I’m stiiiiiill sick. Argh man, it’s been too long and I’m just not on top of it. So, after devouring half a slab of chocolate earlier in despair, I decided I needed to up my attitude and EAT my way back to health… (because who doesn’t love eating). Starting with greens.
So I dashed off to the shops and stocked up on EVERY fruit and veg known to mankind (okay, you know I’m exaggerating), but I loaded up (including a 5kg pocket of oranges) and came home ready to propel this bod back to health.
Since my kids love making smoothies/juicing, it’s a family affair. No extra energy needed (of which I currently have a limited supply).
Green ‘GET ME BACK TO HEALTH’ Kale Smoothie:
– 5 leaves of kale (de-stemmed)
– 2 apples (chopped)
– 1 small pineapple (chopped)
– 2 oranges (de-skinned. Bring on the Vit C)
– half a cucumber (peeled)
– cup of water (to get that blending going)
– half a tray of ice cubes (for the chilled effect)
My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. So this December, (God-willing) she will be 10 years cancer free. While it terrifies me to think back to Christmas 2005, I am filled with immense gratitude that she is still with us, and that she is healthy. So many friends I know have not had the same experience.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. So let’s be aware. As someone in the direct line of breast cancer I know I need to take this stuff seriously.
Here’s some info to jog our memories this October:
Every person should know the symptoms and signs of breast cancer, and any time an abnormality is discovered, it should be investigated by a healthcare professional.
Most people who have breast cancer symptoms and signs will initially notice only one or two, and the presence of these symptoms and signs do not automatically mean that you have breast cancer.
By performing monthly breast self-exams, you will be able to more easily identify any changes in your breast. Be sure to talk to your healthcare professional if you notice anything unusual.
Facts About Breast Cancer:
Every year, one in 29 women is diagnosed with breast cancer in South Africa.
During the ‘80s and early ‘90s, cancer of the cervix was the leading cancer in South African females; however, breast cancer has overtaken cervical cancer.
It is now the most common cancer in women, with the most cases in white and Asian females, then mixed-race and least common in black populations. (Source: Discovery Health)
Once a Month:
Adult women of all ages are encouraged to perform breast self-exams at least once a month. Johns Hopkins Medical Center states,
“Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important.”
While mammograms can help you to detect cancer before you can feel a lump, breast self-exams help you to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can alert your healthcare professional if there are any changes. Mammograms are recommended annually for women over the age of 40.
Can I Rely On Breast Self-Exams Alone To Be Sure I Am Breast Cancer Free?
Mammography can detect tumors before they can be felt, so screening is key for early detection. But when combined with regular medical care and appropriate guideline-recommended mammography, breast self-exams can help women know what is normal for them so they can report any changes to their healthcare provider.
If you find a lump, schedule an appointment with your doctor, but don’t panic — 8 out of 10 lumps are not cancerous. For additional peace of mind, call your doctor whenever you have concerns.
A Change In How The Breast Or Nipple Feels
Nipple tenderness or a lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area
A change in the skin texture or an enlargement of pores in the skin of the breast (some describe this as similar to an orange peel’s texture)
A lump in the breast (It’s important to remember that all lumps should be investigated by a healthcare professional, but not all lumps are cancerous).
A Change In The Breast Or Nipple Appearance
Any unexplained change in the size or shape of the breast
Dimpling anywhere on the breast
Unexplained swelling of the breast (especially if on one side only)
Unexplained shrinkage of the breast (especially if on one side only)
Recent asymmetry of the breasts. (Although it is common for women to have one breast that is slightly larger than the other, if the onset of asymmetry is recent, it should be checked)
Nipple that is turned slightly inward or inverted
Skin of the breast, areola, or nipple that becomes scaly, red, or swollen or may have ridges or pitting resembling the skin of an orange.
Any Nipple Discharge—Particularly Clear Discharge Or Bloody Discharge.
It is also important to note that a milky discharge that is present when a woman is not breastfeeding should be checked by her doctor, although it is not linked with breast cancer.
If I have some symptoms, is it likely to be cancer?
Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer, but any breast cancer symptom you notice should be investigated as soon as it is discovered. If you have any of these symptoms, you should tell your healthcare provider so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated.
If I have no symptoms, should I assume I do not have cancer?
Although there’s no need to worry, regular screenings are always important. Your doctor can check for breast cancer before you have any noticeable symptoms. During your office visit, your doctor will ask about your personal and family medical history and perform a physical examination. In addition, your doctor may order one or more imaging tests, such as a mammogram.
How Should A Breast Self-Exam Be Performed?
