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Best over the counter cold remedies

Lolleez|Chest rub|Thieves|Cough drops|Zarbees|Moisturizer|Ibuprofen




Isabella had croup a few weeks ago, usually caused by the common virus parainfluenza, and she so nicely shared it with Addilyn and I. We have been surviving on these remedies and are hopefully on the mend. I thought I would share some of our favorite over the counter common cold remedies. You might remember my older blog posts All-natural kids medications-where I shared my favorite kid remedies, medicines and helped explain a few confusing things and this post-Beating the flu where I shared all our flu fighting favorites when we had the horrible flu outbreak last year. These are my favorite posts to write and look back on and share when I get questions on what my favorite things for colds is. Here's to hoping we are all on the mend and we can avoid the flu.

Lolleez-I found these at CVS and they were a life saver for Isabella when her throat was hurting. I love that they are organic and made with all natural flavors. These Cough drops are delicious and have been a life saver for me.

Ibuprofen-the best fever and temperature reducer ever. You can definitely tell when this has worn off over the last few weeks. As soon as it kicked in we were all feeling much better. I always buy dye-free for the kiddos. I explain all about Tylenol and Motrin in this post!

Chest rub-this chest rub has been a life saver. I rub it on our chests and the bottom of our feet every night. I also love this Zarbees baby chest rub, I use it all the time.

Thieves-hands down favorite essential oil. I use it to clean my house, diffuse it and use it to combat infections.

Zarbees-I think this is hands down my favorite cough medicine for the kiddos. It is all natural and really works.

Moisturizer-this is essential for raw noses from all the drainage and blowing noses. These lotion kleenex and these Kleenex with Vicks are my absolute favorite. I don't buy any other kinds.

Humidifier-also essential for croup and cold days. How cute are these?!

Hope this helps and I hope you and your families stay well.

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Beating the flu...one vitamin at a time

You would think being a nurse practitioner and momma to three littles that I'm a huge germaphobe but honestly I'm just not. Maybe it's because I've seen and been exposed to so much (though you would think that would make me worse), but I'm just not one. Never have been, hope I never will be. While I'm not a huge germaphobe I am proactive and try to take all the precautions to try to keep us healthy. With that said I think Addilyn and I have had EVERY single cold this fall except the flu! My kids get ALL their immunizations. including the flu shot...my huge post on that here (disclaimer: I wrote it in 2013 so some facts may have changed). I honestly didn't get the flu shot until about 7 years ago when I was finally forced to, but it is a no brainer for my kiddos. I see healthy kids die from the flu every year so my kids will ALWAYS get it. Even if the shot doesn't get the strand right for the year people who have received the flu shot typically have milder and shorter cases...there are different theories as to why but who knows, I'm just glad it is true, for the most part!!

I love modern medicine (it saves lives, and I've spent a lot of my life studying it) but I also love all natural so here's a mix of the two:)

Here are my fall flu/germ fighting favorites:

Water + Vitamin C-these are no brainer cold fighters. Vitamin C is the most effective antioxidant in our blood that helps protect our body against free radicals and boosts our immune system. Increased water intake helps remove toxins from our body, carry oxygen to our body's cells, thus helping our immune system. Add some lemon or orange to your water to increase your water intake and Vitamin C.

 Hand hygiene-another no brainer-One of the best infection prevention methods is hand washing. I stock up on these wipes and this spray hand sanitizer and keep them with me at all times. Washing your hands, wiping down shopping carts, handles and tables are great ways to help prevent transmission of the flu.

Olly multivitamin + probiotic-I recently talked about my love for this multivitamin + probiotic-great immune support and germ fighter. Probiotics help boost our "good bacteria" and strengthen our gut and immune system.

Zarbee's Elderberry +Immune support-Elderberry is a plant that has shown to affect the immune system and help fight against viruses including the flu and might help reduce inflammation. I love this Zarbee's immune support that contains real elderberry extract, is packed with Vitamin A, C, D, E and Zinc and contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, gelatin, alcohol or gluen.

 Olly Kid's immunity- Olly's immunity blend contains Wellmube (beta glucans that support immune health, Elderberry, Acerola Cherry and Zinc-all great immune boosters. We grab this or the Zarbee's and always have them on hand.

