Mindful Momma

A Week Without Sweets and The Value of Breaking Habits

The minute my boys get home from school, they always want a "sweet snack", which usual means a couple of cookies or maybe a piece of candy if they have some from a holiday or special occasion. After dinner it's the same routine - "What's for dessert?", they ask! 

Imagine my surprise when, completely out of the blue my boys decided that they wanted to have a dessert-free week! I'm really not sure where this idea came from other than the fact that their dad and I do a yearly post-holiday detox where we give up sugar, dairy, caffeine and all that other good stuff for a few weeks. Maybe they wanted to impress us with their ability to give stuff up too! 

Why Breaking Habits is a Good Thing

Actually the concept of giving stuff up isn't foreign to them - we have technology-free weeks a few times a year as well. The biggest benefit I see of giving things up is to break habits. When you break a habit, you see that it is possible to do things differently. And you may even appreciate the new reality more than you think! When I do my annual detox, I break my habit of constantly snacking while making my kids lunches or mindlessly grabbing a handful of something every time I get the urge. When my boys don't have screens in front of their faces, they rediscover toys they forgot they had and spend more time using their wild and wonderful imaginations. When they are not eating sweets, they grab some fruit and find that they are perfectly satisfied!

I'm as guilty as the next person at being stuck on sweets. Giving up my afternoon piece of chocolate has been a sacrifice for sure, but we are all in this together! Wish us luck as we finish out our sweet-free week! 

Do you ever give things up to break a habit?

How to Encourage Imagination in Your Kids

There's nothing quite like the gift of imagination. Not only does it inspire us to try new things and use the right side of our brains but it gives us a happy sense of possibility. When I free my mind up and let it wander, creativity comes radiating out in a way that it doesn't when I'm feeling stressed and pressed for time.  

My two boys (ages 8 and almost 13) are very different from each other but they both have very vivid imaginations. For years one of their favorite pastimes has been playing complex imaginary games involving friends, characters in books they've read and all sorts of wild and crazy ideas. And check out this game they invented at my Mom's house using all sorts of stuff they found in her game closet - poker chips, dominoes, dice and yes, some of those classic war figures. It's a very complex game and all about strategy! It may just be make believe but I have no doubt that nurturing my kids imaginations will serve them well later in life. 

Are you looking for ways to inspire creativity and imagination in your kids? My new post over at Zenoobi.com covers 5 Ways to Encourage Your Child's Imagination. I'd love it if you would jump over and check it out!

Secret Scents: What is Hiding in Your Scented Products?

Artificial Fragrances Contain Allergens

You've been buying them forever - the lotion, the deodorant, your favorite shampoo. These products may be serving a purpose in your life but they've got a secret that you might not be happy about. Most conventional personal care, cleaning and perfume products contain artificial fragrance. You may have even seen the word "fragrance" on the label of a product you have at home. What you probably don't know is that fragrances can be made up of over 100 different "top secret" chemicals. And many of these chemicals trigger allergic reactions as well as other harmful effects in sensitive people.

Top Green Cleaning Products

I'm not exactly a clean freak. In fact, I wouldn't be sorry to give up cleaning forever. That said, I have found that making an effort to use safe, environmentally friendly cleaning products does make the process a little easier. Gone are the harsh, toxic products that I used to use years ago and instead my home is stocked with naturally fresh smelling products that still are tough on dirt and grime.

My cupboards are full of many different brands (as well as my workhorse baking soda and vinegar), but here are a few newer products that I've been experimenting with lately:

Laundry Detergent

Whole Foods Organic Laundry Detergent - This newish line of cleaning products sold under the Green Mission™ label (pictured above) is USDA certified organic and garners the highest rating on Whole Food's Eco-Scale rating system for cleaning products. My first reaction was that the watery liquid (based on organic soap nuts) wouldn't really clean my clothes but I after putting the detergent to the test, I was pleasantly pleased with the results. $13.99 for 100 oz (100 HE or 66 standard loads).

Thumbs up: Full ingredient list on label. Scores well on the EWG Healthy Cleaning Database. Love the subtle lavender scent. The Organic Dishwasher Gel is a winner too.

Second thoughts: Despite the claims, a grease stain is tough to remove with this detergent even after pre-treating (stain remover is still my best friend in the laundry room). This thin liquid detergent is easy to overpour. I marked the lid with a sharpie pen to keep better track of the dosage.

Dolphin Organics Gift Sets {+ a Giveaway!}

About Dolphin Organics

Dolphin Organics is one of my preferred brands for kids personal care products so I was thrilled when they decided to become an advertising sponsor of Mindful Momma! If you are not familiar with the brand, read what I had to say in a past blog post about Dolphin Organics. In a nutshell they are a safe and effective brand from a neat little parent-run business that you can totally trust!

Gift Sets

Dolphin Organics has put together some really cute gift sets for the holiday season. The set shown at the top of the post includes full sized bottles of the tear-free Baby Shampoo & Body Wash, Conditioner, Bubble Bath, Hypoallergenic Lotion and the SPF32 mineral sunscreen. Get it in the Simply Citrus fragrance or in Fragrance Free if you prefer. The set also comes in the Norfolk Lavendar scent without the conditioner.

