Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
The Wellness Mama blog provides simple answers for healthier families through research, tutorials, recipes, humor, and living life with lots of kids!
If you’ve been trying to switch to more natural products, your toothpaste is an important one to look over. After all, it’s something you use twice a day, every day. Here are some of the best natural toothpaste brands that are not only non-toxic but beneficial to your teeth. What’s Wrong With Conventional Toothpaste? Conventional …
Every year as warmer weather approaches, I make several homemade products for summer. This includes my homemade sunscreen and these natural bug repellent recipes. I don’t use sunscreen often because it limits vitamin D production. I prefer to eat my sunscreen instead. This homemade insect repellent spray recipe, on the other hand, gets daily use where we live (unfortunately!). …
My kids have been begging for ice cream lately. Since many of our family’s summer activities involve getting outside in the heat and humidity, I decided a strawberry ice cream break was in order. This real food ice cream skips the red food coloring version from the grocery store. All you taste are the fresh berries and …
What do you do for gifts when the man in your life is hard to shop for? I’ve been trying to answer that question for years. It always seems tougher to find good gift ideas for men than it does for women. Men usually aren’t as happy with some herbal tea and a new skein of …
Chiggers, along with lice, are some of our least favorite creatures. Imagine there was a tiny monster in the same family as scorpions and spiders. It was so tiny, in fact, that you could barely see it without a microscope. Yet, this tiny creature was capable of causing insanity-inducing itchy skin. These creatures exist and …
Growing up in Texas, I came to love the flavors of Mexican food. Although I’ve moved a few times since then, Mexican dishes frequently make an appearance at our dinner table. This Spanish rice recipe with chorizo makes the perfect side dish to go with those tacos. Spanish Rice vs Mexican Rice Authentic homemade Spanish …
A little research on starting a backyard garden will quickly show there are many (maybe too many?) ways of garden planning. I’ve tried many methods of organic gardening over the years, like companion planting and crop rotation. One of the best for small spaces has been square foot gardening. The square foot gardening method makes …
Sometimes it seems like going outside for a family meal can mean we’re the ones on the menu. If you’re tired of mosquitos and other annoying pests, then try these homemade citronella candles. That way you can eat your grilled chicken in peace! Citronella scented candles are a safe, non-toxic way to beat back mosquitos …
I must admit… I’ve never had cashew chicken at a Chinese restaurant so I don’t know what it’s “supposed” to taste like. I saw a lot of pictures of cashew chicken going around Pinterest, and they looked good. Rather than clicking on the link to discover the recipe probably called for a can of soda, …
In today’s fast-paced world of screens and schedules, we often miss the importance of reconnecting with nature and its many benefits. Outdoor activities in nature like hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, biking, or even just sitting outside can be beneficial. Yet, the most pronounced benefits come from longer exposure to nature’s beauty. Today we’re going to …
For many people, visions of bats may conjure up creepy ideas of bloodsucking rodents (they aren’t rodents). We live in an area with a lot of natural caves. This gives us many opportunities to learn about bats and how they influence our environment. If you’ve never thought about trying to attract bats to your backyard or considered building …
I’m not usually one for elaborate, time-consuming dessert recipes. Give me a piece of fruit or healthy energy balls and I’m a happy mama. These fruit and nut cake bars are a bit more time intensive, but very worth it. They’re a delicious, portable, single serving size dessert option. I’m frequently traveling somewhere, whether it’s …
Just about every organic gardening book or blog advocates for companion planting. I’ve even written before about plant pairs that control pests in the garden and boost plant health. Sounds perfect, right? Companion Planting Chart So, you start picking out what you want to grow in your garden this year. Next, you search “companion planting chart” …
We do a lot of art projects at our house and it’s something I really encourage my kids to do. Just like our food and personal care products though, I tried to give my little ones art supplies that were as natural as possible. Here’s how to make crayons you can feel good about. My …
On the town square in our little town is a tiny local restaurant with quirky food and an equally interesting atmosphere. And it has the best seafood bisque in town. They also have a killer sriracha mayo, but I wasn’t in love with some of the ingredients. Sriracha Mayo Mayo can be a wonderful condiment …
You’ve probably heard horror stories of 3-foot tapeworms camping out in someone’s gut. Most parasites though are so small they can only be seen with a microscope! Millions (if not billions!) of people around the world have parasites. Many don’t even know it. Intestinal Parasites There’s a very good chance you have yeast overgrowth or …
I’ve had fun lately creating several different varieties of lotion bars. I started with the basic recipe and realized the options were truly endless for variations. Sometimes I’ll use a mold, but I like making lotion bar sticks too for even easier application. One of my favorites so far is this DIY sunscreen stick! Mineral …
Our family loves eating foods from different cultures. The recipes often feature fresh ingredients and it’s nice to try all of the different flavors! These fresh Vietnamese spring rolls are the latest Asian recipe we’ve tried for dinner. Spring Rolls Recipe This recipe was inspired by my friend David Vo. It’s based off of a …
As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve gotten several requests from the husbands of a few readers for gift ideas for Mom. Sometimes regular chocolate doesn’t cut it anymore! I’ve compiled a list of some things I’d want to get myself or gift my own mom. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments! Some of …
The last time I posted a picture of my lashes on Instagram many of you wanted to know what I use. I finally got my homemade natural mascara just how I want it! A lot of you asked for the recipe, so I’m sharing it now. DIY Natural Mascara I must admit- this was one …
Indian food is definitely a hit at our house. My family loves dishes like coconut chicken curry, so I’m always looking for new ways to put an easy spin on authentic dishes. This mango chicken curry is full of flavor and protein without being spicy. How to Make Mango Chicken Curry I love simple recipes …
Have you heard of mushroom coffee? The flavor combination doesn’t sound delicious, I know. But these aren’t the mushrooms you eat on pizza or in stroganoff. These are medicinal mushrooms, also called functional mushrooms. Mushroom coffees are great lower-caffeine or caffeine-free alternative to regular coffee. Plus they can help you deal with stress and improve your …
When my oldest was little we lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment. We’ve since upgraded to a house with a backyard, but I’ve always grown plants at our home. These apartment gardening tips can help you grow all sorts of things in any small space. Why do Apartment Gardening? So why bother to deal with …
Switching to real food can be a shock to the food bill. This beef and cabbage stir fry though is the exception. It’s one of my go-to easy recipes since it’s fast and inexpensive to make. Even my one year-old will eat cabbage when I make it this way! I love this beef and cabbage …