1) In the Shower
Using the pads of your fingers, move around your entire breast in a circular pattern moving from the outside to the center, checking the entire breast and armpit area. Check both breasts each month feeling for any lump, thickening, or hardened knot. Notice any changes and get lumps evaluated by your healthcare provider.
2) In Front of a Mirror
Visually inspect your breasts with your arms at your sides. Next, raise your arms high overhead.
Look for any changes in the contour, any swelling, or dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipples. Next, rest your palms on your hips and press firmly to flex your chest muscles. Left and right breasts will not exactly match—few women’s breasts do, so look for any dimpling, puckering, or changes, particularly on one side.
3) Lying Down
When lying down, the breast tissue spreads out evenly along the chest wall. Place a pillow under your right shoulder and your right arm behind your head. Using your left hand, move the pads of your fingers around your right breast gently in small circular motions covering the entire breast area and armpit.
Use light, medium, and firm pressure. Squeeze the nipple; check for discharge and lumps. Repeat these steps for your left breast.
What Can I Do To Reduce My Risk Of Breast Cancer?
Although you cannot prevent cancer, some habits that can help reduce your risk are:
Maintain a healthy weight
Stay physically active
Eat fruits and vegetables
Do not smoke
Limit alcohol consumption
You can find support groups in South African here.
One Christmas, our pastor’s wife gave us a jar of homemade salsa and it was absolutely delicious. So as soon as I had finished the jar I needed to find a recipe to make some more. So I did, and thanks to Two Peas and Their Pod Blog the deliciousness continued…
Here’s what you need:
Ingredients:
1 can whole tomatoes with juice
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies and herbs (or something similar)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeño, sliced thin (more if you like it hot hot hot!!!)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (omit this if eating paleo)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh coriander (or more to taste – I LOVE coriander)
1/2 whole lime, juiced (I usually add more lime, since I LOVE lime)
Directions:
In a large food processor or blender, combine whole tomatoes, tomatoes with chilies, onion, jalapeño, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and coriander. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.
You can eat this with tortilla style chips, or throw it over some nachos. We recently added it to delicious Mexican tortillas – with homemade spiced mince, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and coriander. Yummmmm!!! You can add it to your burger or on your homemade pizza or on some crackers with cheese. It’s also a great Christmas gift if you’re doing the homemade Christmas gift thing.
Yum. It is also paleo approved (if using no sugar). I can eat this with a spoon, it’s that good.
It feels like we went overseas, came back, and everything was different. BOS iced tea is like the new ‘it’ drink and is available in every corner cafe and, much to my delight, Pure Beginnings Organic Skincare is available… every-where!
Having been attacked by mozzies upon our return to SA in mid-summer, I sent my hubby out to find a natural mozzie repellent, and voia la – we were officially introduced to the Pure Beginnings brand.
As with all reviews, there is a plethora of overly-shmoozy things I could say about Pure Beginnings. I could say I love them because they’re EcoCert certified (so they cannot include any baddies such as propylene glycol/PPG/PEG, petrolatum, mineral oil, parabens, sulphated surfactants (SLS/SLES), DEA (Diethanolamine) / TEA (trethanolamine), phthalathes, DEP, DBP, DEHP, aluminium, fluoride, synthetic colourants & fragrances) or because they support African Communities and Biodiversity Conservation through fair trade and ethical sourcing (I love ethical). I could also say I love them because they use recyclable packaging and use only ingredients that are biodegradable and are approved by the Vegan Society, Beauty without Cruelty and Phytotrade Africa. It could also be because they have a good understanding of healthy (vs. bad) bacteria and consider optimising the beneficial bacteria in ones ‘body-ecosystem’. It really could be because of any of the above, right? Pssst… I like this last healthy bacteria bit in particular and it’s why I drink kombucha.
Buuuut, let’s pretend I didn’t say any of the above. I met them. In the flesh. So you can take my gushyness of Pure Beginnings to heart. They are RAD, they are trying to find better ways of doing things for you and your family, and they care.
Pure Beginnings genuinely believes in keeping your skin as pure as the day you were born by creating high quality, effective, organic skin care products that care for you and your family’s skin (and that are not harmful to the environment). Again, if you’ve read the post on why we cloth diaper, you’ll know this ‘skin as pure as the day you were born’ stuff was where I had my ah’ha moment, which has since changed everything.
Pure Beginnings started out in 2007 with their focus being specifically Organic Baby and Organic Kids ranges and has since, expanded into a skin care brand for the whole family. Do I hear a ‘hoorah’? Since then Pure Beginnings has been the leading and most trusted baby and kids organic skin care brand in South Africa. Over these past 8 years, this family owned and run business has worked closely with mothers, midwives and child birth educators (and doulas!!) to develop a skin care range that meets the needs of babies and kids using the purest and safest natural and organic ingredients.
