Easy Ways to Give Back With Your Kids [February]

One of my parenting goals for this year is to do more volunteering activities with my 3 year old son. While we have done some activities to give back to the community, I usually need motivation to get execute the activities. Giving Families is a great organization that provides Good Mail Challenges, which are monthly activities that parents and children can do to give back to the community together.

The Good Mail Challenges are sent out on a monthly basis in the form of a newsletter. Each month, there is an activity to give back to the community. Alternative activities are also available in case the main activity cannot be completed for any reason. I really like the alternative options because they do not make me feel like I have to complete the one activity to give back to the community. I have several activities to choose from that fit my family and schedule.

Let's talk about the challenges! The February challenge was to visit a nursing home during "Social Hour." Visiting elderly neighbors allows us to make new friends and bring brightness to their days. Since my son is under 3 and it was the sick season, we decided to look at one of the alternative activities. remember not to take sick kids to nursing homes!

For our February challenge, we chose to bring a meal to a neighbor who was recovering from a medical emergency. We baked banana muffins and prepped a chicken pasta casserole. Then, my son and I took the meal and snacks over to their house. Instead of taking the stroller as we usually do for walks, we both walked on foot because the neighbor lived close. The neighbor was very grateful for the delicious food we brought. On the way back home, we talked about helping friends in need. It was a great activity to do together with my son!

One of the things that I like about the Good Mail Challenges from Giving Families is that I have great suggestions for ways that our family can give back to the community together. I can choose an activity that is appropriate for my son's age and fits without our schedule.

Become a member to receive monthly Good Mail Challenge newsletter (via snail mail). You can even have them sent in your child's name so they can get excited about receiving mail!

Or sign up for a free email newsletter with tips and tricks on raising compassionate and giving kids.

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6 Ways to Naturally Relieve Stress

This week, I noticed some of my telltale signs of stress - shallow breathing, holding my breath, feeling anxious. Maybe it was that my 14 month old son has started waking up in the middle of the night on a regular basis again (at least once per night, plus waking up earlier in the morning). Maybe it was all of the discussions my husband and I have had over the past 1.5 weeks with relation to family items. Maybe it was the extra strong coffee I made.

I was running around feeling productive because I was getting so much done around the house, yet I could not stop feeling anxious when I sat down for 5 minutes. After a few minutes of reflection on how I arrived at this point, I focused on how to relieve stress at home. Here are the 6 ways to naturally relieve stress that I use on a regular basis.

Running

A good cardio workout helps to get the blood moving through the body, oxygenates the blood and the brain, and gives a rush of energy. Running helps me to reflect, process and clear my mind. Running on a regular basis helps me to stay calmer and be more patient with my toddler.

Going Outside

Breathing fresh air is always good for our bodies! A walk around the walk for 5 minutes has helped me many times to calm down, relax and regroup. There is something about nature that is calming. Going outside can be a walk around the yard, the neighborhood, or running an errand.

Cleaning and Organizing

Organizing clutter, like piles of clothes, toys and other random things lying around, by putting it away in its rightful place is therapeutic. Cleaning out weeds in the garden or the yard helps to focus my mind on one task instead of my mind running in many different directions. Scrubbing dirt helps to get some of the aggression out.

Talking

Keeping emotions bottled up can increase the stress level. A quick call or text message to my husband or a friend to let them know of an aggravating situation eases the tension. No details need to be given, just the point of acknowledging the stressful situation helps my mind to refocus on moving forward.

Prioritizing

Being a full time stay at home mom is a 24x7 (plus more) job. Keeping the toddler changed, fed and happy while keeping the house clean and in order is a monumental task on most days. I constantly have to tell myself that the game has changed and I need to change my expectations by prioritizing. Focusing on one room per day or spending 5-10 minutes cleaning up clutter is more realistic.

Taking a Bath

Taking a bath with calming essential oils like lavender is a great way to unwind the mind and the body. After the running, the cleaning and organizing and carrying around a 24 lb toddler, my body aches. A hot bath is the perfect solution for my achy body. The quiet time helps me to reflect and the hot water relaxes my tired muscles. I am always ready for sleep afterwards.

These are some of the techniques that I use to help myself relieve stress naturally. Though an adults-only all-inclusive beach vacation or a regular massage at a spa sound heavenly, they are not always possible or feasible. Techniques that can be used on a daily basis to keep myself calm and sane work better in the long run. I can assess how stressed I am and if I need to do anything about it. Remembering to focus on myself for a few minutes every day is a great reality check.

>> What are some of the ways that you relieve stress on a daily basis??
  

