OATMEAL ~ Not Just for Breakfast

My new favorite love, Shaklee’s Meadow Blend, soap-free, cleansing bar, just left this mommy’s skin softer and silkier than it has been in years.  WOW.  What a great feeling.  One of the magic ingredients has led me to re-appreciate the healing properties of one of my favorite breakfasts.  What is that ingredient you ask?  Oatmeal!




To my surprise, this paraben free, bathing bar had a pleasant lather, with a soft fragrance like country breeze that was quite refreshing.  Meadow Blend contains wholesome, good-for-you ingredients like yummy oatmeal, wheat germ oil and vitamin E.  No wonder my skin was left with a creamy suppleness!

Just like nourishing from the inside, oatmeal can nourish from the outside.  It has many soothing uses in addition to making the skin simply feel fantastic.  In a colloid form, oatmeal may provide relief from skin, minor burns and other icky, itchy rashes.  (Colloid means that the oatmeal has been pulverized into a fine powder.)  This allows it to be completely absorbed into the water.

To make your own:

1 cup Unflavored Oatmeal (slow or quick will work)

Place in a blender, processor, or grinder on a high setting.  Grind the oatmeal until it becomes a very fine powder.  To test it, stir 1T of the fine powder in a glass of warm or hot water and stir.  It will be milky and the water will feel silky if you have blended the oatmeal long enough. 

For infants, use 1/3 cup Colloid Oatmeal

For children, use 1 cup

With your finger, stir the mixture in the bath water in a figure eight direction but be careful as the tub will be slippery!  Soak as needed up to 15 minutes 1-3 times a day as needed if dealing with those nasty skin reactions.

And Three Become Six

Becoming a mother is nothing short of receiving the most precious gift to have ever been given.  From the first moment of questioning if you are actually pregnant, to the light exhilarating energy of the first moment you feel your child moving inside your whom.  Words cannot express the ever growing, loving bond that begins to form between a mother and her unborn child. Once born, your infant inspires and motivates you to strive to be the best possible mommy to them that you know they deserve.  Along the way there are undoubtedly bumps, stumbles, and barriers you must cross on your quest to mommy greatness.  Ultimately all that matters is the love that is shared between you and your child. 

As I struggle through my own quest as a mother, I find myself dwelling on the 'what ifs' and the 'why not mes'. I have forgotten to cherish the feeling and love that aunts are blessed with from their precious gifts given from siblings.  A mother of one, but an aunt to many.  I have received the second best gift that could be given.  To my siblings: thank you for allowing me to love and cherish your children and congratulations on our gifts to come! xoxo

Today's Scare as a Mother

Little feet scurry vigorously across the tile floor, heading from one room to the next. My attention is grabbed by the sound of a small child forcing up mucus from his throat. "Run to the bathroom quick honey!" I exhale after him. Merely focused on my child I return myself back to my phone conversation in the kitchen. A small wall is built in my mind from knowing that my son likes to make himself vomit when he doesn't like something. But what was he eating?

This wall began crashing down within a single breath...

Racing back out of the kitchen, my child holds his hand to his mouth catching a fistful of clear slimy mucus. Alarms start ringing as I ease my son towards me. I hear myself telling him to spit it out, and that it is going to be alright. I urge him to stand still, now in the middle of the dinning room. Small gurgling noises escape his tiny throat, with this, falsely assuring myself he is fine. Within an instant his knees hit the cold smooth tile floor; his hands instantly grasping his throat. Now kneeling with him our eyes meet. Large fear filled brown eyes plead back at me as his tiny hands fall from his throat. I calmly beckon for him to spit it out, afraid to do anything. My mind races as I try to remember my CPR training....If they are making noises you do nothing right? Right!

His tiny back is arched forward one hand on his throat, the other cupping mucus as it flows from his mouth. I grab his left biceps, kneeling slightly to his side. My nails dig into my palm as I create a fist. Pushing the heal of my hand out I bring my hand quickly down on his back directly behind his sternum. Nothing, only the sound of a fluid filled gasp of air fills the now shrinking house. What seemed like a life time later his first deep breath of air was achieved followed by a strong deep cough. The clang of a small shiny coin echoes through the 11 room home as it collides with the cold green tile floor. My child and I reach for each other simultaneously, collapsing into each others' arms. As I clean his face gently with a clothe he looks up. His large brown eyes frozen in fear pleads for forgiveness. He begins softly crying, "Sorry to do that mom." Kissing him on the head telling him I wasn't mad; trying to explain my own fear to him. Kissing his head we begin talking about putting things in our mouths and the dangers of choking...