Surely you’ve seen these gorgeous products with the super adorbs child friendly characters…
…looky here! There’s a new addition to the troop (more info coming soon!)
The ranges are comprehensive. And there is a product for preeeeetty much everything you need. (I even used the baby bum cream to moisturize my dry, sniffly nose this winter)…
My faves: No doubt the Berry Toothpaste is on my shopping list about once a month (my little one looooves teeth-brushing time!!). The Baby Wipes are fantastic and are my backup in case I run out of my homemade wipes. The Teething Gel sits on my night stand in case bubs gets fussy in the night. We also love the Bum Cream and the Insect Repellent. (The stick container makes it so easy to apply) .
My faves: Fresh Mint Toothpaste! While my hubby is not sold on my homemade kind, this is what he always asks for. My dad also loves the shaving cream!
Please. Do yourself and your family a favour and get onto the Pure Beginnings bandwagon. You can find all of their stockists here (there are HEAPS so no excuses), and take a peek at the latest news on their blog, facebook and twitter pages. Prices of products range from R35 – R115, and it’s money well spent.
Whether we think about it all that much, we vote with our money. Just like the food we eat either helps or harms us, how we spend our money directly influences which companies thrive and which suffer. Let’s please choose WISELY as to how we spend our money and support local businesses. Let’s join together and support those who are making it easier for us to care for our families and for our environment.
Today I was driving in the car with my kids. Exhaust fumes were BULLOWING out of the car in front of us, in a hazard like manner. My oldest likes to have control of his window, which he did at the time (and he likes it down) but for the sake of our lungs, I took over and closed the windows tight.
In an attempt to explain the situation to my fairly upset 3yr old, he started on the ‘Why’ Series. “Why did you wind our windows up? Why are exhaust fumes bad? Why is it coming from that car? Why shouldn’t we breathe it in? Why is it worse than normal air? Why?”
I had to come up with some pretty ingenious answers but two things stood out to me (innocence and wisdom from the mouths of kids ‘eh?)
– he was questioning… (obviously)
– did the answers I give him make a difference?
I’m all for a good sesh of playing devils advocate but I find people who question things for the sake of complicating a situation or to force their opinion on someone else irritate me. And I think, out of that frustration, we’ve forgotten to question.
Be it questioning faith issues, accepted societal and cultural norms; what we eat and drink, what we buy, where we buy it from, what we consume or whether or not we should commit ourselves to the Zero Waste initiative (which terrifies me!) I think what I’m learning, is the art of mindfulness (even in my own small way).
This is a HUGE topic I’m barely scratching the surface of, and I’d hate it to springboard into a group of people anti-this and anti-that. Let’s not be devisive in our differences, let’s rather encourage each other in our individual convictions.
If I can suggest one practical change in this intimidatingly huge topic it’s this: stop, and think, before autopilot takes over. I’m an easy one to talk. It’s only from personal experience and desperation did I ever think ‘outside’ of what I had assumed to be right or correct (with little thought given to it).
I’m absolutely LOVING the conversations I’m having with people who are starting to question things (in healthy ways). We learn from those around us. So instead of always having done things this-way-or-that, let’s rethink it. Start afresh. Create your own new habits. And let’s stop outsourcing solutions to others – be it in the health and food industries or even in composting and/or recycling your waste. Let’s take ownership of what we have and responsibility in what we do with it.
The cliche of ‘be the change you want to see’ is very apt. Please do.
It gives me great joy to see in our shower currently: honest shampoo and conditioner, pure castile body soap, a homemade face scrub, a coconut body scrub and a natural face wash. I’m slowly but surely swapping out the old and bringing in happy, honest and more natural replacements – slowly, one at a time, in a sustainable manner. Let’s.not.get.crazy.
Something I’ve been meaning to try my hand at for a while is homemade deodorant, but it’s never been at the top of my priority list. Maybe that’s because I’m a mum and I’m more concern about cloth diapering and making the gazillionth batch of homemade wipes, and buying cherry tomatoes by the bucket load (are your kids also popping cherry tomatoes like sweets?)… and and and.
Our underarms (and what we smear on them) are frighteningly close to our breasts. My mom has had breast cancer, and I have previously found lumps (which turned out to be cysts), and it’s scary. You don’t need to be a scientist to see how much awful stuff makes up your sweet watermelon smelling roll on (which, I’ll be honest, at one time I was a little obsessed with). Most deodorants and anti-perspirants contain aluminum, parabens and propylene glycol. WAIT! There is ALUMINIUM in your deo?!? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???
