Cascadian Farm Organic Goodness

I don’t like bugs.

In fact, while my older sister encouraged her boys’ interest in insects and bought bug collecting kits, I did not. I steered my son away from insects and silently hoped he wouldn’t develop an appetite for bug hunting.

And to be honest, my aversion to insects sometimes impedes my enjoyment of the outdoors. There are a lot of bugs on a wilderness adventure!

But as long as I don’t have to be the one picking up the insects, (be proud of me though – on a preschool bug hunt, I picked up bugs with my bare hands for my troop!) I do try to spray on the natural bug repellent and get outdoors with my children.

Our family is fortunate to spend a week every year at summer camp and we get away a few times during the year to my family’s wilderness cabin where my kids have plenty of time to get down and dirty with nature.

And when we are at home, we have a wonderful green space behind our house that we play in every day with our dog. There are short trails through the brush where the kids climb through twigs and sticks and play “fort.”

But sometimes it can be a challenge to find quick, creative ways to get our kids out enjoying nature. We want to build an appreciation for the earth in our children and spending time exploring is often the best way!

As a working mother, I don’t have a lot of time for extensive preparation or day-long activities, so most days I have to work with what I have got – a dog, a small backyard and a green space.

We play in the dirt – I am not a big gardener, (remember I’m not fond of bugs,) but my two year old daughter loves to dig in the garden, fill and empty her water can, rake, etc, pretending to “garden.”

We picnic, play sports, and have lots of dog-play dates where neighbourhood dogs come and play with our dog.

We pick flowers and gather leaves. And we collect rocks – lots of rocks. (For some reason, kids love rocks!)

Recently I found a site called Nature Rocks that has a free summer activity guide and even an activity tool where you type in your time available, your location, (i.e. backyard, community or regional,) and the age of your children. It then offers you a list of creative ideas for you to get out into nature with your kids.

I am thrilled to have found Nature Rocks and I will be using it regularly to add some variation and creativity to our family’s playtime. And I bet as I do, I will get more comfortable with those bugs!

How do you incorporate nature exploration and appreciation into your children’s lives?

Photo by Janice Croze

The Do’s and Don’ts for dealing with homesickness

My first trip to “camp” was when I was only a few weeks old. My father was the speaker and my parents’ friend flew my mom with her brand new twin babies up to the island. Yes, for our family, camp was a part of life – and we loved it!

My father was a minister and he loved to speak to youth – even long after his days of “youth ministry” were over. So, every summer my parents volunteered for a week at senior teens’ Bible camp.

My dad was the camp director and my mom worked in the kitchen. My siblings and I were “worker’s kids” roaming the camp, hanging out with campers and having fun. It was the highlight of our year.

As I grew older, I became a camper, then a dish crew worker, and then a counselor.

I even met my husband at camp! And we have carried on the tradition of volunteering every summer at this same camp that has been so important to us. In fact, this summer will be my eight year old son’s ninth year going to camp.

My son loves it and counts the months until July when we get on the boat and head to the island.

And he can’t wait until he can attend camp on his own, as a camper at Junior Boys camp.

But, when I first attended camp without my parents it was not the fun, carefree experience I had going to camp with my family.

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Like all moms I’m always agonizing over what is best for my baby. Now that he is starting to eat solid foods, I can’t help but think I should be preparing him fresh cooked, organic meals. Store bought organic baby food will be a part of his diet (and I am grateful that there are so many great options) but I feel that the making my own baby food would be ideal. The only problem is: where do I start? And how much time is it going to take?

Well I found a great resource to help answer all those (and the many other) questions I have! Wholesome Baby Food gives you the low-down on everything you need to know to make your own baby food. From the basic steps of cooking and pureeing fruits and veggies to the best ways to store what you’ve made, this site has it all. I had always been under the impression that it was more complicated or that you needed a fancy “baby food maker” like the Beaba Babycook. And while it would be convenient to have on machine that steams, blends, warms and defrosts all in one – it’s not necessary. You can simply steam, bake or even microwave (although I wouldn’t) the fruits and veggies as you would for yourself and puree them in a blender, using hand or stick mixer or a food processor. Steaming is the preferred method because it preserves the most nutrients.

The most exciting part about preparing fresh baby food for your baby is that you get to create all types of yummy combinations using organic, local, in-season ingredients! The possibilities are endless…How about Banana ‘Cado or a Peachy Yam Bake? Keep in mind that you should consult your doctor before introducing new foods and to discuss which are appropriate at what age / stage. Every baby is different, but these are great guidelines based on age: Solid Food Charts.

Do you prepare your own baby food? What have your experiences been? I’ll share mine in a future post.

I am all about playing. I think our kids have too much homework, too many activities and too little play. So I always take advantage of the sunshine and let my son play before homework or piano practice. If the kids are playing a neighborhood game of street hockey, I let my son drop his pencil and grab his stick. The opportunity for exercise can't be passed up!

Having said that, homework still needs to get done and on days when my son has a play date after school - or even worse a play date and then a lacrosse game in the evening! - homework is left until bedtime. Sometimes we get it done in time, but often he is too tired and cranky. So today I tried a tip I heard in the schoolyard, (yes we moms gather there too.) Have your kids do their homework together during their play date.

Yes, I got my son and his buddy to do their homework together! They did it three times as fast as they would have on their own and got right back to their playing. How did I manage to coral two eight year old boys to the table to do their homework, you ask? Well, it was actually easier than I expected.

1. I led with the benefits – always a good approach for a tough sell. I asked the boys if they wanted to get their homework done together so they wouldn’t have to do it after the play date, highlighting the fact that it was much more fun to do it together than by themselves.
2. Second, I fed them. I always need to give my son an energy boost after school. He is mentally exhausted and needs a break before he can refocus.
3. Third, I gave them a play break before we started. For most parents, moving right into the homework works best. My neighbor has her daughter and friends do their homework during snack time. But my son has ADHD and is “done” after school. He needs a break to refresh his weary mind.
4. Finally, with satisfied stomachs and recharged minds, I called the boys to the table. They quickly did their work and then returned to their play.

What a relief it was to have homework finished and the rest of the night for play and family time. All my son had left to do after dinner was practice the piano. This idea may not go over with every play date. But I am definitely going to do it as often as I can. It worked like a charm and we all played better when it was done.

What about you? What homework tips do you have?

I was not a co-sleeper. When my first baby was a newborn, I was terrified to smother him in his sleep. So I made sure he slept safely in a crib, without a blanket, stuffie or bumper pad anywhere near!

I didn’t get much sleep.

When he was nine months old, he learned to stand up – in his sleep – and would scream for me to nurse him back to sleep at 2am. I decided to try to train him to sleep through the night. For two months, I walked the floor every single night for two hours, refusing to give in. Finally it worked and he slept through the night. But then I went back to work and when he occasionally woke up I didn’t have it in me to fight him. I gave him a bottle and rocked him back to sleep. By eighteen months, he was finding his way into our bed every single night. And there he slept until he was four.

But I never really considered myself a co-sleeper. My twin sister, on the other hand, is a true, hard-core, co-sleeper. They have a “family bed” – a king size mattress on the floor in case the little ones fall out. Both her girls sleep with them and she swears she doesn’t regret it for a minute. So when my daughter started to wake at nine months, my sister encouraged me to just co-sleep with her. “This is such a short time in her life. And co-sleeping is the greatest thing next to nursing. Trust me – just do it. You will all be so much happier.” I decided to become a co-sleeper.

Since my son, who was then six, still liked to crawl into bed with us and we only had room for a queen sized bed, I had to find a different solution than all four of us in one bed. I put a twin mattress on the floor in my daughter’s room and she and I co-sleep there. Yes, it seems kind of crazy at times – I am sleeping on the floor in my daughter’s room and my son is taking my spot in my bed many nights. But you know what? I don’t mind a bit.

In fact, I love co-sleeping with my daughter so much I don’t regret the decision at all. After a long day of work and household craziness, it is so nice to snuggle up and bond with her. It is no wonder our kids want to sleep next to us at night! It is such a stress reliever and such a comfort to feel each other’s presence, to breathe the same air.

Sure I wish we could fit a king size bed in our house where both of our kids could join us at night. But that isn’t an option for us. So for this short window of time in our children’s lives, we are making do with what we have. And I am refusing to apologize or feel like I failed by sleep sharing.  No, I am embracing co-sleeping and enjoying every last second of it.

When bath time comes at my house, my daughter doesn’t squeal for bubbles – she calls for “sprinkles!”

Everyone loves a luxurious bubble bath – especially kids. But for children with sensitive skin or issues like diaper rashes, UTI’s, etc., bubble baths may not be an option. My two year old daughter struggles with eczema and severe diaper rashes. Many days, I can’t even use a mild soap on her skin, let alone have her soak in a bubble bath. So, I tickle her fingers and toes with baking soda “sprinkles” and she is thrilled!

It all started when she was an infant and I was at a loss of how to soothe her inflamed bottom. Olivia’s diaper rashes can flare up in minutes and turn into open wounds. Along with treating her rashes with a wide assortment of creams, I started soaking her in a baking soda bath to ease her discomfort.

The baking soda neutralizes the acidity and balances the pH levels on her skin helping to heal her diaper rashes. At two, Olivia still endures painful rashes and I always use baking soda to treat them. But whether she has an active rash or not, at bath time I still reach for the baking soda.

