Granola Anyone?

I love eating granola for breakfast. I buy my granola from Costco and get the Kirkland Ancient Grains and the Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola. However, having just one type at once is a little boring for me. So........ I bought a cereal container from Ikea and I layer the two granola's in it. Then, when I'm ready for a bowl of granola in the mornings, it's already mixed and I just pour it into a bowl. If you like granola, but want to add a little bit of interest to it, try this trick. Enjoy!

The Diarrhea Buster (Smoothie)

I created a smoothie recipe today that helps with diarrhea! How exciting- haha! Because my kids have been so sick, I researched what ingredients could work in a smoothie that would help with diarrhea and that wouldn't make things worse.

Here is the recipe (I just eyeball the measurements depending on how many people I'm making them for- you can always add more as you go)

White grape juice

Yogurt with live cultures and low in sugar

Frozen strawberries

1 banana

Handful of blueberries (optional)

A few notes about the ingredients.... White grape juice (it's the ONLY juice that won't make diarrhea worse). Yogurt contains probiotics - find one low in sugar. Plain greek is always a winner. Strawberries actually help thicken stools. Bananas because they help replace electrolytes and they contain pectin which helps absorb the liquid in the intestines. Blueberries also contain pectin and have antibacterial properties.

Just a side note: applesauce contains pectin and is often suggested for helping diarrhea because of that. So applesauce is a great substitute for fruit at mealtime, or for a snack. However, apple juice does not contain pectin, so avoid it when you have diarrhea because it could make it worse.

Enjoy!

Dear Mom on the iPhone

Remember when we had phones that we just used to talk on? We'd only reach for our phones if they rang or if we were calling someone. Of course, today we reach for our phones for those same reasons, but we also reach for them for SO many other things...... when we want to check the forecast, see what our friends are up to, log something in one of our many apps, and much more. These days, people are looking down at their phones constantly, instead of being in the moment. I read this article(see below) on Facebook today as my kids played next to me (Ha! You caught me!)and it totally made me cry. You see Mom's (and Dad's) doing this all the time and not giving their kids the full attention they deserve. When I first read the article, I thought: No this isn't me.... I check my phone for a few minutes here and there, and then put it down. But then I remembered the times where my kids put their cute little hands upon my cheeks to get my attention and saying 'Mommy!' as I'm looking at my phone. NO MORE! Reading this gave me a big wake-up call to change. So many of us are addicted and it needs to stop. We are setting the example and we are sending our kids a message that they are not as important as whatever is on our phones and that it's ok for them to do this too. Technology has turned us into robots.

My kids love the iPad. When my son was little, he used played educational apps at the dinner table and I could just shovel food into his mouth and he'd eat anything. I thought it was the greatest thing! Then one day, it hit me.... my son was not learning to feed himself, he wasn't enjoying and savoring his food. I'd look over at my husband, and he'd be checking the internet on his phone instead of talking to me while I sat directly across from him at the dinner table. This had to stop! I made a rule of no more devices at the table, and that includes the adults. Now, dinner time is family time and it's great! My kids still enjoy using the iPad, but not at the dinner table. They use it here and there throughout the day, and take turns. But when it's been more than 20 minutes, at the most, I whisk it away and we do something else.

Now, after reading the article below, I've decided to set a new goal...to treat my phone like an 'old-school' phone during the day when my kids and I are at play. I'm going to turn the ringer up, put it up-high on a shelf, and only reach for it when it rings, or if I need to make the occasional call. When I was young my Mom used to talk on the phone a lot. It drove my siblings and I nuts, and I vowed, I'd never be on the phone a lot as a parent. But being on the phone isn't just talking on it these days, so I am vowing now to stop and to start setting a great example to my little ones and be fully present. Do you want to join me in this challenge???

Here is the article:

Dear Mom On the iPhone, I see you over there on the bench, messing on your iPhone. It feels good to relax a little while your kids have fun in the sunshine, doesn’t it? You are doing a great job with your kids, you work hard, you teach them manners, have them do their chores. But Momma, let me tell you what you don’t see right now….. Your little girl is spinning round and round, making her dress twirl. She is such a little beauty queen already, the sun shining behind her long hair. She keeps glancing your way to see if you are watching her. You aren’t. Your little boy keeps shouting, “Mom, MOM watch this!” I see you acknowledge him, barely glancing his way. He sees that too. His shoulders slump, but only for a moment, as he finds the next cool thing to do. Now you are pushing your baby in the swing. She loves it! Cooing and smiling with every push. You don’t see her though, do you? Your head is bent, your eyes on your phone as you absently push her swing. Talk to her. Tell her about the clouds, Mommy. The Creator who made them. Tickle her tummy when she comes near you and enjoy that baby belly laugh that leaves far too quickly. Put your eyes back on your prize…Your kids. Show them that they are the priority. Wherever you are, be ALL there. I am not saying it’s not ok to check in on your phone, but it’s a time-sucker: User Beware! Play time at the park will be over before you know it. The childhood of your children will be gone before you know it. They won’t always want to come to the park with you, Mommy. They won’t always spin and twirl to make their new dress swish, they won’t always call out, “WATCH ME!” There will come a point when they stop trying, stop calling your name, stop bothering to interrupt your phone time. Because they know… You’ve shown them, all these moments, that the phone is more important than they are. They see you looking at it at while waiting to pick up brother from school, during playtime, at the dinner table, at bedtime….. I know that’s not true, Mommy. I know your heart says differently. But your kids can’t hear your words, Mommy. Your actions are screaming way too loudly. May our eyes rest upon those we love, first and foremost, and may everything else fall away in the wonderful, noisy, sticky-fingered glory of it all.

A new yogurt, or shall I say yoghurt, that is AMAZING!

I recently learned that yogurt should have at least 10 grams of protein and less than 10 grams of sugar. Upon hearing this (on my local news station), I checked the yogurt in my refrigerator to see what how it rated. It contained only 4 grams of protein and 26 grams of sugar, so I decided to go on a quest for a healthier yogurt. I went to Costco and checked out all the yogurts there, but none of them met the criteria. Then I went to my local health food market (Sprouts), and the majority there did not meet the requirements either. Then, I spotted a brand there that I had never seen before called Noosa Yoghurt and was in a 16 oz container, rather than the little single serving containers (they also come in 8 oz containers as well). The label said it contains 9 grams of protein and 9 grams of sugar. Since it pretty much met the criteria, I thought I’d give it a try. So what’s with the yoghurt, instead of yogurt? Basically, just preferred spelling based on where you live. Yoghurt is the preferred spelling in the main varieties of English from outside North America and yogurt is the preferred American and Canadian spelling. So, I went home and tried the Noosa, with my 1-year old daughter (who really likes yogurt), and we were both blown away. We LOVED it and she was asking for more, more, more, and just couldn’t get enough. We shared it and both ate the 16 oz. container in one sitting. I checked the ingredients list to make sure there wasn’t any crack in it. Nope, no crack, just all natural ingredients. It was so amazingly delicious. I am telling you- I love ice cream, and after trying this, I’d take this any day over ice-cream. Another guideline for yogurt is that it should contain no more than 150 calories per serving. This stuff is 130 per serving! My husband and I went to Australia years ago, and we loved the yogurt there, it was so creamy and delicious, and is very different from anything here in the US. This Noosa yoghurt is aussie-style, yet is made here in the US, in Colorado, on a family owned farm, with cows that are never treated with hormones. It doesn’t contain any added colors, preservatives, artificial flavorings, and is 100% pure and natural. It’s also gluten-free which is so great for those who can’t have gluten. Here is the link: Noosa Yoghurt If you enter your zip code in the upper right-hand corner it will tell you where you can buy it in your area. In Utah, it’s available at Super Target, Harmons, Whole Foods, and Sprouts and comes in six delicious flavors.

Take your kids to Disneyland from the comfort of your couch

I have a 3-year old and a 1-year old.... My husband and I want to wait until our kids are a little bit older before we take them to Disneyland. By then, they will be old enough to ride most of the rides and they will be old enough to remember all of the fun.

 In the meantime, we have been watching Disneyland rides on YouTube. It is so much fun, especially on those cold winter days when you don't want to leave the house. My kids have been really entertained by it. When we do finally get to Disneyland, they will already know which rides they want to go on first. Try it- I think your kids will love it!

No more dropping your camera!

My camera is one of my most precious items that I own. It's just a point n shoot, but taking pictures with it brings me so much joy. I take tons of pictures of my kids every single day and wouldn't want to live without it. Last summer, I accidentally dropped it and it fell down the cement steps of my back porch. It seemed to bounce off the stairs in slow motion as my heart sank.



It was so damaged that I had to use my older camera- which was not nearly as responsive as the current camera I was using, and didn't take nearly as nice of pictures. I really, really missed my camera. When Christmas came, my husband surprised me with my camera! He had sent it off to get repaired and it was fixed as good as new. I totally cried! I had missed it so much.

I vowed to myself that I would never again drop my camera. So.......... I found this great point n shoot neck strap on Etsy and I HAD to get it! Not only would it keep me from dropping my camera, but it would allow me to have my camera on me while I have my kids in tow doing activities... because when you're holding a kid and chasing one, it's hard to just use the traditional wrist strap. It's also very hard to find a neck strap for a point n shoot camera, until I found this Etsy seller who makes them!

I have to share with you, because it's been a great purchase and I highly recommend to anyone, especially Mom's who love taking pictures but have their hands full. They are cute too, and there are many patterns to choose from........... enjoy!

Camera strap - Point n Shoot Neck Strap

To doula or not to doula?

