The Healthy Eating Plan

Today i made homemade granola. i know granola is high in fat and calories, but a little in moderation is a great source of fibre. It also makes plain yogurt way more flavourful. If you've read my previous post, we're kicking the packaged food habit around here and loving it! Even "healthy" pre-made foods have weirdo additives and junk in them. So I'm making everything i can.

Basic granola recipe:

5 cups oats
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
Whatever nuts/seeds/dried fruit you want. Not more than 2 cups, or it will overpower the oats. (I used raisins, sunflower seeds, cranberries, and papaya)

Stir it all together until well mixed, and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for at least 30 mins at 250 (until it just starts to brown). If you want it to stay in small pieces stir it occasionally, or I'll end up in big chunks.

Voila!

I used a cake pan because i wrecked my cookie sheet making maple glazed salmon. Oi!

This is what Jackson did while i baked. Repeatedly throwing his toys off of the high chair and watching momma pick them up. 

(Yes he has squash on his shirt, what can i say, it's just me and him here during the day. I have squash on my short also...or is that avocado?)

Handy Bites

I ordered one of these for Jackson today.

 He's been eating solid foods since he was four months old, and can now feed himself rice crackers (they dissolve). I think this is a super handy way for him to feed himself without dropping and wasting food. As he gets older i think it will be really handy for fruits/crackers/veggies on the go. Or just a great way to wrangle his toys that don't have a spot to clip onto with his rings.

I ordered it from www.babyhalfoff.com

It's a great site that has a new deal everyday, on things for baby.

Warning; this site is addictive!

Quote of the Day

“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery What does love mean to me? Being with someone you can't live without. Someone you can't imagine ever not being there, right by your side. When you wake up in the morning, you're excited just to be a part of their life. Someone with whom you don't have to share all of the same likes or dislikes, because you can always appreciate each others perspective. Being with someone who brings out the best in you, and makes you better.  Love really is all you need. If you have that, you'll find a way to make everything else work. What does it mean to you? Do you think i have a silly naive vision of life and love? I would LOVE to hear your comments. (Of course i had to include a picture of my love, Jackson Graeme)

Jacksons Loves His Daddy

Things That Make me Want to Punch Something

Not a nursing picture, but post nursing. i wouldn't want to offend anyone!

Through a google search i found a number of incidents where women were asked to leave McDonalds restaurants for breastfeeding. Why are people such idiots? 

Restauraunt owners should be capable of educating their staff, not only is breastfeeding one of the most natural things in the world, and they best nutrition for your baby, IT IS LAW that women can do it wherever they need to.

Click the link below to read an article about a woman in Hamilton asked to leave the Delta McDonalds. 

Just another reason not to go to CrapDonalds.

http://www.employment-law.ca/2010/06/04/horrendous/

Kicking Packaged Foods

I'll admit I've always loved a lot of different processed/prepackage foods. Diet cola, low fat yogurt, yummy yummy mini rice cakes, "healthy"granola bars. Having a child of your own makes you rethink a lot of things. You want to set a good example, be the best person you can be, give 100% of yourself. (at least for me it does). At the Henderson household we've tried to clean up our eating habits. We stopped buying ice cream and chips, we only buy whole grain pasta, brown rice, no sugar cereals etc. I've recently realized that's not enough.

Our baby eats better than we do! Our society has become so weighed down by packaged foods (literally-considering over half of the population is overweight) I think a lot of it is habit, availability of fast foods, mis-education and good ole laziness. We all love to make excuses, "I don't have time to make dinner" is a big one. Finding time now to eat a healthy diet, will give you more time ALIVE! If we want to live as long as possible, why wouldn't we eat as healthy as we can? It doesn't help that we've been convinced that "loving our body" means it's okay to be overweight. Shouldn't loving your body mean treating it well? Providing it with the best fuel you can?

Food was put here for us to eat, in it's natural state (or as close to it as possible) Read the label of almost anything that claims to be healthy, and there will still be a handful of ingredients you can't pronounce. Many people will buy anything that is "blue menu" has the "heart check" symbol, or has the words "low fat" on the box.  I don't know how we got so far off track, but around here we're going to fix it.

I'm not going to buy any pre-made food, within reason.
99% of our shopping will be done in the perimeter of the grocery store. Fruits, veg, meat, dairy, whole grains. Marcus is a little unhappy that I'm not going to buy his precious popsicles, but i've promised to make some with good old fruit. Healthy food is nutritious, wholesome, and it tastes better than the pre-packaged refined junk. I think a lot of us have just forgotten that. I'm sure some of these things have their place in this world as a treat, but treats are meant to be consumed once in a while, not daily.

It'll take some getting used to, but before long it will be second nature, not to mention the health benefits we'll feel from eliminating the chemicals from our diet. It will all be worth it, when my son isn't eating fruit loops for breakfast, pre-pacakaged lunches, or chips as a snack.

Go on, eat a big slice of watermelon, make a homemade hamburger, bake a delicious summer squash or whip up a tomato and basil salad. Give real food a chance, your taste buds will thank you.

