Shorten Your Sickies

Pretty much everyone I know has been dealing with sickness in their house in one form or another.  Our family included. Fortunately, neither Adam or I have actually gotten a cold, but for a few days we both felt like we were fighting something.  Rio's got a runny nose but it only lasted 2 days. Sadly, when Dante gets a cold, it always seems to last longer than Rio's. Whenever I sense that either of my kids might be coming down with something, I pull out all the stops. For example, I give them extra elderberry syrup, fresh juice multiple times a day, broth, tea, and I make all their meals plant-based, including no eggs. Rio literally drinks ALL the liquids and eats anything I put in front of him. I tell him drinking all these things will help him get better faster and he listens.  Dante, on the other hand isn't as easy. He just turned two, so enough said.  The more fluids the better when it comes to a cold and Dante just doesn't drink enough. I can't force him to drink and he's not as compliant as Rio, therefore (in my opinion) he stays sicker longer. He's finally on the tail end of his cold and he only had one bad night where he woke up crying and just seemed miserable. He had a fever of 101.3 and I was convinced it was turning into an ear infection,  so the next day I put one drop of mullein garlic oil in his ear 3 times throughout the day and also one drop of colloidal silver just once. That night he slept from 8PM to 6:30 AM and didn't complain at all the next day. After reading a lot about fevers, I'm sure that he was just his little body's way of fighting of whatever was going on with him or a worse infection. I try not to fear fevers as they can actually be a good sign.  Now his cold his pretty much gone and I think we are in the clear of developing any infections. 

I feel so blessed that my boys are 4 and 2 years old and neither has ever needed any medications or antibiotics. I try really hard to be diligent about giving them green smoothies daily and fresh juice a few times a week, as well as healthy meals throughout the week and elderberry syrup. I also use essential oils anytime I feel like they are a little under the weather (I love Thieves and On Guard). Below is a list of all of the things I do when I feel like there's a bug trying to invade any of our systems. Hopefully some of these ideas help you or your little ones to fight off infections or shorten sickness. 

1. Elderberry Syrup: The boys love taking this which makes it so easy. I try to give them a teaspoon daily for prevention but if one of them seems like they are fighting something, I bump it up to one teaspoon 3-4 times per day. I take a tablespoon a day for prevention or a few 

2. Humidifier: Everyone needs one of these! We have this Crane Humidifier and it's on sale right now. 

3. On Guard Rollerball: I simply roll this on the boys spine and feet anytime I see a symptom. I also put it on their feet before school or if we are going to be around a bunch of kiddos, especially in the winter time. I just buy these rollerballs and add 10 drops of On Guard and fill the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil. You can also buy this pre-made here if you aren't into doing it yourself. 



4. Fever Ease Rollerball: I use a combination of lavender, peppermint and fractionated coconut oil in a rollerball bottle and rub it along their forehead. 

5. Lemon Honey Ginger Tea: Just mix fresh lemon juice and honey in some warm water. I also sometimes grate fresh ginger, steep it in hot water, strain, then add the ginger water to the lemon/honey water mixture. The boys feel fancy that they get to drink "tea" like mama. This is so easy to make and my kids love drinking it. The ginger can be optional and you could also add these mineral drops too for a boost. 

6. Wellness Formula: I don't give this to my kids but Adam and I load up on it anytime we feel anything coming on, or if one of the kids has any symptoms of anything. I love this stuff and swear by it.  I like the taste, but if you don't, they also have here it in a pill form. 



7. Colloidal Silver: Another great supplement if you feel any sickies coming on. Colloidal Silver has antiviral and antibacterial properties and can be taken orally if you're sick or dropped in ears for kids ear infections. 

8.  Breastmilk Tea:  If you are still nursing, breastmilk is one of the best things you can give your baby or toddler if they sick or coming down with a bug. If you are nursing your baby and you have an older toddler, you can pump milk for them too. I am still nursing Dante but we are nearing the end, so my milk supply is low. When I noticed he was getting a runny nose, I immediately started drinking this tea all day long so I could have as much milk as possible for him. When he isn't feeling well, he wants to nurse all day long and this tea really helped my supply. 



9. Citrus Water and Fresh Juice: I use this little juicer to juice lemons, limes and oranges. I keep the juice in the fridge and add it to warm water (can add honey too for the kiddos) and the kids and I drink it all day long. I also have this big juicer for other fruits and veggies. Celery juice is great for when the body is fighting infection, so we make sure to drink that often during this time of year. 



10. Mullein Garlic Oil:  I put these drops in Dante's ears when he had an ear infection a year ago and it went away without giving him antibiotics. 

 

I hope these tips help you and your family stay well this season! Sending good health and happiness to all of you in the new year.  

Family Photos with Michelle Popp

It's that time of year...family photos! I love when it's all said & done and I have cute photos of my fam, but the whole process can be a bit stressful. Especially on the mamas!  Figuring out what everyone should wear, where to take the photos and which photographer to choose when there are so many options is not easy. Not to mention finding the time to get everyone ready and making ourselves look presentable. 
So when Michelle Popp offered to collaborate with my family for our photos, I was beyond thrilled. Her photos are so gorgeous and she offers full hair and makeup for mamas AND wardrobe styling for the whole family. I was able to get my hair and makeup done first, then Adam and the boys met me at our photo location later. I felt like a princess and I was relaxed knowing the kiddos were napping and would be rested for our pictures. 
 

Michelle did an amazing job getting candid and loving photos of my family, which was exactly what I asked for. 

Michelle hand-picked a few outfit options for me and my boys based on our style and the type of photos I was going for. It was so nice being able to have a few options to choose from and not have to worry about what everyone was going to wear that day. I love what she chose for us. 

I mentioned to Michelle that we had taken a lot of beach photos in the past and that I wanted a change of scenery. The location she chose for us was just dreamy – full of natural light and sunshine. The setting was perfect!


This  family photo session with Michelle was fun and stress-free, which is probably hard to believe considering the fact that we have a 4 year old and almost two year old!  Every mama deserves to be pampered and feel pretty. I definitely felt like a princess!  Michelle also allowed us to bring our dog, Mayzie, which was really important to me. Mayzie is almost 17 years old and I really wanted her to be part of our family photos. 

It was such a pleasure to work with Michelle. I am so happy with the whole experience and we love our photos. If you are in San Diego, contact Michelle Popp for more details and to begin planning your family portrait session!

The Preggers Pantry Wellness Witches Brew

My husband has been a little under the weather the past couple days so I’m doing everything I can to keep any sickies away from me and these little boys! I crafted up a little “wellness witches brew” and I’ve been sipping on it all day. Super easy recipe and you probably already have most of the ingredients already at home. Don't forget to whip up some of my elderberry syrup too!  Sending you all healthy vibes this cold and  flu season!

The Preggers Pantry Wellness Elixir

12 cups filtered water

1 cup fresh ginger (chopped)

4-5 cloves garlic (chopped)

2 limes (chopped with peel on. Only use the whole lime if organic, otherwise just juice the limes)

Juice from 1 lemon

2/3 cup Apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup Raw Honey (add more for kids later if it’s too spicy) 

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper

*(Use all organic ingredients whenever possible)

Directions: 

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, add water, ginger, garlic and organic chopped lime and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then simmer for at least an hour.
2. Strain into a large bowl and return broth to back to pot. 
3. Add all other ingredients and keep heat on extra/low simmer and sip on the broth throughout the day. If it is too strong for you to drink on it's own, dilute it with water or tea ( I like chamomile) and add more honey. 
4. Refrigerate leftovers in glass jars and drink cold or reheat on stovetop and enjoy warm again. I keep it for up to 5 days in the fridge and add about 1/4 cup to my water or tea daily when I need an immunity boost! 

Our Top 20 Favorite Books

Some of the happiest moments in my life have been spent in our rocking chair reading books to my babies. I recently did an Instagram post where the dialogue was all about favorite children's books. The amount of comments and responses were incredible~there were lots of classics mentioned but also some titles I had never heard of. It made me excited that there is so much wonderful kids literature (old and new) available at our fingertips.


In honor of Rio's 4th birthday I have created a list of his (and my) top 20 favorite books. It was so hard to pick just 20...there are so many amazing children's books out there! These are just a few of our favorites, it was really hard to narrow it down to just 20. Books are definitely my favorite thing to give as gifts to kids too, so I have attached links to purchase any of these. It's so simple, just click on any title and it will take you directly to the Amazon link. Happy Reading!

1. Countablock- This book basically taught Rio how to count to 100 and is great for teaching number recognition. Dinoblock is another one of our favorites.

2. An Awesome Book- Author Dallas Clayton has such an wonderful imagination and outlook, Rio loves this book and Clayton is one of our favorite authors! He also wrote An Awesome Book of Love and An Awesome Book of Thanks.

3. The Color Monster- A great book about feelings and shows kids that it's ok to feel all the feels. The Color Monster: A Story of Emotions and In My Heart are other good ones on the topic.

4. The Earth Book- Such an informative book about the amazingness of our planet.

5. Under Water Under Earth- Rio's newest fave! Similar to The Earth Book in the fact that it isn't one that you read in one sitting. We read a few pages at a time...there is so much content in one book, so much learning. And it's on sale right now...only 20 dollars regularly 35!

6. Where The Sidewalk Ends- I thought this was going to be a little to mature for Rio but he loves the silly poems and drawings by the great Shel Silverstein. Another must have is The Giving Tree by Silverstein.

7. Have You Filled A Bucket Today- Lately we have been reading this one pretty much every day (because toddlers!) I love the idea and message about how to treat everyone, including yourself, with kindness.

8. Paul Meets Bernadette- The world from the perspective of pet fish! Such a cute story.

9.  The Digger and The Flower- Another adorable fiction book with a super sweet message. Dante especially loves this one.

10. I Am Yoga- Our favorite yoga book. Check out I Am Peace and I Am Human too!

11.  Teal- Another sweet work of fiction with a great moral.

12. Across The Pond- Teaches kids about the power of imagination. Great illustrations!

13. What Do You Do With An Idea- More great life lessons in this one. What Do You Do With A Problem and What Do You Do With A Chance are must reads too!

14. Maps- This is one of those books that we will use for a long time. There is so much content and information about the geography and history of our world, a must have for every little's library.

15. Rhymoceros- Hearing and learning rhyming sounds is so good for baby/toddler brain development. This book teaches rhymes in a simple way. Hippopposites is a must have too!

16. Press Here- This one is fun and interactive and teaches direction following skills. Mix It Up is similar and also super fun and interactive. There is also a Press Here game if your babes love the book as much as we do.

17. I Love You Stinky Face- Rio just loves the stinky face series! He always says "But mama, but mama!" because of this book. We also own Merry Christmas Stinky Face and Happy Halloween Stinky Face which are both super cute.

18. The Kissing Hand- A great book for helping kids overcome new transitions like starting in a new school or day care. Such a sweet one!

19. Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site- My boys have loved this book from Day 1 and they are both still obsessed.  If your kids love this one you should probably go ahead and add  Mighty Mighty Construction Site and Steam Train Dream Train to the list too. And don't forget about Construction Site on Christmas Night  just in time for the holidays!

20. A Sick Day For Amos McGee- Teaches kids a little bit about empathy and that friends come in all shapes and sizes! The boys just love this one and it brings up some great conversations!

21. Gaston- Left the best for the bonus book. We absolutely love this book and the message. Everyone needs Gaston in your collection!!

Back to School-Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Posting a week late, but this happened-Rio had his first day of preschool! 

We are still doing homeschool preschool together, but now he will 
be going to a nature-based preschool a couple days a week as well. 
So far he loves it! My only concern about starting school? Germs! 

Let’s face it, kids are going to get sick.  

But there are things we can do to try to prevent the sickies. 
One of my favorite supplements that I give my kids and take myself 
is Elderberry Syrup. 

Since starting school, I have been giving Rio his elderberry syrup
everyday to boost his immune system. 

My friend Krista taught me a while back that I could make my own 
elderberry syrup. 

It is such a better value than buying at the store, it tastes better, and 
my kids actually beg for it! 

Here is the recipe, as well as link to purchase my favorite organic
elderberries. 
Happy Back to School and Stay Healthy!!

Homemade Elderberry Syrup (adapted from Growing4HisGlory.com)

Ingredients: 

1 cup black elderberries (click here for the ones I love)

4 cups of purified water

3 T fresh (or dried) ginger root (I used fresh)

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp cloves or clove powder

1 cup raw honey

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, add: water, elderberries, ginger root, 

 cinnamon and cloves together. (Honey is for later)

2. Bring to a boil. Turn down, cover and let simmer for about 45 mins.

3. Strain into a bowl.

4. Let cool to lukewarm. Add honey and stir well. 

5. Store elderberry syrup in the refrigerator in a small brown glass dropper bottle

 I use a 2 ounce bottle (1 teaspoon is about 4 drops).

