A common complaint of many mothers is the daily struggle of what to wear. Most mothers express exasperation that they dress too casually, and some say, sloppily. Many mothers do not have the time in their busy schedules to devote to finding appropriate and attractive clothing.
Help can be found with a wardrobe consultant who will review your closet, assist you in determining your clothing needs, provide shopping assistance, and organize your closet.


If you find that you stand in front of your closet full of clothes and have nothing to wear, I recommend that you find someone to watch the children for a half day and devote it to reviewing
the clothing in your closet. Put on some music of your choice and pop open a Diet Coke or have a glass of wine if you're feeling more adventuresome. You'll need to try on everything, unless by sight you find that an item is too worn, stained, or a size that you haven't seen for awhile.

Once you try on the remaining clothing ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does it fit?
2. Does the color suit me?
3. When was the last time I wore this?
4. Does this fit into my current life situation? (i.e. a stay-at-home mom doesn't need a closet full
of power suits);and,
5. Do I like it? (can I run into an old boyfriend and feel attractive?).

Items that don't meet the above criteria can be donated to a charity. Please make sure that the item is in good condition; the rule is to only donate what you would consider buying. Items with tags still attached can be sold on eBay or at a consignment shop. The balance of the items can be
tossed or recycled for your "rag bag."

Most women need the following for a casual winter wardrobe:
1. Jeans in a darker wash;
2. A pair of black pants. The current style recalling Audrey Hepburn looks good on most women
and can be dressed up or down. I recommend that you have several pairs so that when one pair is
in the wash, you have another to wear;
3. A pair of corduroy pants in a boot cut style;
4. A few sweaters in a classic style. I happen to like the J Crew Wesley cable style in the v-neck
so you can layer a blouse or t-shirt under. Plus, they are really soft and wear well;
5. A pair of short boots to wear under your jeans and pants;
6. A pair of flat shoes to wear with your black pants. Try black or an animal print for more style;
7. T-shirts in white and other colors that you like. The Old Navy ones are a terrific value;
8. A sweater coat - a Fair Isle type weave will add pop to your pants and jeans. Also, it doesn't
get that cold in Richmond, and, since we spend most of our days in cars, a heavy coat isn't needed for most days; and,
9. A "real" winter coat for colder days.

That's all you need. I find that the more choices women have, the harder it is to decide what to wear. Pare down and you'll find that you are more confident and ready to face the world!
The best part of the above list is that you can order these by catalog or on the internet. This is my favorite way to shop because I can try the clothing on at my own pace and match them to my existing pieces. No need to drag a 2 and 4 year old through the mall!
Now you need to organize your closet. Take out anything that isn't clothing related. Find a new place for Christmas paper, sport equipment, and toys. When you're doing this it's a great time to streamline your home. Make sure that you are using the same style of hanger; it takes up less rod space. I like the plastic "jewel" style hanger that you find in department stores. You should also buy a few shoe boxes and some baskets to put belts and scarves in. You can get these items at Target for a reasonable price.

Originally posted on RichmondMommies

Fish, Veracruz Style

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons oil
1 no. 2 1/2 can tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped well
6 - 8 red snapper fillets
1 small can pimientos, chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons capers
One 3-oz jar green olives, pitted and chopped coarsely
Parsley, fresh, chopped as a garnish
3 boiled potatoes (optional)


Cooking Instructions:
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy skillet. Combine the tomatoes with the sugar, chili powder, allspice, garlic, orange rind, salt, pepper and onion. Blend well and simmer in oil for about 10 minutes, covered. Coat baking dish with remaining oil. Put the fish in baking dish; add the pimientos, capers and olives to the tomato mixture and pour over the fish. Bake in a moderate (350 degree) oven for about 30-35 minutes or until fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Sprinkle with just enough fresh parsley to add a little color.




Additional Comments:
Serve the potatoes on the side or some people prefer to add cubed, hot, boiled potatoes to the fish during the last 5-7 minutes of cooking.

Submitted to The Mommies Network recipe database by a member

So, let us get right to it.

