I have a giant. A 13-year-old, shaving, 5’9″ giant. And I’ve goaded him, pleaded him, and cried at his feet to test out some crunchy recipes for teens. He says no (although I will wear him down one of these days). Then he hugs me and tells me he loves me, so I forgive him. Because he’s 13, and hugs don’t come fast and furious like they used to.
So perhaps that’s why I didn’t even think to start doing things for little ones. But last Christmas, I made everyone in the family lotsa homemade goodies, including the eight-bajillion under-5ers that were hanging around. So I have a decent base to start with in terms of recipes for kids that I like.
All of that, just to introduce a new weekly feature: Crunchy Kids!
Luckily, I also have a 2-year-old at my disposal, so I’m going to have to warn my friend Katrina that her child will be my guinea pig soon. If she says no, I may just start running out my front door and putting things on random kids. You can’t walk around Manitou for two minutes without stepping on a few.
Next week, we’ll do something super fun for the bathtub – and it’s a really great project to do together. But to kick things off, here are some quick tips for common kidlet issues you can do right now (if you need to).
- Ugh. Mosquito bites! Apple cider vinegar. Just dab it on a cotton ball and rub it on the itchy area. The itch – gone. And, bonus: If they’ve scratched it raw (and it might sting a little to use the ACV), you’ll get extra antibacterial support for potential infections.
- Too Much Fun in the Sun: For a kid-sized sunburn, one really weird (kids love the weird) and effective remedy is to toss a potato in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then slice it in half. Run the sliced potato lightly over the burned area and the pain will subside. Or, as mentioned in this post, cucumber works much the same way (minus the white wine for kids, probably – which is okay – more for you).
- “But I Don’t Wanna Go to Bed!” If you have a chronic non-sleeper, go to Whole Foods (or, better yet, a locally run natural foods store) or Mountain Rose Herbs (on the left sidebar) and get some lavender essential oil (you will want some anyway, because I will use it often here). Put a drop or two on a Q-tip and rub it on your crunchy kid’s pillow. Not the pillowcase. It might stain. Lavender soothes and sleepifies little ones in no time.
- Rosemary and Boo-Boos are Great Companions. For a little scratch or scrape, boil 1/4 water with 1 Tbsp rosemary. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Strain, add a little ice to cool the liquid down, and dab onto the affected area (of course, for bigger cuts that are bleeding profusely, please see a health care provider). It’s a great “magic fixer” that works as an antiseptic and for calming (the scent of rosemary does many wonderful things for kids).
That’s it for now. More to come in the near future. Crunch on, kids and moms!
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Do you have a kidlet home remedy or homemade skincare solution you just love? Or an absolute favorite, tried-and-true homemade beauty recipe of your own? How about a question for Crunchy Betty about an issue you’ve been having? Leave a comment and let me know!
Food on Your Face (and Hair!) : Yogurt
If it makes you feel any better I’m 13 and have tried all the recipes I could get my hands on the ingredients for !! 🙂
As a mommy of two crunchy babies, I am excited to see more posts like this!! Thanks for all you do!!
i could be a tester if you like. i’m around your son’s age
I love everything about corn and always have leftovers. I’ll try this one soon. Same question as before, will fresh lavender work? And what if I don’t have many/any blossoms?
I love lavender essential oil. I keep some in the laundry room and put a few drops on a white sock and then throw it in the dryer. Especially with our linens. The whole place smells good!
I don’t see why fresh lavender wouldn’t work, but you do need to use more of fresh than you would of dried (just like when you’re cooking with herbs). I wouldn’t do it without blossoms, though. If you need dried lavender, you can get some from Mountain Rose Herbs (there’s a link to the left on my bar), or most local natural foods stores carry it, too. I’m not sure I could live without a stash.
Because! Speaking of lavender EO and dryers, I’ve never been able to get the lav scent to linger if I just use the EO on a piece of fabric (I use small pieces of muslin soaked in white vinegar for dryer sheets), but someone recommended putting a sock full of dried lavender, tied tight at the top, in with the wet clothes while they’re drying. I tried that, but dropped 10-20 drops of lavender EO in the dried buds, too, and it worked like a charm. Love it.
I’m covered in itchy mosquito bites – can’t wait to give your remedy a try. Also tracked down the Julian Casablanca song – love it. Thanks for the recommendation.
Oooh oooh! There’s another song today! I caught it on the radio on the way home a bit ago, and I canNOT stop listening to it:
http://www.myspace.com/anyamarina
It’s Anya Marina – All the Same to Me (the second one down in her player)
We’re just going to pretend that she wasn’t involved with Twilight at any time. That will make us cooler.
Thanks for the great tips! I will definitely try the vinegar today!
If they (or you) need something a little stronger, try grinding up an aspirin and making a paste with water – rub that on the really bad ones. The swelling will go down and the itchy pain will subside a bit. I did that a few times years ago when I lived in a very mosquito-ey area, and it always worked for me!
I love, love, love lavender. LOVE.
Get some lavender essential oil and put 10 drops in 3 cups of water, all in a spray bottle. Spritz your hair with it after the shower, and whenever you want a pick-me-up during the day. It will make you happy. And a happy TwoScoopz is a happy world.