Family Organic

Juice Please Mama? Hold the Arsenic.

2011-12-08T13:43:00.001-05:00

I know it's a point of contention among many mothers of toddlers and preschoolers, but I do allow my children to drink juice. Usually I mix it about 3 parts water to 1 part juice and I use organic cranberry apple juice (100% juice) most of the time. I was concerned when both Dr. Oz and Consumer Reports independently confirmed that they found high levels of arsenic in apple and grape juice. Since arsenic levels aren't regulated in juice like they are in bottled water (insert brain explosion here), apparently no one was aware of this until just this fall.

Initially, our friends at the FDA were defensive and called Dr. Oz irresponsible, but since the Consumer Reports confirmation of the findings that much of the arsenic was inorganic (from pesticides rather than just naturally occurring in the earth) they seem to have taken a different tone.

Ever since this story broke, I've been kind of... ignoring it. The brand of juice I buy (Trader Joe's organic) wasn't listed on their tests. So I was just sort of thinking that since I buy organic, this whole thing wouldn't really... affect us. Ignorance is bliss right? Unfortunately, the organic brands tested were as bad as the regular ones. I keep thinking of the loved ones (one child, one adult) who are either fighting cancer now or are in remission and I think, maybe I should take the time to let the juice producer know that I am concerned. If not me, then who? I wrote this little message to the fine folks at Trader Joe's:

I am a big fan of Trader Joe's and I appreciate corporate policies like no GMOs in your foods. I am a regular purchaser of the organic cranberry apple juice and was very concerned after the recent reports about arsenic levels in apple and grape juice. I drink this juice all of the time and give it to my twin 2 year olds as well. I'd like to know the country you source the juice from (cranberry, apple, and aronia) and also what internal procedures you are putting in place to avoid high arsenic levels in your juice products. I hope to hear that you are taking steps to avoid arsenic contamination in your juice products and that you will lead the industry to a better way.

What brands of juice do you all purchase? Do you plan to change your buying habits based on these reports? I think that sadly I will have to stop buying my favorite beverage unless we get news back that things are changing.

Holiday Backslide

2011-11-26T22:33:00.001-05:00

As the holidays arrive, a lot of my food standards tend to relax a bit. I don't worry so much about organic and local. I even relax about words like "hydrogenated" and "high fructose corn syrup" and those ingredient lists that are eight miles long. I let a few more BPA cans into my world. It's so easy, isn't it? Just to go back to what (seemingly) everyone else is doing? I need to constantly read and learn about health and environmental issues in order to keep my resolve firm.

So now that a super fun Thanksgiving holiday is coming to a close, I thought I'd do a little reminder of why we choose to eat healthy, organic, local foods whenever possible. Here's some helpful links to keep your resolve firm too:

Top 10 Reasons to Eat Organic

Why Buy Local?

Who's Afraid of GMO's?

How to Eat Your Vegetables Without Trying

I'm so proud of my kids for loving fruit and sometimes even turning down desserts because they are full of healthy food. I feel like we are on the right track with teaching them to eat real food. These life food lessons only work if we are consistent with them though. So from now until Christmas and beyond, I'll be back to focusing on organic and local foods. Simple ingredient lists that are short with words that I can read. Maybe instead of allowing our family habits to be influenced negatively this holiday season, we could influence others in a positive way. Let's make that part of our Christmas traditions, shall we?

Tapped Out

2011-08-15T15:07:00.002-04:00

I just had the opportunity to finally watch the documentary film "Tapped". I've been meaning to watch it for some time, but hadn't had the opportunity until this week. If you, like me, have somehow managed to miss this one so far, check it out soon! You can even watch it instantly on Netflix. Some of the issues I was aware of, but a lot of the information was brand new to me. For instance, I knew that buying bottled water in plastic bottles was expensive and wasteful, but I always figured if I recycle the bottle it wasn't "so" bad. I couldn't have been more wrong. Here are some other fun facts about "harmless" bottled water:

Plastic leaches chemicals into the water. Not every single time, but often enough that I don't want to let my kids drink it. Oh and it's worse if you let the bottles get hot in your car. Guess who's been letting the kids drink out of her plastic water bottles all week (on vacation, in the heat, at the beach)? That would be me. /sigh/

Drinking bottled water puts a strain on other people's water supplies. Sometimes, people in rural areas are affected. Sometimes urban. In drought conditions, bottling companies will still pump thousands of gallons of water out of the ground. Often, the local community is not compensated for this loss of resource. Having grown up in a rural area, I imagined how I would feel if our well ran dry because of a big corporation sucking up all of the ground water. I'd be pretty ticked. If I wouldn't like it, I don't think I should be contributing to it happening to others.

Disposable, one-use, plastic bottles are incredibly wasteful. Particularly for something that comes right out of the tap for much less money. The amount of resources and energy used to create the bottles, transport them, and hopefully recycle them is insane. I want my kids and eventually my grandkids to have clean water. Therefore, I need to preserve our resources now. I need to set a good example. This includes setting an example of preservation rather than waste.

Bottled water quality is not better than tap. If you are lucky, it will be equal to tap water, in that it will actually be (purified) tap water (think Aquafina and Dasani). If you are not lucky, it is not regulated as stringently (or sometimes at all) as tap water. This mean that we are paying a premium for a substandard product.

Nestle might actually be an evil corporation. As if Nestle's activities in the formula market weren't disturbing enough, they are also finding a way to harm communities here in the United States by removing local ground water (even during severe droughts) to sell elsewhere.

The thing is, this is something that each of us has the power to change. It's simple. Just stop buying and drinking bottled water. Drink the water out of your tap. If you need it to go, take it in a reuseable bottle (make sure your reuseable bottle is BPA free!). If you don't like the taste of your tap water, try attaching a water filter to the faucet. I've found that those make a world of difference in the taste of our tap water at home.

Would you be willing to give up bottled water to make a positive change for the earth and your family's health?

Weaning the Twins

2011-08-07T14:51:00.001-04:00

It's World Breastfeeding Week (or rather, it was, I believe it ended yesterday). Many of my favorite bloggers have focused on breastfeeding this week and I enjoyed reading about their experiences. Interestingly, a post from Hobo Mama on Tandem Breastfeeding a Newborn and a Preschooler struck a chord with me. It's strange, because I've never nursed two different aged babies. I have nursed two newborns at the same time, two 1 year olds at the same time, and two 22 month olds at the same time.

I loved nursing. It was incredibly hard for the first year, but it got so much better and easier as time went on. It was a wonderful bonding experience for myself and my babies. As they grew into toddlers, I loved that they still needed that mama time. I loved the cuddles and I knew that they were getting some additional good stuff (immunity and nutrition) from the mama milk. I absolutely adored our nursing experience and felt more confident as a mother because I had managed to do something so difficult and so important for our twins.

Nursing twin toddlers isn't all sunshine and roses though. First, there was the lazy latch. My formerly expert nursers suddenly became... well... lazy. Having them on both sides at the same time was causing me discomfort made me cringe. Then there were the acrobatics. Both of them trying to nurse in crazy positions was both uncomfortable and super annoying. There was the constant wanting to nurse - if one wanted to, they both did, there would be temper tantrums and hurt feelings if they didn't have the ability to nurse as much as they wanted any time they wanted.

