Going Paleo - Sort of

My sister is a health coach, or as she likes to put it, a whole life coach. She's been recommending for years to reduce or eliminate foods that are inflammatory -- namely gluten, dairy, and sugar. And like a good sister, I've been ignoring her for years. 😆

But recently, I've gained weight (mostly from the holidays, which led to bad habits), and I've been having a lot of indigestion. It's not fun! So for whatever reason, I've decided to try out her advice . . . at least temporarily. It's basically an adaptation of the paleo diet. For one month, I'm not going to eat any dairy, gluten, or sugar as well as no corn and not eating starchy foods too much, but still allowing them. I can also have naturally occurring sugar, like honey and maple syrup, but I'm going to try to limit those in the hopes that it reduces my sugar cravings.

Last week, starting on the first day of Lent, I started reducing my carb-intake. I'm hoping that will help reduce the shock my body will experience. This shock can lead to what people have termed the keto flu, but really all it is is your body thinking that because of the reduction of calories and your normal foods, there must be some sort of emergency that is causing you to starve. This causes your body to go into a reserve of sorts to try to prevent you from dying. Not only does it make you feel sick (headaches along with fatigue and possibly diarrhea), but it can cause you to lose hair because your body is reserving nutrients for essential functions.

So I figured if I decreased slowly, that would hopefully not happen. I also bought an electrolyte supplement, Keto K1000 Electrolyte Powder, which can help decrease issues caused by dehydration, which often happens when starting and possibly on a low-carb diet. I'm not exactly keto, but there is some overlap. I'm glad I did, though. Last Saturday night, I was feeling really headachy and drained. I drank some water with the electrolyte powder for the first time, and my symptoms were gone by morning. I know that some people have complained about the symptoms lasting a week, so I'm glad I had it to drink.

Yesterday was the first real day of eliminating all foods (dairy, gluten, and sugar). Wish me luck! I have a week of meals planned out (all three), since this really isn't a diet where you can just grab something quick or on the run. Last night I made my dinner (which will also be two of my lunches this week) and then I prepped my breakfast for this morning.

If you're curious what I made, it was Sausage, Peppers, and Onions over Curry-Spiced Quinoa from the pretty bee. It was pretty good! But it's a good thing that I am not low-carb. That quinoa is packed (along with a lot of healthy stuff too). For breakfast this morning, I had chaffles (non-cheese version) with an egg and bacon. I also tried oat milk for the first time. It was, um, oaty.

I'll keep you updated on my progress. I might even eventually be willing to post a before and after pic, but for now I think I'll keep the before pic to myself.

Practicing Writing with Your Preschooler/Kindergartner

My daughter, BR, is four years old and will be starting kindergarten in the fall. Unlike her two brothers, she wasn't able to go to preschool. With just six months till kindergarten starts, working with her on some basics will help her prepare, so she's not too overwhelmed when she gets there.  One way to work with her will be teaching her to write her name every day. Plus, it can help pass the time while her brothers are in school.

Creating Custom Printouts for Your Preschooler or Kindergartner to Trace

At KidZone.ws, you can create custom tracing papers that can be used for practicing writing. This is especially helpful if your child is still working on the basics of writing. Here you can choose block, script or cursive writing (which is great for your older kids) and you can type in exactly what you want, so you can create pages with your child's name on it (first and last) or whatever you want them to learn. 

Writing time will be included every day on the daily schedule. Hopefully this will be a fun activity for us to work on together.


What have you done to prepare your preschooler for kindergarten? I would love to hear your ideas.

Using a Sounds for Silence White Noise Machine to Help Babies Sleep

When you have a newborn baby, nothing is better than the sound of your baby sleeping ... especially if you're dead tired from exhaustion. You will do anything to help your baby sleep longer. There are many techniques for getting your baby to sleep, but what about keeping your baby asleep?

MW just a few hours old.

What Is a White Noise Machine?

A white noise machine, or brown noise generator, produces ambient noise that is soothing and helps block out noise from other rooms and outside. Some white noise machines play a prerecorded track while others produce organic noise with a fan.

How Can Background Noise from a Noise Making Machine Help My Baby Sleep?

By blocking out background noise, your baby can sleep longer and more soundly. This is especially important if you have children who are older who might wake your baby up early from a nap or in the mornings, and even more especially if you, like me, live in a very small house/apartment (i.e. our toddler's room is on the other side of the wall from our TV).

Alex when he was just an iddy-biddy 'ittle baby

According to Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, "Most babies sleep better when a harsh, continuous white noise plays near their bassinet. These womb-like sounds drown out other distracting noises and have a profoundly lulling effect. ... [T]he mere addition of white noise to your baby's nursery may extend his sleep by an hour or two."

Authors Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack of The Sleepeasy Solution also recommend it. "Protect your child from distracting sounds ... with some steady white noise. ... Once your child is sleeping better, feel free to see if he can do without it. Some kids, though, will always sleep better with white noise and ... it's a harmless [sleep association] as it does not interfere with sleep but actually should enhance it."

With so many benefits to white noise machines, it's no wonder so many parents are using them as sleep aids for their kids. It's easily controlled (unlike pacifiers which can be lost and music which eventually stops). You can have a white noise machine playing throughout the night if needed.

Options for a Baby Sound Maker Including Sounds for Silence

There are quite a few options out there when it comes to providing a sweet bliss for your baby's room.

Dreamegg D1 Sound Machine

One of the most well-loved is the Dreamegg D1 Sound Machine, which has over 1,500 ratings and a 4.7/5 star rating. This machine has many options including 24 loop-less soothing sounds. Although it's advertised for use with young children, it works well for adults too. One of the cons mentioned is that the light doesn't have a brightness setting, but you can turn it off. Some parent's prefer to keep the light on, so they can check on their baby without turning on a lamp, which might wake babies up.

Another white sound maker designed for little ones is LetsFit White Noise Machine. Sounds include three white noise, three lullabies, two clothes dryer, and five nature sound tracks. It includes an adjustable night light that gives enough light for diaper changes while allowing the baby to sleep soundly. This noise machine has a 4.8/5 star rating with over 2,000 reviews.

Want to go simple with just a straight white noise machine (no frills), check out the Dohm-SS Single Speed Sound Conditioner. This is a great option if you need a loud sound machine or a soft one. It has a volume control for high and low but can also be adjusted using the top and side screens. It doesn't have all of the options but really, you probably will only need the basic white noise machine option. It should be noted, however, that this is an organic white noise machine. Where other machines play a pre-recorded white noise sound, this white noise is created by using a fan inside the machine. Users love it as well, with a 4.3/5 star rating on Amazon.

Another simple choice is the LectroFan White Noise Machine by Adaptive Sound Technologies. It doesn't give you as many options (no jungle sounds or running water), but it's perfect for blocking out sounds from the house. My husband and I use this one in our bedrooms and on my day off from work, I can sleep in till I wake up naturally. The kids rarely wake me up, which is such a blessing!

Why a White or Brown Noise Generator Might Help You as Well

LectroFan via Amazon

As a parent, we need sleep. Often our kids wake us up way too early (sometimes at 3 a.m. because they think that's "wake up" time. When is 3 a.m. ever a good time to wake up?). By using a white, pink or brown noise machine (whatever color you prefer, really) in your room, you may be able to avoid getting up quite so early. These machines can help block out the noise of your kids so you can get that precious extra hour of sleep before you have to get up.

We personally use the Dohm-SS Single Speed Sound Conditioner and the LectroFan, so I can personally vouch for both of them. If I had to choose, I would pick the LectroFan because it's lasted longer than the Dohm and it's compact, which is perfect for trips. Also, when I had an issue with it shortly after purchasing, they replaced it despite it being mostly my fault. Since then, it's been perfect and has lasted over 6 years, no problem! The Dohm is a very basic white noise, and lasted about seven years until finally the fan inside gave out (and since we often forgot to turn it off, it would be on all day too).