I was inspired when a friend said she’d made a batch and was super impressed with it, so I grabbed a quick moment once the kids were in bed (and after my delicious SOiL shea butter order had arrived) and I got to it. I’d looked at a number of recipes and Homemaker Chic‘s deo sounded seriously convincing. It’s easy as, and quick! Tricky and tedious don’t work for me.
We all sweat, and it can smell. It’s normal. But I’ve noticed, when I’m breastfeeding, I perspire like Federer playing Djokovic and it STINKS. So, this deo needed to be right up there with the best of the best. And it is. Oh man. This is the truth peeps. I absolutely CANNOT smell my underarms, no matter how far into my pits I can get my nose.
Taking Homemaker Chic‘s recipe as my foundation, I made a couple changes, and this is what it came out with…
10-15 drops tea tree essential oil (or any other EE you’d prefer)
Small jar or empty deodorant tube stick
Method:
In a double boiler (or in a glass jug placed in a pot of boiling water), melt the shea butter.
Once the shea butter is melted, add your coconut oil, and your essential oil of choice. You can really use any scent you like – do your research on the properties of certain oils. Some people like to use tea tree oil in their recipes for its anti-fungal properties. Get creative and go wild!
Once your oils are blended add in the icing sugar. The purpose of the icing sugar is that when the sugar combines with your natural body sweat it creates a sort of osmotic substance that then becomes a natural antiperspirant! Madness. I mean what’s not to love about sugar (besides the obvious). I do find that I still sweat a bit, but not excessively. Dissolve the sugar using a small whisk.
Keeping the mixture over the heat, begin stirring in the bicarb of soda, and arrowroot powder, adding it slowly. You will see it start to thicken.
Once everything is well incorporated, you can pour the mix into either the jar or a deodorant stick (I haven’t tried a deo stick – but I think I will try one as I get more daring). Allow it to set up at room temperature for a couple hours. I poured my deodorant into a small mason jar. With the jar you just have to spread about half a fingertip amount of the deodorant on your underarms. It might seem a little firm at first, so you might want to soften it between your fingers before applying but mine sort-of melts onto my skin. Voila!
And there you have it! Happy, honest, homemade deo. Who would have thought! Let me know if you’ve tried something similar and how it worked out for you…
Green (and gold) fever is upon us. The Rugby World Cup is approaching and next week we celebrate Heritage Day, otherwise known as ‘Braai Day’. Having lived outside of South Africa for the last 4.5 years I find it lank rad that Braai Day has become a thing. It really is a quintessential part of our culture and our South African-ness. Braai’s build community.
There is nothing quite like the smell of that wood fire burning, and the sizzle of slapping your boerie or your chops or your lekker sosaties on the fire (bru), knocking back with a castle or your tassies (or for you fancies – your craft brew). A little slaai (salad) on the side, your garlic rolls and maybe a couple mielies (corn on the cob)… As I type this, all I can hear is Trevor Noah in my head…
So let’s get our Braai Day on. We tend to complain a lot in South Africa, but this Braai Day, Eskom can’t get us down – even if you’re braai’ing on gas… which you shouldn’t because… it’s… kinda fake – come oooon now guyyyys.
The National Braai Day initiative aims to position National Heritage Day as South Africa’s annual day of celebration. We call on all South Africans to unite around fires, share our heritage and wave our flag on 24 September every year.
And so, in the midst of this celebration, I have the perfect (green) addition for your Braavleis. Ditch the old school paraffin/petroleum firelighters, and try Green Lite Eco Fire Lighters. I know what you might be thinking… “I’m so used to my usual firelighters, and now you want me to use something different that won’t be as effective, and probably double the price”.
W-R-O-N-G. Oh, oh so wrong.
Green Lite Eco Fire Lighters are 100% paraffin free, have a low odour and are made from recyclable materials, vegetable oils and natural colourants. They are the sameprice as Blitz (our most commonly bought brand), and is the brainchild of local Somerset West couple, Mark and Sandy Steinberg.
Hubby and I took a trip up to the mountain this past weekend and we put these eco fire lighters to the test and were well impressed. I know I say that about a lot of things (natural eco-goodies get me amped), but this is one of those products where it is EASY to make the change. Green Lite’s Eco Fire Lighters are SABS Safety tested, contain no petroleum products, are fuelled by clean burning vegetable oils, have a low odour, and are long burning (up to 12 min a block!) and are so clean in handling you don’t have to wash your hands before touching your food. The blocks are easy to break off and use (unlike the random snapping of your blitz bar) and they have a resealable inner sleeve. Best of all its made right here in South Africa.
GET YOURS NOW!!
