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Energising Micro Yoga

2013-03-19T17:52:00.001+11:00

More and more people are spending long hours hunched over a computer or commuting either in their car or on public transportation. This leads to a stiff neck and shoulders, sore eyes and for some people more serious health issues and injuries. Danielle Davis, the resident yoga teacher at the beautiful Gaia Retreat and Spa on the far north coast of New South Wales suggests we get up for ten minutes a few times a day and do some stretching and breathing. Danielle has put together a ten minute micro yoga practice which will energise you, help with concentration and also rebalance your body and mind. I gave it a go and felt much better after.

Gaia's Energising Micro Yoga with Danielle Davis...

Photo courtesy of tallkev downloaded under a Creative Commons license

Three Yummy Meat Free Lunches

2013-03-19T17:50:00.003+11:00

I went in search of some creative ways to eat healthy meat free lunches, thinking that would be a good place to make a positive change in my diet. Being the only female in the house and with all the guys I live with leading busy, active lives dinner is usually more about filling them up then focusing on my desire to avoid meat and add more dark leafy greens. Anyone who has raised teenage boys can attest to that.

I found some really delicious recipes, ones that can easily be made ahead and taken to work or eaten over a few days if you live alone or are the only person who might enjoy them. They can also be served for dinner or when entertaining.

My personal favorite is a chickpea, avocado and kale salad from a beautiful foodie website called I Talk to Food.

Another great standard is this Lentil salad from chow.com Lentil salad not only makes a great lunch, it is a great dish for entertaining large groups. The vegetarians will have a delicious option and meat eaters love it as a side dish.

Finally these cauliflower fritters are loved by my whole family so we make up a big batch and have them for dinner with a salad and then everyone takes some for lunch the next day.

Photo All rights reserved by autonomatic

Chew Your Food

2013-03-19T17:37:00.001+11:00

A book came across my desk not too long ago and it got me thinking about chewing your food. We're always reminding our children to chew their food, shut their mouth when they chew, slow down when they eat, hurry up and eat.

Young children spend a lot of their day eating but what is really happening when we chew and are our children doing enough of it?

More Peas Please by Kate Di Prima and Dr Julie Cichero addresses the issue of fussy eaters and getting good food into kids of all ages. The aspect of the book that interested me is the connection between healthy eating and speaking. Western society’s need to eat on the go and the obsession with fast food is doing a disservice to our children. When a child has a container of fruit in syrup instead of a piece of fresh fruit in their lunch or a tube of sugary yoghurt instead of a bowl of yoghurt with muesli for breakfast, they are not using their mouths to eat in a way that is best for their development.

Eating and chewing foods of different textures and consistencies gets your jaw, lips and tongue working in ways that encourage good muscle tone. A strong mouth and jaw is needed in order to form words and create the sounds needed to communicate.

Parents often complain that they can’t get their children to eat food from certain food groups. Sometimes it isn’t a simple matter of not caring for a particular type of food. Other things can also be factors in a child’s dislike of foods. Always be sure to rule out any food intolerances - children can be avoiding certain food groups for a very good reason. Another issue for many children is food textures. The sense of touch is a very big part of eating, it can take time for a child to get used to mushy porridge or slimy mushrooms.

If your child is still very young, make a point of putting foods of different textures on their plate. If you are not certain about what your baby is ready to eat More Peas Please has a helpful section on food readiness.

Also, someone once told me a child might need to have food on their plate up to 30 times before they start to like it. I don’t know if that is true but when my boys were younger and I had a in-home day care, I used to put a tiny bit of a food item on the plate and just let it sit there, they didn’t even have to try it if they didn’t want to. If they tried it and didn’t like it I would tell them that’s ok and do the same the next time. For the most part the children got used to the three peas or small leaf of lettuce and started to eat them. It seemed to work as long as I didn’t have any expectations about the trying or liking of the food. All the children tried the food when they were ready and I feel I had a lot of success with that approach.

If your children are older and not eating a variety of healthy foods it may be harder to change their habits. There is a lot of discussion about little children and what they eat but when I look around I see plenty of primary and high school age children who are very fussy. I do have some suggestions for getting older children interested in a more healthy diet but I find the most important thing is to speak to them about something that is important to them. If your child loves sport than approach diet from the angle of an athlete, if they care about the planet then look at it as an environmentalist would. If your family asks their children to do chores include food related jobs. Getting your child into the store to participate in the shopping is also helpful. Cooking is also a great way to motivate children to eat well. If given the opportunity some children really enjoy cooking for their family.

