Eco-friendly skin care without phthlates: K6 Skin Care

I'm super excited to tell you all about how I solved my conundrum when it comes to finding eco-friendly skin care without phthalates and toxins! I have been searching for a skin care line that does not contain phthalates, parabens, SLS, artificial colors, chemical fillers, etc., but also keeps my (aging) skin moisturized and blemish-free.

I'm sad to say that all the handmade products or kitchen recipes that I've tried in the past have been terrible for my skin. They have left my skin too dry, too oily, or caused me to break out. I've tried washing with oil, washing with honey, moisturizing with coconut oil, toning with hydrogen peroxide...all of it has been a terrible failure.

The products I've found that work best are, shall we say, usually less than ideal in their ingredients. I've been doing the best I could by at least buying from companies like The Body Shop and Whole Foods who have good fair trade and ethical practices and "probably" don't contain phthalates, but I've let a few other standards slip just to have nice skin.

Recently I met the wife of one of my husbands' coworkers who is a local naturopath. It is all I can do not to ask her 100 questions about that at the dinner parties we have attended! In fact, she has graciously offered to write a guest post for us soon to tell us all about naturopath practice and I can't wait! Aside from that fascinating fact (or perhaps because of it), she has also formulated her very own skin care line. I'll quote her here to explain why:

Early in my practice, I relied on "recipes" [for my clients skin care needs] I developed while working with herbs. I made recommendations to clients that had them in their kitchens throwing together various ingredients to make their own lotions and cleansers. Human error abounded, and the results were less than satisfactory

(sounds like my failed efforts!)

And here is my favorite part and, in my opinion, why K6 products work as well and BETTER than their non-green, non-natural conventional counterparts:

...As an ND, I am dedicated to practicing natural healing modalities, but I am not afraid to use technology safely where it will enhance the action of a natural element. I use this philosophy in every facet of my practice, and it permeates my skin care line as well.

This is a very good point. I don't think it's wrong to use technology to assist natural ingredients. The problem with a lot of the natural products I had been trying was the lack of preservatives, meaning that the containers became breeding grounds for bacteria. Sharon gave me a detailed ingredients sheet for each of the 3 products in the K6 line which explains, line by line, what each ingredient is and it's function in the product (including preservatives and why they were chosen). 

And did you catch that? Only 3 products in the line! Here they are:

Clean

For, um, cleaning. The best feature of this cleanser is that it also removes eye makeup! Yep, no more purchasing an additional product to clean your eyes. I find that it works best to rub a small amount on the closed eye, rinse, and then wash the entire face as usual.

Reveal

A powerful enzyme peel that leaves skin refreshed, not raw. It's extremely gentle but you'll also be amazed to see the amount of dead skin cells it removes (if you are fascinated by peeling things...this might be fun for you!). Never once made my skin raw or irritated. It is actually gentle enough to use on rosacea without exacerbating the condition.

Preserve

Anti-aging moisturizer that is extremely luxurious - you don't need much! Slows the breakdown of collagen, invigorates the production of more collagen, and inhibits the production of melanin.

Ever since I started using the K6 skin care line, I have actually felt guilty for not yet telling my readers about how much I love this skin care system. I wanted to be impartial because -- full disclosure -- they are also an advertiser on my blog. But I also do not advertise anything on this blog that I have not tried for myself or do not believe in. If I had tried this line and it hadn't worked, I wouldn't be writing this post.

A note on cost: you need very little of each of these products. For Clean, probably the size of a pencil eraser for eyes and the size of a dime for the whole face. For Reveal, you only use it once a day and maybe not even every day, I probably use about a quarter size squeeze for my entire face. For Preserve, less than dime size. So you can imagine how long each product will last. I'll probably buy Clean most frequently.

So, there you have it. It's what I am using right now, and I think I'll probably be using it for quite some time in the future. I hope that K6 helps you as much as it helps me. And remember, if you do choose to try the product line, you are supporting this blog!

Indoor play at Kidville: a giveaway!

Here in the Dallas area, we're starting to see warmer weather already, but do you know what that means? Rain! Where are you planning on taking your kids to get their energy out when it's too wet to play outside? I recently wrote a post with 7 Days of Indoor Play in Dallas and my #1 suggestion is Kidville, with their Play Village and Big Muscles Gym (which I've written about before). When you purchase a semester of classes at Kidville, you are a member with access to both play spaces. If you're not a member, you might be looking for an opportunity to try out the play spaces before you commit. Now is your chance!

Kidville is turning 2 years old this Thursday, February 7!

To celebrate, they are giving one of my lucky readers a package of 5 playspace passes!
That's 5 great days of play for your kids on rainy days, and a chance to check out Kidville for free.