FROM TODAY until BRAAI DAY (24th September 2015), Green Goods, your online eco-store, is offering all readers a20% off Green Lite Eco Fire Lighters. Follow this link to find your green happy firelighters and enter the code braaiday2015 when you check outto redeem your discount.
Give it a go – this is a simple change to make. And with the more firelighter blocks you have left over, all the more reason to braai braai braai your way into summer.
I am an optimistic person by nature. A typical number 7 on the enneagram. Naturally, I over-commit myself to making absolutely everything I do full of adventure, excitement and fun – a life in full colour (aaaaand a little exhausting for my hubby and kids).
For instance, if we’re going to the beach, we neeeeeeeeeeed (as my toddler would say) an ice cream. If we’re going on a road trip, we simply must get coffees on the way. Camping trips require s’mores and I can’t go past a till check out without trying the new flavour of tic-tacs.
And so you can imagine my pure delight when I came across this range of organic skincare – GLÜKi Organics. As you may already know, names are a pretty big deal in our family (you can read the post on naming our second born here) and so if GLÜKi was a person, no doubt we’d be besties.
GLÜKi Organics is an uncompromised high quality plant-based product range that meets a loving mother’s need for her baby. They take immense pride in the therapeutic value of each ingredient in their products.
So, bearing in mind I’m a number 7 and want all things fuller, bigger, more playful and joyous, you can imagine how satisfying it was to add GLÜKi to all areas of my life. It was like gleefully sprinkling glitter all over every room… without the clean up.
The range is attractive and beautifully designed. After browsing through it all, I gave the nipple cream and travel pack to a brand new mum-friend (how handy for her diaper bag?), and I threw the hand and body lotion straight into my handbag (and I smother it on like it’s nobody’s business). Honestly, sometimes before meetings, appointments or seeing friends, I like to rub it all over myself in the hope that they will recognize it as, you know, ‘my smell’. You know those friends who always smell good, and have a particular smell? Well that’s what I was going for. It really is that good.
My favourite product in the baby range is the bum cream. It is appropriately thicker than the rest of the range. Often I find thin bum cream gets messy and you end up slapping it (and therefore wasting it) all over your little ones tush, whereas this stays put and does what it needs to do: it nourishes, protects the skin, reduces chafe, and prevents rashes and irritation.
The GLÜKi team have written a wonderful post about how to care for your newborns skin. It includes the benefits of touch and baby massage, not overdoing bath time and how to feed your baby’s skin naturally. All of which I’m a huge advocate of.
I absolutely LOVE the smell of this range as you would have noted by my wishing people thought of it as ‘my smell’. To me, it smells like marshmallows (the nice, not sickly sweet, but the mature, refreshing and clean kind – if you can imagine such a marshmallow). This product to a baby’s skin is like a weeks trip to Indigo Fields for an adult. Have you been to Indigo Fields?
GLÜKi Organics is manufactured here in our very own beautiful South Africa and is EcoCert certified. GLÜKi is also an accredited partner of Phytotrade Africa, endorsed by Beauty without Cruelty and their ingredients Vegan. Have a peek at their extensive range of stockists online.
I never wanted an iPad. I knew our child would become addicted and with his strong personality, I wasn’t really up for the fight. But, as it would happen, we did get one (Happy 30th Birthday me!!) and it came with much delight to the parents (a.k.a us), and STRICT stringent rules for the kid/s.
As parents in this (absolutely terrifying) generation (of technology and all-things-accessible), there is this ongoing debate about how many hours of TV are appropriate for what age (each to their own), and should kids be allowed to play on iPads and are they ‘evil babysitters’ and are you a terrible parent for allowing your kids a brief viewing when you simply need a cup of tea and a slab of chocolate? To put your mind at ease, if you are even only the slightest bit concerned about this stuff, you’re top notch and should purchase yourself a noddy badge this very minute (or at least grab a glass of wine… after 5pm, please).
A number of friends have asked how we do the book/ipad/tv stuff. We are by no means the know-it-alls around this (I have no degree in early childhood development), but I thought I’d share a little insight into our family…
We are a BOOK family. This is by intention (my husband is an academic) and well, because our kids are not big TV fans. I know – it’s made that battle slightly less stressful. In fact when we were on a long distance flight recently, I enthusiastically found the in-flight kids channel and forced the earphones over my 3 year old’s ears desperate for some distraction but errr… well… no. It lasted all of about 1 minute – accompanied by our bribery food of choice – banana chips.
‘It is through hearing stories about wicked stepmothers, lost children, good but misguided kings, wolves that suckle twin boys, youngest sons who receive no inheritance but must make their own way in the world and eldest sons who waste their inheritance on riotous living and go into exile to live with the swine that children learn or mislearn both what a child and what a parent is, what the cast of characters may be in the drama into which they have been born and what the ways of the world are. Deprive children of stories and you leave them unscripted, anxious stutterers in their actions as in their words.’
