Advent Calendars

Today is December 1^st, and my 12 year-old son has already opened his first gift from his Advent calendar—it said, "Pick one song to download from iTunes© at Mom's expense" . He thought that was pretty cool!  And yes, he downloaded the song before heading off to school, so he could listen to it on the bus.

Advent calendars have been used for hundreds of years to count down or celebrate the days of Advent until Christmas.   I began using Advent calendars to help my children visually see how many days there were until Christmas; otherwise I would get the proverbial “how many more days until Christmas?” question on a daily basis starting on the day after Thanksgiving.  Advent calendars come in all shapes and sizes; some are fancy, while others are simple.  You can find them at stores to buy, or you can make your own.

When I began making the yearly countdown calendar, I wanted something that would be fun for the kids, but not break the bank.  Getting treats every day is wonderful for the child, but not so much on Mom’s pocketbook!  So I planned free and low-cost activities to do during the season.  In addition to the trinkets and activities, I wanted my children to understand the importance of giving to others.    

The problem I am encountering this year is that my children are getting older, and a trinket found in an envelope is not as exciting as it was in years past.  Let’s face it….as much as I want my children to stay little, they are growing up.  And in a blink of an eye, I am realizing we are spending less time as a family because they want to spend time with friends.  And before I know it, they will be driving and working and family time will be put on the backburner. 

How do you make a calendar for tweens or teens that would get them looking forward to the holiday and at the same time be able to provide family time?  I chose to make a calendar that included items such as activities that we could do as a family, volunteer opportunities, and treats interspersed throughout.  And when a treat is given.....I make them go find it, either in their stocking or under the tree.  If something was planned for a particular day, such as celebrating Christmas with extended members of the family, I would incorporate that into the calendar as well.  With a little creativity, some paper, ribbon, and clothes pins, you can make an Advent calendar for your family within one or two hours. 

Here are some ideas that are in my children’s Advent calendar. Instead of just listing the activity in the card for each day, I included wording to make it fun or have them figure out what to expect that day. 

For example:

·         “What is a winter holiday without ice?  Let’s go ice skating today.”

·         “We are blessed with a wonderful life.  Let’s bless others by going to buy toys for children who are in need.”

·         “Tonight is a night of lights and hot cocoa.  Be sure to wear your PJs.”   (We are going to look at Christmas lights.)

·         “The Tooth Fairy did not come last night, but there is some money under your pillow.”   (Chocolate coins)

·         “How many words can you make out of Merry Christmas? Let’s try to see after dinner”

·         “Pick one download from iTunes© on Mom’s expense.”

·         “Pancakes, bacon, and eggs oh my!  Put on your PJs because we are having breakfast for dinner.”

·         “Surprises are fun.  Go find one in your stocking.”

·         “St. Nick made a vist.  Enjoy your gift.”

·         “Our pets want to celebrate too, and some are in need of supplies.  Let’s make dogs treats, collect items for our furry friends, and donate them to a shelter.”

·         Today, it’s all about cookies, cousins, and gingerbread houses.  Today is the Cousin Cookie Bake.”

Be creative and have fun with it.  Merry Christmas!

Healthy Lunches for Halloween

Halloween is here, and so is the candy.  It is the time when pounds of neon-colored, sugar laden, artificially flavored, fun-sized pieces march their way into our house like a parade of villians. As much as I hate having it in our home,  I want my children to enjoy the holiday, and partake in some of the sugary goodness.  This is what being a kid is all about, right?  Although my kids eat healthy lunches every day,  I kick it up a notch during the week leading up to Halloween by adding a bit of creepiness synonymous to the holiday.

Many healthy foods can be renamed to resemble gross and creepy things perfect for the upcoming ghoulish and scary holiday.  For example, red grapes can become "purple people eater eyeballs" or crackers that have flax seeds in them become "bug encrusted crackers".  Fangs, anyone?  I pack slivered almonds to match that description.  Have fun with it.  A little imagination goes a long way.  You just need to make sure your children can stomach some of the descriptions of the food; otherwise they won't eat it!

