As your toddler begins to explore more of the world – no, I don’t mean he discovers that food that rolls under the couch a week ago shouldn’t be licked – you have the opportunity to explore new surroundings with the fun game of Letterboxing. Started in England in the mid-19th century, Letterboxing began by a park ranger leaving his calling card in a bottle and invited others to do the same as they passed by that spot. As more people left their mark on the park in this bottle, the game evolved to include stamped cards to be mailed back to the owner with a short note – letterboxes being the equivalent to American postboxes. An article in the Smithsonian in 1998 revived the game and introduced it to a new generation in America. An excellent adventure to be played in parks around the country or as intimate in your backyard, it consists of a few materials and a good sense of hide and seek.

Materials:

• Waterproof box such as a food container
• Notepad
• Stamp – can be commercial or homemade
• Inkpad
• Compass for clues
• Your field name such as: Graham family, Red Wolverine, Pink Tutu Club, etc
• Pencil or pen
• Ziploc – quart size
• Clues

Taking the waterproof box, enclose within the notepad and pencil or if it’s in your backyard a small toy to make the search more fun. Place the box in the zippered bag and hide it along a path of a local park, under a tree, rock or place where passersby cannot too easily find it. Write down directions to the box and join the fun at www.letterboxing.org and www.atlasquest.com to leave your clues. There you can gather clues to other letterboxes in your location to search for.

If your adventure is out of the backyard, after you’ve found a box, take your stamp, handmade or store bought, and record your find in the notepad you’ll find within. You may record the date, who was in your group, a silly poem or a friendly hello. As you learn more about Letterboxing, you’ll discover sub-groups of boxes such as Cuckoos, Cooties and Virtuals (online letterboxing through websites).

This is an excellent game for children of all ages; the urge to discover is never far beneath the surface so put on your pirate patch, grab a parrot and dig up some treasure!

For more information, please visit:
http://www.letterboxing.org/GettingStarted/Letterboxing101.pdf
http://www.letterboxing.org/GettingStarted/getstart_finding.htm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newboxers/
http://www.letterboxing.org
http://www.atlasquest.com

With visions of baby pandas dancing in my head, I went in search of the newest eco-friendly buzzword in fabric right now: bamboo. While the incredibly fast-growing grass may not conjure up the epitome of cuddly goodness, this remarkable plant has made great strides in revolutionizing sustainable resources for consumers. Reaching heights of over 60 feet without the use of fertilizers or harmful chemicals, bamboo is the rock star of renewable resources, some species growing over four feet in one day, and is ready to be harvested in two months. Bamboo’s multi-purpose uses range from sheets to houses, it’s no wonder that it’s quickly becoming a favorite by green parents.

Bamboo clothing offers the benefits of being naturally anti-microbial, keeping bacteria from cultivating on its surface and leaving the fabric odor free. It also regulates heat, keeping your baby warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than other fabrics. Feeling like silk or even cashmere, bamboo’s rich softness makes it a perfect choice for babywear. Companies such as Bamboosa offers clothing for babies and adults, even socks for stinky toes that naturally wick away odor and wetness as it absorbs 3-4 times better than cotton.

Keeping your baby green is as natural as the choices you make. With bamboo taking over the market as quickly as it grows, this alternative to cotton and synthetic fabrics is a smart choice for your family.

Those wonderful first few days of new parenthood. The crying, the screaming, the thumb sucking — and then there’s the baby. No one can prepare you for those glorious days after you bring your new love interest home from the hospital, your bleary-eyes and lack of shower only increase the bonding between you and your sweet baby. After all, she can’t push you away and complain of morning breath…yet.

As she grows and her sleep cycles settle, there may be periods of time where she cannot settle down to earn her (and you) much needed rest at night. Aromatherapy, the art of extracting essences from plant materials, may offer some relief. Used for thousands of years as a safe and gentle method for many ailments, within aromatherapy may lay the secrets to a healthful night’s sleep. Try this method suggested by Valerie Ann Worwood in her book The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy. On alternate nights, place a small bowl of boiling water under the crib, though not under the child’s head, and add one drop of Roman Chamomile and one drop Geranium. Close the door to the room so the scent stays within to help soothe and comfort your child’s restless body into slumber. Other oils include Lavender and Mandarin as exceptional for wee ones. One drop of Lavender in the baby’s bathwater before bedtime also helps to ease your tiny one to sleep.

As they grow, they’ll learn to associate those scents with the comfort of sleep. Don’t be surprised if your little one knocks back a few zzz’s when confronted with a lavender-stuffed dream pillow!

It starts with the pink cheeks. Then come the bright eyes, the hoarse whisper and your shirt being used as a tissue. Last fall, the FDA recommended that children under the age of two not take any cough or cold medicines as they have not been proven to be effective and may have adverse effects. So how do you help a tiny nose?

