The Blog
Colorful Coconut Bliss Balls
I've become pretty excited about experimenting with natural, food-based dyes after the Easter eggs I made this year with my son, Jones. I'm so pleased with how these colorful coconut sprinkles turned out and I'm very surprised I haven't seen them around before. I think this fun and easy method should be much more popular. Since I made them, Jones has been sprinkling them on everything. Colorful coconut sprinkles on his morning smoothie, then on his apple slices with almond butter. At dinner he asked for the green sprinkles to put on top of his broccoli. "To match" he said. Of course I had to let him, just grateful that I have a toddler who willingly eats broccoli.
Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
At almost 3 years old, my son's patience and manual dexterity are improving by the day, so we've been getting into more crafting projects together lately. I thought this Easter would be a great time to try the naturally dyed eggs that I've been wanting to make for years now. He was involved in each step along the way and excitedly checked the progress as the eggs began changing color. Among other things, artificial food dye is strongly linked to hyperactive behavior in children. In Europe, food containing artificial coloring is required to have a label warning that it “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”. So even if you don't plan on eating your dyed Easter eggs, it's best to limit your children's exposure as much as possible.
5 Strategies For Feeding a Picky Toddler
The absolute best way to build healthy habits for your child is to begin as soon as they start solids. Offering a wide variety of textures and flavours right from the get-go helps to broaden their palate and encourages adventurous eating. When a baby or toddler is introduced to a new food and rejects it, it's important to continue reintroducing as it can take several attempts before a new food is accepted. If you have a picky child you may fall into the rut of serving similar and accepted foods time and time again, because they don't 'like' other foods. Although the less they're exposed to, the less likely they will be to explore different foods when given the chance.
Turmeric Chia Seed Pudding
I can't get enough of turmeric's earthy flavor these days. Many ancient cultures placed an emphasis on soft, warm foods during the postpartum period and believed that warming spices were essential for restoring strength in a new mother. This turmeric chia seed pudding is especially beneficial for new mothers with its warming spices to help ground & provide balance.
Breastfeeding Support For The New Mother
Many women focus on assembling a support team during birth, but new mothers need early postpartum support as well. Have friends and family help with household chores, make you food, or take older siblings while you rest, heal and establish breastfeeding with your baby. Being skin-to-skin with your little one will increase your levels of prolactin, a hormone responsible for helping initiate and maintain breast milk production.
Coffee Alternatives For The Sleep Deprived Mother
I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker, but after having a baby I welcomed the occasional pick-me-up after a sleepless night. A morning cup of coffee soon became a daily ritual and I knew deep down that it wasn’t serving me. Instead of making me an energized supermom, coffee was leaving me anxious, jittery, and much less patient.
Turmeric Spice Fudge For Postpartum
Each ingredient in this earthy and aromatic fudge has been included for its impressive ability to support and nourish the early postpartum period. It’s wise to do as much as you can in advance to prepare for your recovery after birth, and this fudge would be fantastic to make during your final weeks of pregnancy because it’s stored in the freezer.
New Mama Essentials For Postpartum Healing
The last few months of pregnancy are usually spent feverishly running around making sure you have everything you need for your new baby to arrive, but don’t forget about yourself! Being prepared for your recovery after birth can help you heal faster, which will provide you with more strength and energy to care for your new bundle. With my ‘fourth trimester’ nearing an end, these are a few of the things that I’ve found essential for assisting my recovery during this postpartum period.
Foods To Focus On In Each Trimester
Featured on Ergobaby. Pregnancy is such an exciting time, but it can also be a time full of uncertainty. Proper prenatal nutrition is essential for both you and your baby, but figuring out what to eat can be very confusing. There are so many decisions to make when you’re pregnant, but while you’re picking out baby names and decorating the nursery, it's important to make nutrition a priority as well.
The Birth Story Of Stevie Holland
It was August 19th, 2016, 2 days from the estimated due date of our baby. We were just leaving the house to meet friends at the beach when the first sensation hit me. It shocked me with its intensity and I told my husband, Jeremy, that I thought it felt like a real contraction and not primordial labor. He asked if I still wanted to go out and meet our friends. Our shoes were on and bags were packed, so I suggested we continue on with our plans and see what happens. It took us about an hour to pick up takeout for dinner and get to the beach.
5 Minute Fruity Ice Cream - 2 Delicious Ways
Featured on Ergobaby. These two recipes are packed with fruity goodness and are so simple to whip together… just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes to make! They’re both dairy-free, antioxidant-rich, and you don’t need an ice cream maker to create them.
My Third Trimester: Baby #2
The third trimester was undeniably my favorite with my first pregnancy, and it's proven to be very true with this pregnancy as well. I feel so much gratitude for my body... for making me my babies, for making me a mother. Even though this pregnancy has brought more challenges than my first, I’m sad to see it come to an end. Although I’m also getting pretty desperate to meet this little creature!
Cranberry Kombucha Gummies
These gummies are made with one of my favorite foods for pregnancy: gelatin. Gelatin is most famously found in Jello, and while the sugar and artificial food coloring don't make Jello the best choice, when gelatin is derived from a high quality source it actually offers many health benefits. Gelatin is also beneficial for your growing babe, both in utero and once they start solids, because it helps to make up cartilage and bone. Two more of my favorite benefits for pregnancy are a reduction in joint & pelvic pain, and a reduction in stretch marks.
Refreshing Watermelon Slushy
On one particularly hot day recently, my husband said he was craving a Slurpee. He doesn't have a sweet tooth, so it was pretty uncharacteristic of him. I knew I could create something much tastier... and much healthier. This slushy is energizing and refreshing and the coconut water included contains electrolytes to help you keep hydrated in the summer heat. It also makes a fantastic virgin margarita for expecting mamas!
Oh Baby Birth Plan
The memories and emotions a woman associates with her birth experience can profoundly affect her for the rest of her life. I’ve decided to share the details of my ‘unofficial birth plan' (or more appropriately, my intentions). I’m certainly not promoting these as my ideals of a “better way to birth”, and these are not the birth practices that I think every woman should choose for herself. These are just the personal choices I feel are right for my body, my baby and my family. I advocate for informed choice in hopes of empowering women and helping them better understand their own rights in birth.
Raspberry Chia Seed Jam
VIDEO
If your looking for my son, he's taken a permanent position by the raspberry bush in our backyard. He was so genuinely disappointed last year when the season was over. It was around the time of his first birthday, and he wasn't old enough to pick them himself yet, so when the bush stopped producing, he acted as if I was no longer "allowing him" to have anymore.
My Second Trimester: Baby #2
I had a hard time starting this second trimester review. I feel like I remember being newly pregnant… and then all of the sudden I was in the third trimester. What happened to the middle?! Unfortunately, I was still plagued with nausea and vomiting that I experienced in the first trimester. For “most people” this subsides in the second trimester, and I kept expecting it to…. waiting for it to... so badly wanting it to, needing it to.
Grain-Free Chocolate Cupcakes (Made With Baked Yams!)
'Healthy party food for kids' recipe featured on the tot.
Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas
'Healthy party food for kids' recipe featured on the tot.
When Breastfeeding Isn’t An Option
Breastfeeding, in all its natural glory, isn't always something that happens easily. The choice to breastfeed is a dedication that some mothers have to work very hard for, and others are not able to breastfeed at all due to a medical condition, either with themselves or their baby. When mothers are seeking alternatives to breastfeeding, they are often quite overwhelmed.