**We've moved!!**
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Don't forget to register for the 30-Day Eat More Fat challenge!
Many times as we've gone through dealing with my childrens' allergies, I've felt it was terribly unfair that my children were always reacting and I had to be hypervigilant about everything they ate and on the lookout for any tiny sign of reaction, when so many other peoples' kids were completely fine! And many of them didn't try nearly as hard for the natural, organic lifestyle! Where was the justice?
These are my thoughts in my dark hours, of course. Most of the time I'm just happy that I'm paying attention and that I'm helping them feel better and hopefully heal from their allergies. Then there are those times that I've heard other parents make comments that sounded strange to me...and I began to wonder, are there children experiencing minor food sensitivity symptoms, but they don't realize it? I've gone back and forth, wondering what might be "weird" but normal, and what might really be a sign of sensitivity. But after talking with other moms of 'allergy' children, I've come up with a list of things I've learned by dealing with kids with allergies (I could be wrong, but this is what I believe to be true, and our pediatrician has discussed some of these points with us):
1) Eczema is a sign of allergies.
Yes, always. It could be food, laundry detergents, local pollution, who knows. But it is allergies, not just something children get. All the allergic children I know (including mine) will flare up with eczema badly if they are exposed to an allergen; but when they're not, their skin is perfectly clear! No creams touch it as long as they are still exposed to the allergen. A LOT of kids have eczema...and also, food sensitivities their parents haven't realized.
2) Cradle cap is a sign of allergies.
This is common in young babies, but any that persists for more than a few days or gets bad is actually a sign of some kind of allergy (usually milk, since it shows up so early). My daughter had this horribly (as did a lot of other allergy babies). My son, since we discovered his allergies almost immediately and cut the offending foods, never did.
3) Reflux is a sign of allergies.
So many moms say "my baby has reflux!! I hope they outgrow it! At least it's not allergies!" Sorry to let you know, but in almost all cases, it IS allergies. Many of these moms learn when their babies are older that they DO have an allergy to something. It really just is a sign that the baby has an allergy, generally, again, usually to milk. Especially if it's accompanied by screaming or projectile vomitting.
4) Sleep disturbances are a sign of allergies.
While sleep disturbances can happen for MANY reasons (growth spurts, teething, routine disruptions, etc.), continued night waking with no obvious cause, especially after a year old, are often a sign of allergies. Bekah continued to wake up several times a night well past a year (as have many other allergy kids) and STILL wakes up at night, at age 2, if she eats something that isn't good for her. If sleep disturbance is persistent and combined with other symptoms, consider allergies.
5) Diarrhea and/or constipation are a sign of allergies.
If a baby's system isn't ready for a food, or s/he is allergic to it, diarrhea or constipation can result. It's not normal for any food to just "cause diarrhea." That only happens if the body is not digesting it properly. This is related to the next sign, so I'll discuss it further in a second....
6) Undigested food in the poop is a sign of allergies.
If the body is handling a food properly, there should be no trace of it when it comes out the other end. It's a myth that certain foods -- grapes, corn, beans, cranberries, etc. -- just cause "nasty poop." No. That is not normal. That is a sign of allergy to that food! I have heard over and over that grapes cause nasty poop, but when Bekah eats a ton of grapes (and she is allergic to SO MANY foods), there are no issues. We only get the "nasty poop" when the food is clearly not good for her! I've talked to a lot of other moms of allergic kids who have said the same thing.
7) Persistent diaper rash is a sign of allergies.
If your child eats something, has nasty poop, and then gets a diaper rash, that is a sign of allergies too. Yes, kids can get diaper rash for a bunch of reasons, but if it happens frequently and is hard to get rid of, consider allergies. It may be an allergy to the brand of diapers or detergents. Or, it may be food.
8) Stomachaches, fussiness, gas, etc. can be a sign of allergies
This can also be a sign of illness, of course, but if it happens after eating particular foods, consider allergies. Eating a food that causes an allergic reaction will likely upset the child's stomach and make him/her not feel well and be irritable. Some will even scream.
