How Zinc Deficiency Affects The Whole Body

I find it ironic that I had a zinc deficiency for years without realizing it… especially because I’d written a senior biology paper on the functions of zinc in human biology.

Like magnesium, I knew the many ways that zinc functions within the body, but I assumed I was obtaining enough from food. Many processed foods are fortified with zinc, and it also occurs naturally in foods like oysters, beef, chicken, pumpkin seeds, lamb, spinach and yogurt.

The Role of Zinc In the Body

Zinc is a master-mineral of sorts (along with magnesium), and is needed for many reactions within the body. Unlike fat soluble vitamins, zinc is not stored for long periods of time in the body, so we need a constant supply of quality zinc from diet.

We don’t need large amounts of zinc each day, but it is absolutely vital that we get enough. Zinc is technically an essential trace element that is important for:

• Proper immune function
• Skin health and hair growth
• Metabolism of food and absorption of other nutrients
• Hormone balance
• Gut health
• Mental clarity
• Wound healing
• DNA synthesis
• For eye health
• Proper cell division (one of the reasons it is vital during pregnancy)
• Even adequate taste and smell

We know that zinc is involved in thousands of reactions within the body and recent reserach is even showing that zinc might be vital in protecting the body against various types of cancers.

Zinc is especially important for fertility and during pregnancy and nursing, though pregnant and nursing women and young babies may be most at risk for zinc deficiency. Some studies have even shown that zinc is vital for avoiding premature labor and low birth weight in infants, though more research is needed in this area.

About 90% of the body’s zinc is found in muscle and bone tissue, making it difficult to test for zinc deficiency. In fact, plasma zinc only makes up about 0.1% of the zinc in the body. When consumed, zinc is absorbed in the small intestine and it is excreted though the skin, the kidneys and the bowels.

Signs of Zinc Deficiency

Zinc may be a larger problem worldwide that once thought. While severe zinc deficiency can cause a variety of extreme symptoms, researchers estimate that a large percentage of the world’s population may have a mild zinc deficiency.

Pregnant and nursing women are considered higher risk of zinc deficiency (and this was my reason for deficiency), as are those with gut problems, babies born prematurely or those who have consumed a high-grain or vegetarian diet (especially for a long period of time). Those with diseases like liver or kidney disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases and those taking large amounts of Iron are also at risk.

Though symptoms can vary, these are often related to zinc deficiency:

• Poor memory
• Weakened immune system or constant minor illnesses like colds
• Loss of taste or smell
• Sleep problems (zinc is needed to make melatonin)
• Hair loss
• Loss of appetite
• Low libido
• Diarrhea
• Brain fog
• Slow wound healing
• White spots on fingernails
• In severe cases: growth retardation in children

One source even links severe zinc deficiency to serious problems including:

Delayed sexual maturation, impotence, hypogonadism, hypospermia, alopecia, dermatitis, paronychia, intellectual disability, impaired nerve conduction and nerve damage and macular degeneration. (source)

Medical texts explain that zinc deficiency may be difficult to diagnose, as plasma/serum zinc levels are not necessarily a good measure of the body’s zinc levels and that signs of zinc deficiency may be present even with normal lab results. For this reason, doctors often diagnose zinc deficiency on symptoms.

Zinc and Pregnancy

Zinc is especially important for pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and nursing. It plays a vital role in cell division and while researchers don’t completely understand how, it also seems to support full-term pregnancy and reduce instances of pre-term labor in some women.

One theory is that zinc is essential for balancing the hormones that contribute to labor, while another theory suggests that zinc’s role is maintaining immune function helps reduce the instances of uterine infections or other infections that may lead to preterm labor.

As zinc is necessary for the proper assimilation of other nutrients, it may also be that zinc helps a mother maintain her overall nutritional status during this time of increased nutrient need. For this reason, I found that it was important to supplement with zinc as part of an overall nutritional plan that included synergistic nutrients and a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods.

Ironically, fortified breakfast cereal and oatmeal (and to a lesser degree- chocolate) are excellent sources of zinc, and many women report craving these foods during pregnancy…

Recommended Amounts of Zinc

Like many things in life, more is not necessarily better. Zinc is needed in specific amounts and either extreme (too much or too little) can be harmful.

In fact, the National Academy of Sciences sets an RDA of at least 8 mg/day and a maximum of 40 mg/day from all sources for women over 18:

Source: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/#h8

In a perfect world, this amount could be obtained from food, though due to depleted soil quality and other dietary factors, this may  not always be possible.

It is important not to supplement with zinc without checking with a health practitioner, as consuming too much zinc can lead to reduced iron and copper levels in the body and in severe cases even vomiting and GI issues (though this is usually only found in those consuming 100-200 mg of zinc per day or more and is not generally considered a concern with dietary zinc).

Foods High in Zinc

Obtaining nutrients from food is important and even the best supplement can’t take the place of a nutrient-dense diet (though some people do find the need to supplement with certain nutrients in cases of deficiency).

For most adults who consume a high-quality varied diet, it should be possible to obtain enough zinc from food, especially if a person consumes the foods highest in zinc, like oysters and meats.

Oysters are highest natural source of zinc with 10x the level of zinc of next highest source (beef). In fact, one oyster contains enough zinc to meet the recommended daily consumption and a 3 ounce serving of oysters contains 74 mg of zinc compared to 7 mg in 3 ounces of beef.

Other great food sources of zinc include:

• Veal liver-about 10 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Pumpkin Seeds– About 9 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Tahini– about 9 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Dark Chocolate– 8-9 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Crab– 6.5 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Lobster– 3.4 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Pork– 2.9 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Beans – 2.9 milligrams per 3 ounces
• Dark meat chicken– 2.4 milligrams per 3 ounces

Other lesser food sources include yogurt and dairy, cashews, and oatmeal. It is also important to note that many foods, like grains, contain phytates which bind to zinc, making these foods a lesser source of zinc and sometimes interfering with zinc levels in the body. This is one of the reasons that long term consumption of a high-grain or vegetarian diet is considered a risk factor for zinc deficiency.

Personal note: When I was struggling with unknown zinc deficiency, I found that I craved oysters, chocolate and cereal, especially while pregnant. Though I still love oysters and chocolate, these cravings went away when I addressed the zinc deficiency with my naturopath.

Zinc Supplement: Yes or No?

That is the question. And the answer is that it depends and that an individual should consult with a qualified practitioner, doctor or midwife before making that decision. Some times when zinc supplementation is often recommended are:

In cases of cold and flu– Zinc is considered a remedy for cold and flu and is often recommended to shorten the duration of illness. As zinc is necessary for proper immune function, this makes sense. A Cochrane review found that zinc supplements reduced the severity and duration of an illness when taken as soon as the illness began, though of course, it would be important not to exceed the upper limits for zinc intake. Another randomized,double-blind placebo study found that those who took zinc acetate lozenges had a significantly shorter duration of a cold compared to those who took a placebo.  (source)

Diarrhea in children– Not as much of a concern in the US, but the World Health Organization recommends zinc supplementation for children with acute diarrhea, especially in the developing world, as this is a leading cause of mortality in children around the world. In these cases, the WHO recommend up to two weeks of zinc supplementation at 20 mg twice daily for children over 6 months, or 10 mg twice daily for children under 6 months. (source)

Risk of pneumonia– Another Cochrane review found that children under age 5 who were at risk for pneumonia benefitted from zinc supplementation and saw fewer instances of pneumonia and fewer deaths related to it. (source)

It is also important to choose a high quality source of zinc for supplementation if it becomes necessary.  The body can only readily absorb certain forms of zinc that are bound to other minerals. In food, zinc is naturally bound to other minerals and typically easy to absorb.

