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The Neuroscience of Play & Why Kids Need It
I’ve always been a huge advocate of getting my kids to play, especially outside during the summer. I feel like they are more well behaved, more tired at the end of the day, and overall happier when they get in lots of playing. But playtime has many other benefits too, and they’re backed by science! …
How to Clear Clogged Milk Ducts
If you breastfeed, you probably know that a blocked or clogged milk duct is a painful and frustrating challenge that many nursing mothers encounter. Clogged milk ducts seem to come out of nowhere and can present a real challenge! In order to prevent the clogged duct from turning into mastitis or another infection, it’s important …
What Moms Really Need Today (And Every Day)
A couple of years ago on Mother’s Day, I shared a call to peace in the mommy wars and to step into our power as moms and women. Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed a shift. The “war” between working moms and stay-at-home moms seems to have calmed a bit… maybe we’ve realized …
Can a Weighted Blanket Transform Your Kids’ Sleep?
Let’s be honest… as moms, we will do just about anything to get our kids to sleep. Sleep is what makes a parent’s world go ’round. We need good sleep, and we desperately need our kids to get good sleep, too. Recently, I’ve begun reading about how a weighted blanket may be able to help kids sleep …
Potty Training Methods for Toddlers (& How to Stay Sane!)
Parents of toddlers always ask me for tips on three things: how to keep them busy, how to get them to eat healthy food, and how to potty train them. Toddlers have a mind of their own and aren’t afraid to let you know their feelings (very loudly, I might add). So, when it comes …
8 Fun Ways to Exercise As a Family
I remember how easy it was to “work out” in college. For one thing, I was walking miles each week just to get to class, and whenever I got stressed and needed a mental break from homework, I could just go to the gym on campus (for free) and get a workout in. I didn’t …
Natural Ways to Help Kids Sleep
I’m a huge proponent of getting enough sleep despite how difficult that is in our modern lives. But sometimes it’s outside forces that are causing us or our kids to have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep. Luckily there are many natural ways to help kids sleep that are simple to …
Tips for Surviving Prodromal Labor
During every one of my pregnancies I’ve learned many new words and terms that I didn’t even know existed before we started having children… Words like placenta previa, nuchal cord, VBAC, and HBAC (and lots of others). After having several babies myself and serving as a doula for many others, I’d started to feel that I finally …
10 Creative Ways to Keep Toddlers Busy
I’ve had to get creative finding ways to keep my older kids active indoors and engaged instead of bored. But toddlers are a whole other ball game! Toddlers are at an interesting place developmentally. It’s a time of incredible growth with so many firsts: saying first words and then whole sentences, potty training, and so …
Healthy Finger Foods for Toddlers (Even Picky Ones)
A toddler’s appetite can sometimes seem like a bottomless pit! Their growing bodies require nourishment, and lots of it. Go beyond conventional finger foods like Cheerios and baby puffs with these ideas for simple and nourishing finger foods for toddlers. I promise… even picky eaters will ask for more of these! Healthy Finger Foods for …
Natural Ways to Increase Milk Supply (& How to Tell If It’s Low)
A healthy diet is vital during pregnancy, but it’s just as important while nursing. The body uses up a lot of calories and nutrients to make that amazing liquid gold for baby. But sometimes moms don’t make enough breastmilk to meet their baby’s needs and may need a little help getting their supply up. Alternately, …
Skin Care for Pregnancy: How to Prevent Acne, Stretch Marks, and More
Pregnant women may have that healthy glow, but there are plenty of skin issues that can also accompany motherhood. From hormonal acne to stretch marks and everything in between, it helps to know the ins and outs of pregnancy skin care. With each kid I learned a little more about which products were best to …
An Open Letter to Moms on Mother’s Day
I’ll never forget when a video called “The World’s Toughest Job” went viral. In this video, people came in to interview for a job for “Director of Operations” and were told that it required 135+ hours per week with no vacation, no sick days, and no pay. They were told it would be physically and …
Real-Food Lactation Cookies (Gluten Free)
Pregnancy, labor, birth, and then breastfeeding… all of these things put high physical strain and demand for nutrients on a mom’s body. It’s so important to take time to nourish and replenish our bodies each step of the way, especially during the crucial postpartum time. Sitting down to breastfeed many times a day (and night) …
Cloth Diapers 101: How to Get Started
The decision to cloth diaper is easy for some. But if you are like me, there are a million questions that need to be answered first! Cloth diapering today is so different from the way our grandmothers did it. I have talked to many women who remember cloth diapering as a burdensome task that they …
Overprotected Childhood: How Keeping Kids Safe is Actually Harming Them
Utah recently passed legislation to “legalize the 80s” and let kids play outside again without fear of CPS being called on the parents. The new law essentially defined the difference between letting kids have independence and parental neglect, protecting the ability for kids to ride bikes and play outside alone. I shared a video about …
Baby Products You Actually Need (& What You Can Live Without)
I remember being pregnant with my first baby and going to the store to register for baby products. I was like a kid in a candy store, convinced that I needed every cute outfit, innovative gadget, and award-winning baby products. I registered for dozens of items, and in hindsight, I’m so glad that I never …
How to Use Fertility Monitors to Space or Avoid Pregnancy
As many of you know, I’ve had six children in nine years. I’m certainly open to having more children in the future, but I feel like my body would benefit from a break from pregnancy/nursing, especially as I am working to overcome my autoimmune disease and heal my thyroid. Why Not Hormones? I’ve written before …
Guide to Healthy Baby Food
Healthy baby food is a topic I feel very strongly about and will definitely step onto the soapbox for! Like many aspects of life, convenience doesn’t equal quality (although I argue homemade baby food can be very convenient if you take a simple approach) and many of the current pre-made baby food options are definitely …
5 Reasons to Have a Moms’ Night Out
Being a mom is hard work. Really hard work (but that’s preaching to the choir, right?)!! I love my children, but that doesn’t make caring for them 24/7 any easier. As moms our help and support is in constant demand … but you can’t constantly give when your own cup is running dry. (Unless the …
How to Reverse Infertility & Get Pregnant Naturally
There’s no doubt that infertility is a rising problem in today’s society. And while this has never been an issue for me, the CDC finds that about 10 percent of women (6.1 million) in the U.S. ages 15-44 struggle to get pregnant or stay pregnant. The reasons are many (and we don’t know all of …
Gentle Foaming Baby Wash (Easy Homemade Recipe)
There’s nothing cuter or sweeter smelling than a baby fresh out of the bath! Unfortunately, those sweet-smelling conventional baby washes can strip away natural protective oils, and many contain undesirable ingredients (especially the mot popular brands). Thankfully there are some great natural baby wash brands, but they can be expensive. This foaming baby wash is …
Shattering Six Common Pregnancy and Childbirth Fears
Note from Katie: My good friend Genevieve Howland, aka Mama Natural, has one of the top resources for natural pregnancy. She just released her beautiful new book, The Mama Natural Week-By-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth and is sharing from some of her research today. Enter Genevieve: Psssst. I want to let you in on a little secret. …
Was My Last Home Birth Illegal? (I Need Your Help!)
In short… yes. My amazing last home birth experience that saved me from an 8-week c-section surgery recovery was not legal in my state. If you missed my birth story, the birth (of my now one-year-old) was a breech home VBAC and my 8 pound daughter had perfect APGAR scores. This post is different from my normal posts …