A great morning-starter juice

I've been juicing every morning for several months but today I think I hit the perfect mix.

Watermelon with the rind
Apple
Kale
Parsley
Little lemon
Little ginger
Celery

Delicious!

The Granola Recipe

Emily’s Baked Granola
Modified from The Kripalu Cookbook

6 cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups pumpkin seeds
1 cup flax seeds
1 ½ sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cups blanched almonds, chopped or in slivers
2 cups shredded coconut

½ cup barley malt
¼ cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
1 ¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
A little cinnamon
A little salt

Chopped dates
Raisins or currents

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry and combine well.

Spread the mixture into a large baking sheet with tall sides and bake for up to 50 mins. Check the mixture every 20 mins and rotate the mixture in the pan so the bottom doesn’t over brown. When mixture is lightly browned, remove from oven. Let cool for 30 mins. Granola will harden and darken as it cools.

Mix in the raisins and dates and serve immediately or store in airtight, sealable container after it’s cooled completely.

When you're craving a sweet but wanting to stay thin (or get thin)

Drink tea.

My Child - Your Guinea Pig

A review of suncreens never tested on animals, but my dear, sensitive child's skin. Our pain, your gain.

Last summer we tried 'em all..aveeno baby, california baby, coppertone's waterbaby, mustela...and woe is me, if they didn't all give my child a skin condition resembling severe eczema. I wasn't really sure at first if it was chlorine or sun exposure, (or, eczema) but in the end, the experiment with my child's skin led me to believe that sunscreen was the culprit.

Having just returned from a week on the beach in Mexico with a bottle of Earth's First baby sunscreen, SPF 30 I am happy to report it did the job! Her skin stayed clear AND sunburn free. On the last day, I thought that perhaps her skin had lost its sensitivity to sunscreen in general, and carelessly sprayed some of our friend's Huggie's Little Swimmer's brand, SPF 50, on her sweet little legs. The rash is back, and I feel like a terrible mother.

But, the upside is I can highly recommend Earth's First as the sunscreen for those of you out there struggling to keep your kids covered up AND rash free!

PS: Aquaphor works great on dry, rashy patches of skin, if you are unfortunate enough to have a child with skin like my little lady...

Turn off your computer

This may not be something I am able to do in the future, (when my self-employment actually picks up again) and for the good of our blog, I should not really be offering up this advice, but it is an appeal to turn off your computer. At least once a week, if possible, have a computer free day. Better yet, set aside 30 minutes a day where the computer is not an option. Last November, a close relative nearly died from complications from the flu, and it caused what my therapist coined "a flight into health." I was also inspired by a healthy friend whose life seemed so much more manageable and in-balance than mine - even as the full-time breadwinner of her family. I realized I had been living at a frantic pace, with no time for myself, and my body and mind were suffering. As the mother of an 18 month old, time is at a premium. How to make more time? TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTER. Instead of rushing to the computer as soon as naptime hits, sit quietly for at least 5 minutes, listening to your breath. I think you'll be amazed at how quickly your daily 5 minutes turns into 15, and more amazing still, how making some quiet time for yourself rapidly turns into a ritual. You might be even more amazed to see what else opens up in your life for you. For me, this ritual turned into a daily yoga practice and a return to a long lost passion. What could 30 minutes a day NOT spent on the computer do for you?

But then, get back to your computer, because your friends and family are important! But make a little time for you first.

Take Your Vitamins

We all know we should take our vitamins but remembering every morning and going through all the bottles can be more time than we have in real life. One little thing that can help the cause is to take an egg container and drop the daily dose into each egg slot.

A fussy point: since I buy local, organic eggs I get the cardboard style with the grooves in the bottom. It makes digging the vitamins out a little bit of a pain. I would imagine the Styrofoam ones with smooth bottoms would be better idea if you can find them.

Getting Through Morning Sickness While Taking Care of a Toddler

Those of us who have severe nausea due to pregnancy know that the term “morning sickness” is one of the biggest fallacies in the English language. The sickness for us can be morning, noon and night. The first trimester of expecting baby #2 (or 3…) can be the most challenging times for any mom. Changing diapers and preparing meals while on the verge of losing your cookies can be an awful experience.

I’ve tried every remedy suggested from B6 vitamins to ginger to mint tea to prescription medication and nothing relieved the nausea. What did take the edge off was acupuncture. Twice a week until I turned the corner. Good luck mommies, and hang in there!