High Maintenance Mom

Whether or not you have been watching ABC’s new reality show, Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution, you certainly know the growing concern over America’s public school lunches. Flash back to your public school lunches and pizza, chocolate milk, french fries and rolls surly top the list. I remember those cute little chocolate/vanilla ice cream cups with the little wooden “spoons”. What I don’t remember is fresh fruit, chicken (no, not nuggets cooked in oil), fish (no, not sticks cooked in oil), vegetables (maybe even those from a small garden planted on the school grounds) or a dessert that isn’t complete junk (think oatmeal raisin or cranberry cookies or even fruit…gasp!)....more

Our kids recently attended a camp that required trash-free lunches. Although I generally pack trash-free lunches already, I wasn't happy with the plastic containers we were using so I decided to use the camp request as an opportunity to buy something that I has previously thought was too expensive. The Eco Friendly Laptop Lunch Bento Box makes packing lunches really fun. We bought the system without the carrying case and I'm now thinking we might buy the carrying case in the future. I have to admit, that the cute containers make it packing lunches more enjoyable for me and my kids really like the separate sections. The system also comes with a book that has lots of lunch suggestions. The Laptop Lunches website also has a lot of fun suggestions...

Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits and my kids too! Last weekend we had blueberry pancakes and daily we have blueberry bread made by a local farm. National blueberry month is just another great excuse to enjoy this cute little fruit. Their amazing antioxidant powers are reason enough to make them in a smoothie for your kids....

June is (was) strawberry month. Our season was short because all of the cool rainy weather but we managed to harvest a few good buckets worth. Strawberry's always reminds me of summer. Growing up, when we tired of our sandbox, my Dad turned it into a strawberry patch. They loved that sandy soil and we always got lots and lots of big, red strawberries. My Mom made the most wonderful homemade biscuits that soaked up the strawberry juice...and of course whipped cream. Strawberry muffins, pancakes, jam and snack bars are just a few of the great things you can make with this summertime favorite. My son has been a strawberry fanatic since he was just a baby....he just cant get enough. Run over to your local framer's market and buy a case of two of fresh local strawberry's. Alos, check out www.cookinglight.com and search for strawberry's for some great summer recipes. I liked their strawberry margarita! Next month (July) is blueberry month-my favorite!

The H1N1 Flu virus is real but there are real things you can do to protect you and your family. I must admit, I am a bit of a germaphobe so this pandemic has me on my toes. I had looked at many sites (and there are many) about this outbreak and found the CDC's site the best. Check out www.cdc.gov.

I have to admit that I have been getting a little frustrated lately knowing that there are still caregivers that supply kids with non nutritional, sugar filled foods & snacks. The super markets bombard us with so many nutritious and fun foods that with a little research on the internet or just reading some labels, anyone can fill their kids stomachs with at least semi nutritional foods & snacks. I understand some of the items are expensive but even without those fancier brands, we can give our kids foods that aren't 100% sugar.

The US Environmental Protection Agency celebrates Children's Health Month each October by developing publications and activities that highlight the importance of protecting children from environmental risks. This year’s highlights include the launch of the Climate Change and Children’s Health Education Campaign, which will encourage middle school and high school students to take actions to address global climate change and children's health, and encourage their friends and families to do the same......

S took B and N to the dentist in July. B has one really deep cavity that will require a baby root canal and one cavity that needs to be filled. N has pre-cavities that require special toothpaste. We felt we had neglected our child even though I spend countless hours making sure they eat healthy whole grain food that is low in sugar. In addition to feeling like awful parents, we were also angry with our dentist. B was in for a checkup before starting kindergarten and again to try to remove his two front teeth (see Having baby teeth pulled by the dentist. Apparently the dentist didn't x-ray during the first appointment and only x-rayed the front teeth on the second...

Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) is a non profit organization that was founded in 1993 and whose main goal is to use “the power of public information to protect public health and the environment”. I found it to be a very helpful resources on environmental issues for my family. In their “for parents” section there is a guide to infant formula, a shoppers guide to pesticides in produce and a safety guide to children’s personal care products.

My son is 11 weeks old and while we just celebrated a full nights sleep, we also morned the arrival of his first cold. I was extremely annal about my toddler going near him the first few weeks and have been a hand washing fanatic since my daughter was born two years ago. Sometimes bugs just get through the barrier of hand washing, cautious sneezing and coughing and good vitamins. My son is doing so well, all things considering.