Just enter using the Rafflecopter form below. You must live in the Dallas area and be over 18 years of age to enter the giveaway. Extra entries by also entering this giveaway on The T-Shirt Mama's blog!

But what if you don't win? Don't cry!

On their birthday, Thursday, February 7, Kidville will be holding an open house event from 9:00am-5:00pm. They will be raffling off several items for people that come in that day, so you can still be a winner!

Spring Break is just around the corner and Kidville is offering 2 different Spring Break Camps this year.

• Superhero – Fairy Princess Camp (ages 3,4,5) from 9:00am – 12:00am


• Sizzlin’ Science Camp (ages 4,5,6) from 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Summer camps are always popular at Kidville! Camps are available or children 18 months – 6 years in 2, 8, 12, or 16 week sessions.

This giveaway has ended, thanks for participating!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wine n cheese with "the girls", if you know what I mean

I had the opportunity this week to spend an evening at the fabulous Hotel ZaZa in uptown Dallas with a few fellow contributors to Dallas Moms Blog. The suite was decorated with old school Hollywood pinup photos, dark paint, leopard couches, and luxe touches. While we were there, we had wine and cheese and other snacks that I don't get to see much of in my house full of dairy-intolerant toddlers.

Other things that we just don't see a lot of in our house...

...Wacoal's line of bras and lingerie!

Yep, we were there for what was, in my case, a much need bra fitting!

I knew I was overdue for this fitting. Heather from CottonBabies wrote a great post about why we need to stop and take time to get refitted after having children, and just this past fall, Amber wrote about her fitting in NYC while attending BlogHer. After breastfeeding two babies in 3 years, I had very little idea what size I actually am anymore, and honestly I was a bit afraid to find out. This is why they gave us wine.

When I got back into the fitting room, the super hip New York bra fitting expert took one look at me and declared me a 30 band size. This was not a surprise, since I typically get 28 or 30 when I measure myself (at which point I give up). If you are familiar with ladies' undergarment shopping, you will recognize this as an extremely difficult band size to find. You cannot, for instance, just go to Target or even Victoria's Secret. Most brands don't go below 32.

Here's where I learned something, though: did you know that the cup size alters a bit for smaller band sizes? For example, a D cup for a 30 band size is smaller than a D cup for a 40 band size. Makes sense, proportionately. This news made me super excited, because I turned out to be a "larger" size than I thought I would be. All is not lost!

Fortunately, Wacoal bras come in band sizes from 28-46 and cup sizes from AA to HH. Their b.tempt'd line has some super cute styles, with a slightly smaller size range. Both lines are conveniently available at Macy's, Dillards, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus.

And now, I will leave you with some compelling facts from Wacoal's Bra Expert, Liz Smith:

Bra Facts

• 8 out of 10 women wear the wrong sized bra 
• A woman should be fitted once a year 
• If you gain 5 – 7 lbs, your bra size will change 
• It only takes 15 minutes to be fitted for a bra 
• Most women wear their bras 1 – 1 ½ inches too big in the band and 1 cup size too small
• The average woman has 27 bras in her lingerie draw and wears the same 2 bras repeatedly 
• A bra should be worn once and then washed to extend her life
• After washing and wearing a bra 100 times she needs to be replaced

Well, if that doesn't make you want to go out and get fitted, I don't know what does...
Good luck and good fitting to you!


NOTE: I was given a free fitting and bra from Wacoal at this event, but I was not obligated in any way to write about them or my experience. Opinions are my own. I just felt like you really hadn't had enough TMI posts from me lately. You're welcome.

Un-becoming vegetarians: why meal planning is a beating

Our family of four is an insane mix of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore. This is how it breaks down:

Me: I've been a lacto-ovo-pescatarian since 2003. I did it initially because I realized that when I ate meat, my stomach issues got much worse. When I stopped eating meat, I felt SO much better. I eat dairy, eggs, and fish but no meat from mammals.

My son, LS: Has consistently refused to eat meat or beans of any kind since he was about 9 months old. Yes, this includes hummus. And no, he has never actually tasted red meat or most beans, so it isn't a taste thing. He can somehow magically tell if there is red meat or beans in something and will not even put it in his mouth. Recently he has also stopped eating eggs, so we lost that source of protein. We also found out in the last few months that he is dairy and soy intolerant. Not allergic, but cow's dairy or soy products (including soy lecithin, which is in everything) make him sick to his stomach and cause him to have chronic diarrhea. He will, however, eat turkey hot dogs. Occasionally, since we took him off dairy and soy, I have been able to convince him to try chicken and some fish. Victory! Otherwise, he is basically vegan without the soy and beans. Thank God he's not allergic to nuts.

