Guest Post: Adventures with Kids and Tips to Surviving Them

Guest Post: Written by  Mandee from http://www.nothinbutcrazylove.com

So it has been a long winter a not a lot of days we were able to play outside. Too cold!! I have had to get creative and adventurous to keep my girls from severe cabin fever. Here is a little take on how we survive winter in the Upper Midwest.

We live in a major metropolitan area and there are lots of choices of things to do, but not all are appropriate for us. I did some research on the Internet and also called a few places and got some more information.

My girls are 4 and 6 and are active and love to be hands on. So being able to touch everything is a must for us. We love museums, provided they are family friendly, water parks, zoos and indoor playgrounds. Basically anywhere you can run, touch things and be loud. Yup, I said loud!!!

One place we visit frequently is an indoor playground in our area. They have playground equipment like slides and spinning things. They also have a creative play area with large foam building blocks, a jumping pillow and a gym as well as an indoor field area for soccer, football and just running around and being crazy. Love this place and my kids are so tired when we leave.

They offer memberships and also play for the day options. I love this because I can sign up for a membership during the months that we are cooped up and then just do play by the day at other times.

We have tried two museums and fell in love with one of them. One is the Children’s Museum and the other is the Science Museum. I felt like the Children’s Museum was a bit on the young side for my girls. It was hands on but I think not stimulating enough for their ages. Check what exhibits they have going on and that will help you decide if it is a good fit for you and your kids.

Next up we tried the Science Museum and feel in love immediately. My girls were so enamored by everything they could do. I love that they have exhibits that change but also have things that stay forever. They have already been asking if we can go see the mummy again. Love it!!! I think we are going to purchase a membership so we can go whenever we like. Our Science museum has an Omni theater so that is included in the membership price so that is a huge bonus.

Swimming is tops on my kids list of things to do all year round. I have to say I kind of loathe the large water parks for the shear volume of people. It makes me nervous so we stick to the community centers that have aquatic centers. We have one close to us that has waterslides and also a splash park. It is great for all ages and I love that I can sit in the water and enjoy it too.

Another one of our favorite places to visit is the zoo. We have two close to us and have a membership at one. I love that we can go for the day or just hang for a few hours. Our zoo has tons of indoor and outdoor things to do. In the winter we go and hang out in the tropics where it is warm and humid. Love that it feels like a mini vacation to somewhere warm. The aquarium area is great with hands on things for everyone. There is a shark and sting ray petting tanks and that is where you will find my girls hanging out. We have actually gone and just hung out there for several hours until there hands and arms are water logged.

When gathering information about places to go with your kids there are things to keep in mind when looking on the Internet or when calling. Here is a list of things to think about.

• What are the hours and are there days that are busier than other? (The zoo we have a membership to does not allow school groups on Mondays so we try and go then.)
• What ages is it appropriate for?
• Are strollers allowed? (I got burned by this one once and learned to ask. You would be surprised by how many places don’t allow them)
• Do they have lockers you can use for coats and other items?
• Do they offer discounts of any kind or have free days? (Sometimes you can show a library card and get a discount or other things like that)
• Location and parking as well as parking fees
• Can you bring in food? (Food at these places can be expensive so being able to bring a snack or light lunch is a bonus)
• If inquiring about a membership to a particular place make sure to ask about parking. Is it included or reduced with a membership? (Parking can be expensive especially is located in a major downtown area)

Here are a few questions that are specific to water parks…

• Can you use flotation devices? (water wings, lifejackets, pool noodles)
• Do they provide flotation devices?
• If allowed can they be used on water slides and diving boards? (Some place allow flotation devices but not on the slides or diving boards)

Now that you have some questions to ponder I put together a list of some items to bring with that will make the adventure fun and easy.

• Even though my kids are older I always bring a change of clothes and leave it in the car. You never know what will happen.
• A few Ziploc bags for anything that comes your way. No one wants to put wet anything in their purse.
• Snacks or lunch if allowed. I always put a few granola bars or something like that in purse no matter what.
• If you are doing the water park make sure to bring extra towels. They do safety breaks once an hour and everyone must get out of the pool for a period of time. In the hot and humid air towels do not dry very fast and no likes a cold wet towel at the end. I figure at least 2 towels per person.
• Another thing I always bring to the water park is shampoo and conditioner so that I can just wash the chlorine right out of my girls’ hair and be done with it. Bonus is their suits get rinsed out to and I can just hang them up to dry when we get home. 

