gut healing blueberry gelatin gummies

Gut health is a hot topic with leaky gut being linked to everything from severe autoimmune diseases to food allergies and even anxiety and depression.  As a mother of a child with severe food allergies and one with a suspected dairy intolerance that affects his behavior, I'm focusing on healing and strengthening our guts to help alleviate some of these issues.

 The amino acids in gelatin, glycine and proline, are particularly beneficial for healing the gut and also do wonders for hair, skin, nails and the immune system.  Homemade bone broth is a great way to get gelatin into our diets (I also really like Bonafide Provisions grass fed/pasture raised broths available in the freezer section at my Whole Foods), but my kids don't always want to eat broth or soup so alternative methods of delivery are required.  These gelatin gummies have been a huge hit and they're just fun!  The flavor possibilities are endless but I particularly like this blueberry lemon recipe as it uses real fruit, not juice and the boys love them.  

1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
zest of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup grass fed beef gelatin

 Combine the blueberries, lemon juice, water and zest in a blender until combined.  Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and add the honey, then the gelatin stirring with a whisk while heating the mixture on low for 5-10 minutes until everything is combined and is a thin liquid consistency.  Pour the mixture into molds (I use these silicone lego molds) or a glass baking dish and refrigerate for 30 min to 1 hour.  Cut into pieces/remove from the molds and enjoy!

healthy gluten-free snacks

I'm always looking for quick, easy and portable gluten-free snack ideas that will satisfy the whole family, even my son with multiple food allergies.  Here's a list of my current favorites and thoughts on why I love them so....

• Trader Joe's Vegetable Chips: First of all these are delicious with guac, hummus, honey mustard etc., but they're also less expensive than the ones at WF.
• Trader Joe's Turkey Summer Sausage: Nitrate-free and super tasty, but not too salty.  This is a great lunch box addition and equally handy when guests stop by.
• Epic Bison, Bacon and Cranberry Bar: Sweet and salty, I keep one of these in my purse for those times when we're out and there's nothing else to give my 16 month old with food allergies besides a banana...poor guy eats lots of bananas.
• Trader Joe's Roasted Plantain Chips:  Our current favorite after-school snack these days is plantain chips with smashed and salted avocado.
• Trader Joe's Organic Apple and Carrot squeeze: I'm not a huge fan of this type of kid juice/squeeze in general, but again, with a child with multiple food allergies, these really come in handy.  Trader Joe's recently started selling these organic ones and I like that the apple is mixed with carrot and pumpkin.  
• Nick's Sticks: Grass-fed, free-range and protein rich, these come in handy all the time!  I order these in bulk on-line directly from the farm and they're much more affordable that way.
• Trader Joe's Inner Peas: Surprisingly high in protein and sufficiently crunchy, this baked pea snack is the perfect alternative to crackers
• Dried Mango:  What can I say, we're addicted!

Any other favorite kid-friendly, mom-approved gluten-free and still healthy snack ideas?  Do share!!

treatment for baby eczema and infant food allergies

Baby eczema is very common condition affecting more than 3 million babies in the US each year.  It is often related to food allergies and can even be caused from foods mom is eating if the baby is breastfeeding.  It can also be very serious causing pain, itching and lost sleep for not just baby, but the entire family.  Our youngest son Leo starting having pretty severe baby eczema around 3 months of age and now at 12 months, we finally have it (almost entirely) under control.

photo by Erin Konrath Photography

I tried EVERYTHING and want to share my experience of how the eczema presented, how we treated it and how we're managing his many food allergies as that is the cause of his initial eczema flare up...but not the whole story.  I spent many hours researching the internet and visiting doctors and therapists trying western, eastern and any treatment in between to find a solution.  Here's our story and I truly hope this might help anyone who is experiencing the same with their child!

PRESENTATION:

Leo started with cradle cap around 3 months of age.  It got so bad and inflamed that he was scratching his head and breaking the skin.  His poor head was so red and irritated that he was constantly clawing at his head.  I tried treating it with coconut oil, over the counter holistic eczema creams, brushing it with a baby comb, etc. etc.

