on his last birthday, and nobody knew, except those Jax happened to mention the fact to. The treats were delicious and everyone played around and had a ball. (Jax has a summer birthday so there was lots of water activity and a water bouncy house.)

Your child deals constantly with his own limitations, whatever those are. This one time, let accommodations already be there so he can feel truly (I hate this word – but I guarantee you it WILL come up at some point) “normal.”

Here's a perk: if your child does want to talk about the different things you've done to craft “his” party, he has the opportunity to. He can teach his friends in this way about something new and open up new worlds of understanding for them as well.

Let's be clear. The point here isn't to create some fantasyland for your child where he's “just the same!” as everyone else or to hang out in a state of denial. It's to put control into your child's hands (he decides what he does and doesn't do at his party, without limitations; he decides whether or not to reveal intimate details to friends, rather than having this forced on him by circumstances).

It's to show your child he can be in control, and that he can steer his own ship. He actually may have fewer limitations than he thinks he has if he can achieve this mindset. In my opinion, this is very valuable indeed.

It's a win-win.

Talk About It

We have had the “everyone has his/her things to deal with” conversation many times. Even in non-special needs families, this talk will generally come up.

Why? Not because it's a tortuous rite of passage every parent inflicts on her child (“You should be GRATEFUL, darn it!”) but because, well, it's true.

Children enter the world with very black-and-white thinking. They'll use superlatives quite a bit. (“Everybody gets to do this, I never get to do X, this is the worst day of my life.”) That's natural; it's because kids are learning about and trying to interpret their world, and that means putting things, at least for now, into clear categories. Good. Bad. Fun. Sucks. Delicious. Gross. You get the idea.

And a child with different needs from the general population – at least as far as she can tell – may occasionally feel the entire world is having a gas, while she's stuck on the sidelines.

I say, try a new take on the “you should be grateful” speech. Don't finger-wag and don't shame. Instead, introduce the idea in an upbeat way. Talk about people with different circumstances and abilities and all the things they can do (don't go overboard, just talk about everyday, achievable goals; again, you're not trying to make a “shame on you for not achieving” picture here).

Jax discovered he was autistic at around age seven. Oh, he'd heard the word before, but he REALLY realized that it meant something at around that time. He came to me with sad eyes and asked “why” he was autistic. Within a few years I heard for the first time, “I hate autism!”

I didn't wax surrealistic (and possibly inaccurate) by making wild claims that Albert Einstein was autistic and so is Bill Gates. Instead, I began, slowly, to introduce different very real (real in our immediate experience) people. An uncle. Dad. Me. Jax's friend Millie.

Bit by bit I gently let it sink in to Jax's head that nobody has “a normal life.” Nobody. There probably isn't any such thing, given trend changes in what's considered “normal” and not anyway, as well as individual interpretation. But leaving philosophy aside, letting your child know he is not the only person struggling with someone (indeed, I don't believe anybody is immune to struggle) makes her feel less persecuted and more like a functioning and needed part of the human race – her rightful place no matter what her challenges are.

When Your Child is Snubbed

All of these suggestions won't be sunshine and rainbows. Your child may lose a friendship (actually, everyone does at various points while growing up), or may be snubbed on the playground. She may even be bullied. And yes, once in a while, it could specifically (and very vocally) be “because of” her “differentness.”

My take on this is: if it's a snubbing, treat it as you would with any child. Ask your child to have as calm a possible talk with the friend to see if she can help the friend understand circumstances better.

After that, if the snubbing continues, it's time for the tried and actually quite true “If that person doesn't love you, find someone who does.” She won't believe it at first, and she will hurt, and she will cry. You'll be there to hold her. And just as your mother probably did for you, you will help her to eventually really believe those words. If your child was directly snubbed due to her disability, there will be a lot more to talk about, but don't glaze over this part. Do address that there is such a thing as prejudice against the differently-abled, but stress that this is changing for the better, and that she, by being her beautiful self, is helping to create that change. Let her know she IS making a difference, and she IS needed...and she IS valuable, just for being herself.

Actively help your child make new friends if she's very young, or encourage from the sidelines as quietly as possible for an older child, such as suggesting that your daughter invite a new friend to a sleepover.

If it's bullying, however, do not let it go. Please stand up and be the one to say something. A child who bullies your child is almost undoubtedly bullying other children. There could be a variety of reasons, but there is never an excuse for bullying. Full stop. Speak to the parents or, if it happens on school property, to the school. Your child needs to see that bullying will never fly. Ever.

Don't Just Have Special Needs Friends

One thing we've learned is to not just have friends “who can understand” Jax's issues. Rather, we have kept his friends pool broad and without limitations. He has some friends who are autistic, sure. And he has one gluten-free buddy. But for the most part we put no limits in this way.

