Guilt be gone: accepting help from others

One of the things the experts (books and such) always preach is accepting help when you have a new baby. Well as time goes on, most of us assume that we need to figure it out and get it all done alone.

I've been good with this up until recently. I was a pro at having 3 kids - but with 4, and I'm guessing for those who have kids that are more spaced out, it's really just not possible to give each the attention they deserve in the situations you find yourself in.

In prior days, I didn't understand why someone would get sitter for one (or two) of their children just to take a different one somewhere. Why wouldn't they all go together, I wondered? Now I get it. And I'm trying to accept this newfound knowledge.

My husband was away for 3 days and it's just me myself and I to handle the kids, which is fine. But this morning, for instance, we had a pool party to attend. Why on earth would I think I could take them all and realistically have a good time? Thankfully I was smart enough to know this was not possible. Though one side of me was chirping in that I could do it, I knew that we ALL would have a better time leaving the baby at home with a sitter. And boy, was I right. He got his morning nap in, we got our morning swim (and cake, ice cream and chips) in. I got to swim with my girls and he avoided the swim (what 4 month-old really loves a swim, anyhow?)

Bottom line - don't feel guilty about getting help for one of your kids (or even two) so that you can go take the other to a party, to soccer practice, to a baseball game, or wherever. In the long run, you'll all benefit from it. I know that we certainly did!

5 Ways to "Green" Your Vacation

Green – it’s such “the buzz!”.  Green parties, greening your household, even greening your crafts. Penny Dietz, owner of green i am, is on a mission to help create healthier families and homes, sharing one little dirty secret at a time. Our guest blogger shares her ideals in greening one area you may not have thought of - your vacation.

Have you ever thought of greening your vacay?  Whether you’re feeling lime green or kelly green, there’s something for everyone to try.  Perhaps you’ll discover these simple and easy tips are not only good for the planet but also good for your wallet!

1. Location, Location, Location – There’s the easy and green option of a staycation, where you take advantage of staying put and exploring your own city – ideally via public transportation and/or bikes.  And here in Charlotte, there’s no loss of entertainment options from exploring parks, museums, amusement parks, farms, wineries, spraygrounds, bike paths, fishing, greenways, music and more!   

Alternatively, consider a vacation destination where walkability, biking, and/or public transportation will be easily accessible so you won’t have to take cabs or rent a car.  If you’re like me and are “looking for a reason” to go to San Francisco, you'll be happy to know it is one of the greenest cities.  

Yet another option is staying at a campground where you have everything you really need at your fingertips. That said, regardless of your destination, seek out options for green recreation - a park, a hiking trail, a lake, etc. - and enjoy the fresh air.     

2. Planes, Trains and Automobiles – How low carbon can you go?  The best strategy – besides walking or biking – is to fill up a seat that’s already going your way. So, hop on a train, a bus, or if you choose to fly, opt for non-stop flights.  Alternatively, if you’re like most, pack your car.  To increase your fuel efficiency, here are a few “best practice” driving techniques that can help you get more bang for your buck:

·         Inflate your tires to the proper psi according to the manual 

·         Keep your windows rolled up

·         Use cruise control

·         Don’t brake if you don’t have to

·         Drive the speed limit

And when you’re ready for more gas, save some green by visiting gas buddy or cheap gas.

3. Accommodations – Choosing a low-impact place to stay is not only greener, it’s often less expensive. If the weather is nice, look for camping options. Otherwise, check out options for vacation rentals (such as VRBO) and/or environmentally friendly hotels.  Regardless of where you stay, here are 3 easy and impactful actions to implement:

·         Bring your own toiletries.  Think of all the plastics that are used to create tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner, the added packaging, shipping, etc.  Let’s be honest - how many times do you use a full bar of soap at a hotel?  Do yourself and the earth a favor and bring your own favorite personal care products.

·         Hang a “Do Not Disturb sign” and say no thank-you to housekeeping.  Or call housekeeping and tell them you won’t need their services during your stay.  This simple act prevents the hotel from wasting water by changing your sheets and towels, wasting electricity by vacuuming, and spraying harsh chemicals all over your toothbrush.  Seem too extreme?  Then compromise by at least hanging your towel and opting to reuse it.

