Stretched...

For the past four months now, I've been literally grounded in terms of my ability to exercise and do the activities I love.  One fateful 5-mile run back in April led to plantar fasciitis and the pain from this has been plaguing me ever since.  As I waited it out all summer long, I tried to limit my activities to spur on healing, iced my foot daily and have been doing a LOT of stretches throughout the day every day to try an loosen up the tissues in the foot. 

Stretching hurts...the pain of it is intense and uncomfortable. I have a love-hate relationship with stretching.  The thing that is supposed to help me, hurts.


Romans 5:3-5  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

I recognized a parallel today, as I stretched my foot.  I realized the importance of stretching in my Spiritual life...what would my faith look like if I was never stretched beyond my comfort zone?  How would I grow, mature, experience healing from my sinful ways of living and grow deeper with God if I was satisfied with the status quo?

Please God, give me the strength to press on through the stretching moments I experience.  Don't allow me to freeze up, or to turn back when I feel that first twinge of pain, but to press on.  Give me the courage to see You and persevere through my painful trials.  Give me hope, God, even in my darkest hour...and in that hour might praises spring forth from my lips as I lose sight of the trial and gaze into your glorious presence.

Made from Scratch...

 I was flipping through cookbooks the other night for an hour with Reese.  We'd been to the library and her passionate interest these days is helping out in the kitchen. So whenever we go to the library now, she checks out a dozen new cookbooks to look through and try new recipes.  I love that she's so excited to learn the art of cooking and am always happy for her help when I am preparing meals.

As we looked for a new recipe to try, I got a little frustrated with some of the books.  So many assume that the kids won't want to measure, or prep, or take the time to make things from scratch, so they call for "a box of cake mix," "a box of pudding mix,"  "a tub of whipped topping," "canned or packaged veggies," "pre-made dough," or "canned fruit."

As I was standing at the counter this afternoon grating squash from our garden for some squash fritters tonight, I was thinking about this and about how much better things taste when you make them from scratch.  People always notice and appreciate too, when you take the extra time to cook something from scratch.  The flavor is more intense, the nutrition is more complete and healthful, it's an overall better experience, when you have the time and ingredients available.  Sure, it takes a little more elbow grease to grate a butternut squash than to buy it pre-grated or chopped and frozen...but I'll bet these fritters will be well-worth it.

I think this is such a great comparison to my faith walk...my relationship with the Lord.  There really is no adequate "short cut" to grow in my faith.  No "pre-prepared" scripture readings, no ready made prayer requests.  Just as I can't forge lasting and meaningful relationships by posting photos and clicking "Like" on Facebook, I can't have a deep and meaningful relationship with God if I only send up text-style prayers to Him and only read my Bible in bits and pieces.  I've got to get in there and be willing to get "dirty"...I've got to push myself to new limits, beyond my comfort zone.  I've got to work hard at it, not skipping any steps, putting every ounce of my strength into my relationship with Him. And then, when difficult times come, which they will, I'll have a strong foundation to fall back on.

Carter and I read the story of Jonah last night in the book we read at bedtime.  I loved one verse in particular that speaks to just this...

When we take the time...really invest ourselves...to have that close and meaningful relationship with the Lord, it becomes an automatic response to turn to Him in difficult times.  And we can be fully assured that He hears us...He knows when we struggle and when we doubt and when we need Him most.  He's not the kind of God to turn His back on us in our darkest hours.  I've experienced this firsthand many times over the course of  my life, but especially over the last year and a half.

Faith is a step-by-step, life-long process...it's the perfect example of something that is "made from scratch/"  There is no shortcut, no alternative route...there is but one path to a true and complete relationship with God and He gives us all the instructions we need, the "recipe" if you will, in His Word.

Made for so much more...

I was listening to the radio when I heard a story that caught my interest.  They were talking about AMC Theaters making a statement that they may now allow texting in some movies. The CEO was quoted as saying,

 "When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow. You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life."

The very next song that was played had lyrics along the lines of...

You're beautiful....
you're beautiful...
you were made for so much more than this...

I wanted to scream, "YES!!!!  We were made for SO much more than this!!!"

