Blog - Page 18 of 183 - Moments of Musing

A Sweet Holiday Season

Filed Under: christmas 2019, holidays, motherhood // December 16, 2019

This post is sponsored by Mondolez. All opinions are my own.

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As a mom, I am realizing just how stressful the holiday season can be. The lists — of toys the kids wish for, things to do, housework to tend to, places to go, people to see, presents to buy — are seemingly never ending.

I am quickly realizing, however, that the Holidays aren’t just about matching pjs, big and expensive presents, having the prettiest decor or the fullest tree…

It’s not about being suddenly stress-free, or about having a perfect family, a perfect house and a perfect life… ⁣ It’s the memories made that are full of love and laughter. It’s the joy that hopefully fills your heart and home. It’s the spirit of kindness sprinkled around. It’s the light in the world shining a bit brighter. ⁣

This holiday season, show you care by being sweet to those you love. Small gifts can still be meaningful, and stocking stuffers may sometimes be forgotten in the frenzy to keep up with the Joneses. Stocking stuffers and little nicknack presents are small ways you can show just how much you care. If you ask my kids, I’m sure they’d be just as happy with candy as they would with toys!

For preschool classmates’ holiday goodie bags, fun-size OREO Chocolate Bars are the perfect treat to include. They are each individually wrapped, which is convenient when packing goodie bags. For stocking stuffers, I know my husband would love Sour Patch Kids, perfect for candy lovers, since he buys it on his own. My gum-loving dad would enjoy a 3-count Trident pack.

The treats are all yummy and a great alternative to traditional, more expensive stocking stuffings. Plus, I know they will be used/ eaten so they won’t go to waste and it will be money well spent!

The Journey of Motherhood: Body Image

Filed Under: body image, journey of motherhood, laura otter, motherhood, postpartum body // December 10, 2019

Motherhood is a journey.

This guest post is written by Laura Otton, LCSW, who has a private practice based out of Huntington, NY, specializing in all things motherhood ranging from fertility issues and pregnancy loss, to pregnancy and the postpartum period. She is running The Journey of Motherhood, a series of workshops, at The Nesting Place in West Islip NY. The second workshop, Body Image, is the inspiration for this post and will be held this Saturday December 14, 2019. You can learn more about Laura practice and workshops by visiting her website at therapyformotherhood.com

This is Part 1 of a four-part series.

Postpartum body, body image, postpartum body image, postpartum, pregnant body, self esteem, self worth, motherhood, journey of motherhood

Do you want to sell a product to a pregnant or postpartum woman? Tell her it will “get her body back” or prevent “icky” things from happening like stretch marks or a tummy pouch.

My expertise does not lie in how we got to this place of impossible expectations that do little but denigrate a woman’s body and feed a billion-dollar industry, but I do know that mothers are so inundated with these messages starting in their own childhoods that those messages are constantly coming at her and now from her. She is the most judgmental of herself!

Pregnancy and postpartum will open any cracks there may have been in a woman’s self-image, raising up any insecurity, any doubt, any sadness, any trauma, any violation, any negativity. And, to add insult to injury, often a woman’s physical needs are brushed aside even by professionals—a woman is told that incontinence is a normal part of being a mom, so buy some pads. Or a vaginal organ prolapse (ever heard of it?) isn’t even diagnosed much less treated. Diastasis recti (a gap in the abdominal muscles) is also accepted as normal and maybe given a shrug, if the mother is even checked for it. Hemorrhoids, hernias, back pain, painful intercourse, the list goes on.

The postpartum body is about so much more than weight gain and stretch marks, though those certainly get the most attention (and judgment). So what’s a woman to do? All too often she suffers silently, perhaps adapting unhealthy diets or punishing exercise routines, or sometimes overeating or drinking to numb the pain and staying far away from exercise out of fear and perceived judgment, or perhaps a mix of these both in varying degrees.

This is where my work comes in. First and foremost, every woman deserves to receive validation about what is happening to their bodies—to be heard and believed. Then, I link them to the various providers who WILL listen, who WILL help (shout out to the wonderful pelvic floor specialists out there! Chiropractors! Naturopaths!). And then on to her feelings and emotions she has about her body. What a loaded topic, one that has its roots in childhood and has crept into nearly every aspect of her day.

I find that one of the most effective ways to get started in thinking about this is to ask two simple questions: First, how do you want your daughter to view her body? Secondly, how do you want your son to view women’s bodies?