·         Recycle and Reuse.  Whether it’s your morning newspaper or otherwise, remember to recycle.  Don’t forget your stainless steel water bottle for refilling your daily water supply.  And leave the freebies (pens, notepads, etc) behind for the next person. 

4. When in Rome – Experience the local culture by eating at local restaurants or visiting a local farmer’s market or grocery.  You’ll quickly discover the true “local flavor” of your vacation destination.

5. Unplug – Reduce your energy consumption at home while you’re away be unplugging appliances and fixtures that won’t be in use.  While traveling, unplug the DVD players, DS, blackberries, iPhones, etc. and opt for family-friendly games like “I Spy”, “Travel Bingo”, “Car Colors”, etc.  A favorite for my family is the “The ABC game”, where we find each letter of the alphabet in order by scouring road signs, passing cars, billboards, etc.  And while on vacation, “plug in” to each other by being fully engaged in making memories that will last a lifetime.

This mom can make art!

My kids love art, especially my middle daughter. We're constantly creating stuff at our house, but it's pretty much the same old basic stuff: stringing pasta, cutting up construction paper and coloring. 

Doing art with my kids is actually one of my favored activities ... but the reality is that I am generally just assisting them in their endeavors. So recently I saw a posting about the adult workshops at Small Hands Big Art and was intrigued. A Thursday evening with no kids - a time to go be creative. Me, creative. Why not?! I had no idea what fun I was actually in for.

The workshop I signed up for was a decoupage class. The description said we'd decoupage a whimsical collage on wood with patterned paper, fabric, ribbon and mod podge.  I was most interested in the mention of a growth chart; how fun, I thought! None of my kids have a growth chart and they are always measuring themselves. If you're thinking this sounds tough, think again.

There were 8 of us in the class Thursday night. Studio owner Jennifer Bryant was accompanied by Hannah Naish. Together, they gave in-depth instructions on putting together our masterpiece. We'd first come up with a concept. Lucky for some of us (me) they had lots of samples of what we could create (read: copy). Some had come with an idea in mind; I simply wanted a fun growth chart to put in my youngest daughter's room. I was going to use a shabby chic design with her room colors in mind. I used one of the examples and built upon it to make it my own.

We selected fun pieces of paper, ribbon, buttons and more and laid out our individual designs. Our instructors helped us modify,  create or whatever else we needed in the process. During this time, we met others, noshed on snacks and some drank wine. Lets see - wine, chocolate and creating with no one hanging on our legs ... what a recipe for success!

photo by: Alison Bella Photography

photo by: Alison Bella Photography

The beauty in this was that everyone had a different vision in mind and each came out with a different piece in the end. The end results? Gorgeous. Really, you can't get personalized pieces like these that have meaning behind them. The cost of the evening was $40. And for that price I took home a priceless creation, a tremendous feeling of satisfaction and inspiration to make more with my kids. 

My finished creation

Not all of the adult workshops have the same theme. Once a month Small Hands Big Art holds these events; last month was "colorful watercolor on stretched canvas"; next month is "hand-carved rubber stamps". Oh, and you get a discount when you sign up for multiple workshops. What a win-win! 

If you're looking for a little "me" time, a girls night out or just a chance to let your creativity flow - I'd highly suggest checking one out. You will love it!

Cook with your Kids: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (semi-healthy!)

My kids love to cook, and frankly, so do I. It's a great activity to do together and I always try to sneak in some sort of lesson (healthy eating/math - in regards to the measurements/etc.)

Yesterday I was at our local grocery store with my eldest and asked her what we should make this week. At that moment, I glanced over and saw some chocolate chip muffins - you know, the humongous kind that probably have 800 calories and 30 grams of fat in one - and suggested we make our own. It didn't take too much arm twisting to get her to agree!

I researched some recipes and came up with my own, which is pretty healthy. We just finished baking and trying them and the votes are unanimous ... this recipe's a keeper! 

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 mashed ripe bananas

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix the wet into the dry.

4. Fold in the bananas and chocolate chips.

5. Fill 12 greased muffin tins about 2/3 full (we used cupcake liners) or until all batter is used.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23'ish minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean); cool for 5 minutes before removing and enjoying!

** If you prefer, substitute 1/2 cup oil for the applesauce. I personally always use applesauce instead of oil, but that's a personal thing.  Oh, and I also use unsweetened applesauce.

