Preschool Teachers' Tricks For Staying Health During Cold And Flu Season

Imagine that you are surrounded day in and day out by little kids.  These little kids don't know how to blow their own nose, they may not even know they have a nose much less that it needs blowing.  They are learning to cover their coughs and sneezes but often forget.  And sometimes their fingers wonder to germy places like the inside of their nose and then they pick up a toy to share with a friend.  Needless to say, illness can spread fast in a school.  So, what is a preschool teacher to do to stay healthy?  I asked my fellow teachers what they do to keep illness at bay.  I am excited to share their tricks of the trade!

Each teacher had a different protocol they follow.  These are some great, straight forward easy to use remedies.  All of these wonderful women have very healthy diets and unquestionably  that is a big part of staying healthy.  Also, we all are sure to wash our hands any time something questionably germy comes in contact with them at school.  This, of course, is huge!

Here are the results ~

Teacher #1

This lovely lady takes Echinacea (2 or 3, 400 mg pills)at the first hint of illness or if she been exposed to a bunch of sick kids!  She also takes vitamin D everyday.

Teacher #2

Kick Ass Immune Activator by WishGarden Herbs is teacher #2's go to.  When she feels anything coming on she starts taking this remedy with frequent doses.  She is also great at keeping her energy straight and doesn't get freaked out when exposed to illness (law of attraction baby!).

I love WishGarden Herbs.  They are local to us here is Colorado and have simply wonderful formulas with great quality.  They also carry a Kick-It Immune For Kids that is wonderful.

Teacher #3

Teacher #3 told me she does something strange.  Well, I have research a bit about what she takes and it sounds interesting.  She takes Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS) which is a solution of 28% sodium chlorite in water.  This solution works to kill pathogens in the body:

"Kills all pathogens - viruses, disease causing bacteria, parasites, molds, fungi and even oxidizes heavy metals from drinking water. Won't hurt pipes or plumbing inside the body or out if used as directed! Won't taint the taste of your food storage or other products with that nasty chlorine taste."  Source: Discover MMS

I have not tried this at all and know only what I am telling you here including that this particular teacher finds MMS to be very effective at keeping her healthy.

Here are some more sources for your own research should you be interested:

• Linda Melos N.D.

• MMS Healthy Living

• Miracle Mineral Supplement
• Miracle Mineral 

Teacher #4 (Me!)

I have a bunch of tricks up my sleeve.  I take vitamin D everyday as well as multivitamins and fish oils.  This post "A Sniffle and a Sneeze" that I wrote last year has my protocol plus what I do for myself and my kids if they seem to be coming down with something.

Here are a couple of other tricks I use for when I start to feel sick or have been exposed, though I don't use all of them at once, I try to keep them on hand for when I need them:

• Place one drop of high quality peppermint essential oil in a full glass of water and drink it down.
• If my nose is runny, I take Bi Yan Pian.
• For general sick/off feeling I take Yin Chiao then if that doesn't work I take Gan Mao Ling.
• Also my acupuncturist just gave me some Cold Quell by Blue Poppy.  She said to take it at the first sign of illness.  Luckily I haven't had a chance to try this out yet!

How do you stay healthy during cold and flu season?  

Shared On: The Kid's Co-op, Natural Living Link Up, The Sunday Parenting Party

Back To School Tea

Lucky am I, my kids love school.  We have a wonderful local school for them to attend with caring attentive teachers, excellent technical resources and lots of friends.  One of my kids loves school so much that she bounced into the car as we headed home from the last day of school and immediately asked, "Can we go back to school shopping?"

Even so, about two weeks before school is set to start I can feel it creeping in... anticipation and unrest.  My kids are ready for and looking forward to school but nervous.  And let's face it, waiting for anything can be tough.   We have had everything from nervous upset tummies to sleep disturbances to the daytime crazies.  This year to help ease the transition we are all drinking a calming infusion of wonderful herbs and it seems to be keeping things in check.  Everyone is a bit calmer and sleeping well at the moment.  And Mommy is also keeping her cool.

This infusion (strong tea) nourishes the nervous system, calms digestion, encourages restful sleep and eases stress.  It is simple and easy to make with a bit of forethought.  Really any combination of these herbs would work great.  I use dried herbs but fresh would work fine though you may wish to increase the amount you infuse as dried herbs are more potent than fresh.

