How many Cheerios and Goldfish do you think your toddler has consumed? One look at the backseat of your minivan, and you can answer with certainty: A LOT! You may not realize it, but even little kids get tired of eating the same snack foods over and over (in fact, multiple mini boxes of raisins have been blamed on many a meltdown…we kid you not). If you’ve been noticing that your little one has turning up her adorable nose at her favorite snack food, it’s time to break out of that rut and try something new–and nutritious. We’re finding ourselves going ga-ga over Little Duck Organics’ Tiny Fruits. This assortment of 100-percent organic dried fruits are especially tasty, not to mention healthy. There’s no sugar [&hellip
The Healthy Walnut Archive
I never breastfed my daughters, but from what my mom friends tell me, latching on isn’t the only challenge they faced. Once their baby was happily fed, moms still have to contend with that uncomfortable feeling of …well, for lack of a better word, fullness. And for those who had to endure severe breast pain, they were really in need of some relief. Enter Lansinoh Thera Pearl, 3-in-1 breast therapy. At first glance, these purple bead-filled gel sacs look too cool to be tucked away in a nursing bra. But looks aside, they offer tremendous benefits. Toss them in the freezer for a couple of hours, and they help relieve engorged breasts. If you’re suffering from clogged milk ducts, pop Thera Pearl in the microwave [&hellip
The second week of summer vacation, and the snack choices have already lost their allure. If you’re already finding yourself looking for a healthy alternative to Goldfish that doesn’t warrant sighs of boredom, have we got the snack for you! Plum Organics’ Fruit & Veggies Shredz have the great taste of fruit without the high fructose corn syrup. After a week of ho-hum crackers and other portable snack foods, we were ready to give these delectable treats a try…and believe me, you didn’t need to twist the arms of my 8- and 4-year-old testers! Not ones to shrug off a fresh peach or watermelon slice, I knew these kids would be tough critics when it came to judging the fruit-taste authenticity. But after just a [&hellip
Today was my daughter’s end-of-school class breakfast, during which these rising third graders were treated to a feast of bagels, muffins, OJ and fresh fruit. Because one of her classmates has a gluten allergy, parties like these aren’t exactly cause for celebration. Rather than sample the homemade or store-bought treats supplied by the collective parent ensemble, this student must dip into his stash of wheat-free mini cupcakes that the school nurse stores for him. His mom tells me he’s gotten used to this routine by now, but that it wasn’t always easy. In fact, it was only earlier this month on Field Day that he wasn’t sure whether he could indulge in one of the parent-provided ice pops (after careful consideration of the packaging label, [&hellip
Some nights, no matter how hard I try, I just can not get comfortable. No matter how many times I fluff my pillow, adjust my blankets and shift positions, I’m not feeling relaxed and ready for sleep. Surely any adult is able to relate to this scenario at one time or another (but hopefully not too often!). Now, imagine being a newborn, fresh out of the womb and feeling particularly frustrated that mom’s loving touch is no longer available 24/7 (yes, even the most dedicated of moms must sleep sometimes!). If you’ve been “blessed” with an especially fussy baby, trying to find a way to soothe your little one can be an exhausting experience. For those who have tried swaddling without much success, we beg [&hellip
Lucky mom that I am, I’ve had the unfortunate experience of having my first trimester during the summer with both kids. Because I love my daily glass of vino like every other person, I needed to get creative and come up with a non-alcoholic alternative that quenched my thirst, but was a tad more exciting than a slice of lime in ice water. Let’s just say that by the time I gave birth to my girls, I had sampled more fruit-flavored beverages than I knew existed (key lime pie soda, anyone?). If you happen to be expecting your own bundle of joy later this year and could use your own daily dose of fun in a glass, you may have found your ticket to bliss [&hellip
Baby-soft skin…it’s something I was fortunate to have through much of my childhood. When I was little, my dad used to reach over and playfully rub my cheeks. By the time I became a teenager, this small gesture became mildly embarrassing. But now that I’m a mom, I find myself doing the same thing to my daughters. Their unblemished, tender faces are a thing of beauty, something that makes wish that I could freeze this moment and keep them little forever. Well, since time won’t be standing still for this daydreaming mom, at least I can keep my girls’ skin in top condition. BabySpa‘s new collection of natural skincare is specially formulated to work for different ages and stages, since your kid’s skin changes as [&hellip
Indestructible sunglasses for kids? Never heard of ‘em. My almost 4-year-old has already been through 3 pairs, and they never manage to make it through an entire season. Whether her shades end up in the bottom of my beach bag, haphazardly having been crushed by a carelessly tossed rock or seashell, or are inadvertently stepped on (don’t ask), it seems kiddie sunglasses can’t withstand the power of play…until now. At the suggestion of a loyal Talking Walnut subscriber, we decided to check out Babiators, a line of child-sized sunglasses designed to outlast your kid (or at least until she makes it to grade school). At first glance, we were a bit suspicious; how could anything that fits into a package the size of travel-sized toothpaste [&hellip
Today I am recovering from Mohs surgery. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s a dermatological procedure that removes cancerous skin cells. Having been blessed (or shall we say “cursed”?) with a Irish complexion, it’s my second time I’ve had this procedure in five years, and one I hope my own fair-skinned daughters will not have to experience. Sunscreen usage wasn’t nearly as prevalent when I was growing up as it is today; we spent our childhoods blissfully ignorant of the sun’s harmful rays. And while I remembering my mom slathering me with that infamous Coppertone scent, there were clearly times when we missed a spot or two, or endured a painful burn after failing to reapply lotion after a long day of sun [&hellip
There’s nothing worse than hearing your baby cry; to this day, I still can’t bear the sounds of my kids in distress. Maybe it’s the way my brain is wired, as I hear from other moms who complain that their husbands can successfully tune out the tears. No matter who jumps up first to tend to a inconsolable kid in the middle of the night, it only takes a short time as a parent to know that those sounds of distress are often the result of a fever. If you’re lucky enough to have a baby who takes her infant drops willing, then you’re lucky enough. We had one of those, and mistakenly thought that’s how all babies should be. Not the case with Kid [&hellip