Are You Going To Eat That?

Sorry about this video being a little off. I was totally stressed out when I made this so my mind was not as focused as preferred haha

Did you consume your placenta? How did you do it? Did you find it helped you?

Vitamins and Supplements: What we take and how we approach them

 I get asked often if we take any vitamins or supplements. What I take, who takes what in our house, and what am I taking while I'm pregnant. Now that i have a bit of time, I wanted to answer these!

 I'm sorry if you can't watch videos, or if they aren't your cup of tea, but I really like them because they are easier for me. You can expect posts like these to have both video and written parts to them. I'll keep them simple and to the point though.

So to start, yes we do take vitamins in our house. A lot of thought and research goes into our health decisions, and we are always learning new things, so sometimes new items get added or taken away. I'm going to explain more in the video below of what I take/took at different stages of the year and situations for our whole family and why, but here, I will give you a brief list of what we are all currently taking.

For Myself: I take a prenatal vitamin called baby and me herb free by mega food. It's completely natural, gluten free, vegetarian,testing free,soy free, dairy free, farm fresh, and GMO free. I also take vitamin D3,  a 7 billion c.f.u probiotic and a natural vitamin C vitamin.

For Mackynzie: She takes an organic children's multi vitamin called yummy bears organics. They are gluten, dairy, gelatin, and GMO free. (She gets one per day unless fighting a cold or something.). She also takes a childrens natural vitamin D3, and a children's 3 million c.f.u probiotic.

For Cody: He takes the same vitamin C supplement as me, and sometimes a natural multi vitamin, but not often.

For maintaining overall health though, we all make sure to incorporate certain foods daily though, so I would consider it just as important and in the same category as vitamins and supplements. We fully believe you should try your very best to get all your nutrients and vitamins from real food sources (I'll explain why we choose to take vitamins on top of it, in the video below.). We incorporate the following into our diet daily (and we do our best to keep it up as a daily routine!) :

1) dark leafy greens, almost always lightly cooked and paired with a healthy fat (why do we do this?). We consume these in smoothie form- or sometimes. I pre cook leafy greens and blend them all in a huge batch with a healthy fat such as coconut oil or ghee, then place them in ice cube trays. Once frozen I place the cubes in a baggy. We pop 2-3 cubes in either a smoothie or a natural juice like mango or orange for quick greens. (turns into green orange juice, taste is not altered.) Some vegetable heavy days we may skip the green cubes, but most of the time we are busy and need them. Remember how important it is to rotate your greens and not eat too much of the same for a period of time.

2) Home made bone broth. Packed full of nutrients and is just such a super food in itself. We try to consume every day. Either hot with salt and pepper like tea, or incorporated into cooking.

3) healthy fats like coconut oil or avocados. both simple to add and super important for me while I'm pregnant. (I will even mix a spoon full of coconut oil into my hot tea or hot cocoa treat. I'll either snack on an avocado half or add half to my green juice.)

4) *personal preference* We like to have plain Greek yogurt daily for calcium, probiotics and protein. I mix our probiotic into our yogurt.

**Look out for the hilarious photo bomber. Seriously This guy constantly makes me laugh! **


 So that's the basic run down of what we do with vitamins and supplements. Hope it was informative !

Get Up and Get Out!

 Its so beautiful outside! We have been soaking up lots of vitamin D, but not nearly as much as I would like us to. It's been raining lots here, but we have periods in the afternoons between rain that look like this. Warm, sunny and everything smells like fresh dirt. I love that rain smell.

 I started to kick my butt back into gear in the cardio department. I do lots of things like yoga, and specific body area workouts, but I know my cardio has not been where it needs to be. So I started running a bit, doing Zumba again, and jumping rope. <--- I turn on an entertaining show or movie and go. I find I do so much better with a good distraction. The workout becomes sort of mechanical for me.

 Funny how I find myself saying "man I need more energy." or "I want some more hours in the day!" and then I realise that the solution to those is getting up early and working out every.damn.day.

******

This little girl is getting so big. I have found myself slightly panicked to get on top of all the things I want to start with her. Well, more accurately, she is so darn smart and hungry for knowledge that I wasn't/am not quite prepared to feed her desires how i would like to. I think I will have to just let this one work into our days though. She is young still and ensuring that I stop and turn things into a learning opportunity, will give her exactly what she needs before her school years. I do want to step it up a little though.

 I don't think rigid pre-school plans are the right fit for our family, but I want to find something a little more structured than unschooling I think. Do I have any home schoolers here? Feel free to give me some pointers, i'm always open for new information.

