The case of playing vs. the iPad Mini...

I noticed something today while spending time with my nephew and niece (ages 10 and 8). Our day goes smoother without electronics. Trust me, I love me some iPhone and Chromecast and all kinds of technology. I think technology is awesome and fun. But I think something has to be said for the case of playing vs. the iPad mini.

My nephew and niece were having a fabulous rainy day. We live in St. Louis and are in the middle of a summer rain streak here. We had found some activities inside to keep us busy. My niece opened up her new paint mixing set. Her and my nephew created different colors and thought up creative names for their new paints. Some of the names include "hot tamale" and "bright sunshine". There was a small dispute over who would name which colors, but all in all they were having fun.

After paint mixing they decided they were going to put on another dance show. You can read about their first show HERE. They ran off upstairs to play. They were running throughout the house making plans for costumes, songs, dance moves, and deciding who would be the "manager" and who would be the performer. They were having fun, using their imaginations, and getting along. It was an aunt's dream.

Then I did it. I found the iPad charger. My nephew plugged in and started playing online games, leaving his sister in the dust with her dead iPad. A small argument began. It started with arguing over who would get the charger, then about my nephew not playing with my niece. The two of them were bickering back and forth until finally I told my nephew that we needed to take a break from the iPad. I told him the break just had to be 10 minutes to let it charge. Luckily, he soon forgot about the iPad and got caught up in planning the show with his sister again.

Just for everyone's information, the show was fabulously creative. It began with formal wear and a slow dance to "Beauty and the Beast", including my 10 month old daughter. The middle number was "Baby Baluga" which featured my nephew swinging my daughter in his arms while she smiled and laughed. There was a costume change for the finale, from formal wear to bath robes and slippers, and the kids free-styled some hip hop to "I Got A Feeling". They performed for my sister the second she got home from work. They were so excited to show her what they created.

Without knowing anything that had happened earlier in the day, my sister says to me, "you know, I think they actually play better without their iPads". I laughed because she completely read my mind.

I think from now on we will be using the iPad Mini as a last resort. When we have exhausted all other options of play, maybe we will plug in for a little while. But playing wins. Playing definitely wins.

How we saw the benefit of slow parenting today

This summer I am spending time with my 10-year-old nephew and my eight-year-old niece. Sometimes we have errands to run and places to go and we are busy throughout the day. Then there are days when we are allowed to have more freedom. Today was one of those days and it was great.

I started out the summer with a schedule full of activities and places to go and things to do. Boy was that a mistake! I ended up with little people who expected activities and treats every day. I was frustrated, they were frustrated, it was a bad combination.

We decided to take a different route and avoid scheduling. Today was a day where I got to see the benefit of letting them have free time. 

In addition to spending time with them, I have a 10-month-old baby. She has been missing her naps the summer so I am trying to allow time for her to get some rest during the day. 

Instead of having a planned activity for the kids to do during her nap time, I told them it was up to them to play. I told them they could play with toys, go outside, and use their imaginations. To be honest, I was a little nervous of how this would turn out. 

What happened next was great. I took the baby upstairs for her nap and I could hear them playing downstairs. I heard my nephew reading stories to my niece, I heard them playing games, and I heard them planning a talent show for me and the baby after her nap. I could hear them going outside to play and talking about riding their bikes.

After the baby's nap, they performed a three act talent show with full costumes. I was impressed with their creativity! They had set up stations where they read books and played games. They played together, helped each other, and were kind to one another.

Every day I have to remind myself to slow down, not over commit, and to do the same for the children to spend time with. Today we all reaped the benefits of slow parenting and in true Snail Mommy fashion, will be spending more days taking it easy, slowing down, and enjoying the little things.

My View is the Best View

In this moment I appreciate slowing down a little. As I watch my baby sleep, I remember why I want to learn to take life at a slower pace. I don't want to rush. I don't want to race through her infancy. There are 100 other things I could be doing right now. They can wait. Today I'm making the choice to breathe deep, slow down, and enjoy my incredible view.

Love, Michelle

(Snail Mommy)

How I used essential oils this week

"I'm not really sure about essential oils. Will I really use them?"

Yes! You most definitely will! And the more you learn about them, the more you will use them. Let me share with you the ways that my family used Essential Oils...just this week!

Let's talk heartburn and stomach aches. Remember when you were a little bit younger and you could eat all that spicy food? Yea, me too!

Sometimes I forget that there will be consequences after eating spicy food. Yesterday I had a bowl of spicy jambalaya rice. Later in the evening I was regretting it. As I was laying in bed falling asleep I could feel the heat rising up in my throat. That's when I reached for the digestive blend. I have it in a roller bottle, diluted with coconut oil and ready to use. I rolled some on my belly, on my chest, and on my throat. When I woke up with the baby two hours later, The burning feeling was gone! I was so happy to have that next to my bed! 

Healing salve, or as I call it "all better balm" is something I use quite frequently! This morning I noticed my daughter's bottom was a little pink. I put a little balm on it and... All better! Last night, my son had what looked like hives on his arm and back. He had been playing out in the grass the night before. We put some balm on his skin to soothe it. We use this balm all the time! It's made with Lavender, Geranium, and Melaleuca. These essential oils are combined with Beeswax, coconut oil, and olive oil to make the salve. It's wonderful!

My daughter is nine months old she puts her mouth on everything! I mixed up a surface and hand sanitizer made from an anti-viral blend and lemon essential oil. Just this afternoon, we went to the park and what's the first thing my baby does? She puts her mouth on the baby swing. Gross. Luckily I had my sanitizing spray with me! 

