Natural Baby Biz

I haven’t been writing much in my blog lately.

My husband and I are getting the the last details of our new house ironed out (don’t worry, it’s a new build, but we made sure it will be environmentally friendly with low-e windows, Tyvek wrapping around the house and in the roof, energy star appliances, low flow toilets, faucets, and showers, and energy efficient heating and cooling).  Our closing date is coming up on the 5th of September, and getting all of the loan paperwork has been a hassle.

We’re definitely excited to be moving in. Hopefully we’ll be all settled by the middle of the month.

The first weekend after we get the keys, we plan on painting with some kid friendly paint. The paint that comes with the house is flat, and the second Sakura throws spaghetti at it, I’ll have a permanent stain on the wall.  We’re going to open the windows and let the paint and new carpets and floors air out for the week before moving in the following week.

We can’t wait to get in! Our new neighborhood will be so much more family friendly than our old one, which has cop choppers flying around on a regular basis, speed racers that use our street as a runway, and creepy people walking around.  We also have neighbors on one side that party all night, and neighbors across the way that constantly fight.  Change is definitely welcome.

You lazily get up, take a shower, and put on your work clothes.  Then you leave your house, get in the car, drive to work, and arrive tired at your desk.  Sitting down, you boot up your computer and do your daily e-mail check. Since there wasn’t anything too interesting, you decide to get up and pour yourself a warm cup of coffee.

You work in a small office, and so nothing in the office is corporate grade. The coffeepot was probably purchased at Walmart, and sits on the break-room counter. You sleepily go in, pour your coffee, and add a little sugar and creamer to make it have that dreamy good-morning taste.  Then you walk all the way back to your desk and reexamine your email as you take a sip. . . of coffee grounds!

So, spitting the coffee back in the cup, you get back up, go back to the break room, and realize that the whole pot of coffee has grounds in it.  Not only did the grounds go in the coffee, but there is a mess all over the coffee pot and the counter around it too.

Then suddenly, you begin feeling that the coffee pot betrayed your trust, that it deliberately put grounds in your coffee and made a mess on the counter, as if it knew better.  You tell it “bad coffee pot” as you begin cleaning up the mess.  While you wipe, you realize that this is the same exact way you felt when you were cleaning up the crayon that little Johnny used to draw all over your living room walls. . .

The instinct of a mom is so permanent. It goes with you everywhere, even if you’re kids don’t. You know you’re a mom when you find yourself feeling the need to discipline a coffee pot, instead of just simply buying a new one.

Most of us that are over weight know it’s because we need to either eat healthier, eat less, exercise more, or some combination of all three.  I know many women who have lost weight doing the South Beach diet, or the Adkins Diet, Nutrisystem, or diet pills.  But the problem I have with all of these programs is that none of them are promoting healthy habits.  That’s how Weight Watchers is different.

Other diets DO work, but they are just a temporary fix. You can’t cut out carbs forever, because your body needs them. You can’t eat Nutrisystem food forever because it’s not healthy for your body. Diet pills have nasty side effects and some of them can even kill you.  Weight Watchers is all about controlling your portions, eating healthy, and exercising.  It’s even friendly for carnivores or veggie heads.

Weight Watchers gives you the means to learn to prepare and eat healthy meals on your own. Weight Watchers encourages exercise too. It doesn’t matter how well those other diets work, the weight won’t stay off if you have unhealthy habits.

There are two plans on Weight Watchers, the Core Plan and the Flex Plan.  The Flex Plan, what makes WW famous, designates a point value for every food, and then allows you to eat a certain amount of points per day. This effectively helps you control your portions, fat intake, and calorie intake. The Core Plan does not involve any points or counting, however, there is a limited list of foods that you are allowed to eat from. These foods are pretty much whole grains, fruits and veggies, low fat or non fat dairy, lean meats, and other healthy odds and ends.

These two plans alone are effective, however, WW takes it a step further by suggesting that ever person eat 2 teaspoons of heart-healthy oils (safflower, olive, canola, etc.) per day, at least two servings of dairy, fruits and veggies, a certain amount of water, and a certain amount of exercise.  If you follow these rules, you will be learning to eat within a healthy lifestyle.

That’s why I like WW, because it teaches a healthy, positive, and permanent way to live.

Today is Monday, and I feel that I’ve done well this week. Last night I walked 4 miles with a buddy down a river trail and Saturday morning Sakura and I went out for a morning stroll.  I ate lots of fruits and vegetables this weekend, but I still need to drink more water.  I lost 14 pounds with Weight Watchers and then gained a couple back over my birthday, so I’m hoping that my meeting on Wednesday will reflect my hard work this week.

This recipe is super easy and tasty.

Ingredients:

Super ripe organic peach

Water

How To Prepare:

Boil a pot of water big enough to submerge the peach. Once water is fully boiling, boil peach for one minute and then place into a bowl of cold water.  The skin will come right off. Cut off the flesh and use a baby food grinder or food processor to mash the food. For older babies, you can steam the peach and then mash it with a fork to get a chunkier texture.

It’s important to use an organic peach to avoid chemicals. Peaches absorb pesticides very well, so non-organic varieties are loaded with toxins. This will make about one serving.

Last night, after my Wieght Watchers meeting, I started taking control of my weight loss again right there on the spot. I had bulger with veggies for dinner, and I danced around for 20 minutes like I promised.

I put on some workout clothes, took the cooking timer, turned on some techno, grabbed my weights, and went to town. I just have to say, that there is something about “boxing” with hand weights to techno that makes me feel like a BAMF (please consult Dane Cook if you’re confused about BAMF).  Seriously, I felt like Trinity from The Matrix. I was ready to go kick some booty!

So my goal for tonight is to go walking. I’m either going with my friend, or going by myself. Either way, I’m going to walk for at least 45 minutes. I’m aiming for an hour, but the daily temperatures reach 105-110 here, so we’ll see. I still have a 45 minute minimum no matter what.

My other goal for the day, is to drink lots and lots of water. I used to be addicted to water and I’m not exactly sure what happened. I think I just got tired of it. So I’m crawling back.

Cheers to Weight Loss!

I have 67 pounds to lose.

I started out with 78 pounds to lose.

Also, this is ALL pre-pregnancy fatness. After I had Sakura I weighed less than when I started, so I did very well during pregnancy not to gain weight.

I have been “trying” to lose the weight for years. I finally got to the point where counting fat and calories just wasn’t good enough. I started researching my food and learning everything I could about it. I looked up every one of those nasty ingredients on the back of a processed package of food, found out how it was made, what it was made of, and what effects it had on the body.  I also picked a fruit or vegetable every day and researched the health benefits.  The result is that I was (and still am) grossed out by processed food, and I think of fruits and vegetables like medicine.

It worked. I stopped gaining the weight a few months before I even got pregnant. I ramped up the healthyness while I was pregnant, eating lots of organic foods, whole grains, and avoiding artificial ingredients all together.

Sakura came out via C-section, and while the visual scar is nearly invisible, my muscles had a little trouble healing and I started to develop a hernia. My surgeon told me that the only way to reverse it would be to lose some weight. So I joined Weight Watchers.

I had control of WHAT I was eating, but I was still eating to much. Weight Watchers has helped me big time to lose that weight. I lose 14 pounds in the first 10 weeks. However, the last two weeks I’ve gained 3 pounds total. I’m NOT HAPPY.

So tonight, I’m going to make myself accountable. I’m going to talk about my weight loss/ journey to health here. I’m going to make promises out to the wide open public. I’m going to force myself to do this for myself, and for my family.

Tonight I am motivated, but I know there will be days when I’m not. I’m hoping that keeping my blog positive about my weight loss journey will help me keep losing weight.

So here’s my first promise. Tonight, I’m going to turn on some good dance music, and move it for at least 20 minutes. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is for me.

I’m sticking to it.

It all started with gas prices going up.  Next, the grocers had to start paying more to get their shipments so the cost of food went up too. Then, since gas and food went up in price, so did everything else, just to keep up.  Now everything is more expensive than we’re used to, and every way to save a buck or two is useful.

For those of you that shop online, or have ever though about shopping online, you might considering becoming a shopper member of ClubShop.com.  Members of ClubShop recieve reward points on every purchase they make, which can be converted into cash.  You effectively get automatic rebates on everything you buy.

The Catch: Before you do any online shopping, log into your ClubShop. Any online purchases that you want a rebate for must be made through the mall.  This way, the mall can track your purchase to ensure you get your reward.

Why it works:  ClubShop takes advantage of buying power, kind of like Costco.  Thousands of people are part of ClubShop, so the stores inside of ClubShop can give members discounts.

The discount:  The discount will vary from store to store. You can see what the discount is underneath each store.

About Stores: There are hundreds of brand name stores in the mall. Target, Home Depot, Bloomingdales, Zales. . . You can buy everything from diapers to diamonds.

Joining: Joining ClubShop is totally free.  All you have to do is sign up and shop through the mall to get the reward.

One more thing: In some places, offline stores also accept ClubShop cards.  Log in to your account and check if your local stores are ClubShop friendly.

I hope this helps you to save money.  I know it has helped me. I have converted much of my shopping online and it saves me tons, especially when I find stores that have free shipping!

It’s so hard to find workout time as a mom.  When Baby’s awake, it’s hard to find time without baby getting under your feet or sneaking into something she’s not supposed to get into.  When Baby’s asleep, mommy might take advantage of that and take a nap herself, painting her toenails, or any other leisure activity that she never has time to do.  So how can mom burn some calories and keep baby out of the cookie jar?

I have discovered a way.  Yep.  Dance like an idiot.

I’m serious.

Turn on some good dance tunes. Start out by flapping your arms around. You can choose to do it chicken style, robot style, or any other way that suits your fancy.  Then Jiggle your legs.  Whip out the 1980’s butterfly, or just kick them in all directions.  Shake your booty. Mix the Chicken Dance with the Macarena.  Headbang. Make sure your hair is going everywhere.  Add a shimmy in there every now and then, and you have got yourself a true workout.

This exercise will do more than just burn calories.  It will keep your baby entertained at the same time.  Baby is guaranteed to laugh, and might even join in on the action!  Lastly, when you dance like an idiot, don’t let it make you feel like an idiot. Let it make you feel young again.

Today, I came across an article on The Daily Green discussing the implications of the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid on humans. Companies use this toxins on non-stick surfaces such as teflon, microwave food packaging, and frozen pizza pans. The chemical is found in 98% of Americans and 100% of babies. It doesn’t break down, it doesn’t leave the human body, and it accumulates over time. It has been found to be harmful to animals, but there no studies have been to show whether it’s healthy for humans or not.

The vice president of the Environmental Working Group, Bill Walker, states “There’s never been a chemical found that affects animals but has no effect on humans.”

I agree with him. Why buy something processed that can potentially harm you, when you can just avoid it in the first place? Here’s how:

1. Make your own pizza! This is more fun anyway. Use tortillas or pita bread as crusts, smear on some tomato sauce (make sure it’s salted, the unsalted kind doesn’t taste good), add some cheese and other toppings, and you have yourself a perfluorooctanoic acid free pizza. Cook at 400 for about 10 minutes.
2. Spend $10.00 on a popcorn machine and $1.00 on some popcorn kernels. You don’t need packaged popcorn to get salt and butter, just add your own. This kind of popcorn is not only healthier for the body, cheaper to produce, and just as fast to make a bowl, but it is also perfluorooctanoic acid free.
3. It takes a little more time, but make your own soups instead of buying pre-made microwaveable soups. I bought a giant stock pot so that Sundays, I can make a vegetable soup that lasts all week AND uses all of my leftover vegetables at the same time.
4. Use stainless steal pans instead of teflon.
5. Don’t microwave stuff with plastic over it.

I hope this helps you avoid perfluorooctanoic acid.

I wanted to share this picture of Sakura, passed out via milk coma in her boppy.  I miss the days when getting to sleep was as easy as feeding her!