Doing it herself

Its nice to be able to eat chicken parm, while she feeds herself!

five simple things you can do for your child to help keep their smiles healthy and bright

As someone who for a long time, had terrible teeth (they still need some work done). I am very careful about helping Annabella acquire good oral habits. I think its important to keep teeth healthy because dental work is SO expensive, and the only option our healthcare plan provides us with is Western Dental, somewhere I'm not willing to take my daughter. 

 Here are some tips on how to keep your child's smile Healthy

1. Teach them the importance of drinking water: among the other benefits, water helps flush bacteria that can cause plaque out of the mouth, I love drinking water, and I think its because my Nana always had some cold in the fridge, offer kids water instead of sugary drinks, or juices.
2. Brushing; This seems obvious, but many people don't know the correct way to brush, next time you are at the dentist have your child learn the correct way to brush their teeth. Encourage them to use small circles and brush each tooth individually so that they can be sure to get all sides.
3. Xylitol Gum:  Xylitol is an all natural plant based sweetener that has been proven to prevent cavities. Kids love gum, let them chew on one with xylitol rather then sugar. Trident has gum with xylitol geared towards kids! Trident has been around since 1967!
4. Avoid sugary snacks at lunch: It can be tempting to send kids to school with a cupcake or candy bar in their lunch-box, but avoid it, That sugar sits on their teeth for the rest of the day. Save sugary treats for home, and make sure that kids brush when they are done, this will form good habits. Try putting some apples with peanut butter, or banana bread for a healthy low sugar snack
5. Floss: Most cavities are found between the teeth, so be sure to teach your kids to floss, make sure that they get the sides of each tooth, and to be gentle with their gums. 

Teeth are so important, follow these tips and your kids will be on their way to healthy smiles

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Ten Tips for Planning a Unique Baby-shower

Baby Showers!

A fun way to celebrate the new little one coming into the world

A great way to spoil the expectant mommy

And of course, an excuse to eat cake

However, is it just me or can they get a little bit..... monotonous? Melted candy bars in a diaper, jordan almonds in a baby carriage wrapped up in tulle?

Why not switch it up a bit.... here are some of my ideas for baby showers that are a little bit different,.

1. Have a Book Baby Shower: A friend of mine had this and it was great, it took a little bit of work from her mom to make sure there were no duplicates, but the party was great, and their little one will have these books with personal messages from all his friends forever! The party was so much fun, it was great to look through all the books from being a kid, and to see the new ones that I had never heard of. (I still like the old ones best)
2. Have a crafty shower:  I knew a woman who made a quilt for the expectant mother, she then brought it to the baby shower along with a basket of embroidery thread and a book for ideas, she asked guests to embroider something personal on the blanket for the new baby. I saw the finished project and it was an heirloom gift to be treasured forever
3. Mix it up: Women only showers are in the past, why not invite the boys so that the father to be can be celebrated? Invite the guys and tone down the girlishness, this is great for a mama that is a little bit shy around people, having her significant other there can really make her feel comfy.
4. Fun Favors: Why not give favors that guests will actually use? Give special guests a frame that can hold two photos, take a picture of baby in bell and send it out later later when its time to send out announcements, along with a picture of the new baby. 
5. Do it yourself favors: Set out a candy display with penny candy, give out bags for guests so that they can choose what candy they want, the display will also add whimsy to the room, a must for baby showers
6. Special notes for the future: I saw a project somewhere online not too long ago, where every guest wrote a message on a little piece of paper, they then wrapped each message around a birthday candle, the candles could then be used each year for the child's birthday!
7. Food: why not think healthy, try to avoid the typical casseroles, and greasy finger foods that are served, remember this is a baby shower, promote health, what about a diy salad bar, include chicken, or tofu for some extra protien. Summer showers are especially great for this because you can find lots of veggies at your farmers market.  For Dessert? Why not a do it yourself ice cream bar with vanilla ice cream and fruit to top it off?
8. Name that Baby!: This game is especially fun, have each guest bring in a baby photo of themselves. Hang them on a board and number them, give each guest a sheet of paper, and have them write down who is who! See who can match the most! Its so much fun to look at old baby photos of your friends
9. Petits Fours: Instead of a giant cake, why not serve individual Petits Fours? They are adorable and fit the baby theme well, it also allows for guests to control how much they get, rather then being given a big piece of cake they may not want, they can choose from a variety of different small cakes.
10. Plant party!: I love fitting gardening in anywhere I can, so heres another great party favor idea, get pots for all your guests, a bag of soil, and a tray of plants, let guests pot thier own plants ( be sure to put gloves and an apron on the table so guests don't have to get dirty) Or get your green thumb out and prepot the favors for your guests! They will remember you everytime they water it.