I am guessing that there are minimally a few things you would have different about your body and that at least some of your time and energy is invested into mulling this over; well "sweet pea" that, is an exceptional waste of both resources.

It has taken me a very long time to learn to love myself and becoming a mother played a significant role. It all started when I decided that my post-pregnancy body was disgusting, I was so miserable and obsessed about it constantly. It brought misery to every area of my life, I stopped taking care of myself, I didn't shave for 6 months (by the time I did my landlord had to snake our drain because I clogged it). I would not let my partner anywhere near me and when we did have sex I was disgusted by it. I would spend hours looking in the mirror, for the sole purpose of intensifying my hatred.

About 4 months after I returned to my full-time job following my maternity leave, I quit. I needed to be at home with my son. He had 2 very invasive, painful surgeries during that time and I just had to be home with him. I took a part-time waitressing job and that was that, I was a stay at home mom. One day shortly after I was home full-time with him and following one of the above mentioned surgeries, we were hanging out taking pictures. Now he had to have arm restraints on so that he could not do any harm to the site of his incision, he was around ten months old.

So, here I am sitting on the couch watching my little man crawl and climb with these "no, no's" holding his arms perfectly straight, laughing and smiling and doing all of the things that they said he couldn't; and it occurred to me that I was a jerk. This child grew in me, this body nurtured his, and every part of him was a part of every part of me. He had already endured so very much; he had a face sewn together when he was just 4 months old and had just had the inside of his mouth sewn together and his nose broken, and here I was whining and sobbing about stretch marks and extra weight. I understood in those moments that my body was what it was because it was supposed to be, I had gained and grown, stretched and changed to accommodate him. So there it was, my very first real moment of truly loving my body, the body that had gifted me my son.

As women we are bombarded day in and day out with images and information that defines beauty for us, it comes to us from every direction at various different volumes. So what is all of information telling us? For the most part we are presented with an unattainable standard, a grand lie that whispers to the majority of us that we are simply not enough. For some of us, we are just not thin enough, others too thin, our cheekbones and bums not high enough, our breasts not perky enough, and blah, blah, blah.

You are indeed Beautiful regardless of these silly and unrealistic messages, how do I know this? Understand that all Women are Beautiful, each and every one of us. What is the benefit of ignoring or disregarding our Beauty, what is the pay off for treating ourselves poorly and hating any aspect of our bodies?

Beauty is found in simply being a Woman, Beauty is found in the diversity of Women. Beauty is confident and strong, self-aware and actualized. Beauty is about identifying one's personal style and "rockin" the "what" out of it. Beauty is not giving a "what" about what anyone else says or thinks Beauty is, it is ignoring the images and voices that tell us that we are not Beautiful. Beauty is seeing the Women on television and in magazines and recognizing their Beauty without using it to define what we are Not. Beauty is whatever we believe is Beautiful about ourselves.

It really is that simple, I think my larger behind is fly, some girls may think their tiny behinds are fly, just stop looking at other chics and finding the "imagined" ugly in you. Look at other Women and admire their own unique Beauty while embracing and cherishing your own.

In the world of me I have decided that being a Woman makes me absolutely spectacular. I adore my own abilities to create and hold another, warm in my womb while it grows, its energy glowing bright in my belly. I respect that my body was made to carry this being and cultivate it with spirit and structure alike, sharing my vital organs to assure its health and safety. I find my woman's body, spirit and structure, to be like the earth; giving and breathing life, sustaining and nurturing, protecting and destroying. Knowing that I cannot have anymore children strengthened my appreciation for the plethora of greatness my body offers beyond creating and carrying a child. I also believe firmly that a woman is to be the governor of her decision to bear children. Before becoming un-expectantly pregnant, I would not have chosen to have children.

For those of us, who are not able to have children or choose not to, we must remember that our body is the house of our true and deepest self, we must create, cultivate, nurture, and protect this self with the same ferocity we would our unborn child. This helps me to introduce you to my own adoration of my ability to create and hold my true self, warm in my centers as it grows, its energy glowing brightly in my chakras. What I mean by all of this is we as Women have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other.

