My Favorite Mineral Sunscreens

My Favorite Natural Sunscreens

With summer in full swing and trips to the beach planned, I get asked all the time what I recommend for sunscreens. So I've come up with a list that I've rated that meet my standards for health and safety for you, your kids, and the ocean.  I also want to emphasize the importance of some sun exposure. Vitamin D is an essential component to health and is best absorbed when your body makes it itself through sun exposure. I recommend an spf of 15-30 and if you are only going to be outside for a half hour or less than I'd personally skip it unless you're the type to burn that quickly. I'll add a great video going more in depth on the topic at the end. Well here's my list of favorites:

1. Beautycounter’s countersun line :  this line is my favorite by far, and not just because I sell it, it works great goes on smooth and doesn't leave you ghostly white.  It's also very water resistant making it an excellent choice for swimming and going to the beach. It also smells nice and doesn't have that strong mineral sunscreen smell. I love the stick for getting close around the eyes and squirming kids and the lotion. But if you're a spray person it also comes in a mist that is propelled by air pressure and not butane.  It is a bit pricey, $20 for the stick, $36 for the mist and $39 for the tube of lotion but it's totally worth it and they also come in travel sizes as well! You should apply every 80-90 minutes especially when in and out of water or sweating heavily. They are safe for the whole family to use and get great scores on the Environmental Working Groups Skin Deep Database as well. You can find them here: http://Beautycounter.com/meganbrockelbank 

2. Goddess Garden Organics Sunscreens:  this line is my second favorite. It also goes on smooth and doesn't leave you white like a lot of the mineral sunscreens out there.  I love the kid and baby lotions but I just recently found out that they now offer a spray and a stick.  The reason this is ranked as number 2 is because it isn't as water resistant so you have to reapply more frequently. Although I haven't tried the sport so that might work better than the regular versions. It can be hard to find and is also a little on the pricier side, around $18 or so but it also scores really well on the EWG too. I actually just found the baby lotion at my local Marshalls for $6.99 so that was a steal!  
3.  Kiss my Face Sunscreens: we've used the baby's first with success. It's not my favorite but it works good. It leaves you a little bit whiter than the others but goes on fairly smooth. The spray got on my daughters crocs and I wasn't able to get it off so that was also a bummer but it's pretty affordable, prices ranging from $8-14 and easy to find. It comes in a spray, lotion and I think they have a stick too. 
   
4. Badger Sunscreens: I really want to give these guys a better rating cause they are an awesome company but it's are hard to apply and leaves you pretty white.  But it works really well to block your skin from harmful rays of the sun and gets a great score from the EWG. It has a very strong mineral sunscreen scent but it is really water resistant which is great when doing water activities but can be hard to remove comebath time. It's also cost effective around $13 a tube and you can find it at a lot of places where we are. It also comes in a bug repellent too so you don't have to put on two separate things when outdoors which is super convenient! 
5.  Alba Botanicals sunscreen: their sunscreen goes on well and rubs in pretty good too. I've used it myself but not on my kids so I can't get a good sense of how well it protects against burn because I don't typically burn but I didn't while using it but that's not saying too much seems how I very rarely do. The ingredients aren't the best, some that I would personally use, that's why it's ranked so low and why I don't use it  anymore. But it is the most cost effective option though, you can find it around $8 or so a tube and you can find it just about anywhere. 
   
6. Caribbean SOLutions sunscreen: I love the coconut smell of this sunscreen! It just reminds you of the beach. However not all the ingredients are listed and I can't find any ratings on them either. It's also very hard to apply and leaves you kind of white. I personally like that it's only spf 15 which I find to be harder to find these days but it isn't my first choice. There are many others I like better and at $12 or so a bottle I can find ones I like better and that are more transparent in their ingredients too.  
   
7. Pure Haven's Summer Cream: although technically not a sunscreen because there is no SPF rating, it has non nano particle zinc oxide so it does offer some sun protection for those seeking less SPF coverage.  The company is also amazing and everything they make is 100% nontoxic and certified organic.  It goes on really great and also doesn't leave you white. You can find their stuff here: http://purehaven.com/meganbrockelbank 

That concludes my list of favorite Sunscreens. I hope you found it useful! 

Here's a link to the video of Dr.Axe talking all about safe sun exposure and which Sunscreens to choose: 

https://youtu.be/86fgY9qpZZc

It's a great watch! 

