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15 Weird and Wonderful Things you can do with Placenta

Read the original article: 15 Weird and Wonderful Things you can do with Placenta

When is the last time you saw your placenta? At birth? Quite natural, same for me. But can you imagine that the remains of your placenta will be sitting in your living room or growing in your garden?

If you thought getting a cute foot print of newborn or a professional photo session was an amazing way to remember the day, I've got news for you:

Placenta is THE thing right now.

Not just placenta pills and prints, but many other things you wouldn't think of in million years. Some practical, some frankly absurd. In the quest to find the best ones, here is my list. Feel free to get your creative juices flowing and add some more innovative uses you can think of in comments!

Placenta Pills

If you haven't heard of the benefits of eating placenta after birth, here is a quick recap: Placentophagy, which is the medical term for eating placenta, is claimed to reduce pain after birth, increase energy, help with production of breast milk. Some people believe that it even restores the iron levels in body. Recent medical studies found that these claims have no basis and the reported health benefits are based only on case to case observations of moms.

Placenta acts as a filter to protect the developing baby from toxins and bacteria, that means when you eat it you are also exposing yourself to some residue toxins that might be present. Either way, if you're willing to give it a try, you can now buy home kits to turn your placenta into these pills and they are pretty affordable too!

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Placenta Fruit Tree

This is definitely from the weird category. Take the tree of life concept to a completely new level - some cultures associate burying placenta under the ground with protecting the health of the mom and baby. I like the idea of having a living monument for the baby to watch and grow, but frankly if you move houses too much, would you dig it up and relocate each time?

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Placenta Teddy Bear

Sorry to do this in form of a shock therapy, but I'm quickly moving on to possibly the weirdest one I found. The RedesignDesign Organisation put together an exhibition focused on kids, and as one of the prized art pieces they were displaying this teddy made out of placenta.  It was designed to ‘celebrates the unity of the infant, the mother and the placenta’. Before the placenta is turned into this creation, it must be cut in half and rubbed with sea salt to get it dry. After that it is treated with mixture of tannin and egg yolk to make it easy to bend and shape. I'm not sure what else is left to say - it's an art, so you either love it or hate it. It's certainly not something I would cuddle up to.

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Placenta Photo Frame

This one is actually very pretty. Created by artist Amanda Cotton, who says: "A Placenta Photo Frame is a functional piece that owes its unparalleled aesthetic and emotional significance to one’s very own placenta organ, retained from childbirth. Formerly a source of vitality for your baby, the placenta can now be reworked by me; researcher and 3D Materials specialist Amanda Cotton, for its inclusion in a decorative keepsake evocative of your pregnancy. Whilst in the womb the placenta takes care of your baby, the idea of the frame is to re-connect this relationship after birth."

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Onesies and T-shirts with Placenta Blood

Mom 1: Oh that's a cool t-shirt, where did you get it from?

Mom 2: That's just a small print from my placenta, I can make one for little one too if you want?

Mom 1: (face of horror) I think I'm good, thank you.

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Placenta Prints

Probably the most popular way to preserve a memory on the bond between two bodies - having placenta prints is getting increasingly popular. If you choose to go for it, you can do a blood print or use color to make the placenta appear more like a tree.

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Placenta Smoothie

If you haven't had a breakfast yet and there is a spare placenta lying around the house, this one is for you. Seriously, moms who have the stomach for it, I bow in front of you. If you're interested in the recipe, you can find it at Placenta Remedies Network.

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Make a Meal

Make a placenta lasagna, chilli or placenta truffles - whichever you choose, the aim is to incorporate as many flavors as you can to disguise the placenta. Some recipes available here.

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Placenta Necklace

Turn your precious placenta into something beautiful - a piece of it gets dried and encapsulated to be used as part of necklace. There are actually a lot of varieties of these placenta necklaces, just prepare yourself for questions about what you're wearing around you neck.

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Heart Shaped Cord

Get the umbilical cord shaped in heart form and keep as a memory. It's not something you would display in the living room right next to your prized porcelain, but you can keep it in a baby box along with other memorabilia.

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Placenta Beauty Treatment

Some major skincare brands like Mila Skin Care or Shiseido are using placenta as an ingredient in their skincare product. They say it's rich in antioxidants, proteins and amino acids which rejuvenate the skin. I know about dozen other foods that contain the same are are widely available, unlike placenta. If you're willing to give it a try, there are a lot of placenta face mask you can either buy or make one at home.

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Placenta Salve

The dried bits of placenta are mixed with various oils to produce this salve, which is great for rashes and cuts. Prepared by Pure Birth.