Ingredients:

• Oat Straw
• Oat Seed
• Chamomile Blossoms
• St. John's Wort Flowers

I make this infusion in 2 parts because oat straw and oat seed need to be infused for a long time to bring out their nourishing properties, vitamins and minerals.  While the chamomile becomes bitter when steeped to long and the St John can become a bit strong in my opinion.

Instructions:  Place a  palmful each of oat straw and oat seed to a quart jar.  Fill the jar half way with hot water.  Let sit for 4 to 8 hours.  I start this in the morning when I am making breakfast.  Then strain the resulting liquid into another jar or tea pot and add a palmful each of chamomile and St. John's wort to the quart jar.  Fill again half way with hot water and put a lid on top to keep the chamomile's essential oil from escaping.  Let sit for 3 to 6 minutes, no more as it will get bitter.  Strain into the container holding your oat straw/seed infusion.  I add a little bit of honey, maybe a 1/2 teaspoon (more or less to taste), to the infusion and serve it at the dinner table in fancy tea cups.

The result is a mild flowery tasting tea calming to the nerves that my kids love!

About the herbs in your tea:

• Oat Straw and Oat Straw~  Often used as a long-term nervous system tonic, oats are extremely nourishing to frazzled nervous.  They ease stress, irritability and anxiety.
• Chamomile Blossoms ~ Chamomile is soothing for the nerves and supports healthy digestion easing that nervous tummy some kids get.  It is high in vitamins and minerals which strengthen the nervous system.
• St. John's Wort Flowers ~  St. John's Wort is most commonly known for its usefulness in easing depression.  I find it is also useful in easing acute stress when drunk as an infusion and something about combining it with Chamomile enhances its sunshiny properties.  My kids have responded time and again to St. John's and Chamomile combined for nightmares and night terrors.  Please note that there are some contradictions when combining St. John's Wort with pharmaceuticals, consult your doctor.  St. John's Wort is also reported to increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun.

Enjoy and best wishes for a beautiful school year.

Shared On:

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A Sniffle and a Sneeze...

When I hear "a sniffle and a sneeze" coming from one of my kids, my brain starts to spin with questions about what action if any I should take in regards to the sounds/signs their body is making.

"Is Violet getting sick or did she just inhale a bit of something that is making her sneeze?"

"Nyssa has coughed five times this morning, how is she doing?"

I try not to be an alarmist because I know the innate vitally of my kids is strong and that they will  be fine.  And further, that sometimes, we need to be sick.  We need a break and that is ok too.

Everyone has their own protocol for how to help their sick kid.  For my family I do try to catch things early if I can.  I have a general idea of what my kids' normal is....  how does their tongue normally look?  Are their eye's sparkly and their cheeks rosy?  What does the temperature of their skin usually feel like when they wake up?  I pay attention as best I can and when things begin to look/feel a bit off, I take measures to help them right away and I start to give my kids things from the following list.  This is my first line of defense for my kids.  If a cold or flu settles in we move on to other remedies.

Here is what I have found works well for my kids and my family.

• Elderberry Syrup ~ Click Here to learn all about elderberry and how to use it.
• Catnip Tea ~ When my kids need catnip tea, they suck it down like soda pop.  Great right before bed to aid sleep and fight infections.  Brew one tablespoon in a big cup of just boiled water for 10 minutes.  You might want to sweeten it with honey or agave.
• St. John's Wort/ Lemon Balm Tea ~ Blend together a small handful of each, cover with just boiled water and steep for at least 20 minutes.  These herbs are great antivirals and relaxants.  My girls have their own little personal tea pots and they love having a special pot all brewed up just for them when they are feeling crummy. 
• Umcka ~  I found this product recently.  All I can say, is that it really works!  My kids love the taste of the syrup so it is really easy to give it to them.
• Vitamin D ~  Wonderful for prevention during the winter months.  Check out this video from one of my amazing teachers, Paul Bergner, for info about using vitamin D.
• Essential Oils ~ Lavender & Spearmint for kids age 2 to 6 years with the addition of Ravensara & Eucalyptus for older kids.  Use any of these in the bath and in a humidifier, are great.  But my favorite thing to do is to dilute a couple of drops of essential oil in a generous teaspoon of carrier oil and use this mixture to give my child (or myself) a nice firm foot massage before bed.  Follow up with snuggly socks and sweet dreams.
• Homemade Soup ~ Chicken is my favorite with lots of veggies, garlic and medicinal mushrooms.
• Increase Liquids ~ Lots and lots, really anything they will drink as long as it is not sugary, though I will give them diluted juice, if that is all they will drink
• Hot Apple Cider ~ Speaking of juice...  I make this with diluted apple juice, cinnamon chips and fresh ginger.  I just combine about a cup of juice, a cup of water, up to an inch or so of chopped ginger and a tablespoon of cinnamon chips in a pan.  Simmer for at least 20 minutes and serve.  Warming, immunostimulating and yummy!
• Oscillococcinum ~ for flu exposure.  My homeopathic doctor friend told me that taking a third of the tube through out the day is the best way to take it rather then taking the whole remedy at once.
• Eliminate ~ refined sugar, dairy, and citrus.
• Promote Rest
• Love ~ the most important part!
• For Parents  ~ Raw Garlic is great.  I mince it up with a bit of salt and add it to whatever we are eating or putting it on a piece of toast with olive oil.  Everything else above is great for mom and dad too.