Today as I drove Reese to gymnastics, the first truly warm, sunny day we've had for weeks, I saw adults standing at the bus stop (on their phones), adults waiting in the parking lot at gymnastics and in the lobby (on their phones), people in the grocery store shopping (on their phones), an adult out with her kids in the yard (on the phone).  Am I missing something here, or is being on the phone really that important that you pass up time to enjoy the sunshine and spring flowers, miss out on talking to other people (NOT texting but actually talking), miss out on SEEING things around you, and miss out on spending some quality time with your kids.

Some days I feel like I'm ready to crack from the pressure and exhausting of being at home with the kids all day every day...but you'd better believe I'm doing everything I can to be sure they don't grow up to be 22-year-olds who would rather lose an arm than turn off their phones for 2 hours to watch a movie.  I want my kids to know NOW...while they are young, that they are made for SO much more!  I want them to see the amazing world around them, to have respect for and knowledge of technology, but never let it become their master.

We have men of science, too few men of God. 

We have grasped the mystery of the atom 

and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. 

The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. 

Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, 

more about killing than we know about living. 

If we continue to develop our technology 

without wisdom or prudence, 

our servant may prove to be our executioner. 

Quote by US Army 5-Star WWII General Omar Bradley - 1948

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.

– Albert Einstein

Strength Training...

I'm an exercise enthusiast, some might even say fanatic.  I like to workout...genuinely enjoy it...6 days a week if possible, maybe even 7.  I've had gym memberships, played most major sports at some point, at least recreationally.  As I morphed over into parenthood, I discovered the beauty of the home workout.  I've tried SO many exercise videos...and I'm a Jillian Michaels aficionado.

One consequence of having 4 kids has been that my workouts usually don't start until after 9 pm.  For the girl who was never a night person, this was a HUGE adjustment.  But most nights, if you were to peek in my window, you'll find me faithfully exercising...

I like to push myself.  I've always felt that I should do the best I could at whatever I am doing, whenever possible.  When it comes to exercise, I like to feel that I am in the best shape I can be...  I love the sensation of pushing myself to my limit and the way I feel after a great workout.  It's exhilarating to reach new level's of fitness, set new goals and meet them...I hate it when I hit a plateau.

Pushing yourself to a new level of fitness is very much the same as pushing yourself to grow in other areas of life.  I had to start as a novice when I had my first child...I knew NOTHING about babies.  But step by painful step, I began to learn...through much trial and error.  Day in and day out I poured all my energy into raising my son as best as I was able.  And I've poured that same energy into the subsequent children, building on my knowledge with every one.

The kids will grow up and eventually move out.  My body will begin to deteriorate...I can already feel it happening.  Eventually my runs will slow to walks.  The weights I lift will be too heavy and start to collect dust.  But there is one area of my life that I can continually train myself in...there is a type of strength training I will participate in until the day I die....that is training in my faith.

Just when I think I've reached a new height in my faith journey, I am often plunged back down to reality by circumstances out of my control.  Just when I start to feel "wise" in my knowledge of the Lord, I'm brought to a new level of realization and start to understand how pitifully weak and small my faith really is.  Like waves on the beach, my life is so often dictated more by the ebb and flow of my moods and emotions, rather than by the the very bedrock of my being, the consistency and continuity of my faith.

But I try not to dwell on my shortcomings.  No!  I know that isn't a healthy place to be ...  I set my eyes on the eternal prize of Heaven.  I seek to know God more deeply each day through His word.  I train myself through the discipline of making time for Him, praying to Him, confessing my faults to Him.  He tests my faith in new ways as I journey on, pushing me to trust him during times I want to question everything.  He uses my weaknesses to make me stronger.  He forgives me when I hit a plateau, which is more often than I'd like to admit.  He motivates me to push myself, to strive for more, to feel that burn of exhaustion and know I've given it my all at the end of the day.

This training is no joke...It's the toughest workout you'll ever find...but the prize is infinitely worth it!

Growth Spurt...

 So I need to give a little shout-out to Derrick's always-masterfully planned garden.  We are in the peak of garden season here at the "Berad Homestead."  Unfortunately the cooler summer this year has totally stunted our tomatoes!!!  In spite of planting 40 tomato plants this year we are getting almost no harvest, much to our dismay.  I give so much credit to farmers who stake their livelihood on their crops, never knowing what the yield will be.  Even just having a suburban backyard garden is a ton of work (mostly Derrick these days).

