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 If you want to make informed and from-the-heart parenting decisions without simply following the crowd, you're going to need this book. Perhaps one of my biggest motivations with this blog, along with chemical-free living and healing through herbalism, is to promote the idea that it’s always best to open our minds and really look at something before forming an opinion. Sometimes that sort of internal wisdom is applied when deciding on whether or not to treat your kids with herbs or with an over-the-counter medication. Other times it has to do with whether or not to eat whole and organic foods, or to eat at a drive-thru again. And yet other times it has more to do with education, vaccination, or how our kids spend their free time. I recently read Unvaccinated, Homeschooled, and TV-Free by Julie Cook, and no doubt this is a woman who takes free thinking to heart.
Julie Cook’s book states clearly on the cover “It’s NOT Just for Fanatics and Zealots”. Although in the past things such as homeschooling or (heaven help us!) life without television were thought of as fringe behavior and are no doubt still viewed as such by many, things are beginning to change. Julie’s book shares her own experiences while making choices on how to raise her own daughter, and she leads us through the research she did which lead her to such decisions – like not vaccinating just because everyone around her chose to. Although her personal research on such topics involved hours of thorough research, she offers an easy-to-comprehend, yet jaw-dropping version in the book, citing cources so parents can do more digging if they desire. And believe me, after reading what she’s unearthed on these topics, you’ll want to learn more!
The biggest message I came away with once I’d read the book is this: The choices we make when parenting should never be made based simply on what our neighbors do or what our parents did or what the media reports; it’s best to take the time to research, even when what we uncover isn’t easy to face. We should make our parenting decisions based on a balance of fact and on what our hearts dictate. Unvaccinated, Homeschooled, and TV-Free is a brave book, and I sincerely hope it finds its way into the hands of new and experienced parents alike.
Multiple Options for Multiple Entries:
1.) Just visit Julie Cook’s website at No Regrets Life Coaching and Publishing and tell me something you learned there! (***You may enter once a day, but please list a new item you like each time.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Blog about, Twitter, Subscribe and/or Become a Fan on Facebook! Get an extra entry for each of these activities. This time just leave a separate comment for each (only one time for each extra activity completed), giving me a link to your blog post, your Twitter name, and/or a note saying you’re an FB Fan and/or subscriber. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
(Psst! My Twitter name is dkMommy.)
Feel free to do all five to gather multiple entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Friday, February 12, 2010, to enter.
Coupon Codes & More Giveaways Here!
List Your Giveaways Here!
 February 15th is President’s Day, so it’s the perfect time to introduce our kids to a little American history and perhaps a lesson or two in government. But how to do that without them falling asleep? No need to recite the Gettysburg Address as their bedtime story, although we’d all love to see you dress as Lincoln. Instead, why not check out Scholastic Storybook Treasures’ latest DVD, “So You Want to Be President… and More Stories to Celebrate American History“?
The title story, “So You Want to be President?”, narrated by Stockard Channing and written by Judith St. George, is filled with cool presidential trivia even you will be fascinated to learn. David Small’s illustrations are reminiscent of political cartoons with caricatures of government greats. ”My Senator and Me,” written by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, tells the story of Washington, D.C. from the viewpoint of that famous DC dog Splash. Following are “Madame President” and “I Could do That! Esther Morris Gets Women to Vote”. And like most Scholastic DVD’s, there are bonus features including an interview with Senator Kennedy and Splash.
A great way to introduce young minds to history and government, this is a DVD that will bring much enjoyment to the whole family. Heck, after watching this a few times, your kids might be begging you to dress as Lincoln and recite!
Want to win your own copy of “So You Want to Be President? ” Scholastic Storybook Treasures is giving away a copy to a lucky dkM reader!
Multiple Options for Multiple Entries:
1.) Just visit Scholastic and tell me what else you liked or learned there! (***You may enter once a day, but please list a new item you like each time.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Blog about, Twitter, Subscribe and/or Become a Fan on Facebook! Get an extra entry for each of these activities. This time just leave a separate comment for each (only one time for each extra activity completed), giving me a link to your blog post, your Twitter name, and/or a note saying you’re an FB Fan and/or subscriber. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
(Psst! My Twitter name is dkMommy.)
Feel free to do all five to gather multiple entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Friday, February 12, 2010, to enter.
Coupon Codes & More Giveaways Here!
List Your Giveaways Here!
Want to win a No-VOC BioGreen Memory Foam Pillow? Read about the Tempflow Memory Foam Mattress and get entered!
