For a gal that’s no party planner, I sure am proud of the fairy wonderland I created for my daughter’s third birthday.  With the help of friends and my super savvy and crafty mother-in-law, and all the fairy pins I could find on Pinterest, I transformed our humble little yard into a 3 year old’s Pixie Hollow.

There’s No Place Like Home
Planning and executing the “perfect” party can get pretty expensive, so I knew I had to be resourceful when it came down to this fairy business. We saved money right from the start by having the party in our home.  Having it at home spared us park rental fees, kept our cars parked in the driveway, and saved us lots of time in prep work. Moving and transporting goods from one place to another, setting up in a different location, the chance of rain – all good reasons to keep it simple and keep it in the backyard. It just keeps it easy, and with youngins, who fights easy?

Keep It Small
Another element of easy-flow party planning was keeping the guest list small. There’s an age-old saying that says there should only be as many guests as your child’s age. I really like that etiquette as it keeps things easy and intimate; not to mention, it saves money (and catfights) too!

Upcycle to Save!
With the guest list figured out and location down pat, it was then time to scour websites and old cabinets for decoration ideas. I scored quite a deal from “partygobox” on eBay as they sold me 6 sets of fairy dress up clothes complete with wands, tutus, headbands, and wings for under $20! Can’t beat that, and free shipping too. I borrowed a few goods from friends like table linens and small vases, and I collected old jelly and pickle jars to use for flowers. Upcycling and not buying new are great ways to be resourceful, and it afforded me the ability to purchase a couple of cute items from MagicCabin.com that I had been eyeing for a while.  Magic Cabin has some of the cutest décor and items for children’s imaginative play, so I scooped up a couple of things to use for the special day that can also get lots of use in the future.

Make the Menu Fun
With birthdays and other special occasions, the menu is always the most important part to me.  It doesn’t have to be lavish by any means because that’s just not my style, but I do like it to be thoughtful and homemade. I guess it’s just in my blood coming from a long line of fantastic home cooks, and although I’m no pro, I certainly can get in the kitchen and make something delicious! I cheated a few times just to save myself time, but the end results were perfect. We had an all-natural yogurt bar with all the fixins (thank you Pinterest!), cupcakes with homemade strawberry icing (store bought boxed cake mix), and fresh-squeezed strawberry lemonade. We kept it simple, and it was a hit with our little fairies!

The day of the party, my girlfriends joked with me, because after seeing the set up they thought I went above and beyond! The beauty is I didn’t! It was fun, cost-efficient, and easy! Party planning just isn’t my thing – heck, it’s why my husband and I eloped – but I do know one thing: I wanted Naomi’s day to be special and memorable. And it was. It was so special that she keeps asking about having another one!

Now that’s a party worthwhile!

Let me preface this post by saying, “This is my first garden. Ever.”

So I am uncertain as to whether I have a green thumb or brown thumb yet, but that’s okay! I’m determined to learn as we go and have fun with it. Gardening can be intimidating for newcomers like me, but it can also be a great lesson learned for the whole family. We’re diving in head first, and I hope you’ll join us and throw us a few pointers along the way.

The Goodness of Gardening
Family, school, and community gardens are popping up all over the nation, and for good reason too. We all share a central theme: we want our children to know about our food. We want them to know where it comes from and how it’s grown. We want them to be excited about the healthy food that they eat.  We want to teach our children that responsibility can pay off in big ways, and we can teach this through nurturing the little helpers within them and igniting a love for helping others.

Practice Makes Perfect
“Omi do it!” exclaims our almost three-year-old daughter as she runs to grab her Little Tikes shovel to help dig holes.  She’s bursting with joy just to be a part of the scene – eager to help. Even though children’s help at this age and stage is often times more messy than helpful, they are developing and practicing their fine and gross motor skills and learning big roles in responsibility.

She helps in the garden, and she’s helping me with an important role in helping the plants grow. She gets to watch the plants thrive under her care, and she gets excited! Kids love to get outside and get their hands dirty, so what better way to encourage our little helpers than by starting a garden. 

