Tag Archives: clay

What Does Your Preschooler Want To Be?

Our preschool offers a book purchasing program, and yesterday we got our order. In the order was a book for my daughter, called Doctor Ted. Ted loves to pretend to be different professions, and in this book he is a doctor, prescribing full body casts to treat gingivitis and operations to treat the freckles. At times, my daughter also wants to be a doctor. Needless to say, we read the book at least 5 times yesterday. A month or so ago, after walking past a particularly intriguing garbage truck, my daughter outlined her potential career path for me. First, she … Continue reading →

Does “Fresh” Really Make a Difference?

Do you know where your food is coming from? Are you concerned? How far are you willing to go to get “fresh” food? These are some questions that my family and I are trying to answer. When I was a child, I remember my father telling me a story about a cow that he became “friends” with on their Indiana farm. He called his “pet” cow, Moses. One evening at dinner when my father was about 6 years old, he asked where Moses was, and my grandpa told him, “you’re looking at him.” Needless to say, things have changed quite … Continue reading →

Should Foods Come with Choking Warnings?

Warning labels for choking hazards are required on certain toys — especially those with small parts and balls. Here in the United States, it’s a federal law! But there isn’t a similar law on the books for foods that may be choking hazards. The American Academy of Pediatrics — the largest group of pediatricians in the United States — would like to see a similar federal law for foods that may be choking hazards… or see more foodmakers willingly add choking hazard warnings to their labels. Another alternative would be redesigning foods to make them less of a choking hazard … Continue reading →

Tips for Curbing Your Sweet Tooth

Posted on by

You may crave sweets during pregnancy, but eating too much sugar will increase your chances of having a big baby and subsequent complications during labor. Everything you eat, your baby eats, too, so eating a balanced and healthy diet is important. That being said, no one expects you to cut out sweets altogether. Here are some tips for curbing that sweet tooth. 1. Go for a quick walk. Taking a fifteen minute walk has been proven to reduce cravings, according to a study published in the journal Appetite. So if you’ve already met your dessert quota for a day, hit … Continue reading →

Toddler Fun Foods

It can be difficult to get toddlers to eat. Most are finicky eaters and do not like to try new foods. Several toddlers only want their favorite foods and complain about trying different foods. Making “fun foods” can help convince your toddlers to try new and healthy foods and snacks. Let’s look at some “fun food” ideas: Fun Shaped Sandwiches Take any peanut butter and jelly sandwich and cut it with a cookie cutter for an instant favorite. Use cookie cutters for ham and cheese sandwiches, tuna salad sandwiches or any kind of sandwich that your child eats. If it … Continue reading →

Food Introductions

My son has recently started eating food. Well, This isn’t exactly true. For some reason this Dad kind of thought that one day they just started putting cereal into their mouths through some sort of magical “growing up” process that occurred on one specific day. One day my son is just nursing; the next day he is eating steaks. I’m joking (a little) but I really thought my son would be eating all sorts of baby foods and other items one we put the first taste of avocado into his mouth. I was quite wrong. The introduction of solid foods … Continue reading →

Ways to Suppress Hunger

Half the time, I know I eat because I am bored or stressed. Sometimes I find myself eating when I know good and well that I am not hungry. I ran across an email the other day titled Natural Appetite Suppressors, so I decided to do some research to see what I could find to help me. One that I know of (because my husband is always reminding me of it) is water. If you feel like eating something, drink some water. I try to remember this one because not only will the water make me feel full and suppress … Continue reading →

Two Front Teeth

All of the fussing, it turns out, wasn’t for nothing. My son just recently cut two front teeth and his parents are very excited about it. We’re quite thrilled that our little boy could cut through something tough with his nature-given mouth-knives. (As I’m writing this he’s flashing his shiny new teeth at me now and smiling big.) Despite all of the pain, the crying, and the fevers (which, I’m told, teething can actually cause) our son’s teeth have made it out of the gums and into the world. They are now a part of what becomes a daily exercise … Continue reading →

Should I Give My Baby Solids?

Our daughter is approaching the age when solid foods can be introduced. She’s 5 1/2 months old and is exclusively breastfed. I’m going back and forth on when we’re going to start giving her solids. She’s gaining weight fine on breast milk alone (hello, I think weighing 17 pounds at 4 1/2 months probably means she’s getting enough!), and I hesitate to mess with something that is going so well. I know there are people who believe that breast milk alone isn’t enough for a baby once they reach six months of age, but I’ve witnessed cases where babies consumed … Continue reading →

Food for an Open House

An open house is a great way to celebrate the holidays with family and friends without a lot of the hassle of trying to fit things into a schedule. Basically, you have a set number of hours in which your home is open to guests. Friends and family can drop by any time during these hours and stay as long as they like. With an open house, your home will never get over crowded, and you will have more quality time to spend with each guest as they arrive. When hosting an open house, you’ll want to have plenty of … Continue reading →