Valentine's Day Cards for the Kiddies

If you've been in any retail store recently, you can't miss all of the Valentine's Day decorations and candies EVERYWHERE! The bright pink and red colored candy bags with red chocolate this and pink candy that. It's pretty hard to avoid.

It got me thinking about what Daniel can give out to his classmates this year when they have their Valentine's Day card exchange.

I knew I wanted to avoid the artificial candies and chocolates, although I would be lying if I said I didn't like the way that they taste on occasion. But the bottom line is that they're not so good for us. They're full of artificial dyes and sugars. And truthfully, my son doesn't even care for them. It's a miracle, I know! I would love to take credit for this one, but he has never had a sweet tooth.

So, candies are out.

This year, stores are full of "non-candy" options for us mommas. I recently walked into a Target and found at least 10 options of Valentine's Day cards and non-candy goodies that were very inexpensive. Some included stickers, tattoos, pencils, erasers, notepads, and stamps. Love that! Most of the boxes were in the range of $2.50. Love that even more!

Not bad, huh?

But before my Target discovery, I had already ventured into our local dollar store and bought several packs of toy mazes (6 in a bag for $1) and made little treat bags for Daniel's class. So if you have some time, and want to make your own, here is what we did.

You will need:
1. small paper or plastic goodie bags
2. small toy mazes
3. fun sticker to seal the bags (we chose Daniel's favorite- Lightning McQueen)
4. gift tags (optional, but cute if you want to include a play on words like "You are an a-MAZE-ing friend.")
5. confetti, to sprinkle in the bags (optional)

 Found these at the Dollar Tree. They also had heart shaped ones (12 for $1), 

but Daniel thought those were too "girlie". I thought they were adorable!

Optional confetti to sprinkle in the bags and Cars stickers to seal the bags. 

My gift tag puncher and red craft paper to make the tags. 

(You can purchase the tag puncher or already pre-made tags at a craft store like Hobby Lobby.)

I used these foam traffic stickers to adhere the tags onto the bags. 

They were left over from Daniel's birthday party. 

Enjoy! xoxo

Kitchen Crumbs

Just until last year I used to always buy my breadcrumbs. That is, until I discovered how simple it is to make! Never spend another penny on breadcrumbs...

please.

Ever.

All you need are a few pieces of sliced bread. We prefer whole wheat. The key here is to read the label on your bag of bread to ensure that it does NOT contain any high fructose corn syrup. You will be amazed at how many out there do. High fructose corn syrup has been linked to obesity and high cholesterol.

Next, take out a few slices and leave them out overnight. You'll want them to turn stale. Then simply pop them into your food processor or blender and you're done - Breadcrumbs!

You can use this as an opportunity to show your little ones about measurements and counting. Daniel did most of the work, but Mia watched happily as we counted the number of pieces we needed to cut the bread into, in order to fit them into our Ninja food processor.

Healthy Kid-Friendly Christmas Meals

And just like that...Christmas is upon us. Eight days, to be exact. Why am I counting, you may ask? 

Oh no, no, no. It's not me. It is my five year old Daniel, who since December, thought waking up an hour earlier every day would ensure he is the FIRST person who makes it to our Christmas countdown pillow, and moves the candy cane one day closer to Christmas. He's right! He is definitely the first at 6 am! And all, for this...

If you have kids visiting on Christmas, (highly likely if you're a parent) you may be wondering what meals to prepare for them. It is so easy to give into the abundance of sweets and quick drive-thru or prepackaged meals during the busy holiday season. But I'm here to give you a few clever little ideas that don't require a whole lot of time, and will be healthier choices for your little elves. 

First, I can't think of a cozier way to warm up Christmas morning than with a cup of warm cocoa. Make your own, so that you can avoid the harmful partially hydrogenated oils (which can raise bad cholesterol) and control the sugar content. By presenting it in a festive mug with a "cheerio" candy-cane charm, the kids will have fun sipping and munching, while opening gifts. 

CANDY CANE COCOA

To make the candy cane charm, you will need:
1. toasted oats cereal
2. red pipe-cleaners

Simply thread about 20 toasted oats through the red pipe-cleaner and cut off the rest with a pair of scissors. Tuck the ends over, to prevent the cereal from slipping off. Then hang from your favorite mug!

