When I was pregnant with Jackson five years ago, I embarked on the healthy eating, natural living journey. The realization that I was bringing a person into the world opened my eyes and made me rethink what I was eating, buying and doing with my time. It wasn’t just about me and my hunky husband anymore— it was about that little ball of energy growing inside my belly and the beautiful family that had begun.

So I bought organic sheets. Then a Moby. And next an Ergo. And eventually I found myself standing in the grocery store paying $7 for organic milk. And then I switched to rice milk. And finally settled on almond milk. I told you— it is truly a journey!

I cut back on my trips to Taco Bell and spent more time in Trader Joe’s.

Once I dove into the world of the “green mama,” I realized how easy, doable and fun it actually was.

Take The Honest Company, for example. Their name says it all. They create household products your family can trust. They work hard to create unquestionably safe, eco-friendly, beautifully designed, and affordable essentials for your family. And they come right to your doorstep— pretty sweet when you are a new mom with spit up on your clothes and boobs that seemed to always spring a leak.

I have been using The Honest Company Family Essentials Bundle for the past few months and love the concept and products behind it all. Here are some of my favorites so far:

Fruit + Veggie Wash: I am a hard core green smoothie machine and am constantly washing, chopping and blending fruits and veggies. This spray removes wax, bacteria, pesticides and chemicals from the outside of the produce before I add it to our smoothies.

Dishwasher Pods: These cute little plant and mineral-based pods are simple to use and work really well. And I can feel good knowing that my dishes don’t only look clean, but they actually are clean and chemical-free. There is no bleach, petrochemicals or fragrance that can irritate and harm us and our little ones.

Rinse Aid: This stuff goes hand in hand with the pods. We have hard water here in Florida— really hard water. And this rinse does the trick without bringing in harsh chemicals that have a corrosive effect.

A healthy home can start with products like this. It’s a simple way to take a step in the right direction. And it’s a great time to take that step. And if you had an experience like me after having your first child, you know how important it is to find these products that you can trust and use daily.

Join the Discussion!

How did becoming a parent change you? Did you get an Ergo or eating at home more? I would love to hear what parenthood did to you!

Written by Josh Solar from The Happy Family Movement

On any given Saturday, you’ll find our family scrambling around to get not 1, not 2, but 3 kids ready for soccer. Finding cleats, unis, shin guards, and making sure they’ve all had breakfast, pack snack packs…not to mention getting ourselves ready. Inevitably, we’re running behind, and that means that we end up having to swing by some no good fast food restaurant to grab lunch for the kids. Not a solid way to prepare for sporting events if you ask me. That all changed one November Saturday last year…

The scrambling around like a pack of wild dogs to get ready still happened, but on this Saturday, it marked the last time our family ever had fast food again. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Max had a game at 11:30, we were all hungry, so we stopped to grab them chicken nuggets and apples from McDonald’s. He scarfed it down before his game…and, 20 minutes later got sick to his stomach and couldn’t play. Afterwards, he said, “I don’t ever want to eat at McDonald’s again.” And we haven’t.

This incident coincided with our family trying to eat better. We’ve been incorporating more veggies into our diet, cutting out processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, and eliminating artificial colors and preservatives (huge thanks to Trader Joe’s for coming to Kansas City!). We’ve been blessed with kids who get excited about reading nutrition labels on the boxes in the grocery store. They know if they can’t pronounce a word, chances are it’s probably not good for us. More real, whole foods for the whole family, and healthier kids for us to enjoy.

5 Tips to Stop Eating Fast Food

Here are a few tips for how to make it a little bit easier for your family to eat healthier…

1. Organize, organize, organize! We use reusable snack packs to put our favorite Trader Joe’s snacks in. (Makes it easier to grab on the go.) We also always have little bags of organic baby carrots and applesauce squeezers ready to throw in a to go bag as well. The quicker and easier you make it to have healthy snacks on hand, the more your family will eat them.