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Nonseverance

That means you don't cut the placenta off at birth. You simply carry it with you in a bowl called Lotus bag. If you ask yourself why, you're not alone. I haven't found an answer or explanation yet and there isn't enough medical information about why some people believe it has some benefits for the baby.

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Placenta Chocolate

If you prefer something on the sweet side, placenta chocolate might be for you. Just remember to tell your guests what they're eating before offering it along with coffee.

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BBQ Placenta

For a truly unique BBQ party, try Placenta to go along with your bacon and salad. Seriously, does this look appealing or what?

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Have you found your chosen method to preserve the precious organ? If I could choose again, I would opt for jewelry, that way I can carry a bit of the memory with me every day.

Which one are you going to try, if at all?

Original article source: 15 Weird and Wonderful Things you can do with Placenta

10 Surprising Side-Effects of Becoming a Parent

Read the original article: 10 Surprising Side-Effects of Becoming a Parent

Welcome to the new world of parents! You have now begun your life raising journey. Were you prepared mentally when you decided to enter the unknown world? I'm sure you did your best to get ready and look forward to this realm unbeknownst to many. Kudos to you if this is not your first round in parenting. You're a few years wiser than most of us! :)

The moment you saw those two red lines on your PT, the first thing you feel is shock, then happiness, then dread and then you start thinking about the sleepless nights, the crying and all the other grown-up responsibilities you have to either embrace or suck up. Overwhelming, right?

That, my friends, is basically what sums up being a parent. It is one overwhelming journey over a series of events the size of mountains. This is basically almost a permanent state.

Undoubtedly, as you venture further into parenting, there are some surprising side-effects you didn't know about until you were knee deep in the waters. For some of you who have already had one or two tours under your belt, you might find yourself smiling in agreement on how close this hits home.

You look forward to you ONE Minute Night Showers

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When you're busy taking care of a needy baby, a shower is the last thing on your to-do list. And when you get puked on, you try your best to squeeze in a bird-like shower while your baby is taking a nap - vigilantly paying extra attention to the baby monitor, ready to jump out of the shower the moment you hear a cry.

When you enter parenting, you start looking forward to a peaceful and uninterrupted shower which usually happens at night when your kids are tucked in bed soundly asleep.

Coffee becomes your ultimate BEST FRIEND

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Parenting = sleep is for the week. This is true for the first few months our couple years when your baby is up most of the night. Your morning coffee becomes your best friend and you meet as often as needed on a daily basis.

The dark circles under your the eyes indicate only two professions: programmer or parent.

You become forgetful

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Your car keys, reading glasses, wallet and wrist watch start to get misplaced. You don't remember where you put them. You set your glasses on top of your head, look for them frantically around the house when you need them then facepalm yourself when you find them an hour later still perched on top of your head.

Late is the new on time

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It's not like you're trying to be late on purpose. It's actually a series of things that makes you late. A sick child, a sudden tantrum, forgetting to prepare the baby bag or maybe a child who thinks bath time is playing tag.

You have more thing to prepare before you even try to hop in the shower to get yourself ready. Then you have kids fighting for your attention in between putting your underwear on and applying a smudge of blush to make you look a bit more rested.

You care less about what you look like when you go out

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Who cares if you have not brushed your hair today? Or if you have a questionable stain on your shirt? Or don't have any make-up on?

When you have a toddler and an infant to care for, putting on make-up or making sure your belt matches your purse would be the last of your worries. But you might agree with this parenting side effect because once you become one, your fashionista days are reserved solely for extravagant or special occassions.

Well, not unless you can afford nannies. If you can then by all means keep up with your fashion icon lifestyle! :)

Where and how you shop changed

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When you were single, you shopped for bags, clothes, gadgets, junk food and what not. When you step into parenting, you buy the necessities for a baby such as strollers, cribs, diapers, formula, baby food and lots of toys to keep your baby entertained.

You rarely think about the latest Chanel bag, or the newest Manolos or care about the latest iPhone (at least not right away 😉).

You start worrying about stuff you didn't worry about before

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Remember when you were a kid you couldn't wait to grow up so you can do whatever you wanted? Then when you got to college, you couldn't wait to get a job so you can buy the things you wanted? Then you got married and have now joined the parenting world. Now you worry about tuition fees, clothing, food, shelter, utilities and so many other things you didn't dream about thinking of. Every insect bite, every throw-up and every wound worry you.

Sometimes you just wish you can go back to being young and leave all the grown-up responsibility to your parents again, don't you?

Yup, that's a common feeling. You're not alone in that area.

You become financially vigilant

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I bet at this point in your parenting journey you've come across or have already used coupons for food or for diapers. Did I hit home?

