Photo: chrisroll | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here comes summer. For some families, that means a big upswing in the amount of time and energy kids spend running around — as it should be!

We’re giving away a sample pack that will help you keep up with your children’s increased nutritional needs, plus a little extra. Here’s what you can receive:

• USANIMALS (www.usana.com): Supplements just for children. Supports healthy immune function and helps create strong, healthy bones. Easy-to-eat chewables stamped with fun animal shapes.

• HINT Water (www.drinkhint.com): A fruit-infused all-natural essence water that contains no calories, sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Kids need to stay hydrated — but what if they’re not water-drinkers? Forget the unhealthy soft drinks and pick up a bottle of HINT instead. It’s not flavored water, it IS water.

• Smart for Life Cookies (www.smartforlife.com): Healthy ingredients, all-natural, preservative-free and made from 60 percent organic ingredients. Not only are they tasty, but they increase bone health and improve intestinal health.

• Medical ID Marketplace (www.hopepaige.com): What if your child has a food allergy or diabetes? How do you make sure your child is safe when they are on a field trip or on a play date? Medical ID Marketplace is one solution to that problem. Fashionable, trendy and cute medical ID bracelet that blend in with everyday pieces and only stands out to first responders in case of an emergency. These accessories come with a customized engraving (emergency contact info, health condition, etc.) so health officials will know how to react in a worst case scenario. Also with hundreds to choose from, there is an option that fits for every child’s colorful personality.

Want a gift pack filled with samples of the above? Like PureNaturalMom on Facebook, and post a comment below with your ideas for a kid’s perfect summer. We’ll pick a winner next week, and their Healthy Summer Pack will be on its way.

About Tracy Morris

I wear a lot of hats while spinning plates and true stories. In between taking care of myself and my family, I write about fertility and other health care topics. Most of my online time lately is spent at two very different places: FertilityTies.com and TrailerParkKarma.com. Perspective is everything -- my pre-teen reminds me daily.

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Photo: Flickr, OliBac

Take a look around the room in which you’re sitting right now. What do you see? Odds are good you saw at least one or two things which to you aren’t the least bit threatening, but which to a curious toddler can be very dangerous. The power cord that is charging your phone and dangling from your side table, a curtain that drapes down just far enough for little stretched fingers, a top-heavy stool — any of these is a potential hazard to a child. But what can you do about it? Follow these do’s and don’t's for some tips and tricks on how to child-proof your home.

Do get down on your hands and knees

The best way to child-proof your home is to think like a child, and the best way to think like a child is to see the world from his eyes. Get down on your hands and knees and look around for a bit. What are those things on the wall that look like smiley faces (and, more importantly, what’s around here that I can stick in them)? What can I reach? What can I get tangled in, fall over, or bump into? What can I put in my mouth? What can I swallow? It won’t be the most comfortable experience of your life, but it just might be the most important one. { read more }

About Jeff Jacobson

Socrates understood himself to be the smartest man in Athens because he knew at least enough to know he knew nothing. That's me. I'm an inconsistently successful father, stepfather, husband, and writer. But at least I know it.

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Photo: Flickr, peterme

We’ve all been there: you’ve changed your baby’s diaper, fed/nursed her, put her down for a nap, played with her, rocked her, sang to her, and pled with her, but still she won’t sleep! Dealing with a cranky baby can leave both parents and baby in a pretty fussy mood, and it can cause a lot of anxiety. Thankfully, though no two babies are the same, there are some tried and tested tactics you can employ to soothe your cranky newborn.

Bounce the newborn

No, I don’t mean bounce her off the floor in frustration. I mean bounce her in your arms. Rocking is a solid standby, but when my daughter was a newborn she wavered between liking to be rocked and liking to be bounced. And she punished her mom and me if we opted for the wrong choice. To make matters worse, her preferred bouncing method varied, too. Sometimes a gentle bounce in my arms sufficed, while other times she preferred a more vigorous bounce in my arms on an exercise ball. When you have a cranky newborn, you have to be willing to try anything. { read more }

About Jeff Jacobson

Socrates understood himself to be the smartest man in Athens because he knew at least enough to know he knew nothing. That's me. I'm an inconsistently successful father, stepfather, husband, and writer. But at least I know it.

Web | More Posts (62)

Photo: woodleywonderworks, Flickr

Spring is here and opportunities are abundant to start teaching your children about growing food, organic gardening or the growing cycles of plants. It’s never too early to start your child down the path of learning where food comes from and how difficult it can be to raise a “crop.” These days many families are trying to be more connected to their food and no matter where you live, there are ways to incorporate gardening and growing food into your life.

Use planter boxes for growing food

Even if you live in a small space, there are ways to make gardening a part of your child’s life. One sunny window is all it takes to grow herbs, and if you have a small space on a patio or fire escape, you can plant a container garden of carrots, peas, sprouts or herbs. { read more }

About Liz Alfano

I write "Dirty Words," the blog about things you should know, but might not. I'm the mother of two elementary school-aged boys and wife of one adult aged man. When not writing, I can be found reading or staring into space wishing I was either reading or writing. Sometimes I'm seen vacuuming...but not often. www.mydirtywords.com

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Photo: duron123, FreeDigitalPhotos

Your choices about treating depression during TTC times are based on an unknown future: You make the best decisions you can in hopes of both optimizing your fertility and providing the safest environment for your anticipated pregnancy. But once that pregnancy test turns up positive, suddenly your choices carry a more serious tone.