Having as much info as possible will make for a great experience wherever you go. Remember that sometimes websites do not have all the info you need so don’t be afraid to give them a call.

Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you and I hope you have many happy adventures.

                                           

Mandee 

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Dressing Up and Breastfeeding

Did you think that once your baby arrived you’d be back to wearing your regular clothing again? That’s what I thought - boy was I wrong. I never thought about how I’d get my boob out of my normal clothing for breastfeeding. Finding everyday clothing that works for breastfeeding is the easy part. I struggle with finding dresser outfits for functions much more of a challenge. Most dresses are very impractical and unwearable for breastfeeding.

Although, dressing up for a function may seem impossible because you’re nursing, you don’t have to ditch looking good entirely. You just need to become a more strategic shopper. There are several types of dresses and shirts that you can wear that are very practical for breastfeeding. The best part is that they do not need to be from maternity clothing stores.

Here are some pieces from my very own closest that I have worn to baptisms, engagement parties, weddings, showers etc...

A wrap dress is perfect for breastfeeding. The crisscross front makes pulling out a breast super easy.

The good ol’ button-up shirt paired with an elegant skirt. The thing I love about a button-up shirt is that they can easily be dressed up or down. A dress with buttons on the front would work too.

I love the zip-front dress look. Not only is it trendy, it offers easy access to the breast.

Wrap dresses, button-up dresses or shirts, and zip-front dresses are all very piratical for nursing moms. Just give yourself plenty of time to find an outfit since our options are pretty limited.

So mamas, what do you wear when breastfeeding? Any other tips to share?

Source List:

Wrap Dress - Jacob

Button-Up Shirt - Guess

Pencil Skirt - Danier Leather

Zip-Front Dress - BCBG 

My Natural Birth Story

On October 1, 2013 I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep when I felt minor contractions. My husband was sound asleep so I let him sleep since I didn’t know if I was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions or if it was the real thing. As the night progressed I was still experiencing the contractions. I decided to wake my husband up at midnight to tell him that I thought our baby boy would be arriving today, on his 29^th birthday.

The next hour we lied in bed together with the iPad recording my contractions. At 1:00 a.m. we decided to call our midwife and tell her what was happening. She wasn’t convinced that I was starting labour since I was 11 days early and my contractions were so weak and irregular. She told me to go to bed and to wait and see if anything changed. I had my 38-week appointment scheduled for that afternoon anyways. I obviously couldn’t go to bed since I knew that it was happening. My husband though went back to bed since he assumed he’d be up at 5:00 a.m. for work.

I stayed there lying in bed wide-awake wondering when my contractions would get stronger and when and if my water would break. At 4:00 a.m. I decided to wake my husband up again to tell him that the contractions were still happening. We called our midwife again and she said that she thinks that I could be in my early stages of labour and to try to get some rest so that I would have some energy if I did go into labour that evening or night. She recommended I take a warm bath to relax me and help me fall asleep. My husband got the bath ready for me, warmed me up a glass of milk and went back to bed. He now only had 1 hour left of sleep until work. I enjoyed my warm bath and felt much more relaxed.

As soon as I got out of the tub though things really started to pick up. The contractions automatically got much stronger and more frequent and I constantly needed to use the washroom as my mucus plug was slowly coming out. I quickly ran downstairs to grab my husband’s birthday gift and woke him up again. I told him he better open it up now since I didn’t know if I would be able to give it to him later. After he opened his gift he decided to call work and tell them that he wouldn’t be able to make it in today. At this point my contractions continued to get stronger and stronger to the point where it hurt to lie down. The only thing that made me feel better at this point was my exercise ball.

Happy Birthday Hubby!

At 7:00 a.m. my contractions were now unbearable. My husband called the midwife and told her that we were ready to meet her at the hospital. She told my husband to pass me the phone so that she could listen to me during my next contraction. My midwife could obviously tell that my contractions were painful but said they were still not long enough and my water still did not break so for me to wait a little bit longer. I just started balling on the phone and told her that I couldn’t take the pain at home anymore. She finally gave in and told us to meet her at the hospital at 8:00am.

