Baby-Led …what?

Have you heard of baby-led weaning? Not to be confused with weaning babies from the breast, baby-led weaning is a feeding method that introduces food to babies without pureeing or mushing the food first. My experience with this feeding method has been bitter-sweet.

I love giving my son a hunk of cucumber or beef and watching as he grabs, licks and gums the food. He is learning hand-to-mouth coordination as well as self-feeding. He decides when to put the food in his mouth. He is discovering so much, including texture and taste.

The bitter part of the story is the chocking hazard. While he can’t exactly bite off a chunk, he can (and has) broken off a piece large enough to gag. While there is a big distinction between gagging and choking, I still feel my maternal alarm bells go off and panic rising at my son coughing and gagging on a piece of food. It’s happened with beef. While he happily squished a hunk of roast in his tiny fists, jamming it into his mouth (and nose) I could tell he was absorbed in the experience. At the first sign of gagging we took away the beef and my husband fished out two pieces of dime-sized beef from his mouth. Could they have gotten stuck and blogged his air passage? Don’t know, but it’s a risk I’m not willing to take.

The next scare we had was with cucumber. Again, he was happily munching away (I suspect the cool cucumber is soothing for his teething gums) he started to gag so bad he actually threw-up. Not baby spit-up, but full-on barf. The baby-led weaning experts will say this is precisely what should happen. A baby’s gag reflex will work to prevent chocking. And I’m glad my son’s gag reflex is working. But the question remains. What if it doesn’t?

I continue to be weary of this feeding method. The jury is still out… Meanwhile, here’s the little tike with his beloved cucumber.

Restoring my faith in humanity

In the wake of the horror that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut, I’d like to remind myself of the good in the world. As my heart aches for the unimaginable loss suffered by the families in Newtown, I would like to share some moments that restore my faith in humanity. While it may only be a temporary fix, at least it transforms my sadness to joy. Happy New Year everybody

Photos courtesy of Buzzfeed.com unless otherwise stated.

The parents who made their son’s wheelchair into the best Halloween costume ever

The doctor who offered free medical care after Hurricane Sandy

Via: shortformblog.com

The police officer who bought shoes for a barefoot homeless man

The famous rugby player who visited his biggest fan in the hospital

Via: i.imgur.com

The man who soothes his arthritic dog that saved his life

Source: johnschoep.zenfolio.com / via: buzzfeed.com

These candidates for Parents of the Year award

Via: dailymail.co.uk

And for every single moment anything like this happened.

Via: buzzfeed.com

Beating the November blah’s

While I sit in my home office and watch the last of the leaves cling to the bare branches, cold air blowing and not a reprieve in sight of the endless grey clouds, I contemplate the November blah’s. Here is a piece of advice that is surely written more for myself than anyone. GET OUTSIDE!

There I said it. Now, I have to do it. When the weather turns, the first thing I want to do is crank up the heat and stay cuddled in blankets drinking camomile tea. No I’m not sick, just reacting to this grey, cold weather.

Get out and run, my mind says. An avid outdoors-woman, I know the fresh air will cure whatever ails me. It always has, it always will. Why is it that the one thing I should do is also the last thing I want to do? Catch-22 indeed.

Here is a very real picture of the doom that awaits outside my front door. No filters, no PhotoShop people. This is November in all her gloom.

Bring new life to old crates!

In my ongoing quest to organize my apartment, I have found great storage use from old crates. While this is not a new concept (and reminise of many college dorms!) – my take on plastic crates is to PAINT THEM!

Spray paint works best. Which is unfortunate because I try to avoid the spray paints. Bad for the environment and expensive ($5 for only 16 oz of paint). However the coverage is great! You can see in the photo below how ordinary plastic crates can become extraordinary for your storage uses with just a simple spray of paint!

Happy crafting!

Old milk crates make great storage units. Now you can bring them back to life with a simple spray of paint!

My new hobby – Furniture Restoration!

I’ve recently fallen in the love with the idea of refurbishing furniture! I love it for many reasons. Primarily, I reuse furniture that would otherwise be thrown away. AND I get a fresh piece of furniture …for free (well, almost)!

I have a few pieces I’ve already refurbished and will update this blog with the finished product. Regrettably, I didn’t photograph before, during and after! But I will begin to do so!

For now, I leave you with my 4th refurbished piece, the bookcase!

I took a crappy old bookcase (very ugly) and tore off of the cardboard backing. I primed the shelves with a primer (Zinsser!) and painted them a toasty taupe. I then cut pallet board wood (mega job!!) to line the back of the shelves – in replacement of the cheap cardboard. And Ta-Da! I love it! It is sturdy and you can see the pallet wood behind the books – very rustic. Stay tuned!

The pallet wood shows through for a rustic country look!

Make it Count

I recently came across this awesome video that has lifted my heart and reminded me what is at the core of our lives – or mine at least. The video producer was asked to make a movie about what it means to “make it count”. His response is to travel around the world until the money runs out. 10 days later…

One of the cool things about this video are the quotes.

Life is either daring adventure or nothing at all. – Helen Keller

Buy the ticket, take the ride. – Hunter S. Thompson

You only live once but if you do it right once is enough. – Mae West

Above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

I never worry about the future, it comes soon enough. – Albert Einstein

One who makes no mistakes makes nothing at all. – Giacomo Casanova

Do one thing everyday that scares you. – Eleanor Roosevelt

In the end it’s not the years in your life that count it’s the life in your years.  – Abraham Lincoln

If I’d followed all the rules I’d never have gotten anywhere. – Marilyn Monroe

Action expresses priorities. – Gandhi

Now get out there and make it count!!

taco time

  

Homemade veggie tacos

Besides running, my other love is Mexican food.  I try to avoid meat so I have perfected a veggie taco recipe, and it is quite delicious!