My woman's body is plush and ripe, my own to bring pleasure and gift it to others, my own to decorate and adorn, my own to cleanse and forgive. My own to protect, my body should be free from the harm of myself and others; never to be taken, raped, or defiled. My choices are my own about my body and I should live free of ridicule and judgment. I believe that a Woman is the master of her own body and she belongs to no one other than herself or whomever she gifts herself to. If someone else is to take of my body without my unmitigated consent, I am entitled to re-claim and seek vengeance for this despicable wrong.

As a woman I understand that power resides within and around me and I accept my responsibility to embrace and use that power. Knowing that being a Woman means I am Brilliant and Beautiful, Kind, Caring, and Compassionate, Empathetic and Gifted, Nurturing and Emotional while also recognizing that I am Fierce and Strong, Competitive and Driven, Wild and Intelligent, Rational, Disciplined, and Physically Competent. I am Everything, Everywhere, in Every Woman, and so are you.

Originally published on CharlotteMommies.com

I met Donna Gilbert at my very first La Leche League meeting in Raleigh, NC in 2007. Since then, she has always been warm and welcoming, and able to answer any questions I have. Despite having two previous failed nursing relationships, Donna and the LLL allowed me to nurse my third child for two years, and my youngest, who was MUCH like my first (refused to nurse) for a year. Thanks to the success she enabled in my own breastfeeding experiences, I decided to interview her in hopes that other nursing mothers can benefit from her knowledge.

When did you decide that you wanted to help other women successfully breastfeed?
I thought about [it] when I realized how little support there is. It was a natural thing for me to want to help. Both my parents are ministers, so I grew up in a home where helping people was akin to breathing. It’s what I do. I guess you could say it’s in my genes.

How long did you breastfeed your own child?
Do you really want me to answer this question? Perhaps it would scare people. lol Well, I think she nursed much like an infant for about 4.5 years. I know it wasn't really like an infant, but at times it felt like it was that intense and that often. Between 4.5 and 5 it decreased to nothing. She basically weaned during that time.

Who was the most positive influence in your life, pertaining to helping other moms?
Helping mothers in particular? I can still remember how wonderful it felt when a La Leche League Leader told me how smart I was. I was about 5 months pregnant and completely unsure of myself. I was a very reluctant mother and it was those few comments she made that gave me a little bit of hope. I’m sure I’m not the only mother out there who felt that way and I would like to do that for other moms.

What are some websites or other resources that you point moms to when they need their questions answered?
I absolutely love Dr. Jack Newman’s website and videos. A picture is worth a thousand words. DrJackNewman.com

How often and how long should baby nurse?
Babies are just like other people when it comes to eating. Some people eat quickly and some people eat slowly. Some people like a few big meals and some like to nibble all day. Your baby may have just gotten the milk flowing and you think it’s time to change sides because you are looking at the clock. So the real answer to this question of how long should my baby nurse is this: Let your baby suck until they are satisfied. If they seem fussy, try compressing your breast to see if you can help the flow a little and once baby is done on that breast, either because they aren’t getting any more milk or aren’t getting it quickly enough, or because they’ve fallen asleep, then you switch sides. Your baby will let you know when they want to eat and when they want to stop eating. In the early days, if baby is awake, offer your breast. They only have so much energy and all of that energy should be geared to survival – in this case, breastfeeding. As they get older, they will spend more and more time discovering the world around them.

A newborn’s tummy is very small, especially in the early days, so it takes very little to fill them – only about 1 teaspoon on days one and two. By day three, baby’s tummy can hold almost an ounce and by day ten, baby’s tummy can hold about 2 ounces. This is why a baby nurses so often, especially at first.

How do I know my baby is getting enough to eat?
First and foremost check is to see that your baby has a good latch and is swallowing. You should see or hear your baby swallowing. Their ears will wiggle slightly while they are nursing and their lips will be turned out. Your breasts should feel softer after you feed your baby.

