Citrus Lane

Remember when you had your first baby? Remember how the gifts started flooding in the minute he was born? Remember how the same thing happened when you had your second baby?

I didn’t think so.

I was so surprised by all of the gifts we were sent when we had our older son. Babies really bring out generosity in people- as Rahima Baldwin Dancy says in You Are Your Child’s First Teacher, they call forth love and giving from all sorts of people–some of whom you haven’t heard from in years.

Then if you have a second child (especially of the same gender) I suppose the majority of friends assume you have what you need. Which is mostly true.

But who doesn’t love getting gifts in the mail? Today I came across a new delivery service that offers the same satisfaction.

It’s a subscription based service called Citrus Lane. The send monthly “care packages” based on your child’s age all the way to age 3.

I think it’s a fun way to try new products- toys, food, clothing, toiletries- and a recent box even included a cool bracelet for mom. The products have all been recommended and reviewed by an advisory board.

You can purchase a 3 month subscription, which would be a great shower or new baby gift. I know I will be looking forward to my monthly delivery!

Natural Treatment, Prevention, Products, Recommendations

Noz-eez

Holly Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again. As vigilant as we try to be in reducing our exposure to viruses, inevitably there will be a few runny noses around the house.

When we hear that first sniffle, the routine starts: Ginger lemon tea, warm chicken broth, healing soup, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and more. We also avoid any inflammation causing foods such as sugar, refined grains and dairy.

Three years and four months in, we’ve managed to avoid any secondary bacterial infections such as ear infection or acute bronchitis. Here’s what we do, which we really believe helps!

But no matter what, there is always one thing that has to be done. Wipe runny noses. I prefer to use a moisturized wipe as a gentle alternative to tissue, and we’ve been using a very popular brand of nose wipes with a catchy name. But I never felt great about using them because the ingredients listed many things I steer clear of such as Polysorbate 20, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (a preservative which is acutely toxic by inhalation and should not be used in products that can inhaled- not something I want in my child’s nose!) and Propylbutyl Isobutylparaben.

I used them anyway hoping the benefit outweighed the risk of exposure to these potential toxins. Well recently as I was perusing my local baby store, I discovered I no longer need to compromise.

We now only use Noz-Eez– a moisturizing wipe containing an herbal blend with antioxidants echinacea, elderberry, and Vitamin C. When applied topically, these nose friendly herbs go to work right away.

Can be used in a Wipe Warmer for Extra Relief
Pure 100% Cotton
Safe, Non-toxic Natural Ingredients
Phenoxyethanol and Polysorbate 20 free
Earth-Friendly
Biodegradable
Flushable
Compostable

Not to mention they are less expensive than the brand we were previously using- always a plus.

Products, Recommendations

Indestructibles

Holly 1 Comment

My 6 month old loves books. But not for the pictures. He loves to crinkle the pages, bang them on the floor, and chew on the covers.

6 month old reading — Don't let this innocent face fool you

It has been such a challenge trying to read to him because he instantly (and aggressively) grabs the book from me and tries to destroy it in seconds.

I’ve found a solution- and anyone with a baby must check these out. They’re called Indestructibles and they really are. They are chew proof, rip proof, tear proof, and are 100% non-toxic.

Indestructibles are made for baby to hold, grab, chew, pull, and bend, and when they get dirty, toss them in the washing machine or dishwasher! They are also designed for even more interaction between the baby and the reader because they are printed without words- so you can make up your own story, point out colorful pictures or just enjoy time with your baby.

I bought five of them, and now there is always one in my diaper bag and one on his play mat.

I’m so glad I found these!

Products, Recommendations

Another Tea Collection Sale!

Holly Leave a comment

What better way to ring in the New Year than with a great sale? Every year I look forward to the Tea Collection Semi-Annual Sale because I always find great, modern kids’ clothes at 50% off or more.

Tea Collection is offering an EXTRA 25% off already marked-down clothes with promo code 25OFFSALE. This extra savings is good now through January 8th at 11:59 pm PST while supplies last. Now’s the best time to shop Tea Collection and save on cool clothes for your kids. Happy New Year!

Prevention

Salt Dough Ornaments

Holly 2 Comments

In my quest for fun activities to do with my 3 year old, a friend reminded me of the fun and simplicity of making salt dough ornaments for the Christmas tree.

Following the recipe she found on Momtastic, I measured out all (three!) of the ingredients and then I basically just supervised while my son did all the work.

Smelling the dough took me straight back to the 5 year old me. How perfectly I remember cutting out those ornaments, desperately wanting to take a bite to see if they tasted the way they looked…

I had no idea the dough was so easy to make.

Just take 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup water, and 1 cup of flour and mix it together! We just used a wooden spoon- no electric mixing required here.

Then we kneaded it for 5 minutes or so, and it was ready to roll out!

I rolled it into a thin layer on parchment paper so I wouldn’t have to try to move the delicate dough to a cookie tray.

My son cut out lots of fun shapes, and we also did imprints of trains and blocks.

My favorite are the hand prints.

We punched a hole in the top with a straw (easily his favorite part, as evidenced by the many hole-y ornaments he made).

Then we popped them all into a 200 degree oven for 4 hours.

When they were done, he painted some, stamped some, and some he left plain. He was very specific about which ornament would be given to which grandparent/aunt/friend/etc. and which ones we would keep.

Then we threaded some yarn through the holes and hung them on our Christmas tree!