A large lesson was learned by both of us today......

Still uneasy about the way I handled the situation I decided to do some research and am signing up for the first available CPR course!

Rejuvenating.  Amidst a circle of women and one man, we share stories about our journeys.  We celebrate the energies that exist in each of our bodies and we drummed.  My time at the open house of the South Shore Holistic Moms Group was beautiful, refreshing and so welcoming.  It reminds me to be true to my instincts and passions.  I am so grateful to all of you that shared that experience tonight.

Mother's Day

There's a little bit of mother in all of us. 

Maybe it’s just a piece of your mother. 

You feel her, radiating love, tenderness and strength.  Part of her runs through your veins and perhaps brings tears to your eyes. 

Mother is a place of peace, a place to heal, a place to just be you. 

I find that being a mother has opened my eyes. 

I have learned to share in my selfish moments. 

I have learned to have patience at my wits end. 

I have learned to be more open to change and difference. 

Motherhood has made me a better woman. 

Thank you for that child. 

Thank you to all mothers’ who are making differences in their communities. 

Thank you for all the moms walking the road alone. 

Thank you for the opening your whole being to your child. 

I celebrate you all today!

A Moment for Me & Baby by Tracy Newton

As a serving “mother to be” I thought I would share with all of you the wonderful experience I had, after Kelly’s excellent referral, at Breathe and Flow Yoga.  Breathe and Flow is a fairly new, family run, Yoga studio in Freeport. They have an abundance of classes offered each week in two beautifully tranquil Yoga studios. I am a Yoga newbie and therefore, was a little apprehensive that my first Yoga class would be when I am 14 weeks pregnant. I arrived last night for the 7:15 class and was greeted with students from the previous class exiting the studio expressing how much they enjoyed their class, a great sign. 

Lea, the owner of the studio made me feel extremely comfortable right away, they showed me around the studio where the prenatal class was held, pointed out the props I would need for the class and let me get settled. Lea entered the studio and advised me that even if I was the only person to show up she would give me a private lesson. This is something Kelly had pre-warned me about, she knew Lea was someone who catered to anyone who came out to take a class even if you were the only one. Of course, I might not always get a private lesson, but it sure was nice especially for my first class. Lea was amazing, she is kind, and was an extremely knowledgeable Yoga instructor. She is reassuring and supportive; two things I really needed as I ventured out into this new Yoga world. She taught me so many of the positions that can be modified when pregnant and made adjustments to my positions when necessary. It is evident that Lea is dedicated to establishing her Yoga studio as a place that grows with the families of her patrons.

I really needed this experience…first for nourishment of my body, but most importantly for the nourishment of my soul and peace of mind. It was nice to just have something for me and my baby to share alone…for in a few months I know there will be rare opportunities like these.  During our session Lea gave me so many opportunities to connect with my baby; it was a wonderful experience. I can not wait for my class on Saturday morning.

Breathe N Flow Yoga -

361 Atlantic Avenue

- Freeport, NY -  t: 516.632.9626

http://www.breathenflowyoga.com/

JUST S.T.O.P. IT!

Dumping chemicals into our environment I mean.
As my family is a big proponent for using safe cleaning products, we do a lot of encouraging our community to dispose of those “questionable” cleaners in a safe way.  The thought of these hazardous ingredients leaking into our ground and water from landfills just disgusts me! 

I am pleased to share that the city of Long Beach, NY is offering to dispose of such things properly at their local drive; S.T.O.P., Stop Throwing Out Pollutants, will be in Long Beach on Sunday, April 10 from 8am to 3pm in the parking lot behind City Hall.  They accept propane tanks under 20 lbs. too!

Just take a look around the house and garden, collect the hazardous materials and dispose of them on April 10. Click here to view the S.T.O.P. flier to see what items you can drop off.

20 Ways to Be Green                             
Live Healthier, Save the Planet

20.  Call your power company and ask them if they use Green energy?

19.  Use energy efficient light bulbs.  Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 lbs. of carbon dioxide a year.

