Kristie McNealy, MD

Over the years, my awareness about the impact of products we put in and on our bodies have on us, and the world around us has grown along with the size of our family.  It’s relatively easy to find healthy food options, but body products have been a different story.  So, when I was contacted by Amy Rzepka, founder of Beecology, I was really interested in her story.

Amy and her family started out raising bees for honey, which left them with a supply of bees wax.  They didn’t want to make candles, so they tried their hands at making lip balm, and their first product was born.  Today, Beecology’s hand made product assortment includes essential oil nourishing soaps, sodium lauryl sulfate free hair care products, antioxidants creams, raw natural honey and Buzz Balm, lip balm.

Beecology sent me some of their products to try, and I am thoroughly impressed.  I now start every day with Tea Tree Oil Soap for my face, Honey & Oatmeal Morning Peppermint Soap in the shower, and Buzz Balm for my lips.  The bar soaps lather up so nicely, and the Tea Tree Oil Soap leaves my face feeling fresh and clean, without being drying.  The Honey & Oatmeal Morning Peppermint Soap, not only smells minty, but it *feels* cool and minty on my skin, making it a great wake up call in the morning.  The Buzz Balm feels cool and minty too, making it nice way to soothe chapped lips.

On top of making the use of natural and sustainable products a priority, Beecology gives back by donating 10% of their net profits to their consumer’s charity of choice. Each supported product contains a charity code, and after purchase, consumers can visit SweetYear.org to designate the charity their percentage should be donated to.

Apparently, I’m in good company, because the very same day I felt compelled to blog about all the sleep the baby and I haven’t been getting, the results of a UK sleep study were released showing that new parents lose an average of 6 months of seep in their child’s first 24 months of life.  According to the survey by Silentnight, 10% of new parents live on just 2.5 hours of sleep of night.  I guess I have something* to be thankful for after all.

According to the survey of 1,000 adults, nearly 2/3 of parents with kids under 2 get just 3 1/4 hours of sleep each night.  A healthy adult actually requires an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.

Unfortunately, as moms adapt to the sleep patterns of their babies, they increase their risk of longterm insomnia.  Lack of sleep also carries other risks, like:

• Decreased work quality
• Increased anxiety and depression
• Slower reflexes
• Headaches
• Weakened immune system

You can help yourself cope with the sleep deprivation of new parenthood in a variety of ways.  “Sleep when the baby sleeps” may sound cliche, but if you’re able, grab some z’s instead of catching up on chores when your baby is napping.  Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can both make it harder to sleep when you have the opportunity.  Find someone to help out with household tasks or to sit with your baby while you get a little sleep, and give yourself a break.

If you have more than one kid, finding a time to sleep can be even more difficult.  It can be very hard to cope with little to no sleep, and some activities like driving can be downright dangerous.  Know your limits, and keep yourself and your family safe and healthy!

*Actually, considering the fact that I landed on bedrest at 20 weeks of pregnancy with M, and that I know far too many people who have lost babies born very premature, I know we really have A LOT to be thankful for.

Update: Once the kids were done, I stuck our son in the tub because he had face paint everywhere.  As it turns out, the blue stained their skin a bit. Thankfully nobody had too much of that color on their face, and we don’t have any important events coming up in the next few days.

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A while ago, my daughter got a cookbook for kids from her great grandma, which she really loves.  Unfortunately, the kids usually remember we have it about 15 minutes before dinner should be on the table, and they almost always choose a recipe that we lack half the ingredients for.

Today my 4 year old found it, and brought it to me, asking if we could make face paint (the book has a section of “just for fun” recipes like play dough and goo).  Imagine her surprise when I checked over the ingredients and said yes

After lunched we whipped up a batch.  Its super simple, and the big kids are still playing with it as I type this.  My oldest is doing the painting, and apparently my turn is up next . . .  So far, it seems to be wiping off skin fine with just water.  I make no claims about how easily it does or does not wash out of clothes!

Homemade Face Paint Recipe

• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup cold cream
• 1/4 cup water
• food coloring

1.  Combine the corn starch, cold cream and water, and mix until smooth.  Divide into cups or bowls and add food coloring to achieve desired colors.

2.  Let your kids apply to their face using their fingers, paint brushes or cotton swabs.

3.  Store any left overs in zip top bags.

When Face Painting Gets Out of Hand

Oh, and I almost forgot.  You can find more recipes like this in the book Kids in the Kitchen: Recipes for Fun.  It’s available on Amazon.