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Keeping the Trash in the Trashcan [#CTWW]

This week's challenge:

This week, pick up litter and dispose of it properly. As you go through your day, pay attention to the area and clean as you go. You might see trash as you walk between your car and your office. Perhaps you'll see plastic bags, etc. in the parking lot of a market. If you enjoy nature walks, browse the side of the trail. Get your kids involved and take litter walks or organize a neighborhood cleanup of a local park. The idea, this week, is to rid the area of litter!

An overfilled recycling box is open to the elements, like wind, that can blow paper and small containers out and down the street. Therefore, I would assume that moving from recycling boxes to recycling bins with lids with reduce the amount of trash that litters the yards on our street. Nope! On every run and every walk, I spot at least one piece of trash in several of the neighboring yards. I assume (hopefully correctly this time) that the trash escapes in between the worker picking up the recycling bin and the contents being emptied into the garbage truck. I also suspect that trash, usually empty cans, gets thrown out of cars that drive down the street. We live in a nice, mature neighborhood, so trash in the yards is not something I expect to see. Therefore, I have formulated a simple plan.

With the warmer weather, I will be getting outside more with the baby. We will bring a bag with us and collect any trash and litter we see in our neighbors' yards. We will then appropriately dispose of it by recycling, trashing, or composting (I have found a whole orange in our front yard before!). Change the World Wednesday challenges us to be the small change that collectively results in bigger changes. The baby and I will the small change to clean up our street. As he becomes older and starts to communicate more, I will ask him to help me find stray trash in our neighbors' yards. This will be a great way to make a positive impact and educate about taking care of the environment and the Earth.

>> How do you keep the trash in the trashcan??
  

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Holiday Random Acts of Kindness

Imagine being the parent of a 10 month old baby who is told he would not live past the age of 1 because of spinal muscular atrophy type I. The baby grows up to become a teenager, 14 years old, but is left with no movements in his body. Lucas Hoelscher is this teenager, part of triplet sons, can only communicate through eye movements and sounds. Because his day is so routine, he enjoys being read to, which helps in dealing with a difficult disease.

Lucas's wish for the holiday is mail! From anyone, near and far. From you!

Lucas Hoelscher
3092 Wyandot Drive
Springfield, Ohio 45502

What a perfect way to perform random acts of kindness during the holiday season. Send a card, a letter, or some of your child's artwork!

You can also join Lucas's Facebook group, Letters for Lucas, if you prefer to communicate digitally.

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A Vegetarian Thanksgiving 2013

I have upheld my tradition of a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal! You can read about my first vegetarian Thanksgiving and the vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes I made last year. This year's vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes included an Easy Cranberry Sauce, a smooth and fluffy Carrot Souffle (inspired by The Fresh Market), and Pumpkin Spice Scones (recipe to come).

My vegetarian Thanksgiving plate: roll, broccoli casserole, stuffing, Easy Cranberry Sauce, green beans, and Carrot Souffle.

The smooth and fluffy Carrot Souffle (before it settled)

Pumpkin Spice Scones

 >> What was your favorite dish at Thanksgiving??

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Random Acts of Green Kindness [#CTWW]

This week's challenge:

This week, perform a random act of green. Similar to a random act of kindness, the idea is to help the planet by looking for Eco-friendly opportunities which may present themselves as you go through your day. This could be picking up trash while you walk or helping an elderly neighbor bring their recycling bin to the curb for pickup. Maybe you turn off a light which was left on, offer to carpool to save gas, or share local produce with a friend. Perhaps buy a reusable bag or bottle for someone or invite a neighbor to share a vegan meal. The possibilities are endless! 

"Leave the world a better (greener) place than you found it" is my mantra. 

As I was taking a walk with the baby this week, I realized that my random act of green kindness is picking up trash in other people's yard. I do not know if drunk people drive down the street at night and throw empty cans on the road or if the trash people are careless, but I always find an empty soda or beer can in our yard or our neighbor's yards. Or, the latest advertising, in the form of paper coupons in a plastic cup in a plastic bag, from Domino's Pizza. Or, paper advertisement with small pebbles in a plastic sandwich bag. Is this the new way to advertise? Throw it into people's yards? So, I usually carry a plastic bag with me (necessity when you have a baby) and use it to collect any trash I see on our walks. 

On a similar note, during the last visit to my parents' house, I went for a run while they watched the baby. As I was completing the run, I saw a young boy, around 12 years old, walking in the grassy median with a trash bag. I watched him for a little bit to figure out what he was doing. To my surprise, he was collecting trash! Wow! What an inspiration! 