It takes effort to get a variety of healthy foods into a family's diet, especially when there is such a range of easy, pre-packaged food available. The benefits of eating fresh, home prepared foods are so numerous and we are well aware of most of them. Having a working mouth and jaw so you can be understood when you speak is just another one.

Stuff We Love~Thursday Plantation

2013-03-19T17:06:00.000+11:00

Life can be tough for teenagers. Hormonal changes, peer pressure and the media telling you how easy it is to have clear skin if you just use their chemical ridden products. Enter Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Acne Products. This skin care line is all natural and free from Benzoyl Peroxide. The face wash and blemish stick have been standards in our house for many years and several teens have benefited from regular use of Thursday Plantation. No product can promise clear skin all the time but this is one skin care line that has worked for us, helping give clear blemish free skin. Check out Thursday Plantation Acne Products here.

Welcome to the newest member of theClover family!

2012-07-29T10:30:00.003+10:00

We've been away for a while, but Jesse has been a bit busy, you know creating new life and everything. Little Max is thriving and Jesse is beginning to see through the newborn fog so theCloverPages is back and we hope to bring you some interesting bits and pieces on living a sustainable and ethical life in these busy times. This little cutie will no doubt give us some inspiration in The Art of Parenting as well!

Has the London Olympics Really Gone Green? Colin Hunt looks at the Greening of London 2012 in The Conversation

2012-07-29T10:30:00.001+10:00

Facilities built in the Lea Valley are planned to benefit the community in the long-term. London 2012

While the London Olympics kicked off this weekend, in an article for THE CONVERSATION, Colin Hunt has a look at the organising committees commitment to a greener Olympics. What he finds might surprise you.

Has the London Olympics really gone green, and what can the Gold Coast Games gain?

For seven years, the London Olympics Organising Committee has been striving to live up to the sustainability vision it set itself. It’s been a long, honest fight. On the eve of the Games, how well have they done?

The case was made for a sustainable London games and Paralympics back in 2005, based on WWF’s Vision of a One Planet Olympics.

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has tried to instill sustainability into every facet of construction and delivery. The Committee set sustainability objectives, standards and tools. There is even a powerful watchdog on the LOCOG — the Commission for a Sustainable London (CSL).

Read more....

Great finds from Pinterest

2012-07-29T10:25:00.000+10:00

We've been trolling Pinterest lately and yes there is a lot of great stuff in there along with the memes, wedding dreams and suggestions on how to get your best arms, legs and abs in 20 minutes or less.

I stumbled across this recipe for Refrigerator Oatmeal that is perfect for all kind of situations where a quick healthy breakfast is needed. It's from Monica over at The YummyLife.com and is put together in advance, ready to grab the next morning.

Click here to go straight to the recipe.

New Lip Balm to ♥ ~ Moo Goo Edible Lip Balms

2012-05-04T11:01:00.000+10:00

Moo Goo Edible Lip Balm from just AU$4.50

Well, they're not new, but they're new to me :)

I picked this one up last night at the health food store and I love it already.

The texture is nice and thick and it stays on much longer than any other balms I've used. Smells and tastes good too.

The Moo Goo Edible Lip Balms range includes:

Cowlick Lip Balm

Tingling Honey Lips

Edible Strawberry Lip Balm (Beetle-Free)

and the SPF 15 Lip Balm (no UV filters, just natural zinc oxide)

And of course the best part is they're all natural and chemical-free, so you're not ingesting all the nasty stuff used in many lip care products.

And they're a great price.

AND they're made in Australia by an Aussie company!

What more could you want?

Read all about them and buy online here.

Sixth Grade Students Speak Out About 15 Minute Lunches

2012-04-19T15:40:00.006+10:00

I first became aware of children in the Minneapolis school system being forced to eat their lunch in 15 minutes or less while visiting the States last year. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when my nieces told me they had such a short lunch break. My son who was on an exchange at another school in the area confirmed what they were telling me.

This was difficult for me to understand as in our part of Australia students get a 40 minute lunch and a 20 minute morning tea. Every point these young girls bring up are concerning to say the least.

Well done girls, lets hope this gets the attention of those capable of changing this disturbing policy.