So if you're looking for a way reduce noise pollution that reaches your baby, whether traffic sounds, booming music from neighbors, construction or just your other kids having fun, consider getting a white noise machine. Do any of you use white noise machines? What kind do use? Tell me in the comments :).

Healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Pineapple

Tonight for dinner I decide to make the traditional strawberry banana smoothie, but I wanted to jazz it up a little, so I decided to make a healthy banana smoothie with pineapple in it. I think I was think that it would sort of be like a strawberry pina colada. Yummy! I think, though, that it would have helped if I'd added more coconut flavor and more ice to thicken it up.

Here's what I did:

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk
1/4 of a pineapple, chopped
1/2 lb strawberries
1 cup baby spinach
1 banana
2 tsp Truvia, or to taste
   ice

Add to blender and run till smooth.

I was a little hesitant to add spinach to my strawberry, banana, pineapple smoothie since this was my first time, but just like other smoothies with baby spinach, you couldn't taste it.

Why Add Spinach to Smoothies?

With no fat and hardly any calories, spinach is nutrient-dense. It's full of antioxidants (those things that prevent cancer and help you to stay healthy, even from colds), including flavonoids and carotenoids and helps to lower blood pressure.

Here's a breakdown of what you get in just one cup of spinach:

• 30 g calcium
• 810 mg iron
• 167 mg potassium
• 24 mg magnesium
• 2,813 IU vitamin A
• 58 micrograms folate
• 7 calories

Spinach also has vitamin K, fiber, thiamine, and phosphorous. 

So the next time you're making a smoothie, whether a smoothie with pineapple or some other combination, consider adding spinach to the mix. You may need to add a little extra sweetener, like stevia or monk fruit sweetener, because spinach (as well as other greens) tend to saturate the sweetness of the fruit, but in the end, you have a healthy smoothie.

Even my preschooler loves it!

And what's even better is that my kids loved this smoothie with pineapple too!

Is a Banana Smoothie Healthy?

If you're wondering whether banana smoothies can be healthy, the answer is yes! Depending on what you put in it, you can make healthy smoothies with bananas. A couple important things to remember:

• Add protein or make it a side dish: If you're planning on replacing a meal with a healthy banana smoothie, be sure to add some protein to the mix. This could be some sort of nut butter (peanut butter and almond butter come to mind) or protein powder or some other source of protein, you need that to stabilize your blood sugar levels so they don't spike from the sugar in the smoothie. If you can't do that, eat the smoothie as a side dish along with a balanced meal.
• Diversify: That means don't have the same foods every day. Find new and exciting things to put into your banana smoothies. Healthy smoothies don't come from just having milk, bananas and ice. Try new combinations. What I've found is that bananas do add wonderful flavor to your smoothie, but make sure you're always trying new fruits and vegetables along with the bananas.

So try a smoothie with spinach and see what you think. Let me know in the comments.

Beating the Summer Blahs with a Daily Schedule

Now that summer vacation is here, school is no longer there to help with the daily schedule. When summer hits, it's easy to fall into bad habits like sleeping in, wasting days not doing much, and not keeping a good schedule each day. Rather than falling into bad habits, create a schedule for your kids to help them keep their brains and bodies active throughout the summer months.

Making a Summer Schedule

Of course, this is just one idea for something you can do every day during summer vacation. Think of what else you want to do this summer to keep up a routine. For kids ages 5 to 7, a sample schedule may include:

Wake-up and get dressed
Eat breakfast
Clean up breakfast (have child clean up his or her own dishes)
Brush teeth
Clean up bedroom or spend time cleaning up something together in house (picking up living room, dusting, etc.)
Take a walk or spend time outside togetherPractice writing
Color/art project/drawing
Read books together
Lunch time
Lunch clean up
Quiet time (i.e. playing quietly on own, looking at or reading books on own, watching some TV, etc.) This is a great time to get stuff done you need to get done!
Snack time
Dinner prep (have your child help get dinner ready). Afternoons are also a great time for play dates or going to the park.
Dinner
Dinner clean up
Bedtime routine (brushing teeth, getting on pajamas, reading a couple more books, etc.) I often use this time to just talk with Alex about his day and about how he's feeling and what's going on in his head. It's great one-on-one time if you can swing it (though it's hard depending on how many kids you have and their ages).