None of these symptoms are those of "true" allergies (i.e. the life-threatening, not-breathing kind) but they are signs of serious food sensitivities. And they should be taken seriously. These symptoms can be minor and, if you're not paying attention, seem like nothing. After all, every baby has a fussy day, or a little eczema, or nasty poops every now and then, right? Well...yes, but there's ALWAYS a reason for those things! And food sensitivities are often to blame.
If you notice a pattern of some of these symptoms, no matter how minor, I suggest that you keep a food journal. Write down what your child eats and when, and any symptoms you note and how long after eating the offending food that they occur. Take this to your child's doctor and ask him or her about possible food sensitivities. Try an elimination diet to see if s/he does better without the foods (my guess would be yes!).
It seems like nit-picking, but these small sensitivities are affecting your child's gut health and immune system. Avoiding the foods causing the problems is very important, even if the diet changes are difficult. Believe me -- I know it's hard. But we've been much better off since we've made the changes. Our children sleep better, are happier, and clearly feel better. And we do too.
Have you noticed any symptoms in your children? If you know you have allergic children, what do you think about this list?
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Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Wooden Toys...GIVEAWAY!
**We've moved!!**
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Today, we have an awesome giveaway! It's sponsored by CSN Stores. They have a number of great websites, like their Mailboxes site. However, today's giveaway is from CSNBaby and is a prize package of wooden toys! Here they are:
If you would like to win, there will be ways to enter at the end of the post. But first, why wooden toys?
These days, when plastic toys (complete with batteries, music, and flashing lights) are the most common playthings, wooden toys have taken a back seat. But wooden toys used to be the only type of toys children had. With all the new options (which, with their bright colors, look so appealing in the store and on TV), why would we want to go back to wood?
Wooden toys have MANY great benefits.
They are SAFE.
With many plastic toys coming out of China and new scares everyday about BPA and other chemicals being found in toys, or lead being found in paint or dyes, it's hard to know what is really safe to play with. American (or Canadian or European) made wooden toys are safe, and are generally not painted, or are painted with lead-free paint. Buying from small, local manufacturers supports small business and ensures you know exactly what is in the toys you're buying.
They LAST.
So many plastic toys are flimsy. Throw them down the stairs once or step on them (as children do from time to time) and they're broken and have to be thrown out. Wooden toys are very durable and will last through being mistreated. They can be passed down from child to child and even down generations. They'll still look just as nice as they ever did, requiring little more than a fresh coat of paint, if that.
They foster CREATIVITY.
Many of the plastic toys have one function. There are a thousand plastic dolls out there: some eat, some wet, some are "sick," some are for dress-up, etc. There are toys that play a song if a button is pressed. But once this function has been thoroughly investigated, the toy is useless and typically tossed aside. Wooden toys, however, don't have just one use. In fact, they don't "do" anything. They require children to play their own games and use their imagination to play. A single doll can be any number of different things! A kitchen set or a rocking horse can be many different things, too. A rocking horse could be "just a horse," or it could be a cowboy's trusty mate, a police officer's way to get around, or not a horse at all -- perhaps a zebra or something foreign! Children today need a chance to have their imagination stimulated.
They help ATTENTION SPAN.
When a toy fosters creativity, children play with it longer. They rehearse their lives and come up with elaborate games to play with the toys. Children who are constantly surrounded by beeping, flashing, single-function toys will go rapidly from toy to toy as they become bored. If this is constant their attention spans will be short because they are used to getting bored with things quickly. (TV has also been blamed for causing this.)
There are other great articles about wooden toys:
Benefits of Wooden Toys
Safe and Natural Wooden Toys
Now, how can you enter to win the wooden toys above?
1. Leave a comment below (with your name, not anonymous) about why you would like to win the toys and/or why you think wooden toys are good
2. Visit CSN Baby and tell me what other wooden toys you think your family would enjoy (future giveaway...?)
3. Subscribe to me via RSS or email (or tell me that you already do).
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway.
6. Email this giveaway to 5 friends, or post about it on Facebook.
Please leave each entry in a SEPARATE comment. So if you do 1, 2, and 4, you must three different comments! I will use Random.org to generate a number and then whichever comment that is (numbered from first received to last) will be the winner! There are 6 possible entries!