There's actually nothing wrong with that. With a family to raise, kids to send to school and bills to pay, you need every cent you can save - not unless you're along the ranks of people featured in Forbes magazine.

But for us average folks, we become extra frugal with our finances the moment we see those red lines on a pregnancy test. We are more careful of what we buy and when we buy them. We no longer buy for pleasure but for what's necessary.

Your tear ducts betray you most of the time

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Okay, this may not be the case for dads but this is super accurate for most moms. 1. because we're females. 2. because we're hormonal.

Our sentiments are totally different when it comes to our children. Their smallest achievement makes our heart swell. The smallest hurt makes us angry. And, the simplest words of love that comes from them automatically makes our tear ducts betray us.

Then you realize you weren't much of a crier back in the day but you still can't help yourself. You know how I know? My mom. She's the toughest cookie I know but she cries so easily when it comes to us. It's actually very cute and heart warming.

You start understanding YOUR parents

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Is this really surprising? I highly doubt it. It's not because this side effect is surprising but it's because we choose to deny it. We don't want to admit that they were right and we were wrong.

It's pride. But, now that you're right smack in the middle of parenting, there's no denying that our parents were right. They had wisdom we chose to ignore. They had lessons we did not understand then but is now of our greatest eureka moments.

Now, you have a higher respect for your parents wondering how they did it all, how they were able to make ends meet and how they were able to go through the same s*** we put them through on a daily basis.

Now, you realize that what they did was in your best interest and that the things you said wounded them deeply. Now, you're able to sympathize and empathize with them.

Parenting is a journey you have to experience firsthand for you to understand.

There's no amount of research to fully prepare you for what's to come. These are some side effects that are not surprising when spoken in theory but is when you're faced with them.

Many things will catch you off guard but keep in mind, your parents when through the same surprises just different origins.

Despite all the unknowns, parenting is a journey worth toiling through. It's the perfect example of the anecdote you reap what you sow.

The moment you see them walk up the stage to receive their diplomas, the moment you walk them down the aisle and the moment you see them do an act of kindness out of the goodness of their hearts, you realize it was all worth it.

Then, you can pat yourself of the back and know you've done a good job! Any thoughts on this post? Let us know in a comment below!

Original article source: 10 Surprising Side-Effects of Becoming a Parent

Today I went to the Bathroom Alone. Milestone Cards Every Mom Needs.

Read the original article: Today I went to the Bathroom Alone. Milestone Cards Every Mom Needs.

We all know how much attention baby milestones get. But what about us, moms? Shouldn't we celebrate our first times? Like the first time you leave house in something else than sweatpants, the first time you don't have to wipe any breast milk leaks, first time you sleep through the night or the first time you leave the child behind for a weekend and remind yourself that you used to have a life.

Hell yes!

The good ladies at mumsmilestones.com put all their creativity in words and pictures and this masterpiece came to the world.

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This has to be my favorite one.

How many times does your little one get up at night? I'm telling you, taking the number down to 5 times is pretty good reason to celebrate, although I would be holding a glass of wine, not a cup of coffee.

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If you know your pharmacist or doctor by first name, let the whole world know.

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For me, it's usually on office desk, face stuck on papers and coffee spilled all over. We've all been there. If you get tired enough to sleep on a pile of laundry, time to celebrate!

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It doesn't have to be movement. It could be color of the poop, the noises he or she makes or just the fact that it was breathing more laud than normally.

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Hmm... when did you reach this milestone?

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I did not cry over spilt breast milk. When is the first time you could say that?

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There is hope. Be it one leg, half leg or even your ankle length, look at the glass as always half full rather than half empty. It's a reason to celebrate.

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Oh dear God, thank you for underwired bras. The girls need as much help as they can now.

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The ladies didn't stop at milestone cards.

They have a pretty cool collection of greeting cards.

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One for first day at work, from your dear friend.

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No need for any pink or blue fluffy toys for baby shower. This card will do just fine.

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Back to where it all started.

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Have you found a card you can use right now? Which one would it be?

If you could do your own set, what would you include in it? Leave a comment below and we will help to turn them into reality! 

Original article source: Today I went to the Bathroom Alone. Milestone Cards Every Mom Needs.

Road Trip with Kids: This is How you Make it Stress Free

Read the original article: Road Trip with Kids: This is How you Make it Stress Free

Ah, the great summer vacation road trip with your kids you've been preparing for is right around the season. Looking forward to it? Are you really? Ready for all that hyperactive energy in an enclosed space? Braced for the possible tantrums that might erupt because of being strapped into a seat for long hours? Ready for boredom to kick in 30 minutes into the trip?

Well, the good news is: there is a way to keep your hyperactive kids entertained, never bored and clean during your grand road trip.