Precious Bonding Time
I am excited to share a new bond with her. Growing a garden helps to do that. It also helps kids get excited about eating what they grow! Picky eaters may not be so picky anymore when they are tending it themselves.  They learn just where their food comes from, the satisfaction of knowing they grew it themselves, and they get to enjoy the pickin’ and eatin’ – the best part of all.

So if you’re considering growing a garden this year with the kids, give it a go!  It’s a learning experience for us all, and it’s a great excuse to get out there together and nurture the sprouts all the while nurturing each other. If it doesn’t pan out right this year, well then we know more for next year. Growing food that we know will be good for us and knowing how and where it’s grown – we can all get behind that!

Have you ever considered making your own baby food only to scratch the idea because of how time-consuming it must be?  Well, I’m here to tell ya that it’s easier than you think and quicker than you believe, and so much fun too. Go ahead and put an end to buying expensive and “convenient” store-bought baby food and pull out your blender!

1. Use Fresh Ingredients
You all may know by now how I love the local farmer’s market. Buying local produce is the freshest of the fresh. It’s so much more fun to shop locally because the market is full of in-season goodies typically pulled from harvest days before market (as fresh as it gets!), the money we spend on fresh food helps local farmers, and buying from local farms cancels out the overhead - gas and transportation to local grocers.  By meeting local farmers, you tend to know where the food comes from and how it’s grown.  It’s a nice way to grow as a community and eat wholesome, healthy food.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Mix It Up
Mixing fruits with veggies and adding little bursts of natural flavor really tickle the taste buds of your new little eater.  Bananas go well with sweet potatoes, and apples go well with spinach.  Homemade chicken broth can really do a lot for a potato and carrot mixture, and using fresh herbs in baby purees can delight even the crankiest of babes! My son, Benjamin, goes bananas over strawberry and mint puree, and a basic corn, tomato, and cilantro puree could easily be made into a salsa, dip, or marinade for fish or chicken - for the entire family.

3. No Need For Fancy Equipment
Baby Bullet, Magic Bullet…no need for the gadgets.  Whatever you cook with will do.  I tend to use my steamer basket, a pot with lid, the blender, and the food processor the most often. Just chop, steam, and blend. It’s that easy.

4. Waste Nothing!
ALL food could and should be used.  Leftover carrots from a carrot puree?  Make carrot cake cupcakes. Freeze. Add garlic and make carrot soup for the adults.  Purees can be incorporated into a TON of recipes for the entire family. Always reserve the water from steaming veggies or fruits as the water can be added to the blender or food processor to make the purees.  The more water used, the thinner the consistency.  You be the judge.  If in doubt, freeze! Search for a recipe and thaw to make.  The freezer saves me every time I’m in doubt!

5. Store Food Properly
Now that you have a ton of purees, how do you store them?  When you’ve made just enough, baby food can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. If you have enough to freeze, and with most purees you will, pour fresh purees into ice cube trays or small Tupperware containers (2-3oz, BPA-free) and place in freezer. Once frozen, the purees can be popped out into a freezer bag and labeled with the date. Use frozen food within 3 months of freeze date, and always thaw in the fridge, under warm running water, or in a glass container in the microwave.

Sweet Potato and Banana Puree: this puree is a great first food as it is easily digestible, and my boy, Benjamin, loves it!

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced

1. Steam the sweet potatoes for about 10 minutes or until soft. Reserve the liquid from the steamer.

2. Puree the sweet potato with the bananas in a food processor or blender with 1/2C of reserved liquid. Add more liquid to get desired consistency if needed.

Red Potato, Carrot, and Chicken Stock Puree: a favorite at our house. This puree can be made when slow roasting a whole chicken with veggies for the family.

3 red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2C -1C of homemade chicken stock
1/2Tbs fresh chopped parsley

1. Steam potatoes and carrots for about 10 minutes or until soft.

2. Puree the potatoes and carrots in a food processor or blender with 1/2C of chicken stock and parsley. Blend well and add more stock until desired consistency is created.

Persimmon, Berry, and Mint Puree: this recipe comes from my favorite baby food book, Bountiful Baby Purees, by Anni Daulter. This puree would be AWESOME as ice pops for the whole family come summertime! Benjamin’s absolute favorite!

3 persimmons, peeled and chopped
2C chopped strawberries
1/4C chopped fresh mint

1. Steam persimmons for about 8 minutes until soft. Add strawberries and steam for another 2 minutes. Reserve water from steamer.

