Healthy Cereals

Hello Moms and Faithful Readers!

Today I came across a great article that I wanted to share with you and it's all about cereal.
Though I try to make whole wheat pancakes and eggs as much as I can, by Thurs and Friday cereal is where it's at!

Since the usual kids brands are packed with sugar and other chemicals, I am always looking for healthy alternatives.

Real Simple (click here) has a great article here on good choices with no high fructose corn syrup. You have to look a bit closer at the boxes to see which ones have other chemicals absent but it's definitely a start!

Also, as a side note, since my kids LOVE marshmallows... I followed up on this brand: Three Sisters Marshmallow Oaties. Sold at Whole Foods, it claims to be all natural with no dyes!
I will be making a trip there this week to try this claim out.

Also a few of the brands are environmentally friendly and are packaged in re-sealable bags cutting down on the excess cardboard. (Note to all cereal companies - this is BRILLIANT and you should adapt at once. Anyone remember how CDs used to be packaged?? Member those???)

No More Waity Katie

In honor of the Royal Wedding, which I kid will be playing on continuous loop in my house for at least 48 hours, Butter of London has several chemical free make up and skin care items that honor the princess in waiting.

"No More Waity Katie" is a shade of nail polish that boasts no formaldehyde, no dbp and no toluene which all translate into no carcinogens of any type.

They also have a companion, "No More Waity Katie" lip color, which is also chemical free.

To view the full site, click here.

Also sold in Ricky's through NYC.

Brilliant!

Au Natural Way to Dye Easter Eggs

I can't believe that Easter is this Sunday! Some people color eggs early but I like to do it the night before.

When purchasing my Paas kit, I gave a quick thought to the dyes and chemicals that were probably in those little tablets, but I tried not to think about it.

Later that night I found this story on Healthy Child Healthy World about how to dye Easter eggs the natural way.

When I read the title, I was excited.

When I read the article, I was tired.

It's complicated!!

Although I think I'll pass on trying it this year, I did want to share with all of you and maybe hear some stories on other "tricks" from my readers.

Feel free to comment here or on Facebook.

Here are the instructions:

Instructions

1. Hard boil 1 dozen eggs and allow them to cool in the refrigerator.

2. Decide how many colors you want to make and take out the appropriate number of pots.

3. To each pot, add: 1 quart of water and 2 tablespoons white vinegar

4. Add the following ingredients to each pot:

* Red: 2 cups Cranberry juice and 8 cups red onion peels (Your grocer will gladly give you their discarded peels.)

* Red-Orange: 3-4 tablespoons chili powder

* Mahogany: 10-12 cups brown onion skins (Your grocer will gladly give you their discarded peels.)

* Yellow: 3-4 tablespoons tumeric

* Blue: ½—¾ head chopped red cabbage

5. Bring each of the pots to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow them to simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, prepare your eggs by wrapping them in rubber bands or putting on stickers (which will leave behind white stripes or patterns).

7. Pour the dyes through a strainer and return them to the pot or a clean bowl.

8. Gently lower some of the hard boiled eggs into each of the hot dyes.

9. The color will deepen the longer they stay in the dye, but an hour should do the trick. If you wish to keep them submerged for longer, you should pour the dyes into containers that fit into your refrigerator, and let the eggs soak in there.

ONE HOUR??!! Per EGG???!!!

Next year this might have to be a month long project. And does anyone have a grocer? Ha!

Let me know how you all do!

Full article is here!

Sprinkle a little flaxseed into your day!

Q: What the heck is flaxseed and how will I ever get this past my kids?
A: A very nutritional natural product that has Omega3s, fiber and other good stuff that very easily goes into pancake mix and virtually has no flavor or otherwise identifiable qualities and has been easily sneaked into my kids meals.

Read more about its benefits - from fighting breast cancer to heart disease here.

Which brand? I personally like this one since it's ground up and easy to get into things:
Bog's Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal.

I bought my bag at Trader Joe's but have seen it at most major supermarkets.
Don't forget to refrigerate!

Food Dye Linked To ADHD

There have been several major news stories about food dyes and hyperactivity this week.
The reports, although inconclusive, are saying that they "believe dyes to be safe". I've read about this for years now, and I do not believe everything the government or the FDA tells us.

We've gone dye free for awhile now in my house. The truth of the matter is, if it has dye in it - it isn't good for you anyway. Take a look at the examples of food with dye in it listed in this article - Cheetos, Sodas, Candy, etc. Kids shouldn't be eating those anyway!

There are easy things you can do to make a transition.
Instead of:
M & M's --> Rasinettes
Cheetos --> Baked Lays
Eggo Waffles (surprise!!) --> Van's or Trader Joe's waffles
Orange Soda --> Orange Juice
Dum Dum Lollipops --> Trader Joe's Organic Pops
Colored Goldfish --> Baked cheddar Goldfish
Nutrigrain Bars (yes, these have dye!!) --> Trader Joe's Bars (So this..... walked into a bar...)

Bottom line is, read your labels, there are healthy swaps you can make and tell your kids why you are making them.
I tell my kids all the time, if it grew in nature, it's not that bad for you!

Link to full news article is here.

Why Hello Mellow!

New brand alert!
All natural.
Smells good.
Good for you.

Check it out: http://www.hellomellow.com/products

Dangers of Triclosan (Found in antibacterial products)

I watch channel 2 news at 11pm every night. Cannot sleep without watching it and part of the reason is their “feature” of the night.
Lately, it’s been right up my alley reporting on dangers and poisons found in every day items.

Several nights ago Triclosan was the topic. Oh Triclosan and I go way back…. I’ve known about it for as long as I’ve known about parabens. It’s a bad one!

What is Triclosan? Triclosan is a harmful chemical that is found in anti-bacterial and anti-fungal soap. It is a pesticide. It kills human cells. Its safety is under review with the FDA. Are you still using this? Are you still letting your kids use this? If you think that perhaps the small usage is has will not harm you or your children consider that you are polluting the environment with it, and that it’s polluting our waters and hurting the Earth.

Bath and Body Works is a huge offender of using this chemical in their products. If you shop there, I recommend you stop at once.

Do not fear, you can still be clean. Soap and water do the trick just fine, as well as alcohol based cleansers and my personal favorite product that I keep in my bag and at my desk – Clean Well. “Like” it on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/cleanwell
Find out more info from their website here: http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/

You can buy Clean Well at Target, Whole Foods and Drugstore.com

Fish Oil and ADHD

This is a post close to my heart.

My daughter might have ADHD or be ADHD, I don't even know the correct term for it.
She also just might be a sassy-pain-in-the-ass who doesn't care what you think.

The jury is still out on that one.

But since I am a known figure at the school and in the psychiatrist's office, I do take her behavior and restlessness quite serious.
Recently I came across several articles online and in print about the benefits of fish oil and it's direct affect on ADHD symptoms.

I ran this by my BFF, who I run all things past - and my asks to her run the gamut (i.e. should I run away from my family while they sleep? or should I buy red shoes?) - and she concurred that this might be some solid advice.

I shared with her a link I found on amazon.com about yummy tasting gummy fish oil supplements.
She replied (oh how I love her) - Trader Joe's has a version for half the price.

Don't they really just have EVERYTHING one would need????

So, off I went to TJ's (always looking for an excuse) and I purchased some gummies for 8.99 and my daughter likes them and takes them with pride. She tells her sitter "they help me focus".

Might take three months to see the results, but improving at the end of second grade is better than NOTHING.

Real Food for Real Moms

If you are like me, and located on the East Coast, you probably woke up to something you thought you never wanted to see again - SNOW!
Haven't we had enough???

I spent this lazy morning in my pjs doing some food research and looking for something healthy to make. I love baking on mornings like this.

I decided to try a recipe I had posted on my bulletin board for healthy chocolate chip cookies! (Yes, there is such a thing!)
The recipe was courtesy of realfoodmoms (found in Parenting Mag) - so as the cookies were baking, I ran and checked out the site and their blog and was pleasantly surprised.

Real food moms also have a cookbook out and recipes on their blog - for those who need ideas for TONIGHT.
I am loving their use of beans.

Here's the blog for reading on this snowy President's Day.

And the recipe, if you are still in your pjs looking for a fun mom/kid activity is as follows:

2 cup of whole wheat flower
1 tsp of baking soda
1/4 cup of rolled oats
pinch of salt

- Blend above together
- For extra health-appeal, add some ground flax seed! A new staple in our house!

In a separate bowl, mix a stick of butter until creamy.
Add two eggs, one at a time
Add a tsp of vanilla
Add 1 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet and then mix together. When blended, throw in semi-sweet chocolate chips OR some dark chocolate chunks.

Spoon out on non greased cookie sheet not too much and bake for 10-12 minutes.
I made two sheets but do not make the lumps too large - that was my first mistake!

Enjoy your day off, and your cookies, and find something healthy to make for dinner tonight.
I am off to see the Justin Bieber movie with two seven year old girls.
Help!

For the Mamas (& kids by default) : Great Book Reviews

Taking a break today from the healthy eating and habits topic to discuss emotional well-being. We have kids, we yell. We have friends, we get upset. We have sisters/brothers/inlaws that all irk us from time to time....so whether or not you have children THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.

It's definitely a hard concept to grasp and the book is a bit repetitive - but the theory is this:

If you let your kids know that you understand how they feel, if you give them a chance to express those feelings of frustration, anger and other raw emotions - and you reflect that back to them, they will diffuse much quicker and there will be no need for screaming. (You can also try this with your mother in law- it works!)

What are these magic books?

My favorite is How to Talk so Your Kids Will Listen & Listen So Your Kids Will Talk

Best price I found online is at amazon.com.

This is sold at all major book stores if you are the brick and mortar type.

A great runner up and the original work the above book is based on is: Between Parent and Child.

To be green - I borrowed and read both of these from my local library but I think it might be wise to own one so that you can refer back to it.

Nothing will change over night but these are good skill sets to learn.

Happy reading!

Shopping Green

If you've been reading this blog, you might be wondering "Green, Healthy, Organic Mom - how do I shop for green products? I am short on time and need to have this info at my finger tips!"

Well today's post is dedicated to cosmetic and body product shopping.

Here are some tips.
If you can afford it, I personally like Target and Fairway for organic products such as body soap, shampoo, conditioner, creams, etc. Burt's Bees is sold at most drug stores and is an excellent brand for kids.

Now, if you are looking for yourself - look no further than your local T.J. Maxx and Marshalls because wowser, they have a ton. I found paraben-free exfoliant for three dollars, hand creams, shampoos, hand soaps and household cleaning items for way under ten dollars each (and sometimes under five!)

Also, I love Sephora's site for easy shopping - they brand their items with the "Naturally Organic" green seal.

Check back tomorrow for an updated post on "how to shop in the supermarket". What are you talking about Green Mom - is there an actual method? Why yes, there is.....

Pregnant Women - Take Note

I was just watching the 11o'clock news, which my parents instilled in me and I do EVERY NIGHT unless sick or OUT (the latter being very rare) when I heard a segment that lasted 30 seconds and was rushed and jammed into the newscast.

Apparently, a test for pesticides and other harmful illegal chemicals was done on American pregnant women - and the results were frightening.

The full article is here.

The quick conclusion was to eat organic, stay away from make up with harmful chemicals in it - and probably stay away from non-stick cookware- which is just begging for some research and a dedicated blog post from me.

Check back soon to see what you should be cooking with.

Now tell me, isn't this scary?? And we wonder why childhood cancers and autism is so high!

Do you take your shoes off?

Seems even Dr. Oz agrees that taking off your shoes in your home prevents unwanted chemicals and other disgusting waste from entering that can make you and your family ill.

Here is some back up research. Now take those shoes off and buy your tooties some slippers!

Full Article is Here.

The proof for the pudding is here:
3. Your shoes: Do you keep your shoes on in your house? Yes, this is a controversial issue -- those who like to keep their shoes on, thankyouverymuch, may take offense to rhetoric about removing shoes at the door. But, there has been a mounting amount of research in the past years indicating that what we track in on the bottom of our souls could be making us sick -- from chemicals lingering on sidewalks and roads to the microbes you picked up in the public restroom. In fact, some health experts consider taking shoes off in your home as a way that anyone can improve their health. Even the super-doc Dr. Mehmet Oz suggested this year that it was on his top-5 list of things he'd recommend people do. So take those shoes off, darlings!

Why I love Trader Joe's - The Christmas Edition

Hello Readers!

OMG- what an awesome holiday season it has been for me and TJs. Bargains and fun all in one place!

I started off right after Thanksgiving by purchasing their annual Advent Calendars. For exactly one dollar each - your child can count down the days to Christmas starting on Dec 1st. For those of you thinking Advent-wha? the concept is that each day your child unwraps small piece of chocolate, thereby counting down the days to Christmas. So, that's 24 chocolates for one dollar!

The deal was so incredible, I went back and got six more for my friends! (Err,I mean for my friend's kids :-))

Next up - the MOST ADORABLE gingerbread man kit. He came already baked but the kids decorate it with candy and icing that are all provided in the box - and all said decorations were made from all natural ingredients (no dye!).

This one was pricey at 3.99 a pop but made the kids quite happy. The cookie was also very yummy itself.

For the Mamma's and the dark chocolate lovers there was the return of the dark chocolate star cookies. Yummmmmm does not even describe it.

Today however was the topper, the angel on top of the Christmas tree, the star purchase of the YEAR (insert drum roll here) Weighing in at .99 cents- yes you read that right - I purchased a DIY cookie kit, complete with dough, two cookie cutters and icing for decorating up to four Christmas cookies. Now we haven't used it yet because my angels turned into devils somewhere around 4:30 and I decided to start drinking at 6, but check back next week for a full review.

I had one last score - a box of star shaped chocolates, also for a dollar, that were a variety of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. It seems the milk ones were all broken and hence the sale. Those puppies are coming with me when I go a-visiting.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Green Gift Ideas for Christmas!

Hello!

A few years ago, Mattel was under big fire for releasing toys made in China that had unsafe levels of chemicals.
I learned very quickly that it's hard to buy "safe toys" but since my kids don't put stuff in their mouths anymore, I have tried to let loose a bit.

I draw the line on makeup.
My daughter has received make up and lip glosses as gifts a few times now, given the grab bags at dancing school & girl scouts.
After a quick inspection to see "made in china", I disgarded said products as soon as she wasn't looking.

This year, she had her sights on a beautiful Justice make-up kit. But....I cannot do it.
I did a little research and found this lovely and girly safe make up kit.
Little Earth's Beauty http://www.earthsbeauty.com/review.htm made by Earth's beauty is the perfect solution.

I will be ordering one today!

Since I know I have fans with kids of all ages, please see the daily green's lovely slideshow of "green toys".
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/green-toys?click=getstarted#fbIndex1

Happy Shopping.

Ho, ho, ho!