My daughter, LL: Eats nearly everything except soup. I can only get her to eat meat about every other day, though.

My husband: Eats everything except white things. For instance, will not eat anything that contains sour cream, yogurt, mayonaise, and completely forget Alfredo sauce. He will not eat leftovers of any kind, ever. The first time the meal is cooked is the only time he will be helping consume it. Anything that is not eaten might as well be thrown away. I have lived with the man for 7 years now and I can assure you that this is not going to change.

Let's review the things that my family will not or cannot eat:

• meat
• beans
• eggs
• dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)
• soy (tofu, seitan, most Asian foods because of the soy sauce, most baked goods because of the soybean oil)
• soup
• anything with a white sauce or filling or topping
• leftovers
• fast food (well, at least we have that positive)

Do you see why meal planning is a beating for me?

What can I actually feed these people?

Lately I have been considering something along the lines of meat and veggies, actually. Which means I'll be completely disregarding myself because meat makes me feel sick. This week, with the help of Greenling and Pinterest, I cooked two separate meat dishes.

Meal #1 from Greenling meal kit - pork with roasted veggies and salad, I added the rice

The kids ate a few bites. I consumed both pork and chicken that first day. I immediately regretted it both times. Within 30 minutes of eating, the old heavy-stomach feeling of indigestion and bloating started up with my stomach. I will leave the rest to your imagination, but needless to say, my stomach is still not OK with meat.

Another disadvantage of the meat and veggies approach is that meat is expensive. We are pretty firmly committed to buying only meat that was raised responsibly -- no factory farming -- grass-fed or vegetarian-fed only, and organic whenever possible. Even going through local CSA's or buying directly from the farmer, this can be expensive, especially since we can't buy in bulk. We just don't have the storage space and only 2 of the 4 of us will even eat meat. Remember that my husband is the only person who actually consistently eats meat, and that he will only eat that first meal. Anything not eaten in that first plate is wasted. That is a LOT of waste. I would say that any time we eat meat, only about 1/3 of it is consumed. The rest is served and re-served to the meat eaters but they reject it repeatedly and it gets thrown out.

I don't have a great conclusion to this post about the challenges we're facing when it comes to meal planning and eating. I guess it's more of a venting. It's good to see the restrictions written out. I'm trying to really look at this from all angles and try to determine the best solution for our family.

Has anyone else faced these same challenges? What did you do?


NOTE: I was not compensated in any way by Greenling for any of my discussion of their products/service. They were kind enough to retweet a picture I put on Instagram and Facebook of their meal kits, but otherwise they don't really know who I am. I'm just a fan!

Kidville Dallas: my fave indoor play spaces

As you probably know, I blog at Dallas Moms Blog and CottonBabies blog to empty my head of most kid-related posts, and I have my highly neglected family blog for random cute pictures of my kids.

But I do want to take a minute and tell all my local friends with kids (even nieces/nephews or grandchildren) about one of my very favorite kids' places: Kidville.

I learned about Kidville through my work with Dallas Moms Blog*. Kidville is an amazing place for kids where they can take classes (with a parent or caregiver or without), get a haircut, shop for toys and clothing, and even attend Kidville University (an alternative to traditional preschool).

I used my membership to sign Little Lady up for Run, Wiggle, Paint and Giggle, which is a once-a-week Mommy And Me class that offers songs and movement and art. She and I go to class at Kidville while Little Sir is in preschool on Tuesdays. It is a wonderful time for us to do an activity together, just she and I. This is something I feel like she really hadn't been able to experience as much as Little Sir did, since she is a second child and we always have him with us too.











Honestly, even if Little Lady didn't love the Kidville class so much, the membership would be more than worth it for access to the indoor play spaces at Kidville. My favorite is the Play Village, because it is open 9am-5:45pm every single day!



It's wonderful for days when it's too hot (all summer!) or too cold or rainy to play outside at a park.

The gym is also a huge hit, although the free play hours there are a little different each semester.

So there's my mom-related blog post and tip for the week/month: Kidville!
We love it!

*NOTE: As a contributor to Dallas Moms Blog, I did receive a free semester of classes which comes with access to all the play spaces. All opinions about Kidville are my own.

On group fitness and motivation

It's been almost 5 months now since I became a certified Lagree Fitness Instructor and things are a little slow-going at the studio. As much as I am addicted to Pilates on the Megaformer and I LOVE what the workout has done for me physically, my morale was beginning to sag as I came into an empty studio every day and did my own routines...alone. When it comes to a workout as intense as the Lagree Megaformer workout, it becomes difficult to stay motivated to complete the workout alone, with no one urging you on. Music, however pumped-up it might be, can only take you so far.