But, we’re also a bit of an iPad family – far less so than the books but it still makes its presence known often. After my son had an eye op, we were instructed to patch his strong eye and interestingly enough, our ophthalmologist ENCOURAGED the iPad. There you have it. It’s hard not to feel judged when people watch your glasses-wearing toddler staring at a bright iPad screen because doesn’t too much screen time cause the need for glasses? Apparently not folks.
So while I’m going to be of no help on the TV front (sorry!), I will share with you our BEST books and iPad apps that our kids love (and when I say kids I mean the older one because the younger one just has to abide by what the older one wants – as you with multiple kids would know).
‘In this classic of modern children’s literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day’. A must have.
A classic, where kids learn counting, days of the week, and transformation using an interactive board book with pages cut short and with holes in the pages, where the caterpillar has ‘eaten through’ them. Apparently a favourite of former Pres. George W. Bush, this book has been linked to America’s obesity problem – but I mean… come on.
Another winner, read almost every night before bed. A quick read, featuring many different animals as they go to sleep. Rhyming words, delicate illustrations, and a recommendation by Mary-Ruth Wilkinson (who I trust with my LIFE when it comes to children’s book recommendations).
Bought for us by a friend on my oldest’s 1st birthday – I LOVE this book. It has such wonderful rhythm and rhyme making it the perfect book to read aloud.
“Horn went ‘Beep!’
Engine purred.
Friendliest sounds
you ever heard.”
‘Little Blue Truck is friends with all of the barnyard animals, and he is always nice to everyone. Meanwhile big, mean Dumptruck has no time for anyone smaller than him and thinks he’s the biggest, most important thing around. Then Dumptruck gets stuck in the mud and since he’s been so mean no one wants to help him out…’
If you want to buy a bible – please, please, please buy this one. It won the 2010 ALA Notable Award and the 2010 Mom’s Choice Awards and the Debbie Knighton-Fitt Mom Choice Award all years running. As a gift for our firstborn from his Godmother, we received this with the audio CD and he is obbbbb-sessssed with it. Hands down, the best bible I’ve seen, gorgeous illustrations, catchy sayings, and theologically beautiful. I’m desperate to buy the DVDs.
‘This book is about a mouse who took a stroll into the woods, along his way he scares a fox, an owl and a snake by telling them the story of the gruffalo who eats them for dinner. The mouse then runs into the gruffalo and he is hungry for mice. The mouse advised the gruffalo that everyone is afraid of him and that the gruffalo should be scared. To prove himself he advises the gruffalo to follow him behind, as they walk through the woods they come across the fox, the owl and the snake who run away when they see the gruffalo although the gruffalo believes they are running from the mouse as he is the most scariest creature in the woods.’
A gorgeous turn-around story, so cleverly written with wonderfully descriptive phrases and catchy wording.
Buy this book, buy this book now! An ABSOLUTE bedtime favorite, and with a rhyme/song you will immediately recognize, this is well loved by all children. This has been torn apart (with excitement and immaturity) and taped back together again, and again. Another recommendation by Mary-Ruth Wilkinson.
About a boy who finds a penguin. An emotional one for us since it’s the first book our firstborn ‘recited’ as he was learning to talk – much to our amazement. We read this over and over and oooover.
‘This is a lovely book about friendship. One day, a little boy finds a penguin on his doorstep. Presuming the penguin is lost, he decides to help the penguin return to the south pole. They set off in a rowing boat and the boy tells the penguin lots of stories on the way. Once arrived at the south pole, the boy sets off for home alone, but both he and the penguin are sad. Eventually the boy realises that the penguin hadn’t been lost, but had simply wanted a friend and they are reunited.’
The Runaway Bunny is a 1942 picture book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. The plot deals with a small rabbit, who wants to run away. His mother, however, tells him that “if you run away, I will run after you”
Given to our boys in New Zealand by very dear family of our friends, this has been read a gazillion times. A NZ favourite and bestseller, this is ‘definitely one of the best picture books for kids learning how to read; a simple and clear text with a solid rhyming scheme, awesome bright pictures, and a practical message. The book works through progressively bigger tractors getting stuck in the mud, and then unspools it with the little yellow digger ending up the ultimate hero (and the concrete pad finally laid).’
Given to us by another one of my favourite girlfriends in the entire universe, this book had ME captivated at first read. This is imagination at its BEST! Without question, a must-buy. You can’t go wrong with this one.
