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Category: Motherhood

5 Tips to Tame Tangled Toddler Hair

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JohnsonsLovesBaby #ChooseGentle #CollectiveBias

My three year old has curly, tangled hair and sometimes I am just at a loss about what to do about it. It took her a long time to actually grow hair, so I’m not going to just cut it. She always has very curly hair where I have stick-straight hair. So it took me a while to figure out a few tips to dealing with it. Here are five tips I have to help deal with tangled toddler hair.#ad Tangled toddler hair is no fun to deal with! Between the tears and the tantrums, it's the worst. Here are five easy ways to help tangled toddler hair. quirkyandthenerd.com

8 Productivity Tips for a Stay at Home Mom

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. This means I may receive some compensation if you buy through it. Check my disclosure page for more information.

A few months ago, I transitioned to being a full-time stay at home mom. I was only working part-time up until then, so I thought it would be an easy change. It most definitely was not. I had to shift my expectations and systems to find a way to get things done without being too stressed. I have 8 productivity tips for a stay at home mom who needs them so you don’t have to figure them out the hard way like I did!

(I’ve previously written about 5 tips for stay at home mom productivity if you’d like to see how my thoughts have changed.)

Staying at home with your kids is so much more enjoyable when you get things done. Here are 8 easy productivity tips for a stay at home mom. quirkyandthenerd.com

Raising a Baby with Food Allergies

My 9 month old has food allergies and actually, he has been diagnosed with them for several months now. I often get asked how in the world that can be as he was exclusively breastfed until he was just over 6 months old. So let me tell you a little bit about how we figured out we had a baby with food allergies and what I recommend you do if you think your baby has food allergies. If you are interested in reading Leroy’s story more in-depth, check out this post I wrote about it.

Let me start off by saying that this was our experience and I’m not offering any medical advice. But at the beginning of our food allergy journey, I had a hard time finding personal stories about babies with food allergies. So here is what our journey looks like so far.

I am raising a baby with food allergies. Here is the story of how we figured it out even though he was exclusively breastfed. quirkyandthenerd.com

The Full Story of Leroy’s Allergies

I’ve talked about raising a baby with food allergies, but I wanted to have a separate post talking more in-depth about Leroy and his food allergies.

I have a 9 month old who has already been diagnosed with two food allergies and is doing more testing soon. Many people have wondered how in the world a baby who hasn’t even eaten much solid food could be diagnosed as having food allergies. So this is Leroy’s story.

Let me start off by saying that this was our experience and I’m not offering any medical advice. But at the beginning of our food allergy journey, I had a hard time finding personal stories about babies with food allergies. So here is what our journey looks like so far.

Backstory

Let me first tell you that everything was pretty much normal during my pregnancy, labor, and delivery. He was born a good weight at full term and besides a misshapen ear which first failed the hearing test, but then got itself straightened out, he was perfect.

But my family has a history of asthma and as I have now learned, asthma, allergies, and eczema are all carried on the same gene. So even though no one else in the family has food allergies, the asthma that runs from my father to me to Mac meant that Leroy had a chance at getting any or all of those afflictions.

Two Month Checkup

At his two month well child check, the doctor noticed that his skin was very rough. We had noticed that also, but it was the middle of winter in Minnesota, so we didn’t think much of it. The doctor, however, was a bit more concerned and suggested it looked more like eczema.

I am raising a baby with food allergies. Here is the story of how we figured it out even though he was exclusively breastfed. quirkyandthenerd.com

I decided to tell her about his spitting up. Obviously all babies spit up, but Leroy seemed to spit up a lot. So I told the doctor about it. She told me that it was probably nothing, especially because my happy boy didn’t fit the bill of reflux babies who are super grumpy and don’t sleep well. But she humored me and checked him out. She said “Oh yeah, I can hear him refluxing constantly.”

This started the journey of my elimination diet. I cut out dairy and eggs because those were the most likely culprits. We also started him on some medication that wasn’t meant to stop the reflux, but was going to help coat his esophagus so it wasn’t damaged by the stomach acid going up and down.

Check-In

After a few weeks, I went back to check in. Worryingly, Leroy had stopped gaining weight at the rapid pace he previously had been. He was still gaining, but much slower. I asked about doing some allergy testing, but our regular pediatrician suggested she consult with some other doctors because such a young baby would be unlikely to have food allergies.

That seemed like a logical explanation to me, even though my mom senses were tingling. I had been doing a lot of reading about food proteins, especially peanut, being transmitted through breastmilk and I just had a gut feeling. But I went with it.

After this appointment, I started keeping a food diary in the notes section of my phone. I was able to include photos of rashes that popped up. If nothing else, it helped me confirm to myself that I was not just making stuff up.

I am raising a baby with food allergies. Here is the story of how we figured it out even though he was exclusively breastfed. quirkyandthenerd.com

A Different Doctor Weighs In

Two weeks later, Leroy started to have diarrhea and there were some streaks of blood in it. We called for an appointment, but our regular pediatrician was on vacation. So we saw a different doctor that day.

While the blood ended up being just from his bottom being irritated, this doctor re-asked all of the questions we had gone over before. I appreciated her thoroughness and was even more appreciative when she said “Why don’t we just do a blood draw to check for allergies?”

Blood Test Results

When the test results came back, egg whites were just above the normal range into the allergy range and peanuts were significantly above the allergy level. The next step was to see the allergist and confirm the allergy diagnoses by doing more testing.

Referral to the Allergist

Shortly after we got the blood test results, our regular pediatrician referred us to an allergist. Our allergist isn’t specifically a pediatric specialist like I would have liked, but she works with children a lot and she has been great so far throughout the process. After getting our referral, we immediately called to schedule an appointment, but they would only make an appointment a month out. We took the first appointment we could and then we waited.

Consultation with the Allergist

After a month’s wait, we had our consultation. The allergist first talked about what symptoms we had been seeing. We talked about his reflux and eczema. We then did a scratch test to confirm the two allergens he had tested positive for in his blood test and the allergist decided to also test for dust mites as that was a more over-arching allergy that may explain some things.

A scratch test is rather simple. They scratch the skin on the back with something that also introduces the allergen into the body. They also do a negative and positive scratch. The positive is a histamine and shows what an allergic reaction would look like in that person. The negative is saline, I believe, and just shows how that person’s body reacts to being poked in general.

The scratch test was interesting. Because Leroy was younger, he really didn’t mind the scratch test. He didn’t like it, but we didn’t have to hold him down or anything to do them. The hardest part was figuring out how to keep him entertained for 15 minutes while holding him in a way that wouldn’t touch his back.

After the wait time, the nurse came back in and measure any bumps that swell up as compared to the positive.

After our wait time, there was nothing in the “dust mites” categories, but both peanuts and eggs had swollen up and were positive for an allergy.

After the Diagnosis

At that point, Leroy was confirmed to have allergies. We were given a prescription for an epinephrine injector. And we walked through what we would do in the next few months, which included some in-office eating challenges to see exactly what his allergy looks like. For example, when he is around a year old, we will be testing to see if he can handle eggs that are baked into things like cakes.

Possibility of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

As we were leaving the allergist office that day, she told us to be on the look out for excessive spit up that continues even after he starts solid foods. There is a food allergy that is a fairly new diagnosis called eosinophilic esophagitis (or EoE). It is a food allergy that means as food moves down to the stomach, the esophagus has white blood cells that are too close to the surface and will mistakenly recognize some foods as being foreign and will fight it off. Instead of causing anaphylaxis, as may happen with other allergies, it causes people to throw up. This kind of allergy is actually quite common, but unfortunately it is harder to actually diagnose because the reaction can be hours later. Because of Leroy’s reflux, we were told to be on the lookout for it.

One night, Leroy had applesauce for his dinner. About 45 minutes later, he started vomiting and over the course of two hours, vomited out the contents of his stomach. He wasn’t showing any other signs of being sick (no fever) and nobody else in the family was sick or vomiting.

The next morning, I messaged the allergist who suggested this may be indicative of EoE. At that point, we were referred to a GI specialist to talk to about Leroy’s reflux.

Referral to the GI

Next, was a consultation with a GI doctor. This doctor gave a few “new” suggestions to try. She said we should try to feed him some prunes to make sure everything was moving alright. She also suggested we cut dairy out of my diet as it can also gum up the works.

She also said we should do a GI imaging with Leroy just to make sure everything is anatomically correct inside.

GI Imaging

Leroy had a GI imaging series done at the local children’s hospital. He couldn’t eat for three hours beforehand. We gave him a bottle with nutritionless stuff inside that would light up his upper GI tract on the screen so we could see if there was anything wrong.

Without too much detail, the good news was that besides it looking like he may also have asthma, his upper GI tract was normal.

Looking for Other Allergies

Now, Leroy started being diagnosed with food allergies right as he was starting solid foods. It was a little scary to try to figure out what to feed him while being careful about introducing him to any of the other top allergens. I finally came around to having him try wheat and the first time he ate a piece of toast, his eye got a weird pink ring around it about a half hour later.

We went to do a scratch test for wheat and at this appointment, I also suggested we test for dairy as his refluxing had gone way down after I cut diary out of my diet.

So we had another appointment for a scratch test to test for wheat and dairy. The good news was that he didn’t react at all to wheat. But strangely enough, he reacted to dairy. The nurse mentioned it was strange because he hadn’t actually eaten dairy before, but to me, that was just par for the course.

We are currently thinking that perhaps dairy is the trigger for his eosinophilic esophagitis.

His First Real Reaction

Up until about two weeks ago, Leroy had never had a “real” reaction. We had caught all of his allergies before he actually ingested them. And then he ate hummus.

I was trying hard to figure out what to feed Leroy while keeping in mind allergens. Leroy liked to eat rice, but I was trying to figure out what to mix with it to make it a bit more exciting for him. I realized that hummus might be the perfect thing.

So one day for lunch, I heated up some rice and mixed some hummus with it. Leroy loved it! He was eating it and after a few minutes, I noticed some redness around his mouth. At first, I wrote it off because I thought of hummus as a “safe” food. But the redness started to spread around his face. I realized then that he was having his first reaction.

Thankfully, my neighbors are not only medically trained, but have a son with allergies. I grabbed the kids and headed next door for their help as in the moment, I felt like I wasn’t sure what to do. They helped me give Leroy medicine and keep an eye on him to make sure it didn’t get worse.

It didn’t get any worse than the rash, but we go in next week to test for a sesame seed allergy.

I am raising a baby with food allergies. Here is the story of how we figured it out even though he was exclusively breastfed. quirkyandthenerd.com

Where Do We Go From Here?

Besides feeling like we live in doctor’s offices, we are starting in-office eating challenges this week. First up is peanuts.

Studies have shown that children who test on the low to middle end of positive for a peanut allergy may be able to be sensitized to peanuts so that even if they are still allergic, their reactions will be less severe. This week we go in and will spend several hours slowly feeding Leroy small amounts of peanut butter to see if, when, and how he reacts. If he is able to tolerate an entire serving of peanut butter, we will then start

Two months from now, we will go in and repeat the scratch test for dairy and then do an in-office eating challenge for that to see what kind of reaction he has to it.

Around Leroy’s first birthday, we will have an in-office eating challenge for baked egg. He may not be able to eat eggs by themselves, but being able to eat them baked in a cake or cookies would be really nice.

How I am Unschooling a Preschooler

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I am very passionate about Montessori education. But with some recent life changes, we left our beloved Montessori school and I was stuck deciding how to help my daughter with her education in the best way.

Now, I am someone who loves to organize and arrange things. So at first, I wanted to make a whole system of schedules and lesson plans. Except we definitely wouldn’t have followed it; it would have just been busy work for me.

Enter unschooling.

“Unschooling” is a term that can be very divisive. People read it and think of children languishing at home, sleeping until noon, watching television all day, and never learning to read. That couldn’t be further from the truth. One thing I’ve learned through the lens of Montessori is that children are naturally curious and if left to their own devices, will learn just from being allowed to explore.

Unschooling simply means you are letting your child learn naturally without a strict curriculum. But an unschooled kid could still do worksheets if that is what they want to do. You could get a math curriculum for them to follow if they are interested in it. They could also take classes in things that they are interested in. What makes it unschooling is that the child is taking the lead and the learning comes naturally.

When it comes to a preschooler, I do several things to help her learn without giving her a strict structure or making her sit to do the work I think she should do. Here is what unschooling a preschooler looks like, the similarities with Montessori education and how it is working for us.

What do you do if you can't afford preschool? Unschooling a preschooler is easier than you think. Here is how I am unschooling my three year old. quirkyandthenerd.com

Amazon Prime Day 2018 for Montessori Parents

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. This means I may receive some compensation if you buy through it. Check my disclosure page for more information.

Why is Amazon Prime Day so awesome?

Amazon Prime Day is like Black Friday except you can shop at home in your pajamas with deals that are actually amazing without the pressure of the holidays being right around the corner. I have to admit that I get a little giddy every year when it comes around. This year it starts on Monday, July 16th and runs through Tuesday July 17th. Make sure you look at my tips on how to prep for Prime Day.

I think this is a great time to look for deals for kids but here is the catch for me: a lot of things I find for kids are things I don’t typically buy like flashy plastic toys or electronics. And while I am always someone who enjoys a good deal, I don’t want to end up buying something I don’t actually like or missing something that is a good deal.