Of course, you should always be flexible when it comes to your schedule, but if you have a general routine to follow, it will help prevent the summer blahs.

Scheduling Summer Activities

Another great way to beat the summer blahs is to get out your calendar. Decide on some things that you want to do this summer, such as visiting the local zoo, taking a camping trip, visiting at nearby state or national park, taking a day trip to the water park or even trips to the local pool. Decide on what days you're going to do these activities throughout the summer months.

By having a firm schedule for these activities, you'll have something to look forward to throughout the summer and as the dates for the activities get closer, you'll have motivation to plan for them so they actually happen. This way you won't get to the end of August and realize that school is about to start and the summer was wasted.

On the calendar should be days with activities with you and one of your kids one-on-one. Try to plan something once a week with one child. This way it won't be too overwhelming and you can have a few good mother-child dates throughout the summer.

Summer is upon us. Make it a good one!

E-Reader Series: If I Had to Do It Again, Would I Get an eBook Reader over a Tablet?

This is what I've been thinking about the last few weeks and it's a hard question to answer. Overall, I really do love my Kindle Touch. Still, I wonder if I should have waited. Here are some reasons that I would consider getting a tablet instead of the Touch:

Why a Tablet Is Better Than an E-Reader

• More versatile. Tablets are made for more than just reading books. You can play apps, music and video on them. There are dozens of apps for tablets whereas the Touch is made just for reading ebooks and nothing else.
• Operating system. Operating systems on tablets are made to be fast and easy to use.
• Graphics. You can see the covers of books as you're going through them to figure out what you want to read.
• Same size. Now that 7-inch tablets are all the rage, you can get awesome tablets that can also be held on one hand. This makes reading in bed easy. The release of the iPad caused a slew of copycat tablets that were all about 10 inches. Now that the 7-inch tablet has caught, in part spurred by the Amazon Fire tablet, there are many choices for smaller tablets that can be held in one hand.
• Battery life. Maybe batteries on the tablets won't last a month, but many are made to last 10 hours of active use and up to a couple weeks on standby. This means at the very least, it should last all day and you can then charge it while you sleep so it's ready for the next day.
• Kindle app. No matter what tablet you get, whether it's Android, Windows RT or iOS, there's an app that allows you to access your Kindle library. This means that you can read your ebooks on lots of devices rather than being stuck with only reading on your Kindle. 
• Read non-Amazon ebooks. Not only that, but on tablets you can get apps for other e-readers, such as Nook, so that ebooks that you've bought through other sources can also be read on your tablet. With a Touch (as well as other Kindle devices), you're limited to only purchased made through Amazon.

Why an E-Reader Is Better Than a Tablet

So you're probably wondering, if a tablet is so much better, why should I even consider an e-reader? Well here are some thoughts about that:

• Eye strain. It's possible that reading on a tablet may cause more eye strain than an e-ink reader like the Touch. However, if you have problems with eye strain, the recommendation is that every 20 minutes, focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. I know that from my experience, I have not had any problems reading on the Touch any more so than reading a book.
• Doesn't work in bright light. So a few years ago, I was working from home on my laptop and I got this bright idea that I would take Alex, who was a toddler then, outside of our four-plex to play on the grass. I would take my laptop so I could get some work done and still keep an eye on him. Well, that worked not at all because the light from the sun completely washed out my laptop screen and I couldn't read a thing. For this reason, the e-ink display wins. If you want to read at the beach, at the park, or anywhere else outside, a tablet just won't do.
• Cost. When it comes to price points, nothing beats a Touch. With the Kindle Touch now only $89, there's really no reason to say no. And despite the fact that I was so excited when the Paperwhite came out (and it was only $40 more than what I paid), honestly I don't think it's essential to have one instead of the Touch (unless you think you'll be reading in dark or very low light a lot). I can't think of an instance where I haven't had enough light from a lamp, an overhead light, or the sun to read just fine.