18.  Check your tires.  If you can afford one, buy a hybrid car.  Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%.

17.  Use energy efficient appliances, or if you can’t afford to change them, can you do without any of them.  Turn them off whenever possible.  Simply turning off your T.V., DVD player, stereo and computer when you are not using them will save thousands of lbs. of carbon dioxide a year.

16.  Walk, Bike or use mass transit whenever possible.  Carpool.  You’ll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don’t drive.

15.  If you can afford it, use solar or water power to heat your home.

14.  Speak up in your community about the benefits of making a difference for the environment of today and tomorrow.

13.  Unplug cell phone charges.  They zap energy even if you phone is not plugged in and increase your electric bill!

12.  Encourage others and members of congress to reduce our dependence on oil.  You can write a letter to your state representative.

11.  Recycle everything you can.  You can save 2400 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.

10.  Buy recycled and recyclable products.  Avoid products with a lot of packaging.  Safe for you, your family, and the environment.  www.searcy.myshaklee.com

9.  Watch an “Inconvenient Truth”  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/

8.  Visit www.climatecrisis.net

7.  Learn as much as you can about our increasingly changing environment.  www.globalwarming101.org

6.  Don’t take for granted the resources that we have today, they might not be there for our children tomorrow. Conserve.

5.  Use less hot water.  It takes a lot of energy to heat water.

4.  Plant Trees.  A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

3.  Adjust your thermostat.  Moving your thermostat just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer, you could save 2000 lbs. of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.

2.  You can even buy low- VOC Paints (low Volatile organic compounds)!

1.  Spread the word!!  We can make a difference.

"Mommy, Come Up, Pease"

Wearing my little V was such a precious time.  Sadly, I thought the phase was over; I had lent out my sling for months then just last week, packed it up tight with the hopes that another baby would be held snuggly next to my heart, in it, someday.  Not more than two days later, Miss V decided that she wanted to be carried, again, regularly.  On our walks, “mommy, want to come up”, she’d say.  At the store, “mom, up, come up”, she’d plead.  To my delight, she was at peace being held again.

At this stage of independence I am warmed by her desired to be so close again.  Her changed attachment need is warmly welcomed after all the “do it self” (herself) jargon she added to her vocabulary.  My husband and I fell in love with the Baby Ktan, a double ring sling that rests on both shoulders for support without wrapping.  We found it versatile and cozy as it grows with her. 

This new carry me stage has led me to discover some new options to try and here you’ll see some wonderful options.  If you have any favorites for a toddler of 2 or older, please share with me in your comments.

Image above:  http://www.pixiekid.com/shop/images/meitai/Mei-Tai-Fauna-Zoo-2.jpg  What a fun print!I just love the color and happiness about it.

Mei Tai, or Asian Baby Carriers
These carriers are oblong fabric carriers with long straps to tie the little tyke to your body.  You can buy them for as little as $25 and easily transportable. It could fit in your coat pocket.  A toddler can be worn in a Mei Tai on your back, facing inwards on your front (called the cuddle carry) or hip carry. The back and hip carries are better for walking or hiking; and the cuddle carry is more suited to a toddler nap on the go. I’d suggest padded straps.

Moby WrapsThese are long, wide pieces of fabric that you tie around your body to become straps and pouches to hold your little one. Wider fabric makes for more comfortable straps but they have a learning curve. Master it and try the front, back and cuddle carry.

Soft Carriers
These are a bit more expensive than Mei Tai or Moby carriers, but are easy to use. They come with adjustable straps.  You just slip it on, slip them in and go. Front, back and cuddle carrying positions.  Ergo carriers are some of my friends’ favorites.

Backpack Carriers
Very comfortable to wear, but bulky, heavy duty, not so portable carriers suited for hiking and walking.  They can have significant weight and hard to put on solo but try using a chair to attach them to yourself.  Your little tyke will be high; some toddlers like this superior position and others not so much so make sure to try it out before you leave the store.

Found it!

And so I found myself among the most amazing group of women, The Long Island South Shore Chapter of Holistic Moms Network.  Here I am again, supported, loved and valued.  Thank you amazing women in my life.

Me, Myself & Mommy

What is happening to me?