After a visit to our pediatrician, where I was told that it had nothing to do with my diet (Leo was exclusively breastfed at the time), I reluctantly started using an over the counter hydrocortisone cream occasionally.  My mom (a nurse) suggested that it looked like a yeast or bacterial infection so I started using an antibacterial cream I had been given for diaper rash as well.  We saw some relief with this.

Around 4-5 months of age, the eczema spread to his entire body and face.  Leo was miserable, hardly sleeping (so neither was I), and scratching everywhere he could.  He was still exclusively breastfed at this time.

DIAGNOSIS:

Pediatrician:
At Leo's 6 month doctor visit, we saw our primary and amazing pediatrician, Dr. Laura Mikhail of Child and Adolescent Health Associates in Chicago.   She took one look at Leo and personally called an allergist and dermatologist to see Leo ASAP.  She also ordered blood tests to determine if Leo was in fact allergic to any foods as I suspected.  The panel included tests for the 8 most common food allergens (listed below), as well as other foods most often associated with eczema in breast fed babies and a few other foods I was suspicious of.  She also tested for environmental allergies.

Food allergies most often associated with eczema in breast fed babies or anyone:
1. Dairy
2. Egg
3. Soy
4. Tree nut (cashew, almond etc.)
5. Peanut
6. Wheat
7. Fish
8. Shellfish
9. Seeds
10. Corn

We discovered that Leo was allergic to dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy and possibly coconut and oats (note: false positives are common with blood allergy testing especially when the overall IgE level is high as in Leo's case).


TREATMENT:

1.  Food Elimination:
Before the blood tests confirmed Leo's allergies, I had tried eliminating dairy and already rarely ate wheat and corn.  After the diagnosis, I eliminated all of his known allergens.   This diet proved difficult and exhausting at first, but 6 months later, I feel better too and have pretty much mastered it.  I'll post later about what we (Leo and I) eat now.  I'm still nursing Leo twice a day at 13 months and if I have just a little bit of dairy or eggs, Leo will develop a small amount of eczema around his face and diaper area.

2. Homeopathic treatment:
I saw a homeopathic pediatric doctor, Dr. Chuck DuMont at The Raby Institute  of Chicago.  He suggested some homeopathic treatment that involved dissolving small pellets into water and giving this to Leo through a baby dropper.  After 2 weeks, I ran out of pellets, had done my best to eliminate the foods and we saw little to no improvement in Leo's skin.  I would possibly try this homeopathic treatment again in the future now that Leo's skin is under control.

3. Allergist:
Shortly after receiving the results of the blood work, we saw the allergist, Dr. Kelly Newhall at Chicago Family Asthma and Allergy.  She is amazing and helped me make the decision to continue breastfeeding despite the fact that Leo's skin still wasn't great and his sleep was barely better, even after eliminating all of these foods for a few weeks.  Here's what she prescribed:

• bleach baths:  Every other day I was to bath Leo in a bath of 1/2 cup bleach for 10 minutes.  This sounded so crazy, but she insisted it would work...and it did definitely help.  We also tried apple cider vinegar but as much as I wanted it to work, it just didn't have the same effect.  
• steroid oil
• vitamin D drops
• epi pen
• benadryl as needed
• continued elimination of allergic foods and slowly start feeding Leo orange vegetables, avocado and meats 

4.  Dermatologist:
Leo's skin, sleep and general disposition still weren't where they should be by the time we saw Dr. Peter Lio at Medical Dermatology Associates of Chicago.  I was still frustrated, concerned and extremely tired.  After 1 minute with Dr. Lio, I almost started balling from relief.  He has amazing bedside manner and finally convinced me that my decision to continue nursing was the right one.  He told me that he has seen babies become malnourished because the parents gave them rice milk only in an effort to figure out what the offending foods were.  His theory is that there is also a bacterial component to the eczema and it's crucial to treat this and repair the skin for the eczema flare to calm or be healed.  He also talked about the possibility of "leaky skin" similar to the leaky gut that's become a hot topic.  His thought is that potential allergens may get in through the skin and cause irritation (he described this better than I but the theory makes sense to me). His prescription for Leo:

• continue with bleach baths but DAILY now
• a compound made of steroid and antibacterial cream to be applied per a specific and detailed schedule that he gave me.  This was prepared by a special pharmacy and delivered to us.
• continued vitamin D drops 
• probiotics every morning (he recommended Culturelle kids)

After 1 week on Dr. Lio's treatment, we saw a major improvement in Leo's skin.  I was never a fan of bathing my child in bleach or applying steroids or antibacterials to his skin, but I also wasn't sleeping and neither was he which wasn't good for him developmentally.  I  chose the lesser of two evils.  My pediatrician and Dr. Lio were much more concerned about Leo's skin becoming seriously infected than with the application of topical steroids.

Now at 13 months, Leo's skin looks amazing (unless he or I have an offending food).  He has had a few major reactions, including an anaphylactic reaction, when he got ahold of a food he's allergic (a whole different story) and his skin flares almost immediately.  I continue to give bleach baths as needed and will occasionally apply Dr. Lio's compound for a day or two if absolutely needed.  Leo's diet is basically paleo without the nuts, seeds and eggs.  He does eat some grains (oats, rice and occasionally organic wheat).  I try to give him only organic and naturally raised meats, fish and chicken as it's my belief that his gut is allowing too much to pass through to his blood and I want to prevent chemicals from reaching his system in any way possible.  Stay tuned for a post on what we eat....

Note:  I also tried 2 visits with an NAET therapist in the suburbs of Chicago.  The whole concept of this type of healing was very far-fetched for me but at the time, I was desperate and so I gave it a try.  After 2 visits and over $300, I saw no improvement in Leo's skin and was frankly put off by the therapist and the way she dismissed my knowledge as a nutritionist.  If you're considering this kind of treatment, I would ask for an initial brief meeting or consultation with the therapist at no or reduced fee.

I was also recently talking to a fellow parent of a highly allergic child and he mentioned a study correlating birth month to allergy incidence.  Here is a link to something I found on the topic:
Season of birth is associated with food allergy in children

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments.  I would love to hear your stories,  research and experience too.

how to stop sibling fighting

Don't get me wrong, I feel really lucky to have 3 boys all close in age.  I look forward to them being best friends for life, but all the fighting drives me crazy...and the baby isn't even there yet!  Below are my favorite solutions from the experts to stop sibling fighting between my 2.5 and 5 year old.  Hopefully I can remember and calmly implement these when in the trenches...

1. Do give lots of individual attention. Kids who feel loved and accepted for who they are will be less likely to fight. I have seen sibling rivalry dramatically diminish in most households where parents commit to "special time" with each child.

2. Keep tired and hungry kids away from each other and avoid situations that create fights. For instance, separate kids in the car as much as possible. See if you can help them work together(“It can be hard to sit in a car for so long, and when you get grumpy, it would be easy to take it out on the other people in the car. Can you two be a team? You can work together to come up with ways to make everyone in the car feel happy!")

back to school breakfast: protein packed granola is a great alternative to store bought cereal

I have a love-hate relationship with cereal.  I love it because it's easy- my 4 year old can make it himself and my kids really like it.  And I hate it because it lacks real nourishment: it's typically low in protein, processed, and high in sugar.  It also goes right through my kids leaving them hungry 30 minutes after eating.  I've spent my fair share of time in the cereal aisle and have yet to find anything that's a great choice.  Sure, there are some fine choices, but nothing that comes anywhere close to this recipe for real nutrition and staying power!

This recipe for Nut Butter Granola is super nutrient desnse...here's the breakdown:

• 15 grams of protein and only 6 grams of sugar per 1/2 cup serving!  
• healthy fats including omega-3s and lauric acid to boost immunity
• 1/2 cups meets the recommended daily amount of zinc and magnesium for young children (2 nutrients most kids AND adults don't get enough) 

And here's the recipe:

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup butter (ideally grass fed, like Kerrygold)
1/2 cup nut butter
1/4 cup real maple syrup (plus or minus depending on your family's taste preferences)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 cups oats
1/2 cup pistachios*
1 cup cashews*
1 cup pumpkin seeds*

1. Combine the oil, butter, nut butter, maple syrup and vanilla in a sauce pan and heat on low until combined
2. Pulse the cashews, pumpkin seeds and pistachios lightly until some are broken up but some remain whole (I only do this because my 2 and 4 year old prefer the nuts to be broken down).
3. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir adding cinnamon and salt
4. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and cook at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until it begins to dry (the timing may vary depending on your oven and taste preferences).