It's tempting to surround yourself with people you “don't have to explain things to” (trust me, I know). But in my experience, that can make anyone, but especially a young child, see his/her disability first; it makes the disability the focus. And it shouldn't be. Your child's heart, her love of singing or dancing, her quirky sense of humor, her affection SpongeBob, climbing trees or collecting worms, or whatever makes her, her, should be the focus.

I don't believe there's any such thing as too many friends, if they're true friends who really love you. So come one, come all – and let your child know she can be loved by anyone...and is.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: When Your Child Feels Left Out: Special Needs in the Real World

Sunday 4 February 2018

My Hypoallergenic Pregnancy

In April of 2013, I stood in my bathroom staring at the second pink line on the plastic stick and waited for it all to sink in.

It took a while. As in, about a week ... at least. I'm pretty hazy now on those initial days. The thing is, G and I had tried for three years to get pregnant. We were at the considering-IUI stage (soon, my gloomy mind had assured me at the time, to be followed by the expensive-and-fruitless-and-Clomid-ravaged IVF stage...yep, I'd done a bit of reading by then). Just as the cliché goes, we “gave up” for two months and...bam.

Or perhaps not so much bam. I'd love to be able to leave that paragraph right there, just like that...like Hollywood, like a cheesy Reader's Digest story, like a tearful vlog. But let's be honest: I was already into (deeply, deeply into) a holistic approach to our reproductive issues. I had a schedule on my kitchen wall that rivaled any western hospital chart, with herbs, yoga, and wait-then-copulate (our cutesy name for what had become a chore) designations in rotation. After 18 months of this schedule, G had had it and so had I. I kept up with the supplements and the yoga, dropped the rest, we had a few romantic nights and we'll never know whether it was the relaxation, the former regimen, or whether the stars aligned. Or maybe it was just chance.

One way or another, finally, we were pregnant.

My Hypoallergenic Pregnancy

I was immediately set back into tailspin mode. Where I previously obsessed over getting pregnant, I now overfocused on staying that way. We had no miscarriages in our past, but with the difficulty I'd had becoming pregnant in the first place, this little bean was all the more precious.

G told me to “just relax.” (I heard that phrase so many times on this journey that I was ready to take a hammer to the head of the next person who said it; I was half-tempted to warn G to duck.) And I did try to relax. Really, I did. But if anything happened to Bean, I didn't know if it would be three more years before we had another chance to be a family. Or five years. Or ten...or never.

And one thing I was absolutely strict on was being as all-natural as possible. I could compromise on the yoga and dropping the evening primrose oil. I couldn't compromise on shielding Bean from the harsher effects of a very chemical world. And this I don't regret. At all. Call me crazy; call me obsessive. You won't be the first and I won't disagree. But a nearly-hypoallergenic pregnancy worked for me, and has extended itself since then into all aspects of my life.

Here's what happened. I had always known I was highly sensitive to detergents and synthetic textiles (especially synthetic-weave clothing and bedding). When G and I first began trying to conceive and had our first difficult months of no second line on the stick, my food intake was the primary thing I looked into. I didn't demand, or even ask, that G change his diet, but I was sure as hell going to change mine.

So I did some research. And I discovered that tactile (skin/touch) sensitivities were often tied into other intolerances within the body. But these can be sneaky. They aren't always easy to detect and even when you suspect them, it can be tough to get an actual, practicing doctor to agree with you. (WARNING: do NOT self-diagnose and alter your lifestyle unless you speak to your doctor first. Be specific; leave nothing out. And yes, as anti-modern medicine as I became by the end of my pregnancy with Bean, that is still something I'll recommend to anyone in a similar situation...it's not just a CYA disclaimer. I mean, just in case you were wondering. I would, suspicious cuss that I am. Let's move on...)

A bit prematurely perhaps, I eliminated wheat from my diet. Next went dairy. I trucked off to my doctor's office to ask for intolerance and allergy testing. She told me I could not be tested for Celiac disease (an inflammatory/autoimmune response to wheat) unless I reintroduced it to my diet. I was too paranoid to do so, so I kept wheat out of my own accord (again, I'm not making recommendations...just explaining my journey). But she was able to test for dairy/casein, soy, and a host of external allergens, such as grass. I was positive for the grass, plus seven other externals; the foods appeared to be fine. So I kept wheat out, put the rest in, and avoided my allergy triggers.

Next, I replaced ALL (yep, all) synthetic or synthetic-blend fabrics from my home, with the exception fo the couch...that would have been a pricey proposition. I told myself that since I wasn't actually wearing the couch (though if it would have guaranteed Bean's health, I swear on scout's honor before you right now I'd have found a way to do that too), things should be basically A-ok. I replaced my bedding and pillow for cotton and organic wool.

