My kids love to draw.

I also thought some of the smaller “Squiggle pads” would be great for keeping them busy in the car (hopefully minimizing some of the cooped up car fighting!).

The basic premise of these games is that they stimulate your kid’s natural artistic ability and creativity without limiting them too much (the complaint some have with coloring books, for instance).

They are given a “random line” (hence the name!), basically some abstract line on the paper, and are encouraged to draw something using that.

I was really stunned when I saw some of the creations my 9 year old son and 10 year old daughter came up with (they are both very artistically inclined).

You can see the kids playing the “Squiggle Connect” board game above. The day this game arrived, the kids played it together for over an hour.

I think they like it!

My 7 year old daughter also loved the “Squiggle Style” fashion game. It has a set of dry erase markers and a small dry erase board with a woman’s figure on it. She draws different outfits on the outline. The little fashionista in the family, she enjoyed this one a lot until a few of the markers got lost.

The best thing about these games is that they are quiet (no noise and no batteries required) and get the kids drawing and being creative.

You can find more games from Random Line on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received no compensation (other than samples of the products themselves to facilitate this review) from this company.

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Several months ago I got a personalized story book for my then 7 year old son.

He loved it, so I was tickled when the folks at Frecklebox offered me a personalized coloring book for my 6 year old daughter.

Ilana loves coloring books and devours them regularly, so I knew she would be stoked to have one that has her name on every page!

She’s in First grade and is learning to read more and more each day, and seeing her name in print is fun for her.  It seems that every kid’s favorite word to write, spell and read is their name.  The coloring book immediately captured her attention and she hasn’t lost interest in reading it again and again.

I’ve also noticed that kids love to put their names on things they own. If you have kids with uncommon names and/or unusual spellings like I do, you can rarely find them little trinkets with their names on them.

Frecklebox also offers personalized lunch boxes, stickers, journals, puzzles, and a lot more stuff.

Neat huh?

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There are so many small things that make me happy.

You could ask me this question every week and probably get different answers each time. For now, I’ll choose a theme.

How about summer?

6 Summer Things That Make Me Happy

1- Edy’s Lime Popsicles

photo credit: Gibsonclaire

Oh my goodness these are good. They’re sweetened with sugar instead of HFCS. And just between you and me, you can throw one into the blender with tequila and triple sec and make a super fast margarita.

2 – My Blue Fingernail Polish from Piggy Paints

If you’re not familiar, Piggy Paints is a non toxic nail polish.  As soon as my toes came out of hiding, they got the blue treatment.

3 – Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

I’m working on a review of this product now. I’ve long used coconut oil for cooking, but this stuff I’m taking as a supplement – anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon a day, straight up.

I also use it externally – I rub it on my skin after a shower while I’m damp. It soaks in quicker than any other oil! I use a few drops on my hair as a conditioner before shampooing and after, as a styling aid – my hair has never looked so shiny!

It’s great for keeping your feet soft, so I use a little on my feet just before bed. I slather it on my face at night. Love the stuff.

(It just occurred to me that perhaps #3 doesn’t fit the description of uninportant. Nutrition and health are certainly important. Moving on…)

4 – Facebook

I’ll admit it. Facebook is my guilty pleasure. I recently made the decision to remove all business contacts from Facebook so it can be all about friends and family and the odd ex boyfriend.

The way I figure, I don’t have a television, I don’t read trashy magazines, so why not? It’s too much fun to connect and re-connect with people you care about.

5 – The City Pool

We bought a pass. For $30 all 5 of us can swim our little hearts out. I can’t think of cheaper summer entertainment than that!

The 3 older kids are taking swim lessons for an hour a day, 5 days a week for two weeks. That’s been fun for them and they’re a lot more confident in the water. Sadie didn’t meet the height requirement but she has worked her charms on the hot lifeguards instructors and so every day they’ve grabbed her and let her participate.

6 -  Avocados

I love avocados. I just one ate one, straight up, with a spoon.

Now it’s your turn:

Lisa @ MsFitUniverse

Nichole @ FullEarthsEtc

Amanda @ oohAmanda

Nell @ CasualFridayEveryday

Stefanie @ MommyMusings

Jo-Lynn @ MusingsOfAHousewife

(The rules are: link to this post, list your 6 things, link to 6 other bloggers and comment on their blog too.)

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International House of Pancakes wants you to know that there is still a couple of days left to enter their essay competition. Write something touching about your mom and you could win one of several $100 gift certificates to IHOP.

Enter Here

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Did you read my review of the movie here?

We loved the book and I wasn’t surprised that the movie was great too.

Just leave a comment below if you would like to win. I’ll choose a winner on Friday, April 18th at NOON Eastern time.

In the meantime, here’s a video clip you can watch.

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First I’ll wax poetic about the bra. Two days after I got it, tried it on, and quickly fell in love, I emailed the company:

“I have not taken this bra off since I got it, even to sleep!

I don’t normally wear a nursing bra to bed but since it feels like wearing nothing and I wanted to mention how it felt to sleep in it on my review, I didn’t take it off.“

The Amon maternity/nursing bra is quite honestly the most comfortable bra I’ve ever worn, of ANY kind.

Now some moms might not like the fact that it has light support.

Some moms who are accustomed to more support (or more lining to hide the … um… headlight issue) may not like this bra.

But I love it. It feels like I’m wearing nothing at all. The Amon nursing bra is available in sizes Small – Extra Large.

The bodyshaper I’ve only worn a couple of times because I generally don’t wear these, and I also got the Medium which ended up being too big which kind of misses the point of a bodyshaper.

But it’s really nice. It doesn’t cut into my flesh anywhere and feels pretty comfortable. It helps smooth everything out so you can look nice in those slim jeans.

Amon is letting me give away a $50 gift certificate to one winner.

Here’s how it works.

Leave a comment below. That’s one entry.
You can get additional entries by doing any of the following:

1. Link to the blog from yours. It doesn’t have to be *this* page, any page will do. (If you don’t have a blog you can just email some friends)
2. Twitter about the site. Again – doesn’t have to be this page you link to.
3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
4. Subscribe to the newsletter (sign up box on the top right).
5. Tell me in the comments field what you did to earn entries.

That’s it!

A winner will be picked on Friday, April 10th at 5 P.M. Eastern time.

Have fun!

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Melissa and Doug cookie set

Band in a Box

Responsibility Chart

At the moment, Amazon has their selection of some of the bestselling Melissa and Doug Toys on Sale

Weren’t we just talking about avoiding junky cheap plastic toys? Some great comments in that thread!

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Cute Baby Shoes has very reasonably priced soft sole leather shoes, and their site has a special offer until February 28.

Enter the code HappyShip at checkout and get FREE standard shipping.

These guys have the most adorable designs. Start shopping here!

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My mom has an entire ROOM in her home set up with kids crafts and every conceivable artsy medium, which I think is awesome, but me?

Meh.

Not really my gig.

Although I do love looking at the cool stuff the kids make.