The most crucial moments are travelling times in between your stops. These are the moments when these tips and tricks become your best friends. Get your bags packed, the car loaded and road trip on its way.

Road Trip Map for Kids

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Hang a colorful map of your country on the back of the headrests. Plot the states or cities you are going to stop with a marker or shape cutouts until you reach your destination. Then have your kids cross places off the map throughout your road trip.

This will give them the right amount of excitement to enjoy the road trip and look forward to reaching your destination.

At the end of your trip, you can sit down and ask them over lunch or dinner which stop was their favorite and why. Makes a great family meal convo.

Cooler Full of Snacks

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Pack snacks for your wildlings. They'll need them and you'll thank yourself later for doing so. They will get hungry in between stops and having a pack of nuts, cookies or crackers in reach will extend their patience. The worst moods your kids can have during a road trip is boredom and hunger.

Pack lots of juice boxes and water stored in an ice chest. Ziplocked fruits, cheeses and vegetable sticks are also good for a temporary stomach fill. Pack some chips too. It's a vacation after all.

Stay away from candies and chocolates as much as you can. You don't want a sugar rush inside the car or right before you have a stop, trust me.

Ziploc Extra Clothes

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There's no avoiding spills and stains when you eat while on the road. It is only logical to bring extra clothes to change into just in case.

Put your clothes in individual Ziploc bags to protect them from spills and stains. Pull them out of your bag as needed.

Portable Lego Kit

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Your little boys will definitely love having this around on a road trip and might even want to bring it with him during your stops.

The people behind the blog called MamaPapaBubba must be pure geniuses to come up with something so simple yet brilliant. Kids love Legos, and though we hate them darn small pieces, they certainly do the job when it comes to keeping kids pre-occupied for hours - which is the reason why we still keep them around even if it hurts like hell to step on one of their pieces.

Get the step by step instructions to making your own portable lego kit here.

Car Picture Bingo

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The classic road trip game I-spy is great to play, but it can get old especially if you're traveling on an empty highway. This picture bingo will sure to keep your kids' eyes peeled out the window looking for the items on their card.

You can print different ones and change them for every stop. Whoever gets bingo by the next stop gets a treat!

Kiddie Supplies Holder

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Use shower caddies to hold kiddie supplies like crayons, markers or books. The can also serve as a juice box or baby bottle holder. Multi-purpose and detachable. Why not, right?

Cute Car Kit

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Be prepared for any small emergency. Fill a small pouch with different necessities like wet wipes, Tylenol, barf bag, band aids, hand sanitizers and Kleenex. You may never know when you would need to pull over the side of the road and look for a Porta-potty.

Car Seat Back Protector

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Got no seat covers to protect your car seats from muddy shoes? This DIY car seat back cover is easy to make and will surely save you the extra cleaning work waiting for you after the road trip.

No matter how much you tell your kids to keep their feet off the back of your seat, some point in the car ride, there will be one child who would forget to follow your simple instruction. :)

DVD Case Coloring Kit

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Create your own DVD case coloring kit for your toddlers. You can print coloring pages ahead of time and keep a stack of different pictures on hand. These are easy to make so making one for each of your kids would not be a tedious task.

Car Organizer

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Make your car organizers age appropriate. If you have a toddler, they wouldn't need an iPad or grown-up snacks as your older kids would. Replace soda cans or juice bottles with sippy cups and baby bottles. You can also put stuffed animals and some other toys or maybe a set of diapers for quick changing for your toddler.

The iPad holder would be perfect for your older kids. Just make sure you charge them back up when they're asleep.

Basket Food Holder

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To avoid spills and food messes after a drive-thru, buy a few sets of bath baskets and use them as food holders. They're cheap so buy one for each kid. Even your teenagers would use them!

Behavior Visor Clips

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Make one clip for each child. Clip their behavior clips on the visor if they behave and take them down if they misbehave. The whoever owns the clips that stay on until the next stop gets a special treat!

The perfect way to keep them on their best behavior which means less stress for you and your hubby.

Brilliant ideas, eh? Bet you can't wait to try them.

A lot of parents dread a long road trip, but it doesn't have to be dreadful and miserable if you only put effort to prepare for the small details. Sure, they will look forward to reaching your actual destination, but if you don't make the trip there enjoyable, your kids would not want to go on another one next time.

Make sure the first road trip is memorable and fun so that it wouldn't take much to get your kids excited for the next one.

They may even pitch in their ideas to mix things up a bit on the next one!

Are you a road trip expert? Share some of your tips in a comment below!

Original article source: Road Trip with Kids: This is How you Make it Stress Free