I’ve had my Thera Wise products waiting in the wings to review for months, but because I like to test products, I’ve been waiting for hemorrhoids, cuts, acne, or chest colds to strike and happily we’ve been clear and healthy for some time. The great buzz regarding the product line from Thera Wise is these ointments are made with all-natural plant extracts used to heal and restore the skin. Thera Wise products include these 4 healing ointments: HmR – Hemorrhoids, SHO – Bio Active Skin Healing Ointment, VpR – Bio Active Vaporizing Decongestant, and Ac+ – Bio Active Acne Ointment.  I have to admit it’s a great arsenal to have at home for cuts, colds, and accidentals that happen with no planning.  I have not tried the Hemorrhoid cream, but think it would be a great product to add to a hospital suitcase before having a baby. I checked out the cream on EWG skin deep database and it’s included in the top 10 creams out there for hemorrhoids. Anyone that’s had a baby knows that hemorrhoids are unavoidable and how great is it to have an all-natural, plant-based solution for your body?

My review of Thera Wise is concentrated on the SHO – Skin Healing Ointment cream. I recently had the opportunity to actually need a cream like this and have been recommending it to friends with children suffering from open cuts/inflammation from eczema outbreaks. It has literally been close to 2 years since my Isabella had bleeding or infection with an eczema outbreak – but very recently that happened. She had a patch of really dry skin that spread from her cheek to behind her ear and it cracked and caused a deep cut. I tried using my usual moisturizing cream, but I needed something with healing properties.  I applied the Thera Wise cream and the cut became better after a few treatments. I found the Skin Healing Ointment very effective and was relieved to have something that could help Isabella that was plant-based and natural! The Skin Healing Thera Wise cream would not be a replacement for me as a daily moisturizer, but was great with treating the open sore caused by skin irritation.

Another Thera Wise product that I think is a wonderful natural replacement to a traditional treatment applied to children (and adults) is the VpR Decongestant Rub.  Because it’s made with botanical extracts it’s a great replacement for vapour rubs to provide relief for a chest cold. This product has an amazing rating of 1 from EWG – this natural way to vaporize is a wonderful treatment for anyone that enjoys the relief of congestion that eucalyptus, white pine, peppermint and other plant based ingredients provide.

Also interesting, I just noticed on the Thera Wise site from a customer testimonial that the Skin Healing Ointment was used successfully on a wart.  I have a child with a wart on his toe so I’m testing this cream on him and will post if it works to remove his wart.  Because it is small and not bothering him, I would never go through applying acid or ‘burning’ it off his foot. The wonderful thing about a multi-functional cream like this is that it’s plant based and with no petroleum you can try it on many different skin inflammations and feel like you’re making a better choice than the cortisone creams or prescription medicines that your family doctor will readily prescribe.

Thera Wise provides a great suite of products for anyone looking for plant therapy ointments and I’m happy to add these ointments to my personal medicine kit for cuts, burns, or accidentals that you can’t plan for with kids. For a list of stores that sell Thera Wise ointments, click here.

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When I first saw the hand painted notebooks from local artist April Lacheur I instantly knew what my Mother’s Day pick would be.  These days, who can resist an affordable, one-of-a-kind, unique, hand painted, and locally supported artist and beautiful mother’s day gift?  Certainly I can’t, and when you check out her amazing portfolio (right down to her signature tree trunks) you’ll understand my excitement. And for those Mommy Footprint readers that aren’t local to my West Coast roots, April has done her sourcing of the notebooks locally so if you are ordering them from another Province or State, she’s already looked after keeping the footprint light.

First a small glimmer into the product that caught my eye and inspired me to write about these notebooks.  Most of you know I’m a very practical person and I think the price point for these usable and unique pieces of art is great!  The journals come lined or un-lined and can be found here on April’s site and were sourced at Those Great Little Books that have a very cool and eco story all on their own! Read the story about Sandy’s Book and you’ll quickly understand the very cool things this company can do with notebook design and creativity! Back to April – check out these amazing functional (and original) journal covers with her lovely hand painted designs.  Just a perfect gift for a busy mom who would love the first page to be filled with notes from her husband or children about why she is special.

While you are on April’s site you might also notice her hand painted totes – another great gift idea(PVC-free) for mom this year with another great price point under $30.

It’s also very cool to watch the evolution of April’s paintings. Her latest from her Facebook updates is just wonderful and fills me with happiness. This is what the West Coast has looked like over the past few weeks with the beautiful cherry blossoms…combined with the whimsical tree trunks that are truly April’s signature:

My thanks to April for the earthy inspiration and for helping us learn that words like local, hand crafted, hand painted, and unique don’t have to be translated into the word expensive.

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Next to the elusive bathing suit that could magically transform a post-mommy body back into something firm, I would say the next hardest-to-find garment for myself would be a comfortable and stylish t-shirt. I never would have thought a t-shirt with a great-fit could be so hard to source. I won’t despair because I’ve recently found an artist that has stolen the show with her handmade artwork, using vintage and upcycled materials, with t-shirt designs that look wonderful! The majority of Alison Tauber’s clothing is organic cotton, produced with water-based inks. This last point is really why I can’t go to the mall without having anxiety of some sort. You just can’t find stores that are selling products made with this sort of dedication to craft and environment. Trying to find comfort, affordable clothing, made with an eco-conscious is next to impossible unless you head on-line. I’m looking forward to trying out some of Alison’s designs.  The t-shirts are very affordable and her vision of nature will bring a smile to your face. Check out these incredible designs, pictures courtesy of her site:

And you don’t want to get me started on Alison’s pillows. The tree design was enough to make me shriek, but the snail put me over the edge.  I’ll be sending Alison, the designer, and email off-line because I’m secretly begging for a snail t-shirt. Between the butterfly, tree, and snail I’ll be the best dressed mom through the eyes of my children that adore nature.  Thanks Alison for these unique creations and for making them eco and affordable. Can’t wait to report on the verdict of whether they are fit the bill for being ‘curve’ friendly.

You may have noticed a fresh look for the Mommy Footprint site. Please check out our new, streamlined layout with a super charged focus on companies that are doing great things with children’s health and the environment. I’m thrilled to be hosting a Dyson banner at the top of Mommy Footprint to show my support of their amazing Asthma and Allergy Friendly certified products.

Like most parents, once my mind is fully wrapped around an issue regarding my kids health or happiness, I fully spring into action. Last month when my oldest child was ‘officially’ tagged with Asthma from the specialist, the wheels kicked into overdrive in my head.  Parents always question their abilities or things they’ve done when told their kids have a condition and I’m no different.  I’ve always known that I don’t vacuum or dust enough – even knowing many chemicals like phthalates travel within homes in dust.  It didn’t help having a weak in-house vacuum system because you wonder how much good you are actually achieving with poor suction and lots of carpet to get through.

The most common advice I’ve heard with helping a person suffering from asthma or allergies is to rip out all your carpet in your home. That theory, true or not, is not an option with my house having an entire upper floor with carpeting and my family room downstairs.  That option is simply too costly and when I replace my flooring, I want to source very green options (more costly) with material like cork. For me, the best option was to start researching a vacuum system with a HEPA filter. This type of vacuum is one of the few options I found in my research that is so effective for an allergy/asthma sufferer because the HEPA filter is amazing at removing air-born irritants and very small particles that other vacuum cleaners would not effectively trap. If you smell an odour when vacuuming – that is irritants coming back out of your machine. What brand did I choose to contact with my questions? Dyson. Dyson machines are actually certified asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma Society of Canada and 10 allergy associations worldwide. The reason a Dyson vacuum is so effective because they use Root Cyclone technology and include a HEPA filter that remove the smallest particles of dust, mould, and bacteria.

Dyson Canada sent me a DC25 All Floors model to test in my home and even my children have remarked ‘we’ve never seen mom this excited before’. Funny how life changes and a quality, well-designed, powerful vacuum has made my life so much easier and very exciting to clean my home with. Not only is it super powerful, but it’s a pleasure to push and simple to use. I couldn’t believe the amount of dust that has come out of my carpets. I had vacuumed with my in-house vacuum system only days before using the DC25 and look at all of the dust it removed from my carpet! I took a picture because it was so shocking what we’ve been living with and this was only from 2 rooms!

