Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you started Frankie Apothecary.
Hi I’m Michele, Kiwi, Maori mother to two girls Eva and Frankie, and creator of the award winning skin healing balm - Kawakawa Repair by Frankie Apothecary.

My journey in starting organic skincare Company, Frankie Apothecary, began at a real turning point in my life which I have no doubt was part of the universes bigger plan for me.   I was questioning my career as a corporate Lawyer,  embarking on a journey of learning Rongoa Maori (Maori plant based medicine) struggling with sleepless nights with a new born and trying to deal with my eldest daughters severely Eczema inflamed skin, all at the same time.
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Eva was 18 months old. Her skin was terrible – dry, itchy, inflamed and raw, keeping her awake most nights. She would wake in the morning with blood-stained sheets from scratching her skin to pieces.

Finding a moisturiser that did what it claimed (soothed, stopped the itch and repaired the skin) proved impossible: I tried absolutely every product on the market.  All had little or no effect.
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Being trained in research, I had a natural tendency to want to know how all things worked and why others didn’t. The market didn’t have a product that worked for us, so sheer determination and a heck of a lot of research combined with my knowledge of how skin troubles were treated by my ancestors in the past, gave me a reason to ultimately create my own product.

Why did other creams on the market not work?
Synthetic chemically loaded moisturisers can cause the skin to become more irritated and worsen flare ups for those with sensitive skin.  But interestingly I discovered that all moisturisers contain a very simple ingredient that required these synthetic chemicals to be added to prevent mould, bacteria growth, to preserve the product and to ensure the oils and water did not split apart  -  water!  Lesson 1 - create a product that had zero water so that synthetic chemicals are not required.

When an eczema flare is triggered - trans epidermal water loss begins.  Think, rapid moisture loss from the skin, leading to the shredding of the outer epidermal layers and the exposure of the inner layers of the skin.  These inner layers should not be exposed to the environment.  When they are, the skins pH alters causing the skin to become itchy, inflamed and if not controlled, infected. - Lesson 2 - water based moisturisers do not create enough of a barrier to stop trans epidermal water loss or to protect the inner skin layers.

What makes your natural Kawakawa balm so unique?
Armed with this information, I created an all organic oil-based formula more suitable for Eva’s dry skin, primarily infused with a native NZ plant called Kawakawa which has been used for generations by Maori. Kawakawa, also known as Macropiper excelsium or the Maori Pepper Tree, is endemic to New Zealand and long known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. The leaves and bark can be used to heal wounds, ulcers, skin disorders, burns and more. Drinking an infusion of the leaves can treat colds and flus, digestive troubles, chest problems like asthma and even blood pressure. Healing Calendula was also added and the benefits to Eva’s skin were almost instantly apparent and her skin healing within days.

Further clinical based research, led me on the path of finding the best way to extract the chemical properties of Kawakawa so that every pot of Kawakawa Repair was loaded with the highest healing properties possible.  An anti oxidant was also added  in the form of vitamin e to ensure every pot was not susceptible to microbes and to ensure the Kawakawa’s healing abilities were still strong a year on. - Something many other oil based ranges fail to ensure.

Since then, my Kawakawa Repair has won a place in the top 10 most recommended products for babies in the OHBaby awards, has sold thousands all over the world and is sold in over 60 retailers across NZ.  We have a sustainable Kawakawa farm in Mangawhai where Kawakawa is harvested and extracted applying principles of tikanga Maori.

Do you have any tips for dealing with Eczema?

My top tips for targeting Eczema:

 1 - See your GP first to test for any allergies.
2 - If this doesn’t help, undertake a food elimination diet – you can find steps on how to do this on my website.
3 - Eliminate any common chemicals in the home to see if these are triggers (washing powders, soaps, cleaning products).
4 - Switch clothing to eczema friendly fibres like 100% cotton or bamboo like the new Snugbags Eczema Bamboo & Organic Cotton Sleeping Bag.
5- Eliminate mould and keep your home as dust-free as possible.
6 - Take a really good probiotic for the whole family to ensure the gut is functioning as it should.