It's exciting to look out the window each morning and see what has grown and ripened overnight.  The sunflowers have really sprung up fast, we have some massive lima beans growing on the deck, and I've been trying some new recipes lately that have turned out pretty well.   I made this Kohlrabi Slaw last night...this Parmesan Lemon Zucchini a couple days ago and this Quinoa Enchilada Casserole last weekend....YUM!

 Speaking of growing...I feel like I blink and the kids have sprouted up another inch overnight.  They are getting too big, too fast.  And, oh goodness, there is another one coming in about 50 more days, hopefully give a few.

Tonight the kids were playing with a box of little figurines and critters Derrick saved from when he was a kid.  Carter ran into the room with one, a figure of an Indian, and asked us, "What is this guy called again, a Minion?"

Look at the Kale!!!

Plugged in....or tuned out??

I've been thinking more and more about technology lately and how it will impact my kids.  Maybe it's because I recently got a smart phone after having the cheapest, oldest phone out there for so many years.  I wondered, after getting the phone, how my life would be changed.  And I do have to say, it is convenient to have so much information on such a small device, texting is nice every once in a while...but mostly, I have to keep myself in check that it doesn't become a real distraction from my daily life.

The other day the kids were watching an episode of Sesame Street and the whole plot line was that two of the characters wanted an adult to read them some books.  She never had time to read to them because she was always texting.  After much begging and pleading they finally convinced her to put away her phone..the texting could wait.  Has the world come to this???

A week or so ago, I was outside playing with the kids at the swingset and happened to see a little girl, probably 11 or 12 years old, trying to ride her bike down the sidewalk...while texting!!

To me, technology is a blessing and a curse.  It has great benefits and offers many conveniences that never existed in the past...however, it has an enormous potential to be abused.  I want my kids to know it can be a great thing, but to also know it isn't the be all, end all of life. I want them to know how to form real relationships with people and be able to look someone in the eye and communicate with them.

I have received plenty of comments from people when I send them a handwritten note in the mail, thanking me for taking the time to express my thoughts and what an encouragement it was to them.  I have never received such sentiment about a text I sent...or a Facebook message.

I'll get off my little soapbox now.  I am not urging everyone to throw their cell phones in the garbage.  I just wish sometimes, more people would look up from their phones to see the world around them....or drive their cars...or ride their bikes...

Information Age

I have been increasingly overwhelmed lately by the amount of information I'm feeling I need to be teaching my kids.  Maybe it's the fact that we opted to skip pre-school.  Maybe it's the fact that I'd rather not have my kids learning life's most important lessons sitting in front of the computer or the television.  But take away these outlets and that leaves me with a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time and a tank running on empty when I'm up half the night with a crying, hungry baby.  We've mastered the alphabet....at looooong last, and numbers are going well too.

But what about some of the more complex life lessons?  My kids are at an age where they are absorbing information like little sponges, and I want them to be aware that there is so much more to life than the acquisition of new toys.  I want them to understand what it means to truly forgive, and how/why we should do unto others what we would have them do unto us.  I want them to know about being thankful for blessings we receive every single day and to begin to grasp what poverty is, and that much of the world does not live the kind of lifestyle that we do.  These things in particular stand out in my mind at this very materialistic/consumeristic time of year.

In an age with an unfathomable amount of information available at the touch of a few keys, it can be difficult to discern what is most critical for raising intelligent and well-balanced kids.  When I take them outside for a walk, I don't want to be solely focused on the physical activity, but also make them aware of their surrounding environment, pointing out leaves and birds and other parts of nature.

I asked Reese last night if she wanted to sing a Christmas song rather than our usual "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and she didn't know a Christmas song for me to sing.  And it hit me, I've got to teach her the songs I was raised singing the way my mom and grandmom taught me.  I asked Carter if he knew how many feet tall he was, and the difference between left and right, and how much a penny was worth.  So many teachable moments...so little time.

Last night Derrick commented to me that "parenting is an impossible job."  Oh how true that is!  Part of being a parent is acknowledging that you will Never Ever be able to be everything your child demands, teach them everything they need to know, and shelter them from the unfortunate realities of life for very long.

When I find myself slipping into the "I am a failure" mode, I try to pray for whatever is troubling me. At that very moment of admission that I can't do this on my own, I am SO grateful that God will step in, give me a little pat on the back, and say, "Let Me take it from here."

At lunch yesterday, Reese asked me, "Why are you eating quinoa and spaghetti squash?"  For a three year old to know this...well, that has to count for something, right??

