Living a Better Life

When my husband and I decided to start our family, we both knew that we wanted me to be able to stay home with our kids. Being a stay at home mom has always been my dream. Mostly because I hated getting up early to go to work. Oh how naïve I was back then. But going from a double income with no kids, to a single income with another mouth to feed was certainly going to be a challenge. Aside from several drastic lifestyle changes we made, I found another source that was and still is of immense help to me and my family.

Living a Better Life is a website designed to help you not only stretch your coin, but to enjoy more fully those things in your life that you already have. Their mantra is “One of the great secrets to living a better life is that it’s not about being able to spend MORE money! It’s about enjoying and managing what you already have…BETTER!”

I love the sentiment behind that. We should be more content shouldn’t we? I certainly benefit from that reminder now and again.

The Living a Better Life free membership program gains you access to a vast array of money saving tools and techniques, all only a click away. Their ezine offers money management classes, budgeting and debt worksheets and a newsletter with great articles all for free. Because who wants to PAY for this stuff when they’re trying to save money, right?

Want to know how to find cheaper gas? Want ideas for budget friendly family fun? Want to look for cheap health, dental and car insurance options? There are coupon lists, money saving tip contests and even a blog for frugal family recipes! OH, and a newsletter.

I look forward to my Better Budgeting newsletter as often as it comes. They have featured columns for frugal parenting, home and gardening and CRAFTING. I try to be impartial but I’m so not. But that’s okay, we all have our weaknesses.

If your family is looking for ways to save a few bucks and manage your lifestyle more, let’s just say responsibly, you should really take a peek at Living a Better Life. I think you will find their tools of great use to you and your family.

Rachelle is an all around craft-alholic with a major in scrapbooking.  A mama of three, she is very busy staying home all day.  She also blogs every hilarious thing her children say here, http://happyhothead.livejournal.com/ and other family happenings here, www.powersalaska.blogspot.com

I heart Jack’s Harvest

Do you have one of those friends that makes everything from scratch, always makes the perfect cookies and can whip up a gourmet meal out of yesterday’s leftovers with the blink of an eye? You know the one, and we all love going to playdates at her house. Well, Connie Pope, has a friend like that too, Heather Schoenrock. These two friends started a company called Jack’s Harvest and together they are making a household name for themselves. They took Heather’s recipes for organic baby food and have created a fabulous line of heart shaped frozen baby food with flavors such as Yummy Bunny Carrots, Tango with Mango and Blueberrytastic Banana. What more could you ask for? It tastes great, the babies are loving it, it’s healthy and it’s all pretty darn cute if I must say so myself.

I had a few questions for these baby food making mamas and here’s what they had to say…

PP: How did you come up with the concept behind Jack’s Harvest? How long have you been in business?

HS: When my first daughter Lucy was born in 1999, she was sick all the time. We took her to numerous doctors and couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I started doing research and decided to make her baby food from organic produce, which back then was not easy to find. I’ve always loved to cook so it was fun for me to experiment and try new things. I would add herbs and spices, like mint and cinnamon, to make it taste good and add health benefits. As I saw her health improve and continued to read more studies on the effects of pesticides, fertilizers and hormones on our children’s bodies, I became a passionate believer in the organic movement. When my second daughter Sadie and my son Jack came along I made their organic baby food, too.

CP: We would get together for playdates and Heather would bring the most amazing, fresh, homemade organic baby food for her son Jack to eat. She would bring extra for my son, Avery, who is a month younger than Jack. I don’t even like to cook dinner, so the idea of making my own baby food didn’t appeal to me, but I could tell the difference from jarred food in the way Heather’s looked, tasted – even smelled, and I knew that was what I wanted to feed Avery. I offered to pay her to make her delicious organic baby food for me, and then when our friends found out, they asked Heather if she would make baby food for them too. When friends of friends started calling, we knew there was a need in the marketplace.

HS & CP: We came up with the idea after our fateful playdate in late 2006. It took about a year to find a kitchen and get our certifications. We officially launched with our online shopping cart in January of 2008 and by September we were in all the metro Atlanta Whole Foods Markets.

PP: If you knew then, what you know now, what would you have done differently?

HS & CP: Honestly, if we knew then, what we know now, we might not have started Jack’s Harvest. We always joke that our next business will be t-shirts. They are not perishable, easy to ship, and we can outsource. The fact is, we didn’t choose this company – it chose us.

PP: How do you balance the partnership? The friendship?

HS & CP: It’s like a marriage. Communication is key - and you have to have a sense of humor. We know people say never go into business with a friend, but frankly, we can’t imagine going into business with anyone else. As far as our partnership and friendship, it’s seamless. We’re friends that work together.

PP: What is the one thing that absolutely has to be part of your Thanksgiving feast?

HS: My homemade pumpkin pie with fresh maple whipped cream. My daughter Sadie helps me make it and it’s become our special tradition.

CP: Well, I don’t cook, so I order my organic turkey precooked from Whole Foods. All I have to do is warm it up and it makes the house smell like I’ve been cooking all day.

PP: How many hours do you sleep each night?

HS & CP: 6 hours. (As long as no one has nightmares, then it’s 5.)

PP: What is your favorite read?

HS: Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

CP: Small Giants by Bo Burlingham

HS & CP: OK, we’ll admit it, we’re also huge fans of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

PP: Who are you? Heels or Flats? Vanilla or Chocolate? SUV or Minivan? Butter Cream or Whipped Cream? Martini or Wine?

HS: Heels – except in kitchen then its sneakers. Vanilla. Minivan. Butter Cream – preferably on top of a cupcake. Mango Margarita made with Jack’s Harvest Tango with Mango.

CP: Flats - I’m totally addicted to my Uggs! Chocolate. SUV. Butter Cream – preferably on top of a cupcake. Bellini made with Jack’s Harvest Papplesauce.

PP: What are you most thankful for?

HS & CP: Supportive, patient husbands; beautiful, healthy (not so patient) children; amazing family and friends; and, of course, our fantastic Jack’s Harvest parents and babies

Jack’s Harvest uses only the best quality seasonal organic produce, hand selected from local farmer’s markets by Jack’s mom, Heather. All of Jack’s Harvest offerings are prepared in a pristine certified organic kitchen. Get some for your baby at www.jacksharvest.com because your baby has good taste!

Linda Shapiro is the Co-founder of Moms-for-Profit, now Hybrid Mom Consulting & Media Group, Hybrid Mom magazine and www.hybridmom.com and she is the Director of Operations for http://longislandny.citymommy.com where hip Long Island moms meet.   Linda lives on Long Island with her husband and two boys.  She loves spending time with her family, the beach, children’s laughter, a good shoe sale, planning parties, and the thrill of the chase!

Christmas on the Go

Remember buying a present for your Mom because it was something you really, really, really wanted for yourself? Yes, you were probably 8 and using Dad’s money, but is that really an excuse.

If you nodded, keep reading. Because this Christmas, the Mama on the Move way to go is to pack the tree skirt with presents that will suit them while they’re with you.

It’s my version of having your cake and eating it too!

They’ll be ready to take to the friendly skies or hop on the bus Gus with airplane and bus backpacks from Zid Zid Kids at Global Home. Like most of the finds at this upstate New York shop with a new e-presence, the packs bring a piece of the globe into your home. Made of a durable vinyl and imported from Morocco, the packs are one part carry-all, two parts adventure toy.

Keeping the two-in-one theme going, Nursery Rhyme Tease pack learning and style in one little bag. Designed by a teacher, the rhyme design on the shirt provide a tease to the magic inside the accompanying board book – proof positive that literacy is indeed cool.

MeGiant doubles the fun with their tees in tiny retro tin lunchboxes that serve up plenty of fun for kids who like to play dress up, restaurant and school. Imagination’s the name of the game with the line of shirts too – the Mama on the Move seal of approval has been stamped right on the Chirp Daddy line of confused critters. Is that a rooster mooing? A dog oinking? Crack your kids up, then send them off with their box to think up more silly adventures.

Are they dying to take the wheels on the road? Pick up the Cheeky Chick from Okiedog to keep things rolling. The toddling tots can grab hold of the handles for assurance that everything’s a go before taking off on their own two feet, while the older kids show off their cheek riding ‘round the block. When they’re done, just fold the chick down to half its size (a smooth process, mom’s honor) and slip it into the trunk until the next time.

When they’ve settled back into the car for the trip home, how about pulling out this stocking stuffer? Psychobaby has brought out the Museum of Modern Art’s Close Up card games so your kids can brush up on art appreciation in the middle of a game of Old Maid or Memory. Or help them get wild about Warhol and crazy about Calder with the Modern Artists Go Fish for Art games.

Jeanne Sager is a freelance writer and mama (on the move) to Jillian. She lives in upstate New York, works as a newspaper reporter and let’s it all hang out all over the Web including the Mother of All Parenting Blogs, Babble’s own Strollerderby, at her site Inside Out, over at Burbia and of course here on PeekabooPicks. With Jillian in tow, she interviews Grammy nominees, big time authors and the farmer up the road - and she shares her juggling secrets every Monday here on Peekaboo Picks. To be featured in Mama on the Move, send an e-mail her way (mailto: jeannesager [at] gmail.com).

Organic Food for Babies

I just love good food.  From gourmet dishes with elaborate presentation to organic entrees with choice ingredients, food is more than just energy for my body.  This is something I’ve wanted to instill within my son at an early age.

Before my son was born, I vowed to hand-prepare all of his meals with fresh, organic ingredients.  And then I woke up!  The reality is that time is precious and limited.  I’ve found some fabulous companies who prepare fresh, organic food for babies and tots without compromising nutritional value or taste.

Homemade Baby uses organic ingredients to prepare fresh (no frozen or jarred), wholesome meals. The meals are prepared in such a way to preserve the nutritional value while retaining that “homemade” taste.  They’re as close to cooking from scratch as you can get!  The meals are offered in three stages depending on your baby’s age and are both gluten-free and certified Kosher.  My son primarily ate these and I only wish they had more flavor options as he got older.  Find Homemade Baby in the refrigerated section of your favorite organic/natural market.

Pomme Bébé’s fresh and frozen organic meals are prepared by hand in small batches and simmered slowly to retain the maximum amount of nutrients. Their meals are purely organic which means they are free from preservatives, fillers, artificial flavors/sweeteners, chemicals, hormones, or antibiotics.  With vibrant colors and rich flavors, each puree looks and tastes like it’s respective fruit or vegetable counterpart.  With gourmet variations uniquely formulated for each of your tots stages of development and prepared by five-star chef Laurent Brazier, your baby will probably be eating better than you do.  Be sure to check out their local, seasonal, and frequently updated menus.  We visited the store around Halloween and sampled their autumn menu which was superb (and my son isn’t even on baby food anymore).  Can’t get there? Visit their online store or place your order over the phone. They’ll flash freeze your organic meals to lock-in the freshness and ship them directly to your front door in environmentally-friendly insulated containers over dry ice.

I like Tastybaby’s frozen organic baby food for the diverse flavors and textures available.  The meals are gluten-free and free from preservatives or stabilizers.  With three stages and ten flavor options, your little foodie will start out eating only the best!  Tastybaby locks in essential vitamins and nutrients via their state-of-the-art blast-freezing technology. While I’m not typically a fan of anything frozen for very long, once thawed, these are indistinguishable from their fresh counterparts.  My son could eat the Mama Mia for every meal, he liked it so much!  The company’s eco-savvy ventures are displayed in their BPA-free / recyclable containers and biodegradable cardboard boxes printed with vegetable-based inks.  Purchase Tastybaby at your favorite all-natural or organic grocer.  Even better, order directly from Amazon.com.

The number of companies touting organic baby food are increasing rapidly.  My struggle was that in- between time where my son no longer wanted baby food but wasn’t quite ready for grown-up food.  And then I tried a product that gave me Peas of Mind (hehe!).  I was initially drawn to these little veggie puffets because they seemed to pack a lot of veggies in a small, snack-sized meal.  Each puffet is made from organic ingredients without added sugars, preservatives, or artificial flavors.  They’re like little mini-veggie quiches and  are surprisingly yummy (my son is picky!).  Purchase all six varieties at your local natural or organic market or online at Amazon.com.

Your tot’s palate is shaped early on.  Exposing them to a variety of flavors, textures, and colors will help pave the way for healthy eating habits.

I’m a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night.  My husband and I savor the warm Southern California sun.  We love to travel…so much so that we spent 8 weeks backpacking Europe before moving to Edinburgh, Scotland where we found out I was pregnant with my son.  I am a babywearing, co-sleeping, breastfeeding mama whose passions include health, fitness, and all things green.  If I’m not running after my 15 month old son…or my husband…you can find me frequenting the local tea room, shopping, baking, or reading.

My blog is Rockin’ Mama

How to Survive Thanksgiving

If the thought of Thanksgiving sends chills down your spine, you’re not alone. On that celebrated Thursday, people all over the country will be stuffing their faces in the name of gratitude, and when their gravy-soaked bellies can’t take any more, they’ll fall into food comas for several hours, only to wake repeat the whole process. If this annual ritual doesn’t sound too appealing to you, or if it’s downright appalling, maybe you need to take a few minutes to step back and come up with a game plan for Turkey day, one that won’t leave you guilt-ridden until Christmas. The following tips will help you get through Thanksgiving, and you’ll still be able feel thankful for your good health and clean conscience!

