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: 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.

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Photo: Flickr, subewl

Every father whose baby is born somewhere other than at home will tell you: that first car ride with your baby is the most nerve-wracking experience of your life. Speed bumps feel like a car chase through the streets of San Francisco, eighteen wheelers in the next lane never seemed so close, and the safety of your home has never seemed so far away. Thankfully, car seats these days offer the best protection available for your most precious cargo. But which one should you buy for your child? What should you look for, and how will you install it? Read on for tips and tricks on buying a car seat for your new baby.

Car seat safety days

The most important aspect of choosing a car seat for your child is, of course, safety. That’s what it’s all about. Luckily, many communities offer car seat safety days, during which helpful information is offered about types of car seats, where to get them, how to install them, and how to use them. Check listings at hospitals, police stations, and fire stations for listings of local safety information sessions. { 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: bestbabyorganics.com

Diaper bags are no longer limited to kiddie-frumpy designs and pastels. Designers and manufacturers are catering to the booming baby market and appealing to the interests of both moms and dads in terms of their functional and stylish needs. These days, more and more green and eco-friendly diaper bags are fast becoming the trend. Here are 3 of our top picks.

1. For Mom: Bags from Oi Oi

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: William Hook

Parenthood brings dozens of questions, many of which will be answered by your doctors and family and friends. But when your baby is screaming at 2:00 in the morning, and you barely have energy to roll out of bed, advice needs to be quick and painless. These five apps for new parents will answer the questions that keep you and your baby up at night. They offer solid advice (sometimes with a much needed dose of humor) and they can be downloaded free to your phone or for little more than the cost of a cup of coffee.

Relax Melodies

A good night’s sleep can do wonders for you and your baby. New parents will enjoy the variety of relaxing “white noises” that can be combined to create a custom play list. With both ambient and binaural noise selections, Relax Melodies can help you and your baby relax or tell your brains that’s it’s time for sleep. Cost: Free. Get it here. { 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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The Pregnancy Power Workbook by Camilla Bicknell, RNC, WHNP & James S. Betoni, DO

To say I felt crazy with questions when I was finally pregnant with my son is an understatement. But I wasn’t the type to call my doctor at every twinge. I saved my questions for my prenatal exams. I may have been crazy worried, but I didn’t want to appear that way! And I don’t think it was always helpful having access to everything I wanted to know (and a bunch of stuff I didn’t want to know) on the Internet.

So I relied on a handful of books that I trusted, recommended by people I trusted, written by people with credentials and experience that made complete sense to me. One of the latest that would be at my bedside today if I was pregnant is The Pregnancy Power Workbook. And Pure Natural Mom is giving away two copies to our readers! Details on how to win are at the bottom of this post. { 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: aepoc, Flickr

Expressing yourself through writing has many benefits. From self-discovery to personal healing, writing can help you learn about yourself as you revisit key events and moments that impacted your life in a significant way. Journaling can be a motivating, freeing and enlightening experience, depending on how regularly you practice it. In some cases, it can even be therapeutic or healing. It can even be a tool to relieve stress.

For many people, journaling is keeping an account of every little thing happening in their day-to-day life. While this is a good thing, you can actually get more out of journaling than just merely chronicling your life. { 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: nkfsnaps, Flickr

Do an Internet search on “parenting gadgets” and you’ll find a litany of high-tech electronic devices for anything from taking your baby’s temperature to keeping track of your baby’s activities (last nap time and duration, last feeding, etc.), at any price point you can (or can’t) afford. While many of these devices can be real assets, like electronic razors or car-mounted GPS devices, none are strictly necessary. For a list of realistic necessities, read on.

Baby carrier

Strictly speaking, nothing on this list is truly “necessary”. But if the only things your baby truly needs are breast milk and a place to sleep, a baby carrier clocks in at a close third. For the first few (or several) weeks after your baby is born, she’ll do little more than sleep, eat, and fill up her diapers. After that, though, things can get a little hairy. She’ll want more attention than the everyday demands of your life allow, and unless you invest in a comfortable baby carrier, you’re going to have to learn to do everything one-handed. { 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: Joan Orr

As any parent knows, young children take (and put) their toys everywhere. Cars and trucks that were meant to be rolled across the floor often end up in a child’s mouth. But while a mess of toys is at most a bother, toxic chemicals in your child’s play things are worth serious alarm. With recent scares about toxic chemicals like BPA, lead, and arsenic in children and baby toys, many parents are choosing to purchase toys made with care.

These toys for toddlers and babies are made with organic materials and finishes, and they last much longer than their cheap, plastic counterparts. Not only do children love playing with the brightly colored animals and cars, but they are crafted so well that they make for excellent decorations too. They are the type of toys that you can pass on to your friends or family members. These toys are made to last and to become your child’s treasures. { 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.

Web | Twitter | More Posts (47)

Photo: MissMessie, Flickr

When my wife first suggested cloth diapers for our baby, I was hesitant. I’m as interested in helping the environment as the next guy, but the prospect of reusing something that had been pooped in was just not doing it for me. I wasn’t as concerned with the actual changing of the diaper — to that point I had never changed a baby, so it was going to be new to me whether we used cloth diapers or disposables — as with keeping them clean.

Fast-forward eleven months. We’ve had the same cloth diapers since our baby was born, and I couldn’t be happier with our choice. They work well, they’re easy to use, and even after almost a year, they look and smell like new. Here are a few tips to help your cloth diapers fresh and clean for the long haul. { 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)