Category Archives: Travel

Top 5 Austin Murals

March 13, 2019 Holly Leave a comment

Visiting Austin and wanting to see some of the best and most instagrammable murals and street art? If you’re short on time, here’s a list of our top 5 iconic murals in Austin, TX.

1. You’re My Butter Half Address: 2000 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78702

2. Won’t You Be MY Neighbor Address: 1423 S. Congress Ave

Mr. Rogers mural Austin, tx

3. Hi, How Are You Address: Corner of 21st and Guadalupe St

hi, how are you mural

4. Willie For President Address: 1315 South Congress Ave

willie for president

5. Keep Austin Weird Address: 4600 W Guadalupe St, Austin, TX, 78751

keep Austin weird mural

What would you add?

Prevention, Products, Recommendations, Reviews, Travel

Xlear Care Kit Review and Coupon Code

June 21, 2015 Holly 1 Comment

I’ve been an advocate for xylitol use for many years.

The addition of xylitol to saline nasal sprays, neti pots, and positive pressure bottles has been shown to make them more effective at helping to prevent ear infections in children, sinus infections in adults, and asthma and allergies in people of all ages.

Xylitol helps the body’s natural cleansing process to clear away allergens, asthmatic triggers and other harmful bacteria.

Xylitol is also one of the newest, easiest and tastiest ways that people can improve oral health. Research done in widely different conditions confirms that xylitol use may reduce tooth decay.

So I was thrilled when Green Moms Meet asked me to review the Xlear Care Kit on my blog.

xlear

The kit comes with eight products we use and love-

Spry Toothpase
Spry Oral Rinse
Xlear Nasal Spray
Xlear Nasal Spray Travel Pack of 3
Spry Mints (2 packs of gems)
Spry Gum (2 packs)

Just The Facts:

Xlear Nasal Spray

*Xlear is a soothing nasal spray that helps to alleviate congestion due to allergies, cold, flu, and sinusitis. It does this by being much more hyperosmotic than a traditional saline nasal spray and also by incorporating xylitol, a natural product that has been shown to decrease bacterial adherence in the nose.

*When used twice a day, Xlear nasal spray not only hydrates the sinuses and nasal passages but it also helps to wash away airborne contaminants and pollutants that lead to many common upper respiratory problems.

*Unlike many prescription or medicated sprays with unwanted side effects, daily usage of Xlear Nasal Spray is non-addictive and will not damage tissues.

*One 1.5 oz. container of Xlear Nasal Spray retails for $14.99 and will last 2-3 months with daily use.

*The Xlear Nasal Spray Economy Pack contains three .75 oz. squeeze bottles and retails for $18.99.

Spry Toothpaste Non-Fluoride

*The use of Spry Toothpaste can significantly improve oral health, when combined with proper oral hygiene and regular dental care.

*Spry Toothpaste consists of 1/3 xylitol, which provides 20-25% of the recommended dosage per day.

*Xylitol also increases mineral absorption into the enamel of the teeth, resulting in greater protection with a clean, fresh feeling that really lasts.

*Spry Toothpaste retails for $5.99 each.

Spry Oral Rinse

*Spry Oral Rinse takes a more natural approach to oral health by using a xylitol-rich, low-alcohol, and pH-neutral formula.

*It also uses a mix of natural flavorings and herbal extracts such as aloe vera, chamomile, and echinacea to help soothe irritated mouth tissues.

*Spry Oral Rinse is available in Cool Mint, Spearmint, Wintergreen, and Cinnamon flavors.

*Spry Oral Rinse retails for $6.99 each.

Spry Gum

*Xlear Spry Gum has a flavor profile that exceeds regular chewing gum with the added benefit of xylitol.

*Spry Gum is available in four natural flavors: Spearmint, Wintergreen, Cinnamon, and Peppermint.

*12 pieces of Spry Gum retails for $2.29.

Spry Gems

*Xlear Spry Gems are naturally sweetened with 100% xylitol.

*Spry Gems combine the benefits of xylitol with natural flavorings and calcium to create a pH-balanced formula for advanced oral health.

*Spry Gems are available in Berry, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Spearmint, and Lemon Cream varieties.

*40 count Spry Gems retail for $2.19

The toothpaste and oral rinse leave your mouth feeling so refreshed. And I always have a pack of gum and some mints in my bag for those times my kids eat sugary snacks or juice. (Xylitol supposedly kills plaque on teeth!)

Another great use of the nasal spray is for airplane travel. I just returned from a trip, and the travel size was great- I spray my kids noses before takeoff for two main reasons- the nasal passages are lubricated and the xylitol kills germs from the recirculated airplane air. (both of them have their own bottle, and we write their names on them so no germs are shared.)

