Natural Solutions to Prevent Colds for Kids

Do you remember the early months of your child’s life and the fear of sickness that went along with it? Whether you put them in daycare or signed up for mommy-and-me classes, their exposure to the outside world introduced them to heaps of germs. For me, three days into my son’s daycare career, he came home with sniffles and a fever. I cried. I stayed up all night nursing every moan. And I somehow believed that his immune system would be stronger as it fought off these minor illnesses early in life.

Maybe true. Maybe not. Now as a second grader, he still gets sick every now and then. However, it’s minimal with preventative care. I use natural products and modalities to boost his immunity so that he stays well and so do we. If his body is healthy from the start, it can naturally fight off the sickness that gets passed around in school.

Inspire Kids to Eat Veggies with Gardening Fun

When I was a little girl I used to garden aka pick weeds out of our vegetable patch. The constant swarming of mosquitos around my head on humid days in the garden made me less than a fan. It took years for me to ever consider growing my own plants, let alone food. Almost three years ago, I started researching the role nutrition plays in healing and preventing disease and found that my clean eating role models all garden. I wanted to try it again. However, I knew I needed to figure out growing food on my terms. My goal was to make it fun and not time-consuming so that my son would be inspired to eat more vegetables. 

Creative Ways to Exercise with Kids on WTNH

Remember the days when you slept until noon, grabbed lunch mid-day, and leisurely headed to the gym or social activity?

Or how about the years when your schedule revolved around “must see tv.”

I’m laughing at myself, knowing that life was much easier for me back in college or earlier in my career, yet I still made excuses why I couldn’t exercise. Some of them included:

Green Beauty: Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine

Do you jump out of bed, brush your teeth, shower with shampoo, conditioner and then spray perfume throughout your hair? Let’s assume you use several products in the morning and throughout the day. What if these items contained a few toxic chemicals? Studies have found that cosmetics ingredients such as phthalate plastics, paraben preservatives and triclosan (a pesticide) are common pollutants in the human body. Many of these chemicals are potential hormone disrupters. Just like the food we put IN our body, the products we put ON them seep toxins into the blood stream. This is why after I was diagnosed with my second round of breast cancer, that I over-hauled my personal care regimen and cover green beauty on the blog. This morning, I spoke to Teresa Dufour on CT Style and shared a few tips.

Eating Clean: How to Grocery Shop

I love to shop anywhere: small boutiques, big malls, online specialty sites and grocery stores. Over the past few years, with a focus on healthy living, I’ve found that I approach shopping differently. I plan (a little) more, occasionally pay (a little) more and focus (a little) more. The results…I now actually LOVE wholesome food and eating clean. Who would have thought that this former Diet Dr. Pepper, Hostess Snowballs and gummy cola bottle addict would snack on carrots and crave avocados?

Healthy Gadget Girl: Tools for Holiday Zen

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…insert music and bright flashing lights here. Then pull the curtain back and you see reality. Rushing from urgent work meetings to children’s holiday concerts, then to festive parties and last-minute bargain shopping events, this season is filled with joy and plenty of stress. Being an achiever, I’ve always tried to get it all done with a smile. Though, no matter how many errands I delegate or projects I put off until next year, I still feel a little anxious in the scurry to get it all done. This year, I put my super healthy gadget girl powers to the test and tried a few devices to help de-stress. I even spoke about this, finding a little zen during the holiday season, on CT Style our local ABC affiliate award-winning lifestyle morning show. Below are some of my favorites gadgets and tools.