Article by: TALIA BRADLEY and ANTONIA RITTER

We hate to eat and run -- but as students, we have to at school.

In the Minneapolis public schools, we are supposed to have 15 minutes to eat, which would be bad enough. But realistically we get only 10 to 11 minutes (we have been timing it).

Having to rush to eat is part of the reason for the obesity epidemic, eating disorders, indigestion and kids not doing well in school. There is research that proves all of these points. Kids just need more time to eat at school.

read more...

Photo: file, McClatchy-Tribune

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

2012-03-06T13:03:00.001+11:00

This cake is seriously good. So good, I had to eat most of it before I could stop to take a photo.

Take the time to find some unwaxed lemons (preferably homegrown or organic) for maximum lemony flavour.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Prep: First preheat oven to 190 degrees. If fan-forced, 180 degrees. Grease (with oil spray, not butter) a 23cm ring tin and cut out baking paper for bottom. Ring tin is best as this can be too moist in others.

Ingredients

Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 & 3/4 cup of caster sugar (I use 1 1/2 to cut sugar content)
1 cup of natural or greek yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
3 tablespoons of lemon juice (or just half the zested lemon above)
1 cup of canola or vegetable oil
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder.

1. Zest lemons into a large bowl.
2. Add caster sugar, salt, eggs and oil. Stir well.
3. Fold lemon juice and yogurt in.
4. Sift flour and baking powder in. You can use self-raising flour, without the baking powder, but I find it is useless.
5. Fold the mix until just wet. Do not overmix or cake will be tough.
6. Pour into prepared tin. Bake for 30-35 mins. Best to test at 30 mins first. Generally I find it may need 40-45, but my oven is quite strong.
7. When ready, cool in tin for 10 mins. Then invert onto plate. Keep clean tea towel over it so cake stays moist.
After an hour. Cover with cling film and refrigerate or serve.
8. Dust with icing sugar and serve with remainder of yogurt.

Thanks to Dave O'Brien for the recipe :) x

Pin It

The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner

2012-02-21T09:58:00.004+11:00

Click here to play

For those fortunate enough to encounter them, the unique insights and research of Rudolf Steiner into subjects such as education, medicine and agriculture have long been a source of wonder and inspiration. Since his death in 1925, Steiner’s vision has grown in both relevance and urgency, yet there are many people still unaware of his life and work. The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner, from the British film-maker Jonathan Stedall, aims to take the story to a wider audience.

100 Mile Meatup™ at the 3 Weeds

2012-02-20T11:54:00.000+11:00

The Urban Food Market in Marrickville, Sydney, is an ethical meats wholesaler, supplying sustainable produce to both businesses and the general public.

Just some of the products on offer are grassfed Wagyu, saltbush free-range lamb and free-range pork and poultry.

The Urban Food Market promises NO growth promotants, NO added hormones, NO feedlots, NO cages, NO pens, NO concrete floors and NO Genetically Modified feed, simply animals grown the way they were intended to be grown. Naturally.

The Urban Food Market holds regular Meatup™events, where head chefs from some of Sydney's most exclusive restaurants, devise menus using produce from the Urban Food Market.

Their next 100 Mile Meatup™ with 8-course degustation will be at the 3 Weeds Hotel in Rozelle on Wednesday 14th March.

Leigh McDivitt has worked in some of the best restaurants in Sydney such as Pello, Lotus, Est. Having taken over the helm in the Restaurant at The 3 Weeds in April two years ago, he has implemented a fully sustainable approach having set up the company farm in Terrey Hills (and in the garden at the pub!). This project will see the pub being completely self sufficient in vegetables by the end of the year and with our produce adding to that the 3 Weeds in Rozelle will be the most sustainable pub in Sydney!

