Turning mommies from eco-weak to eco-chic!
It's one thing adding a slice of cucumber to a glass of water you've just poured, but it's quite another waking up to a pitcher of ice cold water that's been infusing for 8 hours in the fridge. What a way to start the morning. My children agree :) - 1/2 cucumber - 2 liters of water Slice your cucumber. For extra cucumbery-goodness, slice again in halves. Add to a pitcher of 2 liters of filtered water (preferably covered so it doesn't taste like the fridge) and allow to infuse … [Read more...]
One of the most searched posts on Natural Mommie is how to make vanilla perfume. Since it's so popular I thought I'd pull it from The Archives and share it with you again today for any new readers who haven't come across it yet. Enjoy! Ever since The Body Shop reformulated their vanilla perfume from smelling like actual vanilla beans that was really lovely and caramelly in the early 90s to their current flowery vanilla that’s on their shelves now, I’ve been on the hunt for a “real” … [Read more...]
It doesn't take much to get kids excited about food when it's tiny and kid-sized but looks sort of grown up. This simple snack is made with the 3 things my kids (and likely yours) will eat up in a hurry: cucumbers, cream cheese and small crackers. These PC® Blue Menu™ Ancient Grains crackers by themselves aren't a favorite of my boys (even though I love them!) and since I absolutely will not bend and buy them "junk" crackers, to make them a little more tasty and "fancy" according to my … [Read more...]
Adding something new to the rotation of toast, greek yogurt, pancakes, oatmeal, waffles and eggs is always a welcomed change - a new muffin, bread, yes...but cookie? Now that's a way to get my kids to finish their breakfast without complaining. It's also something perfect for me when I'm running out the door still trying to finish my first coffee when I've realized I'd forgotten to eat breakfast. And since we ditched granola bars in place of these, I can't grab something store bought from the … [Read more...]
Did you know that regular soap kills 99.4 percent of germs while antibacterial soap kills 99.6 percent? Or that the main ingredient in most commercial air fresheners is formaldehyde? How about that the main ingredient in carpet cleaners is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals to humans?? It's news to me. Our relationship to chemicals is changing as new research draws a connection between health problems and exposure to certain compounds. Your home may be more toxic than you realize because … [Read more...]
A re-post from last year, but I'm sitting here with a headache from not drinking enough water and thought I'm probably not the only one feeling parched today. Courtesy of fitbie.com, hope you'll find it useful! In case your head doesn't hurt from being beaten over it with this information, here it is again: Water's pretty good for you. It stokes your metabolism so you burn more calories all day. It helps you stay energized, keeps you regular, and can improve your skin. If you replace just one … [Read more...]
I loved playing with silly putty when I was little...favorite thing ever. Was right up there with neon leggings, pompom socks and snap bracelets. I'm not sure if you can still buy this in stores anymore so the alternative? Whip up your own! There's a couple different ways to make it, one being with liquid starch (didn't have on hand) or the other way with borax (which I had) so we'll just go with that recipe! It's ridiculously easy and there's a lot of give to the recipe. I'm … [Read more...]
If it wasn't for bylaws, I'd be thisclose to setting up a coop in the backyard seeing as how my family eats about 80ish eggs a month. Does that seem excessive? The general reaction when friends and family find out this little tidbit is a sudden jaw drop. But I did the math and it makes sense. Each of my boys (toddler, preschooler and husband) eat about 2-3 eggs each at roughly 3 breakfasts a week. Add me to the equation, plus baking, plus egg salad lunches, more baking, hardboiled egg snacks … [Read more...]
Truth? I've never wanted to make zucchini bread before. Dense, gummy, undercooked veggie spice cake was all I could picture pulling out of my oven. But friends this one is a winner. It's light on the flour, not overly spicy, doesn't have a vegetable taste and my kids won't stop asking for more. If you're looking for a heavily flavored spice cake, this recipe isn't for you, but it's definitely an easy crowd pleaser especially with butter on top. Enjoy! - 1.5 cups all-purpose flour - … [Read more...]
I'm not a huge fan of nut-free baking but I hate standing in front of my pantry while I'm packing my son's lunch for preschool feeling terrified that I'll accidentally send him to school with a cookie I'd forgotten I added nuts to then BAM! I'm that mom that put the child that's allergic to nuts at risk. It's hard though! Nuts are such an easy way to sneak in some healthy fats and my children love them. But we need to be school-safe so I made these. And they're awesome. They'll be a regular … [Read more...]