Speaking of quinoa, here's what's for Dinner tonight, Quinoa Butternut Squash Gratin.

Master Your Metabolism

I'm recording some of the notes I took after reading "Master Your Metabolism" by Jillian Michaels, more for my own good, but thought I'd share as there is some EXCELLENT information in this book.  It is honestly the most comprehensive book on healthy eating and living that I have read...a lot more technical than I was expecting, but really good info.

HFCS:
(High Fructose Corn Syrup) production in the US went up from 3,000 tons in 1967 to 9,227,000 tons in 2005.  It is one of the cheapest sweeteners.  Fructose doesn't suppress hunger hormone ghrelin levels the way that glucose (table sugar) does.  Women who ate fructose instead of glucose had higher ghrelin levels throughout the day, overnight, and into the next day.

Artificial Preservatives and Colors:
A common preservative, butylated hydroxyanisole, or BHA, has been "generally recognized as safe" by the FDA, but is still "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."  It helps prevent food spoilage but is also a known endocrine disruptor.  We eat BHA in hundreds of foods, including butter, lard, cereals, baked goods, sweets, beer, vegetable oils, potato chips, snack foods, nuts, dehydrated potatoes, flavoring agents, sausage, poultry and meat products, dry mixes for beverages and desserts, glazed fruits, chewing gum, and active dry yeast.

MSG:
Glutamates are flavor enhancers...they keep you coming back for more.  Unfortunately they are also known to be devastating to the nervous system.  Some processed foods have not only one form of glutamate, they may have tow, three or even four kinds.  The government has decreed that anything that has monosodium glutamate in it must say "Contains MSG."  Does that mean that if your food doesn't have the label, it doesn't have glutamates?  Absolutely not - it just doesn't have that particular glutamate.
Don't be fooled by the words, "natural flavor" or "spices" either.  Foods with natural flavors or spices could, in fact, be jam-packed with glutamates, and you'd never know it!  Check out this list of code words for hidden free glutamic acids in your processed foods:

Autolyzed yeast, Calcium caseinate, Gelatin, Glutamate, Glutamic Acid, Hydrolyzed corn gluten, Hydrolyzed protein (wheat, milk, soy, whey - any protein that is hydrolyzed), Monopotassium glutamate, Monosodium glutamate, Natrium glutamate, Sodium caseinate, textured protein, yeast extract, yeast food, yeast nutrient

PLASTICS:
#3 V or PVC - found in cooking oil bottles, cling wrap, clear wrap around meat, cheese, deli meats, and other food items, plumbing pipes, toys.

Hormone-disrupting phthalates and cancer causing dioxins leach out of PVC when it comes into contact with heat, food, water, air or our bodies.

Choose these instead:  Saran premium wrap, Glad Wrap, and Saran Cling Plus wrap do not contain PVC or BpA. Store your food in glass.  Buy cooking oil in glass bottles.  Never microwave food in plastic - use parchment paper or wax paper.

#6 Polystyrene (styrofoam)
Found in disposable coffee cups, takeout containers, foam egg cartons, meat trays, packing peanuts, and foam insulation.  The nonextruded type is found in CD jewel cases, disposable cutlery and transparent takeout containers.

Especially when it gets hot, known endocrine disruptor polystyrene can leach chemicals into food.  Never drink hot drinks out of foam cups or eat hot food out of foam containers.

#7 Polycarbonate
Found in baby bottles, microwave ovenware, stain-resistant food storage containers, medical storage containers, eating utensils, plastic liners of almost all food and soft-drink cans.

Hundreds of studies have linked BPA, a chemical in polycarbonate plastic, with harmful endocrine-disrupting effects.

COSMETICS:

Try using some natural cosmetics such as:
www.drhauschka.com
www.renskincare.com
www.aesop.net.au
www.nudeskincare.com
www.jasoncosmetics.com

RESOURCES:

www.ourstolenfuture.org
www.theorganicpages.com
www.slowfoodusa.org
www.eatwild.org
www.eatwellguide.org
www.organicconsumers.org
www.newdream.org
www.localharvest.org
www.amazon.com/tag/bpa-free/products
www.calorieking.com

Little Readers

I just logged into my Library Account to check on some books that are coming due...guess how many books we currently have checked out?  (This is after three trips to the Library in one week, mind you...)