 I love that summer is filled with lots of opportunities to explore. We were frog hunting yesterday evening and it was absolutely perfect.

Bye-Bye Laundry Piles: Sharing my tips on how I stay on top of the load

 We all have it. For many of us, it's on our floors, scattered on random surfaces, or piled on favorite seats that never get to be sat on. It can be tedious, and some have piles that fill rooms!

Laundry.

 I have tried many things in my laundry experience, to try and make things run more smoothly. Labels, 8 baskets, you know. I think I finally have something that works REALLY well. No more piles of clean or dirty, no more sorting for an hour. It might not work for your family, but I think it should work for very near everyone. I always forget to share cleaning tips and whatnot, and especially since we are eco friendly/no chemicals, I plan to do my best to share more on this topic.

 Anyway, laundry. So it's actually insanely simple (maybe that's why it works so well). Here is what I do:

Each family member has their own basket (I use the colorful 5 dollar rubber totes with handles from walmart. We all have a different color.) I also have a basket for my linens/towels and one for my 'extra dirty' (clothes I use to clean bathrooms, rags, Cody's work pants, anything that touched something that came out of a dog..) 

 Everyone goes about putting anything they wear in their baskets, and anything else goes to their proper baskets. 

When a basket is full, I throw a load in. I wash everything in the basket. No sorting colors. It all goes in. *gasp*(don't worry, there is more.) I wash on cold to accommodate our clothing type and also to be more green. 

To keep colors from running or fading, put 1/2 a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. It's really that easy! I promise you it works and everything stays it's own color. And Mackynzie and I recently went on a big shopping trip so our clothes are very new. THIS is the big secret. Eliminates a whole bunch of steps!

  I wash towels/linens in warm with a cold rinse, and my 'gross' in hot (but usually change it to warm mid fill up because  it's hot enough.)

  I also  wash nearly everything inside out. This keeps color better and protects things like designs and buttons. I highly recommend it. I don't flip jeans or socks/underwear. 

 I have 6 wool dryer balls that knock my dryer time easily in half. They also eliminate the need for dryer sheets and keep clothes fluffy, wrinkle-free and soft. In the summer I try to line dry often, but don't care for that crunchy feeling clothes get, so afterwards I pop them in the dryer for 5 minutes with the dryer balls and they feel normal.

Got wrinkles? No need to iron. Throw everything that is wrinkled in the dryer (preferably use balls, but you don't need to) along with a damp cloth and turn on for something like 10 minutes. Take out and hang immediately  Hang up the ironing board ;).

I wash with an Eco friendly soap called Ecos. There are tons of great Eco options out there. 

I also make a home made linen spray for my whole house. I spray on clothes (once put away. I'll even open drawers and give em a spray.), carpets, furniture... anything with fabric. It both disinfects, calms and smells great!

Linen Spray:

-Spray bottle filled with warm water 

-1/4 cup (I just leave the neck empty and fill it up or put about and inch or a little less depending on bottle size.) of vodka or peroxide/rubbing Alcohol.

- 10-25 drops of your favorite essential oil. Lavender is great. I have a sweet orange in mine right now.

-shake up and spray away!

Add a couple drops of essential oil to your drier balls for added scent as well. OR spray rags with vinegar/essential oil and throw a sheet in per load. Bam. Natural dryer sheet.

One of my biggest tips? Do an ENTIRE load at once. Wash it, dry it, and put it away right away. It keeps things easy and doesn't seem daunting at all. Keeps your house free from crazy laundry piles and stops you from collecting baskets of clean laundry. Try it. You will feel so much better, I promise!  

The one basket thing also allows each family member (even toddlers!) to easily put away their own clothes.

I hope this helped someone. 

Happy Laundering! 

Starting a Day with Beauty and Happiness

Good morning to a beautiful day!

  I am really enjoying my yoga practice. I can't even tell you all the benefits it has given me. If I go a day or period without yoga it is a night and day difference. It really makes you appreciate the beauty that is always right in front of you. 

 I am by far an amazing bendy yoga lady, but i'm working on it. Slowly. I am learning how to work with and trust my body. Right now I'm working on getting up on my hands and head. Good thing it's called a practice.

 Starting each day with my practice and with focus is the difference between a 'meh' day and a great day. Whether you practice yoga or not, start your day with invigorating exercise! Go for a run, hang out with your favorite fitness dvd, go for a brisk walk. You will thank yourself. Especially later that night as your sitting on your couch thinking 'ha! I already worked out today! BAM.'.