It got to a point where if I was sitting down, they both felt it was an invitation to nurse. Finally, and perhaps worst of all, there was the fighting. When they were younger, they would sometimes struggle to get comfortable at first, but then we'd all settle in to a comfy and sleepy haze. Lately though, there was a lot of fighting going on. Pumpkin Pie would want me to all to herself, Little Man would want the same and so they would fight. Pushing, hitting, and adversarial twin behavior became the norm. At 25 lbs each, I had 50 lbs of toddler on my lap, half nursing and half fighting. I was caught in the crossfire, I'd find myself raising my voice, delatching the aggressor, one or both of them screaming and crying, often ending with me crying too. It was a frustrating time for all three of us.

As much as I loved nursing the babies and I definitely advocate nursing beyond one year, I knew that our time nursing was coming to a close. Over about 4 months, I had night weaned. I had started to set limits on the times of day. We cut it back to morning and night. Then just night. It helped a bit, but that night session was still frantic. They were tired from their day and in no mood to share with one another. I was tired from our day and in no mood to be beat up or play referee anymore. I knew we were getting to our final weeks of nursing.

Then one day I wasn't home to put them down to sleep, I had a meeting so hubby did the night routine without me. I skipped a whole day of nursing for the first time in 22 months. My emotions were all over the place. I knew that I was ready to stop; I didn't like resenting our special time at night together. I didn't like the fighting and hurt feelings they had when they wanted mommy all to themselves. My heart was breaking though, because it also meant that my babies were no longer babies. Though they still needed me, I was breaking a tie that had been so important to us all.

I decided that at least one of their last times nursing would be alone. The next day, Little Man woke up early from his nap. I nursed him alone. He was happy to snuggle with me and have this bonus nursing session. I cried, like I'm crying now writing this, thinking of how I would always remember his contented face. How appreciative he always looked when he was finished. How he loved to cuddle with me. He had always been my longer nurser. He loved to be nursed to sleep. He had nursed at night for much longer than his sister. I told him how much I loved him, tears rolling down my face knowing this would be one of the last times we did this.

Pumpkin Pie got a session all to herself too, the next day while her brother was with Daddy. She and I cuddled and she smiled so brightly when I asked her if she wanted to nurse. She lovingly said, "Mama" and we sat together in our favorite nursing recliner. I cried again and told her how much I loved her.

The final night, I nursed them together, and it was frustrating as usual. I knew, when I went downstairs after they went to bed, that it was the last time. I cried a lot then. The thing is, we don't plan to have more children. So something that has meant the world to me was ending. Probably forever. The enormity of it was so very sad.

Now it's been 2 months since our last nursing session. We've replaced nursing with cuddles and story time and cups of cow's milk. I know in my heart that if my babies were born singletons, I would have nursed them longer. This is no longer a reproach to myself. They are not singletons. They are twins. Their lives will forever be shaped by this fact. My mothering journey is also shaped by it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Potty Training Twins

2011-06-03T12:58:00.000-04:00

The subject of potty training has been on my mind since the monkeys turned 18 months. I've been doing a lot of "pre-training" to get ready. Things like explaining what Mommy and Daddy are doing on the potty, having the twins sit on their pottys, reading potty related stories, and so on. They get it. They know what pee and poo are, they get that they are supposed to go into the potty. We've got potty inserts for both bathrooms, a small potty for the car, and 3 other potties throughout the house.

We tried a month or two ago to start using the potty with training underwear (which are really just undies with a more absorbent middle). That was a total fail. Two kids means twice the accidents and I honestly came unglued when we had 5+ accidents in an hour and the kids wanted to "jump" in the puddles. It was not a good time. Mommy needed a time out and a glass of wine.

This time around I decided to follow more of a plan. I also decided that since really only my daughter is ready, I would focus on her for now. I'm leaving my son in diapers because he simply isn't showing signs of readiness at this point. I decided to follow the "Potty Training in 3 Days or Less" plan. Which is really just a kickoff to potty training, there is certainly no expectation that your child will be accident free in 3 days. It's also a good plan for people who don't have a lot of carpet. The plan suggests letting your little one go completely bottomless (no pants, diapers, or underwear) while at home for the first 3 months (yes months, not days), so roll up your area rugs folks! The plan also suggests leaving your child in just shorts or pants when you go out - no undies, trainers, or pull-ups of any kind. The reason for this is that they feel like diapers, so the child goes in them.

I love the logic of the plan. It seems simple and it makes sense. Unfortunately, what works for some kids, doesn't work for others. We started on Memorial day and diligently did the three days (mostly at home). Our daughter did make major progress. She started to notice when she was peeing and she stopped going as frequently. In fact, she just started holding it... forever! I tried to get her to sit on the potty and let it go, but she hasn't quite gotten that all coordinated yet. Today I tried to take her out and she had two accidents while sitting in her stroller. One was right after she tried to go on the potty. It's all such a learning process that you can't say that a kid will "get it" in a day or three or 30! Every child is different that way. Also, I remind myself that this is her skill to master. I can't "make" her pee or poo.

So now we are moving into what I'm going to call "hybrid" mode. Since we can't be stuck at home all of the time, we are going to continue to go out to our various activities. When we go out we will use cloth diapers or training pants. I'm going to behave as though those items are not there though, and continue to ask her frequently to use the potty. Hopefully practice makes perfect! While at home though, she'll get to keep having her "nudey" time so that she can get the whole process figured out.

Of course, the fun part of this is that once she's good to go, we get to do it all over again with the Little Man! He's taking notes on it though. Maybe he'll surprise me and figure it out on his own one day!

Be in the Moment

2011-05-29T14:23:00.074-04:00

Hubby and I made it out to a concert this week. It was a perfect warm summer evening with a nice breeze. We sat on the lawn, shared a cold beer, and enjoyed watching the people and soaking up the atmosphere. When the music started, we stood up and sang along, danced, and laughed at the various characters around us. There was nearly a fight over "saved" lawn spaces between the shirtless drunk guy and the even drunker stumbling guy. There was a guy in front of us who fell out of his chair, passed out, rallied, then threw a cup in the air and passed out again. The air smelled like a combination of suntan oil, summer night, and a little cigarette smoke. The energy was upbeat and excited.

During the very the first song, we noticed the couple in front of us both had their heads down, concentrating on their phones, madly texting and Facebooking away. When we turned to our right, the large group that had saved spaces all had their heads down, staring at their phones. To the left? Even the 50+ year old couple (who didn't even bother to stand up during the concert) was madly texting away.

You might think, okay, but you are overreacting. Really, so what if they do it at the beginning? Well alright. What about the middle? During the signature song? The end? The encore? The second encore? It never stopped. Sure, they'd put the phone down for a minute or two, sing a long to the next song, then be back down staring at it again for another 5 minutes.

This made me wonder... are we all losing the ability to really experience the moment? Can we enjoy something without having to post it to all of our friends, acquaintances, and family members at that very second? No doubt we've all seen a similar status, "Rockin' out at this awesome concert/sporting event/movie/etc." Don't get me wrong, I love some Facebook as much as the next person. I don't really care what other people post or that they'd rather do that than watch the concert. The issue to me is, do we even realize that when we are focused on the phone, the laptop, the tv, we are not focused on the moment? Sure you can half-listen to the music while you are staring at your phone, but is that what you paid for?

This translates to family life too. I'm guilty of the "walk-by" laptop addiction (since I don't have a data plan on my phone). As in, every time I walk by my laptop, I want to check something ~ Facebook, the weather, a recipe, etc. As those of us on Facebook know, a quick "check" for something specific often turns into a 5, 10, or even 20 minute stop. Though I can listen to my kids in the background, it's not exactly quality time is it? That's time that I could be reading a book to them, or building blocks, or even accomplishing a household task.

So this makes me curious... do you worry about losing focus on real life because you are distracted by your phone, the internet, video games, etc? Do you have any controls or rules in place for yourself or your kids to help you stay grounded? Or do you think this is all much ado about nothing?

What's New Buttercup?

2011-05-14T07:47:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, eh? I have no real excuse... been busy with the twins... blah, blah, blah... Let's move on, shall we?

I was flipping through the channels the other day and landed on a show called Extreme Couponing (it's on TLC). While I would never want to have 120 bottles of soda (hi, can I have some diabetes please?), I wondered if maybe I could make more of an effort on the organic and natural items that we do buy. Since I've almost never used coupons, this is all new to me. I have to say though, it's definitely worthwhile. Especially since there are lovely other bloggers who do all of the hard work for me!

I head out to Deal Seeking Mom for deals at Kroger, Target, Harris Teeter, and Walgreens. Then Saving Well, Spending Less has my Farm Fresh weekly deals. When I say that they've "done the work"... they research which items are on sale that "match" with recent coupons that have been issued. So, for instance, hubby's favorite after shave balm was on sale at Target last week and there was a link to a printable coupon right underneath on Deal Seeking Mom. So I ended up paying around a $1 for something that is usually $6. Winning!

What if you live in a part of the United States that doesn't have these stores? No worries. Type in the name of your favorite grocery store and coupon blog into Google, "Safeway coupon blog" and different but wonderful bloggers will pop up to make your life easy. Follow their RSS feed, sign in to your Google reader, and pow, coupon match ups for you to peruse.

Am I going to become a crazy coupon lady? Absolutely not. I have neither the time, space, or interest in stockpiling hundreds or thousands of items ~ many of which are unhealthy. However, I am going to keep my eyes open for good deals on organic items and coupons to match. When I find those, I'll put out Facebook messages and/or Tweets to let you all know what's available for less in the organic world. So... if you want to know when organic blueberries are on sale without having to actually pay attention to 15 different stores weekly ads, follow Family Organic Facebook and/or Twitter (@FamilyOrganic).

Any of you readers (who are still around) avid couponers? Do you find many to use on organic items?

Family Dinner FAIL

2011-03-31T22:20:00.000-04:00

I believe in having dinner together, as a family, every night. I believe it's a good, wholesome thing. There are so many wonderful benefits: time together, bonding, catching up, and of course homemade and healthy dinners. And yet...

I've just about reached my breaking point with family dinners at our house. Allow me to explain: We generally have an afternoon snack around 3:30 pm. Without this snack, at this exact time, my monkeys get cranky/hungry by 4. I'm either finishing making dinner or it is cooking already at this point, but we are never ready to eat yet. We usually *aim* to eat at 5 (yes, it's early and no, we are not 75). To meet this goal, I find myself putting on a Baby Signing Time DVD to entertain the twins for a precious few minutes (though I don't really want my kids watching tv), because without it, I simply can't get anything prepared. In fact, it's a lot like this scene from Family Guy - but multiplied by two and including some whining and mild twin on twin violence (hits, shoves, kicks, etc).

Say we get through the prep time, Hubby comes home, and we all sit down to eat. Erm. Sort of. Actually 2 kiddos and hubby sit down to eat. Mama starts a never ending number of trips to get additional things. On an average night, I will have forgotten to get sippy cups, kids' forks or spoons, bowls, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, my drink, my fork, and/or additional foods items that the prince and princess desire.

I know that I need to be better prepared for meals. It's difficult to be organized, when the kiddos stand at the gate to our kitchen crying out "Mama, Mama, Mama" in unison while acting as though they haven't had a thing to eat in days. I tend to rush to get them into their chairs. This is a mistake.

A mom of twin toddlers needs to have a plan at meal time. Even if the kids don't follow it, I should really have an idea of what will be offered (and what won't). Otherwise, when my picky eater decides to start throwing food, I'll offer just about every item we have in the house. Tonight, he finger painted with his ketchup and didn't eat any potatoes (no biggie), then decided to start dropping peas off the side of his chair. I got up and got him some cheese (because he was allergic to the chicken portion of our meal). He ate that for a bit, then started throwing the rest of the peas, and the potatoes, and the cheese. This leads to me asking: Do you want cereal? Fruity flakes? Orange? Apple? More cheese? Yogurt? Raisins? Applesauce? Crackers? (He answered: "No, no, no!" to each question).

Now I'm no fool. I know that I'm making my little monster worse by offering him everything under the sun instead of what the family is having for dinner. But... I also would like to sleep through the night and I think if he doesn't eat, he will be up. All night. So it's a matter of fear and self-preservation... This week has been particularly rough with the night waking due to teething. Mama doesn't need any more reasons for him to wake at night.

Generally, after two or three offenses of throwing food, I decide he's officially done. I take his tray away. Clean him up. His sister decides she too is all done. She throws some food. I take her tray. They both start doing some sort of evil move where they throw themselves forward and backward as hard as they can. Which makes their seats (and the chairs holding them) rock forward until they nearly tip - face forward onto the hard tile floor. My heart racing, I yell STOP. They laugh. So now they are both DONE and outside of the kitchen gate. I try to finish my dinner. Except they are mad because while they wanted DOWN, they didn't want to leave the kitchen. So there is screaming - times two. I shove a little more food in my mouth and decide it's time for their baths. On a really bad night, I need a Mommy time out before I can continue the evening.

Logically, there are a number of things I can do to make this a little better. I think it would be beneficial for us to have a more consistent schedule of lunches/snacks so they aren't either full or starving at dinner time. I know that having their meals prepared ahead of time (cut up and on their trays ready to go) is also helpful. I know there isn't much to do about my picky eater, and that's okay. I need to find the courage to only offer 3 or 4 items a night though, instead of my desperate offers of the entire pantry. I know this, but like a fool, I think each night will be different. I'm optimistic that we'll all be able to eat together at the same time and that it will be... fun.

Night WeanED!

2011-02-27T14:21:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to report that they twins are officially night weaned. They slept through the night ALL night Friday night and woke once last night. I think Pumpkin Pie had a nightmare. She was acting frightened, which is pretty unusual. After a hug, she calmed down, though her brother was not happy about being awakened in the middle of the night!

It's a relief that I finally feel that they can sleep through the night without needing me to nurse them. I'm sure I'll still need to go in for diapers, or illness, or scary dreams. The great thing is, Daddy can help with those nights too!

Night Weaning Toddlers - Follow Up

2011-02-22T11:39:00.000-05:00

Nights 3 through 6 have gone relatively well. Big Guy had a couple of nights where he woke, but didn't need me at all to go back to sleep. He also had a few nights where he did need me to come in and reassure him, then he would hold on to his super special pj's (his lovey) and go back to sleep.

Last night was a rough one because Pumpkin Pie has been sick for a few nights. I never intended to night wean if either or both of the kiddos were sick. I feel like they need all of the comfort that they can get when they are ill. Unfortunately, I went in to tell Big Guy it was all ok and to go back to sleep (we are to the stage of no pick-ups, just hugs and rubbing his hair) when Pumpkin Pie stood up. I went to reassure her and realized she was burning up again. /sigh/ After some acetaminophen for her and a plan to nurse, Big Guy was ticked. I mean, that boy was screaming like I had abandoned him forever. He knew that I was going to nurse Pumpkin Pie. Nothing makes a twin more upset than giving the other twin what he/she wants.

So... I had to nurse them both to calm everyone down. Otherwise I was going to have to be the meanest mommy ever, as my Big Guy doesn't get why I would nurse his sister and not him. Oh well. Back on the program tomorrow, hopefully without too much of a hiccup.

As a side note, you may have noticed that I have been posting a bit less lately. I will be posting here once or twice a week, focusing more on quality posts and less on quantity of posts.

Night Weaning Twin Toddlers

2011-02-16T11:51:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I'm a big advocate and fan of breastfeeding. I've been nursing the twins for nearly 18 months now. I would definitely not advocate night weaning prior to 12 months. Some babies/toddlers need it a lot longer than that. You are the best judge of what your baby needs, don't let anyone tell you that you "should" night wean by any specific time.

Around 14 months, Pumpkin Pie started sleeping through the night. Most nights anyway. Sometimes her brother would wake her, sometimes if she was sick she would wake to nurse a lot, but mostly, she's been sleeping through the night (by that I mean ALL night - 12 hours).

I kept waiting for Big Guy to follow suit. He was a bit low on his weight percentile (he dropped from the 40th to the 5th percentile) at his 15 month checkup, so I didn't want to rush it. At that point, I was also noticing that I could hear his tummy growling when he woke to nurse. He would nurse until he was full and then pass out again. His diaper was always wet to the point of nearly bursting/leaking in the morning. I felt that it wasn't just comfort nursing, he really seemed to need that middle of the night nourishment. He was also an extremely picky eater, so he was probably making up calories at night. I knew that was not the right time for us to night wean.

Our twins are in separate cribs, in the same room. Though I know many parents who co-sleep with twins, we did not go with that option. So each time one (or both) of the kiddos wake to nurse, I have to get up and go get them. This means that I have not had a full night's rest (except for maybe two nights) in nearly a year and a half.

I've been waiting for my Big Guy to be ready, and I'm happy to say that I think he finally is. How do I know? He doesn't wake to nurse nearly as often (now it's mostly once a night - unless sick, and then all bets are off). He has become a much better eater during the day. He's put on some weight and height. He understands language well. Even when he does night nurse, it's evident to me that he's not removing much milk (both from his morning diaper and my breast after nursing).

After reading numerous methods for night weaning, I've taken a little bit from all of them. I found that most toddler night weaning methods assume that you are co-sleeping, so they work a little differently for those of us with toddlers in their own cribs. Also, everything is different with twins and higher order multiples. I had to prepare myself for this mentally, because I knew that it would affect Pumpkin Pie, because obviously Big Guy wasn't going to be happy.

Before you start:

Read up on night weaning - A really helpful couple of resources were Mothering Multiples, Dr. Sears' website, and Dr. Gordon's website.

Wait for the right time - I've known for about a month that we were going to start night weaning soon. I waited until both twins were healthy and not teething. There's no point in starting it if you know you won't be able to go through with it.

Make sure you want/need to do it - This isn't an easy task. If you find it easier to continue to night nurse, by all means, do that. I found it much easier for a very long time. If it's not hurting anyone, don't stop!

Start with delays - I have, for several months now (other than during illness), been delaying going in when the kids cry at night. I make myself take a bathroom break and grab a drink of water before heading to their room. I try to take 5 to 10 minutes. Most of the time Pumpkin Pie will suck her thumb and lay back down to sleep herself, without needing me. Big Guy doesn't do that as frequently, but he manages on occasion.

Make a Plan to Stick To: However you decide to handle it, you have to have a plan. You must stick to your plan or admit that you are not ready to night wean and wait a month or two. I don't think it's fair to deny your toddler his/her nightly nursing for an hour, then give in and give it to him, then deny him for 2 hours the next night and give in, and so on. It's way too confusing for them.

Our Plan

Nights 1 - 5 - Nurse before bed and explain, several times, that nummies (or mama milk, or boobies, or whatever you call it) will be night-night until the sun comes up. Whatever language you use, make sure you explain it to both twins, multiple times, that there will be no night nursing and as importantly - when they will be able to nurse again.

First crying: Continue to delay going in for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, go in, pick up toddler, make sure all is well (no soiled diaper, etc) speak softly and explain that we aren't going to nurse until the sun comes up. Lots of hugs, kisses, and reassurance may be in order. One of mine ate up the affection and went back to sleep, the other was very angry and was kicking and screaming.
After a few minutes of reassurance, put toddlers back in their cribs and head for the door. Note the time. Wait 15 to 20 minutes. There will be crying. Remember that you are confident that nothing is truly wrong here. They are just understandably mad that their situation has changed.
After 15 to 20 minutes - go back in and repeat hugs, reassurance, and comfort. Continue to repeat all night every 20 to 30 minutes. My little girl just needed the one reassurance, my little boy needed several and was much more frustrated about the situation. It took a couple of hours of on and off crying and reassurance, but he did go back to sleep until morning.

Nights 6 - 10 - This is where we stop picking them up. Still rub their head or back and speak comforting words, but don't pick them up anymore when they cry at night.

Time interval - I plan to do the same time intervals for this part of the process - wait initial 10 minutes, then go back in every 20 minutes.

We are on Night 3 (tonight) of our plan. The first night was easy, the second night was pretty rough, I'm hoping that the next few nights are better. This method may not be for everyone, but I think it's going to be what works best for our twins. I'll update again soon with how it's going.

Taking Time for Yourself

2011-02-01T11:09:00.000-05:00

I'm participating in an online book club reading of Respectful Parents, Respectful Kids over at Code Name: Mama and the Natural Parents Network forum. The discussion doesn't start until February 6th, so if you are interested, grab a copy of the book and join us!

One of the principles in the beginning of the book is that we can't take care of our children if we aren't taking care of ourselves. This makes sense to me on an intellectual level, but I find it very hard to put into practice. This doesn't mean I'm a martyr, far from it. I just think it's hard to make everything a priority. Something has to be first and something has to be last.

Our preacher did a sermon once about how God shouldn't be #1 on your list. Instead, He should be at the center of all you do, much like a target, with each ring being centered around the bull's eye. So using that example, I'm struggling with how to prioritize my spiritual walk, my husband, my children, my household, and my self.

I often eat a lot at the end of the day. My husband thinks I'm a little crazy because I will eat dinner and then after the kids are in bed, I eat again. A bowl of cereal, a granola bar, a whole bunch of homemade nachos, you get the idea. I don't think he understands why I'm so hungry at the end of the day. It's often because I forget to eat while I'm taking care of the kids. I find it difficult to sit down and eat with them, so I usually eat breakfast before they get up, snack on their leftovers from lunch, and then try to eat a few bites of dinner as quickly as I can (often while standing up) so that I can get them fed, cleaned up, etc.

This blog is an example of how I do take time for myself. I enjoy writing. I enjoy reading other blogs. I enjoy the social networking involved. Certainly, blogging has become my creative and intellectual outlet.

Whether it's taking the time to sit down and eat during nap time or setting aside time to blog, I always struggle with what I should be doing. If I'm blogging, I should be cleaning. If I'm cleaning, I should be spending quality time with my kids. If I'm spending quality time with my kids, I should be making dinner. If I'm spending quality time with hubby, I should be doing laundry.