To make the hot cocoa:
1. 1 tbsp. unsweetened dark cocoa
2. 1 cup organic or raw milk
3. 1-2 tbsp. sweetener of your choice (honey, stevia, coconut sugar, or agave)

Warm the milk over low heat with the cocoa powder. Mix frequently. Before the milk comes to a boil, remove from heat and pour into your mug. Add your sweetener of choice.

RUDOLPH SANDWICH

To make Rudolph, you will need:

1. whole wheat sliced bread (read the label and avoid partially hydrogenated oils)

2. mini pretzels

3. raisins

4. cherry or grape tomatos

5. creamy filling of your choice (hummus, cream-cheese, peanut butter)

6. heart-shaped cookie cutter

7. toothpicks

First, fill your sandwich with your filling of choice. Then, use your cookie cutter to cut out your reindeer's head. Add the pretzels as antlers. The filling will act as a paste to hold them in place. Dab a bit of filling on the back of the raisins to hold them in place as eyes. Cut a toothpick in half and place at the tip to hold your tomato in place as the nose. When serving to children, be sure to remove the toothpick before they dig in.

For more details on the candy-cane charm and reindeer sandwich, please visit our friends at www.thepetitesoiree.blogspot.com.

While brainstorming ideas for more kid-friendly Christmas meals, I came across these other wonderful ideas. I could not resist the cuteness and they look super easy to make! Clicking on the images will lead you to their websites for more details.

RUDOLPH PANCAKES

CHRISTMAS TREE SALAD

SANTA STRAWBERRIES

Here's to some festive meal-planning from our family to yours! Bon Apetit!

Breakfast Baby

This morning my cupcake (Daniel) woke up craving waffles. He is a "warm food" kind of kid and prefers warm meals in the morning like a comforting bowl of cream of wheat or a freshly toasted egg and cheese sandwich.

The challenge is squeezing in the time in the morning, while balancing getting myself and both of my little ones ready. It would be fabulously easier to pop open a box of cereal every morning or throw some pre-frozen waffles in the toaster. Not that there is anything wrong with that on occasion (I hear my dad's voice whispering "everything in moderation"), but there is something to be said about knowing what ingredients you are putting into your kid's food. Especially when you can add extra healthy goodness to the mixes, like fruits or chia seeds.

Chia seeds are my new favorite food add-on. They are so easy to hide into mixes like pancakes, waffles, and muffins and come from the plant source with the highest source of Omega-3. Plus, they are full of antioxidants and are a complete protein with amino acids, calcium, and magnesium. Score!

Home-made pancake and waffle mixes are great because you can make a big batch of batter and refrigerate whatever you don't use for the next day. Or even yet, cook a bunch and freeze what you are aren't going to eat. Then simply pop them in your toaster straight from your freezer.

This morning, cupcake wanted to help me make the waffles. It was a great ad-lib lesson on math and measurements as he helped read and measure the ingredients. We put everything into my Go-To mixer, the Ninja Master Prep. I love it because it mixes really well, saves counter space, and doesn't make a big mess.

Once everything was well mixed, we poured the batter into our waffle maker and voila! Yummy banana waffles! You can find a good waffle maker inexpensively at most retail chains, like Target or Wal-mart.

Our Waffle Recipe:
2 cups of whole wheat white flour (we like King's Arthur)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs (organic, free-range)
1 1/2 cups of milk (organic or raw is what we like)
1 ripe banana
3 tbsp un-salted butter
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp chia seeds

Place all of the ingredients, except for 1 cup of flour, milk, and baking powder in the mixer. Mix until well blended. Then add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Warm up your waffle maker and pour your batter in. Cook and enjoy!

Long (Healthy) Days Out With the Kids

Today was a typical Sunday for me and my crew (that would be me, the hubby, baby Mia and Daniel). It's somewhat of a process...
A production, actually.

I make everyone breakfast, we all get dressed, and rush out the door to attend church.

Sounds easy, right?

Wrong. Not easy.

You see, church is in New York City, which - on a good day - can take anywhere between 40-60 minutes to get to, then you mustn't forget to tack on another 10 minutes to look for parking. It is a looong day, to say the least.

Most of my Jersey friends think we are crazy commuting into the city on Sundays with a one year old and a five year old. Not to mention, the ridiculously expensive tolls and gas, traffic, and pain-in-the-booty-lack-thereof-parking.