I’ve included various links throughout this article for you to learn more from the Dyson site. My focus for this article was sourcing a product that will and is already helping provide a healthier environment for my child with asthma. Dyson machines are known to never lose suction, but the filters and strength of the machine offer so much more and the proof is in the canister for me. The lines left on my carpet from the superb suction from the machine looks like I’ve just had my carpets professionally cleaned. The industrial strength of the Dyson, balanced with this lightweight, beautiful design makes me want to use it more often and I know I’m improving my home with reducing chemicals and possible irritants for asthma, eczema, or allergies with my kids. When you purchase a Dyson vacuum online – the shipping is free so if you’re in the market for a new vacuum, click onto the Dyson Canada or US site and experience their amazing customer service.  The warranty is great too with 5 year parts and labor. Dyson, you really are the total package with cool looking design, easy manoeuvrability (click here to watch video of the Dyson ball), and great results!

I will be writing a few more articles in this series about how to effectively manage your carpet’s health to help improve the overall environment for your household. Along with a HEPA filter vacuum, there are many more natural tips that will help.

I recently had a wonderful phone call with ‘Mama Maven‘, otherwise known as Tanis Frame and like most green minded mamas – an instant connection formed. Tanis’ passion is to empower parents with knowledge and is hired to speak to schools or parent groups and share her quality knowledge with topics like healthy home, baby carrier info and diapering alternatives. She can also be contacted to speak in a smaller, more intimate setting with groups of friends – very cool for a group of ladies joining the new world of parenting.

During our phone call, she suggested additional tips for naturally removing contaminants and improving bedroom air quality and I’m happy I can share. My thanks to Tanis, who with a background in toxicology and children’s environmental health is an amazing resource for information and it’s always fun to learn tips that are inexpensive and easy to source.

Tips to Instantly Improve Household Air Quality

Fresh Air!   Could it be that simple? Inside our home is where many chemicals off-gassing resides, particularly formaldehyde and benzene. Released from furniture, carpets, cleaning products, along with phthalates and flame retardants in bedding and dust, these toxins tend to collect in our homes and the air we breathe.  So get outside and spend time outdoors and bring the fresh air in and open your windows and flush through fresh air. Enjoy the benefits of quick recirculation and refreshing of the air you’re breathing. An instant process to remove odours and think of it as nature’s air freshener. One of the quickest ways to create a toxic environment for children is to spray air fresheners and febreeze in the air. Read more on masking odours with chemicals here.

Bring in Plants! Not only do plants freshen the air we breathe, but also the planet and our indoor spaces. Tanis mentioned a study by Nasa about how plants remove assorted chemicals in different amounts. It is SO interesting!  The common philodendron, spider plant, devil’s ivy, and Boston fern naturally remove formaldehyde from the air.  Peace lilies, chrysanthemums, and gerbera daisies are said to filter out benzene and trichloroethylene.  Mama Maven’s personal favourite is the Snake Plant because it’s not only a top air purifier, it grow quickly, is inexpensive, and it’s very difficult to kill. (Big bonus for parents that don’t have time to manage finicky plants.) Another great plant is the Spider Plant because it hangs out of reach and the “babies” can be rooted in water and planted over the course of the year.

Added note from Suzanne… Certain plants recommended are considered poisonous houseplants so you need to keep up, away from pets and children (e.g. Snake Plant). Here is a list of Poisonous Houseplants from the Blog Houseplant Care Tips **

Added note from Suzanne… I read the Houseplant chapter of Adria Vasil’s latest Ecoholic book, called Ecoholic Home and she agrees with plants improving air purification and recommends “15 leafy creatures in a 2,000 square foot home should do the trick” for encouraging absorption of certain VOCs like formaldehyde and benzene. A great read if you are looking for extensive and quality research on greening and creating a healthier home.

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