HONESTly Awesome Follow Up

I received my full size versions of 5 household/baby products the other day and I was so beyond thrilled that I had to write another post to rave about this amazing company.  In addition to all of the amazing things about this company, the packaging is recyclable (cardboard), and the padding is recyclable, reusable and compostable, as well as made from sustainable sources (and is beautifully printed to boot!).  The bottles are made of recycled and recyclable material.  Their products are also made in America, supporting domestic jobs and their factories use electricity powered by renewable energy.

Now, as far as the actual products, I LOVE the multi-surface cleaner, which smells fantastic.  I don't think it will disinfect heavy duty stuff, (like raw meats on the counter, but we don't have that stuff in our house anyway) so if you need something natural and that disinfects, use plain white vinegar. It doesn't smell good but it will kill any bacteria. Then use the surface cleaner afterwards. 

The stain remover, I have not used yet on anything heavy duty, like ketchup, but it did get peaches out of a white onesie.  It also smells fantastic (lavender).

The healing balm has done really well on minor scratches and skin irritation, including a dry, red rash on Lincoln's cheek.  It doesn't soak in quickly though and is a bit oily so watch your clothing if you pick up your baby after applying. It might be best to just apply it right before bedtime.

My favorite products might be the shampoo/body wash (vanilla orange) which smells like a creamsicle and the body lotion.  Lincoln has eczema and these have not irritated his skin. I love the peace of mind I have now, knowing that everything I am putting on my baby is safe. The fact that it smells great and was produced in an environmentally conscious way is icing on the cake.  Thanks, Jessica Alba.  I think your company is going to go far.

How It All Vegan

The other night, my husband and our son and I had dinner at my parents' house.  They still have trouble understanding my choices in my diet, and my dad especially likes to tease me about the 'vegan police' busting me for eating a little accidental meat here and there. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been a vegetarian for a long time (I think almost 10 years now) and you think the idea wouldn't be so novel anymore. However, he did rather proudly find this app on his new iPhone which read aloud the different ways to pronounce 'vegan', there are FOUR, and we had a wonderful time listening to them and laughing. 

I am not totally vegan, but I have come a long way. Three months ago I thought I could never give up cheese. Chile con queso was it's own food group in my diet.  However, when my husband suggested we do a 30 day vegan challenge, I accepted. He had read about numerous marathon runners and other athletes who ate a plant based diet and that they were leaner, meaner, had quicker recovery and had great vitals. 

I used the book "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn for the foundation of understanding how your body operates on a vegan diet, the benefits, and facts/myths about plant based diets.  I used "Skinny Bitch" by Rory Freeman and Kim Barnoun for meal planning. I had read Skinny Bitch years ago, but I hadn't been ready to take the next step.  It's pretty in your face, and when I reread it, I felt it came across pretty harsh.  However, I remembered how it lays out at least four weeks of meals in the back of the book and as I was not a huge fan of the meals in the Engine 2 book, I needed some other ideas. You can get it pretty cheap on Amazon.com.  I would like to share some of the best of the best. I have made a few duds in my time but I have refined and honed my 10 years of vegetarian cooking know-how and cut out animal products. Here are my top Vegan meals. I will post a recipe or two at a time.

Ground 'Beef' Tacos and Black Beans

Ground 'Beef' and Pinto Bean Burritos and Mexican Rice

Taco Salad

Veggie Nachos

Portabella Fajitas and Chips/Guacamole

Black Bean Patties with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries

Lasagna with sauteed asparagus

Homemade Raw Pesto with Penne and Italian 'Sausage' with baked acorn squash

Pesto Pizza with salad

Pasta Primavera with salad

Spaghetti and 'Meat' Balls with salad

Chili with cornbread

Chili Dogs with vegetarian baked beans

Riblets with mashed potatoes

Cauliflower Steak with couscous

Veggie Burger with Tater Tots

Chinese Chicken Salad

Peanut Noodles with Broccoli Slaw Salad

Lettuce Wraps and Hot & Sour Soup

Peanut Tofu with Brown Rice and Broccoli

Scott ended up losing about 20 lbs in 3 and a half weeks. I lost about 4 lbs.  I have continued the vegan diet for the most part, eating no added cheese, consuming no dairy milk, yogurt, etc. However, a few of the meat substitues I use have some egg in them.  With continued exercise, I have finally reached my goal weight of 130 lbs. I have found when you don't consume animal fats in any way shape or form, you can actually eat a whole lot of food.