Dolphin Organics also has a new line aimed at teens called Do Naturals. Choose from the basic Do Naturals gift set with 5 products including the Just Berry Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Moisturizer and Detangler.

Or go all out with the Do Naturals Diva Set that also includes a reusable drink tumbler and tote bag. An awesome gift for a teen girl, don't you think?

 

A Giveaway and a Coupon Code!

Dolphin Organics is offering a $50 gift card to one lucky Mindful Momma reader! Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. The giveaway will run through midnight on Thursday, December 20th, 2012. Good luck!

Want to place an order? Use code MMFIVE for $5 off your order of any size.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Disclosure: Dolphin Organics is a paid advertiser on Mindful Momma.)

Going Gluten-Free with Udi's

With so much buzz about going gluten free, I have been very curious to try it out for myself. No one in my family has ever been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity, but I have heard plenty of people claim to feel great when they avoid gluten completely. Still, it was never enough to convince me to try it. Until.....

Udi's 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge

While cruising the Expo Hall at BlogHer last August, I started chatting with some friendly people at the Udi's booth. They encouraged me to try their 14 Day Gluten Free Challenge just to see how I felt without gluten in my system for 2 weeks. What did I have to lose?

They explained to me that gluten is the protein found in wheat (and rye and barley as well) and it can be difficult for some people to digest. I can't say that I've ever suspected a sensitivity to gluten (my GI tract is working just fine, thank you very much!) but then again, who doesn't feel fatigue, bloating or inability to concentrate (other symptoms of gluten sensitivity) every once in awhile? Could these be related to my body's struggle to digest gluten?

A Partnership with Better Life Cleaning Products

One of my favorite parts of my job as a green lifestyle writer is to introduce my readers - that's YOU! - to products and companies that help you live the green and healthy lives you want to live. As you know, it can be hard to tease out the greenwashing from the truly green. My goal is to dig into the details (so you don't have to) and share the products that are best for you, your family and the environment.

Partnering with Better Life

Given that, I'm thrilled to announce that I am partnering with a fantastic company called Better Life. In my estimation, they are doing a great job of selling safe, effective and sustainable cleaning products for your home. The company was started by two friends - Tim (the biz guy) and Kevin Tibbs (the chemist) who were driven to create cleaning products that were truly safe for their young kids, their pets and the planet. They worked hard to develop safe formulas that kicked butt; created witty names for their products (Oak-Y-Dokey!); and sha-bam Better Life was born!

Sneaky Squash Muffins

If you have kids you know how frustrating it can be when you make healthy food and the kids won't eat it. As hard as you try, you can't always get those picky taste buds to cooperate.

Last week I had one of those moments after I cooked up a bunch of acorn squash from our CSA vegetable box. The squash was naturally sweet and I thought it tasted fantastic but both my boys turned up their noses at it when it was served as a side dish to our meal. There was a bunch left over so I decided to use it in a batch of muffins. Did I tell the boys that the muffins were made with the dreaded squash? Of course not!

These "pumpkin" muffins can be made with any type of winter squash - acorn, hubbard, butternut - whatever you have on hand. I'm guessing that mashed sweet potatoes would work as well. And of course if you don't have squash you can substitute pumpkin - I doubt the kiddos will know the difference!

Sneaky Squash Muffins

(adapted from a pumpkin muffin recipe on Epicurious.com)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (use part whole wheat or white whole wheat if you would like)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup cooked winter squash (acorn, butternut or others)

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Optional: 1/2 cup raisins, chopped nuts or chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare muffin pan with butter, cooking spray or unbleached paper baking cups.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, squash, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients in 2 parts, until just combined. Stir in raisins, nuts or chocolate ships if using.

Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

What's your favorite way to sneak healthy ingredients into your kids diet?

Top Ways to Get Your Omega 3's

For awhile now I've been trying to get my head around this business of taking Omega-3's. I know that these essential fatty acids are good for us - for brain health, heart health, joint pain, depression, immune support and even for better looking skin and hair - but I haven't been sure which type to take and why. So I decided to go "fishing" for some answers.

I discovered that there are 3 main ways to get your Omega 3's: through oils (typically taken as a supplement), from seeds (added to or sprinkled on foods) or by eating whole foods that naturally contain Omega 3's. If you dig deep there is a LOT more to know about Omega 3's but if you're looking for a basic primer on where to find them, here you go...

How To Bring Green & Healthy Values Back-to-School

 

(image by Henrik Nordstrom)

My boys hopped on the yellow school bus this morning, ready for a new year with new teachers, new classes and new friends. They carried bags of school supplies with them (can you believe how long those lists are?) and a healthy lunch packed in a reusable lunch bag. Have your kids gone back to school yet or are you still enjoying those last precious days of summer?

Of course this means it's time for the annual Green Moms back-to-school blog carnival! This is our 5th year in a row of curating posts from around the blogosphere about how to do the whole back-to-school thing the green, clean & healthy way! Big shout out to Lynn of Organic Mania and 4GreenPs who started this group many years ago!

Read on for tips, tricks and deep thoughts about everything from healthy treats to greener school gear to cleaner air: