In 2003, pediatricians were given advice on how to help parents choose appropriate toys (in Pediatrics: the Office Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics). One salient line states, "Although toys should never be used as a substitute for loving, unconditional attention from parents and other caregivers, toys can enhance these interactions." (1) By 2018, the advice had become sorely outdated, and somehow parents were handing their children iPads and cell phones literally as a substitute … [Read more...]
What it Was Like to Submit a Samaritan Ministries Medical Need
Changing vocabulary you've used your entire adult life isn't easy. Suddenly an "insurance claim" becomes a "sharing need" and a "deductible" becomes the "initial unshareable amount" -- and instead of hassling with insurance codes and red tape, I get to follow some simple steps and deal with real people on the phone (who are helpful - oh my goodness, genuine customer service is not dead!!!) who help me get paid for my medical bills. Some change is good - and we've found that healthcare … [Read more...]
Best Subscription For Kids Who Love to Cook (Raddish Kids vs. Kids Cook Real Food)
It's no secret that I'm on a mission to change the poor health of our children's generation by teaching every child in America to cook. That I believe the kitchen is the best place to foster connection, confidence, and creativity for our kids while nourishing the whole family. I created Kids Cook Real Food, our cooking class for kids, in 2015 as part of my efforts here at Kitchen Stewardship to help families stay healthy without going crazy. As a trained elementary teacher, I could see the … [Read more...]
45 Easy Non-Food Birthday Celebration Ideas for School
"My husband thinks food and treats are going to get some child killed someday," says the wife of a school principal. He thinks that lawsuits over birthday cupcakes are too big of a risk and cites liability as the most important reason to ban classroom celebration food in schools: "A child with food allergies that is exposed because of birthday treats is a huge liability issue to the school. There is no way the school can be certain of the ingredients of any food brought in from the outside, … [Read more...]
Why Treats at School Should Have Been Banned Decades Ago
We live in a frighteningly litigious society, don't you think? I'm looking at you, burglars who sue homeowners because they got injured during a B&E...and so many more! I'm curious if you can imagine a situation where you would want to sue your child's elementary school. As you turn over possible scenarios in your mind, they're probably all terrifying and traumatic to your child, the kind of thing you hope never will happen in real life and especially in your family. But what about … [Read more...]
Using a Modified Fast to Kick Off a Pathogen Cleanse
Want to starve a parasite? Withhold food from a nefarious bacteria or virus trying to take hold in your gut? Drive your resident fungi-that-don’t-belong crazy with hunger? Don’t just ditch sugar, although that’s a great start. Try a fast to kick off any pathogen purge or parasite cleanse you try and maximize all your efforts! I learned this strategy from the Gut Thrive in 5 program and am indebted to the wisdom of Christa Orrechio and her counterpart in the program, Dr. Tom … [Read more...]
Is Diatomaceous Earth a Safe Parasite Cleanse? (step 2 of Gut Thrive in 5)
I’ve done a form of parasite cleanse 3 times, all with varying results. The first time, I was a little wimpy and skeptical and probably gave up too early. The second time, I had a much more effective pathogen purge program that used diatomaceous earth to weaken the parasites and other pathogenic organisms first, and it was far more effective (see my experience below). The third time (details to come), I actually tested my poop first to find out what kind of parasites I actually had, and … [Read more...]
Why You MUST Address Your Child’s Environmental Allergies
I was totally in denial. Or not? I've known for years that a strong sign of allergies is dark circles under the eyes, and on many an occasion I would have a little conversation in my head like this: My kids sort of look like they have the dark circles, a little baggy under there. Maybe they're just tired? Maybe it's a shadow? But could it be that they're allergic to something? It's hard to tell if they're actually dark or not... Compare yours to other kids around - looks the same … [Read more...]
How to Organize a Room (& Toys) When Fighting a Dust Allergy
You heard yesterday about the tale of getting severe dust allergy diagnoses for two of my four kids and all the cleaning routines we had to implement to try to give some relief to their nasal passages without medication. Friends whose kids also had dust allergies had major advice for me right away, typically in two categories: "Get the drops - they're amazing." "Clear out everything from their rooms - it makes an incredible difference!" And all the online sources of information … [Read more...]
We Spent $3892.57 Managing our Kids’ Dust Allergies – and They’re Not Even Close to Under Control Yet
When my oldest son Paul was in first grade, we moved to a new house. It was fall, the time of year in Michigan when everyone flocks inside and shuts up the house. I began noticing that when he was sitting in silence, it seemed like he was constantly clearing his throat. Just a little under the radar sound. Nothing too overt. But definitely something that made me wonder if his throat was irritated. I asked him all the time, "Is your throat sore buddy? Are you having trouble breathing? Do … [Read more...]
