My Lifefactory Glass Sippy Review

      Heeeellllooo, all! Today I have a short little post for you all, but I just HAD to share this with you! And, no, this is not a sponsored post. I just really, really like the product. Okay, let's jump into this! I used glass bottles because I just really like to stay away from plastic when I have the option, BUT after bottles came sippy cups. I could never find glass sippies anywhere! Even when I searched online I had no results. Well, a couple months ago I tried again and found one, but for some reason I got distracted and never bought it (go figure!). Then, about two months ago, I was wandering around the health food store and I stumbled across the same cup I found online.

 

       The company that makes the cup is called Lifefactory. They sell a variety of glass products that all look so amazing. I would definitely like to try out their glasses! You can look at their products on their website: Lifefactory.com. Anyways, I loved everything about the sippy. So, of course, I bought it and tried it out myself so I could let you all know exactly what it's like.
       The sippy is actually a bottle which is converted by buying the sippy caps to screw onto the bottle. So, actually, you can save yourself space by buying these guys. I bought the four ounce bottle, but they come in a nine ounce bottle also. The glass is very sturdy, but what's really neat, to me, is that it has a silicone cover on it. It's nice for gripping, and resilience, and also telling the difference between bottles. Plus, it's a really cute design. I also bought the sippy caps separately. They came in a pack of two. It's a plastic cap, which is pretty difficult to get around; there aren't many options out there for caps. The flow that comes out of the cap is nice. It has a spill-proof silicone fitting inside which works great, is easy to remove, and easy to clean. The only thing I would warn about is when I screwed the cap on as tight as I could, it was next to impossible to get any of the drink out. You don't have to screw it onto the cup quite so tight. Even without tightening the top the entire way, the cup did not leak. But that is the only flaw I found - if you want to call that a flaw. I noticed that they did cost a bit more than some of the other glass bottles out there, but I absolutely thought it was worth it and I was very pleased with my purchase. I'm so happy to have found a glass sippy/bottle combo. It is definitely a product I will keep in mind for baby showers!

Have you tried any of the Lifefactory products? Let me know!



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Cloth Pads: And other reusable alternatives

     By now you all may know I like to "go green" when I can, which is why I used cloth diapers. I even went as far as to make some of my own. Before I made any purchases for my cloth diapers or any of my materials, I did a lot of research. I spent countless hours looking through shops in person and online. While searching, I came across cloth pads. I remember I thought, "Oh, that's weird," and moved on without looking into it further. It always stayed in the back of my head, though. So, not long ago, I decided to look into the cloth pads and other alternatives to their disposable counterparts.Turns out there are a lot of brands and options.
      First, I wanted to touch on some reasons people switch to reusable and more natural products.

• Disposable pads are made from fossil fuel derived petroleum products: bad for you and the planet.
• Many pads get flushed down the toilet, going into the ocean untreated.
• Most disposable products are not made with organic fibers which means you are being exposed to pesticides and other chemicals. It's easy for these chemicals to be absorbed into your body.
• Many women have reactions to the scents that are added to these products.
• Some women feel that the disposable products degrades the natural process of their bodies and that disposables make it feel more like an ailment than a natural occurrence.
• Many women who use reusable products claim they have less cramping and lighter periods.
• A lot of women who aren't using disposables claim they no longer suffer from "period odor".
• It can be fun collecting all the fun designs and choosing which fabrics, materials, an designs you want to use.
• Using reusables saves money!

     

Cloth pads

     Cloth pads come in all kinds of shapes, styles, materials, colors, and whatever else you could think of. The options are almost endless. You can opt for just using a terry cloth towel in your underpants to buying a PUL lined pad with  a hemp absorbing core and everything in between. This is all great, but cleaning is obviously one of the first turn-offs we face and we tend to just curl our noses and run away. I did quite a bit of researching and it doesn't seem like it's too bad. Also, from what I've read, most cloth pads don't leave ... dare I say ... the period odor some women are familiar with, because the soiled pads don't have any of the chemicals that are in the conventional disposables to react with. So now you may be worrying about bulk. There are materials out there that are super thin and extra super absorbent. There's a material called Zorb that stands out in my mind, or if you want to go more natural, bamboo or hemp are good options. I've seen regular flow cloth pads half as thick as disposables. I also think these could be a better option because of the rubbing from plastic disposables on your legs. If you want to know more, I recommend going here. It's a great youtube channel. She can answer just about every cloth pad question you could possibly come up with. If you do a quick search for cloth pads, you will find tons of online stores - from major retailers to etsy sites.