But, we do it for so many reasons. We love our church. We love our family. Our church is family. You feel right at home as you walk in and are greeted with smiles, hugs, and kisses. And yes, sometimes I barely hear the preaching while I'm busy being a mom, but I still feel a sense of peace knowing we are in God's temple.

The commute has now become a part of our family tradition. And although we don't make it in every Sunday, when we do, I become very obsessive about packing the kid's a cooler. I can not go to church without it, and I've made this a part of our new tradition for the benefit of their health.

In our little green cooler, I typically pack drinks, snacks, and lunch.

Here is what we packed today:

1. Raw milk for Mia's bottle
2. Fruitables juice boxes in Tropical Orange
3. Diced up apples (Don't forget to squeeze a 1/2 lemon over top, so that they don't turn brown.)
4. Pasta made with home-made sauce of pureed squash, butter, and milk. You can find the recipe, in my recipes section. (To keep food warm, I always use a Foogo thermos, which you can find almost anywhere. We purchased ours from diapers.com.
5. Wheat crackers

So although our little tradition is a production, I feel good knowing there are ways to keep long days a little healthier just by adding a few new additions, like our little green cooler!

xoxo, Mari

Real Milk Drinking Here.

Isn't it peaceful?

Something about driving between an aisle of greenery just sends me into a tranquil state of mind. This is Brownsburg Road. The main road leading to my trusted farm source for dairy, Birchwood Farm.

I love my drives here. I squeeze them in when I can, which is usually once every 12-14 days or so. I look forward to the calm after the chaos. The stillness in the winding roads after I've made it down crazy Route 1 South. Something magical happens after your cross over Princeton. The air lightens up and the world slows down...
if only, just a little.

I began driving here almost two months ago when a friend recommended I try raw milk or as some would like to call it, "real" milk. When she first recommended I try it, I immediately thought, "No way!" The concept seemed so foreign to me. "Is it safe?" "Would we digest it ok?" "Are there really any benefits to it?" Then she handed me a glass, smiled, and said "try it." And that was the beginning of my slight addiction.

I originally thought I would never share about this experience for fear of being judged or criticized. I know how it feels to be on the side of questioning and uncertainty. But if part of my journey is to learn and the other part is to share my journey, then this certainly counts as a part of the whole process.

Years ago (before most of us were born), real milk was the norm. It was what everyone drank. It was delivered fresh. It didn't include any antibiotics or hormones, and wasn't pasteurized. The cows that produced the milk were cared for and ate foods that were good for them, like grass, hay, and root vegetables.

Things are different now. To keep up with consumption and commercialism, factory farms now mass produce milk by giving their cows growth hormones to help produce more milk. These cows are also expensive to maintain and are fed cheap and widely abundant corn, which is not natural for their digestive systems. They're also fed feeds laced with pesticides and chicken manure. It's no wonder the milk needs to be pasteurized. The unfortunate thing that happens through pasteurization is that the milk is stripped from all of the healthy vitamins like Vitamin C, B12, and B6. And because these cows are confined, often times they are stricken with diseases.

Real milk, on the other hand is fresh, contains no additives, hormones or antibiotics. The health benefits are numerous including the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It also includes healthy bacteria which helps our bodies absorb the calcium, iron and phosphorus better and aids in digestion.

After researching the health benefits, I took the plunge and now my whole family drinks it. I try to buy it when I can, but I will admit, it is not as convenient as going to my local supermarket to buy a gallon of milk. In fact, they don't even sell it in New Jersey. I have to cross into Pennsylvania, but I'm now hearing areas of New York now carry it. It's also more expensive. So, I compromise and make the effort to buy a few gallons every two weeks or so and supplement with organic milk in between my trips.

With regards to taste, one word: scrumptious.
With regards to digestion: easy. So easy.

If you're unsure where you stand with milk, I would encourage you to read the links above to learn more about the health benefits. And in her blog post "Milk 101: Whole, Raw, Oranic, Low-Fat," Lisa Leake breaks down the different types of milks and their pros and cons. She personally does not drink raw milk, but she does describe some of the different options and it may be worth exploring.

Cheers!

(Some of the lucky cows at Birchwood Farms.)

My Broken Delorean.

(The Delorean time machine from the movie "Back to the Future")

It has been a FULL summer. A busy, running, driving, chasing, swimming, butterfly-catching summer.

It's racing.

And sometimes I feel like I can't catch up. 