Perhaps it’s the time of the week or month or hour.  My little one has gracefully flown past two as I have barely finished the blink of my eye. I completely devoted my body, my heart, and my mind to this munchkin and there are days when I am left wanting, tired and impatient.  I am continually craving some alone time and the desire to see my husband more than passing him in the hall to discuss the required things of the day.

I am not ungrateful for all those yummy mommy moments but only for the loss of myself, my peace or maybe something so simple as my sleep. 

In creating this child protected world in my home, sometimes I lose track of me.  There’s a constant battle of wits between me and me as mommy.  From the consolation advice of friends, this is apparently normal and a challenge of parenting.

Maybe you are a parent, maybe not.  Maybe you are just a giver, of everything.  So what do you do to keep you intact when your whole world is about being so available to others? 

 At some point, as I have heard another say, our bodies are our temples and we should honor them, right?  It’s high time to get back to that.  Honoring one-self to be better for her, my baby, is the task of my day.  Finding just 5 minutes to just listen to the waves hitting the shore outside or just nothing with no crying, no tugging, and no one hollering mom, mom, mom!  What happened to the pampering, the spa, the massages, the quiet reading and daydreaming time?   Seemingly, it’s selfish at times but ever so necessary I am starting to realize. 

If you have a unique way of balancing yourself with your giving, share it with me please…  I am looking for some creative ideas.

For the LOVE of CLEAN...

Let’s get every nook and cranny spick-and-span.  You like that, right; me too!  I love clean; really clean.  At one point I enjoyed that overwhelming smell that wafted in the air after the suds, sprays and scrubs where wiped away.  So much that I had to leave the house.  Ironic and that was the first warning sign that things in my home did not meet any balance or harmony with nature.  Home should be the safest place in the whole world.  We believe it can be again.

Go to your cupboard, right now, go on.  Pick a cleaner.  Did you know that traditional cleaners can contain sodium hydroxide, butyle cellosolve, or formaldehyde?  Turn on your tap.  Pour a glass of water.  It could contain nasty contaminants such as lead, atrazine, or benzene.  These may be harmful, as in not very clean at all.  Home is no place for stuff like that. 

How have we come this far; our sacred spaces invaded by chemicals in our questionable cleaners?  It seems socially acceptable to breathe, eat, feel, absorb play, and lay in comfort with these toxic tyrants; of which we have little concern for how they affect our health.  There are over 80,000 chemicals registered with the EPA and less than 20% have been tested for human toxicity. ¹

These toxic chemicals exist in practically everything we use in our homes today, especially what we use to clean with.  Read the labels of your detergents, all-purpose sprays, window sprays, polishes, dish soaps, hand soaps, tub & tile cleaners.  Does WARNING or POISON look familiar as you read these labels? Most likely you lock these products up, with the hope that little hands, wandering eyes and curious taste buds bypass them.  Unfortunately the labels don’t share the whole story about what they may be doing to your health.  On average, there are 63 hazardous chemicals in the American home, roughly 10 gallons of hazardous waste. ²  Ewe! 

From carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins and a whole other plethora of nasty instigators, our “cleaning” agents are not cleaning anything at all!  We just dirty things up in a more frightening way. 





Sloan Barnett, author of Green Goes With Everything,
regular contributor to NBC's Today show and the Green Editor for KNTV,

the NBC affiliate in San Francisco,

 wife of Roger Barnett, CEO, Shaklee Corporation.



“Most Americans, but especially children, have dozens of pesticides and other toxic compounds in their bodies, many of them linked to health threats.  A source of many of these toxins?  Common, every day, run of the mill household consumer products.  There’s no polite way to say this: your body is a landfill, a dumping ground for a mind-boggling array of toxic chemicals.  So is mine.  So is your child’s.”  Sloan Barnett³

Here’s your peace of mind in the matter. 

Making the switch to safer suds is easy.  It’s one the best things you can do for your families’ health.  At virtually every supermarket there are options; buyer take notice, beware of “green-washing” (changing the colors of the labels or adding a catchy phrase to entice your green buying venture, but do they really walk the talk). 

Here’s what to avoid:

·          Sodium Hydroxide

·          Hydrochloric acid

·          Butyl cellosolve (2-Butoxyethanol)

·          Formaldehyde

·          Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)

·          Ammonia

·          Sulfamic Acid

·          Petroleum distillates

·          Sulfuric acid

·          Lye (potassium hydroxide)

·          Morpholine

To find out what's lurking on your shelves, go to the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine Household Products Database. You can search almost any brand of cleaner you use, find out what's in it, and uncover its links to health effects.

