The Mom's Book of Worries

Last night as we traveled home both our little darlings were snotting and miserable. I always hate to see my babies sick! And I know they have to be miserable when they get the body aches.

Some common sense mixed with medical fact...

The old standby of chicken noodle soup is the way to go for most stuffy heads. The warmth and steam will help loosen it up! For adults add in extra pepper! (Works for me!)

For sore throats go soft, but avoid just giving them ice cream. Scrambled Eggs, soups, oatmeal. For a cough that won't stop, try Honey! Swirl into hot tea at night to help them drift off to sleep.

Honey Stick From Aunt Kelly

The adage about starving a fever is a big no no! In fact our bodies need more calories when we have a fever, not less! Slip in extra calories wherever you can. Mash up bananas in peanut butter, powdered milk in the mac n cheese, even try fruit smoothies instead of plain ice cream.

Saltines are great for upset tummies of any age, and yogurt is usually fine. Popsicles are your best tool and can be homemade with real fruit juices.

Sugar should be avoided during sickness and recovery. It actually causes inflammation and can make you feel worse. So avoid fast food favs after an illness and try to get them eating grains, veggies and lean proteins.

Do your kids love mushrooms? They are natural viral attackers and can shorted the life of some flu viruses. (Read this article for more than ever wanted to know.)

Want something other than food tips? Steamy showers, warm washcloths for the face, vapor rubs (Try rubbing on the soles of the feet and applying socks to lessen coughing at night!) Saline irrigation, and aromatherapy steam sessions like adding Eucalyptus (which is known to open up bronchial tubes, ease congestion, and make breathing easier) or fresh ground ginger to a sink full of steamy hot water and leaning over with a towel draped around your head to capture the steam.

Go at their pace when your kids are sick. Try to let them have what their bodies are craving but limit sugar and replace with healthy calories. Let them play for little bursts and try to keep them at rest whenever possible. They'll appreciate the tender loving care. (Maybe when they're older) ;)

I'm like everyone else, I think, in that I'm a sucker for a good deal. And my new obsession (I use that term very loosely) is totes! I have vintage made, handmade, customized and collected ones from my childhood. They are perfect for a few notebooks, magazines or the latest Shana Abe' book while waiting at the doctor's office.

I was always a tiny purse kind of gal and even when my babies came along, I had an itty bitty thing that fit into a side pocket of the huge diaper bag they required. Now I've discovered Thirty One bags! They have the purse of my dreams! A chocolate brown leather deal with an assortment of colorful covers. But my obbsession? Oh my! I could have one of every color they produce and still have more options. My favorite is probably the mini retro metro bag in taupe.

But since this is primarily a blog about my life with the kids... I wanted to share this other new fav. I used to use baskets with colorful liners to separate their toys and other sundry items. :) 
Now I'm rethinking my color scape and crushing on these Thirty One cubes!

We can stylishly keep the kid's things in the living space without sacrificing my designer touch. Brilliant! And they easily slide under the train table or onto a book shelf.  Even more fun is the customization and monogram options.

Want one?? I'm hosting an online party, head over to http://www.mythirtyone.com/sarahsmith/ and choose "Crystal Barton" as your host under 'Place An Order'. What is your favorite Thirty One product?

My little princess hates to sleep in her bed I think. I haven't found a pea under the mattress yet, but I'm still looking for one.

One day we find our peanut in her closet fast asleep with her blanket under her head. most mornings she is lying across the width of her bed with her blanket over her head, or with it tucked under her pillow.

We tried darkening the room, but this morning we find her passed out on the living room carpet. Thankfully she couldn't get any of the doors to the outside open.

We don't know if this is sleepwalking, or just her way of being independent. She loves to get her beauty sleep, so we are scratching our heads at this one. Our son, we would know he just didn't want to go to bed, but with our daughter the reasons elude us.

I found a helpful tidbit on sleepwalking toddlers if you ever experience this with one of your precious charges.

SLEEPWALKING TODDLERS:

"Sleepwalking and sleep talking happen when a child is in a deep sleep. While sleepwalking, your child may have a blank, staring face. They may not respond to others and be very difficult to awaken. When your child does wake up, they will probably not remember the episode. Sleepwalking children will often return to bed by themselves and will not even remember that they have gotten out of bed. Sleepwalking can be common, and tends to run in families. It can even occur several times in one night among older children and teenagers.
How to handle sleepwalking and sleep talking:

• Make sure your child doesn't hurt them self while sleepwalking. Clear the bedroom area of potential hazards that your child could trip over or fall on.
• Lock outside doors so your child cannot leave the house.
• Block stairways so your child cannot go up or down.
• There is no need to try to wake your child when they are sleepwalking or sleep talking. Gently lead them back to bed and they will probably settle down on their own.

Sleepwalking and sleep talking are more likely to occur when your child is overly tired or under stress. Keeping your child's sleep schedule regular may help prevent sleepwalking and sleep talking."

From the Ranger-Rick/Activities/Outdoors Blog post...

Go out exploring in your backyard and create a little house for little people! Your kids will love pretending that fairies are going to move in!! I have tons of pine cones, so I can't wait to try this out.

Post your pics on our facebook group page!

We never really grow up when it comes to fast rides and adrenaline. Who was the first person to think, this lawn tractor is pretty cool, I bet it can out pull my neighbors? Whoever it was, and I'm counting on it being a guy, we can thank them for the fun we all had this weekend.

The kids loved climbing the 'wall' and getting a good look at those loud tractors. It was a slow day, but when you are having a good time, eating grilled food and laughing with friends and family, the times goes by quickly!

Its a highly competitive yet friendly sport that kids of all ages can enter. Look up the fun in your home town and see if it's something your young aspiring gear head would love. They have pedal powered ones for the young kids and have stock classes for those of you who would rather put them on your mower than go out and supe up a custom one.


My son fell in love with a 'blue one' and put in his order to Dad. He loves anything he drive, my daughter likes to ride and watch so far, and I'm fine with that! She'll probably be a cheer leader in high school! :)

It was a breezy evening, and a fun family friendly event. It looks like we've already hooked the kids and will be returning soon. Maybe we'll see you there!

 Happy Independence Day from the Mom's Book of worries! I'm taking a break from blogging to enjoy the fun and fireworks...

Well almost :)

I can't take a break from worrying though, I wish it could be otherwise!! The heat was a big factor in our plans for the weekend. Most activities were indoors until late in the evening to prevent heat stroke.

We did make it over to the family home to celebrate with the relatives as the sun went down and the storm front came in. We hadn't planned on doing much of anything, but ended up eating out on picnik tables in the yard and grilling out too. It was fun, but both the kids wore themselves out quickly! Oh, to be that young and carefree again!

As we prepared to beat the storm home, we soon discovered that our littlest family member (the tiny dog) had snuck indoors and had chilled in the AC while we were making  the most of the humidity and heat.


A special thank you to everyone who made our weekend memorable. I sincerely hope that each of you have a special weekend surrounded by the ones you love!