3 Weeds Hotel 
179 Evans Street 
Rozelle NSW 2039

Wednesday 14th March @ 6pm for 6.30pm start

8-Course Degustation 
$99 per head with matching drinks ($79 without) 
(Menu subject to change)
Matching Drinks to be advised shortly

Amuse Bouche

Cured Grassfed Veal with Achovy buttermilk & Truffle Snow 
Richmond, NSW

Tea Smoked Quail with Sweet Corn, Basil Jelly, Crab & Ginger Jus 
Penrith, NSW

Sage & Milk Poached Pork Cheek, Pork Neck Agnolotti, King Prawn & Cider Gel 
Richmond, NSW

Pan Roasted Guinea Fowl, Confit Leg with a Pearl Barley Risotto 
Thirlmere, NSW

Roasted Duck Breast, Petit Pois a la Francais & Raspberry 
Thirlmere, NSW

Pre dessert

Duck Egg & Armagnac Custard with Blood Plums 
Thirlmere, NSW

Available Seating: 

Communal Tables - 4 x 10 seats 
Large Group tables - 2 x 6 seats 
Tables for 2 - 4 x 2 seats

Tickets are on sale now and these events sell out fast, so be quick!

www.urbanfoodmarket.com.au

image courtesy of Simon Food Favourites

What Babies Want

2012-02-17T13:22:00.000+11:00

Research is now showing that the way babies are welcomed into the world has a profound impact on their later aptitude to make compassionate and meaningful connection with others.

This documentary film, narrated by actor, Noah Wyle (E.R), explores the consciousness of infants, through cutting edge science, ancient cultures and traditional customs and makes a strong case for ensuring that babies have every opportunity to bond with their parents at birth.

When babies are welcomed with love and warmth and given the immediate opportunity to bond with parents, they develop minds that are coherent and flexible, ready in turn to make compassionate and meaningful connections with others as they grow.  

What Babies Want explores these ideas, documenting heart warming personal experiences before, during and after childbirth as well as evidence of consciousness, communication and awareness in prenatal, newborn and very young infants.  

Featuring interviews with some of the leading lights in the worldwide movement towards conscious parenting, this film is a must-see for anyone contemplating having a baby and for everyone involved in the birth process and in the birth industry in general.

For further info on the movie visit www.whatbabieswant.com

And Now One For the Meat Eaters

2012-02-17T11:40:00.008+11:00

I am the only female in my house and also the only member of my family that isn’t totally obsessed with meat. We don’t eat meat every day and the boys don’t complain but they do love their meat. I get most of my meat from the farmers at my local market, I know the animals were well cared for and even loved. Neither the animals or meat travel very far to get to me.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions about what to feed their families and after researching the topic of meat consumption I have come to a decision that works for us. Having days without meat and when we do eat it, have more veggies than meat. Eat meat from local producers who take care of their animals and feed them the same way I would eat myself. No GMO’s or hormones and organic feed or grazing whenever possible.
Last week at my farmers market I picked up a really nice cut of pork with the unfortunate name of pork collar butt, it is also sometimes called pork scotch fillet and is actually the neck of the pig. Collar butt is great for roasting and casseroles, it stays moist and is receptive to slow cookers, which is how I cooked mine. All I did was rub the meat with salt, pepper, garlic and chile and then make a bed of vegetables under the meat, using potatoes, carrots and onion. I placed the meat on top of that, put in enough water to cover the veggies and threw in a bay leaf, and cooked it on low for eight hours. We had the meat and veggies with a salad and chutney.
However that was only the beginning. There was quite a bit of meat left after that and I was out with friends the next night so my husband made pulled pork sandwiches with the leftovers. The pulled pork was then used for school lunches. Boy, did I have a happy family that week.
image courtesy of dlz design under a Creative Commons license

Dr Sarah Buckley in Sydney

2012-02-15T13:53:00.005+11:00

Dr Sarah Buckley MD is the doctor you would love to have take care of you and your baby.

Reading her book and attending her seminars is the next best thing.

Buy tickets

Going Bananas

2012-02-10T13:55:00.003+11:00

Bananas are affordable once again in Australia. I love bananas and always grab some when I’m at my farmer’s market, from who else but someone I like to call ‘my banana guy’.

It’s pretty hot here right now and my bananas will ripen pretty fast, a couple days of being extra busy or the boys not being too interested in them for whatever reason and I’ve got over ripe bananas on my hands. This is easily solved in a few delicious ways.

Bananas are great in smoothies and milkshakes, either fresh or frozen. I like to peel and cut my bananas into large chunks before freezing them as peeling frozen bananas is almost unbearable.

Banana Smoothie

2 bananas
1/2 cup kefir
1 cup yoghurt
1 large tablespoon malt extract
1/2 teaspoon LSA or ground flax seed

This is a rough recipe as I don’t really measure anything but you get the idea. If it’s hot out my boys also like to add some ice, berries are a nice addition as well.