Some days I dare say I feel like I'm in a time warp. As though I wake up with 24 hours to my day and somewhere between breakfast and lunch, my time machine gets a flat tire and I'm suddenly cooking dinner and getting the kids ready for bed.

When did that happen?

I'm sure we all feel a sense of the "I can't fit it all in" conundrums (right?). But some days, I feel it more than others. Really.

These thoughts are culminating as I look back and realize that this month officially marks my three month anniversary of living a healthier and more holistic lifestyle. Since the beginning of my journey, many of my friends have asked me "Marilyn, what does holistic even mean?" It's a question I have asked myself before and wrote about in an April post called "Holistic-ish". The bottom line? We're trying to make healthier choices in our nutrition and lifestyle and incorporate more natural ways of living to better ourselves and the environment.

For me, this lifestyle is ever-evolving. It's also not as black and white as I thought it would be. It's a delicate dance. A slow, steady salsa of compromise. I'm ok giving a little of this, but not ok giving some of that. And sometimes I'll take a little of this...but I'm not ready to take any of that.

Regardless of whether or not we've mastered natural nutrition, home-life or health, these changes have certainly marked a difference in my day to day life.

This brings me back to my broken Delorean. Did the day really just fast forward? And then I wonder...
Are my lifestyle changes to blame? Lets take a look at the other day for example.

I worked from home with my little "moo-moo" (that's Mia). We needed to pick up Daniel by 3:30 pm because we all had a visit with our chiropractor for our regular check-up. This is new and something I would have never done before, but having incorporated this into our lives for three months, I've seen huge improvements in our health. I've learned that regular, quality chiropractic care can boost your immune system, reduce proneness to injury and keep your body working properly.

Before picking up Daniel, I packed a cooler of snacks and dinner for the kids. Some organic fruits, cheeses, sandwiches and milk. In the past, I would have just gone through a drive-thru. Now, I almost always pack a cooler whenever and wherever we go. It just amazes me, now more than ever, the limited food options at a lot of supposed "kid-friendly" places. Amusement parks, pools, beaches to name of few. You will find plenty of fried goodies but not much in terms of anything fresh or organic.

After our appointments, we headed home. Baths and bed for the kids and kitchen time for me. I find that most weeks I need to plan in at least one night of "bulk" cooking or baking, where I'll batch cook time-consuming meals that I can freeze and later re-heat or serve for other meals during the week. A typical batch cooking night for me will include one or more of the following: granola, breakfast muffins, bread, pizza dough, tomato sauce, fresh beans and pureed vegetables that I can use to add to dishes (typically squash or carrots).

So I wonder...
Were my days always this full? Or have I just not quite figured out how to master my time with these lifestyle changes? Whatever the case is, I know it's worth it.

At the end of my day, I'm optimistic. I know that the next months will bring even more learning and my slow salsa will be a little more smooth. Yes. I won't be tripping over my own feet. In fact, maybe I'll have enough time to ride in my Delorean without a flat and have a little more time to spare!

My Loot. A Farmer's Market Visit.

Until now, I have never taken the time to visit a local farmer's market. In New Jersey, they start popping up in June and last all summer until the early Fall. In my mind I always reasoned, "why would I add another stop to my already jam-packed schedule?" I mean, technically you can get this "stuff" from a supermarket, right?

Well I finally took the plunge, which in real life means, I took the extra half hour of my Friday afternoon and stopped by my local farmer's market.

I circled the block to find the nearest street parking, shut the door and started pacing towards the bright, yellow flags. "Oops, I forgot bags. I should bring bags." Walked back to my car, grabbed two re-usable bags, stuck them under my armpit and marched towards my destination. As I walked, I questioned myself...

Did I bring enough bags?
Is this going to be expensive?
Do I look like I don't belong here?
What will I find?

I neared the entrance and noticed a mish mosh of personalities, which settled my mind. Some young, some old, with children, without, women, and men. Each focused on the selections at the tables presented before them. There were eight tables from different farms in New Jersey. I approached my first table not sure of what I would find or what I would buy. Then, in an instant, my doubts subsided as my eyes soaked in the beautiful array of vibrant colors from all of the fresh produce as I simultaneously inhaled the sweet smell of freshness. Yum. I wanted everything.

After filling my bag to the brim with as much produce as possible, I visited the next table, and the next, and the next, collecting my little treasures of farm-raised eggs, fresh breads, grass-fed meats, local honey, and nuts.

My precious loot...