91

Yep you read that right...my children have managed to drag 91 library books into my house in one single week.  OK ok, there are 2 books that I checked out and Derrick got 2 gardening books...but 87 books is still a LOT.  Sigh...we must have spent about an hour and a half reading just this afternoon.  Honestly, I'm not complaining though...sometimes reading can be a little boring, but I would so much rather have them listening to books and asking questions than spacing out in front of the TV.

One of the 2 books I got was Jillian Michael's Master your Metabolism.  I really recommend it for anyone looking for ways to be healthier.  It's a lot more technical than her last book that I read (Unlimited), but a really good read.

It is amazing to me how much of healthy living is just every day common sense.  Like eating foods that aren't highly processed.  So many people are quick to write off "healthy" foods, especially for their kids. But I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of things my kids have tried and really enjoy just because I have them on hand and they see Derrick and I eating them all the time.  They are used to eating my homemade whole wheat bread, whole wheat pancakes and waffles, and whole wheat pasta.  They LOVE barley, rice, quinoa and farro.  They love avocados, grapefruit...any fruit!!  I hope we can instill in them some great knowledge about eating fresh, healthy foods and where their food comes from (our garden...soon!)

Healthy Muffins

Vegan Banana Muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well
1 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 cup skim milk, mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar **
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup chopped walnuts and/or chocolate chips (optional)
** I used skim milk but obviously if you want 100% vegan you have to use almond or soy milk which is what the recipe originally called for.  I just didn't have any on hand.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 8×4 bread pan with non stick cooking spray, or lightly coat with margarine.   For muffins: Place paper liners in muffin pan and fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Cream together the oil, applesauce sugar and maple syrup. Add bananas, milk and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well. Pour batter into pan. Bake for an hour to an hour 10 minutes.  If baking muffins, bake for approximately 30 minutes, 15-20 for mini muffins.

The kids helped me make these today.  They really had fun with it and LOVED eating the mini-muffins afterwards.  They are really good.  I just hand-dropped in 3 or 4 chocolate chips into each muffin to make them a tad sweet but not entirely unhealthy.

Shortcuts to health

Healthy substitutes are the name of the game if you are looking to lose weight or stay at a healthy weight for the long run.  Here are a few ideas I heard recently that sounded worth trying.

If you're craving cheesecake or a rich, creamy dessert, try a bowlful of blueberries topped with some ricotta cheese and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

If you are in the mood for ice cream, whip up a banana and some skim milk and add a couple ice cubes for a banana smoothie with the texture of ice cream.

If it's carbs you are craving, stick to high fiber whole grains.  I read that pumpernickel and rye breads are actually the most filling varieties.

One trick to cutting down on unnecessary snacking is to wait 30 minutes before you indulge.  Often (apparently) your craving vanishes when you are able to distract yourself and hold off on the instant gratification.

I also recently read...and now I can't find the source, that if you do one 60-second plank a day, that is enough to tone your abs.  Not being much a fan of abs exercises I'm trying to do this every day now.  I mean, who doesn't have 60 seconds, right?  Here are some variations of plank moves to try from my fav trainer.

Now go be healthy!

Asparagus

Tried this tonight and it was delish...just thought I'd share:

Lemon-Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

6 servings - 5 min. prep time - cook time 25 min.

2 bunches asparagus, ends snapped off
1.5 TBS olive oil
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
Zest (in long strips) and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 ounce shaved Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 425.  In a roasting pan, toss the asparagus with the oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper.  Roast 20-25 min, tossing occasionally until browned.
2.  Drizzle lemon juice to taste over asparagus, then transfer to serving dish, discarding lemon zest and garlic. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

57 calories per serving
3 g protein
4 g fat (.7 Sat)
3 g fiber

Bon Apetit!

Tested and Approved

I'm an Allrecipes junkie, I'll admit it.  I'm trying out new recipes from this website almost every day.  You really can't go wrong when you choose a 4 or 5-star rated recipe with lots of reviews and suggestions.  A few more good ones I've tried out in the Berad Kitchen over the past week....and a new one on my docket for this week.

Ham and Bean Soup  - I did use the organic dried white beans...it turned out amazingly thick and hearty.  I added extra broth because there wasn't much liquid left in mine after all the simmering.  So Good!