In supplements, chelated forms are typically considered most absorbable, and these forms typically end in “ate” such as zinc gluconate, zinc acetate and zinc citrate.

Total Zinc vs. Elemental Zinc

In supplements, the total amount of zinc may also not accurately represent the amount of bioavailable elemental zinc (which is what the RDA refers to). Dr. Mercola explains that the RDA for zinc (listed in the charts above) refers to elemental zinc and that every form of zinc can contain a different percentage of elemental zinc.

This information should (but isn’t always) listed on the supplement container. As an example, zinc sulfate (a zinc salt and not one of the most absorbable forms) is only 23% elemental zinc, meaning that it would take almost 200 milligrams to reach the upper daily limit for this form and taking only the recommended 8-12 milligrams per day of zinc sulfate would yield only a small percentage of the actual recommended amount.

Other substances in foods or drinks (like caffeine and phytates) can inhibit zinc absorption so if zinc foods or supplements are consumed within a few hours of foods containing these supplements, absorption may be inhibited.

What I Did:

As I said, I took supplemental zinc after consulting with a doctor and now take small amounts during pregnancy/nursing and am also careful to consume a very nutrient rich diet during these times.

For me: In the past, I took this form of zinc citrate balanced with Vitamins C and B6. I have now found a high quality prenatal that contains 20 mg of zinc and take this daily during pregnancy and nursing instead (this particular prenatal also has high quality methylated forms of b-vitamins which are essential for those with MTHFR mutations).  I did find that I still needed additional magnesium and fat soluble vitamins D and K2 even with taking this prenatal but these nutrient needs vary drastically from person to person (and I have a VDR mutation that increases my need for Vitamin D).

For my family: I keep a low-dose zinc lozenge on hand for cold and flu relief, as these do seem to help ease symptoms and even the kids like them.

Again, this is just my personal experience and it is important to talk to a qualified professional before supplementing with any nutrient, especially zinc and especially above the recommended daily maximum.

Bottom Line:

Zinc is a vital nutrient that the body needs for literally thousands of reasons, but like all good things in life, moderation is key. While severe zinc deficiency is not common in the developed world, there is increasing evidence that low-level zinc deficiency may be prevalent and may affect skin, eye, hair and immune health.

With the guidance of a qualified doctor or practitioner, certain people may benefit from increasing dietary or supplemental zinc as a way to boost overall health and immune health. More research is definitely needed, especially about the role of zinc for fertility and during pregnancy as preliminary research shows the potential for zinc to reduce the chance of premature labor, preeclampsia and low birth weight.

Ever taken zinc? Craved chocolate? What was your experience?

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35+ Natural & DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

This year, we’ve decided to keep things simple, natural and sustainable with homemade, natural and DIY Christmas Gift Ideas (and a few select wooden toys for the kids that will (hopefully) last for generations). We are also trying to focus more on experiences than material gifts for the most part.

There are so many great options for DIY homemade gifts, and I hope that others will consider joining me in gift giving this way…

Below are a few of my favorite homemade gift ideas and some suggestions for some simple gift baskets.

DIY Beauty Gift Ideas:

Healing Lip Salve

Tinted Lip Balm

Homemade Lip Stick

Luxurious Sugar Scrub Recipe

Beach Waves Natural Hair Spray

Natural Baby Care Recipes (baby powder, diaper cream, lotion, etc)

Homemade Dry Shampoo

Lotion Bars Recipe (all natural, easy to make and amazing for skin!)

Luxurious Lotion Recipe

Whipped Body Butter Recipe (like Velvet on the skin)

Homemade Deodorant Bars

Here is a post with a list of seven ingredients that can be used to make 20+ DIY beauty recipes.

Health Related Gift Ideas:

Homemade Magnesium Oil (great for improving sleep, energy, hormones and more)

Herbal Tea Blends (delicious and health boosting)

Healing Clays (for masks, internal and more)

Coconut Oil (because there are 100+ ways to use it!)

Homemade Tooth Powder Recipe (helps sensitive teeth)

DIY Remineralizing Toothpaste

All Natural Vapor Rub

Homemade Healing Salve (like Neosporin ™ but natural)

Or, if you are really motivated, you could put together an entire Herbal First Aid and Natural Remedy Kit.

Edible Christmas Gift Ideas:

14 Homemade Herb and Spice Blends

Healthy Delicious Chocolate Recipe

Homemade Marshmallows

Coconut Cream Recipe

Healthy Chocolate Truffles

Himalayan Salt

Kombucha Starter and Instructions

Water Kefir and Instructions

Other:

DIY Fleece backed T-Shirt Quilt (one of my husbands favorite gifts I’ve ever given him)

Homemade Buckwheat Pillow or Eye Mast- Just sew a simple rectangle of whatever fabric you’d like filled with some organic buckwheat hulls makes a natural pillow that doesn’t hold body heat and that keeps its shape! You can also add herbs like lavender flowers, yarrow, mint, chamomile and catnip for the gentle scent of herbs to help improve sleep.

Gift Basket Ideas:

Herbal Teas Basket: An assortment of homemade herbal tea blends with a natural cast iron tea pot and some tea cups.

Natural Beauty Basket: An assortment of Healing Lip Salve, Tinted Lip Balm, Homemade Lip Stick, Luxurious Sugar Scrub Recipe, Beach Waves Natural Hair Spray, Homemade Dry Shampoo, Lotion Bars, Luxurious Lotion,  Whipped Body Butter Recipe and Homemade Deodorant Bars.

Natural Baby Basket: Some or all of these Natural Baby Care Recipes

Mom-to-be or New Mom Basket: This Luxurious Lotion Recipe to help prevent stretch marks, Homemade Magnesium Oil to help with nausea and after pains, Healing Clays for use as a skin mask to prevent the “mask of pregnancy” or itchy skin, Raspberry Leaf Tea to tone the uterus, Homemade Healing Salve for perineum healing post baby, DIY Remineralizing Toothpaste to keep her teeth strong during pregnancy, and of course, some Healthy Delicious Chocolate.

Do you make any homemade gifts? Any ideas to add to the list? Share below!

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Can a Peanut Ball Shorten Labor?

I recently attended a hospital birth as a doula and a nurse suggested a new technique to shorten labor that I had not seen used before: a peanut ball.

I was familiar with the use of a yoga ball or “birth ball” during labor to help open the pelvis and bring baby down but I had never seen this variation. The nurse suggested it when the baby’s heart rate started showing some slight decelerations when mom was walking around, and since baby was not fully engaged in the pelvis yet, they wanted mom to try laying down to see if that helped. (Short story: laying down helped and so did the peanut ball.)

This piqued my curiosity.

The Benefit of Birth Balls

Birth balls (aka yoga balls) are often recommended during pregnancy and labor to help mom in various ways. There is evidence that they may:

• Improve posture during pregnancy: Sitting on the ball leads to better posture as a person must typically sit up straight and engage the core in order to remain sitting on the ball. For this reason, I’ve heard many midwives recommend that mom use a birth ball as a chair during pregnancy to optimize posture and pelvic floor alignment.
• For optimal positioning and engagement in late pregnancy: When used in late pregnancy, there is some evidence that the ball may help the baby engage in the correct position for labor (meaning shorter and easier labor in some cases) and help the baby move down in the pelvis. In fact, research has shown that sitting on a birth ball may open the pelvis by as much as 30%! There is even some evidence that regular use of a birth ball may encourage a posterior baby to rotate.
• During labor for comfort and positioning: Many hospitals now have birthing balls on their labor and delivery floors for mom to sit on and rock or gently bounce during labor. The theory is that this may help bring baby down during labor and provide relief for mom as well.

These effects have been studied and women who used birth balls regularly during pregnancy typically had shorter labors, less need for pain relief, and fewer c-sections. Of course, if you are pregnant, check with your doctor or midwife to make sure using a birth ball is safe for you and to find out the best ways to use it.

Personally, I’ve used a birth ball during four pregnancies and deliveries, including two in a hospital where we had to bring our own (I’m sure we were a sight when we checked in with me in transition and my husband carrying three bags and a birth ball).

I also love birth balls after labor, as my babies all love to bounce to fall asleep (my mom insists that this is because I’m always moving and never sit still when pregnant so they get used to it). I’ve spent many a late night gently bouncing a baby on a yoga ball while playing classical music.

Birth Ball Exercises

There are many ways to use a birth ball, from switching out your regular desk chair for the ball to more complicated exercises and stretches. These are a few of the ways that have been most helpful and comfortable to me during pregnancy and labor:

• Sitting: Just sitting on the ball has helped my posture and provides comfort and pressure relief in late pregnancy.
• Circles: To help prepare for labor, my midwife once suggested sitting on the ball and rotating my hips clockwise and counterclockwise making a large circular motion.
• Kneeling/Leaning: To help baby get in the right position for labor and to provide relief for back pain, I found it helpful to kneel down and lean over the birth ball so that my chest/shoulders were on the ball and my belly was able to relax and almost make a hammock for the baby. I even found that this position was comfortable to watch a movie or work on the computer if I placed the computer on a coffee table or other low surface.

What is a Peanut Ball?

So birth balls certainly have their benefit, but I’d never seen a peanut ball used before. A peanut ball is basically a double birth ball, connected in the middle. It looks like a peanut, thus the name. (This is what they look like and is very similar to the one they had at the hospital).

Like a birth ball, this can be used to sit on, to stretch, or for better posture (and probably also to bounce a fussy baby (I’ll keep you posted on that one!).

Unlike a birth ball, it doesn’t take circus-like coordination to sit on or to keep between your legs, which is exactly why the hospital used it during labor. Once a mom has to lay down, like in the case of this mom when her baby was having some slight deceleration after contractions, it can help keep the hips in the optimal position for labor and widen the pelvis to speed things up.

I started researching to see if there was any history of use of peanut balls or if this particular hospital had found something new that works. Turns out, both were true.

The use of peanut balls in labor is a relatively new idea but it has already been studied and is being implemented by hospitals looking to reduce c-section rates.

Can a Peanut Ball Shorten Labor?

A healthcare company out of Arizona is equipping all of its labor and delivery wards with peanut balls after a recent study conducted showed a noticeable reduction in c-section rates and labor time in women who used a peanut ball during labor.

This effect was especially pronounced in women who had an epidural, but would be effective in any woman who needed to lie down on her side during labor.

Christina Tussey, a clinical nurse specialist in Arizona decided to test the idea and recruited two groups of women to help: those who would use a peanut ball and those who didn’t. (Of course, this was not a double blind or placebo study as a woman would know that she had an exercise ball between her legs.) She found three noticeable benefits in women who used the peanut balls (source):

• Shorter labors (first stage)– Women who use the peanut ball had an average of a 90 minute first stage labor.
• Shorter pushing phase (second stage)– They also pushed for an average of 23 fewer minutes.
• Fewer C-Sections– The cesarean rate in the group of women who used peanut balls was also 13% less than those who did not. This is a major benefit as many hospitals are trying to reduce c-section rates, as c-section deliveries typically take longer to recover from and have more potential for complications. They also cost more, so there is a big potential to save money for both patient and hospital.

Thanks to the results of this observational study, Banner Health, Arizona’s biggest chain of hospitals, has provided peanut balls to all of its hospitals for use in labor and delivery.

How the Peanut Ball is Used in Labor

As mentioned, the peanut ball is used for any women who needs to remain in bed during labor. Most often, this is because of an epidural, but there are many reasons that a woman may need to lie down and some women just feel more comfortable in this position.

The way I saw the peanut ball used and the way it is suggested in labor is when a woman is lying on her side. She actually shifts her weight so she is leaning slightly toward her stomach and then places her top leg over the peanut ball. The shape of the ball helps her maintain this position, even if she can’t feel or move her legs, and simulates a partial squat position by opening the pelvis.

This allows the laboring mom to rest and relax while still optimizing her pelvis and hopefully speed up labor.

Peanut Ball for Non-Hospital Births?

I’ve actually ordered a peanut ball after seeing it used in labor, even though I don’t plan to have a hospital birth or use an epidural.

Here’s why:

Since this is my sixth baby, my hips tend to get sore at the very end of pregnancy and I often find myself using a stack of pillows to relieve the pressure while I am sleeping, though the pillows never seem high enough and they often fall. I’m planning to use the peanut ball in the “labor position” during sleep in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

I have also had long labors in the past (24 hours+) and have had to eventually try to rest, as 24 hours of standing, walking and squatting doesn’t leave much energy for pushing. If this should happen again, I’ll use the peanut ball while resting to keep my pelvis open.

Also, as our regular birth ball just popped with the help of a certain 2-year-old, I’ll also be using the peanut ball for the regular birth ball activities like sitting and exercise.

Have you ever heard of a peanut ball? If you’re pregnant, will you give it a try?

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How to Make Butter

As a child, I didn’t have much of an awareness of where my food came from beyond the grocery store. I was an adult the first time I made butter and I was so amazed that you could do it yourself. There is a certain satisfaction that comes with making something yourself that you previously purchased from the store with little thought as to where it came from.

How Butter Is Made

Butter is made from the cream that rises to the top of whole milk when it is cooled. This cream has a milk fat content of at least 30%. By agitating the cream, the membranes surrounding the fat molecules are broken, allowing the molecules to stick together. If you agitate the cream for a short amount of time you will make whipped cream. If you persist, the whipped cream is eventually broken down and you will achieve butter.

I personally find it quite fascinating that you can take a liquid and turn it into a solid by simply agitating it. If you are a science geek like me, you can read more in depth about what happens to milk when making butter here.

Choosing Your Cream

In order to take full advantage of all of the health benefits of butter, it is best to use raw cream from grass-fed cows. If you do not have access to grass-fed raw milk, you can also make butter from organic whipping cream that you can buy at the store.

If using raw milk, refrigerate overnight or until the cream has collected at the top of the jar. Skim the cream by gently dipping a small ladle down into the cream until if fills the ladle by flowing up over the sides. It is best not to scoop as this can cause the cream to mix back into the milk. Continue to do this until all the cream is collected. If you begin to see the thinner milk sneaking into your ladle then you probably have as much cream as you will be able to get.

Getting Ready:

• I use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for making butter.
• Measure your cream (optional). 2 cups of cream yields approximately 1/2 cup butter.
• You will need a fine strainer, a bowl, a wide spoon, and clean, cold water.

How to Make Butter

 

Print

Butter is simple to make at home and a great project to try with your kids!

Author: Wellness Mama

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream (preferably from raw milk or store bought organic)

Instructions

1. Put desired amount of cream into your mixing bowl. It is important to only fill the bowl halfway so it does not overflow as air is whipped into the cream. (Take my word for it!)
2. Turn mixer on low to medium-low at first to prevent splashing. Once the cream begins to thicken you can turn it up to medium.
3. You will probably need to mix for about 15 minutes. This time can vary depending on how much cream you are using and what type if mixer you have.
4. As it thickens it will first change to whipped cream. After the whipped cream stage it will begin to deflate and break down. When this begins to happen, stay close. When it makes the change to butter it can happen very quickly. It will also start to splash again so you can hang a towel over the mixer if you'd like.
5. When you see the butter begin to clump and stick to your whisk, it is done mixing.
6. Put your strainer over a bowl and pour the contents of your mixing bowl into the strainer. The solids that collect in the strainer are the butter and the liquid that collects in the bowl is buttermilk. (The buttermilk can be used in recipes in place of water. Try it in almond flour pancakes.)
7. Now you need to "rinse" the butter. It is important to remove as much buttermilk as possible to keep the butter from going rancid. Put the butter back in your mixing bowl and cover with clean, cold water.
8. With the back of your wide spoon, begin pressing the butter into the side of the bowl. The water will get cloudy as the buttermilk is "cleaned" out of the butter. Pour the water off and add more cold water.
9. Repeat this process 4-5 times or until the water stays clear. Done! Store in refrigerator or at room temperature if you will use it within a week or two.

3.5.3208

Butter Variations

For salted butter, simply add a healthy pinch of salt per 1/2 cup of butter. Work it in with the back of your wide spoon.

For spreadable butter, whip 1/2 cup butter in your mixer with 1 teaspoon high quality olive oil.

For honey butter, whip 1/2 cup butter with 1/4 cup raw honey until smooth.

Learn how to make herb infused compound butter here.

Learn how to make ghee here.

Make ice cream!

Fun For Children

The whole butter making process can be a great science lesson for kids. You can get them more involved by showing them how to make butter in a mason jar. Fill a pint mason jar halfway with cream, seal it tightly with a lid, and let them shake it. They will have to shake for quite a while, but my kids think it is so cool they don’t mind at all. Eventually, you will see the same transformation you saw in your mixer take place in the jar. When the clump of butter comes together, simply follow the same steps for rinsing it and voila, you have butter!

Have you ever made butter? Will you try any of the variations?

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Natural + Organic Gift Giving Guide

I’m still in awe that Thanksgiving is already over and Christmas is just around the corner. I’m trying to hold on to Summer and begrudgingly put away the flip flops and summer clothes two days ago!

Since Christmas is just around the corner, I compiled a list of my favorite natural health and wellness gifts for everyone on your list

Click here to get the full PDF gift giving guide or click on any picture or link below for more detail.

Please note that many of the links in this guide are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, the price will be the same for you and I’ll receive a small commission that helps support my blog.

Natural & Eco Friendly Kitchen Gifts

• Blendtec ($50 plus free shipping at this link through 12/1)
• Stainless Steel Immersion Blender
• Yogurt Maker
• Ice Cream Maker
• Lead-free Crock Pot
• Hydroflask water bottle
• Crinkle cutter
• Stainless steel bowls
• Berkey Water filter
• Spiral Slicer
• Stainless Steel Straws
• Huck towels

• French Press
• Mason Jars + Cuppow Lids + Sprouting Lids
• Kombucha Brewing Supplies
• Dehydrator
• Xtrema Cookware
• Corelle Non-Toxic Dishes
• Food Processor
• Bamboo Utensils
• Stainless Steel Large Baking Dish
• Cloth Napkins
• Glass electric tea kettle
• Lunch Bots

Gift Giving Guide for Her

• Beeswax Candles
• Down Comforter
• Salt Lamp or Basket Salt Lamp
• Earthing Mat & Sheet starter kit
• French clay (for DIY facial masks)
• A bone broth subscription
• Natural Calm Drink Mix for improved sleep
• Herbal Tea

• Wake Up Light Alarm Clock
• Beeswax + Coconut Oil + Shea Butter + Cocoa Butter for Lotion bars
• Magnesium oil for better sleep and reduced stress
• Pre-made lotion bars
• Orange Sunglasses for use after dark
• Verilux Happy Light
• Herbal Teapot and cup
• Cooling Sleep Mask

Gift Giving Guide for Him

• Leather Bag or wallet (with a 100 year warranty!)
• A good knife
• Pull-up bar
• Compass Cufflinks
• Wake up Light
• Surefire flashlight

• Ultimate Ears wireless Speaker
• Kettlebell
• Emergency book by Neil Strauss
• Muse Brain Training Headband
• Basis Sleep and Health Tracker Watch
• Earthing mat starter kit
• Esse Pocket Survival Kit
• Natural Shaving kit

Gift Giving Guide for Children

• Frost Lane Handmade Wooden Gifts
• Chalk Trail for bike
• Art Kit
• Eco Friendly Modeling Dough
• Seedling Wooden People kit
• Rebounder for indoor play
• Wooden twig colored pencils
• Wooden people and craft supplies
• Plasma car

• microscope kit
• Snap Circuits Kit
• Homemade t-shirt quilt
• Gorilla Gym indoor gym
• Natural Paints
• Design your own superhero kit
• Create your own doll kit
• Crayon rocks
• Mineral science kit
• Beeswax crayons

Homemade & DIY Gifts

Click here for a post with the full list of DIY gift ideas.

What is on your Christmas list this year? What are you getting for friends and family?

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When A Natural Mattress Isn’t in the Budget

Over the last 5+ years, I researched my way into a natural mattress for our family, but the process was long, somewhat dramatic, and expensive. For many years, a healthier, natural mattress just wasn’t in the budget for us, no matter how important I thought it was (as we saved for years to purchase ours).

In the years before we finally found the mattress we love and were able to purchase it, I found several ways of mitigating many of the problems with traditional mattresses and making ours work for us in the meantime.

Why A Natural Mattress?

We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, meaning that our sleep environment is at least as important (if not more so) than our work environment or the rest of our home.

Many of us go to great lengths to avoid harmful substances in our food, beauty products and cleaning products without realizing that our sleep environment may be our main source of harmful chemical exposure.

In particular, the biggest concerns I had after researching mattresses were:

Off-Gassing of Flame Retardant Chemicals

Mattresses often contain a variety of chemicals designed to make the mattress flame retardant. Typically, the newer the mattress, the higher the concern about these chemicals.

Added chemicals most often found in mattresses are:

• PBDEs– linked to hormone problems and even certain types of cancers. These chemicals are found in almost every mattress and in 97% of adults tested in the US. These chemicals are especially worrisome since they can contribute to fetal growth problems and are very harmful to babies and young children.
• Formaldehyde– A known carcinogen found in many mattresses
• Petrochemicals– Many of the materials and chemicals used in mattress making are petroleum-based.
• Polyurethane Foam and PVC– Materials often used in mattress making. They are highly flammable on their own, and often the reason that flame retardant chemicals are used. They have the potential to off-gas on their own as well.

The fact that these chemicals were found in high levels in almost 100% of adults who were tested (in the US) shows that the body is capable of absorbing and storing them.

In theory, these chemicals are most concentrated and harmful in new mattresses, although there is evidence that mattresses may still off-gas for many years. Mattresses made before 2007 were typically not sprayed with PBDEs or most other flame retardant chemicals, and may be safer.

If you have an older mattress (pre-2007) it may be worth keeping, at least until an organic mattress is an option, rather than replacing with a newer but less expensive mattress.

Dust Mites and Bacteria?

While flame retardants and other chemicals are found in the highest levels in new mattresses, old mattresses have their fair share of problems as well. In fact, one bacteria often found in mattresses has been implicated as a possible contributor to SIDS and may pose problems for adults as well:

Sheepskins and regular mattresses contain phosphorous, arsenic and antimony, which are the preferred food of a common household fungus, S. Brevicaulis. While these elements are naturally occurring in some (but not all) sheepskins, they are actually added in via the manufacturing process of regular mattresses. Arsenic and antimony are used as preservatives in mandatory flame retardants and phosphorous is a plasticizer used in mattress covers – anything containing PVC will have these compounds.

According to Barry Richardson, a British chemist specializing in preventing the degradation of materials, when S. Brevicaulis gets established in a mattress it converts these compounds into toxic nerve gases which can shut down the nervous system, stop heart function and arrest breathing.

Stibine gas, which is formed from the interaction of the S. Brevicaulis fungus with antimony, is particularly heavy and – according to the theory – clings to the surface of the mattress. “A baby sleeping face down will breathe this gas directly and is more likely to inhale a lethal dose,” says this this article in Midwifery Today, adding that “babies sleeping on their backs are still exposed to the lighter nerve gasses: arsine and phosphine. In a warm environment phosphine can be similar to the density of air, and easily inhaled by a baby sleeping on its back. In addition, face-up sleeping is not as effective in a cot or bassinet with enclosed sides, because the gasses cannot flow away.” (source)

We also know that mattresses and pillows are a prime habitat for dust mites due to the presence of dead skin cells- their food of choice. A study from Ohio State University found that a used mattress may have up to 10 million dust mites inside.

Though dust mites are disgusting, they are generally harmless themselves, it is their feces that most people are allergic to:

According to the American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, approximately 10 percent of Americans exhibit allergic sensitivity to dust mites. The American Lung Associations tells us “Dust mites are not parasites; they don’t bite, sting or burrow into our bodies. The harmful allergen they create comes from their fecal pellets and body fragments. (source)

That makes you feel better, right? The dust mites aren’t actually a problem, you’re just reacting to breathing in their poop all night.

EMFs?

This is one area of concern from mattresses that seems to be often misunderstood and controversial. On the one hand, some sources claim that the springs in conventional mattresses act as an amplifier for wi-fi and EMFs, and that this is the reason for higher rates of breast and other cancers of the left side of the body in the US and most of the developed world (but not in Japan, where mattresses do not contain springs).

I researched this claim in depth and while it seems that some mattresses may have a slight ability to amplify EMFs, the mattress is not the problem, the EMFs are. In my research and in taking measurements in my own home, I found that whether or not a mattress had springs was much less of an indicator of EMF levels than how close the bed was to a meter, wi-fi router, or electronic device (phone or computer).

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that while coils in mattresses may highlight the importance of understanding and reducing EMFs in general, they are a very small piece of a much bigger puzzle.

Natural Mattress: What to Do?

Until a non-toxic mattress was in the budget for us, I sought to reduce each of my concerns about our older mattress. This is what I did:

Don’t Replace with a Newer Regular Mattress

We bought our mattress around 2006, so when I researched it a few years later, I realized that there was a good chance it was not sprayed with the most harmful of flame retardants.

At the point when I started to have concern about our mattress, it had already been off-gassing for several years (unfortunately, in our room), and a newer conventional mattress would have potentially had more chemicals than our existing mattress. When the older mattress started getting uncomfortable, we added an inexpensive natural topper to make it last until we could afford an organic, natural mattress.

Reduce Off-Gassing

As mentioned above, off-gassing is one of the biggest potential problems with many mattresses, especially newer ones. Unfortunately, the only way to fully eliminate this problem is to use a mattress that doesn’t contain the chemical in the first place, but when that isn’t an option, a mattress encasement (not just cover) may help reduce exposure to off-gassing.

There are specialized covers made of polyethylene that have been shown to reduce exposure to chemical off-gassing. In fact, New Zealand ran a highly effective SIDS prevention campaign encouraging parents to wrap mattresses in a polyethylene encasement (like this one) and it has been highly effective in reducing the incidence of SIDS. (Certainly, this is a more complicated and highly emotional topic, but New Zealand’s results do provide insight that perhaps off-gassing is a more important issue than we once suspected).

Encasing adult mattresses seems to be more difficult. An ideal situation would be to fully encase a mattress on all sides in an air-tight food-grade polyethylene cover, but these covers are extremely difficult to find. There are some, like this one, that fully encase mattresses and have a thin layer of polyethylene to block off-gassing. It is also possible to make your own using a higher quality polyethylene sheeting and tape.

The downside, of course, is that polyethylene is still plastic and may have its own share of problems, but after weighing the risks and benefits of each, I was more comfortable with the polyethylene coating than the potential off-gassing chemicals, so we encased our mattress until we could replace it.

Reduce Exposure to Mites & Bacteria

Thankfully, while the jury is still out on how much a quality mattress encasement can reduce chemical off-gassing, we do know that they reduce exposure to dust mites (and also protect against bed bugs!).

A simple full mattress encasement has been shown to block dust mites, bacteria, mold, mildew and other allergens, so this is a simple fix that is very effective.

If you are highly concerned about off-gassing and allergens, it might be more effective to wrap the mattress in plastic sheeting and then cover with an encasement to address both issues.

Reduce EMFs in the Room

As I mentioned above, I think EMFs are definitely a concern, but mattresses are very low on the list of places to address EMFs. In a previous post, I compared getting rid of mattress springs to reduce EMFs to putting a filter on a cigarette to reduce harmful exposure… it may help some but it doesn’t address the real problem.

