Green Mama Idea #8 – Beat the Flu Season Part Two: Saline Nasal Spray Might Save your Life!

I always love to get tidbits from health care professionals…it just makes my day! With this season’s cold and flu viruses making headlines, I have been searching for ways to keep my child and the whole family healthy. A great word of advice from a health professional I truly respect – use saline nasal spray when cold symptoms emerge.

The effects are twofold – 1. the temporary relief of symptoms and 2. ridding the nasal passages of nasty bacteria and viruses that are just waiting to proliferate in your body. This person’s advice was to take a cotton swab several times a day and coat it in nasal spray. Then insert into the nose gently. Gently coat the inside of the nose. Remove. Repeat several times a day.

As always, talk to your health care provider – but I thought it was great advice. It has certainly helped my family this week through a little sniffle scare. 

Good luck!

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

Green Mama Idea #7 – How to Beat the Flu Season

With flu season upon us, I know many moms are cringing at the prospect of sick kids. I know I am.

I heard some great information from a medical professional on how to survive the flu season and I wanted to pass it  along. So, want to stay as well as possible this flu season? Try vitamin C. The recommendation we got was to stick with the powder form of vitamin C (less sugar for you or your little one) which you can then add to water or juice. You can’t really taste it, so you don’t even know you are taking vitamins – perfect if you have a little one who hates vitamins or if you are one of those people who can’t stand the taste of vitamins.

It is really important to stick to the recommended dosages, so you should talk to your doctor before starting any new regiment like this. This is especially true if you are giving any vitamins to a child.  As always, this site is not dispensing medical advice, so please check with your doctor before making any changes.

The amazing thing about vitamin C is that our body uses it to fight off infection, so if you are sick or getting sick (or just plain trying not to get sick) then taking a little vitamin C helps give your body the fighting chance it deserves to kick out the bacteria or viruses that are attacking it. 

Good luck!

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

Green Mama Idea #6 – Infant Homemade Toy Ideas…

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of creativity a child has. Even more so, it never ceases to amaze me what a child can make a toy out of!

With budgets tight for many families out there, I have been collecting a list of homemade toys for infants between six months to one year old. Please feel free to add to the following list:

+A cardboard box filled with small items and closed on all sides (except for a small opening for your child to investigate). Your child can reach in to the box, pulling out each item one by one. Eventually, he/she will sort the items back into the box.

+For a quick ‘music’ or ‘dance’ class, turn on the TV (if you have cable) and find a symphony music channel for some music enrichment time or a fun kids music station for some dance-a-thon time!

+Make your own reading books out of construction paper. You can recount a special trip or show pictures of family members. Or you can try to tackle any tough issues with sleep, eating, etc. through story. If  you are worried about the durability of the book, you can laminate your books for pennies! 

+Sock puppets for an impromptu puppet show!

+Music makers made of plastic bottles filled with beans, buttons, etc. (Lid must NOT be able to come off as the contents are choking hazards…as always, use your judgment!)

+Old oatmeal containers, coffee containers, cans for drums

+Bowls, spoons for ‘cooking’

+A tunnel made of a large cardboard box – we got creative and cut out holes in the sides like a little fort. We even added hanging items on the inside.

+A pillow mountain for your little one to climb or crawl all over!

+A sheet tent – it’s never too early to read under a tent made of sheets…

Again, feel free to add below to this ongoing list. Let me know if any of these ideas work for you!

Good luck!

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

Green Mama Idea #5 – Natural Remedy for Infant Eczema

Just when I think that we’ve kicked the eczema to the curb for my infant, it returns. Speaking with my doctor recently about my frustration, I learned of a quick, easy and natural way to treat eczema – Noxzema.

A little tidbit about the product – the marketing strategy behind the name is that Noxzema will “Knock Eczema Out”.  My pediatrician informed me that Noxzema has a homeopathic concoction of oils and other ingredients to treat eczema immediately. Noxzema is affordable, easy to find, easy to apply and yes, it works! I have finally found a product that has helped my little one get rid of those occasional bouts with eczema. I am thrilled!

Let me know if it works for you-

Good luck!

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

Green Mama Idea #4 – Easy Food Storage for Infants Eating Solids

I was in a pinch the other day to gather some solids for my little one for our family day at the beach. To my dismay, I had no handy storage containers for the amount of food I needed to bring with us. I frantically looked in the cupboards and I had a great idea….

My Fresh Baby food trays! Fresh Baby food trays are actually designed for breast milk and pureed food storage, but I thought it might be worth a try to place the food in there for quick storage. Perfectly portioned in 1/8 cup serving sizes, the tray design allows for easy and quick storage on the go. Luckily, I was able to store a whole day’s worth of diced avocado, bluberries, chicken, stewed apple, oat cereal and little crackers. I didn’t have to worry about transporting them up and down the beach as the cube tray container kept everything neatly organized – and it was very easy to dole out just the right amount to my baby while on the go!

You can buy Fresh Baby food trays – which are made in the U.S.A. and are BPA-free and phthalate-free – at Fresh Baby…enjoy!

Good luck!

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

Green Mama Idea #3 – Natural Remedy for Cradle Cap

Every mom is familiar with the tough-to-get-rid-of recurrence of cradle cap in their youngster. After dealing with cradle cap for several weeks with my little one, my pediatrician told me about a great natural remedy that worked wonders for me – Listerine. 