Bea Kunz of Sage Hill Farms in Petersburg, TN, suggests taking a more natural route to better health through teas and herbs that are easily added to your diet.

“If we focus on prevention when children are small and treat the everyday and minor ills with herbal and natural means, more than likely they will never have to deal with many of the issues that seem to follow from childhood into adulthood,” Bea said, “asthma and eczema being two of the biggest culprits.” She adds, “The herb world abounds with gentle and effective plants that can help respiratory problems and leave your child stronger and healthier in the end results. Wild Cherry Bark, Horehound, Hyssop and Coltsfoot are a few to think seriously about getting acquainted with.”

So how do you incorporate these great herbs in your meals? Bea shared with us on of her family’s favorite recipes:

Herbi Egg Bake
2 Tbsp real butter
1/2 tsp chopped chives
1/2 tsp dried parsley
dash of dried tarragon
dash of dried thyme
4 eggs
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 325F degrees

Combine butter with dried herbs and divide into the cups.

Place cups in a shallow baking pan

Place in oven until butter is melted

Break an egg into each cup

Top with 1 TBSP cream and 1 TBSP cheese per cup

Bake 12 to 15 minutes just until the eggs are done.

Serve these alongside your child’s favorite fruit and toast with a wee bit of honey or jam.

When illness does invade your home, a soft cuddle, a warm kiss and plenty of love are the best cold remedies. Heck, you don’t even need to struggle with the childproof cap…

Okay. We know how much you love that tiny pink tutu with the matching headband but your baby outgrew it at least six months ago and she’s getting odd looks from the other babies at story time. Instead of holding on to clothes that have passed their load limit, consider taking a picture of your baby in her favorite outfit and holding a clothing swap party. Mothers have been hoarding ill-fitting baby clothes for too long, it’s time to break free and regain your basement!

The best part of these shindigs is the stories that go along with the clothes.

“Steve’s mother bought this for Alex when he was born” Alicia told us at a recent gathering. Holding up a frilly lavender dress, we knew more about Steve’s mom than we wanted to and the look on Alicia’s face filled in any other questions floating around; Alex happily munched on his plastic truck and ignored the women sending him pitying glances.

I wanted to unload the boxes of clothes from five girls. The ones that had been mended or washed so many times you couldn’t tell a Carters from an OshKosh were sitting in bags waiting for the donation truck but I clung to these last bits of babyhood like that tiny splooge of potatoes at the bottom of the baby food jar. These women would know how to treat a hand knit sweater that fit for about twenty minutes but I couldn’t bear to part with it. Until now.

Inviting the women was easy. My neighborhood teemed with women in various stages of motherhood, from waddling to swaddling. Spreading the word with email shot like wildfire across our town. Arriving with bags and babies under their arms, my living room became a Mecca for snowsuits and snap-up pants, rumba panties and impossibly tiny socks. Naked children ran through the house while their mothers chatted about storing breastmilk or who was new at the Pediatrician’s office. It was a great way to meet new moms and find a pair of shoes at the same time; it was multi-tasking at its finest.

Try a clothing swap in your neighborhood today. It’s good for the planet, great for your budget and you don’t have to feel guilty about no one wearing that freakishly pink outfit your grandmother bought your son.

Who knew piggies could help with colds, teething and constipation? Chances are you?ve snuggled a tiny foot in the palm of your hand, next time use the ancient therapy of reflexology to help your baby find comfort.

Before you begin:
Nails should be well trimmed so as not to scratch delicate skin. Watch your baby for signs of discomfort, if they resist then try again later. There is no need to press hard against the sole of their foot, slight pressure will be sufficient.

Begin at the heel and gently press the pad of your thumb to the bottom of her foot, inching your way up to each toe in a line and giving the corresponding toe a gentle rotation and squeeze. This is called ?thumb walking? and is the first basic step in reflexology, helping your baby to relax before you begin the treatment.

Try these techniques to help with:

Teething:
So cute when they finally pop out, those tiny buds can bother even the calmest baby. To relieve discomfort, gently rub the top of the base of each of toe up to the knuckle for up to five minutes.

Stuffy head:
Red noses belong on reindeer, not on babies. To help your little one clear up congestion, rub each toe in turn. Applying gentle pressure, run your fingers up the top of their foot, following the muscles to mid-foot for as long as your baby will allow or to fifteen minutes, two to three times a week.

Constipation:
A baby?s digestive process is a funny thing. One minute they?re exploding all over the furniture and your mother-in-law and the next they?re corked up tight. To help a sore tummy, rub a line bisecting the foot between the ball and heel, right to left. Press against the soft dip under the ball of the foot of the baby?s left foot, rotating your thumb gently.

To finish your treatment, run your hands over their foot and give a soft squeeze. Oh heck, go ahead and nibble a toe too-who could resist?