johncsnider

Thanks for sticking around through my wipes series where I shared making DIY Disposable Baby Wipes and DIY Cloth Baby Wipes . Now what about store bought wipes? Today I share some information and have a giveaway for a 3 month supply of super natural WaterWipes. Store Bought Baby Wipes I have bought a lot of baby wipes over the past 6.5 years. I love the disposable wipes for trips, disposable diapers, quick face washes on the go. I tried to use cloth for these purposes but sometimes a girl needs balance and convenience. You've probably seen these babies with bad chemical rashes from baby wipes. Plain water works great for baby wipes, it is all I have used for baby #3 with our cloth wipes.  It is easy to pick out wipes, just read the ingredients like you would a food label: if you cannot pronounce it or it isn't natural, don't get it. After all, our skin is our largest organ and everything that goes on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. Example: Huggies Soft Skin Wip...

Now that you all know how I made disposable baby wipes that were extra gentle on my baby's skin and chemical free, here is how my baby wipe journey continued. I HATED DISPOSABLE WIPES! Mainly because I had to have a second trash can next to my cloth diaper pail and I just don't like clutter and extra STUFF in my life. While pregnant with baby #2, I knew that I would be washing my own cloth diapers so I made my own cloth wipes. I had never sewed before but my aunt gave me my grandmother's 70 year old sewing machine. I had it serviced and the man at the sewing machine repair shop showed me how to thread the string and sew a straight stitch forward and backwards (that's all the machine does). That 5 minute tutorial (and a few YouTube videos) was all I needed to sew a quilt, a bedroom garland banner, a sleep sack, and these cloth wipes as my nesting projects. These wipes are very easy! Next week I will be giving away a 3 month supply of all natural baby wipes so check back...

Here's the start of a series about baby wipes (homemade, cloth, and bought) from when I used to make my own disposable baby wipes with baby #1. BUT I also use disposable wipes in my purse for the out-and-about diaper changes, playground hand/face washes, and for the babysitter. At the end of this series I will be giving away a 3 month supply of all natural baby wipes so check back! DIY Homemade Disposable Baby Wipes A reaction from the chemicals  in mainstream baby wipes. photo: http://waterwipes.com/2014/02/14/ what-nasty-chemicals-are-hidden-in-baby-wipes/ Sometimes you want more natural wipes than the mainstream brands. Maybe you're baby has a reaction to mainstream wipes or you are a natural minded person. Purchased natural wipes are great (and keep checking back for that 3 month supply giveaway that is coming up), but can be 3-4 times the cost of store brand wipes. So for those of you who have a tight wallet or are obsessed with DIY projects, here is how to make your own...

Tip 1: Baby carrots are already cleaned and cut. Tip 2: Make an extra bag of each meal for yourself. Whether it is in anticipation of a new baby or just needing some time off of cooking, here is how I just stocked my freezer with freezer meals with the help of friends (because I was way to shy to do this alone). What are Freezer Meals? Freezer Meals are meals that have already been prepped and are sitting in your freezer ready to be eaten. They could be raw ingredients ready to be dumped in a pot or slow cooker or they can be completely cooked and just require a reheating. Step 1: Get Friends I was way too intimidated to do freezer cooking by myself. In fact it seemed like all the planning that was required would take more time than making the meals and I don't have a lot of time.  I asked a group of friends and found that several friends were also in need of this type of meal help. Plus it is the winter and we are all bored of our own cooking. Step 2: Decide on some standards We h...