2. Puree the mixture in a blender with the mint. Add 1tsp of reserved water at a time, if necessary, until desired consistency is achieved.

These crafts are so very fun and easy to do with kids of all ages! My daughter, Naomi, and I had a blast, and I hope you all will too.  Naomi especially approved of the use of glitter, paint, and all things pink and red!

This year, instead of going out and buying Valentine’s, we created some to give away to friends and family. These cute little mice are for Naomi’s preschool class.  We used Hershey Kisses left over from Christmastime, and they turned out so cute! What a fun way to create and work together on something that is sure to be remembered. We even had a few leftovers, so we took them to her daddy’s office, and she passed them out to his coworkers. It turned out to be a sweet Valentine’s surprise for the ladies at the office, and Naomi felt so big sharing her treats with everybody.

Homemade Valentines serve as fun, unique ways to show love and care and can be keepsakes for years to come.  How cute are these homemade hand and footprint cards? The handprint hearts are for my children’s grandparents, and I had my daughter help me write special notes to each grandparent around the hearts.  Older kids could write their very own notes to loved ones making them extra special for the occasion. 

The footprint cards are for Daddy. Aren’t they just precious??  I’m tempted to have them framed. Kids have so much fun creating them, painting, gluing, and glittering, and they’re so much more memorable and entertaining than cards at the store!

No Valentine is complete without a little chocolate, so we’ve provided an easy how-to for chocolate covered pretzels.  Naomi loved dipping the pretzels in the melted chocolate and covering them with sprinkles…and eating the results!

I hope you all have a fabulous Valentine’s Day, and be sure to squeeze the ones you love!

XO,
Martha

Hershey Kisses Mice
What you’ll need:
-yellow construction paper
-red or pink construction paper
-Hershey Kisses
-googly craft eyes
-glue stick
-pen, pencil

- Using the red or pink construction paper, make a 1-1.5” wide heart with the pencil (this heart makes the ears of the mouse, so it needs to be small enough to fit behind the Hershey Kiss).  When satisfied with the heart, cut it out and trace it to make more hearts.  Let children help cut out the hearts.

-Now take the yellow construction paper and create triangles to be used as the cheese that the Hershey mice sit on. Create just as many as the hearts by tracing and cutting just as you did for the hearts.

-On to the feet!  Just being creative, trace out small patterns making 6 curves creating the toes of the mice.  I found it easiest to make 6 loops and connect them with one straight line at the bottom for easy tracing and cutting.  The Hershey Kiss sits on top of the straight side so you can’t see it when finished, and only the toes stick out. Very cute!

-Now that all of the cutting is done, it’s time for pasting and finishing the mice creations! This is really fun for the little ones as they are finally able to see the finished product! Carefully glue the heart to the back of the Hershey Kiss and press down.  Take two little eyes and glue to the front.  On a corner of the triangle, place a circle of glue, and glue the feet to the front of the circle, and place the Hershey Kiss on top leaving the toes to peek out the front. Let the glue dry, and at the very end, write (or let your children write) “Mice to know you!” on the side of the triangular “piece of cheese.”

Hand and Footprint Valentine Cards:
-Help your little ones create timeless Valentine’s for the ones they love! They’ll love to get their hands and feet wet with this creation!

What you’ll need: (Handprints)
-Pink and Red Paint
-glitter
-Elmer’s glue
-white construction paper
-2 small bowls or paper plates
-sponge or paintbrush

-Place a little of each paint in separate bowls. Have child place either hand in red paint or use sponge/paintbrush to paint hand. At a slight angle, place the child’s hand on the paper. Paint other hand alternate color.  Overlapping the thumb on the paper with the other thumb, carefully place hand down on the paper.  Use the glue to form a heart around the overlapping handprints.  Have your child help to sprinkle glitter until all of the glue is covered. Leave out to dry. Once dry, have your child (or help them) write sweet messages around the heart to the one they love!