 Wikipedia tells us VOC’s are “organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the earth’s atmosphere.” Not exactly what you want to have floating above your mattress as you sleep! Most memory foam mattresses are made of polyurethane, or visco-elastic polyurethane foam, which contains various levels of VOC’s. But the Tempflow mattress by Relief-Mart relies on Biogreen memory foam for its support, which is completely non-toxic and free of VOC’s.
 As you can see by the graph to the right (click on the graph for a full-sized view), much of the Tempflow mattress is actually constructed with the no-VOC BioGreen memory foam. The stretch cover is hypoallergenic and ventilated, and mine is made of non-toxic and naturally fire-retardant bamboo fiber. The next three inches of material are made up of the two layers of BioGreen foam, one for comfort and the other denser layer for support. Both are ventilated, allowing airflow that other popular memory foam mattresses don’t offer. (The airflow is great for people who get overheated while sleeping on the average memory foam mattress, a common issue.) The bottom layer of the mattress is a 6-inch channeled layer, not of BioGreen, but quite dense and supportive. The entire mattress is made in the U.S.A.
An independent laboratory tested BioGreen and found that indeed there is no V.O.C. outgassing. From my research I have learned that Memory foam does usually have quite an odor to it. In fact, my husband and I happened to be in a store that carried memory foam mattresses that were not free of VOC’s. Out of curiosity, we smelled it. It was really horrid and overpowering, and it had obviously been on display in the store for quite sometime (which I understand should have reduced the odor!). While we did experience an initial odor with our Tempflow mattress, thankfully, it was nothing like the one we looked at in that store. The Tempflow smell reminded me of our rubber hot water bottle or perhaps a new sponge, but even that dissipated within about two months and has since been virtually odor free. (For my more odor-sensitive readers, it’s good to know the materials are lab tested and deemed free of V.O.C. outgassing – a simple waiting period before using the mattress after purchase would probably do the trick for you.)
I’ve been testing the Selene model, which is a mattress designed specially for the back sleeper, and also for people with neck and back issues, which describes me pretty well. Our previous mattress, a pricey non-memory foam deal (after a mere three years of usage it was akin to sleeping in a canoe), was happily replaced by the Selene about four months ago. I was anxious to see how my back would feel on memory foam since I’d never tried such a mattress before. I was instantly impressed with the level of comfort the mattress offered. It formed to my back in an instant, and I found it to be quite soothing. My heels, my legs and arms, as well as the whole of my back were supported without any noticeable pressure points, something that used to keep me tossing and turning on the previous mattress. I awoke after my first morning on the Tempflow with considerably less back pain, most noticeably in the lower back, and since receiving the mattress I’ve cut my trips to the chiropractor significantly.
Previous to sleeping on the Tempflow, I was used to waking up numerous times throughout the night to shift and adjust my back. Since I began sleeping on the Tempflow, it’s a rare occasion that I awaken at night due to a comfort issue. And I find myself looking forward to sleep just so I can sink my back into the cozy mattress and get a break from the usual back stresses of the day. The one occasion I’ve had over the last months to sleep away from the mattress was difficult indeed and involved much tossing and turning. I’m already trying to figure out how to fit my Tempflow into my suitcase so that come vacation time, I won’t have to miss out on a good night’s sleep. I wonder how it would fit in our tent?
To read more about the Tempflow, you may want to check out Space Daily’s review comparison between the Tempflow and the Tempur-Pedic. It gives a thorough look into the similarities and differences between these two mattresses.
 Win the Trillow here! Just follow the entry guidelines below.
Trillow BioGreen Memory Foam Pillow Giveaway: Perhaps you’d love to try the mattress but can’t afford it right now. To give the BioGreen Memory Foam a whirl, Relief-Mart is giving you the opportunity to enter to win a Trillow, their BioGreen Memory Foam Pillow. I reviewed the Trillow recently and was able to run a giveaway that had a fantastic response from all of you. So here’s your chance to try again! (Or to purchase a Trillow, check out dkM’s Coupon Codes page for a generous 33% discount.)
Multiple Options for Multiple Entries:
1.) Answer one of the following questions (you can answer up to one question a day for multiple entries):
- What do no-V.O.C. Ecological products mean to you?
- What do you like about memory foam?
- Do you get hot when you sleep, and do you feel you could use a solution like this?
2.) Blog about, Twitter, Subscribe and/or Become a Fan on Facebook! Get an extra entry for each of these activities. This time just leave a separate comment for each (only one time for each extra activity completed), giving me a link to your blog post, your Twitter name, and/or a note saying you’re an FB Fan and/or subscriber. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
(Psst! My Twitter name is dkMommy.)
Feel free to complete all options to gather multiple entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, to enter.
