Note: This blog post may look familiar to some of our readers. It was originally published in the spring, and has become one of our most popular posts. We are sharing now because the author, Brynn, captures our Girl Power theme perfectly.
Once upon a time, there lived a wonderful and most bat-shit crazy Queen. Within her castle were rescued animals galore, four princes, one spirited princess, and the strongest coffee maker in all the lands.
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Raising children. No other job provides infinite new challenges that often need immediate attention. Some are easy– like finding a last minute ride to practice. Others have life-long implications. The decisions we make can leave us feeling frightened, vulnerable and skeptical. Am I saying the right things? Are my choices demonstrating the behavior I want my kids to follow? What can I do to teach them how to be strong? How do I keep them safe and healthy?
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Karin Brooks is not only mom to two daughters, but she’s also a Brownie Troop Leader, a teacher and head of her church’s religious school. It’s in her nature to be creative, organized and prepared. So when her daughter, Amelia, requested a pampered spa party and sleepover to celebrate her 8th birthday, Karin remembered she had saved the July/August 2015 issue of American Girl magazine (just in case…prepared for anything, remember?) That issue profiled a DIY spa party and offered suggestions from facials and sugar scrubs to finger soaks and snack ideas.
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Photo: Clean Water Action
If marching into a retail store to educate management on environmental health concerns is not on your to-do list, we dare you to press play on this video.
Yes, we are certain that Tess, Sophia, Erin, Kayla and Sidney will make you smile. But after listening to their brave hearts,you just might rethink about what happens when you walk into a store.
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Moms know that sometimes it’s hard to get kids to do anything that has the tiniest hint of being a chore. With more than 220 million tons of garbage going into landfills each year it’s important to recycle what we can, but kids may need a little extra encouragement. So how do we get kids to be enthusiastic about recycling?
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Once upon a time, there lived a wonderful and most bat-shit crazy Queen. Within her castle were rescued animals galore, four princes, one spirited princess and the strongest coffee maker in all the lands.
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Carving cucumbers into caterpillars and making sockets for raisin eyes just wasn't cutting it. I wished to plant genuine-veggie-appreciation in my children but it seemed to be an ongoing battle. It had to be...fun, so I turned to "Ila."
“Ila” as the grandkids call her, is my dad’s wife and she has a way of turning every task into a delight. As a stay-at-home mother of three in the 70s, Pam was a self-professed slob and wrote Sidetracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise," leading her to appearances on the Today Show, Live with Regis, and Oprah. Housework became manageable as she infused her mantra, “Make it fun and it will get done.”
It was time to infuse my inner-Ila to tackle the reputation of veggies. This process had to be fun or it wasn’t going to happen at all. Over time, we found our own path. Here are our favorite four tips-turned-into-good-times from the parenting toolbox.
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By now we know that the word “fragrance” on a product label is a red flag. That one innocent sounding word can include so many unknowns from endocrine disruptors to carcinogens. Finding products that disclose what makes them smell so good can be hard and some of the products with clean ingredients can be expensive.
Karen Roche understands this problem all too well. In 2006 her best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. So began her journey to learn about and find better-for-you products free from toxins and artificial fragrances. The one thing Karen had the most trouble finding was personal care products that fit the bill. There were limited options and many that she did find were pricey.
She figured that if she was having problems finding non-toxic, affordable personal care products other woman were, too.
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Meg Payne reveals misconceptions, struggles, epiphanies and turning points highlighting the life of a teenage athlete and the perception of health. How much of her story resonates with teens you know? What perceptions of health are we teaching the next generation as adults, coaches and parents?
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On January 12th, 2016 in his final State of the Union address, President Obama announced a national "moon shot" effort to cure cancer, stating, “For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.” You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone unwilling to get behind that cause. You’re a statistical anomaly if your life hasn’t, in some way, been touched by the disease – especially breast cancer.
Here’s another staggering statistic that may be a little less ingrained in your mind:
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Founder's Note: How often will we wonder "When will I see results? Is change happening?" or "How hard should I try?" Do you hear a tiny voice chiding, "Are we creating mini-monsters who will rebel against our high standards? Or are we raising responsible healthy citizens?" Trusting our heart is all we have - until you meet someone like Julia. It is an honor to feature Julia's confession as one of Savvy's first blog posts, offering a delightful glimpse of what 'can-be' when we embrace this journey.
I would pop it in the toaster and eagerly watching the wires glowing red inside, evidence of the mini oven at work. I can remember that first glorious, sugar-filled bite; the perfect balance of sweet, gooey filling and crispy cracker crust. The toaster oven always melted the insides just right. Most of my mornings began with a trip to the toaster oven. Eggo waffles, french toast sticks, those cinnamon roll things with icing in the middle… I was the freezer aisle’s biggest fan. I was young, I didn’t really care where my food came from, and I just cared that it tasted good. If I ever felt the inkling to eat healthy I would reach for Special K or Cheerios. Because those were good for you, right?
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Was I even a good mom today? Did my kids feel any love from me? Did we laugh or talk?
I despised being Sergeant No.
After everything I unearthed during my research, I understood the world did not have my family’s health in its best interest. Constantly trying to shield them was exhausting. Modern parenting felt like pushing a double stroller through the Boston Marathon in a hailstorm while trying to protect the kiddos amidst a constant barrage of pelting, frozen peas.
I first sensed this dark cloud when Tanner entered preschool. I was delighted for his first taste of independence and ninety minutes in a loving, nurturing environment. However, I silently observed the parent-supplied, non-birthday cupcakes twice the size of his pudgy fist, handed out for 10:00 a.m. snack. As a relatively new mom, I hadn’t found my voice. I kept my opinions to myself and rarely stood up for what I thought. Unspoken mom-pressure kept it that way. Instead, I watched the children’s eager eyes and giddy smiles as the “favorite moms” brought in frosted delights and the disappointment on their faces when I provided sliced apples and pretzel sticks.
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