Have you ever heard of a doula? I had heard the term and knew that doula’s helped with the birthing process, but that’s about all I knew … until I went in to get a maternal massage, with a woman named Kathleen. Kathleen is not only a massage therapist, but she is also a certified doula, mother of six, and well versed in essential oils and herbs. I went in for the massage about a week before I delivered my first child (son). I was having a lot of pain in one of my ribs due to it being my baby boy’s favorite spot to kick, and also because I had the worst cold I’ve ever had in my life and was coughing so hard I think I pulled a muscle near my rib as well. Let’s just say…….. I really needed a massage.

After my massage with Kathleen, she mentioned that she is a doula and that if I had any questions about the upcoming birth of my son, to feel free to ask. I was planning on having an epidural, so I wasn’t sure I really needed a doula. But, I asked her what a doula does and why they are beneficial. She told the basics; doula’s are there as your advocate and help reinforce your wishes when you are in labor. They also assist the mother emotionally and physically. They can either assist directly, or can coach the husband/partner on what they can do to help, depending on what you desire. In short, a doula is a huge support who uses techniques to help calm the mother (breathing, oils, massage), and to help ease labor (acupressure, positioning, etc.).

She told me that she recently was a Doula for a woman who, while in labor, was told she was going to need a c-section because the baby was breech. Kathleen asked the doctor if he could give her 10 minutes, which the doctor agreed to. Within that time, Kathleen used some techniques and positioned the mother in order to help turn the baby around. She was able to get the baby turned around within 10 minutes, and the mother was able to deliver her baby vaginally. Once I heard that I was sold!

She met with me a few days later to help me create a birth plan. I didn’t have a ‘plan’ and didn’t know what a birth plan really was or why you should have one. I learned that a birth plan lays out what you do and don’t want during labor. They are nice to have so that you don’t have to deal with sharing all that information while you are in labor. She helped me come up with the basics and she also helped educate me on some issues, such as episiotomy, for example, so that I was better informed to create my birth plan.

If you need help starting a birth plan, here is a birth plan worksheet from babycenter.com, which is a wonderful website for women, whether they are already parents, trying to conceive, pregnant, etc. Check it out!

Did you know that tearing is actually better than getting an episiotomy? A natural tear heals much better than a straight cut. Also, many women don’t tear, and if they were to go ahead and get and episiotomy as a precaution, they may end up being cut unnecessarily. To help prevent tearing, my doula also suggests having the doctor do perineum stretching during labor. Also, as the head crowns, she coaches you on taking short little breaths while easing up on the pushing.

My birth plan goal was to wait and have an epidural once I was dilated to a 4. The longer you wait to have an epidural, the smaller the chances are of having a c-section, because epidurals can slow labor down- sometimes so much that a c-section must be performed. So when the big day came, she got to the hospital within a half hour of my arrival. When I got there I was dilated at a 2.5 and was asking for the epidural. She reminded me that I’m free to choose as I wish, but to remember that an early epidural could slow things down. So, I decided to hang in there. She rubbed the bottoms of my feet with peppermint oil, which helps speed up dilation. She also applied lavender oil beneath my nose to help calm me.

Each time I would have a contraction, she would press her hands on my hips. This technique helps ease the contractions and, at the same time, helps open the pelvis/birth canal. Other times, depending on each contraction, she would put her hand on my lower back and push upwards. And sometimes she would press on my knees as they were bent, which helped as well. She had many other techniques that also really, really helped. She also coached me on some breathing techniques. I swore I would never do the “hee, hee, hee, who” type of breathing, because it looks so stupid and I didn’t think it really would help. Believe me, it does help and I’ll do it again in a heartbeat!


My doula is in the red shirt, pushing on my knees to help ease contractions.


I was in labor for approximately 8 hours, and didn’t get an epidural until I was dilated to a 5 or 6. I wanted one at a 4, but the anesthesiologist couldn’t get to me until later. Once I had the epidural, after about 30 minutes, I was smiling. I didn’t feel painful contractions anymore, just pressure, yet Kathleen would still press on my hips with each contraction to continue helping the pelvis to open. However, when the baby was transitioning, I began having very bad pain on my left upper thigh. She massaged it, and that totally helped ease the pain. She also had me switch from side to side during my labor, which helped ensure the epidural was working evenly on both sides of my body. So, even though I ultimately had an epidural, I was so glad that I had my Doula.

After I delivered my son, she gave me amazing breastfeeding tips, which greatly contributed to my son and I’s breastfeeding success. We breastfed for 18 months! Kathleen also encouraged me to contact her with any questions I had about breastfeeding, recovery, or anything else. She also came to my house and followed up with me a few weeks later. I asked her if she’d be my Doula again, if I were to have another child. She said she would and I was so happy! I wouldn’t want to have a baby without her there, she gave me so much support, strength, and was such a great comfort just having her there. So, I told her that I’d consider another baby, but only because she agreed to be my doula again…… And now I am just about to pop with my second child (a girl this time), and Kathleen is, once again, my doula. So…… the question is; To Doula or not to Doula? It’s up to you, but as you can see, I highly recommend it.

If you are in Utah and interested in connecting with my doula, Kathleen, please email me directly so that I can connect you. My email address is karinb1103@yahoo.com