Maternal depression during pregnancy must not be casually addressed, and its treatment cannot be over-looked. But as many women learn, the information on both safety and efficacy of depression treatments during pregnancy is both limited and confusing.

One crucial point in the decision-making process is how the data — that is, what is known or significantly indicated about treatments and their impact on both mom and the developing baby — is constantly changing over time. { read more }

About Tracy Morris

I wear a lot of hats while spinning plates and true stories. In between taking care of myself and my family, I write about fertility and other health care topics. Most of my online time lately is spent at two very different places: FertilityTies.com and TrailerParkKarma.com. Perspective is everything -- my pre-teen reminds me daily.

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Photo: Dan Mogford

Detox diets don’t have to be an unhealthy fad. By eliminating overly processed food and embracing organic produce and grains, you can rid your body of toxins while still giving yourself much-needed energy and clarity.

This quinoa and chicken bowl recipe can be a great foundational meal for your detox diet. Think of this recipe as a guided suggestion. You can easily substitute different grains, proteins, vegetables, or healthy fats. But remember, always eat enough calories during your detox diet, especially if you are a new mother. Severe restriction will only slow down your metabolism, and prevent you from feeling healthy. { read more }

About Monet Moutrie

Monet Moutrie is a writer and baker, who lives in Austin, Texas with her three cats and husband. Between government work, graduate school and her own blog, Anecdotes and Apple Cores, nothing sounds better to Monet than an evening of yoga, a cup of Earl Grey tea and a novel. Knock on her front door and you'll find her pulling out a loaf of bread from the oven while brainstorming ideas for her own work of fiction.

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Photo: _HAAF_ , Flickr

Stress is a one of the world’s leading causes of illness, even death. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration (OSHA) states that stress has contributed to billions of losses in terms of productivity in the workplace, sickness, and poor work ethic.

Combat stress by starting your day with relaxation. When you start your day without the stress of the previous work day, you’ll feel better physically and mentally, ready to take on the challenges of a new day. Here are five ways to a more relaxing start to your day.

1. Prepare for tomorrow

The key to starting off your day relaxed is by preparing for it the night before. Before you go to bed lay out you clothes for the next day, make your lunch, and write a to-do list for the next day. This way, you can concentrate on starting your morning free from stress, rush, or panic. { read more }

About Martine De Luna

I'm a freelance writer, editor, blogger and former preschool teacher. Married with one kid, I'm a work-at-home mom, but most of all, a mom-in-the-works. I'm a work in progress, and I believe that living intentionally day by day will help me become the best mom for my child.

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Photo: KK

The best detox diet encourages a purposeful intention to eliminate stress. Emotional stress is the root of many diseases because constant worry and tension causes your body to release chemicals, which after years and years of accumulation, can become toxic.

Detox diets work to rid your body of these accumulated toxins through nutritional changes, but without reducing stress, your body isn’t able to heal properly. So as you begin to clean out your refrigerator and stock it with healthy produce, take time to plan the second, and perhaps most important, component of your detox diet—stress elimination. { read more }

About Monet Moutrie

Monet Moutrie is a writer and baker, who lives in Austin, Texas with her three cats and husband. Between government work, graduate school and her own blog, Anecdotes and Apple Cores, nothing sounds better to Monet than an evening of yoga, a cup of Earl Grey tea and a novel. Knock on her front door and you'll find her pulling out a loaf of bread from the oven while brainstorming ideas for her own work of fiction.

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Photo: Tracy Morris

Nobody wants to be in a fertility patient’s shoes. But talk to enough women and men who’ve been through it and you’ll hear plenty of stories that sound like they actually benefited from going through infertility to wherever they are today. Is it just a matter of selective hindsight? Making the best lemonade from what life throws your way? Evidence of the tremendous relief they feel from not being in their own past shoes? Are they just crazy? { read more }

About Tracy Morris

I wear a lot of hats while spinning plates and true stories. In between taking care of myself and my family, I write about fertility and other health care topics. Most of my online time lately is spent at two very different places: FertilityTies.com and TrailerParkKarma.com. Perspective is everything -- my pre-teen reminds me daily.

Web | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | More Posts (29)

Photo: hownowdesign, flickr

Building an eco-friendly nursery involves more than buying a crib made from recycled wood, or making sure your baby uses only organic cotton sheets. A truly “green” nursery considers several ambient factors, such as reducing the amount of chemicals used in the paint on the walls, making sure the nursery has ample natural light and good ventilation. And that’s just for starters.

Here are a few helpful tips to creating a eco-friendly nursery that’s also budget-friendly. { read more }

About Martine De Luna

I'm a freelance writer, editor, blogger and former preschool teacher. Married with one kid, I'm a work-at-home mom, but most of all, a mom-in-the-works. I'm a work in progress, and I believe that living intentionally day by day will help me become the best mom for my child.

Web | Twitter | Facebook | More Posts (41)