2. Make it fun! Make up fun stories about where the food came from, make a fun lunch, pick up your own Today I Ate a Rainbow kit, anything that sparks your kids’ imagination will do. Lia wouldn’t eat any veggies for the longest time, but we could get her to drink low sodium v8 by calling it Monster Juice.

3. When in doubt, make a smoothie! We’re still trying to get the kids on board with green juices, but until they come around to that, they LOVE smoothies.

4. Get educated. Read The Unhealthy Truth. Watch some good documentaries…such as Food, Inc, Super Size Me, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, or Forks Over Knives. You can never learn enough about what we put into our bodies and how it affects us.

5. Find a local door to door organic delivering service. It’s great because you’ll get to try a whole variety of fruits and veggies that you normally can’t find in your local grocery stores. Then, look up some fun recipes to make with your kiddos. Kids love to cook! You’ll be trying new things, and so will your kids. Win-win!

Those are some of our favorite tips and tricks that have helped us stay far away from fast food. I sure know I feel more energized. And when you’re energized, you’re better capable of dealing with the stress that comes from raising a wild family.

Leave a little love in the comments section below letting us know what you do to get your family eating healthier.

** The Happy Family Movement has an Intentional Parenting E-Course that begins January 7. For more about it, click here. **

Q: My kids aren’t fans of milk and we don’t push it. Are we missing out on calcium or other nutrients to build strong bones and teeth?

We do drink some almond milk and occasionally coconut milk, but in the back of my mind I wonder if we should be supplementing with something additional.
A: “This may surprise you, but your kids can get all the calcium and other nutrients they need for strong bones and teeth without ever drinking a drop of cow’s milk. Humans like all other mammals were not designed to ingest breast milk after the first few years of life. After weaning, most of the enzymes needed to adequately digest the milk sugars (lactose) and milk proteins (casein and whey) decline in the human body since these substances are not in the other foods we traditionally hunt and gather. This is why so many people have digestive issues, true allergies and sensitivities to milk and other dairy products.”

How to get enough calcium without milk

Kids can get the 800-1300mg of calcium recommended daily by eating a variety of other whole, unprocessed foods including spinach, kale, okra, collards, Chinese cabbage, soy beans (edamame), tofu, broccoli, beans, salmon, and sardines. Calcium is also found in fortified foods like breakfast cereals, orange juice, and most nut, rice, soy and coconut milks.

More importantly, kids need to get enough vitamin D, magnesium, manganese and vitamin K to help the body absorb calcium into its more than 200 bones and teeth. Without adequate calcium absorption, studies have shown that their bodies can be plagued later in life with osteoporosis, heart disease, hypertension, cancer and kidney stones.

Whole food sources of calcium absorption-aiding nutrients

Magnesium – spinach, swiss chard, cocoa powder, pumpkin, squash, sesame seeds, tahini, molasses, dry roasted soy beans (edamame), almonds, cashews, whole grain oats, wheat,

Manganese – spinach, wheat germ, rice bran, oat bran, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans, roasted pumpkin and squash seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, tahini, sunflower seeds, dry roasted edamame, chili powder, cocoa power, chili powder

Vitamin K – dried herbs including basil, sage and thyme; deeply colored leafy greens like kale, collards, cress, spinach, turnip Greens, mustard greens, beet greens, swiss chard; broccoli, spring onions (scallions), brussels sprouts, asparagus, pickled cucumber and prunes

Vitamin D –. Vitamin D is in very few whole foods in very small amounts-fatty fish (like tuna, mackerel, and salmon), beef liver, and egg yolks.

Your body also makes vitamin D with exposure to sunlight, but that process is hindered with sunscreen and because kids are spending more time in doors. Therefore some foods have been fortified with vitamin D like dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals. Doctors are also recommending up to 5000 IU of supplemental vitamin D per day to help with calcium absorption and other immune boosting benefits of vitamin D.

Try out these recipes below for a smoothie and a side dish rich in calcium and other nutrients your family can enjoy to grow strong bones and teeth.