In the past, I was never much of a fan of group fitness classes. For years when I was single, I worked out alone on the elliptical machines at the gym, or rollerbladed by myself, eventually working up to cycling with my husband. The closest I got to group fitness was yoga. As you might be aware, yoga is a very internal practice. The instructor motivates, but not in a harsh way. Practicing at your own level is always encouraged and discomfort is seen as a sign that modifications are needed. You can "plateau" in yoga if you want to, and it's kind of OK unless you decide to take it further of your own initiative.

Pilates on the Megaformer is completely different than all that. Have I mentioned the word "intense" 50 times yet? It is. In order to make it through 50 minutes of this workout, you need serious encouragement. This comes not only from the instructor and the tempo of the music, but also from the energy in the class atmosphere. I've found that I really NEED to be able to look over at the person next to me and think, "If she can do it, I can do it!", or I will give up from the pain. Sometimes, know that someone else is doing this too is all that keeps me going even though my legs, stomach, and arms are shaking from fatigue. And that, my friends, is how the workout is designed. Reaching that level is what causes this form of exercise to keep burning calories for 24-38 hours after you leave the studio. It's what keeps producing results as you go back. I love it!!

But, it's difficult to maintain alone.

I was feeling a little down and burnt out this weekend, when I heard that Sebastien Lagree would be teaching 4 special classes at the new Pilates Barre studio location at Preston and Forest in Dallas. Only 10 minutes from my house! I did some serious schedule rearranging and made it there to the 5:30pm class last night. I was like a great big geek meeting Sebastien, creator of Lagree Fitness and the Megaformer machine.

Me and Sebastien Lagree!!
I'm sure he doesn't know who I am aside from a weird geeky instructor fan :-)

Of course, there is no one like Sebastien to completely kick it into gear. The energy in that PACKED class was amazing and encouraging. My muscles were shaking probably 15 minutes into the 50 minute class but it was awesome. I came away very encouraged about this workout and what I do.

And now I'd like to draw a parallel to a life lesson about how having people around you who know you to encourage you is important in life as well as in fitness. When I was younger I never had that, but now I do and it has made all the difference in all areas of my life. I guess you could say that I've converted to being a big fan of group fitness, when before I was a fan of solitary workouts.

What about you? Have you noticed a difference in your motivation when you are surrounded with others who can encourage you?

Homemade honey beauty treatments

Last night I was excited to be part of a gathering of bloggers at one of my favorite businesses, spa habitat, in West Village in Dallas to meet with representatives from the National Honey Board. It was a wonderful evening full of sweet treats and homemade beauty treatments!

After the initial mingling, we each sat down with our plate of honey-based snacks to a number of natural ingredients laid out in front of us.

Amy Bohn, owner of all four spa habitat locations, guided us through the creation of four separate facial treatments using ordinary kitchen ingredients and honey!

It was fun and intimidating to be at an event where you take all your makeup off, but many of the bloggers were fearless. Here, Jennifer from Real Posh Mom demonstrates a treatment on her hand...

Here's Bella from Bellaesque, who looked absolutely glowing by the end of the evening, trying the Honey Facial Wash (recipe below):

Valerie from Charmed Valerie rubbing on the Honey-Lemon Holistic Purifying Treatment (recipe below):

I can't remember what treatment Farah from The Dallas Diva was trying here, but it looks fun!

Things just got messier and messier as we went along, and even I put some gooey stuff on my face.

Ultimately, I learned so much about honey! Did you know that new research has recently been published proving that skin treated with honey retains and maintains more moisture than skin that had not been treated with honey? And honey can be used in conjunction with essential oils for amazing natural beauty results.

To show you some of the things that can be done with honey, here are 4 of the recipes we made last night so that you can make them at home for yourself! Please feel free to share!

Honey Facial Wash

1 teaspoon honey
1 drop of lavender essential oil
Warm water

Place honey on the tips of your fingers, and add 1 drop of essential oil to the honey. Rub the honey on your fingertips to warm the honey. Massage the honey onto your dry face (avoiding your eye area). Allow the honey to sit on your face for a few minutes, then rinse off with warm water and a facial cloth.

Honey-Lemon Holistic Purifying Treatment

1⁄2 fresh lemon, sliced in half
3 to 4 drops of honey
Cold water

Add drops of honey to the lemon. Rub the lemon on your face, emphasizing the T-Zone area (nose, chin, etc.). Leave the lemon and honey mixture on your face for 5 minutes, then wash off with cold water.