If your baby is gaining weight steadily after the first week of age, is passing enough clear or pale urine (about 6 wet diapers per day after the first two days), and is having about 3 bowel movements a day, is having short sleeping periods and wakeful, alert periods, your baby is likely getting plenty of milk.

It’s important to note that it is common for babies to lose some weight right after birth (up to 10% of their birth weight), so you needn’t be concerned. Keep nursing them and they should have regained that weight by day ten. Most babies gain from 2/3 to 1 ounce per day during the first 3 months.


What does a breastfeeding mother need to succeed?
Support.

When is the best time for breastfeeding to start?
Within the first hour after birth.

What is the best breastfeeding position?
Whatever position is the most comfortable for you and your baby. I will often get mothers to do a few swallows with their head in a different position to demonstrate how difficult it is to swallow if you are not looking straight ahead. Go ahead. Try swallowing with your head turned one way or the other, or with your head tilted up or down. Difficult, right? Remember that when you are positioning your baby to nurse. Another interesting thing I noticed is if I hang my head face down and open my mouth, my jaw falls forward and my tongue naturally falls down to the floor of my mouth. That is the position you want your baby’s jaw and tongue to be in when they nurse. If I tried to do that sitting up or lying on my side, it’s much harder. Many moms find nursing in the early days is much easier if baby is lying face down. Find a place where you can recline far enough back so that gravity will hold your baby on your chest. Put baby between the breasts. The baby will wiggle themselves toward the breast and all mom has to do is help them out a little by sliding their bottom to one side and the baby virtually latches themselves. It’s called laid-back nursing and you can check it out here: biologicalnurturing.com

What can Dad do?
Offer support. That’s the most important thing he can do. You need someone beside you at 3 am who will remind you that this is a learning curve, not to give up too soon, and most importantly, give you a hearty and reassuring “you can do it”!

Dad can also spend special skin-to-skin time with baby while mom takes a bath or a shower, burp and change baby, and basically anything and everything else!

What can I do before my baby is born?
Get good prenatal care. This can help you avoid early delivery which makes breastfeeding harder. Get as much breastfeeding information as you can. Take a class or two and attend a support group for nursing moms. Take a class from a lactation consultant. Then you can establish a relationship before the baby comes and you may not be so hesitant to ask for help when you need it. Talk to your doctor and/or lactation consultant about any breast surgery or chest injury you may have had. Make sure your doctor knows you intend to breastfeed your newborn and would like to do that within the first hour of life.

Can I breastfeed even if I am sick?
I suppose we should define ‘sick’, but generally, yes. If you are sick, your breast milk will have antibodies that will help protect your baby from getting the same sickness. There are very few exceptions. For example, radiation therapies require a temporary break from breastfeeding.

Can I take medicines if I am breastfeeding?
Yes, with a few exceptions, cancer chemotherapy agents being one of them. Check with a lactation consultant, La Leche League Leader or with “Medications and Mothers’ Milk”, a book by Thomas Hale found in bookstores and libraries. You can also go online to http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT

Some medications have a drying effect on breast milk, such as some over the counter cold medications and allergy medications, so you will want to use those sparingly if possible.

Do I have to restrict my sex life while breastfeeding?
No. If vaginal dryness is an issue, try more foreplay and water-based lubricants. You can feed your baby or express some milk beforehand so your breasts will be more comfortable. If your breasts leak, put pressure on the nipple and have a towel handy to catch the milk.

Do I still need birth control if I am breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding can delay the return of normal ovulation and menstrual cycles. This is called lactation amenorrhea method, or LAM. Like other forms of birth control, it is not 100% effective. LAM is 98% effective in preventing pregnancy during the first 6 months only if the infant is exclusively breastfed, the interval between feedings is less than 6 hours and the mother has not resumed menstruation. The use of pacifiers and infant formula are associated with an earlier return to menstruation.

Barrier methods, like condoms, do not contain synthetic hormones and therefore do not interfere with milk production.

