Category: Health

My daughter’s preschool has a big bowl of apples on the table. It always makes me smile. Something about the wholesome picture of a teacher and lovely apples.

Sometimes, when a child has a lot of, ahem, energy in her hands (and I’m not talking about my girl, noooooo) the teacher will jump up and say, “Have I got just the job for you!” Her excitement is infectious and both of them run to the bowl of apples.

Then a polishing cloth is selected and reverently the teacher takes down the bowl and sets the child up polishing. I’ve seen this. With my very own eyes. It works wonders for dispelling hitting, kicking and otherwise unwanted energy. Wonders! It’s like an advanced ninja move for child handling.

So, if you, like me, have a teacher in your life that you want to thank, give this a try. It’s a recipe from Tree Top of applesauce land. And let me just add that all teachers, especially preschool and kindergarten teachers, deserve any and all gratitude we can give them!

Tree Top Apple-Dapple Cake:

Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup Tree Top Apple Sauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 cups finely chopped apples

Glaze:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Stir in apples.
3. Spread the batter in a greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes.
4. For the glaze, combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk in a small saucepan. Cook and stir until bubbly and all of the sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Drizzle warm over cake when it has cooled for 5 minutes, so it can seep into the cake and keep it moist and completely irresistible.

photo credit: lisaclarke

Postpartum depression is a heavy topic and one that has a stigma of shame attached to it – although, when you discuss it among a group of mothers, I think you’d find more often than not, genuine empathy and support rather than judgment.

In recent years, more and more celebrities are coming out and discussing their battles with this sometimes debilitating disease. Courtney Cox, Amanda Peet and Brooke Shields – all of which have experienced varying levels of PPD following the birth of their children have all opened up about postpartum depression and it’s paralyzing affects.

Gwyneth Paltrow sat down recently with Amanda de Cadanet for a new Lifetime series The Conversations with Amanda de Cadanet to discuss her battle with postpartum depression – a fact not unknown to the general public since releasing the news as a part of her GOOP newsletter back in 2010.

During the conversation, Gwyneth shared that she felt very disconnected from everyone following the birth of her son Moses in in 2006. ”I just didn’t know what was wrong with me. I couldn’t figure it out. It never occurred to me,” remarked Paltrow, when discussing her realization that she might be dealing with postpartum depression. It was her husband, Chris Martin, who brought it to her attention that it might, in fact, be PPD.

When when she looked up the symptoms of the condition (see below), she realized that it was in fact the condition she was dealing with. “I couldn’t connect with my son the way that I had with my daughter and I couldn’t understand why. I couldn’t connect to anyone. I felt like a zombie. I felt very detached.”

What I found most encouraging about this interview was what she had to say regarding the stigma and the judgement attached to things like postpartum depression and motherhood in general:

“We think that it makes us bad mothers or we didn’t do it right, but it’s like, we’re all in this together,” Paltrow said. “I never understand why mothers judge other mothers, like, ‘What do you mean you didn’t breastfeed? What do you mean you didn’t do this?’ It’s like, ‘Can’t we all just be on each other’s side?’ It’s so hard anyway. Can’t we all help each other get through it?”

I am so encouraged that celebrities are using their voices to open the discussion on important topics such as these. This, my friends, is what we should focus on when we hear and see friends going through the months following the birth’s of their children because it is not an easy time. We know when they are struggling – we see the signs – and when we do, we should offer them an olive branch, not a bunch of judgement.

Do not make it harder on them by making them feel bad about not choosing to breastfeed or for struggling to make it through the day with their newborn. Offer to babysit while they take a shower and have some time to themselves.

Offer them a listening ear and let them know that the parenting path they take is ok because it’s the right one for them. Make them feel normal for feeling overwhelmed at times. Perfection in parenting is not reality and we need to allow mothers the comfort of knowing, living and finding peace with that. Sometimes, it’s ok to be good enough.

Additionally, if you or a friend is experiencing what you think is PPD, work together to get help. Below are the signs and symptoms of this sometimes debilitating condition – it should not be ignored. PPD often requires therapy and medical intervention to remedy, along with emotional support from family and friends.

The signs and symptoms of postpartum depression according to the Mayo Clinic website:

Postpartum depression symptoms
Postpartum depression may appear to be the baby blues at first — but the signs and symptoms are more intense and longer lasting, eventually interfering with your ability to care for your baby and handle other daily tasks. Postpartum depression symptoms may include:

• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia
• Intense irritability and anger
• Overwhelming fatigue
• Loss of interest in sex
• Lack of joy in life
• Feelings of shame, guilt or inadequacy
• Severe mood swing
• Difficulty bonding with the baby
• Withdrawal from family and friends
• Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby

Untreated, postpartum depression may last for a year or more.