Sample meals for a day:

Breakfast: Cereal with almond milk

Snack: Instant Oatmeal

Lunch: Fake Chicken Patty sandwich topped with avocado, pop chips, a fruit

Snack: Hummus/Carrot Sticks

Dinner: Cheeseless Pesto Pizza wtih artichoke hearts

Dessert (only a few days a week): Country Choice Lemon Ginger cookies, which are to DIE FOR



A Few of My Favorite (Nursery) Things

I was sitting in Lincoln's room the other day, rocking him while he looked at, or rather, chewed on a book, and I was thinking to myself all of the small details of his room that I loved so much. 

We decided to do the room in a Nautical theme. No idea exactly why other than the fact that I have had an ongoing love affair with stripes and anchors and all things nautical-y for a while now. Three walls of the room are a warm buttery yellow and the accent wall is navy blue. 

This is Lincoln's rocking/reading nook. I love reading him stories sitting here, and he loves looking at his sailboat mobile while he sits in my lap.  See the lighthouse and sailboat on the top shelf!?!

His nautical blocks sit on a shelf above his bed.

 I framed the invitation to one of his baby showers because it matched the theme and was SO cute! It also sits on the shelf.

This whale sticker came off of a Baby Gap gift given to me by a wonderful family friend.  She babysat me from the time I was 3 weeks old and I babysat her kids when I was in Jr. High and High School.  I thought it was so cute that I stuck it in a frame. 

This monogram came from Lincoln's Aunt Kelly.  It's done in navy blue with a neutral matting. Love it so much!

This was the first thing we ever bought for Lincoln. It's a monogram of his initials (LJC) that sits above his shelf.

This anchor hangs on the wall above his changing table.  It's actually pretty huge, like 2.5 or 3 feet tall!

And finally, this needlepoint picture was done by Lincoln's Great Aunt Anne! Thinking about doing his bathroom to match...

I love my little boy so much and glad he has a room that we can be proud of.  Daddy did a lot of work on the paint and built a window seat in the bay window, and mommy collected decor for months. I know once he gets bigger, it will get messy and things will not look this way, so I had to document it now!

HONESTly Awesome

After my post about all of the horrible stuff that is found in some baby products, I did some research to find some companies that offered safe, gentle products for baby and piece of mind for mommy, and as a bonus, all three of these companies I am about to discuss gives back as well!  One of the companies I found was the Yes to Carrots brand.  They provide products for adults and babies which are free of parabens, petroleum, SLS, and phathalates, and the fruits and veggies they use to make the products are also organic.  They are also 95% recyclable, and not tested on animals!!! Finally, their charity 'Yes to Seeds' helps kids connect to nature and lead a healthy lifestyle, and their other program, 'Yes to Hope' aims to supplement 10,000 children's lunches across Africa. They plant gardens at schools, teach the children how to take care of the plants and then the produce is put in their lunches. How kick ass is that??? I cannot say enough good things about this company.  They can be found at almost any grocery store and at Walgreen's. 

The second company is a smaller scale, Tom's of Maine makes dental care products, deodorant, and soap.  Their products contain no animal ingredients, and are not tested on animals.  They share every ingredient in their products on their website, they use sustainable methods in their production, their packaging is mostly recyclable and they devote 5% of their employee's time to volunteering and 10% of their profits to humanitarian and environmental efforts. They can be found at Whole Foods, regular grocery stores and drugstores. 

Finally, I looked into Jessica Alba's company, The Honest Company. This one might be my favorite.  They offer diapers, home and baby care products all shipped directly to you.  When I ordered my trial (you can get a free sample of diapers, wipes and their 'essential sample kit' (pictured below)) I used their customer service and they were so helpful and friendly.  Their diapers are made with non-toxic, chlorine-free, sustainable and plant based materials.  They also donate diapers to children in poverty with every purchase! Their other products has a list of things they do not contain that is way too long to type but I'll hit the high points.  There is no formaldehyde, no parabens, phosphates, chlorine or dioxane. What a breath of fresh air.  The diapers are a bit expensive but the other products are on par with other similar products.  I cannot wait to try all the products from the trial and will review them as I do. I hope this post inspires all of you to try some of the products from these great companies.  The more we encourage responsible business, hopefully the more other businesses will follow suit.