I’m also happy to share someone else’s crafty kid fun ideas with you when they come to my inbox.

Beth Engelman is an author and businesswoman who was looking to find ways to have fun with her 3-year-old without spending a fortune.Her website, www.engelmanriggs.com has ideas and she’s also given me permission to post these recipes for homemade play dough and homemade goop. (I remember that stuff from grade school!)

Homemade Play Dough with Action Figures:

You Need:

1 cup flour

½ cup salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 Tablespoons oil

1cup warm water

Several drops of food coloring

Airtight container with lid such as Tupperware or Ziploc storage container

Plastic action figures such as animals, insects or pirates available at any party supply store

Instructions

Mix ingredients on top of the stove then remove from heat.  Knead into dough making sure there are no bumps.  Once cooled, place in airtight container, adding action figures for a play dough adventure gift that is sure to delight.

Homemade Goop:

It’s gooey, slimy and mess-free!

You Need

2 cup salt

2/3 cup water

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

Airtight container with lid such as Tupperware or Ziploc storage container

Instructions

Mix 2/3 cup water and salt in a pot and heat for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add cornstarch and ½ water to the mixture and stir until smooth.  Return to heat and stir until thick.  Store in airtight container.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

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When I was little, my parents had a book made for me that featured my name and my best friend and pet’s names.

I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and practically wore the thing threadbare. In fact, I still have it somewhere. It was very special to me.

Frecklebox asked me if I would tell you about their personalized story books, posters and coloring books and I jumped at the chance to get one.

I asked them to send a personalized book to my 7 year old son Julien, who struggles a bit with reading. When he opened the package, his face totally lit up. It took him a minute to “get it”, but once he did he was positively thrilled.

He feels like a celebrity.

This is him reading his very own personalized book.

I’ve never seen him learn a new book so quickly as he is learning this one.

This book has a nature theme and features the child’s name written with autumn leaves, clouds, ladybugs, flowers, shells, rocks, birds, and stars.

They say every person’s favorite sound is the sound of their own name.

I think it’s true.

p.s. That’s spy gear around his chest

Visit Frecklebox to see their entire line up of personalized books for kids.

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These are the books I’ve read this month, either in their entirety or at least partially. There’s always a stack of books on my nightstand and sofa.

* Pasture Perfect: The Far-Reaching Benefits of Choosing Meat, Eggs, and Dairy Products from Grass-Fed Animals by Jo Robinson – If you want to know why grass fed meat is a health food, get this book! Includes recipes too. Grass fed is not only best for your health and your taste buds, it’s also better for the planet.

* Never Be Sick Again: Health is a Choice, Learn How to Choose It by Raymond Francis – Health comes down to only one thing: the health of the individual cells. The funny thing is, when I read this book I thought, “Wow, I haven’t been sick in ages, I must be doing something right.” Then I came down with a sore throat and cold. LOL! Guess I need to implement some of these tips.

* Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods by Cynthia Lair – How to get a whole foods dinner on the table that is fit for Dad and the baby and everyone inbetween.

* Empowered To Birth Naturally by Patrice London – the story of a mom and her journey to homebirth.

My latest issue of Ready Made and Vegetarian Times (love it even though I’m not veg) which I can’t seem to finish.

* All of these authors are upcoming guests on the show so stay tuned.

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It’s called Mom Essentials: A One-Stop Organizer for Moms on the Move

They gave me a copy of this all in one organizer and I thought about giving it away, but sorry ladies. I’ve fallen for it!

For years I’ve used a “day-timer” type of organizer with refillable pages. I liked them well enough, but found that half of the inserts that come within are useless to me as a mom, and some of the stuff I wanted was not available.

As an example, I don’t need multiple pages for budgets (why do I need to carry that around with me all the time?), business expenditures (I record all that on the computer), mileage records, etc. I also don’t need the phone number and address fillers because I don’t want to update those each year when I get a new planner. I like to have ONE address book here at home. Anyone I call is programmed into my phone so I really only need to know someone’s address anyway, and it’s never urgent and can wait until I get home to look in my address book.

Plus, the planners are expensive. Most of the planners I bought cost around $20-$30. And by March, they’d been sharpie-d, colored, markered, and scratched by four kids named “I didn’t do it“.

This organizer is perfect for most moms. It’s also fun. When you have to look at something every day, several times a day, it should be cute and fun.

Don’t you think?

I’ll tell you about some of the neat things in this organizer that make it different and cool for moms.

The Week at a Glance calendar page at the front is the mainstay. It’s the to-do list, everything for the week at a glance. Once the stuff is done and checked off, you simply tear of the page and dispose of it.

It then has a small section for V.I.P.’s (important phone numbers and addresses). I likely won’t use this section too much, for the reasons I outlined earlier. But it’s good it’s there. If I meet someone new and want to record their digits, I can put it here, then transfer it to my main address book at home later.

Also has a couple of pages called “Love at First Site” – a handy spot for website addresses you want to remember (probably a lot more effective than putting them in your bookmarks, which nobody checks very often and get cluttered too quickly), along with usernames and passwords. (Of course you wouldn’t want to record sensitive data in here like your bank account or paypal stuff.)

The next section has checklists perforated with two on each page.

We are not Superwoman, so a half page is plenty enough! Once you’ve done the stuff, you can easily tear the page out and dispose of it, avoiding clutter in your organizer. (Which is some kind of organizational oxymoron that could throw off the cosmic order of things.)

And instead of being boring old plain white, they have a kitschy cute green wallpaperesque background. Remember what I said? If you gotta look at it all the time, make it stylish.

I like the Juggling Act section because this is where you can list stuff that doesn’t have to happen right away, or that can be outsourced or delegated. Thus reminding you to delegate stuff.

The Food For Thought area allows you to plan menus (very handy for moms!) and grocery lists. I probably won’t use the section for Takeout Orders because I don’t do takeout, but I’m sure it would come in handy for some people.

At the end there are plenty of pages of blank notes for those random thoughts and ideas that hit you. Now you have one place to record them all. At the end of the notes section is a pocket for receipts and other stuff you have to stash until they’re filed. Like bills you need to take to the mailbox, deposit slips and the like.

Finally at the back of the book are 6 sections of sticky notes, each featuring a cute saying like “balance schmalance”, “too bad all this juggling isn’t toning my arms”, etc. So you can write a note and immediately stick it somewhere. Cute and so handy!

(Not shown actual size here.)

The only thing I don’t like about the Mom Essentials organizer is that it lacks a yearly calendar, so you would probably need to put dates on the weekly planning pages. It would also be a bit challenging to schedule events for the upcoming months. If you’re like me and never know what day it is unless you check a calendar, this might be an issue. It seems a teensy bit incomplete without a “Month at a Glance” section.

I suppose you could paste a small year at a glance type of thing in the back somewhere.

The whole thing is neatly wrapped up in a cute purse sized organizer that you won’t be embarrassed to pull out of your bag. This planner, combined with my recently adopted ToDooDlist system (which is similar to GTD/Getting Things Done but far easier to understand and implement!), will help me make 2009 ROCK.

Check it out here:
Mom Essentials: A One-Stop Organizer for Moms on the Move

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Since moving to an urban community a couple of months ago, the kids have been spending more time skateboarding, walking to the park, and generally running about on the sidewalks.

So I was pretty excited when the UPS man brought us this Skuut bike.

I’ve never visited Scandinavia, but from books the kids and I have read together, biking is a way of life there, and kids start out with these wooden “balance bikes” before learning how to ride a “big bike”. No training wheels, the child learns how to balance using their feet so there’s no scary transition.

I thought my 3 and 5 year old girls would love the Skuut, but so far it’s been my 7 year old, who already rides a regular bike, who loves it.

When it’s too cold to ride outside, he Skuuts around on the hardwood floors of the apartment, as you can see in the picture above. LOL!

I think the Skuut has an awesome, clean looking and attractive design. It took us about 5 minutes to put the bike together (it arrives in a flat pack box), but since most of the furniture in my house came from IKEA, we’re all talented like that. Give us an allen wrench and we could probably build a house.

The design is simple but like all things Scandinavian, quite functional. The seat is adjustable as far as height, making it comfortable for a child from ages 2-5 (or a small 7 year old like mine – maximum weight is 70 pounds). It also easily angles back and forth for comfort.

And it’s darn cute! The thing looks good just hanging around and happens to match my color scheme (note large red throw pillows complementing red leather seat and handlebars!) so all the better. Leave it to the Scandinavians to design something for kids that isn’t garish and ugly and plastic.

Another thing I noticed, and I’m not sure exactly what the wheels are made of (the website says they’re pneumatic rubber?), but they don’t stink like other rubber wheels. A plus since we store it in the apartment.

I recorded a quick audio testimonial of my son sharing what he likes about his Skuut. Click play to listen!

“You pedal with it with your feet, it goes like 3 miles an hour and it lasts going for ten seconds or longer.”

Not to be outdone, 5 year old Ilana recorded her own review of the Skuut bike here:

“It always doesn’t have wheels but it’s so easier. Sometimes I can balance on it but not really good of course. But I like the bike very, very much.”

Skuut Balance Bike
P.S. Environmentalists would be impressed that Skuut, has partnered with Trees for the Future, and ensures that a tree is planted for every bike sold.

Also notable is the fact that the Skuut bike won Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Active Products.

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Talk about bang for the buck, Kelly over at Moms Talk Ebooks just announced that all 7 of her ebooks are available for the price of one.

If you want to know more about make ahead/freezer cooking, organizing, budgeting or kids health, go check them out here.

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The folks at Mostly Organized Moms sent me these Lil’ Dressers Drawer Labels for kids. In a nutshell these are reusable, stick on/pull off labels that help your child identify the clothing in their dresser drawers.

It helps them remember where there clothes are and also make laundry easier because even a young child who cannot read can see the pictures and put laundry in their dresser without your help.

There are packages for boys and girls. Each contains 18 labels: for shirts (long sleeved and short), pants, PJs (summer and winter), long undies, underwear, undershirts, swimsuits, sweaters, sweatshirt, socks, tights, etc depending on the gender.

I let my girls color these with markers to their heart’s content then helped them stick them on their drawers. Even my 3 year old understands what goes where now, so when I give her a pile of clean folded laundry she no longer has to query me over and over, “Where does dis go? Where does dis go?” LOL!

Included in the package are blank labels for your own unique needs. They stick on and easily pull off without any damage to furniture. Anything that can help us moms stay a little more organized and make things go more smoothly is good in my book!

These will be available December 1 at the Mostly Organized Moms website.

NaBloPoMo #26

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Nine Book Recommendations for Kids 7 to 11

Are you looking for a book for your child? Here are some books for your seven to eleven year old:

photo credit: Risen1

1.  I think the Great Illustrated Classics are some really good books for your 11  year old. I like them because they are FULL of excitement and fun. (Note to parents: Caleb’s favorites are The Three Musketeers and Treasure Island.)

2. Some more good books are the Magic Tree House books. Or, Magic tree house Merlin missions.  (With these you will even save money on schoolbooks because they’re good for school.) I like Jack because he’s brainy like me and Annie is cool because she believes in stuff Jack doesn’t and is kinda weird but funny.

3. The Tale of Despereaux is a very good chapter book for all ages. I liked that such a small mouse was so brave that he could go on a dangerous journey.

4. Geronimo Stilton books are a short chapter book series for all ages. They’re just plain hilarious!

5. The Klutz books are wonderful learning and playing books for kids. (These are some of my favorite books.) The Klutz Book of Magic teaches me all kinds of simple sleight of hand tricks. I’ve learned a bunch of these and once you know how to do them you can amaze your friends and family.

6. If you love mystery books you’ll love The Hardy Boys. I like that the Hardy boys are so genius that they can figure stuff out really fast. These are full of mystery and excitement.

7. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey are hilarious books! They are boyish if you ask me. That’s what I like about them. If you have a silly kid this is the perfect gift for him/her. The characters are always doing pranks.

8. If you have a kid who loves dogs you need to get Dog to the Rescue 1or 2! It has 17 true stories about dog heroism. These stories are almost unbelievable. Your kid will read this book again and again!

9. The Little House on the Prairie series are great because they’re old fashioned, and it’s interesting to hear what they do. I like reading about Pa Ingalls. He’s funny. It makes me laugh just to think about them. A lot of the things they did is similar to stuff we do nowadays, like in The Long Winter, they used a coffee mill. And they used machines to bale hay and other machines to do stuff like harvest wheat. Pa Ingalls liked technology and progress.

NaBloPoMo #16

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But, even I could probably handle one of these no sew fleece blankets projects. My 3 year old got one of these at her baby shower. I didn’t even know it was homemade. I thought my friend bought it like that.

You can see that my 5 year old, pictured above, complete with bedhead, quickly absconded it.

I don’t think 3 year old even knows it was intended for her.

It’s super soft and cuddly. All it takes is two fleece blankets and a sharp pair of scissors. And the instructions posted at the link above.

Might make a great present for another happy toothless grinner.

NaBloPoMo #11

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If you’re not familiar with Steve, he is one of the most well known bloggers on the internet, and probably THE most known blogger in the genre of personal growth. I’ve read his blog for a couple of years now, and his posts are always fascinating. They always make me think. I like that.

Personal growth is one of my favorite topics to read about, although I rarely write about it, and usually not here but on my other blog in a business context.

I’ll start by saying that I don’t agree with some of the things Steve says, especially on his blog, and where I disagree, I disagree passionately. As an example, Steve’s thoughts on religion seem to come from a place of his disgruntled feelings with regards to the Catholic church, which hardly seems an enlightened place to form a philosophy on religion as a whole. Steve is also a raw food vegan. (Y’all know how I feel about that.)

But, his blog is one of the most thought provoking, intellectually stimulating places to hang out on the web. So I was happy to read his book.