For me at least, the struggle seems to be a question of being present in the moment, without the nagging feeling that there is something more important/urgent than the task at hand. I can't do it all, but I can be fully present for all I do.

Nursing Toddlers Through Illness

2011-01-31T11:02:00.000-05:00

We've been hit hard this week by some kind of evil virus. It started Tuesday night. My little Pumpkin Pie was super hot and fussy. I thought (wished) that it was just a little teething. It wasn't. The next day she was sick. Fever (though I couldn't tell you how high because our thermometer choose that moment to stop functioning), stuffy nose, and fussy and generally unhappy. Two days later, her twin brother (the Big Guy) had the fever, stuffy nose, and a cough that was a cross between a bark and a choke. He definitely got the worst of the illness. The poor things were in rough shape. Then Hubby came down with it on Saturday. I seem to have caught the virus lite version, since I'm not nearly as sick as the rest of the family.

The good news? I was able to keep the twins from dehydrating, despite the fact that they wouldn't eat or drink much at all. We spent most of the past week nursing. We nursed all during the day while laying around on the couch together and watching a movie (yes, my resolve to not watch tv with them quickly died with the sickness). We nursed a bunch at night too. My Big Guy slept with me for two nights and nursed each time he awoke coughing and choking (so about every 15 minutes). Pumpkin Pie woke up several times each night to nurse too. It was the only thing to calm down two very uncomfortable and exhausted little people. I'm happy to report that they are both on the mend, fevers are down, and now we are just getting over the residual cough/stuffiness/exhaustion.

CafePress Superpower Tank

I love that I was able to provide them with antibodies to help their bodies fight off the illness and allow them to get nutrition, comfort, and hydration at the same time. I pondered going out and buying some Pedialyte too, but then I realized that my "mama milk" is far superior to anything manufactured.

I sometimes wonder how I will handle these types of problems when we are done nursing. It's become such a go-to mothering tool for me. Hurt? Nummies make it all better. Tired? Nummies help them go to sleep without a struggle. Thirsty and mommy forget the sippy cups? Nummies to the rescue! Sick babies? Nummies, nummies, and more nummies. Now I just need to rehydrate myself so that I can, you know, make milk!

The Realistic Side of Kids and TV - Part 2

2011-01-27T12:29:00.001-05:00

Now that I've written about toddlers and tv, I wanted to start thinking about elementary age kids and television. After all, the AAP recommendation is for a max of 2 hours of tv per day. Does anyone really stick to that? Or is the tv on in your home most of the time (like mine, particularly when Hubby is home), and the kids see whatever is on? Do the kids have control of the remote, so all you see are Disney and Nickelodeon?

Here are a few family programming suggestions that are sure to entertain and educate (without your kids even realizing it):

Pawn Stars - despite the questionable name, it is a show about a family owned and operated Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. I know, this does not sound like quality family programming. However, the show focuses on all of the historical items that come into the shop (it airs on the History channel) and gives a nice background/history lesson while they are deciding how much to pay for it. It's rated PG and if you set your DVR, you can just skip the commercials. If you take the time to watch it with your family, you can explain some of the history to them while you watch. For example: a person brought in "new evidence" related to the Lindbergh kidnapping, which is a great opportunity to tell your kids about "Lucky Lindy" and how he was the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic. Your kids will love the family that runs it and how they manage to mock each other constantly. Bonus: Make bets with your kids about what the item will be sold for. Update: I watched a couple of episodes yesterday with some salty language. Though it is censored/beeped out, this may be something that you choose not to expose your children to. Most episodes do not have this type of language, but I felt that it was important to warn about it.

Mythbusters - Have you ever heard your kids say, "I hate math (or science), it's BORING!" This show is for them. Watch Jamie and Adam use physics and math to decide the best way to prove or disprove urban myths. This usually involves blowing stuff up, which is always appealing to kids (you'll want to have the "We don't do this at home" conversation with your kids first). This is another one to DVR as it airs at 9 pm, although there are almost always reruns on at other times of the day. Bonus: Discuss with your kids whether the myth is true or false and why. This develops critical thinking skills and allows them to see how they were right or wrong after the myth is proved/busted.

Do you have a television show to recommend that's both fun and educational? Let me know, let's get some more suggestions in the comment section!

The Realistic Side of Kids and TV

2011-01-26T11:43:00.000-05:00

I am a parent who does not believe in allowing my twin toddlers to watch much television. I don't believe in it, but I do it. I've been slipping it in, a little more every day. I tell myself:

It can't be THAT bad for them.
We have it off most of the time.
Mommy has to have some time to get stuff done.
They only watch PBS Kids, Baby Signing time DVDs, and their beloved Charlie Brown Christmas, so they aren't exposed to very many commercials.

Lately, they've been particularly fussy (teething again) and the tv is like giving them a pacifier. It makes them stop whining and just stare blankly at the screen. That should be my first clue that it's not good for them. These curious little people who never stop jabbering, playing, investigating, and imitating suddenly stand completely still and stare at the glowing television. It's a little disconcerting.

The thing is, despite my best efforts at justification, television is bad for toddlers. The AAP recommends no television at all for children under 2 years of age and limited tv to no more than 2 hours a day for older children. One study found that toddlers who watch too much tv are likely to have the following issues at 10 years of age:

a seven percent decrease in classroom engagement;
a six percent decrease in math achievement (with no harmful effects on later reading);
a 10 percent increase in victimization by classmates (peer rejection, being teased, assaulted or insulted by other students);
a 13 percent decrease in weekend physical activity;
a nine percent decrease in general physical activity;
a nine percent higher consumption of soft drinks;
a 10 percent peak in snacks intake;
a five percent increase in BMI.

This study reemphasizes the need for me to "man up" or in this case, "Mom Up" and do the right thing. So starting today? The tv is going off while the kids are up (though not on weekends because I'm certain Hubby would not be too excited about giving up his tv time). We'll listen to music, play with blocks, read some stories, chase each other around and we'll go outside to play. Hopefully they will play on their own and with each other as well. I know it's going to be more challenging for me than the kids to give up the tv time. They probably won't even miss it. I will certainly miss the breaks that tv time granted me. It's ok though, much like breastfeeding, if our great-grandmothers could do it, so can I.

How do you handle tv with your kids? I'd love to get some feedback about what works for different families.

P.S. Join us for the month long Blog Hop - Bloghopalooza - click here and scroll to the end of the post to join us!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-24T06:34:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we crave chocolate. Not just a little chocolate. We crave intense chocolate. My friends, if that is your craving, these are your cookies.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect tasty (and easy) cookie to make for your Valentine as well. I made them because Hubby's birthday was this past weekend and he is not a fan of cake.

See that empty spot near the end of the tray? They were even better warm from the oven. I only tested two... erm.. three... before hubby got home.

I won't claim that these are healthy cookies, but you can sub in some organic ingredients where possible (butter, flour, sugar, cocoa). Either way, sometimes a little indulgence is a good thing. A very, very good thing.

P.S. Click here to join us for a month long blog hop! Scroll to the bottom of the post, read the rules, and add your blog to the list!

Healthy Toddler Lunch Ideas

2011-01-21T07:03:00.002-05:00

When you have a child with allergies, it's easy to get stuck in a lunch rut. My son has allergies to poultry, eggs, bananas, rice, peanuts, and tree nuts. He is also a bit of a picky eater. My daughter will eat just about anything (much like her mama) and I believe she gets tired of the same old thing.