Besides looking and smelling great, and being surprisingly affordable (aside from the meats), why else are farmer's markets a great idea?

Did you know, local farmed foods:

• taste better
• are non-GMO (which means they are not genetically-modified)
• are more nutritious because they are picked at its peak harvest, unlike supermarket produce that has traveled far and has been sitting out for a while. The longer it sits, the less vitamins it delivers.
• last longer
• are better for the environment

And so I concluded, the half hour was so worth the investment and I will be making this a part of my regular routine this summer. If you haven't tried one yet, I hope you do and here's to finding your own precious loot. To find a local farm or farmer's market near you, visit: www.localharvest.org.

Let It Be.

Today I had one of those mornings. The kind where you're hunting for your lost shoe, while your one year old is pulling at your leg crying, and you're simultaneously trying to brew a cup of coffee, while wiping baby boogers off your blouse, forgetting where you put your keys, while looking for your toddler's lunch box, but he's looking for his missing sword, and the dog won't stop barking, and can we just get out of the house already? Yep, one of those.

Then we get in the car, and its peaceful. Bliss. The building up of anxiety and mayhem suddenly subside into a quiet calm that makes you forget how chaotic and painful the morning was. Kind of like childbirth. Specifically Mia's birth.

Last November my parents were transitioning into a vacation property and we were moving into their New Jersey home. During the transition, they lived with us for several months. Perfect, since I was 8 months pregnant at the time with my second child and loved their help and support. By this time, I knew that I didn't want to overly think my delivery as I had with Daniel.

With Daniel being my first pregnancy, my controlling personality kicked into high gear and I drew up a very detailed birthing plan, complete with instructions on how to go about pain medication. It included my ideal of avoiding pain medication and having the nurses hand me the baby so that I could nurse him immediately. I gave them specific instructions on how to do their job.

While I did manage to labor at home mostly, my water broke on the way to the hospital (not planned). As soon as I arrived, I was screaming (not planned). And, part of my screaming included my new, revised birthing plan (not planned):

Nurse: Ma'am, can you sign here.
Me: Nooooooooo!
Nurse: Ok, we're going to get you into your room and changed. Are you going to want an.....
Me: YESSS!! Give me an epidural NOWWW!!!!!!

And that was that. I had an epidural and baby Daniel was born three hours later. Although the doctors said it was a perfect delivery, I felt far from perfect. I felt disappointed that I didn't follow through with my plans.

Fast forward to December 2010. I promised myself I would not decide on a birthing plan, or any plan for that matter. I would just "let it be." Let God and life do its thing and I would go along for the ride.

On December 31st I did not sleep. I was restless and all I could think of was the baby being born. At 6 am, hubby sees me awake and asks me if I'm ok. I smile, say "yes" and add, "Get ready. I have a funny feeling she's coming today." Hubby tells me to call him if I start laboring and goes off to work. I get up, make my family breakfast and as I'm cooking, I feel a slight cramp. No big deal, I'm not uncomfortable and I continue to enjoy breakfast with my family, and feel another cramp, 10 minutes later. And another, 10 minutes after that.

"Yes," I concluded in my mind, "Mia is coming today". At this point I had two main goals. I didn't want mom to get anxious and I didn't want Daniel to see me in severe pain. So off I went to call David at 10 am.

Me: Babe, you should head home. My cramping is consistent. I should get to the hospital soon.
Hubby: Ok. I'm on my way.

I head into the shower to start getting ready for hubby's arrival but can't help feel the crampings are slightly stronger and closer together. Still very bearable. Now 6 minutes apart, I calmly tell my mother not to panic and explain that hubby is on his way to get me. I tell her my plans to take a hot bath and relax while waiting. Mom agrees but asks me to not close the door, "just in case."

I set the ambiance. Fill the tub with warm water and bubbles, and bring in my radio to play Maxwell. It's now 10:10. Daniel walks in and starts playing with the bubbles. My cramping is now stronger but I feel calm and relaxed. Daniel has no idea that I'm starting to get uncomfortable. I start rocking back and forth to work through the pain and suddenly mom walks in to check on me. It is now 10:15. And just like that, in one instant, my water breaks and I feel the baby's head drop. Hard. I jump out of the tub in a panic and as I'm walking, I feel her head dropping even more. I yell, "Mom! Call 9-1-1". And she replies, "But David's on his way." And I yell back, "but her head is coming NOW!"

