Calling Mommies & Babies!

I posted previously about Babyccino when I was first launching the Monday morning "Mommy & Me". Now that we're starting up our 3rd series, I figured I'd let you all in on how it's been going...

The whole concept of getting together with local fellow mothers was really at the crux of the entire birth of Babyccino. The women in this community wanted a time and place where they can all get together, provide some interactive time for their children, while sharing motherhood with other women, and catching up with friends...

I figured I'd share these photos with you and hopefully inspire those of you in other communities to start up something of this nature as well. Having recently given birth, I'm constantly reminded of the dire need a new mother has to interact with other moms and simply get out of the house. It can be as simple as getting a few ladies together in a living room to share a pot of coffee while the kids play with toys on the rug! The point is to get out with your baby, meet with other mothers, and share the many trial and error stories of motherhood as well as share the many laughs that come along with raising children. Not to mention knowing your kids are benefitting from a social morning out along the way!

I also want to give you local women who haven't yet made the trek out to check it out a little kick in the pants! :) Come and join us for this next series as we help the little ones explore and discover the living world around them through 8 growth-themed Spring sessions! Come for the coffee; stay for the fun! Sharing motherhood is one of those things that really are priceless...

Also, I wanted to give a huge shout-out of thanks to all attending moms who have seriously made this whole experiment super-fun and successful!! Thank you all for joining in and bringing along your adorable and smart little people each week!! This could never have happened without you!

Redefining: Clean Laundry

By now we all know about the many dangers of toxins lurking in our household cleaning supplies, and for the most part - it's as easy a problem to fix as a trip to the health food store. But what about when it comes to something you just don't want to part with and can't seem to find a substancial and satisfying replacement?? For me, this was dryer sheets and the way they make my laundry soft, static-free, and subtly scented. Don't get me wrong, I haven't exactly been using bounce sheets since the day I read the news about them being choc-full of cancer causing synthetics, but I have been on the market for a greener variety since then and have only now come up satisfied! Method Baby Squeaky Clean Dryer Cloths are amazing!! They're softening, static-reducing, fresh-scent inducing, and most importantly - they're safe. I'm obsessed with the "rice milk + mallow" scent and have been freakishly inhaling fresh loads of laundry since birthing baby Hudi. It smells just like a newborn baby should - of sweet sweet milk and earthy florals - I swear, you'll be hooked! Plus, it's all just extra goodness on the scale - the real important thing here is to lessen your household toxins - start with the worst of the bad guys; your laundry methods.

P.S. I'm loving these star swaddle wraps I got from aden + anais! I know they're not super-girly, but I've been on a serious star-stint and haven't been able to turn down anything 5-pointed! Some other star-themed goodies I'm currently coveting? These totally rad superstar tights, hollywood glam hair via this headband, star-struck by kids in scarfs (I was recently inspired by my little buddy Sima B. and her fashionable neck accessory! :)), and this really retro elbow-patched sweater!

Prenatal Fitness

During pregnancy, there are so many novelties in the way we must take care of ourselves, that fitness may not make it to the top of the short list. Feeling tired, cranky, and to-big-to-move are also part of the equation, but they are also the most important reasons to stay active. As everyone knows, studies have proven that whenever we feel the most lethargic and irritable - the more we need to exercise.  And I swear, it's the truth.

My pregnancy this time around differed incredibly from my pregnancy with Freida. To the extent that mamas everywhere swore I was having a boy (because of how differently I carried with Freida). From my perspective, the one and only difference this time was my level of fitness - and how radically it made me think and feel. Each time I got off the treadmill, or stretched after a long walk, I felt a burst of adrenaline and was flooded with endorphins - the happy high. While I took my Prenatal Yoga classes very seriously while pregnant with Freida, it helped keep me strong and limber, but it didn't at all produce the same level of happy-hormones that cardio activity does. The benefits of exercise may allow us to feel strong, confident, and sexy - but the extra and most-important-to-me side effect is the "runner's high"; the feeling of excitement, capability, and inspiration that comes to me after a bout of good ol' cardio training. And during a pregnancy, there's a lot to be said for anything that makes us feel that way (plus, I'm sure blasting an upbeat playlist on my iPod while working out helps in the inspiration department)!

But aside from that, I feel like I bounced back so much better and faster this time (which is only natural for a subsequent birth)! While I can't prove why that is, I'd attribute it to how much more active I stayed throughout the 9 months, and so I wanted to share a few of the exercises that helped keep me feeling my very best during gestation: Squats, Planks, and Cat/Cow were three favorites that I really feel did a great deal to help me out. Squats and lunges were great because they helped keep my level of balance while strengthening my lower body. Planks I could not have lived without - they helped strengthen my back, and kept my core strong and pain-free (though I had plenty of back pain post-partum, and can't imagine how I would have functioned if I had that kind of local discomfort throughout pregnancy!). Cat/Cow helped relax me in general, and took a load of weight off of me when I was feeling heavy or off-centered. It helped loosen up my spine, neck, and shoulders much like a massage would.

You can view this photo gallery of 10 safe exercises you can do during pregnancy. Most of them a stationary stretches and strengthening moves, and while these are fantastic - don't be afraid to get moving and bring your heartbeat up as well! It makes such a difference!!!

Fruit Squeeze

I've been feeling super thirsty these last few weeks. Almost as thirsty as when I'm nursing! I find myself constantly craving shots of ice cold juicy fruit, carbonated splashers, and plain ol' ice water... all. day. long. While I've been drinking about a gallon of water daily during this pregnancy, it suddenly seems to not be quite enough! I want juice and sweet, tart, shots of sugary goodness.

My husband did a little impromptu grocery run last week to the health food store, and brought home the most delicious and refreshing frozen treats! Jolly Lama Squeeze Ups are made of all fresh, whole ingredients that create the most silkily satisfying shot of sorbet. He was struck by the kosher symbol, natural ingredients, but mostly, the mod graphics. :) Anyways, we've sure been enjoying them - Freida's hooked. And it's a far better freezer treat for a kid than any of the other "natural" pops out there. Plus, I've been polishing off pregnant-sized boxes of them!

You can check them out at your local Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other stores that carry a variety of healthier fare. They're really worth a try - especially if you're a sorbet lover! Plus, how quirkily great is that name?? :)

Zucchini Latkes

Okay, I know I've mentioned these before - but they're insanely delicious enough to share properly!! Head directly over to Smitten Kitchen for the detailed recipe and enjoy these latkes of the garden variety!!

Also, don't forget about these intensely satisfying Root Latkes, and these party-perfect Vodka Latkes!!

Happy Holiday Fressing!! :)