Honest Calcium + Vitamin D3 chewables-There have been so many research studies lately showing the importance of Vitamin D for our immune system and so many people are deficient. Vitamin D helps modulate our innate and adaptive immune responses. Deficiency in Vitamin D is associated with increased susceptibility to infection. My family has been on Vitamin D for several years and I truly see the difference it has made.

Thieves essential oil- One of my favorite essential oils to diffuse during the cold season. It is a combination of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary. It is know for its irresstibily spicy scent and cleaning power.

Thieves cleaner and hand wipes-The Thieves household cleaning solution is one of my favorites and I carry around the Thieves wipes to wipe of shopping carts, tables, you name it I wipe it;)

Lavender essential oil-I have the lavendar essential oil as a roller for the bottom of our feet for sleep, in a spray bottle to spray on pillows and sheets before bed, I use it on my drier balls and a bottle to diffuse. Clearly it's a favorite!!

Lavendar hand sanitizer spray- I have a lavendar spray hand sanitizer in every purse, diaper bag and in my car. It is my favorite-all natural, smells amazing and so convenient.

And if you are one of the lucky many this year to get the flu or any of the other lingering colds here are a few of my older posts on medicines and favorite household cleaners:


Also, Tamiflu is great if you can get it and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, also remember it's only beneficial if started in the first 24-48 hours of onset of symptoms. If you are unable to get Tamiflu, Oscillococcinum is a great homeopathic treatment for the flu. 
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All-natural kid medications


To follow along with my All-natural home products post here, I thought I would do one on all my favorite all natural medications and vitamins for kiddos. I have always hated taking medication (weird for a nurse practitioner) but hey its true so I hate giving medications to my kiddos too unless 100% necessary. I have discovered these all natural medications for my kiddos that I have loved! I only do dye-free for the family now…since clearly we don't need anything to increase the chances of ADD/ADHD, their odds are already high, so I'm trying not to increase their risk;)

Zarbees cough syrup||cough+mucus-This stuff is legit. I swear by it. Kiddos can't have honey until a year so they do have a infant one here that is great. When my kids have had congestion and cough within 30 minutes of taking it their symptoms are better.

Healing balm-This Honest company healing balm is SO perfect for cuts, diaper rashes, etc. It smells like what we used to use on huge blisters when I was a gymnast (not the best smelling), but this stuff is magical. It works like a charm!

Ddrops-For you exclusive breastfeeders these Ddrops are the best! It is a tiny drop of Vitamin D you can put into a bottle, drop on your finger or pacifier or even nipple right before breastfeeding to get the Vitamin D to your little one. SO much better than trying to get a big volume into a teeny tiny infant. This was my favorite in the first month then I transitioned to…the Baby DHA

Baby DHA-There is so much researching showing how beneficial DHA is for the developing brain and I am loving this newer Honest Company Baby DHA. Both my kiddos sucked it down and love it. I also always buy the organic milk with the added DHA and a lot of formulas now also have added DHA.

Multivitamin-These Honest Company Multivitamins are my favorite for Isabella. She loves them. You can start using these at 2 years of age. They also have these new gummy multivitamins too. Zarbee's also has a new version that I have found at Target.

Okay mommas (and dads, and whoever) I have felt the need to help explain and clarify things in the world of Tylenol and Motrin so here goes. This is one of the most confusing things I have found for parents from talking with patient's families.

Tylenol-it is also the same as Acetaminophen. SO when you are buying the generic brand (which by all means please purchase the generic and save yourself the money, yes it is the same thing), the bottles will almost always say Acetaminophen. I can't tell you how many times these questions come up. So here is the next thing-the dosing. Your pediatrician or doctor often has a dosing chart based on weight so ask for one because the bottles will not give you the dose for young children. The dose is usually 10-15 mg/kg every 4 hours as needed. To determine kilograms you just divided their weight in pounds by 2.2. I know this can get complicated so thats why I recommend grabbing a dosing chart from your PCP if possible. Here is the link to Baby Centers dosing charts.

Motrin-Aka Advil, Ibuprofen, Motrin. They are all the SAME thing. I don't know why pharmaceuticals have to make it so confusing but they are the same. I find that Motrin works better for pain and fever for most kiddos BUT here's the kicker, they can't have it until 6 months of age. Motrin is dosed based on 10 mg/kg every 6 hours as needed. Try to grab a dosing chart for ibuprofen from your doctor as well but there is a dosing chart here.