Enjoy the Sunshine ☀️😊

AMHERST SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL

ORGANIC GARDENING 101 AT THE AMHERST SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL

Sustainable Seed Starting Demonstrations

The 7th Annual Amherst Sustainability Festival will be held SATURDAY, APRIL 16th from 10 AM - 4 PM in the town common.  The Stockbridge School of agriculture at UMASS will have a booth for the Sustainable Food and Farming Major where we will be offering an Organic Gardening 101workshop with demonstrations on sustainable seed starting at 10 and continued every half hour until 3:30.  We will also be there to answer questions and provide tips on getting your garden started.  Other topics to be discussed are: no till gardening, seed bombs, hardening off and planting your starts and permaculture practices and plants to incorporate into your garden.

This is a kid friendly event and open to children, beginners and seasoned gardeners alike.  Demonstrations will show you how to make your own seed starting containers using various up-cycled materials.  Tables and supplies will be provided so that you and the kiddos can make your own seedlings to bring home and start your own garden. 

By using the sustainable seed starting methods we show you,  we can collectively help reduce plastic waste and limit the load put on the recycling facilities by up-cycling common household wastes and reusing them.  

Join us at the sustainable food and farming booth and share in the fun!  Ask us about our major, the interesting classes and fun happenings on campus.

We are doing this as a group out reach project for my writing for sustainability class and the festival itself will be a lot of fun.  They have animal and a main stage where other demonstrations will take place throughout the day as well as the much loved farmers market with venders selling their good.  Come support me and my class mates and the Amherst Sustainability Festival, you won't be disappointed.  :)

~Megan~

15 Things That Helped Me Survive my Teething Baby

Does teething have you and your little one in your own version of teething hell? Well I can relate and I'm still in it myself but here are some things, 15 in fact, that over the coarse of the year have helped us deal with the nightmare of teething. 

1. Breastfeeding - my little one really likes the comfort and suckling of breastfeeding. She nurses much more frequently while teething and it seemes to help. Although once their teeth come in and they decide to bite the crap out of your nipple you may no longer like this suggestion. Not all babies like to nurse while teething and can go on a nursing strike so do what works for you and your baby.

2. Frozen wash cloths - wet some wash cloths with some water or even chamomile tea to increase the antiinflamitory properties and put them in a plastic baggy and freeze them. Pull one out for baby to chomp on while teething. The cold eases inflammation while the chewing feels good on their gums. 

3. Natural rubber teether - a natural rubber teething toy that babies just love to chomp on. It's non toxic natural rubber so it's BPA free and free of the other chemical junk too so you feel comfortable that you kid is mowing on it. This was my diaper bag staple that my daughter loved. Not only does the soft rubber feel good on their gums but the squeaking noise it makes is fun for the younger babies especially. 

4. Wooden teether - the hardness of the wooden teethers put much needed pressure on their gums and is a great alternative to say the coffee table or whatever else they deem as food.

5. Plush toys - pretty much anything baby can get their hands on to chew they will. Different textures of cloth on babies gums helps and you know it's safe for them to chew. 

6. Chilled food - once baby is old enough for solid food giving them some cold fruit and veggie purées or yogurt can help to reduce inflammation of their gums and ease pain temporarily. 

7. Mesh food bags - filling up these mesh bags with frozen or chilled fruits or vegetables for baby to munch on works wonders with teething while also giving baby a healthy snack. 

8. Chilled drinks - once baby is old enough for a sippy cup, filling it up with cold fluids eases teething pain while babies are drinking. 

9. Teething biscuits - whether it be rice husks, or cookies, these help immensely while filling babies tummy at the same time. 

10. Gum massage - rubbing your babies gums with a clean finger feels great for them too and it's not something you've got to remember to put in the diaper bag either. I also liked to use a silicon tooth brush for my finger too although once those teeth come in watch out! I've gotten bit quite a few times. 

11. Teething jewelry - accessories you get to wear to keep your teething tot at bay. Some of these silicone beaded jewelry is actually really cute and could be worn when your baby is no longer a teething monster. I've found them to be pretty handy at keeping them entertained while out and about too, added bonus right there!

12. Amber necklaces and bracelets - when baby wears these baltic amber bracelets and necklaces the warmth of their skin is alleged to release the succinic acid that acts as mild pain releiver and offers anti-inflammatory properties.  In the weeks my little one wore hers I did notice a difference in her discomfort level but after a while she started noticing it more and more, trying to chew it and rip it off so I decided to take a break from it for a while, but it is definitely worth a shot!

13. Distraction - although temporary changing your babies mind is a wonderful tool to keep their thoughts off of how bad their mouths hurt. Whether it's a nice relaxing bath or playing with their new favorite toy it distracts them for a little while so that they and you can get a little bit of a break. 

14. Homeopathic remedies - whether it be teething tablets or syringes filled with herbal remedies targeted to naturally relieve pain, redness and swelling and even diarrhea linked to teething.clove oil acts as a potent antiseptic, analgesic, with antibacterial and local anesthetic properties. Clove oil itself can be used in diluted form but for those wanting to take the guess work out, you can use the Baby Orajel Naturals which it's active ingredient, eugenol, is derived. This type of Orajel is plant derived and dosnt contain some if the questionable ingredients the original formula does. 

15. OTC Pain Relievers - when all else fails and both baby and you need much needed sleep, giving them a dose of Motrin or Tylenol usually does the trick. I go for the dye free most natural kind I can get. Also my little one gets a low grade fever along with teething so when she does I reach for this. Always with any over the counter, whether homeopathic or not, it's best to check with your pediatrician first before giving them anything. 

That concludes my list of teething remedies. I hope these suggestions help you and your little survive this painful time a little less worse for wear. If anyone has any other things that work please add them in the comments, thanks!

~Megan~

Grow food Everywhere

There is a small initiative gaining some momentum called, Grow Food Everywhere, that has the potential to make the world a more sustainable place by doing exactly what the name states getting people and organizations to grow food everywhere.  When thinking of being sustainable, small initiatives often get over looked because we think they are too small to make a difference, but if millions of people do them they end up making a huge impact overall.  Growing some tomatoes on your balcony, having a vegetable garden in your back yard, or even just growing some herbs on your window sill can have an impact and can make a difference in the sustainability of our planet.  By doing this you are preventing one more item from being grown largely in an unsustainable manner and then being trucked or shipped from around the world, saving tons of co2 to just to get it to your local supermarket, where you often drive to, and that has an impact.  Just think if everyone in every house hold around the world were to grow one food item for themselves the amount of co2 that could reduce overall, it would really add up to quite a lot. It may not be a complete solution in global warming or fully make the world sustainable but it would make a huge difference and would greatly improve sustainability overall by reducing the carbon footprint that these food items generate.  Small initiatives and individuals have the power to make change and just doing one small thing can reduce our impact on the earth, so when thinking of sustainability you shouldn’t feel like shouldering the weight of it entirely, chip away at the problem by reducing what you can when you can and that too will make a difference.

Pros and cons of free ranging chickens

Well we all know the main reason to keep chickens is their eggs and meat if you're raising meat birds but there are many other pros and cons to raising them and letting them free range and I will go over them today.

Pros:

-The eggs taste so much better and the yolks are bright orange. 

-They eat all the bugs around your house 

-They'll till your garden beds for you 

- Happy chickens. They absolutely love being out eating bugs and grass and stuff. 

-They fertilize your yard our lawn has never looked so good (minus the poop blobs.)

Cons:

- they till your gardens. Not good when you've just planted them

- they shit everywhere even on your front porch so every pair of shoes you own is covered in chicken shit

- they are more prone to become prey. We've been pretty lucky and only lost one bird so far which is pretty surprising considering where we live. 

- they eat just about anything including your plants and veggies.

- they don't always lay their eggs in their nesting boxes and you'll find them around the yard. 

It may seem like the cons far out way the pros but I think I've found a balance. We let the girls out to free range in the evening after they've laid their eggs to minimize egg loss and the girls are happy because they still get to go out. We have a run around the coop so it's not liked they're really cooped up all day anyway. 

The chicken shit everywhere problem, I have yet to solve, but at least they haven't been pooping on the deck and porches in a while so our shoes have been a little cleaner. 

Well that concludes my list of the pros and cons of free ranging chickens. May this help you figure out how you plan to keep your back yard flock. 

~Megan~

Tips for Shopping your Local Farmers Market

This the season for farmers markets!! All the glorious local bounty all in one place for you to bring home for you and yours. What could be so hard about shopping your local farmers market that you'd need tips, you might ask, well it's not brain science but having a strategy and knowing what to look for and having a system can really help you make the best of what the season has to give and knowing what and who you're supporting in the process.