Mom runs to grab the phone as I manage to waddle to the nearest bed. Daniel is trailing behind me with bubbles in his hands. "But mommy, your bubbles." He proceeds to rub my back and ask me if I'm ok to which I yell, "I'm fine! I'm fiiiinnneee!" As mom runs back with the phone in hand, Mia's head is out and she drops the phone to catch her. I overhear the 9-1-1 dispatcher tell mom not to touch the umbilical chord. She places Mia on my chest and hands me the phone. Daniel is staring in shock. Mia is crying and mom is crying. I am blissful. I am the quiet after the chaos. I pick up the phone and tell them we're ok. The paramedics arrive 10 minutes later and whisk us away to the hospital.

This day I learned that life can be chaotic at times. It can be mayhem and it can be painful. And although you sometimes have a plan, sometimes the best plan is to "let it be" and let God and life do its thing.

my angel cakes...

my superhero...

my backbone...

my bliss...

Easygo with The Weight of the Nation

Last night I caught the end of The Weight of the Nation, a documentary about the industrialized food industry in the US and its correlation to our nation's obesity and disease epidemic. It got me thinking.

We all have multiple sides to our personality and I have a laid-back, go-with-the-flow part of me that likes what's easy and status quo. And she - let's call her "Easygo" - sometimes doesn't want to know about documentaries like The Weight of the Nation. About how, for the first time in history, our children are expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. How we are raising a nation of the sickest children in the world who are plagued with diabetes, ADHD, asthma, and food allergies. Easygo would sometimes rather not know. Maybe its a sense of powerlessness, or maybe its simply that she doesn't feel like it will ever affect her. But the reality is, it has affected some of her friends and family. And who is to say it can't affect her in the future too?

If you watch the documentary in its entirety, which I recommend you do, they get into some of the trends of our food industry and how it parallels with the rise in obesity and disease. I won't get into details here, but some of what they touch on includes the mass production of corn, primarily used for corn syrups in our processed foods as well as grains used to bulk feed cattle that are later slaughtered for fast food burgers. The bottom line is that big (and very wealthy) companies have mastered a way to mass produce processed foods bigger, faster, and cheaper. So we grow up finding these foods easily and cheaply, and it becomes a staple in our diets. The issue then becomes some of the supposed harmful ingredients being used to mass produce and how it is negatively impacting our health.

A few months ago a friend of mine introduced me to Lisa. Lisa is a 32 year old mom and wife who read a book called In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Just like me, she never cared much about what she used to eat or buy for her family to eat. And just like me, she got to thinking. She decided to institute a 100 day challenge of eating and feeding her family of four only "real" food. They completely eliminated processed foods and she made everything from scratch for 100 days. Her journey is incredible. Here is a snapshot of what she describes as "real" food.

"Real" food is defined as:
1. whole foods that are a product of nature, not industry
2. fruits and veggies
3. dairy products
4. 100% whole-wheat and whole grains
5. seafood
6. locally-raised meats
7. water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, wine, and beer
8. dried fruit, seeds, nuts, popcorn
9. all natural sweeteners like honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates

"Real" food is NOT:
1. refined grains such as white flour or white rice
2. refined sweeteners such as sugar, corn syrup, can juice or artificial sweeteners
3. anything out of a box, can, bag, or package that has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label
4. deep fried foods
5. "fast foods"

Doesn't this seem impossible with the way we live today? We're just not surrounded by real food at every corner as we are processed foods. But just as Easygo would rather not care, my alter ego kicks into full mommy mode and I feel like I need to make some changes. Small at first, but something.

I will be the first to admit, it is not easy. As a full time working wife and mommy of two, I would much rather pick out a can of this or a bag of that, and sometimes I do. But my hope is that I can do that less often than not and will share my recent mini experience with the hope that it gets you thinking too.

Daniel (and mommy) loves mini-muffins. Our favorite were the Entenmann's Little Bites...mmmm. One day I flipped over the box and tried to read the ingredients. Tried. Now your turn. You try to figure it out.

So Easygo went to bed early this day and I went online to find some alternatives to make our own version of mini muffins and Eureka! The kid actually likes them! These are carrot and walnut. You can find this recipe and many more at naturalhomeandgarden.com.

(above image from igniteinsight-er.blogspot.com)




xoxo, MG

Locally Grown.