Cups

      This is a product I know a little less about, but it's an option that many women like. Basically, it is an alternative to tampons. From what I understand, the product is made from silicone and it is exactly what it sounds like. It's a tiny little cup with a stick-like bottom. I've watched a few comparison videos between cups and tampons and the sups actually seem to hold a bit more than most tampons. Every few hours you empty it, rinse it, and use it again. There are special cleaning products you can buy for them and most come with a storage bag for in between uses. Each manufacturer is different, but some last up to a year. You can find a bunch of videos on youtube that show you what they look like and who prefers which product. There is a video on the cups on the youtube channel link I placed in the cloth pad section of this post.

Reusable tampons

       There are a few different options to tampons besides the cups. Some women use sea sponge as a tampon replacement and some women use cloth tampons. They can vary between rolled cotton or even knitted. 

It's important to remember that TSS is a possibility with feminine products - especially those which are used internally. Do your research and talk to your doctor. Some fibers are more prone to harboring the bacteria which cause Toxic Shock Syndrome. It's always important to follow cleaning directions or any other instructions on how often to change the product, etc, etc when using these products. I am by no means a doctor, I just like to share the things I find with you. Using green alternatives is great and sometimes cute and fun, but be safe. 

 Let me know which products you've tried or which you prefer!



      

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No-Flour Banana Pancakes

      Hello, all! I apologize for not posting too much last week. It was quite a busy week. But none the less, I'm back and I have a pretty fun post for you all today. If you haven't already noticed, I like to find healthy alternatives for my family and share them with yours. I also try to share posts on FaceBook of the same breed. (So if you haven't already, race over and hit "like" on Amerimommy's page so you aren't missing out!) Recently, I shared a post from The Natural Parent Magazine for flourless pancakes. I don't like to just share stuff with you all without trying it for myself, so this week I gave the recipe a shot.
       Now, from the very easy to follow recipe pictured, it seems all you need is a banana and two eggs. You would slice the banana into a bowl, crack your eggs in there and mash them together. Then you would pour them into your greased pan and cook like a normal pancake. So that's exactly what I did for purposes of reporting back to all of you.
      I used large eggs and just a simple masher. The product of this was more of a banana omelet than a pancake. Also, this only makes one pancake, so don't expect to feed your family if you only have a single, lonely banana lying around. I disliked it, but the kids ate it up.

      For the next batch, I used one egg and one banana. I followed everything else the same as before. This turned out better, in my opinion. The egg-banana ratio was better, but I think it was still a bit of a strange texture.

 What I will do differently the next time I try this recipe:
       I'm going to revise the recipe a bit by using two bananas to one large egg and using a hand blender instead of mashing them. Also, the flavor was a little bland for me, so I'm going to add a bit of cinnamon. Also, my bananas weren't at the peak of their ripeness yet, so I'm going to make sure my bananas are on the verge of brownness for my next go.

      Has anyone else tried this recipe or one like it? Let me know!



       

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My App Review: FarFaria

     Hello, all! I have another little something to share with you! I was recently contacted by someone from Pulp PR who asked me if I would be interested in reviewing an app for them. I was pretty excited about this chance, because I love to share great products with you guys. So of course I said yes to a chance to try it out free. And keep in mind I would never give my stamp of approval to something I don't think is great just because I was asked to review it!
     The app is called FarFaria. It's an app for children on iPad and android products. Basically, when you open up the app, you see a world map. Each area of the map represents different story genres. You can choose adventure, bedtime, etc. (I really enjoyed the sing alongs!). Once you choose the area of the world you want to enter, you can then choose from various stories. One of my favorite features is that you can choose a tab that sorts the stories by reading level, so if your little one will be reading it will be easier to find something appropriate to their rading ability. You can opt to read the story to yourself or let the narrator read to you. This is nice to have if your small one is ready to hear a story but you're a little tied up at the moment.
     Another feature I really enjoyed was that I was able to save the stories we liked to our favorites. That way we didn't have to go through each section of the world trying to remember where our favorite story was! Also, I used this feature when I went through the stories and saw some I wanted to read later. Easily saved. I also liked that there were plenty of classic stories to read as well as originals. The artwork on some of these stories is beautiful too!! I was really surprised. Overall, I have nothing but great things to say about the app. Not only do I really enjoy it, but of course I handed it over to the true critics - the munchkins. They enjoy it too and they honestly don't want to turn it off once they start.
     I was curious, though, how often new books are added. If you're going to pay a monthly subscription, I would expect new books to be added regularly. I asked the gentleman who first contacted me. He informed me that books are added quite regularly - at least five a week, which was more than I anticipated and enough to keep me happy.
     So, yes, I absolutely like this app and I would definitely recommend FarFaria to anyone with young children (up to 9 or 10 yrs.). It's fun and colorful and the kids really enjoy choosing a place on the map to go for their story.
     Well that's it. That's my review. You can check it out for yourselves at the App Store. I hope the review was helpful! If any of you try FarFaria, leave a comment and let me know how the little people in your life liked it!