Another thing-kids should NOT get Aspirin unless medically necessary for a heart problem. It can cause Reyes syndrome so NO Aspirin unless directed to do so by a doctor. Ok hopefully we are all on the same page and that makes sense!

DiGize||Peppermint||Thieves
And last but not least I do have some favorite essential oils. I do not promote essential oils in place of necessary medications but I do believe they are a great addition to medications. Cayson had HORRIBLE reflux as an infant. Like miserable, fussy, +colicky days and nights and my sister recommended DiGize and man did it work. I use coconut oil to dilute the oil and rub it into my babies skin. When I did my nightly routine I would slather a drop of it on his abdomen mixed 1 drop to a quarter size coconut oil dollop on his abdomen. I would rub it in clockwise and swore by it. Peppermint is my absolute favorite to mix with coconut oil and rub on their feet for congestion. Plus it smells oh so yummy. It acts just like Vicks BabyRub which I also like.  Peppermint is also good to rub on their abdomens with tummy aches.  Oh and Thieves…its my favorite to diffuse. Its a great antimicrobial. They also have tons of Thieves natural cleaners.

Do you have any favorite secrets or remedies? 
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How to make organic baby cereal


Miss Isabella has decided that it is time for solids. I had planned to wait for exactly her 6 month birthday but this little one has been SO ready for solids and there has been a lot of mixed research on whether to wait til 6 months or if waiting that long causes the child to have some aversion to food so we decided to start them just shy of her 6 month appointment. Signs that she has been ready: she can easily sit up on her own in the high chair, she has been grabbing at our plates/drinks for months, and acting more hungry.

Since getting pregnant I may have become super/ultra crazy vigilant about watching for additives/unsafe things in stuff we eat/drink/and put on our skin. I swore off most artificial sweeteners, avoided certain things in facial cleanser/makeup. After my pregnancy I really started thinking...if those things weren't good for me while pregnant....then they really probably aren't good for me. Sorry I'm rambling. So obviously with my precious daughters arrival this has continued and I have been very aware of the things I eat, put on her skin and now plan to feed her. When I started doing research on rice cereal I just decided that most commercial rice cereals had very little nutritional value to offer my daughter..typically cause most children to have constipation so I knew it wasn't going to be the first food I wanted to offer our daughter. I threw around trying avocados first but was afraid it might be too much of a drastic taste change for her so I decided on oatmeal. I mixed it with breast milk and she was in love...I have a whole other post coming on introducing solids but have to find the time between working full time, spending every minute I have with my precious daughter and searching for a nanny (it is proving to be horrific for us so far). If only I could just get paid to blog and make bows:) Wouldn't that be heavenly. Anyways here is how I made the above cereals, so super easy...it is a little more work when I go to feed her because I have to cook it each time. Commercial cereals have been cooked and processed then placed in the box and that is why they don't have to be cooked. (eek!)

So here's how I made the simple above grains and how I cook them:

Oatmeal

1 cup water
1/2 cup oatmeal powder (oats ground in blender/food processor) (blender worked better than my food processor)
(Also make sure your oats are not quick oats but regular oats, organic if you prefer)

Bring your water to a boil. Whisk in your oatmeal powder. Whisk rather vigorously to prevent clumping. Then reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 min. Easy as that. Then add in breastmilk or formula to achieve the consistency that you want.

Brown Rice

1 cup water
1/4 cup brown rice powder (organic brown rice ground into powder with blender)

Bring water to boil and stir in brown rice powder. Then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionaly.  Add breastmilk or formula for desired consistency.


Barley

1 cup water
1/4 cup barley powder (organic barley ground in blender into powder)

Bring water to boil. Whisk in barley and let simmer about 8-10 minutes. Add in your breastmilk or formula like above

Once you have started to add in fruits/vegetables these are great to mix with. When Isabella refused avocado adding in a little oatmeal defintiely helped. Just remember to use the "3-4 day wait rule"...only start one new food at a time and wait 3-4 days before introducing new foods watching for allergic reactions.

I usually boil the water and whisk then while it is simmering I nurse her so it is ready when we are. Works perfectly everytime.