What you’ll need: (Footprints)
-Red paint
-glitter
-Elmer’s glue
-white and black construction paper
-silver pen

-Fold white paper in half longways and make the outline of half of a heart with pencil.  Cut out the heart. Open heart and glue in the middle of black construction paper. Paint child’s foot with red paint and carefully place down on white paper at a slight angle. Paint other foot and as placing down on paper, overlap heel with red heel already on paper.  Outline the heart in glue.  Have your child help sprinkle glitter on the glue until all covered.  Once dry, write (or let child write) with silver marker, “From the bottom of my heart to the tips of my toes…I love you!”  This is a great craft for young kids to give to parents or grandparents. 

Chocolate Covered Pretzels:
-2 bags of white chocolate morsels
-1 bag of pretzel twists
-7.5-10oz Valentine sprinkles
-wax paper

-In a double boiler (or microwave-safe bowl), heat chocolates until melted (stirring occasionally).  Dip pretzels halfway in chocolate dripping off excess chocolate.  Using two bowls, pour sprinkles over the pretzel from one bowl to the other, alternating sides of pretzel until covered. Place on wax paper to cool. Share with friends, and enjoy!

Start Small!
After sitting down with a pad and pencil (and an overfull house), I began my plan of attack.  Starting with the smaller things, I worked my way up to the big stuff.  Papers, files, and things like old magazines were the first to go. 

A fun way to organize: a table that serves as storage too along with baskets along the floor.

Tidy Up Toys
Then, I tackled the kids’ toys with the help of my daughter.  This downsizing process came as a good lesson for her as she told me which toys to give away to those less fortunate.  She really went to town too and would’ve given away her entire toy box if I let her! She was happy to help, and I was happy to have a teachable moment in giving.  Clothes and closets came next, and then came the rearranging of the playroom. 

Use Organizing Containers
Even with downsizing, we needed to create a more organized play area for the kids. We brought in lots of baskets, and utilized pieces of furniture not intended for children’s toys, which worked out great!  The playroom looks clean and tidy without the need for fancy kid storage shelves and bookcases like those seen in cutesy children’s magazines. Take a look! What do you think?

More baskets and the bottom cabinets in the china cabinet houses pull-toys too!
There is simply no need for clutter, and my children certainly don’t (and don’t need to) desire so much stuff to be around. Presents and gifts are nice, sure, but the important part of the holidays is being with the ones we love.  Too many presents take away from the reason of the season and leave parents like me frazzled and feeling like we have to sort through old stuff just to make room for the new. 

What are Your Tidying Tips?
Purging and downsizing helps to alleviate some of the chaos and clutter that the holidays can bring. We’ve still got a little ways to go. The garage is a beast in and of itself! Ha! How about you?  Have you done any organizing and downsizing since the new year rolled around?  What kind of organizational methods do you like to use and could share with us all? 

Now that the holidays are in full swing, it’s time to prepare the food! Family gathered for a big holiday supper, and I am still up to my elbows in goodies! Ham, turkey, pumpkin pie, and the mother-load of all holiday cookies.  Not a bad predicament to be in, but what on Earth do I do with all of this food?!  I’ve already sent the cookies to the office with my husband, and the pumpkin pie didn’t last a day. It’s the leftover meat I’m having a hard time with!  What do I do with all this meat?!  I’m still learning a lot in the kitchen, and experimenting with recipes is what I do best it seems! 

As a young cook, I try not to get overwhelmed with thoughts of failure in the kitchen, but sometimes it’s inevitable.  I had to toss the gingerbread cookies that were hard as a rock, and my pup was lucky enough to get a few.  So in the aftermath of the cookie craze, I tried not to get too discouraged when it came to saving the remaining ham from the jowls of the dog or the lid of the trashcan.  I quickly scanned the drawers of the refrigerator and found broccoli, shredded mozzarella, and I soon remembered the leftover deep dish pie shell in the freezer (the twin of the one used for the pumpkin pie).  Ham and broccoli quiche was soon the creation.  I made too much, and by the looks of my kitchen, that fact was evident.  Drippy egg concoction was seeping all over the place – the counters, the sink, INSIDE THE OVEN. An absolute mess was made, but after 45 minutes (and a drip pan underneath), the quiche turned out on top!  Sorry pup, but the humans win again! 