Here are some of the lunches that I made for my daughter.    Once the lunch is packed, I add a themed cloth napkin, a menu of what is in her lunch, and a daily joke that she can use when she goes trick or treating. At the end of the day, my husband asks her what the joke of the day is, and she is happy to share what silly joke she found in her lunchbox.  Unfortunately, my son, who is a middle-schooler, has reached the "I refuse to take a themed lunch to school" attitude, so I add items such meringue bones in his lunch.



Lunch # 1: Tombstone Turkey Sandwich, Little Brains (cauliflower) with dressing, Cyclops's Eyes (kiwi).

   

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

Lunch #2: Bat wings (blue corn chips) and blood dip (salsa), apple bites (apples with slivered almonds),"booberry" yogurt, and skeleton heads (white chocolate).

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

Lunch #3: A "Hoot and a Holler" Owl Sandwich, bat teeth (raw sunflower seeds), Frankenstein skin (roasted seaweed), and Dracula's vitamins (pomegranate seeds).

Photo By Lisa Fulsom

Lunch #4:  PB & J Bones (used all natural pb and organic grape jelly), a "pear" of ghosts, monster toes (cinnamon pecans), and meringue bones (http://lifeasahealthymom.blogspot.com/2011/10/meringue-bones.html)

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

With a little planning, you can create a fun, creepy healthy lunch for your little goblins!  Happy Halloween!

   

Meringue Bones

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

I make these edible "bones" during the Halloween season for my children.  It's inevitable that kids are going to eat candy on Halloween, so I try to provide them fun snacks prior to the holiday that keep with the Halloween theme, but are free of preservatives and artificial colors and flavors. I feel they will get enough of that stuff on October 31st.

Brittle Meringue Bones
(featured inside the book Eerie Elegance)

3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
cocoa for dusting

Preheat oven to 200F. Line cookie sheet with brown paper bag or parchment. In a medium sized bowl at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt till fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add vanilla.

Place in pastry bag fitted with a medium plain piping tip. Pipe 3" bone shapes onto parchment or brown paper bag. Bake 1 hour until set. Turn off oven, dry in oven 1 hour. Sprinkle cocoa on top to resemble "dirt".  Be sure to store in airtight containers or they will become soggy. Makes 4 to 5 dozen small finger-sized bones.

Decorating Naturally for the Autumn Season

The changing of the leaves on the trees is a clear indication that autumn is here.  This is my favorite season of the year, and I try to decorate my home by using items that can be recycled, reused, or repurposed.  Here are some ideas to make the inside and outside of your house look festive for the season.

1.  Decorate Using Seasonal Produce
         
          Different colored pumpkins and gourds,
          bales of hay, and cornstalks give your front
          porch a welcoming feeling.   Use apples,
          pomegranates, and pears among
          other seasonal produce to make a beautiful
          centerpiece.  After the season is over,
          everything can go right into your compost
          pile, if they are too ripe for eating. Also, be 
         sure to harvest the pumpkin seeds to bake in
          the oven for a quick snack!


2.  Plant Chrysanthemums

          These cool loving perennials give a burst of  bold color to your landscape.  You will find them   
          in an array of different colors such as red, yellow, purple, and orange.  Plant them before the
          first frost, and you can enjoy them year after year. 

3.  Go on a Pine cone and Leaf Hunt 

          Take a leisurely walk in the woods with your children to hunt for pine cones and
          leaves.  Bring a little of the outdoors in by arranging pine cones in a bowl  or preserve the 
          beautiful, rich colors of the leaves by soaking them in 1 part vegetable glycerin to 2 parts
          water.  After they are supple and the mixture is wiped off, scatter them down a dining room
          table to create a natural table runner.
  
4.  Plant Ornamental Kale in Containers 

          This vegetable is a great ornamental annual that is super healthy, as well. You can harvest the 
          outer leaves and add them into a soup;  sprinkle olive oil and salt over the leaves and
          bake them into a delicious and nutritious snack.

5.  Make a Scarecrow

          What a great way for the kids to get involved in making the outside of the house festive!  Stuff
          old clothes with hay or recycled newspapers to create a friendly greeter to your home. Use a
          pumpkin or a burlap bag as the head.  Let your children use non-toxic paint to make a friendly   
          face. After the season, take the old clothes to a local recycling center that accepts textiles.