I hope you all have an incredible day, no matter what you're doing. Each day brings us the opportunity to be the best day. We just need to make the choice of whether or not to see it that way.

Fill up your cups my friends.

Namaste!

Food and Health and My Take

 I don't know what it is about blogging about food that I don't particularly like... I think maybe it's because it's time consuming. I do love to share certain recipes etc, but I don't know that I could commit to talking about food daily. (but who knows, right?)

 Throughout this journey to a healthy life, food is always such a heavy weight. There are a million questions, opinions and answers. It can feel incredibly overwhelming, and leave you guiltily reaching for less than ideal foods. Then there are those cravings. Those horrid cravings that make you feel like a beast. The good news though? It really doesn't need to be like anything mentioned above. At all. In fact, if you let it, food can be a wonderful experience and make you feel like a new person at the same time.

  I have done a lot of trial and error when it comes to food. I have eaten a diet that would be considered healthy based on the standard western diet.I have eaten a very unhealthy diet. I have been Paleo. I have been vegan. Vegan and gluten free. Now, I am moving (and almost there full throttle again.) back to a Paleo diet.

 I have poured so much worry and stress over what I put into our bodies. I have cried and had moments of 'does it really matter anyway? Can't I just close my eyes and do what's easy?'. The bottom Line I have come to is this:  Food matters. It is crucial that we care what we put into our bodies. Food is not made the same as it was years ago, and just because it looks or says its healthy, doesn't mean it is. The work we put into our food pays off-big time, and it really doesn't need to feel like work. It can be easy. Anyone can eat healthy, and everyone can reap the benefits.

 After being sick and tired of  stressing and wondering about food, I sat down with a pen and a notebook and wrote. I asked myself questions like: What do I want from the food I eat? What is important to me when it comes to food? What do I want to accomplish with the food I eat?

My answer to those questions was this: I want to eat for my body. I want to listen to what it tells me. I want to eat good food when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I want to eat in a way that keeps me fit and strong (Physically, mentally and immune wise.). I also want to indulge now and then, but not make a habit of it (and not want to either.). I want to eat food that nourishes me, fills me up, makes me feel good, maintains a healthy body shape, satisfies me and tastes good, and be simple and relatively care-free. I want to eat food that is very healthy, while still being practical to my lifestyle (aka easy.). I want to eat minimal grains and minimal dairy. And finally, that I eat to sustain MY metabolism and body needs.

 That's quite a list, isn't it? When you really look at it though, it's very simple. Best of all, its very easy to accomplish.

The most important thing to focus on is what works for you. Not what you feel like doing- don't use 'what works for you' as an excuse to hide under. My body's needs are my own. They are not the same as my husband's, or my daughter's, or of that gorgeous woman with the six pack abs. I may need a little more of this, and a little less of that. And if you listen to your body (Your taste buds and cravings tell you a lot!) you can figure it out with no problem.  Just to throw out an example, I need to have a higher calorie intake because I am nursing (same goes for if you were thinking about/trying to conceive or already preg.). I also need to eat for the work outs and exercises that I do ( Also the body type I have/am aiming for.)

For my personal needs (and through all the research I have done) the paleo diet is the best choice for me. These are my personal beliefs on food that I wrote down with my list:
   Food is to nourish and fill you. It's not for fun, and it's not something to do (but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy what you do eat, or cooking it.). Eat plenty/as many as you want  of vegetables and fruits (with the veggies outweighing.). My body needs a high protein diet, but I dont care for red meats and want/choose to eat them sparingly. If I want to eat grains- do it- but choose sprouted/soaked 'healthy' grains and do it sparingly. My body needs carbohydrates (complex mostly.) so I need to do my best to get them from sources of foods that are grain free. I need to use my knowledge about food as a guideline, not a rule or source of fear. Stressing about food will get me nowhere that I want to be.

 My biggest advice? Educate yourself about what you are eating. Do what's right for your body (not your BFF's). For the love of god, don't calorie count. And forget about the scale. If you want to keep track of progress, use measurements and before/after photos. It will get you much farther and keep you on your course for the long haul. Move your body. Find something(s) you love and do them. A lot. Be active and learn to love the sweat and burn (I practically get a lady boner just thinking about it.). You choose what you will look and feel like. No one else, so be good to yourself and choose well. (And just because people look buff doing/eating certain things, doesn't mean you will or need to.)

 Create good habits, drink water, get 6-8 hours of sleep, and enjoy the ride. Feel it and love it. You really do only live once, so make it what you want it (it all starts with your health baby!). Be confident and work (and play) hard. It is SO incredibly worth it. And since I've already said it anyway...

YOLO!

There are so many sub topics and what-not about this sort of thing. This is just a basic cover of it. I hope this helps someone find a bit of clarity, relief and/or motivation.



Xxxx

If This is something that is super interesting, I don't mind sharing more at all. Just let me know and I can answer questions etc. I know I have gotten lots of questions about this in the past, so now that I'm on top of answering things, feel free!

Happy world Breastfeeding Week!

 I just wanted to stop by and say happy world breastfeeding week to all you nursing mommies! That also means those of you who have nursed (no matter how long. ). Happy, happy nursing to all of you who know those milky grins, sleeping latches, big full tummies, chunky rolls, and conversations purely through the eyes of you and your sweet little one. And for those of you who read this and nursing didn't work out for you, happy world breastfeeding week to you too. You tried, and you did your best. Every drop of milk is a blessing. I am extremely grateful that I am able to still be nursing my sweet girl at very close to 22 months. I have a lot of people to be thankful of (many of whom I have never met in person!) and can't express in words the amazing rock of support my husband has been and is. If you are a nursing mama and know me, then I am most likely thanking you now. For support, for friendship, and for helping ground me in my instincts to nurse my baby (now toddler!). Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope you all have a beautiful end to your week.

Sunscreen: Finding safe options and maybe a little something you didn't know

 Since the 'official' start of summer is just around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to talk about sun screen.

 We put sun screen on our children and on ourselves because too much sun can cause cancers and sun burns. Any will do, the higher the SPF the better. Slap it on, rub it in, and reapply every two hours or after becoming wet (although they have new 'one application' sun screens now.). That's what people know to be true, right? That's what we are told, that's what everyone does.

  Studies and new scientific findings, however are starting to make parents question their sun protection methods. For example, check out the EWG's article on 'the nine surprising truths of sun screen'. Companies are also changing their labels to 'broad spectrum protection' rather than spf ___, due to skin needing protection from both UVA and UVB rays. When I first started hearing about all this, I was really confused. What the heck would I use if the majority of brands on the shelves contained chemicals that could potentially give me and my baby an increased risk of skin cancer? Why would they sell something with dangerous ingredients that leach into your skin! I was left feeling a lot of mixed emotions on the subject. I talked with friends and family and soon discovered that hardly anyone even knew the dangers of sunscreen. With no one to give advice, I spent the winter reading, thinking, and devising a plan for when the snow melted and the sprinklers came on. I want to share with you the gist of some of the things I learned and what we have decided to use.

I should note that this is still a bit of a work in progress for me, but I am about to share a list with you that I assume will fix my dilemma. Also, if it isn't obvious, I am not a doctor or skin care professional. If you have concerns, you should speak with a dermatologist or trusted health care professional.

 If you haven't read the link posted above yet, I highly suggest you do. Its short, easy to read and to the point, but it can give you a better idea of what I mean by the chemicals. The first thing on my list for protecting our family was natural, simple ways for safe sun exposure. We all need short periods (approx 15 mins) of unprotected sun exposure several times per week, to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D. For times when we will be out for longer periods however, we wear hats, play in the shade when we can, and wear loose/light clothing such as cotton, linen, and hemp (there are many more options) that cover exposed skin.

 When it comes to sunscreen, there are still many options for safe sun protection. Organic brands tend to run fairly pricey for small amounts, which can be a problem for many families (like us!) who have a budget to stick to. The following is a great list that I trust enough to pass on to you. It has been composed by Job description mommy  using the EWG's skin deep cosmetics database.  please visit her web site for more information and details. 

8 safe sunscreens for children and mamas! that you can actually find in the store:

1. Episencial Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, SPF 35, Rated a 2
2. Badger Baby Sunscreen, Chamomile and Calendula, SPF 30+, Rated a 1
3. California Baby No Fragrance Sunscreen Stick, Rated a 1
4. Coppertone Water Babies Pure and Simple Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50, Rated a 2
5. Burt's Bees Baby Bee Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30, Rated a 2
6. Aveeno Baby Natural Protection MineralBlock Face Stick SPF 50+, rated a 2
7. Earth's Best Chemical Free Organic Sunblock, SPF 30+, Rated a 2
8. Alba Botanica Very Emollient, Kids Mineral Protection SPF 30, Rated a 2

Hopefully this makes someone's sun protection search a little bit easier than mine was! 

 Now let's all go soak up some sun!