Made with Love and other natural ingedients!

Who's skin is more important than your own? Well, if you're a mom, that skin would belong to your child. So many things can affect our skin: sun, humidity, chemicals in swimming pools or other products. We all know how irritating dry and itchy skin can be. 

Well, I've recently been introduced to a locally made product line called Love Munchkin. I love a fellow "mompreneur"! Developed by a CT mother, Linda Delepine. She studied nutrition in college and learned about the effects of artificial foods, preservatives, pesticides, GMO's and all other things unnatural. Her senior thesis was based on the correlation of unnatural additives in our everyday products and foods and their correlation with autism in our society. This project opened the door to researching the consequences of everything else that we put into and onto our bodies, consequentially leading to my passion for all things natural and simplistic. She decided to use her knowledge to make products that are simple, clean and natural. Love Munchkin products are a more holistic, uncomplicated approach to skin care. So far, she has created a line of nourishing oils made from the highest quality natural plant based ingredients. She plans on expanding to other natural products in the near future (expecting baby #2 any day).

I explained my daughter's dry skin to Linda and she specially blended a bottle just for her. I suspect she suffers from eczema although we haven't sought an official diagnosis. Whatever the cause, it flares up in the winter and she suffers from dry patches on her hands, elbows and knees and a random patch of bumpy skin on her side. I've tried the (modified for sensitivity) Sensitive Skin blend on her for a bout a week and I already see a significant improvement. Not to mention the lovely aromatherapy affects. My daughter loves the scent and likes to help me apply it. You get great coverage with only a few drops. It's not greasy, and absorbs quickly. We typically apply the oil before bed so it can absorb while she's sleeping. This would be great for infant massages as well! Here is more info on this product:

Newborn &Sensitive Skin Oil  (4oz) is made with all natural, non-toxic, safe and researched oils and essential oils specifically with Baby and sensitive skin in mind. Each ingredient serves a purpose, to comfort mind, & nourish skin. Sweet Almond Oil, Olive Oil and Jojoba moisturize and soften; jojoba also unclogs the pores and lifts impurities and grime since babies shouldn't be bathed too often. Dill and Mandarin uplift moods and act as digestive aids, while Chamomile & Lavender promote relaxation. Also helps clear up newborn acne due to natural astringent & anti-oxidant qualities found in the ingredient oils. Made for baby’s delicate skin, from simple, natural oils that will only nourish and hydrate baby's skin while relaxing and calming baby's mind.

Belly Oil is a hydrating, moisturizing aroma therapeutic belly oil rub made especially for pregnant mothers but may also be used post-natal. Smells amazing and makes mommy feel good! Effective in treating and preventing stretch marks caused by stretching of the skin during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a crucial time to be aware of what we put into, as well as, onto our bodies. Chemicals and preservatives are found in every day products and can leech into our systems, passively poisoning us and our fetus. That's why Belly Oil is as natural and simple as possible, it's simply trustworthy. It's great as a massage oil for achy shoulders and feet. Made with the best natural plant based carrier oils and essential oils that each have a purpose and function to nourish skin and mind. Pregnancy-safe, vegan, and paraben-free. Absorbs quickly into skin, best used after bathing. Can also be added to baths for extra moisturizing and aromatherapy (just be wary that may make tub slippery). Belly Oil has also been shown to reduce acne scars, scars from any other source and hyperpigmentation and therefore can be used by mostly everybody!

Shake well and apply liberally. As with any other skin product, always test a patch of skin, wait 24 hours to notice if any reactive change in skin occurs. Shelf life of all products 2 years. Store out of direct sunlight, in cool, dry place preferably.  

I have decided to sell these products in my store, Gumdrop Swap. So, if you live in the Fairfield County, CT area you can pick it up from me instead of paying the shipping charges. I have some tester bottles so you can try before you buy. No matter where you live, I recommend Love Munchkin products! Order from their website. I will have some for sale at this Friday's Mother's Day Boutique from 12pm-5pm at City Hall Annex.

Summer Fun Project: Making Healthy Yogurt Fruit Popsicles

As I gear up for a heat wave with estimates of 100 degrees with the heat index I figure what better way to beat the heat than a popsicle? I saw some fancy schmancy popsicle molds in a magazine about a month ago and planned to order online. Of course I was going to look for a bargain because $30 seemed pricey for popsicle molds. So, I was perusing the newly opened Whole Foods market in Fairfield, CT to see what all the hype was about. Talk about pricey! The things I sprang for were gourmet and worth every penny because you can't get them elsewhere, like the poppy seed chicken salad in the deli. I justified my purchases in my mind by telling myself "it's cheaper than a meal eating out at a restaurant". But I'm a frugalista so will continue buy my produce and canned goods at a discount store like Price Rite. But I digress, on my way to the checkout line I see an endcap display with nothing other than POPSICLE molds! $11.99? Ok, I'm in Whole Foods so I'm sure I could hunt down a  better price if I looked. But if I consider the precious time spent bargain hunting online or gas used to drive elsewhere, I'd probably break even. So, Tovolo popsicle molds it was. They came in a few shapes. I chose the star shaped mold. I knew my 3 yr old would be stoked!

We used fresh strawberries, a banana (both easy for toddlers to cut with a butter knife which also exercises fine motor skills).  

And We used lowfat Dannon yogurt with blueberries. She loved dumping everything in and licking the utensils.

 

 She loves being my kitchen helper. And I recently began letting her press the buttons on the blender. Who doesn't like that?

The hard part is waiting the suggested 4 hours for the pops to harden before enjoying. Run them under hot water for a few seconds if you have trouble with them releasing from the molds.

