Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
Learn how to stay healthy while traveling and how to travel efficiently and stress-free with kids.
We love camping as a family for uninterrupted quality time out in nature (which has real health benefits!). For a long time, my husband and I were camping purists. Camping meant carrying everything you needed, including the biodegradable toilet paper, deep into the woods far away from peasantries like running water and bathrooms. Someday, I’ll …
This post is a departure from my normal posts about topics like balancing hormones or why magnesium is so important, but I thought it was worth sharing as it was one of the most fun family activities we’ve ever done. So You Want to Build a Sandcastle? Building a sandcastle wasn’t an activity I’d thought much about …
Ah, summer. Sunny days, grilling out, and fireflies at dusk. Longer days and summer vacations also mean more downtime, play time, and hopefully more family time! A while back we started the tradition of creating an annual summer bucket list. Even if we don’t do them all (the list is getting long), this summertime family tradition is a …
With six kids, going into car travel prepared is a must. We often take games and activities, healthy snacks, and with all those bodies in the car… some ways to counteract the stink! I don’t take essential oil use lightly (they are much more powerful than many people think), but we do bring some essential …
Extended travel has become a representation of freedom. Of the new rich. Of the ultimate goal for many of us… at least in theory. We started to realize the potential for traveling as a family years ago. This was before we met the incredible Wonderling family, and it was the first time we’d seriously considered the …
I’m traveling so much these days (often by myself, imagine that!) that I’ve created a system to make sure I always have what I need when I’m away from home. From family vacations, short two-day business trips, or longer work-based research trips, my goal is always the same: have everything I need and only what I …
For many people (me included for many years), the idea of prepping for a flight or long drive with a baby is overwhelming. In fact, many people just assume that travel won’t be possible in the first few years with baby. Certainly, travel doesn’t get easier with an additional small human who needs to be carried …
I’ve been traveling to the beach with kids for about 12 years now, and have gone from stressed out mom of one, to a relatively stress-free mom of six on these beach vacations. Since there are so many health benefits of the beach it can be a great place to visit and relax, but as a …
It can be hard to stay healthy on vacation when you’re bombarded by restaurants, food stands, and ice cream windows. But in my opinion, staycations are the best of both worlds. Maybe I’m biased (because travel with six kids) but hear me out… You can have access to your real food kitchen while also being able to …
Ahh, vacation. Just saying the word usually evokes visions of relaxing by the pool, drinks with tiny umbrellas, a plethora of succulent foods, building sandcastles, and a beach-ready body. (At least it did before kids!) While traveling somewhere new is (almost) always lots of fun, trying to eat healthy on vacation can be a challenge. Staying …
We are privileged to live in a time when crossing the world is as easy as hopping on an airplane! What isn’t as easy is figuring out how to stay healthy while flying. With the tight quarters and recycled air, odds are high… you’ll be taking home a souvenir you could have done without. One …
A mother’s job never ends and nowhere is this more true than on vacation! I’ve always thought it was ironic how much work it requires to go “relax” … planning where to go and what to do, packing bags and gear, and making all the healthy meals for vacation. I once read a satire article called …
Traveling with a non-walking baby is tough. Heck, traveling with any baby or toddler is tough. After lots of travel with six kids we’ve learned the hard way the gear that makes the cut (and what to leave at home). Topping the list of must-have gear for extended travel with a non-walker? A lightweight but …
Our family has always enjoyed off-grid camping, but with recent research showing that camping away from artificial light may even help remedy insomnia, it seems that more people are getting on board with getting back to nature. The Many Benefits of Camping Camping is more than just a great family bonding experience! (Though it certainly …
Cincinnati is one of our favorite cities to visit, and not just because we are fans of their sports teams. The city (and surrounding area) has so much history and so many fun things to do with kids. We make it to Cincinnati at least once or twice a year and would definitely recommend putting …
“Mom, are we there yet? I’m bored!” As the saying goes, if I had a dollar for every time I heard that on a trip with kids we wouldn’t need to take car trips anymore since we could probably afford a private jet! If you’ve traveled with children before, you know that especially on long trips, …