Happy Babies everyone! For some great shower invitations check out Tiny Prints at
 http://www.tinyprints.com/baby-shower-invitations.htm

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 Tiny Prints Gift Code plus 25 FREE Tiny Prints Greeting cards (valued at $149.75). For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Tips for Low Sodium Meals

Salt, we need it to live, it makes food taste better, its in.... everything

But its important to watch the sodium we take in, because too much of it can cause swelling, bloating, and can lead to kidney problems, high blood pressure, and heart failure.

Don't get me wrong, I love salt, but I try not too use too much of it when I cook, because I know that once the food makes it to the individual plates, the habit of grabbing the rooster full of salt is hard to stop.

So realizing, that my creations are only going to be flavored to the diner's delight, I try to cook meals that are low in salt, or flavor it to my taste (except in baking, where it is often needed for science reasons)

Another way to avoid too much sodium is to take a look at the ingredients (something I always recommend if you want to eat healthy) 

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) This should be avoided anyways, because its awful for you
• Baking Soda: Not that you should avoid it, but maybe before using salted butter on that homemade biscuit, try some honey or jam
• Baking Powder: Same recommendation as above
• Disodium phosphate: An anti-caking agent
• Sodium alginate: an emulsifier
• Sodium nitrate or nitrite: is a preservative that changes the color of fish and meat fights botulism 

Another good way to avoid sodium is using fresh herbs and veggies,  avoid using pre-mixed spice packets because they are usually made with mostly salt. 

Make your own! Make your own dressings, that way you can control how much sodium goes into them,  a simple drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar are really help to bring out the flavor of fresh veggies, without covering them up like traditional dressings. Try out this Balsamic vinegrette from Emeril. 


 This Recipe for Mediterranean butter, made with Mrs.Dash's  low sodium tomato-basil seasoning, is simple and easy served over veggies or fish. Just mix butter and the seasoning, and spread over the fish and veggies! YUM! I think I would like to try this over the veggies and potatoes, in foil on the grill while camping!

Another way to limit the salt intake is to make your own food, salt is naturally a preservative, my making your own fresh breads, dinners, sauces, and snacks, you can avoid the salt-laden preservatives that fill convenience foods (it will also cut down that waist line)

Eat home, and if you don't pay for quality. I am a big believer in this, I don't eat 'sit down fast food' Chain restaurants that you find in strip malls. The food is not healthy, even the salads often times have more calories then a piece of chocolate cake. They also use tons of salt to make the food so delicious.  I going to make this zucchini casserole for diner once a few more zucchinis ripen. I am always over salting my zucchini (I don't really like them) but this is made with  Mrs.Dash's lemon pepper seasoning blend, and I think it looks so good! 

Condiments are also high in salt, but you don't have to eat a dry sandwich. Try using some aIoli in place of the mayo, fresh basil pesto is another yummy low sodium sandwich spread.


Its always important to watch what we eat, try out some of these recipes and you're on your way to a healthier heart, and tastier food!




“I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mrs. Dash and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Baby-wearing on TV!

Just saw this! Wish I could see something like it on American TV!

How long have you been here

Cleaning out my drawers today, and I was surprised by this guy

Of course, I was home alone, so I freaked out (hence the clown picture frame that I knocked off the top of the dresser and into the drawer making the lizard jump causing me to scream again)

Not to worry though, I  accessed the situation and the little guy is now probably living underneath the lavender bush in the front yard. It required me to remove the drawer, and bring it outside so that the lizard could escape.

30 New Amazing Birthday Cake Designs - Parenting.com (Page 50)

Getting some ideas for Annabella's birthday

30 New Amazing Birthday Cake Designs -