Moms interested in natural remedies and avoiding over-the-counter solutions for teething babies have discovered a wealth of safe options. But if you're a new mom entering teething for the first time, or a mom of a particularly challenging teether, where can you turn to find this information?

Fear of strangers is a very real aspect of “growing up” for babies and children, but coping with stranger anxiety means learning to avoid hurt feelings while also respecting a child’s needs. When a relative, especially a grandparent, comes to visit hoping to find open arms, it can be difficult for them to understand that at a certain age almost all babies begin to fear strangers, related or not. How can you help your family members to cooperate with this very real fear?

A moment came over me as I was reading one book by an older venerable parenting source, Waldorf educator Rahima Baldwin, and one more recent: the Sears family. As I made connections between the two, I hit upon a little parenting mantra, and some thoughts about parental guilt. read more...

Couldn't resist crossposting my tale of Earth Day angst: Having just written a well-researched piece on “The Three R’s” of green living, I was of course beholden to my mantra to avoid buying new wherever possible. This means not rushing off to a big box store every time you have an idea for a new gadget.

Well-researched ingredient lists are now available in the realm of personal and skin care products. If you’re looking for a clean cut list that matches the ingredient list on labels, I’ve included here a list of the best links on ingredients to avoid, as well as some relevant product lists. read more...