There are endless options to making leftovers new again, but it takes a little creativity to get it going.  Try not to get discouraged like I did, and just stop, look around, and see what you’ve got to work with.  Leftover mashed potatoes?  An easy substitute for crushed crackers in salmon patties (a favorite at our house).  No French Fried Onions for the green bean casserole?  Crush up the holiday cheese straws or biscuits instead.  They add a flavorful crunch that’s delicious! Help me keep the ideas coming, y’all!  What do you guys like to do with leftovers??  Hopefully they don’t end up in the dog bowl like my gingerbread cookies!  Someday, I will master the gingerbread, as they’re certainly not intended to be biscuits for the pups! 

Well, it’s that time again.  In my house, the change of seasons means at least one of us comes down with a cold.  I’ve been battling my very own cold for the past couple of days with Emergen-Cs, multivitamins, and saline solution, and my little two year old is having a tough go at it too.  Our little one could win an Oscar with this performance - to put it lightly - about her runny nose and sore throat, so I’ve got to get her better quick!  The only thing she’ll eat/drink today?  Mama’s homemade smoothie – packed with a powerful punch!

Would you like some Gatorade? Nope. Water? A little. Applesauce? No ma’am. Ding! Light goes off. Smoothie time.  I quickly opened the fridge finding only a little fruit left from over the weekend – pineapple and a couple of strawberries. Uh oh.  Quick! Check the freezer!  I just remembered that before we left for vacation a couple of weeks back, I washed, cut up, and froze the fruit that was going to go bad.  Voila! Bananas, strawberries, and peaches. I also have a 5lb bag of frozen blueberries purchased at our local food co-op* that cost me less than $10. Score one for the team!  I hurried to put the fruit in the blender, mixed with a little Kefir probiotic (type of yogurt drink great for the immune system), and a splash of apple juice.  Baby girl’s gotta get on the mend quick, and she has taken the utmost delight in my deliciously sweet smoothie – even if nothing else for the whole day.

Smoothies can be mixed up in no time flat, and I occasionally make them for my husband and myself for breakfast.  If you’re going to drink your breakfast though, it’s important to give the smoothie substance, so I like to add a protein powder – just a tablespoon or two will do.  There are all types of protein powders on the market, whey having the highest protein content. Recently, I discovered hemp protein on sale at our local health food store, and I like to use it for not only the protein content (16 grams per serving) but the high levels of fiber and fat too.  Other plant sources do not boast as high of levels of fiber and fat.  If I’m going to have it in place of an eggs and bacon kind of morning, I like that it’s got more substance in it to fill me up and keep me full.

It’s easy to add green veggies to smoothies as well.  Don’t let the green color be a turn off!  Looks can be deceiving.  These delightful smoothies taste nothing as they appear, and my family (including my meat and potatoes eatin’ husband) loves them!  Just add a couple of handfuls of spinach to a fruit smoothie, and only the taste of the fruit comes out. Pow! You’ve already gotten a serving or two of veggies in for the day and didn’t even taste them! Easy peasy! So go ahead.  Give a green smoothie a go.  You’ll be glad you did. In the meantime, fix a fun fruit smoothie for the kids to give them that boost of Vitamin C that we all need from time to time to fight off the germs of the season!

**A local food co-op is a local run business for and by the people it serves.  Local farmers and other foodies get together and form a temporary grocer serving fresh, local food to those who dare enter!

Fruit Smoothie for the Kiddos (makes 2 servings):

½ C Blueberries –fresh or frozen
½ banana – fresh or frozen
¼ C orange juice (any juice they love will work)
½ C strawberries, cut in half
2 Tbs. yogurt (Greek yogurt works too)
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  If using fresh fruit, add ice.  Frozen fruit acts as ice.  Kefir yogurt drink is a healthy choice with added probiotics.  It can be used in place of or conjunction with regular yogurt.  Any fruit will work. Use whatever you have on hand!

Grocery shopping with two small kids is no easy feat, so I have quickly had to learn how to get in and get out of the store without a meltdown (or two) and with enough healthy groceries to last our new family of four for a long while.  There are a few tricks of the trade when it comes to bringing home healthy goods for fair prices and fast dinners, and I’ve got it down to a science.  The “rules” are pretty simple: buy fresh, keep a well-stocked pantry for go-to suppers, and shop the perimeter.  With these simple rules put in action, you can make grocery shopping even with two or more kids a breeze…well, most of the time, anyway!