The giveaway closes at 12 AM EST on Tuesday, February 23rd. I will announce the winner at 8 PM Wednesday, February 24th. The winner needs to contact me via email by Friday, February 26th with his/her full name and mailing address to claim the prize.
Thanks, and good luck!!
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Today, we have an awesome giveaway! It's sponsored by CSN Stores. They have a number of great websites, like their Mailboxes site. However, today's giveaway is from CSNBaby and is a prize package of wooden toys! Here they are:
If you would like to win, there will be ways to enter at the end of the post. But first, why wooden toys?
These days, when plastic toys (complete with batteries, music, and flashing lights) are the most common playthings, wooden toys have taken a back seat. But wooden toys used to be the only type of toys children had. With all the new options (which, with their bright colors, look so appealing in the store and on TV), why would we want to go back to wood?
Wooden toys have MANY great benefits.
They are SAFE.
With many plastic toys coming out of China and new scares everyday about BPA and other chemicals being found in toys, or lead being found in paint or dyes, it's hard to know what is really safe to play with. American (or Canadian or European) made wooden toys are safe, and are generally not painted, or are painted with lead-free paint. Buying from small, local manufacturers supports small business and ensures you know exactly what is in the toys you're buying.
They LAST.
So many plastic toys are flimsy. Throw them down the stairs once or step on them (as children do from time to time) and they're broken and have to be thrown out. Wooden toys are very durable and will last through being mistreated. They can be passed down from child to child and even down generations. They'll still look just as nice as they ever did, requiring little more than a fresh coat of paint, if that.
They foster CREATIVITY.
Many of the plastic toys have one function. There are a thousand plastic dolls out there: some eat, some wet, some are "sick," some are for dress-up, etc. There are toys that play a song if a button is pressed. But once this function has been thoroughly investigated, the toy is useless and typically tossed aside. Wooden toys, however, don't have just one use. In fact, they don't "do" anything. They require children to play their own games and use their imagination to play. A single doll can be any number of different things! A kitchen set or a rocking horse can be many different things, too. A rocking horse could be "just a horse," or it could be a cowboy's trusty mate, a police officer's way to get around, or not a horse at all -- perhaps a zebra or something foreign! Children today need a chance to have their imagination stimulated.
They help ATTENTION SPAN.
When a toy fosters creativity, children play with it longer. They rehearse their lives and come up with elaborate games to play with the toys. Children who are constantly surrounded by beeping, flashing, single-function toys will go rapidly from toy to toy as they become bored. If this is constant their attention spans will be short because they are used to getting bored with things quickly. (TV has also been blamed for causing this.)
There are other great articles about wooden toys:
Benefits of Wooden Toys
Safe and Natural Wooden Toys
Now, how can you enter to win the wooden toys above?
1. Leave a comment below (with your name, not anonymous) about why you would like to win the toys and/or why you think wooden toys are good
2. Visit CSN Baby and tell me what other wooden toys you think your family would enjoy (future giveaway...?)
3. Subscribe to me via RSS or email (or tell me that you already do).
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway.
6. Email this giveaway to 5 friends, or post about it on Facebook.
Please leave each entry in a SEPARATE comment. So if you do 1, 2, and 4, you must three different comments! I will use Random.org to generate a number and then whichever comment that is (numbered from first received to last) will be the winner! There are 6 possible entries!
The giveaway closes at 12 AM EST on Tuesday, February 23rd. I will announce the winner at 8 PM Wednesday, February 24th. The winner needs to contact me via email by Friday, February 26th with his/her full name and mailing address to claim the prize.
Thanks, and good luck!!
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Baby Steps in the Kitchen, Part 2
**We've moved!!**
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family and Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop!**
Time for the next three Baby Steps in the Kitchen! I've decided to do all the kitchen posts on Saturdays because I have a feeling that kitchen baby steps are going to be the most popular. On Tuesdays I'll be doing the other Baby Steps posts (personal care, cleaning products, etc.). Look for the first one in the personal care series coming up this Tuesday!!