* You can use any nuts and seeds that you like but I use these because they're some of the highest in protein, magnesium and zinc.

enjoy!

Read more about why zinc and magnesium are such important nutrients for our kids and ourselves here.

vitamins and supplements for children

Do you give your child a multivitamin?  What about other supplements?  Since school is back in session and we have less control over what and who our child is exposed to (aka less than ideal food and germs), it's a good time to consider your child's diet and potentially supplements.

One-On-One Time with Your Children

When you have multiple children, there's probably few opportunities to spend real, quality time with them individually.  Sure, there's the time when the older one is at school and you rush to the grocery store, doctor and park quickly before pick-up time.  But what about real quality time?  We recently had the opportunity to spend 4 full days and nights with our 22 month old while our 4 year old was away with his grandparents.  Here's what happened...

1.  I identified my weaknesses as a parent:
Many of the frustrations I was feeling with both of my children had to do with time management,  and specifically not having enough time to do the things I felt I "had" to get done and also my need for alone time.  So I learned that I need to make more time, get up earlier, get more day-time sitters and schedule less.  I'm a better mom when I have fewer expectations of the way the day is supposed to go and I take a little time to enjoy my kids and spend some time alone.  I also had the time to really pay attention and notice what makes Oliver laugh, what makes him frustrated, when he's overwhelmed (and thus likely to lose it) and how he engages with his toys.  I think those observations will help me appreciate him more... and they say gratitude is a key to happiness.

2.  I noticed how I can help better one of my son's weaknesses:
As the second child, Oliver will probably benefit from us sitting down and talking to him more often without the distraction and background noise of his older brother, TV, music or chores.  And I should probably be reading him more books!  All of these things seem to have helped with his speech delay in just 5 short days!

3.  I was able to really pay attention to who Oliver is right now:
Oliver, or "Crash" as my husband calls him, is probably the one who starts more of the trouble than I thought.  He's all boy.  He would probably love a more active day than he's getting lately as he's being shuffled from doctor's appointment to Sam's camp to the grocery store etc.  He also did great playing on his own which he doesn't get a lot of time to do with big brother in the house.

4.  It's good to shake up the routine: 
I don't mean changing up nap time or bedtime, but just looking at the day with a different perspective can be refreshing for everyone and a fresh learning experiences for kids.  Some simple ideas: eat breakfast outside, take time to let your child wonder down the street and pick up sticks, stop to watch the trains go by, throw coins in the fountain and take a long walk after dinner.

5.  It's a nice break for your marriage:
Let's be honest: fewer kids can mean less work which means more time and energy for your spouse.  My husband and I went to brunch, watched movies, chatted and cooked with fewer distractions and enjoyed our younger son together.   Obviously I wouldn't wish for any fewer kids, but every once in a while...

And with all this being said, I also realized how much I love them as brothers and how great it is that they have each other.  When Sam got home he gave me a quick hug and raced to find Oliver!  Sam is so thoughtful and cares so much for Oliver and Oliver looks up to Sam and follows his every move.  It's such a joy to watch their relationship grow and see how much they really do love and enjoy one another....most of the time :)

And to help foster that relationship, check out this great article by Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo about Sibling Rivalry, 5 tricks and tips.

And a few more thoughts on parenting...

Urban Family Adventures: Chicago's West Loop

Exploring the city and all of the exciting neighborhoods with new and different restaurants, shops, parks and people is just as educational as a museum, right?  Well, that's what I tell myself on some of our days off.   There are more than enough museum days in Chicago.  It's summer now and I need to soak it up and explore our city...

