My Recommendations for Conscious Parenting, Coconut Milk and Colloidal Silver

Today is day 2 of my daily Inspirations.  I hope you're enjoying them. One of the things I really enjoy is zoning out and researching how I can live a better life of make my son's life better. I listen to audio books, read websites, listen/talk in Facebook groups, and chat with friends about how to help ourselves parent better, and be better versions of ourselves. I'm full of tidbits of knowledge from all my learning, and I'm going to start sharing it here daily. The general themes of things I'll share are:  food/supplements, parenting/autism, mind/spirit, homeschooling/unschooling, and I'll share with you what I bought today!  (Usually it's a book or a supplement, or some food!  I love food shopping!) Sign up above if you'd like to receive these posts in your inbox daily.  I'm calling them "Daily Inspirations" and I'm sure the name will evolve with the content.

Note: Some of the links I share are affiliate links.  I promise to only share things I find super valuable and that I have used myself or heard fantastic things about.  I do receive a small commission from certain companies, which helps me cover the costs of maintaining this blog.  I hope what I share makes life a little easier for you.  And I really appreciate you shopping through my links so I can help more people like you :)

Today's Daily Inspiration

FOOD:

Today, in one of my Facebook groups, a friend asked where she could find coconut milk without guar gum or thickeners in it.  There are a couple options for this.  You can make your own, or buy canned coconut milk.  The canned ones I like best are these two.  Natural Value is a little cheaper than Amazon that at our local Jimbo's.  Sprouts doesn't carry and coconut milk without thickeners.

Natural Value Coconut Milk

Native Forest SIMPLE Coconut Milk (Native Forest without the word SIMPLE does have guar gum)

To make your own coconut milk:

• In your Vitamix or high powered blender, blend on high for a couple minutes:
• 1 cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut
• 4 cups spring water
• Pour mixture through a nut-milk bag like this one. (I like this particular one because it's larger on top than on the bottom, which makes it easier to pour into, and easier to clean)
• I put my nut milk bag into the top of a big funnel over a large 1/2 gallon jar (my husband loves to joke about my nut milk bag.  Feel free to join us, and even make up a song if you like, while you use yours)
• You can add vanilla extract if you'd like.  I don't.

PARENTING:

Yesterday, I finished The Awakened Family book.  If you buy one thing this year, make it this book.  Seriously.  At the very end of the book is a checklist of how to be a more conscious parent.  Shefali Tsabari is on to something.  I bought the physical hardback book after starting to listen to the audible version, so I could see things like the 3o Daily Reminders to Build Consciousness.  These are a few of the reminders that really resonated with me:

Honor Essence

Focus on who your child is today, not what they do. Let go of emphasis on their performance, tests, achievements, or chores. Guide your children and yourself to tune in to their own essence and say things like:

"Did you stay in touch with you today?" "Did you feel your heart today?" "Did you feel your feelings today?" "Did your listen to your inner guide today?" "What is your inner voice saying to you today?"

I really love this one, too.

Open The Heart

Allow the image of your child's face when they sleep to enter your heart.  Feel your heart opening.  Enter this well of warmth. From this place, share yourself with your child. Remember when your child was sick or in the ER or hospital?  Or remember when another child you knew was ill or suffering?  How everything that you thought was important suddenly wasn't?  All these thoughts make you  realize how blessed you are right here, right now.  From this place go to your child and let them know what they mean to you. Savor your child's moods, sulks, and tantrums.  They are children for only a short time.  Embrace their tears, fears, yells, and falls.  Childhood doesn't last forever.

A great reminder, isn't it?

WHAT I BOUGHT:

I bought a cleaner unit that electrifies a mixture of water, salt and vinegar to become a disinfectant cleaner.  I'll let you know once I've opened the box and made some of it.  We're going to do a homeschool science experiment with it, and get the house clean at the same time!

MIND/BODY/SPIRIT:

Someone asked what I use on my kids (and myself) for booboos, scrapes, and cuts.  I love this salve:

Sovereign Silver First Aid Gel
It's a clear, odor-less gel that works great for burns, scrapes, and even insect bites.  It doesn't sting and isn't at all greasy.  

Please let me know in the comments below how this article helped you, or if you have any questions.