You may be, but don’t have to be the earthy type to make the switch either.  All that’s required is to make sure when you clean, you do it right.  Use products that are safe and well tested for toxicity, especially around the little ones.  Use products that are powerful and get the job done well.  Use products that are green for the planet but even more important, smart for your wallet.

If you are the ambitious type and choose to concoct your own cleaning brew, try this non-toxic trio:

Baking Soda.  Multipurpose; softens water, neutralizes minerals, helping the soap to clean better, absorbs odors, and can be used as an abrasive for cleaning sinks, tubs and helps lift dirt away from whatever surface you are cleaning.  A bit of baking soda on a sponge cleans up most countertop stains. 

Soap.  Soap cleans by dissolving oil that binds dirt to a surface.  Opt for natural vegetable oil-based soaps such as Castile or glycerin.

Vinegar.  You can get this by the gallon.  COST EFFECTIVE.  White distilled vinegar dissolves soap scum, mineral buildup and kills mold and bacteria so it’s especially effective on sinks and bathrooms.  It’s strong and when poured disappears almost completely after drying. 

Here’s a few others to consider.Hydrogen Peroxide.  A natural bleaching agent and antimicrobial.  Great for removing blood stains
Lemon juice.  A powerful acidic cleaner that fights mineral scum and grease. 
Essential oils.  Try lavender and thyme, add safe fragrance to cleansers and even boost antibacterial properties.

If you are like me, a little on the fence of no-time, a desire to do better and you happen to love some convenience, don’t worry, there are options for us too.  A little due diligence got my family a long way and a close relationship with Shaklee Corporation’s GET CLEAN line.  Without sacrificing our powerful convictions for powerful cleaners, or vice versa, we now clean our homes with 100% money back guaranteed, non-toxic, natural, biodegradable, concentrated products that even save us money ounce for ounce.  Not much gets better than that as I sit listening to the pitter patter of those little feet running across the hardwood floor after a warm bath. 

At whatever place you are in your journey to scrubbing safer and having a real clean, take it slow.  Set your priorities, research your options, and get started.  You may smile now.  You just made your home a healthier one.  Pass it on.

Sources:

1.      U.S. EPA, New Chemicals Program; Landrigan, P.J., et al, (2006). The national children’s study: a 21-year prospective study of 100,000 American children. Pediatrics, 118(5), 2173-2186.

2.     Consumer  Product Safety Commission, 2004

3.     Green Goes With Everything, Sloan Barnett, 2008, pg. 15

How We Became a Web Company

How We Became a Web Company

Oh Mothering, How I Miss You...

One of my favorite issues.

Total LOSS TODAY! 

So, so sadly; we are saying goodbye to our family favorite magazine, Mothering.  Why, oh why. I felt that this magazine was a little light at the end of the tunnel, just lingering long enough to remind me to keep going; keep following my heart in the parenting ways that come so instinctual and natural to us; we don’t have to be mainstream; we don’t have to do what everybody else is doing; who we are and how we make choices is perfect.  I really feel a pain in my heart to see this magazine become online only.  The hard copy has a special place on my shelf.  It is referenced often and given as a special gift to any new moms I am close to.  I will be scooping up old issues to support my Mothering addiction.

I have not made peace with this announcement.  It seems to me that if enough of us are willing to pay more, to share more, to spread this gift to others, that the doors of the Mothering Magazine printing house should be able to stay open.  I wish I would have known there was a need sooner.

Darn this economy and cutbacks. BRING MOTHERING BACK!         
http://www.mothering.com/

Please be my valentine, oh sweet child o' mine.  You run through my heart, you pierce me with your smile, you live in my etheric and capture my soul.

I am yours, your serving mother.  I run to great purpose; to hold a place for your emotional, physical, mental and spiritual development can flourish to its potential; uplifting and guiding you on such a journey while holding high esteem, passion, commitment and standards in this home to foster your self-exploration in loving ways.

Daily I do my best to remove the obstacles that may limit your ability to thrive and build strength in this house through modeling with care, compassion and rhythm.

It’s a tremendous privilege to raise you my child.  I am honored to love and be loved by you, my little V.