>> What random acts of green kindness can you do??
  

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My Caring Cross Offers Comfort [Review]

My husband and I would like religion and spirituality to be a part of our son's life. Since I spend most of my time at home, I am always looking for new ways to teach the baby about religion. We read books and we pray. At his current age, the baby grabs everything. He is ready to discover the world. My Caring Cross offers a way for him to discover the religious word through a tangible object made from real olive wood from Bethlehem.

My Caring Cross        ($7.98)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Made from real olive wood	Lacquer finish that tends to come off with handling
Fair trade
Perfect size for any age

Caring Crosses are individually carved from one piece of olive wood pruned from olive trees around Bethlehem. The carvers receive fair price for their work, which allows them to support their family and the Christian community. Caring Crosses were originally carved for pilgrims, and now tourists, and are an ideal gift for anyone already on a spiritual path or wanting to start down the spiritual path.

Caring Crosses are an affordable present for anyone on your list. The more you purchase, the more you save and the more you help the Christian community in Bethlehem. Caring Crosses would make a perfect stocking stuffer for children to help comfort them in time of need and aid in prayer. You can purchase Caring Crosses on Amazon, Ebay, or mycaringcross.com.

I'm focusing this review post on babies and children because I feel that it is important to offer children opportunities to learn about religion and spirituality. The size of the Caring Cross is perfect for adults, children, and even babies. The wooden cross fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. The cross is small enough to fit into my baby's hand and any toddler's hand. The baby liked holding the cross and passing it from hand to hand. The size is also small enough to fit into a purse or a diaper bag to always have with you. Since My Caring Cross is made from wood, I am comfortable with the baby holding it and putting it in his mouth (he puts everything in his mouth).

In a world of plastic, it is refreshing and comforting to find high quality products made from real wood. The wood is polished smooth and has a sort of lacquer finish on it. The lacquered seemed to come off after a couple of weeks of me and my baby handling it. If you have a tendency to rub what you are holding, I can see the lacquer finish coming off after a while. This did not stop me from using the cross, nor did it hinder my ability to use it. The lacquer is mostly a cosmetic detail.

If you are searching for a way to teach your children about religion, for personal comfort, or for aid in meditation, My Caring Cross offers an eco-friendly, natural, and comfortable way to do so in the palm of your hand.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Nordic Naturals Partners To Improve Literacy

Did you know that if you read to babies, they will grow up liking to read themselves? Having books on your coffee table provides accessibility to reading for your children. Reading is one of the most powerful gifts you can give you to not only your children, but anyone else, even adults. The ability to read has been shown to increase life expectancy (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind/). Reading improves literacy and provides the building blocks to help children experience a better world. Nordic Naturals is helping do this through their Back to School Essentials product promotion.

The Back to School Essentials product promotion supports the U.S. Literacy Program for the non-profit Save the Children. From July 1 through September 30, for every bottle of Baby’s DHA, Children’s DHA™, Omega-3.6.9. Junior™, Ultimate Omega Junior®, and Nordic Berries™ sold at RETAIL stores, $1 will be donated to the Save the Children organization.

As Keri Marshall, Chief Medical Officer at Nordic Naturals, states below, the partnership between Nordic Naturals and Save the Children will pay dividends in the future.

“Supporting learning in children has always been a passion for us at Nordic Naturals,” notes Keri Marshall, Chief Medical Officer for the company. “Omega-3s have proven themselves as important building blocks not only for overall health in children but in supporting a child’s ability to learn. We are proud to be associated with Save the Children and to support their meaningful work to improve childhood literacy in this country.”

Although I personally have not been around communities affected by illiteracy, I know that reading and writing are very important basic life skills. Every baby, child, and adult should have access to learn these skills. If we do not know how to read and write, then we limit ourselves in our potential for education and personal empowerment.

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Celebrate Earth Month with Whole Foods #WFMearthling

Today is Earth Day! Every year, on April 22, more than one billion people around the world take part in protecting the planet. Individuals like you and I, communities like schools, and companies like Whole Foods Market take part in doing something good for the planet. This year, Whole Foods Market is taking Earth Day to the next level by offering educational and inspirational materials online at Earthling Month and in store throughout the month of April.

My favorite part about EarthlingMonth.com is that I can share my earthling moment with other earthlings out there. Today's earthling moment was taking the baby out for a walk in the stroller. No gym or power required!

How have you celebrated Earth Month? What is your earthling moment?

Add your earthling moment by tweeting with the hashtag #WFMearthling for a chance to win a $150 gift card to Whole Foods Market.
 