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Have You Heard of The Orange Rhino?

     Hey, moms. Do you find yourself yelling more than you desire? Yeah, it's okay to admit - even if it's just you sitting in front of your computer screen. We've all been there. It may be that you're going through a rough time, it may be that your child/ren just happen to be having a hard time following the rules this week, or maybe it has just become your parenting style. Sometimes we just need help getting out of a rut.
     I came across this website a while back and I felt I should share it with you all. Possibly some of you could benefit from the advice you'll receive, or maybe you'll just get a good chuckle following the her journey. The website is www.theorangerhino.com. The entire premise of the site is to help parents stop screaming at their children. You can find her trademark phrase on the site, which sums everything up. There is also a challenge you can take yourself, which could be very hard, but very helpful. I won't go into full detail as I really want you guys to check it out. You can find out more about the challenge here.
     Whether you need help changing your parenting style, or you would like some encouragement along the way, I definitely suggest reading the blog. You can share in the encouragement and read some funny stories along the way! That's it for today, moms! If anyone is currently taking this challenge, leave a comment and let us know how it's going!



 

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Another Mother's Day Gift

     With Mother's Day right around the corner, I wanted to share a link with all of you for a very special Mother's Day gift. In an earlier post, I shared the Compassion website with all of you, which I have created a link for on the home page under the 'special links' tab. If you haven't read that post or visited the link, I'll give you a little information. Compassion is a charity that helps children in poverty across the world. You can sponsor one or more of these children by sending a monthly donation. This donation works towards helping the children get healthy meals, healthcare, education, and it allows them to spend time in their local church playing games. It also goes towards helping the parents. They can go to educational classes and it helps with any addiction problems they may be suffering through.
     You may have noticed I said the children get to go to their church for activities. Compassion is a Christian based charity. However, many if the churches they work with are Catholic. You can find out more about that on the website. It's a really great way to help these children have fun and forget about the conditions they are living in even if for just a couple hours. It also helps them remember that someone out there cares enough about them to help. You will get letters and pictures from the child you're sponsoring. I am currently sponsoring a child in Brazil, and the first time I received a letter from him with a picture he drew, my heart melted!
     What I really wanted to tell you all about today is the Rescue Babies and Mothers program from Compassion you can be part of. Your donation will be $20 a month and this is what your donation will help with:

• Immunization
• Food
• Breast feeding
• Monitoring growth
• Female literacy
• Family planning
• Oral rehydration

     I think this would be a fantastic Mother's Day gift to a mother truly in need and their tiny babies. For more information, you can visit the website here. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!



     

    

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Healthy Sunblock: Use less chemicals

     If we have so much knowledge about skin cancer and how to prevent it, then why are there higher rates of cancer now than there were before sunscreen was available? I don't have the answer, and frankly there could be many factors, but I do know one thing - commercial sunscreens have a lot of things in them I need a few minutes figuring out how to pronounce. There are a ton of chemicals in these products that we are smearing all over our skin and our children's skin. Their little bodies are absorbing things we've never even heard of before and we don't know what they're doing to us. You can find explanations about what some of these chemicals are and how they can be harmful to your body here.
     It is important to remember that a little sun is good for you. Sunshine can help with mood disorders and depression. Plus, Your body absorbs a lot of vitamin D through soaking up some sunshine. As most of us know, vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and has also been linked to preventing cancers such as breast cancer. However too much is a bad thing. Anyone rocking the lobster look after a beach vacation could tell you that. But chemical lotions and sprays don't seem to be much better for you. This is a link to the doctor Oz website. In this article, you will find a doctor's point of view on chemical sunscreens. If you're in panic mode about tossing away your favorite brand of lotion, don't worry. There are plenty of things you can do to avoid using these toxic chemicals.

