Healthful Mama Summer Camp: Have a Fun, Healthy, Safe, & Affordable Summer
The start of summer is one of the best times of the year, isn’t it? The weather has finally balanced and you can count on warm days for weeks to come, the anticipation of new graduates electrifies the air, the joyful screeching of kids leaping off the school bus on that final day, and the sounds of splashing in pools, spraying of hoses, and car stereos through open windows are heard almost simultaneously. As a teacher-who-married-a-teacher, I am no stranger to the adventures summer brings when an open stretch of two months is presented in one large chunk. We’ve driven...
Read MoreDIY Sunscreen in a Pump: Safe & Cost-Effective
Sunscreen is expensive, especially if you’re purchasing a brand that is natural and safe (see my picks for safe sunscreens that work). There’s no way around it: ounce-for-ounce, safer ingredients are priced higher. If you wear sunscreen on a daily basis, if you have active kids, or if you just like to save a buck, making your own sunscreen might be the cheapest, the safest, and the most effective method of blocking UV rays. I had no idea that making sunscreen is so simple. Four ingredients are all it takes, and you can get them all on Amazon (if you can’t find them...
Read MoreTop Picks for Natural, Safe Sunscreens
Why use a natural sunscreen? Most natural sunscreens use UV blockers/reflectors, meaning that the product sits ON TOP of your skin, versus needing to soak into it. Think of the white-nosed lifeguards at the beach. They’re using zinc oxide—a physical barrier against long-term sun exposure. Natural sunscreens work the same way, but have been formulated to avoid coating you in white paste. In contrast, most traditional sunscreens use chemical agents to absorb UV rays (usually ingredients ending in “-one,” like avobenzone), but these ingredients can act as hormone...
Read MoreStop the Spray! Spray sunscreens are awful for your health.
Crashing waves. Sand warming your toes. Bright rays of the joyful sun. Vibrant laughter floating on the seabreeze, as well as….PSHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhsssssssssssssssst! Oxybenzone entering your lungs… Without fail, each summer, beaches up and down the coasts (and playgrounds, sporting events, picnic areas, and campsites across the country) are infiltrated with families who insist upon using spray sunscreen. The invention of sunscreen in a can revolutionized the sunscreen application process. Parents of wriggly, excited children everywhere found a quick, simple way to protect their...
Read More5 Reasons Why Your Paleo Diet Is Pathetic
I can’t get away from it. The Paleo. It’s everywhere. My natural grocery store has a display devoted to Paleo cookbooks and reference texts. The blogosphere is all but saturated with titles like Paleo Hacks, Paleo on a Budget, Everyday Paleo, and The Paleo Plan. My damn Pinterest feed is littered with Paleo affirmations. Hell, I’ve even tried to cash in on the fad, labeling some of my recipes as “paleo/primal friendly.” But no matter how often I see the “benefits” of the Paleo diet spewed about from various sources, frankly, it seems like a crock. And...
Read MoreMake Your Own Toothpaste
If you’re reading this, chances are, you’re interested in avoiding the dangers of fluoride or curious about how making your own toothpaste could save you money–that’s why I was inclined to take on this little project, at least. Many recipes exist for homemade toothpaste. However, none of the articles nor posts I’d read about making your own toothpaste truly got into the nitty-gritty of it all (there’s a pun there that you’ll understand later). I’d like to photographically walk you through my process, my results, and my reactions, and offer some...
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The Book That Changed My Life and Influenced My Health Philosophy
