This month’s “eating a rainbow” song inspiration comes from my good friend, Ginny Driscoll (http://notablemusique.com), who is also board-certified music therapist (Thanks, Ginny, for sharing your
song!).

What I like about “Crunch my Carrots < click the name to listen ” :

1. It is repetitive (Great for reinforcing key words and providing multiple opportunities for a child with articulation difficulties to practice certain phonemes!)

2. There are multiple verses about munching on healthy foods!

3. This is one catchy song (Warning: this one willstay in your head for hours!) 

4. It makes talking about eating veggies and fruits FUN!  (The bouncy, up-tempo beat will get your toes a tappin’!)

Check out my recorded version of the song, the free sheet music .pdf and lyrics sheet ( http://www.scribd.com/doc/77504220/Crunch-My-Carrots )…enjoy!

** For an added challenge: Develop a few new verses with your child or client!

Rachel See Smith, MA, MT-BC

Author Bio: Rachel See Smith is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) with a Master’s in Music Therapy and a B.A. in Communication Disorders.  She is currently employed as an
independent music therapy contractor and is the owner of Music Therapy Services of Austin (http://musictherapyservices.net/).  She also maintains the music therapy blog, Explore Music Therapy (http://exploremusictherapy.wordpress.com/).

Our winner is….. Joelle!  Congratulations…we think you’re going to really enjoy your Cookin’ Greens!!!

For our American friends that didn’t qualify for this giveaway we have a winner for our Today I Ate A Rainbow kit! The winner is…Teresa!!

For those of you that didn’t win, Cookin’ Greens $1 coupons are available to everyone here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151097432395352&set=a.462292530351.379387.254774005351&type=1&theater

Happy Healthy Eating
Kia

Now this is the kind of fast food I can get behind! Especially on those hectic days when you need to prepare a healthy meal in a hurry!

The Cookin’ Greens line includes:

• Chopped Spinach
• Chopped Rapini
• Chopped Kale
• and mixed blends such as “Designer’s Mix” and “Athlete’s Mix”

We used their Chopped Spinach in a vegetarian enchilada recipe.  It was easy to use and the spinach had a lot of flavour which made the enchiladas taste even better!   I just bought their Chopped Kale and am looking forward to trying it in our morning smoothies. In addition to tasting great, Cookin’ Greens has a lot of great recipes on their website along with a convenient store locator so you know where to pick some up!

Get the latest news on Cookin’ Greens freebies, contests and recipes – Sign up for their newsletter https://www.facebook.com/CookinGreens?sk=app_7146470109

You can also follow them of Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CookinGreens and on Twitter https://twitter.com/CookinGreens oh and be sure to check out all their videos too!

A big part of healthy eating is planning, sometimes that planning includes being prepared for those days when you don’t have a lot of time to cook, that it’s nice to have a product like  Cookin’ Greens ready and waiting in the freezer!

Cookin’ Greens has been kind enough to offer you the chance to win a weeks supply of their veggies…that’s 5 BAGS of veggies **Open to Canadian Residents only…sorry to our Rainbow friends in the USA…if you live in the USA and want to leave a comment I’ll enter you in for a separate draw for a Today I Ate A Rainbow kit  Just leave a comment below letting us know which Cookin’ Green veggie you’re most intersted in trying!  Check back on January 16th when we’ll announce the names of the lucky winners!  We’ll pass your info on to Cookin’ Greens and they’ll send you vouchers for your free veggies!

Good Luck and Happy Healthy Eating!
Kia

*I was provided with a free bag of Cookin’ Greens but was not compensated in any other way for writing this post. The opinions expressed are 100% mine!

Here are some celebration ideas we’d like to share with you:

1. picnic at a park
2. family bike ride
3. going for a hike
4. making a favorite meal
5. mini golf, swimming, bowling
6. family board game night
7. watching a movie together
8. going out for a meal at a favorite restaurant
9. hide and seek
10. playing tag
11. pillow fight
12. doing a fun craft together
13. visiting a zoo or other fun attraction
14. building a fort out of blankets and pillows
15. going for a walk
16. picnic in your living room
17. making a scanvenger hunt using fruits and veggies
18. going for a drive
19. going to see a movie
20. just making time to be together as a family – studies show that kids really want to spend time with their parents so give them some undivided attention as a gift

If you want to set a bigger goal you could set a reward up using things that your kids really want such as more computer time, or maybe a new toy!

Celebrating your child’s healthy eating is a good way to encourage spending quality time together as a family. If you can incorporate physical activities into your celebration then their bodies are also going to benefit from the healthy exercise which helps to instill yet another important part of healthy living!