Starting there, the woman gathers up an ideal view of her body, a view that she doesn’t believe quite yet for herself. But she knows already that she wants her daughter to eat nourishing foods for her mind and body, exercise to gain strength and mobility, breathe to calm her mind and gather her thoughts, sleep to recharge, and, just as importantly, view others’ bodies without judgment or criticism.

And for her son? She wants him to respect a woman’s body irregardless of its shape, its abilities, or its deviations from what society has deemed as desirable. She wants him to never objectify a woman’s body, but rather view the woman as a complete Self with strengths, intelligence, creativity, humor, and more. No where in there is disgust, judgment, loathing, punishment, or shame she may be giving herself.

Sometimes the mother’s motivation to change her self-perception comes first from the desire to raise a son and daughter with this mindset, but she soon finds that kindness towards her body is one of the most liberating, freeing, lovely changes she can make. She starts strengthening and healing her body and mind for her own joy, not anyone else’s.

My message is and always will be that we are all striving to accept our bodies fully and completely as perfect, while at the same time working on strengthening, nourishing, and healing to feel better. Your body has done truly amazing things. It deserves the care and attention to heal, it deserves to be treated with respect, kindness, and love. Do it not for your partner, or society, or social media, or your children. Do it for you.

Winter Home Safety

Filed Under: first alert, life, winter home safety // December 9, 2019

This post is sponsored by First Alert but all opinions are my own. #COWinterSafety #HolidayDeCOr

Early one morning this past summer, our fire/carbon monoxide alarms went off. My husband was not home — I was alone with the boys. I did not smell smoke and believed it was an error but the alarm would not go off so I called 911 out of precaution. Though there was no indication of a fire, the 911 operator told me to take the boys outside of our house in case there was a carbon monoxide (CO) leak.

The boys and I stepped outside in our pajamas and waited for the fire department to arrive. It was a bit of a scary event and my younger son still points to the alarms when he sees them. Thankfully, it was a false alarm. The incident was a reminder of the importance of CO alarms and precautions.

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According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, CO poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisonings in the U.S. Referred to as the “silent killer,” CO is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas that can only be detected with a CO alarm. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 400 people die every year of CO poisoning, half of which occur between November and February. An additional 50,000 people are treated for CO poisoning.

The First Alert 10-year Sealed Battery Carbon Monoxide Alarm detects dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. This sleek and stylish CO alarm is designed to sit on top of a dresser or tabletop — no installation required!

The alarm has a backlit digital display that shows temperature and peak levels of CO (when detected). This CO alarm provides hassle-free protection by eliminating the need for battery replacements for 10 years. After 10 years, you will hear an end of life warning, letting you know it is time to replace the alarm.

I am a firm believer that one can never be too safe. I am therefore very happy to be using our First Alert CO alarm, which is available to purchase on Amazon. Once it was delivered all I had to do place it on my shelf and now I can rest assured that our home is protected.

Holiday Fun with PJ Masks

Filed Under: christmastime, motherhood // December 6, 2019

This post is sponsored by entertainmentOne but all opinions are my own.

We are well into December so the holiday season is upon us! It has been Christmastime at our home since last month but we have really gotten into the holiday spirit recently. That includes getting the kids excited for Santa to visit.

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One way we do this is by asking what toys they would like on their “Wish List” for Santa. Our older son now understands what this means … though he wants practically everything on his list. Our younger son is still in the stage where even Christmas tree ornaments make for fun toys.

Though the boys are in different stages, they both love PJ Masks! In fact, we are getting ready for holiday shopping for the boys with a little help from PJ Masks’ Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko.

The boys have the following, which would be perfect for your little fans, too!:

The trio of PJ Masks heroes are here to help your little ones take on an action-packed holiday and make holiday playtime a blast, too! Keep the adventure alive during winter break with PJ Masks activities by visiting: http://pjmasks.com/grown-ups/activities. One especially fun activity is putting together a PJ Masks gingerbread house, which has become a tradition of ours.

Be sure to check out the upcoming holiday episode, PJ Masks Save Christmas, on December 6th! ‘Tis the season!

Quick & Easy Healthy Family Dinners & Sides, Part 2

Filed Under: healthy meal, healthy recipes, motherhood, tara allen health // December 4, 2019

When I recently met Tara of Tara Allen Health at a local open house for a motherhood programming center, we instantly clicked. She has been kind enough to share a bunch of healthy family-friendly dinners and sides that are quick and easy to make. These are perfect for everyone. They take at most four steps and 30 minutes to prepare! So you can make these even if you are short on time (they take 30-minutes at most!) or do not consider yourself a master in the kitchen.