Note ~ There are a lot of wonderful products on the market for helping us to stay healthy.   When the above measures don't stop illness in its tracks, I move on to Wish Garden Herbs formulations, they have some wonderful formulations for both kids and adults.  All of their products are amazing.  I have tried many for myself, my kids and recommended them often with consistent wonderful feedback.   My favorites for kids are their Ear Combo for ear infections.  I keep this one on hand.  It is really effective and helpful when you are awakened in the middle of the night by a kid in pain.  Also, their Kick-It products and Cold Season Symptoms are wonderful.  I had many parents give me rave reviews about the Cold Season remedy when I worked retail.

What do you do to keep yourself and your family healthy?  I am always looking for great tips and suggestions!

Crafts For A Dreamy Herbal Slumber Party

A sweet celebration of a girl turning ten years old, my daughter's right of passage into "the double digits" was hallmarked by a riotously fun slumber party.  The girls danced to all the new songs; giggled and played tag; ate cake with ice cream; and had their faces painted by a professional face painter. As the evening wore on into night we followed all of this fun up with a bit of herbal crafting before bed.  My daughter requested we make dream pillows, spritzers and have foot baths.  It was great to work with a group of older children because they can do many things preschoolers just can't do yet!

Dream Pillows

Cuddly fleece surrounding aromatic herbs what girl could resist?  We based our pillows off of the instructions for making a no-sew fleece pillow on Family Fun.  We made our pillows like mini body pillows for extra cuddliness.  I have made these a few times before with children of various ages.  At ages 9 and 10 the girls were able to tie the pillows themselves and I am sure they could have cut the fabric too, but I made sure to have that part done before the party so we could focus on the fun part!  This pillow needs to be tied and stuffed.  Notice the how the cloth is cut, easy-peasy to do!

We sat in a circle on the floor.  The room alive with chatting and tying.  When someone had a bit of trouble with her project we would all help.  It was a nice little gathering.  After the girls had their pillows mostly tied they stuffed them with fluffy filler stuff from Hobby Lobby.  Then we made herbal bundles to put into their pillows stuffed full of herbs to enhance sleep and dreams ~rose petals, lavender, mugwort and hops.  All the herbs were chosen by my daughter during a visit to Rebecca's in Boulder where they let her meet and sniff the herbs to her heart's content!

Here are the beautiful herbs we used all ready to bundle up; from top to bottom ~ red rose petals, hops strobiles, lavender blossoms and mugwort leaves.  A fest for the senses!

The girls laid out their chosen herbs on a scrap of cloth which we then folded around the herbs and hot glued shut.  It is important to do something to contain the herbs with this kind of pillow because the pillow is not sewn shut and loose herbs fall out of the pillow.  Then they placed their herbal bundle in their pillow on top of the fluff filler, right near the surface so the fragrance of the herbs will drift out when they cuddle with their pillow.  After that, all that was left was to finish tieing their pillows and viola!  A soft aromatic sleep inducing handmade pillow!

Aromatherapy Spritzers

Making spritzers is always so fun.  It brings out a bit of  magical witchiness with all the smelling and blending of precious elixirs into something amazing.

To start this project each girl received a blank label for her bottle.  Creative juices were flowing around our kitchen table as the labels were transformed with stencils and colored pencils.

With their finished labels adorned the girls came into the kitchen where I had laid out a variety of relaxing dreamy essential oils ~ lavender, cedarwood, ylang ylang, cardamom, orange and rose geranium.

