DIY Holidays: 4 Decorations to Start Now!

The holidays are here and it’s time to deck the halls and put your DIY holiday talents to the test. Even if you’re not inclined to start decorating in November, there are plenty of crafty, fun projects you can prep now. Each of these ornament projects is easy to make, looks great on your tree, and can double as a small present or gift embellishment.

Keep reading for four holiday decoration ideas you’ll love to make and share.

Mason Jar Band Christmas Wreaths

If you’re looking for a quick and easy DIY holiday project, these mason jar wreaths fit the bill. Even if you only keep a modest craft stash in the house, you probably already have everything you need! For this project you’ll need a hot glue gun, mason jar bands, twine, thin white rope, ribbon and any added embellishments you want to use.

Start by adding a dab of hot glue to your metal band and attach your wrapping of choice (such as rope or twine), ensuring you leave enough length to cover the ring entirely. Neatly wrap your band until it’s covered, gluing the end next to the spot where you started. Finish by adding a red bow to the top, some felt holly leaves, and a hook to hang your finished product on the tree.

DIY Holiday Wood Slice Ornaments

For this easy holiday project you’ll need wood slices 2 inches in diameter, black chalk paint, a power drill, twine, and white paint markers. You can purchase wood slices online or at a craft store, or simply cut your own! Start by painting the centers of your slices with the black chalk paint, leaving a thin frame around the outside.

After a few coats have dried and you have even coverage, decorate with a name, holiday shape, or saying onto your chalk paint using a white paint marker. If you’re unsure of your free hand, use a stencil! Finally, drill a hole into your new ornament and add a loop of twine to hang it on the tree or attach it to a gift.

Twig and Ribbon Trees

All you need for this project is some sturdy twigs, green ribbon in various patterns, twine and hot glue. Cut your ribbon into short pieces, but not so short you can’t knot them and tie them onto your twig, leaving at least ½ inch on the bottom for a trunk.

Tighten or double your knots to ensure they stay snug and, using a sharp scissors, trim your ribbon into the shape of a tree, heating the ends to avoid fraying. Finish by gluing a piece of twine to the top to hang your ribbon tree.

Simple Salt Dough Ornaments

This style of making DIY holiday ornaments is timeless and requires few ingredients. All you need for this project is salt, water, flour, ribbon and a few tiny evergreen boughs. Start by mixing your dough using 1 cup salt, 1 cup warm water, and 2 cups white flour. Mix your dough, turn it onto the counter, and knead for 5 minutes, the longer you knead it, the smoother it will be.

Roll out your dough and cut it into shapes with a cookie cutter, punching a hole at the top for ribbon or twine. While still wet, press evergreen twigs into the dough for a wintery, natural imprint. To finish, allow your ornaments to air dry or bake them in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit until dry.

What are your favorite DIY holiday projects? Tell us all about them in the comments section below!

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Cure a Tummy Ache: Natural Digestive Support for Kids

Let’s face it, the holidays aren’t an easy time on anyone’s tummy – kids included! Around every corner there’s a plate of cookies, a cup of hot chocolate, or a bag of brightly colored candy. If your child typically eats a balanced diet that’s low in processed sugar and preservatives, the holidays can quickly cause imbalance and discomfort.

This year, why not be proactive about your child’s digestive health? A little planning and knowledge can make all the difference. Keep reading to learn more about how you can put natural digestive support to work for your family this winter.

Understanding Your Child’s Digestive System

Your child, like all humans, has an amazingly complex digestive system, which depends on the health of a balanced gut, or microbiome. A big change in food intake (think sugary, starchy, holiday treats) can throw things way off balance and cause achy, crampy stomach upset. Not only can this lead to discomfort, but an imbalanced gut can weaken the immune system as well, leading to an increase in seasonal colds and viruses, as well as dry skin and rashes.

How to Support Healthy Digestion

A balanced, nourishing diet that bears in mind your child’s unique needs is a key part of healthy digestion. There are many reasons why you or your child might feel a nagging upset stomach after eating, such as gas, indigestion, or food intolerance. Your first step needs to be understanding how your child works and taking notice of what tends to cause stomach upset. When you can identify patterns in eating, you have a key piece needed to unlock you or your child’s best health through the holidays and beyond.

Understanding Products Designed for Natural Digestive Support

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are complex proteins necessary for digestion, which are the catalyst that cause chemical changes needed to help the body digest and use the nutrients in food. Digestive enzymes can be divided into three categories: lipases, which work to digest fat, proteolytic enzymes, which work to break up protein, and amylases, which are necessary for digesting carbohydrates.

Digestive enzymes are available in supplement form and can help with natural digestive support. Enzyme supplements can assist your body in proper nutrient absorption, as well as ease the bloating and gas associated with an upset stomach.

If you’re looking to support your child’s health through digestive enzymes, try Chewable Kid’s Digest from Ezymedica, ChewZymes from NOW Foods, or Similase Jr by Integrative Therapeutics.

Probiotics

Probiotic supplements work to support your child’s healthy gut flora, by boosting and replacing the good bacteria in your body, and keeping things balanced. Probiotics can be categorized into two main groups: Lactobacillus (the most common probiotic) and Bifidobacterium, which can be found in dairy products.

When shopping for a probiotic, quality matters and not all products are created equal. Look for a well-researched and proven product, and talk to your doctor about which strain and dosage is the best fit for your child’s needs.

If you’re looking for a quality probiotic to boost your child’s health, check out Ultimate Flora Kids from Renew Life, or Berry Dophilus for Kids from NOW Foods.

What do you use for natural digestive support? Share your tips and experiences with us in the comments section below.

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Hemp Products Are Hot! Try These Must-Have Brands

Hemp products such as hemp extract and CBD oil seem to be in every medical news headline right now. Perhaps your pharmacist, friend, and neighbor has told you why you need to try hemp products to cure what ails you. From pain relief to mood imbalance, hemp products have the potential to unlock a level of health and wellness you may have thought impossible, but with the market flooded with products, where do you start?

Keep reading to learn a little bit more about hemp products as well as 4 trusted brands we recommend to those wanting to give it a try.

Understanding Hemp Products

Just because a supplement or product is popular, doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for everyone on the planet. The first thing that you need to understand is that commercially available hemp and CBD products aren’t addictive and they don’t contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the much debated compound in marijuana.

These products are still new and researchers and doctors are still trying to understand the best applications for patients.

Potential Benefits of Hemp

Currently, the natural health community is exploding with claims surrounding the potential uses and effectiveness of hemp and CBD products. Hemp contains the compound cannabidiol (CBD) which contains the the same benefits of marijuana without the psychoactive compounds that get you high.

CBD works by interacting with the neural receptors that cause pain, anxiety, and seizures and regulating them. Research is still in the early stages, but there may soon be promising data regarding using hemp to treat pain, mood imbalance, seizures and more.

4 Brands You Can Trust

Thorne Research

Thorne Research places a priority on purity, which is why you can trust their products to be of the highest quality. Hemp Oil + uses the purest hemp stalk oil possible to balance the body's response to stress, anxiety, GI discomfort, and more. Thorne's Hemp Oil + is a synergistic, clean blend of phytocannabinoids that supports and regulates one of the body's essential, yet minimal researched systems – the Endocannabinoid System

Terry Naturally

Terry Naturally is a trusted brand that has revolutionized the natural health community with an extensive line of products and supplements. One such product is Premium European Hemp Oil + Curcumin, which combines two premium botanical supplements for maximum effectiveness. This supplement features concentrated hemp oil and natural curcumin packed with turmeric essential oil to balance the body and enhance system function.

Charlotte’s Web

The most popular hemp brand making headlines, Charlotte’s Web, specializes in hemp extract products that feature high-CBD, low-THC cannabis extract oils rich in antioxidants and neuroprotectants. If you’re looking to get started, try Extra Strength Hemp Extract Capsules or Extra Strength Hemp Extract Oil with Mint Chocolate to experience the benefits of hemp. 

Hemp Fusion

Hemp Fusion features only nutritional hemp, and uses a combination of the finest non-GMO, full-spectrum phytocannabinoid hemp oil and botanicals in their whole food hemp products. With Hemp Fusion, the hemp oil is delivered to the body in a sunflower oil-based complex to support the absorption and utilization of the nutrients. To get started, try Hemp Fusion 3.0 Liquid Capsules. This nutritional supplement is made from a whole food hemp complex alongside black pepper fruit and clove oil, which promote healthy internal balance and overall wellness.

Are you currently using hemp products to support your healthy lifestyle? Share your stories with us in the comments section below!

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Photo by Drew Taylor on Unsplash