Thanks Jennifer Leigh Mayer for sharing my Elderberry Syrup Recipe! http://jenniferleighmayer.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/guest-blogger-elizabeth-ebinger/

My placenta went home with me for baby #2 and baby #3 to encapsulate my placenta (a.k.a. "happy pills"). I started running really low with baby #3's happy pills and a friend suggested that I make a tincture that I could use if I ran out of pills and also for hormone balancing during menopause ( 1-3 capsules full in 8 oz. grain alcohol) . Jennifer Leigh Mayer , a Placenta Alchemist with Mama Moon NYC and Brooklyn Placenta Services has shared her recipe for making your own placenta tincture.  Thanks Jennifer for this great placenta tincture tutorial! DIY Placenta Tincture DIY tinctures are a wonderful remedy for mothers to use during the postpartum period. Many mothers use the tincture during times of transition such as teething, weaning, change in caregiver or even travel. They are easeful to prepare, all you need is 7-10 drops of tincture in a bit of water. The effect is a gently uplifting emotional support. This step-by-step guide will teach you everything you need to...

As you all know, I didn't ditch my drug store big-name makeup until I was first pregnant. I started to realize that everything that was put on my skin was absorbed right into my bloodstream . When I looked into the brands that I was using, there were chemicals like lead that I was not so fond of going to my baby. Dr. Sachar completely hooked me up with some of his makeup products and I realized that I needed the perk up. I used to never be seen without makeup and now I embrace my natural beauty. That said, I do feel that a little bit of "enhancing" makes me look like a new woman. I enjoyed Dr. Sachar's lip gloss the most because even if I don't have any other makeup on, it makes me look put together and gives my whole face a glow. I use the foundation as a concealer and it stays on without caking or drying. The eyeliner is bold and easy to apply. I can't deal with makeup drama so I was happy that his stuff works. Thank you to all who participated in the Dr. Sa...

Do you remember how I helped you to easily  remove toxins from your beauty routine ? Well here is something fantastic to help you get a nice jump start. Dr. Vik Sachar created a non-toxic line of makeup that is perfect for pregnant women (and all women!). He is giving away a fabulous collection of his makeup to one of my lucky readers! Mineral lipstick Mineral eyeshadow Mineral cream foundation Mineral blush Professional blush brush That is a $118 value and free shipping. One lucky reader will be chosen at random on Sunday February 2nd at 8pm. You can be entered up to three times. Each action enters you: Comment below (make sure to link your email to your name so I can contact you if you won). Like my Facebook page and comment on the Facebook giveaway link. Share the Facebook giveaway link to your on Facebook page. Dr. Vik Sachar is a double board certified Maternal Fetal Medicine (High Risk Pregnancy) & Ob/Gyn Physician.  He created a product that will benefit all pregna...

http://www.ounewsbureau.com/?attachment_id=4275 My friend Liz had a midwife during her first (of three) pregnancy. Her midwife explained to her that giving birth is like running a marathon . There is no way that you are going to have a good experience running a marathon if you just show up the day of the race and start running. If anyone has had a good experience doing this, keep it to yourself! I have ran and was glad that I trained. I hear from endless women who made little to no effort to prepare for their baby's actual birth. They planned for the nursery, the clothes, their diets, their maternity leave but completely left out the birth. I've heard pregnant women say "I'm just going to show up and get that wonderful epidural" or "my doctor is going to step me through it". I know no one in these situations who looks back on their experience as beautiful and being in control of their body. So here's the issue with those thoughts. That epidural is u...

If you are online, you have probably found red tricycle's website filled with helpful (often funny) product reviews, mom advice, modern styles and more. They put out their list of " Blogs Every New & Expecting Mom Should Know " and this blog made the list. Thanks red triangle, I am happy you like this blog.

Busy while waiting for an overdue baby #3. I was pregnant and having discomfort going from sitting to standing. I had to support myself and scoot to the edge of the seat to get up especially from low things like the couch. Yep, I was pregnant. I had to do a little waddle just to go from sitting to standing. Some people would say that this is just part of being pregnant. I say, I am too busy to deal with pregnancy crap like this! I learned a trick that made the discomfort go away in 15 minutes. My third pregnancy was really rough on my body. I was non-stop carrying a toddler everywhere. Our toilets are in the basement and on the second floor so I was always carrying a kid up or down a set of stairs. I had to bend all sorts of ways to snap two kids into carseats. I was walking or doing yoga almost daily to keep myself limber so my body could adapt to the changes that were happening.  Then it happened. I started having to stand up like a pregnant lady! Not me! I had to do the wiggle ...