• Don't forget a hat! Try purchasing hats with wide brims to cover your little one's face.
• Find some shade. Sitting beneath a tree, pavilion, or under an umbrella will help keep your little one from overheating as well.
• Remember the sun is most aggressive near midday - from about 10am to 4pm in most places.
• Sun damage can occur in any season, not just summer.
• Try finding zinc oxide or titanium oxide creams instead.
• Don't forget sunglasses, even on overcast days.

     Here is some information I took directly from skincancer.org about what you need to look for when you buy your sunglasses:

For proper protection, sunglasses should offer the following:

• The ability to absorb and block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB light. Ideally, they should also guard against HEV light.

• Sufficient size to shield the eyes, eyelids, and surrounding areas. The more skin covered, the better. Wraparound styles with a comfortable, close fit and UV-protective side shields are ideal.

• Durability and impact resistance.
• Polarized lenses to eliminate glare, especially when driving, but also out in the snow or on the water, where reflection greatly magnifies glare. Continuing glare can cause fatigue, headaches, and even migraines.  www.skincancer.org.

     For smaller children, Realkidshades.com is a great place to get sunglasses. And here is what they have to say about their products (taken from realkidshades.com home page): "All Real Kids Shades are third-party tested to provide 100% UVA/UVB protection as measured by the strictest American, European, and Australian governing bodies. They’re CPSIA compliant, CE certified, and FDA approved are lead-free with no bisphenol A or phthalates. Oh, and they’re really cute."

     I feel like this is a product that can really be trusted for your children's precious peepers. 
     Also, I have been finding a lot of recipes online for DIY sunscreens or homemade sunscreens and while I applaud everyone who tries to do things at home, this one was a little concerning to me. The 
ingredients I was seeing didn't seem solid enough for me to trust. After a bit of research, I came across this article. If you are thinking of making your own sunscreen, you may want to read this and take their point of view into consideration. 
     I hope these tips and links were helpful to all of you. Please let me know what you think about making your own sunscreens! Stay safe and enjoy the sunshine, mommies!



     

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Kindergarten Readiness: For mommy and child

     All moms know it will happen eventually, the impending first day of school. We don't realize how fast it arrives until one day it sneaks up on you and you're sending your little one off on an adventure that will last 12 years or more. There are a lot of questions and concerns moms and children will have to address when this time comes and I am aiming to help ease the transition.
     You may have a preschooler who will be going to school in the upcoming year or the year after. It's never too early to know what kind of things you need to teach your child so he or she will be prepared. It's true that if your child is going to a daycare or preschool that he or she will learn a lot of the skills s/he will need for kindergarten, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't work on things at home. It's a good idea to get your child used to the idea of learning at home too to understand learning is a fun thing and also to get used to the idea of studying and doing homework. Some things outside of being able to count, recite the alphabet, and recognize their name are these:

• Knows and uses manners
• Can adjust to new environments with a reasonable amount of ease
• Can dress his/herself 
• Runs, jumps, bounces a ball
• Can speak in sentences 
• Is able to share

     These are the types of things that are mostly learned at home. If your child spends his/her days at home or a babysitters, it's important to get em around kids at the park, toddler gym, or local library. There are plenty of places to take your child where they can be around kids their own age. For a check list on kindergarten readiness, it's a good idea to contact your school district or you can get the general idea here from Leapfrog or at familyeducation.com.
     The next question a lot of moms have is what kinds of materials to supply their kids with. Once again, you can contact your school district. It is pretty common for the school to send out a checklist during the summer or even on the first day of school. However, it's not a bad idea to call and get an early start. Sometimes, though, it varies from teacher to teacher and the district won't be able to give you the entire list.
     Now for the harder part of preparing for the big day - the questions. Your child may be filled with excitement or anxiety or a mixture of the two, but either way you know you're going to have a lot of questions to answer. I found an amazing link to today.com where Ruth A. peters, a clinical psychologist, answers some of the tough questions your tyke may ask. You can find that page here. I also stumbled upon this awesome page full of helpful pointers for preparing your little one mentally from Dr. Laura Markham. This is a fun video for your small one and you to watch together of kids getting ready for their first day and then answering questions about it. It may get your child more pumped up for their first day and you'll get a little giggle out of it as well.