In case you missed the first three Baby Steps, check it out here! Then come back and read this one. :)
Now, here are my "4, 5, and 6" steps to healthier eating:
4) Replace white sugar with healthier alternatives (sucanat, raw honey, rapidura)
5) Get rid of aluminum cookware
6) Buy good milk, or milk substitute (coconut milk)
Why these?
White sugar is in ALL our food (that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup, that is). It's in all the cakes, candies, cereals.... We eat WAY too much sugar, in general. Think about the recipes you bake at home -- many quick bread and cake recipes call for 2 cups of sugar! This much is just not necessary (did you know that in a lot of recipes, you can simply reduce the sugar by up to half without replacing it with anything and the recipe will still turn out well?), and white sugar is completely devoid of nutrients. It's awful, awful stuff. But right now I'm not going to ask you to cut sugar out of your diet -- yet. Instead, reach for a healthier alternative. Real maple syrup, raw honey, and sucanat are the best options. Rapidura is also very good. Turbinado sugar is not bad. Blackstrap molasses are good, but of course have a strong, unique flavor. When you're buying sugar next time, select a different variety. Try putting honey in your tea, maple syrup in your coffee. Use Rapidura or sucanat for baking (and if you remember, use a little less!). You'll feel better for it.
Aluminum is a huge problem. It's a metal that we don't need in our bodies at all, and which can cause serious health problems over time. When we use it for cookware, the metal leaches into our food and gets into our body. Most people who have some aluminum cookware also have cookware that isn't aluminum, and cookware that doesn't contain aluminum is easy to obtain. (It's also a good idea to get rid of any cookware that is coated with Teflon, but we'll get to that later.) We recently threw out a couple of pans that were bad, but most of our cookware was safe. OLD cookware is what you need to look out for now.
Milk is a big problem, in modern times. Unfortunately, it's all pasteurized (a process that was invented to purify beer and other alcohol, NOT milk) and homogenized (which breaks down the fat molecules into a size and shape that our body doesn't recognize). The factory farmed dairy cows are also very sick, given hormones (that is slowly changing), poor diet, and the milk they produce is unhealthy to begin with (which is why it needs pasteurized). Something else to consider is that calcium in this milk is not really useable by the body, so the argument "but you have to drink milk to get calcium!" is really moot. However, there are other options. You can buy milk that is non-homogenized, low-temp pasteurized, and grass-fed. Raw milk is even better (but not easy to obtain in many areas). Raw milk can be obtained by purchasing a share in a herd of cows, or by purchasing it for "pet use." These are common now. One caution: many brands of organic milk are "ultrapasteurized," which is even worse for you -- don't buy that! If you don't want to or can't buy good cow's milk, goat milk or coconut milk are very good options. We use coconut milk, which contains medium-chain fatty acids and a lot of great nutrients.
Those are my next three baby steps! Right now I have 24, so expect this series to continue for at least another 6 weeks.
What are your next three steps? Have you started on any of these? What do you think?
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family and Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop!**
Time for the next three Baby Steps in the Kitchen! I've decided to do all the kitchen posts on Saturdays because I have a feeling that kitchen baby steps are going to be the most popular. On Tuesdays I'll be doing the other Baby Steps posts (personal care, cleaning products, etc.). Look for the first one in the personal care series coming up this Tuesday!!
In case you missed the first three Baby Steps, check it out here! Then come back and read this one. :)
Now, here are my "4, 5, and 6" steps to healthier eating:
4) Replace white sugar with healthier alternatives (sucanat, raw honey, rapidura)
5) Get rid of aluminum cookware
6) Buy good milk, or milk substitute (coconut milk)
Why these?