These steps take time. In the meantime you will no doubt have an upset irritated child, so soaking in our Colloidal Oat powdered mix will help to stop the itch and applying the Kawakawa Balm will soothe and support the skin’s healing.

Michele has been so kind to offer Snugbags customers a generous 15% discount! Please use the code 'snugbagsfrankie' to redeem the discount at checkout.

Click here to purchase Frankie Apothecary's wonderful products.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Dr Ainslee Roughan, the founder of Live, which is a gentle holistic chiropractic health and wellness centre based in Kumeu and Henderson, Auckland. I am a registered qualified Chiropractor and like to categorise myself as a wellness extraordinaire. At Live we look at multiple aspects of health to enable you to be more awesome. My passion for health and wellness leads me to a mission of educating and empowering as many humans as possible. Health can be confusing with the latest fads flying around, it can be hard to keep up and know what is right. At Live we keep health simple, like it should be.

We all know how adults can accumulate stress in their bodies, but how do younger children experience this and how can they benefit from Chiropractic care?
Younger children may have stress on their bodies from sources such as postural stress, chemical stress or mental stress.
Postural stressors come in the form of birth (if it doesn’t quite go to plan), falling regularly or other physical challenges. Emotional stressors come from being in a new environment or being unsure of what is happening around them. Chemical stress may come from not being able to feed or sleep well or many other sources.
Children are like sponges absorbing information from birth and sometimes this can be A LOT for a small body to manage. At Live we offer gentle Chiropractic care that allows humans of all ages (even babies) to function to the best of their ability. Chiropractic care allows humans to integrate information optimally, and for growing minds and bodies this may allow them to feel better in themselves physically, mentally and emotionally.

What do signs of stress on the nervous system look like in little ones?
Young children can’t tell you they are getting symptoms like reflux from stress on their nervous systems, so they have to show you in the forms of skin rashes, colic, irritability, feeding difficulties, sleeping disturbances and many other symptoms.
Chiropractic does not fix any of these symptoms, but it does take the extra stress off the nervous system which allows your body to tend to those problem areas itself. It makes sense right? Take pressure off areas where too much pressure has built up and it allows the body to be more at ease.
The body is a complex organism and health is a multifaceted domain, at Live we approach it holistically, gently and naturally. How awesome is that?

For more information on how we may be able to help you and your family contact Dr Ainslee at livechiro@gmail.com or 0274246770 

Like Live's Facebook https://web.facebook.com/chiropracticlive/ 
​or visit www.livechiropractic.co.nz

• Baby steps. This is the MOST important step. Start early - even as early as 7-10 days before the actual day (daylight savings is on Sunday the 24th)! Gradually adjust your child’s nap and sleep times by 5 to 10 minutes each day before the time change so the shift is more gradual for them. Moving naps and bedtime a tiny bit EARLIER each day, will help your little one adjust gently and very gradually.
• How to adjust bedtime? If bedtime is normally 7pm, start one week prior. On the Saturday make it 6.5opm, on Sunday 6.45, on Monday 6.40, on Tuesday 6.35, on Wednesday 6.30, on Thursday 6.25, on Friday 6.20, on Saturday 6.10 and finally on Sunday 6.00pm (which will now be 7pm!). 
• Have plenty of outside time. Make sure to have a lot of time to play and run around outside in the week leading up to Daylight Saving with a lot of exposure to natural light. Fresh air is always a great recipe for a good sleep!
• Normal routine. Having a regular bedtime routine can help your child be ready to drift off. Following regular steps (just a little earlier every day) from dinnertime to bedtime, such as bath & story time, will help your child slow things down and be ready to snuggle up. Stick to the routine even as the time changes so that your child understands what’s expected.
• Limit screen time at night. Avoid screen time up to at least 1.5 hour before bedtime. The bright lights will keep your little one up thinking it is daytime.
• Keep the room dark. Even if it is still light outside when you’re putting your child to bed, make sure the room is completely dark to encourage sleep. Room-darkening blinds keep the light out at night and can be opened in the morning to wake the body up.
• Keep the room cool. Keep your child’s room cool so his body wants to sleep. Babies and toddlers should sleep in sleeping bags heavy enough to keep them warm while older kids can snuggle up with a comfy blanket.
• Breathe deeply and keep calm. Although it might be at times frustrating to get your little ones to adjust to the new time, remember that they’re just listening to the cues their bodies are giving them when they have trouble falling or staying asleep. Work on making changes to the environment, schedule or routine that will help their bodies sleep.