Sleepless Nights/Crying it Out

This week has been a rough one. Little man is not sleeping through the night, not even close.  He is under a week away from 5 months, and all of my sources indicate that he should be sleeping 8-10 hours straight every night at this point.  No such luck.  I was up with him FOUR times last night.  He has always rolled around a ton during the night, but now that he is getting stronger, it is getting worse.  We have been having some issues with separation anxiety lately, the wonderful ladies at the YMCA have had to call me to come get him numerous times in the last couple weeks. So, I think the combination of his wild nocturnal movements which wake him up, coupled with his need for mommy to comfort and settle him down have turned into sleepless nights for me.  I feel that the best thing for everyone involved is to let him learn how to settle himself down at night. 

After I put him down the fourth time, he was still slightly awake. As soon as he hit the mattress, he woke himself back up and started crying.  I knew he was dry, fed, and unhurt, so I closed his door and went back to sleep. I think he fussed maybe 5 minutes or so and went back to sleep. Today, I have been determined to keep developing his self soothing skills. I have put him in his bed when he started to show signs of sleepiness, rocked him for a few minutes and then put him down.  The first time, he cried 2-3 minutes.  The second time was longer, maybe 10 minutes. It is painful for me to hear him be so upset but I strongly feel that learning these skills is going to be best for us all in the long run. 

Stay tuned...

No Watchdogs, Only Big Bad Wolves

Like many political  and social welfare issues, we are not aware of them until they fall in our lap. Though I have spent many years reading about the benefits of low and zero animal protein diets, and what went IN my body, I had not spent much time thinking about what went ON my body. Since I am a vegetarian initially for moral, animal loving reasons, I have always used cosmetics that are 'cruelty free' meaning, no testing on animals or animal products are included in the product. However, you must read carefully. Some products are completely cruelty free and some say 'finished product not tested on animals' meaning that they can test any individual potentially caustic chemical on animals. As a side note, the way most products are tested is by putting the chemicals DIRECTLY into the animal, usually bunny's, eyes. Let's use our brain, people. As comedian and animal lover Ricky Gervais said the other day "Dear intelligent people of the world, don't get shampoo in your eyes.  It really stings. There. Done. Now f-ing stop torturing animals!" 

Off the soap box and on to the soap talks. Usually, products that are cruelty free are also environmentally conscious and free of other nasty chemicals. But not always. I cannot stress enough: Read Read Read.  It is amazing how much companies are able to get away with when it comes to the chemicals in their products. Recently, mega-conglomerate Johnson & Johnson, who own Neutrogena, Clean & Clear and Aveeno, to name a few, announced that it would be removing all of the harmful chemicals in their products by 2013.  The Economic times reported "Johnson & Johnson, which makes a range of personal care products like baby shampoo, acne cream and anti wrinkle lotion-announced plans last week to remove a host of potentially harmful chemicals, like formaldehyde, from its line of consumer products by the end of 2015, becoming the first major consumer products company to make such a widespread commitment. By 2015, consumer products will be reformulated. Johnson & Johnson already vowed to remove certain chemicals from baby products, like its shampoo, by 2013 reports The New York Times." We're talking about some nasty stuff, such as formaldehyde and dioxane, which has been linked to cancer in ANIMAL STUDIES.  I say, 2013 isn't soon enough. Why were they ever allowed to use formaldehyde in anything we put on our skin? The United States National Toxicology program describes formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen" in 2010.  2010. Three years previous to J&J planning to remove it from baby products, and 5 years previous to planning to remove it from all products.  Additionally, it's not like this is new information here. Formaldehyde is used as embalming fluid, biocide and in the production of automobiles to name a few. Why was it ever used in products we put on the most sensitive skin of newborns?

I am guilty of using these products myself. They were given to me with shower gifts, and I blindly used them because they were there, and because J&J marketing team is really good at making sweet, warm fuzzy commercials that melt our hearts. Has anyone seen the You're Doing Ok Mom commercial? Tears every time. And I don't mean to just pick on J&J. They just happened to be in the news lately and at least they are trying to amend their practices.  Vegan diet book, 'Skinny Bitch' says, "The Skin is the body's largest organ.. Every day, we slop all sorts of potions and lotions and makeup on ourselves, and rub them into our skin.  Ever read the ingredients of these products? Ever consider that you are putting chemicals directly onto your largest organ? Ever think about the pores all over your body that you're putting inside them? Hopefully, you will now.  Buy natural beauty products.  What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in your body."