White sugar is in ALL our food (that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup, that is). It's in all the cakes, candies, cereals.... We eat WAY too much sugar, in general. Think about the recipes you bake at home -- many quick bread and cake recipes call for 2 cups of sugar! This much is just not necessary (did you know that in a lot of recipes, you can simply reduce the sugar by up to half without replacing it with anything and the recipe will still turn out well?), and white sugar is completely devoid of nutrients. It's awful, awful stuff. But right now I'm not going to ask you to cut sugar out of your diet -- yet. Instead, reach for a healthier alternative. Real maple syrup, raw honey, and sucanat are the best options. Rapidura is also very good. Turbinado sugar is not bad. Blackstrap molasses are good, but of course have a strong, unique flavor. When you're buying sugar next time, select a different variety. Try putting honey in your tea, maple syrup in your coffee. Use Rapidura or sucanat for baking (and if you remember, use a little less!). You'll feel better for it.
Aluminum is a huge problem. It's a metal that we don't need in our bodies at all, and which can cause serious health problems over time. When we use it for cookware, the metal leaches into our food and gets into our body. Most people who have some aluminum cookware also have cookware that isn't aluminum, and cookware that doesn't contain aluminum is easy to obtain. (It's also a good idea to get rid of any cookware that is coated with Teflon, but we'll get to that later.) We recently threw out a couple of pans that were bad, but most of our cookware was safe. OLD cookware is what you need to look out for now.
Milk is a big problem, in modern times. Unfortunately, it's all pasteurized (a process that was invented to purify beer and other alcohol, NOT milk) and homogenized (which breaks down the fat molecules into a size and shape that our body doesn't recognize). The factory farmed dairy cows are also very sick, given hormones (that is slowly changing), poor diet, and the milk they produce is unhealthy to begin with (which is why it needs pasteurized). Something else to consider is that calcium in this milk is not really useable by the body, so the argument "but you have to drink milk to get calcium!" is really moot. However, there are other options. You can buy milk that is non-homogenized, low-temp pasteurized, and grass-fed. Raw milk is even better (but not easy to obtain in many areas). Raw milk can be obtained by purchasing a share in a herd of cows, or by purchasing it for "pet use." These are common now. One caution: many brands of organic milk are "ultrapasteurized," which is even worse for you -- don't buy that! If you don't want to or can't buy good cow's milk, goat milk or coconut milk are very good options. We use coconut milk, which contains medium-chain fatty acids and a lot of great nutrients.
Those are my next three baby steps! Right now I have 24, so expect this series to continue for at least another 6 weeks.
What are your next three steps? Have you started on any of these? What do you think?
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Daily Attitude
**We've moved!!**
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Today I read a great post over at Raising Arrows called "The Me Time Myth." I suggest going over there to read that post before you read this one. I'll wait. :)
Okay, now. I'm betting a lot of you disagree with it. But I don't. I think it's very right, and very important. Who we are isn't the person we are in the small stolen moments. Who we are isn't who we wish to be once all the "work" is done (especially as a parent!). Who we are is what we do everyday, all day long. And that's how it should be. If you don't like what you do everyday, what you surround yourself with -- change that. But having a mindset of needing to escape from it to be "yourself" is going to lead to frustration and anger.
I've found that most of the time, I enjoy including my kids in my daily activities. I might want to go out to lunch with a friend, spend time cooking, go shopping, etc. But I enjoy bringing my kids with me. I often choose to even when I don't "have" to (like when Ben is home). I like having them with me and involved in my activities, in general.
There are times when having my children with me isn't a good idea. Such as, if I'm cooking with knives or when I was teaching and needed to pay attention to my student. It's one of the reasons I closed the business -- I did not like feeling under pressure and like I needed my children to "go away" for awhile. It made me angry and frustrated with them. I didn't like feeling that way, so I needed to step away. It's why I try not to take on time-sensitive projects too often, because life is unpredictable with children and they need me first.
So, I suggest to you, our attitude should be joyful towards our daily routine. We should enjoy doing laundry, cooking, shopping, and caring for our children. Not all moments will be joyful, obviously (like when dinner's boiling over, the phone is ringing, and all the children are screaming) but we should attempt to enjoy WHY we are doing them. We are raising children and that is the biggest and best job ever!
Like Amy, every time I feel like I need some "me" time, I'm impatient to get away from my family and get away from the day-to-day activities. I'm short with them and angry that they need me so much. I'm not joyful and purposeful in the way I care for them anymore. I don't like being that way.
