The Power of Positive Thinking (to help me fall asleep!)

Last night I had a horrible dream- I won’t recount the details, but I think it had something to do with this article I just read in Parents magazine about Parents Who Change the World.

While I know it’s important to be aware of the multitude of dangers that lurk around every corner while we are raising our children, I really don’t think it should affect me to the point of waking me up in the middle of the night. After all, who of us, by worrying, can add a single hour to our lives?

After I woke and was completely relieved to find my sweet son sleeping soundly, I had the hardest time falling back to sleep because the dream rattled me so much. In that moment I decided to change my thought pattern and began reflecting on anything positive I could.

I found myself thinking about all of the things I have learned since my baby turned into a toddler…random things that no one could have predicted, but all things that bring little joys throughout my day. Here are some of my favorites:

How fast my reflexes are! I’ve saved many a carpet from spilled drinks and food, stopped flying objects from hitting me in the face, and rerouted heads that were on a crash course with a table corner.

How much I love spotting construction vehicles on the street. Whether it’s a cement truck, excavator, bulldozer, grader, forklift, crane or bobcat-all words I didn’t even know a couple of years ago- I love them. after all, we love what who we love loves (say that three times fast) and my son LOVES him some road work!

Bugs and their little worlds are really fascinating and I can spend hours with my son studying their comings and goings.

Bees really aren’t that scary

How fun public transportation is

That I really need to learn everything about everything because “Why Mommy?” Is his favorite question, and I hear it about 400 times per day.

Taking my mind off of the things I can’t control and reflecting on things that make me happy was exactly what I needed to sleep like a baby.

What are some of your favorite things you’ve learned since becoming a mother?

Books, Reviews

Ice Pop Joy

Holly 1 Comment

Receiving a copy of Ice Pop Joy by Anni Daulter for review was one of the best things that could have happened to me this spring!

First of all, my son LOVES popsicles, and asks for them constantly. I have had a hard time finding store bought pops that have quality ingredients, and the recipes I’ve tried haven’t been that exciting. Secondly, I am very pregnant- which in my case means I am really hot, all the time. What could be better than an entire book devoted to “Organic, Healthy, Fresh and Delicious” Ice Pops?

“I wrote this book for parents who stay awake at night worried that their children aren’t getting enough protein or veggies because their kids flat out refuse to eat them. As a mom, I’ve had those concerns and know how frustrating it can be to try to get kids to eat something when they’re not in the mood,” said Daulter. “We need as many tools in our parenting bag as we can get.”

She definitely delivers on the tools! Daulter opens the book with suggestions on how to get your children to eat healthy foods, including:

Don’t hide ingredients from them
Have your children help choose the ingredients you will use
Keep offering veggies many times, even if they reject them at first

Daulter is so creative with her recipes, and the book is organized into chapters according to the main ingredients- which include Veggie Pops, Herbal Tea Pops, Tofu Pops and Chocolate Pops to name a few.

Every recipe I tried was easy to use, and resulted in a delicious ice pop! One of our favorites (so far!) is the Pink Princess. We took the bounty of our strawberry picking adventure and put it to good use!

They are delicious!

Another favorite was the Ice Pops for Breakfast. How fun it was to wake up one morning and ask my son if he’d like to have a popsicle for breakfast! He looked at me like I was the most wonderful person in the world. (That right there was worth every second it took to make those pops, which wasn’t very long!)

The book also includes a valuable resource and reference section- listing online sources for the ingredients and further nutritional information.

The photos themselves are so beautifully shot, that looking at each page makes me want to whip up that particular pop right then and there.

I love Ice Pop Joy. Thanks Anni, for another great book!

You can find Anni Daulter at Conscious Family Living. She has also written a wonderful baby food making book- Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers.

Babies, Nutrition, Prevention

Strawberries Help Fight Cancer

Holly Leave a comment

We all know how important it is to feed our children and ourselves fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. We also know how hard that can be in our fast paced lives and with our sometimes picky children.

There are many baby and toddler food companies who sell freeze dried strawberries, bananas, and apples, and there are always lots of options for freeze dried veggies in the local natural food store. This seems much more convenient, however I was under the impression that once the “fresh” component of the food was removed, so were the vital nutrients.

When I’ve looked at the nutrition labels of some of these toddler snacks, almost every vitamin and mineral with the exception of Vitamin C has a 0% next to it.

But I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal showing the potential strawberries have to cure cancer, and they used freeze-dried strawberries in the study. In fact, the doctor who conducted the research said, “the freeze-dried substance [that fights cancer] is about 10 times as concentrated as fresh strawberries.”

How exciting! Now I can feed freeze-dried fruits and veggies to my son when I’m in need of a quick snack and don’t have anything fresh on hand, and I can feel really good about it.

Since he’s too young to eat popcorn (due to the choking risk) I recently bought him this dried corn from The Savory Spice Shop in Austin, TX, and he loved it!

Ask Holly, Products, Recommendations

Ask Holly: What is the Best Organic Crib or Toddler Mattress?

Holly 1 Comment

Hello,
I am ready to move my baby from her bassinet into a crib and I want to buy the best (but affordable) organic mattress. I know you do a lot of research before you purchase anything- do you have any suggestions?

Benji R.
Los Angeles, CA

Hi Benji!
I am always so amazed at how often a question will pop into my inbox about something I have very recently researched to death and made a decision about.

Just last week we bought a new mattress for our 2 and a half year old who has slept with us up until now. We decided not to buy a crib because we knew we wouldn’t use it, but we did have a Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper which I highly recommend.

He reached a point where it just seemed clear that he wanted his own sleeping space, but not necessarily in his own room. Combined with the fact that we will soon have a newborn in our bed, we knew it was time to get him his own mattress.

You’re right- I did tons and tons of research, discovered that there are even more green-washers out there now than there were three years ago when I was looking for an organic mattress for our Co-Sleeper . Disheartening, yes, but once again this gives me the opportunity to “vote with my dollar.”

I found a great mattress, and it is the only one endorsed by Healthy Child, Healthy World.

Naturepedic Dual Firmness Organic Cotton Classic Crib/Toddler Mattress – Seamless

It’s made in the USA and doesn’t contain cancer causing fire retardants or other toxic chemicals. It also has a firm side for the crib, a softer side for your toddler and fits both crib and toddler beds.

So one could potentially get 4-5 years out of this mattress. Considering your child will spend 10-14 hours a day on this, while NOT breathing in an harmful substances, I find the $300 price tag to be quite a bargain.

My child’s health is worth any amount of money I have.

Babies, Nutrition, Prenatal

Ch-Ch-Ch Chia!

Holly Leave a comment

Remember the fabulous informercial from the 90s (or was it 80s?) for the Chia Pet? I’m here to put that jingle back into your head.

Next time you’re at your natural food store, pick up a package of chia seeds. They are jam packed with anti-oxidants, omega 3s, and fiber, and lots of other vitamins and minerals. These nutritional powerhouses are just as beneficial as flax seeds if not better, because they don’t need to be ground to be digested.

Sprinkle some on your morning cereal, in yogurt, smoothies, on salads, or just eat them by the spoonfuls!

FYI: I had no idea, but you can still buy Chia Pets! I think I’m going to get one for my toddler- It’s so fun to watch him plant seeds, water them, wait patiently, and see the grass grow. I’m pretty sure he needs the Chia Dinosaur: