Once upon a time it was an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what about a banana a day keeps the mosquitoes away? Bananas are proving to have many medicinal benefits, including bug repellent.

So does a banana a day keep the skeeters away? Well, there is no scientific proof but people whose diet includes a banana a day seem to get less bug bites than those whose diets do not. Some people even rub a banana peel on an existing mosquito bite to help ease the itch. If this isn’t reason enough to incorporate, ‘nannas’ (as my three year old daughter calls them) into your diet, then what about aiding in digestion, lowering high blood pressure, bone and kidney health, and stress relief?

Listen up pregnant ladies looking for natural remedies, bananas are not only a great snack to boost energy but they can aid in morning sickness, as they help to keep your blood sugar levels up. Bananas also neutralize your stomach acid which can provide heartburn relief.

If all these reasons listed above are not enough to have you go bananas for bananas, they are a portable snack that tastes great and can even help improve your mood. So start feeding your little monkeys bananas! They will thank you later.

Would you like to see a Hatley banana print?

Summer is upon us, and with the heat and sunshine come UV rays, and therefore sunscreen. And lots of it, especially for our little ones. As we now know, the more sunburns one has before the age of 18 (some say 16) increases one’s chances for developing skin cancer.

My daughter is blond and has such fair skin that I constantly worry about her getting too much sun. She always wears a hat and sunscreen and we try to keep her out of the sun during mid day when rays are at their strongest. With this being said, I love summer and I love the sun, and who doesn’t love a sun kissed glow?

Problem with that is children learn by imitation, so basking in the sun is no longer part of my summer. When we go outside to play, it is my daughter who reminds me “mommy, don’t forget the sunscreen”! Luckily, it is all she knows. So next time you take the kids outside to play or to the pool when you are slathering them with sunscreen don’t forget to apply it to yourself as well.