Instead of seeking "me" time, I need to focus on the activities that need done everyday, and give them all my attention and loving care. I honestly feel that most people don't think this way. Most people believe strongly that everyone needs time alone. But unless you're taking a few quiet moments to pray, you shouldn't need time alone. Your time should be spent with your family and your friends, blessing them. You shouldn't try to minimize parenting by hoping your kids will go away and play alone so you can work on a project, or hoping they'll go to bed early every night so you can watch TV or take a bath. If it works out that you happen to get some time alone, that's great, but your parenting should be based on your family's needs first, not your own. That is selfish and that is not how God treats us.
Ben and I both seem to have a different perspective on this, honestly. Ben believes in "me" time. This has led to some fights. He will want to go out by himself and say "Well, I encourage you to go too! You just never do!" And I do go out, usually during the day, and I almost always take at least one child with me. And I don't mind doing that, until Ben says "But you SHOULD have time to yourself!" It just isn't feasible right now, with a nursing infant. But when he says it then I suddenly feel the 'stress' of not having the time to myself, that I suddenly feel like I am entitled to it. It seems unfair to me that Ben should get this time and I don't. Then we fight because Ben desperately wants to get away and believes we're both entitled, and I come to feel that way too. Instead, we need to focus on our family first and finding joy in being together and doing what needs to be done instead of those rare times when we can "escape."
I'm not saying any of this because I'm perfect. On bad days I feel the need to escape too. But it needs to be a quiet moment in prayer and a deep breath, with the intention of diving back in, not pulling away. I'm trying to remember this everyday. I hope all of you can feel calm and fulfilled by your daily lives (at least most of the time!).
Take delight in the people around you instead of seeking the elusive "me time." Family time is what you really need.
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Today I read a great post over at Raising Arrows called "The Me Time Myth." I suggest going over there to read that post before you read this one. I'll wait. :)
Okay, now. I'm betting a lot of you disagree with it. But I don't. I think it's very right, and very important. Who we are isn't the person we are in the small stolen moments. Who we are isn't who we wish to be once all the "work" is done (especially as a parent!). Who we are is what we do everyday, all day long. And that's how it should be. If you don't like what you do everyday, what you surround yourself with -- change that. But having a mindset of needing to escape from it to be "yourself" is going to lead to frustration and anger.
I've found that most of the time, I enjoy including my kids in my daily activities. I might want to go out to lunch with a friend, spend time cooking, go shopping, etc. But I enjoy bringing my kids with me. I often choose to even when I don't "have" to (like when Ben is home). I like having them with me and involved in my activities, in general.
There are times when having my children with me isn't a good idea. Such as, if I'm cooking with knives or when I was teaching and needed to pay attention to my student. It's one of the reasons I closed the business -- I did not like feeling under pressure and like I needed my children to "go away" for awhile. It made me angry and frustrated with them. I didn't like feeling that way, so I needed to step away. It's why I try not to take on time-sensitive projects too often, because life is unpredictable with children and they need me first.
So, I suggest to you, our attitude should be joyful towards our daily routine. We should enjoy doing laundry, cooking, shopping, and caring for our children. Not all moments will be joyful, obviously (like when dinner's boiling over, the phone is ringing, and all the children are screaming) but we should attempt to enjoy WHY we are doing them. We are raising children and that is the biggest and best job ever!
Like Amy, every time I feel like I need some "me" time, I'm impatient to get away from my family and get away from the day-to-day activities. I'm short with them and angry that they need me so much. I'm not joyful and purposeful in the way I care for them anymore. I don't like being that way.
Instead of seeking "me" time, I need to focus on the activities that need done everyday, and give them all my attention and loving care. I honestly feel that most people don't think this way. Most people believe strongly that everyone needs time alone. But unless you're taking a few quiet moments to pray, you shouldn't need time alone. Your time should be spent with your family and your friends, blessing them. You shouldn't try to minimize parenting by hoping your kids will go away and play alone so you can work on a project, or hoping they'll go to bed early every night so you can watch TV or take a bath. If it works out that you happen to get some time alone, that's great, but your parenting should be based on your family's needs first, not your own. That is selfish and that is not how God treats us.