Product Review: My Favourite Beauty Products

I've used the same things for years. I wouldn't say there's anything i couldn't live without, because, seriously no beauty products is that important. A few years ago i began having skin sensitivity. I hadn't changed anything i was using, but my doctor said you can become allergic at anytime. So i had to stop using everything on my skin, and start re-introducing one (hypoallergenic) product at a time.

My face lotion; Cetaphil.

It is made for sensitive skin, and doctor recommended. It works great, and the giant container lasts forever.At $10-$12 it's a steal! I usually have to get rid of it before it's even gone. (You should throw out lotions 12 months after opening) They also make a product with UV protection. I don't use that one. Because my makeup has UV protection.

My concealer/foundation; Bare Minerals.

                                        

I had the biggest problem finding a foundation that didn't irritate my skin. It had to be a powder, even the liquid's/cremes made for sensitive skin irritated it.This product has a natural SPF 15, as it is made from minerals. It is great for sensitive skin. I love love love it. It's about $35.00CAN a container, but that will last 6-8 months, depending on how much/how often you use it. You can purchase it at Sephora, and they will test it on you to help you choose the right shade. I also highly recommend the make-up brushes made by Bare Minerals.

My Blush; Bare Minerals

                                                   

I change the blush i use often, I've never had a problem with blush irritating my skin. However my favorite is still Bare Minerals. 

                                          

My Mascara; Maybeline Great Lash

I tried many different kinds. I found out that the only thing that irritated the area around my eyes, in terms of mascara, was the waterproof products. I use this now because it's cheap, and works great. I always use it in "Blackest Black" I have naturally long lashes, but  i still love to curl them and make them really pop.

                                                            

Lip Stuff; Carmex Cherry

                                                              

I never wear lipstick, i generally don't wear coloured gloss.  I have a baby, no time for fanciness. I used to love glossy lips all the time, but when you're kissing a baby 2,000 times a day, it's just silly.

To My Daddy

I hijacked mommy's blog today daddy. To say happy fathers day. 

I think you are the best daddy in the world.

Because you can't wait to get home and play with me everyday. 

I get so excited when momma tells me you'll be home soon.

You get up extra early in the morning so you can spend time with me before work too.

You even get up early on the weekend and give me my breakfast so my momma can sleep. 

I don't know many daddies that would do that.

You are the best daddy because you are so funny, you make me laugh all day long.

Because you give me a million hugs and kisses every day, and sing silly songs.

You are the best daddy in the world because you want me to be your baby forever, 

and you hate seeing me grow up so fast. 

I know one day you will teach me to play hockey, throw a football, and catch a baseball.

One day you'll build me a tree fort, and we'll go fishing. 

One day we'll stay up late cheering the Habs on together.

One day you'll teach me to drive, and play the guitar.

One day you'll give me my first beer.

One day you'll say goodbye when i go to college.

One day you'll teach me to be a good daddy too.

For now i'm happy that you make me laugh, and love me as much as you do. 

Don't change anything, because you are the best daddy in the world.

Sitting!

We have officially achieved sitting. Without assistance! I hate to brag, but my son is a freaking GENIUS!

Isn't it crazy how your child is all of the sudden doing something new? 

Lately it seems each week he achieves something big. Any day now i tell ya, i'll turn around and he'll be at the other end of the room. It may be time for baby proofing very soon!

 These are the best times. He is constantly surprising me. 

Getting excited about something so small reminds me to appreciate every little bit of life.

Have a great weekend.

Playdate

Jackson regularly has play dates with his bff Fen. 

Today he was lucky enough to play with two babies, Fen and his new friend Em. 

Jackson is quite the ladies man. Em even let him play with her exersaucer.

And he let her chew on his ring links. 

They had a craft day, to make a present for their daddies for Fathers Day.

First we laid out foam mats for they to craft on...

The boys quickly discovered the edges of the mats were fabulous toys!

Here Em must be thinking "Boys are so silly"

Paint + Babies = Adorable mess

"Mamma I is sooo messy!"

I see lots of finger painting in our future. Once Jackson knows what finger painting is...

Love It!

Jackson seems to really like the Precious Planet Night,Night World CD to fall asleep to. It is so soothing. 

Lullabyes, nature sounds etc. Awesome! 

It has become part of his bedtime routine;

Bed, Bath, B-Milk, Sleepy music.

Our Weekend Looked Like This

It was Mudcat festival here this weekend, yep, a festival for Catfish. Oi.

We started the day with a parade in the morning. Jackson was NOT a fan of the firetruck sirens.

We spent all of Saturday walking around taking in the festival, eating freezies, boy it was hot.

We came home to cool down, Jackson FINALLY enjoyed the pool! (Lukewarm water needed) 

Then we had a bbq, and went back out for a concert (Beatles cover band) and LOTS of really loud fireworks. 

Jackson slept through the concert and the fireworks. 

(I love these balmy summer nights.)

(And freezies.)

I'm glad he slept through as he's still a little terrified of loud noises.

Which makes this week super awesome, as there are loud trucks working on our street, starting BEFORE 7am!

Me so so tired.

Nighty Night.

Avocado for Jackson

Avocados are a great first food for babies. Just roll it on the counter, cut it into slices, and mash it up.

Is it good? Lets see what Jackson thinks...

He gobbled that avocado up like there was no tomorrow! He likes to eat, just like his daddy.

(Jackson isn't the best food critic, he likes everything! Oatmeal, barley, sweet potatoes, squash, squash with barley and breast milk, squash with oatmeal and breast milk, avocado and sweet potato mixed....I've tasted them, and Ewwww!)


Food is such an adventure when you have a baby. The faces they make the first time they taste something are priceless. 
Now if only i could eat as healthy as i am feeding him...

Gross Facts About Disposable Diapers

I don't mean to preach. I totally understand that some people have personal reasons that mean cloth isn't an option. Some people also rent and do not have their own washer and dryer. The reasons i don't understand are; it is too much work or that it is gross (At some point babies get poop on everything, and parenting IS a lot of work!) There are a lot of reasons that cloth diapering is a great alternative. I thought i would show some facts about disposable diapers, for those of you who are considering cloth. I'm always interested in others opinions. If you do choose to use disposable diapers there are more eco friendly options, like Seventh Generation Disposable Diapers, which are not bleached in chlorine, or Nature Boy & Girl, which are made with cornstarch. However no diaper, even an eco friendly one can break down well in a landfill. Since having a child, i've become a lot more concerned with being eco friendly, he's got to live in this world after all. I hope it is still a beautiful place for my great-grand children!

Here we go:

Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the     paper-bleaching process.  It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals.   

Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome by increasing absorbency and improving the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria.

In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.

Based on  estimates 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed every year in the U.S.

The instructions on a disposable diaper package advise that all fecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes into the sewage system.

Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.

In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.

Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste.  In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.

The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.

Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.

No one knows exactly how long disposable diapers sit in a landfill before they decompose, but it is estimated to be 250-500 years!

*Information drom www.realdiaperassociation.org

Part Two: Meeting Uncle Jesse

Saturday we went fishing with Marcus' siblings.

We all caught some fish. Got a little sunburnt. 

But we had fun spending time together. 

Later we went to Port Dover for lunch and ice cream. Yum! It's a great place to go for fish and chips, don't expect any healthy options.

The beach here is usually really nice, it was a tad foggy that day. Too cold for us and the little man. We've tried him in the water, he doesn't seem to be a fan unless the water is really warm, hopefully he will like it more if we keep trying. I want him to be a little water baby.

Jackson loves days like this where we are out and about all day. 

He is usually very well behaved, he loves the stroller....usually...knock on wood.

Jackson's uncle Jesse is gone home now. 

We'll see him again in a year or two maybe? 

It's very important to us that Jackson spend time with his family.

How we wish we could all go to Australia to visit them. 

Maybe one day...

Meeting Uncle Jesse (Lots of pictures!)

Last Wednesday Jackson finally got to meet his Uncle Jesse, and Aunt Jo that live in Australia.

He thought they we're pretty awesome. We only get to see them once every year or two.

On Thursday we all went to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a picnic and some shopping. Here, Marcus (daddy), Jackson and I are standing under a beautiful gazebo at a public park on the water.

This is the view looking out from the gazebo.

I would love to live there, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

Jackson got to know his Uncle Jesse pretty well. Jackson likes the silly faces he makes.

Jackson having a laugh with his Gramma Cheryl, Auntie Naomi, and Aunt Jo.

What a gorgeous town! Filled with quaint shops. If you ever have a chance to go, I highly recommend it!

Tomorrow i will post about the rest of our festivities. Fishing, food, family, friends.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

All I Really Need To Know

I Learned In Kindergarten

by Robert Fulghum

- an excerpt from the book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten 

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do 

and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not 

at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the 

sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything. 

Play fair. 

Don't hit people. 

Put things back where you found them. 

Clean up your own mess. 

Don't take things that aren't yours. 

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. 

Wash your hands before you eat. 

Flush. 

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. 

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some

and draw and paint and sing and dance and play 

and work every day some. 

Take a nap every afternoon. 

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, 

hold hands, and stick together. 

Be aware of wonder.

Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: 

The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody 

really knows how or why, but we are all like that. 

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even 

the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. 

So do we. 

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books 

and the first word you learned - the biggest

word of all - LOOK. 

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. 

The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.

Ecology and politics and equality and sane living. 

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into 

sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your 

family life or your work or your government or

your world and it holds true and clear and firm. 

Think what a better world it would be if 

all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about 

three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with

our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments 

had a basic policy to always put thing back where 

they found them and to clean up their own mess. 

And it is still true, no matter how old you

are - when you go out into the world, it is best 

to hold hands and stick together.

Babies Don't Need Clothes

The sweetness is overwhelming. 

Nuff said.