Here's how I kept everyone (mostly) happy for the day in the West Loop:

DRINK:
Harvest Juicery
1012 W Lake St.

Jelly beans as an alternative to the glucose drink for the prenatal glucose challenge

At some point in your second trimester (around 24 weeks), your doctor will likely schedule you for a glucose tolerance test to make sure your blood sugar is in control and there is no risk of gestational diabetes. Typically, this test involves drinking a beverage with 50g of glucose, waiting 1 hour then drawing your blood to determine if your blood sugar/blood glucose is within a normal range.

The problem is that this glucose beverage is loaded with artificial colors and harmful preservatives including sodium benzoate and in my past pregnancies has left me feeling dizzy, nauseous and with a nasty headache.  And since my 4 year old has an especially sensitive and not so pleasant reaction to artificial colors and preservatives, I don't see why I would unnecessarily introduce this to myself and my baby.

So 1 week before my scheduled test, I called my doctor's office, asked about an alternative and was put on hold...

The nurse came back after speaking with an endocrinologist and I was told I could bring in 20 jelly beans to consume in the office instead.

The morning of the test I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up the artificial color and preservative-free jelly beans in their bulk section.

10 minutes after consuming the jelly beans I felt a lot of movement from the baby and a little sugar buzz, but nothing compared to the yucky feelings from the glucola.

My doctor came in to see me and said "I was wondering if/when this jelly bean thing would catch on" and confirmed that she has seen legit studies confirming that jelly beans are an equal and just as "effective" alternative to the glucola.

I'm glad I asked!

Alternately, you could ask your doctor about doing glucose monitoring on your own and avoid the sugar rush all together.  Either way, I would suggest taking some measure to ensure your glucose levels are in check.  No matter how healthy your diet, pregnancy can do crazy things to our bodies and elevated blood sugar levels can negatively affect the baby at birth and beyond...better safe than sorry!

Any thoughts on the matter or alternatives you've tried?  Do share!

Raising a family in Chicago: An inspirational Chilean woman's take on food, parenting and making the most of our city

I always think it's interesting to hear from other mothers about the ins and outs of raising children.  I'm relatively new to all this, so I'll take any tips and ideas I can get!  Getting to know Antonella, a Chilean woman living and raising a family in Chicago has opened my eyes to many fresh and inspiring ideas.  I think you'll agree....

Antonella came to Chicago only a few years ago by way of Chile and Europe and we've had the pleasure of becoming close with her family over the last few years.  She's easily one of the most beautiful and intriguing women I know.  I love her style, easy and interesting conversation, quick wit, curiosity, adventurous spirit and positive energy.  She always brings something new and delicious to the table (literally and figuratively) and leaves you thinking about food, family and the city and cultures around you in a different way.

The boys and I recently spent an afternoon with Anto and her 2 children where we chatted, chased kids and she prepared an amazing lunch for us...recipes and convo details below.  Enjoy!

2 simple and delicious new recipes: Anto's Kid-Friendly Lentils and Smoked Salmon Carpaccio

Inspirational woman, Antonella Lagomarsino, a Chilean woman living and raising her family in Chicago, recently prepared lunch for me and my 2 boys and served these lentils that she makes weekly for her family along with this smoked salmon carpaccio that she often serves when entertaining.  These two recipes have quickly become 2 of my favorite go-to recipes.  They're both easy and delicious!  Enjoy!

Chilean Style Lentils: 

1 bag (16oz) lentils, rinsed, and soaked in water overnight.

1 box beef broth (32 OZ)

2 slices Bacon chopped small, or 1 mild sausage shredded.

1 medium onion (or 1/2 big onion), chopped in small squares

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 bell pepper (any color)

1 small carrot, grated (optional)

1/3 cup rice or quinoa

1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

Strain the water from soaking overnight, and put lentils and beef broth in a big pan. bring to a boil. In the meantime, on a frying pan, fry the bacon till crunchy, add to lentils. Lower the fire.