Know what's in season when you go and try and shop around it. People in our society these days are so accustomed to getting anything any any time of the year that they forget that things only grow in certain seasons. That's because they are shipped in from all around the globe. So if you want to shop in season don't  expect tomatoes in the spring, (unless they're grown in a greenhouse) and don't expect blueberries in the end of August. If you see items that are not fitting into what is in season at the time it's often an indicator that the vendor is getting their stuff from somewhere else. You can often go to your states CISA page to find out not only when and where local farmers markets are but also what they'll have to offer that week too. 

Scope out the situation. Do a walk through before you buy. See what looks good from who and what practices they use or if they even grow it themselves. Surprisingly a lot of vendors will get stuff to sell in bulk from various different farms. To me the whole point of a market is getting my stuff as local and organic as possible and I'd like to meet the people growing it to see if their growing practices meet my standards. Lastly check prices to see what is the best price for the best looking stuff. 

Once you've done a walk through and figured out what looks best, is cost effective and fits your standards of production. Go ahead and buy. I try to purchase something from everyone that fits the organic and sustainable and local guidelines. 

Also don't think that farmers markets only sell produce. Nowadays farmers markets often have local craft vendors, wineries and local handmade body products and things too, so you can go there to get gifts and treats of all kinds.

Well I hope this helped to broaden your scope of farmers markets and gave you some helpful tips on how to shop your local farmers market. Enjoy the wonderful beauty and bounty that the season has to offer!! 

~Megan~

15 Things That Helped Me Survive the First 3 Months of My Colicky Baby

Having a colicky baby can really be hard on you especially in those first few months when you're already completely sleep deprived and have the baby blues. It feels like they are never going to stop screaming and crying and you'll never get sleep again but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I found a few things that really helped my little girls colic. They say most cases of colic go away around the 3 month marker and for the most part  that was somewhat accurate for her too. They link colic to digestive issues and and immature digestive track that leads to gas and bloating causing them to cry for hours on end and usually at bed time. My little girl would cry and cry and scream from around 7pm until 4am every night. I thought I was going to loose it and go completely insane because I couldn't sleep during the day while she was sleeping so I would literally get 4 hours of broken sleep tops, not good. So I went on the search for every known cure out there to help me get through this awful stage and here are the things that helped me survive the 3 plus months of my colicky baby girl. 

1. Walking around while bouncing the baby.  Something about all of the motion in the closeness of mommy or daddy's arms really helps to calm a screaming baby.  Although it may make them stop crying one night and not the next. I It seemed to help calm my little girl somewhat and it was our nightly routine to get her to fall asleep and ease the nonstop crying. I think I must have walked miles every night around the house to get my little one to sleep. 

2. Swinging. Sometimes the swing was all it took to help calm the crying and put her to sleep, at least for a little while, and gave very tired arms and whole body a rest. Same theory as the walking and bouncing. The motion seems to lull them into a more peaceful state. Same goes for the rocking chair.

3. Moby wrap. This right here was the biggest life saver. Most of the time our little girl just needed to be held and it's tiring! A 7 lb baby doesn't seem all that heavy until you have to carry her around 24/7. This literally saved me from completely loosing it and committing myself to an insane asylum. I was using a backpack style baby carrier but it was very bulky and just not that comfortable for me or her when multiple moms suggested the Moby wrap. It seems like a very complex system to wrap the very long scarf like piece of fabric but after you do it a couple times it's super easy.  It's not bulky and the baby fits snugly in it right next to mama where they miss being after living inside you for almost 10 months. With your hands free you can actually do things and your arms don't feel like they are going to fall off and baby feels nice and secure next to mommy. They say the act of baby wearing from birth on helps make the transition easier for the baby and cuts crying and I can attest to that I just wish I started earlier maybe things would have gotten better sooner. Also reflux and gas are big culprits of colic too and keeping baby upright after meals in the wrap helps the reflux and the pressure on their belly helps to pass the gas. So do yourself a favor and get a Moby wrap or one like a Moby wrap you will be forever grateful, trust me. 