6.  Use Soy or Beeswax Candles

          Petroleum based candles can emit harmful fumes into your home.  Surround the eco-friendly
          candles with different nuts inside a glass container to add warmth to your dining table.

You can create a home that is filled inside and outside with items that are not only beautiful and reusable, but also respectful to our planet. 
  

Do you Find Pomegranates Intimidating?

One thing that I love about Autumn is........pomegranates!  Pomegranates are one of my favorite fruits to eat, and for good reason.  When you cut through the leathery skin to expose the inside, you will find it bursting with dozens of the reddest, little seeds you will ever lay your eyes on. Not only are the seeds delicious to eat, they are also high in vitamin C, numerous B vitamins, and antioxidants.

The first time I bought a pomegranate years ago, I was quite intimidated by this little apple shaped fruit on my counter.  Fear not, I learned that one just has to be patient with the process.  Once you cut through the skin and expose the seeds, the trick is to remove the seeds with as little of mess as possible. 

Here are  steps I follow in the removal of the seeds:

1. Use a cutting board when cutting the fruit. Juices from the fruit can stain clothes and counter tops!
2. Fill a bowl with clean water.  You will use this during the removal of the seeds.
3. Cut the fruit into 4 pieces for easier handling.
4. For each quarter, hold it over the water bowl and begin slowly pushing the seeds out from the fruit.  The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl.  Don't worry if the white membrane falls into the water. 
5. Repeat until all seeds are removed from the fruit. 
6. Once all the seeds have been removed, you will notice the white membrane is floating on top of the water.  Skim off any membrane or white part of the fruit from the water.
7. Strain the seeds.
8.  Enjoy!

This is the tried and true technique to opening a pomegranate.  I heard that freezing it also always from easy removal of the seeds.  I may have to try that sometime.

Pomegranate seeds can be eaten alone, added to a salad for a burst of color and flavor, or mixed into your morning yogurt.  Drying them is also an option.  I bet they would be quite delicious mixed into a trail mix or added to you favorite granola bar recipe. 

Any way you choose to eat them, pomegranates provide a delicious and nutritious way to enjoy the Autumn season.

Do You Really Know What’s in The Food You are Eating?

I began this quest for better health a few years ago, and I am so thankful for the time I have spent investigating this topic. When I began my research, I realized I had not a clue as to how our bodies responded to the different foods we put in our mouth each and every day. Like so many other people, I was influenced by food companies and the media. I believed the commercials telling me that I could have my cake and eat it too, as long as it was sugar-free; or that because my cholesterol is high, I am no longer allowed to eat nuts, seeds, or eggs. I was told to stay away from fats and eat more carbohydrates to lower my cholesterol. Well, I don't know about your body, but mine retaliated in a big way! I gained weight that I could not shed, had hormonal imbalances, and started experiencing other health problems. And to top it all off, I was feeding this stuff to my children. So it became a mission for me to change our family's eating habits.

With information in hand, I headed to the grocery store. I was ready to tackle this! But I became so overwhelmed and frustrated at reading food labels, I found myself walking out empty-handed and angry. Angry at myself that I never paid attention to what I was eating, angry at the store for putting this junk on the shelves, and angry at the food manufacturers for trying to pass this stuff off as actual food!. Many of the ingredients that I read on the labels are not good for us, and could cause health problems further down the road, including cancer. And we know cancer rates are on the rise; so why isn't anyone taking a good look at what environmental factors, such as food, are causing this rise? But that is a topic in itself for a later date.

So, with all of the information about food that we are being bombarded with, how is someone able to dig through it without being overwhelmed? Do what I did.....I decided to take baby steps.

First thing first……Start reading food labels. Don't read the front of the package where it might tell you fat free, but read the ingredients instead. I believe if you cut out these six ingredients, you are on your way to good health.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils (aka Trans Fats) are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. They raise our "bad" LDL cholesterol while lowering our "good" HDL levels. They increase inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Many manufacturers are advertising "Zero Trans Fats", but if you look at the ingredient list, it is still in there. Manufacturers are allowed to state that claim as long as it under .5 grams. One landmark 2006 study found that increasing your intake of trans fatty acids from about one percent of your caloric intake to two percent -- equivalent to going from about two grams of trans fats a day to about four grams -- will increase your risk of developing heart disease by 30 percent. (Boston.com)

High Fructose Corn Syrup is made from corn, and your body can tell the difference between that and sugar. Excess sugar is harmful to the body, but I would choose it over HFCS. If you need to lose weight, or if you want to avoid diabetes and heart disease, fructose is one type of sugar you'll want to avoid, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. Part of what makes HFCS such a dangerous sweetener is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar. Many people who have cholesterol problems should be aware that this ingredient causes triglycerides in the blood to skyrocket. I know that from experience. Once I cut all HFCS from my diet, my triglyceride counts normalized. This ingredient is in everything: ketchup, snack foods, salad dressings, frozen foods; you name it and it's mostly likely in it. And HFCS almost always is made from genetically modified corn which in itself has been debated whether it is safe or not. But that is a blog post for another time.

Nitrate, sometimes listed as Sodium Nitrite, is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish, and corned beef. Studies have linked eating it to various types of cancer by reacting to the stomach acids to produce nitrosamines. Manufacturers add sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate, to inhibit the formation of nitrosamines to reduce the nitrite in the food, but why add another ingredient to prevent the damage of another? I tend to look for uncured varieties of ham or bacon to avoid this ingredient.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is an amino acid that is added to food to enhance the flavor. It is found in soups, salad dressings, frozen food, and chips. I strongly suggest you read the book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board certified neurosurgeon, as he explains how glutamate in MSG causes the brain cells to "overexcite", thus killing them. Manufacturers disguise this ingredient in many of their products by listing them under different names. The link, http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html shows a list of the hidden MSG ingredient in your food.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are used to preserve common household foods because it protects the fat in the food from going turning rancid. BHA and BHT are often added to potato flakes, dry breakfast cereals, enriched rice, and foods containing animal fats and shortening. These chemicals have the possibility to be carcinogenic to humans, and it is totally unnecessary. Some manufacturers use Vitamin E as an anti-oxidant in the food, instead of BHA and BHT.

Aspartame is a sweetener found in so-called diet foods such as low-calorie desserts, gum, gelatins, drink mixes, and soft drinks. It is also known by the brand names NutraSweet® and Equal®. It is an excitotoxin, and it may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations. It "accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA." ² Artificial sweeteners in diet foods and drinks ruin your body's ability to count calories, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge. Buying diet sodas to reduce your daily caloric intake in order to lose weight does not work!

I know it's a lot of information to take in, but take baby steps like I did. Make a goal to pick one of the above ingredients to cut out each week, and you will be on your way to better health is a little over a month.

Footnotes:

1. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blog/dailydose/2011/01/trans-fat_free.html

2. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/02/26/artificial-sweeteners-once-again-linked-to-weight-gain.aspx

Zero Waste Lunches

Labor Day usually signifies the end of summer and the start of a new school year for many children.  For parents, it's all about getting back to a routine; and part of the our daily routine is to pack school lunches.

I love packing my children's lunches because it makes me feel better knowing they are getting the necessary nutrients needed in a well balanced lunch, but I didn't like the fact that I would be using plastic bags that would be ending up in the trash can at the end of the lunch period.  So right before school began, I was on a mission to research lunch boxes that would elimate waste.  I fell in love with bento-style boxes, because it provided sections that I could place different food in. This is an important feature if you have a child that does not like when food is touching. 

Once I decided to go  with this style, I began searching the different styles of lunch systems many websites sell.  Most were made from plastic, while others were stainless steel.  I was salivating over the stainless steel ones, until I spotted the price.......$60 for the entire system, which included the bento box and the lunch bag!  Multiply that price by 2 (or more if you have a larger family), and you are taking out a small loan just to pay for them. Other lunch system I found were slighty cheaper in price, but still over my budget. 

 I could not justify spending over $100 on lunch boxes, so my children can eat lunch with no waste, and I could feel better knowing I am not contributing to more trash in our landfills.  So with this style of lunch box in mind, I began my search for a more economical type bento box. Lo and behold, I found it!  Ziploc makes a divided plastic container that fits in a standard rectangular lunch box.  For about $3, I was able to buy 1 package that included two containers. And the  best thing is, these containers do not contain BPA (Bisphenol A) which can imitate estrogen in the body and possibly cause adverse health effects. 