Special Needs:
     If your child has special needs, you already know your checklist for readiness may look a little different. In this day and age, most special needs children are involved with agencies before starting school. It's important to get on-track with these agencies about what is expected for school and how to meet that goal and what kind of evaluations your child should have if any. You can begin planning kindergarten entrance and asking these questions a year before hand. As I poked around the web, I noticed each state has its own guide for parents with special needs children preparing for kindergarten. If you don't have one already, a quick search may help you out. Your child's IEP team will be especially helpful at this time.

For Mom:
     It's important to take a breath and remember you will get through this and so will your little one. It is the beginning of a new chapter in both your lives. Be happy and know that your child will need you just as much in the upcoming years as he/she always has, just in a different form. And REMEMBER to charge those camera batteries and to have some tissues ready.

Have a fun first-day-of-school story or helpful tips? Share them, please!



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DIY Mother's Day gifts: Grandma's a mother too!

     While all the still very active mothers may be getting breakfast in bed, flowers, cards, or coupons for chores (cash these in fast, ladies. The excitement doesn't last!), don't forget about the moms who have put in their due share of mothering. Your mom, step mom, grandma, or mother-in-law will go crazy when she sees a homemade gift from your little ones. I think it could be quite fun to make these special ladies a gift from your favorite little people. I have a few ideas listed below and of course the age of your child/ren will determine which of these works best for you.

• Build a bird house
• Paint a picture and put it in a nice frame
• Grow flowers with your child from seeds. (This is one of my favorites. It's learning and a gift all-in-one)
• Prepare a picnic with your child for your mom. Star shaped pbj, anyone?
• This one could go along with the third ... Paint a clay potter and plant some pretty flowers.

     I love all these ideas and really, if you're a bit creative, you can come up with some pretty fun stuff. Keep in mind all these ideas are great for dads too. Father's Day comes up fast! I have one more idea for you all and I decided to write out the directions myself. I'm not sure where I got it, but I have it written down from a long time ago. Who doesn't love a nice handprint? This one is fun because these little people grow up so fast and it's nice to have a little imprint of their hands or feet. Also, most of the project is edible, so if you have very tiny ones, the first part won't be so worrisome.

Here is what you'll need to make hand/foot impressions:

• 2 cups white flour
• 1 cup salt 
• 1 cup water
• Mixing bowl
• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper
• Rolling pin.

Optional:

• A straw to poke a hole for your string
• Ribbon, yarn, a shoelace ... Something to hang your project on the wall with
• Food coloring or acrylic paint

     First you will want to place a fitted sheet of parchment paper onto your cookie sheet. Next, mix flour, salt, and water ( if you want the entire lump of dough to be a certain color, mix in a few drops of food coloring. If you want just the impression to be colored, hold off.) in a mixing bowl until you have a ball of dough. You will then want to roll it out a bit. You want to have it at least 1/2"  thick and make sure your child's hand or foot will be able to fit without going over the edges. Place your child's foot or hand in the center and press down firmly and evenly. At this point you could also cut around the edges to make a nice circle, heart, or whatever shape you like. Then, if you want to be able to hang it, you can poke a hole in the center, top with your straw and be sure it goes through cleanly. Also, it's fun to date these by carefully carving on the back or waiting til it has hardened and writing with marker. There are two options for letting the dough harden, you can let it air-dry for a couple days or you can stick it in the oven on 200 for a couple hours. The size and thickness will make your cooking time vary, so keep an eye on it. If you want your print colored only, you can paint it with the acrylic. I would do this after it has cooked or dried. Once dried, you can stick your ribbon or yarn through and you're finished! There are endless possibilities for decorating these, which is fun for the kids. The way you want to decorate could be the deciding factor on whether or not they go in the oven. For example, if you want to stick some plastic or wooden beads around the imprint, you probably wouldn't want it in your oven!
     So those are my ideas for you all. A quick search on google or youtube could give you instructions for bird houses. You may even be able to find kits at a craft or home improvement store. You may even be able to find one which was already built but needs painted. Also, if you want an outdoor handprint, say for your garden, these flour ones will not hold up. You can probably find kits to make stepping stones at an arts and crafts store. Have fun with your gifts and share your ideas if you have more!

 

Help others find Amerimommy too!

 



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