As soon as I got the hospital I needed to use the washroom (again). At this time I was dipping lots of blood. The nurse escorted us to a room and gave me a gown. As soon as my midwife arrived she asked if I wanted her to break my water or if I wanted to go into the Jacuzzi. I choose the Jacuzzi since I wanted my water to break naturally. While the Jacuzzi was filling up my midwife examined me only to find out that my water had already broken (till this day I have no idea when this happened). She then checked to see how far along dilated I was and I was already 8-10 cm.  She was so surprised that I was already fully dilated that she forgot all about the Jacuzzi (it ended up overflowing). Anyways, there was no time for the Jacuzzi - it was time to push.

The second midwife arrived and I began pushing around 9:30 a.m.  I was really reluctant to push lying on my back but it was honestly the only position that I felt comfortable in. I had one midwife playing tug of war with me with a towel, one holding one leg up, and my husband holding the other. As soon as they saw my baby’s head my midwife placed a mirror in front of me for motivation. Just seeing that little head of hair gave me the strength and courage I needed to push as hard and long as I could. After about 45 minutes of pushing our precious baby boy was born at 10:19 a.m.

Our Precious Baby Boy 

I honestly could not have asked for a better labour. My husband and I were very happy with the way it turned out and can’t imagine doing it any other way.

Fun with Baby at the Ontario Early Years Centre - Part 2

The first part of this blog post has been featured on Louida's blog Product Review Mom. You can read Part 1 of this post HERE! 

I started taking my son the Ontario Early Years Centre when he was 4.5 months old. The reason why I waited for awhile was because he was born in the Fall. I was worried about taking him out in public during flu season. It has been really nice to finally get out of the house on a regular basis, bond with my son and connect with other moms. 

The Ontario Early Years Centre offers a ton of different programs that are tailored to children’s ages and interests. Some programs are: Craft Time, Toddler Time, Kindergarten Here I Come, Discovery Time, Mother Goose and much much more. 

Mother Goose is the program I attend with my son. This is an interactive program that involves rhymes, finger plays and songs. To get a visual of what the Mother Goose program looks like picture a group of moms sitting around in a large circle with their babies either on their laps or in front of them lying on a blanket. The instructor will normally begin with a hello song that allows all moms to introduce their babies to the group. Moms are also given some time to socialize with each other while enjoying a little snack provided by the centre. 

All and all I love the Mother Choose program and so does my son! I am looking forward to trying out some of the other programs as my son grows. 

Where is your favourite place to go with your child?

Guest Post: Where to Start When Transitioning your Kids to Paleo

Guest Post: Written by Michelle from happypaleokids.com 

Saying “paleo is of overwhelming” is an understatement when you’re just beginning your paleo journey. For me, making the transition to a paleo diet/lifestyle for my kids felt like one of the most overwhelming parts. The best thing I can recommend is taking babysteps. Follow these tips to begin the transition process and wait several weeks until your kids become comfortable before you start increasing the paleo foods on their plates.