Happy Healthy Eating!
Kia

The Six O’Clock Scramble:  I have the cookbook and I love it!  Lots of great recipes that make cooking fun, easy and delicious!  They also have a fantastic meal planning service that you can sign up for that will make your life so easy!  You’ll get your menu plan and the grocery list to go along with it!
You’ve most likely heard of Lunchables…well MOMables is a healthy alternative to school lunches!  This subscription based site has fantastic weekly lunch menus, shopping lists and great pictures that will help you make school lunches healthy and really fun!
Bobs & Lolo’s music is fun and enjoyable for kids of all ages!  My daughter Hannah and I are HUGE fans of theirs…we have all of their CD’s including their newest one called Connecting The Dots!  Their CD called Action Packed is filled with songs that promote healthy living…such as eating snappy snacks   Their music is so refreshing because unlike a lot of other children’s entertainers these two have come up with music that parents don’t mind listening to over and over and over again!  I love their music so much that I listen to it when Hannah isn’t even around!  I think Bobs & Lolo have the created the best children’s music out there…their CD’s would make a fantastic gift for all the little ones in your life!
I think that play is a very important part of learning for little ones which is why I think it’s a great idea to create a fun fruit and veggie culture for our kids.  Since they learn from play why not get them playing with fruits and veggies!  Comiditas makes adorable food toys made from colourful fabrics, our favorites are their fruit and veggies sets!  So cute and such a great way to show your kids that fruits and veggies can be fun!
We LOVE our Lifefactory glass water bottles!  I’m not usually a fan of mixing kids and glass however this brilliant company has a fabulous silicon cover that goes over the bottles that help prevent breakage and provides a comfortable non-slip gripping surface.  There bottles come in rainbow of different colours and they have kids size ones that are just perfect!  These would make a great gift for the eco savvy person on your list!
 Celebrate Green is a wonderful book that is full of eco friendly ideas on how to celebrate our traditional holidays in a Green Way!  Every season I pull out this book for ways to make our celebrations more earth friendly.  Whether it’s Halloween, Christmas or Valentines Day this mother and daughter duo have lots of great ideas to share.  It’s so nice to create new traditions or tweak current ones…our kids are watching and learning from us so it’s important that we do our best to celebrate all the holidays in ways that are kind to the earth that they will inherit!

There are SO many other amazing products and companies that I could just go on and on about…but for now I will leave my list with the ones above…perhaps I’ll keep blogging about my favorite things, people, companies, charities in the New Year

Happy Healthy Holidays

Kia

From December 5th – 11th we are excited to donate 10% of our proceeds…our group donation will be matched so the money we raise will be doubled!!!!  As a gift to you we have a very special Holiday price for our Today I Ate A Rainbow kits…they are only $17!!!!!! 

Please head over to Suzanne’s blog MommyFootprint to read more about the campaign…you can also read the letter that a teacher wrote that inspired the Adopt-a-School program.

Between December 5-11th if you shop at any of these fabulous online stores –  to help schools, which means you are helping families and that’s something we can all get behind!  Feel good shopping with a small business that is giving back this holiday season!

Apricot Culotte:  an e-boutique specialized in previously loved baby clothes that we bring in from France. We also carry end of season brand new designer baby clothes including some very nice French organic brands.

Bamboobino: an adorable line of children’s clothes and accessories made from soft, eco-friendly bamboo.

Bumblebee Toys: offers a unique collection of natural toys, crafts and playthings to inspire the imagination and nourish the senses.

dandelion KIDS: modern kids shop that stocks hip baby clothes, stylish duds for boys and girls plus cool, unique gifts for the next baby shower or kids birthday party.

Fill Your Own: offers an array of carbon-neutral, non-toxic and reusable products ideal for both kids and adults.

Giving Gifts: carries gifts that give – fair trade, eco friendly and fun gifts for babies, kids, adults and pets.

Green Planet Parties: where it’s possible to shop for eco-friendly party supplies in one place! Supporting locally manufactured decorations & goodies!

Kippo Kids: proud to offer you a quality mix of products that include a good selection of eco-friendly, handmade, organic, and Made in Canada items.

Maxwell Designs: leading Canadian designer of beautiful purses, the best diaper bags in Canada, and many accessories.

My Little Green Shop: is a hip e-boutique that provides a wide range of safe, non-toxic products for babies, children and mamas. We are careful that the products we carry meet our standards of what’s safe and eco-friendly.

Onyx Containers: food storage containers that are of the highest quality, manufactured in responsible conditions and available at affordable prices.

Puddlegear: toddler and baby raingear- children can play outside feeling warm, unrestricted and dry in their PVC and Phthalate free rainwear – certified by oko – tex.

Today I Ate A Rainbow: we create tools that making healthy eating fun for kids!