 4. Gripe water and gas drops.  Being someone that really doesn't want to give my baby things that aren't natural and organic I leaned more on the side of gripe water which has things like fennel and ginger in it to ease stomach discomfort and gas, which does help somewhat, but if it's real bad it doesn't quite cut the mustard. The second line of defense was the Hyland's homeopathic gas drops that uses herbs to do the same thing but when it was really bad it didn't really cut it either. So the third and final line of defense was the regular old gas drops, I used these. I leaned to the dye free, gluten free version and they would usually help cut the gas pretty well.

5. Bath time during colic hours. Baths are just generally very relaxing for everyone and especially babies. The warm water resembles the womb and has a very calming effect and for the 5 or 10 minutes they are in there for you can get a break from the crying. It's a great idea to add this to your nightly routine, routine also helps baby to realize bed time from any other time of day. 

6. Dimming or shutting off lights at night. Baby's don't have internal clocks when they are born and they don't know day from night. This is helpful to get them to realize bedtime from awake time.  Artificial lighting can trick them into thinking that it's time to be awake. Plus it can also be stimulating to them after a whole life of darkness in the womb. I put night lights in the nursery and my bedroom so that I could still see to nurse or change her diaper but the light was not keeping her awake. 

7. Aroma therapy. Using essential oils like lavender and other calming herbs like camomile in the air and on you and your baby can work to help instil calm and also act as a marker for bed time. I would try to only use calming lotion and lavender oil on the wood stove at night so that she would associate the smell with bed time along with natural calming effect that it has anyway. 

8. Baby massage. Just giving your baby a little rub down really helps to calm them and is a nice addition to the night time bath for babies. I mean who doesn't like a nice massage. One massage technique that really helped with the gas was the I love you baby massage, find out how to do it here, and also just rubbing their tummy in a clock wise motion also helps to keep things passing along. 

9. The bicycle. Moving the baby's legs as if the are riding a bike helps to release gas that becomes trapped in their tummies. Babies don't have developed abdominal muscles and need help to bear down and pass things. Don't be surprised to hear some toots and for the baby to spit up especially if you just fed them. 

10. Putting legs over baby's head like you would during a diaper change. If the bicycle doesn't work try this. Lift the Baby's legs up over their head and gradually bring them down. Repeat a few times until you hear them fart a few times. This seems to be more effective than the bicycle for stubborn gas. 

11. Warm water bottle or rice pack on baby's tummy. Warm not hot packs on the baby's tummy helps by putting pressure and warmth to help ease things out. You will most likely hear some gas being passed after a few minutes of application. This was the only thing that helped on one very trying night so it's definitely worth a try. 

12. Change of scenery. Sometimes just a change of scenery is all they need to help them forget about what ails them for a while. Going for a walk outside or even putting them on their changing table can help change their minds temporarily. For us walks outside a night were off limits it being the dead of winter so the changing table was really our sanctuary. You could get at least 5-10 minutes of quiet out of it, just enough time to get your barrings back. 

13. The colic cradle hold. Holding the baby in this position helps by putting pressure on the baby's belly. This really helps but wouldn't last too long for our girl. I'd be lucky to have 15 minutes tops cry free but it would help to pass some gas. 

14. Putting baby belly side down on your lap. This really only helped us once temporarily but helping pass gas. Our little girl wasn't a fan of this position or tummy time really but worth a shot and anything to pass gas even if it causes them to cry more temporarily can help in the long run. 

15. Chiropractic care.  Birth is a traumatic experience for both mother and baby.  Miss alignments in the babies spine can cause colic symptoms in babies and chiropractic care can help to correct these miss alignments.  My little girl had some issues with her neck, called torticollis, where she would favor one side and she had reflux and chiropractic care corrected the torticollis and helped with the reflux.  It is worth a try to see if this could help, it did for us.

Finding a root cause of gas and colic symptoms is also sometimes possible. Some babies are allergic or sensitive to the food the mother is eating or the formula it is being fed.  This can often times be the cause of colic but for us it was actually an over supply and imbalance of breast milk.   Because I had so much milk she was filling up on the sugary fore milk and not getting enough fatty hind milk causing her to produce more gas. Also the forceful let down caused her to swallow a lot of air while feeding. I had to research ways to reduce my supply and I found that nursing on one breast for multiple feeding in a row before switching to the other over a few weeks time greatly reduced my supply and corrected the imbalance and it had really improved my little girls tummy issues.

These are the things that helped me out with our colicky little girl and I hope these 15 things can help to save anyone reading this many sleepless nights and worry.  Best wishes with your little ones.

~Megan~