Calcium-Rich Recipes

Almond Butter and “Jelly” Green Smoothie Smoothie

Spinach and almonds are packed full of calcium along with other antioxidants and phytonutrients, so this green smoothie is super healthy and yummy. No added sugar or water needed. This is a sweet take on a child’s classic sandwich filled with fresh fruit and leafy greens.

Ingredients

2 cups spinach
2 ripe bananas
2 c. red and/or black grapes
2 c. baby spinach
2 c. almond milk
4 Tbsp almond butter

Directions

1. Blend your spinach and grapes together until you get a juice-like consistency
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend
3. Chill in refrigerator for an hour or use frozen grapes instead of fresh.
4. Top with raw sliced almonds

More healthy smoothie recipes on our new site: Simple Green Smoothies.

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Ingredients

1 large bunch fresh Swiss chard
1 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, sliced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp Earth Balance or butter
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (or toasted pumpkin seeds)

Directions

1. Rinse Swiss chard in water and remove the toughest third of the stalk.
2. Chop Swiss chard leaves into 1-inch wide strips.
3. Heat medium-sized sauté pan on medium heat.
4. Add olive oil, sliced garlic and crushed red pepper; Sauté for about a minute.
5. Add chopped Swiss chard leaves and cover for 5 minutes.
6. Add 1-2 Tbsp water and flip chard over, so what was on the bottom is now on the top and cover for 5 more minutes.
7. Check for doneness by removing a piece of cooked chard and tasting to make sure it is tender.
8. Add 1 tsp butter or Earth Balance spread and pinch of salt.
9. Toss to combine.
10. Sprinkle with toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.

• Use organic ingredients whenever possible.
• Recipes are Vegan and Gluten-free.

Angela offers nutrition counseling, workshops and corporate wellness programs. To learn more about Angela, a Registered Dietitian and Holistic Nutritionist, visit www.vitalandwell.com.

Ask the nutrition expert!

Have a burning question about nutrition for your family’s diet? Ask our holistic nutrition expert your question in the comments below, and we may feature your question with the answer in a future post.

This post is brought to you by Yes To, an awesome company that makes natural skin and hair care products that actually work. Sign up for their newsletter to receive a special goodie from Yes To.

Winter is right around the corner and my skin is already letting me know it needs some extra TLC. As the air gets cooler and the heater kicks on, my skin dries out (and it isn’t pretty). Does this happen to you too?! Well, now is the time to start applying more moisturizer to keep your beautiful skin looking, well beautiful.  Here are three great products from Yes To, one of my favorite companies (they are on a mission to create all natural skin and hair care that really work.) And I can vouch that they do work! I have quite a few of their products already and will definitely be adding more on my next trip to Target.

3 Secret Weapons for Healthy Winter Skin

1. Dry and flaky skin: Now is the time to swap out your lotion for a thicker cream or ointment, which has a higher lipid to water ratio. This helps trap the moisture and prevents your skin from becoming dry and flaky. Coconut oil is a great winter moisturizer, yet can be a little oily.  Another great option is a body butter like the ones Yes To makes, which are free of parabens and petroleums.

2. Raw and cracked hands: Your hands are exposed to the elements more than most parts of your body and more prone to dryness.  During the winter months, it is very beneficial to use an intense hand repair cream to keep them moisturized and prevent dry and cracked skin (which is more vulnerable to infections).

3. Sallow and sagging: As we get older, our collegen production decreases and leaves us more vulnerable to wrinkles and less resilient skin. Vitamin C is well-known for its antioxidant properties and helps prevent damage to our collegen. So make sure to eat enough fruits, pepper and broccoli to help your skin out! You can also use a rejuvenation lotion like Yes to Blueberries which can help firm and improve your skin’s elasticity.

Interested in going more natural and less chemicals?

Sign up for Yes To newsletter and receive a goodie in your inbox as a thank you.

Dirty Dozen organic produce list

The EWG’s 2012 Dirty Dozen organic produce list helps me decide what is worth it. There are 14 items that are non-negotiable (and strawberries are on the list). And yes, I know a dozen is 12…but this year they added 2 more items that have large amounts of pesticide exposure, yet they still wanted to keep that catchy name.