Estrogen can decrease milk production. Progestin can decrease milk production if introduced before a mother’s milk supply is established. Most manufacturers recommend waiting at least 6 weeks. A trial period of taking the oral medication is preferable to having more potent procedures like injections so you can stop taking them if you notice a decrease in your milk supply.

Do you have anything else to say to new or expecting moms, or moms that want to try to nurse again, after not having such a great experience with previous children?
Yes! Give it a try! Every pregnancy, every baby and every breastfeeding experience is different. Gather as much information as possible and do your best to find a support group. Believe it or not, support is the number one predictor of success. If you can get past the learning curve of 6 to 8 weeks and establish your milk supply it is well worth it for the ease that follows.


Donna has a Diploma in Dental Hygiene (1986) from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and she is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2009). She has had personal experience breastfeeding and she has coached births. She has been a La Leche League Leader since 2004 and is a retired leader with Attachment Parenting International.

Originally posted by Becka from SaratogaCountyMommies on The Mommies Network National Blog, 3/25/11

Double-Bean Burritos

Ingredients:
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag brown rice
1 cup chunky bottled salsa
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
6 tablespoons bean dip (such as Frito Lay)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
1 peeled avocado, cut into 6 slices
12 cilantro sprigs
6 lime wedges (optional)

Cooking Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
While rice cooks, combine salsa and black beans in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stack tortillas; wrap stack in damp paper towels. Microwave at high 25 seconds or until warm.

Spread 1 tablespoon bean dip over each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup rice, 1/3 cup black bean mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 avocado slice, and 2 cilantro sprigs; roll up.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve with your favorite salsa for dipping.
Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Submitted to The Mommies Network recipe database by "Becky"

Let's face it, where there are kids clutter is sure to follow. Kids are natural born hoarders whose rooms are notorious for being a cluttered mess.  At times you may have even wondered if a tornado just ripped through there or if perhaps the place was possibly burglarized while you were loading the dryer. One never knows. As much as you'd like to, you will never completely eliminate the clutter. But, there are a few things that you can do to get it under control and make life much easier for everyone.  Avoid the impulse to tackle this project all on your own, instead use this as an opportunity to teach your child responsibility and the basics of organization. The time you invest now will pay huge dividends in the long run.

Step One: Clear The Clutter!
The very first step towards bringing calm and order to the chaos is getting rid of the clutter. Start by sorting through everything in the room and remove as much as possible that doesn't NEED to be there starting with the floor. Well...you do NEED the floor, but you get what I mean.
I find that using three large bags or boxes marked donate, trash, and keepers works well for making quick work of this step. Just grab the item and toss it right into it's new home. Yeah, we can see a floor again!

Step Two: Stow The Stuff
Now that you've cleared the clutter, step two involves organizing and storing what's left using kid friendly storage items such as bins, bookshelves, clear containers, cubbies, hooks, etc. Every item will need a place to call "home." The key here is finding an easy system that's right for your child and will motivate them to be and stay organized.
If you find that even after the big purge your child still has too many toys and books or you just want to limit the amount of stuff in your child's room in general, rotate them. Just pop a few of them into a box and stash them away. After about a month or so, pull them down and trade them out. Rinse and repeat. They'll get a real hoot out of re-discovering their "new" old toys.

Step Three: Maintain Order (No, really)
Ok, so now that the hard part of clearing the clutter and stowing the stuff is out of the way, it's time to set some simple ground rules to help make staying tidy and organized a part of each day. In addition to the usual "put it away when you're done," I find that having a "Morning Pick-up
Routine" and an "Evening Pick-up Routine" really helps us a lot.
This will help them to stay ahead of any messes that would have otherwise accumulated during the week making it one large project to tackle over the weekend. That's no fun! Speaking of "staying ahead of messes," here's a tip inside of a tip. Set up a "Donation Station" in a place where everyone has access. Whatever works best for your family, a hall closet, laundry room, garage, etc. Whenever family members come across something that they no longer want or use, it goes into the "Donation Box." When the box is full, drop it off at your local donation center.
Your family will benefit in 3 ways:
1.) You enjoy a less cluttered home
2.) You help other families
3.) You get a tax deduction (be sure to ask for a receipt)
Everyone's a winner!
Don't worry if your child's bedroom doesn't exactly look like a page torn from the latest Pottery Barn Kids catalog. (A girl can always dream right?)  That's not the goal. What's important is that they learn to be responsible for their own things. A valuable lesson that will serve them well for years to come.