Hope for Heavy Periods: 5 Root Cause Solutions That May Surprise You
Ever had period jealousy? If you have super heavy menstrual flow and long periods like me, I bet you've experienced it. Somewhere around here, most writers would say that this isn't a post for men, but I think dudes with women in their lives (especially married ones) should know how menstrual cycles work, and understand female hormones, period pain and what "normal" is so they can support their wives through each cycle and make sure they're getting help on root causes if they're irregular. … [Read more...]
How to Find an Affordable Non-Toxic Mattress
The dangers of mattresses off-gassing are talked about far more now than when my husband and I got married and bought our first mattress in 2003. There was so much we just didn't know as we spent hours agonizing over making the best decision. Fortunately, there are many options for natural and organic mattresses on the market today and I've done some of the leg work for you! Keep reading to see the list of natural mattress companies I've compiled over my years of research. Our Newlywed … [Read more...]
Non-Toxic Nail Polish Review: Final Test Results are In!
Back when I wrote about non-toxic nail polish (important because of all the negative health effects of the chemicals found in conventional nail polish) tons of people had questions about all the brands I reviewed. Did the non-toxic nail polish last? How well did it apply? Did it still smell bad? My daughter, our neighbors, and I spent a couple of weeks with wacky looking fingernails to answer all those questions for you. We applied all the non-toxic nail polish brands that I had, … [Read more...]
How to Treat a Tick Bite Naturally
I shared here about how to remove a tick safely, but what is a naturally minded person to do after a tick has been removed? Are there any natural remedies for tick bites? I told my husband he would have been naturally selected out of the human race had he been born in the south before air conditioning! The man sweats like a faucet, and some of our children are taking after him as well, so when we spent a July day walking around New Orleans and the temps were in the high 90s, we were a … [Read more...]
Do You Have Trouble Meditating the “Right” Way? {REVIEW}
I couldn't tell at first if the shrieks were of joy, annoyance, or pain coming from the pool with 11 children in it. When I finally realized that someone was definitely crying in pain, I knew it wasn't mine but was still concerned. One of the kids swimming with us was holding his hand and blood was starting to run down his fingers. It turned out that someone had thrown the dog toy into the pool, and the dog, a highly focused retriever, flew in after it and accidentally put his tooth through … [Read more...]
How to Remove a Tick Safely
Perhaps an old dog can't learn new tricks, but he can see new ticks! My husband, who has made plenty of changes in his day, is in shock this year because he says he's never seen a real live tick before in all his 39 years of life, and now he's seen three: one crawling on me, one biting our son, and another one crawling on our son. Yikes! (Also this is not to say in any way that my husband is an old dog - I don't want to be in the dog house!!) It's a scary year for ticks in … [Read more...]
Potential or (Soda) Pop: What’s the Future of Food Pantries?
Not long ago, we had a conversation on the Kitchen Stewardship Facebook page about whether food stamps (actually called SNAP benefits) should be used for non-essentials, specifically soda. The article I shared was about a statistic that soda is purchased more than any other category of food with SNAP benefits. I get the impression that not everyone who commented had clicked over or read the full article. Surprise, surprise, it's the internet. But nonetheless, the conversation was pretty … [Read more...]
Power Brain Foods for Standardized Testing in Schools
"Do-nut worry" read the cute little tags attached to the double doughnut hole treat our first graders presented to our fourth graders last year before their big, stressful standardized test. School counselors have told me that you can palpably feel the atmosphere change in the third and fourth grade wings of our local elementary schools as the state standardized test approaches. Even though it only reflects marginally on the individual child, and teachers try their best to remain easy-going … [Read more...]
CNN Says Sunscreens are in our Bloodstream – But Keep Wearing Them Until we KNOW They’ll Kill Us!
The news is always depressing, but sometimes it really makes me angry. This time everyone is finally hearing what I've been saying for years about sunscreen, and then the media says to ignore the news. A small study of 24 people has demonstrated that sunscreen chemicals enter the human bloodstream within the first day after using it. This is not a huge surprise, since oxybenzone, the most common sunscreen petrochemical ingredient, is found in 97% of human blood. I reported about the … [Read more...]
Beginner’s Guide to Going Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free for your Kids
So your doctor says your child should cut dairy and gluten for an elimination diet? What does that mean for your life!? Where to begin!? In a culture where pizza is the norm, (hello dairy and gluten fest!), and if you start thinking about other common meals with dairy and gluten literally everywhere, it feels like going dairy-free and gluten-free all at once (or even one at a time) is practically impossible. It's going to change your entire life... I know how you feel. Lots of moms do, … [Read more...]