  

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Looking For a New CSA Farm

Since our last CSA Farm no longer offers the CSA option, I am on the hunt for a new CSA Farm for 2013 and beyond. Local Harvest is a great resource for farms and CSAs. I love that I can search for a CSA by zip code. I started with Local Harvest and came up with a list of 5 potential CSA farms.

As I was looking at the listed farms, I was surprised by how many of them offered meat. There were even a couple of local farms that were mostly devoted to meat, including chicken, poultry, grass-fed beef, sheep, and goats (all natural, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, pasture fed animals). I strive to buy grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and anything else local, but I never quite known how local the meats are at Whole Foods (yes, I know I could ask the employees, but I haven't). I feel somewhat satisfied and relieved to find out that there are a number of local farms that offer high quality meat. I feel like I am reaching a new level in my eco-friendly living. Eating local, pasture-raised meat is like music to my ears.

Currently, only my husband eats meat in this house. I have started slowly incorporating fish back into my diet because of specific dietary needs in the current chapter of my life, but no meat for me yet. I do eat a local, organic, pasture-raised egg every morning and consume whole fat dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.), which is either local, grass-fed, and/or made from raw milk. I like staying as close to the natural source as possible. The less processing there is, the more nutrients my body gets from the foods I eat. Of course, serving high quality, local, organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed meat to my husband, my family, and my friends is very important to me. I am currently reading a book that talks about the amazing health benefits of eating real meat, real dairy, and real fats (more to come on that in another post).

My goal for 2013 is continue to transition to locally sourced produce, meats, and dairy. Tonight, I felt like I took another baby step in this direction. I am very excited about all of the CSA opportunities.

>> What are your food goals for 2013?
 

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A Vegetarian Thanksgiving

If you have been reading my blog for some time, you might remember that last year, I decided on not eating turkey on Thanksgiving. After watching Food, Inc., I swore off industrial farming and went down the local path for meat. And then, I went vegetarian. This year, I enjoyed all of the delicious side dishes and did not miss the turkey at all. Here are the three vegetarian items that I prepared for the Thanksgiving meal with my husband's family.

Easy Cranberry Sauce
I absolutely love homemade cranberry sauce, more on the tart side. This recipe comes from Savory Sweet Life. I adapted it by using turbinado raw sugar instead of the brown sugar and honey instead of the white sugar.

Toasted Almond Butternut Squash Tart
This recipe from Whole Living magazine was a huge hit last year, so I made it again. I used an all-natural pre-made pie crust and rolled it out to an oval right on the Silpat liner. My favorite part is the toasted almond layer under the butternut squash.

 

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups
Kiersten from Oh My Veggies inspired me to make these scrumptious little pieces of heaven (recipe from Domestic Fits). Roasting a pie pumpkin was super easy. I might have used just a little too much of the organic, fair-trade semi-sweet dark chocolate I bought, but I decided that you can never have enough chocolate. The tip to filling the bottom of the cups is to put about half of a teaspoon of chocolate in the bottom. With the back of the spoon, move the chocolate to the edge, hold the spoon, and move the muffin cup around with your finger. (note: this photo is from a previous batch when I used regular sized muffin tins)

>> What are your favorite holiday side dishes and/or desserts? Bonus points if they are vegetarian!
  

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Final Thoughts About This Year's CSA

I wanted to write a little bit about our CSA experience this year. Although we had a difficult growing year because of the extremely hot weather and the lack of rain, I still felt great about buying local (within 15 miles) and organic produce. My husband and I expected more from the CSA, but we did accept the risk with the Farm and it was "one of those" growing seasons. Either way, I am hooked on local farms. Forgot the farmer's market. I want to go straight to the farm!

A few weeks ago, the CSA completed their weekly pick-ups, but opened up the fields for "you pick." So, I went picking! Twice already! To tell you the truth, I would have rather done the you pick all season. Being out there in the field, looking for something green, red, or purple is very exciting, but also very relaxing. No one else is around (unless you have friends or family with you). There are not shopping carts. No announcements over the loud speaker. No one else trying to get in line at the farmer's market. Just peace and quiet! You really learn a lot of about how to pick produce at the right time.

Two out of the four remaining fields have already been mowed oven, but there are still some items left: cherry tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, hot peppers, mustard greens, arugula, and greens. I hope to get at least one more picking in before they mow over the remaining fields. Please enjoy the photos below from my last two "you picks."

Trip 1 - red cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, zinnias



Trip 2 - Tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, greens, arugula, mustard greens

   

>> If you were part of a CSA this year, how did it do? If you were not part of a CSA, would you ever consider joining?