One of the things that sets Steve apart is the fact that, unlike so many other authors and experts in the field of personal growth, he focuses on the value of hard work and (gasp!) discipline, two things that are practically dirty words these days. That resonates with me. All the wishing, hoping and visualizing in the world doesn’t do much good if you’re not willing to get off your butt and create some value in the world. That’s a refreshing stance, and one of the reasons I keep reading Steve’s blog. Some of the language around “The Secret” just makes me ill, and Steve’s voice is a refreshing change in the sea of nonsense surrounding the “Law of Attraction”.

Now I’m going to dig into the book and mention some of the highlights for me personally.

The book is split into two sections. Part One outlines what Steve calls “Fundamental Principles” of personal development. They are Truth, Love, Power, Oneness, Authority, Courage and Intelligence. When I first started reading the book, I couldn’t figure out how these principles were supposed to work together, but after introducing each one and defining it, it started to come together and make sense.

The second half of the book deals with the Practical Application of the principles. This is my favorite part, the juicy stuff. While learning principles is important, getting into the nitty gritty of specific things you can do to improve yourself and your life really gets my blood flowing.

Here’s an example of how the principles lead to the actions you need to take. A section from the book on Truth:

“One of the most important skills to develop in the area of personal growth is the ability to admit the whole truth to yourself, even if you don’t like what you see and even if you feel powerless to change it. When you face unpleasant truths, you’ll often encounter strong internal resistance. This resistance pushes you to avoid facing the truth, running through endless cycles of distraction, escapism, denial and procrastination. Only by staring directly into these truths can you summon the strength to deal with them consciously. A simple rule of thumb is this: whatever you fear, you must eventually face.”

Wow… I can see how true this has been in my own life.

photo credit: someToast

I really enjoyed the section on goal setting. For me, goal setting has been mostly an exercise in frustration. It wasn’t until reading this book that I figured out why. Here’s a quote:

“The purpose of goal setting is not to control the future. That would be senseless because the future only exists in your imagination. The point of goal setting is to improve the quality of your present-moment reality. Setting goals can give you greater clarity and focus right now. Whenever you set your sights on achieving something, always ask yourself, “How does setting this goal improve my present reality?” If it doesn’t improve your present reality, then the goal is pointless, and you may as well dump it. But if it brings greater clarity, focus and motivation to your life when you think about it, it’s a keeper.”

Love that!

I also love the sections on motivation, desire and effort. The discussion of “Triage” can help you decide what’s truly important to spend your time on, whether it’s business or personal life. And my favorite part of the book is Chapter 8, which talks about Habits. This section has dozens of suggestions on how to increase the number of good habits you have in your life, and get rid of the bad ones.

One of the things you’ll notice about Steve’s blog is how he shares his personal journey with self improvement. Instead of having a “top down” approach where he claims to be the expert teaching others how to do it, the blog is more about him sharing his experiences with different things he’s tried in his own life, from polyphasic sleep to giving up coffee to becoming an early riser. Chapter 8 is where he shares some of the things that have worked for him. Ideas like Stairstepping, 30 Day Trials, and a list of 66 other ideas.

The chapters on Career and Money have been truly refreshing and have changed how I feel about money to a certain extent.

I still haven’t finished reading the book and am looking forward to finishing up the last couple of chapters. I really appreciate Steve for writing it and for letting me have a review copy. If you would like to check it out, you can get a copy on Amazon.com. It’s available for your kindle too if you’re into that.

Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

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Have you read this magazine?

It’s a Do It Yourselfer/Crafter/Recycler/Reuser’s dream.

It’s Martha Stewart, but urban, hip and cool. And without the full time staff.

I’m actually not a handy or crafty person at all. But this magazine really inspires me.

Do you love Ready Made too?

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Cherry Tomato Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes
6 bacon slices
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh basil — chopped
6 leaves romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons chives — chopped

Wash and stem tomatoes. Dry completely. Cook bacon until very crisp; drain thoroughly on paper towels.

Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and basil. Pour over tomatoes, crumble bacon over all, and stir to coat tomatoes with dressing. Serve on lettuce leaves, sprinkled with chives.

Serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

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The first was Mat Chats.

One of the nicest things about eating together as a family is the time it gives you to focus on each other.

You can talk about your day, discuss what’s happening in the world, tell jokes… whatever your family enjoys.

Lisa Brown, the mom behind Mat Chats, decided to go a step further and invent a product to help her impart values to her kids, over dinner.

As a widow and a psychiatric nurse, she knew the importance of active parenting.

I can see how Mat Chats could even help take the focus off mealtime behavior issues and put it back where it needs to be: on connecting with our favorite people, in a way cultures all over the world love to do it: while eating a good meal.

Mat Chats are large paper place mats based on several themes that give you thoughts and discussion provoking topics to discuss.

The one we had was on Vision. It had a quote on the topic of vision, a definition, and 4 questions to ask and discuss.

For example, “Name someone successful and discuss how s/he became successful.” “How do you define success?” etc. It was interesting to hear my children’s answer to these questions, and after using them for their designed purpose, they are quickly scarfed up for coloring on!

You can learn more about Mat Chats on their website.

The second tool were these really cute Kids Lunch Box Cards.

These are for parents to slip into their kid’s lunch box – an easy and fun way for kids to feel connected to their parents while they’re away at school.

I thought these were super cute, but my kids aren’t away from me at school. So I slapped a postcard stamp on the spot provided on the back and mailed them to each of my kids. You know how kids are always wanting to get their own stuff in the mail.

They’re still trying to figure out who their Secret Friend is.

The cards come in 5 themes: Wacky World, Fairies, Riddles, Gross-Outs and Looney Laws.

My daughter of course got one of the Fairy cards, pictured above. It’s pink, after all.

My 7 year old loved the card with a fun fact about Astronauts: apparently, they’re not allowed to eat beans post takeoff because farts can damage their suits. He’s fascinated with space travel. And farts.

My oldest got a card with a gross fact: Cockroaches can survive for 9 days once beheaded.

He, like most 10 year old males, is into gross facts.

It was a real treat for them getting the cards in the mail, and I look forward to being able to send them meaningful little messages throughout the year, unexpectedly.

You can find more info about these at their site: http://www.kidsfuncards.com

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Caesar for Two

1 each Clove garlic — minced
1 each Head romaine lettuce
1 each Tin Anchovies (Millionares)
Croutons
4 each Bacon chopped
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoons White vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
Dash Tabasco
Lemon
2 each Egg yolks
Cappers
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Crush garlic in oil with fork in bowl. Add 1/2 can anchovies, capers & chop mince with oil.
Separate egg yolks in small bowl and add to mixing bowl Add Worcestershire sauce, lemon, Tabasco, vinegar and bacon bits mix well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Toss salad and add croutons and cheese.

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Carrot Raisin Salad

2 Tbsp Raisins
1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 C Carrots — coarsely shredded
1/2 C Pineapple Chunks in Juice — drained
2 Tbsp Pineapple Juice — unsweetened
dash Ground Cinnamon
dash Ground Nutmeg

Combine raisins and vinegar in a med. bowl; let stand 15 min. Add carrot and pineapple tidbits; stir well. Combine pineapple juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg; pour over carrot mixture, and toss well. Cover and chill.

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J.R. Liggetts Shampoo Bar - lather up with minimal packaging

Vegetarian Times magazine - this review was written by a meat eater

gDiapers - the flushable/compostable cloth/disposable hybrid diaper

Summer Smoothies Book - no, not the one I wrote, a different one

Video Games and Your Kids Book - look for these authors on the show soon

Naturally Playful Sand and Water Activity Center - I want one!!!

365 TV Free Activities To Do With Your Kids Book - This is on my shelf but another mom wrote this review. Great book!

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Tasha felt like an old friend around here. My Mom is a huge fan of Tasha’s, and we had watched her movie, Take Joy – The Magical World of Tasha Tudor together. We felt like we knew her a little. People traveled from all over the world to view her home and gardens and to have tea with her. Tasha went barefoot most of the time so she could feel the earth under her feet.

Tasha was one of those women who lived life on her own terms. Instead of being afraid of what other people thought, she was a true individual. She lived and dressed as if she was in the 1830’s and felt like she had been born in the wrong time.

Tasha was one of the most prolific children’s book illustrators of all time. When you see her art work, you’ll probably recognize it even if you haven’t read any of her books. Tasha must have been a lot of fun to be around. She was always creating things for her 4 children to entertain them – drawing, creating little stories and books, even planning and orchestrating an elaborate doll wedding. She in fact was a single Mom who raised her 4 kids alone after a divorce.

Her books make for really nice read aloud time with your kids. Here are some we’ve enjoyed:

Corgiville Fair Tasha loved to write about her favorite dogs, Corgis. In this book the Corgis hold an annual fair.

And this book, while not written by Tasha, is just not the same without her. To me, The Secret Garden isn’t the Secret Garden unless it’s illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Ditto for the Little Princess.

1 Is One is a counting book for preschoolers.

Pumpkin Moonshine is another classic.

Say goodbye to Tasha and read one of her books this week.

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~ New Jammies Announces the Release of Organic Pajamas that Inspire Children to Explore the Outdoors and Respect the Natural World ~

NEW YORK- June 16, 2008- Today, as more companies are creating increasingly advanced technology to captivate children as young as infants, one children’s wear designer is introducing a timeless pajama collection that opens little imaginations to the natural wonders that existed before DVDS, video games, and electronic toys.  New Jammies has just released certified organic cotton, animal patterned pajamas that promote and inspire healthy living by introducing children to outdoor creatures like geckos, butterflies and owls.

The fun, colorful, and large, bold, cartoon-like patterns of orange, gold, and blue gecko’s, baby and hot pink butterflies, and pale and deep blue owls, moons, and stars encourage kids to have a new curiosity about different animals and get outside, discover, and appreciate the wonders of nature.

“Developing an appreciation for nature at a young age helps children achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle. It also teaches them to grow up to have respect for the natural resources in our environment and acknowledge the need to protect them as they grow older,” said New Jammies Founder Nicole Weinberger.

Weinberger, made her company debut last year by introducing the first collection of certified organic clothing in the country that also promoted healthy eating.  The infant and children’s pajamas, playtime rompers, and “onesie’s” were decorated in one of six colorful and fresh patterns: tangerines, apples, peas, carrots, blueberries, and bananas. Each garment came with a keepsake book, authored and illustrated by Weinberger.  At bedtime, the books reinforced the pajamas’ healthy images through beautiful pictures and stories.

The response from retailers and customers was so successful that Weinberger was inspired to create her latest pajama designs promoting curiosity and awareness of animals.

“Parents all over the country have commented about their children’s positive response to the colorful fruit and veggie jammies.  Young children just learning to speak could point at shapes on their jammies and recognize it as one of the foods they loved eating (especially the bananas and blueberries!)  As I heard these stories from parents, I thought if children could identify these images as good, fun foods, then why not create a pajama that teaches children to learn about nature’s critters?  I chose  gecko’s, butterflies, and owls  because they are creatures of many facets that stimulate a child’s curiosity about wildlife and the outdoors beyond the traditional barn yard patterns that have already been done,” said Weinberger.

All the new nature patterns come in short-sets for older children that are perfect for warm, summer nights. There are also “footsie” designs for newborns to one-year-olds.

New Jammies also recently released infant wear in bold colored solids to for year-round play.

Additionally, the company is releasing a special, fun holiday pattern with timeless images from the game of jacks. The jacks prints come in snug-fit, long sleeve shirt and pant sets.

New Jammies products are available in select U.S. boutiques and online, in sizes 12 months to age 6 and are designed in compliance with all consumer safety products regulations.

More information can be found at www.newjammies.com

About New Jammies & Founder Nicole Weinberger
Where else in the world would fruit and vegetable print pajamas come from but the Garden State? Born and Raised in New Jersey, New Jammies Founder Nicole Weinberger has long hoped that her creative and entrepreneurial spirit would bring to fruition a company reflecting her family values and desire to bring positive change in this world.    Weinberger’s ongoing interest in nature and science led her to a BS in Chemistry from Washington and Lee University.   After working for several years as an organic chemist, Weinberger felt that despite the fantastic role that chemistry plays in our everyday lives, there were areas where chemicals and our exposure to them should be reduced.   More and more research has concluded that young children in their developmental stages may be even more at risk to chemicals in their environment.  Completing her MBA at Rutgers University, she developed organic clothing for children to help reduce these risks.   New Jammies is the result of her passion for art, education, and developing a healthy lifestyle for our most precious resource – children.  Nicole recently moved from the Garden State to New York City.

# # #

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Here is a book review all about To Buy or Not to Buy Organic.

If you need a little help organizing your homeschool day, read this Homeschool Planner review.

Just in time for beach trips, Badger Balm SPF 30 sunblock review.

This mom loves her Breastfeeding Support Kit by Earth Mama Angel Baby.

Charlie’s Soap all purpose cleaner review

Read, leave comments, submit your own product reviews (well written reviews get $5 Paypal cash!).  

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Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

1 bunch broccoli (separated into florets)
1 head cauliflower (separated into florets)
8 strips nitrite free natural bacon (fried and crumbled)
1/3 cup of chopped purple onion
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
1 cup natural mayonnaise
1/3 cup Sucanat or Rapadura
2 tablespoons vinegar

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, onion and tomatoes. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar – mixing until smooth. Combine.

3. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad and toss.

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Blue Cheese Potato Salad 

—–Mix together—–
2 bunches green onions — washed and chopped
5 stalks celery — chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill — chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

—Add—–
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese — to 3/4, and mix well

Also needed: One bag Red New Potatoes

Let mixture sit overnight (very important), as the blue cheese needs to blend with the dressing. Then, toss dressing with about 5 pounds of cooked, cut potatoes, more salt, and a little vinegar.

For the potato salad, use small red potatoes, and then cut them into quarters or sixths if they are large. Chop them first and then cook them, then rinse them in cold water to stop cooking. Toss them with a little vinegar and salt, and then add the rest of the ingredients.

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BLACKENED CHICKEN WITH CAESAR SALAD

—–FOR CHICKEN—–
1 Bottle Italian Dressing (8oz)
1/2 cup Dry white wine
4 Chicken breasts halves
Skinned and de-boned
1 tablespoon Dried marjoram leaves
1 tablespoon Dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon Dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black pepper — freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon Ground red cayenne pepper
1/2 cup Butter, melted

—–FOR SALAD—–
1 can 2 oz Anchovies
3 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Fresh parsley — chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
1 Garlic clove — crushed
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese — grated fresh
10 cups Salad greens — mixed

Stir dressing and wine in shallow dish to blend; add chicken; marinate 1 hour, turning several times. Grind marjoram, oregano, thyme, salt, black pepper and ground red pepper to fine powder in coffee or spice grinder or mini chop food processor. Spread mixture on plate. Heat 12 inch cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking, 5 to 10 minutes.

Drain chicken; dip into seasoning mixture to coat both sides, shaking off excess. Place in hot skillet; pour 2 T butter over each piece. Reduce heat to medium; cook chicken 3 to 5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Serve chicken, sliced, on top of Caesar salad.

CAESAR SALAD: Use a fork to mash the anchovies into a paste in a small bowl; stir in the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chopped fresh parsley, Dijon style mustard, freshly ground black pepper and the crushed garlic. Whisk in the cup olive oil, slowly; stir in the freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pour the dressing over mixed salad greens in a large bowl; toss thoroughly to coat.

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BLACK BEAN AND CORN SALAD

2 cups Dried black beans — – (picked over and rinsed) or
30 ounces -Canned black beans — – (rinsed and drained)
1/3 cup Freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 Garlic clove — minced
1 teaspoon Fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
2 cups corn canned or (thawed) frozen corn
1 Avocado — – peeled, stone removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small Red bell pepper – seeded and cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 medium Tomatoes — – cut into 1/2-inch
6 Green onions — with tops finely chopped
1 Fresh hot Chile pepper — – seeded and minced
1/2 cup Coarsely chopped cilantro — – (optional)

If using dried beans, place the beans in a large bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Place the bowl in a cool place and let the beans soak for 6 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse the beans.

Put the beans into a large pot and add enough fresh water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are barely tender. 1-1/2 to 2 hours (depending on the age of the beans). Thoroughly drain the beans and let them cool.

Put the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne in a small jar. Cover with the lid and shake until the ingredients are well mixed.

In a salad bowl, combine the cooked or canned beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, Chile pepper, and cilantro. Shake the Lime Dressing and pour it over the salad. Stir until well coated. (The salad can be prepared a few hours ahead, but don’t add the avocado until serving time. Refrigerate, and adjust the seasonings before serving.)

Makes 4 to 5 main-course servings or 8 to 10 side-dish servings.

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BLACK BEAN & RICE SALAD

2 cups Cooked rice — cooled to room temp
1 cup Cooked black beans
1 cup Chopped fresh tomato
2 ounces Cheddar cheese (optional) — – shredded
1 tablespoon Snipped fresh parsley
1/4 cup Light Italian dressing
1 tablespoon Fresh lime juice
Lettuce leaves

Combine rice, beans, tomato, cheese (if desired), and parsley in large bowl. Pour dressing and lime juice over rice mixture; toss. Serve on lettuce leaves.

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BLACK & WHITE BEAN SALAD 

2 cups Red onions — finely chopped
2 tablespoons Olive or Vegetable Oil
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Chopped Red Pepper
2 tablespoons Minced Parsley
2 tsp. Garlic — Minced
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 cup 15 oz. Great Northern Beans — Rinsed and Drained
1 cup 15 oz, Black Beans — Rinsed and Drained

Sauté onions in oil until crisp-tender in a medium skillet; Remove from heat and cool until warm. Stir in vinegar, red pepper, parsley, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.

In a serving bowl put the beans, (both types) and pour the onion mixture over them. Mix well and serve.

Makes 8 servings

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By the way, Marie interviewed me and we talked about breastfeeding. She also has a lineup of other interesting topics and guests – all kinds of fun stuff of interest to us Moms. Go over there and see what she’s up to!

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Berried Avocado Grapefruit Salad

Bibb lettuce
Watercress
2 avocados — seed, peel, slice
2 cups grapefruit sections
1 cup fresh raspberries
Prepared sweet vinegar and oil dressing

Line serving platter or individual salad plates with lettuce and watercress. Arrange avocado, grapefruit and raspberries over and sprinkle with dressing.

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Bean and Tuna Salad

3 cups Water
2 cans Cannellini beans
1/3 cup Olive oil
3 teaspoons Red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt
Fresh pepper to taste
1 medium Red onion
12 ounces Tuna — drained

Directions: Mix together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over beans and onion in a shallow bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Transfer bean mixture to serving platter with slotted spoon. Break tuna into chunks and arrange on bean mixture.

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BAJA CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

3/4 pound Chicken Breast
6 ounces Dried Mixed Fruit
1 cup Ring Macaroni or Orzo — Raw
1 cup Jicama — Cubed
2 Green Onions/Tops — Sliced
1/2 cup Mayonnaise Or Salad Dressing
2 tablespoons Sour Cream Or Plain Yogurt
1 teaspoon Red Chiles — Ground
1/4 teaspoon Salt

* The chicken breast should be boneless, skinless and weigh about 3/4 pounds
** You should use 1 6-oz package of diced mixed fruit.

Heat enough salted water to cover the chicken breast (1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup of water) to boiling in a 4 quart Dutch oven. Add the chicken breast. Cover and heat to boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is done, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon.

Heat the water to boiling and add the fruit and ring macaroni or orzo gradually so that the water continues to boil. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, just until the ring macaroni is tender, about 6 to 8 minutes or 10 minutes for the orzo, then drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and mix with the fruit, macaroni, jicama and onions. Mix the remaining ingredients and toss with the chicken mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

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So you had better read this post and appreciate it dadgummit!

I read  Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price 3 years ago and was blown away. You know my overall philosophy of nutrition is a bit jaded, right?

But reading this book changed me a lot. It also made more sense than anything I had ever read before about nutrition.

Dr. Weston A. Price was a Dentist. He started to notice that his patients who were experiencing tooth decay and other dental problems often had chronic debilitating illness. So, in a quest to find out the secret to health, he set out to travel the world.

Dr. Price traversed the globe – he studied isolated peoples from the Swiss to the Gaelic islanders, from Inuit peoples in Greenland to Polynesians in the South Seas. He became fascinated by the fact that these folks – as long as they were eating their native diets – had no dental caries nor did they suffer orthodontia ills. They lived healthy lives into old age with no chronic illness, and the elderly stayed sharp in mind too. He also noticed that the women had a much easier time of labor and delivery.

Despite the fact that these folks had no toothbrushes or floss and had certainly never seen a Dentist before, they had broad, beautiful smiles with almost perfect teeth! While I wouldn’t necessarily vouch for their morning breath, the fact remains that they seemed immune to dental issues that plagued even “healthy” people in industrialized nations – Dr. Price’s contemporaries.

Dr. Price was determined to find out why this was so. So he began to study their diets. What he found was that as long as these isolated people kept eating the traditional foods, the effect remained. When they strayed (often as a result of “white man” diets thanks to the missionaries – white flour, white sugar, jams, candies, canned fruits and veggies) they suffered quickly. The next generation would be born with crowded teeth, small jaws, maloclussions and they even became less physically attractive (how’s that for motivation to eat better? Prettier kids!).

While the diets of these people were extremely varied, they had several things in common. Some of these commonalities were:

• An emphasis on animal foods. There were no vegetarians anywere to be found. All the cultures placed a very high value on animal protein - fish, meats, organs, eggs, dairy products. They went to especially great lengths to be sure that children and women in their reproductive years had these foods.
• Lots and lots of fat. Whether is was coconut oil and palm oil or raw, nonhomogenized butter and milk, these peoples ate a large percentage of their calories as fat.
• Specially prepared sprouted grains, naturally fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut, kim chi and the like, and cultured dairy in the form of kefir, buttermilk, cultured butter.

There were a few other similarities but these were the most important. Here is a quote from the website that puts it succintly:

“When Dr. Price analyzed the foods used by isolated peoples he found that, in comparison to the American diet of his day, they provided at least four times the water-soluble vitamins, calcium and other minerals, and at least TEN times the fat-soluble vitamins, from animal foods such as butter, fish eggs, shellfish, organ meats, eggs and animal fats–the very cholesterol-rich foods now shunned by the American public as unhealthful.

These healthy traditional peoples knew instinctively what scientists of Dr. Price’s day had recently discovered–that these fat-soluble vitamins, vitamins A and D, were vital to health because they acted as catalysts to mineral absorption and protein utilization. Without them, we cannot absorb minerals, no matter how abundant they may be in our food.”

 That last sentence was a bit chilling. To think that as a mom I could take great care to feed my kids well – but missing one important element, they would not get the benefit!

Shortly after, I purchased Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, still one of my favorite cookbooks. The rebel in you just has to love the title! It’s far more than a cookbook though. It’s a research guide, home arts reference, nutrition book and more. It’s also kind of the official cookbook of the Weston A Price Foundation – its author, Sally Fallon, is the founder of WaPF.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the ideas of the late Dr. Price. (They’re also the folks behind RealMilk.org) I joined two months ago and am enjoying the quarterly journal, Wise Traditions, immensely. It’s far more than a magazine – this is a publication you STUDY, not read. I’m still working through my first two issues. I “read” them with pen in hand so that I can make notes to help me remember things I’m learning and can refer to in the future. And I enjoy the letters from readers all over the world immensely – they’re full of great tips and inspiring stories of people who have enjoyed tremendous health changes as a result of changing their diet to a more traditional one. I’m also very impressed with the depth of research that obviously goes into the articles. They delve deep and take a bit of work to get through.

When you join WaPF as a member, you also get a handy-dandy Shopping Guide to keep in your purse when you go to the store. It helps you make better food choices and recommends specific name brands.

Another neat thing about the magazine are the resources and advertisers in the back – they’re carefully screen to be “WaPF” friendly. They don’t just accept any advertiser willynilly. So you can feel good about supporting these small, local farmers who use sustainable methods to produce organic products.

It’s scary what’s happening to our food supply in this country – the megamonopolistic food conglomerates who control (according to industry experts) 98% of the food industry are making our food cheaper, faster and cardboard-er every day. They don’t care about your health or your family’s health. Eating their food is making us fat yet simultaneously malnourished. We’re slaves to our cravings and to the hundreds of additives (some of which are put in there just to trick our brains and taste buds into craving more) that are surreptitiously put into these fake foods.

It’s enough to make a mother mad.

There is a lot more I could say about Weston A Price, and I am planning a series of articles to publish on this blog on the topics of raw milk, cod liver oil and grass fed meat. But for now I’ll just share two things about the WaP style of eating that have been pretty huge for me.

1. For one, I’ve had stomach problems all my life. While a lot of this is due to stress (I put all my stress into my stomach!), I also have had issues with dairy products. Drinking one glass of milk would have me hurting.

   Not so with raw milk. I can drink it all day long and never have the first stomach pain. It makes so much sense to me. Just as human breastmilk has enzymes to help baby digest it easily, raw milk contains the enzymes that make IT easy to digest. I love it and have been drinking it for several years now. Raw milk also works wonders on my cravings for sweets (probably because of the fat content).

2. Secondly – soaked grains. I’ve had issues with low blood sugar and hypoglycemia since I was a kid. I don’t do well with wheat at all, but I can eat oats… but they would trigger episodes of low blood sugar. I could eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning and be shaky and weak 30 minutes later.

   However, when I soak my oats overnight (with an acid medium – such as a tablespoon of whey or sour milk in the soaking water), I can go all morning without getting hungry or feeling ill. I’m convinced that the reason for this is because since soaked grains are far easier to digest – and the body can get the full benefit of the minerals and vitamins due to a long soaking process that disables the phytates (enzyme inhibitors), I’m simply getting more nutrition from the same bowl of oatmeal!

I have already sung the wonders of coconut oil… for one, it keeps me regular. And that is a huge blessing. It also seems to help with my joint and muscle aches. My mother has fibromyalgia, and I’ve suffered with aches and pains since I was in my early 20’s, but the coconut oil seems to keep me lubricated… probably due to the antioxidants and healthy fats.

Check back later on this week for more about other tenets of the Weston A Price style of eating. And I encourage you to look into making a tax deductible contribution and joining WaPF.

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She will be sharing tips and advice to help moms live healthier lives and overcome their cravings for salt, sugar, carbs, caffeine… you name it.

Go have a listen and check out her Cravings Secrets ebook too while you’re at it.

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• What the organic label really means
• Cleaning with organic cleaners – and how to make your own
• Recommendations for organic products all around the house

To download it, just right click on this link to save to your desktop.

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Avocado with Peanut Dressing

2 avocados — ripe
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons peanuts — shelled
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
cayenne — to taste
sea salt — to taste
fresh chives — to garnish

Peel the avocados; cut out the stone and cut into cubes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside. Grind the peanuts roughly with a rolling pin or in a grinder for a few seconds. Mix the peanuts and spices well. Sprinkle over the avocados with finely chopped chives.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Attachment parenting was a word I heard a Mom say over 9 years ago at a meeting for parents who had taken Bradley Method childbirth classes. I thought it sounded so strange, but then I realized it embodied what I believed and what I had been doing with my young baby: cosleeping, nursing on cue, responding to baby’s needs, wearing him in a soft cloth carrier, etc. 

API has some exciting stuff going on right now to help parents learn and keep the principles of attachment parenting and I’m happy to help them spread the word.

What Is Attachment Parenting International?

API is a non-profit organization that promotes parenting practices that create strong, healthy emotional bonds between children and their parents. Some of the changes they would like to announce include:

• A newly redesigned web site and new logo at Attachment Parenting.org;
• Attachment parenting worldwide support forums;
• Parent Education Program – a comprehensive series of classes for every stage and age of child development from infancy through adulthood;
• A new book based on API’s Eight Principles of Attachment Parenting by API co-founders Lysa Parker and Barbara Nicholson which is expected to be available this summer;
• A series of podcasts, webinars, chats, and forums with API Advisory Board members and other supporters of AP. Future events are scheduled with Dr. Bob Sears, Dr. James McKenna, and Kathleen Kendall Tacket. Check out the events page for more information.

These are just a few of many exciting things going on at API. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out for yourself.

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Autumn Fruit Salad

2 red delicious apples
1 sliced banana
1 Granny Smith apple
2 Bartlett pears
1/2 pound red grapes
1/2 cup almond slivers — toasted
1 cup organic vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon apple cider cider

Wash and core apples and pears, peeling if desired. Cut into one inch chunks. Slice bananas 1/2″ thick. Wash grapes and cut in half. Combine fruits and almonds in salad bowl. Mix yogurt with spices and cider. Pour over fruit salad and stir to coat fruits evenly. Chill.

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We’ve gotten some really great reviews lately. Thanks to those of you who submitted well written reviews! (And the Paypal cash was nice, no?)

It helps to get someone else’s opinion before you spend your hard earned money on stuff. Go read some of these:

• Gripe water reviews
• Balance ball workout DVD
• Raising Baby Green book review
• Jason Naturals Kids Shampoo
• Earth Mama Angel Baby New Mama Bottom Spray
• Kissaluvs Fitted Cloth Diapers
• Kiss My Face Swy Flotter Insect Repellent
• Burt’s Bees Head to Toe Starter Kit

If you’re a mom in business you can send your products to me and I will review them personally. Contact me at carrie at naturalmomstalkradio dot com if you’re interested.

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Artichoke Salad

4 Each Fresh artichoke hearts
1 Tablespoon Red Wine vinegar
2 Cups Artichoke hearts, quartered
1 Teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
1 Small garlic clove
2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Lea & Perrins
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

In a wooden salad bowl, mash garlic and salt with a strong fork. Add fresh artichoke hearts, and mash with the garlic and salt. Add olive oil, stir, add lemon juice, stir, add wine vinegar, stir, stir, add hot sauce, stir, add Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, Mix well. Put canned artichoke hearts in dressing and let marinate for 1 hour then eat as is or serve on a bed of greens.

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Antipasto Salad

16 oz. pkg fresh/frozen cheese tortellini
4 ounces chopped salami
4 ounces provolone cheese, cut into — 2 x 1/4″ strips
11 oz. can corn — drained
9 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed — squeezed to drain
6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts — drained/chopped
6 ounce can pitted ripe olives — drained/sliced
1 1/2 cups prepared creamy Italian salad dressing
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 ounce jar diced pimiento, drained — if desired

Cook tortellini to desired doneness as directed on package; drain, rinse with cold water. In very large bowl, combine tortellini, salami, provolone cheese, corn, spinach, artichoke hearts and 1 cup of the olives. In small bowl, combine salad dressing, mustard and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese; blend well.

Pour dressing over salad; toss gently. Top with remaining olives and Parmesan cheese. Cover; refrigerate 1 – 2 hours to blend flavors. Just before serving, garnish with pimiento.

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Pot in pot is a refrigeration system that works with simple physics. Building a pot-in-pot is inexpensive and easy. It can be used to store food as well as medicine. Using a pot-in-pot saves money on utilities, so it is ideal for families who are on a tight budget as well as anyone who wants to be more self reliant.

It also provides a learning opportunity for kids, who will ask questions about how the pot-in-pot works. Similar to the human body, the pot-in-pot cools by a process of evaporation. When the water inbetween the two pots evaporates, it cools down the inner pot where the food is kept.

It’s important to use unglazed pots. Your pot-in-pot can be large or small. More important is how large the gap is where the sand is (evaporation area) and make sure you keep the sand wet. Keeping the pot-in-pot in a dry location where there is a breeze is also a good idea.

More information:

Mohammed Bah Abba revolutionising lives in Nigeria with pot-in-pot

Pot-in-pot was used in ancient times by the Egyptians and Abba has brought it back into popularity among his fellow Nigerians. This simple technology is producing some pretty incredible results in their lives.

Thanks to Monica for the pot-in-pot pictures and instructions (in Spanish)

You can listen to the interview at the natural moms talk radio site or download the mp3 link here.

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Apple Cider Salad

2 packages gelatin powder — unflavored
2 cups apple cider
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups apples — diced
1/4 cup black walnuts — chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
cooking oil
lettuce leaves — for decoration

1. Put 1/2 cup cold water into a small bowl. Sprinkle two envelopes (2 tablespoons) of
unflavored gelatin on water. Let stand 5-10 minutes to soften.

2. Heat 2 cups apple cider until very hot; add salt. Remove from heat and immediately add
softened gelatin. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Have a 1 quart mold lightly greased with cooking oil. Do not use olive oil. Spoon about 1/2 cup of gelatin mixture into mold and place in refrigerator.

3. Chill remaining mixture until slightly thicker than consistency of unbeaten egg white. Just before large bowl of gelatin is desired consistency, dice apples and chop walnuts and parsley. Add this to the gelatin and place into the mold which already has thin bottom layer of gelatin. Chill until set.

4. Unmold onto serving plate which has been decorated with lettuce leaves; curly endive is a good choice.

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ANOTHER BEAN SALAD

1/2 cup Rapadura or Sucanat
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 cup Cider Vinegar
16 ounces Green beans, can — drained
16 ounces Yellow beans, can — drained
16 ounces Lima beans, can — drained
16 ounces Garbanzo beans, can — drained
16 ounces Red kidney beans — drained
1 each Green pepper — slivered
4 each Celery — sliced
3 each Onions, medium — sliced thin

Combine sugar, salt and vinegar in pan, bring to boil for 1 min. Cool. Toss all other ingredients together and pour the vinegar mixture over them. Marinate for 24 hrs in refrigerator, stirring occasionally. 

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Adreana’s Greek Pasta Salad

1 pound rotini
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 stalks celery — chopped
1 red bell pepper — chopped
2 1/4 ounces black olives — sliced
4 ounces feta cheese — drained & crumbled
3 green onions — finely sliced
16 ounces all natural Italian salad dressing

Cook chicken in water to cover with 1 bay leaf. Bring to boil and cook for 30 min. or until juices run clear. Cool and remove skins. Or, you can cook chicken in frying pan until cooked through. Cut into bite size pieces.

Cook noodles and drain. Add all ingredients and mix well. Serve warm or cold. Serves 6.

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