A few months ago, I really didn't have a preference whether or not my produce was organic or not. I didn't care if it was grown on a local farm or if it was shipped here from South America. As long as it was cheap and attractive, it was going in my shopping cart.

Then, The Daily Green began circulating their research on the dirty dozen - a list of the top 12 fruits and vegetables that are most impacted by the chemicals and pesticides used by larger farms abroad. The list includes:

1. apples
2. celery
3. strawberries
4. peaches
5. spinach
6. nectarines
7. grapes
8. sweet bell peppers
9. potatoes
10. blueberries
11. lettuce
12. kale and collard greens

I was pretty convinced that I would make it a point to buy the dirty dozen organic. So I did, and secretly began patting myself on the back. But just as I patted, I realized, what about local farms in New Jersey? Should I be considering them for some of this produce also? And so control-freak, analytical, make-everything-a-mock-trial questionnaire Marilyn, began research on locally grown foods. And here is what I found. Local foods:

1. are fresher and last longer
2. are seasonal and taste better
3. have less environmental impact
4. preserve green space and farmland
5. promote food safety
6. support your local economy
7. promote variety
8. create community
9. don't contain harmful chemicals and pesticides

In Middlesex County alone there are at least eight local farms. The website www.visitnjfarms.org lists them by county. And so this weekend we decided to take a stab at Giamerese Farms, a farm we visit annually for pumpkin picking. Success! The kids loved picking (and eating) their own strawberries. In fact, I couldn't get one of the guilty culprits to stop eating...take a guess who?

 

I Love Carl. (My Mother's Day Memory)

Today we celebrated Mother's Day in the US. Mothers around the country slept in, were given a break, and told they are loved. At home, I try to celebrate Mother's Day every Sunday. It is the one day where I get to sleep in. On Sundays, sweet Sundays, hubby is home to intercept my alarm clocks (the kids) and I'm given a morning break to catch some extra zzzz's.

Today was slightly different though. As I rolled over in bed savoring the extra sleep, I felt the soft shoves of  little hands as Mia and Daniel nervously woke me up. Mia proceeded to climb on top of me and laugh while Daniel cheered enthusiastically, "Mommy! Mommy! It's Mother's Day!" He then shoved a card in my face with a huge grin anxiously awaiting my reaction. "Aww, thanks papa," I whispered trying to rub my eyes awake and make a sleepy smile. In the card he wrote "Love Daniel" and Mia wrote her own baby scribbles that meant just as much. He then delicately placed his hands on my lap. "Mommy. I made this for you. Here's your Mother's Day gift. I named him Carl."Carl was a little snowman looking thing he carefully crafted from play dough.

"Carl? Why Carl?" I wondered. But who can ever tell the reasonings behind a four year old's thoughts. "I love Carl," I mustered. "He's awesome."And I carefully placed Carl on my nightstand so as not to accidentally dismember him. God forbid. Then off Daniel went, skipping along contently because he knew he had succeeded in making me smile. Which to him meant, mommy was happy and loved.

I savor these moments as I reminisce about Daniel's rough start in this world. Four and a half years ago Daniel was born. It was a hot summer night and I labored mostly at home, trying desperately to withstand the pain. By the time my contractions were a minute apart, my family rushed me to the hospital just in time. The delivery was text book and the doctors said he was perfect. He nursed immediately and I thought everything was going to be just as easy as it looked on TV. But then, he cried. Exhausted beyond belief, I remember holding him continuously and nursing him around the clock. I slept a total of four hours the entire three days I stayed in the hospital.

Being overly exhausted and a new mom, the anxiety of doing things right got the best of me. All I wanted was sleep. But Daniel cried. He cried and cried. He cried when we held him. He cried while he nursed. He cried while falling asleep. Cried. Cried. Cried. Worried that I was going to have a nervous breakdown, I called the pediatrician who told me to bring him in. He was two weeks old. They immediately admitted him in the hospital for an evaluation. Daniel had an infection. They placed him on an intravenous antibiotic for three days while his little body fought off the virus. I remember not wanting to leave the hospital. I felt safe there. And rested.

After we were discharged, we came home and I thought things would get better but Daniel continued crying relentlessly. I wondered if I was doing something wrong. Was I a bad mom? My parents encouraged me to take him back to the pediatrician where they ultimately diagnosed him with colic. I read about colic but didn't think it could happen to my child. To me.

I spent the next few days obsessively researching colic online. After too much reading, consulting with my mother and mother-in-law and much trial and error, we finally discovered our winning combination. A mix of soothing techniques that calmed Daniel and kept him at peace. His magic combination included being carried in a sling during parts of the day (also known as attachment parenting), drinking small amounts of chamomile tea, having a daily stomach massage with lavender oil, and supervised naps on his belly.

Initially, I was opposed to some of these ideas because of what I had read or heard. But I think that's just it with motherhood. You learn pretty quickly that what is right for one, may not be right for all. That you can't read your way through motherhood. You have to live your way through it. That although you may find a mom or two that you trust and confide in, you have to learn to trust in yourself. God put that instinct there for a reason.

Four and a half years later, Daniel is a happy, silly, inquisitive, intelligent, old soul. His joys are making people laugh and playing outside. Especially if it involves water. His health has never been better thanks to his vitamin and nutrition regimen. A far cry from were he started as a newborn.

So Yes. I love Carl.
I love Carl and what he represents. A happy, healthy little boy trying to make his momma smile.

 

Breaking Down the Fortress.

On my journey towards holistic health, I've discovered I'm on a road of uncovering and healing. I look at my past and remember that our bodies are resilient. That though we may have done some not-so-great things for our bodies before, our bodies are forgiving. And we can do some awesome things going forward, to recover.

Once upon a time...

There.

Was.

Me.

And I was fifteen. Fifteen year old Marilyn was known by many as "Mar"(pronounced Mare) back then. Mar lived in a magical little fairyland named Suburbanville where good things happened to good people. The people of Suburbanville were good and meant well. No one wanted to harm anyone and everyone watched out for one other.

Then one day, Mar was hurt. She began questioning the goodness of all Suburbanites and began to build a tiny fortress made of invisible bricks. Although invisible, the bricks protected her from all Suburbanites. She was shielded from all. The problem with her little fortress was that it also kept her away from the other inhabitants that truly were good. Nonetheless, she lived in her fortress quite content, knowing that she had control over her little universe. And in that fortress she smiled along and thought, "my world is perfect in here".

As time went on, Mar forgot about the hurt. She found a place to bury it and slowly began taking down her invisible fortress, invisible brick by invisible brick. Nervous about how she would survive in Suburbanville without her fortress around her, she knew she needed a plan to protect her from ever getting hurt again. She needed armor. Something that would help her have control over her new surroundings. So she stopped eating. The power of restricting her food was her safety blanket. Her body was now powerful enough to survive on its own, without depending on food, and to Mar, that meant it was powerful enough to survive anything.

At first, the hunger was so loud, it yelled "Feed me!" But soon, the voice quieted down to a whisper, until finally disappearing. Mar continued day by day on little to no food until finally the Suburbanites began to worry. They questioned her health and wondered if she was ok. This made Mar smile. "I'm strong," she thought. "I can do this on my own." And on she went, withering away until she could no longer sustain the energy to walk and smile as much. The days dragged on until Mar was only 85 pounds. "I'm fine," she would proclaim but not even she believed it anymore. Life in Suburbanville was no longer pleasant. It was a chore. And Mar was tired. Very tired. And sick. No longer living. Surviving.

Then one day, one miraculous day, a fairy came to visit Mar. The fairy was warm and loving and caring. She nurtured Mar and held her, and loved her. Mar wondered, "where did you come from?" And the fairy  knew, "your parents prayed me here." She found Mar's buried hurt and threw it into the air. Up it went into the skies and never came back. In its place, the fairy handed Mar a ball of hope. And Mar held onto the hope and embraced it near her heart. Days passed, and Mar began eating. Weeks passed, and Mar began believing. Time passed, and Mar was healed. Mar was healthy. And Mar was hopeful.

I recount my story in the hopes that it will bless someone to believe. To believe and to hope that there is healing. God healed me then and I've never looked back.

So you see, life is a balance because back then, I had the power to harm my body, but now I've been given the power to help my body. Having this, how can I not try to do the best for my body and my family's bodies? That is why I have begun the process of choosing. Choosing to use natural remedies, instead of reaching for the quickest over-the-counter fix. Choosing to limit preservatives from our diet, even though now I have to travel to a different supermarket. Choosing to avoid certain household chemicals. Choosing.

And although I am not perfect, I am hopeful. Hopeful that my choices today will help my body and benefit our family's health in the long run.