While I think natural mattresses are important for many other reasons, I personally think that these steps are much more important when it comes to EMF exposure (from this previous post):

• “Turning off wi-fi at night: This was a struggle to get my husband to agree to and it is a change we are just now starting to implement. It is a tough balance, as we both have aspects of our work that requires much time online, but we also want to protect our family from any unnecessary exposure. Since research shows we are more susceptible to EMF exposure at night and since I have not yet mastered working in my sleep, it makes sense to turn off the wifi at night. If you have more than one device that contributes to your wifi like we do (router, modem, Apple devices, etc), I recommend plugging them into a power strip with a switch to easily turn off at night. This single step alone can reduce 1/2 to 2/3 of exposure, especially for children who are (hopefully) spending some of the daytime outdoors anyway. This addresses the root of the problem as well- no wifi… nothing to amplify. I plan to rewire our house to just use ethernet cables, but I haven’t had the time to do this yet (and it is tough to get in the crawl space of our house while pregnant.)
• Using an earthing mat: This is a controversial topic and the research is divided, but I seem to sleep better on an earthing sheet, so we use one. This post explains more.
• Greenwave filters: Last year, our kids all got these dirty electricity filters for Christmas (super exciting gift, I know) but they made a measurable difference in the levels in our home. Interesting note, I decided to repaint our house while my husband was traveling to surprise him and I had to paint 4 rooms in 4 days. I had all of the electrical outlet plates unscrewed and taped over and was painting during the day. The first two nights, I could hardly sleep and was restless all night. I assumed it was because my husband was out of town. The night I plugged the filters back in, I slept just fine. Totally anecdotal, but I still wonder if there was a connection. (This was before we started unplugging the wifi).
• Don’t plug things in near the bed– This is another factor that made a big difference for us and some things measured higher than others. Things like our lamps and wake up light didn’t seem to have much of an effect, while computers and phone chargers really did. We plugged the green wave filters in to the plugs near our bed and plugged the necessary things into them (lamps, etc) and avoided putting any other electronics in our bedroom…
• The no-phone rule– We have a non-negotiable rule about not having our phones, computers or other electronics in our room at night (the only time I’ve broken this rule was when my husband was traveling internationally and I wouldn’t be able to talk to him if my phone wasn’t at least close enough to hear). I know some people use phones as an alarm or for various sleep monitoring purposes, so the other option is to put phones in airplane mode at night (a good idea anyway).”

Try a Mattress Topper

If comfort is the issue but the mattress is otherwise good, I’d try a mattress topper to make it more comfortable. We purchased a down topper, which helped some, but not as much as I’d hoped since our mattress was getting older and it was too firm.

If I had known about it, I would have gotten an Intellibed Topper, which offers many of the same comfort benefits as a full Intellibed mattress at a fraction of the price.

Combined with a mattress encasement, this may help an older mattress remain usable for a long time without the need to fully replace, especially if the mattress is older than 2007 and has less issue with flame retardants.

The Bottom Line…

I consider a non-toxic mattress a big priority for improving health, but these mattresses are pricey and not an option for many families on a budget (including our family, for several years). When a new mattress isn’t an option, the solutions above can extend the usability of an older conventional mattress and help mitigate some of the potential problems.

Pssst… If You are Considering a New Mattress…

If you are at the point of replacing your mattress, this is the option we finally chose for our bed after years of research, check it out at this link and use the code WellnessMama for a 10% discount (Note: Until 12/31, use the code “WellnessMama” to receive 10% off + 2 intelliPILLOW’s and Bamboo Sheets (valued at $500) on any queen bed or larger. It’s not valid with the Value bed or any bed smaller than Queen size.)

Do you have a natural mattress? If not, what steps have you taken before getting one?

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46 Ways to Give Experiences Instead of Stuff This Year

As we near the time of the year often dedicated to gift giving, I can’t help but think about the fact that often these well intentioned gifts eventually lead to more stress, for the giver and the receiver. In our family, we’ve chosen to give experiences instead of material gifts most of the time and the results have been amazing.

Don’t get me wrong… I love giving gifts and always enjoy finding, wrapping and giving the perfect gift to a family member or friend. As a mom, I also dread the aftermath of gifts… the paper all over the floor, the toys all over the floor, the lingering messes and the kids complaining about having to clean up their toys.

Also, as every parent has inevitably experienced at some point, the joy of material gifts fades quickly and even the most anticipated Christmas toys soon become a chore to clean up.

Are We Drowning in Too Much Stuff?

The dramatic success of the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up provides a hint that perhaps many of us feel that we simply have too much stuff (short summary of the book= throw most of it away).

Turns out, we probably do!

Think for a second about your grandparents home when you were growing up. If it was anything like mine, it was probably a small house with even smaller closets. And the closets were not that full. And they raised six kids in that house! They also didn’t need drastic storage and organizing solutions or extra storage rental units.

Fast forward to present day, when the LA Times reports that the average American home has over 300,000 items in it and there are over 50,000 storage facilities nationwide (and this is the fastest growing real estate segment!). In fact, at least 1 in 10 of us have a storage unit to store our excess stuff. Consider this:

The United States has upward of 50,000 storage facilities, more than five times the number of Starbucks. Currently, there is 7.3 square feet of self storage space for every man, woman and child in the nation. Thus, it is physically possible that every American could stand—all at the same time—under the total canopy of self storage roofing! (source)

Do we really have so much more stuff than people did just two generations ago?

Yes we do…

More Clothes

Our grandparents had an average of nine outfits, including dress clothes and work clothes.

Now, we have an average of 30, plus a lot of extra clothes that don’t qualify as an “outfit.”

The AVERAGE family spends $1,700 on clothes annually while giving or throwing away over 200 pounds of clothes per year.

More Toys

This is the part that really shocked me…

The average child in the developed world owns over 200 toys but only plays with 12 of them on average per day!

Even crazier? Only 3% of the world’s children live in the US, but they own 40+% of the world’s toys!

If it Makes You Happy…

Those staggering statistics about how much stuff we all own wouldn’t worry me if it seemed that the excess stuff improved our lives in some way or made us happier, healthier or closer to our children… but that isn’t the case. To quote Sheryl Crow:

If it makes you happy
It can’t be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad

We have and consume twice as many material goods than we collectively did 50 years ago, but statistically we are much less happy.

54% of us report being overwhelmed with clutter and 78% of us have no idea how to overcome it!

This also leads to additional stress:

Over the course of our lifetime, we will spend a total of 3,680 hours or 153 days searching for misplaced items.The research found we lose up to nine items every day—or 198,743 in a lifetime. Phones, keys, sunglasses, and paperwork top the list. (source)

Certainly, there is much more to why we are less happy than we used to be than just the excess clutter, but statistically, it is a contributor, and an easy one to address.

Why Give Experiences Not Stuff?

Many studies have shown that material possessions do not equal happiness and that experiences are much more intrinsically fulfilling that things. (Additional bonus: you don’t have to find a place to store experiences except in your heart, memory, and maybe on some pictures!)

A researcher named Thomas Gilovich at Cornell University has spent more than a decade trying to understand why experiences have the ability to contribute to happiness so much more than material purchases. Along with another researcher, Matthew Killingsworth, he recently published his research in the Journal of Psychological Science showing that experiences provide more lasting happiness than material possessions. (source)

The basic conclusion was that people tend to get less happier with material purchases over time, and more happy with experiences. They speculate that this is because we adapt to physical things, so even the nicest car or  newest phone becomes commonplace after enough time, while memories tend to get fonder over time.

Our experiences are a bigger part of ourselves than our material goods,” says Gilovich. “You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences. (source)

Even negative experiences, they found, can often be remembered fondly as a funny story or bonding experience. Experiences are also a uniting factor. You are more likely to bond with someone who enjoys the same hobby/activity or has traveled to the same places that you have than with someone who has a similar possession.

The anticipation leading up to a trip, event, or experience even has the potential to provide happiness itself, making it the gift that truly keeps on giving! Happiness in the anticipation, happiness during the experience and happiness in the memories.