‘Opening the pages of Press Here a child enters into an imaginative world filled with dots of all colors and sizes, but it all starts with a simple yellow dot. As pages are turned and actions completed the dots come to life before a child’s eyes. Turn the book, shake the book and even blow on the dots in the book and listen to the laughter pour into your home as children & adults everywhere fall in love with this ingenious little picture book’.
The day we left Canada, while our bags were packed and sitting in our apartment, we took a stroll down memory lane. We drove past the hospital where the boys were born, we popped in at Regent College where my husband had studied and we took a walk through Chapters on Granville and Broadway – where I had worked my first job (and had been there approx 9 days). In a moment of pure spontaneity, we bought this ridiculously heavy and expensive ($45) book for the kids. Out of 4.5 years in Vancouver, this has to have been one of the best things we bought overseas. I get emotional just thinking about it.
Want a good GREEN story? Read The Lorax (included in this collection)…
‘The Lorax presents the complicated issue of caring for our environment to children in an approachable lesson about the mythical creature “the Lorax”. The Lorax “speaks for the trees” as he defends a forest of “Truffula” trees from the greedy axe of the Once-ler, a man selfishly determined to make a fortune without thought to his lasting impact on the environment and creatures around him. The Once-ler is successful, as least for a while. But before long, the Truffula trees are all gone, the forest creatures are forced to leave for their own survival, and the Once-ler who refused to heed the warnings of the Lorax is soon out of business for good. The story offers an element of hope and redemption at the end, as the Once-ler gives his account to a small boy many years later, offering him the last Truffula seed with the expectation that the boy will reverse the damage that he has done’.
Winnie the Pooh, a Collection of Tales and Poems – A.A. Milne
Another irresistible collection of stories and poems. This is another classic that has captivated the minds of adults and children alike. Beautifully written, and illustrated, you can’t help but love the simplicity (and depth) of the storytelling and the characters who reside in the Hundred Acre Wood.
‘When Christopher Robin asks Pooh what he likes doing best in the world, Pooh says, after much thought, “What I like best in the whole world is Me and Piglet going to see You, and You saying ‘What about a little something?’ and Me saying, ‘Well, I shouldn’t mind a little something, should you, Piglet,’ and it being a hummy sort of day outside, and birds singing.”
‘Happy readers for over 70 years couldn’t agree more. Pooh’s status as a “Bear of Very Little Brain” belies his profoundly eternal wisdom in the ways of the world. To many, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and the others are as familiar and important as their own family members. A.A. Milne’s classics, Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, are brought together in this beautiful edition, complete and unabridged, with recolored illustrations by Milne’s creative counterpart, Ernest H. Shepard. Join Pooh and the gang as they meet a Heffalump, help get Pooh unstuck from Rabbit’s doorway, (re)build a house for Eeyore, and try to unbounce Tigger. A childhood is simply not complete without full participation in all of Pooh’s adventures’. (All ages) – Emilie Coulter.
‘In a Time to Read, Mary Ruth K. Wilkinson and her daughter, Heidi Wilkinson Teel, have compiled a helpful guide to children’s books. More than bibliography A TIME TO READ also includes essays on the nature of children, families, literature and story–and how these hold together in a Christian life, reflecting Mary Ruth’s 30 years’ experience teaching a literary and Christian approach to children’s books.’
~ Right, so, I lent this book to someone in Vancouver. I’d love it back if that’s you!
Far from being the perfect parent (FAAAAR), I have limited the iPad to only having educational apps. The kids know no different – they love them. We also put the clock timer on, on the iPad itself so when it buzzes, time’s UP (no tantrums).
The Endless Series: My ULTIMATE favourite. Of.all.time.
Usually, the initial download is free and then if you wish to acquire more words, letters, numbers etc. then you need to purchase them. Worth every penny.
I’m fairly certain my child can recite and sound out his alphabet, can count and build words (!) PURELY because of the AMA-ZING Endless Series. I love love love LOVE these apps.
‘Endless Alphabet is a great educational app that allows children to practice their alphabet while learning new words and definitions as well as practice their spelling skills. With highly animated letters and characters, this app takes learning to a new level. It engages and educates little minds as they explore new words with fun and silly characters.’ – www.bestappsforkids.com
Practice writing your ABCs with Winnie the Pooh in this interactive app. Help Pooh complete his quest for honey by catching falling letters and bringing letter puzzles to life. (Parents and caregivers can track proficiency for up to four children in the comprehensive parents’ section).
