My 4-year-old loves her stuffed animals like Frosty treasures his magic hat. Sure, they don’t make her shout “Happy Birthday” when she jumps out of bed every morning and “comes to life.” But she does dress them up, carry them around and treat them like gold. And why shouldn’t she? These indispensable buddies provide her lots of comfort, especially on those days when she’s not feeling so great. No wonder then that Thermal-Aid Zoo is a hit with kids in need of a little TLC. A ice pack/heating pad cleverly disguised in the likenesses of a cuddly koala bear, elephant, hippo, monkey and rabbit, these plush pals are more than just a playtime companion. When your little one is feverish, pop one of them in the [&hellip
The Healthy Walnut Archive
No matter how old I was, I could always count on one thing on Christmas morning: my stocking stuffed with the Lifesavers Storybook. How I couldn’t wait to savor the flavor of all those rolls of Spearomint, Five Flavors and butterscotch (well, maybe the butterscotch I could live without). Now as a mom, my annual tradition is to fill my kids’ stockings and Easter baskets with new toothbrushes (I know, I’m a real killjoy). Seriously though, it doesn’t hurt to balance out all those sugary sweets we’ve been indulging in since Halloween. And the dentist does recommend replacing your toothbrush every few months or so. My 4-year-old has her heart set on a Yo Gabba Gabba brush that sings to her as she brushes, but [&hellip
No, it’s not quite the “Monster Mash,” but with Halloween just around the corner, we’ve been giving a lot of thought to healthy eating for the kiddies (got to counteract that sweet tooth somehow…). While I know quite a few moms who started out making fresh baby food for their first child, they never quite followed through with their second (or third, etc.). And who can blame them? Trying to find time to keep up with laundry, and manage a shower every now and then, is enough of a chore without the pressure of preparing pureed veggies from scratch. Well, even those wonder women with the best of intentions can now shrug off that guilt like yesterday’s yoga pants. A new baby food maker has [&hellip
As a kid, I despised having my temperature taken. It was one duty that my mom specifically designated to my dad who seemed to wrestle with a thermometer at my expense. I could never quite get it to stay under my tongue, and having to endure that entire minute of waiting for the mercury to peak felt like an eternity. My, how things have changed since then. Today, we have the options of under-the-arm or the less invasive in-the-ear models. Yes, you still have to contend with a squirming child, but at least you can get an accurate reading…or can you? The thermometer I currently rely upon is sometimes questionable; I wind up hitting the memory button in a panic and don’t know if I’ve [&hellip
Cutting those first teeth has got to be one of the more painful experiences for a new baby–not to mention the mom who’s suffering alongside her. When I was a kid, my childhood doctor told my mom that an adult, much less a helpless infant, couldn’t bare the excruciating pain. Back in the good old days, a simple silver spoon fresh from the freezer worked in a pinch. Today, moms’ choices for babycare woes are much more plentiful. We’re especially taken with one of the new Dr. Brown’s teethers, just launched this week at ABC Kids Expo, one of the country’s largest baby products trade shows. You may recognize the Dr. Brown’s name from his award-winning line of bottles, and this is one doc who [&hellip
Both my girls have super-sensitive ears. The entire first year of kindergarten, my now-8-year-old would cover her ears until her school bus came to a complete stop (the brakes bothered her). My 4-year-old is not as sensitive, but she doesn’t particularly enjoy seeing movies in a theater (can’t say I blame her in that department, but for different reasons). While a mom friend once suggested trying ear muffs, I never wound up following her advice. But as time passed and I figured there might be other kids experiencing the same heightened sense of hearing as my kids, I wasn’t surprised to learn about the invention of Baby Banz Earmuffs. These fashionable ear guards are specifically designed to protect babies/little kids from loud noises. (Because young [&hellip
When someone you know announces her pregnancy, it’s amazing how infectious that happiness can be. It seems like the whole world smiles at an expectant mom’s baby bump, sharing in her joyfulness at the prospect of a new life coming into the world. No one ever likes to associate an impending birth with anything negative, but the truth is life isn’t always perfect. Pregnant women, especially those with a preexisting medical condition, need to take extra care of themselves during those precious nine months. It’s why we’re recognizing the m*a*m*a necklace, a jewelry line designed with expectant mothers in mind. The oval pendant subtly shares the important information of your condition in the event of an accident or medical emergency. The stainless-steel design features a [&hellip
Last night’s dinner was nothing short of a miracle. After nearly a year of repeatedly putting roast chicken on my 4-year-old’s dinner plate, she actually picked up a wing and bit into it…without freaking out. Granted she only took a bite, but at least she finally gave it a try without bursting in hysterics (her older sister can vouch for the sincerity of my word choice). For those of you who have picky eaters (and I’m guessing that’s most of us, at one time or another), it’s extremely easy to lose hope of your child ever consuming healthy nutrients that are not in liquid form. And if you refuse to be one of those parents who makes a separate meal for your fussy non-foodie, then [&hellip
In my house, we go through paper towel like water; practically every time I turn around, it’s time to replace the now-empty roll with a new one. And while I aim to clip coupons whenever a brand I like is on sale, I am particularly fussy about which products I use. Once the colder weather rolls around, I tend to favor the softer towels with the thicker plush–much more kind on my seasonal eczema. Of course, like every mom trying to save the planet, one small sandwich baggie at a time, I do my best to cut down on waste. So, when I received a sample of Bambooee resuable paper towel, I thought maybe it could help me do a better job–both at planet-protecting and [&hellip
Today, my 4-year-old unearthed a snail-shaped teether we had saved from her teeth-cutting days. I remember she would happily gnaw on whatever she could get her little hands on: from shiny spoons, to board books. And whenever I dressed up and donned a strand of colorful beads, she instantly gravitated toward my jewelry and, much to my horror, popped them in her mouth as though they were candy. If you have an equally curious baby with a penchant for pendants, then you’ll breathe a sigh of relief that there’s a cool product out there that may look like costume jewelry, but secretly doubles as a tempting teether. Rock-ease by Teethease is an attractive necklace of 7 stone-shaped beads fashioned from soft, flexible silicone. Not only [&hellip