So, since many companies out there do not care about you, the consumer, or your baby, and what goes on your skin or in your bodies, we have to take charge and inform ourselves.  One great site is The Organic Consumers Association which gives the names of 'green' companies, as well as political action you can take in your state to advocate on a larger level for safe products and farming practices.  Pretty empowering, huh? PETA, while a bit radical in some of their stunts, even for me, does have a great way of searching for cruelty free products Cruelty Free Cosmetics, get the Be Nice To Bunnies app in your iPhone, and you can always look for the cruelty free bunny logo on products. Also the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a good resource to find out what is in the products you are using.  And finally, Consumer Reports has a pretty comprehensive list of all things baby, including safety and recall information. Do a little reading, you'll feel more empowered as a consumer, and for the long term effects that some of these chemicals may have, it will be worth it!

Bouncing Back - My Journey Up and Down the Scale

When I found out I was pregnant, I solemnly vowed to myself that I would exercise every day, only gain the minimal amount of weight and lose it quickly afterward. Right. However, I had good reason to believe that this was possible. I was a very toned 125 lbs, doing Pilates and cardio almost every single day. I had gained 8-10 lbs of 'new boyfriend' weight when my husband and I started dating, but was still in very good shape at 135 lbs when I got pregnant.

I started out strong, walking most days, and doing some smaller weights. I even pursued my Pilates certification at 2 months pregnant and began teaching at a Lifetime Fitness. However, all of that came screeching to a halt when I found out that I had Placenta Previa. I had a partial previa, meaning the pancake shaped organ that gives nutrients to the baby and is vital for survival, was partially blocking my cervix, the baby's escape route, making a Cesarean likely. However, my doctor thought that it would move up where it was supposed to be on it's own. As a precaution, she put me on modified bed rest for 8 weeks. This was not easy for a busy body, workout fiend like me. I recall numerous heated discussions with my husband over me trying to do too much.

Additionally, something happened to my self control. I had worked so hard and watched what I ate for so long that being pregnant was like being on weeks and weeks of vacation. I made little allowance after little allowance and wasn't allowed to exercise. In the end, I delivered a beautiful, healthy 6lb 8oz baby boy at 170lbs.  I gained the maximum 'healthy' amount of weight of 35lbs. I walked out of the hospital having only lost about 10lbs (6.5lb baby + placenta, etc. + water weight).

170lbs, 8+ Months

At about 2 weeks postpartum, I began walking. It was still cool enough in mid-April to do some walking outdoors so I began taking Lincoln for walks every day. I waited for the 6 week checkup from my doctor to start doing my normal weights and workouts. Due to a generous gift from my aunt, we have a year's membership to the YMCA down the street, and I began trying to go 5 days a week. I did not feel like going at first, and still have days when I don't. However, I go because I feel better afterwards. The Y offers childcare at 6+ weeks, which is awesome, so I get an hour a day of grown up time, me time. I just wish they offered manicures and haircuts as well. 

At about 3.5 months postpartum, I was 137, almost back to my starting weight. My goal is 130lbs, and at the time, that could not seem further away, even considering how far I had come. It seemed like no matter what I did, my weight wouldn't budge anymore. Then, a couple of weeks ago, my husband suggested a 30 day vegan challenge. Having been a vegetarian for many years, I readily accepted the challenge. At the suggestion of a good family friend, we ordered the book The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn.  It is a great guide to kick-start a vegan challenge or a vegan lifestyle. My husband lost 20lbs in 3.5 weeks, and I lost about 3 (137 to 134). After a bit of adjustment, I really like the food, feel great and  plan on continuing this lifestyle as much as I can, knowing that occasionally some evil fatty cheese will probably pass my lips at some point.



160lbs, 3 days postpartum

 As for where I stand now, I'm pretty convinced at this point that I have lost as much weight as I can while still breastfeeding, and that my body 'wants' me to carry some fat to fuel milk production. As a goal-oriented person it is hard for me to accept falling a little short. However, I feel that being able to breastfeed my baby and give him the best start I can is well worth a little compromise on my part and a little extra (temporary) junk in my trunk.




134lbs, 4.5 months postpartum