So far my absolute favorite website has been Wholesome Baby Food....incredible and so helpful...another post to come on more things I have learned:) We are on our 4th food!   

Also, shockingly there are tons of strange color additives in children's medicines here are my favorite dye free, additive free options for little ones. Was just talking to one of my besties about this, this weekend and thought I would share.

Tylenol 1, 2
Motrin 1, 2
Vitamin D drops 1, 2, 3
Benadryl
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Organic Vegetable/fruit Co-op

So Dennis and I recently decided to join an organic vegetable and fruit co-op with some of our sweet friends!! It was such a great decision.

Here is the 411 on the co-op:

It's called Urban Acres: Local Organic Market website here.

We decided to join and get a full share and split it with our friends that way if either of us is out of town or we don't want something in particular that the other loves we can share:) Look at us being all sharesy!!

So it is $50 for a full share or $25 for a half share every 2 weeks and we just pick up our produce on Saturday.

They email us ahead of time what will be in our share and then links to lots of recipes:)

Why we love it?:
1. All the vegetables and fruits are organic and grown locally...supporting our local farmers and avoiding pesticides..what could be better!

2. We have tried some incredible veggies that we would otherwise probably never thought to try-insert-Purple Majesty Potatoes

3. For only $25 every 2 weeks we have a fridge full of healthy fruits and veggies.

4. It gives my chef hubby a challenge to find some new, yummy, healthy recipes.


Here are a few of the recipes we have tried and loved so far:






Pictured: Chicken with dill, mustard sauce, Avocado/Kale Salad, Herby Purple Potatoes


I highly recommend you look up to see if you have a local co-op in your area. Definitely recommend it, so easy, healthy and convenient.



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Benefits of Juicing


So the hubs and I have become quite the juicers. I never thought I would say this but I actually crave it now...my hubby convinced me that we had to have this juicer....he had me at you can make baby food with it...we will see, I still plan to invest in a Beaba for Miss Isabella's baby food but we will see.
You see one of the many wonderful things about my husband is when he gets an idea or interest in his mind he does more research than my attention span would allow....the research he did said this is the juicer we must have and I must say it is so fast, easy, and SO quick to clean. He also did tons and tons of research on the benefits and I LOVE him for that....so here are the most important benefits that I have found in my research...


Juicing allows you to.....

Consume more vegetables than you could probably eat in a day comfortably.

Try a wider variety of vegetables than you would typically not eat.

Absorb more of the nutrients from the vegetables.

And each vegetable has some incredible benefits, see some of our faves below.

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1.Cucumbers- cucumbers are a great source of potassium and Vitamin K. They are low in calorie and the skin provides an excellent source of fiber. Cucumbers are also nutrient dense in unique antioxidants: B-carotene and a-carotene, zea-xanthin and lutein.

2. Spinach- huge anti-cancer properties due to its abundant flavonoids. Great source of dietary fiber.High in antioxidants Vit C, Vit E, beta-carotene, magnesium, zinc and selenium.  Source of neoxanthin and violaxanthin two anti-inflammatory epoxyxanthophylls that help play a role in regulation of inflammation and many more.

3. Carrots-Great source of Vitamin A. High in beta-carotene that is converted to Vitamin A that is transformed in the retina to help with vision. Studies have shown carrots to reduce the risk of lung, breast and colon cancer.

4. Kale-low in calorie, high in fiber and zero fat. Kale has more iron per calorie than beef. Iron is essential for transporting oxygen in the body, cell growth, proper liver funcion and more. Kale is a powerful antioxidant and great dietary source of Vitamin K. Kale is also higher in calcium than milk, aiding in preventing bone loss, preventing osteoporosis, and maintaining a healthy metabolism.

5. Apples-Granny smith apples are a great source of flavonoids acting as a strong antioxidant and neutrilizing free radicals. Great source of potassium.

6. Ginger-High in gingerols...Cancer fighting and prevention! Effective remedy for morning sickness and nausea. Antiinflammatory properties. Natural heart burn relief.


Our favorite juice:


4 carrots
1 handful spinach
sliver ginger, to taste
1granny smith apple
couple spruces parsley
1/2 handful kale

And because everything tastes better in a mason jar, pour over ice and enjoy!
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