This smoothie makes a delicious breakfast or after school snack. Malt extract is rich in B vitamins simple and complex carbohydrates and proteins. Kefir has much needed probiotics and your ground seeds have omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids along with many other nutrients.

This morning I baked some banana bread for the boys to take to school for morning tea. The very best banana bread I have ever had is one made by my childhood neighbor, Nancy. I grew up eating lots of food prepared by Nancy and she has that magic touch and it really shows in this banana bread recipe, which can also be made gluten free.

Feel free to play with this recipe, I use whatever sugar is handy and it is delicious when made with rapadura. Same goes with flour and ground seeds, I sometimes use LSA or almond meal. If making gluten free Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour makes a really nice loaf. If you like add some walnuts, blueberries, coconut or for a treat some chocolate chips.

Nancy’s Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter
1 cup
1/3 cup buttermilk(if you don’t have buttermilk add a few drops of vinegar to regular milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
one egg
2 cup flour or 1and 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 mashed bananas

Cream together butter and sugar.
Add buttermilk(if you don’t have buttermilk add a few drops of vinegar to regular milk) vanilla and egg.
Add one flour or 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup flax seed
Add bananas and then one more cup flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
Bake for one hour at 180C or 350F

You can also make a very simple DIY Banana Ice Cream or add some bananas to your morning pancakes.

Photo All rights reserved by Sandra Whiteway

25 Rules for Mothers of Sons

2012-02-10T13:43:00.001+11:00

Inspired by a 'pin' she'd seen on Pinterest about "rules for dads with daughters," blogger Tabitha Studer went searching for a similar list for mothers with sons but couldn't find one, so she wrote her own.

25 Rules for Moms with Sons by Tabitha Studer

1. Teach him the words for how he feels.

Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.

2. Be a cheerleader for his life.

There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he's embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.

3. Teach him how to do laundry.

..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.

Read more »

Indian Feather

2012-02-10T01:50:00.000+11:00

Indian Feather Wooden Monkey Rattle

I discovered Western Australian based company, Indian Feather when I bought one of their gorgeous wooden monkey rattles from Nature's Child.

Their products are a selection of handmade and organic toys, clothing and accessories sourced from Fair Trade communities. There are wooden toys from Korea, 100% wool felt toys and snuggle blankets from Nepal, hand knitted wool toys from Kenya, organic cotton baby fisherman's pants from Thailand and more.

Indian Feather and sister company, Nido Organics were created by Aussie mum, Sascha Jones. Nido Organics specialise in non-toxic, certified organic cot mattresses and bedding.

Organic Cotton Cellular Blanket by Nido Organics

Postage within Australia is a very reasonable flat rate of $8.95 for orders under $200.

Both websites are well worth a visit.

The bunny and blanket are next on my shopping list.

Indian Feather Crocheted Bunny

The Philosophy.

The inspiration for the name Indian Feather came from the 10 Indian Commandments which are a beautiful timeless set of guidelines for life….

1. Remain close to the Great Spirit.
2. Show great respect for your fellow beings.
3. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
4. Be truthful and honest at all times.
5. Do what you know to be right.
6. Look after the well being of mind and body.
7.Treat the earth and all that dwell there on with respect.
8. Take full responsibility for your actions.
9. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
10.Work together for the benefit of all man kind.

Indian Feather dedicates a portion of it’s profits to the Sydney Children's Hospital.

www.indianfeather.com.au

*This post has not been sponsored.

Join Art of Parenting for the Good Deeds Challenge

2011-12-02T13:24:00.003+11:00

With deadline looming, I was thinking ‘What Art of Parenting needs is something fun to do.’ Those of you who know me would say that I’m a bit of a do-er. I love cooking, gardening and getting outdoors with my family. But you have all heard about that often enough. I went to my computer and started Googling – I typed in ‘hot topics for kids’, and can you believe what came up? Good deeds! I’m not sure if I agree that it is a hot topic but I sure like it.

So I turned to my sons (the poor guinea pigs!) and said ‘What do you think of this? Every day this week, we set out to do one good deed and come home and tell each other over dinner what it was.’ Being 14 and 11, the response was something like ‘mumble, grumble, grumble’ from the older one and ‘I don’t think I’ll do much…’ from the younger one. I asked them to give it a go and they very cautiously agreed.