One way we enjoy essential oils is by diffusing them. My family loves the smell of citrus oils, so this week I diffused a citrus blend and wild orange. My house smelled delish! Citrus oils are uplifting and energizing for your mood as well. 

Speaking of citrus oils, I put wild orange and lime in my water this week. Both of them are great! Just one drop does the trick, and don't forget you can not use plastic bottles with essential oils. I use a glass water bottle that I got from target for $6.99! I also put a drop of a metabolic blend in my water this week. It supports a healthy metabolism and appetite. 

So that's just a few of the ways we used our essential oils this week! I would love to hear about how you used your oils this week! Leave me a comment below!

Why I Started Using Essential Oils

I began using essential oils when I was pregnant with my daughter last summer (2014). A friend of mine had been using them for a while and had incredible results. Maybe one day I will get to post her story, but to summarize, essential oils have been life changing for her and her children. After seeing how amazing essential oils had been for her, I wanted to give them a try.

I loved the concept of using plants and natural elements to ease aches and pains and create a healthier lifestyle for me and my family. During my pregnancy I became more natural minded. I paid closer attention to the ingredients in my foods and medications. I learned that there are unbelievable benefits to living a more natural lifestyle. I wanted to make some changes in my life and using essential oils was one small thing I could try to begin my journey.

I started out attending a "make and take" party at my friend's home. It was fun and casual. She talked about what the oils were and how the brand she uses is a high quality brand. I had some delicious peppermint brownies, apple slices soaked in a protective blend, and water with a drop of grapefruit essential oil. I made a roller bottle for my killer stuffy nose symptoms and went on my way.

About a month later a attended another "make and take" party at my friend's home. My due date was any day and I was looking for some oils to help labor progress naturally and assist with contractions. My friend helped me figure out what oils would be most beneficial and she sent me home with an awesome goody bag that included a postpartum mama mix and a container of healing salve (what I call the "All Better Balm"). These items were game changers.

I used the postpartum mixture and it was amazing! The oils helped relieve after birth soreness. During her first few weeks of life, my baby developed really dry skin. Her legs were dry and scaly and even my organic baby lotions weren't helping. After about a week of applying healing salve twice per day, her legs were smooth again! My daughter is 9 months old now and I still use the healing salve on her skin once every few weeks. It is the best! I also use it on myself for dry skin, burns, bites, and all other skin issues. My husband has even put it on after he shaves.

So I tried and I enjoyed and I couldn't wait to do more. There is so much to do with essential oils! So many everyday health concerns can be relieved with the use of essential oils. I have used oils to relieve symptoms of headaches, all kinds of stomach issues, achy muscles, allergies, and emotional changes. Not to mention there are endless amounts of DIY products! I talked it over with my husband and we decided to buy an enrollment kit. I thought it was a great value and fit well with the kind of budget we were on.

After purchasing the kit, I learned more and more about what I could use oils for. Now, when I have an everyday health concern, I go to my essential oils group on Facebook, or research suggestions for which oil to use. I used to take Tylenol or ibuprofen almost everyday. Now, I have taken it two days in the past three months. I love reaching for my oils instead of making costly trips to the drug store. I feel good about using oils on my baby and my teenage son. I love that my husband has joined me in being committed to more natural healthcare for all of us.

I would love to answer any questions that I can about essential oils. Feel free to contact me through email, this blog, or social media. I am available to teach classes or one on one sessions. Thanks for taking time to read my story!

Introducing Essential Oil Products

Snail Mommy will begin selling essential oil products at local farmers markets!

Some of the products include: 

Homemade Bug Spray

Foot Powder

Hand Sanitizer 

Salve/Soothing Lotion

Ready to Use Roller Bottles

(Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint)

All products are made with high quality essential oils! 

I am so happy to be sharing practical uses for essential oils with my community!

Baby Led Weaning: Food #1

Baby led weaning is a term used to describe a way to start baby on solid foods by feeding themselves. It is important to note that "weaning" in this context does not mean to end breastfeeding or formula feeding. With baby led weaning, there are no purees or typical "baby foods". Baby starts out on soft solid foods, such as avocado or bananas. One of the benefits of baby led weaning is that is helps to teach babies to chew foods. I am excited to chronicle our journey here!

Here is the baby led weaning website:

Baby Led Weaning

I also found a great group on Facebook:


Baby Led Weaning for Beginners

We started Marlene with baby led weaning just a few days before her 6 month birthday. She was showing signs of readiness, such as sitting up, and displaying an interest in our foods. I had conducted a lot of research and educated myself, my husband, and our teenage son on what to do if she were to choke. I think this is absolutely necessary, even if you aren't doing baby led weaning. 

Her first food was avocado. I chose avocados that were ripe and cut them into long slices. She immediately picked up a slice and put it in her mouth. She sucked on a few slices here and there, but I'm not too sure if she really ate any of it. 

I gave her a slice of avocado at meal times for the next few days. Each day she would play with the avocado and suck on it. Sometimes it would get a little slimey and I would pat it dry. 

What I liked about giving her avocado is that it is soft, easily sliced, and nutritious. What I did not like was that it was hard to store. Since she ate so little at each feeding, some of it went bad, or I ate a lot of avocado that week!

Overall, our first few days of baby led weaning were a great success! 

What was your baby's first food? I'd love to hear any questions or comments!