Originally posted on FrederickMommies.com

So, I need to talk to you about something very important. And yes, it has everything to do with books. I need to know how you're reading these days. Are you reading hard copies of your books - as you always have and always will? Hardbacks. Paperbacks. Mass Market copies that fit in the smallest bags you own?

Or have you gone to the technological side and got yourself a Nook or a Kindle? Any sort of eReader at all?

I can't decide. I love my books. But believe me, I'd have a lot more space in various rooms of my home if I had less of them. And I'd never have to leave my house to buy the latest title that sparks my interest. AND I could carry more than one book at a time with me when I travel (not that that's frequent or anything - but still) and switch it around if I wanted to without worrying.

And no more tearing ads out of magazines to create bookmarks. That would be nice. You know the kind? The little tear outs that are in every magazine? Oh, and magazines! I could subscribe to more and not worry about how quickly I read them and whether or not I'll be able to recycle all those pages well enough to feel a little bit greener.

But I would totally miss the page by page feel. I would totally miss how a book feels in my hands. The weight of it. The smell of it, even. I would miss living in the bookstore like I normally do. More than once a month we head there to take our daughter to play with the trains at Barnes and Noble.

But see, there's another concern. Kindle or Nook? I live off Barnes and Noble, ALWAYS. But I am saving the Amazon giftcards that I have been getting through Swagbucks so I can buy one [a Kindle] for practically nothing. Sort of.

So what do I do? What did you do?

Fill me in on why you switched to an eReader, or why you think you never will. And I'll just keep reading. And reading. And - well - you get the idea!

Happy Reading -- however you do it!

Originally posted on the TriangleMommies blog on 5/7/11
Andrea is a SAHM who blogs about her everyday life, motherhood and more over at http://goodgirlgoneredneck.blogspot.com

Photo by: SingChan

Pani PoPo ~ Samoan Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
* 1 (12 ounce) package frozen dinner rolls, thawed
* 1 (10 ounce) can coconut milk
* 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk(optional)
* 3/4 cup white sugar, or to taste


Cooking Instructions:
1. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Coat your hands with cooking spray or shortening, and roll the dough balls in your hands so that they have a light coating. Place in the prepared dish. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, up to 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and sugar. Pour this mixture over the top of the rolls as evenly as you can.
3. Bake for 15-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before separating and serving.


Serving Suggestions:
This is great for desert or as an appetizer.


Submitted to The Mommies Network recipe database by "Katie"

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz. (approx. 3 tsp.) grated or roughly chopped beeswax (local organic Co-operative)
• 1 oz. (approx. 6 tsp.) coconut oil (local organic Co-operative)
• 1 1/2 tsp. lanolin (Left over from Breast feeding my babes)
• 3/4 tsp. vitamin E (I had capsules in my cabinet and poked holes in them to add up)
• 2 tsp. hard honey (local organic Co-operative)
• 3/4 tsp. peppermint essential oil (local organic Co-operative)

As the beginning of school fast approaches, we are faced with another year of lunch box choices. Children form their eating habits ealry and it is wise to get them into the habit of packing and eating a healthy lunch.

Most heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis and other life long diseases begin to develop in childhood. Usually, it is a handful of foods that do the most damage and so a handful of changes can go a long way towards a healthy diet.

Let your children help pack their lunch box and offer them healthy choices. Tell them the benefits of their choices. Children truly do like to be educated and it is amazing at how much healthy information they will retain and perhaps even share with others. By offering them choices, they will feel as if they have had a say in their lunch and you will be confident that they will make a wise healthy choice. By adjusting your child's lunch box menu, you can add energy to their day, years to their life, and a healthy attitude about eating in the future.

