The Littlest Funk blog: tampa

5 Benefits of Elderberry Syrup + GIVEAWAY

Monday, November 13, 2017

We all know it's cold and flu season, which means as a mom I am trying to do all that I can to prevent my two toddlers from getting sick. We personally, as a family, do not get flu shots. It's not because of religious reasons or any holistic reason. I just think my girls are too little for them and it's not something I want to get, so I don't give it to my girls. It's just a personal preference. I really try to find other ways to prevent them getting sick and so far, we have been pretty successful.

One way we are keeping our immune system up is with Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup. My girls absolutely love this syrup and call it their "Princess Juice", which makes it much easier for them to take. If you have boys, you could call it "Superhero Juice". Isn't that such a fun way to make them take their "medicine"?!

Em telling Char how this turns her into a princess :)

I had never heard of Elderberry syrup before a friend in my mom's group introduced it to me. I love that it is made with all natural and organic ingredients, so I couldn't wait to try it.

So, what is in Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup? It's filtered water, elderberries, raw vitamin C, raw local Florida honey, ginger root (not powdered), cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, peppercorns, echinacea, crushed garlic cloves, oregano, turmeric, and whole rose hips. What's NOT in your syrup? Preservatives of any kind, additives, stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, dyes or any other filler.

Here are five benefits of Elderberry syrup and why you should give it a try too!

1. It's safe to give to children one and over. It is made with Raw honey, which is not recommended for children under one. However, Natasha, the owner of Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup, takes special requests and can make batches without honey. I love small shops that care about their customers!

2. It is an anti-inflammatory and helps ease allergies. My girls definitely take after their dad in the allergy department and although they have rarely gotten a cold, they do get the congestion. I have found that the Elderberry syrup has helped a lot with this!

3. It if full of antioxidants and encourages healthy skin. I could use all the help I can get in this department, especially with my girls who keep me running around and exhausted most days.

4. It is a natural diuretic. Elderberry syrup has been shown to help regulate urination and bowel movements. I don't know about your kids, but mine have their good days and bad days when it comes to getting enough liquids and the right nutrition. This helps keep them on track, so I don't have to worry about constipation.

5. It lowers blood sugar. The elder-flower extracts help stimulate glucose metabolism and the secretion of insulin, which lowers blood sugar. This is great if you have high blood sugar and want to try a natural way to lower it.

I also love that you can add this syrup to smoothies, tea and even Greek yogurt! Have you tried Elderberry syrup before? If you have, I'd love to know what you thought in the comments!

Be sure to follow Williams Organic Elderberry Syrup's Facebook page and head to The Littlest Funk's Facebook page for the giveaway!

**As with all supplements, vitamins, and medications it is best to check with your pediatrician or primary care provider for dosing instructions. Remember some supplements have interactions with prescription medications. **Elderberry and vitamin C can cause loose stools (diarrhea). If this happens back off the elderberry syrup and make sure to stay hydrated.

lowry park zoo · tampa · toddler · toddler fun · zoo

Lowry Park Zoo | Making Memories with my Toddler

Thursday, August 11, 2016

7 comments

We love the zoo! I truly believe you could never be too young or too old to go to the zoo! Emma has only been one other time when she was a year old and had fun, but this time was an entirely different experience for all of us. She recognized most of the animals and the other animals she wasn't sure of, she guessed and it was so cute! (Example, a zebra was a horse, which totally makes sense to a two year old. Haha!) We enjoyed watching her get excited about each animal and exhibit, laugh, dance and have the best time!

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo graciously allowed us to enjoy one of their new events this year called, Sunset Celebration. It was a blast! They also have two new events coming up that I am so excited about, October Creatures of the Night and December Christmas in the Wild.

Did you know that when you pay for a one day ticket, you can go back all year for FREE? That includes these after 4PM events too! There are even FL resident discounts!

The zoo is such a great toddler friendly thing to do that they will love! We got there a little early so the girls didn't miss seeing any of the animals. It's hard to say what Emma's favorite was, but the elephants were mine and were a big part of the Sunset Celebration. Michael and Emma went on an African Guided Safari and took these great shots of the animals. I was bummed that Charlotte was too little to ride, but she and I got to hang out while we waited for Daddy and Emma. These animals are beautiful!

We took a break after their ride and seeing some of the other animals to enjoy the Jungle Carousel. This was Charlotte's first time to ride one and one of Emma's favorite things to do.

This was about the time the park started getting ready for Sunset Celebration. They had tons of different food options, an awesome dance area for the kids in the Safari Lodge (and yummy drinks for the adults), followed by a champagne toast at sunset in front of the elephant overlook spot. We couldn't get Emma off the dance floor! It was so special and so fun! They even threw apples to the elephants and we got to see them up close and the littlest one play in the water. The night ended with a concert and a laser light show!

Speaking of the elephants, did you know that 96 elephants are lost each day in Africa to poaching? This means that they could be extinct by 2020. I hate knowing that my girls won't be able to enjoy these wonderful creatures in as little as four years. There are ways that we can help! Click here to adopt an animal and click here to donate!

Another great memory making adventure with my toddler in the books! We were even joined by some of our good friends and their son, who Emma loves hanging out with! Here are a some more pictures of our fun trip to Lowry Park Zoo. Enjoy, and this is definitely a must if you are in the Tampa Bay area!