Next, replaced as many plastics in the home as possible. I found an entire ousting of plastic to be impossible (I'm typing on a keyboard right now, for example) but cups and plates, storage containers and so on...all had replacements, and I went for those.

Next I attacked my makeup bag and medicine cabinet of toiletries. That was a two-month chore all by itself; so many ingredients can be allergy-inducing (or worsening) in susceptible individuals, and what constitutes “natural” in an additive isn't always clear. If you're going this route, prepare for some homework, that's all I have to say. Whew. But in the end, I was comfortable that I had done my best.

With these major issues out of way, I attempted to relax my way through the rest of my pregnancy.

And believe it or not, whether it was simply because I felt a greater sense of control, or whether sensitivities had played a part even in my emotional health, or whether it was both...things went rather smoothly and to both my and G's joy, Bean not only stayed lodged securely and happily, she decided to take a 10-day extension beyond my due date.

And then....she arrived.

Words can't describe how I felt when I looked into my daughter's face for the first time. If you're a parent, you know exactly how I felt...and you know every parent feels this way...and you know that nevertheless, your experience was unique. It just...was.

Today, “Bean” has a real name and she's an active little girl, enjoying as natural and non-chemical a childhood as possible while living life to the fullest. And Beanlet, her brother-to-be, is preparing to join her in (checking calendar...as if I weren't already counting every single hour) eleven more weeks. This pregnancy has been very different, from the start (shocker: we hadn't even officially started “trying” with Beanlet) to how gigantic my ankles are (hint: this time...super-duper gigantic...if that's an actual unit of measurement) to my temperament to...everything.

But one thing that isn't different at all is that I'm keeping things as all-natural and non-irritating as possible. Beanlet won't the same person as Bean. G and I don't want him to be. We just want him to be him....and healthy.

There's something to be said for just letting go and allowing nature to take its course, and that what we're trying to do this time around. But I believe we needed our experience with Bean to get there. What is my message to you? That whatever you decide to do (within reason and with good health in mind) during your pregnancy, try...and try hard...to have it feel right. Knowing that I was just doing something – and that this “something” was within my beliefs, was well-researched, and aligned with my personal health philosophy – was huge for getting me through my pregnancy fears with Bean, and allowing me to enjoy the journey with Beanlet. And it's a mindset I've been able to extend to other parts of my life as well – and it's made me not only healthier but a happier, more confident person overall.

Find what works for you...and then just take a deep breath, and enjoy. Do what you believe in, be healthy, and have your experiences to their very fullest. In my view, that's what life is all about. Good health and a healthy pregnancy to you.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: My Hypoallergenic Pregnancy

Thursday 1 February 2018

Five AWESOME Sick-Day Activities For Your Elementary School-Age Child

It’s that time of year again: a time for school activities, holiday fun, and yes…the flu (you know…that strain the flu shot didn’t “cover”).

At first your child will want to sleep, sleep and sleep some more....but in no time at all you’ll realize she’s up and awake - and bored.

What do you do when it’s too soon for her to go back to school, yet she’s just un-groggy enough to be calling out “Mom…I need something to do”?

Gentle but engaging activities are the way to go during this transition time. Here are five fun strategies for keeping your little patient occupied while her body recovers.

Five AWESOME Sick-Day Activities For Your Elementary School-Age Child

Cuddle Up With a Photo Album

“Just” reading will only keep your youngster occupied for so long (and I say this as the parent of readers). But photo albums are always fascinating to children. Kids love to take a trip down memory lane, hear stories that feature them as the star and have some giggles at how silly they (and you!) looked “way back then.”

You’ll be surprised how much time you and she can kill flipping through old pictures. If you’re not particularly organized (raising hand guiltily over here) and don’t have chronological, orderly albums, flip through your phone, or bundler her up and bring her to the computer to search old folders for images. You’ll love this activity as much as she does.

Have a Living Room Camp-Out

My son and daughter love these! Sick children tend to sleep more, but there’s no reason the journey there can’t be fun. Drape a sheet across two pieces of furniture. Set a comfortable, fluffy blanket down inside. Add a few pillows. Put a familiar, cozy movie on, include a light snack if your little one’s stomach can tolerate it and cuddle up with him.

This is a GREAT way to get a child who needs his illness-recovery sleep to chill out and ease into a midday nap.

Give Him a Glow-in-the-Dark Bath

When my child is feeling particularly under the weather, he usually asks for a bath, and depending upon the illness, the warmth and moisture can really help matters.

Invite your child for a fun glow-in-the-dark bath by turning off the lights and giving him glow sticks. It only needs to be dark enough in the bathroom for the glow sticks to show up, so leave the hall light on, or if it’s daytime, don’t draw the bathroom shade all the way down. You want to keep this activity safe while retaining the fun factor.