With the remaining oil from bacon, fry/sautee onions and garlic till browned (3 minutes aprox), (if it looks dry, add a spoon of olive oil) then add pepper and carrot (optional) and salt and peper. (5 min aprox) when ready, add this to the lentils, stir, add the rice or quinoa plus the oregano, paprika and cumin , then let it cook for 20 minute in low fire (as you do with the rice).

Serve hot on a bowl with grated parmesan cheese on top.

enjoy!!

Smoked Salmon Carpaccio
1 package smoked salmon
Olive oil
Capers
Parmesan Cheese
Fresh lemon juice

Cover a large dinner plate or platter in a thin layer of olive oil.  Lay the smoked salmon over the olive oil and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice from about 1/2 -1 lemon.  Grade fresh parmesan cheese over the top (about 1/4 cup) and add capers (a few tablespoons).  Serve with crackers, crispy bread or on it's own.

PS I've been making the smoked salmon at least weekly lately as a simple and healthy lunch served with a side salad.  Look for wild smoked salmon without nitrates for the best health benefits.  

How to choose the safest sunscreen for your family

The sun is out!  Wait, really?!?  Finally, we can reap the many benefits of Vitamin D, but must also consider how much sun is too much and protect our skin accordingly.  Hats and protective clothing are probably our best bet, but sunscreen is a must sometimes.  I've been reading a lot lately about the harmful chemicals in many sunscreens and how they may not actually reduce our chances of skin cancer.  So I thought I would do a post to help us choose the right sunscreen for our family with the least amount of potentially hazardous (hormone disrupting and cancer causing ?!?) chemicals.  

Step 1:
Check out The Environmental Working Group's website.  They're the leading experts on all things sunscreen and rank the best products giving them a rating of either 1 (best) and up and have a price key from cheapest to most expensive.  You can also look up the sunscreen you currently use to see its rating.  Or just skip to step 2...

sweet potato nachos bowls

Adding more veggie variety to your diet is essential, but often time consuming and expensive!  Here's 2 recipes that use the same colorful vegetables in 2 flavor-unique dishes that allow you to get more bang for you buck & your time by prepping once but eating twice (or even 4 times if you count leftovers)!

I try to avoid wheat and corn on most days by replacing them with more veggies so after spending a recent morning at the fruit and veg market going a little overboard, I came up with these two dishes that I must say turned out pretty well!

These sweet potato nacho bowls and veggie spring rolls combine a variety of veggies for a meal that will leave you satisfied but not at all missing the heavy grains!

Interview with a nutritionist about raising healthy kids

So I was recently very honored to be interviewed by Shannon of Graytmama (a blog with a wealth of knowledge about all things baby) re Green & Plenty, being a nutritionist mom and raising a healthy family.  I thought I would share with my readers too as it gives a little insight into my food philosophy and (hopefully) a few helpful tips.  

Ok, so I must say your blog is so beautiful! Tell my amazing mommy readers what they can find over at green and plenty?

Green & Plenty is a lifestyle and wellness blog about raising a healthy family including recipes, research on health and nutrition and how-to tips on a variety of informative topics including surviving the first trimester of pregnancy, natural remedies for clear skin, building a better playroom and being a happier mom.  I’m a registered dietitian/nutritionist so I try to blog about topics that clients and friends ask about often and things I know and discover that I think are worth sharing.  I also love fashion anddesign so I like to throw a few posts in on those topics to keep it from getting too food/health intense and keep it fun.  Recently I started a feature on inspirational women where I interview moms who are doing a variety of cool things and get their tips and expertise.  One of the biggest things I, and I think most moms struggle with is finding balance.  Whether it be a balanced diet for your family (which yes, does include occasional french fries and cupcakes in my book) or balancing your personal, professional, social and romantic life, I think it’s really important to try to find your own version of balance and happiness.  Green & Plenty is my attempt to help us all do that.

probiotics: how to tell if you or your child has a healthy gut?