So this page will contain a running list that will be updated throughout the Prime Day sale of items for kids that are a little more Montessori. Make sure you check in multiple times throughout the day because once the deal is gone, it is gone!

Amazon Prime Day 2018 is done! Join my email newsletter to see my picks next year.

Amazon Prime Membership

Make sure you are an Amazon Prime member. If you aren’t, click below for a 30 day free trial just in time for Prime Day!

Kindle Unlimited

I checked Kindle Unlimited to see what their book selection was like for kids and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much there was for all ages! There are tons of good things for older kids, but quite a few picture books also. This might be a good option if you spend a lot of time in the car and your child wants some variety with the books they get to look at. You can also use it to read books in your free time also!

How I Prep for Amazon Prime Day

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. This means I may receive some compensation if you buy through it. Check my disclosure page for more information.

I have found some amazing deals on Amazon Prime Day in the past so each year, I eagerly await it. But it is so easy to either get sucked into the hype and buy things you don’t actually want and need or to get overwhelmed and just abandon it without getting some of the cool things you wanted. Here are the five things I do to prep for Amazon Prime Day.

(And if you are interested in killer deals for parents, make sure you check out the post I’ll be updating throughout the sale. I’ll mostly be looking for things that fit in with a Montessori home.)

Prime Day is awesome, but it is even better if you prepare for it ahead of time. Here are five things you should do to prep for Amazon Prime Day. quirkyandthenerd.com

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Panini: My Family’s Favorite, Easy Dessert

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

Lets just admit it: everyone loves a good chocolate, hazelnut flavored dessert, right? I know I do. So when I was given the opportunity to sample Once Again Nut Butter Amoré Hazelnut Spread, I figured I would use the opportunity to tell you about the easiest, tastiest dessert around: the Chocolate Hazelnut Panini.

I partnered with Moms Meet to bring you my family's favorite, easy dessert: a chocolate hazelnut dessert panini. Read the easy directions and about Once Again Nut Butter Amoré Hazelnut Spread. #sponsored quirkyandthenerd.com

My Son Got a Helmet for a Flat Spot

Deformational Plagiocephaly. That is the technical term for my infant son Leroy’s flat spot. It is also the reason that he is now going to wear a helmet 23 hours a day, 7 days a week for the next 3 months. When I found out he would be needing a helmet for a flat spot, I sat down and did what I always do when faced with the unknown: I researched as much as I possibly could. While I found a lot of medical information, I wanted more personal stories. So now that my baby is comfortably in his helmet, I wanted to share our story, the information we have learned so far, and answer some of the questions I had before we got the helmet.

I never thought my son would be a helmet baby, but his flat spot (or deformational plagiocephaly) was deemed severe enough to need one. Read all about our story and everything I've learned about having a kid in a helmet. quirkyandthenerd.com

Where I Look to Find Activities for Kids

As a mother, I definitely get stuck in a rut sometimes. There I am, trying to get something done and then it happens. My kid is bored. And even though we have toys and other things around, she just can’t find something to keep her occupied. Of course all of the things I’m suggesting are not things she wants to do. None of the old standbys like coloring will work. Then I realize that I need to come up with some new activities. It can be a little overwhelming, but here are the places where I look for new activities for kids.

Do you have trouble figuring out things to keep your kids occupied while you get things done? I share a few places you can look for more activities for kids. quirkyandthenerd.com

Pinterest

Pros: Lets be honest, Pinterest is definitely a place I look for new ideas. I can find some really good activities there and most of them are easily put together. It is also great because I can search for something specific I’d like.

Cons: But sometimes the projects are not things I can do at home or without buying a ton of supplies. And sometimes I click on it and it doesn’t bring me to the right page.

Library

Pros: The library is a great place to look for activities. I can find books my child will like along with books I’d like to check out that have activities. Sometimes libraries even have a lending program for small toys or activities.

Cons: You have to leave home. And really, sometimes that just doesn’t cut it. Also, you may be limited by the size of your library. My local library is tiny. I can order things from the other libraries in the system, but again I have to wait.

Thrift Stores/Garage Sales

Pros: You can find nice, quality things for cheap at thrift stores and garage sales. I’ve found great toys, puzzles, and books there that have given me great ideas. You know you’ll be able to find at least one of those great 90’s books that have a ton of activities listed.

Cons: Once again, you have to leave home. You also aren’t guaranteed that the toy is in good shape or that the puzzle has all of the pieces.

 

 

 

So where else do you look for new activities?