If you or someone you love is showing active signs of PPD, please be proactive in pursuing help so all involved can work towards getting back to a sense of happiness and normalcy sooner rather than later. This isn’t a journey that should be taken alone.

Photo: PR Photos

Quote Source: OTRC

Parenting.org is a fantastic resource for all parents. It is a website sponsored through Boys Town, an organization that supports families most in need – whether that be due to financial, emotional or physical hardship. Their mission is:

Every day, through programs nationwide, Boys Town reaches out to help those who are most in need. We lift them up, heal their wounds and put them on the path to a brighter future.

Boys Town has been saving children and healing families for more than 90 years for two reasons: Read more…

I’ve been thinking about health lately, probably because I’m a bit traumatized by that whole feeding tube diet dust up. So, in an effort to support sane women among us, (and stay on a healthy kick – healthy habits, healthy mind, healthy body), I’m sharing some wisdom from my lovely, and also sane, friend Lizelle. She’s a fellow blogger and during one coffee kvetch session, we got to talking about her commitment to cooking.

I’ll share with you some of her wonderful insights on life in her kitchen. Mostly, though, I’m inspired by how she handles fresh ingredients and all this cooking! Read more…

When it comes to cooking, I use one of three things: olive oil, safflower oil, or coconut oil.

I know they’re healthy options, I know they’re tasty in my food (especially the coconut oil in homemade waffles), and I also know that there’s a lot of options.

Particularly when it comes to olive oil. There’s straight olive oil, virgin, extra-virgin, cold-pressed … the list goes on and on.

The most common varieties are obviously virgin and extra-virgin. But what’s the difference?
Read more…

I know I’ve talked about training for a half-marathon that’s coming up this fall, but I’m not sure I’ve ever talked about why I started running in the first place.

So let me give you a little back story, because it’s important to the general idea of the post.

I started running last fall after an incident at our house. L, our youngest, was toddling around the house and accidentally stepped on the injured paw of our husky. As he lurched up in pain, she stumbled over … and what resulted was a terrible mess that left her with six stitches in her cheek.
Read more…

So screen-free week is upon us … and that means it’s time to turn off and tune out for an entire week!

Is your family participating?

First, it might be good to know why screen-free is important … so read up on these statistics … it will help you understand the motivation behind the movement.
Read more…

With Earth Day having just passed us by and Spring in the air I’ve been on the lookout for great resources that provide information on the topic of sustainability, lessening my overall environmental “footprint” and ways to remove some of the toxic chemicals that come into our home through cleaning supplies.

Well, Eartheasy is a wonderful site, run by a family that provides all of that information and much, much more. Read more…

As many of you know, we are big budgeters. We used the Dave Ramsey plan to get out of debt, we like to eat relatively “clean,” and I’ve recently discovered that we need to trim our grocery budget. When we sat down recently, we realized that we’re spending nearly $200/week on food!

I nearly had a conniption! Especially because we really only “budget” for about $140–$150 … and that includes pet food and household products.
Read more…

I’m a big coffee drinker … and in the summer, that means iced coffee.

My husband is an iced mocha kind of guy.

And my daughters both love anything fruity and slushy.

Sound familiar? What if you could make iced summer drinks at home, for far less money? Hmmm???
Read more…

Aside from the fact that the name of these chips is awesome (!), they taste good, can be used as crackers, too, and are indeed healthy. Food Should Taste Good. I mean, what else do you need to know?

For one, they have sweet potato, salt and vinegar, olive, white cheddar, blue corn, lime, cantina…the list goes on. Read more…

“The baby across from me is clapping to the soundtrack in my earphones,” my friend writes. She’s in a cafe working, or should I say absorbing the present around her. And twittering.

It reminds me of an article I read recently about sabbaticals and the power of removing yourself from your daily routine in order to appreciate your daily routine. Funny how you have to disengage to re-engage.

But who has 4-12 months to take off on a sabbatical?!? Not your average joe… Read more…

I just had a facial at La Petit Rose Spa, thanks to my good friend Michelle, and I feel all glowy and amazing. Only, I’m a little frightened, too.

You know that part in a facial where the bright light comes out and your pores get uber-inspected? Well, as Michelle was doing this, she asked me about my skin care routine. I told her what I use – L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream, which I love by the way – and she told me about Safecosmetics.org. Read more…