Make sure your child is old enough to understand that glow sticks are to be gently played with and not forced open.

Let Her Catch Up on Some Journaling

Surprise your child with a journal and new pen (you can keep this simple and inexpensive; any local store with stationery should have, at the very least, a lined composition book). While you’re at the store, grab some stickers, magic markers, glitter pens or any creative elements you think your child enjoy.

Ask your child to write her name on the inside cover, add the words "My Journal,” and then let her just write! She can pen anything that comes to mind. It’s likely she’ll start off by describing her sick day and (hopefully) how excited she is to have her new book. But really, what she writes is up to her…it’s her journal, after all.

Before she makes her first entry, hand her the stickers, markers, glue and so on, and tell her to decorate her special book any way she wants.

Make “Sick-Day Popsicles”

If your child has a sore throat, a popsicle can work wonders (be careful of making these for a child with a stomach bug; fruit juice may exacerbate things). If your child is up and about, even if slowly (and well wrapped-up in a robe), let her help you make these as part of your sick-day activities strategy.

It’s easy to make popsicles. Any fruit juice will do. Water the juice down if you’d like. Let your child chop up her favorite fruit to add to the popsicles. Pour the juice into a popsicle mold; insert a crafts stick. Set the timer for 45 minutes and let your child get up at that time to check that the popsicles are just becoming slushy. At this point, have her add the fruit chunks gently so that they’re suspended in the slush. Set the timer for another hour. At this point the popsicles should be ready to eat; if not, check again every 20 minutes.

In between all this fun, make sure your little one is getting plenty of rest. Sick children tend to tire easily, so you may only need one or two of the above strategies to get your child through her day. However, if she needs a few days to recover, cycle through these ideas, and encourage her to come up with some of her own. Before you know it, she’ll be well again and ready to go back to her normal schedule – with a smile.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: Five AWESOME Sick-Day Activities For Your Elementary School-Age Child

Wednesday 31 January 2018

The Ultimate Guide to Chemicals and Toxins in Baby Products

Do you know what’s in your baby’s bedding?

Undoubtedly, you check to make share everything is safe that your baby touches, plays with, sleeps next to, or puts in her mouth. We’re certain that you’re carefully vetting every single product that goes into caring for your baby. But did you know what’s in your baby’s products that you can’t see?

How about skin irritants, lung-damaging particles, or chemicals that have been definitively shown to encourage the growth of certain cancers or hinder brain development? Sadly, it’s true. Most parents have no idea that each of these - and more - could be a part of your baby’s day products that you know and thought you could trust.

And it’s not your fault! Public institutions and government agencies are supposed to provide its citizens with the truth, but, as we shall see in this Guide, there are many factors involved that prevent parents from receiving information vital to protect their families.

Study after report after analysis has proven time and time again, that baby products from food to toys, to bath products, baby cribs and furniture, are toxic and especially harmful to infants and young children. There is more than meets the eye with many commercially-made baby items. And many of these surprises are not good.

Worried? Don’t be - because we’re about to give you the tools to identify harmful products and keep them OUT of your baby’s items. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you’ll know how to make changes that will make your baby - and your household - healthier and happier.

Here are a few chemicals and toxins found in general baby products.

The Nasty 9: Avoid THESE Dangerous Toxins in Your Baby’s Items

“But I’m not buying chemicals for my baby! What kind of a parent do you think I am?”

We agree. And a few years ago, we’d have said the same thing. Until we learned how the following 9 innocent-seeming items could actually be hurting our children.

We know you love your baby. And we know you’re careful. We were too, or thought we were - until a little investigation into our middle child’s constant ear infections, fussiness and a weird collection of hard-to-pinpoint maladies had both us and her pediatrician stumped. Then we did some investigating.

Here’s what we found out: These 9 toxins are an unwelcome surprise in millions of dollars of baby purchases each and every year.

Avoid these chemical and toxins when buying for your baby:

Number One: Talc

Talc is a powder primarily made up of magnesium, silicon and oxygen. It is meant to reduce skin-on-skin rubbing, reduce moisture and to provide a soothing feeling on diaper rash or other chafed areas.

Talc has been used for generations of babies and was once the code word for gentle mother-love: It soothed the bottoms and cute little creases.

Talc has its selling points for sure: It’s cheap, it’s easy to use, and it does reduce chafing and help to soothe diaper rash and prickly heat. However, what we know today would have alarmed our grandmothers (and may just alarm you): Talc is a lung irritant and is classed as a carcinogen, according to cancer.org.

Initially it was the presence of asbestos (yes, really) that was pointed to as the cancer-causing ingredient in old-fashioned talc. However, after the 1970s, when asbestos was removed from most talc products, the cancer danger was still evident. There is clearly another element to talk ultra-toxicity, and that element may be talc’s structure, which is actually composed of tiny, free-floating fibers. When inhaled, talc appears to increase rates of lung and ovarian cancer.