I purchased stainless steel water bottles for about $3 each, and the lunch bag for $7.  Add a cloth napkin and silverware from your kitchen drawer, and you have your own zero-waste lunch system for the low price of about $13.  This is a price that I can handle!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I never thought of myself as having a green thumb.  Of course, I knew where fruits and vegetables came from, and I would gladly take whatever excess a family member had grown in their own garden.  It was just easier for me to drive to the local grocery store and buy them than to take the time to learn about gardening and have the patience to what until the harvest.

But my mind changed when I learned about the different pesticides that are being used on crops to keep bugs and weeds away, and that some of the residues from the pesticides remain on or even in the produce.  Yuck!  So in order to reduce my family's intake of these pesticides, we buy mostly organic produce and supplement some of it by container gardening.  Yes, I garden in containers.  Our backyard is full of rock, and until we can build a large raised garden, my plants are just as happy growing in containers strategically placed around my yard based on each plant's need for sun and my need for aesthestics. 

My children love when it's time to harvest whatever we need for that evening's dinner.  Whether it is fresh basil from the herb garden tucked between the fence and the patio or lettuce from one of the containers, they are more than happy to take a bowl and scissors and cut the needed amount I have asked for.  One day, my son came in from clipping lettuces for our dinner salad, washed it, put it in a bowl, and exclaimed, "take that food stores"! They will even take the daily stroll around the yard with me to water the plants or to see if any new changes have taken place since the day before. 

We still buy much of our produce from farmers markets, local produce stands, and from natural health food stores.  My thumb is slowly changing to a shade of light green as I continue my quest for supplying healthy, organic food for my family straight from my own backyard!

How our Healthy Life Came to Be

I guess I am officially a blogger.  I enjoy writing and sharing information with others about our healthy lifestyle and how it came to be, so one day a friend suggested that I write about it.  I have so much information and research I have gathered over the years about living a healthy life in balance with oneself and with nature.  I wanted to be able to share it with people that may be able to use it in order to help them make mindful choices for themselves and their family.  So here I am. 

This story starts with me and my health.  Long story short is, I have a medical issue, or so I've been told.  Not a bad one, but one that over many, many years my well-meanings doctors have prescribed medications for me to help this ailment; and being the good patient that I was, I took them because I was young, uniformed, and plain scared considering the doctor told me I would have a heart attack within 10 years.....I think that would scare anybody!  I was otherwise a very healthy person, but I felt like this ball and chain of having this problem caused me daily worry.  It wasn't until I began experiencing multiple, very problematic side effects to these prescriptions, that I started to research the medication. The medical issue that has been perceived as the villain in all of this was.....................cholesterol.

As soon as my fingers typed up different combinations of words about my nemesis, my world changed. All the past "situations" surrounding my health came into focus, and I realized that I needed to find out as much as I could about how the way we live, what we put on and in our bodies, and how we treat our environment is interconnected.  It has become my passion ever since then.

After learning about how there could be long term side effects I may experience from years on these medicines and how not having the proper nutrition can affect one's health for many years to come, I became angry.  My children were just beginning to start elementary school and everything I thought I was doing right for them in terms of being healthy were wrong.  Apparently the yogurt I bought for them was full of sugar and artificial colors, and I can't tell you how many times we would come home to me opening up boxes of processed food and calling it a dinner.  Had I missed out on that "window of opportunity" in making sure their brain development was given the utmost attention?  Or was I too late?  But then I realized that they were happy, growing, and had rarely gotten sick, and I began to understand that I must have done okay in making choices for them in terms of food and well being.   So I didn't dwell on the past and concentrated on the future; and the future was changing how we live, and making sure I provide them the tools they need to be healthy today and for years to come.  

Now, I feel empowered knowing that when I am mindful of what I choose to bring into our home, whether it be what we put in and on our body, and creating a home that surrounds itself in keeping in balance with nature.  

I am truly creating a healthy life for my family and I.