We have a plentiful supply of pork still since we bought a whole pig last May.  I've used this very simple recipe a number of times with some of the pork roasts we had.  Pulled Pork is delicious and great with a little BBQ Sauce on a warm bun.

This Quinoa Cranberry Salad was amazing and incredibly easy.  Quinoa is a very healthy grain...try it if you haven't yet!

And finally, I may be making these granola bars for the kids this week...sound so yummy!

DIY Living

 In the age of "Made in China", it can get a little frustrating sometimes, (at least for me), trying to find something that is made locally and is good quality.  I think my quest to live more healthy has made me more conscious of everything I buy, not just food.  I've started taking on the mindset of, "Let me see if I can make that myself."  And often times, I surprise myself...it's not that hard to MYO and it's rewarding and fun.  From homemade bread to Halloween costumes...here are a few of my DIYs that have turned out alright.

 I already posted about my pillow covers but I love them and they were sooo easy to do.  I'm sure I saved a bundle making them myself and in a fabric that can be washed (2 kids!!!).  I can make new ones to cover the same pillows at a later time if I get tired of these.  I made a set for our bedroom also and they look great.  Covered over some other pillows I wasn't using any more and....voila!

Thanks to friend Mama K I tried out the homemade Christmas ornaments this year and they were so much fun.  Carter loved helping me cut them out and the cinnamon/apple smells amazing on the tree.

We made two sets of this beanbag game (corn hole) this summer, one for us and one as a gift.  They were rather involved...Derrick had to build the platform (he found all the specs for it online) and I helped paint it and made all the corn-filled bean bags.  These retail for $100 in the store, or more...we figured the homemade version cost $25 total.

I saw the cute name letters in various catalogs when I was searching for ideas to decorate my kids' rooms.  So I went to Joann and bought the unfinished letters and decorated them myself.  Probably about $5-10 per kid...whereas they cost $10 per letter at Pottery Barn Kids.  It's an easy way to customize/decorate the kids' bedrooms.  I'm trying to use it to teach Carter how to spell his name now too...letcha know how that goes.  :)

The Pottery Barn Kids version

 I have had to buy maybe two loaves of bread since summer started.  Our bread machine has been a great investment and I love the home made bread.  We don't have to worry about all the additives, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.  It is healthy, full of whole wheat and fiber...what more could you ask for.  We also save our chicken carcasses after roasting a chicken and make our own chicken broth, and of course we canned a TON of tomato sauce, salsa and soup this summer too.

And vinegar...I can't leave that off the list.  Vinegar can be used for a plethora of things...it is such a versatile substance.  I dilute it in this spray bottle I got for a few bucks at Target and use to to clean all my floors, counter tops, windows and mirrors.  It's much safer for the kids and pets to be walking on than some harsh chemicals.  I use it to clean the bathrooms, it can be used as a fabric softener, and can even be used as a hair rinse.  You save money on chemicals and it's more eco-friendly...how can you lose???

 The final DIY I used for Christmas gifts this year was an organza flower brooch.  I had seen them for sale in White House Black Market for $24 in the fall.  I looked around online and figured out how to make them.  These were fairly time intensive but it was a fun project.  If you haven't yet received one, be forewarned...I made a lot!  :)

New Discoveries and random links

Etsy Organic Soap - I found some great soap on Etsy by seller Noirliliana.  Paraben, Phlalate, sulphate and petrochemical free...totally natural and organic.  Heavenly!

S2H Wristband - So I read about this in Fitness Magazine just yesterday and ordered two replay bands last night.  It tracks your activity during the day and you can earn up to 60 points per day for 60 minutes of exercise.  You accumulate points, enter codes online and can win gift cards for all different retailers...sounds like a cool idea to me!

Chili and Cornbread recipes - not healthy at all but this cornbread and this chili were what I made for dinner last night and really hit the spot on a cold evening.  I also made this Black Bean soup...like the easiest recipe ever and really hearty.

Peak 8 Training Method - I started doing some serious interval training about 2 months ago after reading this article.  I modified it so that I work out for 30 minutes on my elliptical.  I warm up for 4 minutes, then do a sprint interval for 30 seconds, every two minutes.  When I get to 26 minutes I do the last interval and then cool down up to 30 minutes.  It works!  I weigh less now than I did in college...it's really really tough but so worth it!