Like many parenting and health topics, circumcision is a very personal decision. Once it is done it will affect your boy for the rest of his life. Kenyan boy taking part in is circumcision ceremony. image: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7536892.stm This is a non-judgemental page. Researching circumcision is entertaining! It is traditionally a religious or cultural decision where the historical reasoning is conflicting. Some circumcised to increase sexual pleasure (now known as a myth) while others circumcised to decrease sexual pleasure and decrease masturbation. The world is very polarized on this topic. Even within Kenya where I witnessed the circumcision ceremony of teenaged boys, the decision is tribal. Some tribes do it and some don't. In the United States, the rate of circumcision changes based on where you live. The west coast has low instances while the east coast has high instances of circumcision. My town is very divided. Most of the moms that I know chose not to c...

I have only had one New Year's Resolution in my life and it was to not use any canned food for a year back when BPA was first linked to so many health issues. My solution to cans was so well integrated into our lives that we never missed cans and still rarely use them. So after that very successful resolution a few years ago, I forced my husband to do a 2014 resolution with me. We are going to read two books together and have a book club style discussion about them. He made the mistake of asking for my health coaching help with his dental issues. I know that as his wife, I can only coach him so far so he needs to read the facts for himself. This is what we are reading: Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition, 2nd Edition by Ramiel Nagel This book also covers how to stop dental decay while pregnant and how to prevent children's teeth issues. It is a win-win for both of us to read! Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by ...

Are you still struggling with some last minute gifts? My favorites are the homemade ones! I have some great Pregnancy and baby crafts as well as older sibling crafts  my Pinterest page !

Check my Facebook page to see if you won. I gave away a  FREE brand new double breast-pump: The First Years Breastflow Memory Pump valued at $179.99 .

I am sharing a great video from Stanford on how to get almost 2x the milk from pumping for premature babies and moms immediately returning to work outside the home. Of course only nursing (no bottles) is the best way to have a good supply of breastmilk as the baby can eat on demand and his or her suction is the best type for draining and stimulating more milk. Pumping is not as great at getting milk out. New moms who try to pump when their babies are very small find that little or no milk comes out. These moms should try to keep the baby on the breast as much as possible. If the baby is premature or she is already returning to work outside the home, here is a great "hands-on" method to use your hands and pump simultaneously to maximize output. If output does not increase a Lactation Consultant should be privately hired (pediatricians and OBGYNs are not specialized in milk production). http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html

The Wold Health Organization (WHO) recommends that 15% of births should be by cesarean. They have done endless research globally. I respect the WHO.  My sister-in-law told me her birth story in Germany five years ago. Her doctor assigned a midwife as soon as she was pregnant. The midwife did everything from prenatal visits to the delivery. A doctor was at the hospital overseeing that the birth went okay but was there just in case of emergencies and not to deliver the baby. The midwife then made several home visits after the birth to ensure that breastfeeding was successful and that mommy and baby were healthy. Her region has a 17% cesarean rate. I love birth stories .

Do you wonder why my family doesn’t get the flu? Here’s my secret recipe. Mainstream medical professionals all agree that the flu shot is safe for pregnancy women. While I was pregnant with my second baby in 2009-2010, it was during the swine flu scare and I had chosen not to get the flu shot. My caregiver tried all sorts of things: “You won the giveaway, it is free!” “No thank you”. It is always questionable as to how much the flu shot works and I personally didn't feel right about injecting merc ury ( Thimerosal, found in some flu vaccines)  and  formaldehyde  in to my bloodstream that would then go to my baby. So how is it that I have three germ carrying kids and have not had the flu in 9 years? Well 9 years ago, I was going through a transitional time and I was eating so much processed foods. This was just a year after I had been living in Africa, eating mostly unprocessed foods, and was exposed to plenty of Vitamin D daily. Now my body for the first time in several ...