Bubble Bath

Homemade bubble bathBubbles make bath time more enjoyable for kids and parents alike. Aside from novelty, the soapy bubbles that your child soaks in every night have another purpose – they can be nourishing, moisturizing, and even calming. Children’s organic bubble bath, made from purely natural ingredients, will provide beneficial compounds for the skin, as well as moisturizing agents, without exposing sensitive young skin to irritants, synthetic compounds, and the slightest trace of toxic chemicals.

What You Need
• 4 cups of Water
• 4 oz Castille Soap
• 3 oz of either Glycerin* or Coconut Oil (both lather well and are skin softeners)
• Essential Oil (like Lavender or Eucalyptus)
• Container for your concoction (non glass is best for near the bath)
•Bath Tub

What You Do:
1.
Mix water with castille and glycerin or coconut oil.
2.
Add 4-5 drops of your choice of essential oil.
3.
Mix well.
4.
Pour your bubble bath into the container. It should keep for quite a while.
5.
Fill bathtub with water and pour in a couple of ounces of bubble bath.
6.
Get the kid in the bathtub.

Peanut Month

March is National Peanut Month, a time to celebrate one of America’s favorite foods! Roasted in the shell for a ballpark snack, ground into peanut butter or tossed in a salad or stir-fry, peanuts find their way into everything from breakfast to dessert.
National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941. It was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974.
Coincidentally, March is National Nutrition Month – a great time to recognize the nutritional value of peanuts. One serving of peanuts is a good source of protein, Vitamin E, Niacin, Folate, Phosphorus and Magnesium. Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat.
Americans eat an average of about 6 pounds of peanuts per person, per year, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most of our peanuts come from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina. Almost half of the U.S. peanut crop is used to make peanut butter. It is no surprise that peanut butter is one of America’s favorite foods!
Peanut butter was first created by blending together ground shelled peanuts, vegetable oil and salt. The peanuts are first shelled, then roasted and the skins removed. Then they are ground into a smooth butter spread. Peanut butter must be at least 90 percent peanuts with no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives to officially be labeled peanut butter.
Who invented peanut butter? Some speculate that peanut butter was first introduced in the United States in 1890, when a St. Louis physician invented peanut butter to provide his patients with an easy-to-digest, high protein food. Others still believe it to be the ‘father of the peanut industry’, George Washington Carver who invented more than 300 uses for peanuts.
Show your Peanut IQ by sharing some of these fun facts with your friends this month:

  • Peanuts are not actually nuts at all! They are legumes, like beans, peas and lentils.
  • Americans eat 3 pounds of peanut butter per person every year. That’s about 700 million pounds, or enough to coat the floor of the Grand Canyon!
  • It takes nearly 850 peanuts to make a jar of peanut butter.
  • Peanuts may be a favorite food, but we’ve found many uses for their shells too! You might find peanut shells in kitty litter, wallboard, fireplace logs, paper, animal feed and sometimes as fuel for power plants!
  • Recent findings show that eating peanuts, or peanut butter, can reduce the risk of heart attacks and type 2 diabetes.
  • Two peanut farmers have been elected President of the United States: Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.
  • One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches. 

Do not forget to check our peanut butter cookie recipe.

 

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Good Oral Hygiene

A healthy mouth is a clean mouth, and a clean mouth is a happy mouth! In a healthy, happy mouth teeth are free from plaque and debris, gums are pink and healthy, and breath does not exude an odor. This is the ideal that we must teach out kids to aspire to, and a few hints on developing good oral hygiene will go a long way towards sweetening their little smiles!

Why is Developing Good Oral Hygiene Important?
Developing good oral hygiene is your first line of defense against dental problems such as plaque, tooth decay, gum disease and halitosis. Developing good oral hygiene now will help keep you out of the dentist’s chair later!

  • Plaque is a white-ish substance that develops when food, mixed with bacteria and saliva, clings to the teeth. Good oral hygiene helps loosen and remove plaque.
  • Tartar is hardened plaque that has calcified and sticks to the teeth. Generally only a dentist can remove tartar with special tools.
  • Tooth decay occurs when small holes (cavities) form in the tooth. Plaque is also the culprit of tooth decay because when the bacteria living in plaque comes into contact with sugars in the food we eat, acid is formed that eats away at the tooth’s protective enamel. Ridding the teeth of plaque keeps teeth clear of tooth decay as well.
  • Gum disease refers to any infection or inflammation of the gums surrounding the teeth. Healthy gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when brushed. Unhealthy gums are open to the bacteria in plaque causing an inflammation called gingivitis. If the tissues that connect the teeth to the gums become involved, then it is called periodontitis. Again, ridding the teeth of plaque will help guard against gum disease.
  • Halitosis, the technical term for bad breath, is also the result of an unhealthy plaque build up. When the gums become infected or inflamed due to the bacteria in plaque, bad breath often results. Keeping the teeth and gums clean, and even brushing the tongue, will help alleviate this embarrassing condition.

What is Considered Good Oral Hygiene?
Good oral hygiene means getting into the routine of thoroughly cleaning your mouth at least once a day, though preferably after every meal.

  • Brush your teeth for two full minutes with fluoride toothpaste and a brush that is small enough to maneuver around the inside, outside and top of every tooth in your mouth. Replace your brush every three months.
  • Consider investing in an electric toothbrush if you feel you need more help.
  • Floss after every brushing. If you have never flossed before, ask your dentist for advice. Remember that using just a small bit of dental floss to gently slide debris from between the teeth goes a long way towards eradicating plaque and keeping your mouth free from bacteria.
  • Rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash that will get rid of small pieces of debris and help keep your gums healthy. If you find that an antiseptic mouthwash “stings,” ask your dentist to recommend a brand for more sensitive teeth and gums.
  • If you are unable to clean your mouth directly after eating, consider chewing sugar free gum. This will stimulate saliva in your mouth that will naturally help flush out any lingering remnants of food.

When Should Children Begin To Practice Good Oral Hygiene?
As soon as children grow teeth, good oral hygiene should be practiced. When children are old enough to grasp their toothbrush themselves, ask them to be responsible for their own brushing.

Where Does the Dentist Fit Into Good Oral Hygiene?
Going to the dentist every six months, or at the very least once every year, is very important. Your dentist will be able to:

  • Recommend cleaning techniques and products for your family.
  • Clean plaque and tartar from the teeth.
  • Fill cavities that could lead to further tooth decay.
  • Administer fluoride treatments.
  • Treat mild gingivitis before it turns into periodontitis.
  • X-ray teeth.
  • Remind your children about the importance of proper oral hygiene.