Ben and I both seem to have a different perspective on this, honestly. Ben believes in "me" time. This has led to some fights. He will want to go out by himself and say "Well, I encourage you to go too! You just never do!" And I do go out, usually during the day, and I almost always take at least one child with me. And I don't mind doing that, until Ben says "But you SHOULD have time to yourself!" It just isn't feasible right now, with a nursing infant. But when he says it then I suddenly feel the 'stress' of not having the time to myself, that I suddenly feel like I am entitled to it. It seems unfair to me that Ben should get this time and I don't. Then we fight because Ben desperately wants to get away and believes we're both entitled, and I come to feel that way too. Instead, we need to focus on our family first and finding joy in being together and doing what needs to be done instead of those rare times when we can "escape."
I'm not saying any of this because I'm perfect. On bad days I feel the need to escape too. But it needs to be a quiet moment in prayer and a deep breath, with the intention of diving back in, not pulling away. I'm trying to remember this everyday. I hope all of you can feel calm and fulfilled by your daily lives (at least most of the time!).
Take delight in the people around you instead of seeking the elusive "me time." Family time is what you really need.
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Guest Post (Again)!
**We've moved!!**
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
As you know, I was a music teacher before I had kids (private teaching). Today I have a guest post on music education for homeschooling families over at Raising Arrows, Amy's blog. Head over there and check it out!
While you're there, read more of Amy's blog. She has a lot of great information on parenting a large family (she has 5 kids and is expecting again), Biblical training, homeschooling, and lots more! Her blog is one of my recent finds but I'm really enjoying it. I feel like she is where I hope to be in 10 years!
I'm really excited about the opportunity to have a guest post there!
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
As you know, I was a music teacher before I had kids (private teaching). Today I have a guest post on music education for homeschooling families over at Raising Arrows, Amy's blog. Head over there and check it out!
While you're there, read more of Amy's blog. She has a lot of great information on parenting a large family (she has 5 kids and is expecting again), Biblical training, homeschooling, and lots more! Her blog is one of my recent finds but I'm really enjoying it. I feel like she is where I hope to be in 10 years!
I'm really excited about the opportunity to have a guest post there!
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Coconut Chocolate Muffins
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Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post is linked to Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker's blog!**
At the moment, we're grain-free, so we were really missing bread. I borrowed the original version of this recipe from Ann Marie at Cheeseslave, then made a few changes to suit our tastes and allergies (we can't do blueberries). I believe she found the recipe in Bruce Fife's Cooking with Coconut Flour: A Delicious, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Alternative to Wheat. I haven't read the book yet myself, but I'd like to!
Our result was pretty yummy! Bekah LOVES them and eats 8 or 9 per day (I made mini-muffins so that's not as much as it sounds like). Here it is:
Ingredients:
6 eggs, pastured and at room temperature
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. raw honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. coconut flour
1/4 c. raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Directions:
Cream together honey and coconut oil. Blend in coconut milk, then eggs (if eggs are cold, you will get lumps of coconut oil mix throughout your batter). Add vanilla and salt, stir. Add cacao and stir in, then add coconut flour and baking soda and mix thoroughly (some suggest mixing the dry ingredients separately, but I'm too lazy).
Bake at 400 for 15 min. Or, 10 minutes for mini-muffins. This will make one dozen regular muffins, and 3 dozen or so mini muffins.
These are super nutrient dense, too, without being too sweet and totally grain-free! Coconut is great for you, and so is raw cacao.
Bonus recipe!!
Okay, most of you will NEVER try this. But Bekah loves this. It is "candy" she can have.
Ingredients:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (99% pure cacao)
3/4 c. coconut oil
1 vanilla bean, scraped out
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes (opt.)
1 tsp. mint extract (opt.)