Look for talc-free alternatives, such as Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Dusting powder, or visit your local Whole Foods or natural health store for other alternatives.

Number Two: Fragrance

We realize that fragrance is a very general (and very big) category. There are many types of fragrances, including chemical-free plant extract varieties.

But let’s face facts: When it comes to commercially-prepared items - even those intended for Baby - the financial bottom line is often the primary concern for manufacturers. Cutting corners and saving cash tend to rule what fragrances are put into baby products - and that often means toxic, cheap additives.

Scientific American warns there may be dangerous additives and propellants in fragrances used by manufacturers in quantity (both for personal perfumes/colognes and those used to scent products, including baby items). These include petrochemicals - a class of toxins made from, believe it or not, petroleum and natural gas that have been linked to respiratory, neurological, skin and eye damage. In fact, there’s evidence that some forms of asthma may be linked to exposure of the sufferer to petrochemicals during childhood.

Steer clear of heavily, commercially fragranced baby products wherever possible. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer. Some scents, such as essential oils or water essences of plants deemed safe for human use, are harmless.

Number Three: Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is added to many personal care items, including skin and cleansing products and shampoos. It is a cheap derivative of fossil fuel and acts as a carrier for active ingredients. It appears in many baby washes, shampoos and creams, as well as baby wipes.

But what you may not have known is that propylene glycol is used in antifreeze and to de-ice planes. Oh, yes...and to put directly against your baby’s sensitive skin, as it effectively opens the pores.

Avoid it and its derivative names (PPG and PEG) and buy or make gentle wash products for baby instead.

Number Four: 1,4-dioxane And Ethoxylated Surfactants

Trust us, they’re as bad as they sound: These ingredients, while cheap and much coveted by large-scale manufacturers in all sorts of baby care categories, may have contaminant and carcinogenic qualities.

Sadly, these items are widely used in baby items. In fact, research from The Environmental Working Group revealed that a whopping 57% percent of baby soaps are contaminated with 1,4-dioxane.

The bigger problem? You won’t find these ingredients listed under their actual chemical names. So look out for these ingredient listing names for them instead:

  • Polyethylene
  • Polyethylene glycol
  • Sodium laureth sulfate
  • Ceteareth
  • Oleth
  • Oxynol
  • Items ending in -xynol
  • PEG

Number Five: Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a bit of a paradox in that it sounds so...well, unharmful. Mineral oil has been used as a personal care item for centuries.

Rather than one product, mineral oil is a category and is largely a derivative of the process of turning crude oil into gasoline. This process means it may be contaminated with other toxic constituents. And from the standpoint of Baby’s comfort, it can clog pores (it is considered “comedogenic”) and could make him uncomfortable, potentially worsening rashes and other skin conditions.

Making matters worse, mineral oil for baby care is often mixed with toxic ingredient-based fragrances (see above). This is NOT a combination you want near your baby!

Like other items above,  mineral oil, too, hides under a variety of names. Look for it under:

  • Paraffin oil
  • Liquid petroleum (rarely used in baby products due to its negative associations, but you may occasionally see this designation)
  • White mineral oil

Number Six: Parabens

Parabens, parabens everywhere - where AREN’T these innocent-sounding but potentially dangerous preservatives? Parabens (ethyl, methyl, butyl or propyl) are routinely found in:

  • Baby soaps
  • Baby liquid washes
  • Moisturizers/creams
  • Rash products
  • Wipes

That’s not all, but these are the items physically closest to your baby. Read the ingredients label; you may be surprised - and not in a good way.

So what’s the problem? Parabens have been implicated by studies as being linked to issues for adults and children alike, including asthma, allergies, several forms of cancer and for both women and men, infertility issues.

As effects could compound with more uses, you don’t want to get Baby started down this path. Read labels and put the ones with parabens back on the shelf.

Number Seven: Triclosan

We all want to keep our children as clean and germ-free as possible. It’s common sense: Fewer germs should mean, over time, fewer illnesses, which is particularly important for vulnerable babies and toddlers.

Unfortunately, many baby products labeled “antibacterial” contain Triclosan, which the National Institutes of Health (NIH) believes to be an endocrine disruptor, at least in rats, per the results of this and other studies. We’re not rats, but we are mammals, and our endocrine system works similar to other mammals. Results of studies such as these are eye-opening, and serve as a warning to avoid items that could harm our hormonal interplay - whether for adults or children.

In fact, endocrine disruption may be even worse in young children, whose bodily organs and endocrine system are still developing and maturing. The endocrine system includes the ovaries or testes, pancreas, pituitary (which dictates a child’s physical growth) and pineal glands, salivary and sweat glands, and gastrointestinal tract.