Good luck helping your little ones adjust. We would love to hear how you get on x

For more info on sleeping bags and how to keep your little one warm at night click here

We are beyond proud to have won GOLD in the JUNIOR DESIGN AWARDS in the UK. We took out the category 'Best UK Children's Sleep Wear (Baby)' and this is what the judges said about SNUGBAGS:

THE GOLD AWARD FOR BEST UK CHILDREN'S SLEEPWEAR (BABY) IS... SNUGBAGS
"If you’re a snoozy baby and it’s chilly outside you'll want to be snug as a bug in one of Snugbags' Merino Sleep Bags.
Made from a unique 3-layer system to provide the ultimate sleeping experience, these sleeping bags combine layers of soft New Zealand Merino, a cloud-like bamboo and cotton duvet layer all wrapped up in soft organic cotton fleece.
As well as being super cosy Snugbags look extremely appealing, featuring gorgeous motifs that are woven into the fabric to avoid any printing with chemical inks.
Entirely made in New Zealand, this company’s green credentials are impeccable and their attention to detail and passion for their product was obvious to our judges."
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This year marks the 20th anniversary of Junior and we have had an unprecedented amount of entires in this years - the shortlisting was tough and saw the Junior editorial team read, review and deliberate over the hundreds and hundreds of entries over a three-day period.

The judging itself was done by an exciting line-up of esteemed judges who are not only experts in their field, highly respected social influencers and of course, stylish parents themselves - but each one has been hand selected to ensure that Junior continues to showcase the best-of-the-best.

As the Junior Design Awards are a unique opportunity to win a luxury award that is - and will continue to be - the most esteemed accolade in the family lifestyle award arena, recognised by brands, clients and consumers alike.

1.       Calming Bedtime Routine.
Children need time to calm down and prepare for sleep. Having a consistent bedtime routine can be useful in giving your child cues that sleep time is coming. There are likely things that you do each night before bed, such as bath, massage, putting on pyjamas, brushing teeth, reading bedtime story, nursing or rocking, and so on. Try to do those things in the same order to help your child understand what is coming next and lean to wind down through that process.
Also, create a calming environment during the bedtime routine. For example, turn off any bright lights (dimmers are great), television, and loud noises or exciting play at least an hour before bedtime.
 
2.       Use a sleeping bag/swaddle
Using a sleeping bag or a zip up swaddle in your bedtime routine provides a strong sleep cue. Your little one will soon start associating their comfy sleeping bag with sleep time! Another great benefit is familiarity. When going on holiday or staying with grandparents or even for daytime sleeps at day-care centres – using your babies sleeping bag will give them a sense of familiarity and will result in settling faster and better sleep. Studies have shown that babies sleeping in merino have more restful, longer sleeps and gain weight faster. Sleeping bags also promote safe sleep as there is no need for dangerous loose bedding.
Using a ‘Hip-Healthy’ approved swaddle is a great and safe way to settle your little one and because swaddling your baby reduces the startle reflex and it will result in better sleep.
 
3.       Lots of Fresh Air and Exercise
This is one of the most important factors in determining how well your child sleeps at night. Aim for at least a couple of hours each day, even in cold climates, we recommend finding a way to get outside with your kids every day (bundle them up and go for several short trips outside if need be) and finding places for them to get exercise (playgrounds or parks are great for this, but other options include going for a walk around a museum or even the mall!). For babies it is great to spend time outside too – in pram, backpack or wrap – it is really beneficial for their sleep to get a daily dose of fresh air.
If you find that your child has trouble sleeping – try and increase outside play time and see how well it translates into night time sleeping!
 