Tara is a women’s health RN and certified: health coach, personal trainer, and nutrition specialist. She is also the lady behind SnugBug Fitness – the original babywearing and pregnancy exercise classes.

Be sure to tag her on Facebook and Instagram if you make any of her recipes!

This is part 2 of a mini series. Bon appetit!

Pressure Cooker Cashew Chicken

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11 ingredients · 25 minutes · 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tsps Avocado Oil (divided)

2 tbsps Coconut Aminos

1 tbsp Sugar Free Ketchup

1 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 1/2 tbsps Orange Juice

1 Garlic (clove, minced)

8 ozs Chicken Breast (skinless, boneless, cubed)

2 tsps Arrowroot Powder (divided)

2 tsps Water

1/2 cup Cashews

1 stalk Green Onion (optional, sliced)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, add half the avocado oil, coconut aminos, ketchup, rice vinegar, orange

juice and garlic. Whisk to combine.

2. Toss the cubed chicken breast with half the arrowroot powder. Turn on the pressure

cooker to sauté mode. Add the remaining avocado oil and the chicken then sear for 1 to

2 minutes. Press cancel and then pour the sauce on top. Set to “sealing” then press

manual/pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes on high pressure. Once finished,

manually release the pressure.

3. While the chicken is cooking, whisk the remaining arrowroot powder and water in a small

bowl. Remove the lid carefully on the pressure cooker and whisk to combine the

arrowroot/water mixture. Add the cashews and stir.

4. Divide onto plates and garnish with green onion (optional). Enjoy!

Eggs in a Butternut Squash Nest

5 ingredients · 15 minutes · 1 serving

Ingredients

3/4 cup Butternut Squash (spiralized into

noodles)

1 tsp Coconut Oil

2 Egg

Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

2 tbsps Microgreens (optional)

Directions

1. Form the spiralized squash noodles into nests, making a small well in the center for the

egg.

2. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Use a spatula to transfer the

squash nests to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes.

3. Crack eggs into cups and transfer them into the wells of the squash nests. Cook for

about 3 to 4 minutes or until the whites have set and it is cooked to your liking. Cover the

pan with a lid to speed up the cooking time.

4. Transfer the egg nests onto a plate and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Garnish with microgreens (optional) and enjoy!

Classic Tacos

9 ingredients · 25 minutes · 4 servings

Ingredients

8 Corn Tortilla

1 tbsp Avocado Oil

1 lb Extra Lean Ground Beef

1 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 head Green Lettuce (small, finely chopped)

2 Tomato (medium, diced)

Directions

1. Prepare tortillas according to instructions on the package.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and the beef, stirring to break

it up as it cooks. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and cumin to the pan. Once

the beef is cooked through, remove from heat.

3. Add the ground beef, lettuce and tomatoes to the center of each tortilla. Fold in half and

enjoy immediately.

One Pan Roasted Edamame & Broccoli Salad

nuggets, chicken nuggets, family meals, healthy meals, family friendly, broccoli, mom blogger, mom life, llfe with kids, nyc blog, food blog, long island blog, cauliflower rice, taco skillet, turkey taco, edamame

7 ingredients · 30 minutes · 4 servings

Ingredients

5 cups Broccoli (chopped into florets)

1 cup Frozen Edamame (shelled)

1 cup Walnuts

1/4 cup Avocado Oil (divided)

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 tbsp Almond Butter

1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) and line baking sheet with foil.

2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli florets, edamame, walnuts, half the avocado oil,

and season with salt. Transfer to baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 25

minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small jar, combine the remaining avocado oil, almond butter and apple

cider vinegar. Shake well. Add more water to thin if necessary.

4. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over top of the salad and serve.

Penne with Bursted Cherry Tomato Sauce

7 ingredients · 30 minutes · 2 servings

Ingredients

4 ozs Chickpea Pasta (dry)

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 cups Cherry Tomatoes

2 Garlic (cloves, minced)

Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

1 cup Basil Leaves (chopped)

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Run under cold water once

cooked to prevent from over cooking.

2. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, salt

and pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until all the tomatoes have burst, about 15 to 20

minutes.

3. Toss pasta with the chopped basil and divide onto plates. Top each serving with the

tomato sauce and nutritional yeast. Enjoy!