What Should You Get Then? A Tablet or an E-Reader?

That is a question you'll to answer yourself, but I think the major factor that comes into play is the price. For only $69, you can have your own e-ink reader, so if you can't shell out $200 or more for a tablet, why not get a Touch. 

However, if you can afford a tablet, and especially if you want to do more on than just read ebooks (such as using apps and watching Netflix or movies and TV shows), I would definitely recommend a tablet. There are so many to choose from and they all have their benefits, so it will take some research to decide which one is right for you.

And really, if you can swing it, I'd get one of each. There will be times when one or the other will work better  for that situation. You could keep the Kindle in your purse ready to read if you ever need something to pass the time (without worrying about the battery being dead) and bring the tablet with you when you're going on a long trip and need to keep your kids occupied. For that matter have both with you so your kids can play games while you're reading a book—everyone wins!

So do I regret getting the Touch? No, not at all. Whether or not I get a tablet in the future, I will continue to read books on my Touch. Overall, I love it.

Do you have an e-reader or tablet? If so which one do you have and do you love it?

Romantic Dinner Recipe Ideas: Easy Meatballs with Cream Sauce

As moms, it helps to take some time away from the children and have a romantic dinner with your significant other. If you aren't able to make it out of the house for a date (maybe because there's no extra money in the budget for a babysitter), here's one of the best ideas for romantic dinners that's easy and oh so yummy. Fix the kids some chicken nuggets and send them off to bed. Then fix this easy romantic meal for your sweetheart.

Meatballs and Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

Pkg of Premade Meatballs (your choice. I used Kirkland Signature Italian Meatballs)*

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and butter to taste

1 14-oz can chicken broth

2/3 cup evaporated milk or heavy whipping cream

1. Prepare 24 meatballs according to the instructions on the package.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and evaporated milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Top meatballs with sauce.

By using prepared meatballs for this dinner, it makes for an easy romantic dinner for two, so you can spend more time with each other. Sometimes it's easier to have canned evaporated milk on hand rather than fresh cream, but either will work.

Now if you have the time and want to make your own meatballs for your romantic dinner at home, here's how to do it:

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

3/4 cups quick oats

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

3 tablespoons flour

1. To make these easy meatballs, just combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl and then combine with ground beef.
2. Shape into balls that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll in flour. 
3. Place 1 inch apart on a baking. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes (till they're no longer pink inside).
4. While baking, prepare the sauce.

Steamed Green Beans with Brown Sugar

If you're looking for a recipe for steamed green beans, this is an easy one.

Ingredients:

4–6 cups fresh or frozen green beans

1–2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2–1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place green beans in pan with a little water and cover. Steam the green beans for 8–12 minutes (depending on your preference for doneness).
2. To stop the cooking process, add cool water to the green beans.
3. Drain the water from the beans and set aside.
4. Just before sitting down to the table (about 5 minutes) put the beans, the sugar, and the butter in a saute pan and saute them for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Now it might sound weird to have pepper with brown sugar, but trust me, these are divine. They are similar to the beans you can order at Outback Restaurant (one of my favorite places to eat out). So if you're looking for easy romantic meals, give this one a shot.

And that's it! This is one of the easiest romantic dinner recipe ideas I've found (especially if you used prepared meatballs), and it's also delicious. And you don't have to reserve this meal to meals just for two either. This is a great meal for the whole family as well and my boys loved it :D.

What do you and your sweetheart do for your romantic dinners at home? I'd love to hear them!