Mother's Helpers are the best.  I've been using a neighbor girl once a week for just an hour, but it's so nice to get that break every Monday.  She plays with the kids and I do laundry, make dinner, clean...whatever is on my list for that day.  Yesterday the kids were REALLY giving her a run for her money and I heard her from the other room yelling, "Stop!  Stop the Madness!!!"  I just about died laughing.

Don't forget to take your vitamins...just without the poison!

OK I'm on a rant session again.  I was about to pop in two of my daily multi-vitamins today when I thought to myself, hmmm wonder what the ingredients are in vitamins.  They are supposedly a "health food" right?  WRONG!  I started taking Flintstones chewable vitamins when I was pregnant with Carter and have been taking them ever since.  But ever wonder what makes them sweet?  Yup, good old Aspartame strikes again.  I have an almost full bottle which will be going straight into the garbage.  Sickening!  If you haven't caught my other rants about Aspartame, be aware that it is toxic and check out the movie, "Sweet Misery" if you get a chance.

Vaccines

Reese had her 15 month check up today.  She is still mostly 50th Percentile.  She's 22 lb 13oz and 30.5 inches tall.  Carter weighed that at 9 months if that puts it in perspective!  The doctor is still urging me to continue breastfeeding.  She will not be a self-weaner like her brother, I can see that now.  We are still spreading out all of her vaccines and I am so glad we have a Pediatrician who's 100% on board with that.  He told me today that by spreading them out, I'm actually also reducing the number of total vaccines she needs to get since she's old enough now to completely skip the 4th dosage of several of them.  We obviously skipped the flu shot again this year.  I am so anti-vaccines and especially this one in particular.  After the scare last year with the swine flu (well I was never scared to be honest), I trust the AAP and FDA even less than before.  When you start looking into vaccines and how they are researched and tested and then you see the ENORMOUS profit that the pharma companies are making off them, it's hard for me to believe they really have the patient's best interest in mind.  I think the human body has an amazing capacity to protect itself and heal itself when fueled with the right foods and taken care of with a little old-fashioned common sense.  So there's my soapbox speech for this week, take it or leave it.

Giving up gum

We watched a really interesting movie the other night, "Sweet Misery".  Highly recommend it to EVERYONE.  It's about the creation and acceptance of Aspartame into our diets and the truth about this toxic chemical.  Yes, it's toxic.  I had no idea how bad it really was till I watched this documentary and now I'm 100% committed to getting it out of my house.  Unfortunately the only thing I really eat that has it on a regular basis is gum.  Let me tell you I spent 10 minutes combing the grocery store shelves today for any gum without it and I don't believe there is one that exists.  I'm addicted to chewing gum, sad but true...but now that I know this I'm gonna try to stop.  So I bought a bulk container of Altoids today and we'll see how it goes.  But seriously..watch the film....really scary stuff!!

On a COMPLETELY different side note.  So I was in Victoria's Secret today...redeeming my coupon for free underwear (can't pass that up).   And I go to check out and there is a GUY working there.  Ok, don't get me wrong I'm all for Equal Opportunity, but really!?!  What self-respecting guy wants to work in Victoria's Secret???  It was totally weird and awkward and just wrong if you ask me.  Feel free to think what you want but there are just some stores a guy should never work in and that's one of 'em!

SALT

Wanna be really disturbed?  Take a look at this little presentation and you too might be ready to swear off all restaurants...FOREVER.  I mean seriously, how do they pack so much unhealthy stuff into a single meal?  It is disturbing and disgusting.  We eat out so rarely these days...this is partly why...

30 Saltiest Foods Slideshow

Gardening again

Today we planted our vegetable garden, which at the Berad household is an all-day event. It also seems to expand and grow more diverse each year. This year we planted cauliflower, 3 kinds of tomatos, zucchini, beans, peas, beets, and peppers, as well as an assortment or herbs. That should keep us busy in a couple months. I know last year we had a fridge full of tomatos and zucchini and I was literally looking up a new recipe every single night to try and figure out ways to use them all. It was crazy. (And by the way, Derrick doesn't even really like zucchini, so why you might ask, do we keep planting 8 zucchini plants every year???) But the garden's planted and looks great so that's a nice feeling.

Carter's been progressing with his eating and is doing pretty well. He definitely LOVES to eat. He also LOVES to put food everywhere except his mouth, it's quite an adventure. Maybe he will like zucchini?? :)