Beats the heck out of a pile of toys that you trip over while tucking the kids in at night!

It turns out that Aristotle had it right all those years ago: “men fancy that external goods are the cause of happiness (but) leisure of itself gives pleasure and happiness and enjoyment in life.”

Give Experiences: The Importance for Kids

As important as shared experiences are for adults, they are even more important for children and for healthy psychological development. In fact, shared family time (even in simple things like family dinner together) is drastically important for a child’s well being (much more important than the dozens of extra curricular activities we often neglect family time for).

Shared family time and experiences have been linked to:

• Bonding within the family
• Fewer behavioral problems in children
• A stronger sense of identity
• A sense of security for children
• Higher rates of academic success
• Lower rates of violence

Of course, these shared experiences can be as simple as time spent together during/preparing meals, while driving, or reading stories before bed, but prioritizing shared experiences as gifts helps reduce unwanted material items and fosters family bonding.

Our Rule for Gifts

You might have heard of the “4-Gift Rule” that some parents follow of:

Something they want, Something they need, Something to wear, Something to read

We follow a variation of this focused on shared experiences. Our kids typically get:

1. The “Want”: One Material Gift– despite my preference for experiences, we do get one gift for each child that is strictly something they want. Often these end up being experience gifts as well like craft supplies or a sewing machine or the gorilla gym that has been a favorite in our house for years. Sometimes they are also educational gifts like a Roominate set, a Perplexus puzzle or bulk legos.
2. The “Need”: Experience Gifts– Each child gets at least one experience gift per year, and often we get them several more experience based gifts as well (see my full list below). Since family experiences are so important for us, we consider these gifts a need so we prioritize and budget for them.
3. The “Wear”: Clothes– I’ve been working on creating capsule wardrobes for my kids (post on that coming soon) and for holidays they often get one clothing item they need like a new coat or hiking boots. This may also be something fun, like dress up clothes, if they don’t need any new clothing.
4. The “Read”: Memory Books– We try to take the kids to the library often since they get to choose so many new books without them taking up room on the shelves, so our kids get a different kind of book as a gift. Each year, I keep a folder on my desktop for each child and throughout the year add pictures from field trips, birthdays, daily hikes, camping trips and other fun memories. At the end of the year, I compile each child’s photos into a hardcover book that I print through a photo service (like Shutterfly). This is my favorite gift to give them each year since it helps them relive and remember everything we did as a family that year, and it is a gift that they can take and show their own families one day. These books end up being the favorite gift every year (and bonus, the photo service saves them so I can reprint if one ever gets ruined!).

What About Extended Family Gifts?

Even once we decided to make the switch to experiences with our kids, it took a while to figure out how to approach the topic with extended family. We approached it in two ways:

1. Switching to giving experiences to family members as well
2. Gently explaining our reason for choosing experiences and encouraging extended family to give experiences as well

It has taken a few years, but extended family is now on board and the kids cherish the time with other family members as well. This year, one family member is taking our daughter to see the Nutcracker, and grandparents often give memberships to museums or zoos or gift certificates to go to a movie or lunch.

At the end of the day, we can’t (and shouldn’t) control what extended family chooses to give our children. Personally, I’m very grateful that our family has decided to prioritize experience type gifts as well, but even if they didn’t and decided to still give material gifts, we would welcome these and teach our children to be grateful for these gifts (as the relationship with family is more important than arguing about the gifts).

Ideas for Ways to Give Experiences

The average parent spends over $250 per child on toys and gifts each year! While experience type gifts can be a litle more expensive up-front, they end up being much cheaper in the long run. Especially when we consider that with that average, we’d spend over $1200 on gifts for our children, we don’t mind spending even a couple hundred dollars on a worthwhile memberhsip or experience that will last all year.

The move away from material gifts was a slow one for us. If you’re considering focusing more on experiences this year, here are some of my favorite ideas that our family has enjoyed over the years.

Family Gifts

Bigger memberships or vacations are often family gifts:

• Museum Memberships– Check around for local museums that offer annual memberships. Many offer discounts for local residents or have programs for kids. We have found great deals on local art and history museums.
• Science Center Memberships– Many cities also have a children’s museum or science center with an annual pass option. We found that it was cheaper to purchase an annual membership to a nearby science center than for our family of 7 to go one time! This is a great place to go on a rainy day and is a common destination for our Friday field trips.
• Orchestra Season Tickets- Even though we don’t live in a large city, we have a local orchestra that preforms every couple of months. I called and found that season tickets for children were extremely affordable (less than $8 a show) and this is now a fun family activity that the kids look forward to.
• Community Theater Tickets– If you have a local theater, take chicken to these as well. This was our big family gift last year, and we got a few season tickets. My husband and I get to go to the more grown-up performances as date nights and we alternate taking the older kids to performances that they enjoy (like Annie, Rudolph, etc.).
• Tent for Camping– Sometimes a material gift can lead to an experience. This tent was a family gift a couple of years ago and we’ve used it quite a few times (I picked that one because it is really easy to set up!).
• Minor League Baseball Tickets (or college, or MLB)– We all love baseball (because it is the best sport 😉 ) and season tickets to our local minor league team have been a great family outing that lasts all summer long. Really, any sports ticket (college, pro, etc.) is a great family activity.
• Nature Center Tickets– Check for local nature areas or nature centers in your area and see if they offer an annual pass. We’ve found these for nature centers, a local cave and state parks.
• Local Attraction Season Passes– Any other local attraction with a season pass can be a great gift. Check for other types of museums, historical sites, or local attractions.
• New Family Hobbies– Take up hiking, camping, card games, a sport or other fun activity and get the necessary equipment or passes for your new hobby.
• Be Puzzled– Feeling brave? This 33,000 piece puzzle is the world’s largest. It might take you the whole year to put together and will foster a LOT of family time!
• Fun Family Outing– Plan in advance a trip to a local amusement park, a family vacation or other activity. Remember, looking forward to an experience makes the experience more fun and fosters happiness on its own!
• Volunteer– Truly a gift that keeps on giving. If possible with your kids ages, volunteer at a local food pantry or charity and give your kids (and yourself) the gift of helping others!
• Give to Charity– Another favorite in our family- we designate about $100 in end of year contributions per child to let them decide how to give. Most often, they love choosing gifts like farm animals, fruit trees or educational supplies for those in need around the world through programs like Food for the Poor.