But not just any Listerine – only the original formula will do. Here’ s what you do: Buy Listerine (original formula only). Soak one cotton ball with Listerine and rub on child’s head, being very careful to avoid the eye area, etc. Wait five minutes. Then, very gently and carefully take another cotton ball with water and wipe off the Listerine from the hair. If the cradle cap does not go away within a day, repeat once.  

It sounds crazy but it works so well! The ingredients in the original Listerine do a fabulous job…and again, my pediatrician recommended this as a homeopathic remedy. But ask your doctor first if you are unsure, and as always this is not medical advice, merely a suggestion.

Good luck!

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

Green Mama Idea #2 – Boiron Arnicare Gel

No matter how careful you are, how well you’ve childproofed the house and how closely you watch your little ones, when little ones start to crawl and walk, bumps and bruises are bound to happen. Concerned about how to help out the healing process for my little one, I talked to my pediatrician and got a great suggestion for a product called Arnicare Gel. 

Arnicare Gel is a homeopathic remedy for relieving the pain associated with muscle aches and stiffness as well as reducing bruising. It is made from the Arnica montana plant. My pediatrician told me that a client who grew up in Brazil used to have the plant in the house and when someone got hurt, their parents would break off a piece of the Arnica plant and give it to them to put on their bump or bruise.  

The product is not readily available but any pharmacy can order it for you. I went on a bit of hunt to find the product and Target pharmacy offered to order it for me. It came in a few days after they placed the order and the cost was under $10.00.

For the gel to be most effective, dab a small amount on the ‘boo-boo’ as soon as possible after it happens. The product works great and I love that it is a homeopathic option! You can check out information about the company Boiron and Arnicare gel here.

Let me know how you like this product!

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

Green Mama Idea #1 – Arcadia Blocks

I have been madly searching green sites for fun wooden blocks for my infant! I finally found a product I am really excited about that I feel fits my criteria of being eco-friendly, safe, educational and as green as possible. The product is from the toy company Selecta Spiel. Here’s a link to a site that sells this product.

A few great things about Arcadia blocks:

• They are made in Germany, certified to the toy standards of the E.U. and re-certified to be sure they comply with U.S. toy standards.
• They are environmentally friendly, using eco-friendly paints with an extra coating of beeswax on the outside to create a smooth finish.
• These aren’t your usual toy blocks – they are 24 unusual shapes and sizes so that kids might stack the blocks to make houses, skyscrapers, etc. You can stack them, topple them, build with them, learn colors and shapes … you name it!
• Each box is different in terms of the coloration, etc. You are getting a well-crafted toy, not a carbon cut-out!

A word to the wise: There are many great German wooden toy companies out there with fantastic educational toys. When you delve a little deeper into your research on where these toys are made, you might be surprised to learn many are made in China. While the toy companies say these manufacturers abide by the strict toy manufacturing rules of the E.U., I feel a bit hesitant to trust that at this point given the recent rash of recalls on toys made in China. As always as the parent you know what you feel best about, but be sure to do your research. It’s not always easy to find out specific information about these toys! Good luck green mamas! Until next week…

-Jennifer

Founder, We Can Live Green

Author, We Can (All) Live Green

New Mom

What an adventure the last year and a half has been! The amazing journey into pregnancy and motherhood has taken my website into a new and exciting direction – stay tuned for our new focus at We Can Live Green on trying to live green while chasing kids, answering the phone, letting the dog out and cooking breakfast….and that is just the start of the day as each mom knows all too well! 

Please visit our website at We Can Live Green or check out my book We Can (All) Live Green: Simple Steps to Save Money, Stay Healthy and Support the Planet”.

Jennifer, Founder of We Can Live Green

Before You Head Out on the Family Summer Vacation, Read This

Before you pack up the family and head out on your annual summer vacation, read this. We did a bit of math for you and calculated the cost of two summer vacations for a family of four. The results may surprise you.

 Amusement Park Vacation

Gasoline (5 tanks of gas for a 20 gallon tank)  =  approximately $500

Hotel for Family of four (2 nights on the road, 2 nights at the amusement park) = $520

Amusement Park Fees for a family of four (2 adults and  2 kids, averaged price of $100 per day) = $200

Food = (averaging $100 a day for food) = $400

Miscellaneous expenses (souvenirs, etc) = $250

 TOTAL = $1870 (Some would say this estimate is too low, while others might say the estimate is too high. Feel free to do your own calculations based on your local amusement park attractions to find an accurate dollar amount.)

 National Park Vacation

 Gasoline (5 tanks of gas for a 20 gallon tank) =  approximately $500

Camping Gear Rental (if you don’t already have the gear) = $100 for camping trailer rental for one week and $50 for extra supplies; $150 for camping gear rental (including tent) for 5 days. (You could camp on the road or add $130 per hotel night stay to your total.) 

National park fees = $80 for an annual pass which covers the driver and three passengers over age 16; children under age 15 get in free.

Food (cooked by campfire or grill and bought from the store, packed lunches on the road) = $200

TOTAL = $880 (Some would say this estimate is too low, while others might say the estimate is too high. Feel free to do your own calculations based on your local national park to find an accurate dollar amount.) 

You could save over $1,000 by traveling to a more eco-friendly (and wallet-friendly) destination. You can save money and still take the yearly family vacation!

By Allie, Reporting Green

 The Folks at We Can Live Green