Game Plan

Devise a strategy that will help you on this day where eating is such an important factor. Do you need to have your sister keep you away from the pumpkin pie? Maybe it would be best to fill your plate with veggies on the first trip to the buffet. That way, the gravy and deep-fried turkey won’t call your name quite as strongly, forcing you to load your plate with as many calories as possible. The bottom line is this: you know yourself. Decide what you are and aren’t going to do on Thanksgiving, tell your family, and stick to it, but don’t be a stick in the mud. Let those around you celebrate however they like. That doesn’t mean you have to, too.

Choose Wisely

If you have received standing invitations to several Thanksgiving dinners, ask around before you accept one. Does Aunt Lucy plan to offer any healthy food options, or is she going to soak everything in grease? Is your cousin Frank going to be there, stressing you out and causing you to run to the comfort food? Choose a Thanksgiving celebration that works for you and your healthy lifestyle.

Don’t Fast Beforehand

Eat breakfast on Thanksgiving! Don’t skip meals, thinking that it will save you calories so that you can pig out later. It doesn’t work. You’ll end up ravenous and make the worst food choices possible, trust me. Who cares if you’re too full for a huge slice of pie? It’s not the worst thing that could happen!

Everything in Moderation

Don’t be a martyr. What’s the point of even attending a Thanksgiving celebration if you’re going to eat like an anorexic caterpillar? Enjoy yourself! A sliver of pumpkin pie or a dollop of gravy won’t hurt you. If you enjoy dark meat, by all means, partake!

Make your Own

If you always cook Thanksgiving dinner, don’t feel that you have to abstain just because you’ve made a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The fact that you’re cooking can actually be to your advantage. You can choose to cook the turkey in a healthy way, and add chicken broth and skim milk to the potatoes, instead of cream and butter. Think of this as an opportunity to introduce your family to the lighter side of Thanksgiving. Who knows? Maybe they’ll prefer the healthier holiday fare.

Remember Gratitude?

Don’t forget what Thanksgiving is really all about: giving thanks. Sure the food is amazing, but that’s not the whole point of the holiday. It’s supposed to be a day to get together with family and friends and celebrate being alive, and the things we love most in life. Filling our bellies is just the icing on the cake. Don’t get so caught up in the food craze that you forget to give thanks for the really important things in your life!

Andrea McMann tries valiantly, and sometimes fails miserably, to keep herself and her family active and healthy, despite her insanely busy schedule as a wife, mother of two, freelance writer, and blogger. In addition to writing for Peekaboo Picks, Andrea writes for Inhabitots, and blogs at Chocolate Fingerprints.

FingerPrints by ColorGoRound

Don’t you just love all of the artwork that comes home from school ? OK, sometimes, not so much.  Those adorable yet completely unidentifiable works of art that come home day in and day out that are so special to them and they want you to hang up around the house.  I do save a few, but I have to admit, they don’t all make it past the refrigerator for long.

The ones that do make it are usually anything that has their handprints on it or that says something about loving Mommy.  I’ve always had this plan to take a few of my favorites and frame them to create a montage of their artwork.  So how happy was I when FingerPrints Framed Child’s Art Kit showed up at my door.

FingerPrints by ColorGoRound is a framed child’s art kit for ages 1 and up.  It includes 6 washable, non-toxic finger paints, acid free artists paper, a child’s apron, a quality 11×14 frame and a certificate of authenticity that they can stamp with their hand.  It was a great rainy day project and we created a wonderful piece of art using their little hands and imagination and after it dried, we framed it and now I have the beginning to the art montage that I have been wanting to create.  FingerPrints is a great gift idea and for $39.99, it truly is a Keepsake for Life.

To purchase visit www.colorgoround.com

Linda Shapiro is the Co-founder of Moms-for-Profit, now Hybrid Mom Consulting & Media Group, Hybrid Mom magazine and www.hybridmom.com and she is the Director of Operations for http://longislandny.citymommy.com where hip Long Island moms meet.   Linda lives on Long Island with her husband and two boys.  She loves spending time with her family, the beach, children’s laughter, a good shoe sale, planning parties, and the thrill of the chase!

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