1. Buy Fresh
There’s no easier way to make a meal taste delicious than by using the freshest ingredients.  I’m always checking expiration dates and buying the freshest meats, seafood, and produce around.  Nothing beats a Saturday morning trip to the Farmers Market, but if time doesn’t allow, the produce department in my local store is my go-to.  I always try to stock up on greens and fruit – both can be used in smoothies to make nutrient-rich meals fast and easy, but that’s a topic for another day.  The rule here is it’s good to have at least one green and *only* one starch (like potatoes, beans, or rice) on the supper table.  Three or four greens can be stretched out over a week’s time easy making trips to the grocer less frequent – a win win!

As for buying fresh meat, this is typically my one splurge. Just because it’s on sale, has a coupon, or is “manager’s special” does not necessarily mean it’s going home with me.  I steer towards wild-caught fish and healthier meats like Paula’s endorsed Springer Mountain Farms for the health benefits they provide (ie. humane conditions, no use of antibiotics and pesticide free) and for their sustainability to our environment.

2. Keep a Well-Stocked Pantry
I’ve learned through express shopping (aka shopping with kids) that there are a few basic pantry staples that always need to stick around the house.  Aromatic flavors like garlic, lemon, celery, and onion are always good to have on hand.  Just cut up those basic flavors or other fresh herbs to give your meal that “oomph” that they need to add a burst of fresh flavor without spending a lot of money.  Chicken broth, bouillon cubes, cream of ¬¬you-name-it soup, and canned tomatoes are also always good to have around too.  With these items, soups, stews, gravies, and sauces can be made in no time flat.  I also like to season well, so The Deen Brothers Funky Chicken Spice and Paula’s House Seasoning (available by calling 866-95-PAULA) are staples around my house.  They dress up any meal without reaching for any other spice in my cabinet.  Time saver?  I’ll take it.

3. Shop the Perimeter
All of the freshest ingredients are on the outer walls of the grocery store.  On the end of every aisle, sale items try to lure us down each row looking for items we don’t necessarily need.  After becoming a “perimeter shopper,” I’ve found that most of the food in the inner aisles is just junk anyways, filled with fillers, preservatives, and artificial ingredients that we think we want but certainly do not need.  Avoiding these fillers by snacking wisely on nuts, fruits, and other healthier options keeps the bad stuff out of our carts and the good stuff in our bellies. Think of all the money you can save by avoiding the inner aisles except to stock up on pantry essentials!

I wish they taught this stuff in classrooms across the country – or at least the ones I was in throughout high school and college!  I basically lived off of tuna salad during my college days because I refused to eat the ramen noodles in the pantries of my friends.  So college kids, bachelors, and new moms take note! Grocery shopping to eat well doesn’t necessarily have to be out of reach.  You just have to know how to shop!

This summer has become a sizzler fast, and while out and about in the heat and sun, it’s important to remember to cover up with hats, shades, and sunscreen.  Everyone’s flocking to the beaches, pools, and lakes to splash and stay cool while basking in the sun.  The smell of coconut lingers in the air as mothers slather their children down with sunscreen and the likes of you and me both take turns rubbing in suntan lotion on each other’s backs. At least we’re covering up, right?  Well, have you ever wondered what it is exactly that you are rubbing or spraying directly on your skin?  I’ve recently done some homework about the ingredients in most sunscreens, and what I found may just surprise you!

FDA’s New Rules for SPF and UV Protection

The FDA has set new standards for testing sunscreens, and they are making sure companies are labeling their products accordingly.

Things to look for on the label (according to the new policies of the FDA):

1. Make sure it says “Broad Spectrum” and has an “SPF greater than 15.” This information on the label shows us that the sunscreen protects against both Ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) and Ultraviolet A radiation (UVA). Making sure you’re protected against both will reduce your risks of not only burns but skin cancers and early aging too.

2. Warning labels - if the sunscreen company does not protect against both mentioned above, then it is required by the new policies of the FDA to place a warning label stating that it does not protect against UVA and UVB rays.

3. Sunscreens can no longer claim to be “waterproof” or “sweatproof.”  After a certain time frame (usually no longer than 2 hours), it is best to reapply sunscreen regardless of allegations claiming otherwise.

Leave it or buy it? The brands on the right are healthier than the ones on the left.

Choose Natural Ingredients

Some ingredients found in sunscreen can be more detrimental to your health than helpful.  It’s best to read the label and know what ingredients to look for and others to stay away from. 

1. Buy it!

Lotions and creams that are mineral-based tend to be the best for us to use on a consistent basis.  Zinc oxide is the most common. 

Try to find sunscreens with moisturizers like plant oils, beeswax, and butters. It’s an added bonus that can keep skin soft and smooth combatting the natural drying and damage that the sun can cause. 

2. Leave it on the Shelf!

Spray-on sunscreens.  Although convenient, spray-ons contain nanoparticles and other harmful chemicals that can be absorbed into the skin and lungs, and they can be very dangerous if inhaled into the lungs.  If you do end up with spray-on sunscreen, be sure to spray away from faces or breathing areas. 

Oxybenzone - many, many sunscreens contain this harmful chemical (a human endocrine disruptor) that can absorb into skin and get into bloodstream.  Look out for any words containing benzophenone, phenyl, or methanone. Also check your makeup for this chemical!

Vitamin A - surprisingly, it can increase cancer risks when on sun-exposed skin.  Retinyl Palmitate is a form of Vitamin A to watch for as well.

Armed with this valuable information, we’ll all be ready for long, fun days in the summer sun.  Just be sure to cover up with a good quality sunscreen, and you’ll be good to go!  Remember: reach for broad spectrum, SPF15+, zinc oxide lotion, and avoid all the rest!

For more information and to see a list of 1700+ sunscreens already rated by the FDA, check out Environmental Working Group.

We’ve all got ‘em, whether we decide to keep ‘em or pass ‘em on, we have all experienced our fair share of family traditions.  Now I’m not talking about receiving that dreaded fruitcake every Christmas from your dear Aunt Sallie or even having to sit through your Dad’s favorite black and white flick (one that’s less desired).  I want to focus on the traditions that everyone loves and looks forward to – the ones we either pass down from generation to generation or those we choose to make and keep for our own children.  These traditions become welcome memories that are built upon year after year, and they give us something special to look forward to as we spend time together. 

For the past few weekends, I’ve come to realize that I am continuing a weekend breakfast tradition that my grandparents shared with my mama and her sisters some years ago.  Saturday morning biscuits and gravy or Granddaddy Bob’s buttermilk pancakes are prized possessions around these parts, and I take joy in knowing that these Saturday morning pleasures were started and enjoyed around my Geemama’s kitchen table when my mama was a girl.  It didn’t occur to me that I was even carrying on a tradition until my mama shared her joys of memories with me about those same buttermilk pancakes that both Naomi and I inhale – made from scratch by her Daddy who passed when she was young.  His recipe is enjoyed by multiple generations now, and although I never got the opportunity to meet him, he is honored in our home and makes us smile every other weekend – now that’s a tradition worth keeping!

Since starting a family of my own in the past two years, my husband and I have created some traditions of our own as well.  They started out spontaneously fun, and since having so much fun with them, we’ve decided to keep ‘em and add to ‘em over the years.  Even before our daughter was born, we have been collecting magnets and Christmas ornaments from all over the globe – trinkets from places we’ve visited and special trips we’ve taken that we want to keep forever.  We write the dates and locations from where they were purchased on the back, and these small tokens that we collect spark happy memories and hilarious conversations each year as we pull them out to put on the tree. 

Another tradition we just started last year also happens around Christmas – the night before Christmas.  Since all of our relatives live outside of Savannah, we decided to skip the big Christmas Eve dinner and instead, we head to Waffle House!  It’s a fun way to come together and bring a smile (and generous tip) to others who may have to work all night instead of being with their families.  And well, let’s face it.  It’s hard to pass up a Waffle House breakfast any time of year!

Family traditions are considered keepers for not only the memories they help us to create but also the happiness they bring – small parts of each year that make up big parts of our lives.  What traditions do you and your family enjoy?  Are they passed down from generations or created all your own?  I hope that they create as much laughter and good times for you as they do for my family and me.