Mindful Momma

Silly Tips for Making Food Fun

What's the best way to get kids to eat their veggies and try new foods? We have found that playing with our food is a recipe for success! If you sat at our dinner table you might find us using carrot sticks as swords or waving around our asparagus (they are spears after all!) We even allow green beans to be eaten without a fork occasionally (just not in from of Grandma).

Bottom line is our kids gobble up a lot of healthy food and that makes us feel good. Here are a few more ways to make eating food a fun time for the family:

Personalize It

My husband has a knack for forming food into amusing shapes. Who wouldn't eat carrots and cucumbers carved as their name?

Liam was thrilled when his dad baked his name in crackers!

The kids helped make these special Mother's Day rolls:

Make It Goofy

Face shapes are always fun!

We made this dragonfly from the Bean Appetit cookbook:

Here's a little snack that Liam made for me the other day. Proof that he loves to play with his food too!

Shape it like a Heart

We seem to be especially fond of making heart shaped food around here. This past Valentine's Day my husband turned beets into this beautiful heart salad:

Last year he and the boys made a soup with homemade heart shaped noodles for Valentine's Day:

 

And I couldn't resist this silly little experiment to turn eggs into hearts:

 

What do you do to make food fun for your family?

Lobbying for the Safe Chemicals Act in Washington DC

Someone pinch me. I never thought I'd have any reason to enter the United States Senate buildings on Capitol Hill but this past Tuesday, I had the chance to meet my Minnesota Senators - Senator Al Franken (yes, the former SNL actor and writer) and  Senator Amy Klobuchar to talk about the importance of the Safe Chemicals Act and thank them for their support. Martha from Learning Disabilities Association Minnesota joined me as the other half of the Minnesota delegation!

We were there for the National Stroller Brigade organized by Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families as a way to bring national attention and support to the important cause of updating our sorely outdated Federal chemical laws with the Safe Chemicals Act bill introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. Needless to say, I was thrilled to be part of the event and to get a tiny taste of what it's like to be a lobbyist!

Over 200 of us met on the Capitol lawn for a press conference where Senators Lautenberg and other supporters spoke:

Then we marched down the street to the Senate office buildings so we could meet with our Senators:

And finally, it was incredibly fun to spend time with my green blogging buddies, some of whom I met for the first time and others who I don't see often enough:

(Shane from EnviroBooty, Diane from Big Green Purse, Lori from Groovy Green Livin, me and Anne from Flour Sack Mama)

Have you ever lobbied your members of Congress or marched for a cause?

 

Join me for the Safe Chemicals Stroller Brigade!

Next Tuesday, May 22nd, I will be in Washington, DC rallying for safer chemicals. Will you join me - either in person or in spirit? We'll be gathering on the U.S. Capitol lawn at 9:30am, with a press conference starting at 10:00. After our "stroll" will will be meeting with members of Congress to ask them to pass the Safe Chemicals Act, legislation that would take meaningful steps to protect American families from harmful chemicals.

As many of you know, I have done a lot of work for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families over the last year or so. This cause is so important to me because I don't think we should have to worry about toxic chemicals in the products we buy and use every day.

If safer chemical laws are important to you, please join us - either at the event in Washington, DC or online using the Twitter hashtags #StrollerBrigade and #SafeChemicalsAct and by linking to Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families on Facebook and Twitter.

Event Details 

When: May 22nd, 2012 – 9:30 AM

Where: U.S. Capitol Lawn, Washington D.C.   

Between Constitution Avenue NE and 1st Street NE   Senate side of the East Front Lawn of the Capitol.

What:  Press conference at 10:00 AM, “Stroller Brigade” and meetings with Members of Congress to follow.  

To register please sign up here: RSVP for Safe Chemicals Brigade 

Hope to *see* you there!

 

Honest Products from The Honest Company {+ a Giveaway!}

I'm not much of a celebrity groupie but I have to admit I'm pretty impressed with Jessica Alba. Last spring, she used her star power to rally for stronger Federal chemical laws on Capitol Hill. Now she is busy helping to run a new natural product company called The Honest Company.

The Honest Company offers an eco-friendly line of family essentials (diapers and wipes, bath and body care, and household cleaners) sold exclusively through their website, Honest.com. In a nutshell, here's what they are all about:

"Savvy style, sustainability, and extraordinary service & convenience all wrapped in a passion for social goodness, tied with a bow of integrity and sprinkled with a little cheeky fun."

Eco Strengths

The goal of The Honest Company is to deliver products that are as non-toxic, healthy and earth-friendly as possible while being effective, beautiful and fun at the same time. Check out their list of health and sustainability standards - it is quite impressive.

• Bath products are free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate, artificial fragrances and many other yucky chemicals.
• Diapers are made with sustainable, plant-based materials and are chlorine-free.
• Cleaning products are biodegradable and free of common chemicals like 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde.
• Full ingredient list is available on website and product packaging.
• Charitable partnerships including Baby2Baby.org means the company is giving back to people and the planet.

What I appreciate about The Honest Company is that the are honestly trying to do better. Not only better than other companies, but they strive to make their business better and better each day.

Fav Products

Honest Hand Soap - I'm not a fan of highly fragranced hand soaps. This one has just a touch of yummy citrus scent. Plus the adorable bottle looks sweet on my bathroom counter.

Honest Lotion - A lightweight but rich lotion - a style that I love. It's fragrance-free, which is exactly what you'd want for baby. If it came in a citrus version like the hand soap, I'd be in heaven!

Honest Laundry Detergent - I only had a small sample to try (1 load) but it did a fine job on our dirty clothes. The product fragrance and dye free, making it suitable for babies, delicates and the whole family.

Honest Shampoo & Body Wash - I love multitasking beauty products and this one certainly delivers! It's super mild and safe for color-treated hair. And the vanilla tangerine scent is divine!

Second Thoughts

Up until now, the company business model has been to sell products in bundle only. However,they have listened closely to customer requests and will be offering the purchase of individual products in just a couple of weeks!

The hand wash contains two preservatives that are a bit controversial - Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Phenoxyethanol. It is my understanding that these preservatives are considerably safer than parabens and other popular preservatives but if you are uncomfortable with them you may want to skip this product. Meanwhile, the company is already working on reformulating the product. (see what I mean about working to do better?)

Giveaway!

Wouldn't you love to try some products from The Honest Company? I've got a Family Essentials Bundle to give away to one lucky Mindful Momma reader!

Win a one-month supply of non-toxic body care and household cleaning products for your entire family. Package includes Honest Shampoo, Body Lotion, Hand Soap, Healing Balm, and Laundry Detergent. ($35.95 value). Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Good Luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Treat Yourself to Something Green for Mother's Day!

As I've been oogling over some of the Mother's Day gift guides that have come my way, I've been wondering whether or not very many men actually end up seeing them. After all, many of theses guides are found on Mom-focused blogs and websites - places my husband certainly doesn't go for gift ideas.

Not that I'm complaining. My husband is actually really awesome about making Mother's Day special! But I got to thinking that maybe Mother's Day could be a day to justify buying or doing something special for yourself....as in scheduling a massage, treating yourself to a lunch out at your favorite cafe or even buying something you are coveting from one of those gift guides!

When I treat myself, it's usually with pampering body care products, fun shoes or pretty jewelry. Want to see what I'm dreaming of this Mother's Day?

Jewelry from the Andean Collection - made with tagua nuts, acai seeds and other eco-friendly materials:

Organic Skincare from Medicine Mama's Apothecary - Hand-crafted skin creams made with soothing honey, purifying propolis and moisturizing organic oils (get 10% off your order with code MothersDay):

A pair of sporty new shoes from Kigo - Minimalist style shoes made with recycled CYCLEPET fabric and PLUSfoam outsoles. Use discount code FORMOM for a 20% discount through 5/16/12:

 

Earrings from Etsy seller Kelly Johnston - made from vintage Lucite, crystal, metal and wood beads:

A sweet pair of summer sandals from Jambu - made with partially recycled outsoles and packaged in an awesome reusable box (perfect for Legos!):

A really nice facial soap from True Body - made with shea butter, Maurita Flexuosa fruit oil and other natural, sustainably derived oils:

Do you ever treat yourself for Mother's Day? What is your favorite gift to give yourself?

 

 

(Disclosure: I received free samples from Medicine Mama, Kigo, Jambu and True Body in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Green Kid Crafts to the Rescue!

Are you participating in National Screen Free Week? We are and our boys are not exactly happy about it. Fortunately, the weather has been nice so there has been lots out outside play time.

But when the complaints started up, I pulled out a craft set from Green Kid Crafts and we got busy making Pirate gear. Green Kid Crafts is a craft subscription company that delivers earth friendly crafts right to your door. For $19.95 a month you get a delivery with 3 craft projects every month. Each project comes complete with everything you need to make the project (except for scissors and glue). The materials are all non-toxic and sustainable. Many are repurposed or made with recycled content.

My 7 year old just loved the Pirate Loot kit!

He was especially thrilled with the money pouch and the homemade Pirate coins. We made a ton of them!

The crafts are geared toward kids ages 3 - 8 but even my 11 year old got in on the fun and I ended up making a money pouch for him too. So basically, this kit was the launching pad for hours of imaginary play. The TV, computer and iPad were temporarily forgotten! What's not to love about that?

What are your favorite crafts to make with your kids?

(Full disclosure: I was sent a sample of Green Kid Crafts in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Is Your Meat American Humane Certified?

One of my New Year's resolutions was to buy better meat. So instead of grabbing the cheapest package of meat in the case, I've been looking more closely at the labels.

Meat labels are notoriously difficult to decipher. I wrote a post many years ago about demystifying the meat counter and it's surprising that not a whole lot has changed in the 5 years since I wrote that post.The term "all natural" is still widely used even though it has very little true meaning. Organic meat is more common but is still at a price point that is prohibitive to many.

One label that I've seen cropping up more frequently is American Humane Certified. The American Humane Certified seal ensures that animals live under humane conditions that allow for natural behaviors and provide adequate living space. All products labeled American Humane Certified are:

• Third party certified
• Cage-free
• Vegetable and grain fed (no animal by-products)
• Given no hormones or steroids
• Fed no antibiotics
• With ready access to fresh water
• Free of discomfort and pain

We tend to eat a lot of chicken in our household and I was happy to learn that Minnesota based Just Bare Chicken was recently approved as American Humane Certified. You can find the seal on their packaged chicken at the grocery store.

I did a quick price comparison and found that Just Bare boneless, skinless chicken breasts were only a 5% price premium over another national brand that is not certified humane. Totally worth it to me. 

The American Humane Certified seal can also be found on beef and pork as well as eggs and dairy products. You can find a list of producers who are American Humane Certified here.

Do you look for meat, eggs and dairy that are certified humane?

 

 

(Full disclosure: I was sent samples of Just Bare Chicken in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Cool Eco Crafts on Pinterest

Are you a Pinterest fanatic yet? It's hard not to be when there are so many cool things to discover.

I've been getting a lot of visitors to my blog via Pinterest so I thought it would be nice to return the favor and share some of the blogs behind some of my favorite pins. These are from my Eco Crafts Pinterest board:

Zakka Life shares a fun coin purse made out of a yogurt lid. I have tons of fabric scraps and plenty of yogurt lids just waiting for a project like this. Wouldn't this be a fun gift for the kids to make for Grandma?

If this isn't the sweetest homemade craft ever, I don't know what is! Kristen from Bloesem Kids used stamps made from okra to create these hand-stamped gift tags. Now if I could only get my kids to eat the okra too!

This soda bottle jewelry stand is just brilliant! Jen from EPBOT even provides a tutorial so you can make one yourself! Since I don't typically buy bottles of soda myself, I'd have to go dig through someone else's recycling bin to get the bottles. I'm highly tempted.

Have you found any good eco craft ideas on Pinterest?

 (Images used with permission) (shared on Your Green Resource)

How to Make Homemade Soap Out of Soap Scraps {Tutorial}

Sometimes I think I'm a bit too frugal. I've been saving up soap scraps in a mesh bag for a couple years now, without a solid plan of what to do with them. Finally, when the bag was overflowing, I did some research and realized you could make new bars of soap out of old soap scraps. So I tried it and the results were.... interesting. My new soaps are perfectly usable but not quite as wonderful as I was expecting. Let's just say, I won't be giving them as gifts!

There doesn't seem to be one tried and true recipe for making new soap out of old soap. Just follow these simple steps and be prepared to wing it depending on the type and amount of soap bits you have.

Start with a bunch of soap scraps. The more the merrier!

Grate the soap bits with a cheese grater. Soft, glycerin based soaps will be easy to grate but some soaps are quite difficult to grate and produce more of a soap dust than soap flakes (cover your nose & mouth so you don't inhale any). Some of my soaps were so hard that I just broke them into bits instead of grating them.

Put the soap flakes in a microwave safe, glass container. Add a little bit of water - about 1 Tablespoon per cup of soap flakes (I did not measure mine). Keep in mind that the more water you add, the longer it will take your soap to dry in the mold. Microwave the mixture in about 30 second intervals. Mix after each time. In my case, the soap mixture never "melted" completely. There were still chunks of soap showing but everything got very soft and mushy.

As you can see from the photo below, I made two batches - one was smoother and one was more chunky. I actually like the chunky look because you can still see the colors from the different soaps. At this point you can add some essential oil scent if you would like. I added a lavender chamomile blend to one of my batches.

Spoon the soap mixture into your mold. I used muffin tins and I sprayed them with cooking spray first just to make sure the new soaps wouldn't stick. I've heard you can also use a bread pan and then cut the large soap into slices.

(This is not a pretty picture of my well worn muffin tin....)

Let your soaps dry out for a few days or even a week before you try to take them out of the mold. I was expecting my soaps to be a bit drier and more solid. Instead they are soft and will break apart easily if you try.

Like I said before, these "new" soaps are perfectly good but won't win any beauty contests. The pretty colors of the original soaps are largely gone and the resulting colors are a bit greyish. However, I've been using one in the bathroom and it works just fine! Next time though, instead of going to the effort of molding the soaps, I might just melt the scraps down and turn them into liquid hand soap or laundry soap.

Do you save soap scraps? What do you do with them?

 

(this post is linked up over at Your Green Resource)

Better Snacks + a NatureBox Giveaway!

Calling all snack-a-holics! How many of you have felt guilty after giving in to a big time snack attack? I've got my hand raised! The good news is, the world of better-for-you snacks is moving way beyond carrot sticks and boring whole wheat crackers. Yes, you can still indulge and be healthy at the same time!

Here are a few healthy and great tasting snacks that have come across my desk recently:

NatureBox

The people behind NatureBox, a new subscription based, healthy snack delivery company, know that snacking is here to stay. Their mission is to help you snack to your heart's content without feeling the least bit guilty.

The NatureBox monthly snack delivery is filled with Nutritionist-approved, delicious treats made with wholesome ingredients and without the bad stuff like high fructose corn syrup, trans fats or artificial colors and flavors.

Each NatureBox includes 4 to 5 unique snack foods, based on a a new theme every month. The March box was focused on healthy swaps and when I opened up my box, I found Sunshine Chips made with sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, taro and green beans, Figgy Bars (fig bars made with honey), Firecrackers (rice-based sweet chili crackers), dried cherries and a delicious, homemade granola. The cost is $19.95 per box with free shipping.

Interested in trying NatureBox? The company is offering a one-month NatureBox delivery to one Mindful Momma reader! (See details at the end of this post.) If you don't win, use the code HEALTHY for 25% off your first month with a month-to-month subscription. Also keep in mind that you get 1 month free with a 6 month subscription, and 3 months free with a 12 month subscription. Wouldn't this make a wonderful gift for a college student or new mom?

Bare Fruit Apple Chips

When you're dying for something crunchy but don't want to give in to potato chips or crackers, Bare Fruit apple chips are just the ticket! Super crunchy and 100% organic, these chips are dry baked without oils and are only 29 calories per 2.6 oz bag. Available in Cinnamon Apple, Granny Smith Apple or Fuji Apple.

Navitas Power Snacks

Sometimes you are just plain hungry and you need a snack that will stick to your ribs and tide you over until the next meal. Navitas Power snacks are good for that. Made with a base of date paste, nuts and seeds with superfoods like maca, camu-camu and lucuma mixed in for added nutrition, Navitas Power Snacks are certified USDA Organic, raw, vegan and gluten-free. Available in Blueberry Hemp, Citrus Chia and Cacao Goji.  (They make an awesome superfood chocolate making kit too!)

What are your favorite "better" snacks?

(Full disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products in exchange for my honest opinion. There are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make helps support this blog. Thank you!)