Back to school the next day after school holidays and we didn’t even bring it up in the morning. That evening my eldest said to me. ‘So Mom, what was your good deed today?’ Turns out we all did some good stuff without even meaning to! Big stuff too, like walking home from school with the new kid and being extra nice to someone who needed it, even though they weren’t a close friend. Day two was the same and the great thing about it is it gets us talking and thinking about our day in a different way.

So now the week is finished and we managed to do a good deed each day. It varied every day, some big deeds, some small, sometimes intentional sometimes not. And the conversations that it brought up at home were the greatest benefit. I learned so much about my children’s life at school. It certainly beat the usual responses to asking “How was your day?” As for the boys, they were pleasantly surprised that they do very nice things every day, without even realising it and that it is easy to go even so slightly out of their way to do something nice.

So I encourage you to give it a go at your place. A week seemed about right even with older children. Any longer and they probably would have lost interest and if it were only a few days I don’t think they would have gotten as much out of it. However, with younger children it may be more beneficial to discuss good deeds and point out when a good deed is done right when it happens.

Let us know what good deeds your family got up to this week.

image courtesy of kevindooley.

Our Toxic World

2011-12-02T13:09:00.003+11:00

I’ve been writing an article in my head for months now, about how toxic our world is, how hard it is to avoid the chemicals in our foods, our water supply and our air.

Each week that goes by I read more about what industry is doing to our poor little planet – our chicken is bleached with ammonia, Australian salmon are apparently fed dyes to make the flesh ‘nice and bright’ and it is a rarity to find a cleaning product without some form of poison destined to kill our water creatures.

I think this week’s prize goes to this little beauty which popped up on my facebook newsfeed:

The caption read: “Say hello to mechanically separated chicken. It’s what all fast-food chicken is made from—things like chicken nuggets and patties. Also, the processed frozen chicken in the stores is made from it.”

Basically, the entire chicken is smashed and pressed through a sieve—bones, eyes, guts, and all. it comes out looking like this. There’s more: because it’s crawling with bacteria, it will be washed with ammonia, soaked in it, actually. Then, because it tastes gross, it will be reflavored artificially. Then, because it is weirdly pink, it will be dyed with artificial color. But, hey, at least it tastes good, right?”

As if Jamie Oliver’s demonstration of how chicken nuggets are made isn’t bad enough..

It’s pretty overwhelming really, and most overwhelming of all is the relationship between these toxins and our kids.

So with several drafts of articles rattling around in my mind and scrawled on pieces of paper around my house (as they usually are!), I found another article in my newsfeed recently, called ‘Toxins and our children’. The article was posted on a website called ‘Natural Vitality Kids’. Hmmm, nice website name – felt familiar, I read the article which went like this:

“Once in a great while, a video gets online and goes “viral” that contains so much truth it cannot be ignored: 10 Americans is one such video. It is a live presentation given by Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, detailing the hundreds of toxins found by analyzing the blood of ten average Americans.

The real impact of this video comes from the fact that these ten Americans, at the time of the analysis, had yet to be born. And the number of chemicals found in their umbilical cord blood was astounding—287 of them, to be precise…”

I watched this video, which I have now embedded below. The video – and the article on the Natural Vitality Kids website is so extraordinary, I felt completely under qualified to comment on this myself at all.

What is extraordinary about this to me personally, is the fact that Natural Vitality Kids is a website created by a man called Peter Gillham in the USA. Peter Gillham was best man at my parent’s wedding…The world works in mysterious ways!

I recommend you watch this video – even just some of it – and read the article at www.naturalvitalitykids.com It is truly mindblowing.

But in the words of a recent Australian TV ad campaign about terrorism, the key to all of this is to be alert, not alarmed!

We have to all become aware of this, and to take actions that we can take at home, and teach our kids important life lessons for their future and the future of our little green planet.
Watch the videos on Kristen’s website.

____________________________________

Kristen Morrison’s first career was in the fashion industry, where she founded and designed a label suitable for women during and after pregnancy. When Kristen’s third child was born, she and her husband were devastated to find that he had Down syndrome.

Faced with the traditional bleak prospects for her new baby’s diagnosis, Kristen embarked on intensive research into natural therapies and implemented many of them with her son. The results have been very significant in terms of health, development and even appearance. The successes they achieved inspired Kristen to write a book about her discoveries and experiences.