Let’s spread some Magic this Holiday Season!!!!!
Kia

Hello, again, Rainbow Readers!

This month’s song is just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday!

Sung to the tune of “Frere Jacque”

Parent: I eat turkey – Child: I eat turkey

Oh so good – oh so good

Always on thanksgiving – Always on Thanksgiving

Yum, yum, yum– Yum, yum, yum

Additional verses:
Cranberries, yams, spaghetti squash, corn, etc.
(Make sure you include foods from all colors of the rainbow)!

And guess what? There are musical vegetable and fruit shakers* you can buy for you and your kids to play while singing the song! Adding these fun instruments to your music time can create an opportunity to transfer the excitement from the instrument to the dinner table!

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  Be mindful of what you eat and how it plays into the harmony — musical pun intended — of your life and well-being!

Rachel See Smith, MA, MT-BC

Author Bio: Rachel See Smith is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) with a Master’s in Music Therapy and a B.A. in Communication Disorders.  She is currently employed as an
independent music therapy contractor and is the owner of Music Therapy Services of Austin (http://musictherapyservices.net/).  She also maintains the music therapy blog, Explore Music Therapy (http://exploremusictherapy.wordpress.com/).

* http://www.musiciansfriend.com/classroom-kids/nino-4-piece-botany-shaker-vegetable-assortment/443791000000000

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/classroom-kids/nino-4-piece-botany-shaker-fruit-assortment

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/classroom-kids/nino-36-piece-fruit-and-vegetable-shakers-in-basket

The Psychology of Stuff

Stuff. It consumes valuable space in our homes, messes with our credit ratings and clutters our thinking. The act of buying, storing and ultimately disposing of our possessions strains environmental resources on so many levels.

There are multiple TV shows dedicated to the ‘stuff’ we all find so important. There are those dedicated to the hunting for it, the removal of it, the storing and the selling of it. Even more alarming are the shows teaching us all how to acquire more cheap junk for even less.

Just because something is ‘cheap’ doesn’t make it a bargain. The mass production of cheap products puts huge strain on our planet – from the energy used in the production to the pollution in the shipping and transport all the way to the grand finale in a landfill. So, do we stop buying all together? No. But it is imperative to buy quality products with their end use in mind. Quality products may cost more initially, but they tend to break less and wear out gracefully so they can be passed on or reused when we’re finished with them. There is already more material goods than what we need on the planet right now – it just takes a little rearranging to realize it.

As a society there is so much value placed on things and the more things the better. So much so that we actually build massive storage facilities to hold all of our excess things that we apparently need but can’t fit into our lives.

Grant and I run a business where we see the effect of consumerism in people’s lives every single day. There are many different reasons why people call us but there is often embarrassment and shame and most want to explain why they have what they do. Sometimes the ‘junk’ is still in original packaging, price tags still attached. We are often called to clear out entire estates when a family member has passed away. Usually the family has taken a small box or two of sentimental items and then are completely overwhelmed with what to do with the rest. Sadly, our ‘collections’ live on even after we die and become either a burden to dispose of or a cause for feuds between those left behind.

I have my Dad to thank for my lack of attachment to material possessions and it’s all because of an off-hand remark he made while driving me to school when I was a teenager. I was undoubtedly scowling while complaining about the lack of coolness in our plain and practical used Honda Accord. He said, “I’ve never understood why there is so much importance put on the type of car you drive. It’s all just tin and we’re all going to the same place.” Those words stuck with me and wove themselves into who I am.

Grant’s Grandpa Bill was known to be one of the first recyclers – done long before it was cool to do so. The Belbins and Wearmouths have endless hilarious stories about his resourcefulness and ingenuity when it came to reusing materials. It’s no wonder Grant is the man he is today.

Four years ago I would have never guessed we’d be in this business although looking back now it’s impossible to not see it coming.

This challenge has put a fast-forward on plans we’ve had rattling around for awhile. We are now working with the School District and the Regional District to take elementary kids out to the landfill. This is not your everyday field trip to the zoo or the skating rink but we believe it is essential for children to see and really grasp the magnitude of waste we produce. We believe they need to grow up knowing their garbage doesn’t magically disappear from their curb. It ends up somewhere and it’s shocking.

We are thankful Drew’s teacher, Laura Harrison, responded so enthusiastically to our proposal that we have now expanded our focus to turn this into a district-wide program. Harrison’s class will be the first to go to the landfill at the conclusion of their “Needs vs. Wants” segment this winter.

Kids know what they want. They have enthusiastic opinions and ideas free of skepticism. The only trouble is as adults we often forget this and forget to ask.