Keep your baby healthy in other ways. Don’t take her out into public for extended periods during cold, cough and flu season, and keep her from touching items in public and going near strangers during this time. Wash Baby’s hands frequently. Cover your mouth with the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze (if you cover with your hand, the hand receives the bacteria, which you then pass to your baby and onto surfaces with your touch). Teach your toddler to do the same.

Also teach your developing toddler as early as possible not to put playground toys or other objects into her mouth. And be sure to take her for regular well-child checkups. A healthy diet high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants - usually found in fruits and vegetables - will help, too.

Number Eight: Flame Retardants

Flame retardants made from Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, were banned more than a decade ago due to their toxicity, but older furniture may still contain them, and other types of flame retardants are still in use. In particular, foam-filled cushions and pillows may have been treated with flame retardants.

PBDEs pass easily through the placenta of a pregnant mother into the fetus and from breast milk to a feeding infant.

There are more than 209 PBDE compounds. Toxic effects range from behavior issues and learning disabilities to an impaired reproductive system.

Look out for ingredients under any of these names:

  • PentaBDE
  • OctaBDE
  • DecaBDE
  • HBCD
  • TBBPA

These may not be listed; ask the manufacturer. If you can’t get a clear, definitive answer, choose a different product. There’s a reason for secrecy among marketers, and that reason is usually tied to legalities from negative issues. Avoid!

Number Nine: Lead

We found this hard to swallow, too: There is an acceptable amount of lead that can be found in commercial food items...including baby food.

Yes. Seriously. An acceptable amount of lead.

Lead can cause birth defects when ingested by pregnant women and can harm the brains and nervous system of babies and children.

The scary part here is that highly trusted commercial baby food preparers such as Dole and Gerber (see below) are being taken to task to force them to disclose even trace lead amounts. This means you can’t necessarily rely on the companies you were so certain had your baby’s best interests at heart.

So far, there aren’t many clear designations for forced-disclosure trace ingredients on some baby foods. Lobbying continues for safer labeling, but in the meantime, buy organic, or grow and grind up/pulverize your own fruits and veggies to feed to Baby.

If Toxins Are Easy To Spot, What’s The Big Deal?

You know how to read a label, and you know what a “chemical” name sounds like. And well-known companies wouldn’t hurt babies; they’d be sued left, right and center right out of business. Right?

Not necessarily.

We don’t always know when a company is poisoning us...or our children.

Here’s an example...

A case in point: Over 80% of all toddler products contain toxins, Duke University says.

Yes, you read that correctly...EIGHTY percent!

We know...we were shocked, too.

Flame retardants were fingered in a 2011 study from Duke University as having been found in baby items from car seats to changing pads to portable cribs.

Fully one-third contained chlorinated tris (TDCPP), a potentially carcinogenic ingredient that is supposed to have been removed from children’s clothing during the 1970s. (The reasons are unclear, though the items may have come from nations that do not have the ban.)

Another flame retardant, TCEP, listed as a carcinogen in the state of California, was found in 10 nursing pillows tested for the study.

And the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) claims 90% of human beings have measurable flame retardant levels in their bodies, with toddlers having three times the level as adults.

It’s difficult to say how this is happening, though one possibility is cross-contamination during the manufacturing process due to old equipment. Another reason is that imported products may come from countries that have different regulations.

If in doubt, ask the manufacturer. Request a clear WRITTEN letter or email briefly stating, “Our products do not contain (ingredient H) and were not produced using (ingredient H).” If the manufacturer refuses, there’s a reason. Leave the item on the shelf.

Ultimately, your best line of defense is to simply not buy foam products. Use cotton, hemp or wool instead. But are cotton, hemp or wool all created equal? We’ll discuss this later in this article.

 

But The ‘bigger’ Companies Are Trustworthy … Aren’t They?

In a word: No.

In this shocking story from 2013, the Environmental Law Foundation (EPA) took three trusted baby/family brands - Dole, Del Monte and Gerber - to court for not delivering lead warnings in baby food. They aimed to have smaller than currently FDA-accepted levels of lead to be disclosed per California’s Prop 65 toxin warning law.

If Gerber can feed your child lead (and spend money to fight for their right to continue doing it), you know that there’s only one entity after your baby’s best health interests: You!

All Washed Up: Bath Time Could Be Harmful To Your Baby

What your baby sleeps and sits on and even what she eats may be harming him via toxins. But what about the bath? We don’t normally think of bathtime - which is generally a soothing, loving part of any child’s day - as hurtful. But even bath products labeled ‘Extra Gentle’ or ‘Safe for Baby’s Delicate Skin’ may be doing him more harm than good.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics - a subset of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners - found in their research that 61% of popular children’s bath products tested contained the toxins 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde.

