Date: 1/15/2007 Title: Why use organic?
I firmly believe that love can move mountains. When you hold your first child in your arms and feel the love for that child ooze out from every ounce of your being, you begin to understand that love is a mother’s fuel and it is what keeps her going. After the birth of my first child, I began to question everything and think for myself because I felt so much love for the precious child God blessed me with. I was nursing him, but I knew that I would soon have the responsibility for feeding his little body. I read everything I could get my hands on about nutrition. I wanted to provide the best food for my son’s growing body. From all my research, I quickly learned the importance of eating organic whole-grain food. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered the obvious: organic foods are also extremely important for pregnant and/or nursing mothers who are growing babies. A baby’s system is extremely sensitive to toxins even those toxins found in a mother’s breast milk. Sure organic may cost a bit more, but the benefits are well worth it. Have you ever wondered why the bodies of young girls are maturing earlier and earlier? Have you ever thought about why cancer continues to take the lives of more and more of our loved ones? I’m not trying to scare you, but instead, I’m trying to get you to begin thinking for yourself. I am not a doctor, but I can tell you that if the growth hormones large manufacturing companies give cows, chickens, turkeys, and pigs make them grow abnormally then logically, when our children eat their meat/eggs or drink their milk, they too must be affected by those harmful chemicals. We live in a society that is influenced heavily by marketing ads such as “Got milk?” We think that we are doing well if we as parents give our children milk to drink, but very few of us question what is in the milk we’re giving them. Organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides, antibiotics, or growth hormones. What this means to you is that when you buy organic, you and your family will be enjoying food in its most natural state - free of harmful toxins. If pesticides are meant to kill insects, just imagine what those chemicals do to our bodies, the earth, and living plants and animals that ingest those harmful chemicals! Organic foods benefit not only our bodies but the soil and water too! Our Mother Earth smiles on organic farmers and those of us dedicated to making a difference for our families and the world we live in. Once you’ve made the leap to eating organic whole foods, you will begin to question other things like the ingredients in your baby’s body wash. If you look on the back of the bottle, you will be staring at a long list of harmful chemicals. You may be thinking, “but I don’t eat these products, so how bad can they really be for me? Your skin and your hair absorb these harmful chemicals and known carcinogens. We know this because as consumers we are always looking for products that offer special ingredients that will moisturize and protect our hair and skin. Most skin moisturizers contain phenol carbolic acid, which can cause respiratory failure. They also contain PEG-40, which contains dangerous levels of dioxin and propylene glycol, which studies show can negatively alter brain waves and cause liver and kidney disorders. Would you use the same soap on your sweet baby that you use to wash your car or wash your clothes? You may say that you wouldn’t, but I can tell you that most Americans are doing just that. Most of these products contain sodium lauryl (laureth) sulfate (SLS) and Diethanolamine (DEA), which may have harmful side effects. I can go on and on, but I just want to encourage you to read your labels and think about the choices you are making for your family and how those choices impact not only you but the world we live in. I urge you to look for ingredients with natural, plant-based ingredients. If you are just getting started, don’t get overwhelmed. You can start by simply trying to incorporate organic foods into your family’s diet and beginning to read the labels of the body care products you are buying for your family. You should always buy organic apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, peas, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries. Pick one new food each week to buy organically. Also, start trying to buy all meat, poultry, eggs and dairy organically in order to try and avoid the results of production methods that use supplemental hormones and antibiotics. You don’t have to throw out all existing foods in your pantry and refrigerator and replace them with organic, but if after reading more about foods that have pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics, you want to clean house and start fresh, donate your foods to a local food bank so they don’t go to waste. The same goes for your body care products. Choose a starting place and begin slowly. Start with your baby’s body wash, and more forward. You’ll get there one small step at a time. I truly hope after reading this you are encouraged to read more and do your own research. Conviction counts! I hope this will jump start you into thinking for yourself even if it means opposite of mainstream America. Question everything. Education truly is power.
Date: 1/15/2007 Title: Bosch Kitchen Machines, L'Equip Juicers, & Nutrimill
I decided to add Bosch Kitchen Machines, L'Equip Juicers, & Nutrimills because I'm constantly educating people about these machines and refering them to other people to purchase them. It makes sense that I offer these machines.