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Wordless Wednesday - Eating Local

Tomato from dad's friend's farm

Basil from our garden

Mozzarella from TFM

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Eat Like You Give ... [#CTWW]

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Wordless Wednesday - Are You Crazy Enough?

The ones who are crazy enough to think they can Change the World, are the ones that do.
 - Unknown

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Wordless Wednesday - 100% Local Meal

I finally, FINALLY, can say that I prepared a meat that was 100% local!  Salad from the CSA, local meat bought at Whole Foods!

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I Found My Library Card!

I was looking for paper to write a Thank You note and I found my library card! I do not know why I am so excited about finding my library card. The last time I used the library was in middle school, in a different state. I recall several years ago, I ordered the library card online. The card arrived in the mail, but I have never used it. I am sure that the library has tons of books on eco-friendly and green living, so I will have to pay a visit this summer.

The library is an eco-friendly, reusable, and frugal resource. When you are finished reading a book, you return it to the library, and let someone else read the book. Using the library is free! Additionally, you are saving the cost of the book and reducing clutter in your home. You will also help to reduce the amount of paper needed to create new books. Public libraries are a great way for your family to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.

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Slowly Converting My Husband

Our garage doors are being replaced today. The original wooden garage doors and motors have both crapped out and there might have even been an incident of my husband backing into the garage door because he forgot to open it. Although I love the original garage doors for their character, it is time for new ones. We decided to replace the whole system.

My husband picked out a local Overhead Doors company. I did not question why he went with this company. I am grateful that he called and arrange the work to be done.

When we both agreed on the scope of the work to be done, he turned to me and said, "we're buying local."

LOL. I was half amused and half surprised that he made the connection. Yes, we are kind of supporting a local business, which is probably franchised. Most contractors that do work house repair/improvement are local businesses. Even though we would not have an option for a non-local company, I am proud of my husband for making the connection.

As they teach in Business School, the Rule of Seven applies to husbands also. A person has to see or hear something at least seven times before they take action.  In my case, the Rule of Seven Hundred might be more appropriate...

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I Purchased Green Baby Shower Gifts

Last time I purchased baby shower gifts, I did not purchase the gifts off the registry. Most of the gifts were already purchased and there was nothing left that was catching my eye. To be quite honest, I wanted to purchase a product that would be useful and was made from organic cotton. Being eco-friendly means that I take part in educating and introducing others to a more environmentally friendly way of living.

I am purchasing gifts for two occasions: upcoming baby shower and a recent birth of a friend. I am happy to say that I purchased one of the items off the registry. Kudos to the mama-to-be for adding the Aden and Anais product to her registry.

Baby Shower Gifts

Aden and Anais for Target Burpy Bib

 

Charlie Banana Reusable Organic Cotton Wipes

  

Birth Celebration Gift

Whole Foods Gift Card to help out with groceries. This is the second child, so the mom is reusing a lot of the same items, including cloth diapers!

>> How do you interweave registry gifts with your own eco-friendly ideas?
 

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Three Philosophies Essential to My Life

When I began to think about what is essential in my life, so many different thoughts ran through my head. I gave myself one day to process all of the thoughts and come up with three philosophies that are essential to my life: family and friends, eco-friendly and sustainable living, and spirituality.

Family and Friends – I cannot express how much support and love my family and my friends have showed me throughout my life. I am only now beginning to realize the power of this support network. My husband and I have been blessed over the past year to connect with some great people. We hope to continue building these friendships.

Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Living – My blog is all about living an eco-friendly, organic, natural, homeopathic, non-toxic, and green life. I am sick of wasting the precious resources that are given to us. Reusing, reducing, and recycling are my philosophies in life!

Spirituality - I have so much to discover in this area. I am only beginning on the journey to discover my religion and the power of prayer and humility. I find that being spiritual helps me to find peace and satisfaction in this materialistic world.

Although I can think of many more things that are essential to my life, these three philosophies are my goals for 2012. If I continue to enrich my life with family and friends, eco-friendly living, and spiritually, I know that I will live a happier and more fulfilled life.

>> What is essential to your life? Like Nordic Naturals on Facebook and share your story in the What's Essential contest for a chance to win great prizes!

What's Essential Contest: Nordic Naturals wants to hear what is essential in your life so that you can inspire others. The  has been designed to get you motivated by writing about the essential and meaningful parts of your life. You could win a trip to California, a Canon Vixia HF M400 camcorded, or a one-year supply of Nordic Naturals. Contest runs through April 30, 2012 and is open to residents of USA/CAN (excluding Quebec).

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