This book, Naturally Better, is now available in paperback & ebook, and together with a website, Kristen now helps parents all over the world to improve the lives of their children with brain-related special needs – not just Down syndrome.

Kristen, her husband Joseph and their three children live in Melbourne.

—

Article reproduced here on theCloverPages.com with the author’s permission.

Time to Sleep In

2011-11-17T14:33:00.008+11:00

Life becomes dramatically different when your youngest becomes a teenager. Teens are loud, not in the way they were when they were young, a new kind of loud. Mostly this comes in the form of loud music, and in my house big groups of boisterous boys. They yell, push, shove and generally abuse each other in any way they can. This takes getting used to but overall it’s not to hard to do.

Teens eat a lot of food, really, more than I could have ever imagined. This takes getting used to as well, but once you have adjusted your shopping and your budget it’s not too bad either.

The one that is taking me longer to adjust to is that teens don’t really want to sleep at night. Not only do they not want to be asleep, they want to be with each other. So they stay out late and need rides home at ridiculous hours. I’m not a night person and would rather be tucked in with a good book than picking up a pack of teens from an all ages show or late movie but I do it anyway. Why? Because your only young once and within reason everyone deserves to have fun.

One unexpected benefit of having teens is that they like to sleep in, and quite often they aren’t even around in the morning. Not being a night owl, means that I generally get up pretty early in the morning and like most people we get up early on week days. But I have to admit, I have been catching some extra winks in the morning due to our new routines.

I have been able to do this thanks to a clever little idea I had the other weekend. I call it the weekend curtain. In our bedroom we have a light colored curtain that lets in the morning sun, this is nice when you need to get up as you are awakened by the light. It is really annoying when you want to sleep in. Where I live, the sun comes up at 545 this time of year and it’s pretty bright in our room by 630. Perfect on a weekday, not so much on the weekend.

Enter the weekend curtain. Our is just a basic dark sarong that we hang up on Saturday and Sunday, if we don’t have any commitments. Yours could be something more fancy or expensive. I have seen some lovely combinations of lighter and heavier curtains and also curtain and blind combinations. But we don’t have the money for that right now and I’m sure some of you who are entering the world of teens don’t either, because teens are expensive. So don’t let the lack of money for the perfect look stop you, hang up what you have and you too will remember that blissful feeling, long forgotten, of lying in bed past sun up.

When you finally wake up, rested and refreshed, you may like to return to your bed, cup of tea in hand, and enjoy a book or newspaper. You can do this because most likely your teenagers are either still asleep or self-sufficient. Yes, they can get their own breakfast and even go to the store and get what is needed for breakfast and pick up the paper while they are there. Not every weekend morning is a luxurious lye-in but it sure is nice that it is happening much more often then it used to.

All rights reserved by Kelly Sauer (♥ a restless heart)

Kris Carr and the Fig+Sage Soapbox

2011-11-16T08:42:00.022+11:00

Stancie Wilson, Co-Founder and Managing Editor over at the lovely site, Fig+Sage got on the soapbox the other day. The title caught my eye straight away.

Soapbox :: Green Beauty Hypocrisy, Food, Health And Negativity

As I read on Stancie said the one thing that really hit home.

Advocating health by way of personal care products and then knocking back a handful of jelly beans (it's a weakness) whilst reading the ingredients for a natural lotion and upon discovering it contains artificial fragrance and color, gasp, raise eyebrows, deem it evil - is hypocrisy - plain and simple. Yes, I've done it so I'm including myself in this. Or we get so wrapped up in the perils of parabens (said to disrupt hormones) but don't hesitate to drink milk, cheese or ice cream even though dairy often has very high levels of (hormone-disrupting) antibiotics. I believe that has more of an impact on our health if we are eating it on a consistent basis. I do believe what goes on goes in, but I also believe that what actually gets absorbed through skin and what is absorbed into our bloodstream when we consume food is much different, though both important. It's all about the toxic burden on our bodies.

So true! Unless we eat dairy that is antibiotic free, which I'm sure some people do. But the real issue is why do we continue to look for the best in skin care and at the same time fill our bodies with food that we know isn't good for us or the planet? I think it is because searching for the right product for our skin fills our need to consume, it's shopping therapy. We know that choosing organic is the right thing to do and there are lots of lovely hair and skin care products out there that are good for us and the planet. But there's more to good skin than buying serums and organic lotions.