Honey-Lemon Exfoliating and Moisturizing Facial Scrub

1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fine salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons organic olive oil

Mix honey, salt, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Massage into the skin for 2 minutes and then rinse with warm water and towel dry.

Moisturizing Honey Banana Mask

1 tablespoon of banana
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon plain Greek yogurt

Place banana, honey and yogurt into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Apply with your fingers to your face. Let dry for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash with a warm washcloth.

Enjoy!
And a big "thank you" to the National Honey Board, who can be found at Honey.com, and Amy at spa habitat for hosting!

The Olympics and our fitness goals

Olympic preliminaries by R Schofield, on Flickr

Although I wasn't glued to the set during the Olympics (there was a little thing called BlogHer going on for 5 days...), we did tend to have the TV on in the evening to watch events that were replayed after our kids went to bed.

As a new Pilates instructor, I was particularly impressed at the physical fitness levels of the athletes. Of course, they're going to be in top shape because they're the top athletes in the world, right? But I could just not take my eyes off how amazing their abs, arms, legs were! Why was it so unusual and fascinating? I think it is probably at least partially because I live here in Dallas, one of the fattest cities in the U.S.

I think it's difficult sometimes to describe to my green friends and readers in other states and cities the kind of environment we live in here in North Texas, with the over-consumption of food, the constant junk beverages, the driving-everywhere and walking-never. It's not that there's a lack of awareness as much as the status quo is lower. We're not comparing ourselves to Olympic athletes, we're comparing ourselves to someone else who is fatter than us. That might be why it's been tricky to fill our classes at Ultimate Pilates. We must rely on the word spreading to the near-underground world of fitness enthusiasts in the area. The fitness community is here, it's just a little isolated unto itself.

Most of my friends are what you would call the regular mainstream, and I know you guys think I'm a little nuts sometimes with my eating habits, my green cleaning and homeopathic remedies, and now my recent fitness enthusiasm. And I'm OK with that, because I don't really do these things for anyone else's approval.

What I have enjoyed about the Olympics being on TV over the last few weeks is that it has helped me realize that I'm not as crazy as I feel sometimes. These athletes had to say "no" to a lot of things, they had to really focus on their own goals and discipline their bodies to reach the level of fitness that would get them to London in 2012.

There are a lot of times when my classes are empty and I do my own workouts in the empty studios. In those hours, I admit that sometimes I take the easy way out. Instead of pushing through 2 minutes of a move, I let myself go on to the next move after 1 minute and 48 seconds. I stop and take little breaks for water or "to look at my notes". But when I do workouts with a full class, like I did at SLT in New York, or when I take a class with other instructors, like I did last night, I push through the pain and I'm stronger than I think.  There is actually a point in muscle exhaustion where the burning turns to numb - did you know that? You just have to push through the pain until you get that warm numb feeling.

It's something I want to remember when I feel like giving up on conscientious living because "no one else is doing it". I think about the athletes and how they pushed through the pain over and over. How I get so much better results in my own workouts when I push through the pain. And how I honestly believe this applies to our everyday life.

Have you ever pushed through the pain and had it be worthwhile?

Weekend: Taste of Dallas Kids' fun

Just a quick late-in-the-day post to let you know about a fun and kid-friendly event in Dallas this weekend - it's Taste of Dallas! You might be familiar with Taste of Addison, and this is similar. It takes place in Fair Park near Gates 2 and 3, and consists of a huge collection of Dallas restaurants featuring their primary dishes, treats, and beverages for tasting (ranging from $3-$10) in a fair-type atmosphere. We attended today from 4:30-6 when grown-ups got in free with a kid!

The biggest difference between Taste of Dallas and other similar events that I've attended is that there is an entire Kids Taste Town set up in Centennial Building behind where the vendors are lined up. You heard that right: INSIDE a building. A building with AIR CONDITIONING!



Inside this building was my kids' favorite: an interactive petting zoo. Little Sir had so much fun that I wasn't able to get a shot of him standing still! Instead, here is Little Lady waiting at the door to get in.





She actually got shy once inside!



Another favorite area - The Sweet Factory, an area in Kids Taste Town that is full of sweets!



I found several unusual treats here, including deep fried donut holes!



...and a specialty fudge factory called Fudge N More from Hurst, TX that even makes jalepeno-flavored fudge!



I finally got to taste Trailercakes, a food truck that sells cupcakes. They were delicious, of course! I wish I could have had more, but Little Sir used the rest of our tickets on a bounce house that he then refused to go into.

I would like to give a shout-out to The Afghan Grill, who was so very kind to us when my daughter put her hand in their creamy spicy dip. They gave her some free rice, which she LOVED!


Thanks, Taste of Dallas, for a great evening! I highly recommend this activity if you're looking for something fun to do with your kids in Dallas this weekend!