As many of you know, Bosch is a well-known European brand. I’ve personally used a Bosch kitchen machine for many years. Once you’ve purchased the Bosch mixer, you can add different attachments that will work with your machine. In other words, you will have just one machine (the base), but it will be able to perform many different jobs for you. I started with the Bosch mixer (which comes with the blender attachment). The mixer is so powerful that it can knead whole grain bread, mix cookies & cakes, and whip cream into butter. You can remove the mixer and replace it with a juicer (for juicing lemons and oranges), a slicer shredder, a food processor, a meat grinder, a pasta attachment, etc… All of the attachments work your one base, so it’s really nice and saves space. When we added Bosch Kitchen Machines, we also added L’Equip Juicers and Nutri-Mills (for grinding your own flours).
We personally own a L’Equip Juicer and LOVE it. We had a Champion and used it for years, but we prefer hands down the L’Equip. It’s so easy to use and the clean up is a breeze. We love carrot, lemon, apple, ginger juice the best! It rocks! Even our 11 month old loves it!
Owning a Nutri-mill is the best way to make your own whole grain breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, etc…. using only the finest, freshest, and most nutrient-rich whole grains. I made a whole meal today for friends that began with whole grain soft wheat (for pastry flour), hard wheat (for making bread), and popping corn (for cornmeal). It was really cool to know that I made my cornbread from scratch beginning with whole grain. I made my sandwich buns starting from whole grain, and I even made my own whole grain lemon poppy seed almond shortbread. I'm not trying to brag. The meal was fairly simple, but I felt so proud when I was done. Most Americans think you buy a box at the grocery store to make cornbread. Most Americans don't know that you can make your favorite goodies by substituting white flour for whole wheat pastry flour, and grinding your own flour just takes minutes. Why grind your own flour fresh? Many reasons, but the most important is that you lose vital nutrients after your whole grain flour has been milled and sitting around in bulk bins at your local health food store or in bags at the supermarket. You can save money by grinding your grain yourself in a Nutrimill and you can guarantee optimal nutrition for your family by milling it yourself. Whole wheat pastry flour that has been sitting on the shelf at your local health food store is rancid. Whole grain flour isdifferent than white flour you buy at the grocery store that has been processed to ensure a long shelf-life. Milling it yourself takes little time and the benefits are endless. Isn't your body wortth it?? (The answer is YES!!!)
Date: 9/16/2006 Title: How do you wash Lunapads (cloth menstural pads)?
Soak or rinse Lunapads in cold water prior to putting them in the washing machine with your regular detergent. Some women add a cleaning agent (such as tea tree oil, Dr. Bronner's soap, or just their regular laundry soap, to name a few) in the soaking process, but this is optional. You can wash them in warm water with your towels and sheets if you don't want to run a separate load – they may also be washed by hand and air-dried. They will shrink somewhat if you put them in the dryer, as they are made from cotton, but it makes them nice and soft! Tip: to get your Lunapads and Lunapanties “extra” clean, every few months throw them in with your regular load when you're not using them (i.e. mid-cycle).
Organic cotton Lunapads are far more prone to staining than darker-colored regular cotton Lunapads. Please remember that stains are simply that: stains – Lunapads are menstrual pads, after all – and are not harmful in any way. If you're very concerned about staining there are many effective non-chlorine based cleaning products available at your local natural foods store. We strongly discourage using chlorine bleach or fabric softeners as it will degrade the quality of the pads and harm the environment.
Date: 9/16/2006 Title: Lunapanties
You may ask, what are Lunapanties? And, I want to answer that for you....
Lunapanties are awesome to wear during your monthly cycles, during ovulation, and during and after pregnancy. I wore them first during my period and loved them! On the last day of my cycle, they were perfect at keeping me dry. I used them a lot during my pregnancy with Madeleine because I had a lot of cervical mucous. With Lunapanties, I didn't have to change my underwear several times a day to stay dry. They work great when you are ovulating for this reason as well! I highly recommend owning a pair and you will see why they are an essential for every woman!