Gifts for Kids

• Local Pottery Painting – An absolute favorite with our girls. Our local pottery place has dozens of options to paint and this has been a fun activity for the kids (and me!). Either pick out some un-painted places to paint or get a gift certificate.
• Pottery Making-For older kids, some places offer pottery making lessons or classes.
• Rock Climbing– Have a local rock-climbing gym? See if they offer annual passes or pick up gift certificates for a climbing outing with older kids. Bonus: it is a great way to get exercise too!
• Local Jump Gym– Another fun activity that helps kids stay active. See if you have a local jump gym or indoor trampoline center and get annual passes or gift cards.
• Batting Cage Membership– For a child who loves baseball, look for a local batting cage that offers year-long memberships or bulk discounts on packages. This is a great way to stay active and a fun outing with your child.
• Bowling or Skate Tickets– These are getting harder to find, but if you have a local bowling alley or skating rink, ask them about family passes or gift certificates.
• Every Kid in a Park– If you have a fourth grader, there is no excuse not to get this one: a free year-long pass to all the national parks with the “Every Kid In a Park” program. This pass provides access to national parks for everyone in your immediate family, not just the fourth grader, so it is a  great family gift and is available to homeschoolers as well! (Here’s how to get it)
• Treasure Hunt– If you are giving a material gift, make the giving itself a fun experience. Instead of wrapping up the final gift, wrap up a clue and let the child go on a treasure hunt to find the final gift (or figure out what it is and go with you to get it!) This is especially fun for a larger gift or experience!
• Geo Caching– Speaking of treasure hunts, geocaching is fun, free way to go on a treasure hunt with your kids almost anywhere in the world. You can learn more about it here.
• A New Skill– If your child wants to try horseback riding, sewing, painting, or other similar activity, give them classes or ways to experience and develop this new hobby or skill. To keep it low-cost, see if you can find a family member or an elderly member of your community who might enjoy passing on the skill at a lower cost.
• Lunch Dates– Give gift certificates to a favorite breakfast or lunch place to a child and plan a one-on-one date with that child.
• Movie Tickets– We don’t go to the movies often, but this year, our boys are getting tickets to go see Star Wars with their dad (and I’m guessing this will be a favorite gift!).
• Question Book– My kids all love this Question A Day Book and it gives us a fun conversation starter each day. The “question book” is a fun pre-bedtime activity at our house.
• Learning Magazine Subscription– Our kids love getting “real mail” in the mailbox and extended family members often get them subscriptions to learning magazines. They look forward to the magazine coming each month and to doing the activities (and bonus: you can recycle the magazine when they are done with it!)
• Craft Bucket– One of my favorite Chrismtas gifts as a child- a basket of craft activities that lasted me a year! My aunt filled a large basket with scissors, paper, glue, string, and every other craft supply imaginable. That basket led to dozens of hours of fun for me as a kid, and now my girls sometimes get activity baskets like this with crafts we can do together.
• Garden Kit– Just like crafts, gardening is a great activity to do with children. If you have a budding gardener (pun intended) on your hands, wrap up some seeds and gardening supplies and let your child help you garden all year!
• Musical Instrument– A favorite gift last Christmas was a steel drum that my husband has been teaching the kids how to play (though I admit, on a couple of especially loud days I have regretted the idea!). This is the one we got, and they have loved learning to play it.
• Movie Night Packages– Our children don’t watch much TV, but we do love family movie nights. To make the tradition even more fun, we wrap up a family movie DVD, and some healthy snacks in a box for each child to let them “host” the movie night.
• Game Night Packages– A game night is another great family activity, and giving each child one game was a fun way to expand our collection and they love playing “their game” when we have a game night. Some favorite games are Apples to Apples, Tsuro, Uno, Sequence, and basic card games.
• DIY Gifts– My kids have enjoyed getting the supplies to make homemade soap, lip balm, lotion, or other DIY items that they can use or give as gifts (bonus: they are learning new skills too!).

Gifts for Dad

Check out this post for ideas of usable practical gifts that Dads will enjoy (and that help them be healthier, sleep better, etc.). In my experience, guys are the toughest to find experience based gifts for, but here are a few ideas that my hubby has liked over the years:

• Home Brewing– My hubby likes beer and I prefer when he drinks organic (or at least non-GMO) beer. A few years ago, he got into home brewing beer and it has been a fun hobby for him. I’d recommend this book to learn more about brewing, and while there are pre-made brewing kits, I’d suggest talking to a local home brew store if possible to find out what supplies and ingredients he will need.
• Sports– Any sports related experiences have been a hit with my hubby. I think my biggest (and most expensive!) surprise for him ever has been to get to go to spring training for his favorite team and even get to play with some of the players, but tickets to see his favorite teams play have also been a big hit. These all tend to be more expensive, so I had to save for several years for one of these surprises, but I think it ended up being an amazing and memorable experience for him.
• Outdoor Activities– This will vary a lot depending on the guy, but finding ways to support outdoor experiences he already loves is a great gift idea. This might be finding time to camp as a family, or for him to go hunting, hiking or play sports.
• Scuba Certification– One year, my hubby and I gave each other scuba certifications as a gift. We got to go through the process together, and ended up with a great hobby we could enjoy (though not a great one for taking younger kids!)
• Skydiving– Is your guy adventurous? Skydiving is a ton of fun and many cities have a local place you can go.

Gifts for Mom

Memes abound online about mom enjoying going to the bathroom alone, or her hobbies including eating without a child in her lap or sleeping in. These are some practical experience gift ideas that every mom will enjoy!

• A Day Off– Moms work hard all year, and things seem to get even busier around the holidays. One of my favorite gifts ever was a series of “days off” that I didn’t have to cook, clean or have any household responsibilities (and it included a gift card to go out for coffee!). Even better (hint to dads)- get together and schedule a moms night out for several of your wives to go to dinner together!
• Pampering– With that whole “motherhood is pretty hard work” thing, any kind of pampering is an awesome gift, and one that mom may not do unless it is a gift. Massages are my personal favorite!
• Date Nights– Getting time along can be tough with kids, so some of my favorite gifts ever have been pre-planned date nights when my husband handled the arrangements, lined up a sitter and made the plans.
• A Nap or Getting to Sleep in- This may be one of the toughest gifts to pull off, but one of the most appreciated. If you can figure out how to let mom sleep in for a day or take a nap, she will be grateful!
• Any Family Gifts– Any of the family gifts listed above are also a great option to get for moms as they’ll enjoy the family time and the idea of an activity to do with the kids.

Gifts for Grandparents + Extended Family

• Day Out with Kids– This has been a favorite for grandparents to give to the kids, but also to receive. The kids pick a fun activity they want to do with grandparents or extended family and give it to them as a gift. It might be something like going out for smoothies or playing at the park, or even a trip to the grocery store to gather ingredients and cook a meal together.
• Amazon Prime– I know several extended family members who use Amazon all the time, but did not want to pay for the Prime membership. In the past, we’ve given these family members a Prime membership (click on “give the gift of prime” and enter their email address). This is partially a material gift as well, but tends to make purchases they are already making faster and easier.
• Memory Book– Either make a photo book with a company like Shutterfly that showcases some favorite memories with the recipient, or let your kids make a homemade book by printing and cutting out pictures and writing captions.
• Membership Add-Ons– For grandparents who live close by, you may be able to add them to any of the family memberships listed above. We added guests/grandparent options to our zoo and science center memberships as well as to many of the local attraction places. This allows them to come for free and spend time with our kids (and is a bonus for us as well, since we have extra eyes to watch and help with the kids.

Giving Experiences: The Bottom Line

Even if you’ve already purchased gifts for this year, consider adding some experiences as well or slowly transitioning to more experience based gifts over time. The family time and memories are worth so much more than gifts, and statistically, giving experiences may help reduce your stress levels and contribute to family bonding.

We still give our children at least one physical gift each year, these gifts just aren’t the focus of our giving (or our lifelong memories!). We also try to make these gifts usable, practical and educational if possible (this gift guide has some of my favorites).

Have you tried to give experiences instead of gifts in the past? What other suggestions would you add to this list?

Continue Reading...46 Ways to Give Experiences Instead of Stuff This Year

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