 6. Store the rest in dark glass container and refill the smaller bottle, 

using a funnel, when needed. (an old wine bottle can work for this!)

*Elderberry Syrup can be taken daily as a preventative. 

Daily dose: kids-1 teaspoon, adults-1 Tbsp. 

If anyone in my family starts coming down with anything,

we take the recommended dose every 2-3 hours until we feel better.

Working on my Fitness

Exercise can fall pretty low on the list of priorities because #momlife, but it can be done! Some days I do stretches and exercises in my jammies while the kiddos play, but at least I get it done. I have recently posted some videos of my top 6 go to exercises you can do anywhere with or without baby. Check out this post on my Instagram for videos.

Although I am typically a fan of exercising at home, it is important for me every so often to workout on my own (without babies) or with girlfriends. Have you ever noticed how motivating it is to have a friend to workout with? I'm a social person so I love group fitness. I had a mamas night out  last week at Curves in Oceanside, California. I went with a few mom friends and enjoyed a well needed workout sesh with awesome coaches and some mama bonding after. Curves really is ideal for busy or working moms because you can squeeze in some fitness anytime of day. There is always a coach there if you need one, and you can cater your workout to your needs. Also, there are so many locations that there is probably a gym near you. Regardless of your fitness goals, there are so many options out there for busy moms to make time to stay physically fit. Don't forget that you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Whether you're working out with babies or buddies, a little movement goes a long way for your mind, body and soul! 

This post was sponsored by Curves International, but the content and opinions expressed are as always, my own! 

My little venture in a bottle....

Pretty darn excited about what's in this little bottle. I've never been a very business savvy person, but when I really love and believe in something I feel like I need to share it with the world! So here it is. Starting your own little biz and sharing something you created with your hands and heart can be pretty intimidating. But YOLO. Maybe you've seen me sharing a little about my oil it on my Insta story,  but here's the full rub: 

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When I discovered I was pregnant with my son I  felt compelled to look into the skin care products I was using. I immediately began switching my products to "safer" brands and  attempted to solely use products with natural, safe and healthier ingredients. 

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I found companies that manufactured high-quality and safety-minded products and spent a lot of time and money on these products. 

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Although some of the products I found are/were great, there were too few options and the ones I did find were very expensive. 

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In the past, I have always had somewhat problematic skin. So when my esthetician told me I was stripping my skin of it's natural oils, I was shocked. I had always incorrectly believed breakouts occurred because my skin was naturally oily, but my skin was actually overproducing oil because I was drying it out with the products I used. Hormones took a toll on my skin with my first pregnancy, but it was very important to me to source natural and safe ingredients with anything I put on or into my body. I needed something anti-aging, but also something that would control my breakouts. 

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I began researching the best and cleanest facial oils. I bought a few different brands and noticed improvement in my skin within a few weeks. Unfortunately, I only used the tiniest amounts because the bottles were so small and so expensive. So, I immediately began looking into making my own. I learned what oils and essential oils were best for skin, and especially facial skin. I tried many combinations and started mixing and experimenting and finding out what worked best for me. I quickly discovered I could make an oil similar to what I had been using for far less than what I had been spending. I pleasantly discovered I liked the texture and scent of my own oil even better than any of the others I had purchased in the past. Plus, I didn't have to use it sparingly because it wasn't going to break the bank. Using my oil has helped the texture of my skin drastically. The feel and scent is also calming and aromatherapeutic. I use my oil twice a day, all over my face, neck and chest. You could also use it on just fine lines or wrinkles if you prefer. Try it on scars or sunspots too. It has truly been a tiny miracle in my skin-care regimen. 

My "Mirac-oil" has only 6 ingredients: Argan, Jojoba, Rosehip, Lavender, Lemongrass and Frankincense oils. I have given Mirac-oil to many friends and family members as gifts and everyone has given it the thumbs up, and are coming back for more, which has given me the confidence to start sharing it with others. I currently charge only $25 shipped to you to cover my costs and I am so excited to share it with you! I hope you consider supporting me if you are looking for a facial oil that is clean, healthy, all natural and a game changer for your skin!