This list is very helpful, but I must say there are tons of times when I don’t buy accordingly. I am trying to be healthier, but there is still a long way for me to go. I am still figuring out ways to add more organic produce into our kitchen without breaking the budget. Trader Joe’s, farmer’s markets, CSAs and organic produce co-ops are all great ways to find more affordable organic produce.

Not only are organic produce free from chemical pesticides, but a Washington State University study found that organic strawberries have higher levels of antioxidants and Vitamin C than conventional strawberries. And why does this matter? Well, antioxidants help protect your body against cancer and fight signs of aging. Suddenly skipping the conventional strawberry sale  and buying the more expensive organic ones doesn’t seem so hard.

Do you follow the Dirty Dozen list? What is your favorite way to buy organic produce?

Written by contributor Rachelle Gilmore

My 4-year-old daughter Molly, really wanted to throw a party with our summer playdate group. What better excuse then to celebrate the Olympics! And let me tell ya— they turned out to be a nice group of athletes! The kids competed in Water Archery, Balloon Run (proving to be the most difficult), Ball Toss, Yoga and Sliding! We took lots of water breaks and even stopped briefly for a cupcake. At the end of the play date, I passed out watermelon popcicles and had the pleasure of putting gold medals on all of our little athletes.

Olympic Games for Kids

Archery

Balloon Run

Ball Toss

Yoga

Sliding

Celebration

How did you celebrate the 2012 Summer Olympics?

We used to focus on keeping Zoe in her bed all night. But now we just make sure she falls asleep in her bed with a consistent bedtime routine. If she makes a middle of the night creep into our bed, we are okay with a family bed for co-sleeping. It does not disrupt our sleep or marriage connections and my husband and I adore morning snuggles with our daughter. Of course with co-sleeping, you will have some interesting sleep positions in bed, but as long as you have a good bedtime routine, you will get quiet time in the evening when it counts the most.

Importance of a Kid’s Bedtime Routine

Kaiser Permanente, an integrated health care organization, says,

Continue a relaxing bedtime routine, such as reading a book or having bath time. Try not to stimulate your child with TV, games, or other activities right before bedtime. Make sure your preschooler falls asleep in their bed each night to establish the routine.

It’s best to start your bedtime routine about one hour before bedtime. First, set a time for your actual bedtime goal. Then set a time to start the bedtime routine where you are getting ready for bed. Both you and your child should unplug from the TV and other devices and connect for the last hour before you actually put your child to bed and say goodnight. I notice that when I am still wrapping up projects and cleaning up during Zoe’s bedtime routine, she ends up going to sleep later because I get caught up in doing my own thing while she is “supposed” to be brushing her teeth. The bedtime follow-through can only happen if you give your child the true attention they deserve from you the hour before they go to sleep.

You can find out how many hours of sleep your child needs here and adjust your bedtime hour accordingly.

So, here is an example of a bedtime routine for children that works for us. I hope it will inspire you to find a bedtime routine and rhythm that fits perfectly for your family.

Bedtime Routine for Children

7:00pm Give a 30 minute warning. Set the timer and let your child know it’s last call for water, bathroom and play. This is your time to wrap up your personal projects too. You can offer glass of water or warm milk and a healthy snack (like raisins, apple, piece of toast) during this time.
7:15pm - Get dressed and ready for bed. Put on PJs, brush teeth, pick out bedtime books and locate the stuffed snuggle buddies.
7:30pm - Read stories and chat. Bedtime stories, Cuddles, Questions and answers about the day. Kids tend to have a lot to say at night– it’s the perfect time for quality 1 on 1 conversations.
8:00pm - Say goodnight. True wind down begins after kisses, hugs, prayers, good night. Leave the room and give your child alone time to fall asleep and self-soothe.
8:30pm – Check on your sleeping Angel. This is where you check on your child to make sure they are asleep and give them a few extra kisses.