Illness, infection, allergies and GI issues in kids are common topics among moms.  Occasional illness and stomach upset is normal, but when it seems like it's more than occasional, one wonders if there's a reason her child seems to get sick so often.  Whether you're dealing with another ear infection, constipation or the common cold, we all want to do something to help make our kids healthier and happier.  Many researchers and health practitioners believe there is a way to make us healthier and happier and it starts in our gut!  Here's a breakdown of how to tell if your child has a healthy gut and what you can do to get it or keep it healthy!

how to make bone broth & the many benefits

My 4 year old has been a super picky eater lately so I'm racking my brain for creative ways to get more nutrients in his diet.  Soup is one of his favorite foods and bone broth is a great natural, easy and affordable way to up the nutritional value of those soups.  And it's not just for 4 year olds...

The simplicity and health benefits of bone broth can't be beat and it's incredibly affordable and versatile.  Plus, it helps reduce waste...ever buy a rotisserie chicken and end up throwing what seems like half of it away?  Here's how you can use that chicken to make bone broth and some of the benefits of said broth:

Inspirational Women: Shannon of Graytmama Blog

Raising kids is a challenge, no doubt about that.  And there's also no doubt that there's plenty of advice out there: books, older sisters, in-laws, doctors...everyone's full of it and they almost all say something different.  Graytmama is a blog about one mom's quest to find the answers to all things baby and make them available to us in a concise way that makes visiting her site like a good chat with your most knowledgable and trusted confidant. Whether your dealing with teething, sleep training or wondering how and when to start discipling your little one, Graytmama is an amazing resource written by a real mom.  Below is an interview with Shannon, the inspirational mama behind Gray T.  Thanks for helping make this whole raising kids thing a little easier for all of us, Shannon and for your support no matter what choices we're making for our families!

How did you get inspired to start the blog?  Was there an 'aha' moment?  And where do you find inspiration for new posts?

I don't know if it was so much inspiration, but more like frustration! Frustration at the lack of websites out there with good information on raising babies.  Sites like babycenter can be very frustrating, because you get WAY too many answers and opinions. Truthfully, most moms don't have the time to sit down and read a 300 page book to learn about sleep training, naps, foods, etc.  I took what I read, researched, and experienced and put it all down for moms to have and use. A lot of my readers tell me they use my site as a reference, which is exactly why I started it. I know when I have baby number 2, I will be using it as a guide as well.

My inspiration comes from my experience, if I'm going through it, then I usually write about it!

co-sleeping with your kids: a look at the pros and cons

We never thought we'd do it...and now here we are.  The 4 year old has gone from coming in in the middle of the night to full-on sleeping in our bed from start to finish.  I know a lot of other parents, especially of preschoolers, are dealing with this and asking themselves: is this okay, is this best for my child, our relationship, our sleep (or lack there of).  It still feels a little taboo to have your child sleep in your bed, even though in so many other countries and cultures, it's the norm (or at least much more accepted).  So here's what I've discovered and what some of the experts say:

Healthy Snack Ideas: 2 minute honey avocado "butter"

My family loves guacamole but it can be a little time consuming to make or just too spicy for some kids.  Here's an idea for a sweeter avocado dip/spread that's incredibly simple, versatile and as my 18month old says "mmm mmm"!

Here's what you'll need:
1 ripe avocado
honey
sea salt

Playroom Design: 5 things every great playroom needs

photo by Erin Konrath

I'm a firm believer that children don't need an excessive amount of toys, but how you organize and display what they have can make a huge difference in how effectively, productively, and how long they play.  I spent a couple hours going through and organizing toys yesterday and I think it finally gave me the motivation to take on the playroom makeover I've been contemplating.  Kids learn by playing and when they have the tools, they expand their creativity, imagination and independence...and have plenty of good old fashioned fun!  In fact, just today my Baby Center email said that preschool age kids learn just as much, if not more, by playing as they do in structured classes.

I think playrooms work best with a variety of stimulation.  Here's my inspiration for the 5 things every playroom needs to promote productive play, fun play dates and happy moms!

1.  Energy expelling toys:
Obviously you have to do what you can with your space, but climbing walls, rings, ladders, swings and sports focused toys help kids get their energy out and build confidence.

casascosasydemas

Rock walls are a great idea and you really don't need that much space (pieces found here).  I'm also really liking the rings and basketball hoop on the door to save space!