Why then is it so much harder to eat right than it is to buy the right products for our face? Well that is easy to answer. Eating the right foods takes a lifestyle adjustment and it means giving up some things we are really attached to. Changing our diet is not easy. But it is worth it. We don't need to do it all at once either, pick one thing you would like to do or change and start with that. Cut out refined sugar, start visiting your farmers market, go gluten free or start juicing. Once that is incorporated into your daily routine you might like to make another change.

One common argument is that eating healthy food is expensive. Yes I think it is, but so are countless things we do and buy every day, including the lovely skin care products we buy in order to improve our skin. As well as the things we do that cause our skin to need the products, drinking alcohol, eating take away and dining out. I'm not saying don't enjoy life, just think about where you spend your money. If you choose to make some changes, even small ones, you will find money in your budget for healthy foods.

Maybe you think your family won't eat the healthy food, well they will. It may take time but they will. Here at theClover we love food and healthy eating so you will find lots of ideas on how to feed your family healthy foods and tips on ways to help your children eat well. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask me. But if you're not up for the challenge right now make a change for yourself. Make a commitment to change one meal or one lifestyle change that you have been considering that you can do just for yourself.

What about those of us who have already made some changes but are stuck or have slipped back into some of our old habits? Not to worry, these things happen to everyone. Don't bother feeling guilty, I'm sure that this is not good for us at all. Just do the same thing as the people who are just starting to make a lifestyle change, pick one bad habit we would like to stop or something new and healthy we would like to try.

Stancie quotes Kris Carr healthy eating guru famous for her book Crazy Sexy Diet and fantastic website crazy sexy life .

"Good health starts in your mind. It’s a result of every conversation you have in this lifetime. And it has everything to do with your attitude. Where’s the tension? Where's the pain? Shine a light, give it a voice, be willing to check yourself before you wreck yourself. This doesn't mean we should stuff our feelings and run through the daisies.

However, if suffering is a choice, don’t choose it. And always remember, your cells know. They have ears. They listen. Think about it.

Join the rebellion. Take care of you."

-Kris Carr, Crazy Sexy Life Newsletter

I was inspired by Stancie's post on fig+sage and I think you be will too, you can read it here.

Kris Carr's site is crazy sexy life is great as well, visit her site and get lots of ideas on how to live a healthy life, and be sure to download Kris's crazy sexy manifesto and get inspired to make a change today.

Photo of Kris Carr courtesy of Bill Miles

Food Connect Sydney ~ Open Day

2011-11-07T16:26:00.001+11:00

Talk, eat, drink, laugh and learn with us at the Parsons Factory Feast Day!

When: 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, Saturday 12 November 
Where: 2-8 Parsons Street, Rozelle 
Admission: $5 for adults, kids free

Come meet over 35 food producers, advocates, urban planners, providores, scientists, chefs, journalists and politicians stir the pot on where food comes from and why it matters!

Engage with friends from Permaculture Sydney, Sydney City Farm, Sydney Food Fairness Alliance and Transition Sydney.

Participate in a dynamic programme of provocative discussions with Food Connect farmers on peri-urban farming, the plight of bees and food production, the hot topic of truth in labelling and the free range egg industry!

Bring the whole family- fun facepainting and crafts for kids.

Visit the website here.

Food Connect Sydney are also calling all photographers who will work for food!

The Food Connect Sydney open day will be an exciting foodie festival and they want to capture all the fun moments. Can you donate a few hours in exchange for delicious box of food provided by Food Connect and Feather and Bone?

Please spread the word!

& contact Food Connect Sydney for more info.

image courtesy of Food Connect Sydney

DIY Banana Ice-Cream

2011-09-22T10:03:00.001+10:00

• Peel your bananas first.
• Cut them into small pieces.
• Freeze for just 1-2 hours on a plate.
• Blend, blend, blend - scraping down the bowl when they stick.

thanks to theKitchn ♥

She Sells Seashells

2011-09-08T15:11:00.004+10:00

'Early morning out of Goulburn' by Glenda Jones.

The incredibly talented artist and friend of theClover, Glenda Jones is holding an exhibition of her latest work, Homage to Conchology at the South Hill Gallery in Goulburn from Saturday the 17th of September to 2nd of October 2011.

If you happen to be in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, do check it out.

Glenda Jones on Red Bubble