7 weeks ago Drew handed us his list of ideas to conserve energy in our home. Number four on this list was a very simple statement: 1 Hour No Power. From there he made a calendar to hang on the fridge to keep track of our activities during our planned power outages. His intent was to help us save electricity – none of us knew at the time how powerful his one idea would turn out to be.

Initially Grant and I worried about how we’d manage to keep it consistent. There is not one night in the week free from either dance classes, soccer or hockey practices, volleyball, homework for the kids and paperwork for us. There are always dinner dishes to do, bath times, lunches to make. It was when we started to worry about how we’d fit it all in that we realized how badly we needed this hour. We craved the family connection and the excuse to shut out the rest of the world.

For the past 7 weeks every night after dinner the entire family walks around the house, unplugs everything and turns off all lights. There can be no washing machine whirling in the background or dishwasher running in the kitchen. There is no radio, no cell phones, no computers. The only light we have is candlelight, firelight or more recently, the kid’s headlamps they picked up from the Urban Challenge.

We have played cards and boardgames, dined by candlelight, made s’mores and told ghost stories. We’ve listened to Grant and Drew play guitar andwatched Mara dance. Kai often picks a new book to read to us and I’m currently finishing off the hour by reading everyone a chapter from the Wizard of Oz.

So far this has been the easiest and most rewarding change we’ve made in the course of the challenge. Only one week in we stopped filling in the calendar on the fridge because it has morphed into something very special and less structured than we anticipated. The only rule we have is that we are together and there can be no outside distractions for at least one hour. There have been loud and heated games of ‘Trouble’ and quiet ones when Kai and Mara colour masterpieces or write letters. Some nights we help Drew and Kai with homework and others we linger at the dinner table just talking. My favourite moment so far? When Grant brought out his guitar and sang the same song he sang for me 11 years ago the moment I first fell in love with him.

More important than the energy we’re saving are the memories created and the lesson that we don’t need technology to be entertained. No TV show can provide the kind of feeling we got while watching Drew help Kai whenshe was struggling with new spelling words or watching Mara with marshmallow all over her face perform shadow puppets on the wall. The kids are loving our undivided attention and a feeling of safety in our own little world. It’s cozy and romantic and each moment uniquely ours. Sound sappy? Maybe. But it’s difficult not to become emotional about it – Drew’s request to simplify our lives has changed our family.

Please vote for the Belbin Family in The Energy Diet Challenge!  You can vote 3 ways every day!!!  They have pledged to donate money to help grow their local community garden if they win so a vote for them is a vote for more kids Eating Rainbows!!!!!!!

Happy Healthy Eating,
Kia

I’m very excited to introduce you to one family that knows they make a difference!  They are taking part in the Energy Diet Challenge and we will be sharing their journey here on our site as a way to hopefully inspire you and your family to find ways to save energy!  Enjoy their first guest blog post…

If you had asked us four years ago where we thought we’d be today, we couldn’t have dreamed an answer as interesting as the truth.

At the time, we were living in the Okanagan —meeting at the dinner table to swap stories of out-of-touch bosses, diaper explosions, looming deadlines and our combined exhaustion. We were itching for change.

Today, the exhaustion remains, but otherwise life couldn’t be more different. Diapers are a distant memory, we now live and love on Vancouver Island, we are in business together and our family life has a new purpose. We could never have known a chance opportunity to dive into entrepreneurship would wind up changing the way we view our world.

Owning a junk removal company means seeing, on a daily basis, the affect excess ‘stuff’ has on people’s lives. It weighs heavy on resources and clutters so much more than just basements and garages. It’s in our face how much the practice of buying, organizing and storing our ‘stuff’ consumes precious time and energy.

Our kids have adapted beautifully to our new way of living with less. They compost, reuse and recycle like old pros and we are extremely proud of this. We feel reducing waste is simple now because of what we see and what we’ve learned over the last three years. This way of life is our new normal.

But how far can we bend? We’ll never know unless we are constantly challenging ourselves, and others, to rethink how we all view our resources. As a family, we committed these next three months and beyond to challenging our habits and our sense of what is available to us versus what is deserved.

What is realistic and sustainable for a family of five? Will cutting back mean feeling deprived or will we look back at ourselves three months from now and find ourselves happier and lighter than ever? We don’t know and that’s what excites us so much.

We hope you’ll follow along with us as we explore what’s possible. There will be new experiences and discoveries. There will probably be a few tantrums, stumbles and full out face-plants too. So, feel free to laugh at us along the way — we just hope you’ll learn along with us too.

Please vote for the Belbin Family in The Energy Diet Challenge!  You can vote 3 ways every day!!!  They have pledged to donate money to help grow their local community garden if they win so a vote for them is a vote for more kids Eating Rainbows!!!!!!!

Happy Healthy Eating,
Kia