NOTE: I was admitted to the event free and given some free Taste of Dallas bucks with a number of other local moms, but the opinions are all my own!

7 Quick Takes Friday #43

--- 1 ---

Yes this is 7 Quick Takes "Friday", but I am posting this one day early, in the evening on Thursday, because I am hoping to have a post about Taste of Dallas late in the day on Friday.

--- 2 ---

In case you were wondering about the ridiculous 7-day gap in posting earlier this week, that was because my husband was out of town for 4 days. Leaving me to do mornings and evenings alone. I wrote about it on Dallas Moms Blog, but that was the most writing I was able to do while he was gone.

--- 3---

I thought I would end up relying more on the TV than I did. I'm proud to say we didn't really go above the normal amount of TV for the kids until the very last day, and even then not much. I realize the fact that my kids watch TV at all kicks me out of the "natural parenting" club for some people, but labels suck anyway. My kids do watch TV, although they are terrible at it. We don't have cable anymore but they do watch PBS kids, shows on Netflix, and DVDs that we borrow from the library. I say they are terrible at it because they tend to start watching and then get distracted and wander off or start fighting with each other while the show is going on. Actually, my 2.5 year old is getting better at being zombie-like for longer periods of time. Which is unfortunate for his brain and all that, but it's making me optimistic about our upcoming airline flights - yay, iPad!

--- 4 ---

Speaking of things that would get me kicked out of the "green" community, I finally went through all our doctors' receipts and compiled what I believe is an accurate record of all my kids' vaccinations. Because yes, we vaccinate. I don't care if you do or you don't. This is the decision we made and I am completely OK with anyone who made a different one. The point of mentioning this is that my doctor charges $15 per child per form to fill out forms for our Mother's Day Out and preschool programs. Since I am not rich, I went through and filled out all of that stuff myself and I hope I got it right. Our doctor also charges $30 per child for their full medical records, which is what we would need if we change insurance companies any time soon (which I hope we do - we buy our own private health insurance and it's ridiculously expensive). I would also need those records if we finally move to holistic/naturopath pediatrician.

--- 5 ---

I understand it's laborious for the pediatrician to put together the paperwork and if everyone asked for all their paperwork all the time it would be prohibitively time-consuming. So I realize that is why they charge me for my own children's records. I guess what they are assuming is that I should be keeping track of this stuff myself. Which is yet another thing I had no idea I was supposed to be doing when it comes to my kids. What class did I miss that taught me about these things I was supposed to be doing all along and I am just now figuring out after 2.5 years of not doing it?

--- 6 ---

I am, as always, on the fence about whether to find a more holistic/naturopathic pediatrician. I really feel like our pedi, while pretty conventional, is great about not over-prescribing meds. And all the holistic/naturopaths I know of are quite a drive away. What do you do for an after-hours emergency with a naturopath? CareNow doesn't do holistic! And what about insurance? Our insurance, being private insurance, pays for pretty much nothing. I had to take Little Lady in once and they ran a test to rule out strep throat - our insurance wouldn't pay for it. Our insurance pretty much only pays what the law requires it to pay for: vaccinations. {retracted political comment}

--- 7 ---

I can hear my husband singing They Might Be Giants songs to my son in the other room. As it should be.



~~~

Well that's all for this week, be sure to visit Conversion Diary for links to more 7 Quick Takes Fridays.

Happy Independence Day 2012!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Independence Day being thankful for all the great privileges we have in this country, and remembering that we must all be conscious of how we use these gifts to honor others, the earth, and our own bodies!

Last night, we attended KaboomTown in Addison, which is my absolute favorite fireworks display EVER! If you have never been, put it on your calendar for next year!


I wanted to let you know about some of the great posts I've found (and written) elsewhere, both patriotic and not-so-much:

• Don't forget that today all Starbucks locations are offering free hot brewed coffee as part of the #INDIVISIBLE movement. I love this movement because it encourages free exchange of ideas. One of my biggest pet peeves is people expressing opinions without having truly investigated all sides for themselves. Starbucks is encouraging us to talk to each other about our country.


• Speaking of opinions, government, and the free exchange of ideas, over at Dallas Moms Blog, Jennifer Thomas has written on the ABC's of the Affordable Care Act. According to the Kaiser Foundation, a majority of Americans do not actually know what is in this bill. You can take their quiz on how well you know the ACA provisions here.


• It may be July 4, but it's still What I Love Wednesdays over at Live Simply Love, and today I am writing what I love about my husband.


• And finally, if you're just bored and nosy (it's OK to be nosy!) on your "day off" today, take a look at what's in my diaper bag over at Cottonbabies' blog!

And here, to end our day, are randome pictures of cuteness courtesy of my kids and our HOA's annual 4th of July parade and party at the park!

Seeing the sights in Dallas...and in life

My Little Lady has a favorite word these days. It sounds like "aaaaaah" to everyone else, but I know what she is saying: "eyes". She loves to point at her own eyes or at my eyes and say that word over and over. She has the most beautiful blue eyes, just like her Daddy and her brother.

One thing that I love about my two little ones is seeing things through their eyes. After living in Dallas for so long, I tend to take for granted the lovely or fun things around me. But when we go anywhere together, my kids are so impressed. The colors of the stop lights! A flower growing on the sidewalk! A doggie! That sign is a triangle!

Our favorite outings are outside, anywhere that they can run around. We enjoy meeting our playgroup friends at the Dallas Arboretum when the weather is nice. Another friend is a member of the Dallas Zoo and takes us there for visits. Our favorite parks in Dallas are Caruth Park and the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital Park.

When the weather isn't so great, we head to NorthPark Mall to see the ducks and turtles.

We love to visit the Dallas Museum of Art on First Tuesdays when it's free, too. It was on one of these Tuesdays that we met David Chicken for the first time, and now the "Recycle Bin" song is in constant demand at our house!

All of these outings have one thing in common: so many things to see. I am so thankful that so far, neither of my children display any of the nearsightedness that my husband I have so severely. Their little eyes are currently still perfect (as far as we know) and can take in so much, from so far away, and so easily.

They can't always describe what they're seeing, but I know they're taking it all in. Little Lady will point and make babbling noises. Little Sir is more vocal - he tells me how he sees numbers and letters everywhere, and often shapes. He has been learning throughout his short life just by seeing what is around him.

Of course, one of my favorite things to see is how they're growing and learning just by experiencing. I may not be a teacher-type person (far from it!), but I don't need to be. All I have to do is provide the opportunities, and they take it all in. I wish I was better at documenting everything. Even when I do grab my camera, it never captures the true spirit of the moment. The best way for me to experience these fun times with my kids is to just see and remember. I hope that I can always do both of those things well.

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Take the pledge
Our eyesight is so important to the way we experience life, and healthy eyesight is key. You can learn more about healthy eyesight and take the pledge, with me, to maintain healthy vision with regular vision screenings by visiting My Eye Promise. For each new promise submitted in 2012, Transitions Optical will donate a brand new book to mobile literacy initiative Bess the Book Bus, helping children nationwide become enthusiastic lifelong readers and reinforcing the important connection between healthy, quality vision and the ability to read and learn.

Get a free vision screening at Taste Addison
This weekend, Christian and I will be heading over to Taste Addison on a date night! While we're there, we'll stop by the Transitions lenses booth, in local partnership with Essilor and First Eye Care. They're presenting the Ultimate Sightseeing Experience with free vision screenings for the whole family, the opportunity to get your photo taken in front of a scenic backdrop and the chance to win prizes and giveaways! Learn more here.

Enter the photo contest online
Sight of the Day Photo Contest: Capturing everyday moments through photography gives you the opportunity to cherish memories for a lifetime. Enter the Official Sponsor of Sightseeing™ Sight of the Day Photo Contest for your chance to win the Ultimate Sightseeing Dream Vacation! Learn more here.

More info on Transitions lenses.
"Like" Transitions on Facebook or follow Transitions on Twitter to learn more!

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I received compensation to participate in SocialMoms and Transitions lenses blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.

haley b photography - thank you!

A big THANK YOU to Haley of haley b photography here in Dallas for her amazing shots of all of us Dallas Moms Blog ladies!

While she was at it, she also took some headshots of each of us to use on our social networks. Here are mine:

I would highly recommend Haley, she is patient and creative and we love her! You can find her at haley b photography online or on Facebook.