We try to eat mostly organic foods and I try to vary it as much as I can to get their little palates exposed to new and interesting healthy foods. If you are looking to feed your toddler more organic foods, I hope that this list of ideas will be a helpful way to start.

Grilled cheese or grilled ham and cheese sandwiches (with side of sliced fruit) - A perennial kids' favorite. Trader Joe's carries organic American cheese slices and organic wheat bread. If I prepare a hot ham and cheese, I use Hormel Natural because it doesn't have nitrates, though I do realize it's not organic or local.

"The Continental" - organic cheese sticks (they have these in mozzarella at Trader Joe's), organic apple slices, and organic veggie crackers. Easy to make, healthy, and my kids love it.

Fruit Smoothie - plain organic whole milk yogurt, whole milk, frozen organic berries, banana (I can't do that because of the allergy, but it's always a good addition), and a little bit of frozen chopped spinach for even more of a nutrient punch. I have friends who add flaxseed oil for the omega 3s as well, which is a nice idea. The only problem with this one is serving it. If you kids aren't so hot at drinking out of a straw yet, you might want to either a) remove all clothing and let them have a spoon and have fun or b) spoon feed it to them. We had a total loss of my daughter's shirt yesterday because of the blueberry stains from her smoothie.

Quesadilla - Whole wheat tortilla with shredded cheese and some rinsed organic black beans or spread some vegetarian organic refried beans. You can sneak in some "green" veggies by adding organic frozen chopped spinach sprinkles and/or avocado slices. My daughter loves to dip hers in salsa. Not just mild salsa, she will devour the medium stuff too. Don't be afraid to introduce spicy foods to your toddler, they might just surprise you.

Fruit and Yogurt Dippers - organic whole milk plain yogurt, mix in some honey to sweeten to taste (for 1 yr olds and over only) and a tiny splash of vanilla extract and/or cinnamon, place in a small bowl on toddlers tray. Slice up some organic apples, oranges, and grapes (or whatever fruit you have on hand) and let your toddler dip away. Mine also like to use a spoon. This is another meal that is best served to mostly naked children for easy cleanup afterward.

PB & J or in our case SSB & J - If you have a child who is allergic to peanuts, you can still do a peanut butter and jelly style sandwich, using a sunflower seed butter as a substitute. It tastes very similar and is actually an easier consistency to spread than the natural peanut butter is. We use organic honey whole wheat bread with sunflower seed butter and organic jelly with no added sugar.

Souper Dips - Winter is such a great time for a hot soup. I've been serving organic butternut squash soup recently. I doctor it up with some curry powder (it's a little bland otherwise) and voila! Soup to dip in. Serve warm (not super hot) in small bowls with organic crackers and/or carrots sticks to dip in. Another messy, but fun option.

Hummus Dip - Make some homemade hummus (it's way better than the store bought stuff) and let the kids dip veggies and crackers in it.

Organic Mac and Cheese - Either homemade or with an organic box mix. I add a little frozen spinach or frozen peas to the boiling pasta to get a little veggie action in there. This is a high sodium option, but still goes into our rotation.

Do you have a favorite healthy lunch to feed your little ones? Share it with us! We can always use some fresh ideas!

P.S. Join us for a month long blog hop - Bloghopalooza! Click here and scroll to the bottom of the post to enter!

Going Old School: Housekeeping

2011-01-19T07:21:00.000-05:00

The word "housekeeping" conjures up images of June Cleaver or some other black and white tv show mom, doesn't it? Really, who does anything like housekeeping now? It's so very 1956. No self respecting feminist worries about housekeeping in 2011. Maybe that is part of the reason that my home looks... erm... less than clean most of the time. I keep waiting for maid that I cannot afford. It's embarrassing. I warn people before they come over about the mess.

When the twins were born, I went on hiatus from chores. I nursed, I ate, nursed, ate, nursed, and sometimes slept. I never figured out how to tandem nurse while they were little so a lot of our time was spent nursing one... and then the other. I decided to give myself a break from worrying about the cleanliness of our home while they were babies. Now they are toddlers and my house is still in chaos. I just can't get my groove back.

It's time to up my game. Time to find my inner Joan Cleaver. The question is, how? I asked my Facebook followers how they handle housekeeping and had one friend like me, who closes her eyes and *wishes* it clean. Another friend has a system of doing a different part of the house during each part of the day, but she also remarked how at the end of the day it looks like nothing is done. I can relate! Even though I do find time during the day to get some chores done, I generally find that I don't get caught up. Ever. Another friend sometimes stays up until 2 am getting her house clean after her boys go to sleep. I think that's awesome, but I can't hang. Sleep is one of things I've made a priority. The sleep bone is connected to the patience bone.

I've tried to have a system, a chore chart for myself to follow. I find that I'm generally too ambitious. There's no way for me to take care of the kids all day, make dinner for our family, AND do ten chores. It's just not happening. The moment I step out of the room and head upstairs to do laundry, there's a scream and cry because a toy was stolen, someone was pushed, someone fell down.

I've tried to make a plan to get any five chores done each day. Still too ambitious, because there's all of the daily stuff that has to get done.

I also tried the Fly Lady system. I didn't have the time or patience to read the ten emails a day she sends out. I don't need more clutter in my inbox.

I finally sat down and made a list of the absolute least often I could get away with doing specific chores. I separated them onto days of the week and I started working on it. To be honest, I'm already behind. I spent Monday attempting to do laundry. I got all 6 loads washed by Tuesday, but now it's Wednesday and not a bit of it is folded or put away. Vacuuming was on the list for Monday as well. It got pushed to Tuesday. Tuesday was supposed to be clean a bathroom day. Didn't happen. Maybe I'll get to that today (Wednesday).

Here's what I know to be true so far:

Grocery shopping early on Saturday mornings without the kids is the most efficient (and enjoyable).
Folding laundry at night after the kids go to sleep is easiest. That way I don't have little helpers unfolding everything AND I get to spend time watching tv with the hubby.
I am not giving up my workout time to clean the house. My health and sanity is a higher priority than chores.
I cannot do laundry while the children are sleeping (naps or at night) because the washer is right next to their room and it shakes their cribs during the spin cycle.
Nap time must be used for mommy to eat, shower, and dress. Chores are a bonus once those activities are completed.
Facebook is a time sink. It will steal my days. I must avoid checking it so much.

So tell me, readers, how do you manage your households? I'd love to hear some tips from the non-housekeeping challenged - or commiserate with other parents in the same boat as me.

P.S. Join us for the month long January Blogapalooza Blop Hop! Click here and scroll to the bottom to add your blog.

Finding Contentment

2011-01-13T07:09:00.000-05:00

I sometimes wonder if we Americans ever really want to be content. We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Somehow though, that pursuit always seems to lead down a road to more. If I just had more money, more time, more importance, more kids, better family, better house, better food, better whatever... THEN I would be happy.

We are so focused on getting more that we forget to appreciate what we already have. For the most part, I feel pretty content with my life, grateful even. However, the other day I was waiting for several hours for my car to get fixed. I picked up a couple of magazines and read them. The first one, a fashion magazine, reminded me about how shabby my current wardrobe is. Suddenly I was self conscious of my attire, wishing that I could afford to do a Stacy and Clinton style makeover. I wondered how much money I had to spend on clothes right now. Maybe I should go shopping this afternoon. If only I could look more current, more stylish, more... fabulous. Then I would be happy.

The second magazine was a travel magazine. The scenery was amazing. The reviews were of $4000 a night hotels, the articles about fantastic vacations that I could only imagine. Next thought in my head? I wonder how old the twins will need to be before we can start traveling with them. I wonder if we can take them to Europe one day. Maybe hubby and I should take a weekend trip somewhere and leave the kids with family (except for the fact that they still nurse pretty regularly, even at night). Suddenly my life seemed small. If only I could travel more, see the world more, be more... adventurous. Then I would be happy.

The thing is, I walked into this place content. I am thrilled that I am able to stay at home with my children each day. I love being with them more than I can express. I love my hubby dearly and I feel lucky that despite some obstacles, we still have a solid marriage after nearly 9 years. I am lucky to have the things that matter to me - family and friends - and yet I'm so quick to lose sight of that and want... MORE.

This all made me want to list a couple of the day to day things that I should appreciate more:

I'm thrilled to have a garage. This house (which we currently rent) is the first place I've lived that has one. It's lovely, particularly with kids. Not having to warm up the car for 20 minutes and/or scrape the windshield is seriously awesome. I'm also thankful that my hubby lets me park in it, since it's only a one car garage. He's sweet like that.

I'm thankful for hot showers. They are awesome and I get one every single day. Have you ever gone without a hot shower for a week or more? If not, you should try it sometime. You will appreciate them in a whole new way. You might also have a new appreciation for our military members who go without them for much longer than a week.

I'm thankful that I am never without food to eat. I have taken eating to an Olympic sport lever over the past two years. While pregnant with the twins, I ate almost constantly. I would wake hungry in the middle of the night to eat. While nursing them, I still eat like a 250 lb man. I'm often uncomfortably hungry. Luckily though, I have plenty to eat and eat I do. I am quite blessed that all I need to do is go to a local grocery store (or farmers market) and purchase all that my family needs to sustain ourselves. There are many people who cannot afford the food that their family needs. There are people who do not have access to a grocery store. We are blessed indeed.

Whether or not I have new clothes, or have traveled to new and exciting places, I am truly blessed. Sometimes, I just need a little perspective to remember that.

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Mommy's Got ADD

2011-01-05T06:00:00.003-05:00

I used to be a person who could focus on one thing: a book, a movie, a conversation, or even a lecture. In school, I never had any trouble staying on task, listening to the teacher, etc (well, other than talking, but you knew that about me right?) Now, though? I can't finish a single thought without starting another.

Ever since I became a twin Mama, it's been like this. Here's an example of a typical 15 minute period:

Me: Hey, kiddos, let's get our diapers changed.
Kid 1: Duck - quack, quack, quack.
Me: That's right! Good job! What does a cow say?
Kid 2: Mama!
Me: No, the cow says, Mooooo.
Kid 2: Mama! Please!
Me: Please what baby?
Kid 1: "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Me: Don't hit your brother. Are you ok?{Pick up kid 1, hug}
Kid 2: "Football!"
Me: That's right baby, that is a football.
Kid 1: {Signing emphatically - EAT!!!}
Me: You're hungry? Ok, sweetie, let's go get a snack.
Kid 2: Mama? Mama? Mama?
Me: Yes, baby, hold on a second and mommy will get you a snack too.
Kid 1: {In feeding chair - CRYING}
Me: Wait, what's wrong, did you want to eat? Oh shoot, I never changed your diaper did I?
Kid 2: MAMA? MAMA? MAMA? MAMA?
Me: Let's get you back out so we change diapers before we eat our snack. {Remove kid 1 from chair}
Kid 1: MORE CRYING!
Kid 2: AHHHHH!
Me: Ok guys, I'm just going to grab some diapers, be right back ok?
Kids in Unison: AHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Me: {Back, with diapers in hand}
eerie silence
Me: Guys? Where are you?
WHAM!
Kid 2: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Megablocks pulled from top of toy box onto kid 2. Pick up kid 2 and hug, he now signs "nurse" because he's hurt and still hungry.
Me: Ok, baby, let's nurse.
Sit on couch, get ready to nurse kid 2.
Kid 1: Mama? Mama? {signing milk}
Me: Ok, let's both nurse.
Get both babies positioned and nursing. Begin to notice a smell... what the?
Oh yeah, we need a diaper change.

You might think this is an exaggeration. I assure you, it is not. It is literally like this all the time. I have lost the ability to focus on anything for more than two seconds. I didn't know that there was a form of ADD related to having multiple kids, but I think I've got it.

This month I'm joining in hosting a month long Blog Hop, won't you join us?
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Overindulged and Under the Weather

2011-01-03T07:15:00.000-05:00

My last post was all about how I normally eat. Today, I confess that December was anything but normal. Like most people, I consumed a ton of sweets over the holidays - none of them organic. I also entertained much more than usual and found myself buying the "old way" instead of mostly organic and local. I needed a lot of food, I needed to get it fast, and I needed it not to cost any more than my already crazy high food budget. So for 2 or 3 weeks, I was "off the wagon."

I didn't really give this a lot of thought. I do try to eat clean and feed my family clean, but I also don't want to give myself an ulcer worrying about it. Funny thing happened though. The Christmas morning pictures of me (sans makeup) reminded me that my acne came back with a fury. I haven't had to worry about that very much for the past year or so. All of the sudden I was breaking out like a teenager. I figured that was maybe just all of the sugar.

The day after Christmas I started experiencing some major tummy pain. I felt like I was getting the flu, but it never got worse than a bad tummy ache. I spent the whole beautiful snow day laying around miserable because of the pain. It lasted for about 4 days. Then, when I was finally back to eating better, it just went away.

This all makes me wonder... Do you think my body was having trouble getting rid of the junk? Maybe my liver and kidneys were on overload? I used to eat like that every single day and now it makes me sick. It reminds me of the movie Supersize Me. Something to keep in mind the next time I decide to go too far off of what I know and love to eat. Now I'm craving some nice winter veggies.

This month I'm joining in hosting a month long Blog Hop, won't you join us?
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The New Year's Anti-Diet

2010-12-31T21:33:00.002-05:00

It's New Year's Day! If you've watched tv at all the past few days, you've seen the ads for Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, etc. Maybe you are doing your own version of low-fat, low-carb, zone, whatever... They all send the same message:

Hey, you should really lose weight. Really. See this person? They used our awesome system. Look how thin they are now. You just need to pay us $$ and we will give you the food to eat - in the proper portions (because you, fattie, cannot decide when to stop eating). Shoot, we'll even mail it to you. We'll tell you how nutritious it is (not that we're biased). Oh and if you fail? Totally your fault. You really should get some willpower. But we'll take you back, and take your money, all over again. We like this game. We like you fat.

Maybe they don't say all of that in their ads, but they should. I used to play this game. Every year I would resolve to exercise more, eat healthier, do the diet du jour of that year. Every time, I'd fail, feel worse about myself and ultimately... gain weight.

Now? I've lost a bunch of weight without dieting at all. I was, at the end of my twin pregnancy, up to 205 lbs. After the babies were born and things evened out, I was down to about 180. Then a few months later? Down to 160. My pre-pregnancy weight was 153. I hit that and kept going... 140... 135... I've finally evened out at about 130. This is about what I weighed in high school. I had to buy all new jeans, size 4 (even a size 2). Please understand, I don't write this to brag. I write it to make a point. I was once a yo-yo dieter. I don't want others to go down that awful path of deprivation and money down the drain.

The keys to my success?

Breastfeeding On Demand. For 16 months and going strong. Granted, I am breastfeeding twins and that certainly ups the caloric burn, but if you are expecting and want to lose baby weight after baby is born, breastfeeding is an AWESOME way to do it.

Eating Clean -

Organic dairy - milk, butter, and cheese (if I can find and afford it) cheese free of antibiotics and hormones.

Organic and/or local meat - I usually get organic chicken breasts for one to two meals a week, use our local beef share for one or two, and then maybe have two or three nights that are meat free. This year I hope to add at least one night a week of wild fish (not farmed, because farmed fish is fed corn, antibiotics, and dyes to make it look like wild fish).

Organic and/or local produce - Do your family a favor and sign up for a CSA this year (you'll want to do this in January/February for the summer months). You'll feel great about eating tasty locally grown produce and probably be exposed to some interesting new foods. They just don't carry purple carrots, blue potatoes, and kohlrabi at the grocery store. It's fun to experiment with new fruits and veggies, there is SO much more goodness out there than the mediocre produce section.

Fewer Processed Foods - Next time you go to the grocery store, read the labels on every item in your cart. If it has a ton of ingredients (more than 5 is a good rule of thumb)? Put it back. If it has ingredients you can't pronounce or identify in a line up? Put it back. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)? Put it back. This will be difficult the first few times, because you'll be left wondering what you can buy. When I first started this, I was surprised by some of the foods (like a certain whole grain frozen waffle brand) that were highly processed and no longer welcome in my kitchen. I even choose to switch to organic bread, because it seems all other bread is made with HFCS and other random additives these days.

Don't Buy Imitation Food - Buy organic butter, not margarine. If you need sausage, try to find it local and/or organic, but don't buy imitation sausage. Need bacon? Buy bacon (again, local/organic if you can), not turkey bacon or tofu bacon. Buy real maple syrup, not "pancake syrup." Buy organic sugar, not the pink, blue, or yellow packaged no calorie substitutes. While these "real" foods should be eaten in moderation, imagine the amount of chemicals that are required to make a soybean taste like sausage. It's gross. Just eat the sausage and enjoy it. Then the next day? Have a fruit salad.

Move Your Booty - You can join a gym, or find a friend to walk with, or do yoga, or just park really far from the store and take the stairs. I don't think that the type of exercise is as important as the consistency. Find something you like and stick to it.

Make small changes each week and soon you will find yourself on a healthier path. No special diet. No starving yourself and then "splurging". Just eating wholesome and great tasting food. What could be better than that?

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1. Follow the first 5 blogs.
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Optional BUT a GOOD idea for all
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BlogHopPalooza

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This One's For You Daddy...

2010-12-31T06:00:00.002-05:00

Why write this? I've always written. Writing is who I am, it's what I do, and it's how I deal in times of stress. It's soothing to see my thoughts spelled out on the page, to parse them, to make them solid through type. Through blogging, I'm able to hear from others who share the same questions, struggles, and interests.

Today, I write about something not related to food, or being "green", or parenting - at least not directly. Today, I write about my Dad, because today he would have been 71.

I lost my Dad in 2004. He died suddenly, from a heart attack, he was 64 and I was 24. You know all of those shows and movies where they perform CPR and the heart attack victim survives, they perform open heart surgery, and a few months later he's golfing? I call BS on those. In real life, your Dad goes out to work on the sprinklers, has some chest pains, and 20 minutes later your Mom is performing CPR while waiting for an ambulance to show up. They don't turn on the sirens on the way to the hospital. There is no magical surgery. Maybe you drive the three hours up, thinking that you'll be visiting him in the hospital, only to find that your Mom wants you to meet her at home, because it's far too late.

My Dad and I didn't have the picture perfect relationship that some fathers have with their daughters. During my teen years, in particular, we didn't get along very well at all. I seemed to constantly frustrate him and since he was not a man for "talking it out" I never really knew what I had done wrong. I spent a lot of time trying not to irritate him as a child and then a lot more time as a teen trying not to care - though of course I cared. Deeply. I believe girls are hardwired to need their Dads. I already see the joy that my daughter takes in her Daddy and it melts my heart.

I found that my going (far) away to college helped our relationship immensely. It seemed that we were better able to love each other from 13 hours away than from the next room. After my parents moved closer and I got married, we lived a comfortable 3 hours away and our relationship changed to that of an adult child and her Dad. We talked for hours about politics, business, and the stock market. Sometimes when I'd come home for a visit, he'd take me flying in the "little" Cessna airplane (he had been a commercial pilot for 25 years). He'd let me fly for a bit. I'd make myself airsick because I could not maintain an altitude, so it would be a bit like riding a roller coaster. I look back now and I so thankful that we got to have those years of good times together. We still had our stressful moments, but for the most part we got along.

There were good times in my childhood too. The times that we'd go out into the driveway on a cold night and watch a lunar eclipse. Frozen, but still amazed at the beautiful scene.

The times he tried so hard to get me to learn Morse code so that I could be an amateur radio operator too - though I clearly failed at being interested.

The times I was sick and he made me pancakes for breakfast (impressive for a man who never, ever cooked more than a sandwich).

The time he brought me a Genessee beer (which I haven't seen since) before I went off to college so that I'd "know what it tasted like."

The time the two of us went sailing in our 9 foot sailboat and managed to fill it with water so that we just sat in the middle of the lake, not moving at all. We left a trail of water the whole way home though.

The fact that he would whistle and sing just about all of the time. We were driving home one day and a chipmunk ran in front of the car. He managed to sing a little song about the chipmunk that my 12 year old self found hilarious. He sang it to me again when he walked me down the aisle at my wedding.

I find myself wondering now what kind of grandfather he would have been to the twins. He was never a big fan of small children, but I imagine a world in which he had mellowed and didn't mind the messes and noise that small children bring. I imagine him reading my daughter a story, my son saying "Hi-Hi-Hi!" in his excited way. I imagine that he would be proud of me... proud of us.

I Resolve...

2010-12-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

To make blogging a part of my daily routine by blogging in the morning with my coffee before the kiddos get up. I love starting my day writing, I just have to drag myself out of bed to do so.

To be present with my children during the day - playing and learning together, which means that I will need to turn off the computer and the television.

To be present with my hubby in the evenings (unlike what I'm doing at this very moment) and not grab the computer for facebook time.

To pick back up with reading the Bible, one chapter a day.

You will see this on the 5 hosts blogs and hopefully more blogs all throughout January!!! It is a month long mega blog HOP!!!! Want more followers, get on board NOW!!!!

BlogHopPalooza

Your 5 Blog Hostesses

Pre-Christmas Purge

2010-12-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year... when the house gets a little smaller... every song you hear, seems to say... More toys and gifts? Where will I put all of this?

I believe I'm going to start a Christmas tradition of purging toys before the big day. As I've mentioned before, our home is not large. We don't have adequate storage for the stuff we already have. My husband's Christmas wish is a toy box so that we no longer have the toys wrangled on top of the fireplace. It's time to go through and get rid of some of the baby items that are no longer in use. The hard part is, what do I get rid of? Everything I think that they are done with, if shown to them, becomes their new favorite toy! Even if they haven't touched it in 2 months, if I get it ready to donate, they want it now!

Nonetheless, there are several items that will be selected to move on to their next owner: friend's younger baby, a thrift shop, maybe even Freecycle. Hopefully none to the garbage dump though.

How do you decide what toys are ready to move on to their next owner?