The EPA classifies each of these as “reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans.”

Frighteningly, “trusted” baby bath products that contained such ingredients included, per the study:

  • Johnson’s Baby Shampoo     
  • Sesame Street Bubble Bath
  • Baby Magic Lotion
  • Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash
  • Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash
  • American Girl Shower Products
  • Several Bath & Body Works child bath formulations

Still Feel Safe? We Wish We Could Agree With You…

Also in the study, 82% of baby products tested were found to contain between 79 ppm (parts per million) and 610 ppm of formaldehyde.

How can this happen, unchecked and stopped?

According to Stacy Malkan, who headed up the CFSC’s report: “Because they’re technically not ingredients, formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane are exempt from current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling laws.”

That means not only these but many other baby products, including bath and shower items, may be just as dangerous...and we’d never know it.

What Is The Government Doing About This Issue?

Even those who are less government-centric might expect authorities to step in. This is, after all, a matter of the health of innocent babies, who can’t protect themselves.

Sadly, we can’t count on the government to protect infants and young children any more than we can depend upon corporate baby product sellers to stop using “allowable” toxins in the name of saving time and money for themselves.

This eye-opening story from the LA Times suggests that of 85,000 industrial chemicals currently in use across the globe, just 200 have been tested and/or regulated.

And while a number of bills have been taken to Congress in an effort to test and regulate chemicals more thoroughly, not much headway has been made.

Doing the math, that is well in excess of 84,500 untested CURRENTLY USED potentially toxic chemicals we - and our infants - are exposed to...every single day.

As healthystuff.org commentators so revealingly pointed out, “The U.S. government doesn’t require full testing of chemicals before they are added to most consumer products...once they are on the market, the government almost never restricts their use, even in the face of new scientific evidence suggesting a health threat (italics ours).”

In Bed Together: Government And Big Corporations

It’s no secret that government and big business have been holding hands for decades on any number of issues. Usually, the bottom line is money, both in profit and in protection against potential lawsuits.

It’s not as if some officials haven’t gone to bat in favor of common health, but making headway is difficult in the face of two such large categories, their funds, and their lawyers.

In 2009, State Sen. Mark Leno introduced a bill that would end the requirement that certain baby items be treated with toxic flame retardants. While the use of flame retardants initially had a positive motivation - the safety of children - discovering their overall toxicity has brought to light the fact that they may just be doing more harm than good. (See our coverage of Flame Retardants earlier in this article.)

Mysteriously, those initially supportive of the bill did a complete 180 immediately before the hearing...without any known cause.

For example, the deputy director of the State Department of Consumer Affairs, a regulating authority for baby and other products, initially supported the anti-flame retardant bill. Yet per their own admission, the agency withdrew support just hours before the hearing.

We can’t postulate here exactly what prompted the withdrawal, but it’s obvious minds can be changed in official organizations in a direct way. And such changes don’t require explanations. This means we can’t count on even initially supportive “powers that be” to help protect our families from toxin dangers.

The Good News: How To Make Healthier Choices For Your Baby

There’s a lot of scary news in the items listed above. Is there any good news?

Yes! There ARE ways to help protect your baby from toxins in her bedding, personal care items, and food.

Here are ways to ensure your baby is safe - so you can rest easy.

  • Choose organic fibers for mattresses. It sounds counterintuitive, but foams such as polyurethane commonly found in infant mattresses and toddler pillows (NOTE: Only give pillows to healthy children 24 months and older) can actually encourage pests such as dust mites. With certified 100% organic wool, cotton and natural rubber, breathability means less moisture is trapped and bad little bugs are less at home. This means going natural with your baby’s mattress does double-duty: You not only remove the threat of toxic foams, you also reduce the chance of pests that can irritate Baby’s skin and airways.
  • Choose breathable cotton bedsheets. Make sure they’re not treated with flame retardants.
  • Try natural rubber for sheet protection, or double-up overnight on cloth diapers and a diaper insert so Baby can sleep comfortably.
  • Grow your own fruits and veggies (if possible) and make your own baby food. Many fruits and veggies can be grown in pots indoors (in sunny areas) or on a patio; some can be encouraged to climb up trellises. These gardening hacks will all save space. If you can’t grow your own food for Baby, buy organic and, if you can, from local farmers to support small-scale family owned farming. Making the baby food is incredibly easy: Get a baby food grinder for older babies and toddlers or puree in a Magic Bullet or any food processor.
  • Use natural and certified organic baby bath and lotion products. A general rule is: The fewer the ingredients, the better. Be warned, though - this has its exceptions. For example, “just talc” and “just mineral oil” are both dangerous (see above).
  • Instead of commercially prepared baby wipes, use old pieces of soft, absorbent material, such as terry cloth from cut-down towels or washcloths. Wet; clean Baby up; pop into the washer with your cloth diaper washing for the week.
  • NEVER accept used cribs, mattresses and pillows, even as gifts. Grandma or your cousin may mean well, but standards for avoiding toxins get better each year...which means each year you go back in time means potentially more chemicals. In addition, you won’t be sure the bedding wasn’t manufactured in countries without certain toxin prohibitions or that they haven’t been cross-contaminated with other items. Buy ALL of your infants’ sleep materials new, certified, and researched by you.

Certification Standards And Helpful Organizations

Consumer Reports published a list of natural and organic certifications and organizations that represent the top mattress labels in the US. Manufacturers can use marketing terms like ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ on their mattresses as marketing ploys to increase their sales even though they do not adhere to any actual standards or require verification. For a mattress to be truly organic, it would need to contain a minimum of 95% certified organic materials.

Here is a list of organic mattress labels you can trust:

  • The gold standard for natural products is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and GOLS (Global Latex Standard). These are the only two mattress labels that are truly organic. Organic certification under GOTS or GOLS guarantee at least 95% certified organic materials. Further, these certified organic certifications outright ban the use of toxic materials in the other 5%, for example, flame retardants and even polyurethane, which is the main ingredient used to manufacture memory foam.
  • Another good certification body is Oeko-Tex Standard 100. This set of criteria does not ensure that product is produced organically, but it does set limits for various chemicals and chemical processes. These include limits on the emission of potentially toxic materials during processing. In addition, allergen-producing dyes, flame retardant chemicals and colorants are prohibited.
  • The Eco-Institut label includes mattresses and bedding, furniture, consumer goods and building materials. The organization tests extensively to control emissions during production of items and strictly limits these.
  • Oregon Tilth has delivered accurate, reliable organic certification for more than 30 years so far. They impose strict standards on production, inspections and the law as it relates to manufacturing and selling products with organic claims on the label.
  • Green America is known for its Gold Certified segment, watchdogging companies to make sure they promote social justice and environmental sustainability, according to company officials. By demanding responsibility and transparency, the organization seeks to encourage more green, safe products across a variety of sectors than ever before.
  • The IOAS (International Organic Accreditation Service) dedicates its services to investigating and confirming eco- and green-label claims in agriculture, environmental concerns and fair trade. The organization works globally to make sure companies making these claims are performing to standards.
  • The OTA (Organic Trade Association) is membership-based. It represents more than 8500 organic businesses across the U.S. Members include farmers and farmer’s associations, processing facilities, certifiers, shippers, exporters, and consultants, to name a few. Products related to baby care concerns may include foods and beverages, organic fibers, household cleaners, and personal care products.
  • The USDA Organic label has strict requirements for organic products. They must be produced without non-certified methods, such as GMO’s and ionization. There website also lists certified organic farms and businesses in the US.
  • CertiPUR-US is a certification program for foam bedding. We’ve talked quite a bit about mattresses and bedding (which is a natural fit for your concerns, as infants sleep up to 60% of their day, and toddlers, up to 50%). CertiPUR-US prohibits formaldehyde, regulated phthalates and other dangerous ingredients, additives and coatings in foam mattresses.
  • Greenguard and Greenguard Gold have stringent limits on fomaldehyde and other volatine organic compounds (VOCs) in mattresses and other home products.

These top mattress labels that you can trust also apply to other products for the home and bedroom. For example, you can find pillows that are certified GOTS or GOLS.

Buy Organic or All Natural: The Only Choice For Your Family

When it comes to protecting your baby, your best tool is knowledge. Read all labels. Ask the manufacturer or seller questions. And when you can, make your own items for your baby, or try all-natural materials as alternatives to commercial preparations.

Purchasing organic or all natural from independently certified manufacturers is the only safe choice for your family to avoid these chemical or toxins. Every member of your family is exposed to toxic chemicals in school, in the work environment, and in the home.

Infants and expecting mothers are considered highly susceptible to exposure to chemicals and toxins in the home. We can consciously choose to reduce these toxins in the home by eliminating the harmful products, and replacing them with healthy, organic alternatives.

If you would like more information about the brands and choices that you have as a parent or expecting parent, click this link and download out Organic Baby Holiday Gift Guide.

Instead if researching online and browsing multiple websites for all natural or certified organic products, All Organic Home offers the world’s largest online selections of organic bedding, pillows, mattresses, bed linen, comforters, swaddles, cribs and other natural necessities for Your Baby and for Your Home.

Every step you take toward helping your baby lead a toxin-free life is a step in the right direction ... and a giant stride towards their healthy future.

Your Home. Your Life. All Organic.



Source URL: The Ultimate Guide to Chemicals and Toxins in Baby Products