***If you want to help your chocolate chips not fall to the bottom, coat them with flour.

Have fun and enjoy them!!

Kids in the Car

We've all been there before; you've got to run in the post office/drug store or any quick stop where you just know you'll be in and out. What would the harm be in leaving your little one(s) in the vehicle while you run in and get it done? You can do it 10x's quicker if it's just you ....
Or perhaps you're like me and forgetful (brainless, in my case). Believe it or not, many parents actually forget that their child is in the car.

Guest columnist Amy Wadsworth, Public Information Coordinator for the Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties, reports on why you should never leave a child alone in the car - and what to do to prevent you from forgetting them.

“Beat the Heat, Check the Backseat.”

This is an important saying for caregivers/parents who have children in the back seat of a vehicle.

Did you know in 2010 there were 49 children nationwide that died in cars as a result of hyperthermia? In 2011 there have been 3 already!

Angela Ross, Trauma Program Coordinator with CaroMont Health Trauma Services in Gastonia knows first-hand the effects of leaving children unattended in vehicles.

“It’s a tragic fact that 8 out of 10 deaths are because parents forgot their child was in the vehicle,” Ross said. “I don’t want to see anyone live with that kind of guilt.”

On an 80 degree day, temperatures can exceed 100 degrees in less than 10 minutes, which can be fatal. “Cracking” a window has little to no effect on soaring temperatures.

Children’s temperature regulation systems are less efficient, which means their body temperatures warm 3 to 5 times faster than adults.

Ross said vehicles in the heat are like a convection oven. The windows amplify the heat and trap it inside, she said.

Never leave your child alone in the vehicle!

Here are some safety tips to remember (According to Safe Kids USA):

·      Leave your purse, wallet, or briefcase on the floor board of the back seat to remind yourself that your child is in the car. Most deaths are unintentional resulting from forgetting there is a child in the car.

·      Put a sticker with a baby picture on the rearview mirror.

·      Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat. When placing the child in the car seat, put the stuffed animal up front with the driver.

·      Set your cell phone reminder to be sure you dropped your child off at their childcare center.

·      Dial 911 immediately if you see a child unattended in a car.

·      Lock all vehicle doors and the trunk after everyone is out of the car. Keep keys out of children’s reach.

Check the car and trunks first if a child goes missing. 

PFCLG is funded through Smart Start, North Carolina’s award winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that children enter school healthy.The mission of PFCLG is to serve as a leading advocate and collaborative resource to provide access to high quality services for young children.

Good cookies; great cause

Oh, wow. I had the honor of being one of the judges for the Cookies for Kids Cancer cookie contest today, and let me just tell you how difficult the decision was! But first let me tell you about the contest:

Stomp, Chomp & Roll, who owns Mama Fu's (Cotswold), Moe's at Northlake Mall, Flying Biscuit (Stonecrest & Cotswold), The Pizza Peel and Monkey Joe's (Park Rd.) teamed up with our local Cookies for Kids Cancer team by soliciting cookie recipes. Out of all of the entrants, seven sweet treats were chosen to bring the goods down to The Flying Biscuit in Cotswold where I was joined by 7-year-old Grier Christenbury (Cookies for Kids Cancer Representative), Kathleen Purvis (Food Editor for The Charlotte Observer) and Lisa Frame (Mommyality). Our job? Tasting and commenting on the oh-so-delicious final products.

We judged on appearance, creativity and (natch) taste while also providing comments.

Let me first say I am a true chocoholic, but I wanted to give each option a fair chance.
Lucky for me, most of the cookies included some type of chocolate. Most also required a few tastes, just to be sure (of course!)

The second place winner was a close runner-up in my book; the Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie had chunky peanut butter and lots of chips ... it was the perfect texture!  But the Millionaire Shortbread won by a landslide. Soft shortbread, topped with a layer of caramel and finally a layer of thick, creamy chocolate was to die for.

The Millionaire Shortbread will be sold at all Stomp, Chomp & Roll restaurants through September 30 so you can go try one yourself! And the best news?  ALL proceeds will go to Cookies for Kids Cancer.
So go try one (or a few) out for yourself; I promise you won't be disappointed!

Grier Christenbury, one of the other judges