When my sister’s daughters are here for bath time, they too cry for “sprinkles!” They all think it is such a riot to be dusted with the soft, silky powder. And, since baking soda is inexpensive, I can sprinkle away for a cost effective, natural, bath time solution.

Cooking with kids can be fantastic fun, but it can also be stressful on parents.

Here are a few hints from moms who've survived cooking with young children.

Tip 1. Keep it Age Appropriate

Think about the ages of your child(ren) and come to terms with the realities before you begin. 

Toddlers love to get involved, but their attention spans are short and they're likely to make a mess.

Have a few simple steps ready for them to perform -- like adding and mixing a few dry ingredients. You may consider having an extra mixing bowl and spoon with possibly a few extra ingredients so that nothing too important gets lost.

Tip 2. Create a safe, fun cooking environment.

The challenge of enabling children to reach counter level in order to assist with cooking has gotten easier these days. Instead of letting your child stand on a chair to reach the counter or sink, you can get a Kitchen Helper Safety Stool that allows your child to safely stand at the right height to help.

My twin sister Susan bought one of these from our online store a few years ago (in addition to blogging, we also have an online store with fun, safe & educational toys). Julia who is almost five has been enjoying the Kitchen Helper stand for years and now her two year old sister Sophia uses it daily too. 

One of Julia and Sophia's favorite activity is actually "helping wash dishes" and they both stand in the stool together and play at the sink endlessly.

Tip 3. Let them choose.

Have your children help choose and prepare a simple recipe for dinner. When kids are involved in selecting and preparing dinner, it's more likely they'll actually eat their dinner -- even the vegetables.

One way to make this work easily is to create your own family cookbook with your family's favorite recipes (that you're able to prepare with your kids) and show pictures of the different recipes. Then let your children browse through the cookbook and choose what they want to make.

You'll know that the recipes are healthy and easy to prepare and they'll be empowered and excited to make and EAT dinner.

As I woke up this morning, my 3 month old was still asleep having spent his first night in his crib in the nursery (not in the bassinet next to my bed). I was struck by how quickly time passes. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital; filled with equal parts fear and excitement. Those first weeks were insane! Drew and I were so overwhelmed with our new roles as parents. Everything else took a backseat – gardening, cooking, and even eating healthy.

I suddenly found myself eating junk and fast food, choosing convenience over quality. This is something I’ve been known to get on my soapbox and preach against! I have stressed the importance of choosing healthy, organic, ethical foods to my friends, family and blog readers. Through a haze of exhaustion, I told myself that we’d eat better the next day, that once things settled into a routine we’d get back on track. Well, things still haven’t really settled down and from what my parents tell me, I have at least 18 more years before they do. So here we are 3 months later and while we’re not still eating greasy take out every night, we certainly picked up some bad habits and learned a few things about committing to your decisions. I realized that my choosing to live a sustainable and organic lifestyle is a choice I make every day.

Like all important, life changing decisions (like becoming a parent) you can’t just choose it when it’s convenient or easy. It’s the choices you make when you’re busy and stressed; the decisions you make when no one is watching that count. And that’s something I’d like to teach my son, by my example. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying to make choices every day that are aligned with my beliefs that sustainable and organic foods are essential.

I love long, hot showers. It is hard to resist standing under the hot stream of water while cocooned in my own personal steam room. I get my best thinking done with the warm water pounding down on my face. But as much as I may enjoy a long shower, I keep my showers as brief as possible in order to conserve water. However, trying to get my seven year old son to keep his showers short used to be a little more difficult!

When he got in the shower, he got lost in the warm mist. He would stand in there for thirty minutes if left to his own devices. I constantly had to holler, “Hurry up Jackson – you are wasting water!” But he usually ignored my nagging and chose to linger in the soothing comfort of the hot water. Tired of reminding Jackson to expedite his showering rituals, I came up with an idea! I would use my son’s competitive instinct to get him moving faster...

I suppose for many it goes hand in hand with Corn on the Cob, the melted stick of butter that everyone rolls their corn of cob in before dousing it with salt. I was raised that way too. I can still remember the plate of butter with melted impressions of kernels and a cob size valley in the middle.

But somewhere along the way, I stopped buttering up my corn. I stopped dumping salt all over it. I started tasting how incredible it was on its own. Now I am not crazy – a freshly buttered cob of corn is delicious. But I just can’t bear to take something so healthy and pure and corrupt it. So I skip the butter and salt – and, perhaps most importantly, I am teaching my kids to do the same.

When I pass my children a cob of corn, they don’t instinctively reach for butter and salt. They just eat it and enjoy the mouth-watering taste of fresh corn. And I find that training their taste buds on naturally flavourful and sweet vegetables like corn on the cob helps when I hand them a plate of other cooked vegetables...