The diaper back is often handbag, toybox and tolietry kit in one. Sleep-deprived moms often forget to replenish their bags and there is nothing worse than being left in a lurch without diapers or a change of clothes for your baby. Here’s a checklist of the essential 15 things you should pack in your diaper bag, as well as a few fun surprises.
Whether you have little ones running rampant, or teenagers getting social all on their own—most moms will tell you that their household is running a busy schedule. Between carpooling and household duties, combined with working outside the home, or the never-ending battle that is being a stay-at-home-mom—coordinating a family’s activities is something that many women are balancing very, very carefully. It’s easy to forget to enjoy the journey, there’s often not enough time, but there are some easy ways to avoid succumbing to the ongoing state of ‘being busy’ and find your inner calm. Here are five simple ways to help bring the joy back to the chaos.
Like many women, as I entered my 40s, I began fighting with my weight just a little bit more. My jeans are too tight, even my clothes from last year are snugger than I’d like. The worst part (and one I hate to admit, but I will to you guys) is that I know that what’s really responsible for the added pounds is wine consumption.
I definitely enjoy the occasional glass of wine here and there, but when I’m stressed (this happens often), I tend to drink even more than usual. Obviously, a lot of us do: Moms and wine have become a boring cliché, a too-obvious meme. We use wine as a crutch when our lives get out of hand, as a symbol to make us feel like we’re in control. Just glancing at a few wine labels at the liquor store, it’s frighteningly obvious that too many wine companies are marketing to the ‘stressed-out-mom’ demographic, like me.
As a pet owner, at times you may experience great pain regarding your pet. When people post to social media their heartfelt tributes to their pets that have passed away, they affect me so profoundly that I have to quickly scroll by! Owning a pet is like wearing your heart outside your chest everyday. It is part of the beauty, and pain of being a pet-owner. And it can be devastating when your pet is sick.
While many of the moms I know have preferred a chilly winter pregnancy to the discomfort of expecting in the hot summer months, I’ve learned firsthand that being pregnant in the winter comes with its fair share of obstacles–specifically, staying healthy during a winter pregnancy despite sick kids, cabin fever, and fewer opportunities to remain active.
Being ‘urban’ has it’s benefits, and yet one of the big drawbacks can mean that you and the kids spend more time in stores, watching screens or commuting than breathing fresh air without a care in the world. The family and I participated in ‘Take Me Outside’ on September 20th, where we were asked to spend an hour outdoors together.
The world just got a bit sweeter – but our toothpaste didn’t! Xyla has introduced both child and adult toothpaste and mouthwash in their new oral care line. It’s got the same xylitol we love for our morning coffee and strawberry jam, but it is light years better for our teeth than our typical sugar-filled pastes. Cavities are the world’s most common chronic illness and nearly 4 billion people suffer from untreated oral disease globally. The Xyla REFRESH Oral Care line has the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria, plaque and dental cavities by 80%.I don’t often enjoy writing about bacteria that cause both tooth decay and ear infections. Eewww. So hopeful that the kids would make the switch easy for me, I slipped the new products onto their bathroom counter and waited. They carried on. And on. And they loved it! I’ve been attempting to reduce sugar in every possible place and oral care was a sneaky one I hadn’t considered. I’m a happy mom and they are happy kids.
Xylitol is a natural sweetener that helps reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth and aid in the re-mineralization of tooth enamel. There are several different xylitol brands but Xyla, a Canadian brand, produces xylitol from North American hardwood trees and is non-GMO and completely natural.
We got these tips from Polysporin a while back, and with the bugs biting like crazy at the moment, we dug them all out for you! Kids will want their ow-ies dealt with quickly in order to take advantage of summers long days willed with play. I was stung by a wasp a while back, so these tips are great for moms too! Here’s how we prevent pesky summer stings.
Summer Sting Prevention Tips
- Dress in light-coloured clothing. Insects tend to be attracted to dark or floral-pattern clothing. Light colours also make it easier to spot ticks and get rid of them before they burrow into the skin.
- Cover up when you are going out, especially during dawn and dusk. Tuck in clothing so that your skin isn’t exposed and wear a hat.
- Apply an insect repellent or use mosquito nets. Kids feel like royalty when sleeping with a net around them.
- Be cautious if you’re leaving sweet beverages or food outside, as this can attract bees.
- If you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to bites or stings, be sure to wear a medical alert bracelet and inform those around you about your allergy. Always have an epinephrine pen with you in case of emergency.
Have a great summer and good luck with potential bites!
This spring, the UrbanMommies team has been focusing on health. Jogging, extra water and vitamins have all been part of the routine. With the gardens not quite in bloom and stores of frozen fruit and veggies depleted, I started doing some digging on other options for getting nutrients through food. Canned cling peaches. Who knew? They are actually better canned than fresh and are readily available in stores – even in school lunch snack sizes.
Myth: Canned peaches are less nutritious than fresh peaches.
Fact: Canned peaches are actually more nutritious than their fresh and frozen counterparts. Canned peaches have 3.5 times the vitamin C, 10 times more folic acid and 1.5 times more antioxidants than their fresh counterparts. (And they are in stores all year round when there is nothing growing in your orchard!)
Myth: Canned peaches are full of sugar.
Fact: Canned California cling peaches have no added sugar in the juice or water that they are packed in, other than the natural sugar in the raw product.
Myth: Canned peaches lose their flavour and colour through the canning process.
Fact: Canned peaches retain their flavour, colour and firmness even when cooked or baked in entrees, appetizers or desserts.
Because California cling peaches are picked and packed usually within 24 hours, they retain their appearance, texture, flavour and nutritional content.
So… I need snacks after my runs. I need some great family meal ideas, and after 6 months of making school lunches, they were getting rather boring. Enter California Cling Peaches to remedy all of these situations!
Check our recipes for gluten-free sweet chili and chicken peach wraps and peach, goat cheese and basil flatbread pizza.
Disclosure: This article was sponsored by California Cling Peaches. And we bet you learned a thing or two!
Have you ever thought about how much sugar you consume and it’s affects on not only you, but your family?
Have you noticed that eating sugar with every meal has become the norm and that we live in a time where there is an abundance of food and yet our children are more undernourished than ever before?
Have you considered that there could be a link between high sugar foods and heart disease, obesity, stroke, diabetes, cancer and increased behaviour and emotional issues that could be associated with the enormous rise of children being diagnosed with ADHD?