4.       Check your little ones diet
It is possible that something the baby is eating could be contributing to sleep problems. Some babies that are on formula have sensitivities to certain types and breastfed babies might react to what you are eating (more about this next). For babies that have started solids, food allergies or sensitivities can impact sleep – most common being dairy and gluten. Also, certain types of food (watch out for sugar loaded yoghurts!) consumed too close to bedtime can prevent good sleep. We recommend no sugary foods (like yoghurt, sweets or treats) after lunchtime and we suggest vegetables, fruit, good fats (think avocados), protein, grains and nuts instead.
 
5.       Watch for irritants in mums diet
If you are breastfeeding, then it is also worth considering whether something in your diet could be contributing to poor night time sleep. Usually breastfeeding mothers can eat whatever they like, but some infants are sensitive to certain things in Mums diet. Dairy is a frequent culprit and more obvious is your caffeine intake. 
 
6.       Consistent Napping
Good sleep promotes good sleep. A lot of parents whose children do not sleep well at night mistakenly think it would be a good idea for them to give up naps. Instead it is better to institute a consistent nap routine. Make sure that babies last nap isn’t too late in the day to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with night time sleep.
 
7.       Comfortable Sleep Environment
Wherever your baby sleeps, ensure that it is comfortable. Make sure the room is dark (invest in some block out blinds!) and ideally the temperature should be between 18-20 degrees. Make sure your baby is dressed appropriately and you are using the right weight sleeping bag to eliminate the use of blankets which can be dangerous.
Your babies sleep space should be a calm and inviting space that promotes relaxation and rest. Natural, breathable materials like merino, organic cotton and bamboo help keeping your little one at a comfortable temperature all through the night and reduce the risk of overheating.
 
8.       Adjust your Expectations
Babies and toddlers don’t sleep like adults – they wake – lots- and this is perfectly normal.
Babies sleep cycles (and this lasts until after 2 years) is at about half the length of an adult sleep state. Now this makes perfect biological sense – it keeps our young offspring more alert should a predator threaten their life. What predator you might think? Unfortunately for now we still possess the same innate responses that kept our hunter gatherer predecessors safe even though circumstances have changed.
Unfortunately our society puts an enormous amount of pressure on parents to have their little ones sleeping through the night and it completely discounts information on what normal infant sleep is.
Instead of trying to fix your babies ‘sleep problems’ try and be patient and go with the flow. Understand that not every child is the same and also that a child that did once sleep well, might not always sleep well – and that’s ok and perfectly normal. Teething, growth spurts, sickness, milestones, hunger, a scary situation during the day and not enough exercise or fresh air or any list of other things, can wreak havoc on your little ones sleep.
 
 
9.       Recognize that this too shall pass
Our kids are only little for such a short period of time. It isn’t always easy dealing with the night waking or sleep deprivation and we know how frustrating it can be at times. It is important to realise that this too shall pass and things will get better. With age your child will start sleeping through the night and this is a skill that they will learn with time on their own.
 
10.   Find Your Tribe
Surround yourself with family and friends that are supportive, understanding and who can help you out when you are very tired. Accept help, meals and support. Even things like Mum-groups on Facebook can be very helpful for support!
When you feel like there might be something else underlying that could interfere with your little ones sleep – visit a Cranial Osteopath and get them to do an assessment and a treatment. Quite often babies hugely benefit from this.
And last but not least we advise to try and sleep when your baby or toddler sleeps. When you are very sleep deprived and you feel like things are getting too much – nap when your child naps - other things can wait!! It’s not the end of the world if your house is not as clean & tidy as it used to be. We have all been there and it’s totally ok.
 
Helpful Gentle Sleep Books
We hope our tips were helpful and we understand that you would love to read more about the fascinating topic of infant sleep!
We highly recommend the range of Elizabeth Pantley’s “No-Cry” series and also The Gentle Sleep Book by Sarah Ockwell-Smith. These books offer valuable tips and information. And most importantly they normalise and help you understand what baby and toddler sleep is.

For more info on how to keep your little one warm and snug at night click here.

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) in Florida USA acknowledges the Snuggle-pod as a "hip-healthy" product.
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One in 20 babies born full-term have some hip instability at birth and incorrect swaddling can increase the risk of hip dysplasia. Many parents find that swaddling can provide comfort for fussy babies, but when babies are swaddled, care should be taken to swaddle properly so it allows for babies hips to develop safely and healthy. Wrapping babies too tightly or incorrectly can loosen the joints and damage the soft cartilage of the socket causing Hip Dysplasia.

​Director of the IHDI and professor of Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery University Dr. Price MD, FAAP is impressed with the Snuggle-Pods unique design which allows babies legs to fall into the 'frog-like' position providing a safe swaddle every single time:

​"There is plenty of room for the baby to kick and move the hips", according to Dr. Price. "Therefore the International Hip Dysplasia Institute acknowledges the SNUGBAGS Snuggle-Pod as a 'hip-healthy' product."

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​Dr. Price says: "It is our intention to acknowledge socially conscious companies that are doing their best to provide products to promote optimum hip development. And the IHDI recognizes that SNUGBAGS has developed products that consider the importance of healthy hip development during infancy. This is especially important during the early stages of hip development in the first few months after birth.

​Owner of SNUGBAGS Kim Snel is very proud to have received the "hip-Healthy" acknowledgement. "We work very hard to provide products for parents that they can trust and know that are safe. To have the endorsement from an independent organization as the International Hip Dysplasia Institute gives us real credibility and makes us stand out from the crowd."

​"This shows that we are industry leaders in developing safe products for little ones and we are extremely proud to be the ONLY merino zip up swaddle in the whole world to have received the 'hip-healthy' acknowledgement!  Our Snuggle-Pod really takes the guess work out of swaddling so you can be sure to know that your baby is swaddled safely and securely every single time."

​SNUGBAGS specializes in award-winning merino and organic cotton sleeping bags and swaddles. All garments are ethically made in New Zealand using local merino to create high quality, luxurious sleep wear that meets local and international safety standards. The result: better and safer sleep for baby and peace of mind for parents.

View original article here:
http://www.buynz.org.nz/Category?Action=View&Category_id=1526

Here are some easy, inspiring ideas to have a more sustainable (but still awesome - if not more awesome!) Christmas.

​1. Get a real Christmas tree with roots. After Christmas, plant it in your garden (or keep it in a pot) and use it again next year! TIP; buy a slightly smaller tree as they will get pretty heavy once potted and after a year of growing bigger ;)

​Potting the tree is also a fun activity to do with the kids. Neeva Rose loved picking her own tree and potting it.

2. If you are not into a real tree (let's face it with toddlers in the house it might not be all that practical!) - make a wooden Christmas tree instead of buying a plastic one! They look gorgeous, are very affordable and you can easily re-use them year after year.

3. Have wooden, handmade or felt decorations. It's super easy (and super fun) to make your own decorations and kids love to help.

4. When using outside lights, make sure they are SOLAR powered! You can get a huge variety of solar Christmas lights and they work brilliantly (without the huge power bill!)

5. Instead of giving presents, consider giving an experience. Tickets to the ballet, a concert, musical, the Zoo or a trampoline park are great gifts without having to buy more 'stuff'. We just bought Neeva Rose tickets to the Swan Lake and we cannot wait to take her!

6. When buying presents go for quality and not quantity and buy local and support small businesses where you can! Instead of using Christmas wrapping paper switch over to recycled brown paper wrapping. With a bit of inspiration you can make the most gorgeous looking presents that are much more environmentally friendly xx

Pictures by Pinterest.