If you want to give your child a bath at night, I suggest you add that at 6:30pm, 30 minutes before the above bedtime routine starts.

Don’t forget to create a gentle and peaceful rhythm for your own nightly routine. How many hours of sleep are you getting at night? And how do you spend those quiet hours?

Start your own nighttime routine 30 minutes after you leave the room (so that would be at 8:30pm if you follow the above bedtime routine). This will help you stay calm and empathetic when your child starts creeping out of their room. I have a solution for the in-and-out of bed struggle that can happen after you leave your child in bed for the night. I will share that experiment with you next week. Before I started the “silent sleep” experiment, both my husband and I were guilty of yelling, “Get in your room! Go – to – bed – now!” Not the last thing your child wants to hear before they have sweet dreams.

Join the discussion

What time is bedtime in your house? I’d love to hear your kid’s bedtime routine. And how do you unwind for the evening once your child is out for the count?

My family has been on a “simple living” journey for five years— out went the TV, new clothes,  cluttered closets, harsh cleaning products, processed foods, and anything with corn syrup. Sounds intense and a little extreme, huh?

Well, the Jen Hansard of 2007 would have totally agreed with you. But in 2012, I couldn’t be any happier with these lifestyle changes our family has made. And this past year, I ventured into simple cooking and traded my canola and vegetable oils for olive and coconut oils. And now, I am completely hooked on coconut oil!

Why I love using Coconut Oil

There are many websites than can give you a list of uses for coconut oil, but I want this list to all be about my personal testimony. I religiously use all of these things and can personally say they work for me, and hopefully for you!

Baking: Coconut oil can be substituted 1-for-1 in most baking recipes that call for butter or oil (check out my Maple Granola Muffins and Coconut Granola for some delicious and healthy recipes).

Cooking: My friend Jo got me hooked on cooking eggs in coconut oil. They do taste a little bit like coconut, but that’s a good thing to me.

Body lotion: After the shower, I rub coconut oil all over my body— it feels and smells amazing. I also do this on the kids when their skin is dry (which isn’t too often since we rarely even use soap on them).

Facial moisturizer: I was very scared to put coconut oil on my face. Since moving to Florida I have had issues with acne. So bad, I resorted to Proactive. Well, two months ago I ran out of my face lotion and decided to give coconut oil a try. Sure enough, my face feels good and the acne has subdued. Turns out coconut oil is antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial, which explains why my face hasn’t broken out from it!

**Update 9/10/12: I have been adding 2 drops of tea tree essential oil to the dab of coconut oil I put on my face and the results are awesome. My acne has really cleared and my face has evened out (less red areas). I also think it has to do with me drinking more green smoothies, which are a great way to help your skin glow.

Eye makeup remover: On the rare occasion I actually put on makeup, I do use a cotton ball and a little coconut oil to remove it. Works better than anything else, hands down.

Homemade deodorant: And it actually works!!! This stuff is so good— I highly recommend that you make your own. Here is the easy, peasy recipe.

Hair tamer: I have thick, curly and wild hair— coconut oil helps bring sanity to the situation. After the shower, I use mousse and then smooth some coconut oil on my unruly curls to calm it down.

Deep conditioner for hair: At least once a month, I slather this on the tips of my hair and (even my scalp) and let it soak in for a few hours. Then I brush it through and massage my scalp before I shower. I shampoo it twice through with Yes To, my favorite brand of shampoo and conditioner that is paraben free.

Toothpaste: I started making my own toothpaste with coconut oil 3 months ago and really like it. The coconut oil gives it a creamy consistency, which is similar to store bought (yet way better for you!). The first few weeks my teeth were a little sensitive (which is an issue I have). SO I alternated days with Sensodyne and the homemade recipe. Yet now I only use homemade and my teeth are fine.

Furniture wood polish: I used it today to polish my wood coffee table and it looks beautiful! Just poured some onto a rag and rubbed it around.

Eczema: My son had mild eczema and we used a variety of creams. Coconut oil helped if we caught an outbreak early enough. (We eventually figured out what was causing his eczema— Target brand laundry detergent, and stopped using it. Eczema solved!)