I have great news- as a reader of Integrative Mom, you can try this whole kit for $25! Just go to The Xlear Site and use coupon code SAVE50 at checkout.

Travel

Time To Travel with Two!

November 18, 2011 Holly 2 Comments

Up to this point, we have had huge success traveling and flying with our 3 year old. I lost track of the number of planes he has been on, but I know it’s over thirty. The time has come to see what kind of traveler his 4 month old brother is, and how his parents handle flying with two kids.
I recently read a really good tip about traveling by Marcy from (Don’t Be) Too Timid and Squeamish–
“Adults, you may not want to hear this, but you need to police yourself. Don’t complain about a delay, a gruff waiter, or a cup of coffee that’s not perfect. If kids hear you complaining, before you know it everyone will be feeling negative. Keep the mood positive by keeping the complaints to yourself.”
This made me realize I spend so much time worrying about the kids that I give little thought to the person whose actions I actually have control over- mine.
So this weekend I will be practicing lots of patience and taking many deep breaths. And I’ll probably have a couple of surprises up my sleeve.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Products, Recommendations, Travel

Traveling Veggies

March 15, 2011 Holly Leave a comment

I just returned home from a three week trip, and as we all know, traveling with a toddler can be a challenge. I’ve posted tips and tricks for traveling before, but this time I realized one of the hardest parts of being on the road is getting fresh vegetables in my toddler’s diet.

Out of our normal routine, it was difficult to find the kinds he likes at restaurants steamed to perfection or not doused in salt and who knows what else. I also had access to a kitchen, but we were so “on-the-go” that trying to prepare his food while managing him seemed daunting.

He also decided on this trip that he looooooves chocolate milk, and was asking for it non stop.

I found the perfect solution to both problems! Enter Amazing Grass .

From their website:
Amazing Grass produces premium quality, organic Green SuperFoods for the entire family. Amazing Grass products provide essential fruit and vegetable nutrition the way Mother Nature intended…organic, raw and delicious. Amazing Grass products are gluten free, vegan and rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. With several great flavor options to choose from, Amazing Grass makes it easier for our customers to reach their daily quota of 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables.

I bought him the Kidz Superfood Chocolate Flavor and he LOVED it. I served it to him in the morning (just add water or milk to a scoop of it!) and relaxed the rest of the day if his diet was less than stellar. No kitchen or special utensils necessary- just a cup (with a lid and straw) and water! It also come in convenient travel packets.

I love these kind of breakthroughs!

And this is how we kept him happy on our flight home:

It’s all about balance!

Travel

Fall Is Here

September 28, 2010 Holly 1 Comment

Summer is officially over. While I’m sad to see it go, and will miss the beach, sunshine, ice cream and popsicles, fall is my favorite time of year.

Every year with the cool, crisp mornings and the autumn leaves I feel very nostalgic. I can’t quite put my finger on the reason, but every year it creeps up on me out of nowhere and suddenly I miss every place I’ve ever lived during this season.

I miss Southern California where even though it’s the land of eternal sunshine, every October we felt a cool breeze usher in slighty cooler temperatures. I miss the Harvest Festival we had every year, the pancake breakfasts, the hay rides, jumping in the leaves with my sisters, roasted pumpkin seeds and bobbing for apples at our neighborhood Halloween parties.

I miss my small hometown in New Mexico, the beginning of a new school year and all the excitement that came along with it, cheer leader tryouts, the annual parade and fair, Friday night football games where we drank steaming hot chocolate, the bonfires, the Snickers costume my dad made me for Halloween*, and my mom’s chicken and rice soup.

I miss Paris and Milan and warm pain chocolat, hot frothy cappuccinos, finding the American Grocery Store where I stocked up on candy corn, drinking wine with lunch lest you offend your host, traveling every weekend by train to visit as many countries as possible, my birthday dinner atop the Eiffel Tower, Thanksgiving with my family at The Americain Cathedral in Paris and where even a day of cold dreary rain is still beautiful.

I think about New York City and the smell of chestnuts wafting from street carts, brisk walks in Central Park, hopping into a cab just to warm up, the comfort of a restaurant with a fireplace, soft rain, the beauty of the fall foliage on the Hudson River, dodging the weirdos in costumes, my first date with my husband drinking pumpkin beer and playing guitar on a clear October evening, and most of all that magical year I had a brand new baby and everything was all at once vivid and a blur.

And I think about today and the new memories we are making. I wonder if my son will feel as homesick as I do when he’s older and the leaves start to turn.