I should tell you, Lunapads and Lunapanties are good for light incontinence too. When I was pregnant with Madeleine, I got a really bad cough in my 7th month. Everytime I coughed, I wet my pants. It was terrible. Lunapads and Lunapanties were the only way I got through that difficult time.
Date: 9/16/2006 Title: Cloth Menstural Pads
I wanted to share my experience with cloth pads for those of you out there entertaining the idea of switching from disposable pads to cloth pads.
I started with a Lunapad intro kit and fell in love with cloth pads! The chaffing due to wetness you experience with disposable pads does not occur with cloth pads. I found I was drier and the pads lasted me longer. I didn't have to change pads as often. The pretty fabrics and the organic cotton were also plusses! I found the whole experience to be pleasurable!
I cloth diaper, so I just put my soiled pads in my diaper pail and washed them with diapers, but if you are not cloth diapering, it's easy to store the soiled pads and wash them.
I truly can't think of why anyone would choose disposable over cloth. The comfort, dryness and benefits to the environment are so outstanding. Try them and see why I love them.
I would also recommend owning Lunapanties as well! I wrote about them as a separate entry.
I have chosen Lunapads for my site. There are some other manufacturers out there, but I'm really happy with Lunapads. Just a reminder, everything you see on my site is something I use personally and love. E-mail me with other questions: julie@earthybabes.com
Date: 9/16/2006 Title: Carrot Zucchini Cookies
This is a great recipe that is circulating among my friends here in Katy. I recommend doubling it and do store these in the refrigerator. They will disappear quickly!
1/3 Cup Oil 3/4 Cup honey 1 egg 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup grated zucchini 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup oats 1 cup raisins 1/4 cup ground flax seeds (must be ground to reap nutritional benefits) 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1/2 cup chocolate chips or carob chips (if desired)
Date: 8/25/2006 Title: Diaper Area Tips to keeping baby's skin healthy and rash free
During all of my 3 pregnancies, my husband made me organic massage oil (which we now sell: Earthy Babes Essential Body Oil) for my belly with all kinds of awesome ingredients to nourish and protect my skin. (You can see the list of ingredients listed under pregnancy.)
After Logan was born (my second child), I started massaging my babies after a bath with the oil and noticed that the oil really protected, moisturized, and soothed their skin. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Of course, it helps that I also use our diaper wipe solution with cloth wipes, and it too has all the good natural oils and ingredients to soothe and protect skin. I am proud to say none of our three children have ever had a diaper rash. If they get red, I make sure I bathe them that day and apply all the good oil on their skin.
Date: 8/16/2006 Title: Healthy Pasta Primavera
Ingredients: 1 lb White Spelt Pasta (Vitaspelt) or Brown Rice Spirals 4 cups cauliflower florets 3 cups carrots- julienne cut 2 cups broccoli florets 1 red pepper- thinly sliced 1 bunch asparagus- cut into 2” pieces & steamed 2 Ripe Tomatoes, diced
Sauce: 1-1/2 cups raw cashew pieces ½ cup raw pinenuts Juice of ½ lemon 1-1/2 cups boiling water 2 tsp each of the following: thyme, rosemary & oregano 1-1/2 tsp salt ½-1 tsp of pepper
1. Cook pasta
2. Cook cauliflower and carrots in 2 inches of boiling water for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and red pepper, cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes or until tender.
3. Add the vegetables to the cooked pasta, cover, set aside.
4. In a blender, combine all of the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.
5. Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables, toss, and serve.
Note: You can add or substitute any vegetables that may appeal to you. If you do not have pinenuts, you can use 2 cups cashews.
Date: 8/16/2006 Title: momAgenda
Finally a planner made just for moms! These planners are set-up to run with the school year and are available in both a daily (mini) and weekly (desktop) version. Available in great colors too!
I use the space below to list my children's activities, homeschool plans, and errand/ to do list items.
It's nice to look back and see what meals I've planned over the year.
I have all kinds of things stored in the lined blank pages: how I organized the closet (what I put where), the names of the DVDs I recently borrowed from my mom, etc...
This book really does have everything. I gave a few to friends as birthday presents and they both loved them!
I LOVE the pads! I use them to plan the weekly meals and to keep all of my many to do list items organized.
This really is a must have! We have the myAgenda too!