Future uses for Coconut Oil:

Here are some other uses for coconut oil that I haven’t tried, but look forward to:

Lice treatment: My son starts preschool in the fall and I am getting ready for the dreaded lice attack. Sounds like Thrifty Mama has a great alternative to commercial lice products.

Insect repellant: Mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over. I really hope this one works!

Nose bleeds: We are traveling to Southern California next month and I heard that a nose bleed is guaranteed since we have acclimated  to the Florida humidity. Time to rub some coconut oil in our noses and moisturize away!

Cuts and scrapes: Keep hearing people rave about the antimicrobial characteristics of coconut oil and am excited to try it on my kid’s ouchies.

What brand of coconut oil do you buy?

Nutiva is the brand I used at first on my face and liked it, but I needed more!  I kept hearing great things about Mountain Rose Herbs and decided to try them out. The website wasn’t the  easiest to maneuver around, but I managed (and even added some arrowroot and essential oils into my cart). And oh my— the quality of the coconut oil is insane! It’s creamy, light and just feels great— I can’t go back to Nutiva after using this.

I bought one gallon of refined (for cosmetic purposes) and one gallon of unrefined for cooking. Well, the refined is strange and caused my face to break out in a bad rash. So I switched back to the unrefined and my face is happy again. I definitely recommend Mountain Rose Herbs for all things natural and health-related— it’s a great company. But if you are not sure if you are gonna love coconut oil as much as I do, then totally give the less expensive Nutiva a try. That’s what got me hooked in the first place.

New to the world of coconut oil? Read this article full of helpful tips for newbies.

From 8am to midnight, I feel like a race car going 70 mph. The only time I can slow down is to fill up for coffee. And then it’s right back on the racetrack for another fifty laps. I have way too much on my plate and I know that. Yet they are all important things— spending quality time with my family, growing my businesses, helping with our church plant, spending time with my friends, and making healthy meals, and so on. I love all these things, but I am completely exhausted. And I just don’t know how to force myself to slow down and breathe.

Then I started reading my first e-Book this week called One Bite at a Time by Tsh Oxenreider from Simple Mom. In this book, Tsh has compiled 52 ideas for simplifying life and it called out to me. I already ditched the TV seven years ago, which has helped us fill our time with creative and productive things. Yet now I wonder if I have overfilled my life. And if so, what can I do about it?

Idea #4 from One Bite at a Time is about establishing an evening routine. I already nailed the bedtime routine with the kids, but my evening routine with me and my husband needs some work. Lots of work, actually. It goes something like this: kids fall asleep, I eat a snack and grab some water, head up to my office and work until the wee hours of the night. The quietest, most intimate part of the entire day is not spent with my husband, but rather my 27-inch iMac. I am over it and ready for a change. This is when Tsh comes in and speaks to me about an evening routine. She didn’t speak directly to me, but it sure felt like it when I read her words.

When you bookend your days with a simple routine, they’ll feel less chaotic, and you’ll be more in control. These routines will be a salve to your soul. —Tsh

So yesterday, I announced to my family that I will not be on my computer past 7pm at night. This means whatever design projects or blogging I need to do will have to wait until the morning.


What I will do instead with that precious slice of time is:

— write my to-do list for tomorrow (I usually do this midway through the day when I get overwhelmed)
— take a shower (I should really do this more, so I am very happy about having this on my list)
— clean the kitchen (like disinfect the counters and mop the floor)
— read my Bible (I have been a pretty sad example of a pastor’s wife these last few months)
— spend time with my husband (board games, talking, praying together, and just reconnecting)

I am saying good bye to super late nights and cranky mornings. Is it gonna be easy?  Absolutely not! But I am ready for the challenge. My exhausted body and mind need this challenge. And my family needs it. I am ready to fall asleep with my husband and wake up before my children pounce on me. I am ready to reconnect with myself and my family. And I think my new evening routine is the beginning of making this a reality.

I’ll let you know how it goes…