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and coconut oil over low heat. Add the caviar (the part you scraped out) from the vanilla bean. Stir until smooth and mixed. Add coconut flakes and/or mint extract if desired. Pour into a small pan (8x8 or smaller) and freeze for 20 - 30 minutes or until hard. Store, covered, in the fridge.
This is completely unsweetened candy. Super nutrient-dense, super rich. Most of us couldn't stomach it because it is really bitter. But for those who don't have much of a sweet tooth, this is pretty good. You could also add 2 - 3 tbsp. raw honey if you'd like a lightly sweet candy. But it is smooth, rich, and very interesting unsweetened. :)
Our result was pretty yummy! Bekah LOVES them and eats 8 or 9 per day (I made mini-muffins so that's not as much as it sounds like). Here it is:
Ingredients:
6 eggs, pastured and at room temperature
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. raw honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. coconut flour
1/4 c. raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Directions:
Cream together honey and coconut oil. Blend in coconut milk, then eggs (if eggs are cold, you will get lumps of coconut oil mix throughout your batter). Add vanilla and salt, stir. Add cacao and stir in, then add coconut flour and baking soda and mix thoroughly (some suggest mixing the dry ingredients separately, but I'm too lazy).
Bake at 400 for 15 min. Or, 10 minutes for mini-muffins. This will make one dozen regular muffins, and 3 dozen or so mini muffins.
These are super nutrient dense, too, without being too sweet and totally grain-free! Coconut is great for you, and so is raw cacao.
Bonus recipe!!
Okay, most of you will NEVER try this. But Bekah loves this. It is "candy" she can have.
Ingredients:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (99% pure cacao)
3/4 c. coconut oil
1 vanilla bean, scraped out
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes (opt.)
1 tsp. mint extract (opt.)
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and coconut oil over low heat. Add the caviar (the part you scraped out) from the vanilla bean. Stir until smooth and mixed. Add coconut flakes and/or mint extract if desired. Pour into a small pan (8x8 or smaller) and freeze for 20 - 30 minutes or until hard. Store, covered, in the fridge.
This is completely unsweetened candy. Super nutrient-dense, super rich. Most of us couldn't stomach it because it is really bitter. But for those who don't have much of a sweet tooth, this is pretty good. You could also add 2 - 3 tbsp. raw honey if you'd like a lightly sweet candy. But it is smooth, rich, and very interesting unsweetened. :)
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Ash Wednesday
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Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Today is Ash Wednesday, which is a really, really important holiday for Christians.
Although we celebrate Christmas every year, Jesus never actually commanded us to celebrate His birth. He did, however, command us to celebrate His death and resurrection. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, which are the 40 days in preparation for Easter, Christ's resurrection. This is THE holiday for Christians! Jesus died on the Cross to save us, and then rose from the dead -- amazing!
Over the next 40 days, we are called to spend time in prayer, reflecting on Christ's sacrifice for us. Many people have days where they fast during Lent. Catholics do not eat meat on Ash Wednesday or Fridays (I grew up Catholic). Many also choose something else to give up -- specific foods, special activities, etc. These are as a reminder to pray and feel Christ's pain.
There are many good blogs that will be following Lent very closely, including Kitchen Stewardship.
What will you be doing during Lent? How do you celebrate? Say a prayer today for Jesus' sacrifice.
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Today is Ash Wednesday, which is a really, really important holiday for Christians.
Although we celebrate Christmas every year, Jesus never actually commanded us to celebrate His birth. He did, however, command us to celebrate His death and resurrection. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, which are the 40 days in preparation for Easter, Christ's resurrection. This is THE holiday for Christians! Jesus died on the Cross to save us, and then rose from the dead -- amazing!
Over the next 40 days, we are called to spend time in prayer, reflecting on Christ's sacrifice for us. Many people have days where they fast during Lent. Catholics do not eat meat on Ash Wednesday or Fridays (I grew up Catholic). Many also choose something else to give up -- specific foods, special activities, etc. These are as a reminder to pray and feel Christ's pain.
There are many good blogs that will be following Lent very closely, including Kitchen Stewardship.
What will you be doing during Lent? How do you celebrate? Say a prayer today for Jesus' sacrifice.
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
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