The PrestoBingo Apps were great when my son had his eye patch on and needed to use his weaker eye to identify shapes and colours…
PrestoBingo Color’s first set of colors covers basic identification for preschoolers: black, blue, brown, gray, green, orange, pink, purple, red, white and yellow. On each screen, kids are asked to find objects of a certain color. Friendly narration guides them if they get stuck. To make it more challenging, sometimes kids will need to tilt their device to find a hiding shape that’s just off the screen. Then, when the basics are mastered, the difficulty level can be changed. Magenta? Periwinkle? Plum? Developing a broad vocabulary to describe color becomes a fun game.
Learn SHAPES! Beautifully illustrated and animated puzzles hide up to 20 shapes. This game teaches your child circles, diamonds, ovals, rectangles, semicircles, squares, trapezoids, and triangles. Each type of shape is explained and identified. Play a game of hide and seek. Some shapes are in plain sight, but some can be tricky to find! Do I spy an oval, hidden in the tree? Do I spy a diamond kite floating in the sky? See how many shapes you can see in each puzzle.
Little engineers will be entertained for hours as they play with come-alive puzzles, creativity-boosting coloring pages, and brain-building matching games (currently a little too advanced for my tots). Extend the play even further by purchasing additional packs with new puzzles, coloring pages, and collectible match cards.
Please join in the conversation!
What are your child’s absolute favourite books, iPad apps, and TV programs? Do you give them a TV limit per day? Do you limit the iPad to desperate measures? Let’s chat about these things as we navigate ourselves through such a technologically advanced society that we feel sane, and after all this, that we’re doing okay…
When I first embarked on this green life about 3 years ago, coconut oil popped up every-where. It’s like I couldn’t get away from the stuff – and for good reason.
If you spend 7 seconds browsing Pinterest you’ll see literally thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of posts about coconut oil, the benefits, the uses, the recipes, the health properties, and on and on it goes. It seems coconut oil really is one of the most versatile and healthy MUST-HAVES in your pantry, bathroom, bedroom, kids room, ANY-room.
You can read up more about their vast number of benefits and uses here and here. Below I’m highlighting three products in particular that I’ve found to fit into my day to day.
Now, if you’re new to this, it’s good to know that coconut oil is an OIL. So it’s oily. Got it? I know a few people whose sensory vibes don’t dig the oil factor and so if that’s the case this might not be for you. But, as for the rest of you, let’s get greasy.
Oh wait, another thing. Coconut oil solidifies in cool temperatures, so, in colder climates it might need a slight warm up before use (like dipping the jar in warm water), and in hotter climates, if you don’t want to dip your fingers into runny oil, then keep it in a cool dry place, out of the sunlight.
Smothering my kidlets with coconut oil comes as NO surprise to me. From the very beginning, I ditched all the fancy branded creams (which had plenty of unknown ingredients) and went al-natural with the littlies using a single ingredient – Organic Coconut Oil. In fact when my second was born, his skin looked like it was almost cracking on his feet and hands and I lathered him up goooood and proper with the stuff. Within days, his skin was plump and juicy. And its a huge money saver as a little goes a very looooong way.
Uses: Can be used to treat baby acne, cradle cap, croup, nappy rash, ear infections, massage, bath oil and as a moisturiser.
Liven up your little ones bath time routine by running a warm bath, dim the lights, cuddle up your littlie in a towel, put on some relaxing music, drop some lavender essential oil in the diffuser and enjoy bonding time together involving some baby massage.
I didn’t even know there was such a thing. Stevia, yes, Xylitol, yes… But coconut sugar?
Coconut sugar is made from the coconut flower, where the sap is removed and heated and you’re left with a sugary substance which leaves a caramelly aftertaste in your mouth. Whoooooaaaaaa, it is delicious. I can eat this stuff by the teaspoonful. In fact, if I’m honest, I do.
Compared to Xylitol, coconut sugar has a milder taste and flavour. When added to coffee, it knocks that bitter taste off, or adds a slight sweetness to tea. My rooibos addicted toddler loves coconut sugar in his morning tea and I way prefer using this than any other sweetener. Win.
Uses: you can use coconut sugar in many different sweet and savoury recipes. It is safe for diabetics and has a low GI of 35.
I like things with as few ingredients as possible, and this scrub has 2. Coconut Oil and Sugar. So it’s a scrub, aaaand a dessert (almost).
Since my scrub had hardened, I warmed it up (you can pop the bottom of the jar in the bath) and gave it a stir to distribute the oil and sugar evenly (as the sugar had settled at the bottom of the jar). I quite like the oil-on-oil method of cleaning and so for me personally I like oil based scrubs. This scrub has a neutral smell and so if you don’t have a high sensitivity to essential oils, you could add a couple drops to your bath depending on what mood you’re in. Being oily, its quite nice to just give yourself a little neck massage while you’re at it. Well that’s what I do anyway.