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RECIPE: Everybody in the Pool! Easy 15 min recipe.

This is another "clean out the fridge before the veggies go bad" dish. And by using a steam-in-the-bag shortcut I was able to complete in less than 15 min!

The point is to use fresh veggies like broccoli, roasted red peppers and squash to make a colorful and healthy dish. I try to think of my dishes as vegetarian with meat (lol) meaning chocked full of fresh veggies but an addition of meat for flavor and because I married a carnivore and I was raised on meat and starch so its hard for me to feel full if there isn't meat. Does that make me weird? If not, there are a laundry list of other things that do so I've got that covered.

What you need:

• A large pot with cover
• (Optional) Turkey Kielbasa sliced small or chopped
• Med white onion chopped
• 1 fresh bunch of broccoli cut into florets and pieces of stalk
• 1 jar of roasted red pepper cut into smaller pieces (I used Table Joy brand)
• 2 yellow squash or zucchini sliced or chopped
• 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth (replace with oil from red pepper jar for vegan version)
• Cooked rice or my shortcut Steam-in-Bag white rice with peas, corn, and carrots

Directions:
1. Cook rice and put side
2. (Skip to #3 if doing vegan version) Slice kielbasa then cut slices in half and begin browning in med-high pot
3. Add chopped onion and chicken broth (or oil from jar of roasted red pepper) and cover
4. Add chopped squash and roasted red pepper, stir well
5 Add broccoli, stir well
6. Incorporate your cooked rice, stir well, recover for about 5 min then Serve!

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Easy Toddler Snacks & Meals

***REPOST with additional info*** I'm a self-proclaimed "foodie". I like to try new things and switch it up so my taste buds don't get bored. I remembered hating vegetables as a child and grew up on mostly meat and starches. I vowed to introduce my child to a variety of foods when she had a blank palette as a youngster. Pre-packaged toddler meals are high in sodium so I wanted easy, healthy snacks for my daughter that she could practice self-feeding and try new foods.

• Mini-pizzas: toast an English muffin (cut in half), spread marinara sauce, top with shredded (low-fat) mozzarella and microwave 30 sec or as long as it takes to melt the cheese (its better if you have the time to put in a toaster oven or brown under the broiler but with a hungry toddler the microwave will do). I defrost frozen chopped spinach and sprinkle on before the cheese to sneak in a veggie. 
• Green peas will keep a toddler busy for a long time! You can microwave a handful of frozen peas with a tablespoon of water for 30sec-1min.
• Cut a wheat pita in half and put a half slice of cheese in each half. These fit nicely in your toaster and lightly toast to melt the cheese. Let cool of course and then cut into smaller triangles for tiny hands. 
• mandarin oranges are affordable in a can or jar and don't have the tough skin like navel oranges. They are bite size and a perfect toddler meal. 
• I also buy the fruit snack cups (in water or light syrup) and rinse the syrup or drain the water. They are nice, small chunks already. I re-use the plastic cups they come in for other snacks and craft projects to hold supplies
• frozen mini-ravioli or cheese tortellinis are good and only take a few minutes to boil
• my daughter loves tomatoes so I chop them up small and stir in a little Italian dressing
• shredded carrots are tender and crunchy, I serve with chicken nuggets as a side item 
• TIP: buy wheat germ in a jar and stir into yogurt or applesauce. Great source of fiber and doesn't have a taste! 

FOR OLDER CHILDREN:

• (once you've determined there are no peanut allergies) apple wedges with peanut butter
• Easy pizza using Naan bread or whole pita as crust. Add marinara, your fave toppings and cheese, bake in the oven at 400 until cheese bubbles

What's your child's favorite food?

How Can Something so Small Be so Powerful?

A single seed contains all the nutrients that enable life. When you look inside a seed, it’s packed with elements that provide incredible skin health benefits. Grape seeds are rich in Vitamin E which is a powerful skin rejuvenator.

The husband and wife team that launched a 100% Natural brand called SEED™ with multiple benefits derived from nature. By focusing on the Power of a Tiny Seed (and the exponential power of other beneficial natural ingredients) Rebecca and  Benjamin were very interested in detoxifiying their lives and being eco-conscious before stating a family. They began working with a microbiologist and confirmed real scientific benefits: grape seeds, like several other seeds, are intrinsically concentrated with incredible antioxidants and essential fatty acids promoting healthy skin. They’ve harnessed the nutrient-rich grape seed, which is a by-product of the wine-making process, and given it a new life. Their products are made as responsibly as possible (and are committed to constant improvement.) For example, in making solid shampoo bars, they use less water and last longer than liquid shampoos. They use recyclable and biodegradable packaging whenever possible. And, to reduce their carbon footprint, all of their products are made in the United States. That makes me happy knowing jobs are not going overseas which helps our economy.

Even though I don't know this couple, I am inspired by their shared desire to launch a company with respect for our planet and health. I am being more and more conscious about the ingredients in my health products. Why would a company put formaldehyde and other toxins in products that are absorbed into our skin? You would expect a company that is selling health and beauty products to only use the safest ingredients, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. SEED™ is taking it back to the basics with their line of natural products derived from the most basic source of life -- a seed. The discovery that people were throwing away children's clothing and items and the thought of those things in our nation's landfills sparked the idea for my kids clothing swap business. Entrepreneurs are people that see an opportunity for a business when a need in the market is not being met. It's about finding a better way of doing things.

* This post is my entry in the THE SEEDS OF INSPIRATION BLOGHER 2010 SPONSORSHIP CONTEST which I read about on "Hip as I Wanna Be"s blog.

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