Start with veggie round. I like Yves Original Veggie Ground Round. Saute onion with veggie round until onions are translucent. Add 1 cup of water and any taco seasoning mix. I like Old El Paso Taco seasoning mix. Let simmer until water has evaporated and you have the right consistency. You’ll find the veggie round a perfect substitute for meat and you won’t be able to taste or tell the difference!

Next I mash up some avocado with diced onion, squeeze of lime and some chopped coriander. For salsa, chop tomatoes, add diced onion, coriander and I always add some extra spicy hot Thai chili peppers! Add salt and pepper.

You can buy round tostidos or simply use hard shell tacos broken in half. Lie shells on baking sheet, add veggie mix, spicy salsa and top with cheese. Bake in 350-degree oven for 20-minutes. ENJOY with homemade guacamole! Ole!

running happy

Here are some tips to maximize your run:

1. Relax. You might think that is impossible when your legs are pumping and your breathing is heavy, but try practicing a little relaxation. Start with your shoulders. Drop your shoulders. Relax your arms and your hands. Roll your head, relax your upper muscles. Then move down, relax your hips and let your legs move effortlessly. You’ll find a big difference in your technique, not to mention your overall enjoyment of running once you master the art of relaxation.
2. Breath through your nose. Our impulse when we run is to draw in as much air as possible, so that means breathing through your mouth. Try taking deep breaths through your nose. This will not only help with your relaxation but will allow your body to run at a pace that is right for you, rather than forcing a faster pace by breathing heavily through the mouth. Think of yogic postures where you breath in through your right nostril and out through your left.
3. Enjoy your surroundings. What better time to notice those spring buds coming up or the blue sky. Even if it’s raining or dark, look up and see the moon and the stars. Feel the rain on your face (it’s quite refreshing!). Running is the perfect pace for enjoying the scenery. Make the most of your runs and see what nature has to say to you.
4. Run on the balls of your feet. Try making as little noise as you can while running, avoiding thumping down on your heel. Running shoes are terrible for promoting “light” running with their heavy heel padding. (I will be experimenting with barefoot running soon, stay tuned!) Run as if you are on eggshells, treading lightly while keeping your upper body tilted slightly forward. A lighter runner is a faster and more efficient runner.
5. Vary your pace. Running can get monotonous. Pick up your pace if you’re feeling a little frisky, or slow it down if you’re feeling rugged. One of the benefits of running is you can do whatever you want, so run however you feel. Vary your running with sprints, long, slow runs and hills. Not only will you improve your skills, you will find the technique and stride that is right for you.

Happy running!

say “cheese”!

Here is something I really cannot understand. Fellow runners who do not smile when we pass each other.  When I run, I feel fantastic! Okay, maybe not while I’m chugging up that hill, but generally I’m happy. And what makes me even happier is seeing other runners.

Running is a mind sport. It’s your mind that keeps you going all those kilometers. It’s what’s in your head (or what you tell yourself) that gets you up those hills, that gets you out the door and what makes you sign up for those races. Once your body is trained, it’s all in the mind.

So when I pass other runners it’s not a competition. There is no race (and even if it were, I would still smile). Endorphins are firing, the sun is shining and we’re lucky to be healthy. To be able to run! So I often wonder, what is up with people who don’t smile back? Could be they’re lost in thought, oblivious to their surroundings. Very possible and I often find myself lost in thought as well.

If you happen to be a runner, smile back when someone smiles. It feels good, its encouraging and above all, it says we’re in this together.

Lisa’s Twice-Baked Granola

Also known as Hairy Legs Granola, here’s my favorite recipe for homemade granola.

1.5 cups oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups various dried fruits*
1/2 cup flax seed (ground)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
dash salt

* I especially like dates and dried cranberries. Raisins are good too, as are dried apricots. Try dried apple, or if you like sweet, dried pineapple. You can use almost any dried fruit!

Various dried fruit

I always make small batches because I like to mix and match the dried fruit and nut combinations. Small batches give me the opportunity to make different flavors.

I use 1 cup of the regular oats and 1/2 cup of organic oats. Toast the oats in the over at 350-degrees for 5 minutes. Then I toast the sliced almonds and then the coconut. I toast everything separately because all ingredients toast at different speeds. It takes a few extra minutes but ensures the coconut doesn’t burn and your oats get nicely toasted!

Organic Oats

While toasting, I cut up the dried fruit. Dried fruit has sugars which make them sticky. To ensure the fruit doesn’t stick together I mix with ground flax seed. Then I dump all ingredients in a big bowl and start my “glue”.

The “glue” is the wet mixture that holds everything together. Start by melting the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add honey and a splash of almond and vanilla extract. I’ve never known any recipe to mix these two extracts but the smell is just heavenly that I cannot help but use them both! Then a dash of salt to even out the sweet flavors.

Melt together the honey and butter

Once the mixture is melted I slowly drizzle over the dry ingredients, ensuring everything gets covered. Then I press into a pan and bake for 5 minutes at 350-degees. Remove from oven, let cool and ta-tah! You have delicious granola! Try it with some plain yogurt!

Really delicious granola