1. Have “the conversation:” Have a conversation with your children about why you would like to change the family’s diet. Is it health? To have more energy for playing? To decrease behavioral outbursts? To make their bodies grow strong? Once you have started the conversation, you have opened the doors for an ongoing dialogue. For instance, if your child is eating carrots, explain to them how carrots have vitamin A, which stands for Awesome Eyesight! or when eating fish, describe the healthy fats that help their brain grow smarter and stronger. When they are eating something with gluten, explain that it contains gluten and that gluten makes it hard for their body to use the vitamins in their other food. Explain that you will be starting to have less gluten and will be saving it for special treats. Make sure to meet them at their level of understanding and keep your explanations simple (especially for younger children).
2. Model paleo behavior. Eat paleo, get as much rest as possible, exercise moderately, and do what you can to model stress management.
3. Replace foods in your pantry with better (but not necessarily 100% paleo) “transitional” food options.
   • Instead of trying to go completely grain-free all at once, replace gluten-containing foods with gluten-free versions (that is, gluten-free breads, pastas, mac-n-cheese, chicken nuggets, etc.)
   • Replace low-fat and nonfat dairy products with whole milk products. Switch from sweetened to unsweetened yogurts and sweeten it yourself with honey, pure maple syrup, and/or fruit. My kids LOVE making their own parfaits!
   • Replace conventional meat with organic or (better yet) grass-fed (if you can afford it; if  it’s too costly, don’t worry about it. more on this topic later)
   • Get rid of all foods containing high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors (especially red dye number 40, which has been proven to contribute to childhood behavioral and attention difficulties)
4. Incorporate nutrient-dense foods into their diets. Before you start removing more foods, start adding foods rich in vital micronutrients: Green vegetables, an abundance of fruit, sweet potatoes, carrots, lots of antioxidant-rich berries, fish, and the paleo superfoods: bone broth and organ meats! This will get your children used to seeing these foods on the table and will get you more comfortable with spending more time in the kitchen. (Don’t worry, you will get better with time management as time goes on). Use every dining opportunity to continue “the conversation.” While there are different points of view on this one, I always request my children take at least one bite of a new food that is on their plate. I remind them that their tongue sheds it’s skin every 21 days (like a snake!) so even if they didn’t like it last time, their “new” taste buds might like it this time.
5. Put the kibosh on grazing. This will make-or-break your success!! Children (especially young ones) are awesome at regulating their own nutritional needs. They are much more attuned than adults to how much of each macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) and micronutrient (vitamins, minerals) they need. However, when we allow them to graze all day on meals and sugary beverages it begins to get more difficult for them to read the hunger and satiety cues their body is sending them. This is because they are never given the chance to get hungry. Why eat the delicious grass-fed burger, sweet potato fries, and broccoli when a) they are not that hungry because they had a banana an hour ago and b) they know they will be able to have some yogurt, applesauce, or other snackfood an hour later

All meals and snacks should be eaten at the table, without exception, and without toys and tv as a distraction. Once the child is finished, the food should be put away and they will have  to wait until the next meal or snack.  Typically, children should be offered food every 2-3 hours, allowing enough time for them to digest and become hungry. If they request a snack between planned snack/meal times, remind them that they had an opportunity to eat and decided they were full and that they will be having another food/snack soon. Nutritionist Ellyn Satter has great resources on her website about this “division of responsibility” where the parent’s role is to decide when, where, and what the child will eat and the child can choose if they eat and how much they eat.

6. Drop the juice habit. “Empty” calories obtained from juice are taking up space that could be used for more nutrient-dense foods. This one was a killer when we took juice away from my oldest (my younger two never got into the habit), but after about 3 weeks she got over it. We still offer 100% juice at a restaurant or birthday parties as a special treat, but it is not an everyday thing. If you do choose to include juice and milk in your child’s diet, make sure they are only consumed with a meal/snack at the table, so that it doesn’t disrupt their natural hunger-satiety rhythm (see above re: snacking).
7. Stock your fridge with paleo treats. The goal is to eventually switch to fruits, vegetables, meats, and nuts as your staples, but in the beginning use paleo treats to show them that eating paleo doesn’t mean eating “yucky.” Here are some of my favorite, easy treat recipes:
   • Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes
   • Paleo Muffins
   • Anytime Cookies
   • Granola
   • Fruit Bars
   • …And keep LOTS of their favorite fruits onhand. I served fruit with almost every snack/meal early in our transition process. Fresh fruit is best, but dried (unsweetened) fruit is also super handy.
8. Play! Get active and get exercise as a family. This is one of my favorite parts of the paleo lifestyle! As often as you can, get outside (or inside) and enjoy physical play WITH your kids. It is so great for all of you! We love going on walks, bike rides, to the park (and don’t be afraid to be that weirdo parent on the monkey bars!), roller skating, mini-golfing, etc. Inside we love this great yoga DVD, we wrestle, have dance parties, play tag… options are endless.  Make your goal 30-60 minutes per day, but, as a real-life mom, I know that’s not always possible.  Just sneak in a few minutes of play here-and-there and it will start to become part of your routine.
9. Sleep. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep (click here for a list of how much sleep your child should be getting by age). Slowly move their bedtime earlier if necessary (15 minute increments every 2-3 days works well) and create a bedtime routine that is predictable and will signal to their brain that it is time to go to sleep. You will be AMAZED at what an extra 30 minutes of sleep can do for you and your child… zzzzzzz……..
10. LOVE. Always remember that you are making this change because you love your child and want the best for them.  It is a difficult adjustment for anyone, so be patient with yourself and with them. When you feel frustrated remind yourself that the goal is simply to be healthier one year from today than you are at this moment and that the goal is NOT paleo perfection. xoxo

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