The girls sniffed and explored each oil asking questions while formulating their own brew.   It was lovely to watch them each pick out what their nose was drawn too.  No blend was the same!  Once they had chosen oils we added them to beautiful cobalt blue spray bottles which were filled with water.  We stuck to using 5 to 6 drops of essential oil per ounce of water.  Then we screwed on the spray top; the girls added their labels; a shake and a spray and they were off to enjoy.

Foot Soaks

Last but not least, the girls indulged in warm salty foot soaks.  Deep pans and bowls for the girls to put their feet in were filled with very warm water and the girls, sitting in chairs, eased their feet into the water.  "Ah's" and "oh's" echoed around the room as their bodies visibly relaxed.

We had a variety of warming and relaxing things to add to their foot soaks: epsom salt, ground ginger, lavender blossoms and essential oil.  As they relaxed and softly chatted, I added what they chose to the water and  it was quiet for the first time in hours!

As they finished soaking, their feet were dried and we started foot rubs.  They each got  a squirt of an herbal infused oil enhanced with lots of lavender essential oil to rub on their feet.  The skin on our feet absorbs whatever we put on it very well so it is a great place to use natural oils for promoting health.  Lavender on the feet helps ease the body into peacefulness and calm.  After all this nice soaking and rubbing, the girls had their feet warm and snug in socks and they were off again to sleep.... well, I wasn't that lucky but they were much calmer after all of our fun together!

Note:  Next time I hope to add in lots of delicious healthy herbal treats to our party plans to round out our plans.  Stay posted!

Eydie from Fanciful Faces was the incredible face painter we had to our house.  She was so fun and could paint anything the girls requested.  We had everything from a butterfly to a panda to Santa Claus to our dog's exactly replicated on my youngest child's face.  If you are in the Front Range of Colorado, check her out!

Elderberry for Winter Health

Nature has blessed us with so much.  Looking to Nature we can find a multitude of amazing plant allies that can help the whole family stay nourished and healthy during the winter months.  A favorite is elder berry which has an extensive traditional use as a preventative for the flu and as a support during the flu.  In fact modern research has found elderberries to be active against the flu virus.  You can easily make a yummy syrup from elderberries to take on a regular basis during flu season.  This is something that most kids really enjoy taking which is a major plus!  If you don't want to make your own syrup a ready-made preparation of elderberry Sambucol can be purchased at most natural food stores.  And if despite your best efforts, sickness should take hold, syrups can be used during a bout of the flu to hasten healing.

We make the following easy delicious recipe for syrup every year.

~ Elderberry Syrup ~

• One cup of fresh or ½ cup of dried elderberries
• 1 to 2 tsp of whole cloves (use less if you are using ground cloves)
• 1 to 3 tsp of cinnamon chips (use less if you are using ground cinnamon)
• 1 inch of fresh ginger root, chopped
• the peel of one organic orange
• 3/4 cup of raw unprocessed honey which acts as a preservative and enhances flavor
• 3 cups of water

Directions:  Simmer the elderberries and spices in 3 cups of water.  Once the berries have softened smash up the berries and spices in the water.  This is a fun part to have children help with.  I use a potato masher and closely supervise my kids while the squish away to their hearts delight!  Cook at a low boil for about a ½ hour or until the liquid reduces by one-half.  Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer.  Make sure to get all the seeds out, which can be somewhat irritating to the digestive tract.  Return the liquid to the pot and add the honey.  Heat until the honey just melts.  Then bottle, label (include the date!) and refrigerate your new syrup.  It will keep in the refrigerator for about three months.  Take 2 to 3 teaspoons for adults and 1 teaspoon for children (ages 2 and up) 3 to 5 times a week as a prophylactic during flu season.  If you do happen to get sick with a bout of the flu take the same dosage about four times per day.  Only the blue elderberries (Sambucus nigra) should be used as the red ones are toxic.  Elderberries are generally considered to be quite safe though they can be drying and irritating for folks suffering from migraines.  If you have a reaction, stop taking it immediately.

Recipe and information from Brigitte Mars's Elder.

A highly knowledgeable herbalist, Brigitte Mars lovingly offers her treasure trove of information for us to all learn from.  Her classes are lively, fun and interesting.  Her books offer an extremely valuable resource to those wishing to study herbs and learn about healthy living.

simmering elderberry syrup

Make your syrup special

The spices included in this recipe not only make it taste delicious but also help to warm the body, decrease inflammation and support healthy digestion.  Other herbs can be added to this syrup to increase its protective properties.  Rose hips are soothing and will provide nourishing vitamin C and bioflavonoids.  Astragalus has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a tonic to the immune system particularly to prevent illness.  However, this herb should not be used during illness as it can drive infection deeper into the body.  So do not take astragalus  during the flu or cold.  A great herb for children’s health is lemon balm.  This yummy plant is antibacterial and antiviral, while also calming the digestive and easing nervous energy.  Add any of these herbs by the handful to the pot with the elderberries be sure to also add a little extra water during the simmering and a bit more honey.

Enjoy!

elderberry syrup with rosehips

Note that this information is in no way meant to take the place of professional medical care.  Please use common sense and see a doctor if you need one.  See Healthy Use of This Information.

Thanks!

More Please...

Elderberry Day ~ Herbs for Kids ~ 

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At Long Last An Essential Mommy Time Out

Just Me, Myself and I

This is important.  This is something many of us forget.  This is something we need to remember for ourselves and the other people in our lives.  Each of us has a responsibility to care for ourselves.  When feeling depleted and frustrated it is hard to care for others and more over, we deserve to take care of us, to feel good and happy.  As a mom I find it so easy to forget about myself and get caught up in the everydayness of life; all the things each day that come and go pulling my attention.  It is easy to become overwhelmed and depleted at a very deep level.

Well, today it was time to take care of me!

Back Story

We had a fun and exciting holiday season topped off with four birthdays in our immediate family.  That is right four!  We are all Capricorns and have our birthdays from December 29th to January 11th.  With two little girls eager to celebrate their special day and with the excitement of Christmas, the last six weeks were a whirl wind of planning and activity.  I always try to make their birthdays a bit extra special because, let's face it, having a birthday close to Christmas and New Year can be a big bummer.  So this year, true to form, they each made special plans and we carried them out to the best of our ability.  So, for me, today really feels like the first day of the new year, like the holidays are finally over and I can get on with life.  But instead of feeling ready to go and grab the bull by the horns so to speak, I found myself feeling grouchy and tired.  Previous life experience gained from ignoring signals from my body told me that  I must stop, truly, and take sometime for just me.  Just me, myself and I.  With the kids at school and nothing immediately pressing in my day I decided to seize the morning and after a bit of ponderous deliberation settled upon a good old fashion spa day.  As a young woman I used to relish in a custom, homemade spa day for myself once a week.  Unlike in my youth when I would do hair masks and rinses and multiple different facial masks while soaking in a herbal bath, today's spa day needed to be easy while also feeling decant.  I would say that I hit upon the perfect balance because now that I am done not only does my skin feel fabulous but my soul is peaceful, my mom brain is refreshed and clear, and well, I smell really good too!

The components of a luxurious, nourishing and simple mommy spa day

For this easy and relaxing morning I chose to do a honey mask, milky salt bath, shea butter foot rub and to finish off by brushing my favorite essential oil lavender right into my hair.  Each time I move my head I am still surrounded by drifts of calming lavender being liberated from my hair.  Um....

This spa day was simple with hardly any preparation required and easy to execute.

Here is how I did it...

• Honey Mask:  I put a spoonful of honey into a bowl then added 3 drops of helichrysum (great for skin health and encouraging fresh new skin cell growth) and 2 drops of lavender essential oil to the bowl along with a sprinkle of mild soothing kaolin clay.  While I am super lucky to have all of this in my bathroom, simple honey alone would be excellent because it is so very hydrating and nourishing for the skin.  Before getting in the bath I applied this mixture to my whole face.  It is important to put honey on dry skin as it kind of dissolves away when exposed to water.  I left this mask on for my entire bath and throughly enjoyed the scent of honey and helichrysm wafting up to my nose!   After rinsing the mask off at the end of my bath I followed up with a small amount of rose infused coconut oil from my favorite herbal apothecary Rebecca's.  This oil was dreamed up by none other than oil making goddess Rebecca.  So amazing!

• Milky Salt  Bath:  Epsom salts always find their way into my baths nowadays but today I wanted something special.  So I filled a large glass to the brim with milk, took it into the bathroom and dumped it into the tub along with about two cups of epsom salts (this amazing salt relax muscles).  Milk bathes, reputedly used by none other than Cleopatra, hydrate and smooth skin.  Then when I got into the tub I added 8 drops of lavender and 4 drops of cedarwood (encourages a meditative mind and releases stress) essential oils and gave the water a good whooshing to mix in the oils.  Now, I admit it, I take baths pretty regularly.  I consider it one of my rights as a human being.  But this bath was special.  I think the milk really held the essential oils in suspension so that the smell from oils permeated the water for the entire length of the bath.  It was so luscious!

• Shea Butter Foot Rub:  After my bath I got all  dry and toasty and then  I gave my feet a nice rub with some rosemary lavender shea butter that I have on my nightstand but don't use often enough.  My feet were thanking me as the dryness and tension melted away.  Then cuddly warm socks topped my feet and kept the moisture where it needed to be.

• Lavender Hair Brushing:  Last but not least, a few drops of lavender on my brush and some kind strokes through my hair topped off this wonderful experience.  Lavender essential oil is a great conditioner for hair and the aromatic benefits of brushing essential oils into ones hair is profound because the oil is placed so close to the nose!

So here I am.  Happy and calm again.  So glad to be sharing my beautiful morning.  It always surprises me that with a little intent and attention things can readily change.  Feelings become clearer and thoughts settle.  This was a fun adventure in self care using what I had on hand so that I could really focus on me.  Now, when my kids come home from school, they will find a happier mom.  A mom who is ready to listen fully and play and cuddle with her whole self!

Herbal Infusions for Children

Herbal infusions are great for all people and are especially wonderful for

children because infusions are high in vitamins and minerals which growing bodies need.

The best herbs to use for infusions are like healthy foods and each have their own set of characteristics.  To appease children many herbs can be made into very yummy beverages.  You can serve infusions warm, at room temperature or iced.  Feel free to add lemon, agave nectar, honey or even juice to taste.  Below is a quick reference list of a few favorite herbs for children's infusions.  For further information about these herbs please visit the Materia Medica section of Mama Rosemary.

Chamomile ~ Tastes appley, bittersweet… kids say: great!

• calming, relaxing
• good for digestive stuff (tummy aches especially related to nervousness)
• promotes rest
• useful for complaining and whininess.

Contraindications ~ A very few people are allergic to chamomile and other plants in the Asteracea (daisy) familyImportant ~ Only steep chamomile for 3 to 8 minutes as it gets very bitter if left to steep any longer, my kids won't drink chamomile if I infuse it for longer than 4 minutes.

Lemon Balm ~ Tastes lemony, yummy …. kids say: delicious!

• refreshing and cooling so great during hot weather
• calming for hyperactive children
• helps relieve nervousness and crying
• good for digestive stuff
• antiviral and bacterial so great during cold and flu season

Lycium Berry ~  Tastes fruity, super yum… my kids love them soaked in apple juice!

• high in bioflavonoids and polysaccarides
• tonic for blood, eyes, kidneys and immune system.
• Can use as a substitute for raisins.

Mints (Spearmint/Peppermint) ~ Tastes yummy, classic mint taste… kids say: great!

• centering
• helpful for digestive stuff, eases gas and cramping
• antiviral

Nettle ~ Tastes green, milky, kinda like soup… kids say: not bad

• extremely high in vitamins and mineral
• whole body tonic especially for  mucus membranes and blood         

Oatstraw ~ Tastes bland… kids say: great

• soothing to nervous system
• high in vitamins and minerals

Rose Hips ~ Tastes yummy, kinda sour… kids say: great!

• high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids
• tones and nourishes mucus membranes
• Soak the hips in juice or water to make a super yummy "jam".

Note:  Taste ratings are mostly taken from Kids, Herbs & Health, this is a great reference book for parents!

 Yummy Combinations ~

 Equal parts spearmint, peppermint & lemon balm, add nettle or oatstraw for even more nutrients.

 Equal parts lemon balm, oatstraw and rose hips

  Equal parts lemon balm and chamomile

  Equal parts rose hips and lycium

  Equal parts nettle and oatstraw

♥

Click here for infusion making directions.

♥

Another Fun Drink for Kids: 

Almond Milk ~ high in calcium and protein, hypoallergenic (most kids do great with almonds)  To make fresh, simply soak 1 cup of  raw almonds overnight in water in the refridge.  Drain and rinse the almonds . Place in a blender with 1 quart of water and blend for 1 to 5 minutes.  Strain thru a jelly bag and enjoy!  Almond milk will keep for 2 days in the refridge.  Use the left over nut meat in baked goods, casseroles etc…

♥

 A Couple Great Books for further study:

• A Kid's Herb Book by Lesley Tierra 
• Kids, Herbs, and Health by Linda B. White and Sunny Mavor