Remember the following tips and do not forget " A handful of changes goes a long way".
1. Milk should be 1% or fat free. Whole milk is the largest source of saturated fat in a child's diet. Milk keeps hearts healthy and arteries clear.
2. When using cheese, opt for low fat or fat free. Cheese is the 2nd largest source of artery clogging fat.
3. Switch from regular lunch meat to low fat or fat free. Often they taste quite the same!
4. Always offer a fruit choice. Apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, fruit cups or applesauce. Try serving them in a variety of ways to keep it exciting. Also offer yogurt or peanut butter as a dipping sauce.
5. Always offer a vegetable choice. Vegetables reduce your child's chance of heart disease, cancer, stroke and blindness later in life. Offer small carrot sticks, celery, cucumbers. broccoli or small salads. Offer ranch dressing for vegetable dip.
6. Use whole grain bread instead of white bread. The label must indicate that it is "whole wheat".
7. Limit sugary snacks such as sweets, cakes, candy and doughnuts. Most teachers will appreciate this as well.
8. Replace regular potato chips with baked chips, pretzels, nuts, breadsticks or low fat crackers. Also beware of Olean (olestra) products, these can cause cramping and diarrhea. They can also rob your child's body of important cancer fighting carotenoids and phytochemicals. One ounce of Bugles contains as much fat as a McDonalds Quarter Pounder.
9. Use 100% fruit juice, water or flavored water for drinks. Most other juices have only 10% fruit juice and as much sugar as soda.
10. If you use Lunchables, buy the low fat Lunchables. Regular Lunchables get 2/3 of their calories from fat and sugar.

Have a safe and healthy back to school!!!

Originally posted on CharlotteMommies.com

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Ladies, you all know what I am talking about when I utter these two nasty little words: “mommy guilt.” We all may have been prepared with the perfect nurseries, perfect birth plans, perfect diapers, and even perfect ideas of what we thought motherhood would be like. But we could never have prepared ourselves for the tremendous feelings of guilt that come along with the most important job on Earth. It begins almost as soon as we see the infamous two pink lines on the pregnancy test. We start to analyze each bite of food that we put into our mouths, making the right doctor appointments, getting the right baby gear. However, those guilty feelings of slipping a little extra chocolate as we pat our increasingly round bellies does not compare to the guilt after the babies arrive.

It doesn’t set in right away. In the early days, we are focused on the basics of newborn care and recovering from the birth. It starts to lurk as some start to plan for returning to work and leaving that most precious child with someone who doesn’t love them as much as we do. The thought is enough to rip your heart out. We didn’t expect it to be so difficult. Gulp. The guilt doesn’t go away after the baby stage either. In fact, it grows and gets worse. Why didn’t any of the countless parenting books and articles we read prepare us for it?! Then we have toddlers, which sometimes can be very trying to even the patience of Mother Theresa. We yell, and then wonder if we have warped them for life. We actually purposefully put them in front of the TV so that we can get through paying the bills and the house will stay moderately clean. Then we leave them there because we were so productive that we think we can just squeeze in a few more chores before breaking their zoned-out eye lock on the boob tube. Gasp. Just the thing we never, never, never thought we would ever do. We even used to judge those who did. And then we do it again the next week when we have to tackle the laundry. Horror of horrors.

Mommies, we must give ourselves a break. After all, maybe a gluttonous amount of TV now, will help them self regulate their own TV viewing later in life. Maybe that extra pregnancy chocolate helped us get enough calories to help grow those perfect, tiny fingernails. Perhaps there will be a recall on the more expensive car-seat with the better safety review and we will feel victorious for choosing the less pricey model. Did we love those sweet little people, though? Did we hug them and squeeze them? Yes! Today and every day. Isn’t that the most important thing anyway: that they feel loved? After all, helping our children feel loved deeply is the most perfect thing we can do. Even if we do it imperfectly from time to time along the way. Let us tenderly kiss them goodnight tonight and collectively, we will breathe a sigh of relief.

Originally published on ChesapeakeMommies.com