Healthy Living, Naturally

Summertime means lots of picnics and potluck barbeques – and who doesn’t want to bring the treat everyone’s talking about?

Enter the Uncupcake! Tell the kids and adults alike to get excited – fruit now comes in the form of a chocolate cupcake!

With healthy fats from avocado and coconut oil and no refined sugar, this cupcake offers a better alternative without sacrificing taste. Thanks to our partner Healthy Jasmine, expert food blogger and mom of 2, you now have the creative recipe for a treat you can feel good about serving and the other party guests will rave about. (Bonus: its gluten free and vegan!)

Check out the recipe here! (I had one and YUM!)
http://healthyjasmine.com/recipes/gluten-free-vegan-chocolate-avocado-cupcake-recipe/

Suddenly getting invites to a lot of barbeques? Thank you, delicious Uncupcake!
(Be sure to check out Healthy Jasmine’s other recipes too – my favorite is the Cherry Sparkler Colada!) Read more...

For many people, a trip to the local Farmer's market is a weekend must. Many markets have food vendors whipping up ripe smoothies, delicious crepes, tamales and some even provide great kid entertainment, and fresh food to sample. I can safely say that going to the grocery store is not a favorite errand for my daughter. But going to the Farmer's Market...sure thing!

Clearly, most would agree that shopping at the local farmer's market is much more appealing than a trip to a big chain grocery store. And beneficial too. Besides actually talking to a farmer about their growing methods, and maybe even learning a new method of preparing their specialty crop, you'll reap the benefits from: Read more...

What to get for dear old Dad for Father's Day? Whether you're thinking about a gift for your own Dad or helping your kids give a sweet and healthy gift for their Dad, we have some ideas for you. And we promise they have nothing to do with being a #1 DAD (even if they are). You won't find personalized meat branding tools or cooking aprons with a sewn-in 6-pack holder either.

What you will find are some practical and well-designed products that will add to the quality of your guy's life, even if that just means toting a cold bottle of water around (sans the BPA!). Or upping his grilling game with a cast iron grill pan . Or brewing the smoothest pot of coffee in the most presentable and unique glass coffeepot. Read more...

Peppermint essential oil has so many uses, it's no wonder this oil is a staple in many people's medicine cabinets. And it certainly does much more than freshen your breath! It's used to soothe nausea and other stomach issues, perk the senses up before a long meeting, and cool overworked muscles (thanks to the menthol). Luckily, peppermint also helps to clear congestion, quiet headaches and tackle symptoms from PMS.  Read more...

Whether you're new to MightyNest or have been around with us for awhile, you've seen that we continue to add safe, durable and quality products to the site on a regular basis. In fact, it's always a good idea to check our What's New section to see the latest products added to MightyNest.

Have you been curious to try out some of MightyNest's kid products but haven't taken the step? Well, here's a chance to enter our giveaway where you can try out the following selection of products, especially with kids in mind.

To enter, follow the rafflecopter steps and answer the question: What product at MightyNest have you most wanted to try out with your kid?

Here's what's included:  Read more...

Summertime is nearing and for many families, that means camp for the kids. Whether your kid is going to day camp, overnight camp or taking trips to the pool, beach or park, this list is meant to send your camper packed with quality essentials for a memorable and safe summer camp experience.

Sleeping Bags: It's summer, so you don't need zero-degree down fill, but you still want your camper to be cozy at night. Our selection of sleeping bags are made with a flannel interior and printed cotton on the outside and never treated with flame-retardant chemicals. And this one comes with handy storage straps (easy for a kid to maneuver) a storage bag and a sweet little flannel pillow that tucks inside. Read more...

I recently counted the number of sunscreens at my local drugstore. There were 118 choices. Oddly, the display wasn't even that big, but the number of different products all leading you back to one specific need, had quite the range. I'm sure you can imagine the selling points: SPF, scent, sport, face, water-proof, sweat-proof, oil-free, ease of application....there's a lot to decipher.

To simplify: Most of the conventional sunscreens available are chemical sunscreens as opposed to mineral sunscreens.

Chemical sunscreens have inferior stability, penetrate the skin and often contain known hormone disruptors, like oxybenzone, which is found in 80% of chemical sunscreens according to the EWG (Environmental Working Group). This collection of sunscreens is also likely to include phthalates, via the fragrance added for a tropical olfactory experience of synthetic coconut.

Mineral sunscreens are made with either Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide or both. At MightyNest, we have selected sunscreens that are made with non-nano, uncoated Zinc Oxide (content of 12-22%), which offers excellent protection from both UVB + UVA rays. Read more...

Did you know that many ingredients in common cleaners, even "green" cleaning products, have been linked to allergies, asthma, and other long-term effects like reproductive harm and cancer? Chemicals found in cleaning solutions may be impacting the way our hormones work by either mimicking estrogen, androgen or thyroid hormones, or by stimulating or blocking production of these hormones when the chemical is absorbed into our bodies.

While it is true that small amounts of chemicals found in these products may not pose a problem in isolated instances, it's important to keep in mind that there is a cumulative effect. And like it or not, cleaning our homes just happens to be one of the things we do regularly. 

According to the EPA, our greatest exposure to toxic chemicals is right in our own homes. And without proper ventilation, chemicals undoubtedly accumulate, especially in rooms where the windows stay closed. So, here are a few tips to keep in mind: Read more...