Coupon Codes & More Giveaways Here!
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 Today’s product review of Vaska Herbatergent, a natural laundry detergent, is by guest writer Jane Marie of Thyme for Herbs and An Herbal Bedfellow.
I’ve been trying a new natural laundry detergent lately, called Herbatergent from Vaska. It’s concentrated so the 48 ounce bottle takes care of 32 loads!
After a few weeks I felt it was safe to say that it performs very well, and I am quite pleased. Not only for the clean clothes and fresh scent, but because it is chemical free. I’ve put it through the wringer (in the old days I really would have), and it worked just as well on delicates as it did on dirty jeans and sweatshirts.
This non-toxic, environmentally safe product is used by some of the finest hotels in San Francisco ; namely the Ritz-Carlton and the Joie de Vivre. The San Francisco Giants think enough of it to use it on their linens, and I can imagine what those towels look like after a game!
Herbatergent is made from real lavender and powerful botanicals. I used the allergen and scent-free product,which is great for babies or people with sensitive skin. It also comes in a light lavender scent – my favorite; it think I’ll have to try that one next. It’s also graywater and septic tank safe, so no worries there. The bottles are made from HDPE, which is short for “high-density polyethylene” That simply means it is recyclable in most cities.
All in all, I give Herbatergent a thumbs up!
Want to win your own full-sized bottle of Vaska Herbatergent ($9 retail)? Vaska is giving one away to a dkM reader! Enter below!
Multiple Options for Multiple Entries:
1.) Just visit Vaska and tell me what else you liked or learned there! (***You may enter once a day, but please list a new item you like each time.) Remember, leave an interesting comment. If I cannot contact the winner, you might be chosen instead based on your comment.
2.) Blog about, Twitter, Subscribe and/or Become a Fan on Facebook! Get an extra entry for each of these activities. This time just leave a separate comment for each (only one time for each extra activity completed), giving me a link to your blog post, your Twitter name, and/or a note saying you’re an FB Fan and/or subscriber. SUBSCRIBE HERE!
(Psst! My Twitter name is dkMommy.)
Feel free to do all five to gather multiple entries to win! You have until midnight EST on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, to enter.
Coupon Codes & More Giveaways Here!
List Your Giveaways Here!
 Few things are more frustrating to new parents than caring for a colicky baby. Mom and dad are most likely functioning on lack of sleep, and nerves are probably raw. Worst of al is a common feeling of guilt, that it must be caused due to a lack of proper care or understanding by the parents. Knowing all parents of colicky babies feel this way is half the battle! The other half of the battle is gathering up some natural remedies for colic.
Colic is characterized by crying, what seems to be abdominal pain, and irritability. This usually starts around one month of age and continues through about four months. Parents can help relax their baby’s discomfort with a few different herbs prepared as either a tea or a bath infusion. If prepared as tea, only a small amount should be given so baby doesn’t replace important meals with tea. In fact, one or two teaspoonfuls of tea as needed is often a sufficient dose. Herbs to consider for teas and/or bath infusions would be: dill, fennel, chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint, catmint (catnip), linden, or red clover. Alternatively, a nursing mother may consider drinking the tea herself. This not oly passes the tea safely throguh the breastmilk, it gives Mom some much-needed natural relaxation too!
There are several other possible remedies to try as well. Try changing the nursing mom’s diet. It’s possible avoiding foods such as dairy, caffeine, spicy foods, garlic, or the gassy vegetables of the cabbage family might help baby’s digestion. Rule them out one at a time. Swaddling the baby snugly and rocking him or her is very soothing; oftentimes car rides, baby swings, and walking with baby in a front positioned baby carrier give baby much-needed comfort. Warm baths, altering feeding positions, and changing formula are sometiems the cure. And if your baby is on formula, adding some acidophilus to the bottle is sometimes helpful. (Consult a pediatrician and /or certified health professional for dosage.)
Interestingly, I know of a couple who had a colicky baby. In desperation they took her to a chiropractor for colic treatment. The chiropractor was able to massage the baby’s abdomen and make some gentle adjustments. The transformation was so impressive the father changed career paths. He’s now a chiropractor!
Colic is indeed a frustrating challenge. But the good news is, it doesn’t last forever. In the meantime, try these helpful natural remedies for colic, and don’t forget to treat yourself with relaxing teas and time out for both Mom and Dad. Letting baby spend time with grandma for an afternoon doesn’t make you a bad parent – just a relaxed one!
Note: This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any health issues. It is informative only, and is given as a way to offer suggestions that might be discussed with a certified health professional.
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Where Diane Studies Herbs
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