Free Yoga Event in Dallas/White Rock Lake

I'd love to do a 7 Quick Takes Friday today, but I've actually just run right out of time! Instead, I wanted to let all of you local folks know about a free yoga event that is taking place at Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake on Sunday (May 6) at 6pm. While you're there, you'll also receive some free swag thanks to Toms of Maine. I am planning to be there! Who is with me?

FREE YOGA CLASS AT WHITE ROCK LAKE COMPLIMENTS OF TOM’S OF MAINE NATURALLY DRY AND TSADA YOGA OF DALLAS

WHAT: Free outdoor yoga class at Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake compliments of new Naturally Dry from Tom’s of Maine and Tsada Yoga Studio of Dallas. Enjoy some healthy goodness for you and put some goodness back into the community. For every attendee at the class, Tom’s of Maine will make a donation to the Red Cross Dallas chapter as a way to help those hardest hit by the recent tornadoes.

                                                               

WHO: The Tom’s of Maine “Yoga at White Rock Lake” will be led by Tsada Studio instructors and is open to adults and children of all fitness levels.

                       WHEN: Sunday, May 6^, 2012                                   

                                6:00 – 7: 00 p.m.

                                Registration: 5:30-6:00 p.m.

First come, first serve up to 100 students. Please bring own mat.

Free refreshments from Sunflower Farmer’s Market will be available plus free samples of Tom’s of Maine Naturally Dry antiperspirant. Naturally Dry is the first antiperspirant stick made of ingredients derived from plants and mineral sources and without artificial fragrances, preservatives or silicones. It’s clinically proven formula can help fitness enthusiasts stay dry, naturally.

                        WHERE: Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake

                950 E. Lawther Dr., Dallas 75218

Class to be held on the circles located just down the hill from the Winfrey Point building on the lake side overlooking the shoreline.  

Parking is available at the top of the hill by the Winfrey Point building (enter White Rock Lake on Emerald Isle from Garland Road) or at the bottom of the hill (enter white Rock Lake on E Lawther from Garland Road).

Additional details, including time and location, are available at livingyogadallas.com 

Project Mom 2012 - my recap

Do you remember where I said I would be this weekend? That's right, Project Mom 2012 in Dallas! The conference began on Friday night, although I did not attend until Saturday. On Friday night, most of what I missed was a demonstration by The Crockin' Girls of some of their amazing crockpot recipes from their new book The Crockin' Girls Slow Cookin' Companion: Yummy Recipes From Family, Friends, and Our Crockin' Community, which was available for purchase at the conference even though it's not officially available in stores yet!

I arrived at the conference in Allen, Texas a little before 9am. Everybody got these fun Vera Bradley reusable bags full of coupons and such.



The first session contained a few speakers to encourage us as moms. Here I am with my fellow Dallas Moms Blog contributors, getting ready for the conference to begin!

Project Mom 2012 - I look way too excited

Then we broke out into smaller sessions. My first session was "Parenting Your Preschooler" by Lynley Phillips, who is also a local Dallas blogger. I failed to get a picture of this session, but it was a nice overview of respectful parenting. I was encouraged to note that I actually do most of the things she suggested to be good practices for parenting preschoolers. Maybe these tactics will start actually working one day??

We took a break for lunch and the next session was "Picture Perfect Photography". We were a little late for this one, so I missed the speaker's introduction, but she was a professional photographer. She gave some good tips on using the "rule of 3's" to plot your photos before you take them, and some simple lighting tips as well. I liked this session because she gave tips that could be implemented with any camera, not just a fancy DSLR.

Then there was a quick break, which I kind of overestimated. There were a ton of vendors set up in the hallways throughout the conference. Baby clothing, purses, makeup, home organization tools, even a bra fitting lady! I was very tempted to purchase one particular item. I had a quick conversation with the shop owner and hope to try and feature this fun item on my blog some time very soon!

The Dallas Moms Blog crew in the vendor area at Project Mom 2012

My last session was "Meal Planning". You know that I've had several different versions of meal planning in the past, and I still use a little bit of my own system in addition to the iPhone/online app Food On The Table. This session was maybe a little vague - more of an overview of meal planning, rather than practical tips. One main point that I appreciated: your meals don't have to look like another family's meals. Mine definitely don't! My take-away from this session was a hand-out they gave each of us, a list of five meals we could write down that were family favorites and quick to prepare. The idea is to have ingredients for those five meals on hand at all times. It's a great strategy for preventing last-minute fast-food binges!

The closing session was possibly my favorite part. The first was an interview with Katie Hamilton, wife of Texas Rangers baseball player Josh Hamilton. I do not follow sports in any way, so I had no idea who he was or who she was, but she was very nice and engaging and funny, and I always appreciate hearing from other moms. She shared some of their day-to-day schedule challenges and how their family is flexible to deal with it all. I love to see inside someone else's life, it always gives me good ideas for my own family.



The final speaker was Kat Lee of InspiredToAction.com. Again, someone I had not heard of but was blessed to hear. I wish I could write all the things she told us about being a Purposeful mother. I do have the main points from the handout: 1) know your value, 2) know your plan, and 3) press on! I tweeted one point that I particularly loved:

Kat's closing comments were summarized much more eloquently by The T-Shirt Mama in her Project Mom recap (a fellow DallasMomsBlog.org contributor!).

All in all, it was a good little getaway with some great reminders for any mom. If you get a chance, I'd love to see you there again next year!